[{"UniqueID":414766,"EventID":"S6W-24345","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-04T16:10:14.447","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-03T16:00:55.743","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to propose a debate in the Parliament on Public Petition PE1859.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has no current intention to propose a debate in the Parliament on Public Petition PE1859: Retain falconers' rights to practise upland falconry in Scotland. We are aware this is being considered by the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee who have been taking evidence, and are best placed to consider the issue. Should the Committee deem it appropriate they may submit a report to the Scottish Parliament with a recommendation for debate. Details of the Committee’s consideration so far can be found here:  PE1859 Retain falconer's rights to practise upland falconry in Scotland | Scottish Parliament Website  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414767,"EventID":"S6W-24341","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-04T16:10:14.543","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-03T09:46:00.987","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on how paying social care staff £12 per hour is consistent with the aims of the Fair Work agenda, in light of this level of pay reportedly contributing to a level of gender pay inequality.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has a long-standing commitment to the principles of Fair-Work as we recognise and value the work that the social care sector do.\r\nThe £12 minimum pay-rate from April 2024 for Adult Social Care workers represents a 14.3% increase for these workers in the last two years; with pay rising from at least £10.50 per hour in April 2022. \r\nFour out of five people who will benefit from this uplift in pay are women. Increasing pay not only helps the workforce in question but will also positively impact on our wider priorities on child poverty, Fair Work and post-Covid pandemic recovery in the health and care sector. \r\nThe creation of the National Care Service will help to provide consistency in further improved pay and conditions, access to training and development and ensuring a career in social care is attractive and rewarding – but we are beginning to make those improvements now .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414768,"EventID":"S6W-24348","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-04T16:10:14.62","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-03T16:35:28.183","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps the NHS takes to retrieve equipment that it has loaned to patients.","AnswerText":"Decisions on the retrieval of loaned equipment are made at Board level and the Scottish Government do not have access to this information.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414770,"EventID":"S6W-24342","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-04T16:10:14.777","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-03T09:46:00.987","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been saved from the revised and delayed National Care Service proposal, and how much of that money has been ringfenced for reinvestment in social care.","AnswerText":"From a funding perspective there was no funding committed to the National Care Service as a result of the original Financial Memorandum, its purpose was only to show, as a result of the Bill, the potential additionality of cost that could be incurred were the Bill to progress as introduced. This is also the case for the revision to the Financial Memorandum and the associated Shared Accountability costing.\r\nThe commitment to increase social care funding by at least £840 million over this Parliament has been surpassed 2 years early, with funding for social care increasing by over £1 billion compared to 2021-22. Furthermore, the 2024-25 draft Budget supports services with investment of over £2 billion to support health and social care integration.\r\nDespite increased investment and vision of the National Care Service, it is noted that the system is under extreme pressure as a result of the ongoing impacts of Covid, Brexit and inflation. We will continue to work with partners across health and social to address these challenges and to take forward the reform that is essential for delivery of financially, environmentally and socially sustainable services for the people of Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414772,"EventID":"S6W-24346","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-04T16:10:14.917","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-03T16:01:11.087","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to amending the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) (Scotland) Act 2020 to allow mountain hares to be hunted for the purposes of falconry.","AnswerText":"We currently have no plans to amend the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) (Scotland) Act 2020 to allow mountain hares to be hunted for the purposes of falconry.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414773,"EventID":"S6W-24338","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-04T16:10:14.98","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-03T09:46:00.987","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether social care staff can reach pay equity with those in the public sector by the Fair Work Nation deadline of 2025, in light of it offering £12 per hour to not-for-profit social care and support staff in its Budget.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has a long-standing commitment to the principles of Fair-Work as we recognise and value the work that the social care sector do.\r\nWe are committed to lifting standards for adult social care workers and for those people who are in receipt of care, which is why we have increased spending within the sector.\r\nThe £12 minimum pay-rate from April 2024 for Adult Social Care workers represents a 14.3% increase for these workers in the last two years; with pay rising from at least £10.50 per hour in April 2022.\r\nWe have continued to progress a number of key projects to take forward and improve Fair Work principles, which will not only improve the current experience of the workforce, but also help to attract and retain new staff into the workforce.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414777,"EventID":"S6W-24350","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-04T16:10:15.267","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-03T16:35:28.183","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what value of NHS equipment loaned to patients has been written off in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by NHS board.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information, however, it may be available from local Health Boards. ","AnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414779,"EventID":"S6W-24344","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-04T16:10:15.393","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-03T13:54:35.707","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12917 by Jenny Gilruth on 21 December 2022, whether it has now finalised what the £200 million of funding on page 11 of the Scotland's Railway July 2022 publication, Enhancements Delivery Plan, will be spent on, and by when, and, if not, when it anticipates it will.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is continuing to develop the business case for the Aberdeen to Central Belt Enhancements project. This will be considered in in the coming months and within the context of the funding available for rail enhancements.\r\nWe remain firmly committed to infrastructure investment as a key factor in securing economic growth and high-quality public infrastructure across Scotland, including spending over £1.6 billion to operate, maintain and improve Scotland’s railway.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414780,"EventID":"S6W-24351","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-04T16:10:15.47","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-03T16:35:28.183","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what additional social security benefits are awarded to claimants with autism, and what proof of diagnosis is required.","AnswerText":"There are no additional social security benefits specific to autism however when someone is diagnosed with a long-term condition which may mean that they need a range of support they should contact Social Security Scotland for advice.\r\nSocial Security Scotland’s Local Delivery colleagues can guide people through the benefits they may be entitled to as well as helping people to apply for these benefits in a way which suits them best.\r\nFor Disability Payment applications, Social Security Scotland requires one piece of supporting information on an individual’s condition or disability to help them understand the impact the condition has on a person’s daily life. \r\nInformation to support an application often comes from medical professionals, both in the NHS and in the private sector, as long as they are familiar with the individual and their conditions, disability or needs in a professional capacity. Supporting information can also come from other professionals, such as those in health and social care, education, local authorities or the third sector. For example, if someone regularly sees a counsellor, physical therapist or support worker, they could be a better source of supporting information than a medical professional they may not have contacted for some time. Examples of supporting information include a diagnosis letter, a referral letter, a prescription list, a social work report, an additional support needs plan, a child’s plan or equivalent, this list is not exhaustive. \r\nSocial Security Scotland treats supporting information from professionals and the clients wider support network equally when they look at applications.\r\nSocial Security Scotland works with individuals and disability organisations to design services so that everyone who may be eligible for benefits understands how they can apply for and receive them. \r\nSocial Security Scotland is committed to continuously improving to deliver benefits for the people of Scotland based on dignity, fairness and respect.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414784,"EventID":"S6W-24340","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-04T16:10:15.783","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-03T09:46:00.987","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of the current social care workforce is female.","AnswerText":"Figures regarding the demographic of the social care workforce are published annually in the  Scottish Social Services Council Workforce Report. ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414789,"EventID":"S6W-24337","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-04T16:10:16.143","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-03T09:38:12.963","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has invested in flood prevention in each year since 1999.","AnswerText":"Local authorities are responsible for the development and delivery of flood protection schemes. The Scottish Government has made available the following amounts to local authorities for flood protection scheme and other actions.\r\n1999-2000\r\n£4 million\r\n2000-2001\r\n£4 million\r\n2001-2002\r\n£8.5 million\r\n2002-2003\r\n£9 million\r\n2003-2004\r\n£10 million\r\n2004-2005\r\n£14 million\r\n2005-2006\r\n£14 million\r\n2006-2007\r\n£33 million\r\n2007-2008 to 2020-2021\r\n£42 million\r\n2021-2022\r\n£52 million\r\n2022-2023\r\n£63 million\r\n2023-2024\r\n£61 million\r\nThe mechanism by which the Scottish Government has funded flood protection schemes has changed over time.\r\nPrior to 2008 funds were available to local authorities through the single non-housing capital allocation which could be used for flood prevention. In addition, the Scottish Government made specific provision for major flood prevention and coast protection schemes as set out in the table.\r\nThe table reflects the £42 million per year which Scottish Government has made available through the general capital grant to enable local authorities to invest in flood protection measures since 2008-09. It also includes the additional £150 million committed to over the course of this Parliament to support the delivery of flood resilience actions. The £150 million is allocated on an annual basis, as set out in the Capital Spending Review published in 2021 (£10m (2021-2022); £21m (2022-23); £19m (2023-24); £46.5m (2024-25); £53.5m (2025-26)).","AnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414792,"EventID":"S6W-24349","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-04T16:10:16.377","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-03T16:35:28.183","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the value is of equipment that has been loaned to patients by each NHS board in the last year for which figures are available.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information, however, it may be available from local Health Boards.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414794,"EventID":"S6W-24347","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-04T16:10:16.517","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-03T16:35:28.183","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it is reportedly difficult for patients to return NHS equipment that they have been loaned back to the NHS board.","AnswerText":"Decisions on the return and re-use of loaned equipment are made at Board level and the Scottish Government do not have access to this information.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414804,"EventID":"S6W-24343","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-04T16:10:17.173","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-03T09:46:00.987","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on how its Budget recognises the part that social care plays within Scotland’s communities as an investment in the overall health of the nation.","AnswerText":"We have protected and prioritised additional investment into social care despite the extreme pressure the Scottish Government is under as a result of the ongoing impacts of Covid, Brexit and inflation, and UK Government spending decisions, this years Budget has managed to increase the social care and integration budget by over £1 billion compared to 2021-22, exceeding our commitment to increase funding for social care by 25% over the life of the Parliament.\r\nSocial care workers delivering direct care in commissioned services will see their pay increase to a minimum of £12 per hour from April 2024 thanks to an additional £230 million investment. This represents a 10.1% increase from the £10.90 minimum rate that was introduced in April 2023, and a 14.3% increase in the last two years.\r\nWe acknowledge the importance of social care as an investment in the health of the Scottish population, this is why we continue to work closely with Health and Social Care Partnerships to support people out of acute settings and back into the community or home as quickly as possible using a 'Home first' approach.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414808,"EventID":"S6W-24339","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-04T16:10:17.47","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-03T09:46:00.987","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking through its Budget for staff, services and patients in relation to those in need of support who are waiting more than six weeks for a social care assessment due to the sector reportedly being under-resourced.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government invested £1.7 billion in social care support and health and care integration in 2023-24, and the Scottish budget for 2024-25 provides and additional £2 billion investment in social care and integration. This delivers on our commitment to increase spending by 25% over this parliament – two years ahead of our original target.\r\nWhilst the Scottish Government has overall responsibility for health and social care support policy, local authorities and health and social care partnerships are responsible for commissioning appropriate services for local and individual needs.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414809,"EventID":"S6W-24354","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-05T15:28:26.087","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-03T16:35:52.99","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of any allocations\r\nmade as part of the Green Jobs Fund proposals that were set out in its\r\nProgramme for Government 2021-22.","AnswerText":"The breakdown of the Green Jobs Fund includes actual payments made in financial years 2021-22, 2022-23 and a mix of actual and forecast payments for the 2023-24 financial year, which will be confirmed at the end of this financial year. \r\nNumber of projects supported\r\nGreen Jobs Funds Awarded\r\nNumber of jobs forecast\r\nHighlands & Island Enterprise\r\n18\r\n£1,659,419\r\n603\r\nSouth of Scotland Enterprise\r\n11\r\n£2,000,000\r\n212\r\nScottish Enterprise\r\n87\r\n£20,206,378\r\n3125\r\nScottish Ministers\r\n2\r\n£6,366,129\r\n3016\r\nTotal\r\n118\r\n£28,231,926\r\n6956","AnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414810,"EventID":"S6W-24353","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-05T15:28:26.243","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-03T16:35:52.99","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains committed to delivering a Green\r\nJobs Fund of £100 million to the five-year timescale set out in its Programme\r\nfor Government 2020-21.","AnswerText":"The Green Jobs Fund was created to support new and increased opportunities for green job creation across Scotland, by providing up to £100 million capital investment over a five year term.\r\nScottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and South of Scotland Enterprise are working to deliver £50 million to businesses which provide sustainable or low carbon products and services to help them develop, grow and create jobs. Up to a further £50 million is aimed at supporting businesses and their supply chains create and safeguard jobs by investing in equipment, premises, research and development.\r\nWhile public sector budgets are now under extreme pressure, the Scottish Government continues to invest in supporting existing businesses to transition to a low carbon environment and looking to fund new and innovative projects, which will take time to develop and deliver, and could result in more funding being required over the latter part of the five year term, as these newer markets grow and mature.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414811,"EventID":"S6W-24352","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-05T15:28:26.307","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-03T16:35:52.99","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many jobs have been created to date through its\r\nGreen Jobs Fund, broken down by the year in which the jobs were created.","AnswerText":"More than 100 projects have received support from the Green Jobs Fund.\r\nJobs created through the Green Jobs Fund are categorised as green jobs if they meet certain criteria including being defined as:Jobs in businesses that produce goods or provide services that benefit the environment or conserve natural resources.Jobs in which workers’ duties involve making their establishment’s production processes more environmentally friendly or use fewer natural resources.\r\n118 projects have been forecast to create up to 6,956 green jobs.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414822,"EventID":"S6W-24371","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":2103,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":109,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-05T16:41:39.417","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-05T14:36:41.227","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of independence on Scotland’s economy.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to deliver on its commitment to give people the information they need to make an informed choice about their future, and I’m pleased to confirm that today the First Minister is launching a series of speeches on the opportunities independence would bring to Scotland’s economy.\r\nThe speeches will set out the Scottish Government's vision for a stronger and more productive economy that could be delivered with independence, further developing the economic strand of the Building a New Scotland (BaNS) prospectus.\r\nThe speech also sets out three key measures for a successful industrial policy for an independent Scotland:Joining the EU as an independent country;Establishing a dynamic government Ministry for Industrial Policy and consensus building institutions to drive the strategy;Targeted capital spending investment in key areas of comparative advantage, a proposal for a Building a New Scotland Fund already set out in the third BaNS paper:  A Stronger Economy with Independence  .\r\nMinisters will deliver further speeches on the opportunities independence would bring to Scotland’s economy in the coming months. The speech text “Building a New Scotland: Industrial Strategy in an Independent Scotland” is available to view on the Scottish Government website from today at  www.gov.scot/newscotland  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jamie Hepburn","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414823,"EventID":"S6W-24357","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-08T17:24:33.25","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-04T10:04:19.283","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it had with its New Deal For Business Group's Non-Domestic Rates sub-group regarding the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, prior to the announcement in the 2024-25 Budget. ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24110 on 18 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414824,"EventID":"S6W-24355","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-08T17:24:33.423","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-04T10:03:47.717","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it had with its Retail Industry Leadership Group regarding the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, prior to the announcement in the 2024-25 Budget. ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24110 on 18 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414825,"EventID":"S6W-24366","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-08T17:24:33.47","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-05T09:29:48.377","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent steps it has taken to improve care for people with a brain tumour diagnosis.","AnswerText":"In our cancer strategy published in June last year, the Scottish Government committed to focus on cancer types that are the largest burden and have worse outcomes. These include brain and the other cancers categorised as less-survivable such as oesophagus, pancreas, and stomach.\r\nWe are continuing to invest in 12 pilot single point of contact (SPOC) sites and will evaluate the impact of the programme and expand its reach. We are also rolling out our final Improving the Cancer Journey (ICJ) service, in partnership with Macmillan, giving everyone diagnosed with cancer in Scotland access to a key support worker.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414826,"EventID":"S6W-24364","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-08T17:24:33.547","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-05T09:29:48.377","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to create specific funding schemes for brain tumour research. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has no plans to create specific funding schemes for Brain Tumour research.\r\nWithin the Scottish Government, funding of Health and Care Research comes under the remit of the Chief Scientist Office (CSO).\r\nThe CSO's Translational Clinical Studies (TCS) Committee and the Health Improvement, Protection and Services Research (HIPS) Committee each meet twice per year to consider funding applications. Details of the application process are published on the CSO website.\r\nhttps://www.cso.sc  ot.nhs.uk/grant-funding/response-mode-funding-schemes/.  Applications on Brain Tumour research are welcomed. \r\nCSO provides funding support through NHS Research Scotland (NRS) for infrastructure to support the running of clinical trials in the NHS here. this includes the NRS Cancer Research Network whose role is to increase, support and sustain clinical trial activity in cancer care in Scotland  https://www.nhsresearchscotland.org.uk/research-areas/cancer \r\nThe NRS Cancer Research Network is currently supporting 13 Brain Tumour Clinical studies with over 190 patients recruited.\r\nThrough UK-wide funding agreements, researchers based in Scotland are able to access research funding programmes administered by the National Institute for Health & Care Research (NIHR). Within their individual remits, these programmes can consider applications for research in Brain Tumours. CSO is working with the health research community in Scotland to ensure awareness of these opportunities and to maximise the number of high quality applications from Scotland to the NIHR research funding programmes going forward.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414828,"EventID":"S6W-24356","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-08T17:24:33.643","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-04T10:04:04.32","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it had with its Tax Advisory Group regarding the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, prior to the announcement in the 2024-25 Budget. ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24110 on? 18 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414829,"EventID":"S6W-24365","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-08T17:24:33.707","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-05T09:29:48.377","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to improve access to treatments for brain tumour patients.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government’s 10-year vision for cancer provides for a compassionate and consistent cancer service which provides excellent treatment and support for all people affected by cancer. Our action plan describes specific steps towards this, including investing in our capital radiotherapy replacement programme and delivery of an Oncology Transformation Programme.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414831,"EventID":"S6W-24367","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-08T17:24:33.813","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-05T11:04:03.21","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the UK Government regarding the potential impact in Scotland of any increased freight shipping costs resulting from the reported attacks on merchant vessels in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea areas.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has discussed the Red Sea shipping crisis with the Department for Business and Trade and we will continue to monitor the situation, as it develops. \r\nThis is an international concern, and we're aware of the potential challenges Scottish businesses and consumers might face due to the delays and rising logistical and insurance costs. This is a direct outcome of the security threat and commercial decisions to reroute vessels from the Red Sea to a safer but longer route around the Cape of Good Hope. \r\nWe expect a short period of adjustment for supply chains, with potentially some delays due to additional sailing times, but there will still be very regular vessel arrivals, and continual supply of goods arriving into the UK and Scotland. Operators are working to mitigate any potential impact on consumers, and the shipping and supply chain sectors are well practiced at putting contingencies in place to continue to meet their customer needs. \r\nThe combination of additional costs to the operators and changed market conditions (e.g. capacity) is seeing rate rises for container pricing. To what extent these cost increases are absorbed or passed on is a commercial decision.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414832,"EventID":"S6T-01726","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-08T15:48:16.927","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-08T11:47:17.3","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to ensure that all people who were potentially wrongfully convicted as a result of the reported Horizon scandal are supported in coming forward if they wish for their conviction to be overturned. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-01-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414833,"EventID":"S6T-01718","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-08T15:48:16.397","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-08T10:40:01.687","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will reconsider its position on further regulating the ownership of American XL bully dogs in Scotland, in light of reports that widespread rehoming from England to Scotland is raising public safety and animal welfare concerns.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-01-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414834,"EventID":"S6T-01721","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-08T15:48:16.6","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-08T10:45:38.447","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide funding for grants for those households and businesses flooded during Storm Gerrit, in light of it providing such funding for those affected by Storm Babet.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-01-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414835,"EventID":"S6F-02687","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-08T15:48:11.453","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-04T12:15:01.467","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-01-11T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414836,"EventID":"S6F-02688","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5586,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-08T15:48:11.533","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-04T12:15:28.397","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-01-11T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414837,"EventID":"S6F-02695","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-08T15:48:11.957","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-08T09:56:53.103","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-01-11T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414838,"EventID":"S6F-02700","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":3763,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":142,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-08T15:48:12.237","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-08T10:30:06.937","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s position is regarding any implications for its net zero ambitions of the UK Government’s Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill, which seeks changes to the licensing regime, including how regularly licensing rounds are held.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-01-11T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414839,"EventID":"S6F-02708","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-08T15:48:12.737","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-08T11:38:30.713","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to reports that The Promise is not on track to deliver effective change for Scotland’s care experienced people. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-01-11T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414840,"EventID":"S6F-02713","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-08T15:48:13.033","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-08T11:53:45.63","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what urgent steps are being taken to address reports of a mental health crisis with an increase in calls to the NHS 24 Mental Health Hub.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-01-11T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414878,"EventID":"S6W-24387","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-09T17:23:04.097","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-08T14:31:48.483","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many ministerial working groups there are that are currently in operation across the Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition portfolio, and whether it will provide a list of any such groups.","AnswerText":"There are currently 21 ministerial working groups that fall under the remit of the Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition portfolio. In addition, portfolio Ministers sit on a number of ministerial working groups which are led by other Scottish Government portfolios.\r\nMinisterial working groups that are headed by the Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition portfolio remit are as follows:\r\nFM Environment Council\r\nNational Strategy for 20mph Working Group\r\nNational Litter and Flytipping Forum\r\nStorm Babet Ministerial Taskforce\r\nNational Strategy for Economic Trans Private Investment in Natural Capital Working Group\r\nDeposit Return Scheme Ministerial Strategic Assurance Group\r\nNational Transport Strategy Delivery Board\r\nNational Transport Strategy Business Group\r\nOrkney Ferry Replacement Task Force\r\nShetland Ferry Replacement Task Force\r\nA83 Taskforce Group\r\nLEZ Leadership Group\r\nSEFARI Gateway Waste Emissions Specialist Advisory Group\r\nEnvironment and Economy Leaders' Group (EELG)\r\nCleaner Air for Scotland 2: Ministerial Group\r\nPeatland Expert Advisory Group\r\nGreen Heat Finance Taskforce\r\nSustainable Aviation Fuel Ministerial Group\r\nClimate Change Plan Advisory Group\r\nScottish Aquaculture Council\r\nHydro Nation Forum","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414879,"EventID":"S6W-24390","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-09T17:23:04.19","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-08T15:39:36.397","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23572 by Mairi McAllan on 14 December 2023, by what date it estimates that the draft Climate Change Plan would need to be published in order to allow a final version to be laid in the Parliament in March 2025, and, in determining this date, how many days have been allowed after the 120 days of parliamentary scrutiny for an assessment of that scrutiny to take place and, if appropriate, revisions to be made to the plan, in advance of the March 2025 deadline. ","AnswerText":"Under the terms of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009, the statutory deadline for laying a draft of the Climate Change Plan is 22 November 2024. However, statute also requires time for consideration of representations received during the statutory scrutiny period. Exact timings on this matter form part of ongoing consideration on the continued development of the draft Climate Change Plan. I will keep Parliament informed of progress.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414880,"EventID":"S6W-24370","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-09T17:23:04.22","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-05T11:07:35.197","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the consultation on proposals to close fishing for sandeel in Scottish waters, what its position is on whether any such closures would be considered to be an important measure in compensating for the potential environmental impact of offshore wind farms. ","AnswerText":"I refer to my answer to question S6W-24369 on 18 January 2024. The suitability of any closure of the sandeel fishery in Scottish waters as a compensatory measure for potential impacts from offshore wind farms will be considered by Scottish Ministers if and when such a case for compensation may be required and according to the merits of that specific case.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414881,"EventID":"S6W-24402","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-09T17:23:04.283","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T10:30:02.633","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when detailed performance and carrying figures for CalMac in 2023 will be released.","AnswerText":"The publication of performance and carrying statistics is a matter for CalMac Ferries Ltd as the operator of the Clyde & Hebrides Ferry Services contract.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-01-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414882,"EventID":"S6W-24376","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-09T17:23:04.36","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-08T11:42:10.89","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions took place between the Minister for Housing and the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance and their officials regarding the proposed reduction to spending on housing in its 2024-25 Budget.","AnswerText":"The Deputy First Minister engaged extensively with all Cabinet Secretaries and Ministers, and their officials, when developing the 2024-25 Budget.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414883,"EventID":"S6W-24384","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-09T17:23:04.423","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-08T14:27:33.307","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action the First Minister would take if a cabinet secretary does not meet the objectives set out in their mandate letter for the financial year 2023-24.","AnswerText":"The First Minister constantly keeps the performance of cabinet under review and meets regularly with his Cabinet Secretaries to discuss objectives. Should it arise that a mandate letter objective has not been met, the First Minister will hold a discussion with the Cabinet Secretary in question to (a) understand the reasons for the objective not being met and (b) agree the most appropriate next steps.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"George Adam","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414884,"EventID":"S6W-24361","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-09T17:23:04.47","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-04T23:50:14.383","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its proposed 2024-25 (a) revenue and (b) capital budget allocation is for the urban regeneration company, Clyde Gateway.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government draft budget for 2024-25 allocates £0.5 million in revenue funding to Clyde Gateway. There is currently no capital budget specifically allocated to Clyde Gateway. Ministers have, however, yet to determine how the remaining budget within the portfolio will be prioritised.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414885,"EventID":"S6W-24396","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-09T17:23:04.533","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-08T17:07:55.25","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23928 by Jenni Minto on 3 January 2024, when it plans to bring forward secondary legislation to enable the regulation of non-surgical cosmetic procedures.","AnswerText":"The secondary legislation to enable HIS to regulate independent healthcare services, including non-surgical cosmetic procedures, which are provided by pharmacists and pharmacy technicians from premises other than registered pharmacies and/or outwith the terms of NHS contracts, will be brought forward by the end of Summer 2024.\r\nThe scoping of further regulation of non-surgical cosmetics procedures, including consideration of the level of training required to perform these procedures, is underway.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414886,"EventID":"S6W-24362","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-09T17:23:04.58","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-04T23:51:33.007","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its proposed 2024-25 (a) revenue and (b) general capital support budget allocation is for Strathclyde Partnership for Transport.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to providing revenue funding to the Regional Transport Partnerships (RTPs) and revenue budget allocation was provided in the 2024-25 Scottish Budget. Budget allocations are subject to Scottish Government in-year spend controls and assurance processes, and allocations will be communicated to all RTPs directly in the coming months.\r\nThe Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) general capital support budget allocation is funded through the Local Government Finance settlement. A decision was taken to pause funding for 2024-25, given the current financial constraints, with a view to keeping under review in future years. Transport Scotland and SPT are in dialogue about the impact of this decision and maintaining their forward investment programme. These discussions will also explore the opportunity to utilise reserves currently held by SPT, and the impact of any use of reserve balances or re-phasing of capital funding, on SPT's forward maintenance and investment programmes.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414887,"EventID":"S6W-24369","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-09T17:23:04.643","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-05T11:07:35.197","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the consultation on proposals to close fishing for sandeel in Scottish waters, what its position is on whether the benefit of any such closures would be considered to be an appropriate compensation measure for offshore wind farm developments that are required to seek derogation under the relevant habitats regulations.","AnswerText":"Scottish Ministers will consider the suitability of any measures proposed as compensation as part of a case for derogating from the habitats regulations at the appropriate stage in the process, if and when such a derogation case may be required. This applies to any closure of the sandeel fishery in Scottish waters which may be proposed as a compensation measure for offshore wind farm developments.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-01-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414888,"EventID":"S6W-24391","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5596,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":151,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-09T17:23:04.69","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-08T15:43:01.23","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to ensure that the laws banning fox hunting in Scotland are being enforced.","AnswerText":"The Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act 2023 came into force in October 2023. As Scotland’s law enforcement body, Police Scotland are responsible for enforcing the Act. ","AnswerDate":"2024-01-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414889,"EventID":"S6W-24358","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-09T17:23:04.737","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-04T18:00:57.693","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported scandal regarding the Post Office accounting software, Horizon, whether it will review any existing contracts that it has with Fujitsu, formerly ICL, with strict testing criteria enforced and independent experts reviewing internal testing processes.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has a contract for the provision of an electronic vote counting solution between the Scottish Ministers and Fujitsu Limited dated 16 October 2020. This contract delivered electronic vote counting services for the Scottish Local Government elections held on 5 May 2022. The software used for electronic vote counting is specialist elections software provided by a separate elections company, as a sub-contractor to Fujitsu. The electronic counting solution has already been tested rigorously, and independently assessed as secure and suitable, and successfully delivered the national Local Government elections in May 2022. The same elections specialist company provided the software that successfully counted votes and delivered the Local Government elections results in 2012 and 2017, as sub-contractors to a different prime contractor, CGI. The current contract also covers electronic vote counting services for Local Government by-elections held up to 31 January 2027. The solution remains in live operation for by-elections and there is no current intention to repeat the rigorous and independent testing that has already taken place.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414890,"EventID":"S6W-24382","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-09T17:23:04.8","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-08T12:56:42.5","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that bus travel is affordable for fare-paying passengers travelling to access employment, education and training.","AnswerText":"The bus system was re-regulated by the UK Government in the 1980s and is primarily operated by private bus operators. The Scottish Government continues to support the bus industry through the Network Support Grant. The purpose of the financial support provided is to help to keep services more extensive and fares more affordable than would otherwise be the case.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414891,"EventID":"S6W-24380","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-09T17:23:04.847","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-08T12:34:23.203","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects that the fire appliances that were temporarily removed from fire stations across Scotland in 2023 will be reinstated to service.","AnswerText":"The number and location of fire appliances is an operational matter for SFRS.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-01-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414893,"EventID":"S6W-24393","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-09T17:23:04.957","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-08T15:47:25.063","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Gender Equality Taskforce in Education and Learning last met, and what was discussed.","AnswerText":"The Gender Equality Taskforce in Education and Learning last met in May 2023. At that meeting, members continued to consider and refine the Taskforce’s workplan, with a particular focus on ensuring that its three strategic goals are consistent with its more detailed, thematic workplan. I will be present at the next meeting of the Gender Equality Taskforce, which will take place in early 2024.\r\nEffecting the type of systemic change which the Taskforce aims to do is complex and long term. I am committed to continuing and accelerating such work to ensure that girls and young women do not experience gender inequality in so many aspects of education.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414894,"EventID":"S6W-24388","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-09T17:23:05.003","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-08T14:35:42.883","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government on what dates the First Minister and/or Deputy First Minister will meet with each cabinet secretary to discuss what progress has been made against the objectives detailed in their mandate letter for the financial year 2023-24.","AnswerText":"The 2023-24 mandate letters (published in September) set out the First Minister’s intention to hold six monthly discussions on progress. The First Minister is currently in the process of meeting with each Cabinet Secretary to discuss progress against 2023-24 mandate letter objectives. These meetings are due to be concluded over the next month.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"George Adam","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414895,"EventID":"S6W-24375","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-09T17:23:05.05","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-08T11:24:42.667","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential fire risks associated with electric vehicles (EV) and EV charging points, including any risk of fires in multi-storey car parks.","AnswerText":"It is the responsibility of the organisation that fitted the EV charging point(s) to ensure that they are fitted to the correct standard, meeting any regulations and restrictions associated with such devices. This should also be informed by a risk assessment carried out by a competent risk assessor. It is the responsibility of Local Authority Building Control to verify construction projects against the relevant requirements.\r\nThe Scottish Fire and Rescue Service proactively assess the risks of lithium-ion batteries in buildings through incident analysis and provides information and training to operational crews. Where appropriate, businesses and communities are provided with further safety information and guidance.\r\nIn addition, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service continue to engage with the Scottish Government and other partners to consider emerging technologies and research relating to electric vehicle fires.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414896,"EventID":"S6W-24363","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-09T17:23:05.097","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-05T02:26:40.42","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will engage with the Chinese-owned manufacturer, Chery Automobile Co Ltd, regarding any potential impact in Scotland of its reported interest in building a new car manufacturing plant in Britain by the end of the decade, as reported by the Financial Times on 4 January 2024.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has identified nine priority areas within our values-led Inward Investment Plan, including the decarbonisation of transport, and we would consider the Scottish aspect to an investment from Chery Automobile Co Ltd into the UK.\r\nEngagement with individual companies is the remit of our economic development agencies collectively through Scottish Enterprise’s international arm, Scottish Development International (SDI), which has operational responsibility for attracting inward investment. The Scottish Government works with its enterprise agencies to ensure robust due diligence is undertaken on potential inward investments.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414897,"EventID":"S6W-24374","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-09T17:23:05.16","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-08T10:55:27.213","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it plans to take to bring the Ferrymuir Gait access issue to a final conclusion.","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland remains in positive dialogue with Ambassador Living (the developer for Forthview Housing Development) to reach an agreement on the use of Ferrymuir Gait as an access. This is following a legal process in order to finalise matters, which we hope to conclude in Spring 2024.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-01-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414898,"EventID":"S6W-24377","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-09T17:23:05.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-08T12:34:23.203","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis has been undertaken of any impact of the removal of fire appliances from stations across Scotland in 2023 on the service provided to the public.","AnswerText":"The number and location of fire appliances is an operational matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS). SFRS is assessing the impact of the service changes on an on-going basis and will conduct a full public consultation on the package of measures during 2024 in advance of any of the changes being made permanent.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414899,"EventID":"S6W-24360","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-09T17:23:05.267","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-04T20:45:35.023","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent staff days were lost due to illness across the NHS in 2023, broken down by illness.","AnswerText":"The information requested on how many full-time equivalent staff days were lost due to illness across the NHS in 2023, broken down by illness is not centrally available.\r\nInformation on sickness absence rates broken down by NHS board and by financial year can be found on the TURAS NHS Education for Scotland workforce statistics site at:  NHS Scotland workforce | Turas Data Intelligence\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414900,"EventID":"S6W-24395","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-09T17:23:05.33","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-08T17:07:27.853","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the consultation on Land and Buildings Transaction Tax - Additional Dwelling Supplement legislation changes, what plans it has to reform the timelines, and when it expects such reforms to be in place.","AnswerText":"The Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (Miscellaneous Amendments)(Scotland) Order 2024 was laid before Parliament on the 19 January 2024. The Order proposes a number of amendments to the arrangements for the Additional Dwelling Supplement, including the extension of repayment timelines from 18 months to 36 months.\r\nThe proposed amendments will, if approved by Parliament, take effect from 1 April 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414901,"EventID":"S6W-24400","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-09T17:23:05.38","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T09:37:11.473","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it plans to make regulations under section 4 of the Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2020 to enable pre-existing marriages to become civil partnerships. ","AnswerText":"Section 4 of the  Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2020 (legislation.gov.uk)  provides the Scottish Ministers with a regulation-making power to enable marriages to become civil partnerships, if the parties so wish. The Scottish Ministers have not yet made regulations under section 4 as the Scottish Government wishes to ensure that couples who change their marriage to civil partnership have full rights and responsibilities, including in relation to reserved and cross-UK border matters. There are potential points arising on aspects of pensions (which are generally reserved) and on the recognition in England and Wales and Northern Ireland of marriages changed to civil partnerships in Scotland.\r\nIn line with usual practice, we have, therefore, been in discussions with the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland (OSSS) on making an Order under section 104 of the  Scotland Act 1998 (legislation.gov.uk)  on UK consequential legislation following the 2020 Act.\r\nOn 17 November 2022, officials in the OSSS advised Scottish Government officials that “the UK Government is not yet in a position to make a decision on the recognition of converted Scottish civil partnerships in England and Wales.” Following this, Scottish Government officials sent the OSSS on 21 December 2022 a revised policy proposal for a section 104 Order relating to changing marriages to civil partnerships covering the reserved law of Scotland only. There has been no substantive progress on this proposal in 2023.\r\nI have written to the Secretary of State for Scotland to ask about progress in taking forward the proposal we sent to them on 21 December 2022. I also said in my letter to the Secretary of State that if the UK Government does not consider the December 2022 proposal is an appropriate way forward, it would be useful if he could outline what would be appropriate.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414902,"EventID":"S6W-24359","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-09T17:23:05.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-04T18:01:36.237","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what contracts it currently has with Fujitsu.","AnswerText":"he Scottish Government has one contract with Fujitsu (Case 440206 Electronic Counting for Local Government Elections) to deliver electronic vote counting for Scottish local government elections.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414904,"EventID":"S6W-24392","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-09T17:23:05.597","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-08T15:43:09.83","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what metrics will be used to consider the effectiveness of its short-term let licensing policy, and, consequently, what information it has requested from local authorities as part of this.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government and licensing authorities have agreed a specification for the collection of data relating to short-term let licensing applications. This is available to view at  Short-term lets: data collection specification - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .\r\nQuarterly statistics relating to this information were published on 30 August and 20 November 2023, which provide trends for short-term let licensing applications and licences including types of let, types of property, and the application status. It also shows the number of any licence applications refused and indicates the reason for the refusal, including if the applicant is not a fit and proper person or the premises is judged to be unsuitable. The next publication, covering the period 1 July to 30 September 2023, is expected to be published in April 2024.\r\nThe scope of an implementation update on short-term let licensing was shared with the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee on 27 October 2023.  Short term lets 27 October 2023 | Scottish Parliament Website  . We will provide the Committee with further information about our progress in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414905,"EventID":"S6W-24385","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-09T17:23:05.677","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-08T14:30:19.08","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many Cabinet sub-committees are currently in operation, and what the (a) title and (b) membership is of each.","AnswerText":"There are currently 5 Cabinet Sub-Committees in operation, the titles and membership of which are set out in the following table.\r\nCabinet Sub-Committee (CSC)\r\nMembership\r\nCSC on Legislation\r\nDeputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance(Chair)\r\nMinister for Parliamentary Business\r\nMinister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants’ Rights\r\nLord Advocate\r\nCSC on Local Government New Deal\r\n \r\nDeputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance(Chair)\r\nCabinet Secretary for Social Justice\r\nCabinet Secretary for Education and Skills\r\nCabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy\r\nCabinet Secretary for Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition\r\nMinister for Local Government Empowerment and Planning\r\nMinister for Community Wealth and Public Finance\r\nMinister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants’ Rights\r\nMinister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport\r\nCSC on the Climate Emergency\r\n \r\nCabinet Secretary for Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition (Chair)\r\nDeputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance\r\nCabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy\r\nCabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands\r\nMinister for Transport\r\nMinister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity\r\nMinister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants’ Rights\r\nMinister for Small Business, Innovation, Tourism and Trade\r\nMinister for Energy and the Environment\r\nMinister for Local Government Empowerment and Planning\r\nCSC on the National Care Service\r\n \r\nDeputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance(Chair)\r\nCabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care\r\nCabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy\r\nCabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs\r\nMinister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy\r\nMinister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees\r\nMinister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport\r\nMinister for Public Health and Women's Health\r\nMinister for Children, Young People and Keeping the Promise\r\nMinister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel & Tenants’ Rights\r\nLord Advocate\r\nCSC on The Promise\r\n \r\nFirst Minister (Chair)\r\nCabinet Secretary for Social Justice?\r\nCabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs?\r\nMinister for Children, Young People and Keeping the Promise\r\nMinister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport\r\nMinister for Community Wealth and Public Finance\r\nMinister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414907,"EventID":"S6W-24401","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-09T17:23:05.783","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T10:25:35.64","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which health and social care projects will receive capital funding from the additional capital spending allocation of £81.1 million in the NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care budget as outlined in the Scottish Budget 2024-25.","AnswerText":"This settlement allows all major projects in construction to be completed. The major projects are Baird and Anchor Hospital in Aberdeen, Parkhead Health Centre in Glasgow, QEUH rectification works and Jubilee Phase 2. The budget also provides the means to continue to support the national replacement programmes for ambulances, radiotherapy equipment and digital replacement.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414908,"EventID":"S6W-24381","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-09T17:23:05.83","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-08T12:56:42.5","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve the bus network in rural Scotland, particularly at (a) night and (b) the weekend.","AnswerText":"The majority of services in Scotland are operated on a commercial basis by private bus companies. Under the Transport Act 1985, where there is a social need local transport authorities can provide subsidy for services that are not provided on a commercial basis, this is entirely a matter for the local authority to consider and action. \r\nThe Scottish Government have brought forward an enhanced suite of options for local transport authorities to improve bus services according to their local needs, including formal partnerships, franchising and running their own bus services. The Community Bus Fund was launched in September 2023 to support local transport authorities to explore the options in the Transport Act, and to improve public transport in their areas. ","AnswerDate":"2024-01-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414909,"EventID":"S6W-24383","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-09T17:23:05.88","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-08T13:16:16.907","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action Transport Scotland is taking to update signage on the A74(M) to include Langholm.","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland carried out studies last year to assess the possibility of including Langholm on the existing A74(M) signage. As the motorway signs in question are relatively new, extremely large and expensive to replace, it was felt the most appropriate way to consider this opportunity was to address it when the sign needs replaced upon its serviceable life. Based on the expected lifespan of these type of sign, there are no immediate plans to amend the signs in the near future.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414911,"EventID":"S6W-24372","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-09T17:23:05.987","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-06T19:49:45.253","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) business rate poundage and (b) large business supplement/higher property rate has been in each financial year since 2012-13.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24111 on? 18 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414912,"EventID":"S6W-24404","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-09T17:23:06.083","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T11:53:24.243","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what urgent action it is taking to support the mental health and wellbeing of teachers and other workers impacted by violent and abusive behaviour in schools.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of teachers and education professionals impacted by violent and abusive behaviour in schools. Violence is never acceptable, and the safety of both pupils and staff is paramount. No staff members should have to endure verbal or physical abuse in educational settings.\r\nAs part of the Scottish Government’s commitment to ensure schools are safe and consistent environments for all, we are currently working with partners to develop a national action plan which will include consideration of what further support local authorities and schools may require. The action plan will be published as soon as possible.\r\nIn addition, since October 2020, we have allocated over £2 million to specifically support the wellbeing of the education workforce. This year, an additional £200,000 is earmarked to provide wellbeing coaching to teaching staff and educational professionals in Scottish schools and early learning facilities.\r\nMoreover, we are funding the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland to implement an Education Workforce Support Project, aimed at gaining a comprehensive understanding of current practices supporting the wellbeing of our education workforce.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414913,"EventID":"S6W-24379","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-09T17:23:06.13","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-08T12:34:23.203","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any pay award for Scottish Fire and Rescue Service employees negotiated for 2024-25 will have to be funded from the £13.6 million additional resource funding proposed in its 2024-25 Budget, or whether any such pay award will be funded separately.","AnswerText":"The budget for 2024-25 includes all costs including any pay increases agreed during that financial year.\r\nFirefighter pay is negotiated on a UK wide basis through the National Joint Council and SFRS support staff pay is negotiated between SFRS as the employer and its recognised trade unions. In common with all public sector employers, SFRS is expected to deliver pay deals which are both fair and affordable. ","AnswerDate":"2024-01-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414914,"EventID":"S6W-24399","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-09T17:23:06.193","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T09:35:29.677","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23840 by Mairi Gougeon on 22 December 2023, regarding the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022, for what reason it was unable to begin the consultation process in sufficient time to allow the draft Plan to be implemented within the original timeframe. ","AnswerText":"Writing the national Good Food Nation Plan required an extensive internal drafting process, co-ordinating input from across multiple areas of government. This is the first iteration of the Plan and so there was a large amount of feedback on the initial draft, which we had to carefully consider and incorporate.\r\nIt is our intention to publish the draft national Good Food Nation Plan for consultation shortly.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414916,"EventID":"S6W-24394","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-09T17:23:06.303","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-08T16:29:53.25","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it provided to Al-Mahdi Foundation - Al-Mahdi Islamic Centre between 2018 and 2020.","AnswerText":"As the Climate Challenge Fund (CCF) was delivered by Keep Scotland Beautiful on behalf of the Scottish Government, we do not hold the grant offer letter that details the specific outputs and outcomes for the Al-Mahdi Foundation’s 2018-2020 project.\r\nHowever to be eligible all projects had to meet all four of the CCF’s key criteria; specific outputs and outcomes were designed around these:Community- Your community must be at the heart of the decision-making process of the project. Community demand for the project must be clearly demonstrated and projects must be designed and delivered by communities. Applicants should show how they will work in partnership with other local organisations that are engaged in similar or related work.Improved Climate Literacy - The project must deliver increased awareness and understanding of climate change and enable the community to make informed choices to reduce its impact on climate change.Carbon (CO2e) Reduction - The project must lead to a measurable reduction in local carbon emissions through the activities it delivers.Sustainable Legacy - The project must deliver a low carbon legacy, with outcomes and/or behaviours that continue after the project is completed.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-01-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414918,"EventID":"S6W-24378","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-09T17:23:06.413","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-08T12:34:23.203","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the £13.6 million additional resource budget allocated to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in its Budget 2024-25 includes the £4.4 million to cover the most recent pay award.","AnswerText":"Yes. The budget for 2023-24 was set before the 2 year pay deal for firefighters was finalised. The Scottish Government provided an additional £4.4m to contribute to the cost of the pay increases and other inflationary pressures faced by SFRS. The £13.6m increase includes consolidating the £4.4m into the SFRS baseline budget.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-01-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414919,"EventID":"S6W-24386","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-09T17:23:06.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-08T14:31:48.483","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many ministerial working groups there are that are currently in operation across the Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy portfolio, and whether it will provide a list of any such groups.","AnswerText":"There are 21 Ministerial Working Groups that fall under the remit of the Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy Portfolio which are currently in operation. They are:\r\n1. Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) Ministerial Forum\r\n2. Community Wealth Building (CWB) Bill steering Group\r\n3. Construction Leadership Forum\r\n4. Fair Work Oversight Group\r\n5. Financial Services Growth & Development Board (FISGAD)\r\n6. Grangemouth Future Industry Board\r\n7. Hydrogen Industry Forum\r\n8. Industry Leadership Group Chairs Roundtable (ILG CRT)\r\n9. Manufacturing Strategic Leadership Group\r\n10. National Strategy for Economic Transformation Delivery Board\r\n11. New Deal for Business Group (NDBG)\r\n12. Non-domestic energy consumers working group\r\n13. Oil and Gas and Energy Transition Short Life Working Group\r\n14. Onshore Wind Strategic Leadership Group\r\n15. Retail Industry Leadership Group [please note this group is economy related but chaired by the Minister for Local Government Empowerment and Planning]\r\n16. Rural energy consumers working group\r\n17. SEAB: the Scottish Energy Advisory Board\r\n18. Tourism & Hospitality Industry Leadership Group\r\n19. Trade Board\r\n20. Vulnerable energy consumers working group\r\n21. Wellbeing Economy Expert Advisory Group (WEEAG)\r\nPlease note these groups will be kept under review.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-01-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414921,"EventID":"S6O-02981","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T16:03:38.127","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-10T10:04:49.467","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to whether there is a need for regulatory oversight of companies that install low emissions heating systems and upgrade homes to be more energy efficient.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414922,"EventID":"S6O-02959","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T16:03:38.227","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T11:03:34.077","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on future funding for South of Scotland Enterprise.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-17T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414923,"EventID":"S6O-02963","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T16:03:38.29","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-08T14:19:56.893","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact its Budget will have on city centre recovery and small businesses.   ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-17T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414924,"EventID":"S6O-02971","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T16:03:38.337","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T10:04:58.263","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the finance secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the allocation of funding for the development of a national funding framework for adult and child hospices in Scotland. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-17T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414925,"EventID":"S6O-02972","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3129,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":83,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T16:03:38.383","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-10T10:50:48.837","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of the potential impact on Scotland’s exchequer and public finances of the measures referred to in the speech by the First Minister on 8 January.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-17T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414926,"EventID":"S6O-02965","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T16:03:38.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-10T10:32:11.233","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to make Scotland a Fair Work Nation by 2025. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-17T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414927,"EventID":"S6O-02969","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T16:03:38.487","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T14:32:39.243","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the finance secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the potential impact of the reduction in the funding allocation for Scottish universities in its proposed Budget on graduate skills development and employability.  ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-17T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414928,"EventID":"S6O-02961","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T16:03:38.533","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-10T11:12:17.837","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review the consultation process for energy infrastructure projects. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-17T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414929,"EventID":"S6O-02962","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T16:03:38.593","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T13:49:37.877","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the latest expression of interest in buying Glasgow Prestwick Airport.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-17T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414930,"EventID":"S6O-02976","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3763,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":142,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T16:03:38.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-10T11:54:35.597","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been invested in the trunk road network in the Greenock and Inverclyde constituency since Amey took over management of the network.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414931,"EventID":"S6O-02966","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3907,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":135,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T16:03:38.693","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-10T11:39:46.427","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its provisional revenue allocation is for local authorities for 2024-25.  ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-17T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414932,"EventID":"S6O-02968","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1756,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":136,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T16:03:38.753","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-10T11:49:00.093","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the potential future devolution of Vehicle Excise Duty. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-17T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414933,"EventID":"S6O-02978","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T16:03:38.81","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T11:01:10.767","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made any assessment of the potential impact of its Budget on its net zero ambitions.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414934,"EventID":"S6O-02979","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2633,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T16:03:38.86","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-10T11:46:45.857","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to make rail travel more affordable and attractive for passengers in the Mid Scotland and Fife region.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414935,"EventID":"S6O-02958","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T16:03:38.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T10:41:41.693","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the announcement by EDF that its ambition is to extend the life of Torness power station. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-17T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414936,"EventID":"S6O-02967","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5075,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":112,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T16:03:38.967","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-10T10:24:18.56","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work it is undertaking to deliver its commitments on participatory and deliberative democracy.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-17T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414937,"EventID":"S6O-02980","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16187,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":116,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T16:03:39.037","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-10T10:59:38.533","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any potential impact on the proposed Shinafoot junction on the A9 at Auchterarder of the announcement that Stewart Milne Homes has gone into administration.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414938,"EventID":"S6O-02973","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T16:03:39.103","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T15:18:08.92","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how its fiscal policies support the development and growth of the rural economy.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-17T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414939,"EventID":"S6O-02964","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5598,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":139,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T16:03:39.173","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T13:59:16.867","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures in its proposed Budget will support economic growth in North Ayrshire.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-17T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414940,"EventID":"S6O-02970","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4940,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":81,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T16:03:39.227","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T13:25:00.143","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recommendations outlined in the final report of the Economy 2030 Inquiry, Ending Stagnation: A New Economic Strategy for Britain, as they relate to public finances in Scotland, including those relating to taxes and local government investment.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-17T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414941,"EventID":"S6O-02960","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16186,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":120,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T16:03:39.283","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T14:01:04.617","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how its Budget for 2024-25 will help to develop the offshore wind supply chain to ensure that Scotland benefits from the reported global expansion of wind energy. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-17T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414942,"EventID":"S6O-02977","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16182,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":117,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T16:03:39.36","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T11:12:09.313","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to realise any potential of National Nature Reserves to help achieve net zero through a large-scale impact on nature recovery and biodiversity.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414943,"EventID":"S6O-02974","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T16:03:39.42","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T15:37:09.46","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its policy is for the maintenance and rebuilding of road infrastructure. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414944,"EventID":"S6O-02975","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5618,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":91,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T16:03:39.467","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T11:12:21.5","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to encourage more people to use bus and rail services in the Rutherglen constituency.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414945,"EventID":"S6O-02986","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T16:03:44.09","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T21:52:49.88","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve lifelong learning in Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414946,"EventID":"S6O-02984","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T16:03:44.223","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T16:12:05.97","Title":"","ItemText":"Withdrawn.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414947,"EventID":"S6O-02982","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16188,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":82,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T16:03:44.273","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-10T09:00:33.94","Title":"","ItemText":"Withdrawn.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414948,"EventID":"S6O-02989","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T16:03:44.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-10T11:16:07.953","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to discuss out-of-hours GP services in Inverclyde.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414949,"EventID":"S6O-02983","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T16:03:44.39","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T17:11:06.343","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what safeguarding training NHS boards are required to provide to non-clinical staff who are handling interactions with members of the public.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414950,"EventID":"S6O-02987","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T16:03:44.44","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-10T09:52:28.14","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to attract and retain staff in colleges.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414951,"EventID":"S6O-02988","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T16:03:44.49","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T10:14:10.693","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with the City of Edinburgh Council to discuss its housing emergency declaration.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414962,"EventID":"S6W-24435","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T17:14:14.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T15:57:04.92","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there is a central evidence base relating to the aquaculture industry, and, if there is, how stakeholders can gain access to it.","AnswerText":"A wide range of aquaculture research is published by universities and research institutes, both in Scotland and globally, including research by public bodies such as SEPA, as well as the Scottish Government’s Marine Directorate. Summaries of research are published by the Scottish Government Marine Directorate and SEPA on their websites and peer reviewed publications by all scientists may be accessed through a range online academic journals.\r\nWe are committed to making science as accessible as possible.  The Scottish Shelf Model  is a good example of a shared resource with vast array of applications which can be used by developed by the wider science community. We are working together to consider future aquaculture science evidence needs. Last year, I commissioned the Scottish Science Advisory Council (SSAC) to consider the use of science and evidence in aquaculture consenting. I look forward to working with stakeholders to further consider the recommendations made by the SSAC in their  report  this year.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414963,"EventID":"S6W-24438","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T17:14:15.173","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T16:07:14.727","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider enhancing statutory protection of community-controlled housing associations and co-operatives in its proposed Housing Bill, in light of the number of takeovers or transfers of engagements that have occurred since 2010, which has reportedly caused a decline in community-ownership of housing assets in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has no plans for any changes to the current regulatory system for social landlords. All Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) are subject to the same regulatory requirements. The Scottish Housing Regulator has one statutory objective to safeguard and promote the interests of tenants and others who use local authority and RSL housing services. It is right that the focus of its statutory role should be on protecting tenants interests. ","AnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414964,"EventID":"S6W-24425","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T17:14:15.23","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T15:17:47.07","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23979 by Jenny Gilruth on 8 January 2024, whether it will provide the information requested, particularly in light of the actions proposed in its Budget 2024-25, regarding what it anticipates the cost will be of (a) consulting on, (b) establishing, (c) launching and (d) the ongoing running of the Centre of Teaching Excellence (CTE), and, if it is the case that it has not considered what these costs might be and is yet to establish them, whether it will confirm that.","AnswerText":"Work to establish a Centre for Teaching Excellence, including co-design and consultation, is being taken forward by the already-established Education Reform Programme. As set out in my statement to parliament on 7 November 2023, the Centre for Teaching Excellence will be funded through repurposing investment currently directed to Regional Improvement Collaboratives. The overall establishment and launch costs for the centre itself will be scoped as part of the design process with key stakeholders.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414965,"EventID":"S6W-24432","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T17:14:15.29","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T15:57:04.92","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which independent body reviews the science relating to finfish aquaculture in Scotland.","AnswerText":"A wide range of aquaculture research is published by universities and research institutes, both in Scotland and globally, including research by public bodies such as Scottish Environment Protection Agency, as well as by the Scottish Government’s Marine Directorate. These publications are subject to established academic peer review processes and add to the evidence base which will be utilised by the industry, regulators, researchers and innovators.\r\nOn 11 January 2024 I launched the Scottish Government’s Marine Science and Innovation Strategy, which outlines how we can utilise the best evidence and data available for making informed management decisions to deliver on our Blue Economy Vision.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414966,"EventID":"S6W-24397","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T17:14:15.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-08T17:57:01.93","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23865 by Jenni Minto on 21 December 2023, when the policy to distribute condoms in the women's prison estate was introduced, and whether sanitary products are available in the men's prison estate, and, if so, when this policy was introduced. ","AnswerText":"The provision of condoms in all prisons (male and female) in Scotland has been a long standing health intervention dating back before the publication of ‘Respect and Responsibility: A Strategy and Action Plan for Improving Sexual Health’ in 2005.\r\nAll individuals in the care of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) are provided with basic hygiene items and products. This includes clothing such as underwear and socks as well as sanitary products, body wash, shampoo, etc. This is to support the health, wellbeing and dignity of the individual.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414967,"EventID":"S6W-24431","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T17:14:15.39","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T15:57:04.92","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many social contracts exist between finfish aquaculture companies and the communities within which they operate; what any such contracts deliver, and what the monetary value/equivalent is of each. ","AnswerText":"Aquaculture producers may operate a range of community funds and finance schemes to which local communities can apply. Scottish Government does not routinely collect or hold the details of individual contracts and funds.\r\nCrown Estate Scotland has a remit to generate lasting value for Scotland from the natural resources in its care. Rents due from aquaculture leases granted by CES were reviewed in 2022 and following that “root and branch” review they have recently increased. Further information on the review and aquaculture rents is available on Crown Estate Scotland’s website:  Root and branch review of aquaculture leasing complete | Crown Estate Scotland","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414968,"EventID":"S6W-24415","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T17:14:15.47","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T15:09:50.55","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with the UK Government to improve environmental standards in Scotland's salmon farming industry.","AnswerText":"The industry in Scotland already operates to robust environmental regulations and delivers high standards and we are committed to working with the industry to make continuous improvements. In terms of environmental standards for aquaculture, most of the relevant powers are devolved to the Scottish Parliament.\r\nThe Fisheries Act 2020 and Joint Fisheries Statement (JFS) (  Joint Fisheries Statement (JFS) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)  ) set out how the Scottish Government works with the rest of the UK, including the UK Government, to manage aquaculture noting that there is a significant difference in size and different focus between the industries.\r\nWe work jointly to ensure that Free Trade Agreements safeguard the health of farmed salmon. We also work closely with the UK Government via the Aquatic Animal Health Policy Group to improve and ensure biosecurity of trade and domestic movements of live aquatic animals, minimising risk of introduction and spread of disease within UK waters.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414969,"EventID":"S6W-24406","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T17:14:15.533","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T12:06:03.5","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the scope is of its reported forthcoming review of the target to deliver 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, with a focus on the delivery timeline.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24405 on? 22 January 2024. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at  Questions and answers | Scottish Parliament Website ","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":414970,"EventID":"S6W-24423","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T17:14:15.607","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T15:09:50.55","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which regulatory body is responsible for the potential impact of escaped farmed salmon on Scotland’s wild salmon stocks.","AnswerText":"Local authorities are responsible for considering the potential environmental impacts of fish farms, including escaped fish, when determining planning applications. NatureScot, District Salmon Fishery Boards and Scottish Government Marine Directorate provide advice as statutory consultees.\r\nScottish Government Marine Directorate is responsible for monitoring and enforcement of containment and escapes provisions within the Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Act 2007, Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Act 2013 and the Fish Farm Record Keeping (Scotland) Order 2008.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414971,"EventID":"S6W-24413","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T17:14:15.66","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T15:09:50.55","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to regulate the salmon farming industry since 2018.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24412 on 22 January 2024, to the answer to question S6W-23642 on 7 December 2023, and to the answer to question S6W-20127 on 21 July 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414972,"EventID":"S6W-24434","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T17:14:15.713","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T15:57:04.92","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many finfish aquaculture sites have (a) been closed, (b) had their licence withdrawn and (c) surrendered their licence since 2018, and for what reason.","AnswerText":"The following data relates to information held by the Scottish Government on Aquaculture Production Businesses (APB) and authorisation to operate under regulation 6 of the Aquatic Animal Health (Scotland) Regulations 2009 for animal health purposes only.\r\nHow many finfish aquaculture sites have (a) been closed and (c) surrendered their licence since 1 January 2018:There have been 25 finfish aquaculture farm sites de-registered and no longer in operation;There have been 57 finfish aquaculture farm sites inactivated as they are either in long term fallow or there are no current plans to stock them, although the APB may still be in operation;There have been 15 finfish APBs de-registered, no longer in operation which have surrendered authorisation to operate;There have been 15 finfish APBs which are registered as non-producing businesses, and have no farm sites in operation, which have surrendered authorisation to operate.How many finfish aquaculture sites have (b) had their licence withdrawn since 1 January 2018 (withdrawn being interpreted by the Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI) as removal by the competent authority for enforcement purposes):There have been no finfish aquaculture farm sites which have been withdrawn from an APB’s authorisation to operate;There have been no finfish APBs which have had their authorisation to operate withdrawn.The reasons for any aquaculture site ceasing to operate are a decision made by the commercial company operating the site and are not available to the FHI.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414974,"EventID":"S6W-24436","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T17:14:15.82","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T15:57:33.4","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the Scottish Housing Regulator's (SHR) appointment of any individuals to its statutory managers list who may also be regularly appointed as independent transfer advisors to housing associations that are subject to SHR statutory intervention could create a potential conflict of interest.","AnswerText":"This is a matter for the independent SHR itself to determine in line with the powers given to it by the Housing (Scotland) Act 2010 to appoint statutory managers. When the Regulator are considering who to appoint from the statutory manager’s list, they will take into account any potential conflicts of interest and would seek to ensure that the appointment has the appropriate experience, skills and expertise for the specific appointment. ","AnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414975,"EventID":"S6W-24421","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T17:14:15.87","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T15:09:50.55","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many escapes of farmed salmon have occurred in each year since 2018, broken down by location, and whether it can provide the total number of individual fish that have escaped.","AnswerText":"Information held by the Scottish Government on fish farm escapes is available on Scotland’s Aquaculture Website at:  Scotland's Aquaculture | Home  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414976,"EventID":"S6W-24408","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T17:14:15.92","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T12:06:03.5","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has reportedly brought forward the date of its review of the target to deliver 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, with a focus on the delivery timeline.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24405 on 22 January 2024. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at  Questions and answers | Scottish Parliament Website","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":414978,"EventID":"S6W-24405","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T17:14:16.023","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T12:06:03.5","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason its reported forthcoming review of the target to deliver 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, with a focus on the delivery timeline, has not been announced to the Parliament and referenced in its Budget 2024-25.","AnswerText":"In light of extreme pressures on housing systems, we have recently confirmed plans to bring forward a 2024 review, with a focus on the timeline for delivery of 110,000 affordable homes. To effectively meet housing need and support affordable housing priorities across different areas we want to support all tenures while still prioritising social rented homes.\r\nThe review’s metrics are under development and outcomes will be shared with Parliament when available.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":414979,"EventID":"S6W-24429","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T17:14:16.063","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T15:57:04.92","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the regulatory system for finfish aquaculture is fit for purpose.","AnswerText":"The finfish farming sector operates under robust regulations covering environmental impact and fish health. The Scottish Government is committed to streamlining the aquaculture regulatory framework, whilst maintaining high standards, to ensure regulation is as efficient and effective as it can be. We are committed to a broad programme of work to support the sustainability of fish farming and improvements to its underpinning regulatory system, following the recommendations made in  the independent review of the aquaculture regulatory process in Scotland  , published by Professor Russel Griggs on 10 February 2022\r\nI provided a written update to the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee on 3 May 2023 setting out the progress made to support the sustainability of fish farming, and its underpinning regulatory system, since the inquiry into salmon farming in Scotland. I subsequently updated the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee at their session on salmon farming on 10 May 2023.\r\nI recognise that there is more to do. Following the independent review of the aquaculture regulatory process, I have worked with the Scottish Aquaculture Council to deliver a new Vision for Sustainable Aquaculture in Scotland, which sets out our ambitions for the sector to 2045. The Vision includes an overarching aim that aquaculture is underpinned by an effective and efficient regulatory framework informed by the best available science and evidence.\r\nI have also established the Consenting Task Group, which has been working to identify, pilot and review new measures to streamline the administration of the fish farm consenting processes and progressing key recommendations of the review.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414980,"EventID":"S6W-24427","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T17:14:16.107","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T15:57:04.92","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Finfish Aquaculture Advisory Panel (a) last met and (b) will meet next. ","AnswerText":"The Finfish Aquaculture Advisory Panel is chaired by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and last met in May 2022. The recent focus of work of the parties involved in the panel has been on the development of the SEPA sea lice risk assessment framework and it will be for SEPA and the Panel members to determine when the Panel next meets.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414982,"EventID":"S6W-24426","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T17:14:16.197","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T15:51:41.43","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what procurement procedure was followed by the Scottish Housing Regulator to determine its statutory managers list.","AnswerText":"This is a matter for the independent Scottish Housing Regulator to determine. The SHR has published information about the application process for statutory managers (  Statutory Manager List - Application pack | Scottish Housing Regulator  ).","AnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414983,"EventID":"S6W-24411","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T17:14:16.24","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T14:50:17.69","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether local authorities have the flexibility to allow three-year-olds to take up a place at a local authority nursery after the term has started.","AnswerText":"Eligible 2 year olds and all 3 year olds are eligible for funded early learning and childcare from the beginning of the first term after the child’s 2nd or 3rd birthday. Local authorities have discretionary powers under the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 to provide funded ELC to 2 and 3 year olds earlier than the statutory start dates, and are responsible for setting local admission policies.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414984,"EventID":"S6W-24433","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T17:14:16.28","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T15:57:04.92","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the finfish aquaculture framework will be reviewed.","AnswerText":"An independent review of the current regulatory framework for Scottish aquaculture by Professor Griggs was published on 10 February 2022 and is available to view on the Scottish Government’s website:  Aquaculture regulatory process: review - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414985,"EventID":"S6W-24412","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T17:14:16.323","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T15:09:50.55","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps have been taken since the publication, in November 2018, of the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee’s 9th Report, 2018 (Session 5), Salmon farming in Scotland (SP Paper 432), to address the issues raised in the Committee's report.","AnswerText":"As reflected in the Bute House Agreement, we remain committed to a programme of work to better protect wildlife and the environment, and ensure aquaculture in Scotland is sustainable, diverse, competitive and economically viable.\r\nWe have made significant progress on the recommendations of the 2017-18 Parliamentary Inquiries into Salmon Farming in Scotland. Last year I was pleased to provide an update to the Scottish Parliament:  Salmon Farming in Scotland 3 May 2023 | Scottish Parliament Website. \r\nSubsequently, in July 2023 we published the Scottish Government’s Vision for Sustainable Aquaculture which sets out our aspirations for the development of a sector, operating within environmental limits, and which recognises the considerable social and economic benefits it delivers.\r\nA Consenting Task Group has been working to identify, pilot and review new measures to streamline the administration of the fish farm consenting processes, progressing key recommendations of the independent review of the regulatory framework for Scottish aquaculture.\r\nIn response to the Salmon Interactions Working Group report, the Scottish Government identified that the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) would become the lead regulator responsible for managing sea lice and the interactions between wild and farmed fish. SEPA has developed and consulted on a new sea lice risk assessment framework that will be implemented from 1 February 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414986,"EventID":"S6W-24409","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T17:14:16.363","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T12:06:03.5","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which organisations will have a role in contributing to the reported forthcoming review of its target to deliver 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, with a focus on the delivery timeline.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24405 on 22 January 2024. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at  Questions and answers | Scottish Parliament Website","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":414987,"EventID":"S6W-24416","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T17:14:16.413","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T15:09:50.55","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans for a single accreditation scheme to be introduced in the salmon farming industry.","AnswerText":"Whilst we do not currently have plans to introduce a single accreditation scheme for salmon farming in Scotland, we take into account accreditation schemes when considering regulatory change. The Scottish Government recognises the role accreditation plays in driving innovation and improved practice, as well as providing retailers and consumers with confidence.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414988,"EventID":"S6W-24428","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T17:14:16.467","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T15:57:04.92","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the Finfish Aquaculture Advisory Panel has achieved since its inception.","AnswerText":"The Advisory Panel has served as a forum for interested parties to share their thoughts on, and priorities for, the refinement and improvement of the regulatory framework for marine finfish farms that the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) implemented in June 2019.\r\nThe associated agenda, minutes and terms of reference for the Finfish Aquaculture Advisory Panel can be accessed on SEPA’s website at:  Finfish Aquaculture Advisory Panel | Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414989,"EventID":"S6W-24430","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T17:14:16.507","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T15:57:04.92","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it has done to address the reported institutional and personal mistrust between the finfish industry, regulators, parts of government and stakeholders.","AnswerText":"I do not recognise this characterisation of the relationship among the parties with an interest in aquaculture and it is an unhelpful misrepresentation of the many ways in which key partners, including government, interact. However, there are always ways in which governments should consider generally how to improve, augment and embed constructive relationships. Accordingly, in June 2022 I established and chair the Scottish Aquaculture Council. The Council has met on four occasions to date and brings together senior representation from the aquaculture sector, wider government, regulators and other key organisations with a remit to collaborate and advise Scottish Ministers in helping deliver the Government’s aspirations for the sector.\r\nThis forum is enabling constructive discussions around key developments. Advice provided by the Council has already helped inform the development of the content and approach of our Vision for Sustainable Aquaculture. The Consenting Task Group is enabling finfish sector, regulators and other stakeholders to work together, resulting in a pilot proposal for a new pre-application fish farm consenting process.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414990,"EventID":"S6W-24437","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T17:14:16.59","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T16:03:37.443","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any concerns that the Scottish Housing Regulator does not publish any background information or register of interests for individuals whom it appoints to its statutory managers list.","AnswerText":"The statutory manager is not an employee of the Scottish Housing Regulator or of the landlord. The appointment is to carry out a statutory function. It is for the SHR to determine the information it publishes on those appointed to the statutory managers list to ensure the process is open and transparent.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414992,"EventID":"S6W-24407","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T17:14:16.707","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T12:06:03.5","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether its reported forthcoming review of the target to deliver 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, with a focus on the delivery timeline, could result in the timeline being extended, and, if so, what options would be considered for the length of any such extension.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24405 on 22 January 2024. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at  Questions and answers | Scottish Parliament Website ","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":414993,"EventID":"S6W-24389","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-10T17:14:16.78","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-08T14:35:42.883","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what reporting arrangements have been put in place regarding the role of the Deputy First Minister in co-ordinating cross government delivery, as referred to in the cabinet secretary mandate letters for the financial year 2023-24.","AnswerText":"I receive regular performance delivery updates on the three Policy Prospectus missions of equality, opportunity and community. I also engage regularly with Cabinet Secretaries to support strong collaboration across portfolios and budgets and enable effective delivery of Mandate Letter commitments. These arrangements are routinely reviewed and improved where appropriate.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414994,"EventID":"S6W-24441","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-11T16:20:36.937","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T17:58:39.093","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been allocated in its Budget for 2024-25 for Changing Places toilets.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government knows that Changing Places Toilets make a real difference to disabled people and their families. We are committed to investing in Changing Places Toilets during this parliamentary term, in order to increase the provision of these fundamental facilities across Scotland.\r\nWe will look to make a new £10 million fund available across the financial years 2024-25 and 2025-26. We will undertake the necessary development work, alongside key stakeholders, to open the fund by the beginning of 2025.\r\nThe draft budget for 2024-25 was announced in Scottish Parliament on 19 December 2023 and stated that the direct programme budget for Mental Health will be £290.2 million. Allocations from this budget, including for the Changing Places Toilets fund, are under consideration and will be confirmed once the budget has been approved by Parliament.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414995,"EventID":"S6W-24453","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-11T16:20:37.043","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-10T13:58:26.177","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23872 by Jenny Gilruth on 8 January 2024, how the £11 million of funding that it provided to directly support pupils with complex additional support needs has been distributed, and how the spending of this funding has been monitored and recorded.","AnswerText":"Funding of over £11 million is provided each year to directly support pupils with complex additional support needs and to support services to children and families.\r\nThis includes a total of £10.7 million each year for 7 grant-aided special schools and a combined total of £800k to CALL Scotland, ENQUIRE and the Scottish Sensory Centre to help local authorities to meet the educational needs of children and young people with complex communication and sensory needs.\r\nThrough grant funding conditions targets or milestones are agreed between Scottish Government and the grantee. Progress is reported on and recorded through both quarterly reports and an annual report summarising outcomes and performance against the agreed targets or milestones.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414996,"EventID":"S6W-24457","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-11T16:20:37.097","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-10T14:24:50.26","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the anticipated impact of any increase in funding for community eye healthcare will be on patients in (a) Edinburgh and (b) the Lothians.","AnswerText":"The 2024-25 draft Scottish Budget document, published on 19 December, set out a budget of £130.1m for community eyecare services. This increase in the budget provision supports national provision of free universal NHS eye examinations, NHS optical vouchers for eligible persons to help with the cost of glasses and contact lenses, and new NHS services such as the Community Glaucoma Service which will enable patients to be seen closer to home.\r\nThe Scottish Government can confirm that patients in Edinburgh and the Lothians will continue to benefit as recipients of these national policies.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414997,"EventID":"S6W-24444","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-11T16:20:37.173","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-10T09:09:58.4","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its Budget for 2024-25, whether this supplement will come on top of, or instead of, any higher property rate that may be levied on a retail property.","AnswerText":"The announcement in the Scottish Budget 2024-25 signalled the Scottish Government’s intent to explore the reintroduction of a Public Health Supplement. The exploratory work will include considering options for the design of any such supplement.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414998,"EventID":"S6W-24471","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-11T16:20:37.223","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-11T14:10:27.49","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what Scottish caseload and application modelling it anticipates it will receive from the UK Government in the event that the recommendations in the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council report, Review and Update of the Prescription for Prescribed Disease D1 (Pneumoconiosis), are implemented by the UK Government.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is engaging with the UK Government on their response to the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council’s (IIAC) report. We continue to work with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to understand the implications of any future changes to legislation. This typically includes modelling relating to awards and applications.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":414999,"EventID":"S6W-24462","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-11T16:20:37.28","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-10T16:49:46.837","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-23231 and S6W-23887 by Mairi McAllan on 11 December 2023 and 9 January 2024 respectively, which figure provided for the number of sites sampled is correct; for what reason there is a discrepancy between the two figures provided, and whether it will provide an update on when it anticipates that data for the (a) 2022-23 and (b) 2023-24 reporting year will be published.","AnswerText":"The figures quoted in these questions are both correct. The first figure of sites sampled from 2013-14 to 2019-20 is from a published assessment, and the second figure is from the number of sites visited within the raw data that has been published to date (2013-14 to 2021-22).\r\nThe Scottish Government microplastics monitoring programme began in the winter of 2013, and has undertaken annual surveys since that time. The sample sites are distributed throughout the 11 Scottish Marine Regions and the Offshore Marine Regions. Not all Regions were sampled in every year and the number of sampling sites visited also varied between years.\r\nIn reference to question S6W-23231, the microplastics in surface water assessment in Scotland’s Marine Assessment 2020 used data from 2013-14 to 2019-20. For this assessment data from 398 sample sites were included. This assessment can be viewed at  https://marine.gov.scot/sma/assessment/microplastics-surface-water \r\nThe raw data from the monitoring programme is publicly available but not all of this data is yet included in published assessments. In reference to question S6W-23887, the number of sites sampled up to and including 2021-22 is 479. The dataset can be viewed at  https://data.marine.gov.scot/dataset/dataset-sources-sinks-and-hazards-micro-plastics-scotland%E2%80%99s-seas-2013-present/resource#{query:{from:400},view-grid:{columnsWidth:[{column:!season,width:157},{column:!date_deploy,width:149}]}} \r\nData for 2022-23, and the current sampling year of 2023-24 have not yet been published. Once raw data has been collected it needs to undergo quality control and processing before it can be used and published. The 2022-23 data is currently undergoing this process. The 2023-24 data collection season has not yet concluded, and the processing will commence when the data for the whole year is complete.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415001,"EventID":"S6W-24449","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-11T16:20:37.403","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-10T13:00:18.623","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to address the reported concerns of organisations that the current funding model for Rape Crisis services is competitive, delivered unequally across the country and diverts resources away from service delivery and towards competing for limited funding. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the vital work that Rape Crisis centres across Scotland do to provide support for survivors of sexual violence. We will continue to work collaboratively with our stakeholders, including the Rape Crisis network, to develop a future funding model that will ensure a focus on prevention and the delivery of high quality, accessible specialist services for all women and children experiencing any form of violence against women and girls in line with the principles outlined in the Independent Funding Review.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415002,"EventID":"S6W-24398","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-11T16:20:37.467","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-08T23:13:13.21","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service will communicate with the 73 individuals identified by the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission in 2020 who had criminal convictions that were potentially affected by the issues arising from the Post Office’s Horizon computer system in Scotland, and advise them of their options for recourse, in light of reports that only 16 had come forward by the end of 2023 to have their conviction overturned.","AnswerText":"As was acknowledged by the Lord Advocate in her statement to Parliament on the 16 th January, any miscarriage of justice that has occurred as a result of the Horizon IT systems requires to be identified and addressed. The Scottish Criminal Case Review Commission (“the SCCRC”) is the independent public body that investigates and reviews alleged miscarriages of justice in Scotland. \r\nThe SCCRC was established in 1999. Its role is to review and investigate cases where it is alleged that a miscarriage of justice may have occurred in relation to conviction, sentence or both. Its aim is to investigate all cases efficiently, without undue delay and to a consistently high standard, and to strengthen public confidence in the ability of the Scottish criminal justice system to address miscarriages of justice. \r\nAny person convicted of a criminal offence in Scotland who considers that their conviction was a miscarriage of justice may apply to the SCCRC. The SCCRC is an independent body. It does not represent the prosecution, the defence, the police, the courts or any other part of the criminal justice system. It will consider all applications and review cases to decide whether they should be referred to the High Court to be considered again. The SCCRC will refer all cases to the High Court where it believes that there may have been a miscarriage of justice. \r\nTo apply, an individual can complete an application form which should set out the details of the conviction which they believe resulted in a miscarriage of justice. Applications forms can be obtained from the SCCRC or online. An individual may apply directly to the SCCRC and there is no charge or fee for the Commission to review any case. \r\nWith the assistance of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, the SCCRC has already written to at least 73 individuals. It is however important to recognise the different roles of the Commission and COPFS. The Commission is the proper body to be approaching individuals who may have been impacted by the Horizon IT system. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has engaged with the Commission and will continue to do so to support its ongoing work in these cases. I know that anything that can be done to assist and support those who have been affected to come forward will be done to ensure that there is access to justice for all who may be affected.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415003,"EventID":"S6W-24454","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-11T16:20:37.55","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-10T13:58:26.177","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23870 by Jenny Gilruth on 8 January 2024, what analysis it is undertaking of any reasons for probationer teachers reportedly being less likely to opt in to the preference waiver scheme since the COVID-19 pandemic.","AnswerText":"As set out in the answer to question S6W-23870, the Strategic Board for Teacher Education is looking at issues around the recruitment and retention of teachers in Scotland in detail, including how the Teacher Induction Scheme operates.\r\nAll applications for the Teacher Induction Scheme are based on personal choice and the Scottish Government cannot direct probationary teachers to opt for the Preference Waiver Payment.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415004,"EventID":"S6W-24450","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-11T16:20:37.617","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-10T13:00:18.623","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will extend funding for Rape Crisis Centres beyond March 2024, in light of reported concerns that, if it is not continued, it will result in the loss of 28 support worker positions nationwide. ","AnswerText":"We are committed to addressing violence against women and girls and acknowledge the crucial role that Rape Crisis centres across Scotland play in providing support to victim-survivors. Frontline services for women and girls affected by gender-based violence are crucial and that is why we are investing over £5m for the Rape Crisis network through our annual £19m Delivering Equally Safe (DES) fund.DES funding runs until March 2025.\r\nAs we consider budgets and funding for the next financial year, we will continue to work with our partners to ensure that the funding we provide works effectively to improve outcomes for those using the services during these challenging financial times.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415005,"EventID":"S6W-24456","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-11T16:20:37.677","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-10T13:58:26.177","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that an updated additional support for learning code of practice will be published.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is working with local government partners through the Additional Support for Learning Project Board to deliver the recommendations of the 2020 additional support for learning review by March 2026.\r\nAs outlined in our  updated action plan  , published in November 2022, we have committed to a refresh the Supporting Children’s Learning Code of Practice. This will ensure that it fully supports schools and local authorities to fulfil their duties under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004. Initial progress on this work was set out in our  second progress report  , published in November 2022. Further progress has been made during 2023 and will continue this year.\r\nA further progress update on the delivery of the action plan, including developments on the code of practice, is due to be published in May 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415006,"EventID":"S6W-24445","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-11T16:20:37.727","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-10T09:09:58.4","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it had with its economic development agencies, including Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Development International, regarding the proposed introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, prior to the announcement in its Budget for 2024-25. ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24110 on 18 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415007,"EventID":"S6W-24447","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5866,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-11T16:20:37.783","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-10T09:30:49.047","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures it (a) has and (b) will put in place to make the public aware that vehicle idling is an offence, under the Road Traffic (Vehicle Emissions) (Fixed Penalty) (Scotland) Regulations 2003. ","AnswerText":"The Road Traffic (Vehicle Emissions) (Fixed Penalty) (Scotland) Regulations 2003 provide local authorities with powers to issue fixed penalty notices to drivers of parked idling vehicles who refuse a reasonable request to switch off their engines. It is for individual local authorities to decide how to make use of their powers and promote awareness. The Scottish Government provides support to assist authorities in undertaking these duties.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415008,"EventID":"S6W-24464","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-11T16:20:37.86","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-11T09:38:16.117","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has modelled any impact of its reported decision to end the Flexible Workforce Development Fund, and any effect that it will have on job-related training.","AnswerText":"The decision to halt the Flexible Workforce Development Fund was not taken lightly but in an extremely challenging budget environment. It is too early to tell the impact of this decision on the overall job-related training across Scotland. It is hoped that many of the employers who have benefitted from FWDF since 2017 will continue to recognise the value of upskilling their workforce to support economic growth.\r\nEmployers have a key role to play in workforce development. We will continue to encourage employers to build on the strong partnerships they have developed and work with their local colleges and universities to ensure training offers align to labour market needs.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415009,"EventID":"S6W-24451","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-11T16:20:37.943","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-10T13:00:18.623","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider long-term funding for support work in relation to violence against women and girls (VAWG). ","AnswerText":"We remain steadfast in our commitment to preventing and eradicating all violence against women and girls and it is vital, now more than ever, that we make the best use of resources available to tackle this issue.\r\nThe Independent Strategic Review of Funding and Commissioning of Violence Against Women and Girls Services was commissioned to provide recommendations on the funding and procurement of services, which would enable the development of a consistent, coherent, collective, and stable funding model.\r\nA Project Board comprising public sector and specialist stakeholders is being formed to oversee the consideration of the funding and procurement recommendations made. We will set out our next steps in the Equally Safe Delivery Plan, which will be published in April 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415010,"EventID":"S6W-24439","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-11T16:20:38","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T16:34:39.037","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much of the funding set out in the NHS Recovery Plan 2021-2026 has been allocated to improving audiology services in the (a) NHS Lothian and (b) West Lothian Council area.","AnswerText":"We published the NHS Recovery Plan in August 2021, which sets out our plans for health and social care over the next 5 years, backed by over £1 billion of funding. The second annual progress update was published on 6 December 2023:  NHS recovery plan: progress report 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .\r\nWhilst Scottish Ministers are responsible for determining the strategic policy of the NHS in Scotland, it is NHS Boards and healthcare professionals locally who have responsibility for service delivery and patient treatment. The Scottish Government welcomes the recently published Independent Review of Audiology Services in Scotland report and we fully recognise that there is work to be done to improve audiology care across the country.\r\nWe are continuing to work closely with NHS Boards, Independent Providers and the Third Sector to develop fully integrated and sustainable audiology care and treatment located closer to the local communities being served. This includes the roll out of a Third sector-NHS partnership after-care service RNID Near You.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415011,"EventID":"S6W-24443","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-11T16:20:38.067","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-10T09:02:29.66","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of the premises contracted for delivery of superfast broadband under the R100 scheme have still to be connected. ","AnswerText":"All homes and businesses across Scotland can currently access a superfast broadband service. The R100 contracts are going beyond that by extending access to gigabit-capable broadband – over 30 times faster than our original commitment.\r\nThe contracts remain on track to complete build in 2028. So far, over 36,100 of the 114,869 premises currently expected to receive R100 contract build have been connected. This means that approximately 68% of the total premises remain scheduled for build between now and 2028.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415012,"EventID":"S6W-24461","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-11T16:20:38.117","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-10T15:01:01.82","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether its plans for Employment Injury Assistance include (a) accepting or (b) rejecting the recommendations, as they apply in Scotland, in the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council report, Review and Update of the Prescription for Prescribed Disease D1 (Pneumoconiosis).","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to undertaking a public consultation on Employment Injury Assistance (EIA) shortly. As set out in the response to S6W-24459 on 23 January 2023 we continue to engage with UK Government on their response to IIAC’s report. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415013,"EventID":"S6W-24455","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-11T16:20:38.213","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-10T13:58:26.177","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23874 by Jenny Gilruth on 8 January 2024, whether it plans to uprate, by inflation in future years, the ringfenced funding that it provides to local authorities annually for the provision of additional support assistants.","AnswerText":"As outlined in my previous answer, the Scottish Government has continued to invest an additional £15m per year since 2019-20 to help local authorities respond to the individual needs of children and young people. This investment is monitored via information collected through the annual school staff census. The latest figures show that this funding has helped contribute to the highest recorded number of support staff in schools, 16,606 in 2022.\r\nWe are also providing local authorities with £145.5m in this year's budget to protect teacher numbers and support staff.\r\nAny financial decisions regarding these investments are subject to future budgetary processes.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415014,"EventID":"S6W-24460","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-11T16:20:38.267","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-10T15:01:01.82","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will be required to accept any amendments, as they apply in Scotland, to the Social Security (Industrial Injuries) (Prescribed Diseases) Regulations 1985, in accordance with the report, Industrial Injuries Scheme Benefits in Scotland: Agency Agreement, in the event that the UK Government accepts the recommendations in the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council report, Review and Update of the Prescription for Prescribed Disease D1 (Pneumoconiosis), and whether this will require the Scottish Ministers to lay a Scottish statutory instrument in order to do so.","AnswerText":"The Industrial Injuries Scheme (IIS) continues to be delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) though an agency agreement. The agreement requires alignment between the way in which IIS is delivered in Scotland and its delivery in the rest of the UK and therefore any changes to the UK legislation to be reflected in relevant Scottish legislation. This would typically require a Scottish statutory instrument.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415015,"EventID":"S6W-24440","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-11T16:20:38.317","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T16:35:00.38","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much of the funding set out in the NHS Recovery Plan 2021-2026 has been allocated to improving child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) in the (a) NHS Lothian and (b) West Lothian Council area.","AnswerText":"Table One shows the funding allocated to NHS Lothian for improving child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) in 2021-2022 and for a broader range of Mental Health Services, including CAMHS, from 2022-2023. Allocations for the current financial year, 2023-2024 have not yet concluded.\r\nIt should be noted that allocations from 2022-2023 onwards were made from the Mental Health Outcomes Framework, which bundled a number of funding streams to allow NHS Boards flexibility to meet local priorities against the stated outcomes. The total allocation can be utilised to support improvements in CAMHS, psychological therapies, eating disorder care, primary care and children and young people’s neurodevelopmental services, as well as ongoing innovation and service reform. It is therefore not possible to provide a specific figure for funding allocated to CAMHS improvement from 2022-23 onwards.\r\nThe Scottish Government does not hold information on the final allocations to specific Integration Joint Boards. NHS Lothian will be able to advise on the funding received for CAMHS in the West Lothian Council area resulting from their delegation arrangements.\r\nTable One:\r\nFinancial Year\r\nNHS Lothian Allocation\r\n2021-2022\r\n£5,702,137\r\n2022-2023\r\n£9,154,511","AnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415016,"EventID":"S6W-24448","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-11T16:20:38.4","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-10T11:53:01.77","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-19193 by Siobhian Brown on 27 June 2023, regarding the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021, when it plans to introduce the relevant commencement regulations.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to work closely with justice partners for the effective implementation of the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 (‘the Act') and to ensure a 1 April 2024 commencement date. This is to provide enough time to allow justice partners to complete a number of key IT change programmes and for the delivery of a robust package of training and guidance for police officers prior to commencement.\r\nIn November 2023, we published the Hate Crime Strategy Delivery Plan which sets out our immediate actions to implement Scotland’s Hate Crime Strategy. Activity includes improved support for victims, improving data and evidence on hate crime and developing effective approaches to preventing hate crime and promoting community cohesion. It will also support the implementation of the Act.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415017,"EventID":"S6W-24465","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-11T16:20:38.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-11T09:38:16.117","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of any impact that its reported decision to cancel the Flexible Workforce Development Fund will have on college financing. ","AnswerText":"It is too early to determine the impact of the withdrawal of Flexible Workforce Development Fund on college financing. However, the Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council will continue to support colleges to understand and minimise any negative impacts on short, medium and long-term financial sustainability.\r\nWe remain committed to supporting an education and skills system that responds to the needs of Scotland’s employers/learners and we would encourage employers to continue to work with colleges, building on the relationships they now have. SFC will work with the sector to consider how we make best use of the resources available to enable colleges to maximise opportunities for learners and be responsive to employers’ needs, building on the strong foundations they have established over recent years.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415018,"EventID":"S6W-24459","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-11T16:20:38.527","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-10T15:01:01.82","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is, regarding the impact in Scotland, to the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council report, Review and Update of the Prescription for Prescribed Disease D1 (Pneumoconiosis), and what the potential implications are for Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit applicants in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Industrial Injuries Scheme (IIS) is delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on behalf of the Scottish Government though an agency agreement and we are working with the DWP to assess the implications of the report.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415019,"EventID":"S6W-24458","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-11T16:20:38.577","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-10T15:01:01.82","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many people in Scotland (a) are currently in receipt of and (b) have made an application since 1 April 2020 for, Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit in relation to a diagnosis of the prescribed disease, pneumoconiosis, and, of these, how many would not receive this benefit as new applicants in the event that the recommendations in the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council report, Review and Update of the Prescription for Prescribed Disease D1 (Pneumoconiosis), are implemented by the UK Government.","AnswerText":"Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) is currently being delivered by the UK Government in Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government through an agency agreement. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) do not publish data on total IIDB awards for specific prescribed diseases. According to DWP data, between 1 April 2020 and 1 April 2023, 363 people made an application for IIDB in relation to pneumoconiosis in Scotland. There were 306 awards processed for pneumoconiosis in Scotland in this time period.\r\nThe Scottish Government cannot comment on how many people would be impacted if these recommendations were accepted by the UK Government at this stage. We continue to work with the DWP to understand the implications of any future changes to legislation.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415020,"EventID":"S6W-24446","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-11T16:20:38.643","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-10T09:09:58.4","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its Budget for 2024-25, whether it undertook any analysis of the previous iteration of the supplement, which was in place from 2012 to 2015.","AnswerText":"The announcement in the Scottish Budget 2024-25 signalled the Scottish Government’s intent to explore the reintroduction of a Public Health Supplement. The impact and effectiveness of the previous Public Health Supplement which was levied in Scotland between April 2012 and March 2015 will be considered as part of this exploratory work.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415063,"EventID":"S6W-24424","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-12T17:07:01.013","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T15:09:50.55","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many closed containment fish farms currently operate in Scotland, broken down by (a) the managing company and (b) location, and what action it is taking to encourage a move towards closed containment fish farms in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to exploring increasing the Scottish aquaculture sector’s adoption of new and innovative technologies which achieve both positive environmental and health and welfare outcomes, including the potential use of semi and closed containment systems, as stated in our  Vision for Sustainable Aquaculture  , published in July 2023.\r\nIn 2021 the Scottish Government, via the Marine Fund Scotland,  awarded £2 million to a four-year project led by Bakkafrost Scotland  (the then Scottish Salmon Company) to apply research and development as well as innovative husbandry to the rearing of larger salmon smolts in Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS). This underlines our commitment to supporting innovation and also promoting advances in areas which will contribute to the sector’s sustainable growth. These and similar developments will create new rural jobs and benefit local and wider economies.\r\nThe Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) encourages new innovative techniques to reduce overall fish farm emissions through its application charging scheme. For example, where an operator shows the new site will reduce emissions by 80%+ then the application charges will be reduced by 50%.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415064,"EventID":"S6W-24463","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-12T17:07:01.107","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-11T09:38:16.117","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what additional support for training it is considering providing to UK Apprenticeship Levy payers and SMEs.","AnswerText":"The UK Government Apprenticeship Levy is a reserved tax on employers of which Scotland receives a proportionate share of tax revenues via the block grant as per the Fiscal Framework agreement with UK Treasury. Scottish Government do not receive a specific allocation of Apprenticeship Levy revenue.\r\nWhile recognising the challenging budgetary pressures, Scottish Government have been clear that we will continue to invest significant funding in education, training and skills – including apprenticeships - to meet the needs of employers, the workforce, young people and Scotland’s economy. The overwhelming majority of funding, including investment in our apprenticeship programmes, is available to employers regardless of their size or whether they pay the Levy.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415065,"EventID":"S6W-24479","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1756,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":136,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-12T17:07:01.17","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-12T09:13:01.757","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it made of how many XL bully dogs there were in Scotland before (a) the UK Government’s announcement on 31 October 2023 of the changes to the Dangerous Dogs Act that ban XL bully dogs in England and Wales and (b) the First Minister’s announcement on 11 January 2024 that the Scottish Government it will, in essence, replicate in Scotland the legislation that exists in England and Wales.","AnswerText":"The number of XL Bully dogs in the UK and Scotland is unknown and estimates vary significantly.\r\nDuring the House of Commons scrutiny of the new safeguards in England and Wales, many expert witnesses highlighted the challenges of estimating numbers as XL Bully dogs are not a recognised breed of dog. Those witnesses were concerned about how many of these dogs may be registered as crossbreeds on veterinary practice management systems and pointed towards seeing various estimates of the number of XL Bully dogs, ranging from 50,000 to 150,000 in England and Wales.\r\nIf there were 50,000 XL Bully dogs in England and Wales, this may suggest an estimated population of 5,000 XL Bully dogs in Scotland. This figure carries a considerable degree of uncertainty.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415066,"EventID":"S6W-24481","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1756,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":136,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-12T17:07:01.217","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-12T09:13:01.757","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it considers to be the defined characteristics of an XL bully dog.","AnswerText":"We will provide details of the defined characteristics of an XL Bully dog as the relevant legislation introducing the new safeguards for XL Bully dogs is developed and published. Practical and helpful guidance and support will be provided to XL Bully dog owners on the Scottish Government website to help identification of relevant dogs by owners.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415067,"EventID":"S6W-24490","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1756,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":136,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-12T17:07:01.263","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-12T09:13:01.757","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will increase the penalties that can be imposed on (a) breeders who are found to be breeding dogs to be aggressive and (b) owners who are found to knowingly fail to keep their dog(s) under control.","AnswerText":"Dog breeding is regulated under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Scotland) Regulations 2021. The penalties for offences committed under these regulations were increased in 2020 when the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) (Scotland) Act 2020 came into effect. The changes introduced increased the maximum period of imprisonment from 6 to 12 months and the maximum fine from level 5 (£5,000) on the standard scale to a maximum of £40,000. Given this recent increase in penalties, the Scottish Government has no plans at this time for further revisions.\r\nThe Scottish Government will however be looking in the medium term to work with key stakeholders and interested parties to look at potential improvements to the 2010 Act that could enhance and strengthen the general preventative dog control notice regime in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415068,"EventID":"S6W-24419","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-12T17:07:01.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T15:09:50.55","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the system of reporting by the salmon farming industry of issues relating to fish health, including (a) sea lice numbers, (b) gill health, (c) fish mortality and (d) fish wellbeing, is compulsory or voluntary.","AnswerText":"The Fish Farming Businesses (Reporting) (Scotland) Order 2020 places a legal requirement for aquaculture production businesses to report average sea lice numbers per fish per week to Scottish Ministers.\r\nThe Aquatic Animal Health (Scotland) Regulations 2009 place a legal obligation for increased mortality to be reported to Scottish Ministers or a veterinarian. This applies to unexplained mortality, and there is a voluntary agreement in place with aquaculture production businesses for any instances of mortality above specified thresholds to be reported to Scottish Ministers as part of wider aquatic animal health surveillance. This agreement is a requirement of the Code of Good Practice for Scottish Finfish Aquaculture. \r\nGill health is a term used to describe a category of conditions which have a detrimental impact on fish gills and is not a single disease. The Aquatic Animal Health (Scotland) Regulations 2009 place an obligation for the presence or suspected presence of listed diseases, some of which affect gill health, to notify to Scottish Ministers.\r\nThere is no obligation to report fish wellbeing which has no specific definition. The Fish Health Inspectorate will raise any concerns regarding fish welfare with the Animal and Plant Health Agency which is responsible for investigating potential breaches in welfare law.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415069,"EventID":"S6W-24422","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-12T17:07:01.403","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T15:09:50.55","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what sanctions are available to regulators to impose penalties on any companies responsible for the escape of farmed salmon.","AnswerText":"The Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Act 2007 requires Aquaculture Production Businesses to demonstrate that satisfactory measures are in place for the containment of fish, and the prevention of escape of fish. Current Scottish Government policy for demonstrating that satisfactory measures are in place are the requirements of the Code of Good Practice for Scottish Finfish Aquaculture and the requirements of The Fish Farming Businesses (Record Keeping) (Scotland) Order 2008.\r\nAdherence to the Code of Good Practice is monitored and enforced through the Scottish Government Fish Health Inspectorate’s risk-based inspection regime. Where satisfactory measures are not in place, Scottish Ministers may serve an enforcement notice. Failure to comply with an enforcement notice may result in a fine.\r\nThe Scottish Government remains committed to working with the sector to reduce the risk of escapes from fish farms, including through the revision and publication of the Technical Standard for Scottish Finfish Aquaculture, and the introduction of penalties where escape events occur with the ultimate aim of redistributing this money to support wild salmonid conservation and research.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415070,"EventID":"S6W-24466","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-12T17:07:01.467","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-11T10:40:17.87","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which external consulting firms are working or advising on preparations for a National Care Service, and what the cost of any such contracts (a) has been to date and (b) is projected to be in the 2024-25 financial year.","AnswerText":"a) A list of external consulting firms engaged to provide consultancy for research, co-design, engagement, and external support, and the cost of these contracts to date is provided in the following table.\r\nThese figures are as of 15 January and are provisional and subject to adjustment prior to and at year-end. Further costs may be incurred before the year-end.\r\nSupplier Awarded Contract\r\nContract Expenditure to Date\r\nAnderson Anderson Brown LLP (AAB)\r\n£54,605\r\nAnderson Anderson Brown LLP (AAB)\r\n£26,220\r\nDeloitte\r\n£80,400\r\nKPMG\r\n£655,200\r\nPwC\r\n£82,032\r\nPwC\r\n£107,021\r\nSocitm (Society for Innovation, Technology and Modernisation)\r\n£380,778\r\nStorm ID\r\n£56,760\r\nCapgemini Invents\r\n£58,800\r\nCapgemini Invents\r\n£406,476\r\nIPSOS Mori\r\n£103,800\r\nThis is Milk\r\n£30,376\r\nThis is Milk\r\n£12,240\r\nCivic Computing\r\n£74,880\r\nTotal Contract Expenditure to Date\r\n£2,153,762\r\nThere are two contracts in the preceding table totalling £24,174 that are attributed to the consultancy costs, but which do not relate to the NCS. These are included in total contract expenditure to date, but are not reported individually.\r\nA further invoice of £12,240 relating to services provided by This is Milk is anticipated to be received before the end of the financial year.\r\nb) No estimate of consultancy expenditure for financial year 2024-25 has been finalised, and no consultancy expenditure has been committed to for that year.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415071,"EventID":"S6W-24474","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-12T17:07:01.513","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-11T16:24:21.513","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government by what date it expects to have confirmed a university to lead the Centre of Teaching Excellence.","AnswerText":"The identification of a host institution can only take place when the co-design process has concluded. This process is currently being set up with key stakeholders, including teachers and professional bodies, with timelines to be agreed as part of that.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415072,"EventID":"S6W-24495","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-12T17:07:01.56","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-12T14:01:31.957","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support its Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy directorates are providing for the life sciences sector to increase research into brain tumours.","AnswerText":"Public sector support for research and development does not sit within the Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy portfolio. This support is directed and delivered by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC).\r\nSFC strategic initiatives, such as Alliances for Research Challenges, Innovation Centres, and Research Pools, aim to harness our research and knowledge exchange capabilities across a number of priority areas, including Life Sciences.\r\nThe Scottish Government continues to support high-quality research and innovation across Scotland, and has increased the investment in higher education capital to over £350m for 2024-25.\r\nWithin the Scottish Government, funding of Health and Care Research comes under the remit of the Chief Scientist Office (CSO). CSO provides funding support through NHS Research Scotland who are currently supporting 13 Brain Tumour Clinical studies with over 190 patients recruited.\r\nAdditionally, Scottish Enterprise are an active investor and collaborative partner supporting the life sciences sector.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415073,"EventID":"S6W-24486","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1756,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":136,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-12T17:07:01.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-12T09:13:01.757","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the XL bully dog breed having been added to the list of dogs banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, what evidence it is aware of that adding a dog breed to this list has reduced dog attacks, and whether it will provide details of all dog attacks reported in Scotland since January 2004 to date, including (a) whether any resulted in a fatality and (b) the breed or cross breed of the dog(s) involved.","AnswerText":"In light of the UK Government failing to ensure English and Welsh XL Bully dog owners cannot evade the new safeguards through selling or otherwise disposing of their dogs in Scotland, the Scottish Government has been left with little choice to decide to replicate the new safeguards in Scotland. Through replicating the new regime, this will ensure owners have no ability to evade the new controls.\r\nMore generally on the effectiveness of breed specific legislation, there is no central database within Scotland or the UK that provides available data on breakdown by breed or crossbreed dogs, involved in dog attacks.\r\nHowever, National Records Scotland collects data in relation to ‘Deaths from being bitten or struck by a dog in Scotland’. There have been three deaths from being bitten or struck by a dog in Scotland between 2004 and 2022. Information for 2023 is not yet available. Data on the breed or type of dogs involved is not recorded.\r\nIn addition, Public Health Scotland collects data on the number of inpatient and day case admissions to hospital where a diagnosis of dog attack (bite or strike) was recorded. The available data from 2004 to 2022 is included in the following table:\r\nCalendar year\r\nAdmissions\r\n2004\r\n340\r\n2005\r\n399\r\n2006\r\n431\r\n2007\r\n421\r\n2008\r\n492\r\n2009\r\n501\r\n2010\r\n487\r\n2011\r\n559\r\n2012\r\n608\r\n2013\r\n598\r\n2014\r\n676\r\n2015\r\n706\r\n2016\r\n776\r\n2017\r\n765\r\n2018\r\n834\r\n2019\r\n905\r\n2020\r\n765\r\n2021\r\n854\r\n2022\r\n933\r\nThese figures are based solely on admissions to hospital for acute care as an inpatient or day case. Care should be taken when interpreting these figures as dog attacks can be treated also in other healthcare settings which are not included here, such as accident and emergency department, out of hours, outpatient or general practice services.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415074,"EventID":"S6W-24489","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1756,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":136,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-12T17:07:01.687","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-12T09:13:01.757","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has not yet established a publicly accessible national database of dog control notices under the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010, which would allow the tracking of dogs Scotland-wide whose behaviour gives cause for concern.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government introduced a national dog control notice database in February 2022 which is helping local authorities and Police Scotland access information on dog owners where notices have been issued.\r\nThe national database brought together the dog control notice records of all local authorities into a centralised database that is accessible by all 32 local authorities and Police Scotland.\r\nWhere a person subject to a dog control notice moves from one local authority to another, the national database is a valuable tool in helping to enforce that notice.\r\nThe 2010 Act already allows for and requires local authorities to co-operate with the police and other local authorities in all matters relating to the control of dogs arising under or by virtue of this Act, the Dogs Act 1906 or the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. It is for local authorities to assess how and when information can be shared more widely and in so doing, local authorities will carefully consider data protection under GDPR.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415075,"EventID":"S6W-24473","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-12T17:07:01.747","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-11T16:20:53.17","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23500 by Jenni Minto on 11 December 2023, how it expects that regional leads for early years speech and language will work with regional improvement collaboratives.","AnswerText":"The Regional Early Years Speech and Language Leads will work alongside the Regional Improvement Collaboratives and across local services and agencies to encourage the development of a sustainable whole systems approach to improving children’s speech, language and communication outcomes from pre-birth to school entry. They will work together to connect partners, develop and share resources and expertise, and maximise opportunities to support children’s speech, language and communication development.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415076,"EventID":"S6W-24476","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-12T17:07:01.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-11T17:12:51.623","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6O-02933 by Christina McKelvie on 10 January 2024, whether it has set a deadline for the full or partial reopening of sites where access has been restricted, following the conclusion of Historic Environment Scotland’s inspection programme at the end of March 2024.","AnswerText":"Further to my response to the question S60-02933 on 10 January 2024, I have not set a deadline for the full or partial reopening of sites affected by high level masonry issues. Historic Environment Scotland continues to put the health and safety of individuals first and will continue reopening sites when safe to do so. \r\nDetails of the inspection programme and site reopening's are published on the Historic Environment Scotland website:  High Level Masonry Inspections | Historic Environment Scotland  . Indeed the member will be pleased to note that the website currently advises that Bothwell Castle in her constituency is due to reopen for Easter 2024.\r\nI will continue to engage with Historic Environment Scotland on the inspection programme and the reopening of sites affected.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415077,"EventID":"S6W-24467","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-12T17:07:01.903","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-11T13:37:47.15","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update on the planning application currently being considered by the Energy Consents Unit under reference ECU00004523.","AnswerText":"In June 2022, Scottish Ministers received an application from Naturalis Energy under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 for the proposed Knockkippen Wind Farm, to be located within East Ayrshire. Currently, discussions are ongoing between the Scottish Government Energy Consents Unit, the developer and several consultees in relation to addressing outstanding issues. Until these matters are resolved, Scottish Ministers are not yet in a position to determine the application.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415078,"EventID":"S6W-24494","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-12T17:07:01.95","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-12T14:01:31.957","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how its NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care directorates decide how to allocate funds for research into specific cancers, such as brain tumours.","AnswerText":"Within the Scottish Government, funding of Health and Care Research comes under the remit of the Chief Scientist Office (CSO).\r\nThe CSO's Translational Clinical Studies (TCS) Committee and the Health Improvement, Protection and Services Research (HIPS) Committee each meet twice per year to consider funding applications. Details of the application process are published on the CSO website.\r\nhttps://www.cso.scot.nhs.uk/grant-funding/response-mode-funding-schemes/ \r\nResearch funding is not allocated to any particular condition. The TCS and HIPS committees receive applications from across the clinical spectrum. All applications go through a process of independent expert review to allow funding decisions to be made. Applications on brain tumours are welcomed and go through the independent review process outlined above.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415079,"EventID":"S6W-24420","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-12T17:07:02.03","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T15:09:50.55","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what research it has undertaken since 2018 on the potential impact that poor health of farmed salmon could have on Scotland’s wild salmon stocks.","AnswerText":"Research into sea-lice infestation dynamics is an ongoing area of interest for the Scottish Government’s Marine Directorate. Most notably, in 2015 we initiated a  ten-year programme of research  to investigate any potential risk to wild salmon from sea lice in the Scottish coastal environment titled ‘The interactions and effects of sea lice on wild salmon’ (project number FW0050).","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415080,"EventID":"S6W-24414","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-12T17:07:02.107","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T15:09:50.55","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what research it has undertaken since 2018 to investigate the potential impact that environmental standards in the salmon farming industry have on the health of farmed fish.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government and its relevant agencies proactively consider the potential impacts of any introduction of, or changes to, regulatory controls in place to prevent damage to the marine environment. When a new regulatory control is being considered for the purpose of maintaining the environment, consultation is the standard approach applied by the relevant body prior to explore all potential impacts, including those relating to fish health. Recent examples include consultation by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) throughout its development of the forthcoming spatial framework for managing interactions between sea lice from marine fish farm developments and wild Atlantic salmon, SEPA published its response to its most recent consultation on 7 December 2023. In addition, the Scottish Government undertook consultation on the implementation of the new Environmental Quality Standard for Emamectin Benzoate. This consultation closed on 24 July 2023 and responses are being carefully considered.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415081,"EventID":"S6W-24483","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1756,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":136,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-12T17:07:02.153","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-12T09:13:01.757","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the introduction in England and Wales of restrictions on XL bully dogs, and the First Minister’s announcement on 11 January 2024 that it will, in essence, replicate in Scotland the legislation that exists in England and Wales on XL bully dogs, when any scheme will be operational in Scotland; whether it will be part of the UK-wide scheme or standalone; who will be responsible for maintaining a register of ownership, and what discussions it has had with potential keepers of a register about whether such a register will be made publicly available.","AnswerText":"Replicating the approach taken in England and Wales, it will be possible for owners of XL Bully dogs to retain their dogs by applying for an exemption. Details of how this can be done will be published as the scheme is launched and practical and helpful support will be provided by the Scottish Government for XL Bully dog owners.\r\nThe effect of an exemption being granted will be that an XL Bully dog will be added to the already operating index of exempt dogs. This index has operated since the 1990s and it is operated on a day-to-day basis by the UK Government for Scotland (this reflects the fact that the exemption index was established prior to devolution). There are currently no plans to change how the index operates.\r\nMaking the index publicly available would require consideration of a number of issues including data protection. The Scottish Government would be happy to raise this issue with the operator of the index as part of the process of delivering the new XL Bully dogs safeguards in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415082,"EventID":"S6W-24477","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-12T17:07:02.217","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-11T19:56:07.843","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when a final determination will be reached by the Planning and Environmental Appeals Division regarding planning application NA-260-002 for a proposed residential development on long-term derelict land at Ingram Street and Albion Street in Glasgow.","AnswerText":"The application for a mixed use development consisting of residential and commercial units at a site bounded by Candleriggs, Ingram Street and Albion Street in Glasgow, is currently with a Reporter at the Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA) of the Scottish Government.\r\nThe application was called in by Scottish Ministers on 27 February 2023 in view of the proposal raising issues of importance requiring scrutiny at a national level.\r\nThe reporter is currently in the process of finalising their report and recommendations to Ministers and is aiming to submit this by the end of February 2024. It will then be for Scottish Ministers to consider the reporters recommendations and all other submissions made on the application before making their decision. Scottish Ministers will aim to make a decision on this application as quickly as possible following receipt of the report.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415083,"EventID":"S6W-24488","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1756,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":136,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-12T17:07:02.263","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-12T09:13:01.757","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the First Minister’s announcement on 11 January 2024 that it will, in essence, replicate in Scotland the legislation that exists in England and Wales on XL bully dogs, whether it has decided not to proceed to amend the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 as an alternative means of protecting the public, and, if this is the case, for what reason it has taken that decision.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24485 on 24 January 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415084,"EventID":"S6W-24484","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1756,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":136,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-12T17:07:02.31","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-12T09:13:01.757","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government who it expects would be responsible for the enforcement of any regulations in Scotland regarding XL bully dogs.","AnswerText":"The new safeguards to be introduced will include a number of criminal offences for breaching certain requirements. In line with normal process, it is for Police Scotland to investigate any alleged offences and for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service to consider reports of alleged crimes with a view to deciding on appropriate prosecutorial action.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415085,"EventID":"S6W-24418","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-12T17:07:02.373","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T15:09:50.55","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action (a) SEPA and (b) Marine Scotland has taken to reduce the level of (i) sea lice infestation, (ii) gill disease and (iii) fish deaths in the salmon farming industry since 2018.","AnswerText":"Improving fish health, reducing mortality to lowest possible levels, and ensuring satisfactory measures are in place for the prevention, control or reduction of sea lice is the responsibility of aquaculture production businesses. The Fish Health Inspectorate’s main objective is to prevent the introduction and spread of listed and emerging fish and shellfish diseases in Scotland. This is achieved by statutory inspection and sampling programmes, providing advice and implementing regulatory functions in accordance with the relevant animal health regulations. Details of strengthened regulation of sea lice on fish farms introduced by the Scottish Government’s Marine Directorate is provided in the response to S6W-24417 on? 22 January 2024.\r\nFurthermore, over the time period the Scottish Government has also taken a collaborative approach to working with the sector, regulators, fish vets and innovation centres to better understand and address key health and welfare issues.\r\nThe Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) does not have responsibility for the regulation of fish health. In October 2021 the Scottish Government identified SEPA as the lead body responsible for managing the risk to wild salmonids from sea lice from marine finfish farms. SEPA has subsequently developed a risk based framework for regulating sea lice emissions from fish farms which will be implemented from 1 February 2024.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415086,"EventID":"S6W-24472","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5621,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":99,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-12T17:07:02.42","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-11T15:04:20.51","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-22531\r\nby Paul McLennan on 13 November 2023, by what date in early 2024 it will\r\nprovide an implementation update on short-term let licensing.","AnswerText":"My letter of 27 October 2023  shorttermlets27oct.pdf (parliament.scot)  to the Scottish Parliament indicated I would write again by the end of January 2024 to advise on progress with this work and it is still my intention to do this.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415087,"EventID":"S6W-24470","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-12T17:07:02.483","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-11T13:46:01.19","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will work with the UK Government, as a part of the announced Green Industries Growth Accelerator, to provide investment to support the development of new infrastructure at the Harland and Wolff site in Methil. ","AnswerText":"I wrote to the Secretary of State for Business and Trade in November 2023 welcoming the UK Government’s Advanced Manufacturing Plan, and to offer the Scottish Government’s commitment to work collectively to deliver on the key elements of direct relevance to Scotland. The Advanced Manufacturing Plan will be supported by the Green Industries Growth Accelerator fund.\r\nDetails of the precise delivery of the Advanced Manufacturing Plan and Green Industries Growth Accelerator are yet to be finalised. The Scottish Government will continue to offer support to the UK Government at official and Ministerial level, ensuring that opportunities within Scotland are maximised.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415088,"EventID":"S6W-24485","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1756,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":136,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-12T17:07:02.53","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-12T09:13:01.757","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the First Minister’s announcement on 11 January 2024 that it will, in essence, replicate in Scotland the legislation that exists in England and Wales on XL bully dogs, what alternative protections it considered in order to address the potential displacement of XL bully dogs to Scotland from England and Wales, and for what reason it dismissed any such alternative options.","AnswerText":"In light of the UK Government failing to ensure English and Welsh XL Bully dog owners cannot evade the new safeguards through selling or otherwise disposing of their dogs in Scotland, the Scottish Government has been left with little choice to decide to replicate the new safeguards in Scotland. Through replicating the new regime, this will ensure owners in England and Wales have no ability to evade the new controls in England and Wales by selling their dogs to people in Scotland.\r\nMore generally, we are considering how best the preventative dog control regime in the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 could be improved. The need for the new safeguards for XL Bully dogs specifically arises separately from the general Scottish Government continuing policy focus on ‘deed, not breed’.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415089,"EventID":"S6W-24487","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1756,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":136,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-12T17:07:02.59","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-12T09:13:01.757","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the First Minister’s announcement on 11 January 2024 that it will, in essence, replicate in Scotland the legislation that exists in England and Wales on XL bully dogs, what discussions it has had with the British Veterinary Association (BVA) Scottish Branch regarding any impact on the profession of implementing any such regulations.","AnswerText":"The British Veterinary Association are members of the Dog Control Coalition and I met with members of Dog Control Coalition on 22 November 2023. This was prior to the Scottish Government announcement on 11 January 2024.\r\nDuring the meeting, concerns were expressed about the introduction of the new safeguards in England and Wales including the impact this may have on the veterinary profession.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415090,"EventID":"S6W-24469","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-12T17:07:02.637","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-11T13:46:01.19","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to support renewables manufacturing that is not within sites designated as Greenports.","AnswerText":"Our commitment of up to £500 million strategic investment over the next five years, with investment of £67 million in the next financial year, will allow the Scottish Government to capitalise on offshore wind supply chain opportunities across the country.\r\nThis commercial and grant investment will help stimulate and support private investment in the infrastructure and manufacturing facilities critical to the growth of our world-leading offshore wind sector, underlining our absolute determination to truly maximise the economic opportunities and benefits from our offshore wind potential.\r\nThe Scottish Government continues to work closely with the UK Government on the planned delivery for their Advanced Manufacturing Plan which outlines £960 million for a Green Industries Growth Accelerator focused on expanding manufacturing capacity across the country.\r\nOur National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET) also sets out our ambition for Scotland to continue to take global leadership in the design, development and operationalisation within the renewables sector.\r\nOur Making Scotland’s Future (MSF) programme helps ensure a coherent and focused approach to the provision of support to the manufacturing sector.\r\nCentred within the MSF lies the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland which represents investment of £75 million from the Scottish Government and its agencies to which drives an industry-led research and development group with the mission to make Scotland a global leader in advanced, sustainable manufacturing.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415091,"EventID":"S6W-24417","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-12T17:07:02.687","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T15:09:50.55","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what improvements have been made to fish health and mortality monitoring in the salmon farming industry since January 2018.","AnswerText":"In 2019 the Scottish Government strengthened its regulation of sea lice on fish farms by reducing the levels of sea lice per fish at which the Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI) increases monitoring of sea lice on a farm, or takes enforcement action. The  Fish Farming Businesses (Reporting) (Scotland) Order 2020  introduced, for the first time, mandatory obligations on production businesses to report average sea lice numbers per fish on a weekly basis. This better supports the Fish Health Inspectorate’s assessment of whether satisfactory measures for the prevention, control or reduction of sea lice are in place. The data is published one week in arrears to promote transparency.\r\nMortality reporting was introduced in 2015 and I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24419 on 22 January 2024. From 2020 the FHI have altered their operational practice in relation to risk based surveillance and fish farm inspections, whereby inspectors will review documentation remotely in advance of onsite inspections, enabling inspectors to spend more time inspecting fish and farm operation.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415092,"EventID":"S6W-24478","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1756,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":136,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-12T17:07:02.75","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-12T09:13:01.753","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings its ministers have had with organisations or campaign groups regarding the consideration of replicating in Scotland the UK Government’s legislation on XL bully dogs; on what date any such meetings took place; what organisations were involved, and what views were expressed by those organisations or campaign groups.","AnswerText":"I can confirm I have met with a range of stakeholders over the winter period to discuss XL Bully dogs and the restrictions in England and Wales.\r\nI met with:\r\nThe Scottish SPCA and the Dogs Trust on 21 November 2023\r\nThe National Dog Warden Association on 21 November 2023\r\nDog Control Coalition on 22 November 2023\r\nThe Kennel Club on 30 November 2023\r\nBlue Cross on 6 December 2023\r\nEdinburgh Cat and Dog Home on 15 December 2023\r\nCommunication Workers Union on 9 January 2023\r\nPolice Scotland on 11 January 2023\r\nThese meetings revealed concern about the UK Government decision to introduce new safeguards for XL Bully dogs in England and Wales and caution about doing so in Scotland.\r\nHowever the Scottish Government has now been left with little choice given the failure of the UK Government to ensure XL Bully dog owners living in England and Wales cannot evade the new safeguards through selling or otherwise disposing of their dogs in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415093,"EventID":"S6W-24492","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1756,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":136,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-12T17:07:02.823","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-12T09:13:01.757","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will support the principles of the Welfare of Dogs (Scotland) Bill to introduce a code of practice specifically aimed at prospective owners of dogs, which would place various duties on them to increase responsible ownership by educating and requiring them to sign a certificate that they and the breeder have understood and complied with the code.","AnswerText":"The Government takes animal welfare very seriously and is committed to the highest possible welfare standards. We welcome Ms Grahame’s effort with the Welfare of Dogs (Scotland) Bill and support the general principles of the Bill. We need to emphasise to people that they must be responsible owners and act responsibly when deciding to buy a dog or take one into their lives.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415094,"EventID":"S6W-24491","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1756,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":136,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-12T17:07:02.89","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-12T09:13:01.757","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the First Minister’s announcement on 11 January 2024 that it will, in essence, replicate in Scotland the legislation that exists in England and Wales on XL bully dogs, how it will monitor the efficacy of any proposed regulations.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government keeps all dog legislation under review, and I can confirm to the member that I will be planning to engage with key stakeholders going forward to help understand the impact of the regulations that will introduce new safeguards on XL Bully dogs, if approved by Parliament.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415095,"EventID":"S6W-24480","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1756,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":136,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-12T17:07:02.937","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-12T09:13:01.757","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what issues it raised with the UK Government regarding the potential displacement of XL bully dogs to Scotland from England and Wales in the event that legislation that exists in England and Wales were not to be replicated in Scotland, and when it raised any such issues.","AnswerText":"I wrote to the then UK Government Minister for Biosecurity, Marine and Rural Affairs, The Rt Hon Lord Benyon, on 14 November 2023 seeking clarity from the UK Government on whether XL Bully dog owners would be committing the offence of sale of an XL Bully dog if a dog owner living in England and Wales sought to do that outside of England and Wales.\r\nThe UK Government were unable to give a definitive answer indicating it would be ‘unlikely’ an offence would be committed in such a situation.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415096,"EventID":"S6W-24468","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-12T17:07:02.997","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-11T13:37:47.15","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how long the Energy Consents Unit takes on average to determine applications following referral from local authorities. ","AnswerText":"Scottish Ministers determine applications for consent made under the Electricity Act 1989. The Scottish Government does not collate data on determination timescales following a planning authority’s response to an application consultation. Progression to determination is not solely dependent on the planning authorities’ consultation responses. Other consultation responses, representations and relevant material information factor into the decision-making process. \r\nAverage timescales for determination vary depending on the type of development. Electricity Act windfarm applications, for the last 5 years, where there is no public inquiry, have been determined within an average of 24 months. Windfarm applications, with a public inquiry, have averaged 44 months to determination. ","AnswerDate":"2024-01-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415097,"EventID":"S6W-24482","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1756,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":136,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-12T17:07:03.06","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-12T09:13:01.757","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publicise what it considers to be the definition of an XL bully dog, in order to assist the public, particularly dog owners, in determining whether they may potentially be required to register their dog.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24481 on 24 January 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .l","AnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415099,"EventID":"S6T-01736","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T13:24:38.817","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T11:26:00.36","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an assessment of the state of readiness of Scotland’s frontline services in response to the yellow warnings in place for freezing temperatures over the next 10 days.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-01-16T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415100,"EventID":"S6T-01731","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T13:24:38.537","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T09:20:08.257","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to bring more homes back into use, in light of reports that the stock of empty homes is valued at an estimated £3.4 billion.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-01-16T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":415101,"EventID":"S6F-02715","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T13:24:33.947","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-11T12:05:22.757","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-01-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415102,"EventID":"S6F-02716","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5586,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T13:24:34.32","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-11T12:05:40.233","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-01-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415103,"EventID":"S6F-02717","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5866,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T13:24:34.37","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-11T14:24:23.41","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to reports that Scotland has among the worst survival rates for some of the most serious cancers.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-01-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415104,"EventID":"S6F-02729","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T13:24:35.09","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T11:38:59.943","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister, in light of reported concerns regarding food labelling being a devolved matter, what the Scottish Government's position is on what impact the UK Government’s reported plans to roll out \"not for EU\" labelling on food and drink products across the whole of the UK could have on Scotland’s food and drink industry.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-01-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415105,"EventID":"S6F-02720","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T13:24:34.573","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T09:51:30.14","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what percentage of the premises contracted for delivery of superfast broadband under the R100 scheme have still to be connected.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-01-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415106,"EventID":"S6F-02719","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16182,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":117,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T13:24:34.527","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-14T19:31:26.11","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what steps the Scottish Government is taking to ensure that information on sexually transmitted infections is accessible, in light of STIQ Day, and the reported rising number of cases of sexually transmitted infections in Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-01-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415107,"EventID":"S6W-24529","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T17:01:25.643","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T11:33:59.54","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the timeline for its roll-out of the COVID-19 winter booster vaccination for each (a) age and (b) health category. ","AnswerText":"Scotland’s winter COVID-19 and flu programme commenced on 4 September, with the majority of the COVID-19 programme due to start from 18 September. We originally planned to vaccinate care home residents, people aged 75 and over and people with weakened immune system aged 12 and over from the middle of October in line with Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advice; that protection from COVID-19 vaccines is highest in the first three months following vaccination, so by vaccinating those who are at highest risk later, we planned to give them greater protection over the period of high winter NHS pressures, into the new year.\r\nIn light of the emergence of new variant BA.2.86 in late August 2023, the Scottish Government, alongside the other 4 nations, took the precautionary measure to endeavour to bring forward vaccination of care home residents, people aged 75 and over and people with weakened immune system aged 12 and over, as close to the start of the programme, where possible.\r\nAll those eligible were invited forward via letter, email or text, prior to Christmas and although the majority of vaccinations were completed before the festive break, appointments are available until the end of the programme on 31 March 2024.\r\nAs of 14 January we have delivered 1,384,426 COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccine uptake data is publicly available through the PHS dashboard and is updated weekly. It contains data broken down by age and health status. The current COVID-19 uptake is as follows (as of 14 January 2024):\r\nGroup*\r\n% Uptake\r\nCare home residents\r\n88.1%\r\n75 and over\r\n83.6%\r\n65-74\r\n74.0%\r\nWeakened immune system\r\n58.7%\r\nScotland total\r\n56.8%\r\n6 months – 64 at risk\r\n35.6%\r\nFrontline healthcare workers\r\n34.6%\r\nSocial care workers\r\n19.9%\r\nFor those eligible who are yet to be vaccinated, we are working closely with PHS and the Health Boards to encourage people to come forward as virology data show that flu remains at high activity level and that JN.1 has become the predominant COVID-19 variant with rapid growth.\r\nAny future COVID-19 vaccination programmes will be guided by advice from the JCVI. At this time the JCVI have not issued any advice on their plans for 2024-25, including any future winter programme.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415108,"EventID":"S6W-24503","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T17:01:25.737","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-12T15:16:14.323","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers as set out in the 2024-25 Budget, whether the receipts from any new levy would be ring-fenced or hypothecated, and, if so, for what purpose.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24444 on 22 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415109,"EventID":"S6W-24504","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T17:01:25.8","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-12T15:16:31.733","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers as set out in the 2024-25 Budget, whether it has assessed, or will assess, the potential impact of any new levy on support for new or renewal ballots for business improvement districts from firms that may be liable for the levy.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24498 on? 23 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415110,"EventID":"S6W-24512","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T17:01:25.847","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-12T17:46:01.827","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of Scottish Water’s leakage rate, as a proportion of the water put into supply, in each year since 2007.","AnswerText":"As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water, and the Scottish Government does not hold this information, I have asked them to respond. Their reply is as follows:\r\nThe following table gives the leakage levels as a proportion of the water put into supply since 2007. All values are expressed as Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) except for 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10; Scottish Water switched to MLE reporting in AR11 - AR08, AR09, and AR10 were top down estimates.\r\nReport year\r\nLeakage (%)\r\n2007-08\r\n41\r\n2008-09\r\n38\r\n2009-10\r\n36\r\n2010-11\r\n35\r\n2011-12\r\n33.2\r\n2012-13\r\n31.3\r\n2013-14\r\n31\r\n2014-15\r\n30.1\r\n2015-16\r\n28.1\r\n2016-17\r\n27.7\r\n2017-18\r\n27.4\r\n2018-19\r\n26.6\r\n2019-20\r\n26.2\r\n2020-21\r\n25.4\r\n2021-22\r\n25\r\n2022-23\r\n24.7\r\nScottish Water works hard to bring down leakage, improve resilience of water resources and help reduce the energy required to produce and distribute water to households. This includes measures such as advanced technology to predict where and when leakage might occur. In its regulatory determination for the 2015-21 period, the Water Industry Commission for Scotland (WICS) set a target for Scottish Water to achieve the Economic Level of Leakage (ELL) (500 Megalitres per day) by 2019- 20. Scottish Water achieved this target four years early and has continued to reduce leakage further in each subsequent year; it continues to invest around £11m per annum finding and fixing leaks.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415111,"EventID":"S6W-24510","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T17:01:25.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-12T17:44:43.393","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will next assess the priority status of funding for proposed flood mitigation measures in Dundee.","AnswerText":"SEPA are responsible for prioritising actions to reduce flood risk in Scotland as part of the Flood Risk Management Planning process set out in the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009. The Scottish Government provides funding to local authorities through the general capital grant to support the implementation of these actions. The distribution of this funding is agreed by Ministers and COSLA Leaders based on the recommendations of a joint Scottish Government/COSLA Flood Risk Management Working Group.\r\nThis group is currently considering funding and governance arrangements for future programmes taking on board lessons learned from the first programme and current best practice. These arrangements will apply to measures put forward across Scotland including those put forward for Dundee. Recommendations will be put to Ministers and COSLA Leaders via the joint Scottish Government/COSLA officers’ Settlement Distribution Group throughout 2024.\r\nWe will continue to work with local authorities and COSLA to ensure value for money and that the schemes taken forward provide the maximum benefit for local communities.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415112,"EventID":"S6W-24522","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T17:01:25.957","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T10:14:11.857","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the UK Government’s Industrial Energy Transformation Fund opening for applications on 29 January 2024 to support industrial sites in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to decarbonise, when it will open the next phase of the Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Fund to support Scottish businesses to decarbonise.","AnswerText":"During 2020, Scottish Ministers announced their intention to administer a separate fund to the UK Government's Industrial Energy Transformation Fund and that more funds would be available for Scottish Industries than received as Barnett consequentials. We are in the process of concluding the due diligence process for SIETF applications and in the coming weeks intend to announce a further set of projects. Following this, we will engage with industrial representatives regarding potential proposals for future decarbonisation initiatives, including the possibility of a next phase for SIETF. ","AnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415113,"EventID":"S6W-24519","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T17:01:26.003","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T08:10:42.24","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers as set out in the 2024-25 Budget, whether it has assessed the potential impact on commercial investment in relation to net zero and the circular economy by those firms that may be liable for any new levy.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24498 on  23 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415114,"EventID":"S6W-24518","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T17:01:26.067","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T08:10:42.24","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it had with the Competition and Markets Authority regarding the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers prior to the announcement in the 2024-25 Budget.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24110 on 18 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415115,"EventID":"S6W-24410","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T17:01:26.113","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T12:13:13.583","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers the list of conditions that indicate whether an individual is deemed to be at higher risk from COVID-19 infection, as outlined in Tables 3 and 4 of Chapter 14a of the Green Book, to be non-exhaustive, and whether medical discretion lies with the relevant GP or other health professional in deciding whether an individual with an underlying health condition is eligible for a COVID-19 vaccination or booster.","AnswerText":"Scottish COVID-19 vaccination policy and delivery is based on advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation and the information contained within the COVID-19 Green Book Chapter.\r\nIndividuals who have a condition that puts them at higher clinical risk from COVID-19 are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine this winter. Anyone unsure about their health condition or circumstance, should speak to their health professional, specialist or local vaccination services. Further information on the COVID-19 vaccine and health conditions can be found on  NHS inform  .\r\nThe COVID-19  Chapter 14a of the Green Book  states that examples in tables 3 and 4 are not exhaustive, and, within these broad groups, the prescriber may need to apply clinical judgment to take into account the risk of COVID-19 exacerbating any underlying disease that a patient may have, as well as the risk of serious illness from COVID-19 itself. A more comprehensive list of potentially eligible diagnoses, and the appropriate clinical codes, is found in the link at the end of the chapter.\r\nClinicians can refer patients to their local immunisation teams, if they believe the individual to be at risk, but does not have one of the conditions listed in tables 3 or 4. Patients can also refer themselves. The local immunisation team will assess the patient and decide if vaccination is appropriate.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415116,"EventID":"S6W-24523","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T17:01:26.16","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T10:40:55.763","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund will be renewed in the 2024-25 financial year, and, if so, how much funding will be allocated to it.","AnswerText":"Future funding for the for the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults will be subject to the annual budget process and approval by the Scottish Parliament. We expect to confirm funding as soon as possible thereafter.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415117,"EventID":"S6W-24505","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T17:01:26.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-12T15:16:48.29","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers as set out in the 2024-25 Budget, whether it has assessed, or will assess, the potential impact of any new levy on the pay of store staff, including any bonuses that they may earn.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24498 on 23 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415118,"EventID":"S6W-24507","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T17:01:26.253","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-12T15:17:19.013","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers as set out in the 2024-25 Budget, whether it aims to hold a formal consultation on the introduction of any new levy.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24110 on 18 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415119,"EventID":"S6W-24531","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T17:01:26.3","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T12:01:36.527","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the question S6W-22545 by Fiona Hyslop on 10 November 2023, whether it can confirm the exact date on which it will publish Stantec's community needs assessment report on transport connectivity for Cowal and Rosneath.","AnswerText":"As set out in my response to the question S6W-22545, the contents of the report are now being considered by Transport Scotland. The report will be published once that process has been completed.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415121,"EventID":"S6W-24517","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T17:01:26.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T08:10:42.24","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it had with Scotland Food and Drink regarding the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers prior to the announcement in the 2024-25 Budget.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24110 on 18 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415122,"EventID":"S6W-24500","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T17:01:26.473","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-12T14:26:43.337","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its Budget for 2024-25, what assessment it has made of any potential implications of the introduction of such a levy for retailers' investment plans.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24498 on 23 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415123,"EventID":"S6W-24501","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T17:01:26.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-12T15:15:35.837","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers as set out in the 2024-25 Budget, when it hopes to be able to introduce any new levy.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24444 on 22 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415124,"EventID":"S6W-24509","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T17:01:26.567","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-12T17:44:43.393","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23886 by Mairi McAllan on 12 January 2024, whether it still plans to gather sufficient data to establish a marine plastic pollution baseline.","AnswerText":"Yes, the Scottish Government annual surveys continue to gather data, in order to support future assessments on microplastics in surface water. Although there is currently no internationally agreed baseline for microplastics in surface water, as referenced in the answer to question S6W-23886, all our marine litter data contributes to regional monitoring across the North East Atlantic, through OSPAR (the Oslo-Paris Convention), and would contribute to any baseline developed in the future.\r\nFurther to the answers to questions S6W-01058 on 13 July 2021, S6W-23231 on 11 December 2023, S6W-23886 on 12 January 2024, S6W-23887 on 9 January 2024, and S6W-24462 on 16 January 2024, our microplastics monitoring programme began in the winter of 2013, and has continued to undertake annual surveys since that time. The current data collection season runs from November 2023 to the end of January 2024.\r\nData from this monitoring programme enabled the initial assessment for microplastics in surface water to be conducted. This was published in Scotland’s Marine Assessment 2020, which can be viewed at  https://marine.gov.scot/sma/assessment/microplastics-surface-water \r\nAs referenced in the answer to question S6W-24462 on 16 January 2024, the 2022-23 data is currently undergoing quality control and processing. Once the 2023-24 data collection season has concluded, the processing will commence on the data for the whole season. Data from both these years will be published once processed.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415125,"EventID":"S6W-24515","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T17:01:26.613","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T08:10:42.24","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it had with the Scottish Assessors Association regarding the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers prior to the announcement in the 2024-25 Budget.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24110 on 18 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415126,"EventID":"S6W-24502","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T17:01:26.677","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-12T15:15:58.93","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers as set out in the 2024-25 Budget, whether it aims to produce a business and regulatory impact assessment, or similar, as part of its consideration of any new levy.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24498 on 23 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers ","AnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415127,"EventID":"S6W-24497","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T17:01:26.723","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-12T14:26:43.337","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its Budget for 2024-25, how much revenue it expects to generate from such a levy.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24444 on 22 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415128,"EventID":"S6W-24511","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T17:01:26.783","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-12T17:46:01.827","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23921 by Mairi McAllan on 11 January 2024, whether it can provide a breakdown of what climate risk factors were used in determining Scottish Water's target leakage level of 408ML/d.","AnswerText":"As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water, I have asked them to respond. Their reply is as follows:\r\nScottish Water has used an economic assessment that balances the cost of supplying the water with the cost of finding and fixing leaks to determine Scottish Water's target leakage level of 408ML/d. In future iterations Scottish Water will apply estimates of future water supply side investment which will be guided by climate change impacts and other factors, e.g. moving populations.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415129,"EventID":"S6W-24496","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T17:01:26.817","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-12T14:26:43.323","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its Budget for 2024-25, for how long such a levy would apply.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24444 on 22 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415130,"EventID":"S6W-24516","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T17:01:26.88","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T08:10:42.24","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it had with Scotland’s Improvement Districts regarding the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers prior to the announcement in the 2024-25 Budget.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24110 on 18 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415131,"EventID":"S6W-24527","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T17:01:26.927","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T11:33:59.54","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of its present policy on mask mandates, in light of the recent reported spike in COVID-19 cases. ","AnswerText":"As part of our enhanced surveillance systems, we continue to monitor, assess and be ready to respond to COVID-19 and other health threats.\r\nWearing of a face covering in public spaces and on public transport stopped being a legal requirement in April 2022 and the extended use of face masks and face coverings guidance across health and social care settings was withdrawn on 16 May 2023.\r\nCurrent  COVID-19 specific guidance  is still in place for the public and wider guidance for  individuals  and  workplaces  promoting a risk-based approach to building resilience to respiratory infections, including Covid-19.\r\nScotland continues to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic and at this stage of the pandemic we are now living with COVID-19 as a respiratory infection and the Scottish Government has taken proportionate actions to do so.\r\nOur guidance remains the same for the public; if you have symptoms of a respiratory infection including COVID-19, try to stay at home and avoid contact with others – if you do need to go out, wear a well-fitting face covering. You may also wish to consider wearing, and you may be asked to wear a face covering in other settings.\r\nIn regard to health and social care settings Scotland has now reverted back to pre-pandemic guidance and health and social care staff are advised to follow the infection prevention and control (IPC) guidance on the appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE) which can be found in the National Infection Prevention and Control Manual (NIPCM) and the Care Home Infection Prevention and Control Manual (CH IPCM).\r\nAny change in response will be driven by the data and evidence gathered, as well as expert advice.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415132,"EventID":"S6W-24528","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T17:01:26.973","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T11:33:59.54","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government to what extent the effects of long COVID are informing its (a) policy on mask mandates and (b) COVID-19 winter booster vaccination roll-out.","AnswerText":"Our guidance to stay well and help others in winter can be found here  Respiratory infections including Coronavirus (COVID-19): staying well and protecting others - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  . We have no current plans to mandate the wearing of face coverings.\r\nIt is due to the success of vaccines in protecting people, driving down cases and the availability of treatments that the guidance on wearing masks was withdrawn.\r\nThe Scottish Government follows JCVI for clinical recommendations for vaccination and their current assessment of the evidence does not support the inclusion of long COVID as an eligible at risk health criteria. We intend to continue to be guided by the expert independent advice of the JCVI on this issue.\r\nWe continue to monitor studies on COVID-19 vaccination and their relationship to long COVID. There have been a selection of international studies that suggest that receiving COVID-19 vaccination, before infection, can reduce the risk of receiving a diagnosis of long COVID. It is therefore important that we continue to work to improve uptake of our COVID-19 vaccination programmes to potentially prevent more instances of long COVID, but also to continue to protect those at higher risk from severe illness, hospitalisation and death and to protect our NHS.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415133,"EventID":"S6W-24530","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T17:01:27.037","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T12:01:36.527","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when CalMac will (a) publish its carrying statistics for the period after 16 May 2023 and (b) complete its audit in order to allow the publication of its latest carrying statistics. ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24402 on? 19 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415134,"EventID":"S6W-24514","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T17:01:27.083","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-13T21:01:44.17","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what progress NHS Scotland is making with the digitisation of all patient medical records.","AnswerText":"The Digitisation of records is an operational responsibility of individual Health Boards and GP practices. At a national level, and building on the existing use of electronic patient record systems, we are focussed on allowing medical records to be stored, linked, and shared securely. This will support our ambition set out in the  2021 Digital Health & Care Strategy  to make the right information available to all appropriate staff, when and where it is needed.\r\nTo achieve this, most Health Boards have a Clinical Portal. This system works across organisational, regional, and national boundaries to provide a timely transfer of information. The key developments to improve the sharing of information within Health Boards and GP Practices is the GPIT Programme, the National Digital Platform, TRAK Care and Clinical Portal.\r\nHEPMA ( Hospital Electronic Prescribing and Medicines Administration ) is a system that can also replace paper prescribing and medication administration systems within hospitals. It has already been successfully implemented in thirteen Health boards across Scotland with the remainder to commence in 2024. We are also developing the Digital Prescribing and Dispensing Pathways (DPDP) programme which is on track to replace the current paper prescription in Scotland with a digital approach by the end of this Parliamentary term in 2026. ","AnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415135,"EventID":"S6W-24508","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T17:01:27.13","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-12T16:51:17.447","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has reportedly withdrawn funding support for the 2024-25 Mark Scott Leadership for Life Award. ","AnswerText":"Our block grant funding for this Budget is derived from the UK Government's spending decisions and has fallen by 1.2% in real terms since 2022-23 – a real terms drop of £0.5 billion. The reality is that the amount Scotland has available to spend is still largely driven by the block grant set by successive UK Governments whose constraint of public expenditure prolongs the austerity felt by public services. The Scottish Government has had to prioritise and align Justice portfolio budget decisions with the Vision for Justice. While there is significant pressure across all Scottish Government budgets in 2024/25, officials are continuing to engage portfolios across government to try and identify budgets whose objectives may be more clearly aligned to the Mark Scott Awards. We will provide an update to the Outward Bound Trust about the Mark Scott Awards when this process is complete.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415136,"EventID":"S6W-24521","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T17:01:27.193","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T09:42:46.753","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether its local development plan (LDP) regulations will provide a framework for discounted sale tenure as part of any affordable home ownership requirements.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":415137,"EventID":"S6W-24526","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T17:01:27.24","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T11:33:59.54","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to reintroduce mask mandates in (a) hospitals, (b) care homes and (c) public spaces in the near future. ","AnswerText":"Scottish Government has no plans to reintroduce previous guidance on the extended use of face masks in hospitals and care homes or use in public spaces.\r\nOur guidance remains the same; if you have symptoms of a respiratory infection including COVID-19, try to stay at home and avoid contact with others – if you do need to go out, wear a well-fitting face covering. You may also wish to consider wearing, and you may be asked to wear a face covering in other settings.\r\nAdvice about the appropriate use of personal protective equipment (including face masks) in health and social care settings is contained in guidance from Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection (ARHAI) Scotland – the National Infection Prevention and Control Manual (NICPM) and the Care Home Infection Prevention and Control Manual (CH IPCM). This advice, which is based on the current stage of the pandemic and the availability of vaccines and treatments, recommends a person-centred approach based on clinical need and risk assessment.\r\nAs part of our enhanced surveillance systems, we continue to monitor, assess and be ready to respond to COVID-19 and other health threats. Any change in response will be driven by the data and evidence gathered, as well as expert advice.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415138,"EventID":"S6W-24498","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T17:01:27.3","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-12T14:26:43.337","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its Budget for 2024-25, what its position is on whether the introduction of such a levy is consistent with (a) the principles set out in its Framework for Tax and (b) its pledge to maintain a competitive rates regime.","AnswerText":"The announcement in the Scottish Budget 2024-25 signalled the Scottish Government’s intent to explore the reintroduction of a Public Health Supplement for large retailers in advance of the next Budget. The exploratory work will be carried out in compliance with the Framework for Tax, including engagement with all relevant stakeholders.\r\nThe Scottish Government is committed to keeping all Non-Domestic Rates (NDR) policy reforms under review to ensure that the NDR system delivers the most competitive environment to do business whilst also supporting our communities. The Basic Property Rate will be frozen in 2024-25 for the second year in a row, maintaining the lowest such rate in the UK for the sixth year in a row. Over 95% of properties in Scotland - those with a rateable value up to and including £100,000 - will continue to liable for a lower non-domestic rate than anywhere else in the UK in 2024-25.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415139,"EventID":"S6W-24506","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T17:01:27.35","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-12T15:17:01.507","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers as set out in the 2024-25 Budget, whether retailers liable for the any new levy could also be subject to a workplace parking levy if their local authority has introduced such a measure.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24498 on 3 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415140,"EventID":"S6W-24475","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T17:01:27.397","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-11T16:55:42.17","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to contribute funding to the NorthTick project, in light of the UK's exit from the EU. ","AnswerText":"The NorthTick project is part of the 'Interreg IV' programme, in which future participation is a reserved matter for the UK Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415141,"EventID":"S6W-24525","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T17:01:27.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T11:33:59.54","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to accelerate its COVID-19 winter booster vaccination roll-out, in light of the recent reported spike in COVID-19 cases.","AnswerText":"Case rates are uncertain and vary over time with different social mixing patterns. According to the Winter COVID-19 Infection Study, prevalence of COVID-19 in Scotland showed early signs of decreasing in the two weeks to 3 Jan.\r\nPublic Health Scotland continue to gather epidemiological information on seasonal respiratory infection activity in Scotland and publish the latest data in their National respiratory infection and COVID-19 statistics report.\r\nThe Scottish Government’s decision-making throughout all COVID-19 vaccination programmes has been guided by the expert clinical advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and at present they are not recommending any additional action this winter.\r\nThe winter vaccination programme began in September 2023 and all those eligible were invited forward prior to Christmas. The vast majority of vaccinations were completed before the festive break, but appointments are available until the end of the programme on 31 March 2024. So far, over 1.38 million COVID-19 vaccines have been administered, equating to 56.8% of the eligible population.\r\nAs the majority of the programme is now complete acceleration is not required, with a focus between now and the end of March on encouraging eligible people who to this point have chosen not to receive vaccination to come forward. PHS and the Health Boards have developed additional communications to support this. In addition the Chief Medical Officer, Chief Nursing Officer, and Chief Pharmaceutical Officer have been working to encourage uptake within the health and social care workforce, to support winter resilience across health and care services.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415142,"EventID":"S6W-24524","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T17:01:27.49","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T10:50:26.717","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review the Disabled Persons (Badges for Motor Vehicles) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2007, which give local authorities the discretion to charge a fee for the issue or re-issue of Blue Badges. ","AnswerText":"The Disabled Persons (Badges for Motor Vehicles) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2007 gave local authorities the discretion to charge a fee not exceeding £20 for the issue or re-issue of a blue badge. A charge may only be made only when an application is successful and a blue badge is issued. We have no plans to review this grant of discretion to local authorities.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415143,"EventID":"S6W-24499","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T17:01:27.537","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-12T14:26:43.337","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its Budget for 2024-25, what alternative levies or taxes it considered as a means of generating additional revenue.","AnswerText":"The announcement in the Scottish Budget 2024-25 signalled the Scottish Government’s intent to explore the reintroduction of a Public Health Supplement for large retailers in advance of the next Budget. As set out in the 2024-25 Scottish Budget publication, the Scottish Government has however committed to introduce or explore six new taxes. These comprise three national taxes: Scottish Aggregates Tax, Air Departure Tax, and a Building Safety Levy; and three local taxes: Visitor Levy, Cruise Liner Levy, and a Local Carbon Land Tax.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415144,"EventID":"S6W-24513","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-15T17:01:27.6","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-12T17:46:38.553","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23922 by Mairi McAllan on 12 January 2024, when Scottish Water's process of \"developing options appraisals for resolving deficits\" is expected to conclude, and whether the results of this process will be published.","AnswerText":"As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water, I have asked them to respond. Their reply is as follows:\r\nScottish Water develops appraisals on an ongoing basis, prioritising based on the risks to water supply. Scottish Water currently has plans to appraise seven systems, supplying a population of over 1 million people, over the next 3 years. As and when these appraisals are complete they are shared with regulators and stakeholders.\r\nThe investment programme is dynamic and regularly reviewed and prioritised as circumstances change; as such there is no conclusion to the overall process, only for individual systems.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415167,"EventID":"S6W-24554","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-16T17:53:59.083","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-16T10:13:48.93","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the current regulation of people, who are not healthcare professionals, and who provide aesthetic treatments in Scotland, and what steps it is taking to ensure that these treatments are provided by adequately qualified, regulated and insured individuals.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises there is no specific legislation to prevent individuals who are not health professionals and who operate from unregistered premises from carrying out non-surgical cosmetic procedures that pierce or penetrate the skin, and the risks associated with this.\r\nFollowing the Scottish Government’s 2020 consultation on the regulation of non-surgical cosmetic procedures (that pierce or penetrate the skin), officials are working on introducing secondary legislation to enable Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) to regulate independent healthcare services, including non-surgical cosmetic procedures, which are provided by pharmacists and pharmacy technicians from premises other than registered pharmacies, and/or outwith the terms of NHS contracts. This will be brought forward by the end of Summer 2024.\r\nIn addition, officials are engaging with the UK Department of Health and Social Care regarding their recent consultation on the Licensing of non-surgical cosmetic procedures and working with stakeholders in Scotland, including healthcare professionals, hair and beauty industry representatives and Environmental Health Officers, to consider the potential scope of further regulation in Scotland. This work includes consideration of the levels of training and qualifications required to safely perform various types of non-surgical cosmetic procedures that pierce or penetrate the skin.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415168,"EventID":"S6W-24551","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-16T17:53:59.24","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T15:53:04.36","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what public awareness campaigns it has planned regarding the use of medical associate professions across NHS Scotland. ","AnswerText":"Medical Associate Professions (MAPs) are not new professions and have been practising across the UK for 20 years. They are an important and valued part of the NHS Scotland workforce.\r\nGuidance regarding ways in which MAPs communicate and engage with patients and the wider public, was issued by the Scottish Government to all Health Boards via a Director’s Letter in 2016.\r\nA programme of work jointly led by the Scottish Government and NHS Education for Scotland, and supported by a Programme Board consisting of partners from across the healthcare system will consider the most appropriate means of public engagement in relation to any future plans for this workforce.\r\nIn addition, as part of an ongoing programme of stakeholder engagement it is our intention to host a number of workshops throughout 2024, providing an opportunity for a wide range of key stakeholders to engage in detailed discussion regarding key elements of this work.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415169,"EventID":"S6W-24544","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-16T17:53:59.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T14:04:28.217","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on what the projected income would have been if the public health supplement had continued in each of the years since it was discontinued in 2015.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold information on what projected income of the public health supplement would have been had it continued after 2015. ","AnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415171,"EventID":"S6W-24543","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-16T17:53:59.617","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T14:04:05.903","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has carried out regarding any impact that minimum unit pricing has had on the increase in revenue to large retailers who sell alcohol.","AnswerText":"The  Public Health Scotland final MUP evaluation report  (published 27 June 2023) concluded that the evidence on the impact of the post MUP changes in price and sales on revenues of retailers and producers is mixed. The section on “The alcoholic drinks industry in Scotland” in the  report by Scottish Ministers on the operation and effect of minimum unit pricing of alcohol  (published on 20 September 2023) sets out the impact that minimum unit pricing (MUP) has had on retailers of alcoholic drinks (including large retailers), producers and wholesalers. The report by Scottish Ministers states:\r\n“According to the final evaluation report:\r\nQuantitative analysis of sales data shows an overall increase in the monetary value of off-trade alcohol sales, with increases in sale price compensating for declines in sale volumes for retailers, while the effect on producers’ revenues was negative, but was considered by some, but not all, interviewees to be small. While no participants in the qualitative interviews reported any changes in employment or facilities owing to MUP some reported that individual retailers had been affected adversely, with at least some of the variation likely to be due to the extent to which the products made/sold were affected by MUP. Large retailers did not report any change in revenue or profits due to MUP, but convenience stores were more likely to have noted a decrease in revenue and profits, particularly if they previously relied on high-strength, low-cost alcohol products. There was limited evidence that any potential increase in revenue for retailers had been passed on to producers. While the sales data show an overall increase in revenue from alcohol, it was not possible to determine the impact on profit. Analysis of quantitative data finds little evidence of MUP having material impacts on five key metrics of business performance [the number of enterprises and business units; employment; turnover; gross value added (GVA); and output value] on any of the main sectors of the industry in Scotland. (PHS 2023: 56)”","AnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415172,"EventID":"S6W-24545","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-16T17:53:59.727","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T14:04:42.07","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much was raised by the public health supplement in each year that it was in operation.  ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-11669 on 24 October 2017. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415173,"EventID":"S6W-24550","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-16T17:53:59.773","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T15:53:04.36","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any funding for training anaesthesia\r\nassociates and physician associates is allocated from (a) the NHS Scotland\r\nworkforce training budget or (b) a separate funding stream.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not currently directly fund training for physician associates or anaesthesia associates via the Health and Social Care Portfolio. Health Boards may choose to put in place local arrangements for staff to train as an anaesthesia associate through existing UK-based course provision, in line with their local workforce and operational plans.\r\nWe are working with NHS Education for Scotland to determine whether, and to what extent, we make investment in additional domestic training provision for medical associate professionals (MAPs), in order to strengthen future workforce supply in a way that is commensurate with our commitment to take a progressive and evidence-based approach to the expansion of MAP roles across NHS Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415174,"EventID":"S6W-24553","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-16T17:53:59.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-16T09:58:21.787","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether fishing in the Firth of Clyde will be suspended in 2024, in line with the cod spawning season. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415175,"EventID":"S6W-24547","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-16T17:53:59.93","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T14:05:11.86","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it expects to publish findings from the review into the operation of minimum unit pricing.","AnswerText":"The report by Scottish Ministers on the operation and effect of minimum unit pricing of alcohol during its first five years was laid before the Scottish Parliament on 20 September 2023 and is available at  Alcohol (Minimum Pricing) (Scotland) Act 2012 - operation and effect 2018 to 2023: report - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415177,"EventID":"S6O-02996","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T16:19:25.2","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T10:39:01.177","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what financial support will be made available to farmers in 2024-25.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415178,"EventID":"S6O-03007","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T16:19:25.28","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T13:56:40.663","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will update its guidance to local authorities on planning rules for short-term lets, in light of the recent ruling from the Court of Session that deemed the City of Edinburgh Council’s planning guidance for businesses on short-term lets to be unlawful.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415179,"EventID":"S6O-03011","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T16:19:25.343","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T11:42:17.163","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to ensure that it meets its affordable homes target by 2032.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415180,"EventID":"S6O-03002","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T16:19:25.407","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T11:27:13.7","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support and improve the network of community hospitals.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415181,"EventID":"S6O-02999","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T16:19:25.47","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T09:49:51.197","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the announcements made in its Budget, what action it is taking to ensure that well-established community mental health services are appropriately funded.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415182,"EventID":"S6O-02997","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T16:19:25.53","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-16T14:34:18.373","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the importance of the salmon industry for Scotland’s economy.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415183,"EventID":"S6O-02991","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5622,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":148,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T16:19:25.593","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T08:16:03.283","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there is any scope in its proposed land reform legislation to amend the power of the King's and Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer, known as the KLTR.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415184,"EventID":"S6O-03013","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T16:19:25.657","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T08:51:08.847","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve the lives of disabled people.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415185,"EventID":"S6O-03001","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16182,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":117,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T16:19:25.72","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-16T15:58:55.867","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the Forth Valley University College NHS Partnership's impact on the delivery of health services in Forth Valley.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415186,"EventID":"S6O-02990","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T16:19:25.78","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-16T09:31:52.063","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the spending proposals in its draft Budget will help to achieve woodland planting targets.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415187,"EventID":"S6O-03003","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4982,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T16:19:25.843","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T10:15:47.313","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to take any action on any concerns that it may have regarding the 2018 GP contract in relation to rural practices.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415188,"EventID":"S6O-03000","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T16:19:25.907","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-16T09:43:53.347","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support people with diabetes.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415189,"EventID":"S6O-03008","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4940,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":81,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T16:19:25.953","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-16T12:12:11.273","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what social security support is available to people in the Motherwell and Wishaw constituency who are experiencing poverty, including fuel poverty.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415190,"EventID":"S6O-03006","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":89,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T16:19:26","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T11:21:35.74","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether a greater increase in the Scottish Child Payment or a Council Tax freeze will do more to help families in poverty.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415191,"EventID":"S6O-03009","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T16:19:26.063","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T10:56:46.863","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it holds Social Security Scotland to account to ensure that it is fulfilling its responsibility to help claimants, who request support, to provide supporting information, including obtaining it on their behalf.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415192,"EventID":"S6O-03005","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1756,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":136,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T16:19:26.11","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T13:48:51.36","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what research it has undertaken on the impact of changing demographics on NHS services.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415193,"EventID":"S6O-03012","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T16:19:26.173","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T14:03:48.58","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase the number of new homes started in rural areas.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415194,"EventID":"S6O-02994","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16175,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":119,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T16:19:26.267","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T10:20:48.333","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported concerns regarding food labelling being a devolved matter, what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the potential impact on Scotland's food and drink sector of the reported proposal for \"not for EU\" labelling on food and drink products in the UK.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415195,"EventID":"S6O-02993","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T16:19:26.33","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-16T14:16:41.79","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of its 2024-25 Budget on rural and island communities.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415196,"EventID":"S6O-03004","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T16:19:26.39","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T10:21:56.42","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the support that is available for people living with, or affected by, dementia.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415197,"EventID":"S6O-02995","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16178,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":78,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T16:19:26.437","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T10:59:35.73","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its most recent assessment is of the potential impact of the Border Target Operating Model on rural affairs in Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415198,"EventID":"S6O-03010","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16194,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T16:19:26.487","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T08:15:31.013","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it is offering to local authorities to help people stuck in temporary accommodation.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415199,"EventID":"S6O-02992","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T16:19:26.547","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T10:40:47.217","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether fishing in the Firth of Clyde will be suspended in 2024, in line with the cod spawning season.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415200,"EventID":"S6O-03016","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T16:19:30.363","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T10:42:57.01","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the MV Isle of Islay will be launched on 16 March 2024.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415201,"EventID":"S6O-03014","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T16:19:30.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-16T09:49:16.1","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it offers to businesses in Aberdeen.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415202,"EventID":"S6O-03017","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T16:19:30.503","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-16T12:57:39.237","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported comments by the Faculty of Advocates and the Law Society of Scotland that an exodus of defence solicitors has left the legal system close to collapse.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415203,"EventID":"S6O-03020","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T16:19:30.553","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T09:58:14.273","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether its local development plan regulations will provide a framework for discounted sale tenure as part of any affordable home ownership requirements.","AnswerText":"Local Development Plan regulations, which came into force last year, require planning authorities to have regard to any Local Housing Strategy when preparing their plans. This includes their outcomes and actions to address housing need and demand.\r\nNational Planning Framework 4 forms part of the statutory development plan and sits alongside Local Development Plans. It contains a general expectation of at least 25% affordable housing provision on development sites, but allows some flexibility to reflect local circumstances. The NPF4 definition of affordable housing explicitly includes ‘housing sold at discount’.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415204,"EventID":"S6O-03015","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16207,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T16:19:30.613","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T09:35:34.23","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its response to the recent Families Outside report, Staying Connected: Care-experienced children and young people with a sibling in prison or secure care.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415205,"EventID":"S6O-03019","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T16:19:30.677","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T11:52:18.083","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the justice secretary has had with Police Scotland regarding potential station closures in Edinburgh.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415206,"EventID":"S6O-03018","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T16:19:30.787","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T08:47:37.693","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the statistics that it has published on criminal justice social work for 2022-23.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415207,"EventID":"S6O-03021","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16177,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":125,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T16:19:30.863","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T14:11:20.787","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to encourage consumers to support\r\nbusinesses in their communities by shopping locally.","AnswerText":"We are committed to bringing people back into towns and encouraging local footfall as we continue to implement the Town Centre First Principle and deliver the Town Centre Action Plan.\r\nIn collaboration with Scotland’s Towns Partnership, we continue to support the Scotland Loves Local programme, which encourages people to think local first, increase footfall in town centres and ultimately support local shops and businesses. This package of support includes the Scotland Loves Local week, highlighting good practice, and continued promotion of the physical and digital Gift Card.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415210,"EventID":"S6W-24560","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T17:19:01.26","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-16T10:24:35.017","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of its Scottish Cancer Strategy for Scotland 2023-2026, how much funding has been committed specifically to prehabilitation, and when it will be allocated to NHS boards. ","AnswerText":"Up to £1 million was allocated in 2023 for prehabilitation to NHS boards via the Transforming Cancer Care programme. This has been distributed via the Regional Cancer Networks through regionally agreed prioritisation processes.\r\n£80,000 was allocated to Maggie’s in 2023 to embed their pilot of universal prehabilitation at all eight Maggie’s Centres in Scotland, building on our previous investment to develop this programme of £270,000 in 2021.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415211,"EventID":"S6W-24568","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5877,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T17:19:01.373","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-16T13:13:19.443","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its progress on distributing any funds that it receives as result of the UK Government's Dormant Assets Scheme.","AnswerText":"Since its launch in 2008, the Dormant Assets Scheme has released £892 million, around £75 million of which has been received in Scotland.\r\nThis money is distributed by the National Lottery Community Fund through their Young Start programme which provides funding to create opportunities for children and young people aged between 8 and 24, aimed at helping to realise their potential.\r\nFollowing review and consultation by the UK Government, the Dormant Assets Act 2022 provides for the expansion of the scheme from bank and building society accounts to include additional assets across the insurance, pensions, investment, wealth management and securities sectors.\r\nIt is expected that this will lead to an increase in the funding that Scotland receives from the scheme although the extent and timing of this are still unknown.\r\nScottish Government officials are engaging regularly with counterparts in the UK Government and the National Lottery Community Fund on and the implications of the scheme’s expansion on the distribution of associated assets in Scotland. Further update will be provided when available.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415212,"EventID":"S6W-24566","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T17:19:01.45","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-16T12:00:13.8","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any reasons for the proportion of prisoners serving sentences of one year or less increasing by 6% in 2022-23 despite the presumption against short-term sentences.","AnswerText":"The percentage increase cited above is taken to be from the latest National Statistics on the prison population published in December 2023. These state that “The (average daily) population serving index sentences of one year or less increased by around 6% from 921 in 2021-22 to 972 in 2022-23.”\r\nCaution is advised when using this data to examine the sentence length. The National Statistics provide index sentence length only. Where an individual in custody is serving multiple custodial sentences, the index sentence is the single longest sentence to be served. The overall length of the sentence to be served may be longer than the index sentence length. Further information on why this measure is used in the National Statistics is available in the accompanying Technical Manual (  https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-prison-population-statistics/pages/cellwise-data-construction/#index-sentence-derivation  ).\r\nOverall sentence length is published in the Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services Monthly Data Report (  https://www.gov.scot/collections/justice-analytical-services-safer-communities-and-justice-statistics-monthly-reports/  ).\r\nIn relation to the extension to the presumption against short term sentences in 2019, we are continuing to monitor the ongoing effect. However, the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 on the justice system has made it difficult to separate the impact of the pandemic from the effects of the extension to date.\r\nThere is however a clear longer term trend away from shorter sentences. The latest National Statistics on Criminal Proceedings in Scotland show that 83% of custodial sentences were 12 months or less in 2012-13, declining to 73% in 2021-22. The largest fall in the use of short term sentences was between 2018-19 and 2019-20, with a four percentage point reduction, which may be associated with the extension of the presumption to one year.\r\nIt should be noted, however, that the presumption is not a ban, and decisions in individual cases are a matter for the independent courts, taking into consideration all the relevant facts and circumstances.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415213,"EventID":"S6W-24562","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T17:19:01.513","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-16T10:24:59.29","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made regarding whether prehabilitation improves oncological outcomes for patients, in light of its Cancer Action Plan for Scotland 2023-2026, which emphasises the benefits of prehabilitation. ","AnswerText":"The evidence for prehabilitation across several areas of oncological care has grown and demonstrates that a multi-modal tired intervention can lead to better functional outcomes and improve other important outcomes associated with cancer treatment including quality of life.\r\nFocus groups with people affected by cancer, evaluations of prehabilitation activities, and evidence collated by others working with people with lived experience of cancer, also tells us that prehabilitation is welcomed by the Scottish population and provides an opportunity for them to engage in their care.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415214,"EventID":"S6W-24573","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T17:19:01.563","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-16T15:25:15","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many first-time buyers have been assisted to buy a home in each year since 1999.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-16291 on? 12 April 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers \r\nFor the financial year 2023-24, so far there have been 818 first time buyers who have purchased through the Open Market Shared Equity (OMSE) scheme.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415215,"EventID":"S6W-24559","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T17:19:01.627","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-16T10:24:20.967","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what is being done to improve access to prehabilitation for less survivable cancers, especially in areas of deprivation. ","AnswerText":"Cancer remains a national priority for the NHS and Scottish Government which is why we published a ten year strategy in June 2023, focused on improving cancer survival and providing equitable access to treatment. The strategy and plan take a comprehensive approach to improving patient pathways in cancer from prevention and diagnosis through to treatment and post-treatment care.\r\nThe evidence base for prehabilitation specifically for each of the less survivable cancers is currently limited. Work is underway to improve this, particularly with respect to upper gastrointestinal and lung cancers. Learnings from the prehabilitation currently being delivered under the Transforming Cancer Care Programme in association with our findings from the Single Point of Contact and Improving the Cancer Journey initiatives will provide opportunities to target areas of deprivation with early interventions. As such, efforts are being made to exploit these opportunities and progress screening, assessment and timely prehabilitation interventions across Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415216,"EventID":"S6W-24579","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T17:19:01.703","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-16T15:30:32.533","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many official visits the First Minister has undertaken in Scotland in each year since 16 May 2007, broken down by parliamentary (a) constituency and (b) region.","AnswerText":"Information on Ministerial engagements is routinely published on the Scottish Government website and can be found at:  www.gov.scot/collections/ministerial-engagements-travel-and-gifts/  .\r\nVisits are not recorded by parliamentary or constituency region.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"George Adam","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415217,"EventID":"S6W-24578","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T17:19:01.75","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-16T15:28:14.5","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact on the Edinburgh festivals in 2024 of any reduction in home-sharing accommodation.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-20573 on 5 September 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers ","AnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415218,"EventID":"S6W-24548","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T17:19:01.797","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T14:05:40.367","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many operators of short-term lets that were operational before 1 October 2023 have yet to apply for a short-term let licence. ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the nswer to questions S6W-23003 on? 4 December 2023 and S6W-12484 on 8 December 2022. Please note that in S6W-23003 we advised the next statistical publication would be early 2024, however, we now anticipate this will be published in April 2024. We will announce the publication in the official statistics forthcoming publications calendar at least 28 days prior to publication:  https://www.gov.scot/publications/official-statistics-forthcoming-publications/ \r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415219,"EventID":"S6W-24576","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T17:19:01.843","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-16T15:25:15","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made to ensure (a) equity in data availability across cancer types and (b) the frequent publication of emergency presentation data for blood cancers, as outlined in its Cancer Action Plan for Scotland 2023-2026.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to improving the quality, frequency and usage of a number of datasets, including emergency presentation data, across cancer types.\r\nBlood cancers often present in different ways. A wide range of data on blood cancers are regularly published by Public Health Scotland, including Incidence, Quality Performance Indicators (QPIs), Mortality, and Survival. We will continue to work with key partners to identify any gaps in understanding and inequity in data availability, to drive improvements.\r\nFor example, we expect to review cancer types measured and reported on with regards to time to first treatment as part of the clinical review of Cancer Waiting Time standards ahead of 2026.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415220,"EventID":"S6W-24564","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T17:19:01.907","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-16T11:55:12.883","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been banned from keeping animals in each of the last 10 years.","AnswerText":"The information used to publish the Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services Criminal Disposals Dashboard only contains data from April 2017. Accordingly, we are unable to extract the number of case-accused convicted for the financial years prior to 2017-18.\r\nFrom April 2017 to March 2023, 279 people received disqualification or deprivation orders. The numbers per financial year were as follows.\r\nFinancial Year\r\nNumber of case accused\r\nFY2017-2018\r\n33\r\nFY2018-2019\r\n33\r\nFY2019-2020\r\n46\r\nFY2020-2021\r\n21\r\nFY2021-2022\r\n40\r\nFY2022-2023\r\n106\r\nTotal\r\n279","AnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415221,"EventID":"S6W-24557","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T17:19:01.953","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-16T10:23:21.05","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that patients who require targeted and specialised prehabilitation, as stated in its report, Key Principles for Implementing Cancer Prehabilitation, are accessing prehabilitation, and what the outcomes are for these patients. ","AnswerText":"The Centre for Sustainable Delivery is leading improvement and pathway redesign work via their Macmillan National Improvement Advisor for Cancer Prehabilitation. This will see core outcome measures agreed for use across Scotland, and introduce processes for data collection and reporting.\r\nSome targeted and specialised prehabilitation has been developed within NHS settings and further services are being developed with funding from the Macmillan and Scottish Government’s Transforming Cancer Care programme to ensure people can access the right care in the right place at the right time.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415222,"EventID":"S6W-24561","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T17:19:02.017","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-16T10:24:46.88","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to monitor equity of access to prehabilitation for cancer patients (a) nationally and (b) in comparison to other UK nations, and at what intervals the figures will be published. ","AnswerText":"Cancer prehabilitation is a complex, multi-modal intervention and personalised to suit individual need. It is not achieved through accessing a single service, nor is it likely to be delivered in a single setting. As such, no single mechanism or metric has been identified for measuring equity of access across Scotland, the UK or internationally. Instead proxy measured are used, such as numbers referred to a specific service/intervention and uptake and/or adherence.\r\nThe Centre for Sustainable Delivery is leading improvement work that will define core outcome measures for cancer prehabilitation in Scotland, and where possible this will include activity data.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415223,"EventID":"S6W-24570","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T17:19:02.047","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-16T15:25:15","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many working groups it has established in each year since 1999.","AnswerText":"Due to the scope and timeframe of the question, the information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost as this data is not available from a single source. However, the Scottish Government has responded to FOI requests seeking information in relation to working groups in September 2021 and September 2023 which may be helpful. Links to those FOI responses can be found below:\r\n Various questions relating to Scottish Government working groups: FOI release - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)\r\nBreakdown of Scottish Government groups: FOI release - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  ”","AnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415224,"EventID":"S6W-24571","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T17:19:02.097","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-16T15:25:15","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions its ministers have had regarding mandatory braille labelling on food products. ","AnswerText":"Scottish Ministers are advised by Food Standards Scotland (FSS) on matters of food safety, standards and labelling. FSS met with Sight Scotland, Disability Equality Scotland and the Oban and District Access Panel on 1 March 2023 to discuss braille labelling on foods. FSS have also discussed this issue with policy officials in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in Wales and Northern Ireland, lead departments for food labelling in the rest of the UK, as development of any policy proposals would need to be considered on a four-nation basis under the UK Food Compositional Standards and Labelling Common Framework. The Scottish Government is aware this issue is being considered by the Scottish Parliament Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee, details of which can be found here:  PE1997: Introduce mandatory braille labelling for food products sold in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415225,"EventID":"S6W-24581","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T17:19:02.143","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-16T16:16:29.61","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-20497 by Jenni Minto on 28 August 2023, whether it will provide an update on the timeline for producing a draft strategy for consultation.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government aims to publish our new palliative and end of life care strategy for consultation in spring 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415226,"EventID":"S6W-24580","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T17:19:02.173","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-16T15:30:32.533","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many online clicks its paper, Social security in an independent Scotland, received in its first month following publication, broken down by (a) main paper, (b) easy read version, (c) each individual language version and (d) audio version. ","AnswerText":"We have previously answered two FOIs on website visits to the Building a New Scotland Papers: Unique online visitor statistics: FOI release - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) Building a New Scotland webpage visitors: FOI release - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) \r\nPaper title: Social security in an independent Scotland\r\nMain paper URL:  https://www.gov.scot/publications/social-security-independent-scotland/ \r\nMain paper publish date: 6-12-2023\r\nMain paper views in first month (all pages): 4,670\r\nEasy read URL:  https://www.gov.scot/publications/building-new-scotland-social-security-independent-scotland-easy-read-version/ \r\nEasy read publish date: 6-12-2023\r\nEasy read views or download link clicks in first month: 269\r\nAudio URL:  https://soundcloud.com/scotgov/building-a-new-scotland-social-security-in-an-independent-scotland/s-XUJSNClgEUv \r\nAudio publish date: 6-12-2023\r\nAudio link clicks in first month: 7\r\nCommunity language landing pageURL:  https://www.gov.scot/publications/social-security-independent-scotland/documents/ \r\nTranslation publish date: 6-12-2023\r\nTranslation downloads in first month:\r\nArabic: 2\r\nBengalii: 0\r\nBulgarian: 1\r\nCantonese: 0\r\nFrench: 4\r\nGaelic: 0\r\nHindi: 0\r\nItalian: 0\r\nMandarin: 0 \r\nPolish: 0\r\nPunjabi: 0\r\nRomanian: 0 \r\nRussian: 0\r\nSpanish: 2\r\nUkrainian: 0\r\nUrdu: 2\r\nBSL YouTube Link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnYAdwlHIXE \r\nDate BSL Version Published:6-12-2023\r\nViews in first 30 days: 8","AnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jamie Hepburn","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415227,"EventID":"S6W-24552","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T17:19:02.22","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T17:32:11.173","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current salary and any other remuneration is for each of the directors of Caledonian Sleeper Ltd.  ","AnswerText":"In line with the Scottish Government guidelines to disclose the names, job titles and salary details of senior management within Non-Departmental Public Bodies, the requested information is published online and can be found here:\r\nStatutory-Director-Salaries.pdf (sleeper.scot) ","AnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":415228,"EventID":"S6W-24575","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T17:19:02.267","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-16T15:25:15","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what mechanism is in place for local authorities to remove home sharing from the scope of the short-term lets licensing legislation.  ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-15120 on 20 March 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers ","AnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415229,"EventID":"S6W-24563","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T17:19:02.44","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-16T10:37:53.11","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23811 by Maree Todd on 8 January 2024, which outlined existing programmes that could not proceed as planned due to in-year budget changes, whether it will provide further detail on what planned new programmes could not go ahead due to those in-year changes.","AnswerText":"As set out in the answer of 8 January 2024 the in-year budget changes impacted on both new and existing programmes which could not proceed as anticipated. This included activities related to Mental Health and Primary Care; regional CAMHS developments; full implementation of Coming Home; full implementation of the new Mental Welfare Commission Patient Records System; and improving prisoner mental health.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415230,"EventID":"S6W-24556","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T17:19:02.5","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-16T10:22:53.423","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to urgently provide equitable access to prehabilitation, especially for patients with a less survivable cancer.   ","AnswerText":"The Cancer Action Plan 2023-2026 sets out our ambitious programme of work to ensure access to cancer prehabilitation.\r\nThe Scottish Government is working with experts across health and social care to ensure timely access to all services providing the multi-modal, tiered and personalised interventions that make up prehabilitation. This includes developing the frameworks to screen, assess and signpost people affected by cancer to the relevant services as soon as possible. A national website has been created in partnership with those with lived experience to provide universal and accessible information and advice. A new primary care cancer education platform for NHS Scotland that will feature prehabilitation advice will also go live early 2024 to enable effective decision-making and support earlier diagnosis efforts.\r\nPrehabilitation is a key part of the Optimal Cancer Diagnostic Pathways and Clinical Management Pathways (CMPs) that have been developed for Lung Cancer and the CMP for Adult Brain Cancers, also in development. The Scottish Government has also provided £350,000 to develop and implement universal prehabilitation workshops for the Maggie’s Centres. Further funding has been allocated to support each board area to adopt the nationally provided tools to reinforce care pathways, directly benefiting those affected by cancer, including less survivable cancers.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415231,"EventID":"S6W-24569","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5866,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-17T17:19:02.547","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-16T15:00:16.407","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many online clicks its paper, Our marine sector in an independent Scotland, received in its first month following publication, broken down by (a) main paper, (b) easy read version, (c) each individual language version and (d) audio version.","AnswerText":"We have previously answered two FOIs on website visits to the Building a New Scotland Papers: Unique online visitor statistics: FOI release - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) Building a New Scotland webpage visitors: FOI release - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) \r\nPaper title: Building a New Scotland: Our marine sector in an independent Scotland\r\nMain paper URL:  https://www.gov.scot/publications/building-new-scotland-marine-sector-independent-scotland/ \r\nMain paper publish date: 21-11-2023\r\nMain paper views in first month (all pages): 2,775\r\nEasy read URL:  https://www.gov.scot/publications/building-new-scotland-marine-sector-independent-scotland-easy-read-version/ \r\nEasy read publish date: 21-11-2023\r\nEasy read views or download link clicks in first month: 298\r\nAudio URL:  https://on.soundcloud.com/5VJaA \r\nAudio publish date: 21-11-2023\r\nAudio link clicks in first month: 9\r\nCommunity language landing pageURL:  https://www.gov.scot/publications/building-new-scotland-marine-sector-independent-scotland/documents/ \r\nTranslation publish date: 21-11-2023\r\nTranslation downloads in first month:\r\nArabic: 1\r\nBengalii: 1\r\nBulgarian: 0\r\nCantonese: 0\r\nFrench: 4\r\nGaelic: 1\r\nHindi: 0\r\nItalian: 3\r\nMandarin: 0\r\nPolish: 1\r\nPunjabi:1\r\nRomanian: 0\r\nRussian: 0\r\nSpanish: 0\r\nUkrainian: 1\r\nUrdu: 3\r\nBSL YouTube Link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDdIcputSSg \r\nDate BSL Version Published: 21-11-2023\r\nViews in first 30 days: 4","AnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jamie Hepburn","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415232,"EventID":"S6W-24639","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:42:59.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T15:59:37.847","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will (a) appoint and (b) announce the chair of the independent review of Adult Disability Payment.","AnswerText":"As confirmed to the Social Justice and Social Security Committee on 26 January 2024, Edel Harris OBE has been appointed as Chair of the Independent Review of Adult Disability Payment, following the conclusion of an open competition recruitment campaign in December 2023.\r\nThis appointment marks the beginning of the Independent Review of Adult Disability Payment, which delivers on a 2023-2024 Programme for Government commitment.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415233,"EventID":"S6W-24600","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:00.033","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T11:53:07.373","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to the Nairn Trust since 2019.","AnswerText":"There is no record of funding being provided by the Scottish Government to “Nairn Trust” since 2019.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415234,"EventID":"S6W-24609","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:00.13","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T12:02:05.277","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to the Scottish Refugee Council since 2019.","AnswerText":"To support work with refugees, people seeking asylum and local communities, the Scottish Government provides funding to organisations such as the Scottish Refugee Council to ensure that all people seeking refugee protection in Scotland are welcome, where women, children and men are protected, find safety and support, have their human rights and dignity respected and are able to achieve their full potential.\r\nThe following table contains a list of funding and objectives provided to the SRC since 2019.\r\nFunding\r\nObjective\r\nAnnual funding to the previous non-statutory Scottish Guardianship Service 2018 to 2023\r\nTo fund guardians and deliver a core guardianship service to all separated children presenting independently in Scotland to the child-centred model of practice across the three domains of asylum, welfare and integration/social networks.\r\nEquality, Connected Communities and Mainstreaming and Inclusion Budget Funding July 2019 to December 2023\r\nA reduction in discrimination and hate crime and an increase in community participation and cohesion.\r\nHousing Voluntary Grant Scheme 2019 to 2021\r\nTo deliver housing related projects.\r\nEnding Homelessness Together 2020\r\nTo work in partnership to provide specialist case managers, advice, advocacy and legal diagnostic advice and representation for asylum seekers at risk of destitution in Glasgow.\r\nNew Scots refugee integration strategy intermediary/strategic funding 2021 to 2024\r\nTo support refugee integration in line with the New Scots strategy.\r\nNew Scots welcome video project December 2021 to March 2022\r\nTo produce a series of videos welcoming those recently arrived in Scotland from Afghanistan to be published on the SRC website.\r\nScottish Refugee Council COVID-19 focus groups 2021\r\nEnsure the voices of young people whose families are within the asylum process are included in focus groups around COVID Recovery.\r\nThird Sector Homelessness Fund 2021 to 2023\r\nDelivery of Ending Homelessness for New Scots.\r\nNRPF National Advocacy Service April 2022 to March 2024\r\nDelivery of a diagnostic legal advice service to those subject to NRPF.\r\nConnected Communities Budget Funding – Engagement with Afghan women 2022\r\nTo support community resilience in which diversity is understood and valued, people have stronger connections and are more respectful and inclusive.\r\nWarm Scottish Welcome Scheme, Ukraine Support 2022 to 2023\r\nTo expand the Grantee’s core Refugee Integration Service for both the Ukraine Family Scheme and the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme (Homes for Ukraine), including where the Scottish Government acts as super sponsor.\r\nWarm Scottish Welcome Scheme, Ukraine Support 2023 to 2024\r\nProvide support to displaced people from Ukraine, expand community capacity and work with practitioners and decision makers to inform the policy agenda.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Emma Roddick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415235,"EventID":"S6W-24588","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:00.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T08:58:40.923","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what amendments to the Heat Networks (Scotland) Act 2021 it anticipates will be included in a proposed Heat in Buildings Bill.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is considering using the proposals for a Heat In Buildings Bill (as set out in consultation document “Delivering Net Zero for Scotland’s Buildings: Changing the way we heat our homes and buildings”, published November 2023) to make two potential changes to the Heat Networks (Scotland) Act 2021. Both potential changes arise from the need to harmonise our heat networks legislation with the recently-passed UK Energy Act 2023. These potential amendments are:To align our 2021 Act’s definitions of ‘supplier’ and ‘operator’ with those of the UK Energy Act 2023. Given that Ofgem will be acting as both the UK authorisation authority and Scottish licensing authority, it will be beneficial to the regulator and industry alike to have aligned definitions. This will foster a more streamlined application and determination process.To modify Part 7 of the 2021 Act, in order to take into account the ‘step-in’ and ‘supplier of last resort’ provisions of the UK Energy Act 2023. It may be necessary to remove similar Scottish provisions in this area (‘register of key network assets’ and a ‘transfer scheme’) in order to avoid duplication and potential confusion for market participants.\r\nDuring the consultation process, additional potential amendments may be identified.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415236,"EventID":"S6W-24605","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:00.253","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T11:58:52.463","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to the Poverty Trust since 2019.","AnswerText":"No payments or funding have been provided from the Scottish Government to the Poverty Trust since 2019.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415237,"EventID":"S6W-24540","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:00.3","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T14:02:25.007","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent (a) representations it has made to and (b) discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding (i) securing the reported £60-80 million investment in the hydrocracker and (ii) whether any action could be taken to enable Petroineos Grangemouth to refine a greater volume of crude oil from the North Sea, and if doing so could potentially extend the life of the oil refinery beyond 2025.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to questions S6W-24538 and S6W-24539 on 26 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415238,"EventID":"S6W-24535","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:00.347","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T14:00:53.26","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy will instruct the Grangemouth Future Industry Board to appoint representatives from (a) Petroineos Grangemouth, (b) Unite the Union and (c) local businesses.","AnswerText":"The Grangemouth Future Industry Board has representation from Petroineos and Unite the Union. My officials are currently working to secure membership of senior leaders from across the businesses located at the Grangemouth Industrial cluster.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415239,"EventID":"S6W-24594","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:00.393","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T10:47:27.233","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23791 by Maree Todd on 8 January 2024, on what evidence it has based its commitment to ensure that all children in primary schools receive at least two hours of physical education each school week.","AnswerText":"Being physically active is one of the best things we can do for our physical and mental wellbeing. Physical education (PE) and physical activity have a positive impact on pupils' health, educational attainment, and life chances.\r\nThat is why we have committed to ensuring that all children in primary school receive at least two hours of PE each school week, and that all young people in secondaries 1 to 4 receive at least two 50-minute periods of PE each school week, ever since first making this commitment at the 2011 Scottish Parliament election.\r\nTo monitor progress on this commitment, local authorities have provided us with data about provision of PE in their schools since 2012. This data is reported through the Schools Healthy Living Survey Statistics Report, which is available through the following web link:  Data and Methodology - School Healthy Living Survey: school meal uptake and PE provision statistics 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .\r\nInformation about schools meeting PE targets is contained on Table 18 of the supplementary statistics spreadsheet in the Schools Healthy Living Survey.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":415240,"EventID":"S6W-24602","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:00.457","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T11:56:01.03","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to Allergy UK, formally the British Allergy Foundation, since 2019.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has provided no direct funding to Allergy UK, formerly the British Allergy Foundation, since 2019.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415241,"EventID":"S6W-24631","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:00.503","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T14:52:19.32","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-22701 by Christina McKelvie on 10 November 2023, how many times the Culture Conveners group, which it co-chairs along with COSLA, has met since January 2020.","AnswerText":"Further to my answer to S6W-22701, there have now been five meetings of the Culture Conveners since the publication of our 2020 Culture Strategy. These took place in November 2020, March 2021, December 2021, January 2023 and September 2023.\r\nThe next Culture Conveners meeting will take place before the end of summer 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415242,"EventID":"S6W-24616","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:00.55","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T12:50:03.2","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement took place between ministers and businesses, particularly the retail sector and related industry bodies, about the proposed introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its Budget for 2024-25.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24110 on? 18 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415243,"EventID":"S6W-24534","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:00.597","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T14:00:34.447","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with (a) Petroineos, (b) Unite the Union and (c) local businesses to discuss the future of Petroineos Grangemouth, and what matters were discussed.","AnswerText":"Representatives from Scottish Government, Petroineos and Unite the Union met on 18 January 2023 to during the Grangemouth Future Industry Board Industrial Leadership Forum discuss the future of the refinery.\r\nFor discussion topics I refer the member to the published minutes from this meeting.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415244,"EventID":"S6W-24542","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:00.66","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T14:02:53.5","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on Net Zero Nation's proposed project for a Net Zero Pilot Accelerator involving 20 SMEs “to help decarbonise the Grangemouth supply chain”, as referred to in the Grangemouth Future Industry Board minutes of 11 August 2022.\r\n","AnswerText":"Net Zero Nation launched their first  Pilot Accelerator programme  in Grangemouth in June 2023. This was funded by the Grangemouth Future Industry Board. The launch of this event was hosted by Forth Ports, who collaborated with Net Zero Nation to identify businesses in the Grangemouth area to recruit onto the Accelerator programme. The organisation successfully recruited 20 local SMEs onto the programme in 2023 and have plans to launch their Accelerator 2.0 Programme with a second cohort of Grangemouth businesses in early 2024.\r\nThe Accelerator programme provides businesses with advice on developing carbon reduction plans as well as access to CBN Expert carbon accountancy software, allowing them to record and report their carbon emissions in compliance with SECR and PPN 06/21 standards. The programme also facilitates networking opportunities for businesses to share their experience, with a goal of fostering collaboration between businesses who are seeking to decarbonise their operations.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415245,"EventID":"S6W-24613","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:00.707","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T12:49:28.197","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its Budget for 2024-25, what its position is on whether the introduction of such a levy is consistent with the intention stated in the New Deal for Business Implementation Plan to \"change the dial on business/Government relations\".","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24498 on? 23 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415246,"EventID":"S6W-24615","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:00.783","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T12:49:55.537","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of retail businesses will be subject to the proposed non-domestic rates public health supplement, as set out in its Budget for 2024-25.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24444 on? 22 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415247,"EventID":"S6W-24629","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:00.83","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T14:52:19.32","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government on what date its Culture and Creativity in Learning Group will publish its workplan, as set out in A Culture Strategy for Scotland: Action Plan.","AnswerText":"The Culture and Creativity in Learning Group will support the delivery of the actions in the ‘Culture Strategy for Scotland: Action Plan’, published in December 2023.\r\nWe are working closely with the Culture and Creativity in Learning Group in early 2024 to develop a shared workplan.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415248,"EventID":"S6W-24608","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:00.893","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T12:01:07.287","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to Lesmahagow Parish Historical Association since 2019.","AnswerText":"There is no record of funding being provided to Lesmahagow Parish Historical Association by the Cultural Access and Organisations Division of Scottish Government since 2019.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415249,"EventID":"S6W-24533","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:00.957","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T14:00:04.42","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it can take to co-ordinate any necessary (a) investment and (b) action to help sustain the refinery operations at Petroineos Grangemouth.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government chaired the Grangemouth Future Industry Board Industrial Leadership Forum on 18 January which included representation from the UK Government and Petroineos to explore all options regarding the future of the refinery site. I am encouraged that, at this meeting, the UK Minister of State for Energy Security and Net Zero confirmed the UK Government's willingness to consider any proposals that support a long-term and sustainable future for the refinery business, recognising its strategic importance to the economy of the whole of the UK.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415250,"EventID":"S6W-24632","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:01.003","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T14:55:48.537","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it will publish its Addressing Depopulation Action Plan, in light of its previous commitment to publish the action plan in Autumn 2023. ","AnswerText":"There is no quick fix for the challenges leading to depopulation and the Scottish Government is committed to delivering, through its Addressing Depopulation Action Plan, a range of actions which are pragmatic, targeted, and affordable, and respond to what we have heard from communities and stakeholders during policy engagement and development.\r\nThe Addressing Depopulation Action Plan will be published shortly, and will ensure that within a challenging budget environment we are able to maximise the impact that our interventions can have in supporting the sustainability of communities affected by population decline.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Emma Roddick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415251,"EventID":"S6W-24637","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:01.05","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T15:05:19.703","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of rail fares have not been paid in each year since 2020, and what action it is taking to tackle this. ","AnswerText":"Whilst this is an operational matter for ScotRail and the previous Franchisee, Abellio ScotRail prior to 1 April 2022, ScotRail advises that, as part of the Grant Agreement, ScotRail conducts an annual survey of ticketless travel. The fieldwork for the most recent survey was carried out between 9 September and 23 September 2023 and the results reported that ticketless travel was 5.9%, down from 8.8% in 2022, a reduction of 2.9%.\r\nScotRail also advises that it invested in a mobile revenue protection team of 42 officers in 2023 who conduct revenue protection experience across the network to ensure that passengers pay their fares. In addition, over 130 frontline roles were recruited to ensure trains and automatic ticket gates are staffed.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415252,"EventID":"S6W-24599","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:01.097","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T11:51:57.863","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to the Al-Mahdi Foundation and Al-Mahdi Islamic Centre since 2019.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24394 on 19 January 2024 which outlined the objectives of the Climate Challenge Fund (CCF) programme and covers the 2019 period. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .\r\nThe Scottish Government has provided no direct funding to the Al-Mahdi Foundation beyond the Climate Challenge Fund projects.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415253,"EventID":"S6W-24538","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:01.16","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T14:01:53.957","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy can take to secure the reported £60-80 million investment in the hydrocracker at Petroineos Grangemouth, in order to extend the life of the oil refinery beyond 2025.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government will continue to work closely with the business on its plans to bring forward new low carbon projects at Grangemouth. We are committed to exploring all opportunities that would preserve employment and maintain the cluster’s position as a supplier of critical fuels.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415254,"EventID":"S6W-24539","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:01.23","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T14:02:11.413","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether it can take any action to enable Petroineos Grangemouth to refine a greater volume of crude oil from the North Sea, and if doing so could potentially extend the life of the oil refinery beyond 2025.","AnswerText":"As I outlined in my correspondence to you on 17 January, presently and historically, the vast majority of the crude oil transported into Grangemouth via the FPS is exported and not refined at Grangemouth.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415255,"EventID":"S6W-24584","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:01.283","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T08:27:35.62","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact a freeze on capital budgets will have on the building of a new eye hospital in Edinburgh. ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24582 on 1 February 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415256,"EventID":"S6W-24590","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:01.337","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T08:58:40.923","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what powers it anticipates would be provided to (a) the Scottish Ministers and (b) local authorities to ensure that certain types of buildings are connected to a heat network as part of a proposed Heat in Buildings Bill.","AnswerText":"The Heat in Buildings Bill consultation proposes that local authorities and the Scottish Ministers may be provided with powers to require buildings within a heat network zone to end their use of polluting heating systems (by a certain date, and with a minimum notice period). This proposal does not require a building to connect to a heat network, but connecting to a heat network would be a way to move to a clean heating system. During the consultation period - receiving feedback from stakeholders - and further development of these proposals, we expect that there may be related powers that may be necessary to ensure that these powers to require buildings within a heat network zone to end their use of polluting heating systems can be safely and robustly implemented. For example, Scottish Government may need to produce guidance relating to the information that would need to be provided to a local authority or the process by which buildings could be required to end their use of polluting heating systems. I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24589 on 1 February 2024 which also provides our current position on the type of building that may be affected by these proposals.\r\nThe consultation also proposes that local authorities or the Scottish Ministers may be provided with powers to require developers to connect new buildings within Heat Network Zones to a heat network. The Building (Scotland) Amendment Regulations, 2023 have already introduced a new build heat standard which means that no new buildings constructed under a building warrant applied for from 1 April 2024 will be built with polluting (or direct emissions heating systems), like gas and oil boilers.\r\nThe consultation is also seeking views on a proposal to potentially require buildings with unused heat to provide this to a local heat network (where that would be cost-effective) – such a power could sit with the Scottish Government or local authorities, subject to certain guidance and safeguards.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415257,"EventID":"S6W-24625","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:01.387","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T14:52:19.32","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government by what date it plans to establish its Fair Work Task Force for the creative and culture sector, as set out in A Culture Strategy for Scotland: Action Plan.","AnswerText":"We are currently in the early stages of establishing a Fair Work Task Force for the creative and cultural sector. The first date will be agreed in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415258,"EventID":"S6W-24628","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:01.463","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T14:52:19.32","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it plans to bring forward a new youth arts strategy to follow on from Time to Shine, which covered the period from 2013-2023.","AnswerText":"As outlined in the recently published ‘Culture Strategy for Scotland: Action Plan’, we will continue to work with Creative Scotland, and stakeholders from across the sector, to scope the youth arts strategy which will follow ‘Time to Shine’.\r\nThis strategy will be centred on embedding children and young people’s rights under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) principles, including the voices of children and young people at its core.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415259,"EventID":"S6W-24532","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:01.527","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T13:59:42.53","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether retaining the oil refinery operations at Petroineos Grangemouth is one of its strategic policy objectives, in light of reports that retaining this element of the business would reflect the importance of the site as a national economic asset.","AnswerText":"We recognise the important role that the Grangemouth refinery plays in meeting current fuel demand in Scotland and we know the wider cluster will be key to meeting fuel demand in the future.\r\nIt is our preference that refining should continue for as long as possible and Ministers are considering every realistic option to extend the life of the asset. This would provide the critical time and space for the refinery business to expedite transition opportunities at Grangemouth and protect as many existing jobs as possible.\r\nThe Scottish Government has committed to working with operators across the Grangemouth cluster to bring forward new low carbon projects at Grangemouth, in technologies such as CCUS, hydrogen and bio-refining. These projects will take time to be brought forward, however they do offer an opportunity to transition the site and cement the cluster’s role long into the future.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415260,"EventID":"S6W-24611","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:01.587","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T12:03:50.24","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to Irvine Burns Club since 2019.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not provided funding to Irvine Burns Club since 2019.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415261,"EventID":"S6W-24626","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:01.633","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T14:52:19.32","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government by what date it plans to have established its central repository for culture sector data and research, and how this central repository will be made available to the sector and the wider public, as proposed in A Culture Strategy for Scotland: Action Plan. ","AnswerText":"The development and implementation of improvements to the data landscape, including the creation of a central repository for culture sector research and data, is a long-term strategic action which will be delivered in close collaboration with sector and expert partners and is currently in the early co-design stage.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415262,"EventID":"S6W-24536","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:01.683","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T14:01:11.89","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy will assume the chair of the Grangemouth Future Industry Board.","AnswerText":"I have assumed the chair of the Grangemouth Future Industry Board’s Industrial Just Transition Forum following its meeting on 18 January.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415263,"EventID":"S6W-24633","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:01.747","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T15:05:19.703","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) highest and (b) lowest performing ScotRail route currently is in terms of passenger numbers annually.","AnswerText":"Whilst this is an operational matter for ScotRail as the service provider, the Member might wish to note that Office of Rail and Road (ORR) publishes information on the most frequented stations on its website:  Regional rail usage | ORR Data Portal  Also, ScotRail Trains regularly publishes information on busiest services on its website  Busiest trains | ScotRail\r\nThe Member may wish to contact ScotRail who might be able to provide a more detailed information, if required.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415264,"EventID":"S6W-24577","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:01.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-16T15:25:15","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in utilising the role of pharmacies in alleviating any pressure on GP practices, and what plans it has for pharmacists to have the ability to refer patients directly for blood tests.","AnswerText":"NHS Pharmacy First Scotland provides advice, treatment or referral to another healthcare professional for a wide range of minor illnesses as well as common clinical conditions such as impetigo, shingles, uncomplicated UTIs, skin infections and hay fever. It is provided by all community pharmacies in Scotland, usually without an appointment.\r\nAs part of Pharmacy First, community pharmacists who are independent prescribers can using their prescribing skills to provide a wider range of treatment options.\r\nThe service aims to frees up GP practice appointments and pressures on Emergency Departments and Out of Hours (OOH) services, ensuring people get the Right Care at the Right Place at the Right Time. In 2022-23, over 3.6 million Pharmacy First consultations were undertaken.\r\nThere are no current plans for community pharmacists to refer patients directly to GP practices or other settings for blood tests.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415265,"EventID":"S6W-24606","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:01.853","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T11:59:30.13","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council Limited since 2019.","AnswerText":"Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council received funding from the Scottish Government’s Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund (PECF) during 2017-2021. High-level PCEF outcomes are set out in Grant Offer Letters, and are as follows:A reduction in discrimination against people who share protected characteristicsReduced levels of hate crimeIncreased community participation, engagement and community cohesionAddressing imbalances in representation in all aspects and levels of public life\r\nImpact Funding Partners (formerly named as The Voluntary Action Fund) were the fund managers for PECF, acting on behalf of the Scottish Government. The fund manager engaged with organisations directly to agree on workplans and set specific objectives and outcomes.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Emma Roddick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415266,"EventID":"S6W-24627","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:01.903","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T14:52:19.32","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government on what date it will publish its International Culture Strategy.","AnswerText":"We are aiming to publish the International Culture Strategy in March 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415267,"EventID":"S6W-24607","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:01.95","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T12:00:13.343","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to the Scottish Drugs Forum since 2019.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the important contribution that the Scottish Drugs Forum has in delivering services to people who use drugs. The Scottish Government has provided funding to the Scottish Drugs Forum for a number of projects since 2019, with each project having specific objectives. Below is an outline of each project and the objectives that have been set for these.\r\nSexual Health and Blood Bourne Virus Project Names and Objectives:\r\n2018 – 2021\r\nHEPATITIS SCOTLAND\r\nTo continue the work of Hepatitis Scotland in leading the voluntary sector response to viral hepatitis prevention, treatment and support, and ultimately reduce the harm caused by viral hepatitis in Scotland. The key work will focus on:Information-sharing with professionals, people affected by viral hepatitis and the general public.Strategic development and partnership working - fostering links with key stakeholders, including services working in drugs and sexual health and with vulnerable young people.Patient involvement and representation - exploring and representing the views of those affected by or at risk of viral hepatitis.\r\nPEOPLE WHO INJECT DRUGS\r\nA programme of work aimed at people who inject drugs (PWIDs) which will:Reduce bloodborne virus (BBV) infections, particularly HIV, other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unplanned pregnancies.Increase treatment uptake for BBVs and STIs.\r\nAchieved through:\r\n1. Ensuring views and opinions of PWIDs are effectively heard by policymakers and practitioners.\r\n2. Ensure increase in knowledge and understanding of HIV and HCV treatment and prevention in PWIDs .\r\n3. Improving and enhancing the skills of practitioners working with PWIDs.\r\n4. Encourage new models of care and treatment based on best practice.\r\n5. Develop responses/resources to reduce intersectional stigma.\r\nSEXUAL HEALTH IN SPECIFIC POPULATIONS\r\nYear 1\r\nPublish report on mixed methods research with people engaged in chemsex, people who use image and performance enhancing drugs (IPEDs) and people involved in prostitution covering:Specific risks in terms of drug use and sexual health.Treatment needs.Specific information needs and how best to make this information available.What workers need to know in order to support these populations effectively.The report will inform current policy and be utilised to develop workforce development for support services in Scotland.\r\nYear 2Design three training courses based on the findings of the research. Deliver six pilot training sessions.Adapt training following feedback.Deliver 25 training and learning development days for staff working with people engaged in chemsex, people who use IPEDs and people involved in prostitution.\r\nYear 3Deliver 35 training and learning development days for staff working with people engaged in chemsex, people who use IPEDs and people involved in prostitution.Deliver capacity building event(s) to improve joint working and care pathways between key services.Raise awareness of the needs of the target populations to Alcohol and Drug Partnerships and Sexual Health and BBV Managed Care Networks.\r\nVULNERABLE YOUNG PEOPLE\r\nEnsuring that the work force is fully trained and equipped to support vulnerable young people in relation to BBVs and other sexually transmitted infections.\r\nYear 1Undertake a training and learning development survey(and focus groups) of staff working with vulnerable young people in relation to BBVs, sexual and reproductive health and harm reduction.Deliver 35 training and learning development days for staff working with vulnerable young people, including a brief evaluation questionnaire.Develop e-learning training specifically aimed at staff working with vulnerable young people on BBVs, S&RH and harm reduction.\r\nYears 2 and 3Undertake a national event/conference exploring current and future service provision and staff capacity needs.Deliver 35 training and learning development days for staff working with vulnerable young people each year, including a brief ev","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415268,"EventID":"S6W-24619","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:02.01","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T14:14:41.333","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to its commitment to extend the fish counter network, as set out in its wild salmon strategy implementation plan published in 2023, whether it will fund a percentage of the cost of a fish counter and its monitoring for the River Dee, which is a Special Area of Conservation currently classed Grade 1, and, if so, what percentage.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has no plans to fund a fish counter on the River Dee. The width of the lower Dee means that the installation of a fish counter to assess the size of the salmon stock is not feasible.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":415269,"EventID":"S6W-24595","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:02.057","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T10:47:27.233","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23791 by Maree Todd on 8 January 2024, what proportion of (a) primary and (b) secondary school pupils are currently receiving the specified target levels of physical education each school week.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24594 on 29 January 2024\r\nData on the provision of physical education in schools has been recorded in the Schools Healthy Living Survey Statistics Report since 2012.\r\nThe most recent Schools Healthy Living Survey Statistics Report was published on the Scottish Government’s website on 5 September 2023 and this is available through the following web link:  Data and Methodology - School Healthy Living Survey: school meal uptake and PE provision statistics 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .\r\nInformation about schools meeting physical education targets is contained on Table 18 of the supplementary statistics spreadsheet.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":415270,"EventID":"S6W-24546","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:02.103","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T14:04:58.307","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to re-introduce the public health supplement for large retailers that sell alcohol, for the purposes of funding drug and alcohol prevention measures.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is determined to do all we can to reduce alcohol-related harm and is working closely with Alcohol and Drug Partnerships and the third sector to do so. In 2022-23, £106 million was made available to ADPs, increasing to £112 million in 2023-24. This funding is used to ensure that local services meet the needs of people who experience alcohol and drugs harms.\r\nThe announcement in the Scottish Budget 2024-25 signalled the Scottish Government’s intent to explore the reintroduction of a Public Health Supplement. The exploratory work will include considering options for the design of any such supplement.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415271,"EventID":"S6W-24636","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:02.153","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T15:05:19.703","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of rail passengers have bought rail tickets (a) in person and (b) digitally in each year since 2020. ","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for ScotRail and the previous Franchisee, Abellio ScotRail prior to 1 April 2022. The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.\r\nThe Member may wish to contact ScotRail, who might have the information relating to the period from April 2022.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415272,"EventID":"S6W-24541","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:02.2","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T14:02:39.343","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with (a) Petroineos Grangemouth, (b) Unite the Union, (c) Falkirk Council and (d) other relevant stakeholders regarding the reported need to secure £60-80 million investment in the hydrocracker at Petroineos Grangemouth in order to extend the life of the oil refinery beyond 2025.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to questions S6W-24538 and S6W-24539 on 26 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415273,"EventID":"S6W-24587","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:02.26","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T08:58:40.923","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its consultation on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill, how heat network developers would be expected to connect waste and recoverable heat sources to heat networks, and what market mechanisms and incentives would be proposed to encourage developers to do this.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises that maximizing the use of recoverable or waste heat, which at present goes unused, remains a priority.\r\nFor heat network developers, there are clear incentives to connect to this heat as it can be an economical source of heat, where buildings or the processes operating in them can provide surplus heat to our homes and buildings, potentially lowering the cost of heat for heat network customers and providing an income for heat source providers.\r\nWe are seeking evidence in our Heat in Buildings Bill consultation about whether requirements should be placed on owners of unused heat. Following the closure of the consultation we will analyse responses to questions on recoverable or waste heat and use this to guide our development of recoverable and waste heat policy.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415274,"EventID":"S6W-24604","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:02.307","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T11:58:16.387","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to Borders Hospital Radio Service since 2019.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government do not provide a separate allocation for the Borders Hospital Radio Service.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415275,"EventID":"S6W-24565","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:02.353","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-16T11:55:12.883","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many cases of animal cruelty have been reported to the police in each of the last 10 years, and, of these cases, how many resulted in a (a) prosecution and (b) conviction.   ","AnswerText":"There is no single crime of animal cruelty and such crimes are identified differently in the annual National Statistics publications on  Recorded Crime in Scotland  and  Criminal Proceedings in Scotland  . These publications are based on separate and unlinked data sets and cannot be considered as proportions of each other.\r\nRecorded Crime in Scotland is based on a count of crimes reported to Police Scotland. The year is based on when any crime(s) were reported to police. Animal cruelty offences are only identifiable at crime level and the  most recent publication  covers the 2022-23 financial year.\r\nCriminal Proceedings in Scotland is based on a count of people proceeded against in court. A person may be proceeded against for more than one crime and multiple people may be proceeded against for the same crime. Only the main charge is counted in the statistics. The main charge is the one that conveys the most severe penalty and the year is based on the date when proceedings concluded in court. This can be in a later year than when any crime(s) were reported to Police Scotland. Animal cruelty offences are identified at charge level and the  most recent publication  covers the 2021-22 financial year.\r\nBoth data sets cover the animal cruelty crimes of:Cruelty to animals (ex dogs) inc killing and maiming cattleCruelty to dogsCruelty to wild animalsHunting with dogs\r\nNote: Criminal proceedings data does not distinguish between these first two crimes and they are presented as a single total in the prosecuted and convicted following tables.\r\nCriminal proceedings additionally covers parts of the following crimes:Animals, offences involving (ex dogs, birds elswhr classfd) – specifically where the main charge fell under Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 Section 23(1)(A), 23(2), 23(4) or 24Pet and kept animals– specifically where the main charge fell under Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 Section 20(1)(A)Sea fisheries offences– specifically where the main charge fell under Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 Section 107\r\nTable: Crimes of animal cruelty reported to Police Scotland, by crime type, 2012-13 to 2022-23\r\nCrime\r\n2012-13\r\n2013-14\r\n2014-15\r\n2015-16\r\n2016-17\r\n2017-18\r\n2018-19\r\n2019-20\r\n2020-21\r\n2021-22\r\n2022-23\r\nCruelty to animals (ex dogs) inc killing and maiming cattle\r\n34\r\n28\r\n26\r\n22\r\n32\r\n23\r\n23\r\n29\r\n34\r\n52\r\n43\r\nCruelty to dogs\r\n44\r\n48\r\n59\r\n81\r\n52\r\n59\r\n78\r\n98\r\n115\r\n117\r\n104\r\nCruelty to wild animals\r\n27\r\n22\r\n38\r\n23\r\n24\r\n32\r\n31\r\n32\r\n45\r\n36\r\n24\r\nHunting with dogs\r\n32\r\n29\r\n20\r\n42\r\n22\r\n41\r\n22\r\n40\r\n44\r\n13\r\n14\r\nTotal\r\n137\r\n127\r\n143\r\n168\r\n130\r\n155\r\n154\r\n199\r\n238\r\n218\r\n185\r\nTable: People prosecuted in Scottish courts where the main charge is animal cruelty, by crime type, 2012-13 to 2021-22\r\nCrime\r\n2012-13\r\n2013-14\r\n2014-15\r\n2015-16\r\n2016-17\r\n2017-18\r\n2018-19\r\n2019-20\r\n2020-21 1\r\n2021-22 1\r\nAnimals, offences involving (ex dogs, birds elswhr classfd)\r\n18\r\n18\r\n30\r\n9\r\n16\r\n6\r\n4\r\n17\r\n5\r\n10\r\nCruelty to animals (ex dogs) inc killing and maiming cattle and Cruelty to dogs\r\n119\r\n103\r\n121\r\n92\r\n57\r\n75\r\n74\r\n64\r\n35\r\n62\r\nCruelty to wild animals\r\n9\r\n4\r\n3\r\n6\r\n2\r\n5\r\n.\r\n3\r\n.\r\n1\r\nHunting with dogs\r\n11\r\n9\r\n3\r\n5\r\n8\r\n4\r\n6\r\n.\r\n1\r\n8\r\nPet and kept animals\r\n.\r\n1\r\n.\r\n.\r\n1\r\n.\r\n.\r\n.\r\n.\r\n.\r\nSea fisheries offences\r\n.\r\n.\r\n.\r\n.\r\n.\r\n.\r\n.\r\n.\r\n.\r\n1\r\nTotal\r\n157\r\n135\r\n157\r\n112\r\n84\r\n90\r\n84\r\n84\r\n41\r\n82\r\n1. Data for 2020-21 and 2021-22 were affected by the pandemic and subsequent court closures, reduced court capacities and delayed cases where key participants tested positive for COVID-19. Volumes for these years should be treated with caution and not considered indicative of longer term trends.\r\nTable: People convicted in Scottish courts where the main charge is animal cruelty, by crime type, 2012-13 to 2021-22\r\nCrime\r\n2012-13\r\n2013-14\r\n2014-15\r\n2015-16\r\n2016-17\r\n2017-18\r\n2018-19\r\n2019-20\r\n2020-21 1\r\n2021-22 1\r\nAnimals, offences involving (ex dogs, birds elswhr classfd)\r\n14\r\n16\r\n23\r\n8\r\n14\r\n5\r\n4\r\n16\r\n4\r\n8\r\nCruelty to animals (ex dogs) inc killing and maiming catt","AnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415276,"EventID":"S6W-24635","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:02.403","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T15:05:19.703","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of rail tickets have been sold (a) onboard trains, (b) at railway stations and (c) digitally in each year since 2020.","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for ScotRail and the previous Franchisee, Abellio ScotRail prior to 1 April 2022. The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.\r\nThe Member may wish to contact ScotRail, who might have the information relating to the period from April 2022.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415277,"EventID":"S6W-24622","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:02.45","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T14:52:19.32","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a timetable for the next steps regarding the development of a Percentage for the Arts scheme, as set out in A Culture Strategy for Scotland: Action Plan.","AnswerText":"We have committed to developing a ‘Percentage for the Arts’ scheme in ‘A Culture Strategy for Scotland: Action Plan’. We are in the initial stages of scoping this commitment and we will share more information on progress in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415278,"EventID":"S6W-24610","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:02.51","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T12:02:47.517","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to Family Mediation West since 2019.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not provided any funding directly to Family Mediation West from 2019.\r\nRelationships Scotland operate a network of 21 Member Services across Scotland, including Family Mediation West.\r\nSince 2016, the Scottish Government has provided Relationships Scotland with core funding via the Children, Young People and Families Early Intervention and Adult Learning & Empowering Communities third sector fund, which will continue until March 2025.\r\nSince 2020, the Scottish Government has provided Relationships Scotland with grant funding to provide child contact services.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415279,"EventID":"S6W-24567","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5877,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:02.557","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-16T13:12:54.037","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it received in Barnett consequential funding as a result of the £100 million support package for the voluntary sector, which was announced by the UK Government in the Spring Statement 2023, and how much of this funding was passed on to voluntary organisations in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government received approximately £8.5 million in consequentials from this Spring Statement announcement. Consequential funding is not ring-fenced and Scottish Ministers decide how to allocate this funding. These consequentials were used to support Scotland’s overall 2023-24 budget position.\r\nScotland is delivering against a backdrop of continued austerity at Westminster, catastrophic cuts to Scotland’s block grant and a UK Government Autumn Statement that was the worst-case scenario for Scotland. Our Barnett funding – which is driven by UK spending choices – has fallen by 1.2% in real terms since the 2022-23 budget was presented. Nor did the UK Government inflation-proof their Capital Budget, which has resulted in nearly a 10% real terms fall in our UK capital funding over the medium term.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415280,"EventID":"S6W-24601","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:02.603","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T11:53:53.03","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to MND Scotland since 2019.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government awarded £11,698 to MND Scotland in July 2019. The funding was to support the core staffing, volunteer and training costs of MND Scotland staff operating the charity’s Scottish Communication Aid Loan Service. The funding aimed to support the provision of timely access throughout Scotland for people with MND who require specialised Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) services.\r\nThe Scottish Government’s Chief Scientist Office provided a total of £83,495 to MND Scotland towards co-funding a three-year Clinical Academic Fellowship undertaken between 2019-20 and 2021-22 at the University of Edinburgh. The following sums were paid:\r\nAmount\r\nDate\r\nPurpose\r\n£26,784\r\nOctober 2021\r\nClinical Academic Fellowship - Year 1\r\n2019-2020\r\n£28,760\r\nOctober 2021\r\nClinical Academic Fellowship - Year 2\r\n2020-2021\r\n£27,950\r\nOctober 2023\r\nClinical Academic Fellowship – Year 3\r\n2021-22\r\nThe Clinical Academic Fellowship comprised a PhD research project to better understand the pathogenesis of disease progression in sporadic MND. The objective was to investigate the molecular pathology of sporadic MND cases, stratified by disease duration, in order to identify candidate genes and pathways associated with neuroresilience and longer survival.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415281,"EventID":"S6W-24620","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:02.653","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T14:14:41.333","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24242 by Mairi Gougeon on 15 January 2024, whether it will provide further details of the delivery group that oversees and directs the delivery of the wild salmon strategy and implementation plan, including (a) who is involved in the group and (b) contact details for wider public engagement.","AnswerText":"The Wild Salmon Strategy Implementation Plan Delivery Group was established following publication of the Implementation Plan. Information on membership of the group is available on the  Scottish Government website  along with a contact email address.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":415282,"EventID":"S6W-24598","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:02.73","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T11:50:36.643","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to Lochaber Sensory Care since 2019.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not provided any funding to Lochaber Sensory Care from 2019 to present.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415283,"EventID":"S6W-24537","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:02.777","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T14:01:38.44","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy will instruct the Grangemouth Future Industry Board to have as its overriding strategic purpose the need for Scotland to have its own oil refinery, in light of reports that retaining this element of the Grangemouth business would reflect the importance of the site as a national economic asset.","AnswerText":"The Grangemouth Future Industry Board has been established in acknowledgement of both the significant economic role that the wider Grangemouth industrial cluster plays today, and its potential to support Scotland’s Just Transition to net zero. The overarching remit of the Grangemouth Future Industry Board is therefore to support the delivery of the Grangemouth Just Transition Plan. This will help to ensure a that future low-carbon opportunities are realised, whilst ensuring that any transition puts equity and fairness at its heart for people who live and work there.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415284,"EventID":"S6W-24597","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:02.823","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T11:48:23.47","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to Hayfield Limited since 2019. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not provided any funding to Hayfield Limited from 2019 to present.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415285,"EventID":"S6W-24582","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:02.887","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T08:27:35.603","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has informed NHS boards that capital funding has been frozen for two years as part of its Budget, in light of reports of it putting in place such a freeze.","AnswerText":"As set out in the draft Scottish Government budget, the capital funding position is extremely challenging due to the UK Government’s decision to cut our capital budget by nearly 10%.\r\nThe capital budget settlement allows for Health Boards’ delegated capital budgets to be maintained at 23-24 levels, for all major projects in construction to be completed and for continued support for the national replacement programmes for ambulances and radiotherapy equipment. Given the current uncertainty regarding availability of funding, regrettably, we have advised boards to pause any new capital projects until capital funding becomes more certain.\r\nOur Infrastructure Investment Plan identified priority health capital projects for funding within that period. As a result of UK Government cuts, we will bring forward a revised Infrastructure Investment Plan in the spring. All due consideration will be given to what projects can be included to ensure the revised Plan is affordable and deliverable.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415286,"EventID":"S6W-24572","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:02.933","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-16T15:25:15","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work has been undertaken to improve braille signage within public buildings.","AnswerText":"At the start of 2023 the Scottish Government (SG) completed a package of signage works at Victoria Quay, this work included tactile floor maps, accessible wayfinding signs and meeting room door signs which all incorporated braille. Victoria Quay was selected for this work on the basis of its high usage for public events and driven by the recommendations as set out by British standard BS8300-2 : 2018 Design of an accessible and inclusive built environment. Our aim is to roll out further braille signage where it is required as part of future refurbishment works within the SG core estate.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415287,"EventID":"S6W-24623","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:02.997","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T14:52:19.32","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government on what date it will hold its proposed Cultural Value Summit, as set out in A Culture Strategy for Scotland: Action Plan.","AnswerText":"The Cultural Value Summit will take place in 2024. We expect to announce the date shortly.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415288,"EventID":"S6W-24614","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:03.043","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T12:49:40.91","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what criteria will be used to determine which businesses will be subject to the proposed non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its Budget for 2024-25.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24444 on? 22 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415289,"EventID":"S6W-24630","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:03.123","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T14:52:19.32","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been allocated from the Public Library Improvement Fund to libraries in each of the past 10 years.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government provides annual funding towards the Public Library Improvement Fund (PLIF), administered by the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC), to enable libraries to undertake a wide range of pioneering initiatives within communities.\r\nThe following table provides a breakdown of the PLIF funding allocated to libraries since 2013-14.\r\nPublic Library Improvement Fund\r\nYear\r\nFunding\r\n2013-14\r\n£455,391\r\n2014-15\r\n£395,766\r\n2015-16\r\n£399,628\r\n2016-17\r\n£395,391\r\n2017-18\r\n£434,172\r\n2018-19\r\n£396,894\r\n2019-20\r\n£439,772\r\n2020-21\r\n£412,371\r\n2021-22\r\n£409,414\r\n2022-23\r\n£420,624\r\nFor 2023-24, £450,000 has been allocated towards PLIF. The final total administered to libraries will be available at the end of the current financial year.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415290,"EventID":"S6W-24621","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:03.17","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T14:52:19.32","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish its Culture Partnership Agreement with COSLA, as set out in A Culture Strategy for Scotland: Action Plan.","AnswerText":"We are in the initial stages of scoping the joint Scottish Government and COSLA Culture Partnership Agreement, which will require extensive collaboration with COSLA.\r\nWe will be able to share more information on this work in the months following the Cultural Value Summit, which will take place in 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415291,"EventID":"S6W-24634","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:03.217","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T15:05:19.703","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of ScotRail’s digital tickets have been sold by (a) ScotRail and (b) third-party retailers in each year since 2020. ","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for ScotRail and the previous Franchisee, Abellio ScotRail prior to 1 April 2022. The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.\r\nThe Member may wish to contact ScotRail, who might have the information relating to the period from April 2022.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415292,"EventID":"S6W-24617","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:03.277","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T12:50:13.26","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the anticipated revenues that would be generated from the introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its Budget for 2024-25, once behavioural changes are taken into account.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24444 on 22 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415293,"EventID":"S6W-24583","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:03.373","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T08:27:35.62","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-22795 by Michael Matheson on 21 November 2023, whether the review of funding availability took place in line with its Budget.   ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24582 on 1 February 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415294,"EventID":"S6W-24603","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:03.42","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T11:57:33.787","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to the Rhoda Nina Scott Trust since 2019.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not provided funding to the Rhoda Nina Scott Trust since 2019.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415295,"EventID":"S6W-24612","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:03.48","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T12:49:04.063","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed introduction of a non-domestic rates (NDR) public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its Budget for 2024-25, what its position is on whether the introduction of such a levy is consistent with the statement in the New Deal for Business Implementation Plan that \"success in the longer term will be achieved if businesses view the NDR system to be less complex and to better support business growth, investment and competitiveness from 2024/25 onwards\".","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24498 on? 23 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415296,"EventID":"S6W-24589","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:03.527","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T08:58:40.923","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what type of building would be expected to connect to heat networks as part of a proposed Heat in Buildings Bill. ","AnswerText":"The Heat in Buildings Bill consultation proposes that local authorities and the Scottish Ministers may be provided with powers to require buildings within a Heat Network Zone to end their use of polluting heating systems (by a certain date and with a minimum notice period).\r\nWe do not specify any sub-sets of buildings which may be affected by these proposals, in order to gain thorough feedback in response to our consultation. Thereafter we will analyse responses to help determine whether to take these proposals forward, including whether they may be restricted to particular types of buildings.\r\nIn March 2022 we published The Heat Networks Delivery Plan, which sets out a building hierarchy table for connection to a heat network and can also support our policy development in this area. It sets out that within a heat network zone it will be important to encourage and prioritise the connection of key anchor buildings, which can enable the efficient operation of a heat network, helping to reduce customer costs and enabling the extension of the network over time to other nearby buildings.\r\nDistrict heat network development: Building Connection Hierarchy*\r\nPriority\r\nNon-domestic* 2\r\nDomestic* 3\r\n1\r\nNew Buildings (with a heat demand)\r\n \r\nExisting public sector non-domestic buildings (above a certain heat demand* 4 )\r\nResidential buildings with high heat demand. Highest priority for highest heat demand such as large groups of homes already on communal heating, large multi home or multi tenancy domestic buildings* 5 and retirement homes.\r\n2\r\nExisting Commercial or Third Sector non-domestic buildings\r\n(above heat demand threshold* 4 )\r\nExisting public sector non-domestic buildings\r\n(below heat demand threshold* 4 )\r\n3\r\nExisting Commercial / Third Sector (below heat demand threshold). Possible priority for multi tenancy or multi ownership or historic or traditional buildings* 5\r\n4\r\nAll other heat using buildings in heat network zones that are not already served by zero emission heating or for which there is no fuel poverty increase in doing so. \r\nBuilding Connection Hierarchy – Interpretation and Points of Note\r\n* This Hierarchy applies only to buildings in a heat network zone, buildings that do not already have a zero emission heating system and that are not soon to be demolished.\r\n* 2 Particular flexibility may be required around long term contracts for energy supply, energy performance contracting or novel financing arrangements such as Private Finance Initiative (PFI) Non-Profit Distributing Model, and Pubic Private Partnerships (PPPs).\r\n* 3 Where this does not adversely impact those at risk of fuel poverty. Higher priority for those that support the eradication of fuel poverty.\r\n* 4 Where heat demand cannot be used a size threshold may be an acceptable alternative.\r\n* 5 The inclusion of multi ownership buildings (rather than those with one organising entity such as a social landlord) and historic and traditional buildings is included only where this does not risk the timely delivery of the heat network.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415297,"EventID":"S6W-24618","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-18T16:43:03.577","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T13:52:45.957","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported concerns regarding the indefinite detention of some prisoners in Scotland, whether it is reviewing the application of the Order for Lifelong Restriction introduced in 2008, particularly in relation to reported cases where prisoners sentenced for minor offences have been detained for over 15 years without a release date; what measures are in place to ensure that (a) social workers and (b) psychologists involved in any such cases are accountable for their recommendations and decisions regarding such prisoners, and what steps are being taken to ensure (i) transparency of and (ii) accountability for any decisions affecting such prisoners, particularly in light of the reported removal of courses previously offered to work towards release.","AnswerText":"Orders for Lifelong Restriction (OLRs) are a long-standing valuable sentencing option for courts to use for the most dangerous offenders. The OLR is an exceptional risk based sentence which is only used by the most senior judges in Scotland in the High Court following a risk assessment process carried out by accredited experts.\r\nIn order for the High Court to impose an OLR, they must be satisfied on the balance of probabilities that the nature of, or the circumstances of the commission of, the offence of which the convicted person has been found guilty - either in the circumstances themselves or as part of a pattern of behaviour - are such as to demonstrate that there is a likelihood that he or she, if at liberty, will seriously endanger the lives, or physical or psychological well-being, of members of the public at large.\r\nDecisions on the release of OLR prisoners are taken by the Parole Board for Scotland. New rules were introduced last year which require that the latest Risk Management Plan (RMP) or the Risk Assessment Report is available to the Board when consideration is made for the release of a person subject to an OLR. The Board will only direct release when they are satisfied that imprisonment is no longer necessary for the protection of the public but in circumstances where their decision differs from the recommendations in the RMP, they must provide a reason for that decision.\r\nThe Risk Management Authority (RMA) have a legislative responsibility around the evaluation and approval of RMPs and can make recommendations around the role of social work and psychologists involved in those cases. The RMA have produced evidence-based Standards and Guidelines for Risk Assessment and Management to support criminal justice partners in consistent risk practice. Last year, they also published extensive research into the Order for Lifelong Restriction sentence, a report which is available on their website, and the Scottish Government continues to reflect on these findings.\r\nProfessional standards bodies such as the Scottish Social Services Council sets out national standards of conduct and practice that apply to all social service workers and their employers.\r\nOver the last few years, there have been changes to pilot delivery of two new national offender programmes, an expanded Self-Change programme to address intimate partner violence and sexual offending and a redesigned Moving Forward to Change (MF2C) sex offender programme. It is expected that MF2C will support a greater throughput of prisoners through the programme, optimising access to it.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415319,"EventID":"S6W-24720","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":5618,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":91,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-19T09:10:49.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-19T08:57:45.093","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to progress towards the World Health Organization (WHO) target to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030.","AnswerText":"I can today announce that the Scottish Government will establish an Expert Group to lead on scoping work to consider and provide recommendations on how Scotland will work towards reaching the targets set by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to eliminate Cervical Cancer.\r\nThe WHO advises that to eliminate Cervical Cancer, all countries must reach and maintain an incidence rate of below four per 100 000 women. Achieving that goal rests on three key pillars and their corresponding targets:vaccination: 90% of girls fully vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by the age of 15;screening: 70% of women screened using a high-performance test by the age of 35, and again by the age of 45;treatment: 90% of women with pre-cancer treated and 90% of women with invasive cancer managed.\r\nEach country should meet the 90–70–90 targets by 2030 to get on the path to eliminate cervical cancer within the next century.\r\nScotland has already observed many successes in tackling Cervical Cancer and is close to, or has met many of the targets to work towards achieving elimination status.\r\nThe Expert Group, due to meet soon will comprise Scottish Government policy officials, clinicians, Public Health Scotland (PHS), National Services Division, Third Sector organisations such as Jo’s Trust.\r\nWe will progress work with key stakeholders and develop actions to address inequalities to ensure that the work to meet the targets does not only focus on overall population levels, but addresses the inequalities gap.\r\nOnce the Expert Group have considered and provided their recommendations on when Scotland is likely to meet the WHO targets, I will provide a further update to Parliament.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415327,"EventID":"S6W-24676","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-19T15:58:29.673","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T09:52:02.787","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many public sector grants to third sector organisations are resourced to accommodate the payment of (a) at least the Real Living Wage and (b) annual uplifts to staff, to support organisations to meet its Fair Work First criteria and be Fair Work employers. ","AnswerText":"The Draft Budget continues to recognise the critical role that the third sector plays in supporting the delivery of key services in Scotland’s communities. We are keenly aware of the pressures on the third sector at this time. The financial environment is extremely difficult while demand for services is increasing. Additionally, Fairer Funding is part of a series of steps to address this difficult financial environment within Scottish Government funding for third sector organisations.\r\n(a) Regarding Fair Work First conditionality, the Scottish Government has sought to implement these principles across all government portfolios, updating grant obligations to meet the new conditionality requirements from July 2023. Monitoring compliance with Fair Work First principles, including the requirements to pay workers at least the real Living Wage and provide appropriate channels for effective voice, is the responsibility of individual grant managers across government and of relevant funders across the wider public sector. It takes place within existing grant assurance and monitoring processes, as with any other condition of grant, such as agreed outcomes.\r\nWhere exceptions to the mandatory grant requirements are applied, grant managers are asked to record these. This information will be requested and collated at the end of the financial year.\r\n(b) It is for individual grant-makers and funders to determine the value of individual grants within their overall budget limitations. Real Living Wage conditionality is concerned with uplifting low pay workers to at least the real Living Wage. Any further pay increases an employer wishes to introduce above and beyond this will be a matter for the employer concerned.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415328,"EventID":"S6W-24693","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-19T15:58:29.75","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T14:10:39.533","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans Historic Environment Scotland has to extend its Historic Sundays scheme beyond March 2024.","AnswerText":"Questions regarding day-to-day operational matters of Historic Environment Scotland, including information relating to Historic Sundays, are best answered by Historic Environment Scotland.\r\nI have asked Historic Environment Scotland to respond directly to the member with a full reply to his question in writing.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415329,"EventID":"S6W-24651","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-19T15:58:29.813","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T16:18:53.63","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact assessment was conducted regarding its decision to remove all funding from the \"Regional Transport Partnership\" budget line in its Budget 2024-25.","AnswerText":"In an extremely challenging financial climate, and following a worst case scenario UK Autumn Statement in which UK Ministers prioritised tax cuts over public spending, we have had to take difficult decisions in setting this budget. The amount Scotland has available to spend is still largely driven by the block grant, which is derived from the UK Government's spending decisions and continuing constraint on public expenditure. The block grant has fallen by 1.2% in real terms since 2022-23 and, because of the UK Government's failure to inflation-proof capital budgets, our capital spending power is due to contract by almost 10% in real terms over 5 years. \r\nDespite this, I am pleased that this Government has committed £4.7 billion in capital and resource in 2024-25 for activities that will have a positive impact on delivery of our climate change goals, and funding of almost £3.9 billion for transport across Scotland. The total budget for my portfolio increases by £47.7 million in 2024-25, which is a £27.9 million (0.6%) reduction in real terms using GDP deflators published in November 2023.\r\nA significant proportion of the expenditure in my portfolio is legally and contractually committed, and I have ensured that those commitments are met in full in this budget as well as allocating funding to support critical maintenance and renewal expenditure to ensure that the people of Scotland have access to a safe and reliable transport system.\r\nI have considered equalities and fairer Scotland duties and progress towards our statutory targets for climate change and child poverty in prioritising the budget available to me. I refer to the Equalities and Fairer Scotland Budget Statement and Carbon Assessment published alongside this budget.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415330,"EventID":"S6W-24593","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-19T15:58:29.907","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T10:47:27.233","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact that reducing the sportscotland budget will have on the physical activity of children.","AnswerText":"sportscotland’s budget has remained stable this year, with a £100k reduction due to a reduced requirement for non-cash funding and offsetting increase in resource requirement, both relating to recent accounting changes.\r\nWe have committed to ensure that the Active Schools programme is free for all children and young people by the end of this Parliament. sportscotland works in partnership with all 32 local authorities to invest in and support Active Schools. Active Schools is dedicated to developing and supporting the delivery of high quality sport and physical activity opportunities to all children and young people, taking an inclusive approach and providing targeted opportunities where there is a need. Data published by sportscotland shows significantly increased participation levels across the past academic year (2022-23), with 4.6 million visits to Active Schools sessions, a rise of 34% on 2021-22.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":415331,"EventID":"S6W-24684","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-19T15:58:29.953","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T10:50:07.92","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the reported failures with paediatric audiology services in NHS Lothian, how many additional affected children have been identified who were not identified in the two audits.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24682 on 29 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415332,"EventID":"S6W-24680","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-19T15:58:30.017","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T10:48:58.633","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23961 by Patrick Harvie on 15 January 2024, how many terawatt-hours of heating and cooling these existing projects will deliver.","AnswerText":"In order to obtain accurate data from projects funded through Scotland’s Heat Network Fund and the Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme we need to gather information for a reasonable time period post commissioning of the project to ensure accurate data is collated. As we do not have a full data set, we are unable to provide a reliable figure at this time.\r\nIn addition, due to heat supply agreements currently being developed by a number of projects, Scottish Government is unable to provide accurate estimates of heat supply for pre-capital projects as figures supplied by projects are estimates only and could change in the future.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415333,"EventID":"S6W-24641","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5866,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-19T15:58:30.097","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T16:08:49.45","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to NHS Fife reiterating its commitment, in August 2023, to the development of two new purpose-built Community Health and Wellbeing Centres in Kincardine, in addition to Lochgelly, with plans having been developed over a number of years with its partners and local communities, and in light of the current health centre reportedly being condemned as unfit for purpose around 15 years ago, for what reason this work has not yet commenced; whether the reason is budget related, and what stream of unused funding could be used to finance this project.","AnswerText":"As set out in our draft budget the capital funding position is extremely challenging, with a UK Government cut of some 10% in our capital budget over the next five years. That has inevitably led to some difficult decisions on what capital projects will be progressed.\r\nKincardine and Lochgelly Medical Centres were not included within the Infrastructure Investment Plan 2021-22 to 2025-26, which identified the priority health capital projects for funding within that period. The Scottish Government will bring forward a revised Infrastructure Investment Plan in the spring, alongside the medium-term financial strategy, at which point we would hope that the fiscal outlook will be clearer.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415334,"EventID":"S6W-24694","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-19T15:58:30.143","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T14:10:39.533","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people participated in Historic Environment Scotland’s Historic Sundays scheme in each month that it ran.","AnswerText":"Questions regarding day-to-day operational matters of Historic Environment Scotland, including information relating to Historic Sundays, are best answered by Historic Environment Scotland.\r\nI have asked Historic Environment Scotland to respond directly to the member with a full reply to his question in writing.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415335,"EventID":"S6W-24638","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-19T15:58:30.19","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T15:57:10.3","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that local authorities have lost in-house expertise on trees, green infrastructure, biodiversity and nature conservation, and what action it will take to address any workforce and skills pressures in these areas.","AnswerText":"Local authorities are independent corporate bodies with their own powers and responsibilities. It is up to each local authority how it manages its day-to-day business and decision making processes, including the allocation of staff resources and the level of services that are provided.\r\nAddressing the biodiversity crisis needs action across the whole of government and wider society. Through the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy and Delivery Plan we are working with local authorities to ensure they have the right tools and guidance for nature restoration, and to empower the development of partnerships that include the right skills and knowledge to deliver local nature restoration projects.\r\nSince 2021-22, we have directly allocated £17 million to Local Authorities through the Nature Restoration Fund for them to deliver such projects in partnership with other organisations. In 2023-24, we allocated an additional £5 million to support initial work to develop local nature networks.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415336,"EventID":"S6W-24673","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-19T15:58:30.267","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T18:20:33.123","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-20844 by Paul McLennan on 13 September 2023, what the (a) purchase price and (b) grant offered was for each property in the applications received and approved (i) prior to and (ii) since the announcement on 19 July 2023, and whether it will also provide a breakdown of these figures by applications from (A) registered social landlords and (B) local authorities. ","AnswerText":"I refer the Member to the answer to question S6W-21426 on 2 October 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers ","AnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":415337,"EventID":"S6W-24592","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-19T15:58:30.33","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T10:45:00.567","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many sexual health clinics are currently not operating.","AnswerText":"This information is not held centrally. NHS Boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships are the experts on their communities and are responsible for providing sexual health services that meet local needs. This can sometimes include changing clinic operating times to best match capacity with demand.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":415338,"EventID":"S6W-24650","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-19T15:58:30.393","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T16:18:41.1","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact assessment was conducted regarding the £6.7 million reduction to the \"Central Government Grants to Local Authorities\" budget line within its Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition budget for 2024-25.","AnswerText":"In an extremely challenging financial climate, and following a worst case scenario UK Autumn Statement in which UK Ministers prioritised tax cuts over public spending, we have had to take difficult decisions in setting this budget. The amount Scotland has available to spend is still largely driven by the block grant, which is derived from the UK Government's spending decisions and continuing constraint on public expenditure. The block grant has fallen by 1.2% in real terms since 2022-23 and, because of the UK Government's failure to inflation-proof capital budgets, our capital spending power is due to contract by almost 10% in real terms over 5 years. \r\nDespite this, I am pleased that this Government has committed £4.7 billion in capital and resource in 2024-25 for activities that will have a positive impact on delivery of our climate change goals, and funding of almost £3.9 billion for transport across Scotland. The total budget for my portfolio increases by £47.7 million in 2024-25, which is a £27.9 million (0.6%) reduction in real terms using GDP deflators published in November 2023.\r\nA significant proportion of the expenditure in my portfolio is legally and contractually committed, and I have ensured that those commitments are met in full in this budget as well as allocating funding to support critical maintenance and renewal expenditure to ensure that the people of Scotland have access to a safe and reliable transport system.\r\nI have considered equalities and fairer Scotland duties and progress towards our statutory targets for climate change and child poverty in prioritising the budget available to me. I refer to the Equalities and Fairer Scotland Budget Statement and Carbon Assessment published alongside this budget.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415339,"EventID":"S6W-24644","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-19T15:58:30.44","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T16:16:57.003","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact assessment was conducted regarding the £9.3 million reduction to the \"Energy Efficiency and Decarbonisation\" budget line in its Budget 2024-25.","AnswerText":"The reduction is driven by a reduction to the level of financial transactions allocation for 2024-25. This funds loans given out under our funding schemes to support home owners and businesses install energy efficiency measures and clean heating system. Despite this reduction in financial transactions, the overall settlement across capital increased by 7.5% which should enable us to maintain all our schemes on a similar basis as they have run during 2023-24. In the event that any the scope or eligibility of any funding scheme needs to change during the course of 2024-25 the need for an impact assessment will be considered at that time.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415340,"EventID":"S6W-24674","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-19T15:58:30.5","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T09:50:48.6","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide details of the specific measures that will be included within its Fairer Funding approach to voluntary sector funding. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to adopting fairer funding principles within its management of third sector grants. This approach aims to provide security and certainty, allowing organisations to build resilience, capacity and effective relationships across the public, third and private sectors. The application of these Fairer Funding principles include a commitment to embed a multi-year grant approach on all third sector grants by 2026, and the First Minister committed to increasing the number of two-year grants at The Gathering in 2023.\r\nAdditionally, we are reviewing grant management practice across the Scottish Government with a view to ensure proportional and consistent reporting methods across Scottish Government third sector grant management, and are committed to ensuring early notification of funding arrangements by the end of the financial year.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415341,"EventID":"S6W-24649","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-19T15:58:30.55","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T16:18:26.92","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact assessment was conducted regarding its decision to remove all funding from the \"Green Economy\" budget line in its Budget 2024-25.","AnswerText":"In an extremely challenging financial climate, and following a worst case scenario UK Autumn Statement in which UK Ministers prioritised tax cuts over public spending, we have had to take difficult decisions in setting this budget. The amount Scotland has available to spend is still largely driven by the block grant, which is derived from the UK Government's spending decisions and continuing constraint on public expenditure. The block grant has fallen by 1.2% in real terms since 2022-23 and, because of the UK Government's failure to inflation-proof capital budgets, our capital spending power is due to contract by almost 10% in real terms over 5 years. \r\nDespite this, I am pleased that this Government has committed £4.7 billion in capital and resource in 2024-25 for activities that will have a positive impact on delivery of our climate change goals, and funding of almost £3.9 billion for transport across Scotland. The total budget for my portfolio increases by £47.7 million in 2024-25, which is a £27.9 million (0.6%) reduction in real terms using GDP deflators published in November 2023.\r\nA significant proportion of the expenditure in my portfolio is legally and contractually committed, and I have ensured that those commitments are met in full in this budget as well as allocating funding to support critical maintenance and renewal expenditure to ensure that the people of Scotland have access to a safe and reliable transport system.\r\nI have considered equalities and fairer Scotland duties and progress towards our statutory targets for climate change and child poverty in prioritising the budget available to me. I refer to the Equalities and Fairer Scotland Budget Statement and Carbon Assessment published alongside this budget.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415342,"EventID":"S6W-24678","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-19T15:58:30.61","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T09:52:40.66","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the review of charity regulation will be conducted independently of it. ","AnswerText":"Building on the recent passage of the Charities (Regulation and Administration) (Scotland) Act 2023, the Scottish Government has committed to work with the third sector and partners to develop the scope for a wider review of charity regulation.\r\nNo decisions have yet been taken on how the review will be conducted. The approach will depend on the agreed scope, timescales and outcomes and all options, including an independent review, will be considered.\r\nMy officials are currently working on proposals for engaging stakeholders which will ensure that all interested parties have the opportunity to contribute their views on the purpose and scope of the review. I will update parliament on our plans in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415343,"EventID":"S6W-24672","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-19T15:58:30.673","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T17:06:04.347","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to equip ambulance crews with a video link to hospitals. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Ambulance Service is currently in the planning stages to reprofile their smartphones to enable staff to utilise the video consulting service “NEAR ME”, where appropriate and in the best interests of patient care.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415344,"EventID":"S6W-24596","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-19T15:58:30.72","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T10:47:56.307","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what time-sensitive targets it has for bringing waiting times for any NHS service into line with relevant standards.","AnswerText":"Waiting times for planned care services is one of many metrics that contributes to the monitoring of performance and effectiveness across NHSScotland.\r\nThere have been several changes to waiting time targets and standards over the last 30 years. The  Patient Rights (Scotland) Act 2011  established a 12 week Treatment Time Guarantee (TTG) written into legislation for eligible patients who are due to receive planned inpatient or day case treatment from 1 October 2012. The Act states that eligible patients must start to receive that treatment within 12 weeks (84 days) of the treatment being agreed. This guarantee is based on completed waits where a patient is removed from the list after being admitted for treatment.\r\nTo support the above guarantee, from 31 March 2010 no patient should wait longer than 12 weeks for a new outpatient appointment at a consultant-led clinic. More information on this can be found on the  Public Health Scotland website section on waiting times  .\r\nMore recently, in July 2022  new targets  were set out for NHSScotland to address the impact of the pandemic on long waiting times for planned care. Public Health Scotland publish progress against these targets quarterly:  Stage of treatment waiting times - Inpatients, day cases and new outpatients quarter ending 30 September 2023 - NHS waiting times - stage of treatment - Publications - Public Health Scotland ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":415345,"EventID":"S6W-24643","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-19T15:58:30.813","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T16:16:44.197","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact assessment was conducted regarding the £79.9 million reduction to the \"Rail Services\" budget line in its Budget 2024-25.","AnswerText":"In an extremely challenging financial climate, and following a worst case scenario UK Autumn Statement in which UK Ministers prioritised tax cuts over public spending, we have had to take difficult decisions in setting this budget. The amount Scotland has available to spend is still largely driven by the block grant, which is derived from the UK Government's spending decisions and continuing constraint on public expenditure. The block grant has fallen by 1.2% in real terms since 2022-23 and, because of the UK Government's failure to inflation-proof capital budgets, our capital spending power is due to contract by almost 10% in real terms over 5 years. \r\nDespite this, I am pleased that this Government has committed £4.7 billion in capital and resource in 2024-25 for activities that will have a positive impact on delivery of our climate change goals, and funding of almost £3.9 billion for transport across Scotland. The total budget for my portfolio increases by £47.7 million in 2024-25, which is a £27.9 million (0.6%) reduction in real terms using GDP deflators published in November 2023.\r\nA significant proportion of the expenditure in my portfolio is legally and contractually committed, and I have ensured that those commitments are met in full in this budget as well as allocating funding to support critical maintenance and renewal expenditure to ensure that the people of Scotland have access to a safe and reliable transport system.\r\nI have considered equalities and fairer Scotland duties and progress towards our statutory targets for climate change and child poverty in prioritising the budget available to me. I refer to the Equalities and Fairer Scotland Budget Statement and Carbon Assessment published alongside this budget.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415346,"EventID":"S6W-24677","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-19T15:58:30.86","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T09:52:28.997","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that public sector grants to third sector organisations are resourced to accommodate (a) payment of the Real Living Wage and (b) annual uplifts to staff, to support organisations to meet its Fair Work First criteria and to be Fair Work employers. ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to S6W-24676 on 30 January 2024. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415347,"EventID":"S6W-24698","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-19T15:58:30.923","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T14:42:29.737","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported figures published by Reform Scotland showing that 611 school pupils between P1 and S3 did not attend a single day of school in 2023. ","AnswerText":"I am advised that data cited from Reform Scotland was gathered via FOI in October for school years, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2021-22 and 2022-23. Whilst most local authorities provided some information, I am advised that there was not 100% return across all areas and for all years – and the type of data provided by local authorities on this matter will vary.\r\nNotwithstanding Schools and education authorities should engage with parents and carers whose children are at risk of non-attendance to provide reassurance on any concerns, overcome any barriers to learning, and support attendance.\r\nAt the end of 2023 I asked Education Scotland to undertake work to better understand the current barriers and challenges experienced by schools, children and young people and their families which influence school attendance. Education Scotland published this report, “Improving Attendance: Understanding the Issues,” on 28 November 2023.\r\nAs part of our response to this report, I have tasked the Interim Chief Executive of Education Scotland to work directly with Directors of Education to take forward improvement on attendance as a matter of priority. We are currently reviewing the findings of this report and will consider the recommendations for any future work on addressing attendance in schools.\r\nWe are also considering the findings from our Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research, which also published in November 2023, and provides evidence-based information on the extent to which pupils are disengaging from learning.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415348,"EventID":"S6W-24691","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-19T15:58:30.97","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T13:56:28.07","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures it has put in place to eliminate the possibility of a so-called \"lab leak\" from virology research in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has no functions in relation to biosafety in virology laboratories, this is a matter for the UK Government. Under COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) legislation, employers must minimise the risk to laboratory staff working with biological agents. COSHH is enforced by the UK HSE (Health and Safety Executive) and police counter-terror / NaCTSO (National Counter Terrorism Security Office) partners. Strict risk assessments and robust safety controls in medical and biological laboratories, in line with COSHH and HSE biosafety laboratory guidance, guarantee safe and secure working practices including preventing unintentional release of biological agents.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":415349,"EventID":"S6W-24689","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-19T15:58:31.017","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T11:22:11.823","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many cells within police buildings have closed since the creation of Police Scotland, broken down by each of the 13 geographical policing divisions.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information. The management of custody facilities is a matter for Police Scotland. However, I will ask the Chief Constable if the service is able to provide the member with this information directly.\r\nThe level of custody facilities required on a local and divisional basis is very much a consideration within Police Scotland's Estates Strategy and the ongoing consultation around a number of properties.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415350,"EventID":"S6W-24558","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-19T15:58:31.097","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-16T10:24:06.777","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the outcomes have been of its £270,000 of funding for the provision of prehabilitation through the eight Maggie’s Centres across Scotland; how many patients have been supported with prehabilitation to date; whether it will provide a breakdown of the different types of cancers that the centres have dealt with, and, in the event that a patient cannot access a Maggie’s Centre, what provision is in place to ensure that there is equity of care across Scotland.","AnswerText":"A report detailing the impact of the initial pilot by Maggie’s can be found  here  .\r\nFrom November 2021 to December 2023, 2494 people affected by cancer have been supported via Maggie’s.\r\nDuring the initial pilot phase, people with 34 different cancer types, including those with multiple cancers, attended the prehabilitation workshops. 59% of attendees were people affected by prostate and bowel cancers. The trend is similar in the period from April to December 2023, however those affected by breast and lung cancers make up a larger percentage of attendees than in the pilot phase.\r\n77% of those providing feedback said the prehabilitation workshops delivered by Maggie’s had a positive impact on their health engagement. In addition, more than 90% said they felt better able to make positive changes to their physical activity, emotional well-being, and diet/nutrition.\r\nThe prehabilitation website referred to in response to question S6W-24556 on ? 25 January 2024 is available to those who prefer to source information online, and a Scottish Health Technology Assessment is in progress to help Scottish Government understand the potential for digital solutions to delivering prehabilitation. Finally, in collaboration with NHS Education Scotland, a training plan is in development that will support national scale up of the Maggie’s workshops via other willing providers.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415351,"EventID":"S6W-24648","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-19T15:58:31.143","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T16:17:49.783","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact assessment was conducted regarding the £1.1 million reduction to Scottish Water's budget in its Budget 2024-25.","AnswerText":"There has been no reduction to Scottish Water’s budget. The Scottish Government Budget for 2024-25 sets out that during the financial year, the Scottish Government intends to lend £170m per annum in capital funding and to receive some £105.5m income per annum which is the interest on loans issued to Scottish Water. Across the 2021-27 period Ministers have committed to lend Scottish Water up to £1.03bn. Lending in future years will be agreed in future Budget Acts.\r\nThe quoted reduction of £1.1m is for the Water Industry portfolio. This reflects additional income from interest payments made by Scottish Water as well as a reduction in spend on some Hydro Nation activity. The impact is outlined in the answer to S6W-24199.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415352,"EventID":"S6W-24686","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-19T15:58:31.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T10:50:25.22","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the reported failures with paediatric audiology services in NHS Lothian, whether additional resources will be provided to meet any unmet needs identified for the affected children.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24682 on 29 January 2024 . All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415353,"EventID":"S6W-24692","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-19T15:58:31.253","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T13:56:28.07","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to ensure that Scotland is fully prepared for any potential future pandemic.","AnswerText":"We are working to ensure lessons identified from our policy response to the COVID-19 pandemic are put in place and that policy across government is better able to respond to the next pandemic. This includes clear responsibilities for preparedness and response; to include NHS resilience, Scottish Resilience (through SGORR), and cross-Scottish Government policy consideration of our existing plans, drawing on learnings including the UK Chief Medical Officers Technical report on the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK and Public Health Scotland’s National Incident Management Team reporting.\r\nWe are working with the UK Government and other administrations to strengthen the capabilities and countermeasures required to address future pandemics, including retaining stockpiles of PPE and the purchase of vaccines and medicines. We have established a Standing Committee on Pandemic Preparedness which provided interim recommendations on future pandemic preparedness in August 2022. We anticipate that the Standing Committee on Pandemic Preparedness will provide its final report in the summer 2024 for consideration.\r\nWe are committed to responding to both the UK and Scottish Covid-19 inquiries, as learning lessons from the pandemic is vital to prepare for the future.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":415354,"EventID":"S6W-24682","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-19T15:58:31.317","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T10:49:49.013","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the reported failures with paediatric audiology services in NHS Lothian, what action was taken for patients identified in the first and second audits as needing further follow up who did not attend or reply to a letter, and, for every child, whether (a) there was direct contact with their (i) family and (ii) named person or health visitor, (b) their GP was informed and (c) any contact was by a means other than a letter.","AnswerText":"NHS Lothian have advised that they make significant efforts to support attendance at appointments with affected families and follow an enhanced did not attend (DNA) policy whereby if a patient doesn’t attend their first appointment, they are contacted by telephone by an Audiologist to discuss non-attendance. A further appointment is then verbally agreed, and a letter sent to the family confirming the new appointment date. If there is a second instance of failure to attend, a further phone call by an Audiologist is made to agree a new appointment date and to discuss any issues and/or barriers in relation to attending the appointment. However, if there is a third instance of failure to attend then a DNA letter is sent to the family and copied to the GP and/or Health Visitor informing them the patient has been discharged from the service. Even after this letter if sent, if the family feel they still require an appointment, they can contact the service within 4 weeks and will be offered an appointment.\r\nThe BAA selected the different cohort of patients and the number of patients to be reviewed in each of the cohort groups, which was based on an increased likelihood of risk of missed hearing loss and cohorts were stratified in this way by the BAA to maximise detection of missed or delayed cases of hearing loss and poor quality testing. NHS Lothian have confirmed that all children who have been identified through the original audit have had their care clinically reviewed and, where appropriate, have been recalled for review to ensure these children are receiving the right support and treatment. NHS Lothian have provided assurances on the process that they have in place to respond to patients who were not part of the original BAA audits but who, on review, have a pattern of care that reflects the issues highlighted by the BAA. Families are being directly contacted and offered a meeting with the Senior Management Team to discuss the findings and to agree an appropriate care plan, with a focus on ensuring the right support is in place. I have sought further assurance from NHS Lothian around those children that are predicted to have been missed, based on the cohorts and percentages reviewed and I will provide an update to the member in due course.\r\nTo date, out with the 2 BAA audits, 6 further cases have been identified and in line with previous arrangements, these families have been directly contacted and offered a meeting with the Senior Management Team to discuss the findings and to agree a future care and support plan.\r\nAll children and young people should receive the support that they need to reach their full potential. Education authorities are under a statutory duty to identify, provide for, and review the support that they provide for pupils with additional support needs. Decisions on support are a matter for individual education authorities. Education authorities also have duties to employ a teacher of the deaf where support is required for child or young person who is deaf or deafblind. NHS Lothian and Local Authorities work very closely to help ensure those affected receive the multi-agency support they need. In addition, in working closely with their colleagues within Speech and Language Therapy, NHS Lothian have increased the capacity of the specialist team that works with children with a hearing impairment to ensure appropriate support is available to affected children and families.\r\nThe Scottish Government commissioned an Independent Review of Audiology Services in Scotland which was published in August 2023 and in December 2023, announced that it accepted, in principle, all of the recommendations made as part of that review and work on implementation is now underway. Implementation will be undertaken with partners from the third sector, as well as the health service, which will allow us to ensure the voices of those with lived experience, including those affected within NHS Lothian, are front and centre as changes are ma","AnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415355,"EventID":"S6W-24645","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-19T15:58:31.377","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T16:17:11.1","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact assessment was conducted regarding the £40.8 million reduction to the \"Active Travel, Low Carbon and Other Transport Policy\" budget line in its Budget 2024-25.","AnswerText":"In an extremely challenging financial climate, and following a worst case scenario UK Autumn Statement in which UK Ministers prioritised tax cuts over public spending, we have had to take difficult decisions in setting this budget. The amount Scotland has available to spend is still largely driven by the block grant, which is derived from the UK Government's spending decisions and continuing constraint on public expenditure. The block grant has fallen by 1.2% in real terms since 2022-23 and, because of the UK Government's failure to inflation-proof capital budgets, our capital spending power is due to contract by almost 10% in real terms over 5 years. \r\nDespite this, I am pleased that this Government has committed £4.7 billion in capital and resource in 2024-25 for activities that will have a positive impact on delivery of our climate change goals, and funding of almost £3.9 billion for transport across Scotland. The total budget for my portfolio increases by £47.7 million in 2024-25, which is a £27.9 million (0.6%) reduction in real terms using GDP deflators published in November 2023.\r\nA significant proportion of the expenditure in my portfolio is legally and contractually committed, and I have ensured that those commitments are met in full in this budget as well as allocating funding to support critical maintenance and renewal expenditure to ensure that the people of Scotland have access to a safe and reliable transport system.\r\nI have considered equalities and fairer Scotland duties and progress towards our statutory targets for climate change and child poverty in prioritising the budget available to me. I refer to the Equalities and Fairer Scotland Budget Statement and Carbon Assessment published alongside this budget.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415356,"EventID":"S6W-24690","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-19T15:58:31.423","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T11:44:46.54","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to introduce the proposed Housing Bill outlined in its rented sector strategy, A New Deal for Tenants.","AnswerText":"Our Programme for Government published in September 2023 committed to the introduction of a Housing Bill this parliamentary year. This Bill will deliver our New Deal for Tenants including the introduction of long-term rent controls for the Private Rented Sector; creating new tenants’ rights; and introducing new duties aimed at the prevention of homelessness.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415357,"EventID":"S6W-24687","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-19T15:58:31.47","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T10:50:33.613","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether additional funding will be made available to increase the number of Teachers of the Deaf to meet any increase in the number of referrals.","AnswerText":"It is for Education Authorities to determine what teaching and support staff are required to meet the support needs of their pupils, including those affected by deafness. The level of support from a qualified Teacher of the Deaf depends upon the individual needs of each pupil.\r\nSpending on additional support for learning by authorities has reached a record high of £830m in 2021/22. We have continued to invest an additional £15m per year since 2019-20 and provide over £11m of funding to directly support pupils with complex additional support needs and services to children and families.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415358,"EventID":"S6W-24685","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-19T15:58:31.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T10:50:17.577","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the reported failures with paediatric audiology services in NHS Lothian, whether it will commission an independent review of the needs of the affected children identified in both the audits, in order to assess any current social, education and health needs and the extent to which these are being met.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24682 on 29 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415359,"EventID":"S6W-24646","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-19T15:58:31.58","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T16:17:23.507","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact assessment was conducted regarding the £5.5 million reduction to the \"Ferry Services\" budget line in its Budget 2024-25. ","AnswerText":"In an extremely challenging financial climate, and following a worst case scenario UK Autumn Statement in which UK Ministers prioritised tax cuts over public spending, we have had to take difficult decisions in setting this budget. The amount Scotland has available to spend is still largely driven by the block grant, which is derived from the UK Government's spending decisions and continuing constraint on public expenditure. The block grant has fallen by 1.2% in real terms since 2022-23 and, because of the UK Government's failure to inflation-proof capital budgets, our capital spending power is due to contract by almost 10% in real terms over 5 years.\r\nDespite this, I am pleased that this Government has committed £4.7 billion in capital and resource in 2024-25 for activities that will have a positive impact on delivery of our climate change goals, and funding of almost £3.9 billion for transport across Scotland. The total budget for my portfolio increases by £47.7 million in 2024-25, which is a £27.9 million (0.6%) reduction in real terms using GDP deflators published in November 2023.\r\nA significant proportion of the expenditure in my portfolio is legally and contractually committed, and I have ensured that those commitments are met in full in this budget as well as allocating funding to support critical maintenance and renewal expenditure to ensure that the people of Scotland have access to a safe and reliable transport system.\r\nI have considered equalities and fairer Scotland duties and progress towards our statutory targets for climate change and child poverty in prioritising the budget available to me. I refer to the Equalities and Fairer Scotland Budget Statement and Carbon Assessment published alongside this budget.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415360,"EventID":"S6W-24683","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-19T15:58:31.627","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T10:49:59.093","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the reported failures with paediatric audiology services in NHS Lothian, in light of the sampling not being based on risk, what its position is on whether there is a need for a review of a further sample of cases.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24682 on 29 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415361,"EventID":"S6W-24647","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-19T15:58:31.8","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T16:17:34.003","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact assessment was conducted regarding the £38.7 million reduction to the \"Climate Change and Land Managers Renewables Fund\" budget line in its Budget 2024-25.","AnswerText":"In an extremely challenging financial climate, and following a worst case scenario UK Autumn Statement in which UK Ministers prioritised tax cuts over public spending, we have had to take difficult decisions in setting this budget. The amount Scotland has available to spend is still largely driven by the block grant, which is derived from the UK Government's spending decisions and continuing constraint on public expenditure. The block grant has fallen by 1.2% in real terms since 2022-23 and because of the UK Government’s failure to inflation-proof capital budgets, our capital spending power is due to contract by almost 10% in real terms over 5 years.\r\nDespite this, I am pleased that this Government has committed £4.7 billion in capital and resource in 2024-25 for activities that will have a positive impact on delivery of our climate change goals, and funding of almost £3.9 billion for transport across Scotland.\r\nA significant proportion of the expenditure in my portfolio is legally and contractually committed, and I have ensured that those commitments are met in full in this budget as well as allocating funding to support critical maintenance and renewal expenditure to ensure that the people of Scotland have access to a safe and reliable transport system.\r\nI have considered equalities and fairer Scotland duties and progress towards our statutory targets for climate change and child poverty in prioritising the budget available to me. I refer to the Equalities and Fairer Scotland Budget Statement and Carbon Assessment published alongside this budget.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415362,"EventID":"S6W-24688","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-19T15:58:31.863","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T10:50:43.247","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent British Sign Language tutors are currently employed by each local authority.","AnswerText":"This information is not held centrally.\r\nBSL Tutors are employed directly by Education Authorities where appropriate, to support children and young people affected by deafness.\r\nUnder the Additional Support for Learning Act, all teachers have a role in meeting the additional support needs of deaf pupils and those who are deafblind. The level of support from a qualified Teacher of the Deaf depends upon the individual needs of each pupil.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415363,"EventID":"S6W-24681","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-19T15:58:31.94","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T10:48:58.633","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23961 by Patrick Harvie on 15 January 2024, what plans are (a) in place and (b) being considered for future expansion of existing projects supported through Scotland’s Heat Network Fund (SHNF) and the Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme (LCITP), and, based on these plans, whether it will provide an estimate of the (i) number of additional properties that could be connected and (ii) amount of heating and cooling in terawatt-hours that these additional connections would equate to.","AnswerText":"Scotland’s Heat Network Fund (SHNF) and the Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme (LCITP) has to date provided over £62 million to support the roll out of several heat networks across Scotland. The SHNF also offers funding to specifically support the extension of heat networks. All projects are encouraged to use our funding to establish heat networks that are futureproofed and have capacity for expansion. SHNF is currently supporting the extension of the Torry Heat Network. Phase 1 of the project received grant funding from the Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme (LCITP) and will complete this year. Phase 2 will see the network increase its connections by 587 homes and various non-domestic buildings. In addition, West Dunbartonshire Council also received LCITP grant support to deliver the Queen’s Quay heat network which has been constructed with the intention to extend to further buildings in the area.\r\nAlthough projects funded through LCITP and SHNF have the potential for expansion, many projects are currently in the early stages of multi-year construction programmes and any future expansion is dependent on the heat network owners.\r\nWe are also resourcing all local authorities to produce Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies, and these identify many heat network opportunities across Scotland. This is the vital first step in the expansion of heat networks, and we will work with our partners in local government to undertake further economic analysis to provide a clear pipeline of commercial heat network projects.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415364,"EventID":"S6W-24642","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-19T15:58:31.987","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T16:16:32.943","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact assessment was conducted regarding the reported £29.3 million real terms cut to the Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition budget in its Budget 2024-25.","AnswerText":"In an extremely challenging financial climate, and following a worst case scenario UK Autumn Statement in which UK Ministers prioritised tax cuts over public spending, we have had to take difficult decisions in setting this budget. The amount Scotland has available to spend is still largely driven by the block grant, which is derived from the UK Government's spending decisions and continuing constraint on public expenditure. The block grant has fallen by 1.2% in real terms since 2022-23 and, because of the UK Government's failure to inflation-proof capital budgets, our capital spending power is due to contract by almost 10% in real terms over 5 years.\r\nDespite this, I am pleased that this Government has committed £4.7 billion in capital and resource in 2024-25 for activities that will have a positive impact on delivery of our climate change goals, and funding of almost £3.9 billion for transport across Scotland. The total budget for my portfolio increases by £47.7 million in 2024-25, which is a £27.9 million (0.6%) reduction in real terms using GDP deflators published in November 2023.\r\nA significant proportion of the expenditure in my portfolio is legally and contractually committed, and I have ensured that those commitments are met in full in this budget as well as allocating funding to support critical maintenance and renewal expenditure to ensure that the people of Scotland have access to a safe and reliable transport system.\r\nI have considered equalities and fairer Scotland duties and progress towards our statutory targets for climate change and child poverty in prioritising the budget available to me. I refer to the Equalities and Fairer Scotland Budget Statement and Carbon Assessment published alongside this budget.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415365,"EventID":"S6W-24697","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-19T15:58:32.08","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T14:41:50.253","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to improve mental health waiting times for young people, in light of reported figures showing that at least one patient in NHS Ayrshire and Arran waited 91 weeks before their first child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) appointment. ","AnswerText":"The latest statistics show that 75.6% of child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) patients started treatment within 18 weeks of their referral. At Board level, 13 out of 14 CAMHS services have effectively eliminated their long waiting lists where 3% or fewer of all waits are over a year.\r\nWe regularly engage with Boards at official level, continually monitoring CAMHS waiting times performance and backlogs and directing tailored support to those Boards with the longest waits, including NHS Ayrshire and Arran. We provide access to professional advice, ensuring they have robust improvement plans in place and monitor their implementation.\r\nWe have commissioned all Boards to submit performance trajectories up to March 2024, including a timeline for clearing long waits. These will be updated annually and used to inform further targeted improvement work to ensure all Boards consistently meet the CAMHS waiting times standard.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415366,"EventID":"S6W-24695","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-19T15:58:32.143","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T14:10:39.533","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many Historic Environment Scotland sites participated in the Historic Sundays scheme in each month that it ran.","AnswerText":"Questions regarding day-to-day operational matters of Historic Environment Scotland, including information relating to Historic Sundays, are best answered by Historic Environment Scotland.\r\nI have asked Historic Environment Scotland to respond directly to the member with a full reply to his question in writing. However, information on sites participating in Historic Sundays is available on the Historic Environment Scotland website at  https://www.historicenvironment.scot/about-us/news/some-of-scotland-s-most-iconic-heritage-sites-set-to-offer-free-admission-this-winter/  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415368,"EventID":"S6W-24741","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-22T11:59:41.803","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-22T11:50:42.753","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the latest position is of the four-day working week public sector pilot, as outlined in its Programme for Government.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government can confirm today work has commenced on the 4 Day Working Week Public Sector Pilot to assess the wellbeing, environmental and productivity benefits a 4 Day Working Week could bring.\r\nWe have appointed Autonomy as our expert partner to support the pilot. The team involved in this project have previous 4 Day Working Week pilot experience including from the Valencian Government pilot, and the Icelandic public sector pilot.\r\nThe South of Scotland Enterprise 4 Day Working Week pathfinder work is being folded into Autonomy’s methodology, and engagement will continue with other public bodies interested in participating in the 32-hour working week pilot.\r\nAutonomy will also provide support and evaluate organisations moving to a contractual 35 hour working week. This will capture valuable insights from a wider range of public bodies on different shorter work week models and be included in the 4 Day Working Week evaluation report.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415369,"EventID":"S6W-24703","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-22T17:06:49.723","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T14:47:56.503","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what changes (a) have been made and (b) are being considered to the Memorandum of Understanding between NatureScot, Lombard Odier Investment Managers, Hampden & Co and Palladium, in light of the changes to the originally envisaged participation by Lombard Odier Investment Managers.","AnswerText":"No changes have been made, or are currently being considered, to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NatureScot, Hampden & Co, Lombard Odier Investment Managers and Palladium.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415370,"EventID":"S6W-24549","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-22T17:06:49.817","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-15T15:53:04.36","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided to train physician associates and anaesthesia associates in each of the last five financial years.\r\n ","AnswerText":"Employment of Anaesthesia Associates (AAs) and Physician Associates (PAs) is the responsibility of individual NHS Scotland Boards who receive funding from the Scottish Government. In the case of AAs, it is open to Boards to employ and support these individuals for the duration of their training as a way of building clinical capacity. There have been no nationally funded programmes to grow the AA and PA workforce over the last five financial years.\r\nWe will work with NHS Education for Scotland and continue to review the merits associated with a subsidised educational offer for trainee AAs and PAs in Scotland, building on models adopted elsewhere in the UK, as we progress with an evidence-based approach to the expansion of Medical Associate Profession roles across NHS Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415371,"EventID":"S6W-24696","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-22T17:06:49.867","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T14:37:46.717","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of any plans by Scottish Water to create new woodlands or restore peatland; if so, how much of the land owned by Scottish Water in total will be used to (a) plant trees and (b) restore peatland, and over how many years; what the (i) size and (ii) location is of each piece of such land, broken down by local authority area; what annual budget it will make available for any such (A) planting of trees and (B) restoration of peatland; whether Scottish Water plans to apply for any Scottish Government grants to assist with any such (1) tree planting and (2) peatland restoration costs; what reports it has commissioned on any such (aa) tree planting and (bb) peatland restoration potential; what the carbon credits potential is from any such (AA) tree planting and (BB) peatland restoration, and whether it will make any related reports public.","AnswerText":"As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water, and the Scottish Government does not hold this information, I have asked them to respond. Their reply is as follows:\r\nCirca 684 Hectares (Ha) (as identified to date) of Scottish Water land is planned for peatland restoration and the work has been phased over three years – 23-24, 24-25 and 25-26. Locations identified are Lintrathen and Backwater (100Ha – Angus Council), Afton (190Ha – East Ayrshire Council) and Loch Katrine (394Ha – Stirling Council).\r\nThe annual budget will be based upon the current industry average price of restoration, some £1600 per hectare and therefore the annual budget is estimated to be £384,000 in 23-24, £464,000 in 24-25 and £262,400 in 25-26. Scottish Water will apply to the Scottish Government for grants to undertake peatland restoration. Each area has been subject to a feasibility study, ecological survey and archaeological survey in line with Peatland ACTION processes and as required for the planning application and other elements of undertaking a peatland restoration project. Scottish Water works with tenants, graziers and other interests to ensure it will deliver multiple benefits from this programme.\r\nScottish Water has also screened the vast majority of its landholdings for tree planting potential. This has considered water quality and water resources, land that might be needed for asset expansion, suitability of the land for tree planting and to ensure that tenant farmers activities are not adversely impacted. Potential projects are also subject to environmental and ecological assessments.\r\nLoch Katrine represents the biggest single project across Scottish Water’s estate. Forestry and Land Scotland have submitted a Land Management Plan to Scottish Forestry for approval for the restoration of a natural woodland/open ground mosaic landscape. This will cover a 10-year period and see some 4,600 hectares of woodland creation, predominantly through natural regeneration, in addition to the 394Ha peatland restoration. The project is estimated at £4.8m over 10 years to the early 2030s and SW estimates it may to deliver up to 1 million tonnes of carbon benefit across this century through reduced losses from poor peatland and improved capture in vegetation and trees. It will also deliver improved water quality, catchment resilience to climate change and biodiversity gain.\r\nScottish Water’s other woodland creation is much smaller scale, predominantly associated with reservoirs and catchments. The gross cost of projects delivered to date is £650,000, which includes £123,000 funding from accessing woodland creation grants. The estimated cost of current projects is £1.3m with £480,000 woodland grant contribution expected.\r\nCollectively across all of Scottish Water’s woodland creation projects it estimates the 60-year benefit to be circa 160,000 tonnes of carbon with additional climate resilience, water quality and biodiversity benefits.\r\nScottish Water’s publishes updates on its activities at  https://www.scottishwater.co.uk/-/media/ScottishWater/Document-Hub/Key-Publications/Energy-and-Sustainability/211223Biodiversityreport23FINAL.pdf  and  https://scottishwaternetzero.co.uk/  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415372,"EventID":"S6W-24702","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-22T17:06:49.943","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T14:44:12.72","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure the reliability of ferry services, in light of reported figures showing that CalMac's annual compensation figures are eight times higher than they were in 2017-18. ","AnswerText":"To improve Scotland’s ferry, the Scottish Government have committed to investing around £700m in ports and vessels. This includes 6 new major vessels for the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service (CHFS) fleet before the end of this Parliament session.\r\nCaledonian Maritime Assets Limited and CalMac Ferries Ltd continue to seek additional tonnage. The current charter of the MV Alfred is an example of this, as a resilience vessel on the CHFS network.\r\nWe continue to provide resilience funding to CalMac Ferries Ltd to enable additional works and upgrades to vessels where required. This is on top of the funding included in the annual subsidy to CalMac Ferries Ltd for vessel maintenance.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415373,"EventID":"S6W-24713","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-22T17:06:49.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T17:28:56.63","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will work with the UK Government to pause, review and improve the Shared Rural Network programme through consulting with rural communities across the Highlands to (a) establish their digital connectivity needs, (b) avoid construction of new access tracks unless no other method is possible, (c) avoid construction in the Highlands' designated and other environmentally sensitive wild areas and (d) ensure that mobile operators share mast infrastructure, rather than building adjacent masts.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has no formal role in the Shared Rural Network (SRN) programme. SRN is a joint venture between the UK Government and the UK's four main mobile network operators. Equally, telecommunications policy is currently reserved to the UK Government. \r\nScottish Government officials continue to engage with the UK Government and the mobile network operators on SRN delivery and to encourage them to prioritise community and stakeholder engagement.\r\nThe Scottish Government recently completed the delivery of the Scottish 4G Infill programme, which deployed 55 masts in rural and island communities. Lessons learned from the programme have been shared with the SRN programme team, focusing in particular on the importance of thorough local stakeholder engagement at the mast site selection and acquisition stage. We will continue to facilitate discussions between UK Government and key stakeholders and to push for as much transparency as possible on the locations of masts and the rationale for why these have been chosen.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415374,"EventID":"S6W-24699","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-22T17:06:50.037","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T14:42:43.533","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported figures from Citizens Advice Scotland stating that nearly 24,000 people have been forced onto an electric prepayment meter against their wishes, and around 12,000 have been forced onto a prepayment meter for gas.","AnswerText":"We share the concerns that have been expressed by Citizens Advice Scotland and others concerning the reintroduction of forced pre-payment meter installations. Ofgem's Code of Practice requiring suppliers to meet a number of conditions before taking such action is an important step; however, too many households in Scotland remain at risk from this practice, especially with energy and other costs that are still too high. We believe that energy suppliers must exhaust all possible options, including meaningful support to struggling households to manage debt before imposing pre-payment meters. I have raised the issue of pre-payment meters many times with my UK Government counterparts who hold all the levers to act on this issue, and I will continue to raise these issues and concerns directly with the UK Government and Ofgem over the coming weeks in addition to my calls for a social tariff for the most vulnerable customers of energy companies.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415375,"EventID":"S6W-24715","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-22T17:06:50.117","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T17:50:59.777","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many times emergency contraception, or the so-called morning after pill, has been prescribed to prisoners in the (a) female and (b) male prison estate in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"This is a matter for NHS Health Boards. The information requested regarding data on emergency contraception prescribed in prisons is not held centrally. ","AnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":415376,"EventID":"S6W-24704","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-22T17:06:50.163","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T14:57:14.777","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of any economic analysis undertaken by South of Scotland Enterprise (SoSE) on any economic benefits of attracting private investment capital into tree planting, peatland restoration and nature bio-diversity, and, if so, whether any such analysis considered (a) both the short-term direct employment and local spend gains and multipliers and any longer-term effects in drawing resources out of the SoSE area through the returns on external private investment requiring to be paid, (b) how much of the flows of finance from carbon trading would leave the SoSE area and how much would be retained and (c) the effect of private external finance on (i) local land values and (ii) the number of farm enterprises in the region.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is not aware of any economic analysis undertaken by South of Scotland Enterprise (SoSE) on any economic benefits of attracting private investment into the region’s natural capital assets.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415377,"EventID":"S6W-24712","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-22T17:06:50.223","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T16:51:12.607","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that NHS boards have been asked to pause spending on capital projects, when the National Treatment Centre for NHS Grampian is expected to become operational. ","AnswerText":"As set out in our draft budget the capital funding position is extremely challenging, with a UK Government cut of some 10% in our capital budget over the next five years. That has inevitably led to some difficult decisions on what capital projects will be progressed.\r\nThe Scottish Government will bring forward a revised pipeline of infrastructure investment in the spring, alongside the medium-term financial strategy, at which point we would hope that the fiscal outlook will be clearer.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415378,"EventID":"S6W-24555","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-22T17:06:50.27","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-16T10:13:48.947","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it (a) can take and (b) is taking to prevent the (i) sale and (ii) use of unregulated products in aesthetic treatments. ","AnswerText":"We want to ensure all non-surgical cosmetic procedures in Scotland are delivered from hygienic premises by appropriately trained practitioners, applying recognised standards and using regulated products.\r\nThe regulation of medicines and medicinal products is reserved to the UK Government and is the responsibility of the UK wide Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Any changes to regulations including the sale and use of unregulated products would require a UK wide approach and would not be devolved to the Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415379,"EventID":"S6W-24701","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-22T17:06:50.317","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T14:43:36.647","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to increasing its support for cancer patients, in light of reported figures from the cancer care charity, Maggie's, stating that 40% of people with cancer in the UK have used annual leave for their appointments.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has been working in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support to improve the support offered to those affected by cancer through the Transforming Cancer Care Programme (TCC) since 2016. This partnership - the first of its kind in the UK - has seen £18 million invested to date. Both the Scottish Government and Macmillan Cancer Support have committed to a further £4.5 million investment each over the next 3 years.\r\nThis will ensure that every patient with cancer in Scotland has access to a specialist key support worker, who can provide emotional, financial and practical support.\r\nCancer is classified as a disability under the Equality Act 2010. Although the Act is a reserved matter, we would expect employers to adopt the Scottish Government’s Fair Work approach, including flexible working practices, to support employees affected by cancer.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415380,"EventID":"S6W-24706","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-22T17:06:50.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T14:57:40.657","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what risk assessments have been undertaken by, or with the involvement of, any of its agencies regarding projects seeking to utilise private investment in nature, woodland creation and peatland restoration, and whether it will publish any such assessments.","AnswerText":"Risk assessments are a routine part of projects approved under the two established mechanisms for utilising private investment in nature in Scotland - the Woodland Carbon Code and the Peatland Code. We expect Agencies to adhere to the risk assessment process for the two Codes and also the principles set out in the Scottish Public Finance Manual. Scottish Government does not hold this information.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415381,"EventID":"S6W-24700","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-22T17:06:50.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T14:43:06.647","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) stating that almost 200,000 people were out of work because of ill health between July 2022 and June 2023, which is reportedly around 29,000 more than in the same period before the COVID-19 pandemic.","AnswerText":"More recent statistics are available for comparison from the ONS Annual Population Survey.In the pre-COVID period October 2018 to September 2019, 762,700 people were classed as economically inactive. Of this, 215,800 or 28.3% said that long-term sickness was the main reason for inactivity.In the most recent comparable period of October 2022 to September 2023, 762,600 people were classed as economically inactive. Of this, 242,000 or 31.7% said that long term sickness was the main reason for inactivity.This is an increase of 26,200 people giving long term sickness as the reason for inactivity whilst the level of inactivity overall had fallen modestly by 100. This suggests that people are changing their reason for inactivity rather than becoming inactive as a result of illness.\r\nWe were among the first in the UK to turn serious attention to economic inactivity, initially focussing on ill health, and our  National Strategy for Economic Transformation  contains a commitment to address Scotland’s labour market inactivity challenges. To progress this commitment we have undertaken engagement with employers about how our health system can better support employers and employees to enable people to stay healthy in work and move back in to work from inactivity.\r\nIn addition, we are committed to supporting people into work through our devolved employability approach No One Left Behind, a lifetime skills offer for adults to target support at those who need it most, and supporting more diverse and inclusive workplaces as part of our Fair Work agenda.\r\nThe Scottish Government also funds NHS initiatives to support people with health conditions to sustain or return to work, including Working Health Services Scotland and Public Health Scotland's  Healthy Working Lives  . These provide advice and support on work-related physical and mental health promotion and ill health prevention, return to work practices and workplace safety for employers and employees.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415382,"EventID":"S6W-24705","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-22T17:06:50.473","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T14:57:30.167","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any progress on the development of the Natural Capital Market Framework announced in its Programme for Government 2023-24; what consultation has taken place on this to date; what further consultation is planned on the proposed contents of the framework, and who it plans to consult.","AnswerText":"Scotland’s Market Framework for natural capital markets aims to guide the development of responsible, high-integrity and values led natural capital markets in Scotland by setting out a clear long-term vision, a policy framework and guidance for market participants.\r\nThe project is currently in its discovery phase; desk-based research has been undertaken to collate existing evidence. We are also developing our engagement plan to help support and empower people to actively participate in the definition, design and delivery of the framework.\r\nIn the Spring, the project will enter its engagement and co-development phase. Stakeholders with a known interest will be approached within their existing networks. We will also host a series of open workshops for those with a general interest and ensure there is an opportunity for stakeholders to submit their reflections in writing.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415383,"EventID":"S6W-24716","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-22T17:06:50.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T17:50:59.777","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many times an early medical abortion, or so-called abortion pill, has been prescribed to prisoners in the (a) female and (b) male prison estate, who were not pregnant upon incarceration, in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"This is a matter for NHS Health Boards. The information requested regarding data on early medical abortion medication prescribed in prisons is not held centrally. \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415384,"EventID":"S6W-24707","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-22T17:06:50.583","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T15:02:24.813","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6F-02720 by Humza Yousaf on 18 January 2024 that “all homes and businesses in Scotland can currently access a superfast broadband service”, how many properties in Orkney currently have access to superfast broadband, defined as access to download speeds between 30-300mbps.","AnswerText":"Every home and business across Scotland, including on Orkney, should be able to access a superfast broadband connection – either through fixed line broadband, mobile broadband, fixed wireless access or using newer technologies such as Low Earth Orbit satellites.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415394,"EventID":"S6T-01757","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-22T15:25:03.4","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-22T11:49:46.14","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its current policy is regarding the deletion or retention of WhatsApp messages by ministers.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415395,"EventID":"S6T-01740","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-22T15:25:02.35","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-22T08:09:04.737","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the closure of Ardrossan Harbour’s Irish Berth for safety reasons after corrosion was reportedly uncovered during an inspection by divers.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415396,"EventID":"S6T-01752","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-22T15:25:03.053","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-22T11:23:03.673","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the report by Homes for Scotland highlighting that almost 700,000 households in Scotland are in housing need.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-01-23T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415397,"EventID":"S6F-02733","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-22T15:24:57.267","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T11:31:34.16","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415398,"EventID":"S6F-02734","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5586,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-22T15:24:57.423","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T11:31:48.74","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415399,"EventID":"S6F-02735","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-22T15:24:57.47","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T14:30:09.467","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on how the Scottish Government will continue to protect tenants in the private rented sector after the expiry of the rent cap under the Cost of Living (Tenants Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415400,"EventID":"S6F-02760","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16178,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":78,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-22T15:24:58.897","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-22T11:59:50.95","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on the Scottish Government's latest engagement with the UK Government regarding the status of the Grangemouth refinery.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415401,"EventID":"S6F-02748","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-22T15:24:58.253","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-22T11:26:42.313","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister, in light of the Scottish Government's plans to open the first safe drug consumption room in Glasgow later this year, what assurances he can provide that other areas of drugs policy, including spaces for residential rehabilitation, will not be deprioritised.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415402,"EventID":"S6F-02753","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-22T15:24:58.567","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-22T11:49:43.83","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government plans to take in response to the reported rise in attacks on prison guards and weapons found in prisons. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-01-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415403,"EventID":"S6W-24759","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":3751,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":108,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-23T10:41:27.82","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T10:34:00.727","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work to publish an action-oriented International Strategy setting out the outcomes that it will seek to achieve through international engagement up to May 2026.","AnswerText":"Today, the Scottish Government has published its new International Strategy to guide our approach to international engagement and delivery to the end of the current parliamentary term. We have a successful record of delivering internationally since the beginning of devolution and want to continue to build on our strengths and seize global opportunities.\r\nThis new strategy looks across the wide range of Scottish Government responsibilities and priorities focusing on three key themes: (1) economy, trade and investment; (2) climate change, biodiversity and renewable energy; and (3) reputation, influence and relationships.\r\nBy being clear and precise in where we focus our efforts, the strategy will ensure that our international work continues to make a substantial, positive impact on the lives of people in Scotland and internationally.\r\nLink to document:  https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781835218303 ","AnswerDate":"2024-01-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415410,"EventID":"S6W-24671","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-23T17:41:12.743","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T16:23:27.713","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what role it considers demand responsive transport planning will play in delivering its target of a 20% reduction in car kilometres travelled by 2030.","AnswerText":"Acknowledging the importance of Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) as a transport solution, the Strategic Transport Planning Review (STPR2) recommends investment in DRT and Mobility as a Service (MaaS) as a means to provide improved public transport connectivity, which in turn forms part of the suite of policy interventions the Scottish Government is delivering in order to achieve its target of a 20% reduction in car kilometres travelled by 2030.\r\nDigital technologies can improve access to real time journey information, including journey planning, scheduling, retailing and fulfilment methods across multiple modes of transport, including Digital Demand Responsive Transport (DDRT) in rural areas. By providing more reliable, personalised and dynamic information about public and shared transport services, MaaS and DDRT can reduce car dependency and use in the areas surrounding Scotland’s towns and cities.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415411,"EventID":"S6W-24722","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-23T17:41:12.977","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-19T09:22:21.48","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to increase capacity in hospices.","AnswerText":"It is for Integration Joint Boards to govern, plan and resource adult palliative care in their areas, including independent hospice care, using the integrated budget under their control.\r\nThe Scottish Government is not taking action to increase capacity in hospices. We are gathering data on current and projected needs for palliative care over the next two decades, to inform the development of the new national strategy for palliative care in Scotland. The strategy will address a range of models to meet those needs and provide palliative care and care around death in a range of settings, including specialist inpatient and outpatient units, hospices, hospitals, community hospitals, care homes and peoples’ own homes.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415412,"EventID":"S6W-24653","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-23T17:41:13.057","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T16:19:19.543","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact assessment was conducted regarding the £7 million reduction to the “Support for bus services” budget line in its Budget 2024-25. ","AnswerText":"The Network Support Grant, currently paid at 14.4 p/km, has been fully funded to the level of forecast demand in 2024-25. This is lower than budgeted in 2023-24 as demand has not been as high as anticipated this financial year. 2023-24 funding was too high, as patronage failed to recover as quickly as anticipated and services were cut, this means that the 2024-25 figure is a more accurate assessment. The Network Support Grant cannot be viewed in isolation and is part of the package of support for bus services. With the launch of the young person's free bus scheme in January 2022, we are helping to embed sustainable travel behaviours and support bus patronage to grow.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415413,"EventID":"S6W-24667","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-23T17:41:13.133","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T16:22:34.467","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23907 by Mairi McAllan on 9 January 2024, where “all available evidence from Scottish Government commissioned research and external sources” relating to transport demand management options will be published.","AnswerText":"The research commissioned by Transport Scotland on equitable options for car demand management, referred to in the answer to PQ S6W-24666 on 6 February 2023, will be published in the coming months.\r\nIn addition, as outlined in the draft route map to achieving a 20% reduction in car km by 2030, published in January 2022, the Scottish Government intends to publish a demand management framework by 2025. This will set out our approach to transport demand management options, drawing on all available evidence from Scottish Government commissioned research and external sources, as noted in response to question S6W-23907.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415414,"EventID":"S6W-24662","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-23T17:41:13.18","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T16:21:20.89","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23861 by Fiona Hyslop on 10 January 2024, what information it holds on any criteria that must be met before a local authority can decide to withdraw a bus service route. ","AnswerText":"The decision to withdraw services is solely a matter for the local council or transport authority to consider and must comply with guidance as set out by the Office of the Traffic Commissioner who is the licensing authority in Scotland. They must give 42 days notice to the Office of the Traffic Commissioner of the cancellation, from the date that the Office of the Traffic Commissioner receives it.\r\nThe majority of bus services in Scotland are operated on a commercial basis by private bus companies in the open de-regulated market. Provided an operator registers a service with the Office of the Traffic Commissioner they can set routes, timetables and fares. Commercial viability and patronage on individual routes is considered commercially sensitive information, and is not currently shared with the Scottish Government.\r\nFull guidance on the rules which must be adhered to can be found on the website of the Office of the Traffic Commissioner -  Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415415,"EventID":"S6W-24755","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-23T17:41:13.243","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-22T14:17:56.117","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24720 by Jenni Minto on 22 January 2024, whether it can provide information on (a) the names of (i) organisations that and (ii) individuals who are members of the Expert Group on eliminating cervical cancer, (b) whether the Expert Group's membership will comprise of any patients with lived experience, (c) when the group will meet and how often and (d) whether HPV home testing will be part of the group's remit.","AnswerText":"As announced on 22 January, an Expert Group will be established to lead on scoping work to consider and provide recommendations on how Scotland will work towards reaching the targets set by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to eliminate Cervical Cancer.\r\nWe are in the process of writing to individuals and organisations to invite them to become members of the Expert Group. Membership is expected to come from Scottish Government policy officials, clinicians, Public Health Scotland (PHS), National Services Division Screening team and Third Sector organisations such as Jo’s Trust. We are also seeking membership from individuals with lived experience.\r\nThe Scottish Government continues to explore all possible avenues, including HPV self-sampling, which may improve uptake of cervical screening towards the World Health Organisation (WHO) target of 70%. However, introduction of self-sampling is dependent on a recommendation from the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), the expert advisory group that advises all four UK nations on screening.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415416,"EventID":"S6W-24675","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-23T17:41:13.29","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T09:51:41.157","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23223 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 12 December 2023, in light of its commitment to issue notifications of funding arrangements to third sector organisations no later than the end of March for funding beginning on 1 April, what processes it plans to put in place in relation to third sector funding in 2024 to ensure that this commitment is met.","AnswerText":"As I said to the Social Justice and Social Security Committee on 25 January, we are absolutely committed to pursuing our commitments to Fairer Funding for the third sector through the 2024-25 budget process. This includes providing early notification of grants to organisations as soon as is practically possible and before the end March 2024 for funding beginning on 1 April.\r\nThe budget process is still ongoing. I will provide a further update to parliament on the implementation of this commitment after the end March 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415417,"EventID":"S6W-24669","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-23T17:41:13.337","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T16:22:55.57","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support has been provided to local authorities to help them acquire the knowledge, skills, and capacity to introduce bus franchising arrangements under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government approach to the bus powers in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 (\"the 2019 Act\") is to empower local transport authorities with flexible tools to enable them to determine what is best to address any transport challenges according to their local needs. Local transport authorities are encouraged to consider the full powers available to them, including partnership work, franchising and local authority run services which sit alongside their ability to subsidise services.\r\nThrough the Community Bus Fund we have provided funding to support local transport authorities to explore the options for bus services set out in the 2019 Act and improve public transport in their areas. More details are provided in the answer to question to S6W-24668 on 2 February 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .\r\nIn addition on 29 January, Transport Scotland officials published an overview of the bus powers available to local transport authorities, which provides an outline of all the powers available to them, and the opportunities they provide to improve local services. The document is available on the Transport Scotland website. Officials continue to engage with local transport authorities and other key stakeholders on the development of detailed guidance to help in their consideration of the franchising and partnership powers. This guidance will be available later this year.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415418,"EventID":"S6W-24668","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-23T17:41:13.383","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T16:22:43.577","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what funding has been provided to (a) regional transport partnerships and (b) local authorities in order to help them plan for bus franchising arrangements.","AnswerText":"In September 2023, the Scottish Government launched the Community Bus Fund which supports local transport authorities to explore the options in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 (\"the 2019 Act\") and improve public transport in their areas.\r\nIn 2023-2024 the Community Bus Fund made available £750,000 of resource funding for pathfinder projects, being developed by local authorities and regional transport partnerships. This funding was intended to support initial feasibility and preparatory work required for the 2019 Act, including franchising, partnerships and local authority run services. A further £5 million of capital funding in 2023-24 was allocated through the General Capital Grant to local authorities to improve bus services.\r\nWhile the Scottish Government encourages local transport authorities to consider the full range of tools available to them under the 2019 Act, it is for them to determine what is best to address any transport challenges according to their local needs.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415419,"EventID":"S6W-24730","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-23T17:41:13.447","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-19T14:39:00.5","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the grid-level costs of (a) variable and (b) baseload generation.","AnswerText":"The grid-level costs of specific variable or baseload generation will depend on various factors including (but not limited to) grid capacity, demand flexibility and the geographical location of installation.\r\nThe Scottish Government has not made an assessment of this. The responsibility for the balancing of grid lies with the National Grid Electricity System Operator and wider system integration costs are set by the regulator, Ofgem. This data is not held by the Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415420,"EventID":"S6W-24721","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-23T17:41:13.523","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-19T09:22:21.48","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can detail what its policies are in relation to designing clinical models for independent hospices.","AnswerText":"It is for Integration Joint Boards to govern, plan and resource adult palliative care in their areas, including independent hospice care. The Scottish Government is developing a national guidance framework to support local planning and commissioning of independent care between Integration Joint Boards and independent hospices.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415421,"EventID":"S6W-24640","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-23T17:41:13.57","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T16:08:20.04","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it anticipates the impact will be of the reported withdrawal of £75,000 of funding for the Mark Scott Leadership for Life Award, in light of the programme reportedly leveraging around a further £200,000 annually from other funding sources, supporting over 150 young people from around 60 schools across central Scotland, particularly in the Edinburgh Eastern constituency, and leading to community projects that support over 2,500 people annually.","AnswerText":"Our block grant funding for this Budget is derived from the UK Government's spending decisions and has fallen by 1.2% in real terms since 2022-23 – a real terms drop of £0.5 billion. The reality is that the amount Scotland has available to spend is still largely driven by the block grant set by successive UK Governments whose constraint of public expenditure prolongs the austerity felt by public services. We fully recognise that all difficult funding decisions have an impact and while there is significant pressure across all Scottish Government budgets in 2024-25, we have reviewed funding options and have identified budget resource for the Mark Scott Awards for 2024-25.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415422,"EventID":"S6W-24719","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-23T17:41:13.617","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T18:39:30.573","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it (a) can and (b) will request that the Scottish Housing Regulator publish the daily rate of each person on its statutory managers list.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government cannot direct the independent Scottish Housing Regulator to publish the daily rate of each person on its statutory managers list and, as such, will not be requesting that they do so.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415423,"EventID":"S6W-24732","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-23T17:41:13.667","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-19T14:39:00.5","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost was of balancing the electricity grid in Scotland in 2022.","AnswerText":"The responsibility for the balancing of grid lies with the National Grid Electricity System Operator. More information including data on balancing costs can be found here:  Balancing costs | ESO (nationalgrideso.com)  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415424,"EventID":"S6W-24723","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-23T17:41:13.73","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-19T10:25:26.413","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24240 by Fiona Hyslop on 19 January 2024, what assessment has been made of the potential impact that heavier electric vehicles will have on the vehicle carrying capacity of CalMac's ferry fleet.","AnswerText":"In follow up to parliamentary question S6W-24240 answered on 19 January 2024. CalMac Ferries Limited have not carried out any assessment of the potential impact that heavier electric vehicles will have on the vehicle carrying capacity of the fleet. I understand that both our operators keep up to date with the latest developments and follow all Maritime Coast Guard Agency (MCA) guidance. The carrying Electric Vehicles (EV) has been assessed by trained personnel and the operators have developed procedures following the release of specific guidance issued by the MCA (MGN 653) and the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA). This guidance was developed through consultation with the industry, and specifically the industry body, Inter-Ferry of which they are a members.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415425,"EventID":"S6W-24736","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5060,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-23T17:41:13.807","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-19T16:56:47.56","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the cost has been of conducting the latest Scottish Household Survey (SHS), and how much it cost to conduct the SHS in each of the last 10 years.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Household Survey costs in the following table cover both the social survey (approximately 10,500 households interviewed per year) and the physical survey (approximately 3,000 residential properties inspected per year). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, only 3,000 households were interviewed for the 2020 social survey, and the 2020 and 2021 social surveys were carried out by telephone rather than by the usual face-to-face method. There was no 2020 physical survey, and the 2021 physical survey inspections were external only, with information on internal aspects of the property collected from the householder by telephone.\r\nSurvey fieldwork year\r\nCost (excluding VAT)\r\n2014\r\n£1.94 million\r\n2015\r\n£2.01 million\r\n2016\r\n£2.12 million\r\n2017\r\n£2.08 million\r\n2018\r\n£2.47 million\r\n2019\r\n£2.53 million\r\n2020\r\n£1.35 million\r\n2021\r\n£2.48 million\r\n2022\r\n£2.68 million\r\n2023\r\n£2.74 million\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415426,"EventID":"S6W-24659","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-23T17:41:13.887","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T16:20:40.963","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact assessment was conducted regarding the £9.3 million reduction to the “Skills Programmes” budget line in its Budget 2024-25.","AnswerText":"Our children, young people, families and learners of all ages continue to be a key priority for this Government and we will continue to focus on our three central missions of equality, opportunity, and community. We also have to make difficult budget choices due to the pressures on our public services and the lack of funding from the UK Government resulting in the most challenging fiscal position since devolution. \r\nWe remain committed to supporting a high quality post-school education, research and skills system with over £2.4 billion investment. This will maintain Scotland’s reputation for world-leading research; provide opportunities for people to learn and develop their skills through further and higher education, apprenticeships and other programmes including Developing the Young Workforce. We are also honouring this government’s commitment to free tuition; and providing vital financial support to students to support them in completing their studies in the face of significant cost of living pressures.\r\nThe impact assessments which support the draft Budget 2024-25 can be found at this link:  Scottish Budget - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  . ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415427,"EventID":"S6W-24679","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-23T17:41:13.933","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T09:53:35.867","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide a list of voluntary sector organisations in receipt of Scottish Government funding that have received a reduction in their award, including the amount of any such reductions, in each of the last three financial years. ","AnswerText":"Information about third sector grants is not currently collated centrally.\r\nThe Scottish Government provides support to voluntary sector organisations from a range of budget lines across Ministerial portfolio. This includes direct grants as well as funding distributed as part of partner-led funding programmes and through public bodies.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415428,"EventID":"S6W-24729","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-23T17:41:13.997","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-19T12:35:54.287","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what provision local authorities have to allow Council Tax exemptions or discounts to residents in properties affected by flooding.","AnswerText":"The Council Tax system in Scotland provides for a 100% exemption from Council Tax for homes that are not habitable, and are undergoing major repairs, which lasts for up to 12 months. Further, local authorities have the discretion to apply a Council Tax discount of up to 50% to an unoccupied property at any time. As there is no time limit to this discretion there is no date at which any discount must expire.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415429,"EventID":"S6W-24754","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-23T17:41:14.043","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-22T14:11:19.997","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6F-02720 by Humza Yousaf on 18 January 2024, whether the First Minister plans to request the addition of a correction in the Official Report in relation to his claim that \"All homes and businesses across Scotland can currently access a superfast broadband service\", in light of Ofcom statistics reportedly showing that superfast availability across Scotland is at 94.7%.","AnswerText":"As outlined in response to question S6W-24707 on 6 February 2024 every home and business across Scotland should be able to access a superfast broadband connection – either through fixed line broadband, mobile broadband, fixed wireless access or using newer technologies such as Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites.\r\nThe superfast broadband figure quoted in Ofcom’s latest Connected Nations Report published on 19 th December 2023 relates to the availability of fixed line broadband only, which currently stands at 95% across Scotland.\r\nThe same Ofcom 2023 report also states that “Starlink [an LEO satellite service] currently… delivers nationwide broadband coverage, including in harder-to-reach areas” and that “Ofcom home broadband performance measurements suggest measured speeds on its [Starlink] network average around 100 Mbit/s download and 14 Mbit/s upload.”\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415430,"EventID":"S6W-24762","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-23T17:41:14.09","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T10:38:48.187","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many Single Building Assessments have been carried out to date.","AnswerText":"As of January 2024:25 Single Building Assessments have commenced. This includes one development where the Fire Risk Assessment of the External Wall (FRAEW) has been completed and the development remediated.3 where an SBA has not yet been commissioned but pre-assessment discussions have been held with factors and agreement secured that an SBA will be commenced through the direct procurement pathway.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415431,"EventID":"S6W-24670","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-23T17:41:14.137","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T16:23:06.367","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what good practice guidance it has provided to local authorities regarding their consideration of the mobility needs of older people in the design of low-traffic neighbourhoods. ","AnswerText":"Local authorities are responsible for the management of local roads and paths in their area, including design of low traffic neighbourhoods. The Scottish Government has provided guidance for these within the  National Planning Framework  , the “  Our Place  ” website and  Cycling by Design  guidance.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415432,"EventID":"S6W-24731","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-23T17:41:14.183","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-19T14:39:00.5","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the grid-level costs of moving to 100% renewable generation.","AnswerText":"The responsibility for the balancing of grid lies with the National Grid Electricity System Operator and wider system integration costs are set by the regulator, Ofgem. This data is not held by the Scottish Government.\r\nAlthough the Scottish Government has not made an assessment of this, evidence from the Climate Change Committee suggests that integration costs could be around £10- 25/MWh for systems with up to 50-65% renewables but could increase further at higher penetrations. However, as the Committee on Climate Change note, it is challenging to estimate system integration costs and extensive assumptions are required to do so. Estimates of system integration costs are largely reliant on modelling. More details can be found here:  Technical-Annex-Integrating-variable-renewables-into-the-UK-electricity-system.pdf (theccc.org.uk)  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415433,"EventID":"S6W-24718","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-23T17:41:14.23","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T18:29:57.547","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24477 by Joe FitzPatrick on 18 January 2024, what its position is on whether the year-long timescale to review this planning application is acceptable, and what impact determination periods of this length have on the efficiency of (a) urban development, (b) investment and (c) economic growth in Glasgow, relative to peer cities.","AnswerText":"Scottish Ministers intervene in only a handful of cases each year and generally only where they raise issues of national importance. These can sometimes be among the more complex planning cases which require careful consideration. Nevertheless, it is always our aim to progress cases to a decision as quickly as possible, recognising the vital role planning and the development sector play in investing and shaping our places and communities and the impact on this of unnecessary delays.\r\nIn this instance, whilst the application was called in by Ministers on 27 February 2023, it was not until mid-June 2023 that the reporter received all the relevant application information from Glasgow City Council to allow arrangements to be made to start the examination of these proposals. This information included representations from over 150 members of the public. The reporter held a hearing in September 2023 and parties final submissions were received in December 2023.\r\nThe reporter has now submitted the report and recommendation to Ministers, who will make the final decision as to whether or not planning permission should be granted for this proposed development.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415434,"EventID":"S6W-24655","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-23T17:41:14.293","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T16:19:50.32","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact assessment was conducted regarding the £63.4 million reduction to the “Future Transport Fund – Low Carbon” budget line in its Budget 2024-25.","AnswerText":"In an extremely challenging financial climate, and following a worst case scenario UK Autumn Statement in which UK Ministers prioritised tax cuts over public spending, we have had to take difficult decisions in setting this budget. The amount Scotland has available to spend is still largely driven by the block grant, which is derived from the UK Government's spending decisions and continuing constraint on public expenditure. The block grant has fallen by 1.2% in real terms since 2022-23 and, because of the UK Government's failure to inflation-proof capital budgets, our capital spending power is due to contract by almost 10% in real terms over 5 years.\r\nDespite this, I am pleased that this Government has committed £4.7 billion in capital and resource in 2024-25 for activities that will have a positive impact on delivery of our climate change goals, and funding of almost £3.9 billion for transport across Scotland. The total budget for my portfolio increases by £47.7 million in 2024-25, which is a £27.9 million (0.6%) reduction in real terms using GDP deflators published in November 2023.\r\nA significant proportion of the expenditure in my portfolio is legally and contractually committed, and I have ensured that those commitments are met in full in this budget as well as allocating funding to support critical maintenance and renewal expenditure to ensure that the people of Scotland have access to a safe and reliable transport system.\r\nI have considered equalities and fairer Scotland duties and progress towards our statutory targets for climate change and child poverty in prioritising the budget available to me. I refer to the Equalities and Fairer Scotland Budget Statement and Carbon Assessment published alongside this budget.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415435,"EventID":"S6W-24661","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-23T17:41:14.387","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T16:21:11.75","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact assessment was conducted regarding the £1 million reduction to the “Community Learning & Development” budget line in its Budget 2024-25. ","AnswerText":"This budget has required difficult choices due to the pressures on our public services and the lack of funding from the UK Government. We are facing the most challenging fiscal position since devolution. Mindful of our missions and priorities for Scotland, we have had to prioritise legal and contractual obligations in determining how to deploy this budget across Education and Skills priorities. Our children, young people, families and learners of all ages continue to be a key priority for this Government and we will continue to focus on our three central missions of equality, opportunity, and community. \r\nWe remain committed to supporting a high quality post-school education, research and skills system with over £2.4 billion investment. This will maintain Scotland’s reputation for world-leading research; provide opportunities for people to learn and develop their skills through Community Learning and Development (CLD), further and higher education and apprenticeships – honouring this government’s commitment to free tuition; and provide vital financial support to students to support them in completing their studies in the face of significant cost of living pressures. This is also why the Independent Review of CLD was announced on 5th December 2023 which will identify strengths in our current approach to CLD and highlight where improvements may be necessary.\r\nThe impact assessments which support the draft Budget 2024-25 can be found at this link:  Scottish Budget - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  . In particular I’d draw your attention to the:\r\nEducation and Skills portfolio analysis section in Annex B and the Employability Case Study in Annex C of the Equality and Fairer Scotland statement.\r\nI’d also highlight the following, also available at the link above:\r\nScottish Budget 2024 to 2024: high level carbon assessment\r\nScottish Budget 2024 to 2024: distributional analysis\r\nScottish Budget 2024 to 2024: Climate Change Assessment of the Budget","AnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415436,"EventID":"S6W-24660","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-23T17:41:14.463","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T16:20:53.913","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact assessment was conducted regarding the £4.3 million reduction to the “Education Maintenance Allowance” budget line in its Budget 2024-25. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has faced its most challenging budgetary settlement since devolution began – a settlement which has not been inflation-proofed, and which has subsequently required difficult decisions to be made, due to the pressures on our public services. Mindful of our missions and priorities for Scotland, we have had to prioritise legal and contractual obligations in determining how to deploy this budget across Education and Skills priorities. Our children, young people, families and learners of all ages continue to be a key priority for this Government and we will continue to focus on our three central missions of equality, opportunity, and community.\r\nWe remain committed to supporting a high quality post-school education, research and skills system with over £2.4 billion investment. This will maintain Scotland’s reputation for world-leading research; provide opportunities for people to learn and develop their skills through further and higher education and apprenticeships – honouring this government’s commitment to free tuition; and provide vital financial support to students to support them in completing their studies in the face of significant cost of living pressures.\r\nThe impact assessments which support the draft Budget 2024-25 can be found at this link:  Scottish Budget - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  . In particular I’d draw your attention to the: Education and Skills portfolio analysis section in Annex B and the Employability Case Study in Annex C of the Equality and Fairer Scotland statement.\r\nI’d also highlight the following, also available at the link above:\r\nScottish Budget 2024 to 2024: high level carbon assessment\r\nScottish Budget 2024 to 2024: distributional analysis\r\nScottish Budget 2024 to 2024: Climate Change Assessment of the Budget","AnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415437,"EventID":"S6W-24652","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-23T17:41:14.543","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T16:19:05.467","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact assessment was conducted regarding the £37.8 million, or 75.6%, reduction to the Just Transition Fund in its Budget 2024-25. ","AnswerText":"The change in budget allocation to the Just Transition Fund is due to a reduction in capital and financial transactions funding allocations from the UK Government which the Fund relies on.\r\nThe UK Autumn Statement was the worst-case scenario for Scotland. The Chancellor had £27bn of fiscal headroom for the Autumn Statement, but rather than provide the funding needed in services and infrastructure, he cut taxes. These decisions have meant that the Scottish Government’s block grant has fallen in real terms by 1.2% since 2022-23 across resource and capital combined. Capital is due to contract by almost 10% in real terms over five years.\r\nThese decisions are not just an issue for the Scottish Budget. The UK Government’s ‘mini-budget’ in Autumn 2022 turbocharged the cost of living crisis, inflicting misery on individuals, communities and businesses. People have seen their living standards fall as a direct consequence of UK Government mismanagement of the economy over the past 13 years.\r\nThe Scottish Government remains committed to the 10-year Just Transition Fund programme and existing projects will continue to be funded in 2024-25. We will undertake an evaluation of phase one in this financial year aiming to commence the next phase in the following financial year.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415438,"EventID":"S6W-24663","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-23T17:41:14.607","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T16:21:35.65","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23861 by Fiona Hyslop on 10 January 2024, what its response is to reported concerns that people who rely on bus travel in order to access public services are unable to do so due to the decisions of local authorities to withdraw bus service routes. ","AnswerText":"Recent reports of bus service withdrawal have tended to concern commercial routes. The majority of services in Scotland operate in an open de-regulated market and the provision of local bus services is a matter for individual bus operators who use their own commercial judgement on service routes, frequencies and vehicle types.\r\nUnder the Transport Act 1985, where there is a social need for particular bus services which are not being provided commercially, local authorities can subsidise these at their discretion. This procedure allows local transport authorities to influence the frequency, routing of services or vehicle types used however this is entirely a matter for the local authority to consider and action.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415439,"EventID":"S6W-24658","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-23T17:41:14.683","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T16:20:25.31","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact assessment was conducted regarding the £4.1 million reduction to Skills Development Scotland’s budget in its Budget 2024-25. ","AnswerText":"This budget has required difficult choices due to the pressures on our public services and the lack of funding from the UK Government. We are facing the most challenging fiscal position since devolution. Mindful of our missions and priorities for Scotland, we have had to prioritise legal and contractual obligations in determining how to deploy this budget across Education and Skills priorities. Our children, young people, families and learners of all ages continue to be a key priority for this Government and we will continue to focus on our three central missions of equality, opportunity, and community. \r\nWe remain committed to supporting a high quality post-school education, research and skills system with over £2.4 billion investment. This will maintain Scotland’s reputation for world-leading research; provide opportunities for people to learn and develop their skills through further and higher education and apprenticeships – honouring this government’s commitment to free tuition; and provide vital financial support to students to support them in completing their studies in the face of significant cost of living pressures.\r\nThe impact assessments which support the draft Budget 2024-25 can be found at this link:  Scottish Budget - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  . In particular I’d draw your attention to the:\r\nEducation and Skills portfolio analysis section in Annex B and the Employability Case Study in Annex C of the Equality and Fairer Scotland statement.\r\nI’d also highlight the following, also available at the link above:\r\nScottish Budget 2024 to 2024: high level carbon assessment\r\nScottish Budget 2024 to 2024: distributional analysis\r\nScottish Budget 2024 to 2024: Climate Change Assessment of the Budget","AnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415440,"EventID":"S6W-24665","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-23T17:41:14.747","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T16:22:02.597","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact that the £12.9 million reduction to the “Travel Strategy and Innovation” budget line will have on the Mobility as a Service (MaaS) pilots. ","AnswerText":"The \"Travel Strategy and Innovation\" budget line was not used to fund the Mobility as a Service (MaaS) Investment fund pilots, and will therefore have no impact on the pilots. \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415441,"EventID":"S6W-24760","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-23T17:41:14.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T10:38:48.187","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many GP surgeries have been assessed for any presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete to date.","AnswerText":"Details of the RAAC survey programme are available on NHS Scotland Assure’s website which contains a link to each NHS Boards’ RAAC webpage for current information about progress of the survey programme.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415442,"EventID":"S6W-24657","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-23T17:41:14.84","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T16:20:10.683","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact assessment was conducted regarding the £23.5 million reduction to the “Lifelong Learning and Skills” budget line in its Budget 2024-25. ","AnswerText":"This budget has required difficult choices due to the pressures on our public services and the lack of funding from the UK Government. We are facing the most challenging fiscal position since devolution. Mindful of our missions and priorities for Scotland, we have had to prioritise legal and contractual obligations in determining how to deploy this budget across Education and Skills priorities. Our children, young people, families and learners of all ages continue to be a key priority for this Government and we will continue to focus on our three central missions of equality, opportunity, and community.\r\nWe remain committed to supporting a high quality post-school education, research and skills system with over £2.4 billion investment. This will maintain Scotland’s reputation for world-leading research; provide opportunities for people to learn and develop their skills through further and higher education and apprenticeships – honouring this government’s commitment to free tuition; and provide vital financial support to students to support them in completing their studies in the face of significant cost of living pressures.\r\nThe impact assessments which support the draft Budget 2024-25 can be found at this link:  Scottish Budget - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  In particular I’d draw your attention to the Education and Skills portfolio analysis section in Annex B and the Employability Case Study in Annex C of the Equality and Fairer Scotland statement.\r\nI would also highlight the following available at the link above:\r\nScottish Budget 2024 to 2024: high level carbon assessment\r\nScottish Budget 2024 to 2024: distributional analysis\r\nScottish Budget 2024 to 2024: Climate Change Assessment of the Budget","AnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415443,"EventID":"S6W-24656","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-23T17:41:14.903","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T16:20:03.653","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact assessment was conducted regarding the £12 million reduction to the “Travel Strategy and Innovation” budget line in its Budget 2024-25. ","AnswerText":"In an extremely challenging financial climate, and following a worst case scenario UK Autumn Statement in which UK Ministers prioritised tax cuts over public spending, we have had to take difficult decisions in setting this budget. The amount Scotland has available to spend is still largely driven by the block grant, which is derived from the UK Government's spending decisions and continuing constraint on public expenditure. The block grant has fallen by 1.2% in real terms since 2022-23 and, because of the UK Government's failure to inflation-proof capital budgets, our capital spending power is due to contract by almost 10% in real terms over 5 years.\r\nDespite this, I am pleased that this Government has committed £4.7 billion in capital and resource in 2024-25 for activities that will have a positive impact on delivery of our climate change goals, and funding of almost £3.9 billion for transport across Scotland. The total budget for my portfolio increases by £47.7 million in 2024-25, which is a £27.9 million (0.6%) reduction in real terms using GDP deflators published in November 2023.\r\nA significant proportion of the expenditure in my portfolio is legally and contractually committed, and I have ensured that those commitments are met in full in this budget as well as allocating funding to support critical maintenance and renewal expenditure to ensure that the people of Scotland have access to a safe and reliable transport system.\r\nI have considered equalities and fairer Scotland duties and progress towards our statutory targets for climate change and child poverty in prioritising the budget available to me. I refer to the Equalities and Fairer Scotland Budget Statement and Carbon Assessment published alongside this budget.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415444,"EventID":"S6W-24654","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-23T17:41:14.967","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T16:19:39.913","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact assessment was conducted regarding the £2.8 million reduction to the “Support for sustainable travel” budget line in its Budget 2024-25. ","AnswerText":"In an extremely challenging financial climate, and following a worst case scenario UK Autumn Statement in which UK Ministers prioritised tax cuts over public spending, we have had to take difficult decisions in setting this budget. The amount Scotland has available to spend is still largely driven by the block grant, which is derived from the UK Government's spending decisions and continuing constraint on public expenditure. The block grant has fallen by 1.2% in real terms since 2022-23 and, because of the UK Government's failure to inflation-proof capital budgets, our capital spending power is due to contract by almost 10% in real terms over 5 years.\r\nDespite this, I am pleased that this Government has committed £4.7 billion in capital and resource in 2024-25 for activities that will have a positive impact on delivery of our climate change goals, and funding of almost £3.9 billion for transport across Scotland. The total budget for my portfolio increases by £47.7 million in 2024-25, which is a £27.9 million (0.6%) reduction in real terms using GDP deflators published in November 2023.\r\nA significant proportion of the expenditure in my portfolio is legally and contractually committed, and I have ensured that those commitments are met in full in this budget as well as allocating funding to support critical maintenance and renewal expenditure to ensure that the people of Scotland have access to a safe and reliable transport system.\r\nI have considered equalities and fairer Scotland duties and progress towards our statutory targets for climate change and child poverty in prioritising the budget available to me. I refer to the Equalities and Fairer Scotland Budget Statement and Carbon Assessment published alongside this budget.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415445,"EventID":"S6W-24717","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-23T17:41:15.013","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T17:50:59.777","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many times intrauterine devices have been prescribed to prisoners in the female prison estate in each of the last five years, broken down by type of device.","AnswerText":"This is a matter for NHS Health Boards. The information requested regarding the number of times intrauterine devices have been prescribed to female prisoners in each of the last five years, broken down by type of device, is not held centrally.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415446,"EventID":"S6W-24714","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-23T17:41:15.06","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T17:50:59.777","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many trans (a) women and (b) men have (i) requested and (ii) undergone gender reassignment surgery while in prison in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"This is a matter for NHS Health Boards. The information requested regarding how many trans men and women have either requested or undergone gender reassignment surgery while in prison is not held centrally.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415447,"EventID":"S6W-24664","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-23T17:41:15.123","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T16:21:51.813","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consultation it undertook with regional transport partnerships prior to taking its decision to remove all funding from the \"Regional Transport Partnership\" budget line in its Budget 2024-25. ","AnswerText":"Further to the answer to question S6W-24362 on 22 January 2024 the Scottish Government continues to engage with Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) on the implications of the budget decision. SPT was the only regional transport partnership which received direct general capital support budget allocation, in previous budgets funded through the Local Government Finance settlement Regional Transport Partnerships line.\r\nThe UK Autumn Statement was a worst-case scenario for Scotland and confirmed that the Scottish Government Capital Block Grant is forecast to contract by almost 10% in real terms over 5 years (2023-24 to 2027-28). This required very difficult decisions across all portfolios.\r\nScottish Government was not able to undertake consultation with SPT in advance of publication, and I recognise the disappointment in this, however, you will appreciate the detail of the draft Scottish Budget cannot be discussed out with Government, until Parliament is informed when the Deputy First Minister makes her statement.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415448,"EventID":"S6W-24666","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-23T17:41:15.17","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T16:22:17.753","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23907 by Mairi McAllan on 9 January 2024, what research has been commissioned in relation to transport demand management options,  other than the evidence review commissioned by Transport Scotland, Reducing car use through parking policies.","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland commissioned research on equitable options for car demand management, as referred to in S6W-15653 on 21 March 2023, S6W-16545 on 17 April 2023, and S6W-16547 on 17 April 2023.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415468,"EventID":"S6O-03027","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T15:11:21.983","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-22T18:26:41.193","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its work to further the case for Scottish independence, what its position is on whether it could hold a referendum on the powers of the Scottish Parliament.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415469,"EventID":"S6O-03034","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5618,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":91,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T15:11:22.09","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T16:49:55.363","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support survivors of domestic abuse while they are engaged in the justice system.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415470,"EventID":"S6O-03028","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T15:11:22.17","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T11:06:07.307","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it sets the priorities for its international offices each year. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415471,"EventID":"S6O-03045","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T15:11:22.217","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T13:19:15.233","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when a decision will be made regarding the Scottish Funding Council's recommendation to end the regional colleges arrangement in Lanarkshire and Glasgow. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415472,"EventID":"S6O-03032","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4982,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T15:11:22.28","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T14:35:01.827","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it anticipates that the total cost of HMP Highland will remain within the £139.5 million budget by its planned completion in June 2025.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415473,"EventID":"S6O-03024","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5622,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":148,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T15:11:22.327","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T17:35:02.387","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its funding for humanitarian assistance in Gaza. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415474,"EventID":"S6O-03023","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1756,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":136,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T15:11:22.39","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-22T12:28:58.857","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it can offer to assist in the establishing of a small museum or exhibition centre in Galashiels to celebrate the life and times of Robert Coltart, the author of the children’s song, Ally Bally Bee.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415475,"EventID":"S6O-03025","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T15:11:22.453","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T10:11:05.337","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the potential impact on health and wellbeing of people in Scotland, what action it can take in response to reported calls for free-to-air broadcasting of Scotland's national team football matches.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415476,"EventID":"S6O-03022","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T15:11:22.513","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T11:34:56.86","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to cultural organisations to promote Robert Burns this Burns season. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415477,"EventID":"S6O-03029","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16194,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T15:11:22.577","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T16:41:03.067","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to support the music industry, in relation to sustaining small grassroots venues.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415478,"EventID":"S6O-03038","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T15:11:22.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-22T14:54:55.29","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it will deliver its commitment to reduce teacher class contact time by 90 minutes per week.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415479,"EventID":"S6O-03041","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3907,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":135,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T15:11:22.703","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T11:53:46.797","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it matches up the skills required in the economy with the courses on offer at Scotland's colleges and universities.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415480,"EventID":"S6O-03031","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5800,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T15:11:22.75","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T11:19:51.71","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its priorities are for tackling crime and antisocial behaviour in the Highlands and Islands.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415481,"EventID":"S6O-03037","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T15:11:22.827","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T13:44:58.73","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the former Lord Advocate, Frank Mulholland, should make himself available to the Parliament to answer questions, in relation to matters for which he was responsible in his former role, in connection with Horizon information technology prosecutions in Scotland.   ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415482,"EventID":"S6O-03030","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T15:11:22.873","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T10:53:20.49","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to prevent drugs being smuggled into prisons.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415483,"EventID":"S6O-03035","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5866,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T15:11:22.93","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T13:13:34.82","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that the housing of adult male prisoners at HMP & YOI Polmont is being considered, what its position is on whether such an announcement should be made to the Parliament. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415484,"EventID":"S6O-03042","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16207,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T15:11:22.977","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T10:14:41.71","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the provision available for children, and those who teach or look after them, who were babies or toddlers during the COVID-19 pandemic and missed out on important socialisation opportunities.","AnswerText":"Providing high quality early learning and childcare is critical to supporting children to recover from the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic, including by supporting them to participate in much needed socialisation and play-based activities. \r\nScotland is the only part of the UK to offer 1,140 hours a year of funded ELC to all three and four-year-olds and eligible two-year-olds regardless of their parents’ working status - putting children first. We have put quality at the heart of delivery of the expansion of funded early learning and childcare. Latest Care Inspectorate data show that the quality of funded early learning and childcare services remains very high, with over 90% of funded providers found to be good or better in all quality key questions. \r\nWe continue to support children’s recovery through our investment in universal national programmes like Bookbug and Play Talk Read which provide books, activity packs for the home and free drop-in sessions across the country to support children’s language, learning and social skills through the provision of play, talking and singing. I also think it is important to highlight that many parents lost out on socialising with their children outwith the home and am proud that through approaches such as Stay and Play, there are opportunities for parents to do so, which will also greatly benefit children. We wish to explore models like this through our childcare expansion, including the Early Adopter Communities and expansion of funded childcare to more two-year-olds.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415485,"EventID":"S6O-03043","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T15:11:23.057","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T11:29:03.417","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to ensure that pupils can interact with museums as part of their education to help address racism and the legacy of colonialism.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415486,"EventID":"S6O-03044","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2641,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":94,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T15:11:23.12","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T14:58:08.203","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting local authorities to provide appropriate levels of special educational needs staff for secondary schools to ensure a safe and encouraging learning environment for all pupils.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415487,"EventID":"S6O-03040","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5612,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":150,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T15:11:23.167","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T09:15:49.417","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the Scottish Funding Council's decision to stop funding three of Scotland's seven Innovation Centres.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415488,"EventID":"S6O-03036","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T15:11:23.243","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T15:58:54.72","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what evidence it used as the basis for its decision to bring HMP Kilmarnock into public ownership.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415489,"EventID":"S6O-03026","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16192,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":85,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T15:11:23.29","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T16:12:31.71","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the funding that it has made available for humanitarian aid for people affected by the conflict in Gaza.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415490,"EventID":"S6O-03033","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T15:11:23.353","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T11:26:47.05","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to tackle any police staffing shortages and operational capacity issues in the Highlands and Islands.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415491,"EventID":"S6O-03039","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T15:11:23.4","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T13:42:47.567","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to support staff retention and wellbeing in primary schools in Glasgow.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415492,"EventID":"S6O-03051","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T15:11:28.39","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T13:49:23.94","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle the potential harm of gambling to individuals, families and communities.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415493,"EventID":"S6O-03050","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16178,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":78,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T15:11:28.577","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T08:29:29.51","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made, including through any funding to the National Autism Implementation Team, to help all NHS board areas establish adult neurodevelopmental pathways.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415494,"EventID":"S6O-03053","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T15:11:28.623","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T10:30:32.527","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of annual woodland planting targets have been met in each year since 2017-18.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415495,"EventID":"S6O-03048","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T15:11:28.703","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T10:17:36.033","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve recruitment and retention of GPs and consultants, particularly in rural areas.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415496,"EventID":"S6O-03047","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5074,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":104,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T15:11:28.75","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T15:49:56.82","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what representations it has made to the UK Government regarding any medicine shortages in Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415497,"EventID":"S6O-03046","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T15:11:28.797","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T08:54:25.587","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with Fife Council housing officials and what was discussed.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415498,"EventID":"S6O-03052","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T15:11:28.86","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T10:18:49.863","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the UK Government regarding any charges levied by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency for converting to, and investing in, net zero fishing vessels.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415499,"EventID":"S6O-03049","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T15:11:28.923","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T10:55:54.33","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last discussed waiting times for hernia operations with NHS Dumfries and Galloway.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415502,"EventID":"S6W-24783","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T16:55:07.09","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T10:51:32.627","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many hospital buildings have been assessed as\r\ncontaining potentially flammable or combustible cladding materials in each of\r\nthe last five years.","AnswerText":"In the past five years, no hospital buildings have been identified as having external wall cladding with high-risk polyethylene Aluminium Composite Material (ACM).\r\nNHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde are in the process of removing ACM from the internal atrium of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and replacing it with a non-combustible cladding material. This action was agreed after extensive and regular engagement with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, who were fully supportive of the mitigating actions implemented by the Board.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415503,"EventID":"S6W-24763","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T16:55:07.183","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T10:38:48.187","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what timescale has been provided to residents for the completion of the Single Building Assessment pilot programme.","AnswerText":"All buildings within the pilot phase of the Cladding Remediation Programme are due to be on a Single Building Assessment pathway by Summer 2024, as set out in the First Minister's policy priority mandate letter to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415504,"EventID":"S6W-24778","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T16:55:07.26","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T10:43:58.973","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23728 by Fiona Hyslop on 8 January 2024, when it expects to complete the outline business case process, and when it will consult trade unions regarding the design of the new small vessels.","AnswerText":"Ministers are carefully considering the outline business case for the Small Vessel Replacement Programme. This is an important issue and an update will be provided once a decision on investment has been taken. This is expected to be taken shortly.\r\nCMAL has met with trade union representatives throughout the design process of the programme, most recently in October 2023.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415505,"EventID":"S6W-24781","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T16:55:07.323","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T10:51:32.627","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many hotel\r\nbuildings have been assessed as containing potentially flammable or combustible\r\ncladding materials in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Duty holders are expected to deliver a safe environment for all users of non-domestic buildings including hotels. The Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 requires that duty holders carry out a fire safety risk assessment of relevant premises to identify any risks to the safety of persons caused by fire, including the risk posed by combustible cladding.\r\nThe Scottish Government has produced guidance for those who have responsibility under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 for ensuring fire safety in hotels in Scotland: Fire safety - existing premises with sleeping accommodation: practical guidance - gov.scot (  www.gov.scot  )","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415506,"EventID":"S6W-24768","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T16:55:07.387","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T10:38:48.187","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is measuring progress towards meeting its goal of eliminating hepatitis C (HCV) as a public health concern in Scotland by the end of the 2024-25 financial year.","AnswerText":"Progress towards eliminating hepatitis C (HCV) as a public health concern is monitored by Public Health Scotland using a range of public health surveillance data including HCV tests and diagnoses, and clinical, morbidity and mortality data.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415507,"EventID":"S6W-24773","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T16:55:07.45","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T10:43:58.973","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23734 by Fiona Hyslop on 4 January 2024, what the current full-time equivalent staffing level is for the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service 3 team, and on what date the team was established.","AnswerText":"I refer to previous answers to question S6W-19363 on 7 July 2023 and S6W-23734 on 4 January 2024. Following recent successful recruitment, the core CHFS3 team consists of 13 FTE staff. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415508,"EventID":"S6W-24777","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T16:55:07.497","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T10:43:58.973","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23730 by Fiona Hyslop on 4 January 2024, whether it will detail the services that were procured through these call-off contracts.","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland publishes the results of all regulated procurements through contract award notices on the Public Contracts Scotland website. In addition to the award of contracts, we also apply this requirement to call-off contracts awarded under framework agreements including the contracts placed under Multiple Supplier Framework Agreement for Maritime Consultancy Services.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415509,"EventID":"S6W-24765","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T16:55:07.557","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T10:38:48.187","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of there being just over one year remaining to meet its commitment to eliminate hepatitis C (HCV) as a public health concern in Scotland by the end of the 2024-25 financial year, whether it will provide an update on (a) what progress it is making towards this goal and (b) how NHS boards are performing in relation to the treatment targets that it has set for them.","AnswerText":"Progress towards eliminating hepatitis C (HCV) as a public health concern is monitored by Public Health Scotland (PHS) with the most recent surveillance report in December 2023 indicating that major progress continues to be made on a number of HCV elimination targets in Scotland. For example, 86% of those previously diagnosed have been treated for their infection (in excess of the World Health Organization target of 80%).\r\nA key indicator of progress toward HCV elimination is prevalence of chronic HCV among people who inject drugs (PWID) which is monitored via the Needle Exchange Surveillance Initiative survey led by Glasgow Caledonian University in association with PHS. This found the prevalence of chronic HCV infection among PWID in Scotland had reduced by approximately 50%, from 37% in 2015-16 to 19% in 2019-2020. Results for the latest NESI survey conducted during 2022-23 are expected to be published in mid 2024-25.\r\nTreatment targets are currently published at Scotland level only, however a new PHS-led blood borne virus and sexually transmitted infection dashboard is scheduled for launch in 2024-25 which will include data on HCV treatment (alongside other indicators) and will help to monitor progress on elimination at NHS board level.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415510,"EventID":"S6W-24785","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16175,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":119,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T16:55:07.62","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T11:41:31.277","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the prevalence of vape spiking, and how this compares to other means of spiking.","AnswerText":"As part of the Minister led roundtable on spiking, which is due to next meet in February, the concerns around vape spiking has been and continues to be discussed. As part of that process, Police Scotland regularly report on current activity and have advised that there is nothing to suggest that this is an emerging trend and that there are no confirmed spiking via vape reports in Scotland. We are alive to recent media reports highlighting the new dangers of “vape spiking” in England and Wales which will be kept under regular review.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415511,"EventID":"S6W-24786","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16175,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":119,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T16:55:07.683","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T11:41:54.167","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the dangers of vape spiking, and whether this may differ compared to other means of spiking.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24785 on? 5 February 2024. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415512,"EventID":"S6W-24764","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T16:55:07.747","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T10:38:48.187","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what guidelines have been agreed for the carrying out of Single Building Assessments.","AnswerText":"As set out in the Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Bill, Scottish Ministers will specify the standards of the Single Building Assessment. Following a robust tendering process, we have appointed an independent contractor to develop an end-to-end Single Building Assessment. The specification will be informed by stakeholder engagement as well as drawing on experience from the pilot phase of the Cladding Remediation Programme.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415513,"EventID":"S6W-24745","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T16:55:07.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-22T12:05:30.773","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the condition of the A83, in light of reports of further extensive flooding leading to single file traffic between Lochgilphead and Campbeltown.","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland’s Operating Company for the A83, BEAR Scotland, has recently carried out surveys on the road during very heavy rain conditions. During the severe weather event of 6th to 8th of October 2023, both Council maintained and Trunk roads were affected by landslides as well as localised flooding however there is no evidence to suggest the A83 is regularly restricted to single file traffic for any significant lengths of time. BEAR Scotland will continue to manage and maintain the A83 in accordance with Transport Scotland’s robust maintenance contracts.\r\nThis section of the A83, in common with the rest of the trunk road network, is subject to a variety of inspections and surveys. Weekly safety inspections are carried out to identify defects that represent an immediate hazard, which are then required to be repaired within specified timescales.\r\nIn some cases where no designed drainage system exists this will be considered as an improvement or vulnerable location scheme and prioritised accordingly. Interventions may include enhanced management and maintenance to physical intervention being carried out when funding is approved by Transport Scotland.\r\nCyclic maintenance is also undertaken annually to ensure that all drainage assets on the trunk road are clean and functioning to their maximum capacity. This includes cleaning gullies and manholes, re-cutting grips and jetting piped grips annually and harrowing filter drain material every three years.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415514,"EventID":"S6W-24780","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T16:55:07.857","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T10:51:32.627","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many student\r\naccommodation buildings have been assessed as containing potentially flammable\r\nor combustible cladding materials in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Houses of Multiple Occupation, which includes purpose built student accommodation, are subject to the provisions in The Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 which requires that duty holders carry out a fire safety risk assessment of relevant premises to identify any risks to the safety of persons caused by fire, including the risk posed by combustible cladding.\r\nThe Scottish Government has produced guidance for those who have responsibility under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 for ensuring fire safety in such buildings in Scotland: Fire safety - existing premises with sleeping accommodation: practical guidance - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415515,"EventID":"S6W-24737","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T16:55:07.903","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-19T17:43:37.877","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to replace the vessels that currently serve the Gourock to (a) Dunoon and (b) Kilcreggan ferry route, and, if so, whether it will provide details of this. ","AnswerText":"Ministers are very clear about the importance of supporting ferry services, including those that link Gourock, Dunoon and Kilcreggan.\r\nThe Gourock Dunoon Kilcreggan Infrastructure and Vessels Programme is complex and work is underway to develop resilient vessel and port design options. This work is linked to the wider Islands Connectivity Plan, which will set out a long-term investment programme for vessels and ports across our ferry network. Any investment in new vessels and infrastructure will be subject to consideration of a business case considering value for money and affordability.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415516,"EventID":"S6W-24776","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T16:55:07.967","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T10:43:58.973","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23731 by Fiona Hyslop on 4 January 2024, how many members of staff in the subsidy control team will work on exploring the case for the direct award of the CHFS3 contract to CalMac in the period up to 31 August 2024.","AnswerText":"Specialist support will be provided by Scottish Governments Subsidy Control Team as and when required to complete the necessary due diligence on potential “Teckal” direct award.\r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415517,"EventID":"S6W-24792","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T16:55:08.027","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T17:13:05.44","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an updated publication date for the Student Mental Health Action Plan.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government will, throughout February 2024, undertake consultation events with members of the Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Working Group on a draft Student Mental Health Action Plan.\r\nFollowing this, and the completion of attendant Impact Assessments, the Scottish Government will publish the Student Mental Health Action Plan.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415518,"EventID":"S6W-24788","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T16:55:08.107","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T13:19:46.083","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to request advice from the Climate Change Committee regarding the appropriate value of the multiplier to be applied to greenhouse gas emissions from aviation, as required by section 2C(3)(h) of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 as amended.","AnswerText":"As required under section 2C of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009, the Scottish Government plans to request advice from the Climate Change Committee (CCC) on the appropriate value of the international aviation multiplier, and other advice about emissions targets, within 5 years of the last request for this advice on 19 April 2022. In response to the most recent request, the CCC’s first five-yearly review of Scottish emissions targets, published in December 2022, does not recommend the use of a multiplier to reflect the non-CO2 climate change impacts of emissions at altitude from international aviation.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415519,"EventID":"S6W-24747","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T16:55:08.153","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-22T12:05:30.773","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what (a) meetings it has had with and (b) support it has offered to SkyeConnect regarding the development of a long-term tourism management plan for the Isle of Skye, in light of a reported increase in local tourism. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to growing and diversifying Scotland's visitor economy, and also to ensuring places across the country can develop, manage and benefit from tourism effectively and responsibly.\r\nIn August 2023, I met with SkyeConnect to discuss a range of issues related to the local visitor economy. SkyeConnect have received public sector financial support from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) for a range of destination development activities, including the development of a post-Covid recovery plan. HIE continue to offer practical support through their existing wide-range of client products and programmes.\r\nIn addition, the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill would give councils the power to introduce a visitor levy in all or part of their area to raise funding for local tourism facilities and services. Before a visitor levy could be introduced a local authority will be required to consult with local businesses, communities and tourism organisations.\r\nThe Scottish Government would welcome any local tourism management plan that is in line with Scotland Outlook 2030, the national tourism strategy.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415520,"EventID":"S6W-24789","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T16:55:08.217","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T16:18:32.9","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of any issues with the supply of Creon, which is a pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy required to aid the uptake of nutrients from food for people with cystic fibrosis, and what action is being taken to resolve any such supply issues.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is aware that there have been supply issues with Pancreatin, also known as Creon, with one or more strengths over a number of years. Other brands of prescription pancreatic enzymes are also available including Nutrizym® and Pancrex®. Patients should discuss alternative options with their GP or specialist.\r\nOfficials from the four UK Administrations work together to mitigate and manage responses to medicine shortages. The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for Scotland is a member of the UK-wide Medicines Shortage Response Group (MSRG), set up to identify and co-ordinate responses to medicines shortages across the UK and provide advice to clinicians on alternative therapeutic options.\r\nThe NHS in Scotland has robust processes in place to manage supply issues when they do arise.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415521,"EventID":"S6W-24775","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T16:55:08.277","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T10:43:58.973","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23734 by Fiona Hyslop on 4 January 2024, whether the “external specialist technical, legal and financial advisors” worked on the design of the consultation document for the next Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services contract, which was published on 15 December 2023.","AnswerText":"Alongside the dedicated Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services 3 team and internal specialist support, the Scottish Government have engaged with external advisors, taking note of previous community and key stakeholder engagement feedback to develop the public consultation on the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services 3 contract.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415522,"EventID":"S6W-24772","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T16:55:08.323","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T10:43:58.973","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when its first meeting with representatives of the trade unions to discuss a potential Teckal-compliant direct award of the CHFS3 public ferry contract is due to take place.","AnswerText":"I met with trade union representatives on 30 November 2023, following on from her Parliamentary statement on 16 November. CHFS3 officials will be liaising with trade union representatives shortly to further discuss progress.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415523,"EventID":"S6W-24766","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T16:55:08.373","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T10:38:48.187","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what urgent steps are being taken to reach undiagnosed individuals living with hepatitis C (HCV).","AnswerText":"The most recent surveillance report from Public Health Scotland (PHS) indicates that the number of people tested for HCV antibody in Scotland in 2022 had almost recovered to the level seen before the pandemic in 2019, however we know that further work is required to reach undiagnosed individuals living with HCV.\r\nCurrent work includes ensuring that opt-out testing is proactively and consistently offered in key settings such as drug services and prisons, and we are also working with three Health Boards to pilot opt-out testing for HCV and other blood borne viruses (BBVs) in emergency department settings.\r\nThe Scottish Government has also funded research to identify the optimal approach to testing for BBVs for people at highest risk in Scotland, in order to reduce undiagnosed infections, increase linkage to care for those not in treatment, improve health and prevent BBV transmission. The findings will inform future testing strategies.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415524,"EventID":"S6W-24743","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T16:55:08.433","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-22T12:05:30.773","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24287 by Christina McKelvie on 17 January 2024, whether there have been any cases of (a) cultural, (b) arts and (c) heritage organisations not abiding by its Intangible Cultural Heritage principles, and, if so, whether it can provide details of this.","AnswerText":"The UK Government notified its intention to ratify the UNESCO convention for safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage on 23 December 2023. The Scottish Government will work with the other UK nations alongside key Scottish stakeholders to consider the most appropriate methods of implementing the convention once ratified.\r\nThe Scottish Government is unaware of any cases of cultural, arts or heritage organisations which have agreed Intangible Cultural Heritage principles and then not abided by them.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415525,"EventID":"S6W-24769","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T16:55:08.497","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T10:43:58.973","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23732 by Fiona Hyslop on 4 January 2024, when the last such discussion took place between Transport Scotland and the Department for Transport, and what information it can provide on who represented the Scottish Government. ","AnswerText":"The last discussion between Transport Scotland and the Department for Transport took place on 18 January 2024. Transport Scotland was represented by Chief Executive Officer Alison Irvine.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415526,"EventID":"S6W-24761","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T16:55:08.543","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T10:38:48.187","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many social rented buildings have been assessed\r\nas containing potentially flammable or combustible cladding materials in each\r\nof the last five years.","AnswerText":"It is the responsibility of Registered Social Landlords and Local Authorities to address potentially unsafe cladding however as the current pilot was initially established as being tenure neutral, out of 28 assessments that are currently live, 7 at time of entry were registered as social landlords or housing associations.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415527,"EventID":"S6W-24767","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T16:55:08.607","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T10:38:48.187","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what urgent support is being offered to NHS boards to ensure that the elimination of hepatitis C (HCV) as a public health concern in Scotland is achieved by the end of the 2024-25 financial year.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to achieving the elimination of hepatitis C (HCV) in Scotland by the end of the 2024-25 financial year. However, we know that achieving elimination and meeting our target will take a concerted effort at national and local level.\r\nAs outlined in the Scottish Government’s recently published Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus (SHBBV) Action Plan 2023-26 , we will be reinstating SHBBV-focused visits to NHS Boards. This is part of our ongoing work to support boards on a case-by-case basis to understand their unique circumstances and help overcome barriers they may face to achieving HCV elimination and other SHBBV goals. We will also continue to work with the Hepatitis C Elimination Implementation Group to consider where support is most required.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415528,"EventID":"S6W-24758","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T16:55:08.653","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T10:10:20.22","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide details of the uptake of reusable nappy vouchers through the QR code on the Baby Box.","AnswerText":"We commenced the issuing of reusable nappy kit vouchers via a QR code at the start of September 2023, giving parents the option to register for the reusable nappy kits by QR code or by post.\r\nData from our Baby Box Managing Agent covering the period September 2023 to January 2024 shows that they have received 1,332 applications by post and 101 applications via the QR code. The following table provides a breakdown by month.\r\nPeriod\r\nApplication by post\r\nApplication by QR Code\r\nSeptember\r\n357\r\n8\r\nOctober\r\n384\r\n11\r\nNovember\r\n252\r\n17\r\nDecember\r\n215\r\n28\r\nJanuary\r\n124\r\n37\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415529,"EventID":"S6W-24787","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T16:55:08.717","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T11:53:54.283","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider adopting a policy that requires developers of five or more holiday pods or chalets to develop at least one of these units in line with the inclusive design principles set out in British Standard BS 8300-2:2018.","AnswerText":"Building regulations already require that, in residential buildings, a proportion of rooms intended to be used as bedrooms must be accessible to a wheelchair user. Guidance offered within the Building Standards Technical Handbooks promotes an inclusive approach to design, generally aligning with the good practice recommendations detailed in British Standard 8300. As such, the ratio of accessible accommodation sought in such buildings is one bedroom in 20, or part thereof, which directly aligns with the one room or five percent (whichever is greater) of the total number of bedrooms recommended within the British Standard.\r\nHowever, building regulations do not apply to mobile homes or other structures which are capable of being moved from one place or another. Smaller types of accommodation, such as holiday pods, may not be subject to the above provisions. The Standard described above therefore cannot be directly applied to these structures.\r\nNevertheless, building owners and service providers should be aware of the duties imposed under the reserved legislation of the Equality Act 2010, including a duty to make reasonable adjustments to ensure disabled people can use a service as close as it can be reasonably possible to a standard usually offered to a non-disabled person. Other policy areas such as development or licensing may also have potential to address this issue.\r\nWhile this issue goes much wider than the regulatory scope of building standards, I would welcome an opportunity to discuss the matter further to explore potential solutions.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415530,"EventID":"S6W-24746","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T16:55:08.763","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-22T12:05:30.773","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve transport infrastructure in the Isle of Skye, in light of reports that the level of traffic crossing the Skye Bridge rose by 11% between April and September 2023.","AnswerText":"The Isle of Skye remains one of Scotland’s most popular tourist destinations. The increase in traffic over the Skye Bridge, which is part of the A87 trunk road, is reflective of its continuing popularity and as a route for those travelling to the Western Isles and to the Island of Raasay by ferry.\r\nThis government recognises that increased traffic also creates challenges. That is why, along with maintaining and ensuring resilience of the trunk road, we are upgrading the A87/A855 junction in Portree. This aims to improve safety for all road users, with work due to commence in this financial year. More widely we are investing approximately £4.65 million in 2023-24 on maintaining the A87 trunk road, which includes the section from the Skye Bridge to the port of Uig.\r\nLonger term, the second Strategic Transport Projects Review recommends that investment on the A87 and wider trunk road network is targeted at maintaining a network of roads which are safe, resilient and adapted to deal with the impacts of climate change.\r\nImprovement to local roads and transport infrastructure remain the responsibility of the Highland Council.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415531,"EventID":"S6W-24791","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5596,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":151,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T16:55:08.81","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T17:12:20.477","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what update it has received from NHS Lanarkshire on the progress of the Monklands Replacement Project, and whether it still expects the new hospital to open in 2031 as currently planned.","AnswerText":"As set out in our draft budget the capital funding position is extremely challenging, with a UK Government cut of some 10% in our capital budget over the next five years. That has inevitably led to some difficult decisions on what capital projects will be progressed.\r\nThe Scottish Government are in active discussions with NHS Lanarkshire on the impact of this budget settlement on the proposal to replace University Hospital Monklands and an updated position is expected in February.\r\nThe Scottish Government will bring forward a revised pipeline of infrastructure investment in the spring, alongside the medium-term financial strategy, at which point we would hope that the fiscal outlook will be clearer.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415532,"EventID":"S6W-24742","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T16:55:08.873","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-22T12:05:30.773","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many beaver licences were issued by NatureScot in the last five years, broken down by the (a) year issued, (b) category of the licence and (c) duration of the licence.","AnswerText":"The following tables set out how many Beaver licences were issued in the last five years; broken down by the (a) year issued, (b) category of the licence and (c) duration of the licence:\r\nCategory of Licence\r\n2019\r\n2020\r\n2021\r\n2022\r\n2023\r\nPreventing Serious Damage (PSD) Prime Agricultural Land (PAL)\r\n62\r\n16\r\n96\r\n27\r\n39\r\nPreventing Serious Damage (PSD) (Other land)  \r\n4  \r\nConservation\r\n2\r\n0   \r\nPreserving Public Health or Safety (PPHS)\r\n1\r\n1\r\n0\r\n1 \r\nPPHS/IROPI \r\n5   \r\nScience, Research, Education\r\n1\r\n2\r\n5\r\n1\r\n2\r\nConserving wild birds, plants, animals or introducing them to a particular area\r\n1 \r\n2\r\n3\r\n4\r\nPreserving public health or public safety or other imperative reasons of overriding public interest including those of a social or economic nature and beneficial consequences of primary importance for the environment   \r\n3\r\n3\r\nPreventing serious damage to livestock, foodstuffs for livestock, crops, vegetables, fruit, growing timber, property or fisheries   \r\n3\r\n3\r\nTotal\r\n67\r\n24\r\n107\r\n38\r\n51\r\n \r\nDuration of Licence (days)\r\n2019\r\n2020\r\n2021\r\n2022\r\n2023\r\n1-200 days\r\n4\r\n6\r\n3\r\n3\r\n7\r\n200-700 days\r\n12\r\n5\r\n46\r\n15\r\n36\r\n>700 days\r\n51\r\n13\r\n58\r\n20\r\n8\r\nTotal\r\n67\r\n24\r\n107\r\n38\r\n51\r\nNote: not all licences issued are for lethal control.\r\nA further breakdown of the duration of licences days can be obtained from NatureScot.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415533,"EventID":"S6W-24770","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T16:55:08.92","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T10:43:58.973","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23732 by Fiona Hyslop on 4 January 2024, whether it has discussed the direct award of public contracts for Scottish ferry services with any departments of the UK Government in the last four years.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government are not required to discuss the current contract for the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service with representatives of the UK Government as transport is a devolved matter.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415534,"EventID":"S6W-24774","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T16:55:08.983","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T10:43:58.973","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23734 by Fiona Hyslop on 4 January 2024, whether it will provide a list of the officials who are providing internal specialist support on legal, financial and subsidy control issues.","AnswerText":"Specialist support will be provided from relevant officials within the Legal, Financial and Subsidy Control teams as and when required to complete the necessary due diligence on a potential “Teckal” direct award.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415535,"EventID":"S6W-24779","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T16:55:09.03","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T10:43:58.973","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23728 by Fiona Hyslop on 8 January 2024, whether it will set out details of the re-profiling of the budget for the small vessel replacement programme from 2023-24 to 2027-28, and whether it can confirm if this accounts for any capital expenditure required to upgrade shoreside refuelling facilities.","AnswerText":"The outline business case is currently being considered by Ministers. The re-profiling of budget from 2023-24 will not impact on the timelines for delivery, with the first vessel still expected to enter service in 2026. The total capital cost of the programme, as per the outline business case, includes upgrades for the provision of shore power.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415536,"EventID":"S6W-24738","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T16:55:09.077","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-19T17:43:37.877","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24231 by Michael Matheson on 17 January 2024, on how many occasions the minimum level of one clinical supervisor for every five NHS 24 call handlers on shift has not been met, in each year since 2016.","AnswerText":"The information that has been requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415537,"EventID":"S6W-24757","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T16:55:09.14","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T09:51:31.423","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when the Scottish National Investment Bank's advisory group will be established, and how often it will meet.","AnswerText":"Under Section 29 of the Scottish National Investment Bank Act 2020, the Scottish Ministers must establish and maintain an advisory group to provide Ministers with advice on the Bank’s objects, conduct and performance.\r\nNow that the Bank is fully established, and has a growing portfolio of investments, work is underway to advise ministers on the establishment of the advisory group.\r\nDetails such as membership, appointment processes and meeting frequency remain under consideration. We hope to provide an update on this work in the coming months.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415538,"EventID":"S6W-24744","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T16:55:09.187","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-22T12:05:30.773","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle the (a) sale and (b) consumption of drugs in rural communities.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to working collaboratively with partners on the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce to reduce the significant harm caused by the illicit drugs trade to communities across Scotland.\r\nWe are also rolling out the Medication Assisted Treatment standards, which is a key component of our National Mission to reduce drug deaths and harm. These set out what people should expect from services, improvements to accessing services, choices of treatment options and wrap-around support for the people most at risk from drug harm and drug-related death.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415539,"EventID":"S6W-24782","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T16:55:09.247","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T10:51:32.627","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many care home\r\nbuildings have been assessed as containing potentially flammable or combustible\r\ncladding materials in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Duty holders are expected to deliver a safe environment for all users of non-domestic buildings including care homes. The Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 requires that duty holders carry out a fire safety risk assessment of relevant premises to identify any risks to the safety of persons caused by fire, including the risk posed by combustible cladding.\r\nThe Scottish Government has produced guidance for those who have responsibility under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 for ensuring fire safety in care homes in Scotland: Fire safety - existing care homes: practical guidance - gov.scot (  www.gov.scot  )","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415540,"EventID":"S6W-24790","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-24T16:55:09.293","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-23T16:45:55.783","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what proportion of all train delay minutes were attributed to rail infrastructure problems, in the period of April to December 2023, broken down by (i) drainage issues, (ii) track faults, including broken rails, (iii) overhead line failures and (iv) signalling failures.","AnswerText":"Network Rail has an overall responsibility of the Scottish rail network infrastructure and Office of Rail and Road (ORR) holds Network Rail to account for the delivery of its obligations.\r\nORR publishes its quarterly and periodic (4-weekly) statistics on punctuality, reliability and causes of delay for passenger trains operating on the mainline network in Great Britain on its website:  Passenger rail performance | ORR Data Portal  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":415563,"EventID":"S6W-24739","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":8,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T10:08:33.21","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-21T23:00:04.657","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will consider commissioning a Scottish Parliament flag, in a similar manner to that commissioned by the House of Commons in 2021, which was designed by Graham Bartram, Chief Vexillologist of the Flag Institute, at the request of the Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle.","AnswerText":"I thank the Member for their question. The SPCB will consider this suggestion in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Claire Baker MSP (on behalf of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Bo","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415565,"EventID":"S6W-24834","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:41.343","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T21:06:33.633","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many local authorities are currently participating in the Daily Mile initiative. ","AnswerText":"All 32 local authorities in Scotland currently participate in the Daily Mile Initiative.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415566,"EventID":"S6W-24748","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:41.423","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-22T12:39:19.447","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work has been done to specifically measure passenger satisfaction with the facilities, including toilet facilities and waiting rooms, in railway stations in Scotland managed by (a) ScotRail and (b) Network Rail.","AnswerText":"Transport Focus carries out passenger satisfaction surveys on behalf of all train operating companies on the GB Rail network. In the last survey published in September 2023, ScotRail achieved one of the highest independent passenger satisfaction survey results amongst UK train operators, at 91%. This is a 2% increase from its previous score of 89% between December 2022 and March 2023.\r\nIt also represents a 1% increase in overall satisfaction with ScotRail since it came into public ownership.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415567,"EventID":"S6W-24831","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:41.5","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T20:13:58.693","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23777 by Michael Matheson on 8 January 2024, when it expects the Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) to report back on its commissioned work to \"improve Community Urgent Care (CUC) pathways as part of the wider Urgent and Unscheduled Care Programme\"; which external partner is currently evaluating the Redesign of Urgent Care pathway through NHS 24 111; when this evaluation will be complete, and what the cost of this project will be. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government works closely with the Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) to support delivery of improvement programmes, including the Urgent and Unscheduled Care collaborative, to ensure sustainable ways of delivering services, improving access for patients, and reducing unnecessary demand for services. While we monitor progress through discussion with CFSD and NHS Boards, we will provide updates on progress against specific pathways in our NHS Recovery Plan annual update.\r\nFollowing open competition, the Picker Institute has been awarded the contract to evaluate the Redesign of Urgent Care pathway. The cost of the project was £90,000 and final report will be published on the Scottish Government website in the summer.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415568,"EventID":"S6W-24837","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:41.58","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T21:18:46.753","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the current physical activity levels of primary school children during the school day. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all children in primary school receive at least two hours of physical education (PE) each school week.\r\nTo monitor progress on this commitment, local authorities have provided us with data about provision of PE in their schools since 2012. This data is reported through the annual Schools Healthy Living Survey Statistics Report, which is available through the following web link:  Data and Methodology - School Healthy Living Survey: school meal uptake and PE provision statistics 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .\r\nInformation about schools meeting PE targets is contained on Table 18 of the supplementary statistics spreadsheet in the Schools Healthy Living Survey.\r\nIn addition to regular physical education classes there are other physical activity initiatives available for primary school age children, such as The Daily Mile. The Daily Mile is a simple and effective concept which allows all pupils to either run, jog or walk for one mile each day at any time which best suits the needs of the class. Scotland became the world’s first Daily Mile Nation in October 2022.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415569,"EventID":"S6W-24815","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:41.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T15:04:33.673","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of the vessels in CalMac's fleet, broken down by the (a) age and (b) recommended timeline for the replacement of each vessel. ","AnswerText":"The following table provides the answer to :\r\n1. age of each vessel was at the start of 2024\r\n2. total length of service of each vessel has been with the CalMac fleet and any previous operators.\r\nVessel\r\nBuilt\r\nEntry into CFL Service\r\nCurrent age (Years)\r\nTime with CFL (Years)\r\nAli Cat\r\n1-1-2000\r\n10-1-2002\r\n24.0\r\n21.3\r\nArgyle\r\n9-1-2006\r\n5-1-2007\r\n17.3\r\n16.7\r\nArgyll Flyer\r\n5-1-2001\r\n6-1-2011\r\n22.7\r\n12.6\r\nBute\r\n2-1-2005\r\n7-1-2005\r\n18.9\r\n18.5\r\nCaledonian Isles\r\n5-1-1993\r\n8-1-1993\r\n30.7\r\n30.4\r\nCarvoria\r\n8-1-2017\r\n9-1-2017\r\n6.4\r\n6.3\r\nCatriona\r\n12-1-2015\r\n8-1-2016\r\n8.1\r\n7.4\r\nChieftain\r\n3-1-2007\r\n6-1-2020\r\n16.8\r\n3.6\r\nClansman\r\n3-1-1998\r\n7-1-1998\r\n25.9\r\n25.5\r\nCoruisk\r\n5-1-2003\r\n8-1-2003\r\n20.7\r\n20.4\r\nFinlaggan\r\n6-1-2010\r\n6-1-2011\r\n13.6\r\n12.6\r\nHallaig\r\n12-1-2012\r\n10-1-2013\r\n11.1\r\n10.3\r\nHebridean Isles\r\n7-1-1985\r\n12-1-1985\r\n38.5\r\n38.1\r\nHebrides\r\n8-1-2000\r\n3-1-2001\r\n23.4\r\n22.9\r\nIsle of Arran\r\n12-1-1983\r\n4-1-1984\r\n40.1\r\n39.8\r\nIsle of Cumbrae\r\n12-1-1976\r\n4-1-1977\r\n47.1\r\n46.8\r\nIsle of Lewis\r\n4-1-1995\r\n7-1-1995\r\n28.8\r\n28.5\r\nIsle of Mull\r\n12-1-1987\r\n4-1-1988\r\n36.1\r\n35.8\r\nLoch Alainn\r\n4-1-1997\r\n7-1-1997\r\n26.8\r\n26.5\r\nLoch Bhrusda\r\n3-1-1996\r\n6-1-1996\r\n27.9\r\n27.6\r\nLoch Buie\r\n10-1-1991\r\n7-1-1992\r\n32.3\r\n31.5\r\nLoch Dunvegan\r\n3-1-1991\r\n5-1-1991\r\n32.9\r\n32.7\r\nLoch Frisa\r\n9-1-2015\r\n5-1-2022\r\n8.3\r\n1.7\r\nLoch Fyne\r\n6-1-1991\r\n9-1-1991\r\n32.6\r\n32.4\r\nLoch Linnhe\r\n5-1-1986\r\n7-1-1986\r\n37.7\r\n37.5\r\nLoch Portain\r\n3-1-2003\r\n6-1-2003\r\n20.9\r\n20.6\r\nLoch Ranza\r\n12-1-1986\r\n4-1-1987\r\n37.1\r\n36.8\r\nLoch Riddon\r\n9-1-1986\r\n10-1-1986\r\n37.4\r\n37.3\r\nLoch Seaforth\r\n3-1-2014\r\n2-1-2015\r\n9.8\r\n8.9\r\nLoch Shira\r\n12-1-2006\r\n6-1-2007\r\n17.1\r\n16.6\r\nLoch Striven\r\n5-1-1986\r\n7-1-1986\r\n37.7\r\n37.5\r\nLoch Tarbert\r\n2-1-1992\r\n7-1-1992\r\n31.9\r\n31.5\r\nLochinvar\r\n5-1-2013\r\n5-1-2014\r\n10.7\r\n9.7\r\nLochnevis\r\n5-1-2000\r\n11-1-2000\r\n23.7\r\n23.2\r\nLord of the Isles\r\n3-1-1989\r\n5-1-1989\r\n34.9\r\n34.7\r\nRegarding the timeline for vessel replacement, Transport Scotland issued on 1 February 2024 the Island Connectivity Plan consultation which includes details of the long-term replacement plan for CalMac vessels. This includes the proposed timing of the replacement for each vessel. The consultation will be open until 3 May 2024.\r\nPlease see the following link for the information:\r\nIslands Connectivity Plan - Long-term plan for vessels and ports - Draft for consultation | Transport Scotland ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415570,"EventID":"S6W-24710","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:41.72","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T16:10:56.023","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government at what stage in the construction process each National Treatment Centre is.","AnswerText":"Undertaking a health capital investment project is an iterative process and estimating the cost and completion date is a complex exercise and we did not identify individual budgets and completion dates when the programme of investment was originally announced.\r\nSince then, additional projects have been added to the programme and we have experienced unprecedented levels of inflation in the construction sector which makes comparison of costs and completion dates difficult.\r\nThe latest position for all projects is noted in the following table:\r\nCentre\r\nStatus\r\nGolden Jubilee Phase 1\r\nOpened in Dec 2020 at a cost of £15.8m\r\nNTC Fife\r\nOpened in Mar 2023 at a cost of £34.3m\r\nNTC Highland\r\nOpened in April 2023 at a cost of £48.5m\r\nNTC Forth Valley\r\nIn construction due to open in 2024 (est cost £12.7m)\r\nGolden Jubilee\r\nIn construction due to open in 2024 (est cost £82.3m)\r\nThe development and planning for all the remaining NTCs (NTC Lothian, NTC Grampian (inc MRI at Dr Gray’s Hospital – Elgin), NTC Ayrshire and Arran, NTC Tayside, NTC Lanarkshire and replacement Edinburgh Eye Pavilion) are on pause until funding for this next phase can be confirmed.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415571,"EventID":"S6W-24833","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:41.8","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T20:42:11.777","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23468 by Michael Matheson on 20 December 2023, whether it can provide details of its plan to eliminate use of the private sector for NHS planned care, including details of any (a) current use of private sector provision and (b) medium- to long-term contractual agreements that are in place with the private sector to provide planned care.","AnswerText":"While we work with Boards through planning to make best use of existing NHS resources and capacity, we will continue to use the private sector in a structured and prioritised manner. As we deliver new, better and more sustainable ways of delivering services to improve access for patients, we expect the need for private sector capacity to lessen. It is for local NHS Health Boards to determine how they use the private sector and to agree any contractual arrangements.\r\nIn 2022/23, total spend on use of the private sector in NHS Scotland represented just 0.7% (£116m) of the total frontline health budget, while in England, it was 6.5% (£11.5bn) of the Department of Health Budget.\r\nPublic Health Scotland’s Annual  Acute hospital activity and NHS beds information  provides information on non-NHS providers; NHS patients treated in non-NHS locations such as private hospitals, hospices, nursing homes, care homes etc. PHS's latest publication, covering 2022-23 shows that there were 2,958 consultant-led outpatient appointments performed by non-NHS providers in 2022-23, or 0.08% of the total that year (3,928,597)  Table 1 – Outpatient Activity.  During this period figures for new outpatient appointments are 1,988 by non-NHS providers out of 1,273,588 in total (0.16%), involving 1,943 new patients out of a total of 964,316 new patients. There were also 4,962 Continuous Inpatient Stays in non-NHS hospitals out of a total of 1,092,413 (0.45%). This involved 4,779 patients out of a total of 631,731 patients (0.76%)  Table 2 – Inpatient and day case activity  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415572,"EventID":"S6W-24820","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:41.847","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T15:47:35.713","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many reports it has received pertaining to sections (a) 52 and (b) 53 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2014, since the commencement of each provision. ","AnswerText":"Sections 52 and 53 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2014 provide Scottish Ministers with powers to request information and carry out inspections. Reports are not made to Scottish Ministers using these provisions therefore none have been received. ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":415573,"EventID":"S6W-24814","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:41.923","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T15:01:45.817","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work has been done to upgrade the NHS Scotland Resource Allocation Committee (NRAC) funding formula, and when any update will be published.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to ensuring funding is distributed equitably across the country as set out in the 2021-22 Programme for Government. The existing National Resource Allocation Formula (NRAC) is updated on an ongoing basis for a range of factors including population demographics, relative health needs and remote and rural factors. We will continue to assess the need for a more detailed review of the formula, in line with developments in National Care Service funding and Integration reform.\r\nThe formula is inherently complex and the review will take time. However, work to determine how the review should be taken forward is underway, with initial meetings of the Technical Advisory Group on Resource Allocation (TAGRA) having taken place, considering the next steps to determine scope and timing of the review.\r\nFurther work is required prior to confirmation of a timeline for the publication of the updated formula.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415574,"EventID":"S6W-24797","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:41.987","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T10:27:24.207","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to Perceton Mission Trust Dreghorn since 2019.","AnswerText":"There is no record of funding being provided by the Scottish Government to “Perceton Mission Trust Dreghorn” since 2019.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415575,"EventID":"S6W-24811","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:42.05","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T14:06:25.16","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what mechanisms are in place to monitor any impact of UK visa restrictions, in relation to family members accompanying students, on (a) student enrolment, (b) university finances and (c) the wider economy, in order to understand any long-term effect of the policy in Scotland.","AnswerText":"UK Government immigration policies fail to address Scotland’s distinct demographic and economic needs and highlights the need for a tailored approach to migration. We are working closely with colleges and universities in Scotland to establish the impact that the UK Government’s damaging migration policies have on the sector.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415576,"EventID":"S6W-24801","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:42.127","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T10:29:56.233","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to Northwood Charitable Trust since 2019.","AnswerText":"There is no record of funding being provided by the Scottish Government to 'Northwood Charitable Trust' since 2019.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415577,"EventID":"S6W-24810","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:42.19","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T14:06:25.16","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of any potential challenges faced by universities and students impacted by new UK visa restrictions, in relation to family members accompanying students, what steps it is taking to support universities in Scotland to (a) adapt to the new restrictions and (b) provide information and guidance to affected students.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains deeply concerned about the new UK visa changes and the impact on Scotland’s ability to attract international students. \r\nThe Scottish Government will launch a Talent Attraction and Migration Service in 2024. The service will help address Scotland's demographic challenges and will attract and welcome more workers from outside Scotland, including the rest of the UK, with the skills that our economy needs. \r\nThe service will provide immigration support for employers, including our universities and colleges, based in Scotland and for those wishing to set up in Scotland, to enable them to use the UK’s immigration system effectively and efficiently to help meet Scotland’s skills and labour needs. \r\nThe service will also cater to immigration queries from people whose leave is about to expire and to international students approaching the end of their studies who wish to remain in Scotland and seek employment with a Scotland-based employer. \r\nWe have also recently launched our International Education Strategy which sets out steps we will take to work collaboratively with the sector to support international students to study in Scotland. \r\nAs immigration is a complex legal area, students may wish to seek professional advice, as the Scottish Government cannot provide legal or immigration advice. An immigration advisor can be found through the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner which regulates immigration advice and services.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415578,"EventID":"S6W-24752","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:42.237","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-22T12:46:02.927","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many of the 357 stations that are managed by ScotRail, as at 31 March 2023, have provision for baby changing facilities.","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for ScotRail. The member may wish to contact ScotRail directly.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415579,"EventID":"S6W-24836","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:42.317","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T21:16:20.003","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage school leavers and return learners to consider physical education teaching as a long-term career. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to supporting school leavers and return learners to access career support services to fulfil their potential. The national all age careers service, led by Skills Development Scotland, ensures that everyone has access to quality careers information and advice that supports individuals to make informed decisions regarding career options.\r\nLocal authorities are responsible for the recruitment and deployment of teaching staff. The Scottish Government will continue to support local authorities to assist them in being able to recruit to their teaching workforce, including teachers of Physical Education.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415580,"EventID":"S6W-24845","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:42.377","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-25T10:13:06.527","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many enquiries relating to accessing the Home Owners' Support Fund it has received in each of the last 12 months.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-10243 on 7 September 2022. The Scottish Government does not collect data on the number of enquiries relating to the Home Owners Support Fund (HOSF).\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415581,"EventID":"S6W-24733","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:42.47","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-19T14:45:56.423","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what powers it has to ensure that (a) social renters, (b) disabled people, (c) members of the Armed Forces, (d) veterans and (e) other people who are waiting for new homes at The Victoria development in Glasgow are compensated for their wait.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not have any powers to compensate those waiting for affordable housing for any delay that may occur in completion of any development.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415582,"EventID":"S6W-24750","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:42.55","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-22T12:46:02.927","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, of the stations managed by ScotRail that have baby changing facilities and toilet facilities, how many have restricted access to these facilities linked to the hours that the station is staffed.","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for ScotRail. The member may wish to contact ScotRail directly.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415583,"EventID":"S6W-24846","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:42.627","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-25T10:13:06.527","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures it has taken to raise awareness of the Home Owners' Support Fund among people struggling with mortgage payments as a result of the cost of living crisis.","AnswerText":"Paul McLennan: Homeowners who are concerned about their finances should contact their lender as soon as possible to discuss the options available to help them.\r\nHOSF is a scheme of last resort that is offered to home owners who are most in need. The scheme is aimed at low-income households in Scotland, who own properties within the bottom 20% of the housing market and are at risk of repossession and eviction from their home. Applicants must have either mortgage arrears or have an interest only mortgage that has reached the end of its term with no option to repay the loan or to re-mortgage.\r\nThose who need it can access the scheme through accredited money advice services. Suitably qualified money advisers are best placed to determine if a home owner will benefit from applying to the HOSF scheme. Money advisers ensure all options are considered as part of holistic advice.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415584,"EventID":"S6W-24709","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:42.69","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T15:31:22.893","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to publicise the ban on pavement parking, and when it will publish data on its enforcement.","AnswerText":"The prohibition of pavement parking, along with double parking and parking at dropped kerbs at known crossing points was brought in with the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019. With the passing of necessary secondary legislation, local authorities have the powers to enforce these prohibitions from 11 December 2023. These parking prohibitions are a significant alteration for most road users. An awareness raising campaign ran in November and December of 2023, with radio adverts, outdoor posters, digital and social media, to highlight the dangers caused to pedestrians by inconsiderate parking and to help foster the necessary behaviour change within road users. This advertising material has also been made publicly available and has been used by local authorities to produce posters, social media content and warning notices to further publicise this in their areas.\r\nTransport Scotland produce an annual report detailing Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) issued by each local authority, which for the 2023/24 period will include PCNs issued for the new parking prohibitions. This is expected to be published by the end of 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415585,"EventID":"S6W-24802","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:42.77","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T10:30:40.11","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to Counselling and Family Mediation - Western Isles since 2019.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not provided any funding directly to Counselling and Family Mediation Western Isles since 2019.\r\nRelationships Scotland have received Scottish Government core funding since 2016 which will continue until March 2025 via the Children, Young People and Families Early Intervention and Adult Learning & Empowering Communities fund (CYPFEI & ALEC). Relationships Scotland operate a network of 21 Member Services across Scotland and Counselling and Family Mediation Western Isles is part of that network.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415586,"EventID":"S6W-24822","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:42.863","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T16:37:21.757","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill, what range of sexual offences would be covered by the proposed Sexual Offences Court.","AnswerText":"The range of sexual offences that fall under the proposed jurisdiction of the Sexual Offences Court is set out at Schedule 3 of the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill. This list includes offences such as rape, sexual assault as well as disclosure or threatened disclosure of an intimate photograph or film.\r\nProvided at least one of those offences is included on the indictment, the decision on whether to indict a case to the Sexual Offences Court is for independent prosecutors acting with the delegated authority of the Lord Advocate.\r\nThe Court will transform how sexual offence cases are managed within our court system, delivering meaningful and lasting improvements to the experience of victims in these cases.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415587,"EventID":"S6W-24807","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:42.923","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T14:06:25.16","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported contribution of international students to modern languages at Scottish universities, what specific assessment it has conducted to understand any potential impact of new UK visa restrictions, in relation to family members accompanying students, on students studying modern languages at Scottish universities.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not undertaken any specific assessment regarding the impact of recent changes to visa restrictions introduced by the UK Government on students studying modern languages at Scottish universities.\r\nThe Scottish Government recognises the important and valuable contribution that international students make to the Scottish economy, our educational environment and Scottish society. It is essential that immigration policy allows Scotland to attract and retain talent without excessive barriers.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415588,"EventID":"S6W-24843","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:43.02","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-25T09:41:15.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce legislation to reduce the amount of plastic produced by retailers at source. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is working with the other UK governments to legislate to introduce extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging. Among other benefits, this will create a strong incentive for producers to reduce their use of packaging and drive more sustainable design choices.\r\nThe main legislation for packaging EPR will be a Westminster SI, with supporting legislation in Scotland where required. The draft text of this SI was made available for public consultation from 28 July 2023 to 9 October 2023 and is available online at the following link:  Draft producer responsibility obligations (packaging and packaging waste) regulations - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk\r\n","AnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415589,"EventID":"S6W-24735","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:43.08","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-19T14:45:56.423","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that some people buying a home through the New Supply Shared Equity scheme have experienced financial uncertainty, including by having to reapply for a mortgage at a time of higher interest rates, as a result of extensive delays to The Victoria development in Glasgow.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government sympathises with those who are experiencing financial uncertainty as a result of delays in this development, either due to a change in personal circumstances or having to arrange a new mortgage agreement. We are aware that the increase in mortgage rates will make it more difficult for many purchasers across the housing market to both obtain mortgage lending or access it due to a decreased number of products available, even with the financial assistance available through New Supply Shared Equity.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415590,"EventID":"S6W-24727","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:43.143","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-19T11:06:42.513","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding making the revenue accrued by large retailers in Scotland through Minimum Unit Pricing taxable, and for those tax revenues to be hypothecated for alcohol health support measures. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government regularly makes evidence-based representations to the UK Government on reserved tax issues. Alcohol sales are already subject to VAT, whilst any profits made by retailers selling alcohol will be already be subject to Corporation Tax. The Scottish Government, as set out in December’s budget announcement, is exploring the reintroduction of a Public Healthy levy using devolved powers.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415591,"EventID":"S6W-24734","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:43.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-19T14:45:56.423","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what correspondence it has had with (a) Sanctuary and (b) Cruden regarding the reportedly extensive delays to The Victoria development in Glasgow.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not had any correspondence with Sanctuary or Cruden regarding delays to The Victoria development in Glasgow. Glasgow City Council receives funding for its affordable housing supply programme (AHSP) from the Scottish Government through the Transfer of Management of Development Funding (TMDF) arrangement. Working in partnership with local housing providers, the Council is responsible for the management and delivery of the housing programme, which includes The Victoria development, on behalf of Scottish Ministers.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415592,"EventID":"S6W-24726","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:43.27","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-19T11:06:09.757","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will request that the UK Government considers making the revenue accrued by large retailers in Scotland through Minimum Unit Pricing taxable, and for those tax revenues to be hypothecated for alcohol health support measures. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government regularly makes evidence-based representations to the UK Government on reserved tax issues. Alcohol sales are already subject to VAT, whilst any profits made by retailers selling alcohol will be already be subject to Corporation Tax. The Scottish Government, as set out in December’s budget announcement, is exploring the reintroduction of a Public Healthy levy using devolved powers.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415593,"EventID":"S6W-24812","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:43.363","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T14:14:51.323","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the average time taken to determine a major housing development application has been in each of the last three years, broken down by local authority.","AnswerText":"The average time taken to determine planning applications for major housing developments is provided Table 1.\r\nTable 1 - Major housing applications not subject to a processing agreement \r\n2022-23\r\n2021-22\r\n2020-21\r\nPlanning Authority\r\nOverall average time (weeks)\r\nOverall average time (weeks)\r\nOverall average time (weeks)\r\nAberdeen City\r\nn/a\r\n28.1\r\n45.9\r\nAberdeenshire\r\n17.0\r\n38.4\r\nn/a\r\nAngus\r\n22.9\r\nn/a\r\n36.1\r\nArgyll and Bute\r\n46.6\r\n76.3\r\n19.5\r\nCairngorms National Park\r\nn/a\r\nn/a\r\nn/a\r\nClackmannanshire\r\n6.4\r\n43.4\r\n514.1\r\nDumfries and Galloway\r\n26.1\r\n31.2\r\n44.0\r\nDundee City\r\n15.0\r\n25.7\r\n46.7\r\nEast Ayrshire\r\n42.1\r\n87.9\r\n94.1\r\nEast Dunbartonshire\r\n11.1\r\n19.9\r\n53.4\r\nEast Lothian\r\n8.9\r\n8.0\r\n7.0\r\nEast Renfrewshire\r\n59.7\r\n31.4\r\n59.7\r\nCity of Edinburgh\r\n50.1\r\n21.6\r\n15.9\r\nFalkirk\r\nn/a\r\n92.0\r\n104.9\r\nFife\r\n16.3\r\n55.4\r\n32.6\r\nGlasgow City\r\n31.9\r\n39.7\r\n42.3\r\nHighland\r\n82.9\r\n118.0\r\n31.8\r\nInverclyde\r\n24.0\r\n52.8\r\nn/a\r\nLoch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park\r\nn/a\r\nn/a\r\n66.4\r\nMidlothian\r\n50.2\r\n17.0\r\n99.3\r\nMoray\r\nn/a\r\nn/a\r\n12.7\r\nNa h-Eileanan Siar\r\nn/a\r\n50.0\r\n9.4\r\nNorth Ayrshire\r\n14.1\r\nn/a\r\n9.6\r\nNorth Lanarkshire\r\n32.6\r\n52.8\r\n28.3\r\nOrkney Islands\r\n20.3\r\nn/a\r\nn/a\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n18.6\r\n40.3\r\nn/a\r\nRenfrewshire\r\n7.4\r\n14.6\r\n42.6\r\nScottish Borders\r\nn/a\r\n19.7\r\n20.9\r\nShetland Islands\r\nn/a\r\n45.4\r\nn/a\r\nSouth Ayrshire\r\nn/a\r\nn/a\r\nn/a\r\nSouth Lanarkshire\r\n51.9\r\n62.3\r\n130.9\r\nStirling\r\n109.6\r\n124.7\r\nn/a\r\nWest Dunbartonshire\r\n13.4\r\n10.3\r\n8.0\r\nWest Lothian\r\n66.7\r\n137.0\r\n59.7\r\nSCOTLAND\r\n39.3\r\n54.3\r\n54.8\r\n \r\nNote: Figures for the years 2020-21 and 2021-22 were impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic and this should be borne in mind when comparing these to other years.\r\nThe figures in Table 1 do not include major housing applications subject to a processing agreement with the local authority. Where major housing applications were subject to a processing agreement, the percentage of applications where the agreed timescale was met, is set out in Table 2.\r\nTable 2 - Major housing applications subject to a processing agreement \r\n2022-23\r\n2021-22\r\n2020-21\r\nPlanning Authority\r\n% determined within agreed timescales\r\n% determined within agreed timescales\r\n% determined within agreed timescales\r\nAberdeen City\r\n100.0%\r\n100.0%\r\n100.0%\r\nAberdeenshire\r\n100.0%\r\n100.0%\r\n100.0%\r\nAngus\r\n0.0%\r\n100.0%\r\n100.0%\r\nArgyll and Bute\r\nn/a\r\nn/a\r\nn/a\r\nCairngorms National Park\r\nn/a\r\nn/a\r\nn/a\r\nClackmannanshire\r\nn/a\r\nn/a\r\nn/a\r\nDumfries and Galloway\r\nn/a\r\n100.0%\r\nn/a\r\nDundee City\r\nn/a\r\nn/a\r\nn/a\r\nEast Ayrshire\r\nn/a\r\n100.0%\r\nn/a\r\nEast Dunbartonshire\r\nn/a\r\nn/a\r\nn/a\r\nEast Lothian\r\n100.0%\r\nn/a\r\n100.0%\r\nEast Renfrewshire\r\nn/a\r\nn/a\r\nn/a\r\nCity of Edinburgh\r\n50.0%\r\n0.0%\r\n20.0%\r\nFalkirk\r\n100.0%\r\nn/a\r\n50.0%\r\nFife\r\n50.0%\r\n0.0%\r\n0.0%\r\nGlasgow City\r\n50.0%\r\n0.0%\r\n0.0%\r\nHighland\r\n33.3%\r\n100.0%\r\n100.0%\r\nInverclyde\r\nn/a\r\nn/a\r\nn/a\r\nLoch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park\r\nn/a\r\nn/a\r\nn/a\r\nMidlothian\r\n0.0%\r\n0.0%\r\nn/a\r\nMoray\r\n33.3%\r\n0.0%\r\n0.0%\r\nNa h-Eileanan Siar\r\nn/a\r\nn/a\r\nn/a\r\nNorth Ayrshire\r\n100.0%\r\nn/a\r\n33.3%\r\nNorth Lanarkshire\r\n100.0%\r\n33.3%\r\n33.3%\r\nOrkney Islands\r\nn/a\r\nn/a\r\nn/a\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n100.0%\r\n66.7%\r\n100.0%\r\nRenfrewshire\r\nn/a\r\n0.0%\r\n100.0%\r\nScottish Borders\r\n100.0%\r\n0.0%\r\n100.0%\r\nShetland Islands\r\nn/a\r\nn/a\r\nn/a\r\nSouth Ayrshire\r\n100.0%\r\n100.0%\r\n100.0%\r\nSouth Lanarkshire\r\nn/a\r\nn/a\r\nn/a\r\nStirling\r\n0.0%\r\nn/a\r\nn/a\r\nWest Dunbartonshire\r\nn/a\r\nn/a\r\nn/a\r\nWest Lothian\r\n0.0%\r\n50.0%\r\n50.0%\r\nSCOTLAND\r\n63.4%\r\n48.9%\r\n54.5%\r\nPlanning application statistics are published on a 6 monthly basis. Further information is available on the Scottish Government website at:  https://www.gov.scot/collections/planning-statistics/ ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415594,"EventID":"S6W-24854","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:43.597","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-25T12:32:58.927","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6O-03002 by Michael Matheson on 24 January 2024, when the National Community Hospital Group was first established; what the membership of the group is; when it last met, and what was discussed.","AnswerText":"The Community Hospital group has met in its current format since June 2023. The membership comprises professional advisors, NHS and HSCP clinicians, managers and leaders, and Scottish Government officials. It last met on 24 January 2024. The attendees discussed ongoing improvement work in different health board areas, and time was allocated for collaboration and networking to facilitate sharing of experience and good practice across Scottish community hospital settings.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415595,"EventID":"S6W-24793","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:43.707","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T10:24:41.86","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to Central Scotland Regional Equality Council since 2019.","AnswerText":"The Central Scotland Regional Equality Council (CSREC) is based in Falkirk and is focussed on promoting equality and diversity and fostering good relations amongst ethnic minorities and other communities in Central Scotland. The CSREC was awarded funding in 2020 under the Climate Challenge Fund (CCF) for their ‘One Planet Communities’ project (CCF-6544).\r\nThe objectives were as follows:Providing Carbon Conversations to 150 people in their community to increase their awareness and understanding of Climate Change and enable them to make informed choices in their buying habits and change to more sustainable consumer behaviour.800 members of the community will develop more sustainable consumer behaviour and save 67.33 tCO2e by participating in 20 monthly pop-up swap shops over the duration of the Project.420 people will save 5.65 tCO2e by diverting clothing and textiles from landfill by learning how to sew and upcycle them into new items.80 people will upcycle 1680 kg of furniture into new pieces and save 3.4 tCO2e.600 people will use the One Planet Communities online hub to learn about sustainable consumption, the effects of textiles and waste on the environment, upcycling skills and where to go for more information and workshops locally in the Forth Valley.1440 people will divert 4.32 tonnes of waste from landfill, and save 15.81 tCO2e via a Community Fridge.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415596,"EventID":"S6W-24813","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:43.783","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T14:14:51.323","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many decisions on current major housing development applications (a) are outstanding and (b) have exceeded the 16-week statutory target for such applications, broken down by local authority.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold the requested information. However, this information could be obtained from individual planning authorities.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415597,"EventID":"S6W-24839","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:43.877","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T21:46:34.24","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its 2018 commitment to increase the school nursing workforce, what assessment it has made of the school nursing workforce in the last 12 months.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has invested over £34 million since 2018 and this has supported the recruitment and retention of an additional 216.16 whole time equivalent school nurses.\r\nThis investment has meant that all Health Boards in Scotland have been able to recruit additional school nurses. Workforce numbers are published quarterly by NHS Education Scotland (NES) in the National NHS Workforce Statistics.\r\nWe continue to work with Health Boards to monitor school nursing recruitment and retention and the implementation of the transformed role.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415598,"EventID":"S6W-24817","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:43.927","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T15:05:25.04","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many CalMac sailings have been cancelled because of mechanical, technical, or structural issues with vessels in each of the last five years, broken down by vessel.","AnswerText":"CalMac Ferries Limited are unable to provide the information requested as the data is not held in this format. In each of the last 5 years during CY03 – CY07 the total number of cancellations amounted to 40,130. Of this number 6,302 were due to technical issues and 24,789 were due to weather. As answered in S6W-24402, on 19 January 2024, Information from May 2023 will be available in the future, once CalMac Ferries Ltd have completed their audit and validation of this data. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415599,"EventID":"S6W-24818","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:43.987","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T15:34:38.77","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been convicted of offences under section 56 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2014.","AnswerText":"The most recent bulletin on Criminal Proceedings in Scotland covers cases that concluded in court up to the end of March 2022. There are no convictions under Section 56 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2014 up to this point.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":415600,"EventID":"S6W-24819","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:44.037","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T15:34:38.77","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many times it has used its powers under section (a) 52 and (b) 53 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2014, and what the outcome of any such use of these powers was.","AnswerText":"Section 52 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2014 gives Scottish Ministers the power to ask for documents and information they reasonably need to carry out an inspection on a letting agency company. To date this power has not been used.\r\nSection 53 provides Scottish Ministers powers to carry out an inspection of premises which appear to being used for the purpose of carrying out letting agency work. This power was used on four occasions during 2019. The visits were used to confirm compliance with legislative requirements and no further action was required.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":415601,"EventID":"S6W-24809","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:44.097","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T14:06:25.16","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of any potential disproportionate impact of UK visa restrictions, in relation to family members accompanying students, on certain nationalities, and the reported importance of attracting diverse talent to Scottish universities, whether it has had any discussions with the UK Government to advocate for exemptions or greater flexibility in the policy for specific cases or countries.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has urged the UK Government to adopt an inclusive approach to family migration to ensure that those with caring responsibilities are not excluded from our education institutions. Scotland must be able to attract and retain talent without excessive barriers and migration policy should support mobility, collaboration and innovation.\r\nThe Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice wrote to the new Home Secretary on the 22 December, highlighting Scotland’s distinct demographic needs and requested a meeting to discuss our concerns.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415602,"EventID":"S6W-24841","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:44.177","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-25T00:11:50.65","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24438 by Paul McLennan on 23 January 2024, what its position is on whether local community ownership of social housing asset wealth is in the interests of tenants.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government values the diverse social housing sector in Scotland. We support the community ownership of social housing asset wealth where the landlord meets the required legal, regulatory and financial framework and where it is in the interests of its tenants.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415603,"EventID":"S6W-24753","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:44.27","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-22T12:46:02.927","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many of the 357 stations that are managed by ScotRail, as at 31 March 2023, have access to Changing Places toilet facilities, and, of these, how many have restricted hours of access to the facilities based on the hours that the station is staffed.","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for ScotRail. The Member may wish to contact ScotRail directly.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415604,"EventID":"S6W-24847","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:44.317","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-25T10:13:06.527","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many applications have been made to each strand of the Home Owners' Support Fund in each of the last 12 months, and how many of those applications have been accepted.","AnswerText":"Paul McLennan: During the last 12 months (January – December 2023), 40 new applications were made to the Homeowners Support Fund (HOSF).\r\nAll applicants to HOSF receive advice from an accredited money adviser who offer holistic services that best meet applicant’s needs. Accredited money advisers are appropriately qualified to determine when homeowners meet the HOSF eligibility criteria. This ensures all options and potential solutions have been considered before an application is made. All 40 applications were accepted for further consideration by SG officials.\r\nApplications are made to the overall HOSF programme, and all are assessed by SG officials to determine suitability for either Mortgage to Shared Equity (MTSE) or Mortgage to Rent (MTR). Every application is carefully considered.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":415605,"EventID":"S6W-24751","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:44.38","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-22T12:46:02.927","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many of the 357 stations that are managed by ScotRail, as at 31 March 2023, have toilet facilities that are (a) available for staff only and (b) open for public and staff use.","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for ScotRail. The member may wish to contact ScotRail directly.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415606,"EventID":"S6W-24823","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:44.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T16:37:21.757","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill, whether the rape of a child would be considered in the proposed specialist Sexual Offences Court.","AnswerText":"The range of sexual offences that fall under the proposed jurisdiction of the Sexual Offences Court is set out at Schedule 3 of the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill. Schedule 3 includes the offence of rape of a child under common law and under the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415607,"EventID":"S6W-24803","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:44.503","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T10:32:50.03","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many mental health first aiders (a) have been trained in each of the last five years and (b) are currently being trained; how many people are currently employed to train mental health first aiders, and how much money it (i) has spent in each of the last five years and (ii) is currently spending on training mental health first aiders.","AnswerText":"The following table shows the number of participants undertaking Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training over the last 5 years, including numbers to date in 2024, based on the latest available data, as well as the total number of MHFA trainers (active and inactive) since 2020 to date.\r\n1 April – ? 31 March\r\nNumber of people who have participated in the SMHFA programme\r\nNumber of trainers (active and inactive)*\r\nNumber of active Trainers\r\n2019-2020\r\n7906\r\n \r\nData not available**\r\n176\r\n2020-2021\r\n443\r\n290\r\n167\r\n2021-2022\r\n828***\r\n290\r\n167\r\n2022-2023\r\n5133\r\n324\r\n201 (34 new trainers)\r\n2023-2024\r\n4604****\r\n324\r\n201\r\nTABLE NOTES :-\r\n*total number of trainers who have completed the programme to become a trainer. Active trainers have completed the required number of training sessions in each year and have completed General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requirements. Inactive trainers might not have delivered the required training sessions or completed GDPR compliance\r\n**work was undertaken during period to review all trainer accounts\r\n***programme restarted course in November 2021 following a programme break due to COVID\r\n**** up to January 2024\r\nThe following table shows the total spend on MHFA over the last 5 complete financial year.\r\nThis includes spend which is allocated by the Scottish Government to Public Health Scotland for this purpose and does not cover any training fees charged to participants by independent trainers to deliver the MHFA programme. Actual spend data is not available yet for the whole of financial year 2023-24, so an estimated figure is provided.\r\nFinancial Year\r\nAmount\r\n2023-2024\r\n£43526 (estimated)\r\n2022-2023\r\n£42014\r\n2021-2022\r\n£59740\r\n2020-2021\r\n£28350\r\n2019-2020\r\n£49000","AnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415608,"EventID":"S6W-24796","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:44.583","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T10:26:43.873","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to the Edinburgh Hospital Broadcasting Service since 2019.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not provided funding for the Edinburgh Hospital Broadcasting Service.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415609,"EventID":"S6W-24848","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5060,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:44.66","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-25T10:25:05.363","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated cost is of safety-critical or otherwise vital repairs required on all closed Historic Environment Scotland assets and facilities that are required to be carried out before those assets and facilities can be reopened to the public.","AnswerText":"Questions regarding day-to-day operational matters of Historic Environment Scotland, including the cost of repair work on its closed assets and facilities, are best answered by Historic Environment Scotland.\r\nI have asked Historic Environment Scotland to respond directly to the member with a full reply to his question in writing.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415610,"EventID":"S6W-24808","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:44.737","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T14:06:25.16","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of new UK visa restrictions, in relation to family members accompanying students, and any potential negative impact on student wellbeing and academic success as a result of family separation, whether it is considering any measures or support programmes to mitigate any such impact, to ensure that the reported positive contribution of international students in Scotland can continue.","AnswerText":"We remain deeply concerned that the new UK Government visa restrictions will make Scotland a less attractive destination for international students. We are working closely with the sector to minimise impact.\r\nUniversities in Scotland are autonomous bodies with responsibility for teaching, assessment and academic and student support.\r\nThe Scottish Government will, throughout February 2024, undertake consultation events with members of the Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Working Group on a draft Student Mental Health Action Plan.\r\nThe draft Plan recognises the critical importance of early intervention and prevention, ensuring effective access to a diverse range of community-based clinical and non-clinical services, and providing timely clinical acute care for those who require it. It sets out our expectations for institutions on supporting student mental health and wellbeing and how Scottish Government will work with them and the wider public sector.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415611,"EventID":"S6W-24794","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:44.833","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T10:25:28.77","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to Fife Alcohol Support Service since 2019.","AnswerText":"As the Scottish Government has not provided any funding directly to Fife Alcohol Support Service from 2019, no objectives have been set.\r\nHowever, since 2021, the Corra Foundation has administered the National Drugs Mission Funds to over 300 third sector and grassroots organisations on behalf of the Scottish Government. Fife Alcohol Support Service is a recipient of these funds and details of the projects are available at:  Grant holder data - Corra Foundation ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415612,"EventID":"S6W-24728","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:44.927","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-19T11:07:15.927","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will request from the UK Government the tax powers necessary to allow the Scottish Government to tax the revenue accrued by large retailers in Scotland through Minimum Unit Pricing.","AnswerText":"We believe that the Scottish Parliament should have full tax powers so that fiscal decisions that affect the people of Scotland can be made by the people who live here.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415613,"EventID":"S6W-24838","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:44.987","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T21:26:42.653","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it can offer to NHS boards to assist with the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of qualified health visitors.","AnswerText":"Local recruitment is the responsibility of the Health Board however, the Scottish Government actively supports health boards across Scotland to plan locally for service need and for service delivery.\r\nFollowing our £40 million investment from 2014-2018 to recruit an additional 500 Health Visitors, Health Visitor numbers have remained largely stable. Workforce numbers are published quarterly by NHS Education Scotland (NES) in the National NHS Workforce Statistics.\r\nWe continue to work closely with Health Boards to monitor the delivery of the Universal Health Visiting Pathway and to best ensure young families get the support they need.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415614,"EventID":"S6W-24574","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:45.083","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-16T15:25:15","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what review it has undertaken of the publication of return patient data for people accessing chronic pain services.","AnswerText":"As outlined in the  Pain management service delivery framework: implementation plan update  , we are working with Public Health Scotland to improve how we capture and report national data on patients with chronic pain. The current focus is to review and improve waiting times data for first appointments. \r\nSimilar to other specialities, Chronic Pain services in Scotland are currently unable to gather electronic data on return appointments in a consistent manner. On completion of the current work around improving data collection for first appointments, we will begin to consider the feasibility: the costs, accuracy and utility of collecting and reporting national data on waits for return appointments.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415615,"EventID":"S6W-24711","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:45.19","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T16:10:56.023","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) original estimated (i) cost and (ii) opening date was and (b) current estimated (A) cost and (B) opening date is for each National Treatment Centre.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24710 on 5 February 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415616,"EventID":"S6W-24708","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:45.277","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-18T15:02:24.813","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6F-02720 by Humza Yousaf on 18 January 2024, which states that “all homes and businesses in Scotland can currently access a superfast broadband service”, whether it will provide the evidentiary basis for this statement. ","AnswerText":"As outlined in response to question S6W-24754 on 6 February 2024, Ofcom’s Connected Nations Report from December 2023 report states that “Starlink [an LEO satellite service] currently delivers nationwide broadband coverage, including in harder-to-reach areas” and that “Ofcom home broadband performance measurements suggest measured speeds on its [Starlink] network average around 100 Mbit/s download and 14 Mbit/s upload.”\r\nThe R100 contracts will continue to deliver gigabit-capable connections across Scotland and are expected to conclude in 2028. The R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme also remains available to those beyond the reach of commercial and R100 contract build, offering up to £5,000 with which to secure, as a minimum, a superfast broadband connection.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415617,"EventID":"S6W-24749","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:45.433","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-22T12:39:19.447","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the findings of the recent Transport Focus report, What makes for a clean and safe railway. ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24748 on 2 February 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .\r\nTransport Scotland audits ScotRail under the Service Quality Inspection Regime (SQUIRe). The SQUIRe inspectors undertake sample inspections, including checking cleanliness of the trains and stations.\r\nThe SQUIRE regime is one of the toughest performance regimes in the UK with many of the target levels set at 90% or higher. ScotRail is required to address any issues identified during inspections as quickly as possible. This regime makes it possible for ScotRail to achieve one of the highest independent passenger satisfaction survey results amongst UK train operators.\r\nWe know that safety of passengers and staff alike is a number one priority for ScotRail.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415618,"EventID":"S6W-24798","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:45.527","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T10:28:04.653","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to the Shetland Folk Festival Society since 2019.","AnswerText":"The Shetland Folk Festival Society has not received any direct funding from Scottish Government since 2019.\r\nThe Shetland Folk Festival Society has received two awards through the Creative Scotland (CS) National Lottery Open Fund since 2019, totalling £24,000.\r\nThe CS Open Fund has had three iterations since Shetland Folk Festival Society’s award in 2019 and the criteria for the fund has evolved in-line with CS’ strategic and funding priorities. Full details on these funding programmes are available on  Creative Scotland's website.\r\nThe Shetland Folk Festival Society also received £21,000 from EventScotland’s National Events Funding Programme in 2022. The KPIs agreed in the funding contract were as follows:\r\n1. Attract at least 8 bands to Shetland to perform at the event\r\n2. Attract an audience of around 6,000 visitors to the event\r\n3. Attract 32% of visitors from outwith the event region\r\n4. Carry out a scaled back community / rural programme in line with local opinion\r\n5. Demonstrate how the event has helped boost community confidence to attend events\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415619,"EventID":"S6W-24806","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:45.667","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T14:06:25.16","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported contribution of international students to Scottish universities and the wider economy in Scotland, what specific assessment it has conducted to understand any potential impact of new UK visa restrictions, in relation to family members accompanying students.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the significant contribution that international students and their families bring to our economy, communities and culture.\r\nUK Government immigration policies fail to address Scotland’s distinct demographic and economic needs and highlights the need for a tailored approach to migration. We are working closely with colleges and universities in Scotland to establish and understand the impact that the UK Government’s damaging migration policies have on the sector.\r\nThe UK Government frames family migration as a burden. The Scottish Government takes a different view. Scotland needs people to live, work and raise their families here, in light of the pronounced demographic challenge ahead.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415620,"EventID":"S6W-24800","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:45.807","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T10:29:17.2","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to the Friends of the Edington Hospital, North Berwick, since 2019.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not provided funding for the Friends of the Edington Hospital.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415621,"EventID":"S6W-24799","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:45.887","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T10:28:37.787","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to Alcohol & Drugs Action since 2019.","AnswerText":"Alcohol & Drugs Action received funding from the Scottish Government’s National Development Project Fund (NDPF) from 2019 to 2021. High-level NDPF objectives are set out in Grant Offer Letters, and are as follows:Recruiting staff to mentoring and supervision rolesStaff Mentoring roles / training and Recovery Group Peer-led Activity (range, location)Advocacy role (training)Develop further Peer Volunteer roles (Hospital, Housing, Justice settings)Deliver activities in identified key settingsEvaluate effectiveness of mentor / supervisory aspectsEvaluate effectiveness of at-risk engagement with services/supportAdjust and further develop activities as required\r\nWhilst Scottish Government did not directly set the objectives, the Corra Foundation administer funds on our behalf. The Challenge Fund, in 2018-19 and 2019-20 and the National Drugs Mission Funds, from 2021-22, to third sector and grassroots organisations. Alcohol & Drugs Action is a recipient of these funds and details of the projects are available at:  Grant holder data - Corra Foundation","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415622,"EventID":"S6W-24821","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:45.997","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T16:37:21.757","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill, for what reason it decided to include provisions that reportedly allow for murder to be prosecuted in the proposed specialist Sexual Offences Court if the crime had a sexual element involved. ","AnswerText":"The Sexual Offences Court will be of equivalent status to the High Court when sitting as a court of first instance. Its processes and procedures will be the same as the High Court unless specifically provided for otherwise by the Bill, or subsequent secondary legislation or court rules. Importantly, judges sitting in the Court will have the same sentencing powers.\r\nThe proposed jurisdiction of the Sexual Offences Court includes murder only where it is libeled alongside a sexual offence listed in Schedule 3 of the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill . The Crown may prosecute cases involving serious sexual offending where the accused is alleged to have killed one of their victims. Given the experiences of the surviving complainers, the nature of their evidence, and the benefits the Sexual Offences Court will bring, the objective is to ensure there is the opportunity for those cases to be heard in the Sexual Offences Court.\r\nIt should also be noted, these cases can still be prosecuted in the High Court, the Bill gives prosecutors this additional option to indict these cases to the Sexual Offences Court should they consider it appropriate to do so.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415623,"EventID":"S6W-24816","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:46.103","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T15:05:01.453","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, for each vessel in the CalMac fleet, how many days each vessel has been out of service or unable to operate in each of the last five years because of (a) bad weather and (b) non-weather-related reasons.","AnswerText":"CalMac Ferries Limited are unable to provide the information requested as the data is not held in this format. CalMac do not measure vessels outage in days, as many technical issues are resolved in a number of hours.\r\nI have provided reference to a previous Parliamentary Question S6W-15774 on 29 March 2023 with accompanying Bib number 64075, showing all weather related cancellation per vessel for the last 10 years. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415624,"EventID":"S6W-24805","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:46.247","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T14:06:25.16","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of any potential disproportionate impact of UK visa restrictions, in relation to family members accompanying students, on students with children, what specific assessment it has conducted to understand any (a) gendered implications of these restrictions for students in Scotland and (b) potential effects on student (i) wellbeing and (ii) career choices.","AnswerText":"Under the UK Government’s latest migration restrictions, as of 1 January 2024, most international students will no longer be able to bring family members with them to the UK. It is too early to assess the specific impact these changes are having, but we know the significant concerns that universities have about the anticipated effects on the numbers of international students coming to Scotland.\r\nThe UK Government frames family migration as a burden. The Scottish Government takes a different view. Scotland is encouraging people to live, work and raise their families here, in light of the pronounced demographic challenge ahead.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415625,"EventID":"S6W-24842","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:46.387","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-25T09:41:15.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with retailers about reducing the amount of plastic used to package food products. ","AnswerText":"Working with the other UK governments, the Scottish Government is introducing packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) from October 2025. Packaging EPR will see producers taking financial responsibility for the full net cost of responsible management of their packaging, including plastic packaging, at end-of-life. This will create a strong incentive for producers to reduce their use of packaging and drive more sustainable design choices.\r\nAs part of this process, the four governments meet regularly with industry representatives, including retailers, to discuss their perspectives on these proposals. A new packaging EPR Scheme Administrator Steering Group has been set up, with retailer representation, recognising industry’s significant role in delivery of the scheme; the first meeting of this group was on 2 February 2024.\r\n","AnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415626,"EventID":"S6W-24832","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:46.543","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T20:25:14.707","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23773 by Michael Matheson on 8 January 2024, when the Flow Navigation Specialty Delivery Group was established; how often the group has met in the last 12 months, and who its key stakeholder members are. ","AnswerText":"The first official meeting of the Flow Navigation Special Delivery Group was held on 4 October 2023. The group meet monthly with 4 meetings having taken place since its formation.\r\nThe group is led by the Centre for Sustainable Delivery and consists of clinical and operational leads, for Flow Navigation Centre’s, from each mainland Health Board. It also includes representatives from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, the Royal Collage of General Practitioners, Primary Care, NHS 24, the Scottish Ambulance Service and the Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415627,"EventID":"S6W-24835","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:46.683","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T21:10:42.67","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any changes in the availability of publicly-run leisure facilities over the last 10 years. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government places great importance on community sports and leisure facilities. They are crucial to the wellbeing of all our country and most importantly, for our children and young people to be healthy and active.\r\nWe have asked sportscotland to undertake a review of the facilities estate which will provide vital information in understanding the sport and leisure facilities provision in the long term. In addition, sportscotland and Scottish Swimming have recently published a detailed research study into the condition of Scotland’s swimming pools.\r\nWe are fully aware that local authorities are facing challenging financial circumstances, particularly in the maintenance and operating of facilities, largely due to energy costs and other cost of living pressures. sportscotland will continue to work with its local partners to help them assess the impact of any potential facility closures across the country. In addition, the Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Sport and officials engage regularly with Community Leisure UK to discuss the local public facilities landscape.\r\nIn recognition of the importance of access to sports and leisure facilities, our Programme for Government sets out our intention to convene a working group, including representatives of sports organisations, community organisations and CoSLA, to explore how community access to community facilities, such as the school estate, can be enhanced.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415628,"EventID":"S6W-24804","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:46.81","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T13:43:50.06","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to free earwax removal services provided through NHS Scotland, how many people have accessed these services in each of the last five years; whether there are any plans to withdraw these services, and whether there are any NHS boards that do not currently offer these services.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold information on how many people have accessed earwax removal services. Health Boards are responsible for the delivery of primary medical services in their areas.\r\nFormerly most ear wax management procedures were carried out in GP practices. The new GP contract, introduced in 2018, committed Health Boards to set up Community Treatment and Care (CTAC) services to shift workload away from GP practices to NHS Board employed staff so that GP practices could focus on what only they can do. The Scottish Government has confirmed to Health Boards that CTAC services should cover ear wax management generally.\r\nWe are supporting the development of CTAC services through the Primary Care Improvement Fund (£190 million in 2023-24).\r\nWe are now also introducing an additional ‘phased investment programme’ working with a small number of areas to demonstrate what model CTAC and other related services can look like in practice. The findings from this programme will build understanding of the national context for further implementation and inform future long-term Scottish Government investment.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415629,"EventID":"S6W-24840","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-25T16:45:46.95","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T21:54:31.507","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS boards regarding the provision of screening services, such as breast screening, outwith normal 9.00 am to 5.00 pm working hours. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring safe and equitable access to screening for the eligible population. In collaboration with NHS National Services Scotland, NHS Scotland, and representatives from the third sector and academia, the  Equity in Screening Strategy 2023-2026  was published in July 2023. The strategy commits to exploring opportunities to offer a greater variety of service provision, including appointments outwith core hours and in a variety of locations. An action plan is currently in progress, and a group has been established to take the recommendations within the Strategy forward.\r\nIn addition, the Breast Screening Modernisation Board is taking forward recommendations from the  Major Review of the Breast Screening Programme  , published in 2021. This includes increasing the convenience of appointments, such as providing more regular evening and weekend appointments for those who find it hard to adjust weekday commitments or rely on support from others.\r\nMost cervical screening is performed within GP practices, and therefore the appointment times are dependent on their opening hours. However, the Scottish Government is committed to exploring the potential for implementing self-sampling in the home for cervical screening and acknowledges that it has the potential to increase uptake levels and reduce barriers to cervical screening.\r\nThe introduction of self-sampling within cervical screening is dependent on a recommendation by the expert UK National Screening Committee (NSC), based on an assessment of the available evidence. We are aware that the UK NSC is currently considering this actively.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415650,"EventID":"S6W-24883","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":5771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-26T09:10:33.707","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-26T09:03:14.54","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the action that it will take following the closure of the four nations consultation, Creating a Smokefree Generation and Tackling Youth Vaping.","AnswerText":"Our 2023 Tobacco and Vaping Framework includes action to raise the age limit for the sale of tobacco, and review what action is needed to limit the appeal of vapes to children, young people and non-smokers. Key to this work were the proposals consulted on in the four nations “Smokefree Generation and Tackling Youth Vaping” consultation.\r\nI am pleased to announce that today, the four-nation government response to this consultation has been published.\r\nThe response sets out our intention to regulate, through a UK-wide Bill, on raising the age of sale for tobacco year-on-year so that a child born in 2009 or younger can never legally be sold tobacco products. The Bill will also provide a number of powers to tackle youth vaping in Scotland, including restrictions on flavours; regulating point of sale displays; regulating product packaging and presentation.\r\nWe will continue to work with UK Government and other Devolved administrations to develop legislation, and will engage with Parliament as appropriate and necessary during this process.\r\nI recognise the cross-party interest in these measures, so commit to a providing an opportunity for discussion with Parliament through a ministerial statement, the date of which will be confirmed as soon as possible.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415651,"EventID":"S6W-24844","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":8,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-26T09:47:28.63","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-25T09:51:01.473","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what steps it is taking to ensure that schools from all areas of Scotland are not prevented from visiting the Scottish Parliament due to high travel costs.","AnswerText":"The SPCB provides a free school engagement programme. Our Education Services staff deliver sessions and tours at the Parliament, online, and visit schools across Scotland. Digital and outreach education sessions are popular and especially appreciated by those who don’t want to travel to Edinburgh or who find coming to Edinburgh to be too challenging. Last school year, we reached schools in 69 out of 73 constituencies, and expect to reach all constituencies by the end of June 2024. \r\nThe SPCB commissioned a review into how best to deliver our education services in the most effective and inclusive way post Covid. As part of this review, our education team has engaged with schools from across Scotland to fully understand their barriers to accessing our services. \r\nWe know from this that the cost of travel can be a significant barrier, and similarly so can time out of the classroom, support availability, and transport options.  There is no single solution that addresses all barriers and we have asked officials to undertake some further work. The SPCB will consider the matter again later in 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christine Grahame MSP (on behalf of the Scottish Parliamentary Corpora","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415652,"EventID":"S6W-24884","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":16195,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-26T11:29:25.703","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-26T11:22:09.98","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the action that it will take to tackle the environmental impact of single-use vapes, following the closure of the four nations consultation, Creating a Smokefree Generation and Tackling Youth Vaping.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government takes the environmental impact of single-use vapes very seriously. Last year I commissioned an urgent review of the environmental impact of single-use vapes, which found that up to 26 million disposable vapes were consumed and thrown away in Scotland in just one year, of which an estimated 10 per cent were littered and more than half were incorrectly disposed.\r\nOur Programme for Government committed to taking action to tackle the environmental impact of single use vapes, including consulting on a proposal to ban them. In September 2023, at the initiation of the Scottish Government, Ministers and senior officials from across the UK met to discuss single-use vapes. They discussed the available evidence, recognised shared challenges, and committed to work together on a range of options to tackle the impacts, up to and including a ban.\r\nFollowing this, the Scottish Government, along with the UK Government, Welsh Government, and Department for Health and Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland held a four nations consultation on Creating a smokefree generation and tackling youth vaping which ran from October-December 2023. The consultation included a range of proposals, including consideration of a ban on single-use vapes and other measures to reduce their environmental impact. In November 2023 I wrote to the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee, to update the Committee on the government’s approach to tackling the issue.\r\nI am pleased to announce that today, that the Scottish Government will take forward the legislation needed to the ban the sale and supply of single use vapes in Scotland, with a view to a ban coming into force at the earliest opportunity.\r\nThe four nations consultation response, published today, shows clear support for this measure. We are encouraged that the responses from Scotland accounted for 11% of the 28,000 responses received in total, exceeding expectations for comprehensive representation and highlighting the need for action on these issues. In Scotland, 82.3% supported restrictions on single-use vapes (79.3% UK-wide), and 73.4% favoured an outright ban (68.1% UK-wide).\r\nWe will continue to work with UK Government and other Devolved Governments as we develop this legislation, and will engage with Parliament as appropriate and necessary during this process.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415653,"EventID":"S6W-24896","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":5622,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":148,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-26T14:08:08.823","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-26T14:04:58.09","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the next major capital projects progress update.","AnswerText":"Today, the Scottish Government has published its latest Major Capital Projects Progress Update associated with the Infrastructure Investment Plan (IIP) for 2021-22 to 2025-26, which sets out progress on the delivery of infrastructure projects with a value over £5 million which have agreed Outline Business Cases or equivalent. The update can be viewed via the following link: https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781835218976\r\nThe UK Government did not inflation-proof their Capital Budget which has resulted in nearly a 10% real-terms cut in our capital funding over the medium-term between 2023-24 and 2027-28. The decisions made by the UK Government to reduce our capital funding in real terms year on year, alongside the construction supply chain issues, labour shortages and high inflation means that we cannot deliver on all our capital projects within the funding available.\r\nFurther work is therefore underway to update the full pipeline of projects and programmes relating to the current IIP to ensure it is affordable and deliverable and provides best value for money. A refresh of the overall infrastructure pipeline is intended to be published alongside the Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) in May 2024.\r\nAs set out in the May 2023 MTFS, we plan to extend the current IIP period by one year, to 2026-27. This will ensure spending is aligned to the three missions for this Parliament and that it takes account of the fiscal and economic reality at the time. Work with stakeholders and colleagues is ongoing to develop the next IIP, which will be published in due course and in plenty of time to be adopted in 2027-28.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415659,"EventID":"S6W-24877","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-26T15:51:08.87","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-25T18:13:08.35","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the COM Reference Group, one of the groups designing the National Care Service, last met, and what was discussed.","AnswerText":"The NCS COM reference group last met on the 19 May 2022. The meeting was a workshop focused on review of the current system and potential options for future systems. Consideration was given at this meeting to the potential approaches for the structure of the NCS.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415660,"EventID":"S6W-24855","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-26T15:51:08.98","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-25T13:00:58.75","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what additional resources and funding it has provided to the Energy Consents Unit to manage any increase in planning applications being considered.","AnswerText":"The Energy Consents Unit has increased its staffing resource in response to increased application volumes. Resourcing requirements are kept under review, with a view to addressing the expected intake of applications.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415661,"EventID":"S6W-24879","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-26T15:51:09.027","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-25T18:15:44.09","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Programme Delivery Board designing the National Care Service last met, and what was discussed.","AnswerText":"The Programme Delivery Board last met on 31 January 2024. The Board discussed the Programme’s progress to date, including an update on the status of the NCS Bill and subsequent planning across the programme for 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415662,"EventID":"S6W-24886","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-26T15:51:09.107","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-26T11:51:54.443","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide details of how NHS 24 ensures that calls regarding mental health are properly triaged. ","AnswerText":"NHS 24 ensures that mental health calls are correctly triaged through training, support for frontline staff and ongoing oversight and review of calls and processes.\r\nAll new staff undertake a robust four-week induction training programme, and Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners and Mental Health Nurse Practitioners are trained to conduct specialised mental health assessments to ensure that patients are triaged appropriately.\r\nAll frontline staff undertake monthly clinical and line management supervision with Senior Charge Nurses, and are continuously supported to improve their knowledge and adhere to organisational processes and clinical governance guidelines. Clinical outcomes are reviewed monthly to identify any changes in referral patterns, and any significant variations are investigated and reviewed by NHS 24.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415663,"EventID":"S6W-24872","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-26T15:51:09.167","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-25T16:22:44.393","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what funding it has made available to increase the supply of accessible and adapted housing.","AnswerText":"Through the 2023-24 Affordable Housing Supply Programme we are investing £752 million to support local authority strategic housing priorities, including accessible housing. All new build properties which are delivered directly by councils and social landlords should, as a minimum, meet the ‘basic’ requirement within the Housing for Varying Needs Design guide. This guide incorporates the ‘barrier free’ concept of accessibility and is a key reference document for the affordable housing sector in Scotland.\r\nWe support registered social landlords to undertake adaptations to their properties, and in 2023-24 we are making available £11 million for this purpose. Adaptations in Glasgow and Edinburgh are funded separately within those local authorities’ Affordable Housing Supply Programme allocations as part of the Transfer of the Management of Development Funding arrangements.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415664,"EventID":"S6W-24859","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-26T15:51:09.23","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-25T14:40:08.873","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that thousands of people in the Galloway and West Dumfries constituency have been deregistered as NHS dental patients, and the reported lack of NHS dental services, what measures it is considering to ensure the continuation of free dental prescriptions.","AnswerText":"Unregistered patients who require urgent care can access services through the Public Dental Service’s (PDS) weekend and evening clinics, and will be able to receive a free NHS prescription if this is clinically required.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415665,"EventID":"S6W-24852","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-26T15:51:09.307","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-25T11:32:34.767","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what stage has been reached of its piloted expansion of childcare for two-year-olds.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government funds delivery of 1140 hours of high quality funded Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) to all three and four-year-olds and eligible two-year-olds. This entitlement is regardless of the working status of their parents - putting children first.\r\nWe recognise how important both early learning and school age childcare are for families, especially those experiencing poverty. Within this year’s Programme for Government we have committed to work with local government and partners in the ELC sector to expand our childcare offers.\r\nWe are already delivering school age childcare services to around 1,000 priority families through our early adopter work in Glasgow, Dundee, Clackmannanshire, and Inverclyde - and through our Access to Childcare Fund projects.\r\nOver the next year we will expand our early adopter work to include Fife and Shetland and also to broaden the work to include younger children. This work will provide us with a clearer picture about what approaches deliver the greatest impact for families.\r\nIn parallel we will continue to work with local authorities and our partners in the sector to support up-take of the existing two year old offer, to ensure as many children as possible receive the benefits of high quality ELC. We will also begin the work necessary to plan for an expansion of funded ELC for more families with a two year old, focused on those who will benefit most.\r\nWe know that the needs of younger children are different to those aged three and four and in developing our plans for an expansion we will be guided by what the evidence tells us is best for children and families.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415666,"EventID":"S6W-24853","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-26T15:51:09.357","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-25T12:10:57.443","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what review SEPA is planning of the European Water Framework Directive.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Environment Protection Agency is not planning to review the European Water Framework Directive.\r\nThe Water Framework Directive is implemented in Scotland by the Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Act 2003 and the Water Environment (River Basin Management Planning: Further Provision) (Scotland) Regulations 2013. Any review of this legislation would be carried out by the Scottish Government.\r\nThrough the Water Framework Directive’s River Basin Management Planning process we continue to protect and improve the water environment in order to ensure the health and wellbeing of Scotland’s rivers, lochs and coastal waters.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":415667,"EventID":"S6W-24860","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-26T15:51:09.417","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-25T14:45:30.11","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what additional (a) advice and (b) support is available to anyone concerned that they have been the victim of a spray foam insulation scam, in light of reports from Trading Standards Scotland that it has seen a 42% rise in consumer complaints about insulation scams in the last year.","AnswerText":"The regulation of consumer protection is reserved to the UK Government therefore the Scottish Government cannot take all the action it would like to do in this area. However, we recognise the importance of consumers being confident that any work carried out is done to a high standard.\r\nOn the matter of advice, we encourage anyone considering energy efficiency upgrades to seek expert advice from trusted sources, such as the Scottish Government’s Home Energy Scotland service. We also fund support for consumers who have such concerns in the form of a Scotland-specific consumer advice service that provides clear, practical advice on all consumer issues, including scams prevention. Anyone seeking this kind of help should contact Advice Direct Scotland at  https://consumeradvice.scot/  and also on 0808 164 6000.\r\nUsing installers such as TrustMark registered businesses is a requirement of accessing Scottish Government funding for energy efficiency work. By adopting these standards for our own schemes we hope to encourage a greater level of skills and competence in the industry more generally and foster a more secure sector that householders can be confident in regardless of how their work is funded.\r\nThe UK Government’s role extends to the ability to legislate in ways that can provide increasing protection for consumers against scams of all kinds, and which it would be expected to review in the face or emergence of specific instances or patterns which require a distinct or additional approach.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415668,"EventID":"S6W-24849","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-26T15:51:09.463","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-25T10:26:19.847","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24619 by Mairi Gougeon on 24 January 2024, whether it will support the funding of a fish counter in the River Dee, in light of reports that a suitable site has been identified in the narrow part of the lower reaches of the river, which is less than 25 metres across.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has no plans to fund a fish counter on the River Dee .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":415669,"EventID":"S6W-24889","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-26T15:51:09.527","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-26T12:23:03.08","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much of any funding that it has provided to support small businesses to become Low Emission Zone (LEZ)-compliant has been used to date.","AnswerText":"From Jan 2020 to Jan 2024, over £6 million has been paid in grants to smaller businesses through the LEZ Support Fund.\r\nThis funding has resulted in over 1,000 high polluting vehicles being taken off our roads, and over 400 taxis retrofitted to become LEZ compliant.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415670,"EventID":"S6W-24887","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-26T15:51:09.573","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-26T12:06:35.74","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21884 by Graeme Dey on 27 October 2023, whether it will now provide the update that it has promised regarding the new funding model for post-school education provision announced in the 2023-24 Programme for Government.","AnswerText":"In my statement to Parliament on  5th December 2023, I reiterated my commitment to streamline funding for colleges, universities and apprenticeships. As a first step, this means bringing together funding for student support into one place and funding for apprenticeships into one place.\r\nThe Scottish Government will provide further detail shortly.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415671,"EventID":"S6W-24882","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-26T15:51:09.62","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-25T18:36:39.38","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the NHS Scotland Scottish Workforce and Staff Governance Group last met, and what was discussed.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Workforce and Staff Governance Committee last met on 24 January 2024.\r\nMeeting minutes will be published once agreed. These will be available to view at  Scottish Workforce & Staff Governance (SWAG) Committee Agenda and Minutes — NHS Scotland Staff Governance ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415672,"EventID":"S6W-24870","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-26T15:51:09.667","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-25T16:19:47.707","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has reportedly not sought the input of the short-term let industry advisory group members regarding the implementation update on short-term let regulations, in light of VisitScotland not enabling meetings to resume since the last meeting in October 2023, and whether it will ensure that individual members are not barred from providing input to the list of legislative and non-legislative operational matters.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has sought views regarding the implementation update on Short Term Let Licensing from the Short Term Let Industry Advisory Group (IAG). The group most recently met with all members in attendance on 19 January 2024 and subsequently shared further feedback, in addition to that already gathered throughout the development of the scheme. We will continue to work with stakeholders to monitor the operation of the scheme and that is why we have committed to providing an update to Parliament on licensing implementation early this year. I wrote to the Local Government Housing and Planning Committee on 30 Jan 2024 to set out progress we have made to date.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415673,"EventID":"S6W-24875","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-26T15:51:09.73","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-25T16:23:08","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many properties have either been built or had modifications made to them, to increase the supply of accessible and adapted housing, in the last year. ","AnswerText":"Management information on the Affordable Housing Supply Programme for 2022-23 shows that 6,868 new build social homes were built. Returned information confirmed that 99% met Housing for Varying Needs standards. As part of the total 10,462 affordable homes delivered that year, 1,319 homes were delivered with enhanced accessibility standards - including wheelchair, older amenity, supported and sheltered housing.\r\nFrom the £16.616 million spent on adaptations across Scotland in 2022-23, around 5000 properties benefitted from 6,112 adaptations.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415674,"EventID":"S6W-24874","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-26T15:51:09.777","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-25T16:23:00.357","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of (a) the current supply of accessible and adapted housing and (b) whether current capacity meets demand.","AnswerText":"It is the statutory responsibility of local authorities through their Local Housing Strategy (LHS) and Development Plan to determine the appropriate housing required in their area, informed by a Housing Need and Demand Assessment. This includes consideration of existing housing provision and current and future requirements.\r\nWhere local authorities identify a strategic requirement for a particular type of home, including wheelchair accessible housing, projects to support delivery of these homes are expected to be included in Local Authority Strategic Housing Investment Plans for delivery through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme.\r\nSince the integration of health and social care, Integration Joint Boards (IJBs) are responsible for the planning and delivery of adaptations using delegated budgets. IJBs are also responsible for reviewing and developing services to improve outcomes for people who require adaptations.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415675,"EventID":"S6W-24891","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-26T15:51:09.823","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-26T12:37:07.5","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact on meeting its tree planting targets of the proposed reduction to the budget for woodland creation grant funding.","AnswerText":"Scottish Forestry estimate that the draft Budget will support over 9,000 hectares of new woodland in Scotland, which will be more woodland creation than the rest of the UK combined. We are engaging with stakeholders so that we can maximise tree planting and the delivery the benefits for climate, the economy, people and nature.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415676,"EventID":"S6W-24871","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-26T15:51:09.887","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-25T16:22:31.71","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to a supplementary to question S6O-03013 by Emma Roddick on 25 January 2024, whether it will detail the ways in which it is “increasing the supply of accessible and adapted housing”.","AnswerText":"We continue to take forward our commitments to improving the accessibility and adaptability of new homes in Scotland. Work to review and update the Housing for Varying Needs design guide, applicable to homes delivered with support through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme, remains in progress. This will inform the development of a new Scottish Accessible Homes Standard which we expect to be implemented through changes to building standards from 2025-26 and would apply to the delivery of all new homes, regardless of tenure.\r\nAs we set out in our commitment in Housing to 2040 we are taking forward a review of the current housing adaptations system and will make recommendations on how best to improve and streamline the system and maximise the impact of investment.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415677,"EventID":"S6W-24863","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-26T15:51:09.933","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-25T16:13:43.45","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for how long NHS Dumfries and Galloway has qualified for the Scottish Dental Access Initiative.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Dental Access Initiative (SDAI) was introduced in 1997. Over the course of this period, areas of NHS Dumfries and Galloway included within the scheme have varied depending on the access to NHS dental services at a particular time.\r\nThe whole NHS Dumfries and Galloway Board area was added for inclusion to the scheme from 20 December 2021.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415678,"EventID":"S6W-24885","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-26T15:51:09.98","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-26T11:42:03.477","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-22891 by Graeme Dey on 27 November 2023, whether Scotland’s universities will receive the full £5.8 million in regional innovation funding before the end of the current financial year.","AnswerText":"Ministers have decided that the £5.8m allocated to the Scottish Government, as consequentials arising from spending on the Regional Innovation in England, will be used to support university research and innovation in Scotland within the current financial year.\r\nThis is in recognition of the vital contribution our university sector make across the breadth of Scottish Government ambitions, including underpinning the excellence of our education system, creating new knowledge and impact for social benefit, and supporting Scotland’s sustainable economic transformation and the delivery of NSET.\r\nThe Scottish Funding Council (SFC) has written out to universities to set out further details on this.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415679,"EventID":"S6W-24876","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-26T15:51:10.027","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-25T17:53:20.217","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce last met, and what was discussed.","AnswerText":"The last meeting of the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce was held on the 6 December 2023 and was chaired by myself. The next meeting is scheduled for the 13 March 2024.\r\nThe Scottish Government publishes the agreed minutes and actions from each meeting on its website. www.gov.scot/groups/nursing-and-midwifery-taskforce/","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415680,"EventID":"S6W-24873","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-26T15:51:10.073","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-25T16:22:53.243","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of decisions taken in the Budget for 2024-25 on aims to increase the supply of accessible and adapted housing.","AnswerText":"Our budget decisions are based on fiscal sustainability, legal requirements, contractual obligations and previous commitments, as well as a range of social, economic, political and environmental issues. Work is also ongoing with the financial community in Scotland, and beyond, to boost private sector investment and help deliver more homes including accessible homes. The Draft budget for 2023-24 includes £556 million for the Affordable Housing Supply Programme and £8.245 million for adaptations.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415681,"EventID":"S6W-24881","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-26T15:51:10.137","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-25T18:17:45.893","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Health and Social Care Assurance Board, one of the groups designing the National Care Service, last met, and what was discussed.","AnswerText":"Health and Social Care Assurance Board (HSCAB) last met on? 8 November 2023. At this meeting, the Co-Director of Social Care and NCS Development, provided an update on the progress of the National Care Service.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415682,"EventID":"S6W-24880","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-26T15:51:10.183","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-25T18:16:49.97","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Health and Social Care Management Board, one of the groups designing the National Care Service, last met, and what was discussed.","AnswerText":"Health and Social Care Management Board (HSCMB) last met on? 24 January 2024, and it discussed strategic, tactical, and operational matters which contribute to the delivery of health and care service across Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415683,"EventID":"S6W-24878","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-26T15:51:10.23","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-25T18:14:24.827","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the TOM Reference Group, one of the groups designing the National Care Service, last met, and what was discussed.","AnswerText":"The NCS TOM reference group last met on the 19 May 2022. The meeting was a workshop focused on review of the current system and potential options for future systems. Consideration was given at this meeting to the potential approaches for the structure of the NCS.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415684,"EventID":"S6W-24825","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-26T15:51:10.277","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T16:40:19.533","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for how long NHS Borders has qualified for the Scottish Dental Access Initiative.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Dental Access Initiative (SDAI) was introduced in 1997. Over the course of this period, areas of NHS Borders included within the scheme have varied depending on the access to NHS dental services at a particular time.\r\nThe whole area of NHS Borders was added for inclusion to the scheme from 26 April 2023.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415685,"EventID":"S6W-24868","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-26T15:51:10.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-25T16:13:43.45","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its evaluation is of the provision of NHS dental services in Dumfries and Galloway in the last year.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is aware of emerging access issues within NHS Dumfries and Galloway, noting that this is an area which has suffered disproportionately with dental workforce issues in the past – an issue which has only been heightened by the significant loss of EU workforce as a result of Brexit.\r\nWhilst a formal evaluation on the provision of NHS dental services in Dumfries and Galloway over the last year has not been undertaken, as it is a matter for the NHS Board, Scottish Government is working closely with the Board through an Annual Delivery Plan to mitigate against the drivers of access issues. This includes regular meetings to strategically plan on the design and implementation of more sustainable dental services across the Board area. While this work continues, unregistered patients will continue to be able to access emergency and urgent care via Public Dental Service clinics.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415686,"EventID":"S6W-24856","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-26T15:51:10.387","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-25T13:00:58.75","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason there is reportedly a three-month delay in logging submissions sent to the Energy Consents Unit, and what action it is taking to address this.","AnswerText":"All representations submitted within statutory timeframes are logged such that the material issues raised within such representations can be taken fully into account prior to a determination being made on an application.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415687,"EventID":"S6W-24857","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-26T15:51:10.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-25T13:00:58.75","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the target timescale is for the Energy Consents Unit to log submissions made by members of the public, and whether this target is being met.","AnswerText":"The Energy Consents Unit does not have a target timescale for logging representations. Representations may be made to the Scottish Ministers in line with statutory timeframes set out in public notices, which require to be given in accordance with applicable regulations. Representations are managed such that the material issues raised within are always taken into account before any decision is taken by Scottish Ministers.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415688,"EventID":"S6W-24869","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-26T15:51:10.473","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-25T16:13:43.45","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason dentists treating patients privately are reportedly unable to issue NHS prescriptions, in light of reported concerns that this means that patients who are unable to get NHS dental appointments have to pay for both appointments and any medication.","AnswerText":"Dentists that choose to provide a wholly private service would be required to resign their NHS list number and would therefore be unable to issue NHS prescriptions.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415689,"EventID":"S6W-24861","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-26T15:51:10.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-25T16:13:43.45","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a complete breakdown of the fee structure for NHS dental payments (a) before and (b) after 1 November 2023.","AnswerText":"The current fee structure for NHS dental payments, as of 1 November 2023, is detailed in Determination I of the Statement of Dental Remuneration (SDR), which can be accessed online at:  Statement of Dental Remuneration | Scottish Dental  .\r\nThe fee structure for NHS dental payments prior to 1 November 2023 is detailed in previous versions of the SDR, which are also available at the above link.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415690,"EventID":"S6W-24850","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-26T15:51:10.567","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-25T10:27:32.45","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, of the 36,100 premises that have been connected under the R100 scheme to date, how many are gigabit-capable.","AnswerText":"Of the 36,100 premises connected so far through the R100 contracts, 1,600 have been connected through Fibre To The Cabinet broadband which can provide a minimum of a superfast service. The remaining 34,500 connections have been delivered utilising Fibre To The Premises which is capable of delivering a gigabit broadband service.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415691,"EventID":"S6W-24851","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-26T15:51:10.613","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-25T10:31:50.233","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, of the 114,869 premises to be connected under the R100 scheme, how many will be connected with gigabit-capable broadband.","AnswerText":"Of the 114,869 premises currently expected to be connected through the R100 contracts, only 1,600 will be connected through Fibre To The Cabinet broadband. The remaining 113,269 will be connected with Fibre To The Premises which is a gigabit-capable technology.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415693,"EventID":"S6W-24923","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T17:16:31.507","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T10:36:14.44","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what measures it is taking to improve the take-up of languages in education.","AnswerText":"Since 2013 the Scottish Government has provided local authorities and third sector partners with funding of over £50m in support of the implementation of the 1+2 languages approach in schools.\r\nA 2021 survey of local authorities confirmed that pupils across Scotland are now learning languages from primary one and continuing throughout their broad general education, up to the point when they make their subject choices.\r\nWe remain committed to language learning in the broad general education and the senior phase. We continue to work with Education Scotland which provides national guidance, resources and professional learning programmes for teachers. We also continue to fund third sector partners such as Strathclyde University who host Scotland’s National Centre for Languages (SCILT). SCILT provides professional development, classroom resources and undertakes activity to promote language learning. We are also happy to meet with other partners and interested parties to discuss further ways of supporting languages in schools.\r\nIn terms of post-school education, universities and colleges are responsible for their own course provision. In line with our Purpose and Principles for the post-school education and skills system, the Scottish Government will continue to work with both sectors to ensure that they deliver the best outcomes and impact for learners, the economy and society.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415694,"EventID":"S6W-24895","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T17:16:31.617","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-26T14:03:53.72","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Chartered Institute of Building's report, Harnessing Scotland's Social Housing Expertise, and specifically its recommendations regarding changes to energy efficiency funding for the social housing sector.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government welcomes the report from the Chartered Institute of Buildings (CIOB) into social housing retrofit. Its findings and recommendations will help inform our thinking on how we continue to support the sector to help achieve our climate targets. Both the report and our current consultation on proposals for a new Social Housing Net Zero Standard will provide valuable feedback and insight on how the social housing sector can continue to build upon its progress on energy efficiency.\r\nThe Green Heat Finance Taskforce is also exploring ways to encourage a greater flow of private finance to help support the transition to clean heat, and its part 2 report this year will include consideration of financing options to enable social housing retrofit. All these sources of information will inform future decisions around funding support for energy efficiency and clean heat upgrades in social housing.\r\nThe Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund (the Fund) has already undergone a review to ensure it is providing the best support to social landlords in the transition to net zero. As part of this, the Fund’s support for “Fabric First” only projects has been extended until March 2026 in response to calls from the sector. The Fund welcomes consortium bids from multiple housing associations and local authorities to help deliver retrofit on a larger scale.\r\nThe Fund can be used alongside Area Based Schemes to carry out whole retrofit of a multi-tenure block if the properties fit the criteria of both Schemes. There is also financial support for owner occupiers through Warmer Homes Scotland and the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan scheme which can reduce the costs of taking part in whole building works.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415695,"EventID":"S6W-24904","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T17:16:31.663","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T10:05:49.313","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to the Centre for Inclusive Living Perth and Kinross since 2019.","AnswerText":"The Centre for Inclusive Living Perth and Kinross has not received Scottish Government funding since 2019.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Emma Roddick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415696,"EventID":"S6W-24927","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T17:16:31.73","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T10:54:09.263","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how its national Good Food Nation Plan will support food production in Scotland.","AnswerText":"High-quality, nutritious food which is sustainably produced is key to our wellbeing – in economic, environmental, social and health terms. The national Good Food Nation Plan sets out six over-arching Outcomes which indicate key areas to further develop our status as a Good Food Nation. These Outcomes have been developed with regard to a range of issues and principles set out in the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022, including the fact that each part of the food system plays an important role in the provision of food. The importance of supporting food production is particularly reflected in Outcome 4: “Our food and drink sector is prosperous, diverse, innovative, and vital to national and local economic and social wellbeing. It is key to making Scotland food secure and food resilient, and creates and sustains jobs and businesses underpinned by fair work standards.”\r\nAs well as the national Plan itself, we are also currently consulting on the list of specified functions that will, once set out in secondary legislation, give practical effect to the Good Food Nation Plan. The consultation can be found at  https://consult.gov.scot/agriculture-and-rural-economy/national-good-food-nation-plan/  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415697,"EventID":"S6W-24920","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T17:16:31.777","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T10:18:23.667","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to the John Shivas Memorial Trust since 2019.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not provided funding for the John Shivas Memorial Trust.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415698,"EventID":"S6W-24915","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T17:16:31.823","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T10:13:35.19","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to the Berea Trust Limited since 2019.","AnswerText":"Berea Trust Limited has not received Scottish Government funding since 2019.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Emma Roddick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415699,"EventID":"S6W-24926","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T17:16:31.883","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T10:45:52.457","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the reported plans to increase household water bills by almost 30% over the next three years. ","AnswerText":"The arrangements for setting water charges are set out in the Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002; decisions on charges are a matter for the Board of Scottish Water.\r\nCharges for future years have not yet been agreed. They will be set annually by Scottish Water’s Board, with approval from the independent economic regulator, in line with the price cap across the 2021-27 period.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415700,"EventID":"S6W-24893","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T17:16:31.933","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-26T13:23:39.33","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it undertook any action to mark Clean Air Night on 24 January 2024.","AnswerText":"Clean Air Night 2024 was the first such event, and has been introduced to complement Clean Air Day, which has taken place since 2017 with funding support from the Scottish Government. \r\nThe Scottish Government will consider how to engage with future Clean Air Night activities in the context of the public engagement framework around air quality which we are developing with partner organisations. It will include a focus on raising awareness of the impact of domestic fuel combustion emissions, which was the overarching theme of Clean Air Night.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415701,"EventID":"S6W-24929","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T17:16:31.98","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T11:34:53.457","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24884 by Lorna Slater on 29 January 2024, whether it plans to use the Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill as the mechanism to ban single-use disposable vapes.","AnswerText":"Officials are moving at pace, with the rest of the UK to bring forward the correct mechanisms to ban Single Use Vapes. As this is an area of devolved competence, decisions on whether to act in this area rest with the respective Governments in each part of the UK.\r\nI wrote to the NZET committee on the 26th of January informing them that the Scottish Government intend to bring forward Scottish regulations under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to enact a ban on the sale and supply of single-use vapes in Scotland. In doing so, we will conduct a full impact assessment which, depending on its outcome in relation to the impact on different groups or communities, may require consideration of limited exemptions to a ban.\r\nWe will continue to work with UK Government and other Devolved Governments as we develop this legislation and will engage with Parliament as appropriate and necessary during this process.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415702,"EventID":"S6W-24917","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T17:16:32.027","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T10:14:39.327","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to the National Prayer Breakfast for Scotland since 2019.","AnswerText":"The National Prayer Breakfast has not received Scottish Government funding since 2019.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Emma Roddick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415703,"EventID":"S6W-24925","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T17:16:32.073","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T10:39:02.383","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS Forth Valley regarding the future of ward 6 for women's health at the Forth Valley Royal Hospital, in light of reported concerns that the ward may close.","AnswerText":"I expect all NHS Boards, including NHS Forth Valley, to keep their services under review to ensure that they are of the highest quality; and that they meet the needs of local people, whilst remaining consistent with national policies and frameworks.\r\nNHS Forth Valley have confirmed that they are considering a number of options to improve capacity and flow through Forth Valley Royal Hospital, which includes the development of a frailty unit. This work is still at an early stage and the Board have given assurances that no changes would be made without ensuring that all services can continue to be delivered safely and effectively.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415704,"EventID":"S6W-24928","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T17:16:32.15","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T10:56:05.063","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent steps it has taken to improve A&E waiting list times at NHS Forth Valley. ","AnswerText":"Officials meet regularly with NHS Forth Valley to ensure progress against their delivery plan. The board have a number of actions underway to support performance recovery including optimisation of their Flow Navigation Centre to ensure better links with primary and community care, increasing frailty capacity and focused work to embed their Discharge without Delay approach.\r\nThe Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) is working with NHS Boards including NHS Forth Valley to support delivery of the Urgent and Unscheduled Care collaborative, to ensure sustainable ways of delivering services, improving access for patients, and reducing unnecessary demand for services.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415705,"EventID":"S6W-24911","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T17:16:32.213","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T10:10:26.95","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to the North Queensferry Heritage Trust since 2019.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not provided any funding to North Queensferry Heritage Trust since 2019.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415706,"EventID":"S6W-24899","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5877,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T17:16:32.277","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-26T15:39:46.54","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is promoting traditional building practices training in Edinburgh, in light of reports that the City of Edinburgh Council considers that the Archorfield tenement on Lindsay Road \"carries a high risk of structural failure that could pose significant health and safety risk to residents and public both inside and outside the property\", and of Edinburgh College's reported decision to cease delivering stonemasonry apprenticeship training.","AnswerText":"Historic Environment Scotland continues to champion traditional skills and is working with stakeholders across the country to address traditional skills gaps to help ensure Scotland’s historic buildings can thrive as part of the country’s sustainable future.\r\nSkills Development Scotland delivers careers information, advice and guidance in all state secondary schools, dedicated centres and community locations nationwide. Its all-age service empowers people from all communities to make their own learning and career decisions, based on the best available career intelligence.\r\nRegarding the cessation of stonemasonry apprenticeship training at Edinburgh College, the then Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development and I met Historic Environment Scotland in recent months to discuss stonemasonry and we await their proposals to address the skills issues in the sector.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415707,"EventID":"S6W-24824","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T17:16:32.323","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T16:40:19.533","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many dental practices, broken down by geographical location, offered NHS services (a) before and (b) after the NHS dental payment reform was introduced on 1 November 2023.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally. Information in relation to the number of dental practices providing NHS dental services is held by each Health Board.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415708,"EventID":"S6W-24906","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T17:16:32.37","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T10:07:17.53","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to the Royal Blind Asylum and School since 2019.","AnswerText":"The Royal Blind School receives annual grant funding from the Scottish Government, which is used to support the direct delivery of specialist education and care provision for children and young people with complex additional support needs, including those with visual impairment. The key recurring grant objectives set out for the school in their annual grant letters since 2019-20 are:Provide high quality education and / or care to the children and young people who attend the Royal Blind School and Sight Scotland education outreach services.Continue to develop the delivery of peripatetic support to local authorities, children and young people with visual impairment.Identify collaboratively, the development objectives with all pupils, staff and stakeholders.Evidence and maintain the Royal Blind School’s leading position and its value to the provision and enhancement of good practice in education, learning and care for school age children with Visual Impairment and particularly those with complex additional support needs.Ensure the ongoing viability of the school, continue to be committed to attracting and developing alternative sources of income through commercial activity and partnership working.Improve and develop partnership opportunities with all stakeholders of the Royal Blind School.In addition to the core objectives set out above, two further objectives were set within specific years. These were not recurring objectives and were met within the years set.Throughout 2020-21 implement the actions/activities in the School Improvement Plan to ensure children and young people who attend the Royal Blind School receive high quality education and care.To continue to develop and operate the Learning Hub in order to provide support to local authorities, children and young people with visual impairment and their families and other agencies with visual impairment across Scotland; and provide by 31 March 2020 an evaluation of progress in the 2019-20 outcomes report.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415709,"EventID":"S6W-24858","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T17:16:32.417","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-25T14:29:59.087","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the appointment of a chair for the public inquiry into the conduct of the former neurosurgeon, Sam Eljamel, and what the timeframe is for the one-to-one clinical reviews to begin.","AnswerText":"The Lord President has been involved in the process of identifying a chair to the public inquiry and discussions are now at an advanced stage. The member will be aware that there will also be an independent clinical review of individual cases for those former patients who would like to participate, and planning for that is also well underway. At this time I am unable to provide a definitive start date for the clinical reviews, however I will endeavour to update Parliament once a date is agreed.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415710,"EventID":"S6W-24909","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T17:16:32.48","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T10:09:20.603","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to the St Andrews University Students’ Association since 2019.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government provided a one-off payment to college and university student associations as an exceptional measure to provide additional mental health and wellbeing support to students during the COVID-19 pandemic.\r\n£730,250 was provided to the Scottish Funding Council in financial year 2020-21 to allocate to college and university students’ associations. The University of St Andrews Students’ Association received £16,000 of this funding.\r\nFurther details on the purpose and use of this funding can be found at:  https://www.sfc.ac.uk/publications-statistics/announcements/2021/SFCAN012021.aspx","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415711,"EventID":"S6W-24907","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T17:16:32.533","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T10:07:59.947","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to the Miss Isabel Harvey Charitable Trust since 2019.","AnswerText":"There is no record of funding being provided by the Scottish Government to “Miss Isabel Harvey Charitable Trust” since 2019.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415712,"EventID":"S6W-24921","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T17:16:32.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T10:24:21.203","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the capacity of police dog pounds, in light of reports that they are full ahead of the XL bully dog restrictions coming into force.","AnswerText":"Following the recent Scottish Government announcement on XL Bully dog safeguards, Scottish Government officials are continuing to engage with Police Scotland about the impact of enforcing this change to the law, including any impact on police dog kennels.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415713,"EventID":"S6W-24916","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T17:16:32.72","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T10:14:08.483","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to Diversitay since 2019.","AnswerText":"Diversitay has not received Scottish Government funding since 2019.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Emma Roddick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415714,"EventID":"S6W-24829","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T17:16:32.797","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T16:40:19.55","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much grant funding has been awarded through the Scottish Dental Access Initiative in the NHS Borders area, in each year since the scheme began.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has awarded the following amounts since the Scottish Dental Access Initiative (SDAI) was granted in the NHS Borders area in 2009:\r\nYear\r\nAmount\r\n2009\r\n£100,000\r\n2010\r\n£100,000\r\n2011\r\n£185,000\r\n2012\r\n0\r\n2013\r\n0\r\n2014\r\n£35,000\r\n2015\r\n0\r\n2016\r\n0\r\n2017\r\n0\r\n2018\r\n0\r\n2019\r\n0\r\n2020\r\n0\r\n2021\r\n0\r\n2022\r\n£100,000\r\n2023\r\n£153,501\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415715,"EventID":"S6W-24901","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T17:16:32.877","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-26T17:04:02.587","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide a full list of the non-government representatives who were part of its delegation to COP28, including private organisations such as businesses and trade associations. ","AnswerText":"The following list of companies part in Scotland’s business delegation to COP28 in December 2023:\r\nCompany\r\n \r\nCOP 28 Attendees\r\nAquatera\r\n4 Delegates\r\n \r\nAstroAgency Limited\r\n1 Delegate\r\n \r\nCCU International\r\n1 Delegate\r\n \r\nD-CAT\r\n1 Delegate\r\n \r\nGreen Bioactives\r\n1 Delegate\r\n \r\nHydrogen Vehicle Systems (HVS)\r\n4 Delegates\r\n \r\nKrucial\r\n1 Delegate\r\n \r\nMocean Energy\r\n1 Delegate\r\n \r\nMotive Offshore Group\r\n1 Delegate\r\n \r\nNorco\r\n2 Delegates\r\n \r\nNova Innovation\r\n1 Delegate\r\n \r\nOrbital\r\n1 Delegate\r\n \r\nReVentas\r\n2 Delegates\r\n \r\nRoslin Technologies\r\n1 Delegate\r\n \r\nSiccar\r\n2 Delegates\r\n \r\nSolarisKit Ltd\r\n3 Delegates\r\n \r\nSunamp\r\n1 Delegate\r\n \r\nAdditional Companies\r\n \r\nNZTC\r\n3 Delegates\r\n \r\nXodus Group\r\n1 Delegate\r\n \r\nAdditional Team Scotland Representatives\r\n \r\nScottish Development International\r\n7 Representatives\r\n \r\nScottish Chambers of Commerce\r\n2 Representatives\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415716,"EventID":"S6W-24922","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T17:16:32.953","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T10:32:33.58","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of research published in the Annals of Oncology journal, which reports an expected rise in bowel cancer death rates for adults aged 25 to 49 years in the UK by 26% for men and 39% for women, including (a) what data is available for Scotland, (b) what action it is taking to prevent bowel cancer and (c) how it will improve detection rates in people under the age of 50.","AnswerText":"(a) There are a number of published data sets available in Scotland that help us understand bowel cancer. These are facilitated by Public Health Scotland and include data on incidence, mortality, staging, waiting times for cancer organised by tumour type.\r\nCancer Incidence\r\nPublic Health Scotland provides an annual update of cancer incidence statistics in Scotland from January 1997 to December 2021. All cancer types are included. Most recent data can be found  here \r\nCancer Mortality\r\nPublic Health Scotland provides interpretations of the risk factors that cause cancer and changes in survival for the most common causes of cancer death. Most recent data can be found  here \r\nCancer Staging\r\nPublic Health Scotland provides data examining the impact of COVID-19 on cancer staging distributions, with the focus of the report being on the 2022 data in comparison with the most recent pre-pandemic data (2018 and 2019). Most recent data can be found  here \r\nCancer Waiting Times\r\nPublic Health Scotland provides quarterly updates of Cancer Waiting Times statistics, reporting two National Standards on how long patients waited for their first cancer treatment. The 62-day standard applies to patients urgently referred with a suspicion of cancer by a primary care clinician/general dental physician, patients referred by one of the national cancer screening programmes, and direct referrals to hospital where the signs and symptoms are consistent with the cancer diagnosed. The 31-day standard applies to all patients, regardless of the route of referral. The most recent data can be found  here \r\n(b) The research conducted by Cancer Research UK, published in the Annals of Oncology journal in January 2024, states that bowel cancer can be linked to diet and alcohol intake. The Scottish Government has introduced strong public health interventions to address these risk factors.\r\nThe Scottish Government’s Alcohol Framework sets out our priorities for preventing alcohol-related harm and introduced the Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) to alcohol sales in Scotland. The Scottish Government’s Alcohol Framework, published 20 November 2018, sets out our priorities for preventing alcohol-related harm. It contains 20 actions building on existing measures to change Scotland’s relationship with alcohol, including our world-leading minimum unit pricing policy. The Scottish Government takes a whole population approach to tackling alcohol-related harms, in line with the World Health Organization’s focus on affordability, availability and attractiveness of alcohol.\r\nPrior to the pandemic, the reduction in alcohol sales showed encouraging early signs that the introduction of MUP was having a positive impact. In the 12 months following the introduction of MUP and before the pandemic, there was a 2% decrease in alcohol sales for off premises consumption.\r\nThe Scottish Government continue to endorse a healthy balanced diet as represented by the  Eatwell Guide  . Food Standards Scotland has translated the Eatwell Guide into the  Eat Well, Your Way  resource. This provides meaningful, practical advice and tips to help people make healthier food and drink choices, whilst acknowledging the social, cultural and environmental influences on food choice.\r\nOur  Diet and Healthy Weight Delivery Plan  sets out ambitious and wide-ranging action to deliver our vision for a Scotland where everyone eats well and has a healthy weight.\r\n(c) The Scottish Government is committed to detecting cancer as early as possible. A new Detect Cancer Earlier campaign – Be The Early Bird - launched in March 2023, aiming to reduce fear of cancer and empower those with possible symptoms to act early. Following successful independent evaluation, the campaign re-ran in September 2023 to prompt health-seeking behaviour.\r\nThe wider Detect Cancer Early Programme works closely with the Scottish Cancer Coalition, including Bowel Cancer UK, to support awareness raising efforts and uses social channels to promote joint ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415717,"EventID":"S6W-24913","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T17:16:33","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T10:12:07.127","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to the Milngavie Old Peoples Welfare Committee since 2019.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to the Milngavie Old Peoples Welfare Committee since 2019.","AnswerText":"There is no record of any Scottish Government funding being provided to Milngavie Old People's Welfare Committee since 2019.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Emma Roddick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415718,"EventID":"S6W-24919","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T17:16:33.063","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T10:17:41.583","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to The Active Learning Centre since 2019.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government did not provide funding to The Active Learning Centre (ALC) in 2019 or in any year since. The last International Development Fund (IDF) funding to ALC was for a 3-year project between 2008 and 2011, for a project called Women’s rights and advocacy: Capacity building to support the implementation of gender equality.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415719,"EventID":"S6W-24902","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T17:16:33.127","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-27T04:26:15.243","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current tax base in Scotland is, as a percentage of GDP, and what assessment it has made of how this compares to other OECD economies.","AnswerText":"According to OECD data, the UK’s tax revenue, as a share of GDP, was 35.3% in 2022, the latest year for which internationally comparable data is available. This is broadly in line with the OECD average of 34.0%.\r\nNo directly comparable estimate is available for Scotland. However, the latest Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (GERS) report suggests that Scotland’s tax to GDP ratio was similar to the UK’s in 2022-23, and so would also be broadly in line with the OECD average.\r\nIn the devolved context such measures need to be interpreted with caution as some taxes remain reserved.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415720,"EventID":"S6W-24910","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T17:16:33.187","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T10:09:58.823","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to The Poverty Alliance since 2019.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has provided The Poverty Alliance with funding to support a number of initiatives aimed at ensuring that the insights of people who have lived experienced of poverty inform policy and delivery. This is in addition to funding for the Living Wage Scotland Accreditation and Recognition Project which aims to increase the number of workers in Scotland receiving a pay increase to the real Living Wage, increase the number of Living Hours accredited employers, support policy development and grow the Living Wage movement.\r\nAdditional payments were also made to procure the development of guidance, venue hire and catering, travel expenses and the delivery of workshops.\r\nDue to the volume of information, full detail of objectives for grant funding from 2019 onwards has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre under Bib. number 64875.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415721,"EventID":"S6W-24903","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T17:16:33.237","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-28T16:59:04.1","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) Glasgow Science Centre Limited and (b) Glasgow City Council regarding effecting the repair works required to reopen the Science Centre's Millennium Bridge across the River Clyde to marine traffic.","AnswerText":"As Glasgow Science Centre is a subsidiary of Scottish Enterprise, Scottish Enterprise has been represented at discussions between Glasgow Science Centre and Glasgow City Council regarding repair work at the Millennium Bridge. However, this is an operational matter for both the Science Centre and Glasgow City Council.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415722,"EventID":"S6W-24918","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T17:16:33.283","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T10:16:58.91","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to the Garnethill Multicultural Centre since 2019.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not provided any funding to Garnethill Multicultural Centre since 2019, therefore, no objectives have been set.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415723,"EventID":"S6W-24894","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T17:16:33.36","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-26T13:25:02.22","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it marked Clean Air Day on 15 June 2023.","AnswerText":"Clean Air Day (CAD) is an important opportunity to raise awareness of the impacts of poor air quality on human health and the environment and the actions to address it. CAD 2023 saw a variety of events taking place across the country such as poster competitions for schools, presentations about air quality, health walks, fuel efficient driving, green travel surveys to vehicle idling campaigns, alongside activity on social media platforms.\r\nThe Scottish Government supported the delivery of CAD 2023 in Scotland through funding to Environmental Protection Scotland and Global Action Plan. SEPA and the Scottish Government also run a range of air quality activities throughout the year.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415724,"EventID":"S6W-24912","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T17:16:33.453","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T10:11:03.17","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to Moray Mental Health since 2019.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not fund Moray Mental Health directly from its mental health programme budget, therefore no objectives have been set.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415725,"EventID":"S6W-24890","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T17:16:33.5","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-26T12:27:08.04","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update on its work in implementing the recommendations of the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee report, The role of local government and its cross-sectoral partners in financing and delivering a net-zero Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government welcomed the Committee’s thorough and wide-ranging report and we are committed to working with local government to deliver our shared climate change goals.\r\nFollowing the Committee’s Inquiry, COSLA and the Scottish Government is working collaboratively to develop a Climate Delivery Framework to agree shared approaches to delivering action on climate change. As recommended by the Committee, we have also established a Scottish Climate Intelligence Service (SCIS) jointly funded with local government, which will help build the capacity of local authorities to reduce area wide emissions. A single data platform, currently being procured, will enable consistency of approach and adoption of best practice methodologies across local authorities and their delivery partners. This will provide all 32 local authorities with data-informed evidence, insights and intelligence they need for continuous improvement of their climate action plans.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415726,"EventID":"S6W-24826","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T17:16:33.547","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T16:40:19.533","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many applications have been made under the Scottish Dental Access Initiative in the NHS Borders area, and, of those, how many have been successful.","AnswerText":"NHS Boards are responsible for receiving and approving applications for the Scottish Dental Access Initiative (SDAI). Successful applications are then sent to the Scottish Government for processing. \r\nAs such, the Scottish Government does not hold information on how many SDAI applications have been received in the NHS Borders area, and this information is held by the Health Board. \r\nScottish Government has provided grant funding to a total of six successful SDAI applicants in the NHS Borders area. ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415727,"EventID":"S6W-24828","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T17:16:33.593","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T16:40:19.533","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the average length of time between an application being received and a final decision being taken regarding support through the Scottish Dental Access Initiative is for (a) each NHS board area and (b) Scotland as a whole.","AnswerText":"This information is not recorded by the Scottish Government. \r\nScottish Dental Access Initiative applications are first submitted to the individual NHS Boards for processing and approval. Therefore, the Scottish Government does not have sight of all applications made to the NHS boards.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415728,"EventID":"S6W-24897","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T17:16:33.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-26T14:38:39.913","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will progress a feasibility study regarding the Chartered Institute of Building's proposal for a demolition levy.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government currently has no plans to undertake a feasibility study into a Demolition Levy. Whilst the Scottish Government shares the Chartered Institute of Building’s concerns around carbon emissions from demolition and the preservation of our built environment, introducing a new fiscal measure is a lengthy and complex process. The Scottish Government believes the most expedient and appropriate solution is for the UK Government to address the VAT imbalance between new build and retrofit / refurbishment.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415729,"EventID":"S6W-24900","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T17:16:33.703","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-26T17:04:02.587","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which (a) companies and (b) non-governmental organisations were invited to the St Andrew’s Day reception that it hosted during COP28 in Dubai.","AnswerText":"The following list of companies and organisations were invited to the St Andrew’s Day reception during COP28 in December 2023:\r\nAbu Dhabi Aviation\r\nCPI media\r\nIslamic Finance Guru\r\nRadisson\r\nAD Ports Group\r\nDAHC\r\nJM Foods\r\nRetail Is Detail LLC of Alabbar Enterprises\r\nADIO\r\nD-CAT\r\nJoulon\r\nReVentas\r\nADNOC\r\nDHA\r\nKarpowership\r\nRitz Carlton DIFC\r\nADQ\r\nDhabi Hold Co\r\nKent\r\nRobertson Group\r\nAforza\r\nDoosan Babcock\r\nKEZAD\r\nRoslin Technologies\r\nAGR Petroleum Services\r\nDrax\r\nKibsons\r\nSafco\r\nAl Rostamani Tavel\r\nDubai Academic Health Authority\r\nKitopi\r\nScotmas\r\nAL TAYEB MEAT SOLE PROPRIETORSHIP LLC\r\nDubai Chamber\r\nKrucial\r\nSeafood Scotland\r\nAl Tayer Holidays\r\nDulsco LLC\r\nLactalis GCC\r\nSEHA\r\nAl Yaseah\r\nEdinburgh Science\r\nLactalis Group\r\nSeven Media\r\nAl Yusr Industrial Contracting\r\nElevation Sustainable Solutions\r\nLactalis UAE\r\nShell\r\nAmity Fish\r\nEmirates\r\nLRQA\r\nSiccar\r\nAquatera Group\r\nEnergy Industries Council\r\nLULU\r\nSiemens Energy\r\nArbikie\r\nEquiom Group Middle East\r\nMAF Hypermarkets LLc\r\nSirocco\r\nAreej International\r\nEuro Mechanical\r\nMasdar\r\nSolarisKit\r\nAstro Agency\r\nEY\r\nMax Foods Inc\r\nSOV\r\nAtlantis\r\nFawaz Alhokair Group\r\nMazrui International\r\nSpinney\r\nAustralian Embassy\r\nFCDO\r\nMEED\r\nSunamp Ltd\r\nAutomech Engineering\r\nfinefarefood\r\nMidgard Oilfield Services\r\nSUNMEET GENERAL TRADING LLC\r\nAzurX\r\nFluitron\r\nMMI\r\nTAQA\r\nBaker Hughes\r\nFonterra\r\nMocean Energy\r\nThe Corporate Group\r\nBee'ah\r\nFoodsource International\r\nMotive Offshore Group Ltd\r\nTruebell\r\nBidfood Middle East\r\nFreshExpress\r\nNAMA Development Enterprises\r\nTyde Digital\r\nBidfood UAE\r\nGateway Group of Companies UAE\r\nNKMS\r\nUAE Space Agency\r\nBlake Evans & Co\r\nGlobal Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Institute\r\nNorco Group Ltd\r\nValeo Snackfoods Ltd\r\nBP\r\nGreen Bioactives\r\nNorth Oil Company\r\nVS\r\nBristow Aviation Holdings Limited\r\nGulf Business Consulting\r\nNova Innovation\r\nWaterfalls\r\nBritish Chamber of Commerce Abu Dhabi\r\nHFI Consulting International\r\nNPCC\r\nWatson Farley & Williams\r\nBureau Veritas\r\nHSBC\r\nOiLSERV\r\nWetFish\r\nCarrefour\r\nHunter Food\r\nOrbital Marine Power\r\nWishfoods\r\nCasinetto\r\nHydrogen Vehicle Systems Ltd\r\nPark N Shop\r\nWood\r\nCBRE ME\r\nIAS International Oil & Gas Consultants\r\nPDF Beveage LLC\r\nXergy\r\nChef Middle East LLC\r\nIGS\r\nPETRASCO Middle East LLC\r\nY International UK Ltd\r\nChoithram & Sons LLC\r\nINVest NI\r\nProserv\r\nZumo Money\r\nChristof Globabl\r\nIRBcreative\r\nPWC \r\nCore (A Zahid Group Company)\r\nIsla Seafood\r\nQuality Meat Scotland ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415730,"EventID":"S6W-24914","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T17:16:33.75","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T10:12:47.23","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to the Skye and Lochalsh Mental Health Association since 2019.","AnswerText":"Skye and Lochalsh Mental Health Association was awarded funding from the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults in 2021-22 and 2022-23 to support their Keeping Warm Project and mental health training.\r\nThe Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults is distributed in all 32 regions of Scotland by Third Sector Interface (TSI) organisations who, working in collaboration with other local partners, are responsible for allocating the funding to local community initiatives which support mental health and wellbeing. This is based on local needs and in line with national criteria issued by Scottish Government.\r\nThe grant terms and conditions relating to this funding to Skye and Lochalsh Mental Health Association are determined by  Highland Third Sector Interface","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415731,"EventID":"S6W-24905","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T17:16:33.83","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T10:06:44.99","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to SAY Women since 2019.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has provided funding to SAY Women through the Equally Safe (2019-21) and Delivering Equally Safe Fund (2021-25). The objectives of funding are to improve mental and physical health amongst young women survivors of sexual abuse; to support them to cope with trauma-anxiety in order to reduce self-harming, substance abuse, and poverty; and to reduce challenging behaviours that can lead to homelessness amongst young women.\r\nIn 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22 the Scottish Government provided funding to SAY Women through the Housing Voluntary Grant Scheme with the objective of delivering safe, supported accommodation and related services for young women who are survivors of childhood sexual abuse, rape or sexual assault and who are homeless or threatened with homelessness.\r\nIn 2020-21 the Scottish Government provided funding through the COVID Immediate Priorities Fund for SAY Women to deliver enhanced independent living support to vulnerable individuals and those in need as a result of COVID-19. The objective was to help communities respond to the needs and challenges they were experiencing, and to protect the wellbeing of the people of Scotland.\r\nThe Scottish Government has also provided funding through the Third Sector Homelessness Fund (2021-22, 2022-23) and the Homelessness Sector Prevention Fund (2023-24) with the objective of preventing and responding to homelessness among survivors of childhood sexual abuse. This supported the delivery of training to frontline staff, and work to support young women survivors of childhood sexual abuse under threat of eviction due to challenging behaviours. ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415732,"EventID":"S6W-24924","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T17:16:33.89","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T10:37:26.043","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency in each year since 2019. ","AnswerText":"Since 2019 Scottish Government has provided £750k to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). This funding was transferred on 1 December 2023 in response to UNRWA’s flash appeal for those caught up in the conflict between Hamas and Israel. This funding was a one-off contribution in response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. We have no plans for further contributions at this point in time.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415733,"EventID":"S6W-24908","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T17:16:33.937","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T10:08:42.627","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to the Craigo Community Association since 2019.","AnswerText":"There is no record of any direct funding having been provided to the \"Craigo Community Association\" since 2019.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415734,"EventID":"S6W-24830","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T17:16:33.987","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-24T16:40:19.55","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a complete breakdown of the fee structure for NHS dental payments (a) before and (b) after 1 November 2023.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24861 on 5 February 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415758,"EventID":"S6T-01765","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T13:56:52.273","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T08:11:59.803","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what role the National Clinical Director has had in relation to the clinical review process for former patients of Professor Eljamel.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what role the National Clinical Director has had in relation to the clinical review process for former patients of Professor Eljamel.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415759,"EventID":"S6T-01768","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":5771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T13:56:52.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T09:29:46.273","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the announcement from the UK Government that it plans to ban single-use vapes to protect children’s health, whether it will outline what action is being taken in Scotland. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-01-30T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415760,"EventID":"S6F-02762","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T13:56:46.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-25T11:31:03.793","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415761,"EventID":"S6F-02763","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5586,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T13:56:46.503","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-25T11:31:25.38","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415762,"EventID":"S6F-02773","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T13:56:47.017","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T10:16:26.713","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415763,"EventID":"S6F-02778","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16188,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":82,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T13:56:47.22","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T10:53:28.81","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what steps the Scottish Government is taking to prevent a resurgence of measles in Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415764,"EventID":"S6F-02770","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T13:56:46.877","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T09:27:44.173","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to reports that Scottish Water plans to increase charges by 29% over three years.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415765,"EventID":"S6F-02767","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-29T13:56:46.72","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T08:48:50.34","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister when the Scottish Government expects the remainder of the National Treatment Centres to be opened, in light of reports that NHS capital infrastructure projects have been paused.  ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415766,"EventID":"S6W-24982","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":16187,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":116,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T09:14:37.697","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T08:59:28.69","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that people in Scotland know about, and can access and enjoy, local food and drink produced in Scotland.","AnswerText":"Scotland really is a land of food and drink, with so many high quality and delicious products, renowned and sought after at home and internationally. That’s why making the most of the fantastic food and drink produced here in Scotland has always been at the heart of the Scottish Government’s food policies.\r\nWe want everyone to have the opportunity to enjoy food and drink produced locally and for producers of all sizes to access the markets on their doorsteps. So today, the Scottish Government is publishing \"Local Food for Everyone: Our Journey\" – our Local Food Strategy.\r\nThis Strategy has been developed following the Local Food for Everyone consultation and outlines how the Scottish Government and partners will ensure the people of Scotland continue to have access to the best produce Scotland has to offer.\r\nI want to thank everyone who has contributed their thoughts, views, ideas and experiences to help inform the development and content of the Strategy.\r\nLink to \"Local Food for Everyone: Our Journey\"  https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781835217696 ","AnswerDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415767,"EventID":"S6W-24999","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":5621,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":99,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T09:37:07.51","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T09:32:50.457","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its Programme for Government commitment to pilot a new aquaculture consenting process to help deliver a more streamlined regime across Scotland.","AnswerText":"In the 2023-24 Programme for Government, the Scottish Government committed to pilot a new aquaculture consenting process in two local authority areas to help deliver a more streamlined regime across Scotland.\r\nI am pleased to inform Parliament that pilots for a new pre-application consenting process for fish farm developments are underway in the Shetland and Highland local authority areas.\r\nThe commencement of these pilots is a result of the work undertaken by the Consenting Task Group, which I established in November 2022 to consider the recommendations of the  Independent Review of Aquaculture Consenting  and to identify and pilot improvements to the consenting system. \r\nThe Consenting Task Group, which includes representatives from the fish farming sector, SEPA, local authorities and other regulators, have worked together to co-design a new management process which maintains robust assessment of development proposals, but which coordinates and enables appropriately informed regulatory decisions to be made as quickly as possible.\r\nDuring the pilot phase, the Consenting Task Group will continue to meet on a quarterly basis to share key learnings and make improvements as part of an iterative review process.\r\nI would like to thank the Consenting Task Group’s Chair, Professor Dickon Howell, and all the task group members for their contributions to the pilots and I look forward to further progress. Information on the work of the  Consenting Task Group  is available on the Scottish Government webpages.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415768,"EventID":"S6W-25042","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":16177,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":125,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T14:15:46.123","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T14:11:29.38","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to its consultation on proposals to close fishing for sandeel in Scottish waters, whether it will be implementing management measures for the sandeel fishery in Scottish waters.","AnswerText":"Sandeel aid the long-term sustainability and resilience of the marine environment and are an important food source for many species, including marine mammals, seabirds and predatory fish. It is therefore critical that we manage our marine environment in a such a way as to ensure its sustainable use, protecting biodiversity and ensuring healthy functioning ecosystems. I am therefore pleased to announce today that following full consideration of the all the consultation responses, we will be proceeding with prohibiting fishing for sandeel in all Scottish waters.\r\nI would like to thank everyone that responded to the consultation. We received a total of 494 written representations from individuals and organisations including the fishing sector, renewable energy developers and recreational interests covering a range of issues, as well as 9,815 campaign submissions. This emphasises the strong interest from both the public and sectors, for which there was overwhelming support for the option to prohibit fishing for sandeel in Scottish waters with 97% or respondents indicating support.\r\nThe Sandeel (Prohibition of fishing) (Scotland) Order 2024 will be laid in Parliament on 5 February 2024 and will come into force on 26 March 2024 ahead of the 2024 fishing season.","AnswerDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415769,"EventID":"S6W-25050","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":4940,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":81,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T14:49:12.273","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T14:44:44.537","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the next paper in the Building a New Scotland series will be published.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to deliver on its commitment to build the case for an independent Scotland in the EU, giving people the information they need to make an informed choice about their future, as set out in the recent Programme for Government. I’m pleased to confirm that on 2 February we are publishing ‘Our Culture in an Independent Scotland’.\r\nThis is the tenth paper in the Building a New Scotland series, which focusses on Scotland’s cultural and creative industries, providing detailed proposals on how an independent Scotland would further support Scotland’s creative economy, how an independent Scotland could realise the potential of our culture and creative sectors on the international stage by re-joining the European Union and removing barriers for international performers, how public service broadcasting would be protected with independence, and how Scotland can build on the strength of our screen sector.\r\nI can also confirm that we intend to bring the matters raised in this publication forward for a debate in the Chamber as soon as possible.\r\nThe Scottish Government is continuing to prepare further papers in the Building a New Scotland series and these will be published in the coming months.\r\nThe Our Culture in an Independent Scotland paper will be available to view on the Scottish Government website from Friday morning at  www.gov.scot/newscotland  .","AnswerDate":"2024-01-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jamie Hepburn","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415770,"EventID":"S6W-25049","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":2641,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":94,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T15:00:18.483","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T14:44:20.463","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the publication of the Islands Connectivity Plan Strategic Approach Paper and the Vessels and Ports Plan. ","AnswerText":"I am pleased to announce that the Islands Connectivity Plan Strategic Approach paper and the Vessel and Ports Plan were published today alongside a public consultation.\r\nThese documents and the consultation questions are available at the following link:\r\nIslands Connectivity Plan | Transport Scotland \r\nI would encourage islanders and all those with an interest in ferries and wider island transport connectivity to respond to the consultation which will run until 3 May 2024. This will be supported by a number of public events by Transport Scotland officials starting in late February.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415787,"EventID":"S6W-24983","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:01.237","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T09:24:55.36","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work it is doing to review the proportion of contamination in food waste collections.","AnswerText":"Local authorities remain responsible for household waste collections, which includes addressing contamination in food waste collections.\r\nHowever, as part of the Waste Route Map and as set out in the Circular Economy Bill, we will be co-designing a new statutory code of practice for household waste services with local government, to create consistent and easy to use recycling services across Scotland. Food waste collections and contamination will be considered as part of this review.\r\n","AnswerDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415788,"EventID":"S6W-24985","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:01.38","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T09:24:55.36","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) tonnage, (b) carbon impact and (c) increase from the baseline is of food waste attributable to the public sector in the data gathered in the 2021 Scottish Food Waste Estimate.","AnswerText":"The information requested is not held by the Scottish Government. Zero Waste Scotland (ZWS) may be able to provide some of this information. ZWS can be contacted via email at:  PolicySupport@zerowastescotland.org.uk  . ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415789,"EventID":"S6W-24946","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:01.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T19:59:10.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21164 by Jenny Gilruth on 20 September 2023, when the Strategic Board for Teacher Education will report on its study into issues around the recruitment and retention of teachers.","AnswerText":"The Strategic Board for Teacher Education has developed a workplan which contains a suite of interdependent workstreams, including workforce planning.\r\nThese workstreams contain a range of proposed actions which are in the process of being further developed and which will have individual timescales for reporting to the Board.\r\nThe Board last met on 1 February 2024 to discuss the workplan. Papers from this meeting and future meetings will be published on the Scottish Government website in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415790,"EventID":"S6W-24962","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:01.503","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T20:14:52.283","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish an update on its reconsideration of delivery options to meet its commitment to support the update of pupils' digital devices when necessary, in light of its announcement that the £13 million allocated for this has been identified as a necessary saving.","AnswerText":"An update on the provision of digital devices was given in the 2024-25 Scottish Government Budget.\r\nIn order to maximise the impact of capital funding available, we will seek to provide support at a household level, targeting investment specifically at disadvantaged families with children. This approach will improve equity of access to devices and connectivity for those who need it most, helping families realise the broad range of benefits associated with digital inclusion. It will also enable access not only to digital tools and resources for learning, but to digital society and online public services. Through doing so, it will expand the impact of this investment beyond learners to their wider families.\r\nWe are currently in the early stages of scheme design with Connecting Scotland, who will use their established model to distribute devices to eligible households, and will provide a further update on this work in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415791,"EventID":"S6W-24993","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:01.553","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T09:27:12.473","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many food redistribution services are currently available in each local authority area, and how much food was redistributed in each area in the most recent year for which data is available.","AnswerText":"The information requested is not held by the Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415792,"EventID":"S6W-24992","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:01.613","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T09:27:12.473","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much public funding has been spent on communications related to food waste reduction in each year since 2016.","AnswerText":"There was Scottish Government marketing spend in the below years. Figures are provided, along with links to the full published reports, for the Member’s ease.2018 – 2019: £303,516.65 -  https://www.gov.scot/publications/marketing-spend-2018-2019/  ;2019 – 2020: £86,102.44 -  https://www.gov.scot/publications/marketing-spend-2019-2020/ 2021 – 2022 - £171,653.75 -  https://www.gov.scot/publications/marketing-spend-2021-to-2022/ \r\nBased on available information up until 2022, the total marketing spend from 2016 was £561,272.84.\r\nIn addition, the total spent on food waste communications activities by the Scottish Government’s Circular Economy Division from 2016 to present was £175,766.93.\r\nFinally, the Scottish Government funds Zero Waste Scotland (ZWS) to deliver the Food Waste reduction programme. ZWS has confirmed the total spent on communications for food waste reduction activities since September 2017 was £897,000. For a breakdown of this spend, ZWS can be contacted by email at: PolicySupport@zerowastescotland.org.uk.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415793,"EventID":"S6W-24954","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:01.66","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T20:04:31.923","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the absence of information on gender-based violence from Education Scotland's guidance on behaviour in schools, whether it plans to develop separate guidance on this topic.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-23510 on 19 December 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415794,"EventID":"S6W-24936","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:01.707","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T15:36:49.593","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support schools to use the correct digital infrastructure and technologies. ","AnswerText":"Digital technology is an important aspect of any modern education system. To support continued development and use of digital technology to enhance teaching and learning, the Scottish Government is developing a new digital strategy for education.\r\nThis new digital strategy will outline the role we believe digital tools and services can play in the future of Scottish Education, and will outline central actions being undertaken to support planning and delivery in this space. Work with partners on development of this strategy is ongoing.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415795,"EventID":"S6W-24981","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:01.753","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T21:04:23.713","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many independent schools have completed surveys of their estates via the Registrar of Independent Schools, and how many have reported instances of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).","AnswerText":"The Registrar of Independent Schools has advised that 83 schools have completed surveys of their estates, with 8 awaiting results of a survey or in the process of procuring a survey. Of the schools where surveys have been completed, 76 schools have confirmed that there is no RAAC present on their estate, and 7 schools have confirmed the presence of RAAC.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415796,"EventID":"S6W-24942","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:01.8","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T19:50:58.28","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to publish minutes of the June 2023 meeting of the headteacher taskforce.","AnswerText":"A note of the Head Teacher Taskforce meeting held on 27 June 2023 can be accessed here:  Head Teacher Taskforce on Exclusion minutes: June 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415797,"EventID":"S6W-24984","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:01.863","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T09:24:55.36","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, at the time of it announcing its food waste reduction target in 2016, what estimate it had made of what the level of food waste would need to be in 2021 for it to be on track to meet its 2025 target.","AnswerText":"No estimate of food waste targets was set in 2016. The intention was for the Food Waste Reduction Action Plan to be reviewed in 2021, to set out progress on tackling food waste. The Review was delayed due to COVID-19 and was published in January 2024 (  https://www.gov.scot/publications/review-2019-food-waste-reduction-action-plan/  ), alongside an updated Scottish Food Waste Estimate (  https://cdn.zerowastescotland.org.uk/managed-downloads/mf-cdtg7vnr-1696942041d  ).","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415798,"EventID":"S6W-24974","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:01.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T20:56:58.57","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the timeline is for the review of the maths curriculum.","AnswerText":"As announced in the statement to the Scottish Parliament on 12 December 2023, the review of the maths curriculum framework will begin this year (2024), with a revised maths curriculum to be tested with teachers before the end of the year.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415799,"EventID":"S6W-24976","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:01.957","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T20:57:14.557","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates guidance on the new maths national thematic inspection will be issued to (a) schools, (b) local authorities and (c) HM Chief Inspector of Education.","AnswerText":"As announced in the statement to the Scottish Parliament on 12 December 2023, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education has arranged for HM Inspectors to carry out a national thematic inspection of mathematics in 2024. The report from the thematic inspection will be published in autumn 2024.\r\nHM Inspectors have recently written to local authorities to outline the approach that they will take for this national thematic inspection.\r\nThe final thematic report will be developed by HM Inspectors and will be published on the Education Scotland website and shared with schools and local authorities. The document will summarise the findings of HM Inspectors and highlight what is working well, and what needs to improve.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415800,"EventID":"S6W-24862","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:02.02","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-25T16:13:43.45","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many dental surgeries in the NHS Dumfries and Galloway area have offered NHS services in each month since January 2022.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally. Information in relation to the number of dental practices providing NHS dental services in the Dumfries and Galloway area is held by the Health Board.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415801,"EventID":"S6W-24956","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:02.067","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T20:07:31.703","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide any details of the key stakeholders that it is currently engaging with as part of its preparations for the Centre of Teaching Excellence.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is providing a variety of ways for teachers and practitioners to feed into the design process, including working with the following stakeholder groups:\r\n• Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA)\r\n• Scottish Council of Deans of Education (SCDE)\r\n• General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS)\r\n• Association of Directors of Education (ADES)\r\n• Professional Associations and Trade Unions; including EIS, SSTA, NASUWT, SLS and AHDS.\r\n• Scottish Government Strategic Board for Teacher Education\r\n• Scottish Council of Independent Schools (SCIS)\r\n• National education bodies\r\n• Early Learning and Childcare representatives\r\n• Community Learning and Development representatives","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415802,"EventID":"S6W-24975","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:02.113","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T20:57:06.923","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which maths specialists it contacted before 12 December 2023 with a view to inviting them to lead the maths curriculum review.","AnswerText":"No individual has been or will be, invited to lead the maths curriculum review by Scottish Government. The appointment of a national maths specialist will be open and transparent, following established Scottish Government recruitment procedures.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415803,"EventID":"S6W-24989","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:02.16","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T09:26:04.597","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many food waste champions have been appointed since 2019, broken down by (a) the sector they represented, (b) any monetary reimbursement they received and (c) their engagement impact, as set out in the 2019 Food Waste Reduction Plan.","AnswerText":"This detail is not available at sector-level. There was no remuneration for Food Waste champions. Between 2019 and 2022 (inclusive), 245 workshops were held with 2,952 attendees in total. This engagement would have contributed to recent food waste levels as outlined in the 2021 Scottish Food Waste Estimate, available at:  https://cdn.zerowastescotland.org.uk/managed-downloads/mf-cdtg7vnr-1696942041d  . This shows, per capita, food waste between 2018 and 2021 in the food and drink manufacturing and other sectors roughly stayed the same.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415804,"EventID":"S6W-24586","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:02.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T08:27:35.62","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much capital funding to NHS Lothian (a) has been provided in the financial year 2023-24 and (b) will be made available in the financial year 2024-25.","AnswerText":"NHS Lothian has received £24.7 million of Capital Formula and the latest forecast indicates that by the year end a further £10.7 million in allocations will be provided for a total of £35.4 million in capital funding in 2023-24.\r\nAs set out in our draft budget the capital funding position is extremely challenging, with a UK Government cut of some 10% in our capital budget over the next five years. Nonetheless, this settlement allows formula capital to be maintained at £24.7 million 2023-24 levels in 2024-25. Additional in-year capital allocations will also be provided, but these have not been finalised at this point.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415805,"EventID":"S6W-24963","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:02.27","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T20:55:15.683","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence Levels (ACEL) data, what specific action it is taking to address any attainment gap between pupils with additional support needs and pupils without such needs in (a) literacy, (b) numeracy, (c) writing, (d) listening and (e) talking.","AnswerText":"Children and young people with additional support needs continue to achieve and we continue to prioritise reducing the attainment gap in Scotland. The Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence Levels (ACEL) data shows that the attainment gap between mainstream school pupils with additional support needs and those pupils with no additional support needs, across all primary stages and for S3 Third Level or better, has reduced since 2021-2022.\r\nSince 2019-20, we have continued to invest £15m per year to support local authorities and schools to respond to the individual needs of their children and young people. In 2022, 307 additional pupil support assistants were recruited as a direct result of this investment, supporting our ongoing commitment to reduce the attainment gap. We also provide over £11m of funding to directly support pupils with complex additional support needs and their families.\r\nThe Scottish Government is committed to improving the experiences and outcomes for young people with additional support needs, which we have outlined in our Programme for Government 2023-24. Ministers will work with teachers to provide additional professional learning opportunities while seeking to build on the Additional Support for Learning Action Plan.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415806,"EventID":"S6W-24995","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:02.317","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T09:28:16.51","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the 2021 estimate for food waste, whether it will provide an updated estimate of the cost to households of unnecessary food and drink purchases, as set out in the report, Household food and drink waste in Scotland 2014.","AnswerText":"The report on Household food and drink waste in Scotland 2014 was published by Zero Waste Scotland (ZWS). ZWS does not have current plans to update the estimate set out in this report.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415807,"EventID":"S6W-24955","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:02.38","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T20:07:24.167","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to (a) launch and (b) complete the co-design process for the Centre of Teaching Excellence.","AnswerText":"We have begun engagement with trade unions and other stakeholders in preparation for the wider co-design process which will start this month. We anticipate the design process will take approximately six months to ensure this is a collaborative endeavour. This will feed into the identification of a suitable host institution, followed by a launch once appointed. Specific timelines will follow once the specification of the Centre has been developed through the co-design process.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415808,"EventID":"S6W-24965","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:02.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T20:55:30.24","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the £145 million provided to local authorities to protect teacher numbers.","AnswerText":"Since the introduction of this additional funding from 2020, teacher numbers have increased from 52,247 in the 2019 teacher census to 54,033 in the 2023 teacher census.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415809,"EventID":"S6W-24977","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:02.49","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T20:57:21.133","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates guidance on the new literacy and numeracy national thematic inspection will be issued to (a) schools, (b) local authorities and (c) HM Chief Inspector of Education.","AnswerText":"As announced in the statement to the Scottish Parliament on 12 December 2023 His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education will arrange for HM Inspectors to carry out a national thematic inspection of mathematics in 2024, which will report in autumn 2024.\r\nA national thematic inspection of literacy and English will begin in 2024. The timescale for reporting currently being finalised by HM Inspectors.\r\nThe final thematic reports will be developed by HM Inspectors and will be published on the Education Scotland website and shared with schools and local authorities. The reports will summarise the findings of HM Inspectors and highlight what is working well, and what needs to improve.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415810,"EventID":"S6W-24986","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:02.537","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T09:24:55.36","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to use the data gathered in the 2021 Scottish Food Waste Estimate to estimate the (a) quantity and (b) carbon impact of food waste attributable to the (i) education and (ii) health sector.","AnswerText":"The information requested is not held by the Scottish Government. I refer the Member to Zero Waste Scotland (ZWS) who may be able to provide this information. ZWS can be contacted via email at:  PolicySupport@zerowastescotland.org.uk  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415811,"EventID":"S6W-24937","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:02.583","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T16:04:38.677","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the number of people in Scotland who have loans payable to Erudio Student Loans Company, including those with deferred payments.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not receive information on the number of people in Scotland who have loans payable to Erudio Student Loans Company.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415812,"EventID":"S6W-24973","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:02.63","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T20:56:49.41","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the planned timeline is for the launch of the Curriculum for Excellence improvement cycle.","AnswerText":"As set out in my statement to Parliament on 12 December 2023, Maths will be the first curricular area to be revised as part of the new systematic curriculum improvement cycle.\r\nThe update to the Maths curriculum will begin in 2024 and will begin to be tested with Scotland’s teachers later in the year. Literacy and English will be next, with work on that also beginning this year.\r\nDecisions on which curricular areas should be prioritised following Maths/Numeracy and Literacy/English and timescales for those further packages of work, will be informed by evidence and will be subject to discussions with key stakeholders and delivery partners.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415813,"EventID":"S6W-24953","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:02.677","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T20:04:26.593","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what gender impact analysis was carried out in relation to Education Scotland's guidance on behaviour in schools.","AnswerText":"Education Scotland do not undertake individual characteristic impact analysis on our resources.\r\nThe new draft Inclusion, Wellbeing and Equalities Professional Learning Framework will be reviewed in April through to June 2024 and user feedback will be included in a formal Equality Impact Assessment.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415814,"EventID":"S6W-24990","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:02.74","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T09:26:04.597","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the status is of the schools food waste pilot that began in autumn 2021, and what progress has been made on establishing a baseline for school food waste.","AnswerText":"Zero Waste Scotland supported Glasgow City Council Education Services to run a food waste pilot across five schools in 2021. However, due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic and the cost of living crisis, operational priorities shifted towards cost of living support. As a result, the project was only partly delivered.\r\nZero Waste Scotland has undertaken analysis of data gathered and provided a food waste baseline and recommendations for reduction to these schools.\r\n","AnswerDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415815,"EventID":"S6W-24958","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:02.787","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T20:10:04.57","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the exact number is of Teacher Induction Scheme (TIS) probationers who have deferred or withdrawn in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"The number of withdrawals and deferrals from 2019-20 – 2022-23 are in the following table: 2023-24 data is not yet available.\r\nYear\r\nWithdrawals\r\nDeferrals\r\n2019-20\r\n232\r\n282\r\n2020-21\r\n91\r\n311\r\n2021-22\r\n324\r\n330\r\n2022-23\r\n295\r\n340\r\n2023-24\r\nN/A\r\nN/A","AnswerDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415816,"EventID":"S6W-24980","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:02.833","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T21:02:24.263","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24473 by Natalie Don on 26 January 2024, what impact it anticipates the reallocation of funding away from regional improvement collaboratives will have on the newly appointed speech and language leads carrying out their objectives.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not anticipate that changes to the funding arrangements for regional improvement collaboratives will have an impact on speech and language leads carrying out their objectives. ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415817,"EventID":"S6W-24966","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:02.88","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T20:55:41.83","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what reporting mechanisms it has in place with local authorities to assess how the £145 million provided for the protection of teacher numbers has been spent.","AnswerText":"The requirement for local authorities to maintain teacher numbers at 2022 census levels was assessed against teacher numbers in the Summary Statistics for Schools in Scotland 2023, and subject to mitigating circumstances presented by individual councils.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415818,"EventID":"S6W-24938","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:02.957","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T16:04:38.677","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the conduct of Erudio Student Loans, and any impact of its debt recovery practices on people in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government regularly engages with the UK Government and devolved government administrations in respect of student financial support matters. However, we have not been made aware of any issues relating to the conduct of Erudio Student Loans debt recovery practices that are impacting on Scottish borrowers. \r\nIf the member is aware of any specific issues for Scottish borrowers, they should be advised to contact Erudio Student Loans directly to raise their concerns. If, following that, they are not satisfied with the response then the issue can be taken to the Financial Ombudsman Service to consider. ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415819,"EventID":"S6W-24866","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:03.02","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-25T16:13:43.45","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the average processing time, from application to a final decision, has been for applications under the Scottish Dental Access Initiative in the NHS Dumfries and Galloway area in each of the last 12 months.","AnswerText":"This information is not held by the Scottish Government.\r\nScottish Dental Access Initiative applications are first submitted to NHS Dumfries and Galloway for initial processing and approval.\r\n","AnswerDate":"2024-02-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415820,"EventID":"S6W-24964","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:03.067","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T20:55:22.203","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it next plans to meet the chief executive of Education Scotland to discuss education.","AnswerText":"Education Scotland is an executive agency of the Scottish Government and as such there is regular engagement between Scottish Government and Education Scotland officials on a range of education matters. Senior Scottish Government officials will next meet the Interim Chief Executive of Education Scotland to discuss education on 28 February 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415821,"EventID":"S6W-24864","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:03.147","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-25T16:13:43.45","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many applications under the Scottish Dental Access Initiative in the NHS Dumfries and Galloway area have been (a) made and (b) approved in each of the last 12 months.","AnswerText":"NHS Boards are responsible for receiving and approving applications for the Scottish Dental Access Initiative (SDAI). Successful applications are then sent to the Scottish Government for processing. \r\nAs such, the Scottish Government does not hold information on how many SDAI applications have been received in the NHS Borders area, and this information is held by the Health Board. \r\nThere have been no applications sent to Scottish Government in the last 12 months. ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415822,"EventID":"S6W-24949","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:03.287","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T20:04:05.603","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its explorative work regarding building consistency in teacher judgement across all curriculum areas. ","AnswerText":"I am advised that Education Scotland established a National Timetable Group in October 2022. This brought together experienced timetablers from across Scotland. I am advised that the group has met on a number of occasions and has considered the practicalities of providing additional time for collegiate working to support moderation. Education Scotland is gathering analysis with a view to sharing case studies of approaches from schools and local authorities.\r\nEducation Scotland has carried out a survey of teachers via curriculum area networks on support for consistency in teacher professional judgement . This survey received responses from over 500 teachers.\r\nEducation Scotland has initiated a programme of exploratory work with teachers from across all Dundee City Council secondary schools to explore approaches to improving the consistency of teacher professional judgment.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415823,"EventID":"S6W-24978","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:03.35","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T20:57:28.323","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates the review of the literacy and English curriculum update will begin.","AnswerText":"The curriculum improvement cycle for Literacy and English will commence later in 2024 and will be informed by a range of evidence, including The Education Scotland pilot curriculum review, which will commence in March 2024, the thematic inspection of Literacy and English, also announced on 12 December.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415824,"EventID":"S6W-24945","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:03.397","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T19:57:31.877","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government on what date it expects the Spring 2024 meeting of the Gender Equality Taskforce in Education and Learning to take place. ","AnswerText":"The next meeting of the Gender Equality Taskforce in Education and Learning is scheduled for the 18 April 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415825,"EventID":"S6W-24867","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:03.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-25T16:13:43.45","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much grant funding has been awarded in real terms under the Scottish Dental Access Initiative in the NHS Dumfries and Galloway area in each of the last two years.","AnswerText":"NHS Dumfries and Galloway have had no Scottish Dental Access Initiative funding awarded in the last two years.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415826,"EventID":"S6W-24969","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:03.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T20:56:07.193","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government on what date the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills plans to meet the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) director of education and skills.","AnswerText":"I have greatly valued discussions with the OECD to date and my next meeting with the OECD is scheduled for Wednesday 21 February.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415827,"EventID":"S6W-24948","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:03.567","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T20:04:00.867","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will set out the mechanisms used by Education Scotland to consult on its Inclusion, Wellbeing and Equalities Professional Learning Framework.  ","AnswerText":"As noted in the answer to question S6W-24947 on 19 February 2024, the draft Professional Framework will undergo further evaluation and consultation about ease of use from now until March 2024.\r\nThis evaluation evidence will be used to inform further development with another opportunity for users to provide feedback on the content from March 2024 to June 2024. The evaluation will be provided by users of the Framework and is included at the end of the material. It will also be gathered by Education Scotland staff delivering content from the Framework. Other on-going consultation and feedback will occur through our Networks and programme boards which Education Scotland attend.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415828,"EventID":"S6W-24994","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:03.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T09:27:12.473","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it allocated to support food redistribution projects in (a) 2022-23 and (b) 2023-24.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government has provided FareShare with the following funding to support food redistribution:2022 - 2023: £463,000 ; and2023 – 2024: £315,000.\r\nScottish Government also indirectly funds Zero Waste Scotland which supports a range of food waste redistribution projects.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415829,"EventID":"S6W-24968","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:03.693","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T20:55:58.62","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with local authorities regarding the use of mobile phones in schools.","AnswerText":"Work to refresh guidance on the use of mobile phones in schools is underway. There have been high level discussions with local authority and school representatives as part of that process. The Scottish Advisory Group on Relationships and Behaviour in Schools, which includes a wide range of representative interests, including local authorities and others, will oversee the development of the refreshed guidance, which will be published in the Spring.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415830,"EventID":"S6W-24979","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:03.74","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T20:57:34.84","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on when the Initial Teacher Education National Maths Group will next meet.","AnswerText":"As announced in the statement to the Scottish Parliament on 12 December 2023, the Council of Deans agreed to reconvene their Initial Teacher Education (ITE) National Maths Group.\r\nThe first meeting of the reconvened group took place on 29 January 2024 and we understand that the Council of Deans will be communicating with members in due course about the timings and focus for future meetings.\r\nThe ITE Maths group will meet up to four times per year. An Education Scotland representative will be invited to each meeting. Contact details for the Council of Deans are available at:  https://www.scde.ac.uk/contact-us/  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415831,"EventID":"S6W-24943","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:03.787","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T19:53:23.773","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to provide an update to the Parliament on the guidance it issues to local authorities on the use of the £900,000 allocated on training to support teachers on post-COVID-19 pandemic challenges in schools. ","AnswerText":"We have announced £900,000 for local councils to aid training of support staff who are responding to the new challenges in our schools, post-Covid. This announcement was made in direct response to the findings of the Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research, which indicated that it is school support staff who have the most challenging experiences in dealing with negative behaviours, and that support staff themselves would welcome more training to support them in their roles.\r\nAllocation and use of the funding was agreed at the meeting of COSLA leaders on 26 January 2024. Each local authority will receive a minimum of £10,000 of funding, with the remaining funding distributed on the basis of pupil numbers. A letter was issued to local authorities on 7 February 2024 advising them of their funding allocation. Local authorities will decide how best to use their allocated funding to help the support staff in their area.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415832,"EventID":"S6W-24944","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:03.833","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T19:57:31.877","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Gender Equality Taskforce in Education and Learning has not met since May 2023.","AnswerText":"Since May 2023 discussion and work has been ongoing with regards to refining the workplan for and membership of the Gender Equality Taskforce to ensure that it is able to enact the long term systemic change that is needed. The next meeting of the Gender Equality Taskforce is scheduled for 18 April 2024. Contributory work on preventing and responding to gender-base violence in schools has been taken forward by the short-life Gender-Based Violence in Schools Working Group, with a framework for schools to be published in the coming weeks.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415833,"EventID":"S6W-24991","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:03.897","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T09:27:12.473","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much food has been redistributed through the Food Redistribution Matchmaking Service since 2020.","AnswerText":"As set out in the Food Waste Reduction Action Plan (2019), the Food Redistribution Matchmaking Service was intended to support linking up redistributors, producers, retailers, and wholesalers to access food surpluses and redistribute.\r\nThe matchmaking service commenced in July 2020. However, the COVID-19 emergency response led to several similar informal networks and new collaborations, often supported by the local authority, to ensure food surplus was redistributed. For this reason, the matchmaking service provided by Zero Waste Scotland had low levels of engagement. Rather than developing an alternative service, Zero Waste Scotland directs organisations with a food surplus to the FareShare Surplus with Purpose scheme.\r\nIn 2021-22, Scottish Government’s direct funding of £200,000 to FareShare’s Surplus with Purpose supported 1,001 tonnes of surplus food from Scottish growers being redirected to communities across the UK. This made the equivalent of 2.3 million meals.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415834,"EventID":"S6W-24970","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:03.943","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T20:56:18.427","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government on what date it plans to launch the Curriculum for Excellence improvement cycle.","AnswerText":"As announced in a statement to Parliament on 12 December 2023, Maths will be the first curricular area to be revised as part of the new systematic curriculum improvement cycle.\r\nThe update to the Maths curriculum will begin in 2024 and will be tested with Scotland’s teachers later in the year. The next curricular area to be looked at in depth after Maths will be Literacy and English.\r\nPlanning for the sequencing and implementation of the overall improvement cycle is underway. Decisions on which curricular areas should be prioritised following Maths/Numeracy and Literacy/English and timescales for those further packages of work, will be informed by evidence and will be subject to discussions with key stakeholders and delivery partners.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415835,"EventID":"S6W-24998","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:03.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T09:28:16.51","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which food waste initiatives it has funded since 2013; how much each initiative cost, and what (a) food waste and (b) carbon impact reduction each initiative achieved.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government funds Zero Waste Scotland (ZWS) to deliver action on waste, including food waste. I refer the member to ZWS who may be able to provide this information. ZWS can be contacted via email at:  PolicySupport@zerowastescotland@org.uk  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415836,"EventID":"S6W-24957","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:04.037","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T20:09:56.543","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23885 by Jenny Gilruth on 23 January 2024, how many surplus teachers are currently allocated to local authorities.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not allocate fully registered teachers to local authorities. Statutory responsibility for the recruitment and employment of teachers and all other support staff in local authority schools sits with individual councils.\r\nProbationer teachers progressing through the Teacher Induction Scheme (TIS) are placed with local authorities through an allocation process. This is a placement and not employment. Where the number of probationers exceeds the number of places offered initially by local authorities these are subsequently allocated on a supernumerary basis. As previously indicated in answer to S6W-23885 this number was initially 626. To date there are over 500 deferrals and withdrawals from this year’s initial cohort so the 600 “supernumerary” figure as of May 2023 does not mean there are 600 surplus teachers.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415837,"EventID":"S6W-24971","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:04.1","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T20:56:26.703","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government with which stakeholders it plans to engage ahead of the launch of Curriculum for Excellence improvement cycles.","AnswerText":"The initiation of a systematic curriculum improvement cycle was announced on 12 December 2023, however the background to the cycle stems from the OECD 2021 report “Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence: Into the Future” and its specific recommendation for Scotland to \"develop a systematic approach to curriculum review” which was accepted by Scottish Government.\r\nSince then, the Curriculum and Assessment Board, which includes a range of stakeholders including Education Scotland, the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland, the Educational Institute of Scotland, leading academics, and the Scottish Qualifications Authority, has already considered and offered views on a range of papers in relation to taking forward a systematic curriculum review cycle in Scotland. Papers were informed by a rapid evidence review supported by the OECD, which looked at international best practice.\r\nIn updating the curriculum framework, we will harness the expertise and insights of our teachers, practitioners and subject specialists amongst others. In determining how best to do that, in early 2023 Education Scotland began a number of different curriculum review pilots to test out different approaches, reporting into the Curriculum and Assessment Board.\r\nA wide range of stakeholders will be involved in taking forward each substantive curriculum improvement cycle, in particular teachers, practitioners and subject leads across Scotland, the Curriculum and Assessment Board and the organisations represented on it.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415838,"EventID":"S6W-24987","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:04.16","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T09:26:04.597","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the status is of the food waste project being developed for secondary schools, as set out in the document, Review of the 2019 Food Waste Reduction Action Plan.","AnswerText":"Zero Waste Scotland (ZWS) supported this project which was led by Developing Young Workforce (DYW) Dundee & Angus, in partnership with the Food and Drink Federation Scotland and the Food & Drink Team at Abertay University.Despite schools being provided with resources and financial incentives to take part, there was low uptake, resulting in the project not being taken forward.\r\nFor further details of the guidance that ZWS issued to schools, I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24284 on 10 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers \r\n","AnswerDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415839,"EventID":"S6W-24967","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:04.21","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T20:55:49.73","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its position on whether sanctions should only be imposed on local authorities that do not protect teacher numbers in the event that the national average drops, as opposed to for individual reductions within local authority areas.","AnswerText":"Having reviewed the information presented by local authorities, the Scottish Government has confirmed that we will not withhold funding in 2023-24 from those who did not maintain teacher numbers.\r\nWhile the Scottish Government remains disappointed by the small reduction in teacher numbers, we do not consider that withholding funding at this stage in the financial year would be in the best interest of learners.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415840,"EventID":"S6W-24585","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:04.257","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-17T08:27:35.62","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much capital funding to NHS boards (a) has been provided in the financial year 2023-24 and (b) will be made available in the financial year 2024-25.","AnswerText":"The 22 National and Territorial NHS Boards have received a total of £148.8 million of Capital Formula in the year 2023-24. In addition to formula capital, NHS Boards are anticipating further funding of £283.9 million which will allow all major projects in construction to be completed - Baird and ANCHOR in Aberdeen, Parkhead Health and Social Care Centre in Glasgow, National Treatment Centres in Forth Valley and the Golden Jubilee, continued support for the national replacement programmes for Ambulances and Radiotherapy equipment and other small scale investments. The final outturn has yet to be finalised, but it is currently forecast to be £432.7 million in total in 2023-24.\r\nAs set out in our draft budget the capital funding position is extremely challenging, with a UK Government cut of some 10% in our capital budget over the next five years. Nonetheless, this settlement allows formula capital to be maintained at 2023-24 levels in the year 2024-25. Additional in-year capital allocations will also be provided, but these have not been finalised at this point.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415841,"EventID":"S6W-24952","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:04.303","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T20:04:22.35","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government on what date it expects its national action plan on behaviour in schools will be published.","AnswerText":"The national action plan will be developed in collaboration with the Scottish Advisory Group on Relationships and Behaviour in Schools (SAGRABIS), which met to discuss the draft action plan on 12 December 2023 and 31 January 2024. It is expected that the action plan will be published in spring 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415842,"EventID":"S6W-24972","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:04.35","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T20:56:39.493","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which stakeholders it (a) engaged with and (b) informed of its announcement, on Curriculum for Excellence improvement cycles, in advance of the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills' statement on 12 December 2023.","AnswerText":"The initiation of a systematic curriculum improvement cycle announced on 12 December 2023, stems from the OECD 2021 report “Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence: Into the Future” and its specific recommendation for Scotland to \"develop a systematic approach to curriculum review” which was accepted by Scottish Government.\r\nPrior to the announcement in December, the Curriculum and Assessment Board, which includes a range of stakeholders including Education Scotland, the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland, the Educational Institute of Scotland, leading academics, and the Scottish Qualifications Authority, had already considered and offered views on a range of papers in relation to taking forward a systematic curriculum review cycle in Scotland.\r\nThis work was referenced in a letter sent by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills to Committee on 31 October 2023. The letter is available at:\r\nhttps://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/committees/education-children-and-young-people-committee/correspondence/2023/cab-sec-response-ecyp-commitee-oecd-implementation.pdf ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415843,"EventID":"S6W-24997","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-30T17:31:04.397","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T09:28:16.51","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which plastic waste initiatives it has funded since 2013; how much each initiative cost, and what (a) plastic waste and (b) carbon impact reduction each initiative achieved.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to tackling plastic waste by focusing on a wide range of initiatives aimed at reducing its use, improving recycling and reducing plastic waste going to landfill. The Recycling Improvement Fund (RIF), while not specifically focused on plastics, is supporting a number of projects that include a plastic waste element and 23 such projects have received a total of £59,301,849 to date saving an estimated 9099 tCO2e per annum. A full breakdown of RIF projects available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 64895).\r\nIn addition, Zero Waste Scotland has supported a range of initiatives addressing the issues around plastics. For example, the Circular Economy Investment Fund has provided grant support to 13 SMEs that were involved in partially or fully in the collection, processing and management of a variety of waste polymers. The fund has invested £8,918,010, is supporting 21 FTE jobs, and has saved 36,939 tCO2eq.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415844,"EventID":"S6W-25083","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T09:52:22.653","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T09:43:23.96","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work regarding the publication of the UK National Action Plan for the Sustainable Use of Pesticides.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415845,"EventID":"S6O-03073","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16177,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":125,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:24:28.183","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T10:42:28.203","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is embedding gender equality into its efforts to deliver a just transition.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415846,"EventID":"S6O-03062","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5060,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:24:28.293","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T11:31:20.4","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has allocated to local authorities from its 2024-25 Budget.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415847,"EventID":"S6O-03071","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:24:28.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T11:23:28.207","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it can do to address potholes on the road\r\nnetwork, including what support is available for local authorities to do so, in\r\nlight of reports that Edinburgh is the second worst city in the UK for\r\npotholes.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415848,"EventID":"S6O-03060","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:24:28.4","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T16:59:15.66","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of the reduction in funding for Highlands and Islands Enterprise on women in business.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415849,"EventID":"S6O-03069","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:24:28.447","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T09:59:15.727","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration is being given to increasing the funding settlement for local authorities.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415850,"EventID":"S6O-03056","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":86,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:24:28.497","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T16:44:12.883","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how its cities strategy supports town centres within cities to be vibrant destinations, which offer a range of services and amenities to support the community.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415851,"EventID":"S6O-03061","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:24:28.573","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T08:49:47.307","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress against the five fair work benchmarks in the National Strategy for Economic Transformation.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415852,"EventID":"S6O-03076","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:24:28.62","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T14:04:07.443","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what criteria it plans to use to assess how successful the ScotRail peak fares removal pilot has been.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415853,"EventID":"S6O-03063","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3763,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":142,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:24:28.713","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T14:48:07.9","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what dialogue it has had with Inverclyde Council regarding the Scottish Budget for 2024-25.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415854,"EventID":"S6O-03067","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5612,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":150,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:24:28.777","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T10:53:06.463","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how much money it expects to be able to reallocate from back office costs to front line services in the Scottish Budget, as a result of its work on public service reform.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415855,"EventID":"S6O-03059","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:24:28.84","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T12:01:52.807","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether, as part of the implementation of the recommendations of the City Centre Recovery Taskforce report, the role of larger retail stores in city centres is being considered.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415856,"EventID":"S6O-03066","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:24:28.933","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T08:48:07.39","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how its Budget for 2024-25 will support the delivery of local services in the Mid Scotland and Fife region.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415857,"EventID":"S6O-03074","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16175,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":119,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:24:28.98","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T22:19:43.213","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the net zero secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the role of the renewable energy sector in meeting its net zero ambitions.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415858,"EventID":"S6O-03068","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16182,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":117,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:24:29.06","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T23:57:36.203","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is, regarding any potential impact on Scotland’s public finances, to reports that the Chancellor of the Exchequer is considering reducing taxes in the UK Budget in March.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415859,"EventID":"S6O-03065","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5618,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":91,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:24:29.107","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T13:34:52.85","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its latest engagement has been with the UK Government regarding cost of living support.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415860,"EventID":"S6O-03057","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:24:29.17","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T18:21:44.46","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has held with South of Scotland Enterprise regarding any preliminary analysis of the outcome of its recently implemented four-day working week pilot. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415861,"EventID":"S6O-03064","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:24:29.23","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T11:17:39.88","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has made of the potential impact on its Medium-Term Financial Strategy and future Scottish Budgets of reports that the cost of a National Care Service could rise to £2 billion.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":415862,"EventID":"S6O-03054","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:24:29.277","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T13:30:03.053","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures it will take in the next financial\r\nyear to boost the confidence of those operating in the business sector and to\r\npromote entrepreneurship.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415863,"EventID":"S6O-03055","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:24:29.357","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T11:44:09.227","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding actions that can be taken to preserve energy networks following periods of bad weather.  ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415864,"EventID":"S6O-03058","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16186,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":120,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:24:29.467","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T13:00:19.223","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting the growth of international exports.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415865,"EventID":"S6O-03072","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:24:29.527","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T08:53:35.293","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to encourage a modal shift to public transport.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":415866,"EventID":"S6O-03077","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:24:29.59","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T10:46:15.34","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on transport infrastructure projects in the south of Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415867,"EventID":"S6O-03070","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16178,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":78,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:24:29.683","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T09:45:34.037","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding what is required to unlock the full potential of Scotland's green economy. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415868,"EventID":"S6O-03075","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:24:29.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T16:33:57.327","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact the 2024-25 Budget will have on Strathclyde Partnership for Transport.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415869,"EventID":"S6O-03080","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:24:34.237","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T11:30:51.633","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has conducted an analysis of the potential impact that its 2024-25 Budget will have on primary care services.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415870,"EventID":"S6O-03081","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:24:34.36","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T08:52:37.613","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, what its response is to reports that Scottish Government decisions appeared to have been taken for \"purely political\" reasons, incl","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, what its response is to reports that Scottish Government decisions appeared to have been taken for \"purely political\" reasons, including comments made by the former First Minister's chief of staff regarding seeking a \"good old-fashioned rammy\" with the UK Government.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415871,"EventID":"S6O-03079","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5596,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":151,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:24:34.457","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T16:36:13.22","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure the availability of psychological services for all who need them.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415872,"EventID":"S6O-03082","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":3129,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":83,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:24:34.517","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T09:55:11.26","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what criteria it considers when determining how to allocate funding for humanitarian aid in situations such as those in Gaza.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415873,"EventID":"S6O-03083","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5075,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":112,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:24:34.673","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T11:01:06.43","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that all legal predator control is carried out in a way that is consistent with best practice in animal welfare standards.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415874,"EventID":"S6O-03078","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:24:34.753","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T15:21:41.537","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the most recent Police Scotland Officer and Staff Numbers statistics showing the number of police officers in Police Scotland's Edinburgh division.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415875,"EventID":"S6O-03084","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":2641,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":94,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:24:34.877","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T10:51:10.693","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support will be put in place to assist local authorities in establishing \"areas of linguistic significance\", as set out in the Scottish Languages Bill.\r\n \r\nThe Member has provided the following Gaelic translation:\r\n \r\nGus faighneachd do Riaghaltas na h-Alba de an taic a bhios ann do dh'ughdarrasan ionadail a tha airson àitichean a tha \"sònraichte a thaobh chànain\" a stèidheachadh, mar a chaidh a chuir an làthair ann am Bile nan Cànan Albannach.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415876,"EventID":"S6O-03085","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5622,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":148,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:24:34.94","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T16:22:12.157","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the project board that is being formed to oversee the consideration of future funding for violence against women services will next meet.","AnswerText":"The Violence Against Women and Girls Sustainable Funding Project Board is currently being developed and I expect it to meet for the first time in March. It has been formed to take forward our commitment to develop a flexible and stable funding model that will ensure a focus on prevention and high quality, accessible, specialist violence against women and girls services.\r\n? The Project Board, will be co-chaired by Scottish Government and CoSLA, and will include representatives of public sector and specialist stakeholders. The remit of the group will be agreed with the members and will include producing an accurate assessment of the current costs and spend of violence against women and girls, to help inform the development of a sustainable funding model.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415877,"EventID":"S6W-25008","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16188,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":82,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:28.49","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T11:26:47.783","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration has been given to extending the current limit of three years of Student Awards Agency Scotland funding, for part-time postgraduate MSc courses with no full-time equivalent, to support people who may need extra time to complete their course, such as those who work full time, are disabled or have caring responsibilities.","AnswerText":"As set out in the 2023-24 Programme for Government, we are currently undertaking a review of student support for those wishing to study part-time or flexibly. As part of this we will consider the range of circumstances that impact on the way in which people wish to study as part of this work.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415878,"EventID":"S6W-25066","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:28.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T16:26:34.163","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether applications for Individual Training Accounts administered by Skills Development Scotland will reopen for the 2024-25 financial year.","AnswerText":"Discussions on the Skills Development Scotland budget for 2024-2025 are ongoing. We hope to confirm the ITA position in the coming weeks.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415879,"EventID":"S6W-25056","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:28.693","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T15:25:28.873","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it made regarding its reported decision to reduce the level of general capital support to Strathclyde Partnership for Transport to zero in its Budget for 2024-25.","AnswerText":"The UK Autumn Statement was a worst-case scenario for Scotland and confirmed that the Scottish Government Capital Block Grant is forecast to contract by almost 10% in real terms over 5 years (2023-24 to 2027-28). Capital spending pressures across the Scottish Government far exceed available funding This means that it will take longer to deliver all our capital commitments, and difficult decisions were required in order to achieve a fiscally sustainable capital budget. As such, we targeted the limited capital funding available towards supporting employment and the economy, achieving our net zero ambitions and maintaining high-quality public services across Scotland.\r\nA significant proportion of the expenditure in the portfolio is legally and contractually committed, and the budget ensures that those commitments are met in full in this budget as well as allocating funding to support critical maintenance and renewal expenditure to ensure that the people of Scotland have access to a safe and reliable transport system.\r\nThe budget process also considered equalities and fairer Scotland duties and progress towards our statutory targets for climate change and child poverty in prioritising the budget available to me. I refer to the Equalities and Fairer Scotland Budget Statement and Carbon Assessment published alongside this budget.\r\nOfficials continue to engage with SPT on the implications of the budget decision along with the impact on future spending plans, and SPT are invited to advise Transport Scotland on any impacts of budget decisions on risk to service provision.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415880,"EventID":"S6W-25044","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:28.77","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T14:27:07.557","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its response to the recommendations in the Education Scotland report, Improving Attendance: Understanding the Issues, published on 28 November 2023.","AnswerText":"I welcome the report from Education Scotland, which was produced in response to my request for a national evidence base to better understand the current barriers and challenges experienced by schools, children and young people and their families which influence school attendance.\r\nFollowing its publication, I tasked the Interim Chief Executive of Education Scotland to work directly with Directors of Education to take forward improvement on attendance as a matter of priority. The Interim Chief Executive has since written to all Directors of Education setting out current and future support that Education Scotland can provide to schools and local authorities to improve attendance.\r\nWe continue to review the findings of Education Scotland’s report, together with the findings of the Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research, as part of the development of our relationships and behaviour action plan.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415881,"EventID":"S6W-25005","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:28.82","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T11:10:42.827","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the number of private prescriptions for cannabis-based medicines in Scotland.","AnswerText":"Private prescription numbers for Cannabis Based products for Medicinal use (CBPMs) are not collected by the Scottish Government.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415882,"EventID":"S6W-25012","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:28.867","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T11:57:32.353","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how (a) many applications to the Used Electric Vehicle Loan scheme were (i) received and (ii) approved and (b) much money was provided in loans, in each month that the scheme was active.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government provides annual funding to Energy Saving Trust (EST) who are an independent organisation working to address the climate emergency, EST then deliver the Used Electric Vehicle Loan on behalf of Scottish Minister.\r\nSince the used electric loan scheme launched in September 2020 we have (i) received 3,885 applications and (ii) approved and paid 2,207 claims. Information on the value of loans paid each month is detailed in the following table:\r\nSeptember 2020\r\n£0\r\nOctober 2020\r\n£0\r\nNovember 2020\r\n£201,688.00\r\nDecember 2020\r\n£349,074.50\r\nJanuary 2021\r\n£253,058.01\r\nFebruary 2021\r\n£181,520.00\r\nMarch 2021\r\n£334,890.00\r\nApril 2021\r\n£226,694.01\r\nMay 2021\r\n£294,290.20\r\nJune 2021\r\n£389.907.99\r\nJuly 2021\r\n£474,424.31\r\nAugust 2021\r\n£329,237.00\r\nSeptember 2021\r\n£230,484.00\r\nOctober 2021\r\n£319,702.13\r\nNovember 2021\r\n£276,509.00\r\nDecember 2021\r\n£550,348.00\r\nJanuary 2022\r\n£317,286.00\r\nFebruary 2022\r\n£258,029.26\r\nMarch 2022\r\n£150,455.00\r\nApril 2022\r\n£239,015.00\r\nMay 2022\r\n£14,249.00\r\nJune 2022\r\n£111,045.00\r\nJuly 2022\r\n£1,230,645.45\r\nAugust 2022\r\n£2,908,684.01\r\nSeptember 2022\r\n£1,799,011.80\r\nOctober 2022\r\n£2,341,149.56\r\nNovember 2022\r\n£2,013,315.67\r\nDecember 2022\r\n£1,803,327,75\r\nJanuary 2023\r\n£679,706.09\r\nFebruary 2023\r\n£2,515,034,06\r\nMarch 2023\r\n£2,593,043.81\r\nApril 2023\r\n£963,201.34\r\nMay 2023\r\n193,905.00\r\nJune 2023\r\n£459,737.00\r\nJuly 2023\r\n£2,163,403.67\r\nAugust 2023\r\n£2,999,783,88\r\nSeptember 2023\r\n£3,192,008.68\r\nOctober 2023\r\n£3,327,557.52\r\nNovember 2023\r\n£3,126,433.10\r\nDecember 2023\r\n£2,945,038.00\r\nJanuary 2024\r\n£2,806,595.00\r\nEST regularly publish statistics on the Low Carbon Transport Loan on their website which can be found here -  Grants and loans to help you travel greener - Energy Saving Trust  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415883,"EventID":"S6W-25004","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:28.913","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T11:10:42.827","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to improve access to cannabis-based medicines to NHS patients.","AnswerText":"There are three Cannabis Based Products for Medicinal use (CBPMs) available on the NHS in Scotland to treat specific conditions. These are: Nabilone, a synthetic cannabinoid, as an add-on treatment for adults with chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting;Sativex ® , a combination of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol for moderate to severe spasticity in adults with multiple sclerosis; andEpidyolex ® , a cannabidiol for treating seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome.\r\nThe biggest barrier to the prescribing of other CBPMs on the NHS is that most products remain unlicensed with a limited, or non-existent, peer-reviewed clinical evidence base for their use. We continue to engage with the manufacturers of these products, encouraging them to bring their products to clinical trial. This would allow them to go through the medicine licensing process and be available to be considered for routine availability on the NHS through standard health technology appraisal processes.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415884,"EventID":"S6W-25065","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:28.973","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T16:11:07.267","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has (a) carried out any research into and (b) undertaken any other work exploring any impact that the presence of fire can have on reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) panels and beams.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not carried out or commissioned research into the impact that the presence of fire can have on reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC). However, the Scottish Government works directly with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), is in close contact with the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) and officials liaise with UK Government colleagues as the issue around fire safety and RAAC is explored. \r\nThe condition of RAAC and any risk of weakness or collapse is clearly of critical concern to firefighters. Where RAAC is identified through SFRS Operational Intelligence information gathering or a Fire Safety Enforcement audit, SFRS staff will record information regarding any affected buildings. This allows SFRS to develop a tactical plan to protect firefighters and minimise risk to the wider public in the event of any emergency incident, including those with premises containing RAAC. \r\nMore generally, the Scottish Government engages with various academic and building industry organisations which are themselves involved in research work, including through meetings of the Cross Sector Working Group, and would promote awareness of the findings of RAAC related research as and when appropriate. ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415885,"EventID":"S6W-25058","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:29.02","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T15:40:37.047","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered establishing a \"net zero test\", similar to the New Zealand Government's climate impact of policy assessment, for all policy and investment decisions, as recommended by the Climate Emergency Response Group.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is currently undertaking a pilot to introduce a net zero assessment, with the intention of a full roll out later this year. In developing the methodology for the pilot, we have looked at variety of existing approaches from other countries; including New Zealand, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Sweden.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415886,"EventID":"S6W-25022","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:29.07","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T12:41:51.81","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its Budget for 2024-25, whether the surtax would only be liable on those parts of a store that sell alcohol.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24444 on 22 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415887,"EventID":"S6W-25045","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:29.13","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T14:32:07.987","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it collects data on the destination of school leavers six months after they have left school, and, if not, whether it plans to collect such data in the future.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government publishes destination statistics for school leavers  three months after the end of the school year  and  nine months after the end of the school year  . Destination statistics are not collected or published by the Scottish Government for school leavers six months after the end of the school year and there are no current plans to do this.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415888,"EventID":"S6W-25057","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:29.193","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T15:40:37.047","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider implementing any of the recommendations in the Climate Emergency Response Group report, Committing to delivery: Certainty and leadership for a just transition to a net zero, climate resilient future for Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government welcomed the Climate Emergency Response Group’s (CERG) annual report, which set out their four key areas of proposed action.\r\nWe are already taking action to address many of the issues highlighted by CERG, including: undertaking a pilot this year to introduce a net zero assessment of Scottish Government policies; publishing the final route map to reduce car kilometres; and through our commitment of £1.8 billion of funding over this Parliament towards heat and energy efficiency measures.\r\nThe Scottish Government looks forward to continuing our engagement with the CERG on tackling the climate crisis.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415889,"EventID":"S6W-25048","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:29.24","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T14:38:40.4","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to publish a list of all universities identified as having reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) present.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25063 on 27 February 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415890,"EventID":"S6W-25039","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:29.287","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T13:17:20.763","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the timescale is for the proposed improvements to the A77 (a) between Turnberry and Girvan, (b) between Ballantrae and Smyrton, (c) at the Bellfield Interchange, (d) at the Dutch House Roundabout, (e) at the Whitletts Roundabout and (f) at the Holmston Roundabout, as set out in the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2).","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25038 on 26 February 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415891,"EventID":"S6W-25001","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:29.35","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T10:33:19.57","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its long-term aspirations are regarding Regional Land Use Partnerships, and when it will provide the (a) communities and (b) stakeholders involved in them greater certainty regarding (i) funding and (ii) strategic policy importance.","AnswerText":"We are currently working with the Regional Land Use Partnerships (RLUPs) as we seek to understand and evaluate the progress of the pilot programme. This approach will allow for a decision on the future of the programme to be fully-informed by robust evidence.\r\nMy Officials will continue to maintain close contact with the pilot regions throughout this process.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415892,"EventID":"S6W-25032","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:29.397","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T13:17:20.763","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the proposed £8 million of funding, that it has been allocated from the UK Government for the A75, will be used for, and over what timescale.","AnswerText":"The funding will cover initial assessment of options for improvements to the A75, specifically around Crocketford and Springholm up to conclusion of Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) Stage 2.\r\nWhile funding is confirmed, it has not yet been allocated or received. My officials are working with the UK Government officials on the legal and financial mechanisms of securing this funding. Once these are completed, we will then be able to set a draft timetable for the design development to progress.\r\nThis kind of work can take a number of years, for which the outcome is a preferred route announcement. My officials are taking every step necessary to have this work ready to commence next financial year. They are already beginning to prepare procurement documents to appoint a technical advisor. Once funding formalities are complete, they will immediately progress procurement of a technical advisor to undertake the necessary design and assessment work.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415893,"EventID":"S6W-25043","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:29.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T14:16:50.063","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which headteachers are in its headteacher taskforce, and how they were selected.","AnswerText":"Membership of the Head Teacher Task Force represents a range of perspectives from primary, secondary and special schools, with an interest in school improvement and wellbeing. Head Teachers from the following schools were invited to the Task Force meeting held in June 2023:\r\nBrechin High School\r\nDouglas Academy\r\nGlenrothes High School\r\nHazelwood ASL School\r\nHeathfield Primary School\r\nJohn Paul Academy\r\nMearns Castle High School\r\nNess Castle Primary School\r\nOban High School\r\nPreston Lodge High School\r\nRoyal High School\r\nSaracen Primary School\r\nSmithycroft Secondary School\r\nSt Kentigern’s Academy\r\nStonelaw High School\r\nMembers were identified through a variety of means including Local Authority nominations and engagement in other Scottish Government work.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415894,"EventID":"S6W-25016","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:29.507","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T11:57:32.353","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a projected timeframe for the return of any money issued through its (a) Electric Vehicle Loan scheme and (b) Used Electric Vehicle Loan scheme.","AnswerText":"The Low Carbon Transport Loan (LCTL) is administered by Energy Saving Trust (EST) on behalf of Scottish Ministers. The scheme’s terms and conditions require the loan to be repaid over a term of up to 6 years (depending on the loan applied for). EST can recycle loan repayments to fund further loans in order to maximise the value and impact of the loan funding in supporting Scottish drivers make the transition to EVs.\r\nThe funding to support the loan for 2023-2024 is fully allocated. Currently Transport Scotland officials are considering future levels of funding together with the terms and conditions that support these schemes, with the intention to re-open subject to final considerations. Individuals and businesses can register their interest on the EST website to receive further information -  Used Electric Vehicle Loan - Energy Saving Trust  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415895,"EventID":"S6W-25033","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:29.553","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T13:17:20.763","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish a delivery plan for improvements to the (a) A75 and (b) A77 trunk road. ","AnswerText":"As highlighted by the Deputy First Minister in her letter to the Public Audit committee on the 21 November 2023 and during the pre-budget speech, the Scottish Government is facing a real terms cut in our capital budget.\r\nThe flat and falling funding trajectory from the UK Government will and has significantly impacted our ability to deliver on our capital infrastructure commitments. The UK Government have not inflation-proofed their Capital Budget which is forecast to result in 9.8% real terms cut in our capital funding over the medium term between 2023-24 and 2027-28. We are therefore having to make tough decisions on our infrastructure projects pipeline to ensure we spend within our means while delivering for the people of Scotland.\r\nDevelopment of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) delivery plan is underway. This takes account of the current financial climate and is examining existing schemes across all modes in addition to the STPR2 recommendations. This is a complex piece of work, with consultation ongoing across the Scottish Government, including with Statutory Bodies and Exchequer officials. This exercise will allow for the timeline for the publication to be confirmed and confirm any statutory requirements, which of course, Parliament will be informed of at the earliest opportunity.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415896,"EventID":"S6W-25003","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:29.6","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T11:10:42.827","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many patients have been prescribed cannabis-based medicines in Scotland to date.","AnswerText":"Prescription numbers for Cannabis Based products for Medicinal use (CBPMs) are not collected by the Scottish Government.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415897,"EventID":"S6W-25019","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:29.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T12:41:51.81","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its Budget for 2024-25, whether it has published any reports or analysis on the effectiveness of the previous iteration of the surtax, which was in place from 2012 to 2015.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not published any reports in relation to the previous Public Health Supplement which was in place from 2012 to 2015.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415898,"EventID":"S6W-25055","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:29.71","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T15:12:36.44","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the number of accreditations awarded as part of the dyslexia and inclusive practice programme is reportedly significantly lower than the number of applications received in each cohort.","AnswerText":"As with all GTCS accredited Professional Recognition Programmes not all participants complete a programme and achieve the award for different reasons. This may be due to personal circumstances, changes in roles and, or, remits that impact on the participants engagement with the programme. It can also occur when a participant’s submission of evidence does not meet the required standard to achieve GTCS Professional Recognition.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415899,"EventID":"S6W-25014","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:29.77","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T11:57:32.353","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it currently provides for people who are reliant on cars for personal transport to help them reduce their transport emissions.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government through its delivery partner Energy Saving Trust (EST) offer a wide range of consumer incentives designed to support individuals and businesses across Scotland transition to net zero models of transport.\r\nWe are the only nation in the UK to offer a Used electric vehicle loan which provides interest free loans of up to £30,000 to support the purchase of a used EV. Our charge point infrastructure grants support people and businesses in rural, remote and island locations as well as residents in flatted/factored developments install charge points. Our Plugged-in Communities grant fund provides grant funding to community transport organisations allowing them to procure zero emission vehicles and associated infrastructure to support a wide range of essential community led activities.\r\nThe funding to support consumer incentives for 2023-2024 is fully allocated. Currently Transport Scotland officials are considering future levels of funding together with the terms and conditions that support these schemes, with the intention to re-open subject to final considerations. Individuals and businesses can register their interest on the EST website to receive further information -  Grants and loans for energy and transport - Energy Saving Trust  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415900,"EventID":"S6W-25029","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:29.82","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T13:17:20.763","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it plans to take to improve access for disabled people at (a) Kirkconnel, (b) Annan and (c) Sanquhar railway station on the Nith Valley line.","AnswerText":"We are progressing Recommendation 19 of the Strategic Transport Projects Review 2 (STPR2), reviewing station accessibility across Scotland, including Kirckonnel, Annan and Sanquhar. This work will identify and remove barriers to travel and improve access for all to the rail network, prioritising those stations that have particular accessibility related requirements. \r\nThe review is anticipated to complete in Spring 2024, whilst it is too early to comment on any outcome to the review, Recommendation 19 reinforces the Scottish Government commitment to improve access for all to Scotland’s Rail Network.\r\nSWestrans received funding from the  Local Rail Development Fund  to undertake the first stage of a transport appraisal using  Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance.  The appraisal has considered accessibility at Kirkconnel station.\r\nTransport Scotland reviewed the Initial Appraisal: Case for Change report received from SWestrans and officials will feedback to them on this report in the coming weeks. ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415901,"EventID":"S6W-25034","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:29.867","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T13:17:20.763","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that work will commence on a bypass for (a) Crocketford and (b) Springholm on the A75.","AnswerText":"It is not currently possible to give an estimate for when construction work could start at Crocketford and Springholm because a detailed design development and assessment phase will need to be completed first.\r\nWe are obliged to follow due process which includes securing statutory consent to deliver the scheme.\r\nDelivery of the scheme could only commence following successful completion of the statutory process. Thereafter, a timetable for construction can be set in line with availability of funding.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415902,"EventID":"S6W-25030","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:29.913","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T13:17:20.763","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the timescale is for the planned feasibility study into improvements to the A75.","AnswerText":"I cannot currently give an estimate of timescale for the planned feasibility study into improvements to the A75. While funding is confirmed, it has not yet been allocated or received. My officials are working with the UK Government officials on the legal and financial mechanisms of securing this funding. Once these are completed, we will then be able to set a draft timetable for the design development to progress.\r\nThis kind of work can take a number of years, for which the outcome is a preferred route announcement.\r\nMy officials are taking every step necessary to have this work ready to commence next financial year. They are already beginning to prepare procurement documents to appoint a technical advisor. Once funding formalities are complete, they will immediately progress procurement of a technical advisor to undertake the necessary design and assessment work.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415903,"EventID":"S6W-25052","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:29.973","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T14:54:58.7","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23517 by Jenny Gilruth on 19 December 2023, what methods were used by Education Scotland to engage with teachers, and which other stakeholders it engaged with on these materials.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24947 on 19 February 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415904,"EventID":"S6W-25015","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:30.02","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T11:57:32.353","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government (a) how much and (b) what proportion of money in total distributed through its (i) Electric Vehicle Loan scheme and (ii) Used Electric Vehicle Loan scheme (A) has been repaid to date and (B) it anticipates will be repaid.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government provides annual funding to Energy Saving Trust (EST) who are an independent organisation looking to address the climate emergency, EST then delivery the Low Carbon Transport Loan on behalf of Scottish Ministers. \r\nSince the scheme launched in 2011, EST have paid out (i) £176.5 million in loans for new vehicles and (ii) £46.2 millions in loans for used vehicles. (A) To date £101.5 million has been paid back for new vehicle loans and £7.8 million for used vehicle loans. (B) The scheme’s terms and conditions require the loan to be repaid over a term of up to 6 years (5 years for the used EV loan). EST can recycle loan repayments to fund further loans in order to maximise the value and impact of the scheme. ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415905,"EventID":"S6W-25007","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:30.083","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T11:25:25.693","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many GP practices currently provide an online booking system for patients.","AnswerText":"The National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts) (Scotland) Regulations 2018 provide that:\r\nA contractor must provide its registered patients with—\r\n1. an online appointment service;\r\n2. an online repeat prescription service; and\r\n3. an online repeat prescription information service,\r\nin a manner which is capable of being electronically integrated with the computer systems of the contractor’s practice and using appropriate systems authorised by the Health Board.\r\nHealth Boards are responsible for contracting with GP practices. The Scottish Government does not hold information about how many practices currently provide online booking systems.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415906,"EventID":"S6W-25036","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:30.13","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T13:17:20.763","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated improved travel time will be for journeys on the A75 as a result of the proposed (a) Crocketford and (b) Springholm bypass, and whether this is based on a single or dual carriageway bypass.","AnswerText":"Expected travel time improvement and other benefits of the proposed bypass schemes can only be confirmed after the conclusion of the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) Options Assessment work.\r\nThis planned work will assess the necessary evidence and data to determine the preferred configuration and layout of any bypass, however, until this work is completed it is not possible to confirm at this time as to what the potential time savings will be.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415907,"EventID":"S6W-25021","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:30.177","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T12:41:51.81","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its Budget for 2024-25, whether firms that are liable for the surtax would be subject to the highest non-domestic rates of any properties levied in the UK.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24444 on 22 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415908,"EventID":"S6W-25054","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:30.223","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T15:12:27.193","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what led to its decision to increase the number of spaces available on the dyslexia and inclusive practice programme.","AnswerText":"The provision of free high quality professional learning opportunities for educators in Scotland to improve support and identification for learners with dyslexia and literacy difficulties has, and continues to be an important focus area. Therefore, when the increased numbers of high quality of applications for the 2023-24 programme were received it was felt that the numbers should increase accordingly, to ensure all applications which met the entry criteria, were offered a place.\r\nAs planned, the programme capacity has increased each year. The contributing factors are the support and leadership of Dyslexia Scotland and Education Scotland and the programme’s alumni. The ongoing commitment of the programme’s alumni who choose to take part provides valuable support to the programme delivery.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415909,"EventID":"S6W-25011","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:30.27","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T11:57:32.353","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made any projections for any inflation-based losses incurred on interest-free loans issued through its new and used electric vehicle loan schemes, and, if so, whether it will publish these projections.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not made any projections for any inflation-based losses incurred on the interest-free loan. In response to the maturing EV market as well as the current cost of living crisis we have reduced the amount of funds provided per vehicle slightly to maximise value for money and impact of loan funding. We regularly review the loan to ensure it benefits as many people as possible. This included opening up the loan eligibility to support the used EV market in 2020.\r\nFunding provided to Energy Saving Trust (EST) to deliver the Low Carbon Transport Loan needs to be spent each year to deliver Scottish Government policy, therefore, it is not possible for the Scottish Government to hold onto funding to accrue interest.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415910,"EventID":"S6W-25028","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:30.333","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T12:49:02.35","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022, in light of reported comments from the Scottish Property Federation that a lack of engagement with the investor community has resulted in a loss of confidence in the Scottish Government. ","AnswerText":"As part of our ongoing statutory duty to keep the provisions of the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022 under review, a series of reports have been published setting out the evidence as to why the Scottish Government believes the Act remains necessary and proportionate. You may wish to note that the most recent  report  was laid in Parliament on 12 January 2024.\r\nTo inform the development of this series of reports, Scottish Ministers issued regular ‘Calls for Evidence’ to a wide range of rented sector stakeholder groups in respect of the social, private and student rented sectors – including institutional investors such as the Scottish Property Federation and UK Finance, who were able to share the Call for Evidence with the investor community. Responses to the Calls for Evidence helped inform Scottish Ministers’ statutory ongoing review of the necessity and proportionality of the provisions.\r\nIn addition, I am aware that representatives from the Scottish Property Federation and UK Finance are members of the Scottish Government’s Private Rented Sector Stakeholder Group and have been able to feed in their views on the impact of the emergency Act via that forum for some time.\r\nA well-regulated private rented sector is good for both tenants and landlords – whilst also being compatible with investment. We are working to develop a long-term model of rent control that works for Scotland, and I recognise how important it is for this Government to work with the housing sector and others to foster confidence and trust. We will therefore continue to work with stakeholders across landlord, tenant and investor groups to understand their perspectives. The Minister for Housing and I are due to hold a round table with a range of institutional investors later this month.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415911,"EventID":"S6W-25053","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:30.38","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T15:12:20.43","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of whether the number of places available on the dyslexia and inclusive practice programme are sufficient for demand.","AnswerText":"All applications received for the current 2023-24 Dyslexia and Inclusive Practice GTCS Professional Recognition Programme that met the required entry criteria, were given a place. The number of places on the current programme were increased to meet demand.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415912,"EventID":"S6W-25051","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:30.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T14:52:20.6","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24401 by Michael Matheson on 24 January 2024, regarding the additional capital funding spend in the Scottish Budget 2024-25, which budget line covers each of the projects listed in the answer. ","AnswerText":"All expenditure for health capital projects, referenced in the answer to S6W-24401, are included in the one budget line - 'Health Capital Investment'. This line is contained in 'Table A1.02: NHS Recovery, Health & Social Care Spending Plans (Level 3)' which is included in page 35 of the 'Scottish Budget: 2024 to 2025'.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415913,"EventID":"S6W-25018","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:30.49","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T12:41:51.81","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its Budget for 2024-25, whether it will provide further details of what its position is on whether the introduction of such a levy is consistent with the New Deal for Business Group’s Implementation Plan recommendation to maintain a competitive and less complex rates regime.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24498 on 23 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415914,"EventID":"S6W-25037","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:30.553","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T13:17:20.763","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the proposed improvements to the A75 Cuckoo Bridge Roundabout, as set out in the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2), will entail.","AnswerText":"STPR2 is a long term framework for transport infrastructure, to drive the capital investment decisions for our strategic transport system. It presents the Strategic Business Case for its recommendations, which each in turn will require their own development for delivery. The focus of Recommendation 40 is on improving the safety, resilience and reliability on the A75 and the A77, with Cuckoo Bridge noted as an example location for this.\r\nTransport Scotland is currently developing proposals for safety improvements at the Cuckoo Bridge Roundabout, this includes partial signalisation and active travel improvements. The delivery of these will be subject to available funding being in place.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415915,"EventID":"S6W-25006","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:30.6","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T11:23:48.057","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24530 by Fiona Hyslop on 29 January 2024, whether Transport Scotland’s Ferries Unit is in possession of performance and carrying statistics for CalMac for the period after 16 May 2023, in light of its contract management team monitoring the performance of operators through analysing monthly performance reports and meetings with operators, as stated in the Audit Scotland report, Transport Scotland’s ferry services, and, if so, whether Transport Scotland will consider publishing that information.","AnswerText":"CalMac Ferries Ltd have recently provided detail in relation to cancelled and additional sailings beyond 16 May 2023. This will now be reviewed by Transport Scotland. Once reviewed and agreed it will be for CalMac as the operator to publish this information. As a matter of course Transport Scotland would not normally publish this information.\r\nAs part of the expected monthly reporting, we have not received carrying figures. Transport Scotland would not normally publish such information.\r\nCalMac Ferries Ltd publish indicative performance figures for all the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service (CHFS) routes, and we would expect that the verified Contractual Performance figures from May 2023 will be published in due course and can be located on CalMac website:  CalMac Performance Data Browser | CalMac Ferries  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415916,"EventID":"S6W-25020","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:30.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T12:41:51.81","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its Budget for 2024-25, whether it has estimated the level of additional retail sales that would be required each year by retailers to offset the cost of the surtax.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24444 on 22 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415917,"EventID":"S6W-25013","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:30.693","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T11:57:32.353","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Used Electric Vehicle Loan scheme was closed, and whether it is considering reopening this, or opening a similar scheme, in the future.","AnswerText":"The Used Electric Vehicle Loan Scheme (‘The Low Carbon Transport Loan’) is administered on behalf of Scottish Ministers by Energy Saving Trust, who are an independent organisation working to address the climate emergency. Funding has been provided to EST to administer this service on an annual basis and since the scheme launched over a decade ago it has successfully supported over 7,400 individuals and businesses across Scotland make the transition to EVs and ultra-low emission vehicles by providing interest free loans worth over £207M.\r\nDue to high demand, the LCTL has closed for 2023-2024 as the full budget has been allocated. Currently this scheme is being evaluated and reviewed by Transport Scotland to ensure the scheme continues to meet its intended objectives. The Scottish Budget is set on an annual basis and is impacted by the UK Budget setting process and funding consequentials received from the UK Government. These are unprecedented times with significant pressures on financial resources and difficult decisions had to be taken when setting the 2024-25 Scottish Budget. Currently no budget has been confirmed to continue this scheme in 2024-25 and officials are currently working on forward business plans for review by senior management within Transport Scotland. Individuals and businesses can register their interest on the EST website for further information on the loan -  Used Electric Vehicle Loan - Energy Saving Trust  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415918,"EventID":"S6W-25047","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:30.757","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T14:38:25.287","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to publish a list of all colleges identified as having reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) present.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25062 on 27 February 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415919,"EventID":"S6W-25059","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:30.803","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T15:40:37.047","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider introducing the standard, PAS 2080, into procurement standards for public authorities.","AnswerText":"The recently revised PAS 2080 by the British Standards Institute (BSI), is welcomed as a voluntary standard that can assist public authorities in managing carbon in building and infrastructure projects.\r\nOur current position is that the incorporation of PAS 2080 would not be fully mandated in procurement standards, as it would be a barrier to small and midsize enterprises bidding for work. However, it is recommended, through the Client Guide to Construction Projects, to be included within the specified requirements of a construction or infrastructure contract. We will consider whether this position needs strengthened following further ongoing research into the matter.\r\nThe Scottish Government are in the process of drafting a Construction Policy Note highlighting PAS 2080. This will assist contracting authority staff, involved in the planning and delivery of public works projects, with practical guidance.\r\nThrough our Sustainability in Construction guidance, within the Client Guide to Construction Projects, we encourage public bodies to consider and reduce whole life carbon and PAS 2080 is widely recognised as a clear and consistent methodology for doing so.\r\nThe Scottish Government will continue to review and develop processes for reducing carbon through public sector procurements, ensuring that we are operating in line with current best practice and Scottish Government policy.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415920,"EventID":"S6W-25063","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:30.867","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T16:06:08.24","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will list the 10 universities that have been identified as having reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) present in their buildings.","AnswerText":"Eleven universities have confirmed the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete in their buildings. These are:University of AberdeenAbertay UniversityUniversity of DundeeEdinburgh UniversityEdinburgh Napier UniversityUniversity of GlasgowHeriot-Watt UniversityUniversity of St. AndrewsUniversity of StirlingUniversity of StrathclydeUniversity of the West of Scotland","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415921,"EventID":"S6W-25009","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:30.913","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T11:27:20.68","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to his letter of 10 January 2024, when the Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants’ Rights will attend the multi-agency meeting with Transport Scotland, West Lothian Council, Winchburgh Developments Ltd and Network Rail to further discuss a proposal for a railway station in Winchburgh.","AnswerText":"I am answering the question as this topic now falls into my Ministerial portfolio. \r\nAs the Member is aware, the Scottish Government’s understanding of the station proposal is that it is and has always been a developer led station, as outlined in Winchburgh Developments Ltd.’s original Masterplan.\r\nMy understanding is that West Lothian Council is responsible for the organisation and invitations for the multi-stakeholder meeting, as set out in the Council Motion from its meeting on 30 May 2023 and I will consider my attendance once I have had an opportunity to fully familiarise myself with the matter. \r\nI can confirm, the Scottish Government welcomes the collaborative, multi-stakeholder approach and I and my officials in Transport Scotland will continue to support the process of exploring options for the delivery of a new station at Winchburgh.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415922,"EventID":"S6W-25027","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:30.96","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T12:48:33.027","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to protect island connectivity, in light of the reported series of disruptions to the Arran ferry service. ","AnswerText":"The delay regarding the MV Caledonian Isles is regrettable and I recognise the frustration felt by communities as a result. The responsibility for operational decisions regarding ferry services lies with CalMac as the operator. I spoke with CalMac’s Chief Executive on 26 February to convey my concern, and make clear that everything must be done to address capacity and provide assurances for the Arran community and others across the network – particularly as we look towards the Easter break and beyond.\r\nMV Isle of Arran is operating out of Ardrossan and there continues to be additional sailings via the islands secondary route Claonaig/Lochranza. This government will continue to do everything possible to ensure that new vessels enter service as quickly as possible, to deliver the service improvements upon which our islands depend. Delivering six new major vessels to serve Scotland’s ferry network by 2026 is a priority for this Government and currently there are no capacity issues.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415923,"EventID":"S6W-25024","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:31.037","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T12:47:08.087","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported comments from Peel Ports that “endless tinkering” by the Scottish Government has caused the delays to the repair of Ardrossan Harbour. ","AnswerText":"We refute any such suggestion and remain committed to delivering efficient and sustainable ferry service for the Arran community.\r\nThe development of the Ardrossan project remains challenging for all partners. The tender design work identified gaps in the original base case submitted by Peel Ports Group and North Ayrshire Council.\r\nThe project scope is of vital importance to the business case and cost estimate review work. There is a clear need for a robust business case to support decisions by partners on this scale of project. The impact of recent announcements from Peel Ports Group around the condition and integrity of the existing port infrastructure is under review.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415924,"EventID":"S6W-25061","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:31.1","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T16:05:14.647","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will list the 37 schools that have been identified as having reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) present in their buildings.","AnswerText":"It is important that there is transparency around the schools where RAAC has been identified and the mitigations in place, and a list of the initial local authorities with confirmed cases of RAAC was published in a Scottish Government news release on 8 th September 2023. This news release is available here -  Local authorities publish RAAC data - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) \r\nHowever, it is the statutory responsibility of local authorities to manage and maintain their school estate, and all schools with RAAC should be available on relevant local authority websites.\r\nWe are currently aware that RAAC has been identified in 39 schools - including 4 ELC settings within primary schools - and 1 standalone ELC setting, across 18 local authorities. All 32 local authorities have completed assessments of their school estate.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415925,"EventID":"S6W-25062","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:31.147","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T16:05:43.313","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will list the six colleges that have been identified as having reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) present in their buildings.","AnswerText":"Seven colleges have confirmed the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete in their buildings. These are:UHI Moray CollegeBorders College Dundee & Angus CollegeEdinburgh CollegeFife CollegeGlasgow Clyde CollegeWest College Scotland","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415926,"EventID":"S6W-25040","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:31.193","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T13:17:20.763","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish proposals for improvements to active travel opportunities between Cairnryan and Stranraer.","AnswerText":"The second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2), published in December 2022, recommended a series of active travel interventions to encourage and sustain a rise in active travel across Scotland. For the South West Scotland this built on earlier work done as part of the South West Scotland Transport Study, published in January 2020, that proposed the development of Strategic Active Travel Network in the South West of Scotland to better connect communities to key destinations with cycle paths parallel to trunk roads and improvements to the National Cycle Network (NCN).\r\nAlthough the Scottish Government has had no direct involvement in any scheme to extend the NCN route 73 between Stranraer and Cairnryan, Transport Scotland has funded Sustrans with £18.4 million in 2023-24 to continue development of the National Cycle Network. The NCN in Scotland is managed by Sustrans who gave intentions to explore improvements to NCN 73 in the south west which are included within Sustrans’ 30 year National Cycle Network Plan.\r\nThe active travel budget is currently supporting infrastructure being delivered by Transport Scotland on the trunk road network to encourage modal shift and to improve active travel connectivity. As part of this, Transport Scotland is currently investigating the feasibility of a new shared use path along the A77 from the south of Cairnryan to the A77/ A751 junction.\r\nBackground information required for the design of this shared use path is currently being gathered. Transport Scotland’s operating company Amey requires to carry out vegetation clearance in advance of a topographic survey, subject to environmental investigations. Land purchase will also be required, and this can only commence once the design has identified the full land extent necessary.\r\nConstruction between the A751 and Cairnryan is currently programmed for the fourth quarter of FY24/25. This is however subject to available budgets and conclusion of the land purchase which may delay construction. Subject to available ongoing funding, Transport Scotland will investigate the upgrading of the existing path from Stranraer to the A751.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415927,"EventID":"S6W-25035","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:31.257","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T13:17:20.763","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the proposed bypass for (a) Crocketford and (b) Springholm on the A75 will be dual or single carriageway.","AnswerText":"The final design and configuration of any bypass will depend on the results and recommendations of the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) Options Assessment work. Therefore, it is not possible to confirm what configuration the road layout will look like at this point in time.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415928,"EventID":"S6W-25046","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:31.303","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T14:32:21.073","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it defines (a) education, (b) training and (c) employment in terms of positive destinations.","AnswerText":"Definitions of destinations used in the Scottish Government's positive destination statistics can be found in the background notes of the relevant publications, for example in section 7.4.1 of the  2021/22 Summary Statistics for Attainment and Initial Leaver destinations publication  . This includes definitions for Higher Education, Further Education, Training and Employment. Note that those still attending education at school are not included in these statistics. The definitions are reproduced below.\r\nHigher Education: includes leavers following Higher National Diploma (HND) or Higher National Certificate (HNC) courses, degree courses, courses for the education and training of teachers and higher level courses for professional qualifications. It includes programmes at a level higher than the standard of the National Qualifications, i.e. above SCQF Level 7. Leavers with a deferred, unconditional place in higher education have also been included in this category.\r\nFurther Education: includes leavers undertaking full-time education which is not higher education and who are no longer on a school roll. This may include National Qualifications.\r\nTraining: includes leavers who are on a training course and in receipt of an allowance or grant. It also includes leavers who are on local authority or third sector funded training programmes that are in receipt of a training allowance or those participating in Community Jobs Scotland.\r\nEmployment: includes those who consider themselves to be employed and in receipt of payment from their employers. It includes young people undertaking training in employment through national training programmes such as Modern Apprenticeships and Graduate Apprenticeships.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415929,"EventID":"S6W-25000","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:31.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T10:32:42.077","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what data it has on cases of intentional paracetamol overdose.","AnswerText":"Data is not held centrally specifically on intentional paracetamol overdose . However, the following table shows the most recent data on inpatient and day-case admissions to hospital as a result of intentional paracetamol poisoning, which includes overdose cases.\r\nFinancial year\r\nNumber of admissions\r\n2018-19\r\n4808\r\n2019-20\r\n5132\r\n2020-21\r\n4976\r\n2021-22\r\n4997\r\n2022-23\r\n4104\r\nSource: Public Health Scotland\r\nNot all paracetamol overdose cases result in hospital admission, as they can be effectively responded to by the Scottish Ambulance Service or in other healthcare settings. Data is not available on these cases due to recording and reporting practices across services.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415930,"EventID":"S6W-25038","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:31.413","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T13:17:20.763","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the proposed improvements to the A77 (a) between Turnberry and Girvan, (b) between Ballantrae and Smyrton, (c) at the Bellfield Interchange, (d) at the Dutch House Roundabout, (e) at the Whitletts Roundabout and (f) at the Holmston Roundabout, as set out in the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2), will entail.","AnswerText":"STPR2 is a long term framework for transport infrastructure, to drive the capital investment decisions for our strategic transport system. It presents the Strategic Business Case for its recommendations, which each in turn will require their own development for delivery. As STPR2 recommends, the focus of Recommendation 40 is on improving the safety, resilience and reliability on the A77, in turn supporting placemaking opportunities, providing more resilient connections to the ports at Cairnryan.\r\nThis would include, but is not limited to, improving junctions, enhancing overtaking opportunities with wide single carriageway, two plus one road layout schemes or climbing lanes at appropriate locations where slow moving traffic leads to risky overtaking manoeuvres, and widening or realigning carriageways to alleviate ‘pinch points’ such as narrow structures or at stretches of older standard single carriageway.\r\nGiven that this is a long term investment programme, some elements will not commence immediately and are subject to suitable resources and funding being in place.\r\nOur ongoing commitment to the A77 is demonstrated through our continued investment in the operation and maintenance of the trunk road network. An example of which is our ongoing work with communities in Ballantrae and Kirkoswald on the A77 to address concerns with speeding traffic, noise and lack of pedestrian crossing facilities.\r\nMore widely, major resurfacing schemes have recently completed on the A77 at Glen App and around Turnberry and there are plans for further work between Dutch House and Symington; South of Ballantrae and at Stinchar Bridge which will include replacement of the bridge parapets. This is line with the STPR2 Recommendation 32 which stresses the importance of renewing existing infrastructure in order to keep the network reliable and resilient for all road users.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415931,"EventID":"S6W-25023","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:31.49","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T12:46:25.25","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government by what date it anticipates that the advisory group considering the implementation of the recommendations from the review of allied health professionals will report.","AnswerText":"The Advisory Group is expected to offer expert advice and provide assurance on activities being taken forward to progress the implementation of the recommendations of the Allied Health Professions Education and Workforce Policy Review and, although is not expected to exist in perpetuity, will continue until such time as systems, processes and activities are embedded that can demonstrate that progress is adequately assured.. \r\nThis is likely to mean at least 4 quarterly meetings and meetings are currently scheduled until October 2024.\r\nThe group is chaired by Professor Carolyn McDonald, Chief Allied Health Professions Officer, who will report progress towards the implementation of the recommendations to the Chief Nursing Officer and Scottish Ministers as required.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415932,"EventID":"S6W-25031","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:31.553","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T13:17:20.763","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the budget is for the planned feasibility study into improvements to the A75.","AnswerText":"I can confirm that the Scottish Government has secured a commitment from the UK Government for multi-year funding of £8 million for improvements to the A75. This money comes from the Union Connectivity Development Fund and was successfully secured following approval of the previously noted business case to undertake design development work on the A75 to bypass the villages of Springholm and Crocketford.\r\nWhile funding is confirmed, it has not yet been allocated or received. My officials are working with the UK Government officials on the legal and financial mechanisms of securing this funding.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415933,"EventID":"S6W-25025","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:31.617","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T12:47:24.767","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its target to build 110,000 affordable homes by 2032.","AnswerText":"From 23 March 2022 to end September 2023, 15,765 homes have now been delivered towards the 110,000 affordable homes target, of which 12,188 (77%) are homes for social rent.\r\nWe are expecting the next set of quarterly statistics, covering the period to end December 2023, to be published towards the end of March.\r\nWe remain focused on delivering 110,000 affordable homes by 2032 and to support that we will bring forward the review scheduled for 2026-27 to 2024, which will concentrate on deliverability.\r\nThe homes provided through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme comprise homes for social rent, for mid-market rent and for low cost home ownership. These homes take various forms including; new build homes, rehabilitation projects, conversions and off-the-shelf purchases of both new and second hand homes.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415934,"EventID":"S6W-25017","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:31.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T12:29:50.95","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what dental service provision is available for any young people who require braces but do not have access to an NHS dentist to carry out the necessary preparatory work required by their orthodontist.","AnswerText":"All patients can self-refer to an Orthodontist, without having seen a General Dental Practitioner. \r\nOrthodontists have access to all items of service within the NHS Statement of Dental Remuneration (SDR), should any preparatory work be required.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415935,"EventID":"S6W-25041","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:31.697","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T13:17:20.763","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it plans to take in relation to upgrading or relocating Stranraer railway station.","AnswerText":"The second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2), published in December 2022, noted within Recommendation 40, that in order to help to encourage greater use of public transport and support wider town regeneration proposals, consideration should also be given to upgrading or relocating Stranraer railway station. STPR2 is a long-term vision of this government’s ambition for transport investment and highlights projects that we must invest in over the next two decades. Given that this is a 20-year programme, some elements will not commence immediately and are subject to suitable resources and funding being in place.\r\nWe are aware of local community plans for Stranraer (pier) which could involve proposing changes to the railway station. Transport Scotland and Network Rail continue to engage with the community and wider rail industry partners as these plans develop. Any future changes to the railway station will require a robust business case, available funding and would require to follow a set of standard railway industry processes.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415936,"EventID":"S6W-25010","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:31.743","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T11:43:14.647","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the appointment of Edel Harris OBE to chair the Independent Review of Adult Disability Payment, how the review will progress, and how (a) members of the public and (b) organisations can best provide their views to the review.","AnswerText":"The independent review will consider the current rules and experience of delivery in the first year of Adult Disability Payment and will take no more than 18 months to complete. Whilst it is for the chair of the review to decide how to conduct it, the review remit requires engagement with disabled people and stakeholders, including members of the former Disability and Carer’s Benefits Expert Advisory Group (DACBEAG).","AnswerDate":"2024-02-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415937,"EventID":"S6W-25002","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-01-31T17:33:31.773","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T11:02:17.727","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the debate in the Parliament on Forestry (Contribution to Net Zero) on 9 November 2022, what progress it is making on the delivery of the £100 million investment for the forestry sector to increase woodland creation.","AnswerText":"Since 2021 the Scottish Government have made strong progress in meeting the 2021 PFG commitment to provide £100m of funding for new woodland creation during this parliament. We have already spent £96.3m and have commitments for a further £87.8m, for approved applications to create new woodlands during this parliamentary term. ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415939,"EventID":"S6W-25130","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:39.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T15:24:40.503","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what new funding will be available to allow Screen Scotland and enterprise agencies to \"seek new opportunities to support and grow the screen sector\", as set out in its publication, Scotland's International Strategy: Delivering for Scotland.","AnswerText":"Thanks to continued investment from Scottish Government, the screen sector in Scotland continues to grow. The 2021 Economic Value of the Screen Sector in Scotland Report showed a rise from £567 million GVA in 2019 to £627 million GVA in 2021.\r\nScottish Government has a strong track record of supporting the Screen Sector and since 2018, has provided £50 million to Screen Scotland in regular Grant in Aid funding with an additional £14.8 million (£14,749,690) funding provided for Covid-19 support, skills, studios, and cinema projects.\r\nThis funding has enabled Screen Scotland to provide specialist support across the industry, including for new productions, skills and training programmes, and the film exhibition sector.\r\nWe remain committed to the screen and wider culture sector and are increasing funding to the culture sector by £15.8m next financial year to £196.6m, which is the first step on the route to investing at least £100m more annually in culture and the arts by the financial year 2028-29. In 2025-2026 we aim to provide an additional £25m to the culture sector.\r\nThis investment will drive up opportunities for participation in creative pursuits, support the production of new works, increase skills provision, and ensure that Scotland’s cultural output has platforms at home and abroad.\r\nWe are continually seeking new opportunities to support and grow the screen sector and we are committed to ensuring that the exceptional growth experienced in recent years continues to develop our sustainable creative economy, making Scotland an attractive production base and place for people in the creative industries to live and work.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415940,"EventID":"S6W-25068","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:39.553","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T18:05:13.923","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its consideration of the future of the (a) Glasgow Colleges’ Regional Board and (b) Lanarkshire Regional Strategic Board.","AnswerText":"My officials and I continue to engage with relevant parties to inform decisions on future college governance arrangements in the Lanarkshire and Glasgow regions.\r\nI met last month with the chair of the Lanarkshire Regional College Board.\r\nNext week I am seeking to meet with the Principals and Chairs of the three Glasgow colleges.\r\nI would hope to make an announcement in both cases, shortly .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415941,"EventID":"S6W-25126","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:39.6","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T15:24:40.503","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it plans to take to support Scotland's \"internationally recognised cultural and higher education sectors\" to their full potential, as set out in its publication, Scotland's International Strategy: Delivering for Scotland.","AnswerText":"As set out in the International Strategy, we want to build on Scotland’s long history of excellence in the cultural and higher education sectors. This is why we have published a standalone International Higher Education Strategy. Universities Scotland and Colleges Scotland were engaged in the development of the strategy which outlines how we will work collaboratively with the higher education sector to achieve our joint ambitions:attract global students, staff, and researchers to help diversify our international student population and support them to maximise their contribution to Scotland.as an outward looking, inclusive nation that values our international education capabilities and export potential, we will work with universities and colleges, to maximise our social, educational and economic contribution globally.as a world leader in international education, research and knowledge exchange, deepen our global collaborations and engagements .\r\nWe have also committed to publishing an International Culture Strategy, which will build on the work that the Scottish Government already does to showcase the sector and facilitate opportunities for international collaboration .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415942,"EventID":"S6W-25121","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:39.68","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T15:18:24.19","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-20115 by Jenni Minto on 15 August 2023, whether it will provide an update on what progress has since been made to ensure that residents in (a) Dunoon and (b) surrounding communities can access local NHS dental services.","AnswerText":"In addition to the range of incentives the Scottish Government have put in place in the Highland area to support NHS dental provision; since August 2023, NHS Highland have: Increased capacity for patients within their evening PDS clinics through the recruitment of a new PDS Dental Officer in Dunoon.A new practice opening later this year, secured with the use of the Scottish Dental Access Initiative scheme in Inverness.Procured funding and resource for a mobile dental unit which is expected to be in operation by summer of 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415943,"EventID":"S6W-25096","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:39.743","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T12:53:29.607","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what deadlines it will set for compliance with the restrictions on XL Bully-type dogs; what process it will undertake to set these deadlines, and whether the process for setting any deadlines will take into account (a) animal welfare, (b) the number of dogs affected, (c) police capacity, (d) veterinary capacity and (e) rescue sector capacity.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has met and continues to meet with a range of stakeholders to help to inform our policy approach on XL Bully dogs and consider any issues or possible barriers to implementation in relation to the new safeguards on XL Bully dogs. We engage regularly with the Scottish SPCA, the Dogs Trust, The Dog Control Coalition (whose members include the British Veterinary Association), individual clinical dog behaviourists, the National Dog Warden Association, local authorities and Police Scotland.\r\nWe are taking a two-stage approach for the new safeguards in relation to XL Bully dogs, subject to Parliamentary approval.\r\nThe first stage will mean that from 23 February 2024, XL Bully owners must ensure their dogs are muzzled and on a lead when in a public place. Selling, gifting or exchanging XL Bully dogs will be prohibited. It will remain legal to own an XL Bully dog.\r\nThe second stage will mean that from 1 August 2024, it will be an offence to own a XL Bully dog without an exemption. Owners of an XL Bully dog will need to apply for an exemption on or before 31 July 2024 to be able to continue owning their dog.\r\nThe details of the exemption scheme such as the start date for applications, requirements to receive an exemption as well as arrangements for compensation for any XL Bully dog owners not wishing to retain their dogs, will be published in the coming weeks as legislation is brought forward.\r\nIn the meantime, helpful and practical support and guidance has been published on the Scottish Government website to ensure owners are made aware of how to comply with the new safeguards on XL Bully dogs, with further information to be published in the coming period:  https://www.gov.scot/publications/xl-bully-dog-rules/  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415944,"EventID":"S6W-25104","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:39.79","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T14:08:44.717","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to reduce the average processing times for power of attorney applications.","AnswerText":"The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) is part of the Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service (SCTS). As such, operational decisions regarding power of attorney applications are the responsibility of SCTS under the leadership of its independent board headed by the Lord President.\r\nThe Scottish Government has provided SCTS with additional funding since 2021 to support OPG recovery and further additional funding last year to support the replacement of the Office of the Public Guardian IT system.\r\nWork on the new OPG IT system, which is expected to reduce processing times for power of attorney applications, is progressing as planned and it is expected that the first phase of the work will be completed this year.\r\nThe Scottish Government typically meets OPG once every 3-6 months to discuss ongoing business matters, including registration of powers of attorney.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415945,"EventID":"S6W-25101","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:39.84","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T13:25:48.313","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it anticipates its Student Mental Health Action Plan will be published.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25100 on 27 February 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415946,"EventID":"S6W-25064","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:39.9","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T16:07:33.163","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the minutes of the meeting of the Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) Cross Sector Working Group on 11 October 2023, which hospital has RAAC present and also has some water ingress.","AnswerText":"The building referred to on 11 October 2023 Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) Cross Sector Working Group minutes was the Ward 1 Plant Room at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh.\r\nThe Plant room was surveyed on Friday 22 September 2023 . The surveying Engineer noted that there was no immediate concern of structural collapse and made recommendations. Immediate remedial action was taken to ensure the area was safe. There is no immediate risk to patients, staff, or visitors.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415947,"EventID":"S6W-24947","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:39.947","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T20:03:54.77","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which stakeholders it engaged with regarding Education Scotland's Inclusion, Wellbeing and Equalities Professional Learning framework. ","AnswerText":"I am advised that Education Scotland’s draft Professional Learning Framework has been an iterative process, developed as a result of formal and informal feedback from a wide range of practitioners and other users who have participated in Education Scotland’s professional learning. This includes direct work with Local Authorities, schools, teachers, Senior Managers in schools, and other stakeholders. Evaluations from these activities and discussions with users over a two-to-three-year period, has shaped our current offer.\r\nSome of the stakeholders involved in shaping the concept and content of the draft Framework are:ES Inclusion Link officers National Network. Almost all 32 local authority officers attended a presentation of the Professional Learning Framework and provided feedback.ASLO (Additional Support for Learning Link Officer) National Network, which been involved in commenting over the development phase of the framework. Almost all authorities are represented on this Network.Social Emotional and Behavioural Needs National Network representing 31 Education Authorities.Complex Needs National Network. 32 Local Authority representatives working with the most challenging children and young people, have provided feedback.Evidence from recent Collaborative Improvement Activity with Renfrewshire, North Lanarkshire, and Scottish Borders, helped to identify gaps in resources, and where a refresh of resources and/or focus was required in current materials.Cheryl Burnet National Parent Council.National Network comprising Children’s Parliament, Young Scott, UNICEF, Children in Scotland all of whom are part of a and helped us to identify strengths and gaps in resources.SG Programme boards in Inclusion, behaviour, anti-racism, gender, Hate Crime, and LGBTI.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415948,"EventID":"S6W-25084","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:39.993","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T10:14:30.493","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide assurance that organisations, including local authorities and third sector organisations, will be notified of funding decisions for 2024-25 before 1 April 2024, to allow them to plan for project delivery in transport and active travel.","AnswerText":"I would refer the member to the answer given by my colleague the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice to question S6W-23223 on 12 December on the issue of the timing of funding decisions, and reiterate that we have committed, as part of developing an approach to fairer funding for the third sector, to deliver improvements in grant-making arrangements, including providing greater clarity and consistency of practice.\r\nWe understand that organisations, including local authorities and third sector organisations, need timely grant decisions and payments in order to reduce financial uncertainty and effectively resource delivery. In line with the commitment given by the First Minister, we are working, within the context of the Scottish Budget process, to issue notifications of funding arrangements as soon as is practicably possible.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415949,"EventID":"S6W-25069","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:40.043","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T18:05:21.383","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work to investigate ways to determine the accurate cost of teaching delivery in college settings.","AnswerText":"It is the responsibility of individual colleges to assess teaching costs. In support, however, the Tripartite Alignment Group of Scottish Government, Scottish Funding Council and Colleges Scotland has been considering the development of a costing methodology for Scotland’s colleges, building on work initiated by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC). Given the vast range of provision delivered at and from Scottish colleges, it is highly complex to develop a methodology which is relevant and scalable. However, several colleges are currently piloting a benchmarking exercise. Colleges Scotland expects to report back to the Tripartite Alignment Group on the results of this pilot in the spring. Further information on the Tripartite Alignment Group can be found here:  https://www.gov.scot/groups/colleges-tripartitealignmentgroup/ ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415950,"EventID":"S6W-25134","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:40.09","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T15:24:40.503","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many Arctic (a) delegations and (b) events it plans to host in each of the next five years, as set out in its publication, Scotland's International Strategy: Delivering for Scotland. ","AnswerText":"Since the publication of Scotland’s Arctic policy framework in 2019, the Scottish Government has helped establish Scotland as a valuable contributor to, and host of, Arctic dialogue. Edinburgh will be hosting Arctic Science Summit Week in March 2024 and the Scottish Government will continue to engage with Arctic partners to secure future opportunities for collaboration to enable delivery of the framework.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415951,"EventID":"S6W-25093","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:40.137","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T12:51:50.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which stakeholders it plans to consult regarding any potential changes to the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010.","AnswerText":"My statement to Parliament on 18 January 2024 reiterated the Scottish Government’s commitment to ‘deed not breed’, and committed to work with key stakeholders and interested parties to look at any improvements that could be made to the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 to strengthen and enhance the approach to preventative measures in the medium term.\r\nThe Scottish Government will engage with a wide range of stakeholders with an interest including, but not limited to, local authorities, the National Dog Warden Association, the Dog Control Coalition, Dogs Trust, the Scottish SPCA, Scottish Community Safety Network, COSLA and Police Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415952,"EventID":"S6W-25125","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:40.197","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T15:24:40.503","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many formal agreements and partnerships it plans on making with key international stakeholders, and with which countries, as set out in its publication, Scotland's International Strategy: Delivering for Scotland.","AnswerText":"Our international work provides us with significant opportunities to collaborate with like-minded partners, to share best practice, to learn from others and to help the Scottish Government develop and deliver effective policy at home. We have built links with international partners to discuss domestic interventions to tackle a wide range of issues, including demographic challenges and the conservation of biodiversity. In June last year, for example, we signed a memorandum of understanding with the Flemish Government to strengthen cooperation in a wide range of policy areas to support future collaboration and exchange best practice.\r\nWe will continue to engage with a variety of international partners on a range of policy areas, building on relationships where we already have strong links, such as in Europe and our near neighbourhood.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415953,"EventID":"S6W-25088","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:40.26","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T10:15:46.01","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is pursuing a national integrated public transport timetable, alongside the work of the National Smart Ticketing Advisory Board.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is currently unable to develop a national integrated public transport timetable as it does not possess the powers to do so across all modes. \r\nThe majority of bus services in Scotland are commercially operated and the Scottish Government does not have control over their timetables. Where local authorities are subsidising a bus service, there are opportunities to influence the timetable for the parts of the service they are subsidising, however, this would depend on individual contracts. There are also opportunities to influence bus timetables through franchising and Bus Service Improvement Partnerships.\r\nWhere there are opportunities for Scottish Government influence, such as through contracted or managed ferry and rail services, we encourage development of integrated timetables where feasibly possible. An example of this is CalMac ferry timetables which includes details of connecting ScotRail services. We also encourage operators to engage with the public and stakeholders on proposed changes to timetables. For example, ScotRail launched a consultation in September 2023 on timetable options for the new Levenmouth Rail Link, and CalMac are required to consult twice-yearly with communities on changes to timetables.\r\nFinally, to support integrated journeys, new Digital Travel Data Services (DTDS) have been procured that will enhance the data systems that sit behind Traveline Scotland and other journey planner providers, so that passengers can be more informed about their journey options. The new services will provide accurate, up-to-date and extensive public transport and travel information, helping passengers stay more informed about their journey options and costs across modes and operators.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415954,"EventID":"S6W-25060","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:40.307","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T16:04:40.193","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the minutes of the meeting of the Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) Cross Sector Working Group on 11 October 2023, which four public bodies have confirmed that there is RAAC present in their buildings.","AnswerText":"The Public Bodies referenced in the minutes of 11 October in respect of the presence of RAAC were NHS Lanarkshire, the Scottish Police Authority, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and SportScotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415955,"EventID":"S6W-25074","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:40.37","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T18:08:22.12","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many colleges currently have trade union representatives on their boards.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government brought forward the Colleges of Further Education and Regional Strategic Bodies (Membership of Boards) (Scotland) Order 2023, which places a requirement for assigned college boards, regional college boards and both the Lanarkshire Board and the Glasgow Colleges’ Regional Board to have two Trade Union nominees, one from the lecturing staff unions and one from the support staff unions.\r\nThe Order came into effect on 31 January 2024 and trade unions are currently working through their election processes to nominate individuals to boards.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415956,"EventID":"S6W-25087","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:40.417","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T10:15:27.48","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much money has been allocated to delivering on each of the recommendations in the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2).","AnswerText":"STPR2 is a long-term vision of this government’s ambition for transport investment and highlights essential projects for the next two decades. Given that this is a 20-year programme, some elements will not commence immediately. The delivery of the STPR2 recommendations is subject to the funding allocations agreed by Parliament each year through the annual budget process.\r\nThe Scottish Government is facing a real terms cut in our capital budget. The flat and falling funding trajectory from the UK Government will and has significantly impacted our ability to deliver on our capital infrastructure commitments.\r\nThe UK Government have not inflation-proofed their Capital Budget which is forecast to result in 9.8% real terms cut in our capital funding over the medium term between 2023-24 and 2027-28.\r\nGiven the worsening outlook for capital, it will take more time to prepare the multi-year capital allocations and to refresh the infrastructure investment pipeline. We are therefore having to make tough decisions on our infrastructure projects pipeline to ensure we spend within our means while delivering for the people of Scotland.\r\nDevelopment of the STPR2 delivery plan is underway. This takes account of the current financial climate and is examining existing schemes across all modes in addition to the STPR2 recommendations.\r\nEstimated costs for each recommendation was considered during detailed appraisal stage of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review.\r\nThe appraisal reports can be accessed here:  Final technical report - December 2022 - STPR2 | Transport Scotland  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415957,"EventID":"S6W-25137","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:40.48","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T15:30:30.55","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has conducted an analysis to determine the number of properties that are off the gas grid that it anticipates will switch to a heat network.","AnswerText":"In April 2022, the Scottish Government published the First National Assessment of Potential Heat Network Zones which identified and characterised potential heat network opportunities across Scotland.\r\nThis independent analysis found that up to 340,000 homes and up to 74,000 non-domestic premises may be located in areas with the potential for future heat network developments. The analysis sets out a range of characteristics that these properties have, including whether they are in rural areas which are more likely to be off the gas grid.\r\nHowever, urban properties such as high-rise flats may also be off the gas grid. Due to this, and as the First National Assessment sought to identify potential areas for district heat networks operating at around 65°C, this analysis is likely to be an underestimate of the number of off-gas grid properties that may connect to a heat network in future.\r\nThe First National Assessment can be accessed at:  Potential heat network zones: first national assessment - gov.scot (www.gov.scot). \r\nThe Scottish Government is supporting local authorities to publish Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies, which will provide a clearer picture of heat network opportunities across Scotland, including identifying the main heating fuels currently being used within these areas and mapping them at a strategic level.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415958,"EventID":"S6W-24961","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:40.527","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T20:13:25.377","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of modern languages being classified as a priority for Initial Teacher Education (ITE) intakes, what analysis it has undertaken of its publication, Teacher Workforce Planning Advisory Group: initial teacher education intake figures 2022, showing that the actual intake of modern languages teachers in 2022 was 59, compared to the target of 138.","AnswerText":"The Teacher Workforce Planning Advisory Group figures are indicative and are provided by universities at the start of the academic session. The Higher Education Statistics Agency will publish official data for 2022-23 in April 2024. These will provide the most accurate figures on enrolments into modern language Initial Teacher Education programmes.\r\nThis data will help to inform the work of the Strategic Board for Teacher Education on improving recruitment to hard to fill subjects, such as modern languages.\r\nThe Scottish Government and Scottish Funding Council have also offered to work with universities to develop alternative routes into subjects which are classified as a priority subjects, including modern languages.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415959,"EventID":"S6W-25071","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:40.573","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T18:07:26.68","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to recognition and procedures agreements (RPAs) at colleges, whether it is the case that (a) New College Lanarkshire, (b) Newbattle Abbey College, (c) Argyle College UHI, (d) Borders College and (e) Ayrshire College does not have an RPA in place, and, if so, what its understanding is of the reason for this; whether any other college does not have an RPA in place, and what assessment it has undertaken of the reason for which any college does not have an RPA in place.","AnswerText":"The National Recognition and Procedures Agreement (NRPA) is an agreement between Further Education Colleges and trade unions.\r\nWhile issues around NRPAs are for colleges and trade unions to negotiate and resolve, the Scottish Government, through its Fair Work Agenda, is clear that workers must have effective voice and therefore, expects that they have access to trade union representation.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415960,"EventID":"S6W-25131","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:40.637","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T15:24:40.503","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to \"deepen our global collaborations and engagements\", as set out in its publication, Scotland's International Strategy: Delivering for Scotland.","AnswerText":"Our internationally focused work, both in Scotland and overseas, provides us with significant opportunities to collaborate and engage with like-minded partners, to share best practice, to learn from others and to help the Scottish Government develop and deliver effective policy at home. We will continue to build on our existing relationships through our network of offices in Europe, North America and China to seek a better understanding of common challenges and priorities across a variety of policy areas and to attract people to come to live, work, study, visit and do business in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415961,"EventID":"S6W-25102","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:40.683","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T13:25:58.61","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will allocate funding to support the implementation of its Student Mental Health Action Plan.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25100 on 27 February 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415962,"EventID":"S6W-25120","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:40.73","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T15:18:24.19","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-20115 by Jenni Minto on 15 August 2023, whether there are any reimbursement schemes available to any patients who are forced to pay for private dental treatment as a result of there being no local NHS provision.","AnswerText":"There are no reimbursement schemes available to patients who enter into a private arrangement with a dentist for treatment, and the Scottish Government has no locus for intervention.\r\nNHS dental services will continue to be available to patients, and some patients may wish to travel outwith their local area to access NHS dental services. Patients who are not registered with a dentist are able to access emergency and urgent dental care through their local Board’s Public Dental Service clinic.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415963,"EventID":"S6W-24950","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:40.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T20:04:10.827","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to publish its paper on developing a Curriculum for Excellence review cycle. ","AnswerText":"The initiation of a systematic curriculum improvement cycle announced on 12 December 2023, stems from the OECD 2021 report “Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence: Into the Future” and its specific recommendation for Scotland to \"develop a systematic approach to curriculum review” which was accepted by Scottish Government.\r\nPrior to the announcement in December, the Curriculum and Assessment Board, which includes a range of stakeholders including the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland, the Educational Institute of Scotland, leading academics, and the Scottish Qualifications Authority, had already considered and offered views on a range of papers in relation to taking forward a systematic curriculum review cycle in Scotland.\r\nThe minutes of Curriculum and Assessment Board meetings are available at:  https://www.gov.scot/groups/curriculum-and-assessment-board/ ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415964,"EventID":"S6W-24935","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:40.87","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T15:13:49.16","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23748 by Siobhian Brown on 20 December 2023, to which religion the \"religious grounds\" referred to are relevant, and how many couples it estimates this encompasses. ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-23651 on 7 December 2023 as advised in the answer, the Scottish Government understands that the rule that a marriage is voidable by reason of permanent and incurable impotency is little used.\r\nThe available civil justice statistics indicate that between 2012-13 and 2021-22, five court actions were raised seeking a declarator of nullity of marriage and the courts disposed of six actions in the same period. These figures will include actions raised on the basis that the marriage was void (of no effect) from the outset, for example because one of the parties was incapable of consenting to marriage, as well as any such actions raised on the ground of impotency.\r\nThe answer to S6W-23651 also referred the member to the then Scottish Executive’s 2000 White Paper  Parents and Children  . On the issue of whether to abolish the rule, paragraph 10.9 states “a majority of the few respondents to Improving Scottish Family Law that focussed on this issue (7 out of 11) suggested that the existing situation should be maintained. In one response, it was pointed out that impotency is recognised as a ground for declaration of nullity by the Roman Catholic Marriage Tribunals and that the concept of a voidable marriage on this ground in civil law would provide a solution to couples who would otherwise be required to seek divorce, against their religious beliefs.”\r\nIf a change was in contemplation, we would need to consult carefully with a broad range of potentially interested religious and other bodies. However, as my response to S6W-23748 advised, we have no plans to consult in this area.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415965,"EventID":"S6W-25135","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:40.917","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T15:24:40.503","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government (a) where and (b) when it expects to hold an international food summit to promote Scotland’s food and drink sector, as set out in its publication, Scotland's International Strategy: Delivering for Scotland.","AnswerText":"As set out in this year’s Programme for Government and Scotland’s International Strategy, the Scottish Government intends to host an international food summit including a focus on promoting the sector and overall food security. Further detail will be announced in due course.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415966,"EventID":"S6W-25095","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:40.963","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T12:51:50.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will follow the same conformation standard for XL Bully-type dogs as that set out for England and Wales.","AnswerText":"Yes, the definition used for an XL Bully dog will be the same as the UK Government set out for England and Wales.\r\nHelpful and practical support and guidance has been published on the Scottish Government website to ensure owners are made aware of how to comply with the new safeguards on XL Bully dogs, with further information to be published in the coming period:  https://www.gov.scot/publications/xl-bully-dog-rules/  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415967,"EventID":"S6W-25098","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:41.01","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T12:53:29.607","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it next plans to meet the British Veterinary Association to discuss its decision to replicate regulations introduced in England and Wales in relation to XL Bully-type dogs.","AnswerText":"The British Veterinary Association are members of the Dog Control Coalition. I last met with the Dog Control Coalition to 8 February 2024 to discuss the new safeguards in relation to XL Bully dogs, and I committed to further regular engagement with the Dog Control Coalition going forward.\r\nMy officials also meet with the Dog Control Coalition on a regular basis.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415968,"EventID":"S6W-25132","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:41.057","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T15:24:40.503","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government with which countries it hopes to enter into memoranda of understanding, and on what date, as set out in its publication, Scotland's International Strategy: Delivering for Scotland.","AnswerText":"Non-binding international agreements such as memoranda of understanding help support international collaboration between Scotland and our international partners across a range of policy areas. Sharing best practice with like-minded partners helps ensure that we develop and deliver effective policy at home. Details of active agreements with national and sub-national partners such as Ireland and Flanders can be found on the Scottish Government’s website. Any future agreements will be in line with the themes and objectives of our new international Strategy.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415969,"EventID":"S6W-24931","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:41.09","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T11:50:57.727","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update on the (a) status of and (b) progress in implementing the Rail Fares and Ticketing Strategy, as outlined in section 11 of the 2022 Framework Agreement between Transport Scotland and Scottish Rail Holdings Limited.","AnswerText":"Since 2022, ScotRail has been committed to developing a robust evidence base on which to inform future plans and investment on fares and ticketing. This has included obtaining customer insight to identify opportunities, testing and learning to encourage more customers to rail through short-term promotions, and a ticketing/retail review assessing a range of retail channels and ticketing options.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415970,"EventID":"S6W-24939","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:41.15","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T16:19:04.367","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much Serco NorthLink Ferries received from the (a) final annual subsidy and (b) annual revenue from passengers in relation to the provision of the Northern Isles Ferry Services contract in (i) 2021, (ii) 2022 and (iii) 2023.","AnswerText":"The grant subsidy paid to the operator is paid by contract years (July till the following June) and represents the difference between the costs of operating the service and the income generated.\r\nThis information is collated and published each year on the Transport Scotland website but in contract year form from 2011.\r\nThe annual subsidy figures published to date covering the periods in question can be found in the latest published report at  Scottish Transport Statistics 2022 | Transport Scotland  under chapter 9 table 9.14a , referencing the notes as advised.\r\nThis information is published in March of the following year to the report in question.\r\nThe annual subsidy for 2020-2021 was £34,174k. The total revenue for contract year 2020-2021 was £29,128k. We are unable to provide a breakdown of the financial components of the contract revenue as this information is commercially confidential.\r\nThe annual subsidy for 2021-2022 was £38,851k. The total revenue for contract year 2021-2022 was £39,328k. We are unable to provide a breakdown of the financial components of the contract revenue as this information is commercially confidential.\r\nThe annual subsidy for 2022-2023 was £47,109k. The total revenue for contract year 2022-2023 was £43,625k these will be the figures used in the Scottish Transport Statistics 2023 report when published this year. We are unable to provide a breakdown of the financial components of the contract revenue as this information is commercially confidential.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415971,"EventID":"S6W-24930","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:41.183","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T11:50:57.727","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to bring forward a tendering process for the provision of digital rail ticket issuing services in Scotland. ","AnswerText":"Provision of digital rail ticket issuing services is an operational matter for ScotRail. ScotRail advises that mobile tickets are available for advance, single and return tickets, and progress is being made to make more tickets available digitally. \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415972,"EventID":"S6W-25138","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:41.23","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T15:30:30.55","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding properties that cannot reasonably be retrofitted to allow for a heat pump to work efficiently, what decarbonised options will be available to (a) such properties in general and (b) the estimated 40,000 of the 170,000 off-grid homes in Scotland that are not suitable for a heat pump.","AnswerText":"Our Heat in Buildings Strategy recognises that different buildings will require different clean heat solutions and that some properties may have fewer technology options available as a result of location and property type, impact on the fabric of historic buildings and electricity grid capacity. As such, our live consultation on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill takes a technology-neutral approach. Alongside air and ground source heat pumps, we foresee heat networks and direct electric heating systems playing a role in the clean heat transition.\r\nOur proposals also recognise that as a renewable, and potentially net zero energy source, bioenergy may represent the best option to help decarbonise some homes for which clean heating systems are not suitable. We also want to ensure that owners who have taken the proactive step of installing renewable bioenergy systems are fairly treated. This is why, in addition to permitting extra time for those currently using bioenergy to meet the clean heat element of the Standard, we are seeking views on whether a more flexible approach to the use of bioenergy under future regulations is needed. We would need to balance this flexibility with the need to protect and ensure the supply of bioenergy in other sectors of the economy that also rely on bioenergy to remove emissions.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415973,"EventID":"S6W-25124","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:41.277","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T15:24:40.503","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides for Scottish cultural organisations seeking to tour across the UK.","AnswerText":"Creative Scotland provides funding to the Four Nations International Fund which fosters greater collaboration between cultural practitioners and/or organisations in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales together with international partners based in Europe and beyond.\r\nThe fund has a combined budget of £320,000 with co-investment from Arts Council England, Arts Council Northern Ireland, and Arts Council Wales / Wales Arts International.\r\nFurther information on the Four Nations International Fund can be found on.  Four Nations International Fund | Creative Scotland ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415974,"EventID":"S6W-24933","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:41.353","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T11:50:57.727","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there has been an increase in funding for ScotRail since it was brought into public ownership. ","AnswerText":"ScotRail Trains has seen significant recovery in demand and positive growth in revenue during the transition from the pandemic during which it took over the operation of services.\r\nThe level of funding paid to ScotRail has therefore seen some reduction as a result of the on-going positive growth and recovery from the pandemic, although additional funding has been specifically provided to support the pilot removal of peak fares.\r\nMore widely, the Scottish Government’s total funding for Scotland’s railway system continues to increase and will be around £1.6bn in 2024/25.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415975,"EventID":"S6W-25119","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:41.4","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T14:45:20.12","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government on what date in 2024 it expects to publish its International Education Strategy.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government's International Education Strategy was published on 7 February 2024.\r\nScotland's International Education Strategy - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415976,"EventID":"S6W-25133","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:41.447","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T15:24:40.503","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to \"further grow direct air routes from US and Canadian cities\", as set out in its publication, Scotland's International Strategy: Delivering for Scotland.","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland, in partnership with VisitScotland and Scottish Development International, works to help Scotland’s airports secure new routes that are essential for inbound tourism, business connectivity and the economy as a whole. This includes work to grow our international connectivity to the US and Canada given the importance of these links for business, exports and tourism.\r\nIn 2023 we helped secure new services to Atlanta with Delta Air Lines, and to Calgary with WestJet. Further developments in 2024 will see JetBlue serve Scotland for the first time with their service to New York JFK, and WestJet resume their services to Toronto and Halifax. We continue to work with these airlines to help make these routes a success.\r\nWe also have regular engagement with airlines to discuss future opportunities to further develop our connectivity to North America. These discussions are commercially sensitive and I am unable to share specific details.\r\nConnectivity to Scotland is also part of the North America joint business planning of the Scottish Government offices in Washington DC and Ottawa, and they support the work of Transport Scotland on the development of both existing routes and new connectivity through their in-country activities.\r\nFurthermore, the Scottish Government is supportive of Edinburgh Airport in its ambition to establish preclearance for outbound flights to the US. Preclearance would help to ensure the ongoing success of established US routes and encourage the development of new ones.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415977,"EventID":"S6W-25085","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:41.493","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T10:14:51.913","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the cost of delivery of recommendation 22 of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2), and what the timescale is for delivery.","AnswerText":"It is anticipated that a modest budget would be required to support the initial development of a nationally-led mobility hubs framework.\r\nThrough best practice review and engagement with transport operators, service providers and local authorities across the country, this framework would provide guidance around delivery models for mobility hubs and the toolkit necessary to support the identification of appropriate locations, including the range of travel options suitable for different site types.\r\nFurther details on this topic can be found here:  https://www.transport.gov.scot/media/52526/recommendation-22-framework-for-delivery-of-mobility-hubs.pdf\r\nSTPR2 will inform the Scottish Government’s transport investment programme in Scotland over the next 20 years. The timescale for the delivery of recommendation 22 has not yet been set. However, once this work commences, it is understood to take around 2 years to complete.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415978,"EventID":"S6W-24960","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:41.543","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T20:12:47.92","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many children are currently supported by the Active Play Development Project.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the important role Active Play has in providing children with the opportunity to develop physical skills in their early years and to encourage a long-term relationship with physical activity. The Active Play Development Project continues to have a positive impact for children, with the delivery of high quality Active Play experiences and resources across three local authority areas Glasgow, Highland and North Ayrshire.\r\nEnjoyment in Active Play has been one of the biggest drivers for children’s participation, because of this fun and inclusive approach, children are more motivated and confident to be physically active. There are currently 1213 children directly participating in the programme in a range of settings and the reach continues to grow as learning from year one of the project is built upon.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415979,"EventID":"S6W-25128","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:41.603","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T15:24:40.503","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what new funding will be available to enable the \"facilitation of partnerships between cultural organisations, institutions and museums\", as set out in its publication, Scotland's International Strategy: Delivering for Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is investing at least £100m more annually in culture and the arts by the financial year 2028-29. Through this increased investment we want to drive up opportunities for participation in creative pursuits, support the production of new works, and ensure that Scotland’s cultural output has platforms at home and abroad.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415980,"EventID":"S6W-25129","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:41.667","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T15:24:40.503","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to \"seek out innovative ways to showcase Scotland’s culture sector\", as set out in its publication, Scotland's International Strategy: Delivering for Scotland.","AnswerText":"We are committed to publishing an International Culture Strategy in March 2024. This will set out a number of actions to support the international objectives and ambitions of Scotland’s culture sector.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415981,"EventID":"S6W-24959","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:41.73","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T20:12:39.833","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many children currently have free access to sportscotland's Active Schools programme.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government have committed to ensure that sportscotland’s Active Schools programme is free for all children and young people by the end of this Parliament. While there are still a small number of cases where charging remains, it is not currently possible to determine how many children this applies to.\r\nThe Active Schools Network consists of over 400 Active Schools managers and coordinators working with schools. This means that every state school in Scotland is supported by an Active Schools coordinator dedicated to developing and supporting the delivery of quality sporting opportunities for children and young people.\r\nData published by sportscotland in 2023 shows significantly increased participation levels across the past academic year (2022-23), with over 4.6 million visits (a rise of 34% on 2021-22) made to almost 247,000 Active Schools sessions. The number of Active Schools participants (over 269,000 children and young people), deliverers (over 17,900 with 90% of those being volunteers), and school/club links (over 2,500) also increased from the previous academic year as the recovery from the pandemic continued.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415982,"EventID":"S6W-25122","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:41.76","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T15:24:40.503","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it will provide to support Scotland’s major tech conferences to make them more international, as set out in its publication, Scotland's International Strategy: Delivering for Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government and its enterprise agencies understand the strategic importance of Scotland’s tech conferences in attracting talents and showcasing Scottish companies to international investors and markets. That is why we have invested almost £600k in recent years to support their continued growth and internationalisation.\r\nConferences will remain an important focus in 2024-25 and we are particularly keen to form new partnerships with industry to grow the quality and scale of Scotland’s offer.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415983,"EventID":"S6W-25139","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:41.823","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T15:30:30.55","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its consultation on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill, for what reason it decided to define a \"clean heating system\" as one that produces zero direct emissions, as opposed to a system that can deliver net zero emissions, such as BioLPG- and rDME-powered boilers.","AnswerText":"The purpose of our proposals, as set out in our consultation for a Heat in Buildings Bill, is to regulate greenhouse gas emissions associated with heating buildings. We focus on direct emissions to ensure responsibility for eliminating emissions is allocated to those with the ability to act (at the point of use). This approach would place a duty on the building owner to meet the Heat in Buildings Standard.\r\nHowever in the consultation, we recognise that as a renewable, and potentially net zero, energy source bioenergy may represent the best option to help decarbonise some homes for which clean heating systems are not suitable. We also want to ensure that owners who have taken the proactive step of installing renewable bioenergy systems are fairly treated. This is why, in addition to permitting extra time for those currently using bioenergy to meet the clean heat element of the Standard, we are seeking views on whether a more flexible approach to the use of bioenergy under future regulations is needed. We would need to balance this flexibility with the need to protect and ensure the supply of bioenergy in other sectors of the economy that also rely on bioenergy to remove emissions.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415984,"EventID":"S6W-25136","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:41.87","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T15:27:37.627","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish its methodology for its estimate that around 40,000 of the 170,000 off-grid homes in Scotland are not suitable for a heat pump.","AnswerText":"In 2020 we commissioned Element Energy to assess the technical feasibility of Scotland's housing stock for low carbon heating. It produced a comprehensive set of housing archetypes considering characteristics such as property type, size, age, levels of insulation and existing heating fuel. The methodology used is set out in the final report, available here:  Technical Feasibility of Low Carbon Heating in Domestic Buildings : Report for Scottish Government’s Directorate for Energy & Climate Change (www.gov.scot)  . This assessment was made for two time periods: 2017 (assuming current housing characteristics) and 2040 (assuming properties undergo energy efficiency upgrades to achieve the equivalent of EPC C).\r\nThe underlying data was published in 2023 and is available here:  Low carbon heating in domestic buildings – technical feasibility: archetype appendix - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  . These data show that there are around 170,000 off-gas grid properties using high emissions fuels, of which around 40,000 are not suitable for low temperature air-source heat pumps in the 2040 scenario. The technical suitability was assessed using the criteria summarised in the publication. Note that all modelling is subject to uncertainty, particularly future projections. This includes, for example, potential improvements in heat pump technology.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415985,"EventID":"S6W-25067","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:41.917","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T17:29:58.763","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent consideration it has given to funding a new health centre in Banchory.","AnswerText":"As set out in the draft Scottish Government budget, the capital funding position is extremely challenging due to the UK Government’s decision to cut our capital budget by nearly 10%.\r\nThe capital budget settlement allows for Health Boards’ delegated capital budgets to be maintained at 23-24 levels, for all major projects in construction to be completed and for continued support for the national replacement programmes for ambulances and radiotherapy equipment. Given the current uncertainty regarding availability of funding, regrettably, we have advised boards to pause any new capital projects until capital funding becomes more certain.\r\nOur Infrastructure Investment Plan identified priority health capital projects for funding within that period. As a result of UK Government cuts, we will bring forward a revised Infrastructure Investment Plan in the spring. All due consideration will be given to what projects can be included to ensure the revised Plan is affordable and deliverable.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415986,"EventID":"S6W-25099","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:41.947","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T12:53:29.607","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of capacity in the rescue sector to accommodate any increase in XL Bully-type dogs given up by owners who cannot meet the conditions of the restrictions.","AnswerText":"Following the recent Scottish Government announcement on XL Bully dog safeguards, Scottish Government officials are continuing to engage regularly with various stakeholders about the impact of the new safeguards on XL Bully dogs on kennels and re-homing centres.\r\nThese stakeholder engagements provide an opportunity to regularly assess any emerging issues on rescue centre capacity.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415987,"EventID":"S6W-25105","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:41.993","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T14:09:06.1","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to ensure that the Office of the Public Guardian is sufficiently supported to perform its public duties.","AnswerText":"In recognition of the ongoing pressures on the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, including the Office of the Public Guardian, additional funding for SCTS in 2024-25 was prioritised. The 2024-25 budget provides an additional £9.7 million resource and £3.9 million additional capital budget . As a non-Ministerial public body, d ecisions on the allocation of these additional resources are for the judicially-led SCTS Board.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415988,"EventID":"S6W-25106","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:42.043","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T14:09:27.653","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to minimise waste across NHS Scotland, including to encourage the return of used crutches, wheelchairs and walking frames.","AnswerText":"The NHS Scotland Climate Emergency and Sustainability Strategy 2022-2026 contains a number of actions linked to resource use, including management and reduction of waste, in line with Scottish Targets. Walking aids are included within this, and a number of Boards have trialled and put systems in place to take-back, test and re-use items subject to warranty and liability.\r\nScottish Government’s guidance on the provision of equipment and adaptations states “partnerships and their equipment and adaptation service providers should ensure they maximise the potential benefits from recycling of all equipment”. In line with this guidance, we are currently engaging with Health Boards to gather a national picture of what action is being taken on this matter, and to ensure the timely provision of equipment to support people to live safely within their own home and community.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415989,"EventID":"S6W-25097","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:42.073","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T12:53:29.607","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many personnel trained to handle XL Bully-type dogs Police Scotland currently has available, and what additional resources are being made available to train more, in light of the decision announced on 18 January 2024 to introduce new regulations.","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for Police Scotland. Police Scotland has advised that all Police Scotland Dog Handlers receive training in dangerous dogs as part of their initial training course. There are currently 74 Handlers/Instructors across Police Scotland.\r\nArmed Policing are also trained in how to deal with dangerous dogs.\r\nIt is a matter for Police Scotland to consider the enforcement of the new safeguards in relation to XL Bully dogs and any operational issues that arise.\r\nThe Scottish Government is committed to ongoing engagement with Police Scotland as we move through the two-stage process for the new safeguards in relation to XL Bully dogs, in order to consider any issues, concerns, or barriers to effective implementation.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415990,"EventID":"S6W-24740","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:42.12","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-22T11:50:26.453","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any concerns regarding the reported reduction in the number of specialist palliative care beds at hospices, in light of the situation at Kilbryde Hospice.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is aware of the temporary reduction in beds at Kilbryde Hospice.\r\nSouth Lanarkshire Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) has been clear that the temporary reduction of beds is due to clinical and operational reasons associated with current staffing challenges and are undertaking work to address this.\r\nIt is the responsibility of Integration Joint Boards to plan and commission adult palliative and end of life care services for their areas using the integrated budgets under their control, including workforce planning and allocating resources for staffing.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415991,"EventID":"S6W-25091","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:42.167","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T12:36:59.023","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what additional requirements exist for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in relation to the monitoring of large battery storage units.","AnswerText":"There is no additional statutory requirement on the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) to monitor large battery storage unit sites.\r\nSFRS continually review and develop their operational response to any new and emerging technology to keep communities safe. SFRS is committed to work in collaboration with key partners to ensure the highest level of preparedness for potential incidents involving lithium-ion batteries or similar storage facilities.\r\nIn the event of incidents involving these facilities, SFRS have the ability to deploy a range of resources that can be utilised by the highly skilled crews to successfully bring the incidents to a safe conclusion.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415992,"EventID":"S6W-24934","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:42.197","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T11:50:57.727","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that all rail users have access to ticket purchasing services prior to travel. ","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for ScotRail. The member may wish to contact ScotRail for this information.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415993,"EventID":"S6W-25094","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:42.26","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T12:51:50.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24479 by Siobhian Brown on 24 January 2024, what steps it will take to provide a more accurate estimate of the number of XL Bully-type dogs in Scotland.","AnswerText":"As I stated in response to question S6W-24479, there is a significant degree of uncertainty across the UK as to the size of the population of XL Bully dogs. It is clear from the number of applications received from XL Bully owners in England and Wales seeking exemption for their dogs that the initial estimate of 10,000 dogs was a significant underestimate.\r\nVarious estimates from other bodies on the possible number of XL Bully dogs in England and Wales have ranged from 50,000 to 150,000. If there were 50,000 XL Bully dogs in England and Wales, this may suggest an estimated population of 5,000 XL Bully dogs in Scotland. However this figure carries a considerable degree of uncertainty.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415994,"EventID":"S6W-25086","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:42.293","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T10:15:10.063","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors participation in cycling and active travel.","AnswerText":"The majority of data against which we measure our national-level Active Travel Framework Indicators comes from the questions on transport and travel asked in the Scottish Household Survey (SHS), an annual, cross-sectional national survey looking at the composition, characteristics, attitudes and behaviour of private households. The survey includes a range of questions related to transport and travel. It also includes the travel diary, in which respondents provide detailed information on all the journeys they made the previous day.\r\nAt city-level, the Walking and Cycling Index (WACI) compiled every two years combines local walking and cycling data, modelling, and an independent representative survey of at least 1,100 respondents aged 16 and above in each place.\r\nCovering cycling specifically, the Cycling Open Data (COD) portal combines cycling statistics from the Scottish Household Survey, Sustrans, Living Streets Scotland and Transport Scotland, with a National Monitoring Framework of real-time automatic cycle counter data and traffic survey data from across Scotland, alongside Cycling Scotland programme data from Bikeability Scotland, the Big Count, YouGov Surveys, and the Cycling Friendly awards.\r\nCovering travel to schools specifically, the Hands Up Scotland Survey (HUSS) is a joint annual survey across all 32 Scottish local authorities asking pupils ‘How do you normally travel to school?’.\r\nAll of the above is supplemented by programme level data monitoring and evaluation carried out as a condition of grant by Transport Scotland Active Travel Delivery Partners (ATDPs).","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415995,"EventID":"S6W-25100","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:42.357","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T13:25:39.227","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its Student Mental Health Action Plan.","AnswerText":"Throughout February 2024 the Scottish Government is undertaking consultation events with members of the Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Working Group on the draft Student Mental Health Action Plan. Following this, and the completion of attendant Impact Assessments, the Scottish Government will publish the Student Mental Health Action Plan .\r\nThe draft Plan sets out our expectations for institutions on supporting student mental health and wellbeing and how the Scottish Government will work with them and the wider public sector to give effect to those. It recognises the critical importance of early intervention and prevention and ensuring effective access to a diverse range of community-based clinical and non-clinical services. It outlines the significant levels of Scottish Government investment in mental health and wellbeing support which students can access. It makes clear the importance of providing timely clinical acute care for those who require it and how we will work with NHS Boards and institutions in this area.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415996,"EventID":"S6W-25140","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:42.417","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T15:30:30.55","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has undertaken an analysis of the total (scope 1, 2 and 3) carbon cost of replacing fossil fuel boilers in Scotland with air source heat pumps and heat networks.","AnswerText":"We monitor the operational carbon caused both directly and indirectly by the polluting heating systems used in the majority of Scotland’s buildings via the Scottish Greenhouse Gas Statistics (  Scottish Greenhouse Gas Statistics 2021 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  , which provides statistics on the level of emissions by source. Estimates of Scotland’s consumption emissions (broadly analogous to upstream scope 3 emissions) are published in Scotland’s Carbon Footprint (  Scotland’s Carbon Footprint 1998 – 2019 – gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  . However, it is not possible to isolate heating systems from other similar products using this dataset.\r\nWe are continuing to investigate how we can improve whole life emissions reporting in Scotland’s buildings.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415997,"EventID":"S6W-25090","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:42.48","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T11:30:08.71","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will be establishing an independent public inquiry into the reported overspend in relation to Ferguson Marine.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government’s current focus is on our previously stated objectives to complete the vessels for our island communities, to support the workforce of Ferguson Marine and to ensure a sustainable future for the shipyard.\r\nThe spend on the vessels is subject to oversight by the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee and scrutiny by Audit Scotland. This will continue.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415998,"EventID":"S6W-25127","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:42.527","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T15:24:40.503","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its \"new evidence-led International Communications Framework\", as set out in its publication, Scotland's International Strategy: Delivering for Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government will publish the International Communications Framework before the summer recess.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":415999,"EventID":"S6W-25092","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:42.56","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T12:51:50.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Police Scotland regarding the capacity of divisional forces to meet the enforcement requirements for the restrictions placed on XL Bully-type dogs.","AnswerText":"The Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs and I have both held discussions with Police Scotland this year to discuss implementation of the new safeguards on XL Bully dogs. Further Ministerial engagement is planned. Scottish Government officials are also engaging with Police Scotland Local Policing Programme and local authorities on the issue of XL Bully dogs.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416000,"EventID":"S6W-24951","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:42.62","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T20:04:16.173","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of reported claims that there is inequality in the support offered by Education Scotland on the curriculum. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is unaware of any such claims.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416001,"EventID":"S6W-25077","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:42.653","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T18:08:54.427","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to undertake an evaluation of the inclusion of trade union representatives on college boards.","AnswerText":"The Good Governance Steering Group has had oversight of the implementation of the addition of trade union nominees to college boards.\r\nThe Good Governance Steering Group is monitoring the progress of trade union nominations and the Scottish Government expects the Group to continue to keep abreast of good governance in the college sector and to inform the Scottish Government of governance issues.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416002,"EventID":"S6W-24892","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:42.7","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-26T12:58:37.627","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-23867 and S6W-23868 by Joe FitzPatrick on 11 January 2024, whether it can provide an update on the work of the Fair Work Working Group in relation to New Year's Day trading.","AnswerText":"The Fair Work Working Group (FWWG) continues to explore ways to promote all aspects of fair work across the sector, finding common ground on good fair work practices which will be both meaningful and impactful and will encourage retail businesses to demonstrate their commitment to the Fair Work principles.\r\nNew Year's Day trading can be discussed and non-legislative routes explored in relation to the approach on fair work if the FWWG members choose to do so as part of their regular discussions and as they continue to collaborate on the fair work action with the trade unions and industry stakeholders through the Retail Industry Leadership Group.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416003,"EventID":"S6W-25070","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:42.75","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T18:06:31.463","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce a quality indicator for staff health and wellbeing in the updated school inspections guidance.","AnswerText":"In school inspections, HM Inspectors evaluate and report on the quality of education being provided. HM Inspectors use quality indicators from 'How good is our school? (4th edition).' This framework focuses on evaluating the quality of education provision for learners which is a key responsibility of HM Inspectors. There are currently no plans for HM Chief Inspector to issue additional guidance in relation to staff health and wellbeing.\r\nThe health and wellbeing of staff is primarily the responsibility of the employer. For most schools in Scotland this means local authorities are responsible for ensuring arrangements are in place to support staff health and wellbeing.\r\nIn carrying out inspections, HM Inspectors are mindful that inspection can be an unfamiliar experience for school staff. HM Inspectors work together with the school to minimise disruption and unnecessary bureaucracy. HM Inspectors provide a headteacher's briefing note to schools being inspected to ensure they know what to expect, and what papers or examples of work the inspection team will want to see. They aim to carry out inspections in a way that seeks to minimise burden on staff and keep paperwork required to a minimum. Inspectors are happy to observe what teachers would be doing on an ordinary day without any special changes for an inspection.\r\nHM Inspectors take care to ensure that they operate in line with best practice principles, known as the PRAISE framework. This framework outlines expectations regarding conduct and behaviour of HM Inspectors when engaging with staff in a school or setting.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416004,"EventID":"S6W-25103","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:42.797","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T13:39:50.94","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24004 by Jenny Gilruth on 8 January 2024, regarding the agreement to meet with senior education officers of North Lanarkshire Council, in relation to the consultation involving both Condorrat and Baird Memorial primary schools, \"in the new year\", whether this meeting has taken place.","AnswerText":"Officials from the Scottish Government met with North Lanarkshire Council on 25 January 2024 to discuss matters relating to the consultation involving Condorrat and Baird Memorial primary schools. Although the consultation has concluded and these matters are being considered by the Council, including input from statutory consultees, the Scottish Government is aware that final decisions have not yet been taken by the Council and a further meeting will be arranged at an appropriate time.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416005,"EventID":"S6W-25082","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:42.853","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T08:59:08.807","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23447 by Elena Whitham on 11 December 2023, when it expects that data for the number of Recorded Police Warnings issued in 2022-23 will be available.","AnswerText":"Data on Recorded Police Warnings are published as part of the Criminal Proceedings in Scotland national statistics. The next bulletin, covering the 2022-23 financial year, is expected in late Summer 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416006,"EventID":"S6W-24932","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-01T16:13:42.887","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T11:50:57.727","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the digital rail ticket issuing services that are provided to ScotRail by Trainline Plc. ","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for ScotRail.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416036,"EventID":"S6W-25171","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:42.463","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T18:13:25.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will extend the 100% non-domestic rates relief for eligible day nurseries beyond June 2023.","AnswerText":"On 6 October 2022, the Scottish Government committed to extending the Day Nursery Rates Relief. The Non-Domestic Rates (Levying and Miscellaneous Amendment) (Scotland) Regulations 2023 which came into force on 1 April 2023 removed the end date for this relief.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416037,"EventID":"S6W-25147","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:42.573","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T15:45:35.847","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of what core curriculum charges remain in schools.","AnswerText":"Since 2021 the Scottish Government has provided funding to local authorities for the removal of core curriculum charges for all primary and secondary pupils, with £8 million being provided for 2023-24 and another £8 million outlined in the Scottish Budget 2024-25, published on 19 December 2024. This funding aims to remove limitations on participation in the core curriculum by pupils whose families are not able to meet such costs.\r\nThe scope of this funding covers class based activity within the 8 core curriculum areas in the broad general education phase and activities associated with preparation for SQA qualifications in senior phase. For example, this includes (but is not limited to) art and technology materials, and ingredients for home economics. Schools may still choose to charge for costs which are not core curriculum, for example the cost of after school clubs.\r\nResponsibility for implementing the removal of charges for core curriculum rests with individual local authorities.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416038,"EventID":"S6W-25162","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:42.637","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T15:49:14.047","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the expansion of a virtual school headteacher network.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to provide £100,000 annual funding to enable CELCIS to support the facilitation of a Virtual Head Teacher network. There are currently 18 virtual head teachers (or equivalent) who are members of the network with a standing offer of support to other local authorities who are considering implementing the role. The network has recently been expanded to include two Attainment Advisers from Education Scotland to offer additional support to the network and virtual head teachers.\r\nFunding is provided to CELCIS for them to facilitate, support and manage a network of Virtual Head Teachers. This includes undertaking research and evaluation around the development of the role in Scotland and how it can help improve the lives and education outcomes of care experienced young people. Decisions around the introduction of the role remain with each individual local authority.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416039,"EventID":"S6W-25203","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:42.73","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T12:02:46.477","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met any GP professional bodies to discuss the recruitment and retention of GPs in rural areas.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has regular meetings on a wide range of issues related to General Practitioners (GPs) with the British Medical (BMA) Association and the Scottish Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP Scotland) as representative bodies of GPs.\r\nIn June 2023 the Scottish Government convened a working group of key stakeholders including the BMA, RCGP and the Rural General Practitioner Association of Scotland, to make recommendations to improve the retention of GPs in all regions of Scotland, including rural areas. An implementation plan based on these recommendations will be published in Spring this year.\r\nThe Scottish Government is also a standing member of the RCGP (Scotland) Recruitment and Retention Advisory Group which meets regularly. In addition, the National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care launched in October 2023 and is designed to improve primary care and community services and support the improvement and retention of a more highly skilled rural health workforce. ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416040,"EventID":"S6W-25182","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16205,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:42.777","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T08:56:46.747","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when each of Scotland’s NHS boards last performed an elective vasectomy surgery.","AnswerText":"This information is not collected centrally by Scottish Government, Health boards would have to be contacted to obtain the latest dates of surgeries carried out.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416041,"EventID":"S6W-25148","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:42.887","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T15:45:55.317","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which core curriculum charges in schools it has removed since September 2023.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25147 on 21 February 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416042,"EventID":"S6W-25156","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:42.95","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T15:47:51.79","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of its learning for sustainability action plan.","AnswerText":"The refreshed Learning for Sustainability (LfS) Action Plan was published in June 2023 with wide stakeholder support, and sets out a new vision for every 3-18 place of education in Scotland to become a Sustainable Learning Setting by 2030. The plan contains 25 strategic actions to support achievement of ‘Target 2030’ and implementation is underway.\r\nEarly delivery priorities have focused on, for example: development of an LfS “portal” to provide practical online resources for educators (the portal will go “live” in 2024); creation of a Mentor Network to support teachers in embedding LfS in curriculum design; and the launch of a national Call to Action on 6 December to encourage an increasing number of schools and other partners to engage in LfS activities.\r\nThe Learning for Sustainability Leadership Group – which meets quarterly – is overseeing delivery. Amongst others, members of the group include Education Scotland, Nature Scot, the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland, and Learning for Sustainability Scotland. Key priorities in 2024 will include the development of LfS Indicators to measure success and progress.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416043,"EventID":"S6W-25187","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:43.01","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T10:12:45.523","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, since the introduction of annual health checks for adults with a learning disability in May 2022, how many adults had received such a health check by 31 March 2023.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25185 on12 February 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":416044,"EventID":"S6W-25075","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:43.073","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T18:08:30.97","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its commitment to encourage employers and trade unions to work together on all aspects of industrial relations in the college sector, what information it holds on whether any meetings have taken place between College Employers Scotland and trade unions to take forward the recommendations set out in the 2022 report, Lessons Learned – resetting national collective bargaining in the colleges sector.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold information about meetings between College Employers Scotland and trade unions.\r\nHowever, it is my intention, in the coming weeks, to convene a roundtable discussion, with all partners, to discuss the next steps.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416045,"EventID":"S6W-25183","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16205,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:43.12","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T08:56:46.747","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people in (a) Scotland and (b) each NHS board are currently waiting for elective vasectomy surgery.","AnswerText":"The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government the member may wish to contact NHS Boards directly for information.\r\nPublic Health Scotland does not hold procedure level information only the speciality which in this case would be Urology.\r\nPHS continues to work in collaboration with the Scottish Government, NHS Boards and key stakeholders to improve waiting times information. Statistics relating to the waits patients experience for Inpatient or Day Case treatment at specialty level are published up to 20 September 2023 in the link below. \r\nStage of treatment waiting times - Inpatients, day cases and new outpatients quarter ending 30 September 2023 - NHS waiting times - stage of treatment - Publications - Public Health Scotland ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416046,"EventID":"S6W-25189","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:43.183","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T10:16:24.183","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service regarding any risks associated with an increasing number of battery storage facilities. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has regular discussions with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service on a wide range of matters, which includes battery storage facilities to ensure the service is able to respond to incidents with the appropriate resources.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416047,"EventID":"S6W-25144","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:43.247","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T15:44:48.34","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many childminders have been registered as active in Scotland in each of the last 10 years.","AnswerText":"The Care Inspectorate publishes annual statistics on the number of childminders operating in Scotland. The following table summarises published Care Inspectorate data from the last 10 years. The figure for 2023 is expected to be published in the autumn of 2024.\r\n \r\nYear\r\nNumber of childminders\r\nDecember 2012\r\n6,274\r\nDecember 2013\r\n6,185\r\nDecember 2014\r\n6,102\r\nDecember 2015\r\n5,530\r\nDecember 2016\r\n5,669\r\nDecember 2017\r\n5,426\r\nDecember 2018\r\n5,108\r\nDecember 2019\r\n4,752\r\nDecember 2020\r\n4,395\r\nDecember 2021\r\n3,998\r\nDecember 2022\r\n3,530","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416048,"EventID":"S6W-25209","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:43.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T14:21:03.597","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that NHS Ayrshire and Arran will remove ICU beds from University Hospital Ayr and relocate them to Crosshouse Hospital, Kilmarnock, citing significant workforce gaps.","AnswerText":"Patient safety is of paramount concern and the Health Board has been clear that the interim ICU plans, first announced in February 2023, are to ensure adequate consultant medical cover; thereby maintaining the safety and sustainability of local critical care services. ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Michael Matheson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416049,"EventID":"S6W-25112","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:43.403","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T14:17:22.793","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many patients have received cataract surgery at the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion in Edinburgh, in each year since 1999.","AnswerText":"Table 1 provides information on total number of inpatient, daycase and outpatient hospital episodes where a cataract surgery procedure was recorded, at the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion by financial year from 2004-05. It is not possible to provide figures for 1999-2003, as prior to 2004 activity at the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion was recorded under the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh along with activity from other facilities on the Lauriston Place site.\r\nTable 1: Number of Cataract eye surgery procedures at the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion, 2004-05 to 2022-23\r\nFinancial Year\r\nTotal procedures\r\n2004-05\r\n1944\r\n2005-06\r\n2126\r\n2006-07\r\n2170\r\n2007-08\r\n3058\r\n2008-09\r\n3179\r\n2009-10\r\n3406\r\n2010-11\r\n3525\r\n2011-12\r\n4097\r\n2012-13\r\n3498\r\n2013-14\r\n3352\r\n2014-15\r\n3399\r\n2015-16\r\n3597\r\n2016-17\r\n3741\r\n2017-18\r\n3663\r\n2018-19\r\n4831\r\n2019-20\r\n4163\r\n2020-21\r\n1833\r\n2021-22\r\n2365\r\n2022-23\r\n3155\r\nSource: Public Health Scotland","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416050,"EventID":"S6W-25181","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:43.463","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T08:38:05.37","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is available to people living in the (a) South Lanarkshire, (b) North Lanarkshire and (c) Falkirk Council area to change to low-carbon heating systems.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has a broad range of delivery programmes which make advice and funding support on energy efficiency and low carbon heating available to households and businesses across Scotland. The Home Energy Scotland (HES) and Business Energy Scotland (BES) advice services offer free, bespoke, impartial advice, and also act as the gateway to our flagship fuel poverty scheme, Warmer Homes Scotland, and to other Scottish Government funding schemes such as the HES Grant and Loan and the SME Loan and Cashback.\r\nScotland’s Heat Network Fund (SHNF) supports the construction of new zero direct emission heat networks and communal heating systems, as well as the expansion and decarbonisation of existing heat networks across Scotland.\r\nRegistered Social Landlords are encouraged to make use of available funding sources for retrofit, which includes the Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund. This fund supports both the deployment of clean heating and ”fabric first” enhancements, helping landlords deliver warmer and more energy efficient homes.\r\nCommunities and local council areas are also supported through Area Based Schemes (ABS), delivered by all local authorities in Scotland, which target fuel poor areas to provide energy efficiency measures to a large number of Scottish households and help reduce fuel poverty, and the Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) which provides advice and funding to communities across Scotland looking to develop renewable energy, heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency projects.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416051,"EventID":"S6W-25195","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:43.527","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T11:33:00.503","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many of its international offices held Burns Night celebrations, and how many of those events were held in co-ordination with the respective UK Government offices and representatives.","AnswerText":"Seven of the Scottish Government’s international offices held Burns Night celebrations; three events were held in co-ordination with the respective UK Government offices and representatives.\r\nBelow is a list of the seven offices and where they were held in collaboration with UK Government representatives.\r\nBeijing\r\nBerlin (co-hosted with the British Ambassador with both UK and SG representatives attending)\r\nBrussels\r\nCopenhagen (co-produced, co-hosted, and co-funded with the British Ambassador with both UK and SG representatives attending)\r\nDublin\r\nLondon\r\nWashington DC (coordinated in collaboration with UK representatives)","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416052,"EventID":"S6W-25192","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:43.59","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T11:03:02.463","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what changes are anticipated to the NHS Education for Scotland (NES) provision of training for healthcare professionals as a result of the Scottish Budget 2024-25.","AnswerText":"The 2024-25 Scottish Budget will provide an uplift of over half a billion, bringing the budget for NHS Boards to over £14.2 billion, of which NES will receive £550.2 million. Health boards are responsible for ensuring best use of available resources to support delivery of services and strategic objectives.\r\nNES plays a critical role in supporting the education, training and wider development of the NHS Scotland workforce, and in particular the medical workforce where target training numbers have already been confirmed for 2024-25. As part of this, the Board is actively contributing to a number of wider policy developments as set out in Programme for Government, the NHS Recovery Plan and the National workforce Strategy. The Scottish Government remains committed to delivering the National Workforce Strategy and achieving the overall vision for “A sustainable, skilled workforce with attractive career choices and fair work where all are respected and valued for the work they do”.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416053,"EventID":"S6W-25117","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:43.653","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T14:17:22.793","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had regarding potentially changing procurement rules in order to allow the Coalfields Regeneration Trust to deliver a grants programme to support grassroots community organisations in the former coalfields.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government’s procurement rules exist to ensure funds are spent in a way that delivers the most benefit to society. These rules apply across all Scottish Government grants and we have had no discussions about potentially changing them.\r\nWe are however discussing with CRT other ways in which they can best support community organisations where these meet the regeneration outcomes and conditions of its existing grant award. Officials have also asked CRT to examine alternative routes for future funding of community organisations.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416054,"EventID":"S6W-25160","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:43.76","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T15:48:52.727","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its new funding model for post-school education provision.","AnswerText":"In my statement to Parliament on 5 December 2023, I reiterated my commitment to streamline funding for colleges, universities and apprenticeships. As a first step, this means bringing together funding for student support into one place and funding for apprenticeships into one place.\r\nThe Scottish Government will provide further detail shortly.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416055,"EventID":"S6W-25108","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:43.823","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T14:17:22.793","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will provide an update on the Sheriffhall roundabout upgrade project.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to delivering the grade separation of Sheriffhall roundabout, as part of its £300 million commitment to the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal. \r\nFollowing publication of the draft Orders and Environmental Statement, Transport Scotland received a significant number of objections to the proposed scheme. Although Transport Scotland engaged widely with objectors, it was unable to resolve all objections. In view of this, a Public Local Inquiry was held from 31 January to 8 February 2023. As with all trunk road projects this is the appropriate statutory forum for considering objections received and not withdrawn. The independent Reporter has now presented their recommendations to the Scottish Ministers and this is under active consideration. \r\nConstruction of the proposed scheme can only commence if it is approved under the relevant statutory authorisation process and thereafter a timetable for its progress can be set.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416056,"EventID":"S6W-25114","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:43.887","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T14:17:22.793","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Food Standards Scotland (FSS) written submission to the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee of 20 December 2023, in relation to public petition PE1997, what the timescale is for FSS to \"seek views from businesses or organisations representing businesses with experience in providing information in braille on their food and/or non-food products\" to inform its thinking on mandatory braille labelling of food products.","AnswerText":"FSS intend to initiate stakeholder engagement during the 2024 – 25 business year, and will seek early opportunities to gather initial views on braille labelling from relevant business stakeholders where practical.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416057,"EventID":"S6W-25152","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:43.963","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T15:47:03.7","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what evaluation it has carried out of its national upskilling plan for computing science teachers.","AnswerText":"Scottish Teachers Advancing Computing Science is responsible for developing and implementing the National Upskilling Plan for computing science teachers. The National Upskilling pilot developed over 6 hours of high-quality upskilling material with 71 teachers registering from 27 councils and 50 education authority schools and 11 independent schools. On average, 30 teachers participated in the live workshops with evaluation feedback showing many participants reporting increased confidence and understanding. Utilising feedback from the pilot, the second iteration of the Upskilling Programme was expanded to include upskilling at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher level and is currently being completed and will be evaluated as part of this next phase of work. STACS will continue to evaluate future phases of the Upskilling Programme.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416058,"EventID":"S6W-25150","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:44.027","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T15:46:23.167","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its digital strategy for education, as set out in its Programme for Government 2023-24.","AnswerText":"We continue to work with partners on the development of a digital strategy for education.\r\nThe new digital strategy will outline the role digital tools and services can play in the future of Scottish Education, and will highlight central actions being undertaken to support planning and delivery in this space.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416059,"EventID":"S6W-25193","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:44.09","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T11:26:55.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the guidance for conducting transport assessments for planning applications will be updated in line with the fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4).","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland's Transport Assessment Guidance (2012) is the current guidance for conducting transport assessments for planning applications. We are currently monitoring the practical implementation and impact of policies contained within National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) and considering whether, and what, amendments to the transport assessment guidance may be required.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416060,"EventID":"S6W-25115","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:44.137","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T14:17:22.793","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Food Standards Scotland (FSS) written submission to the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee of 20 December 2023, in relation to public petition PE1997, what the timescale is for FSS to discuss any proposed consultation on mandatory braille labelling of food products with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Food Standards Agency in Wales and Northern Ireland.","AnswerText":"FSS officials meet with officials in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in Wales and Northern Ireland, lead departments for food labelling in the rest of the UK, on a bimonthly basis. FSS continues to highlight that braille labelling of food products is being considered by the Scottish Parliament Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee, and the importance being placed on this issue in Scotland. Development of any policy proposals would need to be considered on a four-nation basis under the UK Food Compositional Standards and Labelling Common Framework.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416061,"EventID":"S6W-25202","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:44.2","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T11:58:41.363","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether it is on track to meet its target of recruiting an additional 800 GPs by 2027.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains fully committed to increasing the number of GPs in Scotland. This includes ongoing work on the ambition of increasing GPs by 800, in headcount terms, by 2027 alongside looking at trends of Whole-Time Equivalent GP capacity in the service, which is also crucial. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, progress is being made with GP headcount having increased by 271 since 2017 and 5,168 GPs now working in Scotland.\r\nTraining new GPs is key to our approach, and this takes time. We have expanded GP Specialty Training, adding 35 places this academic year and a further 35 places next year. As a result, there are currently, just over 1200 trainee GPs in Scotland. Recruitment into General Practice continues to perform well, with 100% of posts filled as of July 2023, with end-year results to be published shortly. \r\nTo help retain more GPs within the workforce, in June 2023 the Scottish Government convened a working group made up of key stakeholders including the BMA, RCGP and the Rural General Practitioner Association of Scotland, to make recommendations to improve the retention of GPs in all regions of Scotland. An implementation plan based on these recommendations will be published in Spring this year.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416062,"EventID":"S6W-25159","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:44.26","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T15:48:31.883","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to inform institutions that have applied for funding from the Scottish Educational Exchange Test and Learn Project whether their application has been successful.","AnswerText":"Institutions have been informed of the outcome of their applications for funding from the Scottish Educational Exchange Test and Learn project, with projects already underway.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416063,"EventID":"S6W-25163","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:44.323","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T16:37:44.78","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24594 by Jenny Gilruth on 29 January 2024, whether it will provide the information requested regarding for what reason, and based on what evidence, it has decided to set the target of two hours of physical education each school week for primary school children as opposed to a greater or lesser amount of exercise.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has been committed to ensuring that all children in primary school receive at least two hours of physical education (PE) each school week since 2011. Our decision to set a target of two hours of PE for primary school children was prompted by recommendations made by the National Physical Activity Task Force which recommended “taking part in at least two hours of quality physical education classes a week and gaining the appropriate movement and behavioural skills needed for an active life”.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":416064,"EventID":"S6W-25161","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:44.37","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T15:49:02.457","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with colleges to promote good governance.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government works with the Scottish Funding Council, Colleges Scotland, and College Boards to ensure good governance.\r\nWe also engage with regional strategic boards, trade unions, student associations, and the College Development network, through the Good Governance Steering Group, to ensure the implementation of governance improvements across the sector.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416065,"EventID":"S6W-25142","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:44.433","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T15:43:18.47","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to ensure that staff in the private, voluntary and independent (PVI) sector delivering early learning and childcare are paid at least £12 per hour.","AnswerText":"The draft Budget 2024-25 confirmed that an additional £16 million will be made available to local authorities in year to deliver our Programme for Government commitment to increase pay to £12 per hour for staff in the private, voluntary and independent (PVI) sector who are delivering funded ELC from April 2024. The commitment will also be implemented in a fair and sustainable way for childminders delivering funded ELC.\r\nThe Scottish Government and COSLA will publish updated guidance for setting rates for 2024-25 shortly to reflect how the additional funding being provided to enable delivery of the £12 per hour commitment will be reflected in the sustainable rates that funded providers in the private, third and childminding sector will receive in 2024-25.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416066,"EventID":"S6W-25241","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:44.497","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T13:12:24.377","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much food waste has been produced in Scotland in each year since 2016.","AnswerText":"Due to the complexity of measuring food waste, annual estimates are not produced. Significant progress has been made to improve food waste data, including: the development of digital waste tracking, due to go live in 2025; and the publication of Zero Waste Scotland’s Household Waste Composition Analysis in October 2023.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416067,"EventID":"S6W-25170","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:44.557","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T18:13:06.38","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any plans it has to begin collecting data on how many funded early learning and childcare providers pay the Living Wage.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government’s latest  Financial Sustainability Health Check  was published on 31 July 2023. It collected data at a national level through provider surveys, and reported that 81% of funded Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) providers in the private and third sector were paying the real Living Wage to either all their staff or those delivering funded ELC.\r\nThe Scottish Government is working with COSLA and local authorities, including through the ELC Fair Work and Real Living Wage Implementation Group, to identify approaches to strengthen the evidence base on the number of funded ELC providers paying the real Living Wage.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416068,"EventID":"S6W-25174","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:44.62","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T08:06:47.857","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Association of Local Authority Chief Housing Officers (ALACHO) reportedly warning ministers of a potential rise in local authority homelessness emergencies. ","AnswerText":"There have been a number of organisations in the sector, including the Scottish Housing Regulator, Audit Scotland and SOLACE, documenting the difficulties local authorities are experiencing and the risks this could present to the provision of homelessness services and accommodation. I respect the decisions of the local authorities who have declared a housing emergency. \r\nThe Scottish Government has commissioned expert groups to recommend action to potentially reduce the pressures local authorities are facing and set out in its response the actions we will take. I am engaging with Housing Convenors across Scotland on a regular basis to discuss the homelessness and housing supply issues that are impacting on them most. We know that increasing housing supply is key to tackling homelessness, but a flat and falling funding trajectory from the UK Government has significantly impacted our ability to deliver on all our capital infrastructure commitments. We will invest £556 million in affordable housing in 2024-25 and we have stated that our housing capital budget will be a key priority if new funding becomes available as a result of the UK Government’s Spring Budget 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416069,"EventID":"S6W-25158","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:44.683","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T15:48:22.733","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many applications it has received for funding from the Scottish Educational Exchange Test and Learn Project, broken down by type of educational institution; of those, how many applied for (a) a one-year grant, (b) additional funds for projects involving cross-sector educational partnerships and (c) the full £25,000 one-year grant, and what the total sum of funding that has been applied for is.","AnswerText":"All of the test and learn projects in this phase of the Scottish Educational Exchange Test and Learn pilot were led by Scottish higher education institutions.\r\n(a) 23 applications were submitted\r\n(b) 2 projects applied for additional funding for cross sector projects\r\n(c) 3 projects applied for the full £25,000 (in addition to those who applied for extra cross sector funding. The total amount applied for was £345,093.10","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416070,"EventID":"S6W-25111","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:44.73","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T14:17:22.793","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many children have attended independent schools in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"This data has been collected by the Registrar of Independent Schools from available independent school census statistics. The census commences in the September of each year in accordance with part 4 of the Registration of Independent Schools (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended by the Registration of Independent Schools (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2021).\r\nThe following table outlines the number of children and young people who attended an independent school in each year since 2015, broken down by local authority. This data is not held from before 2015.\r\nLocal Authority\r\nPupil Numbers 2021\r\nPupil Numbers 2020\r\nPupil Numbers 2019\r\nPupil Numbers 2018\r\nPupil Numbers 2017\r\nPupil Numbers 2016\r\nPupil Number 2015\r\nAberdeen City Council\r\n3,072*\r\n3,032\r\n3,082\r\n3,402\r\n3,115\r\n3,034\r\n3,256\r\nAberdeenshire Council\r\n18*\r\n15\r\n15\r\n15\r\n21\r\n23\r\n21\r\nAngus Council\r\n223*\r\n219\r\n211\r\n222\r\n223\r\n223\r\n249\r\nArgyll and Bute Council\r\n352*\r\n321\r\n332\r\n352\r\n366\r\n367\r\n362\r\nCity of Edinburgh Council\r\n11,298*\r\n11,055\r\n11,161\r\n11,102\r\n10,993\r\n10,917\r\n10,974\r\nClackmannanshire Council\r\n1,550\r\n1,530\r\n1,531\r\n1,509\r\n1,469\r\n1,409\r\n1,470\r\nComhairle nan Eilean Siar\r\n9\r\n13\r\n12\r\n13\r\n13\r\n17\r\n15\r\nDumfries and Galloway Council\r\n27\r\n42\r\n42\r\n36\r\n43\r\n44\r\n34\r\nDundee City Council\r\n956*\r\n920\r\n954\r\n968\r\n979\r\n1,002\r\n1,022\r\nEast Ayrshire Council\r\n12\r\n51\r\n51\r\n35\r\n32\r\n31\r\n43\r\nEast Dunbartonshire Council\r\n19\r\n16\r\n16\r\n1\r\n0\r\n15\r\n1\r\nEast Lothian Council\r\n753*\r\n745\r\n806\r\n811\r\n805\r\n874\r\n867\r\nEast Renfrewshire Council\r\n205\r\n199\r\n199\r\n209\r\n219\r\n220\r\n221\r\nFalkirk Council\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\nFife Council\r\n1,196*\r\n1,148\r\n1,120\r\n1,087\r\n1,078\r\n1,098\r\n1,107\r\nGlasgow City Council\r\n5,068*\r\n5,004\r\n5,196\r\n5,238\r\n5,369\r\n5,420\r\n5,506\r\nHighland Council\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n1\r\n1\r\nInverclyde Council\r\n686\r\n689\r\n719\r\n739\r\n754\r\n787\r\n771\r\nMidlothian Council\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\nMoray Council\r\n603\r\n600\r\n607\r\n626\r\n598\r\n605\r\n645\r\nNorth Ayrshire Council\r\n56\r\n66\r\n66\r\n74\r\n91\r\n72\r\n66\r\nNorth Lanarkshire Council\r\n44\r\n48\r\n48\r\n43\r\n46\r\n49\r\n51\r\nOrkney Islands Council\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\nPerth and Kinross Council\r\n1,424*\r\n1,350\r\n1,454\r\n1,443\r\n1,423\r\n1,434\r\n1,478\r\nRenfrewshire Council\r\n233\r\n236\r\n237\r\n246\r\n263\r\n268\r\n263\r\nScottish Borders Council\r\n134\r\n142\r\n157\r\n155\r\n156\r\n154\r\n161\r\nShetland Islands Council\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\nSouth Ayrshire Council\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\nSouth Lanarkshire Council\r\n588\r\n578\r\n585\r\n597\r\n622\r\n643\r\n667\r\nStirling Council\r\n292\r\n279\r\n269\r\n254\r\n509\r\n545\r\n560\r\nWest Dunbartonshire Council\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\nWest Lothian Council\r\n16\r\n18\r\n18\r\n11\r\n11\r\n12\r\n11\r\nScotland\r\n28,834\r\n28,316\r\n28,888\r\n29,188\r\n29,198\r\n29,264\r\n29,822\r\nSome pupils will attend a school in a different local authority from the local authority area in which they reside.\r\nSome pupils will be from outwith Scotland and attend a boarding school.\r\nSome independent schools have a presence in more than one local authority, pupils from such schools have been allocated to the local authority of the main school.\r\nThe figures for 2021 differ from those provided in answer to PQ from September 2023 (S6W-21172  Written question and answer: S6W-21172 | Scottish Parliament Website  ). *Figures have been corrected following the identification of schools being allocated to the wrong local authority. The total of pupils in independent schools for 2021 remains the same.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416071,"EventID":"S6W-25113","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:44.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T14:17:22.793","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many patients have required emergency eye surgery at the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion in Edinburgh, in each year since 1999.","AnswerText":"Table 1 provides information on total number of inpatient, daycase and outpatient hospital episodes where an emergency eye surgery procedure was recorded, at the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion by financial year from 2004-05. It is not possible to provide figures for 1999-2003, as prior to 2004 activity at the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion was recorded under the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh along with activity from other facilities on the Lauriston Place site.\r\nTable 1: Number of emergency Eye procedures at the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion, 2004-05 to 2022-23\r\nFinancial Year\r\nTotal procedures\r\n2004-05\r\n130\r\n2005-06\r\n128\r\n2006-07\r\n107\r\n2007-08\r\n221\r\n2008-09\r\n92\r\n2009-10\r\n194\r\n2010-11\r\n178\r\n2011-12\r\n190\r\n2012-13\r\n238\r\n2013-14\r\n150\r\n2014-15\r\n215\r\n2015-16\r\n229\r\n2016-17\r\n329\r\n2017-18\r\n270\r\n2018-19\r\n272\r\n2019-20\r\n296\r\n2020-21\r\n225\r\n2021-22\r\n214\r\n2022-23\r\n195\r\nSource: Public Health Scotland","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416072,"EventID":"S6W-25146","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:44.857","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T15:45:19.673","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which stakeholders it is engaging with on its campaign to promote teaching as a highly rewarding career, and when it anticipates that this campaign will be rolled out.","AnswerText":"We are engaging with a range of stakeholders including local authority employers, university providers and the teaching unions to work collectively to raise the profile of teaching as a highly rewarding career.\r\nWork is ongoing and we would expect to confirm a set of actions by the end of this academic year.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416073,"EventID":"S6W-25205","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:44.933","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T13:15:34.083","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6F-02778 by Humza Yousaf on 1 February 2024, when it will update the Parliament on the outcomes of the MMR check that local education boards have been asked to carry out by Public Health Scotland.","AnswerText":"This information is not held centrally. This is a matter for Public Health Scotland (PHS), which, through the Scottish Vaccination and Immunisation Programme (SVIP), is responsible for oversight and leadership of vaccine delivery in Scotland. The Scottish Government is part of SVIP and is working closely with PHS and NHS Boards to support increased uptake of both doses of the free MMR vaccine to keep people safe from measles by preventing the spread of this very serious disease.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416074,"EventID":"S6W-25180","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:44.997","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T08:38:05.37","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in light of Audit Scotland reportedly stating that the Scottish Government risks missing its target to phase out gas boilers in homes unless it significantly increases the scale and pace of activity. ","AnswerText":"We agree with Audit Scotland on the scale of the challenge to decarbonise heat in our buildings. That is why we are consulting just now on proposals to prohibit the use of polluting heating systems in Scotland’s homes and buildings by 2045. This, alongside our proposals for standards for social housing, the development of heat networks and the introduction of a New Build Heat Standard, will transform the way we heat and insulate our buildings.\r\nWe have also committed to allocate at least £1.8billion over this parliament to help kick-start growth in the market and support those least able to pay.\r\nWe worked with Audit Scotland as it developed the report, and we will take the recommendations into account as we move ahead with our decarbonisation plans and programme.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416075,"EventID":"S6W-25118","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:45.057","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T14:17:22.793","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of its decision to reduce the funding for the Coalfields Regeneration Trust on its work in the former coalfield communities.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government’s challenging budget position impacts on the budget available for the delivery of the Empowering Communities Programme which supports Coalfield Regeneration Trust’s (CRT’s) grant. Officials advised CRT that we would be unable to deliver funding at the same level as previous years and worked with the Trust to help prioritise their 2023-24 work programme on protecting those elements which have the greatest impact and outcomes for coalfields communities.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416076,"EventID":"S6W-25186","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:45.12","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T10:12:16.1","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, since the introduction of annual health checks for adults with a learning disability in May 2022, how many adults have received such a health check.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25185 on 12 February 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":416077,"EventID":"S6W-25185","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:45.183","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T10:11:19.797","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, since the introduction of annual health checks for adults with a learning disability in May 2022, how many adults have been offered such a health check.","AnswerText":"This information is not currently collected by the Scottish Government. The National Directions for Annual Health Checks state that all eligible people with a learning disability should be offered an annual health check by 31 March 2024. The Scottish Government will be asking Health Boards to report on numbers of people offered annual health checks and number of health checks received after this date.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":416078,"EventID":"S6W-25173","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:45.247","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T08:06:47.857","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking in response to reported concerns raised by the Association of Local Authority Chief Housing Officers (ALACHO) and others that over half of Scotland's 32 local authorities are failing to meet legal requirements in relation to dealing with homelessness. ","AnswerText":"We have been in regular dialogue with ALACHO since this survey was undertaken in November 2023 and I have also been meeting with Housing Convenors across Scotland to discuss the homelessness and housing supply pressures that are facing councils. I meet with local authorities with the greatest temporary accommodation pressures on a regular basis to explore the best way to build resilience in the system. \r\nThis year, we have provided an additional £2 million to the 15 local authorities with the greatest percentage increase in the use of temporary accommodation. We have committed to maintain the homelessness budget for 2024-25 at broadly similar levels to 2023-24 and we will invest £556 million in affordable housing in 2024-25. Further investment in our housing capital budget will be a key priority if new funding becomes available as a result of the UK Government’s Spring Budget 2024.\r\nThe Scottish Housing Regulator has noted that the demands on some local authorities now exceed their capacity to respond, and it is engaging with the City of Edinburgh Council and Glasgow City Council on improvements in the way they discharge their duties to people who are homeless. ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416079,"EventID":"S6W-25157","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:45.307","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T15:48:05.653","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish its national framework on tackling gender-based violence and sexual harassment in schools.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-23510 on 19 December 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416080,"EventID":"S6W-25151","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:45.37","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T15:46:54.46","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the creation of the Scottish Teachers Advancing Computing Science organisation.","AnswerText":"Grant funding to support Scottish Teachers Advancing Computing Science (STACS) / University of Glasgow commenced in 2021 and has continued on an annual basis since that date.\r\nAs a condition of the funding support the Scottish Government agreed with Scottish Teachers Advancing Computing Science a commitment to publish annual progress reports which are published on their website where updates and activity are regularly posted. The first year’s report is publicly available on the STACS website and they will be publishing a year 2 update report in the summer of 2024.\r\nThe annual report for 2022-23 is available at:  https://issuu.com/stacshq/docs/stacsannualreport .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416081,"EventID":"S6W-25190","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:45.42","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T10:16:40.077","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to equip and support the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to better respond to any hazards arising from battery storage facilities.","AnswerText":"The assessment of all hazards and the equipment needed to deal with incidents is an operational matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416082,"EventID":"S6W-25191","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:45.48","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T10:16:53.37","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is sufficiently equipped to respond to any hazards arising from battery storage facilities.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government holds regular discussions with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service on a wide range of topics and is assured that the Service is sufficiently equipped and has the ability to deploy a range of resources which can be utilised by the highly skilled crews to bring all incidents to a safe conclusion.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416083,"EventID":"S6W-25201","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:45.543","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T11:49:36.91","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers as set out in its Budget for 2024-25, what it anticipates the (a) administrative and (b) cost implications for local authorities would be for implementing any new levy.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24444 on 22 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416084,"EventID":"S6W-25175","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:45.607","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T08:06:47.857","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government on what dates since 1 January 2021 to date it has met with the Association of Local Authority Chief Housing Officers (ALACHO) to discuss homelessness. ","AnswerText":"I meet with a representative of ALACHO on a quarterly basis at Homelessness Prevention and Strategy Group (HPSG) and at Housing to 2040 Strategic Board meetings. The dates of these meetings can be found here:  Homelessness Prevention and Strategy Group - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  and  Housing to 2040: Strategic Board - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  . I also met with an ALACHO representative on 20 December to discuss the draft Scottish Budget 2024-25 and with representatives of ALACHO and the Chartered Institute for Housing on 14 December to discuss their letter to me on pressures on the housing and homelessness system.\r\nFollowing the deep dives agreed by HPSG, four task and finish groups were established from June 2022 onwards, which met regularly (between every four to eight weeks). Scottish Government officials were represented on these groups, one of which (the Temporary Accommodation Task and Finish Group) was co-chaired by a representative of ALACHO.\r\nA representative of ALACHO chairs the rapid rehousing transition plan (RRTP) sub-group, attended by Scottish Government officials and, since 2021, has met with the Scottish Government on other strategic homelessness related issues, such as the Domestic Abuse Implementation and Monitoring Group, the Sustainable Housing on Release for Everyone Group and the Short Term Housing Supply Group. Finally, Scottish Government officials have met with ALACHO regularly in 2023 (every two to three months) to hold discussions on topics including local connection, RRTP funding, the proposed new homelessness prevention duties and the homelessness statistical data review.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416085,"EventID":"S6W-25188","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:45.67","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T10:13:31.913","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, since the introduction of annual health checks for adults with a learning disability in May 2022, what percentage of eligible adults have received such a health check.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25185 on 12 February 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":416086,"EventID":"S6W-25198","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:45.73","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T11:49:36.91","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers as set out in its Budget for 2024-25, what analysis it has undertaken of the potential implications of any new levy for store fit-outs and on those who provide such services, including builders, electricians and plasterers.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24498 on 23 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416087,"EventID":"S6W-25172","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:45.777","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T18:55:52.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S4W-29691, S5W-22664 and S6W-01165 by Angela Constance on 2 March 2016, by John Swinney on 1 May 2019 and by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 28 July 2021 respectively, whether it will provide the figures for each year since 2020-21.","AnswerText":"Table 1 provides information on average gross revenue expenditure in Scotland per child attending pre-school, and primary and secondary pupil alongside allocations (accounting for teaching and tuition fees funding) per college and university place.\r\nTable 1: Average expenditure per place for each education level in cash terms\r\nEducation level\r\n2020-21\r\n2021-22\r\n2022-23\r\n2023-24\r\nPre-School\r\n£9,366\r\n£10,435\r\n-\r\n-\r\nPrimary School\r\n£6,130\r\n£6,550\r\n-\r\n-\r\nSecondary School\r\n£7,906\r\n£8,174\r\n-\r\n-\r\nCollege\r\n£4,878\r\n£4,952\r\n£5,054\r\n£5,506\r\nUniversity\r\n£7,316\r\n£7,433\r\n£7,558\r\n£7,613\r\nTable 2 provides the same information in 2023-24 prices. Real terms conversions are based on HM Treasury’s GDP Deflator series, December 2023.\r\nTable 2: Average expenditure per place for each education level in real terms (2023-24 prices)\r\nEducation level\r\n2020-21\r\n2021-22\r\n2022-23\r\n2023-24\r\nPre-School\r\n£10,526\r\n£11,824\r\n-\r\n-\r\nPrimary School\r\n£6,890\r\n£7,423\r\n-\r\n-\r\nSecondary School\r\n£8,885\r\n£9,263\r\n-\r\n-\r\nCollege\r\n£5,482\r\n£5,612\r\n£5,362\r\n£5,506\r\nUniversity\r\n£8,222\r\n£8,423\r\n£8,019\r\n£7,613\r\nMethodology\r\nThe methodologies used to determine the average expenditure per place for each education level are provided in more detail below.\r\nPre-school: average gross revenue expenditure per child in pre-primary education is arrived at by taking the total gross revenue expenditure on pre-primary education, adjusted for inter-authority transfers, as reported by local authorities to the local financial return. These figures are then divided by the number of pupils in funded early learning and childcare as per the statistics reported in the early learning and childcare (ELC) census. The figures for per child expenditure on pre-primary education are likely to be overestimates due to the fact that September (when the figures for the ELC census are collected) is a point in the academic year when ELC registrations are at their lowest. This is because children starting funded ELC (usually when they turn three) start at the beginning of the term which starts after their birthday – so, in the Autumn term only some of the children who will become eligible for funded ELC during that academic year have already taken up their funded place. However, this issue applies every year, meaning that the above time-series comparison is reasonable.\r\nPrimary and Secondary school: average gross revenue expenditure per pupil in primary and secondary education respectively is arrived at by taking the total gross revenue expenditure adjusted for inter-authority transfers, reported by local authorities on primary and secondary education to the local financial return, divided by the number of pupils in primary and secondary education as per the statistics reported in the pupil census.\r\nColleges: The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) have supplied detail of the average cost of a College place (expenditure per full-time equivalent (FTE)). This is calculated by taking funding provided to Colleges for core teaching and assumed tuition fee income (see supplementary note 3) and dividing this by the number of student places.\r\nUniversities: The cost of an average University place, also provided by the SFC, is estimated by taking the total teaching grant awarded to Universities (excluding teaching grant associated with rUK students studying expensive strategically important subjects, who are not eligible for funding) and assumed tuition fee income associated with those places (see supplementary note 3) and dividing this by the total number of SFC funded places for Scottish and EU domiciled FTEs. Expenditure figures exclude funding for student support, and SFC’s research and strategic funds. Total FTE figures are SFC/SG funded places and do not include fees only and international places.\r\nThe methodology used in this PQ is similar to S6W-15187 answered on 7 March 2023 in that the average amounts for universities and colleges include assumed tuition fee elements and exclude certain funding elements related to rUK stu","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416088,"EventID":"S6W-25204","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:45.857","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T12:27:38.513","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether consideration will be given to allow local authorities to provide discounts in Council Tax for households whose homes have been damaged by flooding but remain occupied.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not received a request from any Councils to introduce a Council Tax discount for properties damaged by flooding that remain occupied.\r\nThe Council Tax system in Scotland provides for a 100% exemption from Council Tax for homes that are not habitable, and are undergoing major repairs, which lasts for up to 12 months. Further, local authorities have the discretion to apply a Council Tax discount of up to 50% to an unoccupied property at any time. As there is no time limit to this discretion there is no date at which any discount must expire.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416089,"EventID":"S6W-25179","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:45.95","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T08:13:50.473","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans, through Good Food Nation or other legislation, strategies or policies, to (a) prioritise Scottish farmers and (b) specify that no publicly procured meat or eggs should come from animals that have been caged.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government’s draft national Good Food Nation Plan sets out six over-arching Outcomes which indicate key areas to further develop our status as a Good Food Nation. These Outcomes have been developed with regard to a range of issues and principles set out in the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022, including the role of the food system in improving animal welfare and the importance of recognising all parts of the supply chain. The consultation on the draft national Good Food Nation Plan launched on 24 January and closes on 22 April (  https://consult.gov.scot/agriculture-and-rural-economy/national-good-food-nation-plan/  ).\r\nWe are aiming to increase the consumption, production, and provision of local food. The Scottish Government is using its legislation and policies to maximise the impact procurement can have for public bodies, suppliers and local suppliers and the Scottish economy. To promote local and sustainable produce public bodies have the flexibility to:Design menus that include Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) foodSpecify food produced according to recognised assurance schemes, e.g. Quality Meat Scotland, Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), Red Tractor, RSPCA, or equivalent bespoke company systemsSpecify free range and organic foodSpecify requirements based on menu plans that are based on freshness, high nutritional value using food in season and flexible and frequent delivery timesDivide contracts into small product lots and geographic areas to encourage the active participation of local businesses where it is proportionate to do soIntroduce a facility on some frameworks to enable small manufacturers who do not have national delivery logistics in place to bid on a supply only basisIntroduce a secondary price list within tenders to allow framework suppliers the choice to offer Scottish produce\r\nThe Scottish Government is committed to continuous improvement in animal welfare: a statutory review into animal welfare legislation is due to be published in 2025. In 2023 there was a Programme for Government commitment to consult on phasing out cage production for laying hens and gamebirds: this will be published in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416090,"EventID":"S6W-25206","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:45.997","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T13:15:34.083","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what engagement it has had with (a) NHS Lanarkshire, (b) NHS Forth Valley, (c) South Lanarkshire Council, (d) North Lanarkshire Council and (e) Falkirk Council in relation to increasing measles vaccination rates in children and young people.","AnswerText":"This is a matter for Public Health Scotland (PHS) as our national health protection body. Given the serious nature of measles and the current risk of importation and onward transmission, the Scottish Government is working with Public Health Scotland and NHS Boards through the Scottish Vaccination and Immunisation Programme (SVIP) on a range of measures to promote vaccination uptake.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416091,"EventID":"S6W-25164","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:46.06","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T16:38:39.787","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how its reported two-year freeze in capital expenditure for the NHS will impact on its NHS Recovery Plan target of recruiting 1,500 new clinical and non-clinical staff for National Treatment Centres by 2026.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is continuing to provide a range of recruitment support, training and development activity to assist Health Boards in securing an appropriate mix of experienced and newly qualified staff for their National Treatment Centres (NTCs). As at 30 September 2023, close to 600 people were employed in an NTC, of which around 32% were undertaking their first role in NHS Scotland.\r\nWe keep under active review the total number of staff that we will ultimately need to recruit to our National Treatment Centres and to support the overall ambition to increase planned care activity and reduce waiting times, as set out in the NHS Recovery Plan.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":416092,"EventID":"S6W-25166","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:46.123","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T18:08:47.783","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the reasons why 10% of children are reportedly not registered to receive 1,140 hours of funded early learning and childcare.","AnswerText":"It is not the case that 10% of children are not registered to receive their entitlement to funded early learning and childcare (ELC). The 2023 ELC Census showed an estimated uptake rate of 97% for eligible three and four year olds, and an uptake rate of 52% for eligible 2 year olds. Improvement Service data from September 2023 showed that 98% of children registered for funded ELC were reported to be accessing more than 600 hours, and 90% of registered children were accessing the full 1140 funded hours. This is not the same as 10% of children not being registered for funded ELC.\r\nFamilies are not required to use the full 1140 entitlement. A  2022 parent survey  found that when families were not using their full entitlement, this was often through choice. Typically, they did not need or want the full entitlement, or decided they did not wish to put their child in nursery for so many hours. However, around a fifth of those not using the full entitlement said they could not get the sessions they wanted at their preferred setting. We continue to work with local authorities to ensure that funded ELC hours are flexible and accessible to families.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416093,"EventID":"S6W-25177","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:46.187","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T08:13:50.473","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to make any financial assistance available to pig farmers to help them move away from the use of farrowing crates towards cage-free methods.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government will continue to work with the industry and stakeholders to find ways for producers to transition towards implementing improved animal welfare methods and practices.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416094,"EventID":"S6W-25197","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:46.263","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T11:49:36.91","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it hopes to publish its refreshed Framework for Tax.","AnswerText":"The Framework for Tax has since been superseded by our commitment in last year’s Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) to develop our strategic approach to tax as part of this year’s MTFS publication. This will be published for public consultation with the MTFS in spring 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416095,"EventID":"S6W-25165","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:46.31","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T16:38:39.787","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how its reported two-year freeze in capital expenditure for the NHS will impact on its NHS Recovery Plan target of achieving 40,000 additional inpatient and day cases seen in National Treatment Centres by 2025-26.","AnswerText":"The National Treatment Centres (NTCs) Programme is the single biggest increase in planned care capacity ever created in NHS Scotland. Five new National Treatment Centres (NTCs) will be opened by 2024 at Golden Jubilee (Phase 1 and 2), NTC Fife, NTC Highland and NTC Forth Valley. Combined these centres will have eight orthopaedic theatres; an inpatient/day-case ward; three endoscopy rooms and two general theatres.\r\nAs a result of the almost 10% cut in our capital budget from the UK Government, we are having to revise our pipeline of infrastructure investment and we do not expect National Treatment Centres in Ayrshire and Arran, Grampian, Lanarkshire, Lothian and Tayside to be progressed in the short to medium term. The figure of 40,000 additional activities from the 2021 recovery plan is dependent on all National Treatment Centres in development being operational, therefore we expect the additional annual activity from the programme to be 20,000 from 2024-25.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":416096,"EventID":"S6W-25178","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:46.373","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T08:13:50.473","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will deliver on its Programme for Government 2021-22 commitment to consult on proposals to phase out cages and farrowing crates.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government Programme for Government made the commitment to consult on phasing out the use cages for gamebirds and laying hens. This work is now progressing and the consultation on phasing out cages for laying hens and the call for evidence on gamebirds and quail are expected to go live in the early spring.\r\nThe proposed consultation on phasing out farrowing crates for pigs was originally intended to have been delivered jointly across all UK administrations. However, progress on a number of important pieces of animal welfare legislation have been significantly delayed or has ceased due to delays in UK Government timetabling, such as the Kept Animals Bill. DEFRA have confirmed that it now has no immediate plans to take forward the work on farrowing crates.\r\nRegardless, the Scottish Government is pressing ahead on improving the welfare of all animals in Scotland, including pigs, and on 20 November 2023 published the  Scottish Government Guidance for the Welfare of Pigs  . We are also in the process of updating the Welfare of Farmed Animals (Scotland) Regulations 2010 to include this updated pigs’ welfare guidance.\r\nWe continue to listen and work with the industry and stakeholders on how best to achieve improvements in animal welfare as well as monitoring industry information to allow us to determine how to ensure best practice is delivered.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416097,"EventID":"S6W-25109","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:46.437","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T14:17:22.793","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the NHS Scotland capital infrastructure budget update.","AnswerText":"The Draft Scottish Budget 2024-25 was published on 19 Dec 2023.\r\nThe Bill is currently at ‘Stage 2 – Changes to Detail’ with any amendments to be considered at a meeting on 20 February 2024. \r\nOnce moved to ‘Stage 3 – Final amendments and vote’ a further vote will confirm that the Bill will become an Act before April 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416098,"EventID":"S6W-25200","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:46.497","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T11:49:36.91","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it had with Public Health Scotland regarding the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers prior to the announcement in its Budget for 2024-25. ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24110 on 18 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416099,"EventID":"S6W-25208","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:46.543","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T14:17:28.52","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that NHS Ayrshire and Arran will remove ICU beds from University Hospital Ayr and relocate them to Crosshouse Hospital, Kilmarnock, citing significant workforce gaps, whether this issue was raised during the (a) biannual performance reviews in September 2023 and (b) NHS Education for Scotland (NES) workforce supply meetings in October and November 2023. ","AnswerText":"Reports that NHS Ayrshire and Arran will remove ICU beds from University Hospital Ayr and relocate them to Crosshouse Hospital, Kilmarnock, citing significant workforce gaps was not raised during either the biannual performance review in September 2023 or the Centre for Workforce Supply (CWS) at NHS Education for Scotland (NES) medical insights meeting in October 2023.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416100,"EventID":"S6W-25116","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:46.607","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T14:17:22.793","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will support the development of a capital endowment scheme for the Coalfields Regeneration Trust to provide a sustainable income stream to tackle any issues that are facing former coalfield communities without their reliance on the current annual revenue grant.","AnswerText":"The Deputy First Minister has made clear the very challenging position on the Scottish Government’s capital budget. This is forecast to result in a 9.8% real terms cut in our capital funding over the medium term between 2023-24 and 2027-28.\r\nThrough the existing capital investment routes including the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund, we have, over a number of years, encouraged the CRT to work with relevant local authorities to bring forward proposals to develop assets, to support community led regeneration while providing an alternative source of income generation for CRT. This is aimed at reducing the Trust’s reliance on revenue grant.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416101,"EventID":"S6W-25155","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:46.67","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T15:47:38.497","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many secondary schools have (a) applied for and (b) received a grant to date from the funding for investment in computing science hardware for schools.","AnswerText":"Funding was allocated to Local Authorities on behalf of 304 secondary schools for computing science hardware on a demand-led basis. Local Authorities distributed funding on behalf of the Scottish Government, with the total claimed at approximately £730,000.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416102,"EventID":"S6W-25169","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:46.733","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T18:12:20.523","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21332 by Natalie Don on 29 September 2023, whether it will provide an update on when it plans to publish the strategic framework and plan for the early learning and school age childcare profession. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is considering the approach to publication of the strategic framework and plan for the early learning and school age childcare profession in light of the new childcare commitments included in the Programme for Government 2023-24 and will provide an update in due course.\r\nWe are continuing to work with the Framework Steering Group and other partners to support delivery of the actions developed as part of the original plan. We have, for example, already developed a range of new learning resources, implemented a Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) fee waiver, released new mental health and wellbeing resources for the workforce and will shortly launch a new national portal for professional learning. \r\nWe are also continuing to support the profession by providing local authorities with an additional £16 million to deliver the Programme for Government commitment to increase pay to £12 per hour for staff in the Private Voluntary and Independent (PVI) sector who are delivering funded early learning and childcare from April 2024. This demonstrates our commitment to the Fair Work agenda, as we remain the only part of the UK to pay ELC staff in the PVI sector the real Living Wage. ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416103,"EventID":"S6W-25107","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:46.81","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T14:17:22.793","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review emergency planning legislation and the powers that are available to local authorities.","AnswerText":"The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 (CCA) and the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 (Contingency Planning) (Scotland) Regulations 2005 is the legislation which outlines the categorised responders, and their duty to prepare for civil emergencies within Scotland.\r\nThe CCA divides responders into two categories, category 1 and category 2, with local authorities included as a category 1 responder. The CCA imposes a set of duties on each category of responders, but it does not confer any powers upon the categorised responders.\r\nThe UK Government has a legal obligation to review the CCA every 5 years. The most recent review was published in 2022 and the report, including the findings and recommendations, can be viewed here -  Civil Contingencies Act 2004: post implementation review report (2022) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)  .\r\nThe Scottish Government does not currently have any plans to review the accompanying regulations to the CCA.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416104,"EventID":"S6W-25149","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:46.92","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T15:46:11.22","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work to prepare schools and infrastructure for the expansion of free school meals.","AnswerText":"We are working with local authorities on the infrastructure required to deliver our commitment to the expansion of free school meals.\r\nThe 2024-25 budget has made provision for £43m of capital funding for school infrastructure, in addition to the £10m of capital funding provided in 2023-24.\r\nThis will support the expansion to P6 & P7 pupils in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment, as part of our wider commitment to expansion.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416105,"EventID":"S6W-25196","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:46.983","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T11:49:36.91","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers as set out in the 2024-25 Budget, what assessment it has made of the potential impact of any new levy on the behaviour of retailers that are liable for the new levy and also become liable for a workplace parking levy, including whether such retailers may be more or less inclined to pass some or all of the cost of the parking levy onto their staff.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24498 on 23 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416106,"EventID":"S6W-24988","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:47.047","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T09:26:04.597","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much food waste has been produced by its operations in Scotland in each year since 2016.","AnswerText":"This information is published annually in the Scottish Government’s Climate Change Reports (available at:  https://sustainablescotlandnetwork.org/reports/the-scottish-government  and are provided below:2016 - 2017: 127 tonnes;2017 - 2018: 352 tonnes;2018 - 2019: 366 tonnes;2019 - 2020: 217 tonnes;2020 - 2021: 70 tonnes;2021 - 2022: 70 tonnes; and2022 - 2023: 131 tonnes.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416107,"EventID":"S6W-25143","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:47.107","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T15:43:26.967","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its pilots for recruiting and retaining childminders.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has been supporting innovative childminder recruitment pilots within 14 Local Authorities, in partnership with the Scottish Childminding Association. To date, 69 candidates have been supported through the programme to complete their registration as childminders with the Care Inspectorate. A further 116 are currently working towards their registration. We have also begun to explore ways of streamlining and reducing the administrative burden on childminders. \r\nAs announced in the 2023 Programme for Government, we will continue to build on this work and scale up these pilots to support and grow our childminding workforce. We will also implement a range of measures to address retention issues, including trialling a mentoring scheme and models of ‘funded time off the floor’ to support childminders to undertake professional development opportunities, planning or administration duties. ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416108,"EventID":"S6W-24996","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:47.17","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T09:28:16.51","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Review of the 2019 Food Waste Reduction Action Plan, whether it will provide an update on what its position is regarding the feasibility of its target of reducing food waste by 33% by 2025.","AnswerText":"As noted in the recently published Draft Circular Economy and Waste Route Map , Scotland is highly unlikely to meet its target to reduce food waste by 33% by 2025. To accelerate our rate of progress, the Scottish Government has committed to reset its approach to tackle food waste, and is engaging with key partners across the food and drink sector to identify effective food waste reduction actions.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416109,"EventID":"S6W-25167","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:47.233","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T18:10:13.017","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what it is doing to increase uptake of funded early learning and childcare places for eligible two-year-olds.","AnswerText":"We committed in our Strategic Childcare Plan, published October 2022  Best Start - strategic early learning and school age childcare plan 2022 to 2026 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  to work with local authorities to maximise uptake of the existing two year old offer using new access to data on eligible families in their local area.\r\nSince then we have finalised data sharing arrangements with the UK Government and established ‘datapipeline’ – a digital platform from which local authorities can access lists of households in their area that meet the majority of ‘qualifying benefits’ criteria and have a child of the relevant age.\r\nFrom this data we have been able to produce local and national estimates of the eligible population of two-year-olds. This has allowed us to publish uptake rates for two-year-olds by local authority for the first time ( Summary statistics for schools in Scotland 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) , allowing more transparency on the national picture for uptake for two-year-olds as well as informing local authorities’ own understanding of their uptake rates.\r\nWith support from the Improvement Service, we have held a series of webinars with local authorities on making best use of the new data and on access to funded ELC for two-year-olds with a care experienced parent.\r\nWe are also offering one-to-one support, through the Improvement Service, to local authorities that would like to work on maximising uptake of funded ELC for two-year-olds.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416110,"EventID":"S6W-25145","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:47.297","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T15:45:00.773","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its new digital service to help parents and carers find, access and pay for childcare.","AnswerText":"In the 2023-2024 Programme for Government the Scottish Government announced that we would develop and trial a digital service that will give parents and carers greater scope to manage their childcare.\r\nWe know that the current childcare system can be difficult for families to navigate, particularly for those on the lowest incomes, and are at an early stage of designing a digital service that will make it easier for parents and carers to manage their childcare.\r\nOver the course of the next year, we will continue to take forward work to build a strong understanding of user needs, particularly of parents, carers and providers. We will take a community-based approach to this engagement. We will also continue work to scope and prototype the technical and other solutions which are available to meet those needs.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416111,"EventID":"S6W-25184","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:47.357","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T09:12:50.81","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) men and (b) women are currently prescribed sodium valproate.","AnswerText":"Prescription numbers of sodium valproate are not collected by the Scottish Government.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416112,"EventID":"S6W-25176","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:47.42","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T08:13:50.473","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the principle of a legislative ban on the use of farrowing crates for pigs.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is open to considering all options and will continue to work with the industry and other stakeholders to achieve improvements in pig welfare.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416113,"EventID":"S6W-25199","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:47.483","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T11:49:36.91","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers as set out in its Budget for 2024-25, whether such a levy would be in addition to the intermediate property rate where that applies.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24444 on 22 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416114,"EventID":"S6W-25141","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:47.56","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T15:41:43.287","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any children and young people were directly involved in the summits on violence and behaviour in schools.","AnswerText":"A member of the Scottish Youth Parliament attended the relationships and behaviour summit held on 25 October, on relationships and behaviour approaches.\r\nAll three summits included representatives from a range of children’s and young people’s organisations.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416115,"EventID":"S6W-25110","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:47.623","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T14:17:22.793","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact assessment it has undertaken regarding the potential removal of charitable status of independent schools in Edinburgh.","AnswerText":"No impact assessments have been conducted as the Scottish Government’s position is and remains that the charitable status of any organisation is a matter for OSCR. Whether independent fee-charging schools meet the charity test is a matter for OSCR who operate independently of the Scottish Government.\r\nAny changes to the way OSCR determine charitable status would need to be made by primary legislation, following thorough consultation, impact assessments and analysis.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416116,"EventID":"S6W-25153","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:47.703","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T15:47:16.533","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government by what date it anticipates that it will complete the national roll-out of the national upskilling plan for computing science teachers.","AnswerText":"The National Upskilling Plan for Computing Science teachers is a multi-year upskilling programme to support teachers keep pace with this fast-changing subject area. As this is a core tenet of STACS aims and deliverables, the Scottish Government will continue to support this for the duration of the grant funding arrangement with STACS until 2026-7.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416117,"EventID":"S6W-25168","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:47.827","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T18:11:44.62","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its understanding is of the reason why the proportion of children with additional support needs who accessed funded early learning and childcare in 2022 was reportedly 18%, while the proportion of children with additional support needs who were in school was 34%. ","AnswerText":"There could be a number of contributing factors relating to the differences of recorded Additional Support Needs (ASN) data between ELC and schools.\r\nThe 34% of learners who were recorded as requiring additional support in the 2022 pupil census represents a cohort of learners who have spent a longer period of time in primary, secondary and special school settings compared to ELC. The length of time children and young people spend in primary, secondary and special school settings combined with their individual stage of development, strengths, areas of need and circumstances provides increased opportunities to identify, understand and record their needs. It is therefore highly likely that there will be a higher incidence of reporting in school settings compared to ELC settings.\r\nAn additional support need can arise for any reason and may not be permanent. There is a wide spectrum of support that may be needed, from support to overcome barriers arising from health or disability, to support for social and emotional reasons. In addition, the factors which give rise to additional support are often interconnected. Children and young people may also have more than one type of additional need that has been identified over a period of time in primary and secondary settings. This means that the total percentage for ASN categories does not equal the sum of individual types of additional support needs.\r\nIdentifying additional support needs in young children should be a holistic and collaborative approach that is centred around the child. It usually takes place over a period of time, to take cognisance of the child’s individual stage of development, strengths, areas of need and circumstances. It should involve the gathering of information from varied sources in order to identify their needs and to suggest appropriate interventions, support and planning. This can include consultation which actively involves educators, parents/carers, the child and other agencies. This is often not achievable until primary or secondary school, and is another factor that is reflected in the differences in recorded statistics.\r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416118,"EventID":"S6W-25076","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:47.94","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T18:08:41.09","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost was of commissioning the report, Lessons Learned – resetting national collective bargaining in the colleges sector.","AnswerText":"The total cost for commissioning the Lessons Learned report was £25,000.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416119,"EventID":"S6W-25154","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-02T16:26:48","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T15:47:27.837","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many teachers have accessed the Scottish Teachers Advancing Computing Science website.","AnswerText":"Although the number of individual Computing Science teachers visiting the website is not tracked, the STACS website is an important resource for the Computing Science community. 490 Computing Science teachers are members of the STACS website and have access to the full set of resources. Since launching in 2022 the website has had 53,000 unique visits.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416127,"EventID":"S6W-25216","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T17:03:09.797","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T15:20:20.983","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to conduct a review into the dual role of the Lord Advocate.","AnswerText":"The Scotland Act emphasises the Law Officers' independence from any other person as they undertake their prosecutorial and investigation of deaths functions, a principle they uphold in everything they do in an objective and professional manner.\r\nThe Scottish Government has commissioned expert research into the functions of the Law Officers which will be considered when determining next steps.\r\nThis research will ensure a detailed baseline understanding of the many distinct roles and functions of the Law Officers and will provide information on how the functions of Law Officers operate in other countries.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416128,"EventID":"S6W-25217","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T17:03:09.89","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T15:20:20.983","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether retail crime, including shoplifting, should form part of the Scottish Police Authority’s Strategic Police Priorities.","AnswerText":"Under the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012, the Scottish Government is responsible for developing Strategic Police Priorities (SPPs), which it does in consultation with partners. Revised priorities are due to be published by the end of 2025.\r\nPrevention and investigation of crime already feature prominently in the existing SPPs, and Police Scotland and its officers and staff remain focused on these aims. \r\nThe changing nature of policing and criminal activity will always be considered in any future changes to the SPPs.\r\nIt is for Police Scotland, which is accountable to the Scottish Police Authority, to determine the operational delivery of policing in Scotland. When setting priorities for the upcoming year, Police Scotland considers many factors, including demand analysis, emerging threat harm and risk, and futures and horizon scanning. Furthermore, many of the  Local Police Plans  , refreshed for 2023-26, include specific activities focusing upon acquisitive crime and engagement with partners and stakeholders, ensuring that focus upon the concerns of retailers is addressed at a local level.\r\nThe Scottish Government recognises the significant disruption and harm to both businesses and individuals from retail crime and continues to support the innovative Scottish Partnership Against Acquisitive Crime (SPAACE) strategy. The partnership is led by Police Scotland working with retailers and other organisations including Retailers Against Crime and Neighbourhood Watch Scotland, with a focus on the prevention, deterrence and where appropriate enforcement. The Strategy seeks to minimise opportunities for this type of crime, protect individuals and businesses, and deliver clear advice and guidance for prevention.\r\nWe will invest £1.55 billion in policing in 2024-25. Specific decisions on deployment of resources are a matter for the Chief Constable and the Scottish Police Authority.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416129,"EventID":"S6W-25235","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T17:03:09.953","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T20:08:40.72","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the effectiveness of the participatory budgeting awards from the Just Transition Fund for the north east and Moray on a just transition.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government works closely with the north east Just Transition Participatory Budgeting Fund partners who co-ordinate and deliver the fund. Officials carry out mid and end of year reviews to ensure the effective management of the fund and the principles of a just transition are followed. Partners produced a report on  Year 1  and will produce a summary at the end of Year 2.\r\nWe will also undertake an evaluation of phase one of the Just Transition Fund in the 2024-25 financial year aiming to commence the next phase in the following financial year.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416130,"EventID":"S6W-25249","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T17:03:10.017","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T16:19:21.123","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the conclusions of the review of the dualling of the A96 will be published.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to improving the A96.\r\nThe current plan is to fully dual the route and as part of this process we are undertaking a transparent, evidence-based review of the programme.\r\nThe significant interest in the review’s initial consultation generated 11,000 options to improve the corridor. It is only right that it has taken more time than originally anticipated, in order to properly examine and fully appraise these.\r\nIt is expected that the draft outcomes from the Review will be consulted on in the coming months, before a final decision can be reached.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416131,"EventID":"S6W-25234","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T17:03:10.093","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T19:54:52.883","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the ScotRail consultation on alcohol on trains will be completed, and when a decision will be made on reallowing alcohol at certain times.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6F-02532 on 16 November 2023. Which can be found at  Meeting of the Parliament: 16/11/2023 | Scottish Parliament Website ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416132,"EventID":"S6W-25221","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T17:03:10.14","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T16:34:27.313","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it undertook with local authorities regarding the reported 26% reduction in funding for affordable homes in the Scottish Budget 2024-25.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government officials engage regularly with local authorities and other partners with regard to the Affordable Housing Supply Programme.\r\nOne of the most difficult choices we have taken is to reduce the funding for our Affordable Housing Supply Programme. We will, however, still invest £556 million in 2024-25 to increase the delivery of more affordable homes, the majority of which will be for social rent, including supporting the acquisition of existing properties.\r\nWe remain focused on our target of delivering 110,000 affordable homes by 2032 and to support that we will bring forward the review scheduled for 2026-27 to 2024, which will concentrate on deliverability.\r\nIn addition, we are accelerating work with the financial community in Scotland, and elsewhere, to boost private sector investment and help deliver more homes.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416133,"EventID":"S6W-25218","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T17:03:10.22","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T15:20:20.983","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any funding for policing set out in the Scottish Budget 2024-25 will be directed towards tackling retail crime, including shoplifting and abuse and violence towards shop workers.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the significant disruption and harm to both businesses and individuals from retail crime and continues to support the innovative Scottish Partnership Against Acquisitive Crime (SPAACE) strategy.\r\nThe partnership is led by Police Scotland working with retailers and other organisations including Retailers Against Crime and Neighbourhood Watch Scotland, with a focus on the prevention, deterrence and where appropriate enforcement. The Strategy seeks to minimise opportunities for this type of crime, protect individuals and businesses, and deliver clear advice and guidance for prevention.\r\nWe will invest £1.55 billion in policing in 2024-25. Specific decisions on deployment of resources are a matter for the Chief Constable who is accountable to the Scottish Police Authority.\r\nI would urge retailers and customers to continue to engage with Police Scotland and other partners to help safeguard their business, the people that work there and their community.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416134,"EventID":"S6W-25215","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T17:03:10.28","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T15:20:20.983","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of the process that will be used to deal with the reported complaint that has been made against the Chief Constable of Police Scotland by a civilian colleague, the Deputy Chief Officer.","AnswerText":"Police Scotland’s Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), which can be accessed at:  Grievance - Simplified Procedure V4.00 (scotland.police.uk),  sets out the procedure to be followed should a grievance be raised against any officer or staff, including the Chief Constable. If a grievance concerns the Chief Constable, the issue should be referred to the SPA Board.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416135,"EventID":"S6W-25248","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T17:03:10.327","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T16:16:13.033","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to decarbonise the rail network between Aberdeen and the Central Belt.","AnswerText":"No date has been set for the decarbonisation of the lines between Aberdeen and Edinburgh, and Aberdeen and the electrified network at Dunblane. However, in line with the Rail Decarbonisation Action Plan, these routes are under consideration for future decarbonisation through electrification by Transport Scotland, with plans at an early stage of development.\r\nAs set out in the Decarbonisation Action Plan, the order and pace in which decarbonisation is undertaken has always, and continues to, depend on business cases and available budgets.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416136,"EventID":"S6W-25247","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T17:03:10.39","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T14:07:02.18","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it reportedly stopped collecting literacy and numeracy data via the Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy (SSLN) was replaced with the more comprehensive Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence Levels (ACEL) data collection as part of the development of the National Improvement Framework for Scottish education. This was partly in response to advice from the OECD following its 2015 review of Scottish education which said that said the sample approach of the SSLN did not give national agencies enough evidence - “The light sampling of literacy and numeracy at the national level has not provided sufficient evidence for other stakeholders to use in their own evaluative activities or for national agencies to identify with confidence the areas of strength in the years of the Broad General Education across the four capacities of CfE.\"\r\nThe SSLN did not provide any detailed information for local authorities and schools about the progress of individual children. The ACEL data provides the attainment levels of every child in Scotland at key stages in primary and secondary school, and provides detailed data at all levels of the system, allowing schools and local authorities to better target improvement activity. Moving to ACEL data also empowers teachers, placing primacy on their professional judgement as the key indicator of children’s progress prior to national qualifications.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416137,"EventID":"S6W-25229","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T17:03:10.437","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T17:12:11.847","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21824 by Jenny Gilruth on 26 October 2023, what percentage of teaching posts have been (a) permanent and (b) temporary in each year since 2010.","AnswerText":"In the information held by the Scottish Government, teaching posts are classified into three employment types: Permanent, Temporary, and Temporary-Teacher Induction Scheme. For the purposes of this response, teachers on the Teacher Induction Scheme have been included in the Temporary category.\r\nTeachers may be employed on a permanent contract but be categorised as Temporary if they are working in a post classified as a temporary employment type.\r\nThe following table shows the percentage of permanent and temporary full-time equivalent (FTE) teacher posts across all sectors (Primary, Secondary, Special and Centrally Employed) from 2010.\r\nPercentage of teachers (FTE) with Permanent and Temporary posts \r\nPermanent\r\nTemporary\r\n2023\r\n82\r\n18\r\n2022\r\n81\r\n19\r\n2021\r\n81\r\n19\r\n2020\r\n82\r\n18\r\n2019\r\n83\r\n17\r\n2018\r\n84\r\n16\r\n2017\r\n83\r\n17\r\n2016\r\n84\r\n16\r\n2015\r\n83\r\n17\r\n2014\r\n83\r\n17\r\n2013\r\n84\r\n16\r\n2012\r\n84\r\n16\r\n2011\r\n83\r\n17\r\n2010\r\n84\r\n16\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416138,"EventID":"S6W-25240","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T17:03:10.497","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T12:16:07.203","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how often it monitors and reviews the decisions taken by NHS boards on safeguarding training for non-clinical staff who interact with patients. ","AnswerText":"The Staff Governance Standard, which is applicable to all staff employed in NHSScotland, requires health boards to appropriately train and develop staff, as well as provide a safe working environment. The Scottish Government monitors compliance annually to ensure health boards, as employers, are meeting this standard. This includes providing the necessary training for staff according to statutory requirements. ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416139,"EventID":"S6W-25213","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T17:03:10.543","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T15:20:20.983","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work it has been doing to prevent XL Bully-type dogs coming into Scotland from England and Wales since the Dangerous Dogs (Designated Types) (England and Wales) Order 2023 came into force on 31 December 2023.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government previously asked the UK Government to confirm whether XL Bully dog owners who live in England and Wales would be committing the offence of sale of an XL Bully dog if a dog owner sought to do that outside of England and Wales. The UK Government were unable to give a definitive answer indicating it would be ‘unlikely’ an offence would be committed in such a situation.\r\nAs a result and in a decision not made lightly, the Scottish Government considers it necessary to introduce similar safeguards in Scotland to address growing public safety and animal welfare concerns.\r\nThe Scottish Government has worked at pace to develop regulations to introduce the first stage of new safeguards on XL Bully dogs. Subject to approval by Parliament, from 23 February 2024 it will be illegal to rehome, sell, buy, or transfer ownership of an XL Bully dog to another person.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416140,"EventID":"S6W-25237","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16191,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":77,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T17:03:10.603","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T11:48:13.907","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is, regarding the impact on households in Scotland, to reported data from Outra stating that the UK energy price cap increase has led to a 12.2% rise in fuel poverty. ","AnswerText":"Our own estimates show that with Ofgem’s price cap set at £1,928 for an average household until March this year, 840,000 of Scottish households are in fuel poverty – 34% of all households. This is a 2% increase – an extra 20,000 households approximately – in the number of fuel poor households from estimates for October to December 2023. These estimates are based on Scotland’s statutory definition of fuel poverty, whereas the Outra figure is likely produced under a different definition.\r\nAccording to the Scottish fuel poverty definition, a household is in fuel poverty if:in order to maintain a satisfactory heating regime, total fuel costs necessary for the home are more than 10% of the household's adjusted net income (i.e. after housing costs), and more than 20% in the case of extreme fuel poverty; andif, after deducting those fuel costs, benefits received for a care need or disability and childcare costs, the household's remaining adjusted net income is insufficient to maintain an acceptable standard of living.\r\nSubsidised support for the majority of consumers ended last year, but thousands of households continue to struggle to balance high energy costs along with unmanageable legacy debt. This is why we continue to call for urgent, targeted support including the introduction of a social tariff mechanism for those who need it the most. It is disappointing that our calls, consistent with those from the industry and third sector, have been ignored.\r\nI urge anybody struggling with their energy bills to contact Advice Direct Scotland and Citizens Advice Scotland who will be able to help in the first instance.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416141,"EventID":"S6W-25244","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T17:03:10.73","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T14:02:03.337","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish its response to the review of purpose-built student accommodation.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government received 11 recommendations formulated by the Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) Review Group. These are listed below and have been fully accepted by Ministers.\r\nWork is now underway on taking forward the three recommendations that fall specifically to the Scottish Government. We will continue to engage with the sectors regarding delivery of those recommendations that are to be progressed jointly or elsewhere, reconvening the Review Group as part of that recommendation.\r\nRecommendations\r\n1. That the Scottish Government works with partners to develop a Model Terms and Conditions to apply across all PBSA, both institutionally and privately operated.\r\n2. That the Scottish Government consults widely on the scope to legislate on PBSA regulation, specifically in respect of notice periods and cooling off period for PBSA tenants, including identifying what circumstances should apply in such cases and potential impact on investment and rent levels.\r\n3. That Higher Education Institutions work with partners to develop and distribute information packs for student tenants in both institutional and private PBSA properties, outlining the existing routes for progressing complaints and redress, including through the SPSO and the First-Tier Tribunals system. These information packs should contain clear links to regularly updated relevant online content.\r\n4. That the Scottish Government works with partners to scope the development of a Model Complaints Procedure to be adopted across all types of PBSA.\r\n5. That the Scottish Government convenes a national round table discussion with HEIs, private PBSA providers, investors/developers, students, and local authorities, to explore improvements in relation to ensuring the housing needs of students are met.\r\n6. That strategic partnerships be established at local level, involving all those involved in provision / use of student accommodation to consider / address supply issues at local level in the short, medium, and long-term.\r\n7. That the Scottish Government works with partners to identify and address barriers to expanding the supply of affordable accommodation for students through e.g. the repurposing of existing buildings and the utilisation of alternative housing models e.g. housing co-operatives.\r\n8. That the Scottish Government and Higher Education Institutions actively engage with property investors/developers in the private sector to encourage the development of a more diverse range of student accommodation properties, which could meet the needs of families and those on lower incomes.\r\n9. That Higher Education Institutions and providers of private PBSA work more closely together to ensure students get the information they need, including consideration of data sharing agreements.\r\n10. That Higher Education Institutions provide to all tenants residing in University or privately-run PBSA information on student support available through institutions, and how to access this. This should be available in formats other than online, and frontline staff working within all types of PBSA should have ready access to this information in order to provide advice when needed.\r\n11. That the Scottish Government engages with Home Office on the provision of student dependents’ data for international students taking up places at Scottish universities.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416142,"EventID":"S6W-25232","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T17:03:10.777","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T18:54:18.03","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many working groups it has established since October 2023, and, further to the answer to question S6W-21835 by Jenny Gilruth on 25 October 2023, whether all of the working groups listed in that answer are still active.","AnswerText":"Further to question S6W-21835, I can confirm that no further working groups have been established since October 2023 within the Education and Skills portfolio.\r\nI can confirm that all of the working groups listed in that answer are still active. However please note, one additional group was missed in the original PQ response. Therefore the current active working groups are as follows:\r\nWorking Group\r\nIs the group still active?\r\nNational Response to Improving Mathematics in Scotland Short Life Working Group\r\nYes, but it is now called the National Response to Improving Maths Partnership Board.\r\nNational Response to Improving Literacy in Scotland Short Life Working Group\r\nYes, but it is now called the National Response to Improving Literacy Partnership Board which is co-chaired by Education Scotland, Scottish Government Directorate for Education Reform and ADES.\r\n \r\nNIF Statutory Guidance Working Group\r\nYes\r\nNational Transitions to Adulthood Strategy External Strategic Working Group\r\nYes\r\nScottish Government Cross-Policy Working Group on Transitions\r\nYes\r\nImprovement and Regulation Working Group\r\nYes, but it is now called the Child Rights Regulation and Improvement Action Group.\r\nStudent Mental Health and Wellbeing Working Group\r\nYes\r\nShort Life Working Group on Data Sharing in Relation to Student Sexual Misconduct\r\nYes\r\nAccess Data Short-Life Working Group\r\nYes\r\n \r\n \r\nShort Life Working Group on the Scope of the Accreditation and Regulation Function for the New Qualifications Body\r\n \r\n \r\nYes\r\nShort Life Working Group on Economic and Social Opportunities for Gaelic\r\nYes\r\nPlay Strategy Refresh Working Group\r\nYes, this group was missed in the original PQ response but has been active since June 2022.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416143,"EventID":"S6W-25225","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T17:03:10.823","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T16:35:59.887","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received (a) Peel Ports' and (b) North Ayrshire Council’s study of the (i) business case and (ii) cost review exercise for upgrading Ardrossan Harbour.","AnswerText":"North Ayrshire Council recently provided their updated socio-economic appraisal that will be reviewed by officials and used to inform the business case work. Peel Ports Group (PPG), are currently progressing the structural assessments which will help inform a decision on the expanded project scope and business case review.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416144,"EventID":"S6W-25222","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T17:03:10.87","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T16:35:59.887","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that CalMac will begin crew familiarisation on the Glen Sannox.","AnswerText":"Crew commissioning of the vessel is already under way with senior Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac) crew present in the shipyard as the vessel is prepared for operational delivery. Following a period of berthing trials and crew familiarisation the MV Glen Sannox, (Hull 801) is set to be operational eight weeks after handover.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416145,"EventID":"S6W-25242","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T17:03:10.927","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T13:52:55.12","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the costs associated with colleges transitioning to net zero.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) engage regularly with colleges, which, are key anchors for the transition to Net Zero, acting as both community enablers and demonstration hubs in cities and regions.\r\nSFC’s  College Infrastructure Strategy  , published in November 2022, describes the Scottish Funding Council’s approach to determining future investment in Scotland’s college estate and other college infrastructure. The strategy sets out the collective approach between SFC and colleges to develop an Infrastructure Investment Plan (IIP) for Scotland’s colleges. The plan, which will cover the period from 2024-34, will identify infrastructure investment need including investment for net zero.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416146,"EventID":"S6W-25220","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T17:03:10.973","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T16:34:27.313","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting action by local authorities to increase social housing stock.","AnswerText":"We are investing £752 million in affordable housing in 2023-24 to increase the delivery of more affordable homes, the majority of which will be for social rent, including supporting a £60 million national acquisition programme.\r\nTo effectively meet housing need and support affordable housing priorities across different areas we want to support all tenures whilst still prioritising social rented homes.\r\nWe remain focused on delivering 110,000 affordable homes by 2032 of which at least 70% will be for social rent and 10% in rural ands island areas.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416147,"EventID":"S6W-25219","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T17:03:11.02","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T15:20:20.983","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) arrests, (b) prosecutions, (c) convictions and (d) any other disposals there have been under the Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-restricted Goods and Services) (Scotland) Act 2021 in each year since it came into force.","AnswerText":"Statistics on the number of arrests for offences under the Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-restricted Goods and Services) (Scotland) Act 2021 would be kept by the Police Service of Scotland and are not available to COPFS.\r\nSince the act came into force on 24 August 2021, there have been a total of 3,607 charges reported to COPFS for offences under that act.\r\nOf those charges, 2,976 were marked for court proceedings and 1,199 resulted in convictions. Accordingly, 323 of those charges resulted in acquittals, while 141 were marked for ‘no further action’. A case may be marked for no further action where it is no longer in the public interest to prosecute or where it is no longer considered that there is sufficient evidence. The remaining 1,313 of the charges marked for court proceedings are still ongoing as of 31 January 2024.\r\nOf the 631 charges which were reported to COPFS but not marked for court proceedings:-\r\n320 were marked for a direct measure, 83 marked for no action, 74 are still awaiting a marking decision. Of the 320 marked for a direct measure, 19 were marked for a combined fiscal fine and requirement to pay compensation. A further 19 were marked for compensation alone. 61 were marked for a fiscal fine alone. 66 were marked for diversion. 6 were marked for an unpaid work offer. 122 were referred to the Scottish Childrens Reporter and 27 were issued with a warning.\r\nA total of 154 charges were not separately actioned. This is where no action was taken against that particular charge but action (prosecution in court or direct measure) was taken against the accused in relation to other charges emanating from the same case.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416148,"EventID":"S6W-25236","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T17:03:11.067","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T20:11:18","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement mechanism has replaced the (a) Family Support Commissioning and Procurement Short Life Working Group and (b) Parental Involvement Act Statutory Guidance Working Group.","AnswerText":"The Family Support Commissioning and Procurement Short Life Working Group was a subset of the Family Support Advisory Group, set up to provide recommendations on the key theme of holistic family support. Following task completion, engagement on this issue has reverted to the Family Support Advisory Group, as well as engagement with broader stakeholders as part of delivery of the Whole Family Wellbeing Programme.\r\nThe Parental Involvement Act Statutory Guidance Working Group was set up to refresh statutory guidance. The group met four times over the course of 2019, and developed draft amended guidance. Due to COVID-19, the Group decided to pause this work given the limited capacity of education authorities and schools to prepare for and implement refreshed statutory guidance at this time. Officials are considering how best to strengthen parental engagement following the OECD PISA 2022 results and the respective Muir and National Discussion reports, which highlighted a growing appetite for more “meaningful engagement” opportunities for parents.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416149,"EventID":"S6W-25223","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T17:03:11.113","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T16:35:59.887","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24320 by Neil Gray on 19 January 2024, what the most recent (a) total cost is of the contract for Hull (i) 801 and (ii) 802 and (b) projected operational date is for Hull 801.","AnswerText":"The Chief Executive of Ferguson Marine provided the most recent costs for completion of the vessels to the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee in September 2023.\r\nThe Chief Executive also informed the NZET Committee in January that the estimated total cost to complete both vessels was being reviewed and the outcome would be notified to the Committee and Scottish Government before 23rd February.\r\nFollowing a period of berthing trials and crew familiarisation the MV Glen Sannox (Hull 801) is set to be operational eight weeks after handover. The handover date is also in the process of being revised by Ferguson Marine and we expect this to be notified with the updated forecast costs.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416150,"EventID":"S6W-25214","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T17:03:11.193","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T15:20:20.983","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to provide additional funding to (a) Police Scotland and (b) local authorities for the enforcement of any legislation relating to XL Bully-type dogs.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government met with Police Scotland this month, with further engagement planned to discuss any issues, concerns or barriers from a policing perspective in relation to implementation and enforcement of the new safeguards in relation to XL Bully dogs.\r\nIn addition the Scottish Government has also written to Councillor Maureen Chalmers, COSLA Spokesperson for Community Wellbeing, to provide information on the Scottish Government’s policy approach and to offer to meet to discuss any local authority issues, concerns or barriers from a local authority perspective on the implementation of the new safeguards.\r\nMy officials have also set up an implementation forum to bring together the Scottish Government, Police Scotland, local authorities and COSLA to collectively consider any operational / enforcement issues that arise, and to help inform any consideration of requests for additional funding.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416151,"EventID":"S6W-25224","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T17:03:11.257","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T16:35:59.887","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24320 by Neil Gray on 19 January 2024, on what date it anticipates that it will report the outcomes from the business case and cost review exercise for upgrading Ardrossan Harbour.","AnswerText":"I wrote to the Ardrossan Task Force on the 27 November 2023 to advise that the business case and cost review exercise for the Ardrossan Harbour project is currently being progressed. Transport Scotland and our project partners continue to make progress in the development of the business case and the updated cost estimate reviews with additional information expected in February. Once the business case review has been compiled, a meeting of the taskforce can be arranged, allowing the outcomes of the business case and cost exercise to be shared.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416152,"EventID":"S6W-25226","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T17:03:11.287","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T16:35:59.887","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is taking steps to ensure that the annual payment of a dividend by Ardrossan Harbour Co Ltd to the parent company, Peel Ports, between 2017-18 and 2022-23 is considered as part of the revised business case for the Ardrossan Harbour upgrade.","AnswerText":"Harbour dues are charged to CalMac by the Ardrossan Harbour Company Ltd as per the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service contract and the existing and ongoing cost of harbour dues will be factored into the business case. Neither CalMac or Transport Scotland are party to the financial arrangements between Ardrossan Harbour Company Ltd and their owner Peel Ports Group.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416153,"EventID":"S6W-25250","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T17:03:11.35","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T16:22:03.78","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of any impact of local authorities decreasing relief on non-domestic rates for empty, listed properties.","AnswerText":"Empty Property Relief was devolved to local authorities on 1 April 2023, and it is for individual local authorities to decide how they will tailor any support for unoccupied property, including listed buildings, to best support their local needs.\r\nAs indicated in the recommendations of the New Deal for Business Non-Domestic Rates sub-group, the Scottish Government will undertake an initial review of the devolution of Empty Property Relief before the next revaluation in 2026.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416154,"EventID":"S6W-25245","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T17:03:11.397","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T14:02:14.633","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which stakeholders it has engaged with regarding its response to the review of purpose-built student accommodation, and when.","AnswerText":"The Purpose Built Student Accommodation Review Steering Group, which comprised representation from the Association of Student Residential Accommodation (ASRA), National Union of Students (NUS), Universities Scotland, College and University Business Managers (CUBO), Scottish Property Federation (SPF), private PBSA providers, individual universities, university student representative organisations and Unipol/National Codes, were fully involved in the formulation of the 11 recommendations which have been fully accepted by Ministers. The answer to question S6W-25244 on 22 February 2024 provides details of the recommendations.\r\nThe Review Steering Group will be reconvened to determine how best to take forward those recommendations that are to be progressed jointly with or by partners.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416155,"EventID":"S6W-25231","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T17:03:11.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T18:43:40.617","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to announce Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) round 11, stage 2 funding decisions.","AnswerText":"Funding to support place-based regeneration programmes has been set at £45.8m for 2024-25 of which £23m is required to meet contractual commitments for Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) and the Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme (VDLIP) projects.\r\nMinisters are considering implications of the budget and options for the distribution of the remaining capital budget allocation. As such, the planned investment panel and subsequent funding decisions on Round 11 Stage 2 of the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund are currently on hold and we will clarify how the regeneration capital budget will be allocated in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416156,"EventID":"S6W-25238","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T17:03:11.507","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T12:13:56.677","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what financial support is available to medical students during placement years, when they are unable to work elsewhere.","AnswerText":"Scottish domiciled medical students are eligible for the standard student support package which is comprised of tuition fees and living cost support throughout the full duration of their medical degree. Additionally the most disadvantaged students can access up to £9,000 per year through a bursary and loans with the Scottish student support package currently the highest it has ever been. All Scottish domiciled students, irrespective of circumstances are eligible for a loan of up to £6,000 a year for the full duration of their medical degree.\r\nIt should be noted that students studying on the ScotGEM programme are eligible to claim a return of service bursary of £4,000 per year. This is only available to ScotGEM students, and for each year of the bursary accepted the students is required to work in NHS Scotland for the corresponding number of years.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416157,"EventID":"S6W-25228","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T17:03:11.553","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T16:52:18.653","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the availability of qualified stonemasons to repair and maintain traditionally built homes, in light of Edinburgh College no longer delivering a stonemasonry apprenticeship. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has been exploring the workforce demand for skilled stonemasons through engagement with the stonemasonry short life working group led by Historic Environment Scotland. The working group was set up to look at stonemasonry and traditional skills provision in Scotland with a view to identifying sustainable models of stonemasonry training for future delivery.\r\nAdditionally, Historic Environment Scotland ran a stonemasonry consultation in early 2023 to inform understanding of the size, shape and resilience of the stonemasonry sector in Scotland. The stonemasonry working group have since provided their report of findings and recommendations to Ministers for their consideration.\r\nRegarding the cessation of stonemasonry apprenticeship training at Edinburgh College, the then Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development and I met Historic Environment Scotland in recent months to discuss stonemasonry and we await their proposals to address the skills issues in the sector.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416158,"EventID":"S6W-25246","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T17:03:11.6","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T14:04:30.953","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of any reasons for the reported decline in applications for teaching bursaries.","AnswerText":"Decline in applications for teaching bursaries can be for many reasons, including a fall in the overall number of applications for the PGDE courses in bursary eligible subjects.\r\nWe are engaging with a range of stakeholders including local authority employers, university providers and the teaching unions to work collectively to raise the profile of teaching as a highly rewarding career.\r\nAs you will be aware, the scheme was extended in 2023 to include Gaelic as a secondary subject, and Gaelic medium across all secondary subjects and in primary.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416159,"EventID":"S6W-25239","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T17:03:11.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T12:13:56.677","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce grants for medical students, similar to the Paramedic, Nursing and Midwifery Student Bursary (PNMSB) scheme, which is administered by the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS). ","AnswerText":"There are currently no plans to introduce grants for medical students similar to the Paramedic, Nursing, and Midwifery Student Bursary.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416160,"EventID":"S6W-25251","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T17:03:11.723","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T16:25:23.143","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many jobs have been created in the renewables sector in the (a) Aberdeen City and (b) Aberdeenshire Council area in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"Statistics from the ONS Low Carbon and Renewable Energy Economy (LCREE) survey provide estimates of renewable employment statistics in Scotland. No data is available to provide additional geographic breakdowns below the Scotland level at present.\r\nAs the following table shows, the estimated number of direct jobs in renewable electricity was 9,200 in 2021, up from 5,600 in 2017.\r\n \r\nEmployment (Full-time equivalent)\r\n2017\r\n2018\r\n2019\r\n2020\r\n2021\r\nScotland\r\n5,600\r\n5,400\r\n5,400\r\n6,500\r\n9,200\r\nThe LCREE estimates presented in the table above are survey-based and are therefore subject to a degree of uncertainty.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416161,"EventID":"S6W-25212","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T17:03:11.77","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T15:20:20.983","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work it has done to establish how many XL Bully-type dogs have arrived in Scotland from England and Wales since the Dangerous Dogs (Designated Types) (England and Wales) Order 2023 came into force on 31 December 2023.","AnswerText":"I have met with a range of stakeholders to discuss the operational challenges and wider impacts associated with the new safeguards on XL Bully dogs.\r\nAs I stated in response to question S6W-24479 on 24 January 2024, there is a significant degree of uncertainty across the UK as to the size of the population of XL Bully dogs. It is clear from the number of applications received from XL Bully owners in England and Wales seeking exemption for their dogs that the initial estimate of 10,000 dogs was a significant underestimate.\r\nIt is also evident from press and social media coverage that some XL Bully dogs have been transported to Scotland. It is this context of uncertainty and the failure of the UK Government to ensure XL Bully dog owners in England and Wales cannot evade the new safeguards by selling their dogs outside of England and Wales that has led to the decision by the Scottish Government to introduce similar safeguards in Scotland.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416162,"EventID":"S6W-25252","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T17:03:11.833","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T16:27:09.81","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on safety improvements at the A90 Toll of Birness junction since 1 April 2017.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has spent £67,232 on the construction of safety improvements on the A90 Toll of Birness junction since 1 April 2017. These safety improvements have been delivered through Transport Scotland’s Trunk Road Casualty Reduction programme of works. This spend was primarily associated with the provision of three vehicle activated signs (VAS) recommended from previous safety studies. Two signs were erected in 2017 with a third sign to supplement the northbound VAS erected in 2021. Other work involved the provision of an additional northbound advance direction sign.\r\nThis spend does may not include some elements of wider spend across the North East Operating Company Unit as it is not possible identify those that relate specifically to the A90 at this location.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416163,"EventID":"S6W-25233","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T17:03:11.88","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T19:10:53.97","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21777 by Maree Todd on 24 October 2023, what analysis it has undertaken of any reduction in the number of young people participating in sport.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government and sportscotland passionately believe that sport is for everyone. We should all feel included, and able to take part and access the benefits of sport.\r\nAn ongoing priority for the Scottish Government is to support participation across all groups and tackle inequalities in participation.\r\nCurrently available Scottish Health Survey data shows that 11-15 year old’s participation in sport appears to have remained stable since pre-covid levels at 65%. Other data that we use to track participation in sport is published by sportscotland.\r\nRecent data published by sportscotland in 2023 shows significantly increased participation levels in their national Active Schools programme, across the past academic year (2022-23), with over 4.6 million visits (a rise of 34% on 2021-22) made to almost 247,000 Active Schools sessions. The number of Active Schools participants (over 269,000 children and young people), deliverers (over 17,900 with 90% of those being volunteers), and school/club links (over 2,500) also increased from the previous academic year as the recovery from covid continued.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416164,"EventID":"S6W-25243","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T17:03:11.927","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T13:56:28.983","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government by what date it plans to publish its updated guidance for local authorities on home schooling.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government home education guidance sets out the legal position on home education and provides advice on the roles and responsibilities of local authorities and parents in relation to children who are home educated.\r\nThis guidance is currently in the process of being updated following consultation with local authorities, other public, community and voluntary sector bodies and home educators and their relevant representative bodies. Scottish Government will engage further with stakeholders part of this process and we expect the publication of the refreshed home education guidance to be later this year. Officials will ensure that stakeholders and the public will be notified of the publication date.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416166,"EventID":"S6T-01780","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T15:01:53.153","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-05T09:53:32.63","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to comments made by the chief executive of the Scottish Prison Service that prisoners may need to be released early due to overcrowding.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416167,"EventID":"S6T-01788","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T15:01:54.033","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-05T10:29:19.837","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the reported recall of 150,000 women who were wrongly excluded from cervical cancer screening since 1997. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416168,"EventID":"S6F-02792","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T15:01:45.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T11:56:31.13","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416169,"EventID":"S6F-02793","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5586,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T15:01:45.6","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T11:56:54.97","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416170,"EventID":"S6F-02813","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T15:01:47.553","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-05T11:24:13.873","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to the Scottish Information Commissioner’s intervention into its use and retention of informal communications, in light of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416171,"EventID":"S6F-02821","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16187,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":116,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T15:01:48.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-05T11:58:01.9","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on what progress the Scottish Government has made towards implementing the recommendations of the COVID-19 Recovery Committee’s report, Long COVID.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416172,"EventID":"S6F-02810","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T15:01:47.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-05T10:50:40.127","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to the Who Cares? Scotland research report, Is Scotland Keeping the Promise?, which reportedly indicates that, on the fourth anniversary of the publication of The Promise, key pledges made to care experienced people are not being fulfilled.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416173,"EventID":"S6F-02798","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-05T15:01:46.21","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-05T08:41:42.893","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to strengthen enforcement powers in relation to long-term empty homes.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-02-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416187,"EventID":"S6W-25285","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:40.55","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-05T08:10:19.58","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to improve the accessibility of GP appointments.","AnswerText":"In November Scottish Government published The General Practice Access Principles. This report, which sets out a clear framework for the core principles of how GP services should be delivered – equitably, sensitively, reasonably and appropriately, making the most effective use of resources and systems currently available.\r\nThe main principles are:\r\n1. Access to General Practice is inclusive and equitable for people, based on the principles of  Realistic Medicine and Value Based Health & Care.  Care will be person-centred and based on what matters to the individual.\r\n2. People should have a reasonable choice about how they access services.\r\n3. Services should be approachable, sensitive, compassionate, and considerate to need.\r\n4. General Practices should help people to get the right care from the best and most appropriate person or team to care for them (Right Care, Right Place, Right Time).\r\nWe continue to work together with all relevant partners to effectively implement these principles, including through our commitment to the ongoing recruitment of primary care multi-disciplinary teams as well as Phase Two of the GMS Contract.\r\nHealthcare Improvement Scotland’s Primary Care Access Programme has already worked with over 100 general practices to improve access arrangements and continues to run with excellent uptake.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416188,"EventID":"S6W-25265","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:40.673","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T16:56:47.21","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the percentage change in the amount allocated to the Just Transition Fund is from financial year 2023-24 to 2024-25.","AnswerText":"In 2024-25 there has been a regrettable 51.2% reduction in capital allocated to the Just Transition Fund in 2024-25.\r\nThere has been a 100% reduction in financial transactions allocated to the Just Transition Fund in 2024-25.\r\nThe change in budget allocation to the Just Transition Fund is due to a reduction in capital and financial transactions funding allocations from the UK Government which the Fund relies on. I remain entirely committed to the multi-annual funding commitment to provide £500m over ten years. 75m has been provided to date and 16m will be spent in 24/25.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416189,"EventID":"S6W-25266","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:40.74","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T16:56:47.21","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of spend from the Just Transition Fund in financial year 2022-23.","AnswerText":"The Just Transition Fund has allocated £75 million to date, supporting projects and communities across the North East and Moray to create jobs, support innovation, and secure the highly skilled workforce of the future.\r\nA total of 23 projects were delivered through the Just Transition Fund in 2022-23.\r\nSpend totalled £10.9 million comprised of £9.93 million in capital, £500,000 in financial transactions and £465,000 in resource funding support. A breakdown across projects is detailed in the flowing table:\r\nEnergy Transition Skills Hub (formerly Advanced Manufacturing Skills Hub\r\n£1,180,000 (capital)\r\nCabrach Distillery\r\n£361,767.25 (capital)\r\nClimate Assemblies Pilot\r\n£214,055 (resource)\r\nCommunity Capacity Support\r\n£23,968 (resource)\r\nDigital Innovation Lab\r\n£313,982.04 (capital)\r\nEaster Anguston Farm\r\n£504,446.86 (capital)\r\nEnergy Skills Passport\r\n1,871,967.88 (capital)\r\nFindhorn Ecovillage\r\n£226,775 (capital)\r\nFindhorn Watershed Initiative\r\n£139,972.45 (capital)\r\nHydrogen Offshore Production (HOP2)\r\n£126,000 (capital)\r\nHydroglen\r\n£262,270.09 (capital)\r\nJust Transition Hub\r\n£243,601.16 (capital)\r\nMoray Council Just Transition Masterplan\r\n£250,544.62 (capital)\r\nNESS Carbon Capture Feasibility Study\r\n£96,750 (capital)\r\nNorth East Adventure Tourism (NEAT)\r\n£397,000 (capital)\r\nParticipatory Budgeting\r\n£1 million (capital), £200,000 (resource)\r\nPilot Energy Skills Project\r\n£39,960 (capital)\r\nSeedPod\r\n£500,000 (capital)\r\nSocial Enterprise Just Transition Fund\r\n£476k (capital), £500k (FT’s), £27,180 (resource)\r\nSustainable Solvent Recovery/EV Battery Recycling\r\n£457,559 (capital)\r\nSupply Chain Pathway and Energy Transition Challenge Fund\r\n£1,299,598 (capital)\r\nTidal Rotor Generator\r\n£71,200 (capital)\r\nMoray Net Zero Bottlenecks\r\n£41,596.47 (capital)\r\nWave Energy Converter\r\n£70,000 (capital)","AnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416190,"EventID":"S6W-25300","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:40.8","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-05T15:25:52.13","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it provided to Alternatives West Dunbartonshire CDS since 2019.","AnswerText":"Alternatives West Dunbartonshire CDS has received funding from the Scottish Government’s  Prison to Rehab Protocol  since 2022. The pathway supports individuals leaving prison who would benefit from accessing abstinence based treatment on release, based on an individual needs based assessment.\r\nAlternatives West Dunbartonshire CDS is a recipient of the National Drugs Mission fund. Whilst Scottish Government do not directly set the objectives, the Corra Foundation has administered the National Drugs Mission Funds on our behalf, since 2021, to third sector and grassroots organisations and details of the projects are available at :  Grant holder data - Corra Foundation  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416191,"EventID":"S6W-25304","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:40.863","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-05T15:28:03.093","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it provided to Angus Independent Advocacy since 2019.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has provided funding to Angus Independent Advocacy since 2020, as one of the providers of the statutory children's advocacy scheme for children's hearings. The objectives of the funding are to develop, deliver and promote children's advocacy services to ensure those services are accessible to all children and young people who may have a Children’s Hearing. These objectives have been adjusted over the years since 2020.\r\nThe key objectives, as set out in the current grant letter 2023-24 are:Children's advocacy will be offered and, where accepted, provided at the earliest possible point.The rights and views of children and young people who come into contact with the Children’s Hearings System, or who are placed in residential children's care from another part of the UK under a Court authorised Deprivation of Liberty Order (DOL) in Scotland, will be taken into account in decision making by supporting children and young people to participate in decisions that affect their lives.High quality independent advocacy services will be promoted and provided to children and young people, to support them to exercise their rights to be heard and participate within their Hearings. Children and young people affected by DOL placements will be supported to understand their rights and engage in discussions to provide their views to the residential provider.Children and young people will be supported by children's advocacy workers who will be appropriately skilled and qualified, and supported through training and Continuous Professional Development.Continually informed developments and improvements of the provision to meet children and young people's advocacy needs and empowering children who need a stronger voice by enabling them to express their own needs and make their own decisions.Take steps to promote, respect, protect and fulfil the rights of children and young people and increase awareness of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) amongst staff and stakeholders.Will be expected to give regard to the Fair Work Framework.\r\nObjectives in 2019-20 and 2020-21:To complete preparation work and activities to allow the organisation to deliver Children’s Advocacy services as part of the Scottish Government’s implementation of section 122 of the Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011, in a manner which gives cognisance to the: Scottish Government’s Advocacy Guidance; and National Practice Model for Advocacy in the Children’s Hearings System.\r\nObjectives in 2021-22:The organisation will support the Scottish Government with the development, delivery and promotion of the national children’s advocacy in children’s hearings scheme as part of the implementation of section 122 of the Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011 and The Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011 (Children’s Advocacy Services) Regulations 2020, in a manner which gives cognisance to the: Scottish Government’s Children’s Advocacy Guidance (published in 2014), and National Practice Model for Advocacy in the Children’s Hearings System (published in March 2020).The organisation will promote high quality independent advocacy services to children and young people, to support them to exercise their rights to be heard within their Hearings and contributing to the recovery of children’s hearings from Covid-19 impacts towards stable service.The organisation will promote high quality independent advocacy services to brothers and sisters, to support them to exercise their rights to participate in the Hearings of their siblings on staying together/contact arrangements as introduced by section 25 of the Children (Scotland) Act 2020 and related changes in Regulations made under section 177 of the Children (Scotland) Act 2011.The organisation will take steps to promote, respect, protect and fulfil the rights of children and young people and increase awareness of the UNCRC amongst staff and stakeholders. You will promote the UNCRC throughout the creati","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416192,"EventID":"S6W-25299","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:40.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-05T15:25:11.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Community Project Limited since 2019.","AnswerText":"There is no record of funding being provided by the Scottish Government to the “Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Community Project Limited” since 2019.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Emma Roddick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416193,"EventID":"S6W-25271","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:40.973","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T16:58:20.99","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the gross value added (GVA) of the oil and gas industry in Scotland has been in each financial year from 2014-15 to date (a) in monetary terms and (b) as a percentage of Scotland’s total GVA.","AnswerText":"\r\nFinancial year (April to March)\r\n(a) Oil & gas extraction in Scottish adjacent waters, GVA in current prices (£ million)\r\n(b) Oil & gas extraction in Scottish adjacent waters, GVA as a percentage of total GVA for Scotland\r\n2014-15\r\n11,182\r\n7.9%\r\n2015-16\r\n7,354\r\n5.3%\r\n2016-17\r\n8,900\r\n6.2%\r\n2017-18\r\n12,451\r\n8.1%\r\n2018-19\r\n17,170\r\n10.6%\r\n2019-20\r\n16,137\r\n9.8%\r\n2020-21\r\n9,468\r\n6.4%\r\n2021-22\r\n19,295\r\n11.2%\r\n2022-23\r\n20,636\r\n10.8%\r\nSource:  GDP Quarterly National Accounts: 2023 Quarter 3 (July to September) - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  (31 Jan 2024) calculations based on data in Supplementary Tables 10 and 3.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416194,"EventID":"S6W-25305","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:41.02","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-05T15:28:34.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it provided to Central Advocacy Partners since 2019.","AnswerText":"Since 2019, the Scottish Government has provided funding to Central Advocacy Partners from the Victim Centred Approach Fund and from the Victim Surcharge Fund.\r\nVictim Centred Approach Fund\r\nOrganisations that receive support from VCAF are required to demonstrate how the services they provide, or propose to provide, can contribute towards delivery of one or more of the following priorities:Priority 1 - Victims will have access to practical and emotional support, regardless of: whereabouts in Scotland they live; the nature or severity of the crime; whether it has been reported; or what stage of the justice journey they are at.Priority 2 - Victims will have access to joined-up services that are inclusive and accessible to all, are trauma-informed, provide streamlined support, and reduce the need for victims to recount their experiences to several different organisations.Priority 3 - Families bereaved by crime committed in Scotland or abroad will have access to specialist practical and emotional support.Priority 4 - Victims / survivors of gender based violence will have access to consistent and specialist criminal justice advocacy support.Priority 5 - Adult victims of human trafficking and/or slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour will have access to support and assistance.\r\nFull details on the terms and conditions for the Victim Centred Approach Fund are set out in the application  guidance  .\r\nVictim Surcharge Fund\r\nThe Victim Surcharge Fund (VSF) supplements and enhances support core services that the victim support organisations (VSO) already provide to victims of crime\r\nThe VSF is intended to meet:costs that would not have been incurred if the person was not a victim of crime;costs which cannot be met reasonably by any other source.\r\nIn many cases, this will mean using the fund to pay for one-off expenses or services incurred by the victim or their relative within the first 6 months of the victim engaging with the VSO. However, VSOs have flexibility to determine on a case-by-case basis how long after initial engagement support can be provided.\r\nFunding provided is to allow VSOs to make payments to third parties, contractors, etc for goods and services provided.\r\nFull details on the terms and conditions are set out in the Victim Surcharge Fund  Guidance  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416195,"EventID":"S6W-25262","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:41.067","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T16:54:35.99","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it anticipates that all of the Class 43 High Speed Trains (HSTs) will be replaced.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24336 on 30 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416196,"EventID":"S6W-25306","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:41.113","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-05T15:29:07.263","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it provided to the Multi-Cultural Elderly Care Centre since 2019.","AnswerText":"There is no record of any Scottish Government funding being provided to the Multi-Cultural Elderly Care Centre since 2019.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Emma Roddick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416197,"EventID":"S6W-25309","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:41.177","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T02:07:39.383","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can instruct its enterprise agencies to engage with Gibson's Engineering Ltd, in light of its reported reopening of the St Rollox \"Caley\" Railway Works in Springburn.","AnswerText":"Engagement between Scottish Enterprise and Gibson's Engineering Ltd led to a Business Gateway referral in 2022. In addition, the Find Business Support website (  findbusinesssupport.gov.scot  ) provides information on the advice and funding offered by Scottish Enterprise and Business Gateway and I would encourage Gibson’s Engineering to consider the full range of support available.\r\nSpecialist support is also available through the Rail Cluster, an initiative designed and funded by Scottish Enterprise and Transport Scotland which is being delivered by Scottish Engineering. The aim is to connect Scottish SMEs with the country’s top manufacturing innovators and supply chain partners to help deliver the decarbonisation of Scotland’s railways. I understand that Gibson’s Engineering has already engaged with the Rail Cluster.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416198,"EventID":"S6W-25253","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:41.223","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T16:28:15.357","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many prison officer vacancies there were on (a) 31 January 2023 and (b) 31 January 2024.","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:\r\nSPS does not operate minimum prison officer staffing requirements. SPS has agreed prison officer staffing complements which are tailored to the needs of each establishment and agreed in partnership with the Prison Officers Association (Scotland).\r\nSPS workforce data is produced monthly after the conclusion of the previous month, the most up to date data available is as follows:\r\nOn 2 February 2023, SPS had 70.9 prison officer vacancies (a 2.2% vacancy rate) across the prison estate.\r\nOn 2 February 2024, SPS had 59 prison officer vacancies (a 1.8% vacancy rate) across the prison estate.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416199,"EventID":"S6W-25296","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:41.27","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-05T15:23:27.883","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to the North East Edinburgh Counselling Service since 2019.","AnswerText":"Government does not fund North East Edinburgh Counselling Service directly from its mental health programme budget, therefore no objectives have been set.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416200,"EventID":"S6W-25261","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:41.317","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T16:45:12.577","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has done any modelling of any increase of HGV vehicles on the A96 between Inverness and Aberdeen, in light of Cromarty Firth being awarded freeport status.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not done any modelling of any increase in HGVs on the A96 as a result of the Cromarty Firth Freeport announcement. However, the areas currently proposed for development as part of the Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport largely align with those that were allocated for development in the 2015 Inner Moray Firth Local Development Plan. The A96 Corridor Road Assignment Model (CRAM) which is the transport model applicable to this stretch of road, was last updated in 2019 and includes these allocations.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416201,"EventID":"S6W-25286","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:41.38","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-05T12:26:04.5","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work that has been carried out to develop circular economy roadmaps for the sectors that are listed in its updated Climate Change Plan, alongside the development of a waste route map.","AnswerText":"In the updated Climate Change Plan, we undertook to embed circular economy principles into our wider green recovery, prioritising areas with the biggest opportunities: construction; agriculture/food and drink; energy and renewables; procurement; skills and education; and plastics.\r\nLast year we consulted on our draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, which sets out the Scottish Government’s vision for Scotland's energy system to 2045 and a route map of ambitions and actions that, coupled with detailed sectoral plans and the forthcoming Climate Change Plan, will guide decision-making and policy support over the course of this decade.\r\nWe also published discussion papers on land use and agriculture  Just transition in land use and agriculture: a discussion paper - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  , the Grangemouth Industrial Cluster  Just Transition: Grangemouth (www.gov.scot)  and the built environment and construction sector Delivering a Just Transition for the Built Environment and Construction Sector  Delivering a Just Transition for the Built Environment and Construction Sector (www.gov.scot)\r\nWe are also consulting on a Circular Economy and Waste Route Map which sets out the clear actions we need to take to deliver sustainable use of our resources and progress a circular economy in Scotland by 2030  Circular economy and waste route map to 2030: consultation - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).  This includes a package of measures to embed circular practices in the construction sector.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416202,"EventID":"S6W-25294","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:41.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-05T14:46:40.297","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the medical provision that is available to those living with renal vascular compression, what treatments are available; how many consultants there are in Scotland who can treat this condition, and what the average timescale for treatment is.","AnswerText":"The treatments available for those living with renal vascular compression depend on the underlying cause. There are many potential causes of renal vascular compression which all have specific treatment options. Treatments available range from surveillance (in less severe cases), medication such as ACE inhibitors and aspirin, and various types of surgery.\r\nThe Scottish Government does not hold information on consultant specialties.\r\nWaiting time information is available from Public Health Scotland and is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. However, as treatment pathways vary, specific information is not available on the timescales for treatment for those living with renal vascular compression.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416203,"EventID":"S6W-25298","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:41.49","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-05T15:24:38.073","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to Refugee Sanctuary Scotland since 2019.","AnswerText":"Refugee Sanctuary Scotland was formerly known as Refugee Survival Trust, up to July 2023. The Scottish Government has not provided funding to Refugee Sanctuary Scotland, but has provided funding to the organisation under their former name since 2019.\r\nThe following table contains a list of objectives set by Scottish Government with reference to the funding provided to the organisation then known as Refugee Survival Trust since 2019.\r\nFunding\r\nObjective\r\nImmediate Priorities Fund\r\nTo address the additional needs of asylum seekers and people subject to NRPF that will occur as a result of anticipated Covid-19 restrictions in the Glasgow area for the period 2020 - 2021.\r\nImmediate Priorities Fund\r\nTo address the immediate needs of refugees and asylum seekers, in particular those experiencing or at risk of destitution during the current public health crisis 2020 – 2021.\r\nImmediate Priorities Fund\r\nTo address challenges as a result of Covid-19, to support vulnerable individuals and those in need, to help communities respond to the needs and challenges they are experiencing, and protect the wellbeing of the people of Scotland 2020 – 2021.\r\nRefugee Survival Trust also received funding under the Smarter Choices, Smarter Places (SCSP) Open Fund, which is operated by Paths for All, for a pilot project facilitating public transport access.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Emma Roddick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416204,"EventID":"S6W-25258","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:41.537","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T16:28:15.357","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any steps that are being taken to support farmers in using the methane-suppressing feed additive, Bovaer. ","AnswerText":"In February 2023, the Scottish Government published its  Draft Agricultural Reform List of Measures  outlining the intention to develop future agricultural support conditionality options, which could recognise appropriate uptake of methane suppressing feed products by farmers. We are continuing to work with industry to establish options for recognising use of these products and other practices which can reduce greenhouse gas emissions.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":416205,"EventID":"S6W-25308","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:41.583","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T01:48:03.57","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-20147 by Fiona Hyslop on 10 August 2023, whether it can provide an update on Springburn railway station being nominated for Access for All scheme funding for Control Period 7 (2024-2029).","AnswerText":"As the member is aware The Access for All scheme is a UK Government scheme and as such is managed by the UK Department for Transport (DfT).\r\nIt is anticipated the Department for Transport will announce which stations will be prioritised for funding through the Access for All Scheme in the course of this year.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416206,"EventID":"S6W-25210","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:41.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T15:20:20.983","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when (a) officials and (b) ministers first became aware of any concerns regarding the Post Office’s Horizon IT system.","AnswerText":"Management of the Post Office is a reserved matter for the UK Government, and the Scottish Government has no role in the investigation of miscarriages of justice, which is a matter for the independent Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission. \r\nIssues regarding the Post Office’s Horizon IT system were in the public domain from 2009.\r\nThe first record the Scottish Government has of any official or minister being made directly aware of any concerns regarding the Post Office’s Horizon IT system, is in an email from a member of the public dated 23 January 2020 addressed to the then First Minister. This email related to calls for a Public Inquiry into the Horizon IT system, a matter which is reserved and falls into the responsibility of the UK Government.\r\nThe Scottish Government was first formally made aware of concerns regarding the Post Office’s Horizon IT system by the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC) on 2 July 2020, at quarterly sponsorship meeting with Scottish Government officials. \r\nFollowing this, on 29 September 2020 the then Cabinet Secretary for Justice was made aware by officials in the Scottish Government that the SCCRC intended to write out to 73 people with criminal convictions potentially affected by issues arising from the Post Office’s Horizon computer system, and encouraging all those who may have suffered a miscarriage of justice to make contact with it. ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416207,"EventID":"S6W-25273","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:41.71","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T17:00:14.52","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many times the A90 from Dundee to Aberdeen has been closed due to a lack of adequate drainage in each financial year from 2019-20 to date.","AnswerText":"Records show there has been no instances of road closures due to lack of adequate drainage on the A90 trunk road from Dundee to Aberdeen from 2019-20 to date.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416208,"EventID":"S6W-25255","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:41.757","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T16:28:15.357","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what (a) B, (b) single track and (c) unclassified road upgrades it has planned for 2024 in the Highlands and Islands region, and whether it can confirm the (i) projected date of completion and (ii) total budget for each project. ","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland, working on behalf of Scottish Ministers, have no B roads, single track roads or unclassified roads in the Highlands and Islands region under its responsibility.\r\nThe local road network is the responsibility of local authorities and they will allocate resources on the basis of local priorities. The vast majority of funding to local authorities from the Scottish Government is provided via a block grant and we do not stipulate how local authorities should utilise their individual allocations. It is therefore the responsibility of each local authority to manage their own budget and to allocate the financial resources available to them on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416209,"EventID":"S6W-25260","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:41.803","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T16:41:40.867","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on improvements on the A96 between Aberdeen and Nairn in the last 12 months.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has spent £6.2m on structural maintenance, strategic road safety and climate change adaption improvements on the A96 between Aberdeen and Nairn in the last 12 months. These costs comprise of construction costs only and do not include design, investigation, or environmental costs of these schemes.\r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416210,"EventID":"S6W-25259","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:41.863","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T16:37:43.69","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on safety improvements on the A96 between Inverness and Aberdeen in each of the last three financial years.","AnswerText":"The following amounts have been spent on safety improvements on the A96 between Inverness and Aberdeen in each of the last full three financial years:\r\nYear\r\nSpent\r\n2020-21\r\n£102,076.99\r\n2021-22\r\n£102,018.66\r\n2022-23\r\n£610,017.72\r\nThis spend is delivered through Transport Scotland’s Trunk Road Casualty Reduction programme of works. These figures include costs for investigation and design.\r\nThese amounts do not include some elements of wider spend across the North East Operating Company Unit as it is not possible identify those that relate specifically to the A96.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416211,"EventID":"S6W-25307","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:41.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-05T20:34:21.827","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the bathing water site designation process will be revised.","AnswerText":"Scotland now has the highest number of designated Bathing Water sites ever, with the vast majority classified as good or excellent and 98% overall achieving the bathing water quality standards. Under the Bathing Water (Scotland) Regulations 2008, Scottish Ministers are required to designate an area of surface water (coastal or inland) as a bathing water where they expect a large number of people to bathe, having regard to past trends and infrastructure and facilities provided, or other measures taken to promote bathing.\r\nThe Scottish Government is not currently planning on revising the bathing water site designation process and continues to work with Environmental Standards Scotland in line with the Summary Report on Designation of Bathing Water Sites published by Environmental Standards Scotland published on 4 December 2023. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416212,"EventID":"S6W-25297","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:41.96","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-05T15:24:08.867","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to LGBT Youth Scotland since 2019.","AnswerText":"To support work on advancing LGBTQI+ Equality, the Scottish Government provides funding to organisations such as LGBT Youth Scotland to promote equality of opportunity and inclusion for LGBTQI+ people.\r\nThe following table contains the funding and objectives for this funding provided to LGBT Youth Scotland since 2019.\r\nFund\r\nObjectives\r\nEQUALITY BUDGET FUNDING:\r\n1 JULY 2019 – 30 JUNE 2020\r\n A reduction in discrimination against people who share protected characteristicsReduced levels of hate crimeIncreased community participation, engagement and community cohesionAddressing imbalances in representation in all aspects and levels of public life\r\nEQUALITY BUDGET FUNDING – VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS:\r\n1 JULY 2019 – 30 JUNE 2020\r\n Societal understanding of gender based violence is increased and tolerance of it is decreased (leading to a reduction in violence and abuse experienced by women and children, and an increase in positive gender norms and expectations)Service providers have increased understanding of all forms of gender based violence, and work effectively together to address these issues through the provision of appropriate, high quality servicesThe harmful effects of gender based violence experienced by women and children are reduced by early intervention and their safety and wellbeing needs are better met by effective service provisionInterventions, service design and service delivery are improved as a result of the participation of women and children affected by gender based violence\r\nCOVID-19 SOCIAL JUSTICE FUND: 2020-21To support vulnerable individuals and those in need, to help communities respond to the needs and challenges they are experiencing, and protect the wellbeing of the people of Scotland.\r\nEQUALITY BUDGET FUNDING, VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS:\r\n1 JULY 2020 – 30 SEPTEMBER 2021Societal understanding of gender based violence is increased and tolerance of it is decreased (leading to a reduction in violence and abuse experienced by women and children, and an increase in positive gender norms and expectations)Service providers have increased understanding of all forms of gender based violence, and work effectively together to address these issues through the provision of appropriate, high quality servicesThe harmful effects of gender based violence experienced by women and children are reduced by early intervention and their safety and wellbeing needs are better met by effective service provisionInterventions, service design and service delivery are improved as a result of the participation of women and children affected by gender based violence\r\nEQUALITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS FUND:\r\n1 OCTOBER 2021-30 SEPTEMBER 2024People have greater awareness of their human rights and how to access them;People with protected characteristics have increased access to remedy where their rights have not been upheldPeople with protected characteristics have increased participation in public life;People with protected characteristics have increased influence in decisions that affect them;Actors in civil society increasingly use Scotland’s domestic and international equality and human rights framework to influence and effect change\r\nEQUALITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS FUND:\r\n1 OCTOBER 2022-31 MARCH 2023\r\n \r\n1 APRIL 2023-31 MARCH 2024People have greater awareness of their human rights and how to access them;People with protected characteristics have increased participation in public life;People with protected characteristics have increased influence in decisions that affect them;The Scottish Government has better access to data and depth of information about the experiences of people with protected characteristics;Public services increasingly embed equality and human rights in their strategic planning and their day-to-day functionsThe experience of people with protected characteristics is increasingly used to inform the policy and practice of public bodies\r\nDELIVERING EQUALLY SAFE: OCTOBER 2021 – SEPTEMBER 2023\r\n \r\nDELIVERING EQUALLY SAFE:","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Emma Roddick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416213,"EventID":"S6W-25257","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:42.007","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T16:28:15.357","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many leisure centres have closed over the last five years, broken down by (a) local authority area and (b) year of closure. ","AnswerText":"The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. You may wish to contact individual local authorities who may hold this information.\r\nThe Scottish Government places great importance on community sports and leisure facilities. They are crucial to the wellbeing of all our country and most importantly, for our children and young people to be healthy and active.\r\nWe have asked sportscotland to undertake a review of the facilities estate which will provide vital information in understanding the sport and leisure facilities provision in the long term. In addition, sportscotland and Scottish Swimming have recently published a detailed research study into the condition of Scotland’s swimming pools.  The Future of Swimming Facilities in Scotland - sportscotland the national agency for sport in Scotland \r\nWe are fully aware that local authorities are facing challenging financial circumstances, particularly in the maintenance and operating of facilities, largely due to energy costs and other cost of living pressures. sportscotland will continue to work with its local partners to help them assess the impact of any potential facility closures across the country. In addition, the Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Sport and officials engage regularly with Community Leisure UK to discuss the local public facilities landscape.\r\nIn recognition of the importance of access to sports and leisure facilities, our Programme for Government sets out our intention to convene a working group, including representatives of sports organisations, community organisations and CoSLA, to explore how community access to community facilities, such as the school estate, can be enhanced.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416214,"EventID":"S6W-25303","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:42.053","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-05T15:27:29.753","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it provided to Dornoch and District Christian Fellowship since 2019.","AnswerText":"The Dornoch and District Christian Fellowship has not received Scottish Government funding since 2019.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Emma Roddick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416215,"EventID":"S6W-25270","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:42.113","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T16:57:43.083","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many oil and gas workers have been on reskilling courses supported by the Scottish Government in each financial year from 2020-21 to date.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold or compile figures relating to the occupations of people who have taken up reskilling courses provided through programmes receiving our funding support.\r\nExamples of such supported programmes, which have provided reskilling to a range of workers over recent years, include the  National Energy Skills Accelerator's  Pilot Energy Skills Project  and the Offshore Recertification training scheme delivered by the  Energy Transition Zone  as part of a local and regional partnership for the North East Economic Recovery and Skills Fund.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416216,"EventID":"S6W-25287","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:42.163","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-05T12:26:04.5","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government Office for the Internal Market (OIM) regarding the Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill, and whether it has asked the OIM if the proposals in the Bill for (a) restricting the disposal of unsold goods and (b) charges for single-use items could affect the UK internal market.","AnswerText":"In my letter of 18 January 2024 to the Convener of the Net Zero, Energy and Transport committee (see at this link  Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity (parliament.scot)  ), I confirmed that Scottish Government officials regularly meet with the Office for the Internal Market (OIM) to discuss a range of issues related to its functions, including horizon scanning of potential legislation across the UK. These discussions are open dialogues where either party can raise any issue for discussion. They can involve high level intelligence sharing, as well as more detailed discussions of specific policy areas.\r\nTo date, there has not been a specific discussion on the proposed provisions of the Scottish Circular Economy Bill as part of this engagement. Wider circular economy issues such as deposit return schemes and single-use plastics policies across UK nations have been discussed.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416217,"EventID":"S6W-25310","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:42.21","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T09:21:22.517","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the objectives set out in policy priority mandate letter from the First Minister to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, what its position is on whether the the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice is making acceptable progress on the delivery of affordable homes towards its 2032 target of 110,000 affordable homes.","AnswerText":"From 23 March 2022 to end September 2023, 15,765 homes have been delivered towards the 110,000 affordable homes target, of which 12,188 (77%) are homes for social rent. The next set of quarterly statistics, to end December 2023, will be published towards the end of March.\r\nInflationary pressures, Brexit impacts and wider market conditions have combined to trigger various issues including rising construction costs and workforce challenges. The housing sector has done incredible work to deliver homes in these circumstances and we continue to work with partners to mitigate these impacts.\r\nWe remain focused on delivering 110,000 affordable homes by 2032 and to support that we will bring forward the review scheduled for 2026-27 to 2024, which will concentrate on deliverability.\r\nAnd we are accelerating work with the financial community in Scotland, and elsewhere, to boost private sector investment and help deliver more homes.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":416218,"EventID":"S6W-25194","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:42.257","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T11:33:00.503","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the commitment set out in its Scottish Connections Framework, what work it is undertaking to \"engage with key heritage events around the world such as New York Tartan Week to promote tourism\", broken down by country.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government, in its Scottish Connections Framework, committed to continue to engage with key heritage events around the world such as New York Tartan Week.\r\nWe work with key partners, led by VisitScotland, as part of the Brand Scotland strategic partnership, and through our international offices to position Scotland as an inclusive, year-round destination.\r\nKey milestones in the cultural calendar, with St Andrew’s Day in November and Burns Night in January, along with Tartan Day in April in North America, provide the Scottish Government international network with invaluable opportunities to promote Scotland’s international interests, showcasing Scottish traditions, the best of Scottish produce, culture and values, and Scotland as a great destination for tourism. Teams in the Scottish Government international network also engage with local diaspora communities in country specific activities such as Highland Games and historical celebrations.\r\nThose activities include, but are not limited to the following examples and evolve depending on local opportunities.\r\nThe Scottish Government in the USA has long been a key supporter of the diaspora led activity that constitutes Tartan Day and Tartan Week. Ministerial attendance throughout the week is leveraged towards promoting trade, investment, tourism, culture and higher education. VisitScotland attend Tartan Week and hold events to promote tourism with the general public, and specific events working with tourism and hospitality companies. With the support of the Scottish Government, Tartan Week has grown to be bigger than ever, with multiple Scottish business, culture and heritage organisations present last year, and planning to attend again this year. The team also host and participate in events around local Highland Games throughout the year, as well as St Andrew’s Day and Burns Nights across the USA, host events for alumni of Scottish Universities, and partner with diaspora organisations to deliver the strongest possible suite of events across the country, all aimed at promoting Scotland as a place to live, work, study, visit and do business.\r\nThe Scottish Government in Canada works in partnership with major Scottish/St. Andrew’s societies across Canada to promote Scottish tourism and place VisitScotland marketing collateral at their events including Burns Suppers, St. Andrew’s Day as well as at Highland Games in the summer. Video content on their Instagram channel is mainly drawn from VisitScotland and Scotland is Now campaigns. The team has also supported VisitScotland and their work with Canadian airports that host direct flights to Scotland.\r\nThe Scottish Government in China works in partnership with stakeholders including Scottish and Alumni Societies to promote Scotland and tourism, building connections with diaspora who help to propagate our messaging. Recent examples include Burns Nights, either hosted or supported by the team, hosting a St Andrew’s Day reception, and supporting the National Gallery of Scotland’s opening of a major exhibition of surrealist art from its collection at Museum of Art Pudong in Shanghai.\r\nThe team in China works closely with VisitScotland to maximise the opportunities that events and activities offer to promote tourism and Scotland more generally; and in building links with key stakeholders to support tourism. One example is the direct flight route between China and Scotland (Hainan Airlines announced in late December it would run its direct Edinburgh-Beijing route in 2024 with extra flights compared to the first run in 2023). The team uses its social media platforms to maximise impact and reach a wider audience across China, currently with 275k followers.\r\nThe Scottish Government in France works closely with Scottish diaspora organisations across France, regularly attending and participating in their events. This year they attended and supported several Burns Suppers organised by diaspora organisations, in Paris and beyond, such as ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416219,"EventID":"S6W-25264","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:42.333","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T16:56:47.21","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of money from the Just Transition Fund to date has gone to (a) businesses and (b) community groups.","AnswerText":"Of the £75 million committed from the Just Transition Fund so far, 10.3% has been awarded to community groups and 52.2% has been allocated for awards to businesses.\r\nOf the 52.2% committed to businesses, £25 million or 33% is made up of the Just Transition Fund’s allocation to the Scottish National Investment Bank.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416220,"EventID":"S6W-25302","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:42.38","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-05T15:26:55.823","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it provided to the West of Scotland Regional Equality Council since 2019.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has provided grants for 2 projects delivered by the West of Scotland Regional Equality Council (WSREC) via the Climate Challenge Fund (CCF) since 2019.\r\n1. CCF-5601 – Cook, Grow and Sew – Branching Out (2018-2020)\r\n2. CCF-6523 - Cook, Grow, Sew - Branching Out (2020-2022)\r\nThe answer to S6W-24394 on 19 January 2024 outlined the objectives of the Climate Challenge Fund (CCF) programme and covers the 2018-2020 project.\r\nThe main objectives for CCF-6523 were as follows:Supporting 2000 people in their community to increase their awareness and understanding of Climate Change and enabling them to make informed choices on how to move to low-carbon lifestyles.260 minority ethnic and vulnerable households will reduce their carbon emissions by 36 tonnes CO2e, by receiving home energy visits, workshops and surgeries across Glasgow, East Dunbartonshire and Renfrewshire.725 minority ethnic individuals across Glasgow, East Dunbartonshire and Renfrewshire will reduce their food waste, waste production and material consumption by 42.9 tonnes CO2e through advice, repair/reuse workshops and events.115 minority ethnic individuals reduce food emissions by 8.0 tonnes CO2e across Glasgow, East Dunbartonshire and Renfrewshire through gardening, home growing support, partnership workshops and foraging sessions.32 minority ethnic young people with focus on asylum seekers and refugees will be capacity built to share environmental learning to peers and networks. A further 8 minority ethnic led organisations become ecos-conscious and support wider communities through environmental activities.\r\nThe Scottish Government has also provided funding to the West of Scotland Regional Equality Council through the Victim Centred Approach Fund.\r\nOrganisations that receive support from VCAF are required to demonstrate how the services they provide, or propose to provide, can contribute towards delivery of one or more of the following priorities:Priority 1 - Victims will have access to practical and emotional support, regardless of: whereabouts in Scotland they live; the nature or severity of the crime; whether it has been reported; or what stage of the justice journey they are at.Priority 2 - Victims will have access to joined-up services that are inclusive and accessible to all, are trauma-informed, provide streamlined support, and reduce the need for victims to recount their experiences to several different organisations.Priority 3 - Families bereaved by crime committed in Scotland or abroad will have access to specialist practical and emotional support.Priority 4 - Victims / survivors of gender based violence will have access to consistent and specialist criminal justice advocacy support.Priority 5 - Adult victims of human trafficking and/or slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour will have access to support and assistance.\r\nFull details on the terms and conditions for the Victim Centred Approach Fund are set out in the application  guidance  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416221,"EventID":"S6W-25254","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:42.43","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T16:28:15.357","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessments it has made of future prison constructions to ensure that they are built (a) on time and (b) within budget.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government engages regularly with the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to ensure progress on prison infrastructure projects. SPS works closely with contractors and external advisors to ensure value for money, benefits realisation and timely progress.\r\nUntil the main construction contract is signed, costs and time-scales are likely to fluctuate due to site identification, design changes, and market condition changes.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416222,"EventID":"S6W-25256","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:42.477","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T16:28:15.357","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether Transport Scotland has had any discussions with Scotland’s Railway delivery partners regarding plans to upgrade rail infrastructure in the Highlands and Islands region in 2024, and, if so, whether it can publish details of such plans. ","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland meets with Scotland’s Railway delivery partners on a regular basis to discuss works to maintain, renew and enhance rail infrastructure across the Scottish rail network including the mainland of the Highland and Islands region. Details of such works are Published in Network Rail’s Scotland Control Period 7 Strategic Business Plan (2024-2029) and Network Rail’s Scotland Enhancements Delivery Plan.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416223,"EventID":"S6W-25026","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:42.523","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-30T12:48:00.33","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported comments by a former health secretary that aspects of the NHS are not fit for purpose and are in need of \"radical reform\".","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to make significant investment in Scotland’s NHS while recognising the need to reform the way we deliver services to meet the changing needs of the people in Scotland. The Government has been clear in the Policy Prospectus and Programme for Government : reform is required. Scottish Ministers have outlined that given the growing demand our health service faces, the NHS requires major reform to ensure that we have a sustainable health service able to deliver the best possible care for patients.\r\nSignificant change is underway to ensure sustainability of services, improvement of productivity, reduction of health inequalities, adoption of innovation and technology, and overall improvement of health outcomes in Scotland.\r\nThe Deputy First Minister announced in her budget statement on 19 December that the Government will be taking forward national engagement to help shape the NHS for the future. The Deputy First Minister set out the Scottish Government's continued commitment to upholding the principles of public ownership of our NHS and ensuring that services are available free at the point of need.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416224,"EventID":"S6W-25269","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:42.57","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T16:57:06.08","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the final Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan will be published, in light of the draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan being published on 10 January 2023.","AnswerText":"Following a comprehensive consultation process, the Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan will be published by Summer 2024. It will set out our vision for a future net zero energy system that delivers affordable, secure and clean energy and provides high quality jobs and economic opportunities. We are engaging with key stakeholders as we work towards publication.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416225,"EventID":"S6W-25301","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:42.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-05T15:26:26.36","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it provided to Inclusion Glasgow since 2019.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not provide direct funding to Inclusion Glasgow.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416226,"EventID":"S6W-25263","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:42.693","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T16:55:24.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the lease for the Class 43 High Speed Trains (HSTs) ends.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-18441 on 15 June 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416227,"EventID":"S6W-25292","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:42.77","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-05T12:54:10.773","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the findings of the report, Nothing to See Here, which was published on 5 February 2024, and, in particular, the findings that (a) \"official narratives\" suggest that most deaths in custody are \"regrettable but inevitable\" and (b) \"FAIs are normalising the deaths of drug users as inevitable\".","AnswerText":"Every death in custody is tragic and a matter for concern. We will carefully consider the findings of this report. The health and wellbeing of all those in custody is a priority for this Government and we continue to work with partners to ensure their safety.\r\nRegarding drug use in custody, the Scottish Government funds a variety of programmes aimed at encouraging recovery. This includes the Prison Recovery Project, which supports access to recovery options and choice in prison, as well as creating links to the community and the Prison to Rehab pathway, which enables individuals to access residential rehabilitation on release from prison.\r\nMore broadly, the Scottish Government is supporting a range of actions in relation to deaths in custody: the Scottish Prison Service recently completed a thorough review of their Death in Prison Learning Audit and Review process, designed to improve their support for vulnerable people in their care; His Majesty’s Inspectorate of the Constabulary Scotland has undertaken joint healthcare inspections of police custody facilities, working with Healthcare Improvement Scotland to ensure that health issues are fully considered; and the Mental Welfare Commission recently concluded pilot work to develop a new investigatory system for those who died while subject to an order under mental health legislation.\r\nThe Lord Advocate is constitutionally responsible for the investigation of sudden, unexpected and suspicious deaths in Scotland. Any conclusions reached or recommendations made at the end of a Fatal Accident Inquiry are a matter for the Sheriff who has heard all the evidence.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416228,"EventID":"S6W-25274","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:42.82","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T17:00:14.52","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on improving drainage on the A90 from Dundee to Aberdeen in each financial year from 2019-20 to date.","AnswerText":"As trunk road maintenance costs are held on a whole route basis we are unable to provide figures for the section of the A90 trunk road from Dundee to Aberdeen.\r\nHowever, please see the following table for details of how much was spent on improving drainage on the whole of the A90 trunk road for the financial years 2019-20 onwards. These works are in addition to regular asset inspections undertaken through the maintenance contracts, which then develop and prioritises programmes of works. \r\n2019-20\r\n2020-21\r\n2021-22\r\n2022-23\r\n2023-24\r\nTotal spend\r\nTotal\r\n£612,625\r\n£92,056\r\n£564,815\r\n£122,464\r\n£1,035\r\n£1,392,995\r\nPlease note that these figures relate to drainage-specific works. On occasions where drainage elements were included in larger schemes (e.g. major resurfacing works), we are unable to disaggregate drainage costs in those situations and as such, those figures will not appear in the table above.\r\nDue to the condition of the drainage assets on the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) section of the A90 trunk road, there have been no drainage-specific improvement schemes undertaken in this period.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416229,"EventID":"S6W-25295","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:42.867","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-05T15:22:23.453","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to the Barbara Koerner Memorial Trust since 2019.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not provided funding to the Barbara Koerner Memorial Trust\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416230,"EventID":"S6W-25268","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:42.917","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T16:56:47.21","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of planned spend from the Just Transition Fund in financial year 2024-25.","AnswerText":"The Just Transition Fund has allocated £75 million to date, supporting projects and communities across the North East and Moray to create jobs, support innovation, and secure the highly skilled workforce of the future.\r\nThe current planned spend for the Just Transition Fund in 2024-25 is £16.24 million. This is split across the following 7 projects:\r\nEnergy Transition Skills Hub (formerly Advanced Skills Manufacturing Hub)\r\n£2,850,000 (capital)\r\nFindhorn Watershed Riverwoods Pilot\r\n£395,930 (capital)\r\nHydrogen Offshore Production (HOP2)\r\n£680,000 (capital)\r\nHydroglen\r\n£1,987,031 (capital)\r\nJust Transition Skills Hub\r\n£6,281,399 (capital)\r\nSupply Chain Pathway and Energy Transition Challenge Fund\r\n£2,840,000 (capital)\r\nJust Transition Participatory Budgeting\r\n£1 million (capital), £200k (resource)\r\n","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416231,"EventID":"S6W-25272","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:42.973","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T16:59:02.223","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the value of oil and gas exports, as a percentage of Scotland’s total exports, has been in each financial year from 2014-15 to date.","AnswerText":"There are no statistics available on Scotland’s total exports including oil and gas on a quarterly or a financial year basis. On a calendar year basis, the latest available official statistics in development (previously known as experimental statistics) include estimates up to 2021. \r\nExports of oil and gas as a percentage of total exports\r\n2014\r\n21.5%\r\n2015\r\n16.7%\r\n2016\r\n15.1%\r\n2017\r\n17.5%\r\n2018\r\n22.2%\r\n2019\r\n20.1%\r\n2020(provisional)\r\n15.1%\r\n2021(provisional)\r\n22.0%\r\nSource:  Supply and Use Satellite Accounts for Extra-Regio Activities: 1998-2021 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  (28 June 2023), calculations based on data from Table 1","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416232,"EventID":"S6W-25211","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:43.017","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T15:20:20.983","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is planning to take regarding reviewing the Crown Office’s prosecution of sub-postmasters in Scotland in relation to issues with the Post Office’s Horizon IT system.","AnswerText":"The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) is operationally independent of the Scottish Ministers.\r\nThe UK Government have established an independent inquiry into the Post Office Horizon IT system and the Scottish Ministers agreed with the UK Government that this inquiry should consider devolved matters relating to Scotland. The prosecution of sub-postmasters in Scotland by COPFS is being considered by the inquiry and COPFS have provided evidence to them.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416233,"EventID":"S6W-25267","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-06T17:12:43.063","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T16:56:47.21","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of spend from the Just Transition Fund in financial year 2023-24.","AnswerText":"A total of 20 projects are currently being delivered through the Just Transition Fund in 2023-24.\r\nSpend is still ongoing to March end 2024 with just under £12 million drawn down by projects to date. This is comprised of £10.3 million in capital, £1 million in financial transactions and £671,000 in resource.\r\nA further £3.15 million of 2023-24 forecast spend has been reprofiled into 2024-25 financial year.\r\nIn addition, £25 million was allocated to the Scottish National Investment Bank for 2023-24, to be invested in the North East on a commercial basis, in line with the Bank’s Investment Strategy and its Missions, including to support a Just Transition to net zero.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416251,"EventID":"S6W-25207","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-07T16:45:19.307","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T13:33:19.433","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent to date on the legal process that began in 2022 between Transport Scotland and the developer, Ambassador Living, regarding the dispute over the use of Ferrymuir Gait to access the Forthview housing development.","AnswerText":"Since January 2022 the amount paid by Transport Scotland for legal expenses incurred regarding the use of Ferrymuir Gait to access the Forthview housing development is £14,472.72.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416252,"EventID":"S6W-25334","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16194,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-07T16:45:19.417","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T13:37:50.177","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current Scottish Fire and Rescue Service guidance is for fire outbreaks at battery energy storage system sites. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) continue to undertake operational intelligence gathering on such premises and work alongside key partners to ensure that an effective operational response is provided. While clearly this is an operational matter, SFRS will respond to all reports of fire which are received and have the ability to deploy a range of standard and specialist resources as determined by the needs of the incident.\r\nFire safety measures should be built into such sites during the development that include detection and suppression systems to inhibit the growth and spread of any fire should an incident occur. This is in line with the  NFCC Guidance Document  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416253,"EventID":"S6W-25317","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-07T16:45:19.48","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T10:37:53.543","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the National Union of Students Scotland report, Broke Students, Broken System. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has faced its most challenging budgetary settlement since devolution began – a settlement which has not been inflation-proofed, and which has subsequently required difficult decisions to be made, due to the pressures on our public services. Mindful of our missions and priorities for Scotland, we have had to prioritise legal and contractual obligations in determining how to deploy this budget across Education and Skills priorities. Our children, young people, families and learners of all ages continue to be a key priority for this Government and we will continue to focus on our three central missions of equality, opportunity, and community.\r\nWe remain committed to supporting a high quality post-school education, research and skills system with over £2.4 billion investment. This includes honouring this government’s commitment to free tuition and a £2,400 increase in student financial support for higher education students from the next academic year.\r\nWe have also made clear our commitment to reform our lifelong education and skills system. This is demonstrated within our 2023-24 Programme for Government where we committed to lead the development of a new funding model for Post-School education provision.\r\nWe look forward to receiving the subsequent reports where NUS will set out their roadmap towards an education system that’s collectively shaped by students’ views, values and ambitions which we hope will offer some robust proposals, including funding suggestions to drive forward our commitment to reforming the post-16 landscape.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416254,"EventID":"S6W-25327","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-07T16:45:19.527","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T12:19:27.59","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the new payments system that has been introduced in Scottish pharmacy services.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is aware that following the introduction of the new Data Capture and Validation Pricing (nDCVP) system by NHS National Services Scotland (NSS), there have been some issues regarding payments being made to community pharmacy contractors. The Scottish Government has been assured by NSS that any incorrect payments are being rectified and Scottish Government officials are monitoring the situation, with all parties seeking a full resolution as swiftly as possible.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":416255,"EventID":"S6W-25324","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-07T16:45:19.59","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T11:37:26.467","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of its revised prison suicide prevention strategy.","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:\r\nSPS have completed the first stage of a review of Talk To Me, our suicide prevention strategy which was gathering the evidence base. This has included a literature review, User Voice interviews, staff focus groups, an NHS survey and a workshop for families. The next step is to analyse this evidence and formulate recommendations.\r\nOnce this is complete, recommendations will be presented to the SPS lead National Suicide Prevention Management Group for consideration and ratification. This group includes a number of experts in the field such as third sector, NHS and Public Health Scotland.\r\nThe policy will be aligned with the Scottish Government Suicide Prevention Strategy and Action Plan.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416256,"EventID":"S6W-25277","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-07T16:45:19.667","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T17:05:35.623","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24106 by Fiona Hyslop on 30 January 2024, whether it will provide a breakdown of the £8.7 million spend since 2016 on the Aberdeen – Central Belt Journey Time Improvement project.","AnswerText":"The £8.7 million has been spent on a programme of design and development works for the scheme with Network Rail, who is taking this project forward on the Scottish Government’s behalf. A breakdown is retained by Network Rail and you may wish to contact Network Rail directly. However, some parts of the requested breakdown may relate to commercially sensitive information which it would be inappropriate to share before a procurement exercise for the works.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416257,"EventID":"S6W-25326","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-07T16:45:19.76","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T11:55:26.4","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-22049 by Tom Arthur on 20 October 2023, whether it can provide an update on the work that is being undertaken to implement a devolved tax, and whether it will provide more details regarding any barriers to its implementation.","AnswerText":"The introduction of Air Departure Tax (ADT) was deferred due to state aid issues raised in relation to the Highlands and Islands exemption. In January 2023, the UK Government replaced EU state aid rules with its own subsidy control regime.\r\nThe Scottish Government continue to explore all options to implement ADT in a way that protects Highlands & Islands connectivity and complies with the UK Government’s subsidy control regime.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416258,"EventID":"S6W-25290","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-07T16:45:19.84","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-05T12:50:07.177","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many drugs deaths there have been in custody (a) in total and (b) as a proportion of total deaths in custody in each of the last five years, also broken down by drug category or categories implicated, including cases involving (i) synthetic opioids (ii) synthetic benzodiazepines and (iii) other synthetic drugs.","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:\r\nAny death of an individual whilst in the care of the SPS is a tragedy, irrespective of the cause. Unfortunately, there have been 34 deaths in custody between month 2019 and month 2023 confirmed as drug related, either by postmortem or by a Medical Certificate Cause of Death. This is approximately 16% of deaths in custody. SPS do not record drug category or categories implicated in deaths.\r\nAll deaths in custody are subject to a Fatal Accident Enquiry, the findings of which are published on the Scottish Courts website.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416259,"EventID":"S6W-25313","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-07T16:45:19.933","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T10:33:29.957","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government from where the £12.8 million \"emerging and planned underspend\" in the Lifelong Learning and Skills budget came, as outlined in the 2023-24 Spring Budget Revision. ","AnswerText":"The £12.8 million of savings outlined in the 2023-24 Spring Budget Revision and published on 1 Feb 2024 was based on expected and planned underspend across various Lifelong Learning and Skills(LLS) budget lines.\r\nThese include a mix of demand led activities and some strategic funds such as student support, where demand was lower than originally forecast, skills programmes including the Flexible Workforce Development Fund, Community Learning and Development and International Activity. Due to the demand led nature of some of the elements, further details will be available after the end of the financial year.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416260,"EventID":"S6W-25322","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-07T16:45:19.997","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T11:20:03.573","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much one child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) appointment costs the NHS.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not collect data on CAMHS appointment costs across NHS boards centrally.\r\nEvery presentation to CAMHS is treated differently depending on the individual needs of the young person. It may involve a multidisciplinary response involving a range of specialists. Therefore the cost per appointment will vary depending on the range of professionals involved and the needs of the child or young person.\r\nThe Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) NHS Scotland national service specification  outlines provisions young people and their families can expect from the NHS.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416261,"EventID":"S6W-25320","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-07T16:45:20.153","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T11:15:53.147","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when the A96 Corridor Review will be published.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25249 on 19 February 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416262,"EventID":"S6W-25329","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-07T16:45:20.2","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T13:24:52.33","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether ScotRail staff routinely record the onboard temperatures of its trains, and, if not, whether it would consider doing so. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not directly intervene with ScotRail staff duties, this is a matter for ScotRail as the employer.\r\nTransport Scotland currently audit ScotRail under the Service Quality Inspection Regime (SQUIRe). The SQUIRe inspectors undertake a sample inspection of trains and check many aspects including train heating during its regular inspections.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416263,"EventID":"S6W-25354","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16194,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-07T16:45:20.247","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T16:03:46.103","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the most recent round of the Learning Estate Investment Programme funding.","AnswerText":"On 30 October 2023, the Scottish Government announced the following 10 successful Learning Estate Investment Programme (LEIP) Phase 3 projects:\r\n1. Hazlehead Academy (Aberdeen City)\r\n2. Mull Campus (Argyll and Bute)\r\n3. Lochies ASN School (Clackmannanshire)\r\n4. Lenzie Academy (East Dunbartonshire)\r\n5. Carrongrange ASN School extension (Falkirk)\r\n6. Forres Academy (Moray)\r\n7. Chryston High School extension (North Lanarkshire)\r\n8. Kirkwall ASN Centre (Orkney)\r\n9. Brae Campus (Shetland)\r\n10. Riverside and Letham Primary School (West Lothian)\r\nEvery local authority which has submitted a bid through the LEIP has been awarded funding for a project in Phases 1, 2 or 3.\r\nThe £2bn LEIP is being delivered in partnership with local authorities and will benefit tens of thousands of pupils across Scotland.\r\nThe proportion of schools in “good” or “satisfactory” condition in Scotland has increased from 61% in April 2007 to almost 91% in April 2023, and LEIP investment will build on this progress.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416264,"EventID":"S6W-25315","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-07T16:45:20.293","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T10:35:02.67","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to increase school attendance, in light of recently reported figures showing that children in care have missed 1.3 million school days in the last four years.","AnswerText":"I am clear that everyone involved with the education system must redouble efforts to ensure children and young people are fully engaged in their learning, in line with education authorities’ responsibilities to follow up and monitor and manage absence.\r\nThe Scottish Government has provided national guidance to local authorities and schools – Included, Engaged and Involved Part 1: Promoting and Managing School Attendance. The guidance focusses on engagement and motivation, including for those at risk of poor attendance. It also sets out follow up actions when a pupil is absent from school.\r\nI have also asked Education Scotland to undertake work to better understand the current barriers and challenges experienced by schools, children and young people and their families which influence school attendance. Education Scotland published this report, “Improving Attendance: Understanding the Issues,” on 28 November 2023. In addition, Education Scotland will work with Directors of Education to take forward improvement on attendance as a priority.\r\nThe findings from the Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research (BISSR), published in November 2023, provide evidence- on the extent to which pupils are disengaging from learning. Officials are considering these findings and Education Scotland’s work as part of the joint Scottish Government and COSLA action plan on relationships and behaviour, which will be published in the spring.\r\nThe Scottish Government is also working with Education Scotland, COSLA and the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland (ADES), to agree meaningful, measurable outcomes in response to the education asks within The Promise.\r\nThis aims to improve the experience, achievement, attendance, engagement in learning and attainment of those with care experience and their transition from education.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416265,"EventID":"S6W-25356","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16194,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-07T16:45:20.357","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T16:09:20.083","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with local authorities regarding reviewing the Health and Wellbeing Census.","AnswerText":"The health and wellbeing of children and young people is an absolute priority for the Scottish Government. The Scottish Government will work with local authorities to learn from their experiences of having undertaken their own Census.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416266,"EventID":"S6W-25330","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-07T16:45:20.42","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T13:24:52.33","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what long-term solutions ScotRail is considering to improve onboard temperatures on its trains, in light of reports of cold temperatures having been recorded on its trains that operate on the West Highland line.","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for ScotRail, its officials however inform us that they are looking for some short term solutions to improve the temperatures on these trains.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416267,"EventID":"S6W-25338","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-07T16:45:20.48","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T14:40:38.427","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24281 by Fiona Hyslop on 31 January 2024, whether it will directly address the issue raised in the question regarding whether it has conducted any analysis on whether its proposed increase in rail fares for 2024-25 could potentially lead to an increase in road traffic numbers in the Highlands and Islands region, and for what reason it did not provide this information in its answer.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not conducted any region specific analysis, however we do not expect a significant increase in traffic numbers in any area.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416268,"EventID":"S6W-25319","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-07T16:45:20.527","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T10:40:07.6","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to continue with its proposals to pilot juryless trials, in light of reports of strong opposition from the legal sector.","AnswerText":"Running a time-limited pilot of judge-only rape trials was a recommendation of the cross-sector review led by Lady Dorrian, Scotland’s second most senior judge, on improving the justice system in the way it responds to serious sexual offending.\r\nThe pilot is part of a package of reforms in the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill that is currently being considered by the Criminal Justice Committee. The Committee has heard a range of views including from some of the most senior, qualified and respected legal voices in the country who have spoken in support of the pilot. Strong support for the pilot has also been voiced by victim support organisations and justice agencies, such as the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service.\r\nI held a programme of meetings with the legal profession in 2023 to hear their views on the pilot first-hand, and to invite them to work with the Scottish Government as plans for the pilot develop. As I emphasised to the Committee on 7 February, the Scottish Government will work to build consensus as it progresses the pilot and will continue to listen to the voices of partners from across the justice system, as well as, importantly, victims.\r\nThe purpose of the pilot is to gather empirical evidence on the most effective way to respond to rape and attempted rape cases. This includes exploring whether changing the decision maker from juries to a judge improves complainers’ experiences (for example, by resulting in shorter, more focussed trials that could minimise re-traumatisation) and whether it removes barriers to victims accessing justice. Judges will be required to provide written reasons for verdicts in the pilot, which will increase transparency, safeguard the rights of accused people, and provide unparalleled insights into the issues, deliberations and challenges in these cases.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416269,"EventID":"S6W-25332","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-07T16:45:20.59","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T13:24:52.33","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration ScotRail has given to replacing the entire heating systems on its trains that operate on the West Highland line. ","AnswerText":"The Member may wish to note that the reason for the low temperatures on the early services in the West Highland line is not a faulty heating system, but the time it takes for the train diesel engines to heat up. It would not be appropriate to replace the heating system which is not faulty.\r\nIn the longer term, ScotRail’s diesel rolling stock will be replaced by the greener trains as set out in the Scottish Government’s Decarbonisation Action Plan.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416270,"EventID":"S6W-25333","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16194,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-07T16:45:20.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T13:36:47.297","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current fire safety regulations are for the development of battery energy storage system (BESS) sites. ","AnswerText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current fire safety regulations are for the development of battery energy storage system (BESS) sites. A range of legislation makes up the regulatory framework for the safety of grid scale battery energy storage systems (BESS). Health and safety is a reserved matter with applicable UK legislation including: the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002; the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989; and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.\r\nThe Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s regulator in this regard, and their remit includes health and safety in the workplace as well as public assurance on safety matters. ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416271,"EventID":"S6W-25355","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16194,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-07T16:45:20.703","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T16:03:46.103","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made with South Lanarkshire Council towards building a new social, emotional and behavioural needs secondary school for young people in Stonehouse.","AnswerText":"Although South Lanarkshire Council’s Phase 3 Learning Estate Investment Programme (LEIP) submission - regarding a new social, emotional and behavioural needs secondary school - was unsuccessful, we have awarded the Council with funding support for its Newton Farm Primary School extension project as part of Phase 2 of the LEIP.\r\nIn addition, through the previous Scotland’s Schools for the Future Programme, the Scottish Government awarded the Council with funding of over £14m towards 5 school projects.\r\nIt is the statutory responsibility of local authorities to manage and maintain their school estate, and Scottish Government funding is intended to augment, not replace, local authorities’ own investment in their schools.\r\nThe proportion of schools in “good” or “satisfactory” condition in Scotland has increased from 61% in April 2007 to almost 91% in April 2023, and LEIP investment will build on this progress.\r\nWe will continue working with COSLA, local authorities and Scottish Futures Trust to explore how we can deliver further improvements in the school estate.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416272,"EventID":"S6W-25278","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-07T16:45:20.763","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T17:06:22.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has distributed in flood recovery grants to (a) homes and (b) businesses affected by Storm Babet.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has funded Angus, Aberdeenshire, Dundee City and Perth and Kinross Councils to distribute £516,000 in community recovery grants and £240,000 in business recovery grants to eligible homes and businesses affected by Storm Babet, totalling £756,000.\r\nIn addition, £100,000 was provided to Angus Council through the Homelessness Prevention Fund to help families who had been flooded to rebuild their lives, and £1.8m was pledged to support farmers to help repair damaged floodbanks. Ministers also activated the Bellwin Scheme to help affected local authorities with revenue and uninsurable expenditure resulting from the storm, and extended the eligibility period of claims from two to four months.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416273,"EventID":"S6W-25279","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-07T16:45:20.81","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T17:08:35.757","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assurances it has received regarding whether any public funding that it has provided to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency has contributed to funding any proscribed terrorist groups.","AnswerText":"We are deeply concerned by the allegations arising in January 2024 that UNRWA staff may have been involved in the October 7 attacks on Israel. Ahead of Scottish Government awarding funding to UNRWA in November 2023, UNRWA provided a copy of the regulatory framework which governs financial management and staff conduct within the organisation. That regulatory framework was scrutinised by Scottish Government officials as part of our due diligence process ahead of awarding funding.\r\nImmediately after these allegations emerged, Scottish Government officials contacted UNWRA with specific reference to the serious allegations that had been made public to seek assurance on finance, and to enquire about the investigation as a matter of urgency. In particular, Scottish Government officials asked UNRWA for an update on what Scottish Government’s contribution to the UNRWA appeal had been spent on and assurance that it had not contributed to funding any proscribed terrorist groups. UNWRA responded to that Scottish Government enquiry, confirming that the Scottish funding within the UNRWA appeal had been used to contribute towards supporting lifesaving activities targeting vulnerable groups (children, women, and elderly) with protection and emergency hygiene needs.\r\nAs part of the agreement governing the contribution to this appeal, UNRWA is required to provide Scottish Government with the UNRWA Annual Operational Report for the period 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2023 no later than 31st July 2024.\r\nIn February, Scottish Government officials received an update from UNRWA that the UN Secretary-General, in consultation with the UNRWA Commissioner-General, commissioned an independent review to assess if the Agency is doing everything it can to ensure neutrality and to respond to allegations of serious breaches. A final report is expected in April and will be made publicly available.\r\nUNRWA released a press statement on 26 February 2024 stating that it is not aware of and has received no specific allegations regarding any systemic diversion of aid in Gaza by Hamas or other armed groups.\r\nUNRWA is the largest humanitarian actor in Gaza and the primary source of life-saving aid for 2.3 million people. In pausing support for UNRWA, the lives of millions are being put at risk. The UK Government and the international community must work with the UN to find mechanisms to sustain and increase the levels of life-saving aid getting into Gaza.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416274,"EventID":"S6W-25328","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-07T16:45:20.873","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T12:46:23.5","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the 6-fold urban rural classification system was chosen for the Rural and Islands Housing Action Plan as opposed to the 8-fold classification.","AnswerText":"The Rural and Islands Housing Action Plan supports the delivery of the Scottish Government’s commitment to deliver 110,000 affordable homes, 10% of which will be in rural and island areas. The Scottish Government use the 6-fold urban rural classification when categorising homes delivered through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP), based on information provided by AHSP grant applicants.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416275,"EventID":"S6W-25323","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-07T16:45:20.92","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T11:33:31.63","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the average length of time that prison inmates were confined to their cells per day was for each of the last 12 months, broken down by prison institution.","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:\r\nThe complex characteristics of our prison population requires SPS to adopt an individualised approach to establishment regimes. Due to these variances, SPS does not record this information.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416276,"EventID":"S6W-25341","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-07T16:45:20.967","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T14:42:00.253","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the contribution of the nuclear industry to Scotland's economy.","AnswerText":"Independent analysis procured by the Scottish Government for the draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan estimated that in 2021 there were 5,338 jobs (direct and indirect) and £918m GVA (direct and indirect) in the nuclear power electricity generation and decommission sectors. While Hunterston B power station has been retired (as of 7 January 2022), decommissioning jobs are assumed to remain at the level of power generation jobs within the initial six years of the decommissioning phase of de-fuelling.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416277,"EventID":"S6W-25276","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-07T16:45:21.03","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T17:03:22.9","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact closures of the (a) A96 and (b) A90 as a result of road traffic accidents have had on the local economy.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold information on the local economic impact of road closures. The impact of closing a road due to a collision depends on the specific circumstances such as the collision location, the time of day, the duration of the closure and any diversion route.\r\nAt a more general level, the Department for Transport has estimated the values assigned to the cost of road casualties and collisions in Great Britain, for use in cost-benefit analysis of the prevention of road casualties and collisions in road schemes. This information is used in the assessment of road schemes in Scotland via Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) and is published in Transport Scotland’s annual Reported Road Casualties publication:  https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/reported-road-casualties-scotland-2022/table-9a-b/ ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416278,"EventID":"S6W-25311","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-07T16:45:21.077","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T09:41:45.177","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24818 by Angela Constance on 5 February 2024, whether it will provide clarification on whether anyone has been convicted of offences under section 56 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2014 since it came into force.","AnswerText":"As of 9 February 2024, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Services have confirmed to Scottish Government that no charges have been reported to them under Section 56 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2014 and there are subsequently no convictions.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":416279,"EventID":"S6W-25331","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5677,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-07T16:45:21.14","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T13:24:52.33","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much ScotRail estimates that it would cost to improve onboard temperatures on its trains, in light of reports of cold temperatures having been recorded on its trains that operate on the West Highland line.","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for ScotRail.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416280,"EventID":"S6W-25321","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-07T16:45:21.187","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T11:20:03.573","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much one psychological therapies appointment costs the NHS.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not collect data on how much a psychological therapies appointment costs the NHS.\r\nEvery presentation for psychological treatment represents a unique individual with their own specific needs. Treatment can often involve working with multidisciplinary professions as needed, meaning it is not possible to provide a cost per appointment.\r\nThe range of this psychological treatment is described in detail in the  Scottish Psychological Therapies Matrix  and how this treatment should be delivered is set out in the  National Specification for Psychological Therapies and Interventions.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416281,"EventID":"S6W-25312","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-07T16:45:21.263","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T10:33:29.957","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government from where the release of £6.2 million from the Lifelong Learning and Skills budget to support other Scottish Government priorities came, as outlined in the 2023-24 Autumn Budget Revision. ","AnswerText":"The published 2023-24 Autumn Budget Revision at the link below shares that this funding came from the release of emerging/planned underspends from Lifelong Learning and Skills to support other SG priorities. Autumn Budget Revision 2023 to 2024: supporting document - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) ?Further detail on this was confirmed in the Deputy First Minister’s letter to the Finance and Public Administration committee (FPAC) available at this link: Letter from the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance to the Convener of 21 November 2023 (parliament.scot) \r\nAnnex A confirms that the £6.2 million is in respect of a reduction in grant spend on Higher Education International Activity.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416282,"EventID":"S6W-25275","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-07T16:45:21.31","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T17:00:45.103","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much diesel has been consumed by the current fleet of Class 43 High Speed Trains (HSTs) in the last 12 months.","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for ScotRail. The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416283,"EventID":"S6W-25352","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-07T16:45:21.357","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T15:52:37.043","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact that the reported pause of the Bus Partnership Fund will have on its target of reducing car kilometres by 20% by 2030.","AnswerText":"As outlined in the draft route map to achieving a 20% reduction in car km by 2030, achieving this commitment relies on a package of over 30 interventions. The route map does not apportion a specific reduction in car km to any single intervention such as the Bus Partnership Fund, which is one of a number of route map interventions which aim to encourage the use of public transport.\r\nBus Partnership Fund spend will proceed as planned for 2023-24 to complete the delivery of the bus infrastructure underway for the benefit of passengers and operators, and conclude appraisal work that could inform future investment. The pausing in 2024-5 presents an opportunity to recast bus priority work within a longer term more integrated public transport vision.\r\nThe Scottish Government is committed to making sustainable travel a more attractive option, which is why we invest over £2bn annually to support public transport including over £420 million allocated for bus services and concessionary fares in 2023-24 providing over 2 million people in Scotland with access to free bus travel. Our firm commitment to bus travel continues with almost £430 million in funding for concessionary travel and bus services planned for 2024-25.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416284,"EventID":"S6W-25281","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-07T16:45:21.42","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T17:16:37.803","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact on the Scottish economy of the UK Government's decision to grant approval of the Rosebank oil field.","AnswerText":"Offshore oil and gas licensing and the associated fiscal regime are both reserved to the UK Government. The Scottish Government does not undertake detailed assessments of the economic impacts of individual oil and gas field developments.\r\nWe are aware that Equinor, as 80% owner of the Rosebank field, has stated that they expect it to create £8.5 billion of total direct investment (of which 77% is expected to be in UK-based businesses).\r\nThe Scottish Government recognises, and welcomes, the positive contribution that North Sea oil and gas continues to make to the economy. The answer to question S6W-25271 on 27 February 2024 on includes information on the Gross Value Added by the oil and industry as a whole to Scotland's economy. It is also the case that the North Sea basin is declining and unlimited extraction of fossil fuels is inconsistent with the climate emergency and our just transition commitments.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416285,"EventID":"S6W-25353","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-07T16:45:21.467","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T15:52:51.183","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24668 by\r\nFiona Hyslop on 2 February 2024, what information it holds on how the resource\r\nfunding from the Community Bus Fund was spent, and how the impact of such\r\nspending is being evaluated.","AnswerText":"The Community Bus fund was launched on 22 September 2023, with the £0.75 million resource funding available to local transport authorities for pathfinder style projects aimed at supporting them to complete initial feasibility and preparatory work required to consider the bus powers in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019, including franchising, formal partnerships and local authority run bus services. Projects are still in progress, therefore the Scottish Government will not have information on how the resource funding was spent until the end of the financial year 2023-24.\r\nFrom the bids received, 10 projects are being taken forward in 2023-24 pending compliance with Fair Work First requirements. These include projects to review local bus networks to develop local transport/bus strategies, and projects to complete options appraisals with a view to developing business cases. The majority of local authorities are still in the early stages of exploring the options within the Transport Act 2019, with most projects aimed at commencing work to determine which option, if any, is most appropriate for their areas. A full evaluation will be carried out following the completion of projects throughout 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416286,"EventID":"S6W-25346","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-07T16:45:21.523","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T15:26:27.99","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government who the single point of contact is in (a) the Scottish Government and (b) local government for the National Acquisition Plan.","AnswerText":"There is no single point of contact in the Scottish Government for the National Acquisition Programme. The programme is part of the Affordable Housing Supply Programme and managed at a local level by More Homes Division Area Teams who work with local authorities and Registered Social Landlords to plan and progress acquisitions through the programme. The More Homes central Programme Management Team monitors and reports on the progress of the programme. There is no single point of contact in local government for the national acquisition programme. It is for local authorities to agree their policy position and approach to acquisitions as outlined in our published  National Acquisition Programme information  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":416287,"EventID":"S6W-25318","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-07T16:45:21.58","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T10:39:43.867","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to bringing the law on international parental child abduction in line with England and Wales.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is not committed to changing the law in this area. However, in line with paragraph 9.15 of the Family Justice Modernisation Strategy  Family Justice Modernisation Strategy - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  , the Scottish Government is carrying out a review of section 6 of the Child Abduction Act 1984, on the offence in Scots law of a parent taking or sending a child out of the United Kingdom without consent. As part of this review, we are speaking to key stakeholders to obtain their views. We are also taking account of previous work, such as report 102 by the Scottish Law Commission in 1987 on child abduction  Child abduction (SLC 102) (scotlawcom.gov.uk)  . I am aiming to publish the outcomes of this review by the Scottish Government, along with Impact Assessments on the effect any change in the law would have, later this year.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416288,"EventID":"S6W-25339","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-07T16:45:21.627","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T14:40:44.253","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24723 by Fiona Hyslop on 5 February 2024, whether it will provide a breakdown of the maximum weight of cars that each ferry in the CalMac fleet is able to transport.","AnswerText":"This information is not available in this format, as it would be dependent on the depend on the number and type of traffic, on any one particular sailing.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416289,"EventID":"S6W-25335","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16194,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-07T16:45:21.673","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T13:39:01.737","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many battery energy storage system sites are (a) currently operational, (b) under construction and (c) scheduled for construction, broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"The information can be extracted from the publicly available Renewable Energy Planning Database (  Renewable Energy Planning Database: quarterly extract - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)  ). The following table draws out the number of battery projects planned across Scotland up to the end of December 2023.\r\nTable 1: Extract from Renewable Energy Planning Database up to the end of December 2023 (published January 2024)\r\nLocal Authority\r\na) Operational\r\nb) Under Construction\r\nc) Awaiting Construction\r\nAberdeen City  \r\n2\r\nAberdeenshire\r\n1\r\n1\r\n16\r\nAngus \r\n1\r\n4\r\nArgyll and Bute  \r\n1\r\nClackmannanshire  \r\n2\r\nDumfries and Galloway  \r\n7\r\nDundee City\r\n2 \r\n2\r\nEast Ayrshire  \r\n4\r\nEast Dunbartonshire  \r\n1\r\nEast Lothian\r\n1  \r\nEast Renfrewshire\r\n1  \r\nFalkirk  \r\n1\r\nFife \r\n3\r\n9\r\nGlasgow City  \r\n2\r\nHighland\r\n1 \r\n7\r\nInverclyde   \r\nMidlothian   \r\nMoray \r\n1\r\n6\r\nNorth Ayrshire  \r\n6\r\nNorth Lanarkshire\r\n1  \r\nOrkney Islands\r\n1  \r\nPerth and Kinross \r\n1\r\n5\r\nRenfrewshire  \r\n1\r\nScottish Borders  \r\n2\r\nShetland Islands\r\n1  \r\nSouth Ayrshire  \r\n3\r\nSouth Lanarkshire \r\n1\r\n5\r\nStirling  \r\n3\r\nWest Dunbartonshire   \r\nWest Lothian\r\n1 \r\n2\r\nScotland Total\r\n10\r\n8\r\n91","AnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416290,"EventID":"S6W-25336","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-07T16:45:21.72","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T14:33:05.99","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23198 by Maree Todd on 11 December 2023, whether it will provide clarification on whether the start of treatment for child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) patients is the first initial appointment that they have following a referral to CAMHS, and, if this is the case, what the waiting times are for treatment following this initial appointment. ","AnswerText":"Public Health Scotland  defines  ‘start of treatment’ as “when a patient’s treatment starts noting that not all people who are referred go on to have treatment. Some people attend an assessment appointment, need no further treatment, and so are removed from the waiting list. Some people are offered treatment but decide not to go ahead.”\r\nMost children and young people attend a first appointment for assessment and there are three main outcomes of that first appointment: \r\n(i) The child or young person needs no further treatment from CAMHS but is provided with personalised and meaningful signposting. At this point the reported waiting time is stopped and they are removed from the waiting list;\r\n(ii) Some children and young people are offered treatment but decide not to go ahead. At this point the reported waiting time is stopped and they are removed from the waiting list; \r\n(iii) Treatment is offered and accepted; and either treatment begins at this appointment and the reported waiting time is stopped, or a treatment appointment is offered and the reported waiting time stops when that treatment appointment happens.\r\nThe waiting time to the start of treatment will depend on the complexity of each individual case, the specific intervention that has been recommended and the availability of professionals trained to provide that intervention. All children and young people offered treatment in CAMHS should meet the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) referral criteria and receive support in line with the  CAMHS National Service Specification.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416291,"EventID":"S6W-25337","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-07T16:45:21.783","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T14:40:01.78","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures it currently supports to provide those in the heritage restoration sector with opportunities to develop expertise and skills in climate resilience.","AnswerText":"One of the key priorities identified in Our Past, Our Future, Scotland’s revised historic environment strategy which was commissioned by Scottish Ministers, is “Delivering the transition to net zero.” Actions identified to deliver this priority include improving the delivery of heritage skills training by revising and expanding the Skills Investment Plan for Scotland’s historic environment to identify the opportunities and actions needed to create a sustainable skills ecosystem. And also improving and enhancing the research and development infrastructure for heritage in Scotland by creating new national centres for skills and innovation.\r\nThe Scottish Government delivers support for the historic environment through its sponsorship of Historic Environment Scotland. Historic Environment Scotland, along with key partners, have consulted with 340 individuals and 160 organisations as part of the refresh of the Skills Investment Plan which is due to be published in April this year. As part of this refresh, a net zero roundtable was held on the 26 October 2023 to specifically look at the priority actions needed to support a skilled workforce to deliver the transition to net zero.\r\nOn behalf of the Scottish Government, Skills Development Scotland published a new report which has assessed the known investment, the skills demand now and in the future, and current training and learning support for green skills in Scotland. This report is available at  https://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/news-events/2023/november/90-billion-of-investment-in-green-industries-signals-need-for-net-zero-skills  .\r\nWe are also continuing to effectively integrate sustainability and green skills into apprenticeships in Scotland to ensure the system remains flexible and relevant as we transition to net zero.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416292,"EventID":"S6W-25230","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":8,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T11:13:16.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-01T17:16:57.45","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, as an employer located in the zone, how it is preparing for the enforcement of the Edinburgh Low Emission Zone.","AnswerText":"As an employer located in the Edinburgh Low Emission Zone (LEZ), there are several steps we are taking to prepare for its enforcement:Understanding the      LEZ regulations: We have familiarized ourselves with the specific      regulations of the Edinburgh LEZ, including which vehicles are affected,      emission standards, and any exemptions or grace periods. The SPCB as a      body is not exempt and the basement car park can only be accessed by      vehicles traveling through the LEZ , therefore all vehicles (except those      exempted such as blue badge holders and emergency vehicles) using the      Parliament car park will need to be compliant. Our car park is small      compared to the number of people who access the Parliament each day with      only 65 spaces, 47 of which are bookable (including 6 accessible bays and      6 electric charging spaces). More information about the LEZ is available      on the City of Edinburgh Council website: Low Emission Zone – The City of Edinburgh Council.\r\n Our fleet vehicle:      The SPCB has one fleet vehicle used for visiting constituency offices.      This vehicle has been identified as not compliant with the LEZ, so will be      replaced with an electric van. \r\n Promoting Sustainable Travel: The SPCB Sustainable Travel Plan available hereencourages passholders and visitors to adopt sustainable      travel patterns and details alternative ways such as public transport,      walking, cycling and wheeling or carpooling, to commute and visit      Holyrood.  We have good rates of sustainable travel to the building,      in 2022 21% of building users walked to work, 10% cycled and 45% came by      public transport.\r\n Hybrid working:      Since the pandemic the Parliament operates flexible work arrangements with      telecommunication facilities. This allows employees to work from home or      adjust their work schedules to avoid peak traffic times, opening up more      public transport options and reducing the need for commuting into the LEZ.\r\n Communications Programme: We are planning a suite of communications in the run up to the      start date of the LEZ (1st June) which will inform passholders      about the LEZ regulations and how they can comply. There will be      communication to all those that book parking spaces in the car park at      Holyrood and to the wider staff body that access the Parliament building. \r\nBy taking these proactive steps, the SPCB can ensure compliance with the Edinburgh Low Emission Zone regulations.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Claire Baker (on behalf of the SPCB)","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416293,"EventID":"S6W-25463","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":5771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T14:57:02.147","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-08T14:52:09.827","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to continue direct payments in the new rural support framework.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has committed to no cliff edges in support between existing schemes and the introduction of the new four tier framework. We remain committed to supporting active farming and sustainable food production with direct payments, while also delivering on our nature and climate commitments.\r\nWe have previously set out that there will be a four-tiered approach to funding and there is ongoing engagement with key stakeholder organisations to determine what goes where in each of those tiers. I want to thank everyone who is contributing their expertise and ideas to that process.\r\nClearly, part of that depends on how much funding is available in each tier. I can advise Parliament that the funding for Tiers 1 and 2 will constitute at least 70% of the overall funding envelope to support farming, crofting and land management from 2027.\r\nThese are the tiers that will reflect most closely the direct payment regime, albeit with conditions built in from the start.\r\nI can also advise that once we have determined what and how to replace the current Less Favoured Area Support Scheme – LFASS – with additional support for where the greatest need is and where people are farming and crofting in the most marginal and challenging of circumstances, that funding will also be made available through Tier 2.\r\nThis approach is the right one for 2027 – it delivers on our promise not to create cliff edges but to support farmers and crofters to transition to the new support framework.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416294,"EventID":"S6W-25366","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:07.33","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T16:54:42.137","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much resource services related to abortion provision and care will receive in the 2024-25 Budget, and how this compares to the previous five financial years.","AnswerText":"Health Boards are responsible for delivering abortion services as part of their overall budgets, in a similar way to most other health services. Therefore the Scottish Government does not determine how much is allocated to the provision of abortion services. Health Boards will decide appropriate levels of funding for their requirements within their overall funding.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416295,"EventID":"S6W-25368","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:07.44","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T16:54:42.137","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what progress has been made towards fulfilling its Programme for Government 2023-24 commitment to undertake a review of abortion law to identify potential proposals for reforms.","AnswerText":"The review on abortion law will begin once the Scottish Parliament has considered the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Bill.\r\nIn the meantime, the Scottish Government is working towards convening an expert group, which the Women’s Health Champion, Professor Anna Glasier, has agreed to chair. The Scottish Government is also starting discussions with other stakeholders who are likely to advise the expert group on particular topics. The expert group will be asked to set out options and any recommendations for reforms. These recommendations, along with other stakeholder input, will be considered by Ministers before setting out any proposals for potential reform.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416296,"EventID":"S6W-25388","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:07.517","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T11:11:05.123","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24665 by Fiona Hyslop on 1 February 2024, whether any impact assessment was conducted regarding the £12.9 million reduction to the “Travel Strategy and Innovation” budget.","AnswerText":"The UK Autumn Statement was a worst-case scenario for Scotland and confirmed that the Scottish Government Capital Block Grant is forecast to contract by almost 10% in real terms over 5 years (2023-24 to 2027-28). Capital spending pressures across the Scottish Government far exceed available funding. This means that it will take longer to deliver all our capital commitments. Difficult decisions, including reducing the ‘Travel Strategy and Innovation’ line, were also required in order to achieve a fiscally sustainable capital budget. As such, we targeted the limited capital funding available towards supporting employment and the economy, achieving our net zero ambitions and maintaining high-quality public services across Scotland.\r\nA significant proportion of the expenditure in the portfolio is legally and contractually committed, and the budget ensures that those commitments are met in full in this budget as well as allocating funding to support critical maintenance and renewal expenditure to ensure that the people of Scotland have access to a safe and reliable transport system.\r\nThe budget process also considered equalities and fairer Scotland duties and progress towards our statutory targets for climate change and child poverty in prioritising the budget available to me. I refer to the Equalities and Fairer Scotland Budget Statement and Carbon Assessment published alongside this budget.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416297,"EventID":"S6W-25397","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:07.58","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T11:44:49.557","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many times the Ardrossan Harbour Task Force has met to date, and what any (a) staffing and (b) resource implications are for Transport Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Ardrossan Harbour Task Force has met 15 times since it was set up in 2016, the details of these meetings and the Attendees involved can be found on the Transport Scotland website,  Ardrossan Harbour Task Force | Transport Scotland  . Staff within the Transport Scotland Ferries Directorate support the Task Force work, including the ongoing business case and project cost review.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416298,"EventID":"S6W-25372","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:07.643","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T16:56:32.94","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the First Minister last met formally with the Women's Health Champion.","AnswerText":"The Women’s Health Champion, Professor Anna Glasier, has not met with the First Minister. The Champion meets with myself on a quarterly basis.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416299,"EventID":"S6W-25401","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:07.707","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T11:44:49.557","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of the potential effect of the closure of the Irish Berth at Ardrossan Harbour on (a) ferry passenger groups and (b) CalMac staff.","AnswerText":"It is for CalMac as operator of the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service in the first instance to determine any actions that need to be taken in response to the closure of the Irish berth, maintaining safe links that the communities rely upon.\r\nWe understand and empathise with those affected and continue to impress upon Peel Ports Group and CalMac the urgency of the situation. Transport Scotland will continue to work with CalMac to monitor the ongoing impacts on all affected by the amended services and closure of the Irish Berth at Ardrossan.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416300,"EventID":"S6W-25407","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:07.753","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T12:31:24.803","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to mark the 40th anniversary of the miners' strike in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Miners' Strike of 1984-85 is considered to be the most bitter industrial dispute in living memory. The Scottish Government recognises that the impact of the strike still runs deep in Scotland's former mining heartlands. Scotland is at the forefront across the UK in recognising the need to provide reconciliation, dignity and comfort to those communities still affected. That is why the Scottish Government brought forward legislation to provide a symbolic pardon to miners and other participants in the strike in relation to various offences committed during the dispute. We also continue to call on the UK Government to undertake a full UK-wide public inquiry into the strike.\r\nThe Scottish Government is therefore considering how best to raise the profile of the strike and its legacy in former mining communities, as the 40th anniversary of the dispute approaches.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416301,"EventID":"S6W-25080","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:07.8","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T08:13:31.887","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government under whose ministerial direction the redactions to the Hamilton Report were made; whether it will provide the name of the lead official in charge of such redactions; how many civil servants were involved in the process of redaction; whether it will provide, where possible, the (a) names and (b) job titles of those civil servants; whether any special advisers were involved in the redaction process and, if so, whether it will provide their (i) names and (ii) job titles.","AnswerText":"No ministerial direction was made in relation to the redactions to the Hamilton Report. The Ministerial Code sets out the appropriate process for any referrals by the First Minister to the independent advisors. In accordance with that process, the former Deputy First Minister, John Swinney, was the Minister with overall responsibility however he had no involvement in the redaction process.\r\nThe report was redacted for the purpose of ensuring compliance with the court orders, and to redact any personal data where processing of personal data would not be lawful under data protection law, by the Scottish Government’s Organisational Continuity Team. None of the civil servants from the Organisational Continuity Team was a special adviser and no Special Advisers were involved in the redaction process of the Hamilton Report.\r\nPlease note we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested relating to names. This information is personal data of a third party, and disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation and Section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416302,"EventID":"S6W-25402","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:07.847","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T11:44:49.557","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it was informed by Peel Ports that the Irish Berth at Ardrossan Harbour would be permanently closed to CalMac ferries.","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland were informed on 2 February of Peel Ports decision to close the Irish Berth permanently.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416303,"EventID":"S6W-25079","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:07.893","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T08:13:31.887","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide full details of the\r\ntimetable leading up to the redacted version of the Hamilton Report being\r\nissued to the public on 22 March 2021, including (a) when the report was\r\ndelivered to it by James Hamilton, (b) when information was redacted from the\r\nreport and (c) whether there was more than one process of redaction.","AnswerText":"In preparation for issuing Mr Hamilton’s report, civil servants seconded to the Secretariat applied draft redactions in the period 15 to 21 March 2021. The Scottish Government received Mr Hamilton’s final report on 22 March 2021 at 00:02. The report was then redacted by civil servants in the Organisational Continuity Team for the purpose of ensuring compliance with the court orders made by Lord Woolman and Lady Dorrian and to remove any personal data where processing of personal data would not be lawful under data protection law.\r\nThe report was published on the same day, 22 March 2021, in line with the  commitment given to Parliament on 4 March 2021 by Nicola Sturgeon  , at  https://www.gov.scot/publications/independent-report-by-james-hamilton-on-the-first-ministers-self-referral-under-the-scottish-ministerial-code ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416304,"EventID":"S6W-25393","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:07.94","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T11:13:34.49","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24661 by Graeme Dey on 6 February 2024, whether it will confirm whether a specific impact assessment was conducted regarding the £1 million reduction to the “Community Learning & Development” budget.","AnswerText":"The impact assessments for the E&S portfolio were prepared collectively and reflected in the Education and Skills portfolio analysis section in Annex B of the Equality and Fairer Scotland statement available at this link:  Scottish Budget - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .\r\n","AnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416305,"EventID":"S6W-25081","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:07.987","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T08:13:31.887","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish any record of\r\ncorrespondence, notes, emails, text or WhatsApp messages, as well as the\r\ndocuments themselves, in the month of March 2021, between or on behalf of James\r\nHamilton and civil servants or Scottish Government ministers, regarding the\r\nredactions made to the version of the Hamilton Report that was published on 22\r\nMarch 2021.","AnswerText":"Mr Hamilton’s report was published on 22 March 2021. In his letter, which is published alongside the report, Mr Hamilton makes clear that redactions were necessary in order to comply with the court orders in place (made by Lord Woolman and Lady Dorrian), in order to avoid the risk of jigsaw identification.\r\nIt would not be appropriate to publish further material that was provided in confidence to Mr Hamilton for the purpose of his investigation. Following a Freedom of Information request for the full text of the Hamilton Report, the Scottish Government provided the Scottish Information Commissioner with the full text of the report, and, in  Decision 135/2022  , the Commissioner confirmed that he was satisfied that disclosing the information would lead to the identification of complainers, either directly or indirectly, contrary to the civil and criminal orders, and that the Scottish Government had complied with the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act in responding to that request.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416306,"EventID":"S6W-25384","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:08.05","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T11:08:28.583","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24650 by Mairi McAllan on 2 February 2024, whether it will provide the information requested regarding whether an impact assessment was conducted regarding the £6.7 million reduction to the \"Central Government Grants to Local Authorities\" budget, and for what reason it did not provide this information in its answer.","AnswerText":"Further to the response given by Miri McAllan MSP, in a particularly challenging fiscal landscape, the Scottish Government has had to take difficult decisions to deliver balanced and sustainable spending plans for the 2024-25 financial year.\r\nThe UK Autumn Statement was a worst-case scenario for Scotland. Our block grant funding, derived from the UK Government’s spending decisions, has fallen by 1.2 per cent in real terms since 2022-23 and our capital spending power is due to contract by almost 10 per cent in real terms over five years. Furthermore, the Spring Budget includes no new capital funding.\r\nA significant proportion of the expenditure in the Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition portfolio is legally and contractually committed, and I have ensured that those commitments are met in full in this budget as well as allocating funding to support critical maintenance and renewal expenditure to ensure that the people of Scotland have access to a safe and reliable transport system. This has been compounded by continuing high inflation, which has further reduced our room for manoeuvre. \r\nIt is within these challenging circumstances that we have had to make difficult decisions to achieve a fiscally sustainable budget. \r\nAs Miri McAllan MSP indicated, the Equalities and Fairer Scotland Budget Statement and Carbon Assessment were published alongside this Budget. These impact assessments not only analyse the budget and the impact of the decisions contained in it, they also consider the process of making those decisions, and how we make sure the needs of all people are actively considered. The Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition portfolio was actively engaged in the analysis and production of these assessments. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416307,"EventID":"S6W-25367","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:08.097","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T16:54:42.137","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the First Minister's commitment to decriminalise abortion in Scotland, what progress has been made towards that goal since March 2023.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25368 on? 26 February 2024. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416308,"EventID":"S6W-25369","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:08.143","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T16:54:42.137","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what resources have been allocated to its review of abortion law.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25368 on? 26 February 2024. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416309,"EventID":"S6W-25399","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:08.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T11:44:49.557","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many timetabled sailings CalMac has provided with the charter vessel, MV Alfred, since 27 April 2023 to date.","AnswerText":"The number of timetabled sailings CalMac has provided with the charter vessel, MV Alfred since 27 April 2023 until 9 February 2024 is 882.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416310,"EventID":"S6W-25078","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:08.237","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T08:13:31.887","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Decision 004/2023 of the Scottish\r\nInformation Commissioner, whether it will list the (a) name and (b) job title\r\nof each of its civil servants that were appointed to the secretariat that\r\nassisted James Hamilton in his investigation into whether the former First\r\nMinister had complied with the Scottish Ministerial Code, as described in the\r\nCommissioner's decision; whether any of the civil servants appointed to this\r\nsecretariat were special advisers, and, if so, and in the event that any\r\nspecial advisers were involved in the process of deciding what parts of the\r\nHamilton Report to redact, whether it will propose the scheduling of time\r\nfor a ministerial statement on this matter.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government seconded one individual to provide a Secretariat function to the Independent Advisor on the Ministerial Code while he conducted his review. Ahead of publication, Mr Hamilton requested additional secretariat support. Four additional permanent civil servants below the grade of Senior Civil Service were seconded to support the Secretariat from the SG Organisational Continuity Team (OCT) for a limited period from 15 March 2021, primarily to support the redaction and publication process. None of those civil servants was a Special Adviser and Special Advisers were not involved in the process of deciding what parts of the Hamilton Report to redact.\r\nPlease note we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested relating to names. This information is personal data of a third party, and disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation and Section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416311,"EventID":"S6W-25385","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:08.283","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T11:09:12.127","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24651 by Mairi McAllan on 2 February 2024, whether it will provide the information requested regarding whether an impact assessment was conducted regarding the removal of all funding from the \"Regional Transport Partnership\" budget, and for what reason it did not provide this information in its answer. ","AnswerText":"Further to the response given by Miri McAllan MSP, in a particularly challenging fiscal landscape, the Scottish Government has had to take difficult decisions to deliver balanced and sustainable spending plans for the 2024-25 financial year.\r\nThe UK Autumn Statement was a worst-case scenario for Scotland. Our block grant funding, derived from the UK Government’s spending decisions, has fallen by 1.2 per cent in real terms since 2022-23 and our capital spending power is due to contract by almost 10 per cent in real terms over five years.\r\nA significant proportion of the expenditure in the Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition portfolio is legally and contractually committed, and I have ensured that those commitments are met in full in this budget as well as allocating funding to support critical maintenance and renewal expenditure to ensure that the people of Scotland have access to a safe and reliable transport system. This has been compounded by continuing high inflation, which has further reduced scope and value of transport spend.\r\nIt is within these challenging circumstances that we have had to make difficult decisions to achieve a fiscally sustainable budget. Officials continue to engage with Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) on the implications of the budget decision along with the impact on future spending plans, and SPT have been invited to advise Transport Scotland on any impacts of budget decisions on risk to service provision.\r\nAs Miri McAllan MSP indicated, the Equalities and Fairer Scotland Budget Statement and Carbon Assessment were published alongside this Budget. These impact assessments not only analyse the budget and the impact of the decisions contained in it, they also consider the process of making those decisions, and how we make sure the needs of all people are actively considered. The Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition portfolio was actively engaged in the analysis and production of these assessments.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416312,"EventID":"S6W-25360","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:08.33","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T16:21:10.22","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government who took the decision to not automatically provide a copy of Scottish National Standardised Assessments pupil assessment reports to the pupil and their parent(s), and for what reason this decision was taken.","AnswerText":"I am advised that this decision was taken jointly by the Scottish Government and Education Scotland when the assessments were introduced in 2017. This position fits within a wider policy approach, guided by Education Scotland, around discussing assessment outcomes with parents and learners.\r\nI am advised that the view at that time was that presenting National Standardised Assessment data or reports to parents and learners on a standalone basis would run contrary to the diagnostic purpose of the assessments, and the central role of teacher judgement in considering NSA data amongst wider assessment activities.\r\nNSA reports are designed for teachers, who have access to training and guidance on the use of these adaptive assessments and their outputs, allowing them to interpret and use the report format appropriately.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416313,"EventID":"S6W-25376","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:08.393","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T11:03:29.91","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24642 by Mairi McAllan on 2 February 2024, whether it will provide the information requested regarding whether an impact assessment was conducted regarding the reported £29.3 million real-terms reduction to the Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition budget, and for what reason it did not provide this information in its answer.","AnswerText":"Further to the response given by Miri McAllan MSP, in a particularly challenging fiscal landscape, the Scottish Government has had to take difficult decisions to deliver balanced and sustainable spending plans for the 2024-25 financial year.\r\nThe UK Autumn Statement was a worst-case scenario for Scotland. Our block grant funding, derived from the UK Government’s spending decisions, has fallen by 1.2 per cent in real terms since 2022-23 and our capital spending power is due to contract by almost 10 per cent in real terms over five years. \r\nThe Scottish Government has prioritised funding for front line services in the 2024-25 Scottish Budget and this has required making difficult decisions. Despite these challenges, the Budget will increase frontline NHS investment by over half a billion pounds, uprate benefits by over £1 billion and to spend almost £2.5 billion on our public transport network. The total budget for the Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition portfolio increased by £47.7 million in 2024-25, which is a £27.9 million (0.6%) reduction in real terms using GDP deflators published in November 2023\r\nA significant proportion of the expenditure in the Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition portfolio is legally and contractually committed, and I have ensured that those commitments are met in full in this budget as well as allocating funding to support critical maintenance and renewal expenditure to ensure that the people of Scotland have access to a safe and reliable transport system. This has been compounded by continuing high inflation, which has further reduced our room for manoeuvre. \r\nAs Miri McAllan MSP indicated, the Equalities and Fairer Scotland Budget Statement and Carbon Assessment were published alongside this Budget. These impact assessments not only analyse the budget and the impact of the decisions contained in it, they also consider the process of making those decisions, and how we make sure the needs of all people are actively considered. The Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition portfolio was actively engaged in the analysis and production of these assessments. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416314,"EventID":"S6W-25386","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:08.44","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T11:09:46.363","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24654 by Mairi McAllan on 6 February 2024, whether it will provide the information requested regarding whether an impact assessment was conducted regarding the £2.8 million reduction to the “Support for sustainable travel” budget, and for what reason it did not provide this information in its answer.","AnswerText":"Further to the response given by Miri McAllan MSP, in a particularly challenging fiscal landscape, the Scottish Government has had to take difficult decisions to deliver balanced and sustainable spending plans for the 2024-25 financial year.\r\nThe UK Autumn Statement was a worst-case scenario for Scotland. Our block grant funding, derived from the UK Government’s spending decisions, has fallen by 1.2 per cent in real terms since 2022-23.\r\nA significant proportion of the expenditure in the Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition portfolio is legally and contractually committed, and I have ensured that those commitments are met in full in this budget as well as allocating funding to support critical maintenance and renewal expenditure to ensure that the people of Scotland have access to a safe and reliable transport system. This has been compounded by continuing high inflation, which has further reduced our room for manoeuvre.\r\nThe “Support for sustainable transport” line has been funded at £4.5 million in 2024-25 in line with anticipated expenditure during the 2024-25 financial year.\r\nAs Miri McAllan MSP indicated, the Equalities and Fairer Scotland Budget Statement and Carbon Assessment were published alongside this Budget. These impact assessments not only analyse the budget and the impact of the decisions contained in it, they also consider the process of making those decisions, and how we make sure the needs of all people are actively considered. The Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition portfolio was actively engaged in the analysis and production of these assessments.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416315,"EventID":"S6W-25387","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:08.487","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T11:10:27.107","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24655 by Mairi McAllan on 5 February 2024, whether it will provide the information requested regarding whether an impact assessment was conducted regarding the £63.4 million reduction to the “Future Transport Fund – Low Carbon” budget, and for what reason it did not provide this information in its answer. ","AnswerText":"Further to the response given by Miri McAllan MSP, in a particularly challenging fiscal landscape, the Scottish Government has had to take difficult decisions to deliver balanced and sustainable spending plans for the 2024-25 financial year.\r\nThe UK Autumn Statement was a worst-case scenario for Scotland. Our block grant funding, derived from the UK Government’s spending decisions, has fallen by 1.2 per cent in real terms since 2022-23 and our capital spending power is due to contract by almost 10 per cent in real terms over five years.\r\nA significant proportion of the expenditure in the Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition portfolio is legally and contractually committed, and I have ensured that those commitments are met in full in this budget as well as allocating funding to support critical maintenance and renewal expenditure to ensure that the people of Scotland have access to a safe and reliable transport system. This has been compounded by continuing high inflation, which has further reduced our room for manoeuvre.\r\nThis line has been reprofiled in line with anticipated expenditure and to reflect the move towards the use of private sector finance and ownership in areas such as charging infrastructure and bus electrification.\r\nAs Miri McAllan MSP indicated, the Equalities and Fairer Scotland Budget Statement and Carbon Assessment were published alongside this Budget. These impact assessments not only analyse the budget and the impact of the decisions contained in it, they also consider the process of making those decisions, and how we make sure the needs of all people are actively considered. The Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition portfolio was actively engaged in the analysis and production of these assessments.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416316,"EventID":"S6W-25283","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:08.533","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T17:22:01.45","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of proposed police station closures on tackling crime in the Aberdeen City Council area.","AnswerText":"Police Scotland’s 2019 Estate Strategy outlined plans to replace outdated, underinvested and underused properties with a modern, fit-for-purpose estate. This will help develop modern premises, capable of delivering effective and efficient public services to meet the needs of people and the staff who use them.\r\nFor example, co-locations make the best use of the public sector estate and offer the opportunity for increased visibility, closer working and increased collaboration between partners. Police Scotland has over 60 examples of successful co-location, including at Marischal College with Aberdeen City Council.\r\nIt should also be noted that, under a single Scottish police service, police operate over three tiers – local, regional and national. This ensures that there is a core complement of officers dedicated to community and response policing. Local Area Commanders can also draw on specialist resources to further support local policing whenever they are needed.\r\nPolice Scotland is currently undertaking a national consultation on its estate plans. This forms part of its wider engagement activity to listen to feedback and views about the proposed estate change. I encourage anyone with an interest to engage with this conversation which is available on the Police Scotland  National Conversation About Our Estate - Police Scotland - Citizen Space  .\r\nMatters concerning the police estate are operational issues for the Chief Constable, who is accountable to the Scottish Police Authority. I also have regular meetings with the Chief Constable, where a range of issues are discussed, including the police estate.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416317,"EventID":"S6W-25382","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:08.58","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T11:07:01.393","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24647 by Mairi McAllan on 2 February 2024, whether it will provide the information requested regarding whether an impact assessment was conducted regarding the £38.7 million reduction to the \"Climate Change and Land Managers Renewables Fund\" budget, and for what reason it did not provide this information in its answer.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to my response to question S6W-24647.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416318,"EventID":"S6W-25377","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:08.643","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T11:04:20.33","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24643 by Mairi McAllan on 2 February 2024, whether it will provide the information requested regarding whether an impact assessment was conducted regarding the £79.9 million reduction to the total \"Rail Services\" budget, and for what reason it did not provide this information in its answer.","AnswerText":"Further to the response given by Miri McAllan MSP, in a particularly challenging fiscal landscape, the Scottish Government has had to take difficult decisions to deliver balanced and sustainable spending plans for the 2024-25 financial year.\r\nThe UK Autumn Statement was a worst-case scenario for Scotland. Our block grant funding, derived from the UK Government’s spending decisions, has fallen by 1.2 per cent in real terms since 2022-23 and our capital spending power is due to contract by almost 10 per cent in real terms over five years. \r\nA significant proportion of the expenditure in the Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition portfolio is legally and contractually committed, and I have ensured that those commitments are met in full in this budget as well as allocating funding to support critical maintenance and renewal expenditure to ensure that the people of Scotland have access to a safe and reliable transport system. This has been compounded by continuing high inflation, which has further reduced our room for manoeuvre. \r\nThe reduction in the rail services line reflects increased revenue, as passenger numbers recover, which reduces the subsidy required by ScotRail. This accompanies a significantly reduced capital budget required, reflecting the accounting and recognition of lease arrangements in year.\r\nAs Miri McAllan MSP indicated, the Equalities and Fairer Scotland Budget Statement and Carbon Assessment were published alongside this Budget. These impact assessments not only analyse the budget and the impact of the decisions contained in it, they also consider the process of making those decisions, and how we make sure the needs of all people are actively considered. The Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition portfolio was actively engaged in the analysis and production of these assessments.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416319,"EventID":"S6W-25375","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2678,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":141,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:08.767","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T10:32:33.21","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many simple procedure claims were submitted in each financial year from 2019-20 to 2023-24 to date; of those, how many claims were (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful, and what the average monetary value was of successful claims in each financial year.","AnswerText":"Simple procedure is a court process designed to provide a speedy, inexpensive and informal way to resolve disputes. A claim is made in the sheriff court with the final decision in a claim made by a sheriff or a summary sheriff. Claimants do not need to use a solicitor to use the simple procedure, but they can do so if they wish.\r\nThe following table provides the number of simple procedure claims, and breaks the disposals between those which were successful and unsuccessful. It then gives the average monetary value of the successful claims for each financial year where data is available.\r\nFinancial Year\r\nClaims submitted\r\nSuccessful claims\r\nUnsuccessful claims\r\nAverage value for successful claims (£)\r\n2019-20\r\n32,344\r\n16,841\r\n11,409\r\n1,578.98\r\n2020-21\r\n18,350\r\n12,585\r\n7,708\r\n1,711.23\r\n2021-22\r\n23,273\r\n14,580\r\n8,604\r\n1,622.79\r\nNotes\r\n1. Figures for claims submitted and those disposed of do not necessarily refer to the same cases. Claims submitted in one financial year could be processed in the following year.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416320,"EventID":"S6W-25383","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:08.813","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T11:07:45.84","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24645 by Mairi McAllan on 2 February 2024, whether it will provide the information requested regarding whether an impact assessment was conducted regarding the removal of all funding from the \"Green Economy\" budget, and for what reason it did not provide this information in its answer.","AnswerText":"Further to the response I gave on 2 February, in a particularly challenging fiscal landscape, the Scottish Government has had to take difficult decisions to deliver balanced and sustainable spending plans for the 2024-25 financial year.\r\nThe UK Autumn Statement was a worst-case scenario for Scotland. Our block grant funding, derived from the UK Government’s spending decisions, has fallen by 1.2 per cent in real terms since 2022-23 and our capital spending power is due to contract by almost 10 per cent in real terms over five years.\r\nA significant proportion of the expenditure in the former Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition portfolio has been legally and contractually committed, and I have ensured that those commitments are met in full in this budget as well as allocating funding to support critical maintenance and renewal expenditure to ensure that the people of Scotland have access to a safe and reliable transport system. This has been compounded by continuing high inflation, which has further reduced our room for manoeuvre.\r\nIt is within these challenging circumstances that we have had to make difficult decisions to achieve a fiscally sustainable budget.\r\nAs I indicated, the Equalities and Fairer Scotland Budget Statement and Carbon Assessment were published alongside this Budget. These impact assessments not only analyse the budget and the impact of the decisions contained in it, they also consider the process of making those decisions, and how we make sure the needs of all people are actively considered. The Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition portfolio was actively engaged in the analysis and production of these assessments.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416321,"EventID":"S6W-25374","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2678,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":141,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:08.863","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T10:31:46.447","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether £5,000 remains the appropriate maximum monetary value for a simple procedure claim, and what assessment it has made of the merits of considering an increase in the maximum claim value to £10,000.","AnswerText":"The overall policy intention behind simple procedure is to provide a quicker, less formal, and more accessible route to justice for individuals involved in low-value civil disputes. It is therefore suitable for party litigants to raise or defend an action and conduct their cases to a conclusion themselves.\r\nWhile the current monetary limit is £5,000, there are provisions for flexibility and case-specific considerations within the simple procedure framework. Even if the sum sought exceeds the monetary limit for simple procedure cases parties can agree to transfer a case to the Simple Procedure. In such cases, there is no obligation to lower the sum sought to meet the £5000 limit.\r\nThe Scottish Government considers the average value of simple procedure claims does not support an immediate need to increase the £5000 limit. We remain of the view that the current limit and flexibility within the simple procedure framework strikes the right balance between providing an accessible and cost-effective legal avenue while ensuring fairness and proportionality in resolving disputes.\r\nThe Government will continue to keep the monetary limit for simple procedure under review.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416322,"EventID":"S6W-25282","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:08.923","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T17:20:49.653","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many of its civil servants are currently employed in the Aberdeen City Council area.","AnswerText":"At 30 September 2023 there were 254 directly employed staff within the Aberdeen City Council area.\r\nThe Scottish Government publishes employment figures on a quarterly basis. This data, along with a time series back to 2012 and full explanatory notes, can be found here:  Scottish Government workforce information - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416323,"EventID":"S6W-25403","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:08.97","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T12:18:49.3","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current vacancy rate is for cardiac physiologists in NHS Scotland.","AnswerText":"The information requested on what the current vacancy rate is for cardiac physiologists in NHS Scotland is not centrally available.\r\nInformation on Healthcare Science staff in post and cardiology consultants, can be found on the TURAS NHS Education for Scotland workforce statistics site at:  NHS Scotland workforce | Turas Data Intelligence  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":416324,"EventID":"S6W-25361","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:09.033","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T16:21:10.22","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason ACER UK has not produced a Scottish National Standardised Assessments annual report for (a) 2019-20, (b) 2020-21 and (c) 2021-22, and, if it is the case that the Scottish Government received the data for these years, whether it has conducted its own analysis.","AnswerText":"National level reports on the NSA were not commissioned in 2019-20 or 2020-21, due to Covid-19 related disruption. The National Report was also not commissioned in 2021-22, as the handover process from the phase one SNSA supplier (ACER), to the current phase two supplier (AlphaPlus Ltd), was underway.\r\nThe National Standardised Assessments for Scotland are designed to provide valuable diagnostic information to teachers, schools and local authorities, on children’s progress in aspects of literacy and numeracy.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416325,"EventID":"S6W-25405","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:09.08","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T12:18:49.3","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address waiting lists for echocardiograms, in light of reported statistics showing that fewer than three in 10 people are being seen within six weeks.","AnswerText":"The Heart Disease Action Plan recognises the need to ensure timely and equitable access to diagnostics, including echocardiography. We remain committed to supporting Boards to target resources to reduce waiting times through service innovation and redesign.\r\nThis includes the Centre for Sustainable Delivery's (CfSD) Accelerated National Innovation Adoption Pathway (ANIA) which focuses on using technology to fast-track proven innovations into the healthcare frontline that will improve patient outcomes.\r\nAs part of this work, CfSD is currently considering the roll out of innovations that optimise delivery of the heart failure diagnostic pathway, in which access to echocardiography is an important component.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":416326,"EventID":"S6W-25400","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:09.13","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T11:44:49.557","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how regularly it receives updates from CMAL regarding the chartering of additional ferries for service on the Clyde and Hebrides network.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government holds regular discussions with Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited on the charter and potential purchase of available and suitable vessels to support and improve services on Scotland’s ferry networks. Discussions also take place with CalMac where appropriate.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416327,"EventID":"S6W-25392","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:09.19","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T11:13:08.47","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24660 by Jenny Gilruth on 6 February 2024, whether it will confirm whether a specific impact assessment was conducted regarding the £4.3 million reduction to the “Education Maintenance Allowance” budget.","AnswerText":"The impact assessments for the E&S portfolio were prepared collectively and reflected in the Education and Skills portfolio analysis section in Annex B of the Equality and Fairer Scotland statement available at this link  Scottish Budget - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416328,"EventID":"S6W-25373","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:09.237","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T17:05:02.213","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many prisoners HMP Glasgow is planned to hold.","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:\r\nHMP Glasgow will deliver safe and secure accommodation, with maximum possible benefit and opportunity to those who live and work there, as well as the surrounding communities.\r\nThe new prison will provide a better quality of living environment and enable strong relationships with staff and those in our care. Based on the current plans, HMP Glasgow has a design capacity of 1344.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416329,"EventID":"S6W-25389","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:09.283","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T11:11:39.183","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24657 by Graeme Dey on 6 February 2024, whether it will confirm whether a specific impact assessment was conducted regarding the £23.5 million reduction to the “Lifelong Learning and Skills” budget.","AnswerText":"The impact assessments for the E&S portfolio were prepared collectively and reflected in the Education and Skills portfolio analysis section in Annex B of the Equality and Fairer Scotland statement available at this link  Scottish Budget - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416330,"EventID":"S6W-25381","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:09.33","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T11:06:18.307","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24646 by Mairi McAllan on 2 February 2024, whether it will provide the information requested regarding whether an impact assessment was conducted regarding the £5.5 million reduction to the \"Ferry Services\" budget, and for what reason it did not provide this information in its answer.","AnswerText":"Further to the response given by Miri McAllan MSP, in a particularly challenging fiscal landscape, the Scottish Government has had to take difficult decisions to deliver balanced and sustainable spending plans for the 2024-25 financial year.\r\nThe UK Autumn Statement was a worst-case scenario for Scotland. Our block grant funding, derived from the UK Government’s spending decisions, has fallen by 1.2 per cent in real terms since 2022-23 and our capital spending power is due to contract by almost 10 per cent in real terms over five years. \r\nA significant proportion of the expenditure in the Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition portfolio is legally and contractually committed, and we have ensured that those commitments are met in full in this budget as well as allocating funding to support critical maintenance and renewal expenditure to ensure that the people of Scotland have access to a safe and reliable transport system. This has been compounded by continuing high inflation, which has further reduced our room for manoeuvre. \r\nFactors that led to the reduction highlighted include rephasing of budgets to reflect construction and investment works progressing through the coming year and to reflect the profile of loan payments to CMAL.\r\nAs Miri McAllan MSP indicated, the Equalities and Fairer Scotland Budget Statement and Carbon Assessment were published alongside this Budget. These impact assessments not only analyse the budget and the impact of the decisions contained in it, they also consider the process of making those decisions, and how we make sure the needs of all people are actively considered. The Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition portfolio was actively engaged in the analysis and production of these assessments. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416331,"EventID":"S6W-25365","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:09.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T16:23:09.343","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-20844 by Paul McLennan on 13 September 2023, how many applications from (a) registered social landlords and (b) local authorities have been (i) received and (ii) approved for the National Acquisition Plan since its answer.","AnswerText":"The following table shows the number of homes approved from applications received from (a) registered social landlords (b) local authorities since the National Acquisition Programme was announced on 19 July 2023. This information is to 31 January 2024:\r\nNational Acquisition Programme\r\nApplications for nos. of homes received\r\nNo. of homes approved\r\nRegistered Social Landlord\r\n184\r\n133\r\nLocal Authority\r\n232\r\n83\r\nTotal\r\n416\r\n216\r\nThe figures above show that there were applications still under active appraisal during January. Some of these homes may now have been approved but information to end February is not yet available. It should also be noted that, in addition, applications were also received and approved prior to the announcement on the 19 July.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":416332,"EventID":"S6W-25408","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:09.487","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T13:23:00.057","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-19266 by Mairi McAllan on 28 June 2023, how many sites are currently being monitored.","AnswerText":"Routine monitoring is not carried out in all Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). The Scottish MPA Monitoring Strategy sets out a framework for a risk-based approach to planning and prioritising monitoring activities. Prioritisation of MPA monitoring effort is guided by principles defined in the strategy. These principles firstly identify target features based on criteria including risk from negative impacts, importance within Scotland and functional importance within the ecosystem. Additionally, location of monitoring is prioritised using criteria including site management characteristics, covering feature geographical range and existing data availability.\r\nEvidence-gathering in accordance with the principles of the strategy is then carried out by government, agencies, academics and often supported by citizen science projects. This information underpins assessment and reporting obligations, as well as enabling monitoring of the ecological benefits the network provides.\r\nThe annexes to the MPA Monitoring Strategy are regularly updated with details of recent and upcoming surveys. The latest update detailing plans for surveying in the next two years will be available soon on the Scottish Government website:  MPA monitoring strategy - Marine environment - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416333,"EventID":"S6W-25409","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:09.533","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T13:23:00.057","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-19267 by Mairi McAllan on 27 June 2023, whether it will provide a more specific timeframe for the delivery of the next report to the Parliament.","AnswerText":"As required by Section 103 of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010, the next report to the Scottish Parliament on Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) will be published in 2024. The Scottish Government intends to publish the next report in December 2024. Reporting occurs in a 6-year cycle. The last report was published in December 2018, and is available here:  Marine Protected Area Network - 2018 Report to the Scottish Parliament - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416334,"EventID":"S6W-25371","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:09.58","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T16:55:57.693","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many actions it set out in its Women's Health Plan 2021-24, and what its position is on how many of those actions it has achieved to date.","AnswerText":"The  Women's Health Plan: A Plan for 2021-24  sets out 66 actions to improve women’s health inequalities across the short-term (year one), medium-term (year one to three) and longer-term (year three and beyond).\r\nThe Women’s Health Plan  First  and  Second  Annual Reports on Progress set out the progress made to date on delivering the Plan.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416335,"EventID":"S6W-25363","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:09.643","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T16:21:10.22","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the AlphaPlus annual report for 2022-23 regarding the National Standardised Assessments for Scotland will be published.","AnswerText":"The National Standardised Assessments for Scotland - National Report (2022-23) is currently being drafted by the assessment platform supplier and quality assured by the Scottish Government and will be published shortly.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416336,"EventID":"S6W-25380","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:09.69","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T11:05:40.17","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24645 by Mairi McAllan on 2 February 2024, whether it will provide the information requested regarding whether an impact assessment was conducted regarding the £40.8 million reduction to the total \"Active Travel, Low Carbon and Other Transport Policy\" budget, and for what reason it did not provide this information in its answer.","AnswerText":"Further to the response given by Miri McAllan MSP, in a particularly challenging fiscal landscape, the Scottish Government has had to take difficult decisions to deliver balanced and sustainable spending plans for the 2024-25 financial year.\r\nThe UK Autumn Statement was a worst-case scenario for Scotland. Our block grant funding, derived from the UK Government’s spending decisions, has fallen by 1.2 per cent in real terms since 2022-23 and our capital spending power is due to contract by almost 10 per cent in real terms over five years. \r\nA significant proportion of the expenditure in the Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition portfolio is legally and contractually committed, and I have ensured that those commitments are met in full in this budget as well as allocating funding to support critical maintenance and renewal expenditure to ensure that the people of Scotland have access to a safe and reliable transport system. This has been compounded by continuing high inflation, which has further reduced our room for manoeuvre. \r\nFactors that led to the reduction in this budget line included the finalisation and publication of STPR2 in 2023-24. The reduction in Support for Sustainable Travel, in Support for Freight Industry and in the Future Transport Fund reflects anticipated expenditure in the financial year. \r\nAs Miri McAllan MSP indicated, the Equalities and Fairer Scotland Budget Statement and Carbon Assessment were published alongside this Budget. These impact assessments not only analyse the budget and the impact of the decisions contained in it, they also consider the process of making those decisions, and how we make sure the needs of all people are actively considered. The Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition portfolio was actively engaged in the analysis and production of these assessments. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416337,"EventID":"S6W-25404","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:09.737","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T12:18:49.3","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address cardiology waiting lists, in light of reported statistics showing that waiting lists for outpatient cardiology appointments are the longest on record.","AnswerText":"We recognise the scale and impact of heart disease across Scotland and have set out our strategic direction to address this in our 2021 Heart Disease Action Plan. This includes actions to ensure that people with suspected heart disease have timely and equitable access to diagnosis, treatment and care.\r\nWe are making progress in the delivery of these actions including the development of nationally agreed pathways and ensuring the effective use of data to drive improvements.\r\nWe expect Health Boards’ 2024-25 annual delivery plans (due March) to clearly set out how they will increase productivity and reduce waiting times across all inpatient, day-case, outpatient specialities.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":416338,"EventID":"S6W-25379","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:09.8","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T11:05:25.313","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what (a) area and (b) proportion of publicly owned land is currently allocated for rewilding.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government and NatureScot do not use the term rewilding, since it encompasses such a wide range of activities and can be interpreted in many different ways. The type of information requested is not, in any case, held centrally since individual land-holding public bodies are responsible for the management of their holdings.\r\nPublic bodies that own or manage land are encouraged to do so positively for biodiversity, and the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 places a statutory duty on all public bodies to further the conservation of biodiversity when exercising their functions.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416339,"EventID":"S6W-25378","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:09.847","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T11:04:50.73","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24644 by Patrick Harvie on 2 February 2024, whether it will provide the information requested regarding whether an impact assessment was conducted regarding the £9.3 million reduction to the total \"Energy Efficiency and Decarbonisation\" budget, and for what reason it did not provide this information in its answer.","AnswerText":"Despite a reduction in overall funding of £9.3m, the budget settlement for 24-25 included an increase in Capital funding to balance the reduction in Financial Transactions, this is overall sufficient to meet the demands of the Heat in Building programme in 24-25, and as a result no impact assessment was required.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416340,"EventID":"S6W-25398","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:09.893","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T11:44:49.557","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the provision of shoreside recharging facilities for battery-powered ferries at harbours on the Clyde and Hebrides network.","AnswerText":"The Small Vessel Replacement Programme (SVRP) will see Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) procure up to 10 small vessels across two phases which will serve the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service network. This will provide modern, standardised vessels that are capable of as close to zero emission operation as possible.\r\nAs part of the programme, CMAL will undertake associated enabling works to the shore side infrastructure to provide suitable shore power supply for charging batteries onboard. The work is progressing in relation to the Port feasibility studies for the relevant projects and Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks and Scottish Power are involved in carrying out feasibility studies for the shore side power availability.\r\nMinisters are currently considering the outline business case for SVRP and an update will be provided once a decision on investment has been taken. Cold ironing (shore charging) projects associated with the new Islay vessels and Little Minch vessels are also underway ahead of their delivery.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416341,"EventID":"S6W-25370","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:09.957","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T16:54:42.137","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what progress has been made towards the improvement of (a) abortion services in Scotland, in particular the provision of abortions after 20 weeks of gestation and (b) the training of abortion providers.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to improving access to abortion services, underpinned by aims outlined in the Women’s Health Plan. Progress has been made in particular by updating Scottish Abortion Care Providers guidance on early medical abortions in Scotland to take account of the recommendations of the March 2023 evaluation of  early medical abortion at home  .\r\nOne of the actions in the Women’s Health plan is working with NHS Boards to enable all women having later stage abortions to be treated in Scotland.\r\nThe Scottish Government commissioned National Services Scotland (NSS) to develop a specification to deliver abortions between 20-24 weeks gestation, for all indications, within Scotland. This options paper was discussed at the National Planning and Delivery Board.\r\nTo enable a decision on the most feasible way of delivering this, it was agreed that a short life working group should work with key groups of staff in Health Boards and bring back recommendations to the Planning and Delivery Board. Once proposals for a service model have been agreed by that Board any staff training requirements will be considered as part of that.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416342,"EventID":"S6W-25406","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16194,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:10.003","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T12:24:32.02","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it has provided to NHS boards in relation to recording a patient’s biological sex on medical records.","AnswerText":"The existing \"Scottish Government Records Management Health and Social Care Code of Practice (Scotland) 2020 has short section on dealing with health records of those who identify as transgender. This links to guidance from the Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland, the General Medical Council and NHS National Services Scotland (NSS). It was recognised in 2020 that it was an area under development, and subsequently the Scottish Government's Chief Statistician issued guidance for public bodies on the collection of data on sex and gender (2021). The draft Records Management Code of Practice for Health and Social Care, due out in the spring of 2024 aims to incorporate the Chief Statistician's guidance along with feedback from stakeholders and provide further guidance to NHS Boards.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416343,"EventID":"S6W-25391","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:10.067","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T11:12:37.38","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24659 by Graeme Dey on 6 February 2024, whether it will confirm whether a specific impact assessment was conducted regarding the £9.3 million reduction to the “Skills Programmes” budget.","AnswerText":"The impact assessments for the E&S portfolio were prepared collectively and reflected in the Education and Skills portfolio analysis section in Annex B of the Equality and Fairer Scotland statement available at this link  Scottish Budget - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416344,"EventID":"S6W-25390","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-08T16:28:10.113","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T11:12:08.523","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24658 by Graeme Dey on 6 February 2024, whether it will confirm whether a specific impact assessment was conducted regarding the £4.1 million reduction to Skills Development Scotland’s budget.","AnswerText":"The impact assessments for the E&S portfolio were prepared collectively and reflected in the Education and Skills portfolio analysis section in Annex B of the Equality and Fairer Scotland statement available at this link  Scottish Budget - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .\r\nMinisters have been clear that they expect SDS to prioritise the careers service and maximise apprenticeship opportunities from within their budget allocation. This will also be set out in their annual Letter of Guidance for 2024-25.\r\nSDS have their own internal budget processes and have clear focus on equalities and relevant expertise on their board.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416357,"EventID":"S6W-25394","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:21.417","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T11:38:37.323","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will introduce consultations on (a) applying a cap to fishing activity in inshore waters and (b) the management of marine protected areas, and how it will conduct both of these consultations in a way that ensures that those affected understand the proposals and are able to take part in the consultation in a meaningful way.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government will explore proposals relating to inshore fishing activity as part of a broad package of management measures for inshore fisheries improvement that we will consult on in late 2024.\r\nOur co-management Fisheries Management and Conservation (FMAC) and Regional Inshore Fisheries Group (RIFG) networks will help shape our consultation proposals, enabling policy that balances our economic and environmental responsibilities. Wider stakeholder engagement on the development of fisheries management measures is ongoing and will continue during the consultation.\r\nFor both inshore and offshore MPA consultations, over and above our normal stakeholder engagement, we are using an innovative consultation approach to allow respondents to use a map-based interface to receive information and comment on a site-by-site basis, allowing those affected to understand more clearly the proposals that affect them. The consultation on fisheries management measures for offshore marine protected areas (MPAs) is currently being prepared and will be launched in the coming months, and the exact date for the inshore MPAs and priority marine features will be announced in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416358,"EventID":"S6W-25459","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:21.653","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-08T14:43:56.463","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6O-03036 by Angela Constance on 31 January 2024, what assessment it has made of the anticipated (a) safety, (b) security, (c) care and (d) rehabilitation implications of its decision to bring HMP Kilmarnock into public ownership, and whether it will publish any such assessments. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) as the sole public sector operator of prisons in Scotland has a strong track record in keeping prisons safe and secure with a focus on care and rehabilitation. They are well placed to deliver quality services at HMP Kilmarnock while benefitting from the skills and experience of the existing staff group there.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416359,"EventID":"S6W-25451","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:21.73","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-08T11:09:08.217","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of the community space that is available for hire to allow local community groups and clubs to run affordable sessions.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not undertake assessments of available community spaces to local community groups and clubs. This is a matter for the relevant public authorities with responsibility for the land or buildings available in their authority area and the decision to undertake an assessment would be for them to consider. Under the Community Empowerment Act (2015), communities are, however, able to request a right to buy, lease, manage or use land and buildings belonging to local authorities, Scottish public bodies or Scottish Ministers. Scottish Government encourages relevant authorities to work with their communities to make sure they can access and make use of available spaces.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416360,"EventID":"S6W-25452","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:21.81","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-08T11:31:31.357","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to increase the capacity of the overnight accommodation available for families with babies in neonatal units.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to improve provision of maternity and neonatal services through implementation of The Best Start: A Five Year forward plan for Maternity and Neonatal care in Scotland.\r\nWe receive regular reporting from Health Boards stating they have accommodation provisions in place to support and meet the needs of the parents.\r\nWith the announcement of the new model of neonatal care the Scottish Government have commissioned RSM UK to provide detailed analysis of the capacity requirements associated with the new model.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416361,"EventID":"S6W-25447","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:21.857","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-08T10:02:25.207","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity’s child and family mental health resilience and wellbeing pilot, No Time To Wait, in East Lothian.","AnswerText":"I visited the Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity’s (ECHC) wellbeing centre, The Hub, based in the Edinburgh Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, on 24 October 2023. During my visit I met with some of the charity’s team members and spoke to them about their new wellbeing and resilience service, The Haven, based in East Lothian.\r\nIn addition, Scottish Government officials are currently liaising with ECHC staff to arrange a visit for the Cabinet Secretary of NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care, who has recently been invited to the service.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416362,"EventID":"S6W-25423","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:21.903","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T16:29:01.857","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will award a permanent public contract to CalMac for the purposes of procuring and renewing lifeline ferry services.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government Ministers’ preferred way forward is to explore a direct award to CalMac to deliver ferry services under the CHFS3 contract as set out in my statement to Parliament on 16 th November 2023. Before any final decision is taken, a due diligence process will establish the feasibility of the approach from a financial, operational and legal perspective.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416363,"EventID":"S6W-25457","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:21.95","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-08T14:26:50.817","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government where the tankers of liquified natural gas will travel from to supply fuel at Troon harbour for vessels 801 and 802.","AnswerText":"The tankers will travel by road from the Isle of Grain LNG terminal in Kent to Troon.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416364,"EventID":"S6W-25460","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:22.01","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-08T14:43:56.463","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6T-01780 by Angela Constance on 6 February 2024, what evidence was used to support its decision not to retender the contract for HMP Kilmarnock, and whether the current operator's reported offer to construct a new 240-bed wing at no public cost was considered as part of this process.","AnswerText":"The 25-year contract for HMP Kilmarnock under the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) for a privately constructed and operationally managed prison expires on 16 March 2024. The decision to bring HMP Kilmarnock into public management and ownership and not to tender for a new private contract was taken in 2021. This decision was based on the Scottish Government policy, which has been in place since 2007, that prisons should be owned and managed by the public sector and public safety, rehabilitation and wellbeing should not be driven by private profit.\r\nProcurement regulations mean that it was not possible to extend the existing contract. Scottish Government would have had to tender for the management of the prison, and for any expansion in capacity, if that had been the preferred option.\r\nAt no stage was there an offer of building a new houseblock at no cost to the public purse.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416365,"EventID":"S6W-25415","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:22.06","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T15:52:04.91","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there has been any consultation with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service regarding any potential thermal runaway events at the proposed battery storage facility at Hunterston, North Ayrshire.","AnswerText":"An application was made to Scottish Ministers under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 by FlexibleGridPower2 Ltd for the electricity generating station known as Hunterston Grid Services Complex at Campbelton Farm on 17 August 2021.\r\nAs a matter of routine, the Scottish Government will consult the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) and Health and Safety Executive on any new battery storage applications received.\r\nWith reference to the application in question, Scottish Ministers consulted SFRS, who did not respond to the consultation. This detail was indicated on page 5 of the decision letter for consent under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989.\r\nThe decision letter including all conditions may be viewed at  https://www.energyconsents.scot/ApplicationDetails.aspx?cr=ECU00003319  under ‘Documents / Determinations’.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416366,"EventID":"S6W-25413","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16194,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:22.12","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T15:28:41.577","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many households have (a) installed interlinked fire alarms since 1 February 2022 and (b) interlinked fire alarms installed in total; how much it has spent on financial support for the installation of interlinked fire alarms since1 February 2022, and when the 2022 Scottish House Condition Survey will be available.","AnswerText":"The Scottish House Condition Survey (SHCS) was published on 29 February 2024. In 2022 the Scottish House Condition Survey asked the following new question on fire alarms: Has the dwelling satisfactory equipment for detecting fire and giving warning in the event of fire or suspected fire? Responses were recorded as a yes or no answer, and in order to be recorded as ‘yes’ a dwelling must have interlinked fire alarms installed meeting a number of criteria.\r\nIn 2022 around 1.91 million homes in Scotland (75%) have fully compliant interlinked fire alarms, while 25% (around 638,000) were recorded as not having satisfactory equipment for detecting and warning in the event of fire.\r\nWhile all dwellings meeting the fire alarm criteria have interlinked fire alarms, there may be some dwellings recorded as having insufficient fire detection equipment that do have interlinked fire alarms but failed the fire alarm criteria due to other factors such as insufficient number of alarms, improperly powered alarms, or improper locations of alarms. However, due to the yes/no mode of question this number cannot be quantified from 2022 SHCS data.\r\nFrom 2023 the SHCS question on fire alarms will provide details as to why a dwelling’s equipment for detecting a fire is unsatisfactory which will allow analysis in this area from 2025.\r\nThe Scottish Government provided a total of £2.1 million between Care & Repair and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to support those in greatest need or at greatest risk of fire, to meet the new standard. No new funds have been allocated to these schemes since 2022.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416367,"EventID":"S6W-25419","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:22.167","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T15:52:04.91","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any fire safety documentation must be made public when submitted as part of a development application to its Energy and Climate Change Directorate.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25418 on 22 February 2024, applicants are not required to submit any supporting fire safety documentation when seeking consent for a development under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989.\r\nThere is also no legal requirement for any application documents to be published by the Scottish Government however we endeavour to publish section 36 application documents, where possible, at  https://www.energyconsents.scot  .\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416368,"EventID":"S6W-24888","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5060,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:22.213","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-26T12:08:40.823","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its work on international engagement, what recent contact it has had with the Turkish government, including any requests for meetings from either side, and what plans there are for representatives of the two governments to meet.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has enjoyed a number of recent engagements with Government of Türkiye on issues ranging from tackling climate change, to boosting trade and investment and increasing tourism and cultural collaboration. This type of international collaboration, recently articulated through the publication of our new International Strategy, will continue to make a substantial, positive impact on the delivery of the Scottish Government’s domestic objectives and on the lives of people in Scotland and internationally.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416369,"EventID":"S6W-25441","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:22.277","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T22:31:09.263","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last discussed health visiting services with NHS boards.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government are in regular dialogue with NHS Boards and senior leaders on their community nursing services, including health visiting. Scottish Government policy officials are a member of the Health Visitor Leads Network which meets bi-monthly and includes representation from all of Scotland’s territorial Health Boards. The last meeting was held on 16 January 2024.\r\nIn addition, Scottish Government policy officials are undertaking bilateral meetings with all Health Boards, between November 2023 and March 2024, to discuss their health visiting services and the outcomes of the recent Evaluation of the Universal Health Visiting Pathway:\r\nUniversal Health Visiting Pathway evaluation - phase 1: main report - primary research with health visitors and parents and case note review - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416370,"EventID":"S6W-25461","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:22.323","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-08T14:43:56.463","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the total anticipated costs associated with the transfer of HMP Kilmarnock into the public sector. ","AnswerText":"The anticipated spend on the HMP Kilmarnock transition project for 2023-24 is £1.5m.\r\nIn 2024-25, the total running costs of HMP Kilmarnock are anticipated around £18.6m, to accommodate around 600 people. This figure excludes the uplift for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 pay rise which is currently being processed. Final costs will depend on the date of any harmonisation of the existing staff group to SPS terms and conditions, and the actual spending within the financial year.\r\nThe price of the HMP Kilmarnock contract in the final year of the contract (year 25) is £19.5m for 596 prisoner places. This figure does not include the direct public sector costs of managing, monitoring and supporting the contract. There is no comparable price for private operation of HMP Kilmarnock in 2024-25 as the contract would have been retendered in this scenario using different pricing models. Hypothetically, if the existing terms of the contract went into a notional 26 th year, indexation of around 5.1% would have been applied.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416371,"EventID":"S6W-25359","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:22.37","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T16:21:10.22","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for how long Scottish National Standardised Assessments and National Standardised Assessments for Scotland data is retained in a pupil’s file.","AnswerText":"NSA data is retained for the duration of a pupil’s interaction with the school system, in order to ensure that school and local authority based longitudinal analysis of individuals’ assessment history is supported.\r\nWhen learners leave the Scottish school system, their personal data will be retained for a maximum of nine months and then deleted. After that nine months, pupils’ assessments are retained in anonymised format. This allows longitudinal analysis at school level, beyond the point where a child or young person is attending school.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416372,"EventID":"S6W-25444","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:22.417","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-08T06:50:40.17","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the most recent list, broken down by local authority, of projects funded, or confirmed to be funded if not already begun, through the Recycling Improvement Fund.","AnswerText":"To date, 37 projects from 25 local authorities have been approved for funding through the Recycling Improvement Fund (RIF) and the Fund’s Small Grant Scheme.\r\nA list of local authorities and projects approved through the RIF is available on the Zero Waste Scotland website:  www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/resources/recycling-improvement-fund  .\r\nA list of local authorities and projects who have been approved for funding through the RIF Small Grant Scheme is available on the Zero Waste Scotland website:  www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/resources/recycling-improvement-fund-small-grant-scheme  .\r\nZero Waste Scotland is in regular contact with local authorities to support new applications.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416373,"EventID":"S6W-25453","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:22.463","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-08T12:18:26.173","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress on the objectives outlined in its publication, Scottish Mental Health Law Review: Our Response, which was published on 28 June 2023.","AnswerText":"In the June response we committed to establishing a new Mental Health and Capacity Reform Programme to co-ordinate and drive further change and improvement over time in line with the Scottish Mental Health Law Review ambitions. This Spring, we intend to publish an initial delivery plan setting out the key actions being taken forward against priorities identified under the Programme.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416374,"EventID":"S6W-25428","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:22.527","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T16:55:53.223","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many inpatient beds are planned for the replacement for University Hospital Monklands, broken down by speciality.","AnswerText":"The OBC indicates a total of 472 total beds. In addition to 92 assessment and observation beds the breakdown is as follows:\r\nFuture Modelled Bed Provision\r\nNo.\r\nITU (Level 3 & Surg/Med Level 2)\r\n- Includes Medical HDU beds\r\n- Includes Renal HDU beds\r\n20\r\nBed provision within specialty care (excluding assessment and observation beds):\r\nFuture Modelled Bed Provision\r\nNo.\r\nInfectious Diseases\r\n21\r\nHaematology\r\n20\r\nRenal\r\n17\r\nGeneral Medicine\r\n97\r\nFrailty/Geriatric Rehabilitation\r\n60\r\nRespiratory (within General) \r\nCardiology\r\n23\r\nStroke (within General) \r\nGeneral Surgery\r\n50\r\nUrology\r\n24\r\nENT/OMFS\r\n20\r\nSurge Beds\r\n8\r\nOrthopaedic\r\n20\r\nTotal\r\n360","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416375,"EventID":"S6W-25456","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:22.573","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-08T14:24:16.89","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many tankers of liquified natural gas will be required each week at Troon harbour for vessels 801 and 802.","AnswerText":"CalMac currently expects that there will be two tankers a week per vessel to operate the service. CalMac will review the fuel requirements once the new vessels are in operation and make any necessary changes to supply requirements.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416376,"EventID":"S6W-25440","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:22.637","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T22:30:42.91","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of access to the universal health visiting pathway, which consists of 11 home visits to all families, including eight within the first year of life, and three child health reviews between 13 months and four to five years.","AnswerText":"All Scottish territorial Health Boards are committed to delivering the Universal Health Visiting Pathway (UHVP).\r\nThe collection of UHVP coverage data across the 11 pathway visits is managed at a Health Board level. However, Official Statistics on the coverage of 5 of those visits (first visit, 6-8 week visit and all 3 child health reviews) are published annually by Public Health Scotland (PHS)  Child health pre-school review coverage 2021 to 2022 - Child health pre-school review coverage - Publications - Public Health Scotland  .\r\nScottish Government policy officials also liaise regularly with Health Visiting leads through their national network and dedicated discussions with individual Boards.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416377,"EventID":"S6W-25425","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:22.683","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T16:35:03.88","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what actions are being taken to tackle the reported encroachment of muntjac deer in Scotland.","AnswerText":"While there is no established population of muntjac in Scotland, NatureScot are cognisant of concerns around their potential impact should that change. \r\nWe recognise that the two main risks are that either existing populations in other parts of Britain may expand their range into Scotland, or that captive muntjac may escape into the wild and establish populations. \r\nAny suspected sightings of muntjac should be reported to NatureScot directly or through the  invasive non-native reporting tool on Scotland’s Environment Website  . NatureScot follow up all reported sightings. Between three and ten reports a year are investigated, by interviewing witnesses and following up credible sightings with trail cameras and night vision surveys. NatureScot considers nearly all of these have been unlikely to be muntjac based on witness statements.\r\nIt is already an offence to keep muntjac in captivity without a licence, and land managers must inform NatureScot without delay if they suspect the presence of muntjac on their land. It is also an offence to transport, use or exchange, breed or permit a muntjac to reproduce. \r\nSince 2021, the Non-Native Species Inspectorate has been carrying out inspections of zoos and private animal collections on behalf of the Scottish Government. The Inspectorate gathers evidence of non-compliance and passes cases on to Police Scotland to investigate, or NatureScot to resolve through licensing. NatureScot has issued two licences to keep muntjac at visitor attractions in the last ten years. ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416378,"EventID":"S6W-25426","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:22.73","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T16:35:03.88","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its assessment is of the occupied range of feral pigs in Scotland, and the extent of any damage being caused by the pigs.","AnswerText":"NatureScot commissioned the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) to prepare a non-native species risk assessment as part of their feasibility study into options for controlling feral pigs in Scotland.\r\nAPHA completed the risk assessment in 2015 and was published in 2022 in  NatureScot Research Report 876 - Preliminary assessment completed in 2015 of the feasibility of maintaining, limiting or eradicating feral pigs in Scotland | NatureScot  Massei G. & Ward A. 2022.\r\nFollowing a peer-review of the risk assessment by the Scottish Government Centre of Expertise on Animal Disease Outbreaks (EPIC), NatureScot updated and published the report ‘Updated non-native species risk assessment of feral pigs in Scotland. NatureScot Research Report 1288’. A copy of the report, which includes information on the distribution and potential impacts of feral pigs in Scotland, can be found on NatureScot’s website at  NatureScot Research Report 1288 - Updated non-native species risk assessment of feral pigs in Scotland | NatureScot  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416379,"EventID":"S6W-25448","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:22.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-08T10:02:25.207","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the No Time To Wait model, which is being piloted in East Lothian by the Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity to tackle the growing mental health needs of children and young people, is one that it would consider for wider roll out.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government welcomes the model of early intervention being piloted as part of the Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity (ECHC) ‘No Time To Wait’ project. We will continue to engage with ECHC as the ‘No Time To Wait’ pilot continues and look forward to learning more from the evaluation of the model in due course.\r\nWe recognise the important role third sector organisations, such as ECHC, play in supporting and improving children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing. That is why we fund a variety of organisations and services with a focus on prevention and early intervention to ensure all of Scotland’s children, young people and families receive the right care and support, at the right time, in settings which best meets their needs. In this financial year (23-24) we have invested a further £15 million into community mental health services for children, young people and families through our local authority framework to achieve this aim.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416380,"EventID":"S6W-25411","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:22.84","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T14:47:07.143","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what funding it has made available to Fife Council from the Ukraine Longer Term Resettlement Fund.","AnswerText":"The Ukraine Longer-Term Resettlement Fund (ULTRF) has so far brought 1238 homes back into use spanning 19 projects with a total investment of over £25 million. Fife Council have not applied to the Fund and therefore no funding has been made available to them through this route.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416381,"EventID":"S6W-25438","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:22.887","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T22:12:51.06","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the UK Government's announcement that it will ban single-use vapes, what preparations it is making to work with the UK Government to ensure that Scotland can implement a ban on single-use vapes as part of its reported commitment to a four-nation approach.","AnswerText":"On 29 Jan 2024 I wrote to the Convener of the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee to confirm the Scottish Government’s intention to progress legislation to prohibit the sale and supply of single-use vapes, with a view of a ban coming into force at the earliest opportunity. This builds upon the research commissioned by the Scottish Government into the environmental impact of single-use vapes that was  published  in June 2023.\r\nAs this is an area of devolved competence, decisions on whether to act in this area rest with the respective Governments in each part of the UK. The Scottish Government intends to bring forward regulations under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to enact a ban on the sale and supply of single-use vapes in Scotland.\r\nThe UK Government has confirmed that it also intends to legislate for a ban in England, the Welsh Government has confirmed this intent in Wales. The Northern Ireland Executive has yet to confirm their intention to legislate on a ban due to the Assembly only recently being restored. Officials across the UK are working towards regulations that align as closely as possible, and including a proposed common coming into force date of 1 April 2025, as detailed in the draft Scottish regulations  published  on 23 February.\r\nMy officials also continue to engage with their counterparts within the Resources and Waste Common Framework group in line with the process agreed by all governments of the UK, published and placed before the UK Parliament in December 2021.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":416382,"EventID":"S6W-25414","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:22.933","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T15:51:36.7","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a further explanation of the reasons why it is reportedly prevented from interfering in the operations of Glasgow Prestwick Airport due to a number of post-Brexit trade deals with the EU.","AnswerText":"To comply with the UK’s Trade and Cooperation Agreement with the EU, that states each party shall respect and make best use of relevant international standards including the OECD Guidelines on corporate Governance of State-Owned Enterprises, the business is required to operate on a commercial basis and at arm’s length from the Scottish Government.\r\nScottish Government abides by international law and guidelines. Ministers do not intervene in commercial operations of the airport.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416383,"EventID":"S6W-25450","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:22.98","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-08T10:28:22.587","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider offering BCRA testing to NHS Scotland patients with Jewish ancestry, in light of NHS England establishing a national BRCA gene-testing programme for such patients.","AnswerText":"NHS Scotland currently offers a whole gene screening panel for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer to test for faults in both BRCA1 and BRCA2 and a range of other target genes. At present, this testing is available to people from specific population groups (including those of Ashkenazi Jewish heritage) if they meet clinical criteria that indicate a higher genetic risk of breast and ovarian cancer.\r\nThe Scottish Strategic Network for Genomic Medicine (SSNGM) was established in 2022 to develop a fully considered and sustainable genomic medicine service for Scotland. The SSNGM contains specialist Scottish Genomics Test Advisory Groups (SG-TAG) for both cancer and rare and inherited conditions, whose role is to review and assess the clinical validity and utility of new tests, and changes to the referral criteria for existing tests.\r\nThe SSNGM plan to initiate a review of the existing hereditary cancer testing pathways in 2024. This review will include both the referral criteria for our existing genomic test offering and alternative testing methods and will make recommendations via the SG-TAG process.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416384,"EventID":"S6W-25462","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:23.027","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-08T14:43:56.463","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6O-03036 by Angela Constance on 31 January 2024, whether the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs is aware of the reported correspondence between the recognised trade union at HMP Kilmarnock, Community, and the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), in which the union explicitly states its concerns, regarding the transfer of the prison, on behalf of its members, and whether the (a) cabinet secretary and (b) SPS has responded to these concerns.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is aware of correspondence in which Community has raised concerns regarding aspects of the transition process and trade union recognition. Myself and the Scottish Prison Service have responded.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416385,"EventID":"S6W-25420","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:23.09","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T15:58:58.357","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23536 by Mairi McAllan on 14 December 2023, when the Clyde Marine Planning Partnership (CMPP) governance review will conclude.","AnswerText":"Further to the answer provided to PQ S6W-23536, the timeline and development of the governance review of the Clyde Marine Planning Partnership (CMPP) is a matter for the CMPP. While it is the role of Scottish Government to provide support to regional partnerships in development of their draft regional marine plans, changes to the membership, governance and constitution of the CMPP is the subject of paragraph 1 in the Schedule of the Clyde’s Ministerial Direction. When and if changes are finalised by the partnership, they will notify Scottish Ministers of these as soon as reasonably practicable and without delay as per Schedule 1 of the Delegation of Functions (Regional Marine Plan for the Scottish Marine Region for the Clyde) Direction 2017.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416386,"EventID":"S6W-25442","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:23.137","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T22:39:48.567","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS boards that have reportedly been asked to \"pause\" the development of their National Treatment Centres.","AnswerText":"As set out in the Scottish Governments Draft budget published on 19 December 2023, the capital funding position is extremely challenging due to the UK Government’s decision to cut our capital budget by nearly 10%, a cumulative capital cut of £1.6bn. That has inevitably led to some difficult decisions on what capital projects will be progressed. In common with all health capital investment projects in development, the National Treatment Centres have been paused until the necessary capital funding to complete the project becomes available.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416387,"EventID":"S6W-25443","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:23.183","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T22:47:51.113","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that NHS boards have been asked to \"pause\" the development of their National Treatment Centres, what action these boards will take to maintain a readiness to develop these centres when the Scottish Government publishes its revised infrastructure investment plan.","AnswerText":"As set out in the Scottish Government's Draft budget published on 19 December 2023, the capital funding position is extremely challenging due to the UK Government’s decision to cut our capital budget by nearly 10% a cumulative capital cut of £1.6bn. That has inevitably led to some difficult decisions on what capital projects will be progressed. In common with all health capital investment projects in development, the National Treatment Centres have been paused until the necessary capital funding to complete the project becomes available.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416388,"EventID":"S6W-25395","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:23.247","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T11:41:05.837","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24707 by Richard Lochhead on 6 February 2024, how it defines \"access\" to a superfast broadband in that context, and in particular whether that includes homes where the relevant infrastructure is not yet in place but could hypothetically be installed.","AnswerText":"Access to superfast broadband means that there is the availability of superfast broadband infrastructure at a property, delivered either through the R100 programme or commercial deployment, and a superfast broadband service can be ordered.\r\nAny new service – either through fixed, mobile or Low Earth Orbit satellite technology – may require additional infrastructure or equipment such as a fibre optic cable from the nearest connection point, a router, a dish or an aerial to be installed.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416389,"EventID":"S6W-25445","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:23.293","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-08T06:50:40.17","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the proposed introduction of a similar ban in Scotland, what meetings (a) it has and (b) its agencies have had with (i) the French government and (ii) other relevant stakeholders in France regarding banning the disposal of unsold goods.","AnswerText":"Neither the Scottish Government nor its agencies have had meetings with the French government or other relevant stakeholders in France regarding banning the disposal of unsold goods. Officials have, however, met a representative of the Ellen McArthur Foundation to provide insight into the operation of the ban in France.\r\nWe intend to engage with a wide range of stakeholders in developing any regulations.\r\n","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416390,"EventID":"S6W-25454","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:23.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-08T14:07:50.753","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when the report of the Fair Fares Review will be published.","AnswerText":"The review has now reported its findings, recommendations, and proposed actions. I am carefully considering these, particularly in the context of the Scottish budget set out on 19 December, ahead of publication in the coming weeks.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416391,"EventID":"S6W-25422","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:23.387","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T16:29:01.857","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) value is of, (b) timescale is for and (c) contract specification is for the small islands ferry contract, and how much has been allocated to the (i) Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service and (ii) Northern Isles Ferry Service in each year from 2007-08 to 2023-24 to date, broken down by spend on (A) new ferries and (B) infrastructure. ","AnswerText":"The Small Vessel Replacement Programme (SVRP) will see Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd procure up to 10 small vessels across two phases which will serve the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service network. This will provide modern, standardised vessels that are capable of as close to zero emission operation as possible.\r\nMinisters are currently considering the outline business case for the Small Vessel Replacement Programme. An update will be provided in due course, once a decision on investment has been taken.\r\nThe spend for new ferries and infrastructure on Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service and Northern Isles Ferry Service in each year from 2007-08 to 2022-23 can be found on the Annual Section 70 reports published here  https://www.transport.gov.scot/publications/?q=%22section+70%22  on the Transport Scotland Website.\r\nThe year 2023-24 has not yet been finalised, these figures will be available when the report is published, this is expected in the summer of 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":416392,"EventID":"S6W-25427","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:23.45","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T16:35:03.88","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what actions are being taken to tackle the reported encroachment of feral pigs in Scotland.","AnswerText":"It is an offence under Section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to release any type of pig, including wild boar. It is also an offence to allow them to escape from captivity.\r\nThe primary responsibility for controlling feral pig populations in the wild lies with land managers who should work in partnership with local communities.\r\nFurther information on feral pigs can be found on the NatureScot website at  Managing feral pigs in Scotland | NatureScot  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416393,"EventID":"S6W-25436","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:23.527","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T19:03:18.747","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) turned down requests from the professor of criminology, Joe Phoenix, to participate in its policy review on the management of transgender people in custody on three occasions, whether the SPS did turn down such requests, and, if so, for what reason.","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:\r\nProtecting the health, safety, and wellbeing of all people in Scotland’s prisons is at the heart of SPS’ newly published Policy for the Management of Transgender People in Custody (2023).\r\nThe SPS engaged with approximately 400 people during the review of the SPS Gender Identity and Gender Reassignment Policy (2014), and the SPS has no record of any communication from Professor Jo Phoenix during this period.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416394,"EventID":"S6W-25410","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:23.573","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T14:10:47.11","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting NHS boards to meet the national target of 10% of overall NHS spend being allocated to mental health.","AnswerText":"We are monitoring progress against this commitment through the Annual Delivery Plan’s being provided by Health Boards and the Public Health Scotland annual Scottish Health Service Costs Publication. We are providing support to individual NHS Boards towards meeting the target via our routine engagement and in-year/end-year reviews. We are also developing additional guidance and advice to NHS Boards on the criteria to report against the target with the aim of providing a consistent benchmark nationally.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416395,"EventID":"S6W-25424","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:23.62","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T16:35:03.863","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its assessment is of the occupied range of muntjac deer in Scotland, and the extent of any damage being caused by the species.","AnswerText":"There is no established population of muntjac in Scotland. There have been sporadic sightings of muntjac in Scotland, most of which are unverified. Any confirmed sightings of muntjac have been captured or culled.\r\nIn the past 30 years, only five muntjac records have been accepted as correct, based on photographic or physical evidence and all of these are believed to have escaped from captivity nearby.\r\nWe encourage land managers and members of the public to continue to report sightings of muntjac  via the reporting page on Scotland’s Environment Website  or directly to NatureScot, for NatureScot to investigate. ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416396,"EventID":"S6W-25437","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:23.683","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T21:59:46.343","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the UK Government to discuss public health policy in Scotland, and what issues were discussed.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416397,"EventID":"S6W-25455","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:23.73","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-08T14:11:11.743","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6O-03059 by Neil Gray on 7 February 2024, what other options for “broadening our revenue base” have been considered over and above the introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24499 on? 23 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416398,"EventID":"S6W-25421","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:23.777","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T16:14:26.013","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24652 by Mairi McAllan on 7 February 2024, whether it will provide the information requested regarding whether an impact assessment was conducted regarding the £37.8 million, or 75.6%, reduction to the Just Transition Fund in its Budget 2024-25, and for what reason it did not provide this information in its answer.","AnswerText":"A response to this question was provided in S6W-24652 issued on 7 February 2024.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416399,"EventID":"S6W-25416","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:23.823","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T15:52:04.91","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any fire safety documentation related to the development of the proposed battery storage facility at Hunterston, North Ayrshire.","AnswerText":"An application was made to Scottish Ministers under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 by FlexibleGridPower2 Ltd for the electricity generating station known as Hunterston Grid Services Complex at Campbelton Farm on 17 August 2021.\r\nWith reference to the application in question, Scottish Government does not hold this information.\r\nThe Electricity (Applications for Consent) Regulations 1990 apply to all applications to construct and operate electricity generating stations under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989. There is no legal requirement for fire safety documentation to be included with applications made under these regulations.\r\nAll documents submitted by the developer in support of the application are published on the Scottish Government Energy Consents website at  https://www.energyconsents.scot/ApplicationDetails.aspx?cr=ECU00003319  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416400,"EventID":"S6W-25396","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:23.87","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T11:41:11.823","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been allocated to tackling fuel poverty in the (a) Scottish Budget for (i) 2020-21, (ii) 2021-22, (iii) 2022-23 and (iv) 2023-24 and (b) draft Budget for 2024-25.","AnswerText":"We have committed to a £1.8 billion investment over the course of this parliamentary term to make our homes warmer, greener and more efficient. This includes an allocation of £350m to heat, energy efficiency and fuel poverty measures in 2023-24, including £119m targeted at fuel poor households. This is delivered through two long-standing energy efficiency programmes – the Area Based Schemes and Warmer Homes Scotland - that have already supported over 150,000 households in or at risk of fuel poverty.\r\nIn addition, since the winter of 2020 the Scottish Government has allocated funding for the Fuel Insecurity Fund which has been providing support to households who were at risk of self-disconnection or self-rationing their energy use. Further funding has been allocated for wider fuel poverty action. Among other things, this budget line has supported the costs of the previous non-statutory Fuel Poverty Advisory Panel and our current statutory, Scottish Fuel Poverty Advisory Panel.\r\nThe following table sets out the allocations towards tackling fuel poverty across the consecutive years from 2020-21 to the draft Budget for 2024-25:\r\nAllocations\r\n2020-21\r\n2021-22\r\n2022-23\r\n2023-24\r\n2024-25 (draft)\r\nEnergy Efficiency Delivery Programmes:\r\nArea Based Schemes & Warmer Homes Scotland\r\n87m\r\n114m\r\n119m\r\n119m\r\n119m\r\nFuel Insecurity Fund\r\n7m\r\n10m\r\n20m\r\n30m\r\n0\r\nWider Fuel Poverty action\r\n-\r\n-\r\n250k\r\n \r\n320k\r\n \r\n320k\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416401,"EventID":"S6W-25435","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:23.917","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T17:03:12.373","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that Israeli military planes have used Glasgow Prestwick Airport during the ongoing conflict in Israel and Palestine, whether it received any prior notification that this would happen.","AnswerText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that Israeli military planes have used Glasgow Prestwick Airport during the ongoing conflict in Israel and Palestine, whether it received any prior notification that this would happen. Glasgow Prestwick Airport operates on a commercial basis and at arm’s length from the Scottish Government.\r\nOperational decisions regarding the day-to-day running of the airport, are a matter for the management of Glasgow Prestwick Airport. Scottish Government did not receive any prior notification.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416402,"EventID":"S6W-25418","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:23.98","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T15:52:04.91","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what fire safety documentation applicants are required to provide when seeking consent for a development from its Energy and Climate Change Directorate.","AnswerText":"Applicants are not required to submit any supporting fire safety documentation when seeking consent for a development. This is because fire precautions and matters relating to health and safety are not relevant to planning, as they are covered by other legislation.\r\nThe Electricity (Applications for Consent) Regulations 1990 apply to all applications to construct and operate electricity generating stations under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989. There is no legal requirement for fire safety documentation to be included with applications made under these regulations.\r\nMatters relating to fire risk are regulated by the Health and Safety Executive, Britain’s Health and Safety regulator. Their remit includes health and safety in the workplace as well as public assurance on safety matters. Health and Safety is a reserved matter, with applicable UK legislation including the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002, the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. HSE considers there to be a robust regulatory regime covering the fire risks associated with battery energy storage systems.\r\nAs a matter of routine, the Scottish Government will consult the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Health and Safety Executive on any new battery storage applications received and take into account any responses received.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416403,"EventID":"S6W-25449","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:24.043","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-08T10:02:25.223","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what alternatives are being considered for children and young people who are experiencing mental health concerns, but are either waiting to be seen by child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) or are unable to get onto the CAMHS waiting list, and what funding is available for any such alternatives.","AnswerText":"It is vital to the Scottish Government that children and young people receive the right support, in the right place, at the right time. Not all children and young people need specialist services like CAMHS, and many will find more suitable support in their local community. This is why we have provided local authorities with over £50 million since 2020 to fund community-based mental health and wellbeing supports and services for children, young people and their families.\r\nThe services are focused on prevention and early intervention, and include supports for positive mental health and wellbeing as well as emotional distress. Where appropriate, these services offer an alternative to CAMHS by providing support for emotional distress delivered in a community setting. Local authorities can also make support available to children and young people who are awaiting CAMHS treatment.\r\nCommunity supports and services are available in every local authority area, with more than 300 now in place across Scotland. Local authorities report that over 58,000 children, young people and their family members used the supports and services in the first half of 2023 alone.\r\nWe will be providing local authorities with a further £15 million in 2024-25 to continue to deliver these supports and services. We have also ensured access to counselling services in all secondary schools, and continue to give local authorities £16 million per year to fund this.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416404,"EventID":"S6W-25439","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:24.073","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T22:17:44.467","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what cross-departmental work it has undertaken to consider the environmental impact of a ban on single-use vapes.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has engaged in extensive cross-departmental and multi-agency work to consider the environmental impact of single-use vapes including working closely to with other nations across the UK.\r\nThis work includes commissioning Zero Waste Scotland to conduct research into the topic,  published  in June 2023; input to the four nations Creating a smokefree generation and tackling youth vaping consultation, which ran from Oct-Dec 2023; engagement across the four UK governments to draft Regulations, and expertise from multiple policy areas, external agencies, business and public bodies to conduct impact assessments and consider draft Regulations.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416405,"EventID":"S6W-25417","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:24.12","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T15:52:04.91","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any fire safety documentation, such as a fire strategy report, fire risk assessment, evacuation strategy, fire safety drawings and a fire safety manual, was presented to its Energy and Climate Change Directorate before consent was given to the proposed battery storage facility at Hunterston, North Ayrshire.","AnswerText":"An application was made to Scottish Ministers under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 by FlexibleGridPower2 Ltd for the electricity generating station known as Hunterston Grid Services Complex at Campbelton Farm on 17 August 2021.\r\nThe Scottish Government was aware from the application that a significant provision of work was planned relating to fire safety at the proposed battery storage facility. This includes a Planning Statement which comments on fire safety at section 2.5.\r\nParagraph 9 of the decision letter notes from the Planning Statement that “the proposed Development will include safety features including cooling and thermal monitoring with fire detection and suppression equipment. A fire strategy report, fire risk assessment, evacuation strategy, fire safety drawings and a fire safety manual will all be produced prior to construction of the proposed Development.”\r\nAs set out in the answer to question S6W-25418 on 22 February 2024, there is no legal requirement for fire safety documentation to be included with applications made under these regulations. Therefore, these were not presented to the Scottish Government prior to Scottish Ministers’ direction that planning permission was deemed to be granted.\r\nIn determining the application in question, Condition 6 was applied to the section 36 consent, requiring the development to be undertaken in accordance with the application. This includes the provision of work that was planned relating to fire safety. Once granted, the enforcement and monitoring of the planning permission for Hunterston Grid Services Complex became the responsibility of North Ayrshire Council, the planning authority.\r\nThe decision letter including all conditions may be viewed at  https://www.energyconsents.scot/ApplicationDetails.aspx?cr=ECU00003319  under ‘Documents / Determinations’.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416406,"EventID":"S6W-25412","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:24.167","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T14:57:11.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking in response to the Sands report, The Sands Listening Project: Learning from the experiences of Black and Asian bereaved parents.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government welcomes the publication of the Sands Listening Project: Learning from the experiences of Black and Asian bereaved parents report as an important addition to the landscape of confidential enquiries, audits and other reports that inform the work already underway to address racialised inequalities in maternity. I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24319 on 29 January 2024 which outlines this programme of work. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416407,"EventID":"S6W-25458","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-09T16:26:24.213","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-08T14:43:56.463","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6O-03036 by Angela Constance on 31 January 2024, whether the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs is aware that the Scottish Prison Service reportedly plans to derecognise Community as HMP Kilmarnock’s recognised trade union, and what the Scottish Government's position is on such a decision.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is aware of the Scottish Prison Service’s (SPS) intention to maintain existing trade union arrangements for public sector prisons and the transferring staffing group will be covered by those existing arrangements.\r\nIt is SPS’s view that their existing trade union relationships are working well and that to recognise a further trade union with collective bargaining rights for the same group of staff, i.e. prison officers, would unnecessarily complicate the trade union landscape.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416418,"EventID":"S6W-25494","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-12T15:46:07.503","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-10T23:53:45.753","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when any defects in the cladding of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow were first identified.","AnswerText":"In February 2021 Brookfield Multiplex advised NHSGGC that they had concerns regarding the suitability of the wall linings installed in the atrium of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. Intrusive surveys were immediately commissioned by NHSGGC that confirmed the installation of ACM polyethylene products which do not comply with current Building Control standards. It is the boards position that the wall linings installed did not meet the contract requirements and this is the subject of an ongoing legal action.\r\nNHSGGC followed a Fire Risk Assessment process immediately after being notified of the concerns with the wall linings in the atrium. This process identified mitigation measures that were implemented from February 2021 to manage any potential fire risk generated by the presence of unsuitable wall linings.\r\nA Full Business Case for replacement of the internal wall linings was approved in November 2022 with the works commencing in the same month and will be fully complete in 2027.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416419,"EventID":"S6W-25471","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-12T15:46:07.66","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-08T16:17:28.937","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of youth work within schools, and what information it holds on this that is broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"Community youth work remains an important pillar of local authority provision, including in schools. The Scottish Government utilises a Block Grant system, affording local authorities significant autonomy in allocating financial resources, including those designated for youth work in schools. This approach empowers councils to prioritise local needs and tailor services accordingly, while fulfilling mandatory obligations and adhering to nationally-agreed priorities. Transparency is ensured through annually-published breakdowns of spending on the Scottish Government website, though there is no statutory obligation for youth work activity to be recorded or monitored by local authorities, third sector organisations or voluntary organisations.\r\nAn independent review of Community Learning and Development (CLD), encompassing youth work, was launched in December 2023 and is expected to conclude in June 2024. This review aims to assess the impact of CLD on learners across Scotland, providing valuable insights for the future.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416420,"EventID":"S6W-25495","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-12T15:46:07.74","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-11T00:03:09.2","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated cost is of remediation work to address any cladding defects in the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow. ","AnswerText":"The overall cost of the project, as stated in the Full Business Case, to replace the internal wall linings is £32.7m in the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. This project is currently on site and is expected to run until 2027.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416421,"EventID":"S6W-25493","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-12T15:46:07.833","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-09T20:43:26.89","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the membership is of the newly established medical associate professions implementation programme board. ","AnswerText":"The proposed membership for the Medical Associate Professions (MAPs) Programme Board is indicated below.\r\nAs arrangements are still being finalised ahead of the first meeting at the end of April, membership may be subject to change.Head of Recruitment and Capacity Building, Health Workforce Directorate, Scottish Government (Co-Chair)Medical Director, NES Education for Scotland (Co-chair)Deputy Chief Executive and Director of NMAHP, NHS Education for ScotlandDeputy Chief Medical Officer, Scottish GovernmentChief Nursing Officer Directorate, Scottish GovernmentChief Pharmaceutical Officer, Scottish GovernmentChief Allied Health Professions Officer, Scottish GovernmentScottish Association of Medical Directors (SAMD)Scottish Executive Nurse Directors Group (SEND)Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and Faculties in ScotlandFaculty of Physician AssociatesAssociation of Anaesthesia AssociatesGeneral Medical CouncilWorkforce Planning Lead, West of Scotland Regional PlanningHead of Workforce and Development, North of Scotland Regional PlanningCentre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD)Health Improvement ScotlandDirectors of Human Resources, NHS ScotlandBritish Medical Association","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416422,"EventID":"S6W-25481","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16205,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-12T15:46:07.897","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-09T15:35:21.5","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the announcement by the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 24 January 2024 regarding additional funding for local authorities of £600 million, how much the Scottish Government will receive in Barnett consequential funding, and if the quantum is not yet known, when it expects to (a) receive and (b) publish this information.","AnswerText":"The announcement on 24 January of a £600m package for councils in England only resulted in £500m of new funding when the detail of the UK Budget was published on 6 March.\r\nThis package generated £48m, of the total £293m, barnett consequentials accruing to the Scottish Government as a result of the UK Budget.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416423,"EventID":"S6W-25491","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-12T15:46:07.957","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-09T20:43:26.89","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the minutes of meetings of the medical associate professions implementation programme board. ","AnswerText":"The Medical Associate Professions (MAPs) Programme Board will meet for the first time in April 2024. Minutes of meetings will be published online on the  NES Medical Associate Professions (MAPs) | Turas | Learn (nhs.scot) ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416424,"EventID":"S6W-25488","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-12T15:46:08.003","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-09T18:20:04.233","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) current value and (b) status is of the fund that has been set aside for the costs associated with the job evaluation of college support staff. ","AnswerText":"The process of the implementation of job evaluation of college support staff has yet to complete.\r\nThe Scottish Government encourages both the employers and the trade unions to continue to engage in the process, to agree a suitable way forward and ensure the timely conclusion of the project.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416425,"EventID":"S6W-25470","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-12T15:46:08.083","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-08T16:12:02.497","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of community youth work at local authority level, and what information it holds on how much funding is made available for youth work in each local authority area.","AnswerText":"Community youth work remains an important pillar of local authority provision. The Scottish Government utilises a Block Grant system, affording local authorities significant autonomy in allocating financial resources, including those designated for youth work. This approach empowers councils to prioritise local needs and tailor services accordingly, while fulfilling mandatory obligations and adhering to nationally-agreed priorities. Transparency is ensured through annually-published breakdowns of spending on the Scottish Government website.\r\nFurthermore, an independent review of Community Learning and Development (CLD), encompassing youth work, was launched in December 2023 and is expected to conclude in June 2024. This review aims to assess the impact of CLD on learners across Scotland, providing valuable insights for the future.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416426,"EventID":"S6W-25429","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-12T15:46:08.16","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T16:55:53.223","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that there will be no further delay to the replacement for University Hospital Monklands. ","AnswerText":"The UK Government did not inflation-proof its capital budget which has resulted in nearly a 10% real-terms cut in the Scottish Government’s capital funding over the medium-term between 2023-24 and 2027-28.\r\nThe result of this cut is that new health capital projects have currently been paused. Our emphasis for the immediate future will be on addressing backlog maintenance and essential equipment replacement. However we are in active discussions with NHS Lanarkshire on the impact of this budget settlement on the proposal to replace University Hospital Monklands.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416427,"EventID":"S6W-25432","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-12T15:46:08.223","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T16:55:53.223","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that it will receive the full business case for the Monklands Replacement Project from NHS Lanarkshire.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25429 on 4 March 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416428,"EventID":"S6W-25487","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-12T15:46:08.287","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-09T17:01:12.133","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many registered pathologists there have been in each of the last 10 years.","AnswerText":"The information requested on how many registered pathologists there have been in each of the last 10 years is not centrally available.\r\nInformation on Chemical pathologists and Histopathology, can be found on the TURAS NHS Education for Scotland workforce statistics site at:\r\nNHS Scotland workforce | Turas Data Intelligence  .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416429,"EventID":"S6W-25476","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-12T15:46:08.363","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-09T00:34:22.06","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when ScotRail plans to commence higher service frequency on the East Kilbride line, subject to the completion of the enhancement project in December 2025.","AnswerText":"The East Kilbride project is delivering an electrified railway to provide more reliable and emission free services, and also a number of significant station improvements.\r\nScotRail keeps services under continual review to ensure the service levels reflect the changing passenger requirements, which is an operational matter for ScotRail. The member may wish to contact ScotRail directly.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416430,"EventID":"S6W-25465","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5596,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":151,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-12T15:46:08.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-08T15:17:00.267","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve the levels of vitamin D within the general population.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government recognise the health benefits of maintaining adequate vitamin D levels across our population. Current advice is for everyone to consider taking a daily 10 microgram supplement of vitamin D to maintain bone and muscle health, particularly during the winter months. We recommend that population groups at higher risk of vitamin D deficiency take a daily 10 microgram supplement all year round.\r\nSince 2017, all pregnant women in Scotland have been offered Healthy Start Vitamins which contain vitamin D, throughout their pregnancy. Free vitamin D supplements are also available to children under 3 and breastfeeding women.\r\nFood Standards Scotland are currently running a social media  Vitamin D campaign toolkit | Food Standards Scotland  to raise awareness of the importance of vitamin D, and to encourage people to take vitamin D supplements. This builds on a number of previous FSS vitamin D campaigns during the winter.\r\nInformation on vitamin D is available for the general public on  Vitamin D | NHS inform  , including in different languages, easy read and audio formats. Our Parent Club website also contains information on the importance of Vitamin D.  Vitamin D in care homes | Care Inspectorate Hub  for adult care homes has also been published to support care home staff in discussing vitamin D supplements with residents and/ or their representatives.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416431,"EventID":"S6W-25469","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-12T15:46:08.49","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-08T16:07:03.213","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made in opening up the school estate to ensure that local groups can access this resource as a community space.","AnswerText":"Although it is the statutory duty of local authorities to manage their school estate, the Scottish Government will convene a working group - including representatives from COSLA, community organisations and sports organisations - to explore how community access to facilities, such as the school estate, can be enhanced. The first meeting of this group will take place in March.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416433,"EventID":"S6W-25497","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-12T15:46:08.613","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-11T15:19:23.363","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the reported use of mobile apps in schools to monitor children's behaviour and movements.","AnswerText":"Local authorities take their own decisions about which digital tools, services and apps to deploy in their schools to support delivery of education. We expect that any digital service would be implemented in recognition of statutory duties arising from GDPR and Data Protection Act. As Data Controllers in their own right, it is for local authorities to ensure all digital services in schools comply with the relevant legislation.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416434,"EventID":"S6W-25431","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-12T15:46:08.693","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T16:55:53.223","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what contingencies it has put in place to ensure that NHS Lanarkshire has sufficient capital funding for the completion of the replacement for University Hospital Monklands.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25429 on 4 March 2024.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416435,"EventID":"S6W-25464","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-12T15:46:08.753","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-08T15:06:04.14","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when Individual Training Accounts administered by Skills Development Scotland will reopen to new applicants.","AnswerText":"Discussions on the Skills Development Scotland budget for 2024-2025 are ongoing. We hope to confirm the ITA position in the coming weeks.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416436,"EventID":"S6W-25489","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-12T15:46:08.817","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-09T18:42:11.84","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent action it has taken to ensure that the provision of traditional building skills (a) college courses and (b) apprenticeships is available across the south of Scotland.","AnswerText":"Historic Environment Scotland (HES) continues to champion traditional skills and is working with stakeholders across the country to address traditional skills gaps to help ensure Scotland’s historic buildings can thrive as part of the country’s sustainable future.\r\nColleges are responsible for their own operational decisions, including course provision, as they are best placed to respond flexibly to emerging trends at local and regional level. Apprenticeships continue to be based on demand and Scottish Government work closely with Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council to support those who are looking to take on apprentices.\r\nScottish Government has been exploring the workforce demand for skilled stonemasons through engagement with the stonemasonry short life working group led by HES. The working group was set up to look at stonemasonry and traditional skills provision in Scotland with a view to identifying sustainable models of stonemasonry training for future delivery, and they have since provided their report of findings and recommendations to Ministers for their consideration.\r\nThe former Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development and I met HES in recent months to discuss stonemasonry and we await their proposals to address the skills issues in the sector.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416437,"EventID":"S6W-25473","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-12T15:46:08.88","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-08T16:32:15.677","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last reviewed the application process for the Young Persons (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel scheme, and what its response is to reports that many young people and their families find it a complicated process and therefore do not complete the application. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has listened to young people and their families about the application process and works closely with delivery partners and local councils to make improvements.\r\nIn light of feedback received, the Improvement Service, which manages the online portal  getyournec.scot  , delivered a number of updates to the website in June 2022 to improve the application process whilst maintaining the integrity of the child safety and identity requirements. These improvements included broadening the range of accepted proof documents, providing additional guidance, and enhancing the functionality of the website by adding a save and return feature so that applications can be made in multiple sittings.\r\nThe  Year 1 evaluation - Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme | Transport Scotland  found that a majority (64%) of survey respondents that had signed up for the scheme indicated that the application process had been either very or fairly easy, and those who had signed up after improvements were made were more likely to find the process easy.\r\nFurthermore, local councils provide a variety of options for applications to be made offline or via  parentsportal.scot  . Many also have dedicated staff on hand to help those who may need additional support through the application process.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416438,"EventID":"S6W-25479","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-12T15:46:08.927","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-09T15:26:04.457","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is future-proofing the tertiary education sector against any geopolitical shocks. ","AnswerText":"In Scotland, colleges and universities are autonomous institutions with responsibility for business planning. This includes ensuring they meet the needs of students and the local economy and can respond to external factors, such as geopolitical shocks.\r\nThe Scottish Government published Purpose and Principles in June 2023. In doing so it created a framework and outcomes for the post-school education system to ensure it is sustainable, resilient and capable of responding to future challenges.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416439,"EventID":"S6W-25486","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-12T15:46:08.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-09T16:40:06.03","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to ensure early and consistent diagnosis of severe asthma across the NHS.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government’s  Respiratory care - action plan: 2021 to 2026 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  sets out our priorities and commitments for driving improvement in the prevention, diagnosis, care, treatment and support of people living with respiratory conditions such as severe asthma.\r\nThe Centre for Sustainable Delivery is also developing a person-centred, once for Scotland severe asthma pathway which will streamline access to advanced therapies and specialist care. This will identify people with severe asthma in the community who are struggling to manage their condition and at high risk of a poor outcome; provide a clear referral pathway through to severe asthma specialists; and provide an evidence-based framework to aid specialists in their decision-making.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416440,"EventID":"S6W-25434","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-12T15:46:09.053","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T16:55:53.223","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what lessons have been learned from the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to hospital size and design, and how any such findings have impacted on the consideration of the Monklands Replacement Project.","AnswerText":"The OBC from NHS Lanarkshire considered in great detail the impact of the pandemic within their design. The new facility has considered best use of space and layout alongside ventilation to ensure consideration has been given to any future pandemic so that areas like Critical Care and Operating Theatre suites can accommodate reconfiguration to continue to provide services to high-risk infected patients. NHS Lanarkshire continues to embrace digital technology, brought on as a requirement in the pandemic, to reduce unnecessary patient attendances.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416441,"EventID":"S6W-25498","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-12T15:46:09.113","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-11T21:54:49.457","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the reasons for the reported increased number of unattended funerals.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold information about the types or numbers of funeral services in Scotland and does not make an assessment of trends in funeral choices.\r\nUnattended funerals are most often direct cremations where there is no funeral service at a crematorium. Sometimes these are arranged as a preference by the deceased or by their relatives who might arrange a separate wake or celebration of the deceased’s life.\r\nAccording to the recent Sunlife Cost of Dying report published in January 2024, the cost of a basic funeral rose from £3,953 in 2022 to £4,141 in 2023, an increase of 4.7%. The report shows there has been an increase in direct cremations over the past five years with 3% of funerals described as a direct cremation in 2019, rising to 20% in 2023. Direct cremations are often seen as a more affordable option but according to the Sunlife report there are various other reasons for choosing this option; this is often requested by the deceased or chosen because it is simpler to organise.\r\nIssues relating to pricing and consumer protection are reserved to the UK Government. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) publish an annual review of market outcomes in the UK funerals sector and the most recent is available at:  Review of funerals sector - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)  . Officials continue to engage with the CMA as required in relation to their Funeral Markets Investigation and the upcoming regulations for inspection of the funeral industry and licensing of funeral directors being made under the Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act 2016.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416442,"EventID":"S6W-25480","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-12T15:46:09.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-09T15:26:27.23","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what specific actions it is taking to reduce waiting times for ear, nose and throat treatment. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government commissioned Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) is playing a central role in working with Health Boards to ensure that they are able to continually identify new ways to increase capacity, and to respond to demand through service innovation and redesign.\r\nCfSD programmes have developed strong clinically-led Specialty Delivery Groups (SDG), including one for Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT), which promote multidisciplinary team working, and support local adoption of service improvement programmes. These groups are now well established and have supported several new and innovative pathway developments to free-up additional capacity in the NHS system, many of which are now being successfully scaled up across Scotland. For ENT this includes Active Clinical Referral Triage (ACRT), Discharge Patient Initiated Review (PIR) and Opt-In Pathways.\r\nWe know there is more to do but we are making progress; since the introduction of our long wait targets in July 2022, ENT waits over two years have reduced by 93% for new outpatient appointments and by 54% for inpatient and day-case patients.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416443,"EventID":"S6W-25477","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5060,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-12T15:46:09.287","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-09T11:53:33.193","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23936 by Fiona Hyslop on 10 January 2024, notwithstanding that it has not yet made a decision on the procurement route, whether it has conducted any assessment of the estimated cost difference between the direct award of a contract and a competitive tendering process; when it expects the decision to be made on the procurement route, and when it expects to update the Parliament on the decision. ","AnswerText":"Ministers are carefully considering the outline business case for the Small Vessel Replacement Programme, which includes the procurement route and a full financial assessment of the programme.\r\nThis is an important, complex issue and an update will be provided to Parliament once a decision on investment has been taken. This is expected shortly.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416444,"EventID":"S6W-25474","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-12T15:46:09.35","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-08T19:21:41.353","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the potential impact of the reduction to the Just Transition Fund contained in its draft Budget 2024-25 will be on job creation in Scotland.","AnswerText":"Existing Just Transition Fund projects will continue to be funded in 2024-25, supporting projects and communities across the North East and Moray to create jobs, support innovation, and secure the highly skilled workforce of the future.\r\nScotland already outpaces the rest of the UK in creating green jobs, and our forthcoming Just Transition Plans will set out how the Scottish Government will continue to work with businesses and key partners across the economy to ensure we continue to build on this success, attracting investment into Scotland, and supporting our new and existing workforce to access the reskilling and upskilling they need to take on the green jobs of the future, while helping ensure employers and businesses are supported in attracting the talent and investment they need to continue driving green growth. Publishing a Green Industrial Strategy will also set out how we will help businesses and investors realise the opportunities of the global transition to net zero.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416445,"EventID":"S6W-25347","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-12T15:46:09.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T15:26:27.99","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21426 by\r\nPaul McLennan on 2 October 2023, whether it will provide updated tables, based\r\non the latest information available.","AnswerText":"The following tables shows applications and homes formally approved since 19 September to 31 January, including grant offered split by registered social landlord and local authority in 2023-24. It should also be noted that discussions have taken place to support additional acquisitions with other providers but formal applications have either not yet been received or are in the process of being approved.\r\nWe have not been able to provide purchase price information at this stage as, although approved, all properties have not yet been purchased:\r\nDate Range 19 September 2023 to 31 January 2024     \r\nRegistered Social Landlords (RSL)\r\nNo. of Applications Received\r\nNo. of Homes Applied For\r\nNo. of Homes Approved\r\nSG Grant Approved (£)\r\nAverage Grant per Home (£)\r\nArk HA\r\n1\r\n1\r\n1\r\n140,000.00\r\n140,000.00\r\nBuidheann Tigheadas Loch Aillse\r\n1\r\n1\r\n1\r\n85,000.00\r\n85,000.00\r\nCastle Rock Edinvar HA\r\n2\r\n30\r\n30\r\n2,601,000.00\r\n86,700.00\r\nGovan HA\r\n1\r\n1\r\n1\r\n101,894.88\r\n101,894.88\r\nIrvine HA\r\n1\r\n7\r\n7\r\n280,000.00\r\n40,000.00\r\nKingdom HA\r\n1\r\n8\r\n8\r\n602,734.00\r\n75,341.75\r\nLarkfield HA\r\n1\r\n4\r\n4\r\n160,000.00\r\n40,000.00\r\nLochfield Park HA\r\n1\r\n4\r\n4\r\n345,020.00\r\n86,255.00\r\nOre Valley HA\r\n1\r\n1\r\n1\r\n100,000.00\r\n100,000.00\r\nShettleston HA\r\n1\r\n1\r\n1\r\n81,664.00\r\n81,664.00\r\nThe Highland Housing Alliance\r\n4\r\n28\r\n28\r\n2,484,000.00\r\n88,714.29\r\nTollcross HA\r\n1\r\n1\r\n1\r\n201,740.46\r\n201,740.46\r\nWest Of Scotland HA\r\n1\r\n1\r\n1\r\n120,012.00\r\n120,012.00\r\nTotal RSL\r\n17\r\n88\r\n88\r\n7,303,065.34\r\n82,989.38      \r\nLocal Authority\r\nNo. of Applications Received\r\nNo. of Homes Applied For\r\nNo. of Homes Approved\r\nSG Grant Approved (£)\r\nAverage Grant per Home (£)\r\nEdinburgh\r\n1\r\n20\r\n20\r\n3,286,000.00\r\n164,300.00\r\nHighland\r\n5\r\n11\r\n11\r\n935,405.18\r\n85,036.83\r\nMoray\r\n2\r\n2\r\n2\r\n103,263.00\r\n51,631.50\r\nShetland Islands\r\n1\r\n1\r\n1\r\n83,000.00\r\n83,000.00\r\nTotal LA\r\n9\r\n34\r\n34\r\n4,407,668.18\r\n129,637.30      \r\nTotal 19 September 2023 to 31 January 2024\r\n26\r\n122\r\n122\r\n11,710,733.52\r\n95,989.62","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":416446,"EventID":"S6W-25475","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-12T15:46:09.49","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-08T19:21:41.353","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the potential impact of the reduction to the Green Jobs Fund contained in its draft Budget 2024-25 will be on job creation in Scotland.","AnswerText":"Published forecast figures on green job numbers are derived from projects where funding from the Green Jobs Fund has already been agreed and, in financial year 2024-25, support will continue for projects where commitments have been contractually agreed.\r\nIt is important to recognise that the Green Jobs Fund forms a relatively small part of the Scottish Government’s broader investment in the transition to net zero. This includes many institutions, funding packages and investment vehicles which provide advice, support and financial assistance for businesses at the forefront to building Scotland’s green economy. The forthcoming Green Industrial Strategy will provide further strategic direction on how such investment should be directed in future.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416447,"EventID":"S6W-25490","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-12T15:46:09.537","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-09T19:50:27.55","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will reintroduce the Flexible Workforce Development Fund for colleges. ","AnswerText":"Due to the unprecedented pressures on the Scottish Government budget for 2024-25, the Flexible Workforce Development Fund will not be available.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416448,"EventID":"S6W-25433","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-12T15:46:09.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-07T16:55:53.223","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the inpatient bed capacity of the Monklands Replacement Project was, as submitted in the outline business case. ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25428 on 4 March 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416449,"EventID":"S6W-25492","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-12T15:46:09.707","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-09T20:43:26.89","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the concerns of BMA Scotland regarding the proposal that the General Medical Council rather than the Health and Care Professions Council should regulate anaesthesia associates and physician associates. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is aware of the BMA Scotland’s views that anaesthesia associates (AA) and physician associates (PA) should be regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) rather than the General Medical Council (GMC).\r\nThe Scottish Government is satisfied with the suitability of the GMC as the regulator. AAs and PAs are educated in curricula aligned to the medical model and work complementary to and under the supervision of doctors, a common regulator ensures consistent standards, providing doctors with better assurance when delegating clinical tasks. It also ensures a consistent approach across professional groups in relation to adverse events, particularly where fitness to practise concerns arise.\r\nFurthermore, the Department of Health and Social Care published a UK-wide consultation in 2017 which clearly demonstrated a majority preference for the GMC as the regulator (59% in comparison to 20% for the HCPC).\r\nWith regard to the BMA Scotland’s concerns that GMC regulation will confuse patients as to a practitioner’s professional status, current guidance issued to Health Boards by the Scottish Government stipulates that patients should always be told when they are being treated by an AA or PA, rather than a doctor. Once regulated, the roles will also become subject to the principles in Good Medical Practice to always be open and honest about their role and ensure that they are working within the limits of their qualifications and experience.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416450,"EventID":"S6W-25496","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-12T15:46:09.803","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-11T15:19:23.363","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the Big Braw Community campaign launched by The Sunday Post with the aim of reducing loneliness and isolation.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government welcomes all initiatives that support our work to tackle social isolation and loneliness, a public health issue which has been exacerbated because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and will continue to be affected by the ongoing cost crisis.\r\nThe Social Isolation and Loneliness Strategy, and associated delivery plan that was published in 2023, outlines the strategic actions and priorities we are taking to tackle this issue. This includes funding support to 53 organisations across Scotland delivering community-led activity that responds to local needs by providing opportunities for people to connect. Priority groups targeted by the fund are young people (aged 16-24), disabled people, people with a mental health condition, older people (aged 75+) and people living in areas of deprivation or on a low income.\r\nSince 2021, we have invested £51m in our Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults, with 3,300 grants being made to local organisations across Scotland to tackle issues including social isolation.\r\nThe Scottish Government encourages the Big Braw Community campaign to engage with the Social Isolation and Loneliness Advisory Group to explore collaborative working on this issue.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Emma Roddick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416476,"EventID":"S6W-25527","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-13T16:18:56.063","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-12T21:12:33.513","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the (a) Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and (b) Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 contains any mechanism that prevents owners from relinquishing ownership and/or responsibility for a dog that is subject to complaint, and, if this is not the case, what its position is on whether such a mechanism would be desirable.","AnswerText":"Section 1 of The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 (‘Dogs bred for fighting’) already prohibits owners of such dogs from giving away their pets. \r\nThis means that, for example, it is now illegal for the owner of an XL Bully to sell, give away or rehome their dog. \r\nThe Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 (“the 2010 Act”) introduced the dog control notice (DCN) regime. The 2010 Act gives powers to local authorities to issue DCNs to owners who allow their dogs to be out of control and this includes discretionary conditions that can be attached to a DCN. The Scottish Government recommends as best practice that when local authority authorised officers issue a DCN to an owner, this should include a condition that the owner is obliged to inform the local authority if they rehome their dog, and provide the name and address of the new owner.\r\nThe Scottish Government published updated statutory guidance on the 2010 Act in December 2020. The statutory guidance is designed to enhance understanding of the 2010 Act and assist local authorities and authorised officers:  https://www.gov.scot/publications/updated-guidance-control-dogs-scotland-act-2010/ \r\nThe Scottish Government has no current plans to amend the 2010 Act to prevent dog owners who have a DCN against them from relinquishing ownership and/or responsibility for their dog, but does plan to consider opportunities to enhance and strengthen the 2010 Act in the medium term.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416477,"EventID":"S6W-25525","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-13T16:18:56.19","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-12T14:37:22.887","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many combined sewer overflows (CSOs) were defined as unsatisfactory by Scottish Water in January 2024, and how this compares with January 2023.","AnswerText":"As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water I have asked them to respond. Their reply is as follows:\r\nScottish Water has published its Improving Urban Waters Routemap (  https://www.scottishwater.co.uk/Help-and-Resources/Document-Hub/Key-Publications/Urban-Waters-Improvements  ) which outlines the process to identify and plan future investment for the highest priority Unsatisfactory Intermittent Discharges (UIDs). This planned approached is agreed in conjunction with the environmental regulator SEPA.\r\nEach financial year (Apr-Mar) it reports UID figures within an Annual return to the Water Industry Commission for Scotland (WICS) and as at March 2023 the figure was 776. This number is revised each year as improvement projects address UIDs and on-going studies identify new UIDs. The figure for 2023-24 will be published later this year.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416478,"EventID":"S6W-25280","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-13T16:18:56.267","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T17:10:38.67","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of local authorities and other public bodies currently being in the process of finalising their budgets, what action it is taking to ensure that these bodies (a) protect key local community and voluntary organisations providing frontline services in relation to the cost of living crisis and (b) work with local third sector organisations in order to (i) not make any reductions to budgets or services without assessing the potential impact of any such reductions on communities and (ii) consider alternative local solutions to any such reductions.","AnswerText":"The vast majority of funding allocated to councils is provided by means of a block grant. It is then the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources available to them, on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities. Ultimately, it is for locally elected representatives to make local decisions on how best to deliver services to their communities. Similarly, we would expect public bodies to exhaust all options to make any required efficiencies before cutting any services.\r\nThe 2024-25 Scottish Budget is a budget built on our values. It seeks to protect people and sustain services through these tough times. All budget decisions are subject to robust assessment in line with the Fairer Scotland Duty Act of 2018, which requires Scottish Ministers, when making strategic decisions, to reduce the inequalities of outcome caused by socio-economic disadvantage. Our funding for the third Sector will continue to prioritise investment in key infrastructure organisations and programmes which in turn provide critical support to the wider sector.\r\nThe third sector needs clarity and stability to increase its resilience and capacity to deliver services. That is why we have committed to develop a Fairer Funding approach for the sector to create conditions for it to thrive as part of a mixed economy.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416479,"EventID":"S6W-25089","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-13T16:18:56.33","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-31T11:30:08.71","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is measuring success in its performance against key success metrics in relation to its total budget spend for the (a) 2021-22 and (b) 2022-23 financial year.","AnswerText":"The Consolidated Accounts are published annually and include a Performance Report which includes a Performance Overview and Performance Analysis, with high level financial information split by portfolio. The Consolidated Accounts for the years noted can be found at the following links:\r\nThe Scottish Government Consolidated Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2022 (www.gov.scot) \r\nThe Scottish Government Consolidated Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2023 (www.gov.scot) \r\nI receive regular performance delivery updates on the three Policy Prospectus missions of equality, opportunity and community. I also engage regularly with Cabinet Secretaries to support strong collaboration across portfolios and budgets and enable effective delivery of Mandate Letter commitments. These arrangements are routinely reviewed and improved where appropriate.\r\nThe statutory review of the National Performance Framework National Outcomes is underway and reporting on progress towards the National Outcomes will continue to be delivered via the NPF website nationalperformance.gov.scot","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416480,"EventID":"S6W-25526","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-13T16:18:56.377","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-12T21:10:24.42","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what analysis it has undertaken of the effectiveness of the (a) Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and (b) Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010, and what conclusions it has arrived at as a result of any such analysis.","AnswerText":"A Scottish Government led Short Life Working Group was established in 2022 to assist with taking forward the commitment to review the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. \r\nThe focus of the review was on the criminal offence in the 1991 Act of a dog being dangerously out of control. However, views on prohibited breeds legislation were also offered. The working group has undertaken this review, and we are now considering the wide range of views offered to determine what may be appropriate as next steps. The Minutes of all working group meetings have been published on the Scottish Government website:  https://www.gov.scot/groups/dangerous-dogs-act-short-life-working-group/ \r\nThe Scottish Government previously consulted on practical measures to improve the operational effectiveness of the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 (“the 2010 Act”). The views offered in response to this consultation are helping to shape and inform policy development decisions.\r\nScottish Government officials also meet regularly with stakeholders to discuss issues in relation to dog control policy.\r\nAs I made clear during my Ministerial Statement on 18 January 2024, the Scottish Government is committed to working with key stakeholders and interested parties to look at any improvements that could be made to the 2010 Act to strengthen and enhance the approach to preventative measures in the medium term.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416481,"EventID":"S6W-25499","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-13T16:18:56.423","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-12T02:40:28.697","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will assess the feasibility of reopening the Greenock and Ayrshire Railway to the former Greenock Princes Pier railway station as a direct rail freight link to Greenock Ocean Terminal.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is aware of the former railway route to Greenock Princes Pier. However, in the absence of any clearly expressed demand for this link from freight customers, the Scottish Government has no current plans to assess the feasibility of reopening the Greenock and Ayrshire Railway to the former Greenock Princes Pier railway station as a direct rail freight link to Greenock Ocean Terminal.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416482,"EventID":"S6W-25508","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-13T16:18:56.487","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-12T11:09:10.6","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on how many patients have been diagnosed with a brain tumour through Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information. \r\nRapid Cancer Diagnostic Services (RCDSs) are a fast-track diagnostic pathway for patients who present with non-specific symptoms suspicious of cancer – brain cancers don’t tend to present in this way. \r\nThe University of Strathclyde published a report, reflecting on two years of the RCDSs running, on Thursday 29 th February, highlighting the cancer types being detected by the model, with lung and HPB cancers most common, as expected. \r\nMeanwhile, work continues with PHS to establish a national data collection for RCDSs.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416483,"EventID":"S6W-25512","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-13T16:18:56.55","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-12T11:18:32.093","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what economic impact assessment has been carried out in relation to any potential delay to the north east rail improvement project to reduce rail travel times between Aberdeen and the central belt by 20 minutes.","AnswerText":"No economic assessment has been carried out in regard to any potential delay to the Aberdeen – Central Belt Enhancement Project. An economic assessment of the impact of the proposed delivery, including cost and programme, of the Aberdeen – Central Belt Enhancement Project will be undertaken as part of the Outline Business Case assessment for the project.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416484,"EventID":"S6W-25511","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-13T16:18:56.58","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-12T11:16:10.677","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many miles have been travelled in total by each of ScotRail's Class 43 High Speed Trains (HSTs).","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for ScotRail. The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally. The Member may wish to contact ScotRail directly, who might be able to provide this information.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416485,"EventID":"S6W-25501","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-13T16:18:56.627","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-12T08:58:52.52","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it will allocate from its capital budget for the redevelopment of Ardrossan Harbour in (a) 2024-25 and (b) subsequent financial years.","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland forecasts for financial year 2024-2025 include an indicative allowance for a contribution towards the Ardrossan Harbour project. Forecasts and allocations in future years will be guided by funding availability and the ongoing project review process.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416486,"EventID":"S6W-25522","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-13T16:18:56.673","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-12T11:30:12.677","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the position paper on embodied carbon regulation that was published by the Institution of Structural Engineers on 31 January 2024.","AnswerText":"In December 2021, our  Response to Scotland’s Climate Assembly: Recommendations for Action  included the commitment to investigate opportunities for whole life emission reporting.\r\nFollowing this commitment we engaged with Zero Waste Scotland and some of the UK’s leading embodied carbon experts to scope research which produced the report  Regulating Embodied Carbon in Scotland’s Buildings  .\r\nNational Planning Framework 4  makes clear that reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a cross-cutting outcome of development and includes policy that requires a minimisation of lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions and the use of materials with the lowest forms of embodied emissions, such as recycled and natural construction materials.\r\nWe are currently engaging with key organisations and UK counterparts to understand the viability of such action and benefit that can be derived from a requirement to report on the broader environmental impact of new development, including the assertion that this could be addressed through building regulations.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416487,"EventID":"S6W-25517","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-13T16:18:56.72","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-12T11:20:01.81","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has developed a strategy to increase the amount of goods travelling by rail instead of road.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government fully supports rail freight and modal shift, thus this is outlined in the 2016 rail freight strategy  https://www.transport.gov.scot/media/5362/ts-rail-freight-strategy-a4-aw3.pdf \r\nIn 2019 Network Rail, and the industry, developed a comprehensive  Industry Growth Plan for Rail Freight  and an updated Plan for longer-term growth is being developed.\r\nOur priority for supporting Rail freight remains in facilitating more efficient operation - through investment in capacity, adjustment of passenger services and encouraging and requiring Network Rail to support rail freight. We want rail freight to be competitive without the need for subsidy.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416488,"EventID":"S6W-25507","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-13T16:18:56.767","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-12T11:09:10.6","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on how many patients have been referred for a CT or MRI head imaging as a result of GP direct access to diagnostic services.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold data on how many patients have been referred for CT or MRI head imaging as a result of GP direct access to diagnostic services.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416489,"EventID":"S6W-25528","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-13T16:18:56.813","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-12T21:13:52.327","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to local authorities in implementing and enforcing the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010, and whether it has implemented any feedback mechanism that enables it to understand whether any such support is sufficient for each individual local authority.","AnswerText":"All Scottish local authorities have a statutory duty under the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 (“the 2010 Act”) to appoint at least one officer for the purposes of the 2010 Act. \r\nLocal authority appointed 'authorised officers' (i.e. dog wardens) are expected to be skilled in the control of dogs, and also have the capacity to instruct and advise others in dog control matters. \r\nThe number of such staff employed in each council area is entirely a matter for each council to consider. \r\nScottish Government officials engage regularly with local authorities on matters in relation to dog control, via both COSLA and also the National Dog Warden Association (NDWA). \r\nMy statement to Parliament on 18 January 2024 committed the Scottish Government to working with key stakeholders to look at any improvements that could be made to the 2010 Act to strengthen and enhance the approach to preventative measures in the medium term.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416490,"EventID":"S6W-25523","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-13T16:18:56.86","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-12T11:39:03.503","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that its procurement processes contribute towards achieving net zero.","AnswerText":"All regulated procurements are conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Sustainable Procurement Duty and in accordance with guidance and good practice, including Scottish Procurement Policy Note 3/2022 which provides guidance to support taking account of climate and circular economy considerations in our procurement processes. The sustainable procurement duty within the  Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014  (the “Act”) requires public bodies to consider how they can improve the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of the authority’s area, and act in a way to secure improvements identified.\r\nThe Act requires authorities to outline in their Annual Procurement Strategy how procurement will deliver local environmental impacts and report progress in their Annual Procurement Reports.\r\nWe have developed our centrally-funded,  Sustainable Procurement Tools  (the “Tools”) to include Climate Literacy eLearning which is mandated for Scottish Procurement and Property Directorate staff.\r\nOpportunities to build sustainability into all frameworks and contracts are identified at strategy stage and embedded throughout the procurement process, highlighting key opportunities which can be assessed as part of our tender evaluation and monitored through ongoing contract management. Environmental objectives include opportunities to reduce emissions, appropriate climate change adaption, use of materials, waste, bio security and bio diversity. Tenderers are also encouraged to offer community benefits which will help to support our climate change objectives and our journey to net zero.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416491,"EventID":"S6O-03088","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5596,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":151,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:02:20.767","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T19:46:06.86","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how proposed UK immigration rule changes will potentially affect overseas workers in the agricultural sector in Scotland, in light of the recent letter from Scotland Food and Drink, and industry partners, to the Home Secretary.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416492,"EventID":"S6O-03086","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:02:20.86","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-14T11:06:49.923","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to protect the welfare of bees. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416493,"EventID":"S6O-03096","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5075,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":112,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:02:20.907","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-14T10:24:17.127","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress in delivering the actions and aims contained in the Framework for Chronic Pain Service Delivery. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416494,"EventID":"S6O-03089","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3907,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":135,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:02:20.953","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-14T10:42:15.34","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what role the Scottish Land Commission will play in tackling the legacy of vacant and derelict land, including in relation to examining the issue of empty and derelict buildings within an urban setting.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416495,"EventID":"S6O-03107","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16188,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":82,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:02:21.017","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T14:03:18.147","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recently published report by Independent Age, Homing in: How to improve the lives of older renters in Scotland, which highlights the realities faced by many older renters who often live on a low or fixed income.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416496,"EventID":"S6O-03099","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5622,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":148,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:02:21.08","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-14T08:59:37.637","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Pain Management Task Force.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416497,"EventID":"S6O-03093","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:02:21.14","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T12:51:48.647","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what financial and advisory support is available to farmers to better manage land and rivers, including to prevent flooding.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416498,"EventID":"S6O-03106","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1756,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":136,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:02:21.187","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-14T10:26:31.85","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to raise awareness of the support and benefits that are available to older people in Scotland, in light of the reported calls for a publicity campaign to address low uptake of Pension Credit and the potential impact of any such low uptake on accessing other devolved benefits.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416499,"EventID":"S6O-03095","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:02:21.237","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T09:14:11.067","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is tackling NHS waiting times for conditions affecting children, adolescents and young adults.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416500,"EventID":"S6O-03087","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:02:21.297","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-14T10:14:38.493","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plan to diversify land ownership in Scotland. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416501,"EventID":"S6O-03104","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16178,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":78,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:02:21.343","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-12T13:46:11.28","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work is underway to ensure that eligible families across Falkirk East, and the wider country, are aware of and can apply for the Best Start Grant before the deadline of 29 February.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416502,"EventID":"S6O-03109","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:02:21.407","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T10:06:30.337","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking through the delivery of benefits to help families with the cost of nappies, in light of the reported increase in nappy theft linked to the cost of living crisis. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416503,"EventID":"S6O-03101","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:02:21.437","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T09:35:32.5","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support access to health and social care services in Glasgow.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416504,"EventID":"S6O-03098","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3763,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":142,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:02:21.487","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-14T09:18:30.257","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to improve access to NHS dentistry in the Greenock and Inverclyde constituency. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416505,"EventID":"S6O-03090","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:02:21.563","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T09:04:48.803","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish its response to its consultation on the licensing of activities involving animals.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416506,"EventID":"S6O-03102","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:02:21.61","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T13:23:25.367","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the housing emergency in Glasgow.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416507,"EventID":"S6O-03100","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:02:21.657","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T09:06:15.257","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to GP practices to help them transition to a telephone appointment queuing system.  ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416508,"EventID":"S6O-03108","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16182,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":117,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:02:21.703","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-12T15:35:07.7","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that people are claiming all the benefits that they are entitled to, in light of figures obtained by Policy in Practice showing that £18.7 billion of benefits went unclaimed across the UK in 2022-23.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416509,"EventID":"S6O-03097","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:02:21.75","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-14T10:59:35.417","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that women in Wigtownshire have the choice to give birth as close to home as possible.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416510,"EventID":"S6O-03091","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2641,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":94,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:02:21.797","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T09:33:52.41","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the most recent figures published by the Crofting Commission showing an increase in the number of new entrants between March 2022 and March 2023.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416511,"EventID":"S6O-03094","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":86,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:02:21.843","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T14:48:02.52","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is regarding financial redress for vaginal mesh survivors in Scotland, in light of the recommendations contained within The Hughes Report. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416512,"EventID":"S6O-03092","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3751,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":108,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:02:21.907","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-14T11:51:24.92","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting communities to sustainably manage and reduce deer numbers. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416513,"EventID":"S6O-03105","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5612,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":150,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:02:21.953","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T13:35:41.047","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to attract more working age people from the rest of the UK to come and live, work and pay tax in Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416514,"EventID":"S6O-03110","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16191,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":77,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:02:25.687","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T16:30:49.293","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Read Write Count with the First Minister programme.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416515,"EventID":"S6O-03113","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:02:25.767","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-14T11:18:19.053","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of its current relationship with local authorities. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416516,"EventID":"S6O-03115","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:02:25.813","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-12T12:46:16.613","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its work to further the case for Scottish independence, and in light of the Supreme Court ruling that the Scottish Parliament cannot legislate for a referendum on Scottish independence, for what reason its position is that there should not be a referendum at this stage on the powers of the Scottish Parliament.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416517,"EventID":"S6O-03111","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:02:25.86","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T14:56:35.68","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of the £58.7 million reduction to the College Operational Expenditure budget for 2024-25 on the Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire constituency.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416518,"EventID":"S6O-03114","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:02:25.923","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-14T11:34:02.947","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that railway infrastructure is safe and fit for the future.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416519,"EventID":"S6O-03116","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:02:25.987","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-14T11:08:17.533","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the First Minister’s reported comments that it “has to go further” to ensure that plans to radically reform how young people are cared for in Scotland are realised, whether it has identified what steps it will take to achieve this.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416520,"EventID":"S6O-03117","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:02:26.047","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-14T10:14:57.717","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its inquiries with Glasgow City Council regarding the circumstances in which children came to be placed at Fornethy House.","AnswerText":"I instructed the appointment of an independent researcher to make enquiries in respect of Fornethy House in August last year. Those enquiries have now concluded and the findings of the research report were shared with Parliament yesterday.\r\nI have also shared the report with the Fornethy Survivors Group and invited them to meet with me to discuss it further, having previously met with them along with the First Minister.\r\nI will attend an evidence session with the Public Petitions Committee on 20 March to discuss this matter further.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416521,"EventID":"S6O-03112","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:02:26.127","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T12:40:40.39","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the operations of the Parole Board for Scotland. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416529,"EventID":"S6W-25556","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:28:42.523","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T16:02:10.467","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many vessels are currently licensed to fish for wild wrasse, and how many of these use creels for other species in addition to wrasse traps. ","AnswerText":"The wrasse fishing season is open from 1 May to 30 November, so at present no vessels hold a derogation giving permission from Scottish Ministers to fish for wild wrasse. Applications are assessed on a year by year basis, and do not automatically carry over. In the 2023 season, 67 vessels were issued with a derogation and of those 51 used creels to fish for other species at some point over the course of 2023.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416530,"EventID":"S6W-25554","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:28:42.633","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T15:23:57.183","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with local authorities regarding their obligations under section 42 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 in the last 12 months.","AnswerText":"The statutory minimum walking distances set out in legislation are a long-standing feature of our education system and there are no plans to change them. The Scottish Government published guidance for local authorities regarding home to school transport in 2021.\r\nThe Scottish Government regularly engages with representative bodies for local government on education related matters. However, no requests have been made to discuss local authorities’ obligations under section 42 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 in the last 12 months. The provision of home to school transport is responsibility of local authorities and decisions about changes to eligibility for free school transport are for local authorities to make, subject to the applicable statutory requirements.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416531,"EventID":"S6W-25537","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:28:42.697","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T11:54:09.347","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many seizures of illicit drugs have occurred in prisons in each of the last five years, also broken down by (a) establishment and (b) drug type.","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:\r\nThe health and wellbeing of those who live and work in our prisons is a key priority for the Scottish Prison Service and we continue to work with numerous organisations to offer those in their care a suite of support to address both their addiction and recovery journey.\r\n1. The total number of Drug Recoveries from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2023 are appended in the following table. This data includes both in prison and preventative finds.\r\n \r\nEstablishment\r\n2019\r\n2020\r\n2021\r\n2022\r\n2023\r\nTotal\r\nAddiewell\r\n252\r\n624\r\n476\r\n412\r\n237\r\n2,050\r\nBarlinnie\r\n458\r\n277\r\n389\r\n237\r\n286\r\n1,363\r\nBella   \r\n1\r\n2\r\n1\r\nCornton Vale\r\n17\r\n19\r\n22\r\n12 \r\n99\r\nDumfries\r\n31\r\n59\r\n111\r\n60\r\n29\r\n676\r\nEdinburgh\r\n290\r\n733\r\n1,158\r\n339\r\n415\r\n2,660\r\nGlenochil\r\n34\r\n180\r\n715\r\n90\r\n140\r\n1,251\r\nGrampian\r\n127\r\n144\r\n182\r\n244\r\n232\r\n767\r\nGreenock\r\n87\r\n159\r\n132\r\n98\r\n70\r\n611\r\nInverness\r\n141\r\n119\r\n156\r\n112\r\n135\r\n1,041\r\nKilmarnock\r\n535\r\n929\r\n1,102\r\n519\r\n513\r\n3,087\r\nLilias    \r\n2\r\n265\r\nLow Moss\r\n190\r\n336\r\n264\r\n232\r\n265\r\n1,071\r\nOpen Estate\r\n63\r\n57\r\n60\r\n19\r\n49\r\n477\r\nPerth\r\n161\r\n371\r\n506\r\n285\r\n278\r\n1,764\r\nPolmont\r\n90\r\n256\r\n407\r\n574\r\n441\r\n1,597\r\nShotts\r\n131\r\n309\r\n673\r\n196\r\n270\r\n1,321\r\nStirling    \r\n12\r\n3,376\r\nTotal\r\n2,607\r\n4,572\r\n6,353\r\n3,430\r\n3,376\r\n16,962\r\n \r\n1. SPS work in partnership with Dundee University and Police Scotland to help identify and understand the illicit substance market. The continued change in drug compounds and poly-substance detections makes it difficult to categorically confirm substance types found and as such SPS is unable to accurately identify the drugs recovered.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416532,"EventID":"S6W-25532","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:28:42.76","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T11:00:59.097","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many times prisons have been unable to meet minimum staffing requirements in each of the last five years, also broken down by establishment.","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:\r\nI refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25533 on 21 February 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416533,"EventID":"S6W-25553","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:28:42.807","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T15:20:32.01","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider reviewing the definition of the statutory walking distance to school, which is currently defined by section 42(4) of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 as being two miles for children aged under eight, and three miles for children aged eight or over, with a view to creating a two-mile limit for all age groups.","AnswerText":"The statutory minimum walking distances set out in legislation are a long-standing feature of our education system and there are no plans to change them. The Scottish Government published guidance for local authorities regarding home to school transport in 2021. The provision of home to school transport is responsibility of local authorities and decisions about changes to eligibility for free school transport are for local authorities to make, subject to the applicable statutory requirements.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416534,"EventID":"S6W-25466","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2678,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":141,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:28:42.853","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-08T15:33:16.3","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review the recommendations outlined in The Hughes Report: Options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh, by the Patient Safety Commissioner for England, Dr Henrietta Hughes OBE; what consideration it has given to delivering an initial £20,000 financial redress payment for mesh injured women in Scotland in 2024-25, and whether there is any potential for further compensation.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6O-03094 on 21 February 2024. Answers to Oral parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website,  Meeting of the Parliament: 21/02/2024 | Scottish Parliament Website  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416535,"EventID":"S6W-25546","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:28:42.917","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T13:48:13.793","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many electric vehicle (EV) charging stations there currently are on the trunk road network.","AnswerText":"According to a 2023 report commissioned by Transport Scotland as of December 2022, there were 182 rapid/ultra-rapid charge points (>50kW) located within 100 metres of the trunk road and motorway network. There are also a significant number of lower powered charge points (<50kW) within 100 metres as well as many more rapid/ultra-rapid charge points within a reasonable travel distance of the trunk road network. \r\nThe most recent UK Department for Transport EV charge point statistics published in January this year show that there are over 1,000 rapid/ultra-rapid charge points across Scotland’s public EV charging networks, representing 21.4 per 100k people and more than any other region of the UK. Rapid charge points like these are more likely to be close to the main road networks to provide ‘en-route charging’ for EV drivers. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416536,"EventID":"S6W-25534","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:28:42.963","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T11:39:58.82","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of the cost of the proposed Winchburgh train station development.","AnswerText":"As the member is aware, the Scottish Government supports a new station in Winchburgh, it is our understanding of the station proposal that it is and always has been a developer-led station, as outlined in the original Winchburgh Developments Ltd Masterplan for the wider development.\r\nTransport Scotland reviewed both the design and construction cost proposals from Network Rail for a new station at Winchburgh and proactively suggested amendments to these proposals, which would see any new station delivered significantly more efficiently.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416537,"EventID":"S6W-25484","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:28:43.023","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-09T16:10:40.763","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with local authorities regarding any pressures on housing and homelessness services as a result of its decision to remove local connection requirements for accessing homelessness services.","AnswerText":"There are a number of avenues for local authorities to engage with Scottish Government on this issue including via the Housing Options Hubs, through the Local Connection Solutions Group and via the regular meetings between local authority and Scottish Government officials. Local authorities are also encouraged to contact Scottish Government officials on an ad hoc basis regarding any queries they have or issues they want to raise. In addition, local connection has been an agenda item at meetings the Minister for Housing has had with Housing Convenors.\r\nScottish Government officials also meet specifically with the island local authorities on a regular basis as per the Island Community Impact Assessment, which was completed in advance of the legislation.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416538,"EventID":"S6W-25506","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:28:43.087","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-12T10:40:38.227","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any further consideration that it has given to excluding home swapping from the short-term let licensing scheme.","AnswerText":"I wrote to the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee on 30 January to advise on progress with our work to monitor the implementation of short-term let licensing. This letter is available to view on the Scottish Parliament website at:  https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/committees/local-gov/correspondence/2024/letterfromministershorttermletlicenceapplicationlevels.pdf  .\r\nI have outlined that I expect to provide a more comprehensive update on implementation in May/ June 2024.\r\nMy letter of 27 October 2023 to this Committee outlines the scope of this work, which explains that we will not be altering short-term let licence types including home letting (home exchanges are a form of home letting). A copy of the letter is available on the Scottish Parliament website at:  https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/committees/local-gov/correspondence/2023/shorttermlets27oct.pdf ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416539,"EventID":"S6W-25550","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:28:43.133","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T15:14:13.63","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the average age is of a prisoner in Scotland.","AnswerText":"Based on the latest publication of National Statistics on the prison population, the average age of individuals spending any time in prison in 2022-23 was 37.4 years.\r\nhttps://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-prison-population-statistics-2022-23/pages/individuals-experiencing-imprisonment/ ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416540,"EventID":"S6W-25482","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:28:43.197","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-09T16:09:34.917","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to any local authorities that are experiencing growing pressures on housing and homelessness services as a result of its decision to remove local connection requirements for accessing homelessness services. ","AnswerText":"There is growing pressure on homelessness services and for some local authorities, including Glasgow and Edinburgh, the pressure is most keenly felt from the impact of the Home Office’s streamlined asylum process which is increasing demand for homelessness support. \r\nThe latest homelessness statistics released on 27 February 2024 do not indicate that there is growing pressure on local authority homelessness services due to the changes to local connection legislation. Between April and September 2023, 3% of households that were assessed as homeless had no local connection to the local authority to which the application was made, but had a local connection to another Scottish local authority. This is similar to the proportion of households in previous years: 2021-22, 5% of households (1,535)2022-23, 2% of households (705)\r\n[Note: The statistics above are over a 12 month period, whereas the statistics from February 2024 cover a six month period. The April to September 2023 statistics is the first bi-annual collection to include local connection data following the legislative change to local connection in November 2022.]\r\nA Local Connection Solutions Group comprising Scottish Government and local authority officials was established last year to co-produce guidance to support local authorities with the legislative changes and to address emerging issues.\r\nTo date, there is no evidence of a disproportionate impact on any local authority; rather, we are seeing a pattern of people moving across the country, exercising choice about where they want to live, as the legislation intended. We will continue to monitor the flow of people both into and leaving local authorities to inform our understanding of the impact of the legislative change.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416541,"EventID":"S6W-25529","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:28:43.26","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-12T21:14:08.847","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many Dog Control Notices have been issued in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government previously collected data on the number of dog control notices (DCNs) issued on an annual basis from local authorities. The figures collected annually cover the year from 27 February to 26 February.\r\nThe figures for 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22 are as follows.\r\n2019-20 – 339 DCNs issued across Scotland\r\n2020-21 – 363 DCNs issued across Scotland\r\n2021-22 – 324 DCNs issued across Scotland\r\nThe Scottish Government introduced a national DCN database in February 2022. The national database brought together the DCN records of all local authorities into a centralised database that is accessible by all 32 local authorities and Police Scotland. It is managed by the Improvement Service, who have provided the following figures for the number of DCNs issued in 2022, 2023 and 2024 (as at 22 February 2024):\r\n2022 – 266 DCNs issued across Scotland\r\n2023 – 260 DCNs issued across Scotland\r\n2024 – 11 DCNs issued across Scotland so far.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416542,"EventID":"S6W-25540","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:28:43.307","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T12:13:29.67","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016 (Register of Persons Holding a Controlled Interest in Land) Amendment Regulations 2023, which extended the transitional period before the offence provisions in relation to the Register of Persons Holding a Controlled Interest in Land (RCI) take effect from 1 April 2023 to 1 April 2024, whether it anticipates making any further extension to the transitional period.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is not intending to make a further extension to the transitional period.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416543,"EventID":"S6W-25483","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:28:43.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-09T16:10:10.263","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will conduct a review of the impact of its decision to remove local connection requirements for accessing homelessness services. ","AnswerText":"It would be premature to review the impact until at least a year of official data is available to allow for a proper assessment of the impact of the legislative change. This data will be provided as part of the Scottish Government homelessness annual statistical publication in summer 2024. The data will inform a report on a formal review of the legislation, which will be shared with the Social Justice and Social Security Committee as per the commitment of Shona Robison, then Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, at her appearance before the Committee in November 2022.\r\nThere is also ongoing monitoring through a monitoring and evaluation framework which was co-produced with local authorities, third sector organisations and people with lived experience of homelessness. This captures the qualitative impact of the legislative change on homelessness services and is used by Scottish Government officials to monitor impact and address any emerging issues.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416544,"EventID":"S6W-25467","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2678,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":141,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:28:43.417","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-08T15:36:59.383","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much public money has been spent to reimburse the costs associated with mesh injured women experiencing private mesh removal surgery in the period since the Transvaginal Mesh Removal Reimbursement Scheme opened for applications.","AnswerText":"As at 15 February 2024, £481,423.63 had been paid to applicants. Administration costs to the same date are approximately £120,000.\r\nThe original scheme closure date was specified in the Scheme documentation and announced at the time of the Scheme’s opening as 6 December 2023. This date was then extended to 31 March 2024. The Government therefore urges any woman who wishes to apply, but has not yet done so, to ensure that an application is sent prior to this date.\r\nThe closure of the Reimbursement Scheme to applications has no effect on the arrangements that NHS National Services Scotland has entered into with both Spire Hospital, Bristol, and Dr Veronikis in the USA. In any situation where it is determined that removal surgery is clinically appropriate, the patient will remain able to choose, via the official NHS referral process, to have that surgery carried out in the Complex Mesh Surgical Service in Glasgow, in an NHS England centre, or by one of the two contracted independent providers.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416545,"EventID":"S6W-25468","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2678,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":141,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:28:43.51","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-08T15:39:40.07","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the entirety of the £1 million mesh fund was needed to deliver the one-off, £1,000 financial support awards to mesh survivors, and if this is not the case, whether it will set out how much of the allocated budget was required to make payments to all successful applicants.","AnswerText":"£648,000.\r\nAt the time of its announcement we indicated that the Mesh Fund would have an upper ceiling of £1 million, we have therefore ensured that the remainder of those funds have been invested in other mesh-related initiatives, including the Reimbursement Scheme, in line with calls made in the mesh campaigners’ Charter.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416546,"EventID":"S6W-25541","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:28:43.57","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T12:22:53.913","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action (a) it and (b) the Scottish Prison Service is taking to reduce the impact of illicit drugs on the prison population.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government and the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) recognise the impact of illicit drugs in prisons and the importance of supporting prisoners on their recovery journey.\r\nWe are committed to ensuring that the prison population have access to healthcare that is, as a minimum, equal to that offered in the community. A recent example is the development of a prisoner Healthcare Target Operating Model to provide a framework for nationally consistent healthcare delivery including the future state of addictions services. The National Prison Care Network are visiting NHS Boards to support the implementation of this model.\r\nThere are already a range of innovative projects in prisons including recovery cafes, recovery walks, mutual aid groups and other positive diversionary activities. Partnership working is crucial and the SPS works with several third sector organisations to deliver consistent recovery pathways to help individuals reintegrate back into communities. The multi-disciplinary Recovery Network also provides the SPS with an opportunity to share and replicate best practice in the community.\r\nMedication Assisted Treatment standards are a key component of our National Drugs Mission and the SPS have committed to embed these standards across the prison estate. It is working with NHS Partners to ensure healthcare choice aligns with community-based treatment services wherever possible. In addition, the Prison to Rehab Protocol supports individuals to access abstinence-based treatment on release and sets out the process for prison staff, service providers and individuals on accessing the pathway.\r\nAll this work directly links to the Scottish Government’s National Mission. However, enforcement is also important, and a variety of operational and technological responses are deployed to prevent substances entering the prison estate. These include body scanners and Rapiscan machines, which detect substances that may be concealed in items of mail and personal property.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416547,"EventID":"S6W-25530","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2633,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:28:43.633","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T09:56:48.657","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government on what date it plans to publish its consultation on the minimum age of marriage, in light of the concluding observation of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child that all marriages of under-18s should be prohibited in Scotland.","AnswerText":"As I said in my answer to question S6W-23651 on 7 December 2023, the Scottish Government is aiming to publish a consultation on a substantial range of family and succession law matters, including the minimum age of marriage, by summer 2024.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416548,"EventID":"S6W-25531","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:28:43.713","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T10:50:02.28","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action (a) it and (b) the Scottish Prison Service is taking to address any overcrowding in Scotland's prisons.","AnswerText":"In collaboration with the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), and other key justice organisations, we are taking action to tackle the rising prison population.\r\nPrison will always be necessary for those who pose a risk of harm or threaten the delivery of justice. Equally, the Scottish Government is committed to shifting the balance between the use of custody and justice in the community. The budget for 2024-25 includes an additional £14m in support for community justice services and ongoing work to further enable a shift away from the use of custody, bringing the total to £148m. This will support work to strengthen alternatives to remand and the provision of community sentences and interventions, which we know can be more effective in reducing reoffending and assisting with rehabilitation than short-term custodial sentences, leading to fewer victims and safer communities.\r\nTo date we have taken action such as the extension of the presumption against short sentences from three months or less to twelve months or less, to enable a further shift away from short custodial sentences, and introduced the use of electronic monitoring on bail. We have established a Prison Population Leadership Group, engaging a range of Justice partners, to further consider the challenges and mitigations associated with the rising prison population.\r\nSPS is taking forward action to respond to the pressures caused by the rising prison population and remains committed to prioritising the health and wellbeing of staff and those living in prison. It is keeping its current population management strategy under review in order to accommodate the rising prisoner numbers. It is also taking forward a range of proposals to optimise the current prison estate which has already seen the transfer of male prisoners into accommodation previously housing women at HMP Edinburgh and the transfer of robustly risk assessed adult male prisoners to HMP&YOI Polmont. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416549,"EventID":"S6W-25505","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:28:43.79","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-12T10:40:38.227","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on (a) the scope of its post-implementation review of short-term let licensing and (b) when it expects this review to be completed.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25506 on 28 February 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416550,"EventID":"S6W-25552","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:28:43.837","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T15:18:33.78","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out a weighted evaluation of any (a) environmental and (b) economic benefits of the proposed Winchburgh railway station compared with other regional railway stations that have been completed in the last five years, such as Reston, East Linton and Robroyston.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government acknowledges the findings of the Economic Impact Assessment paper the Developer commissioned, by SYSTRA.\r\nI refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25534 on 9 March 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416551,"EventID":"S6W-25539","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:28:43.883","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T12:03:31.96","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action (a) it and (b) the Scottish Prison Service is taking to protect prison staff from the effects of illicit drugs being used by prisoners.","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:\r\nThe health and wellbeing of those who live and work in our prisons is a key priority for the Scottish Prison Service. \r\nInvestment in technologies such as Rapiscan machines, now available in every prison, and the recent purchase of 9 new Body Scanners, further enhance a comprehensive range of security measures already deployed by the SPS to detect illegal substances. We are also piloting Drone Detection technology to help detect and prevent the introduction of illicit articles and substances through this channel. \r\nBy working closely with partners such as Police Scotland, SPS must and does remain vigilant to the continuously evolving nature of drug use to ensure use of technology and tactical measures remain current, adaptable, and capable of detecting and preventing drugs from entering our prisons.\r\nSPS will continue to work with partners to prevent the introduction of contraband and seek convictions where appropriate.\r\nSPS also continue to advise staff on safety and risk assessment processes in conducting their duties, to minimise the impact and risk of exposure to any unknown hazardous substance.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416552,"EventID":"S6W-25545","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:28:43.947","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T13:45:42.367","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the devolution of empty property relief to local authorities.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25250 on? 16 February 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416553,"EventID":"S6W-25533","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:28:44.01","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T11:20:00.527","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how many prison officers need to be recruited to ensure that all prisons are able to adhere to minimum staffing requirements.","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:\r\nSPS has agreed prison officer staffing complements which are tailored to the needs of each establishment and agreed in partnership with the Prison Officers Association (Scotland).\r\nOn 2 February 2024 (the most recent data available), SPS had 59 prison officer vacancies across the prison estate, which is a 1.8% vacancy rate.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416554,"EventID":"S6W-25548","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:28:44.087","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T13:52:39.587","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many instances of people drinking alcohol onboard ScotRail trains have been recorded in each of the last three years.","AnswerText":"This is operational matter for ScotRail and British Transport Police (BTP). The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416555,"EventID":"S6W-25543","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:28:44.15","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T13:36:10.263","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people were unemployed in each of the last five financial years, also broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"Estimates for the number of unemployed people aged 16 years and over in Scotland, broken down by local authority, are shown in the following table for each of the last five financial years.\r\nArea\r\nApr 2018 - Mar 2019\r\nApr 2019 - Mar 2020\r\nApr 2020 - Mar 2021\r\nApr 2021 - Mar 2022\r\nApr 2022 - Mar 2023\r\nAberdeen City\r\n6,300\r\n3,400\r\n5,900\r\n4,400\r\n5,200\r\nAberdeenshire\r\n3,700\r\n2,900\r\n4,900\r\n4,100\r\n3,500\r\nAngus\r\n2,100\r\n1,500\r\n2,500\r\n1,700\r\n1,800\r\nArgyll and Bute\r\n1,300\r\n1,100\r\n1,600\r\n1,200\r\n1,200\r\nCity of Edinburgh\r\n11,000\r\n6,900\r\n12,500\r\n9,000\r\n7,100\r\nClackmannanshire\r\n1,100\r\n900\r\n1,200\r\n800\r\n1,100\r\nDumfries and Galloway\r\n2,100\r\n1,800\r\n3,000\r\n2,200\r\n2,400\r\nDundee City\r\n4,000\r\n3,700\r\n3,900\r\n3,300\r\n3,900\r\nEast Ayrshire\r\n3,200\r\n2,700\r\n3,000\r\n2,200\r\n2,200\r\nEast Dunbartonshire\r\n1,600\r\n1,200\r\n1,900\r\n1,400\r\n1,300\r\nEast Lothian\r\n2,000\r\n1,300\r\n2,200\r\n1,600\r\n1,300\r\nEast Renfrewshire\r\n1,600\r\n1,100\r\n1,800\r\n1,300\r\n1,200\r\nFalkirk\r\n3,100\r\n2,900\r\n3,500\r\n2,600\r\n3,100\r\nFife\r\n8,500\r\n7,100\r\n8,800\r\n6,100\r\n7,000\r\nGlasgow City\r\n16,900\r\n14,100\r\n18,700\r\n14,800\r\n15,800\r\nHighland\r\n3,600\r\n2,600\r\n4,700\r\n3,100\r\n3,100\r\nInverclyde\r\n1,900\r\n1,700\r\n1,800\r\n1,300\r\n1,400\r\nMidlothian\r\n1,700\r\n1,200\r\n1,800\r\n1,200\r\n1,200\r\nMoray\r\n1,800\r\n1,300\r\n2,000\r\n1,500\r\n1,600\r\nNa h-Eileanan Siar\r\n300\r\n300\r\n500\r\n400\r\n400\r\nNorth Ayrshire\r\n3,700\r\n3,000\r\n3,400\r\n2,300\r\n2,000\r\nNorth Lanarkshire\r\n7,800\r\n6,800\r\n9,000\r\n6,100\r\n6,500\r\nOrkney Islands\r\n300\r\n200\r\n400\r\n300\r\n200\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n2,300\r\n1,800\r\n3,200\r\n1,900\r\n2,300\r\nRenfrewshire\r\n4,300\r\n3,400\r\n4,000\r\n2,900\r\n3,200\r\nScottish Borders\r\n1,800\r\n1,500\r\n2,400\r\n1,800\r\n2,000\r\nShetland Islands\r\n300\r\n200\r\n400\r\n300\r\n300\r\nSouth Ayrshire\r\n2,200\r\n1,800\r\n2,500\r\n1,900\r\n2,100\r\nSouth Lanarkshire\r\n6,600\r\n4,900\r\n7,500\r\n5,200\r\n5,500\r\nStirling\r\n1,700\r\n1,400\r\n1,900\r\n1,400\r\n1,600\r\nWest Dunbartonshire\r\n2,200\r\n1,900\r\n2,300\r\n1,600\r\n1,800\r\nWest Lothian\r\n3,700\r\n2,700\r\n3,800\r\n2,800\r\n2,700\r\nScotland\r\n114,300\r\n89,200\r\n126,800\r\n92,600\r\n95,800\r\n \r\nSource: Annual Population Survey, April to March data, ONS and Claimant Count, ONS\r\nNotes:\r\n1. Unemployment figures for local authorities are model-based, except for the Scotland estimates which have been taken directly from the ONS Annual Population Survey (APS) dataset. The model-based estimates improve on the APS estimates by borrowing strength from the claimant count to produce an estimate that is more precise.\r\n2. Data is subject to sampling variation.\r\n3. Levels are rounded to the nearest hundred.\r\n4. Estimates are based on those aged 16 and over.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416556,"EventID":"S6W-25536","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:28:44.197","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T11:50:49.757","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to reduce waiting times for ambulances sent by NHS 24. ","AnswerText":"NHS 24 do not send ambulances to patients. If NHS 24 receive a call from a patient that is deemed to be an emergency, it is passed to a SAS call handler within the Ambulance Control Centres (ACC). \r\nThe Scottish Government continues to work closely with the Scottish Ambulance Service and Health Boards to ensure a continuous focus on responding to the most critically unwell patients as quickly as possible.\r\nWe continue to invest in supporting the Service and patients, including a record number of additional staff (1388) since 2020. Our £50m funding investment this year is being used, in part, to recruit a further 317 additional frontline staff across the country. \r\nWe have also set out a number of principles that health boards should aim to achieve in order to safely reduce handover times at the front door of hospitals. This is an important piece of work that will reduce the pressure on hospital and ambulance services.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416557,"EventID":"S6W-25535","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:28:44.26","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T11:50:00.273","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will prioritise woodland grant funding in the future, in light of the reported 41% cut to the woodland grants budget administered by Scottish Forestry.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government supports a range of activities through the Forestry Grant Scheme and is seeking to maximise delivery of woodland creation whilst maintaining support for management of existing woodland. Scottish Forestry publishes regular Briefing Notes to inform customers of the funding available and how the funding is split across the range of grant budget categories and priority activities supported through the Forestry Grant Scheme. These Briefing Notes can be viewed at:  Scottish Forestry - Forestry Grant Scheme  .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416558,"EventID":"S6W-25538","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:28:44.307","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T11:55:51.11","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many incidents have occurred, in each of the last five years, in which (a) prisoners and (b) prison staff have received medical attention as a result of coming into contact with illicit drugs in Scotland's prisons.","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:\r\nThe health and wellbeing of those who live and work in our prisons is a key priority for the Scottish Prison Service and we continue to work with numerous organisations to offer those in their care a suite of support to address both their addiction and recovery journey.\r\n1. Current reporting incident categories do not align with the above question and make it impossible to answer. SPS do however record instances of those in our care who are believed to be under the influence of substances.\r\nSPS are reviewing reporting processes that should allow this information to be captured in a more robust and accurate manner.\r\n2. Staff are advised in line with Staff Notice 053/17 to follow procedures if they believe they have been exposed to an unknown substance, this includes recording of the incident by way of an Accident at Work.\r\nWith regards to the recording of medical attention, NHS are responsible for the release of this information due to patient confidentiality; and in the case of SPS staff members, SPS will record accidents at work, however, it is at the individual’s discretion if they chose to report such incidents, despite advice and guidance detailed in staff notice 053/17.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416559,"EventID":"S6W-25549","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:28:44.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T15:13:47.347","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis (a) it and (b) the Scottish Prison Service has undertaken of any impact of prison officers having to work until the age of 68.","AnswerText":"It is well established that some occupations are restricted by capacity and age due to the physical demands of those roles, making it untenable to expect them to be carried out until the State Pension Age. This was recognised by the Public Service Pensions Act 2013 which set a pension age of 60 for firefighters, police officers and the armed forces.\r\nPrison officers do not have a dedicated pension scheme as they are members of the Civil Service pension scheme, which is a reserved matter for the UK Government. The Scottish Government has raised concerns with the UK government regarding the requirement for prison officers to carry out frontline operational duties including control and restraint until the age of 68. We have always accepted that some jobs are restricted by capacity and age, and need to be viewed and treated as such.\r\nThe Scottish Government and SPS both duly recognise that prison officers work in a very challenging environment and are committed to a person centred approach to all employees and their circumstances.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416560,"EventID":"S6W-25547","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:28:44.417","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T13:49:24.673","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many electric vehicle (EV) charging points have been installed on the trunk road network in each of the last three years.","AnswerText":"We do not have statistics on how many charge points have been specifically installed on the trunk road network in each of the last three years.\r\nAccording to a 2023 report commissioned by Transport Scotland there were 182 rapid/ultra-rapid charge points (>50kW) located within 100 metres of the trunk road and motorway network.\r\nAccording to UK Department for Transport statistics the number of rapid/ultra-rapid chargers in Scotland in each of the last three years was as follows: January 2022 – 707; January 2023 – 947; January 2024 – 1,172. Not all of these are located close to trunk roads.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416561,"EventID":"S6W-25542","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:28:44.463","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T13:35:47.94","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of the workforce was unemployed in each of the last five financial years, also broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"Estimates for the unemployment rate for people aged 16 years and over in Scotland, broken down by local authority, are shown in the following table for the last five financial years.\r\nArea\r\nApr 2018 - Mar 2019\r\nApr 2019 - Mar 2020\r\nApr 2020 - Mar 2021\r\nApr 2021 - Mar 2022\r\nApr 2022 - Mar 2023\r\nAberdeen City\r\n4.9\r\n2.5\r\n4.7\r\n3.6\r\n4.3\r\nAberdeenshire\r\n2.6\r\n2.0\r\n3.6\r\n3.0\r\n2.4\r\nAngus\r\n3.7\r\n2.6\r\n4.7\r\n3.1\r\n3.2\r\nArgyll and Bute\r\n3.1\r\n2.6\r\n4.0\r\n2.9\r\n3.1\r\nCity of Edinburgh\r\n3.8\r\n2.5\r\n4.3\r\n3.1\r\n2.4\r\nClackmannanshire\r\n4.3\r\n3.6\r\n4.8\r\n3.4\r\n4.7\r\nDumfries and Galloway\r\n3.0\r\n2.7\r\n4.7\r\n3.4\r\n4.0\r\nDundee City\r\n5.8\r\n5.1\r\n5.4\r\n4.6\r\n5.6\r\nEast Ayrshire\r\n5.5\r\n4.6\r\n5.2\r\n3.8\r\n3.7\r\nEast Dunbartonshire\r\n2.9\r\n2.3\r\n3.7\r\n2.9\r\n2.5\r\nEast Lothian\r\n3.6\r\n2.5\r\n4.1\r\n2.8\r\n2.5\r\nEast Renfrewshire\r\n3.5\r\n2.4\r\n4.1\r\n3.1\r\n2.5\r\nFalkirk\r\n3.8\r\n3.7\r\n4.2\r\n3.2\r\n3.8\r\nFife\r\n4.6\r\n4.1\r\n5.0\r\n3.7\r\n3.9\r\nGlasgow City\r\n5.5\r\n4.6\r\n5.6\r\n4.4\r\n4.7\r\nHighland\r\n2.9\r\n2.1\r\n3.8\r\n2.8\r\n2.6\r\nInverclyde\r\n5.0\r\n4.7\r\n4.9\r\n3.5\r\n3.6\r\nMidlothian\r\n3.5\r\n2.4\r\n4.0\r\n2.3\r\n2.5\r\nMoray\r\n3.7\r\n2.7\r\n4.3\r\n3.2\r\n3.2\r\nNa h-Eileanan Siar\r\n2.5\r\n2.0\r\n3.7\r\n2.6\r\n2.5\r\nNorth Ayrshire\r\n5.8\r\n5.0\r\n5.9\r\n4.0\r\n3.4\r\nNorth Lanarkshire\r\n4.4\r\n4.0\r\n5.7\r\n3.7\r\n3.9\r\nOrkney Islands\r\n2.0\r\n1.5\r\n3.1\r\n2.8\r\n2.0\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n2.9\r\n2.3\r\n4.3\r\n2.5\r\n3.1\r\nRenfrewshire\r\n4.8\r\n3.7\r\n4.4\r\n3.2\r\n3.7\r\nScottish Borders\r\n3.2\r\n2.8\r\n4.4\r\n3.3\r\n3.5\r\nShetland Islands\r\n2.1\r\n1.7\r\n3.2\r\n2.1\r\n1.9\r\nSouth Ayrshire\r\n4.5\r\n3.5\r\n4.9\r\n3.8\r\n4.5\r\nSouth Lanarkshire\r\n4.0\r\n3.0\r\n4.6\r\n3.1\r\n3.2\r\nStirling\r\n3.7\r\n3.1\r\n4.0\r\n3.1\r\n3.2\r\nWest Dunbartonshire\r\n4.8\r\n4.2\r\n5.2\r\n3.6\r\n4.0\r\nWest Lothian\r\n3.9\r\n2.9\r\n4.1\r\n3.0\r\n2.9\r\nScotland\r\n4.1\r\n3.2\r\n4.7\r\n3.4\r\n3.5\r\n \r\nSource: Annual Population Survey, April to March data, ONS and Claimant Count, ONS\r\nNotes:\r\n1. Unemployment figures for local authorities are model-based, except for the Scotland estimates which have been taken directly from the ONS Annual Population Survey (APS) dataset. The model-based estimates improve on the APS estimates by borrowing strength from the claimant count to produce an estimate that is more precise.\r\n2. Data is subject to sampling variation.\r\n3. Rates are based on unrounded numbers.\r\n4. Rates are rounded to the nearest decimal point.\r\n5. Estimates are based on those aged 16 and over.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416562,"EventID":"S6W-25551","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:28:44.523","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T15:16:12.567","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) it and (b) the Scottish Prison Service has any concerns regarding prison officers having to work until the age of 68.","AnswerText":"It is well established that some occupations are restricted by capacity and age due to the physical demands of those roles, making it untenable to expect them to be carried out until the State Pension Age. This was recognised by the Public Service Pensions Act 2013 which set a pension age of 60 for firefighters, police officers and the armed forces.\r\nPrison officers do not have a dedicated pension scheme as they are members of the Civil Service pension scheme, which is a reserved matter for the UK Government. We recognise that prison officers carry out frontline operational duties, including control and restraint, until the State Pension Age, which is due to rise to age 68. This can be particularly challenging and carries with it significant stresses and strains. We have previously raised the concerns around physical demands of prison officers role with the UK Government.\r\nScottish Prison Service do not assess age to determine whether a prison officer is capable of carrying out their duties but recognises that front line staff work in a very challenging environment. SPS has arrangements in place to support staff who may no longer be able to fulfil the physical demands of their role and these cases are managed in accordance with the circumstances of each individual.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416563,"EventID":"S6W-25555","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-14T16:28:44.57","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T16:01:57.373","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the licence conditions to fish for wild wrasse, how its Marine Directorate ensures that each vessel deploys a maximum of 250 wrasse traps at any one time.","AnswerText":"Marine Directorate Compliance Operations use a risk-based procedure which considers intelligence, likelihood, and impact on environment and fishery resources to ensure the conditions of the wrasse derogation are adhered to. For example, wrasse fishers are required to submit weekly data returns, in addition to their FISH1 forms, which can highlight if a fisher may be using more than 250 traps a day.\r\nMarine Directorate have recently consulted on proposals to require a tracking device on all under 12 metre fishing vessels in Scotland. The consultation responses are currently being analysed and will be published in due course and depending on the outcome of the consultation, if implemented, this could provide additional compliance monitoring of the fishery.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416564,"EventID":"S6W-25593","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":2641,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":94,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-15T09:29:27.727","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-15T09:13:21.863","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work to publish an Addressing Depopulation Action Plan, as committed to in the First Minister’s policy prospectus and in the Programme for Government 2023-24.","AnswerText":"Today, the Scottish Government publishes its new Addressing Depopulation Action Plan, which sets out our approach to the issue of population decline affecting some communities in Scotland. The Plan builds on the work of the Ministerial Population Taskforce in delivering Scotland’s Population Strategy, which was published in March 2021.\r\nThis new Action Plan describes a range of work which will be delivered in partnership with local authorities, enterprise agencies, communities and other local actors, alongside a range of current and future Scottish Government national delivery priorities to support communities affected by population decline.\r\nBuilding on this Action Plan, the next phase of our work will be informed by the small area outputs from Scotland’s Census 2022, which are due to be published in Spring 2024. These data will enable us to consider even more targeted and focused interventions in support of community sustainability.\r\nThe publication can be accessed via the following link:  https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781835217177  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Emma Roddick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416565,"EventID":"S6W-25563","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-15T16:01:52.733","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T17:28:40.003","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether existing criteria for conducting medical assessments of public sector workers with long COVID, in relation to ill health retirement pension applications, reflect that long COVID clinics do not exist in some areas of Scotland, and, if not, what action it can take to ensure that this is the case. ","AnswerText":"Existing procedures for medical assessments reflect that a scheme member should not be refused ill health retirement solely because they had not attended a long COVID clinic.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":416566,"EventID":"S6W-25564","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-15T16:01:52.877","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T17:47:23.887","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will set out its expectations of universities regarding any minimum service levels during periods of industrial action, under the UK Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023.","AnswerText":"The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills wrote to Universities Scotland on 9 February to confirm that the Scottish Government will not be responding to any consultations on minimum service levels in education services, or providing assistance with the development of any regulations that may arise from such consultations. \r\nThe Scottish Government remains strongly opposed to the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 and any associated secondary legislation which affects devolved services. This legislation seeks to undermine legitimate trade union activity and does not respect the Scottish Government’s Fair Work principles. Instead we will continue to encourage university employers to work with trade unions to reach fair and reasonable settlements, respecting the legitimate interest of workers, not seeking to curb their right to strike.\r\nUnder the Act it is a matter for individual employers in affected sectors to decide whether to issue work notices to trade unions specifying the workforce required to meet minimum service levels for a particular strike period. The Scottish Government has no intention of directing any employers within their control to issue work notices.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416567,"EventID":"S6W-25565","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-15T16:01:52.937","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T21:44:29.007","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the status of the Verity House Agreement.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remain fully committed to the Verity House Agreement. Since the signing of the Verity House Agreement in June last year good progress has been made, and there are a number of positive examples of collaborative working between central and local government. \r\nThe Scottish Government is committed to an open and regular dialogue with Local government and are willing to meet at any time when any matters of concern arise. The level of engagement between our two spheres of government has never been so high. \r\nThe Scottish Government and COSLA meet regularly through a number of different forums under the Verity House Agreement to discuss progress towards our three shared priorities.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416568,"EventID":"S6W-25572","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-15T16:01:53.017","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-14T09:40:39.663","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many cases of fabricated or induced illness (FII) have been reported in each local authority area in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"This is a matter for Local Authorities. The information requested is not held centrally. The Scottish Government published updated  National Child Protection Guidance in 2023  which includes practitioner guidance on fabricated or induced illness.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416569,"EventID":"S6W-25571","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-15T16:01:53.08","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-14T09:21:28.217","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the report of the independent review of the skills delivery landscape, which stated that success would be where “every individual in Scotland has equitable access to the learning opportunities required to reach a positive destination in their working life”, what steps it is taking to ensure that those living in the South Scotland region have the same access as others across Scotland to traditional building skills apprenticeship training.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25489 on 9 March 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416570,"EventID":"S6W-25573","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-15T16:01:53.14","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-14T09:41:01.9","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many cases of fabricated or induced illness (FII) have been reported in each NHS board area in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"This is a matter for the NHS. The information requested is not held centrally. The Scottish Government published updated  National Child Protection Guidance in 2023  which includes practitioner guidance on fabricated or induced illness.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416571,"EventID":"S6W-25574","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16188,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":82,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-15T16:01:53.203","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-14T11:30:59.783","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to mesh survivors in Scotland, what consideration it has given to The Hughes Report, by thePatient Safety Commissioner for England, which sets out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6O-03094 on 21 February 2024. Answers to Oral parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  Meeting of the Parliament: 21/02/2024 | Scottish Parliament Website  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416572,"EventID":"S6W-25561","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-15T16:01:53.297","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T17:28:40.003","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which agencies or companies are being used by public sector pension scheme agencies, including the Scottish Public Pensions Agency, to conduct medical assessments such as assessments for ill health retirement pension applications, also broken down by the geographical area in which these agencies or companies are located. ","AnswerText":"SPPA’s appointed medical advisers are Health Partners (OH) Ltd who operate nationally and also provide services to the police and fire services. Full information on local government pensions administration is not held centrally but a range of providers are used, including Optima Health (Falkirk), PAM Group (Strathclyde, Scottish Borders, Lothian, Highland, Tayside, and Fife), TAC Healthcare (Orkney), Genesis OHS (Dumfries and Galloway) and NHS Shetland Occupational Health Service.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":416573,"EventID":"S6W-25562","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-15T16:01:53.36","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T17:28:40.003","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that long COVID patients in Scotland have been refused ill health retirement pensions because they have not attended a long COVID clinic. ","AnswerText":"We are not aware of reports that any long COVID patients have been refused ill health retirement from a public service pension scheme in Scotland solely because they have not attended a long COVID clinic. Each ill health retirement application should be assessed on a case-by-case basis and the medical decision-making process takes into account the available treatment options for an individual.\r\nIn assessing an ill health retirement application, the scheme manager must assess whether the individual is permanently incapable of carrying out the duties of their existing employment (lower-tier) or any regular employment of like duration (upper-tier) until their normal pension age. One of the factors which must be considered in making that assessment is whether the individual has received appropriate medical treatment. Where the member has not received appropriate medical treatment, permanent incapacity cannot be established. However, if a long COVID service was not available, according to the general principles of an ill-health retirement assessment, it would not be considered an appropriate treatment option for that individual.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":416574,"EventID":"S6W-25560","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-15T16:01:53.423","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T17:28:40.003","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) it and (b) public sector pension agencies, including the Scottish Public Pensions Agency, (i) have taken or (ii) will take steps to ensure that companies or agencies that conduct medical assessments of public sector workers with long COVID are made aware that long COVID clinics do not exist in some areas of Scotland, on the basis that NHS boards make their own arrangements for long COVID treatment, in order to ensure that ill health retirement pension applications are not refused simply due to the lack of attendance at a long COVID clinic.","AnswerText":"Care and support for people with long COVID is being provided across the full range of services delivered by NHS Scotland. This includes assessment and investigation in a setting close to home by local primary care teams, and referral to community-based rehabilitation services or secondary care settings for further investigation of specific complications where appropriate.\r\nSPPA’s occupational health advisers at Health Partners are aware that Long Covid Clinics do not exist in some areas of Scotland. Ill health retirement applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis and the medical decision-making process takes into account the available treatment options for an individual. This principle is also contained in the guidance issued by SPPA that should be considered by scheme employers responsible for managing ill health retirement applications from members of the Local Government Pension Scheme (Scotland).","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":416590,"EventID":"S6W-25612","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":5771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-16T11:57:32.373","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-16T11:54:07.963","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress regarding its plans for delivering on its new Dementia Strategy for Scotland.","AnswerText":"We are pleased to announce the launch of the Scottish Government and COSLA’s joint  initial 2-year Delivery Plan  , which sets out the key deliverables we’ll prioritise to help achieve the ambitions set out in our new Dementia Strategy for Scotland, published in May 2023.\r\n’m very proud that both the Strategy and the Delivery Plan have been informed by the voice of people with lived experience of dementia, alongside wider partners, and this engagement will continue throughout the lifetime of the strategy to ensure we hold each other to account.\r\nThe Plan outlines the priorities for delivery in the coming 2 years, including a focus on:building our communities’ resilience and participation in supporting people living with dementia and their care partners, through the creation of a cross-sector Programme Board to direct investment to community resources, and a national anti-stigma campaign to make people less afraid of talking about dementia, and;Ensuring our world-renowned policy of a year’s post diagnostic support for people diagnosed with dementia delivers for everyone, including their care partners, with an independent evaluation to guide our efforts to improve people’s access to support; andEnhancing the innovations we are seeing in brain health, through evaluating a new Scottish Government-supported Brain Health Service in Aberdeen (the first of its kind in the UK), and establishing a cross-sector steering group on future novel treatments for dementia, and their impact on services and supports.\r\nThe Delivery Plan makes clear that the agreed key deliverables signed off by all partners will be prioritised for funding.\r\nEach of the deliverables will be funded and delivered, with accountability to our Strategy Delivery Group, made up of our Lived Experience Panel and key delivery partners.\r\nI look forward to continuing to work with colleagues across the chamber as we move this ambitious new dementia strategy for Scotland into delivery, to achieve our ambition to keep people living with dementia well for longer, in a setting of their choice.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416602,"EventID":"S6W-25569","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-16T15:30:01.533","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-14T09:12:45.533","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many prisoners who are currently being held in custody have a Gender Recognition Certificate, broken down by prison. ","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:\r\nAs defined in the Gender Recognition Act 2004, SPS cannot legally ask an individual to declare a Gender Recognition Certificate, however, SPS will record this information when an individual in our care choses to share this with us. At present, there are less than 5 individuals in custody who have chosen to share this information with SPS.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416603,"EventID":"S6W-25590","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-16T15:30:01.627","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-14T16:29:47.227","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent joint letter from 16 business representative organisations expressing that they were \"dismayed\" at the 2024-25 Budget decision to consider the introduction of a non-business rates public health supplement on grocery retailers and what the proposals might mean for wider devolved tax policy in relation to commerce.","AnswerText":"The announcement in the Scottish Budget 2024-25 signalled the Scottish Government’s intent to explore the reintroduction of a Public Health Supplement for large retailers in advance of the next Budget.\r\nIn line with the New Deal for Business the Scottish Government is committed to engaging early retail representatives and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that any impact of any proposals on business is fully understood. Exploratory discussions with business organisations have already started and will continue alongside engagement with other relevant stakeholders.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416604,"EventID":"S6W-25589","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-16T15:30:01.673","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-14T16:29:47.227","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers as set out in the 2024-25 Budget, whether it is considering allowing each local authority to set its own surtax rate, or whether any surtax rate would be determined by the Scottish Ministers on a Scotland-wide basis.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24444 on? 22 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416605,"EventID":"S6W-25568","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-16T15:30:01.753","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-14T09:12:45.533","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there are any prisons in the male estate of the Scottish Prison Service where a transgender man will not be held in custody, irrespective of the individual circumstances of that prisoner.","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:\r\nI refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25567 on 15 March 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416606,"EventID":"S6W-25567","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-16T15:30:01.783","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-14T09:12:45.533","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there are any prisons in the female estate of the Scottish Prison Service where a transgender woman will not be held in custody, irrespective of the individual circumstances of that prisoner. ","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:\r\nBy adopting a person-centred approach, SPS aims to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of everyone in our care.\r\nThe placing of transgender individuals is made on a case-by-case basis depending on the persons individual circumstances, including an assessment of individual risk and need.\r\nNo transgender woman with violence against women and girls’ markers who presents a risk to women and girls will be admitted to or placed in the women’s estate.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416607,"EventID":"S6W-25592","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-16T15:30:01.863","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-15T09:08:28.9","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many car thefts have been recorded in the past three years, and, of those, how many involved (a) a perpetrator breaking into the home to take keys and (b) the use of so-called cloning equipment to steal the car without the keys.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold information specifically on the number of car thefts. Information on the number of thefts of a motor vehicle is provided below, but it is not possible to break that down by type of motor vehicle.\r\nIn terms of a perpetrator breaking into a home to take keys, it should be noted that this is recorded as a crime of housebreaking and not as a theft of a motor vehicle. The data held by the Scottish Government does not include information on what was stolen during any recorded crime of housebreaking.\r\nThe Scottish Government does not hold information on the use of so-called cloning equipment to steal a car without the keys.\r\nCrimes of theft of a motor vehicle, Scotland, year ending December 2021 to year ending December 2023 \r\nYear ending December 2021\r\nYear ending December 2022\r\nYear ending December 2023\r\nTheft of a motor vehicle\r\n4,240\r\n4,975\r\n5,438\r\nSource: Recorded Crime in Scotland Accredited Official Statistics, year ending December 2023","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416608,"EventID":"S6W-25583","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-16T15:30:01.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-14T14:19:41.83","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what sources of funding for new woodland creation, other than the Forestry Grant Scheme, it expects to become available for the 2024-25 planting season, and for each subsequent planting season.","AnswerText":"The Forestry Grant Scheme will remain the principal source of funding from the Scottish Government for woodland creation in the 2024-5 planting season. The scheme will continue beyond that date but no budget has been set at this stage.\r\nThe Woodland Carbon Code has been attracting additional funding for woodland creation and this is expected to rise further. The level of funding will depend on the number of carbon credits generated in future and the price paid for them.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416609,"EventID":"S6W-25582","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-16T15:30:01.957","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-14T14:17:52.973","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many hectares of proposed new woodland creation are currently being processed by Scottish Forestry for the 2024-25 planting season, and for each subsequent planting season.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government supports new woodland creation through the Forestry Grant Scheme. Planting is recorded in line with financial years. Scottish Forestry has already approved 5,715 hectares of applications to plant new woodland in the 2024-25 financial year, with an additional 6,313 hectares submitted for assessment. A further 3,225 hectares of applications have been received to create new woodland in 2025-26, 2,494 hectares in 2026-27, 2,327 hectares in 2027-28, and 1,244 hectares in 2028-29.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416610,"EventID":"S6W-25579","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-16T15:30:02.003","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-14T13:11:25.143","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to propose a debate in the Parliament on the recommendations of the Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment.","AnswerText":"I shall lead a debate in Parliament on the recommendations of the Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment on 28 February 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416611,"EventID":"S6W-25586","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-16T15:30:02.05","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-14T14:47:23.383","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much additional revenue it estimates will be raised by the Budget decision to increase the Intermediate Property Rate by 6.7% in 2024-25, broken down by industry sector.","AnswerText":"Table 1 presents the estimated additional gross income from setting the Intermediate Property Rate (IPR) at 54.5p, compared to keeping the IPR the same as in 2023-24, at 51.1p, after General Revaluation Transitional Relief is applied, in 2024-2025. The figures are not adjusted for any other relief. This is broken down by property class, as the Scottish Government does not hold property-level data on industry sectors. Property class is a classification used by Scottish Assessors to describe the type of property, and does not necessarily accurately reflect the use of a property.\r\nThis table is based on the valuation roll as at 30 March 2023, 1 April 2023, and 1 January 2024.\r\nFigures in this table are rounded to the nearest £1,000, and may not sum due to rounding.\r\nTable 1: Estimated gross additional revenue from the intermediate property rate (£), after General Revaluation Transitional Relief, 2024-2025\r\nProperty class\r\nEstimated additional gross revenue (£)\r\nShops\r\n5,058,000\r\nPublic houses and restaurants\r\n942,000\r\nOffices\r\n4,179,000\r\nHotels\r\n850,000\r\nIndustrial subjects\r\n5,718,000\r\nLeisure and entertainment\r\n1,105,000\r\nGarages and petrol stations\r\n429,000\r\nCultural\r\n185,000\r\nSporting subjects\r\n97,000\r\nEducation and training\r\n1,796,000\r\nPublic service subjects\r\n1,168,000\r\nCommunications\r\n89,000\r\nQuarries, mines, etc.\r\n99,000\r\nPetrochemical\r\n24,000\r\nReligious\r\n192,000\r\nHealth and medical\r\n617,000\r\nOther\r\n397,000\r\nCare facilities\r\n1,208,000\r\nAdvertising\r\n31,000\r\nStatutory undertaking\r\n337,000\r\nAll\r\n24,519,000","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416612,"EventID":"S6W-25500","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5866,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-16T15:30:02.097","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-12T08:56:47.153","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, following the recent publication of data by the British Heart Foundation, which reportedly highlights significant issues in Scotland’s cardiology services for both outpatient appointments and echocardiograms and suggests that performance against waiting time targets is the worst on record, what urgent measures can be put in place to ensure that no one dies as a result of not receiving the appropriate scan in time. ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to questions S6W-25404 and? S6W-25405 on 27 February 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":416613,"EventID":"S6W-25575","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-16T15:30:02.143","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-14T12:05:29.007","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what workforce modelling has been carried out regarding an energy policy that has a presumption against any oil and gas exploration.","AnswerText":"Oil and gas continue to play an important part in Scotland’s energy transition. The Scottish Government’s focus is on reducing emissions in line with climate change goals, meeting our energy security needs and ensuring a just transition for workforces as North Sea oil and gas resources decline. As part of this approach, our draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan (ESJTP) consulted on a presumption against new exploration for oil and gas. Fields that are already identified and progressing through the licensing process towards production would be subject to a robust Climate Compatibility Checkpoint. Following a comprehensive consultation process, the Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan will be published by Summer 2024.\r\nIn support of the draft ESJTP, the Scottish Government commissioned Ernst and Young to undertake a programme of work to better understand energy requirements as we transition to net zero. This programme of work, which was overseen by an independent panel of experts and has been published in full (  Publication of the outputs from a programme of work to better understand our energy requirements as we transition to net zero - Energy system and Just Transition: independent analysis - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  ), includes detailed economic analysis and projections of jobs for Scotland’s offshore energy transition. Findings include that, with the right support as part of a just energy transition, the number of low carbon jobs in Scotland is projected to rise from 19,000 in 2019 to 77,000 by 2050 - delivering a net gain in jobs across the energy production sector overall.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416614,"EventID":"S6W-25576","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-16T15:30:02.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-14T12:05:44.177","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out any economic impact analysis regarding an energy policy that has a presumption against any oil and gas exploration.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25575 on 7 March 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416615,"EventID":"S6W-25340","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-16T15:30:02.253","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T14:42:00.253","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the importation to Scotland of nuclear energy generated elsewhere in the UK.","AnswerText":"Security of electricity supply is a reserved matter and is delivered by the National Energy System Operator (ESO) across the whole of Great Britain under regulation from Ofgem.\r\nWe recognise the contribution that nuclear generation makes to the current energy mix in Scotland, including electricity generated from nuclear power generated elsewhere in the UK. However, we will continue to increase electricity generation from renewable and other low carbon sources.\r\nOur draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan sets out key ambitions for Scotland’s energy future including enhancing our energy security through the development of renewable and low carbon energy storage.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416616,"EventID":"S6W-25578","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-16T15:30:02.317","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-14T13:10:44.017","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects that the Daydream Believers artificial intelligence handbook for teachers will be published.","AnswerText":"Education Scotland has been working with Daydream Believers on the AIdea Project and the online Artificial Intelligence handbook is due to be published by 31 March 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416617,"EventID":"S6W-25591","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-16T15:30:02.363","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-14T16:29:47.227","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the public statement by the trade union, Usdaw, of 5 February 2024, expressing significant concern regarding the 2024-25 Budget decision to consider the introduction of a non-business rates public health supplement on grocery retailers and the potential unintended consequences, including for shop workers' incomes and for retailers’ spend on training budgets.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25590 on 1 March 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416618,"EventID":"S6W-25581","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-16T15:30:02.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-14T14:16:31.63","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many hectares of new woodland creation have been approved for the 2024-25 planting season, and for each subsequent planting season.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government supports new woodland creation through the Forestry Grant Scheme. Planting is recorded against financial years; the hectarage of new woodland creation approved for planting in the 2024-25 financial year, and each subsequent year, is shown in the following table.\r\n2024-25 (ha)\r\n2025-26 (ha)\r\n2026-27 (ha)\r\n2027-28 (ha)\r\n2028-29 (ha)\r\n5,715\r\n1,694\r\n1,778\r\n1,122\r\n47\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416619,"EventID":"S6W-25587","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-16T15:30:02.47","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-14T14:47:39.093","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much additional revenue it estimates will be raised by the Budget decision to increase the Higher Property Rate by 6.7% in 2024-25, broken down by industry sector.","AnswerText":"Table 1 presents the estimated additional gross income from setting the Higher Property Rate (HPR) at 55.9p, compared to keeping the HPR the same as in 2023-24 at 52.4p, after General Revaluation Transitional Relief is applied, in 2024-2025. The figures are not adjusted for any other relief. This is broken down by property class, as the Scottish Government does not hold property-level data on industry sectors. Property class is a classification used by Scottish Assessors to describe the type of property, and does not necessarily accurately reflect the use of a property.\r\nThis table is based on the valuation roll as at 30 March 2023, 1 April 2023, and 1 January 2024.\r\nFigures in this table are rounded to the nearest £1,000, and may not sum due to rounding.\r\nTable 1: Estimated gross additional revenue from the higher property rate (£), after General Revaluation Transitional Relief, 2024-2025\r\nProperty class\r\nEstimated additional gross revenue (£)\r\nShops\r\n26,176,000\r\nPublic houses and restaurants\r\n1,101,000\r\nOffices\r\n19,370,000\r\nHotels\r\n6,951,000\r\nIndustrial subjects\r\n26,652,000\r\nLeisure and entertainment\r\n5,927,000\r\nGarages and petrol stations\r\n1,085,000\r\nCultural\r\n1,204,000\r\nSporting subjects\r\n487,000\r\nEducation and training\r\n18,672,000\r\nPublic service subjects\r\n8,108,000\r\nCommunications\r\n892,000\r\nQuarries, mines, etc.\r\n325,000\r\nPetrochemical\r\n4,624,000\r\nReligious\r\n204,000\r\nHealth and medical\r\n6,322,000\r\nOther\r\n3,281,000\r\nCare facilities\r\n2,056,000\r\nAdvertising\r\n147,000\r\nStatutory undertaking\r\n35,391,000\r\nAll\r\n168,975,000","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416620,"EventID":"S6W-25570","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-16T15:30:02.517","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-14T09:12:45.533","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it holds any data on how many former prisoners who were held in custody as transgender women have de-transitioned since being released from prison. ","AnswerText":"The information requested regarding former prisoners who were held in custody as transgender women and have de-transitioned since being released from prison is not collected or held centrally.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416621,"EventID":"S6W-25566","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-16T15:30:02.567","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-14T09:12:45.533","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it holds any data on how many former prisoners who were held in custody as transgender men have de-transitioned since being released from prison.","AnswerText":"The information requested regarding former prisoners who were held in custody as transgender men and have de-transitioned since being released from prison is not collected or held centrally.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416622,"EventID":"S6W-25588","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-16T15:30:02.627","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-14T14:47:56.623","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Scottish National Party manifesto commitment, what the cost would be in 2024-25 of bringing the Higher Property Rate into line with that in England, broken down by industry sector.","AnswerText":"Table 1 presents the estimated cost of setting the Higher Property Rate at 54.6p (the rate at which in England, the Standard multiplier applying to properties with a rateable value equal to or over £51,000, will be set in 2024-2025), compared to 55.9p, after General Revaluation Transitional Relief is applied, in 2024-2025. The figures are not adjusted for any other relief. This is broken down by property class, as the Scottish Government does not hold property-level data on industry sectors. Property class is a classification used by Scottish Assessors to describe the type of property, and does not necessarily accurately reflect the use of a property.\r\nThis table is based on the valuation roll as at 30 March 2023, 1 April 2023, and 1 January 2024.\r\nFigures in this table are rounded to the nearest £1,000, and may not sum due to rounding.\r\nTable 1: Estimated cost of reducing the Higher Property Rate to 54.6p (£), adjusted for General Revaluation Transitional Relief, 2024-2025\r\nProperty class\r\nEstimated additional gross revenue (£)\r\nShops\r\n9,722,000\r\nPublic houses and restaurants\r\n408,000\r\nOffices\r\n7,195,000\r\nHotels\r\n2,581,000\r\nIndustrial subjects\r\n9,898,000\r\nLeisure and entertainment\r\n2,199,000\r\nGarages and petrol stations\r\n403,000\r\nCultural\r\n447,000\r\nSporting subjects\r\n181,000\r\nEducation and training\r\n6,935,000\r\nPublic service subjects\r\n3,011,000\r\nCommunications\r\n331,000\r\nQuarries, mines, etc.\r\n121,000\r\nPetrochemical\r\n1,718,000\r\nReligious\r\n76,000\r\nHealth and medical\r\n2,348,000\r\nOther\r\n1,219,000\r\nCare facilities\r\n764,000\r\nAdvertising\r\n55,000\r\nStatutory undertaking\r\n13,141,000\r\nAll\r\n62,750,000","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416623,"EventID":"S6W-25577","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-16T15:30:02.673","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-14T12:07:08.837","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many jobs have been created in the renewables sector in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"Statistics from the ONS Low Carbon and Renewable Energy Economy (LCREE) survey provide estimates of renewables employment in Scotland. No data is available to provide additional geographic breakdowns below the Scotland level at present.\r\nAs the flowing table shows, the estimated number of direct jobs in renewable electricity was 8,000 in 2022 and 5,400 in 2018.\r\nEmployment (Full-time equivalent)\r\n2018\r\n2019\r\n2020\r\n2021\r\n2022\r\nScotland\r\n5,400\r\n5,400\r\n6,700\r\n9,700\r\n8,000\r\nThe LCREE estimates presented in the table above are survey-based and are therefore subject to a degree of uncertainty.\r\nOther estimates of FTE employment in the renewable sector exist, such as those in the linked 2023 study by Fraser of Allander Institute (totalling around 42,000 FTE in 2021). This also includes indirect and induced employment estimates.  FINAL-The-Economic-Impact-of-Scotlands-Renewable-Energy-Sector-1.pdf (fraserofallander.org) ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416631,"EventID":"S6W-25611","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-19T16:53:14.783","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-16T10:34:11.02","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to reinstate the Carers Register in GP practices.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has no plans to reinstate the Carers Register in GP practices. \r\nThe Carers Register was previously undertaken by practices as part of the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF). The requirement for practices to complete the QOF was removed in 2016 and quality planning, improvement and assurance within general practice is now carried out through GP Clusters. \r\nThe Scottish Government recognises the vital role played by carers and practices can continue to use markers on their patient registrations to recognise those with caring duties. ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":416632,"EventID":"S6W-25600","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-19T16:53:15.033","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-15T15:39:14.707","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what tailored support it is providing to NHS Tayside, in addition to headline funding, to reduce any long waiting times for child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer given to question S6W-25599 on? 4 March 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416633,"EventID":"S6W-25601","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-19T16:53:15.097","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-15T15:39:36.3","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many specialist child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) staff have (a) been recruited and (b) left the health service, in each NHS board in each of the last three years.","AnswerText":"Child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) workforce data is publicly available in NHS Education for Scotland (NES) Turas Data Intelligence at:  NHS Scotland Workforce Data  .\r\nThis also provides data on staff joining and leaving rates by each Health Board.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416634,"EventID":"S6W-25599","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-19T16:53:15.143","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-15T15:38:54.297","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has been advised by NHS Tayside that child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) waiting times are expected to worsen.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government Ministers and officials are aware of the current challenges faced by NHS Tayside in meeting waiting time standards set out for child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).\r\nNHS Tayside are receiving additional support which includes providing access to professional specialist advice, making sure that they have robust improvement plans place and are continually monitoring their implementation. Regular and structured engagement with NHS Tayside at both Ministerial and official level is continuing. This is in addition to requesting formal quarterly written updates.\r\nIn addition all Boards have been asked to submit trajectories setting out a timeline for clearing long waits. These will be updated annually and used to inform further targeted improvement work to ensure all Boards meet CAMHS waiting times standards.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416635,"EventID":"S6W-25598","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-19T16:53:15.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-15T15:38:34.673","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been invested in clearing any long waiting times for child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), and how any such targeted support has affected waiting times, in each NHS board in each of the last three years.","AnswerText":"The NHS Recovery Plan 2021-2026 refers to the support for CAMHS included in the £120m Mental Health Recovery and Renewal Fund. In total, £34m of the Fund was invested in 2021/22 to improve access to and quality of CAMHS services.\r\nThis fund was superseded in 2022-23 by the Mental Health Outcomes Framework, which bundled funding to Boards for improvements to CAMHS, psychological therapies, eating disorder care, primary care and children and young people’s neurodevelopmental services, as well as ongoing innovation and service reform.\r\nThe intention behind bundling was to allow Boards flexibility to align spending to local priorities, based on this it is not possible to separate out the specific CAMHS funding provided to each Board from 2022-23 onwards. We have allocated £48.6 million of supplementary funding to Boards so far this year via the Mental Health Outcomes Framework. This is in addition to £36.7 million allocated to Health Boards via the Outcomes Framework in 2022-23; and to the total package of core funding that Health Boards receive.\r\nSo far 13 out of 14 CAMHS services have effectively eliminated their long wait lists (where 3% or fewer of all waits are over 1 year). Full data information on for each Board on CAMHS patients starting treatment is publicly available via Public Health Scotland:  PHS CAMHS Waiting Times  .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416636,"EventID":"S6W-25597","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-19T16:53:15.253","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-15T15:38:06.163","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many patients have been referred to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS); what proportion of patients have waited more than a year on CAMHS waiting lists; what proportion of patients have started treatment within 10 weeks of referral, and how many CAMHS specialists have been available, in each NHS board in each of the last three years.","AnswerText":"CAMHS Referrals\r\nInformation on patients referred to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) is as follows. The data is not currently available for quarter October 2023 – December 2023. As such the following figures for 2023 only cover January – September. Information for quarter October – December 2023 is expected to be published on 5 March 2024. \r\n2021\r\n2022\r\n2023 (Jan - Sep)\r\nNHS Ayrshire & Arran\r\n2131\r\n2620\r\n2241\r\nNHS Borders\r\n696\r\n860\r\n639\r\nNHS Dumfries & Galloway\r\n1261\r\n1591\r\n1185\r\nNHS Fife\r\n3178\r\n2910\r\n2188\r\nNHS Forth Valley\r\n1649\r\n1453\r\n1509\r\nNHS Grampian\r\n3738\r\n3738\r\n2746\r\nNHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde\r\n8299\r\n8906\r\n6390\r\nNHS Highland\r\n1838\r\n1678\r\n1203\r\nNHS Lanarkshire\r\n3826\r\n3575\r\n2517\r\nNHS Lothian\r\n6989\r\n7880\r\n5636\r\nNHS Orkney\r\n16\r\n114\r\n122\r\nNHS Shetland\r\n134\r\n152\r\n95\r\nNHS Tayside\r\n2076\r\n2404\r\n1719\r\nNHS Western Isles\r\n164\r\n158\r\n95\r\nOne-Year Waiting Lists\r\nWe have seen transformational improvements in CAMHS waiting lists in the last year, and this has continued during the latest quarter. Children waiting over 52 weeks has decreased by 88% since end September 2022 – a reduction of 1,105 (down from 1,252 to 147).\r\nWaiting list data for CAMHS is taken at the end of each month, and only contains data of the number of patients waiting within specific wait bands at that point. As such it is not possible to identify individual patients journey within the present Public Health Scotland publication  PHS CAMHS Waiting Times  . This publication provides data on waiting lists at the end of each month and for each health board.\r\nTreatment Within 10-weeks of Referral\r\nPatients starting treatment are divided into 4 wait bands 0-18 weeks, 19-35 weeks, 36-52 weeks and 53 weeks plus. Information therefore on patients starting treatment within 10 weeks is not available. Boards continue to respond to high demand for CAMHS, with statistics showing that 1 in 2 people referred to CAMHS start treatment within 10 weeks. Further data information on CAMHS patients starting treatment is publicly available via Public Health Scotland:  PHS CAMHS Waiting Times  .\r\nCAMHS Specialists in Each Board\r\nChild and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) workforce data is publicly available in NHS Education for Scotland (NES) Turas Data Intelligence at:  NHS Scotland Workforce Data  . This provides data on staff joining and leaving rates by Health Board.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416637,"EventID":"S6W-25606","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-19T16:53:15.33","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-15T16:29:44.287","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to collaborate with other UK nations on the adoption of national standards for healthcare interoperability, including Scan4Saftey and sharing patient records where appropriate.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is collaborating with four nations partners on the adoption of data standards and has representation on various UK-level groups. Through our Data Strategy for Health and Social Care we have committed to setting out the preferred standards for use across the sector to facilitate interoperability and the sharing of patient records. In progressing this aim we have recently engaged with English and Welsh colleagues on their approach to adopting and publishing standards.\r\n","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":416638,"EventID":"S6W-25594","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2641,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":94,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-19T16:53:15.377","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-15T13:29:26.35","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what representations it can make on behalf of any small businesses in the Western Isles that are reportedly facing increases of thousands of pounds per week in delivery expenses as a result of a local haulage company being taken over by the multinational company, DFDS.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises that the cost of living and doing business on islands can be higher compared to other parts of Scotland.\r\nOur Islands Cost Crisis Emergency Fund has distributed £2.4 million to island local authorities since December 2022, giving councils flexibility in directing funding to those who need it most, including local businesses. Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar has been awarded £617,000 to date.\r\nIn 2024-2025, we will also offer a new 100% relief for hospitality businesses located on islands, capped at £110,000 per business.\r\nThe Scottish Government will continue to encourage the delivery sector to provide island communities with fair and affordable delivery options.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416639,"EventID":"S6W-25605","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-19T16:53:15.44","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-15T16:29:44.287","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of its funding plans to complete the roll-out of the Scan4Safety programme in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The  Scottish Budget: 2024 to 2025  allocated £2.2 million to the Scan for Safety programme. Funds available will meet initial costs of new systems and necessary licences; provide boards with advisors on implementation; meet the costs of scanning handsets; and, help to introduce scanning in services where implanted devices are used.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":416640,"EventID":"S6W-25604","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-19T16:53:15.487","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-15T16:29:44.287","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to (a) build on the progress from the Scan4Safety programme and (b) implement a single national transferable patient record.","AnswerText":"The NHS Scotland Scan for Safety Programme is focused on improving traceability and patient outcomes for high risk implantable medical devices. The Programme has established pilot sites in NHS Lothian and NHS Golden Jubilee with both sites implementing Point of Care data capture in key specialities.\r\nNHS Western Isles will commence implementation of Scan for Safety in March 2024. Work is underway to confirm further NHS Boards for roll-out in financial year 2024-25. It is planned at present to implement Scan for Safety across territorial boards by the end of March 2026. \r\nThe Scottish Government recently provided details of plans connected to electronic patient records to the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee – see  Electronic patient record | Scottish Parliament Website ","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":416641,"EventID":"S6W-25602","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-19T16:53:15.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-15T15:40:18.427","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many instances of long child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) waiting times have been raised by the public with (a) each NHS board and (b) the Scottish Government, in each of the last three years.","AnswerText":"Information on enquiries to Boards about CAMHS is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. Each NHS Board in Scotland has their own system in place for managing complaints raised by the public.\r\nThe Scottish Government records and processes enquiries and correspondence addressed to Scottish Ministers on its Ministerial and Corporate Correspondence (MiCase) System and any correspondence related to CAMHS is answered via this system. Over the last 3 years, 27 cases specifically mentioned CAMHS waiting times.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416642,"EventID":"S6W-25610","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-19T16:53:15.597","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-16T09:05:30.54","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to reviewing its guidance document, Supporting Transgender Pupils In Schools, in light of the publication of the full Cass Review. ","AnswerText":"As is indicated in the answer to question S6W-25608 on 4 March 2024, the Scottish Government will review the Supporting Transgender Young People in Schools Guidance in due course. This would include taking account of any significant legislative or policy developments. The CASS Review is considering clinical gender identity healthcare for young people. How this care is provided by the NHS is beyond the responsibilities of schools and education authorities. The guidance makes clear that school staff are not required to be involved in the process of a young person seeking or accessing gender identity healthcare. That is a matter for the young person themselves and their family.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416643,"EventID":"S6W-25609","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-19T16:53:15.643","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-16T09:05:07.213","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review the credibility, transferability and reliability of the statistics used to inform its guidance document, Supporting Transgender Pupils In Schools.","AnswerText":"The Supporting Transgender Young People in Schools non-statutory guidance sets out a range of advice on legislation, policy and practice including illustrative examples of the concerns faced by young people through a range of statistical information. All statistical material used in the production of the guidance was reviewed for suitability when the guidance was written. It is for education authorities and schools to use the guidance as they see fit, in line with local priorities and circumstances.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416644,"EventID":"S6W-25618","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16178,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":78,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-19T16:53:15.69","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-16T15:58:32.207","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the reported calls from the Scottish Retail Consortium and Scottish Tourism Alliance for a restoration of tax-free shopping for overseas visitors as a means of supporting Scotland’s retail and tourism sectors.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not have policy control over VAT rates or VAT exemptions. This is a fully reserved policy.\r\nIn a letter of 22 October 2021, the then Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Kate Forbes, and the then Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture, Fiona Hyslop, jointly called on the UK Government to reverse their decision to end VAT-free shopping following EU Exit. The letter called on the UK Government to introduce a VAT-free shopping scheme for EU and non-EU visitors to the UK.\r\nThe UK Government, as part of their ‘Mini Budget’ on 23 September 2022 announced the introduction of a new digital VAT-free shopping scheme. This however was scrapped as part of the reversal by the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt.\r\nI have called on the Chancellor in my pre-Spring Budget letter to listen to industry and urgently reconsider his position.\r\nThe removal of this policy is likely to be having a detrimental impact on retail businesses and may be discouraging tourists from visiting the UK. and Scotland specifically. Many EU countries continue to offer tax-free shopping for non-EU visitors, which make them a more attractive tourist destination. Scotland’s vibrant retail sector is put at a disadvantage as a result.\r\nThe Scottish Government’s position remains that the restoration of VAT-free shopping for all overseas visitors to the UK would help support this vital sector in Scotland.\r\nUltimately, the Scottish Government believes that all tax powers should be devolved to the Scottish Parliament so that we can provide the support that Scottish retailers and tourism businesses need.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416645,"EventID":"S6W-25603","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-19T16:53:15.737","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-15T15:45:46.223","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the results from the Police Scotland pilot, Proportionate Response to Crime, in north east Scotland.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to the Oral question? S6O-03126 on 27 February 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the Official Report can be found at  Meeting of the Parliament: 28/02/2024 | Scottish Parliament Website ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416646,"EventID":"S6W-25608","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-19T16:53:15.77","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-16T09:04:14.187","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to ensure that its guidance document, Supporting Transgender Pupils In Schools, accurately reflects the revised Equality and Human Rights Commission document, Technical guidance for schools in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The non-statutory guidance on supporting Transgender Young People in Schools sets out a range of advice on legislation, policy and practice including illustrative examples. It is for education authorities and schools to use the guidance as they see fit, in line with local priorities and circumstances.\r\nAs would be usual with any relevant significant legal or policy developments, the Scottish Government will consider whether the guidance requires to be updated to reflect these.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416647,"EventID":"S6W-25284","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-19T16:53:15.817","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-02T17:26:43.88","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what total value of government-funded grants for heat pumps has been awarded to homes in the Aberdeen City Council area in each year since 2022.","AnswerText":"The Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan Scheme, launched in December 2022, offers homeowners and self-builders in Scotland a grant, interest free loan or a combination of both to support the installation of clean heating systems and energy efficiency measures. Prior to this, homeowners could access support for installation via the HES Loan and Cashback Scheme.\r\nThe following table details grant funding awarded for the installation of air, water or ground source heat pumps to homeowners in the Aberdeen City Council area in financial years through the HES Loan and Cashback Scheme or HES Grant and Loan Scheme, up to the end of the Quarter 3, December 2023. This does not include funding for other interventions such as energy efficiency.\r\nFinancial Year\r\nTotal Grant funding awarded\r\n2021-22\r\n£148,720\r\n2022-23\r\n£244,648\r\n2023-24 to December 2023\r\n£189,876\r\nThe Scottish Government also funds the installation of heating systems and insulation measures for homeowners through Warmer Homes Scotland and Area Based Schemes. Overall these schemes are of a comparable scale to the HES scheme. However, as these are government-funded installations rather than grants awarded to homeowners, and because they fund a range of measures sometimes including heat pumps, they are not included in the figures provided.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416648,"EventID":"S6W-25607","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-19T16:53:15.863","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-15T16:29:44.287","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what cost (a) savings and (b) avoidance it has identified since the implementation of Scan4Safety in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The NHSScotland Scan For Safety Programme was established to provide rapid electronic traceability for high-risk implantable medical devices; linking patients to the medical devices used in their care, thus improving patient safety and fulfilling a key theme from the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Review and a future regulatory requirement. In addition, the improved medical device data will provide a patient implant record and with appropriate safeguards provide an opportunity to improve our knowledge of real world medical device outcomes.\r\nImplementation of NHS Scotland Scan for Safety has now been successfully completed in four specialties within two Health Boards and the Programme Team is currently engaging with the local Board teams to measure the benefits being realised in these Health Board areas. The benefits to be realised over time will cover areas such as patient safety, operational efficiency and clinical productivity. While the level of each benefit will depend on the Health Board implementing scanning technology across all affected specialties within a Board area, the Programme Team will work closely with each Board to ensure the identified benefits are maximised as much as possible between now and programme closure in March 2026.\r\nSince the rollout of the National Inventory Management System (IMS)(a pre-cursor in supporting rollout of the Scan for Safety Programme), across all Health Boards in March 2023, data is now available across all Health Boards which suggests savings may be made regarding stock management in each Board area. This data will be validated with each Health Board as part of the Scan for Safety Programme implementation activity, due to be completed by March 2026. The level of savings (or avoidance) will vary in each Board. These benefits will be aggregated at a national level in due course and reported through to the National Programme Board as implementation progresses. Some benefits, such as the digital tracking of medical devices in the event of a recall, can only be realised and verified if a recall notice is received and this may not happen during the lifecycle of the programme.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":416649,"EventID":"S6T-01801","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-19T15:03:55.48","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-19T09:41:06.16","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the reported decision to delay the progress of all new NHS capital projects for up to two years, including the Ayr National Treatment Centre.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-02-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416650,"EventID":"S6T-01797","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-19T15:03:55.2","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-18T15:01:20.983","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on whether the A96 will be dualled from Inverness to Aberdeen.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-02-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416651,"EventID":"S6F-02823","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-19T15:03:50.167","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-16T08:13:04.24","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416652,"EventID":"S6F-02824","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5586,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-19T15:03:50.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-16T08:13:26.727","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416653,"EventID":"S6F-02825","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16207,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-19T15:03:50.403","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-16T11:27:41.757","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's position is on whether successive changes to national taxation policy in Scottish Budgets will support the redistribution of wealth and help sustain vital public services.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416654,"EventID":"S6F-02848","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-19T15:03:51.81","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-19T11:09:26.337","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister, regarding the delivery of the Scottish Government's recently published depopulation action plan, what will be different about this approach, which is described as \"local by default, national by agreement\", particularly towards the approval of new developments supported by local communities.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416655,"EventID":"S6F-02845","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-19T15:03:51.56","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-19T10:50:21.807","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government still has a policy of a presumption against any new oil and gas licences.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416656,"EventID":"S6F-02847","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-19T15:03:51.713","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-19T10:55:07.133","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the analysis by Citizens Advice Scotland suggesting that over 660,000 people are experiencing mental health problems due to increasing household debt.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416684,"EventID":"S6W-25584","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-20T17:17:17.133","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-14T14:20:57.633","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many hectares of new woodland creation the Forestry Grant Scheme will deliver in the 2024-25 planting season, and for each subsequent planting season.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government supports new woodland creation through the Forestry Grant Scheme. Planting is recorded in line with financial years. The Scottish Government expects to deliver 9,000 hectares of new woodland creation through the Forestry Grant Scheme in the 2024-25 financial year, and would expect a similar area to be delivered in the 2024-25 planting season.\r\nAs the Scottish Government budget has not been finalised for 2025-26 or future years, it is not possible to confirm how much planting will be supported by the Forestry Grant Scheme in future years or planting seasons.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416685,"EventID":"S6W-25344","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-20T17:17:17.257","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T15:11:40.253","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been provided to the Scottish Growth Scheme, and, of that funding, how much has been allocated to businesses, in each year since the scheme was established. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has committed £97 million (over the 10 year period to 31st March 2029) to the Scottish Growth Scheme which was established in December 2018 and operational during financial year 2019-20. In the 4 year period to 31st March 2023 the Scottish Growth Scheme has invested £66.8 million in businesses as follows:\r\n2019-20 = £13 million\r\n2020-21 = £21.3 million\r\n2021-22 = £17.5 million\r\n2022-23 = £15 million","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416686,"EventID":"S6W-25640","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-20T17:17:17.337","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T12:59:09.743","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many home-school link workers there have been in each of the last 10 years. ","AnswerText":"Data on the full time equivalent home-school link workers from 2017 onwards can be found in the School Support Staff Statistics, here:  https://www.gov.scot/publications/school-support-staff-statistics/ \r\nPrior to 2017, this data can be found in the Teacher Census Supplementary Statistics tables 'Teacher Census 2016' and earlier editions, here:  https://www.gov.scot/publications/teacher-census-supplementary-statistics/ \r\nSchool support staff statistics from the 2023 school staff and pupils census are due to be published on 19 February 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416687,"EventID":"S6W-25638","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-20T17:17:17.383","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T12:09:19.813","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of East Dunbartonshire Council’s Local Transport Strategy 2020-25 and Local Development Plan 2 both committing to safeguarding land for an Allander rail station between Milngavie and Hillfoot, what its position is on whether it supports East Dunbartonshire Council’s aspiration for a new station at this location when funding and other factors allow. ","AnswerText":"Currently the Scottish Government has no evidence to support a new Allander rail station.\r\nEast Dunbartonshire Council undertook a transport appraisal in 2018 for the A81 corridor which concluded none of the rail options offered sufficient value for money. My officials at Transport Scotland engaged extensively with East Dunbartonshire Council as part of the Council’s work to develop their Local Development Plan. This included providing advice to the Council on the transport appraisal required to justify any new strategic transport infrastructure, including rail stations.\r\nWe are not aware of East Dunbartonshire Council having any plans to revisit their transport appraisal work. However, if a robust business case is presented for rail proposals, such proposals will be considered by Transport Scotland, subject to Scottish Government’s priorities, our rail investment strategy, affordability and other competing priorities.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416688,"EventID":"S6W-25639","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-20T17:17:17.447","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T12:52:37.45","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what investment proposals for the River Clyde and Firth of Clyde are in the Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council's (SOWEC) Strategic Investment Model.","AnswerText":"The Strategic Investment Model (SIM), an initiative devised to respond to the recommendations within the Strategic Investment Assessment, is a novel industry-led approach which is delivering for the offshore wind sector in Scotland.\r\nThe SIM is helping the government, our agencies and the sector to identify key, shared priorities with an initial focus on investment in ports and harbours infrastructure improvements, manufacturing and fabrication. There is a strong pipeline of port infrastructure and supply chain projects now emerging through the SIM process.\r\nOn February 20 the SIM published details of 32 of the 38 projects that have successfully completed stage one of the process and have a completed project prospectus. 6 SIM projects have requested confidentiality.  Strategic Investment Model Stage 2 projects announced | HIE (offshorewindscotland.org.uk) \r\nAn initial first three projects have been selected by the SIM to move into Stage 2 involving facilitated meetings between offshore wind developers and project proponents.\r\nCurrently, the 38 SIM projects have a combined total Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) of around £6.5BN.\r\nSome project information is still commercially confidential. Therefore, the release of any further information will be undertaken by the SIM group.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416689,"EventID":"S6W-25595","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-20T17:17:17.493","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-15T14:47:44.833","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the publication of Local Heat and Energy\r\nEfficiency Strategies (LHEES) and delivery plans by local authorities, whether\r\nit will provide an update on which local authorities' (a) LHEES and (b)\r\ndelivery plans (i) were published by and (ii) have been published since 31\r\nDecember 2023.\r\n","AnswerText":"Eleven local authorities published their Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies (LHEES) and Delivery Plans by 31 December 2023.\r\nBetween 1 January 2024 and the time of writing, a further two local authorities have published their Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies and Delivery Plans. One of these two local authorities (Renfrewshire Council) have are yet to publish their Delivery Plan. This brings the total published documents to thirteen.\r\nNineteen local authorities have yet to publish their Local Heat and Energy Strategies and Delivery Plans. Local authorities cite a number of challenges that have hindered their ability to meet the deadline, including recruiting staff, procuring technical consultants, the timing of governance processes, data access and timescales for stakeholder engagement.\r\nScottish Government officials continue to engage closely with local authorities to support them in publishing their LHEES. This includes provision of an independent review service to provide feedback to ensure they meet the requirements set out in the guidance, one-to-one capacity support training, in-person visits to raise awareness at senior level and through tailored online sessions.\r\nA table of local authorities which have published their LHEES and whether or not they met the deadline of 31 December 2023 is as follows.\r\nLOCAL AUTHORITY\r\nPUBLISHED BY 31 DECEMBER 2023\r\nCity of Edinburgh Council\r\nYes\r\nClackmannanshire Council\r\nYes\r\nComhairle Nan Eilean Siar\r\nYes\r\nDumfries & Galloway Council\r\nYes\r\nFalkirk Council\r\nYes\r\nFife Council\r\nYes\r\nGlasgow City Council\r\nYes\r\nHighland Council\r\nYes\r\nNorth Ayrshire Council\r\nNo\r\nNorth Lanarkshire Council\r\nYes\r\nRenfrewshire Council\r\nNo\r\nStirling Council\r\nYes\r\nWest Lothian Council\r\nYes\r\n \r\nAn LHEES has two parts which are integral to each other.\r\nA Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy is a long-term strategic framework for the improvement of the energy efficiency of buildings in the local authority’s area, and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the heating of such buildings.\r\nA Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Delivery Plan is a document setting out how a local authority proposes to support implementation of its Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416690,"EventID":"S6W-25630","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-20T17:17:17.54","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-19T16:40:57.693","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many local authority wards have a population of over 15,500 residents, broken down by (a) local authority and (b) population.","AnswerText":"I have asked Janet Egdell, Chief Executive of National Records of Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:\r\nOf the 355 wards in Scotland, 162 had a population over 15,500 as at 30 June 2021. The following table shows the number of electoral wards with a population over 15,500, by local authority.\r\nNumber of electoral wards with a population over 15,500, by local authority, as at 30 June 2021\r\nLocal authority\r\nNumber of wards with over 15,500 residents\r\nNumber of wards with up to 15,500 residents\r\nTotal number of wards\r\nScotland\r\n162\r\n193\r\n355\r\nAberdeen City\r\n11\r\n2\r\n13\r\nAberdeenshire\r\n6\r\n13\r\n19\r\nAngus\r\n4\r\n4\r\n8\r\nArgyll and Bute\r\n0\r\n11\r\n11\r\nCity of Edinburgh\r\n17\r\n0\r\n17\r\nClackmannanshire\r\n0\r\n5\r\n5\r\nDumfries and Galloway\r\n0\r\n12\r\n12\r\nDundee City\r\n8\r\n0\r\n8\r\nEast Ayrshire\r\n2\r\n7\r\n9\r\nEast Dunbartonshire\r\n3\r\n4\r\n7\r\nEast Lothian\r\n5\r\n1\r\n6\r\nEast Renfrewshire\r\n5\r\n0\r\n5\r\nFalkirk\r\n8\r\n1\r\n9\r\nFife\r\n15\r\n7\r\n22\r\nGlasgow City\r\n23\r\n0\r\n23\r\nHighland\r\n1\r\n20\r\n21\r\nInverclyde\r\n0\r\n7\r\n7\r\nMidlothian\r\n3\r\n3\r\n6\r\nMoray\r\n1\r\n7\r\n8\r\nNa h-Eileanan Siar\r\n0\r\n11\r\n11\r\nNorth Ayrshire\r\n4\r\n5\r\n9\r\nNorth Lanarkshire\r\n12\r\n9\r\n21\r\nOrkney Islands\r\n0\r\n6\r\n6\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n3\r\n9\r\n12\r\nRenfrewshire\r\n6\r\n6\r\n12\r\nScottish Borders\r\n0\r\n11\r\n11\r\nShetland Islands\r\n0\r\n7\r\n7\r\nSouth Ayrshire\r\n2\r\n6\r\n8\r\nSouth Lanarkshire\r\n10\r\n10\r\n20\r\nStirling\r\n2\r\n5\r\n7\r\nWest Dunbartonshire\r\n2\r\n4\r\n6\r\nWest Lothian\r\n9\r\n0\r\n9\r\nSource: Electoral Ward Population Estimates, published by National Records of Scotland.\r\nThe population of each ward is published in ‘Electoral Ward Population Estimates’,\r\non the National Records of Scotland website:  https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/statistics/statistics-by-theme/population/population-estimates/2011-based-special-area-population-estimates/electoral-ward-population-estimates ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416691,"EventID":"S6W-25596","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-20T17:17:17.587","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-15T14:51:01.153","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any local authorities that are yet to\r\npublish their Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy (LHEES) and delivery\r\nplan have indicated by what date these will be completed, and, if so, (a) which\r\nones and (b) what timeframes have been offered.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is able to confirm that we are expecting around a further 9 local authorities to publish their LHEES by the end of March 2024, with the remaining LHEES expected to be published by the end of the summer.\r\nWe are encouraged by the quality of the LHEES published to date. The local authorities have taken a reasonably consistent approach in development of their LHEES, and those covering cities and urban areas have identified strong heat network opportunities.\r\nThe Scottish Government is aware that, in developing LHEES, local authorities have faced a number of challenges which have hindered their ability to meet the deadline, including recruiting staff, procuring technical consultants, the timing of governance processes, data access and timescales for stakeholder engagement.\r\nWe continue to engage closely with local authorities to support them finalising their LHEES. Through our quarterly check ins we are able to understand their progress and provide tailored support where required including technical assistance through Zero Waste Scotland.\r\nAn LHEES review service has also been provided to act as a critical friend for local authorities, providing feedback to ensure they are able to meet the requirements set out in the LHEES Guidance.\r\nThe Scottish Government is providing long term funding to support local authorities to develop and deliver their LHEES with funding committed for each local authority of £75,000 per year until 2027-28.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416692,"EventID":"S6W-25629","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-20T17:17:17.633","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-19T16:40:57.693","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to expand the Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Service to cover all of Scotland.","AnswerText":"As reflected in Scotland’s Cancer Strategy for Scotland, published June 2023, we are committed to “expanding and evaluating Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services to ensure population-based coverage”.\r\nThe University of Strathclyde published a final evaluation report on 29 February 2024 reflecting on the first two years of RCDSs operating in NHS Scotland. This work was commissioned to inform roll-out, including optimal components and highlighting its success. Following its release, we’ll work with Boards across Scotland to consider the findings and ensure learning is embedded.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416693,"EventID":"S6W-25631","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-20T17:17:17.68","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-19T16:40:57.693","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work it has undertaken to provide resources to GP link workers to refer patients requesting support for forced adoption to peer support groups.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has funded Health in Mind to deliver a historic forced adoption peer support service and implement a comprehensive communication strategy to help raise awareness of this support. As part of this, Health In Mind has contacted all health boards in Scotland and asked them to share information about the service with their GP practices.\r\nHealth In Mind has also shared details of the service with adoption related organisations, social work departments, third sector organisations and a variety of community spaces such as libraries and churches, as well as on social media platforms. Further details of the peer support service are available online:  https://health-in-mind.org.uk/how-we-can-help/national-services/historic-adoption-trauma-support-service/","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416694,"EventID":"S6W-25633","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-20T17:17:17.743","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T08:12:47.52","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to mesh survivors in Scotland, whether it supports the recommendations in The Hughes Report: Options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to the question S60-03094 on 21 February 2024. All answers to Oral questions are available on the Official Report, for which can be found at  Meeting of the Parliament: 21/02/2024 | Scottish Parliament Website ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416695,"EventID":"S6W-25357","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-20T17:17:17.79","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T16:21:10.22","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason Scottish National Standardised Assessments and National Standardised Assessments for Scotland reportedly do not include a calculation of pupil reading age, in light of it being recommended during specification meetings in 2015 that a functional reading age test for P7 pupils was required.","AnswerText":"When the National Standardised Assessments for Scotland were first being developed, it was agreed in consultation with Scottish literacy experts that the reading assessments should be based on specific organisers within the Curriculum for Excellence – these being “Tools for reading”, “Finding and using information”, and “Understanding, analysing and evaluating”. This was because the relationship between the assessments and CfE was deemed a more useful output for teachers than a notional reading age.\r\nAs learners can undertake the assessments at any time in the school year, teachers are able to compare learner outcomes against a cohort of learners who completed their assessments at a similar stage in the year, rather than by age. This comparison has been statistically validated through norming studies and provides valuable diagnostic information to teachers, helping to inform their wider assessment of learner progress in literacy.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416696,"EventID":"S6W-25585","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-20T17:17:17.837","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-14T14:22:44.56","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many hectares of new woodland creation it expects will be delivered through sources of funding other than the Forestry Grant Scheme in the 2024-25 planting scheme, and for each subsequent planting season.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government supports new woodland creation on privately owned land through the Forestry Grant Scheme. Planting is recorded against financial years and in 2022-23, that last year for which published data is available, all recorded new woodland creation in Scotland was supported by Forestry Grant Scheme funding. Many of the new woodland creation schemes in 2022-23 benefited from other sources of funding, although no significant new woodland creation took place without Forestry Grant Scheme funding.\r\nWhilst other sources of funding improve the attractiveness of woodland creation to landowners and can reduce the level of public funding required, we would expect very little new woodland creation on private land to be delivered in 2024-25 without receiving some support from the Forestry Grant Scheme.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416713,"EventID":"S6O-03132","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2826,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":84,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T15:02:41.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T16:40:23.673","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the Victim Surcharge Fund supports women who are victims of domestic abuse.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416714,"EventID":"S6O-03139","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T15:02:41.75","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T11:19:12.677","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures are being taken to maintain educational facilities in rural areas.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416715,"EventID":"S6O-03136","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16186,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":120,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T15:02:41.843","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T13:26:11.893","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with representatives of the college sector.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416716,"EventID":"S6O-03141","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T15:02:41.92","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T09:47:34.583","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the open letter sent to\r\nMSPs from over 120 colleges, businesses and trade unions, on 5 February,\r\nurgently asking for the reinstatement of the Flexible Workforce Development\r\nFund for Scotland’s colleges, which has been removed from the draft Budget for\r\n2024-25.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416717,"EventID":"S6O-03118","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2633,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T15:02:42","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T09:33:11.253","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting events to commemorate the 750th anniversary of the birth of Robert the Bruce, which takes place on 11 July this year.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416718,"EventID":"S6O-03127","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T15:02:42.077","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T11:02:04.143","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service takes to ensure that any information that it receives from pathology service providers is accurate and reliable.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416719,"EventID":"S6O-03140","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5622,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":148,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T15:02:42.14","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T08:10:03.88","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will encourage the uptake of foreign languages at primary and secondary schools. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416720,"EventID":"S6O-03125","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16191,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":77,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T15:02:42.233","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T18:09:23.223","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what role culture and the arts play in delivering its missions of equality, opportunity and community.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416721,"EventID":"S6O-03137","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2103,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":109,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T15:02:42.28","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T11:19:17.497","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with colleges and trade unions regarding pay in the further education sector.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416722,"EventID":"S6O-03122","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T15:02:42.343","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T18:07:11.267","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to protect the future of the Screen Machine mobile cinema.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416723,"EventID":"S6O-03135","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T15:02:42.39","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T11:57:57.423","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government to where within the education budget it reallocated\r\nany unused funds for teaching bursaries in 2023-24.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416724,"EventID":"S6O-03138","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T15:02:42.437","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T09:37:56.147","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on nursery-age childcare funding provision. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416725,"EventID":"S6O-03120","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5621,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":99,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T15:02:42.483","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-19T12:49:34.867","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what value it places on the Screen Machine.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416726,"EventID":"S6O-03126","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T15:02:42.53","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-19T16:44:34.22","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the results from Police Scotland’s Proportionate Response to Crime pilot in the north east will be published.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416727,"EventID":"S6O-03130","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5608,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":103,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T15:02:42.577","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T16:25:58.923","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it is giving, in collaboration with Police Scotland, to the possibility of establishing a new Leith police station within the Scottish Government's Victoria Quay building.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416728,"EventID":"S6O-03121","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16182,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":117,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T15:02:42.623","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-19T14:27:23.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it can offer to cultural organisations in Stirling that are facing funding challenges.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416729,"EventID":"S6O-03129","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T15:02:42.67","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T13:41:07.393","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with Police Scotland regarding the policing strategy for the safe consumption room pilot in Glasgow.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416730,"EventID":"S6O-03131","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T15:02:42.733","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T10:21:22.347","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Scottish Prison Service’s work to address reported noise disturbance at HMP Stirling.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416731,"EventID":"S6O-03119","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T15:02:42.78","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T14:10:47.95","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is promoting culture outside of the Central Belt.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416732,"EventID":"S6O-03128","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T15:02:42.827","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T10:40:46.457","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported comments by Police Scotland's Chief Constable that the force deals with over 100,000 mental health-related incidents each year. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416733,"EventID":"S6O-03133","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16207,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T15:02:42.89","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T10:34:02.35","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its discussions with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service regarding the plans required to address the carcinogenic nature of firefighting. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416734,"EventID":"S6O-03124","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T15:02:42.937","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T12:09:09.527","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to Aberdeen's festivals.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416735,"EventID":"S6O-03134","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5877,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T15:02:43","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T11:54:47.943","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to provide access to life skills programmes for disabled young people.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416736,"EventID":"S6O-03149","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5060,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T15:02:47.507","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T10:28:49.093","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with BT Group/EE regarding the proposed closure of its Greenock call centre.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416737,"EventID":"S6O-03142","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16176,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":137,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T15:02:47.6","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T07:45:24.783","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work has been done to improve accessibility to\r\nprescription wig provision for those affected by hair loss.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416738,"EventID":"S6O-03145","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T15:02:47.663","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T10:54:11.353","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that critical transport infrastructure is resilient against extreme weather events.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416739,"EventID":"S6O-03143","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T15:02:47.727","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T10:25:58.417","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact that any mass delay of NHS capital projects would have on patient and staff safety.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416740,"EventID":"S6O-03148","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T15:02:47.82","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T09:54:11.22","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will make a long-term commitment to retain the Ardrossan-Brodick ferry service.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416741,"EventID":"S6O-03146","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5618,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":91,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T15:02:47.883","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-19T13:26:33.32","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the repayment of PFI and PPP debts on local authority finances.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416742,"EventID":"S6O-03144","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T15:02:47.947","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T08:50:43.657","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has conducted of the potential impact of the proposed non-domestic rates public health supplement on large retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Scottish Budget.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416743,"EventID":"S6O-03147","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16175,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":119,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T15:02:48.023","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T09:02:12.263","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent ONS data, what assessment it has made of the impact on Scotland’s public finances of the UK entering a recession in 2023.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416744,"EventID":"S6W-25642","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T17:12:34.587","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T13:09:19.547","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which shipbuilding firms are being engaged with as part of the Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council (SOWEC) Strategic Investment Model projects for (a) Enabling Crew Transfer Vessel (CTV) Fabrication in Scotland and (b) Enabling Service Operation Vessel (SOV) Fabrication in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Strategic Investment Model (SIM), an initiative devised to respond to the recommendations within the Strategic Investment Assessment, is a novel industry-led approach which is delivering for the offshore wind sector in Scotland.\r\nThe SIM is helping the Government, our agencies and the sector to identify key, shared priorities with an initial focus on investment in ports and harbours infrastructure improvements, manufacturing and fabrication. There is a strong pipeline of port infrastructure and supply chain projects now emerging through the SIM process.\r\nOn February 20 the SIM published  Strategic I nvestment Model Stage 2 projects announced | HIE (offshorewindscotland.org.uk)  of 32 of the 38 projects that have successfully completed stage one of the process and have a completed project prospectus. 6 SIM projects have requested confidentiality.\r\nAn initial first three projects have been selected by the SIM to move into Stage 2 involving facilitated meetings between offshore wind developers and project proponents.\r\nCurrently, the 38 SIM projects have a combined total Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) of around £6.5BN.\r\nSome project information is still commercially confidential. Therefore, the release of any further information will be undertaken by the SIM group. For more information, please contact Maf Smith, Lumen Energy & Environment, at maf.smith@lumenee.cc.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416745,"EventID":"S6W-25657","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T17:12:34.71","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T16:15:43.333","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the development of monitoring and evaluation frameworks, which provide interactive feedback loops and testing assumptions threaded throughout all work, with regards to the Gender Equality Taskforce in Education and Learning. ","AnswerText":"The Gender Equality Taskforce in Education & Learning developed a set of ambitions in order to help inform its work, including the development of monitoring and evaluation frameworks. Since then, discussion and work has been ongoing to refine the workplan, to ensure that it is able to enact the type of long term, complex, systemic change that is needed. I am committed to continuing and accelerating such work to ensure that girls and young women have a gender equal experience of education and learning.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416746,"EventID":"S6W-25641","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T17:12:34.757","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T13:05:22.09","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the 38 Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council (SOWEC) Strategic Investment Model projects that have completed Stage 1, whether it will provide a breakdown by local authority area of where the projects are located, and what the potential capital value is.","AnswerText":"The Strategic Investment Model (SIM), an initiative devised to respond to the recommendations within the Strategic Investment Assessment, is a novel industry-led approach which is delivering for the offshore wind sector in Scotland.\r\nThe SIM is helping the Government, our agencies and the sector to identify key, shared priorities with an initial focus on investment in ports and harbours infrastructure improvements, manufacturing and fabrication. There is a strong pipeline of port infrastructure and supply chain projects now emerging through the SIM process.\r\nOn February 20 the SIM published details of 32 of the 38 projects that have successfully completed stage one of the process and have a completed project prospectus. 6 SIM projects have requested confidentiality.  Strategic Investment Model Stage 2 projects announced | HIE (offshorewindscotland.org.uk) \r\nAn initial first three projects have been selected by the SIM to move into Stage 2 involving facilitated meetings between offshore wind developers and project proponents.\r\nCurrently, the 38 SIM projects have a combined total Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) of around £6.5BN.\r\nSome project information is still commercially confidential. Therefore, the release of any further information will be undertaken by the SIM group. For more information, please contact Maf Smith, Lumen Energy & Environment, at maf.smith@lumenee.cc.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416747,"EventID":"S6W-25665","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T17:12:34.803","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T16:58:55.057","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether it has fulfilled the 2021 Scottish National Party manifesto commitment to create a system of \"wraparound childcare\".","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to building a system of school age childcare which will be funded for those families who need it most.\r\nOur \"School Age Childcare Delivery Framework\", published in October 2023, sets out the action areas for the next 2 to 3 years and outlines our person-centered and place-based approach to designing this new system, learning from what works at a local level. The Framework can be found on the Scottish Government website at:  www.gov.scot/publications/school-age-childcare-delivery-framework/ \r\nIn 2023-24, we invested £15 million to design and test an all-year-round system of school age childcare, including in four Early Adopter Communities and nine Access to Childcare Fund projects across Scotland, where families are accessing funded services. It also included a partnership with the Scottish Football Association to fund breakfast, after school and holiday clubs across the country for targeted children and families.\r\nIn addition, we have invested over £25m to deliver targeted summer programmes of funded activities, childcare and food provision for eligible children from low-income families across Scotland since 2021.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416748,"EventID":"S6W-25364","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T17:12:34.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T16:21:10.22","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of the total number of pupils have not completed the Scottish National Standardised Assessments and National Standardised Assessments for Scotland assessment questions for their year group, in each year since 2017.","AnswerText":"The percentage of the estimated cohort who did not complete the SNSA assessments in each year since 2017 is detailed in the following table.\r\nAcademic Year\r\n17-18\r\n18-19\r\n19-20\r\n20-21\r\n21-22\r\n22-23\r\nP1\r\n6%\r\n11%\r\n90%\r\n21%\r\n19%\r\n13%\r\nP4\r\n4%\r\n4%\r\n57%\r\n6%\r\n7%\r\n5%\r\nP7\r\n3%\r\n3%\r\n45%\r\n7%\r\n5%\r\n7%\r\nS3\r\n9%\r\n10%\r\n54%\r\n49%\r\n22%\r\n20%\r\nSchool closures in response to COVID-19 impacted on completion rates in 2019/20 and 2020-21.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416749,"EventID":"S6W-25362","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T17:12:34.913","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T16:21:10.22","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has compared the Scottish National Standardised Assessments Curriculum for Excellence assessment level results with the equivalent teacher-derived Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence Levels for each year since 2017.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not compare or analyse outcomes data from the National Standardised Assessments for Scotland against Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence Levels data, as these each have a distinct purpose and should not be compared directly.\r\nThe National Standardised Assessments for Scotland have been designed to provide diagnostic information to teachers, schools and local authorities on children’s progress in aspects of literacy and numeracy, and to inform next steps in learning and teaching. They provide teachers with a valuable additional source of nationally standardised information to add to their existing understanding of children’s progress. NSA data can be used as a part of a range of evidence when assessing children’s achievement of the relevant Curriculum for Excellence levels. However, they do not assess whether learners have or have not achieved a level within the Curriculum for Excellence.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416750,"EventID":"S6W-25663","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T17:12:34.977","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T16:21:10.497","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many recipient organisations of an Empowering Communities Programme grant award were dissolved before their grant was paid, in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"Of the grants delivered within the Empowering Communities Programme there has been one organisation that dissolved in 2020-21 during the period of their grant award and one that entered into dissolution process in the final year of their grant award period in 2021-22.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416751,"EventID":"S6W-25667","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T17:12:35.023","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T16:58:55.057","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether all one- and two-year-olds in low-income families receive free early years education.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government funds delivery of 1140 hours of high quality funded Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) to all three and four-year-olds and around a quarter of families with an eligible two-year-old, who experience the most disadvantage, across Scotland. This entitlement is regardless of the working status of their parents - putting children first.\r\nWe recognise how important both early learning and school age childcare are for families, especially those experiencing poverty and that is why within this year’s Programme for Government we have committed to work with local government and partners in the ELC sector to expand our childcare offers.\r\nWe recognise that younger children have different needs to those aged three or four and therefore our new offer will be guided by what the evidence tells us about what is best for children and families depending on the age and stage of the child.\r\nWe also know that for children aged under three, how much they benefit from Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) is determined by crucial factors such as their family background, what age they start in ELC, the quality of services and the balance of hours they spend between care at home and in ELC settings. That is why we are committed to listening to families and to putting quality at the heart our work on both the Early Adopter Communities (EACs) and the expansion for two year olds.\r\nWe have recently completed and published two key pieces of research to help us understand and identify what models of ELC are best for younger children. The first is a summary of work to map  current ELC provision for younger children in Scotland  and the second a  literature review  undertaken by Public Health Scotland. Evidence from this early insights work supports taking a considered approach to policy development in 2024-25, so that we understand what is right for families with under three’s.\r\nOver the next year we will continue to build on this early insights work by piloting new approaches via funding from the Whole Family Wellbeing Fund to test models of holistic family support and by engaging with the ELC sector to understand what is required to support an expansion. \r\nWe are already engaging with families through our work with EAC’s and are working to expand our reach to include Fife and Shetland and also to broaden the work to include younger children. This work will provide us with a clearer picture about what approaches deliver the greatest impact for families with younger children.\r\nIn parallel we will continue to work with local authorities and our partners in the sector to support up-take of the existing two-year-old offer, to ensure as many children as possible receive the benefits of high quality ELC, as well as planning for a further expansion.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416752,"EventID":"S6W-25634","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T17:12:35.07","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T08:12:47.537","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of it approaching four years since the report of the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review, First Do No Harm, was published, and that three years have nearly passed since the Scottish Government published its plan for delivering on its commitment to implement, in full, the recommendations of the review, whether it will (a) provide an update on its delivery plan and (b) confirm when it expects to implement the remaining recommendations of the review to improve the lives of those impacted by sodium valproate, Primados and mesh implants.","AnswerText":"There has been progress in implementing the Scottish Government’s delivery plan:the Patient Safety Commissioner for Scotland Act 2023 established a Parliamentary Commissioner on patient safetythe Glasgow Complex Mesh Surgical Service offers mesh removal surgery, and women can also choose an NHS England surgeon or an independent provider25 women have had the costs of previously arranged private mesh removal surgery reimbursedthe NHS Scotland Scan for Safety Programme for implantable medical devices is planned to roll out across territorial boards by the end of March 2026 on valproate, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency introduced regulatory measures for the prescribing of valproate and we are working closely with the agency to support their implementation\r\nThe Scottish Government considers, further to the undertaking offered in 2021, that it is taking appropriate action to pursue the outcomes sought by all of the recommendations of the 2020 report insofar as they relate to devolved matters.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416753,"EventID":"S6W-25649","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T17:12:35.133","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T14:33:37.713","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what data it has regarding any impact of deer numbers in Scotland on the natural regeneration of trees and scrub; what its position is on what the optimal number of deer per hectare on unfarmed land is that would achieve sustained natural regeneration of tree cover, and how any such optimal number of deer per hectare compares with current numbers of deer per hectare on unfarmed land in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The natural regeneration of trees, scrub and associated ground vegetation across most parts of Scotland will be potentially vulnerable to deer (and other herbivore) impacts, such as browsing, fraying and trampling (as will young, planted trees and shrubs). When considering the impact of deer on our natural environment we look at a variety of evidence as well as advice from NatureScot. The data available for the impacts of deer numbers on natural regeneration is limited and may be combined with data for planted trees.\r\nOn Scotland’s National Forests and Land alone, which makes up almost 10% of Scotland, around 150 million young trees, naturally regenerated and planted, can be vulnerable to deer damage impacts at any one time. This includes native woodland, productive woodland (broadleaved and soft conifer tree species), and the expansion of natural regeneration onto open ground. The number and area of young trees and scrub vulnerable to deer damage impacts across the whole of Scotland will be significantly higher.\r\nIn terms of national data and evidence, recent statistics on Woodland Ecological condition produced by Forest Research shows that herbivore damage, which includes wild deer, is widespread with almost 50% of woodland area in unfavourable condition as a result of grazing.\r\nAlongside that report, a 2013 a study on the National Forest Estate found that 15-20% of young trees had been damaged by deer. Then in 2014 the first Native Woodland Survey of Scotland assessed around 311,000 hectares of Scottish woodland, found that deer were present in over 70%, and that over 30% of that area had high or very high browsing impacts which were considered too high for the woodlands to survive by natural regeneration.\r\nWhile there is no one-size-fits-all approach to deer densities and our focus is on evidence of impacts when considering the best approach, the Deer Working Group recommended a target of 10 red deer per square kilometre in open hill, red deer range. We accepted that recommendation, and recognise that there are some areas of Scotland where that target is already being met. However, there are also areas of Scotland where deer populations, all four species, may be in excess of 20 deer per square kilometre and will be causing significant damage. We also recognise that in areas where there is to be natural regeneration, a density of 10 deer per square kilometre is still too high. The successful establishment and sustained management of natural regeneration can require low to very low deer densities of 1-5 deer per square kilometre, and for many woodland and open ground habitats may need to be sustained at densities as low as 2-3 deer per square kilometre.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416754,"EventID":"S6W-25652","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T17:12:35.193","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T16:15:43.333","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the development of gender-competent school estate planning. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognise the importance of gender-competent school estate planning.\r\nThe guiding principles within our Learning Estate Strategy, which was produced in collaboration with COSLA and sets out our strategic approach for managing the learning estate, makes clear that learning environments should support the wellbeing of all learners. Furthermore, it states that good consultation about learning environments, direct engagement with learners about their needs and experiences, and an involvement in decision making processes should lead to better outcomes for all.\r\nIt is the statutory responsibility of all Local Authorities to manage their school estate and the Scottish Government expects them to provide a safe and welcoming environment for all school users.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416755,"EventID":"S6W-25651","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T17:12:35.24","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T15:40:59.3","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25060 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 19 February 2024, in which sportscotland buildings the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) was confirmed.","AnswerText":"Sportscotland lease a building from Heriot-Watt University which has been found to contain RAAC.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416756,"EventID":"S6W-25653","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T17:12:35.287","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T16:15:43.333","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what working groups within the Gender Equality Taskforce in Education and Learning it has formed to take forward the activities for each goal of the Taskforce.","AnswerText":"The Gender Equality Taskforce in Education & Learning developed a set of ambitions in order to help inform its work, including consideration of the optimum way in which to deliver these ambitions, including through the establishment of working groups. Since then, discussion and work has been ongoing to refine the workplan, to ensure that it is able to enact the type of long term, complex, systemic change that is needed. I am committed to continuing and accelerating such work to ensure that girls and young women have a gender equal experience of education and learning.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416757,"EventID":"S6W-25656","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T17:12:35.337","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T16:15:43.333","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the development and resource of intersectional data collection and analysis mechanisms to provide baselines for all activities within each goal of the Gender Equality Taskforce in Education and Learning. ","AnswerText":"The Gender Equality Taskforce in Education & Learning developed a set of ambitions in order to help inform its work, including focusing on data collection and analysis mechanisms. Since then, discussion and work has been ongoing to refine the workplan, to ensure that it is able to enact the type of long term, complex, systemic change that is needed. I am committed to continuing and accelerating such work to ensure that girls and young women have a gender equal experience of education and learning.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416758,"EventID":"S6W-25664","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T17:12:35.413","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T16:58:55.057","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to measure the success and impact of its International Education Strategy.","AnswerText":"Implementation plans for each priority theme of the IES are currently being developed. These plans will set out specific and measurable actions that we will prioritise to drive forward our shared ambitions. We will also establish an IES Implementation Group, to provide strategic oversight and to ensure that these actions are delivering the Strategy’s overarching aims.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416759,"EventID":"S6W-25654","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T17:12:35.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T16:15:43.333","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with organisations to facilitate the development of leadership programmes to upskill and resource educational leaders to tackle gender inequality in education and learning, as part of the Gender Equality Taskforce in Education and Learning.","AnswerText":"The Gender Equality Taskforce in Education & Learning developed a set of ambitions in order to help inform its work, including the development of leadership programmes with a focus on gender inequality in education and learning. Development of this particular ambition was undertaken in consultation with Education Scotland, COSLA, the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland, the Scottish Council of Deans of Education and gender equality organisations including Close the Gap, Zero Tolerance and Rape Crisis Scotland. Since then, discussion and work has been ongoing to refine the overall workplan, including this particular ambition, to ensure that it is able to foster the type of long term, complex, systemic change that is needed. I am committed to continuing and accelerating such work to ensure that girls and young women have a gender equal experience of education and learning. The next meeting of the Taskforce will take place on 18 April.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416760,"EventID":"S6W-25648","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T17:12:35.507","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T14:33:18.93","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the numbers of wild deer in Scotland are a significant inhibitor to greater biodiversity.","AnswerText":"The 2020 review of deer management by the Deer Working Group estimated that Scotland’s wild deer population was around one million deer. Deer, like other herbivores, can have a devastating impact on the environment through overgrazing, trampling vulnerable habitats and preventing young trees from growing.\r\nThe 2023 State of Nature report found that Scotland is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. Our Scottish Biodiversity Strategy to 2045 sets out to tackle the nature emergency and address the twin climate and biodiversity crises.\r\nThe evidence is clear that effective deer management is absolutely vital to our ability to address biodiversity loss. Our consultation, ‘Managing deer for climate and nature’ published on 5 January sets out our proposals for deer legislation which aims to support nature recovery.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416761,"EventID":"S6W-25670","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T17:12:35.553","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T16:58:55.057","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to devolve power and financial discretion to school teachers.","AnswerText":"As set out in the Headteachers’ Charter and the associated empowerment guidance, the Scottish Government is fully committed to ensuring that schools are empowered and supported in taking the decisions they need to improve pupil outcomes.\r\nThe Scottish Government's Devolved School Management (DSM) scheme is intended to support improved consistency, transparency and equity in decisions on school funding, ensuring local authorities and headteachers work together so that decisions are taken at the most appropriate level. This is a matter for local decision making, and it is up to local authorities to allocate budget for their DSM scheme. I am pleased that almost all local authorities have implemented their revised DSM schemes and work is ongoing with a small number of local authorities.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416762,"EventID":"S6W-25358","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T17:12:35.6","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-06T16:21:10.22","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of the total number of pupils have left primary school functionally illiterate with a reading age of below nine and a half years, in each year since 2017.","AnswerText":"Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence Levels (ACEL) data for 2022-23 showed record levels of attainment in literacy with 73% of primary school pupils achieving the expected Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) level for literacy, the highest figure since records began in 2016/17.\r\nThe proportion of P7 pupils achieving the expected level were at record highs in 2022-23 for literacy, and for each of the literacy organisers including reading where 81% achieved the expected level. The literacy gap between Primary 7 pupils from the most and most deprived areas and those from the least deprived areas was the narrowest on record in 2022-23 (20.5 percentage points). More information can be found at:  https://www.gov.scot/publications/achievement-curriculum-excellence-cfe-levels-2022-23/documents/ ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416763,"EventID":"S6W-25661","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T17:12:35.663","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T16:21:10.497","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many Empowering Communities Programme grant awards for 2023-24 were paid to organisations in each month since April 2023, also broken down by the (a) recipient organisation and (b) amount of each grant award, and what the total value was of these awards.","AnswerText":"The Empowering Communities Programme (ECP) comprises two community funding programmes - the Investing in Communities Fund and Strengthening Communities Programme – as well as grants to strategic delivery partners. In 2023-24 222 organisations within the ECP have been offered grants with a total value of £13,855,118.50.\r\nAs grant claims are invited on a quarterly basis in arrears we do not collate information on grant claims paid on a monthly basis at an organisational level and are therefore unable to provide this information in the format requested. Data on the amount of grant paid is currently available from the 1 April 2023 up to the period ending 31 January 2024. The total amount of grant paid for the ECP for this period is £9,030,517.\r\nA table including the list of grant awards made for each organisation within the ECP has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. Number 64909)","AnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416764,"EventID":"S6W-25637","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T17:12:35.727","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T11:45:33.8","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the increase in the number of storms in Scotland in recent months compared with 2022-23, whether it will increase Scottish Forestry’s budget to reflect the increase in its workload due to these storms.","AnswerText":"Scottish Forestry has well developed arrangements in place to respond to major storms and has recently revised its Windblow Contingency Plan and initiated several multi-agency working groups to inform improvements. There are no plans to increase the Scottish Forestry dedicated budget at this time.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416765,"EventID":"S6W-25628","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T17:12:35.787","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-19T16:40:57.693","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many patients have been referred to the Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Service in each NHS board that it is operational in, in each of the last three years.","AnswerText":"A final two year report of Scotland’s early adopter sites, was published by the University of Strathclyde on Thursday 29 th February highlighting its success, a summary of which is available at  rapid-cancer-diagnostic-services-evaluation-summary-february-2024.pdf (nhscfsd.co.uk)\r\nThe report found that 3,616 RCDS referrals were received and 2,489 (~69%) accepted. The remainder of referrals were largely either redirected to site-specific cancer pathways (~15%) or did not progress onto the RCDS pathway as they didn’t meet referral criteria (~12%).\r\nThis data covers the time period from when RCDSs were activated up to October 2023. Work is continuing with PHS to establish a national data collection for RCDSs.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416766,"EventID":"S6W-25655","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T17:12:35.837","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T16:15:43.333","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has developed a gender-competency framework for education and learning that incorporates intersectionality and anti-racism competencies, as part of the Gender Equality Taskforce in Education and Learning.","AnswerText":"The Gender Equality Taskforce in Education & Learning developed a set of ambitions in order to help inform its work, including the development of an intersectional framework. Since then, discussion and work has been ongoing to refine the workplan, to ensure that it is able to enact the type of long term, complex, systemic change that is needed. I am committed to continuing and accelerating such work to ensure that girls and young women have a gender equal experience of education and learning.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416767,"EventID":"S6W-25669","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T17:12:35.897","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T16:58:55.057","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the percentage of the total number of schools that have abolished fees for school trips and extra-curricular activities for pupils from lower-income families.","AnswerText":"Statutory responsibility for the delivery of school education, including any school trips, rests with local authorities. Local authority data on the number of schools that have abolished fees for school trips and extra-curricular activities for pupils from lower-income families is not collected centrally.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416768,"EventID":"S6W-25632","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T17:12:35.96","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-19T16:40:57.693","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish details, including the (a) timeline and (b) application process, of the £90 million Green Hydrogen Fund, which was reportedly due to be launched by December 2023.","AnswerText":"The Hydrogen Action Plan, published in December 2022, set out a clear commitment to support renewable hydrogen production.\r\nGrants from the first tranche of our hydrogen investment programme, the Hydrogen Innovation Scheme, totalled over £7m and were announced in May 2023. The second tranche of up to £90m was intended to be the Green Hydrogen Fund (GHF). Due to the UK Government having inflicted a 10% cut on the Scottish Government capital budget, the GHF is not being taken forward at this time.\r\nWhilst there are no immediate plans to open the GHF, the Scottish Government is working with Scottish Enterprise to consider delivery options for funding support to the hydrogen sector on a case-by-case basis, and to engage with projects as they come forward.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416769,"EventID":"S6W-25647","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T17:12:36.023","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T14:16:16.097","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of the (a) closure of the Irish Berth at Ardrossan and (b) transfer of the Arran service from Ardrossan to Troon on the Performance Regime in Part 3, Schedule 15, of the current Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services contract with CalMac Ferries.","AnswerText":"It is for CalMac as the operator to assess the impact on services and advise Transport Scotland. The impact on the performance regime will be monitored in line with the contract.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416770,"EventID":"S6W-25643","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T17:12:36.087","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T13:24:30.76","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider introducing a free period products scheme on all ScotRail trains for customers and employees, to ensure that people have access to the essential products that they may need whilst travelling.","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for ScotRail. The member may wish to contact ScotRail directly.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416771,"EventID":"S6W-25636","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T17:12:36.147","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T10:14:03.727","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that Comhairle nan Eilean Siar is the only local authority area to currently be without access to a Community Links Worker programme, whether it has any plans to roll out such a programme there. ","AnswerText":"The vast majority of Link Workers in general practice in Scotland are funded from the Primary Care Improvement Fund (PCIF). We have not prescribed a specific employment model for Community Link Workers. It is the responsibility of each Health and Social Care Partnership to decide how it invests its allocation from the PCIF to deliver all of the services set out in the Memorandum of Understanding. Many factors will be taken into consideration such as local need.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416772,"EventID":"S6W-25645","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T17:12:36.21","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T13:50:24.24","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Coalfields Regeneration Trust small grants were deemed to be in breach of procurement rules.","AnswerText":"Coalfields Regeneration Trust’s (CRT’s) grant for 2023-24 has been agreed following the principles of the Scottish Government’s latest grant management guidance which ensures adherence to the Scottish Public Finance Manual instructions. These state that contracts that include services to distribute grant funds must be awarded through genuine and effective competition. In light of that, the previous historical arrangement with CRT has been reviewed and the Scottish Government can no longer provide a proportion of the grant for CRT to use as a budget to then operate a small grant fund.\r\nThe Scottish Government’s procurement rules exist to ensure funds are spent in a way that delivers the most benefit to society. The Scottish Government is discussing with CRT other ways in which they can best support community organisations where these meet the regeneration outcomes and conditions of its existing grant award.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416773,"EventID":"S6W-25659","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T17:12:36.273","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T16:15:43.333","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to develop and deliver survivor-centred and trauma informed policies and procedures with regards to the Gender Equality Taskforce in Education and Learning.","AnswerText":"Members of the Gender Equality Taskforce in Education & Learning, including representatives from Zero Tolerance and Rape Crisis Scotland, have participated in the Gender Based Violence in Schools Working Group, helping to drive forward the production of the Gender Based Violence in Schools Framework. The Framework, which will be launched on 4 March, provides schools with survivor-centred and trauma informed approaches to tackling Gender Based Violence in schools.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416774,"EventID":"S6W-25666","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T17:12:36.32","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T16:58:55.057","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether free wraparound childcare is available to all low-income families.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government set out plans to build a system of funded school age childcare for low-income families in our \"School Age Childcare Delivery Framework\", published in October 2023. The Framework can be found on the Scottish Government website at:  www.gov.scot/publications/school-age-childcare-delivery-framework/ ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416775,"EventID":"S6W-25635","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T17:12:36.383","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T09:20:40.833","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24855 by Gillian Martin on 6 February 2024, how many members of staff are currently working in the Energy Consents Unit; in relation to the increased staffing resource, by how many the current number of staff in the unit has increased by since 2022-23; whether it expects the unit's budget to increase in 2024-25, and, if so, by how much.","AnswerText":"As of 23 February 2024, the Energy Consents Unit have an allocation of 35 posts. Whereas, in March 2023, the Energy Consents Unit had an allocation of 30 posts.\r\nWork to set budgets for the financial year 2024-25 is still ongoing and resourcing requirements are kept under review.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416776,"EventID":"S6W-25650","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T17:12:36.43","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T14:49:30.68","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to reviewing the teaching bursary in order to improve the uptake of Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PDGE) courses in eligible subjects.","AnswerText":"The Teaching bursary advisory group is reconvened at the end of each year’s scheme. The role of the group is to review the implementation of the bursary scheme and provide advice on any necessary changes for the following year’s scheme.\r\nThe 2023-24 Teaching bursary advisory group is due to meet in March. Members include the Scottish Government, Skills Development Scotland, COSLA, Universities and the Scottish Council of Deans.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416777,"EventID":"S6W-25673","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T17:12:36.49","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T16:58:55.057","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it expects to deliver on its reported commitment to establish a new professional teaching qualification related to climate change.","AnswerText":"In Scotland, climate change is part of the cross-curricular entitlement of Learning for Sustainability (LfS).\r\nAs part of the 2021-22 Programme for Government the Scottish Government committed to work with the General Teaching Council of Scotland (GTCS) to: “ensure the climate emergency is properly reflected through initial teacher education, growing our strong existing suite of professional development resources to ensure our teaching workforce has all the up to date knowledge and skills they require to be able to offer young people the in depth education they need on the global climate crisis.”\r\nTo achieve this, LfS was further strengthened in the refreshed and restructured General Teaching Council of Scotland (GTCS) Professional Standards for teachers, which came into mandatory use for all teachers on 2 August 2021. In June 2023, the Scottish Government published the refreshed LfS Action Plan which contains several further actions in relation to professional learning for educators.\r\nThere are already a number of teaching accredited professional qualifications on LfS which can be found on the GTCS website at the following link: ,  https://www.gtcs.org.uk/professional-update/professional-recognition/accredited-professional-recognition-programmes/ \r\nThe GTCS Hub also provides freely-available resources, self-evaluation tools, professional learning, professional reading, curated resources, and regular opportunities for educators to connect and network with each other.\r\nThe Scottish Government continues to work closely with the GTCS to ensure that LfS is embedded in teaching practice. The Scottish Government also continues to work with the Scottish Council of Deans of Education to develop an LfS Framework for Higher Education institutions to better support them in embedding LfS into their initial teacher education programmes.\r\nAdditionally, Education Scotland is developing a new dedicated LfS online portal to provide examples for educators on good practice approaches to embedding LfS.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416778,"EventID":"S6W-25658","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T17:12:36.553","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T16:15:43.333","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what work it has done with relevant bodies to support them in the development of resources that contribute to a gender-competent, gender-equal curriculum. ","AnswerText":"Education Scotland’s Improving Gender Balance and Equalities (IGBE) programme aims to establish interventions to effect long term cultural change with a particular focus on challenging gender stereotypes, and addressing the impacts of unconscious bias to encourage greater gender balance across occupations. The IGBE Programme works with school clusters to explore and assess interventions to address gender imbalances in participation, curricular preferences and learner pathways at every stage (3-18 years). The Programme is supported by £300,000 of Scottish Government funding in the current financial year.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416779,"EventID":"S6W-25646","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T17:12:36.6","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T14:16:16.097","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how much Peel Ports Group has received in harbour dues relating to Ardrossan Harbour, since the company acquired the harbour in 2003.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government do not hold full details of the dues paid by CalMac Ferries Limited (CFL) to Ardrossan Harbour Company Limited (AHCL). The monthly grant subsidy paid to CalMac covers all the agreed costs of operating services across the network as per the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service contract. However, it is understood that harbour dues paid by CFL to AHCL in CHFS contract year seven (October 2022 to September 2023) totalled around £1.7 million. Further information on AHCL can be found through their published accounts.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416780,"EventID":"S6W-25668","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T17:12:36.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T16:58:55.057","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many schools currently pay the costs of school trips and extra-curricular activities for pupils from lower-income families, broken down by local authority. ","AnswerText":"Statutory responsibility for the delivery of school education, including any school trips, rests with local authorities. Local authority data on the number of schools trips and how those are funded is not collected centrally.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416781,"EventID":"S6W-25671","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T17:12:36.693","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T16:58:55.057","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what plans it has to deliver a new national digital academy. ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-22501 on? 8 November 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416782,"EventID":"S6W-25660","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-21T17:12:36.757","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T16:21:10.497","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the latest year for which data is available, what the cost was of administering the Empowering Communities Programme, and what the (a) headcount, (b) FTE staff count, (c) total number of staffing hours and (d) total cost of staff salaries was.","AnswerText":"We are unable to provide all the information in the form requested. This is because members of staff involved in the administration of the Empowering Communities Programme (ECP) undertake a variety of duties relating to the delivery of Scottish Government business including supporting Ministers. We do not routinely record the time spent or staff costs incurred related to the different elements of our work.\r\nHowever we can advise that 5 members of staff, with an FTE of 4.6, spend the majority of their time supporting the delivery of the ECP, which includes the administration.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416794,"EventID":"S6W-25729","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":5622,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":148,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-22T08:40:45.103","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T08:09:55.543","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022.","AnswerText":"To date, four out of six key measures provided for within the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022 have been implemented, these are:A prohibition on providing or making available fireworks or pyrotechnic articles to children;A new statutory aggravation for courts sentencing offenders where fireworks were used to attack emergency workers;New discretionary powers for local authorities to designate firework control zones; andNew offences of possession of pyrotechnics in public places and at designated venues and events.\r\nAfter careful consideration and assessment of the significant financial pressures the Scottish Government is facing following the UK Government’s budget settlement, the Government has decided to extend the timeframe for delivery and implementation of the firework licensing requirement (Part 2 of the Act) to 2026. A pause to the implementation of restrictions to the days of supply and use of fireworks (within Part 3 of the Act), was outlined to the Criminal Justice Committee in March 2023. I am writing to the Convener of the Criminal Justice Committee to provide further details about this decision.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416796,"EventID":"S6W-25616","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-22T16:31:01.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-16T15:48:13.777","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what specific measures are being taken to address any high levels of pneumonia (mycoplasma pneumoniae) infections recorded in recent Public Health Scotland data.","AnswerText":"Since November 2021, sentinel surveillance data have been available for mycoplasma pneumoniae in Scotland through the CARI sentinel surveillance programme. In this programme, sentinel GP practices across Scotland recruit and swab patients with symptoms of acute respiratory infection. These samples are all tested for ten respiratory pathogens, including mycoplasma pneumoniae. Enhanced surveillance data, primarily relating to symptoms, are collected by an online questionnaire from patients tested in the programme. Analyses from these data suggest that most infections display as a mild respiratory illness. To date, there have been no deaths in 1280 CARI patients positive for mycoplasma pneumoniae (up to week 7) within 28 days of their test. With the information from CARI, GP providers have been advised that they should consider mycoplasma pneumoniae as part of the differential diagnosis for community-acquired pneumonia cases.\r\nPHS separately analyses data on all microbiology laboratory specimen results across Scotland to identify positive mycoplasma pneumoniae test in hospitals or care homes, or as requested in the community (by GPs). These data are reviewed by PHS and NHS Health Boards to identify any clusters or trends resulting in severe disease that warrant further intervention. To date, no unusual outbreaks or evidence of increased severity of disease has been noted and public health guidance on management of cases/clinical treatment remains unchanged.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416797,"EventID":"S6W-25675","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-22T16:31:01.553","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T16:58:55.057","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work to deliver on the 2021 Scottish National Party manifesto commitment to \"ensure every child in Scotland leaves school with the ability to cycle safely\", and how much it has spent on this work in each year since 2016.","AnswerText":"Bikeability Scotland is the national cycle training programme for school children which supports the next generation of confident and responsible people travelling by bike. A record 60,000 children benefited from cycle training across all levels of the programme in 2022-23, and 66.7% of all primary schools delivered essential life skills through Level 2 on-road training.\r\nEnsuring that every child leaves school with the ability to cycle safely, is not only about training. It’s also about providing a safe environment through the development of active travel infrastructure. We are committed to supporting many more people to walk, wheel or cycle for everyday journeys and are allocating record funding for that purpose.\r\nThe Active Travel budget for 2023-24 increased to a record £189.2 million. This is a nearly £40 million increase on the active travel budget from the previous financial year providing scope to greatly expand and expedite the delivery of active travel infrastructure, behaviour change programmes and access to bikes across the country. We are investing in ambitious on and off-road segregated walking and cycling routes, safer junctions and improved design of place.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416798,"EventID":"S6W-25672","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-22T16:31:01.6","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T16:58:55.057","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its estimate of the future potential costs of delivering a new national digital academy.\r\n","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-22502 on 8 November 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416799,"EventID":"S6W-25687","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-22T16:31:01.663","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T11:00:28.163","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government on what date it will publish its Energy and Just Transition Strategy.","AnswerText":"Following a comprehensive consultation process, the Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan will be published by Summer 2024. Following an extensive consultation process on the draft strategy, we are engaging with key stakeholders as we work towards publication.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416800,"EventID":"S6W-25683","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-22T16:31:01.71","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T17:22:30.507","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people are on the Co-Production Group for the Centre of Teaching Excellence, and how many of these are serving teachers.","AnswerText":"There are currently 25 members of the Co-Production Group. Six are serving teachers, and two additional secondary teachers have been invited to join the group, which will bring the total to eight. The following stakeholders are represented:Teachers and practitionersConvention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA)Education ScotlandScottish Qualifications Authority (SQA)Scottish Council of Deans of Education (SCDE)General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS)Association of Directors of Education (ADES)Education Institute of Scotland (EIS)NASUWTSchool Leaders Scotland (SLS)AHDSScottish Council of Independent Schools (SCiS)Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association (SSTA)CLD Standards CouncilEarly Years ScotlandScottish Social Services CouncilNational Centre for Gaelic Language and Culture\r\nThe Co-Production Group is one part of the overall co-production process. Ongoing additional engagement with teachers and stakeholders will take place as part of the design process.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416801,"EventID":"S6W-25614","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-22T16:31:01.757","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-16T15:48:13.777","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans are in place to strengthen surveillance and monitoring systems for pneumonia (mycoplasma pneumoniae) infections, in order to promptly identify any emerging trends or clusters and take proactive measures to prevent further spread.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises that surveillance is a critical part of our approach to monitoring and managing the spread and prevalence of mycoplasma pneumoniae, Covid-19 and other respiratory infections. Public Health Scotland (PHS) are responsible for delivering Scotland’s National Respiratory Surveillance Plan with the support of the Scottish Government.\r\nAs part of PHS’s work, respiratory infection levels, including those of mycoplasma pneumoniae, and their impact are closely monitored throughout the year using various sources of data, including microbiological sampling and laboratory test results from community and hospital settings, NHS 24 calls, primary care consultations, hospital admissions, and mortality by cause. Intelligence generated from the different Scottish surveillance systems, including for mycoplasma pneumoniae, are used to inform proactive measures to prevent spread and ensure timely clinical response.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416802,"EventID":"S6W-25680","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-22T16:31:01.803","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T16:58:55.057","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will engage with stakeholders, including educational institutions, industry partners and international organisations, in order to implement its International Education Strategy effectively.","AnswerText":"Continuing the collaborative approach to developing the International Education Strategy (IES) the Scottish Government will establish an Implementation Group to oversee its implementation, with representation from partners across the sector. This Group will provide leadership and strategic oversight and ensure the strategy’s actions are delivering our shared ambitions for international higher education.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416803,"EventID":"S6W-25691","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-22T16:31:01.833","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T11:02:56.073","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on whether it remains committed to expanding the number of Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services to ensure population-based coverage.","AnswerText":"As reflected in Scotland’s Cancer Strategy for Scotland, published June 2023, we are committed to “expanding and evaluating Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services to ensure population-based coverage”.\r\nThe University of Strathclyde published a final evaluation report on 29 February 2024 reflecting on the successful first two years of RCDSs operating in NHS Scotland. This work was commissioned to inform roll-out, including optimal components. Following its release, we’ll work with Boards across Scotland to consider the findings and ensure learning is embedded.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416804,"EventID":"S6W-25690","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-22T16:31:01.88","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T11:02:00.937","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its final evaluation of Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services.","AnswerText":"A final report of the first two years of Scotland’s early adopter Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services, was published by the University of Strathclyde on Thursday 29 February highlighting its success, and can be found at:  Final Report of the Evaluation of Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services - Strathprints","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416805,"EventID":"S6W-25617","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-22T16:31:01.927","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-16T15:48:13.777","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to enhance public awareness and education regarding pneumonia (mycoplasma pneumoniae) infections, particularly among any parents, caregivers and educators of children aged five to 14 who may have concerns, in light of any sustained levels of infections recorded in recent Public Health Scotland data.","AnswerText":"Mycoplasma pneumonia infection typically is not severe but it can cause a pneumonia that is usually mild in nature. PHS has reviewed routine surveillance data available to them and are reassured that most presentations of mycoplasma pneumoniae infections are of a mild respiratory illness, with children most commonly presenting at GPs with common respiratory symptoms. To date, there have been no deaths in 1280 CARI patients positive for mycoplasma pneumoniae (up to week 7) within 28 days of their test.\r\nThe Scottish Government notes that PHS continues to encourage good hand and respiratory hygiene to help stop the spread of winter bugs, including mycoplasma pneumoniae. By keeping hands clean and helping to ensure children practice good respiratory hygiene, the spread of this infection can be reduced. The Scottish Government notes that information on managing the symptoms of common winter illnesses including self-help guides and advice on preventing onward transmission, can be found on NHS Inform. (  https://www.nhsinform.scot/winter-illness/  )","AnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416806,"EventID":"S6W-25692","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16194,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-22T16:31:01.973","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T11:05:13.57","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been paid in constraint payments to wind farm operators in Scotland to switch off in each year from 2014 to 2024 to date.","AnswerText":"The responsibility for the balancing of grid lies with the National Grid Electricity System Operator. More information including data on balancing costs can be found here:  Balancing costs | ESO (nationalgrideso.com)","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416807,"EventID":"S6W-25615","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-22T16:31:02.02","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-16T15:48:13.777","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any reasons for the reportedly high level of pneumonia (mycoplasma pneumoniae) infections in the five- to 14-year-old age group recorded in recent Public Health Scotland data.","AnswerText":"PHS has advised the Scottish Government that mycoplasma pneumoniae is a common cause of respiratory infections, particularly in school-aged children. Most infections display as a mild respiratory illness, however, some persons experience severe pneumonia and require hospitalization. Significant cyclical increases in mycoplasma pneumoniae infections are observed every 3–5 years, likely because of changes in the circulating strain.\r\nMycoplasma pneumoniae is one of many respiratory conditions to re-emerge following cessation of nonpharmaceutical interventions, including lockdowns and physical distancing, implemented as part of the pandemic response. After implementation of nonpharmaceutical interventions in response to COVID-19, the frequency of identified mycoplasma pneumoniae infections in Scotland substantially declined beginning in 2020, as was the case for other respiratory infections. Beginning in the autumn of 2023, the United States, China and other countries identified a re-emergence of the infection, a pattern similar to that observed in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416808,"EventID":"S6W-25684","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-22T16:31:02.053","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T10:50:21.463","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the most recent public sector net debt to GDP ratio is in Scotland, and whether time series data on this measure is available.","AnswerText":"Statistics on Scotland's public sector finances are published in the Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (GERS) publication; however, statistics for Scottish public sector net debt are not available. The latest GERS publication is available at: Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland 2022-23 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)\r\nFigures on UK public sector net debt are published by the Office of National Statistics. In January 2024 the UK's public sector net debt was 96.5% of GDP.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416809,"EventID":"S6W-25613","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-22T16:31:02.1","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-16T15:09:27.683","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to its commitment in the Islands Connectivity Plan to \"provide free foot passenger travel on inter-island ferries for under 22-year-old island residents within the Outer Hebrides, Orkney, and Shetland Island groups\", whether it will provide a more detailed timeline for the introduction of this policy.","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland is currently undertaking a 12 week consultation with stakeholders – including communities and ferry operators – on this and other elements noted in the Islands Connectivity Plan. Timescales for implementation will be considered in due course following that engagement.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416810,"EventID":"S6W-24940","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-22T16:31:02.147","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T17:03:53.063","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the workforce review in oncology. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government commissioned the Scottish Cancer Network in August 2022 to review oncology capacity and demand and consider development of a national plan. This work was completed in January 2023.\r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416811,"EventID":"S6W-25682","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-22T16:31:02.27","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T17:00:54.333","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it anticipates that the Centre of Teaching Excellence will launch in 2024.","AnswerText":"The co-production process through which stakeholders are designing the Centre for Teaching Excellence will conclude in the first half of 2024, followed by a process to identify a suitable host institution(s). We expect the Centre for Teaching Excellence to launch shortly thereafter.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416812,"EventID":"S6W-25674","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-22T16:31:02.317","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T16:58:55.057","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-07275 by Patrick Harvie on 22 March 2022, whether it will provide an updated table regarding the number of children who have undertaken cycling proficiency training, based on the latest information available.\r\n","AnswerText":"Further to question S6W-07275, the latest Bikeability Scotland participation statistics are as follows:\r\nLOCAL AUTHORITY\r\n2010-11\r\n2011-12\r\n2012-13\r\n2013-14\r\n2014-15\r\n2015-16\r\n2016-17\r\n2017-18\r\n2018-19\r\n2019-20\r\n2020-21\r\n2021-22\r\n2022-23\r\nAberdeen City\r\n21%\r\n25%\r\n31%\r\n57%\r\n68%\r\n62%\r\n68%\r\n42%\r\n47%\r\n9%\r\n27%\r\n67%\r\n100%\r\nAberdeenshire\r\n93%\r\n93%\r\n76%\r\n91%\r\n91%\r\n63%\r\n80%\r\n79%\r\n85%\r\n27%\r\n51%\r\n65%\r\n65%\r\nAngus\r\n74%\r\n72%\r\n74%\r\n57%\r\n43%\r\n45%\r\n50%\r\n67%\r\n78%\r\n41%\r\n71%\r\n88%\r\n94%\r\nArgyll & Bute\r\n45%\r\nNo return\r\nNo return\r\nNo return\r\nNo return\r\nNo return\r\nNo return\r\nNo return\r\nNo return\r\nNo return\r\nPilot\r\nPilot\r\n22%\r\nClackmannanshire\r\n11%\r\n11%\r\n37%\r\n37%\r\n39%\r\n44%\r\n17%\r\n33%\r\n100%\r\n33%\r\n100%\r\n100%\r\n100%\r\nDumfries & Galloway\r\n70%\r\n73%\r\n47%\r\n30%\r\n29%\r\n41%\r\n43%\r\n38%\r\n36%\r\n4%\r\n5%\r\n29%\r\n69%\r\nDundee\r\n0%\r\n0%\r\n3%\r\n23%\r\n29%\r\n17%\r\n11%\r\n53%\r\n91%\r\n67%\r\n82%\r\n97%\r\n100%\r\nEast Ayrshire\r\n7%\r\n9%\r\nNo return\r\nNo return\r\nNo return\r\nNo return\r\nNo return\r\nNo return\r\nNo return\r\nNo return\r\nPilot\r\nPilot\r\n10%\r\nEast Dunbartonshire\r\n5%\r\n3%\r\n5%\r\n24%\r\n14%\r\n8%\r\n22%\r\n15%\r\n67%\r\n76%\r\n94%\r\n100%\r\n100%\r\nEast Lothian\r\n0%\r\n0%\r\n11%\r\n26%\r\n29%\r\n23%\r\n29%\r\n41%\r\n49%\r\n24%\r\n47%\r\n94%\r\n100%\r\nEast Renfrewshire\r\n33%\r\n40%\r\n70%\r\n100%\r\n100%\r\n100%\r\n100%\r\n100%\r\n100%\r\n0%\r\n100%\r\n67%\r\n83%\r\nEdinburgh\r\n29%\r\n40%\r\n52%\r\n72%\r\n70%\r\n48%\r\n68%\r\n60%\r\n53%\r\n7%\r\n26%\r\n40%\r\n41%\r\nFalkirk\r\n4%\r\n6%\r\n10%\r\n8%\r\n22%\r\n12%\r\n4%\r\n6%\r\n8%\r\n19%\r\n6%\r\n2%\r\n21%\r\nFife\r\n31%\r\n21%\r\n16%\r\n16%\r\n18%\r\n21%\r\n36%\r\n22%\r\n29%\r\n23%\r\n24%\r\n33%\r\n35%\r\nGlasgow\r\n4%\r\n4%\r\n15%\r\n28%\r\n25%\r\n34%\r\n29%\r\n35%\r\n34%\r\n22%\r\n33%\r\n31%\r\n22%\r\nHighland\r\n34%\r\n28%\r\n16%\r\n29%\r\n28%\r\n29%\r\n36%\r\n21%\r\n30%\r\n12%\r\n15%\r\n22%\r\n32%\r\nInverclyde\r\n4%\r\n21%\r\n35%\r\n10%\r\n30%\r\n30%\r\n20%\r\n15%\r\n26%\r\n0%\r\n5%\r\n5%\r\n10%\r\nMidlothian\r\n10%\r\n40%\r\n63%\r\n87%\r\n63%\r\n63%\r\n81%\r\n75%\r\n69%\r\n22%\r\n41%\r\n65%\r\n67%\r\nMoray\r\n96%\r\n65%\r\n58%\r\n47%\r\n62%\r\n49%\r\n37%\r\n40%\r\n56%\r\n27%\r\n62%\r\n76%\r\n93%\r\nNa h-Eileanan Siar\r\n0%\r\n0%\r\n0%\r\n0%\r\n0%\r\n0%\r\n5%\r\n96%\r\n100%\r\n0%\r\n100%\r\n100%\r\n100%\r\nNorth Ayrshire\r\n0%\r\nNo return\r\nNo return\r\nNo return\r\nNo return\r\nNo return\r\nNo return\r\nNo return\r\nNo return\r\nNo return\r\nNo return\r\nNo return\r\nNo return\r\nNorth Lanarkshire\r\n0%\r\n7%\r\n5%\r\n0%\r\n4%\r\nNo return\r\n9%\r\n10%\r\n11%\r\n15%\r\n29%\r\n50%\r\n82%\r\nOrkney\r\n40%\r\n40%\r\n65%\r\n95%\r\n90%\r\n65%\r\n68%\r\n63%\r\n58%\r\n37%\r\n90%\r\n65%\r\n100%\r\nPerth & Kinross\r\n91%\r\n61%\r\n40%\r\n37%\r\n34%\r\n62%\r\n52%\r\n51%\r\n61%\r\n26%\r\n67%\r\n87%\r\n90%\r\nRenfrewshire\r\n6%\r\n8%\r\n22%\r\n29%\r\n20%\r\n22%\r\n20%\r\n22%\r\n29%\r\n10%\r\n59%\r\n72%\r\n84%\r\nScottish Borders\r\n54%\r\n54%\r\n43%\r\n8%\r\n27%\r\n29%\r\n31%\r\n31%\r\n8%\r\n2%\r\n25%\r\n41%\r\n100%\r\nShetland\r\n100%\r\n53%\r\n45%\r\n90%\r\n100%\r\n100%\r\n100%\r\n100%\r\n100%\r\n25%\r\n100%\r\n100%\r\n100%\r\nSouth Ayrshire\r\n79%\r\n55%\r\n73%\r\n76%\r\n83%\r\n76%\r\n81%\r\n83%\r\n88%\r\n44%\r\n34%\r\n41%\r\n59%\r\nSouth Lanarkshire\r\n0%\r\n10%\r\n17%\r\n28%\r\n39%\r\n34%\r\n39%\r\n39%\r\n43%\r\n15%\r\n10%\r\n40%\r\n40%\r\nStirling\r\n17%\r\n18%\r\n5%\r\n43%\r\n65%\r\n68%\r\n50%\r\n72%\r\n66%\r\n26%\r\n58%\r\n74%\r\n87%\r\nWest Dunbartonshire\r\n9%\r\n12%\r\n9%\r\n21%\r\n44%\r\n41%\r\n49%\r\n56%\r\n59%\r\n13%\r\n38%\r\n28%\r\n31%\r\nWest Lothian\r\n21%\r\n0%\r\n15%\r\n15%\r\n15%\r\n15%\r\n17%\r\n11%\r\n26%\r\n9%\r\n9%\r\n22%\r\n30%\r\nTOTALS\r\n32%\r\n32%\r\n35%\r\n37%\r\n40%\r\n38%\r\n42%\r\n42%\r\n47%\r\n20%\r\n37%\r\n50%\r\n60%\r\n  \r\n2012-13\r\n2013-14\r\n2014-15\r\n2015-16\r\n2016-17\r\n2017-18\r\n2018-19\r\n2019-20\r\n2020-21\r\n2021-22\r\n2022-23\r\nNumber of pupils trained across all levels of Bikeability Scotland\r\n25,974\r\n30,800\r\n32,105\r\n33,082\r\n36,711\r\n36,314\r\n43,700\r\n16,327\r\n41,046\r\n52,604\r\n60,228\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416813,"EventID":"S6W-25679","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-22T16:31:02.363","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T16:58:55.057","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how its International Education Strategy will facilitate the recognition of Scottish qualifications and degrees internationally.\r\n","AnswerText":"The International Education Strategy lays out the Scottish Government's commitment to promoting Scottish institutions and degrees internationally. This includes supporting universities and colleges in establishing new transnational education partnerships such as distance learning, international campuses and teaching partnerships.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416814,"EventID":"S6W-25681","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-22T16:31:02.413","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T16:58:55.057","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a timeline for the implementation of the key actions in its International Education Strategy.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is establishing an Implementation Group to drive forward the International Education Strategy and is developing an implementation plan that will set out timelines for delivering priority actions. We are already making progress, for example, with the launch of 20 Scottish Education Exchange Programme Test and Learn Projects in January this year.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416815,"EventID":"S6W-24941","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-22T16:31:02.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-29T17:03:53.063","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the workforce review in oncology will be published.","AnswerText":"The workforce review in oncology was an NHS internal review with no plans to publish. The Scottish Government is using its findings to inform the new Oncology Transformation Programme. This is an action of the Cancer Action Plan for Scotland 2023-26. \r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416816,"EventID":"S6W-25688","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-22T16:31:02.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T11:00:52.37","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to ensure that data for all cancer types, including haematological cancers, is collected in each of Scotland's 14 NHS boards as part of the 2024 Scottish Cancer Patient Experience Survey.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Cancer Patient Experience Survey is designed to collect information on experiences of all cancer types involving an inpatient stay or day case, where it is appropriate to do so. 10% of responses to the 2018 Cancer Patient Experience Survey were from patients with haematological cancers.\r\nTo ensure a sufficiently large response to the Scottish Cancer Patient Experience Survey, a census approach was taken. This means that surveys were sent to all eligible patients, rather than just a restricted sample of them. Just under 8,800 people were invited to participate in the 2024 Scottish Cancer Patient Experience Survey.\r\nTo maximise the survey response and make the survey as accessible as possible, so that we collect information on the experiences of as many people as possible, the survey can be completed online, on paper or over the phone. A language line is available for those who do not speak English and the online questionnaire contains a number of accessibility features including the ability to change font size, the option to switch to a high-contrast colour scheme and screen-reader compatibility.\r\nThe sample was selected from a national dataset containing records of acute hospital activity (SMR01) to identify people aged 16 or over with an inpatient or day case record with any mention of cancer and a discharge date between 10 October 2022 and the 30 June 2023.\r\nIn order to confirm the diagnosis of cancer, and to minimise the risk of sending surveys to patients who did not have cancer, the Scottish Cancer Registry (SMR06) was used to quality assure the survey sample. Individuals who were identified from the hospital records, but did not have a confirmed Scottish Cancer Registry diagnosis were excluded from the sample.\r\nIt's critical that we minimise the risk of causing distress to the survey recipients when carrying out the survey. To minimise the risk of distress, some patients are excluded from the survey because the patient may not recognise their diagnosis as cancer or the cancer has complex clinical definitions. These include:Patients whose tumour morphology is defined within the Scottish Cancer Registry (SMR06) as benign, uncertain or in situ.Patients with non-melanoma skin cancers (ICD10 code C44).Patients with rare haematological cancers with complex clinical definitions (ICD10 code of C84).Patients with Carcinoma in situ of breast (ICD10 code of D05).Patients with insulinoma (ICD03 code of 81513).\r\nAn analysis of 2024 Cancer Patient Experience Survey results by cancer type will be one of the outputs of the survey.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416817,"EventID":"S6W-25689","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-22T16:31:02.567","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T11:01:27.78","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to complete the Scottish Cancer Patient Experience Survey on a yearly basis.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Cancer Patient Experience Survey (SCPES) is part of the Scottish Care Experience Survey Programme. The Scottish Care Experience Survey programme is currently under review and the frequency of data collection will be considered as part of that review.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416818,"EventID":"S6W-25686","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-22T16:31:02.613","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T11:00:28.163","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government on what date it will publish its Green Industrial Strategy.","AnswerText":"We will set out our strategy in the summer. I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24109 on 12 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416819,"EventID":"S6W-25677","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-22T16:31:02.663","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T16:58:55.057","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the delivery of the 2021 Scottish National Party manifesto commitment to \"support the digital capabilities of artists and creative businesses with a £1 million programme of workshops, mentoring and courses\".\r\n","AnswerText":"The  Creative Digital Initiative  was a £1 million national programme which ran from April 2021 to the end of March 2022 to help the sector develop digital capabilities in response to the limitations imposed by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Led by Creative Scotland and involving all the national enterprise and skills agencies as well as the Scottish Government, the programme provided support to small and medium-sized creative and cultural businesses to help them continue to build their digital capacity and provide the tools needed to respond to the limitations they currently face. This included financial support to build digital capacity as well as practical help to increase confidence, provide new creative opportunities and mentor artists and cultural organisations.\r\nAs stated in our Culture Strategy Action Plan, enabling the creative workforce to keep pace with continuing digital innovation is a priority. We will consider learning from the Creative Digital Initiative to support the development of a skilled and resilient creative workforce and meet the needs of the future.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416820,"EventID":"S6W-25678","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-22T16:31:02.71","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T16:58:55.057","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many Gaelic-medium education teachers have been employed in each year since 2016.","AnswerText":"The following figures, drawn from the Scottish Government’s annual school census show both the number of primary and secondary Gaelic medium teachers that have been employed in each year since 2016 and the number that would be able to teach through the medium of Gaelic.\r\nPrimary school teachers by ability to teach through Gaelic medium \r\nAble to teach through Gaelic\r\nTeaching through Gaelic\r\n2016\r\n299\r\n188\r\n2017\r\n313\r\n208\r\n2018\r\n326\r\n217\r\n2019\r\n335\r\n221\r\n2020\r\n359\r\n223\r\n2021\r\n370\r\n244\r\n2022\r\n400\r\n266\r\nSecondary school teachers by ability to teach through Gaelic medium \r\nAble to teach through Gaelic\r\nTeaching through Gaelic\r\n2016\r\n155\r\n95\r\n2017\r\n154\r\n89\r\n2018\r\n145\r\n88\r\n2019\r\n149\r\n89\r\n2020\r\n166\r\n103\r\n2021\r\n174\r\n112\r\n2022\r\n178\r\n111","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416821,"EventID":"S6W-25685","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-22T16:31:02.77","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T10:59:26.36","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the results from the 2024 Scottish Cancer Patient Experience Survey.","AnswerText":"The results of the 2024 Scottish Cancer Patient Experience Survey will be published in September 2024. The exact time and day of publication will be preannounced at least 4 weeks before publication.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416847,"EventID":"S6W-25756","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:29.84","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T14:32:24.977","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what support it is providing to (a) private homeowners and (b) local authorities in dealing with the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in properties.","AnswerText":"Homeowners are generally responsible for maintenance costs in their own homes and for their share of work on any common element of a shared building. As primarily a building maintenance issue it is the responsibility of building owners, including local authorities, to maintain their properties. Local authorities manage their own budgets and allocate financial resources on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and jointly agreed national and local priorities. The Cross Sector Working Group and its sub-groups also provide forums for stakeholders such as Local Authorities to share information and good practice as and when required.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416848,"EventID":"S6W-25734","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:29.98","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T09:33:03.713","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to people with optic discs showing signs of papilloedema, whether cancer pathways exist in all NHS boards for optometrists to refer patients directly to secondary care.","AnswerText":"Community optometrists across Scotland will normally refer patients who require secondary care directly to the hospital eye service in the relevant Health Board. Patients with suspected papilloedema require an emergency referral in common with some other ophthalmic conditions. Pathways for direct emergency referrals from community optometrists exist in all Health Boards in Scotland and are used regularly.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416849,"EventID":"S6W-25696","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:30.043","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T11:53:46.227","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to publish its report following the consultation on draft guidance on the Delivery of relationships, sexual health and parenthood (RSHP) education in Scottish schools.","AnswerText":"The responses to the consultation on the draft guidance on the Delivery of relationships, sexual health and parenthood (RSHP) education are currently being analysed ahead of the report being prepared for publication. The Scottish Government expects to publish a report on the consultation analysis in Spring 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416850,"EventID":"S6W-25750","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:30.107","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T13:49:33.21","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to mark International\r\nFibromyalgia Day 2024.","AnswerText":"International Fibromyalgia Day on 12 May 2024 is an important opportunity to raise awareness of this distressing and debilitating condition. We want to ensure that all people living with fibromyalgia in Scotland are able to access the best possible care and support. To mark its importance, on the 12 May 2024 the Scottish Government’s main building, St Andrew’s House, will be lit up in purple.\r\nWe are working hard to deliver the actions in our  Pain management service delivery framework: implementation plan update  to ensure everyone living with chronic pain, including fibromyalgia, can access the care and support they need to live well, on their own terms.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416851,"EventID":"S6W-25718","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:30.153","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T16:10:01.26","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many expressions of interest were received during 2023 for interest-free loans through Home Energy Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan Scheme does not collate expressions of interest from potential applicants. \r\nHomeowners who wish to apply for HES Grant and Loan, or another of Scottish Government’s fuel poverty and energy efficiency schemes, contact HES Advice Service first to receive in-depth support on low and zero emissions heating technologies, other domestic renewables, and more complex energy efficiency improvements. This is an essential service to ensure that homeowners receive the best possible guidance in choosing the correct measures and a suitable installer. The service is bespoke and each homeowner’s case is assessed individually. \r\nIn 2023 7,512 applications for HES Grant and Loan Scheme were received. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416852,"EventID":"S6W-25717","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:30.217","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T16:10:01.26","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many interest-free loans were granted through Home Energy Scotland in 2023.","AnswerText":"The Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan Scheme, launched in December 2022, offers homeowners and self-builders in Scotland a grant, interest free loan or a combination of both to support the installation of clean heating systems and energy efficiency measures.\r\nIn 2023, the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan Scheme made 6,618 funding commitments to homeowners.\r\nThe figure provided represents all funding agreements, including both loan and grant offers.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416853,"EventID":"S6W-25753","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:30.277","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T14:32:24.977","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with Aberdeen City Council to discuss reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).","AnswerText":"The Minister for Housing and officials met with the Housing Convenor of Aberdeen City Council and officials on 4 March. Meetings routinely take place at official level including through engagement on the Housing Sub-group of the SG-led Cross Sector Working Group.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416854,"EventID":"S6W-25730","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:30.323","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T08:10:35.007","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking now to plan and prepare for maintaining hepatitis C elimination once it has been achieved, in light of the acknowledgement in its recent Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Action Plan of the importance of working to maintain elimination once it has been achieved.","AnswerText":"Public Health Scotland is responsible for ongoing surveillance of hepatitis C and will monitor achievement and maintenance of the elimination target in Scotland. This intelligence, combined with expert advice such as through the Scottish Health Protection Network’s Viral Hepatitis Group, will be used to inform an effective, flexible and evidence-based approach to maintaining elimination. It should also be noted that some of the key interventions for hepatitis C elimination, such as such as injecting equipment provision, will continue to be important for preventing other blood borne viruses and health outcomes.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416855,"EventID":"S6W-25744","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:30.387","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T13:32:58.073","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact of student debt on the wider economy and society.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government uses Student Loans Company (SLC) statistics to inform a number of workstreams.\r\nThe Scottish Government is currently undertaking a Student Finance and Wellbeing Study (SFWS) for Scotland for academic year 23/24 to gather evidence on students’ experiences of finance – their income, expenditure debt and financial wellbeing. This will be used to provide up-to-date data on the financial situation of students in Scotland and provide evidence to inform the delivery of student support policy. \r\nThis research is  due to be published  in a Scottish Government Social Research Report in late summer 2024. Its outputs will inform, together with wider evidence available, future policy development and reform in the student support landscape. \r\nThe last study of this type was the Scotland specific Student Income and Expenditure Survey  published in 2009  , which examined Scottish-domiciled higher and further education students’ finances, particularly their income, expenditure, debt and savings, and their attitudes to the financing of study in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416856,"EventID":"S6W-25719","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:30.45","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T16:10:01.26","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with Unison to discuss its Heat in Buildings proposals.","AnswerText":"We have not been approached by Unison for discussions on our proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill. However, we would be happy to have such a discussion at any time - building on the wide-ranging engagement with stakeholders across Scotland that we have undertaken since our consultation was published.\r\nOur consultation is currently open until 8 March (  Proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill: Consultation - Scottish Government consultations - Citizen Space  ) and we encourage all organisations and households to respond.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":416857,"EventID":"S6W-25715","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:30.513","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T16:08:14.707","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the competing work priorities are that have resulted in the planned publication of the Scottish Housing Market Review in January 2024 being suspended.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Housing Market Review, a quarterly publication which collates a range of previously published statistics, was suspended in January 2024 due to a number of competing work priorities, which included analytical work related to the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act as well as other legislative commitments. \r\nThe next edition of the Review is due to be published in April 2024, and will include analysis of data released in both Q4 2023 and Q1 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":416858,"EventID":"S6W-25745","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:30.59","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T13:32:58.073","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many students have defaulted on student loans since 2007 (a) in total and (b) broken down by year.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information . The Student Loans Company (SLC) collects and publishes data on student loan outlays, repayments, and borrower activity for Scottish domiciled SLC customers each year.\r\nStudent Loans in Scotland: Financial Year 2022-23 (Table 2  ), provides (i) the number of borrowers with cancellations, write-offs or refunds and (ii) the average amount cancelled, written-off or refunded of borrowers who received loans as Scottish domiciled students studying in the UK or as EU domiciled students studying in Scotland each financial year. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416859,"EventID":"S6W-25725","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:30.683","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T16:39:59.577","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its funding schemes administered by\r\nEnergy Saving Trust (EST), whether it is aware of any viruses affecting the EST\r\napplication portal, and what information it holds on what efforts have been\r\ntaken to remove any such viruses.","AnswerText":"Energy Savings Trust (EST) have not reported to the Scottish Government any instance of a computer virus affecting the online application portal for Heat in Buildings Grant and Loan Schemes since the portal was introduced in December 2023. EST met the technical award criteria for cyber security requirements when the current contract was procured in 2023. In addition, their subcontractor who administers the online portal and their cloud service provider both hold Cyber Essentials Plus and ISO 27001 certifications, which include anti-virus measures.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416860,"EventID":"S6W-25699","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:30.747","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T12:28:52.44","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to deliver a new Monklands Hospital.","AnswerText":"The UK Government did not inflation-proof its capital budget which has resulted in nearly a 10% real-terms cut in the Scottish Government’s capital funding over the medium-term between 2023-24 and 2027-28.\r\nThe result of this cut is that new health capital projects have currently been paused. Our emphasis for the immediate future will be on addressing backlog maintenance and essential equipment replacement. However we are in active discussions with NHS Lanarkshire on the impact of this budget settlement on the proposal to replace University Hospital Monklands and therefore no final decision has yet been made.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":416861,"EventID":"S6W-25740","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:30.81","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T13:32:58.073","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the total value is of student debt accumulated between 2007 and 2024, broken down by year. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information . The Student Loans Company (SLC) collects and publishes data on student loan outlays, repayments, and borrower activity for Scottish SLC customers each year.\r\nStudent Loans in Scotland: Financial Year 2022-23 (Table 1  ) provides the Total amount of Income Contingent Repayment Loan outstanding (including loans not yet due for repayment) at the start of the financial year, including interest, of borrower who received loans as Scottish domiciled students studying in the UK or as EU domiciled students studying in Scotland.\r\nNote: These statistics only include information on loan products and do not include information regarding grants and bursaries which make up part of the student support package offered to students in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416862,"EventID":"S6W-25700","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:30.87","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T12:29:26.39","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has invested in the NHS estate in each year of the current parliamentary session.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government Consolidated Accounts confirms the investment in the NHS estate in each parliamentary session as:\r\n2022-23 = £516m\r\n2021-22 = £536m\r\nA link to the Consolidated Accounts for each year is provided:\r\nScottish Government Consolidated Accounts: year ended 31 March 2022 \r\nScottish Government Consolidated Accounts: year ended 31 March 2023 ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":416863,"EventID":"S6W-25712","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:30.937","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T15:47:54.17","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many properties it expects would be required to meet the minimum energy efficiency standards by 2033, as proposed in its Delivering Net Zero for Scotland's Buildings consultation.","AnswerText":"The consultation on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill includes a proposal to introduce a minimum energy efficiency standard. Privately owned housing would be required to meet this standard by the end of 2033. \r\nA significant proportion of the housing stock will already meet the standard ahead of this date, with new homes built between now and 2033 already meeting or exceeding the standard and private rented homes being required to meet the standard by the end of 2028. In addition, we are proposing that owner occupied homes which have installed clean heating systems before 2033 won’t be required to meet the standard.\r\nIt is the intention to set a minimum energy efficiency standard at a level that is broadly equivalent to EPC C. The Scottish House Condition Survey 2022 shows that 48% of owner-occupied dwellings (around 788,000 dwellings) are already in EPC band C or better. It is likely that for many homes which do not yet meet the proposed standard, the amount of work needed to be carried out is modest.\r\nWe are also seeking views in our consultation on whether to introduce flexibility to the standard for specific groups or personal circumstances. These mechanisms may reduce the number of homes which need to meet the standard.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416864,"EventID":"S6W-25727","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:30.997","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T16:41:40.417","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans there are to digitise audio recordings of court cases that can be easily provided to those involved in a case, if requested.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to work with the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service to see how the application of new technology might help minimise the cost of producing transcripts for all those who wish to access them.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416865,"EventID":"S6W-25697","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:31.043","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T12:04:28.43","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the next round of Regeneration Capital Grant funding will open to applications, and how much funding will be made available. ","AnswerText":"Funding to support place-based regeneration programmes has been set at £45.8 million for 2024-2025, of which £23 million is required to meet contractual commitments for existing Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) and Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme (VDLIP) projects.\r\nMinisters are considering options for distribution of the remaining regeneration capital budget allocation for 2024-2025 and we will clarify how this will be allocated in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416866,"EventID":"S6W-25706","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:31.107","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T13:25:26.947","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24936 by Jenny Gilruth on 21 February 2024, whether it will provide an update on what stage it is at with the development of its new digital strategy for education.","AnswerText":"Officials have been engaging with COSLA on partnership development of this strategy and are jointly planning stakeholder engagement which is expected to commence in the coming weeks.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416867,"EventID":"S6W-25705","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:31.17","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T13:23:32.81","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24936 by Jenny Gilruth on 21 February 2024, when it will publish its new digital strategy for education. ","AnswerText":"The commitment to develop a new digital strategy for education was made in the 2023 Programme for Government and is expected to complete by Autumn 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416868,"EventID":"S6W-25716","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:31.247","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T16:10:01.26","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with the STUC to discuss its Heat in Buildings proposals.","AnswerText":"Although we have not been approached by the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) for discussions on our proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill, we have written to the STUC to re-iterate that we would be happy to have such a discussion at any time - building on the wide-ranging engagement with stakeholders across Scotland that we have undertaken since our consultation was published.\r\nOur consultation is currently open until 8 March (  Proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill: Consultation - Scottish Government consultations - Citizen Space  ) and we encourage all organisations and households to respond.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416869,"EventID":"S6W-25720","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:31.327","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T16:10:01.26","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with Community Trade Union to discuss its Heat in Buildings proposals.","AnswerText":"We have not been approached by the Community Trade Union for discussions on our proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill. However, we would be happy to have such a discussion at any time - building on the wide-ranging engagement with stakeholders across Scotland that we have undertaken since our consultation was published.\r\nOur consultation is currently open until 8 March (  Proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill: Consultation - Scottish Government consultations - Citizen Space  ) and we encourage all organisations and households to respond.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":416870,"EventID":"S6W-25713","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:31.387","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T15:47:54.17","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many properties that are in the scope of its 2028 minimum energy efficiency standard, as proposed in its Delivering Net Zero for Scotland's Buildings consultation, are (a) already meeting and (b) require any level of work to meet the proposed standard.","AnswerText":"The consultation on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill includes a proposal to introduce a minimum energy efficiency standard. Landlords of private rented housing would be required to meet this standard by the end of 2028. \r\nThe intention is to set a minimum energy efficiency standard at a level that is broadly equivalent to EPC C. The Scottish House Condition Survey 2022 estimates that around 50% of privately rented homes are already in EPC band C or better. It is likely that for many homes which do not yet meet the proposed standard, the amount of work needed to be carried out is modest.\r\nWe are also seeking views in our consultation on whether to introduce further flexibility to the standard for specific groups or personal circumstances. These mechanisms may reduce the number of homes which need to meet the standard.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416871,"EventID":"S6W-25754","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:31.437","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T14:32:24.977","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what funding it (a) has allocated and (b) plans to allocate to Aberdeen City Council to assist with the local authority's investigatory works in relation to reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).","AnswerText":"As primarily a building maintenance issue it is the responsibility of building owners to maintain their properties. Local authorities manage their own budgets and allocate financial resources on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and jointly agreed national and local priorities.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416872,"EventID":"S6W-25708","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:31.497","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T13:56:34.367","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided to Rape Crisis Scotland in each financial year since 2020-21, and how much it will provide in the financial year 2024-25.","AnswerText":"Please see below the funding that has been provided to Rape Crisis Scotland (RCS) in each financial year since 2020-21. Please note for 2023-24, we have provided the total committed spend for the current financial year, which may change by April 2024.\r\nWe cannot confirm the amount of funding which will be provided to RCS for the financial year 2024-25 at this time. However, we can confirm that RCS will receive funding through the Children, Young People and Families Intervention and Adult Learning and Empowering Communities fund, through ‘100 days’ funding and the Delivering Equally Safe fund amongst others in 2024-25.\r\nPlease note that, in addition to funds provided to Rape Crisis Scotland, we also provide funding to local Rape Crisis Centres through the Delivering Equally Safe fund. Additionally, some of the funds provided to Rape Crisis Scotland are distributed by them to local Rape Crisis Centres.\r\nFinancial Year 2020-21 - £3,342,646\r\nFinancial Year 2021-22 - £5,654,322\r\nFinancial Year 2022-23 - £4,587,738\r\nFinancial Year 2023-24 - £4,557,276* (committed spend for financial year)","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416873,"EventID":"S6W-25743","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:31.56","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T13:32:58.073","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any recent changes or developments in student loan policies and regulations.","AnswerText":"We have recently announced that from the start of the 2024-25 academic year we will introduce a Special Support Loan across the main undergraduate and postgraduate packages of support.\r\nThe Special Support Loan will be equivalent to £2,400 and will be for the purpose of covering costs related to travel, childcare and study equipment – costs which are disregarded by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) when assessing benefit entitlement. This means that students in higher education who remain entitled to welfare benefits whilst they study can access this additional support without any further reduction in their benefit entitlement.\r\nThe student loan repayment threshold will also increase from £27,660 to £31,395 from April this year as per the terms set out in the Repayment of Student Loans (Scotland) Regulations 2000.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416874,"EventID":"S6W-25733","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:31.623","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T09:33:03.713","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent steps have been taken to improve diagnosis times for those affected by brain tumours.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government published our ten year  Cancer Strategy for Scotland 2023-2033  along with an initial three year Cancer Action Plan (  Cancer Plan for Scotland 2023 – 2026  ) in June 2023.\r\nOver the next 10 years, our strategic aim is to improve cancer survival and provide excellent, equitably accessible care. The Strategy and Plan take a comprehensive approach to improving patient pathways from prevention and diagnosis through to treatment and post-treatment care. We continue to place an emphasis on the less survivable cancers, including brain cancer, and improving their outcomes.\r\nAs part of this strategy, we developed a new Earlier Cancer Diagnosis Vision.\r\nThe vision includes continuing to deliver our Detect Cancer Earlier Programme, working with primary care clinicians to ensure they have direct access to diagnostic tests and quality education sources, as well as developing public campaigns to educate and empower those with possible symptoms of cancer to act early.\r\nIn addition to this work and in order to support radiology diagnostic capacity, we have funded mobile scanners to provide additional capacity for MRI and CT supporting cancer patients across NHS Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416875,"EventID":"S6W-25752","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:31.687","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T13:57:15.857","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether health professionals are offered training and educational resources in relation to chronic conditions, such as fibromyalgia.","AnswerText":"Current guidelines for healthcare professionals regarding fibromyalgia are available from authoritative professional sources such as the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) -  https://www.sign.ac.uk/our-guidelines/management-of-chronic-pain/  and the Royal College of Physicians  https://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/guidelines-policy/diagnosis-fibromyalgia-syndrome \r\nThe National Pain Education Group is developing a Chronic Pain Toolkit for all health and social care staff across Scotland - it will be Scotland's first national chronic pain training resource. It will be hosted on TURAS on a dedicated page called The Chronic Pain Knowledge Hub. This has been developed with lived experience input and NHS Education for Scotland colleagues.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416876,"EventID":"S6W-25731","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:31.747","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T09:16:12.4","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will (a) commit to and (b) provide a timeline for a national rollout of the Suicide Bereavement Support Service, following the pilot, in light of the reportedly invaluable support that it provides to families that have experienced bereavement by suicide.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government and COSLA committed to the provision of suicide bereavement support across Scotland in their Creating Hope Together  action plan  ( 2022-25). The bereavement support service is a core element of our approach to ensuring everyone affected by suicide is able to access high quality, compassionate, appropriate and timely support.\r\nSince August 2021 we have funded bereavement support service pilots in NHS Ayrshire and Arran and NHS Highland. Over 2023-24 we have worked with partners to design and plan the roll-out of the service, drawing on the positive evaluation of the pilots. Expansion of the bereavement support service will begin from 2024-25, working closely with local partners. Further details will be confirmed as soon as possible.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416877,"EventID":"S6W-25738","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:31.81","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T13:32:54.047","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the condition in Annex B of its publication, Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Scotland) Regulations 2021: guidance for dog breeders, which states that \"No dog may be kept for breeding if it can reasonably be expected, on the basis of its genotype, conformation, behaviour or state of health, that breeding from it could have a detrimental effect on its health or welfare or the health or welfare of its offspring\", has noticeably improved the welfare of brachycephalic dog breeds in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not undertaken any targeted work to assess if the welfare of brachycephalic breeds has improved following the introduction of The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 (the 2021 regulations), however this is something that we do intend to investigate further with local authorities and relevant stakeholders.\r\nMeantime, the Scottish Government continues to engage regularly with local authorities on the enforcement of the 2021 regulations and work with key stakeholders to promote and encourage ethical and responsible breeding of dogs.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416878,"EventID":"S6W-25749","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:31.887","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T13:46:05.05","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action the Chronic Pain Task Force (a) has taken to date and (b) plans to take in the future regarding services for people affected by fibromyalgia, and whether the Task Force has any professional members with particular expertise in treating or aiding fibromyalgia patients.","AnswerText":"(a)  The Pain management - service delivery framework: implementation plan  sets out the actions we will take to reduce the impact of chronic pain on quality of life and wellbeing and improve information, care and services for people in Scotland, which includes people living with chronic pain as a result of fibromyalgia. A report on the progress on the 18 initial actions was published on the 15 November 2023  Pain management service delivery implementation plan: progress report  .\r\nAdditionally in November 2024, we published an updated  Implementation Plan  with updated actions following a period of stakeholder engagement. Progress on actions is discussed bi-monthly at the  Pain Management Task Force  , the minutes of which are available on the Scottish Government website.\r\nWe will continue to consult with people with lived experience of chronic pain, including those with fibromyalgia, throughout the development and delivery of actions outlined in the plan.\r\n(b)The Short Life Working Groups (SLWGs) and Pain Management Networks established to support implementation of the Framework continue to evolve and develop the current actions. All the professional network leads (allied health professionals, pain psychologists, medics, pharmacist and nurses) are specialist pain management clinicians who have expert skills in supporting people with fibromyalgia.\r\nDetails on the role and membership of the Pain Management Task Force can be found at  Pain Management Task Force  .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416879,"EventID":"S6W-25694","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:31.937","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T11:30:43.263","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the total value is of any (a) contracts and (b) grants awarded to Thermo Fisher Scientific by Scottish public bodies in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"A full breakdown of the total number and value of contracts awarded to Thermo Fisher Scientific for the last five fiscal years covering all Scottish public bodies is provided in the following table.\r\nYear\r\nNumber of Contracts\r\nTotal Contracts Value\r\n19-20\r\n11\r\n£1,428,668.49\r\n20-21\r\n22\r\n£17,619,595.56\r\n21-22\r\n20\r\n£4,016,757.72\r\n22-23\r\n17\r\n£113,420,984.14\r\n23-24\r\n11\r\n£14,217,082.43\r\nTotal\r\n81\r\n£150,703,088.34\r\nNo grant payments have been made to Fisher Scientific UK Limited (Thermo Fisher) directly from the Scottish Government in the last five fiscal years. The Scottish Government can only provide their own grant data as the information requested is not held centrally.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416880,"EventID":"S6W-25741","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:31.997","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T13:32:58.073","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current average amount of student debt is per student.","AnswerText":"The latest Student Loans Company figures published in June 2023 show that the current average student loan debt for Scottish borrowers on entry into repayment is £15,430. This compares to £44,940 in England, £35,780 in Wales and £24,500 in Northern Ireland.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416881,"EventID":"S6W-25704","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:32.06","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T12:47:50.49","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on the targets set out in its Programme for Government 2023-24 regarding the improvement of cancer waiting times by April 2024. ","AnswerText":"Cancer remains a national priority for the Scottish Government. This is reflected in the fact that more cancer patients have been treated on both the 62 and 31 day pathways in the latest quarter (Q3 2023) compared to the same time pre-pandemic. Specifically we are treating more cancer patients on time – within both standards – compared to pre-pandemic and 10 years ago (9.1% and 21.5% more, respectively, within the 31 day standard & 2.0% and 14.0% more, respectively, within the 62 day standard).\r\nTo support efforts to reduce cancer waiting times, £10 million of non-recurring Cancer Waiting Times funding has been made available in 2023/24 across NHS Scotland. The majority of funding is being directed to urology, colorectal and breast – the three most challenged tumour types.\r\nThe Scottish Government also published our ten year  Cancer Strategy for Scotland 2023-2033  along with an initial three year Cancer Action Plan (  Cancer Plan for Scotland 2023 – 2026  ) in June 2023.\r\nOver the next 10 years, our strategic aim is to improve cancer survival and provide excellent, equitably accessible care. The Strategy and Plan take a comprehensive approach to improving patient pathways from prevention and diagnosis through to treatment and post-treatment care, and have people living with cancer, their families and carers at their very heart.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416882,"EventID":"S6W-25735","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:32.123","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T10:43:12.983","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25234 by Fiona Hyslop on 22 February 2024, in light of the answer to question S6F-02532 not providing the information requested regarding timeframes for the ScotRail consultation on alcohol on trains, whether it will confirm by what date (a) the consultation will be completed and (b) a decision will be made on reallowing alcohol at certain times.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is engaging with ScotRail, British Transport Police, Network Rail and Transport Focus and I will advise Parliament when a decision is reached, as previously informed.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416883,"EventID":"S6W-25707","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3763,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":142,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:32.187","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T13:48:57.157","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will offer free BRCA gene testing to anyone living in Scotland aged 18 or over with one or more Jewish grandparents, of any type of Jewish origin, in a similar way to NHS England's Jewish BRCA Testing Programme, in light of the reported finding that having a BRCA gene fault is associated with an increased risk of developing certain types of cancer, particularly breast, ovarian, prostate and pancreatic cancer. ","AnswerText":"As set out in answer to question S6W-25450 on 27 February 2024, NHS Scotland currently offers a whole gene screening panel for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer to test for faults in both BRCA1 and BRCA2 and a range of other target genes. At present, this testing is available to people from specific population groups (including those of Ashkenazi Jewish heritage) if they meet clinical criteria that indicate a higher genetic risk of breast and ovarian cancer.\r\nThe Scottish Strategic Network for Genomic Medicine (SSNGM) was established in 2022 to develop a fully considered and sustainable genomic medicine service for Scotland. The SSNGM contains specialist Scottish Genomics Test Advisory Groups (SG-TAG) for both cancer and rare and inherited conditions, whose role is to review and assess the clinical validity and utility of new tests, and changes to the referral criteria for existing tests.\r\nThe SSNGM plan to initiate a review of the existing hereditary cancer testing pathways in 2024. This review will include both the referral criteria for our existing genomic test offering and alternative testing methods and will make recommendations via the SG-TAG process.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416884,"EventID":"S6W-25728","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:32.247","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T16:41:40.417","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Court of Session reportedly charges £129.29 per hour to have audio recordings of court cases transcribed.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service outsource the provision of Audio Transcription Services and the provider offers a number of turnaround service levels depending on urgency of the requirement. The standard service used costs £91.23 per hour or £1.52 per minute of audio, plus VAT, and has a turnaround time of 15 days. The figure of £129.29 per hour is for a turnaround of 24 hours and would therefore only be used where a transcript is required urgently.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416885,"EventID":"S6W-25644","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:32.293","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-20T13:35:02.497","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to\r\nquestion S6W-24951 by Jenny Gilruth on 20 February 2024, whether\r\nit has reviewed the independent report, Putting Learners at the Centre: Towards a Future Vision for Scottish Education, and, in particular, the section on support for curriculum and\r\nassessment, which refers to feedback received that Education Scotland\r\n\"did not provide equity in support across the profession\", and\r\nwhether it is carrying out any follow-up work in relation to such feedback.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has carefully considered Professor Ken Muir’s report Putting Learners at the Centre: Towards a Future Vision for Scottish Education which produced important recommendations for Scottish education. In response to a wide range of reports and evidence, the Education Reform Programme will deliver significant changes for the education system, including a new national agency and a Centre for Teaching Excellence.\r\nProviding equitable support to the profession, including in relation to curriculum and assessment, is a fundamental consideration of all aspects of the Education Reform Programme. Education Scotland continues to deliver its functions while the new organisations are being developed, and continually reviews its support offering to ensure it is effective and fit for purpose.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416886,"EventID":"S6W-25701","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:32.387","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T12:30:19.957","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to implementing fully digitalised booking for primary care appointments.","AnswerText":"With the ever-growing pressures on General Practice, practices are continually looking for ways to improve access to meet demand and allocate correctly the type of service or advice to meet the needs of each patient.\r\nDigitalised appointment booking and triage products for General Practice have increased in popularity and there are notable examples of individual practices using these technologies to improve practice efficiency and productivity.\r\nSuch products are not currently being rolled out nationally and the purchase of these services is a decision for individual practices and/or health boards.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":416887,"EventID":"S6W-25703","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:32.467","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T12:45:00.727","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to end all non-residential social care charges in the current parliamentary session.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has committed to explore and agree an approach to end charges for non-residential social care support within the lifetime of the Parliament.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":416888,"EventID":"S6W-25746","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:32.543","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T13:32:58.073","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will fulfil the 2007 Scottish National Party manifesto commitment to abolish student debt.","AnswerText":"Our commitment to free tuition means that unlike elsewhere in the UK, Scottish students studying in Scotland do not incur additional debt of up to £27,750, and average student loan debt for Scottish students is the lowest in the UK at around a third of the level seen in England. \r\nIn Labour-run Wales, the cap on tuition fees is to rise from £9,000 to £9,250 per year, which will only increase student debt levels.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416889,"EventID":"S6W-25710","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:32.623","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T15:47:54.17","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many properties that are in the scope of its 2033 minimum energy efficiency standard, as proposed in its Delivering Net Zero for Scotland's Buildings consultation, are (a) already meeting and (b) require any level of work to meet the proposed standard.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government wants all homes in Scotland to reach a good level of energy efficiency where possible and is consulting on proposals to introduce a minimum energy efficiency standard that would apply to all privately owned housing by the end of 2033. \r\nThe proposed minimum energy efficiency standard is at a level that is broadly equivalent to EPC C. The Scottish House Condition Survey 2022 shows that 48% of the owner-occupied housing stock (around 788,000 dwellings) is already in EPC band C or better. It is likely that for many of these homes not yet meeting the new standard, the amount of work needed to be carried out is modest. \r\nWe are also seeking views in our consultation on whether to introduce flexibility to the standard for specific groups or based on personal circumstances. These mechanisms may reduce the number of homes which need to meet the standard. In addition, we are proposing that any owner-occupied homes which have already installed clean heating systems before 2033 won’t be required to meet the standard. All owner-occupied new homes built under a building warrant on or after 1 April 2024 will already meet the clean heat requirement and will therefore not be required to meet the minimum energy efficiency standard.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416890,"EventID":"S6W-25737","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:32.687","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T13:32:54.047","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to brachycephalic dog breeds, what steps it has taken to enforce the condition in Annex B of its publication, Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Scotland) Regulations 2021: guidance for dog breeders, which states that \"No dog may be kept for breeding if it can reasonably be expected, on the basis of its genotype, conformation, behaviour or state of health, that breeding from it could have a detrimental effect on its health or welfare or the health or welfare of its offspring\".","AnswerText":"Enforcement of The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 is the responsibility of local authorities in Scotland. The Scottish Government has provided detailed guidance to local authorities to assist them to deliver this enforcement function, including guidance on the checks required when a licence application is received from a breeder breeding, or proposing to breed, a category 3 breed as recognised by the Kennel Club, which includes brachycephalic breeds such as Pugs and Bulldogs. Where an inspector appointed by a local authority is not satisfied that a breeder has sufficient knowledge of the breed and/or is failing to apply robust selection and health screening procedures to minimise the risk of extreme conformations, then the local authority can refuse to license the breeder.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416891,"EventID":"S6W-25711","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:32.747","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T15:47:54.17","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many properties it expects would be required to meet the minimum energy efficiency standards by 2028, as proposed in its Delivering Net Zero for Scotland's Buildings consultation.","AnswerText":"The consultation on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill includes a proposal to introduce a minimum energy efficiency standard. Landlords of private rented housing would be required to meet this standard by the end of 2028. \r\nThe intention is to set a minimum energy efficiency standard at a level that is broadly equivalent to EPC C. The Scottish House Condition Survey 2022 estimates that around 50% of privately rented homes are already in EPC band C or better. It is likely that for many homes which do not yet meet the proposed standard, the amount of work needed to be carried out is modest.\r\nWe are also seeking views in our consultation on whether to introduce further flexibility to the standard for specific groups or personal circumstances. These mechanisms may reduce the number of homes which need to meet the standard.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416892,"EventID":"S6W-25695","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:32.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T11:31:06.647","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that Thermo Fisher Scientific has recently announced a high number of staff redundancies in Scotland after having received substantial sums of public money, and what its position is on whether any companies that move jobs overseas to reduce costs should be disqualified from applying for future public grants and funding.","AnswerText":"I was concerned to learn of potential job losses at Thermo Fisher Scientific. I am due to speak with the company in the near future to discuss the situation. Additionally, officials in Scottish Enterprise are actively engaging with Thermo Fisher Scientific to ensure that the business explores available options to retain as many jobs as possible. In the unfortunate event that any individuals should be facing redundancy, the Scottish Government will provide support through our initiative for responding to redundancy situations, Partnership Action for Continuing Employment, PACE.\r\nGrants and loans entered into by Scottish Ministers and any public body subject to the  Scottish Public Finance Manual  (SPFM) are subject to the principles set out in the manual and have appropriate terms and conditions applied to protect public resources.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416893,"EventID":"S6W-25714","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:32.857","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T15:50:01.787","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it expects any new minimum standard for energy efficiency to be introduced through its Heat in Buildings Bill to be equivalent to the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) C standard.","AnswerText":"A good level of energy efficiency is defined in the Heat in Buildings Strategy as equivalent to EPC C (based on current Energy Efficiency Rating on an EPC).However, the current Energy Efficiency Rating is not an appropriate basis on which to set an energy efficiency standard because it is based on the modelled cost to run a property, not energy efficiency.\r\nIn 2022, in response to feedback from the Climate Change Committee and other stakeholders, the Scottish Government commissioned the Building Research Establishment(BRE) to evaluate options for a new fabric energy efficiency metric to be used on EPCs in Scotland. As part of this work BRE analysed the energy efficiency of the Scottish housing stock’s building fabric. BRE’s report showed that the average house at the entry-point to EPC band C had a heating and cooling demand of approximately 120kWh/m2/year (not including energy needed to provide hot water).\r\nThe consultation on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill includes the option of meeting a Fabric Energy Efficiency standard based on this heating and cooling demand, as an alternative to the ‘List of Measures’ approach. Research carried out by the BRE shows that when installing the measures suggested in the list, a clear majority (around 66%) of Scottish homes could achieve this good level of energy efficiency.\r\n","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416894,"EventID":"S6W-25709","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:32.92","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T15:40:27.313","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work it is doing to support NHS Ayrshire and Arran to meet the four-hour A&E waiting time target, in light of reported evidence that it has not met this target since July 2020. ","AnswerText":"Like other NHS Boards and across the UK, NHS Ayrshire and Arran continue to experience challenges in their A&E performance primarily due to capacity shortages. Officials meet regularly with NHS Ayrshire and Arran to ensure progress against their delivery plan which focuses on reducing hospital occupancy and increasing alternatives to admission or attendance. The board have a number of actions underway to support performance recovery including optimisation of their call before you convey and care home referral pathway where residents receive assessment and care within a community setting, avoiding the need for onwards attendance to the acute sites.\r\nThe Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) is working with NHS Boards including NHS Ayrshire and Arran to support delivery of the Urgent and Unscheduled Care collaborative, to ensure sustainable ways of delivering services, improving access for patients, and reducing unnecessary demand for services. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416895,"EventID":"S6W-25702","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:32.983","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T12:42:39.28","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what methodology it uses to evaluate the sufficiency of current primary care provision.","AnswerText":"Health Boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships are responsible for the delivery of primary medical services in their areas and for any evaluation of the sufficiency of those services.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":416896,"EventID":"S6W-25739","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:33.043","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T13:32:58.073","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of students are currently in debt due to student loans.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information. The Student Loans Company (SLC) collects and publishes data on student loan outlays, repayments, and borrower activity for Scottish SLC customers each year.\r\nStudent Loans in Scotland: Financial Year 2022-23 (Table 3)  provides (i) the number and (ii) the percentage of borrower who received loans as Scottish domiciled students studying in the UK or as EU domiciled students studying in Scotland by repayment status.\r\nNote: These statistics only include information on loan products and do not include information regarding grants and bursaries which make up part of the student support package offered to students in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416897,"EventID":"S6W-25732","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:33.107","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T09:33:03.697","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any consideration has been given to expanding the referrals criteria that are used by healthcare professionals in primary care to refer patients to Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services.","AnswerText":"Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services are a useful addition to how cancer can be diagnosed in Scotland. They provide primary care with access to a new fast-track diagnostic pathway for patients with non-specific symptoms suspicious of cancer, such as weight loss and fatigue.\r\nThe University of Strathclyde published a final evaluation report on 29 February 2024 reflecting on the first two years of RCDSs operating in NHS Scotland. This work was commissioned to inform roll-out, including optimal components. Following its release, we’ll work with Boards across Scotland to consider the findings and ensure learning is embedded.\r\nMeanwhile, a clinical refresh of the Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer is underway to help ensure those with symptoms suspicious of cancer are put on the right pathway at the right time. These guidelines have been developed for primary care clinicians to aid clinical decision making and support. Referrals are closely monitored to ensure capacity and support is available for those on an Urgent Suspicion of Cancer (USC) pathway.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416898,"EventID":"S6W-25726","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:33.17","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T16:41:40.417","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason transcripts of court cases are reportedly not provided to those involved in the case, free of charge, on request.","AnswerText":"The provision of court transcripts to those involved in the case, other than a person convicted at the trial, is governed by Section 94(2)(b) of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 which allows for, on payment of the relevant costs, and subject to the Transcripts of Criminal Proceedings (Scotland) Order 1993, the Clerk of Justiciary to direct that a transcript be made and sent to the person who requested it. A cost is therefore incurred whenever a transcript is prepared, and in common with other parts of the UK, unless in specific circumstances, those costs currently require to be met by the requester as opposed to the wider public finances.\r\nThat having been said, we have listened to campaigners and survivors on a number of concerns that have been raised about the financial challenges associated with the access to transcripts for rape and sexual offences complainers.\r\nFrom 1 March 2024, the Scottish Government will be in the first in the UK to launch a pilot which will allow complainers in High Court cases involving charges of rape or sexual assault to have free access to transcripts of their court cases.\r\nThe pilot will improve our understanding of the reasons why applications are being made in these particular cases. This will include understanding the potential volume of applications and the extent to which cost has been a barrier for applying previously.\r\nThe pilot and associated evaluation process will help inform future policy and operational development, including how the criteria for accessing free transcripts may develop, the potential implications on the public finances, and whether there is a need for a change to existing legislation.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416899,"EventID":"S6W-25755","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-23T16:14:33.247","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T14:32:24.977","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it has provided to Aberdeen City Council to assist the local authority's investigatory works in relation to reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).","AnswerText":"As primarily a building maintenance issue it is the responsibility of building owners to maintain their properties. Local authorities manage their own budgets and allocate financial resources on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and jointly agreed national and local priorities. The Cross Sector Working Group and its Housing and Management sub-groups have representation from across multiple public and private sectors and provide forums for stakeholders such as Aberdeen City Council to help facilitate engagement, develop connections (including with construction industry bodies), raise awareness, share information and discuss good practice.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416903,"EventID":"S6W-25835","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":5771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T11:32:55.953","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-26T11:30:01.977","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its further consultation paper on restricting promotions of food and drink high in fat, sugar or salt.","AnswerText":"Improving diet and levels of healthy weight remains a public health priority for this Government. As part of a range of action to improve diet, and help create a food environment which better supports healthier choices, we remain committed to restricting promotions of food and drink high in fat, sugar or salt (HFSS) at the point of purchase - this is when people make their decisions about what and how much to buy and to consume, for themselves as well as for their families.\r\nI can confirm that, on 27 February 2024, the consultation paper on the detail of proposed regulations to restrict promotions of food and drink high in fat, sugar or salt was published on the Scottish Government website at  http://www.gov.scot/ISBN/9781835219058  and on the Citizen Space portal at\r\nhttps://consult.gov.scot/population-health/restriction-promotion-of-food-and-drink-proposed  .\r\nThe consultation builds on previous public consultations and Ministerial engagement with business and health stakeholders, and is supported with a partial Business Regulatory Impact Assessment which has also been published today:  http://www.gov.scot/ISBN/9781835219867  .\r\nThe consultation will run for 12 weeks, closing on 21 May 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416905,"EventID":"S6W-25834","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":8,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T14:37:25.017","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-26T11:02:17.03","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it has provided an office-holder resettlement grant to the former Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care, following his resignation; whether it has been informed of any intention to decline or return such a grant, and, if this is not the case, (a) whether such a grant will be provided in instalments or by lump-sum payment and (b) when any such payment(s) is/are due.","AnswerText":"The SPCB is required under the Scottish Parliamentary Pensions Act 2009, Schedule 2, to pay an Office Holder resettlement grant to an individual who –\r\n(a) stops being the holder of a pensionable office, and\r\n(b) is not appointed as the holder of a pensionable office during the following 90 days.\r\nUnder the Act, there is no provision to withhold or refuse the payment.  Payment of the resettlement grant is made as a one-off lump sum payment on the next available pay day after the 90 days have lapsed.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jackson Carlaw (on behalf of the SPCB)","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416906,"EventID":"S6W-25844","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":3129,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":83,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T14:58:52.79","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-26T14:44:36.82","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the school and college teacher consultation on the recommendations of the Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment and National Discussion on Education.","AnswerText":"The findings of the School and college teacher consultation on the recommendations of the Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment and National Discussion on Education were published at 9:30 on 27 February 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416907,"EventID":"S6T-01818","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T14:31:09.633","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-26T08:12:30.627","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to ensure optimum ferry capacity to and from Arran, in light of reports that repairs to the MV Caledonian Isles are not expected to conclude before mid-June.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416908,"EventID":"S6T-01830","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T14:31:10.57","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-26T11:35:50.293","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that Police Scotland's Proportionate Response to Crime pilot, in which not all reported crimes were investigated, is to be extended across Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-02-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416909,"EventID":"S6F-02856","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T14:31:03.873","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T09:56:37.463","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416910,"EventID":"S6F-02857","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5586,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T14:31:03.997","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T09:56:55.693","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416911,"EventID":"S6F-02869","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T14:31:04.73","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-26T10:18:28.673","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416912,"EventID":"S6F-02874","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T14:31:04.973","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-26T11:10:11.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to the latest reported figures highlighting the impact of livestock worrying in Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":416913,"EventID":"S6F-02863","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T14:31:04.357","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-26T09:39:53.277","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to prevent convicted sex offenders from changing their identity.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416914,"EventID":"S6F-02861","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T14:31:04.263","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-26T08:11:24.513","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to reports that the number of people living in temporary accommodation in Glasgow has increased by 25%.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416915,"EventID":"S6W-25770","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:52.92","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T15:53:40.557","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the views and experiences of children and young people are taken into account when reviewing and improving the disclosure process.","AnswerText":"I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:\r\nThree recent Acts of the Scottish Parliament - the Management of Offenders (Scotland Act 2019, the Age of Criminal Responsibility (Scotland) Act 2019 and the Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 - have changed the disclosure process in relation to the wellbeing and future life chances of children who have been involved in the children’s hearings system or criminal justice system.\r\nPer Scottish Government policy, Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessments have informed policy development and involved children and young people in evidence-gathering and decision-making.\r\nChildren and young people were spoken to directly though engagement with them at the Young Offender Institution (YOI) Polmont, the Scottish Youth Parliament, Children's Parliament, Who Cares? Scotland, Youth Advantage Outreach, Up-2-Us, Sacro, Youth Just Us, Life Changes Trust and Kibble, Good Shepherd, St Mary’s Kenmure and Rossie Young People’s Trust secure accommodation. The methods used to engage and record views ranged from scenario storytelling to quizzes, timelines, discussion groups, voting cards, games and artwork. Their views were recorded and applied to impact assessment of the policies.\r\nNew processes for review applications under the Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 are due to be implemented in April 2025. Disclosure Scotland is engaging with Who Cares? Scotland, Children and Young People's Centre for Justice and Clan Childlaw about the effect on people who had justice-experience in childhood. Following engagement with children who had been brought into the PVG Scheme, the Disclosure Act raises the minimum age for accessing most disclosure types to 16 years old.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416916,"EventID":"S6W-25789","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:53.03","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T16:04:34.223","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it supports children and families that are affected by domestic abuse. ","AnswerText":"Our Equally Safe strategy, Scotland’s strategy to prevent and eradicate violence against women and girls, acknowledges the significant impact domestic abuse and other forms of violence against women and girls (VAWG) can have on children and young people and their families lives, including impacts on their health, education, wellbeing and future life chances.\r\nThrough Equally Safe, which is co-owned by COSLA and the Scottish Government, we are working collaboratively with key partners to ensure that its principles are embedded into the work we do that supports children, young people and families who have experienced VAWG. This includes ensuring support is available through Child Protection and Adult Support and Protection systems, housing and homelessness support services and community justice support services amongst others.\r\nWe are also investing £19 million a year in specialist services and projects through the Delivering Equally Safe (DES) Fund, £18.5m for specialist advocacy support for victim/ survivors of gender based violence from the Victim Centred Approach Fund and £573,300 through the Children, Young People and Families Early Intervention Fund & Adult Learning and Empowering Communities Fund for improving children and family wellbeing.\r\nThe DES fund supports 83 projects that undertake work with children and young people who have experienced or witnessed VAWG, including funding to projects delivering the CEDAR programme, which aims to help mothers support their children in their recovery from domestic abuse. Funding is also given to support the role out of Safe and Together, an internationally recognised suite of tools and interventions designed to help professionals in children and family services become domestic abuse informed.\r\nWe will continue to ensure support for children, young people and families through our commitment to the Equally Safe strategy.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416917,"EventID":"S6W-25772","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:53.093","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T15:53:40.557","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that children and young people are involved in decisions that affect them during the disclosure process, particularly regarding sensitive information and disclosures.","AnswerText":"I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:\r\nThe Age of Criminal Responsibility (Scotland) Act 2019 raised the age of criminal responsibility from 8 to 12 years old in Scotland. The Act sets out that information relating to a time before a person was 12 years old cannot be automatically disclosed on enhanced or PVG level disclosures without first being reviewed by the Independent Reviewer. As part of making their decision about the disclosure of pre-12 information, the Independent Reviewer must give the applicant the opportunity to make representations. The Independent Reviewer must take into account any representations made.\r\nUnder the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007, before making a decision to bar an individual from ‘regulated work’ with children or adults, Disclosure Scotland must give the individual an opportunity to make representations as to why they should not be listed. Disclosure Scotland must consider any such representations.\r\nThe Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 will allow applicants to challenge the disclosure of certain information, including ‘spent’ children’s hearing outcomes and convictions accrued in childhood, before it is shared with an employer. The applicant will be able to ask Disclosure Scotland to arrange for the Independent Reviewer to carry out a review of the disclosure of the spent childhood convictions or children’s hearing outcomes. As part of their review, the Independent Reviewer must give the applicant the opportunity to make representations and must take any such representation into account when making their decision.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416918,"EventID":"S6W-25502","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:53.187","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-12T09:46:59.817","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the 2020 opinion of the Court of Session regarding the respective rights of the landowner of a common grazing and the crofters in relation to the use of the land, whether it plans to take action to ensure that crofters can (a) carry out peatland restoration on common grazings and (b) have ownership of any carbon credits associated with such peatland restoration, and, if so, what processes it would need to follow to implement any legislative changes required to achieve this, particularly in relation to sections 19A and 50B of the Crofting (Scotland) Act 1993 as amended by the Crofting Reform etc. Act 2007.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that crofters can benefit from investment in projects such as peatland restoration and woodland creation, particularly when carried out on common grazing land, much of which we know is underutilised.\r\nThe Crofting Bill Team and stakeholder group are considering a number of proposals that will hopefully make it easier for crofters to use their common grazings for purposes other than agriculture, including peatland restoration. One of the proposals would make provision for crofter-led projects and landlord collaborations / joint ventures, for carbon sequestration, habitat restoration and biodiversity enhancement.\r\nWe are committed to taking forward the Crofting Bill before the end of the current parliamentary term.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416919,"EventID":"S6W-25764","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:53.233","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T15:53:40.557","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to address any delays in the processing of checks by Disclosure Scotland.","AnswerText":"I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:\r\nDisclosure Scotland regularly exceeds the Service Level Agreement to complete 90% of applications within 14 days. During 2022-2023 we completed 98% of applications within target and in 2023-2024 have so far delivered 95% within target. Disclosure Scotland monitors service delivery performance daily, while also utilising application volume forecasts and resource planning, to ensure that our Service Level Agreement is maintained.\r\nAs an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government, Disclosure Scotland presents its Annual Report and Accounts to Parliament each year. This includes information on performance.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416920,"EventID":"S6W-25788","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:53.513","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T16:04:34.223","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to prevent child sexual exploitation and online grooming.","AnswerText":"Keeping children safe from child sexual abuse and exploitation, including online abuse, is a key priority for the Scottish Government.\r\nWe are committed to ensuring that our young people are safe online and our response is multi-faceted. It involves equipping children with the tools and skills they need to stay safe online, and supporting parents and carers to ensure that they have the information to guide children and recognise when a child is at risk. We equip professionals with the knowledge and skills to build children’s resilience, to recognise abuse and exploitation and respond with high quality support. This is accompanied by work to detect, disrupt and prosecute perpetrators and reduce re-offending.\r\nIn our schools, teachers deliver the technology experiences and outcomes area of the curriculum to provide learning on internet safety and cyber resilience. These help teachers support children to learn about the safe and responsible use of technologies, including the internet and social media, as part of their broad general education under our Curriculum for Excellence.\r\nWe are also committed to ensuring all children and young people receive high quality relationships and sexual health education to help them build safe and positive relationships as they grow older.\r\nPublic messaging is key in preventing online abuse. In March 2023, we re-ran our successful public awareness campaign which supported parents and carers to keep children safe online, emphasising the importance of talking regularly to children about online safety, setting safety measures and agreeing boundaries. The campaign had a strong impact on behaviour. Nine in ten of those who had seen the campaign reported taking action as a result of it, the highest rate of any Parent Club campaign.\r\nThis campaign linked to an Online Safety Hub on the SG Parent Club website, which provides information and advice on how to keep children safe from online harms.\r\nCross-Government workstreams collectively take action to prevent and protect children in Scotland from child sexual abuse and exploitation and provide appropriate support to victims and survivors of such abuse. This includes funding for a range of activity and programmes with a particular focus on prevention and early intervention. In particular, we provide funding to the Lucy Faithfull Foundation Scotland, to deliver online child sexual abuse prevention work.\r\nThe National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021, updated in 2023 supports frontline workers in their prevention roles by defining and clarifying the roles and responsibilities for everyone working with children and young people, setting out the foundation for protective action to keep young people safe from harms including sexual abuse and exploitation.\r\nIn terms of those that seek to cause harm online, we are working with Police Scotland to find effective ways to deter potential perpetrators from committing online abuse in the first place.\r\nThough regulation of the internet is a reserved matter and falls to the UK Government, the Scottish Government is committed to securing the online safety of our children and young people which is why the First Minister urged the UK Government to include additional measures in the Online Safety Act 2023 to protect children and vulnerable adults online and go further to encourage tech firms to design out illegal and harmful material.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416921,"EventID":"S6W-25758","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5866,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:53.577","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T15:01:56.887","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken towards an equitable approach to diagnosis across all NHS boards for severe asthma.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25757 on 7 March 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":416922,"EventID":"S6W-25781","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:53.657","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T16:04:34.223","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to ensure the long-term sustainability and resilience of community-based youth services beyond the immediate recovery period from the COVID-19 pandemic.","AnswerText":"An independent review of Community Learning and Development (CLD), was launched in December 2023 and is expected to conclude in June 2024. This review aims to assess the impact of CLD on learners across Scotland which will provide valuable insights for the delivery of CLD in a reformed education system.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416923,"EventID":"S6W-25760","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:53.717","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T15:53:40.557","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to prevent the misuse or mishandling of disclosure information that could potentially harm children and young people.","AnswerText":"I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:\r\nHigher level disclosures, those that can include the most sensitive information, can only be provided to organisations registered with Disclosure Scotland. Such organisations can register with Disclosure Scotland because they are legally entitled to request higher level disclosures. There are offences contained in disclosure legislation to prevent against disclosures being requested or used where there is no legal entitlement to do so.\r\nDisclosure Scotland's Code of Practice is published by Scottish Ministers and details the legal obligations that organisations registered with Disclosure Scotland must comply with. This includes provision of information when registering with Disclosure Scotland to ensure that the person receiving disclosure information is suitable to do so and requirements on handling disclosure information.\r\nDisclosure Scotland can carry out assurance and audit checks in relation to organisations registered to receive disclosure information and regularly do outreach to support organisations in meeting their responsibilities around handling disclosure information.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416924,"EventID":"S6W-25783","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:53.797","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T16:04:34.223","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children who are educated at home.","AnswerText":"Local authorities hold responsibility for ensuring the safety and wellbeing of children being home educated, and that the education they are receiving is suitable for their age and ability. In line with the Scottish Government's home education guidance, it is recommended that local authorities should make contact on an annual basis with those families who are known to be home educating within that local authority area.\r\nIf, from whatever source, an authority becomes aware of concerns about the home education of any child, outwith the normal contact time, they will need to gather the necessary information in order to form a view on whether those concerns are justified or whether the parents are providing an efficient education suitable to the age, ability and aptitude of the child. Local authorities have their own individual and established processes to obtain this information.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416925,"EventID":"S6W-25742","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:53.89","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T13:32:58.073","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on any trends in student\r\ndebt borrowing patterns and repayment rates, including in relation to missed\r\npayments and the collection rate of payments.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information. The Student Loan Company (SLC) collects and publishes data on student loan outlays, repayments, and borrower activity for Scottish SLC customers each year.\r\nThis includes information on the total student Income Contingent Repayment (ICR) loan  [1]  outlay each financial year, the average loan balance of borrowers, borrower repayment status, repayment amounts, and average repayment amount by repayment method. All of which can be found in the  Student Loans for Higher Education in Scotland: Financial Year 2022-23  publication.\r\nSLC does not publish information on missed payments, nor on the collection rate of repayments.\r\n[1]  Loans for which the required repayments are based on the borrower’s income.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416926,"EventID":"S6W-25759","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:53.953","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T15:06:07.773","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on whether the Scottish Prison Service will commence work on the replacement of HMP Greenock in 2025-26.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government and the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) are committed to modernising the prison estate to deliver a world leading custodial environment, which supports rehabilitation and a safer Scotland.\r\nThe decisions made by the UK Government to reduce capital funding in real terms year on year, alongside construction supply chain issues, labour shortages and recent high inflation means that the Scottish Government is having to make difficult decisions in terms of prioritisation of infrastructure projects. Replacing HMP Inverness and HMP Barlinnie remain the current prison infrastructure priorities and work on the replacement for HMP Greenock is unlikely to commence in 2025-26.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416927,"EventID":"S6W-25802","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:54.03","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-23T11:08:42.627","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has held any conversations with canine trainers or behaviourists regarding the support that may be needed to allow owners of XL Bully-type dogs to muzzle train their dogs. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government previously engaged with key dog control interests in Scotland, including canine trainers and behaviourists, to help assess the principle of introducing new safeguards for XL Bully dogs, and we continue to regularly engage with a wide range of stakeholders to consider the impact of the new safeguards and to consider whether any additional support is needed \r\nThe Scottish Government understands the concerns expressed by dog owners about the impact that the new controls may have on their dogs. The Scottish Government takes animal welfare very seriously and is committed to the highest possible welfare standards. There is however a balance to be struck between protecting animal welfare and protecting public safety. \r\nHelpful and practical support and guidance has been published on the Mygov.scot website (  XL Bully dogs in Scotland - mygov.scot  ) to ensure owners are made aware of how to comply with the new safeguards on XL Bully dogs. \r\nThat Mygov.scot webpage contains links to the support available from both the Dogs Trust and PDSA to assist with muzzle training XL Bully dogs.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416928,"EventID":"S6W-25775","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:54.123","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T15:55:16.167","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any progress regarding the Winchburgh railway station development.","AnswerText":"Whilst the Scottish Government is supportive of a new station in Winchburgh, it is our understanding of the station proposal that it is and has always been a developer led station, as outlined in Winchburgh Developments Ltd.’s original Masterplan for further development.\r\nI can confirm, the Scottish Government welcomes the collaborative, multi-stakeholder approach and I and my officials in Transport Scotland will continue to support the process of exploring options for the delivery of a new station at Winchburgh.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416929,"EventID":"S6W-25773","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:54.25","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T15:53:40.557","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that children and young people who have experienced trauma or adverse childhood experiences are provided with appropriate support and guidance during the disclosure process.","AnswerText":"I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:\r\nDisclosure Scotland has reviewed its letters, in connection with the consideration for listing (barring) process, to ensure they are written in Plain English and easier to understand. We have removed much of the ‘legal jargon’ where possible (not just for those who have experienced childhood trauma but for all individuals). We have also recently reviewed our letters which set out the reasons for listing to ensure these are easier to understand, again with less legal reference where possible. During the formal consideration process if we identify a potential vulnerability (which is not restricted to a history of care experience), Disclosure Scotland will reach out to relevant professionals, such as a social worker, to ensure we are communicating with the individual in the most appropriate and supportive way.\r\nNew processes for review applications under the Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 are due to be implemented in April 2025. Disclosure Scotland is engaging with Who Cares? Scotland, Children and Young People's Centre for Justice and Clan Childlaw about the effect on people who had justice-experience in childhood.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416930,"EventID":"S6W-25793","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:54.343","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T16:07:57.593","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Standard 1 within the National Neurodevelopmental Specification for Children and Young People: Principles and Standards of Care, which was published in September 2021, that a first appointment for all children and young people who have been identified as needing a neurodevelopmental assessment should take place \"as soon as possible and no later than 4 weeks from identification of need\", whether waiting times for first appointments are routinely published.","AnswerText":"We do not routinely publish waiting times for neurodevelopmental assessments.\r\nAs many children and young people do not meet diagnostic criteria for a neurodevelopmental disorder and their needs will change over time, the Scottish Government believe that the focus should be on identifying needs and the support they require within the framework of Getting It Right for Every Child (GIRFEC). \r\nAs described in the  National Neurodevelopmental Specification  , we expect NHS Boards and Children's Services partners to work towards implementing the standards outlined. The Specification makes clear that support should be put in place to meet the child or young person’s requirements when they need it, rather than be dependent on a formal diagnosis. For many children and young people, such support is likely to be community based, and should be quickly and easily accessible.\r\nWe are working with NHS Health Boards and Local Authorities to enhance support for neurodivergent children and young people, including how quickly they can access support. We have also funded five tests of change focussing on various aspects of the Specification, including improving multi-agency working. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416931,"EventID":"S6W-25757","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5866,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:54.423","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T15:01:29.777","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to address the lack of a uniform approach across Scotland for the treatment of people with severe asthma, and the particular problems for smaller centres, as highlighted in the Respiratory Care Action Plan 2021-2026.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government’s  Respiratory Care Action Plan for Scotland  sets out our priorities and commitments for driving improvement in the prevention, diagnosis, care, treatment and support of people living with respiratory conditions such as severe asthma.\r\nAs part of work to improve the care for people living with severe asthma, the Centre for Sustainable Delivery is developing a ‘once for Scotland’ severe asthma pathway which will streamline access to advanced therapies and specialist care. This project aims to identify people with severe asthma in the community who are struggling to manage their condition and at high risk of a poor outcome and will provide a clear referral pathway through to specialist services.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":416932,"EventID":"S6W-25790","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:54.5","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T16:04:34.223","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in implementing the National Guidance for Child Protection.","AnswerText":"Good progress is being made in implementing the  national-guidance-child-protection-scotland-2021-updated-2023.pdf (www.gov.scot)  , which was published in 2021 and updated in 2023.\r\nA National Child Protection Guidance Implementation Group was established in September 2021 for a period of 2 years to provide strategic oversight and offer support to local areas as they implemented the national guidance. A Monitoring and Evaluation subgroup of this implementation group was established to consider how to evaluate local and national implementation of the Guidance. The subgroup developed a self-evaluation tool for local Child Protection Committees (CPCs) to assess progress with implementation. The tool was completed by all CPCs in Autumn 2023 and the findings were analysed by the Centre for Excellence in Children’s Care and Protection (CELCIS) with the support of Scottish Government and the Care Inspectorate. This analysis identifies where progress has been made and where continuing changes and adaptations are required, and will be published on the CELCIS website in the near future.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416933,"EventID":"S6W-25766","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:54.577","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T15:53:40.557","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support and resources are available to children and young people who are affected by disclosure processes, particularly in cases involving sensitive information or past trauma.","AnswerText":"I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:\r\nDisclosure Scotland work closely with organisations regarding supporting children and young people with information on the disclosure processes. This is to ensure that children and young people have the information they need to understand the disclosure process and to inform those supporting them on their journey. This work includes publication of information on supporting learners who have offended and what education practitioners should know as part of a suite of resources available on the Education Scotland website. We also collaborate with Who Cares? Scotland on disclosure matters and have produced some short videos providing information on key areas that have caused concern to care-experienced young people such as application completion and what the consideration for listing (barring) process is. This information is available on the  \"disclosure scotland\" - Who Cares? Scotland (whocaresscotland.org)  .\r\nDuring the formal consideration for listing (barring) process, if Disclosure Scotland identify a potential vulnerability, we will engage with relevant professionals such as social workers, to ensure we are communicating with the individual in the most appropriate and supportive way.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416934,"EventID":"S6W-25799","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:54.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-23T10:34:36.03","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis has been undertaken of the potential impact of short-term let regulations on the Scottish tourism sector and visitor economy, including on (a) visitor attractions, (b) activity providers, (c) service providers and (d) hospitality venues, and, if it is the case that no such analysis has been undertaken, what plans there are to do so. ","AnswerText":"We have published a Business Regulatory Impact Assessment, which is available on the Scottish Government website at:  https://www.gov.scot/publications/short-term-lets-business-regulatory-impact-assessment/ \r\nI also refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25506 on 28 February 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416935,"EventID":"S6W-25751","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:54.72","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T13:55:52.983","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that fibromyalgia patients are aware of the availability of Attendance Allowance.","AnswerText":"It is a fundamental priority for the Scottish Government to ensure that people take up their full entitlement to social security benefits. This includes UK reserved benefits such as Attendance Allowance, where promotion and delivery remains the responsibility of the Department for Work and Pensions.\r\nWelfare advice services work closely with people across Scotland who may be entitled to benefits but have not yet applied. This year, we have allocated funding of £12.5 million to support free income maximisation, welfare and debt advice services, helping people to access social security and maximise incomes.\r\nSocial Security Scotland also work extensively with local and national stakeholders to promote Scottish payments. This includes engagement with a group of stakeholders representing Energy Limited Chronic Illnesses, which brings together a number of organisations supporting people with fibromyalgia.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416936,"EventID":"S6W-25796","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:54.797","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-23T10:29:01.283","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to reserving a portion of future Barnett consequential funding as an additional top-up for local authorities, in light of the reported funding pressures experienced by several local authorities.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the challenging financial circumstances that local authorities, and indeed the entire public sector are currently facing.\r\nThese challenges were considered and reflected in the Scottish Budget which will provide local authorities with record funding of over £14 billion in 2024-25, including £600.6 million of additional revenue funding.\r\nBarnett consequentials accrued to the Scottish Government are added to the total available funding available to Scottish Ministers. It is then for Scottish Ministers to decide how all the resources available to them should be allocated. However, subject to the outcome of the UK Government Spring Budget, the Scottish Government has committed to pass on up to £62.7 million of additional funding directly to local government alongside any consequentials received for increased teacher pension employer contributions.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416937,"EventID":"S6W-25769","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:54.89","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T15:53:40.557","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that disclosure processes are accessible and understandable for children and young people, including those (a) from diverse backgrounds and (b) with additional support needs.","AnswerText":"I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:\r\nDisclosure Scotland’s current forms of guidance are primarily available online as either informative webpages or downloadable documents. Where possible, we draft our guidance for a reading age of 9-11. Before these are published, we review both their form and content to ensure they are suitable for users of differing needs, this includes:compatibility with screen reading software,use of accessible colour schemes and text fonts for ease of reading,use of clear demonstrative graphics to illustrate key points and making using of Alt Text function to ensure these images can be understood by screen reading software.\r\nWe have also begun publishing short infographic guidance videos which summarise key points on safeguarding and the disclosure process for all stakeholders, ensuring that they follow the same accessibility principles laid out previously. These guidance videos include narrations and full captions.\r\nWe are reviewing the guidance and support we provide as part of the implementation work for the Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020. Last year we collaborated with 102 organisations, including organisations who work with and advocate for children and young people, to review proposed new guidance, collect feedback on what improvements we can make and on what new forms of guidance would be effective in communicating any changes to safeguarding processes. This feedback from our stakeholders is informing the design of guidance and support that will be published for the implementation of the Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 for both organisations and individuals.\r\nWhen making changes to our digital service delivery, we consider all aspects of the Digital Scotland Service Standard to ensure our digital system is built around different users and their needs and that they are accessible and inclusive for everyone. We are subject to independent assurance from the Digital Assurance Office with our public facing services to ensure we align to these standards. Although ‘digital first’ is our strategy for service delivery, not everyone can use digital Government services. We will deliver improvements to our assisted digital journey as part of the Disclosure Act implementation.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416938,"EventID":"S6W-25762","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:54.953","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T15:53:40.557","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the average length of time between a disclosure check application being received by Disclosure Scotland and the provision of disclosure information was in each year since 2016.","AnswerText":"I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:\r\nThe following table details average number of days to process disclosure applications, by application type, from 2016 to 2023: \r\n2016\r\n2017\r\n2018\r\n2019\r\n2020\r\n2021\r\n2022\r\n2023\r\nBasic disclosure\r\n4.0\r\n3.9\r\n2.9\r\n5.5\r\n7.2\r\n6.0\r\n3.4\r\n5.9\r\nStandard and enhanced disclosures\r\n5.6\r\n5.3\r\n4.8\r\n7.7\r\n8.1\r\n7.2\r\n5.1\r\n7.4\r\nPVG scheme record\r\n5.1\r\n4.7\r\n4.5\r\n9.2\r\n9.0\r\n7.1\r\n6.3\r\n8.4\r\nPVG scheme record update\r\n2.7\r\n2.1\r\n2.3\r\n6.9\r\n8.5\r\n6.9\r\n6.4\r\n8.5\r\nPVG scheme membership statement\r\n5.3\r\n4.9\r\n4.8\r\n9.4\r\n5.9\r\n3.9\r\n2.2\r\n2.9\r\nPVG scheme membership statement (countersigned)\r\n4.2\r\n3.4\r\n3.8\r\n7.8\r\n6.8\r\n4.6\r\n3.8\r\n4.2\r\nTotal\r\n4.0\r\n3.8\r\n3.2\r\n6.9\r\n7.9\r\n6.5\r\n4.9\r\n7.3\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416939,"EventID":"S6W-25774","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:55.03","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T15:55:16.167","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to decarbonise the Fife Circle rail route.","AnswerText":"Plans for decarbonisation of the Fife Circle are in development. It is expected this will be one of the next parts of the Scottish network to be decarbonised, after the current work to electrify the East Kilbride line. The scope of the work in Fife will be developed and appraised alongside consideration of new battery-electric trains.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416940,"EventID":"S6W-25763","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:55.123","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T15:53:40.557","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that Disclosure Scotland processes checks efficiently while maintaining accuracy and thoroughness.","AnswerText":"I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:\r\nDisclosure Scotland is focused on providing reliable safeguarding outcomes for the public. It plans and regularly reviews service delivery performance to meet the Service Level Agreement. The process includes a range of system and human validation checks to ensure the accuracy of the information disclosed along with a comprehensive programme of training and performance management.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416941,"EventID":"S6W-25778","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:55.22","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T16:04:34.223","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it can provide on how much funding it has (a) allocated and (b) distributed for community-based youth services to each local authority since 2016.","AnswerText":"Community youth work remains an important pillar of local authority provision. The Scottish Government utilises a Block Grant system, affording local authorities significant autonomy in allocating financial resources, including those designated for youth work. This approach empowers councils to prioritise local needs and tailor services accordingly, while fulfilling mandatory obligations and adhering to nationally-agreed priorities. Transparency is ensured through annually-published breakdowns of spending on the Scottish Government website.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416942,"EventID":"S6W-25786","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:55.313","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T16:04:34.223","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how children’s rights and their voices are taken into account in decisions related to home education, including to ensure that such children are adequately protected.","AnswerText":"In line with the  Scottish Government home education guidance  , choosing to home educate in itself should not be seen as a child protection concern, and local authorities should not treat it as such. The guidance encourages an annual meeting between home educating families and the local authority to discuss the ongoing education provision for the child, and recommends that the child should be given the opportunity to attend that meeting to express their views, but this is not compulsory.\r\nIf, from whatever source, an authority becomes aware of concerns about the home education of any child, outwith the normal contact time, they will need to gather the necessary information in order to form a view on whether those concerns are justified or whether the parents are providing an efficient education suitable to the age, ability and aptitude of the child.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416943,"EventID":"S6W-25791","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:55.407","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T16:04:34.223","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will engage with children and young people in developing and reviewing child protection policies and services.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government aims to engage with children and young people wherever appropriate during the development and review of child protection policies and services.\r\nThroughout the recently updated ,  national-guidance-child-protection-scotland-2021-updated-2023.pdf (www.gov.scot)  it is continuously emphasised that at a local level, staff working in child protection should engage positively with children and families during delivery of services. A resource is also currently being developed by Scottish Government in collaboration with the Centre for Excellence for Children’s Care and Protection (CELCIS) which will provide an accessible source of information on the guidance specifically for children, young people and families. This resource is being co-designed with children and young people.\r\nThe Bairns’ Hoose  Bairns' Hoose - Children and Young People Participation and Engagement Plan (www.gov.scot)  describes how children and young people will be involved in the development and implementation of the Bairns’ Hoose in Scotland.\r\nMore broadly, the Children and Young People’s Participation Framework offers an approach that ensures a range of children and young people are involved in the wider work of the Scottish Government. This includes a particular focus on those identified as being seldom heard, furthest from their rights, or vulnerable because of factors related to their personal development, features of their family life, or because of wider influences that impact on them within their community. Any engagement with children and young people around child protection policies and services will follow the principles of the CYP Participation Framework.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416944,"EventID":"S6W-25767","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:55.673","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T15:53:40.557","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what training and guidance are provided to professionals who work with children and young people regarding the disclosure process and safeguarding procedures.","AnswerText":"I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:\r\nDisclosure Scotland run regular training courses aimed at organisations who work with children and young people and cover a range of topics regarding safeguarding and working with children and young people.\r\nWe also target newly registered organisations and signatories to ensure that they have a fuller understanding of safeguarding processes when they start to use disclosure products including the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme.\r\nSince 2019, Disclosure Scotland have held 198 events to support organisations in understanding their legal duties in relation to PVG referrals about people who have displayed harmful behaviour towards children and young people. These have been attended by 1978 delegates from 979 different organisations.\r\nWe have also run 129 events entitled “Helping Employers Recruit Fairly” which aims to broaden the understanding of information disclosed by Disclosure Scotland, how to implement better risk assessment processes and make informed recruitment decisions. These have been attended by 1402 delegates from 390 different organisations.\r\nAll of Disclosure Scotland’s training products provide delegates with a range of materials to support their role in working with children and young people including links to downloadable guidance that is regularly reviewed and updated to ensure organisations have access to the most up to date information.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416945,"EventID":"S6W-25782","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:55.75","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T16:04:34.223","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many young people are currently educated at home in Scotland. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of children and young people who are home educating in Scotland.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416946,"EventID":"S6W-25780","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:55.873","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T16:04:34.223","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to address any existing financial barriers or challenges faced by youth workers and community-based youth services in delivering effective support to children and young people.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government utilises a Block Grant system, affording local authorities significant autonomy in allocating financial resources, including those designated for youth work. This approach empowers councils to prioritise local needs and tailor services accordingly, while fulfilling mandatory obligations and adhering to nationally-agreed priorities.\r\nExamples of direct Scottish Government support include:£106m+ to 115 organisations, supporting children and families across Scotland from our Children, Young People, Families Early Intervention and Adult Learning and Empowering Communities Third Sector Fund (CYPFEI & ALEC) since its launch in 2016. £6m in core funding to 22 new organisations supporting children, families, young people and adult learners from our Children, Young People, Families and Adult Learning Third Sector Fund in 2023-24.£19m to support 72,000 young people through youth work from the CashBack for Communities Fund over the last three years.A further commitment of up to £20m from our CashBack for Communities Fund for 2023-26 to provide support to 29 youth work organisations to deliver a wide range of trauma-informed and person-centred services and activities for young people.£1m+ to YouthLink Scotland and Youth Scotland in 2023-24 to support core funding and provide high quality training with a focus on equality and inclusion for youth work staff and volunteers.£1m of capital investment in digital inclusion between 2022-24 for community learning providers, including youth work organisations.\r\nFurthermore, an independent review of Community Learning and Development (CLD), encompassing youth work, was launched in December 2023 and is expected to conclude in June 2024. This review aims to assess the impact of CLD on learners across Scotland, providing valuable insights for the future.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416947,"EventID":"S6W-25777","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:55.97","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T16:04:34.223","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will support professionals and volunteers working in child protection roles to ensure that they have the necessary resources and support.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to making sure that the necessary resources and support are available for professionals and volunteers working in child protection roles.\r\nWe are working with partners and the workforce who support children and families to improve the skills, knowledge and shared values of all those who contribute to the national outcomes for children, young people and families through the implementation of Getting It Right for Every Child, UN Convention of the Rights of the Child, The Promise, and through delivery of our Early Child Development Transformational Change Programme.\r\nThe National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland was updated in August 2023 and supports everyone who works with children, young people and their families in Scotland by outlining responsibilities and expectations regarding child protection. The National Guidance will be updated as necessary to remain up to date with significant legislative, policy or practice changes.\r\nLast year, we commissioned the Scottish Social Services Council to lead on a refresh of the Common Core training framework for the workforce providing support to children, young people and families. The Framework focuses on the core skills, values and learning the workforce requires to deliver holistic family support and rights-based practice in accordance with UNCRC and GIRFEC principles.\r\nWe have also worked with partners on the development of NHS Education for Scotland eLearning resources to support health professionals in their child and adult protection roles. In 2022 four eLearning modules were published on Turas Learn, thereby improving accessibility to high quality learning and consistency in practice across Scotland.\r\nFurthermore, we continue to work with partners to support the workforce to develop a wider trauma-informed approach to the provision of care. As part of the National Trauma Transformation Programme (NTTP), we continue to rollout 'Transforming Connections', a tailored ‘Trauma-Skilled’ level training and coaching package, to people who work alongside care experienced children and young people in priority sectors of the Children and Families workforce in Scotland.\r\nTo support the child protection workforce with learning and development, the Scottish Government is funding a National Learning and Development Co-ordinator post for two years. The post holder has worked with a stakeholder group and Scottish Government colleagues refreshed the National Framework for Child Protection Learning and Development in Scotland, which was published on 1 March 2024, and to develop a range of resources for Child Protection Committees (CPCs) which will be made available on a Knowledge Hub site later in March 2024. CPCs are the key local bodies for developing, implementing and improving child protection strategy across and between agencies, bodies and the local community.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416948,"EventID":"S6W-25800","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:56.047","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-23T11:08:42.627","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-25092 and S6W-25097 by Siobhian Brown on 16 February 2024, what estimate it has made of the potential financial impact over the next five years of the new legislation on XL Bully-type dogs on Police Scotland. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is in regular dialogue with Police Scotland about the new safeguards and will continue this regular dialogue with the first set of safeguards now in force, and the second set due to come into force from 1 August 2024 onwards. This will include ongoing consideration of the operational impacts.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416949,"EventID":"S6W-25768","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:56.157","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T15:53:40.557","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will collaborate with relevant agencies and organisations to ensure that disclosure processes are effective in safeguarding children and young people.","AnswerText":"I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:\r\nDisclosure Scotland run regular training courses aimed at organisations who work with children and young people and cover a range of topics regarding safeguarding and working with children and young people.\r\nWe also target newly registered organisations and signatories to ensure that they have a fuller understanding of safeguarding processes when they start to use disclosure products including the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme.\r\nSince 2019, Disclosure Scotland have held 198 events to support organisations in understanding their legal duties in relation to PVG referrals about people who have displayed harmful behaviour towards children and young people. These have been attended by 1978 delegates from 979 different organisations.\r\nWe have also run 129 events entitled “Helping Employers Recruit Fairly” which aims to broaden the understanding of information disclosed by Disclosure Scotland, how to implement better risk assessment processes and make informed recruitment decisions. These have been attended by 1402 delegates from 390 different organisations.\r\nAll of Disclosure Scotland’s training products provide delegates with a range of materials to support their role in working with children and young people including links to downloadable guidance that is regularly reviewed and updated to ensure organisations have access to the most up to date information.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416950,"EventID":"S6W-25792","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:56.233","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T16:04:34.223","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what initiatives are in place to promote early intervention and prevention of child abuse and neglect.","AnswerText":"Child abuse and neglect have significant detrimental effects on children and young people’s emotional, physical and mental health, social development, education and future employment.\r\nScotland’s approach to child protection is set within the “Getting It Right For Every Child” (GIRFEC) approach to planning and providing support and care to children and families. The GIRFEC approach supports prevention of child abuse and neglect by driving forward a multi-agency approach to working with and supporting children and young people.\r\nThe National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021, updated in 2023, provides information to support practitioners to identify and respond to cases of child abuse and neglect. We are also developing national multi-agency training on inter-agency referral discussions (IRD), which are the start of the formal process of information sharing, assessment, analysis and decision-making following reported concerns about abuse or neglect of a child or young person. This will further support practitioners to prevent and intervene early so risk and harm to children and young people is recognised and acted on quickly and effectively.\r\nWe continue to learn from good practice both in Scotland and internationally to deliver positive action to reduce child abuse and neglect including initiatives like Scotland’s baby box, the Best Start Grant, Best Start Foods, Parent Club and universal free school meals for children from primary 1-5.\r\nWe will continue to work on implementing initiatives to intervene early and prevent child abuse and neglect, ensuring Scotland is the best place in the world for a child or young person to grow up.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416951,"EventID":"S6W-25784","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:56.313","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T16:04:34.223","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it (a) monitors and (b) regulates home education to ensure that such children (i) receive a suitable education and (ii) are adequately protected.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25783 on 11 March 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416952,"EventID":"S6W-25795","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:56.42","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T16:38:10.43","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government with which stakeholders it plans to engage as part of its process of updating guidance on home schooling.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government officials have engaged with the key stakeholder groups in the home education community, as well as local authorities, throughout the process of updating the home education guidance. Part of this engagement involved a consultation exercise with stakeholders, of which the published analysis and a list of stakeholders who responded can be found here:  Home education guidance: consultation analysis - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  . Officials continue to develop plans for engagement ahead of publication this year.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416953,"EventID":"S6W-25722","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:56.5","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T16:10:01.26","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with the GMB trade union to discuss its Heat in Buildings proposals.","AnswerText":"We have not been approached by GMB Union for discussions on our proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill. However, we would be happy to have such a discussion at any time - building on the wide-ranging engagement with stakeholders across Scotland that we have undertaken since our consultation was published.\r\nOur consultation is currently open until 8 March (  Proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill: Consultation - Scottish Government consultations - Citizen Space  ) and we encourage all organisations and households to respond.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416954,"EventID":"S6W-25797","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:56.58","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-23T10:30:23.117","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will detail how it is tackling plastic pollution on beaches.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is tackling marine litter, which often ends up on our beaches, with actions detailed in our Marine Litter Strategy. The Strategy aims to address the amount of litter entering the marine environment, to achieve ecological, economic and social benefits. Our Strategy and action plan was refreshed in September 2022 and focuses on the most problematic types of marine litter including fishing and aquaculture gear, sewage-related debris, and plastic pellets. The Strategy will drive forward our work up to 2027 and co-ordinate the efforts of our stakeholders and partners, working at a national and international level to help tackle this global problem. \r\nThe Strategy covers a wide range of actions, which include: improving the management of end of life fishing and aquaculture gear to reduce litter and improve recycling rates, contributing to our circular economy; working with the UK Government and Devolved Governments to put an end to pollution caused by wet wipes containing plastic, with a UK-wide consultation on a ban on the sale of these items held in Autumn 2023; and developing international solutions to prevent plastic pellet pollution, which can be found on our beaches and risk the health of our marine wildlife. In addition to preventative actions, we support removal of beach litter through funding the work of Local Coastal Partnerships and The Scottish Islands Federation, organisations that support and co-ordinate beach cleans and local community engagement. We also fund litter removal offshore through KIMO’s Fishing for Litter scheme, and at our rivers with Keep Scotland Beautiful’s Upstream Battle project, preventing litter travelling downstream and ultimately reaching our seas and beaches. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416955,"EventID":"S6W-25787","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:56.69","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T16:04:34.223","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what data is collected and maintained regarding child protection concerns and interventions.","AnswerText":"At the present time, the Scottish Government collects and maintains data annually in respect of Child Protection in Scotland. This data is collected and published as part of the annual  Children’s Social Work Statistics  Official Statistics publication. Each Scottish Local Authority  is asked to submit a return  providing information on the children who were involved in the Child Protection process during the year. This includes the following information on Child Protection.\r\n1. Number of Child Protection Investigations and outcomes of the investigation.\r\n2. Number of Child Protection Case Conferences (also known as Child Protection Planning Meetings). This includes the type of Case conference (i.e. Pre-Birth, Initial, Review, Transfer In) and the type of concern(s) identified at the Case Conference (e.g. domestic abuse, parental substance misuse). This also includes the child's primary known/suspected abuser at the time of the Case Conference.\r\n3. Number of children on the Child Protection Register.\r\n4. Number of Child Protection registrations and de-registrations.\r\n5. Sociodemographic details on each child involved in any of the above (age; gender; ethnic group; religion; disability).\r\nIn addition to this, the Children and Families Analysis Team also collects and publishes monthly Management Information data in respect of Child Protection in Scotland. This data is collected and published as part of the monthly  Vulnerable Children and Adult Monitoring Report  data collection and publication. This includes the following information on Child Protection concerns and interventions:\r\n1. Number of child protection concerns and child wellbeing concerns.\r\n2. Number of inter-agency referral discussions.\r\n3. Number of children on the Child Protection Register.\r\n4. Number of Child Protection registrations and de-registrations.\r\n5. Number of registrations where domestic abuse was recorded as a significant factor.\r\n6. Number of referrals to the Reporter on offence and non-offence grounds.\r\n7. Number of arrange Hearing decisions and number of Hearings held.\r\n8. Number of Compulsory Supervision Orders granted.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416956,"EventID":"S6W-25721","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:56.783","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T16:10:01.26","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with Unite the Union to discuss its Heat in Buildings proposals.","AnswerText":"We have not been approached by Unite the Union for discussions on our proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill. However, we would be happy to have such a discussion at any time - building on the wide-ranging engagement with stakeholders across Scotland that we have undertaken since our consultation was published.\r\nOur consultation is currently open until 8 March (  Proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill: Consultation - Scottish Government consultations - Citizen Space  ) and we encourage all organisations and households to respond.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416957,"EventID":"S6W-25801","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:56.863","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-23T11:08:42.627","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25094 by Siobhian Brown on 16 February 2024, whether it is using the population estimate of 5,000 XL Bully-type dogs in Scotland as the basis for its estimates of the financial impact of the new regulations. ","AnswerText":"It is not known how many XL Bully dogs there are in Scotland. This is within the context of an unknown number of XL Bully dogs in the UK as a whole. \r\nWhile estimates are challenging, for the purposes of the new safeguards being introduced, the Scottish Government is suggesting that approximately between 5,000 to 15,000 XL Bully dogs may be in Scotland. This estimate carries with it a considerable degree of uncertainty and reflects an estimated range of 50,000 to 150,000 XL Bully dogs in England and Wales.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416958,"EventID":"S6W-25785","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:56.94","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T16:04:34.223","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support and resources are available for parents who choose to educate their children at home.","AnswerText":"Parents/guardians who make the choice to home educate take on full responsibility for providing a suitable and efficient education for their child(ren) in place of the local education authority.\r\nScottish Ministers encourage local authorities and parents to work together to develop a positive relationship that functions in the best educational interests of the child. As set out in the  Scottish Government home education guidance  , local authorities are encouraged to take a reasonable approach and make available any resources or support that they can offer. Responsibility for the provision of home education rests with the parent/guardian of the child, however a local authority may be able to provide support at their discretion.\r\nThe Scottish Government encourages parents/guardians to refer to the  Scottish Government home education guidance  and liaise with their local authority to find out what support may be available to them.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416959,"EventID":"S6W-25776","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:57.05","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T15:55:16.167","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24336 by Fiona Hyslop on 30 January 2024, whether it will provide an update on what progress is being made to replace the existing High Speed Train (HST) rolling stock, in light of the reported safety concerns of their ongoing operation.","AnswerText":"High Speed Trains (HSTs) meet the stringent safety requirements necessary to operate on the GB rail network.\r\nThe independent railway safety regulator confirms these trains remain safe to run, which was also confirmed by the Scottish Carmont Steering Group\r\nReplacing the HSTs is recognised as a priority and work is underway now to identify the optimum replacement option.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416960,"EventID":"S6W-25761","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:57.143","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T15:53:40.557","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many disclosure checks have been processed by Disclosure Scotland in each year since 2016.","AnswerText":"I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:\r\nThe following table details processed disclosure applications, by application type, from 2016 to 2023: \r\n2016\r\n2017\r\n2018\r\n2019\r\n2020\r\n2021\r\n2022\r\n2023\r\nBasic disclosure\r\n1,509,827\r\n1,718,798\r\n348,404\r\n260,633\r\n226,152\r\n295,200\r\n275,546\r\n257,145\r\nStandard and enhanced disclosures\r\n22,554\r\n22,639\r\n21,468\r\n21,936\r\n20,955\r\n29,338\r\n34,128\r\n26,578\r\nPVG scheme record\r\n151,467\r\n140,717\r\n131,383\r\n131,816\r\n99,057\r\n139,179\r\n152,463\r\n156,219\r\nPVG scheme record update\r\n132,513\r\n143,788\r\n143,853\r\n149,187\r\n113,441\r\n144,549\r\n150,063\r\n145,550\r\nScheme membership statement\r\n1,323\r\n1,410\r\n1,390\r\n1,187\r\n779\r\n1,048\r\n1,007\r\n1,035\r\nScheme membership statement (countersigned)\r\n895\r\n951\r\n911\r\n791\r\n663\r\n941\r\n1,166\r\n1,515\r\nTotal\r\n1,818,579\r\n2,028,303\r\n647,409\r\n565,550\r\n461,047\r\n610,255\r\n614,373\r\n588,042\r\n \r\nNote 1: A processed application incorporates all stages between an application being received and processed though to conclusion with a paper or digital certificate being issued.\r\nNote 2: The decrease in the number of processed applications in 2018 reflects the delegation of English basic disclosures to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) from 2018 onwards.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416961,"EventID":"S6W-25779","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:57.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T16:04:34.223","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its review of the statutory basis for community learning and development, including how it aims to strengthen provision and provide greater financial protection for its delivery.","AnswerText":"An independent review of Community Learning and Development (CLD) was launched in December 2023 and is expected to conclude in June 2024. This review aims to assess the impact of CLD on learners across Scotland and is likely to consider the regulatory framework alongside other aspects of the current approach to CLD, taking the original commitment further and providing valuable insights for the future.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416962,"EventID":"S6W-25771","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:57.283","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T15:53:40.557","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what initiatives are in place to raise awareness among children and young people about their rights and responsibilities regarding disclosure and safeguarding.","AnswerText":"I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:\r\nDisclosure Scotland leads the Scotland Works for You group. The group includes organisations from the public, private and third sector to improve access to employment for people with convictions.\r\nScotland Works for You offers advice for people with convictions, help with disclosure applications required for employment, education or volunteering, and training for employers to help them assess people's convictions. This guidance sets out that most disclosure periods and, in relation to standard, enhanced and PVG scheme record disclosures, the additional period a spent conviction can be disclosed is halved where a person was convicted aged under 18. Separate guidance is not provided specific to children.\r\nAs part of our responsibilities as a Corporate Parent, Disclosure Scotland has worked with Who Cares? Scotland and have produced some short videos providing information on key areas that have caused concern such as application completion and what the consideration for listing (barring) process is. This information is available on the  \"disclosure scotland\" - Who Cares? Scotland (whocaresscotland.org)  .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":416963,"EventID":"S6W-25765","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-26T16:58:57.363","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T15:53:40.557","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the needs of children and young people are taken into consideration during the disclosure process to ensure their safety and wellbeing.","AnswerText":"I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:\r\nDisclosure Scotland work closely with organisations regarding supporting children and young people with information on the disclosure processes. This is to ensure that children and young people have the information they need to understand the disclosure process and to inform those supporting them on their journey. This work includes publication of information on supporting learners who have offended and what education practitioners should know as part of a suite of resources available on the Education Scotland website. We also collaborate with Who Cares? Scotland on disclosure matters and have produced some short videos providing information on key areas that have caused concern to care-experienced young people such as application completion and what the consideration for listing (barring) process is. This information is available on the.  \"disclosure scotland\" - Who Cares? Scotland (whocaresscotland.org) \r\nDuring the formal consideration for listing (barring) process, if Disclosure Scotland identify a potential vulnerability, we will engage with relevant professionals such as social workers, to ensure we are communicating with the individual in the most appropriate and supportive way.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417004,"EventID":"S6W-25841","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-27T17:01:54.907","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-26T13:22:30.18","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24886 by Michael Matheson on 5 February 2024, whether clinical outcomes are reviewed monthly to assess the reasons for any mental health incidents reported to NHS 24 not being triaged.","AnswerText":"Clinical outcomes are reported monthly and any clinical mental health incidents reported to NHS 24, through any feedback channel, will receive a full investigation and clinical review. \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417005,"EventID":"S6W-25810","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-27T17:01:55.017","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-23T14:27:05.37","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to review the Microchipping of Dogs (Scotland) Regulations 2016, with particular consideration given to enforcement, consistency of processes and punishments across local authorities.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not currently have plans to review  The Microchipping of Dogs (Scotland) Regulations 2016 \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417006,"EventID":"S6W-25806","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-27T17:01:55.08","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-23T13:33:03.21","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason Care Inspectorate employees are reportedly still waiting to receive a 2023-24 pay offer, in light of employees of similar organisations, including Scottish Government civil servants, having already received pay offers for this financial year.","AnswerText":"I can confirm that the Care Inspectorate made a pay award offer for financial years 2023-24 and 2024-25 during week commencing 19 February 2024. There has been some variation in the timing of pay award offers due to differing governance processes and arrangements across Non-Departmental Public Bodies and Scottish Government departments.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417007,"EventID":"S6W-25820","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-27T17:01:55.14","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-24T20:26:37.76","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of swimming lesson provision in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools. ","AnswerText":"Schools in Scotland have the flexibility to decide on the content of their physical education lessons. The Scottish Government does not specifically evaluate the extent to which swimming lessons form a part of those decisions.\r\nWe know that some local authorities offer swimming lessons as part of their physical education classes. In other cases, schools may take into account a range of factors, including the time that is required to travel to a swimming pool, in deciding against offering swimming lessons as part of PE.\r\nHowever, the Scottish Government has been working with Scottish Swimming, Education Scotland and other stakeholders to develop interventions and approaches to provide opportunities for children to become confident, competent and safer swimmers.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417008,"EventID":"S6W-25815","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-27T17:01:55.313","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-23T15:23:05.637","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects that its digital strategy for education will be published.","AnswerText":"The commitment to develop a new digital strategy for education was made in the 2023 Programme for Government and is expected to complete by Autumn 2024.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417009,"EventID":"S6W-25809","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-27T17:01:55.39","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-23T14:11:57.147","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24987 by Lorna Slater on 21 February 2024, what reasons were provided by schools for not taking part in the project.","AnswerText":"Zero Waste Scotland advise that the limited participation was likely due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Further information would be available from Zero Waste Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417010,"EventID":"S6W-25840","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-27T17:01:55.483","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-26T13:06:57.213","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25091 by Siobhian Brown on 16 February 2024, what specialist training is required for Scottish Fire and Rescue Service officers regarding large battery storage unit sites.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) undertakes Training for Operational Competence on Lithium-ION batteries as a standalone training module and has an electricity module which includes battery storage unit sites. SFRS consults both internal and external subject matter experts to ensure that all latest technologies, developments, lessons learned, and health and safety events are captured to ensure firefighter and public safety.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417011,"EventID":"S6W-25619","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-27T17:01:55.593","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-16T16:26:08.61","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the funding that it provides to bus companies to subsidise the Young Persons’ (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel Scheme, for what reason local authorities are reportedly unable to access this, or similar, funding to meet school transport costs, and whether it will consider allowing local authorities to access such funding to meet these costs.","AnswerText":"The National Bus Travel Concession Scheme for Young Persons provides free travel on local registered bus services and long distance bus services throughout Scotland. Dedicated school transport services do not fall within the definition of eligible services set out in the legislation as they are generally not registered as local bus services or available to members of the public. Local authorities receive funding via the local government block grant to enable them to meet their statutory obligations, including the provision of home to school transport.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417012,"EventID":"S6W-25798","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-27T17:01:55.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-23T10:34:36.03","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government to what extent it has considered, ahead of the implementation update for short-term let licensing, the recommendation proposed by the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers to decouple planning from short-term let licensing legislation, in light of the reported difficulties faced by businesses in their applications and the impact on lending to the sector.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is aware of the proposals put forward by the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers and will issue a response to it in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417013,"EventID":"S6W-25819","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-27T17:01:55.703","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-24T08:46:17.23","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many age-appropriate inpatient mental health beds for children and young people each NHS board currently has.","AnswerText":"There are currently 54 Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) inpatient beds across Scotland for children and adolescents. \r\nForty eight of these beds are commissioned on a regional basis. These are split across:North of Scotland Region - Dudhope Young People’s Inpatient Unit - 12 beds;South and East Region - Melville Young People’s Mental Health Unit - 12 beds;West Region Skye House Adolescent Inpatient Unit - 24 beds.\r\nThese units admit children and young people from Health Boards in that region, with the flexibility to admit from other regions if the unit closest to a child or young person is full. \r\nAdditionally, the National Child Psychiatry Inpatient Unit in the Glasgow Royal Hospital for Children has 6 beds for children under 12 years and admits children from across Scotland, based on clinical need. This includes one to two national beds for children with profound learning disabilities and mental health disorders.\r\nThe National Adolescent Secure Inpatient Unit, Foxgrove, is due to open later in 2024 and initially will provide 4 beds for young people who require care in an inpatient setting with medium levels of security.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417014,"EventID":"S6W-25812","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-27T17:01:55.75","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-23T14:27:40.29","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many dogs that have been taken in by enforcement agencies, in each of the last five years, were (a) microchipped, (b) not microchipped and (c) microchipped but without up-to-date details.","AnswerText":"As per my response to S6W-25811 on 8 March 2024 the Scottish Government does not hold this information, it is a matter for the relevant enforcement agency.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417015,"EventID":"S6W-25826","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-27T17:01:55.813","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-25T00:07:32.693","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of any products currently manufactured in Scotland that are exported to Israel and subject to open general export licences (OGELs) issued by the Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU), which is part of the UK Government Department for Business and Trade.","AnswerText":"Open general export licences (OGELs) are reserved to the UK Government. The Scottish Government does not hold data or information on OGELs.\r\nIn a wider context, the First Minister has recently asked the Prime Minister for a ban on licencing of arms exports from the UK to Israel, which would also extend to any relevant products currently manufactured in Scotland.\r\nThe UK Government publishes statistics on strategic export licences at:  Strategic export controls: licensing data annual reports - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)  However, these data sets do not identify where the licenced items are produced.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417016,"EventID":"S6W-25827","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-27T17:01:55.86","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-25T10:12:40.74","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of reports that some charitable organisations gave all of their staff three months redundancy notice on the first working day of 2024 due to uncertainties over grant funding for the next financial year. ","AnswerText":"We are aware that many third sector organisations issue three-month notices to staff that are funded through grants to inform them that they are at risk of redundancy should funding not continue.\r\nIn recognition of the impact that this can have, grant managers across the Scottish Government aim to inform organisations of funding arrangements as early as possible and, ideally, before the end of calendar year to avoid the need for redundancy notices.\r\nRegrettably, the late timing of the UK Government Autumn Statement and the catastrophic cuts to Scotland’s block-grant have caused unavoidable delays in finalising budgets for 24-25. As a result we have been, as yet, unable to notify many third sector organisations of their future funding.\r\nIn line with our Fairer Funding commitments, we are working to do so as soon as soon as is practically possible and before the end of March 2024 for funding that starts on 1 April. Grant managers are engaging with organisations to provide as much support and assurance as possible.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417017,"EventID":"S6W-25814","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-27T17:01:55.907","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-23T15:18:15.953","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24966 by Jenny Gilruth on 21 February 2024, whether it has undertaken any work to establish whether any local authorities used the £145 million allocated for the protection of teacher numbers for any other purposes. ","AnswerText":"As indicated in the answer to S6W- 24966, we asked the local authorities that did not maintain teacher numbers in the 2023 teacher census to provide an explanation for these reductions and any mitigating circumstances they wished to put forward.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417018,"EventID":"S6W-25823","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-27T17:01:55.97","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-24T20:39:07.81","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many requests were made for non-urgent patient transfers to NHS appointments in (a) 2018-19 and (b) 2022-23.","AnswerText":"The information that has been requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417019,"EventID":"S6W-25822","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-27T17:01:56.047","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-24T20:29:12.23","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of NHS patient transport.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises that Transport plays an important role in supporting patients’ health journeys and the Scottish Government has recently prepared a draft Transport to Health delivery plan which has commitments against transport and healthcare across the work of Health Boards, Regional Transport Partnerships, Health and Social Care and Transport Scotland. \r\nAll Health Boards should consider patient transport needs when they plan and deliver services and must ensure Patients have access to all information on any relevant patient transport (including community transport) and travel reimbursement entitlement.\r\nThe Scottish Government greatly values the Community Transport sector’s work helping older and disabled people to access GP or hospital appointments and live happier, healthier and more independent lives for longer in their own homes and communities.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417020,"EventID":"S6W-25825","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-27T17:01:56.093","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-24T23:44:55.933","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the recent statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy that the Scottish Government is \"investing £24 million in Sumitomo Energy\", whether it will confirm what debt or equity investment stake the Scottish Government has acquired in Sumitomo Corporation.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and Scottish Enterprise (SE) have approved up to £24.5m in grant funding to the Sumitomo Electric UK Ltd high voltage cable manufacturing project. This comprises £19.37m in Scottish Government funding, £4.6m from HIE and £0.53m from SE.\r\nThe project will create around 330 jobs and bring £350 million inward investment to Scotland. This major investment in the Highlands will support the delivery of the First Minister’s flagship commitment of up to £500 million over five years to anchor our offshore wind supply chain and create good, green jobs.\r\nThe grant support was essential to progressing this significant investment into our renewable energy future. As a global player in the offshore cable market, Sumitomo’s decision to invest in Scotland required support to ensure that the case for the creation a new facility in Scotland could be considered competitively alongside alternative locations across the globe. Sumitomo’s Scottish Highlands investment is their first in Europe, and an indicator of the attractiveness of Scotland as a place to do business in what is a globally competitive market.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417021,"EventID":"S6W-25842","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-27T17:01:56.157","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-26T13:22:30.18","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24886 by Michael Matheson on 5 February 2024, whether it will provide details of how exactly frontline staff are supervised and supported to improve their knowledge, in respect of mental health.","AnswerText":"All frontline staff have monthly call reviews and one-to-one meetings with their line manager, real time clinical supervision and coaching with debrief sessions at the end of each shift. This is in addition to mandatory e-learning and personal development plans.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417022,"EventID":"S6W-25824","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-27T17:01:56.22","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-24T20:43:08.947","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many requests for non-urgent patient transfers to NHS appointments that were made in (a) 2018-19 and (b) 2022-23 were refused.","AnswerText":"The information that has been requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417023,"EventID":"S6W-25832","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-27T17:01:56.283","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-26T09:24:45.373","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government in what ways it encourages the installation of solar photovoltaic and battery energy storage. ","AnswerText":"Actions which we have taken and are undertaking to enable greater deployment of solar in Scotland are provided in Annex G of the draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan.\r\nThrough our Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan Scheme, domestic owner occupiers in Scotland can claim funding for solar PV and energy storage systems. More information can be found on the HES website -  Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan: overview · Home Energy Scotland  .\r\nAs part of its programme, the Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) provides rolling funding which supports communities, charities, and faith organisations to decarbonise their buildings and reduce energy bills. This includes solar PV and energy storage, where decarbonised heating has also been installed.  Let's Do Net Zero Community Buildings Fund · Local Energy Scotland \r\nTo support the development of battery energy storage solutions (BESS), the Scottish National Investment Bank (SNIB) has already invested £6.6 million in Aberdeen-based firm Verlume, whose multi-use BESS technology uses intelligent energy management to deliver a constant output of power from renewable sources.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417024,"EventID":"S6W-25808","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-27T17:01:56.323","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-23T14:11:23.96","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24995 by Lorna Slater on 21 February 2024, what its position is on whether an updated estimate of the cost of food waste would be useful in illustrating any benefits for households of reducing food waste.","AnswerText":"Based on 2021 UK food waste levels, the Waste Resources Action Programme has highlighted that food waste costs a four-person household around £1,000 a year. Available evidence indicates that reductions in food waste lead to cost-savings for households and businesses. As part of resetting our approach to tackle food waste set out in our Circular Economy and Waste Route Map proposals, we will continue to prioritise efforts to support householders to tackle food waste and highlight the range of benefits this would deliver, through the development and delivery of a food waste reduction intervention plan for households. We will continue to work in partnership with Zero Waste Scotland and other stakeholders to consider any further evidence that may be helpful.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417025,"EventID":"S6W-25838","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-27T17:01:56.383","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-26T12:15:07.66","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported gaps in the delivery of traditional building skills training and concerns regarding the importance of these skills in maintaining the built environment, whether it will commit to a review of traditional building skills training delivery programming across Scotland.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25489 on 9 March 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417026,"EventID":"S6W-25804","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-27T17:01:56.433","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-23T13:33:03.21","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported concerns that the Care Inspectorate has not yet made a formal pay offer to employees for the 2023-24 financial year.","AnswerText":"I understand that there has been reported concerns regarding the pay deal offer from the Care Inspectorate. I can confirm that the Care Inspectorate made a pay award offer for financial years 2023-24 and 2024-25 during week commencing 19 February 2024. The Care Inspectorate’s recognised trade unions agreed to ballot their members on this offer.\r\nThe results of the trade union ballots are expected in the second week of March. Should the offer be accepted, the Care Inspectorate intends to pay their staff the first element of the 2023-24 award in their March 2024 salaries.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417027,"EventID":"S6W-25811","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-27T17:01:56.48","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-23T14:27:23.583","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) microchipping notices have been issued in relation to a microchipping breach and (b) fines have been issued to non-compliant owners under the Microchipping of Dogs (Scotland) Regulations 2016.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information.\r\nUnder  The Microchipping of Dogs (Scotland) Regulations 2016  enforcement, and how this is undertaken across territories is a matter for Local Authorities and relevant enforcement agencies. It is within the power of any Local Authority who find a dog without a microchip to serve a notice.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417028,"EventID":"S6W-25813","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-27T17:01:56.527","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-23T14:27:56.737","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many dogs that have been taken in by enforcement agencies in each of the last five years were reunited with their owners.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not routinely hold this information as it is a matter for the relevant enforcement agency.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417029,"EventID":"S6W-25833","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-27T17:01:56.603","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-26T10:53:21.21","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of strokes are currently missed by the FAST (Face, Arms, Speech, Time) test in hospital settings.","AnswerText":"The information requested is not held centrally .\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417030,"EventID":"S6W-25807","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-27T17:01:56.65","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-23T14:10:44.497","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24990 by Lorna Slater on 21 February 2024, whether it will provide details of the food waste baseline provided to schools.","AnswerText":"Zero Waste Scotland advise that the information gathered was for individual schools’ use only and cannot be used as an overarching baseline of school food waste data. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417031,"EventID":"S6W-25831","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-27T17:01:56.713","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-25T22:53:17.19","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to (a) investigate any reasons for traumatic birth and (b) reduce the rate of birth trauma, in light of reported research stating that approximately 4% to 5% of women develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after giving birth.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government expects all women, at all times, to receive high-quality, person-centred maternity care, tailored to their needs, with quality and safety for mothers and babies central to decision-making. We recognise that every woman’s experience of pregnancy and birth is different and that, for a variety of reasons, some women may require support related to trauma.\r\nWe continue to participate in four UK-wide audits and confidential enquiries, including the MBRRACE-UK programme, to highlight quality and safety of maternity and neonatal care and where that can be improved. The Scottish Government considers the findings of all data reports and reviews carefully and expects all NHS Boards to do the same locally. Where areas for improvement are identified, the Scottish Patient Safety Programme (SPSP) Perinatal arm provides support and guidance for NHS Boards to undertake focused quality improvement activity.\r\nWe are also committed to supporting the development of perinatal and infant mental health services across Scotland. We are working with NHS Boards to develop specialist Community Perinatal Mental Health services to provide assessment and care for women with moderate to severe mental illness, including psychological impact following the birth of a baby. All pregnant women in Scotland are provided with a copy of Ready, Steady, Baby! , a guide to pregnancy, labour and birth and early parenthood, during their routine antenatal care. This provides information for women on mental health and wellbeing in pregnancy and after birth, including signposting to other resources such as the Birth Trauma Association.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417032,"EventID":"S6W-25845","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-27T17:01:56.76","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-26T15:34:20.867","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work on inclusive business models.","AnswerText":"The National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET) announced an Inclusive Business Models review. The review is ongoing and is led by a representative stakeholder group. The independent review group is chaired by Neil McInroy, Global Lead for Community Wealth Building, The Democracy Collaborative and chair of Economic Development Association of Scotland (EDAS).\r\nThe review group is drawing on learning from both national and international experience. It is anticipated that the work will complete, with findings and recommendations published, in Spring 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417033,"EventID":"S6W-25805","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-27T17:01:56.807","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-23T13:33:03.21","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received a proposal for a 2023-24 pay offer from the Care Inspectorate, and, if so, when any such offer will be approved.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has received the Care Inspectorate pay offer proposal for 2023-24. The Care Inspectorate has since made a pay award offer for financial years 2023-24 and 2024-25 during week commencing 19 February 2024.\r\nThe Care Inspectorate’s recognised trade unions agreed to ballot their members on this offer. The results of the trade union ballots are expected in the second week of March. Should the offer be accepted, the Care Inspectorate intends to pay their staff the first element of the 2023-24 award in their March 2024 salaries.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417034,"EventID":"S6W-25830","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-27T17:01:56.87","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-25T21:55:00.987","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish a specific just transition plan for the Grangemouth industrial cluster.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is developing a place-based, industry specific Just Transition Plan for the region, committed to in our 2023 Programme for Government, that will outline the strategic long-term future of the industrial cluster.\r\nThe plan will outline a range of possibilities for operations at Grangemouth in 2045, including low-carbon hydrogen manufacture, carbon capture and Storage, bio-manufacturing and alternative low-carbon fuels as well as wider Just Transition impacts on the workforce, community and surrounding environment.\r\nSG leads on this work, in partnership with the Grangemouth Future Industry Board, and has been working extensively with multiple industrial operators including Petroineos, and wider stakeholders to develop a baseline as well as a co-designed vision for the future Grangemouth Industrial Cluster.\r\nA draft Grangemouth Just Transition Plan and Vision will be published in May 2024. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417035,"EventID":"S6W-25829","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-27T17:01:56.917","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-25T21:07:22.283","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that vaccination rates in Scotland are in line with the European region of the World Health Organization recommendation that, on a national basis, at least 95% of children are immunised against diseases preventable by immunisation and targeted for elimination or control, including diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), measles, mumps and rubella, and, in light of recent measles outbreaks in the UK, what the MMR vaccine uptake currently is in each NHS board, broken down by (a) first dose, (b) second dose and (c) age. ","AnswerText":"Public Health Scotland (PHS), through the Scottish Vaccination and Immunisation Programme (SVIP), is responsible for oversight and leadership of vaccine delivery in Scotland. The Scottish Government is part of SVIP and is working closely with PHS and NHS Boards to promote and encourage uptake of all childhood immunisations.\r\nIt is important that all parents and carers ensure that children attend their routine scheduled childhood vaccinations when invited to give them the best protection possible against vaccine preventable diseases.\r\nThe NHS Inform website provides details of how to arrange an appointment for anyone who has not had two doses of the free MMR vaccine.\r\nThe most recent childhood immunisation uptake statistics, which were published on 19 December 2023 for the quarter ending 30 September 2023, can be found on the PHS website:  Childhood immunisation statistics Scotland - Quarter ending 30 September 2023 - Childhood immunisation statistics Scotland - Publications - Public Health Scotland ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417036,"EventID":"S6W-25828","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-27T17:01:56.963","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-25T17:04:45.38","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that NHS Scotland offers career progression within the physiotherapy profession.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government works closely with NHS Education for Scotland who are the national body that are responsible for advanced practice across the Allied Health Professions (AHPs) including physiotherapy. \r\nThe NHS Education for Scotland Multiprofessional Advanced Practice Toolkit aims to facilitate the professional development of advanced practitioners and provides easy to navigate links to useful information across four pillars of practice.\r\nAlthough not profession specific, advancing practice and the promotion of AHP career pathways is a key focus of the AHP Education and Workforce Policy Review intended outcomes. The review’s work is being taken forward through an ongoing delivery plan that aims to adopt a comprehensive approach to fostering the growth and advancement of the AHP workforce.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417037,"EventID":"S6W-25698","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-27T17:01:57.027","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T12:21:08.803","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider introducing an exemption to paying the (a) Land and Buildings Transaction Tax and (b) Additional Dwelling Supplement for families that are purchasing a home for a disabled relative, in light of reported concerns that the current tax rates present a significant financial barrier to families providing such support, and what its response is to reports that such a barrier is an unintended consequence of the existing legislation that is aimed at second home ownership.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government carefully considered a wide range of issues and concerns as part of the recently concluded review into the arrangements for the Additional Dwelling Supplement (ADS). Decisions on this took account of an intention to provide for consistency of treatment for taxpayers in various circumstances, and operational considerations. \r\nFollowing the review, The Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Scotland) Order 2024 will, if approved by the Scottish Parliament, introduce a number of legislative changes to the arrangements in place for the ADS. There are no plans to introduce further reliefs or exemptions at this time, including in circumstances where a home is purchase for a disabled relative.\r\nThe Scottish Government will continue to keep the arrangements for LBTT under review.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417039,"EventID":"S6W-25896","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":2641,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":94,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T13:05:56.323","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-28T13:02:52.92","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the next paper in the Building a New Scotland series will be published.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to deliver on its commitment to build the case for an independent Scotland in the EU, giving people the information they need to make an informed choice about their future, as set out in the Programme for Government. I’m pleased to confirm that on 4th March we are publishing ‘An independent Scotland’s place in the world’.\r\nThis is the eleventh paper in the Building a New Scotland series, featuring detailed proposals for Scotland becoming a new sovereign state on the world stage.\r\nIt sets out our plans for Scotland to become a good global citizen, building partnerships with other countries and international organisations to address global challenges, promoting human rights and development, advancing an ambitious, progressive agenda and securing agreements in international forums aligned with our values and interests. It will also set out plans to promote innovation, trade and investment.\r\nThe Scottish Government is continuing to prepare further papers in the Building a New Scotland series and these will be published shortly. I can also confirm that we intend hold a debate in Parliament on Scotland’s place in the world on 5th March.\r\nAn independent Scotland’s place in the world will be available to view on the Scottish Government website from 4th March at  www.gov.scot/newscotland  .","AnswerDate":"2024-02-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jamie Hepburn","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417059,"EventID":"S6W-25872","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T17:14:53.217","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-27T15:52:00.527","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will decide on a final design plan for HMP Glasgow.","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:\r\nHMP Glasgow will deliver safe and secure accommodation, with maximum possible benefit and opportunity to those who live and work there, as well as the surrounding communities. The new prison will provide a better quality of living environment and enable strong relationships with staff and those in our care.\r\nThe final design will be concluded in summer 2024, prior to the planned award of the construction contract that is scheduled for autumn 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417060,"EventID":"S6W-25883","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T17:14:53.31","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-27T21:41:26.473","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the number of women who experience faecal incontinence following childbirth.","AnswerText":"We are clear in our expectations that all women, at all times, receive high-quality and person-centred maternity care tailored to their needs, with quality and safety for mothers and babies central to decision-making. To understand the quality and safety of maternity care and identify where improvement should be made, we are closely following data published by Public Health Scotland (PHS). Occurrences of third- and fourth-degree perineal tears (also referred to as obstetric anal sphincter injury (OASI)), a leading cause of faecal incontinence following childbirth are recorded by PHS as part of its Maternity Inpatient and Day Case - Scottish Morbidity Record (SMR02) dataset and can be viewed via its  Scottish Pregnancy, Births and Neonatal Dashboard  .\r\nWe are also aware of the research and evidence endorsed by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Royal College of Midwives on obstetric anal sphincter injury and recognise that further work is required to improve care for women who experience incontinence including follow-up care and specialist care. Obstetric anal sphincter injury is on the agenda at various meetings bringing together senior leaders in Scotland’s maternity care.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417061,"EventID":"S6W-25866","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T17:14:53.343","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-27T13:56:07.017","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to support renewables manufacturing in Scotland for those sites not within designated green ports or investment zones.","AnswerText":"Our strategic investment of up to £500 million over the next five years will help stimulate and support private investment in the infrastructure and manufacturing facilities critical to the growth of our world-leading offshore wind sector. We are kick-starting our commitment to anchor our offshore wind supply-chain in Scotland with investment of £67 million next financial year. We are committed to maximising the public benefits of our renewables revolution.\r\nIt is vital that industries in Scotland have a fair opportunity to access funding under the UK Government's Green Industries Growth Accelerator. The Scottish Government is engaging with the UK Government to help ensure GIGA delivers for Scotland's businesses and communities.\r\nOur National Strategy for Economic Transformation also sets out our ambition for Scotland to continue to take global leadership in the design, development and operationalisation within the renewables sector.\r\nOur Making Scotland’s Future (MSF) programme helps ensure a coherent and focused approach to the provision of support to the manufacturing sector.\r\nCentred within the MSF lies the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) which represents investment of £75 million from the Scottish Government and its agencies. NMIS works with industry to unlock productivity gains, develop new products and processes, and has a mission to make Scotland a global leader in advanced, sustainable manufacturing.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417062,"EventID":"S6W-25856","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T17:14:53.403","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-26T23:20:18.787","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to NHS boards to increase awareness among staff of the risks of stress incontinence to mothers following childbirth.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to continuous improvement in maternity safety across Scotland, in partnership with NHS Boards and clinicians and service users, to deliver the best and safest person-centred care for mothers and babies. We are aware of the evidence around implementing care which aims to reduce risk of developing stress incontinence. We regularly facilitate meetings and events bringing together senior leaders in maternity services to discuss evidence aimed at improving services and provide learning opportunities.\r\nAll pregnant women are also provided with a copy of Ready, Steady, Baby! , a guide to pregnancy, birth and early parenthood up to one year, by their midwife as part of their routine antenatal care. Ready, Steady, Baby! includes information on and signposting to additional materials regarding stress incontinence and pelvic floor muscle exercise for women, both during pregnancy and following birth, which can help to reduce the risk of stress incontinence following childbirth.\r\nInformation on pelvic health is also available on the  Women’s Health Platform  on NHS Inform. This includes information on  urinary incontinence in women  and is publicly available to both service users and healthcare professionals.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417063,"EventID":"S6W-25868","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T17:14:53.45","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-27T13:56:07.033","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is giving consideration to ensuring regional balance across the successful investment proposals progressed through the Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council's (SOWEC) Strategic Investment Model.","AnswerText":"As the world’s largest commercial round for floating offshore wind, ScotWind puts Scotland at the forefront of offshore wind development globally.\r\nThe Strategic Investment Model (SIM) is coordinated by offshore wind developers, the Scottish Government, enterprise agencies and Crown Estate Scotland. Each SIM project is considered in terms of its relevance to developing the offshore wind sector in Scotland.\r\nIn October the First Minister announced strategic investment of up to £500 million over the next five years to help stimulate and support private investment in the infrastructure and manufacturing facilities critical to the growth of our world-leading offshore wind sector.\r\nScotWind provides an exciting opportunity to create thousands of good Scottish jobs and we want to ensure a just transition that takes our existing skilled workforce and supply chain with us. That is why we are kick-starting our commitment to anchor our offshore wind supply-chain in Scotland with investment of £67 million next financial year.\r\nWe are committed to maximising the public benefits of our renewables revolution and we will explore all options open to us to do so.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417064,"EventID":"S6W-25880","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T17:14:53.497","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-27T21:15:00.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact its Budget will have on funding for NHS Education for Scotland.","AnswerText":"As set out in answer S6W-25192 on 20 February 2024, the 2024-25 Scottish Budget will provide an uplift of over half a billion, bringing the budget for NHS Boards to over £14.2 billion, of which NES will receive £550.2 million. Health boards are responsible for ensuring best use of available resources to support delivery of services and strategic objectives.\r\nNES plays a critical role in supporting the education, training and wider development of the NHS Scotland workforce, and in particular the medical workforce where target training numbers have already been confirmed for 2024-25. As part of this, the Board is actively contributing to a number of wider policy developments as set out in Programme for Government, the NHS Recovery Plan and the National workforce Strategy. The Scottish Government remains committed to delivering the National Workforce Strategy and achieving the overall vision for “A sustainable, skilled workforce with attractive career choices and fair work where all are respected and valued for the work they do”.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417065,"EventID":"S6W-25878","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T17:14:53.543","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-27T20:49:22.997","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it is offering to local authorities that report that they may have to reduce speech and language therapy provision.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is providing record funding of over £14 billion to local authorities in 2024-25, including £600.6 million of additional revenue funding for day to day services.\r\nSubject to the outcome of the UK Government Spring Budget, the Scottish Government has committed to pass on up to £62.7 million of additional funding directly to local government alongside any consequentials received for increased teacher pension employer contributions.\r\nLocal authorities are independent corporate bodies with their own powers and responsibilities and are entirely separate from the Scottish Government. As long as they act lawfully, it is up to each local authority how it manages its day-to-day business and decision making processes. Ultimately, it is for locally elected representatives to make local decisions on how best to deliver services to their local communities.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417066,"EventID":"S6W-25852","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T17:14:53.577","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-26T22:28:17.56","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the mapping of existing breakfast provision within primary and special schools will be completed as stated by spring 2024, and on what date it anticipates that it will publish the findings.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has been working with AssistFM and the Improvement Service to map breakfast provision across Scotland, the findings will be used internally to inform the policy development on national breakfast provision. The first phase of the mapping work is now complete. The second phase of the work will take place across April-May 2024 and will survey all primary and special schools in their approach to the provision of breakfast.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417067,"EventID":"S6W-25859","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T17:14:53.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-27T09:13:52.06","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what engagement it has had with the operators at Mossmorran on future plans to reduce emissions.","AnswerText":"As a responsible government, we meet periodically with large industrial operators, such as those at Mossmorran, to discuss operational as well as forward looking matters focused on sustainability and decarbonisation.\r\nTo date we have had conversations with both Exxon Mobil and Shell about their participation in the Acorn Project and as part of the wider Scottish cluster, which they see as a key project to unlocking significant carbon reductions across the site. \r\nLater this month I will be visiting the Mossmorran site to hear more about these decarbonisation plans.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417068,"EventID":"S6W-25879","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T17:14:53.687","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-27T21:09:45.73","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many of the short-term outcomes in the document, Allied Health Professions Education and Workforce Policy Review Recommendations, published on 24 February 2023, have been met.","AnswerText":"Following the completion of the Allied Health Professions (AHP) Education and Workforce Policy Review, an advisory group has been established to oversee the effective implementation of the recommendations. The group held its second meeting on 4 March 2024 where the group considered the delivery plan. \r\nThe delivery plan takes an outcome based approach and the group recognises the complexity and interdependency of how the suite of recommendations contributes to achieving the overarching positive change required.\r\nThe group will consider the timescales required to meet the overarching aims at its future meetings, scheduled in June and October 2024. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417069,"EventID":"S6W-25857","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4982,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T17:14:53.747","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-27T09:08:01.253","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23132 by Jenni Minto on 4 December 2023, when it will provide an update on any action taken or proposed by the Scottish Executive Nurse Directors (SEND) to address any shortfalls and inconsistencies in stoma care and stoma specialist nurse coverage across Scotland as a result of the exercise.","AnswerText":"Officials intend to present a paper to the Scottish Executive Nurse Directors (SEND) outlining the results of the information gathering exercise, with a view to providing an update on the outcomes of the group's consideration of the paper by the summer.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417070,"EventID":"S6W-25887","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T17:14:53.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-27T23:11:42.563","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether mental health is routinely covered in NHS antenatal classes, and how antenatal classes contribute to preventing mental health issues among (a) parents and (b) infants.","AnswerText":"Within the wider policies set out by the Scottish Government, NHS Scotland is expected to deliver services that provide high-quality care that is safe, effective, accessible and person centred. It is NHS Boards and healthcare professionals locally who have responsibility for service delivery, including antenatal classes, to meet the needs of their local population and service users.\r\nOur expectation is that NHS antenatal classes will include information for parents on bonding with their baby, which supports the mental health of both parents and babies. The precise content of antenatal classes is likely to vary between NHS Boards and antenatal class groups, to better respond to the particular needs of local service users.\r\nMidwives discuss mental health and general wellbeing with all women during antenatal and postnatal care appointments, ensuring that all women have access to advice and support throughout their pregnancy journey. These discussions may include the management of pre-existing mental health issues; the identification and management of emergent mental health issues during the antenatal and/ or immediate postnatal period, and possible postnatal changes which women may experience, such as “baby blues”. Following birth, these conversations continue with families during each contact with Health Visitors and Family Nurses.\r\nAll pregnant women are also provided with a copy of Ready, Steady, Baby! , a guide to pregnancy, birth and early parenthood up to one year, as part of their routine antenatal care. This includes information on mental health and wellbeing to help provide information for families, as well as signposting to further sources of support. The information in Ready, Steady, Baby! is available in translation and alternative formats, including an Easy Read resource, to ensure the information is accessible for women and families across Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417071,"EventID":"S6W-25817","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T17:14:53.843","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-24T08:13:50.273","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent in the current parliamentary session on actions to raise awareness of the (a) symptoms of fibromyalgia and (b) support available for patients and families.","AnswerText":"We have invested over £2m within this parliamentary term to deliver the Framework for Pain Management Service Delivery which looks to reduce the impact of chronic pain, including fibromyalgia, on quality of life and wellbeing and improve information, care and services for people in Scotland.\r\nIn 2022-23, as part of Section 10 of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968, the Scottish Government provided grant funding of £7,920 to Pain Concern and Flippin’ Pain to host an online awareness raising event for people in Scotland living with fibromyalgia. The event was also open to healthcare staff.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417072,"EventID":"S6W-25855","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T17:14:53.903","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-26T23:00:54.447","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it (a) has made and (b) will make to understand any difference in the return rates for bowel screening kits between the least deprived and most deprived communities.","AnswerText":"A  report recently published by Public Health Scotland  provides details of the most recent statistics for the bowel screening programme, which includes the uptake differences between areas of different socioeconomic status. The overall uptake continues to exceed the HIS standard of 60% of the eligible population, but there continue to be inequalities in the return rates for bowel screening kits, including between the least and most deprived communities in Scotland. \r\nSince 2017, the Scottish Government has provided £1 million funding annually to address screening inequalities, part of which has been distributed to NHS Boards to fund initiatives catering to their specific populations. \r\nThe funding is also used for national initiatives, such as the development of the Screening Intelligence Platform (ScIP), which aims to simplify the process of gathering and analysing all screening data. This will allow greater insight into screening inequalities across a range of characteristics, including socioeconomic status, and supporting efforts to increase screening uptake across all groups. \r\nIn addition, the Equity in Screening Strategy was published last year. This set out a vision for equitable access across the full screening pathway, including in the bowel screening programme. It is accompanied by the implementation of an Equity in Screening Network that allows those who work across screening to share evidence, best practice and learning around screening inequalities. This will enable NHS Boards to consider proven interventions to address inequalities in uptake, and therefore increase participation in the bowel screening programme. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417073,"EventID":"S6W-25862","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T17:14:53.95","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-27T10:39:09.733","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Minister for Local Government Empowerment and Planning will next meet representatives from the Coalfields Regeneration Trust.","AnswerText":"I am not currently scheduled to meet with representatives from Coalfields Regeneration Trust (CRT). However, officials are in ongoing dialogue with CRT on all aspects of its programme and keep me fully updated. I will be happy to meet with CRT officials in the future, should this be helpful.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417074,"EventID":"S6W-25843","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T17:14:53.997","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-26T14:21:04.113","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been convicted of livestock worrying since the increased penalties were introduced in November 2021.","AnswerText":"The worrying of livestock by dogs is completely unacceptable and is something the Scottish Government takes very seriously and recognises the distress and the serious welfare and financial implications it may cause.\r\nFrom November 2021 to September 2023, 21 accused have been convicted with, at least one, protection of livestock from dogs charge. In all the cases, the charges were under the dogs (protection of livestock) act 1953 section 1(1)&(6).","AnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417075,"EventID":"S6W-25867","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T17:14:54.043","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-27T13:56:07.033","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the next cohort of investment proposals in the Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council's (SOWEC) Strategic Investment Model will be announced.","AnswerText":"The Strategic Investment Model (SIM) is a novel industry-led approach for the offshore wind sector in Scotland.\r\nOn 20 February 2024 SIM group published details of 32 of the 38 projects that have successfully completed stage one of the SIM selection process and three projects have been invited to move to Stage 2 of the process.\r\nThe SIM group is continuing to collaborate to identify key, shared priorities but has not yet agreed a timescale for an announcement regarding a further cohort of proposals.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417076,"EventID":"S6W-25865","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T17:14:54.093","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-27T12:53:55.183","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the return on investment as a result of the six pathfinder projects supported through the Green Growth Accelerator.","AnswerText":"As shown through the Budget process, the challenging fiscal landscape has necessitated some difficult choices across government. This, alongside the need to strengthen the pipeline of investment, has resulted in the Scottish Government (SG) having to take the very difficult decision to pause the Green Growth Accelerator (GGA) programme. \r\nIt takes time to develop infrastructure projects and the six pathfinder projects supported through the GGA were at varying stages of development when the decision to pause the programme was taken. None were at the stage of investment and project delivery and consequently no assessment on return for investment has been undertaken. \r\nOfficials are working with the LAs impacted to explore what alternative funding sources may be available to progress projects where funding exists; including through Scotland’s Public Sector Heat Decarbonisation Fund and the Scottish Heat Network Fund. \r\nAdditionally, we are building on existing work across Government and recent collaborative efforts across the Government and public sector partners to identify and align investment behind key projects; strengthening relationships at the strategic and operational level to expedite the delivery of major public sector funded infrastructure projects. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417077,"EventID":"S6W-25850","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T17:14:54.14","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-26T21:33:42.48","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact in Scotland of the findings of the Competition and Markets Authority's investigation into some of the UK's biggest housebuilders, including whether they have been sharing information that could influence house prices.","AnswerText":"Scottish Ministers welcome the publication of the Competition and Markets Authority's completed investigation into the housing market, in particular those findings relating to Scotland and the published Scotland summary. We are considering their findings carefully and will respond formally in due course.\r\nWe also note the intention to investigate further issues relating to potential market information sharing and other matters. It is right that this is considered carefully and Ministers will consider this in turn when the Authority have completed their work on this issue.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417078,"EventID":"S6W-25853","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T17:14:54.2","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-26T22:44:40.623","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with private healthcare companies in the last six months in relation to providing NHS elective surgery treatment.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is absolutely committed to keeping our NHS true to its founding principles – publicly-owned, publicly-operated, and free at the point of need. Health Boards might arrange treatment for some patients outwith NHS Scotland, including the private sector in exceptional circumstances. It is for local NHS Health Boards to determine how they use the private sector and to agree any contractual arrangements.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417079,"EventID":"S6W-25851","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T17:14:54.247","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-26T22:22:34.373","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS boards currently outsource services to the private provider, Healios, and which services are outsourced.","AnswerText":"Patient care and service delivery are the statutory responsibility of local healthcare providers. NHS Boards are responsible for working with their partners to plan and provide health services which meet the needs of their populations. Use of the independent sector has been an option open to all Health Boards to help address short-term capacity issues.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417080,"EventID":"S6W-25847","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T17:14:54.293","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-26T20:03:42.39","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the processing time for major planning applications in Q1 and Q2 of 2023-24 was 62.1 weeks, in light of the statutory timeframe being 16 weeks.","AnswerText":"There can be many reasons for delays in determining applications including requests for and submission of additional information, delays with responses from statutory consultees and the requirement for a legal agreement. The specific reasons for the time taken to determine individual major planning applications would be held by the individual planning authority making the determination.\r\nThe average timescale for all major applications determined without a processing agreement was 35.2 weeks in Q1 and Q2 of 2023-24. Due to the low number of applications involved, average determination timescales are volatile and can be affected by one or two lengthy cases. In the same period, 23 of the 57 major applications not subject to processing agreements were determined within the statutory timescale, and 46 of those 57 major applications determined within the same period were determined in a time faster than the national average.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417081,"EventID":"S6W-25861","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T17:14:54.357","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-27T10:38:38.087","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Minister for Local Government Empowerment and Planning last met representatives from the Coalfields Regeneration Trust. ","AnswerText":"I last met with representatives of Coalfields Regeneration Trust (CRT) on 14 September 2023 to discuss its funding level for 2023-24. Regeneration officials met with CRT on 27 November to build on discussions from that meeting and are in ongoing discussion with CRT.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417082,"EventID":"S6W-25877","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T17:14:54.403","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-27T17:54:59.213","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what methods and sources of information it uses to (a) estimate the number of adult and young carers and (b) avoid undercounting in this regard.","AnswerText":"a) Estimates of the number of adult and young carers in Scotland are produced using the Scottish Government’s  Scottish Health Survey  and the National Records of Scotland  mid-year population estimates  , as  detailed in the most recent publication of unpaid carer estimates  .\r\nThe Scottish Health Survey asks respondents whether they provide any regular help or unpaid care for any sick, disabled or frail person. The percentage of respondents who indicate that they provide care is then applied to the relevant mid-year population estimates for Scotland, to provide an estimate of the number of people providing unpaid care. As the Scottish Health Survey samples children aged 4 and over, this provides an estimate for adult carers by using the percentage of people over the age of 18 providing care and for young carers by using the percentage of people under the age of 18 providing care.\r\nb) Different surveys will give different percentages of those providing care. For instance, the Scottish Survey Core Questions (SSCQ), which pools samples from the Scottish Health Survey, the Scottish Household Survey and the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey, tends to give a higher percentage than the Scottish Health Survey alone which in turn, would lead to a higher estimate of unpaid carers aged 16+.\r\nHowever, the Scottish Health Survey is the only one of these surveys to sample people under the age of 16, which allows us to produce estimates for both adult carers and young carers. It also includes further questions specifically for carers which allows for more detailed analysis.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417083,"EventID":"S6W-25876","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T17:14:54.45","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-27T17:27:46.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of the availability and choice of contraception for women to manage their reproductive health.","AnswerText":"There has been no national formal assessment of contraceptive availability and choice however the Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that people across Scotland have timely access to contraception, and to information which allows them to make informed decisions about their own sexual and reproductive health. This is recognised as a priority in our Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus (SHBBV) Action Plan 2023-26, and we have allocated multi-year funding to a range of projects in both community and NHS settings that will help to deliver this goal. The projects include exploring the delivery of more sexual and reproductive health care (including contraception) through community pharmacies, developing information resources, and expanding access to post-partum and post-abortion contraception. Details of these projects were published alongside the SHBBV Action Plan on 28 November 2023.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417084,"EventID":"S6W-25848","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T17:14:54.497","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-26T20:56:16.077","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the (a) First Minister and (b) Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills plans to read the recent Educational Institute for Scotland (EIS) report on violence in schools, in light of it highlighting an EIS survey of nearly 800 members in Aberdeen, which found that 42% of respondents reported violent pupil behaviour in school every day, 37% said they had been physically assaulted by a pupil, over 50% felt their school did not have clear strategies to prevent violence and 60% of teachers in Aberdeen were considering leaving the profession.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government received a copy of the EIS report on violence in schools in Aberdeen on 26 February 2024. The First Minister and myself have both read the report.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417085,"EventID":"S6W-25854","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T17:14:54.577","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-26T22:57:07.437","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work it is doing to improve the uptake and successful return of bowel screening kits.","AnswerText":"A report recently published by Public Health Scotland on 5 May  confirmed that uptake for bowel screening continues to exceed the Healthcare Improvement Scotland standard of 60%. The Scottish Government is aware that continued work is required to improve uptake, and to make the process as straightforward as possible for individuals to complete. \r\nEducation and accessible information is one strand of this work. Both the online NHS Inform bowel screening content and the leaflets issued with bowel screening kits have been revised to respond to user feedback on clarity and accessibility. In addition, both the Scottish Government and the NHS will use Bowel Cancer Awareness Month in April to further raise awareness of the importance of bowel screening. \r\nIncreasing uptake requires supporting education efforts with a relentless focus on reducing inequalities. The Equity in Screening Strategy was published last year, with a vision for equitable access across the full screening pathway, including in the bowel screening programme. This, in combination with a new Equity in Screening Network, will help NHS Boards to find effective ways to address inequalities in uptake, and increase participation in the bowel screening programme. \r\nSince 2017, the Scottish Government has provided £1 million funding annually to address screening inequalities. Part of this fund has been distributed to NHS Boards, allowing them to support initiatives catering to their specific populations. The remainder of the screening inequalities fund was used for national initiatives, such as the development of the Screening Intelligence Platform (ScIP). This will provide an efficient, single point of access to linkable data from all of the National Screening Programmes, including bowel screening. This will therefore help to inform and support the work of public sector bodies to increase participation in bowel screening.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417086,"EventID":"S6W-25884","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T17:14:54.623","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-27T21:50:32.307","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS boards currently use the system, TrakCare; in which clinical services they use the system, and how many staff are employed to maintain the system.","AnswerText":"TrakCare is used as the main patient management system by 13 Health Boards:NHS Ayrshire and Arran;NHS Borders;NHS Fife;NHS Forth Valley;NHS Great Glasgow and Clyde;NHS Grampian;Golden Jubilee National Hospital;NHS Highland;NHS Lanarkshire;NHS Lothian;NHS Orkney;NHS Shetland; andNHS Tayside.\r\nAll 13 Health Boards use TrakCare for waiting lists, Outpatients and inpatients, clinical coding, national Scottish Morbidity Records and new ways returns. Various Boards also use TrakCare for Emergency Departments, maternity services, mental health, community services, radiology, and theatres.\r\nIn addition, the system supports order request functionality for the service departments to manage the provision of laboratory, X-ray and diagnostic services; and Allied Health Professionals, observations, and clinical data recoding in clinical forms to varying degrees.\r\nThe Scottish Government does not collate or hold information on how many staff the Health Boards employ to maintain TrakCare.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417087,"EventID":"S6W-25870","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T17:14:54.687","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-27T14:38:19.417","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact it anticipates the announcements in its Budget will have on digital investment within health services.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to protect investment in digital within health services, as shown in the published budget. Planning remains underway to fully assess the impact on planned activity for 2024-25 that takes into account the considerable financial challenges facing the Scottish Government in the forthcoming financial year, and we will publish our Delivery Plan for Digital Health & Care in April 2024. This will confirm delivery priorities for the year ahead using the investment available.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417088,"EventID":"S6W-25860","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T17:14:54.733","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-27T10:37:23.187","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the value of the work of the Coalfields Regeneration Trust.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government’s Regeneration programmes work together to support resilient and sustainable communities, with communities directly involved in decisions on the future of their places. The Scottish Government values Coalfields Regeneration Trust’s (CRT’s) contribution to that approach. Since 1999, the Scottish Government has provided over £28 million in funding to CRT to invest in improving outcomes for coalfield communities.\r\nIn 2023/24 funding is being delivered within the context of the most challenging budget settlement since devolution. The Scottish Government is having to make difficult decisions while ensuring it does what is best for communities with the limited resources it has. This is impacting programmes across Government including the Empowering Communities Programme through which CRT is funded and which has been subject to a reduction in budget from 2022-23.\r\nIn addition to the dedicated funding for coalfield communities delivered through CRT, the Scottish Government also invests in wider regeneration programmes such as the Investing in Communities Fund and Regeneration Capital Grant Fund. These target our most disadvantaged and fragile communities and continue to support projects in our former coalfield communities.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417089,"EventID":"S6W-25882","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T17:14:54.78","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-27T21:34:13.183","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many full continence assessments have been undertaken within NHS Scotland in the last 12 months.","AnswerText":"This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417090,"EventID":"S6W-25881","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T17:14:54.827","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-27T21:22:57.727","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS Ayrshire and Arran regarding the future use of Carrick Glen Hospital, in light of work on the National Treatment Centre having been paused.","AnswerText":"The UK Government did not inflation-proof its capital budget which has resulted in nearly a 10% real-terms cut in the Scottish Government’s capital funding over the medium-term between 2023-24 and 2027-28. The result of this cut is that new health capital projects have currently been paused.\r\nWork is underway to update the pipeline of projects and programmes relating to the 2021 Infrastructure Investment Plan to ensure it is affordable and deliverable and provides best value for money. Our emphasis for the immediate future will be on addressing backlog maintenance and essential equipment replacement.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417091,"EventID":"S6W-25846","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T17:14:54.89","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-26T16:28:30.757","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what creative approaches it is taking towards identifying and treating people with hepatitis C, as set out in the Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Action Plan 2023-2026.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24766 on 6 February 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417092,"EventID":"S6W-25885","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T17:14:54.937","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-27T22:56:12.007","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made on the allocation of the £300 million that it committed to tackle NHS waiting lists, which was to be targeted to reduce waiting lists by an estimated 100,000 patients by 2026. ","AnswerText":"We remain committed to driving down waiting times. We have increased investment in frontline NHS boards by more than half a billion pounds in the draft Budget. We will continue to target resources to reduce waiting times, particularly for those waiting longest for treatment, through maximising productivity and additional resources.\r\nWe are working with Health Boards on detailed annual plans to demonstrate how waiting lists will be managed to see reductions, improved productivity and clear evidence on how this will help free additional capacity.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417093,"EventID":"S6W-25858","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4982,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T17:14:54.983","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-27T09:08:38.203","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23132 by Jenni Minto on 4 December 2023, whether it plans to meet the Scottish Stoma Forum to discuss the results of the recent information gathering exercise on the provision of stoma care and stoma specialist nurse coverage across Scotland.","AnswerText":"Officials will arrange a meeting with the Scottish Stoma Forum after the Scottish Executive Nurse Directors (SEND) have considered the results of the information gathering exercise on the provision of stoma care and stoma specialist nurse coverage across Scotland's 14 territorial health boards.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417094,"EventID":"S6W-25818","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T17:14:55.06","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-24T08:42:59.53","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to announce or propose any further Council Tax freezes during the current parliamentary session, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.","AnswerText":"The Council Tax Freeze that was announced by the First Minister, and accepted by almost all Councils, relates only to the 2024-25 financial year. It will provide certainty to households during a time of economic uncertainty and rising prices.\r\nThe funding provided in 2024-25 for the purposes of freezing Council Tax will be baselined into the General Revenue Grant in future years for those councils which freeze their Council Tax.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417095,"EventID":"S6W-25849","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T17:14:55.107","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-26T21:24:50.233","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on reducing the working week in the NHS to 36 hours as part of the 2022-23 pay deal.","AnswerText":"The first 30-minute reduction in the working week for all Agenda for Change staff should start on 1 April 2024. \r\nIn the event, that a local Health Board cannot fully implement the agreement in a particular department or within a particular speciality due to service pressures, safe staffing or wellbeing staff will be recompensed accordingly until the service can accommodate their reduction. As full-time hours are reducing to 37, any time above this will be at time and a half as per the current terms and conditions. \r\nAnalysis of this initial 30-minute reduction will be used to help inform the best way to roll out the remaining reductions in the working week in future years.\r\nFurther details, including implementation guidance on each of these areas will be issued to the NHS prior to 1 April 2024.\r\nI am grateful to both Trade Union and Employer representatives for working in partnership with us to develop these reforms to help modernise our service.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417096,"EventID":"S6W-25863","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T17:14:55.17","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-27T10:40:16.087","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which projects that have received funding from the Coalfields Regeneration Trust the Minister for Local Government Empowerment and Planning has visited since his appointment.","AnswerText":"There have been no invitations to myself to visit Coalfields Regeneration Trust’s projects since his appointment. I would be happy to undertake such a visit, subject to diary availability. As part of his 2023 summer tour, I visited Fife including coalfields communities such as Cowdenbeath, supported through CRT’s Community Action Plans.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417097,"EventID":"S6W-25864","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T17:14:55.217","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-27T12:53:55.183","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-20099 by Richard Lochhead on 18 August 2023, whether it will provide a further update on projects that have been funded by the Green Growth Accelerator. ","AnswerText":"As shown through the Budget process, the challenging fiscal landscape has necessitated some difficult choices across government. This, alongside the need to strengthen the pipeline of investment, has resulted in the Scottish Government (SG) having to take the very difficult decision to pause the Green Growth Accelerator (GGA) programme.\r\nThe SG provided £720k to six local authorities (LAs) in 2021-22 to develop business cases for low carbon projects to test the GGA model and the six projects supported are at varying stages of development. Officials are working with the LAs impacted to explore what alternative funding sources may be available to progress projects where funding exists; including through Scotland’s Public Sector Heat Decarbonisation Fund and the Scottish Heat Network Fund.\r\nAdditionally, we are building on existing work across Government and recent collaborative efforts across the Government and public sector partners to identify and align investment behind key projects; strengthening relationships at the strategic and operational level to expedite the delivery of major public sector funded infrastructure projects.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417098,"EventID":"S6W-25871","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T17:14:55.263","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-27T15:52:00.527","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what prisoner number capacity is being planned for HMP Glasgow.","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:\r\nI refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25373 on 26 February 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417099,"EventID":"S6W-25886","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T17:14:55.327","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-27T22:56:55.273","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which specific funding allocation is being used to reduce orthopaedic waiting lists, which reportedly account for one-third of inpatient/day cases and have the highest number of ongoing waits lasting over 18 months.","AnswerText":"We remain committed to eradicating long waits to ensure all people receive the treatment they need as soon as possible.\r\nWe opened two new National Treatment Centres in Fife and Highland in Spring 2023, and NTC-Forth Valley and the second phase expansion of NTC-Golden Jubilee will open in 2024. These centres will deliver eight orthopaedic theatres and will provide additional and protected capacity for hip and knee replacements.\r\nThis year NTC Highland is providing 1,500 orthopaedic procedures and NTC-Fife plans to deliver more than 700 orthopaedic procedures by 2025/2026.\r\nSignificant progress is also being made in the delivery of same-day discharge arthroplasty, allowing patients to be safely discharged home on the same day as their procedure, increasing capacity within Orthopaedics.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417100,"EventID":"S6W-25869","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T17:14:55.373","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-27T13:56:07.033","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the impact in Scotland, whether it will make representations to the UK Government to ensure that investment to support the manufacture of wind turbine jackets is included within the scope of the Green Industries Growth Accelerator.","AnswerText":"We are liaising with the UK Government on its plans for the Green Industries Growth Accelerator to ensure that infrastructure and supply chain for offshore wind are supported via the fund. We are keen to collaborate with the UK Government to ensure GIGA funding is allocated in a way which complements and aligns with Scotland’s energy transition, including our up to £500 million strategic investment over the next five years to help anchor the offshore wind supply chain in Scotland. Through the novel work or our Strategic Investment Model, Scotland is well positioned to ensure the ongoing collaboration between governments and industry identifies key shared priorities to unlock infrastructure investment needed to build a thriving renewables industry for Scotland. We expect more details from the UK Government in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417106,"EventID":"S6O-03156","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T18:03:39.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-27T15:15:32.13","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how outcomes from the New Deal for Business will be measured.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417107,"EventID":"S6O-03153","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2633,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T18:03:39.803","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-27T15:04:13.397","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its review of how to increase the number of co-operatives, social enterprises and employee-owned businesses, as part of the move to a wellbeing economy.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417108,"EventID":"S6O-03157","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T18:03:39.96","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-26T15:58:44.413","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is on course to achieve its 2030 target for reducing emissions.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417109,"EventID":"S6O-03173","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T18:03:40.007","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-26T13:46:01.137","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the improvement plan for the Fife Circle railway line. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417110,"EventID":"S6O-03160","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T18:03:40.1","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-26T15:19:17.26","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact on its financial planning process of the UK Government having Autumn and Spring statements, in light of reported calls for a multi-year budget approach.  ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417111,"EventID":"S6O-03172","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2641,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":94,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T18:03:40.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-28T11:44:11.56","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what factors are assessed when determining vessel deployment decisions for Western Isles ferry routes.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417112,"EventID":"S6O-03159","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5596,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":151,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T18:03:40.283","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-28T11:09:28.37","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to invest in and revitalise town centres in urban areas.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417113,"EventID":"S6O-03158","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T18:03:40.33","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-27T17:55:51.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the finance secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the impact of its current income tax policy, in light of reports that higher taxes could deter experienced professionals from moving to Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417114,"EventID":"S6O-03164","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T18:03:40.393","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-27T15:13:29.46","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it will allocate through its Budget to fund any potential cost increases related to improvements to the A720 City Bypass grade separation of Sheriffhall roundabout.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417115,"EventID":"S6O-03155","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T18:03:40.457","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-28T09:55:56.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding an increased windfall tax on the excess profits of large oil and gas companies, in light of reports that the income from any such tax could be used to support households struggling with the cost of living crisis, including in Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417116,"EventID":"S6O-03151","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T18:03:40.503","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-27T18:01:38.917","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to next meet with the sole director of the GFG Alliance.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417117,"EventID":"S6O-03162","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16191,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":77,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T18:03:40.563","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-28T11:41:36.457","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the finance secretary last met the UK Government and what was discussed. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417118,"EventID":"S6O-03170","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T18:03:40.61","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-28T12:01:29.92","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support ferry users, in light of reports that MV Caledonian Isles will be out of action for four more months.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417119,"EventID":"S6O-03166","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5598,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":139,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T18:03:40.657","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-26T13:09:34.177","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking, including through discussion with the UK Government, to ensure that rail services are safe and accessible for all.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417120,"EventID":"S6O-03171","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T18:03:40.707","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-28T09:40:40.14","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the reopening of the train line south of Ayr, in light of the fire at the Ayr Station Hotel.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417121,"EventID":"S6O-03169","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T18:03:40.753","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-27T15:32:39.09","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Bus Partnership Fund, including what the spending plans are for the £473.1 million that is reportedly unspent to date, and when the fund will be resumed.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417122,"EventID":"S6O-03163","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5075,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":112,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T18:03:40.813","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-27T09:46:45.67","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received a final report from the Scottish Local Authorities Remuneration Committee.  ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417123,"EventID":"S6O-03152","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5618,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":91,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T18:03:40.86","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-27T15:31:01.817","Title":"","ItemText":"Withdrawn.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417124,"EventID":"S6O-03168","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T18:03:40.923","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-28T08:39:57.693","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it plans to support local authorities to address the issue of potholes in the road network.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417125,"EventID":"S6O-03161","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16194,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T18:03:40.97","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-27T17:22:02.883","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what spending it has allocated from its Budget to date for its plans for a National Care Service.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417126,"EventID":"S6O-03167","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3907,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":135,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T18:03:41.017","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-28T11:26:04.423","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will revisit the feasibility of a bus lane corridor on the northbound M77 into Glasgow.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417127,"EventID":"S6O-03180","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T18:03:45.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-28T10:14:16.77","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last discussed NHS Dumfries and Galloway’s funding deficit with the NHS board.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417128,"EventID":"S6O-03181","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T18:03:45.42","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-28T10:50:31.27","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to stop image-based abuse of girls.","AnswerText":"A wide range of criminal laws relate to image-based sexual abuse, including legislation concerning indecent images of children and the offence of coercing a person to view a sexual image. It is also a criminal offence to share intimate images without consent.\r\nIn schools, pupils also learn how to conduct online relationships safely and to understand the risks and consequences of sharing intimate images. Our Gender Based Violence in School Guidance published this week, makes clear that this includes the non-consensual sharing of sexual images and the threat of it.\r\nIn addition we fund Education Scotland to coordinate the Mentors in Violence Prevention programme, focussed on challenging attitudes underpinning gender-based violence, and support schools to access Rape Crisis Scotland’s National Sexual Violence Prevention programme.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417129,"EventID":"S6O-03177","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T18:03:45.467","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-27T23:04:55.49","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the EIS and other teacher unions to discuss school-based violence.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417130,"EventID":"S6O-03179","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16195,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T18:03:45.513","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-28T11:47:35.917","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what public health measures are being taken to minimise harm from vaping, prior to the introduction of the proposed ban on single-use vapes.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417131,"EventID":"S6O-03176","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T18:03:45.577","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-28T08:51:33.823","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce the number of assaults by pupils in schools.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417132,"EventID":"S6O-03175","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T18:03:45.623","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-28T11:43:10.493","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has intervened to direct NHS Fife and the relevant education authorities to permit schools to issue basic medication, such as paracetamol and ibuprofen, without the need for a GP prescription, in light of reports that primary care is struggling in NHS Fife.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":417133,"EventID":"S6O-03174","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T18:03:45.67","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-26T13:27:03.78","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to support rural NHS boards.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417134,"EventID":"S6O-03178","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5608,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":103,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-28T18:03:45.733","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-27T10:56:26.1","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is taking forward the work and priorities of its Ministerial Population Taskforce.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417135,"EventID":"S6W-25723","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":8,"MSPID":5618,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":91,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-29T16:01:01.177","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T16:27:40.35","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body when it entered into a contractual relationship with Capital Credit Union, and on what date this contract ends. ","AnswerText":"The SPCB has a contractual arrangement with Capital Credit Union Ltd which commenced in 2012.  The contract is open ended with no proposed end date.  ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jackson Carlaw (on behalf of the SPCB)","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417136,"EventID":"S6W-25724","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":8,"MSPID":5618,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":91,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-29T16:01:16.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-21T16:27:40.35","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how it promotes the participation of credit unions with staff. ","AnswerText":"The SPCB has a dedicated intranet page to Capital Credit Union and Financial Wellbeing.  Monthly promotions run by the Capital Credit Union are published by the Pay and Pensions Office via the Corporate Bulletin.  A link to the Capital Credit Union website is also provided to all staff on the SPCB’s online payslip platform.  ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jackson Carlaw (on behalf of the SPCB)","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417137,"EventID":"S6W-25906","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-29T16:30:49.33","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T10:29:03.3","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how much has been spent on taxi journeys for pupils travelling to school in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not collect information on the amount spent by local authorities on taxi journeys for pupils travelling to school.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417138,"EventID":"S6W-25922","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-29T16:30:49.453","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T13:31:20.99","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is ensuring that patients from all socioeconomic backgrounds have equal access to primary care.","AnswerText":"Responsibility for delivery of Primary Medical Services rests with Health Boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships, and delivery plans should take account of local population health need. To assist local partners, in November 2023 the Scottish Government published The General Practice Access Principles [ General Practice Access Short Life Working Group: access principles - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) ]. This report sets out a clear framework for the core principles of how general medical services should be delivered. To support general practice, we have significantly expanded the primary care multi-disciplinary team workforce to support GPs and practice teams ensuring more people get the right care in the right place at the right time.\r\nThe Scottish Government is committed to investing more in General Practices servicing disadvantaged areas through targeted action like the Inclusion Health Action in General Practice project in Greater Glasgow & Clyde, with £1.3 million funding dedicated so far, and stabilising our Community Link Worker capacity in Glasgow, with £3.6 million funding already confirmed for three years from 2024-25 to 2026-27.\r\n","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417139,"EventID":"S6W-25907","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-29T16:30:49.61","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T10:29:03.3","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how much has been spent on taxi journeys for NHS patients in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board area.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally. It is for Health Boards to ensure best use of available resources whilst prioritising patient safety and care.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417140,"EventID":"S6W-25923","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-29T16:30:49.673","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T13:31:20.99","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to increase awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer among any demographics that may be less likely to seek medical help or engage with clinical services.","AnswerText":"We know that the earlier cancer is diagnosed the easier it is to treat and even cure which is why we continue to invest in our Detect Cancer Earlier (DCE) Programme. The Programme takes a whole-systems approach to earlier detection and encompasses primary care, secondary care, public education, data, innovation and screening.\r\nThe DCE Programme works closely with the Scottish Cancer Coalition, to support awareness raising efforts and uses social channels to promote joint content and messages where possible.\r\nDetect Cancer Earlier’s latest public campaign – Be The Early Bird - launched on ? 6 March 2023 and ran for four weeks, aiming to reduce fear of cancer and empower those with possible symptoms to act early. Following successful independent evaluation, the campaign re-ran in September 2023 to prompt health-seeking behaviour, targeting those aged 40+ from areas of deprivation.\r\nIn parallel to the campaign, a DCE roadshow visited communities across Scotland to reinforce key messages – this resulted in over 6,700 engagements with the target audience.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417141,"EventID":"S6W-25892","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2678,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":141,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-29T16:30:49.737","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-28T11:54:16.683","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many mesh removal procedures in total have been carried out in Glasgow through referral to the National Complex Mesh Surgical Service since the centre was established, and how many of these procedures are considered to have been (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful.","AnswerText":"The National Complex Mesh Surgical Service assesses patient needs and, where appropriate and subject to shared decision making and informed consent, performs mesh removal surgery. To date, 135 mesh removal procedures have been undertaken by the Service. Many women make the choice following assessment and discussion with the specialist team to follow a conservative pathway of care and do not undergo surgery.\r\nThe needs of patients and their goals may differ and therefore their definition of success will vary too. The removal of mesh is often only part of the treatment journey, with further reconstructive surgery depending on clinical need taking place at a later date. Patients may also have other needs which require to be addressed by other members of the clinical team.\r\nThe service is required to comply with normal clinical governance mechanisms in place within NHSGGC to provide an assurance that the service being delivered is safe and of an appropriate quality.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417142,"EventID":"S6W-25895","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-29T16:30:49.783","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-28T12:54:54.727","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of the support available for people with Down's syndrome to study music at college.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all students, including those with a disability, long-term medical condition, or additional support needs, are supported as they study in further and higher education. This is through support provided to each institution, and also through support provided directly to students. The Scottish Government does not undertake analysis of this support at the level indicated in the question.\r\nStudents and their families are encouraged to speak to their college to discuss their support needs and the funding that is available to them.\r\nThe Scottish Government also funds Down’s Syndrome Scotland as a key partner in the Learning/Intellectual Disability and Autism Towards Transformation Plan, and to raise awareness of the support available to people with Down’s syndrome and their families.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417143,"EventID":"S6W-25921","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-29T16:30:49.83","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T13:31:20.99","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting patients who are on waiting lists for cancer diagnostic tests or cancer treatment.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to supporting people at all stages of a potential or confirmed cancer diagnosis. We are investing in the Single Point of Contact programme so that people with a suspicion, or a diagnosis of cancer, are at the heart of all decisions and actions involving them. There are currently 12 pilot projects across Scotland testing ways of working that improve communication and provide early and ongoing support. A scalability assessment is underway which will outline how best we can scale up and expand the reach of the programme. \r\nIn addition to this, Scotland’s first Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services (RCDSs) – established within existing NHS infrastructure – are operational in NHS Ayrshire and Arran, NHS Dumfries and Galloway NHS Fife, NHS Lanarkshire and NHS Borders. These are providing primary care with access to a new referral pathway for patients with non-specific symptoms suspicious of cancer. Patient navigators are embedded in RCDSs, supporting patients and their families from the point of referral while they wait for tests and results. \r\nWe are also currently working in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support to improve the service we offer people affected by cancer through the Transforming Cancer Care Programme (TCC). This joint partnership is the first of its kind in the UK and ensures that every person with cancer in Scotland has access to a key support worker, who can provide emotional, financial and practical support to those who need it throughout their experience of cancer care.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417144,"EventID":"S6W-25898","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-29T16:30:49.893","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-28T14:10:46.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is assisting local authorities to establish investment savings bonds, as has reportedly been done elsewhere in the UK, including by Southwark Council.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government are not aware of any local authority that is considering establishing such bonds.\r\nA local authority's capital financing and investment arrangements are a matter for the authority. Whilst we would expect councils to engage appropriate specialist expertise to assist them with their capital financing and investment plans, the Scottish Government would be happy to support any council considering innovative capital financing and investment propositions for the good of their local communities.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417145,"EventID":"S6W-25908","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-29T16:30:49.987","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T10:29:03.3","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many drug deaths have been recorded in the last three years that have included a reference to fentanyl.","AnswerText":"This information is publicly available from the National Records of Scotland, which publishes annual Accredited Official Statistics on drug-related deaths in Scotland (Table 1).\r\nTable 1: Number of drug deaths where fentanyl was implicated in, or potentially contributed to, the cause of death in Scotland, 2018-2022\r\n2018\r\n2019\r\n2020\r\n2021\r\n2022\r\n12\r\n25\r\n7\r\n7\r\n6\r\nSource:  National Records of Scotland, 2023 \r\nPublic Health Scotland also publish relevant data through the Rapid Action Drug Alerts and Response (RADAR) quarterly report. RADAR monitors drug-related harms, service usage and toxicology data to provide an early warning of emerging drug trends and identify actions to reduce and prevent drug harms and deaths. These data are Management Information, and not subject to the same level of quality assurance as the statistics published by NRS.\r\nRapid Action Drug Alerts and Response (RADAR) quarterly report - January 2024 \r\nThe presence of fentanyl in drug deaths continues to be relatively low. The latest post-mortem toxicology data from RADAR shows that fentanyl-type opioids were detected in 5% of deaths between July and September 2023 (up from 4% between April and June 2023).\r\nNitazenes, another type of novel synthetic opioid, are being detected in an increasing number of drug deaths. Based on post-mortem toxicology testing, nitazenes were detected in 25 deaths from January to 30 September 2023. PHS have issued a public health alert regarding nitazene-type opioids (  https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/rapid-action-drug-alerts-and-response-radar-alerts/radar-nitazenes-alert-2023/#section-1  ). Scottish Government is working closely with PHS, national and international partners, to ensure preparedness in case that they may continue to have increasing prevalence in the drug supply.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417146,"EventID":"S6W-25873","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-29T16:30:50.033","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-27T15:52:00.527","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current anticipated timescale is for the completion of HMP Glasgow.","AnswerText":"HMP Glasgow will deliver safe and secure accommodation, with maximum possible benefit and opportunity to those who live and work there, as well as the surrounding communities. The new prison will provide a better quality of living environment and enable strong relationships with staff and those in the care of the Scottish Prison Service. \r\nThe final design will be concluded in summer 2024, prior to the planned award of the construction contract that is scheduled for autumn 2024. Until the construction contract is signed, time-scales cannot be confirmed. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417147,"EventID":"S6W-25919","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-29T16:30:50.173","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T12:09:02.81","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24959 by Maree Todd\r\non 28 February 2024, in what areas access to the Active Schools programme still\r\nhas charges, and what the reasons are for any such charges remaining.","AnswerText":"As set out in the Programme for Government, Scottish Government are working with sportscotland and local authorities to phase out charging for Active Schools. As the Active Schools programme is delivered locally by local authorities and leisure trusts, this information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. I have asked sportscotland to meet with the Member to provide more detailed information.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417148,"EventID":"S6W-25916","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-29T16:30:50.237","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T10:29:03.3","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential number of users of single-use vapes who may return to tobacco products once the proposed ban on single-use vapes is introduced, and whether it plans to propose a ministerial statement on this issue.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is currently preparing a suite of impact assessments to consider the effect of the proposed measure on various communities and will be available before regulations are laid.\r\nWe recognise arguments raised in the four nations Creating a smoke free generation and tackling youth vaping consultation that disposable vapes are a useful aid to support quitting smoking but are also appealing to children. The case for action is therefore finely balanced. However, we are persuaded that action is necessary in respect of disposable vapes, due to not only environmental issues but also the low price and convenience of these products. Adults will still have access to non-disposable vapes to support smoking cessation, but banning disposables will reduce access for children while also dealing with the environmental impact of these products.\r\nA ministerial statement on the smoke free generation and tackling youth vaping policy measures will take place following the introduction of legislation to UK Parliament.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417149,"EventID":"S6W-25894","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-29T16:30:50.283","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-28T12:19:52.51","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that consumers have confidence in consumer protection awards for food items produced and packaged in Scotland.","AnswerText":"Consumer protection awards are not a matter for the Scottish Government. Consumer assurance in relation to food produced and packaged in Scotland comes from the comprehensive system of food law we have in Scotland that all food businesses must comply with, which covers food and feed safety, food standards and labelling, and any claims related to health or provenance. Compliance with food law is verified through food business inspections and routine sampling and monitoring of food products placed on the market. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417150,"EventID":"S6W-25890","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-29T16:30:50.343","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-28T09:43:31.42","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government who can legally decide whether a dog is an XL Bully-type dog, in the event that an owner, a local authority, the police or a court needs to determine whether a dog is of this type, and what training has been provided to allow the decision-maker(s) to make this determination. ","AnswerText":"The confirmation standard developed by the UK Government is being used to ensure consistency of approach in Scotland. The details of the confirmation standard are available on the Mygov.scot website:  https://www.mygov.scot/xl-bully-dogs \r\nIn the first instance, it will be for owners to assess if they own an XL Bully dog. If in doubt, we recommend a precautionary approach by adhering to the new requirements to avoid any possibility of breaching the new legal requirements\r\nThe Scottish Government is continuing to engage with Police Scotland, local authorities and animal welfare organisations in relation to the new safeguards and this includes in relation to how XL Bully dogs can be identified.\r\nWhere a potential breach of the new legal requirements is prosecuted in court, it will be for the court to determine whether an offence has been committed and that may, in certain circumstances, require evidence relating to whether a dog is in fact an XL Bully dog. While a matter for the independent court, they will use the confirmation standard and may wish to hear as needed expert evidence on the question of identification of a dog as an XL Bully dog in a given case. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417151,"EventID":"S6W-25897","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-29T16:30:50.393","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-28T13:48:26.843","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the proposed new gas-fired power station to be built at Peterhead poses any significant risk to Scotland's climate and emissions reduction targets.","AnswerText":"In February 2022, an application under section 36 of the Electricity Act seeking consent for construction and operation of Peterhead CCS was formally lodged with the Energy Consents Unit. This is currently before Ministers for determination and as such, it would be inappropriate for Ministers to make any comment on it.\r\nThe Scottish Government is committed to Scotland becoming a net zero nation by 2045. Our draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan sets out firmly our opposition to the continued use of unabated fossil fuels to generate electricity, while our updated Climate Change Plan contains more than 200 policies to reduce emissions across all sectors, including energy, in line with this bold ambition.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417152,"EventID":"S6W-25918","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-29T16:30:50.44","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T10:29:03.3","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that the provisions in the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019, which is due to commence in April 2024, particularly any provisions related to volunteers in care services, are reflected in its plans for the future workforce of the proposed National Care Service.","AnswerText":"Under the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019, service providers who engage workers or volunteers will have responsibility for ensuring any person providing a caring service receives appropriate training and support to perform their role, as they do now. This will continue under the National Care Service.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417153,"EventID":"S6W-25899","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-29T16:30:50.487","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-28T14:27:38.233","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there will be a review of minor injuries units in Deeside and south Aberdeenshire.","AnswerText":"I should firstly say that the Scottish Government do not have a specific policy on the provision of Minor Injury Units in communities. It is for local health boards and integrated joint boards to get the best combination of local and specialist services that meets the needs of their population in line with the National Clinical Strategy. \r\nThere is currently a Minor Injury Unit (MIU) in south Aberdeenshire at Jubilee Hospital in Huntly. The minor injury units at Aboyne Hospital and Kincardine Community Hospital in Stonehaven were paused in December 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.\r\nThe Board report demand for the minor injury service from these two units was low and with the increase in the complexity and demands on community hospital in-patient wards, NHS Grampian are prioritising services that have the greatest demand to provide the best treatment and care for local communities.\r\nNHS Grampian have confirmed that all services are subject to regular monitoring and that data is used to evidence that the care provided makes effective use of resources. For the future of minor injury service provision at Aboyne and Stonehaven, there are ongoing plans to progress this in combination with Community Treatment and Care Services (CTAC). This model would involve an appointment system rather than a drop-in service. It is worth noting that minor injury services are also available at the majority of the local GP practices.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417154,"EventID":"S6W-25903","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-29T16:30:50.563","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T08:25:56.777","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to conduct a review into the effectiveness of Regional Land Use Partnerships in relation to their ability to address the climate and biodiversity crises.","AnswerText":"Regional Land Use Partnerships (RLUPs) pilots have been asked to adopt a natural capital approach to their work. This allows the pilot regions to explore how regional opportunities and priorities for land use can enhance, protect, mitigate and adapt to areas of national importance such as biodiversity and climate change.\r\nThe Scottish Government is currently working with the RLUP pilot regions as we seek to understand and evaluate the progress of the pilot programme as a whole.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417155,"EventID":"S6W-25901","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-29T16:30:50.61","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-28T16:19:10.98","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-07232 by Jenny Gilruth on 25 March 2022, when it plans to bring into force part 8 (Recovery of Unpaid Parking Charges) of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019.","AnswerText":"A significant amount of work is still required to make Section 8 of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 law. Transport Scotland Officials are currently progressing work to determine the scope of the required public consultation which will help inform the secondary legislation required to bring this into force.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417156,"EventID":"S6W-25891","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2678,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":141,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-29T16:30:50.673","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-28T11:53:36.397","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-11632 by Humza Yousaf on 14 November 2022, what recording procedures are in place to ensure that, after referral to the specialist mesh service in Glasgow, all women are informed of the options to seek treatment at an NHS England specialist centre, the Spire Hospital in Bristol, or with Dr Veronikis in the USA, in circumstances when it is agreed that surgery is appropriate.","AnswerText":"Once there is agreement between the patient and her clinicians that removal surgery is the best course of treatment, the decision on where that treatment is carried out, whether it is by the NHS or an independent provider, rests with the patient.\r\nBoth NHS Greater Glasgow and NHS National Services Scotland, National Services Division will provide information and assistance to women in whom surgery is being recommended as part of their treatment plan and where they wish to explore alternative options. It is made clear that women can choose to have surgery elsewhere and there is information provided, both online and in hard-copy, about choosing mesh removal surgery with one of the independent surgeons.\r\nIt is normal practice to record the content and outcome of any discussion taking place within the contemporaneous, confidential patient record. This includes a note of which leaflets have been provided as part of these discussions.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417157,"EventID":"S6W-25888","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-29T16:30:50.72","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-28T09:43:31.42","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will allow XL Bully-type dogs to be exempted without neutering in the event that a vet recommends that an animal should not be neutered on health grounds.","AnswerText":" The Dangerous Dogs (Compensation and Exemption Schemes) (Scotland) Order 2024  provides for how the exemption scheme for XL Bully dogs will operate. This includes details on neutering. \r\nThe Scottish Government’s policy on neutering was developed and informed through direct engagement with key animal welfare stakeholders. \r\nIn order for an XL Bully dog owner to continue to be able to legally own their dog from 1 August 2024 onwards, a valid Certificate of Exemption is required. As a condition of receiving and retaining a valid exemption, the owner of the XL Bully must arrange to have their dog neutered. Male dogs must be castrated and female dogs must be spayed.\r\nFor dogs 18 months or older as at 31 July 2024, evidence of neutering having occurred must be provided to the Scottish Government by 31 January 2025.\r\nFor dogs younger than 18 months as at 31 July 2024, evidence of neutering having occurred must be provided to the Scottish Government by 31 January 2025 or within one month of the dog reaching the age of 18 months, whichever is later.\r\nThis approach for dogs aged younger than 18 months as at 31 July 2024 provides discretion for an owner to ensure their dog is at least 18 months old before being neutered. This reflects guidance on an appropriate age for health reasons as to when XL Bully dogs can safely be neutered. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417158,"EventID":"S6W-25914","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-29T16:30:50.767","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T10:29:03.3","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it will allocate to each local authority for its trading standards department to enforce the proposed (a) ban on single-use vapes and (b) raising of the tobacco age of sale, and whether it plans to propose a ministerial statement on these issues.","AnswerText":"Government officials have been engaging closely with Trading Standards to receive their feedback on the draft legislation for the proposed ban on single-use vapes. Officials are carrying out a Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment to understand the potential impacts including costs on businesses and public bodies.\r\nOn raising the age of sale for tobacco, a UK-wide impact assessment has been undertaken which considers the costs of enforcement for local authorities. We engage regularly with the Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland (SCOTSS) on the enforcement of existing legislation and will continue to engage with them through implementation of the Bill. \r\nA ministerial statement on the smoke free generation and tackling youth vaping policy measures will take place following the introduction of legislation to UK Parliament. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417159,"EventID":"S6W-25912","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-29T16:30:50.813","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T10:29:03.3","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the number of non-compliant vapes currently being sold in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this data centrally, it is up to individual Local Authorities to enforce legislation around non-compliant nicotine vapour products through Local Trading Standards Officers.\r\nTo support the enforcement of the legislation around the sale and purchase of Nicotine Vapour Products (vapes), Local Authorities receive an additional £1.34m. Each Local Authority decides how these funds are spent locally.\r\nOfficials meet regularly with The Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland (SCOTSS) and receive regular updates on any actions taken by trading standards, including enforcement for a failure to comply with legislation around the sale and purchase of these products.\r\nWe also meet regularly with HMRC, who work alongside Border Force to take action to tackle the import of illicit vaping products at the border.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417160,"EventID":"S6W-25893","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2678,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":141,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-29T16:30:50.877","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-28T11:55:07.097","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the 21 recommendations set out in the Transvaginal Mesh Case Record Review by Professor Alison Britton are now fully embedded within healthcare services in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The report of the Transvaginal Mesh Case Record Review underlined what was already an important agenda for the Scottish Government: to improve care and services for women who are experiencing complications as a result of a transvaginal mesh; and, to ensure that the NHS continually reinforces good practice in confirming and recording patient consent and the treatment offered to patients. Progress continues in a range of connected activities relevant to Professor Brittons’ recommendations.\r\nThe recommendations made align with the practice that is embedded in the operation of the Complex Mesh Surgical Service, and through NHS Scotland more generally. We continue to work with NHS colleagues to ensure that women can access the care that they need, are fully supported by their GP and other clinicians, and have access to information they need to make informed decisions about their care.\r\nThe Chief Medical Officer wrote to Health Board Medical Directors on 10 October to draw their attention to the report of the Review and to the failings it identified, and to require them to seek assurance through local clinical governance committees that measures are in place locally to prevent a recurrence of the failings identified, and to assure the quality of processes connected to patient consent and record keeping. With regards to more recent patient records she reviewed, Professor Britton herself noted she was encouraged by the improvement in practice, with increasingly robust consent processes in place.\r\nWork continues in other areas including enhancing information available to patients, credentialing of clinicians in mesh removal and improved data gathering.\r\nThe Scottish Government therefore considers that it is taking appropriate action to embed the report’s recommendations with regards to healthcare services in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417161,"EventID":"S6W-25889","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-29T16:30:50.94","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-28T09:43:31.42","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps local authorities should take in the event that a Dog Control Notice already exists on an XL Bully-type dog. ","AnswerText":"It can be noted the new safeguards on XL Bully dogs operate independently of any Dog Control Notices (DCNs) that may have been imposed on individual XL Bully dogs. A dog can both be subject to the safeguards required through being a XL Bully and subject to conditions imposed in a DCN as a result of being assessed as a dog that was previously out of control.\r\nWithin this context, the operation of the DCN regime, as set out in the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 (“the 2010 Act”), is entirely a matter for local authorities. It would not be appropriate for the Scottish Government to intervene in such operational matters.\r\nThe 2010 Act places a duty on local authorities to monitor the effectiveness of and enforce all DCNs issued by local authority appointed officers.\r\nThe Scottish Government is committed to keeping the 2010 Act statutory guidance document under review and will work with local authorities and the National Dog Warden Association to consider any specific updates that may be required in light of the introduction of the new safeguards on XL Bully dogs.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417162,"EventID":"S6W-25913","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-29T16:30:51","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T10:29:03.3","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of the proposed ban on single-use vapes on the illicit vaping market.","AnswerText":"A number of impact assessments including a Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA) are being prepared and will be published prior to the regulations being finalised and placed before the Scottish Parliament.\r\nScottish Government officials have been engaging closely with Trading Standards colleagues on the draft legislation, with a focus on enforcement and tackling the illicit market. Through the Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland (SCOTSS), we continue to support strong national and local alliances to tackle the availability and sale of illicit tobacco and vapes.\r\nUK-wide regulations are in place to ensure minimum standards for the safety and quality of e-cigarettes, including bans on certain ingredients. All e-cigarettes containing nicotine must be notified to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency before they can be sold in the UK.\r\nIf the public have concerns about illicit products, they can check a product has been successfully notified to the MHRA on their publication home page, and notify their local Trading Standards officer.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417163,"EventID":"S6W-25902","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-29T16:30:51.047","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-28T16:34:39.443","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to increase the recruitment of staff in care homes.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government are aware of the pressures faced by the social care providers at present and are taking a number of steps to support recruitment in the sector.\r\nScottish Government work with partners across the sector to support increased awareness of the careers available through our Adult Social Care marketing campaign which we have funded to run for the past four years. The campaign is supported by a stakeholder toolkit, which enables providers to use the materials to support their own local recruitment efforts. These assets have been refreshed for the 2023-24 campaign and can be found on our campaign website,  www.caretocare.scot \r\nAdditionally, the Scottish Government have continued funding to enable all social care providers to advertise vacancies on the MyJobScotland recruitment website at no cost. Data figures show that between February 2021 and February 2024, 23,310 adult social care jobs have been posted on MyJobScotland under this contract, saving providers £2,068,480 (incl VAT).\r\nFinally, recognising the value in workers who choose to live and work in Scotland from overseas and to support Scotland’s social care providers’ international recruitment efforts, we have collaborated with NHS Education Scotland (NES) and COSLA, and provided funding to create the NES Centre for Workforce Supply: Social Care. This pilot launched in summer 2023 for a 12 month period and seeks to test and develop an ethical and sustainable model of international recruitment for adult social care providers in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417164,"EventID":"S6W-25904","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-29T16:30:51.11","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T08:25:56.777","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether more effective utilisation of Regional Land Use Partnerships could achieve any of the policy outcomes it aims to achieve in its proposed Land Reform Bill.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises land is one of our most valuable assets. That is why the Scottish Land Rights and Responsibilities Statement articulates the Scottish Government’s vision for the ownership, use and management of land, setting out how we see the balance between the rights of landowners, managers, local communities and society at large. \r\nMoving forwards the legislative requirements, such as those set out in the proposals for the upcoming Land Reform Bill and other voluntary based measure such as the Scottish Land Commission’s Good Practice programme, will all play an important role in meeting our objectives for land reform. Whilst the Regional Land Use Partnership (RLUPs) pilots were established to test and explore locally appropriate approaches to land use, the scope of the pilots was not to consider or challenge matters of land ownership or rights and responsibilities. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417165,"EventID":"S6W-25924","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-29T16:30:51.173","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T13:31:20.99","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it will confirm the budget for the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for 2024-25.","AnswerText":"The Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults has been a positive development in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of our local communities, with approximately 3300 grants made to local projects across Scotland in the first two years alone.\r\nWe are committed to providing this Fund going forward and are currently in the process of finalising mental health budgets for 2024-25. We will be able to confirm the amount of this funding once the budget allocations have been approved. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417166,"EventID":"S6W-25915","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-29T16:30:51.33","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T10:29:03.3","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that volunteers and the third sector are included in plans for the future workforce of the proposed National Care Service.","AnswerText":"Scotland’s volunteers and third sector workers are critical to the health and wellbeing of our people, places and communities. We recognise the skills, kindness and commitment of workers and volunteers.\r\nThe Scottish Government are undertaking a co-design approach to inform NCS Future Workforce policies. We continue to engage with representatives of the workforce, including those in the third sector, to confirm their position and to ensure policies benefit the workforce.\r\nOur Lived Experience Experts Panel (LEEP) is open to those with lived experience of accessing or delivering social care support, to allow them to be involved in co-design work - including volunteers and those working in the third sector. Registration is via the Scottish Government Website, gov.scot.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417167,"EventID":"S6W-25905","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-29T16:30:51.517","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T08:25:56.777","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what role Regional Land Use Partnerships will play in its proposed Land Reform Bill.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises land is one of our most valuable assets. That is why the Scottish Land Rights and Responsibilities Statement articulates the Scottish Government’s vision for the ownership, use and management of land, setting out how we see the balance between the rights of landowners, managers, local communities and society at large. \r\nMoving forwards the legislative requirements, such as those set out in the proposals for the upcoming Land Reform Bill and other voluntary based measure such as the Scottish Land Commission’s Good Practice programme, will all play an important role in meeting our objectives for land reform. Whilst the Regional Land Use Partnership (RLUPs) pilots were established to test and explore locally appropriate approaches to land use, the scope of the pilots was not to consider or challenge matters of land ownership or rights and responsibilities. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417168,"EventID":"S6W-25911","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-29T16:30:51.627","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T10:29:03.3","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether children’s services will be included in the proposed National Care Service.","AnswerText":"The model of shared accountability agreed for the National Care Service means that Scottish Ministers, Local Authorities and NHS Boards will each have their own responsibilities to fulfil within a new national framework. \r\nWe will continue working with COSLA and other key partners to consider how NCS benefits and system improvements can be offered to both adults and children consistently across Scotland. \r\nThe Scottish Government priority is to ensure the consistent availability and high-quality of joined-up support for those children and families who need it, wherever they live in Scotland. \r\nWe will continue working towards improving outcomes for children and families, and the workforces who care for them. There is consensus across The Scottish Government, Local Government and other partners, to collaboratively advance an agenda of improvement beyond any system reform.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417169,"EventID":"S6W-25875","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1756,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":136,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-29T16:30:51.69","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-27T16:28:35.223","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that there are 15 separate dog microchipping databases that are compliant with the UK Government Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), and that every dog in the UK must be microchipped once they are eight weeks old, what discussions it has had with DEFRA regarding having a UK-wide microchipping database, and what the estimated cost is of the Scottish Government developing a standalone Scottish database to enable the traceability of all dogs and their owners and/or breeders in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the benefits of having a single point of access to microchipping data to aid with the identifying and reuniting owners and their pets and Scottish Ministers remain committed to working jointly with other administrations where it is both sensible and logical to do so in the interests of animal welfare.\r\nOfficials had discussions with DEFRA and other UK administrations regarding the possibility of a single UK-wide microchipping data base and other possible database reforms when Defra consulted on microchipping in 2022. We have not costed a Scotland-only database as we are seeking a consistent UK approach to database reform.\r\nThe Microchipping of Dogs Regulations (Scotland) 2016 requires database operators to provide and share information with persons authorised by Scottish Ministers or a local authority.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417170,"EventID":"S6W-25920","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-29T16:30:51.767","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T13:31:20.973","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps it is taking to improve the pathway from primary care to diagnostic tests for patients with suspected cancer.","AnswerText":"A clinical refresh of the Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer is underway to help ensure those with symptoms suspicious of cancer are put on the right pathway at the right time. These Guidelines have been developed for primary care clinicians to aid clinical decision making for those that require urgent specialist investigation.\r\nMeanwhile, a new primary care cancer education platform – Gateway C – has been procured in NHS Scotland to provide innovative, and tailored information to support earlier cancer diagnosis efforts and enable effective decision-making. The first modules to be included on the platform will be launched in Spring 2024.\r\nScotland’s first Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services (RCDSs) – established within existing NHS infrastructure – are operational in NHS Ayrshire and Arran, NHS Dumfries and Galloway NHS Fife, NHS Lanarkshire and NHS Borders, providing primary care with access to a new referral pathway for patients with non-specific symptoms suspicious of cancer.\r\nThe University of Strathclyde has completed a two year evaluation of Scotland’s first RCDSs showing that the services are achieving what they set out to do – find cancer – while delivering a high standard of care for primary care and patients at speed.\r\nTwo test beds continue to pilot chest x-ray AI in NHS Scotland, to help identify those with a suspicion of lung cancer following a chest x-ray, often requested by primary care clinicians. This work aims to reduce the time from primary care referral to the urgent suspicion of cancer (USC) diagnostic pathway commencing.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417171,"EventID":"S6W-25803","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2678,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":141,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-29T16:30:51.813","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-23T13:12:30.513","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Part H of its publication, Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010: guidance - updated, published on 23 December 2020, in particular the paragraph titled \"Local Authority bye-laws\", what its position is on the possible introduction by local authorities of bye-laws to ban XL Bully-type dogs from public places, such as parks and open spaces, including when the dog is muzzled, on a lead and has not been allowed to stray, and whether it plans to publish guidance for local authorities on the introduction of any such bye-laws.","AnswerText":"Under powers contained in the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, it is for local authorities to consider byelaws as provided for in section 201 of that Act. The Act provides that local authorities ‘… may make byelaws for the good rule and government of the whole or any part of the their area, and for the prevention and suppression of nuisances therein.’ It is entirely a matter for local authorities to consider whether to make byelaws with confirmation of any byelaws a matter for Scottish Ministers.\r\nThe Scottish Government is happy to engage with any local authority who wished to consider making any byelaws under the section 201 powers including where such byelaws may relate to XL Bully dogs in public places.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417172,"EventID":"S6W-25900","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-02-29T16:30:51.86","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-28T16:07:49.303","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of reports that several leading mortgage lenders do not provide mortgages on houses that have had spray foam insulation installed as part of schemes administered by Home Energy Scotland (HES), and, if so, what efforts have been made to make applicants receiving grants from HES for the installation of such insulation aware of this.","AnswerText":"As a consumer led scheme, the choice of material for insulation measures funded through the Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan Scheme is the sole choice of the applicant, and therefore some may choose to install spray foam.\r\nDuring the advice and application process, applicants interested in spray foam are made aware of the RICS guidance on spray foam and encouraged to discuss any proposed works with their mortgage company and/or insurer before proceeding. If you are installing solid wall, underfloor, flat roof or room-in-roof insulation through the scheme then you have to use a TrustMark or Green Deal accredited installer.\r\nWarmer Homes Scotland and the Area Based Schemes funded by the Scottish Government do not support spray foam insulation in lofts. In some circumstances spray foam insulation may be offered for underfloor insulation. Where local authorities are delivering these measures, they are asked to undertake additional monitoring and ensure that work is delivered in line with best practice guidelines as published by the UK Government The link can be found here:  Retrofit Floor Insulation – Suspended Timber Floors: Guide to Best Practice (publishing.service.gov.uk)  .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417192,"EventID":"S6W-25938","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-01T16:05:17.773","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T14:47:34.16","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact that beavers have on (a) natural wild salmon habitats in Scotland’s rivers and (b) the population of salmon smolts.","AnswerText":"NatureScot has carried out a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) that includes the identification of risks and constraints of beaver translocation and natural colonisation to other interests, including migratory fish such as Atlantic salmon. A comprehensive Environmental Report was prepared in 2017 focussed on two detailed zones; Tayside and Knapdale. An addendum to the 2017 Environment Report that brings up to date to our knowledge of beavers in Scotland, as well as their impacts and management was published in 2022. Furthermore, stand-alone assessments have been carried out on prioritised river catchments. To date this process has seen assessments for the River Leven (Loch Lomond), River Forth, River Beauly and River Spey catchments.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417193,"EventID":"S6W-25930","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-01T16:05:17.883","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T13:51:48.697","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been made of the potential environmental impact of the planned Comsol Energy solar farm on the Isle of Cumbrae, including any impact on the area's topography.","AnswerText":"Having regard to the development plan the reporter considered that the determining issues in this appeal were the principle of the development and its potential benefits, including renewable electricity generation; landscape and visual impact and ecological impacts.\r\nThe reporter took account of all submissions made on this appeal which included extensive environmental information containing an informal environmental report, landscape and visual impact assessment, extended vegetation survey, hydrological assessment, preliminary ecological appraisal, transport and access statement and a heritage impact assessment.\r\nThe reporter concluded the proposal would make a modest but worthwhile contribution towards the achievement of renewable energy generation targets and whilst the proposal would have some negative effects, the reporter found these impacts to be localised in nature, are capable of some mitigation and are outweighed by the benefits of the development.\r\nThe reporter takes account of all the evidence submitted by parties involved including those views expressed by consultees and members of the local community.\r\nThe reporter concluded that the proposed development accorded with the development plan with regard to ecological and landscape and visual impacts.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417194,"EventID":"S6W-25934","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-01T16:05:17.96","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T13:59:05.673","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of the planned Comsol Energy solar farm on the Isle of Cumbrae on the island's endangered bird species, of which there are reported to be at least 20 species, across seven priority habitats.","AnswerText":"The reporter took full account of all the submissions made by parties, including the potential impact on the island's birds. This included the appellants Ecological Appraisal and comments from members of the local community.\r\nThe reporter concluded that the proposed development complied with development plan policies relating to biodiversity.\r\nThe reporter has included a condition to this permission setting out that prior to the commencement of the development a Construction Management Plan shall be submitted to the council for approval. This Plan will set out, unless otherwise agreed by the planning authority, that vegetation removal should be scheduled to occur outside of the nesting bird season.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417195,"EventID":"S6W-25929","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-01T16:05:18.023","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T13:50:19.943","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what considerations it made when deciding to overturn North Ayrshire Council’s decision not to grant permission for the development of the solar farm on the Isle of Cumbrae by Comsol Energy. ","AnswerText":"The independent reporter was required to make their decision on the planning merits of the case and in overall accordance with the development plan, unless material considerations indicated otherwise. The reporter concluded that the main issues in this case were the principle of the development and its potential benefits; the landscape and visual impact of the proposal; and its ecological impact. The reporter took full account of all submissions made by parties, including those from North Ayrshire Council and views expressed by members of the local community, consultees and other third parties with an interest in the proposal. A site inspection took place on 13 October 2023.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417196,"EventID":"S6W-25942","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3763,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":142,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-01T16:05:18.087","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T15:32:24.637","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent by the NHS on treatment for patients who have experienced complications resulting from cosmetic medical aesthetic procedures in each of the last five financial years, also broken down by NHS board.","AnswerText":"This information is not centrally collected. When NHS Scotland treats someone who has suffered harm from a non-surgical cosmetic procedure that has gone wrong, NHS Scotland will not necessarily record that this was the result of that procedure as there is no specific code to record this. This means that it is difficult to assess the cost to NHS Scotland of treating harm or complications that may have been caused.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417197,"EventID":"S6W-25931","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-01T16:05:18.15","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T13:53:44.8","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the results of the Seabirds Count census in 2023, whether it can provide an update on the progress of the Scottish Seabird Conservation Strategy.","AnswerText":"The results of the latest seabird census, Seabird Count, show that many of Scotland’s intentionally important seabird populations are suffering from a range of pressures, including climate change.\r\nThe Scottish Government is committed to the development of a Scottish Seabird Conservation Strategy in partnership with stakeholders, to drive forward and prioritise action aimed at improving the conservation prospects of our internationally important seabird populations. Work on the strategy is moving at pace, with targeted stakeholder engagement planned for spring/summer 2024, followed by consultation later in the year.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417198,"EventID":"S6W-25948","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-01T16:05:18.197","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-01T09:04:06.437","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government to what extent meeting its tree planting targets depends upon land under crofting tenure, and what proportion of land with planting potential is assessed to be within crofting tenure.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is supportive of woodland creation on crofts and recognises the multiple environmental and economic benefits this brings. There are several initiatives and funding in place to encourage and support crofters to make applications. Due to spatial data limitations it is not possible to identify the total proportion of land with planting potential that is under crofting tenure.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417199,"EventID":"S6W-25950","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-01T16:05:18.257","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-01T10:38:26.437","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to holding an engagement event with children and young people on violence and behaviour in schools.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government held a meeting with children and young people’s organisations on 19 February to discuss safe and meaningful ways to gather the views of children and young people on relationships and behaviour in schools. Plans are currently being developed for how to take appropriate work forward.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417200,"EventID":"S6W-25947","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-01T16:05:18.303","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-01T09:03:42.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of degraded peatland requiring restoration is on land that is within crofting tenure, and what the approximate acreage is of such land.","AnswerText":"There is around 484,000 hectares of Common Grazing land in Scotland that is registered in claims and applications with Rural Payments and Services. Of this, there are an estimated 286,000 hectares of peatland (50cm depth), or around 60% of the total land area. Around two-thirds of this peatland is in a degraded state. The Scottish Government’s Crofting Bill Team and stakeholder group are considering a number of proposals that will make it easier for crofters to use their common grazings for other purposes than agriculture, such as peatland restoration.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417201,"EventID":"S6W-25944","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3763,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":142,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-01T16:05:18.383","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T15:32:52.793","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many reports of malpractice have been made to Trading Standards Scotland regarding medical aesthetic procedures carried out by non-healthcare professionals, since 2021.","AnswerText":"This information is not held centrally. You may wish to contact Trading Standards Scotland directly for this information.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417202,"EventID":"S6W-25945","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-01T16:05:18.447","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T15:39:26.797","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it will introduce its proposed Land Reform Bill to the Parliament.","AnswerText":"The Bill was introduced on Wednesday 13 March, and published on Thursday 14 March 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417203,"EventID":"S6W-25935","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-01T16:05:18.507","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T14:39:19.257","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the reported oil leak in Glen Fruin, responded to by SEPA on 2 January 2024, what information it can provide on the exact scale of the leak, including (a) how it happened, (b) how long the clear-up is expected to take, (c) when the road restrictions are expected to be lifted and (d) what is being done to protect salmon, trout and other wildlife in the River Fruin and Loch Lomond.","AnswerText":"SEPA have been regularly monitoring the Fruin Water since 3 January 2024, following reports of a small quantity of light crude oil surfacing from an underground pipeline. They will continue to do so until the clean-up is concluded.\r\nThe exact scale of the leak, the extent of contamination and the duration of the remediation work, will not be known until the results of the ground investigation have been presented to SEPA alongside the remediation options appraisal. This is expected by May.\r\nThe Glen Fruin road (C70) was closed by Police Scotland as a precaution following the discovery of an oil leak on 2nd January 2024. However, access through Glen Fruin will remain unaffected during the remediation phase.\r\nMinor localised environmental impacts have been recorded and a range of precautionary measures have been installed at SEPA’s request. No significant impact has been detected with respect to water quality, migratory salmonids (salmon/trout) or to other wildlife within the Fruin Water or Loch Lomond.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417204,"EventID":"S6W-25940","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3763,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":142,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-01T16:05:18.553","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T15:31:58.717","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many individuals who (a) are and (b) are not healthcare professionals currently provide medical aesthetic treatment in Scotland.","AnswerText":"This information is not held by the Scottish Government. While not all of the aesthetics sector is currently regulated, HIS do regulate independent clinics, which would include aesthetics services, provided by a doctor, dentist, nurse, midwife or dental care professional. You may wish to contact HIS directly for information on registered independent clinics.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417205,"EventID":"S6W-25939","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-01T16:05:18.65","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T14:47:34.16","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact that piscivorous birds have on the wild salmon population.","AnswerText":"Quantifying the impacts of piscivorous birds on wild salmon populations is challenging as it requires updated information on bird populations, distributions and diet, as well as information on the population dynamics processes of both the birds and fish.\r\nNevertheless several studies have been commissioned in order to build knowledge of the potential impact of piscivorous birds on wild salmon. Most recently a study to document the diet of fish eating birds on four Scottish rivers was conducted between 2019 and 2020. A final report on the study is available on the Scottish Government website - Bird stomach contents analysis - final report: Goosander and Cormorant diet on four Scottish rivers 2019 to 2020 - gov.scot (  www.gov.scot  ).\r\nA separate project funded by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund has examined acoustic tracking methods that may be useful in identifying those stretches of Scottish rivers where salmon smolt losses occur. This pilot work included a study examining the feasibility of concurrently recording movements of piscivorous birds (goosanders) using Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) tags. A final report on the study will be published in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417206,"EventID":"S6W-25926","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-01T16:05:18.71","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T13:42:44.703","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many members of staff were employed by Disclosure Scotland in each year since 2012.\r\n","AnswerText":"I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:\r\nTable: The headcount of staff at Disclosure Scotland as of 31 March for the years requested.\r\nYear\r\nStaff headcount\r\n2012\r\n290\r\n2013\r\n315\r\n2014\r\n336\r\n2015\r\n341\r\n2016\r\n494\r\n2017\r\n609\r\n2018\r\n413\r\n2019\r\n447\r\n2020\r\n474\r\n2021\r\n468\r\n2022\r\n465\r\n2023\r\n456\r\nAs of 29 February 2024\r\n457","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417207,"EventID":"S6W-25949","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-01T16:05:18.757","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-01T09:04:47.097","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any potential public expenditure or contingent liability implications for its Budget to de-risk or otherwise sufficiently underwrite private investment in nature sufficient to deliver private investment at the scale of (a) £5 billion, (b) £10 billion and (c) £15 billion up to 2032, in the absence of carbon prices capable of fully funding private investment ambitions, and whether it will publish any such assessment.","AnswerText":"Options are currently being explored for spending models on nature restoration that can encourage greater responsible private investment while maximising the value of public spending. This includes consideration of ‘blended finance’ mechanisms where public funding is used in a more targeted way to support increased nature restoration activity by attracting responsible private investment.\r\nThe Scottish Government has not assessed potential public expenditure or contingent liability implications for its budget to de-risk or otherwise sufficiently underwrite private investment in nature. Budget implications would be published in line with usual processes.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417208,"EventID":"S6W-25925","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-01T16:05:18.82","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T13:42:44.703","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many staffing vacancies are currently unfilled within Disclosure Scotland.","AnswerText":"I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:\r\nThere are 13 staffing vacancies currently unfilled within Disclosure Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417209,"EventID":"S6W-25936","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-01T16:05:18.93","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T14:47:34.16","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on delivering the Wild Salmon Strategy Implementation Plan.","AnswerText":"A progress report will be published on the  Scottish Government webpage  in due course. The report will provide a short update on each of the actions within the Wild Salmon Strategy Implementation Plan which have progressed in the first year since publication.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417210,"EventID":"S6W-25951","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-01T16:05:18.977","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-01T11:52:22.973","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will reallocate the funding earmarked for freezing Council Tax in (a) Inverclyde and (b) Argyll and Bute to other local authorities or public services, in light of reports of these councils not agreeing to the proposed freeze.","AnswerText":"Scottish Ministers remain committed to working with councils to ensure that all households across Scotland benefit from a council tax freeze in 2024-25. Our offer to Argyll and Bute Council and Inverclyde Council to deliver a freeze in 2024-25 remains on the table.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417211,"EventID":"S6W-25937","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-01T16:05:19.023","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T14:47:34.16","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides for the creation and expansion of wild salmon hatcheries.","AnswerText":"The Marine Directorate Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI) maintains a register of aquaculture facilities on behalf of Scottish Ministers, which includes details of wild fish restocking hatcheries. The FHI provide advice on biosecurity, record keeping, fish health and disease issues.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417212,"EventID":"S6W-25946","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5060,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-01T16:05:19.07","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-01T08:50:33.723","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason section (a) 9 and (b) 10 of the Civil Litigation (Expenses and Group Proceedings) (Scotland) Act 2018 is not in force.","AnswerText":"Sections 9 and 10 of the Civil Litigation (Expenses and Group Proceedings) (Scotland) Act 2018 are not in force because the requisite court rules are not in place. Civil court rules govern the procedure to be followed in cases heard in the Court of Session and in civil cases in the sheriff courts to ensure a fair, efficient, and accessible legal system in Scotland.\r\nCommencing legislative provisions without court rules in place would be irresponsible - potentially creating problems for court users and placing added pressures on our court system. \r\nResponsibility for drafting court rules lies with the Scottish Civil Justice Council (SCJC), a statutory body chaired by the Lord President. The Council prepares an annual report on its activities along with an annual plan setting out its objectives and priorities each year and lays a copy before the Scottish Parliament. The rules required for sections 9 and 10 are currently in the SCJC work plan and are listed as a priority. \r\nImplementing emergency measures to allow the court system to function during the pandemic and the subsequent work to manage recovery has had a significant impact on the delivery of the Council’s business, and its available resources. However, the SCJC have advised that drafting of the new rules is progressing well. \r\nScottish Government officials are continuing to engage with the SCJC and stand ready to commence the remaining sections of the Civil Litigation (Expenses and Group Proceedings) (Scotland) Act 2018 as soon as court rules are finalised.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417213,"EventID":"S6W-25952","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-01T16:05:19.133","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-01T12:14:53.527","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered introducing (a) a system of licensing for professional dog walkers and (b) restrictions on the number of dogs that a person can walk at one time. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government consulted on proposals to licence animal care services, including commercial dog walking services from 4 July 2023 to 26 September 2023. The analysis of responses to this consultation was published on 16 February 2024 and is available at  Licensing of activities involving animals: consultation response analysis - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .\r\nConsideration of the views expressed in response to the consultation is ongoing. The Scottish Government will confirm its proposed next steps, including how it intends to proceed in respect to commercial dog walking activities, in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417214,"EventID":"S6W-25932","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-01T16:05:19.18","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T13:54:53.98","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to monitor and enforce the conditions set by its Reporter regarding the planned construction of Comsol Energy's solar farm on the Isle of Cumbrae. ","AnswerText":"Enforcement of planning control is a matter for the planning authority, in this case North Ayrshire Council. There are a wide range of enforcement powers in planning legislation and planning authorities have discretion to determine what power, or combination of powers, to use in any particular situation.\r\nIn this case the reporter accepted the proposed planning conditions suggested by the council with minor alterations.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417215,"EventID":"S6W-25943","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3763,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":142,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-01T16:05:19.243","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T15:32:38.88","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many reports of malpractice have been made to Health Improvement Scotland regarding medical aesthetic procedures carried out by healthcare professionals, since 2021.","AnswerText":"Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) regulates independent clinics, including those offering aesthetic services, provided by a doctor, dentist, nurse, midwife or dental care professional. HIS regulated independent healthcare services must notify HIS of certain events that occur within their service. You may wish to contact HIS directly for further information.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417216,"EventID":"S6W-25836","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-01T16:05:19.303","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-26T12:12:52.333","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its environmental policies in Scotland, and in light of reports that the Belgian parliament has voted to criminalise ecocide in both domestic and international law, whether it has made any representations to the UK Government in relation to the potential criminalisation of ecocide in international law.","AnswerText":"International law is a reserved matter and the Scottish Government has not had formal contact with the UK Government in relation to the potential criminalisation of ecocide in international law. However, the Scottish Government is supportive of a revision to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court to include ecocide, and would support the UK Government in officially supporting and/or ratifying a new law on the criminalisation of ecocide in international law.\r\nIn terms of the domestic consideration of ecocide, the Scottish Government will carry out an assessment, in line with its policy on EU alignment, of the revised EU environmental crime directive, which has now been approved by the EU Parliament.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417217,"EventID":"S6W-25933","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-01T16:05:19.35","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T13:57:36.2","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government in what circumstances it would support construction within any (a) Special Landscape Area (SLA) and (b) Local Nature Conservation Site (LNCS). ","AnswerText":"Our Fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) through policy 4 (Natural Places) sets out to protect, restore and enhance natural assets making best use of nature-based solutions. Policy 4 (d) states that development proposals that affect a site designated as a local nature conservation site or landscape area in the Local Development Plan will only be supported in limited circumstances. This includes where such development will not have significant adverse effects on the integrity of the area or the qualities for which it has been identified; or where any significant adverse effects on the integrity of the area are clearly outweighed by social, environmental or economic benefits of at least local importance.\r\nAll NPF4 policies must be read and applied as a whole and it will be for the decision maker to determine what weight to attach to policies on a case by case basis.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417218,"EventID":"S6W-25927","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-01T16:05:19.413","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T13:42:44.703","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much Disclosure Scotland has spent on employing temporary staff in each year since 2012.","AnswerText":"I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:\r\nTable: The spend on employing temporary staff each year since 2012. To note, these figures relate to both agency staff and contractors.\r\nYear\r\nTemp staff cost (£000)\r\n2012\r\n1,942\r\n2013\r\n2,371\r\n2014\r\n2,407\r\n2015\r\n3,029\r\n2016\r\n5,423\r\n2017\r\n8,029\r\n2018\r\n16,605\r\n2019\r\n15,149\r\n2020\r\n14,701\r\n2021\r\n9,470\r\n2022\r\n7,702\r\n2023\r\n9,175","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417232,"EventID":"S6F-02884","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-04T14:46:17.683","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T10:53:31.873","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417233,"EventID":"S6F-02885","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5586,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-04T14:46:17.81","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T10:53:46.087","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417234,"EventID":"S6F-02891","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-04T14:46:18.37","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-04T09:22:58.513","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government can take to help encourage children into sport and cultivate future world class athletes, in light of the recent successes of Josh Kerr and Jemma Reekie at the World Indoor Athletics Championships in Glasgow.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417235,"EventID":"S6F-02887","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-04T14:46:18.043","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-01T08:49:41.16","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what impact the Spring Statement will have on Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417236,"EventID":"S6F-02896","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-04T14:46:18.87","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-04T10:11:36.98","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to promote community deer management on publicly owned land. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417237,"EventID":"S6F-02905","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5622,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":148,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-04T14:46:19.7","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-04T11:59:43.523","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister, in light of International Women's Day on 8 March, what steps the Scottish Government is taking to tackle gender-based violence.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417238,"EventID":"S6F-02904","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-04T14:46:19.543","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-04T11:55:51.093","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to reduce waiting times for children referred for a neurodevelopmental assessment.  ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417239,"EventID":"S6T-01837","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":16186,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":120,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-04T14:46:23.76","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-04T09:04:57.747","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the announcement by Aberdeen City Council that residents of approximately 500 homes in Torry face relocation as a result of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417240,"EventID":"S6T-01835","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-04T14:46:23.573","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-03T17:53:37.727","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported claims by the director of Shelter Scotland that it is \"gaslighting\" the country on housing when its budget \"condemns 10,000 children to lives trapped in the homelessness system\".","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417241,"EventID":"S6T-01838","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-04T14:46:23.87","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-04T09:54:38.983","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps it is taking to resolve industrial action in the further education sector. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417242,"EventID":"S6W-25965","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-04T16:59:50.817","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-04T10:33:11.86","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work it or its agencies have done on modelling for a tax on wealth in Scotland, and whether it will make the outcomes of any such work publicly available.","AnswerText":"We believe that the power to tax wealth should be devolved to this Parliament, so that it can be designed to work fairly and effectively in a Scottish-specific context. Any analysis of wealth taxes, therefore, must consider the limits of powers currently devolved to the Scottish Parliament.\r\nWe will continue to consider any tax proposals in line with our core tax principles which are set out in the Framework for Tax and believe that those with the broadest shoulders should contribute the most.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417243,"EventID":"S6W-25966","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-04T16:59:50.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-04T10:33:11.86","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work it or its agencies have done on modelling for a tax based on land value in Scotland, and whether it will make the outcomes of any such work publicly available.","AnswerText":"In 2017, the Scottish Government asked the Scottish Land Commission to look at the potential for introducing a form of land value based tax in Scotland. One of their key findings was that, although the theoretical case for the introduction of a land value tax is strong, there is a lack of empirical evidence that land value taxes have actually delivered the theoretical benefits attributed to them. They went on to note that to date no country has ever replaced existing taxes on land and property with a single tax and most people today accept that the idea of a single tax is not practical in the 21st century. These findings were published by the Scottish Land Commission in October 2018.\r\nFollowing the publication of these findings, the Scottish Government has not carried out any further modelling of a land value tax. However, the Scottish Government has continued to engage with academics and stakeholders with an interest in this topic.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417244,"EventID":"S6W-25962","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-04T16:59:50.96","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-03T14:43:45.62","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-20705 by Jenny Gilruth on 19 September 2023, whether it will provide a breakdown by local authority of the change in the number of pupil support assistants in schools between 2018 and 2024. ","AnswerText":"Data on the full-time equivalent number of pupil support assistants from the September 2023 school staff census will be published on 19 March 2024. Data for 2024 will be collected in September 2024 and published in Spring 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417245,"EventID":"S6W-25622","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-04T16:59:51.02","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-19T08:19:10.107","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the potential issues arising from the Post Office’s Horizon computer system in Scotland, what its response is to the reported comments by the Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales regarding the use of legislation to quash wrongful convictions of sub-postmasters and mistresses that were based on Horizon evidence, and her suggestion of an “expedited process” whereby such convictions may be quashed in a matter weeks, including whether it would support such an expedited process for cases in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is aware of the reported comments by the Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales.\r\nAny expedited process for hearing appeals is a matter for the judiciary, who are independent of Scottish Ministers. This process would also only be able to consider those cases which have been referred back to the courts and would not be able to address, for example, any cases where consideration by the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission has been delayed by difficulties in obtaining timely information from the Post Office, or where no person has approached the Commission for their case to be reassessed.\r\nGiven that the UK Government has introduced legislation for England & Wales the Scottish Government plan to ensure, insofar as possible, equal treatment for Scottish sub-postmasters. Any Scottish solution will need to be compatible with both the proposed UK Government legislation and the UK compensation scheme in which the Scottish Government has no locus. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417246,"EventID":"S6W-25627","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-04T16:59:51.053","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-19T10:13:19.007","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding UK-wide legislation to exonerate sub-postmasters and mistresses who have been wrongfully convicted as a result of the reported issues with the Post Office accounting system, Horizon.","AnswerText":"On 22 February, the Under-Secretary of State for Enterprise, Markets and Small Business stated that the UK Government would introduce legislation to reverse only the convictions of sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses convicted in courts in England and Wales. This followed the Scottish Government making clear on 10 January in a letter from the First Minister to the Prime Minister that UK-wide legislation would be the appropriate response to this issue. The position of the Scottish Government was also made in further letters from the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs. \r\nFollowing the UK Government announcement on 22 February, I wrote to the Minister the following day to make clear that the Scottish Government remained of the view that the best way to ensure a solution that treats all affected sub-postmasters across the United Kingdom equitably is for the Westminster Parliament to legislate to overturn the convictions of those affected across the whole of the UK, and asking the UK Government to reconsider its approach on this matter.\r\nOn 13 March, the UK Government introduced its Bill to reverse the convictions of affected sub-postmasters and post office employees convicted in courts in England and Wales. The Deputy First Minister wrote to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and Minister for Intergovernmental Relations on 14 March urging him to make good on the commitment he made at the meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Standing Committee on 12 March to consider extending the Bill to cover convictions in courts in Scotland and Northern Ireland.\r\nThis reflects the fact that the cause of these wrongful convictions, wherever they occurred, is the defective Post Office Horizon IT system and the failure of the Post Office to disclose relevant information about it to prosecutors. \r\nHowever, if the UK Government maintains its position that it will legislate only to reverse convictions of sub-postmasters convicted in England and Wales, we will introduce legislation in the Scottish Parliament to reverse the convictions of affected sub-postmasters in Scotland. Any such Bill will have to be passed after the equivalent UK Bill to ensure that the approach is compatible with the approach taken in the UK Bill and sub-postmasters convicted in Scotland whose convictions are reversed can access the Horizon compensation scheme operated by the UK Government.\r\nScottish Government officials are continuing to engage with UK Government officials on this matter.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417247,"EventID":"S6W-25909","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-04T16:59:51.1","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T10:29:03.3","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its work to tackle online bullying and harassment, what recent discussions it has had with mobile app companies regarding any support that they currently provide to users to report online bullying and harassment.","AnswerText":"The regulation of the internet is a reserved matter and falls to the UK Government.\r\nNotwithstanding, the Scottish Government has been very clear that providers also have a responsibility to enforce their own policies on harmful online content. We continue to engage with the UK Government and Ofcom, on the implementation of the Online Safety Act 2023 in Scotland, and to press for stronger protections to keep children and vulnerable adults safe online.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417248,"EventID":"S6W-25960","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-04T16:59:51.18","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-01T18:31:02.803","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase digital access in areas of high deprivation, in light of the 2022 Scottish Household Survey finding that 16% of households in the 20% most deprived areas in Scotland lack internet access at home and 31% of households with a net annual income of between £6,001 and £10,000 lack home internet access.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is keenly aware of the importance of increasing digital access for all people in Scotland. Through programmes such as Connecting Scotland, the Scottish Government is taking action to improve digital access for multiple priority groups, including people who are living in low-income households.\r\nIn August 2023, the Connecting Scotland programme launched two projects to provide kit and connectivity through Device Libraries and Social Housing organisations. Over £204,000 was awarded across both projects to a range of organisations across Scotland. This funding is helping Device Libraries to expand their range of devices, to extend the number of devices available for loan and to replace devices that are coming to the end of their lives. The funding is also supporting Social Housing providers to support connectivity infrastructure projects that benefit their residents, as our research has shown that Social Housing tenants are a group particularly impacted by digital exclusion.\r\nSocial tariffs can additionally provide the means for people in need of digital access to get online by providing reduced broadband tariff rates. Connecting Scotland is working with Ofcom to improve information about social tariffs for people in Scotland. In April 2023, based on dialogue with officials, Ofcom updated their webpage to show which tariffs are available to which regions of the UK. Officials will continue dialogue with Ofcom to ensure that social tariffs are widely understood as a potential option for people living in low-income households to get online.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417249,"EventID":"S6W-25968","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-04T16:59:51.227","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-04T10:43:47.607","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to improve the quality of prevalence data on the number of people in Scotland with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), in light of its publication of experimental statistics in December 2022 in the report, Neurological Conditions: estimating the prevalence in Scotland of selected conditions using General Practice and Hospital Admissions datasets.","AnswerText":"National Services Scotland are currently developing a Primary Care Data and Intelligence platform, which will provide a modern digital infrastructure to unlock the value of data from general practice, including prevalence data on neurological conditions. The platform will be delivered by March 2026, in line with commitments in the  Care in the digital age: Delivery plan 2023-24  .\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417250,"EventID":"S6W-25963","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-04T16:59:51.287","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-04T10:33:11.86","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what research it or its agencies have undertaken regarding the current rates of the Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT), including the Additional Dwelling Supplement, and whether it will make the findings of any such research publicly available. ","AnswerText":"Revenue Scotland publish monthly data for Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) which sets out the number and value of transactions for residential LBTT, the Additional Dwelling Supplement (ADS) and non-residential leases and conveyances. These publications can be found on Revenue Scotland's website at the following link:  Monthly LBTT Statistics | Revenue Scotland \r\nRevenue Scotland also publish an Annual Summary of Trends in the Devolved Taxes which sets out detailed data and commentary for LBTT and Scottish Landfill Tax (SLfT). The latest publication covering 2022-23 was published in November 2023 and can be found at the following link:  Annual Summary of Trends in the Devolved Taxes 2022/23 | Revenue Scotland ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417251,"EventID":"S6W-25910","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-04T16:59:51.333","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T10:29:03.3","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its work to tackle online bullying and harassment, what its position is on (a) the current regulation of mobile app companies and (b) in-app support tools for users to report online bullying and harassment.","AnswerText":"We take online safety very seriously and our expectation is that online service providers will act responsibly.\r\nThough regulation of the internet is a reserved matter and falls to the UK Government, the Scottish Government is committed to securing the online safety of our children and young people. That is why the First Minister urged the UK Government to include additional measures in the Online Safety Act 2023 to protect children and vulnerable adults online and go further to encourage tech firms to design out illegal and harmful material.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417252,"EventID":"S6W-25621","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-04T16:59:51.38","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-19T08:19:10.107","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the potential issues arising from the Post Office’s Horizon computer system in Scotland, what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding whether it plans to proceed with emergency legislation in order to quash wrongful convictions of sub-postmasters and mistresses that were based on Horizon evidence.","AnswerText":"I refer the Member to the answer to PQ S6W-26520 on 18 March 2024 for information about correspondence between myself and UK Government Ministers on this matter.\r\nThe UK Government announced on 22 February that they will introduce legislation to reverse only the convictions of sub-postmasters convicted by courts in England and Wales and introduced a Bill in the Westminster Parliament on 13 March. Scottish Government officials participate in a Devolved Administrations Working Group established by the UK Government which meets regularly to discuss issues relating to the development of legislation to quash the wrongful convictions of sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses. This will assist in the development of equivalent legislation that will apply to sub-postmasters and post office employees convicted by courts in Scotland if the UK Government does not change its position on legislating only to reverse the convictions of those convicted in courts in England and Wales.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417253,"EventID":"S6W-25623","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-04T16:59:51.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-19T08:19:10.107","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will update the Parliament on any progress being made in relation to the exoneration of sub-postmasters and mistresses whose wrongful convictions in Scotland were based on evidence from the Post Office’s Horizon computer system.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25624 on 18 March 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417254,"EventID":"S6W-25624","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-04T16:59:51.49","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-19T08:19:10.107","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it will ensure that all sub-postmasters and mistresses whose wrongful convictions in Scotland were based on evidence from the Post Office’s Horizon computer system will be identified, and all such convictions quashed.","AnswerText":"On 13 March 2024 the UK Government introduced the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill which, if passed, will automatically quash on coming into force any convictions which fall within the scope identified on the face of the Bill. Details of the UK Bill can be found on the UK Parliament website:  Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill - Parliamentary Bills - UK Parliament \r\nThe Scottish Government believes that the best way to deliver a quick, fair and equal solution for all affected sub-postmasters is through a UK-wide Bill, and will continue to press the UK Government to deliver a solution that provides this.\r\nWe will introduce Scottish legislation if necessary, but any such legislation cannot be passed in the Scottish Parliament until after the UK Bill has been passed to ensure full compatibility with both the UK legislation, and the UK compensation scheme in which the Scottish Government has no locus.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417255,"EventID":"S6W-25620","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-04T16:59:51.537","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-19T08:19:10.107","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the potential issues arising from the Post Office’s Horizon computer system in Scotland, whether it will publish any correspondence that it has had with the UK Government, including any related documents, regarding the method by which the sub-postmasters and mistresses whose wrongful convictions were based on Horizon evidence will be quashed.","AnswerText":"The First Minister's letter to the Prime Minister of 10 January was published on the Scottish Government website at:  https://www.gov.scot/publications/first-minister-letter-prime-minister-post-office-horizon-cases/ \r\nLetters I sent to the Secretary of State for Justice, Alex Chalk MP, and the Minister for Enterprise, Markets and Small Business, Kevin Hollinrake MP and the letter which the Deputy First Minister sent to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and Minister for Intergovernmental Relations concerning legislation to reverse convictions that may have resulted from the use of Post Office Horizon evidence are available on the Scottish Government website at  https://www.gov.scot/publications/post-office-horizon/letters-to-uk-government. \r\nIt is for the UK Government to decide whether to publish letters sent with an expectation of confidence by UK Ministers to the Scottish Ministers.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417256,"EventID":"S6W-25626","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-04T16:59:51.6","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-19T08:19:10.107","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the potential issues arising from the Post Office’s Horizon computer system in Scotland, what its response is to the comments of former sheriff Kevin Drummond KC that an approach to resolving the potential issues “could be done tomorrow… by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and Crown Prosecution Service bringing to their respective criminal appeal courts a list of convictions with case references and informing the court that investigations have revealed these convictions to be flawed and inviting the court to overturn the convictions”.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is aware of this proposal. During the Lord Advocate’s statement to Parliament on 16 January 2024, I am aware there was discussion of this issue. The Lord Advocate explained that:\r\n‘… It is misleading to suggest that I could simply attend the appeal court with a list of cases and tell the court of criminal appeal to quash the convictions. There is such a process but, for reasons of sound public policy and in recognition of the constitutional role of our court of appeal, prosecutors always have to be able to explain why they are no longer relying on a conviction. As I have explained, not every Horizon case will involve a miscarriage of justice. In some cases, there was sufficient evidence to support a criminal conviction. That is demonstrated by the material from England and Wales that shows that, of the cases that have been referred to the Court of Appeal in England, only some—not all—have resulted in a conviction being quashed because of a miscarriage of justice. Therefore, it is not as simple as my providing a list of convictions to be quashed.’","AnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417257,"EventID":"S6W-25958","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-04T16:59:51.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-01T15:18:16.557","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25155 by Jenny Gilruth on 1 March 2024, what monitoring and evaluation it has carried out of the funding provided as part of the investment in grants for computing science hardware for schools. ","AnswerText":"Scottish Government monitored the delivery and spend of the grants for computing science hardware for schools. An evaluation of this work as well as wider computing science policy is underway and further updates will be publicised in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417258,"EventID":"S6W-25747","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-04T16:59:51.693","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T13:34:42.04","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many disabled members of NHS Scotland staff\r\nhave been subject to formal disciplinary processes in each of the last five\r\nyears, and what process is in place to ensure that (a) disabled staff members\r\nare treated fairly under conduct policies and (b) disciplinary action takes any\r\ndisability or health condition into consideration.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold the requested information that may be available from each Health Board as employer.\r\nThe NHSScotland workforce policies and their supporting documents set the standard for employment practice for all NHS Boards in Scotland. They have been developed with full consideration of equality and diversity impacts and to reflect fair work principles. Our expectation is that these policies are applied with a person centred approach to positively impact on eliminating discrimination and to advance equality of opportunity across all protected characteristics.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417259,"EventID":"S6W-25625","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-04T16:59:51.757","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-19T08:19:10.107","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the use of emergency legislation to quash wrongful convictions in Scotland of sub-postmasters and mistresses that were based on evidence from the Post Office’s Horizon computer system, and, if it is the case that it prefers an alternative approach, whether it will provide details of this.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25624.on 18 March 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417260,"EventID":"S6W-25961","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-04T16:59:51.803","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-01T18:31:02.803","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase digital access for adults aged 60 and over, in light of the 2022 Scottish Household Survey finding that 44% of disabled adults and 19% of non-disabled adults aged 60 and over do not use the internet. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is keenly aware of the importance of increasing digital access for all people in Scotland. Through programmes such as Connecting Scotland, the Scottish Government is taking action to improve digital access for multiple priority groups, including older people and people who are living with a long-term illness or disability.\r\nIn August 2023, the Connecting Scotland programme launched two projects to provide kit and connectivity through Device Libraries and Social Housing organisations. Over £204,000 was awarded across both projects to a range of organisations across Scotland. This funding is helping Device Libraries to expand their range of devices, to extend the number of devices available for loan and to replace devices that are coming to the end of their lives. The funding is also supporting Social Housing providers to support connectivity infrastructure projects that benefit their residents, as our research has shown that Social Housing tenants are a group particularly impacted by digital exclusion.\r\nSocial tariffs can additionally provide the means for people in need of digital access to get online by providing reduced broadband tariff rates. Connecting Scotland is working with Ofcom to improve information about social tariffs for people in Scotland. In April 2023, based on dialogue with officials, Ofcom updated their webpage to show which tariffs are available to which regions of the UK. Officials will continue dialogue with Ofcom to ensure that social tariffs are widely understood as a potential option for older people and people living with long-term illness or disability to get online.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417261,"EventID":"S6W-25953","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5596,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":151,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-04T16:59:51.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-01T14:09:13.87","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address the reported long waiting times for patients in Glasgow seeking specialist treatment as a result of being affected by transvaginal mesh.","AnswerText":"NHS National Services Scotland, National Services Division (NSD) and NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde (NHS GGC) are working to improve waiting times for access to the highly specialist Complex Mesh Surgical Service. The ongoing need for service recovery following the Covid-19 pandemic, across all areas of need in terms of women’s health, has resulted in waiting times which are disappointing, and the frustration felt by women facing significant waits is wholly understandable. For this we apologise.\r\nHowever, patients are being seen, surgeries carried out, and efforts are being made to increase capacity.\r\nThe Service now also writes to patients once they are added to the outpatient waiting list, advising that their referral has been received and offering an estimated waiting time for their first appointment. This letter provides a QR code that links to the recently upgraded Complex Mesh Surgical Service Website where patients can access information about what patients can expect during their visit.\r\nWaiting times from decision on treatment to surgery are now generally within the 12 week treatment time guarantee.\r\nMore generally, the Scottish Government is committed to eradicating long waits and we’ve already seen a significant reduction in the longest waits (over 2 years) since targets were announced. We are committed to providing further reductions through our £1bn NHS Recovery plan to increase health service capacity. We are also working closely with Health Boards to support implementation of alternative pathways and initiatives to support people being seen more quickly and increase capacity to ensure sustainability.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417262,"EventID":"S6W-25917","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-04T16:59:51.913","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T10:29:03.3","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its commitment to the co-production of plans for the proposed National Care Service, and the reported importance of such an approach to different stakeholders, particularly people who need and use social care, and of the Independent Review of Adult Social Care in Scotland highlighting the role of communities and community groups in social care, what steps it is taking to ensure that these groups are involved in shaping any revised plans.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to co-designing a National Care Service (NCS) which fits the needs of our unique communities and considers the needs of people who face additional barriers to engaging with us.\r\nWe’ve heard from thousands of people already and our focus remains on ensuring that those with lived experience and stakeholders will continue to be at the heart of developing the National Care Service. A new Expert Legislative Advisory Group will be established to supplement, rather than replace, the extensive engagement which is underway. \r\nWe are engaging with people with lived experience of accessing and delivering social care support through the Social Covenant Steering Group, which advises on how we can engage people in co-design in a more accessible and inclusive way. \r\nWe also continue to work closely with stakeholder groups, organisations with close ties to ‘seldom heard’ communities who have had less opportunity to engage in the co-design work to date, and with people through last year’s regional forums, the National Forum and opportunities offered by the Lived Experience Experts Panel. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417263,"EventID":"S6W-25967","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-04T16:59:51.96","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-04T10:33:11.86","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work it or its agencies have done on modelling for a tax based on carbon emissions on landholdings in Scotland, and whether it will make the outcomes of any such work publicly available.","AnswerText":"At the 2024-25 Scottish Budget, the Scottish Government announced that it will work with our partners in COSLA and local government, and other stakeholders, during 2024-25 to examine how further policy measures – regulatory and fiscal – can support existing policies and interventions to improve a wide range of land management outcomes, including the restoration of peatlands and the creation of more woodlands. This will also include consideration of a proposal for a Carbon Emissions Land Tax, as has been suggested by the John Muir Trust.\r\nThe Scottish Government will provide an update on its progress against this commitment before the end of the 2024-25 financial year.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417264,"EventID":"S6W-25969","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-04T16:59:52.007","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-04T11:48:10.88","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-18204 by Kevin Stewart on 2 June 2023, whether it will provide an update on when the Scottish aviation strategy is scheduled to be published.","AnswerText":"Ministers are actively considering the final content of the Aviation Strategy and expect to publish it in the near future.\r\nIt is important to ensure that the content of the Strategy is consistent with other Scottish Government policies that aim to encourage sustainable economic growth and to deliver our commitment to net zero emissions by 2045.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417265,"EventID":"S6W-25959","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-04T16:59:52.053","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-01T15:18:16.557","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25155 by Jenny Gilruth on 1 March 2024, whether any secondary schools were unsuccessful in their applications for grants from the investment in computing science hardware for schools.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government can confirm that no secondary schools were unsuccessful in their applications for grants from the investment in computing science hardware. However, some schools opted not to take up the offer.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417266,"EventID":"S6W-25970","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-04T16:59:52.1","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-04T11:50:33.417","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the proposed introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its Budget for 2024-25, would result in any grocery stores liable for the surtax paying the highest business rate poundage in the UK.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24444 on 22 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417267,"EventID":"S6W-25928","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-04T16:59:52.163","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-29T13:45:34.22","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to allocate funding in its 2024-25 Budget to support stroke services, including the (a) delivery of the Stroke Improvement Plan, (b) further development of a national thrombectomy service and (c) development of stroke policy.","AnswerText":"The  Scottish Government budget 2024/25  , published on 19 December 2023 set out that it would make funds available for stroke and thrombectomy services in 2024/25, up to £17.5m. This budget line will be utilised to further develop the national thrombectomy service and support delivery of the Stroke Improvement Plan and wider development of stroke policy.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417283,"EventID":"S6W-25974","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":5618,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":91,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-05T09:34:33.977","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-05T09:09:59.503","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the response to the recommendations of the Independent Review of Inspection, Scrutiny and Regulation of Social Care in Scotland (IRISR).","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has accepted all 38 recommendations from the IRISR and the response will be published on 6 March 2024, with a proactive statement due to be issued at 9.30am. The full Scottish Government response can be accessed here  http://www.gov.scot/ISBN/9781835219768  .\r\nIn accepting these recommendations, we recognise the significant amounts of work already underway, that will in part or fully address a large number of the recommendations, and this work needs to continue in partnership and at pace. In taking a phased approach to the implementation of the IRISR recommendations, we are confident that work can be carried out to deliver continuous improvement that addresses the key challenges highlighted by the Review and support better outcomes for the people of Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":417294,"EventID":"S6W-25973","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-05T14:28:07.303","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-04T14:38:19.63","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the initial predicted contract cost with ACER for Scottish National Standardised Assessments was, and what the actual final cost totalled.","AnswerText":"The estimated value in the invitation to tender was £10 million over 5 years. This was not a detailed estimate but a guide price to inform potential bidders – standard practice when issuing an Invitation To Tender of this sort. The contract was extended for a further year due to the impact of Covid and the restrictions it placed on effective public procurement.\r\nThe completion cost of the 6-year contract with ACER UK was £17m. This figure includes the initial start-up costs, for the technical development of the assessment platform, annual running costs, and continuous improvement work to ensure that the assessment platform remains engaging for learners and continues to meet teachers’ needs.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417295,"EventID":"S6W-25971","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-05T14:28:07.413","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-04T11:55:16.023","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any representatives from the Scottish Government attended the World Athletics Championships in Glasgow, and, if so, who.","AnswerText":"From Friday 1st to Sunday 3rd March Glasgow hosted the World Athletics Indoor Championships for the first time in Scotland and only the third time in the United Kingdom. A total of 586 athletes from 128 countries across all six continental areas competed in Glasgow, watched by more than 22,000 ticketed spectators from 37 countries, and the event produced two world records, five championship records, ten area records and 54 national records.\r\nThe World Athletics Indoor Championships provided yet another opportunity to further enhance Scotland's reputation not only as The Perfect Stage for hosting Major Events but also as a welcoming place to live and work, study, visit and do business.\r\nGiven these excellent opportunities for engagement with key stakeholders, the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport and the Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care attended separate athletics sessions in the Emirates Arena. In addition the Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development attended the Welcome Reception hosted jointly by the World Athletics President and the Glasgow City Council Provost. A senior Scottish Government Official also attended two civic receptions and sporting activity. \r\nThe Emirates Arena was also the venue for a meeting of the UK Inter-Ministerial Group for Sport, chaired by the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport. This was attended by Ministers from all home nations. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417296,"EventID":"S6W-25975","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-05T14:28:07.477","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-05T10:15:03.763","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-19266 by Mairi McAllan on 28 June 2023, whether it will specify the criteria for designating Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and explain how these differ from the criteria for monitoring MPAs, as set out in the previous answer.","AnswerText":"Designation of Nature Conservation Marine Protected Areas (ncMPAs) is underpinned by the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 in inshore waters (0-12 nautical miles) and the UK Marine Coastal Act 2009 in offshore waters (12-200 nautical miles).\r\nClassification of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and Special Protection Areas (SPAs) are governed by provisions within the Conservation (Natural Habitats &c.) Regulations 1994 (as amended) in Scotland.\r\nCriteria differs for each site however, the overarching principles remain the same. Site selection for MPAs undertakes a science-based approach that is set out in separate site selection guidelines for  ncMPAs  ,  SACs  and  SPAs  .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417297,"EventID":"S6W-25982","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5618,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":91,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-05T14:28:07.523","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-05T12:42:20.927","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the impact in Scotland of the energy price cap.    ","AnswerText":"I meet regularly with the UK Minister for Energy Consumers and Affordability to discuss the pressures facing Scottish energy consumers and the need for urgent action to address these. During our last meeting, in January, I stressed the importance of working collaboratively to reduce the pressures facing consumers, calling again upon the UK Government to use its reserved powers to introduce a social energy tariff.\r\nI believe that a social energy mechanism, supported by many consumer organisations, could be funded by the excess profits of energy producers, protecting those most vulnerable against future price spikes. I have also met with the chair and CEO of Ofgem to discuss these and other related matters”.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417298,"EventID":"S6W-25977","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-05T14:28:07.57","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-05T10:15:03.763","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25408 by Mairi McAllan on 4 March 2024, whether it will confirm (a) which sites are due to be surveyed in (i) 2024 and (ii) 2025 and (b) where information on recent and upcoming surveys can be publicly accessed, in light of the resource that was linked to the previous answer appearing not to have been updated since 2018.","AnswerText":"The updated MPA Monitoring Strategy Annexes will be published on the  Marine Directorate website  by the end of March 2024.\r\nThis will include:\r\na) The plan for surveys undertaken in 2023 and proposals for upcoming surveys in 2024. The planned surveys for 2024 are indicative and can be subject to change due to survey logistics and programme focus.\r\nb) Information on the recent surveys in 2021 & 2022.\r\nThe information on surveys conducted in 2023 will be published later in 2024.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417299,"EventID":"S6W-25976","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-05T14:28:07.617","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-05T10:15:03.763","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-19266 by Mairi McAllan on 28 June 2023, whether it will provide an updated table listing any additional monitoring carried out, further to the surveys detailed in the previous answer.","AnswerText":"The updated MPA Monitoring Strategy Annexes, which will include lists of all sites that have been monitored over the period, will be published on the  Marine Directorate website  by the end of March 2024.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417300,"EventID":"S6W-25980","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-05T14:28:07.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-05T11:52:18.387","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress of the City Centre Recovery Task Force. ","AnswerText":"The City Centre Recovery Task Force published a report of their findings (  At the Heart of Economic Transformation: Report of the City Centre Recovery Task Force, 2021-22 (wpengine.com)  ) in March 2022 which identified a number of priority outcomes to work towards over a five year period. The Scottish Government is currently working with Scottish cities, via the Scottish Cities Alliance (  Scottish Cities Alliance  ) to progress work in two of these key areas:Priority area 1: Increased residential capacity and occupancy andPriority area 3: Reducing the amount of vacant and derelict land and property.\r\nScottish Government’s low carbon Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme is investing nearly £10m in 2023-24 and over £8m in 2024-25 supporting projects that will bring vacant and derelict land back into positive use to benefit communities and help tackle climate change. This is in addition to the Vacant and Derelict Land Fund which will see the five eligible local authorities receive a share of £5m investment in 2024-25.\r\nThe Scottish Cities Alliance have recently launched a Peer-to-Peer network built around the strategic objectives in the City Centre Recovery Taskforce Report, with the aim of:Sharing knowledge and best practice from Scottish and international cities drawing on expertise from academia and the private and third sectors; andIdentifying and agreeing opportunities for future collaborative action.\r\nThe programme of knowledge exchange activity has been co-developed by the Alliance partners with Innovate UK, the Built Environment-Smarter Transformation Innovation Centre and the Connected Places Catapult to leverage in experience from wider UK and Irish Cities as well as research and knowledge exchange networks.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417301,"EventID":"S6W-25972","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-05T14:28:07.693","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-04T13:14:05.517","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Scottish National Party manifesto commitment, what the cost would have been in (a) 2021-22, (b) 2022-23 and (c) 2023-24 of bringing the Higher Property Rate into line with that in England, broken down by industry sector.","AnswerText":"Table 1 presents the estimated gross cost of setting the Higher Property Rate equal to the Standard Multiplier in England. In England, in all three years, the Standard Multiplier was 51.2p, or 1.3p above the Small Business Multiplier of 49.9p. In Scotland, the Higher Property Rate in all three years was 2.6p above the poundage, which was 49p in 2021-2022 (having been temporarily reduced from 49.8p in 2020-2021 in response to the ongoing impact of COVID-19), and 49.8p in 2022-2023 and 2023-2024. The costs therefore represent the impact of setting the Higher Property Rate at 51.2p instead of 51.6p in 2021-2022, and 52.4p in 2022-2023 and 2023-2024.\r\nThe figure for 2023-2024 is presented after General Revaluation Transitional Relief is applied. The figures are gross estimates, and are not adjusted for any other relief. Figures are broken down by property class, as the Scottish Government does not hold property-level data on industry sectors. Property class is a classification used by Scottish Assessors to describe the type of property, and does not necessarily accurately reflect the use of a property.\r\nThis table is based on the valuation roll as at 1 October 2021, 1 October 2022, and 1 October 2023, with figures from 30 March 2023 and 1 April 2023 used to calculate General Revaluation Transitional Relief.\r\nFigures in this table are rounded to the nearest £1,000, and may not sum due to rounding.\r\nTable 1: Estimated gross cost of reducing the Higher Property Rate to the level of the English Standard Multiplier (51.2p) (£), broken down by property class.\r\nProperty class\r\n2021-2022 (£)\r\n2022-2023 (£)\r\n2023-2024 (£)\r\nShops\r\n3,589,000\r\n10,798,000\r\n8,824,000\r\nPublic houses and restaurants\r\n127,000\r\n377,000\r\n317,000\r\nOffices\r\n2,167,000\r\n6,597,000\r\n6,092,000\r\nHotels\r\n778,000\r\n2,390,000\r\n2,270,000\r\nIndustrial subjects\r\n2,863,000\r\n8,658,000\r\n8,709,000\r\nLeisure and entertainment\r\n600,000\r\n1,814,000\r\n1,873,000\r\nGarages and petrol stations\r\n117,000\r\n341,000\r\n312,000\r\nCultural\r\n145,000\r\n408,000\r\n412,000\r\nSporting subjects\r\n36,000\r\n113,000\r\n98,000\r\nEducation and training\r\n1,918,000\r\n5,707,000\r\n6,229,000\r\nPublic service subjects\r\n895,000\r\n2,614,000\r\n2,505,000\r\nCommunications\r\n81,000\r\n197,000\r\n303,000\r\nQuarries, mines, etc.\r\n34,000\r\n94,000\r\n95,000\r\nPetrochemical\r\n447,000\r\n1,291,000\r\n1,400,000\r\nReligious\r\n14,000\r\n50,000\r\n50,000\r\nHealth and medical\r\n714,000\r\n2,097,000\r\n2,120,000\r\nOther\r\n352,000\r\n1,045,000\r\n1,102,000\r\nCare facilities\r\n207,000\r\n631,000\r\n704,000\r\nAdvertising\r\n11,000\r\n34,000\r\n39,000\r\nStatutory undertaking\r\n3,647,000\r\n10,897,000\r\n10,039,000\r\nAll\r\n18,743,000\r\n56,152,000\r\n53,493,000\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417302,"EventID":"S6W-25981","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-05T14:28:07.767","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-05T11:52:18.387","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of the Town Centre Action Plan. ","AnswerText":"The Town Centre Action Plan (TCAP) sets out our shared ambition for the future of town centres and is a call to action for partners, both locally and nationally, to re-build, re-energise and re-imagine our towns. This is a joint endeavour with responsibilities shared across the sectors.\r\nWe continue to take forward actions that we have direct responsibility for, working closely with cross-sector partners to support the delivery of TCAP. In collaboration with Scotland’s Towns Partnership, progress towards town centre regeneration has been showcased via a number of forums, including recent workshops on town centre living, place-based investment and the annual Scotland’s Towns conference.\r\nSupport for town centre action is also backed by our multiple capital investment programmes, including the Place Based Investment Programme, Regeneration Capital Grant Fund and the Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme, all of which help to accelerate shared ambitions for town centre action. However, following the UK Government's Autumn Statement and Spring Budget, a reduction in our capital budget will adversely impact the support that we can provide in 2024-25.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417303,"EventID":"S6W-25816","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16194,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-05T14:28:07.813","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-23T15:28:56.667","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) deliberately hid documents related to its transgender prisoner policy, particularly in light of reports that officials discussed how to avoid having to publish operational guidance through Freedom of Information.","AnswerText":"SPS has always been clear it is taking an open and transparent approach to the introduction of this policy which is evident in all they have put in the public domain. The SPS policy for the management of transgender people in custody was published on 5 December 2023, with operational guidance and an evidence paper published on 26 February. As these additional documents were intended for publication, they did not need to be released prior to that under freedom of information requests.\r\nThe SPS Chief Executive made this clear at the Criminal Justice Committee on 11 January, where she said: “Implementation will therefore commence from 26 February this year. In addition, at that time, we will publish our operational policy guidance, our gender diversity guidance and an evidence review document, which will all underpin the policy that was published last year”.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417330,"EventID":"S6W-26003","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":5612,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":150,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T10:03:53.21","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T09:59:57.323","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will mark Healthcare Science Week in Scotland, which runs from 11 to 15 March 2024. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the important role of healthcare scientists in the delivery of effective and high quality services across the NHS in Scotland.\r\nOn 14 March 2024 the Scottish Government will publish a paper which defines the strategic approach that we will take to develop healthcare science in Scotland – helping to improve the visibility and understanding of the profession and the positive impact it has on patient outcomes.\r\nThe launch of this paper will coincide with an online event, hosted by the Chief Scientific Officer for Scotland, which will recognise the valuable contribution of the healthcare science workforce as a whole, and acknowledge outstanding individuals and teams who have gone above and beyond to improve patient care.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417331,"EventID":"S6O-03184","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T14:35:23.933","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-05T14:41:33.16","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports of rising wildlife crime across Scotland. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417332,"EventID":"S6O-03190","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5621,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":99,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T14:35:24.073","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-04T14:17:47.89","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS Highland about progressing planning and design work for the new Belford Hospital in Fort William.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417333,"EventID":"S6O-03204","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T14:35:24.133","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-05T17:06:51.57","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to tackle social isolation and loneliness.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417334,"EventID":"S6O-03197","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T14:35:24.197","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-05T17:16:23.97","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide further details of the\r\nprogress that it is making towards fulfilling its 2017 commitment to increase\r\nthe number of GPs by 800 within a decade.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417335,"EventID":"S6O-03196","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T14:35:24.243","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T09:39:12.68","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on NHS Lanarkshire's recovery plans.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417336,"EventID":"S6O-03187","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T14:35:24.307","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-05T10:53:12.363","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its progress towards introducing its proposed Land Reform Bill.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417337,"EventID":"S6O-03188","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T14:35:24.37","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-04T12:23:56.463","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the rural affairs secretary has had with the health secretary regarding implementing the commitments contained within the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417338,"EventID":"S6O-03189","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5800,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T14:35:24.417","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-05T11:52:27.69","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps it is taking to support the fishing industry.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417339,"EventID":"S6O-03202","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16194,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T14:35:24.48","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T09:15:43.723","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce social housing waiting lists for disabled people.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417340,"EventID":"S6O-03195","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3907,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":135,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T14:35:24.54","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T09:18:29.427","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will develop its eHealth strategy in the coming years.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417341,"EventID":"S6O-03185","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":89,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T14:35:24.603","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T09:31:29.9","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what cross-government action it is taking to improve island connectivity, in order to support measures to increase the population of Scotland's islands.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417342,"EventID":"S6O-03193","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T14:35:24.65","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T09:27:13.46","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the availability of NHS dentistry for residents of Dunoon and its surrounding communities.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417343,"EventID":"S6O-03200","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T14:35:24.713","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-05T15:50:58.1","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has undertaken regarding the incorporation of the definition of deafblindness into the work of Social Security Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417344,"EventID":"S6O-03199","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T14:35:24.777","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-04T13:22:42.783","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to bring empty properties back into use for housing. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417345,"EventID":"S6O-03191","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5622,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":148,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T14:35:24.823","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-05T10:22:39.127","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the availability of ADHD medication supplies in Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417346,"EventID":"S6O-03186","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T14:35:24.9","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-05T11:52:39.183","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is available to farmers who have experienced damage to crops as a result of the activities of beavers.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417347,"EventID":"S6O-03205","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T14:35:24.947","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-05T17:20:57.84","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to comments made by the\r\nChartered Institute of Housing Scotland, which described Scotland as being\r\n\"in the midst of a housing emergency\".","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417348,"EventID":"S6O-03192","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T14:35:25.01","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T08:59:46.423","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to a recent report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies, which states that the 2024-25 Budget implied a real-terms reduction to health spending.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417349,"EventID":"S6O-03194","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2103,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":109,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T14:35:25.057","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-05T13:17:40.343","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last received an update on NHS Forth Valley’s Assurance and Improvement Plan.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417350,"EventID":"S6O-03198","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16176,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":137,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T14:35:25.12","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-05T21:08:10.243","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to promote the uptake of the Scottish Child Payment.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417351,"EventID":"S6O-03182","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T14:35:25.183","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-05T20:47:06.34","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the remaining £46 million of deferred funding from the agriculture budget will be returned.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417352,"EventID":"S6O-03183","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T14:35:25.23","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T09:48:39.113","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its Rural Delivery Plan, what discussions the rural affairs secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the impact of its housing strategies, including the Rural Housing Action Plan, on local rural economies.  ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417353,"EventID":"S6O-03211","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16191,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":77,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T14:35:32.7","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-05T16:36:27.707","Title":"","ItemText":"Withdrawn.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417354,"EventID":"S6O-03206","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":3771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":86,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T14:35:32.81","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T11:01:45.623","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, other than the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner and Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, what mechanisms exist to support the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service to improve its practices, processes and decision making.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417355,"EventID":"S6O-03213","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5060,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T14:35:32.857","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T10:13:57.313","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the creation of a national online support platform to expand music learning for children and young people in Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417356,"EventID":"S6O-03209","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T14:35:32.92","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-05T15:04:01.333","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has for any major rail development projects beyond the end of 2024.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417357,"EventID":"S6O-03212","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T14:35:32.983","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T10:05:51.563","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve the accessibility for disabled people of train stations in Dumfries and Galloway.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417358,"EventID":"S6O-03210","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T14:35:33.03","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-05T16:24:50.757","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that Scotland’s\r\nfurther education sector is aligned with the needs of businesses within the\r\nrenewables sector and other industries associated with the green economy.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417359,"EventID":"S6O-03207","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T14:35:33.093","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T09:34:56.263","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with North Lanarkshire Council to improve the school estate.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417361,"EventID":"S6W-25999","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T17:32:56.61","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T09:14:04.563","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether long COVID data from the Scottish Health Survey have been used in the development of its long COVID service design.","AnswerText":"Data from the Scottish Health Survey did not inform the development of ‘Coronavirus (COVID-19): Scotland's Long Covid service’, published on 30 September 2021. This is because the results of the Scottish Health Survey 2021, which included questions on long COVID for the first time, were published on 8 November 2022.\r\nResponsibility for service delivery rests locally with NHS Boards who configure services taking into account local circumstances and the reasonable needs of their patient populations.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417362,"EventID":"S6W-26005","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T17:32:56.727","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T11:21:43.987","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the next meeting of the Orkney Ferries Replacement Task Force will take place.","AnswerText":"The next meeting of the Orkney Ferry Replacement Task Force will be held on 18 April 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417363,"EventID":"S6W-25984","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T17:32:56.773","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-05T14:26:42.63","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact on rural GP training of the reported decision by NHS Education for Scotland to withdraw funding for face-to-face GP Educator Supervisors’ workshops and conferences in the north of Scotland.","AnswerText":"In November 2023, the NHS Scotland Chief Executive wrote to all Health Boards, requesting that they review their financial forecast for the remainder of the 2023-24 financial year and minimise any discretionary spend.\r\nNHS Education for Scotland (NES) play a critical role in supporting the education, training and wider development of the NHS Scotland workforce and is responsible for ensuring best use of available resources to support delivery of services and strategic objectives.\r\nNES will continue to provide training and education, taking a flexible approach to its delivery across Scotland, while ensuring quality is maintained.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417364,"EventID":"S6W-26002","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T17:32:56.82","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T09:38:13.797","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to commence, by regulations, the remaining provisions of the Children (Scotland) Act 2020. ","AnswerText":"We are currently prioritising work across the Scottish Government in light of increased pressures on the Scottish budget. \r\nOn 16 March 2023, the then Minister for Community Safety provided  a submission to the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee in relation to Petition PE1968  , which outlined our position on full implementation of the 2020 Act and included a section-by-section breakdown of the Act’s commencement status. \r\nI can provide some further updates.\r\nFor the provision on the views of the child in proceedings under the Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011, the  recent ‘ Hearings for Children ’ report  reviewing the children’s hearings system included a recommendation to commence section 3 of the 2020 Act. The Scottish Government has accepted that recommendation and is taking forward relevant work in that regard.\r\nFor the provisions on special measures (sections 4 to 8 of the 2020 Act), Part 3 of the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill currently before the Parliament will, if enacted, extend the provisions which relate to proceedings under section 11 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 to civil proceedings generally.\r\nIn relation to a register for Child Welfare Reporters (section 9 of the 2020 Act), we will be establishing a short-life working group of key stakeholders later this year that will inform the development of policy around the register. It will also consider whether changes made in the past in this area, following a previous working group, are working as intended.\r\nOn child contact centres (sections 10 to 12 of the 2020 Act), the Scottish Government continues to prepare Scottish Statutory Instruments on the regulation of these centres.\r\nFor the provision placing a duty on Scottish Ministers to ensure the availability of child advocacy services in court proceedings under section 11 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 (section 21 of the 2020 Act), the Scottish Government is considering further whether or not to carry out a consultation.\r\nFor the provisions on funding for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and the ADR information pilot (sections 23 and 24 of the 2020 Act), the Scottish Government provides update reports to Parliament on the progress of this work. The latest report, covering the period 1 October 2022 to 1 April 2023, is  available on the Scottish Government website  .\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417365,"EventID":"S6W-26007","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T17:32:56.867","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T12:03:10.637","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much of the reported £700 million that it received in option fees through the 2022 ScotWind leasing round it spent in (a) 2022-23 and (b) 2023-24, and how much it projects that it will spend in (i) 2024-25, (ii) 2025-26, and (iii) 2026-27.","AnswerText":"Crown Estate Scotland received £756 million in option fees from the initial ScotWind auctions in 2022-23. As set out in the 2022 Resource spending review, and subsequent budget publications, these funds were initially profiled to be drawn down by the Scottish Government over a three year period as follows:\r\n2022-23 - £96 million\r\n2023-24 - £310 million\r\n2024-25 - £350 million\r\nThe final drawdown for 2022-23 was £96 million as planned. Drawdowns for 2023-24 and subsequent years are only finalised at the very end of March when the Scottish Government has more certainty over its financial position.\r\nAt the time of the 2024-25 Scottish Budget the planned drawdown for 2024-25 was decreased to £200 million reflecting the need to ensure sufficient funds were available to balance the 2023-24 financial position. Given the recent improvement to the 2023-24 position it is now likely that this will not be required in 2023-24 and therefore may be used to support future financial years.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417366,"EventID":"S6W-25989","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T17:32:56.913","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-05T14:41:31.927","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has had any recent discussions with biotech companies to encourage them to invest in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has identified Industrial Biotechnology as a key sector in our National Strategy for Economic Transformation and HealthTech is identified as one of the nine priority areas in our Inward Investment Plan. \r\nScottish Enterprise's international arm, Scottish Development International, routinely engages with potential investors. Scotland has a strong track record of attracting inward investment, with the latest EY Annual Attractiveness Survey showing Scotland maintaining its position as the top performing part of the UK outside of London for the eighth year. Recent examples of support for international companies in the biotech and life sciences sectors includes Merck, Össur, DSM and ReproCell.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417367,"EventID":"S6W-25998","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T17:32:56.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T09:14:04.563","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide a breakdown of which NHS boards have specific doctor-led services for long COVID patients.","AnswerText":"This is a matter for each territorial NHS Board. The information requested is not held centrally.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417368,"EventID":"S6W-26001","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T17:32:57.04","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T09:14:04.563","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what monitoring has been undertaken to ensure that long COVID services provide equitable care across all NHS boards and do not widen existing health inequalities for patients in deprived areas.","AnswerText":"As set out in my answer to question S6W-26000 on 18 March 2024, patient related experience and patient outcome measures will be recorded through NHS Boards’ use of the C-19 YRS digital screening tool. The provision of health data through this tool will assist in understanding the provision and effectiveness of long COVID services. Where possible, the data will be disaggregated by age, gender, ethnicity, and deprivation quintile. This will support understanding of any inequitable variation in service provision, experience and outcomes which may need to be addressed through service changes.\r\nThe long COVID National Strategic Network has contracted the University of Leeds to support the initial evaluation of long COVID services in Scotland, using data from the C19-YRS tool. The outputs of the evaluation are expected following the end of the financial year.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417369,"EventID":"S6W-25990","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T17:32:57.087","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-05T14:41:31.927","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to ensure greater partnerships between scientific companies and universities to secure well-paid careers for Scottish graduates.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government recognises that careers in science may offer excellent opportunities for Scottish graduates.\r\nThrough the national careers service led by Skills Development Scotland, we seek to ensure that everyone in Scotland can access high quality careers advice that draws on the latest labour market data.\r\nThe Scottish Funding Council also works with universities and colleges to promote partnership working with industry, including with scientific companies. It does this through the University Innovation Fund (UIF), the Innovation Centre programme, the provision of core funding for organisations such as Interface and Converge and other strategic investments.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417370,"EventID":"S6W-25991","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T17:32:57.147","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-05T15:07:23.623","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the consultation on crofting reform legislation will be launched.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is looking to launch its consultation on crofting legislative reform in spring this year, as committed to in the Programme for Government 2023-24.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417371,"EventID":"S6W-26004","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T17:32:57.21","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T10:00:03.65","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering sustainable and recurring funding for NHS boards for the direct provision of diabetes technology. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government’s  Diabetes Improvement Plan  contains a key commitment to further increase access to existing and emerging diabetes technologies.\r\nBudgets for 2024-2025 are yet to be confirmed, however we recognise the benefits that technology provides to people with diabetes.\r\nIt is for each NHS Board to determine how best to utilise the funding and resources provided by the Scottish Government to meet the needs and priorities of their local populations. This includes ensuring that people with Type 1 diabetes have access to the most appropriate treatment and care.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417372,"EventID":"S6W-25994","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T17:32:57.257","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T09:14:04.563","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered any spending changes to funding for long COVID, in light of the recommendations of the COVID-19 Recovery Committee’s report, Long COVID.","AnswerText":"We remain committed to delivering the £10 million long COVID Support Fund in full. The 2024-25 budget published on 19 December 2023 outlines our plans to make £3 million from the long COVID Support Fund available over 2024-25. We anticipate that the remainder of the funding will be allocated over 2025-26.\r\nFollowing the publication of the COVID-19 Recovery Committee’s report on long COVID, we have confirmed that we will consider baselining long COVID Support funding for NHS Boards at a level to be determined based on progress made by NHS Boards over 2023-24.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417373,"EventID":"S6W-25985","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T17:32:57.303","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-05T14:41:31.927","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how its Budget for 2024-25 will create opportunities for advanced scientific industries in Scotland.","AnswerText":"While faced with one of the most difficult financial settlements since devolution, the Scottish Government is making the most of every resource available in the Scottish Budget 2024-2025 to continue to grow and transform the economy through investment of more than £5 billion across government.\r\nSpending is targeted at measures that will support our long-term ambitions for a wellbeing economy that is fair, green and growing. The Scottish Government and its associated agencies are committed to creating opportunities for advanced scientific industries in Scotland, helping to deliver on our ambitions in the Innovation Strategy.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417374,"EventID":"S6W-25986","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T17:32:57.35","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-05T14:41:31.927","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how its New Deal for Business will encourage scientific companies to see Scotland as a positive destination in which to invest.","AnswerText":"As part of the Scottish Government approach to growing the Scottish economy, the New Deal for Business Group will continue to support this through the implementation of its key actions to improve collaborative working between business and government that will create a mutually beneficial business environment and contribute to improvements in commercial confidence and investment, fostering a stable business environment which will increase Scotland’s attractiveness as a location for inward investment. \r\nScotland has a strong record in attracting inward investment and Shaping Scotland’s Economy: Inward Investment Plan (IIP) is key to supporting Scotland’s growth clusters including opportunities in emerging scientific and technological sectors. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417375,"EventID":"S6W-25988","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T17:32:57.397","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-05T14:41:31.927","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will work with the UK Government to encourage more multinational companies to invest in Scotland’s regions.","AnswerText":"Central to the Scottish Government’s Inward Investment Plan is a commitment to ensuring all of Scotland’s regions are able to share in the economic success resulting from inward investment. \r\nWe are already working with the UK Government to stimulate growth and attract investment at a regional level through the City and Regional Growth Deals. We are investing £1.9 billion in the programme covering all regions of Scotland and working with local authorities and the UK Government to deliver on shared ambitions. We are also working in partnership with the UK Government and with the Glasgow City Region and North East Scotland Regional Economic Partnerships to get Investment Zones up and running as quickly as possible; and to ensure that the Zones have the maximum positive impact for businesses, communities and Scotland’s wider economy. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417376,"EventID":"S6W-25987","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T17:32:57.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-05T14:41:31.927","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will support greater cooperation between scientific companies and local schools to encourage more young people to enter the sector.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the importance of industry engagement and outreach activities in attracting and inspiring the workforce of the future.\r\nThe National Strategy for Economic Transformation sets bold actions to deliver fairer, greener prosperity for all Scotland’s people and places, and to make our economy more sustainable and resilient in the longer term. \r\nDeveloping the Young Workforce (DYW), and third sector partners including Career Ready, offer excellent opportunities for employers to engage with young people in schools to encourage them to learn about and experience opportunities in their sectors.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417377,"EventID":"S6W-25979","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T17:32:57.507","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-05T11:52:18.387","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how (a) many families have received support and (b) much has been spent from the Whole Family Wellbeing Funding to date, broken down by local authority area. ","AnswerText":"Whole Family Wellbeing Funding was provided by the Scottish Government to deliver transformational change to improve holistic family support so that families get the right support, in the right way and at the right time. This includes £32m for Children’s Services Planning Partnerships (CSPPs) to build local service capacity for transformation and the scaling up of holistic family support in local areas. The work is driven by Children's Services Planning Partnerships at the local level, who have responsibility for deciding how to spend their allocation. Our Evaluation of year 1 activity was published on 31 January 2024 and can be found here  https://www.gov.scot/publications/whole-family-wellbeing-funding-wfwf-year-1-process-evaluation-final-report/ \r\nWe are distributing funding through three distinct Elements co-produced with stakeholders including The Promise Scotland:Element 1 – Providing Direct Support to CSPPs:Funding allocated across all CSPPs to build local service capacity and transform family support services.Element 2 – National Support for Local Delivery - a package of activity aimed at supporting local transformation. This includes:\r\no establishing collaborative learning partnerships with three CSPPs [East Ayrshire, East Lothian, Glasgow City] and a dedicated national support team to support planning and provide local learning that can be shared nationally\r\no a Learning into Action Network and a Knowledge Hub to share learning, facilitate peer support and collaborate ;\r\no an independent evaluation of the implementation and initial impacts of the programme to help shape and develop activity across WFWF going forward;\r\no research to support continuous improvement of the transformation support provided to the CSPPs as well as to generate learning about how transformational capability is built.Element 3 – Taking a cross SG approach to system change – funding approved for twelve projects led by wider SG policy teams which would progress the aims of WFW.\r\nTo date the Scottish Government has spent £65.5m across financial years 2022-23 and 2023-24.This figure does not include funding in addition to the local authority allocations for 2023-24 which have yet to be finalised. The following table provides a breakdown of the distribution of funding per Local Authority.\r\nLocal Authority\r\n2022-23 Allocation (£m)\r\n2023-24 Allocation (£m)\r\nAberdeen City\r\n1.025\r\n1.029\r\nAberdeenshire\r\n1.464\r\n1.467\r\nAngus\r\n0.657\r\n0.654\r\nArgyll and Bute\r\n0.439\r\n0.438\r\nCity of Edinburgh\r\n2.199\r\n2.201\r\nClackmannanshire\r\n0.337\r\n0.337\r\nDumfries and Galloway\r\n0.917\r\n0.917\r\nDundee City\r\n0.894\r\n0.893\r\nEast Ayrshire\r\n0.832\r\n0.833\r\nEast Dunbartonshire\r\n0.471\r\n0.473\r\nEast Lothian\r\n0.579\r\n0.583\r\nEast Renfrewshire\r\n0.492\r\n0.495\r\nFalkirk\r\n0.923\r\n0.921\r\nFife\r\n2.289\r\n2.288\r\nGlasgow City\r\n4.666\r\n4.663\r\nHighland\r\n1.420\r\n1.417\r\nInverclyde\r\n0.423\r\n0.421\r\nMidlothian\r\n0.535\r\n0.540\r\nMoray\r\n0.546\r\n0.545\r\nNa h-Eileanan Siar\r\n0.161\r\n0.159\r\nNorth Ayrshire\r\n0.959\r\n0.954\r\nNorth Lanarkshire\r\n2.351\r\n2.346\r\nOrkney Islands\r\n0.132\r\n0.133\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n0.805\r\n0.806\r\nRenfrewshire\r\n0.988\r\n0.986\r\nScottish Borders\r\n0.668\r\n0.669\r\nShetland Islands\r\n0.158\r\n0.157\r\nSouth Ayrshire\r\n0.604\r\n0.603\r\nSouth Lanarkshire\r\n1.827\r\n1.835\r\nStirling\r\n0.495\r\n0.493\r\nWest Dunbartonshire\r\n0.604\r\n0.602\r\nWest Lothian\r\n1.140\r\n1.143\r\nVariations in allocations are due to data refreshes to reflect population movement.\r\nIn addition East Lothian received £1863.00 2022-23 for collaborative planning support and provide local learning that can be shared nationally.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417378,"EventID":"S6W-25995","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T17:32:57.553","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T09:14:04.563","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps have been taken to review public health messaging on long COVID.","AnswerText":"NHS Inform has a dedicated long COVID microsite for people with ongoing symptoms after Covid-19, accessible at  Long-term effects of COVID-19 | NHS inform  . The information was updated in November 2023 following a user research exercise conducted with people living with long COVID to understand their experiences of accessing the information and identify areas for further development of the content.\r\nMore broadly, current COVID-19 specific guidance is still in place for the public and wider guidance for individuals and non-clinical workplaces, promoting a risk-based approach to building resilience to respiratory infections, including COVID-19. Any change in guidance will be driven by the data and evidence gathered, as well as expert advice.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417379,"EventID":"S6W-26006","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T17:32:57.603","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T12:03:10.637","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress of the projects that were successful in the 2022 ScotWind leasing round, broken down by the stage that each project has achieved; in light of any modelling that it has undertaken regarding any rental income from these projects, on what date it expects to begin receiving any such income, and how much it expects to receive annually.","AnswerText":"There are 20 ScotWind projects with seabed option agreements. The first 17 successful projects were announced by Crown Estate Scotland in April 2022. These were joined in October 2022 by three further projects, granted agreements through the Clearing process. To date, one ScotWind project, N1 - West of Orkney Wind Farm, has submitted an application for consent under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 and associated marine licences under section 20 of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 and section 65 of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009. All other ScotWind projects are at the pre-application stage, with 6 environmental impact assessment scoping opinions issued by Scottish Ministers to date.\r\nCrown Estate Scotland currently expects to see rental income of £4Million per Gigawatt per annum, based on 2024 prices. Rent is indexed against the Consumer Prices Index so this figure could change. The rent will go to Crown Estate Scotland once projects are operational. While it is too early to know when that will happen, it is generally 10 years from option award. The nature of project development means Crown Estate Scotland cannot be certain at this time what total capacity will ultimately get built.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417380,"EventID":"S6W-26000","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T17:32:57.65","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T09:14:04.563","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what work has been undertaken to specifically measure (a) the impact of long COVID on (i) older people and (ii) ethnic minorities and (b) the ability of these groups to access long COVID treatment.","AnswerText":"Patient related experience and patient outcome measures will be recorded through NHS Boards’ use of the C-19 YRS digital screening tool. The provision of heath data through this tool will assist in understanding the provision and effectiveness of long COVID services. Where possible, the data will be disaggregated by age, gender, ethnicity, and deprivation quintile. This will support understanding of any inequitable variation in service provision, experience and outcomes which may need to be addressed through service changes.\r\nThe Strategic Network has contracted the University of Leeds to support the initial evaluation of long COVID services in Scotland, using data from the C19-YRS tool. The outputs of the evaluation are expected following the end of the financial year.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417381,"EventID":"S6W-25978","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T17:32:57.743","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-05T11:52:18.387","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many two-year-olds received the 1,140 hours of funded childcare in (a) 2021, (b) 2022 and (c) 2023.","AnswerText":"The early learning and childcare (ELC) census  Early learning and childcare statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  is the Scottish Government’s current annual data collection on funded ELC.\r\nThe census collects data on the number of registrations for funded ELC by age. It does not collect data on the number of hours each child accesses.\r\nNumber of two year old registrations for funded ELC at the time of each census:\r\n2021\r\n6,474\r\n2022\r\n7,042\r\n2023\r\n6,636\r\nPlans are in place to update the ELC census process which will allow us to collect child-level data, including the number of hours used by each child.\r\nThe Improvement Service collects data on funded ELC to support local authorities in the delivery of their service. While this is not Scottish Government data, it provides information on the number of hours. The following figures can be found in their Delivery Progress Reports (  ELC Delivery Progress Reports | Improvement Service  ) :\r\nTwo year old children receiving 1,140 hours:\r\nSeptember 2021\r\n4,300\r\nSeptember 2022\r\n5,156\r\nSeptember 2023\r\n5,648","AnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417382,"EventID":"S6W-25997","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T17:32:57.79","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T09:14:04.563","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) guidelines recommending that long COVID patients should have support from a doctor-led integrated service, what its response is to reported concerns that this is not uniformly followed across NHS boards, which may risk exacerbating any health inequalities in accessing care.","AnswerText":"Section 8.1 of the ‘COVID-19 rapid guideline: managing the long-term effects of COVID-19’ developed jointly by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) and the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) recommends to “provide access to multidisciplinary services, if available, [. . .] for assessing physical and mental health symptoms and carrying out further tests and investigations. Services should be led by a doctor with relevant skills and experience and appropriate specialist support, taking into account the variety of presenting symptoms.”\r\nThe rationale section of the guideline relating to this recommendation notes that “1 model would not fit all areas” and “in areas where multidisciplinary services are not available, services may be provided through integrated and coordinated primary care, community, rehabilitation and mental health services.”","AnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417383,"EventID":"S6W-25983","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-06T17:32:57.837","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-05T14:09:34.143","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which financial institution has provided the Bank Refund Guarantee (BRG) for the two new vessels for the Little Minch routes between Uig, Lochmaddy and Tarbert that are under contract at Cemre Marin Endustri in Turkey.","AnswerText":"The Bank Refund Guarantee for the two new vessels for the Little Minch routes was signed on 3 February 2023. The name of the financial institution that provided the guarantee is commercially confidential.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417417,"EventID":"S6W-26017","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-07T16:39:58.923","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T16:24:10.973","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many registered physiotherapists there have been in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.","AnswerText":"The information requested on how many registered (qualified) physiotherapists there have been in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board can be found on the TURAS NHS Education for Scotland workforce statistics site at:  NHS Scotland workforce | Turas Data Intelligence ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417418,"EventID":"S6W-26011","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-07T16:39:59.033","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T15:18:09.56","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25286 by Lorna Slater on 22 February 2024, and in light of the specific commitment given by the then Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform in a letter to the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee, dated 24 March 2021, that \"work is underway on the development of roadmaps\" for each of the priority sectors listed in the updated Climate Change Plan, whether it will address that commitment and provide an update on when the sectoral roadmaps will be published for (a) electricity, (b) buildings, (c) transport, (d) industry, (e) waste and the circular economy, (f) land use, land use change and forestry, (g) agriculture and (h) negative emissions technologies.","AnswerText":"In 2021, we published an updated Climate Change Plan which covers the period 2018 – 2032. The updated plan includes over 200 policies across all eight sectors and proposals to drive future emissions reductions.\r\nSince publication of the update to the Climate Change Plan, progress has been delivered at speed to drive forward the various strategies, plans, roadmaps and routemaps that support delivery. I have highlighted some of this progress as follows:\r\n(a) The draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan was published for consultation on 10 January 2023, setting out our vision for a future net zero energy system. The consultation closed in May 2023 with over 1500 responses and on 28 September we published an independent consultation analysis.\r\n(b) We have just completed two consultations, one on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill and one on a new Social Housing Net Zero Standard.\r\n(c) We have committed to producing a Route map to achieve a 20% reduction in car km by 2030 against a 2019 baseline. The Draft route map was published in January 2022 followed by post publication public consultation to April 2022. A finalised route map and analysis of the public consultation is due for publication in the coming months.\r\n(d) The Scottish Government is combining current research with revised funding strategies to develop and enhance the route map for industrial decarbonisation. This will include elements of energy efficiency, energy switching and carbon capture and utilisation for residual emissions. The final route map will form part of the next Climate Change Plan.\r\n(e) In January 2024 we published our draft Circular Economy and Waste Route Map for consultation, setting out clear actions to deliver sustainable use of our resources and progress a circular economy in Scotland by 2030. This includes measures to decarbonise the resources and waste sector, and embed circular practices in the construction sector. We intend to review the feedback from the consultation and confirm the final Route Map later in 2024.\r\n(f) A new (5th) edition of the UK Forestry Standard (UKFS), agreed by all four countries, was published last year following a comprehensive review process. The new edition aims to make forests more resilient to a changing climate and the increased risk of pests and diseases so they can continue to deliver multiple benefits.\r\n(g) The Agricultural Reform Route Map was published in February 2023 and updated on 23 June 2023. The Route Map outlines what information and guidance the sector can expect from 2023-2025 and when it will be available. A phased transition will take place from 2025 to implement the Future Support Framework’s proposed conditional payments under 4 tiers: Base, Enhanced, Elective, and Complementary.\r\n(h) The Scottish Government commissioned a feasibility study on negative emissions technologies which was published on 30 November 2023. The deployment of NETs is dependent on CCUS, and while there is an understanding of next steps for growing the NETs industry in Scotland, a route map will be finalised once there is certainty from the UK Government on funding for Acorn.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417419,"EventID":"S6W-26021","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-07T16:39:59.08","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T17:10:43.797","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25697 by Joe FitzPatrick on 4 March 2024, what the provisional deadline is for the next round of Regeneration Capital Grant funding, and how this will be advertised to groups within the Cowdenbeath constituency. ","AnswerText":"Ministers are considering the implications and options for delivery of the regeneration budget in 2024-2025 and we have yet to make decisions on a future application round for the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417420,"EventID":"S6W-26035","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-07T16:39:59.16","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-07T09:03:01.36","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met Ofgem, and what was discussed.","AnswerText":"I met with Ofgem CEO Jonathan Brearley and Chair Mark McAllister on 8 February to discuss Ofgem’s work to review standing charges for consumers, protections for prepayment meter (PPM) customers and opportunities for data sharing to facilitate better targeting of support to those that need it the most.\r\nMy officials regularly engage with Ofgem to influence policymaking and advocate the interests of Scottish energy consumers.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417421,"EventID":"S6W-26018","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5877,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-07T16:39:59.317","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T16:25:08.82","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the policy proposal to remove the Disclosure Scotland fee waiver for volunteers in qualifying voluntary organisations and replace this with a fee discount, what its position is on whether such a proposal reflects its commitment to volunteering through the Volunteering Action Plan.","AnswerText":"I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:\r\nDisclosure Scotland is consulting on how disclosure fees could be discounted in future. No decisions have been made on this. The consultation response from stakeholders and the public will help to shape decisions by Scottish Ministers. Since 2011, Disclosure Scotland has fully subsidised qualifying voluntary organisations to get free PVG disclosures for volunteers. Reviewing the policy on fee waivers and discounts helps to ensure the effective use of public finances and the potential impact of any changes, whilst providing an effective public service.\r\nWider Scottish Government initiatives and guidance, including the Volunteering Action Plan and the Scottish Public Finance Manual, form part of the consideration given to any changes to fees policy at Disclosure Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417422,"EventID":"S6W-26034","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-07T16:39:59.363","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T22:05:52.26","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its National Eating Disorder Network, which it committed to establishing in 2023.","AnswerText":"Progress has been made in establishing the National Eating Disorder Network which will meet formally for the first time later this Spring. In October 2023, Professor Cathy Richards was appointed to establish and chair the Network and work is underway to appoint clinical advisors with experience in eating disorders treatment for children and adults. The Network membership is being finalised and a Terms of Reference is being developed.\r\nThe Network will support delivery of the remaining long-term recommendations from the National Review of Eating Disorder Services in Scotland (2021). A key aim of the Network is to support the implementation of the National Specification for the Care and Treatment of Eating Disorder Services in Scotland, which will be published later this year. \r\nAdditionally, we will work with NHS 24 to publish online information and self-help resources on NHS inform which will allow people to access free, evidence-based information and support. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417423,"EventID":"S6W-26041","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-07T16:39:59.393","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-07T12:29:33.857","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether a reduction in the provision of secondary school music tuition would breach the 2021 arrangement to remove fees from such provision.","AnswerText":"There is no evidence of an overall reduction in the provision of secondary school music tuition. In fact the most recent  Instrumental Music Services: Results from the IMS Survey 2023 (improvementservice.org.uk)  published in December 2023 confirmed that 61,715 pupils participated in instrumental music lessons in academic year 2022-23, the highest number since the annual survey began 11 years ago.\r\nThe policy of free instrumental tuition has now been firmly established across all Local Authority Music Services. The Scottish Government continues to support local authorities to deliver free instrumental music tuition in schools, removing financial barriers to learning an instrument.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417424,"EventID":"S6W-26038","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-07T16:39:59.44","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-07T10:57:08.02","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25326 by Tom Arthur on 6 March 2024, whether it will detail exactly what options are being explored to implement Air Departure Tax in the manner described.","AnswerText":"All viable options identified by the Scottish Government will be subject to full consultation at the appropriate time. The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all options presented will protect Highlands and Islands connectivity, along with the communities and business that rely on this to prosper.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417425,"EventID":"S6W-26032","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-07T16:39:59.487","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T21:48:15.583","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many GPs have completed \"Beyond the Symptoms\" training to date, to help them to identify patients with eating disorders.","AnswerText":"Beat has reported that 29 GPs have completed “Beyond the Symptoms” training since 2022. Beat continues to promote this training with stakeholders, along with other training resources that are available on their website. Beat has engaged with GP practices across Scotland regarding this training and other resources, and have used the SPOT platform for schools professionals to offer the training to school nurses.\r\nIn addition, through Scottish Government funding, Beat continues to expand and maintain an extensive list of eating disorder and weight management services, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and Community Mental Health Teams across all 14 Health Boards. These stakeholders receive regular updates on available Beat services. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417426,"EventID":"S6W-26008","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-07T16:39:59.517","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T12:05:22.68","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25115 by Jenni Minto on 26 February 2024, what response it has received from the (a) Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and (b) Food Standards Agency, including counterparts in (i) England, (ii) Wales and (iii) Northern Ireland, regarding the development of a four-nation policy proposal under the UK Food Compositional Standards and Labelling Common Framework in relation to mandatory braille labelling of food products.","AnswerText":"The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in Wales and Northern Ireland, have noted the petition PE1997: Introduce mandatory braille labelling for food products sold in Scotland and the interest in Scotland around progressing this issue under the UK Food Compositional Standards and Labelling Common Framework. Defra have indicated that the UK Government has no immediate plans to initiate a public consultation on policy proposals for the introduction of mandatory braille labelling on food products, citing several factors that need to be explored before policy development can be considered on a UK-wide basis. This includes how viable braille labelling would be on a wide range of packaging, as well as the relative effectiveness and associated costs alongside using alternative different digital technologies. FSS intend to initiate stakeholder engagement in this respect during the 2024-25 business year and will keep the other UK lead departments updated at Common Framework discussions.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417427,"EventID":"S6W-26031","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-07T16:39:59.567","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T21:45:51.247","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on primary care provision of eating disorder services.","AnswerText":"We remain committed to improving mental health service provision in primary care settings, including early detection and care for those presenting with an eating disorder.\r\nThe Mental Health and Wellbeing Delivery Plan (2023) sets out our ambition to drive a shift in the balance of care across mental health to ensure a focus on prevention and early intervention in the community, including a focus on providing high quality mental health care in General Practice.\r\nWe are committed to supporting people to access the right care at the right time. That is why we have allocated £55.5 million to Health Boards this year to improve the quality and delivery of mental health services for all, including eating disorder services. \r\nWe have also provided Beat, the UK’s largest Eating Disorder charity, with over £600,000 to provide a range of support services for those impacted by an eating disorder. This includes the introduction of Beyond the Symptoms Training for GPs and Healthcare professionals to support them to identify when a patient has an eating disorder, and to confidently intervene early.\r\nAdditionally, the Scottish Government has recently developed a National Specification for the Care and Treatment of Eating Disorders in Scotland which will be published later this year. The National Specification outlines a national minimum level of service which will support local services to deliver person-centred, safe and effective care and covers all levels of treatment for eating disorders, from primary care all the way through to specialist inpatient care.\r\nWe are also establishing a National Eating Disorder Network which will look at improving specialist eating disorder services and links between primary and secondary services. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417428,"EventID":"S6W-26043","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-07T16:39:59.613","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-07T12:29:33.857","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of any local authority ceasing its funding for secondary school music tuition and relying on the funding provided by the Scottish Government following the 2021 announcement of the removal of fees to fund this service.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is not aware of any local authority ceasing its funding for secondary school music tuition and relying solely on the additional funding provided by the Scottish Government. The most recent  Instrumental Music Services: Results from the IMS Survey 2023 (improvementservice.org.uk)  confirmed that 61,715 pupils participated in instrumental music lessons in academic year 2022-23, the highest number since the annual survey began 11 years ago.\r\nThe policy of free instrumental tuition has now firmly been established across all Local Authority Music Services. The Scottish Government continues to support local authorities to deliver free instrumental music tuition in schools, with £12 million allocated this financial year alone. The purpose of this funding is to enhance the instrumental music tuition offer that is provided through Local Authority budgets.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417429,"EventID":"S6W-26039","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-07T16:39:59.69","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-07T10:57:08.037","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25326 by Tom Arthur on 6 March 2024, whether it will detail how the UK subsidy control regime introduced in 2023 represents a barrier to implementation of a devolved Air Departure Tax, in light of the regime granting devolved governments the power to establish subsidy schemes such as tax exemptions based on local needs.","AnswerText":"All subsidy schemes - including tax exemptions - must clearly demonstrate that the objective of the exemption clearly aligns with a set of seven principles defined in the Subsidy Control Act 2022. The Scottish Government will fully assess how any proposal for a devolved Air Departure Tax aligns with these principles.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417430,"EventID":"S6W-26028","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-07T16:39:59.737","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T17:21:55.9","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25697 by Joe FitzPatrick on 4 March 2024, how much funding has been awarded through the (a) Regeneration Capital Grant Fund and (b) Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme in the last five years, broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"The funding awarded through the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) and the Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme (VDLIP) over the last five years, from 2019-20 to 2023-24 by local authority area, is detailed in the following table. This table excludes projects that were subsequently withdrawn by local authorities.\r\nLocal Authority Area\r\nRCGF grant awarded\r\n£\r\nVDLIP grant awarded\r\n£\r\nAberdeen City\r\n5,308,965\r\n0\r\nAberdeenshire\r\n4,768,313\r\n0\r\nAngus\r\n2,560,000\r\n0\r\nArgyll and Bute\r\n5,395,313\r\n0\r\nCity of Edinburgh\r\n8,686,186\r\n2,467,784\r\nClackmannanshire\r\n640,000\r\n500,000\r\nComhairle nan Eilean Siar\r\n9,714,812\r\n0\r\nDumfries and Galloway\r\n9,749,488\r\n0\r\nDundee City\r\n1,652,708\r\n0\r\nEast Ayrshire\r\n5,613,101\r\n0\r\nEast Dunbartonshire\r\n2,050,000\r\n1,676,000\r\nEast Lothian\r\n1,184,266\r\n0\r\nEast Renfrewshire\r\n699,000\r\n1,084,661\r\nFalkirk\r\n0\r\n582,808\r\nFife\r\n2,225,000\r\n491,582\r\nGlasgow City\r\n32,802,584\r\n8,784,088\r\nHighland\r\n7,706,568\r\n2,550,000\r\nInverclyde\r\n5,163,933\r\n990,000\r\nMidlothian\r\n0\r\n3,667,000\r\nMoray\r\n270,200\r\n0\r\nNorth Ayrshire\r\n4,881,478\r\n1,000,000\r\nNorth Lanarkshire\r\n6,446,270\r\n350,911\r\nOrkney Islands\r\n1,135,460\r\n0\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n3,130,000\r\n93,808\r\nRenfrewshire\r\n1,814,000\r\n0\r\nScottish Borders\r\n1,588,110\r\n0\r\nShetland Islands\r\n1,770,000\r\n0\r\nSouth Ayrshire\r\n3,106,713\r\n0\r\nSouth Lanarkshire\r\n10,574,384\r\n1,244,150\r\nStirling\r\n1,599,100\r\n0\r\nWest Dunbartonshire\r\n747,000\r\n1,350,000\r\nWest Lothian\r\n1,400,000\r\n0\r\nTOTAL\r\n144,382,952\r\n26,832,792\r\n \r\n*Note: For those projects that cover two local authority areas the grant award has been apportioned.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417431,"EventID":"S6W-26036","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-07T16:39:59.8","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-07T09:03:01.36","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on what impact its proposals for energy performance certificate (EPC) reform will have on its proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill.","AnswerText":"We responded to a series of recommendations from the Committee for Climate Change on the need to reform Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) by running a consultation during 2023.\r\nThe consultation proposed to revise the information displayed on domestic EPCs, expanding the current suite of ratings to introduce a fabric energy efficiency rating and displaying relevant information relating to the heating system. This aims to improve EPCs so that they provide a more holistic view to current and potential homeowners and tenants.\r\nEPC reform is also needed to respond to changes to the underlying methodology implemented by UK Government, and the recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.\r\nOur consultation on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill, published in November 2023, made clear that a reformed EPC could have a supporting role in providing evidence in relation to the heat and energy efficiency standards proposed by that consultation. \r\nGiven this important relationship between the two consultations and sets of proposals, we want to ensure that responses to both are considered together. We therefore intend to publish our response to the EPC reform and Heat in Buildings Bill consultations at the same point later this year.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417432,"EventID":"S6W-26026","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-07T16:39:59.863","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T17:19:55.453","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25697 by Joe FitzPatrick on 4 March 2024, how many projects in the Cowdenbeath constituency have received funding through the Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme since it was established, and how much each project received.","AnswerText":"The Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme has not supported any projects within the Cowdenbeath constituency since its launch in 2021. However it has supported one project in the Fife local authority area, the Ravenscraig Skills Hub, with nearly £500k investment.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417433,"EventID":"S6W-26040","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-07T16:39:59.923","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-07T10:57:08.037","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it (a) has made and (b) is considering making a referral to the Competition and Markets Authority highlighting a Highlands and Islands exemption in its planned devolved Air Departure Tax as a subsidy of particular interest.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not made a referral to the Subsidy Advice Unit at the Competition and Markets Authority. Any future proposal for Air Departure Tax or a proposal relating to the Highlands and Islands exemption will be assessed for compliance with the Subsidy Control Act and will be referred to the Subsidy Advice Unit if they meet the mandatory referral requirements of a Subsidy of Particular Interest .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417434,"EventID":"S6W-26020","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-07T16:39:59.97","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T17:09:37.193","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25697 by Joe FitzPatrick on 4 March 2024, which existing projects will receive a share of the £23 million earmarked for existing commitments, and how much each project will receive. ","AnswerText":"There are a total of 30 current projects supported by regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) and 15 current projects supported by Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme (VDLIP) being delivered over the course of 2023/24 and 2024/25 with grant expenditure anticipated in these two financial years.\r\nDue to the nature of the delivery of capital projects grant profiles can change depending on the progress of the project and we continually work with local authorities to monitor draw down requirements. Final year end grant claims will continue to be submitted over the course of March and early April. This means we cannot confirm the final grant profile for 2024-25 at this time. However information on the current projects supported and the total grant awarded are provided in the following tables:\r\nRegeneration Capital Grant Fund project name\r\nTotal grant awarded\r\n£\r\nGrant remaining as of 13 March 2024\r\n£\r\nPossilpark Community and Family Centre\r\n1,792,445\r\n110,000\r\nThe Staffin Slipway Redevelopment\r\n1,069,000\r\n532,562\r\nVictoria Road School Community Element\r\n1,408,965\r\n1,016,590\r\nTwechar Outdoor Pursuits Training and Education Centre\r\n1,100,000\r\n1,100,000\r\n \r\nPrestongrange Phase 1\r\n1,184,266\r\n348,345\r\nOld Clyne School Redevelopment into new Heritage Centre\r\n1,432,793\r\n \r\n1,432,793\r\n \r\nIonad Hiort/St Kilda Centre\r\n950,000\r\n950,000\r\nThe Flax Mill at Silverburn Park, Leven\r\n1,750,000\r\n1,670,115\r\nArdrossan Promenade\r\n788,000\r\n25,000\r\nBraidhurst Industrial Estate\r\n1,900,000\r\n920,000\r\nInchgarth Community Regeneration Hub\r\n1,900,000\r\n1,900,000\r\nShawfield GRID Campus(Glasgow City and South Lanarkshire Councils)\r\n3,350,000\r\n3,350,000\r\nCalanais 2025\r\n2,000,000\r\n2,000,000\r\nLoch Carnan\r\n150,000\r\n7,040\r\nLockerbie Old School Wellbeing and Enterprise Centre\r\n2,849,000\r\n2,849,000\r\nTake A Bow Opportunity Centre\r\n1,341,615\r\n1,341,615\r\nNew Cumnock Re-use Hub\r\n2,030,000\r\n2,030,000\r\nCampsie Memorial Hall Revitalisation Project\r\n950,000\r\n950,000\r\nRefiring The Pipe Factory\r\n1,965,354\r\n1,965,354\r\nKnoydart Bunkhouse\r\n560,000\r\n560,000\r\nGro For You - Community Innovation Campus - Tain\r\n450,000\r\n450,000\r\nJohn O’Groats Mill: A Power for the Community\r\n1,500,000\r\n1,500,000\r\nLossiemouth Community Hub\r\n270,200\r\n270,200\r\nMotherwell Football Club Community Trust - The Well Hub\r\n215,000\r\n30,771\r\nMaybole New Stables Lane Scheme\r\n999,807\r\n979,807\r\nPinwherry and Pinmore Community Development Trust - Primary School Redevelopment\r\n197,633\r\n197,633.\r\nLarkhall Business Micro Hub\r\n300,000\r\n300,000\r\nCarluke High Mill Phase 1\r\n1,199,38\r\n1,055,592\r\nCarnwath Community and Business Enterprise Hub\r\n275,000\r\n275,000\r\nScottish Co-operative Discovery and Activity Centre\r\n1,400,000\r\n1,140,101\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\nVacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme project name\r\nTotal grant awarded\r\n£\r\nGrant remaining as of 13 March 2024\r\n£\r\nGranton Gasholder\r\n1,224,410\r\n125,607\r\nClacks Community – Growing a new Future\r\n500,000\r\n500,000\r\nShawfield Phase 2 - Remediation\r\n200,000\r\n200,000\r\nRavenscraig Skills Hub\r\n491,582\r\n491,582\r\nRuchazie Greening and Growing project\r\n670,000\r\n485,000\r\nCadder Woods Community Greenspace\r\n772,700\r\n772,700\r\nCommunity Net Zero Hub\r\n182,275\r\n121,562\r\nGovan Graving Docks\r\n2,368,794\r\n2,368,794\r\nGreening Royston\r\n797,121\r\n797,121\r\nNorth Maryhill TRA Green Infrastructure\r\n1,450,000\r\n1,450,000\r\nLongman Park\r\n2,150,000\r\n1,300,000\r\nAll Through Community Learning Campus Shawfair\r\n3,667,000\r\n3,667,000\r\nThe King’s Arms Irvine\r\n600,000\r\n600,000\r\nMillhaugh - Phase 1\r\n93,808\r\n15,807\r\nResidential development at Pappert Bonhill\r\n1,250,000\r\n1,250,000\r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417435,"EventID":"S6W-26024","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-07T16:40:00.017","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T17:13:02.703","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25697 by Joe FitzPatrick on 4 March 2024, what criteria will be used in the forthcoming round of Regeneration Capital Grant funding. ","AnswerText":"Ministers are considering the implications and options for delivery of the regeneration budget in 2024-2025 and we have yet to make decisions on a future application round for the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417436,"EventID":"S6W-26009","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-07T16:40:00.097","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T12:08:35.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to introduce legislation that would prevent any person who is subject to sexual offender notification requirements from being a councillor.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the importance of building and preserving a society where the rights and freedoms of individuals are respected and communities can trust their elected representatives.\r\nThe Scottish Government has set out its plans, on preventing individuals included on the sex offenders register from being councillors or MSPs, to the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee who are currently considering the Scottish Elections (Representation and Reform) Bill.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417437,"EventID":"S6W-26023","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-07T16:40:00.143","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T17:12:25.677","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25697 by Joe FitzPatrick on 4 March 2024, how many projects in the Cowdenbeath constituency have received Regeneration Capital Grant funding since it was established, and how much each project received.","AnswerText":"The Regeneration Capital Grant Fund has supported four projects in the Cowdenbeath constituency since the fund was established as detailed in the following table:\r\nProject Name\r\nLocation\r\nGrant awarded £\r\nLochgelly Regional Cycling Circuit - Community Use Building\r\nLochgelly\r\n300,000\r\nLochgelly Town House Development Site\r\nLochgelly\r\n550,000\r\nStenhouse Street Community Centre (now called the Maxwell Centre)\r\nCowdenbeath\r\n300,000\r\nTown House Community Hub - Inverkeithing\r\nInverkeithing\r\n475,000\r\nTotal for Cowdenbeath Constituency \r\n1,625,000\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417438,"EventID":"S6W-26025","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-07T16:40:00.22","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T17:19:11.067","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25697 by Joe FitzPatrick on 4 March 2024, how the remaining £22.8 million of the £45.8 million of funding for 2024-25 will be split between the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund and the Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme. ","AnswerText":"Funding of £1 million has been prioritised to support Clyde Gateway Urban Regeneration Company from the budget available to support regeneration programmes. Ministers are considering the implications of the budget and options for the delivery of the remaining budget in 2024-25, and the Scottish Government will clarify how the budget will be allocated in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417439,"EventID":"S6W-26027","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-07T16:40:00.283","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T17:20:52.15","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25697 by Joe FitzPatrick on 4 March 2024, what criteria are used for awarding funding through the Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme. ","AnswerText":"Applications to the Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme (VDLIP) are assessed by an Independent Panel against:the basic eligibility criteria;ability to meet the aims and objectives of the programme;readiness to make use of available grant; andwider strategic fit.\r\nInformation on the eligibility criteria, aims and objectives for VDLIP can be found here:  https://www.gov.scot/publications/vacant-and-derelict-land-investment-programme/pages/overview/  .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417440,"EventID":"S6W-26042","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-07T16:40:00.347","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-07T12:29:33.857","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the funding to remove fees from secondary school music tuition, which was announced in 2021, whether it engages with local authorities on the level of music tuition that they provide, and, if so, whether it is aware of any reduction in provision since 2021.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to work closely with Local Authority Heads of Instrumental Music, COSLA and the Improvement Service to support and monitor the ongoing delivery of free instrumental music tuition.\r\nThe annual  Instrumental Music Services: Results from the IMS Survey 2023 (improvementservice.org.uk)  undertaken by the Improvement Service and most recently published in December 2023 confirmed that 61,715 pupils participated in instrumental music lessons in academic year 2022-23, the highest number since the annual survey began 11 years ago.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417441,"EventID":"S6W-26022","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-07T16:40:00.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T17:11:31.407","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25697 by Joe FitzPatrick on 4 March 2024, how funding decisions are made in relation to the applications that it receives for Regeneration Capital Grant funding. ","AnswerText":"The Regeneration Capital Grant Fund is delivered through a two-stage application and assessment process for each funding round. All applications are assessed by the independent Regeneration Capital Grant Fund Investment Panel against the fund’s criteria set jointly with COSLA. Only those applications assessed as successful by the panel at stage 1 are invited to submit a full stage 2 application. The panel makes final recommendations to the Scottish Government and COSLA on stage 2 applications to be funded.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417442,"EventID":"S6W-26033","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-07T16:40:00.457","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T21:50:08.477","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many non-GP healthcare professionals have completed \"Beyond the Symptoms\" training to date, to help them to identify patients with eating disorders, broken down by profession.","AnswerText":"Beat has reported that 249 non-GP healthcare professionals have completed “Beyond the Symptoms” training since 2022. A full breakdown by profession is not available, but the training has been completed by professionals including Community Mental Health Teams, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and school nurses.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417443,"EventID":"S6W-26030","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-07T16:40:00.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T17:42:40.513","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25840 by Siobhian Brown on 5 March 2024, how many Scottish Fire and Rescue Service officers in the North East Scotland region have received training for operational competence on lithium-ion batteries and battery storage unit sites.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s (SFRS) training procedures are an operational matter for the service to consider. SFRS consults both internal and external subject matter experts to ensure that all latest technologies, developments, lessons learned, and health and safety events are captured to ensure firefighter and public safety.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417444,"EventID":"S6W-26037","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-07T16:40:00.583","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-07T09:03:01.36","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered introducing targets for public sector organisations to make their buildings energy efficient.","AnswerText":"Our consultation on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill, which closed on 8 March, asked how we can help our public sector buildings to lead the way on heat decarbonisation, by requiring all public sector buildings to be using clean heating systems by 2038. We will now analyse the responses to determine the best course of action.\r\nAny energy efficiency standard for non-domestic buildings, including public buildings, would need to carefully consider how to take account of the wide variety in size, construction and functionality.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417445,"EventID":"S6W-26010","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-07T16:40:00.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T13:45:31.86","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which (a) job-related and professional training course costs, (b) professional subscription fees and (c) purchases of small equipment made up the £146,366.43 of electronic purchasing card (ePC) transactions by Transport Scotland in 2022-23.","AnswerText":"Under the Public Sector Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 Government bodies are required to publish details of information relating to: public relations; overseas travel; hospitality and entertainment; external consultancy; details of all items of expenditure over £25,000; remuneration; sustainable growth; efficiency; and shared services.\r\nTransport Scotland has also followed the Scottish Government extension of these requirements to publish annual details of Electronic Procurement card transactions. Details can be found on the Transport Scotland website.\r\nDisclosures for the financial years 2022-23 and 2021-22 - Electronic Purchasing Cards | Transport Scotland \r\n \r\nDescription\r\nAmount - £\r\nJob Related and Professional Training Courses\r\n58,408.55\r\nProfessional Subscription Fees\r\n24,586.63\r\nSmall Equipment\r\n14,578.43\r\nOther Sundry Payments\r\n48,792.82\r\nTotal\r\n146,366.43\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417446,"EventID":"S6W-26029","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-07T16:40:00.723","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T17:36:11.577","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the £237.5 million of Barnett consequential funding arising from the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Budget statement on 6 March 2024, as a result of the NHS productivity plan, will all be spent on the NHS in Scotland.","AnswerText":"HM Treasury’s costing for the NHS productivity plan shows funding starting in 2025-26. Therefore no consequentials are expected in 2024-25 in relation to the plan, and the position is only expected to become clear at the next UK spending review.\r\nThe Health consequentials of £237 million for 2024-25 arising from the Chancellor’s Spring Statement are less than the £470 million in-year Health funding received for 2023-24 and less than is needed given the pressures faced.\r\nWhile we are considering the outcome of the UK budget and what it means for NHS Scotland we are committed to passing on frontline health consequentials and have indeed gone further than consequentials in our investment in this budget.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417454,"EventID":"S6W-26016","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-08T15:50:57.327","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T16:17:17.37","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the level of investment in (a) electricity and (b) gas grid investment in Scotland that is funded through energy standing charges. ","AnswerText":"Legislation and regulations relating to electricity and gas networks are reserved to the UK Government, with the Electricity System Operator (ESO) responsible for the strategic approach to transmission investment, working with Transmission Owners across Great Britain. Regulation of the electricity and gas networks including approval of investment on infrastructure is carried out by the independent energy regulator Ofgem. Ofgem conducts analysis on the impact of standing charges on consumer bills across Great Britain and sets the framework for investment in the electricity and gas networks through the RIIO price controls. The Scottish Government has no role in networks regulation, apart from our statutory consenting process, however we work closely with the networks companies to promote consideration of Scottish Government policies and ambitions in their business plans and wider activities. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417455,"EventID":"S6W-26072","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-08T15:50:57.467","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-08T11:22:48.717","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that apprenticeships in traditional building skills are equally accessible across all geographic regions of Scotland.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25489 on 9 March 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/questions-and-answers ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417456,"EventID":"S6W-26075","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-08T15:50:57.513","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-08T11:36:17.93","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the expert advisory group’s work regarding the roll-out of a national targeted lung cancer screening programme, including what the expected timeline is, and what additional capacity and investment is required.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has welcomed the recommendation from the UK National Screening Committee (NSC) that the 4 UK Nations should move towards implementing a programme of targeted lung screening for those between 55-74 with a history of smoking. \r\nThe Scottish Expert Advisory Group (SEAG) was established to assess the specific challenges and opportunities for a Scottish programme. The SEAG met for the first time in August 2023. Further meetings are scheduled in the coming months as part of work to develop a business case.\r\nThe complexity of the challenge means a national screening programme is likely to take years rather than months to implement. Until the business case is complete, we cannot provide timings for implementation or specifics relating to implementation and annual running costs. \r\nLung cancer remains a national priority, which is why the Scottish Government has a dedicated chapter in our £114.5 million National Cancer Plan, and last December we redesigned lung cancer diagnostic services to help ensure patients receive faster access to treatment.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417457,"EventID":"S6W-26062","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-08T15:50:57.577","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-07T16:57:03.277","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to (a) deliver fair work for lecturers and support staff, (b) prevent compulsory redundancies and (c) protect students from the impact of any reduction in funding, in light of reports of an ongoing industrial dispute, which resulted in hundreds of lecturers and support staff from 21 colleges taking part in strike action on 29 February 2024. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government expects fair work principles to be adhered to in the college sector. To support fair work in the college sector, the Scottish Government recently introduced legislation to add trade union nominees to college boards, which will improve trade union recognition and confidence in college governance. \r\nWhile operational decisions on pay and staffing matters are the responsibility of individual colleges, the Scottish Government has been clear that compulsory redundancies should only be considered as a last resort, after all other options have been fully explored in collaboration with trade unions.\r\nThe Scottish Government remains concerned by the impact of potential action on students and expects that institutions take action to mitigate those impacts.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417458,"EventID":"S6W-26071","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-08T15:50:57.623","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-08T10:10:01.643","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24181 by Neil Gray on 16 January 2024, how many jobs it anticipates will be created as part of the £500 million commitment to offshore wind supply chains. ","AnswerText":"Offshore wind was highlighted by the First Minister’s Investor Panel as the single most important opportunity for attracting capital to Scotland and raising Scotland’s wider investment profile. Our up to £500m strategic investment will stimulate and support private investment in the infrastructure and manufacturing facilities critical to the growth of our world-leading offshore wind sector. It is key to unlocking the commitment made by ScotWind developers to invest an average projection of £1.5bn into Scotland per project.\r\nWe will ensure we invest this capital in the projects that are going to help us deliver our priorities and bring maximum economic impact – supporting market certainty, helping to create a highly productive, competitive economy, providing thousands of new jobs, embedding innovation and boosting skills.\r\nIt is widely accepted that offshore wind represents a significant opportunity to create thousands of good Scottish jobs. Based on the evidence available and assumptions made in individual studies, a range of economic impact from offshore wind deployment in Scottish Waters could be set at 10,400 jobs – 54,000 jobs.\r\nWe also want to ensure a just transition that takes our existing skilled workforce and supply chain with us. We will drive forward offshore wind skills development – working with stakeholders to focus on the opportunities for diversification and skills transfer from our oil and gas sector, in line with our commitment to a Just Transition.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417459,"EventID":"S6W-26013","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-08T15:50:57.703","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T16:17:17.37","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with the UK Government regarding electricity pricing in Scotland, and what was discussed.","AnswerText":"I met with the UK Government Minister for Affordability and Skills, Amanda Solloway MP, on 25 January in Holyrood. During that engagement, I reiterated the Scottish Government’s call for the introduction of a social tariff mechanism as a safety net for consumers in greatest need and highlighted the impacts of high electricity and gas standing prices on Scottish consumers. It was agreed that collaborative work between both governments and other stakeholders is required to help identify those most in need of help, as well as to futureproof the support system and protect consumers from any future price shocks.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417460,"EventID":"S6W-26064","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-08T15:50:57.75","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-07T22:15:46.72","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with East Ayrshire Council regarding future upgrades to the Bellfield Interchange in Kilmarnock.","AnswerText":"The most recent discussions that Transport Scotland has had with East Ayrshire Council regarding Bellfield Interchange were in 2022. Transport Scotland has engaged with the Council throughout the preparation of the forthcoming second Local Development Plan (LDP2), which has identified that a package of works is required at Bellfield to facilitate development in East Ayrshire.\r\nOfficials have been consistent in their advice to the Council that any potential impact to the trunk road network, as a result of development, will require to be mitigated to an acceptable level.\r\nNotwithstanding this, I have written to East Ayrshire Council in August 2023 and March 2024 offering a meeting with officials at Transport Scotland to discuss Bellfield Interchange.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417461,"EventID":"S6W-26063","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-08T15:50:57.797","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-07T22:12:54.447","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage prospective students to consider podiatry as a career.","AnswerText":"As part of our work to develop a sustainable healthcare workforce, we continue to look for opportunities to increase levels of student attraction to healthcare professions. Careers in NHS Scotland are promoted on the NHS Education Scotland NHS careers website, designed to promote opportunities to school leavers, those in education and those looking to change careers. This site can be accessed at  https://www.careers.nhs.scot/ \r\nThe current route to becoming a podiatrist registered with HCPC is to attain a degree in podiatry and, as such, higher education institutions (HEIs) are autonomous bodies responsible for the attraction and recruitment of their own students. Each institution has their own advertising and recruitment strategy which will include visiting schools, attending careers fairs and promoting the range of opportunities via their social media channels. HEIs also recruit to their approved programmes against their own entry requirements and will encourage and support prospective students in how to achieve the required standards.\r\nAdditionally, the Allied Health Professions (AHP) Education and Workforce Policy Review examined workforce and education issues and recommendations included promotion of allied health professional careers and aligning strategies to market a career as an allied health professional. An advisory group has been established to oversee the effective implementation of these recommendations.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417462,"EventID":"S6W-26052","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2678,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":141,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-08T15:50:57.857","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-07T15:14:46.09","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) maximum, (b) minimum and (c) average cost was for a person to renew a guardianship order in the last five financial years.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not have access to specific data regarding the maximum, minimum, or average costs for individuals renewing a guardianship order over the past five financial years. \r\nThe costs associated with renewing a guardianship order can vary significantly depending on various factors such as the complexity of the case, the involvement of legal and medical professionals, and the specific needs of the individual in question. \r\nWhile we can identify certain standard fees like the £138 Court lodging fee and £95 Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) fee, additional expenses such as medical assessments and legal representation can fluctuate based on individual circumstances and preferences. \r\nNon-means-tested legal aid is available in certain cases.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417463,"EventID":"S6W-26078","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-08T15:50:57.92","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-08T12:29:21.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will confirm the final college sector budget allocation in its entirety for the academic year 2024-25.","AnswerText":"As with previous years, the Scottish Funding Council expects to publish this year’s indicative college funding allocations in early spring with final funding allocations expected in late Spring for the academic year 2024-25. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417464,"EventID":"S6W-26019","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-08T15:50:57.967","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T16:45:12.6","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many (a) students have received and (b) music tutors have provided free music tuition, in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"The most recent  Instrumental Music Survey  published by the Improvement Service in December 2023 holds this information. Page 9 provides figures on students receiving free instrumental music tuition and Page 18 provides the number of music tutors. For ease of reference, this has been set out in the following tables.\r\nNumber of instrumental music pupils\r\n2020-21\r\n2021-22\r\n2022-23\r\n41,594\r\n56,138\r\n61,715\r\nTotal Instructor Numbers\r\nYear\r\n2020-21\r\n2021-22\r\n2022-23\r\nFTE\r\n617.5\r\n620.1\r\n625.463\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417465,"EventID":"S6W-26054","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2678,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":141,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-08T15:50:58.013","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-07T15:15:45.197","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what advice it offers to local authorities in relation to circumstances in which a family requests support from a local authority social care service to protect the welfare and financial interests of a loved one because they have not been able to renew a guardianship order due to any cost barriers.","AnswerText":"If a family cannot afford to renew a guardianship order, the local authority can offer support by providing non-legal advice on the Adults with Incapacity (AWI) (Scotland) Act 2000, suggesting independent advice sources, and conducting needs assessments for both the individual and the carer. The Scottish Government has published AWI codes of practice for local authorities. Chapter 7 highlights the responsibilities of local authorities in this domain and their duty to apply for a guardianship where one is necessary and no application is being made or likely to be made.\r\nLast winter Scottish Government published its good practice guidance for AWI delayed discharge based on engagement with majority of local authorities. This highlighted the most efficient ways to facilitate moves of adults lacking capacity from the hospital estate to more suitable accommodation. This included the guardianship process and ensuring the adults rights, will and preference are first and foremost. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417466,"EventID":"S6W-26058","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-08T15:50:58.077","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-07T16:52:11.887","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what contribution further education is making to the delivery of a worker-led just transition in Scotland. ","AnswerText":"The education and skills system is critical to the delivery of a just transition and the further education sector is actively supporting individuals to gain the skills and knowledge they need to participate in the green economy.\r\nOur forthcoming Just Transition Plans will set out where the Scottish Government, partners in the private sector and educational providers can further support this ambition.\r\nAdditionally, the Scottish Funding Council’s  Net Zero and Sustainability Framework for Action  sets out the long-term plan to support the sector transition to net zero.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417467,"EventID":"S6W-26048","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-08T15:50:58.217","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-07T13:20:33.12","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the ScotRail framework agreement specifies that it should give \"particular attention\" to \"identifying efficiencies in staffing levels\" at railway stations.","AnswerText":"The Framework Agreement between Scottish Ministers and Scottish Rail Holdings confirms under the Stations, Operational Plan section that “particular attention should be given to identifying efficiencies in staffing levels as well as focus on elements which will be monitored through SQUIRE”. This provides ScotRail with the ability to ensure that staff are deployed appropriately across the rail network to deliver a high performing service that passengers rightly expect.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":417468,"EventID":"S6W-26068","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-08T15:50:58.313","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-07T22:55:39.77","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether domestic services across the NHS work closely with infection control teams within hospital settings. ","AnswerText":"Domestic Services staff are an essential part of the multi-disciplinary Healthcare team in improving patient, staff and public safety and should work closely with infection control teams within hospital settings as set out in the NHSScotland national cleaning services specification (SHFN 01-02) which is available here:  https://www.nss.nhs.scot/publications/nhsscotland-national-cleaning-services-specification-shfn-01-02/ ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417469,"EventID":"S6W-26074","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-08T15:50:58.377","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-08T11:22:48.717","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any demand for traditional building skills to support its net zero policies.","AnswerText":"Last November, the Scottish Government welcomed the net zero pathfinder report published by Skills Development Scotland which assessed demand and skills issues across a range of sectors including construction. This information can be found here:  https://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/what-we-do/skills-planning/green-skills-research-and-evidence/cesap-pathfinder-wp1-an-evidence-based-approach-to-supporting-the-transition-to-net-zero ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417470,"EventID":"S6W-26056","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-08T15:50:58.437","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-07T16:14:11.247","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work in relation to the National Public Energy Agency.","AnswerText":"The National Public Energy Agency – Heat and Energy Efficiency Scotland (HEES) – has been operating in virtual form in-house within the Directorate for Energy and Climate Change since October 2022. The resources allocated to the Agency are integrated into the overall Heat in Buildings (HiBs) revenue allocation, amounting to £40.1 million for 2023-24 and £37.8 million for 2024-25. This includes managing and overseeing the operation of our delivery schemes, which provide advice and financial support for households and non-domestic property owners as well as capital and pre-capital funding for heat networks, social housing, and public and private sector buildings.\r\nThe virtual agency continues to build its presence and develop its role in leading and co-ordinating project development and delivery. For example, the virtual agency’s Heat Network Support Unit (HNSU) offers a suite of services, including feasibility and business case development support. We recently announced the expansion of the HNSU's role to assist Local Authorities in executing their local heat and energy efficiency strategies (LHEES) heat network related actions and developing strategic approaches for district heating development.\r\nThe virtual agency is developing a programme of public awareness, education, and participation around clean heat and energy efficiency, as set out in our  Public Engagement Strategy  . This will build on our past successful marketing and engagement activity.\r\nWe continue to consider next steps with regards the creation of a new, standalone body and will provide a detailed update to the NZET Committee in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417471,"EventID":"S6W-26076","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-08T15:50:58.53","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-08T11:43:03.093","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25599 by Maree Todd on 4 March 2024, what the current trajectory and timeline are for clearing long waits for child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) in NHS Tayside.","AnswerText":"Boards are being commissioned to produce updated trajectories for 2024-25 and these are expected to be submitted throughout April and May.\r\nIn the most recent data published on 5 March 2024, covering the quarter ending December 2023, Tayside had zero patients waiting over 52 weeks to start treatment in CAMHS and a total of 5 patients waiting over 18 weeks to start treatment, which accounts for 3.2% of the total waiting list (156).","AnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417472,"EventID":"S6W-26046","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-08T15:50:58.593","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-07T13:20:33.12","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with ScotRail regarding it scoring one out of five for the (a) \"station staff\" and (b) \"station ticket offices\" service schedule in each Service Quality Inspection Regime (SQUIRE) inspection since March 2023.","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland officials discuss all aspects of the SQUIRe regime with ScotRail including performance and on-going issues.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":417473,"EventID":"S6W-26047","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-08T15:50:58.657","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-07T13:20:33.12","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what improvements it is seeking from ScotRail as a result of it scoring one out of five for the (a) \"station staff\" and (b) \"station ticket offices\" service schedule in each Service Quality Inspection Regime (SQUIRE) inspection since March 2023.","AnswerText":"As noted in S6W-26045 on 18 March 2024, the SQUIRe regime is one of the toughest performance regimes in the UK. It is an operational matter for ScotRail to investigate and rectify areas where performance has not met the standards expected by the Scottish Government. By doing so the overall scoring for ScotRail should improve.\r\nThe scoring shows that the SQUIRe regime is operating as expected by highlighting areas where ScotRail is not performing as expected and where improvement is required.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":417474,"EventID":"S6W-26057","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-08T15:50:58.703","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-07T16:23:28.15","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the development and implementation of the actions within the Immediate Priorities Plan developed by its Equality, Inclusion and Human Rights Directorate, in co-ordination with Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs).","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417475,"EventID":"S6W-26050","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2678,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":141,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-08T15:50:58.75","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-07T15:13:57.61","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many applications were made to renew guardianship orders in financial year (a) 2019-20, (b) 2020-21, (c) 2021-22, (d) 2022-23 and (e) 2023-24 to date; of these, how many (i) were successful, (ii) were unsuccessful and (iii) are still to be decided, and whether it can provide a breakdown of these figures in relation to submissions to support people with a learning disability.","AnswerText":"The number of applications for renewal of guardianship orders for the years requested (statistics from the Office of the Public Guardian) are in the following table:\r\n2019-20\r\n830\r\n2020-21\r\n634\r\n2021-22\r\n936\r\n2022-23\r\n1165\r\n2023-24 to date\r\n1294\r\nThe number of renewals that were unsuccessful is as follows:\r\n2019-20\r\n6\r\n2020-21\r\n9\r\n2021-22\r\n5\r\n2022-23\r\n2\r\n2023-24 to date\r\n0\r\nThe Office of the Public Guardian do not record how many applications are granted, how many are still to be decided and whether an application is in relation to someone with a learning disability.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417476,"EventID":"S6W-26015","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-08T15:50:58.797","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T16:17:17.37","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with the UK Government regarding (a) electricity and (b) gas standing charges in Scotland, and what was discussed.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26013 on 14 March 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417477,"EventID":"S6W-26053","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2678,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":141,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-08T15:50:58.843","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-07T15:15:09.307","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in the event that a person is unable to meet the financial costs of renewing a guardianship order for a family member, what support is available to safeguard the welfare and financial interests of the family member.","AnswerText":"Eligible individuals may qualify for legal aid to help cover the costs associated with legal representation and court fees involved in renewing a guardianship order. Legal aid is means-tested, and eligibility criteria apply.\r\nOrganisations such as Citizens Advice Scotland and the Scottish Legal Aid Board provide financial assistance and support services to individuals and families facing financial difficulties in legal matters, including guardianship renewals. \r\nLocal authorities may provide guidance to individuals who are unable to afford the costs of renewing a guardianship order. Social work departments or welfare services within the local authority can offer support and advice on available resources.\r\nUnder Section 57(2) of the Adults with Incapacity (AWI) (Scotland) Act 2000, if a guardianship order (or renewal) is deemed necessary by the local authority and no application has been made or is anticipated, the authority must initiate the application process. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417478,"EventID":"S6W-26077","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-08T15:50:58.89","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-08T11:43:53.29","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25597 by Maree Todd on 4 March 2024, in light of it stating that \"information...on patients starting treatment within 10 weeks is not available\", how it is also able to state that \"1 in 2 people referred to CAMHS [child and adolescent mental health services] start treatment within 10 weeks\".","AnswerText":"In question S6W-25597 part of the question asked:\r\nTo ask the Scottish Government…. What proportion of [CAMHS] patients have started treatment within 10 weeks of referral…. In each NHS Board for the last three years\r\nData on patients starting treatment is divided into wait bands. These are divided into 4-wait bands of 0-18 weeks, 19-35 weeks, 36-52 weeks and 53 weeks plus. Information on patients starting treatment within 10 weeks is therefore not recorded and as such, is not available. This is why the answer to question S6W-25597 indicated that it was not possible to provide this information.\r\nHowever the statistic that 1 in 2 people referred to CAMHS start treatment in 10 weeks, is determined using a separate data point. This states that the median treatment time (ie the point at which half of patients begin treatment) for quarter ending September 2023 is 10 weeks. This data is published quarterly and monthly and changes frequently, as such the answer to S6W-25597 cannot be derived using this data point.\r\nAs indicated in the previous answer, this information is compiled and held by Public Health Scotland and as such they may hold further data which may be able to help given the technical nature of your query.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417479,"EventID":"S6W-26069","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-08T15:50:58.92","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-08T09:55:23.183","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what metrics will be used to evaluate Investment Zones, and how often progress will be monitored. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is working collaboratively with the UK Government to establish a monitoring and evaluation framework to cover the Investment Zones in Scotland.\r\nThe information and metrics included within the framework will be determined by the detailed proposals provided by the Regional Economic Partnerships in Glasgow City and North East Region. The proposals are currently in progress, but will focus on the overall policy goals including innovation and fair work, and will link to the outcomes set out in the Investment Zones  Technical Document  , published on 8 December 2023.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417480,"EventID":"S6W-26059","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-08T15:50:59.03","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-07T16:56:29.81","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to support the provision of training for traditional building apprenticeships locally, as opposed to at regional colleges.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25489 on 9 March 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/questions-and-answers ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417481,"EventID":"S6W-26055","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2678,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":141,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-08T15:50:59.11","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-07T15:16:08.533","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether financial support, in the form of legal aid, can be awarded to families to help meet the costs associated with the renewal of guardianship orders for parents of adult children with learning disabilities.","AnswerText":"Legal aid, via the Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB) can provide financial support to families renewing guardianship orders for adults with learning disabilities. This assistance may cover legal representation costs, including solicitor fees and court expenses, depending on financial eligibility criteria. The support aims to alleviate the financial burden associated with navigating the renewal process, ensuring access to legal assistance for families in need.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417482,"EventID":"S6W-26067","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-08T15:50:59.187","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-07T22:43:08.5","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage allied health professionals to take up roles within Public Health Scotland.","AnswerText":"Whilst the Scottish Government sets the strategic direction for workforce development across NHS Scotland, it is important to note that each Health Board is an employer and is responsible for the recruitment of staff.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417483,"EventID":"S6W-26045","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-08T15:50:59.233","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-07T13:20:33.12","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason ScotRail has scored one out of five for the (a) \"station staff\" and (b) \"station ticket offices\" service schedule in each Service Quality Inspection Regime (SQUIRE) inspection since March 2023.","AnswerText":"Under the SQUIRe regime, Transport Scotland audits and scores ScotRail under set Service Schedules which include station staff and station tickets offices along with other important aspects like cleanliness and CCTV.\r\nIn each Service Schedule there are many aspects in which a failure notice may be attributed including staff uniform or ability to retail all tickets. In order for a pass to be granted it requires ScotRail to meet all aspects of the Schedule.\r\nIt is therefore correct that should ScotRail fail to meet the demands of each Service Schedule aspect that a failure notice is served thus affecting the score of that Schedule.\r\nThe SQUIRe regime is one of the toughest performance regimes in the UK with many of the target levels set at 90% or higher. ScotRail is required to address any issues identified during inspections as quickly as possible.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":417484,"EventID":"S6W-26060","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-08T15:50:59.3","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-07T16:56:29.81","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent consideration it has given to any (a) financial and (b) social impact on apprentices who do not live close to the colleges that provide the education and training that they need to complete their course.","AnswerText":"Apprentices are employees and can undertake training in a college, and will also undertake a significant amount of work-based learning in their working environment as they progress through their apprenticeship.\r\nFunding contributions for Modern Apprentices are weighted towards young people, particularly the 16-19 age group, with enhanced funding contributions for those who are care experienced and/or are disabled up to age 29.\r\nFor apprentices resident in Argyll & Bute, Highland, Moray, Orkney, Shetland, Western Isles, Isle of Arran, Isle of Great Cumbrae, and the Isle of Little Cumbrae, travel and subsistence funding is available to support apprentices who must attend structured and formal off-the-job training (out with normal daily travel requirements) as part of their Modern Apprenticeship. This may require them to travel and, where appropriate, use overnight accommodation.\r\nAll young people in Scotland can also apply to access the Young Persons’ (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel Scheme.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417485,"EventID":"S6W-26061","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-08T15:50:59.347","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-07T16:56:29.81","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent consideration it has given to any impact on care experienced young people who have to travel long distances from their home to the colleges that provide the education and training for their apprenticeships.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26060 on 20 March 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/questions-and-answers ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417486,"EventID":"S6W-26070","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-08T15:50:59.423","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-08T09:55:23.183","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of interventions that have been implemented in Scotland's two Investment Zones to date.","AnswerText":"The Scottish and UK Governments are collaborating with the Regional Economic Partnerships for the Glasgow City Region and the North East of Scotland, as they develop compelling and complementary propositions for Scotland’s two Investment Zones. The proposals are still in development, but once finalised they will provide detail of sector, geography, and chosen interventions. We expect to have more information when that process completes.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417487,"EventID":"S6W-26044","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-08T15:50:59.47","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-07T13:20:33.12","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the finding in the report, Women's and girls' views and experiences of personal safety when using public transport, that passengers feel safer when staff are present at stations, and the recommendation for the Scottish Government to explore the feasibility of increasing staff at railway stations and on trains, what assessment it has made of the compatibility of this with its requirement for ScotRail to seek efficiencies in staffing levels at railway stations.","AnswerText":"Staffing levels are an operational matter for Scotrail, however the Scottish Government appreciates the importance of staff being visibly deployed appropriately in stations and across the network to enhance the passengers experience, including safety and control of antisocial behaviour.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":417488,"EventID":"S6W-26051","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2678,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":141,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-08T15:50:59.517","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-07T15:14:28.14","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can confirm whether the parents of adults with learning disabilities may be required to meet costs of around £720 to successfully renew guardianship orders.","AnswerText":"It is difficult to confirm costs in guardianship cases as the circumstances will differ in each case.\r\nWhen registering a guardianship order renewal, the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) will charge a £95 fee. This fee covers the administrative processing of the renewal application. There is also a lodging fee of £138 charged by the Sheriff Court (from 1 April it will be £141). There may also be a fee for the medical examination, however this will depend on the doctor that is used and whether they charge for such a service. \r\nThe parents will need to seek legal assistance from a solicitor to navigate the renewal process, in which they will incur additional costs in the form of legal fees for the services provided by the legal professionals. These fees can vary depending on the complexity of the case and the amount of assistance required. \r\nThe Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB) are responsible for administering legal aid in Scotland. SLAB will assess eligibility based on financial circumstances of each case. If individuals were to meet the criteria, SLAB can provide funding for representation in legal matters, reducing or eliminating the costs associated with renewing their guardianship order.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417489,"EventID":"S6W-26014","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-08T15:50:59.58","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T16:17:17.37","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with the UK Government regarding electricity grid development in Scotland, and what was discussed.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government meets regularly with the UK Government regarding electricity networks in Scotland. The Scottish Government is represented on the Electricity Networks Delivery Forum, which has been established to oversee the implementation and delivery of the UK’s Transmission Acceleration Action Plan (TAAP) and the Connections Action Plan (CAP). The first meeting of the Electricity Networks Delivery Forum was on 30 January, and it is expected it will meet on a quarterly basis. We are continuing to use this forum, and our wider engagement with all relevant stakeholders, to continue to push for reform and ensure that the proposals in the TAAP and the CAP are robust, fit for purpose and work for Scotland. \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417490,"EventID":"S6W-26066","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-08T15:50:59.627","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-07T22:30:46.06","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent allied health professional (AHP) practice educators currently work within NHS Scotland, broken down by (a) profession and (b) NHS board.","AnswerText":"This is a matter for NHS Boards. The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417491,"EventID":"S6W-26065","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-08T15:50:59.687","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-07T22:24:20.213","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many allied health professionals (AHPs) have accessed AHP courses through the Scottish Wider Access Programme (SWAP) in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"Data on the number of Scottish Domiciled entrants to full-time first degree Allied Health Profession (AHP) courses at Scottish providers is collected by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).\r\nScottish Domiciled full-time first degree entrants to allied health profession (AHP) courses at Scottish universities via SWAP by academic year \r\n2017-18\r\n2018-19\r\n2019-20\r\n2020-21\r\n2021-22\r\nEntered via Scottish Wider Access Programme (SWAP)\r\n30\r\n30\r\n40\r\n40\r\n60\r\nSource: HESA Student data, SG/SFC secondary analysis\r\nFigures have been rounded to the nearest 5\r\nOnly courses approved by the health and care professions council (HCPC) are included","AnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417492,"EventID":"S6W-26073","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-08T15:50:59.737","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-08T11:22:48.717","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether jobs involving traditional building skills are included within the inclusive definition of green jobs.","AnswerText":"The green jobs definition developed by the Universities of Warwick and Strathclyde, co-ordinated by Skills Development Scotland, does include occupations relevant to traditional building skills including stonemasonry and related trades. This information can be found here:  https://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/media/w5ilqmef/soc-categories-for-website.pdf ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417494,"EventID":"S6W-26049","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":8,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-11T15:39:14.523","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-07T14:57:44.32","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) how many meeting room bookings within the Scottish Parliament estate have been made in each of the last two years, broken down by those that were made by (a) ministers or ministerial staff, (b) SPCB staff, (c) non-ministerial MSPs or MSP staff and (d) anyone else.","AnswerText":"There were 6983 meeting room bookings in 2022 and 8852 bookings in 2023.\r\nFor the purposes of this response these numbers have been adjusted to reflect bookings for meetings only. Bookings for activities such as MSP sponsored events, maintenance, broadcasting checks, set up times etc. were filtered out to leave the following totals:\r\n5817 meetings in 2022 broken down as:ministers or ministerial      staff                                   312SPCB staff,                                                                4599non-ministerial MSPs or MSP staff *                     835anyone else                                                           71 (CPGs)\r\n7505 meetings in 2023 broken down as: ministers or ministerial      staff                                   964SPCB staff,                                                                5343non-ministerial MSPs or MSP staff *                     1060anyone else                                                           138 (CPGs)\r\n*It was not possible to identify non-ministerial MSPs as a separate group. Therefore, the category MSP/MSP staff includes Ministers acting in their capacity as an MSP and includes all Members who have been a Minister for all or part of each year.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Claire Baker (on behalf of the SPCB)","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417495,"EventID":"S6T-01854","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":4982,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-11T14:00:27.143","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-11T09:50:46.45","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will address the significant concerns raised by the chair of the Regulatory Review Group regarding its proposed Heat in Buildings Bill.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417496,"EventID":"S6T-01858","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":5060,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-11T14:00:27.97","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-11T10:40:46.243","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that Creative Scotland has awarded £85,000 to the project Rein, in light of concerns about its explicit content.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-03-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417497,"EventID":"S6F-02907","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-11T14:00:17.5","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-07T12:10:38.89","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417498,"EventID":"S6F-02908","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5586,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-11T14:00:17.67","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-07T12:10:52.327","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417499,"EventID":"S6F-02931","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16195,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-11T14:00:21.267","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-11T11:40:39.183","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the current 40 Days for Life protests.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417500,"EventID":"S6F-02909","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16188,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":82,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-11T14:00:17.733","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-08T10:57:05.183","Title":"","ItemText":"Withdrawn.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417501,"EventID":"S6F-02921","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-11T14:00:19.7","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-11T10:31:18.06","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government will take in response to reported statistics showing that nearly one in five probationary teachers left the Teacher Induction Scheme in 2023.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417502,"EventID":"S6F-02918","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-11T14:00:19.06","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-11T10:14:11.033","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what urgent action is being taken to address long waits in A&E departments, in light of reports that over 7,300 patients waited for more than a day in 2023, with some waiting much longer.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417506,"EventID":"S6W-26079","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-11T16:49:58.027","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-08T16:04:09.54","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when the innovation scorecard, which is part of its National Innovation Strategy, will be published. ","AnswerText":"The National Innovation Strategy included an action to publish an annual innovation scorecard. These key metrics will enable us to track our progress towards becoming one of the most innovative small nations over the next decade.\r\nThe framework for the scorecard, showing current performance, was published as part of the Strategy document in June 2023. The next iteration of the scorecard will be published later this year, when the full set of latest statistics and indicators become available.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417507,"EventID":"S6W-26089","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-11T16:49:58.307","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-11T10:58:37.723","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Creative Scotland, in light of reports that the organisation awarded £85,000 to a theatre company creating explicit content.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is in close dialogue with Creative Scotland.\r\nCreative Scotland are reviewing this allocation as they have been clear that what has been reported simply does not meet what the funding was applied for – it is considerably more explicit in its execution that was indicated in the original application.\r\nI can see no way where what has been described should be in receipt of public funding and I welcome Creative Scotland’s decision to withdraw the funding for this project.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417508,"EventID":"S6W-26084","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-11T16:49:58.527","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-11T08:05:04.193","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how women’s aid organisations that are not affiliated with Scottish Women’s Aid are funded, and what criteria are used for any such funding.","AnswerText":"Women’s Aid groups that are not affiliated with Scottish Women’s Aid are funded in the same ways and with the same criteria as affiliated groups.\r\nThe main source of funding between 2021 and 2025 is the Delivering Equally Safe (DES) fund, the objectives for which are:Women and children affected by violence are identified (early)Women and children’s safety needs are metWomen and children’s wider wellbeing needs are metFewer people adhere to gender stereotypesPeople have increased understanding of all forms of VAWG (causes, consequences, and appropriate responses)Power, decision-making and material resources are distributed more equally between men and women.Tolerance of VAWG is reduced and people are more likely to recognise and challenge itPerpetrators are identified earlyPerpetrators are supported to change their behaviourPerpetrators are sanctioned / held to accountViolence against women and girls is reduced / eradicatedNegative impacts on women and children who have been affected by violence are reduced / eradicated.\r\nIn July 2021 all Women’s Aid groups received funding through the 100 Days (COVID emergency) funding. The objectives of the 100 days (COVID emergency) funding were:To fund additional staff to respond to an increase in demand from victims of abuse for support services;To fund improvements to organisations’ IT and digital resource; andTo fund additional training to allow services to be augmented so that people could quickly and easily access help.\r\nAn additional grant is being provided from April 2024 to all Women’s Aid groups.\r\nA non-affiliated Women’s Aid group (in Fife) is included in the £500,000 Fund to Leave pilot which was launched in October 2023. This will help to reduce the financial burden of leaving an abusive partner by providing up to £1,000 to help to pay for the essentials women and children need, including rent and clothing. Fife, along with Glasgow, South Lanarkshire, Edinburgh, North Lanarkshire were chosen for the pilot as the local authority areas where there are highest number of presentations to local authorities for homelessness assistance by women due to domestic abuse. The fund is being administered by Scottish Women’s Aid for the 4 affiliated groups with the grant being paid direct to Fife Women’s Aid.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417509,"EventID":"S6W-26083","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-11T16:49:58.643","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-08T17:32:58.13","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the UK Government allocating £685 million for reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete mitigation and management works within its NHS estate up to 2024-25, whether it will provide an update on what consideration it has given to providing money to NHS boards in Scotland for this purpose.","AnswerText":"There have been no consequentials forthcoming to the Scottish Government as a result of the UK Government decision to allocate funding for RAAC mitigation works. If rectification is required on RAAC within the NHSScotland Estate that will have to be managed from existing budgets.\r\nWhere RAAC has been found there has been no immediate disruption or concern although some rectification works will be required in addition to monitoring and management in all cases. NHS Boards will continue to consider their buildings with RAAC on an ongoing risk based approach to the management of those assets.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417510,"EventID":"S6W-26085","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-11T16:49:58.707","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-11T08:05:42.78","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it (a) is taking and (b) will take to ensure that any barriers to (i) full-time and (ii) volunteer firefighters carrying and administering naloxone to treat opioid overdoses are removed.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) naloxone programme was launched in February 2022, backed with investment of £89,000 from Scottish Government. The programme aims to establish a network of fire officers who will carry naloxone and be trained to administer it in the event of an emergency.\r\nSince then, all SFRS staff have been invited to complete online training to learn more about drug deaths in Scotland and how naloxone can help someone in the event of an opioid overdose. To date, 3,379 out of all 7,619 staff have voluntarily completed the training.\r\nThere is additional training for Flexi Duty Officers (FDOs) who have volunteered to carry naloxone and there are now 31 trained FDO volunteers within SFRS who are able to do this. It is expected that over the next 6 weeks a further 130 FDO volunteers will be trained and equipped to carry and administer naloxone.\r\nThe carrying and administering Naloxone is considered by the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) to be a form of emergency medical response which currently sits out-with the role map of firefighters. SFRS has a desire to broaden the role of firefighters which would incorporate emergency medical response but this is dependent on reaching agreement with the FBU.\r\nSFRS and Scottish Government are determined to fully implement this programme and will continue to work closely with all parties, including representative bodies, to overcome any barriers to its full implementation.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417511,"EventID":"S6W-26090","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-11T16:49:58.767","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-11T10:58:37.723","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to data reportedly showing that over 7,300 patients waited longer than 24 hours for emergency treatment in Scottish hospitals in 2023.","AnswerText":"As set out in answer S6F-02918, I emphasise again that all long waits are unacceptable. We continue to work hard with health boards to reduce delays for patients. \r\nA and E performance is impacted by pressures from right across the wider health and social care system, which is why our unscheduled care collaborative programme is taking a whole systems approach as we work with health boards in delivering sustained improvement. Through the programme, a range of actions is being taken to improve patient flows in order to reduce A and E delays. Those include actions to strengthen arrangements to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions, such as same-day emergency care services; expanding our hospital-at-home services; and optimising flow navigation centres. Those actions support patients, to ensure that they receive the right care in the right place while also reducing pressure on our very busy acute sites.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417512,"EventID":"S6W-26080","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-11T16:49:58.813","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-08T16:19:57.203","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how progress towards the 58 actions published in its The Entrepreneurial Campus report will be monitored, and when any progress report will be published. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has been progressing delivery of the 10 year Entrepreneurial Campus Blueprint through integration with existing policies. This includes brokering new partnerships between Techscaler and key universities, aligning with the National Innovation Strategy, 13 funded projects via the Ecosystem Fund as well as a £5.5m uplift to the University Innovation Fund. These activities will be monitored and reported on through existing mechanisms as well as case studies to demonstrate the use of the uplift. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417513,"EventID":"S6W-26081","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-11T16:49:59.033","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-08T17:30:49.923","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will adopt the recommendations in the report, Consideration of the effectiveness of the Scottish Government’s Climate Change Plan, which was published by Environmental Standards Scotland in February 2024.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government welcomes the report by the Environmental Standards Scotland published in February 2024. As outlined in their report, the previous 2018 Climate Change Plan received recommendations from committees of the Scottish Parliament and the Climate Change Committee. The Scottish Government responded to these recommendations in March 2021, accepting 66 of the Climate Change Committee’s recommendations, with a commitment to delivering many of these through the practical implementation of the Climate Change Plan update, with the next Climate Change Plan also identified as the mechanism to address any other recommendations.\r\nThis remains the mechanism and, as such, Scotland’s next Climate Change Plan will set out our approach to delivering on Scotland’s net zero ambitions up to 2040 and provide information on the costs and benefits of all policies contained within the Plan. Work is ongoing to ensure the next Climate Change Plan provides a credible and robust pathway to deliver Scotland’s ambitions and the recommendations outlined by ESS in their report are being considered as part of that process. We will, of course, consult widely on the new Plan, including with ESS.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417514,"EventID":"S6W-25794","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-11T16:49:59.173","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-22T16:35:29.457","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-22254 by Gillian Martin on 30 October 2023, whether it will provide an update on what measures have been implemented to manage non-native gamebird releases where there is potential for highly pathogenic avian influenza transmission from infected gamebirds to (a) native wild birds, (b) other wildlife, (c) dogs and (d) the shooting community. ","AnswerText":"On 11 August 2023, Ministers launched the Wild Bird HPAI Response Plan that sets out how the Scottish Government and its partners will respond to any further outbreaks of HPAI in wild birds in Scotland, and this plan remains a live one, with the aim of incorporating evolving science and advice from epidemiologists, virologists and wildlife experts.\r\nInstances of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 amongst captive birds and wild birds have reduced significantly in Scotland. Since the beginning of the current HPAI outbreak season on 1 October 2023, there have two infected premises in Scotland (both in November 2023) and seven positive findings of the virus in wild birds (with only one finding in 2024).\r\nHowever, we are aware of the virus continuing to circulate in other parts of Great Britain and Europe, and the risk level for the virus associated with wild birds remains at medium across Great Britain, whereas it is low for kept birds. The Scottish Government continues to promote best practice biosecurity measures to all involved in the game industry, through various forms of media, including regular biosecurity and industry stakeholder meetings.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417523,"EventID":"S6W-26102","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-12T17:39:42.337","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-11T12:06:45.313","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the anticipated returns are of the £200,000 that it has reportedly spent on psychological testing for civil servants. ","AnswerText":"The recruitment and promotion of Senior Civil Servants must include a robust selection process. Standards for hiring Senior Civil Servants (SCS) are set by UK Cabinet Office. These include the use of additional forms of assessment including psychological assessment, which have supplemented interviews for SCS for over 10 years. Academic research suggests that interviews alone are a poor predictor of future job performance, and supplementing interviews with other forms of assessments, including psychological, strengthens hiring decisions.\r\nA Prior Information Notice was published on 13 February 2024 to inform the market of our intention to issue an Invitation to Tender for a new assessment contract for Senior Civil Service recruitment and promotion. The Tender is yet to be published and a new contract will be awarded, after all bids are assessed for quality of service and value for money, later in 2024. In the last 12 months, the current provider of psychometric assessments to the Scottish Government assessed 125 candidates for 30 SCS recruitment and promotion campaigns, at a cost of £165,401. This is in line with equivalent Cabinet Office contracts per SCS Campaign.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417524,"EventID":"S6W-26105","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-12T17:39:42.527","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-11T12:39:01.917","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the response by the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy to the question on a competitive shipbuilding financing guarantee programme during the ministerial statement on Ferguson Marine on 5 March 2024, whether it will provide a substantive response regarding whether it will introduce a competitive shipbuilding financing guarantee programme in Scotland, similar to that of the Turkish national investment bank, Türk Eximbank.","AnswerText":"The UK Government introduced the Shipbuilding Credit Guarantee Scheme in July 2023.\r\nThe scheme provides a partial guarantee to a lender making a loan to a ship-buyer or operator, so that new vessels, or refits, retrofits or repairs of existing vessels can be procured from UK shipyards.\r\nIt can provide partial guarantees covering up to 80% of the risk to lenders for a maximum repayment period of up to 12 years.\r\nThe scheme is in its infancy, and it would be prudent to evaluate its impact in time before considering any potential alternative schemes in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417525,"EventID":"S6W-26091","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-12T17:39:42.76","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-11T10:58:37.723","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on whether it remains committed to its target for all buildings in Scotland to have emissions-free heating systems by 2045.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to ensuring that all buildings in Scotland move to clean heating by 2045. We are currently analysing the responses to our consultation on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill, which would prohibit the use of polluting heating systems in Scotland’s private homes and other buildings by 2045, and our consultation on proposals for a similar standard for social housing.\r\n","AnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417526,"EventID":"S6W-26012","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-12T17:39:42.993","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-06T15:54:50.963","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress of remedial works at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People in Edinburgh regarding the spacing of cavity barriers.","AnswerText":"There has been significant progress on proposals for work on the spacing of cavity barriers behind the cladding, since NHS Lothian was recommended to reduce the spacing with cavity barriers from 20 metre intervals to 10 metre intervals. The following is a summary the progress to date:\r\n1. The works required the submission to and approval from City of Edinburgh Council’s Building Control Department. The application was submitted in April 2023 and approved in October 2023.\r\n2. Following approval from Building Control, NHS Lothian and IHSL, the consortium that built and owns the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and Department of Clinical Neurosciences, have been in discussion about commercial terms for the works to be undertaken.\r\n3. Further detail on the frequency and duration of works was provided by IHSL in February 2024. It is anticipated that, including pre-construction activities, the works will take in excess of one year to complete. An agreed start date will be finalised once commercial terms have been completed.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417527,"EventID":"S6W-26107","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-12T17:39:43.057","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-11T15:27:55.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that the equality impact assessment for the proposed anti-racism observatory will be completed, and how it is ensuring that all communities affected by racialisation and racism will have an equal opportunity to participate in the (a) assessment and (b) development of the observatory.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government officials are continuing to work with the design advisory group to establish the Anti-Racism Observatory for Scotland (AROS). The design advisory group is providing expert support ahead of a procurement process that will select a host for AROS.\r\nThis is an important step forward in our journey to a fairer Scotland for all, and will build upon the Anti-Racism Interim Governance Group’s participatory research work with over 500 individuals from racially minoritised communities across Scotland.\r\nWe are committed to completing an equality impact assessment before AROS is established. We will engage with stakeholders to examine the evidence available and understand the impacts that may be felt by communities.\r\nThe establishment of the Anti-Racism Observatory is one part of our wider strategic approach to tackling racism. We continue to work with all our partners and stakeholders to achieve our ambition of eradicating racism in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Emma Roddick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417528,"EventID":"S6W-26129","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-12T17:39:43.26","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T13:42:06.197","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to developing a more detailed national strategy and spatial plan for energy storage developments that identifies (a) peak energy demand times on the grid, (b) the locality of such demands on the grid and (c) the length of hold time required for the dispatchable power source. ","AnswerText":"Legislation and regulations relating to electricity networks are reserved to the UK Government, with National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO) responsible for electricity system planning and electricity network planning across GB. As set out in the UK Transmission Acceleration Action Plan, the UK Government has committed to develop a Strategic Spatial Energy Plan, which will bridge the gap between government policy and infrastructure development plans across the whole energy system, land and sea, across Great Britain. The Scottish Government is broadly supportive of a more strategic approach to energy planning however, we are continuing to press the UK Government to ensure that the SSEP respects the devolved competencies of the Scottish Parliament.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417529,"EventID":"S6W-26112","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16182,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":117,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-12T17:39:43.497","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-11T17:20:43.52","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve road safety on (a) the A84 and (b) other roads around Stirling, in light of reports of three deaths in a week due to road traffic accidents in the area.","AnswerText":"Firstly the Scottish Government’s sympathies are with the family and friends of those affected by these tragic accidents. The Scottish Government is clear that one life lost on our roads is one too many. However, as police investigations into these accidents are on-going it would be inappropriate for me to comment further at this time.\r\nThe A84, the route on which one of these tragic accidents occurred, is part of the Scottish Trunk Road Network between Kildean Roundabout at Stirling and the A85 junction at Lochearnhead. Other public roads in the Stirling area are the responsibility of the local authority. Therefore it is for the relevant roads authority responsible for the route to consider appropriate measures which will safeguard road users and residents, and to determine the priority that should be given to any road safety measures.\r\nThe Scottish Government remains committed to reducing casualties on Scotland’s roads, this is why in 2023-24 £9.5m was dedicated to a Road Safety Improvement Fund which has supported local authorities to reduce casualties and risks on their roads through the implementation of Safe System measures. Stirling Council was allocated a total of £245,689.\r\nEach year Transport Scotland, through its Operating Companies, undertakes a review of collisions on the trunk road network to identify cluster sites, or routes with recorded collisions that may be worthwhile of further investigation. The screening process, together with a detailed understanding of collision trends around the network, results in a prioritised programme of sites that will be investigated further. This evidence led approach ensures that resources can be targeted at locations where the greatest potential for casualty reduction is available. This approach has been successful in reducing casualties across Scotland’s trunk road network.\r\nIn regards to the A84 trunk road, Transport Scotland is implementing a 40mph speed limit reduction from Kildean to north of the Auction Mart roundabout and investigating active travel improvements in this area. In addition, an investigation into potential road safety and active travel improvements around Kincardine-in-Menteith Primary School is also underway. This is complemented by signing improvements at Kilmahog and consideration of both a new 20mph speed limit at Strathyre and an extension to the 20mph speed limit at Callander.\r\nTransport Scotland will continue to monitor road safety on the A84 and progress investigations and improvements as appropriate.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417530,"EventID":"S6W-26114","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5866,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-12T17:39:43.747","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T09:55:07.33","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the costs associated with the production and publication of the paper, An independent Scotland’s place in the world.","AnswerText":"Details of the external costs associated with the production and publication of all the Building a New Scotland papers published to date can be found on the Scottish Government’s website:\r\nhttps://www.gov.scot/publications/building-a-new-scotland-papers-costs/ ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jamie Hepburn","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417531,"EventID":"S6W-26104","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-12T17:39:43.823","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-11T12:16:04.697","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on what alterations would need to be made to the PAS 9980 code of practice in order for it to work within the context of the Building (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2022.","AnswerText":"The specification for the Single Building Assessment (SBA) is under development with an expected publication date of May 2024, initiated to give further clarity on the SBA process. When complete, the document will set out any divergence from the PAS 9980 for it to work within the context of the Building (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2022.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417532,"EventID":"S6W-26127","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-12T17:39:43.9","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T13:42:06.197","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will list the spatial principles in the fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) in order of priority. ","AnswerText":"It would not be appropriate for us to rank the National Planning Framework 4 Spatial Principles in order of priority. NPF4 comprises a package of policies and an integrated strategy to bring together cross-cutting priorities and achieve sustainable development. NPF4 should be read as a whole and is part of the statutory development plan. The application of all Spatial Principles will collectively support the delivery of sustainable, liveable and productive places. The Spatial Principles should be reflected within local development plans and will be taken forward in different ways across Scotland, reflecting the diverse character, assets and challenges of our places.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417533,"EventID":"S6W-26094","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-12T17:39:43.98","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-11T10:58:37.74","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to increase the number of employers offering apprenticeships.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to work closely with Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council to maximise apprenticeship opportunities and ensure that employers wishing to take on an apprentice are supported and able to do so. \r\nScottish Apprenticeship Week (SAW) is an annual campaign coordinated by Skills Development Scotland, which took place 4-8 March 2024, providing the opportunity to highlight the benefits of apprenticeships to individuals, employers and learning providers. For employers who have not engaged with apprenticeships, SAW is a chance to discover how work-based learning can develop their workforce, improve performance and productivity and contribute to business growth.\r\nThe Developing the Young Workforce Employer-led Groups also facilitate engagement between employers and schools to highlight the importance of vocational pathways, including the range of apprenticeship opportunities available, and support young people to transition into work.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417534,"EventID":"S6W-26103","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-12T17:39:44.057","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-11T12:15:40.02","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what (a) discussions it has had regarding and (b) assessment it has made of using the PAS 9980 code of practice as the basis for the single building assessment in Scotland.","AnswerText":"We are committed to engaging with stakeholders to help inform the specification of the Single Building Assessment (SBA). \r\nAs part of this we established a Technical sub group, the SBA Task and Finish Group, which has met over the period November 2023 – March 2024 and has included developers, technical experts, building standards officials and fire engineers. \r\nAdditionally, we have contracted with external consultant fire engineers, The Joule Group, who have been reviewing from an independent perspective the use of PAS 9980 as the basis for the SBA within the Scottish Context.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417535,"EventID":"S6W-26133","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-12T17:39:44.293","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T13:42:06.197","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the preservation of farmland for future food security is in the public interest.","AnswerText":"Scotland’s farmland and farming sector have a critical role to play in Scotland’s food security, producing food for consumption in Scotland, and increasing our economic resilience through exports of food and drink worth £7.6 billion in 2023. Scotland’s National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) includes national planning policy which seeks to protect and restore valued soils.\r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417536,"EventID":"S6W-26100","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-12T17:39:44.51","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-11T11:43:33.627","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on delivering on the recommendations of the City Centre Recovery Taskforce.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-25980 on 14 March 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417537,"EventID":"S6W-26128","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-12T17:39:44.763","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T13:42:06.197","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the development of a national strategy for energy storage developments in the context of planning.","AnswerText":"Following extensive engagement and consultation, and then approval by the Scottish Parliament, we published and adopted our Fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) in February 2023. NPF4 signals our key priorities for ‘where’ and ‘what’ development should take place at a national level and is combined with national planning policy on ‘how’ development planning should manage change. NPF4 Policy 11 (Energy) provides support for all forms of renewable energy development onshore and offshore, including energy storage.\r\nFollowing a comprehensive consultation process, we will publish our Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan by Summer 2024. It will set out our vision for a future net zero energy system that delivers affordable, secure and clean energy and provides high quality jobs and economic opportunities.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417538,"EventID":"S6W-26108","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-12T17:39:44.98","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-11T16:16:16.15","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on the review of the Clean Air Act 1993, as set out in the Clean Air for Scotland strategy published in 2021, and whether it has considered introducing any changes for controlling domestic combustion emissions such as incentivising the use of electrostatic particulate filters for wood burners.","AnswerText":"As part of the delivery of our Cleaner Air for Scotland 2 strategy, we are taking forward a review of the Clean Air Act 1993 working closely with SEPA and Local Authorities to focus the review and develop initial findings. From January 2022 Ecodesign standards now apply for all new wood burning appliances. We are currently developing our public engagement framework for air quality, and as part of that we will consider the best approach for engaging with the public on domestic burning issues.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417539,"EventID":"S6W-26101","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-12T17:39:45.06","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-11T11:44:09.387","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on delivering on the recommendations of the review of the Town Centres Action Plan.","AnswerText":"Since the review of the Town Centre Action Plan (TCAP), we continue to implement the Town Centre First Principle and work closely with partners including COSLA and Scotland’s Towns Partnership (STP) to support progress on the delivery of actions outlined in TCAP. The National Planning Framework 4, published in February 2023, recognises town centres as national assets and aims to promote and facilitate development within them, including encouraging town centre living and limiting out of town retail development.\r\nIn collaboration with STP, progress towards town centre regeneration has also been showcased in a number of forums, including recent workshops on town centre living, place-based investment and the annual Scotland’s Towns conference.\r\nSupport for town centre action is backed by our multiple capital investment programmes, including the Place Based Investment Programme, Regeneration Capital Grant Fund and the Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme. However, the UK Government’s reduction in our capital budget will adversely impact the support that we can provide in 2024-25.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417540,"EventID":"S6W-26117","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-12T17:39:45.263","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T11:32:57.24","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many dental practices in the NHS Lanarkshire area that provide NHS services have currently closed or suspended their list to new patients.","AnswerText":"This information is not held by the Scottish Government\r\nThe list of practices accepting new patients in NHS Lanarkshire can be found at:  Dental Practices accepting new NHS patients | NHS Lanarkshire (scot.nhs.uk),  and as with all Boards, is subject to change at short notice.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417541,"EventID":"S6W-26111","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-12T17:39:45.467","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-11T17:11:03.677","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its work to address sexual misconduct in sport, what action it has taken to encourage professional sports clubs to implement their own publicly available sexual misconduct policy.","AnswerText":"Gender equality is at the heart of the Scottish Government’s vision for a fairer Scotland, one where women and girls have and are empowered to exercise equal rights and opportunities, have equitable access to economic resources and decision making, and live their lives free from all forms of violence, abuse and harassment.\r\nWe are absolutely clear that harassment or abuse of any form, whether in professional sport, the workplace, schools, in the home or in society is completely reprehensible and must stop.\r\nSport, of course, has a very special place in our society, which is why it is important that professional sports clubs take any appropriate steps to ensure they and their players are positive role models for both children and adults across the country.\r\nI met with the End Sexual Misconduct in Sport Campaign, and we strongly encourage all professional clubs to engage with the campaign to ensure they have appropriate policies, training, standards and reporting procedures in place to educate and root out sexual misconduct and discrimination.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417542,"EventID":"S6W-26093","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-12T17:39:45.543","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-11T10:58:37.723","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review Creative Scotland's processes for awarding funds to independent arts projects.","AnswerText":"As the national arts development body, Creative Scotland operate at arm’s length from the Scottish Government.\r\nAs per the legislation, this means that neither Scottish Government nor Scottish Ministers have a role in funding processes and decisions made by Creative Scotland for individual projects. Creative Scotland are rapidly reviewing their funding allocation to Rein as they have been clear that what has been reported simply does not meet what the funding was applied for.\r\nI look forward to Creative Scotland sharing its conclusions with the Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417543,"EventID":"S6W-26115","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-12T17:39:45.763","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T10:49:25.493","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government with which governments the First Minister raised any (a) general and (b) specific human rights issues, during his meeting with the Council of Arab Ambassadors in March 2024.","AnswerText":"During the First Minister’s recent meeting with the Arab Ambassador Corps in London, the First Minister set out his vision for Scotland around the three pillars of equality, community, and opportunity, focusing on Scotland’s economic potential and commitment to social justice. The First Minister also outlined Scotland’s role in the world including the Scottish Government’s commitment to good global citizenship and belief in democracy, rule of law and human rights. In this context, the First Minister reaffirmed the importance of international solidarity in the face of shared global challenges such as the climate emergency, Russia’s war against Ukraine and the current crisis unfolding in the middle east.\r\nThe meeting was conducted under the Chatham House rule, as such specific issues attributable to participants are not noted.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417544,"EventID":"S6W-25557","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-12T17:39:46.03","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T16:02:22.853","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the licensing conditions for wrasse harvesting and its evidence base for carrying out an appropriate assessment of wrasse fisheries management in special areas of conservation, in which months of the year the gonads of the (a) goldsinny, (b) rock cook, (c) corkwing, (d) ballan and (e) cuckoo species of wrasse (i) are most developed and (ii) spawn. ","AnswerText":"Under the Habitats Regulations there is a requirement to carry out an appropriate assessment where an activity is capable of affecting a designated feature of a Special Area of Conservation (SAC). Wrasse are not a protected feature in any Scottish SAC.\r\nAt the introduction of the licence variation ,The Scottish Government was not required to carry out an Appropriate Assessment (AA) for the wrasse fishery under the Habitats Regulations, as wrasse are not protected features in any of Scotland’s Special Areas of Conservation. The licence condition brought control to a fishery that previously had no management measures. There is an association between wrasse and rocky reef, however an appropriate assessment would only be required if evidence showed pots had a significant impact on the reefs. We will continue to work with NatureScot and if evidence shows an AA is necessary, one will be undertaken. Therefore, at this present time, the Scottish Government does not hold the information you have requested. Additional data collected through the licence condition to fish for wrasse will be published in the coming months.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417545,"EventID":"S6W-26113","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16182,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":117,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-12T17:39:46.28","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-11T17:21:10.037","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assistance it is providing to support local bus services in Stirling.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government provides almost £430 million in funding for concessionary travel and bus services to support the bus sector across Scotland. This includes funding of almost £50 million to help bus operators support access to affordable transport locally, and £6 million to continue our support for the Community Bus Fund which aims to help local authorities improve bus services in their area, through exploration of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 powers.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417546,"EventID":"S6W-26106","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1756,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":136,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-12T17:39:46.453","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-11T15:14:37.343","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25875 by Jim Fairlie on 11 March 2024, in light of it being two years since its discussions with the UK Government on a UK-wide dog microchipping database, whether it will revisit this issue.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government officials are due to hold further discussions in the coming weeks with the UK Government Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to establish their current position with regards to microchip databases, and plans to progress work in this area.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417547,"EventID":"S6W-25964","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-12T17:39:46.56","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-04T10:33:11.86","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans for a revaluation of domestic properties in 2024 for the purposes of setting council tax rates.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has no plan for a revaluation of domestic properties in 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417548,"EventID":"S6W-25559","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-12T17:39:46.797","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T16:02:44.737","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the licensing conditions for wrasse harvesting and its evidence base for carrying out an appropriate assessment of wrasse fisheries management in special areas of conservation, what the maximum recorded age is for each species of wrasse. ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25557 on? 25 March 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417549,"EventID":"S6W-25558","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-12T17:39:47","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-02-13T16:02:36.817","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the licensing conditions for wrasse harvesting and its evidence base for carrying out an appropriate assessment of wrasse fisheries management in special areas of conservation, in relation to the (a) goldsinny, (b) rock cook, (c) corkwing, (d) ballan and (e) cuckoo species of wrasse, what length the (i) male and (ii) female fish are on their (A) first, (B) second, (C) third, (D) fourth and (E) subsequent breeding season(s).","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25557 on 25 March 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417550,"EventID":"S6W-26118","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-12T17:39:47.267","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T11:34:07.903","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many electric buses are currently in operation in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Department for Transport publish statistics on all licensed plug-in vehicles for each quarter and this provides the total number of bus and coaches operating in Scotland. The data is captured at data sheet  VEH0141  and can be found at the following link -  Vehicle licensing statistics data tables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)","AnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417551,"EventID":"S6W-26116","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-12T17:39:47.47","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T11:24:53.48","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the peer review of NHS Western Isles patient escort process will be published.","AnswerText":"Following receipt of the proposed scope for the peer review, the Scottish Government asked NHS Shetland and Orkney to extend the scope to include representation from relevant patient groups involved with the previous review of the application process, which was led by NHS Western Isles. This is an important part of ensuring that concerns on the escorts approvals process can be appropriately considered.\r\nThis part of the review has not yet concluded and Officials have asked the Boards to confirm by the end of March as to when the output will be available.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417552,"EventID":"S6W-26119","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-12T17:39:47.563","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T11:34:07.903","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work it has done to tackle any issues associated with the reported rise in so-called fast fashion.","AnswerText":"Scottish Ministers are aware of the environmental impacts of so-called fast fashion. Information and advice for consumers on tackling fast fashion is provided by Zero Waste Scotland https://www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/resources/how-fast-fashion-failing-environment\r\nWe recognise the need for a strategic approach to textiles, from production and consumption, through to recycling and end-of-life management, as set out in our draft Circular Economy & Waste Route Map scotlands-circular-economy-waste-route-map-2030-consultation.pdf (www.gov.scot)\r\nTextiles are being considered as one of the priority products for our product stewardship plan, which would help break up the fast fashion cycle by supporting the development of circular supply chains in Scotland and reducing the quantity of clothing that needs to be produced from virgin material. Alongside that, the proposed new Code of Practice for household recycling will consider ways to prevent materials like textiles and clothing going to disposal.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417554,"EventID":"S6W-26110","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-12T17:39:47.78","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-11T16:42:35.57","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered the appropriateness of local authorities as statutory consultees accepting any financial incentives from windfarm developers prior to submitting their statutory response on a proposed development.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is clear that the views of local authorities are an important consideration in the decision-making process for determining energy consents applications. \r\nThe Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 provides a legal framework for the operation and governance of local authorities in Scotland. While it doesn't specifically address conflicts of interest, it establishes the broader legal context within which local authorities operate and are required to conduct their affairs in accordance with the law.\r\nLocal authorities in Scotland are also subject to public procurement regulations, which include requirements to ensure transparency, fairness, and competition in the awarding of contracts. These regulations often include provisions aimed at preventing conflicts of interest in procurement processes.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417557,"EventID":"S6W-26132","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-12T17:39:48.047","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T13:42:06.197","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers non-domestic battery energy storage to be a \"small scale renewable\" under the fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4). ","AnswerText":"National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) policy 11(a) sets out that development proposals for all forms of renewable, low-carbon and zero emissions technologies will be supported. These include energy storage, such as battery storage and pumped storage hydro, and also small scale renewable energy generation technology. Battery storage can exist at a range of different scales.\r\nWhere a policy states that development will be supported, it is in principle, and it is for the decision maker to assess the characteristics of a proposed development, to take into account all relevant policies and to determine what weight to attach to policies on a case by case basis.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417558,"EventID":"S6W-26131","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-12T17:39:48.297","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T13:42:06.197","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many applications for battery storage sites were granted by the Energy Consents Unit between 2013 and 2023. ","AnswerText":"The Energy Consents Unit consented 14 applications for Battery Energy Storage Systems between 2013 and 2023.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417560,"EventID":"S6W-26130","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-12T17:39:48.533","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T13:42:06.197","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to replicating elements of the onshore wind sector deal, such as maintaining community benefit schemes and community shared ownership agreements as a condition of the sale or transfer, in other renewable technology sectors, such as battery energy storage systems. ","AnswerText":"Building on the success of our Good Practice Principles and our Community and Renewable Energy Scheme, the Onshore Wind Sector Deal represents a significant step forward in ensuring our journey to net zero benefits people across Scotland, and is part of a just transition. We are learning from these successes and will continue to work with industry to explore other avenues within our devolved powers to maximise the benefits flowing into communities.\r\nWe are also pressing the UK Government to explore mandating community benefits from onshore renewables as well as electricity transmission network infrastructure. It is critical that the UK Government continues to work with us as these proposals are developed to ensure they deliver the maximum benefits for the people of Scotland, and support our transition to a green economy in which no one is left behind.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417562,"EventID":"S6W-26095","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-12T17:39:48.69","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-11T10:58:37.74","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve mental health support in schools, in light of the Centre for Social Justice report, Drowning not Waving: Discussions with Scottish Small Charities, which states that all of the respondents to its poll \"reported significant increases in mental health issues in school age children\", and that the situation was described as \"an epidemic\".","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government takes the findings of the report very seriously. The mental health and wellbeing of children and young people is an absolute priority for the Scottish Government.\r\nWe continue to support our local authority partners with £16 million in funding to ensure that every secondary school has access to counselling services. All school pupils aged 10 and above have access to school counselling services.\r\nThe Scottish Government has also provided  guidance  and  professional learning  for school staff to support the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people in schools.\r\nFinally, we are also providing local authorities with £15 million per annum to provide community-based mental health and wellbeing supports and services for children and young people, with many of these delivered through primary and secondary schools.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417564,"EventID":"S6W-26092","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-12T17:39:49.003","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-11T10:58:37.723","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to EY’s UK Regional Economic Forecast, from February 2024, which predicts that the average employment growth rate in Scotland for 2024-27 will be the lowest regional rate at 0.8%.","AnswerText":"The EY Regional Economic Forecast for 2024 suggests that Scotland will have a similar annualised employment growth rate to several regions and nations of the UK between 2024-2027, including Wales, Northern Ireland, the North East of England and the West Midlands. EY also indicate that Scotland had lower economic inactivity than Northern Ireland, the North East of England, Wales, the North West of England and East Midlands in 2023.\r\nEmployment growth is influenced by many factors including job creation and labour supply, with the latter reflecting demographics, migration, and participation in the labour market. Of those factors, Scotland has near record levels of payrolled employees at 2.46 million in February 2024.\r\nThe EY report identifies the importance of reducing economic inactivity and supporting people into employment. The Scottish Government is undertaking a range of action to address Scotland’s labour market challenges. For example, the Scottish Government will invest up to £90 million in devolved employability services No One Left Behind in 2024/25, to support those facing structural barriers to entering employment, alongside investment in childcare and support for those experiencing ill-health to remain in the labour market. The Scottish Government will also launch Scotland’s Migration Service during the course of 2024 to support inward investors and Scottish employers to use the immigration system to meet their skills and labour needs.\r\n","AnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417566,"EventID":"S6W-26109","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-12T17:39:49.237","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-11T16:42:35.57","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of police officers in rural and remote communities such as Dumfries and Galloway.","AnswerText":"Thanks to an additional £80 million of funding from the Scottish Government in 2023-24, Police Scotland have invested in their workforce - recruiting almost 600 officers in 2023 alone and around 1,480 new officers since the beginning of 2022.\r\nPolice Scotland will be welcoming an additional 200 officers in March with further intakes planned throughout the year.\r\nPolice Scotland statistics indicate that 355 officers were in the Dumfries and Galloway Divisional area on 31 December 2023 an increase of seven officers on the same point in 2022.\r\nThe recruitment and deployment of resources is a matter for the Chief Constable, who is accountable to the Scottish Police Authority, and it is for Police Scotland to determine recruitment and retention approaches both locally and nationally. I am pleased that the Chief Constable has confirmed that the 2024-25 budget will enable Police Scotland to retain numbers in the region of 16,500 to 16,600 officers.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417568,"EventID":"S6W-26134","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-12T17:39:49.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T13:42:06.197","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact on land value in rural areas of its reported decision to consider battery storage developments as generating stations in relation to planning consents under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989.","AnswerText":"A letter was issued by the Chief Planner regarding consents and variations to planning permission for energy generating ancillary uses on 27 August 2020. This letter confirmed that the Scottish Government considers a battery installation to generate electricity and should therefore be treated as a generating station.\r\nNo specific assessment on potential impacts to land value in rural areas has been undertaken.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417585,"EventID":"S6W-26164","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":16177,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":125,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T09:51:23.253","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T09:46:56.413","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the annual fisheries negotiations between the UK and the Faroe Islands.","AnswerText":"I am pleased to confirm that an agreement was reached between the UK and the Faroe Islands on 1 March. This was the final in a suite of negotiations which have cumulatively provided over £600 million of fishing opportunities to Scottish fishers in 2024. The Scottish Government has been fully involved in the negotiations, with these talks highlighted as a key priority by many in our industry. This deal sees exchanges of quota and access for Scottish vessels into Faroese waters for species such as cod, haddock and saithe in 2024. The outcomes will provide additional opportunities and flexibility, enabling our larger whitefish vessels to divert their effort into Faroese waters, in turn putting less pressure on stocks in Scottish waters. This deal also provides a platform to continue to build on our already strong relationship with the Faroe Islands as we seek to manage our fish stocks sustainably. The signed Agreed Record can be found on the Scottish Government website:  Summary - United Kingdom and Faroe Islands fisheries consultations: agreed record for 2024 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  . .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417586,"EventID":"S6O-03220","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:28:34.497","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T11:13:05.143","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assistance it is providing to the arts sector in Dumfries and Galloway.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417587,"EventID":"S6O-03223","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:28:34.62","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T07:53:46.013","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to support public interest journalism.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417588,"EventID":"S6O-03231","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5598,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":139,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:28:34.67","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T17:22:15.587","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to challenge and deter men's demand for prostitution. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417589,"EventID":"S6O-03238","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:28:34.73","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T10:55:00.32","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it can provide to any local authorities that are struggling to meet the rising costs associated with providing school transport, so that children and young people can travel to school in a safe, efficient and affordable manner.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417590,"EventID":"S6O-03230","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:28:34.777","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T11:00:44.283","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that hundreds of sex offenders have been able to change their name in the past two years, what it can do to ensure the safety of the public, particularly in areas like EH14 and EH54, which reportedly have the joint highest number of sex offenders registered across Edinburgh and West Lothian.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417591,"EventID":"S6O-03225","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16207,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:28:34.84","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T10:24:38.98","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent report by the Scottish Human Rights Commission to the United Nations Human Rights Committee, which referred to the need to improve conditions across the prison estate and improve access to appropriate healthcare for those in detention.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417592,"EventID":"S6O-03236","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16186,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":120,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:28:34.887","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T09:29:51.973","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the education secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding any potential implications for Scottish universities and colleges of the Migration Advisory Committee’s “rapid review” of the Graduate Route visa, as announced by the UK Government.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417593,"EventID":"S6O-03228","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3129,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":83,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:28:34.95","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T11:40:20.49","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any implications for its role in supporting the delivery of Prevent in Scotland of the UK Government’s new definition of extremism.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417594,"EventID":"S6O-03222","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5075,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":112,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:28:35.013","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T11:34:31.867","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how the projects and activities that it funds through its international development programmes contribute to promoting human rights.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417595,"EventID":"S6O-03235","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16194,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:28:35.073","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T10:25:34.383","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the roll-out of free digital devices to school pupils.\r\n","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417596,"EventID":"S6O-03234","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:28:35.12","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T14:48:52.423","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to schools to facilitate the expansion of an outdoor learning-based curriculum.  ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417597,"EventID":"S6O-03221","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:28:35.17","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T09:42:27.047","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to grow Scotland's creative industries. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417598,"EventID":"S6O-03216","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:28:35.277","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-11T12:53:19.387","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it has taken to support the provision of humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza.    ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417599,"EventID":"S6O-03219","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:28:35.357","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T11:31:09.423","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to address any barriers to women’s participation in the creative workforce.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417600,"EventID":"S6O-03227","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5060,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:28:35.403","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T17:06:30.037","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the BBC Scotland Disclosure programme, Surviving Domestic Abuse, which was broadcast on 11 March.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417601,"EventID":"S6O-03237","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:28:35.467","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T15:15:35.197","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the comments made by the National Autistic Society Scotland that some autistic pupils in Scotland have to “fail” in mainstream education before receiving the support that they need.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417602,"EventID":"S6O-03239","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:28:35.527","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T09:49:18.593","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what financial support is available to those in higher and further education who choose to study online.  ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417603,"EventID":"S6O-03233","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:28:35.573","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T11:18:31.557","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the development of an accredited qualification and registration programme for Additional Support Needs assistants.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417604,"EventID":"S6O-03229","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5622,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":148,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:28:35.637","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T17:10:49.363","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what representations it can make to the UK Government regarding the potential amendment of its Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill to cover Scotland, to ensure that there is parity and equality for all sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses who have been affected.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417605,"EventID":"S6O-03224","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16191,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":77,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:28:35.7","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T09:19:52.357","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to support victims and witnesses, particularly in domestic abuse cases.  ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417606,"EventID":"S6O-03218","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:28:35.763","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T16:38:31.207","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the culture secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding what cultural events and activities it has planned to mark the 40th anniversary of the miners’ strike. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417607,"EventID":"S6O-03232","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4982,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:28:35.81","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T08:47:03.01","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with the Executive Chief Officer for Education and Learning at Highland Council, and what was discussed.    ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417608,"EventID":"S6O-03226","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:28:35.87","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T16:28:41.427","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many individuals have been charged and successfully prosecuted under any of the provisions in the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417609,"EventID":"S6O-03217","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:28:35.92","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T10:04:49.653","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to support the development of cultural cinema.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417610,"EventID":"S6O-03242","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:28:43.007","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T10:26:11.073","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Audit Scotland report, Decarbonising heat in homes, and the recent report by the Regulatory Review Group regarding the forthcoming Heat in Buildings Bill, what action it is taking to further assess and develop the supply chain for decarbonising buildings.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417611,"EventID":"S6O-03240","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16175,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":119,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:28:43.1","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-11T17:21:48.353","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work that it is doing to support elected representatives to take parental leave.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417612,"EventID":"S6O-03246","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5621,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":99,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:28:43.163","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T08:05:54.39","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that the voices of Highland communities are appropriately considered by the Energy Consents Unit when assessing applications from developers.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417613,"EventID":"S6O-03244","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":3751,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":108,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:28:43.227","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T11:51:15.757","Title":"","ItemText":"Withdrawn.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417614,"EventID":"S6O-03241","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5866,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:28:43.29","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T08:47:10.74","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to spend the £295 million in Barnett consequential funding arising from the UK Government’s 2024 Spring Budget.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417615,"EventID":"S6O-03247","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:28:43.35","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T11:09:46.76","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of the Immediate Priorities Plan developed with disabled people’s organisations.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417616,"EventID":"S6O-03243","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":2826,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":84,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:28:43.413","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T16:49:27.833","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the latest report by the Royal Bank of Scotland on private sector activity, which showed that employment growth in Scotland was faster than any other UK nation or region.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417617,"EventID":"S6O-03245","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:28:43.477","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T08:08:24.527","Title":"","ItemText":"Withdrawn.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417618,"EventID":"S6W-26154","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:49:13.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T14:49:03.627","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people with undiagnosed HIV it estimates there are in Scotland, and what action it plans to take to encourage people to access HIV testing.","AnswerText":"Public Health Scotland estimates that approximately 500 individuals, equivalent to 7% of the cohort living with HIV in Scotland, are undiagnosed.\r\nA range of testing initiatives are being implemented to encourage people to access HIV testing. The Scottish Government’s Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Action Plan, published in November 2023, has a focus on improving access to sexually transmitted infection and blood borne virus testing across Scotland. To support this, we have funded a range of projects to expand access and promote uptake of testing, including the development of a national online postal self-sampling service, HIV self-testing and community-based services delivered by the Terrence Higgins Trust, and piloting emergency department opt-out testing in NHS Grampian, NHS Lothian and NHS Highland.\r\nOur HIV Transmission Elimination Delivery Plan sets out further actions to encourage people to access testing and to identify optimal approaches to finding people living with undiagnosed HIV.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417619,"EventID":"S6W-26145","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:49:13.553","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T14:25:26.317","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work it or its agencies have undertaken to investigate the potential for using liquid hydrogen to power aircraft.","AnswerText":"Hydrogen has been identified by various organisations, including the UK Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), as a key potential means of powering low/ zero emission flight. Ministers recently provided written support for a flagship liquid hydrogen project, ‘TARGET H2’, funded by the ATI and UK Research and Innovation. The Scottish Government also awarded £150,000 from the Hydrogen Innovation Scheme for a study to test the feasibility of a hydrogen production storage and distribution hub at Glasgow Airport.\r\nScottish Enterprise has engaged with companies involved in hydrogen-powered aircraft and commissioned a report on Hydrogen demand for Transport, which included liquid hydrogen use in aviation.\r\nThe Scottish Government will soon publish its Aviation Statement, which will outline actions on various topics including decarbonisation.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417620,"EventID":"S6W-26086","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:49:13.707","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-11T10:17:01.723","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what financial support, including for (a) start-up costs, (b) introduction payments and (c) marketing support and promotional campaigns, (i) it and (ii) VisitScotland has paid, or allocated, to airlines since 2017, broken down by the (A) airline and (B) route.","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland, VisitScotland and Scottish Development International work as one Government team to help Scotland’s airports grow international connectivity.\r\nIn the case of target routes and strategic markets, support takes the form primarily of collaborative marketing activity. Transport Scotland and VisitScotland invest together in a programme of marketing activity delivered primarily by VisitScotland and in collaboration with the airline concerned. Where the airline elects not to invest cash in this activity, the collaboration may take the form of in-kind support. We do not provide support for start-up costs or introduction payments.\r\nAll relevant airlines serving Scotland benefit from the increase in awareness and demand generated by VisitScotland’s own core destination campaigns in key markets which include the UK, USA, Canada, Germany, France, China. Additionally, and providing specific support to those airlines returning to Scotland post-pandemic, Transport Scotland and VisitScotland funded a Fly Direct campaign in the spring of 2022, promoting all airlines serving Scotland’s airports direct from these markets plus the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Sweden, and Australia. In the spring of 2023 and of 2024, VisitScotland has continued to include direct access messaging in its campaigns with partners including Expedia and Skyscanner.\r\nFor reason of commercial sensitivity it is not possible to itemise each route and the level of support provided, but the net investment by Transport Scotland and VisitScotland, including with that of specific fly direct campaign activity, is provided in the following table. \r\nTransport Scotland /VisitScotland net investment\r\n2023-24\r\n£518,000\r\n2022-23\r\n£273,000\r\n2021-22\r\n£1,010,000\r\n2020-21\r\n£45,000\r\n2019-20\r\n£189,000\r\n2018-19\r\n£700,000\r\n2017-18\r\n£974,000\r\n2016-17\r\n£436,000\r\n","AnswerDate":"2024-03-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417621,"EventID":"S6W-26143","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:49:13.77","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T14:25:26.317","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage the use of hydrogen-powered trains in Scotland.","AnswerText":"As set out in our Hydrogen Action Plan, hydrogen in the transport sector could act as a complementary energy source alongside electrification, providing an option to parts of the transport sector such as parts of the rail network, when full electrification is challenging. \r\nTransport Scotland has encouraged the use of hydrogen-powered trains in Scotland by continuing to engage with train fleet owners on the subject, with sector working groups developing the understanding of the safe and economically viable means to deploy hydrogen trains, and with other parts of Scottish Government and agencies including Scottish Enterprise, in developing understanding of potential demand and possible transition scenarios.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417622,"EventID":"S6W-26124","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:49:13.833","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T12:10:09.807","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its policies on animal welfare, what assistance it provides to support pet owners who are struggling to meet any costs related to vet charges.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the issues raised by pet owners concerning the cost of veterinary care for their animals, but does not provide financial support for veterinary charges. Regulation of the veterinary profession is a matter reserved to the UK Government.\r\nFor those experiencing difficulties providing treatment for their pets there are options available. In June 2023 we welcomed the expansion of the Scottish SPCA’s Pet Aid initiative to include veterinary treatment which can assist owners struggling financially. Concerned owners looking for help and advice can contact the Scottish SPCA, in confidence, via their helpline on 03000 999 999 or can visit their website to find out more details of their Pet Aid scheme  https://www.scottishspca.org/pet-aid \r\nAdditionally, StreetVet assists homeless pet owners and the PDSA provides free or reduced cost treatment to those eligible and receiving benefits.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417623,"EventID":"S6W-26137","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:49:13.88","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T13:57:33.653","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much of the remaining funding from the £10 million Long COVID Support Fund will be allocated in 2024-25, and when any such funding will be allocated.","AnswerText":"As set out in my answer to question S6W-25994 on 18 March 2024, we remain committed to delivering the £10 million long COVID Support Fund in full. The 2024-25 budget published on 19 December 2023 outlines our plans to make £3 million from the long COVID Support Fund available over 2024-25.\r\nWe will process NHS Boards’ first tranche of their total 2024-25 allocations from the fund early in the financial year. The second tranche will be made later in the financial year following progress reporting.\r\nWe anticipate that the remainder of the funding will be allocated over the financial year 2025-26.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417624,"EventID":"S6W-26125","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:49:13.927","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T12:10:09.807","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its policies on animal welfare, whether it has undertaken any recent analysis of vet charges in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not undertaken its own analysis of veterinary charges in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417625,"EventID":"S6W-26147","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:49:13.973","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T14:36:20.383","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on what role initial decision makers in disputes processes in colleges should have in appeals.","AnswerText":"Operational decisions, including those such as dispute resolution, are a matters for individual colleges.\r\nThe Scottish Government has no role to play in these processes.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417626,"EventID":"S6W-26098","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16178,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":78,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:49:14.053","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-11T11:13:06.47","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the savings will be in 2024-25 as a result of the decision to freeze the Basic Property Rate, broken down by industry sector.","AnswerText":"Table 1 presents the estimated gross savings to ratepayers, after General Revaluation Transitional Relief is applied, for properties with a rateable value of up to and including £51,000, resulting from the Scottish Government freezing the Basic Property Rate at 49.8p in 2024-2025, compared to uprating in line with September 2023’s measure of CPI, which would have resulted in a Basic Property Rate of 53.1p. The figures are not adjusted for any other relief. This is broken down by property class, as the Scottish Government does not hold property-level data on industry sectors. Property class is a classification used by Scottish Assessors to describe the type of property, and does not necessarily accurately reflect the use of a property.\r\nThis table is based on the valuation roll as at 30 March 2023, 1 April 2023, and 1 January 2024.\r\nFigures in this table are rounded to the nearest £1,000, and may not sum due to rounding.\r\nTable 1: Estimated gross savings to ratepayers due to freezing the Basic Property Rate, 2024-2025\r\nProperty class\r\nEstimated gross savings (£)\r\nShops\r\n16,697,000\r\nPublic houses and restaurants\r\n1,842,000\r\nOffices\r\n10,962,000\r\nHotels\r\n1,325,000\r\nIndustrial subjects\r\n13,595,000\r\nLeisure and entertainment\r\n3,443,000\r\nGarages and petrol stations\r\n1,018,000\r\nCultural\r\n440,000\r\nSporting subjects\r\n733,000\r\nEducation and training\r\n960,000\r\nPublic service subjects\r\n2,690,000\r\nCommunications\r\n88,000\r\nQuarries, mines, etc.\r\n114,000\r\nPetrochemical\r\n31,000\r\nReligious\r\n1,581,000\r\nHealth and medical\r\n1,189,000\r\nOther\r\n1,723,000\r\nCare facilities\r\n1,306,000\r\nAdvertising\r\n221,000\r\nStatutory undertaking\r\n404,000\r\nAll\r\n60,362,000","AnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417627,"EventID":"S6W-26149","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:49:14.113","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T14:49:03.627","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is on track to achieve its aim of ending new cases of HIV by 2030.","AnswerText":"As outlined in the Scottish HIV Transmission Elimination Proposal, published on 1 December 2022, our aim is to achieve ‘zero people contracting HIV within Scotland by 2030’. To do so, one of the key interim targets is to achieve 100 or fewer first ever diagnoses per year by the end of 2025.\r\nThe most recently published HIV data for Scotland (to 31 December 2022), released by Public Health Scotland on 26 September 2023, indicate that, since 2017, the annual number of first ever diagnoses recorded in Scotland has more than halved, decreasing from 226 in 2017 to 108 in 2022. Of note, 55 of 108 (51%) first ever diagnoses recorded in 2022 were thought likely to have been acquired within Scotland.\r\nIn addition, the data indicate a small proportion (11%) of first ever HIV diagnoses were recently acquired (i.e. within the previous three to four months). This is the lowest number and proportion for over five years and is, in part, the result of the Scottish Government’s world-leading approach to making HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis available on the NHS in 2017. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417628,"EventID":"S6W-26126","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:49:14.287","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T12:10:09.807","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its policies on animal welfare in Scotland, whether it plans to engage with the Competition and Markets Authority's review of vet charges across the UK, and, if so, how.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government officials engaged with the Competition and Markets Authority as part of its initial review. Once more details are known regarding the Authority’s formal investigation we will consider what level of engagement will be appropriate. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417629,"EventID":"S6W-26144","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:49:14.333","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T14:25:26.317","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken to ascertain whether there is any presence of naturally produced \"gold hydrogen\" in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not undertaken analysis to ascertain whether there is any presence of natural occurring hydrogen (sometimes called 'gold hydrogen') present in Scotland geology.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417630,"EventID":"S6W-26151","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:49:14.397","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T14:49:03.627","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to extend blood borne virus testing to other A&E departments across Scotland.","AnswerText":"There are no imminent plans to expand emergency department opt-out blood borne virus testing to other areas. It is important that decisions about any further expansion are based on the best available evidence. The Scottish Government will use evaluation data from the current pilot projects, combined with other evidence, to determine whether further roll out would be acceptable, deliverable and cost-effective in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417631,"EventID":"S6W-26152","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:49:14.457","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T14:49:03.627","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce a national HIV testing week.","AnswerText":"Following careful consideration by the HIV Transmission Elimination Scoping Group, and the advice of clinical and public health experts, the Scottish Government is not planning to introduce a national HIV testing week at this time. Given Scotland’s relatively low HIV prevalence, the potential benefits of a national testing week would primarily be in addressing stigma and promoting testing rather than finding and supporting individuals with undiagnosed infections. Our HIV Transmission Elimination Delivery Plan sets out our approach to addressing stigma and promoting testing on a consistent, year-round basis.\r\nWe will review the potential costs and benefits of a national testing week once priority actions to expand capacity and improve access to testing have been progressed.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417632,"EventID":"S6W-26140","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:49:14.507","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T14:25:26.317","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase the number of hydrogen refuelling sites in Scotland.","AnswerText":"As set out in our Hydrogen Action Plan, hydrogen in the transport sector could act as a complementary energy source alongside electrification, providing an option to parts of the transport sector such as heavy duty vehicles, when full electrification is challenging. We support the rollout of infrastructure needed for hydrogen vehicles to operate in Scotland: Aberdeen City has two hydrogen refuelling stations.\r\nTransport Scotland has contracted Heriot-Watt University to work with road haulage fleets and stakeholders to assess where initial enroute charging and refuelling infrastructure for zero emission HGVs will be needed.\r\nThe Zero Emission Truck Taskforce, convened by Transport Scotland, includes a working group focused on hydrogen refuelling infrastructure. The Taskforce included hydrogen truck manufacturers and fleets interested in hydrogen trucks. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417633,"EventID":"S6W-26096","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:49:14.553","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-11T11:10:54.827","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many children have been affected as a consequence of their mothers being prescribed sodium valproate during pregnancy.","AnswerText":"We do not know the numbers of children affected because the information has not been collected historically.\r\nIn response to the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review (IMMDSR), the Scottish Government commissioned Public Health Scotland (PHS) to establish a medicines in pregnancy surveillance asset. This resource will support monitoring and reporting to progress improvements in the safe use of valproate and other teratogenic medicines in Scotland. Its first output is due to be published by PHS in April 2024 and will include prescribing data and trends for valproate and other anti-seizure medicines.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417634,"EventID":"S6W-26138","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:49:14.6","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T14:25:26.317","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support green manufacturing in Scotland, including the manufacture of hydrogen electrolysis equipment.","AnswerText":"On Green Manufacturing , Scottish Government’s Making Scotland’s Future (MSF) programme includes a £75 million investment in the cutting edge facilities of the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS). NMIS’s mission is to make Scotland a global leader in advanced, sustainable manufacturing, working with industry to unlock productivity gains, develop new products and processes, and promote sustainable practices that will offer a competitive edge. SG’s Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service (SMAS) offers specialised support to businesses in the sector, helping them to increase their productivity through engaging with sustainable change.\r\nIn 2023 the Scottish Government commissioned an assessment into the state of electrolyser manufacturing globally, to support an understanding of the supply chain opportunities in Scotland. This work included detailed supply chain component analysis on electrolysers. \r\nScottish Enterprise’s high value manufacturing (HVM) team are currently leading on the ‘Integrated Supply Chain’ workstream, which includes engaging with businesses to allow the HVM team, along with key specialists and SDI to discuss directly with manufacturers the supply chain opportunities, skills and capabilities that can be applied to energy transition areas including hydrogen, offshore wind and clean heat.\r\nOn hydrogen specifically, Scottish Enterprise’s Hydrogen Expert Support programme has run from April 2023 and in that time supported over 30 Scottish supply chain companies, including manufacturers, that are keen to take advantage of the opportunities that the hydrogen economy will provide. Those companies have been provided with tailored reports, at no cost to the company, which have offered advice on next steps they could take based on the existing company capability and ambition.\r\nThe enterprise agencies have also over several years hosted in person workshops and webinars aimed at supply chain and manufacturing companies which have highlighted the national hydrogen strategy and ambition and the timeline and scale of the pipeline of projects in planning.\r\nBuilding on these activities, and in alignment with the Scottish Government’s Hydrogen Action Plan, Scottish Enterprise is also progressing plans to implement a Scottish hydrogen supply chain cluster which will seek to further engage with companies with transferrable skills and capabilities, again including manufacturers, and help them to move into the hydrogen sector.\r\nScottish Enterprise has also provided grants and investment into several companies with an aim to expand/create manufacturing sites in hydrogen and other areas within the energy transition space.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417635,"EventID":"S6W-26146","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:49:14.66","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T14:25:26.317","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the impact in Scotland, what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the modernisation of hydrogen storage and transportation regulations.","AnswerText":"Regulations for hydrogen transport through pipelines and storage are reserved to the UK Government and so Scottish Government officials are in regular and close communication with UK Government counterparts on these matters.\r\nIn December 2023, the UK Government published its Hydrogen Transport and Storage Networks Pathway. This set out next steps for the strategic development of hydrogen transport and storage in the UK, and the role of the National Energy System Operator.\r\nThe Scottish Government continues to urge the UK Government to consider and cater for geographical variations across the UK, particularly for Scotland, and develop a fit for purpose regulatory regime that will enable us to achieve our shared hydrogen ambitions.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417636,"EventID":"S6W-26141","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:49:14.707","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T14:25:26.317","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage the use of hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks in Scotland.","AnswerText":"As set out in our Hydrogen Action Plan, hydrogen in the transport sector could act as a complementary energy source alongside electrification, providing an option to parts of the transport sector such as heavy duty vehicles, when full electrification is challenging. We support the rollout of infrastructure needed for hydrogen vehicles to operate in Scotland: Aberdeen City has two hydrogen refuelling stations.\r\nTransport Scotland has contracted Heriot-Watt University to work with road haulage fleets and stakeholders to assess where initial enroute charging and refuelling infrastructure for zero emission HGVs will be needed.\r\nThe Zero Emission Truck Taskforce, convened by Transport Scotland, includes a working group focused on hydrogen refuelling infrastructure; this included hydrogen truck manufacturers and fleets interested in hydrogen trucks. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417637,"EventID":"S6W-26150","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:49:14.757","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T14:49:03.627","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to monitor the blood borne virus testing pilot that is currently taking place at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary's A&E department.","AnswerText":"Local evaluation will be conducted by the team at NHS Grampian and will be followed by an overarching review of the three emergency department opt-out testing projects announced by myself last November.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417638,"EventID":"S6W-26120","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:49:14.817","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T11:44:27.787","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to question S6W-25694 by Tom Arthur on 4 March 2024 and S6W-25695 by Gillian Martin on 4 March 2024, what consideration it has given to amending the conditions of grants, loans and its contracts with third parties to preclude parties that have transferred jobs overseas, commonly referred to as offshoring, from such support and agreements.","AnswerText":"Contract terms & conditions are focused on the delivery of the contract, and are proportionate and relevant to the contract subject matter. Procurement rules require equal treatment, transparency, and proportionality in public procurement processes, precluding the exclusion of companies who conduct their business lawfully.\r\nGrants entered into by Scottish Ministers and any public body subject to the Scottish Public Finance Manual are subject to the principles set out in the manual and have appropriate terms and conditions applied to protect public resources.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417639,"EventID":"S6W-26142","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:49:14.863","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T14:25:26.317","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage the use of hydrogen-powered boats and ships in Scotland.","AnswerText":"As set out in our Hydrogen Action Plan, hydrogen and hydrogen-based fuels could play a significant role in the decarbonisation of the maritime industry.\r\nOur long-term goal is to reduce carbon emissions very substantially by 2045 and, ideally, to eliminate them. However, this is dependent on alternative fuels becoming commercially available. This is a challenge facing the whole shipping industry.\r\nHydrogen may well become one of the future maritime fuels used by the global shipping fleet. However, this technology is not yet fully developed, and the decision of vessel owners to use specific maritime fuels will be determined by a number of factors. One of those factors will be availability of the fuel source, therefore we believe that working to develop a safe and economically viable supply will assist in the development of hydrogen vessels. This will ultimately be a decision for ship owners and port operators, along with the UK Government, which has policy responsibility for shipping regulations in UK waters.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417640,"EventID":"S6W-26153","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:49:14.927","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T14:49:03.627","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to encourage people who have been diagnosed with HIV but who are no longer considered as attending specialist care to re-engage with these services, in light of reports that there are an estimated 961 such people in Scotland.","AnswerText":"he importance of retaining individuals living with HIV in treatment and care is recognised in the UNAIDS/WHO targets and the Scottish HIV Transmission Elimination Proposal as one of the five pillars of interventions (entry into and retention in specialist HIV care). Specialist HIV services and HIV third sector organisations will work together to optimise the updating of information with regards to the movement or transfer of individuals to facilitate engagement with services.\r\nThis work will be supported by Public Health Scotland through the provision of NHS board level data on people diagnosed with HIV but not attending specialist treatment and care services for whom, through linkage of data to migration, death, hospitalisation, prescription and vaccination datasets, there is evidence that they remain resident in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417641,"EventID":"S6W-26097","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:49:14.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-11T11:10:54.827","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what arrangements are in place to compensate any children that have been affected as a consequence of their mothers being given sodium valproate during pregnancy, and when it expects compensation payments to commence.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government will await the view and any decisions by the UK Government in relation to redress for anyone who was affected by exposure to valproate.\r\nAs set out in our letter to MSPs, this is because the recommendations on redress the UK Government is considering may involve a new agency and schemes that would be funded via a levy on manufacturers of medicines and medical devices and the Scottish Government has only limited powers under the devolution arrangements to impose levies. \r\nWe will of course update the Parliament about any important developments.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417642,"EventID":"S6W-26139","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-13T16:49:15.053","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T14:25:26.317","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many hydrogen vehicle refuelling sites there currently are in Scotland.","AnswerText":"As set out in our Hydrogen Action Plan, hydrogen in the transport sector could act as a complementary energy source alongside electrification, providing an option to parts of the transport sector such as heavy duty vehicles, when full electrification is challenging. We support the rollout of infrastructure needed for hydrogen vehicles to operate in Scotland: Aberdeen City has two hydrogen refuelling stations.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417657,"EventID":"S6O-03251","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":3,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T10:02:42.407","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T17:52:35.26","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will provide an update on the waiting time for external stakeholder parliamentary events sponsored by MSPs.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417658,"EventID":"S6O-03248","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":3,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T10:03:43.153","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T13:38:20.033","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what plans it has to commission a portrait of King Charles as head of state.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417659,"EventID":"S6O-03215","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":3,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T10:04:03.287","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-11T08:06:39.697","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what steps it is taking to address any ethnicity-related pay gap amongst SPCB staff.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417660,"EventID":"S6O-03253","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":3,"MSPID":5621,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":99,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T10:04:21.75","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T11:08:25.777","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will provide an update on its plans to increase access to childcare in the creche beyond three hours per day.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417661,"EventID":"S6O-03259","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":3,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T10:05:23.617","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T15:01:18.21","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how many visitors to the Scottish Parliament have been asked by security and other SPCB staff to remove badges and other apparel since May 2021.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417662,"EventID":"S6O-03258","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":3,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T10:05:41.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T13:59:43.597","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will give further consideration to allowing events to start in the Parliament building while Members' Business debates are ongoing.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417663,"EventID":"S6O-03254","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":3,"MSPID":16177,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":125,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T10:05:57.16","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T12:35:12.633","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will look into rolling out accessibility options, such as BSL and easy-read, as standard across all forms of public participation.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417664,"EventID":"S6O-03214","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":3,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T10:06:10.23","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-07T16:35:51.847","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what consideration it is giving to the establishment of a permanent memorial to Michael \"Mick\" McGahey in the Parliament.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417665,"EventID":"S6O-03256","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":3,"MSPID":5612,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":150,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T10:06:26.73","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T12:49:26.99","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what systems are in place to ensure that changes to IT processes in the Parliament, that will impact on the daily working practices of MSPs and their staff, are consulted upon, tested, introduced, explained and evaluated.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417666,"EventID":"S6O-03257","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":3,"MSPID":16175,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":119,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T10:06:48.09","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T12:52:43.24","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will consider stocking alcohol-free variants of spirits, wine and other alcoholic beverages in the Scottish Parliament gift shop.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417667,"EventID":"S6O-03249","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":3,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T10:07:06.147","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T15:04:32.32","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what steps it is considering to ensure the safety of the public, MSPs and staff entering or exiting the Scottish Parliament campus, in light of a number of recent events of concern.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417668,"EventID":"S6O-03250","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":3,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T10:07:21.827","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T15:12:54.277","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what steps it will take to ensure that any protests and demonstrations that disrupt the ability of MSPs, staff and the public to access the Scottish Parliament are fully investigated, with any findings and lessons learnt available to MSPs.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417684,"EventID":"S6W-26194","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T16:37:41.893","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T22:53:44.007","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider regulating for the provision of Swift nest bricks in planning applications for new buildings and renovations over five metres in height, as a biodiversity enhancement.","AnswerText":"We have no current plans to regulate for the provision of swift nest bricks in planning applications for new buildings.\r\nAll planning applications must be determined in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise. Following the publication and adoption of our Fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) in February 2023, this forms part of the development plan and so influences planning decisions across Scotland. Improving biodiversity is a cross-cutting theme which runs throughout NPF4 and our strategy and policies support development that helps to secure positive effects for biodiversity. It will be a matter for the relevant planning authority to determine what conditions, if relevant, to apply to individual planning application based on the circumstances of the individual case.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417685,"EventID":"S6W-24403","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T16:37:42.02","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-01-09T11:13:15.417","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12674 by Mairi McAllan on 14 December 2022, whether it will provide an update on which of the 42 formal flood protection schemes or engineering works are (a) under construction and (b) at the planning or other stage of development, broken down by (i) the expected completion date, including the reason for any date being beyond the 2021 timeframe, (ii) the number of properties that will be protected and (iii) the (A) initial forecast and (B) final expected cost of each.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W–24036 on? 16 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417686,"EventID":"S6W-26163","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T16:37:42.067","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T20:36:06.967","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to help reduce the ethnicity pay gap. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to addressing labour market inequalities for racialised minorities. Our Anti-Racist Employment Strategy published in December 2022 supports and encourages employers to address these inequalities. It provides guidance on improving data as well as recruitment, retention and progression practices to improve the representation and experience of racialised minority staff. \r\nThe strategy further sets out a series of actions for the Scottish Government, including developing an anti-racism workplace training framework; supporting employers in their use of positive action measures; and continuing to engage with public sector leadership on recruitment and representation, data and on understanding institutional racism. \r\nThe Scottish Government is also currently reviewing the operation of the Public Sector Equality Duty in Scotland with a view to improving the Scottish Specific Duties, including data reporting on ethnicity. We have consulted on proposals which include extending the existing gender pay gap reporting duty to ethnicity and disability, with listed public authorities required to make more evidence-based decisions on the information they publish. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417687,"EventID":"S6W-26179","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T16:37:42.113","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T14:44:37.407","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what scientific advice it has considered regarding the proposal for a carbon capture storage facility at Peterhead Power Station.","AnswerText":"It would not be appropriate to comment on a live application. A decision will be taken by Ministers in due course, following consideration of the application information, consultation responses and representations made by members of the public.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417688,"EventID":"S6W-26177","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T16:37:42.177","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T14:44:37.407","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the connections between Peterhead Power Station and the Scottish Cluster in relation to enabling carbon capture.","AnswerText":"It is proposed that the carbon capture project at Peterhead Power Station would connect into the CCS infrastructure being developed by the Acorn Project and the wider Scottish Cluster. This would see its emissions transported through shared pipelines and safely stored under the North Sea.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417689,"EventID":"S6W-26197","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T16:37:42.237","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-14T09:10:32.837","Title":"","ItemText":"To as the Scottish Government, further to the financial incentives for dentists to open new practices in remote and rural areas, what support is available for dentists who are already operating in remote and rural areas.","AnswerText":"Dentists operating in rural areas can also apply to the  remote areas allowance.  The allowance is calculated on their proportion of NHS earnings to total earnings and therefore can be awarded up to £9000 per year. Other allowances are available for dentists as available in the Statement of Dental Remuneration. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417690,"EventID":"S6W-26166","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T16:37:42.317","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T10:35:55.627","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to extending Home Energy Scotland support to include houses with a floor area of greater than 230 square metres, which meet the other criteria for energy efficiency support.","AnswerText":"Home Energy Scotland (HES) energy efficiency support is not restricted by property size. The HES advice service is available to all householders in Scotland and the HES Grant and Loan scheme is open to all owner-occupiers. Neither has any limitation or eligibility criteria relating to the size of property. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":417691,"EventID":"S6W-26200","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T16:37:42.393","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-14T11:51:00.427","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can request that Police Scotland introduces biodegradable barrier tape to mitigate littering of the environment.","AnswerText":"The potential use of biodegradable barrier tape is an operational policing matter for Police Scotland. The Police Scotland Environmental Strategy 2021 sets out the context, pathway and implementation plan for reduction of energy, resource and carbon across the organisation.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417692,"EventID":"S6W-26189","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T16:37:42.457","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T16:24:12.12","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to provide funding for defibrillators to be made available in all schools across Scotland. ","AnswerText":"As set out in answer S6W-14642 on 6 March 2023 , funding for local authorities is provided through the annual block grant settlement from the Scottish Government. Local authorities should use funding resources allocated to them in the manner which they believe will best meet local needs and circumstances within their respective areas.\r\nTherefore, decisions on the installation and maintenance of defibrillators in schools is a matter for local authorities to consider at the local level.\r\nA number of organisations provide advice and support for the purchasing and maintenance of defibrillators. This includes:\r\nThe British Heart Foundation:  https://www.bhf.org.uk/how-you-can-help/how-to-save-a-life/defibrillators/apply-for-a-public-access-defibrillator \r\nSt Johns Scotland  Public Access Community Defibrillators | St John Scotland  .\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417693,"EventID":"S6W-26183","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T16:37:42.55","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T15:05:46.593","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on taking forward the UK National Screening Committee recommendation that all four UK nations should move towards implementing targeted lung cancer screening programmes.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26075 on 18 March 2024, which outlines the progress the Scottish Government has made in moving towards a targeted lung cancer screening programme.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417694,"EventID":"S6W-26082","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T16:37:42.613","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-08T17:31:37.757","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of the UK Government's alcohol duty freeze in the Spring Statement on (a) public health harm, (b) alcohol deaths and (c) hospitalisations due to alcohol consumption in Scotland.","AnswerText":"Powers to set alcohol duty are reserved to the UK Government. The Scottish Government would strongly recommend that the UK Government considers public health as part of any review to alcohol duty, and clearly considers potential effects and impacts of decisions.\r\nThe Scottish Government recently laid regulations to continue and to increase the minimum unit price of alcohol to 65 pence per unit. Modelling published by Sheffield University in September 2023 looked at the potential impact of changes in the minimum unit price level on alcohol consumption and health effects, and also considered the relationship between different rates of alcohol duty and the impact of MUP. This modelling formed an important part of the range of information considered in developing our MUP proposals.\r\nThe Scottish Government will continue to review the data relating to alcohol, including on consumption, sales and alcohol related harm, in considering its approach to tackling alcohol harm in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417695,"EventID":"S6W-26168","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T16:37:42.66","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T11:49:32.23","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on introducing guidance in schools on prohibiting the use of mobile phones throughout the school day, which is equivalent to the UK Government's Mobile Phones in Schools guidance, and, if it is the case that it plans to introduce such an initiative, what the timescale is for doing so.","AnswerText":"In December I announced plans to provide refreshed guidance to schools on the use of mobile phones, as part of the joint action plan to respond to the Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research. The existing guidance was produced in 2013 and it is right that this is reviewed in light of the evidence provided by the Behaviour In Scotland's Schools Research 2023 and PISA. I have committed that the refreshed guidance will be developed in consultation with the Scottish Advisory Group on Relationships and Behaviour in Schools. The updated guidance will be published in Spring 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417696,"EventID":"S6W-26187","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16188,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":82,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T16:37:42.723","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T16:18:17.28","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recently published inquiry into public financial support for tree planting and forestry, launched by the Royal Society of Edinburgh.","AnswerText":"The report makes a number of useful contributions, which Scottish Forestry is considering. A number of the recommendations made are already in place, including changes to sustainability standards increasing the required proportion of tree species diversity, tougher measures to protect soils during tree planting, and supporting an increase in woodlands by rivers across Scotland.\r\nPublic forestry grants are vital and a well-established means used across the UK to stimulate woodland creation, supporting Scottish sector worth over £1bn annually and 25,000 jobs. The Scottish Government is clear that Scotland needs to plant a mixture of both productive as well as native species if we are to tackle climate change, nature loss and a growing demand for timber.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417697,"EventID":"S6W-26162","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T16:37:42.783","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T16:26:56.793","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25452 by Jenni Minto on 27 February 2024, whether the work planned by RSM UK includes analysis of the accommodation capacity required to ensure that parents do not have to leave their baby overnight under the new neonatal model of care; if so, what standard of provision this capacity is being measured against, what progress is being made by RSM UK with this work, and when its findings will be published.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government have commissioned RSM UK to provide analysis of the capacity requirements associated with the new model of neonatal care.\r\nThe scope of this work is to model the current and future demand and requirements for neonatal intensive care cot capacity, in order to inform regional implementation planning. \r\nThe work has involved engagement with operational and strategic stakeholders to collect feedback on implementation considerations, of which accommodation requirements has been documented. \r\nDetailed analysis and quantification of accommodation capacity requirements is not in the scope of this work. However, this is a key part of the model of neonatal care described in Best Start and we expect all Boards to provide emergency overnight accommodation on the unit for parents who need it, with other accommodation for neonatal parents nearby. Boards are expected to include provision for this in their planning. \r\nWe also provide support to all families with babies in neonatal care to cover the costs of food, travel and accommodation as part of our Young Patients Family Fund.\r\nThe report is due to be finalised by the end of March 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417698,"EventID":"S6W-26180","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T16:37:42.83","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T15:05:46.593","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on progressing the reported proposals for three-year core funding for the third sector.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government values the important role of Scotland’s third sector in working across communities to tackle tough social issues at source. We recognise the challenges faced by the third sector in the current cost crisis and we will do what we can to take account of the pressures on organisations.\r\nWe also recognise that the third sector needs stability and the opportunity for longer term planning and development. That’s why we’ve committed to developing a Fairer Funding approach for the third sector.\r\nRegrettably, the late timing of the UK Government Autumn Statement and the catastrophic cuts to Scotland’s block-grant have caused unavoidable delays in finalising budgets for 24-25.\r\nTherefore, our initial focus has been on improvements to our grant-making arrangements to provide greater clarity and consistency of practice including prompt notification and increased multi-year offers.\r\nWe are continuing to explore the extent to which multi-year funding can be secured within the unpredictable and volatile fiscal circumstances we face and remain committed to increasing the number of arrangements.\r\nWe are still progressing our commitments and will report on our progress in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417699,"EventID":"S6W-26178","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T16:37:42.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T14:44:37.407","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of the scientific advice that it has received regarding (a) blue hydrogen technology, (b) green hydrogen technology and (c) carbon capture technology.","AnswerText":"Many of the technologies required for hydrogen are already mature, however research and innovation still has an important role to play to reduce costs, improve integration models and efficiency to help enable the production and use of hydrogen at scale.\r\nWe continue to build the research base in collaboration with academia and industry on a number of fronts for example Scottish Government are partnering with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) on the MultHyFuel Programme designed to help the development of a common strategy for implementing Hydrogen Refuelling Stations (HRS) in multi-fuel contexts, contributing to the harmonization of existing laws and standards based on practical, theoretical and experimental data as well as on the active and continuous engagement of key stakeholders.\r\nOur Emerging Energy Technologies Fund Hydrogen Innovation Scheme (HIS) was launched in June 2022 to support the Scottish Government’s commitment to drive technological progress and innovation in the hydrogen field. To date the Hydrogen Innovation Scheme has offered grants totalling over £7m to 31 projects that will drive innovation in renewable hydrogen production, storage, and distribution.\r\nAdditionally, we are funding a Hydrogen Business Development service, delivered through the Energy Technology Partnership, to accelerate knowledge exchange between academia and enterprises to stimulate innovation in the hydrogen sector.\r\nIn the area of Carbon Capture Technology we are advised by the Climate Change Committee, the independent, statutory body established to advise on emissions targets, that CCS is a necessity, not an option, and we have regular engagement with Scottish Carbon Capture and Storage (SCCS) at the University of Edinburgh and the Centre for Energy Policy at the University of Strathclyde.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417700,"EventID":"S6W-26185","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T16:37:42.973","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T15:40:55.18","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when bids will open for the 2024-25 Community Bus Fund resource funding.","AnswerText":"Officials are working with stakeholders on the design and implementation of the Community Bus Fund for financial year 2024 - 2025. Arrangements for accessing resource funding will be published on the Transport Scotland website once the work has been completed.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417701,"EventID":"S6W-26167","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T16:37:43.033","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T10:35:55.627","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of applications submitted to Home Energy Scotland for energy efficiency support regarding houses with a floor area of greater than 230 square metres have been successful.","AnswerText":"There is no limitation on the property size that could qualify for support to install measures via the Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan scheme.\r\nThe information requested is not collated by Energy Savings Trust, who administer the scheme on behalf of the Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":417702,"EventID":"S6W-26135","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T16:37:43.083","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T13:42:06.197","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether productive farmland is an ecosystem service provided by soils. ","AnswerText":"Yes, soil is a provisioning service for farming as it provides the substrate on which crops (including forage) grow.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417703,"EventID":"S6W-26184","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T16:37:43.143","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T15:05:46.593","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question (a) S6W-15576 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 27 March 2023 and (b) S6W-17101 by Jenny Gilruth on 22 May 2023, whether it will provide the same information for 2022-23.","AnswerText":"Spending data on additional support for learning (ASL) is provided below. This data is collected from local authorities via the 2022-23 Local Financial Returns (LFR). These figures show that spending on ASL by local authorities reached its highest level on record, £926m in 2022-23.\r\nLocal authorities are asked to provide this data in line with guidance to ensure returns are completed on a consistent basis to allow for a reasonable degree of comparability. However, these figures may be affected by variations in local accounting practices and education strategies. It is important to bear this in mind when making comparisons between local authorities and years.\r\nLocal authorities are asked to record all centrally funded ASL expenditure under Special Education, irrespective of where it is delivered. Decisions about prioritisation and budgets, including those for the provision of services for pupils with additional support needs, are a matter for individual councils. We recognise the challenges facing authorities in balancing their need to meet a wide range of statutory duties, local priorities and local circumstances.\r\nTable 1 shows gross revenue expenditure on (ASL) education for 2022-23, split by Pre-Primary, Primary, Secondary and Special Education.\r\nTable 1 – 2022-23 ASL expenditure by Local Authority (£000)\r\nLocal authority\r\nPre-Primary Education\r\nPrimary Education\r\nSecondary Education\r\nSpecial Education\r\nTotal\r\nAberdeen City\r\n£1,103\r\n£6,002\r\n£6,756\r\n£18,020\r\n£31,881\r\nAberdeenshire\r\n£0\r\n£0\r\n£0\r\n£53,746\r\n£53,746\r\nAngus\r\n£0\r\n£0\r\n£0\r\n£13,885\r\n£13,885\r\nArgyll and Bute\r\n£711\r\n£4,211\r\n£4,801\r\n£3,112\r\n£12,835\r\nCity of Edinburgh\r\n£5,474\r\n£26,029\r\n£12,472\r\n£48,983\r\n£92,958\r\nClackmannanshire\r\n£0\r\n£0\r\n£0\r\n£13,636\r\n£13,636\r\nDumfries and Galloway\r\n£0\r\n£0\r\n£0\r\n£22,609\r\n£22,609\r\nDundee City\r\n£212\r\n£6,098\r\n£2,709\r\n£9,113\r\n£18,132\r\nEast Ayrshire\r\n£0\r\n£0\r\n£0\r\n£21,246\r\n£21,246\r\nEast Dunbartonshire\r\n£431\r\n£2,407\r\n£2,157\r\n£15,579\r\n£20,574\r\nEast Lothian\r\n£176\r\n£3,091\r\n£2,153\r\n£12,318\r\n£17,738\r\nEast Renfrewshire\r\n£1,010\r\n£1,754\r\n£1,453\r\n£10,656\r\n£14,873\r\nFalkirk\r\n£0\r\n£0\r\n£0\r\n£27,603\r\n£27,603\r\nFife\r\n£0\r\n£0\r\n£0\r\n£42,578\r\n£42,578\r\nGlasgow City\r\n£5,339\r\n£17,158\r\n£26,509\r\n£87,332\r\n£136,338\r\nHighland\r\n£0\r\n£0\r\n£0\r\n£45,900\r\n£45,900\r\nInverclyde\r\n£0\r\n£0\r\n£0\r\n£14,750\r\n£14,750\r\nMidlothian\r\n£53\r\n£3,162\r\n£1,305\r\n£15,597\r\n£20,117\r\nMoray\r\n£0\r\n£0\r\n£0\r\n£19,357\r\n£19,357\r\nNa h-Eileanan Siar\r\n£0\r\n£0\r\n£0\r\n£5,880\r\n£5,880\r\nNorth Ayrshire\r\n£0\r\n£0\r\n£0\r\n£15,008\r\n£15,008\r\nNorth Lanarkshire\r\n£111\r\n£11,839\r\n£5,151\r\n£45,229\r\n£62,330\r\nOrkney Islands\r\n£124\r\n£606\r\n£812\r\n£2,366\r\n£3,908\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n£350\r\n£5,313\r\n£4,336\r\n£10,947\r\n£20,946\r\nRenfrewshire\r\n£1,686\r\n£5,199\r\n£2,971\r\n£17,142\r\n£26,998\r\nScottish Borders\r\n£0\r\n£0\r\n£0\r\n£12,179\r\n£12,179\r\nShetland Islands\r\n£0\r\n£0\r\n£0\r\n£8,770\r\n£8,770\r\nSouth Ayrshire\r\n£17\r\n£932\r\n£663\r\n£16,983\r\n£18,595\r\nSouth Lanarkshire\r\n£0\r\n£9,793\r\n£9,361\r\n£31,444\r\n£50,598\r\nStirling\r\n£0\r\n£1,521\r\n£2,809\r\n£6,040\r\n£10,370\r\nWest Dunbartonshire\r\n£591\r\n£4,477\r\n£2,711\r\n£12,190\r\n£19,969\r\nWest Lothian\r\n£0\r\n£0\r\n£0\r\n£29,621\r\n£29,621\r\nAll local authorities\r\n£17,388\r\n£109,592\r\n£89,129\r\n£709,819\r\n£925,928\r\nSource: Local Financial Returns – Education (LFR 01) statistical return provided by local authorities to the Scottish Government:  Local government finance statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) \r\nTable 2 shows the percentage of total gross revenue expenditure on education by local authorities which was accounted for by spending on additional support for learning in 2022-23.\r\nTable 2 – 2022-23 share of education expenditure accounted for by ASL\r\nLocal authority\r\nASL spend as a share of education spend\r\nAberdeen City\r\n13%\r\nAberdeenshire\r\n14%\r\nAngus\r\n9%\r\nArgyll and Bute\r\n9%\r\nCity of Edinburgh\r\n17%\r\nClackmannanshire\r\n17%\r\nDumfries and Galloway\r\n11%\r\nDundee City\r\n9%\r\nEast Ayrshire\r\n12%\r\nEast Dunbartonshire\r\n11%\r\nEast Lothian\r\n13%\r\nEast Renfrewshire\r\n9%\r\nFalkirk\r\n12%\r\nFife\r\n9%\r\nGlasgow City\r\n17%\r\nHighland\r\n13%\r\nInverclyde\r\n13%\r\nMidlothian\r\n13%\r\nMoray\r\n15%\r\nNa h-Eileanan Siar\r\n1","AnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417704,"EventID":"S6W-26195","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T16:37:43.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-14T09:10:32.837","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what criteria dental providers must meet to benefit from the Scottish Dental Access Initiative.","AnswerText":"In order to receive a grant under the Scottish Dental Access Initiative, prospective applicants must set out their intention to i) establish a new practice or ii) extend an existing practice within designated geographical areas. Designated areas are defined by Scottish Government with reference to overall availability of General Dental Services. Once granted, SDAI funding is monitored to ensure ongoing compliance with a number of conditions which the grantee agrees to when signing the grant offer letter. These include.Maintaining the number of NHS patient registrations at the time of offer of the grant (if purchasing or extending an existing practice);Registering, or causing to be registered, at least 1,500 NHS patients per grant-aided surgery, and;At least 80 per cent of the practice’s income should derive from General Dental Services.\r\nFor further information on all the areas included in the grant and for all other listed conditions, please see attached link here:  https://www.scottishdental.nhs.scot/nhs-pcad20232-revised-scottish-dental-access-initiative-25-april-2023/","AnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417705,"EventID":"S6W-26199","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T16:37:43.253","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-14T09:10:32.837","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to a supplementary to question S6O-03191 by Jenni Minto on 13 March 2024, whether the ADHD medication, lisdexamfetamine, may be considered a specialist medicine so that NHS National Services Scotland could potentially explore alternative procurement options within devolved competence through its national procurement service.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has no plans to designate lisdexamfetamine (Elvanse ® ) as a specialist medicine or to explore options for commissioning the direct procurement of this medicine through National Services Scotland’s NHS National Procurement.\r\nManufacturing issues and increased global demand are the main reasons for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medicine supply issues and as such it is unlikely that a central procurement of lisdexamfetamine (Elvanse ® ) or of any other ADHD medicine would offer an effective solution. This is anticipated to be a short term problem.\r\nThe regulatory powers on the supply of medicines, are reserved to the UK Government and the Department of Health and Social Care’s Medicines Supply Team are co-ordinating the shortage of ADHD medicines at a UK level. Advice has been issued to healthcare professionals including on the availability of unlicensed imports. In addition, the UK Government has added lisdexamfetamine (Elvanse ® ) to the restricted medicines lists – which means it cannot be exported out of the UK. \r\nThe Scottish Government recognises the impact of these global shortages on people living with ADHD and their families. Scottish Government officials continue to engage with the UK Government on this supply issue and other shortages. NHS Scotland has robust systems in place to manage medicine shortages when they arise. Anyone affected by this issue should speak to their clinical team.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417706,"EventID":"S6W-26155","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T16:37:43.3","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T15:02:17.167","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, as part of any work that it is undertaking to understand and address gambling harms in Scotland, what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding (a) its proposed statutory levy on gambling operators and (b) the rates that gambling operators should pay in the event that the levy is introduced.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government have been actively engaging with the UK Government and the Welsh Government on the Levy, including on how funds could be allocated and will continue to do so now that the formal consultation process has concluded, and we await publication of the consultation response. \r\nThe Scottish Government has asked that the level of the levy is kept under regular review and that Devolved Governments and Administrations are a statutory part of this review process. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417707,"EventID":"S6W-26136","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T16:37:43.35","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T13:42:06.197","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many gigawatts worth of battery storage developments have secured planning permission to date.","AnswerText":"Scottish Ministers have deemed planning permission to be granted to 4.931 GW of Battery Energy Storage System developments made under section 36 of Electricity Act 1989, across 17 applications.\r\nScottish Ministers cannot report on planning permission awarded to Battery Energy Storage System developments with a capacity of 50MW or under, as these are determined by individual local planning authorities.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417708,"EventID":"S6W-26157","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T16:37:43.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T15:02:17.167","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, as part of any work that it is undertaking to understand and address gambling harms in Scotland, whether it has had any discussions with the UK Government regarding the potential disbursement of any funds raised through its proposed statutory levy on gambling operators, in the event that the levy is introduced.","AnswerText":"The statutory levy will be applied across Great Britain and will be used to support potential spending on projects and services across all three nations to reduce gambling related harms.\r\nWe continue to work with the UK Government and the Welsh Government over the levy proposals to ensure that Scotland receives a fair allocation of this funding. It is Scottish Government’s view that this should be, at least, reflective of a population share of the funding.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417709,"EventID":"S6W-26174","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T16:37:43.473","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T12:13:16.213","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether a survey report, as provided for in schedule 1 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 (Prescribed Documents) Regulations 2008, should contain an assessment of the presence or otherwise of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete in the subject building.","AnswerText":"The Home Report single survey is based on a visual inspection of the home by a chartered surveyor. It provides information about the home, its condition, its accessibility and any repairs needed. Any defects identified during the property inspection would be noted in the survey report as well as any limitations to the inspection carried out. The Home Report is not a guarantee of the condition of the property, but it does provide buyers with important information about the property before they make an offer. Buyers are free to instruct their own surveyor to review the report or commission a more detailed survey before making an offer on a property.\r\nThe identification of RAAC usually involves a specialist survey, which often involves invasive investigation techniques and which is completed by a suitably qualified surveyor who is experienced with this type of construction. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417710,"EventID":"S6W-26181","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T16:37:43.553","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T15:05:46.593","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many homes in each local authority area have currently been identified as containing reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).","AnswerText":"The Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) undertook a data collection exercise in December 2023 on the presence of RAAC in social housing. Findings of this have been published by SHR giving a breakdown of the number of homes identified as containing RAAC and how many were still under investigation. At that time, 953 homes were identified with RAAC present across 9 social landlords and 27,318 homes were still under investigation. This was further broken down by landlord and analysed by local authority area. The findings are available on the SHR website  FOI requested copy of RAAC dataset | Scottish Housing Regulator  .\r\nSHR also sought additional information on homes where social landlords have maintenance obligations, provide factoring services, or have previously sold. The intelligence gathered suggests RAAC has been primarily used in public sector house building.\r\nSHR are currently undertaking further data collection and have requested updates from landlords where investigations are still ongoing and will release their findings in due course. SHR will continue to engage with landlords who have identified RAAC and the Scottish Government will be engaging directly with the affected landlords through the RAAC Cross Sector Working Group.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417711,"EventID":"S6W-26182","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T16:37:43.63","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T15:05:46.593","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many children and young people have been treated in adult mental health services in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board or any treated outside of Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Mental Welfare Commission (MWC) produces annual reports on admissions of young people under the age of 18 to non-specialist wards in Scotland. Children and young people referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) will generally be treated in the community. There may be times when it is necessary to admit them to hospital for specialist treatment. Should this be the case they would be admitted to one of the three regional CAMHS inpatient units. There are however occasions when a young person is admitted to a non-specialist ward. This may happen for example when it is clinically judged to be more appropriate to admit that young person to a ward, such as an acute care paediatric ward, or the young person and their family have a preference for an admission to a local adult ward.\r\nThe latest report was published on 23 October 2023 and can be found at  https://www.mwcscot.org.uk/sites/default/files/2023-11/ChildrenYoungPeople-MonitoringReport2023.pdf  . Table 1 provides a breakdown of numbers of young people admitted to non-specialist facilities by year from 2013-14 (202 admissions involving 179 young people) to 2022-23 (79 admissions involving 66 young people). Table 2 provides a breakdown of numbers of young people admitted to non-specialist facilities by NHS board by year. The Scottish Government only holds data on young people treated outside of Scotland from 2014. Since 2014, there have been 21 cross border transfers of CAHMS patients out of Scotland.\r\nInformation on young people placed in adult mental health services is also available through the Mental Health Quality Indicator Profile publication:  https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/media/23859/2023-11-28-qipmh-full-report-final.pdf  . Information can be found under the “Equitable” theme of indicators - indicator EQ4 provides data on the percentage of under 18 year old psychiatric admissions admitted outwith NHS specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH) wards. Please note this information is only published at a national level.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417712,"EventID":"S6W-26158","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T16:37:43.693","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T15:02:17.167","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, as part of any work that it is undertaking to understand and address gambling harms in Scotland, what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding its proposals to introduce stake limits for online slot games.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has welcomed regular engagement with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport officials in UK Government to discuss a range of gambling policy matters, including its proposals to introduce stake limits for online slot games. The Scottish Government has also met and will continue to meet with a wide range of gambling stakeholders, including the Gambling Commission and public health organisations to inform our policy thinking.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417713,"EventID":"S6W-26198","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T16:37:43.74","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-14T09:10:32.837","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the fluoride varnish aspect of the Childsmile programme, and whether it plans to continue with this element of the scheme.","AnswerText":"Specific evaluations of the Childsmile programme are undertaken by the University of Glasgow. Publications can be viewed online at  https://www.gla.ac.uk/  . \r\nMore broadly, the National Dental Inspection Programme (NDIP) monitors the general oral health of children in Scotland. The latest NDIP statistics published in October 2023 showed that 82% of P7 children have no obvious decay, compared with 53% in 2005. In addition, the difference in the percentage of children with no obvious decay in the most and least deprived areas decreased from 26.3 percentage points in 2009 to 16.1 percentage points in 2023.\r\nThis shows the success of our flagship Childsmile Programme. Fluoride varnish is a key element of Childsmile and there are no plans to remove this aspect of the programme. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417714,"EventID":"S6W-26193","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T16:37:43.787","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T22:53:43.99","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider introducing a national policy for the installation of Swift bricks in builds and renovations.","AnswerText":"Securing positive effects for biodiversity is one of six statutory outcomes for the National Planning Framework, as identified in section 3A(3)(c) of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997, as amended. National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) was adopted and published on 13 February 2023. Improving biodiversity is a cross-cutting theme which runs throughout NPF4 and our strategy and policies support development that helps to secure positive effects for biodiversity.\r\nNational Planning Framework 4 Policy 3 (c), which relates to local developments, is underpinned by NatureScot’s Developing With Nature guidance published on 13 February 2023. This guidance includes 24 measures that development can incorporate to enhance biodiversity, one of which is Homes for Small Birds (measure 13).\r\nCurrent building regulations include a standard which promotes sustainable development, including advice on how biodiversity can be well served as a topic in new school developments – this is published under Aspect 4 of our ‘statement of sustainability’, standard 7.1 in the  Non-domestic Technical Handbook  . We plan to revisit this topic, in the context of other ongoing activity, to understand further opportunities for building regulations to make a positive contribution to biodiversity within new developments.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417715,"EventID":"S6W-26186","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-14T16:37:43.833","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T15:41:08.213","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when capital funding for the Community Bus Fund will be made available to local authorities. ","AnswerText":"Officials are working with stakeholders on the design and implementation of the Community Bus Fund for financial year 2024 - 2025. Arrangements for accessing capital funding will be published on the Transport Scotland website once the work has been completed. ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417717,"EventID":"S6W-26208","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-15T16:07:35.497","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-14T14:39:29.33","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of research published by the University of Aberdeen, which reports that cancer patients living in rural areas experience poorer outcomes, and what action it is taking to ensure equitable cancer care across all of Scotland's geography. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government welcomes the research published by the University of Aberdeen. We recognise that this data covers the time period between 2007 and 2017 and that there will have been continued service innovation in recent years including, for example, the roll out of Near Me.\r\nHowever it is clear that improvements are needed. Our strategic aim, as reflected in the Cancer Strategy for Scotland (2023-33), is to improve cancer survival and provide excellent, equitably accessible care. One of our 11 ambitions in the strategy is Tackling Inequalities.\r\nA Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for the cancer strategy and plan was published in August 2023. A planned external evaluation will focus on inequalities, particularly social deprivation and geographies.\r\nWe are committed to understanding patients’ experiences, gaining opportunities for improvement and sharing good practice examples to ensure equitable cancer care. The first mail out of our latest Cancer Patient Experience Survey was sent on 14th February helping us work towards this aim.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417718,"EventID":"S6W-26203","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3763,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":142,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-15T16:07:35.607","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-14T13:53:53.63","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to developing qualifications for those wishing to train as pet groomers, in light of reports that three new dog grooming qualifications, which have been developed in collaboration with providers in the animal care sector, have been introduced in England.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not given any consideration to developing qualifications for those wishing to train to become pet groomers as we do not consider it to be the role of Government to develop such courses.\r\nThere are already various organisations and individuals that offer specific training in dog grooming, with more formal providers delivering training which leads to the award of SQA or City and Guilds recognised qualifications in dog grooming. Other training of relevance to those offering dog grooming services is available through a number of colleges covering animal care, animal husbandry etc.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417719,"EventID":"S6W-26191","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-15T16:07:35.67","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T17:56:04.86","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24425 by Jenny Gilruth on 22 January 2024, whether it will provide an update on whether it has established the cost of (a) consulting on, (b) establishing, (c) launching and (d) the ongoing running of the Centre for Teaching Excellence (CTE); whether it will publish any updates regarding the work to establish the CTE by the Education Reform Programme, and, in light of its previous answer confirming that the costs had not been established at that stage, on what basis it determined that there will be sufficient funding for the CTE through \"repurposing investment currently directed to Regional Improvement Collaboratives\".","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has been engaging with stakeholders since the intention to establish a Centre for Teaching Excellence was announced in October last year. The Co-Production Group has also now been established and stakeholders are involved in detailed discussion around the role and remit of the Centre. The group met on 27 February and 26 March. Minutes of meetings and other material will be published on the Scottish Government website. The only anticipated cost of the co-production process are the staffing costs for the team working on the Centre’s development.\r\nThe Centre for Teaching Excellence is initially being resourced through funding previously allocated to the Regional Improvement Collaboratives. The Scottish Government is working with the Co-Production Group to ensure the Centre maximises its impact and complements wider work across the education sector. It is anticipated that the co-production of the Centre will conclude by the summer, following which there will be a formal process to determine hosting arrangements.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417720,"EventID":"S6W-26192","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5608,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":103,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-15T16:07:35.717","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T19:18:58.533","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the third supplementary to question S6O-02854 by Jenni Minto on 7 December 2023, what its response is to the reported concerns of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) organisations and people with ME regarding the way that the Scottish Good Practice Statement (SGPS) on ME-CFS was updated, including concerns that the key recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline were not inserted into the updated SGPS.","AnswerText":"We published a partial update of the Scottish Good Practice Statement on ME/CFS on the Scottish Government website in February 2023. This incorporated key recommendations from the NICE 2021 guidance on a broad range of topics such as energy management and Graded Exercise Therapy; Cognitive Behavioural Therapy; diagnosis and care of children and young people; and severity scale of illness.\r\nThe statement also includes updated information on social security and social care in Scotland and an appendix of useful resources and contacts provided by Action for ME and other partners.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417721,"EventID":"S6W-26205","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-15T16:07:35.797","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-14T14:35:02.067","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to allowing potential cancer patients to self-refer to Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services.","AnswerText":"At present, no consideration has been given for patients to self-refer to a Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Service. The focus remains on working towards population based coverage to an RCDS for eligible patients by Spring 2026. While we will continue to monitor emerging evidence from UK and international counterparts who have established similar Rapid Diagnostic Centre models, primary care currently play an integral role at the point of referral for RCDS patients. As well as undertaking key initial tests to support triage in secondary care, patients are informed of the process ahead so they can make informed decisions about their care.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417722,"EventID":"S6W-26211","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2678,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":141,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-15T16:07:35.857","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-15T11:26:29.283","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the total number of radiology training places has been in financial year (a) 2019-20, (b) 2020-21, (c) 2021-22, (d) 2022-23 and (e) 2023-24.","AnswerText":"The number of medical training places is calculated by the training year they are advertised/filled rather than by financial year. Most posts start in August to September of each year, with a smaller number from a subsequent recruitment round starting in February. The figures quoted in the following table are specific to training years, with data for 2024 not yet available.\r\nYear\r\nPosts Advertised\r\nPosts Filled\r\n2019\r\n26\r\n26\r\n2020\r\n39\r\n39\r\n2021\r\n34\r\n34\r\n2022\r\n37\r\n37\r\n2023\r\n36\r\n36","AnswerDate":"2024-04-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417723,"EventID":"S6W-26212","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-15T16:07:35.903","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-15T12:06:04.693","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what material support it plans to provide towards a pilot scheme proposed by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh to establish air quality monitors in select schools in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the importance of effective and comprehensive air quality monitoring. Although there are no specific plans to provide material support for this project, we welcome research which contributes to the evidence base around the health impacts of poor air quality.\r\nAll air quality objectives at each site in the Scottish automatic monitoring network are currently being achieved, and we are continuing efforts to further reduce air pollution through a comprehensive range of actions set out in our Cleaner Air for Scotland 2 strategy, including the introduction of Low Emission Zones in our four biggest cities.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417724,"EventID":"S6W-26206","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-15T16:07:35.95","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-14T14:36:21.083","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) NHS Scotland and (b) the relevant NHS boards regarding the provision of recurrent funding for (i) existing and (ii) future Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services.","AnswerText":"Officials met with every Health Board’s Cancer Management Team in March 2024 to discuss their plans for implementing, or sustaining, a Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Service. All possible funding options for both existing and future services will require careful consideration, locally and nationally.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417725,"EventID":"S6W-26210","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-15T16:07:36.047","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-14T15:26:31.48","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on cancer research in each year since 2011-12 in (a) cash terms and (b) real terms, broken down by spending through (i) NHS Research Scotland and (ii) other routes. ","AnswerText":"Within the Scottish Government, funding for Health and Care Research comes under the policy remit of the Chief Scientist Office (CSO)\r\n(A) The following table provides the amount in cash terms of CSO cancer research funding per year from 2011-12\r\nColumn 1 - NHS Research Scotland (NRS) - includes funding for the NRS Cancer Research Network; the CSO component of funding for the Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres in Edinburgh and Glasgow (co-funded 50:50 with Cancer Research UK); NRS Career Research Fellowships in cancer\r\nColumn 2 - Direct Funding - includes cancer projects funded through the CSO grant funding committees; Academic Fellowships in cancer funded through the CSO capacity building programmes; the CSO component of collaborative research project and fellowship funding with cancer research charities\r\nColumn 3 - total CSO cancer research funding by year\r\nTo note - for multi-year projects and fellowships, the funding figure is allocated to the year corresponding to the start date (in the case of cancer charity collaborations the funding is allocated to the year of the collaboration agreement)\r\nYear\r\nNRS Funding\r\nDirect Funding\r\nTotal\r\n2011-12\r\n£732,970\r\n£995,032\r\n£1,728,002\r\n2012-13\r\n£763,000\r\n£1,563,914\r\n£2,326,914\r\n2013-14\r\n£763,000\r\n£1,088,269\r\n£1,851,269\r\n2014-15\r\n£788,000\r\n£1,611,355\r\n£2,399,355\r\n2015-16\r\n£950,630\r\n£2,141,606\r\n£3,092,236\r\n2016-17\r\n£929,012\r\n£1,511,937\r\n£2,440,949\r\n2017-18\r\n£927,723\r\n£2,287,604\r\n£3,215,327\r\n2018-19\r\n£958,199\r\n£1,405,126\r\n£2,363,325\r\n2019-20\r\n£911,529\r\n£1,806,406\r\n£2,717,935\r\n2020-21\r\n£1,092,364\r\n£479,459\r\n£1,571,823\r\n2021-22\r\n£825,000\r\n£1,354,584\r\n£2,179,584\r\n2022-23\r\n£860,000\r\n£2,332,504\r\n£3,192,504\r\n2023-24\r\n£1,112,434\r\n£1,233,269\r\n£2,345,703\r\n \r\nFrom 1 April 2006 a recurring investment of £500,000 was incorporated into the NHS Boards unified budgets to support the NHS Cancer Research Network which would be subject to the annual uplift applied to Boards’ baseline budgets - this has not been included in the above table\r\n(B) The Scottish Government does not hold this information.\r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417726,"EventID":"S6W-26196","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-15T16:07:36.093","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-14T09:10:32.837","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many capital funding awards have been made from the Scottish Dental Access Initiative, broken down by (a) NHS board, (b) dental provider and (c) amount awarded.","AnswerText":"In the following table I have outlined the amount of grant money awarded to each board since 2007. We are unable to confirm the amount to each dental provider as it would potentially breach commercial in confidence.\r\nNHS Board\r\nNumber of grants\r\nTotal amount awarded\r\nAyrshire and Arran\r\n13\r\n£1,770,058.00\r\nBorders\r\n7\r\n£753,501.00\r\nDumfries and Galloway\r\n7\r\n£740,000.00\r\nFife\r\n25\r\n£2,336,573.00\r\nForth Valley\r\n7\r\n£1,000,000.00\r\nGrampian\r\n24\r\n£2,915,000.00\r\nGreater Glasgow and Clyde\r\n39\r\n£4,279,112.00\r\nHighland\r\n17\r\n£1,770,865.00\r\nLanarkshire\r\n24\r\n£2,656,272.00\r\nLothian\r\n25\r\n£2,239,215.00\r\nOrkney\r\n2\r\n£225,000.00\r\nShetland\r\n1\r\n£175,000.00\r\nTayside\r\n24\r\n£2,275,000.00\r\nWestern Isles\r\n1\r\n£175,000.00\r\nTotal\r\n216\r\n£23, 310,596.00","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417727,"EventID":"S6W-26201","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-15T16:07:36.14","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-14T12:09:42.88","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the discretionary funding that it reportedly promised to Aberdeenshire Council on the eve of the local authority's budget setting, which is reported to be in the vicinity of £3 million, will be delivered, and whether it will confirm the exact amount that the local authority will receive.","AnswerText":"The Deputy First Minister has confirmed in a letter on 6 March to COSLA that £62.7 million of additional funding will be provided in 2024-25 and local authorities will have full autonomy to allocate the funding based on local needs and priorities. While all new funding has to be discussed and agreed through the formal financial governance process including the Settlement and Distribution Group (SDG) and COSLA Leaders, Aberdeenshire Council's provisional share of the additional £62.7 million is estimated to be around £2.9 million.\r\nIn addition, Aberdeenshire Council will receive around £8 million following the Council’s decision to freeze Council Tax and all Councils will receive their fair share of the currently undistributed sum of £201.1 million following agreement with COSLA.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417728,"EventID":"S6W-26207","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-15T16:07:36.187","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-14T14:37:27.6","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to improve equity of access to Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services, particularly in Scotland's more remote and rural NHS boards.","AnswerText":"Officials met with every Health Board’s Cancer Management Team in Scotland, including the Island Boards, in March 2024 to discuss their plans for establishing a Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Service (RCDS). The commitment remains, as reflected in Scotland’s Cancer Strategy, to achieve population coverage of an RCDS for eligible patients by Spring 2026.\r\nThe recent University of Strathclyde evaluation report  https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/88280/7/Maguire-etal-2024-Final-report-of-the-evaluation-of-rapid-cancer-diagnostic-services.pdf  showed that a virtual model is well accepted by patients and will be considered by Boards in the North of Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417729,"EventID":"S6W-26213","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-15T16:07:36.233","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-15T12:06:04.693","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what targeted funding it is providing to local authorities to purchase electric school buses.","AnswerText":"Local authorities receive funding via the local government block grant to enable them to meet their statutory obligations, including the provision of home to school transport. Local authorities are responsible for decisions about the purchase of vehicles. The Scottish Government’s guidance on home to school transport encourages local authorities to procure zero emission vehicles for use in home to school transport services. Local authorities and bus operators that provide home-to-school transport services were eligible to apply to our recent round of ScotZEB 2 funding. This programme provides funding to increase the number of zero emission vehicles and their supporting infrastructure by encouraging collaborative working within the bus sector.\r\nThe Scottish Government does not collect information on the number of electric school buses purchased by local authorities.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417730,"EventID":"S6W-26204","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-15T16:07:36.297","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-14T14:34:00.477","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on how many patients have been diagnosed with a blood cancer through Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services.","AnswerText":"The recently published University of Strathclyde evaluation report  https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/88280/7/Maguire-etal-2024-Final-report-of-the-evaluation-of-rapid-cancer-diagnostic-services.pdf  showed that 13.5% of cancers diagnosed through the Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services (RCDS) were blood cancers.\r\nThe Scottish Government does not hold data on exact numbers but work is underway with Public Health Scotland to create a national RCDS data-set.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417731,"EventID":"S6W-26202","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-15T16:07:36.357","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-14T12:21:34.963","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25890 by Siobhian Brown on 11 March 2024, when it will report back to the Parliament on its discussions with Police Scotland, local authorities and animal welfare organisations regarding the identification of XL Bully-type dogs.","AnswerText":"I provided an update to the Scottish Parliament on this issue when I appeared before the  Parliament’s Criminal Justice Committee on 27 March 2024  to give evidence to the Committee on  The Dangerous Dogs (Compensation and Exemption Schemes) (Scotland) Order 2024  .\r\nThe Scottish Government is continuing to engage with Police Scotland, local authorities and animal welfare organisations in relation to the new safeguards and this includes in relation to how XL Bully dogs can be identified.\r\nThe conformation standard guidance document  XL Bully dogs: applying the conformation standard - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  on the Scottish Government website is intended to be used to assist all those involved in the operation of the safeguards relating to XL Bully dogs in Scotland. This includes law enforcement, local authorities, animal welfare organisations and owners of dogs that may be XL Bully dogs.\r\nThe conformation standard guidance document also includes a video from ‘Blue Cross UK’ to show how to measure a dogs height.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417732,"EventID":"S6W-26214","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-15T16:07:36.42","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-15T12:06:04.693","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many electric school buses it has supported each local authority to purchase, in each of the past three years.","AnswerText":"Local authorities receive funding via the local government block grant to enable them to meet their statutory obligations, including the provision of home to school transport. Local authorities are responsible for decisions about the purchase of vehicles. The Scottish Government’s guidance on home to school transport encourages local authorities to procure zero emission vehicles for use in home to school transport services. Local authorities and bus operators that provide home-to-school transport services were eligible to apply to our recent round of ScotZEB 2 funding. This programme provides funding to increase the number of zero emission vehicles and their supporting infrastructure by encouraging collaborative working within the bus sector.\r\nThe Scottish Government does not collect information on the number of electric school buses purchased by local authorities.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417733,"EventID":"S6W-26175","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-15T16:07:36.467","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T14:24:24.78","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported concerns of the tourism industry regarding the potential impact on travellers to and from Scotland, what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the introduction of both the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) and the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), and whether it plans to work with the UK Government on a joint awareness campaign.","AnswerText":"The tourism and hospitality industry plays a vital role in ensuring visitors enjoy their time in Scotland. Many rural areas of Scotland are particularly reliant on tourism to support the local economy.\r\nScotland must be able to continue to welcome people from all over the world each year to enjoy our vibrant culture, history, hospitality, and countryside.\r\nWhilst immigration is fully reserved the Scottish Government are willing to work with the UK Government to ensure minimal disruption to travellers when the new EU systems are introduced.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Emma Roddick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417751,"EventID":"S6W-26215","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":8,"MSPID":5110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":89,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-15T16:19:58.973","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-15T16:18:27.247","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will provide an update on printer maintenance and any other maintenance issues within the MSP block.","AnswerText":"A recent audit of the Multi-function Devices (MFD) highlighted that there was an issue with this particular MFD and this was taken forward by BIT, who deal with software issues in the first instance. Additionally, there were five entries recorded for this MFD in December, none in January and two in February.\r\nThe Contract Manager for the MFD contract with Agilico has confirmed that this MFD has now been replaced with a model with an identical specification and that no further issues have been recorded since.Any general maintenance issues identified or found by parliamentary staff or members should be reported in the first instance to the Facilities Management helpdesk by email (FMHelpdesk@parliament.scot). This will then be logged and sent to the relevant maintenance contractor to rectify.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Claire Baker (on behalf of the SPCB)","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417754,"EventID":"S6T-01869","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-18T14:12:08.39","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-15T10:35:40.953","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported cyber attack on NHS Dumfries and Galloway.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-03-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417755,"EventID":"S6T-01878","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-18T14:12:09.847","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-18T10:37:06.827","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the cost and impact of the transfer of HMP Kilmarnock into public ownership.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-03-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417756,"EventID":"S6F-02940","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-18T14:11:58.893","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-14T11:32:40.14","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417757,"EventID":"S6F-02941","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5586,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-18T14:11:59.02","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-14T11:33:00.13","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417758,"EventID":"S6F-02952","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-18T14:12:00.743","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-18T09:50:16.913","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417759,"EventID":"S6F-02965","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-18T14:12:03.03","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-18T11:17:58.463","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what analysis of passenger behaviour and numbers has been carried out since the inception of the removal of peak rail fares pilot.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417760,"EventID":"S6F-02948","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16194,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-18T14:12:00.097","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-18T09:00:00.75","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government will engage with NHS Scotland on ending the prescription of puberty suppressing hormones to children, following the recent announcement by NHS England.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417761,"EventID":"S6F-02959","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-18T14:12:02.073","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-18T11:03:37.833","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what resources the Scottish Government will be providing to Police Scotland for the investigation of complaints made under the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-03-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417772,"EventID":"S6W-26222","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-18T17:17:14.783","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-15T20:20:11.72","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had regarding the potential impact in Scotland of the UK Government's plans to develop an early warning system to detect synthetic opioids and emerging drugs, which will reportedly track drug presence in real-time through wastewater testing and overdose reports, use and provide data to the UN commission’s own early warning system, and aim to prevent a fentanyl crisis such as that experienced in the USA. ","AnswerText":"Scottish Government officials have been meeting regularly with the UK Government and the other devolved nations to discuss and share plans around the potential impact of synthetic opioids. These meetings are now occurring on a monthly basis. This issue has also been raised on a number of occasions at a Ministerial level, including at the recent British Irish Council Ministerial meeting in January and the UK Drugs Ministerial meeting which took place in November.\r\nThe early warning system using wastewater analysis and overdose reports will provide vital information in terms of changes in the drug supply and in identifying changes in use in different locations. Scottish Water are involved with this work and we will get the data on a quarterly basis and this will feed into our surveillance plans.\r\nIt is vital that we are able to share surveillance information, intelligence and details on changes in drug trends between the different administrations, particularly as the illegal drug supply is not impacted by borders.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417773,"EventID":"S6W-26226","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-18T17:17:14.893","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-16T23:05:35.657","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it has taken to develop the role of social prescribing, and whether it has given any consideration to appointing a national lead for this.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises that social prescribing can be an effective method of improving an individual’s physical, mental and social health. It plays an important role in helping us achieve our commitment to prevention, holistic care and Realistic Medicine. Our Primary Care Community Link Worker programme has been in place since 2014 and a 2017 commitment to create 250 Community Link Worker posts in general practice has been achieved.\r\nDue to the wide range of activity which is described as social prescribing, there are many Scottish Government policies and resources which play a role in supporting its delivery. For example, we recognise the important role played by local organisations in supporting the health and wellbeing of their communities and we are working with the community and voluntary sector to look at how we can enhance the capacity of the sector to help those organisations address the challenges they face. The ongoing development by the ALLIANCE of the ALISS online database helps to provide information on community resources and our Green Health Partnership programme led by NatureScot helps to promote the connection between health and the natural environment.\r\nWe recognise that there may be a need for more national guidance to support Community Link Workers. We are currently considering how to take that forward in relation to the Community Link Worker programme in Primary Care. While this work will focus on Link Workers in Primary Care, we hope that there will be wider learning that may be able to be shared with the wider social prescribing community.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417774,"EventID":"S6W-26225","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-18T17:17:14.953","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-16T14:58:51.94","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the M8 Woodside Viaduct repair project will be the largest transport capital project in Glasgow during the coming financial year.","AnswerText":"The M8 Woodside Viaduct is a vital element of Scotland’s motorway network, carrying approximately 150,000 vehicles daily. Installation of the temporary propping system, required to enable permanent repairs, will continue through the 2024-25 financial year. It is anticipated that the project will be Transport Scotland’s largest capital-funded transport project in Glasgow during this period.\r\nOther significant Government-led transport projects in Glasgow in 2024-25 include the East Kilbride rail enhancement project (£54.1m for 2024-25), active travel infrastructure projects and investing in Glasgow’s City Region Deal. This response does not consider projects by other authorities e.g. Glasgow City Council.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417775,"EventID":"S6W-26227","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-18T17:17:15.017","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-16T23:09:22.197","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with representatives from the care home sector; what matters were discussed, and what actions it has agreed to undertake in supporting this sector.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government have regular and consistent engagement with representatives of the care sector.\r\nRecent engagement has explored resilience, viability, surge pressures, fair work, Healthcare Framework for Adults Living in Care Homes, workforce challenges and support, including NCS design and Workforce Charter.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417776,"EventID":"S6W-26188","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-18T17:17:15.11","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T16:23:01.9","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill, which aims to exonerate people who were wrongfully convicted as a result of the reported issues with the Post Office accounting system, Horizon, not applying to Scotland, what action it will take to ensure that the exoneration of anyone wrongly convicted in Scotland will not be delayed and will not take longer to be effected than in England and Wales.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has repeatedly made it clear to the UK Government that the best way to ensure that there is a quick, fair and equal solution for all affected sub-postmasters is for a UK-wide Bill. It is not too late for the UK Government to change their position, and we will continue to press for a UK-wide solution as the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill progresses through the Westminster Parliament.\r\nIf the scope of the UK Bill is not extended we will do everything in our power to work as quickly as possible to introduce Scottish legislation that delivers justice for all those affected. Any such legislation can however only be passed after the UK Bill has been passed, to allow account to be taken of any amendments made during passage at Westminster. This is required to ensure full compatibility with UK legislation and the UK compensation scheme, in which the Scottish Government has no locus.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417777,"EventID":"S6W-26224","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-18T17:17:15.157","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-16T14:57:29.677","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider closing the M74 Junction 1 Kingston Interchange, in light of its reported duplication with the M8 Junction 21 at Seaward Street, and dispose of the large amount of land that its slip road to Paisley Road West takes up for residential/mixed-use development.","AnswerText":"There is currently no reason for Transport Scotland officials to consider the closure of the M74 Junction 1 Kingston Interchange, which is likely to have significant adverse impacts on the wider local road network given the volume of traffic on the M74 and M8. A clear rationale for changes to the strategic transport network, such as this, need to emerge from a robust business case in line with  Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance  and  Transport Scotland's Guidance on the Development of Business Cases  . If this change was for planning or land use change purposes, I would expect this to be initiated by Glasgow City Council.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417778,"EventID":"S6W-26229","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-18T17:17:15.203","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-16T23:19:44.533","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many patients self-referred to NHS Pharmacy First Scotland, broken down by NHS board, in each full year since the service was launched. ","AnswerText":"All patients who access NHS Pharmacy First Scotland do so by self-referral. In some cases though they will have been advised to attend a community pharmacy by NHS24 or another healthcare service.\r\nPublic Health Scotland has published data on the number of patients who used NHS Pharmacy First Scotland during its first full year of operation, 2021/22. Between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2022, twenty-three percent of the Scottish population (1,242,801 people) accessed Pharmacy First Scotland services at least once. This data is not published as a breakdown by Health Board. More information can be found at  NHS Pharmacy First Scotland - NHS Pharmacy First Scotland - Publications - Public Health Scotland  .\r\nThe figures for 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 (up to September 2023) will be published on 16 April and will be available at the same link.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417779,"EventID":"S6W-26237","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-18T17:17:15.267","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-17T21:43:02.25","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendation in the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee's 1st Report, 2022 (Session 6), Inquiry into perinatal mental health, which was published on 8 February 2022, whether it has established a comprehensive strategy to improve communication, collaboration, co-operation and exchanges of best practice between third sector and statutory perinatal mental health support to make sure that women and families are appropriately and adequately supported.","AnswerText":"The Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Managed Clinical Network Scotland (PIMHNS) has developed a workstream ‘Parents as Patients’ to develop guidance around joined-up working (i) between perinatal/infant mental health services and other mental health services (e.g. general adult mental health, unscheduled care, liaison mental health), and (ii) between perinatal/infant mental health services and other relevant medical care services (particularly primary care and acute hospital care). The important role of the third sector will feature in both. Initial meetings of two Short Life Working Groups (SLWG) have taken place to progress these workstreams, along with amending the existing care pathways which were published in 2021 (  https://www.nn.nhs.scot/pmhn/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2021/06/Care-Pathways-full.pdf  ) .\r\nBoth SLWGs will focus on the themes of:Interfaces – to cover both care between specialist and general or universal services. This would also include principles of joint working and good practice.Education and training – to address knowledge of parent infant relationships and infant mental health needs as well as child protection issues and risks in relation to childbearing.\r\nThe final guidance and updated care pathways are due to be published in the final quarter of the financial year.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417780,"EventID":"S6W-26232","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-18T17:17:15.313","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-16T23:43:45.043","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS care navigators currently work in the NHS, broken down by NHS board. ","AnswerText":"The information requested on how many NHS care navigators currently work in the NHS, broken down by NHS board is not centrally available.\r\nInformation on the NHS Scotland Workforce, broken down by NHS Board, can be found on the TURAS NHS Education for Scotland workforce statistics site at:  NHS Scotland Workforce Data  .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417781,"EventID":"S6W-26223","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-18T17:17:15.407","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-16T09:48:50.54","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that patient and staff data could have been compromised in the cyber attack on NHS Dumfries and Galloway, what support and advice has been offered to NHS boards and public bodies, including NHS (a) Lanarkshire and (b) Forth Valley. ","AnswerText":"All NHS Boards have been briefed on the current situation and the NHS Cyber Security Centre of Excellence will continue to support Boards to be alert and respond to potential threats.\r\nThis is in addition to the routine work that the Scottish Government undertakes to support Health Boards in their cyber security through ensuring compliance with the Network and Information System Regulations.\r\nAs set out in S6T-01869 on 19 March 2024, which is available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament  , colleagues will appreciate that this incident is the subject of a live Police investigation. As a result I am limited in the detail I can share.\r\nHowever, I want to assure the member that the Scottish Government continues to fully support NHS Dumfries and Galloway as they respond to the cyber-attack.\r\nWhile I understand this news will have been alarming for both patients and staff, I can assure Parliament that the Board responded swiftly and in line with established protocol. I have personally spoken to the Chief Executive of Dumfries and Galloway and I am assured that my officials are fully supporting Dumfries and Galloway as part of a multi-agency approach.\r\nIn addition to this, I can confirm that other NHS Health Boards, at the Governments request, have been mobilised to provide technical support to Dumfries and Galloway.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417782,"EventID":"S6W-26236","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-18T17:17:15.453","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-17T21:38:35.367","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work it has undertaken to ensure that primary care staff have appropriate training so that they are able to adequately signpost mothers and families towards appropriate third sector provision of perinatal mental health services.","AnswerText":"The resource for Mental Health and Wellbeing in Primary Care Services was published in June 2022. The resource was developed to support staff working as part of a multi disciplinary team within GP settings. The resource provides a directory of additional sources of help, which patients can access, to complement the support, assessment and treatment they receive from the team. It brings together a range of national resources and tools that support and improve mental health and wellbeing. Section 7 of the resource contains links to sources of support specifically for Perinatal and Parent Support. The resource was promoted via the Mental Health in Primary Care National Oversight Group, Mental Health in Primary Care Leads and NHS Board Mental Health Leads. \r\nThe Scottish Government recognises the document is not exhaustive and there will be a number of local resources and tools that staff will also want to use. The resource can be found at the following link the link for the resource  Resources for Mental Health and Wellbeing in Primary Care Services (www.gov.scot)  .\r\nIn addition to this wider work, there is also a resource dedicated to promoting third sector perinatal and infant mental health services. This resource is available to provide information to families and professionals, including in primary care, to raise awareness of over 110 local third sector services. In the last year the resource page has received 2,693 views. Inspiring Scotland have been promoting the tool on X and in their recent newsletter which reaches NHS staff as well as wider partners. The resource can be found here:  Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Third Sector Service Directory - Inspiring Scotland  .","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417783,"EventID":"S6W-26219","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-18T17:17:15.503","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-15T19:53:32.51","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on alcohol (a) consumption, (b) hospitalisations and (c) deaths in Scotland. ","AnswerText":"Public Health Scotland published a summary  of evidence on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on alcohol consumption and harm in Scotland and England looking at data up to around 2021. This found that, overall, alcohol consumption decreased following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, changes in drinking behaviours were polarised with some increasing their alcohol consumption and others decreasing . This was associated with drinking behaviour before the pandemic: those who increased their alcohol consumption tended to drink more before the pandemic, and those who decreased consumption tended to drink less. Over the COVID-19 pandemic, alcohol-related hospitalisations decreased, and alcohol-related deaths increased – potentially due to changing patterns of consumption and to the decrease in access to services over the pandemic.\r\nMore recent data shows that:For all adults, prevalence of hazardous or harmful drinking has generally decreased over time, with levels dropping from 34% in 2003 to 22% in 2022.In 2022/23, there were 31,206 alcohol-related hospital admissions (stays) in Scotland, a decrease of 11% since 2021/22.In 2022, 1,276 people in Scotland died from alcohol-specific causes, a 2% increase from 2021 and the highest number of annual deaths recorded since 2008\r\nIt is not possible to know the extent to which these trends are attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, increases in alcohol-specific mortality since 2019 are observed across many other countries including all 4 nations of the UK, other European countries, the US and Canada. It is widely observed, including by The Office for National Statistics, that these rises are likely in part to be the result of increased alcohol consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic.\r\nPublic Health Scotland’s evaluation has found that the evidence points to minimum unit price having a positive impact on health outcomes. It is estimated to have cut alcohol consumption, alcohol-attributable deaths and likely to have reduced hospital admissions during the study period.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417784,"EventID":"S6W-26238","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-18T17:17:15.55","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-17T23:28:57.513","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will increase (a) enforcement action and (b) maximum fines to be levied on any road works authorities and undertakers that fail to reinstate street surfaces and associated streetscape to the original standard within the six-month statutory requirement, particularly in cases that scar or damage high-quality municipal public realm surfaces, such as granite paving.","AnswerText":"In 2019 the Scottish Government instituted a period of legal reform for the framework underpinning Scottish road works, expanding and strengthening the range of existing powers roads authorities have.\r\nSince 2023 Scottish Ministers have taken action on enforcement powers, through empowering roads authorities by endorsing a new Code of Practice for reinstatement, which introduced a UK leading six year guarantee for utility works. We have committed to a review of road works Fixed Penalty Notices (the fines to be levied), due to start in 2024.\r\nAuthorities already have an existing power to undertake any outstanding work directly and recharge all costs, should the utility fail to act. These are all discretionary powers, and it is for each roads authority to determine whether it is appropriate to use those powers in each situation.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417785,"EventID":"S6W-26190","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-18T17:17:15.58","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T16:51:59.27","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its work to support the enhancement of Channel 4's operations in Scotland, what its position is on Channel 4’s reported proposals to Ofcom for it to retain its 91% production quota for England and introduce a 65% London quota, and what representation it has made to (a) Channel 4 and (b) Ofcom regarding these proposals.","AnswerText":"While the Scottish Government welcomes Channel 4’s progress to enhance its operations in Scotland, in particular with the creation of a creative hub in Glasgow in 2019, it has been our long-held view that Channel 4 should have a higher quota for network production commissioned from Scotland and our position remains that the quota should be based on population share, in terms of both hours and spend.\r\nThe Scottish Government’s view is that Ofcom’s current proposals to retain Channel 4’s 91% production quota for England and introduce a 65% London quota are unacceptable and we have made that clear in our response to Ofcom’s consultation. At a recent meeting with Ofcom’s Chief Executive, I restated that view and strongly urged a rethink of the current proposals. I also intend to meet with Channel 4 Chief Executive in the coming weeks to set out our expectation that Channel 4 makes considerable progress towards increasing its level of network production outside of London and from the nations, on a fairer basis.\r\nThe Scottish Government considers it vital that more productions are devised and produced in Scotland to support the creative economy and so that Scotland’s diverse communities see themselves reflected in its output. We strongly believe that broadcasting media should deliver for each part of the UK, with fair investment in our creative industries, and an appropriately authentic representation for Scottish audiences, and we will continue to make those views clear in our engagement with broadcasters, Ofcom and the UK Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417786,"EventID":"S6W-26228","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-18T17:17:15.673","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-16T23:14:01.197","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work it has undertaken in the last 12 months to increase patient awareness of alternative pathways to primary care.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has delivered the Right Care Right Place campaign during October to November 2023 which outlined the options for those seeking urgent medical care across A&E/999, General Practice and NHS 24 111. The campaign also promoted the self-help guides that are available on NHSInform.scot and messaging relating to multi-disciplinary teams within General Practices.\r\nIn addition, NHS 24 has delivered their healthy know-how campaign which promoted the option of contacting a local pharmacist, as well as our regular campaigns as to how best to use NHS services (including primary care) over the winter period.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417787,"EventID":"S6W-26218","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-18T17:17:15.907","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-15T19:53:32.51","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it has taken to address alcohol harm since it was cited in the 2022-23 Scottish Budget as a public health emergency. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to take whole population and targeted approaches to tackle alcohol-related harms. We have laid legislation seeking the agreement of Parliament to continue Minimum Unit Pricing, and set the price per unit at 65 pence. Members of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee voted to approve those orders on 26 March 2024 and I am pleased that there is cross party support for this policy.\r\nWe will continue to engage with all stakeholders, including public health organisations and the alcohol industry, around potential restrictions to alcohol marketing. This will take the form of targeted engagement, with the aim of consulting on a more specific set of proposals later this year.\r\nWe have asked Public Health Scotland to investigate the reasons behind the apparent 40% reduction in the number of people accessing specialist alcohol treatment.\r\nWe are working with stakeholders to develop a National Service Specification, informed by the forthcoming UK alcohol treatment clinical guidelines. They will aim to provide clarity on the types of treatment and recovery services available.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417788,"EventID":"S6W-26221","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-18T17:17:16.143","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-15T20:20:11.72","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to introduce drug checking services at music festivals and other cultural and entertainment venues, as a harm reduction measure.","AnswerText":"We are committed to help deliver drug checking facilities across Scotland and are making progress to establish this service in three pilot areas (Dundee, Aberdeen and Glasgow), alongside a national hub which will be able to provide additional analysis of samples.\r\nWe have highlighted our desire to introduce these facilities to the Home Office as any activity which involves the possession of controlled drugs would require a Home Office licence. As a result, the Home Office have provided a set of criteria to assist in the completion of these licence applications and which they would expect any prospective drug checking facility to adhere to. That information has been shared with those pilot areas and we continue to provide them with support.\r\nHowever, these criteria make clear that such a license would only be granted for a facility attached to an existing drug treatment service, and that it be specifically targeted at those with problem substance use. Furthermore, UK Ministers have been clear in their opposition to ‘front of house’ drug checking, as might be found in festivals and other venues, and so would not grant a license for such a service.\r\nWe welcome interest from further cities or organisations who would wish to implement this harm reduction measure in alternative venues, including music festivals. We would be willing to work with them, and partners such as Police Scotland, to explore what might be possible in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417789,"EventID":"S6W-26231","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-18T17:17:16.19","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-16T23:26:50.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many primary care appointments were cancelled in the last two years, broken down by NHS board.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold information on how many primary care appointments were cancelled in the last two years, broken down by NHS board.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417790,"EventID":"S6W-26233","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-18T17:17:16.237","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-17T20:21:42.72","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the submissions to the Wolfson Economics Prize 2021, in response to the problem question, \"How would you design and plan new hospitals to radically improve patient experiences, clinical outcomes, staff wellbeing, and integration with wider health and social care?\", have influenced Scottish Government policy on the design of healthcare facilities.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government policy for design quality in healthcare (DL(2010)19) looks to ensure that these elements are considered by designers and NHS Boards. This is assessed by the NHSScotland Design Assessment Process (NDAP) provided by NHSScotland Assure in conjunction with Architecture and Design Scotland (A&DS) is the vehicle for assessing design quality in NHSScotland Capital funded healthcare facilities developments and is an integral part of the Business Case process. The NDAP, along with the Sustainable Design and Construction (SDaC) requirements, ensures that a well rounded and measured assessment is made of the requirements of the objectives of each project they review.\r\nThis Wolfson Economics Prize competition of 2021 provided numerous innovative submissions in response to the problem question. Each of the runners up and the winner of the prize provided interesting responses to specific strands of healthcare design. The main themes featured in the Wolfson Economic Prize finalists are embeded in the NDAP and SDaC process to ensure sustainable, Person Centred Care.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417791,"EventID":"S6W-26234","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-18T17:17:16.33","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-17T21:20:56.89","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what advances in training on perinatal mental health have been made following the recommendations made in the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee's 1st Report, 2022 (Session 6), Inquiry into perinatal mental health (SP Paper 104), which was published on 8 February 2022.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has worked with NHS Education for Scotland (NES) to develop ‘Perinatal mental health curricular framework : a framework for maternal and infant mental health’. This framework sets out the different levels of knowledge and skills required by members of the Scottish workforce who have contact with mothers and their babies, to enable them to support mothers, babies and their families to have positive well-being and good mental health during the perinatal period.\r\nThe Scottish Government has also worked with NES to advance training on Perinatal and Infant Mental Health. Training in evidence-based approaches and interventions is delivered to staff across sectors and across practice types including informed, skilled, enhanced and specialist, as appropriate to their role.\r\nThis includes education and training within Perinatal and Infant Mental Health through e-learning modules which are available on TURAS, covering seven topic areas of essential knowledge. We have also worked with NES to create a specialist Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Learning Programme which allows NES to track the progress of staff in Specialist Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Services including Mother and Baby Units, Community Perinatal Mental Health Teams and Maternity and Neonatal Psychological Interventions.\r\nDuring 2024-25, NES will continue to promote training at all levels across the sectors that support the development of positive relationships and attachment in the early years. This will be achieved through increasing workforce capacity to deliver evidence-based parent-child relationships focused interventions and approaches from the antenatal period, through infancy and across childhood.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417792,"EventID":"S6W-26216","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-18T17:17:16.377","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-15T16:23:45.137","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on what the (a) shortest, (b) longest and (c) average duration was in the academic year 2022-23 that (i) a teacher and (ii) an educational worker was suspended from their duties following allegations made against them and pending investigation. ","AnswerText":"Information relating to personnel matters is not routinely shared with the Scottish Government by local authorities. The requested information is therefore not held by the Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417793,"EventID":"S6W-26235","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-18T17:17:16.423","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-17T21:32:13.487","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress NHS Education for Scotland has made on its commissioned piece of work to develop a national midwifery career framework.","AnswerText":"In conjunction with Scottish Government and wider stakeholders, NHS Education for Scotland (NES) are leading the development of a national midwifery career framework, although this is not a formal commissioned piece. The work is being overseen by a steering group, chaired by the Chief Midwifery Officer. \r\nThe steering group has already developed a Midwifery Preceptorship Framework to support those starting their career in the midwifery workforce and a Midwifery Development Framework Ecosystem has also been created to underpin the framework activity. A development framework for Level 2-4 Perinatal Healthcare Support Workers is nearing completion with a draft framework for consultation anticipated in April 2024.\r\nIn addition, the group will consider career development in Bands 5-9 across the four pillars of practice.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417794,"EventID":"S6W-26230","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-18T17:17:16.487","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-16T23:24:36.413","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the development and use of single patient records within NHS Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government have recently corresponded with the Scottish Parliament’s Health, Social Care and Sport Committee on this question. See  Electronic patient record | Scottish Parliament Website  .  To support our ambitions set out in the  2021 Strategy - Digital Healthcare Scotland % (digihealthcare.scot)  we will be publishing our Delivery Plan for 2024-25 in late April 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417795,"EventID":"S6W-26220","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-18T17:17:16.533","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-15T19:53:32.51","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what potential impact the COVID-19 pandemic is predicted to have on alcohol (a) consumption, (b) hospitalisations and (c) deaths in Scotland over the next 10 years. ","AnswerText":"Modelling undertaken by  Sheffield University  looked at how alcohol consumption in Scotland changed during the COVID-19 pandemic and the longer-term implications over 20 years of these changes for public health. This found that on average, people in Scotland who were drinking within the UK low-risk drinking guidelines of 14 units/week reduced their alcohol intake in 2020, while those drinking above the guidelines increased their drinking by an average of 2 units/week.\r\nThe modelling then explored 4 illustrative scenarios for how these changes in drinking persisted, or not, from 2022 onwards and compared these to drinking having remained at pre-pandemic levels throughout. In the best-case scenario where it was assumed that alcohol consumption reverts to pre-pandemic levels in 2022, it was estimated there would be an additional 663 deaths, 8,653 hospital admissions, 22,122 years of life lost and £10.9million in NHS hospital costs over 20 years. Where it was assumed that consumption changes during the pandemic would persist in the long-term, it was estimated there would be an additional 7,924 deaths, 91,332 admissions, 239,002 years of life lost and £111.2million in hospital costs over 20 years.\r\nThis harmful health impact of the pandemic on alcohol-related outcomes was estimated to fall disproportionately on the most deprived groups, further increasing existing inequalities in health.\r\nThe Public Health Scotland (PHS) evaluation into the impacts of Minimum Unit Pricing found the largest estimated reductions in deaths and hospital admissions, during the study period that were wholly attributable to alcohol consumption were seen in men and those living in the 40% most deprived areas.The evaluation found the largest estimated reductions in deaths and hospital admissions, during the study period that were wholly attributable to alcohol consumption were seen in men and those living in the 40% most deprived areas","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417796,"EventID":"S6W-26264","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":16175,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":119,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T09:06:44.633","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T08:24:08.007","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the draft Bioenergy Policy Statement will be published.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is pleased to announce that today we will publish the draft Bioenergy Policy Statement for consultation.\r\nThe draft Bioenergy Policy Statement is seeking views on the priorities and principles that we have set out for the use of bioenergy, as well as views on the potential to scale up domestic production of biomass via planting of perennial energy crops.\r\nThe consultative draft of the Policy Statement will be available to view on the Scottish Government website at  http://www.gov.scot/ISBN/9781835215074  and the consultation questions will be available on Citizen Space at  https://consult.gov.scot/energy-and-climate-change-directorate/draft-bioenergy-policy-statement-consultation  . The consultation will be live for 12 weeks from today until 12 June 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417831,"EventID":"S6W-26252","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:06:57.057","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-18T10:38:42.1","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to strengthen the ability of (a) local authorities and (b) other relevant bodies to enforce animal welfare regulations.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to engage regularly with local authorities and relevant bodies to ensure enforcement of animal welfare regulations.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417832,"EventID":"S6W-26246","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:06:57.307","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-18T10:36:53.203","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been committed to reopening the Independent Living Fund to new applicants in (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26.","AnswerText":"A budget of £9m has been committed to reopening the Independent Living Fund in 2024-25. Funding for 2025-26 will be agreed through the annual budget process.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417833,"EventID":"S6W-26273","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:06:57.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T10:10:56.347","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support the work of justice social workers in communities, in light of reported data showing that 13 local authorities made reductions to frontline criminal justice social workers in 2022-23. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is working with local government and other stakeholders to support justice social workers and to enhance the delivery of services. This includes increasing funding and providing updated operational guidance.\r\nIn 2024-25, a total of £148 million will be invested in community justice. This includes an additional £14 million to encourage wider use of robust community-based interventions where appropriate. This additional investment reflects the evidence that such interventions can be more effective than short-term imprisonment at reducing reoffending, assisting with rehabilitation and ultimately ensuring there are fewer victims of crime.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417834,"EventID":"S6W-26272","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:06:57.447","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T10:10:29.87","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that Strathclyde Partnership for Transport has agreed to begin work on local bus franchising in the west of Scotland. ","AnswerText":"We have delivered all the powers within the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019, which enables each local transport authority to determine which of the options they want to use to improve bus provision in their area. While some may opt for a franchising approach, others may choose to progress with a partnership or run their own services. It is for each local transport authority to determine which of these powers they want to use.\r\nIn the case of Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, I welcome their decision to explore all available bus powers, including franchising, as part of their Strathclyde Bus Strategy.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417835,"EventID":"S6W-26280","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:06:57.493","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T11:34:48.173","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to complete the roll-out of prostitution \"exit hubs\", and how long the pilot project will last. ","AnswerText":"The development of a new support pathway for those with experience of prostitution is a key component of “Scotland’s strategic approach to challenging and deterring men’s demand for prostitution and supporting the recovery and sustainable exit of those involved in prostitution”, published on 6 February 2024.\r\nAs part of this a hub will be established to strengthen the links between mainstream and specialist support services, in order to improve access to support for those affected, from crisis support through to support to sustainably exit from prostitution.\r\nA pilot of the hub will begin in summer and subject to evaluation a phased national roll out will follow.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417836,"EventID":"S6W-26275","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:06:57.54","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T10:11:39.297","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures it will take to support the childcare sector, in light of reported data showing that the number of childminders almost halved from just over 6,200 in December 2012 to 3,225 in December 2023.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government values the important work that childminders undertake in communities and is committed to supporting and growing the sector. We commissioned research on the reasons for the reduction in childminder numbers (a trend that is mirrored elsewhere in the UK) which was published in April 2022 and can be found here:  https://www.gov.scot/publications/childminding-workforce-trends-qualitative-research-report/ \r\nInformed by that research, we are working with the Scottish Childminding Association to address the decline in the childminding workforce via a programme of recruitment and retention work. This work has been informed by recent pilot activity and will ensure that more families have access to the unique and flexible experience of childcare that childminders can offer. This programme is expected to launch in the Spring.\r\nWe will implement a range of measures to address retention issues, ensuring that our childminders are supported with their workloads and professional development, including trialling a mentoring scheme and models of funded time off the floor to allow childminders to undertake activity such as planning and continuous professional learning.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417837,"EventID":"S6W-26249","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:06:57.587","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-18T10:36:53.203","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many new applications to the reopened Independent Living Fund it estimates will be received.","AnswerText":"Up to 1,000 new applicants will be offered awards in 2024-25. The actual number of applications received will be monitored by ILF Scotland and Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417838,"EventID":"S6W-26251","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:06:57.633","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-18T10:36:53.203","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of any estimates, analysis or modelling that it has for the reopening of the Independent Living Fund.","AnswerText":"Based on £9 million of funding available in 2024-25, Scottish Government and ILF Scotland worked together to develop indicative options based on varying threshold sums and maximum award levels for consideration by the Co-Production Working Group. The group provided recommendations to Ministers on reopening the fund, which were accepted. The recommendations report is available at:  https://ilf.scot/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Recommendations-for-Scottish-Ministers-v01.0.pdf \r\nThe group recommend that the Fund should re-open using a ‘threshold sum’ as a key access principle. The threshold sum is the value of the local authority / Self Directed Support care package and has been used by ILF since 1993 as a proxy for level of need. Following deliberations on the group on the number of people that may be eligible at different threshold levels, the group recommend that the Fund should open with a threshold sum of £800.\r\nThe group considered that 10 hours of additional independent living focused support and assistance was meaningful in relation to the realisation of Article 19 of the UN Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities (UNCRPD) and would enable a typical award to contribute to making a meaningful difference. Using the current ILF average hourly rates awarded of £22 per hour, taking 10 hours as the average, and 15 hours as the maximum, this equates to a maximum award of £330 per week.\r\nTo ensure that the Fund is affordable within the £9m allocation committed to by Ministers in the first year, each local authority area was allocated a share of 1,000 places in the Fund, with places allocated proportionately based on the size of the population and the percentage of disabled people in that area. The places allocated to each local authority is available on the ILF Scotland website:  https://ilf.scot/re-opening-ilf/re-opening-frequently-asked-questions/#allocation ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417839,"EventID":"S6W-26243","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:06:57.697","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-18T09:13:15.7","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many services for children, young people and their families in each local authority area have received funding from the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund.","AnswerText":"According to plans submitted by local authorities, the number of Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Supports and Services for children, young people and their families to have received funding in each local authority area is as follows: \r\n2021-22\r\n2022-23\r\n2023-24\r\nAberdeen City\r\n1\r\n1\r\n1\r\nAberdeenshire\r\n8\r\n8\r\n13\r\nAngus\r\n4\r\n6\r\n7\r\nArgyll and Bute\r\n6\r\n7\r\n6\r\nCity of Edinburgh\r\n24\r\n29\r\n29\r\nClackmannanshire\r\n6\r\n7\r\n5\r\nDumfries and Galloway\r\n8\r\n9\r\n10\r\nDundee City\r\n14\r\n11\r\n10\r\nEast Ayrshire\r\n9\r\n3\r\n7\r\nEast Dunbartonshire\r\n5\r\n12\r\n7\r\nEast Lothian\r\n6\r\n2\r\n1\r\nEast Renfrewshire\r\n1\r\n2\r\n1\r\nFalkirk\r\n3\r\n9\r\n7\r\nFife\r\n19\r\n12\r\n8\r\nGlasgow City\r\n10\r\n13\r\n14\r\nHighland\r\n9\r\n14\r\n62\r\nInverclyde\r\n2\r\n6\r\n7\r\nMidlothian\r\n12\r\n6\r\n3\r\nMoray\r\n4\r\n1\r\n3\r\nNa h-Eileanan Siar\r\n3\r\n4\r\n6\r\nNorth Ayrshire\r\n14\r\n8\r\n8\r\nNorth Lanarkshire\r\n9\r\n11\r\n10\r\nOrkney Islands\r\n1\r\n2\r\n1\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n4\r\n13\r\n21\r\nRenfrewshire\r\n11\r\n8\r\n6\r\nScottish Borders\r\n5\r\n10\r\n15\r\nShetland Islands\r\n3\r\n3\r\n2\r\nSouth Ayrshire\r\n6\r\n16\r\n15\r\nSouth Lanarkshire\r\n9\r\n12\r\n12\r\nStirling\r\n8\r\n17\r\n7\r\nWest Dunbartonshire\r\n3\r\n5\r\n2\r\nWest Lothian\r\n8\r\n6\r\n5\r\nTotal\r\n235\r\n273\r\n311\r\nAs local authorities decide which supports and services to implement on the basis of locally-identified need in line with the Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Supports and Services Framework, some areas have used the funding to establish one larger hub-based service while others have commissioned a range of smaller supports.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417840,"EventID":"S6W-26265","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:06:57.743","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T08:42:10.563","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on the Childsmile programme in each of the last five financial years, also broken down by NHS board area.","AnswerText":"Childsmile funding is provided annually to Boards through i) the Outcomes Framework and ii) direct allocation from the General Dental Services (GDS) budget.\r\nThe Outcomes Framework is a single source of funding to NHS Boards which provides for local flexibility on resource allocation to deliver clearly defined outcomes. The Framework has a strong focus on delivering strategic priorities such as prevention and reducing health inequalities.\r\nFollowing years of non-recurring funding, £72 million was provided to NHS Boards in 2023-24 on a recurring basis to deliver all Outcomes, including deliverables on Childsmile. Funding for individual components of the Outcomes Framework, including Childsmile, is not separately identifiable within the total allocation and therefore no meaningful disaggregation can be provided.\r\nIn addition to Outcomes Framework funding which is provided to every Board, some Boards also receive direct programme allocations from the GDS budget to support Childsmile activities on a national and/or regional basis. Allocations provided to these Boards are therefore not indicative of activity undertaken within the geographic location given the co-ordinating role they undertake, and have not been provided in breakdown although they are included in total programme allocation.\r\nThe total value of allocations associated with Childsmile in each of the last five financial years is set out in the following table:\r\nYear\r\nProgramme Allocation (£m)\r\nTotal Outcomes Framework (£m)\r\n2019-20\r\n2.3\r\n62.9\r\n2020-21\r\n2.2\r\n68.9\r\n2021-22\r\n1.4\r\n74.1\r\n2022-23\r\n2.4\r\n74.1\r\n2023-24\r\n2.7\r\n72.2\r\nFrom 2022-23, additional funding has been provided to all Territorial Boards and National Services Scotland to scale up Childsmile activity through the provision of additional toothbrushing packs and recruitment of additional Dental Health Support Workers. A breakdown of this funding by NHS Board for 2022-23 and 2023-24 is provided in the following table. \r\n2022-23\r\nfunding (£)\r\n2023-24\r\nfunding (£)\r\nNHS Ayrshire and Arran\r\n113,739\r\n113,739\r\nNHS Borders\r\n37,387\r\n34,637\r\nNHS Dumfries and Galloway\r\n38,963\r\n38,963\r\nNHS Fife\r\n98,984\r\n88,834\r\nNHS Forth Valley\r\n79,240\r\n68,271\r\nNHS Grampian\r\n108,700\r\n90,338\r\nNHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde\r\n475,008\r\n475,008\r\nNHS Highland\r\n62,647\r\n53,203\r\nNHS Lanarkshire\r\n226,952\r\n213,812\r\nNHS Lothian\r\n203,482\r\n189,267\r\nNHS Orkney\r\n21,068\r\n18,068\r\nNHS Shetland\r\n21,068\r\n16,068\r\nNHS Tayside\r\n99,509\r\n92,338\r\nNHS Western Isles\r\n21,067\r\n20,867\r\nNational Services Scotland\r\n242,000\r\n337,000\r\nTotal\r\n1,849,814\r\n1,850,413\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417841,"EventID":"S6W-26256","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:06:57.807","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-18T12:48:19.39","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the report, A Fair Energy Deal for Scottish Communities – Call to Action, which was published by Community Energy Scotland.","AnswerText":"As set out in the draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan (ESJTP), the Scottish Government is committed to maximising the benefits flowing into our communities from a just energy transition. The final ESJTP will build on this commitment, as well as the successes of our Community and Renewable Energy Scheme, the Onshore Wind Sector Deal and our Good Practice Principles, to support sustainable and thriving communities as part of our renewables revolution.\r\nI welcome this report and look forward to discussing it with Community Energy Scotland and partners to explore actions to further grow a thriving community energy sector in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":417842,"EventID":"S6W-26271","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:06:57.867","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T10:09:27.957","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported figures highlighting that, in 2022-23, social workers in Scotland lost over 30,000 days in absences due to mental ill-health. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the pressures social workers are under and are taking action to support the workforce.\r\nWe have invested in wellbeing resources. From 2021 onwards, we provided the Scottish Association of Social Work (SASW) with £296,000 to invest in a Social Work Professional Support Service. This service covers a number of professional issues, including wellbeing and resilience, and is backed by the National Wellbeing Hub.\r\nWe have also provided funding to support the social work workforce. In 2022-2023 and also in 2023-2024, we gave £22 million to councils to address the shortages of social work staff in adult services.\r\nCurrently, we are working with partners to identify ways to better support social workers, including developing a Joint Workforce Improvement Plan in conjunction with COSLA to address recruitment and retention challenges. We have also formed a Joint Social Care and Social Work/Services Workforce Taskforce to explore ways we can deliver improvements for workforces in adult and children’s social care and social work.\r\nWe will create a National Social Work Agency to provide a single national body with oversight of the social work profession. The Agency will promote workforce wellbeing and create a listening leadership culture.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417843,"EventID":"S6W-26269","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:06:58.087","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T09:28:19.113","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support has been provided to those who experienced historic forced adoption since it issued a formal apology to those people in March 2023.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26394 on 22 March 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-04-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417844,"EventID":"S6W-26247","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:06:58.337","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-18T10:36:53.203","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a detailed breakdown of the phased approach that it plans to take to reopening the Independent Living Fund.","AnswerText":"We have committed £9m in 2024-25 to offer up to 1,000 new applicants access to the Independent Living Fund. This initial funding takes into consideration that applications will be received and assessed over the course of the year, so that new awards will phase in as the year progresses. Funding for 2025-26, and the number of further people who will be able to access the Fund, will be agreed through the annual budget process.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417845,"EventID":"S6W-26257","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:06:58.4","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-18T12:48:19.39","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to setting a wholly-owned community energy target of 1GW by 2030. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to working with partners to continue to grow a thriving community energy sector. The latest Community and Locally Owned Energy statistics show that, at the end of December 2023, there was an estimated 1,028 MW of community and locally owned renewable energy in Scotland. This is a progression of 51% towards the Scottish Government’s target of 2 GW of community and locally owned energy by 2030.\r\nOur target includes different types of community and local ownership to reflect the different needs, requirements and opportunities available to communities across Scotland. It also recognises the role these projects play in making Scotland’s net zero transition more local, democratic and inclusive, with energy projects and solutions better tailored to local needs.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":417846,"EventID":"S6W-26245","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:06:58.447","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-18T10:36:53.203","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government on what date it anticipates it will reopen the Independent Living Fund to new applicants.","AnswerText":"The Independent Living Fund reopened to new applications at the start of April 2024. Following a period of systems and process testing with initial applications, ILF Scotland expect to open to online applications by late April. ILF Scotland expect to start making their first payments to new recipients from May. ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417847,"EventID":"S6W-26244","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:06:58.507","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-18T10:36:53.203","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what financial modelling it has carried out to calculate its cost basis projection for reopening the Independent Living Fund (ILF) Scotland 2015 Fund.","AnswerText":"The budget of £9m for 2024-25 has been set on the basis of up to 1,000 disabled people receiving awards of up to £330 per week. The budget takes account of awards for new recipients phasing in over the course of the year, and makes allowance for the additional operational costs to Independent Living Fund Scotland for processing and assessing applications and supporting new recipients.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417848,"EventID":"S6W-26240","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:06:58.57","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-18T09:13:15.7","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been distributed in each local authority area from the £50 million Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund since 2020.","AnswerText":"Funding for Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Supports and Services for children, young people and their families has been distributed to each local authority area as follows: \r\n2019-20\r\n£\r\n2020-21\r\n£\r\n2021-22\r\n£\r\n2022-23\r\n£\r\n2023-24\r\n£\r\nAberdeen City\r\n62,500\r\n144,000\r\n576,000\r\n585,000\r\n577,000\r\nAberdeenshire\r\n62,500\r\n197,500\r\n790,000\r\n797,000\r\n809,000\r\nAngus\r\n62,500\r\n81,500\r\n326,000\r\n322,000\r\n324,000\r\nArgyll and Bute\r\n62,500\r\n61,250\r\n245,000\r\n246,000\r\n247,000\r\nCity of Edinburgh\r\n62,500\r\n34,750\r\n139,000\r\n135,000\r\n136,000\r\nClackmannanshire\r\n62,500\r\n108,250\r\n433,000\r\n430,000\r\n430,000\r\nDumfries and Galloway\r\n62,500\r\n111,250\r\n445,000\r\n434,000\r\n427,000\r\nDundee City\r\n62,500\r\n83,000\r\n332,000\r\n326,000\r\n328,000\r\nEast Ayrshire\r\n62,500\r\n67,000\r\n268,000\r\n270,000\r\n271,000\r\nEast Dunbartonshire\r\n62,500\r\n73,500\r\n294,000\r\n290,000\r\n291,000\r\nEast Lothian\r\n62,500\r\n65,250\r\n261,000\r\n268,000\r\n271,000\r\nEast Renfrewshire\r\n62,500\r\n335,750\r\n1,343,000\r\n1,361,000\r\n1,339,000\r\nFalkirk\r\n62,500\r\n22,250\r\n89,000\r\n88,000\r\n89,000\r\nFife\r\n62,500\r\n104,750\r\n419,000\r\n419,000\r\n419,000\r\nGlasgow City\r\n62,500\r\n261,750\r\n1,047,000\r\n1,040,000\r\n1,036,000\r\nHighland\r\n62,500\r\n434,250\r\n1,737,000\r\n1,759,000\r\n1,755,000\r\nInverclyde\r\n62,500\r\n178,000\r\n712,000\r\n707,000\r\n713,000\r\nMidlothian\r\n62,500\r\n50,500\r\n202,000\r\n192,000\r\n191,000\r\nMoray\r\n62,500\r\n62,000\r\n248,000\r\n249,000\r\n254,000\r\nNa h-Eileanan Siar\r\n62,500\r\n68,750\r\n275,000\r\n274,000\r\n276,000\r\nNorth Ayrshire\r\n62,500\r\n92,500\r\n370,000\r\n360,000\r\n359,000\r\nNorth Lanarkshire\r\n62,500\r\n234,500\r\n938,000\r\n935,000\r\n940,000\r\nOrkney Islands\r\n62,500\r\n17,500\r\n70,000\r\n71,000\r\n71,000\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n62,500\r\n103,500\r\n414,000\r\n418,000\r\n423,000\r\nRenfrewshire\r\n62,500\r\n113,500\r\n454,000\r\n453,000\r\n452,000\r\nScottish Borders\r\n62,500\r\n82,250\r\n329,000\r\n334,000\r\n335,000\r\nShetland Islands\r\n62,500\r\n20,750\r\n83,000\r\n84,000\r\n85,000\r\nSouth Ayrshire\r\n62,500\r\n70,750\r\n283,000\r\n283,000\r\n282,000\r\nSouth Lanarkshire\r\n62,500\r\n210,250\r\n841,000\r\n835,000\r\n840,000\r\nStirling\r\n62,500\r\n73,250\r\n293,000\r\n291,000\r\n281,000\r\nWest Dunbartonshire\r\n62,500\r\n58,250\r\n233,000\r\n231,000\r\n231,000\r\nWest Lothian\r\n62,500\r\n144,000\r\n511,000\r\n513,000\r\n518,000\r\nTotal\r\n2,000,000\r\n3,750,000\r\n15,000,000\r\n15,000,000\r\n15,000,000\r\nTotal\r\n£50,750,000\r\nA further £15 million has been committed for financial year 2024-25.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417849,"EventID":"S6W-26279","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:06:58.617","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T11:10:27.697","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when all GP surgeries across Scotland will be able to use electronic signatures to authorise prescriptions.","AnswerText":"The Digital Prescribing and Dispensing Pathways (DPDP) programme, is scheduled to replace the current paper prescription in Scotland with a digital approach by the end of this parliamentary term.\r\nThe business case which sets out the proposal for the next phase, and associated funding, for the programme are currently under consideration.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417850,"EventID":"S6W-26278","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:06:58.807","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T10:29:08.453","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on staff employed by (a) MSPs and (b) political parties being part of its expert advisory groups.","AnswerText":"Expert advisory groups are set up in response to the specific needs and demands of the individual policy context. Decisions on the need to set up such groups and membership are taken by the relevant Minister.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417851,"EventID":"S6W-26253","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:06:58.977","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-18T10:38:42.1","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the number of canine breeding services operating in Scotland over the last five years.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not undertaken any assessment of the number of canine fertility businesses operating in Scotland over the last five years. Responses to our recent animal licensing consultation indicated that there are potentially hundreds across the UK, but we do not have figures for Scotland.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417852,"EventID":"S6W-26270","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:06:59.087","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T10:08:54.62","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is has any further plans to purchase or hire ferries from other countries, in light of reports of the successful delivery of the MV Isle of Islay from a company in Turkey.","AnswerText":"Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL), as procuring authority, undertakes robust open procurement exercises in line with relevant legislation and guidance for all new vessel projects. In previous procurement exercises CMAL has received interest from shipyards worldwide.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417853,"EventID":"S6W-26160","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:06:59.307","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T16:13:19.067","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps are being taken to ensure that there is sufficient funding for the training of Auditory Verbal therapists to enable all deaf children to have the opportunity to access this specialist support.","AnswerText":"There are no plans at present for any additional funding of additional Auditory Verbal therapists.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417854,"EventID":"S6W-26242","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:06:59.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-18T09:13:15.7","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown by local authority of how the £16 million of funding for access to counselling services in all secondary schools will be allocated in 2024-25.","AnswerText":"All allocations in the Local Government Settlement are published on the Government Website at:  4 Tables and Interactive Dashboard - Scottish Local Government Finance - Green Book: 2024-2025 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) \r\nThe allocations for school counselling services for 2024-25 is as follows: \r\n£000s\r\nAberdeen City\r\n513\r\nAberdeenshire\r\n771\r\nAngus\r\n328\r\nArgyll & Bute\r\n372\r\nCity of Edinburgh\r\n1,052\r\nClackmannanshire\r\n165\r\nDumfries & Galloway\r\n497\r\nDundee City\r\n404\r\nEast Ayrshire\r\n347\r\nEast Dunbartonshire\r\n404\r\nEast Lothian\r\n330\r\nEast Renfrewshire\r\n403\r\nFalkirk\r\n467\r\nFife\r\n1,006\r\nGlasgow City\r\n1,361\r\nHighland\r\n1,015\r\nInverclyde\r\n237\r\nMidlothian\r\n297\r\nMoray\r\n279\r\nNa h-Eileanan Siar\r\n173\r\nNorth Ayrshire\r\n418\r\nNorth Lanarkshire\r\n986\r\nOrkney Islands\r\n186\r\nPerth & Kinross\r\n434\r\nRenfrewshire\r\n509\r\nScottish Borders\r\n324\r\nShetland Islands\r\n260\r\nSouth Ayrshire\r\n328\r\nSouth Lanarkshire\r\n959\r\nStirling\r\n312\r\nWest Dunbartonshire\r\n283\r\nWest Lothian\r\n579\r\nTotal\r\n16,000\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417855,"EventID":"S6W-26239","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:06:59.413","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-18T08:04:52.467","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much North Ayrshire Council has paid in unitary charges for its public-private partnership (PPP) for schools project in each year since 1 March 2006, and how much it estimates it will pay in future years.","AnswerText":"The latest published data shows that North Ayrshire Council have paid a total of £187.2 million in unitary charge payments since 2007-08 for its North Ayrshire Schools PFI contract and that the total projected payments from 2023-24 onwards until contract expiry are estimated at £253.6 million.\r\nIt also shows that North Ayrshire Council have paid a total of £20.5 million in unitary charge payments since 2017-18 for its Largs Campus contract, which formed part of the NPD/hub Programme and the total projected payments from 2023-24 onwards until contract expiry are estimated at £91.5 million.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417856,"EventID":"S6W-26250","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:06:59.477","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-18T10:36:53.203","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it estimates the average award level will be for new applications to the reopened Independent Living Fund.","AnswerText":"Based on the recommendations of the Co-Production Working Group, the maximum award for new recipients of the Independent Living Fund has been set at £330 per week. Historically awards have tended to be substantially lower than the maximum. However, the Independent Living Fund is now open to new applicants for the first time since 2010, so it is challenging to estimate the average award level. Awards will depend on individual assessments by ILF Scotland Assessors of the award required to achieve the independent living outcomes sought.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417857,"EventID":"S6W-26262","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:06:59.523","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-18T17:07:09.407","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work it has undertaken to explore the options for local authorities to introduce a carbon emissions land tax. ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25967 on 11 March 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417858,"EventID":"S6W-26161","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:06:59.71","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T16:13:19.067","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to (a) NHS boards and (b) local authorities to ensure that there is sufficient funding for the training of (i) audiologists, (ii) speech and language therapists and (iii) teachers of the deaf in the provision of Auditory Verbal therapy to help improve outcomes and opportunities for deaf children.","AnswerText":"Auditory Verbal therapy is one of a number of methods used to provide support for deaf children. NHS Boards and local authorities are responsible for ensuring the services they deliver best meet the needs of their local population.\r\nAs such, any decisions around provisions of training for staff in any of the professions described should be made locally following a thorough assessment of needs. ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417859,"EventID":"S6W-26259","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:06:59.757","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-18T12:48:19.39","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider establishing an obligation for private developers to regularly update the Community Benefits Register.","AnswerText":"The powers to mandate community benefits are reserved to the UK Government. \r\nThe Onshore Wind Sector Deal, signed in September 2023, builds on the success of Scottish Government Good Practice Principles and commits the sector to updating the register of Community Benefit on an annual basis. This will ensure greater transparency and effective reporting on the benefits offered to Scotland’s communities.\r\nThe register, administered by Local Energy Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government, indicates that 273 developments offered over £26 million worth of community benefits to Scottish communities in the past 12 months. The register can be accessed here:  https://localenergy.scot/community-benefits-register/  .\r\nWe continue to call on the UK Government to explore mandating community benefits and shared ownership of onshore renewable energy projects alongside plans for electricity transmission networks.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":417860,"EventID":"S6W-26087","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:06:59.82","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-11T10:47:34.093","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25728 by\r\nAngela Constance on 4 March 2024, whether it can provide a detailed breakdown\r\nof the £91.23 hourly cost; what its position is on whether this cost represents\r\nvalue for money, and what details it can provide regarding the procurement\r\ncontract for the audio transcription service, including any consideration that\r\nit has given to seeking alternative providers.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service (SCTS) record solemn criminal proceedings using a Digital Audio Recording System. While the record of proceedings will be retained by SCTS, they are not routinely transcribed.\r\nTranscription is done by an external agency and the details of the procurement contract are entirely a matter for SCTS. I can advise that SCTS has utilised a Crown Commercial Services (CCS) Framework RM1557 contract, available to all Government organisations. The benefits of this contract are, scalable services enabling pay for what you use, and the ability to increase or reduce what you need easily alongside a quick and easy route to market.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417861,"EventID":"S6W-26263","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:06:59.867","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-18T17:08:27.113","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it (a) can take and (b) is taking to speed up the legislative process.","AnswerText":"Timescales for the legislative process are set out in the Scottish Parliament’s Standing Orders (for example in relation to Scottish Statutory Instruments) or are determined by Parliament on the advice of the Parliamentary Bureau (for example in relation to target dates for the completion of stages of Bills).\r\nWhen the Scottish Government contributes its perspective to timetabling discussions it seeks to balance the need to make progress in delivering its legislative programme with the need for Parliament to be able to appropriately scrutinise that legislation, whilst also recognising the role of parliamentary authorities and the time they need in supporting members ahead of amending stages of Bills.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"George Adam","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417862,"EventID":"S6W-26261","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:06:59.993","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-18T15:55:09.417","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on ScotRail's plans to include a split-ticket offer on its digital retail platforms. ","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for ScotRail. The Member may wish to contact ScotRail for further information on this matter. \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":417863,"EventID":"S6W-26284","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:07:00.167","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T13:44:18.613","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the new Fair Work conditionality in certain agricultural grants will extend to temporary workers in Scotland on a seasonal worker visa. ","AnswerText":"The following five grant schemes listed will have Fair Work conditionality added to the existing grant conditions\r\n• Agri – Environment Climate Scheme (AECS),\r\n• Crofting Agricultural Grants Scheme (CAGS),\r\n• Food Processing, Marketing and Co-operation (FPMC),\r\n• Forestry Grant Scheme (FGS), and\r\n• Sustainable Agriculture Capital Grant Scheme (SACGS).\r\nFor CAGS and FGS Fair Work Conditionality will apply from 1 April 2024, for the three other schemes Fair Work Conditionality will be applied from the opening of the next application window for each scheme.\r\nFair Work conditionality applies to all employees irrespective of contractual length who are working on activity that relies on one of the grants listed above.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417864,"EventID":"S6W-26248","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:07:00.307","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-18T10:36:53.203","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what eligibility criteria it plans to employ for new applications to the reopened Independent Living Fund.","AnswerText":"The principles that will govern access to the reopened Independent Living Fund, recommended by the Co-Production Working Group, are set out on the Independent Living Fund Scotland website, at  https://ilf.scot/news-post/update-re-opening-ilf-in-scotland/ ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417865,"EventID":"S6W-26281","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:07:00.417","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T11:35:38.203","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the multi-agency group on commercial sexual exploitation has been established, and, if so, what the membership of the group is, and whether the remit of the group will include consideration of the criminalisation of the purchase of sex. ","AnswerText":"The new multi-agency group on commercial sexual exploitation held its first meeting on 27 March 2024. The membership of the Group includes representatives from the third and public sector. Details about the group can be accessed here:  https://www.gov.scot/groups/commercial-sexual-exploitation/  . It is anticipated that part of the remit of the group will be to help inform the implementation and delivery of our strategic approach to challenging and deterring men’s demand for prostitution.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417866,"EventID":"S6W-26088","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:07:00.497","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-11T10:47:34.093","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25727 by Angela Constance on 4 March 2024, whether it will provide details of the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service's work to minimise the cost of producing transcripts of court cases, and what the timescales are for the completion of this work.","AnswerText":"The SCTS is committed to exploring new technologies, including the potential for Artificial Intelligence, to help improve its services. During the 2024-25 financial year the SCTS will assess the potential to use AI-supported natural language processing in support of transcription services.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417867,"EventID":"S6W-26276","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:07:00.56","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T10:11:52.093","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to (a) promote the use of British Sign Language (BSL) in public spaces and (b) improve the availability of BSL education, in light of the aims of Sign Language Week, which takes place from 18 to 24 March 2024.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the importance of Sign Language Week in promoting British Sign Language (BSL) given its positive impact on both culture and community in Scotland. During this week the First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills reiterated support of BSL and the Scottish Government’s commitments within the BSL National Plan 2023 – 2029.\r\nIn response to (a), the Scottish Government published the BSL National Plan 2023 – 2029 in November 2023. This plan sets out our approach to making Scotland the best place in the world for BSL users to live, visit, work, and learn; it sets out 45 commitments across ten priority areas including health, education, and justice. The BSL (Scotland) Act 2015 also requires listed authorities to publish their own Authority Plans; they are our key partners in promoting the use of BSL in public spaces.\r\nIn response to (b), the Additional Support for Learning Act places education authorities under duties to identify, provide for and review the additional support needs of their pupils, including those affected by deafness. The level of support required, and input from a specialist teacher of deaf children and young people, will vary depending on a child’s individual needs. To support deaf children and young people the Scottish Government provides funding of £150,000 to  The Scottish Sensory Centre  to support staff training enabling effective support to deaf pupils. In addition, Education Scotland has developed a professional learning resource which seeks to support practitioners to engage more effectively with British Sign Language users. This can be found on their website at the following link:  https://education.gov.scot/resources/good-practice-in-working-with-deaf-learners-their-parents-and-families-bsl-plan/ \r\nEducation Scotland has published a BSL toolkit setting out the key national legislation and General Teaching Council for Scotland standards which practitioners should be aware of when working with BSL users. Information to help practitioners understand BSL, Deaf culture and identity is provided throughout the Toolkit alongside some of the key definitions and terms used when working with parents and families. You can view the Toolkit here:  British Sign Language (BSL) - Toolkit for Practitioners | Resources | Education Scotland  . Education Scotland also published resources to help families support their children’s learning, which can be found at:  BSL | Parentzone Scotland | Education Scotland ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417868,"EventID":"S6W-26159","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:07:00.62","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-12T16:13:19.067","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to ensure equitable access to Auditory Verbal therapy for all deaf children under the age of five whose families want them to learn to listen and speak.","AnswerText":"Auditory Verbal UK is a suitable therapeutic intervention for some young people, and it remains an option that can be pursued by local health boards.\r\nThe provision of services including suitable therapeutic intervention remains a matter for local authorities and health boards.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417869,"EventID":"S6W-26267","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:07:00.667","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T08:54:42.44","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on whether it plans to make eligibility for business rate reliefs conditional on payment of the real Living Wage, as part of its Fair Work Action Plan, and, if so, which rate reliefs it anticipates will be in scope.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government’s Fair Work Action Plan sets out actions to promote fair and inclusive workplaces across Scotland. We are committed to using all levers at our disposal to extend Fair Work conditionality with clear standards and minimum requirements to cover all forms of Scottish Government support within the limits of devolved competence. \r\nThe exploratory action to consider including the use of reliefs does not reflect a definitive position on if and how these can be used. Officials continue to explore, within the limits of devolved competence, if and how these levers can be deployed. ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417870,"EventID":"S6W-26260","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:07:00.73","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-18T12:48:48.123","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many individuals in Scotland are qualified to draft legislation. ","AnswerText":"There is no register of people in Scotland qualified to draft legislation, neither is there a defined category of person qualified to provide these services. Therefore, the Scottish Government can only answer this question in relation to its own drafters. \r\nThe Parliamentary Counsel Office drafts all Scottish Government Bills. The Scottish Government currently has 23 parliamentary counsel (21.5 FTE). All parliamentary counsel are qualified lawyers. There are no additional special qualifications needed to be appointed as parliamentary counsel but the Scottish Government does invest heavily in training counsel in the specialist skills needed to draft primary legislation.\r\nLawyers within the Scottish Government Legal Directorate (SGLD) draft most Scottish Government secondary legislation, including Scottish Statutory Instruments. As of April 2024 there were 192 qualified solicitors in SGLD who may be asked to draft legislation as part of their duties.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"George Adam","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417871,"EventID":"S6W-26268","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:07:00.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T08:54:59.033","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on whether it plans to make the granting of licence permissions conditional on payment of the real Living Wage, as part of its Fair Work Action Plan, and, if so, which types of licences it anticipates will be in scope.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-21195 on 19 September 2023. In the meantime, we are focussing on the successful implementation of Fair Work First conditionality in public sector grants. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-04-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417872,"EventID":"S6W-26258","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:07:00.857","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-18T12:48:19.39","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider establishing a short-life working group with representation from local authorities, private developers and community representatives to undertake a comprehensive review of the repowering process. ","AnswerText":"Repowering existing and operational wind generating stations will, in most cases, involve the full or partial replacement of a constructed generating station. This requires extensive construction works, such that a new development consent will be required. The process to consider these applications is already well established.\r\nThe recently signed Onshore Wind Sector Deal has a number of commitments that support the streamlining and speeding up of the consents process, as well as commitments from industry to collaborate with communities, engage at all stages of the project life cycle and offer impactful community benefits. These commitments all apply to repowering applications.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":417873,"EventID":"S6W-26274","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:07:00.903","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T10:11:21.713","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported comments by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland that HMP Greenock \"should be bulldozed\" because of its condition.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government and the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) are committed to modernising and improving the prison estate, to ensure it is fit for purpose for those who live and work in prisons, and supports the rehabilitation of people living there.\r\nThe decisions made by the UK Government to reduce capital funding in real terms year on year, alongside construction supply chain issues, labour shortages and recent high inflation mean that we are having to prioritise capital investment on areas of highest need. Replacing HMP Inverness and HMP Barlinnie remain the current prison infrastructure priorities.\r\nIn addition, SPS are undertaking a series of improvements to HMP Greenock until at least 2030, including roofing upgrades and replacements and refurbishment of the kitchen.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417874,"EventID":"S6W-26283","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:07:01.073","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T13:44:07.907","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government to which agricultural grants the new Fair Work conditionality in public sector grants will apply.","AnswerText":"Scottish Ministers announced on 6 December 2022 that organisations applying for public sector grants awarded on or after 1 July 2023 will need to pay at least the real Living Wage and provide appropriate channels for effective workers’ voice.\r\nIt was agreed that the application of Fair Work conditionality would be implemented from 1 April 2024 to Agricultural grants that meet the criteria of the overall SG Fair Work Policy.\r\nThe five grant schemes listed below will have Fair Work conditionality added to the existing grant conditions\r\n• Agri – Environment Climate Scheme (AECS),\r\n• Crofting Agricultural Grants Scheme (CAGS),\r\n• Food Processing, Marketing and Co-operation (FPMC),\r\n• Forestry Grant Scheme (FGS), and\r\n• Sustainable Agriculture Capital Grant Scheme (SACGS).\r\nFor CAGS and FGS Fair Work Conditionality will apply from 1 April 2024, for the three other schemes Fair Work Conditionality will be applied from the opening of the next application window for each scheme.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417875,"EventID":"S6W-26266","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:07:01.12","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T08:42:10.563","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much the fluoride varnish aspect of the Childsmile programme has cost in each of the last five financial years.","AnswerText":"Funding provided to NHS Boards for the delivery of Childsmile covers the full programme, and we do not separate the cost of certain aspects of the programme, such as the fluoride varnish element.\r\nMy answer to the Member’s separate question (reference S6W-26265 on 15 April 2024) sets out how much the Scottish Government has spent on the Childsmile programme in the last five years.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417876,"EventID":"S6W-26254","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-19T17:07:01.2","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-18T12:14:43.617","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its proposed Community Wealth Building Bill. ","AnswerText":"The 2023-24 Programme for Government outlined our commitment to develop legislative proposals and other actions to support Community Wealth Building across Scotland. In 2023, we held a consultation that sought views on the changes and actions required to advance the approach. An independent analysis report of the consultation was published in October 2023.\r\nWe are undertaking detailed analysis of respondents’ feedback in relation to the proposal for a duty to advance Community Wealth Building and examining the feasibility of the proposals for other areas of legislative change that were submitted through the consultation exercise.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417877,"EventID":"S6O-03275","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5800,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T15:44:55.313","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T10:27:25.25","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of the impact of its 2024-25 Budget on the Highlands and Islands region.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417878,"EventID":"S6O-03281","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T15:44:55.597","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T15:02:22.753","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had regarding the proposed re-instatement of a direct ferry link between Rosyth and Zeebrugge.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417879,"EventID":"S6O-03279","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T15:44:55.673","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T09:15:31.35","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to support the reversal of the reported reduction of bus services in Dumfries and Galloway.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417880,"EventID":"S6O-03266","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T15:44:55.907","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T10:17:03.367","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the former chairman of Prestwick Airport resigned his post to lead a bid to purchase the airport.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417881,"EventID":"S6O-03260","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T15:44:56.097","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-18T12:29:23.063","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken to measure the extent of economic inactivity in Scotland post-COVID-19 pandemic.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417882,"EventID":"S6O-03274","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T15:44:56.157","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T09:28:34.893","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when its review of capital spending will be complete.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417883,"EventID":"S6O-03276","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T15:44:56.377","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T14:14:54.313","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that rail travel is safe.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":417884,"EventID":"S6O-03282","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":89,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T15:44:56.657","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-18T12:40:45.12","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of Strathclyde Partnership for Transport's recommendations for the future delivery of the regional bus network.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417885,"EventID":"S6O-03261","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T15:44:56.72","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T11:53:18.047","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to support the creation of new jobs at the Chapelcross site near Annan.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417886,"EventID":"S6O-03263","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T15:44:56.783","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T09:33:18.89","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will undertake an evaluation of the potential benefits of small modular nuclear reactors within Scotland's energy provision.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417887,"EventID":"S6O-03270","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16182,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":117,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T15:44:56.83","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T16:13:43.18","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has made towards the goals of the Freedom of Information Improvement Plan 2024.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417888,"EventID":"S6O-03283","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16177,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":125,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T15:44:56.893","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T10:11:51.227","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last engaged with commercial bus operators, such as Stagecoach, regarding bus provision in areas like the Banffshire and Buchan Coast constituency.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417889,"EventID":"S6O-03268","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5074,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":104,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T15:44:57.11","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T11:06:39.987","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact that stagnation has had on Scotland's public finances, in light of the final report of the Resolution Foundation's The Economy 2030 Inquiry, which found that the UK is a decade and a half into a period of stagnation.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417890,"EventID":"S6O-03278","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5598,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":139,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T15:44:57.173","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T17:11:16.557","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many citizens, including residents of the Cunninghame South constituency, have accessed free public transport through the national concessionary scheme in the last year.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417891,"EventID":"S6O-03277","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T15:44:57.377","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T14:50:06.943","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update on when it will make a decision on the continued ban on the consumption of alcohol at all times on trains, in light of ScotRail's confirmation in evidence to the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee that the consultation findings have been passed to Transport Scotland. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417892,"EventID":"S6O-03269","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5621,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":99,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T15:44:57.61","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T18:54:52.863","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it has allocated the funding raised through ScotWind option fees in the 2024-25 Scottish Budget.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417893,"EventID":"S6O-03262","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3907,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":135,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T15:44:57.673","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T11:31:26.213","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the importance of Prestwick Airport as a strategic asset for Ayrshire and Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417894,"EventID":"S6O-03272","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5618,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":91,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T15:44:57.737","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T16:19:05.003","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many premises in South Lanarkshire currently receive rates relief through the Small Business Bonus Scheme.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417895,"EventID":"S6O-03264","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16191,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":77,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T15:44:57.8","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T10:25:19.517","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact of UK Government policies on its vision for a wellbeing economy in Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417896,"EventID":"S6O-03280","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5612,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":150,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T15:44:57.847","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T09:04:40.983","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the decision by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport to take forward plans to franchise bus services.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417897,"EventID":"S6O-03273","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T15:44:57.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T15:22:10.633","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government at what specific annual income any individual would start to pay more income tax in Scotland than they would elsewhere in the UK under its new Scottish income tax levels.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417898,"EventID":"S6O-03267","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T15:44:58.113","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-18T16:53:16.023","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any progress towards meeting its target of reducing food waste by 33% by 2025.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417899,"EventID":"S6O-03284","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T15:45:02.51","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-18T12:35:08.93","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will reconsider its decision to\r\npause capital funding for NHS Highland in respect of completion of the\r\nrefurbishment of Grantown Health Centre, in light of reports that these works\r\nwere nearly completed and that the pause of the contract may lead to additional\r\ncosts in excess of the notional sum saved.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417900,"EventID":"S6O-03286","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T15:45:02.65","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T09:24:43.883","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many children aged 16 and under have been prescribed puberty suppressing hormones through NHS Scotland since 2014.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417901,"EventID":"S6O-03290","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T15:45:02.88","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-18T13:38:53.437","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many children in Aberdeen have been lifted out of poverty since the inception of the Scottish Child Payment.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417902,"EventID":"S6O-03289","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T15:45:03.193","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T12:30:17.397","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to support tenants, in light of reports of accelerating rents. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417903,"EventID":"S6O-03287","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16207,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T15:45:03.35","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T09:13:06.187","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support the mental wellbeing of asylum seekers accommodated in hotels in Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417904,"EventID":"S6O-03285","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T15:45:03.413","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T09:41:02.543","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is supporting the museum sector. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417905,"EventID":"S6O-03291","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":3129,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":83,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T15:45:03.477","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T09:29:56.417","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent work it has undertaken under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 (Contingency Planning) (Scotland) Regulations 2005 in relation to any potential nuclear event in Scotland, in light of reports that nuclear warheads are routinely transported by road across the country.","AnswerText":"The transportation of defence nuclear material in Scotland is a reserved matter for the Ministry of Defence (MOD). The Scottish Government expects any such transportation to be carried out safely and securely and has made this expectation clear to the UK Government.\r\nOur emergency services have plans in place for responding to the consequences of any major incident regardless of the cause. There are well established resilience structures in Scotland to manage the consequences of any emergency, and we regularly engage with key stakeholders in Scotland and where appropriate with relevant authorities across the UK.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417906,"EventID":"S6O-03288","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T15:45:03.523","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T10:15:50.36","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417926,"EventID":"S6W-26282","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T17:03:42.167","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T12:43:43.743","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish a plan to progress the reform recommendations set out in the report, Lessons Learned – resetting national collective bargaining in the colleges sector, in light of it being two years, on 25 March 2024, since the finalised report was published.","AnswerText":"While the Scottish Government commissioned the Lessons Learned Report, the recommendations are for those involved in the National Bargaining arrangement to take forward. The Scottish Government has no powers to impose an implementation plan on stakeholders.\r\nHowever, to encourage the taking forward of the findings of the report, I met with a range of stakeholders on 13 March to commence a dialogue around next steps for the Sector. I will continue to engage with this group as they, I hope, are able to work towards finding a better way forward than currently exists.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417927,"EventID":"S6W-26330","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T17:03:42.307","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T16:49:27.51","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many young offenders currently being held in a young offenders institution are (a) 16 and (b) 17 years old. ","AnswerText":"On the morning of 25 March 2024 there were (a) no 16 year olds and (b) five 17 year olds held in Young Offender Institutions in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417928,"EventID":"S6W-26314","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T17:03:42.353","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T16:45:31.89","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to ensure that visitors to parks and other areas for outdoor recreation are aware of the risk of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26312 on 8 April 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-04-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417929,"EventID":"S6W-26327","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T17:03:42.43","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T16:49:27.51","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many children and young people have died in the care of a Scottish local authority prior to their 18th birthday since 2018.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that the tragic death of any looked after child or young person is accurately reported on and reviewed to improve services and ensure that children and young people are receiving the best care possible. A total of 49 children and young people have sadly died in the care of local authorities prior to their 18th birthday since 2018 to the present day. These figures include children and young people with complex/life limiting health conditions.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417930,"EventID":"S6W-26318","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T17:03:42.477","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T16:45:31.89","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-11374 by Aileen Campbell on 28 September 2017, whether it will provide an update on what preventative action (a) Health Protection Scotland and (b) each NHS board has taken to warn of tick-related health conditions; what (i) posters, leaflets and other information have been issued and (ii) events have been organised on this topic (A) routinely and (B) since 2017, and what analysis it has carried out or plans of the effectiveness of this.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26312 on 8 April 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-04-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417931,"EventID":"S6W-26325","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T17:03:42.523","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T16:49:27.51","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what data it collects about care experienced young people's school (a) attendance, (b) achievement, (c) attainment and (d) positive destinations; how any such data is analysed, and when it will next be reviewed. ","AnswerText":"Data on education outcomes of care experienced young people is collected and published as part of the annual  Education Outcomes of Looked After Children  (EOLAC) Official Statistics publication. This covers pupils in publicly funded mainstream schools in the 32 local authorities, and one grant aided school. For the latest EOLAC 2021-22 publication, information was linked from:Looked After Children statistics, 2008-09 -  2021/22  School Leaver Initial destination data  School Leaver Follow-up Destination data  Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) Levels data \r\nInformation on the methodology used to match looked after children’s data is available in the  background notes  of the EOLAC 2021-22 publication. The latest education outcomes for looked after children statistics include analysis for:All children looked after within the yearChildren looked after for the full yearChildren looked after for part of the yearChildren who had been looked after at some point for any duration since age 5, and since age 12. These statistics were published for the first time in the 2021-22 publication as Experimental Statistics.\r\nThe experimental statistics will be reviewed before the next iteration of the statistics, planned for publication in August 2024.\r\nData on (b)  achievement  , (c)  attainment  and (d)  positive destinations  is collected annually. Further information on the types of analysis breakdowns provided for these education outcomes can be found in the  supporting Tables document  of the 2021-22 publication. Data on (a)  attendance  is collected every second year, and was last published in 2020-21. Further information on the types of analysis breakdowns provided for attendance can be found in the  supporting Tables document  of the 2020-21 publication. Information on the groups each of these education outcomes is analysed for can be found in the respective section of the publication report, as per the hyperlinks provided above.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417932,"EventID":"S6W-26299","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T17:03:42.573","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T15:34:30.9","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the value of youth work within the school environment. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government considers youth work within the school environment to be incredibly valuable.\r\nAn independent review of Community Learning and Development (CLD), was launched in December 2023 and is expected to conclude in June 2024. This review aims to assess the impact of CLD on learners across Scotland which will provide valuable insights for the delivery of CLD in a reformed education system.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417933,"EventID":"S6W-26335","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T17:03:42.727","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T16:49:27.51","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how its coordinates homelessness prevention across government for (a) care experienced young people and (b) veterans. ","AnswerText":"The Minister for Housing has convened a Ministerial Oversight Group on Homelessness which brings together ten ministers from across the Scottish Government to identify the actions required across portfolios to prevent and end homelessness. \r\nThe group provides a space for shared political leadership and enhanced policy links with a view to ensuring everyone has a safe, warm place to call home. The last meeting was held on 20 March 2024 and had a focus on young people, including care experienced young people.\r\nMembership, terms of reference, minutes and actions from the meetings can be found here –  Ministerial Oversight Group on Homelessness - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  . \r\nOutwith this group, policy officials across government work together on policy development and implementation with the aim of preventing homelessness for care experienced young people and veterans. This includes participating in A way Home Scotland Coalition meetings and Veterans Scotland Housing Group meetings as appropriate. ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417934,"EventID":"S6W-26305","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T17:03:42.773","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T15:48:34.87","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent review it has undertaken of the provision of sexual health and wellbeing services for young people.","AnswerText":"There has been no formal review of the provision of sexual health and wellbeing services for young people, however the Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that young people across Scotland have access to these services. In 2023 we published our Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus (SHBBV) Action Plan, particular attention was paid to young people in the development of the plan. We have allocated multi-year funding to a range of projects to help deliver this goal, details of these projects were published alongside the SHBBV Action Plan.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417935,"EventID":"S6W-26296","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T17:03:42.823","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T15:22:25.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measurements it is currently using to assess its Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government takes an evidence-based approach to tackling child poverty by ensuring that plans are underpinned by evidence and that we carefully monitor progress. The evaluation strategy summarises the approach which is split across three key areas:\r\n(1) Careful monitoring of the four child poverty targets(relative poverty, absolute poverty, low income and material deprivation, and persistent poverty).\r\n(2) Examination of the three drivers of poverty via the child poverty measurement framework (income from employment, cost of living, and income from social security and benefits in-kind) and\r\n(3) monitoring impact of key interventions on child poverty.\r\nThe hyperlinks to all key documents mentioned above are included in the background note.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417936,"EventID":"S6W-26241","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T17:03:42.87","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-18T09:13:15.7","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people in each local authority area received support through services funded through the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund in 2023, and what assessment it has made of the number of children, young people and family members in total that were supported.","AnswerText":"According to reports provided by local authorities, the number of children, young people and family members accessing the funded Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Supports and Services in each local authority area in the first half of 2023 was as follows (reports for the second half of 2023 are not due to be provided before May 2024):\r\nAberdeen City\r\n435\r\nAberdeenshire\r\n763\r\nAngus\r\n208\r\nArgyll and Bute\r\n5590\r\nCity of Edinburgh\r\n1036\r\nClackmannanshire\r\n536\r\nDumfries and Galloway\r\n821\r\nDundee City\r\n438\r\nEast Ayrshire\r\n1245\r\nEast Dunbartonshire\r\n262\r\nEast Lothian\r\n964\r\nEast Renfrewshire\r\n208\r\nFalkirk\r\n1106\r\nFife\r\n7910\r\nGlasgow City\r\n2649\r\nHighland\r\n12,466\r\nInverclyde\r\n251\r\nMidlothian\r\n233\r\nMoray\r\n209\r\nNa h-Eileanan Siar\r\n326\r\nNorth Ayrshire\r\n3986\r\nNorth Lanarkshire\r\n1683\r\nOrkney Islands\r\n20\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n1288\r\nRenfrewshire\r\n246\r\nScottish Borders\r\n5742\r\nShetland Islands\r\n183\r\nSouth Ayrshire\r\n3191\r\nSouth Lanarkshire\r\n2199\r\nStirling\r\n788\r\nWest Dunbartonshire\r\n418\r\nWest Lothian\r\n881\r\nTotal\r\n58,281\r\nThe services are focused on prevention and early intervention, and include supports for positive mental health and wellbeing as well as emotional distress. Local authorities determine which supports and services to implement on the basis of local need and in line with the Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Supports and Services Framework.\r\nMaking sure that our children and young people can get the help they need for their mental health and wellbeing, when and where they need it, is a priority for the Scottish Government. It is reassuring that, in the first six months of last year alone, tens of thousands of children, young people and their family members were able to access support in their local communities through our £15 million per annum funding of these services.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417937,"EventID":"S6W-26302","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T17:03:42.917","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T15:38:36.983","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what targeted training is currently offered to teachers to help them to assess, monitor and improve the health and wellbeing of pupils.","AnswerText":"In June 2021, the Scottish Government published a new professional learning resource for school staff aimed at providing essential learning required to support children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing  https://www.cypmh.co.uk/ \r\nEducation Scotland also offers a comprehensive suite of professional learning resources to support teachers in assessing, monitoring, and enhancing the health and wellbeing of pupils. These include trauma-informed training delivered to over 1,000 practitioners in collaboration with NHS Education for Scotland. Additional Education Scotland resources, such as the  Cycle of Wellbeing  and Positive Mental Wellbeing guide practitioners in fostering positive change, are also available.\r\nThe Inclusion, Wellbeing, and Equalities Professional Learning Framework  , launched by Education Scotland in November 2023, further supports educators in building capacity and understanding across the four key themes of Inclusion, Rights and Equalities, Relationships and Wellbeing and Care.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417938,"EventID":"S6W-26304","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2098,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":115,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T17:03:42.963","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T15:46:09.46","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on the implementation of the Scottish Wild Salmon Strategy.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government published a  progress report  on 25 March 2024, which outlines the work undertaken to progress over 50 of the actions in the first year since publication of the Wild Salmon Strategy Implementation Plan.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417939,"EventID":"S6W-26319","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T17:03:43.01","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T16:49:27.51","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the needs of care experienced young people are not specifically addressed in its publication, Creating Hope Together: Scotland’s Suicide Prevention Action Plan 2022-2025.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government and CoSLA’s Suicide Prevention  Action Plan  contains a commitment to work with The Promise Scotland to engage with care experienced people to better understand what action is needed to embed suicide prevention activity in our support to children and young people in care and care leavers, whom we know are at elevated risk of suicide.\r\nDuring 2023-24, this has included work to build in suicide prevention across policies which tackle the social determinants of suicide, as part of our whole of government and society approach, and maximising opportunities to support care experienced people who are suicidal through their contact with services, such as homelessness and Social Security Scotland. Our innovative partnership-led delivery model is driving the implementation of our action plan and helping to extend our reach and impact in preventing suicide among care experienced groups by bringing together partners to share resources, learning and expertise. Central to this model is our Youth Advisory Group which includes care experienced young people affected by suicide. The Group is helping to shape our suicide prevention work to ensure it can best support and meet their needs.\r\nWe are now intensively developing our 2024-25 delivery plan, working collectively with The Promise Scotland as part of the development process, and considering how together we can achieve closer alignment across our outcomes measurement. The Scottish Government and COSLA will sign-off this delivery plan in coming months.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417940,"EventID":"S6W-26288","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T17:03:43.073","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T14:14:27.63","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26010 by Fiona Hyslop on 18 March 2024, which job-related and professional training courses, which amounted to £58,408.55, were completed in (a) 2021-22 and (b) 2022-23. ","AnswerText":"The amount of £58,408.55 is in relation to 2022-23 only. In 2021-22 the equivalent amount was £31,663.82.2021-22 – a total of £31,663.82 related to job-related and professional training courses. These included:\r\n1. Health &Safety Training Courses\r\n(including Evacuation Chair Training, Fire Safety Course, Institute of Civil Engineering H&S Course)\r\n2. Conference and Seminars\r\n(including Road Safety Scotland Annual Seminar 2022, Training for Transportation Professionals Conference, Women in Transport Event, Rapid Transit Conference, Construction News Decarbonising Construction Conference)\r\n3. Educational Development Training Courses\r\n(including Excel Training, Chartered Institute of Public Relations Course, The Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply Procurement Training)\r\n2022-23 – a total of £58,408.55 related to job-related and professional training courses. These included:\r\n1. Conference and Seminars\r\n(including Bridge Design & Engineering Bridges Conference 2023, Smarter Working Expo, Road Expo 2022, World Routes Conference, Freedom of Information Conference, Road Safety Scotland Annual Seminar 2023)\r\n2. Educational Development Training Courses\r\n(including Holyrood Insight Course, Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) Training Course, International Centre for Parliamentary Studies Training Course, Institution of Civil Engineering Training Course, Writing Course)","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417941,"EventID":"S6W-26255","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T17:03:43.277","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-18T12:36:29.337","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to reduce waiting times at the Sandyford Gender Identity Clinic, and when it anticipates that waiting times will improve for patients.  ","AnswerText":"We are supporting NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to improve existing service capacity in both the adult and young people’s services and recruit to their multidisciplinary teams.\r\nAll gender identity clinics in Scotland are, however, working hard to reduce waiting times and provide support for those on their waiting lists, including through new clinical delivery approaches based on local need. The Scottish Government is working closely with NHS Boards and plans further investment in 2024-25, to help improve services and reduce gender identity clinic waiting times.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417942,"EventID":"S6W-26300","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T17:03:43.353","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T15:35:07.49","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26130 by Gillian Martin on 19 March 2024, as part of its work to explore other avenues with the onshore renewables industry to maximise benefits flowing into communities, whether it has specifically considered maintaining community benefit schemes and community shared ownership agreements as a condition of the sale or transfer of all onshore renewables projects. ","AnswerText":"The Onshore Wind Sector Deal includes an industry commitment to making community benefit agreements binding at the point of Financial Investment Decision, and to maintaining community benefits and shared ownership agreements as a condition of sale or transfer of a wind farm.\r\nThis is supported by a joint Scottish Government and industry commitment to establish a standard approach to the management of community benefits funds and to establish a national register of community benefits and community shared ownership, to ensure transparency and effective reporting.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417943,"EventID":"S6W-26311","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T17:03:43.4","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T16:45:31.89","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to S5W-31031 by Joe FitzPatrick on 24 August 2020, whether it will provide an update on how many visits the NHS Lyme disease webpage has had since it was created.","AnswerText":"As at 25 March 2024, the NHS Inform Lyme Disease page has had 264,020 views since 1 April 2022. An additional page, 'Avoiding bugs and germs outdoors', which also contains information relating to Lyme Disease, has had 8,741 views in the same time.\r\nAdditionally, the NHS Inform Tick Bites web page has had 827,956 views since 1 April 2022.\r\nDue to NHS Inform moving to a new analytical site in April 2022, data prior to this date is trend indicative rather than exact amounts.\r\nFrom 1 January 2017 to 21 March 2022, the Lyme Disease page had 492,814 views, ‘Avoiding bugs and germs outdoors’ had 19,734 views and the Tick Bites page had 54,779 views.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417944,"EventID":"S6W-26301","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T17:03:43.447","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T15:35:30.15","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what joint training is currently offered to teachers and youth workers across Scotland.","AnswerText":"In Scotland, youth work is recognised as being part of the wider professional sector known as Community Learning and Development (CLD).\r\nEducation Scotland offer professional learning which is open to all educators including CLD practitioners (Adult Learning, Community Development and Youth Work) across Scotland, such as the Educator Leadership Programme (ELP), Learning for Sustainability (LfS) & Building Racial Literacy (BRL).\r\nThe Education Scotland CLD team have also been working with YouthLink Scotland to support the development and implementation of joint work between teachers and youth workers, as part of a national SAC funded project  https://www.youthlink.scot/education-skills/scottish-attainment-challenge/ \r\nAdditionally, through Scottish Attainment Challenge and Pupil Equity Fund, at a local level, some local authorities are encouraging joint-training opportunities for teachers and CLD youth workers to facilitate greater understanding of the twin approaches to learning and skills development. These opportunities are based on the individual programme focus and are variable in duration, delivery style and formality.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417945,"EventID":"S6W-26313","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T17:03:43.51","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T16:45:31.89","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what public awareness campaigns it (a) has held and (b) is planning in 2024 on Lyme disease, including its prevention and symptoms.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26312 on 8 April 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417946,"EventID":"S6W-26332","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T17:03:43.56","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T16:49:27.51","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to schools to reduce the use of seclusion and restraint. ","AnswerText":"Restraint and seclusion should only ever be used as a last resort to prevent the risk of injury. Under existing  guidance  , all local authorities are asked to have policies in place governing the use of these practices and are asked to monitor their use.\r\nAs part of their scrutiny and improvement roles in schools, Education Scotland inspectors consider the impact of practice in relation to the use of physical intervention for children and young people.\r\nTo further improve practice in this area, the Scottish Government is developing new human-rights based guidance on the use of physical intervention in schools. We are due to publish the consultation analysis report on our draft  physical intervention in schools guidance  very shortly. We will then reconvene the physical intervention working group to make final revisions to the guidance.\r\nProgress with this work can be followed via the  working group’s webpage  .","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417947,"EventID":"S6W-26295","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T17:03:43.76","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T15:14:33.4","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work it is undertaking with local authorities to ensure that healthy foods are both (a) available and (b) affordable within the most deprived communities.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government is undertaking a range of actions to ensure healthy foods are available to and affordable for individuals living in areas of socioeconomic deprivation. This includes steps towards ending the need for food banks through our £1.8 million Cash-First Programme.\r\nThe programme will support eight public and third sector partnerships with four local authorities participating – Aberdeenshire Council, Fife Council, North Lanarkshire Council and West Dunbartonshire Council. This will strengthen urgent access to cash in a crisis and reduce the need for food parcels, meaning people can access the essentials they need whilst maintaining dignity.\r\nThroughout 2023-24, we have also maintained funding levels for regional Community Food Networks so that they can continue to support people struggling to access healthier food options. The Networks help promote healthier diets in disadvantaged groups, whether that is due to lack of income, skills or cultural barriers. They provide a broad range of activities including: cooking classes, benefit checks, ‘grow-your-own’ food groups, cafés and food pantries.\r\nThrough funding the Healthy Living Programme, we are also helping convenience stores provide access to affordable healthier food options. More than two-thirds of the 2,300 strong Healthy Living Programme membership serves the most deprived areas of the country and ensures access to affordable, healthier food and drink in those communities.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417948,"EventID":"S6W-26290","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T17:03:43.81","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T14:15:24.487","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26010 by Fiona Hyslop on 18 March 2024, how many employees were involved in job-related and professional training courses, which amounted to £58,408.55, in (a) 2021-22 and (b) 2022-23. ","AnswerText":"Costs reported are for a range of training and development activities, attended by individuals, groups or whole teams. The specific information requested is not held centrally. Teams identify training needs and appropriate attendance at seminars relevant to work being undertaken on a case-by-case basis and in consideration of value for money.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417949,"EventID":"S6W-26289","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T17:03:43.87","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T14:14:59.013","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26010 by Fiona Hyslop on 18 March 2024, how many job-related and professional training courses, which amounted to £58,408.55, were completed in (a) 2021-22 and (b) 2022-23. ","AnswerText":"In 2021-22 there were twenty-four (24) separate job-related and professional training courses undertaken at a total cost of £31,663.82.\r\nIn 2022-23 there were thirty-two (32) separate job-related and professional training courses undertaken at a total cost of £58,408.55.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417950,"EventID":"S6W-26297","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T17:03:43.933","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T15:25:33.45","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many money advice workers have been employed in the most deprived communities in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"The primary funders of locally based advice services are local authorities and it is for them to decide how best to target resources to meet local needs. Scottish Government do not, therefore hold information on the number of money advisers employed within the most deprived communities. The Improvement Service publishes a report annually on local authority spend on money advice services. The latest report can be accessed using the following link:  https://www.improvementservice.org.uk/products-and-services/performance-management-and-benchmarking/common-advice-performance-management-framework/2022-23-report \r\nIn 2023-24, the Scottish Government invested more than £12.5 million in free welfare, debt and income maximisation services. Our funding approach is intended to maximise household incomes, tackle problem debt and to reduce poverty. Whilst the majority of our funding is allocated to organisations with a national reach, our investment also supports a range of other initiatives such as the Welfare Advice and Health Partnerships, which has enabled welfare rights advisors to be integrated in up to 180 GP practices across Scotland, with 150 of these targeted in the most deprived communities and 30 in remote, rural and island settings, and the Advice in Accessible Settings programme that supports 24 local partnerships to deliver advice in community, education and health settings. ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417951,"EventID":"S6W-26309","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T17:03:43.997","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T16:00:29.83","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what evidence it has gathered to assess the public's understanding of the self-referral routes to various primary care services.","AnswerText":"In January 2022, the Scottish Government commissioned research to understand the outcome of primary care reforms for Scottish people. It commissioned a survey to assess public understanding, perceptions and experiences of primary care in the context of recent reforms and the COVID-19 pandemic. The report can be found here:  https://www.gov.scot/publications/public-understanding-perceptions-primary-care-scotland-survey-analysis-report/pages/3/ \r\nTo strengthen the evidence base on the national context for implementation of primary care multidisciplinary teams, including on patient experience and awareness, we have established a Phased Investment Programme. Through this programme, we will work with a small number of areas using an improvement science approach to demonstrate what a model multidisciplinary team can look like in practice and collect evidence on the impact of Multi-Disciplinary Team working which will then inform and support future long term investment.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417952,"EventID":"S6W-26316","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T17:03:44.043","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T16:45:31.89","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people in Scotland have Lyme disease.","AnswerText":"This information is not held centrally. Public Health Scotland published a Gastrointestinal and Zoonoses report on 7 February 2023 which provides figures and trends of Lyme Disease. The report can be found at  Gastrointestinal and Zoonoses - Biennial report 2020 to 2021 - Gastrointestinal and Zoonoses - Publications - Public Health Scotland  .\r\nIf you have an enquiry relating to this publication, please email phs.giz@phs.scot.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417953,"EventID":"S6W-26326","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T17:03:44.09","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T16:49:27.51","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many children and young people from a different legal jurisdiction are currently in a care setting in Scotland, and how it ensures that the rights of any such children or young people under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) are upheld. ","AnswerText":"While the Scottish Government does not collect statistical data on the total number of children and young people from a different legal jurisdiction who are currently in a care setting in Scotland, there is a range of data available which enables us to monitor cross-border placements made in to residential and secure care accommodation. This includes –The latest  Secure Care Statistics  which show that, on average, 22 children and young people from outside Scotland were in secure care in 2022-23.The Cross-Border Placements (Effect of Deprivation of Liberty Orders) (Scotland) Regulations 2022  , which require placing authorities from other jurisdictions to notify Scottish Ministers, and a range of other Scottish partners, of the placement of children and young people into Scotland who are subject to a Deprivation of Liberty Order. This information is collated and monitored by the Scottish Government. At the time of writing, there were a total of 10 live Deprivation of Liberty order placements notified to Scottish Government.A regulatory requirement for residential and secure care services to notify the Care Inspectorate when a child or young person moves in or out of placement in Scotland from a different legal jurisdiction within the UK. This data is collated by the Care Inspectorate and shared with the Scottish Government. From this data, we know, at time of writing there to be approximately 180 children and young people in residential and secure care who have been placed in Scotland from a different legal jurisdiction.\r\nThe Care Inspectorate inspects residential and secure care homes at least once each year and has a responsibility to ensure that services are upholding, protecting and promoting the rights of children and young people; meeting their needs; and keeping children, young people and others safe.\r\nThe Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Bill (\"the Bill”) is currently proceeding through the Scottish Parliament and contains new powers in relation to cross-border placements. If passed by Parliament, the new powers in the Bill will enable Ministers to bolster the existing regulatory framework in relation to cross-border placements to protect and uphold the rights of all children placed in Scotland. This would include regulating for matters such as: notification of an amendment to/end of placements; ensuring appropriate access to services is secured such as health, education and any other supports that the child or young person may require for the duration of their placement; and transition planning for the child’s return to home jurisdiction.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417954,"EventID":"S6W-26291","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T17:03:44.183","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T14:15:41.35","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26010 by Fiona Hyslop on 18 March 2024, what the nature of the other sundry payments, which amounted to £48,792.82, was in (a) 2021-22 and (b) 2022-23. ","AnswerText":"The amount of £48,792.82 is in relation to 2022-23 only. In 2021-22 the equivalent amount was £49,383.28.\r\n2021-22\r\n \r\nDescription\r\nAmount - £\r\nCouncil Tax/ Insurance\r\n17,680.27\r\nDigital Subscription\r\n15,255.57\r\nLicence Fees\r\n789.00\r\nMarketing Campaign\r\n10,278.11\r\nNewspaper Subscriptions\r\n618.00\r\nSim Card Fees\r\n224.00\r\nTravel/ Hotel/ Car Hire\r\n95.00\r\nSmall Sundry Costs\r\n4,443.33\r\nTotal\r\n49,383.28\r\n \r\n2022-23\r\n \r\nDescription\r\nAmount - £\r\nCouncil Tax/ Insurance\r\n15,311.40\r\nDigital Subscription\r\n23,086.34\r\nLegal Fee\r\n2,250.00\r\nSim Card Fees\r\n288.00\r\nTravel/ Hotel/ Car Hire\r\n1,122.20\r\nSmall Sundry Costs\r\n6,382.99\r\nNewspaper Subscriptions\r\n320.50\r\nDigital Subscriptions\r\n31.39\r\nTotal\r\n48,792.82\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417955,"EventID":"S6W-26306","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2098,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":115,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T17:03:44.23","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T15:49:05.84","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to measures to increase the wild salmon population through stocking initiatives.","AnswerText":"A Government report on the scientific considerations in stocking policy development for river managers was published last year  Science of salmon stocking: report  .\r\nIn summary, the supplementation of wild populations with salmon raised in hatcheries can play a part in securing benefits for wild salmon, but may also cause significant and long-lasting harm, depending on the situation.\r\nIt is recognised that in specific situations where the threat of extinction can be identified and is imminent and extreme, stocking with hatchery raised salmon may be a vital tool following careful consideration of the inherent risks. The Wild Salmon Strategy Science and Evidence Board is currently reviewing the evidence of various stocking methods in these situations and will report to the Wild Salmon Strategy Implementation Plan  Delivery Group  soon.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417956,"EventID":"S6W-26307","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2098,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":115,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T17:03:44.293","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T15:49:05.84","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to any implications of recent flooding events for wild salmon populations.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not given specific consideration to the implications of recent flooding on wild salmon populations. High river flows potentially wash out salmon eggs from nests on the riverbed and displace juvenile fish downstream. However, research suggests that salmon are well adapted to natural flow variability, including floods in natural river systems. Current evidence suggests a periodic trend towards more extreme flows in some Scottish rivers. With climate change scenarios, there is potential for further increases in high flows which may impact on salmon. \r\nHeavily modified rivers are likely to be less resilient to potential disturbance. Restoration of natural morphological processes and channel characteristics could improve resilience. The Wild Salmon Strategy covers five priority areas, including ‘improving the condition of rivers and giving salmon free access to cold, clean water.’ The Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) specifically encourages projects to restore wildlife and habitats.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417957,"EventID":"S6W-26333","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T17:03:44.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T16:49:27.51","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects statutory guidance for the use of seclusion and restraint in schools to be in place. ","AnswerText":"Restraint and seclusion should only ever be used as a last resort to prevent the risk of injury. The Scottish Government is developing new human-rights based guidance on the use of physical intervention in schools. We are due to publish the consultation analysis report on our draft  physical intervention in schools guidance  very shortly. We will then reconvene the physical intervention working group to make final revisions to the guidance.\r\nProgress with this work can be followed via the  working group’s webpage  .\r\nWe recognise that there have been calls for further legislation. Alongside the publication of the guidance, and in line with our original commitments, we are exploring options to strengthen the legal framework in this area. This includes the option of placing the guidance on a statutory basis.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417958,"EventID":"S6W-26310","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T17:03:44.387","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T16:11:12.343","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to its consultation in 2017 on updating the School Premises (General Requirements and Standards) (Scotland) Regulations 1967, whether it still plans to update these regulations, and, if so, whether it will provide details of the anticipated timeframe. ","AnswerText":"It remains the Scottish Government’s intention to update the School Premises (General Requirements and Standards) (Scotland) Regulations 1967.\r\nGiven the time elapsed between the consultation that took place in 2017-18, we must now consider the updated context that the regulations exist in.\r\nWe are now taking this work forward and will re-consult on the Regulations in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417959,"EventID":"S6W-26303","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T17:03:44.497","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T15:45:49.263","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work it is undertaking to ensure that a more preventative approach to the health and wellbeing of young people is being adopted within communities across all government portfolio areas.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government wants to ensure that every child can attain the highest level of health and wellbeing possible.\r\nBetween pre-birth and starting school, all children in Scotland are entitled to support from our universal Health Visiting service. In addition, 3- and 4-year-olds are entitled to 1,140 hours of funded early learning and childcare (ELC). We have also invested in targeted early years interventions such as the Family Nurse Partnership, ELC funding for eligible 2-year-olds and perinatal and infant mental health services. This work is underpinned by our Early Child Development Transformational Change Programme which focuses on prevention, better integration of policies, identifying policy and implementation gaps, and building collaboration across the whole system.\r\nThe health and wellbeing of school-aged children is also supported by Curriculum for Excellence (CfE). Health and Wellbeing is one of the eight curricular areas in CfE and is one of the three core areas that are the responsibility of all staff in a school. Furthermore, the Scottish Government has invested in the recruitment of School Nurses and School Counsellors, both of whom are able to prevent the escalation of health and wellbeing concerns.\r\nOur work across all child health and wellbeing interventions continues to be guided by ‘Getting it right for every child’ (GIRFEC). GIRFEC is embedded across Scottish Government portfolios and helps to safeguard, support and promote the health and wellbeing of all children and young people.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417960,"EventID":"S6W-26298","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T17:03:44.56","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T15:32:04.37","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the progress of the Family Justice Modernisation Strategy, published in September 2019, and whether it plans to further reform family justice, including custodial arrangements for children. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is preparing an update for publication on progress on the Family Justice Modernisation Strategy (the FJMS). I will write to the Member as soon as this is available.\r\nI also refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26002 on 18 March 2024, which provides an update on implementation of the Children (Scotland) Act 2020 (the 2020 Act). All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/questions-and-answers  .\r\nOn further reforms in family justice, I assume the member’s reference to “custodial arrangements for children” is to child contact and residence arrangements. Making further progress on implementing the FJMS and the 2020 Act is our priority in relation to child contact and residence. The Scottish Government does not plan any further primary legislation on child contact and residence at this time.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417961,"EventID":"S6W-26331","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T17:03:44.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T16:49:27.51","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which body has the responsibility for monitoring the use of seclusion and restraint in schools, and how it will ensure that this data is collected consistently across all 32 local authorities. ","AnswerText":"Restraint and seclusion should only ever be used as a last resort to prevent the risk of injury. Under existing  guidance  , all local authorities are asked to have policies in place governing the use of these practices and are asked to monitor their use.\r\nAs part of their scrutiny and improvement roles in schools, Education Scotland inspectors consider the impact of practice in relation to the use of physical intervention for children and young people. Where they have concerns about the safety and wellbeing of children and young people, inspectors would follow local child protection procedures and consider onward referrals to social work or the police.\r\nThe Scottish Government is developing new human-rights based guidance on the use of physical intervention in schools, including the practices of restraint and seclusion. We are due to publish the consultation analysis report on our draft  physical intervention in schools guidance  very shortly. We will then reconvene the physical intervention working group to make final revisions to the guidance.\r\nProgress with this work can be followed via the  working group’s webpage  .","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417962,"EventID":"S6W-26334","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T17:03:44.95","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T16:49:27.51","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the status of each of the five prevention pathways in its Ending Homelessness Together action plan. ","AnswerText":"We are committed to reporting on progress against the actions in our Ending Homelessness Together action plan on an annual basis to the Scottish Parliament. The last annual update was published on 26 October 2023 - Ending homelessness together: annual report 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) - and we will provide the next update to Parliament in October 2024. This report will include an update on action to implement and review prevention pathways for groups at particular risk of homelessness .","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417963,"EventID":"S6W-26315","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T17:03:45.027","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T16:45:31.89","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures it has taken to improve medical professionals’ understanding, recognition and treatment of Lyme disease.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26312 on 8 April 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-04-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417964,"EventID":"S6W-26312","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T17:03:45.09","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T16:45:31.89","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what it is doing to (a) raise awareness of and (b) improve (i) diagnosis and (ii) treatment of Lyme disease. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to continuing its work on preventing, raising awareness and improving our understanding of Lyme disease and ticks.\r\nThe Scottish Government-led Lyme Disease Awareness Raising Group will run the Lyme Disease Awareness Raising Campaign in May 2024 to coincide with National Lyme Disease Awareness Month. During which patients, activists, educators and Government will share information through social media and other platforms to raise awareness of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases.\r\nIn May 2023, the group ran the Lyme Disease Awareness Raising Campaign which saw posters in community pharmacies across Scotland. The campaign was supported by PR activity, organic social media and stakeholder engagement for wider messaging dissemination. In addition to the posters, pharmacies were provided with information cards for customers to take away which included a QR code to link to further information on NHS Inform\r\nA follow up campaign was carried out in summer 2023, with posters provided for display in local libraries, GP surgeries, community and leisure centres to highlight signs and symptoms to people holidaying in Scotland and may have missed the May campaign.\r\nThe campaign assets were shared with a variety of stakeholders including Visit Scotland, the Lyme Resource Centre, and Ramblers Scotland. A small-scale evaluation was undertaken in July in relation to engagement and impact of the May campaign.\r\nThe Scottish Health Protection Network (SHPN), comprising Public Health Scotland (PHS) and NHS Health Boards, as well as Local Authorities and other agencies with a responsibility for public health, formed a Lyme disease group as a subgroup of the Gastrointestinal Infections and Zoonoses (GIZ) group at the beginning of 2016.\r\nThe Scottish Government continue to work closely with PHS and the as well as the SHPN Tick Borne Diseases subgroup which has developed content for an e-learning module to be made accessible through Turas for all health care workers in Scotland which is hoped to be ready this spring. The module covers an overview of ticks and tick borne diseases and focusses on the common presentations of Lyme disease which will allow care workers to diagnosis and treatment for the diseases early.\r\nIn addition, the Scottish Government will continue to use its own platforms to highlight the need to be tick aware and to set out the signs and symptoms of possible infection.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417965,"EventID":"S6W-26292","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T17:03:45.137","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T14:41:29.287","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what training has been offered to primary care staff on the history of transvaginal mesh complications and support for patients who require surgery for pre or post operative vaginal mesh removal.","AnswerText":"A Transvaginal Mesh Implants Learning Package is available on Turas Learn for all primary care staff.\r\nThis was issued to all Primary Care Leads and NHS Board leads for Mesh by the Chief Medical Officer in October 2023 along with information and resources including the referral pathway for mesh patients available on the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde website, patient information on pelvic floor available on NHS Inform and the importance of sharing information with patients and obtaining fully informed consent using the use of BRAN during consent discussions: what are the benefits, risks, and alternatives, and what if I do nothing.\r\nTopics within the learning package include:\r\n• an introduction and background to pelvic floor disorders for women;\r\n• a review of the background history to pelvic mesh in the UK;\r\n• an overview of pelvic mesh complications; and case studies\r\nThe learning package remains the most comprehensive resource for primary care.\r\nAs part of their Continuous Professional Development (CPD), GPs are also required to access a wide range of professional development resources to support their continued professional development which includes online learning, information from colleges and interface working with primary and secondary care teams.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417966,"EventID":"S6W-26308","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-20T17:03:45.2","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T15:55:35.1","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work it is doing with territorial NHS boards to develop best practice guidelines on communicating alternative pathways to primary care to the public.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has established procedures for sharing information on communications campaigns and messaging at key points with territorial health boards. For example, this may involve presenting the results of creative or message testing or post-campaign evaluations. The learnings from these can be applied to the communications activity undertaken by territorial health boards. \r\nIn addition, as part of the Right Care Right Place the Scottish Government provides territorial boards with access to communications materials such as posters or social media images which outline the range of health services and what health issues each covers which can then be used by territorial boards through their own communication channels such as their social media accounts, websites, newsletters or displayed in their premises. ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417967,"EventID":"S6W-26394","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":5622,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":148,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T09:09:03.95","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T08:07:20.483","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its response to the scoping study on historic forced adoption.","AnswerText":"Today marks the first anniversary of the Scottish Government’s national apology to those affected by historic forced adoption practices. I acknowledge the immense pain and suffering that adoptees, mothers and families have endured as a result of these unjust practices. Addressing the harms caused remains a priority for this Government.\r\nThe  scoping study  is one of the sources of evidence that the Scottish Government is using in determining how to best support those affected by historic forced adoption. It is being considered alongside other evidence, including the accompanying  service delivery paper  , the  original consultation exercise  held in 2022 and ongoing engagement with campaigners and people with lived experience.\r\nTo that end, we are establishing a series of lived experience sessions on historic forced adoption, to be facilitated by the Scottish Government’s Principal Psychological Adviser. The purpose of these sessions is to explore potential collaborative solutions to the issues raised in the scoping study. The sessions will inform the Scottish Government’s policy response and help to determine how we prioritise and sequence this work, alongside our consideration of wider matters such as potential legislative, financial and operational impacts. We anticipate that a particular focus for discussion will be the form of support that is needed to address the emotional and psychological impact of historic forced adoption for adoptees, mothers and families.\r\nA key issue that has been highlighted as part of our engagement is around the challenges of accessing records. As such, both the National Records of Scotland and Scottish Court and Tribunals Service have updated the information that they provide online in order to assist people with the practical aspects of accessing records, as well as signposting to further support. Both organisations will continue to provide access and assistance to adoption records in line with current legislation. We are also exploring what more we can do to ensure people affected by historic forced adoption are able to easily access the right information and support when they need it.\r\nAdditionally, the Scottish Government continues to fund the charity, Health in Mind, to provide specialist support through peer support groups. Monthly peer support sessions are now being held for mothers and an adoptees group will begin shortly. The peer support groups are open for self-referrals from those affected and further details are available online at  Health in Mind | Historic Adoption Peer Support (health-in-mind.org.uk)  .","AnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417968,"EventID":"S6W-26345","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":8,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T09:17:30.627","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T21:31:38.773","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will consider commissioning a Scottish Parliament wall shield plaque featuring the badge element of the Scottish Parliament's Corporate Identity and the official Scottish Parliament tartan, which could be available for MSPs to purchase as a presentational or gift item for sports matches, official visits and other such occasions.","AnswerText":"We\r\nhave asked staff to include the idea in the next survey of products available\r\nvia our shop as a potential MSP only product branded with the Scottish\r\nParliament identity. Whilst the Member will be aware that MSPs are unable to\r\nclaim the cost of such gifts or awards under the Members’ Expenses Scheme as it\r\ndoes not form part of their parliamentary duties, there is scope for MSPs to\r\npersonally choose to present and pay for such items. Initial research indicates\r\nplaques are likely to be expensive hence we will research demand and supply\r\nduring next year’s survey.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christine Grahame (on behalf of the SPCB)","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417969,"EventID":"S6W-26410","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T09:25:10.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T09:22:00.073","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when the Fair Fares Review will be published.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is pleased to announce that today we will publish the Fair Fares Review.\r\nThe Review sets out a range of actions to be taken in the short, medium and long term to make our public transport system more available, accessible and affordable to the people of Scotland, and ensure that it is of high quality, whilst maintaining its long term financial sustainability.\r\nI wish to take this opportunity to thank those stakeholders and delivery partners who have engaged with Transport Scotland on the Review. I look forward to working with them as we progress the Review`s recommendations and actions and make public transport the preferred choice for most people in Scotland.\r\nThe Fair Fares Review can be found at:-  www.transport.gov.scot/fairfaresreview ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417970,"EventID":"S6W-26418","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":3129,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":83,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:14:09.21","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T15:11:31.513","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the next paper in the Building a New Scotland series will be published.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to deliver on its commitment to build the case for an independent Scotland within the EU, through the development of a prospectus to give people the information they need to make an informed choice about their future. I’m pleased to confirm that on 25 March we are publishing ‘Education and lifelong learning in an independent Scotland’.\r\nThis is the twelfth paper in the Building a New Scotland series. The paper sets out how Scotland’s approach to education and skills demonstrates the benefits of taking decisions in Scotland, for Scotland, and how we would be able to improve outcomes for our children and young people with the full powers of independence and without the UK Government taking decisions on key areas such as social security, public spending and our relationship with the EU.\r\nThe Scottish Government is continuing to prepare further papers in the Building a New Scotland series and these will be published shortly. I can also confirm that the matters raised in this publication will be taken forward as part of a future debate in the Scottish Parliament.\r\n‘Building a New Scotland: Education and lifelong learning in an independent Scotland’ is available to view on the Scottish Government website from 25 March at  www.gov.scot/newscotland ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jamie Hepburn","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417978,"EventID":"S6W-26385","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:19.757","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T16:34:38.2","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to finalise the specification for single building assessments in relation to cladding remediation before the Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Bill is debated at stage 3. ","AnswerText":"The specification for single building assessments is in development and is due to be published by the end of May 2024. I will write to the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee once there is an updated position regarding the specification.\r\nTimings for Stage 3 of the Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Bill will be agreed by Parliament in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417979,"EventID":"S6W-26369","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:19.927","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T12:47:32","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made towards the creation of an offshore training and skills passport.","AnswerText":"Through its Just Transition Fund, t he Scottish Government has supported industry-led development of a practical Skills Passport that works for the different offshore energy industry sectors, recognising the cross-sector skills of workers, and the importance of supporting a fair and managed transition.\r\nWe understand that the key industry bodies leading on the Passport's delivery intend to make a statement in relation to next steps on the project shortly . We will have a clearer understanding of when we can look forward to an initial version of the Passport being available for workers to access after this announcement.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417980,"EventID":"S6W-26344","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:20.02","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T17:45:01.387","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what monitoring it undertakes of any third sector organisations that have been commissioned by NHS boards to provide health services. ","AnswerText":"Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) is the health body which undertakes assessments and reviews of the quality of care throughout Scotland, however third sector organisations are not captured by their current inspections of NHS services. Health Boards might arrange for treatment to be provided for patients by non-NHS Scotland providers in exceptional circumstances for clinical reasons however the responsibility for consultation, diagnosis and treatment of patients fully remains with the originating Health Board.\r\nIndependent Healthcare is regulated by HIS which consists of independent hospitals, private psychiatric hospitals, independent clinics and also voluntary hospices; some of which are commissioned to provide NHS services. ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417981,"EventID":"S6W-26357","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:20.083","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T09:05:29.56","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any additional costs that the hospice sector will face in future years.","AnswerText":"It is for Integration Authorities to plan and resource hospice care, using the integrated budget under their control; and to plan palliative care services and costs now and in the future.\r\nWe are working with Integration Authorities and independent hospices to develop a national guidance framework to support improved and more consistent planning and resourcing of independent hospice care, and we will continue to explore solutions and options for longer term sustainable planning and commissioning for the sector.\r\nI have met with a number of hospices and hospice leaders over the last few months, including the round table I convened in December 2023, to understand the financial position and challenges that hospices currently face and how they can contribute to palliative care in the future.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417982,"EventID":"S6W-26355","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:20.193","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T09:05:29.56","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many people have been recorded as rough sleeping in each local authority area in each month since January 1999.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government collects information on whether any member of a household making a homelessness application to a local authority slept rough:\r\na) during the 3 months preceding and b) the night before the application.\r\nThis data is collected from all local authorities as part of the Homelessness in Scotland statistical data collection. Annual totals of rough sleeping reported by applicant households, broken by local authority, are published in the main tables supporting the main annual publication, available here:  https://www.gov.scot/publications/homelessness-in-scotland-2022-23/documents/ \r\nA document has been placed with the Scottish Parliament Information Centre, bib number 64985, containing data related to the reporting of rough sleeping a) during the 3 months preceding and b) the night before the application, broken down by month of application and local authority, from April 2002 to September 2023.\r\nData is not available prior to April 2002 as this is when data collection began. The most recent data available goes up to September 2023.\r\nThe data collection defines rough sleeping as any member of the applicant household who has slept outside, in the open air (such as on the streets, or in doorways, parks or bus shelters) or slept in a building or other place not designed for habitation (such as barns, sheds, car parks, cars, derelict boats, stations etc.).\r\nData is not gathered for any household rough sleeping who does not make a homelessness application to a local authority in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417983,"EventID":"S6W-26336","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:20.257","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T17:17:20.65","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-08117 by Jenny Gilruth on 6 May 2022, whether all of the deliverables of the rail improvement project are expected to be completed by the end of 2026, and what has been achieved by the project since the previous question was answered in May 2022.","AnswerText":"Given the extremely challenging financial climate, due to UK Government capital budget cuts, we need to consider the time over which the project can be completed. I have asked that a review is undertaken and will ensure that an update is provided to the Parliament in due course.\r\nRegarding what has been achieved by the project, I refer the Member to the answers to S6W-25277 on 1 March 2024 and S6W-24106 on 30 January 2024 .\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website:, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417984,"EventID":"S6W-26371","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:20.35","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T13:16:26.087","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26028 by Joe Fitzpatrick on 15 March 2024, how it will ensure that the regeneration budget allocated for 2024-25 is targeted at projects in local authority areas such as Fife, to ensure an equal spread of funding across the country. ","AnswerText":"As a result of the challenging capital funding position Scottish Ministers have had to make difficult decisions and, unless there is a significant reversal of the UK Government's cuts to capital allocations, no new project funding for the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund and low carbon Vacant and Derelict Land Programme will be allocated for 2024-25.\r\nWe will continue to support place-based community-led regeneration in our most disadvantaged communities through the Place based Investment Programme with local authorities receiving a share of this funding in line with the allocation formula agreed with COSLA. Confirmation on the allocation for 2024-25 will be provided in due course. Fife Council also remain eligible for the Vacant and Derelict Land Fund and have an indicative allocation of £1.11m in 2024-25.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417985,"EventID":"S6W-26373","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:20.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T15:08:21.997","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6O-03226 by Siobhian Brown on 20 March 2024, in relation to the offences under the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022, how many people have been (a) arrested, (b) charged, (c) prosecuted and (d) convicted, also broken down by the (i) offence and (ii) court disposal.","AnswerText":"Figures on arrests or charges related to particular offences are not held centrally by the Scottish Government, the most recent figures shared by Police Scotland were provided in the answer to question S6W-21328 on 27 September 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .\r\nUp until the end of February 2024, 40 charges under the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022 were reported to the Procurator Fiscal. Of those 40 charges, 20 charges have thus far been prosecuted. There have been 4 convictions, 2 charges did not result in a conviction, and the other 14 charges are part of ongoing prosecutions. A breakdown of prosecutions by offence are set out below:Section 21 (Prohibition on providing fireworks or pyrotechnic articles to children): T here have been a total of 5 prosecutions. These are all ongoing at present.Section 35 (Prohibition of pyrotechnic articles in public places): There have been a total of 7 prosecutions. There has been 1 conviction while the other 6 are ongoing at present.Section 36 (Prohibition of pyrotechnic articles at designated venues or events): T here have been a total of 8 prosecutions. There has been 3 convictions and 2 acquittals, while a further 3 are ongoing at present. One of the cases which is still ongoing under this section is also aggravated as per Section 44 of the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022.Section 44 (Aggravation of offences against emergency workers): 77 aggravations have been recorded. Thus far, there have been 8 prosecutions, and 1 conviction.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417986,"EventID":"S6W-26362","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:20.523","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T09:21:42.37","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been carried out of the number of eating disorder patients who are neurodivergent.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not collect this data. Individual NHS boards may hold this data locally and are best placed to advise.\r\nWe do know that eating disorders can co-occur with neurodevelopmental conditions including autism and ADHD. The draft National Specification for Treatment and Care of Eating Disorders outlines that we would expect services to work jointly with other services to care for anyone with co-occurring considerations.\r\nThe Scottish Government also partners with and provides funding to a number of organisations that can support neurodivergent people who are living with an eating disorder. These include the National Autistic Society Scotland, which has published useful guidance and information that can help autistic people who struggle with eating in different ways.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417987,"EventID":"S6W-26386","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:20.583","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T16:34:38.2","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what mechanisms it is considering for making a determination in instances where there is disagreement over whether cladding remediation works are within scope following a single building assessment.","AnswerText":"The Single Building Assessment (SBA) report will detail any risk to human life that is (directly or indirectly) created or exacerbated by the building’s external wall cladding system, and what work (if any) is needed to eliminate or mitigate any risk of that kind which is identified. We are working with developers now to determine the terms and scope of the Scottish Safer Building Developer Remediation Contract to ensure a shared understanding of responsibilities in the assessment of remediation of buildings. We will consider dispute resolution as part of ongoing work.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417988,"EventID":"S6W-26353","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:20.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T09:05:29.56","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what investment it plans to make to support the transformation of NHS IT services, and how much will be made available to each NHS board for any such work.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to protect investment in digital within health services, as shown in the published budget. Planning remains underway to fully assess the impact on planned activity for 20242-5 that takes into account the considerable financial challenges facing the Scottish Government in the forthcoming financial year.\r\nRather than provide specific financial allocations to NHS Boards for the transformation of NHS IT Services, the Scottish Government provides funding to support investment programmes which are aligned to our Digital Health and Care Strategy. We will shortly publish our updated Delivery Plan for Digital Health & Care. This will confirm delivery priorities for the year ahead using the investment available.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417989,"EventID":"S6W-26350","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:20.727","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T09:05:29.56","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on what impact its decision not to replicate in Scotland the non-domestic rates relief available to hospitality businesses in England has had on (a) jobs and (b) growth in the sector.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is aware of the pressures facing businesses due to inflation, energy costs and the cost crisis. While Scottish Ministers are sympathetic to calls to replicate the non-domestic rates relief available to businesses in England in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors, doing so would have meant that the Scottish Government could not provide the NHS, schools, or emergency services with the funding they require.\r\nThe Scottish Government estimates that over 60% of properties in the hospitality sector across Scotland will be eligible for 100% relief from Non-Domestic Rates in 2024-25 (including from the Small Business Bonus Scheme, the new islands and specified remote areas hospitality relief, and others).\r\nWhilst the hospitality sector continues to face significant challenges, business demography statistics show that the total number of businesses is growing modestly, with business births marginally exceeding deaths.\r\nThe Scottish Government remains committed to working with the hospitality sector, in the New Deal for Business Non-Domestic Rates sub-group, on the long-term issues that have been raised by this sector.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417990,"EventID":"S6W-26343","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:20.833","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T17:42:48.417","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it provides to any NHS boards that choose to outsource health services to the private or voluntary sectors or to charity organisations.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to keeping the NHS true to its founding principles – publicly-owned, publicly-operated, and free at the point of need.\r\nHealth Boards might arrange treatment for some patients outwith NHSScotland for clinical reasons in exceptional circumstances. In all patient cases, the originating Health Board retains responsibility for the funding, consultation, diagnosis and treatment of their patients. \r\nGuidance on establishing the responsible commissioner has been issued to NHS Boards from the Scottish Government to ensure services are always provided in the best interests of the patient:  https://www.publications.scot.nhs.uk/files/cel2013-06.pdf  . \r\nHealthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) is the national authority for the development of evidence-based advice, guidance and standards for health and care professionals. All Independent Healthcare Service providers, are required to register with HIS who regulate such services in Scotland. It is a matter for HIS to detail specific guidance available, however more information is set out on their website:  https://www.healthcareimprovementscotland.scot/inspections-reviews-and-regulation/regulation-of-independent-healthcare/  .","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417991,"EventID":"S6W-26395","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:20.943","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T09:13:14.803","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many individuals under the age of 18 have been prescribed puberty suppressing hormones in each year since 2013.","AnswerText":"The term “puberty-suppressing hormones” is non-specific, and could be applied to a range of medicines used for a variety of conditions.\r\nIn the context of the provision of gender identity healthcare to children and young people, I refer the member to question S6O-03286 on 28 March 2024. which is available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament  .\r\nThe Scottish Government does not routinely hold or collate this information. This information should be requested from the relevant Health Boards.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417992,"EventID":"S6W-26361","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:21.007","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T09:21:42.37","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what (a) discussions it has had regarding and (b) consideration it has given to the use of integrated cognitive behaviour treatment (I-CBTE) for patients with eating disorders and anorexia.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is supporting the NHS to offer the best evidence-based care and treatment to anyone who needs it. Decisions on what the best, and most appropriate, treatment options are for patients are informed by official guidelines, and clinical and professional involvement in someone’s care.\r\nIn 2022, the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN), produced for the first time Scottish specific eating disorder treatment guidelines. These guidelines cover referrals, management of medical and mental health risks, choice of treatments and management of transitions. In addition NHS Education Scotland have recently published the updated evidence summary for the treatment of Anorexia Nervosa.\r\nWe recognise that anyone who might be suffering with an eating disorder needs to get the help they need, when they need it. We therefore expect mental health services across Scotland to respond rapidly and decisively to the needs of our vulnerable people, particularly those with eating disorders.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417993,"EventID":"S6W-26337","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:21.083","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T17:22:27.877","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work it is undertaking to consider self-referral routes within primary care to services that currently require prior GP referral.","AnswerText":"The Primary Care Multi-Disciplinary team may include local physiotherapy services, community mental health services and community links worker services. These services can often be seen safely and effectively without a prior GP referral.\r\nThrough our Phased Investment Programme, which will strengthen the evidence base on the national context for implementation of primary care multidisciplinary teams, we will consider any existing barriers to effective multidisciplinary team working, including any barriers regarding patient pathways to services.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417994,"EventID":"S6W-26392","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2098,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":115,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:21.163","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T16:40:48.953","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government on how many occasions the treatment Olaparib has been prescribed in each NHS board area since it was approved for use by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) in 2021.","AnswerText":"Neither the Scottish Government nor Public Health Scotland (PHS) hold this information centrally. The majority of data held by PHS on Olaparib (Lynparza®) is on the quantity issued within hospital settings rather than on the number of prescriptions, only a very small number of prescriptions for Olaparib (Lynparza®) are held within their primary care prescribing dataset.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417995,"EventID":"S6W-26359","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:21.24","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T09:05:29.56","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many children and young people have been placed in adult mental health facilities, due to spaces being unavailable in facilities for children and young people, in each NHS board in each year since 1999.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold data on how many children and young people have been placed in adult mental health facilities, due to spaces being unavailable in facilities for children and young people, in each NHS board in each year since 1999.\r\nFor more information on children and young people being treated outwith NHS specialist CAMHS facilities, please refer to the answer to previous question S6W-26182 on 28 March 2024.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417996,"EventID":"S6W-26370","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:21.29","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T13:09:24.54","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26028 by Joe Fitzpatrick on 15 March 2024, whether it can explain any discrepancies in the distribution of the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund, in light of Fife Council being the third most populous local authority, but only receiving 1.54% of the total funding announced over the last five years. ","AnswerText":"Both the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund and the low carbon Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme targeted support toward disadvantaged and fragile rural communities. They have been delivered on a competitive basis, open to all local authorities and Clyde Gateway URC and it is for councils and Clyde Gateway to bring forward proposals that responded to the purpose of the funds.\r\nIn addition to access to these funds, Fife Council also receive a share of capital funding from the Place Based Investment Programme through the direct allocation to local authorities. Between 2021-22 to 2023-24 Fife Council have been allocated a total of £7.826 million. Fife Council are also one of five eligible councils able to access the Vacant and Derelict Land Fund.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417997,"EventID":"S6W-26393","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:21.413","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T17:28:40.743","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the planned minimum land size threshold required for farmers to receive agricultural payments under the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill, including what assessment it undertook to arrive at the planned threshold of 3ha, and what evidence supports this decision.","AnswerText":"The adaptive framework under the new Bill will enable tailored provisions and support to be implemented to support our food producers and we continue to co-develop effective policies to deliver the Vision for Agriculture. As a framework Bill it will not set thresholds which could restrict future flexibility.\r\nHow these powers will be used are set out in the Bills associated  Policy Memorandum  and  Explanatory notes  .\r\nFuture eligibility criteria will be co-developed with partners through the Ag Reform Programme.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417998,"EventID":"S6W-26378","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:21.6","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T15:57:13.11","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can list the (a) full and (b) associate members of the Scottish Maritime Cluster Limited.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold details of the Scottish Maritime Cluster Limited's current membership.\r\nThe Cluster's contact details, and information about their membership, can be found on their webpage:  www.scottishmaritimecluster.com ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":417999,"EventID":"S6W-26372","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5618,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":91,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:21.71","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T14:59:28.177","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the second supplementary to question S6O-03226 by Siobhian Brown on 20 March 2024, what discussions it has had with South Lanarkshire Council regarding potential firework control zones in the local authority area.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not held any discussions with South Lanarkshire Council regarding potential firework control zones within the local authority area. Firework control zones are a discretionary power for local authorities, however, and the Scottish Government is not required to be consulted regarding utilisation of these powers by a local authority. At present, the Scottish Government is aware of a potential 11 firework control zones being scoped out across Scottish local authorities. We remain committed to providing funding to local authorities who wish to consult on, and thereafter designate, a firework control zone (or zones) within their area.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418000,"EventID":"S6W-26397","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:21.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T09:13:14.817","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the outcome is of its consideration of the Cass Review, and whether any of its findings have been taken on board, as they apply to Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government welcomes the publication, on 10 April, of the final report and recommendations of the NHS England-commissioned Independent Review of Gender Identity Services for Children and Young People, chaired by Dr Hiliary Cass (‘the Cass Review’).\r\nThe findings of the review, and the associated systematic review papers, are being closely considered by both the Scottish Government and Health Boards in Scotland in the context of how such healthcare is best delivered here.\r\nOn 18 April, in a joint statement, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Lothian confirmed that both Boards have paused any new prescription of puberty-supressing hormones and cross-sex hormones for young people as a treatment option for gender dysphoria.\r\nThe small number of patients directly impacted by this change, and their families, were notified in advance of this statement. It is right that they were the first to hear about it, sensitively and from the services caring for them, before a public statement was made.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418001,"EventID":"S6W-26356","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:22.1","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T09:05:29.56","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its aim to greatly reduce the placement of young people with learning disabilities in out-of-area residential placements and inappropriate hospital settings by March 2024, how many young people with learning disabilities and complex care needs are currently placed in such inappropriate hospital settings for assessment or treatment.","AnswerText":"Children and young people are only admitted to an inpatient unit for assessment and treatment when there is a clear clinical need and rationale. This would not be inappropriate within the context of current practice, and only becomes inappropriate at the point of becoming a delayed discharge.\r\nData on the number of delayed discharges for children and young people with learning disabilities is not held centrally. The current work referred to is directed at people aged 18 and above.\r\nOur Autism, Learning Disabilities and Neurodivergence Bill is currently out for consultation within which are proposals on legislative options for Dynamic Support Registers.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418002,"EventID":"S6W-26351","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:22.21","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T09:05:29.56","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the investment that will need to be made in GP services in each of the next five years, broken down by NHS board.","AnswerText":"To support general practice services, we have significantly expanded the primary care multi-disciplinary team workforce, with over 4,700 staff working in services including physiotherapy, pharmacy and phlebotomy at March 2023.\r\nWe are supporting development of these teams through an annual investment of £190 million in the Primary Care Improvement Fund which is distributed on an NRAC basis.\r\nWhile we have made significant progress, we know that implementation gaps remain. That is why we have introduced the Phased Investment Programme, working with a small number of areas to demonstrate what a model multidisciplinary team can look like in practice. This programme will strengthen the evidence base on the national context for the implementation of multidisciplinary teams and inform future long term Scottish Government investment.\r\nIn addition, we have submitted our annual evidence to the DDRB for its recommendations on a pay uplift for GPs and will consider them carefully.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418003,"EventID":"S6W-26368","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:22.397","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T12:37:18.543","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the proposed Misogyny Bill will be introduced to the Scottish Parliament.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government will introduce legislation to implement the recommendations of the Working Group on Misogyny and the Criminal Law later this year, informed by responses to last year's consultation on draft legislative provisions to give effect to those recommendations.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418004,"EventID":"S6W-26341","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:22.493","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T17:33:54.103","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what training is provided to GP receptionists who have an enhanced role in the delivery of primary care services.","AnswerText":"NES published the Core Competency Framework for General Practice Administration Staff and Practice Managers in September 2023, which includes an accompanying learning needs analysis tools and training packages. The training packages include training resources specifically for GP receptionists.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418005,"EventID":"S6W-26360","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:22.633","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T09:05:29.56","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work it is doing to end the practice of placing children and young people in adult mental health facilities.","AnswerText":"We expect children and young people who need inpatient mental health care to be looked after in age-appropriate facilities. Following recommendations from the Mental Welfare Commission, the Scottish Government commissioned a national review of existing provision for young people under 18 years who had needs and risks that required intensive psychiatric care. This review published its findings in June 2021 and recommended purpose-built regional units adjacent to existing inpatient services.\r\nSince then, the Scottish Government has provided funding to NHS Boards to support the development of regional Intensive Psychiatric Care Units for young people. Work is currently ongoing to support NHS Boards to establish these facilities, including engagement with regional planning and recruitment to develop this work.\r\nIn addition, in June 2020, the Scottish Government published a protocol for admissions of young people to adult wards, in response to action 19 of the Mental Health Strategy 2017-27. This protocol is a best practice guidance to aid implementation of Section 23 of the Mental Health (Care & Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 which places a duty on health boards to provide sufficient services and accommodation to meet the needs of young people under 18 when they are admitted to hospital for treatment of a mental disorder.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418006,"EventID":"S6W-26366","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:22.87","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T10:13:39.553","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what evaluation process is in place to assess the spending that was allocated to active travel in each financial year between 2020-21 and 2023-24. ","AnswerText":"The Active Travel Programme is a collection of interventions aimed at people and place, and Infrastructure investments to develop safe and accessible active travel routes. Each project is subject to a disciplined Governance approach that includes quarterly and annual reporting. It is a condition of each grant that an evaluation for each project is conducted on completion.\r\nAll interventions and investments reflect the Active Travel Framework and where related to cycling, the cycling framework for Active Travel. Both are accessible on the Transport Scotland website.\r\nProgress against Active Travel Outcomes are measured and published through a number of sources, these include;The Walking and Cycling Index (WACI), published at a City level with Local Authorities.The Cycling Scotland monitoring report, which is published on an annual basis.The Scottish Household Survey, an annual cross-sectional survey.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418007,"EventID":"S6W-26358","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:23.133","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T09:05:29.56","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many inpatient beds for children and young people have been available in each NHS board in each year since 1999.","AnswerText":"Table 1 provides the average available number of staffed beds that were recorded for paediatric/child and adolescent specialties in Scotland for each year from 2001-02 to 2022-23. Information on bed numbers prior to 2001-02 is not available. A figure showing the amount of these beds that were recorded for psychiatric child specialties is also provided.\r\nDue to the way specialties are recorded for beds data, it is not possible to use the Public Health Scotland beds statistics to estimate the total number of beds that are available for use by different services and/or departments. For example, selecting the Paediatric specialty grouping will only provide a partial picture of the staffed beds that are used for children’s services. This is because many beds used for children are not recorded under paediatric specialties and are instead recorded under more specific specialties, such as Haematology, Neurology and Respiratory Medicine.\r\nFurthermore, the specialty recorded for a bed depends partly on what the patient is being treated for: therefore, for some wards, the mix of specialties may change over time.\r\nDue to the volume of data included, a table including a full breakdown by NHS Board has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. Number 64979).\r\nTable 1: Average available staffed beds in paediatric/child & adolescent specialties, NHSScotland, 2001-02 – 2022-23\r\nFinancial Year\r\nAll paediatric specialties\r\nPsychiatric paediatric specialties only\r\n2001-02\r\n948\r\n59\r\n2002-03\r\n914\r\n49\r\n2003-04\r\n900\r\n41\r\n2004-05\r\n855\r\n44\r\n2005-06\r\n873\r\n44\r\n2006-07\r\n859\r\n45\r\n2007-08\r\n836\r\n45\r\n2008-09\r\n829\r\n45\r\n2009-10\r\n811\r\n54\r\n2010-11\r\n825\r\n52\r\n2011-12\r\n816\r\n51\r\n2012-13\r\n807\r\n51\r\n2013-14\r\n813\r\n46\r\n2014-15\r\n806\r\n51\r\n2015-16\r\n790\r\n58\r\n2016-17\r\n784\r\n55\r\n2017-18\r\n784\r\n55\r\n2018-19\r\n773\r\n55\r\n2019-20\r\n777\r\n55\r\n2020-21\r\n757\r\n57\r\n2021-22\r\n794\r\n60\r\n2022-23\r\n792\r\n55\r\nSource: Public Health Scotland\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418008,"EventID":"S6W-26380","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:23.4","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T16:19:53.883","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce will publish its recommendations; how many times the taskforce has met since it was established, and when any meetings took place. ","AnswerText":"The Taskforce is making good progress with the development of its recommended actions and will continue to work until members have agreed a comprehensive action plan. We anticipate the publication of a report later in 2024. Since the establishment, the Nursing and Midwifery has held four ministerial led meetings in April, July, December 2023 and March 2024. The taskforce has also held two official led meetings in June 2023 and March 2024.The Scottish Government publishes the agreed minutes and actions from each meeting on its website:  www.gov.scot/groups/nursing-and-midwifery-taskforce\r\n","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418009,"EventID":"S6W-26388","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:23.573","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T16:34:38.2","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making on any discussions that it is having with developers regarding their ability to pay for cladding remediation works. ","AnswerText":"We are working through our financial support options at pace to define how we can support those developers who cannot afford to pay in full for their remediation liability. We are committed to ensuring that our approach is proportionate to a developer’s ability to pay and are working with developers now to define the level of contribution that would be appropriate.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418010,"EventID":"S6W-26381","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:23.65","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T16:34:38.2","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering the ability of developers to pay for cladding remediation works using profit-based thresholds, and, if so, at what level any such thresholds will be set.","AnswerText":"It is right that developers make a contribution to remediating buildings that they developed, where they are able to do so, and we recognise that this contribution should be proportionate to profit. In England and Wales developers over £10m profit threshold have committed to meet all of the costs of remediating their buildings. In Wales developers under the £10m profit threshold will make a level of contribution to remediating their buildings reflecting their ability to pay. We are currently working with the sector in Scotland to explore the level of contribution that would be appropriate for developers.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418011,"EventID":"S6W-26339","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:23.76","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T17:29:02.203","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what advances have been made in optometry services within primary care in the last five years, and what funding arrangements are in place to support at-home diagnostic and treatment services.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is: rolling out a new Community Glaucoma Service, which supports eligible patients with lower risk glaucoma and treated ocular hypertension to be discharged from hospital and registered with accredited community optometrists; and delivering UK-leading changes to the undergraduate optometry degree model, which will enable students to graduate as Independent Prescriber optometrists. \r\nIn relation to at-home diagnostic and treatment services, community optometry practices that provide NHS eye examinations to eligible patients in a domiciliary setting receive a General Ophthalmic Services eye examination fee as well as an additional visiting fee.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418012,"EventID":"S6W-26382","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:23.853","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T16:34:38.2","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Justice Committee’s inquiry in 2013 and the Scottish Government’s response to it, for what reason it has not yet published the voluntary code of practice on dismissing and replacing land-owning maintenance companies.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is preparing a Voluntary Code of Practice on dismissing and replacing land-owning land maintenance companies.\r\nI acknowledge that there has been a considerable time elapsed since the decision to bring forward a voluntary code of practice on dismissing and replacing land-owning maintenance companies.\r\nUnfortunately, due to other pressures, work has not progressed on the voluntary code of practice as anticipated.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418013,"EventID":"S6W-26354","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:23.963","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T09:05:29.56","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what percentage of patients diagnosed with diabetes have been provided real-time glucose monitoring devices in each NHS board in each year since 1999.","AnswerText":"This information is not held centrally.\r\nSome information on the percentage of people using glucose monitors and other diabetes technologies can be found in the Scottish Diabetes Survey, which provides an annual summary of key issues and trends in diabetes care and treatment in Scotland. The Survey provides annual data going back to 2004 and can be found here:  https://www.diabetesinscotland.org.uk/publications/#survey-docs. \r\nThe next iteration of the Survey, covering data for 2023, will be published later this year.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418014,"EventID":"S6W-26348","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:24.027","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T09:05:29.56","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of childcare voucher schemes on any policies that it has in place to support parents and carers to return to work.","AnswerText":"Childcare voucher schemes were part of UK-wide tax legislation on employer supported childcare. They were closed to new entrants in 2018 and as such, parents and carers who are taking up new employment are not able to access them. While some Scottish families may still be using them, they have largely been replaced by Tax Free Childcare. As the Scottish Government is not involved in the administration or regulation of childcare voucher schemes, we have not conducted an assessment of them.\r\nWe are aware of the wealth of evidence that shows that access to affordable and flexible childcare can improve standards of living and address child poverty through reducing pressures on family income and enabling parents and carers, particularly women, to participate in work, education or training. There is more information on this evidence base in ‘Best Start - strategic early learning and school age childcare plan 2022 to 2026:  https://www.gov.scot/publications/best-start-strategic-early-learning-school-age-childcare-plan-scotland-2022-26/pages/10/ \r\nIn the Plan, we have also set out our commitment to continue to engage with and seek to influence the UK Government to deliver better outcomes for children and families through childcare policy.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418015,"EventID":"S6W-26317","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:24.09","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T16:45:31.89","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to set up regional blood testing centres for Lyme disease. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government provides baseline funding to NHS boards. It is for each NHS Board to determine how best to utilise the funding and resources provided by the Scottish Government to meet the needs and priorities of their local populations, and to ensure that the care they provide is safe, effective and person-centred.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418016,"EventID":"S6W-26367","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:24.183","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T11:31:19.29","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on whether it plans to introduce a new reporting system to record incidents of physical and verbal abuse in schools. ","AnswerText":"Our national guidance on recording and monitoring incidents of bullying in schools makes clear that all schools and local authorities are expected to record all incidents of abusive or violent behaviour.\r\nIn 2019, we introduced a consistent approach to recording and monitoring incidents in schools. The SEEMiS system was identified as the most appropriate tool for schools and local authorities to record incidents. The Scottish Government does not have any plans to introduce a new system.\r\nWe are currently considering the guidance as part of the review into the national anti-bullying guidance, ‘Respect for All’. The updated guidance will be published in late 2024.\r\nIn the meantime, I made clear in my statement to Parliament on 29 November and also reiterated in the strongest possible terms in the opposition debate on 6 March, my position on the need for more accurate recording of all incidents of inappropriate, abusive or violent behaviour in our schools. I continue to encourage all schools to do that, recognising that recording of physical or verbal incidents is a matter for individual local authorities.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418017,"EventID":"S6W-26391","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2098,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":115,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:24.23","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T16:40:48.953","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether consideration is being given, as part of the review of the Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer, to risk factors such as family history and ethnicity in improving the early detection of prostate cancer.","AnswerText":"A wealth of evidence is being collated and analysed as part of the 2024 Clinical Review of the Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer, including from key partners Cancer Research UK and Healthcare Improvement Scotland. All factors that are relevant in the context of symptoms suspicious of cancer based on available evidence, that could support primary care decision-making, will be considered in the Guideline review. The prostate peer review session (PRS), as part of the Review, is scheduled for May 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418018,"EventID":"S6W-26398","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:24.293","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T09:13:14.817","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the discussions and scoping by NHS National Services Scotland and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to consider current and future national provision of gender identity services will conclude.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has commissioned NHS National Services Scotland to work with a wide range of clinical and other stakeholders to consider how best to meet the needs of the population in terms of young people’s gender healthcare services for NHS Scotland. This work is ongoing, and aims to define the scope of a specialist service in Scotland.\r\nThe Scottish Government anticipates that an outline service specification based on this work will be presented to NHS Strategic Planning Board for Scotland for consideration later this year.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418019,"EventID":"S6W-26389","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2098,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":115,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:24.353","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T16:40:48.953","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the necessary genetic tests are available in all NHS board areas to enable the prescribing of Olaparib to treat prostate cancer.","AnswerText":"Prostate BRCA1/2 genetic testing to support access to Olaparib is available to all eligible patients in Scotland. The testing has been implemented with funding from Scottish Government in 2023-24.\r\nIn Scotland genomic testing is provided through a network of four NHS laboratories which are commissioned through NHS National Services Division (NSD), part of NHS National Services Scotland. The laboratories work in conjunction with the Scottish Strategic Network for Genomic Medicine (SSNGM) to deliver a directory of genomic tests for people across Scotland as a whole and to ensure that testing is embedded within end-to-end clinical pathways.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418020,"EventID":"S6W-26383","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:24.573","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T16:34:38.2","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-20984 by Paul McLennan on 15 September 2023, whether it will provide details of the evidence that indicates that the Property Factors (Scotland) Act 2011 is working as intended. ","AnswerText":"The Property Factors (Scotland) Act 2011 (the Act) requires the Scottish Ministers to prepare and maintain a public register of all property factors and to consider whether a property factor is a fit and proper person to be registered as a property factor.\r\nUnder the Act, Scottish Ministers must prepare a property factor code of conduct setting out the minimum standards of practice expected of registered property factors. A Code of Conduct was introduced on 1 October 2012. We revised the Code in August 2021 to make it clearer, to drive up standards and to improve consistency, without placing an undue burden on companies that might result in significant additional costs being passed on to homeowners. The changes ensured the Code remained up to date and responded to concerns raised by homeowners as well as supporting important wider policy objectives around tenement maintenance.\r\nA dispute resolution mechanism is provided for the resolution of disputes between homeowners and property factors through the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber) (the First-tier Tribunal). This provides free access to justice for homeowners and there is evidence provided in the First-tier Tribunal's published Annual Reports noting the number of applications it has received. The most recent report demonstrates that homeowners are taking action against their Property Factor where they believe their Property Factor has not met the requirements of the Code of Conduct, or carried out their duties under the Act.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418021,"EventID":"S6W-26377","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:24.683","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T15:57:13.11","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will list any payments that it has made to P&O Ferries since 17 March 2022 to date.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has made no payments to P&O Ferries since 17 March 2022.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418022,"EventID":"S6W-26342","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:24.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T17:36:21.11","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether NHS Education for Scotland has undertaken any work to support (a) the development of best practice guidelines and (b) training opportunities for GP receptionists.","AnswerText":"NHS Education for Scotland (NES) support the development and delivery of healthcare education and training for the NHS, health and social care sector and other public bodies. This includes the development of best practice guidelines as appropriate.\r\nWith regards to GP receptionists, NES published the Core Competency Framework for General Practice Administration Staff and Practice Managers in September 2023, which includes an accompanying learning needs analysis tools and training packages.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418023,"EventID":"S6W-26374","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:24.887","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T15:57:13.097","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the South West Scotland Regional Transport Partnership regarding P&O Ferries’ (a) passenger and (b) freight operations from Cairnryan Port since March 2022.","AnswerText":"I have met the Chair of the South West Scotland Regional Transport Partnership and discussed a wide range of transport issues over recent months.\r\nHowever, the Scottish Government has not held discussions with them specifically regarding P&O Ferries’ passenger and freight operations from Cairnryan Port since March 2022.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418024,"EventID":"S6W-26384","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:25.107","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T16:34:38.2","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on agreeing the specification for single building assessments in relation to cladding remediation. ","AnswerText":"The Single Building Assessment (SBA) is a risk-based approach to assess and culminate in a report on the risk to human life (directly or indirectly) created or exacerbated by the External Wall System (EWS) in multi-residential domestic buildings which may include a commercial premises, constructed or refurbished between 1 June 1992 and 1 June 2022, 11 metres and over in height and incorporating a form of external wall cladding system. The SBA includes a FRAEW (Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls) which requires that a building is assessed holistically, and for that reason, the SBA will also include a Fire Risk Assessment of the common parts of the building to the level of detail deemed required by the Fire Engineer / Assessor. The level of risk acceptance for any building in scope is tolerable risk. The recommendations identified by the Fire Engineer or Assessor within the SBA report which are deemed necessary to eliminate or mitigate risk to human life (directly or indirectly) created or exacerbated by the EWS will form the remediation scope.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418025,"EventID":"S6W-26364","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:25.2","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T10:13:39.553","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much of the budget investment allocated for active travel was spent, in each financial year from 2020-21 to 2023-24.","AnswerText":"The Active Travel Budget is an allocation set within the overall Transport Budget for Scotland. There has been an annual increase to the Active Travel budget each year from 2020 to 2023. This reflects our commitment to increase walking, cycling, or wheeling for everyday journeys.\r\nActive Travel investments encounter challenges such as planning, geographical issues, and supply chain availability that can result in an underspend or a programme being adjusted midterm. Planning, forecasting, and grant management processes are utilised to mitigate the risk of underspend whenever possible. The Active Travel programme, as with many Government investments, was significantly impacted with restrictions under the COVID19 response, adaptations to projects has to be made to allow for continued delivery, and in some cases work was paused. The breakdown of allocations and spend for the years 2020-21 to 2022-23 is as follows;\r\nYear\r\nAllocated Budget\r\nAllocated from Budget\r\nSpend Achieved\r\n2020-21\r\n£100,500,000.00\r\n£100,500,000.00\r\n£75,145,156.46\r\n2021-22\r\n£116,761,432.82\r\n£116,171,826.69\r\n£88,744,213.02\r\n2022-23\r\n£149,977,000.00\r\n£149,683,003.69\r\n£139,918,607.50\r\n \r\n2023-24 as a financial year is not complete. The following is therefore indicative and may adjust once the year end process completes.\r\nYear\r\nAllocated Budget\r\nAllocated from Budget\r\nSpend Forecast\r\n2023-24\r\n£189,210,000\r\n£183,644,079.00\r\n£173,782,079","AnswerDate":"2024-04-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418026,"EventID":"S6W-26396","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:25.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T09:13:14.803","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many children and young people have been referred to gender identity services in each year since 2013.","AnswerText":"The Sandyford Young People’s Gender Service, based in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, is the only gender identity clinic in Scotland providing care to those aged under 17 years. This service offers a range of support to young people and their families and accepts referrals from across Scotland.\r\nThe information requested is not held centrally. This is a matter for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde as the responsible Health Board.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418027,"EventID":"S6W-26352","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:25.433","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T09:05:29.56","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what review it will undertake of the funding formula for health services, in light of the projected population growth in the NHS Lothian area.","AnswerText":"We remain committed to ensuring funding is distributed equitably across the country as set out in the 2021-22 Programme for Government. The existing National Resource Allocation Formula (NRAC) is updated on an ongoing basis for a range of factors including population demographics, relative health needs and remote and rural factors. We will continue to assess the need for a more detailed review of the formula, in line with developments in National Care Service funding and Integration reform.\r\nPublic Health Scotland review the calculations each year, which informs the geographical allocation of the NHS budget, ensuring resources are distributed fairly. The Scottish Government is not involved in the calculation of the target values. However, we use the formula to ensure appropriate allocation of resource. In 2024-25, we will provide an additional £31.1 million in parity funding, ensuring that all Boards remain within 0.6% of their target.\r\nWork to determine how the review should be taken forward is underway, with an initial meeting of the Technical Advisory Group on Resource Allocation (TAGRA) having taken place to consider the next steps to determine scope and timing of the review.\r\nPlease note that the main driver of the NRAC formula is the population size of each area for the target year and as such each run incorporates the most up-to-date population information available. This includes the latest population estimates (including census data) and sub-national projections published by National Records of Scotland (NRS).","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418028,"EventID":"S6W-26346","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:25.637","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T23:32:18.827","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what practical measures it is taking to sustain the expertise and learning curves developed by the project team on the Edinburgh Trams to Newhaven project in order to optimise the delivery of the Clyde Metro project.","AnswerText":"The current phase of Clyde Metro is being led by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, working alongside Glasgow City Council and with Transport Scotland providing support in a project assurance role.\r\nI am advised that the multi-partner project team has been engaging with colleagues from the Trams to Newhaven project and across the private and public sector to learn from experiences elsewhere in the development of mass transit projects and ensure lessons learned and best practice are embedded within Clyde Metro’s future development.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418029,"EventID":"S6W-26365","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:25.717","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T10:13:39.553","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of (a) how and (b) where the budget allocated for active travel was spent, in each financial year from 2020-21 to 2023-24.","AnswerText":"The Active Travel Budget is an annually set allocation from the overall Scottish Transport Budget. The Active Travel Programme contains a blend of Grants awarded in accordance with the Scottish public Finance Manual, contracts drawn down from Scottish Government procurement frameworks, and budget transfers to support investments managed in other areas of the portfolio. A breakdown of years 2020-21 to 2023-24 is set out in the following table;\r\nFinancial Year 2020-21- £100,500,000.00\r\nInvestment\r\nAmount\r\nMechanism\r\nDelivery Partners\r\nInfrastructure and place making projects\r\n£84,506,198.00\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\nPaid through Grant Awards\r\nAll Local Authorities, Sustrans\r\nRegional Transport Partnership Grants\r\n£1,315,600.00\r\nPaid through Grant Awards\r\nRegional Transport Partnerships\r\nIndependent Review of Grants\r\n£5,014.66\r\nFramework Call of Contract\r\nMacRoberts LLP\r\nResearch Programme on Presumed Liability\r\n£7,470.00\r\nThrough budget transfer as part of the Spring and Autumn budget reviews\r\nUK Government DfT, Transport Scotland\r\nBehaviour Change Interventions\r\n£14,665,717.00\r\nPaid through Grant Awards\r\nCycling Scotland, CyclingUK, Forth Environment Link, Cycling Without Age, Scottish National Heritage, The Bike Station, Sustrans\r\nActive Nation Commissioner\r\n£50,648.00\r\nPublic Appointment\r\nActive Nation Commissioner\r\n \r\nFinancial Year 2021-22 - £116,171,826.69\r\nInvestment\r\nAmount\r\nMechanism\r\nDelivery Partners\r\nFree Bikes for school age children Commitment\r\n£ 2,133,459.29\r\nPaid through Grant Awards\r\nScottish Cycling, FreeWheel North, Sustrans, Cycling Scotland, Shetland Council, Forth Environment Link, St Paul’s Youth Forum, Angus Bike Hub, Bike for Good, Research Scotland\r\nThe development of a replacement strategy for the Cycling Action Plan - the Cycle Framework\r\n£50,000.40\r\nFramework Call of Contract\r\nAECOM\r\nActive Travel Infrastructure Investments\r\n£90,638,802.70\r\n(£51,256,912 of which was managed to projects through Sustrans)\r\nPaid through Grant Awards\r\nAll Scottish Local Authorities, Regional Transport Partnerships, Sustrans\r\nInterventions to support people and communities to make Active Travel Choices\r\n£20,984,564.00\r\nPaid through Grant Awards\r\nPaths for All, Cycling Scotland, CyclingUK, Living Streets, Sestrans, Sustrans\r\nActive Travel Contributions to wider Transport and Government Investments includes capital and resource reviews\r\n£2,290,000.00\r\nThrough budget transfer as part of the Spring and Autumn budget reviews\r\nTransport Scotland\r\nActive Nation Commissioner\r\n£75,000.00\r\nPublic Appointment\r\nActive Nation Commissioner\r\n \r\nFinancial Year 2022-23 - £149,683,003.69\r\nInvestment\r\nAmount\r\nMechanism\r\nDelivery Partners\r\nActive Travel Infrastructure Investments\r\n£108,472,925.00\r\n(£65,901,425 of which was managed to project through Sustrans)\r\n \r\nPaid through Grant Awards\r\nAll Scottish Local Authorities, All Scottish Regional Transport Partnerships, Sustrans, Paths for All,\r\nActive Travel Contributions to wider Transport and Government Investments includes capital and resource reviews\r\n£13,374,000.00\r\n(£3,300,000 of which supported road safety projects)\r\nThrough budget transfer as part of the Spring and Autumn budget reviews\r\nTransport Scotland\r\nFree Bikes for school age children Commitment\r\n£2,328,868.90\r\nPaid through Grant Awards\r\nSustrans, Shetland Council, Scottish Cycling, St Paul’s Youth Forum, Forth Environment Link, Cycling Scotland, Bike for Good, Angus Cycle Hub. YoungScot\r\nAccess to Bikes and cycling priority interventions\r\n£13,150,907.75\r\nPaid through Grant Awards\r\nCycling Scotland, CyclingUK, Energy Savings Trust, Bike for Good, UCI Major Events Team\r\nBehaviour Change Interventions\r\n£11,782,502.54\r\nPaid through Grant Awards\r\nPaths for All, COMOUK, Sustrans, Living Streets\r\nActive Nation Commissions\r\n£75,000.00\r\nPublic Appointment\r\nActive Nation Commissioner\r\nThe Active Travel Transformation Programme\r\n£496,898.75\r\nFramework Call off Contact and administration/facilitation costs\r\nSWECO, Systra,\r\nThe development of a replacement ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418030,"EventID":"S6W-26379","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:25.843","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T16:18:10.533","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason Scotland is reportedly the last of the four UK nations to confirm its involvement in the UK Government’s Project Gigabit programme.","AnswerText":"The first Project Gigabit funding to be deployed anywhere in the United Kingdom was secured by the Scottish Government in 2021.\r\nA total of £31.2 million of Project Gigabit funding has already been committed for investment in Scotland through the Scottish Government’s own £600 million Reaching 100% (R100) programme to enhance and extend the R100 contract coverage footprint. The R100 contracts are now predominantly full fibre, delivering gigabit capable infrastructure across rural Scotland at pace.\r\nThe Scottish Government and Building Digital UK (BDUK) have been working closely to prepare the next phase of Project Gigabit activity in Scotland, with the first local and regional procurements outside of England expected to launch in Scotland imminently.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418031,"EventID":"S6W-26375","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:26.123","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T15:57:13.11","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with (a) Port of Cairnryan, (b) P&O Ferries and (c) Clyde Marine Recruitment regarding the application of the Fair Work Convention to ferry services between Cairnryan and Larne.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not held recent discussions with the Port of Cairnryan, P&O Ferries or Clyde Marine Recruitment regarding the Fair Work Convention and ferry services between Cairnryan and Larne.\r\nWhile employment law remains reserved to the UK Government, we will use our Fair Work policy to promote fairer work practices across the labour market in Scotland. In December 2022, we announced the strengthening of our conditionality approach, and now recipients of public sector grants awarded on or after 1 July 2023 are required to pay at least the real Living Wage and provide appropriate channels for effective employee voice.\r\nBoth shipping and employment law remains reserved to the UK Government and we would expect all ferry operators to ensure compliance with UK regulations on employees’ pay and conditions.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418032,"EventID":"S6W-26338","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:26.2","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T17:24:10.353","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many whole-time equivalent advanced nurse practitioners are currently employed within primary care.","AnswerText":"Advanced Nurse Practitioners are employed within a range of settings within Primary Care.\r\nThe 2023 General Practice Workforce Survey (  https://turasdata.nes.nhs.scot/data-and-reports/official-workforce-statistics/all-official-statistics-publications/general-practice-workforce-survey-2023/annual-report/?pageid=10709  ), reports that there are 553.7 whole-time equivalent (WTE) Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANPs) employed by and working in General Practices.\r\nAlongside this, the ‘Primary Care Improvement Plans - Implementation Progress Summary’ (  https://www.gov.scot/publications/primary-care-improvement-plans-summary-implementation-progress-march-2023/  ) reports that a total of 219.9 WTE ANPs employed by Health Boards within Urgent Care services.\r\nThe latest NHS Scotland Workforce data published by NES (  https://turasdata.nes.nhs.scot/data-and-reports/official-workforce-statistics/all-official-statistics-publications/05-march-2024-workforce/  ) shows that there are 4.8 WTE ANPs employed by the Scottish Ambulance Service, as well as 1.0 WTE ANP employed by NHS 24.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418033,"EventID":"S6W-26347","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:26.263","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T09:05:29.56","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many public sector vehicles are exempt from the (a) Glasgow and (b) Edinburgh Low Emission Zone.","AnswerText":"There is no specific exemption for public sector vehicles.\r\nThe national exemptions set in the LEZ legislation include: vehicles for disabled persons, emergency service, military, historic and showman vehicles.\r\nAs stated in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019, each local authority may offer local time-limited exemptions.\r\nThe number of public sector vehicles exempt from each Low Emission Zone is a matter for the relevant local authorities as the information requested is not held centrally.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418034,"EventID":"S6W-26363","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:26.313","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T09:21:42.37","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what pathways of support and treatment are available to eating disorder patients who may require non-standardised care.","AnswerText":"We are committed to supporting people to access the right care at the right time and having support in place to respond to the whole person needs of those who suffer from an eating disorder. That is why in 2023-24 we allocated £55.5 million to Health Boards to improve the quality and delivery of mental health and psychological services for all, including eating disorder services.\r\nThe Scottish Government has recently developed a draft National Specification for the Care and Treatment of Eating Disorders in Scotland which will be finalised later this year. It clearly outlines that we would expect services to have specialist pathways and work jointly with other services to care for anyone with co-occurring considerations such as neurodiversity, pregnancy, diabetes etc.\r\nThe vast majority of people with eating disorders will be treated in the community, with support provided by primary care or community mental health teams, and with support links to specialist hospital or voluntary sector care where appropriate.\r\nWe have also provided Beat, the UK’s largest Eating Disorder charity, with over £600,000 to provide a range of support services for those impacted by an eating disorder.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418035,"EventID":"S6W-26390","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2098,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":115,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-21T15:45:26.453","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T16:40:48.953","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the review of the Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer will be completed.","AnswerText":"The 2024 Clinical Review of the Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer has commenced, with clinical peer review sessions running from April to October 2024. A consultation period will then follow to allow stakeholders across NHS Scotland to comment on the final version. A revised Guideline is expected to be published early 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418053,"EventID":"S6W-26441","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-22T15:59:28.983","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T22:02:32.86","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, following the changes to the delivery of inoculations in the 2018 Scottish GMS Contract, whether it was anticipated that courses of B12 injections prescribed over a series of days and weeks would be delivered in central vaccination centres by Health and Social Care Partnerships, rather than GP practices, which reportedly often means that patients requiring this treatment frequently have to travel significant distances. ","AnswerText":"While the Scottish Government sets the strategic policy for the NHS in Scotland, legal responsibility for service delivery rests locally with Health Boards and their healthcare professionals. As part of the service redesign under the GP contract, the focus is on reconfiguring a number of services at scale, across the country, including Vaccinations and Community Treatment & Care services. The Scottish Government did not stipulate delivery models; Health Boards, Integration Authorities and Local Medical Committees have been asked to work together to design services which will meet the needs of patients in their areas, including accessibility.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418054,"EventID":"S6W-26408","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-22T15:59:29.157","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T09:13:14.817","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions have taken place between NHS Scotland and Dr Hilary Cass regarding the prescription of puberty suppressing hormones to children and young people.","AnswerText":"The final report from the NHS England-commissioned Independent Review of Gender Identity Services for Children and Young People (the ‘Cass Review’), chaired by Dr Hiliary Cass, was published on 10 April. The Cass Review did not review or consider clinical services as offered by Health Boards in Scotland.\r\nHowever, both the Scottish Government and Scottish Health Boards had continued to proactively engage with the Cass Review as it progressed, to share information on improvement work in Scotland; shared learning; best practice; and to understand outputs of the review in England.\r\nThe Scottish Government welcomes the final report of the Cass Review, and we are now closely considering its findings at pace. Health Boards will also be considering the content of the report in the context of how this type of healthcare is delivered within Scotland.\r\nOn 18 April, in a joint statement, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Lothian confirmed that both Boards have paused any new prescription of puberty-supressing hormones and cross-sex hormones for young people as a treatment option for gender dysphoria.\r\nThe small number of patients directly impacted by this change, and their families, were notified in advance of this statement. It is right that they were the first to hear about it, sensitively and from the services caring for them, before a public statement was made.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418055,"EventID":"S6W-26407","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-22T15:59:29.233","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T09:13:14.817","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6F-02948 by Humza Yousaf on 21 March 2024, whether it will confirm if NHS Scotland will continue to offer puberty suppressing hormones to children and young people, in light of reported concerns from governments in England, Sweden, Finland and France regarding the lack of knowledge of the effects of such drugs.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26406 on 19 April 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418056,"EventID":"S6W-26323","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-22T15:59:29.297","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T16:49:27.51","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of community-based health and social care spend is currently spent on preventative whole family support, broken down by local authority area, and when it expects the total figure to reach its 5% target. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to meeting this ambition by 2030 and continues to explore how we can enable a transformational change in the delivery of preventative whole family support and how we can take a cross portfolio approach to supporting work on prevention. In addition, we are currently preparing a Whole Family Wellbeing investment approach on supporting the provision of preventative, holistic family support. \r\n \r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418057,"EventID":"S6W-26399","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-22T15:59:29.36","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T09:13:14.817","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to gather any long-term evidence and data on the effects of prescribing puberty suppressing hormones to children and young people.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to S6W-26400 on 19 April 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418058,"EventID":"S6W-26438","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-22T15:59:29.423","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T21:31:44.96","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported decision by Aberdeenshire Integration Joint Board to close Fraserburgh, Peterhead and Huntly Minor Injury Units (MIUs) overnight on a permanent basis due to budgetary pressures, what action it will take with NHS boards and local partners to ensure that MIUs continue to deliver urgent and unscheduled care in the North East Scotland region. ","AnswerText":"It is important to note that through the Redesign of Urgent Care Programme, NHS 24 is available 24/7 and will be able to assist patients across Scotland, including the North East Scotland region, access the most appropriate healthcare pathway over a 24 hour period. \r\nThe decision to close the service overnight is an operational decision for local health boards and integrated joint boards to get the best combination of local and specialist services that meets the needs of their population in line with the National Clinical Strategy. It has been reported by NHS Grampian that this bring this service in line with other services across Moray and Aberdeen City. The Scottish Government do not have a specific policy on the provision of Minor Injury Units in communities. \r\nIt is important to stress that these Minor Injury Units will continue to operate during the day and the Board report that there is minimal activity at these units during the out of hours period. These services are only equipped to deal with minor injuries which do not need immediate attention. Those patients that may have attended the MIU during the proposed closure times will either be provided with a scheduled appointment through NHS 24 to attend the next morning, or if an emergency will be directed straight to A&E.\r\nMinor injury services are also available at the majority of the local GP practices.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418059,"EventID":"S6W-26406","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-22T15:59:29.47","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T09:13:14.817","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6F-02948 by Humza Yousaf on 21 March 2024, whether it will confirm if it plans to replicate NHS England's decision that puberty suppressing hormones \"are not available as a routine commissioning treatment option for treatment of children and young people who have gender incongruence / gender dysphoria\", in light of reported concerns regarding the safety of such drugs.","AnswerText":"Decisions on clinical pathways are not for the Scottish Government. These decisions are for clinicians, based on the best evidence available, through the appropriate clinical governance structures.\r\nOn 18 April, in a joint statement, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Lothian confirmed that both Boards have paused any new prescription of puberty-supressing hormones and cross-sex hormones for young people as a treatment option for gender dysphoria.\r\nThe small number of patients directly impacted by this change, and their families, were notified in advance of this statement. It is right that they were the first to hear about it, sensitively and from the services caring for them, before a public statement was made. ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418060,"EventID":"S6W-26401","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-22T15:59:29.533","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T09:13:14.817","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to put new prescriptions for puberty suppressing hormones on hold, in light of reported concerns around a lack of data on the effects of puberty suppressing hormones on children and young people.","AnswerText":"Decisions on clinical pathways are not for the Scottish Government. These decisions are for clinicians, based on the best evidence available, through the appropriate clinical governance structures.\r\nOn 18 April, in a joint statement, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Lothian confirmed that both Boards have paused any new prescription of puberty-supressing hormones and cross-sex hormones for young people as a treatment option for gender dysphoria.\r\nThe small number of patients directly impacted by this change, and their families, were notified in advance of this statement. It is right that they were the first to hear about it, sensitively and from the services caring for them, before a public statement was made.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418061,"EventID":"S6W-26442","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-22T15:59:29.593","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T22:16:45.723","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported cyber attack that took place on NHS Dumfries and Galloway on 15 March 2024, how it is working with (a) all NHS boards, (b) Police Scotland and (c) the National Cyber Security Centre, to ensure that NHS IT systems are not compromised further by similar attacks. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to support NHS Dumfries and Galloway respond to the cyber-attack through the provision of the Scottish multi-agency cyber incident support arrangements. These arrangements bring national agencies, including the National Cyber Security Centre, law enforcement (including Police Scotland), NHS Cyber Security Centre of Excellence, NHS Boards and the Scottish Government together to support the response and recovery to the incident.\r\nFor further information I refer the member to the answer to question S6T-01869 on 19 March 2024 which is available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament  .","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418062,"EventID":"S6W-26439","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-22T15:59:29.673","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T21:36:41.853","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering a ban on under-18s receiving cosmetic treatments, such as dermal fillers and Botox. ","AnswerText":"Scottish Government officials are working with beauty industry representatives, environmental health officers and healthcare professionals to explore the next steps in potential further regulation of non-surgical cosmetic procedures. Work with stakeholders will also consider any potential age restrictions.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418063,"EventID":"S6W-26405","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-22T15:59:29.72","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T09:13:14.817","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported concerns that children and young people in England who are waiting to receive puberty suppressing hormones (PSH) may relocate to Scotland to procure these treatments, in light of NHS England's decision that PSH \"are not available as a routine commissioning treatment option for treatment of children and young people who have gender incongruence / gender dysphoria\".","AnswerText":"NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s Young People’s Gender Service only accepts referrals from individuals residing in Scotland.\r\nOn 18 April, in a joint statement, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Lothian confirmed that both Boards have paused any new prescription of puberty-supressing hormones and cross-sex hormones for young people as a treatment option for gender dysphoria.\r\nThe small number of patients directly impacted by this change, and their families, were notified in advance of this statement. It is right that they were the first to hear about it, sensitively and from the services caring for them, before a public statement was made.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418064,"EventID":"S6W-26436","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-22T15:59:29.877","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T17:12:10.753","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Workforce Specialist Service will be renewed once the current contract expires.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government has confirmed funding for the Workforce Specialist Service (WSS) for 2024-25 and the current contract will be extended for a further 12 months. WSS provides confidential mental health assessment and treatment for regulated health, social care and social work professionals in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418065,"EventID":"S6W-26433","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-22T15:59:29.937","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T16:54:05.06","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many domestic abuse cases resulted in the accused receiving an absolute discharge in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"There is no single crime of domestic abuse. Instead domestic abuse can refer to any crime that carries a domestic abuse aggravator, which includes offences under the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018. Data on people prosecuted and convicted in Scottish criminal courts are presented in the Criminal Proceedings in Scotland statistical bulletin. The most recent available version covers the financial years 2012-13 to 2021-22. People convicted where the main charge carried a domestic abuse aggravation and the main penalty was an absolute discharge are shown in the following table for the most recent five years for which data are available.\r\n2017-18\r\n2018-19\r\n2019-20\r\n2020-21 1\r\n2021-22 1\r\n157\r\n131\r\n108\r\n78\r\n131\r\n1. Data for 2020-21 and 2021-22 were affected by the pandemic and subsequent court closures, reduced court capacities and delayed cases where key participants tested positive for COVID-19. Volumes for these years should be treated with caution and not considered indicative of longer term trends.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418066,"EventID":"S6W-26437","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-22T15:59:30","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T21:31:44.96","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment has been made of the Redesign of Urgent Care Programme, which was launched in December 2020. ","AnswerText":"Through the Redesign of Urgent Care (RUC), we have bolstered capacity at NHS24, which has seen staffing levels increase by 65% since 2007 and now operates as a 24/7 service, and are providing more hospital alternatives to prevent unnecessary attendances to A&E.\r\nThe combination of services has significantly contributed to reduced attendance at Emergency Departments, with self-presentations between February 2023 – January 2024 down by over 90,000 (around 11%) compared to pre-Covid levels.\r\nThe Scottish Government works closely with the Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) to support delivery of improvement programmes, including the Urgent and Unscheduled Care collaborative, to ensure sustainable ways of delivering services, improving access for patients, and reducing unnecessary demand for services. A Speciality Delivery Group meets regularly to monitor progress and support initiatives which are enhancing the RUC pathway.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418067,"EventID":"S6W-26413","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-22T15:59:30.063","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T11:45:04.293","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on funding commitments for the research priorities identified in the report of the James Lind Alliance's Priority Setting Partnership for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), which was published in May 2022.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has no plans to create specific funding commitments for the research priorities identified in the report of the JLA PSP on ME/CFS\r\nWithin the Scottish Government, funding of Health and Care Research comes under the remit of the Chief Scientist Office (CSO).\r\nThe CSO's Translational Clinical Studies (TCS) Committee and Health Improvement, Protection and Services Research (HIPS) Committee each meet twice per year to consider funding applications. Details of the application process are published on the CSO website.\r\nhttps://www.cso.sc  ot.nhs.uk/grant-funding/response-mode-funding-schemes/ \r\nApplications on the underlying causes, diagnosis, treatment and management of ME/CFS are welcomed. Any such applications would go through CSO's standard independent expert review process to allow funding decisions to be made.\r\nThrough UK-wide funding agreements, researchers based in Scotland are able to access research funding programmes administered by the National Institute for Health & Care Research (NIHR). Within their individual remits, these programmes can consider applications for research in ME/CFS. CSO is working with the health research community in Scotland to ensure awareness of these opportunities and to maximise the number of high quality applications from Scotland to the NIHR research funding programmes going forward.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418068,"EventID":"S6W-26402","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-22T15:59:30.127","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T09:13:14.817","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what data collection and research it has been carried out regarding gender identity services.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has commissioned Public Health Scotland (PHS) to collect, collate and publish waiting times for all gender identity clinics within the NHS in Scotland. This work will standardise and make routine reporting of waiting time information for these specialist clinical services. This commission also includes collation of patient cohort data, to help inform future service delivery. This work is ongoing.\r\nThe Scottish Government also provided funding in 2021 to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to support the publication of a trans/non-binary specific report as part of a wider Health Needs Assessment it published in May 2022, in partnership with NHS Lothian and PHS. The main report can be accessed here:  stor.scot.nhs.uk/bitstream/handle/11289/580332/Final Report %2831 May 2022%29.pdf?sequence=1  and the trans/non-binary specific supplementary report accessed here:  Health needs assessment LGBT+ people: Transgender and non-binary supplementary report (scot.nhs.uk)  .\r\nFurthermore, the Scottish Government has provided grant funding to the University of Glasgow for a programme of research on long-term health outcomes for those accessing gender identity healthcare in Scotland, to help expand the collective evidence base for this healthcare. This work is in progress, and funding has been awarded to a number of research projects and a PhD post as part of this programme.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418069,"EventID":"S6W-26446","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-22T15:59:30.187","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-22T09:33:56.303","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26073 by Lorna Slater on 21 March 2024, what proportion of the green jobs required in the construction sector identified in the report are estimated to be as a result of its policy initiatives.","AnswerText":"Of the 2.5m jobs in Scotland, the research mapped nearly 40% of those as green jobs. Of those green jobs, 13% were classified as ‘new and emerging’ construction sector jobs, 12% were ‘enhanced skills and knowledge’ construction sector jobs, and 25% were ‘increased demand’ construction sector jobs. The research did not seek to define how many of these were as a result of policy initiatives nor does the Scottish Government hold that information.\r\nThe full report can be found here:  https://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/media/q2lhg1v5/green-jobs-in-scotland-report_final-4.pdf ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418070,"EventID":"S6W-26322","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-22T15:59:30.233","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T16:49:27.51","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how often it reviews statistical collection and publishing cycles in order to deliver joined-up policy making. ","AnswerText":"Scottish Government statistics are produced in accordance with the Code of Practice for Statistics. The Code of Practice states that statistics producers should routinely review the relevance and usefulness of statistics, including the timeliness of the statistics and data.\r\nThe Code of Practice also requires statistics producers to maintain and refresh their understanding of the use and potential use of statistics, and that they regularly engage with users. This is to ensure that statistics support the public good, which includes the development and evaluation of public policy.\r\nThe application of the Code of Practice in Scottish Government is overseen by the Chief Statistician, with decisions about particular collections and publications made on a case-by-case by the responsible statisticians.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"George Adam","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418071,"EventID":"S6W-26412","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-22T15:59:30.313","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T09:51:22.013","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the outcome was of the pilot of the NHS Education for Scotland training module on myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).","AnswerText":"NHS Education for Scotland expect this module to be ready for publishing on their website and available to members by June 2024. Updates will be detailed in their newsletter to Practice Based Small Group Learning (PBSGL) members.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418072,"EventID":"S6W-26409","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-22T15:59:30.377","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T09:13:14.817","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions have taken place between NHS Scotland and the UK Government regarding the prescription of puberty suppressing hormones to children and young people.","AnswerText":"Decisions on clinical pathways are not for the Scottish Government. These decisions are for clinicians, based on the best evidence available, through the appropriate clinical governance structures.\r\nThe Scottish Government is unaware of any discussions between NHS Scotland Health Boards and the UK Government regarding the prescription of puberty-suppressing hormones as a treatment option for gender dysphoria.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418073,"EventID":"S6W-26403","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-22T15:59:30.437","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T09:13:14.817","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made by the National Gender Identity Healthcare Reference Group to implement the commitments set out in the NHS gender identity services: strategic action framework 2022-2024.","AnswerText":"The National Gender Identity Healthcare Reference Group continues to meet and make progress against all the commitments set out within the referenced December 2021 Strategic Action Framework. This includes:Healthcare Improvement Scotland developing standards for gender identity healthcare for NHS Scotland;NHS Education Scotland developing a Transgender Health Knowledge and Skills framework for NHS staff;Public Health Scotland working with Health Boards to deliver publication of waiting times data by them; andGrant funding to the University of Glasgow to administer a programme of research on gender identity healthcare.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418074,"EventID":"S6W-26340","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-22T15:59:30.5","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T17:29:17.153","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6F-02948 by Humza Yousaf on 21 March 2024, whether it will confirm if it has any plans to restrict the use of puberty suppressing hormones for children.","AnswerText":"Decisions on clinical pathways are not for the Scottish Government. These decisions are for clinicians, based on the best evidence available, through the appropriate clinical governance structures.\r\nOn 18 April, in a joint statement, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Lothian confirmed that both Boards have paused any new prescription of puberty-supressing hormones and cross-sex hormones for young people as a treatment option for gender dysphoria.\r\nThe small number of patients directly impacted by this change, and their families, were notified in advance of this statement. It is right that they were the first to hear about it, sensitively and from the services caring for them, before a public statement was made.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418075,"EventID":"S6W-26428","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5877,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-22T15:59:30.547","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T16:06:06.297","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that its new Renters' Rights Campaign reaches older private renters, in light of the recently published report, Homing in: How to improve the lives of older renters in Scotland, by Independent Age, which found that only 30% of older renters feel fully informed of their housing rights.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government's Renters' Rights campaign ran from 27 February to 26 March 2024, aiming to increase awareness of both new and existing rights for all private tenants in Scotland.\r\nWe worked collaboratively with public and third sector partners to disseminate the campaign information, enabling them to reach minority audiences, specialist groups and those who are less likely to be online. This included the Older People’s Strategic Advisory Forum (OPSAF), who represent the following organisations: Age Scotland, Generations Working Together, LGBT Age Project, Outside the Box, We are Hourglass, Independent Age, Scottish Trades Union Congress, The Scottish Older People’s Assembly, Faith in Older People, LGBT Health and Wellbeing, Glasgow Disability Alliance and Minority Ethnic Carers of People Programme.\r\nRenters’ Rights information was also directly provided to Citizens Advice Bureaux, Crisis, Living Rent, Property Mark, Scottish Landlords, Scottish Land and Estates, UK Finance, Poverty Alliance, Generation Rent, the Scottish Property Federation, the Chartered Institute of Housing Scotland, Local Authorities, NHS Health Boards, Social Security Scotland and third sector equality partners such as BEMIS and CEMVO.\r\nIt is vitally important that all tenants, including older renters, are aware of the strong rights and protections available to them and we will continue to identify opportunities and work with a range of key partners in order to continue to raise awareness.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418076,"EventID":"S6W-26400","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-22T15:59:30.627","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T09:13:14.817","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will set up a study into the effects of puberty suppressing hormones on children and young people.","AnswerText":"The term “puberty-suppressing hormones” is non-specific, and could be applied to a range of medicines used for a variety of conditions.\r\nThe Scottish Government and NHS Scotland are proactively engaged with NHS England and its commissioned research study on puberty-suppressing hormones as a treatment option for gender dysphoria. This is being delivered by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The Scottish Government and the NHS in Scotland are currently observers to that ongoing study development process, however consideration by NHS partners of what further engagement with this study may be appropriate is ongoing, as the scope of the research continues to be developed and defined by NIHR.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418077,"EventID":"S6W-26429","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-22T15:59:30.69","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T16:23:29.033","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is available to young people whose referral to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) has been rejected.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25449 on 4 March 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418078,"EventID":"S6W-26414","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-22T15:59:30.737","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T13:02:16.567","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS Scotland regarding the use of puberty supressing hormones.","AnswerText":"In the context of specialist provision of gender identity healthcare to children and young people, since publication of its Strategic Action Framework for Gender Identity Service improvement in December 2021, the Scottish Government has maintained an extensive dialogue with NHS Health Boards in Scotland on how to collectively work to improve healthcare provision in this sphere.\r\nOn 18 April, in a joint statement, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Lothian confirmed that both Boards have paused any new prescription of puberty-supressing hormones and cross-sex hormones for young people as a treatment option for gender dysphoria.\r\nThe small number of patients directly impacted by this change, and their families, were notified in advance of this statement. It is right that they were the first to hear about it, sensitively and from the services caring for them, before a public statement was made.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418079,"EventID":"S6W-26440","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-22T15:59:30.8","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T21:49:23.123","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with Police Scotland to disrupt the (a) supply and (b) distribution of super-strong synthetic opioids in Scotland. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government and its partners on the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce - which includes Police Scotland and the National Crime Agency - oversee work to address the threats highlighted in the Scottish Multi-Agency Strategic Threat Assessment.\r\nDecisions around the detection and disruption of drug supply are an operational matter for the relevant law enforcement agencies. I thank those bodies for the vital work they do to take drugs off our streets and dismantle organised crime groups.\r\nWhile the law enforcement response to drug trafficking is essential, it is also crucial that we tackle the market for drugs. This Government's position is that tackling the drugs emergency requires a concerted public health approach to improve and save lives.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418080,"EventID":"S6W-26376","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-22T15:59:30.86","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T15:57:13.11","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding Port of Cairnryan Ltd’s submission of company accounts for the year to 31 December 2022.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has had no recent discussions with the UK Government regarding Port of Cairnryan Ltd’s submission of company accounts for the year to 31 December 2022.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418081,"EventID":"S6W-26430","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-22T15:59:31.063","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T16:23:29.047","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information and signposting to alternative support is communicated to families and young people in cases where a referral to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) has been rejected.","AnswerText":"We expect NHS Boards to follow the  National CAMHS Service Specification  , which sets out that CAMHS services \" provide support and personalised, meaningful signposting to the child/young person and their family/carers, with informed consent, to access other services within the children and young people's service network, in cases where families' needs are best met elsewhere.\"\r\nAppropriate redirection and alternative support will vary across NHS Boards depending on the services available locally, and the needs of the child or young person involved. For many children and young people, such support is likely to be community based, and should be easily and quickly accessible. Since 2020, we have provided local authorities with over £50 million to develop and deliver mental health and wellbeing supports and services, with a further £15 million committed for 2024-25.\r\nAs specified in the  Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Supports and Services Framework  , there should be strong links between CAMHS and the community supports in all areas, with services taking a whole-system approach to ensure that children and young people experience streamlined pathways and get the right support at the right time.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418082,"EventID":"S6W-26445","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-22T15:59:31.127","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-22T09:33:56.303","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26073 by Lorna Slater on 21 March 2024, how much targeted funding it has provided to SMEs in the construction sector to provide retraining and upskilling for workers.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government invests significantly in skills development, including through a £2.4 billion investment in the post-school education and skills system. This includes £200 million for Skills Development Scotland to deliver against Scottish Government priorities, including our net zero ambitions.\r\nThe Scottish Government does not hold information on what proportion of this support is targeted to SMEs in the construction sector.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418083,"EventID":"S6W-26415","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-22T15:59:31.19","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T13:14:42.687","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to propose a parliamentary debate on the use of puberty supressing hormones (PSH) in children, in light of NHS England's decision that PSH \"are not available as a routine commissioning treatment option for treatment of children and young people who have gender incongruence / gender dysphoria\".","AnswerText":"Parliamentary business is a matter for the Scottish Parliament’s Parliamentary Bureau and the Parliament itself.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418084,"EventID":"S6W-26444","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-22T15:59:31.237","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T22:41:26.107","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been made of any impact of the expansion of Hospital at Home, announced on 24 October 2023, on reducing the pressures facing the Scottish Ambulance Service, and how much of the £12 million earmarked for the expansion has been allocated to each NHS board.","AnswerText":"From the £12 million earmarked to expand Hospital at Home and provide additional capacity over winter, we have confirmed funding of more than £3.5 million, of which the majority of health Boards will get a share, for delivery of additional capacity in 2023-24.\r\nWork is ongoing with Boards to finalise the conclusions around impact of the enhanced services over winter but NHS Boards have reported patient feedback has been extremely positive for the new services.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418085,"EventID":"S6W-26435","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-22T15:59:31.3","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T16:54:05.06","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many domestic abuse cases have gone to trial in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who reply in writing within 20 days.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418086,"EventID":"S6W-26424","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-22T15:59:31.36","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T15:26:28.637","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when (a) the First Minister and (b) any other\r\nmember of the Scottish Government (i) last met and (ii) will next meet with any\r\nrepresentative of Scotland's defence industry.  ","AnswerText":"Scottish Ministers continue to have a positive relationship with the defence industries, and regularly engage with both individual companies and the wider trade associations.\r\nMinisters last engaged with defence industry representatives on 6 March 2024, when I attended Space-Comm Expo at the invitation of ADS Group.\r\nThe Chair of the Aerospace and Defence Industry Leadership Group is also a standing member of the Industry Leadership Group (ILG) Chairs’ Roundtable discussions that take place quarterly and was last chaired by the former Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy.\r\nThe next ILG Chairs Roundtable discussion is scheduled to take place in early May and will be co-chaired by the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418087,"EventID":"S6W-26404","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-22T15:59:31.423","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T09:13:14.817","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when Public Health Scotland will begin publishing data on Scotland’s four gender identity clinics.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government understands that Public Health Scotland intends to publish, as official statistics in development, gender identity clinic waiting times information provided by NHS Grampian, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, NHS Highland and NHS Lothian in late summer 2024. This will be subject to the necessary data quality and completeness standards being met.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418088,"EventID":"S6W-26416","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-22T15:59:31.487","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T14:22:25.79","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the ScotRail Club 50 discount for online purchases is 20%, but only 10% for tickets purchased at a staffed ticket office.","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for ScotRail. The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. The Member may wish to contact ScotRail directly.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":418089,"EventID":"S6W-26443","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-22T15:59:31.55","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T22:24:23.89","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce the waiting time for a colonoscopy once a patient is notified that further investigation is required after returning a bowel screening test. ","AnswerText":"Our priority is to ensure those people referred for suspected cancer or via screening programmes receive the appropriate diagnosis and treatment safely, based on their clinical urgency. To specifically support scope-based diagnostics, we have published a £70m Endoscopy and Urology Diagnostic Recovery and Renewal Plan, including provision of additional endoscopy training places via the NHS Academy to future-proof the workforce and provide additional diagnostic capacity to reduce waiting times.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418090,"EventID":"S6W-26432","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-22T15:59:31.627","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T16:23:29.047","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been allocated to preventative\r\nand early interventions in each year since 2016, also broken down by NHS board\r\narea.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold the detail of this funding. Local decisions on how to allocate funding is the responsibility of NHS Boards.\r\nPublic Health Scotland (PHS) collects data and provides analysis on NHS spending and the cost of running services across the 14 territorial health boards, the Golden Jubilee, and the State Hospital. This information is published annually in the Scottish Health Service Costs release (‘Costs Book’).\r\nThe data has a breakdown of Hospital, Community, Family Health Services, and subsequent breakdown into sub-categories, however it does not specifically provide funding in preventative and early interventions (also note the difference between expenditure per Cost Book and funding per the question).","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418091,"EventID":"S6W-26431","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-22T15:59:31.69","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T16:23:29.047","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to NHS Borders to ensure that the 18-week child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) waiting time standard is met.","AnswerText":"For all NHS Boards including NHS Borders, tailored support is provided giving access to professional specialist advice, making sure that they have robust plans place and are continually monitoring their implementation. Regular and structured engagement with NHS Borders at official level also takes place regularly.\r\nIn addition all Boards have been asked to submit trajectories setting out a timeline for clearing any long waits. These will be updated annually and used to inform further targeted improvement work to ensure all Boards meet CAMHS waiting times standards.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418095,"EventID":"S6F-02972","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-25T14:51:15.913","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T11:46:21.71","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418096,"EventID":"S6F-02973","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5586,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-25T14:51:16.087","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T11:46:32.46","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418097,"EventID":"S6F-02979","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-25T14:51:17.7","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-25T09:18:27.693","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government plans to take following the publication of the University of Stirling study highlighting the reported risk of crumb rubber infill on artificial pitches.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418098,"EventID":"S6F-02987","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":1756,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":136,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-25T14:51:15.583","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-25T10:21:48.037","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister, further to the regulations relating to XL Bully-type dogs coming into force, to whom a dog owner can apply for advice on whether their dog fits the conformation of the XL Bully-type, in light of reports that a substantial number of dog owners in England are now applying to deregister their dogs having established retrospectively that their pet does not conform to the Defra definition of an XL Bully-type dog.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418099,"EventID":"S6F-02995","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-25T14:51:17.827","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-25T10:54:37.123","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government is doing to expedite the restoration of the Glasgow School of Art, in light of it being nearly a decade since the first fire.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418100,"EventID":"S6F-02974","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16207,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-25T14:51:17.48","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T16:27:17.017","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on what action the Scottish Government is taking to deliver the New Deal for Tenants.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418101,"EventID":"S6T-01903","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":16186,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":120,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-25T14:51:28.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-25T10:51:10.017","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s report on how women born in the 1950s were affected by increases to the state pension age, and given that women are more likely to live in poverty than men, what assessment it has made of the potential impact that changes to the state pension age have had on the poverty rate among women in Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418102,"EventID":"S6T-01893","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-25T14:51:27.283","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-25T08:44:19.08","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that Scotland has become the \"worst country in Europe\" for unqualified beauticians injecting customers with cosmetic treatments.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418103,"EventID":"S6T-01899","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-25T14:51:27.957","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-25T10:16:47.31","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to tackle child poverty.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-03-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418121,"EventID":"S6W-26328","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-25T17:24:53.153","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T16:49:27.51","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what data it collects regarding the circumstances of death when a young person dies in the care of a local authority; how any such data is published, and when any such data will next be reviewed.","AnswerText":"The death of any child or young person is a tragedy. The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that the death of any looked after child or young person is accurately reported on and reviewed to improve services and ensure that children and young people are receiving the best care possible. \r\nIn February of this year, the Scottish Government published revised guidance on Regulation 6 of  The Looked After Children (Scotland) Regulations 2009 (legislation.gov.uk)  . The revised guidance clarifies that it is the responsibility of local authorities to notify Scottish Ministers when there has been a death of a looked after child or young person. This includes the provision of information such as the cause of death, DOB and the legal status of a child or young person that has died. This information is not published by the Scottish Government but is shared with Scottish Ministers who have powers to request further information if it is required. \r\nAdditionally, a  National Hub  was established in October 2021 to review and learn from the deaths of all live born children and young people in Scotland up to the date of their 18th birthday, or 26th birthday for care leavers who are in receipt of aftercare or continuing care at the time of their death. The National Hub review each death is reviewed and an overall annual report is produced. \r\nThe National Hub is managed by Health Improvement Scotland and the Care Inspectorate and published its first annual data overview report, covering the period 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023, on 19 March 2024. ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418122,"EventID":"S6W-26450","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-25T17:24:53.31","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-22T09:49:08.37","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many children and young people on average have been on waiting lists for community-based palliative care in each NHS board area in each year since 1999.","AnswerText":"The information requested is not centrally available. \r\nWe are developing a new Palliative and End of Life Care Strategy which has an overarching aim that everyone in Scotland receives well-coordinated, timely and high-quality palliative care, care around death and bereavement support based on their needs and preferences, including support for families and carers. The strategy will cover children and adults, and care provided in all settings including in the community.\r\nWe have established a number of working groups to support the development of the strategy including a Children and Young People’s Palliative Care Working Group and we have completed a mapping survey of paediatric and neonatal palliative care provision to inform the development and delivery of the strategy.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418123,"EventID":"S6W-26449","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-25T17:24:53.357","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-22T09:49:08.37","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered introducing targets to ensure that an adequate proportion of new housing developments is accessible and adaptable to meet the housing needs of an ageing population.","AnswerText":"As set out within Housing to 2040, we recognise the importance that good quality, accessible and adaptable housing has in allowing people to live independently with no barriers to participation in daily life, work and their community. \r\nTo make sure that we build in accessibility and adaptability to new homes and future proof them, we are carefully considering the public response to our recent consultation on proposals for enhancing the accessibility, adaptability and usability of Scotland’s homes.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418124,"EventID":"S6W-26465","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-25T17:24:53.44","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-22T12:44:55.85","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government on what date it expects to publish the results of its consultation on Scotland’s Strategic Framework for Biodiversity. ","AnswerText":"A 14 week consultation on Scotland’s Strategic Framework for Biodiversity closed on 14 December 2023. We received over 600 responses - approximately 30% of these were from organisations and 70% were from individuals. We are very grateful for the time and effort stakeholders have taken to provide responses to what was a very substantial consultation on the key elements of our approach to tackling the nature crisis. We are working through the analysis and will continue to engage with our stakeholders, on the final publication of the strategy and delivery plan. These will be published later this year alongside the consultation analysis report and Scottish Government’s response to it.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418125,"EventID":"S6W-26387","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-25T17:24:53.533","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-20T16:34:38.2","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the specification that it is considering for single building assessments, in relation to cladding remediation, is limited to external cladding systems on buildings, or whether it is giving consideration to internal systems and fixtures being within scope.","AnswerText":"The Single Building Assessment (SBA) is a risk-based approach to assess and culminate in a report on the risk to human life (directly or indirectly) created or exacerbated by the External Wall System (EWS) in multi-residential domestic buildings which may include a commercial premises, constructed or refurbished between 1 June 1992 and 1 June 2022, 11 metres and over in height and incorporating a form of external wall cladding system. The SBA includes a FRAEW (Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls) which requires that a building is assessed holistically, and for that reason, the SBA will also include a Fire Risk Assessment of the common parts of the building to the level of detail deemed required by the Fire Engineer / Assessor. The level of risk acceptance for any building in scope is tolerable risk. The recommendations identified by the Fire Engineer or Assessor within the SBA report which are deemed necessary to eliminate or mitigate risk to human life (directly or indirectly) created or exacerbated by the EWS will form the remediation scope.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418126,"EventID":"S6W-26447","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-25T17:24:53.597","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-22T09:49:08.37","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the anticipated local government elections in 2027, what information it has on when any work to redraw mainland council wards will commence.","AnswerText":"Boundaries Scotland has the statutory responsibility to review the electoral arrangements for local government areas. In line with the requirements of the Local Government Act 1973, Boundaries Scotland must submit to Scottish Ministers a report on its review of the electoral arrangements for a local government area no more than 15 years after the previous report for that area was submitted. Boundaries Scotland is currently conducting the Second Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries, and will report to Ministers by 1 May 2025. Work to review council wards will recommence once this review has been submitted. The Scottish Elections (Representation and Reform) Bill proposes an amendment to the deadline by which Boundaries Scotland must complete the next local government reviews, from 31 December 2028 to 30 April 2031. This is to align the 15-year period between reviews with the five-year local government election cycle.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"George Adam","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418127,"EventID":"S6W-26451","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-25T17:24:53.673","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-22T09:49:08.37","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions its ministers have had regarding the regulation in Scotland of invasive cosmetic procedures by non-healthcare professionals.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government officials are working with beauty industry representatives, environmental health officers, Healthcare Improvement Scotland and healthcare professionals on this important issue and the Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health is in continual contact with officials on this matter.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418128,"EventID":"S6W-26463","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-25T17:24:53.737","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-22T12:44:55.85","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made towards the commitment to protect 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030.","AnswerText":"Achieving the commitment to protect 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030 (30 by 30 commitment) is a key component in our ambition to halt biodiversity loss by 2030 and substantially restore it by 2045. The target has already been achieved at sea with the suite of Marine Protected Areas. On land, our existing protected areas cover 18.2% of Scotland. It is envisaged that the 30 by 30 commitment will be achieved on land by improving the condition of existing, as well as creating new, protected areas, alongside developing a network of ‘Other Effective [area-based] Conservation Measures’ (OECMs).\r\nOur 2023 consultation on Scotland’s Strategic Framework for Biodiversity included a draft policy framework on our 30 by 30 commitment, which was co-designed with over 100 organisations and individuals representing a diverse range of interests. We are considering responses from that consultation, which will inform the final framework to be published later this year. \r\nA further consultation, to gather views on whether the legislative framework for our current protected areas needs to be strengthened, was launched on 3 April and will run until 24 May 2024. It can be accessed at:  https://consult.gov.scot/environment-forestry/meeting-our-30-by-30-commitment-a-consultation/  . This will inform any requirements within the Natural Environment Bill.\r\nA stakeholder group convened by NatureScot will help develop the OECM criteria which sites must meet to be considered within the ‘30 by 30’ network. This work is being carried out in parallel, and in discussion with, the other UK administrations to ensure a degree of consistency of approach.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418129,"EventID":"S6W-26471","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-25T17:24:53.8","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-22T13:11:34.637","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact on (a) safety, (b) rail performance and (c) jobs of the reported reduction in the work bank and volume of work allocated to the Rail Systems Alliance Scotland for year one of control period 7.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26466 on 16 April 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":418130,"EventID":"S6W-26452","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-25T17:24:53.863","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-22T09:49:08.37","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions its ministers have had with UK Government ministers regarding UK-wide regulation of invasive cosmetic procedures by non-healthdare professionals.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government officials continue to engage with their UK counterparts and the current work is focussed on creating the most appropriate regulatory environment to ensure the safety of the people of Scotland. Ministers have not yet held direct discussions with UK Government ministers.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418131,"EventID":"S6W-26467","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-25T17:24:53.927","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-22T13:11:34.637","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what level of funding was provided for the Rail Systems Alliance Scotland in each year of control period 6.","AnswerText":"This is a matter for Network Rail. The Member may wish to contact Network Rail who might be able to provide this information.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":418132,"EventID":"S6W-26461","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-25T17:24:53.987","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-22T10:55:05.053","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many 3G rubber pitches there are in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold information on how many 3G rubber pitches there are in Scotland.\r\nIn 2023, sportscotland identified that there were 505 full size (approx. 100x60m) synthetic surfaces in Scotland. Of those 398 are 3G with polymeric infill.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418133,"EventID":"S6W-26473","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-25T17:24:54.067","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-22T13:11:34.637","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to protect the 42 jobs at Babcock Rail that are reportedly at risk of redundancy under the Rail Systems Alliance Scotland contract with Network Rail.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is not responsible for employment decisions taken by those in the private sector, including Babcock Rail Ltd. Any potential redundancy consultation is a matter for the employer, although the Scottish Government will do everything it can to help affected Babcock workers through PACE employee support.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":418134,"EventID":"S6W-26476","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-25T17:24:54.113","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-22T13:39:20.323","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider visiting the Glasgow Street Aid project to see its work providing care on the streets of the city centre.","AnswerText":"There are no plans for a visit at this point time. The Scottish Government remains grateful to Glasgow Street Aid and other voluntary organisations who provide care and support across Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418135,"EventID":"S6W-26464","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-25T17:24:54.177","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-22T12:44:55.85","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-19781 by Lorna Slater on 21 July 2023, whether it still plans to publish an update to its Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan. ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24021 on 19 December 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Lorna Slater","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418136,"EventID":"S6W-26466","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-25T17:24:54.27","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-22T13:11:34.637","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact on (a) safety, (b) rail performance and (c) job security of bringing in-house the work and jobs contracted out via the Rail Systems Alliance Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not carried out an assessment of the potential impact of bringing “in-house” (assumed to mean wholly within Network Rail) the work and jobs contracted out via the Rail Systems Alliance Scotland. \r\nRailway safety is a matter reserved to the UK Government and Network Rail is a wholly owned subsidiary of the UK Government. The independent rail regulator, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), is responsible for rail safety, and it determines the appropriate funding for Network Rail. The Scottish Government has fully funded Network Rail Scotland to meet its funding requirements as specified by the ORR in its capacity as safety regulator for the next five-year rail investment Control Period, 2024-29, CP7.\r\nNetwork Rail made a conscious choice to improve its approach to asset maintenance for CP7, relying less on renewals and more on maintenance. Whilst the workbank for the Rail Systems Alliance might reduce, Network Rail envisages more work delivered internally. This approach has been championed by the RMT union. ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":418137,"EventID":"S6W-26472","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-25T17:24:54.317","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-22T13:11:34.637","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact on the wider rail infrastructure supply chain of the reported reduction of £315 million to the rail renewals budget for control period 7.","AnswerText":"I refer member to the answer to question S6W-23766 on 4 January 2024 and S6W - 26466 on 16 April 2024 I also wrote to the member addressing this on 19 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":418138,"EventID":"S6W-26448","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-25T17:24:54.397","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-22T09:49:08.37","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Scotland’s ageing population and reported projections by the Office for National Statistics that one quarter of Scotland’s population will be aged 65 or over by 2040, what consideration it has given to any changes that are required to the provision of housing to meet Scotland’s needs.","AnswerText":"We want older people to have choice, dignity and freedom to access suitable homes, built or adapted to enable them to participate as full and equal citizens. Our Housing to 2040 strategy sets out a vision for housing in Scotland. This includes all aspects of housing, including independent living for older people.\r\nAs set out within Housing to 2040, we understand that accessible and adaptable housing is important in allowing people to live independently with no barriers to participation in daily life, work and community as well as future-proofing new homes to help avoid costly adaptations in future when needs may change.\r\nThis is why our aim is that all new homes should be accessible and adaptable to suit the lifelong and varying needs of Scotland’s people.\r\nThe Scottish Government works closely with local authorities in their role as strategic housing authorities. Local Councils are best placed to make decisions which reflect the particular nature and characteristics of their local area.\r\nOn 29 June 2023 we launched a consultation on proposals for enhancing the accessibility, adaptability and usability of Scotland’s homes. The consultation closed on 21 December 2023. We are carefully considering the feedback received.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418139,"EventID":"S6W-26475","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-25T17:24:54.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-22T13:39:20.323","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider including Glasgow Street Aid in its Resilience Room emergency and crisis response work.","AnswerText":"Individual voluntary sector organisations are not routinely involved in Scottish Government Resilience Room meetings.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418140,"EventID":"S6W-26469","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-25T17:24:54.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-22T13:11:34.637","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the projected funding is for the Rail Systems Alliance Scotland for control period 7.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26467 on 16 April 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .\r\n","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":418141,"EventID":"S6W-26329","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-25T17:24:54.583","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T16:49:27.51","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many grants for care experienced people it has awarded in each year since 2016, broken down by (a) age and (b) local authority area.","AnswerText":"Grants to organisations for people with care experience by age\r\n \r\nAge range\r\n2016\r\n2017\r\n2018\r\n2019\r\n2020\r\n2021\r\n2022\r\n2023\r\n0-5\r\n1\r\n1\r\n1\r\n1\r\n1\r\n1\r\n1\r\n1\r\n4 to 8\r\n1\r\n1\r\n1\r\n1\r\n1\r\n1\r\n1\r\n1\r\n0-18\r\n0\r\n0\r\n1\r\n9\r\n16\r\n14\r\n13\r\n9\r\n12 to 18\r\n1\r\n1\r\n1\r\n1\r\n1\r\n2\r\n2\r\n2\r\n0-26\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n8\r\n8\r\n0\r\n0\r\nAll age ranges\r\n16\r\n16\r\n16\r\n16\r\n16\r\n17\r\n18\r\n16\r\nGrants for People with Care Experience by Local Authority Area\r\nScottish Government has awarded one grant directly to all 32 local authorities for people with care experience, the Scottish Attainment Challenge Care Experienced Children and Young People Funding, since 2018.\r\nDuring 2020-21, we made payments to all local authorities to support them with the recovery of children’s hearings. Social Protection Funding for Vulnerable Children Young People was also awarded to: Clackmannanshire, Fife, Aberdeenshire, Glasgow City, Falkirk and Stirling Councils.\r\nSince 2019, we have awarded grants annually to local organisations that support the provision of independent advocacy for children and young people up to the age of 18 as part of the children’s hearing system in the following areas: Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire Angus, East Ayrshire, East Lothian, Edinburgh, Eilean Siar and Midlothian.\r\nOur other grants for people with care experience are awarded directly to public and voluntary sector organisations. We do not hold comprehensive data on how that money is then distributed across Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418142,"EventID":"S6W-26468","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-25T17:24:54.63","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-22T13:11:34.637","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what funding has been allocated for the Rail Systems Alliance Scotland for year one of control period 7.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26467 on 16 April 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":418143,"EventID":"S6W-26209","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-25T17:24:54.787","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-14T15:26:31.48","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many cancer nurses have been employed in each year since 2011-12, broken down by NHS board area.","AnswerText":"The information requested on how many cancer nurses have been employed in each year since 2011-12, broken down by NHS board area is not centrally available.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418144,"EventID":"S6W-26462","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-25T17:24:54.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-22T11:50:28.487","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what Scottish Water is doing to make safe and restore to a sustainable use, the historic Waterman's Cottage, which is adjacent to Lambhill stables on Balmore Road in Glasgow.","AnswerText":"As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water, I have asked them to respond. Their reply is as follows:\r\nScottish Water is taking steps to secure the building. No decision on the long term future of the cottage has yet been taken; any decisions in relation to this matter would need to be in line with public finance guidelines and principles.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418145,"EventID":"S6W-26470","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-25T17:24:54.927","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-22T13:11:34.637","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what changes have been made to the (a) work bank and (b) volume of work for the Rail Systems Alliance Scotland for year one of control period 7 as a result of the Network Rail funding settlement for control period 7.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26467 on 16 April 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":418146,"EventID":"S6W-26474","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-25T17:24:54.973","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-22T13:39:20.323","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on improving links between Glasgow Street Aid and emergency services, and whether it will take steps to support a more joined-up approach between the project and emergency services in the city.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government welcomes the participation of civil society in developing local responses to issues affecting people in Scotland.\r\nIt is for Local Authorities, Health Boards and other public services to best engage on issues regarding service delivery at a local level, and the Scottish Government encourages all voluntary and community organisations to work with public bodies for the best outcomes for their communities.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418169,"EventID":"S6W-26423","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-26T17:05:38.833","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T15:25:54.703","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will outline what funding will be allocated to Alcohol and Drug Partnerships for the financial year 2024-25, including any changes to the funding from the previous financial year.","AnswerText":"Full budget allocations for 2024-25 are still to be confirmed.\r\nIn 2023-24, Alcohol and Drugs Partnerships (ADPs) received funding exceeding £112 million.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418170,"EventID":"S6W-26499","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-26T17:05:38.957","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T10:37:23.25","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken in response to the reported statistics that 42% of parents are spending more than a quarter of their entire household income on childcare.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises that childcare costs can be a challenge for many parents and carers, particularly those experiencing poverty. Data from the nationally-representative Scottish Household Survey in 2022 showed that of households with at least one child aged 0-11 years 14% found it difficult or very difficult to afford childcare, although 53% of households found it very easy or easy. Across the full year, almost three quarters of households (73%) had no childcare costs, with around a fifth (19%) spending less than 10% of their average monthly income. A further 5% spent between 10 and 20% of their income on childcare.\r\nThe Scottish Government is continuing to invest nearly £1 billion a year in high-quality, funded early learning and childcare. Scotland is the only part of the UK to offer 1,140 hours a year of funded ELC to all three and four-year-olds and eligible two-year-olds. This offer has been in place since 2021 and, if families paid for this themselves, it would cost them around £5,800 per eligible child per year. We also remain committed to designing and building a system of School Age Childcare that supports parents, particularly on low incomes, to have secure and stable employment. This is why, over the next year, we will work with Local Government and other partners to develop the infrastructure and services needed to provide childcare in specific communities in six local authority areas: Shetland, Fife, Clackmannanshire, Inverclyde, Glasgow and Dundee. This work will enable us to begin to create and test, for the first time, what an all-age childcare system will look like for Scotland. We are taking a person-centred and place-based approach to designing this system – that means involving children, parents and providers in co-designing services to meet their needs.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418171,"EventID":"S6W-26320","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-26T17:05:39.02","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T16:49:27.51","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how its Homelessness in Scotland statistics accurately capture the number of people in Scotland who have been \"looked after\" prior to becoming homeless.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government Homelessness in Scotland statistics are based on data collected from all local authorities, on households that have made a homelessness application to a local authority.\r\nThis data collection includes information on whether any adult member, aged under 25, of a household making a homelessness application to a local authority was looked after as a child by their local authority. \r\nThe data provided on looked after status will largely be self-reported by applicant households. Applicants can choose whether to answer the question, or they may not know if any other adults aged under 25 in the household have previously been looked after.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418172,"EventID":"S6W-26455","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-26T17:05:39.13","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-22T09:49:08.37","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many cases of injury or negligence by unregulated non-healthcare professionals performing invasive cosmetic procedures have been reported to Police Scotland in each year since 1999.","AnswerText":"Individuals who are not healthcare professionals and provide such procedures are not currently regulated and therefore this information is not held by the Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418173,"EventID":"S6W-26502","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-26T17:05:39.177","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T12:02:28.707","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of the funding streams introduced by the Mental Health Directorate, such as the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund and Recovery and Renewal Fund, broken down by how much has been allocated to each fund in each year of the current parliamentary session to date.","AnswerText":"The Mental Health Strategy 2017-2027 set out a 10-year vision of where mental health funding would be focused. This included areas such as additional investment for mental health workers and improved provision of services including CAMHS.\r\nIn addition, our Mental Health Transition and Recovery Plan was introduced in 2021-22 which set out the key commitments in responding to the mental health needs resulting from COVID. This included funding for Children, Young People and Families, Older People, Distress Interventions and other areas listed in the Plan. This was backed by a £120 million Recovery and Renewal Fund which has subsequently been included in the overall budget allocation for mental health services in each financial year since.\r\nGoing forwards, the direct programme funding allocated to mental health services through the 2024-25 annual budget process will be used to meet the priorities set out in our recently published Mental Health and Wellbeing strategy 2023-25 as well as supporting delivery of a number of targets, including those for CAMHS and Psychological Therapies.\r\nThe overall funding is allocated on an annual basis to numerous different organisations and delivery partners including the Third Sector, Local Authorities and NHS Boards based on mental health priorities.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418174,"EventID":"S6W-26489","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-26T17:05:39.27","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-25T13:00:07.477","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24374 by Fiona Hyslop on 19 January 2024, on what date in spring 2024 it expects the legal process regarding access to Ferrymuir Gait to be concluded.","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland is still engaged in positive dialogue with the housing developer to agree a way forward for access through Ferrymuir Gait. An exact timescale for concluding this matter cannot be provided. However, Transport Scotland is pressing the developer to ensure that the previously communicated timescale of Spring 2024 is achieved.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418175,"EventID":"S6W-26456","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-26T17:05:39.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-22T09:49:08.37","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what accredited training schemes there currently are for unregulated non-healthcare professionals that perform invasive cosmetic procedures.","AnswerText":"Individuals who are not healthcare professionals and provide such procedures are not currently regulated and therefore there are currently no regulated training requirements to work in the sector. Accreditation for training for the sector will also be considered as part of the work with stakeholders and the Scottish Cosmetics Interventions Expert Group.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418176,"EventID":"S6W-26459","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-26T17:05:39.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-22T09:49:08.37","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has undertaken any review of criminal liability in relation to unregulated non-healthcare professionals that perform invasive cosmetic procedures, and, if so, whether it will provide details of this.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not undertaken such a review however, this will be taken into consideration as officials continue to explore next steps in potential further regulation of non-surgical cosmetic procedures that pierce or penetrate the skin.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418177,"EventID":"S6W-26457","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-26T17:05:39.63","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-22T09:49:08.37","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people have received NHS medical treatment in Scotland following complications with invasive cosmetic procedures performed by unregulated non-healthcare professionals (a) in Scotland and (b) outside of Scotland, in each year since 1999.","AnswerText":"This information in relation to treatment in Scotland is not centrally collected. When NHS Scotland treats someone who has suffered harm from a non-surgical cosmetic procedure that has gone wrong, NHS Scotland will not necessarily record the cause as there is no specific code to record this. The Scottish Government does not hold information relating to treatments outside Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418178,"EventID":"S6W-26460","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-26T17:05:39.723","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-22T09:49:08.37","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what public liability insurance requirements currently apply to unregulated non-healthcare professionals that perform invasive cosmetic procedures.","AnswerText":"Individuals who are not healthcare professionals and provide such procedures are not currently regulated and there is no requirement to obtain public liability insurance for these procedures.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418179,"EventID":"S6W-26422","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-26T17:05:39.787","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T15:25:31.97","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) standards, including whether it has any plans to extend the deadline for implementation.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has a commitment to provide an update to Parliament on the implementation of the MAT Standards every six months.\r\nI will update Parliament on progress in June and this will coincide with the publication of the 2023-2024 National Benchmarking Report, which will be published by Public Health Scotland.\r\nThe Scottish Government is committed to the timelines previously agreed by Scottish Ministers and Public Health Scotland and for full implementation of all ten MAT standards by April 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418180,"EventID":"S6W-26491","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5596,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":151,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-26T17:05:39.883","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-25T15:00:09.683","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it collects data across all local authorities on the rate of adoption breakdown.","AnswerText":"As part of Keeping The Promise by 2030, the Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all adoptees and adoptive families can access the support they need, when and where they need it throughout life.\r\nFurthermore, under the Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007, local authorities have a duty to assess someone’s needs for adoption support services and then provide that support.\r\nThe Care Inspectorate collects data from local authority adoption services as well as voluntary adoption agencies in their annual returns, which includes data on the rate of adoption breakdown. This information is published in the Care Inspectorate’s annual Fostering and Adoption statistical bulletin. The latest bulletin was published in August 2023  careinspectorate.com/images/documents/7251/Fostering and adoption stats report 2022-23.pdf ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418181,"EventID":"S6W-26501","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-26T17:05:39.943","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T10:40:35.107","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to protect people and properties, in light of SEPA's recently reported warning that around 400,000 homes are at major risk of flooding within 50 years due to climate change, which is an increase of 40%.","AnswerText":"SEPA’s 2018 National Flood Risk Assessment set out the numbers of properties at risk of flooding now and in the future. The numbers have not changed since that assessment, which are that 284,000 properties are at risk of flooding now and by the 2080s this number is expected to increase by 110,000 through climate change.\r\nImproving resilience to flooding is a priority for the Scottish Government and we continue to work with, and support, local authorities to fulfil their obligations to deliver flood risk management. To support flood protection measures, the Scottish Government provides £42 million each year to local authorities. In August 2020, the Programme for Government also committed an additional £150 million over 5 years to support flood risk management actions.\r\nIt is clear that climate change must become a core consideration in decision making for our places and communities if they are to achieve a level of flood resilience. We will consult on a Flood Resilience Strategy for Scotland this spring. The Strategy will initiate a transformational change to flood management to adapt our places and set Scotland on a long-term course towards a sustainable level of flood resilience.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418182,"EventID":"S6W-26453","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-26T17:05:40.023","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-22T09:49:08.37","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many criminal record disclosure checks have been undertaken on unregulated non-healthcare professionals that perform invasive cosmetic procedures in each year since 1999.","AnswerText":"Individuals who are not healthcare professionals and provide such procedures are not currently regulated and therefore this information is not held by the Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418183,"EventID":"S6W-26500","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-26T17:05:40.117","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T10:37:23.25","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken in response to the reported statistics that 41% of parents have had to rely on some form of debt or withdraw money from their savings to pay for childcare.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26499 on 23 April 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418184,"EventID":"S6W-26421","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-26T17:05:40.193","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T15:24:52.05","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been allocated to drug (a) prevention, (b) treatment and (c) harm reduction initiatives for the financial year 2024-25, and what its position is on whether these resources will be adequate to tackle the reported 10% increase in suspected drug deaths in 2023. ","AnswerText":"Full budget allocations for 2024-25 are still to be confirmed.\r\nIt is not possible to disaggregate the full budget by these themes as Alcohol and Drug Partnerships receive around three quarters of the total drugs and alcohol budget to distribute at the local level. At a national level, many of the projects and organisations also support all three areas. The published draft budget for 2024-25 has maintained our budget for alcohol and drugs at the same level as 2023-24.\r\nThe National Mission funding has brought about major reform and improvement in services for people with drug and alcohol problems including:Continuing to widen the access to life-saving Naloxone with an estimated 7 in 10 people at risk having a kit; Police Scotland completing roll out amongst frontline staff.Continuing to drive implementation of the MAT Standards across the country. All delivery partners have returned implementation plans and report on progress on either a monthly or quarterly basis.A whole systems approach to prevention.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418185,"EventID":"S6W-26419","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-26T17:05:40.257","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T15:24:06.863","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported 10% rise in Scotland’s suspected drug deaths in 2023, what additional measures it will take to improve access to treatment.","AnswerText":"In response to the increasing risk profile of people using drugs in Scotland, the Scottish Government will continue to work to extend the coverage of MAT standards beyond just Opioid Substitution Therapy (OST) so that people and services can be clear on what is expected from services by way of any treatment pathway no matter what type of support service is required.\r\nThe Scottish Government is also working with Public Health Scotland and Healthcare Improvement Scotland on a suite of MAT guidance on the applicability of the standards to care, support and treatment for people impacted by alcohol and other non-opioid drugs; as well as continuing to work with the UK Government on developing new UK-wide clinical guidelines for Alcohol Treatment. This guidance will look to introduce new approaches to treatment and will apply to a broad range of settings including primary care, hospital and justice.\r\nIn addition, the Scottish Government has committed in response to the Drug Death Taskforce’s recommendations in the ‘Changing Lives’ Report and Cross Government Plan to develop a national specification and overarching guidance for the delivery of person-centred care and support for people impacted by alcohol and drugs, to help save and improve lives by providing clarity and focus. The proposed National Specification will set out the types of services that should be available all across Scotland as well as providing the impetus for adopting improved joint working between the public sector and third sector partners to improve outcomes for people who require support.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418186,"EventID":"S6W-26454","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-26T17:05:40.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-22T09:49:08.37","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many invasive cosmetic procedures it estimates have been performed by unregulated non-healthcare professionals in each year since 1999.","AnswerText":"Individuals who are not healthcare professionals and provide such procedures are not currently regulated and therefore this information is not held by the Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418187,"EventID":"S6W-26497","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-26T17:05:40.617","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T10:09:42.013","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to evidence taken at the Scottish Parliament's Public Audit Committee on 21 March 2024 that the former chief executive of the Water Industry Commission for Scotland was paid six months' salary after resigning amidst reports of serious governance and expenses concerns. ","AnswerText":"Ministers are aware of the circumstances under which the previous Chief Executive departed and the Water Industry Commission for Scotland is writing to the Public Audit Committee on this very point.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418188,"EventID":"S6W-26417","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5596,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":151,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-26T17:05:40.71","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T14:52:29.843","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there are any plans to introduce the policy of offering 10 days paid leave to NHS Scotland staff who experience a miscarriage in the first 24 weeks of pregnancy, in light of the policy having been recently announced for NHS England staff.","AnswerText":"The NHSScotland Special Leave policy provides the staff member and their partner initially up to one working week of paid compassionate leave. Additionally, managers hold the discretion to extend this leave by an additional week thereby providing a total of 10 days paid special leave to support healing and recovery.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418189,"EventID":"S6W-26420","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-26T17:05:40.787","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T15:24:23.227","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported 10% rise in Scotland’s suspected drug deaths in 2023, whether it will increase funding levels for treatment.","AnswerText":"Drug deaths remain a public health emergency and services have seen a significant increase in funding as a result of the National Mission. This increase of funding into drug policy represents a 67% increase from 2014-15 to 2023-24 according to Audit Scotland figures published in 2022. The published draft budget for 2024-25 has maintained our budget for alcohol and drugs at the same level as 2023-24.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418190,"EventID":"S6W-26484","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2641,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":94,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-26T17:05:40.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-25T08:10:04.267","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what estimated works will be necessary at Lochmaddy pier, in light of the expected arrival of newer CalMac vessels. ","AnswerText":"The main construction works at Lochmaddy to accommodate the new Little Minch vessels are complete. Some minor port interface items have still to be progressed, for example changes to navigational aids. The vessels are expected to be delivered in June and October 2025.\r\nTransport Scotland, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, and CalMac continue to review the potential operating parameters of the new vessels alongside options for maximising efficiencies, reliability, and resilience over the longer term. This includes consideration of the potential benefits and costs of bringing forward a linkspan replacement at Lochmaddy, and delivering shore power infrastructure at each of the three ports on the Little Minch routes. Neither of these considerations will impact initial vessel deployment plans.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418191,"EventID":"S6W-26492","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-26T17:05:40.93","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-25T17:10:45.56","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided to epilepsy charities since March 2017.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has provided a total of £755,626 to epilepsy charities between March 2017 and March 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418192,"EventID":"S6W-26483","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-26T17:05:40.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-24T20:04:18.163","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of any reduction in funding to Skills Development Scotland on the skills base for retrofitting homes in line with Scotland's Climate Change Plan.","AnswerText":"In 2024-25 Skills Development Scotland (SDS) will receive around £200m in funding from The Scottish Government to deliver against our priorities, including our net zero ambitions as outlined in key strategies such as the upcoming Just Transition Plans and Green Industrial Strategy.\r\nThe impact assessments for the E&S portfolio were prepared collectively and reflected in the Education and Skills portfolio analysis section in Annex B of the Equality and Fairer Scotland statement available at this link  Scottish Budget - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .","AnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418193,"EventID":"S6W-26496","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-26T17:05:41.053","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T10:09:22.267","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to improve the availability of dental appointments, in light of Public Health Scotland figures showing that more than a third of those registered with an NHS dentist did not have an examination or treatment for three years.","AnswerText":"As of 1 November 2023, we have introduced significant dental payment reform with the aim of encouraging dentists to provide more NHS dentistry. Official statistics from Public Health Scotland published in February 2024 and reflecting system activity following reform show that nearly 400,000 patients were seen by an NHS primary care dentist in November. This is an early indication that the system changes have been received favourably by many NHS dentists. In addition to improving conditions for existing workforce through reform, we are also continuing to work with our counterparts across the UK and devolved governments to expedite process and bolster the number of dental practitioners working in Scotland now and into the future with a view to supporting greater availability of appointments.\r\nThe official measure of participation is the number of patients that have been seen in the last 2 years, and official statistics show that before the pandemic, participation was around 70%. Participation provides an indication of patient contacts within the system at a point in time but is not, in itself, an indicator of access noting that there may be many reasons why registered patients do not attend the dentist. We therefore use a range of data to understand the position in NHS dentistry, including regular qualitative discussion with NHS Boards to support local and national interventions to improve patient access.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418194,"EventID":"S6W-26493","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-26T17:05:41.117","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T09:38:52.747","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what public information campaigns or actions it will undertake in advance of the proposed increase in alcohol minimum unit pricing in autumn 2024, to minimise the potential of any friction between customers and shop staff.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government laid legislation seeking the agreement of the Scottish Parliament to continue Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP), and set the price per unit at 65 pence on 19 February 2024. Members of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee voted to approve those orders on 26 March 2024 and I am pleased that there is cross party support for this policy.\r\nThe Scottish Government undertook an awareness raising campaign in 2018 before the original implementation of MUP, and we will take learning from that approach. \r\nWe are currently considering different options regarding public information campaigns and direct communications with businesses around the proposed changes to the minimum unit price of alcohol. These will be finalised after the sunset clause vote by the Scottish Parliament, which must take place before 30 April 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418195,"EventID":"S6W-26551","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":5596,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":151,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-27T09:05:13.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-27T08:57:21.537","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish refreshed guidance on marches, parades and static demonstrations.","AnswerText":"I am pleased to confirm that refreshed Scottish Government guidance on marches, parades and static demonstrations has been published on the Scottish Government website today and can be found at  https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781836010425. \r\nI hope that this guidance will be a useful source of information to all key parties involved in marches, parades and static demonstrations. I am extremely grateful to the members of the working group, chaired by Dr Michael Rosie, for their contribution to the refreshed guidance. Their time, expertise and diligence has helped to shape what I hope will be useful and widely used guidance.","AnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418197,"EventID":"S6W-26570","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":4940,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":81,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-27T15:48:46.86","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-27T15:43:50.177","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its International Culture Strategy.","AnswerText":"Today the Scottish Government published its International Culture Strategy. The Strategy sets out a series of ambitions and actions to support the culture and creative sector in pursuing international opportunities and ensure that such activity plays a central role in the sector’s long term development. It builds on existing activity, but explores additional opportunities and sets out a policy rationale for why the Scottish Government considers international cultural activity to be important. The International Culture Strategy is available here  https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781836010876  . ","AnswerDate":"2024-03-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418198,"EventID":"S6W-26294","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-27T16:41:59.977","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T14:59:07.443","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it measures any changes in (a) physical activity and (b) sports participation levels of young women and girls, across all ages and socioeconomic groups, and what measures it has introduced to improve participation.","AnswerText":"a) The annual Scottish Health Survey (SHeS) measures physical activity of children from the ages 2 to 15, young people from the age of 16 are captured in adult data. Questions are asked on the subject of walking, frequency of physical activity, physical activity at school, sports participation and sedentary time. Data is also captured on gender, age and socio-economic status, including deprivation.\r\nb) The Scottish Government understand the importance of sport and physical activity for women and girls in Scotland and the positive impact that has on their physical, mental, and social health across all stages in life.\r\nScottish Women and Girls in Sport Week is an annual Scottish Government campaign which provides an opportunity to celebrate the ways in which women and girls take part in sport and physical activity and increases visibility and participation, highlighting the impact and health benefits it brings to their physical, mental and social health.\r\nActive Schools, one of sportscotland’s flagship programmes, provides more opportunities for children and young people to take part in sport and physical activity, and develops effective pathways between schools and sports clubs in the local community.\r\nIn the 2022-23 academic year, the Active Schools programme successfully engaged with over 124,000 girls and young women who made over 2 million visits to Active Schools sport and physical activity sessions. This was an increase of 35% in the number of visits by girls and young women from the previous year.\r\nFit for Girls is a national programme developed in partnership between sportscotland and the Youth Sport Trust delivered to girls aged between 11 and 18. The workshops aim to inspire and empower girls and young women to create local change in their school, club, and community by developing their self-esteem and confidence so they can inspire more girls to start, maintain, or return to sport and physical activity.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418199,"EventID":"S6W-26508","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-27T16:42:00.29","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T12:21:56.363","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what potential impact it expects the introduction of Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) fees for voluntary roles would have on child and adult safeguarding.","AnswerText":"I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:\r\nDisclosure Scotland, an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government, is consulting on how disclosure fees could be discounted for certain groups in future. No decisions have been made on this. The consultation response from stakeholders and the public will help to shape decisions by Scottish Ministers. Since 2011, Disclosure Scotland has fully subsidised qualifying voluntary organisations to get free PVG disclosures for volunteers. Reviewing the policy on fee waivers and discounts helps to ensure the effective use of public finances and the potential impact of any changes, whilst providing an effective public service.\r\nDisclosure Scotland does not expect any of the options detailed in the consultation to have an impact on child and adult safeguarding. Disclosure Scotland keeps a list of people unsuitable to do regulated work with children and a list of people unsuitable to work with protected adults. If an individual is listed, they are barred from working with the group covered by that list, that includes working as a volunteer. It is a criminal offence for an individual to carry out regulated work with the vulnerable group they are listed for. It is also against the law for an organisation to employ a listed person in regulated work they are barred from. If an individual is listed they are not eligible for Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme membership for that type of work.\r\nIn addition, when the Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 is implemented it will become mandatory for anyone carrying out a regulated role, including as a volunteer, to be a member of the PVG Scheme.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418200,"EventID":"S6W-26510","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-27T16:42:00.51","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T12:50:39.16","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on repairs to the entire CalMac fleet in each calendar year since 2020.","AnswerText":"The information in the following table has been supplied by CalMac. This information is not held by calendar year but has been supplied by Contract Year (CY) which begins in October.\r\nCY05\r\nOct 2020-Sept 2021\r\nCY06\r\nOct 2021-Sept-2022\r\nCY07\r\nOct 2022–Sep 2023\r\nCY08 (to date)\r\nOct 2023–Feb 2024\r\n£17.262m\r\n£28.525m\r\n£30.036m\r\n£24,852m\r\n \r\nIn addition, the following sums have been given to Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) as part of the SG Ferries Resilience Fund. These figures are not held by calendar year. This is preventative fund, over and above regular maintenance, and is aimed at lowering the risk of vessel breakdown and loss of service.\r\n2019-2020\r\n2020-2021\r\n2021-2022\r\n2022-2023\r\n2023-2024\r\n(to date)\r\n£3.348m\r\n£3.503m\r\n£3.622m\r\n£3.537m\r\n£10.371m\r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418201,"EventID":"S6W-26531","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-27T16:42:00.607","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T15:56:41.42","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to meet the Climate Change Committee’s reported recommendation that the annual rate of transport emissions reduction will need to be almost four times higher from 2021-30 than it was from 2012-21, in order to meet the sector’s contribution to the Scottish Government’s 2020 Climate Change Plan update.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is grateful for the latest advice from the Climate Change Committee. We have always been clear that meeting the legislated 2030 target – agreed by Parliament on a cross party basis - will be extremely challenging, and may not be feasible. Scotland is already half way to net zero and continues to decarbonise faster than the UK average.\r\nOn the 18th of April, Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy, outlined plans for a package to accelerate our actions to achieve net zero by 2045, which include a timeline for implementing demand management, to help us achieve our much needed target to reduce car usage.\r\nWe will carefully consider the report’s recommendations and provide a Scottish Government response in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418202,"EventID":"S6W-26532","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-27T16:42:00.683","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T15:57:19.54","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to meet the Climate Change Committee’s reported recommendation that the deployment rate of charging infrastructure will need to nearly treble by 2030.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has invested over £65 million to support the installation of over 2,800 public EV charge points across Scotland as part of the ChargePlace Scotland(CPS) EV charging network. As a direct result, Scotland has over 4,880 public EV charge points and the best provision of public charge points per head of population of anywhere in the UK, outside of London, and the most rapid charge points per head of population of any region in the UK.\r\nTransport Scotland has also provided £5.7 million to support the installation of 18,861 domestic charge points and £10.8 million to support 1,432 higher powered workplace charge points, complementing the public network.\r\nIn addition, the Scottish Government published the  Vision for Scotland’s Public Electric Vehicle Charging Network  last year, highlighting the need for a transition towards a public charging network that is largely financed and delivered by the private sector. This work is being supported through the £60m EV Infrastructure Fund(EVIF), where we are supporting local authorities across Scotland to work with the private sector to lever in the private investment needed to develop the EV charging network in Scotland at the pace and scale required to meet future demands.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418203,"EventID":"S6W-26481","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-27T16:42:00.73","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-23T18:45:29.237","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the purpose is of its policy to make music tuition free in schools, and what its response is to reports that the policy could lead to a ban on private tuition during school hours and require paid lessons to be arranged outwith the school day. ","AnswerText":"The purpose of the Scottish Government’s policy on free instrumental music tuition is ensure that fees and charges are not a barrier to learning an instrument at school.\r\nThe policy has transformed instrumental music tuition in Scotland’s schools by funding all councils to eradicate unfair music tuition charges. The most recent Instrumental Music Survey published in December 2023  Instrumental Music Survey  shows the number of pupils participating is at a record high.\r\nThe policy means that Local Authorities should not charge fees for instrumental music tuition at school.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418204,"EventID":"S6W-26517","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-27T16:42:00.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T13:53:37.47","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider any further planning or regulatory assistance that could be put in place for the electricity transmission networks in Scotland in relation to infrastructure projects.","AnswerText":"Transmission Owners in Scotland have worked with Scottish Government officials to consider the challenges around the consenting of major grid developments through a short life working group established in October 2022. The group made multiple recommendations including setting out clear steps to enable the determination of applications within 12 months and the need for legislative changes to the UK Electricity Act 1989. The UK Government has committed to a review of Scottish consenting processes under the UK Electricity Act 1989, and we are working closely with them as they consider the scope of the review.\r\nWe have also laid a statutory instrument in the Scottish Parliament which introduces new measures to simplify the planning process and extend the existing Permitted Development Rights (PDR) for electricity undertakings. Subject to parliamentary scrutiny, the changes are expected to come into effect on 24 May 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418205,"EventID":"S6W-26293","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-27T16:42:00.84","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T14:56:49.73","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it measures any changes in (a) physical activity and (b) sports participation levels in young people from deprived communities, and what measures it has introduced to improve participation.","AnswerText":"a) The annual Scottish Health Survey (SHeS) measures physical activity in children from the ages 2 to 15, young people from the age of 16 are captured in adult data. Questions are asked on the subjects of walking, frequency of physical activity, physical activity at school, sports participation and sedentary time. Data is also captured on gender, age and socio-economic status, including deprivation. \r\nb) The Scottish Government recognise the many benefits derived from being active, and investment is being used to drive equality, diversity and inclusion in the sporting system. The Scottish Government work with sportscotland, our national agency for sport, in partnerships with Scottish Governing Bodies of sport (SGBs), local authorities, leisure trusts, sports clubs and community organisations, schools, colleges and universities to provide opportunities for all to participate in sport and physical activity, to break down the barriers, financial or otherwise, that keep too many people from leading active lives.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418206,"EventID":"S6W-26512","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-27T16:42:01.027","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T13:04:03.67","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the research used as the basis for the reported comments of the Minister for Energy, Just Transition and Fair Work, during the March 2024 Scotonomics Festival of Economics, that Scotland will \"potentially not even have the population capacity to deal with the amount of jobs\" created by the energy transition away from fossil fuels.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not conducted any specific research on the question of whether Scotland’s population has the capacity to deal with the number of jobs created from the energy transition.\r\nHowever, it is clear that Scotland is facing a set of long-term demographic challenges, including an ageing workforce, and perhaps the most stark projection is that as of 2033 Scotland’s overall population will begin to decline, and this is exacerbated by the impact of the UK's exit from the EU and subsequent loss of freedom of movement of EU members wishing to live, study and work in Scotland.\r\nScotland’s long-term demographic challenges will have impacts for sectors, particularly those that are expected to be fast growing, like net zero. Independent analysis commissioned by the Scottish Government and conducted by Ernst and Young (EY) suggests that with the right support there could be almost 80,000 jobs in the low carbon energy production sector and a net-positive impact for overall energy production jobs by 2050.\r\nIn our forthcoming Just Transition Plans, the Scottish Government will set out how we intend to support existing workers and new entrants to the workforce to take advantage of these opportunities and deliver a just transition to net zero by 2045.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418207,"EventID":"S6W-26525","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-27T16:42:01.09","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T14:13:39.893","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the Energy Consents Unit should submit planning applications under sections 36 and 37 of the Electricity Act 1989 to be considered at a public local inquiry, where the relevant local authority has objected to the planning application.","AnswerText":"The Electricity Act 1989 preserves the requirement for local planning authorities to be consulted and for a public inquiry to be required in particular circumstances. The Scottish Government is clear that the views of local planning authorities are an important consideration in the decision making process.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418208,"EventID":"S6W-26507","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-27T16:42:01.137","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T12:08:33.56","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the plans for an online postal self-sampling service outlined in the Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Action Plan 2023-2026 will include testing for hepatitis C.","AnswerText":"Public Health Scotland is currently leading the national roll-out of online postal self-sampling to test for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) with funding from Scottish Government. The service will initially offer testing for the most common STIs which are chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis and HIV. The scope of the service will be kept under review, with potential to add further tests if evidence suggests this would be an effective and cost-effective approach.\r\nTesting for hepatitis C is currently available through a range of routes, with a particular focus on settings which are most likely to be accessed by people at highest risk of infection, such as drugs services and prison healthcare. The Scottish Government has also funded research and pilot projects – including opt-out testing in three Emergency Departments – to help identify optimal approaches to testing for hepatitis C and other blood borne viruses in order to achieve our elimination goals.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418209,"EventID":"S6W-26519","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-27T16:42:01.2","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T13:53:56.037","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many households received support through the Warmer Homes Scotland programme in each financial year of its operation, broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"The first phase of Warmer Homes Scotland began in September 2015, and closed to new applicants on 31 March 2023. The second phase of Warmer Homes Scotland was launched on 2 October 2023.\r\nThe following table shows the number of households who have received support through both phases of the Warmer Homes Scotland (WHS) scheme in each financial year since 2015, broken down by local authority area. \r\nFinancial Years – WHS 1\r\nWHS2\r\nLocal Authority Areas\r\n15-16\r\n16-17\r\n17-18\r\n18-19\r\n19-20\r\n20-21\r\n21-22\r\n22-23\r\n23-24\r\n23-24\r\nAberdeen City\r\n39\r\n128\r\n100\r\n106\r\n69\r\n74\r\n121\r\n151\r\n98\r\n32\r\nAberdeenshire\r\n60\r\n224\r\n175\r\n141\r\n114\r\n85\r\n181\r\n191\r\n155\r\n25\r\nAngus\r\n34\r\n130\r\n93\r\n89\r\n68\r\n48\r\n117\r\n136\r\n124\r\n32\r\nArgyll and Bute\r\n33\r\n161\r\n110\r\n113\r\n98\r\n69\r\n153\r\n118\r\n122\r\n12\r\nCity of Edinburgh\r\n60\r\n284\r\n285\r\n219\r\n188\r\n165\r\n346\r\n394\r\n272\r\n75\r\nClackmannanshire\r\n15\r\n54\r\n33\r\n31\r\n34\r\n20\r\n39\r\n64\r\n35\r\n10\r\nDumfries and Galloway\r\n65\r\n209\r\n227\r\n170\r\n140\r\n90\r\n187\r\n184\r\n179\r\n32\r\nDundee City\r\n57\r\n193\r\n211\r\n136\r\n100\r\n108\r\n175\r\n202\r\n132\r\n47\r\nEast Ayrshire\r\n41\r\n113\r\n93\r\n67\r\n89\r\n58\r\n133\r\n113\r\n64\r\n46\r\nEast Dunbartonshire\r\n25\r\n80\r\n68\r\n60\r\n69\r\n60\r\n112\r\n80\r\n80\r\n36\r\nEast Lothian\r\n22\r\n71\r\n54\r\n57\r\n56\r\n34\r\n65\r\n106\r\n82\r\n20\r\nEast Renfrewshire\r\n28\r\n72\r\n74\r\n80\r\n53\r\n47\r\n85\r\n74\r\n35\r\n16\r\nFalkirk\r\n36\r\n106\r\n109\r\n81\r\n94\r\n80\r\n130\r\n129\r\n84\r\n51\r\nFife\r\n107\r\n367\r\n353\r\n267\r\n235\r\n218\r\n375\r\n444\r\n284\r\n79\r\nGlasgow City\r\n138\r\n450\r\n461\r\n418\r\n373\r\n367\r\n620\r\n534\r\n293\r\n168\r\nHighland\r\n82\r\n493\r\n358\r\n270\r\n225\r\n155\r\n261\r\n254\r\n211\r\n48\r\nInverclyde\r\n27\r\n223\r\n150\r\n111\r\n130\r\n68\r\n146\r\n129\r\n76\r\n27\r\nMidlothian\r\n20\r\n76\r\n83\r\n68\r\n59\r\n42\r\n82\r\n92\r\n68\r\n18\r\nMoray\r\n18\r\n96\r\n81\r\n54\r\n62\r\n47\r\n78\r\n86\r\n75\r\n19\r\nComhairle Nan Eilean Siar\r\n6\r\n116\r\n177\r\n105\r\n111\r\n75\r\n76\r\n73\r\n81\r\n0\r\nNorth Ayrshire\r\n45\r\n148\r\n105\r\n76\r\n93\r\n56\r\n152\r\n156\r\n114\r\n47\r\nNorth Lanarkshire\r\n87\r\n338\r\n273\r\n247\r\n263\r\n247\r\n387\r\n374\r\n216\r\n131\r\nOrkney Islands\r\n6\r\n35\r\n39\r\n35\r\n28\r\n17\r\n33\r\n35\r\n45\r\n0\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n44\r\n134\r\n130\r\n100\r\n83\r\n68\r\n124\r\n148\r\n125\r\n35\r\nRenfrewshire\r\n57\r\n173\r\n181\r\n130\r\n140\r\n86\r\n188\r\n192\r\n114\r\n73\r\nScottish Borders\r\n22\r\n103\r\n120\r\n79\r\n69\r\n48\r\n85\r\n107\r\n78\r\n36\r\nShetland Islands\r\n1\r\n9\r\n56\r\n30\r\n47\r\n23\r\n56\r\n48\r\n56\r\n5\r\nSouth Ayrshire\r\n31\r\n143\r\n120\r\n67\r\n86\r\n57\r\n125\r\n141\r\n98\r\n39\r\nSouth Lanarkshire\r\n88\r\n338\r\n319\r\n189\r\n236\r\n234\r\n373\r\n387\r\n190\r\n88\r\nStirling\r\n25\r\n73\r\n72\r\n36\r\n48\r\n29\r\n54\r\n69\r\n47\r\n18\r\nWest Dunbartonshire\r\n18\r\n81\r\n59\r\n61\r\n55\r\n50\r\n93\r\n67\r\n41\r\n23\r\nWest Lothian\r\n35\r\n133\r\n134\r\n125\r\n92\r\n79\r\n159\r\n200\r\n126\r\n67\r\nGrand Total\r\n1,372\r\n5,354\r\n4,903\r\n3,818\r\n3,607\r\n2,904\r\n5,311\r\n5,478\r\n3,800\r\n1,355","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418210,"EventID":"S6W-26533","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-27T16:42:01.26","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T15:57:55.08","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to meet the Climate Change Committee’s reported recommendation that the reliability of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure must improve.","AnswerText":"Since 2011, Transport Scotland has invested over £65 million, on behalf of Scottish Ministers, to support the installation of over 2,800 public EV charge points across Scotland as part of the ChargePlace Scotland (CPS) EV charging network. These public EV charge points are owned and operated by over 400 separate public, private and third sector organisations.\r\nAs a direct result, Scotland has over 4,880 public EV charge points and the best provision of public charge points per head of population of anywhere in the UK, outside of London, and the most rapid charge points per head of population of any region in the UK.\r\nOverall reliability across the CPS network is typically very good, with all charge points on the network up and running around 95-98% of the time each month . The reliability of EV charge points will soon be regulated following the introduction of new UK-wide  Public Charge Point Regulations  , which were introduced under powers reserved to the UK Government, and came into force in November last year. All public EV charging networks in Scotland must comply with these new regulations, with the charge point owner and operator responsible for compliance.\r\nThe Scottish Government launched a new Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund (EVIF) in January 2022. Through a partnership approach with Scotland’s local authorities, it aims to leverage £60m of public and private funding to double the network to 6,000 charge points by 2026. A greater commercial sector involvement underpinned by fair, transparent pricing will help to drive up reliability standards across Scotland and encourage more drivers to make the switch to EV","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418211,"EventID":"S6W-26526","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-27T16:42:01.323","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T14:13:39.893","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that the views of north east Scotland communities and campaign groups are fully considered by the Energy Consents Unit when assessing planning applications under sections 36 and 37 of the Electricity Act 1989.","AnswerText":"It is vital that everyone has the opportunity to engage in decisions about future development. We are clear that this engagement must begin as early as possible by developers, at the pre-application stage. It should be effective, collaborative and meaningful, in order to truly influence the final application.\r\nOnce a section 36 or 37 application has been submitted to the Energy Consents Unit, members of the general public or groups may make direct representations and comment to the Scottish Ministers.\r\nScottish Ministers take these views into account, alongside all other application documentation in making their decision.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418212,"EventID":"S6W-26513","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-27T16:42:01.51","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T13:52:31.16","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to further support local authorities to address any antisocial behaviour in social housing.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to tackling the problem of antisocial behaviour in our communities. Local authorities (as landlords) and Registered Social Landlords have a wide range of powers to deal with antisocial behaviour by their tenants that occurs in, or in the vicinity of the tenancy. A breach of tenancy conditions could ultimately lead to eviction as a last resort where the circumstances are sufficiently serious. \r\nSocial landlords as part of their requirement to meet the estate management and antisocial behaviour related outcome in the Scottish Social Housing Charter work in partnership with other agencies, to help to ensure as far as reasonably possible that tenants and other customers live in well-maintained neighbourhoods where they feel safe. \r\nWe recognise that no single approach will tackle all antisocial behaviour. Our national strategy is based on prevention, early intervention and positive diversionary activities. Police Scotland and local authorities lead on responses, using powers and options available to them to prevent and tackle antisocial behaviour. We are committed to ensuring all agencies have the powers and resources needed to tackle antisocial behaviour and crime.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418213,"EventID":"S6W-26527","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-27T16:42:01.573","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T14:17:02.673","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26076 by Maree Todd on 22 March 2024, whether it will confirm if the data provided on waiting times includes those referred to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) for both mental health issues and neurodevelopmental issues.","AnswerText":"As set out in the most recent Public Health Scotland (PHS) Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) waiting times quarterly publication, CAMHS is classified as multi-disciplinary teams that provide treatment and interventions for children and young people experiencing mental health problems.\r\nWhere they are awaiting an assessment for a neurodevelopmental condition such as ASD or ADHD, they may not be considered for CAMHS because they do not meet the National Referral Criteria described in the CAMHS national service specification standards. Broadly these state that if a child is presenting with mental health problems that are causing significant impact on their day-to-day lives and other approaches are not appropriate. However in some individual cases, it may be the case that patients with neurodevelopmental conditions are still reported under CAMHS as long as they fit the specification criteria.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418214,"EventID":"S6W-26434","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-27T16:42:01.78","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T16:54:05.06","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in each of the last five years, how many domestic abuse case trials that went ahead had been delayed by (a) between one and two years, (b) between two and three years and (c) three years or longer.","AnswerText":"This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who reply in writing within 20 days.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418215,"EventID":"S6W-26504","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-27T16:42:01.857","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T12:02:28.723","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to recent reports that five asylum seekers living in hotels in Scotland have attempted suicide.","AnswerText":"The Home Office is responsible for the provision of asylum accommodation and support, including the use of contingency hotels. The Scottish Government has consistently made clear to UK Government that hotels are not appropriate accommodation and we continue to be concerned about the effect prolonged stays in hotels have on people’s wellbeing.\r\nPeople seeking asylum living in Scotland are entitled to access healthcare, including referral to mental health services. The Scottish Government funds a range of action that supports mental health and wellbeing which is available to anyone living in Scotland, regardless of their residence status.\r\nEvery suicide is a tragedy with a far-reaching impact on family, friends and the wider community. In implementing the Scottish Government and CoSLA’s suicide prevention strategy, Creating Hope Together, and its first 3-year Action Plan, we are working hard to tackle the inequalities that can lead to suicide and are prioritising communities and groups—including asylum seekers and refugees—with a heightened risk of suicide.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Emma Roddick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418216,"EventID":"S6W-26516","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-27T16:42:02.03","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T13:53:28.183","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to the electricity transmission networks in Scotland to build infrastructure to meet its net zero targets.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government established a Transmission Network short life working group with Transmission Owners in Scotland to consider the challenges around the consenting of electricity network developments. The group made recommendations for both industry and government, including steps to enable the determination of applications within 12 months. As part of this, we are working closely with the UK Government as they consider the scope of the review of Scottish consenting processes under the UK Electricity Act 1989.\r\nWe have also laid a statutory instrument in the Scottish Parliament which introduces new measures to simplify the planning process and extend the existing Permitted Development Rights (PDR) for electricity undertakings.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418217,"EventID":"S6W-26530","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-27T16:42:02.123","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T15:24:26.99","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors the condition of roads across Scotland.","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland, through its four Trunk Road Operating Companies and five Design Build Finance Operate (DBFO) Concessionaires, is responsible for the management and maintenance of the strategic trunk road network, including motorways. Transport Scotland specify requirements for regular surveys and inspections to ensure that the trunk road network is safe and fit for purpose, and to provide appropriate information to support maintenance decisions. Transport Scotland commission contractors to undertake annual machine-based surveys on trunk roads using specialist vehicles to gather information on the surface integrity of the road; the friction characteristics of the surface; and the structural capacity (strength) of the underlying road construction. This is supplemented with a series of targeted inspections to obtain specific information about the road asset undertaken by Operating Companies under the term maintenance contract. The combined information is used to determine future maintenance programmes and investment requirements.\r\nIn addition Operating Companies have a contractual obligation to inspect the trunk road network at 7-day intervals. These inspections are primarily to identify defects that require prompt attention because they present, or could present, an immediate hazard to road users. The Scottish Government fully funds the inspection and repair of all such defects, and the term maintenance contract sets out strict timescales for their repair.\r\nWith regard to local roads, local authorities have a duty under the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 to manage and maintain local roads in their area and duties under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to secure the expeditious, convenient and safe movement of traffic. Neither the Scottish Ministers nor the Scottish Government would become directly involved in their day-to-day duties.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418218,"EventID":"S6W-26509","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-27T16:42:02.217","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T12:21:56.363","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact on youth groups of the proposal by Disclosure Scotland to introduce Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) fees for voluntary roles.","AnswerText":"I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:\r\nDisclosure Scotland, an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government, is consulting on how disclosure fees could be discounted for certain groups in future. No decisions have been made on this. The consultation response from stakeholders and the public will help to shape decisions by Scottish Ministers.\r\nDisclosure Scotland has published a draft children’s rights and wellbeing impact assessment which considers the possible impact of the proposals made in the consultation on fee waivers and discounting on the rights of children. In doing so they are considering official statistics and surveys, evidence from Disclosure Scotland’s systems, past consultations and stakeholder engagement.\r\nWhen the Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 is implemented Level 2 with PVG scheme membership disclosures will not be available to children aged under 16 years old. Any fees and fee discounting therefore only has a direct impact on children aged 16 and 17 years old.\r\nA copy of the impact assessment can be found on the Scottish Government’s website at:  https://www.gov.scot/publications/disclosure-scotland-act-2020-accredited-body-fees-proposals-discounting-under-pvg-scheme-consultation-childrens-rights-wellbeing-impact-assessment/ ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418219,"EventID":"S6W-26529","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16176,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":137,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-27T16:42:02.28","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T14:56:50.347","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on the roll-out of superfast broadband in Clydebank and Milngavie.","AnswerText":"Figures provided by Ofcom.org.uk, show that, as of September 2023, 98% of premises in the Clydebank and Milngavie constituency could access fixed line superfast broadband.\r\nThis is, in part, thanks to publicly-funded digital programmes which have connected around one million properties across Scotland to fibre broadband to date, with the vast majority receiving superfast speeds. This includes the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband (DSSB) programme, which delivered over 10,000 connections in the constituency of Clydebank and Milngavie.\r\nOur Scottish Government commitment to deliver 100% superfast broadband across Scotland is delivered through the three strands of activity that make up the Reaching 100% (R100) programme – the three R100 contracts (North, Central and South), our demand-led R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme (SBVS) and the ongoing expansion of commercial coverage including newly emerging technologies such as Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite connections.\r\nAs a result, all homes and businesses should now be able to access superfast broadband.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418220,"EventID":"S6W-26518","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-27T16:42:02.437","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T13:53:48.58","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide specialist planning advice and guidance, in partnership with local authorities and electricity transmission networks, in order to meet its net zero targets through infrastructure projects.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to working with all stakeholders to ensure that the planning system is better equipped to deal with current and future challenges, and supports our net zero ambitions. Work is underway to deliver the commitments from the Onshore Wind Sector Deal relating to the standardisation of relevant templates, such as Environmental Impact Assessment Reports. Similarly, a Transmission Network Short Life Working Group provided recommendations to increase and develop resources to ensure planning authorities and statutory consultees are well equipped to accelerate decisions on grid applications.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418221,"EventID":"S6W-26505","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-27T16:42:02.5","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T12:02:28.723","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to local authorities to ensure that adequate and accessible mental health support is available to asylum seekers in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government funds a range of action that supports mental health and wellbeing which is available to anyone living in Scotland, regardless of their residence status.\r\nThe Home Office is responsible for the provision of asylum accommodation and support, including the use of contingency hotels. People seeking asylum living in Scotland are entitled to access healthcare, including referral to mental health services.\r\nThrough our actions in our Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy and Delivery Plan and Suicide Prevention Strategy and Action Plan, we will continue to tackle the underlying causes of mental health inequalities and how we can better support groups most at risk of poor mental health, including asylum seekers and refugees.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Emma Roddick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418222,"EventID":"S6W-26506","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-27T16:42:02.563","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T12:08:33.56","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people under the age of 65 have received free personal care in each year since the expansion of the policy in April 2019, also broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"The latest statistical release for Free Personal and Nursing Care is for the period 2022-23 and was published on 5 September 2023. Two published excel files accompany the publication, one of which provides data on people aged between 18-64, from the years 2018-19 to 2022-23. This can be found at:  Supporting documents - Free Personal and Nursing Care, Scotland, 2022-23 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .\r\nThe relevant information can be found in Tables 3a and 6a.\r\nAlthough Care at Home may include personal care, it may also take the form of other support services which sit outwith Free Personal Care legislation.\r\nFree personal care is available to all adults, regardless of their age, and is provided based on an assessment of need by the local authority. Local authorities set their eligibility threshold based on local guidance, and it may not be consistent across local authorities.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418242,"EventID":"S6W-26480","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":8,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T10:59:05.913","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-23T14:59:15.707","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) whether SPCB staff are permitted to wear disability awareness lanyards.","AnswerText":"Colleagues with adjustment passportscan wear Sunflower lanyards and/or pins or badges but must also wear a parliament issued purple lanyard. \r\nIt’s estimated that 70-80% of disabilities are hidden, including physical and mental health, sensory such as visual, auditory and processing difficulties, chronic conditions, and rare diseases. The SPCB want to make it easier for staff and visitors who have a non-visible disability to get the support they need. SPCB staff have been trained to recognise the Sunflower and offer help or adjustments as part of our existing reasonable adjustment process.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jackson Carlaw (on behalf of the SPCB)","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418264,"EventID":"S6W-26520","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:56.727","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T13:53:58.32","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent engagement it has had with the UK Government regarding support for the bus building industry in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not had any specific engagement with the UK Government recently on the bus building industry in particular.\r\nThe Scottish Government is, however, actively engaged with UK Government on manufacturing opportunities across a number of sectors and signalled the desire to work collaboratively to progress shared interests in response to their Advanced Manufacturing Plan.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418265,"EventID":"S6W-26556","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:56.82","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-27T14:06:17.227","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the compulsory microchipping of pet cats.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government’s Code of Practice for the Welfare of Cats recommends that all cat owners should consider neutering and microchipping their pets as the best way of being reunited with their rightful owners, should they be separated.\r\nThe Scottish Animal Welfare Commission’s (SAWC) Responsible Cat Ownership Working Group is currently considering responsible cat ownership including microchipping and we will carefully consider the SAWC’s report and its recommendations once published before taking further action.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418266,"EventID":"S6W-26596","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:56.913","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T12:12:37.453","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide clarification of what it means for a building to be \"on a pathway to a single building assessment\".","AnswerText":"Each entry on the pilot programme within scope of the SBA as set out in the legislation will proceed to the pathway to assessment through written confirmation to owners from either a developer or, in the case of orphan buildings, government, that the property will either have a pilot SBA refreshed or topped up to ensure it complies with the new SBA specification or that an SBA will be commissioned using the new specification.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418267,"EventID":"S6W-26485","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:56.977","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-25T08:10:07.36","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the proposals included in the forthcoming Heat in Buildings Bill, whether it has received any representations regarding whether (a) they could adversely impact upon the mortgage market, (b) mortgage valuation assessments could have to be changed for Scotland as a result of the proposals requiring homebuyers to commit to upgrading to clean energy systems, (c) they could lead to higher interest rates for mortgage holders in Scotland compared with the rest of the UK, and (d) they could create a reported \"material shock to the Scottish housing market that could have a detrimental impact on consumers and the wider economy\".\r\n","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recently consulted on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill, this consultation closed on 8 March 2024. We are currently analysing all responses received. This analysis will inform the further design of policy provisions together with any feedback gathered during wider consultation engagement events and workshops. All responses will be published in full, in accordance with Scottish Government guidance.\r\nAhead of the launch of the consultation and in preparing the proposals, I met with several retail banks to discuss their role in supporting consumers in meeting the costs of the proposed standards. In addition, I attended a Scottish Financial Enterprise hosted roundtable to discuss lenders' role and the potential impacts that the proposals may have on the housing market. As we finalise our proposals we will take this feedback into account.\r\nIn addition, the Scottish Government has commissioned research through ClimateXChange to investigate the potential impact of the proposed Heat in Buildings Bill on the Scottish Housing Market. The scope of this project includes an investigation into the impact on the mortgage market. This research is currently being carried out, and findings will be published later this year.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418268,"EventID":"S6W-26584","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:57.037","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T10:51:48.343","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-22036\r\nby Neil Gray on 19 October 2023, what action it has taken in relation to its\r\ncommitment to improve its collection and reporting of data on how women are\r\nsupported by Scotland’s business support systems and how its actions are\r\nclosing the gender gap and widening participation in entrepreneurship.","AnswerText":"The Business Support Partnership (BSP) is a commitment from Scottish Government, Scotland’s Enterprise and Skills Agencies, Business Gateway, and Local Government to develop a streamlined, efficient, and effective business support system that drives collaboration at a local, regional, and national level. Partners are committed to including the voice of businesses and communities and delivering inclusive and fair support that is underpinned by shared research, aligned customer surveying and data.\r\nIn its Strategic Delivery Plan 2023-2026, the BSP sets out its goal to ensure that the business support system in Scotland is inclusive, accessible and responsive, and that it recognises underrepresented groups, targets priority areas and supports socio-economic growth in response to data and the views of customers.\r\nThis is a long term undertaking, but one that is central to closing the gap in entrepreneurial participation. Better collection and reporting of data will provide us with essential information, which will allow us to prioritise and target support to under-represented and under-supported groups and to measure our progress.\r\nAlongside this work we continue to develop our response to the broader recommendations of the Pathways report with emphasis on the establishment of Pre-Start support, with the Pathways Pre-Start Fund awarding £1.3m in partner led programmes aimed at widening entrepreneurial participation in 2023-24.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418269,"EventID":"S6W-26568","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:57.1","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-27T15:23:48.513","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its key goals for bus patronage are, and how these are different to the UK Government's goals, as set out in its National Bus Strategy: 2024 Bus Service Improvement Plans.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government’s vision and priorities for Scotland’s transport system, including bus patronage, are set out in the National Transport Strategy which was published in February 2020. The Scottish Government will continue to explore opportunities to make bus, and public transport more generally, a more attractive option for existing and new users.\r\nThe Fair Fares Review, published in March 2024, sets out our aim to ensure Scotland’s public transport system is more accessible, available, and affordable, with the costs of transport more fairly shared across government, business, and society. The Review highlights the need to prioritise measures to grow bus patronage and sets out a number of recommendations and actions specific to bus to deliver on our vision for the Future of Public Transport. This includes a commitment to develop a bus service improvement plan and delivery framework, over the next 18 months to improve future availability of bus services across Scotland. \r\nThe document referred to in the question is intended to provide guidance for English Local Transport Authorities (LTA), outside London, in updating their Bus Service Improvement Plans, in line with the National Bus Strategy for England. This strategy, originally produced in 2021, sets out a mission to rebuild bus patronage and mode share first to 2019 levels, and then to go beyond.\r\nIn Scotland we have empowered local transport authorities with the flexible tools they need to respond to their own transport challenges, by delivering all the bus powers within the 2019 Act. This approach enables them to determine what actions are best for their local areas, allowing them to revitalise bus services according to their needs. ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418270,"EventID":"S6W-26524","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:57.147","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T13:54:43.19","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to engage with the UK Government regarding any implications for Scottish social security payments to women in Scotland of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman report on changes to the state pension age, affecting women born in the 1950s, which states that those affected should receive an apology and compensation.","AnswerText":"The First Minister wrote to the UK Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition on 18 April to make the Scottish Government’s position clear, the UK Government must respond in a timely manner to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s recommendations, by committing to a fair compensation package for the women born in the 1950’s affected by the changes to state pension age.\r\nState pensions remain reserved to the UK Government. Should the UK Government decide to accept the recommendations from the PHSO report and pay compensation we will work closely with the UK Government to understand if there are any implications for the payment of Scottish social security benefits.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418271,"EventID":"S6W-26586","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:57.21","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T10:52:20.73","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much of the Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Fund was allocated in (a) 2021, (b) 2022 and (c) 2023. ","AnswerText":"Through the Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (SIETF),we allocated £3.1 million in 2021 for Call 1, £6.8 million in 2022 for Call 2 and £6.3 million in 2023 for Call 3 to co-invest with a diverse range of Scottish manufacturers to reduce energy costs and carbon emissions through increased energy efficiency and deep decarbonisation projects. \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418272,"EventID":"S6W-26539","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:57.273","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T16:01:10.197","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to implement Air Departure Tax, in light of the Climate Change Committee’s recommendation in its 2023 Report to Parliament.","AnswerText":"The introduction of Air Departure Tax (ADT) was deferred due to state aid issues raised in relation to the Highlands and Islands exemption. In January 2023, the UK Government replaced EU state aid rules with its own subsidy control regime.\r\nWe continue to explore all options to implement ADT in a way that protects Highlands & Islands connectivity and complies with the UK Government’s subsidy control regime.\r\nThe Scottish Government recognises the critical role air connectivity plays in the lives of residents and communities in the Highlands and Islands, and in the promotion of sustainable economic growth across the region.\r\nOnce a solution to the Highland & Islands exemption has been identified, we will review the rates and bands of ADT prior to the implementation of the tax, to ensure they are aligned with our net zero ambitions.\r\nThe UK-wide Air Passenger Duty will continue to apply in Scotland until ADT is implemented.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418273,"EventID":"S6W-26560","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:57.523","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-27T14:39:41.493","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it next plans to review the amount paid, per apprentice, to (a) colleges and (b) independent learning providers to deliver apprenticeships.","AnswerText":"Budgets for Modern and Foundation Apprenticeships for 2024-25 have been agreed and there are currently no plans to review the contribution rates.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418274,"EventID":"S6W-26576","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:57.57","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-27T23:26:49.963","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how many phone calls are made to the NHS 24 111 service because patients have been unable to secure an appointment with their own GP. ","AnswerText":"The information that has been requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418275,"EventID":"S6W-26550","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:57.65","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T16:08:37.633","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that \"the 20% [reduction in car kilometres] target is not achieved at the cost of exacerbating van traffic, particularly in urban areas\", in light of the Climate Change Committee’s recommendation in its 2023 Report to Parliament.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government wants a just transition to a fairer, greener transport system for all in Scotland. The final version of the route map to achieving a 20% reduction in car km will be published in the coming months. The draft route map recognised the need for its implementation to be flexible to adapt to emerging and changing evidence and it committed to setting out a monitoring and evaluation framework alongside the publication of the final route map. It does not expect car use to reduce equally for all, including some businesses using cars rather than vans, those in rural areas, and those who rely on cars for mobility or other reasons. But for those who are able to change their travel behaviour (travel less; stay local; switch mode and, where those options are not feasible, share or combine a journey) we want to recognise and enable that. Our next Climate Change Plan will also set out our approach to continuing delivery of Scotland’s net zero targets through a just transition.\r\nThe Scottish Government is grateful for the latest advice from the Climate Change Committee and remains fully committed to delivering net zero by 2045. We will provide a Scottish Government response to the Climate Change Committee.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418276,"EventID":"S6W-26486","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:57.71","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-25T08:10:07.36","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commission independent advice regarding whether the proposed Heat in Buildings Bill could adversely impact upon the mortgage market.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has commissioned research through ClimateXChange to investigate the potential impact of the proposed Heat in Buildings Bill on the Scottish Housing Market. The scope of this project includes an investigation into the impact on the mortgage market. As part of this research, researchers are conducting interviews with stakeholders from the property market, including the finance sector. This research is currently being carried out, and findings will be published later this year.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418277,"EventID":"S6W-26543","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:57.803","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T16:03:22.313","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the Islands Connectivity Plan\r\nin full, in light of the Climate Change Committee’s recommendation in its 2023\r\nReport to Parliament.","AnswerText":"The Islands Connectivity Plan Strategic Approach paper and the updated Vessels and Ports Plan were published for public consultation on 1 February 2024.\r\nOne of the Priorities of the Plan is Low Carbon and ensuring that ferry services take action to reduce the negative environmental impact of their operations and help to achieve Scotland's net-zero targets.\r\nThe documents highlight that Scottish Government’s Climate Change Plan sets a target that 30% of the Government (CMAL) owned fleet should be low or zero emission vessels by 2032 and that the successful delivery of the Small Vessel Replacement Programme will enable that goal to be met.\r\nFollowing the public consultation period, the feedback received will be used to inform final versions of both documents by the end of 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418278,"EventID":"S6W-26554","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:57.867","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-27T13:12:37.527","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what further steps it will take to help mediate the reportedly ongoing industrial dispute in the college sector regarding pay and conditions.","AnswerText":"It is the responsibility of the college unions and employers to negotiate pay, terms and conditions, not the Scottish Government.\r\nWhile the Scottish Government respects the right of trade unions to take industrial action, we remain concerned about the potential impacts this action will have on students.\r\nThat is why the Scottish Government continues to encourage unions and employers to reach a resolution that is fair and affordable and brings this action to a close.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418279,"EventID":"S6W-26600","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:58.023","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T12:12:37.453","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £97.4 million of cladding remediation funding it has spent to date.","AnswerText":"The most recently published figures show a cumulative spend of £7.141m which supports the assessment, urgent interim measures and remediation of those buildings with the pilot programme. Information on expenditure is published quarterly on gov.scot\r\nhttps://www.gov.scot/publications/single-building-assessment-spending-information/ ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418280,"EventID":"S6W-26561","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:58.087","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-27T14:50:58.713","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that the power of attorney rights of care home residents are upheld.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Governments  Foreword - Health and Social Care Standards: my support, my life - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  set out what people should expect when using health, social care or social work services in Scotland including care homes. They seek to provide better outcomes for everyone; to ensure that individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and that the basic human rights are upheld. Standard 2.12 states that if residents are unable to make their own decisions, the views of those who know their wishes, such as carers, independent advocates, formal or informal representatives must be sought and taken into account.\r\nThe Care Inspectorate is the regulator of care services in Scotland and is a non- departmental body and independent of the Scottish Government. Using the Health and Social Care Standards, they inspect services to ensure the safety, protection and wellbeing of residents. Through their inspection process, they review personal plans to determine the capacity status of individuals in receipt of care and support. If a valid s47 certificate of incapacity is in place they will review that the legal proxy advocate is involved in pro-active decision making about the care and support in accordance with the individual.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418281,"EventID":"S6W-26552","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:58.213","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-27T10:07:17.457","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to introduce a bill on ending conversion practices.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to introduce legislation to end conversion practices in Scotland that is as comprehensive as possible within devolved competence.\r\nConversion practices, which aim to change or suppress a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity, are damaging and destructive acts that violate people’s human rights. Whilst our proposals will protect people from the harms of conversion practices, our approach also recognises and respects established rights and freedoms. This includes freedom of thought, conscience and belief and private and family life as well as parents exercising their rights and responsibilities in relation to their children.\r\nOur public consultation, containing detailed proposals, ran for 12 weeks and closed on 2 April 2024. Responses to that consultation will now be analysed and considered.\r\nFuture legislative programmes will be announced in relevant Programmes for Government in the usual way.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Emma Roddick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418282,"EventID":"S6W-26542","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:58.277","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T16:02:54.807","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will assist Scottish airports in developing the infrastructure required for aviation decarbonisation, in light of the Climate Change Committee’s recommendation in its 2023 Report to Parliament.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government’s Aviation Statement, which will be published shortly, will set out actions that the Scottish Government will take to help achieve our aviation emissions reduction targets. Our Hydrogen Innovation Scheme previously provided £150,000 of funding to Glasgow Airport for a study to explore the feasibility of a hydrogen production, storage and distribution hub that would support zero emission transport at the airport. The Scottish Government has also provided grant funding to Edinburgh Airport to support its low carbon energy system.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418283,"EventID":"S6W-26588","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:58.493","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T10:52:59.46","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many public sector grants have been awarded since 1 July 2023 that require recipients to both pay the real Living Wage and provide appropriate channels for effective worker voice, broken down by the value of each grant.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26587 on 15 April 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418284,"EventID":"S6W-26521","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:58.557","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T13:54:06.093","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what further support it can provide to the bus building industry in Scotland to help it compete in a global market.","AnswerText":"Scottish Enterprise has supported companies in the bus manufacturing supply chain, awarding Alexander Dennis Limited with funding to develop their zero emission bus technology including £13m in 2023 in addition to substantial grants in 2019 and 2015.\r\nIn addition, Scottish Enterprise is working with Alexander Dennis Limited to explore opportunities for export and access grant funding opportunities such as the UK Automotive Transition Fund.\r\nThe Scottish Government continues to support manufacturing in Scotland via the work on the Green Industrial Strategy and our ten-year National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET).\r\nThe forthcoming Transport Just Transition Plan we will set out, among other things, how the Scottish Government will support businesses to benefit from the opportunities and deal with the challenges arising from the move to a sustainable transport system.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418285,"EventID":"S6W-26537","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:58.637","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T16:00:16.913","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to work with the UK Government to co-develop \"appropriate regulatory strategies for enabling operators to switch to zero-emission options\", in light of the Climate Change Committee’s recommendation in its 2023 Report to Parliament.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government, working alongside the UK Government and the other devolved administrations, introduced the Vehicle Emissions Trading Schemes at the start of 2024. These schemes put legal obligations on car and van manufacturers to sell new zero emissions vehicles each year, ramping up to 80% of all new cars sold, and 70% of new vans, being zero emissions by 2030. At the same time, the schemes encourage car and van manufacturers to drive down the emissions of their new non-zero emissions car and van vehicles.\r\nAs set out in the Climate Change Committee’s 2023 report to parliament, decarbonisation of heavy-duty vehicle fleets in Scotland will depend on UK-wide markets. The Scottish Government continues to engage with its UK counterparts on regulatory approaches to the phase out dates for petrol and diesel heavy duty vehicles through the Inter-Ministerial Group on transport and associated official-level, UK-wide working groups that have recently been established on freight decarbonisation. The Scottish Government also participates in the UK Freight Energy Forum, which involves fleet operators, energy network operators and others on decarbonisation of the sector.\r\nIn 2022 the Scottish Government established the Zero Emission Truck Taskforce, which brought together key representatives from the logistics, manufacturing, energy and finance sectors to shape the pathway to the decarbonisation of Scotland’s road freight and logistics sector. The taskforce produced a Heavy Goods Vehicle Decarbonisation Pathway for Scotland, published on 19 March 2024 and is available on Transport Scotland’s website. That pathway and the evidence that supported it has been shared with counterparts in the UK Government to inform the regulatory options relating to zero emission heavy duty vehicles.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418286,"EventID":"S6W-26599","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:58.683","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T12:12:37.453","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many suitably qualified people it estimates will be available to carry out single building assessments in Scotland once any Act resulting from the Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Bill comes into force.","AnswerText":"The number of suitably qualified people required will be proportionate to the number of SBAs required across Scotland. As the total number of SBAs is still to be determined we do not hold information about the number of assessors required. ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418287,"EventID":"S6W-26578","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:58.73","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T00:00:51.047","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made towards introducing self-sampling as part of the cervical screening programme.","AnswerText":"Any decision to introduce changes to a national screening programme in Scotland is guided by the recommendations of the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), an independent expert advisory group which advises all four UK nations on screening policy. The UK National Screening Committee is expected to make a recommendation on the use of cervical self-sampling in the screening programme later this year.\r\nThe Scottish Government recognises the potential of cervical self-sampling to improve uptake of cervical screening. In Scotland, a working group has been established to consider potential models to understand any changes that would be required to the screening programme to support an initial roll-out. This work will be influenced by the on-going work of the UK NSC and emerging global research.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418288,"EventID":"S6W-26523","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:58.76","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T13:54:30.03","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider implementing national regulations for electric vehicle charging tariffs for (a) pence per kilowatt hour and (b) overstay fees that are applied by local authorities and other public bodies through ChargePlace Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government do not currently have any plans to introduce national regulations for electric vehicle (EV) charging. \r\nIn November 2023  UK-wide regulations  were implemented to improve consumer experience of public charging. This includes improving pricing transparency so that all costs are presented in pence per kilowatt hour. All public EV charging networks in Scotland must comply with these new regulations including ChargePlace Scotland (CPS).\r\nOverstay charges are applied at the discretion of the charge point owner or operator in order to encourage fair usage of public charging infrastructure. Overstay charges are most commonly applied to rapid and ultra-rapid charge points where a full or nearly full charge can be achieved quickly and therefore there is no need for a vehicle to dwell longer than 45-60 minutes.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418289,"EventID":"S6W-26495","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:58.823","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T10:08:53.37","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the UK Secretary of State for Scotland's letter to the First Minister on 21 March 2024, in which he offered \"the UK Government's assistance in introducing a recall mechanism for MSPs\". ","AnswerText":"I replied to the UK Secretary of State on 27 March 2024 to reiterate the Scottish Government position that Scottish Ministers consider that the responsibility for regulation of the Scottish Parliament’s membership should rest primarily with its Members.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"George Adam","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418290,"EventID":"S6W-26534","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:58.887","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T15:58:29.247","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to provide an implementation plan outlining how it will deliver approximately 24,000 electric vehicle (EV) charging points by 2030, in light of the Climate Change Committee’s recommendation in its 2023 Report to Parliament.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government will develop implementing actions to deliver our  Vision for Scotland’s Public Electric Vehicle Charging Network  in response to the UK Climate Change Committee (CCC) recommendation. \r\nThe implementing actions will be developed in collaboration with key stakeholders who share responsibility for delivering public EV charging across Scotland to deliver the right charge points in the right locations to meet the needs of communities across Scotland, including rural and island communities.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418291,"EventID":"S6W-26597","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:58.947","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T12:12:37.453","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many of the 105 buildings in the cladding remediation programme pilot have had assessments commissioned; how many assessments have been (a) started and (b) completed, and on how many buildings cladding remediation or mitigation has (i) begun and (ii) been completed as a result of an assessment.","AnswerText":"As of April 2024,28 preliminary Single Building Assessments have commenced.This includes:\r\no one development where the Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls (FRAEW) has been completed and the development remediated and;\r\no two developments where mitigation works have commenced","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418292,"EventID":"S6W-26563","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:58.993","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-27T15:05:23.293","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, when it is designing new policies, how it ensures that an assessment is made of any potential impact that a policy may have on older people.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government carries out Equality Impact Assessments on all new policies as required under the Equality Act 2010 and the associated Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED). PSED requires public authorities to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations across all the protected characteristics, including age. These assessments draw upon existing research and data on equality issues, as well as the lived experience of those impacted. Specifically for older people, the assessments analyse and identify any potential impacts using evidence from relevant sources and direct feedback from older people's organisations.\r\nWhere relevant impacts on older people are identified through this evidence-based process, mitigating actions are carefully considered. The Scottish Government also directly engages with stakeholder groups representing older people, such as our trusted partners in the Older People’s Strategic Action Forum (OPSAF), to ensure their real-world views and experiences inform policymaking from the outset.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418293,"EventID":"S6W-26522","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:59.027","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T13:54:16.7","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered amending the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 (Contingency Planning) (Scotland) Regulations 2005 to include local resilience structures for MSPs in their constituencies or regions, including notifications and communications with all relevant partners.","AnswerText":"The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 (CCA) and the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 (Contingency Planning) (Scotland) Regulations 2005 is the legislation which identifies categorised responders, and their duty to prepare for civil emergencies within Scotland.\r\nThe CCA divides responders into two categories, category 1 and category 2. The CCA imposes a set of duties on each category of responders. It does not confer any powers upon the categorised responders.\r\nUnder the terms of the amendment regulations, the structure which supports multi-agency co-ordination is the Regional Resilience Partnership (RRP). Currently there are three such groups in the North, West and East of Scotland. Within each RRP area are a number of Local Resilience Partnerships (LRPs) determined by the RRPs themselves.\r\nThe RRPs and LRPs bring together all the relevant organisations in an area to develop an effective approach in dealing with emergencies in accordance with the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality. \r\nThe Scottish Government does not currently have any plans to review the accompanying regulations to the CCA to include MSPs as a categorised responder under the CCA. ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418294,"EventID":"S6W-26572","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:59.09","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-27T22:55:02.517","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what additional support was made available to allied health professional (AHP) leaders to enable national job planning for individual AHP groups, as recommended within the Allied Health Professions Education and Workforce Policy Review Recommendations, published on 24 February 2023.","AnswerText":"Following the completion of the Allied Health Professions (AHP) Education and Workforce Policy Review, an advisory group has been established. Job planning is one area of focus within the delivery plan and the Scottish Government will work in conjunction with wider stakeholders to oversee the effective implementation of the recommendations.\r\nThe group held its second meeting on 4 March 2024 and will consider the timescales required to meet the overarching aims at its future meetings, scheduled in June and October 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418295,"EventID":"S6W-26555","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:59.12","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-27T13:12:47.16","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what further steps it is taking to ensure that bus operators improve the (a) punctuality and (b) reliability of services for bus users.","AnswerText":"The responsibility for licensing and regulating operators of public service vehicles (PSVs) and local bus services sits with the Office of the Traffic Commissioner. It is for their office to take action against a vehicle operator, bus service operator or driver of a bus or minibus and they can impose financial penalties on registered bus service operators who are unable to maintain the conditions of the licence of the registered route including punctuality of services.\r\nTransport Scotland also provides funding for Bus Users Scotland (BUS) to support this. BUS conduct compliance monitoring to check bus services are running where and when they should be. They also focus on working with government, local authorities, special interest groups, and bus companies to make sure the views and interests of passengers are properly represented.\r\nAdditionally, the Scottish Government’s recently published Bus Taskforce report outlines the positive steps taken by operators to address bus driver shortages which can be a factor impacting the reliability of services. The report can be found at  https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/bus-taskforce-summary-report/ ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418296,"EventID":"S6W-26558","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:59.167","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-27T14:39:41.493","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much total funding is made available to colleges to deliver apprenticeships.","AnswerText":"In 2022-23 Skills Development Scotland provided Colleges with funding of £11,927,213 for the delivery of Modern Apprenticeships.\r\nIn addition, Colleges utilise credits to support the delivery of Modern Apprenticeships. Any credits used by colleges must comply with the Credit Guidance issued by the Scottish Funding Council.\r\nIn 2022-23 the Scottish Funding Council and Skills Development Scotland provided Colleges £10,501,763 for the delivery of Foundation Apprenticeships.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418297,"EventID":"S6W-26565","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:59.213","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-27T15:22:59.91","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what capacity grant funding it has provided to local authorities to support their plans for Bus Service Improvement Partnerships (BSIPs).","AnswerText":"The Community Bus Fund is intended to support local transport authorities to improve local public transport in their areas. This can include exploring the full range of options set out in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019, including Bus Services Improvement Partnerships.\r\nIn 2023-24, the Community Bus Fund provided £750,000 in resource funding for transport authorities to complete initial feasibility and preparatory work required for the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019. A further £5 million of capital funding was allocated to local authorities, with greater levels of support for rural areas facing different challenges to those in cities.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418298,"EventID":"S6W-26540","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:59.243","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T16:01:44.953","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to provide details on how it will purchase low-emission aircrafts, in light of the Climate Change Committee’s recommendation in its 2023 Report to Parliament.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government will consider whether to buy low emission aircraft for use on the Glasgow to Campbeltown, Tiree and Barra air services, to replace the current Highlands and Islands Airports Limited owned aircraft, when such aircraft become commercially available. Our consideration will take into account such factors as the Scottish Government’s budgetary position and the reduction in emissions that available aircraft could likely deliver.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418299,"EventID":"S6W-26541","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:59.307","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T16:02:27.66","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure greater low-carbon connectivity to Scottish airports, in light of the Climate Change Committee’s recommendation in its 2023 Report to Parliament.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government’s Aviation Statement, which will be published shortly, will set out actions that the Scottish Government will take to help achieve our aviation emissions reduction targets.\r\nAdditionally, we have already set out 45 recommendations for future investment in Scotland’s strategic transport network in the second Strategic Transport Projects Review, published on 8 December 2022. Within these recommendations we have considered airport access in our strategic transport planning considerations. These have been considered in the recommendations for mass or rapid transit systems for the Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen City Regions, in the form of Clyde Metro, Edinburgh and South East Scotland Mass Transit and Aberdeen Rapid Transit. These recommendations can provide a transformational change in the service provision, focusing on strategic routes and / or corridors where bus and rail provide the most effective service. This will improve access to an affordable and reliable public transport system within these City Regions.\r\nNational Planning Framework 4 is also now in effect. Policy 13, ‘Sustainable Transport’, has a clear intent ‘to encourage, promote and facilitate developments that prioritise walking, wheeling, cycling and public transport for everyday travel and reduce the need to travel unsustainably.’ It promotes the National Transport Strategy 2 and places the climate emergency at the forefront of decision making.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418300,"EventID":"S6W-26593","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:59.353","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T12:12:37.453","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to its response to the Stage 1 Report on Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Bill, whether it will provide a list of developers that are engaging with homeowners on cladding assessment and remediation, and how many assessments those developers have begun.","AnswerText":"We are working collaboratively with Homes for Scotland and developers. Nine of the largest UK and Scottish developers have committed in principle to identify, assess and remediate buildings that they have played a role in developing. We have agreed the principle of developer led Single Building Assessments (SBAs) and will continue working collaboratively with developers to take forward assessment and remediation in line with the SBA specification that will be finalised at the end of May.\r\nhttps://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-safer-buildings-accord-developer-commitment-letter/pages/list-of-developers/ ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418301,"EventID":"S6W-26559","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:59.403","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-27T14:39:41.493","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much total funding is made available to independent learning providers to deliver apprenticeships.","AnswerText":"Skills Development Scotland provided funding for the delivery of Modern Apprenticeships of £57,133,317 to Independent Learning Providers in 2022-23.\r\nFor delivery of Foundation Apprenticeships, Skills Development Scotland provided funding of £1,565,251 to Independent Learning Providers in 2022-23.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418302,"EventID":"S6W-26573","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:59.463","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-27T22:59:16.93","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made to \"co-ordinate and align strategies to market a career as an allied health professional across governmental, professional, and educational organisations including the sharing of resources, data and audiences\", as recommended within the Allied Health Professions Education and Workforce Policy Review Recommendations, published on 24 February 2023","AnswerText":"As part of our work to develop a sustainable healthcare workforce, we continue to look for opportunities to increase levels of student attraction to healthcare professions. Careers in NHS Scotland are promoted on the NHS Education Scotland (NES) NHS careers website, designed to promote opportunities to school leavers, those in education and those looking to change careers. This site can be accessed at  NHSScotland Careers \r\nAdditionally, NES are leading on the AHP Careers National Working Group. The group have developed materials for a national career service including a ‘workshop toolkit’ for careers advisors and teachers.\r\nFollowing the completion of the Allied Health Professions (AHP) Education and Workforce Policy Review, an advisory group has been established. NES are represented on this group and will work in conjunction with the Scottish Government, and wider stakeholders, to oversee the effective implementation of the recommendations.\r\nThe group held its second meeting on 4 March 2024 and will consider the timescales required to meet the overarching aims at its future meetings, scheduled in June and October 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418303,"EventID":"S6W-26582","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:59.56","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T10:51:16.297","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy has taken, since entering her post, to set up the Small Business Unit.","AnswerText":"Both the Cabinet Secretary and myself as Minister for Small Business, Innovation, Tourism and Trade are committed to deepening and strengthening our relationship with business, not only through better engagement and communication, but by actively aligning our policy with business and working in partnership on common goals. As small businesses represent just over 98% of businesses, the Programme for Government committed to establish a new Small Business Unit in the Scottish Government to work more closely with small businesses and to ensure they are heard during policy development, building good practice in participation and engagement. I have agreed that a team within the Business and Better Regulation Directorate should take this work forward as this is the most appropriate area to ensure policy is considered through the lens of small business to understand particular impacts. This directorate is made up of highly experienced officers that work closely with small businesses on a daily basis.\r\nI have engaged on a number of occasions with the main business organisations including the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) who are also members of the New Deal for Business Group and met FSB representatives recently. I will continue to engage with them and other business organisations to enhance relations and dialogue between the government and small businesses in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418304,"EventID":"S6W-26583","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:59.637","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T10:51:31.957","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government on what date it plans to publish its review of employee-owned businesses.","AnswerText":"The National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET) announced a ‘.. review of how best to significantly increase the number of social enterprises, employee-owned businesses and co-operatives in Scotland, supporting regional regeneration and the wealth of local communities’ .\r\nThe review is ongoing and is led by an independent stakeholder group. It is anticipated that the work will complete, with findings and recommendations published, in Spring 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418305,"EventID":"S6W-26580","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:59.683","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T10:50:49.8","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which of Scotland’s trade unions the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy has met with since entering her post, and when. ","AnswerText":"Since taking on my expanded portfolio as Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy, I have formally met with a number of trade unions. I attended a meeting with GMB on 27 February in relation to Ferguson Marine, Port Glasgow. I also met with STUC and a number of affiliate unions (UNISON, Unite, RMT, GMB and Prospect) on 29 February to discuss matters related to energy and Just Transition, and on 28 March I met with STUC, Unite and GMB to discuss union involvement in Grangemouth Future Industry Board Leadership Forum (GFIB).\r\nAdditionally, trade unions are often represented on many other forums I engage with such as Scottish Energy Advisory Board and GFIB. My Ministerial colleagues also meet regularly with trade unions and STUC, reflecting their important role as key social and economic partners.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418306,"EventID":"S6W-26587","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:59.73","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T10:52:35.85","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many public sector grants have been awarded since 1 July 2023 without requiring recipients to pay the real Living Wage or provide appropriate channels for effective worker voice, broken down by the value of each grant.","AnswerText":"Monitoring compliance with Fair Work First principles, including the requirements to pay workers at least the real Living Wage and provide appropriate channels for effective voice, is the responsibility of individual grant managers across government and of relevant funders across the wider public sector. It takes place within existing grant assurance and monitoring processes, as with any other condition of grant, such as agreed outcomes.\r\nWhere an exception to the real Living Wage requirement is approved, the relevant funder is asked to record these. Officials are in the process of commissioning this information which will be collated and published in due course. There are no exceptions to the effective voice requirement, however funders may apply flexibility to recognise the different forms of voice appropriate for different organisations.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418307,"EventID":"S6W-26536","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:59.78","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T15:59:41.73","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to work with the UK Government to develop \"an infrastructure strategy for deploying the required charging and refuelling infrastructure for zero-emission HGVs\", in light of the Climate Change Committee’s recommendation in its 2023 Report to Parliament.","AnswerText":"In May 2022 Transport Scotland convened the Zero Emission Truck Taskforce comprising senior leaders from haulage operators, the manufacturing, energy and financial sectors, government, and unions with the purpose of co-designing an ambitious pathway to HGV decarbonisation in Scotland. This pathway was published on 19 March 2024 and identifies four key challenges, including energy infrastructure, with clear actions to address them. The pathway and the evidence that supported it has been shared with the UK Government to inform the development of its HGV and coach energy infrastructure strategy.\r\nAs one of the actions within the pathway, the Scottish Government is working with academics and haulage fleets to understand where energy infrastructure will be required for trucks on longer journeys in Scotland. The UK government is aware of this work.\r\nAt the Inter-Ministerial Group meeting on transport between the four nations on 5 February, I reinforced the need for close collaboration in both the HGV energy infrastructure strategy and the zero emission HGV and infrastructure demonstrator projects.\r\nScottish Government officials are participating in a series of working groups that have been set up since that ministerial meeting, working with counterparts from the UK Government and devolved administrations on issues relating to the strategy.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418308,"EventID":"S6W-26549","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:59.84","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T16:08:13.737","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will explore options to address the reported rise in van traffic, which \"has risen faster than that of any other vehicle type in the past 20 years\", in light of the Climate Change Committee’s recommendation in its 2023 Report to Parliament.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is grateful for the latest advice from the Climate Change Committee and remains fully committed to delivering net zero by 2045. As published alongside the statement to the Chamber on the Climate Change Bill, we will develop measures to accelerate the switch from ICE to zero emission vans and other vehicles in order to help reduce ICE van kms, with the intention of achieving early progress with the largest companies while ensuring appropriate support mechanisms for smaller businesses and independent traders.\r\nWe will carefully consider the report’s recommendations in relation to van traffic and provide a response in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418309,"EventID":"S6W-26598","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:59.903","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T12:12:37.453","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many assessors have been engaged to carry out assessments as part of the cladding remediation pilot programme.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government have directly engaged three assessors to carry out assessments as part of the pilot programme. In addition we understand several developers have engaged assessors where they have taken on developer led SBAs as part of the pilot. The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of assessor appointed by developers.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418310,"EventID":"S6W-26579","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:37:59.95","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T00:08:51.663","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many practitioners have been trained to be cervical screening sample takers in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally as it is a matter for NHS Boards.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418311,"EventID":"S6W-26548","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:38:00.013","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T16:07:35.46","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will set out the impact of achieving its 20% car kilometres reduction target on the road building plans set out in its 2023-24 Programme for Government, in light of the Climate Change Committee’s recommendation in its 2023 Report to Parliament.","AnswerText":"The future investment in our transport network will be set out in the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) Delivery Plan. This will align with the sustainable mode and investment hierarchies. New roads projects will normally only be taken forward where they reduce the maintenance backlog; address road safety concerns or adapt the network to deal with the impacts of climate change or benefit communities such as bypassing settlements.\r\nThe impact of climate change is built into Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) with a specific Climate Change criteria introduced in the latest update. As part of this approach two transport modelling scenarios in transport appraisal ensure that the 20% car km reduction target is a key part of the appraisal of transport projects, including road project appraisal. As such, climate change impacts are a key part of our investment decision making processes, including prioritising investment in line with the sustainable investment hierarchy.\r\nWe will publish a final 20% reduction in car use route map by autumn 2024 which includes a timeline for implementing demand management. This will include consideration of how local government action can further incentivise the switch to EVs in addition to reducing overall car km.\r\nWe will carefully consider the UK Climate Change Committee report recommendations and provide a Scottish Government response in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418312,"EventID":"S6W-26544","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:38:00.06","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T16:03:42.247","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish a plan for meeting its commitment for 30% of Scottish Government-managed ferries to be low-emission by 2032, in light of the Climate Change Committee’s recommendation in its 2023 Report to Parliament.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26543 on 17 April 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418313,"EventID":"S6W-26546","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:38:00.123","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T16:06:36.447","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will address any challenges around decarbonising rail freight, especially on less busy lines \"where network electrification is unlikely to be cost-effective\", in light of the Climate Change Committee’s recommendation in its 2023 Report to Parliament.","AnswerText":"Freight transported by rail (whether hauled by diesel or electric locomotives) is an environmentally friendly mode of transport and a significant proportion of Scottish rail freight is already electrically-hauled. The Scottish Government’s leadership in support for rail freight is outlined in our rail freight strategy and put into practice with significant investment and through our regulatory rail freight growth targets.\r\nWe will carefully consider the report’s recommendations. The Scottish Government will continue to seek to maximise benefits for rail freight in its investments in the rail network, including in the refresh of the rail decarbonisation action plan highlighted by the Climate Change Committee.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418314,"EventID":"S6W-26547","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:38:00.153","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T16:07:07.127","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will provide a clear strategy on how a 20% reduction in car kilometres travelled will be achieved by 2030, in light of the Climate Change Committee’s recommendation in its 2023 Report to Parliament.","AnswerText":"Our 2023 Programme for Government included a commitment to publish a final version of the route map to achieving the 20% car kilometre reduction this year, and we look forward to publishing this in the coming months.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418315,"EventID":"S6W-26567","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:38:00.217","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-27T15:23:37.007","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what elements of the UK Government's National Bus Strategy: 2024 Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIPs), regarding the approach to the preparation of BSIPs by English local transport authorities, it has rejected as a model for local transport in Scotland.","AnswerText":"It is important to clarify the difference between Bus services improvement partnerships (BSIPs) in the Scottish and UK context. BSIPs in Scotland are partnerships between local transport authorities and bus operators to improve bus services in their areas, and are equivalent to the UK Government’s Enhanced Partnerships.\r\nIn England a Bus Service Improvement Plan or BSIP is a public document prepared by every Local Transport Authority in England, outside London, which sets out the vision and plan for improving bus services and growing bus patronage in their local area, in line with the UK Government’s National Bus Strategy aims. The document referred to in the question is intended to provide guidance for these authorities in updating their BSIPs for 2024.\r\nIn Scotland, as stated in the recently published Fair Fares Review, Transport Scotland, working with local government, industry and other stakeholders, will develop a bus service improvement plan and delivery framework, over the next 18 months to improve the future availability of bus services across Scotland. \r\nAs the framework is still to be developed, the Scottish Government has not rejected any approach at this time. As we develop the framework we will consider actions taken in other parts of the UK, to determine the most appropriate approach for Scotland. This includes the UK Government’s National Bus Strategy and supporting documents, such as the one mentioned in the question. ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418316,"EventID":"S6W-26562","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:38:00.263","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-27T15:04:46.477","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress of the implementation of the recommendations made by the Independent Review of Inspection, Scrutiny and Regulation of Social Care in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government response to the recommendations made by the Independent Review of Inspection, Scrutiny and Regulation of Social Care was published on 6 March 2024, accepting all 38 recommendations.\r\nThe response set out that significant work already underway will in part or fully address many of the recommendations. Priority work has already commenced on new workstreams that focus on implementing recommendations 15 and 33: a review of the care service types, and corresponding definitions as set out in Schedule 12 of the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 and a review of the Health and Social Care Standards, to help ensure the Standards are based on human rights, ethical commissioning and are outcome focused.\r\nThe implementation of the recommendations will be phased to ensure they do not place undue pressure on regulators, providers and those working in services. The Scottish Government will provide periodical updates on progress on the Scottish Government website at  https://www.gov.scot/groups/social-care-independent-review-of-inspection-scrutiny-and-regulation/ \r\nThe Scottish Government will continue to work closely and collaboratively with regulators, providers, partners and with those who have lived and living experience of social care support and linked services in all aspects of this work.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418317,"EventID":"S6W-26589","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:38:00.343","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T10:52:59.46","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many public sector grants have been awarded since 1 July 2023 without requiring recipients to pay the real Living Wage, broken down by the value of each grant.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26587 on 15 April 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418318,"EventID":"S6W-26577","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:38:00.39","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-27T23:42:56.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent administrative support posts provide support to consultants across the NHS.","AnswerText":"The information requested on how many full-time equivalent administrative support posts provide support to consultants across the NHS is not centrally available.\r\nSince Sept 2007, administrative services have increased by 21.5% or by 5,316.9 WTE, from 24,737.2 WTE as at Sept 2007 to 30,054.1 WTE as at Dec 2023.\r\nSupport to clinical staff, up 45.4% since Sept 2007 to 9,600.5 WTE as at Dec 2023.\r\nFurther Information on the administrative services workforce, can be found on the TURAS NHS Education for Scotland workforce statistics site at:  05 March 2024 Workforce | Turas Data Intelligence (nhs.scot) ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418319,"EventID":"S6W-26478","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:38:00.42","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-22T15:59:36.433","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current waiting time is for a complaint to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) to be allocated to a complaints reviewer, and what the average length of time is for the conclusion of such a review.","AnswerText":"All cases the SPSO receive are currently subject to an initial review within 5 working days. Cases are triaged and priority cases (categorised for example by a complainant’s vulnerability or immediate health issues) which are considered to require further investigation are allocated as soon as possible. SPSO are committed to ensuring no priority cases remains unallocated for more than 4 weeks. Cases which require further investigation but are not deemed high priority are currently being allocated within 4 months. The SPSO aims to let people know their decision within 80 working days and in 2023-24 this was achieved in 61% of cases. At 2023-24 year-end, the number of open cases (cases allocated but not yet having a full decision issued) reduced from 141 to 52 when compared to the previous year, a 63% reduction.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418320,"EventID":"S6W-26574","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:38:00.467","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-27T23:16:27.06","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how often the call wait time for the NHS 24 111 service has been over one hour long in the last year. ","AnswerText":"The information that has been requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418321,"EventID":"S6W-26569","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:38:00.53","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-27T15:32:50.117","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the (a) Keeper of the Registers of Scotland and the (b) King’s and Lord Treasurer’s Remembrancer (KLTR) in relation to the reported application to register a title to the MacLeod Estate, including the Cuillin, in the Land Register, and whether it will consider applying to the KLTR to take ownership of any ownerless land identified in the process of land registration.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has had no engagement to date with the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland (RoS) or the King’s and Lord Treasurer’s Remembrancer (KLTR) in relation to any application to register a title to the MacLeod Estate.\r\nIf any ownerless land were to be identified then it would be at that point that any consideration of applying to take ownership would be made. ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418322,"EventID":"S6W-26581","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:38:00.61","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T10:51:03.47","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy has taken, since entering her post, to implement the recommendations of the New Deal for Business Group.","AnswerText":"Since the New Deal for Business Group published its implementation plan in October 2023, there have been a number of achievements, including re-instating the establishment of the Regulatory Review Group (RRG). The RRG is now beginning to deliver strong engagement across a range of policies, from Circular Economy and Heat in Buildings to public health policy, including Minimum Unit Pricing, and vaping. A flexible work plan has been created and the RRG have been meeting regularly since October 2023.\r\nOn 14 March 2024 I co-chaired the first quarterly meeting of the New Deal for Business Group in its revised role of governance and delivery assurance. The New Deal is a project which will take time and the Group continues to oversee ongoing delivery of outcomes that drive an economy that is fair, green and growing.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418323,"EventID":"S6W-26503","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:38:00.657","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T12:02:28.723","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the £1.3 billion that it has committed to spend on mental health in 2024-25, and in light of the \"Mental Health Services\" budget being frozen at £290.2 million, whether it will provide a breakdown of the source of the funding, including any allocated from (a) other budget lines in its Budget and (b) NHS boards; whether any funding from NHS boards will be ringfenced for this purpose, and whether it will provide a breakdown of what specific workstreams or services the funding will be spent on.","AnswerText":"The most recent Scottish Health Service cost book data published by Public Health Scotland for 2022-23 show that NHS Board spend on Mental Health is over £1.3bn and we expect this will continue in future years.The source of this funding is mainly from NHS Health Boards’ baseline budgets which are provided on an annual basis. Boards are responsible for determining how they utilise that funding to meet the needs and priorities of their local population.\r\nIn addition to baseline budgets, direct funding is provided to Boards to help meet specific mental health policy targets including addressing waiting times relating to CAMHS or Psychological Therapies. The direct Mental Health Services budget is set out in the annual Scottish budget and a portion of this is provided to Health Boards in addition to their baseline budgets, which together fund the costs reported in the cost book on Mental Health.\r\nWhile it is not stated how boards should spend their baseline allocations in relation to mental health services, progress against the 10% target of spend on mental health is monitored through Health Board Annual Delivery Plans.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418324,"EventID":"S6W-26535","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:38:00.703","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T15:59:08.28","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to support the market for electric (a) car and (b) van sales to move more quickly than is set out in the UK-wide zero-emission vehicle mandate, in light of the Climate Change Committee’s recommendation in its 2023 Report to Parliament.","AnswerText":"Since 2011 the Scottish Government has supported individuals and businesses across Scotland with over £220 million of interest free loans to support the transition to zero emission vehicles. \r\nIn addition, the Plugged-in Communities grant fund has provided community transport organisations with grants worth almost £4 million to procure zero emission vehicles. \r\nThe Scottish Government is currently considering the future of its EV incentive schemes, with no final decision yet made.\r\nThe Scottish Government has commissioned a study which will look at EV adoption to-date and will model future demand across a number of scenarios. This study will help to inform the ongoing development of Transport Scotland’s strategic framework for the adoption of electric vehicles (EV) and the development of charging infrastructure across Scotland. ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418325,"EventID":"S6W-26575","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:38:00.797","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-27T23:25:18.82","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any terminated calls to the NHS 24 111 service.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is not responsible for the assessment of abandoned calls to NHS 24 which is an operational matter for the Board. We monitor NHS 24 performance against a number of indicators on a weekly basis.\r\nCalls to the 111 service can be abandoned for a variety of reasons, including callers choosing to end their call after being connected to the automated messaging service and hearing the options available to them. These include accessing self-care advice via NHS Inform, or contacting another area of the health service which may be more appropriate to meet their needs.\r\nThe Scottish Government continues to support NHS 24's ongoing work to help reduce abandoned calls, including a recent revision of NHS 24's key performance indicators to better reflect and understand the current demands on the service. This work allows the Service to capture any unmet demand, and any potential risks where callers have made multiple attempts to access 111 without success.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418326,"EventID":"S6W-26594","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:38:00.86","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T12:12:37.453","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) hospitals, (b) schools and (c) other public buildings have been assessed for external wall cladding containing aluminium composite material (ACM) since 2017; what assessment criteria were used, and how many buildings in each category were found to have cladding containing ACM.","AnswerText":"Following the Grenfell fire, all Health Boards in Scotland confirmed that none of their buildings above 18 metres used exactly the same cladding type reported to have been used on Grenfell Tower. These checks found a type of Aluminium Composite Material on parts of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital of a similar type to, but not the same as, the material used at Grenfell Tower. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde are in the process of removing ACM from the internal atrium of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and replacing it with a non-combustible cladding material. This action was agreed after extensive and regular engagement with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.\r\nIt is the statutory responsibility of local authorities to manage and maintain their schools.\r\nIn 2017, local authorities confirmed that ACM cladding had been used on 30 schools, all were low rise buildings. Assurance was received from local authorities that they had reviewed, fully investigated and, where appropriate, taken immediate action to ensure the fire safety of their schools.\r\nThe information requested on the number of public buildings containing ACM is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418327,"EventID":"S6W-26566","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:38:00.953","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-27T15:23:15.07","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how its approach to Bus Service Improvement Partnerships (BSIPs) differs to the equivalent plans of the UK Government.","AnswerText":"The UK Government’s equivalent to Bus Services Improvement Partnerships (BSIPs) in Scotland are “Enhanced Partnerships”. Both models take a similar approach to partnership working, ensuring that operators and local transport authorities collaborate to achieve improved bus provision, but there are some key differences which reflect the Scottish context. \r\nFor instance, while both BSIPs and Enhanced Partnerships allow for the setting of requirements in respect of service frequency and timings, they take different approaches to addressing overprovision of services. \r\nAlso, BSIPs specifically allow for the setting of maximum fares which is not included in Enhanced Partnerships. \r\nBSIPs schemes are required to include either facilities or measures to be provided by the Local Transport Authority (LTA); Enhanced Partnership schemes may include facilities or measures but these are not required. \r\nBoth BSIPs and Enhanced Partnerships have an operator objection mechanism based on the number of operators in an area and the registered distance they operate. The objections mechanism allows operators to object to the proposed making, variation or revocation of a plan or a scheme. The criteria for being excluded from the objection mechanism varies between the two models. The thresholds used to determine what constitutes a \"sufficient number of persons\" for the purpose of the objection mechanism also differs between the two models, to account for network variations across Scotland. \r\nFurthermore, the Enhanced Partnership model allows, and in certain circumstances requires, the traffic commissioner to delegate to the LTA their registration functions as regards the services within the Enhanced Partnership scheme area. That is not included in BSIPs. ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418328,"EventID":"S6W-26564","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:38:01.11","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-27T15:09:29.08","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the recommendations in the Climate Change Committee’s 2023 Report to Parliament, how it plans to align its climate targets with the UK Government's targets, and, if it has no such plans, what the reasons are for its position on this matter.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to decarbonise faster than the UK average and is absolutely committed to reaching net zero by 2045 – five years ahead of the UK. The Scottish Government has no intention of delaying our net zero target date of 2045, in recognition that tackling climate change is the fight of our lifetime and must be addressed at the earliest possible date.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418329,"EventID":"S6W-26479","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:38:01.17","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-22T15:59:36.433","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the size is of any backlog of cases that the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) has, and what the SPSO is doing to reduce any such backlog.","AnswerText":"As of 18 April 2024, the SPSO had a backlog of 286 non-priority cases awaiting allocation and 0 priority cases awaiting allocation. Over the past two years, the timescales for cases requiring further investigation being allocated has reduced from 11 months to 4 months. This is despite a 33% increase in the number of complaints being received in 2023-24 when compared to 2022-23. The SPSO have received funding from the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body to recruit more staff to assist with continuing to reduce timescales. In addition, the SPSO continues to monitor resources and service delivery to make best use of their resources.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418330,"EventID":"S6W-26487","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:38:01.233","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-25T08:10:07.36","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the proposals for minimum energy efficiency standards and deadlines to be imposed from 2028 under the forthcoming Heat in Buildings Bill, what its response is to reports that the proposals could have the effect of forcing existing landlords to withdraw properties from the private rental market, and whether it has carried out any study or research into whether the proposals could have the potential impact of reducing the number of properties available for private let.","AnswerText":"We are aware of the important role privately rented homes play as part of Scotland’s housing stock, and the wider pressures on this sector. We will continue to engage with the sector on our proposals, taking account of the wider environment in which it operates.\r\nThe recent consultation on a Heat in Buildings Bill included a proposal that a minimum energy efficiency standard could be met by installing a straightforward list of energy efficiency measures. Any homeowner who had installed these measures – or as many of them as are feasible for the type of home they live in – would be considered to meet the new standard. This final list of measures will be developed to prioritise those that have most impact for homes with the lowest amount of cost and disruption. This will provide a simple approach for landlords and other homeowners to follow, and to comply with the standard.\r\nThe Scottish Government has commissioned research through ClimateXChange to investigate the potential impact of the proposed Heat in Buildings Bill on the Scottish Housing Market. The scope of this project includes an investigation into the impact on the private rental market. As part of this project, researchers are conducting interviews with stakeholders from the property market, including from the rental sector. This research is currently being carried out, and findings will be published later this year.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418331,"EventID":"S6W-26595","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:38:01.407","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T12:12:37.453","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24764 by Paul McLennan on 2 February 2024, when it anticipates that the development of its end-to-end single building assessment will be complete.","AnswerText":"In is anticipated that the SBA (Single Building Assessment) specification document will be published at the end of May 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418332,"EventID":"S6W-26538","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:38:01.483","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T16:00:56.15","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to set out how the aviation sector will decarbonise in line with Scotland’s emissions targets, while managing technology risks, in light of the Climate Change Committee’s recommendation in its 2023 Report to Parliament.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government’s Aviation Statement, which will be published shortly, will set out actions that the Scottish Government will take to help achieve our aviation emissions reduction targets. As noted in the Climate Change Committee’s report, aviation decarbonisation will require UK-wide co-operation and progress across all aviation emissions mitigation solutions.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418333,"EventID":"S6W-26545","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:38:01.547","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T16:04:20.303","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will conduct a \"comprehensive assessment of the suitability of deploying shore power and electric recharging infrastructure at all Scotland’s major ports\", in light of the Climate Change Committee’s recommendation in its 2023 Report to Parliament.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has invested significantly in vessels and key ports and harbours to support lifeline ferry connections. Shore side power upgrades across the lifeline ferry network are planned for the introduction of new and current vessels.\r\nHowever, for those ports that are privately owned, decarbonisation measures or supporting infrastructure for vessels is a commercial decision for the port operators. The Scottish Government can work with ports owned by local authorities, and potentially Trusts, to explore potential solutions which are proportionate to the scale of operation and the vessels served.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418334,"EventID":"S6W-26571","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:38:01.593","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-27T15:48:15.14","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the reportedly significant waiting times for access to diabetes technology, such as insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitoring systems, for people with type 1 diabetes across Scotland, including in NHS Lothian, and what steps are being taken to meet the national targets and align with reported advancements in NHS England.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government’s  Diabetes Improvement Plan  contains a key commitment to further increase access to existing and emerging diabetes technologies.\r\nBetween 2016 and 2022, we invested £29.6 million of additional funding specifically to support the increased provision of insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) and emerging technologies such as closed loop systems.\r\nWe have also invested a further £350,000 through the Accelerated National Innovation Adoption pathway to help roll out the technology faster and more efficiently across Scotland. A key focus of this project is reducing regional variation and making access to technology more equitable across Scotland.\r\nWe continue to work closely the Diabetes Managed Clinical Networks (MCNs) within each Board, including NHS Lothian, to identify and resolve any issues raised by NHS Boards regarding accessing diabetes technologies, to ensure that all available resource is targeted to support the needs of local populations.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418335,"EventID":"S6W-26585","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:38:01.657","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T10:52:07.327","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what evaluation has been undertaken to date of the\r\nYoung Person's Guarantee.  ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government published the implementation evaluation of No One Left Behind and Young Person’s Guarantee in August 2023.\r\nThis evaluation considered progress in implementation and delivery, the experiences of service providers and service users, barriers and enablers to implementation and identified lessons from early delivery.\r\nThe implementation evaluation is available at:  No One Left Behind and the Young Person's Guarantee: implementation evaluation - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418336,"EventID":"S6W-26553","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-03-28T16:38:01.733","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-27T10:24:20.563","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to ensure that the 62-day cancer treatment standard is met in NHS Ayrshire and Arran. ","AnswerText":"£11.3 million of additional funding has been directed to support Cancer Waiting Times improvements in our NHS across 2023-24, of which NHS Ayrshire & Arran received a share of £838,000.\r\nFunding has been targeted towards the most challenged specialties, including breast, colorectal and urology. This funding includes investment to support extended working days and weekend working to increase capacity and treat patients as timely as possible.\r\nIn addition, NHS Ayrshire & Arran have established a Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Service (RCDS). The RCDS provides primary care with access to a new referral pathway for people with non-specific symptoms suspicious of cancer. The Services are a useful addition to how cancer can be diagnosed in Scotland providing a new fast-track diagnostic pathway for people with non-specific symptoms suspicious of cancer, such as weight loss and fatigue.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418337,"EventID":"S6W-26647","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":3907,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":135,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-02T09:42:56.557","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-02T09:40:30.863","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to increase private investment in housing.","AnswerText":"Building on the recommendations of the Investor Panel, the Scottish Government is creating a new Housing Investment Taskforce, which meets for the first time today. The work of the Taskforce will include identifying actions to build investor confidence, attract further mobile capital investment into housing and unlock existing financial commitments.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418345,"EventID":"S6W-26620","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-02T16:09:21.75","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T15:09:13.5","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many new overflow monitors have been installed by Scottish Water since its Improving Urban Waters Routemap was published in 2021, broken down by year. ","AnswerText":"As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water I have asked them to respond. Their reply is as follows:\r\nI refer the member to the answers to S6W-15158 on 3 March 2023 and S6F-02135 on 19 May 2023 for information on Scottish Water’s approach to installing CSO monitors at priority locations. As confirmed in these answers, no new event duration monitors (EDMs) were installed in 2021 or 2022.\r\nScottish Water’s annual update to the improving urban waters routemap, published on its website at  Scottish Water (readymag.website)  , confirms that 230 new EDMs were installed in 2023. In addition, Scottish Water installed a further 229 sensors as part of its wastewater intelligent network (WWIN) transformation programme, of which 53 are EDMs.\r\nIn 2024 to date, Scottish Water has installed a further 633 new EDMs. Plans have also been approved for 450 new EDMs in 12 further WWIN catchments.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  , and  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament  .","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418346,"EventID":"S6W-26626","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-02T16:09:22.203","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-29T08:04:41.773","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what options exist to expedite court cases involving XL Bully dogs, in order to avoid any long periods of kennelling.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government takes animal welfare very seriously and is committed to the highest possible welfare standards. There is however a balance to be struck between protecting animal welfare and protecting public safety.\r\nThe scheduling of court cases is an operational matter for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) who operate independently from the Scottish Government. It would therefore not be appropriate for the Scottish Government to comment or intervene on such matters.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418347,"EventID":"S6W-26624","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-02T16:09:22.44","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T15:44:15.627","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an indicative timeline for when (a) it will respond to the proposed consultation on fire safety, following the work of the Building and Fire Safety Expert Working Group, and (b) it will look to implement any recommendations resulting from such a consultation.","AnswerText":"The indicative timeline for the Scottish Government’s proposed response to the consultation is March 2025 with an implementation date of January 2026.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418348,"EventID":"S6W-26609","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-02T16:09:22.69","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T14:40:40.497","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it plans to meet its target of achieving a 20% reduction in car kilometres travelled by 2030, in light of 2022 having seen the highest recorded level of licensed motor vehicles, according to the Scottish Transport Statistics 2023.","AnswerText":"Notwithstanding the fact that licensed motor vehicles, including cars, are at highest levels both in terms of number and age, we are committed to finding ways to make alternative travel modes more attractive, and supporting people to take fewer journeys by car. The Scottish Government’s plans to encourage the use of public transport and active travel alongside plans to reduce car use, are set out in the draft route map on 20% reduction in car kilometres by 2030, jointly developed with COSLA. Our 2023 Programme for Government included a commitment to publish a final version of the route map to achieving the 20% car kilometre reduction this year, and we look forward to publishing this in the coming months.\r\nFollowing significant pandemic-related road traffic reductions in 2020, the latest figures show that estimated road traffic continued to rebound, increasing by 9% overall (to 47 billion vehicle kilometres) and by 10.7% for car km between 2021 and 2022. A 6.3% reduction against the 2019 baseline for car km travelled reflects ongoing changes to travel patterns, including increased use of digital connectivity. It is also worth noting that fewer people drove every day in 2022 (34%) compared to 2019 (43%).\r\nThere remains however uncertainty regarding travel patterns in the longer term, but it is expected car traffic will continue to rise in subsequent years before interventions to deliver reductions in car traffic start to make an impact. Evidence is clear that incentivising sustainable alternatives alone will not be sufficient to bring about the behaviour change to deliver the scale of 20% car KM reduction.\r\nThe most direct levers on the cost of buying or running a petrol or diesel car – fuel duty and vehicle excise duty – are currently reserved. We will continue to press the UK Government for a fair and progressive future transport tax system that better incentivises the transition to zero-emission vehicles, reduces unnecessary journeys and raises revenues to fund policies to support a shift to more sustainable travel.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418349,"EventID":"S6W-26605","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-02T16:09:22.957","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T12:46:17.737","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS staff have worked within the HR function of the NHS in each of the last 10 years, also broken down by NHS board.","AnswerText":"The information requested on how many NHS staff have worked within the HR function of the NHS in each of the last 10 years, also broken down by NHS board is not centrally available.\r\nInformation on Administrative Services staff in post in the last 10 years, broken down by NHS Board, can be found on the TURAS NHS Education for Scotland workforce statistics site at:  05 March 2024 Workforce | Turas Data Intelligence (nhs.scot) ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418350,"EventID":"S6W-26614","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-02T16:09:23.037","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T14:41:53.707","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will make a decision on the proposals to reduce journey times between the Central Belt and Aberdeen by 20 minutes.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26336 on? 11 April 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418351,"EventID":"S6W-26618","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-02T16:09:23.223","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T14:42:54.897","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much the temporary relocation of the interim chief executive of Ferguson Marine will cost, and who will be responsible for paying for any such costs.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much the temporary relocation of the interim chief executive of Ferguson Marine will cost, and who will be responsible for paying for any such costs.","AnswerText":"The new interim chief executive of Ferguson Marine is not entitled to relocation expenses. His remuneration package includes a travel and subsistence allowance and Ferguson Marine will pay any such costs properly incurred.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418352,"EventID":"S6W-26615","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-02T16:09:23.3","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T14:42:12.98","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to subsidised bus travel for people in employment. ","AnswerText":"The Fair Fares Review, published on 22 March 2024, considered the range of discounts and concessionary schemes which are available across all modes including bus, rail and ferry.\r\nOn bus travel, the Review maintains existing eligibility to the National Concessionary Travel Schemes for those groups who currently benefit, which comprise over 2.3 million people across Scotland – a higher percentage than anywhere else in the UK and commits to development of a proposal for a bus flat fares pilot for an area-based scheme to provide flat fares on bus travel, or reduced fares on zonal integrated travel for consideration in future budgets. \r\nIn addition, the Review has recommended that further policy development work be undertaken by the Scottish Government to consider better targeting of public funds towards supporting access to public transport for those who need it most, including consideration of concessionary travel support for those experiencing financial poverty. ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418353,"EventID":"S6W-26613","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-02T16:09:23.503","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T14:41:41.823","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason bus travel reportedly receives less funding than rail travel when it is the most popular form of public transport, according to the Scottish Transport Statistics 2023.","AnswerText":"The nature of Scottish Government funding for bus and rail sectors is fundamentally different. Funding provided to the bus sector is primarily through reimbursement for concessionary travel schemes which provides free bus travel for eligible passengers, and the Network Support Grant to support local bus services. This makes fares more affordable for the public, whilst supporting bus operators. Funding for rail provides subsidy to ScotRail and Caledonian Sleeper which is necessary to provide services, with the majority of funding supporting Network Rail Scotland to operate, maintain, renew and enhance the rail network infrastructure.\r\nAlmost one half of all bus journeys in 2022-23 were made under the National Concessionary Travel scheme, 12 percentage points more than in 2021-22. In early 2022, the scheme was expanded to include those aged under 22.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418354,"EventID":"S6W-26616","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-02T16:09:23.66","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T14:42:23.813","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the business plan for the future of Ferguson Marine, Port Glasgow. ","AnswerText":"The Ferguson Marine Board shared their new business plan with Scottish Government on 5 April 2024.\r\nThis is now being considered and an update will provided in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418355,"EventID":"S6W-26610","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-02T16:09:23.723","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T14:41:09.513","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it plans to meet its target of achieving a 20% reduction in car kilometres travelled by 2030, in light of 47.4 billion vehicle kilometres having been travelled in 2022, according to the Scottish Transport Statistics 2023.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26609 on 17 April 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418356,"EventID":"S6W-26607","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-02T16:09:23.863","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T14:39:52.867","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action has been taken since the publication of the Future Planners Project Report, which highlights the need for an additional 700 new planners over the next 10 to 15 years.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has been working with Heads of Planning Scotland (HOPS), the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and other partners to progress the short, medium and longer term recommendations of the Future Planners Project Report since its publication in July 2022, to increase the number of new entrants into planning authorities and other parts of the planning sector. The recommendations cover diverse areas of action including support for funded postgraduate opportunities; extending opportunities for students to gain relevant work experience; supporting universities to maintain the viability of RTPI-accredited planning courses and increasing the number of home students where possible; as well as exploring possibilities to retain more international students in the workforce.\r\nIn 2023 HOPS launched a  campaign toolkit  for use by local authorities, employability services, government departments and other planning associated organisations to give young people an insight into planning as a career option. The pack contains links to promotional videos, social media graphics and a downloadable leaflet for use at careers fairs.\r\nThe Scottish Government has also provided funding for ten RTPI bursaries for students undertaking post graduate planning degrees in Scottish planning schools in 2023/24. We intend to continue support for bursaries and will confirm arrangements as soon as possible.\r\nRTPI and the Scottish Government have been promoting the case for a planning or practice-based planning degree and will continue to support delivery of such routes into the profession. I wrote to planning schools in October 2023 to encourage their continued support for higher education in this discipline. I will shortly be meeting colleagues from across the planning sector, including industry, at the University of Glasgow, to discuss potential practical initiatives to support planning education and routes into a career in planning.\r\nWork to develop a planning skills strategy is underway, drawing on experience from the approach taken to developing a strategy for building standards. The new National Planning Improvement Framework will gather data on workforce and skills requirements which will help inform the strategy for Scotland as a whole.\r\nOur  Investing in Planning  consultation provides a more detailed update on the Future Planners report recommendations and action in relation to skills, recruitment and retention within the planning sector. The consultation seeks views on prioritisation of actions already identified and any other measures with the potential to make a significant impact. The consultation is open until 31 May 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418357,"EventID":"S6W-26602","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-02T16:09:23.943","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T12:24:28.24","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work is currently being prioritised by the Centre for Sustainable Delivery, which is based at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital special NHS board.","AnswerText":"The Centre for Sustainable Delivery is responsible for driving clinically-led service redesign and transformation in care across NHS Scotland. It consists of a number of national improvement programmes which are focussed on individual Scottish Government strategic priority areas.\r\nThe Programme Team workplans for 2024-25 are still in the process of being finalised and will be approved by Scottish Government.\r\nA summary of the CfSD national programmes of work are as follows:\r\nModernising Patient Pathways (MPP) Programme: The MPP team deliver national improvements in planned care and support front line clinical teams to develop and implement sustainable improvements in service delivery. A key focus of the team is on developing national clinical pathways and supporting boards to increase the use of Active Clinical Referral Triage (ACRT) and Discharge Patient Initiated Review (PIR).\r\nNational Elective Coordination Unit (NECU): The NECU team supports improved access to care by providing a consistent approach to national demand and capacity assessment and allocation as well as providing waiting list validation to ensure lists are up to date.\r\nUnscheduled Care Programme: The Unscheduled Care Programme delivers support and develops improvement tools to help Boards to manage urgent and unscheduled care capacity and capability, including Optimising Flow Navigation Centre (FNC) services, hospital-at-home models and developing pathways to support care home access to urgent care.\r\nCancer Improvement and Earlier Diagnosis Programme: The Cancer Improvement and Earlier Diagnosis team drives NHS Scotland’s cancer strategic priorities and plays a key role in delivering Scotland’s 10-year cancer strategy, including working with Boards to ensure the Framework for Effective Cancer Management (FECM) is embedded.\r\nNational Endoscopy Programme: The National Endoscopy Programme supports Boards to deliver the Endoscopy and Urology Diagnostic Recovery and Renewal Plan. This includes supporting the deployment of the new Endoscopy Reporting System and working with NHS Scotland Academy to promote and maximise training opportunities around non-medical endoscopy and cystoscopy.\r\nInnovation Programme: The Innovation team manages the Accelerated National Innovation Adoption (ANIA) Pathway, which is designed to identify and support national adoption of high-impact innovations at pace.\r\nNational Green Theatres Programme: The Green Theatres Programme supports NHS Boards to meet the net zero commitments for NHS Scotland through reducing the carbon footprint of theatres and delivering more environmentally sustainable surgery.\r\nPlanned Care Programme: The Planned Care Programme is responsible for monitoring planned care performance across all NHS Scotland Boards. It also leads national improvement work around Trauma and Orthopaedics, Ophthalmology and Radiology.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418358,"EventID":"S6W-26632","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-02T16:09:24.003","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-31T10:32:11.077","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what vetting process is used when appointing delivery partners for Peatland ACTION.","AnswerText":"All Peatland ACTION delivery partners are subject to relevant Scottish Contracts Legislation.\r\nNatureScot managed Peatland ACTION funding on an annual basis until FY 2021-2022. In order to increase our restoration rates, the Scottish Government made the decision to directly fund selected delivery partners given their proven delivery of restoration work through the existing Peatland ACTION funding model.\r\nThis was intended to empower these delivery partners to meet the Scottish Government’s programme targets within their own systems of accountability and management, directing funding streams to the most efficient delivery channels to maximise restoration rates.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418359,"EventID":"S6W-26621","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-02T16:09:24.083","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T15:44:15.627","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the use of BS 8414 testing still being allowed as a route to compliance for combustible façade materials to be used on certain buildings, such as hotels, over 11 metres in height.","AnswerText":"Hotels are not listed as ‘relevant buildings’ within the meaning of the Building Scotland (Amendment) Regulations 2022. All new and converted hotels having a storey, or creating a storey at a height of 11 metres or more above the ground, must comply with the relevant mandatory functional standards, including mandatory standard 2.7 that requires the fire spread on external walls to be inhibited.\r\nBS 8414 testing and the assessment criteria in BR 135 may be used for hotels as an alternative route to compliance with the mandatory standards. The continued use of this alternative solution for hotels over 11 metres in height is currently being considered by the Building and Fire Safety Expert Working Group.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418360,"EventID":"S6W-26631","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-02T16:09:24.147","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-31T10:32:11.077","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of (a) public, (b) private and (c) third sector delivery partners appointed for Peatland ACTION, including their appointment date.","AnswerText":"The Peatland ACTION direct delivery partners are: Cairngorms National Park Authority, Forestry and Land Scotland, Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority, NatureScot and Scottish Water.\r\nNatureScot managed Peatland ACTION on an annual basis until 2021 when funding was then allocated to the other Delivery Partners direct from Scottish Government.\r\nFor information on any sub-contracted delivery partners please contact the aforementioned Peatland ACTION Delivery Partners.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418361,"EventID":"S6W-26606","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-02T16:09:24.223","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T13:35:24.987","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government in what month it will publish (a) its annual report in relation to the incentivisation of selective fishing gear and low impact techniques and (b) its response to the consultation on additional quota that closed on 11 January 2024.","AnswerText":"Relating to the report on the allocation of fishing quota to vessels by means associated with a lower environmental impact, we plan to publish this report in summer 2024.\r\nRegarding the consultation on allocation of additional quota, we expect to publish the Scottish Government analysis and outcome report in the first half of 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418362,"EventID":"S6W-26608","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-02T16:09:24.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T14:40:22.413","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it plans to meet its target of achieving a 20% reduction in car kilometres travelled by 2030, in light of road traffic having increased overall by 9% in 2022-23, according to the Scottish Transport Statistics 2023.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26609 on 17 April 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418363,"EventID":"S6W-26611","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-02T16:09:24.567","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T14:41:29.94","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it plans to meet its target of achieving a 20% reduction in car kilometres travelled by 2030, in light of 34% of people having driven every day in 2022, according to the Scottish Transport Statistics 2023.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26609 on 17 April 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418364,"EventID":"S6W-26622","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-02T16:09:24.63","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T15:44:15.627","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has done any work with the hospitality sector to look at the economic and social impacts of fires affecting hotels.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Hospitality sector was represented on the Cameron House Hotel Short Life Working Group and is also represented on the ongoing Building and Fire Safety Expert Working Group. The economic and social impacts of fires affecting hotels are being considered as part of the review.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418365,"EventID":"S6W-26630","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-02T16:09:24.817","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-31T10:32:11.077","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether carbon impact is a material consideration when selecting contractors to carry out restoration work funded through Peatland ACTION.","AnswerText":"All restoration work funded through Peatland ACTION is subject to Sustainable Procurement Duty outlined in Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 .  Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 (legislation.gov.uk)\r\nOperational decisions on procuring contractors to carry out restoration work are made by respective Peatland ACTION delivery partners.\r\nFor further information on their selection criteria please contact NatureScot, Cairngorms National Park Authority, Forestry and Land Scotland, Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority or Scottish Water.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418366,"EventID":"S6W-26623","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-02T16:09:24.927","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T15:44:15.627","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consult on fire safety in autumn 2024, based on the work of the Building and Fire Safety Expert Working Group, and, if so, whether any such consultation will cover all of the objectives that the working group is reviewing.","AnswerText":"The work of the Building and Fire Safety Expert Working Group is programmed to consult in autumn 2024 and will cover all objectives and terms of reference which can be found on the Building and Fire Safety Ministerial Working Group website.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418367,"EventID":"S6W-26612","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-02T16:09:25.02","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T14:41:37.757","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what work is being done to promote traditional building skills in rural areas.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25489 on 9 March 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418368,"EventID":"S6W-26627","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-02T16:09:25.257","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-29T08:04:41.773","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether a veterinary surgery is regarded as a public place for the purposes of the rules regarding XL Bully dogs, and, if so, what allowances have been made to allow muzzles to be removed for the purposes of examination by a vet.","AnswerText":"Section 10 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 defines “public place” as any street, road or other place (whether or not enclosed) to which the public have, or are permitted to have access, whether for payment or otherwise and includes the common parts of a building containing two or more separate dwellings.  Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 (legislation.gov.uk)  .\r\nA veterinary waiting room is likely to be considered a public place for the purposes of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 as the public are permitted access. Under the conditions of the exemption, dogs must be on a lead and muzzle when in public.\r\nA veterinary consultation room, where access is limited to veterinary staff from the practice and members of the dog’s household, is likely to be considered a private space for the purposes of the Dangerous Dogs Act. In this instance, if the dog is kept securely in the consultation room and the veterinary staff feel comfortable to do so, the muzzle may be removed.\r\nThere will be a need for business owners, including veterinary surgeries, to ensure they carefully consider the legal requirements that have been introduced in relation to XL Bully dogs.\r\nIn addition, under section 3 of the Dangerous dogs Act 1991, if any dog is dangerously out of control in any place, including all private property, the owner, or person for the time being in charge of the dog, is guilty of a summary offence.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418369,"EventID":"S6W-26603","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-02T16:09:25.317","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T12:32:22.8","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comment made by the former Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care to the Scottish Parliament's Health, Social Care and Sport Committe","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comment made by the former Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care to the Scottish Parliament's Health, Social Care and Sport Committee on 16 January 2024 that the Scottish Government is \"taking forward a range of work to encourage the adoption of good practice where it has been established in one board\", what examples it can provide of such work.","AnswerText":"The Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) has developed strong clinically-led Specialty Delivery Groups (SDG) which promote multidisciplinary team working and support local adoption of service improvement programmes.This includes the Cataract Sub-Specialty Delivery Group which brings together key ophthalmology clinical, operational and managerial experts from across NHS Scotland and Scottish Government which has been commissioned to support an increase in surgical throughout across cataract only surgical sessions. This short life working group has supported several new and innovative pathway developments, some of which are now being successfully scaled up in a number of sites across hospital eye services, including: high volume cataract surgery in ring-fenced sessions, and delivering one cataract every 30 mins, as per Royal College of Ophthalmologists&rsquo; guidelines.In tandem with this, The National Eyecare Workstream is undertaking clinically led peer reviews which supports new and efficient ways of working and shares best practices across the country across a number of ocular sub-specialties, including cataracts.Additionally, the national Trauma and Orthopaedic (T&amp;O) planned care team based within the Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) are responsible for supporting both scheduled (elective) and unscheduled (emergency) orthopaedic service delivery through implementation of sustainable improvements in Scotland.The orthopaedic services specialty delivery group is multidisciplinary and clinically led to design, develop and implement consensus driven national clinical pathways with focus on high impact opportunities in outpatient management (active clinical triage and patient initiated review), enhanced recovery and same day arthroplasty and also hip fracture standards of care, whilst reducing unwarranted variation. The National T&amp;O team supports delivery of clinically led peer reviews for Health Boards across Scotland, with the cycle repeating every 3 years. These clinically led peer reviews were initiated from the innovative &ldquo;Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT)&rdquo; programme. This programme has been highly successful at leading change, reducing variation, improving clinical pathways as well as significantly reducing costs predominantly through reduction in length of stay and improved procurement.In conjunction with Public Health Scotland (PHS), the T&amp;O team also supports national audits namely the Scottish Hip Fracture Audit and Scottish Arthroplasty Project. These cost effective audits drive continuous improvements through research, standards of care and by a formal governance programme to monitor outcomes. Annual reports are produced for public information.Furthermore, as part of our wider work to deliver sustained recovery of our Urgent Care services a whole system improvement approach has been adopted. We are working with local teams through the Urgent and Unscheduled Care Collaborative Programme to develop improvement plans which contain actions for the short and medium term focusing across 5 key areas.This programme of improvement activity is being driven forward by the Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD), which we have commissioned to support Health Boards implement a range of measures to reduce A&amp;E waiting times and improve patient and staff experience.Some Health Boards have already started to report improvements. These include:Improving urgent care pathways in the community and improving links across the primary and secondary care interface.Ensuring patients receive the right care in the right place by optimising Flow Navigation Centres and increasing the routes for professional to professional advice and guidance, signposting and scheduling of appointments to A&amp;E where possible.Improving access to Hospital at Home services by supporting Boards and partnerships to adopt evidence-based best practice.Optimising assessment and care in our Emergency Departments by improving access ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418370,"EventID":"S6W-26604","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-02T16:09:25.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T12:36:31.847","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent work the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer has done in relation to consistency in prescribing across the NHS, and when they last updated the Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care on any such work.","AnswerText":"The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer meets regularly with both the Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health, and Social Care and I on medicine policy matters, including supporting consistency in prescribing across the NHS in Scotland. This includes work on evolving individual Health Board medicine formularies to regional formularies covering prescribing in both hospitals and primary care, based on a collaborative consensus model which builds upon proven existing local governance and decision-making processes. This work has recently been endorsed by Health Board Chief Executives as a priority work programme.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418371,"EventID":"S6W-26625","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-02T16:09:25.693","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T17:05:09.233","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason some secondary schools have reportedly opted not to take up the offer of grants for investing in computer science hardware for schools.","AnswerText":"The Computing Science Hardware grant was offered to all Local Authorities to submit a bid to Scottish Government for schools in their Local Authority area and claims were received from a total of 304 schools, representing 85% of all secondary schools in Scotland. Since the scheme was operated at local authority level we are unable to comment on the reasons why individual schools chose not to take up the offer.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418372,"EventID":"S6W-26628","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-02T16:09:25.927","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-29T08:04:41.773","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the geographic coverage of police officers trained to handle dangerous dogs for the purposes of enforcing rules on XL Bully dogs.","AnswerText":"As noted in my response to S6W-25097 on 16 February 2024, it is a matter for Police Scotland to consider the enforcement of the new safeguards in relation to XL Bully dogs and any operational issues that arise.\r\nEvery incident presented to Police Scotland is risk assessed. Incidents relating to dogs, including XL Bully dogs, follow the same process whereby the incident is assessed and then graded accordingly. This determines the response which includes working with partner agencies such as Dog Wardens and local vets where appropriate. In addition to working with partners, there are several tactical options at Police Scotland’s disposal dependent on the risk presented. This can involve the deployment of normal response officers, and/or specialist assets such as Dog Handlers, Operational Support Units, Specially Trained Officers (Taser) and Armed Response.\r\nThe Scottish Government is committed to ongoing engagement with Police Scotland, and other relevant stakeholders, in order to consider any issues, concerns, or barriers to effective implementation of the new safeguards in relation to XL Bully dogs.\r\nThe Scottish Government chairs a regular implementation forum with Police Scotland, local authorities and COSLA to collectively consider any operational/enforcement issues that arise.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418386,"EventID":"S6W-26665","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-03T16:24:14.107","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-02T17:28:36.353","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that colleges across Scotland undertake pay negotiations in the spirit of the Fair Work Framework. ","AnswerText":"As set out in the Letter of Guidance issued by the Scottish Government to the Scottish Funding Council on 29 March 2024, implementation of Fair Work First must be the guiding criteria to promote fairer work practices for staff within the college sector.\r\nThe Scottish Government expects college employers and trades unions to follow Fair Work principles and work together to reach a conclusion to the pay negotiations with a settlement which is both fair and affordable, without the need for further industrial action.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418387,"EventID":"S6W-26657","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-03T16:24:14.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-02T16:00:41.437","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported announcement from DADDS dental practice in Dumfries that it is to close, which will reportedly lead to the deregistration of 4,000 NHS patients, whether it will provide an update on what steps it is taking to support access to dental care for people residing within the Dumfries and Galloway Council area. ","AnswerText":"We introduced major NHS dental payment reform on 1 November 2023 which includes a new fee structure designed to make it more attractive for dentists to provide NHS services, and this has generally been well received by the sector.\r\nI acknowledge that access remains challenging in certain areas, including Dumfries and Galloway - which is why we have made tailored funding available, including grants of up to £100,000 for opening a new or extending an existing practice in the area, as well as ‘golden hello’ payments of up to £37,500 for new trainee dentists practising in the area.\r\nScottish Government continues to work closely with NHS Boards, including NHS Dumfries and Galloway, to ensure they have the necessary support to offer continuity of NHS care to patients. ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418388,"EventID":"S6W-26662","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-03T16:24:14.483","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-02T17:05:22.777","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that there are no compulsory redundancies within the college sector. ","AnswerText":"Operational decisions on pay and staffing matters are the responsibility of individual colleges.\r\nThe Scottish Government expects every effort to be made, in consultation with trade unions, to protect jobs. The Scottish Government has been clear that compulsory redundancies should only be considered as a last resort, after all other options have been fully explored in collaboration with trade unions.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":418389,"EventID":"S6W-26634","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-03T16:24:14.56","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-01T21:55:42.96","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent preventative spend projects it has invested in, following the recommendations from the Accelerated National Innovation Adoption Pathway programme.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to unlocking the potential of scientific and technological innovation to transform lives, increase healthy life expectancy and reduce health inequalities across Scotland.\r\nThe Accelerated National Innovation Adoption (ANIA) pathway has been established to provide a national approach to the identification and adoption of research proven scientific and technological innovations. The ANIA pathway is led by the Centre for Sustainable Delivery, hosted by NHS Golden Jubilee. It is a collaborative venture that also draws on the expertise of NHS National Services Scotland, Healthcare Improvement Scotland, Public Health Scotland and NHS Education for Scotland.\r\nThe ANIA pathway is governed by an Innovation Design Authority (IDA). This brings together senior Scottish Government and NHS leadership to support improved partnership working, provide system leadership and take joint decisions on the progression of innovations through ANIA stage gates. \r\nFollowing recommendations from the IDA, the Scottish Government has: Invested £1.8 million in a national digital dermatology programme to prioritise the most urgent referrals, quickly offer advice for those who do not require a face-to-face appointment, prevent unnecessary anguish and reduce late-stage skin cancer diagnosis.Invested £350,000 in a new national team based within NHS Golden Jubilee to accelerate the distribution of Closed Loop Systems for people living with Type 1 Diabetes, increasing effective glycaemic control, and reducing the likelihood of complications, which at their most serious can include blindness, renal failure, and amputations.\r\nThere are a range of further innovations currently being evaluated within the ANIA pathway. Scottish Ministers will consider investment in these programmes following any recommendation by the IDA.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418390,"EventID":"S6W-26642","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-03T16:24:14.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-02T09:02:19.803","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what security, guarantee or other assurance was provided to Biffa in relation to its obligations under the contract that it entered into with Circularity Scotland, and whether it will publish the full details of these, including any letters or other written documentation.","AnswerText":"The contract between Biffa and Circularity Scotland Ltd was a contract between two private companies. The Scottish Government provided no security, guarantee or other assurance to Biffa in relation to its obligations under the contract that it entered into with Circularity Scotland.\r\nThe Scottish Government regularly confirmed our continuing commitment to DRS in Parliament, in public statements, and to those businesses and other stakeholders involved in the implementation of DRS. A letter was sent to Biffa in May 2022 confirming the government’s commitment to DRS.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418391,"EventID":"S6W-26515","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-03T16:24:14.763","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T13:53:10.17","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported collapse of McClure Solicitors, what action it can take to (a) support the firm's clients and (b) prevent similar situations occurring in the future.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is aware of this matter and appreciates the distress this will have caused to those affected.\r\nThe Scottish Government encourages those with concerns to seek advice from the Law Society of Scotland or the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission. If a client is dissatisfied with the service or conduct of a Scottish solicitor, they have the right to complain. The Scottish Legal Complaints Commission (SLCC) is the gateway for all complaints about solicitors in Scotland.\r\nThe Law Society of Scotland have published an information page on their website to assist those affected.  McClures Jones Whyte FAQs | Law Society of Scotland (lawscot.org.uk) \r\nThe Scottish Government has taken proactive steps to mitigate against such a situation in future. The Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Bill introduces the authorisation of legal businesses, bringing benefits such as greater consistency in regulating legal firms, enabling the Law Society of Scotland as the regulator to identify and address deficiencies early.\r\nThe Trusts and Succession (Scotland) Act made a number of important changes to how trusts are administered and how trustees are appointed or removed, to respond to the practical difficulties that co-trustees may have in removing a trustee who was appointed as a trustee in their professional capacity, and is no longer a member of their profession.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418392,"EventID":"S6W-26648","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-03T16:24:14.857","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-02T10:20:26.97","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government on what date it will publish updated guidance on the use of mobile phones in schools.","AnswerText":"Updated guidance on the use of mobile phone technologies in schools will be published in the coming weeks. The current guidance to education authorities and schools on this issue remains available from  Guidance on Developing Policies to Promote the Safe and Responsible Use of Mobile Technology in Schools (www.gov.scot). ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418393,"EventID":"S6W-26641","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-03T16:24:15.06","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-02T09:02:19.803","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the most recent estimate of the sum available to be distributed to creditors of Circularity Scotland from the liquidators, from the assets held at the time of the liquidation, which were reported to be £2.1 million, and what information it has received on the total level of fees and outlays (a) paid to date and (b) still to be paid to the liquidators.","AnswerText":"The administration of Circularity Scotland Ltd is a matter for its administrators, Interpath Advisory. Information on the administration of Circularity Scotland Ltd is available on Interpath Advisory’s website.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418394,"EventID":"S6W-26656","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-03T16:24:15.28","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-02T15:58:52.753","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it anticipates that it will be able to provide certainty to Skills Development Scotland regarding its budget for 2024-25. ","AnswerText":"Since the publication of the Scottish Government’s budget in December, and in the face the most challenging budget since devolution, we have worked closely with SDS to maximise front line delivery within their overall allocation. Letters of guidance setting out strategic priorities were issued by Ministers to SDS on 29 March.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418395,"EventID":"S6W-26635","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-03T16:24:15.543","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-01T22:09:29.917","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether NHS boards have been offered sufficient support to implement the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019.","AnswerText":"I can confirm that NHS Boards have received financial and policy support to implement the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019. This support has been ongoing since the Bill was enacted. Each NHS Board has been provided with funding for Workforce Leads (proportionate to the size of the Board) to support preparations for the commencement of the Act. This funding has been extended for an additional year to cover the financial year 2024-2025.\r\nIn addition to this, the Scottish Government has produced statutory guidance, in collaboration with Health Boards and other key stakeholders, which has offered clarity and better understanding of each duty within the Act. The Scottish Government has engaged extensively with Health Boards over the past two years through in-person and online events and quarterly reporting.\r\nHealthcare Improvement Scotland has been commissioned by the Scottish Government to support NHS Boards, and its Healthcare Staffing Programme has provided support, including an advisor who works closely with each Board and hosting a network of meetings where Board representatives can come together and share learning.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418396,"EventID":"S6W-26644","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-03T16:24:15.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-02T09:02:19.803","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of it stating that the UK Government is responsible for the Deposit Return Scheme in Scotland not proceeding, which will reportedly result in an estimated loss of £9 million of public funding, whether, following the completion of the liquidation of Circularity Scotland, it will attempt to recover any such losses from the UK Government.","AnswerText":"Operational decisions of the Scottish National Investment Bank are made independently of Scottish Ministers.\r\nIt would not be appropriate for the Scottish Government to recover losses resulting from investments made by the Scottish National Investment Bank. This would be a matter for the Bank.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418397,"EventID":"S6W-26649","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-03T16:24:15.733","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-02T10:20:26.97","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it will publish its national action plan on relationships and behaviour in schools.","AnswerText":"Work is well underway to bring forward a joint National Action Plan with COSLA, setting out the range of actions needed at both local and national level on relationships and behaviour in schools. We will publish the action plan in the coming weeks.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418398,"EventID":"S6W-26653","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-03T16:24:15.827","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-02T14:06:51.533","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of the Mental Health and Capacity Reform Programme, including whether, as part of this programme, any decisions have been taken in relation to changes to the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003. ","AnswerText":"We will shortly be publishing an initial delivery plan for work being taken forward under the Mental Health and Capacity Reform Programme. The plan will set out a range of actions that are either underway or planned in the period up to April 2025, against the priorities identified under the Programme. One of the priorities, as noted in our initial response to the Scottish Mental Health Law Review, is to consider Mental Health Law reform.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418399,"EventID":"S6W-26666","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-03T16:24:15.92","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-02T17:29:35.247","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met trade unions from the college sector, and what was discussed.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government meets with campus unions on a bi-annual basis, and representatives of the college sector in a number of forums regularly, where a range of matters important to the sector are discussed.\r\nWe expect college management and unions to work together to do everything they can to reach a pay settlement that is both fair and affordable.\r\nHowever, while the Scottish Government can have no direct role in these negotiations, we will continue to engage with both management and unions as and when appropriate to do so.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418400,"EventID":"S6W-26651","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-03T16:24:15.983","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-02T10:25:23.18","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of NHS weight management services in preventing and reversing type 2 diabetes, in light of the reportedly significant increase in referrals since 2019.","AnswerText":"At present, no assessment has been made of the effectiveness of NHS weight management services in preventing and reversing type 2 diabetes. However, it is encouraging that increases in referrals to weight management services has been reported in the latest statistics.\r\nPrior to 2019, there was a lack of standardised information collected by NHS Boards to enable tracking of provision of weight management services. Approved by the Scottish Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Framework Oversight Group, a core dataset was developed in collaboration with Scottish Government, Public Health Scotland (PHS) and NHS Boards. The core dataset ensures consistency and comparability in the data being collected.\r\nData on referrals to weight management and type 2 diabetes prevention services was first published by PHS in May 2021 and  the latest data was published March 2024  . The publication is currently classed as Official Statistics in development. The core dataset and reporting provides health boards with insight and direction as to future planning of type 2 diabetes prevention and weight management services.\r\nWe will continue to improve data collection and monitoring to assess the impact of NHS weight management services in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418401,"EventID":"S6W-26658","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-03T16:24:16.06","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-02T16:50:46.633","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the reported lack of primary care services and GPs in Lanark and the surrounding areas.","AnswerText":"NHS Lanarkshire is responsible for the delivery of primary care services in Lanarkshire.\r\nThe headcount of GPs in Scotland is now sitting consistently at over 5,000, with an increase of 271 additional GPs since 2017 towards our 800 target. Training new GPs is key to our approach, and this takes time. We have expanded GP Specialty Training, adding 35 places this academic year and a further 35 places next year. As a result there are currently just over 1,200 trainee GPs in Scotland.\r\nGP training programmes in Scotland have been filling at a very high level since 2019, with 99% posts filled in 2022 and 100% filled in 2023. 2023 is the first year in which GPST has filled at 100% in Scotland, with all 343 posts having filled.\r\nWe also invest over £1m per annum in a range of recruitment and retention initiatives so that becoming a GP remains an attractive career choice.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418402,"EventID":"S6W-26643","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-03T16:24:16.263","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-02T09:02:19.803","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to sue the UK Government in respect of any losses that the (a) Scottish Government and (b) Scottish National Investment Bank incurs as a result of the Deposit Return Scheme not proceeding.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has no plans to sue the UK Government in relation to the Deposit Return Scheme.\r\nOperational decisions of the Scottish National Investment Bank are made independently of Scottish Ministers.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418403,"EventID":"S6W-26411","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-03T16:24:16.327","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-21T09:51:04.223","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to create a working group with relevant stakeholders on the implementation of the NICE guidance on myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government fully supports the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline on diagnosing and managing ME/CFS. We wrote to all Scottish health boards following its publication to raise awareness of the guidance and encourage its implementation.\r\nWe are committed to improving care for people with ME/CFS and want to facilitate constructive communication between patients and clinicians so that all parties are engaged in finding a way forward.\r\nWe are currently reviewing options to foster consensus around the applicability and implementation of the NICE guideline on ME/CFS, and how this relates to other existing clinical guidance in Scotland. Input from people with lived experience of ME/CFS will be integral to any agreed option.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418404,"EventID":"S6W-26660","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-03T16:24:16.403","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-02T16:56:43.473","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work it has undertaken to encourage school leavers to consider social care as a career pathway.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the importance of encouraging young people to enter the social care workforce, and are working with partners to provide future sustainability to the sector and create additional career choices for those looking to leave education.\r\nThis has included a burst of marketing activity which specifically engaged with school leavers in summer 2023, and a careers event held in collaboration with Developing the Young Workforce Forth Valley in October 2023.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418405,"EventID":"S6W-26650","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-03T16:24:16.467","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-02T10:23:46.527","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the recent 8.7% increase in ScotRail fares is above the rate of inflation. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has held down and deferred ScotRail fare increases since the last RPI annual inflation linked rise in January 2022. Between January 2022 and April 2024 inflation measured by RPI has increased by 20.6%, measured by CPI it has increased by 15.8%. Fares over this period have increased by 13.9%.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418406,"EventID":"S6W-26646","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-03T16:24:16.543","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-02T09:11:57.54","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the oral evidence by the Chair of the Scottish National Investment Bank (SNIB) to the Economy and Fair Work Committee on 21 June 2023, in which he referred to SNIB's \"notes\" on its engagement with the UK Government on the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020, whether it will publish any information that it has on these \"notes\", and whether it will publish any correspondence that it has had with the Scottish National Investment Bank on the Act.","AnswerText":"Operational decisions of the Scottish National Investment Bank are made independently of Scottish Ministers.\r\nThe Scottish Government does not hold any information regarding notes held by the Chair of the Scottish National Investment Bank relating to the Internal Market Act 2020.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418407,"EventID":"S6W-26633","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5608,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":103,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-03T16:24:16.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-01T18:06:07.94","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to address the barriers to the implementation of the NICE guidelines on myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) identified in the recent survey of NHS boards in Scotland, and how it is fostering consensus amongst the people involved in implementing the NICE guidelines.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government fully supports the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline on diagnosing and managing ME/CFS. We wrote to all Scottish health boards following its publication to raise awareness of the guidance and encourage its implementation.\r\nWe are committed to improving care for people with ME/CFS and want to facilitate constructive communication between patients and clinicians so that all parties are engaged in finding a way forward.\r\nWe are currently reviewing options to foster consensus around the applicability and implementation of the NICE guideline on ME/CFS, and how this relates to other existing clinical guidance in Scotland. Input from people with lived experience of ME/CFS will be integral to any agreed option.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418408,"EventID":"S6W-26652","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-03T16:24:16.81","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-02T10:43:01.573","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how train fares are set by ScotRail since it was brought into public ownership. ","AnswerText":"As we have done for over a decade, the Scottish Government continues to keep fares comparatively lower on average than across the rest of Great Britain.\r\nTrain fares for ScotRail under public ownership have been set having regard to affordability for passengers and inflation which affects the cost of delivery of rail services. The Scottish Government has introduced the trial removal of peak fares in this period to help keep fares affordable in this period of cost of living challenge and to encourage more people to commute by train.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418409,"EventID":"S6W-26659","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-03T16:24:17.03","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-02T16:52:00.64","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with (a) COSLA and (b) individual local authorities regarding any role that local government can play in increasing apprenticeship provision for traditional trades.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not had discussions with COSLA or local authorities regarding apprenticeship provision for traditional trades. Skills Development Scotland have operational responsibility for apprenticeship provision and regularly engage with local authorities, for both Modern and Foundation Apprenticeship provision.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418410,"EventID":"S6W-26661","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-03T16:24:17.107","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-02T17:00:10.49","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work it has undertaken to encourage small and medium-size companies to consider apprenticeship places as an opportunity to grow their workforce.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26094 on 26 March 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/questions-and-answers ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418411,"EventID":"S6W-26645","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-03T16:24:17.233","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-02T09:11:57.54","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the oral evidence by representatives of the Scottish National Investment Bank (SNIB) to the Economy and Fair Work Committee on 21 June 2023, what information it has on when the loan of £9 million from SNIB to Circularity Scotland was drawn down, including what sums were paid to Circularity Scotland by SNIB and on what dates, and whether it will publish any documents that it has on this matter, including any correspondence that it has had with SNIB regarding any such payments and the loan generally.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has routine and regular discussions with the Scottish National Investment Bank on a range of matters. However, the Bank makes independent decisions on individual investments and the terms attached to those investments following extensive due diligence and risk assessment in line with other commercial investors and other development banks. Scottish Ministers and officials have no role in those decisions and/or the relationship between the Bank and the businesses in which it invests. The Scottish Government therefore does not hold information on when the loan to CSL was drawn down.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418412,"EventID":"S6W-26675","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-04T15:58:49.847","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-03T10:24:37.9","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on cancer research in each year since 2011-12 in (a) cash and (b) real terms, also broken down by spending through (i) NHS Research Scotland and (ii) other routes. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418413,"EventID":"S6W-26680","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-04T15:58:50.127","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-03T15:58:38.703","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce waiting times for clinical assessment for suspected hernias in NHS Lanarkshire.","AnswerText":"As set out in answer S6W-26679 on 23 April 2024, excessively long waits are, of course, unacceptable. We are working hard to drive down the longest waits, which have been exacerbated by the impacts of the global pandemic, to ensure all people receive the treatment they need as soon as possible. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .\r\nThe commitments set out in our £1bn NHS Recovery Plan support an increase in inpatient, day-case, and outpatient activity through the implementation of sustainable improvements and new models of care, and NHS Scotland’s Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) is working with Health Boards to ensure that they are able to continually identify new ways to increase capacity, and to respond to demand through service innovation and redesign.\r\nCfSD programmes have developed strong clinically-led Specialty Delivery Groups (SDG), including one for General Surgery which is currently focused on Inguinal Hernia, Biliary Disease, and Emergency Laparoscopic and Laparotomy Scottish Audit (ELLSA) pathways.\r\nSDGs promote multidisciplinary team working, and support local adoption of service improvement programmes and have supported several new and innovative pathway developments, many of which are now being successfully scaled up across Scotland, including Active Clinical Referral Triage (ACRT).\r\nThe NHS Golden Jubilee also continues to provide Health Boards, including NHS Lanarkshire, with capacity for key elective services, such as General Surgery, with patients treated on the basis of their clinical priority and length of wait.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418414,"EventID":"S6W-26669","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-04T15:58:50.19","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-03T09:54:07.337","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it is putting in place for any patients with diabetes who have taken part in a hybrid closed loop system study and have recently been informed that they must revert to their previous care once the study has completed, due to a lack of funding.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that everyone living with diabetes is able to access the care that they need to live their lives well. This includes increasing access to diabetes technologies.\r\nBetween 2016 and 2022, we invested £29.6 million specifically to support the increased provision of diabetes technologies. It is important to note that this funding is in addition to baseline funding for NHS Boards.\r\nWe continue to work closely with Diabetes Managed Clinical Networks, including NHS Lothian, to identify and resolve any issues raised by NHS Boards regarding accessing diabetes technologies.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418415,"EventID":"S6W-26684","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-04T15:58:50.27","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-03T16:18:43.963","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the minutes of any meetings of the Single Building Assessment Task and Finish Group.","AnswerText":"We will publish minutes of meetings to date of the SBA Task and Finish Group by the end of July 2024. For any future meetings of the group minutes will be published within 12 weeks after the meeting has concluded.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418416,"EventID":"S6W-26698","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-04T15:58:50.347","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-03T20:58:53.367","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of NHS Education for Scotland in relation to its Youth Academy.","AnswerText":"The NHS Scotland Youth Academy aims to enhance opportunity for Scotland’s young people to join the health and social care workforce. It is currently engaged in developing learner pathways, raising awareness of career opportunities and creating connections between schools and employers.\r\nThe Youth Academy is bringing together local partners from public and third sector organisations to further opportunities for young people in Health and Social Care. A key focus of work includes the delivery, in collaboration with Skills Development Scotland (SDS), of a new pathway pilot qualification. It will prepare and inspire senior secondary school pupils for entering into careers in health and social care. The pathway pilot is running during the 2023-24 academic year across Highland, Tayside and Clydebank (NHS Golden Jubilee). Additionally, the Youth Academy is supporting the relaunch of the Future Nurse Programme. This aims to raise awareness of nursing careers with primary-aged young people in the Highlands and Clydebank initially.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418417,"EventID":"S6W-26686","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-04T15:58:50.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-03T16:25:11.457","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what immediate action it will take in response to the reported freeze on Modern Apprenticeships.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26667 on 2 May 2024. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418418,"EventID":"S6W-26682","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-04T15:58:50.457","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-03T16:18:43.963","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can confirm whether (a) all combustible cladding and insulation is banned for use above 11m in height on the buildings captured under the Building (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2022 and (b) combustible plastic foam insulation and combustible cladding such as high-pressure laminates and metal composite panels using combustible cores can no longer be used on the buildings captured in the scope of the ban.","AnswerText":"The Building (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2022 amended regulation 8 of the building regulations so that \"highly combustible metal composite material\" panels, combustible cladding and combustible insulation can no longer be used for new building work captured in the scope of the ban.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418419,"EventID":"S6W-26671","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-04T15:58:50.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-03T09:54:07.337","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making on achieving priority 8 of its Diabetes Improvement Plan \"to accelerate the development and roll-out of innovative solutions to improve treatment, care and quality of life of people living with diabetes\".","AnswerText":"The implementation of the Diabetes Improvement Plan is underway and supported by the Scottish Diabetes Group.\r\nRegarding Priority 8, the Scottish Government has provided £19 million of additional funding to NHS Boards to support the roll out of technologies since 2021. The Scottish Diabetes Technologies & Innovation Group also has a significant programme of work which aims to find new solutions, or scale up existing, and ensures dedicated focus on the delivery of Priority 8.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418420,"EventID":"S6W-26678","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-04T15:58:50.567","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-03T14:57:34.79","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when the refreshed guidance on mobile phone use in schools will be published, and whether this guidance will follow the approach set out in the UK Government Department for Education February 2024 guidance, Mobile phones in schools, which emphasises that mobile phones should not be used during the school day, including breaks and lunchtimes. ","AnswerText":"Updated guidance on the use of mobile phone technologies in schools will be published in the coming weeks. The current guidance to education authorities and schools on this issue remains available from  Guidance on Developing Policies to Promote the Safe and Responsible Use of Mobile Technology in Schools (www.gov.scot). ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418421,"EventID":"S6W-26655","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-04T15:58:50.63","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-02T15:30:05.587","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26239 by Shona Robison on 2 April 2024, whether it will provide the requested breakdown of these figures by year since 1 March 2006, and for what reason it did not provide this breakdown in its original answer.","AnswerText":"The information requested on annual unitary charge payments relating to both the North Ayrshire Schools PFI contract and the Largs Campus contract which formed part of the NPD/hub Programme is in the public domain. This information can be found be at the Scottish Government website via the following link under the ‘NPD and PFI projects’ section: https://www.gov.scot/policies/government-finance/infrastructure-investment/#npd","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418422,"EventID":"S6W-26689","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-04T15:58:50.693","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-03T17:52:35.893","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to ensure that Scotland's Railway engages with Tracey Investments Ltd and London & Scottish Property Investment Management Ltd on the potential to transform and integrate Charing Cross railway station in Glasgow as part of the proposed redevelopment of the adjacent Venlaw Building and Elmbank Gardens, as well as Tay House at 300 Bath Street.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is aware that Network Rail has arrangements in place to assist other organisations to invest in appropriate developments around the railway estate. These arrangements are intended to facilitate beneficial third-party investment in the railway, and we continue to support the use of these by Scotland’s Railway. ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418423,"EventID":"S6W-26677","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-04T15:58:50.753","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-03T14:02:34.673","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of the (a) names and (b) occupations or roles of the members of the Zero Emission Social Housing Taskforce.","AnswerText":"The names and affiliations of the members of the Zero Emission Social Housing Taskforce, and its technical sub-groups, are published on the Scottish Government website:  Zero Emission Social Housing Taskforce - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .","AnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Patrick Harvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418424,"EventID":"S6W-26679","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-04T15:58:50.817","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-03T15:58:38.703","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of waiting times for clinical assessment for suspected hernias in NHS Lanarkshire.","AnswerText":"Excessively long waits are, of course, unacceptable. We are working hard to drive down the longest waits, which have been exacerbated by the impacts of the global pandemic, to ensure all people receive the treatment they need as soon as possible.\r\nThe commitments set out in our £1bn NHS Recovery Plan support an increase in inpatient, day-case, and outpatient activity through the implementation of sustainable improvements and new models of care, and NHS Scotland’s Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) is working with Health Boards to ensure that they are able to continually identify new ways to increase capacity, and to respond to demand through service innovation and redesign. \r\nCfSD programmes have developed strong clinically-led Specialty Delivery Groups (SDG), including one for General Surgery which is currently focused on Inguinal Hernia, Biliary Disease, and Emergency Laparoscopic and Laparotomy Scottish Audit (ELLSA) pathways.\r\nSDGs promote multidisciplinary team working, and support local adoption of service improvement programmes and have supported several new and innovative pathway developments, many of which are now being successfully scaled up across Scotland, including Active Clinical Referral Triage (ACRT).\r\nThe NHS Golden Jubilee also continues to provide Health Boards, including NHS Lanarkshire, with capacity for key elective services, such as General Surgery, with patients treated on the basis of their clinical priority and length of wait. ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418425,"EventID":"S6W-26673","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-04T15:58:50.88","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-03T09:54:07.337","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to NHS Lothian to transfer patients with diabetes from their current treatment to a hybrid closed loop system, where this is appropriate for them.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to increasing access to diabetes technologies.\r\nBetween 2016 and 2022, we invested £29.6 million specifically for diabetes technologies. This is in addition to baseline funding to NHS boards. In 2023 we also invested £350,000 to pilot a national onboarding pathway to support roll out across Scotland.\r\nWe know there is more to do to increase access to diabetes technology and we continue to work with key stakeholders to determine the best way to do this and how to fund it. This includes working with NHS Lothian, via their clinical leads and Diabetes Managed Clinical Network.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418426,"EventID":"S6W-26688","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-04T15:58:50.943","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-03T16:25:11.457","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the construction industry in relation to the reported freeze on Modern Apprenticeships.","AnswerText":"The funding for the 38,000 apprentices in training is committed. Skills Development Scotland commenced contracting for up to 25,500 new Modern Apprenticeship opportunities at the start of April, including in the construction sector.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":418427,"EventID":"S6W-26681","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-04T15:58:50.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-03T16:10:09.683","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of each of the 10 recommendations published as part of the Career Review.","AnswerText":"In October 2022, the Career Review Programme Board published  ' Delivering Careers By Design',  including 10 recommendations co-created working with stakeholders and young people.\r\nSince then,  'Career Review Final Report'  published in March 2023 set out in further detail how the recommendations will be implemented.\r\nTwo of the ten recommendations have already been delivered. Recommendation 1; establishment of a new career development model and Recommendation 10; creation of a career services coalition – the Careers Services Collaborative.\r\nThe Collaborative continues to meet, chaired by Grahame Smith, to oversee further implementation of improvements to the careers offer, with a focus on the remaining recommendations. Further information on progress will be published via  www.careerreview.scot  over the course of the year.\r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418428,"EventID":"S6W-26557","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-04T15:58:51.053","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-27T14:39:41.493","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made, based on any data that it has received from HMRC, of the total value of the contribution made by Scottish employers to the UK apprenticeship levy.","AnswerText":"As announced by HM Treasury on 14 November 2016, the Scottish Government's population-based settlement from the UK Government's Apprenticeship Levy was £221 million in 2017/18, £230 million in 2018/19 and £239 million in 2019/20. This funding was allocated as part of the block grant.\r\nSince 2020-21 the Scottish Government has not received a specific allocation of Apprenticeship Levy revenue. Scotland receives a Barnett Formula share of funding via the block grant in the usual way.\r\nScottish Government exploratory analysis of HMRC data suggests that the amounts contributed by Scottish employers in 2020-21 and 2021-22 were similar to those published by HMRC for earlier years, in the region of £220 million to £240 million.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418429,"EventID":"S6W-26601","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-04T15:58:51.1","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T12:12:37.453","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government on what date it anticipates that the recommendations of the Single Building Assessment Task and Finish Group will be published.","AnswerText":"We will publish recommendations of the SBA Task and Finish Group to date by the end of July 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418430,"EventID":"S6W-26676","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-04T15:58:51.163","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-03T13:11:05.57","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting (a) NHS Grampian and (b) other NHS boards to increase theatre capacity, in light of reports that this has been cited as a significant factor in not achieving the target of providing first treatment within 62 days of an urgent suspected cancer referral. ","AnswerText":"Cancer remains a national priority, within the Scottish Government and across NHS Scotland, with urgent suspicion of cancer referrals continuing to be prioritised. NHS Grampian provided a 62 day performance improvement plan with an associated £973,764 funding from Scottish Government in 2023-24. Officials continue to work with NHS Grampian to ensure there is sustained focus locally to deliver these plans.\r\nWe are committed to reducing inpatient and day-case waiting lists by an estimated 100,000 patients over the next three years, backed by planned investment of an extra £100 million annually, subject to the annual Scottish Budget process, we will work closely with NHS boards and stakeholders on a number of key actions which will see patients treated as quickly as possible.\r\nAn initial investment of £30 million will now be funded as part of our on-going management of this and will target reductions to the national backlogs that built up throughout the pandemic, including orthopaedics treatments, diagnostics for cancer referrals and patients with the longest waits. This will enable NHS Scotland to maximise capacity, including theatre capacity, build greater resilience and deliver year-on-year reductions in the number of patients who have waited too long for treatment.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418431,"EventID":"S6W-26683","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-04T15:58:51.227","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-03T16:18:43.963","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there are any current requirements for anyone involved in the construction of new schools to notify local authorities when BS 8414 has been used as a route to compliance for combustible façade materials.","AnswerText":"If an application for a building warrant is made which proposes the use of an external wall cladding system assessed in accordance with BR 135 when tested to BS 8414 as a means of compliance, then this information would be stated within the application. Local authority verifiers would consider the application on that basis.\r\nIn accordance with the  Section 34 letter (Building standards - notification of application for building warrant: section 2.0 fire: letter to local authority verifiers - 31 October 2023)  , local authority verifiers have to notify the Scottish Government’s Building Standards Division if any application is made that is supported by a BS 8414 test and BR 135 assessment report. To date, we have received no such notifications for any school building.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418432,"EventID":"S6W-26663","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-04T15:58:51.273","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-02T17:16:19.313","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any public bodies in Scotland currently use physical record keeping as their only means of information storage.","AnswerText":"The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. This would be a matter for individual public bodies.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418433,"EventID":"S6W-26687","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-04T15:58:51.333","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-03T16:25:11.457","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason there has reportedly been a delay to approving the budget for Skills Development Scotland.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26656 on 1 May 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .\r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":418434,"EventID":"S6W-26668","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-04T15:58:51.397","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-03T09:32:23.4","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when Modern Apprenticeship contract awards for 2024-25 new starts and in-training will be issued. ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26667 on 2 May 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/questions-and-answers ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418435,"EventID":"S6W-26691","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-04T15:58:51.49","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-03T18:11:53.54","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on helping to make land and buildings owned and/or operated by the NHS available to local communities to be used to support community health and wellbeing.","AnswerText":"Land and Assets is one of the three main areas of focus for the Anchors workstream of the Place and Wellbeing Programme. All NHS Boards submitted Anchor Strategic Plans in October 2023 setting out how they will maximise their footprint as owners of land and assets, for the benefit of their local population. NHS Boards have also submitted baseline metrics on their anchor activity, including the proportion of successful assets transfers to date relative to the number received.\r\nWe will use this feedback, working with NHS Scotland and the community sector, to understand what further support or guidance we can put in place at a national level to enable more community organisations to use, lease or take on NHS assets for the benefit of local communities.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418436,"EventID":"S6W-26667","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-04T15:58:51.553","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-03T09:32:23.4","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason suppliers have not been appointed for 2024-25 Modern Apprenticeship contracts, in line with the procurement timeline, and what is causing any delays. ","AnswerText":"The funding for the 38,000 apprentices in training is committed. SDS commenced contracting for up to 25,500 new Modern Apprenticeship opportunities at the start of April.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418437,"EventID":"S6W-26664","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-04T15:58:51.617","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-02T17:21:19.25","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding any implications for Scottish social security payments to women in Scotland as a result of the findings in the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman report, Women’s State Pension age: our findings on the Department for Work and Pensions’ communication of changes.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26524 on 23 April 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418438,"EventID":"S6W-26674","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-04T15:58:51.663","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-03T10:24:37.9","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many cancer nurses have been employed by each NHS board in each year since 2011-12.","AnswerText":"As set out in answer S6W-26209 on 19 April 2024, the information requested on how many cancer nurses have been employed in each year since 2011-12, broken down by NHS board area is not centrally available. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418439,"EventID":"S6W-26697","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-04T15:58:51.727","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-03T20:54:00.857","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on developing a strategy to consider the concept of 20-minute neighbourhoods in Scotland.","AnswerText":"Local Living and 20 minute neighbourhood is one of the national planning policies set out in the Fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4), adopted by Scottish Ministers in February 2023.\r\nNPF4 Policy 15, Local living and 20 minute neighbourhoods supports the delivery of local living, including applying the 20 minute neighbourhood concept in places through local development plans and masterplans.\r\nThe 20 minute neighbourhood concept is also recognised in a number of Scottish Government strategies including Housing to 2040, Retail Strategy for Scotland, Infrastructure Investment Plan for Scotland 2021-22 to 2025-26, and Town Centre Action Plan 2.\r\nOn 25 April planning guidance on Local Living and 20 minute neighbourhoods was published, setting out a framework and information on how the concepts of local living and 20 minute neighbourhood can be applied in a Scottish context.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418440,"EventID":"S6W-26321","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-04T15:58:51.773","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-19T16:49:27.51","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how its (a) children’s social work, (b) Homelessness in Scotland and (c) youth homelessness statistics differ with regards to capturing the experiences of care experienced young people.","AnswerText":"The scope and purpose of the data collections associated with the children’s social work and homelessness statistics are very different. Additionally, this means that the sources cover different periods of the lives of care experienced children and young people.\r\nThe looked after children data collection (which is used for the Children’s Social Work statistics) relates to all children and young people who are in the care of their local authority. It includes information on placement type and care plans of children who are looked after.\r\nThe HL1 homelessness data collection (which is used for both the Homelessness in Scotland and youth homelessness statistics) relates to all households making an application to a local authority for homelessness support. This includes information on whether any adult member, aged under 25, of a household making a homelessness application was looked after as a child by their local authority.\r\nLooked after status captured within HL1 will largely be self-reported by applicant households. Applicants can choose whether to answer the question. It should also be noted that it is not necessarily the case that the looked after status of all adults aged under 25 in the household will be known.\r\nThe Homelessness in Scotland series publishes data on former looked after status of households assessed as homeless or threatened with homelessness. The youth homelessness workbook presents the former looked after status for households specifically with a main applicant aged under 25.\r\nThe HL1 data collection also captures information on the outcome of the application, and circumstances related to the application (such as reason for homelessness, property homeless from etc.). It can also be linked to the HL3 (temporary accommodation placement) dataset. Due to the small number of homeless households with a former looked after status (less than 1,100 in a year), further breakdowns are not published routinely.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418441,"EventID":"S6W-26672","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-04T15:58:51.977","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-03T09:54:07.337","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of patients with diabetes it anticipates will be offered the option to transfer to a hybrid closed loop system as part of their insulin management during the financial year 2024-25, broken down by NHS board.","AnswerText":"It is for each individual NHS Board to determine how they plan to meet the needs and priorities of their local populations. The Scottish Government is committed to increasing access to diabetes technologies. We are continuing to work with key stakeholders to determine the best way to do this and how to fund it.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418442,"EventID":"S6W-26685","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-04T15:58:52.04","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-03T16:18:43.963","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to any conversations that it has had with the wider sector, what its current understanding is of any risks associated with PAS 9980 as a methodology for fire risk appraisal of external wall and cladding construction in the context of the current ban on combustible façade materials in Scotland.","AnswerText":"As part of the preparation of the SBA (Single Building Assessment process) Scottish Government has had conversations with the wider sector, including Fire Engineers and Assessors where we have discussed the need for a FRAEW (Fire Risk Appraisal of External Wall).\r\nWhen assessing an existing building’s EWS (External wall system), it is noted that existing buildings cannot be expected to meet modern Building Regulation standards for risk to human life as these buildings were built during a time when less onerous Building Regulations were in force. The PAS 9980 will be used by assessors to make an informed expert decision of whether or not the EWS is a low, medium or high risk and dictate from this whether or not the current build up is tolerable, and no further remediation is required, or the risk is intolerable and therefore remediation should be undertaken.\r\nThe aim of a SBA is not to bring a building into compliance with current Building Regulations, but to ensure that the risk to building occupants is reduced to a tolerable level. The focus of the remediation is to follow the recommendations in the SBA in how to bring the relevant parts of the building to either a low, or tolerable risk level. Where large areas of the façade are being remediated, alterations will be required to comply with current (fire) building regulations including the use of acceptable materials. To note that the current ban applies to any new building warrant applications only.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418462,"EventID":"S6W-26715","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-05T14:56:50.937","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-04T14:41:09.773","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the Bòrd na Gàidhlig will be ending its Gaelic Officers scheme as a result of the Scottish Government not providing an uplift in funding of £354,000 alongside the 2024-25 budget for the Bòrd na Gàidhlig.","AnswerText":"Following the 2024-25 budget settlement, the Scottish Government reviewed a number of budget lines in Education and Skills. In relation to Gaelic the outcome of this review is that there will now be no reduction to the MG ALBA funding for 2024-25. There will also be no reduction of the Gaelic, Education and Culture budget line which would have had an impact on the funding of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Storlann and other organisations and the Scottish Government has now provided additional funding to enable Bòrd na Gidhlig to continue its support for the Gaelic Officers’ Scheme in 2024-25.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418463,"EventID":"S6W-26714","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-05T14:56:51.06","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-04T14:41:09.773","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact its reported proposed reduction of £516,000 to the Gaelic Broadcasting budget will have on MG ALBA and its ability to deliver its services. ","AnswerText":"Following the 2024-25 budget settlement, the Scottish Government reviewed a number of budget lines in Education and Skills. In relation to Gaelic the outcome of this review is that there will now be no reduction to the MG ALBA funding for 2024-25. There will also be no reduction of the Gaelic, Education and Culture budget line which would have had an impact on the funding of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Storlann and other organisations and the Scottish Government has now provided additional funding to enable Bòrd na Gidhlig to continue its support for the Gaelic Officers’ Scheme in 2024-25.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418464,"EventID":"S6W-26724","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-05T14:56:51.25","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-04T17:34:40.73","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish guidance for local authorities on bond calculations, inspections and approvals in relation to housebuilding, and whether it has discussed the adoption of a standardised approach toward bond calculations, inspections and approvals in relation to housebuilding with COSLA.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is reviewing the Competition & Markets Authority’s ‘Housing Markets Study’ which was published on 28 February 2024. The report recommends consideration by the Scottish, Welsh and UK governments of standardised approaches to bond calculations, inspections, and approvals. We are considering the recommendations for Scotland and will respond in a way which respects the Verity House Agreement.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418465,"EventID":"S6W-26700","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-05T14:56:51.327","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-04T09:05:00.923","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards were affected by the recent cyber attack on NHS Scotland.","AnswerText":"Unauthorised access to information by the cyber threat actor was contained to information on the NHS Dumfries and Galloway network.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418466,"EventID":"S6W-26718","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-05T14:56:51.563","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-04T14:41:09.773","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how often the Population Roundtable co-chaired by the Scottish Government and COSLA has met to date, and when it will next meet.","AnswerText":"The jointly chaired Scottish Government/COSLA Population Roundtable meets quarterly to discuss a range of population challenges, with representation from all of Scotland’s thirty-two local authorities. It has met three times since it was recently reconvened in April 2023. A date for the next meeting has not yet been confirmed.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Emma Roddick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418467,"EventID":"S6W-26722","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-05T14:56:51.75","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-04T14:41:09.773","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many of its childminder recruitment pilots are based in the Highlands and Islands, and where they are based.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government and partners have been supporting pilot phases of the Scottish Childminding Partnership recruitment model, led by the Scottish Childminding Association, to recruit and train new professional childminders across rural, island and urban communities.\r\nThe first phase operated in 10 rural local authorities, including: Argyll and Bute; Dumfries and Galloway; Highland; Moray; North Ayrshire (Arran and Cumbrae); Orkney; Scottish Borders; Shetland; Stirling and Cne Siar.\r\nThe second phase tested the model in urban areas, including: Edinburgh; Glasgow; Dundee and East Renfrewshire. However, a number of rural areas continued to participate, including: Dumfries and Galloway; Highlands (Sutherland, Caithness and Isle of Skye); areas within Cne Siar; Orkney; and Arran in North Ayrshire.\r\nAs announced in the 2023 Programme for Government, the Scottish Government is committed to scaling up these innovative pilots to grow the childminding workforce by 1,000. We are currently working with the Scottish Childminding Association to develop a new national programme of recruitment and retention activity which will be offered to all Local Authorities. ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418468,"EventID":"S6W-26704","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-05T14:56:51.86","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-04T09:05:57.197","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the most recent cancer mortality statistics will be published, in light of annual figures reportedly not being published in autumn 2023 in line with the normal publication schedule.","AnswerText":"Mortality data up to 2022, including breakdowns of deaths caused by cancer, has been published to its usual annual timetable by National Records of Scotland at  https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/files//statistics/vital-events-ref-tables/2022/vital-events-22-ref-tabs-6.xlsx  . This includes crude (unadjusted) death rates.\r\nPublic Health Scotland will publish further statistics on cancer mortality, including age-adjusted mortality rates and time series comparisons, in late 2024. This work has been delayed whilst the population figures for previous years are rebased by National Records of Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418469,"EventID":"S6W-26693","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-05T14:56:51.923","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-03T19:40:12.553","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many applications for electricity generators under 50MW were submitted to planning authorities under the Electricity Act 1989 in (a) 2015, (b) 2019, (c) 2022 and (d) 2023.","AnswerText":"Applications for electricity generating stations with a capacity of 50MW or less submitted to planning authorities are determined in accordance with procedures set out under the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997. Consent under the Electricity Act 1989 is exclusively required for electricity generating stations with a capacity greater than 50MW.\r\nThe Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of applications for electricity generating stations with a capacity of 50MW or less submitted to planning authorities under the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997. However, this information could be obtained from individual planning authorities.\r\nThe Scottish Government does publish information on the total number of planning applications for electricity generation determined by planning authorities. The number of applications determined in each year is recorded from 1 April to 31 March.\r\n \r\nNumber of planning applications for electricity generation\r\nYear\r\nMajor\r\nLocal\r\n2014-15\r\n21\r\n626\r\n2015-16\r\n17\r\n561\r\n2016-17\r\n10\r\n178\r\n2017-18\r\n9\r\n123\r\n2018-19\r\n9\r\n180\r\n2019-20\r\n12\r\n94\r\n2020-21\r\n26\r\n123\r\n2021-22\r\n31\r\n106\r\n2022-23\r\n42\r\n177\r\n1 The figures provided for 2014-15 to 2019-20 do not include applications which were determined using a processing agreement.\r\n2 Major applications are any development where the generating capacity exceeds 20MW but does not exceed 50MW.\r\nFurther information on planning applications determined by Planning Authorities can be found at:  The Scottish Government - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418470,"EventID":"S6W-26716","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-05T14:56:51.983","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-04T14:41:09.773","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of every capital project that it has (a) delayed and (b) cancelled, and the budget allocated for each project, as a result of decisions that it has taken following the 2024-25 Scottish Budget.","AnswerText":"Based on the latest forecasts, our block grant for capital is expected to reduce in real terms by 8.7 per cent by 2027-28 – a cumulative loss of over £1.3 billion. This is why the Scottish Government is currently undertaking a cross government review of all capital projects and anticipate the revised infrastructure investment pipeline will be published alongside the Medium-Term Financial Strategy in the Spring.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418471,"EventID":"S6W-26694","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-05T14:56:52.063","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-03T20:23:02.377","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the average time was for a response to a scoping opinion request submitted under section 12 of the Electricity Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2017 in (a) 2019, (b) 2020, (c) 2021, (d) 2022 and (e) 2023.","AnswerText":"Applications which make their way through the application journey on the energyconsent.scot portal are assigned a single case number which is retained from the pre-application period, all the way through to a determination decision.\r\nThe dates at which a scoping opinion request submitted under section 12 of the Electricity Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2017 is received, and then a response provided, are not data points which are captured by the portal system. It is therefore not possible to calculate the average time taken to provide a response in the years requested.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418472,"EventID":"S6W-26695","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-05T14:56:52.267","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-03T20:41:54.05","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the average number of working hours was spent on processing an environmental impact assessment (EIA) scoping request under section 12 of the Electricity Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2017 in (a) 2019, (b) 2020, (c) 2021, (d) 2022 and (e) 2023.","AnswerText":"The processing of an environmental impact assessment (EIA) scoping request under section 12 of the Electricity Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2017 involves work across a number of teams within the Energy Consents Unit.\r\nWe do not centrally log or track the specific number of working hours spent by individual team members on any particular activity or task. The work is integrated into the broader responsibilities and workflows of the team. It is therefore not possible to calculate the average number of working hours spent processing in the years requested.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418473,"EventID":"S6W-26707","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-05T14:56:52.327","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-04T14:41:09.773","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government on how many occasions the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce has met since it was announced in February 2023. ","AnswerText":"Since the establishment, the Nursing and Midwifery taskforce has held four ministerial led meetings in April, July, December 2023 and March 2024. The taskforce has also held two official led meetings in June 2023 and March 2024.\r\nThe Scottish Government publishes the agreed minutes and actions from each meeting on its website:  www.gov.scot/groups/nursing-and-midwifery-taskforce/\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418474,"EventID":"S6W-26709","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-05T14:56:52.39","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-04T14:41:09.773","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce has agreed on that will aim to \"boost workforce numbers\".","AnswerText":"As set out in answer S6W-26708 on 24 April 2024, the taskforce has established four subgroups to focus on attraction, education and development, leadership and culture, and wellbeing. All subgroups are considering retention as part of their remit. Each subgroup will formulate and provide recommended actions to the main taskforce. The Taskforce is making good progress with the development of its recommended actions and will continue to work until members have agreed a comprehensive action plan. We anticipate the publication of a report later in 2024\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418475,"EventID":"S6W-26710","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-05T14:56:52.47","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-04T14:41:09.773","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much of the Fuel Insecurity Fund has been distributed in each financial year since it was launched. ","AnswerText":"The Fuel Insecurity Fund was first established in the winter of 2020, as part of the wider Winter Support Fund, to help households struggling with their energy costs who were at risk of severely rationing, or self-disconnecting entirely because they could not afford their energy costs.\r\nThe Scottish Government has distributed a total of £63.595 million to third sector partners to deliver the Fuel Insecurity Fund up until March 2024. The following table gives an overview of the budget and distribution since inception:\r\nYear\r\nBudgeted\r\nDistributed\r\n2020-21\r\n£7m\r\n£3.595m\r\n2021-22\r\n£10m\r\n£10m\r\n2022-23\r\n£20m*\r\n£20m\r\n2023-24\r\n£30m**\r\n£30m\r\n*originally £10m; raised to £20m at Emergency Budget Review\r\n**originally £20m in the 2023-24 Scottish Budget; increased to £30m in March 2023","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418476,"EventID":"S6W-26712","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-05T14:56:52.533","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-04T14:41:09.773","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12372 by Maree Todd on 8 December 2022, whether it will provide an update on the (a) percentage and (b) number of primary schools that are signed up to the Daily Mile scheme, broken down by local authority area. ","AnswerText":"Please find attached a breakdown of (a) percentage and (b) number of primary schools that are signed up to The Daily Mile Initiative, broken down by local authority area.\r\nScotland Primary School Sign Up Percentages\r\nAberdeen City - 88%\r\nAberdeenshire - 45%\r\nAngus - 53%\r\nArgyll and Bute - 48%\r\nClackmannanshire - 89%\r\nDumfries and Galloway - 63%\r\nDundee City - 97%\r\nEast Ayrshire - 43%\r\nEast Dunbartonshire - 47%\r\nEast Lothian - 42%\r\nEast Renfrewshire - 79%\r\nCity of Edinburgh - 63%\r\nNa h-Eileanan Sar - 90%\r\nFalkirk - 46%\r\nFife - 27%\r\nGlasgow City - 52%\r\nHighland - 55%\r\nInverclyde - 45%\r\nMidlothian - 63%\r\nMoray - 27%\r\nNorth Ayrshire - 31%\r\nNorth Lanarkshire - 61%\r\nOrkney Islands - 29%\r\nPerth and Kinross - 47%\r\nRenfrewshire - 38%\r\nScottish Borders - 27%\r\nShetland Islands - 52%\r\nSouth Ayrshire - 68%\r\nSouth Lanarkshire - 29%\r\nStirling - 50%\r\nWest Dunbartonshire - 72%\r\nWest Lothian - 63%\r\n \r\nScottish Primary Schools Sign Up Numbers\r\nAberdeen City - 42\r\nAberdeenshire - 65\r\nAngus - 27\r\nArgyll and Bute - 37\r\nClackmannanshire - 16\r\nDumfries and Galloway - 61\r\nDundee City - 32\r\nEast Ayrshire - 17\r\nEast Dunbartonshire - 16\r\nEast Lothian - 15\r\nEast Renfrewshire - 19\r\nCity of Edinburgh - 57\r\nNa h-Eileanan Sar - 19\r\nFalkirk - 22\r\nFife - 36\r\nGlasgow City - 74\r\nHighland - 93\r\nInverclyde - 9\r\nMid Lothian - 19\r\nMoray - 12\r\nNorth Ayrshire - 15\r\nNorth Lanarkshire - 72\r\nOrkney Islands - 6\r\nPerth and Kinross - 33\r\nRenfrewshire - 19\r\nScottish Borders - 16\r\nShetland Islands - 14\r\nSouth Ayrshire - 28\r\nSouth Lanarkshire - 36\r\nStirling - 19\r\nWest Dunbartonshire - 23\r\nWest Lothian - 43","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418477,"EventID":"S6W-26713","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-05T14:56:52.593","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-04T14:41:09.773","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact its reported proposed reduction of £500,000 to the Gaelic Education, Culture and Arts budget will have on (a) (i) Sabhal Mòr Ostaig and (ii) Storlann and (b) the ability of each organisation to deliver their respective services. ","AnswerText":"Following the 2024-25 budget settlement, the Scottish Government reviewed a number of budget lines in Education and Skills. In relation to Gaelic the outcome of this review is that there will now be no reduction to the MG ALBA funding for 2024-25. There will also be no reduction of the Gaelic, Education and Culture budget line which would have had an impact on the funding of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Storlann and other organisations and the Scottish Government has now provided additional funding to enable Bòrd na Gidhlig to continue its support for the Gaelic Officers’ Scheme in 2024-25.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418478,"EventID":"S6W-26690","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-05T14:56:52.657","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-03T18:07:18.883","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Public Health, Women’s Health and Sport during her evidence to the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee on 28 June 2022 that \"as part of the strategic reform of health, our emerging care and wellbeing portfolio is creating a sustainable health and social care system that will promote new and innovative ways of working...that includes our place and wellbeing programme, which is bringing together all sectors to drive change jointly and locally to reduce health inequalities\", what progress it has made on reducing health inequalities.","AnswerText":"Tackling health inequalities and improving population health remain clear, ongoing aims of the Scottish Government. Through the Place and Wellbeing Programme we are supporting local action to tackle health inequalities by: supporting health boards to operate as effective anchor institutions; supporting community and voluntary organisations; and ensuring they and public sector partners have the support and resources to take positive action locally.\r\nWorking alongside Public Health Scotland, the Scottish Government Anchors workstream within the Place and Wellbeing Programme is supporting NHS boards to act as effective anchor institutions and build greater prosperity in our local communities. All NHS Boards have now submitted Anchors Strategic Plans setting out how they are planning to maximise their footprint as employer, procurer and owner of land and assets, to channel greater wealth into local communities, which in turn will help contribute to reducing health inequalities.\r\nCommunity and voluntary organisations play a key role is supporting the health and wellbeing of local communities. We are working with them to provide fairer funding processes and increase access to resources that can support them to work locally alongside the public sector to help reduce inequalities. ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418479,"EventID":"S6W-26706","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-05T14:56:52.737","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-04T14:41:09.773","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many additional residential rehabilitation beds were (a) created and (b) made available across Scotland between February 2023 and February 2024. ","AnswerText":"To meet our commitment to increasing Residential Rehabilitation capacity by 50%, from 425 beds to 650 beds by the end of the parliamentary term in 2026, over £38 million has been made available through two rounds of the Residential Rehabilitation Rapid Capacity Programme (RRRCP). Investment in these projects combined will provide a total increase of 172 beds by 2025/26, boosting the current rehab capacity in Scotland from 425 to 597 – an increase of over 40%.\r\nDespite there being no further openings of the projects funded through the RRRCP during the time frame you asked about, some are expected to be completed later this year. Aberlour’s Mother and Child recovery unit in Dundee opened in January 2023, with their second house in Falkirk opening in summer 2024. The expansion at Maxie Richards, Tighnabruaich is due to be complete summer 2024 and CrossReach, Inverness in January 2025. There is also the development of a new Residential Rehabilitation service for the North East run by Phoenix Futures which is due to open in early 2025.\r\n","AnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418480,"EventID":"S6W-26717","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-05T14:56:52.797","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-04T14:41:09.773","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish sub-local authority data from Scotland’s Census 2022.","AnswerText":"I have asked Janet Egdell, Chief Executive of National Records of Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:\r\nThe next release of census data will be May 2024. This release will include:Population by age and sex at all geographies down to output area (unrounded)Number of households at all geographies down to output area (unrounded)\r\nPlease note, output areas are made up of approximately 50 households. Up to date information on future releases can be found on the  census outputs schedule webpage  .\r\nIn line with the requirements of the Code of Practice for Statistics, National Records of Scotland will publish the specific release date and time for each publication at least four weeks in advance.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418481,"EventID":"S6W-26696","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-05T14:56:53.017","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-03T20:41:54.05","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the average number of working hours was spent on processing an environmental impact assessment (EIA) request for screening under section 8 of the Electricity Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2017 in (a) 2019, (b) 2020, (c) 2021, (d) 2022 and (e) 2023.","AnswerText":"The processing of an environmental impact assessment (EIA) screening request under section 8 of the Electricity Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2017 involves work across a number of teams within the Energy Consents Unit.\r\nWe do not centrally log or track the specific number of working hours spent by individual team members on any particular activity or task. The work is integrated into the broader responsibilities and workflows of the team. It is therefore not possible to calculate the average number of working hours spent processing in the years requested.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418482,"EventID":"S6W-26702","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-05T14:56:53.093","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-04T09:05:01","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what tests of IT systems regarding their vulnerability to cyber attacks are undertaken (a) by individual NHS boards and (b) on an NHS Scotland-wide basis.","AnswerText":"The Network and Information System Regulations set out standards which NHS Scotland Health Boards must comply with. Boards must test themselves against these standards which cover managing security risk, defending systems against cyber-attack, detecting cyber security events, and minimising the impact of cyber security incidents. This is in addition to mandatory information security and data protection risk/impact assessments and routine penetration testing on all major IT systems. \r\nThe NHS Scotland Cyber Centre of Excellence (CCoE), works nationally across health boards to prioritise the security capabilities of existing technologies and deployment of new tooling. This allows real time discovery of vulnerabilities and potential issues across a national view.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418483,"EventID":"S6W-26720","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-05T14:56:53.22","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-04T14:41:09.773","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how often the Expert Advisory Group on Migration and Population has met to date, and when it will next meet.","AnswerText":"The Expert Advisory Group on Migration and Population was established in October 2018, in order to provide independent expert advice and analysis to Scottish Ministers on matters relating to migration and population. The Group meets around 4 times per year, with the next meeting due to take place in April 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Emma Roddick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418484,"EventID":"S6W-26701","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-05T14:56:53.297","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-04T09:05:01","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS boards currently use versions of Microsoft operating systems for which support and security updates have ended.","AnswerText":"Microsoft are a key partner to NHS Scotland Boards. NHS Boards regularly engage directly with Microsoft regarding licencing and systems required.\r\nAs the member will appreciate, it would not be appropriate to disclose information publicly that may compromise the security of Scotland’s NHS.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418485,"EventID":"S6W-26719","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-05T14:56:53.36","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-04T14:41:09.773","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how often the Population Programme Board, comprised of representatives from the Scottish Government, COSLA and enterprise agencies, has met to date, and when it will next meet.","AnswerText":"The Population Programme Board was established in 2019 to support the Ministerial Population Taskforce, which is responsible for delivering Scotland’s national Population Strategy, published in 2021. Aligned to the Ministerial Taskforce, the Programme Board meets quarterly, with the next meeting due to take place in June 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Emma Roddick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418486,"EventID":"S6W-26711","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-05T14:56:53.563","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-04T14:41:09.773","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding in total has been distributed from the Fuel Insecurity Fund within each local authority area in each year since it was launched. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold the full level of information requested.\r\nEach FIF partner was distinct in terms of their delivery and approach, which was often demand-driven through referral partner networks. We agreed an approach to monitoring and evaluation of support provided by delivery partners which sought to avoid excessive demands for data gathering and reporting, yet provides a level of robust quantitative and qualitative data, which ensured the FIF could be distributed to those most in need.\r\nThe Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) support included funding for Registered Social Landlords and cooperatives, covering distribution across the 32 local authorities as set out in the following table:\r\nLocal Authority\r\n2020-21\r\n2021-22\r\n2022-23\r\n2023-24\r\nTotal\r\nAberdeen City \r\n1,682\r\n235,317\r\n99,078\r\n336,077\r\nAberdeenshire\r\n238\r\n13,297\r\n163,617\r\n101,887\r\n279,039\r\nAngus\r\n6,238\r\n17,265\r\n72,374\r\n63,273\r\n159,150\r\nArgyll & Bute\r\n238\r\n14,265\r\n24,162\r\n67,293\r\n105,958\r\nCity of Edinburgh\r\n88,072\r\n104,887\r\n419,621\r\n414,813\r\n1,027,393\r\nClackmannanshire\r\n2,196\r\n16,234\r\n116,286\r\n140,532\r\n275,248\r\nDumfries & Galloway\r\n35,236\r\n49,429\r\n159,369\r\n95,185\r\n339,219\r\nDundee City\r\n11,050\r\n17,265\r\n79,220\r\n127,681\r\n235,216\r\nEast Ayrshire\r\n31,906\r\n62,376\r\n176,962\r\n76,993\r\n348,237\r\nEast Dunbartonshire\r\n3,862\r\n66,050\r\n87,491\r\n75,948\r\n233,351\r\nEast Lothian\r\n47,412\r\n37,087\r\n197,747\r\n130,902\r\n413,148\r\nEilean Siar  \r\n100,000\r\n62,144\r\n162,144\r\nEast Renfrewshire\r\n422,496\r\n526,130\r\n84,555\r\n112,506\r\n1,145,687\r\nFalkirk\r\n47,650\r\n49,702\r\n118,487\r\n118,569\r\n334,408\r\nFife\r\n95,910\r\n133,030\r\n151,048\r\n257,557\r\n637,545\r\nGlasgow City\r\n201,419\r\n206,687\r\n1,072,733\r\n2,131,181\r\n3,612,020\r\nHighlands\r\n10,146\r\n60,132\r\n598,275\r\n656,164\r\n1,324,717\r\nInverclyde\r\n99,968\r\n31,587\r\n176,141\r\n292,027\r\n599,723\r\nMidlothian\r\n1,958\r\n4,587\r\n117,464\r\n96,883\r\n220,892\r\nMoray\r\n238\r\n16,947\r\n100,752\r\n85,051\r\n202,988\r\nNorth Ayrshire\r\n29,948\r\n24,814\r\n81,091\r\n66,142\r\n201,995\r\nNorth Lanarkshire\r\n49,316\r\n104,718\r\n226,987\r\n149,663\r\n530,684\r\nPerth & Kinross\r\n8,196\r\n20,884\r\n97,132\r\n73,374\r\n199,586\r\nRenfrewshire\r\n52,950\r\n75,722\r\n237,530\r\n223,152\r\n589,354\r\nScottish Borders\r\n452,196\r\n317,884\r\n496,354\r\n222,092\r\n1,488,526\r\nSouth Ayrshire\r\n1,958\r\n39,594\r\n118,586\r\n144,683\r\n304,821\r\nSouth Lanarkshire\r\n186,416\r\n252,803\r\n390,265\r\n271,668\r\n1,101,152\r\nStirling\r\n2,196\r\n17,884\r\n175,413\r\n195,098\r\n390,591\r\nWest Dumbarton\r\n72,650\r\n50,020\r\n205,451\r\n231,509\r\n559,630\r\nWest Lothian\r\n47,650\r\n49,802\r\n116,157\r\n181,909\r\n395,518\r\nTotal amount distributed\r\n2,009,709\r\n2,382,764\r\n6,396,587\r\n6,964,957\r\n17,754,017\r\nAdvice Direct Scotland (ADS) and the Fuel Bank Foundation utilised large referral networks across the nation and therefore do not currently hold data based on distributed funding per local authority area. Fuel Bank support was provided by their 200+ partner network across all 32 local authorities. ADS had an associated Scotland-wide network of over 1400 partners with coverage across all 32 local authorities.\r\nThe Wise Group were a new FIF delivery partner brought on in 2023-24, operating a pilot project across 6 local authorities in Glasgow, Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, North and South Lanarkshire and the Borders supporting up to 3,000 households, with a holistic, sustainable long-term approach to lifting people out of poverty.\r\nOn receipt of FIF delivery partners 2023/24 summary reports, further information can be made available and will be published on respective partner websites.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418487,"EventID":"S6W-26699","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-05T14:56:53.767","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-03T21:07:07.523","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures it takes to hold public bodies and their leaders to account on the use of public money, in order to ensure that spending is closely aligned to have an impact on reducing inequality and poverty.","AnswerText":"Corporate governance and accountability arrangements for public bodies are in place and built around an established series of statutory and administrative mechanisms. These ensure consistent processes and parameters, based on the principles in the Scottish Public Finance Manual, within which public bodies are required to operate in terms of the stewardship of public money, propriety and ethics.\r\nThis is supplemented by framework agreements that Scottish Government has in place with most public bodies setting out respective roles and responsibilities, including requirement for bodies to set plans which contribute to achievement of the National Performance Framework outcomes, including tackling poverty. These activities and the sponsorship and relationship arrangements the Scottish Government has with public bodies helps ensure that Scottish Ministers priorities are delivered.\r\nScottish Government funding to local authorities is allocated using a relative needs-based formula, taking into account disadvantage and various other considerations, including levels of deprivation. While local authorities decide how to spend their available finances they are guided by a set of national and local outcomes, with the Equality Act and associated specific duties providing a framework to help local authorities pay due regard to equality issues.\r\nSpecifically, local authorises, and other certain public bodies, in Scotland are subject to the Fairer Scotland Duty, which places a legal responsibility on them to actively consider how they can reduce inequalities of outcome caused by socio-economic disadvantage, when making strategic decisions.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418488,"EventID":"S6W-26705","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-05T14:56:54.08","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-04T14:41:09.773","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many residential rehabilitation beds there currently are in the Highlands and Islands region, broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government  pathways report  , published in November 2021, provides a full breakdown of how many beds there are in the Highland and Island region by local authority. Public Health Scotland  latest report  , published on 19 December, details how many beds have become available since then as a result of the Residential Rehabilitation Rapid Capacity Programme (RRRCP).\r\nAs part of the second round of the RRRCP, funding has been awarded to create 6 additional beds at CrossReach’s Beechwood House in Inverness and 1 additional bed at the Maxie Richards Foundation in Tignabruaich. This funding will deliver an additional 25 placements over the course of the year for the Highlands and Islands.\r\n","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418489,"EventID":"S6W-26721","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-05T14:56:54.14","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-04T14:41:09.773","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding is available in (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26 for its Addressing Depopulation Fund, as set out in its Action Plan to Address Depopulation.","AnswerText":"As part of our commitment to acknowledge the role of local leadership in addressing challenges linked to depopulation, the Scottish Government has committed to establishing an Addressing Depopulation Fund to enable local authorities to trial pathfinder interventions in support of population attraction and retention. The Fund will initially make available £180,000 to be split between a prospective three local authorities across financial years 2024-25 and 2025-26.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Emma Roddick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418490,"EventID":"S6W-26723","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-05T14:56:54.267","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-04T14:41:09.773","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government on what date it will launch its online digital Talent Attraction and Migration Service (TAMS), and how this will be promoted to employers across Scotland.","AnswerText":"The first iteration of Scotland’s Migration Service launched on 27 March 2024. The previous working title of ‘Talent Attraction and Migration Service’ was updated following testing with users.\r\nThe service is hosted on  Scotland.org  and provides information and advice to people who have recently moved to Scotland, international students, employers and inward investors, who are able to book one-to-one advice appointments with our expert suppliers – Citizens Advice Scotland and the law firm Seraphus. The scope of the full service will widen in Autumn 2024 to service the needs of individuals located outside Scotland with an interest in moving to Scotland.\r\nDelivery of the first phase of the service is being promoted to employers across Scotland and all other users through a stakeholder advocacy approach. This involves targeted promotional activities through existing relationships and networks of stakeholders. Partnership communications toolkits have been shared with stakeholders containing materials to promote and encourage their own service users to use Scotland's Migration Service. The launch was also promoted via a  news release  from Scottish Government and social media post.\r\nFurther promotional activities will be conducted in Autumn to accompany the launch of the full service.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Emma Roddick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418491,"EventID":"S6W-26708","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-05T14:56:54.33","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-04T14:41:09.773","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce has agreed on that will aim to \"improve working conditions for nurses\". ","AnswerText":"The taskforce has established four subgroups to focus on attraction, education and development, leadership and culture, and wellbeing. All subgroups are considering retention as part of their remit. Each subgroup will formulate and provide recommended actions to the main taskforce. The Taskforce is making good progress with the development of its recommended actions and will continue to work until members have agreed a comprehensive action plan. We anticipate the publication of a report later in 2024.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418492,"EventID":"S6W-26703","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-05T14:56:54.407","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-04T09:05:01","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has consulted the Scottish Information Commissioner regarding cyber protection for NHS Scotland, and, if so, when.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not consulted the Scottish Information Commissioner, as the role of the Scottish Information Commissioner is limited by law to promoting and enforcing Scotland's freedom of information (FOI) law.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418493,"EventID":"S6W-26730","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-08T15:35:06.943","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-05T11:46:39.39","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its reported decision to suspend the GP Premises Sustainability Fund, how many applications for such loans to GPs have been processed since the scheme was introduced in 2018, and how many applications remain outstanding.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has issued £11 million of GP Sustainability Loans to 45 practices since 2018. There is a further £3.5 million of loans to 11 practices pending.\r\nThe Scottish Government does not hold information on how many applications at a less advanced stage remain outstanding as GP Sustainability Loans are agreed between Health Boards and GP practices.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418494,"EventID":"S6W-26731","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-08T15:35:07.163","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-05T13:20:37.317","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether NHS Scotland is participating in the UK Government scheme to donate surplus medical supplies to Ukraine, or any other such scheme.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has participated in UK government schemes and donated medical supplies to Ukraine. No recent requests have been made to the Scottish Government.\r\nShould further requests be received the Scottish Government and NHS Scotland are ready to play our part and will consider requests to contribute to any such scheme.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418495,"EventID":"S6W-26591","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-08T15:35:07.227","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T12:06:00.31","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many vacancies currently exist within Scottish Ambulance Service’s Integrated Clinical Hub service, broken down by each hub.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Ambulance Service are currently in the process of recruiting five clinical advisor vacancies, after which recruitment will commence for one first line manager vacancy. \r\nAll staff across all roles in the Integrated Clinical Hub work nationally to support patients throughout Scotland. Whilst they may work in specific locations reflecting their employment base, technology allows them to work seamlessly across the country.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418496,"EventID":"S6W-26746","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-08T15:35:07.32","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T08:34:24.307","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) passengers, (b) cars, (c) lorries and (d) coaches were carried on the Lochranza to Claonaig and Tarbert ferry route in each of the last 20 years for which figures are available.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26745 on 18 April 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418497,"EventID":"S6W-26734","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-08T15:35:07.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-05T13:23:17.083","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to revising planning policies and/or regulations to facilitate faster decision making on certain types of applications, such as the delivery of affordable homes.","AnswerText":"Recent reforms to Scotland’s planning system are focused on facilitating delivery of high quality development, where and when it is needed. New legislation being implemented through the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 and National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) is ensuring decisions can be taken about future developments with greater certainty and efficiency. Policy 16 in NPF4 is a distinct, new approach to planning for homes that emphasises delivery and the plan-led approach. We are now taking forward a range of further measures to continue to progress this programme of planning reform.\r\nOur current consultation on ‘Investing in Planning’ includes a range of proposals to support improvement and capacity in planning services, particularly in planning authorities. Our proposals aim to benefit users of the planning system by improving capacity to help reduce decision timescales and improve service quality.\r\nWe are also currently consulting on draft regulations relating to the designation of Masterplan Consent Areas, which will be a new upfront consenting mechanism for development proposals, and can include housing, removing the need for planning and other consent applications once a scheme for the area as a whole has been agreed. Once in place, Masterplan Consent Areas have significant potential to give much earlier, and greater, certainty to prospective developers.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418498,"EventID":"S6W-26737","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-08T15:35:07.413","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-05T15:26:12.18","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-08992 by Humza Yousaf on 17 June 2022, what it has done to support NHS boards to test the introduction of models of care for long COVID, and how this has benefitted the management of other long-term and complex conditions, including Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME).","AnswerText":"We have established a £10 million long COVID Support Fund, which aims to support NHS Boards to increase the capacity of existing services providing support to people with long COVID, develop these into more clearly defined pathways and to provide a more co-ordinated experience for those accessing support.\r\nWe have also commissioned NHS National Services Scotland to establish a National Strategic Network for long COVID. This brings together representatives from NHS Boards across Scotland to provide a forum for the exchange of learning and best practice in delivering supporting and services for people with long COVID.\r\nIn May 2023 we published an analysis of survey responses from NHS Scotland Boards on their arrangements for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) care. This is accessible at  https://www.gov.scot/publications/myalgic-encephalomyelitis-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-cfs-services-scotland-findings-analysis-surveys-issued-nhs-boards-autumn-2022/  . The report highlights examples noted by NHS Boards of where practice developments relating to ME/CFS and long COVID respectively may have mutually supportive benefits for patient care, and the management of other long term conditions which share common symptoms.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418499,"EventID":"S6W-26739","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-08T15:35:07.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-05T16:31:07.46","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported concerns that inflationary costs for hospices and recent Agenda for Change pay awards have resulted in current funding levels being insufficient for hospices to operate sustainably.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government fully understands the pressures that hospices are currently facing. The Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health engages regularly with this sector, and has visited a number of hospices and met with hospice leaders over the last few months.\r\nIntegration Joint Boards are responsible for the planning, and commissioning of adult palliative care services, including hospices, using the integrated budget under their control. We have invested over £2 billion in the 2024-25 budget for social care and integration, delivering on our Programme for Government commitment to increase social care spending by 25% over this Parliament. Despite this significant investment the financial climate remains extremely challenging and we are working with partners to understand and address the challenges, within the context of a finite budget.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418500,"EventID":"S6W-26172","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-08T15:35:07.523","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T12:02:35.433","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many applications for the Self-Build Loan Fund have been (a) received and (b) successful in obtaining funding since the Fund was established, and how much money it has allocated from the £6 million available.","AnswerText":"A total of 101 applications have been made to date, including 2 for the same project, 1 of which was subsequently withdrawn. From those applications 49 loan offers have been made and accepted, with a total value of £7,389,567. This sum is higher than the value of the Fund due to its recyclable nature, whereby repaid loans can be re-used to fund more self-build projects during the life of the Fund.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418501,"EventID":"S6W-26744","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-08T15:35:07.6","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-05T16:31:07.46","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made to ensure that the new national strategy for palliative and end of life care addresses the needs of children.","AnswerText":"Children’s palliative care is an integral part of the new strategy on palliative care currently being developed. In addition to representatives of palliative care for children and young people on the Strategy Steering Group, we have established a Children and Young People’s Working Group to develop new actions which will contribute to meeting the needs of children and young people and their families.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418502,"EventID":"S6W-26738","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-08T15:35:07.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-05T16:31:07.46","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards provide 24/7 end of life care at home for children.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold central information on NHS boards’ provision of 24/7 end of life care at home for children.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418503,"EventID":"S6W-26170","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-08T15:35:07.71","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T12:02:35.433","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to increase the £6 million that is currently available through the Self-Build Loan Fund.","AnswerText":"At present, there are no plans to increase the value of the Self-Build Loan Fund (“the Fund”). The Fund is demand led, but currently has sufficient uncommitted funding to meet potential demand. The funding is also recyclable, meaning that repaid loans can be re-used to fund more self-build projects during the life of the Fund.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418504,"EventID":"S6W-26735","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-08T15:35:07.803","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-05T13:24:02.453","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting local authorities to ensure that there is sufficient staff to invest in a significant scaling up of the prevention of homelessness activity. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government wants to see a renewed focus on the prevention of homelessness and this is underlined by the inclusion of the homelessness prevention provisions in the Housing (Scotland) Bill, introduced to the Scottish Parliament on 26 March 2024.\r\nAlongside this, we published a Financial Memorandum which set out estimated costs for the provisions included within the Bill. This was informed by a survey of local authorities on the potential resource implications of the changes.\r\nWe will work with local authorities to develop the supporting guidance and training necessary to make the duties successful and to discuss the most appropriate timing of implementation against the background of a challenging environment.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418505,"EventID":"S6W-26592","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-08T15:35:07.853","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T12:11:04.82","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work it is doing to assess the impact of the Scottish Ambulance Service’s Integrated Clinical Hub service on the demand for ambulances, including on waiting times at accident and emergency departments.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Ambulance Service is currently in the final stages of evaluating the work of the Integrated Clinical Hub (ICH) across 2023 and this evaluation will be shared with Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418506,"EventID":"S6W-26742","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-08T15:35:07.913","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-05T16:31:07.46","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will support the development of a Specialist Practitioner Qualification, at Masters level, for community children’s nursing in Scotland.","AnswerText":"Access to continuing professional development and education for community children’s nursing staff in Scotland is vital as it enables children to receive specialist care within a setting that is familiar and comforting to them. However, it is the responsibility of higher education institutions to develop and deliver education at Masters level. It is the Scottish Government’s understanding that Robert Gordon University have developed a contemporary Specialist Practitioner Qualification in community children's nursing, at Masters level, which will be presented for approval by the Nursing and Midwifery Council at the end of May this year. If approved, the programme will move forward with a provisional starting date of September 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418507,"EventID":"S6W-26748","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-08T15:35:07.96","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T08:35:16.947","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much the \"hate monster\" public information campaign has cost.","AnswerText":"The ‘Hate Monster’ is a Police Scotland campaign which ran for 6 weeks in Spring last year. The Scottish Government does not hold this information.\r\nI will assume you are referring to the Scottish Government’s ‘Hate Hurts’ campaign which ran in March. The campaign showed the impact that hate crime has on those affected to help people recognise their experiences, highlighted the forms that hate crime can take and encouraged those who are witnesses to, or victims of hate crime to report it.\r\nThe campaign sends a message of reassurance to all communities in Scotland that hate crime will not be tolerated. c£390k was invested in the ‘Hate Hurts’ national campaign which included a broadcast and print.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418508,"EventID":"S6W-26590","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-08T15:35:08.007","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-28T12:04:09.147","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many staff work within the Scottish Ambulance Service’s Integrated Clinical Hub service, broken down by (a) each hub and (b) profession.","AnswerText":"The Integrated Clinical Hub is made up of a variety of clinical staff, which can flex as demand dictates across a 24/7 model but the core roles are:\r\n 41 clinical advisors (Nurse and Paramedic level).39 GP’s work a range of clinical sessional work every week.146 Advanced Practitioners spend a third of their time within the Integrated Clinical Hub (ICH).9 Senior clinical support managers who support the clinicians and oversee clinical activity and quality.11 staff make up the leadership team who support all aspects of the ICH.\r\nAll staff across all roles work nationally to support patients throughout Scotland, whilst they may work in specific locations reflecting their employment base the technology allows them to work seamlessly across Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418509,"EventID":"S6W-26171","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-08T15:35:08.07","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T12:02:35.433","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider expanding the Self-Build Loan Fund to all applicants in rural areas, other than just those who are unable to access standard bank lending, to help increase the number of homes that are available in non-urban settings.","AnswerText":"The Self-Build Loan Fund (“the Fund”) offers short-term loan funding of up to £175,000 to self-builders who are unable to access standard bank lending, to assist with development costs to support build completion. The Fund is not intended to replace market lending and provides short-term loan funding to borrowers who have exhausted finding alternative market options. The focus is on supporting projects with the necessary consents in place to allow work to commence quickly, and already delivers genuinely additional new homes primarily but not exclusively in rural areas.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418510,"EventID":"S6W-26743","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-08T15:35:08.133","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-05T16:31:07.46","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to sustainably fund Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS) for the long-term, to ensure that it can provide lifeline care and support to children and families in light of the reported rising costs and increased need for its services.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is working with NHS NSS, CHAS and Health Boards to improve the sustainability and oversight of funding for CHAS and to develop a long term sustainable funding model.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418511,"EventID":"S6W-26732","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-08T15:35:08.21","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-05T13:21:21.017","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what immediate action it is taking to improve certainty for investors in the build-to-rent sector.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has ongoing engagement with the Build to Rent sector including through recent Ministerial meetings and the Housing Investment Taskforce. We also continue to work with stakeholders across landlords, tenants and investors as we develop a rent control system that works for Scotland. To support this, we have also established a Private Rented Sector Stakeholder Group which includes representatives from across landlords, tenants, campaign groups and investors.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418512,"EventID":"S6W-26477","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-08T15:35:08.257","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-22T15:06:58.997","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25336 by Maree Todd on 4 March 2024, in relation to those who attended their first appointment for assessment in the last five years, how many people experienced each of the three main outcomes that were listed in the previous answer.\r\n","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold the data relating to the three main outcomes outlined in S6W-25336. This information may however be available from individual Health Boards.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418513,"EventID":"S6W-26733","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-08T15:35:08.303","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-05T13:21:42.173","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting planning authorities to streamline their planning processes.","AnswerText":"We have already implemented significant reforms to the planning system to reduce pressures by streamlining processes and providing a robust and up to date policy framework. We have significantly extended permitted development rights, to remove certain applications from the planning system, providing certainty and reducing processing for authorities and agencies.\r\nOur current consultation  Investing in Planning  aims to support improvement in the delivery of planning services, including streamlining the assessments required to support applications, project managing applications, improving engagement and taking a proactive approach.\r\nIn addition to system changes, we fund Scotland’s National Planning Improvement Champion who is working with individual planning authorities to pilot a new National Planning Improvement Framework (NPIF) to identify areas of improvement and support authorities to take actions forward.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418514,"EventID":"S6W-26740","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-08T15:35:08.383","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-05T16:31:07.46","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many community children’s nurses are employed by NHS Scotland, broken down by NHS board.","AnswerText":"The information requested on how many community children’s nurses are employed by NHS Scotland, broken down by NHS board can be found on the TURAS NHS Education for Scotland workforce statistics site at: 05 March 2024 Workforce | Turas Data Intelligence (nhs.scot) ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418515,"EventID":"S6W-26736","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2678,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":141,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-08T15:35:08.447","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-05T15:16:55.693","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26211 by Neil Gray on 2 April 2024, whether the total of 19 positions that have reportedly been advertised on the recruitment portal, Oriel, for August 2024, is the maximum number of radiology training places for 2024, and, if this is the case, for what reason the number of training places is not higher.","AnswerText":"The recruitment round has not yet closed for 2024. The 19 positions currently advertised on the recruitment portal is a provisional figure and is therefore subject to potential change.\r\nThe number of posts advertised per year by NHS Education for Scotland is determined by two factors: i) the number of vacant posts, due to trainees completing training, resigning from post or undergoing an inter-deanery transfer, and ii) whether any additional posts have been created. The number of posts which are available for new applicants to apply for varies annually due to trainees working on a part-time basis (and therefore taking longer to complete training and vacate their post).","AnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418516,"EventID":"S6W-26169","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-08T15:35:08.51","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T12:02:35.433","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to reshape the Self-Build Loan Fund to better tailor it to the areas and people utilising it most, and to extend it beyond its current completion date.","AnswerText":"The Self Build Loan Fund (“the Fund”) is a demand led and flexible fund available across all of Scotland. Recognising that self-build is an important option particularly for those in rural areas to provide a home that meets their needs, the fund offers support to self-builders who are unable to access traditional finance. The Fund was established in September 2018 following the success of a pilot in the Highland area and strong interest from outside this area.\r\nThe Fund was extended in November 2022 for up to 5 years and we will continue to monitor its implementation.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418517,"EventID":"S6W-26747","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-08T15:35:08.557","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T08:34:24.307","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) passengers, (b) cars, (c) lorries and (d) coaches were carried on the Largs to Cumbrae ferry route in each of the last 20 years for which figures are available.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W- 26745 on 18 April 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418518,"EventID":"S6W-26745","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-08T15:35:08.603","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T08:34:24.307","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) passengers, (b) cars, (c) lorries and (d) coaches were carried on the Ardrossan to Brodick ferry route in each of the last 20 years for which figures are available.","AnswerText":"The information requested is available on the Scottish Transport Statistics 2023, published on 27 March 2024, at Tables 9.15 and 9.16 and via CalMac’s website and can be found by following the links below:\r\nwww.transport.gov.scot/publication/scottish-transport-statistics-2023/ \r\nwww.calmac.co.uk/corporate/your-carrying-statistics \r\nThe carryings statistics for 2023 on the CalMac website, are up until 16 May 2023, although further carryings should be available in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418519,"EventID":"S6W-26741","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-08T15:35:08.65","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-05T16:31:07.46","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide funding to fill any gaps in NHS Scotland's provision for community children’s nursing posts.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government increased student funded places for pre-registration nursing, including children's nursing, for ten successive years and we now have a record intake target of 4,536 to support workforce sustainability.\r\nWhilst the Scottish Government sets strategic policy direction for the NHS in Scotland, operational matters including staffing are in the first instance the responsibility of the relevant NHS board. This will depend on the service needs of each board taking account of national, regional and local priorities, and we expect NHS boards to plan and provide safe, effective and high-quality care, in line with their statutory service provision and workforce planning responsibilities.\r\nThe Scottish Government actively supports health boards across Scotland to plan locally for service need and for service delivery.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418520,"EventID":"S6W-26490","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-08T15:35:08.697","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-25T13:48:30.5","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to\r\nquestion S6W-25624 by Angela Constance on 18 March 2024, whether\r\nit will provide an update on its discussions with the UK Government regarding a\r\npossible UK-wide Bill, and when it expects to bring forward any Scottish\r\nlegislation if such an approach is required.","AnswerText":"On 18 April 2024 I wrote to Kevin Hollinrake MP, with a list of 15 straightforward draft amendments to the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill which would have the effect of extending the scope of that Bill to cover Scotland. In doing so I urged him to table these amendments and bring certainty and clarity for those who have suffered wrongful convictions in Scotland.\r\nMinister Hollinrake responded on 22 April 2024 to note that the UK Government was not seeking to extend the territorial extent of the Bill to Scotland, whilst at the same time noting that the UK Government would however be tabling amendments to the Bill to include convictions in Northern Ireland with the Bill's scope.\r\nThe UK Bill is due to next be debated on 29 April 2024, and draft amendments to extend the Bill to Scotland have been tabled. Should they not be accepted into the UK Bill then Scottish Government will bring forward Scottish legislation to ensure that sub-postmasters in Scotland receive justice.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418521,"EventID":"S6W-26729","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-08T15:35:08.76","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-05T11:46:39.39","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much money would have been allocated to GPs through the GP Premises Sustainability Fund over the current financial year that will now not be allocated.\r\n","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government did not allocate money to GP practices through the GP Premises Sustainability fund.\r\nGP practices could apply for GP Sustainability Loans to their Health Boards. These were funded by the Scottish Government as and when loans were completed.\r\nThe GP Sustainability Loans scheme is currently paused while the Scottish Government reimburses Health Boards for loans that were completed in 2023-24. This is due to a greater than anticipated number of loans having completed last year.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418522,"EventID":"S6W-26773","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-09T16:01:06.027","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T14:57:01.31","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether NHS Scotland has given any consideration to establishing an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) taskforce, in light of NHS England's announcement of the formation of such a taskforce.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is not currently planning on establishing an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) taskforce.\r\nThe Scottish Government commissioned a feasibility study into a National clinical ADHD Pathway. The final report of this study published in 2021 and found that a multi-disciplinary neurodevelopmental approach, inclusive of ADHD, rather than a condition specific approach, was needed.\r\nIn response to this finding the Scottish Government provided funding for adult neurodevelopmental pathway trials. Following the adult neurodevelopmental pilots, a final report was published in March 2023 outlining what is required to provide a multi-disciplinary neurodevelopmental approach across Scotland. The Scottish Government has accepted the recommendations and we are working with NAIT on implementation.\r\nAdditionally, aligned to this neurodevelopmental approach, the Scottish Government is taking forward proposals for a Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence bill to help better protect the rights of people with learning disabilities and neurodivergent people, including people with ADHD. The consultation ran from 21 December 2023 to 21 April 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418523,"EventID":"S6W-26763","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-09T16:01:06.17","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T08:41:28.94","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans for community audiology services to be able to make direct referrals to ear, nose and throat (ENT) consultants without going through a GP.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to enhancing audiology services, and to its vision for an integrated, community-based audiology service. We are currently focusing on delivery of the actions required to respond to the Independent Review of Audiology services, and our approach will continue to be informed by this, alongside ongoing consultation with the audiology sector.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418524,"EventID":"S6W-26769","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-09T16:01:06.217","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T11:56:55.857","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £500 million, which was originally allocated to the Bus Partnership Fund, has been spent.","AnswerText":"We have awarded £26.9 million in funding for bus priority through the Bus Partnership Fund, with £20.5 million expected to be spent by 31 March 2024. However that figure will need to be confirmed following the processing of final claims from Partnerships - consisting of local authorities, bus operators and other key stakeholders – in the coming months.\r\nThe awards made through the Bus Partnership Fund to date were the first step towards delivering long term investment in bus priority infrastructure, beyond the course of the parliament.\r\nFollowing the United Kingdom autumn statement delivering the worst-case scenario for Scotland and a nearly 9 per cent real-terms cut in our capital budget from the UK Government, the Scottish Government had to take difficult decisions to deliver a balanced and sustainable spending plan for 2024-25. As such, regrettably, the Bus Partnership Fund has been paused for 2024-25. However, future funding availability will be considered as part of our annual budget-setting process and prioritisation exercises.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418525,"EventID":"S6W-26783","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-09T16:01:06.277","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T16:54:16.823","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of the reported fall in the number of French teachers of 43% between 2008 and 2023.","AnswerText":"Since 2019 the number of teachers in Scottish schools has increased from 52,247 to 54,033 and the pupil teacher ratio has improved from 13.6 to 13.2.\r\nLocal authorities are responsible for the recruitment and deployment of teaching staff, and the Scottish Government continues to provide local authorities with £145.5 million in this year’s budget to protect teacher numbers more widely.\r\nThe Strategic Board for Teacher Education is also considering issues around the recruitment and retention of teachers in Scotland in detail, together with work to improving the promotion of teaching as a valued career.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418526,"EventID":"S6W-26776","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-09T16:01:06.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T14:57:01.31","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government in what ways (a) it and (b) NHS Scotland promotes public awareness to (i) improve the understanding of and (ii) reduce any stigma associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is working to ensure that all neurodivergent people, including those with ADHD, have access the support they need.\r\nThe Scottish Government and the National Autism Implementation Team launched a Neuro-affirming Community of Practice Community of Practice in October 2023. This Community of Practice is being developed to ensure that healthcare professionals are better equipped to understand the wants and needs of neurodivergent people, including people with ADHD. There has been positive engagement across health boards.\r\nEducation Scotland supports the implementation of inclusive practice for all children and young people, including those who may experience the characteristics of ADHD. A formal diagnosis of ADHD is not required for a child or young people to be provided with appropriate support through the staged level of intervention approach.\r\nAdditionally, last year resources on ADHD were published on Education Scotland’s website, covering the common features, positive traits and challenges of ADHD. This was accompanied by a webinar, attended by over 300 individuals.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418527,"EventID":"S6W-26787","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-09T16:01:06.403","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T16:56:06.347","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of recent reports that its student teacher intake target was missed in 19 out of 20 subjects, and that 10 out of 20 subjects were unable to attract 50% of their target numbers.","AnswerText":"This relates to indicative figures provided by universities at the start of the academic session. The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) will publish the 2023-24 academic year Official Statistics data in 2025. These will provide the most accurate figures on enrolments into modern language Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes.\r\nThis information is informing the work of Strategic Board for Teacher Education, which is considering issues around the recruitment and retention of teachers in Scotland in detail, together with work to improving the promotion of teaching as a valued career.\r\nBoth the Scottish Government and Scottish Funding Council have offered to work with universities to develop alternative routes into subjects which have traditionally been difficult to recruit to.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418528,"EventID":"S6W-26785","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-09T16:01:06.497","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T16:54:50.767","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of the reported fall in the number of secondary school teachers in (a) computing studies, (b) ASN: behavioural support, (c) maths, (d) technical education, (e) religious education, (f) geography, (g) German, (h) physics, (i) home economics and (j) English between 2008 and 2023.","AnswerText":"Since 2019 the number of teachers in Scottish schools has increased from 52,247 to 54,033 and the pupil teacher ratio has improved from 13.6 to 13.2.\r\nLocal authorities are responsible for the recruitment and deployment of teaching staff, and the Scottish Government continues to provide local authorities with £145.5 million in this year’s budget to protect teacher numbers more widely.\r\nOur Teaching Bursary Scheme is offering a £20,000 payment to career changers who are looking to undertake teacher training in hard to fill STEM subjects – physics, maths, technical education, computing science, chemistry and home economics.\r\nThe Strategic Board for Teacher Education is also considering issues around the recruitment and retention of teachers in Scotland in detail, together with work to improving the promotion of teaching as a valued career.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418529,"EventID":"S6W-26779","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-09T16:01:06.543","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T16:50:42.843","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address concerns raised at the meeting of the National Transitions to Adulthood Strategy External Strategic Working Group on 29 February 2024 that \"families are struggling to secure a social worker and, in turn, access support for transitions\".","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to improving the experience of the social work workforce to ensure it is more sustainable in the longer term. \r\nWhilst the social work workforce is primarily employed by local authorities who have a statutory duty to maintain an adequate workforce to meet the needs of their population and to fulfil their statutory duties in respect of social work, the Scottish Government has introduced measures to help address the challenges facing the profession. \r\nThis includes working jointly with COSLA and other key stakeholders to address the acute recruitment and retention challenges facing the profession; forming a joint Social Care & Social Work/Services Workforce Taskforce to explore opportunities to deliver improvements for the adult and children's social care and social work workforce; and creating a National Social Work Agency to provide a single national body with oversight of social work education, training and professional development, and the improvement of social work services.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418530,"EventID":"S6W-26774","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-09T16:01:06.607","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T14:57:01.31","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce waiting times for the (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).","AnswerText":"While we know many public services are facing increasing pressures, long waits for neurodevelopmental support are unacceptable. We expect that those with ADHD should receive appropriate treatment and support as soon as possible. However, we are aware there has been a significant increase in people seeking a diagnosis and requiring support for their neurodivergence and this is creating challenges for a range of services.\r\nWe are working closely with NHS Health Boards and Local Authorities to improve services and support for children and young people and their families, including by providing over £1 million to support five pilots to implement targeted aspects of the  National Neurodevelopmental Specification  and £55.5 million to Health Boards in 2023-24 to improve the quality and delivery of mental health and psychological services for all, including neurodevelopmental services.\r\nFor adult support, the Scottish Government commissioned a feasibility study into a National Clinical ADHD Pathway. The final report of this study was published in 2021 and found that a multi-disciplinary neurodevelopmental approach, inclusive of ADHD, was needed. In response to this finding the Scottish Government provided funding for adult neurodevelopmental pathway trials.\r\nFollowing the adult neurodevelopmental pilots, a final report was published in March 2023 outlining what is required to provide a multi-disciplinary neurodevelopmental approach across Scotland. The Scottish Government has accepted the recommendations and we are working with the National Autism Implementation Team on implementation.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418531,"EventID":"S6W-26778","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-09T16:01:06.653","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T16:36:50.987","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has reduced the average spending per pupil with additional support needs by £1,934 since 2012-13.","AnswerText":"All children and young people should receive the support that they need to reach their full potential. Local authorities are under a statutory duty to identify, provide for, and review the additional support needs of their pupils.\r\nSpending on additional support for learning by local authorities has reached a record high of £926m in 2022-23. The Scottish Government has continued to invest £15m per year since 2019-20 to help authorities respond to the individual needs of pupils and provides over £11m of funding each year to directly support pupils with complex additional support needs and services to children and families.\r\nIt should be noted that between 2012-13 to 2022-23, the real terms average spend per pupil in both primary and secondary schools has increased from £6,170 and £8,349 respectively in 2012-13 to £7,075 and £8,766, respectively.\r\nThe number of pupils identified with additional support for learning needs has increased markedly since 2010 and there continue to be year on year increases. This is partly driven by a change to how ASN statistics were gathered in 2010.\r\nIt is the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources available to them, including on education, on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418532,"EventID":"S6W-26775","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-09T16:01:06.763","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T14:57:01.31","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to enhance training for healthcare professionals to improve the quality of care and support for people living with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has commissioned work through NHS Education for Scotland (NES) and the National Autism Implementation Team to provide a range of professional learning about ADHD and neurodevelopmental conditions at informed, enhanced, specialist and expert levels (according to the NES framework). These can be found on the Turas page (NHS Education for Scotland’s unified training platform) and accessed by the workforce in the future.\r\nAll training opportunities have been very popular, and where places have been limited have been oversubscribed. NES have worked closely with colleagues in health boards to identify the most appropriate staff to attend training in these instances. These opportunities have included training in specific assessment tools, webinars on ADHD assessment and support and workshops for clinical teams to support putting new learning into practice. There has also been professional learning about steps towards becoming a neuro-affirming practitioner and sharing learning and examples of practice developments across disciplines and across the country through networks and events.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418533,"EventID":"S6W-26754","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-09T16:01:06.81","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T08:41:28.94","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been provided for the Independent Living Fund in the last five years; what the fund's budget will be for 2024-25, and what it anticipates that the fund's budget will be for 2025-26.","AnswerText":"The following table shows the resource funding allocated by SG to ILF Scotland annually over the last five years. Resource budget for ILF in 2024-25 is £62,241k. Funding for 2025-26 will be agreed through the annual budget process.\r\nYear\r\nILF Funding Allocation (£k)\r\n2019-20\r\n46,101\r\n2020-21\r\n49,923\r\n2021-22\r\n47,740\r\n2022-23\r\n47,724\r\n2023-24\r\n50,276*\r\n*subject to year-end review and audit","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418534,"EventID":"S6W-26757","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-09T16:01:06.87","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T08:41:28.94","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what additional services could be provided by high street ophthalmologists that could alleviate the reported current pressure on hospital and GP services.","AnswerText":"There is only one high street ophthalmologist (ophthalmic medical practitioner) listed to provide General Ophthalmic Services in Scotland.\r\nHowever, community optometrists have been increasing their role to support the care of NHS patients and this is continuing. NHS Education for Scotland funded training is enabling more optometrists to become independent prescribers each year resulting in more care for patients without the need for hospital referral or general practice support. Scotland is also the first country in the UK to embed independent prescribing into the undergraduate optometry course from this autumn.\r\nAdditionally, community optometrists are also becoming accredited around Scotland to safely manage the care of patients with lower risk glaucoma, enabling the discharge of these patients to high quality care nearer to home, freeing up much needed hospital eye service capacity.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418535,"EventID":"S6W-26173","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-09T16:01:07.093","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-13T12:02:35.433","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government by when loan payments from the Self-Build Loan Fund are required to be repaid.","AnswerText":"Each application and subsequent loan offer made under the fund will depend on the individual circumstances of the applicant and nature of the particular build, however the typical period for repaying loans made under the Self Build Loan Fund is 12 months. It is intended to be short-term bridging loan funding which helps self-builders with development costs allowing them to complete their home.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418536,"EventID":"S6W-26760","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-09T16:01:07.153","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T08:41:28.94","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has undertaken an assessment of any current unmet need for people with hearing loss.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not recently undertaken an assessment of unmet need for people with hearing loss, but we are engaged with stakeholders and those with lived experience to inform our understanding of unmet need.\r\nAs part of the See Hear Strategy refresh, we have engaged with people who are hard of hearing, deaf and deafblind. This includes children, young people and their parents/ carers.\r\nWe asked what topics and issues matter to them for inclusion in the strategy, through an online survey and a series of in-person and online focus groups and interviews.\r\nIn total we have received insights from over 170 adults with lived experience and 17 parents and carers of children/young people. Additional focus group discussions were held with 17 children and young people with lived experience from all sensory impairment groups. The engagement took place between September 2023 and February 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418537,"EventID":"S6W-26788","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-09T16:01:07.403","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T16:56:21.623","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to address the reported failure to reach target student teacher intake numbers in 19 out of 20 subjects.","AnswerText":"This relates to indicative figures provided by universities at the start of the academic session. The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) will publish the 2023-24 academic year Official Statistics data in 2025. These will provide the most accurate figures on enrolments into modern language Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes.\r\nThis information is informing the work of Strategic Board for Teacher Education, which is considering issues around the recruitment and retention of teachers in Scotland in detail together with work to improving the promotion of teaching as a valued career.\r\nBoth the Scottish Government and Scottish Funding Council have offered to work with universities to develop alternative routes into subjects which have traditionally been difficult to recruit to.\r\nOur Teaching Bursary Scheme is offering a £20,000 payment to career changers who are looking to undertake teacher training in hard to fill STEM subjects – physics, maths, technical education, computing science, chemistry and home economics. The scheme was also extended to include Gaelic as a secondary subject, and Gaelic medium across all secondary subjects and in primary.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418538,"EventID":"S6W-26782","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-09T16:01:07.53","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T16:53:17.907","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been allocated to the Into Headship programme in each of the last five years. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government allocated grant funding to Higher Education Institutions to deliver the Into Headship programme, as outlined in the following table: \r\n2019-2020\r\n2020-21\r\n2021-22\r\n2022-23\r\n2023-24\r\nScottish Government Funding for the Into Headship Programme\r\n \r\n \r\n£521,220\r\n \r\n \r\n£760,368\r\n \r\n \r\n£840,084\r\n \r\n \r\n£678,608\r\n \r\n \r\n£812,490","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418539,"EventID":"S6W-26781","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-09T16:01:07.577","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T16:53:03.553","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had regarding the possible removal of the requirement for headteachers to undertake the Into Headship programme, and whether it will set out any conclusions arising from any such discussions.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has no plans to remove the requirement for headteachers to hold the Standard for Headship.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418540,"EventID":"S6W-26762","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-09T16:01:07.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T08:41:28.94","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what community audiology services are currently available.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to enhancing audiology services, and to its vision for an integrated, community-based audiology service. We are currently focusing on delivery of the actions required to respond to the Independent Review of Audiology services, and our approach will continue to be informed by this, alongside ongoing consultation with the audiology sector.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418541,"EventID":"S6W-26755","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-09T16:01:07.75","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T08:41:28.94","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to continue with the fee structure for optometrists, which has been aligned to the dentistry fee structure for the past three years.","AnswerText":"The 2024-25 public sector pay will be determined in due course by the Scottish Government. It is anticipated that this process will also include consideration of the fee position for General Ophthalmic Services.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418542,"EventID":"S6W-26750","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-09T16:01:07.81","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T08:41:28.94","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to protect NHS patient data from cyber attacks.","AnswerText":"The safety and security of people’s data, and the running of NHS services is of the upmost importance. I have provided detail on the action being taken to protect NHS patient data in the answers to questions S6W-26702 on 23 April 2024, S6T-01869 on 19 March 2024, S6W-26442 on 17 May 2024 and S6W-26223 on 27 March 2024.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .\r\nAll answers to Topical Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament  .","AnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418543,"EventID":"S6W-26758","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-09T16:01:07.92","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T08:41:28.94","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Independent Review of Audiology Services in Scotland, whether it will provide an update on the establishment of the National Implementation Group; whether the group has held any meetings, and what the membership of the group is.","AnswerText":"An Implementation Delivery Group has been set up which has held two meetings on 21 February and 20 March 2024, with a third meeting scheduled for the end of April. \r\nMembership of the Implementation Delivery Group consists of representatives from clinical services, third sector and lived experience, under the chairmanship of Jim Miller, the Chief Executive of NHS 24. ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418544,"EventID":"S6W-26764","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-09T16:01:07.967","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T08:41:28.94","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans for community audiology services to be able to prescribe and fit hearing aids.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to enhancing audiology services, and to its vision for an integrated, community-based audiology service. We are currently focusing on delivery of the actions required to respond to the Independent Review of Audiology services, and our approach will continue to be informed by this, alongside ongoing consultation with the audiology sector.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418545,"EventID":"S6W-26768","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-09T16:01:08.03","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T11:56:55.857","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to introduce wheat intolerance as a criteria for access to gluten-free foods on prescription.","AnswerText":"People who have had a clinical diagnosis of coeliac disease or dermatitis herpetiformis are eligible to access staple gluten-free food products on NHS prescription. There are no current plans to change the criteria.\r\nCoeliac disease is an auto-immune disease whereas wheat intolerance alone does not meet the criteria for gluten-free food products on prescription. Patients with a wheat intolerance should be encouraged to be tested for coeliac disease. If coeliac disease has already been ruled out, they could request referral to the local Dietetic Service for dietary advice and support to help manage a wheat free diet.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418546,"EventID":"S6W-26777","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-09T16:01:08.17","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T15:07:22.227","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any potential impact of the UK Government’s Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill on the ability of Scottish Enterprise and other public bodies in Scotland to conduct human rights reputational risk management and other similar checks on prospective recipients of grants and other support.","AnswerText":"The UK Government’s Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill is currently at House of Lords Committee stage, and is therefore still subject to change. As it stands, it is clear that this disproportionate and unnecessary legislation is likely to significantly affect the ways in which public bodies can take human rights concerns into account when making certain decisions. We will make a full assessment of the Bill, its coverage and its impact on public bodies in Scotland when it is in its final form, and will make any necessary adjustments to our Human Rights Due Diligence guidance, and any other relevant guidance, accordingly.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418547,"EventID":"S6W-26753","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-09T16:01:08.403","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T08:41:28.94","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many more people are expected to receive an Independent Living Fund payment in 2024-25.","AnswerText":"Up to 1,000 new applicants will be offered awards in 2024-25. The actual number of applications received will be monitored by ILF Scotland and Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418548,"EventID":"S6W-26752","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-09T16:01:08.53","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T08:41:28.94","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people are currently in receipt of an Independent Living Fund payment.","AnswerText":"As of March 2024, 1,897 people in Scotland, and 344 people in Northern Ireland were in receipt of an Independent Living Fund award. These figures do not include Transition Fund awards. ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418549,"EventID":"S6W-26780","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-09T16:01:08.577","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T16:52:55.167","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its consideration of combining the workstreams of the Strategic Board for Teacher Education and the Headteacher Recruitment and Retention working group.","AnswerText":"The Strategic Board for Education (SBTE) is considering issues around the recruitment and retention of teachers in Scotland in detail, including tackling geographical and subject-specific challenges. SBTE is also working to improve the promotion of teaching as a valued career.\r\nThe Headteacher Recruitment and Retention Working group (HTRRWG) are currently in the process of developing a new workplan. As this group is a sub-group of SBTE, members have agreed that the HTRRWG workplan should align with and complement the overarching aim and outcomes of the SBTE workplan. This work is ongoing and will be discussed further at future meetings of the HTRRWG, minutes of which will be published on the Scottish Government website in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418550,"EventID":"S6W-26772","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-09T16:01:08.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T14:57:01.31","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding (a) it and (b) NHS Scotland has allocated to promote public awareness to (i) improve the understanding of and (ii) reduce the stigma associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in each year since 2016.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not allocated any funding specifically to promote public awareness to improve the understanding of and or reduce the stigma associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, however the Scottish Government is working to ensure that all neurodivergent people, including those with ADHD, have access the support they need.\r\nThe Scottish Government and the National Autism Implementation Team launched a Neuro-affirming Community of Practice Community of Practice in October 2023. This Community of Practice is being developed to ensure that healthcare professionals are better equipped to understand the wants and needs of neurodivergent people, including people with ADHD. There has been positive engagement across health boards.\r\nEducation Scotland supports the implementation of inclusive practice for all children and young people, including those who may experience the characteristics of ADHD. A formal diagnosis of ADHD is not required for a child or young people to be provided with appropriate support through the staged level of intervention approach. \r\nAdditionally, last year, resources on ADHD were published on Education Scotland’s website, covering the common features, positive traits and challenges of ADHD. This was accompanied by a webinar, attended by over 300 individuals. ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418551,"EventID":"S6W-26759","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-09T16:01:08.873","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T08:41:28.94","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to deliver a primary care community audiology service during the current parliamentary session.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to enhancing audiology services, and to its vision for an integrated, community-based audiology service. We are currently focusing on delivery of the actions required to respond to the Independent Review of Audiology services, and our approach will continue to be informed by this, alongside ongoing consultation with the audiology sector.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418552,"EventID":"S6W-26751","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-09T16:01:08.923","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T08:41:28.94","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will detail the cyber attacks that have taken place in the NHS in Scotland in the last ten years.","AnswerText":"The safety and security of people’s data, and the running of NHS services is of the upmost importance. The NHS in Scotland and across the UK successfully defends itself against attacks on its IT infrastructure on a daily basis, demonstrating resilience to the threats faced.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418553,"EventID":"S6W-26784","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-09T16:01:08.97","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T16:54:44.627","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of the reported failure to recruit target numbers of student teachers in languages.","AnswerText":"This relates to indicative figures provided by universities at the start of the academic session. The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) will publish the 2023-24 academic year Official Statistics data in 2025. These will provide the most accurate figures on enrolments into modern language Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes.\r\nThis information is informing the work of Strategic Board for Teacher Education, which is considering issues around the recruitment and retention of teachers in Scotland in detail, together with work to improving the promotion of teaching as a valued career.\r\nModern languages are classified as a priority subject for ITE intakes by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC). Both the Scottish Government and SFC have offered to work with universities to develop alternative routes into subjects which have traditionally been difficult to recruit to.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418554,"EventID":"S6W-26786","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-09T16:01:09.017","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T16:55:58.057","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported concerns that, in 2023, the number of teachers in permanent, full-time employment fell to its lowest level since 2012, while the school role increased.","AnswerText":"Over the past 10 years the number of teachers in permanent posts has remained stable at over 80%, and since 2014 the number of school teachers in post has increased by 8%, from 49,521 to 53,331 in 2023. Our overall teacher ratio is the lowest in the UK at 13.2.\r\nWhilst the recruitment and employment of teachers is a matter for local authorities, we are committed to supporting the recruitment of teachers, and we are providing local authorities with £145.5m in this year’s budget to protect teacher numbers. This additional funding provides assurance of funding for councils and should remove this as a barrier to employing staff on permanent contracts.\r\nThe Strategic Board for Teacher Education, which is made up of a range of key education stakeholders, is looking at issues around the recruitment and retention of teachers in Scotland in detail.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418555,"EventID":"S6W-26756","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-09T16:01:09.14","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T08:41:28.94","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many ophthalmology training places have been provided at universities for Scottish domiciled students in each of the last five academic years, and how many places are planned for the current academic year.","AnswerText":"Ophthalmology is a post-graduate specialism in medicine which does not involve universities, and as such no data exists with respect to university training places for this specialism. The Scottish Funding Council holds data regarding university training places for optometry.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418556,"EventID":"S6W-26765","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-09T16:01:09.19","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T11:31:16.03","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided to Sistema Scotland in the financial years (a) 2023-24 and (b) 2024-25.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government provided £2,896,309 of funding to Sistema Scotland in financial year 2023-2024. The Scottish Government are working with Sistema Scotland to finalise their grant allocation for financial year 2024-2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418580,"EventID":"S6O-03309","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T14:59:54.09","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-09T09:40:40.85","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment the Ministerial Taskforce on Population has made of the potential impact of the centralisation of services on the sustainability of rural communities.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418581,"EventID":"S6O-03297","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T14:59:54.23","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-09T14:28:53.4","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce the number of cases of livestock worrying.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418582,"EventID":"S6O-03296","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T14:59:54.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-09T16:18:13.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the Register of Persons Holding a Controlled Interest in Land since it launched on 1 April 2022.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418583,"EventID":"S6O-03313","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16188,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":82,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T14:59:54.433","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-09T16:27:39.117","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Child Poverty Action Group’s recent analysis of official data showing that 4.3 million children were in relative poverty across the UK, up from 3.6 million in 2010-11.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418584,"EventID":"S6O-03294","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T14:59:54.51","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-09T12:25:48.33","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether its Land Reform (Scotland) Bill will help protect communities from development on land of public importance. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418585,"EventID":"S6O-03314","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T14:59:54.743","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-10T11:11:38.23","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work it is undertaking to give greater representation to older people.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418586,"EventID":"S6O-03312","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T14:59:55.01","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-09T15:28:20.497","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact the 2024-25 Scottish Budget will have on its targets for reducing child poverty.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418587,"EventID":"S6O-03298","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16186,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":120,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T14:59:55.163","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-10T10:54:38.207","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent engagement it has had with the UK Government regarding Scotland's agricultural funding post-2025.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418588,"EventID":"S6O-03302","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T14:59:55.227","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T13:17:48.547","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in implementing its Diabetes Improvement Plan.  ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418589,"EventID":"S6O-03311","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3129,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":83,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T14:59:55.29","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-09T14:31:00.397","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the work undertaken by the staff and officials of Social Security Scotland to complete the move to have all payments for disabled children being paid directly by Social Security Scotland, and subject to the scrutiny of the Scottish Parliament.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418590,"EventID":"S6O-03315","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T14:59:55.433","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-09T17:59:07.347","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to figures showing that there has been a decrease in the number of new homes started in 2023 compared with 2022.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418591,"EventID":"S6O-03310","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16189,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":129,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T14:59:55.48","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-09T18:50:53.457","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the housing minister has had with ministerial colleagues regarding any\r\npotential impact on rural community housing of its decision not to allow the\r\nuse of fossil and biofuel heating systems in new-build construction.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418592,"EventID":"S6O-03301","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16194,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T14:59:55.713","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-10T08:53:21.663","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review the current model of care for children with gender dysphoria.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418593,"EventID":"S6O-03304","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2103,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":109,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T14:59:55.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-09T11:43:16.087","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the location of the headquarters of the proposed National Care Service.  ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418594,"EventID":"S6O-03303","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5866,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T14:59:56.027","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-09T14:31:46.737","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent reports that one in 10 planned operations in the NHS were cancelled this January, what steps it is taking to reduce the rate of cancelled operations.  ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418595,"EventID":"S6O-03295","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16175,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":119,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T14:59:56.403","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-10T11:04:42.99","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how its work on wildlife management can help address the reported threats to nature and biodiversity restoration posed by American mink.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418596,"EventID":"S6O-03308","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2633,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T14:59:56.51","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-10T08:54:24.023","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the average waiting time is for a determination on Adult and Child Disability Payments in Mid-Scotland and Fife.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418597,"EventID":"S6O-03300","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T14:59:56.903","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-10T11:23:52.327","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the health secretary last met with the chief executives of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Ayrshire and Arran, and what was discussed.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418598,"EventID":"S6O-03306","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16177,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":125,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T14:59:56.98","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-09T11:12:15.093","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its Remote and Rural Workforce Strategy and its work to ensure that the health and social care needs of people who live in remote and rural communities are met.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418599,"EventID":"S6O-03293","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T14:59:57.23","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-10T11:12:49.217","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to reiterate the harms caused to both livestock and farmers by livestock worrying.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418600,"EventID":"S6O-03292","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T14:59:57.483","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T14:54:36.523","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what new financial support will be available to farmers and land managers to manage water, including to prevent flooding of homes.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418601,"EventID":"S6O-03305","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T14:59:57.577","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T12:49:56.507","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the health secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the plans for health infrastructure investment in its revised Infrastructure Investment Plan, including the likely publication date of any such plans.  ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418602,"EventID":"S6O-03299","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T14:59:57.78","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-10T08:50:20.24","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how Crown Estate Scotland supports marine tourism in coastal communities.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-17T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418603,"EventID":"S6O-03317","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T15:00:04.203","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T13:55:30","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its recent consultations with local authorities about community access to the school estate, including sports facilities.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418604,"EventID":"S6O-03319","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T15:00:04.53","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-10T09:11:05.177","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it reportedly delayed the approval of the budget for Skills Development Scotland, which, according to the National Union of Students Scotland and the National Society of Apprentices, led to unnecessary distress and disruption for thousands of apprentices.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":418605,"EventID":"S6O-03322","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T15:00:04.737","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-09T12:54:13.5","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to promote and improve rail services in Dumfries and Galloway.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418606,"EventID":"S6O-03318","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16176,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":137,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T15:00:05","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-10T10:02:35.603","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support childcare groups that provide afterschool care and care outwith school term times.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418607,"EventID":"S6O-03316","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5060,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T15:00:05.297","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-10T11:05:44.997","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy meant by her reported comments to the Ferguson Marine workforce on 9 April 2024, that the Scottish Government will “stand with you long into the future”.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418608,"EventID":"S6O-03320","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T15:00:05.423","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-10T10:08:59.023","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with ScotRail regarding the potential for operating publicly-run services in the timetable slots vacated by the Jacobite service suspension.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418609,"EventID":"S6O-03323","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T15:00:05.657","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-09T22:28:08.297","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response it to the latest report on childcare costs by Pregnant Then Screwed.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises that childcare costs continue to be a challenge for many parents and carers. That is why the Programme for Government set out ambitious commitments to expand access to childcare as part of our mission to tackle child poverty.\r\nHowever, I would note that Scotland already has the most generous offer in the UK. We are the only part of the UK to offer 1,140 hours a year of funded early learning and childcare to all 3- and 4-year-olds, and eligible 2-year-olds, regardless of their parents’ working status, putting children first. If families paid for this themselves, it would cost them more than £5,500 per eligible child per year. ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418610,"EventID":"S6O-03321","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":3771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":86,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T15:00:05.767","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-09T14:59:43.047","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to progress the recommendations contained in its Fair Fares Review.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418611,"EventID":"S6W-26629","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T16:24:28.82","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-31T10:30:39.377","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the concerns raised by stakeholders in the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee evidence session on 16 January 2024 regarding the effectiveness of environmental governance, and to the recommendation made by the Environmental Rights Centre for Scotland proposing the establishment of a specialist committee or working group to revisit the question of an environmental court or tribunal.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government consulted on its Report into the Effectiveness of Environmental Governance last year. The report outlines the Scottish Government’s position on maintaining the balance of parliamentary, administrative and judicial roles in decision making on environmental matters. However, the Scottish Government will continue to engage with stakeholders – including those who provided evidence to the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee – on environmental governance and environmental justice.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418612,"EventID":"S6W-26801","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T16:24:28.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-09T11:46:26.82","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many hectares of new planting has been of a productive species in each year since the beginning of the current parliamentary session. ","AnswerText":"Official statistics are published by Forest Research in September each year which detail the hectarage of woodland creation by each of the UK’s constituent countries, broken down by broadleaf and conifer species. The most recent publication is from September 2023 and can be found on the Forest Research website at  https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/statistics/forestry-statistics/  .\r\nProvisional statistics for 2023/24 will be published by Forestry Research on 20 June 2024 at  https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/statistics/statistics-by-topic/woodland-statistics/  , with the finalised update due to be published on 26 September 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418613,"EventID":"S6W-26797","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5612,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":150,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T16:24:29.053","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-09T08:59:20.35","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many Waterborne Freight Grants have been awarded in the past five financial years, including 2023-24; which organisations or businesses were successful in receiving funding, and how much each recipient received in each year.","AnswerText":"There have been no awards made by the Scottish Government under the Waterborne Freight Grant scheme in the last five financial years.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418614,"EventID":"S6W-26770","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T16:24:29.133","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T11:56:55.857","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government where the reported unspent money, which was originally allocated to the Bus Partnership Fund, will be spent. ","AnswerText":"The £500 million investment in bus priority infrastructure to tackle the negative impacts of congestion on bus services is over the longer term.\r\nThe Bus Partnership Fund is the first step towards delivering this investment which will extend beyond the term of this parliament.\r\nFollowing the United Kingdom autumn statement delivering the worst-case scenario for Scotland and a nearly 9 per cent real-terms cut in our capital budget from the UK Government, the Scottish Government had to take difficult decisions to deliver a balanced and sustainable spending plan for 2024-25. As such, regrettably, the Bus Partnership Fund has been paused for 2024-25. However, future funding availability will be considered as part of our annual budget-setting process and prioritisation exercises.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418615,"EventID":"S6W-26791","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T16:24:29.193","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T18:10:56.69","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what additional resources have been made available to improve patient outcomes for people living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) since the publication of its Respiratory Care Action Plan.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that people living with respiratory conditions receive the best possible care and treatment to enable them to live longer, healthier, and more independent lives.\r\nWe provide baseline funding to NHS Boards and it is for them to determine how best to meet the needs of their local populations, including people with respiratory conditions.\r\nSince the publication of the Respiratory Care Action Plan, we have formed a number of workstreams dedicated to improving care and treatment of respiratory conditions, including COPD. An example of this is the development of guidance for improving access to Pulmonary Rehab across Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418616,"EventID":"S6W-26794","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4982,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T16:24:29.273","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T20:35:30.113","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that users of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) are exempt from any charges under the Low Emission Zones (LEZ) that are being set up across Scotland.","AnswerText":"Low Emission Zones are based on the Euro emission standard of the vehicle in order to reduce levels of harmful air pollution and protect public health.\r\nWhether vehicles use diesel or hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) as a fuel does not change the Euro emission standard of the vehicle. There is no LEZ exemption for vehicles using diesel fuel alternatives such as hydrotreated vegetable oil, however any such vehicle that meets the Euro 6/VI emission standard can be driven within the LEZ.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418617,"EventID":"S6W-26790","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T16:24:29.32","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T18:10:56.69","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on how often patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) should have their condition and treatment reviewed, and what percentage of patients living with COPD had their condition and treatment reviewed in 2022-23.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that people living with respiratory conditions receive the best possible care and treatment. We expect clinicians and NHS Boards to follow all relevant national clinical guidelines to support those living with COPD.\r\nThis data is not currently held centrally. However, we recognise the importance of having access to meaningful data and have recently commissioned Public Health Scotland (PHS) to begin development of a national respiratory audit programme. This will allow us to ensure people are receiving the best possible care, treatment, and support for their condition and also support respiratory services to better understand the needs of their patients.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418618,"EventID":"S6W-26798","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T16:24:29.383","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-09T11:21:49.87","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what funding it is currently providing for anti-racism education, and what organisations it is funding that carry out anti-racism education. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is absolutely committed to embedding anti-racism in education. As part of the Anti-Racism in Education Programme for financial year 2023-24 the Scottish Government provided the following funding aimed at providing anti-racist education. Funding streams for 24-25 will be published in due course.\r\nFunding recipient\r\nWhat is being funded?\r\nAmount of funding in 2023-24\r\nGeneral Teaching Council for Scotland\r\nThis funds a specialist race equality post within the GTCS.\r\n£97,708\r\nEducation Scotland\r\nDelivery of the Building Racial Literacy Programme\r\n£62,803\r\nEducation Scotland\r\nThis funds a specialist race equality post within education Scotland.\r\n£25,200\r\nIntercultural Youth Scotland\r\nDelivery of a programme of engagement with children and young people on behalf of the Anti-Racism in Education Programme.\r\n£37,818\r\nScottish Association of Minority Ethnic Educators\r\nDelivery of the Leadership, mentoring and wellbeing course for minority ethnic educators\r\n£58,900\r\nCalabar Education Consultants Ltd.\r\nDevelopment of an action guide for the anti-racist recruitment, retention and progression of minority ethnic teachers.\r\n£9520\r\nIntercultural Youth Scotland\r\nIYS School Education Partnerships in secondary schools\r\n£200,000\r\nScotDEC Global Citizenship Education\r\nDevelopment of two new resources for anti-racism in education on health and wellbeing and early years\r\n£60,000\r\nOver 30 schools and education settings\r\nSmall Grants Fund for Children and Young People-led anti-racism in education\r\n£25,000\r\nUniversities of Glasgow, Edinburgh and Stirling\r\nTeaching Slavery in Scotland Programme of Professional Learning for educators\r\n£45,000","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418619,"EventID":"S6W-26498","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T16:24:29.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-26T10:10:03.04","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Police Scotland's decision not to\r\ninvestigate every crime, what its response is to reported comments by Police\r\nScotland that criminals could be handed a \"tactical advantage\"\r\nif police guidance on what crimes will no longer be investigated by officers is\r\npublished.","AnswerText":"Every call received by Police Scotland is individually assessed using the THRIVE model – Threat, Harm, Risk, Investigative opportunity, Vulnerability and Engagement. Every crime report is different and it is simply not the case that certain specific crimes will no longer be investigated as part of the Proportionate Response to Crime pilot in the North East. \r\nAs part of their evaluation of the pilot that was undertaken in the North East, Police Scotland published a number of real life examples that highlighted the diversity in the range of calls received and how they were assessed and responded to. I would particularly draw the member’s attention to the examples where, while the crime appeared to be relatively minor, there were investigative opportunities, meaning that the incident was passed to local policing.\r\nIt is important to remember that the pilot’s evaluation shows that only 5% of crime reports were recorded and filed for no further enquiry. The evaluation states that this freed up 2,657 police officer hours which were therefore used to investigate crimes where there are lines of inquiry. \r\nOn the basis that Police Scotland are clearly not going to disclose details of their operational tactics, I am fully supportive of their approach.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418620,"EventID":"S6W-26761","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T16:24:29.57","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T08:41:28.94","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people are currently waiting for an initial assessment of hearing loss in each NHS board area, also broken down by what the (a) average and (b) longest waiting time for such an assessment is in each NHS board.\r\n","AnswerText":"Public Health Scotland (PHS) does not hold the information requested.\r\nPHS uses the national waiting times datamart to collect electronic patient records covering the waits that patients experience waiting for a new outpatient appointment at a consultant led clinic. If a patient has been referred to a hearing loss clinic led by an audiologist, then those waits are not captured in the national dataset. On occasions where patients are referred directly to be assessed by an ear, nose & throat (ENT) consultant then those waits are included in the official statistics reported for ENT in the following link.\r\nHowever, the data captured nationally does not allow for the identification of specific clinics and services within any specialty. https://publichealthscotland.scot/media/25286/newop_feb24.xlsx ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418621,"EventID":"S6W-26800","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T16:24:29.633","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-09T11:46:26.82","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of not meeting its target of creating 18,000 hectares of new woodland in 2024-25. ","AnswerText":"As a result of the UK Government cutting Scotland’s capital allocation, funding support will not allow us to reach our target, but it will still help create over 9,000 ha of new woodland. The implications of not meeting the 2024-25 woodland creation target will be examined in preparation for the next Climate Change Plan, including modelling the impacts on the capacity of Scotland’s forests to sequester carbon and their longer term contribution to Net Zero in 2045. Even though it will not deliver its very ambitious woodland creation target in 2024-25, Scotland is expected to deliver the large majority of woodland creation across the UK.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418622,"EventID":"S6W-26488","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T16:24:29.693","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-03-25T10:08:20.69","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Secretary of State for Health and Social Care regarding using the 2024 Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing, Access and Growth as an incentive for the pharmaceutical industry to improve the sustainability of current products in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The regulation for the pricing and supply of medicines is reserved to the UK Government. Scottish Government officials worked closely with their counterparts in the UK Government during the 2024 Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing, Access and Growth (VPAG) negotiations with the pharmaceutical industry, however, the devolved administrations were not included in the formal negotiations.\r\nCommitments made on medicines and pharmaceutical manufacturing sustainability in the 2024 VPAG can be found in section 7.11 to 7.14 here:  2024 Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing, Access and Growth (publishing.service.gov.uk)  .","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418623,"EventID":"S6W-26795","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T16:24:29.757","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T22:39:07.25","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26225 by Fiona Hyslop on 8 April 2024, what the estimated capital expenditure on the M8 Woodside Viaduct project is expected to be during the 2024-25 financial year.","AnswerText":"The M8 Woodside Viaducts are a vital element of the motorway and road network serving Glasgow, the wider region and country, carrying approximately 150,000 vehicles per day. The structure requires to be temporarily propped to facilitate the refurbishment of the bridge elements in need of repair. The temporary propping design and implementation is highly complex in nature and requires careful consideration of the underground services and other site constraints in the vicinity of the Viaducts.\r\nThe budget allocation for the ongoing works on the Woodside Viaduct project for the 2024-25 financial year is £46.97m.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418624,"EventID":"S6W-26796","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5612,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":150,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T16:24:29.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-09T08:58:54.43","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many applications for Waterborne Freight Grants have been received in the past five financial years, including 2023-24.","AnswerText":"One application was received by the Scottish Government for support from the Waterborne Freight Grant Scheme in the last five financial years.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418625,"EventID":"S6W-26792","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T16:24:29.943","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T18:10:56.69","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the 12 commitments in the Respiratory Care Action Plan have been prioritised, and which commitments have been achieved.","AnswerText":"Since the publication of Respiratory Care Action Plan (RCAP) for Scotland, we have established the Scottish Respiratory Advisory Committee (SRAC) to oversee its implementation. The key priorities identified were: increasing access to pulmonary rehabilitation; developing a respiratory core data set and developing best practice guidance for children living with asthma and transitioning to adult services. \r\nSub-groups were established to take this work forward. The Transitions sub-group have produced their recommendations for best practice, and these have been shared with key stakeholders in order to improve consistency across the country.\r\nWe are working closely with Public Health Scotland and are currently in the early stages of developing a national respiratory audit, which will help to better identify areas of improvement and track progress across Scotland. \r\nIn September 2023, the British Thoracic Society published their refreshed pulmonary rehab guidelines, we are considering how best we can support its implementation across Scotland. We are also working closely with the Scottish Pulmonary Rehab Advisory Group (SPRAG) and the Respiratory Specialty Delivery Group within the Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) in order to determine how we can best support improvements in pulmonary rehab services across Scotland.\r\nThe Centre for Sustainable Delivery are also developing national pathways for respiratory conditions including severe asthma; COPD and sleep apnoea. This work aligns closely with the RCAP and we will continue to ensure that close links continue.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418626,"EventID":"S6W-26799","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T16:24:30.007","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-09T11:46:26.82","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of new planting has been of (a) productive and (b) native species, in each year since the beginning of the current parliamentary session. ","AnswerText":"Percentages for 2021-22 and 2022-23 are as follows:\r\nScotland Private Sector Native Woodland Creation Areas\r\nYear\r\nNative WC Planting Area (ha)\r\nTotal New WC Planting (ha)\r\nProportion Native Planting (%)\r\nProportion Productive Planting (%)*\r\n2021-22\r\n4,362\r\n9,854\r\n44%\r\n56%\r\n2022-23\r\n2,876\r\n8,018\r\n36%\r\n64%\r\n*To note this figure will include a proportion of native conifer and mixed productive broadleaved species.\r\nWoodland creation figures for 2023-24 are expected to be published in June 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418627,"EventID":"S6W-26793","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-10T16:24:30.07","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T18:10:56.69","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there has been an increase in the number of patients accessing appropriate diagnostic tests, such as spirometry testing, for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), since the publication of the Respiratory Care Action Plan.","AnswerText":"The information requested is not held centrally.\r\nWe recognise the importance of having access to appropriate diagnostic tests and continue to work with all key stakeholders to determine best ways to improve this in respiratory care.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418670,"EventID":"S6W-26807","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-11T16:18:57.667","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-09T12:09:05.827","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update on its engagement with Vestas regarding potential investment in Scotland.","AnswerText":"We are continuing to engage with Vestas around potential investment into Scotland. Most recently, the First Minister met with the CEO of Vestas on 3 April 2024. Throughout our engagement with Vestas it has continued to emphasise its commitment to Scotland.\r\nOur fast-growing offshore wind industry provides us with significant opportunities to attract inward investment, generate green jobs and grow our regional and national economies.\r\nWe are taking a “Team Scotland” approach across the public sector when engaging with companies such as Vestas to ensure we maximise investment opportunities.\r\nAnd we are investing up to £500 million over 5 years to anchor the offshore wind supply chain in Scotland and maximise the economic benefits the sector can bring.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418671,"EventID":"S6W-26802","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-11T16:18:57.79","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-09T11:46:45.88","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update on when it (a) last met and (b) will next meet with the UK Minister of State for Energy Security and Net Zero regarding Grangemouth refinery.","AnswerText":"I was disappointed that the UK Government Minister for Energy Security was unable to attend the recent meeting of the Grangemouth Future Industry Board Industrial Leadership Forum on the 28th March. He did attend the previous meeting in January and met with Scottish Ministers.\r\nHowever I was pleased that the UK Government Scotland Office was represented by John Lamont MP. It is my understanding that Lord Cameron will now take forward the Scotland Office interests on this group and I have written to him to ask for a meeting to discuss these important matters.\r\nI am also regretful that the previous Minister for Energy Security declined my invitation to meet since taking up my new position, however I have since written to the newly appointed Minister and hope that he will be able to join trilateral discussion with Petroineos in the coming weeks.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":418672,"EventID":"S6W-26804","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-11T16:18:57.853","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-09T12:01:19.753","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update on its work to make Scotland \"a leading Fair Work Nation by 2025\".","AnswerText":"Scotland is making great strides towards becoming a leading Fair Work nation.\r\nThe number of accredited Real Living Wage employers is up from 14 in 2014 to over 3,500 in 2023. That’s proportionately 5 times as many than the rest of the UK, and some 65,000 workers in Scotland have had a pay rise as a result of accreditation, making a real impact for people in the lowest paid jobs.\r\nOur support contributes to 89.9% of employees aged 18 and over in Scotland being paid at least the real Living Wage (2023 data), higher than Wales 87.1%, England 87.0%, NI 84.4%, and the UK overall 87.1%.\r\nBuilding on the work of the Fair Work Convention we’re pressing forward with sectoral agreements in Adult Social Care and Construction, as well as Retail with to help put those sectors and their workforces on a sustainable footing for the long term.\r\nThe median gender pay gap has continued on a long-term downward trend and has now reached a record low of 1.7% in 2023 for full time employees in Scotland, lower than the overall UK gap of 7.7%.\r\nThe Disability Employment Gap fell further to 30.2 percentage points in 2023 – a decrease from 31.9 p.p. in 2022 and the lowest it has been since our baseline year in 2016 when it was 37.4 p.p. There is still work to do but this suggests that we are on track to achieve our ambition to reach 18.7 p.p by 2038.\r\nFair Work First principles were applied to some £4bn public funds since 2019, and in 1 July 2023 we took this further by adding the requirement that all grant recipients awarded a public sector grant pay at least the real Living Wage and provide appropriate channels for effective workers’ voice.\r\nThrough the Workplace Equality Fund we focused on providing financial support for employers to address longstanding barriers in the labour market that particular priority groups experience, including disabled people, women, racialised minorities and older workers. In 2023-24 the WEF investment was almost £600,000 across 10 projects, bringing the total spent to over £3.2m on 71 projects since 2018  [1]  . This year we are evaluating the effectiveness of the WEF to inform future interventions.\r\nIn financial years 2020-21 and 2023-24, we invested £1.2 m in the Apt Public Social Partnership (PSP)which worked to improve the recruitment and retention of disabled people by developing and testing different types of support for employers. The PSP engaged with employers in the private and third sectors, with a particular focus on SMEs throughout Scotland. An independent evaluation of the PSP’s impact will be commissioned in 2024-25. Employers involved in the partnership to date have reported benefits such as improved recruitment and retention processes, increased confidence in having conversations about employment with disabled people, and increased awareness about the benefits of a diverse workforce.\r\nWe have repeatedly voiced our opposition to legislation at Westminster that undermines workers’ rights, including the Trade Union Act 2016, the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses (Amendment) Regulations 2022, hire and rehire, and the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023.\r\nWe have been proud to support pay deals for public sector workers that reflect the vital jobs that they do. Last year pay deals were around £800 million greater than planned and our total expenditure on public sector pay is now around £25 billion – over half of our fiscal resource. On average public sector pay in Scotland is around 6% more than the rest of the UK.\r\n[1]  Total investment in WEF projects since 2018 is £3,194,500","AnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":418673,"EventID":"S6W-26829","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-11T16:18:58.01","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-10T13:23:28.083","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide a timeline for the potential implementation of motorway bus lanes around Glasgow.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is facing a real terms cut in our capital budget. The flat and falling funding trajectory from the UK Government has significantly impacted our ability to deliver on our capital infrastructure commitments. Based on the latest forecasts following the UK Spring Statement, our block grant for capital is now expected to reduce by 8.7% by 2027-28 – a cumulative loss of over £1.3 billion.\r\nDevelopment of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) delivery plan is underway, including Recommendation 14 – that bus priority interventions are implemented within Scotland’s cities and towns where congestion is highest. This takes account of the current financial climate and is examining existing schemes across all modes in addition to the 45 STPR2 recommendations.\r\nThis is a complex piece of work, with consultation ongoing across the Scottish Government, including with Statutory Bodies and Exchequer officials. This exercise will allow for the timeline for the publication to be confirmed and identify any further statutory requirements, which of course, Parliament will be informed of at the earliest opportunity. Thereafter, we will be able to advise with more certainty on the potential implementation of motorway bus lanes around Glasgow and the associated timelines.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418674,"EventID":"S6W-26825","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-11T16:18:58.057","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-10T11:19:47.87","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is taking any action to ensure that prisoners with an Order for Lifelong Restriction (OLR) sentence are provided with courses that will help them reform their behaviour.","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:\r\nThose individuals with an Order for Lifelong Restriction (OLR) have a risk management plan (RMP) that is approved by the Risk Management Authority (RMA).\r\nWithin this RMP there are strategies identify for intervention which aims to target and reduce risk factors associated with that individual’s offending/harmful behaviour. Where an offending behaviour programme is identified as being appropriate, individuals are placed on a national waiting list which prioritises individuals based on their critical dates.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418675,"EventID":"S6W-26810","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-11T16:18:58.277","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-09T12:16:58.33","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the potential implications of the announced closure of the Grangemouth refinery as part of its work on the forthcoming Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to work with the business and other key stakeholders to understand the implications of any future announcement made by the business and have committed to publishing this work in due course. Whilst this commercial decision will clearly have implications on a wide range of factors, the Scottish Government’s commitment to meeting our 2045 net zero target remains resolute and the Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan will reflect that. We have also committed to publishing a Draft Grangemouth Just Transition Plan which will be the first place based approach to Just Transition, and is being actively worked on with a range of stakeholders. We have also convened the Grangemouth Future Industries Board to analyse current and future opportunities at the industrial site.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418676,"EventID":"S6W-26824","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-11T16:18:58.323","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-10T11:19:47.87","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many inmates with Order for Lifelong Restriction (OLR) sentences have not had an updated risk assessment within the last year. ","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:\r\nOLRs are subject to an annual review of their LSCMI risk assessment which is carried out by Prison Based Social Work (PBSW). In addition to this, each OLR has a Risk Management Plan (RMP), which is largely part of the risk assessment prepared for the courts and updated at significant points of change during their sentence.\r\nIn 2023 there were 40 RMPs revised for OLRs and 10 revised thus far in 2024. SPS currently do not hold data on the number of OLRs whose LSCMIs have been updated within the past year.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418677,"EventID":"S6W-26834","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-11T16:18:58.387","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-10T13:35:59.773","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what (a) infrastructure and (b) equipment, including materials, kit and PPE, was provided to firefighters to support and ensure full decontamination following their attendance at the Breadalbane Street fire in Edinburgh on 14 March 2024.","AnswerText":"The provision of infrastructure and equipment at any incident to ensure decontamination is entirely a matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.\r\nThe safety and wellbeing of firefighters is a priority for both the Scottish Government and for the fire service.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418678,"EventID":"S6W-26822","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-11T16:18:58.433","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-10T10:02:25.447","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to conserve and protect the earthworm population in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the importance of soil biodiversity including earthworm populations which bring multiple benefits to both Scotland’s ecosystems and natural environment as well as food production.\r\nWe are taking steps to protect the health of our soils and thereby protect and conserve earthworms in Scotland. In the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill, one of the four Objectives is ‘the adoption and use of sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices’, and the Bill states that Scottish Ministers must prepare and publish a Code of Practice providing guidance on sustainable and regenerative agriculture. With actions to promote soil health being the cornerstone of regenerative agriculture, the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill shows the Scottish Governments clear commitment to soil health.\r\nFurther to this, the Agricultural Reform List of Measures published in 2023, were drafted to meet Outcomes that included; improving soil biodiversity, and increase soil carbon/organic matter content. This List of Measures gives an indication of the type of soil health measures that are being developed through the Agricultural Reform Programme that will directly benefit earthworms in Scotland. Support is available to farmers and crofters as part of Preparing for Sustainable Farming?(PSF) which is helping businesses prepare for changes with support for conducting soil sampling and analysis.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418679,"EventID":"S6W-26817","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-11T16:18:58.48","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-09T15:29:01.123","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its policy is regarding mandatory rotation of Ukrainian refugees around hotels in Fife.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has welcome accommodation across Scotland. These are managed in partnership with relevant local authorities, who advise on where guests are best placed. \r\nWe work collaboratively with local authorities such as Fife to ensure that services are person-centred and delivered in a trauma informed way, and which support effective resettlement.\r\nIn the Fife Council area there are three welcome accommodation hotels for displaced people on a temporary basis upon arrival in the country. \r\nOn arrival, Fife council will make a needs assessment and will consider the availability of council services to support displaced people in determining which hotel is most suited for presenting individuals or families, \r\nThere is no mandatory rotation of guests in Fife, or any other part of the welcome accommodation estate housing displaced people.\r\nHowever, from time to time as a result of contracting, consolidation, changes in local services provision or when an accommodation provider choses to reduce or discontinue the rooms they offer, local authorities may require guests to move to new accommodation and will look to minimise disruption to guests as much as possible. \r\nThe Scottish Government remains committed, alongside our Local Authority partners, to supporting Ukrainians access longer-term, sustainable accommodation while they make Scotland their home.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418680,"EventID":"S6W-26818","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-11T16:18:58.527","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-09T16:52:50.337","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that alcohol treatment initiatives, such as the Primary Care Alcohol Nurse Outreach Service (PCANOS), are maintained as key services in addressing Scotland’s reportedly rising alcohol harms.","AnswerText":"We’re determined to do all we can to reduce alcohol-related harm and are working closely with Alcohol and Drug Partnerships and the third sector to do so. Drug and alcohol services have seen a significant increase in funding as a result of the National Mission to ensure treatment services are in place to support people impacted by alcohol and drugs.\r\nFor example, we are exploring the evidence around Managed Alcohol Programmes and are delighted to be able to contribute to the running of the innovative model being piloted in Glasgow by Simon Community Scotland and its evaluation.\r\nIn addition, we are working with stakeholders to create a national service specification alongside guidance for alcohol treatment in Scotland, supported by a meaningful treatment target. This work will build on the forthcoming UK-wide Clinical Alcohol Treatment Guidelines, developed by Office for Health Improvement and Disparities.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418681,"EventID":"S6W-26836","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-11T16:18:58.573","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-10T13:57:21.94","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the importance of MCR Pathways coordinators in delivering the MCR mentoring programme in schools.","AnswerText":"We recognise the important role that programmes like MCR Pathways can play in supporting young people towards positive outcomes. Coordinators, who are often employed directly by local authorities, play an important role within the MCR Pathways programme, including building relationships with young people and supporting mentors.\r\nSince 2021-22 the Scottish Government has provided approximately £5.5M to MCR Pathways to allow it to expand its programme.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418682,"EventID":"S6W-26838","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5060,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-11T16:18:58.62","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-10T16:55:49.72","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of all funding streams that are being used, or could be used, to fund anti-racist education initiatives.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is absolutely committed to embedding anti-racism in education. As part of the Anti-Racism in Education Programme for financial year 2023-24 the Scottish Government provided the following funding streams aimed at providing anti-racist education. Funding streams for 24-25 will be published in due course.\r\nFunding Streams:Anti-Racism in Education Programme (AREP) funding streamCurriculum workstream of the AREPSchool Library Improvement FundHolocaust Educational Trust “Lessons from Auschwitz project”Vision Schools ScotlandSTUC Unions into Schools project","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418683,"EventID":"S6W-26654","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-11T16:18:58.667","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-02T14:13:03.613","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what powers it has to amend the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 to reduce or amend the distances from home to school before free school transport is provided.","AnswerText":"Section 42(4) of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 states the statutory walking distances are two miles for children aged under eight, and three miles for children aged eight or over. Any changes to these distances would need to be via primary legislation and subject to the will of the Scottish Parliament.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418684,"EventID":"S6W-26826","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-11T16:18:58.713","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-10T11:19:47.87","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many current inmates have Order for Lifelong Restriction (OLR) sentences, and whether that figure has risen in the past five years. ","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:\r\nThe Order for Lifelong Restriction (OLR) figures are available publicly on the Risk Management Authority (RMA) website. The OLR sentences made in the last 5 years are as follows:\r\nFinancial Year\r\nOLRs\r\n2023-24\r\n34\r\n2022-23\r\n27\r\n2021-22\r\n28\r\n2020-21\r\n15\r\n2019-20\r\n19\r\nAs of 25 April 2024 there were 229 individuals with an OLR sentence in Scottish Prisons.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418685,"EventID":"S6W-26837","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-11T16:18:58.76","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-10T13:57:21.94","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what role mentors provided by MCR Pathways play in improving outcomes for children and young people, including pupils from a care setting.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognise the important role programmes like MCR Pathways can play in supporting young people.\r\nMentors, who are volunteers from local communities, can support young people, including care-experienced young people, towards better outcomes.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418686,"EventID":"S6W-26833","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-11T16:18:58.807","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-10T13:35:59.773","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what decontamination procedures were carried out by Scottish Fire and Rescue Service personnel (a) during and (b) after the Breadalbane Street fire in Edinburgh on 14 March 2024.","AnswerText":"Decontamination both during and after any incident is an entirely operational matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.\r\nThe safety and wellbeing of firefighters is a priority for both the Scottish Government and for the fire service.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418687,"EventID":"S6W-26805","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-11T16:18:58.98","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-09T12:02:31.387","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update on its work in expanding collective bargaining in Scotland.","AnswerText":"While employment law is reserved, we will continue to do whatever we can with the levers we have to strengthen effective voice and ultimately collective bargaining in Scotland. The Scottish Government has made a clear commitment to promote collective bargaining through the inclusion of an employee voice indicator, measured by collective bargaining coverage, within the National Performance Framework.\r\nOur National Strategy for Economic Transformation and our refreshed Fair Work Action Plan include actions to support trade unions and promote collective bargaining. \r\nWe are continuing to promote trade union recognition and collective bargaining, at both local and sectoral levels, to achieve improved conditions and enhance effective voice. Work is underway in a number of traditionally low paid or precarious sectors to advance fair work and effective voice for workers. The Scottish Government’s work on introducing sectoral bargaining for the adult social care sector is progressing ahead of the introduction of the National Care Service (NCS), in line with the recommendations of the Fair Work Convention. Furthermore, since 1 July 2023, public sector grants include a requirement to pay at least the Real Living Wage to all employees, and provide appropriate channels for effective voice, thus strengthening our approach to conditionality.\r\nDespite an increasingly constrained budgetary context we have continued to provide trade unions in Scotland with funding and support to advance fair work and improve worker voice, which can ultimately increase trade union recognition.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":418688,"EventID":"S6W-26831","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-11T16:18:59.043","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-10T13:35:59.773","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many firefighters attended the Breadalbane Street fire in Edinburgh on 14 March 2024, broken down by how many underwent (a) full, (b) partial and (c) no decontamination following the fire.","AnswerText":"The number of firefighters attending any incident, and the manner in which they operate, is an entirely operational matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.\r\nThe safety and wellbeing of firefighters is a priority for both the Scottish Government and for the fire service.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418689,"EventID":"S6W-26832","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-11T16:18:59.09","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-10T13:35:59.773","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment was made of the potential risk to firefighter health, safety and wellbeing resulting from any fire contaminants at the Breadalbane Street fire in Edinburgh on 14 March 2024.","AnswerText":"Assessment of risk at the attendance of any incident is entirely an operational matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.\r\nThe safety and wellbeing of firefighters is a priority for both the Scottish Government and for the fire service.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418690,"EventID":"S6W-26806","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-11T16:18:59.153","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-09T12:08:16.527","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update on its work in reviewing the Good Practice Principles for community benefits from onshore renewable energy developments.","AnswerText":"Despite the powers to mandate community benefits being reserved to the UK Government, through our voluntary approach - supported by our Good Practice Principles for Community Benefits from Onshore Renewable Energy Developments - over £26 million of community benefits have been offered to Scottish communities in the last 12 months.\r\nAs part of the Onshore Wind Sector Deal, the sector committed to meet or exceed our Good Practice Principles, which is an important milestone in our work to ensure these principles are universally adopted by developers.\r\nWe are currently reviewing our Good Practice Principles for Offshore Renewables, ahead of public consultation in 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418691,"EventID":"S6W-26670","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-11T16:18:59.2","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-03T09:54:07.337","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided to each NHS board in each of the last three years to support an increase in the provision of insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors.","AnswerText":"In the last three years, the Scottish Government has invested £19.6 million of additional funding specifically to increase the provision of insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors. This funding consisted of £5.1 million in 2020 to 2021 and £14.5 million in 2021 to 2022. It was allocated based on the percentage of patients with Type 1 diabetes within each given NHS Board area relative to the Scottish population. This data was taken from the Scottish Diabetes Survey 2020, which can be found here:  https://www.diabetesinscotland.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Diabetes-Scottish-Diabetes-Survey-2020.pdf  .\r\nThe £5.1 million of additional funding in 2020 to 2021 was allocated as per the breakdown below:\r\nHealth Board\r\nTotal funding\r\nNHS Ayrshire & Arran\r\n£308,700\r\nNHS Borders\r\n£91,325\r\nNHS Dumfries & Galloway\r\n£123,625\r\nNHS Fife\r\n£293,550\r\nNHS Forth Valley\r\n£252,725\r\nNHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde\r\n£872,025\r\nNHS Grampian\r\n£461,050\r\nNHS Highland\r\n£279,975\r\nNHS Lanarkshire\r\n£581,100\r\nNHS Lothian\r\n£663,275\r\nNHS Orkney\r\n£17,150\r\nNHS Shetland\r\n£19,675\r\nNHS Tayside\r\n£298,600\r\nNHS Western Isles\r\n£24,725\r\nTotal excluding VAT\r\n£4,287,500\r\nTotal including VAT\r\n£5,145,000\r\nThe £14.5 million of additional funding in 2021 to 2022 was allocated as per breakdown below:\r\nHealth Board\r\nTotal funding\r\nNHS Ayrshire & Arran\r\n£824,253\r\nNHS Borders\r\n£269,404\r\nNHS Dumfries & Galloway\r\n£371,118\r\nNHS Fife\r\n£832,513\r\nNHS Forth Valley\r\n£719,165\r\nNHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde\r\n£2,478,769\r\nNHS Grampian\r\n£1,327,914\r\nNHS Highland\r\n£808,477\r\nNHS Lanarkshire\r\n£1,669,927\r\nNHS Lothian\r\n£1,886,890\r\nNHS Orkney\r\n£46,940\r\nNHS Shetland\r\n£49,008\r\nNHS Tayside\r\n£849,048\r\nNHS Western Isles\r\n£66,577\r\nTotal excluding VAT\r\n£12,200,000\r\nTotal including VAT\r\n£14,640,000\r\nIt is important to note that this funding was in addition to and not a replacement for local budgets. As you will be aware, the Scottish Government provides baseline funding to NHS Boards, and it is for individual Boards to determine how best to utilise this funding to meet the needs and priorities of their local populations. This includes ensuring those with Type 1 diabetes have access to the most appropriate treatment and care, including diabetes technologies.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418692,"EventID":"S6W-26827","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-11T16:18:59.247","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-10T11:55:49.61","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-23717 and S6W-23718 by Jenni Minto on 19 December 2023, whether it is aware of any specialist services for children and young people with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) in Scotland, and, if it is the case that it is not aware of any such services, what plans it has to address this.","AnswerText":"We recognise the importance of good quality care for children and young people living with ME/CFS.\r\nChildren and young people with ME/CFS can experience a wide spectrum of symptoms and may require input from clinicians from a variety of specialisms. We know there is no ‘one-size fits all’ response and a focus is required on coordinating existing care. Whilst children and Young People are not included within the scope of the current Neurological Care & Support Framework strategy, those who need assessment by a consultant or other professional can access this after an appropriate referral, normally from a GP, and can be referred to any further services as required such as paediatric medical specialities, paediatric physiotherapy and occupational therapy.\r\nThe provision of healthcare services is the responsibility of local NHS Health Boards, taking into account national guidance, local service needs and priorities for investment. Whilst our 2023 survey of health boards’ arrangements for ME/CFS care did not identify any ME-specific specialist services for children and young people, Boards are expected to ensure that patients have access to a range of professionals to provide the appropriate management of their condition.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418693,"EventID":"S6W-26812","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-11T16:18:59.31","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-09T14:08:40.237","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is the case that, from 1 April 2024, fossil fuel and biofuel heating systems will not be permitted in newbuild construction; whether, in addition to oil and gas heating systems, (a) log boilers and (b) solid fuel and woodburning stoves have been banned, and, if so, what assessment it has made of any impact that this may have on (i) rural economies, (ii) resilience for properties during periods of power cuts and (iii) energy costs for properties. ","AnswerText":"The New Build Heat Standard (NBHS)means new homes and buildings constructed under a building warrant (applied for on or after 1 April 2024) will not be allowed to use any fixed direct emission heating systems like oil and gas boilers and bioenergy.\r\nThe NBHS does not apply to the installation of ‘emergency heating’. This is in direct response to feedback from rural communities and concerns about interruption of supply. This means that the NBHS permits fixed systems which may include woodburning stoves where this is justified.\r\nNew buildings are already required to meet high standards of energy efficiency which result in lower heat demand and can help reduce energy costs. Impacts of the NBHS on cost and on island communities were considered in the Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA) and Islands Communities Impact Assessment (ICIA) published alongside the regulations. These have been informed by consultation feedback and wider stakeholder engagement.\r\nAll impact assessments and accompanying research can be accessed at:  New Build Heat Standard - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .","AnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418694,"EventID":"S6W-26811","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-11T16:18:59.403","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-09T13:01:02.313","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether its final response to the Review of the Effectiveness of Environmental Governance will incorporate evidence recently submitted to the Scottish Parliament's Net Z","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether its final response to the Review of the Effectiveness of Environmental Governance will incorporate evidence recently submitted to the Scottish Parliament's Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee by Environmental Standards Scotland, the Environmental Rights Centre for Scotland and the Law Society of Scotland, specifically regarding whether an environmental court could enhance governance arrangements.","AnswerText":"The final Scottish Government response will take into account the views provided by stakeholders in their written consultation responses on the main issues of the report, including an environment court, which reflects the evidence that was provided to the Net Zero, Energy, and Transport Committee. The Scottish Government will continue to engage with stakeholders on environmental governance and environmental justice.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418695,"EventID":"S6W-26830","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-11T16:18:59.45","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-10T13:23:43.783","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update on Transport Scotland's work in potentially establishing motorway bus lanes around Glasgow.","AnswerText":"The second Strategic Transport Projects Review recommends that bus priority interventions are implemented within Scotland’s cities and towns where congestion is highest and that bus priority measures continue to be identified and implemented on the trunk road and motorway network.\r\nIn the case of the trunk road and motorway network, Transport Scotland will progress its plans for the M8, M77 and M80, building on the earlier appraisal and business case work. This will be informed by new post COVID traffic data analysis and will reflect the latest policy landscape which continues to evolve. All of this work is aimed at ensuring that these important changes are fully captured in the development of a robust business case.\r\nIn terms of stakeholder interest, Transport Scotland will continue work with Glasgow City Council and partners to identify the schemes which could be supported in the future. This is as part of achieving the Council’s wider aspirations for the M8 around the City Centre and an integrated approach to bus service improvement.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418696,"EventID":"S6W-26835","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-11T16:18:59.497","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-10T13:35:59.773","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the initial fire crews that attended the Breadalbane Street fire in Edinburgh on 14 March 2024 were relieved from the incident in order to decontaminate, and, if it is the case that they were not relieved, what the duration of their attendance was.","AnswerText":"The movement and management of fire crews at an operational incident is entirely a matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.\r\nThe safety and wellbeing of firefighters is a priority for both the Scottish Government and for the fire service.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418697,"EventID":"S6W-26828","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-11T16:18:59.56","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-10T12:42:25.167","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many out-of-hours doctors have been on call in NHS Dumfries and Galloway on each of the last 30 days, also broken down by the location at which they have been based.","AnswerText":"The Dumfries and Galloway (D&G) Out of Hours Service do not operate an 'on-call' model of service.\r\nWhilst the number of GPs working in the Out of Hours service is not collected routinely by the Board, in the 30 days up to the 11 April, when the Parliamentary Question was lodged, there were 240 required shifts at the Dumfries Royal Infirmary base, of which 233 were filled. this equates to 97.08% coverage. In the same period, there were 92 required shifts at the Galloway Community Hospital base, of which 69 were filled. This equates to 75% coverage.\r\nNHS D&G have robust arrangements in place to cover any GP cover shortages, with remote cover being provided from the centre in Dumfries and arrangements in place with A&E to re-direct if this is deemed clinically appropriate. The service maintains the home visiting service throughout and operates a wraparound nursing service to provide Out of Hours healthcare as required.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418698,"EventID":"S6W-26803","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-11T16:18:59.607","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-09T11:58:24.373","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update on its engagement with the UK Government regarding any implications for Scotland of the Harrington Review of Foreign Direct Investment.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government and its partners have regular engagement with the UK Government to ensure a strategic approach and alignment of activity around Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).\r\nWe welcome the recommendations from the Harrington Review to increase investment and expansion of the Office for Investment (OFI) and to improve collaboration and understanding of investment strengths between the UK Government and Devolved Administrations through the appointment of regional specialists. We have been engaging with the UK Government on the Review and Scottish Development International now has a dedicated resource in place at the OFI to support collaboration around attracting further investment opportunities to Scotland.\r\nScotland has a strong record in attracting FDI and our Inward Investment Plan is key to supporting Scotland’s growth clusters. EY’s independent Annual Attractiveness Survey 2023 shows that Scotland has been the most attractive investment location outside of London for the last eight years.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418699,"EventID":"S6W-26820","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-12T15:06:47.643","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-10T08:56:42.117","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask to the Scottish Government what incentives there will be for landlords to comply with the new Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) regulations, in light of the reported current lack of enforcement by local authorities.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is not proposing any change in requirements that landlords will have to comply with as part of proposed amendments to EPC regulations, and therefore is not aware of the need for any incentives to do so. It will remain a legal requirement for landlords advertising a property for rental to ensure that there is a valid EPC.\r\nWe have proposed reducing the validity period from 10 years to 5 years and so in these circumstances a landlord may have to update their EPC more frequently. As set out in our consultation on EPC reform in 2023, this will ensure the EPC provides a more up-to-date assessment for current and prospective tenants of a property.\r\nAs part of the wider reform of EPCs in Scotland, we are currently reviewing the EPC operational framework in Scotland. This includes a review of the current enforcement mechanisms in place.\r\nThe Scottish Government is currently considering responses to the consultation and as set out in our response to S6W-26036 we intend to publish our response to the EPC reform and Heat in Buildings Bill consultations at the same point later this year.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418700,"EventID":"S6W-26842","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-12T15:06:47.813","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-11T10:42:10.607","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Self-Build Loan Fund, how many people have defaulted on their loan repayments in each financial year since it was launched. ","AnswerText":"A total of 49 loans have been made to applicants, with 44 loans either fully repaid within agreed timescales or in the process of doing so. A total of 6 loans became subject to the default interest rate during 2023-24, 2 of these were repaid in full during that financial year, and 4 of these loans remain subject to the default interest rate. During the current financial year, 1 loan has been subject to the default interest rate.\r\nWe are delighted to provide support to people to build their own homes with the completion of 39 homes through the Self Build Loan Fund since it was established in September 2018.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418701,"EventID":"S6W-26841","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-12T15:06:47.847","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-11T10:42:10.607","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-09549 by Shona Robison on 19 July 2022, whether it will provide an update on (a) how many and (b) what value of Scotland Self-Build Loan Fund loans it has issued in each year of operation, and how many homes have been completed, broken down by local authority, since June 2022. ","AnswerText":"Since June 2022 a further 9 loans have been issued under the Self Build Loan Fund, with a total value of £1,367,967, and this is shown in table 1. The number of loans issued since June 2022, split by local authority, is shown in table 2.\r\nTable 1: Number and Value of Self Build Loan Fund loans since June 2022\r\nYear\r\nValue of loans offered\r\nNumber of Loans\r\n1\r\n£652,967 (30-06-2022 to 31-03-2023)\r\n4\r\n2\r\n£715,000 (01-04-2023 to 31-03-2024)\r\n5\r\n \r\nTable 2: Number of loans issued since June 2022 split by local authority\r\n \r\nLocal Authority Area\r\nNo of loans\r\nValue of loans £\r\nAberdeen-shire\r\n1\r\n50,000\r\nHighland\r\n3\r\n520,000\r\nShetland\r\n1\r\n175,000\r\nWestern Isles\r\n3\r\n447,967\r\nStirling\r\n1\r\n175,000\r\nTotal\r\n9\r\n1,137,967\r\nSince June 2022 a further 25 homes have been completed by people in receipt of a Self-Build Loan: Argyll & Bute - 1, Western Isles - 1, Highland - 15, S Lanarkshire - 2, Aberdeenshire – 1, Stirling – 1, Falkirk – 1, Shetland – 1, East Ayrshire – 1, Borders – 1.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418702,"EventID":"S6W-26846","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-12T15:06:48.05","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-11T10:42:10.607","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to gather the views of (a) scientists, (b) farmers, (c) food producers, (d) manufacturers and (e) consumers, in relation to reducing regulations on gene editing. ","AnswerText":"The views of stakeholders in Scotland – scientists, farmers, food producers and manufacturers, but especially, consumers and the public as a whole – will inform any future changes in relation to new genetic technologies such as gene editing. We are aware of the European Commission’s consideration of new genomic techniques (NGTs), and are looking carefully at the implications of their legislative proposals.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":418703,"EventID":"S6W-26809","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-12T15:06:48.267","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-09T12:16:06.013","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23975 by Mairi McAllan on 18 January 2024, whether it can detail any work that it has undertaken in relation to exploring joining the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance (BOGA) as a core member, and whether it will provide an update on its position on BOGA membership ahead of the publication of the Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan.\r\n","AnswerText":"The Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan (ESJTP), to be published in summer, will include the Scottish Government's updated policy position on offshore oil and gas exploration and production, among other matters. The Strategy will set out a clear pathway to deliver on global commitments and capitalise on the enormous opportunities offered by becoming a net zero economy. Our focus remains on reducing emissions in line with climate goals, meeting our energy security needs and ensuring a just transition for our oil and gas workforce as North Sea resources decline.\r\nAlongside finalising the ESJTP, we continue to engage with the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance as part of a wider programme of analysis and engagement with a range of organisations and stakeholders. The final ESJTP will also build from the substantial independent evidence base on domestic energy transition in the context of the global Paris Agreement goals that was developed and published in support of the draft version.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418704,"EventID":"S6W-26823","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16176,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":137,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-12T15:06:48.347","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-10T10:03:59.577","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with COSLA\r\nregarding the presence of asbestos in schools and other public buildings.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continue to meet with COSLA and individual local authorities on a regular basis to discuss the issues affecting local government. Moreover, we have increased funding to local government by £574.6 million - or 4.3% - in 2024-25.\r\nHowever, health and safety regulations are not devolved to the Scottish Government, and the Health and Safety Executive has UK wide responsibility for enforcement of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418705,"EventID":"S6W-26821","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-12T15:06:48.423","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-10T08:56:42.117","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask to the Scottish Government what progress has been made towards reviewing the operational arrangements of Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), as committed to in its consultation on reforms to EPCs.","AnswerText":"As set out in the Scottish Government’s consultation on the reform of Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), we are now undertaking a full review of the operational arrangements for how the production of EPCs is overseen, and how the legislation is enforced in the property market. We are engaging with a wide-range of impacted stakeholders as part of this review process, and the findings of this review will inform our final decision on our approach to EPC reform.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418706,"EventID":"S6W-26844","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-12T15:06:48.47","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-11T10:42:10.607","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many farms have participated in the Monitor Farms Scotland programme in each year since it was established. ","AnswerText":"57 Monitor Farms have participated in the Monitor Farm Scotland programme since it was established in 2003. The Monitor Farm Scotland programme is the Scottish Government’s foremost and established farmer led initiative.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":418707,"EventID":"S6W-26843","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-12T15:06:48.533","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-11T10:42:10.607","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it (a) is spending and (b) plans to spend any funds raised from the interest applied to the Self-Build Loan Fund. ","AnswerText":"The Self Build Loan Fund is recyclable meaning that when loans are repaid, the money can be re-used, during the life of the fund, supporting more self-builders and providing more homes for future generations.\r\nInterest from the SBLF is used to offset the cost of administering the Fund, including legal fees associated with each loan and administration costs paid to Communities Housing Trust who were appointed as the administering agent following a procurement process carried out in 2022.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418708,"EventID":"S6W-26847","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-12T15:06:48.58","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-11T10:42:10.607","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the regulatory approach to gene editing in Scotland, what its response is to reports that the European Parliament has voted to ease regulations in relation to gene editing. ","AnswerText":"We are aware of the European Parliament’s adopted negotiating position with regard to the consideration of new genomic techniques following proposals by the European Commission in July 2023. We are looking carefully at the implications of these legislative proposals on Scotland, should they become EU law.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":418709,"EventID":"S6W-26845","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-12T15:06:48.627","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-11T10:42:10.607","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has allocated to the Monitor Farms Scotland programme in each year since it was established.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has allocated approximately £6 million to the Monitor Farm Scotland programme since it was established in 2003. Please note that the Scottish Government’s e-record system was developed in 2005, therefore only partial data is available between 2003 and 2008.\r\nPeriod\r\nAmount of SG funding committed\r\nNumber of Monitor Farms supported\r\n2022-2026 (Current)\r\n£1,962,674\r\n9\r\n2020-2021\r\n£100,000\r\n6\r\n2015-2020\r\n£1,250,000\r\n9\r\n2013-2015\r\n£260,000\r\n4\r\n2008-2013\r\n£1,757,530\r\n22\r\n2003-2008*\r\n£600,000\r\n4-7\r\nTotal\r\n£5,930,204\r\n57\r\n*Please note that the Scottish Government’s e-record system was developed in 2005. Only partial data available for this period.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":418710,"EventID":"S6W-26848","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-12T15:06:48.69","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-11T10:42:10.607","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported warning from industry leaders that the reported £32 million reduction to the forestry and woodland creation budget will lead to 10 million trees being burnt or destroyed in some other way, with the cost of the wastage amounting to losses of £4.5 million for the sector.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains fully committed to maximising the important contribution forestry and tree nurseries make in tackling the climate emergency, in the face of the most challenging budget settlement since devolution from the UK Government. The funding provided will support approximately 9,000 ha of new woodland creation; the highest figure in the UK.\r\nScottish Forestry is in discussion with the sector and will continue to meet with the forestry and nursery sector to ensure we make the most of the resources available. Scottish Forestry is supporting the industry as best we possibly can, including encouragement to increase using plants for restocking and to access other markets outside of Scotland for their high quality stock, helping to create a more resilient business model for the longer term.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":418711,"EventID":"S6W-26808","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-12T15:06:48.737","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-09T12:12:38.09","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it\r\nhas reportedly excluded (a) Africa, (b) South America and (c) Oceania\r\nfrom the Offshore Wind Directorate's International Engagement Strategy's\r\ndesignated priority regions.","AnswerText":"Our Offshore Wind International Engagement Strategy was developed working closely with Scottish Development International, using the latest market intelligence.\r\nThe strategy identifies priority countries crucial to delivering our offshore wind objectives, ensuring our engagement is focussed and resources are used efficiently.\r\nThe strategy does not preclude working with other countries or regions, or engaging with other international opportunities, with decisions being made on a case by case basis.\r\nGiven the dynamic nature of the offshore wind market, our approach will be reviewed regularly to reflect the latest market intelligence.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418713,"EventID":"S6W-26819","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-12T15:06:48.847","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-10T08:56:42.1","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask to the Scottish Government for what reason social landlords reportedly have access to grants and additional time to support Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) compliance, in light of reports that many private landlords, who are struggling with rising mortgage costs and subject to rent control measures, limiting the ability to recoup any associated costs, do not have access to the same level of support.","AnswerText":"Private rented homes have a poorer standard of energy efficiency and the tenants who live there are usually unable to make improvements. That’s why our consultation on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill asked for views on private rented homes reaching a good standard of energy efficiency before the end of 2028.\r\nOur Private Rented Sector (PRS) Landlord Loan Scheme – launched in April 2020 – offers landlords interest free or low interest loan funding to support the installation of energy efficiency, clean heating and renewable systems. The scheme offers funding of up to £38,500 per property, including £15,000 for energy efficiency measures, £17,500 for the installation of clean heating and renewable systems, and up to £6,000 for the installation of energy storage systems.\r\nThe main aim of our Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing (EESSH) when introduced ten years ago was to remove poor energy efficiency as a driver for fuel poverty. The sector also has a role in achieving our climate change targets which require net zero heat in buildings by 2045. This is why we have recently consulted on proposals to establish a new Social Housing Net Zero Standard.\r\nWe are making £200 million available up to 2026 to support the installation of zero direct emissions heating systems and energy efficiency measures across the social housing stock.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418714,"EventID":"S6W-26839","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-12T15:06:48.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-10T22:12:57.137","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason short-term let operators reportedly benefit from the Small Business Bonus Scheme to the extent that 80% of those paying non-domestic rates pay nothing towards local services.","AnswerText":"The Small Business Bonus Scheme offers up to 100% relief to non-domestic properties where the rateable value of the property does not exceed £20,000, the rateable value of all of the ratepayer’s properties does not exceed £35,000 and the property is not used for an excluded purpose.\r\nSecond homes used for short-term self-catering lets and liable for non-domestic rates may therefore be eligible for the Small Business Bonus Scheme (SBBS) relief where they meet the eligibility criteria.\r\nTo be classed as self-catering holiday accommodation liable for non-domestic rates, the accommodation must be actually let for 70 nights or more and available to let for 140 nights or more in each financial year. The thresholds were introduced following a recommendation by the 2017 independent Barclay Review of non-domestic rates which noted the potential for owners of second homes to seek their accommodation to be classed as non-domestic in order to avoid council tax, and no requirement to evidence that the property has been let.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418738,"EventID":"S6W-26855","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-15T16:34:02.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-11T15:17:14.96","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to NHS boards to introduce tests to detect nitazenes in patients attending hospital with an overdose. ","AnswerText":"There are standard procedures in place in hospitals across Scotland for treating patients who present with an overdose, regardless of the substance involved.\r\nScottish Government has supported the introduction of a new surveillance study, operating from the accident and emergency department of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) in Glasgow which aims to establish a robust toxicology surveillance system in the emergency department. A Surveillance Study of Illicit Substance Toxicity (ASSIST) has been in operation since 2022 and explores the feasibility of reporting characteristics and the causes of patients attending hospital as an emergency due to illicit substance use.\r\nThe information this study provides has been vital for informing services, staff, drug organisations and those who use drugs about changes in the drug supply through the PHS quarterly RADAR reports. In addition, its findings have also informed public health alerts, such as those issued by PHS in relation to new substances of concern in the drug supply, specifically nitazenes. This project received funding of £212,304 in 2023-24.\r\nA key feature of the agreed funding for the second year of ASSIST was to demonstrate how the study could be replicated in other emergency departments across Scotland to ensure the same information could be gathered and shared elsewhere.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418739,"EventID":"S6W-26862","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-15T16:34:02.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-15T13:12:25.327","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of any instances where a patient has been referred to a different NHS board to the one at which they are registered in order to receive long COVID treatment.","AnswerText":"Information on the destination of referrals made for patients in relation to long COVID is not held centrally. This is a matter for territorial NHS Boards.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418740,"EventID":"S6W-26864","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3763,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":142,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-15T16:34:02.473","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-15T14:02:37.71","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to adding aplastic anaemia to the list of conditions and illnesses featured on the NHS Inform website.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government's approach to rare conditions and diseases is not condition-specific. As there are over 7,000 rare conditions it is unfortunately not feasible for NHS Inform to host and maintain individual pages for each condition.\r\nWe are absolutely committed to ensuring that people living with a rare condition like Aplastic Anaemia will benefit from our approach. Our Action Plan for Rare Disease (published December 2022) set out our wider priorities and actions, including raising awareness of rare conditions among healthcare professionals.\r\nThe current NHS Inform page for rare conditions, developed to improve awareness of rare conditions and signpost to sources of support, is by no means final. We will continue to listen to rare disease community feedback and shape our web content around the needs of all rare condition communities.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418741,"EventID":"S6W-26859","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-15T16:34:02.707","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-12T17:42:43.823","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Minister for Higher and Further Education will report back to the Parliament on any initial steps it has made following the publication of the independent re","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Minister for Higher and Further Education will report back to the Parliament on any initial steps it has made following the publication of the independent report, Fit for the Future: developing a post-school learning system to fuel economic transformation.","AnswerText":"In my appearance on 10 January 2024 at the Education, Children and Young People Committee I undertook to provide further information on the progress of post-school education and skills reform in March. On 27 March 2024 I wrote to the Convenor of the Committee with  this update on the key areas of action  . Our plans for post-school education and skills reform have been developed in the light of James Withers&rsquo; report Fit for the Future: developing a post-school learning system to fuel economic transformation, and the Scottish Government&rsquo;s own report of the  Purpose and Principles for post-school education, research and skills  .I will continue to engage with partners across the sector and employers, and to update the Parliament.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418742,"EventID":"S6W-26854","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-15T16:34:02.927","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-11T14:29:31.163","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its expectations are of the Scottish Funding Council regarding monitoring fair work practices through college outcome agreements; whether it expects such fair work practices to be developed in cooperation with workers and trade unions, and how it will act in any case where fair work practices are not being reported on or properly adhered to by a college.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government expects the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) to support fair work practices, and to monitor adherence across the college sector.\r\nAs recipients of SFC funding, in line with Scottish Government  Fair Work First guidance - reflected in the 2024-25 Ministerial letter of guidance to SFC,  colleges must be committed to fair work practices for staff engaged in the delivery of activity associated with public funds. Inclusion of information on compliance with Fair Work First is a requirement of the accounts directions for universities and colleges and SFC encourages institutions to be fulsome in their disclosures. Where there are institutions that do not currently meet requirements around disclosure of this activity, SFC will engage with institutions with a view to ensuring that they do so in their future annual report and accounts.\r\nI also wrote directly to College Principals on 7 June 2023 to re-state this Government’s continued commitment to Fair Work principles. I expect both employers and trade unions to work together to ensure that the Fair Work principles are adhered to across the college sector and that staff are treated fairly.\r\nWe are also making progress with the addition of trade union nominees to the college boards to further improve governance and management and to ensure effective employee voice as one of the key principles of Fair Work.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418743,"EventID":"S6W-26863","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-15T16:34:02.973","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-15T13:12:25.327","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps it is taking to ensure that people with long COVID can access specialist treatment that may only be available in NHS boards outside of the one at which they are registered.","AnswerText":"The NHS Scotland National Access Policy provides that whilst the vast majority of patients are seen within their local area, services may also be delivered through another Health Board or suitable alternative provider.\r\nWe have commissioned NHS National Services Scotland to establish a National Strategic Network for long COVID. This brings together representatives from Health Boards across NHS Scotland to provide a forum for the exchange of learning and best practice in delivering support and services for people with long COVID.\r\n","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418744,"EventID":"S6W-26856","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-15T16:34:03.037","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-11T16:12:40.577","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains committed to allocating £80 million on carbon capture, utilisation and storage, in light of no provision being made in the Budget for 2024-25.","AnswerText":"Our Emerging Energy Technologies Fund supports the development of CCUS and negative-emissions technologies and has been offered to support the Scottish Cluster Carbon Capture Project accelerate its effort to help Scotland’s just transition to net zero. We remain committed to supporting this development.\r\nDue to UK Government still not confirming the award of the Acorn Project and also which emitter sites will form the Scottish Cluster, it has not yet been possible to deploy this funding support. Only when we, the Acorn Project and the Scottish Cluster are provided with a final decision will it be possible to assess how we can utilise this funding to best support the deployment of CCUS.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418745,"EventID":"S6W-26849","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-15T16:34:03.1","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-11T10:57:37.597","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26199 by Jenni Minto on 26 March 2024, what criteria a medicine would have to meet in order to be considered for \"specialist medicine\" designation by the Scottish Government.","AnswerText":"Special medicines or ‘specials’ refer to unlicensed medicinal products that should only be supplied to meet the special clinical needs of an individual patient. An unlicensed medicinal product should not be supplied where an equivalent licensed medicinal product is available. Responsibility for deciding whether an individual patient has “special needs” which a licensed product cannot meet is a matter for the prescribing clinician responsible for their care. Examples of “special needs” include an intolerance or allergy to a particular ingredient, or an inability to ingest solid oral dosage forms. These examples are not exhaustive.\r\nThe Scottish Government has no role in designating ‘specials’. Regulation for the licensing, quality safety and efficacy of medicines is currently reserved to the UK Government and is the responsibility of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418746,"EventID":"S6W-26853","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-15T16:34:03.147","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-11T13:52:34.42","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking with its partners to support farmers in the North East Scotland region who are affected by accumulative heavy rainfall, which is reportedly damaging crops and having a potentially devastating impact on the lambing season. ","AnswerText":"We recognise the ongoing impact that adverse weather conditions are having on Scotland’s agricultural industry – conditions that are a direct result of climate change.\r\nThe poor weather conditions experienced in the early spring will be presenting challenges to farmers and crofters at the time of peak lambing and calving, and will be impacting the ability to sow crops. The Farm Advisory Service, funded by the Scottish Government, provides resources for farmers and crofters in responding to the wet weather this year.\r\nThe Farm Advisory Service is also signposting people towards the charity RSABI. RSABI provide practical, emotional and financial support to all people involved in the Scottish agricultural industry.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418747,"EventID":"S6W-26840","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-15T16:34:03.193","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-11T09:29:46.467","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the findings and recommendations of LGBT Youth Scotland's Life in Scotland for LGBT Young People: Trans Report 2024.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government acknowledges this report which serves as a clear message that trans young people in Scotland are experiencing difficult and tangible challenges in their day to day lives.\r\nTrans people continue to suffer poorer outcomes relative to the wider population, and this needs to change.\r\nThe Scottish Government are providing funding of over £1.1 million to LGBTQI+ organisations in 2024-25 to enable them to take forward a range of activities to advance equality and tackle discrimination.\r\nWe are taking forward our commitment to introduce legislation to end conversion practices in Scotland and responses to the public consultation, which closed on the 2 April, will be analysed and considered to inform the Bill the Scottish Government will introduce into Parliament. We have also funded a dedicated conversion practices helpline and are continuing to develop non-legislative measures to support victims and survivors of conversion practices.\r\nWe have published a Non-Binary Equality Action Plan to improve equality and wellbeing for non-binary people, established and funded organisations dedicated to stopping LGBTI-related bullying and discrimination, and published a new Hate Crime Strategy for Scotland, which sets out a vision for a Scotland that lives free from hatred and prejudice and where our communities are empowered, inclusive and safe.\r\nIt is essential that we continue to listen to people with lived experience and continue to strive for equality and inclusion to improve the lives of LGBTQI+ people in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418748,"EventID":"S6W-26865","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-15T16:34:03.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-15T14:34:30.457","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it is giving to the development of a modern apprenticeship and graduate apprenticeship framework for the games industry.","AnswerText":"There are multiple existing Modern and Graduate Apprenticeship frameworks that include software design and IT Management which are utilised by the gaming industry. The frameworks are flexible with varying pathways and are adaptable to any industry that designs software.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418749,"EventID":"S6W-26857","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-15T16:34:03.727","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-11T17:30:47.467","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on any potential risk posed to Scotland's energy security by energy infrastructure being either owned or manufactured by companies that are based in, or associated with, potentially hostile states, such as China.","AnswerText":"The security of fuel supplies relates to a reserved policy area, however as a responsible government we frequently engage with key industry partners and the UK Government to continuously monitor any developments in the sector. ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418750,"EventID":"S6W-26858","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-15T16:34:03.977","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-12T12:31:47.81","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government under whose ministerial remit its support for Scottish Men's Sheds Association falls. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has been supportive of the Scottish Men’s Sheds Association since their inception in Scotland and since 2016-17 has supported the movement’s growth. In the financial year 2023-24, grant funding was provided under the portfolio of myself. However, the work of the Scottish Men’s Sheds Association is cross-cutting and is not supported by a specific minister. As with other third sector organisations, engagement with the organisation spans across a range of portfolio areas including health and social care, equalities, and communities.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":418779,"EventID":"S6T-01924","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-15T14:47:57.493","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-15T11:31:37.813","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will next review the New Build Heat Standard.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418780,"EventID":"S6T-01914","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-15T14:47:55.9","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-15T09:43:12.1","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its pledge to provide a free bike to every school-age child who cannot afford one.  ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-04-16T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418781,"EventID":"S6F-03005","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-15T14:47:46.48","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-11T12:08:58.2","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418782,"EventID":"S6F-03006","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5586,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-15T14:47:46.777","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-11T12:09:16.75","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418783,"EventID":"S6F-03007","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-15T14:47:46.95","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-11T12:09:50.117","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister, in light of the recent report by the Climate Change Committee, how the Scottish Government plans to accelerate action to ensure that Scotland achieves net zero by 2045.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418784,"EventID":"S6F-03030","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":2103,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":109,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-15T14:47:49.293","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-15T11:36:54.407","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what impact the Scottish Government considers this month’s changes to UK migration rules will have on the seasonal workforce in Scotland, as the soft fruit sector begins to prepare for the summer season.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418785,"EventID":"S6F-03010","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-15T14:47:47.153","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-15T08:59:19.34","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to reports of significant financial pressures within NHS Lothian and NHS Borders.  ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418786,"EventID":"S6F-03033","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-15T14:47:49.483","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-15T11:52:25.22","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on what discussions the Scottish Government has had with the Lord Advocate regarding the exoneration of Scottish sub-postmasters and mistresses whose convictions were based on evidence from the Post Office’s Horizon computer system. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-04-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418822,"EventID":"S6W-26728","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-16T17:27:54.813","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-05T09:05:23.593","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported concerns that any decrease in training places for radiology students between 2023 and 2024 will prevent it meeting its aim to provide 10 additional radiology training places each year.","AnswerText":"A commitment was made in 2018 to create 10 additional clinical radiology training places per year over a five-year period. This commitment was met in full in 2022 following five years of consecutive uplifts. This saw the overall training establishment rise from 139 in 2017 (before the commitment was made) to 192 in 2022 (after the commitment had been met). The number of established clinical radiology training posts in Scotland has not decreased between 2023 and 2024 in any region. There are 192 established posts in clinical radiology spread across the five year training programme (ST1-ST5) and this has been the case since 2022 i.e. since the latest funded increase was applied. The number of posts advertised per year by NHS Education for Scotland is determined by two factors: i) the number of vacant posts, due to trainees completing training, resigning from post or undergoing an inter-deanery transfer, and ii) whether any additional posts have been created. The number of posts which are available for new applicants to apply for varies annually due to trainees working on a part-time basis (and therefore taking longer to complete training and vacate their post).","AnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418823,"EventID":"S6W-26727","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-16T17:27:55.047","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-05T09:05:23.593","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason training places for radiology students reportedly decreased for the West of Scotland training centre/region from 19 places in August 2023 to six places in August 2024.","AnswerText":"The number of established clinical radiology training posts in Scotland has not decreased between 2023 and 2024 in any region. There are 192 established posts in clinical radiology spread across the five year training programme (ST1-ST5) and this has been the case since 2022 i.e. since the latest funded increase was applied. The number of posts advertised per year by NHS Education for Scotland is determined by two factors: i) the number of vacant posts, due to trainees completing training, resigning from post or undergoing an inter-deanery transfer, and ii) whether any additional posts have been created. The number of posts which are available for new applicants to apply for varies annually due to trainees working on a part-time basis (and therefore taking longer to complete training and vacate their post).","AnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418824,"EventID":"S6W-26692","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-16T17:27:55.22","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-03T18:20:14.833","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how often it has met with Professor Marmot in the last three years; what was discussed, and what action it has taken following any such meetings. ","AnswerText":"Scottish Government (SG) officials have met with Professor Sir Michael Marmot on various occasions during the period April 2021 - April 2024. Professor Marmot’s evidence-based approach to tackle health inequalities underpins the work of our Care and Wellbeing Portfolio and so each engagement has offered important insights into Professor Marmot’s work, helping to inform future policy development.\r\nOn 28 June 2022 Government officials met with Professor Marmot to discuss Scottish Government’s Place and Wellbeing Programme and the Care and Wellbeing Portfolio, more broadly, as well as to garner insights into the Marmot cities approach. Since then, officials have engaged with Professor Marmot as part of last year’s Public Health Scotland (PHS) Conference held on 28 November 2023. This included both a short meeting between Professor Marmot and the Permanent Secretary during the conference, plus an evening event in which senior SG officials alongside PHS, Local Government and NHS colleagues discussed priorities to improve Scotland’s health and tackle health inequalities.\r\nIn June 2023, SG and PHS soft launched the Care and Wellbeing dashboard as a source of data and intelligence to support the ambitions of the Care & Wellbeing Portfolio. This is structured around the evidence-based Marmot framework  Fair Society Healthy Lives (The Marmot Review) - IHE (instituteofhealthequity.org)  which looks at the wider social determinants of health, the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age which can lead to health inequalities. Work is underway to integrate this into the Scottish Public Health Observatory  ScotPHO profiles (shinyapps.io)  (ScotPHO) Online Profiles tool, as a distinct Care and Wellbeing profile, to provide a single repository of public health intelligence to support local action to tackle health inequalities.\r\nThe Scottish Government remains eager to learn more from Professor Marmot’s work in our wider ambition to improve health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418825,"EventID":"S6W-26725","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-16T17:27:55.457","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-05T09:05:23.58","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many training places for radiology students there have been in each year since 2018, also broken down by training centre/region.","AnswerText":"The following table sets out the number of clinical radiology training places advertised and filled per year from 2017 onwards (broken down by region) as well as the overall training establishment in each year. ‘Training establishment’ is the term given to the overall number of funded places on a training programme. Please note that the 2024 recruitment cycle is currently underway and will conclude in November. \r\nEast\r\nNorth\r\nSouth East\r\nWest\r\nTotal no. of new trainees recruited\r\nOverall training establishment\r\n2023\r\n4/4 (100%)\r\n5/5 (100%)\r\n8/8 (100%)\r\n19/19 (100%)\r\n36/36 (100%)\r\n192\r\n2022\r\n4/4 (100%)\r\n4/4 (100%)\r\n7/7 (100%)\r\n22/22 (100%)\r\n37/37 (100%)\r\n192\r\n2021\r\n3/3 (100%)\r\n6/6 (100%)\r\n8/8 (100%)\r\n17/17 (100%)\r\n34/34 (100%)\r\n182\r\n2020\r\n5/5 (100%)\r\n6/6/ (100%)\r\n11/11 (100%)\r\n17/17 (100%)\r\n39/39 (100%)\r\n172\r\n2019\r\n4/4 (100%)\r\n4/4 (100%)\r\n6/6 (100%)\r\n12/12 (100%)\r\n26/26 (100%)\r\n160\r\n2018\r\n3/3 (100%)\r\n6/6 (100%)\r\n7/7 (100%)\r\n19/19 (100%)\r\n35/35 (100%)\r\n149\r\n2017\r\n4/4 (100%\r\n6/6 (100%)\r\n4/4 (100%)\r\n14/14(100%)\r\n28/28 (100%)\r\n139","AnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418826,"EventID":"S6W-26726","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-16T17:27:55.503","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-05T09:05:23.593","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason training places for radiology students reportedly decreased between 2023 and 2024.","AnswerText":"The number of established clinical radiology training posts in Scotland has not decreased between 2023 and 2024 in any region. There are 192 established posts in clinical radiology spread across the five year training programme (ST1-ST5) and this has been the case since 2022 i.e. since the latest funded increase was applied. The number of posts advertised per year by NHS Education for Scotland is determined by two factors: i) the number of vacant posts, due to trainees completing training, resigning from post or undergoing an inter-deanery transfer, and ii) whether any additional posts have been created. The number of posts which are available for new applicants to apply for varies annually due to trainees working on a part-time basis (and therefore taking longer to complete training and vacate their post).","AnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418827,"EventID":"S6W-26873","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-16T17:27:55.55","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-16T14:10:36.757","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason adherence to the 62-day referral-to-treatment standard for cancer is reportedly worse than adherence to the 31-day decision-to-treatment standard.","AnswerText":"It is reassuring to note that once a decision to treat has been made people wait on average 5 days to receive treatment. However we continue to see an increasing number of eligible cancer referrals and our priority is to ensure these people receive cancer diagnosis and treatment safely and based on their clinical urgency.\r\nWhile suspected cancer patients are always prioritised there are capacity pressures on diagnostic services. This is why we have published a £70m Endoscopy and Urology Diagnostic Recovery & Renewal plan, which includes a commitment to develop a network of Urology Diagnostic Hubs which will help reduce waiting times for people with cancer.\r\nWe have also provided three permanent CT scanners to support core capacity within Boards, including a mobile CT pod. In addition, one further mobile CT and seven mobile MRI scanners are being used across multiple NHS Boards to provide additional capacity with plans underway to further increase activity.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":418828,"EventID":"S6W-26872","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-16T17:27:55.58","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-16T14:10:36.757","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has regarding setting timelines for achieving the 62-day cancer treatment standard.","AnswerText":"Cancer remains a national priority, within the Scottish Government and across NHS Scotland, with urgent suspicion of cancer referrals continuing to be prioritised, this is reflected in the fact that more people with cancer have been treated on both the 62 and 31 day pathways this quarter alone, compared to the same time pre-pandemic. NHS Boards have provided 62 day performance improvement plans, detailing what is being done at local level to drive improvements backed by £11.3 m investment.\r\nIn addition we are committed to reducing inpatient and day-case waiting lists by an estimated 100,000 patients over the next three years, backed by planned investment of an extra £100 million annually, subject to the annual Scottish Budget process.\r\nAn initial investment of £30 million can now be funded and will target reductions to the national backlogs that built up throughout the pandemic, including orthopaedics treatments, diagnostics for cancer referrals and patients with the longest waits. This will enable NHS Scotland to maximise capacity, build greater resilience and deliver year-on-year reductions in the number of patients who have waited too long for treatment.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":418829,"EventID":"S6W-26869","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-16T17:27:55.627","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-16T13:40:02.627","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the A96 Corridor Review, and for what reason it has been delayed.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to improving the A96. This is despite stark challenges we face as a result of the severe budgetary restrictions imposed by the UK Government including an almost 9% cut in our capital budget.\r\nThe current plan is to fully dual the route and as part of this process we are undertaking a transparent, evidence-based review of the programme.\r\nThe significant interest in the review’s initial consultation, with nearly 4,600 responses, generated 11,000 options to improve the corridor. It is only right that it has taken more time than originally anticipated, in order to properly examine and fully appraise these.\r\nIt is expected that the draft outcomes from the Review will be consulted on in the coming months, before a final decision can be reached.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418830,"EventID":"S6W-26870","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-16T17:27:55.673","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-16T14:05:20.203","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of any contracts that Transport Scotland has awarded to external consultants in connection with the Ardrossan Harbour upgrade since 2016 to date. ","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland is not the procuring authority for the Ardrossan Harbour Re-Development Project, this is the responsibility of Peel Ports Group as the statutory harbour authority. Transport Scotland has as part of the design and planning stage; and as part of the business case cost exercise review appointed external consultants to undertake work.\r\nSince 2016 Transport Scotland has appointed Peter Brett Associates for the 2016/2017 STAG report, MacWilliams Consulting for a project gateway review process; Turner and Townsend in 2023 for the cost estimate review and Morton Fraser MacRoberts (previously MacRoberts Solicitors) in relation to the work on the legal and commercial agreements which are ongoing.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418831,"EventID":"S6W-26866","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-16T17:27:55.767","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-16T08:24:22.727","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is available for people who have received a private diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) but who are not able to access support due to their diagnosis not being recognised by practitioners in the NHS.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government acknowledges that there is the need for better access to NHS diagnostic assessment and support for people who may have ADHD, and that private assessments can lead to issues with accessing pharmaceutical interventions. We expect, however, local support for people with ADHD to not be diagnosis dependent, but rather be based on needs.\r\nNAIT published guidance on Prescribing ADHD medication to adults following private sector diagnosis in Scotland in April 2022. The guidance was drafted in consultation with practising Psychiatrists, the Royal Colleges of Psychiatry and General Practice and individuals with ADHD.\r\nNAIT’s guidance highlighted, for a Shared Care Agreement to work properly everyone involved must communicate effectively. A Shared Care Agreement is an agreement between a patient, their GP and a specialist service, which can include a private diagnosis service. Recommendations from specialists for ongoing prescribing on the NHS need to be made at an NHS consultation with an NHS specialist.\r\nThe Scottish Government is taking forward proposals for a proposed Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence bill to help better protect the rights of people with learning disabilities and neurodivergent people, including people with ADHD. The consultation ran from 21 December 2023 to 21 April 2024 and we are currently analysing the responses we received.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418832,"EventID":"S6W-26867","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-16T17:27:55.83","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-16T08:24:22.743","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address the reported high level of vacancies for psychiatrist posts.","AnswerText":"We are taking forward a number of steps to address issues around vacancy levels for psychiatry posts. \r\nThrough the Psychiatry Working Group we are actively looking at how we can better support the recruitment and retention of psychiatrists in NHS Scotland. \r\nWe also continue to work with NHS Education for Scotland and The Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland to encourage medical students to consider a long-term career as a psychiatrist. This work includes the ‘Choose Psychiatry’ campaign, undergraduate taster sessions and improved psychiatric placements at Foundation level. 10 additional Core Psychiatry posts were created in 2022, followed by another 15 in April 2023. As part of this year’s expansion we will be adding a further 12, along with 2 extra run-through training posts in both Intellectual Disability and Child & Adult Psychiatry (16 posts in total). \r\nRecruitment into Core Psychiatry has improved drastically in recent years. With the exception of one unfilled post in 2020, 100% of entry level posts have now filled for the fourth consecutive year (up from 63% in 2018).\r\nThe most recent publication of Mental Health Workforce data (5 March 2024) shows that under this Government and since 2007, the number of Psychiatrist Consultants across All Specialities in NHS Scotland has increased by 16.7% to 527.0 whole time equivalent posts.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418833,"EventID":"S6W-26878","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5877,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-16T17:27:55.893","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-16T14:44:21.5","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to use the Medium Term Financial Strategy to ensure greater certainty and security for the voluntary sector in Scotland. ","AnswerText":"The Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) sets out the Scottish Government’s strategy for delivering fiscal sustainability, the economic and fiscal outlooks for the next five years and key fiscal risks over the medium term. The 2024 Medium-Term Financial Strategy will be published soon.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418834,"EventID":"S6W-26875","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-16T17:27:55.94","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-16T14:10:36.757","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many people are currently waiting for (a) cancer treatment and (b) diagnostic tests with suspicion of cancer.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold the information requested.\r\nPublic Health Scotland publish official statistics on how long patients waited for their first cancer treatment at\r\nCancer waiting times - 1 October to 31 December 2023 - Cancer waiting times - Publications - Public Health Scotland  and on ongoing waits for key diagnostic tests at  Diagnostic waiting times - Waits for key diagnostic tests 27 February 2024 - NHS waiting times - diagnostics - Publications - Public Health Scotland ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":418835,"EventID":"S6W-26868","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-16T17:27:56.003","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-16T13:39:46.51","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26533 by Fiona Hyslop on 15 April 2024, when it will develop an implementation plan to deliver its vision for the public electric vehicle (EV) charging network, in line with the Climate Change Committee’s recommendation in its 2023 Report to Parliament. ","AnswerText":"In 2023, SG published its  Vision for Scotland’s Public Electric Vehicle Charging Network  , highlighting the need for a transition towards a public charging network that is largely financed and delivered by the private sector. In late 2024 we will publish an Implementation Plan identifying the key actions be taken to deliver our Vision in response to the UK CCC recommendation.\r\nThis Implementation Plan will include a route map for delivering approximately 24,000 additional public charge points by 2030 and will be developed in partnership with key stakeholders who share collective responsibility for delivering public EV charging across Scotland and outline an agreed set of actions to meet Scotland’s needs, including the needs of rural and island communities.\r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418836,"EventID":"S6W-26879","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5877,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-16T17:27:56.05","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-16T14:44:32.3","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to use the Medium Term Financial Strategy to provide clarity on its commitment to introduce multi-year funding for the voluntary sector in Scotland. ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26878 on? 29 April 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418837,"EventID":"S6W-26880","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5877,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-16T17:27:56.19","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-16T14:44:56.143","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will utilise the Medium Term Financial Strategy to progress its commitment to Fairer Funding by 2026, beyond multi-year funding. ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26878 on? 29 April 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418838,"EventID":"S6W-26877","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-16T17:27:56.237","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-16T14:34:42.413","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to support the economic and creative growth of Scotland’s unscripted screen sector.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains focused on strengthening our screen sector and creating the conditions for continued growth across production, development, talent, and skills, including in unscripted production.\r\nWe have funded, and continue to fund, Screen Scotland, who over the last 3 financial years have supported a total of 138 unscripted productions, including many through the Broadcast Content Fund (BCF), which is supported by Scottish Government Grant-in-Aid funding.\r\nScreen Scotland’s Unscripted team continue to support the development and production of unscripted projects, and support talent development, skills and training opportunities for people working in the unscripted sector.\r\nAs well as supporting the annual unscripted film talent development programme, ‘Docscene’, delivered by the Scottish Documentary Institute, Screen Scotland also work closely with partners such as the BBC and Channel 4, on a range of projects and initiatives to support the production of unscripted factual and entertainment content.\r\nThey have also worked closely with production companies and local training providers to help incorporate freelancers from unscripted production into scripted training programmes and productions, for those seeking to transition their careers or broaden their portfolios.\r\nIn March 2024, Screen Scotland published their Strategy to 2030-31 which outlines their plan of work across skills and training, audience development, support for Scottish creatives and international collaboration to ensure that all those working in the screen sector, including in unscripted production, have a wide range of opportunities for employment and professional development.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418839,"EventID":"S6W-26876","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-16T17:27:56.537","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-16T14:10:36.757","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported long-term downward trend in adherence to the 62-day cancer treatment standard, whether it plans to make any significant changes to its approach to tackling cancer waiting times.","AnswerText":"he Framework for Effective Cancer Management provides NHS Cancer Teams with the tools to effectively manage people with a suspicion of cancer, from the point of referral to first treatment. A refresh of the Framework will take place in 2024 to ensure each key element has been reviewed and updated, providing NHS Cancer Teams with the tools to effectively manage patients with a suspicion of cancer, from the point of referral to first treatment.\r\nWork is underway to redesign cancer diagnostic services with new optimal cancer diagnostic pathways published for Lung Cancer and Head & Neck Cancers. Work is underway to redesign the colorectal cancer diagnostic pathway.\r\nIn addition we have now established five Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services to provide primary care with a new referral route for patients with non-specific symptoms of cancer in NHS Ayrshire & Arran, NHS Borders, NHS Dumfries & Galloway, NHS Fife and NHS Lanarkshire.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":418840,"EventID":"S6W-26871","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-16T17:27:56.753","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-16T14:05:20.203","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of any procurement legislation that requires public contracts for (a) new ferries and (b) operators of ferry service contracts to be put out to competitive tender.","AnswerText":"Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL), as procuring authority for new vessels for the Scottish Government, operate under the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015 and also comply with the statutory and legislative requirements derived from The Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014.\r\nContracts for Operators of Ferry Services are also subject to the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015 and also comply with the statutory and legislative requirements derived from The Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418842,"EventID":"S6O-03347","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3751,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":108,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-17T16:33:04.2","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-17T11:19:05.643","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps are being taken to tackle bullying in schools.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418843,"EventID":"S6O-03334","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-17T16:33:04.373","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-17T10:56:17.27","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has reportedly spent nearly £400,000 of public money to promote Scotland’s new hate crime laws. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418844,"EventID":"S6O-03328","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3907,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":135,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-17T16:33:05.183","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-17T10:47:03.79","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its policy is for public service broadcasting in an independent Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418845,"EventID":"S6O-03330","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4982,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-17T16:33:05.437","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-16T15:17:21.567","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost has been of overseas trips undertaken by the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, on behalf of the Scottish Government, since his appointment in 2021.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418846,"EventID":"S6O-03327","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-17T16:33:05.937","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-17T10:18:26.133","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support festivals in Dumfries and Galloway.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418847,"EventID":"S6O-03331","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-17T16:33:06.093","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-16T16:30:38.707","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the reopening of Historic Environment Scotland sites.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418848,"EventID":"S6O-03337","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16205,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-17T16:33:06.187","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-17T11:25:26.01","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported situation facing former clients of McClure Solicitors, what discussions it has had regarding enabling the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission to consider groups of complaints, rather than considering complaints purely on an individual basis. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418849,"EventID":"S6O-03339","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-17T16:33:06.42","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-16T16:55:51.47","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support the mental health of frontline police officers, in light of reports that reductions in the number of police officers is putting increasing pressure on the service.\r\n","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418850,"EventID":"S6O-03338","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16176,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":137,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-17T16:33:06.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-17T09:25:24.577","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government within what timescale it plans to respond to the Scottish Law Commission's findings and recommendations arising from its consultation on damages for personal injury.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418851,"EventID":"S6O-03324","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-17T16:33:06.717","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-17T10:54:41.867","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its humanitarian aid funding, what engagement it has had with mines and explosives clearance charities in Scotland that operate internationally.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the devastating impact land mines have, killing and maiming thousands each year. Indiscriminate and unpredictable, their presence drives whole communities from their homes and land. That is why, in September 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Scottish Government provided £300,000 to the Halo Trust. Through this grant, teams on the ground were able to cover 206,663m2 enabling Ukrainian famers to safely farm their land again. This not only benefitted 14,000 people in Ukraine, but the clearance of agricultural land is playing a crucial role towards restoring global food security.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418852,"EventID":"S6O-03326","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5800,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-17T16:33:07.173","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-17T11:58:20.43","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how data from the most recent Scottish census is being used.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418853,"EventID":"S6O-03341","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2641,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":94,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-17T16:33:07.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-16T17:50:23.167","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its approach alongside Bòrd na Gàidhlig to secure the long-term future of the Gaelic Officers Scheme.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418854,"EventID":"S6O-03342","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-17T16:33:07.47","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-16T17:07:51.983","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to help resolve the industrial dispute by lecturers.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418855,"EventID":"S6O-03343","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-17T16:33:08.16","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-16T22:27:21.953","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to update its guidance to schools regarding gender affirmation for children, in light of the recommendations in the final report of the Cass Review.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418856,"EventID":"S6O-03335","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16178,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":78,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-17T16:33:08.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-17T09:30:45.053","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority regarding plans to incorporate any precedent set by the Miller v College of Policing case into the recording of non-crime hate incidents.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418857,"EventID":"S6O-03329","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4940,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":81,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-17T16:33:08.71","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-17T10:06:55.897","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how Scotland's International Culture Strategy will support the aspirations of touring artists.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418858,"EventID":"S6O-03325","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-17T16:33:08.96","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-16T16:44:51.93","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting culture in the North East Scotland region.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418859,"EventID":"S6O-03346","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-17T16:33:09.04","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-16T08:59:21.303","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what provision it is making to ensure that all school pupils have access to music tuition.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418860,"EventID":"S6O-03344","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16186,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":120,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-17T16:33:09.087","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-17T10:11:42.96","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support the Universities Scotland 40 Faces campaign.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418861,"EventID":"S6O-03340","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-17T16:33:09.15","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-16T16:43:56.79","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it anticipates the impact will be of reported reductions to college budgets in the north east.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418862,"EventID":"S6O-03332","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-17T16:33:09.197","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-15T15:13:54.083","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to assist the Scottish Prison Service in the recruitment of new officers, in light of reported concerns regarding an ageing prison officer workforce.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418863,"EventID":"S6O-03355","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16207,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-17T16:33:14.927","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-17T11:12:29.863","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether public sector bodies should support pregnant workers and new parents with 52 weeks of maternity leave at full pay.","AnswerText":"As an employer, the Scottish Government is fully committed to providing support and flexibility to parents. This includes providing full pay for 27 weeks followed by statutory maternity pay up to 39 weeks which far exceeds statutory entitlements.\r\nIt is for individual public bodies - as independent employers - to set their own terms and conditions of employment including maternity leave and pay.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418864,"EventID":"S6O-03352","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-17T16:33:15.02","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-17T10:32:04.443","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what activity it will undertake regarding its Action Plan to Address Depopulation.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418865,"EventID":"S6O-03350","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-17T16:33:15.13","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-16T12:41:59.65","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will improve connectivity on the islands of Arran and Cumbrae ahead of the busy summer tourist season.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418866,"EventID":"S6O-03348","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":2103,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":109,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-17T16:33:15.19","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-17T11:21:54.517","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support bat conservation.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418867,"EventID":"S6O-03349","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-17T16:33:15.237","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-17T09:33:48.14","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to deliver a safer speed limit of 20 mph by 2025 on all appropriate roads in built-up areas.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418868,"EventID":"S6O-03351","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":2826,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":84,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-17T16:33:15.283","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-17T11:15:43.783","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what role the Housing (Scotland) Bill will play in achieving a more sustainable private rented sector.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418869,"EventID":"S6O-03353","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-17T16:33:15.347","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-17T10:41:41","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking in response to reports of potential staff redundancies at the Thermo Fisher Scientific site in Paisley.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418870,"EventID":"S6O-03354","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-17T16:33:15.397","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-17T10:11:11.59","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its plans to achieve net zero by 2045, what its response is to the Electricity System Operator's report, Beyond 2030.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418871,"EventID":"S6W-26885","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-17T17:02:14.247","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-16T17:11:40.83","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26224 by Fiona Hyslop on 16 April 2024, whether it will measure current traffic flows using the two junctions and test the subsequent impact on traffic flows from a temporary closure of the M74 Junction 1 Kingston Interchange, in order to develop a robust data set that can inform the reported recent commitments made by Glasgow City Council and the Scottish Government in Glasgow's strategic plan for 2022-27 to reduce the impact of the M8 on the city centre.","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland's National Traffic Data System (NTDS) has live traffic counters at the two junctions measuring the volume of traffic on the slip roads and the main carriageway.\r\nAt this stage, as previously stated, there is no reason for Transport Scotland to consider temporarily closing the M74 Junction 1 Kingston Interchange, due to the volume of traffic on the M74 and M8 and the resulting impact on the road traffic network around Glasgow City Centre.\r\nGlasgow City Council, as part of its  Strategic Plan 2022-27  , plan to commission research on and explore options to reduce the impact of the M8 on the city centre, and review opportunities to re-engineer other roads infrastructure to become more people friendly, including options for a possible long-term replacement.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418872,"EventID":"S6W-26887","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-17T17:02:14.59","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-17T10:18:26.007","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on Police Scotland's pilot to no longer investigate some minor crimes in the north east, and whether there are any plans to roll this out across Scotland. ","AnswerText":"The Chief Constable has been clear that the Proportionate Response to Crime pilot has been about ensuring an appropriate approach to policing. It is not the case that certain specific crimes will no longer be investigated. \r\nBoth Police Scotland and the Scottish Government have been consistently clear that all incidents reported are assessed using the THRIVE model which covers Threat, Harm, Risk, Investigative opportunities, Vulnerability and Engagement. The circumstance of each incident is fully assessed before a decision is made to either file the report and issue a crime reference number or have the incident passed to local officers for further investigation.\r\nAn evaluation of the pilot was provided to the Scottish Police Authority’s Policing Performance Committee on 12 March 2024 by Assistant Chief Constable Emma Bond. ACC Bond stated that the plan for the rollout would be to initially cover the North region before moving east then west, acknowledging that training and preparatory work would be required.\r\nIt is worth noting that the pilot’s evaluation shows that only 5% of crime reports were recorded and filed for no further enquiry. The evaluation states that this freed up 2,657 police officer hours which were therefore used to investigate crimes where there are lines of inquiry.\r\nACC Bond stated at the meeting on 12 March that she would be able to provide a further update to the committee with more information on the rollout of the pilot in May.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418873,"EventID":"S6W-26888","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-17T17:02:14.683","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-17T11:41:38.227","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will announce its decision on whether it will be adopting the recommendations by the UK Government's Animal Welfare Committee on farmed fish welfare.","AnswerText":"The recommendations made by the UK Government's Animal Welfare Committee are still being considered. Improving aquaculture health and welfare is an ethical responsibility and is one of the main priorities that is enshrined in our Vision for Sustainable Aquaculture.\r\nThe Scottish Government is committed to the highest possible welfare standards for animals, including fish. It is now standard practice for all farmed salmon and large farmed trout in Scotland to be killed using a percussive or electrical stunning methods delivering irreversible instantaneous unconsciousness. Small farmed trout are killed using electrical stunning methods and all salmon killing facilities in Scotland operate CCTV on a voluntary basis. These were both recommendations made by the UK Government’s Animal Welfare Committee.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418874,"EventID":"S6W-26889","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-17T17:02:14.763","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-17T11:41:57.04","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work it has done to assess any impact of salmon farm mass mortality events on the welfare of (a) salmon farm workers and (b) local communities, in light of the article published in Nature on 7 March 2024, which found that mass die-offs on salmon farms have reportedly been increasing over the last decade in every country where salmon farming operates, including Scotland.","AnswerText":"The 7 March 2024 publication by Nature Scientific Reports concerning mass mortality events in salmon aquaculture focused on the community impacts in relation to specific catastrophic events in Chile. Similar impacts on communities have not been experienced in Scotland and the Scottish Government does not consider that speculative extrapolation between Chile and Scotland on community impacts or worker safety is appropriate given differences in circumstances and approaches including health and safety regimes.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418875,"EventID":"S6W-26883","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-17T17:02:14.827","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-16T16:32:12.783","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26518 by Gillian Martin on 15 April 2024, whether it will detail the proposals and timeline for the delivery of the recommendations of the Transmission Network Short Life Working Group.","AnswerText":"Work is ongoing from all partners in the group to prepare a suitable programme and allocate the necessary resources to take forward the recommendations and actions, as accepted by the Scottish Ministers. Once finalised, the programme of work will be reported to the Scottish Ministers and its implementation monitored on an ongoing basis. ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418876,"EventID":"S6W-26884","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-17T17:02:14.873","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-16T16:47:32.557","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the development of a national framework for school swimming following the School Swimming Phase 1 Pilots in 2023.","AnswerText":"The Phase 1 pilot programmes have now been fully evaluated and a report produced on the strengths of each approach, as well as considerations for the future. The Phase 1 evaluation is available here:  https://sportscotland.org.uk/about-us/our-publications/archive/school-swimming-in-scotland-phase-1-evaluation \r\nPhase 2, which is already underway, will further develop each approach and test the implementation of the school swimming framework, and is expected to be completed by the end of the academic year 2023-24.\r\nThe Scottish Government will continue to work with sportscotland, Scottish Swimming, and various local and national partners to support Phase 2 of the school swimming pilot, and will continue to consider the best approach for a continued roll out of a National Framework for school swimming over the coming years.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418877,"EventID":"S6W-26890","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-17T17:02:14.933","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-17T11:42:06.26","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work is being done to reduce any reliance the salmon farm industry has on new technological measures to mitigate against reported rising fish mortalities, in light of the finding in the article published in Nature on 7 March 2024 that the \"risks [of mass mortality events] are often introduced [by human cause] and can increase in frequency and scale when dependent on technology and infrastructure to produce in environments not naturally conducive to the scale of production\".","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government supports innovation where it contributes to the sustainable production of salmon, including adaptive husbandry, health and welfare, nutrition and the reduction and monitoring of environmental impact. We recognise that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to farmed fish production, and that technological innovations must be designed to operate in the conditions of the surrounding environment. The Government’s Vision for Sustainable Aquaculture, published in July 2023, sets out our expectation of producers that they must drive mortalities to lowest possible levels and that technology is always used appropriately where it is deployed.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418878,"EventID":"S6W-26882","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-17T17:02:15.153","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-16T16:31:21.873","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering any further legislation to tackle street litter.","AnswerText":"Yes, our Circular Economy Bill proposes modifications to the Environmental Protection Act 1990, implementing new legislative powers to tackle littering from vehicles. These will allow authorised officers to impose a civil penalty charge on the keeper of a vehicle from which littering has occurred. Further adjustments to legislation may be identified by the work on the National Litter and Flytipping Strategy and will be considered as we progress delivery.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418879,"EventID":"S6W-26891","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-17T17:02:15.327","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-17T11:42:15.13","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether open net salmon farming is a sustainable method of food production, in light of the article published in Nature on 7 March 2024, which found that mass die-offs on salmon farms have been increasing over the last decade in every country where salmon farming operates, including Scotland, and that increasing mortality results in increased waste along the supply chain, including wild-caught fish and soy used for feed, wrasse used as cleaner fish, and medicines and chemicals used for treatments.","AnswerText":"Salmon production contributes to our food security, producing healthy, nutritious food for people in Scotland and around the world with a greenhouse gas emissions profile that is lower than many other farmed sources of animal protein. The sector is heavily regulated and subject to robust legislation and policies relating to animal health, environment protection and local authority planning. The Scottish Government’s Vision for Sustainable Aquaculture is clear on our ambitions for an aquaculture sector which operates within environmental limits and which recognises social and economic benefits, and includes specific outcomes on fish health, cleaner fish welfare, best use of by-products and responsibly sourced fish feed. \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418902,"EventID":"S6W-26900","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2098,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":115,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-18T16:34:56.573","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-18T09:03:39.333","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of staff currently employed by the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner were previously serving police officers.","AnswerText":"The number of staff currently employed by the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner is 95, of which 39 (41%) are former police officers.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418903,"EventID":"S6W-26895","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-18T16:34:56.747","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-17T20:49:06.79","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work it is doing with faith groups, including churches, to ensure that they understand how the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 potentially impacts on their practice, in light of reports that some faith communities are unsure about what impact the Act could have on them.","AnswerText":"As part of its Faith and Belief Engagement Strategy, Scottish Government regularly meets with representatives from a wide variety of faith and belief communities across Scotland to discuss issues of interest to them. This has included discussions with officials developing the Hate Crime Strategy. Those representatives were recently provided with a factsheet, clarifying aspects of the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act, and which is intended to be disseminated by those representatives through Churches and other places of worship, along with wider faith and belief communities across Scotland.\r\nHate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act: factsheet - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418904,"EventID":"S6W-26897","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-18T16:34:56.903","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-17T22:10:32.223","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS Scotland services and departments still use paper-based medical records.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information. The Digitisation of records is an operational responsibility of individual Health Boards and GP practices, therefore, it may be available from local Health Boards.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418905,"EventID":"S6W-26901","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2098,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":115,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-18T16:34:56.95","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-18T09:03:39.333","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many staff are currently employed by the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner, and in what roles.","AnswerText":"The Police Investigations and Review Commissioner employs 95 members of staff as detailed in the following table.\r\nPIRC Team\r\nNumber of Staff\r\nRoles\r\nOperations\r\n1\r\nDirector of Operations (1)\r\nLegal Services\r\n1\r\nHead of Legal Services (1)\r\nReviews and Policy\r\n17\r\nHead of Reviews and Policy (1)\r\nSenior Reviews Officers (4)\r\nReview Officers (10)\r\nAdministrators (2)\r\nInvestigations\r\n62\r\nHead of Investigations (1)\r\nSenior Investigators (4)\r\nDeputy Senior Investigators (10)\r\nInvestigators (39)\r\nTechnical Investigators (2)\r\nCrime & Performance Analyst (1)\r\nReports Manager (1)\r\nSenior Administrator (1)\r\nAdministrators (3)\r\nCorporate Services\r\n14\r\nHead of Corporate Services (1)\r\nExecutive Assistant Commissioner (1)\r\nCommunications Manager (1)\r\nCommunications Officer (2)\r\nCorporate Services Manager (1)\r\nCorporate Services Officer (1)\r\nInformation Manager (1)\r\nInformation Coordinator (1)\r\nFinance Manager (1)\r\nFinance Officer (1)\r\nHR Officer (1)\r\nHR Administrator (1)\r\nTraining Coordinator (1)","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418906,"EventID":"S6W-26767","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-18T16:34:57.027","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T11:56:55.857","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made regarding any impact of renewables developments and resultant road closures on local businesses.","AnswerText":"Road closures on the local road network are the responsibility of the local authority in that area. They have a duty under the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 to manage and maintain local roads in their area and duties under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to secure expeditious, convenient and safe movement of traffic.\r\nThe Scottish Government can, where appropriate, require a traffic management plan as a condition of consent. Assessment of any impacts from road closures would be made by the local authority when approving the finalised plan.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418907,"EventID":"S6W-26903","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-18T16:34:57.17","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-18T10:10:05.703","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the Adult Eating Disorder Service in Glasgow, and whether it plans to continue funding the originally temporary government-funded posts at the service that are reportedly due to end in the coming months.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to supporting and improving eating disorder services across Scotland and ensuring everyone receives the best possible care and support from our health services. It is essential that someone who is diagnosed with an eating disorder receives a thorough assessment and gets the right care and treatment for every aspect of their illness as soon as possible.\r\nThat is why in 2023-24, we directly allocated £55.5 million to Health Boards via the Mental Health Outcomes Framework. The Framework aims to enable continued improvements to mental health services, including eating disorder services, in line with the aims of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy  Mental health and wellbeing strategy - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  and associated specifications and standards.\r\nWhilst this Government sets the strategic policy direction for mental health workforce development within NHS Boards, the direct recruitment of staff and operational decisions about individual services are the responsibility of each NHS Board. Workforce and service planning is conducted by Health Boards according to the needs of their populations.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418908,"EventID":"S6W-26908","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-18T16:34:57.45","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-18T14:21:21.73","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an up-to-date assessment of the ecological condition of species-rich grasslands (a) within and (b) outside of Special Sites of Scientific Interest.","AnswerText":"The 2023 Official Statistic ‘The Proportion of Scotland’s Protected Areas in Favourable Condition 2023’ reported that, of 161 species rich grassland natural features on Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), 73% were in favourable condition or had recent management put in place to recover to favourable condition, and 27% were unfavourable.\r\nThe data for the condition of species rich grassland outside of protected areas is limited. The condition of species-rich grasslands forms part of six yearly reports which NatureScot compile to meet the requirements of the Habitats Regulations – the next report is due in late 2024. In the 2019 report, NatureScot estimate that 17% of species rich grassland types were in good condition, 31% were in poor condition and the condition of the remainder is unknown. The most common pressure on species rich grassland which causes poor condition are invasive species and under-grazing. The draft Scottish Biodiversity Strategy Delivery Plan contains commitments to restore degraded habitats, including species rich grassland.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418909,"EventID":"S6W-26910","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-18T16:34:57.657","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-18T14:41:08.783","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to prevent healthcare workers with either disciplinary proceedings outstanding with the Scottish Social Services Council or who have been found unfit to practise by the Scottish Social Services Council from being employed by the NHS.","AnswerText":"The role of ‘healthcare worker’ does not have a standard definition and the term is used for different roles within the health and social care workforce. An individual may work under the title of ‘healthcare worker’, but hold registration with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) as, for example, a Practitioner in a Care at Home Service for Adults. \r\nThere is nothing in current legislation that would prevent an individual in this circumstance working under the title of ‘healthcare worker’ with either disciplinary proceedings outstanding with the SSSC or who have been found unfit to practise by the SSSC from being employed by the NHS. Healthcare Assistants employed by the NHS do not come within the remit of SSSC registration. While pre-employment checks of NHS staff are a matter for NHS Boards to decide, it is possible to check the SSSC register when employing a healthcare worker as a matter of good practice. If Heath Boards were to do so they would see from the register if there was a suspension order or removal order in place due to a fitness to practise issue.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418910,"EventID":"S6W-26913","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-18T16:34:57.72","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-18T14:41:08.783","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to ensure that all healthcare assistants employed by the NHS are required to be registered with the Scottish Social Services Council.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) are the independent regulator of the social service workforce in Scotland. SSSC protects the public by registering the workforce, setting standards for their practice, conduct, training and education and by supporting their professional development. Groups of workers subject to registration with the SSSC are set by Scottish Ministers within the Regulation of Care Act (Scotland) 2001. \r\nThe role of ‘healthcare assistant’ does not have a standard definition and the term is used for different roles within the health and social care workforce. Due to the varying definition of this role, it is currently unclear which roles would and would not be appropriate for SSSC registration. While some healthcare assistants job roles may meet the requirement for SSSC registration, many will not. As such, there are no current plans to consider registration with the SSSC for healthcare assistants employed by the NHS. ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418911,"EventID":"S6W-26904","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-18T16:34:57.953","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-18T11:02:50.8","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is reviewing the performance of the Young Persons’ (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel scheme.","AnswerText":"Since the Under 22s Scheme launched in January 2022, over 130 million free bus journeys have been made by over 700,000 cardholders across Scotland. This landmark policy is already helping young people and families with children cut costs for everyday and leisure travel, while at the same time helping to protect our climate. Scotland-wide free bus travel schemes for Young People and for Older and Disabled people provide access to free bus travel to a larger percentage of the population than schemes elsewhere in the UK.\r\nIn line with other travel/transport schemes, Transport Scotland are conducting process, impact and outcome evaluations of the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel scheme.\r\nA baseline study to establish travel behaviour and seek to understand the attitudes and perceptions of young people towards travel was undertaken prior to implementation of the scheme. This  report  was published on the Transport Scotland website on 24 June 2022. Following this, a Year One Evaluation of the scheme was conducted between April and August 2023 and the  report  was published on the Transport Scotland website on 14 December 2023.\r\nThe next stage of the evaluation of the scheme is planned for 2025, three years after opening, and will focus on longer-term impacts of the scheme and whether any behaviour change has been sustained.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418912,"EventID":"S6W-26899","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-18T16:34:58.07","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-17T22:24:48.553","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of the number of any social care contracts that have been returned from the third or private sectors to the responsible local authority, and whether it can provide a list of any such instances, broken down by local authority, in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold the information requested as this is a matter for local Health and Social Care Partnerships. The information is not held centrally.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418913,"EventID":"S6W-26907","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-18T16:34:58.117","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-18T14:21:21.73","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made estimates of the carbon sequestration rates per hectare in species-rich grassland compared with (a) improved grassland and (b) arable land, and, if so, at what soil depth this has been measured.","AnswerText":"Estimating carbon sequestration rates for different land uses falls under the remit of the UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory and the Scottish Government does not make these kinds of estimates.\r\nThe Scottish Government has commissioned research through the  ClimateXChange  which considers how grassland management can impact carbon stocks. “  Understanding carbon sequestration from nature-based solutions  ” concluded that further evidence is needed on the impact of the restoration of species-rich grassland on carbon stocks and greenhouse gas emissions, and “  Managing permanent grasslands for carbon sequestration in Scottish soils  ” found that grazing rates, grass species, application of fertiliser, and tillage affect sequestration potential.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418914,"EventID":"S6W-26911","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-18T16:34:58.193","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-18T14:41:08.783","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the registration record of all NHS staff, irrespective of job title, is checked at employment in regard to (a) Health and Care Professionals Council, (b) Social Work England, (c) Social Care Wales, (d) Northern Ireland Social Care Council, (e) General Teaching Council for Scotland, (f) General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland, (g) Education Workforce Council, (h) General Chiropractic Council, (i) General Dental Council, (j) General Medical Council, (k) General Optical Council, (l) General Osteopathic Council, (m) Nursing and Midwifery Council, (n) General Pharmaceutical Council and (o) Scottish Social Services Council.","AnswerText":"Within NHSScotland, professional registration ensures that health practitioners are practising safely. Evidence of registration with a statutory regulatory body must be verified before placement, including confirmation of a medical licence. Health Boards must directly contact regulatory bodies to ensure ongoing registration and inquire about any restrictions or ongoing investigations related to fitness to practise.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418915,"EventID":"S6W-26892","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-18T16:34:58.4","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-17T16:27:18.547","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment was conducted regarding the impact of the £500 million funding for the Bus Partnership Fund.","AnswerText":"The Bus Partnership Fund has so far delivered a number of projects for which Partnerships are currently undertaking monitoring and evaluation, with reporting once schemes have been in operation for a sufficient period of time.\r\nOnce complete, these will be collated to determine the impact that the funding has had to date. Initial reports from the Aberdeen City Centre bus gates are very positive with reduced bus journey times benefitting a significant number of passengers.\r\nOther bus priority installed at signals to help buses get through them more quickly are also reporting improvements in journey times and reliability, with these having been implemented in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Inverness, Oban and North Ayrshire. A number of studies were also funded which have identified further measures which will feed into the longer term public transport vision.\r\nThe Bus Partnership is one way in which we are delivering the Second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) recommendation of the provision of strategic bus priority measures. This included an assessment of the impact of strategic bus priority, the reporting of which can be found on Transport Scotland’s website -  https://www.transport.gov.scot/our-approach/strategy/strategic-transport-projects-review-2/  .","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418916,"EventID":"S6W-26893","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-18T16:34:58.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-17T16:28:07.87","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is measuring how often different charging codes are used under the new NHS dental payment reform system.","AnswerText":"Independent dentists and dental bodies corporate make claims for items of treatment provided under NHS General Dental Services. As part of the claims process, patient charges, where appropriate, are also recorded. Practitioner Services of National Services Scotland reimburses claims on behalf of NHS Boards, and data on activity is summarised and published under quarterly official statistics by Public Health Scotland.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418917,"EventID":"S6W-26902","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2098,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":115,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-18T16:34:58.51","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-18T09:03:39.333","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of staff currently employed by the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner were previously employed by (a) Police Scotland, (b) any other police service and (c) the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.","AnswerText":"Of the 95 staff currently employed by the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner:\r\na) 41% are former police officers, from Police Scotland or the Scottish legacy police forces.\r\nb) 4% were previously employed by the Royal Military Police.\r\nc) 2% were previously employed by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418918,"EventID":"S6W-26898","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-18T16:34:58.57","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-17T22:17:43.613","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of any variation in pay, terms and conditions for social workers across different local authorities.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government conducted a survey of job vacancies advertised in myjobscotland in September 2023, as part of joint work with COSLA on social workers pay variation across Scotland. This survey indicated that at that time there was a difference of average pay of circa £7k between the lowest and highest paying employers. The lowest paying £33,500 per annum and the highest £40,673. The majority of Scotland’s employers in the public sector pay between £36,400 and £38,480.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418919,"EventID":"S6W-26766","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-18T16:34:58.663","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-08T11:56:55.857","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to local businesses, in light of any customer behavioural changes resulting from road closures caused by renewables developments.","AnswerText":"Road closures on the local road network are the responsibility of the local authority in that area. They have a duty under the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 to manage and maintain local roads in their area and duties under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to secure expeditious, convenient and safe movement of traffic. \r\nLocal businesses can provide views as part of the planning application process, including comments on transport and traffic considerations and their impacts. If an application is approved, where appropriate, a condition of consent can require a finalised traffic management plan to be approved with the local planning authority and, where required, in consultation with other relevant bodies (such as Transport Scotland).\r\nOther conditions may be imposed requiring developers to set up a community liaison group to assist with the provision of mitigation measures etc. It can be the case that the development is not permitted to commence construction until this group is established and the terms of engagement are signed off by the planning authority.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418920,"EventID":"S6W-26906","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-18T16:34:58.727","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-18T13:31:42.313","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people that require social care are currently receiving this support in inappropriate hospital stays or out-of-area placements, and what its position is on whether this reflects the commitment in the Coming Home Implementation programme to greatly reduce delayed discharges and inappropriate out-of-area placements for adults with learning disabilities and complex care needs by March 2024.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government continue to implement the actions in the Coming Home Implementation Report, and work with COSLA to seek progress across the country. Local public bodies have the statutory responsibility for this and delivery rests with them – however we know this work takes time. We want people to be supported in a home that is right for them, which often and rightly requires a bespoke design and build, as well as recruitment and training of a care team tailored to the person.\r\nScottish Ministers are confident that the national work is putting in place improved systems and structures locally which are required to achieve real change. We launched new national Dynamic Support Registers in May 2023, which provide a mechanism for a new national data collection on people with learning disabilities and complex care needs.\r\nThis data is collected and published by Public Health Scotland (PHS) with the first report published in November 2023. This is a significant step forward that provides clarity on the number of people with learning disabilities and complex care needs who are in hospital and in out-of-area placements.\r\nThe latest Public Health Scotland publication reports on the census point of 28 September 2023. At that time, there were 1,243 people on the Dynamic Support Register of which, there were 86 delayed discharges and 130 out-of-area placements. Given this was the first publication of this data, care needs to be taken in early interpretation as data collection process embed and mature.\r\nA further publication of updated figures taken from a census point of 28 March 2024 will be published by PHS on 28 May 2024.\r\nThe full November PHS report is available on the PHS website:  Insights into learning disabilities and complex needs: statistics for Scotland - 28 November 2023 - Insights into learning disabilities and complex needs: statistics for Scotland - Publications - Public Health Scotland  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418921,"EventID":"S6W-26909","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-18T16:34:58.777","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-18T14:41:08.783","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to ensure that all healthcare assistants employed by public bodies who deliver care within a home setting are required to be registered with the Scottish Social Services Council.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) are the independent regulator of the social service workforce in Scotland. SSSC protects the public by registering the workforce, setting standards for their practice, conduct, training and education and by supporting their professional development. Groups of workers subject to registration with the SSSC are set by Scottish Ministers within the Regulation of Care Act (Scotland) 2001. \r\nThe role of ‘healthcare assistant’ does not have a standard definition and the term is used for different roles within the health and social care workforce. Due to the varying definition of this role, it is currently unclear which roles would and would not be appropriate for SSSC registration. While some healthcare assistants job roles may meet the requirement for SSSC registration, many will not. Accordingly, while there are no current plans to commence SSSC registration for all individuals named as healthcare assistants, many will already retain registration with SSSC due to the specific nature of their role (i.e. as a practitioner in a care at home service).","AnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418922,"EventID":"S6W-26912","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-18T16:34:58.84","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-18T14:41:08.783","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the registration record of all NHS staff, irrespective of job title, is checked on an ongoing basis in regard to (a) Health and Care Professionals Council, (b) Social Work England, (c) Social Care Wales, (d) Northern Ireland Social Care Council, (e) General Teaching Council for Scotland, (f) General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland, (g) Education Workforce Council, (h) General Chiropractic Council, (i) General Dental Council, (j) General Medical Council, (k) General Optical Council, (l) General Osteopathic Council, (m) Nursing and Midwifery Council, (n) General Pharmaceutical Council and (o) Scottish Social Services Council.","AnswerText":"Within NHSScotland, the duty to maintain registration rests with the healthcare professional. Health Boards must ensure that mechanisms are in place to check the ongoing registration of staff and thereby prevent the risk of staff whose registration has lapsed, been lost or suspended continuing to practise in a role which requires such professional registration.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418923,"EventID":"S6W-26896","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-18T16:34:58.887","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-17T22:05:35.463","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what elements of human resources functionality are provided to NHS Scotland by private contractors.","AnswerText":"In NHS Scotland, human resource departments only use private contractors or external organisations for specific services such as training or coaching which cannot be delivered within the organisation. Private companies are also used to provide certain IT platforms to the service. However, all core human resource functions in NHS Scotland are delivered in-house.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418924,"EventID":"S6W-26932","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":5075,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":112,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-19T11:03:09.763","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-19T10:59:52.357","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its commitment to pursue the devolution of powers for a Building Safety Levy in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government’s 2023-24 Programme for Government announced that we would be seeking the devolution of powers to introduce a levy equivalent to the UK Government’s Building Safety Levy for England, the revenues from which will be used to provide funding for the Scottish Government’s Cladding Remediation Programme.\r\nAs the Scottish Parliament cannot legislate for a new national tax in Scotland without devolution of powers from the UK Parliament, the Scottish Government has formally requested the transfer of powers from the UK Government under Section 80B of the Scotland Act 1998.\r\nTo inform the UK Government’s decision on this request, the Scottish and UK Governments launched a joint consultation on 8 January. The consultation ran for eight weeks, from 8 January 2024 to 19 February 2024. Respondents were asked to provide evidence that devolving the power may impose a disproportionate negative impact on UK macroeconomic policy or impede the single UK market in housebuilding. They were also asked whether the powers for a Building Safety Levy in Scotland should be devolved to the Scottish Parliament.\r\nThe Scottish and UK Governments agree that the consultation has surfaced no evidence to prevent the transfer of powers from proceeding. As such, the UK Government has confirmed that it will proceed to legislate for the transfer of powers. An Order in Council will now be subject to scrutiny in both the UK and Scottish Parliaments.\r\nThe Scottish Government has been clear that it will do what is right and necessary to fix the issue of unsafe cladding fully and from the outset. This is a significant step towards ensuring that the appropriate funding is in place to meet the associated costs of doing this.\r\nIn line with our New Deal for Business, the Scottish Government will now proceed to engage with the residential property development sector and wider stakeholders to ensure that the design and delivery of the Levy is informed by the widest possible range of views. Our approach to design and delivery of tax policy will also be guided by the principles set out in our Framework for Tax.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418925,"EventID":"S6W-26814","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16194,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-19T15:46:40.933","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-09T15:21:50.237","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a clear definition of the term \"conversion therapy practices\", which outlines the difference between \"quackery\" and advice provision. ","AnswerText":"The public consultation on “Ending Conversion Practices in Scotland” which ran from 9 January 2024 until 2 April set out the Scottish Government’s proposals on defining prohibited conduct in legislation.\r\nConsultation responses will be analysed and considered to inform future legislation to be introduced into Parliament.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418926,"EventID":"S6W-26813","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16194,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-19T15:46:41.623","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-09T15:21:25.94","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many instances of the use of conversion\r\ntherapy have been recorded since 2010, and under which bodies.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this data. At present, Scots law does not provide for a specific criminal offence relating to conversion practices, nor is there another basis for any bodies to collect such data.\r\nBoth the independent Expert Advisory Group on Ending Conversion Practices and the Equalities, Human Rights & Civil Justice (EHRCJ) Committee heard from people in Scotland with recent lived experience of conversion practices. Each produced reports which provided insight into the prevalence and types of conversion practices used in Scotland.\r\nIn their report of 25 January 2022, the EHRCJ Committee concluded that sufficient research and evidence is available in relation to conversion practices in Scotland and recommended that the Scottish Government does not duplicate evidence gathering already undertaken.\r\nThe UK Government’s National LGBT Survey, conducted in 2017 identified that, in Scotland, 7% of ‘LGBT’ respondents had either undergone or been offered ‘conversion therapy’.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418927,"EventID":"S6W-26925","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-19T15:46:41.903","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-18T18:39:53.48","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of safe walking routes to schools, broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"Assessment of the safety of walking routes is a responsibility of local authorities under section 51 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980.\r\nThe Scottish Government expects local authorities to keep their criteria for providing school transport under review and be flexible enough to take into account factors relative to the nature of the route, which might affect pupil safety. These factors are set out in paragraph 18 of the -  School Transport Guidance 2021 (www.gov.scot)  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418928,"EventID":"S6W-26921","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-19T15:46:42.2","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-18T18:16:01.26","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many patients have asked to access their medical records in (a) the last 12 months and (b) each of the previous 10 years.","AnswerText":"The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. Requests for access to medical records is a function conferred in law to the data controllers. NHS Scotland is made up of a federated group of independent organisations including health boards, GP Practices, Dentists, Opticians and other health services providers, each of whom may be individual data controllers depending on the specific information.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418929,"EventID":"S6W-26926","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-19T15:46:42.293","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-18T18:41:01.017","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of how many children currently walk or cycle to school.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government funds Sustrans to undertake the annual Hands Up Scotland survey which provides information on the mode of travel to school used in Scotland. The most recent survey report was published in May 2023. It showed that in 2022, the percentage of school pupils travelling actively to school, either by walking, cycling, scootering or skating, was 49.4%.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418930,"EventID":"S6W-26924","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-19T15:46:42.373","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-18T18:31:31.28","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with allied health professional organisations, and what was discussed.","AnswerText":"Carolyn McDonald, in her capacity as Chief Allied Health Professions Officer (CAHPO) met most recently with the Allied Health Professions Federation Scotland (AHPFS) on 3 April, 2024. Discussion included the National Care Service, Education, Government Consultations and Representation. The CAPHO and the Scottish Government will continue to engage with relevant Allied Health Professional Bodies and Organisations on a regular basis.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418931,"EventID":"S6W-26917","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-19T15:46:42.42","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-18T15:16:57.807","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6O-03310 by Patrick Harvie on 18 April 2024, regarding the ban on the installation of wood burners and other pollution-emitting heating systems in new properties, whether it will provide a non-exhaustive list of portable appliances that can be used as emergency heat sources.","AnswerText":"As Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy, I have recently taken on responsibility for this matter from the former Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants' Rights. The NBHS, as it stands, prohibits the use of direct emissions heating in all new buildings only, from 1 April 2024, and in certain types of conversions where reasonably practicable. We recognise that heating for emergency use will be needed and the NBHS permits fixed systems which may include woodburning stoves for emergency use where this is justified – this is in direct response to feedback from rural communities recognising concerns about supply.\r\nPortable heaters are not within the scope of building regulations and therefore do not need to be referenced in a building warrant application. Accordingly, we would not seek to provide a suggested list. Those considering portable appliances for emergency heating will decide what common products and solutions are most relevant for their circumstances. However, we have heard the concerns raised over the past few weeks about the use of woodburning stoves, particularly in emergency situations, and are taking these fully on board. Initially, we are considering what further clarity is needed in guidance to address those concerns and will work with concerned parties, developers and Local Authorities to ensure any updates to the existing technical guidance address this comprehensively.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418932,"EventID":"S6W-26937","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5596,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":151,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-19T15:46:42.703","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-19T14:52:24.73","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the outcome of the consultation on the licensing of activities involving animals, and what next steps it will take.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is still considering its next steps and we will announce how we propose to proceed in the near future.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418933,"EventID":"S6W-26922","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-19T15:46:42.75","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-18T18:22:14.213","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is monitoring the effectiveness of the smoke-free perimeter around hospital buildings, and how many on-the-spot fines have been issued since the Health (Tobacco, Nicotine etc. and Care) (Scotland) Act 2016 came into force.","AnswerText":"We have committed to undertaking an evaluation of the effectiveness of the smoke-free perimeter around hospital buildings as part of the first Implementation Plan of the recently published Tobacco and Vaping Framework. We do not centrally hold information on the number of fines issued since the Health (Tobacco, Nicotine etc. and Care) (Scotland) Act 2016 came into force.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418934,"EventID":"S6W-26934","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16189,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":129,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-19T15:46:42.81","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-19T13:13:39.757","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason Social Security Scotland staff reportedly do not work to timelines or key performance indicators, and what its position is on whether key performance indicators would help to improve the organisation’s efficiency. ","AnswerText":"Social Security Scotland is focused on making the right decision first time, whilst aiming to process all applications as quickly as possible.\r\nOur Charter sets out a range of standards for our performance and each year we publish the Charter Measurement Framework to share how we are delivering against our Charter commitments. As part of this research, we invite feedback from our clients and stakeholders on our performance, through our annual client survey.\r\nIn addition, we have committed to processing Funeral Support Payment applications within 10 working days of receipt of a completed applications and to process Special Rules for Terminal Illness disability payment applications within seven working days.\r\nAll colleagues have agreed work objectives which are reviewed as part of our performance management process and are further supported to perform effectively through learning and development programmes. We also use system data and internal management information to promote continuous improvement.\r\nWe have for example taken extensive action to drive down processing times and have seen significant improvements. Latest published figures show that average processing times for Adult Disability Payment have fallen by almost 40%.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418935,"EventID":"S6W-26816","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16194,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-19T15:46:42.857","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-09T15:22:35.743","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with faith leaders regarding its proposed legislation banning conversion practices. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has undertaken extensive engagement with a range of faith and belief stakeholders throughout the development of proposals on ending conversion practices in Scotland and following the launch of our public consultation document on 9 January. This includes both individual and group meeting with faith-based organisations on at least 14 separate occasions since the launch of our consultation on 9 January 2024. In addition, a roundtable event specifically for faith and belief representatives was held on 3 April 2024, managed by independent, impartial external facilitators to support a free expression of views.\r\nThis engagement with faith and belief stakeholders has informed the development of our proposals, and feedback and consultation responses will be analysed and considered to inform future legislation to be introduced into Parliament.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418936,"EventID":"S6W-26929","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-19T15:46:42.907","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-19T10:16:31.163","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the findings in the Kidney Care UK report, In-centre Dialysis Transport in Scotland, what steps it is taking to reduce any variation between NHS boards in access to free non-emergency kidney patient transport for all kidney patients, regardless of income, to and from in-centre dialysis appointments.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government’s role is to set the strategic policy for the NHS in Scotland, NHS Boards are responsible for service delivery and treatment. A requirement has been placed within the NHS Territorial Boards annual delivery guidance to bring attention to the requirement for the Boards to consider transport to health for patients and ensure patients have access to information.\r\nThe Transport (Scotland) Act section 120 and 121 commenced in 2023, placing a requirement on Boards to work with community transport providers and consider the economic and social impacts of non-emergency patient transport.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418937,"EventID":"S6W-26918","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-19T15:46:43.203","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-18T18:07:25.84","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS Scotland regarding how NHS boards record complaints about food provision to patients during hospital stays. ","AnswerText":"Operational guidance regarding the provision of food is provided to Boards from Health Facilities Scotland (a division of National Services Scotland). Boards carry out quality assurance activity of their catering services through several mechanisms. Patient Experience Surveys are used in all boards, through a variety of methods, and include questions on national measures of quality (which are reported annually to Health Facilities Scotland), alongside additional questions included by the board. Mealtime observations, where the ward service is observed and measured against several topic areas, are used to help to identify areas for improvement. However, some boards do not currently carry out these types of audits. All feedback should be reviewed by the service and used to measure the quality of the service from the patient’s perspective, helping to identify areas for improvement.\r\nPatient Feedback should be considered at several forums, including at the board’s Strategic Hydration and Nutritional Care Group or Food, Fluid and Nutrition Group meetings.\r\nWhere patients have complaints, Boards are encouraged to utilise the NHS Complaints Handling Procedure. Where suitable, Boards are encouraged to resolve straightforward complaints at the earliest opportunity, however where this is not possible complaints can be escalated to an investigation stage.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418938,"EventID":"S6W-26930","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-19T15:46:43.42","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-19T10:16:31.163","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to develop a national framework for non-emergency kidney patient transport to and from in-centre dialysis appointments, in light of the findings in the Kidney Care UK report, In-centre Dialysis Transport in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that people living with kidney diseases are able to access the best possible care and support and that they benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective, and put people at the centre of their care.\r\nThe Scottish Government recognises that Transport plays an important role in supporting patients’ health journeys and the Scottish Government has recently prepared a draft Transport to Health delivery plan which has commitments against transport and healthcare across the work of Health Boards including Scottish Ambulance Service, Regional Transport Partnerships and Scottish Government. ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418939,"EventID":"S6W-26905","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-19T15:46:43.67","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-18T12:06:14.357","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made an assessment of any impact on (a) buildings and (b) contents insurance of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete being identified in a property, and whether it has any plans to provide guidance or support in relation to this matter.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has met with the Association of British Insurers (ABI) around the issue of insurance and we have been clear that we would expect responsible insurance companies to offer as much assistance as possible to residents affected by RAAC. The actual cover available will be dependent on the individual policies that homeowners have in place. Building insurance is designed to cover damage caused by defined perils such as storms or floods and would not cover building defects or maintenance issues that develop over time. Homeowners should still be able to claim on their insurance policies if they suffer damage from these perils.\r\nThe ABI has indicated that the majority of their members will not void insurance policies as a result of RAAC being identified and that households can expect to continue to be covered for the defined perils outlined in their policy. We have also been assured that insurers will consider the renewal of cover for properties with RAAC, but these may be less commercially attractive as their construction could present a risk of more extensive damage from a named peril. ABI advice remains that policy holders should consider their renewal needs early and may wish to shop around providers to find a policy that provides best value.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418940,"EventID":"S6W-26874","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-19T15:46:43.937","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-16T14:10:36.757","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government at what stages of the process there are the longest delays in cancer (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment, and what steps it is taking to tackle any such delays.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold information on waiting times for each step of a patient’s cancer pathway. The most recently published Cancer Waiting Times data can be found here:  Cancer waiting times - 1 October to 31 December 2023 - Cancer waiting times - Publications - Public Health Scotland\r\nOur NHS remains under pressure, which is reflected in the fact that we're treating more patients on 62- and 31-day pathways than before the Covid-19 pandemic. We’re also treating more patients with cancer on time, within both standards, compared to pre-pandemic and 10 years ago. Despite this, there will always be instances where some patients wait longer depending on their health, complexity of disease and agreed treatment plan.\r\nScottish Government officials continue to engage with Health Boards’ Cancer Management Teams frequently to identify challenges, explore solutions and spread best practice.\r\nTo support efforts to reduce cancer waiting times, £11.3 million of non-recurring Cancer Waiting Times funding has been made available in 2023/24 across NHS Scotland. The majority of funding is being directed to urology, colorectal and breast – the three most challenged tumour types and NHS Boards have agreed performance improvement plans in place to ensure cancer cases continue to be prioritised.\r\nThe Scottish Government also published our ten year  Cancer Strategy for Scotland 2023-2033  along with an initial three year Cancer Action Plan (  Cancer Plan for Scotland 2023 – 2026  ) in June 2023.\r\nOver the next 10 years, our strategic aim is to improve cancer survival and provide excellent, equitably accessible care. The Strategy and Plan take a comprehensive approach to improving patient pathways from prevention and diagnosis through to treatment and post-treatment care, and have people living with cancer, their families and carers at their very heart.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":418941,"EventID":"S6W-26928","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-19T15:46:44.157","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-18T18:43:20.04","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many secondary school physical education teachers were employed by each local authority in 2023-24.","AnswerText":"The following table shows the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) Secondary teachers with Physical Education reported as their main subject by each local authority. Head teachers and Depute head teachers are not included.\r\nTeacher FTE numbers for individual subjects in Secondary schools are published in Table 8.9 in the annual Teacher Census Supplementary statistics available from  https://www.gov.scot/publications/teacher-census-supplementary-statistics/  .\r\nSecondary school teachers (FTE) with Physical Education as main subject taught 2023 - Excludes head and depute head teachers. \r\nFTE\r\nAberdeen City\r\n62\r\nAberdeenshire\r\n96\r\nAngus\r\n49\r\nArgyll and Bute\r\n32\r\nCity of Edinburgh\r\n155\r\nClackmannanshire\r\n17\r\nDumfries and Galloway\r\n53\r\nDundee City\r\n43\r\nEast Ayrshire\r\n42\r\nEast Dunbartonshire\r\n53\r\nEast Lothian\r\n36\r\nEast Renfrewshire\r\n64\r\nFalkirk\r\n97\r\nFife\r\n132\r\nGlasgow City\r\n207\r\nHighland\r\n87\r\nInverclyde\r\n29\r\nMidlothian\r\n49\r\nMoray\r\n34\r\nNa h-Eileanan Siar\r\n10\r\nNorth Ayrshire\r\n53\r\nNorth Lanarkshire\r\n130\r\nOrkney Islands\r\n7\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n53\r\nRenfrewshire\r\n70\r\nScottish Borders\r\n45\r\nShetland Islands\r\n9\r\nSouth Ayrshire\r\n44\r\nSouth Lanarkshire\r\n134\r\nStirling\r\n45\r\nWest Dunbartonshire\r\n32\r\nWest Lothian\r\n89\r\nAll local authorities\r\n2,057\r\nGrant Aided\r\n4\r\nScotland\r\n2,061","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418942,"EventID":"S6W-26933","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5596,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":151,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-19T15:46:44.39","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-19T12:35:40.053","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many responses were received to its consultation on the effectiveness of environmental governance arrangements, and when it will publish an analysis of the consultation responses.","AnswerText":"There were 24 responses to the consultation on the Report into the Effectiveness of Environmental Governance. Section 41 of the UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Continuity) (Scotland) Act 2021 requires a statement to be laid before Parliament including a summary of any views expressed in response to the consultation, and the Scottish Ministers’ recommendations in response to those views. The publication of this statement will be confirmed in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418943,"EventID":"S6W-26936","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-19T15:46:44.643","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-19T13:22:48.843","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason Historic Environment Scotland's blue plaque scheme is reportedly inactive at present, and whether there are any plans to reopen the scheme. ","AnswerText":"Questions regarding day-to-day operational matters of Historic Environment Scotland are best answered directly by Historic Environment Scotland.\r\nI have asked Historic Environment Scotland to respond directly to the member with a full reply to his question in writing.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418944,"EventID":"S6W-26935","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16189,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":129,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-19T15:46:44.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-19T13:14:12.807","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to address any long waiting times for applications to Social Security Scotland, in light of reports that nine children have died while waiting for an application for the Child Disability Payment to be processed. ","AnswerText":"Our thoughts are with the families and friends of those who sadly died before a decision could be made on their application.\r\nWe know some people waited an unacceptably long time for Child Disability Payment and urgent action was taken to address this resulting in improved processing times.\r\nWe aim to process all applications as quickly as possible and have an accelerated application process for people who have a terminal illness diagnoses. We urge anyone who is applying on behalf of a terminally ill child or young person to use this dedicated route and ensure their application is given utmost priority. \r\nWhile we cannot comment on individual cases, there are a number of factors that impact on how long it takes to make a decision including the time taken to gather information to support an application from a professional such as teachers or health care practitioners. This can take time – but under the DWP, people had to do this themselves – and we know people greatly value this service.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418945,"EventID":"S6W-26927","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-19T15:46:45.347","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-18T18:41:44.97","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many primary schools have physical education teachers based within them, broken down by local authority.","AnswerText":"Primary Teachers are generalists; therefore, they deliver the totality of the Curriculum including PE. Specialist PE teachers are predominantly based in secondary schools.\r\nThe table shows the number of Primary schools in each authority with teachers listing Physical Education as their main subject. Head teachers are not included.\r\nIndividual teachers may have posts in more than one school. Note that in some local authorities physical education teachers that serve more than one school are recorded as centrally employed rather than allocated to individual schools. Teachers recorded in this way do not appear in the following table.\r\nPrimary schools with teachers in post with Physical Education as their main subject taught 2023 - Excludes head teachers. \r\nPrimary Schools with PE teachers in post\r\nAberdeen City\r\n13\r\nAberdeenshire\r\n18\r\nAngus\r\n44\r\nArgyll and Bute\r\n9\r\nCity of Edinburgh\r\n25\r\nClackmannanshire\r\n15\r\nDumfries and Galloway\r\n3\r\nDundee City\r\n0\r\nEast Ayrshire\r\n0\r\nEast Dunbartonshire\r\n3\r\nEast Lothian\r\n0\r\nEast Renfrewshire\r\n1\r\nFalkirk\r\n0\r\nFife\r\n2\r\nGlasgow City\r\n2\r\nHighland\r\n5\r\nInverclyde\r\n0\r\nMidlothian\r\n1\r\nMoray\r\n8\r\nNa h-Eileanan Siar\r\n0\r\nNorth Ayrshire\r\n0\r\nNorth Lanarkshire\r\n0\r\nOrkney Islands\r\n18\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n23\r\nRenfrewshire\r\n1\r\nScottish Borders\r\n33\r\nShetland Islands\r\n21\r\nSouth Ayrshire\r\n9\r\nSouth Lanarkshire\r\n1\r\nStirling\r\n0\r\nWest Dunbartonshire\r\n0\r\nWest Lothian\r\n16\r\nAll local authorities\r\n271\r\nGrant Aided\r\n1\r\nScotland\r\n272\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418946,"EventID":"S6W-26919","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-19T15:46:45.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-18T18:09:29.873","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many medical records team leaders currently work in the NHS, broken down by NHS board.","AnswerText":"The information requested is not held centrally and is a matter for each health board. Health boards have a legal obligation under Public Records (Scotland) Act 2011) to identify a person with responsibility over their records. They decide on the best way to designate further roles and responsibilities for that matter.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418947,"EventID":"S6W-26931","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-19T15:46:45.817","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-19T10:16:31.18","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the findings in the Kidney Care UK report, In-centre Dialysis Transport in Scotland, what plans it has to review non-emergency kidney patient transport to and from in-centre dialysis appointments across Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government’s role is to set the strategic policy for the NHS in Scotland, NHS Boards are responsible for service delivery and treatment. All Health Boards should consider patient transport needs when they plan and deliver services and must ensure Patients have access to all information on any relevant patient transport (including community transport) and travel reimbursement entitlement.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418958,"EventID":"S6W-26955","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-22T16:38:41.627","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-19T18:35:27.083","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what contingency plans are in place in the event of a wildfire in a national park.","AnswerText":"Wildfires typically require a significant emergency response and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, as part of its new wildfire strategy, is in the process of providing a package of specialised vehicles including All-Terrain Vehicles, additional 4x4 vehicles and logistical support units. Additionally, a large amount of new equipment has been provided to support crews as they respond to these types of incidents as part of its wildfire strategy. Crews are also supported by wildfire tactical advisors from around Scotland.\r\nLand managers are alert to the risks of wildfire in the Cairngorms National Park which can occur throughout the year. There is a large pool of people across the Cairngorms National Park who are expert in fighting fires and are well equipped and trained to do so. There are good communications between land managers and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. Land managers also take preventative action to prevent fires from occurring through patrols and signage at periods of high fire risk.\r\nThe Park Authority Ranger Service plays an important role in patrolling, visitor management and fire prevention through educating the public. The Park Authority is developing an integrated wildfire management plan to improve measures around wildfire prevention and response to any wildfires.\r\nThe Cairngorms National Park Authority recently consulted on fire management and the potential requirement for byelaws in the Cairngorms National Park as part of the measures to help control the risk of wildfire. Responses to this consultation are now being analysed.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418959,"EventID":"S6W-26967","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-22T16:38:42.017","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-22T15:48:24.73","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is marking bowel cancer awareness month. ","AnswerText":"Raising awareness of all cancers, including bowel, remains a priority for the Scottish Government. We published our Cancer Strategy for Scotland  Cancer strategy 2023 to 2033 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  along with an initial three year  Cancer action plan 2023 to 2026 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .\r\nA new Earlier Cancer Diagnosis Vision was developed as part of the new strategy. The vision has a focus on reducing the health inequalities gap and raising awareness of cancer symptoms, particularly for those from areas of deprivation.\r\nWe know that the earlier cancer is diagnosed the easier it is to treat and even cure which is why we continue to invest in our Detect Cancer Earlier (DCE) Programme.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418960,"EventID":"S6W-26953","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-22T16:38:42.08","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-19T18:27:21.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will raise its proposal of establishing a four nations climate response group at the next meeting of the Interministerial Group on Net Zero, Energy and Climate Change.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the importance of working closely and collaboratively with the UK Government and other devolved administrations to deliver a net zero that is mutually beneficial both in economic and social terms.\r\nWe will engage directly with each of the Governments to understand how best to establish a four nations climate response group that enables us to work much closer and share more information.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418961,"EventID":"S6W-26942","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-22T16:38:42.313","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-19T18:11:16.37","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many electric vehicle (EV) charging points it has delivered since 2021. ","AnswerText":"Since 2011, Transport Scotland has invested over £65 million on behalf of Scottish Ministers to support the installation of public EV charge points across Scotland as part of the ChargePlace Scotland public EV charging network. As a direct result, Scotland has the best provision of public charge points per head of population of anywhere in the UK, outside of London, and the most rapid charge points per head of population of any region.\r\nLast year, the Scottish Government published  Vision for world class public electric vehicle charging network | Transport Scotland  , highlighting the need for a transition towards a public charging network that is largely financed and delivered by the private sector. Through the £30m EV Infrastructure Fund we are supporting local authorities across Scotland to work with the private sector to leverage an additional £30m of private investment to continue to grow the provision of EV charging in Scotland at pace and scale.\r\nSince 2021, 1,232 additional public EV charge points have been added to the Scottish Government funded ChargePlace Scotland network. We do not hold information relating to any other public electric vehicle charging networks.\r\nSince 2021 a total of 15,615 EV charge points have been supported through Scottish Government grant funding for fleet, business, third sector and domestic charge point installations.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418962,"EventID":"S6W-26951","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-22T16:38:42.47","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-19T18:27:21.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will raise its proposal of establishing a four nations climate response group at the next meeting of the Prime Minister and Heads of Devolved Government Council. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the importance of working closely and collaboratively with the UK Government and other devolved administrations to deliver a net zero that is mutually beneficial both in economic and social terms.\r\nWe will engage directly with each of the Governments to understand how best to establish a four nations climate response group that enables us to work much closer and share more information.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418963,"EventID":"S6W-26952","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-22T16:38:42.597","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-19T18:27:21.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will raise its proposal of establishing a four nations climate response group at the next meeting of the (a) Interministerial Standing Committee and (b) Finance Interministerial Standing Committee. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the importance of working closely and collaboratively with the UK Government and other devolved administrations to deliver a net zero that is mutually beneficial both in economic and social terms.\r\nWe will engage directly with each of the Governments to understand how best to establish a four nations climate response group that enables us to work much closer and share more information.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418964,"EventID":"S6W-26945","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-22T16:38:42.83","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-19T18:14:00.44","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish a new Smart Ticketing Delivery Strategy prior to July 2024. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is refreshing its Smart Delivery Strategy, outlining its programme of work and strategy for enhancing smart, integrated ticketing and payments, and digital travel data over the next 5-10 years. \r\nThe strategy is being developed through a collaborative process with stakeholders and the public and is currently taking into account the development of the National Smart Ticketing Advisory Board’s first work programme. The strategy is also taking into account the significant progress and technological development of smart ticketing since the previous publication in 2018, including the increased use of digital platforms and contactless payment across the network, reflecting the public’s increasing desire for contactless and digital payments and ticketing. \r\nFollowing publication of the Fair Fares Review and announcement of the Scottish Government’s intention to develop a new national integrated ticketing system for public transport, the strategy will progress through the finalisation and approval process to be published in 2024. ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418965,"EventID":"S6W-26939","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-22T16:38:42.893","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-19T16:26:25.623","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce its proposed Heat in Buildings Bill ahead of the Scottish Parliament's 2024 summer recess. ","AnswerText":"We are in the process of analysing the approximately 1650 responses to our consultation which closed on 8 March 2024. This will allow us to take into account the feedback and perspectives from those who responded as we consider next steps. This follows the commitments made to develop proposals for legislative change, including in relation to Heat in Buildings as established in the Programme for Government where the legislative programme for 2023-24 is set out.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":418966,"EventID":"S6W-26959","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-22T16:38:43.113","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-22T09:49:42.627","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the introduction of an independent Scottish football regulator","AnswerText":"We have no plans at this time to consult on introducing an independent regulator for Scottish football. However, I am hosting a round table meeting on the subject of Enhancing Scottish Football on 8th May and I look forward to on interesting discussion on a range of topics.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418967,"EventID":"S6W-26944","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-22T16:38:43.177","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-19T18:13:16.517","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether its proposed carbon emissions land tax will be included in its 2025-26 Budget. ","AnswerText":"The contents of Budgets are not announced until they are delivered in Parliament, and this will be the case for the 2025-26 Budget.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418968,"EventID":"S6W-26938","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-22T16:38:43.24","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-19T16:26:25.623","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce its proposed Natural Environment Bill before January 2025. ","AnswerText":"As set out in the 2021-22 Programme for Government, the Scottish Government is committed to “Introduce a Natural Environment Bill, putting in place key legislative changes and statutory targets to restore and protect nature” before the end of the current parliamentary term.\r\nFuture legislative programmes will be announced in relevant Programmes for Government in the usual way. Meantime, we continue to take action to deliver nature restoration through, for example, our £65 million Nature Restoration Fund, which has already committed nearly £40 million since 2021.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418969,"EventID":"S6W-26940","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-22T16:38:43.333","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-19T16:26:25.623","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Scottish equivalent to the Passivhaus standard will take into account embodied carbon emissions. ","AnswerText":"As outlined in the answer to question S6W-25522 on 11 March 2024 work is ongoing to consider how embodied/whole life carbon emission reporting might be addressed through building regulations or by other means. This work is outside the scope of our current energy standards review and delivery of a Scottish equivalent to the Passivhaus standard. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418970,"EventID":"S6W-26947","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-22T16:38:43.393","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-19T18:27:21.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will set out the high-level principles of its proposed Air Departure Tax prior to July 2024. ","AnswerText":"We will set out the high-level principles of ADT, including how it will support emissions reductions in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418971,"EventID":"S6W-26964","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-22T16:38:43.473","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-22T12:35:35.697","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the average time that kidney patients wait for non-emergency patient transport services to and from in-centre dialysis appointments.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government’s role is to set the strategic policy for the NHS in Scotland, NHS Boards are responsible for service delivery and treatment. All Health Boards should consider patient transport needs when they plan and deliver services and must ensure Patients have access to all information on any relevant patient transport (including community transport) and travel reimbursement entitlement.\r\nIndividual Boards are responsible for developing and applying their own policies, including determining eligibility and reimbursement rates, whilst ensuring patient care and safety.\r\nA requirement has been placed within the NHS Territorial Boards annual delivery guidance to bring attention to the requirement for the Boards to consider transport to health for patients and ensure patients have access to information.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418972,"EventID":"S6W-26956","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-22T16:38:43.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-19T18:35:27.083","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any threat of wildfires in national parks ahead of the summer season, and what the outcome was of any such assessment.","AnswerText":"SFRS’s new wildfire strategy was created with partnership at its heart. The strategy considers the increased risk of wildfire and changing climate in Scotland; the latest developments in wildfire management, training, and operational procedures; and the advances in technology that have been made in PPE and equipment.\r\nThe assessment of wildfire risk lies, first and foremost, with landowners/land managers. However, through the Scottish Wildfire Forum, a wildfire danger assessment is carried out every 5-7 days by a third-party expert. When the risk of wildfire reaches very high or extreme then the assessment is circulated across a wide network of key contacts, including public sector and private interests to ensure as wide a coverage as possible.\r\nThe Scottish Fire and Rescue Service works closely with land managers, communities and other safety partners to prevent these incidents ever occurring. SFRS remains ready and able to respond to any instance of wildfire that occurs across Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418973,"EventID":"S6W-26958","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-22T16:38:43.567","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-19T19:11:03.923","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to rapidly emulate the national roll-out of pay-as-you-go mobile in/out public transport ticketing, which was launched in April 2024 in Denmark by Rejsekort and Rejseplan with vendor FAIRTIQ, in order to meet its climate change and modal shift targets.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to enhancing smart integrated ticketing and has set out its intention to develop a new national integrated ticketing system for public transport in Scotland, across all modes of transport, to enable a system that can used for all elements of a journey. \r\nTo support delivery of this, the recently established National Smart Ticketing Advisory Board (NSTAB) which comprises operators, transport authorities, user groups and technical experts, is set to advise Ministers on the future of smart ticketing in Scotland, including on technological standards to enable smart integration between modes. The NSTAB is currently developing their work programme for the next 3 years. \r\nFAIRTIQ has engaged with NSTAB and will present on their smart integrated ticketing solution at an upcoming board meeting. FAIRTIQ is one example of a ticketing platform provider, and it is expected that NSTAB will consider the full range of options available for Scotland and their respective implications on cost and infrastructure. Any resulting public procurement of a new ticketing system will be required to follow public sector procurement processes to ensure best value for money.\r\nThe Scottish Government, NSTAB and stakeholders will continue to work closely together on developing these options, in order to best determine the method of delivering a new national integrated ticketing system.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418974,"EventID":"S6W-26948","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-22T16:38:43.613","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-19T18:27:21.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will establish a pilot scheme on methane supressing feed products before January 2025. ","AnswerText":"On 18 April the Scottish Government published a new package of climate action measures, this included the intention to establish a pilot scheme to support the roll out of methane supressing feed products to reduce emissions from livestock.\r\nOfficials are currently exploring the options for delivering such a scheme. Methane supressing feed products offer opportunities for emissions reduction in Scottish livestock systems and evidence on the efficacy and appropriate application of these products will be considered in developing the pilot scheme. Further details on the pilot scheme will be provided in due course, including a timescale for establishing the pilot scheme.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418975,"EventID":"S6W-26941","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-22T16:38:43.723","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-19T16:35:27.467","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is permissible for the emergency vehicles operated by Glasgow Street Aid to use blue lights.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is not responsible for authorising any company or organisation to drive under blue light conditions.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418976,"EventID":"S6W-26950","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-22T16:38:43.8","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-19T18:27:21.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will establish a pilot scheme for partial re-wetting projects. ","AnswerText":"On 18 April, I made a statement to the Scottish Parliament with new measures aimed at accelerating Scotland’s journey to net zero. These included a commitment to explore how partial rewetting of peat soils might help to further reduce carbon emissions alongside our existing commitment to restore 250,000 hectares of degraded peat by 2030. We will work with farmers, crofters and other land managers to understand the scope for such an approach in Scotland, its costs and benefits, and how it could be part of future agricultural support from 2026 onwards. Further details of any pilot scheme will be available in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418977,"EventID":"S6W-26954","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-22T16:38:43.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-19T18:35:27.083","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed the potential impact on its commitment to ban single-use vapes in the event that the UK Government's Tobacco and Vapes Bill is not passed by the UK Parliament, and what discussions the Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity has had with the UK Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, or any other UK Government ministers, regarding this Bill.","AnswerText":"The passage of the four nations Tobacco and Vapes Bill has no impact on the Scottish Government’s commitment to prohibit the sale and supply of single-use vapes. The prohibition of the sale and supply of single-use vapes is being progressed under existing environmental powers devolved to Scottish Ministers. The UK Government and Welsh Government are progressing similar legislation in England and Wales respectively.\r\nWork on the Tobacco and Vaping Bill, in Scotland, is being led by the Minister for Public Health and Women's Health. This Bill will increase the age of sale for tobacco products and provide powers to legislate on vape flavours, displays, packaging, and other measures. As the Bill makes provisions within the competence of the Scottish Parliament, a Legislative Consent Memorandum was brought forward on 2nd April for consideration by this Parliament.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418978,"EventID":"S6W-26943","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-22T16:38:43.897","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-19T18:11:58.46","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its consultation on proposals to introduce a carbon emissions land tax. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government intends to publish a consultation on proposals to introduce a carbon land tax in summer 2024, as set out in the statement made by the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy on 18 April 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418979,"EventID":"S6W-26969","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-22T16:38:43.943","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-22T15:54:49.443","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many colorectal (a) clinical nurse specialists and (b) surgeons are currently employed by NHS Lanarkshire.","AnswerText":"As set out in my answer S6W-26968 on 25 April 2024, the information requested on how many colorectal (a) clinical nurse specialists and (b) surgeons were employed by NHS Lanarkshire in 2019 is not centrally available.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-04-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418980,"EventID":"S6W-26957","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-22T16:38:43.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-19T18:35:27.083","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to conduct an assessment of the potential impact of its ban on industrial sandeel fishing in Scottish waters on puffin populations, and, if so, when it will report any findings resulting from such an assessment to Parliament.","AnswerText":"Throughout the public consultation and in reaching the decision to close fishing for sandeel in all Scottish waters, the Scottish Government recognised the importance of potential wider environmental and ecosystem benefits, which included potential benefits to sandeel, seabirds, marine mammals, and other fish species.\r\nThere are currently no plans to conduct an assessment of the potential impact of the closure of fishing for sandeel in Scottish waters on seabird populations, including Atlantic puffin, as these measures only came into force on 26 March 2024. However, there are several monitoring and research programmes in place that can add to the evidence base in relation to potential impacts of closing fishing for sandeel in Scottish waters, and which can be drawn on should such an assessment be undertaken in the future.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418981,"EventID":"S6W-26960","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-22T16:38:44.037","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-22T09:49:42.627","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the reported shortage in trained physiotherapists.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognise that there are circumstances when they will step in to address specific workforce challenges. In December 2019 as part of the Integrated Workforce plan, Scottish Government made a commitment to create 225 more MSK practitioners in Primary Care. To achieve this it has been critical to increase numbers of physiotherapists in training as newly qualified physiotherapists enable the replenishment of posts created by experienced physiotherapists moving to Primary Care as Advanced MSK Practitioners.\r\nDue to the pandemic delays were experienced and a total of 37 students were recruited in 2021-22, and a further 52 were recruited in 2022-23. To date, 144 physiotherapy students have been recruited and the first cohort of students graduated in September 2023. A further recruitment of 50 students is planned for 2024-25, subject to funding.\r\nAdditionally, the Allied Health Professions (AHP) Education and Workforce Policy Review examined workforce and education issues and recommendations included promotion of AHP careers and aligning strategies to market a career as an AHP. An advisory group has been established to oversee the effective implementation of these recommendations.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418982,"EventID":"S6W-26961","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-22T16:38:44.1","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-22T09:49:42.627","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on any current physiotherapist vacancies across all NHS boards.","AnswerText":"The information requested on what data we hold on any current physiotherapist vacancies across all NHS boards can be found on the TURAS NHS Education for Scotland workforce statistics site at:  https://turasdata.nes.nhs.scot/data-and-reports/official-workforce-statistics/all-official-statistics-publications/05-march-2024-workforce/dashboards/nhs-scotland-workforce/?pageid=11224 ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418983,"EventID":"S6W-26949","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-22T16:38:44.147","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-19T18:27:21.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will include crofts in its proposed pilot scheme on methane supressing feed products. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has stated an ambition to establish a pilot scheme on methane supressing feed products. Officials are currently exploring options for the proposed scheme.\r\nThe pilot scheme will support policy development around the appropriate use of methane supressing feed products. Officials will consider the appropriate targeting of such a pilot scheme, this will include consideration of farm business specialisation and size including the role of livestock crofts in such a pilot scheme.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418984,"EventID":"S6W-26968","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-22T16:38:44.227","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-22T15:54:49.443","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many colorectal (a) clinical nurse specialists and (b) surgeons were employed by NHS Lanarkshire in 2019.","AnswerText":"The information requested on how many colorectal (a) clinical nurse specialists and (b) surgeons were employed by NHS Lanarkshire in 2019 is not centrally available.","AnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418985,"EventID":"S6W-26965","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-22T16:38:44.287","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-22T12:35:35.697","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the adequacy of non-emergency kidney patient transport service provision for patients travelling to and from in-centre dialysis appointments across each NHS board, and when it made any such assessment.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government’s role is to set the strategic policy for the NHS in Scotland, NHS Boards are responsible for service delivery and treatment. All Health Boards should consider patient transport needs when they plan and deliver services and must ensure Patients have access to all information on any relevant patient transport (including community transport) and travel reimbursement entitlement.\r\nIndividual Boards are responsible for developing and applying their own policies, including determining eligibility and reimbursement rates, whilst ensuring patient care and safety.\r\nA requirement has been placed within the NHS Territorial Boards annual delivery guidance to bring attention to the requirement for the Boards to consider transport to health for patients and ensure patients have access to information.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418996,"EventID":"S6T-01932","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-22T14:16:44.363","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-22T10:05:25.14","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what potential impact the proposed Berwick Bank offshore windfarm not being included in the Contracts for Difference Allocation Round 6 will have on achieving Scotland’s climate targets.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418997,"EventID":"S6T-01937","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":3763,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":142,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-22T14:16:43.627","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-22T11:00:34.017","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported statistics indicating that wet wipes contribute to up to 94% of sewer blockages, what assessment it has made of the potential impact on Scottish Water of the planned ban on wet wipes containing plastic, including whether water and sewerage charges will be reduced in the future as a result of the ban.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418998,"EventID":"S6T-01938","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":16194,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-22T14:16:43.687","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-22T11:02:42.693","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the LGBT Youth Scotland pilot programme to introduce youth clubs in schools.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-04-23T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":418999,"EventID":"S6F-03036","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-22T14:16:35.673","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-18T10:48:46.477","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419000,"EventID":"S6F-03037","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5586,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-22T14:16:35.847","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-18T10:49:10.65","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419001,"EventID":"S6F-03043","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-22T14:16:36.66","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-22T10:02:05.797","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419002,"EventID":"S6F-03047","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-22T14:16:35.737","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-22T10:47:06.85","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on NHS Scotland's ability to treat patients, in light of the reported scarcity of life-saving medicines in the UK due to Brexit.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419003,"EventID":"S6F-03053","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-22T14:16:35.957","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-22T11:14:40.49","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what impact he anticipates the Scottish Government's decision to remove the target to reduce emissions by 75% by 2030 will have on infrastructure projects throughout Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419004,"EventID":"S6F-03060","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-22T14:16:36.833","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-22T11:48:58.047","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the report, Scoping a Domestic Legal Framework for Ecocide in Scotland, which was published by the Environmental Rights Centre for Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-04-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":419005,"EventID":"S6W-26975","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":5074,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":104,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-23T09:06:47.32","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-23T09:02:13.357","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress of the UK Government’s Project Gigabit programme in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government will play a key role in delivering Project Gigabit procurements in Scotland. The Scottish Government will lead delivery of local (Type A) and regional (Type B) activity, providing opportunities for alternative network suppliers in Scotland. We will also work alongside the UK Government to manage the UK-wide (Type C) framework in Scotland. \r\nThis is a recognition of our strong track record of delivering large scale digital infrastructure programmes and will allow us to align Project Gigabit with our own Reaching 100% (R100) programme.\r\nThe first local procurement in Scotland is expected to launch imminently, covering the Borders and East Lothian areas. A regional procurement, in the Dundee, Aberdeenshire, Angus, and Moray Coast areas is expected to follow in the coming months.\r\nThe Scottish Government and Building Digital UK (BDUK) have worked together to prepare further procurements, and these will be launched if and when we are confident that there is the market interest needed for them to succeed. We are also preparing the ground for the UK-wide (Type C) framework to deliver across Scotland. \r\nUnlike our R100 programme, there is no predetermined level of funding assigned to deliver connections in Scotland via Project Gigabit. Instead, funding is allocated to each individual procurement based on a model developed by the UK Government. \r\nAs we work jointly to deliver these procurements in Scotland, we will continue to urge the UK Government to match our ambition for Scotland’s digital infrastructure with a sufficient level of financial commitment to deliver in this wholly reserved area. ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419007,"EventID":"S6W-26983","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":16186,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":120,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-23T14:52:08.727","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-23T14:50:17.67","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the next paper in the Building a New Scotland series will be published.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to deliver on its commitment to build the case for an independent Scotland within the EU, through the development of a prospectus to give people the information they need to make an informed choice about their future. I’m pleased to confirm that on 25 April we will publish the thirteenth paper in the Building a New Scotland series ‘Building a New Scotland: Justice in an independent Scotland’.\r\nThe paper sets out how independence would give Scotland the powers to take all the decisions in justice areas that are currently reserved, creating opportunities for more focused and creative action on some of the most challenging issues facing our society, such as drugs and gambling. The paper also describes how Scotland would be an open, engaged and positive international partner, able to play a key role in justice issues across borders, particularly around counter-terrorism, cybercrime and serious organised crime.\r\nThe Scottish Government is continuing to prepare further papers in the Building a New Scotland series and these will be published shortly. I can also confirm that the matters raised in this publication will be taken forward as part of a future debate on BaNS publications in the Scottish Parliament.\r\n‘Building a New Scotland: Justice in an independent Scotland’ is available to view on the Scottish Government website from 25 April at  www.gov.scot/newscotland ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jamie Hepburn","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419030,"EventID":"S6W-26976","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-23T17:08:23.943","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-23T09:36:48.09","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an estimate of how many jobs in (a) wind turbine manufacturing and (b) the supply-chain based in Scotland will be provided by the recently announced Green Volt project.","AnswerText":"Consenting of GreenVolt, one of the largest floating offshore wind farms in Europe, is a significant milestone which will secure Scotland’s place at the forefront of floating wind technology.\r\nGreen Volt’s recently published Supply Chain Development Statement Outlook indicates that the project is estimated to create over 2800 direct jobs during construction and around 100 jobs during the operational phase. \r\nAn estimate for wind turbine manufacturing jobs cannot currently be provided. However, Green Volt has committed to spend £350 million in Scotland in the manufacturing phase. \r\nAs Scotland’s renewable energy industry continues to grow and thrive we will continue to see new and increased opportunities for job creation across Scotland. We are determined to maximise the economic benefits from offshore wind projects in Scottish waters, which will support the creation of new sustainable jobs across the country. ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419031,"EventID":"S6W-26970","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-23T17:08:24.32","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-22T16:21:47.437","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to next update the Prevalence-Service Utilisation Ratio for people who are dependent on alcohol in Scotland, in light of the reported 40% reduction in the number of people accessing specialist alcohol treatment. ","AnswerText":"Scottish Government has no current plans to update the prevalence-service utilisation ratio for people who are dependent on alcohol in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419032,"EventID":"S6W-26636","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-23T17:08:24.43","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-02T08:56:45.067","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that the consultants, Deloitte, provided evidence to the Post Office in 2017 suggesting that errors in the Horizon IT system or remote tampering could have caused the financial losses that were being investigated, what its position is on whether any convictions in Scotland that involved evidence related to the Horizon IT system (a) can be considered safe and (b) should be quashed.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government believes that the Post Office Horizon scandal is a unique situation requiring urgent action to ensure those wrongly convicted can finally access justice. Whilst the determination of innocence or guilt in criminal cases is usually rightly a matter for the judiciary, the situation arising is unprecedented in its scale and nature.\r\nThe Scottish Government can confirm that a Bill is currently going through the usual parliamentary process and will be introduced shortly.\r\nThe Scottish Bill will need to be passed after the UK Bill has been passed, to take account of any amendments made during passage at Westminster. This is to ensure full compatibility with UK legislation and the UK compensation scheme, in which the Scottish parliament has no locus, as we do not want to see anything that could lead to sub-postmasters not being treated on and equal and fair basis.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419033,"EventID":"S6W-26852","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-23T17:08:24.6","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-11T11:48:59.703","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether it supports a full review and inquiry into the closure of Glasgow East Women's Aid, in light of recent reports of alleged financial irregularities at the service made by Unite members.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is aware of the current situation at GEWA. We are working with our fund managers, Inspiring Scotland, and other funders of GEWA to ensure support is available to survivors. Glasgow Health and Social Care Partnership, a key funder, is working on refuge contingency plans for those affected.\r\nIt would not be appropriate to comment on any speculation surrounding the finances of the organisation or on matters relating to potential legal or employment disputes.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419034,"EventID":"S6W-26971","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-23T17:08:24.65","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-22T16:21:47.437","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when Public Health Scotland will report on its investigation into the reasons behind the reported 40% reduction in the number of people accessing specialist alcohol treatment.","AnswerText":"Public Health Scotland is currently in the process of investigating the reasons behind the apparent 40% reduction in the number of people accessing specialist alcohol treatment services.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419035,"EventID":"S6W-26978","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-23T17:08:24.743","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-23T11:15:32.893","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £60 million National Acquisition Programme funding had been spent by the end of the 2023-24 financial year, and how many social homes this funding delivered, broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"In 2023-2024 a total of £83.146 million was spent and a total of 1,498 affordable homes were delivered through the National Acquisition Programme (NAP). The following table provides a breakdown of these figures by local authority area.\r\nDue to the nature of the Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP), projects may draw down grant across multiple financial years. Spend, therefore, does not necessarily directly correlate to the number of homes delivered in the same financial year, as homes are only recorded as complete once a project record has fully completed.Local Authority Area   Spend (£m)   Homes Delivered   Aberdeen City   4.234 126 Aberdeenshire 1.131 16 Angus 1.846 26 Argyll & Bute   0.182 0 City of Edinburgh   9.027 138 Clackmannanshire 1.974 57 Dumfries & Galloway   0.035 1 Dundee City   0.520 13 East Ayrshire   0.925 30 East Dunbartonshire   2.96421East Lothian   0.18634East Renfrewshire   0.2486Falkirk 3.15070Fife 2.97057Glasgow City   17.069176Inverclyde 0.53733Midlothian 0.19538Moray 0.042 1 North Ayrshire   2.417 7 North Lanarkshire   7.972 110 Perth & Kinross   2.497 59 Renfrewshire 0.897 27 Scottish Borders   1.450 22 Shetland Islands   0.228 3 South Ayrshire   1.455 37 South Lanarkshire    9.723 202 Stirling 1.450 37 The Highland Council   3.932 65 West Dunbartonshire   3.890 41 West Lothian   0.000 45 Total 83.146 1,498 \r\n \r\nOf the £83.146 million spent a total of £9.587 million was spent on projects to be initially used by Ukrainian displaced persons and later returned to be used within the wider social housing supply after a period of up to 3 years.\r\n","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419036,"EventID":"S6W-26915","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-23T17:08:24.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-18T15:03:08.66","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people waiting at A&E for eight hours or more are aged (a) 65 to 74, (b) 75 to 84, (c) 85 to 94 and (d) over 95, based on the latest information available.","AnswerText":"Table 1 shows the number of attendances and those waiting eight hours or more aged 65-74, 75-84, 85-94, and 95+ at A&E in Scotland in March 2024.\r\nTable 1: Attendances and over 8 hours waits, March 2024\r\nAgeGroup\r\nTotal Number of Attendances\r\nNumber of Attendances Over 8 Hours\r\n65-74\r\n12,630\r\n2,523\r\n75-84\r\n11,755\r\n2,782\r\n85-94\r\n6,030\r\n1,762\r\n95+\r\n477\r\n150\r\nSource: Public Health Scotland\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419037,"EventID":"S6W-26972","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-23T17:08:25.133","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-22T16:21:47.437","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it considers the National Service Specification for alcohol services will address the public health emergency of alcohol harm in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The national service specification will play a role in addressing the public health emergency of alcohol harm by providing clarity on the choices and services which must be available in every local area in Scotland. The specification will help ensure services can meet the needs of people impacted by alcohol and drugs to help reduce harms and improve lives.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419038,"EventID":"S6W-26977","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-23T17:08:25.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-23T10:16:21.043","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures it has taken to decrease the time that it takes for women to obtain an endometriosis diagnosis.","AnswerText":"We know that diagnosis time for endometriosis is not acceptable and needs to improve. We recognise the time to diagnosis is not itself an effective measurement of improved health and well-being outcomes for those living with endometriosis. It is vital that we improve care and support throughout the whole diagnosis process.\r\nTo do this we have taken a number of actions including:Supporting the Centre for Sustainable Delivery to raise awareness and implement the Endometriosis Care Pathway for Scotland which aims to provide a holistic approach and timely care for those with endometriosis and endometriosis-like symptoms.Increasing education among healthcare practitioners by working with NHS Education for Scotland to deliver an endometriosis masterclass session for health care professionals, covering diagnosis, treatment and current research.Developing information on NHS Inform and working with charities such as Endometriosis UK and Young Scot to ensure that women have access to information that can support them to recognise when their symptoms might not be a normal period and enable more informed conversations with clinicians.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419039,"EventID":"S6W-26979","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-23T17:08:25.463","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-23T12:33:14.313","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the 2023-24 Scottish Recommended Allowance for foster and kinship carers will be passed on to children living with foster carers from independent fostering providers.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Recommended Allowance (SRA) is a standard national allowance for all eligible foster and kinship carers in Scotland to support them in caring for the children and young people they look after. Its implementation is an agreement between the Scottish Government and COSLA to ensure equity of payment by local authorities across Scotland. \r\nThe placements of children by local authorities with external agencies, such as independent fostering providers, is a contracted agreement between the local authority and agency and, therefore, discussions on the implementation of the SRA would be held in this context. However, responsibility for payment of the allowance to foster carers ultimately sits with the independent fostering providers, not the local authority.\r\nThe Scottish Government has committed to commencing a review, later this year, of the implementation of the SRA to assess what is working well and areas for improvement. As part of this review, the Scottish Government will consider how the SRA is being experienced by all foster carers, including those with independent fostering providers.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419040,"EventID":"S6W-26851","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-23T17:08:25.51","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-11T11:13:35.233","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it withdrew or withheld any public funds that had been allocated to Glasgow East Women's Aid, in light of its recent closure.","AnswerText":"The grant funding provided by the Scottish Government to Glasgow East Woman’s Aid (GEWA) is aligned with key project milestones and delivery activities. As GEWA was unable to demonstrate that grant conditions were being met, due to the organisation’s inability to restore support services, it was unable to draw down from the allocated grant. Subsequently, the GEWA Board’s decision to wind-up the organisation led to the Grant being withdrawn.\r\nWe are continuing to work with partners to ensure that Scottish Government grant funding, that had been allocated to GEWA, will be redistributed to similar local services to ensure that survivors have the support they need.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419041,"EventID":"S6W-26974","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-23T17:08:25.603","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-22T17:07:21.32","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26724 by Paul McLennan on 22 April 2024, whether it will publish its response regarding standardised approaches to bond calculations, inspections, and approvals in relation to housebuilding before July 2024.","AnswerText":"Further to the response in S6W-26724 which noted that the Scottish Government is reviewing the Competition & Markets Authority’s ‘Housing Markets Study’ published on 28 February 2024, a full response to relevant recommendations and options put forward by the Authority will be issued when the review process is complete.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419042,"EventID":"S6W-26973","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-23T17:08:25.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-22T16:21:47.437","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which stakeholders it plans to consult in relation to the development of a National Service Specification for alcohol services, and when the National Service Specification will be published. ","AnswerText":"For the development of a national specification for alcohol and drug services, initial engagement has begun with representative groups covering service commissioners, service providers and people who use, have used or could use the services.\r\nWe plan full public consultation on a draft specification with an aim to be publishing the final version in 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419043,"EventID":"S6W-26850","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-23T17:08:25.84","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-11T11:08:01.66","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any concerns regarding the management of the closure of Glasgow East Women’s Aid services, in light of reports of planned legal action by Unite on behalf of staff of the charity.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26852 on 2 May 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419044,"EventID":"S6W-26638","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-23T17:08:25.887","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-02T08:56:45.067","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the First Minister's attendance at the meeting of the Conveners Group on 27 March 2024, and his statement that, if the details of some of the cases in Scotland were made public, people would be \"horrified\" if these convictions were overturned, whether it will publish any (a) advice and/or speaking notes that were provided to the First Minister as part of his attendance and (b) briefing that he has been provided on the cases in Scotland involving the Post Office's Horizon IT system.","AnswerText":"In line with longstanding practice, the Scottish Government does not publish advice to Ministers.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419045,"EventID":"S6W-26914","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-23T17:08:26.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-18T15:03:08.66","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people waiting at A&E for 12 hours or more are aged (a) 65 to 74, (b) 75 to 84, (c) 85 to 94 and (d) over 95, based on the latest information available.","AnswerText":"Table 1 shows the number of attendances and those waiting 12 hours or more aged 65-74, 75-84, 85-94, and 95+ at A&E in Scotland in March 2024.\r\nTable 1: Attendances and over 12 hours waits, March 2024\r\nAgeGroup\r\nTotal Number of Attendances\r\nNumber of Attendances Over 12 Hours\r\n65-74\r\n12,630\r\n1,092\r\n75-84\r\n11,755\r\n1,384\r\n85-94\r\n6,030\r\n846\r\n95+\r\n477\r\n72\r\nSource: Public Health Scotland","AnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419046,"EventID":"S6W-26639","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-23T17:08:26.387","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-02T08:56:45.067","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the First Minister's attendance at the meeting of the Conveners Group on 27 March 2024, and his statement that, if the details of some of the cases in Scotland were made public, people would be \"horrified\" if these convictions were overturned, whether it will detail which specific cases the First Minister was referring to; what specific advice he had received in relation to that assertion, and what consideration he has made of the individual cases in Scotland, and, if it cannot or will not detail which specific cases the First Minister was referring to, what its position is on how this will impact on any people who were wrongfully convicted in Scotland and who are still awaiting exoneration.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government cannot comment on individual cases.\r\nThe Post Office Horizon scandal is a unique situation requiring urgent action to ensure those wrongly convicted can finally access justice. That is why we are bringing forward legislation to ensure that Scottish victims of this large scale miscarriage of justice have their convictions quashed and can access compensation.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419047,"EventID":"S6O-03362","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5866,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T16:40:55.97","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-22T13:25:20.04","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact it anticipates its recent announcement on changes to its net zero targets will have on the development of a green economy.  ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419048,"EventID":"S6O-03374","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16177,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":125,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T16:40:56.237","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T09:32:33.867","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support the improvement of transport links in the north east of Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419049,"EventID":"S6O-03377","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5596,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":151,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T16:40:56.283","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-23T17:11:46.793","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports of a sinkhole on\r\nthe rail network between Drumgelloch and Caldercruix stations, which forced the\r\nclosure of the track.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419050,"EventID":"S6O-03368","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T16:40:56.363","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T08:17:51.743","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the implications are for future tax revenue of reports that the economic recovery outlook for Scotland continues to lag behind the UK average.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419051,"EventID":"S6O-03366","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T16:40:56.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-23T14:05:48.297","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that local government debt has now risen to 160% of its annual funding settlement. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419052,"EventID":"S6O-03378","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3763,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":142,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T16:40:56.533","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T10:27:20.827","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the procurement process for the Small Vessel Replacement Programme. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419053,"EventID":"S6O-03364","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T16:40:56.597","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-23T17:20:00.707","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when its review of capital spending will be complete.  ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419054,"EventID":"S6O-03376","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4940,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":81,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T16:40:56.643","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-23T11:03:51.58","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to encourage constituents in Motherwell and Wishaw to use public transport.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419055,"EventID":"S6O-03363","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16191,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":77,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T16:40:56.69","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T11:38:46.817","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact on hospitality and other businesses in Scotland of new post-Brexit import fees on food products, known as the Common User Charge.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419056,"EventID":"S6O-03356","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T16:40:56.833","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T10:23:30.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide further details of its reasons for removing its annual and interim targets for carbon emissions.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419057,"EventID":"S6O-03365","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16207,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T16:40:57.193","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-23T17:02:31.53","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on work undertaken to resolve any public sector equal pay disputes. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419058,"EventID":"S6O-03373","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T16:40:57.24","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-23T16:57:35.413","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the transport secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the potential impact on Scotland’s aviation industry of any proposals to levy an air departure tax on short-haul flights in Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419059,"EventID":"S6O-03371","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T16:40:57.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-23T13:17:50.097","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it still plans to deliver the shared policy programme contained within the Bute House Agreement, in light of reports that many of its policies have been discarded. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419060,"EventID":"S6O-03360","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T16:40:57.567","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T11:35:52.07","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what discussions it has had with Petroineos and trades unions about refining capacity at Grangemouth. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419061,"EventID":"S6O-03358","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T16:40:57.833","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-23T15:33:30.273","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its work to secure a sustainable future for Ferguson Marine, what discussions the net zero secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding potential plans for a direct award of the Small Vessel Replacement Programme contract to Ferguson Marine.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419062,"EventID":"S6O-03375","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5612,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":150,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T16:40:58.197","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-23T09:45:37.84","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on direct freight routes to mainland Europe from Scottish ports.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419063,"EventID":"S6O-03367","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T16:40:58.243","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-23T10:00:42.61","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of the ferries task force with Orkney Islands Council, including when it expects new ferries to be procured.  ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419064,"EventID":"S6O-03379","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1756,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":136,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T16:40:58.493","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-22T12:45:34.873","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made on the extension of the Borders Railway south to Carlisle.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419065,"EventID":"S6O-03369","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T16:40:58.713","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-23T17:05:01.47","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of how income tax divergence has impacted or may impact private sector recruitment. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419066,"EventID":"S6O-03359","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T16:40:58.773","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-22T13:17:53.443","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the energy minister has had with ministerial colleagues regarding any support that it provides to communities opposing onshore windfarm developments at public inquiries.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419067,"EventID":"S6O-03372","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5621,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":99,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T16:40:58.837","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T10:08:28.597","Title":"","ItemText":"Withdrawn.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419068,"EventID":"S6O-03357","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16176,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":137,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T16:40:58.9","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T10:54:54.36","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether its long-term labour market strategy is helping to make Scotland a fairer country.  ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419069,"EventID":"S6O-03370","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T16:40:58.947","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-23T21:34:05.81","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether it has funded local government adequately to deliver the services that it has responsibility for.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419070,"EventID":"S6O-03361","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T16:40:59.17","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-22T14:08:07.05","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what due diligence is conducted by Home Energy Scotland when selecting recommended suppliers to install energy efficiency improvements that are supported by Scottish Government funding.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419071,"EventID":"S6O-03385","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T16:41:03.47","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T09:15:18.133","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to prevent the closure of care homes in South Lanarkshire.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419072,"EventID":"S6O-03381","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T16:41:03.627","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T11:03:38.257","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419073,"EventID":"S6O-03387","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5877,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T16:41:03.673","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-23T13:40:33.13","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has followed the advice issued by the Information Commissioner's Office regarding appropriate governance and controls for the use of children’s Scottish Candidate Numbers for research in the education system. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419074,"EventID":"S6O-03382","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16188,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":82,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T16:41:03.75","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T09:27:26.97","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of reports that HC-One plans to terminate the contract for the Hospital Based Complex Clinical Care service at Hatton Lea Care Home.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419075,"EventID":"S6O-03380","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":89,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T16:41:03.907","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-22T12:54:26.113","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its involvement in the proposals for Glasgow to potentially host the Commonwealth Games in 2026.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419076,"EventID":"S6O-03384","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T16:41:04.19","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-23T12:01:18.623","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the rural affairs secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding what steps it can take to protect horticultural workers on seasonal worker visas from unfair work practices and substandard accommodation.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419077,"EventID":"S6O-03386","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T16:41:04.237","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-23T16:12:20.103","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has conducted of the impact of its reformed dental payments system, introduced on 1 November 2023, in the Mid Scotland and Fife region.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419078,"EventID":"S6O-03383","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T16:41:04.837","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-23T16:01:35.353","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to help local authorities tackle damp and mould in social housing. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419079,"EventID":"S6W-27031","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:17.333","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T14:43:52.353","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current status is of the Climate Emergency Economic and Investment Leadership Group that was announced in the Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan. ","AnswerText":"The  Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan (CESAP)  provided an important springboard for net zero skills planning and significant progress has been made since its publication, notably in strengthening the evidence base through the CESAP Pathfinders, which provides a better understanding of the skills requirements in the transition to net zero, focusing on investment, demand, and provision across the CESAP sectors.\r\nA separate Economic and Investment Leadership Group has not been established however, an Implementation Steering Group (ISG) was established in 2021 to bring together senior experts from across industry, academia, and public-sector agencies. The group has fostered collaboration and promoted innovative approaches in priority sectors for building a fair, green and growing economy.\r\nSignificant work has also started on the commitment for Scottish Government to take responsibility for skills planning at a national level and to strengthen regional skills planning. This commitment will be a key mechanism for supporting the transition to net zero.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419080,"EventID":"S6W-26980","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:17.873","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-23T14:33:46.033","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to ensure equitable access to alcohol and drug rehabilitation services in (a) East and (b) South Ayrshire, in light of reports that the 12-week programme costs between £15,000 and £20,000 per person.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has made a significant investment in residential rehabilitation services and associated aftercare as part of the £250 million investment into our National Mission to improve and save lives impacted by substance use. As part of this investment, we allocated a £5 million uplift in funding to Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) across Scotland, to be spent on residential rehabilitation until the end of this parliament. \r\nThe Scottish Government has been clear that this funding must be distributed fairly, taking account of the many factors that influence the needs of particular areas and the costs of supplying local services. The ADP uplift, therefore, was and continues to be administered using the National Resource Allocation Formula, which is responsibility of the NHS Scotland Resource Allocation Committee (NRAC). \r\nThe NRAC formula remains the fairest method of distributing funding allocations across the country, and this was applied to the allocation for both East and South Ayrshire, taking into consideration the local requirements as appropriate. \r\nPublic Health Scotland published their interim Evaluation of the Scottish Government Residential Rehabilitation programme in February, where the best available evidence put the average cost estimate of a publicly funded residential rehabilitation placement in Scotland at £11,000 per person (in the first six months of financial year 2023-2024).","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419081,"EventID":"S6W-27024","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:18.047","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T14:09:52.357","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what funding has been allocated to the delivery of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) recommendation 1, and how many kilometres of \"connected neighbourhoods\" this delivers.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government funds a range of projects throughout Scotland that deliver on recommendation 1 of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) to create connected neighbourhoods. This includes funding provided to local authorities via the Sustrans Places for Everyone programme and the new Active Travel Infrastructure fund, and directly through the Cycling Walking Safer Routes (CWSR) grant. Our projects are designed to connect neighbourhoods and communities.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419082,"EventID":"S6W-27033","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:18.42","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T14:56:52.32","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consultation took place with (a) staff and (b) trade unions before the decision was made to close all VisitScotland information centres.","AnswerText":"a) A formal staff consultation was not triggered prior to the announcement as there are no compulsory redundancies.\r\nStaff are VisitScotland's priority, and they are engaging with them to discuss their options such as re-skilling, redeployment and voluntary redundancy.\r\nVisitScotland have established a staff engagement programme, which involves every iCentre and allows for both collective and individual engagement and representation throughout the change programme.\r\nb) VisitScotland consulted with Public and Commercial Services (PCS) Union prior to the announcement and continue to work with them during the on-going change programme.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419083,"EventID":"S6W-27001","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:18.563","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T08:25:18.05","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-20679, S6W-22695 and S6W-24757 by Neil Gray on 31 August 2023, 15 November 2023 and 1 February 2024 respectively, whether it will provide an update on the establishment of an advisory group as required under section 29 of the Scottish National Investment Bank Act 2020.","AnswerText":"Work to establish the group is ongoing. Discussions around membership, appointment processes and meeting frequency are taking place and an announcement on this will be made in the coming months.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419084,"EventID":"S6W-26984","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:18.623","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-23T14:51:57.83","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many school technicians were employed in Scotland in each of the last 10 years, broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"Management information on the weekly hours of school support staff for 2020-2023 and of full-time equivalent school support staff for 2019, including technicians, can be found here:  https://www.gov.scot/publications/school-support-staff-management-information/ \r\nData on full time equivalent support staff for 2010 to 2016 (not comparable to the 2020-2023 management information), including technicians, can be found here:  https://www.gov.scot/publications/teacher-census-supplementary-statistics/ ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419085,"EventID":"S6W-26999","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:18.687","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-23T16:11:44.047","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the Cass Review is a valid scientific document.","AnswerText":"The Cass Review is a valid scientific document. The review was chaired by a past president of the UK’s Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, a senior, and well-respected clinician. \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419086,"EventID":"S6W-26946","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:18.717","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-19T18:27:21.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the statement to the Scottish Parliament on 18 April 2024, by the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy, aligns with the global affairs framework of good global citizenship.","AnswerText":"This Government’s commitment to ending Scotland’s contribution to global emissions as soon as possible, and by 2045 at the latest is unwavering.\r\nThis will contribute to delivering international action on reducing emissions under the Paris Agreement and is a more ambitious target than most other countries. The Global Affairs Framework states that as an outward-looking country, we are committed to working in partnership with other governments and using our networks to raise ambition and push for greater action. We will use our position as the European co-chair of the Under 2 Coalition, the largest global network of state and regional governments committed to reducing emissions in line with the Paris Agreement, to mobilise action from states, regions and devolved governments and to advance towards a just transition to net zero. In doing so, we will continue to put the values of good global citizenship, solidarity, fairness and inclusion at the centre of our approach to the global climate crisis .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419087,"EventID":"S6W-27019","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:18.763","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T12:14:16.16","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to release funding to local authorities for the delivery of No One Left Behind in 2024-25. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to delivering vital public services and supporting households, but to balance the budget with a focus on supporting public services, tackling child poverty, and transitioning to Net Zero, limited funding must be prioritised to deliver the best value for every taxpayer in Scotland. This requires some difficult decisions and robust spending control.\r\nDiscussions are continuing to finalise allocations, with funding being released as decisions are taken to ensure activities in agreed areas can proceed as soon as possible. To enable progress and support continuity of service, I can confirm the decision to release funding equivalent to the first quarter of the financial year allocation for No One Left Behind.\r\nGrant Offer Letters for the first quarter were issued to Local Authorities as Lead Accountable Bodies for No One Left Behind on 2 May 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419088,"EventID":"S6W-27017","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:18.983","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T10:59:09.34","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the minutes of the Regulatory Review Group meeting of February 2024. ","AnswerText":"Re-instating the Regulatory Review Group (RRG) was a priority for business when developing the New Deal for Business recommendations and is pivotal in supporting Ministers understand and mitigate challenges associated with implementing regulations. Within its first six months, the RRG scrutinised regulation implementation on high-profile proposals, including Alcohol Minimum Unit Pricing, Vaping, Heat in Buildings and Circular Economy Bill.\r\nTo ensure transparency, all meeting minutes and advice sent to Scottish Ministers are published on its webpage found on the Scottish Government website. The minutes from the RRG meeting on February 17 have now been published on  Regulatory Review Group - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419089,"EventID":"S6W-27011","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:19.123","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T09:13:23.49","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what research it has undertaken, or plans to undertake, into the number of people who are rough sleeping in cars in each local authority area.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government collects information on whether any member of a household making a homelessness application to a local authority slept rough:\r\n(a) during the three months preceding and b) the night before the application.\r\nThis data is collected from all local authorities as part of the homelessness application (HL1) data collection. Annual totals of rough sleeping reported by applicant households, broken down by local authority, are published in the main tables supporting the main annual publication, available at  Supporting documents - Homelessness in Scotland: 2022-23 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .\r\nThe data collection defines rough sleeping as any member of the applicant household who has slept outside, in the open air (such as on the streets, or in doorways, parks or bus shelters) or slept in a building or other place not designed for habitation (such as barns, sheds, car parks, cars, derelict boats, stations etc.). As households making an application for homelessness assistance are not specifically asked to define what form of rough sleeping they experienced, no specific figures relating to numbers of people rough sleeping in cars are available.\r\nData is not gathered for any household or individual rough sleeping who does not make a homelessness application to a local authority in Scotland and for this reason the statistics do not necessarily cover the entire homeless population. Those people who are experiencing homelessness but who do not appear in official statistics are often referred to as ‘hidden’.\r\nIt is not currently possible to estimate the scale of hidden homelessness in Scotland because of known complexities in reaching this population group. We are collaborating with the Office of National Statistics (ONS) researchers who are carrying out research which has potential to improve data collection in Scotland and across the UK on hidden homelessness, information available at  \"Hidden\" homelessness in the UK: evidence review - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk) ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419090,"EventID":"S6W-27004","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:19.453","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T09:13:23.49","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £500,000 that it made available to help older and disabled people install fire alarms has been allocated.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government provided a total of £2.1 million between Care and Repair (£1.1 million) and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (£1 million) during 2021-22 to support those in greatest need or at greatest risk of fire, to meet the new standard.\r\nAn announcement was made on 22 January 2022 about the original funding for Care and Repair being doubled to just over £1.1 million to meet demand. All the money has been allocated and spent.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419091,"EventID":"S6W-26861","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:19.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-15T12:26:51.163","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26188 by Angela Constance on 15 April 2024, in the event that the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill does not apply to Scotland, what consideration it is giving to how Scottish legislation would define any case involving the Horizon system in relation to which a person who was wrongfully convicted in Scotland should be exonerated, and whether it will propose a parliamentary debate on the issues arising from the Post Office Horizon system in Scotland following a ministerial update to the Parliament.","AnswerText":"It is extremely disappointing that the UK Government has excluded Scotland from its bill whilst extending the Bill to cover convictions in Northern Ireland.\r\nThe Scottish Government can confirm that a Bill is currently going through the usual parliamentary process and will be introduced shortly.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419092,"EventID":"S6W-27018","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:19.937","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T12:14:16.16","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects that Modern Apprenticeship contract awards for 2024-25 will take place. ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26667 on 2 May 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419093,"EventID":"S6W-26989","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:20.19","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-23T15:05:23.11","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26538 by Jim Fairlie on 19 April 2024, when it will publish its aviation statement.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government still intends to publish its Aviation Statement shortly and we will confirm details as soon as possible.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419094,"EventID":"S6W-27028","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:20.47","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T14:17:20.777","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26975 by Richard Lochhead on 24 April 2024, and in light of the UK Government’s publication, Project Gigabit progress update - April 2024, whether it expects Project Gigabit procurement covering Fife to launch throughout 2024.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government and Building Digital UK (BDUK) have worked together to develop a number of potential Type A (local) and Type B (regional) Project Gigabit procurements in Scotland. The Scottish Government will lead delivery of these procurements, so that Project Gigabit and our own Reaching 100% (R100) programme can work together in Scotland. \r\nA potential procurement in the Fife, Perth and Kinross areas has been identified as part of this process. It is expected that this procurement will launch later in 2024, so long as the Scottish Government is confident that there is the continued supplier interest necessary for it to succeed. ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419095,"EventID":"S6W-26987","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:20.533","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-23T15:04:29.807","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Energy Savings Trust e-bike loan scheme is closing.","AnswerText":"The increased scale and pace of Transport Scotland’s ambition in active travel is bringing wholesale reform of the delivery model for both active travel infrastructure - through the Active Travel Infrastructure Fund (ATIF) - and for behaviour change - through the creation of the Regional Transport Partnership (RTP) led Active Travel People and Place Programme (ATPP). With public funds facing unprecedented levels of pressure, it is vitally important that active travel investment is targeted where it can make most impact.\r\nSupport for grass-roots community groups and charity-led projects is also being decentralised, with acknowledgement from everyone involved in active travel that decisions about how to support grass roots behaviour change work needed to be taken closer to communities, and in a way that’s more joined up with local and regional transport strategies. As part of this process, it was decided we would not be continuing with direct support for a number of programmes, including the ebike loan fund.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419096,"EventID":"S6W-27020","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:20.737","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T13:33:02.457","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps have been taken to deliver action 131 of the Cancer Action Plan for Scotland 2023 to 2026 to improve data collection on metastatic breast cancer.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is reviewing options in relation to collecting data on secondary breast cancer in Scotland. This includes consideration of the NHS England audit, data available in Scotland, clinical time required, other cancer data priorities and how it can be used to improve services.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419097,"EventID":"S6W-27014","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:20.797","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T09:13:23.49","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many key workers are living in tied accommodation, broken down by (a) local authority and (b) NHS board area.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information. \r\nUnlike the mainstream rental sector, people who live in accommodation tied to their employment do not have a tenancy agreement such as the Private Residential Tenancy. Instead their rental conditions are included as part of the individual terms of their employment. \r\nNo information is held by the Scottish Government on those living in tied accommodation in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419098,"EventID":"S6W-26997","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:20.893","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-23T16:11:44.047","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the National Gender Identity Healthcare Reference Group will work together with any new working group considering the recommendations of the Cass Review.","AnswerText":"An update on the work of the multidisciplinary team of senior clinicians within the office of the Chief Medical Officer considering the specific clinical recommendations of the Cass review will be provided to the National Gender Identity Healthcare Reference Group at a future meeting.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419099,"EventID":"S6W-27012","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:20.957","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T09:13:23.49","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what research it has undertaken, or plans to undertake, into the number of people who are \"couch surfing\" in each local authority area.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government collects information on the property type that the main applicant making a homelessness application to a local authority became homeless from. This includes a category for those who have been ‘long-term sofa surfing’. This is defined as where an applicant has been moving between homes for a period of six months or more. Where only one or two different homes have been used for most of the period, another appropriate property type should be selected e.g. friends or relatives.\r\nThis data is collected from all local authorities as part of the homelessness application (HL1) data collection. Annual totals of long-term sofa surfing, reported by applicant households, are published in the data tables accompanying the main publication  Supporting documents - Homelessness in Scotland: 2022-23 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .\r\nData is not gathered for anyone with experience of sofa surfing who does not make a homelessness application to a local authority in Scotland and for this reason the statistics do not necessarily cover the entire homeless population. Those people who are experiencing homelessness but who do not appear in official statistics are often referred to as ‘hidden’.\r\nIt is not currently possible to estimate the scale of hidden homelessness in Scotland because of known complexities in reaching this population group. We are collaborating with the Office of National Statistics (ONS) researchers who are carrying out research which has potential to improve data collection in Scotland and across the UK on hidden homelessness, information available at  \"Hidden\" homelessness in the UK: evidence review - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk)  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419100,"EventID":"S6W-26996","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:21.02","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-23T16:11:44.047","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has reportedly set up a new working group to consider the recommendations of the Cass Review, in light of the existence of the National Gender Identity Healthcare Reference Group.","AnswerText":"Established in 2022, the National Gender Identity Healthcare Reference Group advises on the ongoing implementation of actions outlined in our 2021 Framework. The Reference Group includes NHS Board representation, LGBTIQ organisations, clinicians, academics and people with lived experience of using gender identity healthcare.\r\nThis reference group is not a clinical oversight forum. It brings together a wide range of stakeholders for the collective aim of improving provision of gender identity healthcare in Scotland.\r\nThe specific clinical recommendations of the Cass Review are being considered by a multidisciplinary team of senior clinicians within the office of the Chief Medical Officer.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419101,"EventID":"S6W-26998","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:21.16","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-23T16:11:44.047","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many times Dr Hilary Cass has met with (a) clinicians in Scotland and (b) Scottish Government officials, and when.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government only holds information on meetings between Dr Hilary Cass and Scottish Government officials that are attended by Scottish Government.\r\nScottish Government has met with Dr Hilary Cass and members of the Cass Review team on a number of occasions. Several of these meetings included clinicians from Health Boards in Scotland. Scottish Government understands separate meetings between clinicians and/or NHS Health Boards and Dr Hiliary Cass and the Cass Review team may have taken place, but does not hold information regarding frequency or dates of such contact.\r\nb) Available information indicates that Scottish Government officials have met with Dr Hilary Cass in her capacity as Chair of NHS England’s independent review of gender identity services for children and young people in either direct meetings, or meetings where Dr Cass was also an attendee, on:\r\n21-09-2022\r\n21-11-2022\r\n17-01-2023\r\n20-09-2023\r\n16-11-2023\r\n22-11-2023\r\n19-12-2023\r\nDr Cass also updated MSPs on the ongoing work of her review on 29-09-2022. Officials attended that MSP-chaired meeting as observers.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419102,"EventID":"S6W-27022","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:21.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T13:33:02.457","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the first set of quarterly data from the National Audit of Metastatic Breast Cancer for England and Wales, whether improved data collected on metastatic breast cancer will be published in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has followed the publication of the National Audit of Metastatic Breast Cancer for England and Wales with interest. We are working with Public Health Scotland to determine our options for future data collection on metastatic breast cancer and its publication.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419103,"EventID":"S6W-26986","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:21.473","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-23T15:04:18.523","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26534 by Fiona Hyslop on 17 April 2024, when it will “develop implementing actions” to deliver its Vision for Scotland’s Public Electric Vehicle Charging Network. ","AnswerText":"In response to the UK Climate Change Committee’s recommendation, by the end of 2024 we will publish an Implementation Plan identifying the key actions to be taken to deliver our Vision for public EV charging.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419104,"EventID":"S6W-27025","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:21.86","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T14:10:10.143","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is recording growth in active travel along routes funded by the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) recommendation 1 on \"connected neighbourhoods\".","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government funds a range of projects throughout Scotland that deliver on recommendation 1 of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) to create connected neighbourhoods. This includes funding provided to local authorities via the Sustrans Places for Everyone programme, the new Active Travel Infrastructure fund, and directly through the Cycling Walking Safer Routes (CWSR) grant.\r\nAll active travel grants are assessed and awarded against the criteria set in the  Active Travel Framework | Transport Scotland  . Programmes delivered by partners are monitored and evaluated against the framework using a variety of quantitative and qualitative methods to evidence the impact and confirm delivery of Active Travel outcomes. This includes monitoring the growth in active travel within the study area.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419105,"EventID":"S6W-27029","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:22.157","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T14:24:40.643","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether patients receiving their free NHS dental check-up may be charged for receiving verbal advice on dental health and toothbrushing during their appointment.","AnswerText":"In introducing dental payment reform from 1 November, we have rightly sought to place greater focus on preventive treatment, including detailed clinical advice on the importance of self-care for good oral health.\r\nDuring routine check-ups, and where a dentist deems it clinically appropriate, an individual may receive enhanced preventative advice as part of a treatment plan. This must include a physical demonstration of toothbrushing techniques and has been introduced to better support individuals in maintaining their own oral health between appointments. This activity attracts a claimable fee for dentists – to cover the costs of their time and any equipment used to teach patients – and therefore there is a related charge for those patients who are not eligible for free NHS dental care.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419106,"EventID":"S6W-27026","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:22.69","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T14:10:48.1","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what criteria will need to be met for the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) recommendation 2, which is a recommendation that scores highly across the STPR2 objectives, to be taken forward into action.","AnswerText":"The strategic case for investment in Recommendation 2 (see  recommendation-2-active-freeways-and-cycle-parking-hubs.pdf (transport.gov.scot)  has already been met through the STPR2 appraisal process.\r\nWork is ongoing under this recommendation, but it remains the responsibility of local authorities to deliver active travel lanes on local authority owned roads.\r\nAs with any transport investment, schemes will follow the standard business case and design processes. After which, Local authorities can submit to the Active Travel Infrastructure Fund for delivery costs.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419107,"EventID":"S6W-27007","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:22.753","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T09:13:23.49","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many short-term let licences have been granted in each local authority area.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answers to questions S6W-24548 on 30 January 2024 and S6W-23003 on 4 December 2023. Please note that in S6W-24548 we advised the next statistical publication would be April 2024, however I wrote to Parliament with an update on 22 April 2024 –  https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/committees/local-gov/correspondence/2024/letterfromministerstl.pdf  .","AnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419108,"EventID":"S6W-26988","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:22.957","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-23T15:04:39.983","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what will replace the Energy Savings Trust e-bike loan scheme when it closes.","AnswerText":"There are no plans for Transport Scotland to replace the Energy Savings Trust e-bike loan scheme. Through the Active Travel Transformation Project (ATTF), support for grass-roots community groups and charity-led projects is being decentralised, with acknowledgement from everyone involved in active travel that decisions about how to support grass roots behaviour change work needed to be taken closer to communities, and in a way that’s more joined up with local and regional transport strategies.\r\nIt is a matter for Local Authorities and Regional Transport Partnerships to make decisions on which projects are supported through their funding under the new active travel delivery model.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419109,"EventID":"S6W-27034","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:23.363","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T14:56:52.32","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will outline any research underpinning the decision to close all VisitScotland information centres. ","AnswerText":"VisitScotland’s Strategic Change Programme seeks to ensure that they continue to make the biggest possible positive impact on the visitor economy.\r\nAs part of VisitScotland's Strategic Change Programme, a detailed review has considered their role in information provision. VisitScotland's future information strategy is based on research including trends and data that show how visitors plan their trips. As part of the review process, VisitScotland also took into account data related to their iCentre network.\r\nThe following key research sources were utilised:VisitScotland insight data over a number of years as published in their annual reports:  Our Annual Performance Report | VisitScotland.org VisitBritain:  MIDAS - Full Research Report - Dec 2022 Expedia:  Expedia Group's Path to Purchase Study on Traveler Behaviors: Key Findings and Methodology TripAdvisor: E  conomicPortraitofTraveler2023 \r\nIn addition to the above, VisitScotland drew upon the professional knowledge and experience of their staff.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419110,"EventID":"S6W-27035","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:23.44","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T14:56:52.32","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact on local economies of the decision to close all VisitScotland information centres. ","AnswerText":"VisitScotland has taken the decision to close its iCentre network by March 2026 in response to reduced footfall and demand for information, with data showing that the majority of visitors to Scotland access information ahead of travelling to the country. As this was an operational decision for VisitScotland, the Scottish Government did not conduct an impact assessment.\r\nHowever, data indicates that the previous phase of iCentre closures in 2018-2019 did not negatively impact the visitor economy. Since 2019, the number of overseas visitors to Scotland has increased by 14%, with the number of tourism businesses increasing by 6%.\r\nVisitScotland continues to support the growth of the visitor economy in every region of Scotland through its marketing activity, support for events, destination development and free-to-access business advice and support programme.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419111,"EventID":"S6W-26992","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:23.66","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-23T16:10:11.863","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to protect women and other vulnerable groups from the creation and distribution of sexually explicit deepfake images. ","AnswerText":"Legislation criminalising the disclosure of intimate images includes photographs or films that have been digitally enhanced or manipulated. As such, the law covers 'deepfake' images that have been digitally manipulated so as to appear to depict the person to be in an intimate situation. It is an operational matter for Police Scotland to enforce relevant laws.\r\nThe Scottish Government has provided funding of £138,527.50 to the South West Grid for Learning over two and a half years to support the delivery of practical support for people affected by intimate image abuse via the Revenge Porn Helpline. This includes support to remove images from online platforms and signposting for emotional support. The funded activity includes work to raise awareness and understanding of intimate image abuse and the support available through the helpline in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419112,"EventID":"S6W-26985","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:23.737","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-23T15:04:02.967","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26535 by Fiona Hyslop on 17 April 2024, when it will publish the study that it has commissioned that \"will look at EV adoption to-date and will model future demand across a number of scenarios\".","AnswerText":"In response to the UK Climate Change Committee’s recommendation, by the end of 2024 we will publish an Implementation Plan identifying the key actions to be taken to deliver our Vision for public EV charging. The key findings of the study will be published as part of the Implementation Plan.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419113,"EventID":"S6W-26993","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:23.923","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-23T16:10:11.863","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has reviewed, or plans to review, any current legislation in light of the UK Government's proposed amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill regarding sexually explicit deepfakes, and what its position is on whether there are any gaps in Scots law in relation to deepfake technology. ","AnswerText":"Disclosing or threatening to disclose sexually explicit 'deepfake' images, including by publishing them on the internet, is covered by the offence of 'disclosing or threatening to disclose an intimate image' at section 2 of the Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Act 2016.\r\nThe Scottish Government is aware that the UK Government has announced that it will amend the Criminal Justice Bill to criminalise the making of sexually explicit 'deepfake' images without consent. We will carefully consider the amendment.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419114,"EventID":"S6W-26994","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:24.003","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-23T16:10:11.863","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to (a) track and (b) prosecute cases involving the distribution, publication, or sale of sexually explicit deepfake images, particularly in cases where the depicted individuals did not consent to such depictions. ","AnswerText":"Depending on the facts and circumstances of the particular case, there are a range of offences that may be used to prosecute cases where someone publishes, sells or distributes sexually explicit images of a person without their consent.\r\nIn particular, the offence of disclosing or threatening to disclose an intimate photograph or film at section 2 of the Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Act 2016 can be used to prosecute such behaviour where the disclosure, or threat to disclose the image, would be likely to cause a person featured in the image to suffer fear, alarm or distress, and the accused either intended to cause such an effect or else was reckless as to whether their behaviour would be likely to have such an effect on the victim.\r\nThe offence provides that a person is in an 'intimate situation' if the person is engaging or participating in or present during an act which a reasonable person would consider to be a sexual act which is not of a kind ordinarily done in public, or the person's genitals, buttocks or breasts are exposed or covered only in underwear. Specifically, the offence provides that a photograph or film includes any material originally captured by photography or by making a recording of a moving image, whether or not it has been altered in any way. As such, the offence applies in respect of images that have been digitally manipulated so as to appear to depict a person as being in an intimate situation even if the original photograph does not do so.\r\nOther offences which may be relevant include the offence of threatening or abusive behaviour at section 38 of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 and, where the images are published or shared via the internet, the offence of abuse of a public electronic communications network at section 127 of the Communications Act 2003.\r\nAs the legislation does not explicitly distinguish between manipulated and unmanipulated photographs or films, it is not possible to separately identify cases relating to the disclosure of so-called 'deepfake' images.\r\nIt is an independent operational matter for Police Scotland to enforce criminal law and it is an independent operational matter for Crown Office to make decisions in respect of prosecutions.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419115,"EventID":"S6W-26981","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:24.16","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-23T14:33:46.033","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has allocated to the Alcohol and Drugs Partnership (ADP) in (a) East and (b) South Ayrshire for the 2024-25 financial year. ","AnswerText":"Full budget allocations for 2024-25 are still to be confirmed.\r\nIn 2023-24, Alcohol and Drugs Partnerships (ADPs) received funding exceeding £112 million. We anticipate that this funding will be maintained in 2024-25.\r\nAnnual ADP funding is published and available at  https://www.gov.scot/publications/alcohol-and-drug-partnerships-funding-allocations/ ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419116,"EventID":"S6W-27030","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:24.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T14:24:40.66","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in the last five financial years, how much was allocated to the General Dental Service budget in total, and how much of the yearly allocation was spent, broken down by financial year.","AnswerText":"Figures in the following table show the gross General Dental Services budget and respective spend for the previous four financial years.Information on 2023-24 spend is not available at this time and will be published as part of the overall Scottish Government consolidated accounts to be laid in Parliament later this year. \r\n19-20\r\n20-21\r\n21-22\r\n22-23\r\n23-24 \r\n£'m\r\n£'m\r\n£'m\r\n£'m\r\n£'m\r\nBudget documents\r\n416.6\r\n428.6\r\n431.0\r\n469.0\r\n476.2\r\nTotal spend\r\n439.4\r\n423.5\r\n449.4\r\n502.2\r\nNot Available\r\n Budget figures do not include funding provided in each financial year for contractor uplifts or, for 2021-22, additional consequential funding applied to support the dental sector’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic however these are included in spend.Activity in 2019-20 was significantly restricted due to the enforcement of stringent Infection Prevention Control guidance to reduce COVID-19 transmission.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419117,"EventID":"S6W-26995","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:24.27","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-23T16:11:44.047","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will pause the commissioning of a new gender service by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS National Services Scotland while consideration is given to the Cass Review recommendations.","AnswerText":"Work to improve gender identity healthcare services remains a priority of this Government. That includes the establishment of a multidisciplinary team of senior clinical advisers to Scottish Government who are considering the recommendations of the Cass Review in the contest of NHS services in Scotland. The Chief Medical Officer will provide a written update to Parliament on the outcome of that clinical consideration process before the summer recess. The outcome of that process will also feed into work on national commissioning of young person’s services. \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419118,"EventID":"S6W-27032","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:24.473","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T14:43:52.353","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on plans to establish a Green Jobs Skills Hub, as outlined in the Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan.","AnswerText":"The  Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan (CESAP)  provided an important springboard for net zero skills planning and we have made good progress since its publication, notably in strengthening the evidence base through the  CESAP Pathfinders  , which provides a better understanding of the skill requirements in the transition to net zero, focusing on investment, demand, and provision across the CESAP sectors.\r\nWhile a standalone Green Jobs Skills Hub has not yet been established, Skills Development Scotland continue to engage with employers across Scotland to disseminate evidence and insights to support them in the transition to net zero.\r\nSkills Development Scotland also established additional online capacity through  My World of Work  to enable individuals to search for green skills and green job opportunities.\r\n","AnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419119,"EventID":"S6W-27027","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:24.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T14:11:02.357","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been undertaken to determine \"the most appropriate prioritisation approach\", as described in the affordability section of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) in relation to recommendation 3, and where the results of any such assessment can be found.","AnswerText":"STPR2 is a national appraisal and identifies recommendations to be delivered over the long term. The delivery of the recommendations is subject to the funding allocations agreed by Parliament each year through the annual budget process.\r\nIn the case of Recommendation 3, which focuses on village-town active travel connections, investment will likely be phased over numerous years. Currently, projects are identified by local authorities and regional partners who then apply for funding through the Sustrans Places for Everyone programme, the new Active Travel Infrastructure fund, and directly through the Cycling Walking Safer Routes (CWSR) grant.\r\nIn the case of the Active Travel Infrastructure Fund, we accept proposals for funding the construction of various types of active travel interventions, which can include village-town active travel connections.\r\nThe assessment and prioritisation of projects considers a multi- criteria approach and includes two main factors: the impact they achieve and the deliverability of the project. Some of the factors considered in the prioritisation of projects are: potential for mode shift; the quality of proposed infrastructure; safety and security; integration with existing active travel infrastructure and/or public transport; impact on the most deprived 20% of communities; impact on community severance; access to schools; access to employment; access to other locations and value for money.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419120,"EventID":"S6W-27003","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:24.893","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T09:13:23.49","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many homes that are operated by (a) local authorities and (b) housing associations are not fitted with integrated fire alarms.","AnswerText":"The results from the 2022 Scottish House Condition Survey were published on 29 February 2024.\r\nIn 2022 the Scottish House Condition Survey asked the following new question on fire alarms: Has the dwelling satisfactory equipment for detecting fire and giving warning in the event of fire or suspected fire? Responses were recorded as a yes or no answer, and in order to be recorded as ‘yes’ a dwelling must have interlinked fire alarms installed meeting a number of criteria.\r\nIn 2022 around 7% of local authority dwellings (25,000) and 5% of housing association dwellings (13,000) were recorded as not having satisfactory equipment for detecting and warning in the event of fire (not necessarily due to alarms not being interlinked).\r\nWhile all dwellings meeting the fire alarm criteria have interlinked fire alarms, there may be some dwellings recorded as having insufficient fire detection equipment that do have interlinked fire alarms but failed the fire alarm criteria due to other factors such as insufficient number of alarms, improperly powered alarms, or improper locations of alarms. However, due to the yes/no mode of question this number cannot be quantified from 2022 Scottish House Condition Survey data. From 2023 the question on fire alarms will provide details as to why a dwelling’s equipment for detecting a fire is unsatisfactory which will allow analysis in this area from 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419121,"EventID":"S6W-26991","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:25.05","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-23T16:10:11.863","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is collaborating with (a) other governments across the UK, (b) law enforcement agencies and (c) technology platforms to address the reported proliferation of sexually explicit deepfakes, and what resources are being allocated for (i) education and (ii) prevention of any associated crimes.","AnswerText":"Regulation of the internet is a reserved matter falling to the UK Government and Parliament. Within that context, the Scottish Government engages with the UK Government and Ofcom, the new online safety regulator, on the implementation of the UK Government Online Safety Act in Scotland to address illegal and harmful material on the internet.\r\nDecisions about operational policing priorities are a matter for Police Scotland, which is operationally independent of the Scottish Ministers. Where alleged criminal activity relating to intimate image abuse, including where this involves 'deepfakes', is reported to Police Scotland, they will investigate with a view to determining whether there is sufficient evidence to report to Crown Office for consideration of prosecution.\r\nIn 2023, Police Scotland undertook a 4-week online child sexual abuse and exploitation media campaign targeting sexual predators who groom and abuse children online, including through use of sexually explicit 'deepfake' images. Police Scotland's Cyberharm Prevention Team are also undertaking a National \"sextortion\" Prevention Campaign aimed at education and support for those affected by crimes of extortion, including people affected by \"deepfake\" images.\r\nIn terms of resources allocated to education and prevention, school pupils learn how to conduct online relationships safely and understand the risks and consequences of sharing intimate images. The Scottish Government's Gender-Based Violence in School Guidance makes clear that this includes non-consensual sharing of sexual images or threatening to do so.\r\nThe Scottish Government also funds Education Scotland to coordinate the Mentors in Violence Prevention programme, focussed on challenging attitudes underpinning gender-based violence, and supports schools to access Rape Crisis Scotland's National Sexual Violence Prevention programme.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419122,"EventID":"S6W-27008","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:25.113","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T09:13:23.49","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many applications for a short-term let licence have been rejected in each local authority area.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27007 on 30 April 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419123,"EventID":"S6W-27021","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:25.253","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T13:33:02.457","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which datasets will be improved to ensure that action 131 of the Cancer Action Plan for Scotland 2023 to 2026, to improve data collection on metastatic breast cancer, is met.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is working with Public Health Scotland to identify what data is already collected in Scotland on metastatic breast cancer and what data we would like to expand our datasets to include going forward.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419124,"EventID":"S6W-26982","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:25.94","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-23T14:33:46.033","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to increase the baseline funding for the drug and alcohol rehabilitation programme in (a) East and (b) South Ayrshire beyond the current allocations, in light of reports of a projected increase to 40 referrals for 2024-25. ","AnswerText":"Public Health Scotland (PHS) published a baseline report as part of their interim Evaluation of the Scottish Government Residential Rehabilitation programme in February, where the best available evidence suggested that referrals into residential rehabilitation have been increasing not only in East and South Ayrshire, but across the country since the beginning of the Scottish Government’s National Mission to improve and save lives impacted by substance use. \r\nAccording to another recent PHS report, the upward trend in placements suggests that the Scottish Government is on track to hit its target of 1,000 people publicly funded to go to rehab by 2026.\r\nThe Scottish Government is finalising plans to provide more funding to facilitate this increase in areas where it is most needed. Further details on this will be made available in due course. ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419125,"EventID":"S6W-26962","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:26.38","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-22T09:50:01.037","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether parents of multiples aged two years old qualify for funded early learning and childcare under exceptional circumstances.","AnswerText":"Since August 2021, we have implemented the funded early learning and childcare (ELC) offer which provides up to 1140 hours per year (equivalent to 30 hours/week term time or approx. 22 hours/week year-round) for all three- and four-year-olds and eligible 2-year-olds. This is fully funded by the Scottish Government and delivered through local councils. More information on eligibility can be found online:  Funded early learning and childcare - mygov.scot  .\r\nA two year old as part of a multiple birth is not automatically eligible for access to funded ELC due to being a multiple, although local councils have a discretionary power to provide access to funded ELC to any child residing in their area, as they see fit. We are aware that some councils use this discretion to offer places to a wider range of children, either: according to local priorities, or; according to the needs of the individual child. We provide statutory guidance to local authorities on their duties and powers in relation to funded ELC here:  Introduction - Early learning and childcare: statutory guidance - July 2021 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419126,"EventID":"S6W-26990","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:26.44","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-23T15:28:53.64","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on (a) the uptake and (b) any assessment that it has made of the effectiveness of the Small Producers Pilot Fund, since it was launched. ","AnswerText":"The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands launched the Small Producer Pilot Fund in December 2023 with £180,000 of funding in financial year 2023-2024 for two small-scale abattoir projects, a new information resource webpage for small producers, to develop a framework to assess small producer data, and to procure a service to deliver training courses for small producers. We are currently assessing the outcomes of the abattoir work and the website will launch shortly. This Government remains fully committed to supporting economically active small producers with £1 million in 2024-25 through the Small Producer Pilot Fund.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419127,"EventID":"S6W-27010","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:26.74","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T09:13:23.49","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many homes have been secured for key workers as a result of the £25 million funding scheme, and how much has been spent from the fund to date.","AnswerText":"To date, four affordable homes were approved in Orkney under the demand-led Rural Affordable Homes for Key Workers Fund with no spend drawn down to date. We are currently working with local authorities to progress a number of proposals to support the delivery of more affordable homes for key workers through the fund. We are engaging closely with local authorities and others to promote the use of the fund and to bring forward proposals where there is an identified requirement.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419128,"EventID":"S6W-27023","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-24T17:11:26.8","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T14:09:37.943","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what cost-benefit analyses have been undertaken in relation to the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) recommendations regarding (a) health, (b) carbon mitigation and (c) economic development outcomes, and which recommendations produce the best cost-benefit result in each of these outcome areas.","AnswerText":"STPR2 follows the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG). STAG is based on HM Treasury’s Green Book “5 Case Model” for business cases, developed for use in Scotland. A transport appraisal using STAG generally considers the strategic and socio-economic cases to assess whether potential options for programmes/projects are likely to meet intended objectives and deliver intended benefits, such as environmental, economic, social impacts relative to anticipated cost.\r\nThe evidence from STPR2 demonstrates the Strategic Business Case for the recommendations. Improving health and wellbeing, taking climate action and supporting sustainable economic development are three of the five STPR2 objectives against which all recommendations are appraised. The outcome of these can be found in the appraisal summary tables for each recommendation  Final technical report - December 2022 - STPR2 | Transport Scotland  .\r\nSTPR2 is a national level appraisal and the benefits were identified through a mix of qualitative assessment and quantitative results from transport modelling, suitable for the strategic case of investment decision making. The cost estimates are also in line with the strategic nature of the appraisal. More detailed appraisal and cost benefit analysis for each transport intervention will be undertaken as part of Outline and Final Business Case work.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419154,"EventID":"S6W-27072","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:52.6","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T16:53:59.017","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what changes it has made to procurement guidance since 2019 in order to reduce the amount of crumb rubber infill being discharged into seas and rivers.","AnswerText":"Public bodies have their own procurement policies and this should reflect their priorities in the design and construction of sports facilities.\r\nThere are already alternatives on the market such as cork, corn husks and olive pits amongst others. sport scotland are part of the UK Artificial Grass Pitch forum monitoring work on the long-term viability of these products. St Andrews University has already installed a full-size 3G pitch with cork infill, and there is research and development continuing across the industry with more products in the market.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":419155,"EventID":"S6W-26966","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:52.96","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-22T14:57:58.323","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26479 by Siobhan Brown on 22 April 2024, what information it has on what criteria the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman uses for categorising cases as (a) priority and (b) non-priority. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) prioritises cases based on a number of factors. These include whether the person bringing the complaint, or person affected, is vulnerable; any immediate health issues of the complainant or person affected; whether the subject matter of the complaint is urgent and ongoing or time critical; and the impact. The SPSO encourages people to contact them if their circumstances change or if that they feel their complaint should be prioritised, so the priority level can be reviewed.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419156,"EventID":"S6W-27083","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:53.1","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-25T11:06:37.03","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Strategic Board for Teacher Education last met, and what was discussed.","AnswerText":"The Strategic Board for Teacher Education last met on 21 March, to discuss progress against the three workstreams contained in the Board’s workplan.\r\nThese are:-Workstream 1 – Workforce Planning and Increasing Diversity of the ProfessionWorkstream 2 – Improving the Promotion of Teaching as a Valued CareerWorkstream 3 – Continuum of Teacher Education\r\nThe agenda, minutes and papers from this meeting and future meetings will be published on the Scottish Government website in due course. The next meeting of the Board is scheduled for 15 May.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419157,"EventID":"S6W-27087","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:53.16","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-25T14:22:46.173","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any new passing loops that are (a) completed and (b) in progress, on the Highland Main Line, as per the recommendation in the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2).","AnswerText":"Phase one of the Highland Main Line Improvement Project was delivered in December 2012, increasing services from 9 to 11 trains per day in each direction, and reducing journey times by an average of 6 minutes at a cost of £1.2 million.\r\nHighland Mainline Improvement Project Phase Two was completed in March 2019 at a cost of £57m. This phase delivered signalling upgrades at Aviemore and Pitlochry stations, along with an extension of the passing loop at Aviemore and the reconfiguration and extension of the platforms at Pitlochry. The infrastructure work delivered already and an integrated approach to passenger and freight timetable patterns have created capacity for additional rail freight on the Highland Main Line.\r\nThere are no active enhancement projects on the Highland Main Line. However, Transport Scotland continues to revise its programme of works against priorities in the context of available funding. This ensures Transport Scotland can deliver the right projects at the right time as it seeks to progress its rolling programme of decarbonisation, whilst also delivering rail passenger and freight services that meet user expectations.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419158,"EventID":"S6W-27073","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16205,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:53.223","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T16:57:43.87","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the date by which it plans to agree a Fiscal Framework with local government, as announced in the Verity House Agreement on 30 June 2023 and originally committed to by the end of September 2023.","AnswerText":"A progress update on the Fiscal Framework was published in December 2023 -  Progress Publication, December 2023: Fiscal Framework between Scottish Government and Local Government (www.gov.scot)  . We continue to work closely with COSLA and our shared intention is to agree and publish the framework in advance of Budget 2025-26.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419159,"EventID":"S6W-27062","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:53.287","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T16:04:02.663","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has held with its New Deal for Business Group regarding using Air Departure Tax for \"demand management\". ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27063 on 7 May 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419160,"EventID":"S6W-27060","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:53.38","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T15:25:46.783","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the next routine maintenance is scheduled to be carried out on each junction of the A9 between Perth and Inverness.","AnswerText":"Programmes of routine maintenance on all trunk roads are developed based on need and are delivered on a prioritised based within the limits of available funding. On occasion other programmes of work, for example road safety, may recommend works that upgrade trunk road signage and road markings.\r\nA number of schemes have been completed on the recently through this budget as part of a package of short term works to improve safety prior to the dualling of the remainder of the A9. Cyclic maintenance is also carried out across trunk roads. This work including grass cutting at junctions to keep visibility splays clear and bollard cleaning to maintain their reflectivity.\r\nThe following list highlights a diverse range of schemes currently being prepared for the A9:A9 Pitlochry Hospital signs – sign renewal in advance of the southbound off slip and the northbound off slip to Pitlochry. This work is provisionally programmed between 29-04-24 and 03-05-24.A9 Inshes countdown signs – replacement of countdown marker signs in advance of the Inshes junction (northbound off slip). This work is provisionally programmed between 27-05-24 and 31-05-24.A9 South of Bogbain junction ditching. This drainage work is provisionally programmed between 08-07-24 and 12-07-24.\r\nAdditional routine maintenance schemes may be developed and delivered this financial year. This will depend on feedback from weekly inspections and perceived need.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419161,"EventID":"S6W-27048","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:53.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T15:16:18.263","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that recommendation 12 of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) will be progressed.","AnswerText":"The delivery of many of the STPR2 recommendations is not the sole responsibility of Transport Scotland and will require a collaborative approach with Regional Transport Partnership and Local Authorities. This approach is already being taken in the other two mass transit recommendations for Glasgow (STPR2 Recommendation 11) and Aberdeen (STPR2 Recommendation 13).\r\nWhilst STPR2 provides the strategic business case for enhancing the cross-boundary mass transit public transport system for the whole Edinburgh and South East region, the outline business case for Recommendation 12 remains to be developed.\r\nThe next appropriate step in this process will include agreement on a suitable way forward for development of the project, therefore Transport Scotland continues to work collaboratively with and advise the local authorities and SEStran on the mobilisation of this recommendation.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419162,"EventID":"S6W-27090","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:53.88","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-25T14:22:46.173","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential implications of buildings within the heritage sector containing reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not made any assessment of the potential implications of buildings within the heritage sector containing reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC). Assessment for the presence of RAAC and for putting in place appropriate measures is a matter for individual building owners, informed by guidance such as that available from the Institution of Structural Engineers and Historic Environment Scotland.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419163,"EventID":"S6W-27047","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:54.067","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T15:16:07.437","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on the delivery of recommendation 11 of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) to date, and what any funding has been used for.","AnswerText":"Since the publication of the draft of STPR2 in January 2022, a multi-partner working group consisting of Transport Scotland (TS), Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) and Glasgow City Council (GCC) has been established to better define the scale of work that Clyde Metro might represent and the associated resource and programme requirements. This is overseen by a Programme Steering Group comprising of the Chief Executives of those organisations. SPT are leading the current stage of Clyde Metro, known as the case for investment stage, working alongside Glasgow City Council and with Transport Scotland providing support in a project assurance role.\r\nSince the publication of STPR2, Transport Scotland took a lead on delivering the recommendation on behalf of the Programme Steering Group and have spent approximately £921,000 on early consultancy services aimed at defining the scope, governance, programme and budget of Clyde Metro. This does not include spend incurred by SPT and GCC.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419164,"EventID":"S6W-27052","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:54.127","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T15:17:07.663","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of rail passenger numbers, and what impact this has had on progress of recommendation (a) 15, (b) 16 and (c) 17 of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2).","AnswerText":"ScotRail, in public ownership, regularly monitors passenger numbers which enables it to deliver services which respond to the needs of people of Scotland.\r\nSince ScotRail moved into public sector, we have added over 200 additional services each weekday, offering seven per cent more seats. Passenger numbers have increased by 75% from 46.7 million in 2021-22 to around 82 million in 2023-24.\r\nIn respect of STPR2, Transport Scotland’s programme of works continues to be reviewed against priorities in the context of available funding. This ensures Transport Scotland can deliver the right projects at the right time as we seek to progress our rolling programme of decarbonisation, whilst also delivering rail passenger and freight services that meet user expectations.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419165,"EventID":"S6W-27064","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:54.187","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T16:04:02.663","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed the potential impact upon Scotland’s tourism and hospitality sector of using Air Departure Tax for \"demand management\".","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27063 on 7 May 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419166,"EventID":"S6W-27065","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:54.407","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T16:04:02.663","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will update its economic assessment of Air Departure Tax in Scotland in order to better reflect the current state of the Scottish economy. ","AnswerText":"We continue to explore all options to implement Air Departure Tax in a way that protects Highlands & Islands connectivity and complies with the UK Government’s subsidy control regime.\r\nOptions identified will be thoroughly assessed and the findings will be set out at the appropriate time.\r\nThe Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all options presented will protect Highlands and Islands connectivity, along with the communities and business that rely on this to prosper.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419167,"EventID":"S6W-27081","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:54.593","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-25T10:59:10.72","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide any modelling, or other assessment undertaken, to estimate any reduction in (a) car kilometres travelled and (b) CO2-equivalent emissions as a result of the extension of free bus travel to (i) under-22s, (ii) over-60s and (iii) disabled people.","AnswerText":"As outlined in the draft route map to achieving a 20% reduction in car kilometres by 2030, achieving this commitment relies on a package of over 30 interventions.\r\nThe route map does not apportion a specific reduction in car kilometres, nor in CO2-equivalent emissions, to any single intervention such as the extension of the concessionary travel scheme, which is one of a number of route map interventions which aim to encourage the use of public transport and reduce car use.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419168,"EventID":"S6W-27059","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:54.657","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T15:25:46.783","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when routine maintenance of (a) white lineage and (b) bollards was last carried out at each junction on the A9 between Perth and Inverness.","AnswerText":"Maintenance of junction road markings is typically the responsibility of the authority whose road connects with the trunk road. In most cases on the A9 this is the local authority. The exception is acceleration and decelerations lanes, which Transport Scotland maintains. Notwithstanding this, since January 2023, Transport Scotland has collaborated with local authorities to improve junction markings on the A9.\r\nRecent road marking improvements have included:A9 Killiecrankie to Faskally Duals,A9/B9006 Culloden Road – Inverness,A9 Killiecrankie to Drumochter,A9 Drumochter to Crubenmore,A9 Luncarty Junction Slips.\r\nBollards are included in an annual cyclic maintenance programme. Our records show maintenance was undertaken between May and September 2023. More recently maintenance commenced in April 2024 with more planned in the coming months.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419169,"EventID":"S6W-27086","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:54.893","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-25T14:10:38.673","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether SEPA has assessed any impact of flea and worm treatments used for companion animals on the environment. ","AnswerText":"SEPA have developed a new analytical technique to screen environmental water samples for a range of chemical substances, including a range of pesticides and pharmaceuticals (human and veterinary).\r\nThrough targeted screening methodology, this helps identify and provide estimated concentrations for approximately 450 chemical substances including medicines used to control parasites. Monitoring began late 2023, with initially around 100 monitoring locations (rivers and lochs) expanding to over 300 locations in 2024.\r\nThis investigative monitoring programme was designed to help SEPA understand chemical pressures on Scotland’s water environment. SEPA are finalising monitoring results for substances used in veterinary medicines to treat parasites in companion animals and will share as it becomes available, with other UK regulators and agencies through the UK cross-government Pharmaceuticals in the Environment group. In addition, SEPA are also exploring options for making this data more widely available.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419170,"EventID":"S6W-27049","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:54.987","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T15:16:30.103","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on the delivery of recommendation 13 of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2).","AnswerText":"Nestrans and its partners Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council and the North East Bus Alliance, are working to develop the business case for Aberdeen Rapid Transit (ART). Building on work undertaken to support the Regional Transport Strategy and the second Strategic Transport Projects Review, Nestrans is drafting the business case which includes detailed planning to understand how ART could be implemented. This includes work on transport corridors identified as being potential routes for ART to identify opportunities for transport improvements, including bus priority.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419171,"EventID":"S6W-27079","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1756,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":136,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:55.033","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-25T10:03:15.247","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on introducing legislation in Scotland similar to the UK Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government, at this time, does not have plans to introduce legislation similar to the UK Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023. \r\nThe Scottish Government remains committed to improving animal welfare and will carefully consider DEFRA’s proposals for restricting advertising of animal activities abroad, once known. \r\nSadly the opportunity to jointly introduce this legislation was lost due to the last minute handling by the UK Government that saw Scottish Ministers given insufficient time to consider the proposals and their implications. The Scottish Government would have liked to have given their full support to these measures\r\nScottish Ministers will continue to engage with the UK Government and other devolved administrations where it is practical and feasible to do so.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419172,"EventID":"S6W-27045","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:55.11","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T15:15:44.757","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what monitoring is undertaken to understand how active travel behaviours supported at primary school continue into secondary school.","AnswerText":"There is a known and growing gap when it comes to active travel modes to travel to school between primary and secondary school pupils in Scotland. Sustrans’ Hands Up Scotland Survey, that looks at how pupils travel to school and nursery, shows that in the past 15 years walking and cycling to school are declining when it comes to secondary school pupils, with cycling to school only accounting for around 1% of the total trips and skating/scooting stagnating at around 0.1%.\r\nWhilst walking levels are also declining for primary school children, it is still at a higher level than for secondary school pupils, and cycling and skating/scooting has been increasing with much higher levels than for secondary school pupils (cycling stands at 5-6% of all trips for primary school age pupils).\r\nSince 2021, Cycling Scotland have conducted a cross sectional evaluation of Bikeability Scotland. This evaluation shows that Bikeability Level 2 training has a positive impact on cycling behaviours, knowledge and skills, and that pupils who receive Bikeability training in primary school have higher rates of bike ownership and cycling frequency in Secondary school compared with those who did not receive training.\r\n","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419173,"EventID":"S6W-27068","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:55.19","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T16:53:59.017","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will incentivise (a) local authorities and (b) other public bodies to install sustainable artificial sports surfaces or natural grass pitches and playgrounds.","AnswerText":"We have no current plans to offer incentives. Local Authorities and other Public Bodies will need to make an assessment as to which materials are best suited for their projects.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":419174,"EventID":"S6W-27080","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:55.283","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-25T10:59:10.72","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what degree of impact it expects the extension of free bus travel to (a) under-22s, (b) over-60s and (c) disabled people to have on its emissions reductions targets.","AnswerText":"The Scotland-wide free bus travel schemes aim to make sustainable travel more available, affordable and accessible to those aged 60 and above, aged under 22 and eligible disabled people.\r\nAs set out in our report on proposals and policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions following annual target for 2019 not being met (  www.gov.scot  ) , published in 2021, the Scottish Government committed to building upon our commitment in the updated Climate Change Plan to extend National Concessionary Travel Schemes to include under 22s as part of our additional policies and proposals to deliver the amount of emissions reduction required. However, it does not apportion emissions reduction to any single additional policy.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419175,"EventID":"S6W-27037","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:55.36","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T15:13:51.143","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what funding has been allocated for projects under recommendation 4 of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2), and where these projects are.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government funding for active travel projects is not allocated based on STPR2 recommendation delivered. We fund a range of projects throughout Scotland that deliver on recommendation 4 of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) to connect towns by active travel. This includes funding for the National Cycle Network programme, investment in active travel infrastructure on the trunk road network, and funding provided to local authorities via the Sustrans Places for Everyone programme and the new Active Travel Infrastructure fund, and directly through the Cycling Walking Safer Routes (CWSR) grant.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419176,"EventID":"S6W-27044","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:55.487","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T15:15:32.517","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many schools have participated in active travel behaviour change projects aimed at delivering recommendation 8 of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2), and what proportion of schools in Scotland this represents.","AnswerText":"We do not currently record data across our behaviour change programme in a way that would allow us to establish how many different schools or what proportion of schools have participated in projects.\r\nThis is possible, however, on an individual project basis. For example, in the academic year 2022-23, Bikeability Scotland training was delivered in 66.7% of schools covering over 60,000 pupils across 30/32 local authorities. Living Streets’ Walk to School / WOW programme has run for over 25 years and was introduced in Scotland in 2014. A total of 463 primary schools, 23% of the total number of primary schools in Scotland, have had active participation in WOW at some point between 2012 and 2022. 160 schools participated in WOW in 2022-23.\r\nA new model for delivery of active travel behaviour change interventions has been introduced for 2024-25. The People and Place programme will be delivered by Scotland’s seven Regional Transport Partnerships (RTPs). To support this new model we are developing a monitoring and evaluation framework which will improve our understanding of the performance of the projects that we fund and enable us to make better informed funding decisions across the active travel behaviour change programme.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419177,"EventID":"S6W-27071","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:55.55","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T16:53:59.017","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will conduct a comparative assessment of the (a) short-, (b) medium- and (c) long-term environmental impact of creating a standard sized natural grass football, rugby or hockey pitch, compared with 3G artificial surfaces of the same size.","AnswerText":"We will give full consideration to new research in this area, and we are supportive of efforts to examine evidence on the wider impacts of microplastics which will be material to helping shape any future regulation.\r\nEU legislation designed to protect the environment from exposure to microplastics means that, from 2031, rubber crumb infill material will no longer be available for use on artificial pitches within the EU. We are working with the UK and Welsh Governments to better understand the impacts microplastics have on the environment and will consider the need for future legislation under for example the UK REACH regulation on the safety of chemicals.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":419178,"EventID":"S6W-27066","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:55.633","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T16:04:02.663","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will significantly increase investment aimed at reducing rail journey times to the north east and north of Scotland, in the event that it proceeds with proposals to use Air Departure Tax for \"demand management\". ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27063 on 7 May 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419179,"EventID":"S6W-27084","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:55.87","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-25T11:21:07.613","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how long a hospital must be closed before it is formally recognised as closed.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government and COSLA’s Planning with People guidance sets out how NHS boards, Integration Joint Boards and Local Authorities should involve people and communities throughout the development, planning and decision-making process for service change. The closure of a hospital is an example of service change which requires significant levels of engagement by NHS Boards with stakeholders including patients, the affected community and elected representatives.\r\nIn normal circumstances, a hospital would only be closed following engagement and consultation and as a result there is no formal definition for how long a hospital must be closed before being officially recognised as such.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419180,"EventID":"S6W-27063","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:55.933","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T16:04:02.663","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential economic impact of using Air Departure Tax for \"demand management\".","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not committed to managing aviation demand through Air Departure Tax and therefore no analysis or assessment has been undertaken.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419181,"EventID":"S6W-27089","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:56.183","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-25T14:22:46.173","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many buildings that are listed as category (a) A, (b) B and (c) C contain reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of buildings listed as category (a) A, (b) B and (c) C containing reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC). Assessment for the presence of RAAC and for putting in place appropriate measures is a matter for individual building owners, informed by guidance such as that available from the Institution of Structural Engineers and, in the case of listed buildings, Historic Environment Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419182,"EventID":"S6W-27088","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:56.29","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-25T14:22:46.173","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many buildings are listed as category (a) A, (b) B and (c) C, broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"The information requested is available on the Historic Environment Scotland website at  https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/search  . A search can be conducted using the filters to specify a category of listed building as well as the local authority area. Guidance on how to use the Historic Environment Scotland portal is available at  https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/guidance  and  https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/portal/docs/designations_search_user_guide.pdf  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419183,"EventID":"S6W-27038","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:56.387","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T15:14:06.24","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding recommendation 6 of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2), what changes have been made to travel behavioural change initiatives grant funding allocated to Regional Transport Partnerships (RTPs) for the current financial year in terms of capital and revenue allocation; on what grounds these changes were made; how these changes comply with behaviour change theory, and what the overall budget for (a) capital expenditure and (b) revenue is.","AnswerText":"The current financial year marks a very significant change in our delivery model for active travel behaviour change initiatives, being the first year the Scottish Government has allocated grant funding for this purpose across all seven Region Transport Partnerships (RTPs) under the umbrella of a new Active Travel People and Place programme.\r\nThe grounds for the creation of this programme are the increased scale and pace of the government’s ambition in active travel, which has already brought wholesale reform of the delivery model for active travel infrastructure through the creation of the Active Travel Infrastructure Fund (ATIF) working primarily with Local Authorities through a new tiered system.\r\nSimilarly, the previous active travel behaviour change delivery model whereby Transport Scotland continued to centrally grant fund several national third sector partners across 30+ projects and programmes also needed to be reformed to deliver at scale.\r\nFor 2024-25 we therefore developed a new regional approach whereby this funding has instead been invested in RTPs, who in turn have designed programmes of active travel behaviour change initiatives which are more responsive to local circumstances and suit their needs. This is a more streamlined, scalable, and strategic model, with strong alignment to wider Scottish Government priorities and ways of working. This includes delivering on STPR2 Recommendation 6 that we build on existing behavioural change initiatives, and the Verity House Agreement principle that public responsibilities should be exercised by authorities closest to the citizen, with presumptions in favour of local flexibility.\r\nSTPR2 recommends that these initiatives are likely to be most effective if they raise awareness of new infrastructure and services. In taking a behaviour change approach we want to ensure that interventions tackle the individual, social, and material (ISM) factors that influence people’s travel choices. We have therefore developed four ‘themes’ that sit across the Active Travel People and Place programme that address long-term social trends, target our largest trip generators, help secure a Just Transition, and systemically strengthen delivery, as well as providing structure for our overarching monitoring and evaluation framework. These themes are: Schools and Young People, Workplaces, Accessibility and Inclusion, and Capacity and Capability Building.\r\nWe recognise that these programmes of behaviour change initiatives, some directly linked to infrastructure development, do require an appropriate blend of capital and revenue funding. Of overall spend across our legacy behaviour change / access to bikes programmes in 2023-24, capital accounted for 82%, and revenue 18% of funding. Of spend on the RTP Active Travel People and Place programmes in 2024-25, capital accounts for 63% (£12m), and revenue 37% (£7m) of funding. This has been achieved in the context of a particularly challenging budget and resource spending review, which has required, and will continue to require, difficult decisions to be taken across government.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419184,"EventID":"S6W-27046","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:56.51","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T15:15:55.777","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on the delivery of recommendation 11 of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2).","AnswerText":"Since the publication of the draft of STPR2 in January 2022, a multi-partner working group consisting of Transport Scotland (TS), Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) and Glasgow City Council (GCC) has been established to better define the scale of work that Clyde Metro might represent and the associated resource and programme requirements. This is overseen by a Programme Steering Group comprising of the Chief Executives of those organisations. SPT are leading the current stage of Clyde Metro, known as the case for investment stage, working alongside Glasgow City Council and with Transport Scotland providing support in a project assurance role. This key stage, which is currently underway, will define the Clyde Metro network. I understand that SPT have recently appointed consultants for some early work, with procurement of a framework for multi-disciplinary consultancy services for later phases of the case for investment currently ongoing.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419185,"EventID":"S6W-27077","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:56.573","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T17:19:32.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish a timetable for when the remaining £270 million in funding for additional appointments and procedures will be allocated, and from where this funding will be allocated.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government, along with Health Boards and the Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD), is actively considering opportunities to allocate funding to deliver activity utilising the £30 million investment announced by the First Minister on 1 April. This funding is being targeted at a series of national and local plans to reduce backlogs in orthopaedics, ophthalmology, diagnostics and cancer backlog by maximising the use of local and national resources across Scotland.\r\nOnce we have concluded this process we will provide a breakdown of how the funding has been allocated by Health Board.\r\nThe initial £30 million of targeted investment is the first instalment of a £300 million plan over the next three years to help reduce waiting lists, subject to the Scottish Budget process.\r\nDecisions on the Government’s spending plans for future years are subject to the outcome of the annual Scottish Budget setting process and associated approval by the Scottish Parliament. In-year revisions to the 2024-25 Scottish Budget are subject to parliamentary approval in the same way.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419186,"EventID":"S6W-27055","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:56.637","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T15:25:46.783","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the next routine maintenance is scheduled to be carried out on each junction of the A9 between Inverness and Thurso.","AnswerText":"Rather than a set routine maintenance schedule, the programmes of routine maintenance on all trunk roads are developed based on need within the limits of available funding. The information that drives the programmes comes from a variety of sources, such as the regular safety inspections, the annual condition inspections and reports from the public.\r\nOther work streams such as Strategic Road Safety can also develop schemes that contribute to the improvement of north west trunk roads if the investigation of accident statistics highlights problems at specific locations, including junctions. A number of schemes on the A9 junctions have been completed recently through this budget as part of a package of short term works to improve safety prior to the dualling of the remainder of the A9.\r\nCyclic maintenance is also carried out across trunk roads including grass cutting at junctions to keep visibility splays clear and bollard cleaning to maintain their reflectivity.\r\nThe following highlights the diverse range of schemes being prepared for the A9 this financial year and the schemes that have been undertaken recently.A9 Spittal – proposed design of new footpath link to community hall (2024-25). Associated signing and road marking upgrades. Construction subject to available funding (from 2025-26 onwards).A9 Tore Roundabout – traffic modelling assessment currently being progressed by an external consultant on behalf of the Transport Scotland Bus Partnership Fund. Possibly future investigation/design work to introduce signal control at the roundabout to be taken forward by our Operating Company BEAR Scotland. Awaiting confirmation of 0802 funding to determine if any work can progress in 2024-25.A9 Scrabster – investigation proposed 2024-25 to improve non motorised user access around the harbour area (subject to available funding).","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419187,"EventID":"S6W-27058","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:56.903","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T15:25:46.783","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions have taken place with (a) the car hire sector, (b) key local partners and (c) regional partners to examine how tourists and foreign drivers can be better educated on the use of Scotland’s roads, including the A9.","AnswerText":"In 2019, Road Safety Scotland (RSS) partnered with Police Scotland and the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) to develop a campaign targeting foreign drivers/those not familiar with driving on the left. Leaflets, wristbands, and windscreen stickers were provided to car rental companies to distribute to foreign drivers hiring vehicles at airports across Scotland.\r\nIn 2023, following Covid, the campaign was revived and further developed, and launched by the Minister for Transport. In addition to the BVRLA route, campaign resources were also made available in Visit Scotland iCentres, airports, ferry ports, and supported by variable message signs on appropriate routes. The wristbands say 'drive on the left' in nine languages, and RSS has also produced reservoir gaiters saying 'ride on the left' in eight languages for use by motorcyclists.\r\nFurthermore, a short, animated video was produced for companies to send to drivers in advance of picking up their vehicles providing information on the use of single track roads and passing places. More information on the campaign can be found here:  Driving on the left - Road Safety Scotland ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419188,"EventID":"S6W-27041","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:56.997","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T15:14:43.937","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding recommendation 6 of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2), how much has been spent on (a) active travel infrastructure and (b) behaviour change initiatives since 2012.","AnswerText":"The Active Travel Budget is an annually set allocation from the overall Scottish Transport Budget. The Active Travel Programme contains a blend of Grants awarded in accordance with the Scottish Public Finance Manual, contracts drawn down from Scottish Government procurement frameworks, and budget transfers to support investments managed in other areas of the portfolio. A breakdown of years 2012-13 to 2023-23 is set out below, our figures for 2023-24 are also shown with the caveat that these should be considered as indicative of the year end process completing;\r\nFY\r\nInfrastructure\r\nBehaviour Change\r\n2012-13\r\n£19,314,314.25\r\n£9,692,941.14\r\n2013-14\r\n£14,389,759.76\r\n£25,026,007.98\r\n2014-15\r\n£36,341,933.11\r\n£9,664,056.74\r\n2015-16\r\n£32,800,821.03\r\n£8,902,716.68\r\n2016-17\r\n£31,062,521.10\r\n£12,040,896.15\r\n2017-18\r\n£33,826,092.21\r\n£6,866,952.92\r\n2018-19\r\n£65,306,920.23\r\n£12,743,060.69\r\n2019-20\r\n£70,968,560.22\r\n£13,725,623.59\r\n2020-21\r\n£85,821,798\r\n£14,728,849.66\r\n2021-22\r\n£90,638,802.70\r\n£25,533,023.69\r\n2022-23\r\n£108,969,823.75\r\n£40,713,179.94\r\n2023-24\r\n£116,948,994\r\n£33,095,085","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419189,"EventID":"S6W-27039","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:57.06","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T15:14:19.337","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding recommendation 6 of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2), what behaviour change theory underpins the criteria under which Regional Transport Partnerships (RTPs) must allocate projects in the current financial year's funding settlement for behaviour change, and (a) how and (b) by whom selection of these criteria was determined.","AnswerText":"As part of the policy development for the Active Travel People and Place programme 2024-25, evidence was considered from a range of sources, including the recommendations from the Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2).\r\nThe policy is underpinned by a behaviour change approach that seeks to ensure that interventions tackle the individual, social, and material (ISM) factors that influence people’s travel choices. We developed four evidence-based themes that sit across the programme that address long-term social trends, target our largest trip generators, help secure a Just Transition, and systemically strengthen delivery, as well as providing structure for our overarching monitoring and evaluation framework.\r\nFollowing engagement with delivery partners, RTPs, and representatives from Local Authorities, key deliverables (e.g. cycle training in schools; support for disadvantaged/vulnerable communities) were identified as priorities for continue support. Taking these into account, criteria were developed by Transport Scotland policy officials and discussed with the Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants' Rights in December 2023 and January 2024. These themes are: Schools and Young People, Workplaces, Accessibility and Inclusion, and Capacity and Capability Building.\r\n‘Schools and Young People’ covers interventions in and around schools that deliver holistic solutions for creating an environment where active travel choices are not only an option, but the most desirable way to travel for young people and families. The theme is key both in terms of ‘place’, with schools collectively being one of the largest trip generators in Scotland (there were over 705,000 children attending school in Scotland in 2023 with about 50% of their journeys being made actively), and also ‘people’, with strong evidence showing that social norms play a crucial role in behaviour change, and that helping children establish healthy travel behaviours should be a core activity of programmes seeking sustainable travel behaviours.\r\n‘Workplaces’ covers interventions that focus on places of work (including further and higher education), that make active travel choices a realistic solution for commuting. This theme is key as places of work are significant trip generators, with the latest statistics showing ‘Commuting’ as the second most frequent reason for personal travel, at 21%.\r\n‘Accessibility and Inclusion’ covers interventions that create opportunities for everyone to make the choice to travel actively. Evidence shows that there is a large number of underrepresented groups in Scotland who do not participate in active travel. Barriers include cost, social perception, culture, health, ability, and geographical location. Though this theme we will ensure people with different abilities, or people without the knowledge or skills, are not left out of our drive to promote walking, wheeling and cycling for everyday journeys.\r\n‘Capacity and Capability Building’ covers interventions that build the delivery capacity and capability of the sector. Transport was part of Scotland’s Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan (CESAP), which highlighted that the transition to net zero will require behaviour change by both employers and individuals. The CESAP stressed the need for skills investment planning in this area and to support stakeholders to take action to drive behaviour change and develop the leadership and management skills that will be required for a net zero future.\r\nWe are keeping these themes under review, and our ongoing monitoring and evaluation framework will draw on data included the Walking and Cycling Index and the Scottish Household Survey (SHS) which has data on the purpose of short journeys.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419190,"EventID":"S6W-27061","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:57.137","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T15:25:46.783","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when routine maintenance of (a) white lineage and (b) bollards was last carried out at each junction on the A9 between Inverness and Thurso.","AnswerText":"Maintenance of junction road markings is typically the responsibility of the authority whose road connects with the trunk road. In most cases on the A9 this is the local authority. The exception is acceleration and decelerations lanes, which Transport Scotland maintains. Notwithstanding this, since January 2023, Transport Scotland has collaborated with local authorities to improve junction markings on the A9.\r\nRecent road marking improvements have included:OusdaleGeiselittleCambusavie BendsBerriedaleDeephavenSouth of The MoundNorth of GlenmorangieNorth of StruieB9169 JunctionNorth of HilliclayAchaloneAlness to TomichInverbroraSouth of Inverbrora\r\nBollards are included in an annual cyclic maintenance programme. Our records show maintenance was undertaken between May and September 2023. More recently maintenance commenced in April 2024 with more planned in the coming months.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419191,"EventID":"S6W-26916","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5866,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:57.183","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-18T15:04:35.933","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) regarding how it makes use of section 16 of the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman Act 2002, in order to keep the Scottish Parliament informed of cases where public organisations have failed to comply with the SPSO's recommendations as directed and/or by the due date, which may result in a continued impact on a complainant; what measures it can put in place to support the SPSO with this, and what information it has on any redress or recourse mechanisms that local authorities may be subject to in the event that they do not meet any standards or comply with any recommendations set out by the SPSO.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) is a Scottish parliamentary supported organisation, and the Scottish Parliament is ultimately responsible for their resourcing and for holding their performance to account.\r\nThe SPSO publishes information in their annual report regarding compliance with their recommendations (  https://www.spso.org.uk/annual-report/2022-23.html  - see section entitled Performance Analysis, under heading Learning from complaints).\r\nThe SPSO's Redress Policy is available online (  https://www.spso.org.uk/sites/spso/files/communications_material/RedressPolicy.pdf  ). This policy relates only to redress in relation to direct loss or harm. The SPSO can also make recommendations to listed authorities in relation to service improvement or complaints handling.\r\nThe SPSO also has a Support and Intervention policy which sets out its statutory powers and how the SPSO will use them. The policy and policy guide for Scottish public bodies on support and intervention action are both available on the SPSO's website (  https://www.spso.org.uk/support-and-intervention-policy  ). The Support and Intervention policy outlines a clear escalation route where issues are not resolved, with the section 16 powers of the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman Act 2002 sitting at Level 6 (on a scale of Level 1 to Level 6). The policy also sets out the measures in place and actions the SPSO can take to resolve any compliances issues.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419192,"EventID":"S6W-27043","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:57.293","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T15:15:10.523","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding recommendation 8 of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2), what proportion of children currently travel actively to get to school, and how this has changed since STPR2 was adopted.","AnswerText":"According to the Scottish Government’s classification of school locations, 31% of the students attending publicly funded schools went to a school in a large urban area, and 42% attend schools in smaller urban areas. The remaining 27% attend schools in accessible small towns (9%), remote small towns (5%), accessible rural areas (8%) and remote rural areas (4%) (  Scottish Government, 2021  ).\r\nAccording to the latest Hands Up Scotland Survey (HUSS) data, published in August 2023, the percentage of children travelling actively to school is 49.4%. Walking remains the most common mode of school travel at 42.6%. It is not currently possible to determine a change in this metric since the adoption of STPR2 as the latest HUSS data is from 2022. Data from the 2023 survey will be available later this year.\r\nThe latest HUSS data can be found here:  Hands Up Scotland Survey - Sustrans.org.uk ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419193,"EventID":"S6W-27069","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:57.357","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T16:53:59.017","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of international research and the European Chemicals Agency’s evidence-based assessment for banning microplastic 3G crumb rubber infills, whether it will now take steps to immediately start phasing out this reported pollutant. ","AnswerText":"We will give full consideration to new research in this area, and we are supportive of efforts to examine evidence on the wider impacts of microplastics which will be material to helping shape any future regulation.\r\nEU legislation designed to protect the environment from exposure to microplastics means that, from 2031, rubber crumb infill material will no longer be available for use on artificial pitches within the EU. We are working with the UK and Welsh Governments to better understand the impacts microplastics have on the environment and will consider the need for future legislation under for example the UK REACH regulation on the safety of chemicals.\r\nsport scotland are following the study being conducted in the UK to measure the migration of micro plastics from pitches with the mitigation measures in place as per the CEN code of practice. This will conclude in 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":419194,"EventID":"S6W-27051","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:57.42","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T15:16:55.107","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) kilometres of bus priority lanes and (b) other strategic bus priority measures have been put in place since the adoption of recommendation 14 of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2).","AnswerText":"a) The length of carriageway or lane reserved for the use of buses (and other vehicles as identified) delivered through the Bus Partnership Fund is 12.16km. This includes bus gates in Aberdeen City Centre, which the North East Bus Alliance has reported to have reduced journey times for passengers by up to 25%, and a bus gate at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness, opened in March 2024, providing improved public transport access to this important facility as well as improving connectivity with the city centre. A section of bus lane has also been delivered on the M8 eastbound between Claylands (Junction 2 of the M8) and Hermiston Gait (Junction 1 of the M8) in the form of an actively managed hard shoulder for buses. This also includes 2.58km of BPF funded bus lanes in Edinburgh that are currently in operation and the Council are seeking to make permanent.\r\nb) In addition to bus lanes, other bus priority and supporting measures have been delivered through the Bus Partnership Fund. This includes bus priority at 66 signalised junctions across Scotland, including Glasgow, Edinburgh, Inverness, Ayrshire, Oban, Dundee and Perth, helping buses to get through them more quickly. Seven supporting projects have also been completed, including measures such as bus lane enforcement cameras. When the Bus Partnership Fund was launched and STPR2 was published, there were not many bus priority measures identified that could be built straight away. Therefore the Bus Partnership Fund also provided funding which has seen 32 studies completed to identify, develop and design further pipeline bus priority measures.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419195,"EventID":"S6W-27040","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:57.513","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T15:14:31.853","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding recommendation 6 of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2), what the timescale is for (a) allocating and (b) spending the travel behaviour change grant funding by Regional Transport Partnerships (RTPs).","AnswerText":"A new model for delivery of active travel behaviour change interventions has been introduced for 2024-25. The People and Place programme will be delivered by Scotland’s seven Regional Transport Partnerships (RTPs). Grant offer letters have been issued to all of the RTPs which contain the information required for drawing down funding from their allocation once the grant offer is accepted. This funding will be available to the RTPs, working with their delivery partners, to spend on behaviour change interventions during the 2024-25 financial year.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419196,"EventID":"S6W-27056","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:57.573","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T15:25:46.783","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £5 million announced in December 2022 for extra road safety measures on the A9 has been spent to date, and for what purpose.","AnswerText":"Since December 2022 to 25 April 2024, £2.97 million has been spent on the A9 short term road safety measures announced by the then Minister for Transport in December 2022. The remaining amount is programmed to be spent by the end of March 2025 in line with the commitment.\r\nSpend includes upgrades to road markings on single carriageways sections between Perth and Inverness to install a high performance product with greater reflectivity and acoustic feedback for drivers deviating from their lane. Additional overtaking restrictions have been included where feasible, as well as illuminated road studs at key junctions to improve clarity during darkness. Also on the Perth to Inverness section, the transitions between dual and single carriageways are being upgraded with illuminated studs and additional red surfacing to emphasise the change in carriageway type. In addition, two-way traffic signs and road markings are being installed on single carriageway sections, along with temporary variable message signs displaying key road safety messages. These engineering measures were complemented by two education campaigns on fatigue and ‘drive on the left’ deployed by Road Safety Scotland.\r\nIn addition to the £5 million announced in December 2022, approximately £83,000 has been spent on replacing the HGV 50mph speed limit signs on the A9. These new signs do not conflict with traffic sign recognition systems, which are becoming common in modern vehicles. This is also supplemented by over £90,000 spend on recent road safety improvements identified through Transport Scotland’s ongoing assessment of the safety performance of the trunk road network..","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419197,"EventID":"S6W-27070","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:57.623","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T16:53:59.017","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will conduct an assessment of any environmental impact of replacing grass pitches with artificial turf pitches that includes a full life-cycle assessment of the manufacture, use and disposal of artificial turf pitches and crumb rubber from playgrounds.","AnswerText":"We will give full consideration to new research in this area, and we are supportive of efforts to examine evidence on the wider impacts of microplastics which will be material to helping shape any future regulation.\r\nsport scotland are following the study being conducted in the UK to measure the migration of micro plastics from pitches with the mitigation measures in place as per the CEN code of practice. This will conclude in 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":419198,"EventID":"S6W-27050","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:57.683","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T15:16:42.387","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on the delivery of recommendation 13 of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) to date, and what any funding has been used for.","AnswerText":"The North East Bus Alliance has spent £9.94 million from the Bus Partnership Fund. This includes funding for the business case for Aberdeen Rapid Transit (ART) and bus priority on its associated corridors. This also includes £0.33 million for the development and delivery of bus gates in Aberdeen City Centre, which opened in August 2023, and supporting works of £7.98 million on South College Street, which enabled the bus gates. The North East Bus Alliance have reported that bus gates in Aberdeen City Centre have reduced journey times for passengers by up to 25%, benefitting over 600,000 passengers each month.\r\nFuture work on ART, led by Nestrans and its partners Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council and the North East Bus Alliance, will be funded through the Aberdeen City Region Deal.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419199,"EventID":"S6W-27085","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:57.84","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-25T14:08:23.257","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when SEPA last met with the Pharmaceuticals in the Environment (PiE) cross-government group regarding fipronil and imidacloprid levels detected in UK surface waters, and what steps it is taking to reduce these levels in Scotland. ","AnswerText":"SEPA is a member of the Pharmaceuticals in the Environment (PiE) Group. The group last met on 31st January 2024 to continue discussions and undertake process mapping to understand the current evidence, as well as regulatory and non-regulatory tools available to inform future activities and strategy regarding levels of imidacloprid and fipronil in UK surface waters.\r\nSEPA has designed an investigative monitoring programme to help understand chemical pressures on Scotland’s water environment.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419200,"EventID":"S6W-27057","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:57.903","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T15:25:46.783","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many temporary \"drive on left\" signs have been installed on the A9, and what the ongoing cost is.","AnswerText":"Eight temporary electronic variable message signs have been deployed on the A9 between the Birnam and Moy, which display a number of road safety messages to drivers. These include “Don’t Drive Tired” and “Don’t Use Mobile Phones When Driving” to encourage responsible and considerate driving, as well as “Drive on the Left” in English, French, German, Spanish and Italian to assist visitors from overseas. For 2024, these signs were installed during the last week in March and will be in place until the start of November to cover the main tourism season. The estimated cost for installing and maintaining the signs in the 2022-2023, 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 financial years is £155,439.57 excluding VAT. The use of these signs on the A9 in future years will be considered through Transport Scotland’s ongoing assessment of the safety performance of the trunk road network.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419201,"EventID":"S6W-27067","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5877,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:57.967","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T16:16:19.187","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to reopening a Scottish Development International office in Taiwan.","AnswerText":"Scottish Development International has over 100 staff in 30 international offices in 23 countries. SDI regularly reviews its overseas footprint to ensure it aligns with Scotland’s trade and investment priorities. There are currently no plans to reopen SDI’s office in Taiwan. The Taiwanese market continues to be serviced by SDI colleagues based in SDI’s Asia and Pacific offices.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419202,"EventID":"S6W-27082","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:58.013","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-25T11:06:06.7","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26786 by Jenny Gilruth on 25 April 2024, what its position is on Glasgow City Council's reported plan to substantially reduce the number of teacher posts.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has a longstanding commitment to protecting teacher numbers, and we are offering local authorities £145.5m in this year’s budget for that purpose. This funding will allow councils to protect teacher numbers in order to support children’s education.\r\nWe have informed councils that we will issue this funding in the form of grants and councils will be required to commit to maintaining teacher numbers as part of those grant conditions.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419203,"EventID":"S6W-27042","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:58.077","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T15:14:56.36","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what evidence was used to support the statement in the appraisal summary for recommendation 6 of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) that there has been “effective delivery of behavioural change initiatives in Scotland”, in light of the 2022 Active Travel National Indicator showing that journeys by active travel under two miles have fallen since 2012.","AnswerText":"STPR2 Recommendation 6 considered a significant body of evidence from projects across Scotland and the UK. This demonstrated that with the provision of specific and targeted information there is potential to change people’s travel behaviour. This includes encouraging more people to walk, wheel and cycle for shorter journeys and to use public transport for trips that they previously used a private car for. The impact of these types of programmes can be more effective when supporting new related infrastructure projects.\r\nThe transport appraisal that supported Recommendation 6 considered the evaluation of projects in Scotland undertaken as part of the Smarter Choices Smarter Places programme. This noted that, of the schemes that promoted walking and cycling, around 40% of those people that were reached were more active as a result.\r\nAs part of Scotland’s National Performance Framework there is a ‘journeys by active travel’ National Indicator, which monitors the proportion of short journeys that are made only by the active modes of walking and cycling. This shows that whilst there has indeed been a small decline in the percentage of journeys under 2 miles by walking as the main mode, positively the percentage of journeys under 5 miles by cycling as the main mode, has increased since 2012. Transport Scotland will continue to monitor the impacts of all the STPR2 Recommendations, as part of its normal cycle of monitoring and review of the impacts of its investment in Scotland’s transport network.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419204,"EventID":"S6W-27074","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16205,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:58.123","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T16:57:43.87","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many times, and on which dates, it has met with local government to discuss a Fiscal Framework for local government since the publication of the Verity House Agreement on 30 June 2023.","AnswerText":"Ministers and officials meet COSLA and individual local authorities on a regular basis to cover a range of issues, including a fiscal framework for local government.\r\nSpecific meetings to discuss a fiscal framework with local government are noted below.\r\n5 July 2023\r\n7 July 2023\r\n14 July 2023\r\n21 July 2023\r\n28 July 2023\r\n11 August 2023\r\n18 August 2023\r\n21 August 2023\r\n1 September 2023\r\n9 September\r\n15 September\r\n10 October 2023\r\n9 November 2023\r\n6 December 2023\r\n7 February 2024\r\n13 March 2024\r\n19 March 2024\r\n11 April 2024","AnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419205,"EventID":"S6W-27036","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:58.187","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T15:13:31.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many village to town routes have been funded under recommendation 3 of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2), and what proportion of the total possible routes this represents.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government funding for active travel projects is not allocated based on STPR2 recommendation delivered. We fund a range of projects throughout Scotland that deliver on recommendation 3 of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) to connect villages to towns by active travel. This includes funding for the National Cycle Network programme, investment in active travel infrastructure on the trunk road network, and funding provided to local authorities via the Sustrans Places for Everyone programme and the new Active Travel Infrastructure fund, and directly through the Cycling Walking Safer Routes (CWSR) grant. ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419206,"EventID":"S6W-27075","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:58.39","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T17:18:48.337","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of how the £30 million of targeted investment to help reduce inpatient and day-case waiting lists, as announced on 1 April 2024, will be spent, and how much is being allocated to each NHS board.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government, along with Health Boards and the Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD), is actively considering opportunities to allocate funding to deliver activity utilising the £30 million investment announced by the First Minister on 1 April. This funding is being targeted at a series of national and local plans to reduce backlogs in orthopaedics, ophthalmology, diagnostics and cancer backlog by maximising the use of local and national resources across Scotland.\r\nOnce we have concluded this process we will provide a breakdown of how the funding has been allocated by Health Board.\r\nThe initial £30 million of targeted investment is the first instalment of a £300 million plan over the next three years to help reduce waiting lists, subject to the Scottish Budget process.\r\nDecisions on the Government’s spending plans for future years are subject to the outcome of the annual Scottish Budget setting process and associated approval by the Scottish Parliament. In-year revisions to the 2024-25 Scottish Budget are subject to parliamentary approval in the same way.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419207,"EventID":"S6W-27076","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:58.45","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T17:19:09.827","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many additional (a) appointments and (b) procedures will be delivered through the £30 million of targeted investment to help reduce inpatient and day-case waiting lists, as announced on 1 April 2024.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government, along with Health Boards and the Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD), is actively considering opportunities to allocate funding to deliver activity utilising the £30 million investment announced by the First Minister on 1 April. This funding is being targeted at a series of national and local plans to reduce backlogs in orthopaedics, ophthalmology, diagnostics and cancer backlog by maximising the use of local and national resources across Scotland.\r\nOnce we have concluded this process we will provide a breakdown of how the funding has been allocated by Health Board.\r\nThe initial £30 million of targeted investment is the first instalment of a £300 million plan over the next three years to help reduce waiting lists, subject to the Scottish Budget process.\r\nDecisions on the Government’s spending plans for future years are subject to the outcome of the annual Scottish Budget setting process and associated approval by the Scottish Parliament. In-year revisions to the 2024-25 Scottish Budget are subject to parliamentary approval in the same way.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419208,"EventID":"S6W-27000","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-25T16:47:58.653","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-23T16:22:40.88","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it discussed in its meetings with Glasgow City Council on (a) 19 and (b) 27 February 2024 regarding teacher numbers, and whether a minute of each meeting exists.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government did not meet with Glasgow City Council on the 19 or 27 of February.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419233,"EventID":"S6W-27096","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-26T15:56:54.843","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-25T16:11:33.04","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to reports that defibrillators held in locked cabinets or requiring the use of an access code can slow down the response to an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and may affect the chance of survival, and what steps it has taken to encourage defibrillators to be installed in unlocked, publicly accessible places.","AnswerText":"In order to maximise defibrillator availability, they are usually best mounted on the outside of buildings and placed in unlocked cabinets.\r\nWe accept that it is likely that locking defibrillator cabinets introduces an additional delay for bystanders attempting to retrieve a defibrillator and lowers the likelihood of successful application prior to arrival of emergency services.\r\nIt is the decision of the defibrillator guardian whether to place their device in a locked or unlocked cabinet. There is limited evidence as to whether using locked cabinets will affect the likelihood of vandalism, however, we understand that communities who fundraise to purchase and place a defibrillator wish to safeguard this important investment. The British Heart Foundation has helpful  information  online  your-guide-to-being-a-defib-guardian.pdf (bhf.org.uk)  about being a defibrillator guardian and steps individuals can take to look after their device.\r\nIf guardians do purchase a locked cabinet, it is vital to ensure that the local ambulance service knows the access code, and this can be supported by registering the defibrillator on  The Circuit - the national defibrillator network  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":419234,"EventID":"S6W-27094","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-26T15:56:55.11","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-25T16:11:33.04","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to tackle any inequalities that affect outcomes after an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, specifically to (a) overcome the reportedly low intervention rate where a woman is having a cardiac arrest and (b) improve outcomes for those from (i) deprived and (ii) ethnic minority backgrounds.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is a member of the Save a Life for Scotland (SALFS) Partnership. The partnership’s actions to tackle inequalities that affect outcomes after an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest are laid out in the  Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Strategy 2021 to 2026  .\r\nWork to date includes: SALFS development of vest-with-breast attachments for use on CPR mannequins which can be used by those delivering training sessions to address some of the barriers to CPR intervention in women.Targeted work by delivery partners in communities affected by inequalities in OHCA outcomes across Scotland to promote awareness of cardiac arrest and provide CPR and defibrillator training.Delivery of the  'Play you Part' campaign  and the development of accessible CPR training resources\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":419235,"EventID":"S6W-27078","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-26T15:56:55.327","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T18:16:11.967","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23633 by Jenny Gilruth on 21 December 2023, whether it has now completed the work to develop a clear picture of the scale and uptake of breakfast provision across Scotland, which was scheduled to be completed in spring 2024, and whether it will consider publishing, or otherwise making available, this work.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has committed to develop plans to deliver free breakfasts to all primary and special school children.\r\nAs noted in the response to question S6W-22746 on 17 November 2023, the Scottish Government is currently working with Assist FM and Improvement Service to develop a clear picture of the scale, uptake and delivery models of breakfast provision across Scotland both at Local Authority and schools' level. We expect the data from that exercise to be submitted to Scottish Government in June 2024. This will then inform the government’s approach.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419236,"EventID":"S6W-27098","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-26T15:56:55.517","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-25T16:11:33.04","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to ensure that custodians of defibrillators are periodically trained in the (a) use of the defibrillator and (b) maintenance of the equipment.","AnswerText":"The Save a Life for Scotland (SALFS) Partnership support defibrillator awareness inclusion in CPR training sessions. More information on CPR training provided in Scotland can be found here:  Learn CPR - Save a Life for Scotland  .\r\nThe Scottish Government published  Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: guide to public access defibrillators - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  in March 2018. The guide provides practical advice to those considering a purchase and installation of a defibrillator including information on safety and maintenance checks (page 3).","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":419237,"EventID":"S6W-27092","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-26T15:56:55.593","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-25T15:51:17.947","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has conducted an economic impact assessment of any damage to the economy of Stranraer and the surrounding area due to the reported ongoing disruption on the railway line from Ayr.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27091 on 10 May 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419238,"EventID":"S6W-27091","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-26T15:56:55.657","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-25T15:51:17.947","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has conducted an equality impact assessment regarding the number of any missed health appointments as a result of the reported ongoing disruption to the railway line from Stranraer to Ayr, in particular for women.","AnswerText":"Lead responsibility for Ayr Station Hotel rests with South Ayrshire Council while Network Rail has lead responsibility for the railway station itself.\r\nAll parties are aware of the disruption to travel caused by the dreadful vandalism which set fire to the Station Hotel. Rather than conduct post-event impact assessments, the focus of all partners involved is on working collectively to restore services to normal as soon as it is safely possible to do so.\r\nUntil rail services can be restored, a replacement bus service is in place to enable passengers on the affected route to access work, leisure, education and any other personal matters, including medical appointments.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419239,"EventID":"S6W-27099","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-26T15:56:55.75","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-25T17:10:35.547","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any steps that sportscotland is taking to (a) assess the impact of artificial sports pitches on (i) the natural environment and (ii) human health and (b) identify long-term alternatives to artificial sports pitches.","AnswerText":"Artificial grass pitches play an important role in the delivery of sport and physical activity across Scotland, helping the nation to lead more active, healthy lives. Well maintained artificial pitches allow for year-round, intensive use and can provide significantly more playing hours than traditional grass pitches.\r\nThere are already alternatives on the market such as cork, corn husks and olive pits amongst others. sport scotland are part of the UK Artificial Grass Pitch forum monitoring work on the long-term viability of these products. St Andrews University has already installed a full-size 3G pitch with cork infill, and there is research and development continuing across the industry with more products in the market.\r\nThe US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry published a wide-ranging report in April on rubber crumb infill. It is the largest study ever conducted in the US on the topic and was launched to characterise the chemicals associated with tire crumb rubber and to identify how people may be potentially exposed to those chemicals based on their activities on synthetic turf fields. In its conclusion, the report highlighted that:\r\n? “As expected, a range of metals, semivolatile organic compounds, volatile organic compounds and bacteria were detected in recycled tire crumb rubber infill. ? ? \"Although chemicals are present in the tire crumb rubber and exposures can occur, they are likely limited. For example, only small amounts of most organic chemicals are released from tire crumb into the air through emissions and no differences in PAH metabolites in urine were observed between study participants using synthetic turf fields compared to those using grass fields.”\r\nThe full report can be read here:  https://www.epa.gov/chemical-research/federal-research-recycled-tire-crumb-used-playing-fields-and-playgrounds?utm_source=brevo&utm_campaign=Friday%20News%20Roundup%2019%20April&utm_medium=email ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419240,"EventID":"S6W-27093","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-26T15:56:55.827","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-25T15:51:17.947","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has spoken to the relevant authorities regarding plans to bolster public transport links between Ayr and Stranraer, in light of the reported ongoing disruption on the railway line from Ayr.","AnswerText":"Officials from Transport Scotland are in regular dialogue with South Ayrshire Council, ScotRail and Network Rail regarding the ongoing disruption caused by the fire at the Ayr Station Hotel. Officials have separately kept the Regional Transport Partnership apprised of developments.\r\nFeedback from ScotRail is that demand for the replacement bus service on the routes South of Ayr has been low.\r\nOfficials in Transport Scotland, and the rail industry, are working closely with South Ayrshire Council to ensure that every effort is made to complete the required safety related works affecting services as swiftly as possible to enable the restoration of rail services as soon as it is safe to do so.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419241,"EventID":"S6W-27097","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-26T15:56:55.97","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-25T16:11:33.04","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding defibrillators in schools, what action it has taken to encourage the installation of defibrillators in publicly accessible positions for use by the wider community, rather than in locked rooms within the schools.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27095 on 7 May 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":419242,"EventID":"S6W-27095","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-26T15:56:56.063","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-25T16:11:33.04","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken, since the publication of Out of hospital cardiac arrest: strategy 2021 to 2026, to ensure that defibrillators are (a) placed in positions that are as accessible as possible to the public and (b) available 24/7.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is a member of the Save a Life for Scotland (SALFS) Partnership. Through SALFS, work is ongoing to increase the strategic placement of defibrillators in Scotland.\r\nThe Scottish Government have provided funding to support the Resuscitation Research Group’s development of a tool to help defibrillator guardians make informed decisions about where to place their device in order to have most impact.\r\nIn order to maximise defibrillator availability they are usually best mounted on the outside of buildings, and placed in unlocked cabinets. SALFS partners work with defibrillator guardians across Scotland to encourage such placement and availability.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":419246,"EventID":"S6W-27121","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-29T16:29:29.457","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-29T15:29:01.357","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is designing a successor to the Women's Health Plan 2021-2024.","AnswerText":"The Women’s Health Plan  Foreword by the Minister for Public Health, Women's Health and Sport - Women's health plan - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  sets out the Scottish Government’s ambition for Women’s Health which is that ‘women and girls enjoy the best possible health, throughout their lives’ - this ambition is not limited to the lifespan of the current Plan.\r\nThe current iteration of the Women’s Health Plan comes to a close in August 2024. The Women's Health Plan First  Women's health plan: progress report - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  and  Women's health plan: second annual progress report - January 2024 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  Second Annual Reports on Progress set out the progress on implementing the Plan.\r\nIn order to dedicate the necessary effort to the delivery of the current Plan, work will begin on a successor to the Women’s Health Plan after that time.\r\nFrom September, consultation will take place with women and girls, including our lived experienced stakeholder group, clinical experts, academics and those working in the women’s health arena on the content of the policy.\r\nDuring the interim phase between the end of the current policy and the development of future policy, work will continue to improve women’s health driving forward the ambitions, aims and longer term actions of the current Women’s Health Plan.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419247,"EventID":"S6W-27116","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-29T16:29:29.66","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-29T13:31:22.407","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many recommendations of the Good Governance Steering Group have been implemented since its inception.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has implemented the following recommendations since the Good Governance Steering Group’s inception in 2015:\r\nRecommendation\r\nStatus\r\nCollege Development Network to imbed teamwork training within the induction training of board members.\r\nCompleted - October 2019.\r\n \r\nTrade Union nominees will be added to the boards of the incorporated colleges, the GCRB and the Lanarkshire Board, in addition to the elected staff representatives.\r\nCompleted – came into force 31 January 2024.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419248,"EventID":"S6W-27120","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-29T16:29:29.88","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-29T14:07:23.687","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government who the member in charge is of the Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill.","AnswerText":"Gillian Martin MSP, Minister for Climate Action, is leading on the Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill for the portfolio. As Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy, I remain the member with oversight.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419249,"EventID":"S6W-27108","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-29T16:29:30.053","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-29T10:26:15.187","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government from which existing budget line the commitment to uplift the Affordable Housing Supply Programme by £80 million will be funded.","AnswerText":"This commitment will be funded through reprioritisation of the existing overall Scottish budget, with a number of areas currently being reviewed. This will be reflected through the normal parliamentary budget review and approval process.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419250,"EventID":"S6W-27112","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-29T16:29:30.147","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-29T11:11:53.903","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of the original funding that was allocated to the National Acquisition Plan has been distributed to each successful application, and whether it will provide an update on how much each successful applicant has spent of its distributed funding to date.","AnswerText":"The establishment of the National Acquisition Programme (NAP), was backed by investment of at least £60 million from local authority resource planning assumptions within the Affordable Housing Supply Programme in 2023-24 to help to reduce the number of households in temporary accommodation. A total of £83.146 million was spent through the National Acquisition Programme in 2023-2024. The NAP enables local authorities and registered social landlords to acquire properties of the right types, in the right places, in line with their strategic priorities.\r\nThe following table provides a breakdown of how much each grant applicant received and the corresponding percentage of this spend when compared to the total spend figure of £83.146 million.\r\nRegistered Social Landlord (RSL)\r\nActual Spend (£m)\r\nPercentage of Total Spend\r\nAbertay Housing Association Ltd\r\n0.520\r\n0.6%\r\nAngus Housing Association Ltd\r\n0.021\r\n0.0%\r\nArgyll Community Housing Association\r\n0.174\r\n0.2%\r\nArk Housing Association\r\n0.140\r\n0.2%\r\nBarrhead Housing Association\r\n0.248\r\n0.3%\r\nBlochairn Housing Co-operative Ltd\r\n0.192\r\n0.2%\r\nCaledonia Housing Association Ltd\r\n0.236\r\n0.3%\r\nCastle Rock Edinvar Housing Association Ltd\r\n0.973\r\n1.2%\r\nCathcart & District Housing Association Ltd\r\n0.605\r\n0.7%\r\nCloch Housing Association Ltd\r\n0.328\r\n0.4%\r\nCraigdale Housing Association Ltd\r\n0.091\r\n0.1%\r\nFife Housing Association Ltd\r\n0.130\r\n0.2%\r\nFyne Homes Ltd\r\n0.008\r\n0.01%\r\nGlasgow Housing Association Ltd\r\n0.729\r\n0.9%\r\nGovan Housing Association Ltd\r\n0.184\r\n0.2%\r\nGrampian Housing Association Ltd\r\n0.527\r\n0.6%\r\nHillcrest Homes (Scotland) Ltd\r\n0.261\r\n0.3%\r\nHjaltland Housing Association Ltd\r\n0.062\r\n0.1%\r\nIrvine Housing Association\r\n0.080\r\n0.1%\r\nKey Housing Association Ltd\r\n0.035\r\n0.04%\r\nKingdom Housing Association Ltd\r\n0.887\r\n1.1%\r\nKnowes Housing Association Ltd\r\n0.240\r\n0.3%\r\nLarkfield Housing Association Ltd\r\n0.179\r\n0.2%\r\nLinthouse Housing Association Ltd\r\n4.767\r\n5.7%\r\nLochfield Park Housing Association Ltd\r\n0.330\r\n0.4%\r\nMaryhill Housing Association Ltd\r\n2.933\r\n3.5%\r\nNew Gorbals Housing Association Ltd\r\n1.879\r\n2.3%\r\nNorth Glasgow Housing Association\r\n0.243\r\n0.3%\r\nOchil View Housing Association Ltd\r\n0.320\r\n0.4%\r\nOre Valley Housing Association Ltd\r\n0.200\r\n0.2%\r\nPaisley Housing Association Ltd\r\n0.060\r\n0.1%\r\nParagon Housing Association\r\n0.225\r\n0.3%\r\nParkhead Housing Association Ltd\r\n0.551\r\n0.7%\r\nPartick Housing Association Ltd\r\n0.653\r\n0.8%\r\nProvanhall Housing Association Ltd\r\n0.247\r\n0.3%\r\nRiver Clyde Homes\r\n0.030\r\n0.04%\r\nScottish Borders Housing Association Ltd\r\n1.290\r\n1.6%\r\nShettleston Housing Association Ltd\r\n0.510\r\n0.6%\r\nSouthside Housing Association Ltd\r\n1.809\r\n2.2%\r\nThe Highland Housing Alliance\r\n1.424\r\n1.7%\r\nTollcross Housing Association Ltd\r\n0.202\r\n0.2%\r\nTrust Housing Association Ltd\r\n1.921\r\n2.3%\r\nWaverley Housing\r\n0.160\r\n0.2%\r\nWest Of Scotland Housing Association Ltd\r\n0.091\r\n0.1%\r\nWhiteinch and Scotstoun Housing Association Ltd\r\n0.220\r\n0.3%\r\nWilliamsburgh Housing Association Ltd\r\n0.125\r\n0.2%\r\nYorkhill Housing Association Ltd\r\n0.833\r\n1.0%\r\nSub-total RSL Spend (£m)\r\n27.873\r\n33.5%\r\nLocal Authority\r\nActual Spend (£m)\r\nPercentage of Total Spend\r\nAberdeen City\r\n3.000\r\n3.6%\r\nAberdeenshire\r\n0.604\r\n0.7%\r\nAngus\r\n1.589\r\n1.9%\r\nCity of Edinburgh\r\n8.462\r\n10.2%\r\nClackmannanshire\r\n1.654\r\n2.0%\r\nEast Ayrshire\r\n0.925\r\n1.1%\r\nEast Dunbartonshire\r\n2.964\r\n3.6%\r\nEast Lothian\r\n0.186\r\n0.2%\r\nFalkirk\r\n2.925\r\n3.5%\r\nFife\r\n2.500\r\n3.0%\r\nMidlothian\r\n0.195\r\n0.2%\r\nMoray\r\n0.042\r\n0.1%\r\nNorth Ayrshire\r\n2.141\r\n2.6%\r\nNorth Lanarkshire\r\n7.972\r\n9.6%\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n1.610\r\n1.9%\r\nRenfrewshire\r\n0.712\r\n0.9%\r\nShetland Islands\r\n0.166\r\n0.2%\r\nSouth Ayrshire\r\n1.455\r\n1.7%\r\nSouth Lanarkshire\r\n8.563\r\n10.3%\r\nStirling\r\n1.450\r\n1.7%\r\nThe Highland Council\r\n2.508\r\n3.0%\r\nWest Dunbartonshire\r\n3.650\r\n4.4%\r\nSub-total Local Authority Spend (£m)\r\n55.273\r\n66.5%\r\nTotal Spend (£m)\r\n83.146\r\n100.0%\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419251,"EventID":"S6W-27104","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-29T16:29:30.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-29T10:03:51.007","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26870 by Fiona Hyslop on 25 April 2024, whether it will detail the value of each of the contracts listed.","AnswerText":"The value of consultant contracts held by Transport Scotland relating to the Ardrossan Harbour Re-development Projects since 2016 are provided below:MacWilliams Consulting – Gateway Review, £8,491.60Turner and Townsend – 2023 Cost Estimate Review, £60,800.40\r\nWork by Morton Fraser MacRoberts (previously MacRoberts Solicitors) on the Commercial and Legal agreements is still ongoing. From financial year 2019-2020 to 2023-2024 our records indicate that payments of £202,353.60 have been made.\r\nAll costs are inclusive of VAT.\r\nTransport Scotland are currently reviewing their financial system for costs associated with the 2016-2017 STAG report undertaken by Peter Brett Associates and I will provide an update to the member separately on this item when the review is complete.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419252,"EventID":"S6W-27101","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-29T16:29:30.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-26T12:21:39.79","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it engaged with (a) black and minority ethnic people in Scotland, (b) race equality groups and (c) National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) in the drafting of Scotland's input to the 2023 UK state report to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.","AnswerText":"We routinely engage with a range of stakeholders in our work across Scottish Government, including work to implement the recommendations and observations of the Committee.\r\nThe UK's State Report covers the measures that have been adopted, by Government, relating to the rights described in the Convention, and on the progress made in upholding them. Scottish Government did not engage with these groups for the specific purpose of providing our updates to the UK Government for inclusion in their State Report, due to the nature of the reporting process.\r\nScotland is determined to play our part in eradicating racism, inequality and injustice – and in building a better, fairer world. Specifically, the Race Equality Framework demonstrates our commitment to eliminating racism – our Vision for a fairer Scotland is that by 2030 Scotland is a place where people are healthier, happier and treated with respect, and where opportunities, wealth and power are spread more equally.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Emma Roddick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419253,"EventID":"S6W-27118","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-29T16:29:30.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-29T13:31:22.407","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last reviewed the Good Governance Steering Group’s terms of reference.","AnswerText":"The remit of the Good Governance Steering Group was reviewed at its last meeting on 2 May 2024. This was done in partnership with the group, which includes Scottish Government representation.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419254,"EventID":"S6W-27114","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-29T16:29:30.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-29T13:31:22.407","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that any trade union representatives elected to a college board of management are given sufficient remission from their day job in order to undertake any responsibilities relating to their participation in board business.","AnswerText":"Facility time for trade union officials is key to ensuring trade unions can effectively represent members and reflect the staff voice in college decision making. However, remission in order to undertake trade union duties is an operational matter for individual colleges.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419255,"EventID":"S6W-27119","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-29T16:29:30.68","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-29T13:31:22.407","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the current scope of the Good Governance Steering Group’s terms of reference is sufficient for influencing decisions made in the college sector.","AnswerText":"The remit of the Good Governance Steering Group is regularly reviewed in collaboration with sector partners represented on the group. At its inception, the group agreed it would be an advisory body. The group is authorised by the Scottish Government to investigate any activity and to seek any relevant information it required in support of its duties.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419256,"EventID":"S6W-27102","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-29T16:29:30.897","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-29T08:12:08.55","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made, regarding the potential impact on local communities, of the reported announcement by the NatWest Group that the Royal Bank of Scotland will close 18 of 86 branches across Scotland in September 2024.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government notes the decision from NatWest Group to close 18 Royal Bank of Scotland branches this year which continues a trend seen across the banking sector. Scottish Ministers are fully aware of the negative impact this will have on affected communities – particularly for small businesses and vulnerable or digitally excluded consumers given the challenges they can face in accessing alternative banking services.\r\nThe regulation of financial services is reserved to the UK Government and they recently legislated through the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 to grant the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) greater powers to protect access to cash across the UK. The FCA launched a consultation on a proposed new regulatory framework for access to cash which the Scottish Government formally responded to earlier this year. I will be meeting with Nikhil Rathi, Chief Executive of the FCA, on 26 June to continue the dialogue begun by my colleague, Neil Gray, to further consider their proposed access to cash plans and ensure the cash access and banking requirements of Scotland’s communities are articulated, understood and addressed.\r\nThe Scottish Government have also sought to engage directly with the banking sector in Scotland on the future of the in-person cash and banking services they provide. Through this engagement we have agreement in-principle from several of the major banks in Scotland to attend a Scottish Government hosted cross-party roundtable on access to cash and banking services. This will take place on 4 June and we have now issued invites to all political parties and stakeholders across the Scottish financial services sector. I am confident that this will provide a constructive forum between the Scottish Government, elected representatives and the financial services sector to fully understand the impacts of a declining branch network on Scottish communities, and find collaborative ways to ensure there are long-term sustainable solutions to protect access to cash and physical banking services.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419257,"EventID":"S6W-27005","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-29T16:29:31.103","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T09:13:23.49","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people who applied for a free personal care package died before they received one in each year since 1999, also broken down by local authority area.\r\n","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not collect data on the number of people who have applied for a free personal care package, but have died before receiving it.\r\nIt is the local authority’s responsibility to assess each person and consider whether their needs call for the provision of social care services. Local authorities set their eligibility threshold based on local guidance, and it may not be consistent across local authorities. However, those at critical or substantial risk are more likely to receive them sooner, than those who are assessed as moderate or low risk.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419258,"EventID":"S6W-27110","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-29T16:29:31.167","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-29T11:01:55.173","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many applications from (a) registered social landlords and (b) local authorities have been (i) received and (ii) approved for the National Acquisition Plan in total, also broken down by the types of purchase applied for, including (i) open market purchases with vacant possession, (ii) off-market purchases with vacant possession, (iii) purchases where an owner-occupier cannot afford the required maintenance or refurbishment of their home and wishes to sell and remain in the home as a tenant in the social rented sector, (iv) off-the-shelf purchases from developers and (v) properties from landlords leaving the private rented sector with a tenant in situ.","AnswerText":"The following table provides a breakdown of how many applications from (a) registered social landlords and (b) local authorities have been (i) received and (ii) approved for the National Acquisition Plan in total for 2023-2024. The table also provides a breakdown of whether approvals were for second hand acquisitions or new build off the shelf purchases from developers.\r\nThe Scottish Government does not hold information on whether purchases were (i) open market purchases with vacant possession, (ii) off-market purchases with vacant possession, (iii) purchases where an owner-occupier cannot afford the required maintenance or refurbishment of their home and wishes to sell and remain in the home as a tenant in the social rented sector and (v) properties from landlords leaving the private rented sector with a tenant in situ. This level of detail would not necessarily be known at approval stage given many of the homes would not yet have come to market or been identified.\r\nApplicant\r\nNo. of Applications Received\r\nNo. of Applications Approved\r\nNo. of Second Hand Acquisition Applications Approved\r\nNo. of New Build Off the Shelf Purchases from Developer Applications\r\nApproved\r\nTotal No. of Homes Approved\r\nRegistered Social Landlords (RSLs)\r\n85\r\n84\r\n69\r\n15\r\n466\r\nLocal Authority\r\n78\r\n76\r\n68\r\n8\r\n1,156\r\nTotal\r\n163\r\n160\r\n137\r\n23\r\n1,622\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419259,"EventID":"S6W-27109","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-29T16:29:31.277","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-29T10:26:15.187","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the £80 million uplift in funding to help tackle homelessness, announced on 26 April 2024.","AnswerText":"The commitment announced on 26 April will provide up to £40 million in 2024-2025, with an equivalent commitment in 2025-2026 to be confirmed subject to the standard budget setting processes.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419260,"EventID":"S6W-27107","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-29T16:29:31.357","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-29T10:03:51.007","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to expand eligibility for the shingles vaccine.","AnswerText":"Eligibility for the programme was recently expanded to allow some individuals to get protected at an earlier age. To deliver the programme effectively, NHS Boards will offer the programme on a phased basis over 10 years meaning by 2033 the vaccine will be routinely offered to everyone aged 60 and over.\r\nSince 1 September 2023 the following groups have been eligible:People who were aged 65 or 70 years on 1 September 2023People aged 71–79 years who have not previously been vaccinatedPeople aged 50 years or over, about to start immunosuppressive therapyPeople aged 50 years or over, with a severely weakened immune systemPeople aged 18 years or over who have received a stem cell transplantPeople aged 18 years or over who have had CAR-T therapy\r\nThis phased approach is based on the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and to support NHS Boards to deliver the programme alongside other immunisation programmes.\r\nThere are no plans to expand eligibility any further at this stage. As with all vaccination programmes, the JCVI keeps its recommendations under review. If at any time the JCVI updates its recommendations around the shingles vaccination the Scottish Government will give this due consideration.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419261,"EventID":"S6W-27015","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-29T16:29:31.403","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T09:13:23.49","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many houses for (a) nurses, (b) GPs and (c) police officers are\r\nowned by public services.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information.\r\nHealth Boards are responsible for delivering health services and deciding on the best means of accommodating staff including nurses, and GPs if necessary.\r\nThe Scottish Police Authority and the Chief Constable have responsibility for police housing as outlined in the Police Scotland Housing Strategy (Estates), 2022.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419262,"EventID":"S6W-27115","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-29T16:29:31.607","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-29T13:31:22.407","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Good Governance Steering Group reportedly has no decision-making powers.","AnswerText":"At its inception, the Good Governance Steering Group agreed to be an advisory body with no executive powers.\r\nThe Scottish Government is represented on the group and the group regularly reviews its remit.\r\nTo date, no approach has been made to the Scottish Government to change the decision making function of the group.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419263,"EventID":"S6W-27117","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-29T16:29:31.667","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-29T13:31:22.407","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered providing the Good Governance Steering Group, whose mandate is currently advisory, with decision-making powers.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27115 on 8 May 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419264,"EventID":"S6W-27106","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-29T16:29:31.903","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-29T10:03:51.007","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will outline the rationale for a cut-off date of September for people aged 70 or over for eligibility for the shingles vaccine.","AnswerText":"The 1 September cut-off date for the shingles programme has been in place since the introduction of the programme in 2013. At that point it aligned the offer of shingles vaccine with seasonal flu vaccinations.\r\nThe cut-off date ensures that only those eligible for vaccination within the current year’s programme as recommended by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) are included, and assists NHS Boards with planning and delivery locally, drawing up cohort lists (determined by date of birth) and the management of vaccine supply. It also supports the catch up programme for those who are aged 71-79 years who have not previously been vaccinated but remain eligible.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419265,"EventID":"S6W-27100","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-29T16:29:32.107","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-26T12:21:39.773","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it engaged with the UK Government in the drafting of the 2023 UK state report to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.","AnswerText":"The UK Government is the State Party to the CERD with a legal obligation to report on implementation. It submitted its state report to the Committee in March 2023.\r\nPrior to this report’s submission, the Scottish Government shared updates on devolved policy areas including health, housing and employment with the UK Government. These updates were included in the UK Government’s report to the Committee.\r\nScotland is determined to play our part in eradicating racism, inequality and injustice – and in building a better, fairer world. Specifically, the Race Equality Framework demonstrates our commitment to eliminating racism – our Vision for a fairer Scotland is that by 2030 Scotland is a place where people are healthier, happier and treated with respect, and where opportunities, wealth and power are spread more equally.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Emma Roddick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419266,"EventID":"S6W-27113","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-29T16:29:32.187","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-29T11:11:53.903","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many applications have been (a) received and (b) approved for the National Acquisition Plan for properties that have been earmarked to be used for temporary accommodation.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of applications which have been earmarked to be used for temporary accommodation. It is for grant applicants to allocate the properties acquired.\r\nIn relation to the number of applications which have been (a) received and (b) approved for the National Acquisition Programme I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27110 on 14 May 2024.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419282,"EventID":"S6T-01955","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-29T14:25:57.993","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-29T11:27:09.187","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the reported funding gap facing Scotland’s colleges. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419283,"EventID":"S6T-01957","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-29T14:25:58.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-29T11:43:41.623","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the number of private GP clinics has reportedly tripled since the COVID-19 pandemic.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419284,"EventID":"S6F-03063","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-29T14:25:51.03","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-25T11:31:10.703","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419285,"EventID":"S6F-03064","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5586,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-29T14:25:51.17","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-25T11:31:31.733","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419286,"EventID":"S6F-03069","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16215,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-29T14:25:51.43","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-29T09:14:04.807","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419287,"EventID":"S6F-03076","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16177,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":125,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-29T14:25:53.223","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-29T10:25:59.173","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what assessment the Scottish Government has made of the potential impact on Police Scotland and devolved agencies of reports that the Home Office is planning to launch a major operation to detain asylum seekers across the UK, following the passing of the UK Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act 2024.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419288,"EventID":"S6F-03070","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-29T14:25:50.857","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-29T09:21:00.81","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister, in light of new reported data that nearly one in five shop premises in Scottish cities lie empty, what action the Scottish Government is taking to support the retail sector. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419289,"EventID":"S6F-03083","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-29T14:25:53.933","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-29T11:38:13.1","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what recent discussions the Scottish Government has had with environmental groups and communities regarding how it plans to deliver strong action on climate change, following the removal of the 2030 climate target.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419290,"EventID":"S6F-03082","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16191,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":77,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-29T14:25:54.043","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-29T11:32:04.377","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what assessment the Scottish Government has made of the potential impact on devolved social security benefits of the UK Government’s proposed reforms to disability benefits. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419291,"EventID":"S6W-27124","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":16191,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":77,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-29T17:09:33.287","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-29T17:06:41.75","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to publish its consultation on Employment Injury Assistance.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government launched its consultation on Employment Injury Assistance on 30 April 2024 at 09:00. This consultation is an important first step in the longer-term reform of the UK Industrial Injuries Scheme in Scotland. I want to hear a broad range of views on the approach we should take to delivering Employment Injury Assistance, and I would encourage individuals and stakeholders with an interest to respond to our consultation. Responses to this consultation will provide us with vital insights into how Employment Injury Assistance can better meet the needs of disabled people in Scotland in the future.\r\nThe consultation can be accessed at  https://consult.gov.scot/social-security/employment-injury-assistance-next-steps  .","AnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419292,"EventID":"S6W-27125","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":2641,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":94,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-29T17:10:28.44","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-29T17:07:12.577","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made on implementing the Border Target Operating Model.","AnswerText":"Despite voting to stay in the EU, Scotland was forced to leave with the UK. That means putting in place trade barriers for both exports and imports that create costs for businesses and consumers.\r\nAfter delays lasting several years, the UK Government has now moved further on in the implementation of the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM), the UK Government’s post-Brexit regime of border controls.\r\nScotland has little choice but reluctantly to accept these controls, not least to at last level the trading field for Scottish exporters. However, the longer these controls have been delayed, the more necessary they have become to protect our biosecurity.\r\nThe model brings into force a sliding-scale of risk-based checks and controls on imported goods entering Great Britain (GB), from the EU and the rest of the world. On 31 st of January 2024, documentary checks began under the model with various administrative requirements put in place. Today sees the establishment of the next phase of controls – risk-based physical checks on certain categories of goods.\r\nThe requirement for checks on imports from the EU stems of course from Brexit, but Parliament will be aware that it interacts with devolved responsibilities – primarily our responsibility to protect Scotland’s people, environment and businesses from biosecurity risks. Last year, therefore, I reluctantly agreed to adopt this model.\r\nWhile this model is not perfect, it is an unfortunate necessity. We must deliver robust biosecurity protections for Scotland.\r\nMy agreement to endorse the model last year was predicated on receiving assurance from the UK Government that several outstanding issues would be addressed. I am both disappointed and frustrated to have to report to Parliament that instead of joint working on a range of matters and devolution being respected, the UK Government continues to work in isolation, has taken unilateral decisions on areas of devolved responsibility, and has delivered the legislative underpinning of this model so poorly that time for parliamentary scrutiny has been severely limited. I have raised our frustrations repeatedly with UK Government ministers since prior to the model’s publication; despite receiving assurances, our frustrations have not been addressed.\r\nSimilarly, I have written to conveners of relevant Scottish Parliament committees on this matter to express concern at how the UK Government’s approach is impacting our Parliament’s scrutiny.\r\nOur stakeholders want clarity about how this model impacts them. Despite the UK Government having had years to prepare for this (and having delayed the model no less than five times), there are still unanswered questions preventing industry from getting clear answers about how to conduct their businesses. For example, interactions between the BTOM and the Windsor Framework remain unclear. Therefore, west coast arrangements have not yet been decided and checks there are not yet coming online. I will of course keep Parliament updated as to any progress in these and other areas.\r\nMy fellow ministers and officials will be closely monitoring the implementation of this latest stage of BTOM, not only to ensure that our biosecurity protections are maintained, but to ensure businesses are given the information and support they require to navigate these new roles. We will continue to advocate for substantial and meaningful engagement on issues of major importance to Scotland, as we were promised and which Westminster, has so far failed to deliver.\r\nI have repeatedly urged the UK Government to negotiate a comprehensive veterinary agreement with the EU – sensibly and pragmatically aligning standards that would reduce the financial and administrative requirements that this model will create for some businesses here in Scotland.\r\nFurther information on the model can be found on the UK Government’s website:\r\nhttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-border-target-operating-model-august-2023 ","AnswerDate":"2024-04-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419296,"EventID":"S6W-27123","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-30T16:43:09.343","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-29T16:37:01.803","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its engagement with the short-life working group involved in addressing any issues at Kilbryde Hospice.","AnswerText":"In December 2023, South Lanarkshire Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) established a Short Life Working Group to consider and recommend a future model of clinical care within the Specialist Palliative Care service in Lanarkshire. This process concluded in March 2024. \r\nThe Scottish Government was not involved with the short life working group, but South Lanarkshire HSCP has kept Scottish Government officials updated on this process and subsequent discussions, including a number of roundtable meetings being convened with key local stakeholders. \r\nIt is the responsibility of Integration Joint Boards to plan and commission adult palliative care services for their areas using the integrated budgets under their control.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419297,"EventID":"S6W-27135","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-30T16:43:09.467","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T12:05:03.697","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address any inequalities in access to mental health services in rural areas. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognise that people in rural areas can experience particular challenges in relation to their mental health and wellbeing.\r\nWe have a specific focus on rural communities within the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund. Across the first two years of the Fund, over 700 awards have been made to projects supporting people disadvantaged by geographical location (including rural areas).\r\nWe have also provided £50,000 per year to fund the National Rural Mental Health Forum managed by Change Mental Health. The Forum focuses on exchanging knowledge, experience and learning about mental health and wellbeing in rural areas, enabling it to better understand and support rural communities.\r\nWe are committed to supporting rural mental health services to develop their workforce and increase service provision. We also provide tailored support to those Boards with the longest waits to ensure that those who need care can receive it in a timely manner, including regularly engaging with remote and rural Boards, providing access to professional advice.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419298,"EventID":"S6W-27133","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-30T16:43:09.53","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T11:58:39.843","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any (a) existing and (b) new claimants of the Adult Disability Payment will be affected by the UK Government's proposed reforms to the Personal Independence Payment (PIP), in light of reports that some people with mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety could be disadvantaged regarding financial support in some cases. ","AnswerText":"Last week I sought urgent clarity from the DWP that people receiving our Adult Disability Payment will not be penalised and will continue to automatically receive the reserved benefits that they rely on. I have also sought assurances from the UK Government it will not seek to impose any resultant cuts to expenditure on the Scottish Government.\r\nThe Scottish Government will never accept the cruel welfare reforms being pursued by the UK government. These punitive proposals will only further stigmatise and impoverish disabled people and have been rightly called out by stakeholders as a “reckless assault on disabled people”.\r\nIn contrast, Scotland’s social security system is designed on the principles of dignity, fairness and respect. Those are the values of this government, of the people of Scotland, because disability payments are there for all of us whenever we should need them. The Scottish Government is committed to continuing to deliver Adult Disability Payment in a compassionate and caring way.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419299,"EventID":"S6W-27127","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-30T16:43:09.593","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-29T17:18:23.413","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will report the findings of the peak fares removal pilot to the Parliament.","AnswerText":"The ScotRail Peak Fares Removal Pilot has been extended to 28 June 2024. An interim evaluation is underway to examine the impacts on rail travel patterns and other modes as well as a formal value for money assessment. A final evaluation will be undertaken at the end of the pilot and the Scottish Government will inform further decisions setting future fares.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419300,"EventID":"S6W-27131","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-30T16:43:09.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T11:44:53.423","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government by what date it expects island residents under 22 years old to have access to free ferry travel to the mainland.","AnswerText":"The draft Islands Connectivity Plan Strategic Approach, published for consultation on 1 February 2024, said that we would take forward detailed consideration of proposals for under 22 year old island residents to provide free foot passenger travel on inter-island ferries within the Outer Hebrides, Orkney, and Shetland Island groups and extend the existing National Ferry Concessionary Scheme.\r\nThe online consultation concluded on 6 May 2024 and responses will now be collated and analysed. Further detail on next steps and timescales will be confirmed in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419301,"EventID":"S6W-27006","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-30T16:43:09.687","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-24T09:13:23.49","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many cases of (a) online extortion and (b)\r\nthreats to disclose an intimate image have been (i) reported to and (ii)\r\ninvestigated by Police Scotland in each year since records began, and\r\nwhether there are any plans to begin recording incidents of sextortion.","AnswerText":"Sextortion is sexual extortion and involves the threat of having sexual information, photos or videos shared with others. It is carried out to extort money or force a victim to do something against their will, control behaviour or obtain further images.\r\nWhere a reported sextortion-related crime involves the perpetrator making demands for money or other valuables, Police Scotland will record and investigate it under Threats and extortion. Table 1 shows the estimated volume of threats and extortion committed online, from 2019-20 to 2022-23. This is based on an annual review of crime records (commenced in 2019-20) which aims to estimate how many cyber-crimes are recorded in Scotland. It should be noted the figures below are based on a sample of police records (rather than all police records), so should be seen as providing a broad estimate of the volume of this type of crime, rather than an exact count.\r\nWhilst not all online threats and extortion will necessarily have a ‘sextortion’ based element, it is very likely a high proportion (and certainly the majority) of the cases shown in Table 1 do. Figures for 2023-24 will be published in June 2024.\r\nWhere a reported sextortion-related crime involves a motive other than financial gain (for example a demand of a physical sexual nature or some other attempt to exert control over the victim), Police Scotland will record and investigate it under Threatening to disclose an intimate image. Table 2 below shows the number of these crimes recorded since the associated Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Act was implemented on 3 July 2017. Again, figures for 2023-24 will be published in June 2024.\r\nTable 1 - Estimated volume of threats and extortion committed online: 2019-20 to 2022-23 \r\nEstimated volume committed online\r\nCrime type\r\n2019-20\r\n2020-21\r\n2021-22\r\n2022-23\r\nThreats and extortion\r\n290\r\n730\r\n1,260\r\n1,830\r\nSource: Recorded Crime Accredited Official Statistics, Police recorded cyber-crime in Scotland\r\nTable 2 – Count of crimes of Threatening to disclose an intimate image: 2017-18 to 2022-23\r\nCrime type\r\n2017-18\r\n2018-19\r\n2019-20\r\n2020-21\r\n2021-22\r\n2022-23\r\nThreatening to disclose an intimate image\r\n193\r\n255\r\n275\r\n337\r\n382\r\n302\r\nSource: Recorded Crime Accredited Official Statistics, Scotland","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419302,"EventID":"S6W-27136","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-30T16:43:09.733","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T13:34:16.66","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it can take to secure the improvement of Ardrossan Harbour, in light of recent reported criticism by CalMac of the harbour’s owner, Peel Ports. ","AnswerText":"CalMac are right to raise any concerns they have around infrastructure maintenance at the ports which they use to provide services for our island communities. Transport Scotland continue to engage regularly with Peel Ports Group as owner of Ardrossan Harbour and fully expect facilities to be maintained appropriately in line with operating agreements to support ferry services. Ministers are currently awaiting the completion of essential business case and cost review work for the longer-term investment proposals at Ardrossan, and I hope to provide an update on this to Parliament before the summer recess.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419303,"EventID":"S6W-27128","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-30T16:43:09.797","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-29T18:08:57.45","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made regarding its commitment in the Stroke Improvement Plan 2023 to “support Scottish Ambulance Service in exploring the feasibility of using video call technology to more accurately diagnose hyperacute stroke”.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has provided the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) with £38,713 to fund project work in support of this Stroke Improvement Plan commitment. This funding will support a project aiming to assess the feasibility and acceptability of video assisted assessment of patients with hyperacute stroke in Scotland. This will involve an appropriately trained clinician holding a live video call with the patient during the time that the ambulance is travelling to the patient. SAS aim to interview for staff to support the project in late May. The project start date is currently June 2024 and the project work is scheduled to conclude by December 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419304,"EventID":"S6W-27126","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-30T16:43:09.843","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-29T17:16:34.697","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6O-03153 by Màiri McAllan on 6 March 2024, whether it will provide an update on its review, due to be published in spring 2024, of how to increase the number of co-operatives, social enterprises and employee-owned businesses as part of the move to a wellbeing economy.","AnswerText":"The National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET) announced a ‘.. review of how best to significantly increase the number of social enterprises, employee-owned businesses and co-operatives in Scotland, supporting regional regeneration and the wealth of local communities’.\r\nThe independent review is nearing completion and is anticipated to complete, with findings and recommendations published, prior to summer recess 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":419305,"EventID":"S6W-27137","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-30T16:43:09.937","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T13:35:00.557","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans are in place to expand the provision of the reported new digital chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) diagnosis service, developed by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, to other NHS boards. ","AnswerText":"We recognise the importance of having access to appropriate diagnostic tests for lung conditions and welcome the development of this service in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. As this is a new programme, we will work closely with all key stakeholders to determine if there are scale up options for the rest of Scotland.\r\nImproving access to diagnostics is a key commitment in the Respiratory Care Action Plan and we will seek evidence from this programme and ensure it is shared with all appropriate stakeholders.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419306,"EventID":"S6W-27130","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-30T16:43:10","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T11:13:39.173","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been allocated to Breathing Space in the last four financial years, including 2024-25, broken down by year.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has invested over £7.3 million to deliver the Breathing Space service over the last 3 financial years, as follows:\r\n2021-22: £2.372 million \r\n2022-23: £2.354 million \r\n2023-24: £2.6 million\r\nBreathing Space forms part of a wider range of mental health and wellbeing services delivered by NHS 24, including the Mental Health Hub, the Enhanced Mental Health Pathway and Living Life.\r\nThe 2024-25 funding for mental health services, including Breathing Space, is currently under discussion with NHS24.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419307,"EventID":"S6W-27138","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-30T16:43:10.047","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T13:35:30.633","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported comments by Sheriff James McDonald that Scotland’s legal system has gone \"soft on drug offenders\". ","AnswerText":"The criminal law in relation to drugs offending is reserved. Sentencing decisions, including the use of custodial and community-based options, in any case are for the independent court who consider the facts and circumstances of each case before reaching their sentencing decision.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419308,"EventID":"S6W-27132","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-30T16:43:10.093","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T11:44:53.423","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its timeline for the introduction of free ferry travel for island residents under 22 years old. ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27131 on 10 May 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419309,"EventID":"S6W-27140","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16189,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":129,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-30T16:43:10.14","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T15:03:11.017","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any options that it is considering for restricting the advertising and promotion of alcohol and alcohol-branded products, following the consultation on restricting alcohol advertising and promotion, which was carried out between November 2022 and March 2023.","AnswerText":"Further work is being undertaken to consider the range of views from our consultation on potential restrictions to alcohol advertising and promotion in Scotland.\r\nWe remain committed to progressing proposals to reduce children and young people’s exposure to alcohol marketing whilst also recognising the importance of balancing any potential impacts on business and industry.\r\nWe are continuing to engage with public health stakeholders and business organisations with an interest in alcohol marketing to ensure the Scottish Government strikes the right balance in achieving its public health aims.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419310,"EventID":"S6W-27134","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-04-30T16:43:10.203","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T12:05:03.697","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Change Mental Health report, The Rural Divide: The Realities of Mental Healthcare for Children and Young People in Rural Scotland, on mental health services in rural areas.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government acknowledges this report and we recognise that people in rural areas can experience particular challenges in relation to their mental health and wellbeing.\r\nWe also recognise that CAMHS performance still varies across Health Boards, and we are committed to supporting rural mental health services to develop their workforce, increase service provision and will provide tailored support to those Boards with the longest waits to ensure that those who need care can receive it in a timely manner.\r\nWe continue to work closely with all Boards to support them to meet the standard that 90% of patients begin treatment for CAMHS within 18 weeks of referral. This includes regularly engaging with remote and rural Boards and providing them with access to professional advice.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419337,"EventID":"S6W-27180","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":3763,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":142,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T09:34:31.6","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T09:28:47.74","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the evaluation of the operation of the UEFA European Championship (Scotland) Act 2020 in practice.","AnswerText":"During the initial passage of the UEFA European Championship (Scotland) Act 2020 (the EURO 2020 Act), the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee’s report included a recommendation, which the Scottish Government accepted, that a formal evaluation of the operation of the legislation’s provision in practice should be undertaken.\r\nAny scope to report on, and evaluate, the EURO 2020 Act was severely limited due to the Coronavirus pandemic’s impact. The rescheduled event took place in 2021 with a limited number of spectators present. Public health considerations were of paramount importance and a number of mitigations were put in place for the event in order to reduce the risk of transmission. Glasgow City Council oversaw compliance with these measures.\r\nThe Scottish Government was unsuccessful in procuring an independent evaluation of the operation of the measures provided for by the EURO 2020 Act and associated regulations. However, feedback on operation of the legislation was gathered from event partners, including Glasgow City Council and UEFA.\r\nA summary of feedback received from partners was as follows:Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) have not received any reports under the EURO 2020 Act. As far as COPFS officials are able to identify, COPFS did not receive any reports in relation to ticket touting, illegal street trading or illegal advertising with offence dates between 11 June and 12 July 2021.Glasgow City Council noted that the legislation was essential in ensuring restrictions could be put in place. However, it would have been useful for event partners to have agreed upon the requirement to implement legislation sooner, particularly had the original 2020 dates taken place. This would have allowed for a fuller public consultation and more notice to traders of the restrictions being implemented;The Scottish Football Association echoed the point around the need for identifying a legislative solution sooner, in the context of the originally scheduled EURO 2020. However, the Scottish Football Association recognised that the Scottish Government successfully managed to expedite a process, timetable and resource base that provided considerable comfort and confidence to key project stakeholders – UEFA, the Scottish Football Association, and Glasgow City Council; andUEFA noted that, despite the strong and clear wording of the legislation, implementation of the legislation was challenging. Whilst UEFA considers that Glasgow City Council Trading Standards’ level of resource and patrolling was sufficient, it has also observed that Glasgow City Council Trading Standards did not feel comfortable going above and beyond what they would do in normal circumstances against infringing activities.\r\nThe summary feedback set out above – along with the more detailed findings collated by officials as part of this exercise – will be used to inform the public consultation of EURO 2028: commercial rights protection which was launched on 2 May 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419340,"EventID":"S6W-27199","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":3129,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":83,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T12:00:19.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T11:58:06.537","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on work to co-host EURO 2028.","AnswerText":"Scotland will co-host EURO 2028 as part of a joint UK and Ireland Championship. The event is expected to take place in Summer 2028 and last around four weeks.\r\nWe are working closely with a range of partners, including the UK Government, Welsh Government, Northern Ireland Executive and Irish Government, to deliver EURO 2028.\r\nSome mega sporting events require specific legal protections. For EURO 2028, UEFA has requirements to protect its own and event sponsors’ and licensees’ commercial rights during the event. It also usually requires restrictions on ticket touting. The Scottish Government has today launched a survey at  http://www.gov.scot/ISBN/9781836012108  seeking views from anyone with an interest in EURO 2028 commercial rights protection.\r\nUEFA’s requirements for EURO 2028 are not yet confirmed. The proposals set out in the consultation are based on government guarantees made to UEFA when bidding for EURO 2028, and experience from EURO 2020 when Scotland was one of eleven host nations. That event was postponed to 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.\r\nFor EURO 2028, it is likely UEFA will require protections, including relevant criminal offences and enforcement powers, around:Unauthorised street tradingUnauthorised advertisingUnauthorised resale of tickets\r\nThe survey seeks views on:What the impacts were of the measures put in place for UEFA EURO 2020, which took place in 2021;How business could be impacted by the measures that are likely required by UEFA for EURO 2028; andWhat kinds of measures and exemptions would be most appropriate to meet likely UEFA requirements.\r\nThe survey will be open for 12 weeks, from 2 May 2024 to 26 July 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419341,"EventID":"S6O-03394","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T14:30:41.37","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-29T17:41:07.51","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the rural affairs secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding undertaking an immediate review of the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011, in order to allow proactive water course management to assist farmers, crofters and land managers to protect agricultural land from flooding risks themselves.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419342,"EventID":"S6O-03388","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T14:30:41.493","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T14:34:30.973","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to incorporate the ownership and management of community assets in urban areas into its Land Reform (Scotland) Bill. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419343,"EventID":"S6O-03397","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T14:30:41.62","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T15:07:45.663","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support NHS Lothian in reducing the CAMHS waiting lists across the region.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419344,"EventID":"S6O-03403","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5866,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T14:30:41.76","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T11:13:31.443","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure good dental care provision for older people in care settings.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419345,"EventID":"S6O-03391","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T14:30:41.9","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T14:56:49.64","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what Forestry and Land Scotland is doing to deliver economic benefit from the land that it manages, including through supporting mountain bike tourism.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419346,"EventID":"S6O-03409","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4982,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T14:30:42.057","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T12:44:01.587","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out on any prospective rent rises following the expiry of the rent cap.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":419347,"EventID":"S6O-03410","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T14:30:42.243","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T09:58:42.31","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to tackle homelessness in Ayrshire.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419348,"EventID":"S6O-03407","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T14:30:42.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T10:07:57.46","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to introduce long-term rent controls. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419349,"EventID":"S6O-03398","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T14:30:42.493","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T17:37:31.47","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps it is taking to improve ambulance turnaround times.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419350,"EventID":"S6O-03395","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5060,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T14:30:42.597","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T11:57:19.277","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what cross-government action it is taking to support Scotland’s islands and their economies.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419351,"EventID":"S6O-03390","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T14:30:42.737","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T13:39:34.227","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the Forestry Grant Scheme is fit for purpose.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419352,"EventID":"S6O-03405","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T14:30:42.877","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T09:55:11.627","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact the ending of the Bute House Agreement will have on the Housing (Scotland) Bill.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419353,"EventID":"S6O-03396","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T14:30:43.033","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T09:04:13.397","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what value it places on specialist alcohol services, such as the Primary Care Alcohol Nurse Outreach Service in Glasgow, in dealing with the reported public health crisis in relation to alcohol.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419354,"EventID":"S6O-03406","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5622,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":148,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T14:30:43.22","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T12:26:09.163","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any potential impact on devolved benefits in Scotland, what representation it plans to make to the UK Government regarding its proposed changes to welfare benefits for people with mental health issues.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419355,"EventID":"S6O-03408","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2103,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":109,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T14:30:43.387","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T08:07:07.497","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to organisations in Clackmannanshire to tackle poverty and inequalities.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419356,"EventID":"S6O-03399","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2826,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":84,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T14:30:43.48","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T11:08:33.19","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work that is underway to support people to have more choice and involvement in how their social care is delivered.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419357,"EventID":"S6O-03389","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T14:30:43.637","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T10:33:15.78","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the rural affairs secretary last met with Forestry and Land Scotland. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419358,"EventID":"S6O-03401","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2641,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":94,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T14:30:43.857","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T10:26:08.033","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how the NHS supports the health of rural and islands communities through regular visits from consultants.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419359,"EventID":"S6O-03393","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5621,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":99,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T14:30:44.087","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T11:47:04.353","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on how small Highland and island communities will benefit from its Land Reform (Scotland) Bill.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419360,"EventID":"S6O-03404","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T14:30:44.287","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T10:24:17.06","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Rural Affordable Homes for Key Workers Fund.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419361,"EventID":"S6O-03402","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T14:30:44.49","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T08:07:50.623","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what measures\r\nit is putting in place to reduce waiting times for access to CAMHS.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419362,"EventID":"S6O-03411","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T14:30:44.74","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T12:39:05.973","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the housing minister has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the potential impact of the New Build Heat Standard on the completion of new homes.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419363,"EventID":"S6O-03400","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16189,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":129,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T14:30:44.86","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T11:54:36.54","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to NHS Ayrshire and Arran to improve access to ADHD testing for adults.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419364,"EventID":"S6O-03392","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T14:30:45.043","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T10:52:59.853","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps it is taking to protect the welfare of wild bees.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419365,"EventID":"S6O-03417","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T14:30:51.95","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T10:45:10.69","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to issue guidance to schools encouraging them to prohibit the use of mobile phones by pupils.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419366,"EventID":"S6O-03418","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T14:30:52.183","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T10:26:29.917","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of Historic Environment Scotland properties remain partially closed subject to safety checks.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419367,"EventID":"S6O-03416","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":3763,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":142,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T14:30:52.373","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T15:11:33.387","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is working to increase the number of rapid charge EV points.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419368,"EventID":"S6O-03415","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16205,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T14:30:52.683","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T11:31:10.073","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address any issues in relation to the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete in the college and university estate.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419369,"EventID":"S6O-03412","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16176,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":137,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T14:30:53.06","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T09:47:30.72","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what work it is doing to ensure that teachers get permanent contracts.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419370,"EventID":"S6O-03413","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5598,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":139,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T14:30:53.273","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T10:18:35.357","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how a public health approach to justice can reduce crime and make communities safer.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419371,"EventID":"S6O-03414","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T14:30:53.89","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T09:20:11.117","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any reduction in the number of taxis in Glasgow as a result of the introduction of the Low Emission Zone in June 2023.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419372,"EventID":"S6O-03419","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":4940,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":81,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T14:30:54.69","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T12:18:52.063","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is in place for disabled and\r\nneurodiverse legal practitioners in Scotland's courts system.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service is entirely independent of the Scottish Government. The operation of the courts is the responsibility of the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service under the leadership of its independent board headed by the Lord President.\r\nThe Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service is committed to mainstreaming equality and diversity, providing responsive and accessible services for all court users and legal practitioners which recognise their diverse needs.\r\nThe Law Society of Scotland has a responsibility to support its members and promote the interests of the solicitor profession.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419385,"EventID":"S6W-27157","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:45.677","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T16:20:59.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what progress it has made in making Scotland a global centre of expertise for innovation in hydrogen mobility technologies, collaborating with international partners and growing Scotland's hydrogen mobility manufacturing base, as set out in its Hydrogen Action Plan.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has worked with agencies and other partners, including internationally, to deliver initiatives in support of the development of zero emission mobility technology. These include funding the University of St Andrews to deliver, in partnership with Strathclyde University, a four-year Hydrogen Accelerator programme. The Accelerator has helped to support several innovative projects including the Scottish hydrogen train, which was demonstrated at Bo’ness in 2022.\r\nWe are working with industry and enterprise agency partners to develop a Hydrogen Sector Export Plan for publication this year. The plan will set out the steps needed to realise Scotland's export potential - including the development of critical infrastructure to support the transport of hydrogen and hydrogen derivatives, short-term export opportunities around skills and the supply chain, and the economic opportunity for Scotland represented by renewable hydrogen exports in the longer term.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419386,"EventID":"S6W-27177","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:45.743","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T09:15:13.95","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the First Minister's priority of prevention in health is being delivered. ","AnswerText":"Our prevention agenda has seen the implementation of various strategies, addressing the fundamental drivers of inequality; encouraging early intervention and support; and promoting environments that support healthy lifestyles.\r\nThis has included tackling some of the root socioeconomic drivers of heath inequalities with the allocation of around £3 billion a year to a range of actions to tackle poverty and mitigate the impacts of the cost-of-living-crisis. We are also delivering Community Link Workers and Welfare Rights Advisors to offer advice on housing, social security and employability issues within GP practices across our rural and deprived communities.\r\nTo support and encourage positive health behaviours SG has continued to take forward a range of actions. This includes the implementation and subsequent expansion of Minimum Alcohol Pricing to reduce drinking at harmful levels by setting a floor price for each unit of alcohol. We are tackling the adverse effects of smoking through our Tobacco and Vaping Framework. We continue work to ensure that everyone eats well and has a healthy diet through our Diet and Healthy Weight Delivery Plan, we are currently consulting on a set of proposed regulations to restrict promotions of less healthy food and drink.\r\nThe Scottish Government remains committed to our ambition to improve the health of our population and tackle health inequalities. We know that to achieve this we must focus on preventing illness and promoting wellbeing and tackling some of the wider determinants of health. Going forward, we will build on this progress and continue to prioritise prevention as a key component of our wider healthcare strategy.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419387,"EventID":"S6W-27190","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:45.807","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T10:23:59.203","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will set out a timeline for how any issues regarding understaffing of nurses as a result of the common staffing method will be resolved, as raised by the Royal College of Nursing Scotland.","AnswerText":"Under the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019, Health Boards / Special Health Boards / NHS National Services Scotland must follow the common staffing method, which only applies to certain types of health care, provided in certain locations by certain employees (see annex A), at least once every financial year. It must then decide if any changes are needed as a result, both to the staffing establishment, for example an increase or decrease, and the way in which it provides health care, for example service redesign.\r\nHealth Boards / Special Health Boards / NHS National Services Scotland are required to publish and submit an annual report to Scottish Ministers on how they have carried out their duties in the Act, with the first report due by 30 April 2025. Scottish Ministers must then present these reports to Parliament with an accompanying statement detailing how the information will be used in designing policies for staffing of the health service.\r\nHowever, results from the common staffing method are only one factor in providing information on workforce and service delivery and the Scottish Government continues to implement policies for workforce and service reform.\r\nOverall nursing and midwifery staffing is at a record high, up by 17.8% since September 2006, by 10,100.4 WTE to 66,883.6 WTE. Since September 2006, qualified nurses and midwives have increased by 16.3%, by 6,698.7 WTE to 47,724.9 WTE. Initiatives on international recruitment provided around £18m in funding to Boards to recruit 1,250 international nurses, midwives and allied health professionals, with well over 1,000 already in post across Scotland so far and many more arriving in the coming weeks.\r\nControls were introduced by Boards from 1 April 2023 in order to gradually reduce the number of shifts being filled by nurse agency workers and from 1 June 2023 Boards were no longer using off-framework nurse agencies unless in exceptional circumstances. Boards have reported significant progress in reducing reliance on agency nursing staff as a result of these changes. Further controls were introduced from 1 April 2024, and Boards are no longer using agency workers to fill Health Care Support Worker (HCSW) / unregistered shifts.\r\nThe Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce (NMT) was announced in February 2023 at the request of staff side organisations, including the Royal College of Nursing and Royal College of Midwives to understand the challenges facing nurses and midwives across Scotland. The NMT continues to be a Ministerial priority and will recommend a workplan of actions which will seek to improve workplace culture, practice, flexibility, recruitment and retention, alongside the diversification of education and training pathways to support longer-term workforce sustainability. The NMT is making good progress with the development of its recommended actions and will continue to work until members have agreed a comprehensive action plan. We anticipate the publication of a report later in 2024.\r\nAnnex A\r\nTypes of health care, locations and employees subject to the common staffing method\r\nType of health care\r\nLocation\r\nEmployees\r\nAdult inpatient provision\r\nHospital wards with 17 occupied beds or more on average\r\nRegistered nurses\r\nClinical nurse specialist provision\r\nHospitals\r\nCommunity settings\r\nRegistered nurses who work as clinical nurse specialists\r\nCommunity nursing provision\r\nCommunity settings\r\nRegistered nurses\r\nCommunity children’s nursing provision\r\nCommunity settings\r\nRegistered nurses\r\nEmergency care provision\r\nEmergency departments in hospitals\r\nRegistered nurses\r\nMedical practitioners\r\nMaternity provision\r\nHospitals\r\nCommunity settings\r\nRegistered midwives\r\nMental health and learning disability provision\r\nMental health units in hospitals\r\nLearning disability units in hospitals\r\nRegistered nurses\r\nNeonatal provision\r\nNeonatal units in hospitals\r\nRegistered midwives\r\nRegistered nurses\r\nPaediatric inpatient provision\r\nPaediatric wards in hospitals\r\nRegi","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419388,"EventID":"S6W-27165","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:45.87","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T16:20:59.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in working with industry and partners to establish the skills to underpin Scotland's energy transition, as set out in its Hydrogen Action Plan.","AnswerText":"Our forthcoming Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan will set out a series of measures the Scottish Government will take to support new and existing workers take advantage of the job opportunities of the net zero transition, and how we will work with industry, trade unions, educational providers and others going forward.\r\nHydrogen officials are engaging closely with Skills Development Scotland who are working with the energy sector to plan for a multi-skilled workforce, one that can benefit from opportunities across the energy system. This includes enabling skilled offshore workers in the oil and gas sector to carry their experience and expertise into different roles such as hydrogen and renewables as our energy sector evolves.\r\nVarious research has been carried out to map out the hydrogen skills landscape and understand the likely skills gaps. This includes ClimateXChange’s  Mapping the current and forecasted hydrogen skills landscape  for Scotland which was published last year, as well as Aberdeen City Council and BP’s  Hydrogen in Scotland Skills and Qualifications Gap Analysis  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419389,"EventID":"S6W-27166","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:45.917","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T16:20:59.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in supporting a growing Scottish skills base in hydrogen for transport, as set out in its Hydrogen Action Plan.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is working with many partners to develop Scotland’s skills base in hydrogen for transport.\r\nThese include working with the Energy Skills Partnership (ESP) on the Hydrogen Skills Project (HSP). HSP Automotive and Hydrogen Training Networks now have access to cutting edge hydrogen fuel cell technology learning resources. The networks have conducted learning and development activities across Scotland, showcasing their capabilities at the annual All-Energy Conferences in Glasgow.\r\nSupport from Transport Scotland enabled the ESP to acquire a  hydrogen fuel cell trainer  , a  hybrid hydrogen energy lab system  and related kit to be sited at Dundee’s  Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc  (MSIP) skills academy. Available to colleges within the HSP training network, this is part of a larger plan to have a range of training equipment at MSIP to help support hydrogen skills within Scotland.\r\nThe ESP has also worked with  Aberdeen City Council  ,  H2 Aberdeen  ,  H2 Accelerator  ,  HyTrEc2  and  SMART-HY-AWARE  to produce an accessible  Hydrogen for Transport Course  aimed at those joining a hydrogen transport industry, including school and college students. In the maritime sector, the University of Highlands and Islands Orkney took their first cohort of seafarers to be trained to work on  hydrogen powered vessels  in 2021.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419390,"EventID":"S6W-27155","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:45.98","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T16:20:59.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what progress it has made in helping to facilitate the roll-out of the infrastructure needed for hydrogen vehicles to operate in Scotland, as set out in its Hydrogen Action Plan.","AnswerText":"As set out in our Hydrogen Action Plan, hydrogen in the transport sector could act as a complementary energy source alongside electrification, providing an option to parts of the transport sector such as heavy-duty vehicles, when full electrification is challenging. We support the rollout of infrastructure needed for hydrogen vehicles to operate in Scotland: Aberdeen City has two hydrogen refuelling stations.\r\nTransport Scotland has contracted Heriot-Watt University to work with road haulage fleets and stakeholders to assess where initial enroute charging and refuelling infrastructure for zero emission HGVs will be needed.\r\nThe Zero Emission Truck Taskforce, convened by Transport Scotland, includes a working group focused on hydrogen refuelling infrastructure. The Taskforce included hydrogen truck manufacturers and fleets interested in hydrogen trucks.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419391,"EventID":"S6W-27179","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:46.043","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T09:15:13.95","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to imposing limitations on any reductions to allied health professional (AHP) budgets by NHS boards, in light of its priority of preventative healthcare.","AnswerText":"While the Scottish Government provides the policies, frameworks and resources for high quality healthcare, it is for each individual NHS Board to decide best how to utilise funding, facilities and staff while taking account of national and local priorities to meet local health needs. We expect NHS Boards to plan their facilities and workforce to deliver these services, ensuring the provision of safe, effective and high quality patient care, delivered by the right professional at the right time.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419392,"EventID":"S6W-27153","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:46.09","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T16:20:59.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is supporting the development of Regional Hydrogen Hubs where production is coupled with multiple end use applications and helping to stimulate demand, as set out in its Hydrogen Action Plan.","AnswerText":"There are several Regional Hydrogen Hubs developing in Scotland. We have provided up to £15m to support the development of the Aberdeen Hydrogen Hub which is now developing as a joint venture between Aberdeen City Council and Bp.\r\nAberdeen Hydrogen Hub presents an important opportunity to deliver a commercially investable, green hydrogen production facility focussed initially on the decarbonisation of transport and phased to grow into other markets such as industrial heat.\r\nWe are building the evidence base to help support other hydrogen hubs to develop in Scotland, examining hydrogen production and potential demand across Scotland’s geography through a number of key reports, such as ‘Hydrogen demand in Scotland: a mapping of industrial and transport applications’ which can be found  here  and a detailed report focussing specifically on the distillery sector which can be found  here  .\r\nData from these reports is also included in Scotland’s Hydrogen Asset  online map  .\r\nWe also published a report last year on the potential capability and interest in Scotland in developing a SAF sector, which could become a major end-use of hydrogen. That report can be found  here  .\r\nFurther engagement in support of hydrogen hub development is ongoing.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419393,"EventID":"S6W-27156","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:46.137","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T16:20:59.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working collaboratively with the transport sector to drive down the cost of hydrogen in transport applications and encourage uptake of both hydrogen and battery-electric vehicles, as set out in its Hydrogen Action Plan.","AnswerText":"As set out in our Hydrogen Action Plan, hydrogen in the transport sector could act as a complementary energy source alongside electrification, providing an option to parts of the transport sector such as heavy-duty vehicles, when full electrification is challenging. We support the rollout of infrastructure needed for hydrogen vehicles to operate in Scotland: Aberdeen City has two hydrogen refuelling stations.\r\nTransport Scotland has contracted Heriot-Watt University to work with road haulage fleets and stakeholders to assess where initial enroute charging and refuelling infrastructure for zero emission HGVs will be needed.\r\nThe Zero Emission Truck Taskforce, convened by Transport Scotland, includes a working group focused on hydrogen refuelling infrastructure; this included hydrogen truck manufacturers and fleets interested in hydrogen trucks.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419394,"EventID":"S6W-27188","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:46.2","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T10:23:59.203","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to introduce a long-term public campaign to attract people into nursing.","AnswerText":"The Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce has been established to build on efforts to make Scotland the best place for nurses and midwives to come and work by developing plans for the retention of the existing nursing workforce, as well as looking at recruitment. The Taskforce is making good progress with the development of its recommended actions and will continue to work until members have agreed a comprehensive action plan. We anticipate the publication of a report later in 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419395,"EventID":"S6W-27149","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:46.247","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T16:20:59.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work to ensure that (a) regulatory, (b) planning and (c) consenting framework for renewable developments supports the scale-up of hydrogen at pace, as set out in its Hydrogen Action Plan.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to work with the Scottish Regulatory Steering Group, comprised of key regulators, to assess regulatory requirements for the development of the hydrogen sector in Scotland. We are working with UK and Scottish regulators to ensure that action is taken to address identified issues and create a clear regulatory framework for hydrogen projects.\r\nTo support our hydrogen ambitions, the Scottish Government have commissioned consultants to produce comprehensive guidance for hydrogen consenting across onshore and offshore regimes. The purpose of the guidance, which is expected to be published in 2024, is primarily to support developers navigating our planning and consenting systems to advance projects to delivery, but may also be a useful reference point for planners in local planning areas.\r\nWe have also commissioned academic expertise to design a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) course as an ‘Introduction to Hydrogen’ offered free of charge to all local planning authorities in Scotland. This action aims to increase the knowledge and encourage knowledge sharing within local planning authorities dealing with the consenting of planning applications for hydrogen production. The CPD course will be led by Edinburgh University and available in Summer 2024, initially for local planning professionals. The course modules will then be made freely available to the wider public sector to raise awareness of the technologies involved and the role of hydrogen in the energy mix.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419396,"EventID":"S6W-27159","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:46.307","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T16:20:59.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is engaging with the UK Government to expedite progress on amending regulations and legislation to (a) support hydrogen blending and (b) accelerate decisions on the role of 100% hydrogen in the gas grid, as set out in its Hydrogen Action Plan.","AnswerText":"In December 2023, UK Ministers confirmed their positive strategic policy decision to support blending of up to 20% hydrogen into GB gas distribution networks. We welcomed this announcement and now continue to urge UK Government to make progress and provide a timetable for future decisions on blending and the role of 100% hydrogen in the gas grid to provide clarity for us and for stakeholders.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419397,"EventID":"S6W-27184","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:46.37","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T10:14:27.673","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to reduce the amount of plastic waste produced in Scotland.","AnswerText":"In January 2024, Scottish Government published our draft Circular Economy & Waste Route Map which sets out a range of priority actions to deliver sustainable use of our resources and progress a circular economy in Scotland by 2030, including measures to drive responsible consumption, production and re-use.\r\nAs part of this wider work, the Scottish Government is committed to matching or exceeding the standards set out by the EU Directive on single-use plastics where we are able to do so and in a manner that contributes towards maintaining and advancing standards.\r\nFrom 1 June 2022 Scotland became the first part of the UK to implement a ban on some of the most problematic single-use plastic products through the Environmental Protection (Single-use Plastic Products) (Scotland) Regulations 2021. In addition, the Scottish Government has committed to introduce a minimum charge on single-use disposable beverage cups, ban the sale and supply of single-use vapes by 1 April 2025 and ban wet wipes containing plastic.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419398,"EventID":"S6W-27182","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:46.433","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T10:14:27.673","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to prevent plastic pollution in seas and waterways.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is taking action to prevent and support the removal of plastic pollution in seas and waterways through measures detailed in the Marine Litter Strategy and the National Litter and Flytipping Strategy. \r\nThe refreshed Marine Litter Strategy aims to address the amount of litter entering the marine environment, as well as to help tackle existing litter, in order to achieve ecological, economic and social benefits. The Strategy’s action plan focuses on the most problematic types of marine litter including fishing and aquaculture gear, sewage-related debris, and plastic pellets, and will drive forward our work up to 2027 co-ordinating the efforts of our stakeholders and partners, working at a national and international level to help tackle this global problem. \r\nThe Marine Litter Strategy covers a wide range of actions. We are working with the UK Government and Devolved Governments to put an end to pollution caused by wet wipes containing plastic, and we announced our intention to ban the sale and supply of these items on 22 April 2024, with legislation to be in force by mid-2026. We are also working to improve the management of end-of-life fishing and aquaculture gear to reduce litter and improve recycling rates, contributing to our circular economy. In addition, we are developing international solutions to prevent plastic pellet pollution, which can be found on our beaches and risk the health of our marine wildlife. \r\nLitter has to be tackled from source, and in June 2023 we published a new National Litter and Flytipping Strategy for Scotland, which includes litter which may be washed from the land into waterways and the sea. This six-year Strategy aims to prevent litter and flytipping through influencing behaviour, improving the delivery of services, and strengthening enforcement. Published with an accompanying action plan, it sets out how we will achieve our vision of a Scotland not blighted by litter and flytipping.\r\nThe National Litter and Flytipping Strategy includes a variety of preventative measures. Fixed penalty notices for flytipping offences have been increased from £200 to £500 as of 1 January 2024. This is intended to act as a deterrent to flytipping and is one of the key actions for Scottish Government in the Strategy’s Year One Action Plan. In addition to fixed penalty notices, flytippers can also be issued a civil penalty by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). These include fixed monetary penalties of £600, and variable monetary penalties up to £40,000.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419399,"EventID":"S6W-27175","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:46.48","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T16:20:59.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26883 by Gillian Martin on 30 April 2024, whether it will publish the recommendations of the Transmission Network Short Life Working Group.","AnswerText":"The recommendations of the Transmission Network Short Life Working Group will soon be published on the Scottish Government website, alongside detail of the programme of work associated with the actions previously accepted by Scottish Ministers.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419400,"EventID":"S6W-27174","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:46.543","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T16:20:59.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on funding for a Hydrogen Business Development service, delivered through the Energy Technology Partnership, as set out in its Hydrogen Action Plan. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is funding the Hydrogen Business Development service, delivered through the Energy Technology Partnership, to accelerate knowledge exchange between academia and enterprises to stimulate innovation in the hydrogen sector.\r\nThe ETP Hydrogen Innovation Programme began in July 2022 and supports a dedicated Hydrogen Business Development Manager, who facilitates pooling of academic knowledge and expertise to enable co-ordinated research activities, leading to new areas of innovation.\r\nThe Hydrogen Business Development Manager works alongside the 14 ETP member universities and aims to build mutually beneficial relationships across the hydrogen energy sector, while identifying EU, UK & International funding opportunities, as well as hosting key engagement events.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419401,"EventID":"S6W-27147","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:46.59","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T16:00:37.09","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will address the reported £16 million funding deficit facing the hospice sector, in light of the recent funding announcement for hospices in Wales to help maintain services and meet staffing costs.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27146 on 16 May 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419402,"EventID":"S6W-27142","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:46.637","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T15:37:47.967","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26808 by Gillian Martin on 30 April 2024, what its position is on whether its Offshore Wind International Engagement Strategy is aligned with its policy relating to international development, as stated in its previous review of international development programmes.","AnswerText":"Our Offshore Wind International Engagement Strategy is aligned with, and informed by, a number of Scottish Government strategies, including Scotland’s International Strategy (published in January 2024) and Scotland’s Vision for Trade. These strategies are in turn aligned with our international development policy.\r\nAs stated in the answer to S6W-26808, given the dynamic nature of the offshore wind market, our approach and the identified priority countries will be reviewed regularly to reflect the latest market intelligence.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419403,"EventID":"S6W-27152","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:46.73","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T16:20:59.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is supporting the Scottish Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) Cluster to produce low carbon hydrogen at scale, as set out in its Hydrogen Action Plan.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to supporting the development of the Acorn project and the Scottish Cluster, which are essential for the production of low carbon hydrogen at scale. I attended the Inter-Ministerial Group in February and sit on the UK CCUS Ministerial Forum to represent Scottish interests and make the case for progress on Acorn to be accelerated. The Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy, and the previous Cabinet Secretary for Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy have also written to the UK Government in recent months to make the case for the acceleration of the Acorn project.\r\nThe decision to award the Acorn project is reserved to the UK Government and despite announcing in July 2023 that the Acorn project is ‘best placed’ to meet the criteria, there is still no final decision from the UK Government. This adds further delays to the deployment of CCUS in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419404,"EventID":"S6W-27144","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:46.84","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T16:00:37.073","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made regarding any reasons for the reported failure of NHS Scotland's usual cyber security defences, which allowed medical information about patients to be accessed.","AnswerText":"The criminal investigation by Police Scotland, supported by other agencies, into this attack is still going on. As such there is a limited amount that I can share at this moment in time. As the investigation progresses the Scottish Government and partners will undertake a lessons identified exercise and share its findings with public bodies so they are able to take preventative steps to defend against similar attacks. ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419405,"EventID":"S6W-27150","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:46.937","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T16:20:59.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its ambition for onshore and offshore wind development in Scotland supporting 5GW of hydrogen by 2030, as set out in its Hydrogen Action Plan.","AnswerText":"The deployment of green hydrogen production will develop alongside the growth of onshore and offshore wind and the availability of constrained renewable electricity from existing wind farms.\r\nOver fifty hydrogen production projects are at varying stages of development amounting collectively to more than our 5 GW’s of hydrogen production capacity by 2030.\r\nThe Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan (ESJTP), due to be published by summer this year, will set clear ambitions for increasing Scotland’s renewable energy capacity. It will outline a route map of actions that the Scottish Government will taketo deliver these ambitions whilst supporting a just transition.\r\nOur Offshore Wind Policy Statement (2020) set out the Scottish Government’s ambition for 8-11 GW of offshore wind in Scotland by 2030. This is currently being reviewed in light of the significant ambition demonstrated by the private sector via the ScotWind leasing round. We also consulted on setting a further ambition for 2045 through the draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan.\r\nThe Scottish Government remains committed to achieving the ambitions as set out in the 2020 Offshore Wind Policy Statement and will invest up to £500m over the next five years to develop the infrastructure and supply chain critical to growing our offshore wind sector.\r\nAs of December 2023, Scotland’s onshore wind operational capacity is around 9.5 GW. Within the project pipeline there is additional 13.9 GW of potential onshore wind capacity in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419406,"EventID":"S6W-27187","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:47.177","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T10:17:38.463","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it will explore the reintroduction of a public health supplement for large retailers, as announced in its 2024-25 Budget.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6O-03144 on 29 February 2024 which is available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419407,"EventID":"S6W-27172","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:47.24","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T16:20:59.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in driving technological progress and advancing innovation in Scotland through its Hydrogen Innovation Scheme, as set out in its Hydrogen Action Plan. ","AnswerText":"The Hydrogen Innovation Scheme (HIS) aims to support the development and demonstration of renewable hydrogen technologies and products needed to support our ambition of 5GW installed hydrogen production capacity by 2030. The HIS targets support for innovation under the themes of renewable hydrogen production, hydrogen storage and distribution, and integration of hydrogen into our energy system. \r\nSuccessful applicants were announced by the then First Minister Humza Yousaf at the All Energy Conference in May 2023. Over £7m in HIS funding grant awards were made to 31 to feasibility and demonstration projects in Scotland.\r\nTo date, 10 projects have been successfully completed, with the remaining 21 projects due for completion by March 2025. All have performed or are performing well in meeting their agreed outputs. ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419408,"EventID":"S6W-27183","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:47.303","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T10:14:27.673","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what monitoring or assessment it has undertaken to measure the (a) amount of plastic pollution in seas and waterways and (b) sources of any such pollution.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government currently monitors plastic pollution in the sea through microplastics in surface water, sea-floor litter, and beach litter. We have initiated work to collect data on plastic pollution in waterways though supporting and funding Keep Scotland Beautiful’s Upstream Battle project. The National Litter and Flytipping Strategy action plan contains a number of actions related to improving data capture on litter and flytipping, with the aim of improving our knowledge of these issues.\r\nThe Scottish Government microplastics monitoring programme began in 2013, and has undertaken annual surveys since that time. Microplastics are present in the surface waters of all Scottish Marine Regions, although have not been found to be present at all sample sites. Scottish Marine Regions next to the most urbanised and industrialised areas of the country have been shown to have higher concentrations of microplastics. Annual surveys continue to gather data, and would contribute to any baseline developed in the future. \r\nSea-floor litter data is collected during Scottish Government fish surveys which sample Scottish waters. There is now over 10 years of data, from 2012 onwards, which is used nationally and internationally as part of wider efforts to monitor changes in marine litter levels in the North-East Atlantic. There is evidence of an apparent decrease in litter density over time for some areas of Scotland’s seas.\r\nThe density and type of litter found on Scotland’s beaches has been recorded by the Marine Conservation Society since 1993. This data has been used by the Scottish Government to produce the pilot Scottish Beach Litter Performance Indicators. Beach litter loadings have been calculated for five sub-regions around the Scottish coastline. The amounts of litter found in the five sub-regions show a variety of trends, dependent on the litter type and location. \r\nInformation on these monitoring programmes has been published in Scotland’s Marine Assessment 2020 and can be found at  https://marine.gov.scot/sma/assessment-theme/marine-litter \r\nResearch and monitoring shows that the majority of litter which ends up in the sea or in waterways has come from land-based sources. These sources include on-the-go food and drinks containers, sanitary items incorrectly disposed of through the sewer system, and flytipping. Maritime and aquatic sources also contribute to litter found at sea and in waterways, and these include maritime industries such as fishing, aquaculture, and shipping, as well as other sources such as angling. ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419409,"EventID":"S6W-27167","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:47.38","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T16:20:59.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is (a) strengthening existing relationships and (b) developing new bilateral partnerships in relation to the potential of hydrogen, as set out in its Hydrogen Action Plan.","AnswerText":"We are continuously working to strengthen and develop new relationships through our international hydrogen engagement programme.\r\nGiven the increased interest in hydrogen imports from across Europe, we continue to work with the UK Government to establish key strategic partnership with Scotland’s near northern neighbours that can assist the development of a North Sea hydrogen corridor for the production and export of hydrogen into the North of Europe and beyond.\r\nWe recognise that international co-operation will be key to developing future hydrogen markets and their supporting infrastructure and we will continue to seek out opportunities to collaborate through projects such as the  Hydrogen Backbone Link  and the  Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers for Hydrogen Transport from Scotland to Rotterdam project  .\r\nWe have already signed several key strategic hydrogen partnership agreements with Denmark, key German states including Hamburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg and, Occitania in France and we continue to work to maximise their outputs. Scotland is also a member of Hydrogen Europe and the Vanguard initiative, allowing further collaboration with key strategic European partners.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419410,"EventID":"S6W-27170","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:47.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T16:20:59.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in building the evidence base and support for international cooperation on the development of infrastructure, transport routes and international supply chains in relation to hydrogen projects, as set out in its Hydrogen Action Plan. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to build a strong evidence base in relation to the development of key infrastructure, transport routes and supply chains necessary to develop hydrogen export opportunities.\r\nWe are engaging with key European ports such as the Ports of Rotterdam and Hamburg which we expect to become major hydrogen hubs. This includes working with the Port of Rotterdam and other strategic partners on Phase 2 of the Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier (LOHC) for Hydrogen Transport from Scotland Project (LHyTS), led by NZTC. The project is a feasibility assessment for a pilot trial for the shipment of LOHC from Scotland to the northern European mainland via Rotterdam, laying the foundations for establishing the viability of a strategic export route for hydrogen between Scotland and the EU.\r\nWe have also funded the Net Zero Technology Centre's Hydrogen Backbone Link project to assess the potential to connect Scotland to a European Hydrogen Backbone by either repurposing and optimising existing pipeline infrastructure or through the development of new infrastructure. Phase 1 of the study is now complete, with work on Phase 2 currently ongoing. A key focus of Phase 1 included the consideration of pipeline routing, identifying a preferred option connecting four production points (Sullom Voe, Flotta Terminal, St Fergus and Nigg Bay), with Emden in Germany.\r\nIn support of the development and publication of the Hydrogen Sector Export Plan, the Scottish Government has also commissioned several research studies. This includes the North Sea Hydrogen Alliance project led by NZTC in partnership with the German consultancy Cruh21, and the German umbrella organisation AquaVentus, focussing on investigating pipeline infrastructure between Scotland and Germany; and matching Scottish hydrogen production to German hydrogen demand. The project will help to strengthen existing ties between Scotland and Germany, building the case for hydrogen export from Scotland, and solidify the case for infrastructure investment in both Scottish and German Waters.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419411,"EventID":"S6W-27160","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:47.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T16:20:59.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what progress has been made with electricity and gas network operators to realise system benefits of hydrogen, as set out in its Hydrogen Action Plan.","AnswerText":"Scotland’s huge potential for renewable electricity generation, and hydrogen’s utility, means that it can also act as a vector for energy storage and a balancing service to the electricity grid. It can additionally act as a vector for transportation, particularly considering grid constraints. \r\nWe are engaging closely with the UKG, OfGEM, and National Grid ESO ahead of the launch of the National Energy System operator this Summer to underline the need for strategic planning and to ensure that hydrogen production, storage and system utility is considered and other areas such as progressive approaches to flexibility reform and grid connection timelines, as they affect the viability of hydrogen projects, are reflected in our engagement in strategic programmes such as the Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA) and Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP) and the ESO Constraints Collaboration project which is seeking solutions for thermal constraints, which can reduce costs to the consumer or reduce the curtailment of renewable generation.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419412,"EventID":"S6W-27148","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:47.583","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T16:20:59.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update regarding the £90 million Green Hydrogen Fund to support hydrogen pathfinder projects up to 2025-26, as set out in its Hydrogen Action Plan. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is clear that hydrogen has a key part to play as a renewable and low carbon source of energy to help meet our net zero ambitions. We remain committed to delivering the strategic approach and actions required to support the development of the hydrogen economy in Scotland over the course of this Parliament.\r\nWe are committed to delivering on our Hydrogen Action Plan, and to a hydrogen investment programme. Whilst there are currently no plans to open a call for applications to the Green Hydrogen Fund as a direct result of the UK Government imposed 10% cut to the Scottish Government capital budget, we continue to support hydrogen projects across Scotland on a case-by-case basis and will engage with projects as they come forward. In doing so, we will be working with Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, South of Scotland Enterprise and other stakeholders.\r\nWe also continue to support hydrogen innovation through our Hydrogen Innovation Scheme and, alongside Scotland’s academic researchers and industry, facilitate collaboration and develop impactful R&D projects including work on establishing the case for pipeline transportation of hydrogen from Scotland to Europe.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419413,"EventID":"S6W-27146","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:47.66","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T16:00:37.09","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that funding is provided to hospices to allow consistency with the NHS Agenda for Change pay awards.","AnswerText":"A real terms uplift to health funding has been prioritised in the opening Budget position for 2024-25. We have invested £2 billion in the 2024-25 budget for social care and integration, which is an increase of over £1 billion compared to 2021-22. This delivers on our Programme for Government commitment to increase social care spending by 25% (£840 million) over this Parliament, two years ahead of our original target.\r\nDespite this significant investment the financial climate remains extremely challenging, and we are working with partners to understand and address the challenges, within the context of a finite budget.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419414,"EventID":"S6W-27171","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:47.723","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T16:20:59.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its engagement with the UK Government regarding ensuring that Scotland's export interests are embedded in policy, trade and regulatory planning, as set out in its Hydrogen Action Plan.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has ongoing engagement with the UK Government in relation to international hydrogen engagement and the development of the export opportunity.\r\nWe engage under the auspices of the UK-Germany Joint Declaration of Intent on Hydrogen, signed in September 2023, and the North Seas Energy Cooperation (NSEC) MOU signed between the EU and the UK providing a framework for cooperation between the UK and NSEC membership which comprises Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the European Commission.\r\nGiven the regulatory regime for hydrogen is a mixture of reserved and devolved powers, we continue to engage with the UK Government via our involvement in the UK Hydrogen Regulators Forum to ensure any GB or UK wide regulatory developments do not inhibit development of the hydrogen sector in Scotland.\r\nWe are also working with UKG to ensure that the Low Carbon Hydrogen Standard and Certification Scheme enables and does not create barriers to hydrogen export from Scotland to the EU.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419415,"EventID":"S6W-27158","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:47.817","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T16:20:59.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update on what progress has been made by SGN and National Grid to understand the role that hydrogen can play in meeting its heat decarbonisation targets, as set out in its Hydrogen Action Plan.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government officials are engaging with National Grid on the Project Union initiative exploring the phased repurposing of the UK’s natural gas National Transmission System (NTS) to create a UK hydrogen backbone carrying 100% hydrogen. Decisions on the future of the Gas Grid are a reserved matter and are expected to be made in 2026 by the UK Government. We continue to routinely engage with UKG on a range of hydrogen policy matters including recent consultations on Transport and Storage Hydrogen Business Models\r\nSGN are core members of the Scottish Hydrogen Industry Forum. ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419416,"EventID":"S6W-27164","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:47.897","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T16:20:59.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in creating a visible pipeline of hydrogen projects, as set out in its Hydrogen Action Plan.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government and our Enterprise Agencies support hydrogen developers and businesses across Scotland to grow a pipeline of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen production projects in Scotland and secure the accompanying supply chain opportunities. Over fifty hydrogen production projects are at varying stages of development amounting collectively to more than the 5 GW’s of hydrogen production capacity we hope to have operational by 2030.\r\nWe are engaging closely with the Cromarty Hydrogen Project (Storegga) 10.6MW and Scottish Power Whitelees Project 7.1MW both of whom are targeting industrial heat as an offtake for their hydrogen and were successful in their applications for hydrogen business model support from UKG in the first round allocation (HAR1). We provided letters of support for a further 10 projects in Scotland that applied for the UKG’S HAR 2 round.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419417,"EventID":"S6W-27192","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:47.973","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T10:23:59.203","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will deliver a cost of living increase to the student nurse bursary.","AnswerText":"We recognise the financial challenges faced by all students, including nursing and midwifery students, and know that this has been exacerbated by the current cost of living crisis.\r\nAt this juncture, there are no definitive plans to increase the student nurse bursary, however, following the publication of the Royal College of Nursing’s (RCN) report ‘Nursing Student Finance: the true cost of becoming a nurse’ improvements have been made in response to the recommendations within the report surrounding student clinical placement expenses (which include travel and accommodation costs). Those improvements were taken forward in collaboration with the RCN and further work is planned to review the full package of support for those in receipt of the nursing, midwifery and paramedic student bursary. This work will be taken forward in conjunction with the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce, which will shortly be making recommendations about the education and development of students and the existing workforce as part of its’ wider remit to make Scotland the best place to be a nurse or midwife.\r\nThe Scottish Government package of support for Scottish student nurses and midwives is at its highest level and remains the highest level of support available to nursing and midwifery students across the UK. The annual £10,000 bursary is non-means tested and non-repayable. Eligible pre-registration students also receive free tuition and funding for placement expenses – this includes travel and where appropriate accommodation expenses. Furthermore, uniforms, disclosure checks and health checks are also provided.\r\nStudents may also choose to explore registering with the Bank of healthcare workers at local NHS Boards which can provide a variety of paid opportunities, indeed many already take this up to supplement their income and experience. Whilst Bank work does not provide guaranteed work, it allows NHS Boards to offer students employment as and/or when the need arises in their local area. Once a student is registered with the Bank some Boards may also offer students a part time fixed term contract at a maximum of 15 hours per week. The opportunities which are available will vary between Boards, depending on their current and future requirements.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419418,"EventID":"S6W-27178","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:48.053","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T09:15:13.95","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much of the NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care budget in 2024-25 has been spent on prevention, and provided to allied health professionals (AHP) as those focused on prevention.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold the detail of this funding. Local decisions on how to allocate funding is the responsibility of NHS Boards.\r\nThe 2024-25 Budget provides funding of over £19.5 billion for NHS recovery, health and social care – giving our NHS a real terms uplift and providing over £14.2 billion investment in our NHS Boards.\r\nThis Budget continues to support prevention and early intervention which is critical to addressing system challenges and longer term reform, with key investment including:Supporting investment in excess of £10 billion for the NHS paybill to support the workforce including Allied Health Professionals and which has rewarded NHS staff in recent years during the cost of living crisis. The budget for the NHS workforce is not allocated by workforce group.£2 billion for social care and integration, an additional £1 billion compared to 2021-22 spend. This delivers on our Programme for Government commitment to increase social care spending by 25% over this Parliament two years ahead of our original target.Over £2.1bn for primary care, which includes funding for Allied Health Professionals, to improve preventative care in the community, supporting the development of multidisciplinary teams in general practice, sustaining NHS dental care through enhanced fees and continuing free eye examinations.Supporting spend in excess of £1.3 billion to support mental health services, with £290.2 million direct investment – more than doubled since 2020/21 - enabling record numbers of staff in providing more varied support and services to a larger number of people than ever before.Sustaining increased funding to address the twin public health emergencies of drugs deaths and the harms from alcohol, by maintaining our commitment to provide an additional £250 million funding over the life of this parliament to address the drugs death emergency.Protecting those most at risk with increased investment of over 55% for our routine childhood and adult vaccination programmes.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419419,"EventID":"S6W-27151","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:48.117","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T16:20:59.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what progress it has made on building an evidence base to understand the extent of domestic hydrogen demand, as set out in its Hydrogen Action Plan.","AnswerText":"We are building the evidence base to help support hydrogen off-take across multiple sectors in Scotland, examining both hydrogen production and demand across Scotland’s geography through a number of key reports, such as ‘Hydrogen demand in Scotland: a mapping of industrial and transport applications’ which can be found  here  and a detailed report focussing specifically on the distillery sector which can be found  here  .\r\nData from these reports is also included in Scotland’s Hydrogen Asset  online map  .\r\nWe published a report last year on the potential capability and interest in Scotland in developing a SAF sector, which could become a major end-use of hydrogen. That report can be found  here  .\r\nFinally, we are in the process of commissioning further research to map out capabilities and opportunities for the production of hydrogen derivatives and products for domestic use and export.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419420,"EventID":"S6W-27143","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:48.193","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T16:00:37.073","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the reported cyber attacks in NHS Scotland led to medical information about patients being accessed.","AnswerText":"A cyber threat actor was able to gain unauthorised access to NHS Dumfries and Galloway's infrastructure during a targeted and sustained cyber-attack. As the member will understand,NHS Dumfries and Galloway's IT infrastructure contains information that includes patient's medical information.\r\nThe member may find the frequently asked questions published by NHS Dumfries and Galloway to be of use in finding further information:  Cyber Attack – FAQ – NHS Dumfries & Galloway (nhsdg.co.uk)  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419421,"EventID":"S6W-27161","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:48.26","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T16:20:59.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is exploring the use of hydrogen as an energy storage and balancing asset to the national electricity grid and the national gas grid, as set out in its Hydrogen Action Plan.","AnswerText":"We are convinced that hydrogen will play an important role as an energy storage and balancing asset to the wider energy system electricity and gas grids as the share of renewable generation continues to increase. \r\nWe published a report in 2023 which can be found  here  investigating the options for storing energy in the form of hydrogen in Scotland and its potential for reducing curtailment of renewable energy and the role of hydrogen peaking power plants for electricity generation during times of low renewable energy generation. \r\nThe study found that hydrogen storage will play an important role in balancing an energy system that has large amounts of intermittent renewable energy. These findings have informed our position and engagement on strategic programme discussions such as the Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA) and Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP) and the ESO Constraints Collaboration project, which is seeking solutions for thermal constraints, which can reduce costs to the consumer or reduce the curtailment of renewable generation.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419422,"EventID":"S6W-27154","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:48.323","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T16:20:59.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting Scottish industries to use hydrogen in their decarbonisation plans, as set out in its Hydrogen Action Plan.","AnswerText":"Alongside electrification, hydrogen will be a key part of the net zero journey, particularly in transitioning many hard-to-abate sectors such as industry. The Scottish Government is developing a place-based, industry specific Just Transition Plan for the Grangemouth industrial cluster, as we committed to doing in our 2023 Programme for Government. The Plan will outline the strategic long-term future of the industrial cluster and a range of possibilities for operations at Grangemouth in 2045, including low-carbon hydrogen manufacture, carbon capture and storage, as well as wider Just Transition outcomes for the workforce, community and surrounding environment.\r\nBeyond this, we have produced a detailed report on the distillery sector which can be found  here  .\r\nWe are engaging closely with the Cromarty Hydrogen Project (Storegga) 10.6MW and Scottish Power Whitelees Project 7.1MW both of whom are targeting industrial heat as an offtake for their renewable hydrogen and were successful in their applications for support from the UK Government via the first allocation round of the hydrogen production business model.\r\nIn addition, the Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (SIETF) has match-funded support grants for feasibility and engineering studies which can allow industrial manufacturers to investigate how they could use hydrogen to decarbonise their operations.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419423,"EventID":"S6W-27145","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:48.37","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T16:00:37.073","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what progress has been made towards the new national funding framework for hospice funding.","AnswerText":"Work is ongoing to progress the national guidance framework on local planning and commissioning of independent hospice care, and to align the framework with our overarching palliative care strategy. \r\nWe will continue to work with Chief Officers and independent hospices to support longer term sustainable planning and commissioning for the hospice sector.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419424,"EventID":"S6W-27162","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:48.463","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T16:20:59.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made towards the establishment of hydrogen transportation infrastructure to support the export of hydrogen to the rest of the UK and Europe, as set out in its Hydrogen Action Plan.","AnswerText":"Establishing hydrogen transport infrastructure is critical to achieving the ambitions set out in our Hydrogen Action Plan. The Scottish Government is working with key European partners to assess options and opportunities for the development of transport infrastructure to enable the export of hydrogen from Scotland.\r\nScottish Government is engaging with National Grid on the Project Union initiative exploring the phased repurposing of the UK’s natural gas National Transmission System (NTS) to create a UK hydrogen backbone carrying 100% hydrogen. Decisions on the future of the Gas Grid are a reserved matter and are expected to be made in 2026 by the UK Government. We continue to routinely engage with UK Government on a range of hydrogen policy matters including Transport and Storage Hydrogen Business Models.\r\nWe are also working with industry and the development agencies on the development of a Hydrogen Sector Export Plan (HSEP) that will set out the steps needed to realise Scotland's export potential – including in relation to the development of critical infrastructure to support the transport of hydrogen and hydrogen derivatives. This is expected to be published this year.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419425,"EventID":"S6W-27173","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:48.557","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T16:20:59.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made towards the establishment of a Scottish Hydrogen Innovation Network to provide support to the hydrogen research and innovation ecosystem in Scotland, as set out in its Hydrogen Action Plan.","AnswerText":"Alongside Scottish Enterprise, we are developing a Scottish Hydrogen Innovation Network (SHINE). SHINE will provide an entry point for Scottish and European companies to access Scottish research and development centres in academic and commercial settings. The resulting innovations will increase the competitiveness of hydrogen technologies and enable collaborative partnerships.\r\nThe formal project launch of SHINE will take place at All-Energy on 16 May 2024 with the SHINE website to be launched preceding All-Energy.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419426,"EventID":"S6W-27193","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:48.637","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T10:23:59.203","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will roll out the Prince of Wales Nursing Cadet Scheme across Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Prince of Wales Nursing Cadet Scheme has been successfully piloted in NHS Lanarkshire and NHS Tayside, with evaluations demonstrating positive experiences for both participants and NHS placement staff. Learning and good practice from these pilots has been shared with health boards. \r\nThe role of the Nursing Cadet Scheme is being considered by the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce in anticipation of the Taskforce providing recommendations on, inter alia , opportunities for attracting new entrants into nursing and midwifery careers, to support in building a sustainable and attractive workforce for the future. ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419427,"EventID":"S6W-27141","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:48.73","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T15:34:39.19","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26663 by Tom Arthur on 30 April 2024, whether any public bodies under the direct jurisdiction of the Scottish Ministers currently use physical record keeping as their only means of information storage.","AnswerText":"None of the public bodies under the direct jurisdiction of the Scottish Ministers currently use physical record keeping as their only means of information storage.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419428,"EventID":"S6W-27189","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:48.823","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T10:23:59.203","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many times the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce has met since it was established, and when it plans to make any recommendations.","AnswerText":"As set out in answer S6W-26380 on 16 April 2024, the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce has held four ministerial led meetings in April, July, December 2023 and March 2024. The Taskforce has also held two official led meetings in June 2023 and March 2024.\r\nThe Taskforce is making good progress with the development of its recommended actions and will continue to work until members have agreed a comprehensive action plan. We anticipate the publication of a report later in 2024.\r\nThe Scottish Government publishes the agreed minutes and actions from each meeting on its website: www.gov.scot/groups/nursing-and-midwifery-taskforce/ \r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419429,"EventID":"S6W-27163","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:48.9","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T16:20:59.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in supporting the Scottish hydrogen supply chain through the development of a Hydrogen Economy Cluster, as set out in its Hydrogen Action Plan.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government and Scotland’s Enterprise Agencies continue to work to inform Scottish supply chain companies about hydrogen sector developments and to help them to prepare for the opportunities associated with hydrogen infrastructure rollout both in Scotland and further afield.\r\nWe are engaging and supporting companies throughout Scotland that are already undertaking or are interested in hydrogen opportunities, as well as others with potentially transferrable skills and currently not active in the sector to raise awareness of potential opportunity areas. Scotland’s Enterprise Agencies are capturing companies’ capabilities and compiling a soon to be publicly available online database to provide a useful tool for supply chain, project developers and investors keen to understand and work with Scotland’s hydrogen supply chain.\r\nScottish Enterprise recently ran a year-long Hydrogen Expert Support programme in which 33 Scottish companies participated, including manufacturers, technology developers or technical service providers seeking to diversify into or grow in the hydrogen sector. Scottish Enterprise funded workshops with an expert consultancy which provided each company with a tailored report giving them information on the sector and recommendations on what steps they could take to get involved based on their capabilities and ambitions.\r\nThe Scottish Government and Scotland’s Enterprise Agencies are also working with partners and stakeholders such as NECCUS and the Scottish Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Association to further the development of a hydrogen economy cluster for Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419430,"EventID":"S6W-27139","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:48.947","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T14:16:45.277","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26976 by Gillian Martin on 30 April 2024, how it will ensure that Green Volt honours its commitment.","AnswerText":"All Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) projects are required to submit a Supply Chain Development Statement (SCDS) to Crown Estate Scotland (CES) outlining the nature and location of supply chain activity across four different project stages. \r\nSCDSs will be updated throughout development as project specifics become clearer and as the development of the supply chain progresses.\r\nFinal SCDSs are submitted to CES just before projects secure a seabed lease. Where actual supply chain achievements, evidenced through the contracted position statement, are not in line with the final SCDS commitments, there are contractual remedies available to CES, ranging from financial penalties to revoking the ability to secure a lease.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419431,"EventID":"S6W-27191","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:49.167","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T10:23:59.203","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will set out a plan for ensuring there is sufficient protected time for personal development plans to be completed for nurses in addition to exploring further protected time for leadership training of registered staff at all levels.","AnswerText":"On 1 March 2024, the Cabinet Secretary for Health confirmed the implementation of the Agenda for Change Review Recommendations including the implementation of a consistent approach to Protected Learning Time across all NHS Scotland Boards. This includes the completion of statutory, mandatory and profession specific mandatory training within working hours, including for Nurses. These changes took effect from 1st April 2024\r\nThe Scottish Government presented to the Scottish Workforce and Staff Governance Committee (SWAG) on further work in relation to Protected Learning Time, on 23 April. Following this, it is the intention that SWAG will convene a sub-group to oversee delivery of work to map time requirements for statutory, core mandatory and professional mandatory training. ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419432,"EventID":"S6W-27169","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:49.26","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T16:20:59.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is promoting Scotland’s interests overseas and boosting inbound and outbound trade and investment missions to secure opportunities for Scottish companies in the international hydrogen market and drive inward investment, as set out in its Hydrogen Action Plan.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government and its partners engage with and provide specialist support to companies in Scotland seeking to trade overseas, including help to attend trade shows and establish links with international project developers.\r\nWe are working with Scotland’s Enterprise Agencies to develop the Hydrogen Sector Export Plan and this will be informed by the findings of commissioned reports on identifying priority international markets for Scottish companies to target and assesses demand for hydrogen and hydrogen products in North West Europe. We are also supporting Net Zero Technology Centre (NZTC) work on the Hydrogen Backbone Link project seeking to establish the case for a hydrogen export pipeline from Scotland to mainland Europe.\r\nWe have supported several trade delegations including to Dubai Expo and, in January this year, Hyvolution in France, to which it is planned to return next year. We have supported visit programmes of several inward delegations, including from India, Singapore and German States.\r\nScottish Development International (SDI) has taken a strategic and targeted approach to attracting direct foreign investment to Scotland. It is focused on attracting hydrogen producers, supply chain companies and end users. Our hydrogen opportunity is being promoted internationally by SDI’s overseas offices and by relevant UK Government departments. This has catalysed visits to Scotland by companies, innovation partnerships with universities, a strong project concept pipeline and initial investments.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419433,"EventID":"S6W-27168","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:49.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T16:20:59.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in developing a supportive framework to realise Scotland’s hydrogen export potential, as set out in its Hydrogen Action Plan.","AnswerText":"We are currently working with key industry experts and our development agencies to develop a Hydrogen Sector Export Plan that will set out the steps needed to realise Scotland's export potential.\r\nThe Hydrogen Sector Export Plan will consider the short-term export opportunities around skills and the supply chain, as well as the economic opportunity for Scotland represented by the export of renewable hydrogen in the longer term.\r\nTo support the development of the Hydrogen Sector Export Plan, the Scottish Government have commissioned research to investigate low-carbon hydrogen demand scenarios in North-West European regions and sectors up to 2045.\r\nThis work will sit alongside research being conducted on the economic competitiveness of hydrogen in various sectors and end-uses, such as for aviation transport or for refineries, to establish the most likely off-taker markets for hydrogen and the current best estimates for the likely size of these markets.\r\nResearch has also been commissioned to map the key markets and opportunities for Scottish hydrogen supply chain goods and services. Together, this research will provide a robust evidence base demonstrating economic opportunity for hydrogen in Europe according to current available data.\r\nThe Hydrogen Sector Export Plan will be published later this year alongside a suite of research, including the North Sea Hydrogen Alliance project conducted by NZTC in partnership with Cruh21 which will match Scottish hydrogen production with German demand.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419434,"EventID":"S6W-27181","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-01T17:15:49.4","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T10:14:27.673","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to remove existing plastic pollution from seas and waterways.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is taking action to prevent and support the removal of plastic pollution in seas and waterways through measures detailed in the Marine Litter Strategy. \r\nThe refreshed Marine Litter Strategy aims to address the amount of litter entering the marine environment, as well as to help tackle existing litter, in order to achieve ecological, economic and social benefits. The Strategy’s action plan focuses on the most problematic types of marine litter including fishing and aquaculture gear, sewage-related debris, and plastic pellets, and will drive forward our work up to 2027 co-ordinating the efforts of our stakeholders and partners, working at a national and international level to help tackle this global problem. \r\nThe Scottish Government supports the removal of existing litter through funding the work of organisations that support and co-ordinate beach cleans and local community engagement, such as Local Coastal Partnerships. We have also funded litter removal offshore through KIMO’s Fishing for Litter scheme, and at our rivers with Keep Scotland Beautiful’s Upstream Battle project, preventing litter entering waterways, travelling downstream, and ultimately reaching the sea. \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419441,"EventID":"S6W-27265","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:55.593","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T11:36:04.31","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what national policy Forestry and Land Scotland has for encouraging (a) raptor and owl conservation and monitoring and (b) other community conservation programmes in Scotland’s national forests. ","AnswerText":"Forestry and Land Scotland do not create policy but follow Scottish Government Policy created by other Scottish Government agencies.\r\nForestry and Land Scotland a) encourage raptor and owl conservation and monitoring by following the principles within Scotland’s Biodiversity Strategy, Scotland’s Forestry Strategy and by complying with all relevant wildlife legislation.\r\nForestry and Land Scotland b) are engaged with a range of local community conservation programmes, including those supported by Scottish Raptor Study Group. In 2023, FLS launched its Communities Strategy which is an invitation for community groups to come forward with ideas for projects and activities including conservation work on Scotland's National Forests and Land managed by FLS.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419442,"EventID":"S6W-27205","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:55.72","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T15:52:59.037","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Public Health Scotland having changed its dental activity data publication format such that new indicators reportedly cannot be equated with previous releases, how it is possible to compare current dental activity with previous activity levels and evaluate how far is left to go in attaining and surpassing pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels of dentistry provision.","AnswerText":"The new publication format from Public Health Scotland is experimental and will continue to develop as the new Payments Model beds in.\r\nThe new publications draw from the revised Statement of Dental Remuneration (SDR) which sets out 45 comprehensive care and treatment activities from 1 November, as opposed to the previous SDR which was input-focused and included over 700 individual item codes. In reforming the SDR to focus on comprehensive care and treatment activities, we have also ensured that the overall model of care is predicated on being patient-centric and responsive to individual need and risk.\r\nWhile we are therefore still able to draw broad comparisons on activity reported for clinical treatments pre- and post-pandemic, given the significant change to the basis on which raw data is collected, it is not appropriate for the two data-sets to be presented as equivalent in statistical reporting and comparisons drawn must be treated with appropriate caution. While broad comparisons are useful for providing indicative metrics on sector capacity pre- and post-pandemic, our focus is to ensure that all activity is of clinical value and appropriate to the patient's need.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":419443,"EventID":"S6W-27209","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:55.81","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T16:12:14.997","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what requirement exists for the maintenance of minimum safety standards in cells in prisons and custody suites.","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:\r\nI refer the member to the response provided for S6W-27206 on 13 May 2024.\r\nAnnual cell certification checks are also undertaken by Estates personnel regarding the physical maintenance of prison cells.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419444,"EventID":"S6W-27244","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:55.94","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T11:32:33.517","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-17939 by Kevin Stewart on 25 May 2023, whether it will provide an update on how many young people have now received a free bus pass through the Young Persons’ (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel scheme, broken down by local authority area, based on the latest information available.","AnswerText":"As of 1 May 2024, there were 732,654 cardholders under the Young Persons’ (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel Scheme. The following table shows the number of cardholders broken down to local authority level.\r\nAberdeen City\r\n30,715\r\nAberdeenshire\r\n36,247\r\nAngus Council\r\n14,305\r\nArgyll & Bute\r\n9,022\r\nCity of Edinburgh\r\n85,314\r\nClackmannanshire\r\n5,130\r\nComhairle nan Eilean Siar\r\n2,963\r\nDumfries and Galloway\r\n13,637\r\nDundee City\r\n23,109\r\nEast Ayrshire\r\n17,381\r\nEast Dunbartonshire\r\n13,712\r\nEast Lothian\r\n16,357\r\nEast Renfrewshire\r\n14,633\r\nFalkirk\r\n18,543\r\nFife\r\n57,821\r\nGlasgow City\r\n82,026\r\nHighland\r\n22,727\r\nInverclyde\r\n11,696\r\nMidlothian\r\n13,686\r\nMoray\r\n10,757\r\nNorth Ayrshire\r\n19,937\r\nNorth Lanarkshire\r\n48,400\r\nOrkney Islands\r\n2,189\r\nPerth & Kinross\r\n18,514\r\nRenfrewshire\r\n23,856\r\nScottish Borders\r\n12,385\r\nShetland Islands\r\n3,197\r\nSouth Ayrshire\r\n11,947\r\nSouth Lanarkshire\r\n44,416\r\nStirling\r\n11,126\r\nWest Dunbartonshire\r\n13,690\r\nWest Lothian\r\n23,216  \r\nTotal\r\n732,654\r\nThis data is supplied by the National Entitlement Card Programme Office (NECPO). NECPO supports the 32 local authorities by assisting with the integration of various national and local public services on the National Entitlement Card (NEC) and are the joint controller with local authorities of this data.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419445,"EventID":"S6W-27270","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:56.033","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T11:36:43.897","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what its position is on introducing ticket levy schemes at large music venues in Scotland to support small and grassroots music venues. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government fully values the importance of the music industry to Scotland’s culture, and the role venues play in the talent pipeline.\r\nWe have committed through the New Deal for Business to engage with industry to explore non-regulatory solutions to deliver policy objectives across Scottish Government. We are sympathetic to the needs of grassroots venues and are engaging with stakeholders to understand how we can best support industry-led initiatives.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419446,"EventID":"S6W-27234","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:56.127","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T08:16:30.957","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of any communications that it has had with (a) the Scottish Football Association and (b) individual football clubs regarding the Police Scotland public awareness campaign launched in 2021, in conjunction with the Scottish Government, which featured a video titled John’s Story.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not had any communications with the Scottish Football Association or individual football clubs about Police Scotland’s public awareness campaign launched in 2021. The Scottish Government provided Police Scotland with funding through the Serious Organised Crime Small Community Grant Scheme in 2021 for their project working with four football clubs in Glasgow and a production company to develop the video ‘John’s Story’.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419447,"EventID":"S6W-27195","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:56.2","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T10:53:32.95","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the Market Framework for Natural Capital – Engagement Framework, as referenced on page 4, what amount of investment in natural capital markets is required to reach a level \"sufficient to meet Scotland's climate and nature restoration goals\" and that would provide for the estimated job creation potential, including the estimated investment needed to achieve peatland restoration in Scotland.","AnswerText":"Page 4 of the Market Framework for Natural Capital - Engagement paper references estimates from the November 2023 Scottish Government research publication 'Assessing the cumulative and cross-sector economic benefits of investment in natural capital in Scotland'. It estimates that £12.5 billion of further investment in natural capital is required in order to meet policy goals, and that this further investment would create 146,000 direct and 197,000 direct and indirect jobs.\r\nHowever, there is an error at Page 4 of the Market Framework for Natural Capital - Engagement paper in that it references these estimates in relation to 'natural capital markets ' rather than to 'natural capital ' as stated in the research report which does not distinguish between the role of public and private investment in providing the additional £12.5 billion of further investment. This error will be corrected by deleting 'markets' from the sentence on page 4 of the Engagement paper on the Scottish Government website.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419448,"EventID":"S6W-27229","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:56.263","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T08:16:30.957","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of any communications that it has had with the (a) Lord President of the Court of Session and (b) Judicial Office for Scotland regarding the public inquiry into the investigation of Emma Caldwell's murder, since the Scottish Government announced in March 2024 that the inquiry will take place.","AnswerText":"Following the announcement on 7 March 2024 that the Scottish Government would be holding a public inquiry into the investigation of Emma Caldwell’s murder, immediate preparatory work to set up an Inquiry was commenced. Scottish Ministers have been liaising with the Lord President and the Caldwell family to explore different options for who could lead the Inquiry however, no decision has been taken on this yet. \r\nA statutory Public Inquiry is a significant undertaking and will take time to set up. I will provide further updates to Parliament as work is progressed including, appointing a Chair and setting the Terms of Reference.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419449,"EventID":"S6W-27224","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:56.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T08:16:30.957","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of any communications that it has had with (a) Police Scotland and (b) the Scottish Police Authority regarding Police Scotland’s reported plan to join the National Police Wellbeing Service.","AnswerText":"Scotland’s police officers and staff do a challenging job and it absolutely right that they are supported with their physical and mental wellbeing. Whilst the wellbeing of officers and staff is a matter for the Chief Constable, under the supervision of the Scottish Police Authority, the Scottish Government communicates with Police Scotland on a range of health and wellbeing issues.\r\nWe understand that Police Scotland has committed to formally submit an action plan to HMICS shortly in response to its Wellbeing Frontline Focus review. The action plan will address the recommendations made by HMICS and provide progress updates on the areas for development identified in the Review. The Scottish Government stands ready to support Police Scotland with the implementation of the recommendations.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419450,"EventID":"S6W-27259","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:56.437","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T11:35:19.693","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its commitment to protect 30% of Scotland’s land and seas by 2030.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government committed at CoP26 to protecting and effectively managing at least 30% of Scotland’s land, freshwaters and sea for nature by 2030 (known as the 30 by 30 target). Delivery of the 30 by 30 target is a cornerstone of the draft Scottish Biodiversity Strategy and Delivery Plan which aims to halt the loss of biodiversity by 2030 and substantially restore it by 2045.\r\nThe spatial element of 30 by 30 target has been achieved in the marine environment with 37% of Scottish seas within the Marine Protected Areas (MPA) network. The Scottish Government has committed to putting in place fisheries management measures for existing MPAs where these are not already in place for key coastal biodiversity locations outside of these sites. \r\nOn land, 18.2% of Scotland is currently within a protected area for nature. We are currently working with stakeholders to identify how we will close the gap in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419451,"EventID":"S6W-27267","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:56.543","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T11:36:21.027","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many beavers have been translocated to Scotland’s national forests to date, broken down by the number of locations. ","AnswerText":"Between October 2023 and January 2024, the following beavers were translocated to the following locations on Scotland's National Forests and Land by Forestry and Land Scotland:\r\nKnapdale – Two beavers into Loch Laraiche;\r\nKnapdale – One beaver into Loch Linne;\r\nKnapdale – Two beavers into Creige Moire;\r\nKnapdale – Two beavers into Lochan Buic.\r\nLoch Kinardochy – Two beavers.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419452,"EventID":"S6W-27258","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:56.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T11:35:12.367","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its commitment to restore 250,000 hectares of degraded peatlands by 2030. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to restoring 250,000 hectares of degraded peatlands by 2030. We are scaling up our efforts and annual rates of restoration are increasing.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419453,"EventID":"S6W-27211","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:56.733","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T16:12:14.997","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many cells in prisons and custody suites currently exceed their maximum capacity.","AnswerText":"Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) has confirmed that there are no cells within the SPS estate that exceed their maximum capacity.\r\nThe management of the police custody estate is a matter for Police Scotland. Cell availability across Scotland varies on a daily basis.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419454,"EventID":"S6W-27257","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:56.827","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T11:35:05.267","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its commitment to accelerate woodland creation to 18,000 hectares a year by 2024-25. ","AnswerText":"Scotland’s woodland creation planting target is set out in the Climate Change Plan. The plan includes ambitious targets for woodland creation, aiming to increase woodland cover from around 18% to 21% of the total area of Scotland by 2032, with the planting target increasing to 18,000 hectares annually.\r\nAlthough Scotland faces the most challenging budget settlement since devolution, the Scottish Government remains committed to maximising the important contribution forestry makes in tackling the climate emergency.\r\nWe fund woodland creation through the Forestry Grant Scheme, which has made £39.2 million available to support woodland creation in 2024-25.\r\nWoodland creation projects, including both planting and natural regeneration schemes are being approved on an ongoing basis and whilst this funding will not allow us to reach this year’s target, it will help create over 9,000 hectares of new woodland. This will help maintain the level of planting close to the average achieved over the last 5 years and allow for increased planting in the future should funding from the UK Government be forthcoming. Putting this in context, it will still allow Scotland to create more woodland than the rest of the UK combined.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419455,"EventID":"S6W-27203","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:56.947","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T14:25:35.593","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much money it will have to pay Consort Healthcare when the PFI contract for the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh ends.","AnswerText":"The project agreement for the RIE was signed in 1998 between NHSL and Consort Healthcare. Consort are responsible for the provision of facilities management and lifecycle maintenance works until the end of the Primary Period in December 2027. The Secondary Period begins automatically following the end of the Primary Period, the exact arrangements for the secondary period, which include the possibility of terminating the agreement, will be determined by the ongoing discussions and decisions taken by NHS Lothian and Consort Healthcare, which have not yet concluded.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419456,"EventID":"S6W-27248","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:57.023","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T11:33:09.98","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will report on the climate compatibility assessment for the dualling of the A96 route between Inverness and Aberdeen to assess direct and indirect impacts on the climate and the environment.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to improving the A96. This is despite stark challenges we face as a result of the severe budgetary restrictions imposed by the UK Government including an almost 9% cut in our capital budget.\r\nThe current plan is to fully dual the route and as part of this process we are undertaking a transparent, evidence-based review of the programme, which includes a climate compatibility assessment and other statutory assessments.\r\nThe significant interest in the review’s initial consultation, with nearly 4,600 responses, generated 11,000 options to improve the corridor. It is only right that appropriate time has been taken in order to properly examine and fully appraise these.\r\nIt is expected that the draft outcomes from the Review, including the climate compatibility assessment, will be consulted on in the coming months, before a final decision can be reached.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419457,"EventID":"S6W-27268","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:57.12","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T11:36:27.59","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many new locations Forestry and Land Scotland has identified for the translocation of beavers to Scotland’s national forests in 2024. ","AnswerText":"Forestry and Land Scotland commissioned research that identified five potential additional sites for the translocation of beavers to Scotland’s national forests in 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419458,"EventID":"S6W-27217","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:57.213","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T20:36:51.78","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will request that ScotRail reviews its decision to maintain toilet access charges at Glasgow Queen Street station.","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for ScotRail.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419459,"EventID":"S6W-27255","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2633,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:57.29","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T11:34:24.483","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress of the inquiry into the death of Sheku Bayoh, including the anticipated date for the publication of the final report.","AnswerText":"The Sheku Bayoh Public Inquiry commenced evidentiary hearings on 10 May 2022. As of 2 May 2024, 102 days of evidence have been heard by Lord Bracadale including detailed evidence on the events at Hayfield Road on 3 May 2015; post-incident management by Police Scotland, COPFS and PIRC; cause of death; and Police Scotland training. The Inquiry will hear evidence on race, and whether it was a factor in Mr Bayoh’s death, in June 2024.\r\nAs the Public Inquiry is independent of Ministers, it is for the Chair to direct how the Inquiry carries out its duties. Lord Bracadale has previously confirmed that he anticipates that all the remaining evidence should be completed by the end of the year and a final report will be prepared and produced once all evidence has been heard and reviewed.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419460,"EventID":"S6W-27252","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:57.383","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T11:33:55.09","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its commitment to secure 11GW of installed offshore wind by 2030.","AnswerText":"Scotland has a current total reported potential pipeline of over 40 GW of offshore wind projects.\r\nOur Offshore Wind Policy Statement (2020) set out the Scottish Government’s ambition for 8-11 GW of offshore wind in Scotland by 2030. This is currently being reviewed in light of the significant market ambition of around 28 GW across 20 projects demonstrated by the private sector via the ScotWind leasing round.\r\nWe remain committed to achieving the ambitions as set out in the 2020 Offshore Wind Policy Statement, and will invest up to £500m over the next five years to develop the infrastructure and supply chain critical to growing Scotland’s offshore wind sector.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419461,"EventID":"S6W-27262","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:57.493","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T11:35:42.527","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what level of prioritisation has been given to taking forward the outcomes of the environmental governance review. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government consulted on a Report into the Effectiveness of Environmental Governance last year, as required by section 41 of the UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Continuity) (Scotland) Act 2021. The Report included consideration of issues relating to access to justice on environmental matters in Scotland. Section 41 required us to publish the report and launch the consultation within six months of ESS publishing their strategic plan, and in due course to publish recommendations in response to the consultation. The Scottish Government will complete the environmental governance review process as soon as practical.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419462,"EventID":"S6W-27221","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:57.583","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T01:30:02.613","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24477 by Joe FitzPatrick on 18 January 2024, for what reason the Scottish Ministers have yet to reach a decision on the proposal for this urban regeneration project in Glasgow, and whether they will now approve it without further delay.","AnswerText":"This called-in case is still under consideration and a decision will issue as soon as possible. A response on the project is expected to issue by 29 May.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419463,"EventID":"S6W-27207","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:57.677","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T16:12:14.997","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what minimum standards are required for cells in prisons and custody suites before they can be used to confine prisoners overnight.","AnswerText":"Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) has confirmed that each prison cell must be of an adequate size, fitted with a means of communication with an officer and have a standard of cleanliness.\r\nFurther, each cell used to accommodate an individual must be adequately:\r\n(a) lit by natural or artificial light;\r\n(b) heated and ventilated; and\r\n(c) furnished as is necessary and appropriate for the type of accommodation or area of the prison.\r\nThe management of the police custody suites is an operational matter for the Chief Constable. The Scottish Government supports His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland ( HMICS ) and Health Improvement Scotland (HIS) to undertake joint inspections across Police Scotland’s network of custody suites to ensure the safety of these facilities.\r\nWhere recommendations have been made, Police Scotland, working with health partners as appropriate, work to address these quickly and effectively.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419464,"EventID":"S6W-27233","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:57.787","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T08:16:30.957","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of any communications that it has had in the last 24 months with (a) the Scottish Football Association and (b) individual football clubs regarding the potential threat posed by organised crime groups.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not had any communications on organised crime with the Scottish Football Association or individual football clubs in the last 24 months.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419465,"EventID":"S6W-27241","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:57.863","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T11:32:06.32","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed the impact of speed cameras in improving driver behaviour, in light of Safety Cameras Scotland’s reported decision to deactivate 119 speed cameras across Scotland’s transport authorities. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government plans to investment £7.53m through the Scottish Safety Camera Programme (“the Programme”) in 2024/25. This is the highest level of investment in the Programme since 2007 and almost double the investment ten years ago in 2014. This acts to ensure safety camera technology continues to deliver its aim of reducing the number of casualties on Scotland’s roads by encouraging improved driver behaviour.\r\nTo maximise the casualty reduction potential of the Programme an annual safety camera site prioritisation exercise is undertaken. This robust exercise, which has been undertaken in collaboration between Police Scotland, Transport Scotland and all local road authorities, assessed the performance of approximately 500 existing safety camera sites. This process identified 13 new safety camera sites which are being progressed towards delivery, and that at 119 existing camera sites there had been a sustained positive impact on driver behaviour for a number of years and therefore no longer a priority for camera deployment and being placed into dormancy.\r\nAt each of these sites the camera infrastructure and signage will remain in place and a bag displayed over any fixed camera to indicate its non-operational status. This pause allows for a thorough assessment over a three-year period, after which decisions will be made regarding potential decommissioning or reactivation.\r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419466,"EventID":"S6W-27213","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5608,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":103,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:57.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T16:52:24.897","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide further low interest rate loans to Lar Housing Trust, in light of the reported success of its pathfinder model, in order to advance construction of new affordable homes in Granton, Edinburgh, and elsewhere in Scotland, and, if so, when.","AnswerText":"Since its creation in 2015 to the end of March 2024, LAR Housing Trust has acquired/developed 740 homes for mid-market rent supported by a Scottish Government loan of £55 million. 175 of these were previously National Housing Trust units. Whilst LAR Housing Trust has brought valued diversity to the provision of mid-market rent housing in Scotland, we carefully consider all of our delivery routes to best achieve our objectives and meet our Scottish Public Finance Manual obligations. The Scottish Government has confirmed to LAR Housing Trust that there is no provision for a further low interest rate loan.\r\nOver many years, the Scottish Government has encouraged LAR to leverage in alternative sources of capital. Building on what has been achieved to date, LAR Housing Trust is in an excellent position to innovate and pivot to new opportunities, including making progress on the sites acquired in Granton and elsewhere.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419467,"EventID":"S6W-27219","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:57.973","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T23:55:32.777","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25231 by Joe FitzPatrick on 29 February 2024, whether it will provide an update on when the (a) Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) and (b) Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme (VDLIP) will reopen to new projects.","AnswerText":"We are not yet in a position to advise on any future funding rounds for the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund or the Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme. We will be in touch with COSLA and local authorities when we have further information and will also update the website:  Capital investment for regeneration - Regeneration - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) \r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Joe FitzPatrick","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":419468,"EventID":"S6W-27214","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:58.063","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T16:55:17","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to redirect young people remanded for, or convicted of, an offence to secure accommodation where there is capacity available.","AnswerText":"It is Scottish Government policy to place children in secure accommodation where detention is required by the court. \r\nSubject to Royal Assent, once the relevant provisions in the Children (Care and Justice) Scotland Bill are commenced, this will ensure that the use of Young Offenders Institutions (YOI) will be prohibited for under 18s.\r\nThe Bill passed on 25 April - discussions have already begun with secure accommodation providers, the Scottish Prison Service, The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and local authority representatives. The aim is to arrange the transition of young people from YOI to secure care or community alternatives as soon as is safely possible. We will update Parliament once firm arrangements are in place.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419469,"EventID":"S6W-27260","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:58.093","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T11:35:27.757","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the water quality in freshwater lochs and waterways ahead of the summer bathing water season.","AnswerText":"Bathing water quality samples are taken by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) at each bathing water throughout the bathing season from 1 June to 15 September. Bathing water classifications are calculated at the end of each bathing water season and apply for the duration of the following season. They are calculated using data from the four previous years. There are three freshwater sites designated as Bathing Waters in Scotland: Luss Bay (Loch Lomond) and Dores (Loch Ness), both designated in 1999 and classified as sufficient and Loch Morlich, designated in 2008 and classified as excellent. A pre-season sample is also taken during the last fortnight in May.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419470,"EventID":"S6W-27251","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:58.17","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T11:33:49.963","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its commitment to secure 8GW to 12GW of installed onshore wind by 2030.","AnswerText":"As of December 2023, Scotland’s operational onshore wind capacity is around 9.5 GW. Within the project pipeline there is additional 13.9 GW of potential onshore wind capacity in Scotland. This consists of:1.7 GW under construction.4.8 GW awaiting construction.7.4 GW in planning.\r\nEnergy Trends: UK renewables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) \r\nRenewable Energy Planning Database: quarterly extract - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) \r\nA key industry commitment from the Onshore Wind Sector Deal was to publish a pipeline report on how Scotland may achieve its ambition of 20 GW of onshore wind by 2030. Scottish Renewables have committed to updating the report on a biannual basis.  Scottish Onshore Wind Project Pipeline Analysis Dec 23 FULL REPORT (scottishrenewables.com) ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419471,"EventID":"S6W-27204","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:58.247","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T14:25:35.593","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many issues NHS Lothian has reported against Consort Healthcare since it took ownership of the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.","AnswerText":"NHS Lothian and Consort Healthcare are in an on-going discussion on areas that have been identified where maintenance and improvement is required. This process is continuing, and NHS Lothian regularly meet and discuss all aspects of their administration with Scottish Government officials to enable support to be offered.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419472,"EventID":"S6W-27256","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:58.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T11:35:00.247","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the timescale for its commitment to designate at least one new National Park in Scotland by 2026.","AnswerText":"The deadline for nominations from communities and organisations that would like their area to be considered for designation as a new National Park was 29 February 2024. Nominations were received from the Galloway, Lochaber, Loch Awe, Scottish Borders and Tay Forest. The nominations are currently being appraised against the criteria outlined in the published appraisal framework -  New National Parks: nominations guidance and appraisal framework - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  . This appraisal framework was finalised following public consultation.\r\nFollowing the completion of this appraisal process and the submission of a report, Ministers will decide which of the nominations should be taken forward to the next stage. The National Park proposal(s) will be published and will set out the area which it is proposed should be designated as a National Park. \r\nA statutory process will then commence, starting with a detailed exploration of the National Park proposal that will be led by a ‘reporter’. This process is estimated to take around 9 months and will involve extensive consultation and engagement with local communities, stakeholders, businesses, local authorities, community councils and relevant public bodies and interest groups in order to further develop, test and refine the National Park proposal in light of local views and circumstances. \r\nThe reporter’s report to Scottish Ministers will take into account any views on the National Park proposal that are expressed during the consultation. The report will be published and laid before Parliament.\r\nFollowing the publication of this report, and subject to legal conditions being met, the Scottish Government will then lay a designation order before Parliament in order to establish the new National Park(s). This process will include a 12-week public consultation on the draft designation order. Following this period of consultation a final designation order would then be laid before parliament.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419473,"EventID":"S6W-27200","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:58.497","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T12:32:17.717","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether NHS boards have been advised of their individual financial settlements for 2024-25, and, if so, when they received this funding.","AnswerText":"NHS Boards were informed of their individual baseline budget for 2024-25 on 19 December 2023, the same day as the 2024-25 Scottish Budget.\r\nTheir baseline budget is further supplemented by Scottish Government directorate funding allocations throughout the year, to arrive at their revenue resource limit for 2024-25. NHS Boards draw cash from the Scottish Government throughout the year as required.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419474,"EventID":"S6W-27216","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:58.607","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T16:55:17","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people are currently being held in Scotland's prison estate for non-violent offences, broken down by offence type.","AnswerText":"The prison population on the morning of 6 May 2024 was 8,203 in custody. Excluding people held for index offences in Group 1 (Non-Sexual Crimes of Violence) or where the index offence could not be classified or originated outwith Scotland, provides a population of 3,927 people.\r\nFurther excluding Group 2 (Sexual Crimes) index offences of rape, attempted rape and sexual assault this population totals 2,466.\r\nThe full prison population is broken down by index offence type in the following table.\r\nWhere individuals in custody are accused or convicted of multiple offences, these are summarised by index offence. This is the offence for which they have received the longest sentence or, where they are on remand, which would on average receive the longest sentence. Each may have other associated offences for which they have received shorter sentences, or for which they have not yet been convicted, which may include acts of violence. Some offences cannot be classified in this way because the charges originate in other jurisdictions or because the data required were not available at the time the snapshot was taken.\r\nIndex Offence Group\r\nTotal\r\nGroup 1: Non-Sexual Crimes of Violence\r\n3,935\r\nGroup 2: Sexual Crimes\r\n1,686\r\n- Rape, Attempted Rape and Sexual Assault\r\n1,461\r\n- Sexual Crimes excluding Rape, Attempted Rape and Sexual Assault\r\n225\r\nGroup 3: Crimes of dishonesty\r\n462\r\nGroup 4: Damage and reckless behaviour\r\n107\r\nGroup 5: Crimes against society\r\n1,206\r\nGroup 6: Antisocial offences\r\n233\r\nGroup 7: Miscellaneous offences\r\n132\r\nGroup 8: Road traffic offences\r\n101\r\nOther Jurisdiction Charge\r\n47\r\nCould not be classified\r\n294","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419475,"EventID":"S6W-27227","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:58.683","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T08:16:30.957","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of any communications that it has had in the last 24 months with the office of the Scottish Information Commissioner regarding the vulnerable persons database that is operated by Police Scotland.","AnswerText":"The management of the interim Vulnerable Persons Database (iVPD) is a matter for Police Scotland. As with any other organisation, Police Scotland has a duty to gather and process personal data lawfully. The Scottish Government has had no communication with the office of the Scottish Information Commissioner regarding the iVPD during this period.\r\nFor further information on the iVPD please refer to answer S6W-27225 on 17 May 2024.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419476,"EventID":"S6W-27208","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:58.78","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T16:12:14.997","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what requirement exists for the maintenance of minimum standards of cleanliness and physical decency in cells in prisons and custody suites.","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:\r\nI refer the member to the response provided for S6W-27206 on 13 May 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419477,"EventID":"S6W-27218","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:58.873","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T23:51:58.237","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to its answer to question S6W-25684 by Tom Arthur on 4 March 2024, whether it will consider calculating discrete Scottish public sector net debt and publishing this in the annual Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (GERS) report.","AnswerText":"There are no plans to produce estimates of Scottish public sector net debt. The Scottish Government has limited borrowing powers, and borrowing by the UK Government is not identified to any country or region in the UK. As such it is not possible to calculate estimates of Scottish public sector net debt in the same way as other countries do.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419478,"EventID":"S6W-27254","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:58.977","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T11:34:09.89","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will report on the introduction of a working group for the delivery of the Onshore Wind Sector Deal for Scotland, and the forthcoming publication of a paper identifying the skills needed to deliver Scotland’s climate ambitions. ","AnswerText":"Oversight and governance of the Scottish Onshore Wind Sector Deal (SOWSD) is led by the Scottish Onshore Wind Strategic Leadership Group (OWSLG).\r\nThe OWSLG is accountable for delivery of the Sector Deal, including review and approval of the work programme. The group will publicly report at least annually on progress, including on the forecast of operational onshore wind to 2030 and beyond. The group currently meets on a quarterly basis, with Ministers attending meetings twice a year.\r\nIn relation to the commitment on a skills paper, the Scottish Government commissioned research to identify the skills and workforce required to support the deployment of onshore wind up to 2030. This research was published through ClimateXChange on 14 May 2024  Workforce and skills requirements in Scotland’s onshore wind industry | ClimateXChange ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419479,"EventID":"S6W-27230","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:59.087","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T08:16:30.957","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people on the Sex Offenders Register notified Police Scotland that they had formally or informally changed their name, or had used an alias, in the financial year 2023-24.","AnswerText":"This is a matter for Police Scotland and therefore the information requested is not held centrally.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419480,"EventID":"S6W-27235","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:59.18","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T08:16:30.957","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of any research that it has commissioned into the functions of the Law Officers, including the scope of any such research and its anticipated timescales.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government commissioned an expert report from Malcolm McMillan on the roles and functions of the Scottish Law Officers. The purpose of the report is to outline the history and development of the roles and functions of the Scottish Law Officers; describe their current roles and functions; highlight the role of Law Officers in a number of other jurisdictions; describe the constitutional context relevant to a review of the roles of the Scottish Law Officers; and provide a summary of insights and comments on the Scottish Law Officers’ roles from former and current holders of these offices and relevant officials. The work to publish the final report is ongoing.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419481,"EventID":"S6W-27250","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:59.29","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T11:33:29.58","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its commitment to generate 50% of Scotland’s overall energy consumption from renewable sources by 2030 and decarbonising the energy system almost completely by 2050.","AnswerText":"The Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan (ESJTP) will set clear ambitions for increasing Scotland’s renewable energy capacity. It will outline a route map of actions for the Scottish Government, the UK Government and others to take to deliver these ambitions whilst supporting a just transition.\r\nIn 2023, Scotland generated over 33 Terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity from renewable sources. The most recent consumption statistics (from 2021) show that Scotland generated the equivalent of 23.7% of its energy consumption from renewable sources.\r\nEnergy Statistics for Scotland - Q2 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) \r\nEnergy Trends: UK renewables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419482,"EventID":"S6W-27212","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:59.4","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T16:12:14.997","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there is an equivalent standard to \"certified normal accommodation\" or \"uncrowded capacity\" for prison cells in Scotland, as required for cells in England and Wales, and, if so, how many prison cells in Scotland currently exceed this capacity.","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:\r\nI refer the member to the response provided for S6W-27211 on 15 May 2024.\r\nThere is no equivalent standard to “certified normal accommodation” or “uncrowded capacity” for prison cells in Scotland.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419483,"EventID":"S6W-27196","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:59.493","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T11:15:38.77","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the four-day working week public sector pilot.","AnswerText":"Work is continuing on the 4 Day Working Week Public Sector Pilot to assess the wellbeing, environmental and productivity benefits a 4 Day Working Week could bring.\r\nSouth of Scotland Enterprise are working closely with Autonomy as our expert partner on their 32 hour working week pilot. I can also confirm that Accountant in Banking (AiB) began their 12 month pilot on 15 April 2024. Both AiB and SOSE’s hours of public service will remain the same.\r\nAutonomy will also provide support and evaluate organisations moving to a contractual 35 hour working week. This will capture valuable insights from a wider range of public bodies on different shorter work week models and be included in the 4 Day Working Week evaluation report.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419484,"EventID":"S6W-27206","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:59.603","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T16:12:14.997","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what process exists for the certification of cells in prisons and custody suites.","AnswerText":"Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) has confirmed that Cell Certification is conducted in all prison establishments. This process involves all prison cells across the estate being regularly checked a minimum of 3 times per week, with any issues being reported and acted upon immediately. Additionally, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons Scotland (HMIPS) conduct routine inspections of all prisons in Scotland, which includes inspecting decency standards within prison cells.\r\nWith regard to the management of the police custody suites, this is an operational matter for the Chief Constable. The Scottish Government also supports His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland ( HMICS ) and Health Improvement Scotland (HIS) to undertake joint inspections across Police Scotland’s network of custody suites to ensure the safety of these facilities.\r\nWhere recommendations have been made, Police Scotland, working with health partners as appropriate, work to address these quickly and effectively.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419485,"EventID":"S6W-27231","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:59.707","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T08:16:30.957","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has sought from (a) the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and (b) Police Scotland a full list of criminal offences that can be disposed of by way of a Recorded Police Warning, and, if it has such a list, whether it will provide this.","AnswerText":"The offence types covered by Recorded Police Warnings (RPWs) are a matter for the Lord Advocate as part of her independent role as head of Scotland’s system of prosecution.\r\nThe Lord Advocate issues guidelines to Police Scotland on their operation of the scheme and decisions about when to issue RPWs are an independent operational matter for Police Scotland.\r\nPublication of the guidelines would be a matter for the Lord Advocate.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419486,"EventID":"S6W-27269","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:59.783","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T11:36:35.94","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what public consultation process it carries out with local community groups when significant harvesting plans are proposed in areas that could affect national and local conservation projects. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to the principle that local communities should be involved in the decisions about land that affect them, including those relating to forestry.\r\nConsultations are an essential part of the decision-making process in forestry, and last year Scottish Forestry updated guidance that sets out the  Engagement and Consultation Processes  for forestry plans and proposals in Scotland.\r\nWhere significant harvesting plans are proposed this will normally involve two stages, firstly applicants are expected to engage with communities and neighbours, providing them with an opportunity to input `before plans have been finalised, and secondly Scottish Forestry runs a formal public consultation exercise as part of decision making process for applications involving significant tree harvesting. ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419487,"EventID":"S6W-27215","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:59.88","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T16:55:17","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many young people are currently housed in the prison estate, broken down by the category of offence for which they have been charged or convicted.","AnswerText":"On the morning of Monday 6th May 2024 there were 192 people under the age of 21 held in the prison estate. This population is broken down by index offence group in the following table.\r\nWhere individuals in custody are accused or convicted of multiple offences, these are summarised by index offence. This is the offence for which they have received the longest sentence or, where they are on remand, which would on average receive the longest sentence. Some offences cannot be classified in this way because the charges originate in other jurisdictions or because the data required was not available at the time the snapshot was taken.\r\nIndex Offence Group\r\nTotal\r\nGroup 1: Non-sexual crimes of violence\r\n106\r\nGroup 2: Sexual Crimes\r\n29\r\nGroup 3: Crimes of dishonesty\r\n15\r\nGroup 4: Damage and reckless behaviour\r\n3\r\nGroup 5: Crimes against society\r\n22\r\nGroup 6: Antisocial offences\r\n7\r\nGroup 7: Miscellaneous offences\r\n6\r\nOther jurisdiction charge\r\n2\r\nCould not be classified\r\n2","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419488,"EventID":"S6W-27197","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:47:59.973","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T11:25:51.8","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what principles and policies guide the undertaking of islands impact assessments.","AnswerText":"Sustainable and thriving island communities are vital to Scotland. The Islands (Scotland) Act 2018 emphasises the importance of ‘island-proofing’ policies to consider and address specific island characteristics when policy is being developed and delivered.\r\nIsland Communities Impact Assessments (ICIAs) help to ensure equitable and fair outcomes by finding the best ways to deliver policies for islanders. The duty to carry out ICIAs has been a legal requirement since December 2020. This means that Relevant Authorities must consider any impact on islands when developing or reviewing policies, strategies or services which are likely to have an effect on an island community which is significantly different from its impact on other communities (including other island communities).\r\nICIA guidance is available at the following link:  Island communities impact assessments: guidance and toolkit - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)\r\nAdditional support tools have also been created to guide policymakers through the process. These are available here:  Empowering our island communities - Community empowerment - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419489,"EventID":"S6W-27249","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:48:00.067","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T11:33:23.64","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will report on the timeframe for the creation of a Just Transition Plan for the Mossmorran industrial site developed in partnership with the operators of the plant, workforce and the local community. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has committed to developing a Just Transition Plan for the Mossmorran industrial complex, work will commence in early 2025. This will allow for a thorough evaluation of the approach taken at Grangemouth to maximise learning and outputs. We will follow the principles of co-design and include a wide range of appropriate stakeholders from the community, industry, workforce and public sector. The Scottish Government intends to publish the plan by the end of the parliament.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419490,"EventID":"S6W-27266","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:48:00.177","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T11:36:13.637","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether Forestry and Land Scotland plans to increase artificial nest platforms for (a) raptors in Scotland’s national forests in the two National Parks and (b) priority national conservation initiatives such as the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project. ","AnswerText":"Forestry and Land Scotland has no plans to increase the number of artificial nest platforms for (a) raptors in Scotland’s national forests in the two National Parks nor for (b) priority national conservation initiatives.\r\nThis position will be kept under review if new evidence is presented.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419491,"EventID":"S6W-27222","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:48:00.283","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T01:33:54.55","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to promote the development of Bruntwood SciTech's Met Tower digital and tech hub project in Glasgow.","AnswerText":"Scottish Enterprise has been working with partners and Bruntwood SciTech on proposals for the redevelopment of the Met Tower in Glasgow. Scottish Enterprise has advised that Bruntwood SciTech has recently confirmed that commercial property market conditions, including a fall in values and an increase in construction costs, have made the proposed redevelopment scheme commercially unviable. Discussions are ongoing to explore all options to secure investment in the city.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419492,"EventID":"S6W-27240","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:48:00.393","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T11:31:55.927","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-20438 by Fiona Hyslop on 29 August 2023, whether it will provide a progress update on the National Speed Management Review. ","AnswerText":"The National Speed Management Review is due to be completed in the coming weeks and we will then consider the proposed outcomes.\r\nThe review process will thereafter include a stakeholder and public consultation to consider their views on whether any changes to speed limit policies and speed management measures should be introduced as part of our speed management plan. The stakeholder and public consultations will take place in the coming months.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419493,"EventID":"S6W-27225","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:48:00.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T08:16:30.957","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of any communications that it has had in the last 24 months with (a) Police Scotland and (b) the Scottish Police Authority regarding the vulnerable persons database that is operated by Police Scotland.","AnswerText":"The management of the interim Vulnerable Persons Database (iVPD) is a matter for Police Scotland. As with any other organisation, Police Scotland has a duty to gather and process personal data lawfully.\r\nThe iVPD is used to source information for both (i) the annual Official Statistics on police recorded domestic abuse incidents and (ii) social research on the volume and type of police recorded hate crime in Scotland. \r\nAs part of producing these reports, Scottish Government statisticians have regular and ongoing communications with their counterparts in Police Scotland about the iVPD and the topics of domestic abuse and hate crime. Examples of this include both the planning of updated publications (such as timings for data receipt and quality assurance) and discussions on any future changes that might be made to the methodology for producing these statistics.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419494,"EventID":"S6W-27210","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:48:00.733","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T16:12:14.997","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of any risk assessment process that is undertaken before detaining multiple prisoners in single cells in prisons and custody suites, and how many \"high risk\" prisoners are currently housed alongside \"standard risk\" prisoners across the prison estate.","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: \r\nA Cell Sharing Risk Assessment is conducted on every occasion where two (or more) individuals are required to share one cell.\r\nThe process is an individualised approach where the following overarching areas are considered based on the information held on each individual;If they are likely to cause injury or harm to each otherIf they are likely to cause damage to propertyIf they are likely to otherwise prejudice the good order and running of the prison\r\nSPS do not determine individuals as ‘high’ or ‘standard’ risk through this process as it is a dynamic process used to assess each individual’s suitability to share with another or others.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419495,"EventID":"S6W-27261","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:48:00.827","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T11:35:36.307","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a progress update on Scottish Water’s commitment to increasing monitoring levels of Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs). ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26620 on 25 April 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419496,"EventID":"S6W-27237","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:48:00.92","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T09:47:55.053","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much money from the Road Safety Improvement Fund was awarded to each local authority in (a) 2022-23 and (b) 2023-24.","AnswerText":"In the financial year 2022-23 no money was awarded to local authorities for the Road Safety Improvement Fund. The proposed allocation of funding was reallocated due to the cost of living crisis and other Scottish Government pressures.\r\nFunding for 2023-24 financial year was distributed to local authorities and the figures are as follows: \r\n2023-24\r\nAberdeen City\r\n£255,838.82\r\nAberdeenshire\r\n£592,616.02\r\nAngus\r\n£243,333.15\r\nArgyll and Bute\r\n£270,011.81\r\nClackmannanshire\r\n£75,978.28\r\nDumfries and Galloway\r\n£357,906.63\r\nDundee City\r\n£198,902.00\r\nEast Ayrshire\r\n£226,112.02\r\nEast Dunbartonshire\r\n£117,324.23\r\nEast Lothian\r\n£203,605.08\r\nEast Renfrewshire\r\n£121,271.51\r\nCity of Edinburgh\r\n£841,978.99\r\nComhairle nan Eilean Siar / Western Isles\r\n£46,953.64\r\nFalkirk\r\n£247,875.25\r\nFife\r\n£580,555.58\r\nGlasgow City\r\n£941,710.68\r\nHighland\r\n£582,915.29\r\nInverclyde\r\n£114,007.22\r\nMidlothian\r\n£171,553.65\r\nMoray\r\n£149,691.42\r\nNorth Ayrshire\r\n£215,646.61\r\nNorth Lanarkshire\r\n£501,243.98\r\nOrkney Islands\r\n£31,570.86\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n£362,779.54\r\nRenfrewshire\r\n£256,725.27\r\nScottish Borders\r\n£321,701.42\r\nShetland Islands\r\n£43,474.87\r\nSouth Ayrshire\r\n£219,261.15\r\nSouth Lanarkshire\r\n£474,938.90\r\nStirling\r\n£245,688.98\r\nWest Dunbartonshire\r\n£133,670.65\r\nWest Lothian\r\n£353,156.55\r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419497,"EventID":"S6W-27263","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:48:01.013","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T11:35:49.42","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has provided options for increasing access to environmental justice in Scotland. ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27262 on 17 May 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419498,"EventID":"S6W-27228","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:48:01.123","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T08:16:30.957","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of any communications that it has had with the (a) Lord President of the Court of Session and (b) Judicial Office for Scotland regarding a public inquiry into criminal prosecutions relating to the takeover of Rangers FC, since the Scottish Government announced in February 2021 that it was committed to such an inquiry.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to a process of a judge-led inquiry once all legal proceedings are at an end. The exact form of inquiry and necessary engagement in relation to the inquiry will be determined at the point once all legal proceedings are concluded.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419499,"EventID":"S6W-27194","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16205,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:48:01.217","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T10:45:19.503","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6O-03191\r\nby Jenni Minto on 13 March 2024, whether it still expects supplies of\r\nattention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication in Scotland to have stabilised\r\nby the end of May 2024, and whether, at that point, it expects NHS\r\nScotland and NHS boards to be able to prescribe such medication to new patients.","AnswerText":"Various Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) medicines continue to experience limited and intermittent supply issues. We are aware that market data has indicated that some of these issues will continue beyond May 2024 into the Summer.\r\nAs the pricing and supply of medicines is a reserved matter for the UK Government, we continue to engage with them to find a lasting solution on minimising the impact of these medicine shortages on patients and their families.\r\nThe Chief Pharmaceutical Officer (CPO) sits on the UK Government’s Medicine Shortages Response Group (MSRG). The CPO continues to raise the issue of ADHD medicine shortages and has urged the UK Government to consider alternative solutions, if possible, for medicines with continuous and intermittent supply issues. There was general agreement that the situation wasn’t improving, and that the UK medicine supply team would consider what further could be done, including organising a meeting with the manufacturers to seek further solutions. We hope to be in a position to update on this further in due course.\r\nFor anyone who experiences difficulties in obtaining their prescribed ADHD medication, I encourage them to discuss this with their specialist, who should be able to review their circumstances and prescribe an alternative treatment if appropriate until stock supplies are stabilised.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419500,"EventID":"S6W-27238","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:48:01.323","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T10:23:31.407","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many visitors each VisitScotland iCentre had in 2023. ","AnswerText":"This data is not held centrally by the Scottish Government but VisitScotland’s data shows that footfall to iCentres has decreased significantly over several years. The decrease from 2019 to 2023 ranges from 16% to 57% across 25 locations.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419501,"EventID":"S6W-27264","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:48:01.417","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T11:35:59.007","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address the current reported breach of Article 9 of the Aarhus Convention, and how any remedies will be implemented before the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee’s deadline of 1 October 2024.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is working on a contribution to the UK's report to the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee- detailing the actions being taken to ensure to ensure compliance with the convention. It will be published this summer.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419502,"EventID":"S6W-27226","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:48:01.503","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T08:16:30.957","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of any communications that it has had in the last 24 months with the Information Commissioner’s Office regarding the vulnerable persons database that is operated by Police Scotland.","AnswerText":"The management of the interim Vulnerable Persons Database (iVPD) is a matter for Police Scotland. As with any other organisation, Police Scotland has a duty to gather and process personal data lawfully. The Scottish Government has had no communication with the Information Commissioner's Office regarding the iVPD during this period.\r\nFor further information on the iVPD please refer to answer S6W-27225 on 17 May 2024.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419503,"EventID":"S6W-27223","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:48:01.6","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T02:09:55.343","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25983 by Fiona Hyslop on 18 March 2024, for what reason the name of the financial institution providing the Bank Refund Guarantee (BRG) is deemed to be commercially confidential.","AnswerText":"CMAL has taken further advice on this question. The financial institutions providing the bank refund guarantees for the Little Minch vessels are Yapi Kredi and Halk Bank respectively.\r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419504,"EventID":"S6W-27243","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:48:01.707","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T11:32:23.983","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the timeline and process towards delivering its commitment to introducing Low Emission Zone (LEZ) schemes in (a) Edinburgh, (b) Aberdeen, and (c) Dundee. ","AnswerText":"Low Emission Zones (LEZs) were formally introduced in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow on 31st May 2022, with grace periods beginning at this point.\r\nEnforcement in Glasgow began on 1 June 2023 (with an additional year for residents within the zone). Enforcement in Dundee will begin on 30 th May 2024 and in Aberdeen and Edinburgh on 1 June 2024.\r\nTransport Scotland continues to work closely with local authorities and DVLA to ensure consistency in the approach to LEZ enforcement.\r\nTransport Scotland is confident that these measures will lead to a reduction of harmful emissions in our city centres.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419505,"EventID":"S6W-27220","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:48:01.8","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T23:58:17.637","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24902 by Shona Robison on 21 February 2024, whether it will consider the possible development of a methodology for calculating a discrete tax to GDP ratio for Scotland as part of the annual Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (GERS) report.","AnswerText":"The Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (GERS) report sets out the ratio of total revenue to GDP for Scotland, which in 2022-23 was 41.1%. This presentation is consistent with the UK Public Sector Finances. The latest GERS publication is available at:\r\nGovernment Expenditure and Revenue Scotland 2022-23 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419506,"EventID":"S6W-27198","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:48:01.897","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T11:25:51.8","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is the case that an islands impact assessment was undertaken in relation to VisitScotland's proposal to close its iCentres across Scotland, and, if it is not the case, for what reason it decided not to undertake such an assessment.","AnswerText":"Under the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018, VisitScotland is required to consider island communities when carrying out its functions. \r\nVisitScotland published an Islands Impact Screening Assessment in March 2024 which is available at  https://www.visitscotland.org/about-us/our-policies/island-communities-impact-assessments  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419507,"EventID":"S6W-27253","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-02T16:48:02.02","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T11:34:00.283","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its commitment to decarbonising the heating of at least one million homes by 2030. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has already confirmed to Parliament – at the launch of our consultation on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill in November 2023 – that decarbonising 1 million homes by 2030 is not achievable. This was based on a reassessment, in the face of the continuing cost of living crisis and higher energy prices, of what would be fair and feasible to achieve over the short term.\r\nOur target for all buildings to be zero carbon by 2045 remains. Shifting more of the transition to clean heat into the early 2030s allows us to benefit from the technological innovation already taking place to build workforce capacity, consumer demand and economies of scale required.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419522,"EventID":"S6W-27281","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-03T15:39:55.68","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-03T09:42:00.457","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to revise any guidance on political activity in schools during a General Election period.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has no plans to issue guidance on political activity in schools during a General Election period. This is a matter for local authorities who have the statutory responsibility for the delivery of education.\r\nIt is important that our pupils understand the democratic process in Scotland, the UK and further afield. Learning and teaching should be conducted in a non-partisan and non-party political basis. Local authorities have a role in ensuring their schools can engage confidently with election issues and that balance and impartiality are respected.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419523,"EventID":"S6W-27295","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-03T15:39:55.853","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-03T11:36:37.347","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will repeal the short-term lets regulations, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.","AnswerText":"We remain committed to the current regulation of short-term let accommodation. Over the last decade the sector has both grown significantly and changed in nature. That has brought economic benefits but also raised concerns about consistency of quality and the impact on neighbourhoods. The introduction of licensing brings short-term lets in line with other accommodation such as hotels and caravan parks, providing assurance to guests on safety and quality such as gas and electrical safety compliance and the suitability of hosts.\r\nI am currently preparing an update for Parliament on the implementation of short-term let licensing. This will outline findings from our monitoring and ongoing engagement with stakeholders.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419524,"EventID":"S6W-27285","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5800,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-03T15:39:55.93","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-03T09:44:07.353","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has undertaken with stakeholders in relation to wildfire prevention ahead of summer 2024. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Wildfire Forum, which is chaired by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, includes Local Authorities, Regional Resilience Partnerships and other Agencies as members to assess wildfire risks and consider what mitigating actions might be taken.\r\nAlongside the Forum, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service continue to work closely with land managers and local communities prevent wildfires ever occurring.\r\nWork is also ongoing within our National Parks to address concerns around the risk and impact of wildfires. The Cairngorms National Park (CNP) consultation on Fire Management, which ran from February to April of this year, sought views on proposals to reduce fire management byelaws which aim to reduce the risk of wildfires being ignited, and on how the Park Authority might enhance its communication and education approach.\r\nBoth the CNP and Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park also engage with key stakeholders through Visit Scotland’s Visitor Management Strategy Group  Visitor Management: Scotland's Plan & Objectives | VisitScotland.org  t o develop messaging around visitor related fires.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419525,"EventID":"S6W-27288","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5800,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-03T15:39:55.993","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-03T09:44:07.353","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to use digital and social media platforms to effectively disseminate wildfire prevention information to the public. ","AnswerText":"Efficient and effective dissemination of wildfire prevention information to the public is key to preventing wildfires. Before igniting any flames in a rural or outdoor setting, the SFRS encourage everyone to check which area of Scotland may be at threat of wildfires. If a threat is in place, the key prevention advice from the SFRS is that people should refrain from igniting any flames. People can check the current threat levels in their area by visiting the following SFRS website:\r\nhttps://www.firescotland.gov.uk/outdoors/wildfires/wildfire-danger-assessments/ \r\nWhen Scotland is at a high threat of wildfires, the SFRS work in partnership with the Scottish Wildfire Forum (SWF), to alert the public and partners to the threat of wildfires by issuing “Wildfire Danger Assessments”. SFRS issue alerts through their social media channels, their website and local media outlets, and request assistance from Local Authorities across Scotland to share safety messaging to seek engagement with as many members of public as possible. These warnings detail which areas across Scotland are most likely to be affected. The SFRS also alert the Scottish Government who pro-actively re-issue these warnings across digital and social media platforms.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419526,"EventID":"S6W-27297","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-03T15:39:56.04","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-03T11:36:37.347","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will drop its proposed changes to deer management, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.","AnswerText":"We are currently facing a climate and biodiversity crisis. High densities of herbivores such as deer can have a very serious impact on our forests and land by trampling and overgrazing.\r\nOur 2021 response  to the  report by the independent Deer Working Group (DWG),  recognised that a much greater urgency to our efforts to ensure sustainable deer management is required.\r\nAs Roseanna Cunningham, then Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform set out in that response, “protection of the massive and essential investments we are making in natural solutions to reduce carbon emissions and to enhance and restore biodiversity in Scotland have to be the main focus of our deer management policy”.\r\nWe remain committed to modernising Scotland’s systems of deer management and implement recommendations made by the DWG as set out in both that response and the  2021-22 Programme for Government  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419527,"EventID":"S6W-27274","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-03T15:39:56.103","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T13:31:19.033","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many individual (a) employers and (b) learners used the Flexible Workforce Development Fund in each year since its inception in 2017-18. ","AnswerText":"Based on data provided by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) (academic years 2017-2023) and Skills Development Scotland (2020-2023), the number of employers supported in each year since the start of the Flexible Workforce Development Fund (FWDF) is set out below. Please note that the SFC element of the 2022-23 figure is based on interim data which will be finalised in the coming months.\r\nEmployers supported by FWDF \r\nAcademic year\r\nTotal\r\n2017-18\r\n687\r\n2018-19\r\n750\r\n2019-20\r\n741\r\n2020-21\r\n1,753\r\n2021-22\r\n2,051\r\n2022-23\r\n1,642\r\nBased on data provided by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) (2017-2022) and Skills Development Scotland (2020-2022), the number of individuals supported in each year since the start of the FWDF is set out below. Please note that SFC learner figures for 2022-23 are not yet available and will be finalised in the coming months so no figure has been provided for this academic year. The figures on individuals may vary from the published evaluation figures as it is a record of individuals, not enrolments. Some individuals will have enrolled more than once in an academic year.\r\nIndividuals on FWDF courses at Scottish colleges by academic year \r\nAcademic year\r\nTotal\r\n2017-18\r\n7,865\r\n2018-19\r\n19,285\r\n2019-20\r\n19,540\r\n2020-21\r\n22,137\r\n2021-22\r\n29,539\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419528,"EventID":"S6W-27294","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-03T15:39:56.163","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-03T11:36:37.347","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will remove the ban on wood burning stoves in new build homes, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.","AnswerText":"Although there is no blanket ban on wood burning stoves, the Scottish Government has been listening to the concerns raised over the past weeks about the reliance on biomass and wood burning stoves in rural and remote areas, and is taking these fully on board.\r\nThe New Build Heat Standard, as it currently stands, applies only to new buildings and certain types of conversions applying for a building warrant from 1 April 2024. Wood burning stoves or other ‘direct emission heating systems’ can under this current standard still be installed to provide ‘emergency heating’.\r\nHowever, we acknowledge that the way in which technical guidance is currently drafted on what constitutes emergency heating can be difficult to reconcile with the nature of wood burning stoves which are often installed for more frequent use, rather than solely as emergency systems, particularly in rural homes. We are currently considering the guidance and will work with concerned parties, developers, and Local Authorities to ensure any updates to the existing technical guidance address these concerns.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419529,"EventID":"S6W-27287","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5800,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-03T15:39:56.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-03T09:44:07.353","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has allocated to fighting wildfires in Scotland in each of the last 10 years. ","AnswerText":"Since 2017-18 there have been substantial year on year increases in funding to support SFRS to create a modern and effective fire and rescue service. The 2024-25 budget for SFRS, at £393.3 million, is over £78m higher that the 2017-18 equivalent figure. All firefighters carry out a variety of prevention and response related roles and the Scottish Government does not allocate funding to SFRS for specific types of incidents. Decisions on the allocation of resources are a matter for the SFRS Board and Chief Officer.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419530,"EventID":"S6W-27275","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16195,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-03T15:39:56.27","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T16:52:15.617","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on the two FAST (Face, Arms, Speech, Time) stroke awareness commitments in the Stroke Improvement Plan 2023, and when it plans to run a FAST media campaign.","AnswerText":"There are two commitments relating to FAST In the Stroke Improvement Plan 2023:\r\n1. Establish the current degree of public understanding of FAST stroke symptoms and the action required, and whether certain at-risk groups require different messaging.\r\n2. Support the delivery of FAST campaigns, working with third sector organisations, and ensure messaging reaches all at-risk groups.\r\nWork to establish the existing understanding of stroke symptoms and FAST, including variations across demographics, has been completed via quantitative research.\r\nThe findings of this research will help to inform the strategic direction of a future stoke marketing campaign. The Scottish Government does not yet have a finalised timescale for running a campaign.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419531,"EventID":"S6W-27290","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5800,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-03T15:39:56.317","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-03T09:44:07.353","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will detail its investment in state-of-the-art technology and aerial surveillance for early detection and response to wildfires. ","AnswerText":"Decisions on the allocation of resources are a matter for the SFRS Board and Chief Officer. Techniques for fighting fires are an operational matter for SFRS.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419532,"EventID":"S6W-27279","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-03T15:39:56.363","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T16:55:25.99","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been made of any impact on bridge infrastructure of the increased weight payload of electric vehicles, in light of the forthcoming 2030 deadline for prohibiting the sale of new combustion engine cars.","AnswerText":"There has been no specific assessment of impact on bridge infrastructure in light of cessation of sale of combustion engine cars in 2030. Design loading for bridges is primarily influenced by heavy goods vehicles. The slight increase in the weight of cars from 2030 is not expected to affect this loading.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419533,"EventID":"S6W-27280","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-03T15:39:56.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T17:03:24.543","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the availability of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication.","AnswerText":"Various Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) medicines continue to experience limited and intermittent supply issues. We are aware that market data has indicated that some of these issues will continue beyond May 2024 into the Summer.\r\nAs the pricing and supply of medicines is a reserved matter for the UK Government, we continue to engage with them to find a lasting solution on minimising the impact of these medicine shortages on patients and their families.\r\nThe Chief Pharmaceutical Officer (CPO) sits on the UK Government’s Medicine Shortages Response Group (MSRG). The CPO continues to raise the issue of ADHD medicine shortages and has urged the UK Government to consider alternative solutions, if possible, for medicines with continuous and intermittent supply issues. There was general agreement that the situation wasn’t improving, and that the UK medicine supply team would consider what further could be done, including organising a meeting with the manufacturers to seek further solutions. We hope to be in a position to update on this further in due course.\r\nFor anyone who experiences difficulties in obtaining their prescribed ADHD medication, I encourage them to discuss this with their specialist, who should be able to review their circumstances and prescribe an alternative treatment if appropriate until stock supplies are stabilised.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419534,"EventID":"S6W-27272","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-03T15:39:56.487","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T12:46:33.717","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the Scottish Sentencing Council regarding sentencing in cases where miscarriage or forced termination has occurred as a serious aggravation of domestic abuse.","AnswerText":"Instances where miscarriage or forced termination has taken place because of domestic violence reflects the most tragic of circumstances based on the cruel realities of domestic abuse.\r\nJust two weeks ago, this Parliament debated a Petition on the creation of an unborn victims of violence offence, where we heard about the harrowing realities of domestic abuse that were suffered by the Petitioner, Nicola Murray.\r\nFollowing the debate, my officials have been in contact with the Sentencing Council to ascertain the next steps in their development of guidelines on domestic abuse. As this Parliament recognised, the outcome of this work is fundamental in determining next steps. I look forward to how this progresses as we look to root out and tackle the toxic masculinity and gender inequality that leads to violence, harassment, misogyny and abuse against women.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419535,"EventID":"S6W-27296","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-03T15:39:56.537","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-03T11:36:37.347","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will remove the requirements relating to compulsory compliance with minimum energy efficiency and the installation of decarbonised heating systems from its proposed Heat in Buildings Bill, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.","AnswerText":"In November 2023 Scottish Government published a consultation on Proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill. This included proposals to set a Heat in Buildings Standard, which would prohibit the use of polluting heating systems after 2045 and require homes to meet a minimum energy efficiency standard. The consultation also asked for views on how to monitor and enforce this Standard, including the role for modifications and exemptions. The consultation closed in March 2024 and independent analysis of the c.1650 responses is currently underway. We will use this analysis to help our thinking going forward, and the First Minister will set out his policy and legislative priorities for the remainder of the parliamentary session in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419536,"EventID":"S6W-27284","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5800,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-03T15:39:56.583","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-03T09:44:07.353","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of the economic impact of wildfires. ","AnswerText":"Wildfires are costly to fight and can cause significant damage to woodland as well as water catchments and other ecosystem services. We know that wildfires can not only result in substantial carbon loss but also cause damage to our wildlife and require costly restoration in the aftermath.\r\nWhere a wildfire has occurred on land managed by Forestry and Land Scotland, FLS monitors the area damaged by fire, it’s cause if known, and an estimate of the SFRS resource used. Last year the burnt area of the FLS estate increased from over 250 hectares in 2022 to over 340 hectares in 2023. The scale of the impact of a wildfire will depend on the severity and in some cases that recovery will be quicker than others, but research has shown that even relatively small peat carbon losses from combustion take 10 to 30 years to reaccumulate post-fire.\r\nIn March of this year we published a Fire Danger Assessment of Scottish Habitat Types  Deliverable-D2_3b-Fire-Danger-Fuels-Final-6-3-23.pdf (hutton.ac.uk)  as part of our Strategic Research Programme for Climate Change Impacts on Natural Capital. That report, carried out by the James Hutton Institute, includes consideration of wildfires in Scotland. However we have not undertaken any research into the economic impact of wildfires more specifically.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419537,"EventID":"S6W-27289","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5800,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-03T15:39:56.643","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-03T09:44:07.353","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is facilitating community engagement and supporting grassroots or volunteer initiatives to support wildfire prevention efforts. ","AnswerText":"As we expect to see more extreme weather events, and further warming in Scotland, the Scottish Government recognises how important it is to adapt and prepare for the impacts of climate change.\r\nOur land managers and local communities have a vital role in mitigating and responding to wildfires. In line with the Fire and Rescue Service Wildfire Operational Guidance  Fire and Rescue Service Wildfire Operational Guidance - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  t he Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) continues to encourage and support the formation of local fire groups such as those operating in North and South Grampian as well as Badenoch and Speyside.\r\nAt recent significant wildfires, the involvement of partners has been instrumental in successfully managing the incidents. SFRS have, and will continue to, learn from these experiences as well as consider where improvements can be made.\r\nWildfire mitigation is an important part of land management, and the Scottish Government will continue to engage with communities to ensure we are able to respond to wildfire risks.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419538,"EventID":"S6W-27286","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5800,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-03T15:39:56.69","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-03T09:44:07.353","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what additional resources it is making available to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to deal with wildfires. ","AnswerText":"Decisions on the allocation of resources are a matter for the SFRS Board and Chief Officer.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419539,"EventID":"S6W-27293","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5800,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-03T15:39:56.737","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-03T09:44:07.353","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what metrics it uses, or assessments it undertakes, regarding the effectiveness of existing wildfire prevention strategies, and whether it will outline its related roadmap for ongoing refinement and adaptation. ","AnswerText":"One of the major contributors to the increase in wildfire risk comes as a result of climate change. The 2022 Fire and Rescue Framework sets out seven strategic priorities for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS). Strategic Priority 4 is focused on climate change, and ensuring that SFRS is suitably equipped to respond to the realities of our changing climate, including wildfires.\r\nOn a practical level, planning for and taking action to prevent wildfire is the responsibility of the land owner, with SFRS as Category 1 Responders under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004.\r\nWhile we know that the majority of wildfires in Scotland are related to grassland and moorland, rather than forest land, wildfires can move into woodland once established. That is why guidance on  Building wildfire resilence into forest management planning (forestresearch.gov.uk)  Practice Guide 22) was published in 2014 to support the UK Forestry Standard, and help reduce the likelihood and severity of wildfires in forests and woodlands, especially given the increased risk of fire due to climate change.\r\nThe  Scottish Forestry - Wildfire prevention  published by Scottish Forestry in 2023, supports forest owners, planners, and managers in Scotland to implement Practice Guide 22 in a Scottish context, to understand the wildfire risk to the forests they manage, and how to reduce this risk through good practice in forest design and planning.\r\nAs we continue to work to meet the challenge of changing climates we will continue to assess the suitability of our climate plans and strategies.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419540,"EventID":"S6W-27282","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-03T15:39:56.8","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-03T09:42:00.457","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to revise the rules governing political impartiality in schools.","AnswerText":"There are no current plans to revise the rules governing political impartiality in schools. This is a matter for local authorities who have the statutory responsibility for the delivery of education.\r\nIt is important that our pupils understand the democratic process in Scotland, the UK and further afield. Learning and teaching should be conducted in a non-partisan and non-party political basis. Local authorities also have a role in ensuring their schools can engage confidently with election issues and that balance and impartiality are respected.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419541,"EventID":"S6W-27273","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-03T15:39:56.863","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T12:47:38.707","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to prevent domestic violence in Lanarkshire.","AnswerText":"Firstly, I would reiterate that violence against women is a fundamental violation of human rights and is totally unacceptable.\r\nIt is also important to highlight that the Lanarkshire division within Police Scotland play an important local role in preventing domestic abuse and safeguarding women and girls. This is reflected within the Local Policing Plan which has a particular focus on Gender Based Abuse.\r\nI would also advise that the Lanarkshire Division are currently collaborating on a pilot project with partners from Women’s Aid and Lanarkshire Rape Crisis to establish a crisis centre supporting women and children fleeing domestic abuse. I would hope we might be able to say more about that at an appropriate point.\r\nFinally, I would add that over £1.4m of the Scottish Government’s Delivering Equally Safe Fund has been allocated in grant funding this financial year in Lanarkshire. This includes funding to a range of organisations such as Motherwell & District Women’s Aid and Liber8 who support women affected by gender-based violence.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419542,"EventID":"S6W-27246","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-03T15:39:56.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T11:32:51.603","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on what percentage of greenhouse gas emissions was produced by private jets departing from and arriving at Scotland’s airports between 2018 and 2023. ","AnswerText":"The information requested is not held centrally. The Scottish Government does publish annual Scottish Greenhouse Gas Statistics, which include domestic and international aviation, but it is not possible to break these down by scheduled or non-scheduled flight, or by the type of engine powering each aircraft. Therefore, it is not possible to determine emissions from private jets.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419543,"EventID":"S6W-27283","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5800,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-03T15:39:56.973","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-03T09:44:07.353","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to raise public awareness of wildfire prevention. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government’s public agencies are running promotional campaigns to support responsible enjoyment of the countryside, as part of the wider national visitor management strategy co-ordinated by VisitScotland. This includes messaging which relates to responsible lighting of fires, strongly emphasising for example the use of camping stoves. It also highlights the need to follow any relevant local guidance and promotes sensible behaviours. The campaigns are being taken forward through both traditional and social media, including work with online influencers to help reach audiences that are otherwise difficult to engage.\r\nFigures show there has been widespread public engagement with these campaigns over previous summer periods. For example, in 2023 NatureScot's social media influencer videos on responsible camping and fires had over 82,000 plays, and media campaigns by Forestry and Land Scotland and Cairngorms National Park Authority had a combined readership of over 3.1 million. It seems likely that the presence of rangers at key hotspots is important in allowing regular face to face interaction with visitors.\r\nIn addition, land managers have been advised to use time limited local signage or other communication methods to inform people when there are high risk conditions, working with local authorities and National Park Authorities. The fires messaging framework has recently been refreshed.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419544,"EventID":"S6W-27277","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-03T15:39:57.037","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T16:53:35.53","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the work to upgrade existing fibre broadband connections to fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) connections across Scotland; what the projected timeline is for this upgrade work; what steps are being taken to ensure that people can benefit from this work, in light of reports of some landlords not allowing permission for their property to be connected to FTTP networks, and how it can ensure that the pricing of FTTP broadband remains affordable, in light of the roll-out receiving public funding.","AnswerText":"The latest update to Ofcom’s Connected Nations report shows that full fibre coverage across Scotland now currently stands at 58%, which represents an increase of 5 percentage points – around 138,000 premises – over the previous three months. This means that over 1.57 million homes and businesses in Scotland can now access a full fibre broadband service.\r\nWhile most of this full fibre deployment has been delivered commercially, the over-£600 million that the Scottish Government is investing in the Reaching 100% (R100) programme is ensuring that homes and businesses in some of Scotland’s harder-to-reach communities are also benefitting from future-proofed full fibre digital connectivity.\r\nWhere it is not possible for an operator to reach agreement with landlords, they can seek to have one imposed by the courts. The UK Government has recently reformed the Electronic Communications Code to make this process easier and we are working with operators to understand any issues, so that we can press the UK Government if further reform is needed.\r\nWhile the Scottish Government is funding build through the R100 contracts, it is doing so through a gap funding model, whereby it is subsidising our delivery partner, Openreach, to extend its own commercial network across Scotland. As you will know, all regulation and legislative competence in the area of telecommunications is wholly reserved to UK Ministers and the UK Parliament under the provisions of the Scotland Act 1998. As such, the Scottish Government has no mechanism for intervening on any commercial decisions a telecoms operator chooses to make, such as how much they charge for installation, services etc. Responsibility for commercial matters of this nature ultimately rests solely with Ofcom in its capacity as the UK’s telecoms regulator.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419545,"EventID":"S6W-27292","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5800,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-03T15:39:57.1","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-03T09:44:07.353","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to promote inter-agency co-operation and partnerships with national and local stakeholders to address the underlying factors contributing to wildfires in Scotland. ","AnswerText":"Scotland’s natural environment, the conditions of vegetation and the weather in Scotland at certain times of year lend themselves to fires starting and spreading quickly.\r\nAddressing those risks is a key priority for both the Scottish Government and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. Through the Scottish Wildfire Forum, chaired by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, and VisitScotland’s  Visitor Management: Scotland's Plan & Objectives | VisitScotland.org  our agencies and partners come together to plan for and collaborate on issues such as wildfire education.\r\nThe Scottish Government is responding to the full range of climate risks identified for Scotland through our 2019 Adaptation Plan, which sets out more than 170 policies and proposals to build resilience to the impacts of global climate change as part of our Just Transition to net zero emissions by 2045. In Autumn 2024 we will publish a third Adaptation Plan, recognising the increased nature of climate risk and planning for a climate resilient Scotland.\r\nSince 2020, SG has invested £66m to restore 18,500 ha of degraded peatlands across approximately 230 projects/sites spread all across Scotland  [1]  . The Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024 strictly regulates the use of muirburn, with exceptions to allow fuel load management. It also requires those carrying out muirburn to have completed an approved training course.\r\nAs we work to combat the effects of the climate crisis, we will continue to consider how our agencies and partners work together to address the risks of wildfire.\r\n[1]  Figures from 2020 to 2023.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419546,"EventID":"S6W-27245","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-03T15:39:57.147","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T11:32:43.897","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-17938 by Kevin Stewart on 25 May 2023, whether it will provide an update on how many journeys have been completed by young people using a free bus pass through the Young Persons' (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel scheme, based on the latest information available.","AnswerText":"As of Tuesday 30 April 2024, there had been a total of 137,014,833 journeys made under the Young Persons’ (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel Scheme.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419547,"EventID":"S6W-27298","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-03T15:39:57.193","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-03T11:36:37.347","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will withdraw the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not plan to withdraw the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill. The Bill, if passed, will give councils the power to introduce a visitor levy in all or part of their area, if they think it is right to do so and after they have consulted local businesses, communities, and tourism organisations. A visitor levy can be a force for good, delivering benefits for businesses, communities, and visitors.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419550,"EventID":"S6T-01965","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T10:37:34.567","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T08:51:39.86","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that a large volume of data has been published onto the dark web, following the recent cyber attack on NHS Dumfries and Galloway.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419551,"EventID":"S6T-01964","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T10:37:34.503","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T08:09:51.45","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recently reported developments, what plans are being made to support the continued operation of the Grangemouth refinery.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419552,"EventID":"S6F-03088","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T11:04:02.303","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T11:11:49.663","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419553,"EventID":"S6F-03089","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5586,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T11:04:02.397","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T11:12:57.19","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419554,"EventID":"S6F-03090","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":2892,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T11:04:02.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T11:31:24.093","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419555,"EventID":"S6F-03100","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16178,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":78,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T11:04:03.023","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T07:26:58.953","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what support the Scottish Government is providing to women in enterprise.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419556,"EventID":"S6F-03107","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T11:04:03.447","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T09:01:46.893","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on the Scottish Government’s progress towards its target to increase the number of residential rehabilitation beds in Scotland to 650 by 2026.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419557,"EventID":"S6F-03095","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T11:04:02.757","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-06T17:35:05.673","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to reports that the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service continued to prosecute postmasters when there was evidence that the Horizon computer system used by the Post Office was flawed.  ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419558,"EventID":"S6F-03103","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5866,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T11:04:03.213","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T08:34:21.787","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to reports that Scotland has the highest suicide rate in the UK, with young men being three times more likely to die than women.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-05-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419559,"EventID":"S6W-27336","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":16186,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":120,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T11:41:01.487","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T11:36:06.83","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the timing of the 2024 Medium-Term Financial Strategy, draft Tax Strategy and reset of the Infrastructure Investment Plan Pipeline.","AnswerText":"The Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) sets out the Scottish Government’s strategy for delivering fiscal sustainability, the economic and fiscal outlooks for the next five years and key fiscal risks over the medium term.\r\nThe MTFS was due to be published on Thursday 30 May. The MTFS was due to published as part of a suite of publications including the draft Tax Strategy, and the Infrastructure Investment Plan Annual report, which will include the reset of the pipeline. However, as a result of the resignation of the previous First Minister these will need to be postponed. This decision was based on several factors, with key policy decisions unable to take place to meet agreed deadlines with the Scottish Fiscal Commission (SFC), who were due to provide updated fiscal and economic forecasts alongside the MTFS on 30 May.\r\nWe recognise the vital role these documents play in allowing this Parliament to conduct pre-Budget scrutiny and will communicate a new date for publication as soon as possible. We have also asked the SFC to pause work on developing its forecasts, with this recommencing once a new date has been agreed.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419572,"EventID":"S6W-27291","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5800,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T16:24:39.48","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-03T09:44:07.353","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of its multi-faceted approach to wildfire prevention, including any forthcoming public awareness campaigns and education programmes. ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27283 on 28 May 2024.. This year’s public awareness campaigns will build upon and enhance those of 2023.\r\nThe Scottish Outdoor Access Code education pack was refreshed in 2023 and is aimed at teachers, leaders and others working with young people, with viewing figures of nearly 13,000 times since it was updated. This year NatureScot will focus on raising awareness of this resource amongst uniformed groups such as the Scout Association and in relevant university and college courses.\r\nNatureScot are also working with the Scottish Advisory Panel for Outdoor Education and the Outdoor Learning network to improve guidance and ensure consistency in messaging about fires in the outdoors.\r\nYoung Scot have created a series of animations conveying key messages from the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. During 2023-24, there were over 1500 visits to these webpages. Young Scot are presently planning the social media campaign for summer 2024 with an outdoors focus.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419573,"EventID":"S6W-27236","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T16:24:39.823","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T09:39:52.353","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-17778 by Graeme Dey on 23 May 2023, whether it will provide updated information on how many (a) modern, (b) foundation and (c) graduate apprenticeship learning providers there have been since 2019-20, based on the latest information available.","AnswerText":"The number of Apprenticeship providers by year are as follows:\r\nYear\r\nModern Apprenticeship Providers\r\nFoundation Apprenticeship Providers\r\nGraduate Apprenticeship Providers\r\n2019-20\r\n256\r\n39\r\n15\r\n2020-21\r\n255\r\n39\r\n14\r\n2021-22\r\n243\r\n40\r\n12\r\n2022-23\r\n228\r\n39\r\n12\r\n2023-24\r\n205\r\n44\r\n11\r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419574,"EventID":"S6W-27338","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T16:24:39.887","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T11:57:39.52","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy on 18 April 2024, when it expects the Just Transition Plan for Mossmorran to be published. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has committed to developing a Just Transition Plan for the Mossmorran industrial complex following delivery of the Grangemouth Just Transition Plan. Work will commence in early 2025. This will allow for a thorough evaluation of the approach taken at Grangemouth to maximise learning and outputs. The Scottish Government intends to publish the Just Transition Plan for Mossmorran by the end of the parliament.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419575,"EventID":"S6W-27310","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T16:24:39.95","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T09:50:36.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its response to the Freedom of Information request, FOI/202400394662, for what reason only 14 properties in the Western Isles have been connected to superfast broadband through the R100 programme since it was established in 2016.","AnswerText":"The Western Isles fall within the £421.6 million Scottish Government investment in the R100 North contract which is expected to connect over 2,200 premises across the Western Isles to full fibre broadband. Work is currently scheduled to begin in the latter half of 2025.\r\nAs at 15 April 2024, 30 connections had been delivered through our demand-led R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher scheme, with a further 24 vouchers requested.\r\nBetween 2014 and 2020 the publicly-funded Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband (DSSB) Programme brought a minimum of a superfast broadband service to over 12,600 premises across the Western Isles with new subsea cables laid across the west coast of Scotland delivering fibre connections to the Western Isles for the first time.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419576,"EventID":"S6W-27316","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T16:24:40.03","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T09:50:36.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of any financial support that it offers towards the construction of private mobile phone networks. ","AnswerText":"There is no financial support currently available from the Scottish Government towards the construction of private mobile phone networks.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419577,"EventID":"S6W-27300","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T16:24:40.09","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-04T15:37:59.34","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it is not emulating the approach of the Danish Energy Agency by taking a 20% state ownership share in the development of new offshore wind farms.","AnswerText":"We are committed to maximising the public benefits of our renewables revolution and will explore all options open to us to do so.\r\nScotWind reflects very significant market ambition for offshore wind in Scottish waters and will deliver over £750m in revenues to the public purse in initial option fees.\r\nINTOG projects offer a further significant potential revenue stream for the Scottish Government, amounting to up to £261m in option fees if these are converted to full option agreements.\r\nWe are already investing these revenues in our journey to net zero, and the Scottish Budget sets out the multi-million pound investment in 2024-25 to ensure the Scottish workforce, businesses and communities all benefit from the offshore renewables revolution. The programmes promise to also deliver billions more in rental revenues once they become operational, to be invested for the benefit of the people of Scotland, creating thousands of jobs in the process.\r\nDevelopers have also committed to invest an average projection of £1.5 bn in Scotland per project on the 20 ScotWind projects.\r\nOur strategic investment of up to £500m over the next five years to anchor the offshore wind supply chain in Scotland will support market certainty, create a highly productive, competitive economy, provide thousands of new jobs, embed innovation and boost skills.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419578,"EventID":"S6W-27304","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T16:24:40.17","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T09:50:36.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will support NHS boards, in light of NHS Highland reportedly stating that it is no longer able to provide its pilot service for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessment and treatment due to the ending of the Mental Health Recovery and Renewal Fund.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government provided funding for adult neurodevelopmental pathway trials in 2022. Following the adult neurodevelopmental pilots, a final report was published in March 2023 outlining what is required to provide a multi-disciplinary neurodevelopmental approach across Scotland. The Scottish Government has accepted the recommendations and we are working with the National Autism Implementation Team (NAIT) on implementation. This included launching a new Neuro-affirming Community of Practice in October last year.\r\nThe Scottish Government funds the NAIT to support local areas to improve their neurodevelopmental support and diagnosis for adults. Additionally, the Scottish Government has commissioned work through NHS Education for Scotland and the NAIT to provide a range of professional learning about ADHD and neurodevelopmental conditions.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419579,"EventID":"S6W-27342","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T16:24:40.247","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T12:03:22.47","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy on 18 April 2024, whether it plans to establish a board to oversee the development of the Just Transition Plan for Mossmorran, similar to the Grangemouth Future Industry Board. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government intends to establish a board to oversee and co-design the development of the Just Transition Plan for Mossmorran and will take cognisance of any learnings from the Grangemouth Future Industry Board.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419580,"EventID":"S6W-27307","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T16:24:40.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T09:50:36.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can confirm which local authority areas each member of the Young Islanders Network is from. ","AnswerText":"The Young Islanders Network’s extensive membership covers all six island local authorities: Shetland Islands Council, Orkney Islands Council, Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar, Highland Council, Argyll and Bute Council, and North Ayrshire Council.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419581,"EventID":"S6W-27335","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T16:24:40.403","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T11:13:27.267","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the National Smart Ticketing Advisory Board will submit its operational plan for delivery.","AnswerText":"The National Smart Ticketing Advisory Board will submit their first draft work programme to Scottish Ministers for approval by 28 May 2024, outlining the advice they intend to issue over three years. This collaborative advice will inform the future of smart ticketing in Scotland including how to improve its consistency, accessibility and interoperability.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419582,"EventID":"S6W-27317","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T16:24:40.467","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T09:50:36.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has allocated to its Scottish 4G Infill Programme (S4GI) for 2024-25. ","AnswerText":"Delivery of the Scottish 4G Infill Programme completed in November 2023 and no further funding has been allocated to this programme for 2024-25.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419583,"EventID":"S6W-27315","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T16:24:40.513","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T09:50:36.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many private (a) 4G and (b) 5G networks have been built in the Highlands and Islands region, broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not collect or hold data on deployment of private 4G and 5G networks.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419584,"EventID":"S6W-27306","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T16:24:40.58","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T09:50:36.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it (a) has allocated for 2023-24 and (b) plans to allocate for 2024-25 to the Young Islanders Network.","AnswerText":"In 2023-2024 the Scottish Government awarded Youth Scotland £120,000 to support the delivery of the Young Islanders Network.\r\nIn 2024-2025 the Scottish Government will provide a grant of up to £130,000 to Youth Scotland.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419585,"EventID":"S6W-27312","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T16:24:40.657","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T09:50:36.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many new masts it anticipates will be deployed through the Scottish 4G Infill Programme (S4GI), broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"The Scottish 4G Infill (S4GI) Programme completed in November 2023 with the successful delivery of 55 new masts. No further masts will be deployed through the S4GI programme.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419586,"EventID":"S6W-27337","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T16:24:40.703","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T11:57:03.99","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy on 18 April 2024, whether it will outline who has been involved in the proposal for a Just Transition Plan for Mossmorran, and who will be involved in the creation of the plan going forward. ","AnswerText":"The Mossmorran Just Transition Plan proposal is at very early stages of consideration and will be initiated fully following delivery of the Grangemouth Plan. The Scottish Government has held early discussions with both operators at the Mossmorran complex regarding the proposal. In line with the principles of co-design, it is our intention to engage extensively with all stakeholders including industry, the workforce, the local authority, UK Government, MSPs and the wider community.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419587,"EventID":"S6W-27309","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T16:24:40.767","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T09:50:36.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government on how many occasions it has carried out an Island Communities Impact Assessment since the introduction of the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018.","AnswerText":"You can find ICIAs completed by the Scottish Government on the  publications  section of the Scottish Government website alongside other impact assessments.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419588,"EventID":"S6W-27345","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T16:24:40.813","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T13:35:30.903","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service will be mandating domestic abuse training for its staff. ","AnswerText":"This question relates to a recommendation in the report on HM Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland (HMIPS)’s inspection of the prosecution of summary domestic abuse cases which was instructed by the Lord Advocate and was published on 17 April 2024.\r\nThe relevant recommendation is:\r\nRecommendation 1\r\nWith regard to training of staff, COPFS should:\r\n[...]\r\n(b) review the take-up of mandatory and other training, and identify and address the reasons for low take-up\r\n(c) ensure that all staff managing and prosecuting domestic abuse cases and engaging with domestic abuse victims have appropriate training (including prosecutors, VIA officers and National Enquiry Point operators)\r\n(d) review the domestic abuse e-learning module for VIA officers and make it mandatory.\r\nThe Lord Advocate has accepted this recommendation.\r\nCOPFS is commencing work in relation to the areas identified in the HMIPS report and will provide updates on the work undertaken in implementing the recommendations contained within the report in due course. This work includes review of existing mandatory training in relation to domestic abuse cases.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419589,"EventID":"S6W-27340","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T16:24:40.877","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T11:59:37.317","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy on 18 April 2024, whether it will outline the timetable for the development of the Just Transition Plan for Mossmorran. ","AnswerText":"As outlined, the Scottish Government will develop a Just Transition Plan for the Mossmorran industrial complex following delivery of the Grangemouth Just Transition Plan. Work will commence in early 2025 and as such, detailed timetable is not yet available, however we would anticipate taking a sequential approach, working to develop data driven baseline, an outline vision for 2045, a corresponding action plan and monitoring framework. The Scottish Government intends to publish the Just Transition Plan for Mossmorran by the end of the parliament.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419590,"EventID":"S6W-27313","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T16:24:40.923","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T09:50:36.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many communities are unable to access (a) 4G and (b) 5G mobile signals in the Highlands and Islands region, broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not collect or hold data on current 4G and 5G mobile coverage. Ofcom’s mobile and broadband checker provides predictions of mobile coverage at postcode level and is available on its website at:  https://checker.ofcom.org.uk/en-gb/mobile-coverage  .\r\nOfcom also produces an annual Connected Nations Report (  www.ofcom.org.uk/research-and-data/multi-sector-research/infrastructure-research  ) report including coverage and performance of mobile networks at local authority area.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419591,"EventID":"S6W-27311","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T16:24:40.987","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T09:50:36.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many new masts have been deployed through the Scottish 4G Infill Programme (S4GI), broken down by (a) year and (b) local authority area since the programme was established.","AnswerText":"The following tables set out the 55 new masts deployed through the Scottish 4G Infill Programme which completed in November 2023 by year and by local authority area.\r\nYear\r\nNumber of masts deployed (activated for 4G)\r\n2020\r\n7\r\n2021\r\n19\r\n2022\r\n4\r\n2023\r\n25\r\n \r\nLocal Authority area\r\nNumber of masts in S4GI programme\r\nAberdeenshire\r\n2\r\nAngus\r\n1\r\nArgyll & Bute\r\n8\r\nDumfries & Galloway\r\n6\r\nEast Lothian\r\n1\r\nHighland\r\n17\r\nMoray\r\n1\r\nOrkney\r\n4\r\nPerth & Kinross\r\n1\r\nScottish Borders\r\n6\r\nShetland\r\n3\r\nStirling\r\n1\r\nWestern Isles\r\n4\r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419592,"EventID":"S6W-27339","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T16:24:41.063","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T11:58:50.52","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy on 18 April 2024, how it will develop its Just Transition Plan for Mossmorran, in collaboration with the (a) operators, (b) trade unions, (c) employees and (d) local community. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government will evaluate the approach taken in developing the Grangemouth Just Transition Plan and derive lessons learned when planning engagements with Mossmorran stakeholders. We will apply a place-based approach that will ensure that the views of all stakeholders are considered, working to reach collective agreement on the plan’s long-term vision and actions.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419593,"EventID":"S6W-27276","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T16:24:41.14","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T16:53:13.34","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what preparations in relation to (a) public safety and (b) transport are being taken for the upcoming Taylor Swift concert in Edinburgh, in light of the anticipated demographic of the audience being primarily younger women.","AnswerText":"The Taylor Swift concerts are wholly commercial events and the Scottish Government has no locus for involvement. It is the responsibility of the City of Edinburgh Council as the relevant licensing authority to oversee events of this nature, including ensuring compliance by the organisers with the appropriate public safety regulations.\r\nLike with similar major events, security arrangements including the deployment of officers is an operational decision for Police Scotland.\r\nEnhanced transport arrangements have been put into place across Lothian Buses, Edinburgh Trams and ScotRail services to meet the increase in demand expected over the weekend. This includes adding later trains on numerous routes and providing additional carriages on existing rail services to manage the demand. There will be enhanced staffing plans and additional British Transport Police (BTP) officers in place at key locations, as well as on board trains to ensure a safe environment for passengers traveling to and from the event.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419594,"EventID":"S6W-27343","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T16:24:41.203","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T12:05:47.817","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy on 18 April 2024, whether it has met with (a) ExxonMobil and (b) Shell since it announced plans for the development of a Just Transition Plan for Mossmorran, and, if so, what was discussed. ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27341 on 15 May 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419595,"EventID":"S6W-27341","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T16:24:41.267","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T12:01:15.233","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy on 18 April 2024, what discussions it has had with (a) ExxonMobil, (b) Shell, (c) Fife Council, (d) SEPA and (e) trade unions, to date, regarding the development of a Just Transition Plan for Mossmorran. ","AnswerText":"The Just Transition Plan for Mossmorran is at very early stages of proposal, a comprehensive stakeholder engagement exercise will form a critical component of the work plan. The Scottish Government has had early engagement regarding the proposal with business operators. In line with the principles of co-design, it is our intention to engage extensively with all stakeholders including industry, the workforce, the local authority, UK Government, MSPs and the wider community. We will apply a place-based approach that will ensure that the views of all stakeholders are considered, working to reach collective agreement on the plan’s long-term vision and actions.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419596,"EventID":"S6W-27299","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T16:24:41.33","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-03T13:41:31.257","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering reviewing the funding model for Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) in order to provide greater certainty.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to Developing the Young Workforce (DYW), with funding of £12.9 million invested in 2024-25 to fund Regional Groups and School Coordinators. We will continue to work with the network to explore options for the future in ways that can better support service delivery and improve outcomes for young people.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419597,"EventID":"S6W-27302","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T16:24:41.39","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-06T13:25:14.42","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported long-term costs involved in maintaining the M8 inner ring road section through Glasgow, as well as reported negative environmental and social impacts on the urban neighbourhoods of inner city Glasgow, whether Transport Scotland is considering taking any action on a long-term sustainable plan for declassifying the M8 through Glasgow that could save money and improve the quality of life in Glasgow.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27301 on? 17 May 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419598,"EventID":"S6W-27314","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T16:24:41.47","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T09:50:36.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many so-called mobile phone \"notspots\" there are in the Highlands and Islands region, broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not collect or hold data on current 4G and 5G mobile notspots.\r\nOfcom produces an annual Connected Nations report including coverage and performance of mobile networks at local authority area. This is accessible at  https://www.ofcom.org.uk/research-and-data/multi-sector-research/infrastructure-research  along with underlying datasets.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419599,"EventID":"S6W-27303","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T16:24:41.523","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-06T15:52:11.913","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it has monitored the implementation of the Hospital Based Complex Clinical Care guidance, published in 2015, including in particular the monitoring of discharging patients in consultation with the patient, family and carers.","AnswerText":"The Hospital Based Complex Clinical Care guidance was introduced in Scotland on 1 June 2015 following a review of NHS continuing care. A key aim was to ensure that anyone who needs to be in hospital for a longer period of time is to get them well enough to return to whatever setting is most suitable for them in the community while ensuring that all health and social care needs are supported.\r\nMinisters and Officials meet regularly with Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs), NHS Boards, Local Authorities and CoSLA to discuss a wide range of activity, including performance and hospital discharges. The whole health and social care system is working hard to support people out of acute settings and back into the community when it is clinically safe to do so. This includes ensuring that everyone is discharged from hospital without delay, and we are working to improve discharge planning through our Discharge Without Delay Programme (DwD) which aims to improve the patient journey, from the initial point of a hospital stay, preventing any delays through early and effective planning. \r\nWhile the challenge is highly complex, ever shifting and dynamic, the foundations of DwD are based on simple patient centred principles which aim to enhance discharge and prevent delay, through early and effective planning, limiting hospital stays to what is clinically and functionally essential, and getting patients home at the earliest, safest opportunity.\r\nThe Scottish Government has also developed statutory guidance for Health Boards, Local Authorities and Health and Social Care Partnerships on effective discharge planning and carer engagement,  Summary - Carers (Scotland) Act 2016: statutory guidance - updated July 2021 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  . We have also funded Health Improvement Scotland to improve practice on carer involvement across health, with a focus on carer involvement in hospital discharge.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419600,"EventID":"S6W-27318","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T16:24:41.57","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T09:50:36.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has multi-year funding in place for its Scottish 4G Infill Programme (S4GI) beyond 2024-25, and, if so, whether it will provide details of this.","AnswerText":"Delivery of the Scottish 4G Infill Programme completed in November 2023 and no further funding has been allocated to this programme beyond 2023-24 .\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419601,"EventID":"S6W-27308","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T16:24:41.617","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T09:50:36.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government on how many occasions (a) local authorities and (b) NHS boards have carried out an Island Communities Impact Assessment since the introduction of the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of ICIAs completed by other Relevant Authorities who are responsible for publishing their own assessments in the way that they consider appropriate.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419602,"EventID":"S6W-27301","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T16:24:41.68","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-06T13:00:04.557","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in relation to the recommendations of the Broomielaw District Regeneration Framework by Austin-Smith:Lord for Glasgow City Council, which were approved by the local authority in June 2019, including (a) that Transport Scotland establishes an M8 Transformation Board in partnership with the Scottish Government and Glasgow City Council, (b) the removal of the William Street on ramp to the M8 westbound, (c) the removal of the Bothwell Street off ramp and flyover from the M8 eastbound, (c) the reconnection of William Street and Bothwell Street via a new bridge across the M8 cutting and (d) the reconnection of Argyle Street underneath the Kingston Bridge approach spans at Anderston Cross, with an updated entrance portal to Anderston railway station.","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland continues to engage with Glasgow City Council regarding their aspirations for this area, noting it is they who are responsible for bringing forward land use changes and the associated planning duties. Transport Scotland’s interests lie in the safe and effective operation of the M8.\r\nTransport Scotland has communicated to Glasgow City Council, that in order to take forward potential proposals, a robust assessment of the potential impacts on the mainline, access roads and adjacent facilities should be carried out. Officials from Transport Scotland are currently scoping an assessment of the future of the M8.\r\nI also refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26829 and S6W-26830 on 29 April 2024.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419603,"EventID":"S6W-27278","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T16:24:41.74","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T16:54:05.59","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to attract more airlines to establish direct routes to Scotland, and what its position is on whether its planned Air Departure Tax could be used to improve the competitiveness of Scotland's airports as hubs within Europe and the UK.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has always recognised the importance of Scotland’s international connectivity. Our ambition is to make Scotland at least as well connected as peer nations. Transport Scotland, in partnership with VisitScotland and Scottish Development International, works to help Scotland’s airports secure new routes that are essential for inbound tourism, business connectivity and the economy as a whole. Recent successes include direct routes from Atlanta, Calgary and Beijing and we look forward to welcoming the arrival of a new airline for Scotland later this month, with JetBlue launching their first ever Scottish service to New York JFK.\r\nRepresentatives from the cross government partnership recently took part in the route development forum Routes Europe 2024, meeting with a number of airlines to discuss future opportunities and promote Scotland as a market that can sustain more direct connectivity.\r\nThe Scottish Government recognises that tax is one factor in airlines’ decision-making on where to fly. We will review the rates and bands of Air Departure Tax prior to the implementation of the tax once a solution to the Highland & Islands exemption has been identified.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419604,"EventID":"S6W-27344","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T16:24:41.803","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T13:35:09.217","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service is reviewing and streamlining the content of its domestic abuse training for its staff. ","AnswerText":"This question relates to a recommendation in the report on HM Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland (HMIPS)’s inspection of the prosecution of summary domestic abuse cases which was instructed by the Lord Advocate and was published on 17 April 2024.\r\nThe relevant recommendation is:\r\n“Recommendation 1\r\nWith regard to training of staff, COPFS should:\r\n(a) review and streamline the content of its domestic abuse training taking into account the target audience [...]”\r\nThe Lord Advocate has accepted this recommendation.\r\nCOPFS is commencing work in relation to the areas identified in the HMIPS report and will provide updates on the work undertaken in implementing the recommendations contained within the report in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419605,"EventID":"S6W-27346","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T16:24:41.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T13:37:51.137","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service provides clear guidance to staff on when a domestic abuse victim should be informed of a decision to discontinue a case, and of their right to request a review of that decision.","AnswerText":"This question relates to a recommendation in the report on HM Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland (HMIPS)’s inspection of the prosecution of summary domestic abuse cases which was instructed by the Lord Advocate and was published on 17 April 2024.\r\nThe relevant recommendation is:\r\nRecommendation 9\r\nCOPFS should provide clear guidance to staff on when a domestic abuse victim should be informed of a decision to discontinue a case and of their right to request a review of that decision.\r\nThe Lord Advocate has accepted this recommendation.\r\nCOPFS is commencing work in relation to the areas identified in the HMIPS report and will provide updates on the work undertaken in implementing the recommendations contained within the report in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419606,"EventID":"S6W-27305","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-07T16:24:41.93","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T09:50:36.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide the dates on which the Young Islanders Network has met since its establishment.","AnswerText":"To date, the Young Islanders Network has held online sessions on:\r\n10-03-2022\r\n31-03-2022\r\n28-04-2022\r\n12-05-2022\r\n26-05-2022\r\n09-06-2022\r\n23-06-2022\r\n11-08-2022\r\n29-09-2022\r\n17-11-2022\r\n08-12-2022\r\n18-01-2023\r\n09-02-2023\r\n02-03-2023\r\n23-03-2023\r\n20-04-2023\r\n08-06-2023\r\n28-06-2023\r\n20-07-2023\r\n07-09-2023\r\n19-10-2023\r\n09-11-2023\r\n30-11-2023\r\n18-12-2023\r\n25-01-2024\r\n29-02-2024\r\n21-03-2024\r\n22-04-2024\r\n25-04-2024\r\nFurther on-line activities involving Young Islander Network members took place on:\r\n01-11-2022\r\n08-11-2022\r\n15-11-2022\r\n02-02-2023\r\n08-02-2023\r\n15-03-2023\r\n23-11-2023\r\n09-01-2024\r\nResidential in-person events took place on:\r\n30-07-2022 - 02-08-2022\r\n26-01-2023 - 30-01-2023\r\nFurther in-person activities involving Young Islander Network members took place on:\r\n13-06-2022 - 17-06-2022\r\n26-08-2022 - 29-08-2022\r\n30-08-2022 - 01-09-2022\r\n06-02-2023\r\n10-03-2023 - 12-03-2023\r\n20-03-2023 - 21-03-2023\r\n07-05-2023\r\n05-07-2023\r\n12-07-2023 - 15-07-2023\r\n12-08-2023 - 14-08-2023\r\n24-08-2023 - 29-08-2023\r\n31-08-2023 - 02-09-2023\r\n18-09-2023\r\n20-09-2023\r\n03-10-2023\r\n01-11-2023 - 03-11-2023\r\n18-01-2024\r\n22-02-2024 - 23-02-2024\r\n26-02-2024\r\n02-04-2024 - 08-04-2024\r\n17-04-2024","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419622,"EventID":"S6O-03433","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16195,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:05:06.717","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-08T10:37:53.26","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update ahead of the introduction of the proposed Post Office (Horizon System) Offences (Scotland) Bill, including in relation to the potential overturning of any wrongful convictions of postmasters in Scotland that were based on evidence from the Post Office’s Horizon computer system.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419623,"EventID":"S6O-03425","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:05:06.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-08T10:14:50.763","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that over half of applications to Creative Scotland could be turned down as a result of \"standstill funding\" from the Scottish Government.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419624,"EventID":"S6O-03427","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:05:06.887","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T16:17:20.4","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the constitution secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the delivery of its commitment to invest at least £100 million more in culture and the arts by the financial year 2028-29.  ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419625,"EventID":"S6O-03428","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2103,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":109,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:05:06.997","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T10:03:22.877","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a further update on the Scottish Prison Service’s work to address reported noise disturbance at HMP Stirling.  ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419626,"EventID":"S6O-03436","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16186,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":120,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:05:07.07","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T10:52:27.707","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Scottish Funding Council's subject price groups for higher education were last reviewed.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419627,"EventID":"S6O-03421","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5618,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":91,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:05:07.13","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-03T14:31:29.563","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is taking forward work to engage with the Scottish diaspora.   ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419628,"EventID":"S6O-03423","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:05:07.193","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T20:24:09.107","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the culture secretary has had with the finance secretary regarding future funding for culture, in light of its commitment to invest an additional £100 million in the sector.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419629,"EventID":"S6O-03426","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:05:07.24","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T16:17:00.84","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what events it has planned to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings on 6 June.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419630,"EventID":"S6O-03434","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:05:07.287","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-08T09:02:28.74","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the justice secretary last met with the Lord Advocate.   ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419631,"EventID":"S6O-03442","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:05:07.35","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T09:48:48.787","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will next review the income threshold for free school meals for those pupils not in a year where provision is currently free.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419632,"EventID":"S6O-03443","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5612,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":150,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:05:07.397","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-08T10:01:11","Title":"","ItemText":"Withdrawn.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419633,"EventID":"S6O-03420","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16191,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":77,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:05:07.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-08T11:12:27.04","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what discussions it has had with stakeholders in Scotland affected by Brexit in preparation for any input that it will provide to the review of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419634,"EventID":"S6O-03424","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5866,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:05:07.523","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-08T09:33:57.813","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it can ensure that the public has confidence in the arts and culture sector.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419635,"EventID":"S6O-03435","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:05:07.57","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-08T11:42:25.533","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its engagement with stakeholders in the legal sector regarding the provision of legal aid.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419636,"EventID":"S6O-03432","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:05:07.617","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T12:30:27.747","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that police officer numbers have fallen to their lowest level since the establishment of Police Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419637,"EventID":"S6O-03422","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16178,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":78,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:05:07.677","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-08T09:50:26.187","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of Brexit on young musicians.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419638,"EventID":"S6O-03437","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:05:07.74","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-04T11:15:50.13","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when a decision will be made regarding the Scottish Funding Council’s recommendation to end the regional colleges arrangement in Lanarkshire and Glasgow.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419639,"EventID":"S6O-03430","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2826,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":84,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:05:07.787","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-08T08:49:49.1","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made towards implementing its Vision for Justice in Scotland Delivery Plan.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419640,"EventID":"S6O-03440","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16176,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":137,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:05:07.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-08T09:18:24.343","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with COSLA regarding the management of asbestos within school buildings. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419641,"EventID":"S6O-03438","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5596,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":151,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:05:07.897","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T18:51:15.377","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to raising the school starting age and implementing a universal kindergarten stage. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419642,"EventID":"S6O-03441","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4940,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":81,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:05:07.96","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T16:40:41.093","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the development of a digital strategy to help ensure that digital provision supports the wider aims of the education system.  ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419643,"EventID":"S6O-03439","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:05:08.023","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-08T09:22:46.09","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it anticipates the impact of the reported reduction in primary school music teacher numbers will be on children and young people.  ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419644,"EventID":"S6O-03429","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3907,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":135,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:05:08.07","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-08T11:35:17.11","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is tackling antisocial behaviour.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-15T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419645,"EventID":"S6O-03445","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:05:14.51","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-08T08:10:43.38","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the owners of the Grangemouth refinery, its workers and trade unions regarding the future of the site. \r\n ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":419646,"EventID":"S6O-03444","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:05:14.667","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-08T11:44:36.687","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is ensuring that those awarded public sector contracts and grants meet its Fair Work First requirements, including the payment of the real Living Wage. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419647,"EventID":"S6O-03450","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:05:14.73","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-08T11:28:48.84","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Glasgow City Council and representatives of the taxi trade, in light of reports of potentially significant job losses in the sector as a result of the implementation of the Low Emission Zone. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419648,"EventID":"S6O-03451","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:05:14.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T14:46:27.63","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the redevelopment of Ardrossan Harbour.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419649,"EventID":"S6O-03446","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:05:14.84","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T14:38:12.15","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419650,"EventID":"S6O-03449","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5621,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":99,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:05:14.9","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-08T10:34:07.603","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that NHS Highland implements the recommendations of Sir Lewis Ritchie's report, following his expert review of healthcare provision for the north of Skye.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419651,"EventID":"S6O-03448","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:05:14.963","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-04T18:12:51.6","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to ensure that tourism is inclusive and accessible for all.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419652,"EventID":"S6O-03447","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":3129,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":83,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:05:15.01","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-03T14:26:12.607","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with Renfrewshire Council regarding the timetable for the joining up of the sections that will form the Renfrew Bridge, which will cross the River Clyde to Yoker.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419656,"EventID":"S6W-27319","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:38:40.07","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T09:50:36.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has committed multi-year funding for the Data Lab innovation centre, and, if so, whether it will provide details of this. ","AnswerText":"The Data Lab has secured long term investment of up to £2 million per annum as part of the overall Scottish Government-funded SFC Innovation Centre programme, which will see investment of up to £8 million per annum across four innovation centres. The Scottish Government will also continue to provide additional funding for Data Lab of £945,000 until March 2026 through the Scottish AI Alliance’s programme of work .\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419657,"EventID":"S6W-27325","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:38:40.257","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T09:50:36.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been (a) allocated to and (b) awarded through the Islands Programme in each year since it was established. ","AnswerText":"To date, £12,351,185 of capital investment has been awarded via the Scottish Government’s Islands Programme across 61 projects and 50 islands.\r\n2021-22\r\nThe 2021-2022 Islands Programme was delivered through the Islands Infrastructure Fund and was allocated £5 million. The final amount awarded to capital projects was £3,901,192.\r\n2022-23\r\nThe 2022-2023 Islands Programme was allocated £4.45 million. The allocation was awarded in full.\r\n2023-24\r\nThe 2023-2024 Islands Programme was allocated £4 million. The final amount awarded to capital projects was £3,999,993.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419658,"EventID":"S6W-27334","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:38:40.35","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T09:50:36.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it did not renew its Mental Health Recovery and Renewal Fund for 2024-25.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27332 on 22 May 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .\r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419659,"EventID":"S6W-27333","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:38:40.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T09:50:36.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of how funding from the Mental Health Recovery and Renewal Fund was distributed to NHS boards in each year since it was established. ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W- 27332 on 22 May 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419660,"EventID":"S6W-27355","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:38:40.57","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T16:18:55.467","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it made on creating the 152 extra doctor training places in 2023 that it announced in November 2022; how many additional trainee doctors were recruited into each speciality in 2023, and whether it will maintain or increase the number of training places in 2024.","AnswerText":"The creation of 152 extra specialty training places for trainee doctors went ahead in 2023 as planned. A breakdown of these posts by specialty can be found  here  .\r\nThe recruitment of trainee doctors in 2023 was the most successful to date; a total of 1,231 specialty training posts were advertised and 1,156 (94%) filled. Please note that these figures are accurate as at 26 March 2024 i.e. when end-year data was published. The publication itself can be found  here  , and a full breakdown of recruitment by specialty can be found  here  .\r\nThe Scottish Government announced funding on 23 November 2023 for further expansion taking place in 2024. This will see 153 additional specialty training places created this year – the largest uplift to date. More information can be found  here  . The 2024 recruitment cycle is currently underway and will conclude in November.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419661,"EventID":"S6W-27322","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:38:40.663","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T09:50:36.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-16374 by Michael Matheson on 17 April 2023, for what reason it does not monitor the number of Golden Hello payments made to GPs.","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for the NHS Boards and the Scottish Government does not directly monitor these operational arrangements. However we will be evaluating the role the scheme plays in supporting GP retention.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419662,"EventID":"S6W-27326","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:38:40.757","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T09:50:36.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) primary, (b) secondary and (c) special schools in the Highlands and Islands region have received an inspection by HM Inspectors in each year since 2016, broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"HM Inspectors inspect a sample of primary, secondary and special schools annually across Scotland. They evaluate the quality of education using various quality indicators from the quality framework 'How good is our school? (4th edition).'\r\nFrom the 2015-16 academic year (commencing August 2015) to 10 May 2024, HM Inspectors have inspected a total of 172 schools in Highland and Islands. This number is based on the initial inspection and does not include any subsequent further inspections which took place as a result of the outcome of the initial inspection. The information does not include details of inspections carried out in academic year 2023-24 where fieldwork has been carried out but the reports not yet published.\r\nIn Argyll and Bute Council, a total of 45 schools were inspected: 2015-16 two primary schools; 2016-17 four primary and one secondary schools; 2017-18 six primary, one secondary and one special school; 2018-19 eight primary schools; 2019-20 five primary, two secondary schools; 2022-23 nine primary, one secondary school; 2023-24 five primary schools.\r\nIn The Highland Council, a total of 94 schools were inspected: 2015-16 seven primary and two secondary schools; 2016-17 nine primary and one secondary school; 2017-18 9 primary, three secondary schools, 2018-19 18 primary, one secondary school; 2019-20 8 primary, two secondary schools; 2022-23 21 primary, three secondary, one special; 2023-24 eight primary, one secondary.\r\nIn Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, a total of eleven schools were inspected: 2015-16 two primary; 2016-17 one primary; 2018-19 three primary, one secondary; 2022-23 two primary; 2023-24 one primary, one secondary.\r\nIn Orkney Islands Council, a total of eight schools were inspected: 2015-16 two primary; 2016-17 one primary; 2017-18 one primary; 2018-19 one secondary schools; 2019-20 one primary school; 2022-23 two primary school.\r\nIn Shetland Islands Council, a total of 14 schools were inspected: 2015-16 one primary and one secondary school; 2016-17 two primary schools; 2017-18 two primary schools; 2018-19 one primary school, one secondary schools; 2019-20 one primary school, one secondary school; 2022-23 three primary schools; 2023-24 one primary school.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419663,"EventID":"S6W-27328","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:38:40.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T09:50:36.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has conducted any studies to monitor the number of (a) further and (b) higher education graduates that leave the Highlands and Islands region, and, if so, whether it will publish details of this.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not conducted any specific studies to monitor the number of further or higher education graduates that leave the Highlands and Islands region. The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) collect and publish information on those entering and completing College and University courses across Scotland. However, this information is not published at a regional level.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419664,"EventID":"S6W-27323","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:38:40.943","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T09:50:36.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether NHS boards are required to inform it of the number of Golden Hello payments that are made to GPs in each financial year, and, if so, whether it will provide details of this.","AnswerText":"NHS Boards are not required to inform the Scottish Government of the number of Golden Hello payments that are made to GPs in each financial year. This is an operational matter for the NHS Boards and the Scottish Government does not directly monitor these operational arrangements. However we will evaluating the role the scheme plays in supporting GP retention.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419665,"EventID":"S6W-27349","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:38:41.037","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T14:02:06.167","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps are being taken to increase the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of NHS dentists.","AnswerText":"The majority of NHS dental services are provided by independent contractors, including corporate entities, who not employed by the NHS but instead make ‘arrangements’ with NHS Boards to provide dental services in their area. As the Scottish Government has no direct control on recruitment within these private businesses, policy focus to date has been placed on improving the NHS offer by introducing a new fee scale and increasing the incentives available to the independent sector to provide NHS dental services. The initial impression from the sector has been encouraging in welcoming the changes to NHS fees. \r\nIn addition, we continue to make available targeted ‘golden-hello’ workforce incentives in areas where access has proved more challenging; this pays out up to £37,500 for dental trainees who join the dental list in a qualifying area. \r\nIn recognising that we have no direct levers to improve recruitment, at the national level we are focused on actions to improve the workforce supply, including leading discussions with UK and other devolved governments on our shared challenges. We therefore welcome the consultation brought forward by UK Government to vary the General Dental Council’s powers, allowing for a new provisional registration status to allow overseas dentists to enter the workforce much more quickly, and we are having preparatory discussions with stakeholders to understand how this could work in practice. Alongside work to improve international pipelines, we are also working to consider our domestic routes into dentistry and other dental care professions by ensuring that our educational offering reflects workforce need in all areas of the country.\r\nBy increasing the fees payable to NHS dentistry and improving workforce supply, the intention is to provide an improved landscape for independent contractors and dental bodies corporate to sustain NHS dental services into the medium- to longer-term.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419666,"EventID":"S6W-27351","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:38:41.133","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T16:15:03.443","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has agreed a date by which cervical cancer will be eliminated in Scotland, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO).","AnswerText":"The Expert Group established to lead on scoping work to consider and to provide recommendations on how Scotland will work towards reaching the targets set by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to eliminate Cervical Cancer met for the first time on 25 April 2024. This group will consider what actions are required to achieve elimination of Cervical Cancer in Scotland, and the timelines required for this .\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419667,"EventID":"S6W-27358","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:38:41.24","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T16:18:55.467","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on investing up to £30 million to support cancer waiting times improvements, as set out in its Cancer Action Plan for Scotland 2023-26.","AnswerText":"£11.3 million of non-recurring Cancer Waiting Times funding has been made available in 2023-24 across NHS Scotland. The majority of funding is being directed to urology, colorectal and breast – the three most challenged tumour types.\r\nA further £11.3 million will be provided in 2024-25 to support cancer waiting times improvements across NHS Scotland, with Boards being encouraged to direct funding to the most challenged cancer pathways.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419668,"EventID":"S6W-27331","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:38:41.337","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T09:50:36.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government in what ways it monitors the efficacy of funding awarded to organisations from the Arctic Connections Fund.","AnswerText":"Following a competitive assessment process, successful applicants are required to produce a mid-project progress report during their nine-month duration and an end of project report, enabling officials to monitor and evaluate the efficacy of projects. The fund will be considered as part of the wider evaluation of the Arctic Connections policy framework, in line with commitments in Scotland’s International Strategy.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419669,"EventID":"S6W-27350","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:38:41.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T14:02:29.283","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any progress towards installing liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage facilities at sites to be serviced by the Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa. ","AnswerText":"While the MV Glen Sannox and the MV Glen Rosa operate temporarily from Troon, LNG will be bunkered directly from HGV tankers to the vessels. The design of the potential improvement works at Ardrossan Harbour includes provision for an LNG storage facility to serve the vessels in the longer term.\r\nThe planned deployment of the MV Glen Rosa to the Arran route means that an LNG facility is no longer required at Uig harbour as part of the Little Minch Infrastructure Programme.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419670,"EventID":"S6W-27321","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:38:41.537","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T09:50:36.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government in what ways it supports (a) local authorities and (b) schools to encourage young people to learn coding. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the significance of learning coding skills as part of the wider technologies curriculum, with a range of specific Experiences and Outcomes under the heading “Understanding and analysing computing technology”.\r\nThe Government has supported the teacher led body, Scottish Teachers Advancing Computing Science (STACS), since 2020. STACS is an organisation supporting computing science in schools, run by teachers in partnership with Glasgow University, and is a one stop shop for computing science teachers to access high quality teaching resources and professional learning. One of the key aims of STACs is to promote computing science as a desirable career option to young people and their parents/carers. Over 83% of Computing Science teachers are involved in the STACS initiative across all local authorities.\r\nEducation Scotland (ES) also offers a range of support to schools in encouraging pupils to code. For example, they offer one hour “Curriculum live” lessons which teachers can download and deliver using a smartboard, including lessons on coding. They have also supported the expansion of the First Lego League in schools which inspires young people to experiment and grow their critical thinking, coding, and design skills by providing programmable robotic equipment, and ES run Computing Science Scotland Week which last year reached 365 schools, 384 educators and 9,658 learners.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419671,"EventID":"S6W-27357","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:38:41.633","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T16:18:55.467","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will begin a clinically-led review into additional or alternative cancer waiting times standards for different types of cancer and cancer treatment, as set out in its Cancer Action Plan for Scotland 2023-26.","AnswerText":"Work will begin in late 2024 to scope and set up a project group to support a clinically led review of latest data and evidence and determine whether there is merit in specific additional or alternative cancer waiting times standards for different types of cancer and cancer treatment.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419672,"EventID":"S6W-27330","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:38:41.727","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T09:50:36.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it allocated to the Arctic Connections Fund for (a) 2023-24 and (b) 2024-25.","AnswerText":"(a) In 2023-24 the Arctic Connections fund was allocated £83,276. The projects funded can be found at  Arctic Connections Fund: successful projects 2023 to 2024 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .\r\n(b) Establishing the Arctic Connections Fund was a commitment in the 2019 Arctic Connections policy framework. In 2024-25, following three successful years helping Scottish organisations collaborate with partners in the Arctic, and in line with commitments in Scotland’s International Strategy, we will begin an evaluation of the policy framework. This will consider how Scotland’s Arctic engagement has developed since 2019 and how it can be shaped for the future.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419673,"EventID":"S6W-27327","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:38:41.837","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T09:50:36.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many schools in the Highlands and Islands region are currently rated (a) excellent, (b) very good, (c) good, (d) satisfactory, (e) weak and (f) unsatisfactory by Education Scotland, broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"HM Inspectors evaluate the quality of education in Scottish schools using quality indicators. 'How good is our school? (4th edition)’ has been in use since September 2016.\r\nHM Inspectors use a six-point scale to grade individual quality indicators. There are two models of inspection, one in which two quality indicators are graded, and one where four quality indicators are graded. The information provided includes grades assigned for both models of inspection.\r\nThe information provided relates to grades assigned during inspections carried out using the current framework, 'How good is our school? (4th edition). The information does not include details of inspections carried out in academic year 2023-24 where fieldwork has been carried out, but the reports not yet published.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419674,"EventID":"S6W-27352","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:38:41.93","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T16:15:27.143","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it is having with the UK Government regarding the elimination of cervical cancer in Scotland.","AnswerText":"There have been preliminary discussions at official level with the UK Government.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419675,"EventID":"S6W-27354","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:38:42.137","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T16:18:55.467","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made in improving the pathways of less survivable cancers, including shortening the time to agreeing treatment options, as set out in its Cancer Action Plan for Scotland 2023-26.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has been making progress in several ways to improve and shorten the pathways of less survivable cancers. \r\nFor example, the Scottish Government awarded the Scottish HepatoPancreatoBiliary Network funding of £653,000 over two years to redesign the pancreatic and liver cancer pathways - the PHCC Pathway Improvement Project. The project has been extended for one more year and we are exploring options for sustained delivery of its positive outcomes after March 2025. \r\nThrough the Detect Cancer Earlier programme, the Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) continues to design and support the implementation of optimal cancer diagnostic pathways. As reflected in the Cancer Strategy, lung, head and neck and colorectal cancer have been identified as the first tranche. Scotland’s first optimal cancer diagnostic pathway for lung was published in December 2022.\r\nScotland’s first Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services (RCDS) have been established in 5 Health Boards across Scotland. They provide primary care with access to a new fast-track diagnostic pathway for people with non-specific symptoms suspicious of cancer. An evaluation published in February 2024 shows success in finding cancer while delivering a high standard of quality care at speed. Lung and Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary (HPB) were the two most commonly found. ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419676,"EventID":"S6W-27356","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:38:42.26","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T16:18:55.467","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to increasing training places in medical and clinical oncology, and whether any medical workforce modelling data has recommended an increase in places. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has funded the creation of 15 additional training places in Clinical Oncology since 2015 (5 in 2015; 2 in 2020; 4 in 2022, and; 4 in 2023). Additional Medical Oncology places were also created in 2022 (3) and 2023 (3). These places were created in line with recommendations made by the Scottish Shape of Training Transition Group, which are informed by medical workforce modelling undertaken by NHS Education for Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419677,"EventID":"S6W-27122","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:38:42.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-29T16:37:01.803","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the situation regarding the number of specialist palliative care beds at Kilbryde Hospice.","AnswerText":"South Lanarkshire Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) has been clear that the temporary reduction of beds is due to clinical and operational reasons associated with current staffing challenges and are undertaking work to address this.\r\nSouth Lanarkshire Health and Social Care Partnership is keeping Scottish Government officials updated on their proposals to consider and recommend a future model of clinical care within the Specialist Palliative Care service within Lanarkshire. ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419678,"EventID":"S6W-27353","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:38:42.433","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T16:16:32.157","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24755 by Jenni Minto on 6 February 2024, whether it will provide an update on what the status of the Expert Group is that was established to lead on scoping work to consider and provide recommendations on how Scotland will work towards reaching the targets set by the World Health Organization (WHO) to eliminate cervical cancer; who the members of the Expert Group are; how many times the Expert Group has met, and what progress the Expert Group has made to date.","AnswerText":"The inaugural meeting of the Cervical Cancer Elimination Expert Group took place on 25 April 2024. The Expert Group agreed to establish working groups to undertake in-depth modelling, to consider and analyse data, and to inform their recommendations around a Cervical Cancer Elimination target date.\r\nMembership of the Expert Group includes representatives from Scottish Government, clinicians, Public Health Scotland (PHS), National Services Division Screening team and Third Sector organisations.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419679,"EventID":"S6W-27320","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:38:42.557","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T09:50:36.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many schools currently offer so-called Code Clubs as an extracurricular activity in the Highlands and Islands region, broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"Information on the number of schools currently offering Code Clubs as an extra-curricular activity is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.\r\nThe Scottish Government recognises the benefits of extra-curricular activities which are rightly determined and delivered locally to best meet the needs of learners.\r\nBetween 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 a total of £170,000 was provided by Scottish Government to Digital Xtra, which provides grants to organisations delivering extra-curricula computing and digital technology activities for young people.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419680,"EventID":"S6W-27332","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:38:42.667","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T09:50:36.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has allocated to the Mental Health Recovery and Renewal Fund in each year since it was established.","AnswerText":"The Mental Health Recovery and Renewal Fund had an annual budget of £120 million and ran from 2021-22 to 2022-23. It supported delivery of the Mental Health Transition and Recovery Plan  Coronavirus (COVID-19): mental health - transition and recovery plan - summary - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  and funding was allocated on an annual basis to a number of different organisations and delivery partners including the Third Sector, Local Authorities and NHS Boards. From 2023-24, the Recovery and Renewal Fund annual budget has been incorporated into the overall direct programme budget for mental health.\r\nGoing forwards, the direct programme budget for mental health published in the 2024-25 Scottish budget will be used to meet the priorities set out in our recently published Mental Health and Wellbeing strategy 2023-25  Mental health and wellbeing strategy - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419681,"EventID":"S6W-27348","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:38:42.76","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T14:01:54.713","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to changing its short-term lets licensing rules, in light of Airbnb's claims that the rules are harming the tourism industry. ","AnswerText":"We remain committed to fair regulation of short-term let accommodation, which provides assurance to guests on safety and quality such as gas and electrical safety compliance and the suitability of hosts. We have listened to the sector and we have already made a number of changes to legislation and guidance, including extending the deadline for the overall scheme, and on 16 May I will lay an amending SSI, which makes further operational updates based on a range of feedback.\r\nI have also written to the relevant lead committee to set out the monitoring we are undertaking of the new regulations, which includes ongoing engagement with stakeholders from the sector, local authorities, and residents groups. I have listened to specific feedback from Airbnb when I have met them in recent months, and I am cognisant of their desire to continue to build confidence in Scotland’s tourism offer ,which will also be achieved by stability of the scheme, which is still in a transitional phase. The global platforms I have met have said it is too early to draw conclusions on licensing more widely, and especially difficult to attribute trends to any one of multiple factors, however I would welcome any information they are willing to share as we prepare to provide a further implementation update to Parliament in the coming months.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419682,"EventID":"S6W-27324","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:38:42.887","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T09:50:36.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the total cost of any financial penalties issued by Transport Scotland to CalMac Ferries since October 2022.","AnswerText":"The level of performance deductions incurred by CalMac Ferries Ltd since October 2022 has been answered recently in a Freedom of Information request.\r\nThe Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. Details of the above Freedom of Information request can be found using the link:  CalMac Ferries Limited performance deductions 2022/23 - 2023/24: FOI release - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) \r\nThe level of penalties, as result of late submission of reporting, in respect of Contract Year 7 (October 2022 to September 2023) is £1,040,794","AnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419683,"EventID":"S6W-27329","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-08T16:38:43.073","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T09:50:36.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress with the introduction of Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) on Dunoon-Gourock services provided by (a) CalMac Ferries and (b) Western Ferries.","AnswerText":"Ferry fares policy, including Road Equivalent Tariff (RET), is currently being reviewed through the Fair Fares Review and Islands Connectivity Plan.\r\nThe draft Islands Connectivity Plan Strategic Approach, published for consultation on 1 February 2024, made a number of proposals around ferry fares policy, including RET.\r\nThe online consultation concluded on 6 May 2024 and responses will now be collated and analysed. Further detail on next steps and timescales will be confirmed in due course.\r\nAny introduction of RET fares on the Gourock to Dunoon services would require careful consideration and an appropriate mechanism to reflect the commercial operator and ensure this meets with Subsidy Control requirements. Further work would be required to develop these proposals.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419694,"EventID":"S6W-27360","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-09T16:24:54.893","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T16:24:35.377","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many police officers (a) were offered and (b) accepted voluntary redundancy following the reported announcement of station closures in Edinburgh and the Lothians.","AnswerText":"Police Scotland’s Voluntary Redundancy (VR)and Voluntary Early Retirement (VER) schemes are open to police staff only, with police officers not eligible to apply.\r\nIt is important to note that VR/VER schemes are not related to the Police Estates Strategy. The responsibility for the management of the policing budget and estate, including ongoing consultations around police station closures, sits with the Scottish Police Authority and the Chief Constable. The Scottish Government has more than tripled the policing capital budget since 2017-18, supporting continued investment in police assets.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419695,"EventID":"S6W-27361","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-09T16:24:55.037","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T16:27:44.147","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) police officers of all ranks and (b) civilian staff (i) were offered and (ii) accepted the option of compulsory redundancy following the reported announcement of police station closures in Edinburgh and the Lothians.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government’s 2023-24 Public Sector Pay Strategy is clear that employers should negotiate extensions to No Compulsory Redundancy Agreements as part of pay negotiations. I can confirm that Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority do not have a compulsory redundancy scheme underway.\r\nThere have been Voluntary Redundancy (VR) and Voluntary Early Retirement (VER) schemes in place for most years since 2013 to provide the Chief Constable with flexibility to develop and balance the workforce in order to respond to changing demand. These schemes only apply to police staff, as police officers cannot be made redundant.\r\nIt is important to note that VR/VER schemes are not related to the Police Estates Strategy. The responsibility for the management of the policing budget and estate, including ongoing consultations around police station closures, sits with the Scottish Police Authority and the Chief Constable. The Scottish Government has more than tripled the policing capital budget since 2017-18, supporting continued investment in police assets.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419696,"EventID":"S6W-27367","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-09T16:24:55.1","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T16:45:25.327","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what barriers there have been to the implementation of placental growth factor (PlGF)-based tests, and what action it is taking to resolve any such barriers.","AnswerText":"While there are differences across Scotland, the results following the latest update on progress towards implementation of PlGF-based testing indicate that capacity and infrastructure pose challenges for NHS Boards striving to effectively implement their plans. \r\nThe Scottish Government is initiating a new scoping exercise to better understand NHS Board’s current position in relation to using the PIGF test. Subsequently, officials will analyse the collected data to determine if further support is necessary to advance implementation plans.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419697,"EventID":"S6W-27383","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-09T16:24:55.177","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-08T15:58:27.497","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to promote coordination between schools and mental health services. ","AnswerText":"The mental health and wellbeing of children and young people is a top priority for the Scottish Government. \r\nWe continue to provide £16 million a year to ensure that every secondary school has access to school counselling services. Our  guidance  makes clear that local authorities should consider how links between schools, and their local community health and social services, and relevant third-sector organisations can be made to ensure a holistic child-centred approach.\r\nThe Scottish Government is also providing local authorities with £15 million per annum to deliver community-based mental health and wellbeing supports and services for children and young people. Our supporting  Framework  for this funding advocates a whole-system approach and makes clear that community supports and services should work closely with schools to ensure that there are clear and streamlined pathways to support for children and young people, and that local partnerships should be explicit about how different services should work together.\r\nIt is a matter for local authorities to decide how services work together in individual areas. ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419698,"EventID":"S6W-27386","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-09T16:24:55.24","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T08:01:09.223","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which minister will take decisions on any matters relating to the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture portfolio that the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture has recused himself from.","AnswerText":"I will take decisions on the portfolio matters that the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture has recused himself from, with the exception of a single issue where I also have a conflict. On this matter, decisions will be taken by the Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Finance.\r\nThe detail of these is reflected on the Scottish Government website at  www.gov.scot ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419699,"EventID":"S6W-27364","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-09T16:24:55.3","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T16:43:44.38","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many complaints to public bodies related to non-crime hate incidents have been received since the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 was passed, broken down by parliamentary region.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of complaints received by Police Scotland or any other public body that relate to Non-Crime Hate Incidents (NCHIs).\r\nOn 9 May 2024, Police Scotland published their interim guidance on ‘  Responding to Hate Crime  ’ which includes information on the recording and handling of NCHIs. They also have a dedicated complaints system for instances where an individual may feel they have not been provided the level of service expected.\r\nYou may wish to contact Police Scotland directly regarding any other questions you have in relation to these procedures.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419700,"EventID":"S6W-27379","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-09T16:24:55.35","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-08T15:43:18.833","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions (a) the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and (b) her officials have had with (i) ScotRail, (ii) Transport for Edinburgh and (c) bus operators regarding preparations for the upcoming Taylor Swift concert in Edinburgh.","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland Officials, along with relevant transport stakeholders, routinely take part in the multi-agency Events Planning and Operations Group (EPOG) dealing with Events. EPOG is run by the City of Edinburgh Council as the lead planning authority in respect of events within Edinburgh, such as Taylor Swift.\r\nThrough the EPOG discussions, enhanced transport arrangements have been put into place across Lothian Buses, Edinburgh Trams and ScotRail services, to meet the increased demands expected at the Taylor Swift concerts.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419701,"EventID":"S6W-27239","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-09T16:24:55.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T11:31:47.577","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23523 by Angela Constance on 11 December 2023, whether it will be publishing an evaluation report on Police Scotland’s pilot of the Digital Evidence Sharing Capability (DESC) Programme in Dundee. ","AnswerText":"An evaluation of Digital Evidence Sharing Capability (DESC) has been commissioned and publication is expected in Autumn 2024.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419702,"EventID":"S6W-27385","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-09T16:24:55.457","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-08T21:53:54.393","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider amending the provisions in the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 in relation to the licensing and regulation of taxis in order to make the provision of a card payment facility mandatory, in light of reported concerns regarding the inconvenience that cash-only operations can cause to passengers and the potential impact on the efficient operation of taxi ranks. ","AnswerText":"It is a matter for local licensing authorities to determine how to licence taxis and private hires within their areas within the powers they are provided with in the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982. This includes in terms of setting conditions as part of granting a licence. It is open to local licensing authorities to set conditions that may relate to payment methods that must be offered within taxis and private hires. For taxi and private hire operators themselves, offering card payment as an option would seem an important aspect to consider given the wide proliferation of card payment methods that are in common use.\r\nMore generally, the Scottish Government Taxi and Private Hire Car Licensing - Best Practice Guidance for Licensing Authorities and Taxi and Private Hire Car Operators recognises the importance of flexible transport services and makes clear that it is possible for taxis and private hire cars to provide flexible transport services in a number of different ways. Such services can play a valuable role in meeting a range of transport needs. Local licensing authorities are encouraged, as a matter of best practice, to play their part in promoting flexible services, so as to increase the availability of transport to the travelling public.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419703,"EventID":"S6W-27382","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-09T16:24:55.503","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-08T15:58:01.857","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-18553 by Emma Roddick on 14 June 2023, whether it has since received the initial findings, and whether it will publish these in due course.","AnswerText":"The archival analysis element of the research is underway and the report is currently being drafted. We anticipate receiving the report from this work towards the end of summer 2024. The contract for the qualitative research was tendered twice but no compliant bids were received.\r\nWe intend to publish the report from the archival analysis in due course, and will work to ensure those who wish to provide feedback and share their experiences will be able to do so. We will then consider next steps thereafter.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419704,"EventID":"S6W-27373","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-09T16:24:55.567","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-08T13:41:27.333","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26962 by Natalie Don on 2 May 2024, whether it has considered reviewing its funded early learning and childcare eligibility guidance to include multiples.","AnswerText":"We do not have plans to review the legislation or statutory guidance for the current offer of funded ELC.\r\nStatutory eligibility for access to funded early learning and childcare (ELC) is set out in the relevant legislation (Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 and the Provision of Early Learning and Childcare (Specified Children) Order 2014, as amended).\r\nAs set out in my previous answer, we provide statutory guidance for local authorities on their duties and powers in relation to funded ELC:  Introduction - Early learning and childcare: statutory guidance - July 2021 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  . Local authorities have a discretionary power to provide access to funded ELC to any child residing in their area, as they see fit.\r\nOver the next year we will begin work to develop an expanded national offer for more families with 2-year-olds, in doing so we will engage with various family types to identify need, focusing on those who will benefit most, aligning with the finding from the recent Joseph Rowntree Foundation report that noted “low-income families must be prioritised in a wide expansion of early years childcare”.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419705,"EventID":"S6W-27371","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-09T16:24:55.633","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T23:02:47.637","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will engage with the Invictus Games Foundation regarding a potential bid to host the 2029 or 2031 iteration of the Invictus Games in Glasgow.","AnswerText":"Glasgow is an excellent host city for Major Events, as proven most recently by the successes of the UCI Cycling World Championships in 2023 and the World Athletics Indoor Championships in March 2024.\r\nA decision on whether to bid to host the Invictus Games in 2029 or 2031 would be primarily for Glasgow City Council. VisitScotland's Events Directorate EventScotland, work with partners to actively assess hosting opportunities to secure a strong and diverse pipeline of Major Events for Scotland, involving the Scottish Government as required. \r\nBidding to host any event, including the Invictus Games, could only happen through an appropriate formal bidding process and would first be informed by a feasibility study to determine the viability, benefits and legacy of hosting. It would also require the assembly of a partnership which could offer suitable assurances of a viable funding package to plan, host and deliver the event in question. At present the Scottish Government is unaware of a viable proposal and funding package.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419706,"EventID":"S6W-27384","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-09T16:24:55.693","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-08T16:00:22.967","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the provisions in the Housing (Scotland) Bill will aim to ensure that landlords keep their properties habitable and well ventilated. ","AnswerText":"The objective of the Housing (Scotland) Bill as introduced to Parliament on 26 March 2024 is to deliver a package of reforms which will help ensure people have a safe, secure, and affordable place to live. If passed by Parliament, the Bill will enable the delivery of our commitments which include longer-term private sector rent controls; duties aimed at the prevention of homelessness; and supporting social rented sector tenants experiencing domestic abuse.\r\nOn the specific issue of properties being habitable and well ventilated, all rented homes in Scotland must already meet the minimum Tolerable Standard which includes elements that require housing to be free from damp and have adequate ventilation. Social rented homes are also required to meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard. \r\nIf landlords fail to comply, tenants can escalate complaints to the Scottish Public Sector Ombudsman. In the private rented sector, landlords are required by law to comply with the Repairing Standard. Where the minimum standards are not being met, tenants can apply to the First Tier Tribunal (Housing and Property Chamber) for a determination.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419707,"EventID":"S6W-27347","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-09T16:24:55.74","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T13:45:53.107","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed the impact of the reductions in the number of police officers since 2008 on the force’s ability to respond to reports of a crime.","AnswerText":"Police Scotland implemented the THRIVE approach as part of the roll out of its Contact Assessment Model (CAM) across 2019/20. THRIVE is used to ensure a consistent response to an incident report by evaluating threat, harm, risk, investigation, vulnerability and engagement. That places the needs of the individual at the centre of the police’s decisions while ensuring that effective prioritisation is in place.\r\nIt is vitally important that the Chief Constable has the flexibility to develop her workforce in a way that responds to the challenges she faces by ensuring the right workforce mix. She confirmed to the Criminal Justice Committee on 20 December that the extra £75.7m of resource funding provided by Scottish Government in 2024-25 will enable Police Scotland to bring officer numbers up to around 16,500-16,600. With plans in place to bring in over 1000 new officers this financial year and around 320 having joined since March, she is bringing in the resources that will ensure that frontline policing is prioritised.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419708,"EventID":"S6W-27372","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-09T16:24:55.787","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-08T09:04:42.803","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-22266 by Paul McLennan on 16 October 2023, how much of the £500,000 domestic abuse pilot fund has been distributed to date.","AnswerText":"The £500,000 fund to leave pilot was announced in October 2023 and ended on 31 March 2024. Women’s Aid groups disbursed the funding on behalf of the Scottish Government in five pilot areas. The Scottish Government expects a full report from Scottish Women’s Aid on the outcomes achieved by the start of June. Interim reports show that the £500,000 fund has been fully distributed, with over 500 applications being approved.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419709,"EventID":"S6W-27242","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-09T16:24:55.837","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-02T11:32:14.61","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent correspondence it has had with Glasgow City Council regarding the impact of its Low Emission Zone (LEZ) scheme in reducing emissions from private car use and improving air quality levels.","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland officials meet regularly with officials from Glasgow City Council, to discuss progress and learning around the impact of its Low Emission Zone (LEZ).\r\nStatutory reports on LEZ performance and air quality monitoring are expected from Glasgow City Council in summer 2024 and will be published in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419710,"EventID":"S6W-27369","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-09T16:24:55.883","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T16:47:53.347","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of alleged hate crimes reported since the commencement of the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 have been successfully prosecuted.","AnswerText":"Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) uses a live, operational database to manage the processing of reports submitted to Procurators Fiscal by the police and other reporting agencies throughout Scotland. It is designed to meet business needs in the processing of criminal cases, rather than for statistical purposes and the information within it is structured accordingly. Information provided is at date of extract and may therefore be subject to change as data and systems are updated for operational reasons. \r\nFrom 1 April to 14 May 2024, 123 hate crime charges and 422 charges with one or more hate crime aggravations have been reported to COPFS. The combined total number of charges is 545.\r\nAs at 14 May 2024, 343 charges have been marked for court proceedings and a further 60 charges have been marked as “not separately actioned”. Where a charge is marked as “not separately actioned”, no action was taken against the charge, but action (prosecution in court) was taken against the accused and some of the libel in the charge may have been incorporated into a charge that was actioned.\r\nCOPFS is not the holder of conviction data but, according to our case management system, 26 charges have so far resolved after court proceedings, a conviction is recorded in 17 of these charges.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419711,"EventID":"S6W-27374","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-09T16:24:55.913","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-08T14:09:20.893","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that its Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme (VDLIP), based on the current trend, will have brought all 848 hectares of vacant and derelict land across the 619 sites in Glasgow back into productive use.","AnswerText":"Since 2021 the low carbon Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme (VDLIP) has supported the productive reuse of 50.5 hectares of vacant and derelict land across nine projects in Glasgow.\r\nThe aim of the VDLIP is to help with tackling persistent vacant and derelict land, supporting place based approaches to delivering regeneration and sustainable inclusive growth, as part of a just transition to net-zero. It is not intended to fund the remediation and reuse of all sites that are registered as vacant and derelict land. ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419712,"EventID":"S6W-27370","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-09T16:24:55.96","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T22:06:47.877","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) Eurostar Group and (b) other train operating companies about reviving the Regional Eurostar and Nightstar services that were proposed to run from Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley to Paris Nord. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has had no meetings or discussion with Eurostar Group and other operators regarding the Regional Eurostar and Nightstar services, which was cancelled in the 1990's.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419713,"EventID":"S6W-27381","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-09T16:24:56.007","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-08T15:49:10.47","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions (a) the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and (b) her officials have had with (i) Lothian Buses and (ii) the City of Edinburgh Council regarding the reinstatement of service 69, which was originally withdrawn in 2020. ","AnswerText":"Lothian Buses provided an update on service 69 to Transport Scotland officials in 2022, noting they had no plans to reinstate the service at that time. Most bus services across Scotland operate in an open de-regulated market and have done so since the 1980s. Scottish Ministers do not have the power to intervene directly in the provision of local services. This is solely a matter for individual bus operators who use their own commercial judgement on service routes, frequencies, and vehicle types.\r\nLothian Buses is owned by the City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian and West Lothian Councils. However, it is operated and managed as an arms-length commercial operation by a board of directors. It would remain a matter for the local authority to determine whether there is a social need for a bus service that is not being provided commercially. Local authorities can subsidise these at their discretion.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419714,"EventID":"S6W-27186","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-09T16:24:56.04","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T10:16:20.45","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the potential impact on its (a) Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan and (b) renewable energy targets, what engagement it has had with the UK Government regarding Auction Round (i) 6 and (ii) 7 of the Contracts for Difference process.  ","AnswerText":"The parameters set out by the UK Government for offshore wind in AR6 were a step in the right direction but the subsequent budget announcement was disappointing and more must be done to ensure lost ground is regained.\r\nWe have regular engagement with the UK Government and have been clear they must also provide clarity on the longer-term approach that will be taken to support the renewables sector, both onshore and offshore, in order to provide the certainty needed to secure investment in the Scottish supply chain. To secure project delivery as well as investor and supply chain confidence, we have also stressed that the UK Government must provide timely grid connections and strengthened grid infrastructure.\r\nOur commitment to invest up to £500 million of public sector funding over the next 5 years demonstrates that the Scottish Government is already doing what it can within our limited budget to support market certainty and support the delivery of our tremendous offshore wind ambitions.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419715,"EventID":"S6W-27366","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-09T16:24:56.087","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T16:45:25.327","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21549 by Jenni Minto on 3 October 2023, what progress NHS boards have made on implementing the Scottish Health Technologies Group (SHTG) recommendations, published on 23 March 2023, requiring access to placental growth factor (PlGF) based tests as part of maternity care.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to continuous improvement in maternity safety across Scotland, in partnership with NHS Boards and clinicians and service users, to deliver the best and safest care for mothers and babies.\r\nThe Scottish Government expects all NHS Boards to ensure the  SHTG recommendations on PlGF-based testing  published on 23 March 2023 are implemented effectively and consistently. We will be writing to NHS Boards to get an update on their current position regarding PIGF testing and to determine if further support is necessary to progress implementation plans.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419716,"EventID":"S6W-27363","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-09T16:24:56.133","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T16:33:02.377","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether Police Scotland has requested further assistance in the past six months from the Metropolitan Police in relation to its policing and constitutional duties, particularly in relation to serious and organised crime. ","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for Police Scotland.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419717,"EventID":"S6W-27380","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-09T16:24:56.18","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-08T15:44:39.367","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has offered (a) ScotRail, (b) Transport for Edinburgh and (c) bus operators any additional support to ensure that all people travelling to and from the upcoming Taylor Swift concert in Edinburgh can do so without any concerns for capacity issues on public transport. ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answers to questions S6W-27379 on 17 May 2024 and S6W-27276 on 14 May 2024.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419718,"EventID":"S6W-27359","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-09T16:24:56.243","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T16:23:41.297","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide police officer relocation figures, in light of the reported closure of five current and 14 potential locations in Edinburgh and the Lothians, and of safety issues identified in buildings that they have been working in from at least the 1970s onwards, including reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).","AnswerText":"The location and deployment of police officers is an operational decision for the Chief Constable. However, under its estate plans for Edinburgh and the Lothians, Police Scotland intends that front-line operational officers will be relocated within the same geographical policing area, meaning there will be no loss to community-based policing.\r\nPolice Scotland is currently considering options, and is in discussion with a number of partners around possible locations, to ensure it continues to provide a local policing service that meets the needs of communities across Edinburgh and the Lothians, and has committed to undertake a public consultation in advance of any decisions being reached.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419719,"EventID":"S6W-27362","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-09T16:24:56.29","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T16:31:13.057","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government where the new location of critical policing facilities will be, particularly the Criminal Investigation Department and fingerprinting facilities of the Edinburgh Division, in light of the recently reported closure of Fettes station. ","AnswerText":"The location of critical policing facilities is an operational decision for the Chief Constable. Police Scotland is currently in discussions with a number of partners around possible co-location options, to ensure it can continue to provide a policing service that continues to meet the needs of communities across Edinburgh, in the event that functions move away from Fettes. Police Scotland will undertake a public consultation in advance of any decisions being reached.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419720,"EventID":"S6W-27185","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-09T16:24:56.337","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T10:16:20.45","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the potential impact on its (a) Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan and (b) renewable energy targets, what its position is on the proposal for the introduction of Sustainable Industry Rewards in Auction Round 7 of the Contracts for Difference process. ","AnswerText":"We welcome the UK Government’s plans to introduce a Sustainable Industry Reward into the Contracts for Difference scheme.\r\nThe Scottish Government responded to the initial consultation in January 2024, welcoming the UK Government’s work to introduce these reforms and raising key issues on the definition of deprived areas in Scotland as well as implementation timescales and flexibility.\r\nThroughout our engagement with UK Government on this, we have been clear that any reward mechanism should encourage early investment in manufacturing and infrastructure rather delaying it, creating certainty and allowing the supply chain to ready itself to support the delivery of our tremendous offshore wind ambitions. \r\nWe will continue to work with the UK Government to ensure Scottish interests are represented.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419764,"EventID":"S6W-27419","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:44.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T12:10:50.597","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the projected impact is of the recent teacher pay settlements on the long-term sustainability of the Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme (STPS).","AnswerText":"The impact of the recent teacher pay settlement will be taken into account as part of the 2024 scheme actuarial valuation. The valuation measures the costs of the benefits being provided and informs the future contribution rates to be paid by employers in order to ensure sustainability.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419765,"EventID":"S6W-27413","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:44.897","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T12:10:50.597","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the current cost of living crisis, what specific actions are being taken to ensure that teacher pensions remain competitive and attractive to both new and existing teachers.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Teachers’ Pension Scheme (STPS) continues to be an integral part of the remuneration package for teachers in Scotland. A Defined Benefit scheme, it offers the security of a guaranteed income in every year of retirement for all its members. Pensions in payment to retired members are inflation proofed and adjusted each April in line with the Consumer Prices Index. In April 2023, pensions increased by 10.1% and in April 2024 by a further 6.7%.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419766,"EventID":"S6W-27448","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:45.007","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T16:51:43.51","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on implementation of the Investor Panel's recommendation 14, and when the results of the exercise will be published. ","AnswerText":"We are working with key partners to identify and quantify the resources currently focused on attracting mobile capital investment at scale. As part of a wider update on the implementation of the investor panel recommendations, we expect to be able to report initial findings, alongside the initial steps we can take to better define roles and responsibilities across the public sector.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419767,"EventID":"S6W-27444","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:45.1","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T16:46:52.983","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) is ensuring that statutory aggravations in relation to domestic abuses cases are applied where appropriate. ","AnswerText":"This question relates to a recommendation in the report on HM Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland (HMIPS)’s inspection of the prosecution of summary domestic abuse cases which was instructed by the Lord Advocate and was published on 17 April 2024.\r\nThe relevant recommendation is:\r\nRecommendation 3\r\nCOPFS should ensure that statutory aggravations are applied where appropriate. This could be done via additional training and guidance, as well as quality assurance and feedback to staff.\r\nThe Lord Advocate has accepted this recommendation.\r\nCOPFS is commencing work in relation to the areas identified in the HMIPS report and will provide updates on the work undertaken in implementing the recommendations contained within the report in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419768,"EventID":"S6W-27453","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:45.227","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T17:09:05.043","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any repair work has been required on the 16 R100 subsea cables to Scottish islands, broken down by (a) year and (b) cost of repair.","AnswerText":"The BT Subsea Team has confirmed that there have been no recorded faults or repairs required to the R100 subsea cables to Scottish islands since deployment in 2022.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419769,"EventID":"S6W-27447","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:45.32","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T16:51:43.51","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on implementation of the Investor Panel's recommendation 9, and when the revised pipeline will be published. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government accepted the Investor Panel's recommendations and published its initial response alongside the Panel’s recommendations in November 2023. Officials have since been working with key partners to progress the development of a properly costed, shaped and prioritised pipeline of projects. The Scottish Government has committed to publishing an update on progress and the development of an investment pipeline will form a key part of this.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419770,"EventID":"S6W-27412","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:45.413","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T12:10:50.597","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure fairness and equality within the Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme (STPS) for teachers who joined at different points in time, in light of any changes in pension age and contribution rates.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has no functions in relation to the changes introduced by the UK Government's reform of public service pensions.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419771,"EventID":"S6W-27391","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:45.507","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T09:39:00.3","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with patient representatives, including Coeliac UK, regarding the reported challenge of the underdiagnosis of coeliac disease.","AnswerText":"In 2018, a new national evidence-based pathway for coeliac disease was launched across four health boards (NHS Lothian, NHS Lanarkshire, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Tayside). It was funded by Scottish Government’s Modernising Patient Pathways Programme (MPPP) and co-produced in partnership with key stakeholders including Coeliac UK, and people living with coeliac disease and clinicians.\r\nIn March 2023, Maree Todd MSP, the then Minister for Public Health, Women’s Health & Sport attended ‘Coeliac Disease: The Challenge of Underdiagnosis’ in the Scottish Parliament. The event was supported by Coeliac UK and included a presentation from a patient representative.\r\nA review, and if necessary, update of the Coeliac Disease Pathway is planned in 2024 through engagement and co-production with patient representatives and third sector organisations including Coeliac UK.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419772,"EventID":"S6W-27449","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:45.57","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T16:52:05.35","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) will (a) ensure that victims of domestic abuse are informed of the outcome of the accused’s first appearance on the same day and (b) update all guidance and protocols accordingly.","AnswerText":"This question relates to a recommendation in the report on HM Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland (HMIPS)’s inspection of the prosecution of summary domestic abuse cases which was instructed by the Lord Advocate and was published on 17 April 2024.\r\nThe relevant recommendation is:\r\nRecommendation 12\r\nWith regard to bail in domestic abuse cases, COPFS should:\r\n[...]\r\n(b) work with justice partners, particularly the police and the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, to ensure that victims are informed of the outcome of the accused’s first appearance on the same day, and update all guidance and protocols accordingly\r\n[...]\r\nThe Lord Advocate has accepted this recommendation.\r\nCOPFS is commencing work in relation to the areas identified in the HMIPS report and will provide updates on the work undertaken in implementing the recommendations contained within the report in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419773,"EventID":"S6W-27389","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:45.663","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T09:39:00.3","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to support a minimum framework for bereavement care when a baby or infant dies.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to supporting families who have experienced pregnancy and baby loss through the delivery of high-quality, sensitive bereavement care, and has provided funding to Sands UK to develop and implement the National Bereavement Care Pathway for pregnancy and baby loss in Scotland (NBCP).\r\nAll 14 NHS Boards are now officially signed up to the National Bereavement Care Pathway which is currently being implemented in 9 Boards. Initial meetings have taken place with the remaining 5 Boards, who signed up at the end of 2023. A link to the NBCP can be found here:  Home | SANDS (nbcpscotland.org.uk) \r\nSANDS UK have also produced Bereavement Care Standards and these complement the National Bereavement Care Pathways for Scotland. The Scottish Government encourages NHS Boards to use the bereavement care standards wherever possible. More information on the Bereavement Care Standards can be found here:  Bereavement Care Standards | SANDS (nbcpscotland.org.uk) ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419774,"EventID":"S6W-27423","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:45.757","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T15:20:28.85","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether failure to comply with the new repairing standards for fire safety and electrical redundancies, including a failure to install a Residual Current Device (RCD), which came into force in March 2024, could result in criminal prosecution.","AnswerText":"Enforcement arrangements for all elements of the Repairing Standard are set out in the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006.\r\nIt is the responsibility of the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber) to decide whether the landlord has complied with the duty imposed by the legislation.\r\nWhere the First-tier Tribunal decides that the landlord has failed to comply with that duty, it must by a “repairing standard enforcement order” require the landlord to carry out such work as is necessary, specifying the period within which the work required by the order must be completed.\r\nA landlord who, without reasonable excuse, fails to comply with a repairing standard enforcement order commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine which would be determined by the tribunal.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419775,"EventID":"S6W-27442","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:45.927","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T16:36:23.797","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated cost to Police Scotland of any data breaches was in the financial year to 5 April 2024, including (a) legal cost incursions, (b) the employment of additional staff, (c) the payment of contracts with third party companies and individuals, (d) the repair of existing or employment of new systems and (e) redundancy payments to existing staff.","AnswerText":"Costs associated with Police Scotland’s data management are a matter for the Chief Constable.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419776,"EventID":"S6W-27451","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:46.007","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T16:59:47.83","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any trunk road upgrades that may be needed in the future, broken down by (a) section and (b) local authority area, as well as the date that the repair work (i) was first identified as required and (ii) is projected to be completed by.","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland conducts machine-based based surveys using specialist vehicles each year to gather information on the surface integrity of the road; the friction characteristics of the surface; and the structural capacity (strength) of the underlying road construction. This provides an annual snapshot of the changing road condition across the network, which is supplemented with a series of targeted inspections completed under the term maintenance contract to obtain specific information about the road asset. \r\nThe combined information is used as part of an annual cycle to determine maintenance programmes and investment requirements. This annual process results in the production of a 3-year Programme, which is reviewed and refined in light of available funding until a final programme is determined. \r\nA copy of the latest three-year programme can be found in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. Number 65070) and it sets out the works that are currently proposed for delivery over the three period from April 2024 until March 2027. The works are listed by road/route and the Section References are provided but the data is not available grouped by local authority area. Delivery of these works is subject to the availability of funding and operational constraints.\r\nLonger term the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2), published in December 2022, notes that investing in the Trunk Road and Motorway network is important in order to improve safety and resilience of the network for the communities and businesses of Scotland. STPR2 recommendations for strategic roads focus on safety, climate change adaptation and resilience. For safety improvements these will be a primary, but not exclusive, focused on rural sections.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419777,"EventID":"S6W-27440","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:46.1","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T16:31:06.817","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress towards implementing the Women's Health Plan since the Second Annual Report on Progress was published in January 2024. ","AnswerText":"The  Women’s Health Plan  sets out the Scottish Government’s ambition for Women’s Health which is that ‘women and girls enjoy the best possible health, throughout their lives’ - this ambition is not limited to the lifespan of the current Plan.\r\nThe current iteration of the Women’s Health Plan comes to a close in August 2024 and a Women’s Health Plan Final Report on Progress is intended for publication in the Autumn.\r\nIn the interim, Women’s Health Champion Professor Anna Glasier provides a regular update on the progress of the Women’s Health Plan through her quarterly blog:  https://blogs.gov.scot/health-social-care/category/womens-health-champion/ ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419778,"EventID":"S6W-27416","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:46.193","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T12:10:50.597","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support mechanisms are in place to ensure that retired teachers with long careers have a secure and comfortable standard of living.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Teachers’ Pension Scheme (STPS) provides teachers in Scotland with a Defined Benefit pension scheme which offers the security of a guaranteed inflation proofed income in every year of retirement which is paid in addition to the State Pension. Teachers are automatically enrolled into the scheme and begin accruing pension immediately upon taking up teaching employment which supports pension saving throughout their careers.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419779,"EventID":"S6W-27387","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:46.303","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T09:39:00.3","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to promote understanding of the reported National Crime Agency (NCA) alert of \"sextortion\" to all primary and secondary schools in Scotland.","AnswerText":"Steps have already been taken to disseminate the NCA alert to all schools in Scotland.\r\nEducation Scotland officials worked with the NCA to ensure a copy of the alert went to all safeguarding leads in each local authority for onward transmission to all schools. In addition, the alert has been circulated to the Personal and Social Education and Health and Wellbeing Network members, who are school teachers, as well as the Registrar of Independent Schools.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419780,"EventID":"S6W-27388","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:46.397","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T09:39:00.3","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to extend eligibility for the Scottish Child Payment to foster parents.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is grateful for the hard work foster carers do in providing caring homes to vulnerable children. However, there are no plans to extend eligibility for Scottish Child Payment to all foster carers.\r\nChildren in foster care are considered looked after by the local authority and, as such, foster carers do not satisfy the legal responsibilities or rights that entitle them to child responsibility benefits. Foster carers receive allowances from local authorities to cover the needs of children living with them.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419781,"EventID":"S6W-27395","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:46.49","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T10:27:48.78","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many homes have been built through the Rural Housing Fund in each year since 2016-17.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27393 on 28 May 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419782,"EventID":"S6W-27394","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:46.57","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T10:27:26.883","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on the Islands Housing Fund in each year since its introduction. ","AnswerText":"A breakdown of spend from the main Rural and Islands Housing Fund in each year since the funds were launched in 2016-17, broken down by rural (mainland) and Islands is provided in the following table. The Rural and Island Housing Fund plays an important role in offering support to community organisations and other eligible applicants while complementing the significant delivery through our mainstream programme by Councils and Registered Social Landlords in rural and island areas.\r\nRural (mainland) and Island Spend\r\n2016-17\r\n2017-18\r\n2018-19\r\n2019-20\r\n2020-21\r\n2021-22\r\n2022-23\r\n2023-24*\r\nTotal Spend\r\nRural\r\n0.074\r\n0.961\r\n1.451\r\n2.142\r\n3.062\r\n2.392\r\n1.458\r\n2.412\r\n13.952\r\nIsland\r\n0.027\r\n0.100\r\n0.200\r\n0.681\r\n1.855\r\n2.401\r\n2.625\r\n4.268\r\n12.157\r\nTotal Spend\r\n0.101\r\n1.061\r\n1.651\r\n2.823\r\n4.917\r\n4.793\r\n4.083\r\n6.680\r\n26.109\r\n*This includes provisional programme management information for 2023-24 and could be subject to change\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419783,"EventID":"S6W-27392","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:46.663","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T09:39:00.3","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made towards the adoption of a single clinical pathway for coeliac disease.","AnswerText":"Following the launch of a new national evidence-based pathway for coeliac disease in 2018, we expect all Health Boards to fully implement the Coeliac Disease Pathway in Scotland to improve under diagnosis, time to diagnosis and to ensure dietetic person-centred support for people living with this condition so that they can take control and manage its impact on their health and quality of life.\r\nOur £70 million Endoscopy and Urology Diagnostic Recovery and Renewal Plan is increasing capacity and supporting workforce training. This also includes a commitment to promote and implement guidelines for non-biopsy diagnosis for coeliac disease, which is expected to reduce waiting times for diagnosis for this condition.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419784,"EventID":"S6W-27376","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:46.757","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-08T14:22:04.68","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that prosecutors have sufficiently detailed information on any risk to domestic abuse victims, which could be passed on to the court when required.","AnswerText":"This question relates to a recommendation in the report on HM Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland (HMIPS)’s inspection of the prosecution of summary domestic abuse cases which was instructed by the Lord Advocate and was published on 17 April 2024.\r\nThe relevant recommendation is:\r\nRecommendation 2\r\nIn relation to the reporting of domestic abuse cases, COPFS should work with Police Scotland to:\r\n(a) ensure that prosecutors have sufficiently detailed information on the risk to victims which can be passed on to the court when required [...]\r\nThe Lord Advocate has accepted this recommendation.\r\nCOPFS is commencing work in relation to the areas identified in the HMIPS report and will provide updates on the work undertaken in implementing the recommendations contained within the report in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419785,"EventID":"S6W-27437","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:46.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T16:20:08.93","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has held discussions with (a) local authorities and (b) COSLA regarding updating the Supporting transgender young people in schools guidance, in light of the findings of the final report of the Cass Review, which was published in April 2024. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring the Supporting Transgender Young People in School guidance remains up to date and fit for purpose. As with any significant legal or policy developments, we will consider whether the guidance requires to be updated to reflect these.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419786,"EventID":"S6W-27415","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:46.943","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T12:10:50.597","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme (STPS) compares with pension schemes offered to other public sector workers, and whether there are any plans to harmonise these schemes.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Teachers’ Pension Scheme was reformed by the UK Government under the Public Service Pension Act 2013 along with the other main public service pension schemes in the UK. All schemes are broadly comparable and are based on Career Average Revalued Earnings. Apart from the uniformed public services, all schemes have a pension age linked to State Pension age.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419787,"EventID":"S6W-27407","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:47.023","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T12:10:50.597","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures the smooth transition for teachers moving between the Scottish Teachers' Superannuation Scheme (STSS) and the Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme 2015 (STPS 2015), in order to avoid any loss of pension benefits.","AnswerText":"The value of members’ benefits accrued in the Scottish Teachers’ Superannuation Scheme (STSS) are protected by transitional protections on moving to the Scottish Teachers’ Pension Scheme 2015. These protections include a Final Salary Link which provides that members’ final salary pension from the STSS is based on their pensionable salary at the point they finally retire and not at the point they transition to the 2015 Scheme. ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419788,"EventID":"S6W-27404","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:47.1","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T12:10:50.597","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme (STPS) pension benefit structure, including accrual rate and lump sum, compares to other defined benefit pension schemes.","AnswerText":"The Teachers’ Pension arrangement in Scotland comprises of two schemes. The Scottish Teachers’ Superannuation Scheme (STSS) which is the legacy scheme and which closed to all members on 31 March 2022, and the reformed Scottish Teachers’ Pension Scheme 2015 (STPS).\r\nThe STSS is a final salary scheme and has a normal pension age (NPA) of 60 for members who joined prior to 1 April 2007 and a NPA of 65 for members who joined on or after 1 April 2007. For members with a NPA of 60, the accrual rate is 1/80 th of the members final salary for every year of pensionable service, there is also an automatic tax-free lump sum payable of 3/80ths. For those with a NPA of 65, the accrual rate is 1/60 th and there is no automatic lump sum. However, members have the option to give up pension for a tax-free lump sum at retirement.\r\nIn the STPS, benefits accrue on a Career Average Revalued Earnings (CARE) basis and NPA is linked to State Pension Age. The accrual rate is 1/57 th of the member’s pensionable earnings each year. There is no automatic lump sum but members have the option to give up pension for a tax-free lump sum at retirement.\r\nThe pension benefits structure in the STPS is broadly comparable with the main UK public service pension schemes which are all based on Career Average Revalued Earnings. Apart from the uniformed public services, all schemes have a normal pension age linked to State Pension age. `","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419789,"EventID":"S6W-27438","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:47.177","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T16:20:08.93","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many times the Storm Babet Ministerial Taskforce has met in 2024, and what was discussed. ","AnswerText":"The Storm Babet Ministerial Taskforce has met twice in 2024, on 17 January and on 13 March, and three times in 2023, on 16 November, 29 November, and 13 December. Taskforce members discussed flood recovery actions undertaken by the Scottish Government and by affected councils, including flood recovery grants for households and businesses, the Homelessness Prevention Fund, and the floodbank support scheme for farmers affected by the storm.\r\nDuring the meeting on 13 March, members agreed that the response to Storm Babet had now moved into the medium-term recovery phase and that future discussions would focus on community recovery and work to consider the long-term future of the flooded site in Brechin.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419790,"EventID":"S6W-27417","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:47.273","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T12:10:50.597","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to conduct a full review of the Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme (STPS) in the near future, and, if so, what the key areas of focus will be for any such review.","AnswerText":"While Scottish Ministers have executively devolved responsibility for the Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme (STPS), occupational pensions policy is reserved to the UK Government and is outside the powers of the Scottish Parliament.\r\nThe STPS was last reformed in 2015, as provided for under the Public Service Pensions Act 2013. When the 2013 Act was introduced, the UK Government made a commitment that the reforms would be sustained for 25 years. Therefore, the Scottish Government do not intend to carry out a full review of the scheme in the near future, however, we continue to work closely with the Scottish Teachers’ Pension Scheme Advisory Board who advise Scottish Ministers on the desirability of changes to the design of the Scheme.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419791,"EventID":"S6W-27409","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:47.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T12:10:50.597","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of rising living costs, whether it is considering any measures to increase the pension payments for current retirees who are members of the Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme (STPS).","AnswerText":"Pensions in payment from the Scottish Teachers’ Pension Scheme are protected against inflation and are adjusted each April in line with the Consumer Prices Index. In April 2023, pensions increased by 10.1% and in April 2024 by a further 6.7%.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419792,"EventID":"S6W-27414","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:47.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T12:10:50.597","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the recent teacher pay settlements impact the future value of teacher pensions, and, if so, what steps are being taken to mitigate any potential negative effects.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not consider there are any potentially negative effects of the recent teacher pay settlement on the future value of teachers pensions. The impact will be taken into account as part of the 2024 scheme actuarial valuation which measures the costs of the benefits being provided and informs the future contribution rates to be paid by employers in order to ensure sustainability.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419793,"EventID":"S6W-27398","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:47.553","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T10:28:53.317","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of (a) the number of paediatric pathologists based in Scotland and (b) any paediatric pathology services that have been acquired from elsewhere in the UK, over the past 24 months.","AnswerText":"a) The information requested on how many paediatric pathologists are based in Scotland is not centrally available. Information on paediatric pathologists, employed by NHS Scotland, can be found on the TURAS NHS Education for Scotland workforce statistics site at: NHS Scotland workforce | Turas Data Intelligence.\r\nb) The information requested on any paediatric pathology services that have been acquired from elsewhere in the UK, over the past 24 months is not held centrally.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419794,"EventID":"S6W-27418","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:47.677","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T12:10:50.597","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the total percentage is of teachers who are currently not enrolled in a pension scheme.","AnswerText":"This information is not collected or held centrally by the Scottish Government. \r\nWhilst the Scottish Public Pensions Agency holds information about teachers who are currently contributing to the Scottish Teachers' Pension scheme, individual local authorities and other employers of teachers such as independent schools and further and higher education bodies will separately hold information on the overall percentage of their employees not enrolled in a pension scheme.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419795,"EventID":"S6W-27408","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:47.787","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T12:10:50.597","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what role the Scottish Public Pensions Agency (SPPA) has in managing the Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme (STPS), and how teachers can raise any concerns or enquiries regarding their pension plan.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Public Pensions Agency (SPPA) undertakes the role of Scheme Manager of the Scottish Teachers’ Pension Scheme, on behalf of Scottish Ministers. Scheme members can raise any concerns or enquiries with the SPPA by using the Contact Us page at  www.pensions.gov.scot/contact-us  or by calling the Agency.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419796,"EventID":"S6W-27445","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:47.88","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T16:47:39.94","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to ensure that domestic abuse cases are progressed efficiently through the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS). ","AnswerText":"This question relates to recommendations in the report on HM Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland (HMIPS)’s inspection of the prosecution of summary domestic abuse cases which was instructed by the Lord Advocate and was published on 17 April 2024.\r\nThe relevant recommendations are:\r\nRecommendation 6\r\nCOPFS should ensure that domestic abuse cases at summary level are prepared effectively. This will require that:\r\n(a) new information is brought to the attention of deputes and acted on promptly\r\n(b) deputes are available to deal with urgent and unexpected queries as they arise\r\n(c) the tasking of reporting officers is followed up timeously\r\n(d) action is taken to address any risks to the efficient progression of the case\r\n(e) deputes have sufficient time to address issues during their case preparation.\r\nRecommendation 11\r\nAs well as monitoring the domestic abuse waiting period, COPFS should work with its partners to monitor the overall journey time for domestic abuse cases. This monitoring should lead to action to address any barriers to progressing cases efficiently.\r\nThe Lord Advocate has accepted these recommendations.\r\nCOPFS is commencing work in relation to the areas identified in the HMIPS report and will provide updates on the work undertaken in implementing the recommendations contained within the report in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419797,"EventID":"S6W-27411","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:47.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T12:10:50.597","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the projected costs of the Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme (STPS) over the next five years, and whether it will outline any measures being considered to ensure its long-term sustainability.","AnswerText":"The projected costs of the Scottish Teachers’ Pension Scheme are assessed and managed as part of the scheme actuarial valuation as directed by the UK Government. The latest quadrennial valuation of the scheme is based on data as at 31 March 2020 and was published on the SPPA website on 14 November 2023. It is available at the following address:\r\nwww.pensions.gov.scot/teachers/employers/pension-contribution-rates/valuations \r\nThe latest valuation led to an increase in the employer contribution rate from 23% to 26% for the implementation period 2024 to 2027. The rate will be reviewed again at the 2024 scheme valuation, ensuring the sustainability of the Scheme.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419798,"EventID":"S6W-27434","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:48.083","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T16:20:08.93","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress towards publishing Scotland's first Flood Resilience Strategy in 2024. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government launched a public consultation on the Flood Resilience Strategy on Tuesday 21 May. The consultation will run for 12 weeks and seeks views on our approach to improving flood resilience and what actions are needed in the long term to make our places more flood resilient.\r\nOver the consultation period officials will hold a number of public engagement workshops. The consultation will close in mid-August and a report analysing the responses will be published thereafter. The Flood Resilience Strategy is due to be published in Autumn 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419799,"EventID":"S6W-27446","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:48.193","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T16:51:43.51","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on implementation of the Investor Panel's recommendation 16, and whether such a mechanism has been designed. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has accepted the Panel’s recommendation and agrees it is essential that we consider the impact of policy and regulation on investment and investor sentiment. The New Deal for Business is improving how policy makers consider the regulatory impact of new policies on business and investors through an updated impact assessment. This will include early engagement with the investment community on policy proposals.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419800,"EventID":"S6W-27396","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:48.273","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T10:28:03.037","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on the Rural Housing Fund in each year since its introduction.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27394 on 28 May 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419801,"EventID":"S6W-27422","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:48.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T15:18:04.76","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any knowledge or information regarding the level of compliance with the new repairing standards for fire safety and electrical fittings in Scottish households, which came into force in March 2024.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not currently collect any information about compliance with the new repairing standard requirements on electrical fittings. Where a tenant believes the Repairing Standard is not being met in the house they rent from a private landlord, they can apply to the First Tier Tribunal (Housing and Property Chamber) for a determination.\r\nNo new requirements for fire safety came into force under the Repairing Standard in March 2024.\r\nA requirement for fire alarms and carbon monoxide detectors was previously part of the Repairing Standard. Since 1 February 2022, this requirement has been part of the Tolerable Standard and is therefore required in all tenures, including private rented housing.\r\nIn 2022 the Scottish House Condition Survey asked the following new question on fire alarms: Has the dwelling satisfactory equipment for detecting fire and giving warning in the event of fire or suspected fire. Responses were recorded as a yes or no answer, and in order to be recorded as ‘yes’ a dwelling must have interlinked fire alarms installed meeting a number of criteria.\r\nThe Scottish House Conditions Survey conducted in 2022 shows that around 41,000 dwellings (14% of private rented sector dwellings) failed the smoke alarm criteria.\r\nWhile all dwellings meeting the fire alarm criteria have interlinked fire alarms, there may be some dwellings recorded as having insufficient fire detection equipment that do have interlinked fire alarms but failed the fire alarm criteria due to other factors such as insufficient number of alarms, improperly powered alarms, or improper locations of alarms. However, due to the yes / no mode of question this number cannot be quantified from 2022 SHCS data.\r\nFrom 2023 the SHCS question on fire alarms will provide details as to why a dwelling’s equipment for detecting a fire is unsatisfactory which will allow analysis in this area from 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419802,"EventID":"S6W-27428","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2633,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:48.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T15:33:44.91","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is engaging with food delivery industry employers, including on matters of fair work, employment rights and safety.","AnswerText":"While there is no specific, separate engagement with food delivery industry employers, the Scottish Government engages broadly with businesses and trade unions across the retail and hospitality sector on a range of issues, including fair work. Many of these businesses also operate food delivery services. There are also Industry Leadership groups for both sectors co-chaired by Scottish Government, which provide strategic oversight of key policy issues and development.\r\nAs there are currently no Standard Industrial Classification codes that specifically identify food delivery as an industry; and no Standard Occupational Classification codes that specifically identify food delivery as an occupation, it is not possible to robustly estimate the size of the sector in Scotland.\r\nOur vision, shared with the Fair Work Convention, is for Scotland to be a leading Fair Work Nation by 2025, where fair work drives success, wellbeing and prosperity for individuals, businesses, organisations and society.\r\nControl over employment and industrial relations legislation is currently reserved to the UK Parliament; while this remains the case, we will continue to use our Fair Work policy to drive up labour market standards for workers across the Scottish labour market.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419803,"EventID":"S6W-27393","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:48.537","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T10:26:43.547","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many homes have been built through the Islands Housing Fund in each year since 2016-17. ","AnswerText":"The number of homes completed through the Rural and Islands Housing Fund in each year since 2016-17, broken down by rural (mainland) and islands is provided in the following table. There are over 80 housing units currently on-site which are expected to complete in 2024-25 through the fund. The Rural and Island Housing Fund plays an important role in offering support to community organisations and others to deliver affordable homes, while complementing the delivery through our mainstream programme by Councils and Registered Social Landlords. Between 2016-17 and 2022-23 the Scottish Government has supported the delivery of more than 10,000 affordable homes in rural and island areas.\r\nRural (mainland) and Island Homes\r\n2016-17\r\n2017-18\r\n2018-19\r\n2019-20\r\n2020-21\r\n2021-22\r\n2022-23\r\n2023-24*\r\nTotal Homes\r\nRural\r\n2\r\n21\r\n1\r\n35\r\n16\r\n41\r\n36\r\n6\r\n158\r\nIsland\r\n-\r\n4\r\n-\r\n5\r\n4\r\n12\r\n8\r\n15\r\n48\r\nTotal Homes\r\n2\r\n25\r\n1\r\n40\r\n20\r\n53\r\n44\r\n21\r\n206\r\n*This includes provisional programme management information for 2023-24 and could be subject to change\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419804,"EventID":"S6W-27377","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:48.677","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-08T14:25:44.393","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that standard prosecution reports (SPRs) fully address the views of domestic abuse victims on any (a) court proceedings, (b) bail conditions and (c) non-harassment orders, and that the reasons for such domestic abuse victims’ views are fully explored and described, by both the (i) Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and (ii) Police Scotland, in appropriate and accurate language. ","AnswerText":"This question relates to a recommendation in the report on HM Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland (HMIPS)’s inspection of the prosecution of summary domestic abuse cases which was instructed by the Lord Advocate and was published on 17 April 2024.\r\nThe relevant recommendation is:\r\nRecommendation 2\r\nIn relation to the reporting of domestic abuse cases, COPFS should work with Police Scotland to:\r\n[...]\r\n(b) ensure that Standard Prosecution Reports fully address the victim’s views on court proceedings, bail conditions and non-harassment orders. Reasons for victims’ views should be fully explored and should be described, by both COPFS and Police Scotland, in appropriate and accurate language [...]\r\nThe Lord Advocate has accepted this recommendation.\r\nCOPFS is commencing work in relation to the areas identified in the HMIPS report and will provide updates on the work undertaken in implementing the recommendations contained within the report in due course.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419805,"EventID":"S6W-27390","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:48.757","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T09:39:00.3","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to mark Coeliac Awareness Month in May 2024, and what strategies it has in place to raise awareness of the condition.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government welcomes the work of organisations like Coeliac UK who are already undertaking communications work to increase awareness and knowledge of coeliac disease and highlight the importance of knowing the symptoms and risk factors. We supported their messaging on Coeliac Awareness Month in May 2024 by sharing their twitter campaign highlighting awareness of coeliac disease and how the condition can be different for everyone.\r\nNHSinform.scot provides clear and accessible information on coeliac disease, including symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419806,"EventID":"S6W-27405","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:48.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T12:10:50.597","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there are any provisions within the Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme (STPS) that allow teachers to adjust their contribution rates to potentially increase their future pension benefits.","AnswerText":"The provisions of the Scottish Teachers’ Pension Scheme allow members to adjust their contribution rates and increase their pension benefits by purchasing Additional Pension or opting for Faster Accrual. \r\nAdditional Pension is an amount of extra pension which can be bought in multiples of £250 up to a maximum of £7,000 and can be paid for by additional monthly contributions over a period of 1 to 20 years. Faster Accrual allows members to earn pension at a faster rate than the standard accrual of 1/57 th by making extra monthly contributions. There are three faster accrual options: 1/45th, 1/50th and 1/55th.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419807,"EventID":"S6W-27402","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:48.96","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T12:10:50.597","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to address any potential financial hardship faced by retired teachers with low pensions, particularly in light of the current economic climate.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Teachers’ Pension Scheme (STPS) continues to be an integral part of the remuneration package for teachers in Scotland. A Defined Benefit scheme, it offers the security of a guaranteed income in every year of retirement for all its members. Pensions in payment to retired members are inflation proofed and adjusted each April in line with the Consumer Prices Index. In April 2023, pensions increased by 10.1% and in April 2024 by a further 6.7%.\r\nWhile Scottish Ministers have executively devolved responsibility for the STPS, they exercise those functions within a reserved framework. The Scottish Ministers must therefore implement policy which reflects UK government primary legislation and any secondary legislation introduced by Scottish Ministers requires HM Treasury approval.\r\nThe design of the STPS, including accrual rates and benefits payable from the scheme, are determined by reserved UK Government primary legislation. Scottish Ministers have no powers to vary the accrued benefits payable from the scheme to retired teachers without HM Treasury consent.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419808,"EventID":"S6W-27450","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:49.037","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T16:53:28.887","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) will ensure that domestic abuse victims (a) are informed of bail review applications, (b) have their views sought and put before the court and (c) are informed of the outcome timeously.","AnswerText":"This question relates to a recommendation in the report on HM Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland (HMIPS)’s inspection of the prosecution of summary domestic abuse cases which was instructed by the Lord Advocate and was published on 17 April 2024.\r\nThe relevant recommendation is:\r\nRecommendation 12\r\nWith regard to bail in domestic abuse cases, COPFS should:\r\n[...]\r\n(c) ensure that victims are informed of bail review applications, their views are sought and put before the court, and they are informed of the outcome timeously.\r\nThe Lord Advocate has accepted this recommendation.\r\nCOPFS is commencing work in relation to the areas identified in the HMIPS report and will provide updates on the work undertaken in implementing the recommendations contained within the report in due course.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419809,"EventID":"S6W-27439","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:49.147","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T16:27:15.36","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures it and Police Scotland have been required, mandated or legally compelled to put in place to prevent the informal disclosure of privileged information by serving officers or civilian employees with access to police databases on personal or private devices.","AnswerText":"While it is the responsibility of Police Scotland to meet its obligations for data has a wide range of obligations to meet in discharging its statutory and regulatory responsibilities regarding the processing of data. \r\nThese obligations include Data Protection legislation, Public Records (Scotland) legislation, Biometrics and Communications legislation and security requirements overseen by the Home Office, Cabinet Office and National Police Chiefs Council. \r\nPolice Scotland has designed and implemented a suite of technical, procedural, physical and behavioural controls which are overseen by the Deputy Chief Constable for Professionalism. \r\nAn essential security control for data is a policy that police databases are not accessible from personal or private devices. This is carefully managed and monitored with technical capabilities to ensure compliance. Officers and staff that require access to police databases are provided with appropriate equipment and devices that enables that functionality and which have commensurate security applied. Civilian Scottish Government employees are not able to access this information.\r\nPolice Scotland in common with all Data Controllers, is also subject to oversight from regulators including the Information Commissioner and the Scottish Biometrics Commissioner who from time to time make recommendations or provide advice on measures that will enhance security of the data Police Scotland processes. Additional safeguards for the management of data is also ensured with further scrutiny by Internal Auditors.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419810,"EventID":"S6W-27403","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:49.24","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T12:10:50.597","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current average pension pay-out is for teachers who retire under the Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme (STPS).","AnswerText":"The latest Scottish Teachers’ Pension Scheme Annual Report and Accounts show that the average annual pension in payment from the Scheme as at 31 March 2023 was £13,842. In addition, the accounts show that lump sums totalling £133.5 million were paid to 2,723 new retirees in 2022-23, an average lump sum of £49,063.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419811,"EventID":"S6W-27399","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:49.32","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T10:28:53.317","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of any drug-free wings within the Scottish Prison Service estate.","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:\r\nSPS takes a multidisciplinary approach to meet both the emotional and physical needs of those in our care, as well as taking steps to safeguard prisoners and staff from the harm of illicit substances. We work closely with NHS partners and others to meet individual needs, including those receiving treatment for substance use and those abstaining from substance use.\r\nWithin our estate the SPS recovery agenda is strong, and we work collaboratively with third sector partners, including the Recovery Consortium, to ensure we meet the needs of those on their recovery journey.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419812,"EventID":"S6W-27452","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:49.397","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T17:09:05.043","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many properties on the 15 islands that had R100 subsea cables installed are (a) still due to be connected in R100 contracts and (b) have been connected as a result of R100 contracts, broken down by island.","AnswerText":"The number of premises that are either due to be delivered or have been delivered on the 15 islands that have had new subsea cables installed as part of the Scottish Government’s £600 million R100 contracts are in the following table.\r\nIsland\r\nLocal Authority\r\nNumber Of Premises In Contracts\r\nNumber of Premises Delivered\r\nNumber of Premises Still To Be Delivered\r\nColonsay\r\nArgyll and Bute\r\n175\r\n0\r\n175\r\nIona\r\nArgyll and Bute\r\n146\r\n0\r\n146\r\nLismore\r\nArgyll and Bute\r\n151\r\n143\r\n8\r\nEigg\r\nHighlands\r\n33\r\n0\r\n33\r\nEday\r\nOrkney\r\n123\r\n0\r\n123\r\nFlotta\r\nOrkney\r\n74\r\n0\r\n74\r\nHoy\r\nOrkney\r\n332\r\n0\r\n332\r\nRousay\r\nOrkney\r\n162\r\n0\r\n162\r\nSanday\r\nOrkney\r\n317\r\n0\r\n317\r\nShapinsay\r\nOrkney\r\n183\r\n0\r\n183\r\nStronsay\r\nOrkney\r\n206\r\n0\r\n206\r\nFair Isle\r\nShetland\r\n51\r\n48\r\n3\r\nUnst\r\nShetland\r\n497\r\n0\r\n497\r\nWhalesey\r\nShetland\r\n199\r\n0\r\n199\r\nYell\r\nShetland\r\n596\r\n383\r\n213\r\n \r\nThese are the latest verified delivery figures from 31st March 2024\r\nAll of the island build will be gigabit capable – more than 30 times faster than the Scottish Government’s original commitment and providing future-proofed connectivity for decades to come.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419813,"EventID":"S6W-27378","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:49.477","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-08T14:27:34.983","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the approach to counter allegations set out in the joint protocol on challenging domestic abuse is followed in practice by (a) reporting officers and (b) marking deputes.","AnswerText":"This question relates to a recommendation in the report on HM Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland (HMIPS)’s inspection of the prosecution of summary domestic abuse cases which was instructed by the Lord Advocate and was published on 17 April 2024.\r\nThe relevant recommendation is:\r\nRecommendation 2\r\nIn relation to the reporting of domestic abuse cases, COPFS should work with Police Scotland to:\r\n[...]\r\n(c) ensure that the approach to counter allegations set out in the joint protocol on challenging domestic abuse is followed in practice by both reporting officers and marking deputes. Managing counter allegations should form part of training\r\n[…]\r\nThe Lord Advocate has accepted this recommendation.\r\nCOPFS is commencing work in relation to the areas identified in the HMIPS report and will provide updates on the work undertaken in implementing the recommendations contained within the report in due course.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419814,"EventID":"S6W-27435","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:49.553","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T16:20:08.93","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made any recent assessment with clinicians of the effectiveness of BMI as an indicator of health, especially in relation to the diagnosis of eating disorders. ","AnswerText":"NHS Scotland uses the internationally accepted categories for BMI to categorise people’s weight in relation to their health. BMI should not be used as a single defining measurement but as part of a holistic assessment alongside other criteria to help inform best treatment options for patients.\r\nThe Scottish Government has not undertaken specific assessments of use of BMI in diagnosing eating disorders. However, clinicians are aware of its limitations in relation to eating disorders diagnosis and this is reflected in the National Specification for the Care and Treatment of Eating Disorders in Scotland.\r\nIn the National Specification, it is stated that assessment of an eating disorder should not be based on single measures such as BMI. Instead the full set of symptoms and individual circumstances should be considered. The National Specification was consulted on earlier this year and the consultation results are currently being analysed with the aim to publish the final National Specification document later this year. The implementation of the National Specification will be supported by the National Eating Disorders Network.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419815,"EventID":"S6W-27410","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:49.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T12:10:50.597","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how early retirement has impacted the number of active teachers, and what steps are being taken to address any potential teacher shortages arising from any such trend.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government's annual teacher workforce planning process is informed by a statistical model which estimates the number of Initial Teacher Education students required to maintain teacher numbers. The model considers a number of inputs, including projections of the number of teachers retiring.\r\nThe Strategic Board for Teacher Education, which comprises a range of key education stakeholders, is also considering issues around the recruitment and retention of teachers in Scotland.\r\nThe Scottish Government is committed to protecting teacher numbers, and we are offering local authorities £145.5m in this year’s budget for that purpose. This funding will allow councils to protect teacher numbers in order to support children’s education.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419816,"EventID":"S6W-27426","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2633,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:49.74","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T15:33:44.91","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to the study, Fair Gig Work: A review of Employment Practices in the Scottish Food Delivery Work 2024, and its findings of harassment and abuse of food delivery industry workers in cities across Scotland.","AnswerText":"The findings from the Heriot-Watt study present a disturbing picture of racial and sexual abuse that food delivery drivers have experienced in the course of their work.\r\nThe Scottish Government is clear that there is no place for harassment or abuse in the workplace, and everyone deserves to be respected and to feel safe in their working environment no matter their job or industry. All employers have a duty of care to protect the health, safety and welfare of their workers.\r\nWhile the legal powers governing Health and Safety and Employment are reserved, this government will continue to promote its Fair Work policy, to make workplaces fairer and more inclusive but also safer and healthier environments for all workers. We encourage all employers to have in place robust workplace policies for handling issues such as bullying or harassment.\r\nWe are developing, and will publish by summer, a delivery plan for the refreshed Equally Safe Strategy to enable its aims and vision to be progressed in a practical way. This strategy seeks to prevent and address all forms of violence against women and girls, including in the workplace, specifically violence, abuse, and exploitation directed at them because of their gender. This behaviour is predominantly carried out by men and stems from deep-rooted gender inequality.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419817,"EventID":"S6W-27401","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:49.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T10:28:53.317","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of any concerns that have been raised by firefighters and/or their representatives regarding the reportedly alleged unsuitability of new Angloco all-terrain vehicles that have been purchased by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.","AnswerText":"Decisions on the equipment used to tackle wildfires is an operational matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. The Minister for Victims and Community Safety regularly meets with firefighters’ representatives and the Fire and Rescue Services Association did raise the issue of equipment used to tackle wildfires in January 2024. SFRS has provided an assurance that representative bodies, including the FRSA were part of the User Intelligence Group for the wildfire vehicles and the Angloco vehicles were purchased to a SFRS specification. SFRS will continue to engage with its staff representative bodies on this issue.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419818,"EventID":"S6W-27454","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16195,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:49.943","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T17:16:10.137","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26372 by Siobhan Brown on 16 April 2024, which local authorities have (a) applied for funding from the Scottish Government relating to the implementation of firework control zones and (b) opened the application process for firework control zones so that they are in place by bonfire night 2024.","AnswerText":"Funding was provided in the 2023-24 financial year to City of Edinburgh Council, North Ayrshire Council, South Ayrshire Council and Dundee City Council to support their work on firework control zone development. Based on discussions with officials funding has also been allocated for provision to Glasgow City Council in the 2024-25 financial year. The Scottish Government continues to be open to expressions of interest in funding from local authorities for the 2024-25 financial year.\r\nA funded local authority may decide that firework control zones are not appropriate, for example based on further discussions with partners. The powers are discretionary and local authorities are entirely responsible for how they choose to use the powers so long as they comply with the legislation and have regard to guidance.\r\nLocal authorities do not have to make any kind of application for a firework control zone. However, before designating a place as a firework control zone or amending or revoking an existing firework control zone, a local authority must prepare and publish a proposal in relation to the designation, amendment or revocation of the zone. The local authority must also carry out a consultation on the proposal. The Scottish Government is not aware of any consultations having been published.\r\nWhile not a statutory requirement, guidance says that local authorities should where possible establish a local process to give communities the ability to make the case for the designation of a firework control zone. The Scottish Government is aware that eight local authorities have introduced firework control zone community request processes and made details available on their website. These councils are Angus Council, Argyll and Bute Council, City of Edinburgh Council, Dundee City Council, East Renfrewshire Council, Falkirk Council, Glasgow City Council, Inverclyde Council and Shetland Islands Council. A number of other local authorities have advised that they aim to introduce these over the coming months.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419819,"EventID":"S6W-27406","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:49.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T12:10:50.597","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what options are available for early retirement under the Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme (STPS), and how any such options impact the final pension amount that a teacher receives.","AnswerText":"There are three early retirement options available to members of the Scottish Teachers’ Pension Scheme who have reached normal minimum pension age:Premature Retirement is an option if a member is made redundant or retires in the interest of efficiency. The pension would be actuarially reduced because the member is retiring early and employer must agree to make up the shortfall to the full pension amount. Therefore, there is no impact on the final pension amount the member receives.Voluntary Early Retirement is where the member chooses to receives an actuarially reduced pension. The benefits are reduced to take into account the fact the pension will be paid over a longer period of time than a normal retirement pension.Phased Retirement allows members to take up to 75% of their pension while reducing their working commitment. To do this, members must reduce their pensionable salary by at least 20% for a minimum of 12 months. Any percentage of pension benefits taken before normal pension age would be subject to an actuarial reduction.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419820,"EventID":"S6W-27400","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:50.083","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T10:28:53.317","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of any concerns raised by firefighters and/or their representatives regarding the reportedly alleged unsuitability of new Ford Ranger vehicles purchased by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.","AnswerText":"Decisions on the equipment used to tackle wildfires is an operational matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. As Minister for Victims and Community Safety, I regularly meet with firefighters’ representatives and the Fire and Rescue Services Association did raise the issue of the equipment used to tackle wildfires in January 2024. SFRS has provided an assurance that representative bodies, including the FRSA were part of the User Intelligence Group for the wildfire vehicles and the Ford Ranger vehicles were purchased to a UK specification and framework. SFRS will continue to engage with its staff representative bodies on this issue.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419821,"EventID":"S6W-27427","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2633,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-10T15:36:50.163","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T15:33:44.91","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the growth in the food delivery industry in Scotland since 2020, including the estimated number of workers in the sector.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is aware of the importance of understanding the food delivery industry, and the evolving challenges with measuring activity in this area.\r\nAt present, there are no official estimates of revenues or employment in the food delivery industry provided by the Office for National Statistics at UK or Scottish level, or how these have changed in recent years.\r\nIndependent organisations such as the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development (CIPD) have provided estimates of the scale of employment within the food delivery industry in the UK in recent years, as part of employment in the wider “Gig Economy”. The CIPD published estimates in 2023 in their report, “The Gig Economy: What Does It Really Look Like?”, based on experimental questions in the January to March 2022 Labour Force Survey. This estimated 82,649 people were employed as food delivery drivers as part of the ‘gig’ economy in the UK overall in the previous 3 months, although there are no estimates specifically for Scotland.\r\nThere are currently no Standard Industrial Classification codes that specifically identify food delivery as an industry; there are also currently no Standard Occupational Classification codes that specifically identify food delivery as an occupation. In the absence of these, it is currently not possible to provide robust and consistent estimates of numbers of individuals employed within food service delivery in Scotland from official data sources.\r\nRecent related ONS communications on the issue of the Gig Economy are provided below for reference.\r\n2021:  Workers in the 'Gig economy' - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk) \r\n2024:  Revenue generated from gig jobs in the UK - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk) ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419834,"EventID":"S6W-27487","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T17:03:03.003","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-10T17:59:09.273","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of any so-called postcode lottery in accessing diabetes technologies in different NHS board areas, and, if so, whether it will provide details of this.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government role is to provide frameworks, policies, and resources to enable Scotland’s NHS Boards to deliver healthcare services that meet the needs of their local populations.\r\nThe treatment and care of patients is a matter for each individual NHS Board and its for them to determine how they use the resources provided by the Scottish Government to meet the needs and priorities of their local population.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419835,"EventID":"S6W-27482","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T17:03:03.097","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-10T13:26:34.72","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many pupils were reported as being absent from school due to reasons relating to employment commitments of parents, in the last year.","AnswerText":"This information is not held centrally.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419836,"EventID":"S6W-27461","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T17:03:03.143","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-10T10:34:20.563","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason there is no longer a dedicated Minister for International Development, in light of there previously being one since 2012.","AnswerText":"The recent appointment by the First Minister of his ministerial team has resulted in changes in the ministerial titles of certain Cabinet Secretaries and Ministers. A change in title does not necessarily equate to a change in ministerial responsibilities. International development is now within the portfolio responsibilities of the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture. \r\nFull information on the roles and responsibilities of the Scottish Ministers is set out on the Scottish Government website (  www.gov.scot  ).\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419837,"EventID":"S6W-27488","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T17:03:03.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-10T17:59:09.273","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to provide NHS boards with any additional funding towards the roll-out of new diabetes technologies in 2024-25, and, if so, whether it will provide details of this.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27895 on 28 May 2024. The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that everyone living with diabetes can access the care that they need to live their lives well. This includes increasing access to diabetes technologies.\r\nBetween 2016 and 2022, we invested £29.6 million of additional funding to support the increased provision of diabetes technologies.\r\nI am delighted to confirm that this financial year, £8.8 million of funding will be made available to expand access to diabetes technologies in Scotland. The focus will primarily be on providing access to all children that want Closed Loop Systems, but will also allow us to continue increasing access to adults.\r\nThis investment will allow us to continue developing innovative care models for diabetes in Scotland that have a focus on digital pathways and peer support.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419838,"EventID":"S6W-27484","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T17:03:03.253","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-10T16:54:58.533","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what it is doing to encourage widening access to diabetes technology for people living with (a) type 1 and (b) type 2 diabetes.","AnswerText":"I refer member to answer to question S6W-27483 on 29 May 2024 . The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that people with diabetes to receive the best care, treatment and support. This year, we are investing £8.8 million of additional funding to support increased provision of Hybrid Closed Loop Systems (CLS) to those living with Type 1 diabetes in Scotland. The focus will primarily be on providing access to all children with Type 1 diabetes who want a CLS but will also allow us to continue increasing access to adults.\r\nFor people living with Type 2 diabetes, there is clear evidence on when real-time continuous glucose monitors should be offered. Guidelines for Type 2 diabetes ensure that people are able to access a variety of treatments and where appropriate, this is primarily focused on lifestyle support. We understand that demand for technologies is increasing and we will continue to assess where need is unmet.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419839,"EventID":"S6W-27498","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T17:03:03.283","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T11:26:51.04","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is available to veterans to meet the costs of dental care and treatment.","AnswerText":"There are no specific provisions for veterans with respect to the costs of dental care and treatment, and individuals must meet existing exemption criteria in order to qualify for free care. Free dental treatment is available for people who are under 26 years of age; pregnant or have given birth in the last 12 months; or in receipt of certain benefits. Veterans do have a fast-track service from General Dental Services to secondary care where referrals are made for conditions requiring secondary care, for example facial trauma requiring maxillo-facial surgery. More information on eligibility for free NHS dental treatment is available on the  NHS Inform  website.\r\nNHS patients who pay for their treatment pay 80% of the treatment costs, capped at a maximum of £384 per course of treatment. Both enhanced and review NHS dental examinations are free of charge for everyone in Scotland, irrespective of exemption status, however the frequency of examinations is determined by the dentist on individual risk factors. People who are not eligible for free NHS dental treatment but still have difficulty paying NHS charges may qualify for help under the NHS Low Income Scheme. More information on Help with Health Costs can be found at:  https://www.nhsinform.scot/care-support-and-rights/health-rights/access/help-with-health-costs#low-income  .\r\nVeterans do have a fast-track service from General Dental Services to secondary care when referrals are made, if they have conditions requiring secondary care, for example facial trauma requiring maxillo-facial surgery.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419840,"EventID":"S6W-27465","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T17:03:03.333","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-10T10:53:44.12","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government who has ministerial responsibility for (a) planning and (b) the fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4).","AnswerText":"Ministerial responsibility for planning, which includes the fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4), sits with myself.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419841,"EventID":"S6W-27490","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T17:03:03.38","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-10T17:59:09.273","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on Diabetes UK’s call for new national targets to aim for 100% of children and 70% of adults with type 1 diabetes to be using hybrid closed loop technology by 2030, as set out in its report, Diabetes Tech Can’t Wait.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27895 on 28 May 2024. The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that everyone living with diabetes can access the care that they need to live their lives well. This includes increasing access to diabetes technologies.\r\nBetween 2016 and 2022, we invested £29.6 million of additional funding to support the increased provision of diabetes technologies.\r\nI am delighted to confirm that this financial year, £8.8 million of funding will be made available to expand access to diabetes technologies in Scotland. The focus will primarily be on providing access to all children that want Closed Loop Systems, but will also allow us to continue increasing access to adults.\r\nThis investment will allow us to continue developing innovative care models for diabetes in Scotland that have a focus on digital pathways and peer support.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419842,"EventID":"S6W-27478","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T17:03:03.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-10T12:35:45.477","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to engage with people and families with experience of pre-eclampsia ahead of World Pre-eclampsia Day.","AnswerText":"Engaging with people is an important way to ensure that the Scottish Government get a range of views when developing policies and we continue to engage with stakeholders and third sector organisations to progress the work on PLGF- based testing implementation. As part of this commitment, Officials have recently met with Action against Pre-eclampsia (APEC) who champion PLGF implementation.\r\nThe Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care wrote to NHS Boards on 22 May, World Pre-Eclampsia day, to re-emphasize the importance of PLGF-based testing and to request an update on implementation plans within boards.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419843,"EventID":"S6W-27494","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T17:03:03.457","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T11:26:51.027","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what funding is available for projects working to support and improve the lives of former service personnel and their families in 2024-25, including any projects that are run by veterans themselves, in the absence of the Scottish Veterans Fund.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Veterans Fund continues to be our main route to directly fund projects supporting the Armed Forces Community in Scotland. In this financial year we are providing around £460,000 through the fund to help organisations deliver 14 projects across Scotland. These projects will help veterans navigate challenges in areas including their mental and physical health, finances and employment.\r\nIn addition to the Scottish Veterans Fund, we continue to support the Unforgotten Forces consortium and are providing them with £315,000 of funding this year. The consortium provides joined up support to veterans over the age of 60 across Scotland as well as acting as a forum to share best practise and learning. The consortium delivered over 30,000 episodes of support for older veterans across Scotland during its first five years.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419844,"EventID":"S6W-27460","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5060,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T17:03:03.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-10T09:23:35.957","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-14445 by\r\nNeil Gray on 7 February 2023, whether it will provide updated information\r\non how many public libraries have closed in each year since 2009, based on\r\nthe latest information available.","AnswerText":"Further to the answer provided to question S6W-14445, according to information gathered by the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) in financial year 2022-23, 8 out of 474 public libraries closed in Scotland.\r\nThe data for the total number of libraries in Scotland provided by SLIC for financial year 2022-23, relates solely to static library venues and does not include mobile library services.\r\nInformation for financial year 2023-2024 is not yet available.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419845,"EventID":"S6W-27496","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T17:03:03.567","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T11:26:51.027","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what help is available to support veterans and armed forces personnel to seek out and engage with public or third sector-provided services, such as services relating to health and housing, which they may be hesitant to engage with due to fear of perceived stigma.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to provide annual grant funding to Veterans Scotland who have developed Veterans Assist. This online resource signposts and connects the veterans community and their families with the organisations and services best placed to provide the information, advice and support they need from across Scotland. This includes information on the various Armed Forces and veterans Champions, including in Health Boards and Local Authorities, as well as information on healthcare, housing, employability, finances and more.\r\nIn relation to healthcare, and to better support veterans and their families access and engage with primary healthcare providers, the General Practice Armed Forces and Veterans Recognition Scheme opened to General Practices across Scotland in November 2023. By providing easily accessible training materials, the scheme aims to raise awareness among General Practice teams of some of the health challenges that veterans and Armed Forces families face as a result of military service. The training is currently being further developed for use by staff in secondary care.\r\nThe Scottish Government also continues to provide funding support to Housing Options Scotland, which specialises in providing free, independent, and bespoke cross-tenure housing information, advice, and advocacy services to disabled people, older people and, through its Military Matters project, members of the Armed Forces and veterans community.\r\nIn addition, the Scottish Government is also looking at making kitemarking a requirement for all organisations that receive grant funding through the Scottish Veterans Fund from this financial year onwards, so that recipients can demonstrate their commitment to being welcoming and inclusive to our LGBTQI+ veterans. The Scottish Government, in March 2023, also launched a campaign working with the business community to help employers understand the benefits that veterans bring to the civilian workforce, which in turn supports changing perceptions, tackling stigma and increasing employment opportunities for veterans.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419846,"EventID":"S6W-27464","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T17:03:03.597","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-10T10:48:34.253","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on improving the training and skills of staff providing miscarriage care, in light of the Miscarriage Care and Facilities in Scotland: Scoping Report National Overview, which found variation across NHS boards.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government officials and professional advisors are working with NHS Education for Scotland to identify any gaps in training for health professionals working with those who have experienced miscarriage by end summer 2024. The findings from the Miscarriage Care and Facilities in Scotland: Scoping Reports will help inform this work.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419847,"EventID":"S6W-27467","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T17:03:03.66","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-10T11:24:48.78","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether panel members at Children's Hearings Scotland have the right of appeal after a decision is made on any complaint involving them. ","AnswerText":"As a public body, Children’s Hearings Scotland (CHS) is required to operate its complaints policy in line with the Scottish Public Service Ombudsman (SPSO) model complaints handling procedure. This includes recourse to the SPSO as the final stage for complaints.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419848,"EventID":"S6W-27470","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T17:03:03.69","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-10T11:32:32.31","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the concerns raised by the group, Children's Hearings Scotland Scandal, and whether (a) the Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise, (b) any other minister and (c) its officials have met representatives of the group to discuss its concerns. ","AnswerText":"Ministers and Scottish Government officials have clearly and comprehensively explained the Scottish Government’s position in relation to these matters to the former panel members and their representatives on numerous occasions dating back several years. A summary of the provided information follows:\r\n- The Children’s Hearings (S) Act 2011 provides that the terms and conditions of children’s panel membership are for the National Convener of Children’s Hearings Scotland (CHS). The National Convener’s independence in discharging his functions are set out in the same statute. Scottish Ministers and Scottish Government officials have no role in decisions regarding recruitment, tenure or training of panel members and any departure from that would not be appropriate.\r\n- The National Convener reports to the Board of CHS on the performance of his duties. Any complaints about the National Convener, members of staff within CHS, or CHS policies and procedures, should be directed to the CHS Board.\r\n- The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman has confirmed that the CHS complaints procedure is compliant with their standards. CHS has satisfied itself regarding the suitability of its complaints procedure, including taking external advice. No concerns therefore arise for Scottish Ministers or Scottish Government officials.\r\nThe Scottish Government has exhaustively explained the position and has confirmed that there is no appropriate locus for Ministers or officials in these matters, so it would not be appropriate to meet the group.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419849,"EventID":"S6W-27491","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T17:03:03.753","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-10T17:59:09.273","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people currently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes have made requests to their NHS board to access hybrid closed loop systems, broken down by NHS board.","AnswerText":"The information requested is not held centrally.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419850,"EventID":"S6W-27480","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T17:03:03.8","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-10T13:08:52.18","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it will publish its Human Rights Bill to bring four international human rights treaties into law in Scotland and introduce a new right to a healthy environment.","AnswerText":"In line with guidance covering Scottish Government announcements during the UK General Election 2024 pre-election period, we will provide an update to the Scottish Parliament on the proposed Human Rights Bill in due course.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419851,"EventID":"S6W-27489","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T17:03:03.833","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-10T17:59:09.273","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of people diagnosed with type 1 diabetes are currently using (a) insulin pumps, (b) continuous or flash glucose monitors and (c) hybrid closed loop systems, broken down by NHS board area.","AnswerText":"Not all the information requested is held centrally.\r\nSome information on the percentage of people using glucose monitors and other diabetes technologies can be found in the Scottish Diabetes Survey, which provides an annual summary of key issues and trends in diabetes care and treatment in Scotland. The Survey provides annual data going back to 2004 and can be found here:  https://www.diabetesinscotland.org.uk/publications/#survey-docs. \r\nThe next iteration of the Survey, covering data for 2023, will be published later this year.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419852,"EventID":"S6W-27485","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T17:03:03.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-10T16:54:58.533","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recently published SIGN guidance on Optimising glycaemic control in people with type 1 diabetes, what actions it will take to ensure similar access is made available for patients with type 2 diabetes.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that people with diabetes to receive the best care, treatment and support. Clinical indications for technology required to optimise diabetes control are very different for people with type 2 diabetes compared to those with type 1 diabetes.\r\nAt present, clinical guidelines indicate that technology is required in only a select cohort of individuals with type 2 diabetes and we are monitoring provision of this via prescribing data.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419853,"EventID":"S6W-27202","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T17:03:03.957","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T12:34:42.723","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, following the Parliament's agreement of the Scottish Budget in each of the last five years, on what date NHS boards (a) were advised of their individual budget allocations and (b) received their settlement for the next year.","AnswerText":"a) NHS Boards are informed of their individual baseline funding on the day of the Scottish Budget announcement. In the last five years, this has been:\r\n2020-21 – 6 February 2020\r\n2021-22 – 28 January 2021\r\n2022-23 – 9 December 2021\r\n2023-24 – 15 December 2022\r\n2024-25 – 19 December 2023\r\nb) Baseline funding is further supplemented by Scottish Government directorate funding allocations throughout each financial year, to arrive at the NHS Board revenue resource limits (RRL). NHS Boards draw cash from the Scottish Government throughout the year as required, based on the value of their RRL.\r\nIn year changes can happen depending on in year consequentials received from UK decision making. This uncertainty on funding makes it difficult to have long term financial planning for the Scottish Government, boards and our other partners including community and voluntary sector organisations.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419854,"EventID":"S6W-27471","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T17:03:04.003","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-10T11:34:28.51","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has recently considered an independent review of the Children's Hearings Scotland system, in light of the concerns raised by the group, Children's Hearings Scotland Scandal. ","AnswerText":"None of the concerns or grievances raised by this group in respect of their own experiences within the children's hearings system justify a wider review of the well-established and highly-regarded multidisciplinary children's hearings system. More broadly, and working with system partners and with people bringing lived experience of children’s care and justice, the Scottish Government is currently engaged in redesigning the children’s hearings system. This work follows publication of the independent ‘Hearings for Children’ report in May 2023. The Scottish Government published its own response to those recommendations in December. A redesign board was established in January to progress non-legislative improvements to the system. For those improvements that require new legislation, a full public consultation on proposed reforms will take place in summer 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419855,"EventID":"S6W-27472","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T17:03:04.05","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-10T11:35:28.41","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise last met the chair of Children's Hearings Scotland, and what was discussed. ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27466 on 21 May 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419856,"EventID":"S6W-27201","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T17:03:04.097","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-01T12:33:54.943","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the increase in the National Living Wage from 1 April 2024 will result in an uplift for the Community Pharmacy Scotland financial settlement from the same date.","AnswerText":"I recognise the need to provide stability and encourage investment in the community pharmacy network and my officials are in discussions with Community Pharmacy Scotland to reach a financial settlement for 2024-25 which both meets our policy objectives and the needs of the network.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419857,"EventID":"S6W-27475","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T17:03:04.16","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-10T12:00:43.127","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there is any regulatory requirement that means that public sector bodies should not use recycled aggregates in construction projects, and what plans it has to encourage the use of recycled aggregates through its procurement programme.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government are not aware of any regulations which prevent public sector bodies from using recycled aggregates in construction projects. \r\nSEPA encourages the use of recycled aggregates and has issued guidance on their manufacture from inert waste  production-of-recycled-aggregates.pdf (sepa.org.uk)  . This aims to ensure recycled aggregates have the same technical and environmental performance as virgin aggregates, providing confidence to users. Recycled aggregates must also comply with the relevant performance specifications. \r\nTransport Scotland encourages the use of recycled aggregates where appropriate and, in order to encourage and facilitate this, recently issued a guidance note on road recycling  https://www.transport.gov.scot/media/51380/ts-ia-52-road-recycling.pdf  .\r\nScottish Government guidance  Client Guide to Construction Projects  includes a chapter on Sustainability in Construction that endorses a circular economy approach to conserve and value all resource. \r\nMore widely, the Scottish Government has introduced an Aggregates Tax and Devolved Taxes Administration (Scotland) Bill, which will encourage the use of recycled materials in construction, by taxing the sale or use of aggregates consisting of freshly extracted rock, gravel or sand.\r\nThe Scottish Aggregates Tax, scheduled for introduction in April 2026, is intended to encourage the minimum necessary exploitation of primary aggregate, maximise the use of secondary and recycled aggregates and incentivise innovation and the development of alternative materials.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419858,"EventID":"S6W-27497","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T17:03:04.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T11:26:51.04","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what mandatory support and training is in place for workers in (a) NHS Scotland and (b) local authorities to ensure that they are equipped to meet the complex needs of veterans.","AnswerText":"The General Practice Armed Forces and Veterans Recognition Scheme opened to General Practices across Scotland in November 2023. The scheme aims to raise awareness among General Practice teams of some of the health challenges that veterans and Armed Forces families face as a result of military service. The training itself is easily accessible through NHS Scotland’s Digital learning platform and is currently being further developed for use by staff in secondary care.\r\nDuring 2020, the Scottish Government, in partnership with local authorities, MOD and Veterans Scotland, promoted and distributed Armed Forces and Veterans awareness training to all local authorities in Scotland via the network of Armed Forces and Veterans Champions. The training package also provided sources of further information and support for the veterans and Armed Forces community.\r\nWhile training is currently available, it is for individual practices and local authorities themselves to determine the mandatory training requirements of their staff.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419859,"EventID":"S6W-27477","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T17:03:04.253","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-10T12:33:13.453","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to mark World Environment Day.","AnswerText":"I’ll be marking World Environment Day by visiting the Claypits Green Infrastructure Strategic Intervention project which will change a 10 hectare derelict site into an accessible local nature reserve and will include a canal pedestrian bridge linking Maryhill and Woodside communities with the Clay Pits and linking Hamiltonhill and Possilpark with Woodside and Maryhill. The project also provides the surface water drainage solution for the regeneration of key vacant and derelict sites by managing the water level in the canal to provide flood storage.\r\nThis year’s World Environment Day theme is land restoration, desertification and drought resilience. It is clear to see the effect climate change is having on the natural environment around the world and it is important we play our part in tackling the climate emergencies. In Scotland we are taking action to restore 250,000 hectares of degraded peatlands by 2030 as it provides many benefits including capturing and storing carbon, supporting nature, reducing flood risk and improving water quality.\r\nFor World Environment Day, Scottish Government Net Zero social media channels will encourage individuals and organisations to take action to help the planet. This includes highlighting the importance of driving less and exploring new routes to work by public transport, walking and wheeling. It also includes sharing real-life, inspiring stories of people exploring sustainable ways of living and doing business in Scotland. We have also encouraged organisations to share their climate commitments to inspire their communities to take action to tackle climate change.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419860,"EventID":"S6W-27483","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T17:03:04.3","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-10T16:54:58.533","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to improve access to real-time continuous glucose monitoring (rt-CGM) systems for people living with (a) type 1 and (b) type 2 diabetes.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that people with diabetes to receive the best care, treatment and support. This year, we are investing £8.8 million of additional funding to support increased provision of Hybrid Closed Loop Systems (CLS) to those living with Type 1 diabetes in Scotland. The focus will primarily be on providing access to all children with Type 1 diabetes who want a CLS but will also allow us to continue increasing access to adults.\r\nFor people living with Type 2 diabetes, there is clear evidence on when real-time continuous glucose monitors should be offered. Guidelines for Type 2 diabetes ensure that people are able to access a variety of treatments and where appropriate, this is primarily focused on lifestyle support. We understand that demand for technologies is increasing and we will continue to assess where need is unmet.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419861,"EventID":"S6W-27458","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T17:03:04.363","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T17:29:16.487","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work it has undertaken to understand the cause of the e-gate outage at Scottish airports on 7 May 2024, and what it is doing to ensure that such an incident does not occur during the upcoming summer tourist season. ","AnswerText":"The operation of e-gates at the UK Border is the responsibility of the UK Government. There is no role for the Scottish Government in the operational or policy matters relating to the UK Border.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419862,"EventID":"S6W-27481","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T17:03:04.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-10T13:26:34.72","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many pupils were reported as being absent from school due to reasons relating specifically to parents working from home, since 2020.","AnswerText":"This information is not held centrally.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419863,"EventID":"S6W-27495","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T17:03:04.487","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T11:26:51.027","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps it is taking to address any stigma associated with veterans' mental health.","AnswerText":"The Veterans Mental Health Advisory Group was established to progress the Veterans Mental Health & Wellbeing Action Plan. Tackling stigma is a key objective.\r\nA Veterans Voice group serves to ensure the views of veterans inform the development and implementation of proposals emerging from the Advisory Group. This lived experience group will play a vital role in ensuring we remove barriers that prevent veterans from accessing mental health support.\r\nAdditionally, the Scottish Government has worked in partnership with See Me  Veterans | End Mental Health Stigma and Discrimination (seemescotland.org)  providing £50,000 to tackle stigma and promote the importance of veterans seeking help for mental health issues.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419864,"EventID":"S6W-27176","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T17:03:04.533","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-30T20:30:27.75","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Graduate Apprenticeship Enhancement Group has been created; who sits on it, and what the expected workstreams are for the group.     ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has established the Graduate Apprenticeship Enhancement Group. It held its first meeting in April and met again in May. Membership includes Universities Scotland, Colleges Scotland, representatives from universities and colleges, Scottish Funding Council, Skills Development Scotland, Student Awards Agency for Scotland and members of the Scottish Apprenticeship Advisory Board. Former and current Graduate Apprentices will also be invited to join the group. The Group is developing the workstreams which will support its work.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419865,"EventID":"S6W-27473","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T17:03:04.597","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-10T11:37:00.247","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the chair of Children's Hearings Scotland has refused to meet representatives of the group, Children's Hearings Scotland Scandal, to discuss its concerns. ","AnswerText":"The position described is entirely a matter for the CHS Chair. The Scottish Government is aware that the Chair of Children’s Hearings Scotland has been pleased to meet with other Members. The Member may wish to meet the Chair to seek further reassurance that these matters have been fully and appropriately addressed.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419866,"EventID":"S6W-27462","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T17:03:04.643","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-10T10:43:38.27","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason wellbeing economy has been removed from the title of the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic.","AnswerText":"The appointment of a new ministerial team has presented an opportunity to simplify portfolio titles across all parts of government. This in no way changes our commitment to the principles of a Wellbeing Economy, as set out in the National Strategy for Economic Transformation.\r\nA growing economy that is fair and green supports delivery of our other priorities to work towards eradicating child poverty, delivering sustainable public services and tackling the climate emergency. These are and will continue to be the key focus for the Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419867,"EventID":"S6W-27466","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T17:03:04.737","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-10T11:23:16.653","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise last met Children's Hearings Scotland, and what was discussed. ","AnswerText":"I met with the Chair and Chief Executive/National Convener of Children’s Hearings Scotland (CHS) on March 21, 2024 and discussed a range of issues relating to the operation of the tribunal element of the children’s hearings system, including matters related to the functions of the National Convener namely children’s panel capacity and CHS plans for the retention, recruitment and training of children’s panel volunteers.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419868,"EventID":"S6W-27463","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T17:03:04.847","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-10T10:46:17.653","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on better defining and capturing data on miscarriage nationally, in light of the findings in the Lancet series, Miscarriage Matters.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government has commissioned Public Health Scotland to collect meaningful miscarriage data across all settings where patients experiencing miscarriage present.\r\nThe initial phase of this work will focus on data from early pregnancy services and Public Health Scotland have agreed a dataset which will be tested in NHS Boards in the autumn.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419869,"EventID":"S6W-27469","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T17:03:04.957","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-10T11:30:24.527","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what protections are in place for panel members of Children's Hearings Scotland who raise concerns (a) internally and (b) externally. ","AnswerText":"These questions are within the statutory domain of the National Convener. The detailed arrangements are operated by Children’s Hearings Scotland in terms of their published complaints policy. Scottish Ministers have no locus, and it is open to the Member to raise these matters with the body directly.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419870,"EventID":"S6W-27486","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T17:03:05.003","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-10T17:20:33.067","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will be sending representatives to attend COP29, and, if so, which ministers will be in attendance.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to working with our international partners to secure a global transition to a net zero and resilient future in a way that is fair and just for all.\r\nCOPs are an important opportunity for international partners to come together, share lessons and agree action. Scotland will continue to play our part at COPs, making the case for greater inclusion of devolved governments and ensuring climate justice is at the heart of international climate action.\r\nNo decision on SG attendance has yet been made in relation to COP29. A decision regarding ministerial attendance will be taken in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419871,"EventID":"S6W-27493","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T17:03:05.067","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-12T23:21:37.207","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of (a) any increasing risk from drug resistant and untreatable infections and (b) preparedness plans to deal with this.","AnswerText":"Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is listed amongst the World Health Organisation’s top ten global public health threats. The Scottish Government works closely with stakeholders in Scotland and beyond to assess the risks associated with AMR and implement key actions to combat it. The Scottish Government has been a key partner in the development of the UK-wide Antimicrobial Resistance National Action Plan (2024-2029), which was published on 8 May. The plan forms part of a long-term vision on AMR, which works towards a world where AMR is contained and controlled by 2040. \r\nWe will continue to work closely with stakeholders to address the risks of AMR across human health, animal health, and the environment. We are also developing an implementation plan which provides greater detail on specific actions that will be carried out in Scotland. This includes key actions aimed at optimising use of antibiotics, preventing and controlling infections, investing in innovation and technology, as well as working collaboratively with global partners. ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419872,"EventID":"S6W-27468","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T17:03:05.16","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-10T11:29:05.99","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to allow the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman to hear complaints regarding Children's Hearings Scotland raised by its panel members. ","AnswerText":"As a public body CHS are required by law to operate in line with the SPSO requirements, and all complainants must have recourse to the SPSO as the final stage for complaints. The SPSO has statutory powers to investigate complaints, the National Convener is independent of Government in the exercise of his children’s panel appointment and tenure functions. The Scottish Government has no locus.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419873,"EventID":"S6W-27455","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T17:03:05.253","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T17:17:08.983","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason non-compliance with the Safety at Street Works and Road Works Code of Practice 2013 is a criminal offence in the rest of the UK, but not in Scotland, and whether it has any plans to introduce a criminal offence for such non-compliance. ","AnswerText":"It is an offence in Scotland, as it is in England and Wales, for utilities to fail to secure the safety of road works by ensuring that those works are adequately guarded and lit and that appropriate traffic signs are placed to guide and direct persons using the road. The Scottish Ministers may issue or approve codes of practice giving practical guidance to utilities in respect of these duties and this is incorporated in the Safety at Street Works and Road Works Code of Practice 2013. A failure to comply with the Code of Practice is evidence of a failure to discharge the relevant safety duties and accordingly evidence that an offence has been committed. These requirements for utilities arise from the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991.\r\nFor roads and highway authorities the equivalent legislation is the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 (covering Scotland), and the Highways Act 1980 (Covering England and Wales). While the 1980 Act also included a provision for a mandatory Code of Practice on safety, the 1984 Act did not, and so it was not previously possible to prescribe a mandatory Code for Scottish roads authorities on this topic. As this omission predates the formation of the Scottish Parliament, we cannot provide detail of the policy rationale of the time. This was rectified in 2019, when the Scottish Government made the necessary legislative changes to the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 to extend the requirement to follow the mandatory safety Code of Practice to Scottish Roads authorities. The legislation which requires Scottish roads authorities to follow the mandatory Code of Practice has now been in force since 10 January 2022. The 2013 version of the Code of Practice is currently under review, which will result in an amended foreword, including Scottish road authorities in the list of bodies the Code applies to.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419874,"EventID":"S6T-01985","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T16:32:17.27","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T11:22:15.5","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent BMA Scotland survey, which found that 30 GP practices consider their position to be \"precarious\" following the pausing of the GP Sustainability Loan Scheme. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419875,"EventID":"S6T-01982","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T16:32:17.097","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T10:50:36.217","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the Scottish Men's Sheds Association could collapse due to the withdrawal of Scottish Government funding.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419876,"EventID":"S6T-01989","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T16:32:17.473","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T11:49:37.537","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in the event that the reported legal action raised against it by Biffa and any potential actions by other companies that incurred expenditure in expectation of the Deposit Return Scheme being implemented are successful and lead to any financial losses, whether it will consider suing the UK Government in respect of any such losses, in light of its reported position that the UK Government is responsible for the scheme not proceeding in Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-05-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419877,"EventID":"S6F-03115","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T16:24:34.507","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T11:28:46.66","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419878,"EventID":"S6F-03116","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5586,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T16:24:34.697","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T11:29:02.363","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419879,"EventID":"S6F-03117","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16182,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":117,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T16:24:35.273","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-10T16:49:08.53","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what steps the Scottish Government is taking to raise awareness of the issue of sextortion, in light of the recent issuing of an urgent warning by the National Crime Agency to education providers across the UK. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419880,"EventID":"S6F-03120","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T16:24:35.667","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T09:41:36.757","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419881,"EventID":"S6F-03119","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":4982,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T16:24:34.803","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T09:00:15.693","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister, in light of the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service contract expiring in September, when the Scottish Government will publish the tender process for the new contract. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419882,"EventID":"S6F-03123","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":3771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":86,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T16:24:34.867","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T10:04:33.443","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on any risks presented by whooping cough in Scotland, in light of reports of increased infection rates and infant deaths in the UK.  ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419883,"EventID":"S6F-03136","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-13T16:24:35.527","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T11:28:39.74","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister, in light of reports that only four homes have been approved nationally under the affordable housing initiative for key workers scheme, whether he will provide an update on what efforts the Scottish Government will make to address the reported housing crisis in rural and island areas.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-05-16T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419884,"EventID":"S6W-27456","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":8,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T11:31:44.07","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T17:24:00.92","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body when it last reviewed its flag-flying policy.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body last reviewed its flag-flying policy at its meeting on Thursday 9th May. The SPCB discussed its policy on the flying of flags at Holyrood and how significant\r\nevents and/or anniversaries were marked.  The SPCB confirmed it remained\r\ncontent with the current Policy and agreed a framework to aid decisions on\r\nrequests to fly additional flags.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Claire Baker (on behalf of the SPCB)","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419885,"EventID":"S6W-27457","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":8,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T11:31:58.277","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T17:24:00.92","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how it will mark Pride Month, which takes place between 1 and 30 June 2024.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body has previously accepted requests to fly the Rainbow flag to mark Edinburgh Pride\r\nDay, which usually falls on the last Saturday of June. To date, the SPCB has\r\nnot received a request to fly the Rainbow flag this year. Other ways events can be marked include Members’ debates and Member-sponsored events.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Claire Baker (on behalf of the SPCB)","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419905,"EventID":"S6W-27516","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:56.2","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T12:59:22.583","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review its policies aimed at tackling sectarianism to assess their effectiveness and report any findings to the Parliament.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to tackling all forms of prejudice and discrimination, including sectarianism. Football has a role to play in tackling sectarianism but, like all societal problems, it manifests across society and therefore our approach to tackling it cannot be confined to football alone.\r\nSince 2012, we have invested over £16.5 million to tackle sectarianism and as Minister for Victims and Community Safety, I have committed £402,000 in 2024-25 for projects working in schools, colleges, workplaces and communities providing opportunities for learning and engagement with children and adults, delivered through Sense over Sectarianism, Nil by Mouth, Sacro, Youth Scotland, The Fair Play Foundation, Youthlink Scotland and The North Kelvin Sports Development Group. This work is monitored and reviewed annually to ensure it continues to make an impact including within football.\r\nThe Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport works closely with both the Scottish Football Association and Scottish Premier Football League on all matters related to football participation and governance. As part of this on-going engagement, Ministers last met with the SFA on 20 December 2023 and the SPFL on 1st February 2024 to consider how we can use the power of football and its exceptional reach in communities right across the country to deliver positive outcomes on a wide range of societal problems including sectarianism.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419906,"EventID":"S6W-27530","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:56.31","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T17:05:34.987","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has frozen the Nature Restoration Fund. ","AnswerText":"The Nature Restoration Fund has not been frozen. \r\nThe competitive strand of our Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) is currently supporting more than 65 projects, and has offered support to over 200 projects, collectively worth more than £15 million, delivering exciting on the ground activity to protect and restore Scotland’s biodiversity. You can view the Nature Restoration Fund  story map  to see the range of projects supported across Scotland. \r\nThere has been a tremendous response across Scotland in terms of applications to the NRF such that the capital budget for delivery projects in 2024-25 is currently fully committed. NatureScot are, however, accepting applications to the NRF for development projects and for delivery projects starting in April 2025 (up to one year). \r\nIn addition, the Edinburgh Process strand of the NRF has so far directed over £17 million to support nature restoration projects directed by local authorities and our National Parks. A further £5 million of funding will be provided in 2024-25. ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419907,"EventID":"S6W-27527","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:56.373","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T17:02:00.883","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the proposed Education Bill, as set out in its Programme for Government 2023-24. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to implementing the system and culture change required to improve outcomes and support professionals in classrooms and education settings all over Scotland. As part of this work, a Bill will be laid before parliament this year which will underpin the establishment of a new qualifications body and an independent officeholder for education inspection, to be in place in the Autumn of 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419908,"EventID":"S6W-27519","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:56.497","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T12:59:22.583","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government who has ministerial responsibility for tackling sectarianism in football.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27516 on 22 May 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419909,"EventID":"S6W-27546","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:56.547","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T12:37:26.793","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the delivery of 10% of new affordable housing in rural areas, as set out in its Rural and Islands Housing Action Plan, is an equitable figure, in light of reports that 17% of Scotland’s overall population lives in rural areas. ","AnswerText":"Our 110,000 affordable homes target includes that “at least” 10% of those homes will be delivered in rural and island areas. We allocate Affordable Housing Supply Programme funding to local authority areas based on our Strategic Housing Investment Framework agreed with COSLA in 2012. Local authorities then prioritise the use of this funding as outlined in their Strategic Housing Investment Plans. This includes the size, tenure and location of homes.\r\nWe are investing in rural and island areas through both our mainstream Affordable Housing Supply Programme as well as demand-led funds including the Rural and Island Housing Fund and the Rural Affordable Homes for Key Workers Fund which are part of our approach to addressing the specific housing issues that rural and island areas face. From 2016-2017 to 2022-23 we have supported the delivery of 10,094 affordable homes in rural and island areas. This accounted for 16% of homes delivered over this time period.\r\nWe will invest nearly £600m in affordable homes this year including our demand-led Rural and Islands Housing Fund and Rural Affordable Homes for Key Workers Fund.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":419910,"EventID":"S6W-27514","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:56.593","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T12:55:30.333","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will conduct an independent review of the current landscape of non-departmental public bodies, also known as quangos, to ensure that they are fit for purpose and providing taxpayers value for money, and whether it will review the remuneration paid to (a) chairpersons, (b) non-executive directors and (c) executives, in light of the recent findings from The Scotsman investigation. ","AnswerText":"Scottish Government’s responsibilities for its public bodies include taking appropriate steps to ensure that the landscape is appropriate. This does not require an independent review.\r\nAs part of the Public Service Reform programme, we will look to ensure the landscape and operations of public bodies are fit to deliver sustainable public services which meet present and future needs across Scotland.\r\nThe Scottish Government’s approach to public sector pay features specific controls for higher earners, to help ensure spending by public bodies remains affordable and delivers value for money. This includes a requirement for a 10% reduction for new Chief Executive appointments, unless market conditions or recruitment and retention issues require otherwise.\r\nFollowing a commitment in the 2023-24 Public Sector Pay Strategy, an internal review of the Chief Executive Framework has been undertaken. It is expected the report will be submitted to Ministers in early summer.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419911,"EventID":"S6W-27548","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:56.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T12:38:52.023","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to re-examine the installation of a fixed link between the Cowal and Kintyre, as originally proposed in the option appraisal for the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2).","AnswerText":"STPR2 (Recommendation 41) recommends that further study work to better understand the benefits, costs and challenges associated with a Sound of Harris fixed link, a Sound of Barra fixed link and a fixed link between Mull and the Scottish mainland is undertaken.\r\nThere are currently no plans to revisit any of the fixed link options that did not make it to final consideration during the STPR2 appraisal process. The reason why a particular option did not progress can be found in  Appendix G of the Final Technical Report  .\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419912,"EventID":"S6W-27513","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:56.7","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T12:53:39.717","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent findings from The Scotsman investigation, which reportedly found multimillion pound spending on PR and consultancy bills by NHS bodies. ","AnswerText":"NHS Boards are responsible for their own spending decisions. Scottish Government regularly review NHS Board financial positions to ensure value for money is being achieved for resources allocated. There will be examples where PR spend is required to communicate essential public health messages, or consultancy spend is required for specialised skills.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419913,"EventID":"S6W-27553","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:56.763","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T12:38:52.023","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to re-examine the installation of a fixed link between Cowal and the Isle of Bute, as originally proposed in the option appraisal for the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2).","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27548 on 29 May 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419914,"EventID":"S6W-27543","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:56.827","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T12:37:26.793","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the rationale is for the figure of 1,000 hectares as the threshold for a public interest test for the purpose of sale or transfer of land in the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill. ","AnswerText":"Mairi Gougeon: The transfer test will provide an opportunity for Scottish Ministers to consider potential transfers of landholdings over 1000 hectares. Potentially, this could lead to some landholdings being lotted into smaller parts, if that may help local communities. \r\nIn setting the appropriate thresholds for these proposals, I have considered both the policy aims of the proposals and the risk of disproportionate impacts following from these additional requirements, particularly in relation to smaller businesses. \r\nThe size threshold for the transfer test requires to be set at a level at which there could plausibly be concentration of landownership in the relevant area with impacts on land availability and supply. When land is transferred at scale this can restrict who can purchase land due to the size and value. This can contribute to the supply of land being insufficient in particular areas, which can be detrimental to the sustainability of those communities.\r\nThe Scottish Land Commission, in its discussion paper on Legislative proposals to address the impact of Scotland’s concentration of land ownership, said that when considering at what scale of landholding for transfer such a test should apply to, suggested that “the aim should be to establish a threshold that would ensure that family farms and small businesses would not fall in scope, but that modest estates that could pose risks would. It may be reasonable to expect that, for example, holdings over 10,000ha would always be in scope, while those under 1,000ha would always be exempt.”\r\nThis advice has been taken into account, alongside other Scottish Land Commission research, data on land transactions and land ownership in Scotland, the consultation on the Bill and stakeholder engagement, in determining the 1000-hectare size threshold for this proposal.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":419915,"EventID":"S6W-27523","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:56.873","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T14:57:58.5","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to ensure equity of palliative care services for children.","AnswerText":"One of the key aims of the Scottish Government’s new strategy on palliative care, which is currently being developed, is that children living with a life-shortening condition, anywhere in Scotland, will have equitable and timely access to the general and specialist palliative care services they may need.\r\nThe development of the strategy has been informed by representatives of palliative care for children and young people on the Strategy Steering Group. A Children and Young People’s Working Group, including experts in neonatal and paediatric palliative care, is developing new actions to address equity and continuity of access to paediatric palliative care across all places of care for babies, children and young people, including care around dying or transition to adult services.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419916,"EventID":"S6W-27550","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:57.093","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T12:38:52.023","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many applications to the University Innovation Fund were (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful in each year since 2016-17.","AnswerText":"The University Innovation Fund is one of the Scottish Funding Council’s core grants designed to support research and knowledge exchange activity across all institutions and is allocated according to a formula developed in consultation with the sector. Therefore Scotland’s 19 universities have received funding each academic year since 2016-17 through the UIF. Individual funding allocations for universities for each academic year are managed through the Scottish Funding Council and made publicly available on the SFC’s website, accessible here:  University Indicative Funding Allocations 2024-25 - Scottish Funding Council (sfc.ac.uk) \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419917,"EventID":"S6W-27542","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:57.187","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T12:37:26.793","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been allocated to support the work of the Rural Delivery Plan Ministerial Working Group in each year since it was established. ","AnswerText":"The Rural Delivery Plan Ministerial Working Group is supported by officials from the Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands portfolio, and a small amount of funding will be dedicated to supporting the Rural Delivery Plan.\r\nThe Rural Delivery Plan is an opportunity to set out the actions that government is and will be taking which impact rural, island and rural coastal communities, with funding from across ministerial portfolios benefiting rural Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":419918,"EventID":"S6W-27507","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:57.42","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T11:47:02.433","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will support local authority leisure services to (a) develop and (b) deliver community-based rehabilitation services. ","AnswerText":"As set out in the Once for Scotland Rehabilitation Approach, good rehabilitation happens when health care, social care, leisure and third and independent sectors work together to support individuals to access the right kind of rehabilitation for them, at the right time. \r\nThe Approach describes the standards expected of NHS Boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships, working together with these partners, to develop and deliver community-based rehabilitation services using their collective resources. We also encourage and support self-management to help improve individuals’ functional abilities and live well with long-term conditions.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419919,"EventID":"S6W-27556","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:57.593","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T12:38:52.023","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to re-examine the installation of a fixed link between the Isle of Jura and Isle of Islay, as originally proposed in the option appraisal for the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2).","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27548 on 29 May 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419920,"EventID":"S6W-27540","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:57.67","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T11:06:27.497","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to answers to questions S6W-26914 and S6W-26915 by Neil Gray on 8 May 2024, whether it will provide the equivalent data for each month of 2023-24.","AnswerText":"The following table shows the number of attendances and those waiting eight hours or more and 12 hours or more aged 65-74, 75-84, 85-94, and 95+ at A&E in Scotland in 2023-24.\r\nMonth\r\nAge Group\r\nTotal Number of Attendances\r\nNumber of Attendances Over 8 Hours\r\nNumber of Attendances Over 12 Hours\r\nApr-23\r\n65-74\r\n11,582\r\n1,882\r\n744\r\nApr-23\r\n75-84\r\n10,958\r\n2,189\r\n900\r\nApr-23\r\n85-94\r\n5,582\r\n1,383\r\n575\r\nApr-23\r\n95+\r\n401\r\n96\r\n42\r\nMay-23\r\n65-74\r\n12,452\r\n1,840\r\n731\r\nMay-23\r\n75-84\r\n11,689\r\n2,110\r\n860\r\nMay-23\r\n85-94\r\n5,872\r\n1,210\r\n477\r\nMay-23\r\n95+\r\n482\r\n117\r\n44\r\nJun-23\r\n65-74\r\n12,684\r\n1,578\r\n503\r\nJun-23\r\n75-84\r\n11,868\r\n1,823\r\n661\r\nJun-23\r\n85-94\r\n5,555\r\n1,074\r\n434\r\nJun-23\r\n95+\r\n428\r\n98\r\n33\r\nJul-23\r\n65-74\r\n12,668\r\n1,396\r\n493\r\nJul-23\r\n75-84\r\n11,541\r\n1,517\r\n599\r\nJul-23\r\n85-94\r\n5,872\r\n933\r\n347\r\nJul-23\r\n95+\r\n462\r\n87\r\n36\r\nAug-23\r\n65-74\r\n12,779\r\n1,867\r\n730\r\nAug-23\r\n75-84\r\n11,723\r\n2,048\r\n871\r\nAug-23\r\n85-94\r\n5,800\r\n1,352\r\n579\r\nAug-23\r\n95+\r\n431\r\n108\r\n41\r\nSep-23\r\n65-74\r\n12,178\r\n2,051\r\n848\r\nSep-23\r\n75-84\r\n11,733\r\n2,452\r\n990\r\nSep-23\r\n85-94\r\n5,694\r\n1,412\r\n613\r\nSep-23\r\n95+\r\n473\r\n133\r\n63\r\nOct-23\r\n65-74\r\n12,371\r\n2,417\r\n1,125\r\nOct-23\r\n75-84\r\n11,674\r\n2,915\r\n1,452\r\nOct-23\r\n85-94\r\n5,981\r\n1,771\r\n914\r\nOct-23\r\n95+\r\n494\r\n176\r\n99\r\nNov-23\r\n65-74\r\n11,481\r\n2,424\r\n1,148\r\nNov-23\r\n75-84\r\n10,934\r\n2,908\r\n1,482\r\nNov-23\r\n85-94\r\n5,659\r\n1,769\r\n904\r\nNov-23\r\n95+\r\n460\r\n153\r\n89\r\nDec-23\r\n65-74\r\n12,852\r\n2,648\r\n1,255\r\nDec-23\r\n75-84\r\n12,118\r\n3,156\r\n1,608\r\nDec-23\r\n85-94\r\n6,167\r\n1,917\r\n1,010\r\nDec-23\r\n95+\r\n521\r\n177\r\n107\r\nJan-24\r\n65-74\r\n12,630\r\n3,170\r\n1,711\r\nJan-24\r\n75-84\r\n11,964\r\n3,749\r\n2,151\r\nJan-24\r\n85-94\r\n6,080\r\n2,365\r\n1,439\r\nJan-24\r\n95+\r\n474\r\n207\r\n114\r\nFeb-24\r\n65-74\r\n11,943\r\n2,513\r\n1,207\r\nFeb-24\r\n75-84\r\n10,855\r\n2,866\r\n1,449\r\nFeb-24\r\n85-94\r\n5,453\r\n1,699\r\n917\r\nFeb-24\r\n95+\r\n466\r\n158\r\n94\r\nMar-24\r\n65-74\r\n12,631\r\n2,523\r\n1,092\r\nMar-24\r\n75-84\r\n11,755\r\n2,782\r\n1,384\r\nMar-24\r\n85-94\r\n6,030\r\n1,762\r\n846\r\nMar-24\r\n95+\r\n477\r\n150\r\n72\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419921,"EventID":"S6W-27544","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:57.733","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T12:37:26.793","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Rural Delivery Plan Ministerial Working Group will next meet. ","AnswerText":"The Rural Delivery Plan Ministerial Working Group was established in June 2023 to oversee the development of the Rural Delivery Plan, with meetings held approximately quarterly. A date for the next meeting will be confirmed soon.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":419922,"EventID":"S6W-27541","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:57.78","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T11:17:48.227","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27215 by Angela Constance on 13 May 2024, whether it will provide a breakdown of the figures by (a) remand and (b) convicted population, also broken down by those aged (i) under 16, (ii) between 16 and 18 and (iii) between 19 and 21.","AnswerText":"On the morning of 6 May 2024 there were 192 people under the age of 21 held in the prison estate, and a further 96 aged 21. This population is broken down by index offence group, age group and legal status as defined in the question in the following table.\r\nThe age categories as defined expand the population subgroup previously analysed. We have therefore provided age groups (iii).a) the 19-20 age group and (iii).b) 21-year-olds.\r\nThe legal status categories provided differ from our normal presentation as specified in the question. The group \"(a) remand\" includes only untried prisoners, while group \"(b) convicted\" includes both those serving a sentence and those convicted awaiting sentencing (which would normally be included in the \"remand\" category in our statistical outputs).\r\nWhere individuals in custody are accused or convicted of multiple offences, these are summarised by index offence. This is the offence for which they have received the longest sentence or, where they are on remand, which would on average receive the longest sentence. Some offences cannot be classified in this way because the charges originate in other jurisdictions or because the data required was not available at the time the snapshot was taken.\r\nAge Group\r\nIndex Offence Group\r\n(a) Remand (Untried only)\r\n(b) Convicted (Awaiting Sentence & Sentenced)\r\nTotal\r\n(i) under 16\r\nAge Group Total\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n(ii) between 16 and 18 (inclusive)\r\nGroup 1: Non-sexual crimes of violence\r\n10\r\n12\r\n22 \r\nGroup 2: Sexual crimes\r\n0\r\n4\r\n4 \r\nGroup 3: Crimes of dishonesty\r\n1\r\n0\r\n1 \r\nGroup 4: Damage and reckless behaviour\r\n1\r\n0\r\n1 \r\nGroup 5: Crimes against society\r\n2\r\n3\r\n5 \r\nGroup 6: Antisocial offences\r\n0\r\n2\r\n2 \r\nAge Group Total\r\n14\r\n21\r\n35\r\n(iii).a) 19-20 (inclusive) (to match S6W-27215 total)\r\nGroup 1: Non-sexual crimes of violence\r\n25\r\n59\r\n84 \r\nGroup 2: Sexual crimes\r\n6\r\n19\r\n25 \r\nGroup 3: Crimes of dishonesty\r\n1\r\n13\r\n14 \r\nGroup 4: Damage and reckless behaviour\r\n0\r\n2\r\n2 \r\nGroup 5: Crimes against society\r\n10\r\n7\r\n17 \r\nGroup 6: Antisocial offences\r\n2\r\n3\r\n5 \r\nGroup 8: Road traffic offences\r\n1\r\n5\r\n6 \r\nGroup 77: Other Jurisdiction Charge\r\n0\r\n2\r\n2 \r\nCould not be classified\r\n1\r\n1\r\n2 \r\nAge Group Total\r\n46\r\n111\r\n157\r\n(iii).b) additional population to 21 (inclusive)\r\nGroup 1: Non-sexual crimes of violence\r\n8\r\n29\r\n37 \r\nGroup 2: Sexual crimes\r\n8\r\n16\r\n24 \r\nGroup 3: Crimes of dishonesty\r\n2\r\n1\r\n3 \r\nGroup 5: Crimes against society\r\n9\r\n13\r\n22 \r\nGroup 6: Antisocial offences\r\n0\r\n4\r\n4 \r\nGroup 7: Miscellaneous offences\r\n0\r\n2\r\n2 \r\nGroup 8: Road traffic offences\r\n0\r\n2\r\n2 \r\nOther Jurisdiction Charge\r\n0\r\n1\r\n1 \r\nCould not be classified\r\n0\r\n1\r\n1 \r\nAge Group Total\r\n27\r\n69\r\n96\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419923,"EventID":"S6W-27551","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:57.843","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T12:38:52.023","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the universities that received funding from the University Innovation Fund in each year since 2016-17.","AnswerText":"Funding allocations for individual universities for each academic year are managed through the SFC. Allocations are made publicly available on the SFC’s website, accessible here:  University Indicative Funding Allocations 2024-25 - Scottish Funding Council (sfc.ac.uk) \r\nUniversity Innovation Fund for AYs 2016-17 to 2023-24          \r\n2016-17\r\n2017-18\r\n2018-19\r\n2019-20\r\n2020-21\r\n2021-22\r\n2022-23\r\n2023-24\r\nInstitution\r\n£\r\n£\r\n£\r\n£\r\n£\r\n£\r\n£\r\n£ \r\n(1)\r\n(2)\r\n(3)\r\n(4)\r\n(5)\r\n(6)\r\n(7)\r\n(8)\r\nAberdeen, University of\r\n1,235,000\r\n1,235,000\r\n1,885,000\r\n1,358,000\r\n1,383,000\r\n1,524,000\r\n1,538,000\r\n2,261,000\r\nAbertay University\r\n295,000\r\n295,000\r\n450,000\r\n324,000\r\n330,000\r\n364,000\r\n367,000\r\n400,000\r\nDundee, University of\r\n771,000\r\n771,000\r\n1,177,000\r\n848,000\r\n864,000\r\n952,000\r\n961,000\r\n1,344,000\r\nEdinburgh Napier University\r\n484,000\r\n484,000\r\n738,000\r\n532,000\r\n542,000\r\n597,000\r\n603,000\r\n775,000\r\nEdinburgh, University of\r\n1,397,000\r\n1,397,000\r\n2,132,000\r\n1,536,000\r\n1,564,000\r\n1,724,000\r\n1,740,000\r\n2,582,000\r\nGlasgow Caledonian University\r\n362,000\r\n362,000\r\n552,000\r\n398,000\r\n405,000\r\n446,000\r\n450,000\r\n533,000\r\nGlasgow School of Art\r\n293,000\r\n293,000\r\n447,000\r\n322,000\r\n328,000\r\n362,000\r\n365,000\r\n397,000\r\nGlasgow, University of\r\n1,409,000\r\n1,409,000\r\n2,150,000\r\n1,549,000\r\n1,578,000\r\n1,739,000\r\n1,755,000\r\n2,606,000\r\nHeriot-Watt University\r\n584,000\r\n584,000\r\n891,000\r\n642,000\r\n654,000\r\n721,000\r\n728,000\r\n973,000\r\nHighlands and Islands, University of the\r\n610,000\r\n610,000\r\n931,000\r\n671,000\r\n683,000\r\n753,000\r\n760,000\r\n1,024,000\r\nOpen University in Scotland\r\n251,000\r\n251,000\r\n383,000\r\n276,000\r\n281,000\r\n310,000\r\n313,000\r\n314,000\r\nQueen Margaret University, Edinburgh\r\n350,000\r\n350,000\r\n534,000\r\n385,000\r\n392,000\r\n432,000\r\n436,000\r\n509,000\r\nRobert Gordon University\r\n434,000\r\n434,000\r\n662,000\r\n477,000\r\n486,000\r\n536,000\r\n541,000\r\n676,000\r\nRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland\r\n257,000\r\n257,000\r\n393,000\r\n283,000\r\n288,000\r\n317,000\r\n320,000\r\n325,000\r\nSRUC\r\n1,042,000\r\n1,042,000\r\n1,591,000\r\n1,146,000\r\n1,167,000\r\n1,286,000\r\n1,298,000\r\n1,879,000\r\nSt Andrews, University of\r\n612,000\r\n612,000\r\n934,000\r\n673,000\r\n685,000\r\n755,000\r\n762,000\r\n1,028,000\r\nStirling, University of\r\n416,000\r\n416,000\r\n634,000\r\n457,000\r\n465,000\r\n513,000\r\n518,000\r\n640,000\r\nStrathclyde, University of\r\n1,124,000\r\n1,124,000\r\n1,715,000\r\n1,236,000\r\n1,259,000\r\n1,388,000\r\n1,401,000\r\n2,043,000\r\nWest of Scotland, University of the\r\n314,000\r\n314,000\r\n479,000\r\n345,000\r\n351,000\r\n387,000\r\n491,000\r\n538,000\r\nTotal\r\n12,240,000\r\n12,240,000\r\n18,678,000\r\n13,458,000\r\n13,705,000\r\n15,106,000\r\n15,347,000\r\n20,847,000\r\n(3) The allocations for 2018-19 include an additional £5.2M arising from Barnett consequentials that became available after allocations were originally announced.\r\n \r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419924,"EventID":"S6W-27545","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:57.89","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T12:37:26.793","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its progress towards developing a Rural Delivery Plan. ","AnswerText":"Preparatory work and engagement is underway to develop the Rural Delivery Plan. A data dashboard was published in December 2023, measurable objectives are being considered and investment mapped. The Rural Scotland Data Dashboard can be found at  https://infogram.com/1pzg5qxldkwy2zf29ve97mvgdmb1dggnyrm?live  .\r\nMinutes from the Rural Delivery Plan Ministerial Working Group are publicly available and provide details of key developments of the Rural Delivery Plan. Minutes can be found online at  www.gov.scot/groups/rural-delivery-plan-ministerial-working-group/  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":419925,"EventID":"S6W-27510","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:57.937","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T12:51:22.373","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent investigation by The Scotsman, which reportedly found that non-departmental public bodies, also known as quangos, are failing to disclose key financial and transparency details at key intervals.","AnswerText":"Public bodies listed in the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 have a duty to comply fully with responsibilities set out for them in the Act. I expect them to discharge these duties, including in relation to the publication of financial and other transparency details.\r\nWhile it is for those public bodies to ensure that they fulfil all statutory duties to which they are subject, I have written to chairs and chief executives of these public bodies, in which I have reminded them of these duties.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419926,"EventID":"S6W-27549","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:57.983","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T12:38:52.023","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been allocated to the University Innovation Fund in each year since 2016-17.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government, through the Scottish Funding Council, has invested over £120mil in the University Innovation Fund since 2016 to support universities to work collaboratively to exploit their research to improve Scotland’s economy. Funding allocations for universities for each academic year are managed through the Scottish Funding Council and made publicly available on the SFC’s website, accessible here:  University Indicative Funding Allocations 2024-25 - Scottish Funding Council (sfc.ac.uk) \r\nUniversity Innovation Fund for AYs 2016-17 to 2023-24  \r\n2016-17\r\n2017-18\r\n2018-19\r\n2019-20\r\n2020-21\r\n2021-22\r\n2022-23\r\n2023-24 \r\nTotal\r\n12,240,000\r\n12,240,000\r\n18,678,000\r\n13,458,000\r\n13,705,000\r\n15,106,000\r\n15,347,000\r\n20,847,000 \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419927,"EventID":"S6W-27555","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:58.187","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T12:38:52.023","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to re-examine the installation of a fixed link between the Isle of Jura and the mainland, as originally proposed in the option appraisal for the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2).","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27548 on 29 May 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419928,"EventID":"S6W-27534","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:58.233","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T17:11:43.79","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many hectares of new trees have been planted in Scotland’s national forest estate, since September 2023. ","AnswerText":"Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) met it’s 900ha woodland creation target in 2023-24 by planting 454ha of new trees and delivering 447ha of trees through naturally seeded regeneration, principally around Loch Katrine.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419929,"EventID":"S6W-27103","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:58.297","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-29T09:10:43.503","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to people seeking asylum who are resident in Scotland, including anyone who may be impacted by the Illegal Migration Act 2023.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is strongly opposed to the Illegal Migration Act that will push vulnerable people further into destitution and increase the risk of exploitation and we have raised our serious concerns with the Home Secretary.\r\nWe continue to deliver a range of interventions to support people seeking asylum living in Scotland including providing £3.6m of grant funding to Scottish Refugee Council this year for a comprehensive, nationwide Refugee Support Service.\r\nThe Service will support refugees and people seeking asylum to settle into communities through providing advice, information and resources, improving access to support services and facilitating social connections and will support the implementation of the third New Scots refugee integration strategy.\r\nMany of the essential services which support people seeking asylum are devolved and are delivered inclusively for everyone living in Scotland, as far as possible within UK immigration legislation and rules. For example, people seeking asylum can access NHS healthcare and asylum-seeking children are entitled to school education.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419930,"EventID":"S6W-27508","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:58.53","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T12:13:03.85","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the phenomenon know as wind theft where larger turbines built near existing turbines impact on the electricity generated.","AnswerText":"The selection of a site and the configuration of wind turbines is a matter for the wind farm developer. This process involves comprehensive analysis to ensure the most suitable placement and design for wind turbines. Developers may have to balance the benefits of a compact site, which can minimise construction cost, and the gains from maximising energy capture from greater separation distances. \r\nPolicy 11: Energy of National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) states that potential cumulative impacts are important considerations in the decision-making process. All applications are subject to site-specific assessments.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419931,"EventID":"S6W-27552","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:58.593","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T12:38:52.023","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the Scottish Funding Council monitors the efficacy of funding awarded to universities from the University Innovation Fund. ","AnswerText":"The efficacy of the University Innovation Fund (UIF) has been monitored by the Scottish Funding Council through the submission of annual progress reports, managed through the SFC Outcome Agreement process. The SFC Knowledge Exchange metric return and HESA Higher Education and Business Interaction survey has also been used as indicators of performance against knowledge exchange activity metrics, with the latest data indicating that the UIF has enabled at least 24,000 interactions with Scottish businesses and helped generate KE&I income of over £755M. (SFC KE metric return 22-23.)","AnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419932,"EventID":"S6W-27512","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:58.657","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T12:52:19.357","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its Programme for Government 2021-22 commitment, whether it still plans to recruit 3,500 teachers and 500 classroom assistants, over and above the 1,400 teachers recruited during the COVID-19 pandemic, in the current parliamentary session.","AnswerText":"We remain committed to sustained investment to strengthen provision of education in Scotland and we are offering local authorities £145.5m in this year’s budget to protect teacher numbers.\r\nThe commitment to increase the number of classroom assistants has already been exceeded, with 725 additional staff recruited in 2022-23 alone. In addition, since 2019 the number of teachers in Scottish schools has increased by 1,786 from 52,247 to 54,033.\r\nWe will continue to work with local authorities to deliver our shared education commitments, with the approach we are able to take being dependent on the resources we have available and ensuring we deliver value for money, during an era where budgets continue to be under pressure as a result of UK Government austerity measures.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419933,"EventID":"S6W-27521","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:58.703","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T13:07:56.917","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding the City of Edinburgh Council is due to receive for affordable housebuilding in the next three financial years, and whether it will consider providing further support in light of the local authority's declaration of a housing emergency. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government, recognising these exceptionally challenging times, has declared a national Housing Emergency and called on the UK Government to reverse the almost 9% cut to Scotland’s capital budget. We continue to work closely with partners to address levels of homelessness and improve the supply of social and affordable housing.\r\nFor the current financial year, the City of Edinburgh Council will benefit from £34.2 million for the provision of more social and affordable homes. We do not currently have confirmation of Affordable Housing Supply Programme budget levels beyond 2024-25 but we are working within agreed funding parameters to allow projects to continue to be approved with future year spend implications.\r\nOur intention is to publish a refresh of the Infrastructure Investment Plan pipeline this year which will focus on maximising the impact of our capital investment towards spend that delivers on the outcomes of this government. In the meantime, efforts to boost affordable housing supply by acquiring properties to bring into use for affordable housing and help reduce homelessness and the use of temporary accommodation have been given an £80 million uplift over the next two years. Decisions on the allocation of the additional £40 million for 2024-25 will be made shortly.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419934,"EventID":"S6W-27517","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:58.75","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T12:59:22.583","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with the Scottish Football Association to discuss sectarianism.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27516 on 22 May 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .\r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419935,"EventID":"S6W-27518","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:58.797","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T12:59:22.583","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is tackling sectarianism in wider society, in addition to football.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27516 on 22 May 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419936,"EventID":"S6W-27539","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:58.86","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T09:58:34.753","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which organisations were consulted as part of Transport Scotland’s review of the methodology of community needs assessments on routes in the (a) Clyde and Hebrides and (b) Northern Isles Ferry Services contract.","AnswerText":"As part of the Islands Connectivity Plan, Transport Scotland plans to carry out Community Needs Assessments for the islands and peninsulas of the Clyde and Hebrides and Northern Isles Ferry Services. These Community Needs Assessments will identify options for transport connectivity, including the existing ferry services.\r\nA draft of the updated Community Needs Assessment methodology was shared with, and presented to, a group of the following key stakeholders and their feedback was fed into the final version:Shetland Islands Council.Orkney Islands Council.Comhairle nan Eilean Sar.Argyll and Bute Council.North Ayrshire Council.The Highland Council.Shetland Regional Transport Partnership (ZetTrans).Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HITRANS).Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT).Serco Northlink Ferries.CalMac Ferries Ltd.Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd.Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland (MACS).Highlands and Islands Enterprise.Ferries Community Board.Young Islanders Network.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419937,"EventID":"S6W-27547","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:58.92","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T12:37:26.793","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action has been taken by the Rural Delivery Plan Ministerial Working Group since it was established. ","AnswerText":"The Rural Delivery Plan Ministerial Working Group was established to drive forward activity and ensure that Government delivers in a cohesive way, making best use of our collective resources to deliver sustainable outcomes for rural, islands and rural coastal communities.\r\nAll minutes from meetings of the Rural Delivery Plan Ministerial Working Group, including agreed actions, can be found at:  https://www.gov.scot/groups/rural-delivery-plan-ministerial-working-group/  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":419938,"EventID":"S6W-27515","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:59.03","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T12:58:35.237","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide a breakdown of its reported £21,489,000 spend on external consultancies in 2022-23, and what it predicts the costs to be in the current financial year. ","AnswerText":"Attached is a list of suppliers with spend for Consultancy. The data has been sourced from The Procurement Information Hub and includes all suppliers that fall under the consultancy classification.\r\nDue to the wide range of services captured under the term consultancy we are unable to predict the expenditure for financial year 2024-2025.\r\nCore Trade\r\nCore Trade\r\nProclass 10.1 Level 3\r\n(Multiple Items)  \r\nRow Labels\r\nSum of Aggregate Spend\r\n7 Gen Analytics Limited\r\n£5,000.00\r\nABP Marine Environmental Research Ltd\r\n£152,728.47\r\nAchieveGood Limited\r\n£25,661.74\r\nActica Consulting Limited\r\n£8,910.00\r\nAether limited\r\n£17,768.00\r\nAlcumus ISOQAR Limited\r\n£6,180.00\r\nAlma Economics Limited\r\n£120,621.80\r\nAnderson Centre LLP, The\r\n£53,636.00\r\nAnimate Consulting\r\n£25,461.23\r\nAnita Franco\r\n£11,970.00\r\nAnthesis (UK) Limited\r\n£29,513.00\r\nAPEM Limited\r\n£12,500.00\r\nAquatera Limited\r\n£16,262.00\r\nARMILA Sustainability Services Limited\r\n£6,462.50\r\nBramble Hub Limited\r\n£81,794.99\r\nBritish Standards Institution (BSI)\r\n£10,353.25\r\nBusiness Partnership Limited, The\r\n£84,422.46\r\nCackette Projects Limited\r\n£20,695.00\r\nCadgwith Health Limited\r\n£3,850.00\r\nCAPP & CO LIMITED\r\n£2,523.00\r\nCivil Service Learning (CSL) - KPMG LLP\r\n£278,150.73\r\nCJ Williams Consulting Limited\r\n£14,600.00\r\nConnect Three Solutions Limited\r\n£39,000.00\r\nCONTINUITY SHOP\r\n£2,745.00\r\nCore Solutions Group Limited\r\n£13,940.06\r\nCornwall Insight Limited\r\n£25,000.00\r\nCraigforth HCAS Limited\r\n£257,202.75\r\nDaniel Dearnley\r\n£6,659.68\r\nDeloitte LLP\r\n£8,298,702.55\r\nDonald Nicholson\r\n£1,328.25\r\nE4tech Limited\r\n£10,000.00\r\nEFQM UK Limited\r\n£2,566.66\r\nEkos Limited\r\n£149,845.19\r\nEnvironment Systems Limited\r\n£126,015.00\r\nEnvironmental Resources Management\r\n£28,162.43\r\nErnst & Young LLP\r\n£3,917,671.36\r\nEunomia Research and Consulting Limited\r\n£64,020.00\r\nExperties InfoTech Services Limited\r\n£5,000.00\r\nFarrPoint Limited\r\n£35,283.35\r\nFD People Limited\r\n£4,500.00\r\nFigure 8 Consultancy Services Limited\r\n£9,642.40\r\nFraser McKinlay Consulting Ltd\r\n£8,000.00\r\nFrontier Economics Limited\r\n£19,600.00\r\nFutureArk Limited\r\n£8,740.00\r\nGeospatial Insight Limited\r\n£3,237.04\r\nGlen Shuraig Consulting Limited\r\n£38,950.00\r\nGraham Morgan Creative and Consulting\r\n£5,591.15\r\nHealthcare Quality Improvement Partnership\r\n£250,902.40\r\nHelen Chambers Consulting Limited\r\n£16,875.00\r\nHumanly Limited\r\n£62,090.00\r\nIndigo Business Services Ltd\r\n£26,804.57\r\nIndigo House Group, The\r\n£17,700.00\r\nInspire & Impact\r\n£3,742.30\r\nIpso-Facto Management Limited\r\n£90,072.83\r\nIronside Farrar Limited\r\n£81,002.50\r\nJames Harvard Limited\r\n£558,950.00\r\nJenny Copeland trading as Secrets of Success\r\n£5,300.00\r\nJeremy Evans Associates Limited\r\n£1,175.00\r\nKorero Studio Limited\r\n£25,575.00\r\nLance R Guilford\r\n£11,070.00\r\nLand Use Consultants Limited\r\n£26,069.25\r\nLeigh & Glennie Limited\r\n£12,632.50\r\nLinda Dempster Consultancy\r\n£16,968.75\r\nLiving Organisation, The\r\n£9,536.49\r\nLloyds Register EMEA\r\n£49,233.75\r\nMacArthur Green Limited\r\n£24,400.00\r\nMainStreet Consulting Limited\r\n£4,166.67\r\nMartin Seddon Limited\r\n£5,649.44\r\nMatter of Focus Limited\r\n£10,282.00\r\nMerritt-Harrison Catering Consultancy\r\n£171,712.03\r\nMichael Fuller Consultancy Limited\r\n£194,866.19\r\nMike Croft\r\n£2,083.87\r\nNature Metrics Limited\r\n£46,278.60\r\nNew Economics Foundation\r\n£32,043.75\r\nNick Wright Planning\r\n£10,000.00\r\nNORTHLINK\r\n£1,135.68\r\nNQC Limited\r\n£105,737.50\r\nOccupational Psychology Matters Limited (OPM)\r\n£87,727.50\r\nOn Board Training & Consultancy Limited\r\n£14,700.00\r\nOpsia Consulting Limited\r\n£5,000.00\r\nOptimal Economics Ltd\r\n£75,550.00\r\nOptimat Limited\r\n£22,300.00\r\nOxford Economics Limited\r\n£14,212.50\r\nPalladium International Limited\r\n£517,364.31\r\nPennington Choices Limited\r\n£146,648.29\r\nPersonal Power UK\r\n£7,834.78\r\nPurchasing & Materials Management Services (PMMS) Limited t/a ArcBlue\r\n£2,655.00\r\nQuo Imus Limited trading as QI Consulting\r\n£272,745.00\r\nResource Futures Limited\r\n£7,747.50\r\nRicardo-AEA Limited\r\n£1,585,598.88\r\nRidgeway Consulting\r\n£36,991.26\r\nRob Huntley Planning Consulta","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419939,"EventID":"S6W-27474","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:59.11","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-10T11:49:27.773","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its work to further the case for Scottish independence, what recent discussions the (a) former Minister for Independence, (b) Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and (c) First Minister has had with the (i) Prime Minister, (ii) Minister for Intergovernmental Relations and (iii) UK Government regarding a potential route to Scottish independence. ","AnswerText":"The First Minister emphasised his Government’s commitment to Scotland’s independence in his first call with the Prime Minister earlier this month. The Scottish Government stands ready to engage at any point with the UK Government to begin talks about the change to the Scottish Parliament’s powers to allow the Scottish people to choose their future.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419940,"EventID":"S6W-27479","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:59.157","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-10T12:35:47.647","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the concerns raised by the group, Children's Hearings Scotland Scandal, whether it has made any representations to the UK Government regarding including volunteer panel members of Children's Hearings Scotland under existing whistleblowing law.","AnswerText":"The Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 offers legal protections to workers. Workers are defined in the Act where they have a contract or other arrangement to do work or services personally for a reward; their reward is for money or a benefit in kind, for example the promise of a contract or future work; they only have a limited right to send someone else to do the work (subcontract); their employer has to have work for them to do as long as the contract or arrangement lasts; they are not doing the work as part of their own limited company in an arrangement where the ‘employer’ is a customer or client.\r\nPanel members within Scotland’s children’s hearings system are volunteers. The inclusion of volunteers within the Act is a matter for the UK government. By virtue of  Schedule 2 Children's Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011  the Panel members are appointed by the National Convener rather than Scottish Ministers.\r\nMinisters and Scottish Government officials have clearly and comprehensively explained the Scottish Government’s position in relation to the matters raised by the group of former panel members and their representatives on numerous occasions dating back several years. \r\nScottish Ministers are satisfied that there are appropriate safeguards and procedures in place for any panel member to raise a concern or complaint via the Children’s Hearing Scotland (CHS) complaints procedure, with appropriate recourse to appeal to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman. As such, Scottish Ministers do not feel it is appropriate to raise this subject with the UK Government","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419941,"EventID":"S6W-27511","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:59.327","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T12:52:15.337","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what (a) correspondence and (b) engagement it has had with non-departmental public bodies, also known as quangos, in relation to the recent findings from The Scotsman investigation. ","AnswerText":"I have written to chairs and chief executives of public bodies, in which I have reminded those bodies listed in Schedule 8 to the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 that they have a duty to comply fully with responsibilities set out for them in the Act.\r\nIn addition, Scottish Government officials have engaged or corresponded with a small number of public bodies listed in that Schedule since articles on this matter were published in The Scotsman between 7 and 11 May 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419942,"EventID":"S6W-27533","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:59.39","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T17:10:45.813","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the planned natural regeneration of the 4,600 hectares surrounding Loch Katrine by Forestry and Land Scotland, and whether it has met the target of 4,600 hectares. ","AnswerText":"The delivery of woodland creation will be focused within a Gross area of 4380ha by 2050. Delivery of this will be achieved through the protection of both advanced and developing natural regeneration, as well as through active planting, which will take the form of the creation of Seed islands, located in specific areas of the broad seed island zone. Enrichment planting within advanced regenerating areas and throughout the network of burns found within the catchment, as Riparian corridor planting along the banks. It is expected that the potential woodland cover, within the woodland creation zone will average 15%, at a density averaging around 600 stems/ha. This will vary throughout the catchment, specific to the location i.e. patchy and or higher/lower pending site conditions.\r\nThere is evidence of 415ha of existing advanced natural regeneration already within the catchment, achieving the standard for established woodland using criteria set by Scottish Forestry and Forestry and Land Scotland, this will be claimed in 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419943,"EventID":"S6W-27526","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:59.437","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T16:33:14.453","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on phase 2 of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB2) funding; a list of successful applicants to the fund, and whether it has any plans to introduce a future funding stream targeted to smaller community transport operators.     ","AnswerText":"Final applications to the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB2) were received in January 2024. An announcement about the outcome of the applications is expected in the near future.\r\nTo date, through ScotZEB 1 and the previous two rounds of the Scottish Ultra Low Emissions Bus Scheme, the Scottish Government has provided £113 million capital funding for 548 public service zero emission buses. There are currently no plans to introduce further direct funding programmes for zero emission buses. ScotZEB 2 has been designed to support bus and coach operators, manufacturers, local authorities, financiers and the energy sector to make the market for zero-emission vehicles and infrastructure commercially self-sustaining without further funding from the government.\r\nUnlike previous schemes, school buses, community buses, and tourist and private-hire coaches were eligible for inclusion in ScotZEB 2 in addition to public service buses. ScotZEB 2 was preceded by a market transition scheme in 2022-23 which provided financial support to SMEs to assess their options to decarbonise their vehicles, allowing them to participate in the development of consortia bidding for ScotZEB 2 funding.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419944,"EventID":"S6W-27529","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:59.5","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T17:04:56.46","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the (a) biodiversity strategy and (b) designation of a new national park. ","AnswerText":"(a) Following a public consultation a draft Biodiversity strategy was published in 2022. The strategy sets out our clear ambition for Scotland to be Nature positive by 2030 and to have restored and regenerated biodiversity across the country by 2045. \r\nA further consultation in September 2023 sought views on key elements of Scotland’s overall Biodiversity Framework including the draft strategy, supporting delivery plan and elements of a proposed new Natural Environment bill. We are working through the analysis and subject to ministerial approvals the plan is to publish the strategy and delivery plan later this year. \r\n(b) The deadline for nominations from communities and organisations that would like their area to be considered for designation as a new National Park was 29 February 2024. Nominations were received from the Galloway, Lochaber, Loch Awe, Scottish Borders and Tay Forest. The nominations are currently being appraised against the criteria outlined in the published appraisal framework -  New National Parks: nominations guidance and appraisal framework - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  . This appraisal framework was finalised following public consultation.\r\nFollowing the completion of this appraisal process and the submission of a report, Ministers will decide which of the nomination should be taken forward to the next stage. The National Park proposal(s) will be published and will set out the area which it is proposed should be designated as a National Park. \r\nA statutory process will then commence, starting with a detailed exploration of the National Park proposal that will be led by a ‘reporter’. This process is estimated to take around 9 months and will involve extensive consultation and engagement with local communities, stakeholders, businesses, local authorities, community councils and relevant public bodies and interest groups in order to further develop, test and refine the National Park proposal in light of local views and circumstances. \r\nThe reporter’s report to Scottish Ministers will take into account any views on the National Park proposal that are expressed during the consultation. The report will be published and laid before Parliament.\r\nFollowing the publication of this report, and subject to legal conditions being met, the Scottish Government will then lay a designation order before Parliament in order to establish the new National Park(s). This process will include a 12-week public consultation on the draft designation order. Following this period of consultation a final designation order would then be laid before parliament.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419945,"EventID":"S6W-27520","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:59.547","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T12:59:22.583","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with the Scottish Premier Football League to discuss sectarianism. ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27516 on 22 May 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419946,"EventID":"S6W-27531","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:59.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T17:07:06.637","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the updated Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan, as set out in its Programme for Government 2023-24. ","AnswerText":"As the Government has previously set out, we intend to strategically align green skills policy and planning behind our wider net zero and economic growth priorities so that it is fulsome, integrated and better reflects the pervasive issue of skills planning. We will therefore integrate the next phase of our work on green skills into the Just Transition Plans and other planned activity, rather than through a separate CESAP update.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419947,"EventID":"S6W-27504","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:59.733","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T11:47:02.433","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many third sector organisations are recognised providers of non-NHS rehabilitation services in Scotland. ","AnswerText":"This data is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419948,"EventID":"S6W-27538","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:59.78","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T09:58:34.753","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the community needs assessments carried out on Cowal and Rosneath public ferry routes in the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services contract. ","AnswerText":"The contents of the report remain under consideration by Ministers and Transport Scotland. The report will be published once that process has been completed.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419949,"EventID":"S6W-27509","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:59.843","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T12:50:28.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent investigation into non-departmental public bodies, also known as quangos, by The Scotsman, which reportedly found that 66 of 114 quangos have failed to publish financial information as required by the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010. ","AnswerText":"Public bodies listed in the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 have a duty to comply fully with responsibilities set out for them in the Act. I expect them to fulfil these duties, including in relation to the publication of financial information.\r\nWhile it is for those public bodies to ensure that they fulfil all statutory duties to which they are subject, I have written to chairs and chief executives of these public bodies, in which I have reminded them of these duties.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419950,"EventID":"S6W-27557","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:59.89","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T12:38:52.023","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to re-examine the installation of a fixed link between the Cowal and Inverclyde, as originally proposed in the option appraisal for the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2).","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27548 on 29 May 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419951,"EventID":"S6W-27522","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:30:59.953","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T14:05:39.15","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25868 by Mairi McAllan on 4 March 2024, whether it will provide an update on when in summer 2024 it will publish its Green Industrial Strategy. ","AnswerText":"The global transition to net zero offers enormous economic opportunities for Scotland. Our Green Industrial Strategy will set out how the Scottish Government will help businesses and investors to realise these opportunities. We will confirm when our Green Industrial Strategy will be published in due course. \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419952,"EventID":"S6W-27554","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:31:00","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T12:38:52.023","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to re-examine the installation of a fixed link between the Isle of Mull and the mainland, as originally proposed in the option appraisal for the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2).","AnswerText":"Investigation of potential fixed link connections (bridges, causeways and/or tunnels) between Mull and the Scottish mainland forms part of STPR2 recommendation 41. Details on why a fixed link to Mull is part of this recommendation can be accessed at:  https://www.transport.gov.scot/media/52545/recommendation-41-potential-sound-of-harris-sound-of-barra-fixed-link-and-fixed-link-between-mull-and-scottish-mainland.pdf \r\nThe STPR2 recommendation notes, that further work is undertaken on business cases to better understand the benefits, costs and challenges associated with these options. These studies would further consider the feasibility of improving island connectivity through additional fixed links by replacing existing ferry services currently delivered by CalMac Ferries Ltd as part of the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services (CHFS) contract.\r\nThese studies would also analyse in further detail the potential long term savings associated with the public sector funding required to maintain the ferry services and would involve input from communities that may potentially be affected.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419953,"EventID":"S6W-27536","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-14T17:31:00.063","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T09:37:57.073","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in situations where wayleaves cannot be satisfactorily concluded with landowners, what processes are in place to overcome any such issues, and what is considered a reasonable period within which to conclude such negotiations.","AnswerText":"Scottish Ministers have no role in the conclusion of voluntary wayleaves in relation to electricity infrastructure and are only able to act on applications made by licence holders for Necessary Wayleaves under the Electricity Act 1989.\r\nTelecommunications is a reserved matter to the UK Government and the framework for wayleaves is legislated for in Schedule 3A of the Communications Act 2003 (The Electronic Communications Code). The Code gives Code operators rights to apply for a wayleave agreement to be imposed by the courts if one cannot be reached voluntarily with a landowner.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419967,"EventID":"S6O-03460","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T15:48:02.12","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T20:20:23.29","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the impact of the updated fiscal framework. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419968,"EventID":"S6O-03475","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T15:48:02.23","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T11:45:46.18","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve facilities at railway stations operated by ScotRail.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419969,"EventID":"S6O-03464","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5618,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":91,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T15:48:02.387","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T15:35:36.477","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the reduction in Scotland’s capital budget as a result of changes to Scotland’s block grant.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419970,"EventID":"S6O-03468","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T15:48:02.493","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-15T10:09:29.12","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any accessibility issues in relation to the inter-islands air service in Orkney and similar public service obligation operations in other island communities.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419971,"EventID":"S6O-03459","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T15:48:02.587","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T09:35:23.447","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to support businesses to address reported declining retail sales.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419972,"EventID":"S6O-03454","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5075,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":112,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T15:48:02.697","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-15T10:30:19.527","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the \"key messages\" that are contained in the Climate Change Committee’s letter, Design and implement carbon budgets in Scotland, dated 14 May 2024.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419973,"EventID":"S6O-03452","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T15:48:02.807","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T10:34:20.91","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to promote Scottish manufacturing. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419974,"EventID":"S6O-03461","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":86,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T15:48:02.853","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-15T11:08:43.283","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it promotes ethical procurement processes across the public sector, to embed principles such as fair work and sustainability, including in the college and university sector.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419975,"EventID":"S6O-03463","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T15:48:02.963","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-15T10:26:14.107","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its commitment to consult on the introduction of a carbon emissions land tax for large landowners. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419976,"EventID":"S6O-03453","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T15:48:03.01","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-15T06:21:39.48","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what elements it has identified that led to it not meeting its household recycling targets in 2013 and 2020.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419977,"EventID":"S6O-03465","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5598,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":139,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T15:48:03.12","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-15T09:33:04.48","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of the fourth National Planning Framework specifically in relation to revocation of the Special Development Order at the Ardeer peninsula.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419978,"EventID":"S6O-03462","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T15:48:03.213","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T16:03:49.453","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is regarding Scotland's budgetary forecast to reports that the UK economy officially exited a recession and outperformed the first quarter of 2024 forecast of the Bank of England.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419979,"EventID":"S6O-03474","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16182,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":117,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T15:48:03.277","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T14:54:23.167","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps it is taking to improve road safety across Stirling.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419980,"EventID":"S6O-03466","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2826,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":84,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T15:48:03.387","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T14:31:05.307","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work has been conducted to assess any impact of repaying private finance initiative debt obligations on local authority budgets.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419981,"EventID":"S6O-03470","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5866,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T15:48:03.463","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T14:24:42.38","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what work it has undertaken to prepare for the introduction of low emission zones in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419982,"EventID":"S6O-03471","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16186,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":120,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T15:48:03.51","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T15:45:25.393","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Young Persons’ (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel scheme was last reviewed.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419983,"EventID":"S6O-03457","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16189,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":129,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T15:48:03.573","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T16:03:22.413","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the net zero secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding any plans to review any unintended impacts of the fourth National Planning Framework on energy policy.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419984,"EventID":"S6O-03472","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2641,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":94,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T15:48:03.697","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T15:11:07.247","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what representations it can make to Loganair to ensure that constituents in Na h-Eileanan an Iar are not disadvantaged as a result of recent changes to flight timetables.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419985,"EventID":"S6O-03473","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T15:48:03.887","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T17:03:29.38","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of ferry travel measures contained in the Fair Fares Review, including free foot passenger travel on inter-island ferries and the extension of the existing National Ferry Concessionary Scheme for island residents under 22 years old.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419986,"EventID":"S6O-03467","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3129,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":83,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T15:48:03.993","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-15T10:32:54.87","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact the reduction in Scotland’s revenue budget as a result of changes to the block grant has had on funding allocations to local authorities in the current financial year. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419987,"EventID":"S6O-03455","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1756,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":136,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T15:48:04.087","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T12:26:49.407","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had and will have with rural communities, such as residents and businesses in the Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale constituency, regarding the restrictions on the installation of wood burning stoves.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419988,"EventID":"S6O-03469","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T15:48:04.197","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T21:07:47.4","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it spent in 2023-24 on safety improvements to trunk roads in the North East Scotland region.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419989,"EventID":"S6O-03480","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T15:48:09.637","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T10:23:09.883","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the amount of time that Police Scotland currently spends responding to calls related to mental health issues.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419990,"EventID":"S6O-03476","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T15:48:09.747","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T12:13:44.843","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to tackle child poverty.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419991,"EventID":"S6O-03481","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T15:48:09.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T14:45:17.953","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will close the gap in funding for 1,140 hours of early learning and childcare between private, voluntary and independent providers and council-run facilities.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419992,"EventID":"S6O-03477","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5596,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":151,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T15:48:09.853","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T17:39:17.163","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to reduce waiting times for children requiring neurodevelopmental assessment.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419993,"EventID":"S6O-03483","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T15:48:10.073","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-15T08:04:28.757","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can intervene, in light of concerns following NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde's decision to permanently reduce Inverclyde's GP out-of-hours service, reportedly leaving Inverclyde Royal Hospital as the only GP out-of-hours site in the NHS board area not to operate a full seven days a week and overnight service.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419994,"EventID":"S6O-03478","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T15:48:10.26","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T15:46:18.577","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take in response to recently published statistics indicating that the number of emergency food parcels distributed by food banks in Scotland in 2023-24 remains similar to the record levels seen in the previous year.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419995,"EventID":"S6O-03482","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T15:48:10.403","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-15T08:56:38.57","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take in response to the call from the NASUWT teachers' union for a system of strategies to be put in place for dangerous and disruptive behaviour, including consequences for pupils.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419996,"EventID":"S6W-27608","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:42.023","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T20:31:05.79","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its civil service transformation work. ","AnswerText":"There is a wide range of transformation work underway within the Scottish Government, much of which has built upon the foundations of the Corporate Transformation programme I established in my previous government role.\r\nTransformation activity is now being directed by the ‘In the Service of Scotland’ framework, which sets out the mission, vision, improvement priorities and values for the core Scottish Government, and has the broad aim of creating an organisation that can deliver effectively and efficiently for ministers and the people of Scotland in any future operating environment.\r\nThe improvement priorities are:creating an empowering and enabling culture.building a sustainable and outcomes-focused organisation.nurturing respectful and trusting partnerships.developing high quality business processes.providing a flexible workplace, enabling technology and usable data.\r\nExamples of current work include a shared services programme that will implement Oracle Cloud, transforming the HR, finance and purchasing function for Scottish Government and public sector customers; a programme of work to implement a People Strategy; a range of initiatives to upskill civil servants, such as the Scottish Digital Academy which provides high quality professional learning to public and third sector staff to build digital capability; and the Single Scottish Estate, which is identifying opportunities to efficiently co-locate some public services and support our transition to Net Zero.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419997,"EventID":"S6W-27604","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:42.147","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T20:25:05.417","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its long-term labour market strategy. ","AnswerText":"Helping people into fair, sustainable jobs is central to delivering on the ambitions set out in Scotland’s National Strategy for Economic Transformation.\r\nWe are taking action to address labour and skills shortages, including better aligning the education and skills system with the needs of employers and the economy.\r\nOur No One Left Behind approach to employability support is an all-age, place-based, person-centred model to support people further removed from the labour market to move towards, into and to remain in work.\r\nWhile employment law is reserved, through our Fair Work Action Plan we are helping to create fairer workplaces, address structural inequalities, and enhance workers’ rights, so that Scotland’s labour market offers good quality and rewarding jobs for everyone.\r\nAll of this supports the interconnected priorities this government is working towards - of growing a fair, green economy, to invest in sustainable public services, tackle the climate emergency and eradicate child poverty.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419998,"EventID":"S6W-27601","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:42.193","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T20:11:41.477","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to free up derelict land for housebuilding, and whether it has considered the establishment of a dedicated housing body, similar to Homes England, to allow it to do so more quickly. ","AnswerText":"The reuse of brownfield, vacant and derelict land is strongly supported through National Planning Framework 4, which was adopted in February 2023. Since then, it has been part of the statutory development plan, influencing planning authorities preparation of local development plans and their decisions on planning applications, with the intention to maximise the use of existing assets. There are no plans to incur additional costs to the public purse by creating another public body to do this work. \r\nThe Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land Survey Information Hub will be published soon. It will map out all the sites in the most recent survey, allowing users to easily source more information on vacant and derelict land in their areas.\r\nIn 2024/25, an investment of £6.8 million has been committed for projects supporting the reuse of vacant and derelict land through the Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme (VDLIP).","AnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":419999,"EventID":"S6W-27577","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:42.24","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T15:37:18.043","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27019 by Gillian Martin on 3 May 2024, when a decision on No One Left Behind funding for the remaining three quarters will be made. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government fully appreciates the hard work and dedication of partners in Scotland around delivering employability services which support a reduction in child poverty levels and support those facing structural barriers to enter into and sustain employment. Discussions are continuing to finalise allocations, with funding being released as decisions are taken to ensure activities in agreed areas can proceed as soon as possible.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420000,"EventID":"S6W-27563","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:42.32","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T12:54:08.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has reportedly not released the 2024 Strengthening Communities Programme funding to Development Trusts Association Scotland (DTAS).","AnswerText":"Within the context of the challenging budget position for 2024-25, achieving a balanced budget requires difficult decisions and robust spending control. Discussions are ongoing to work through priorities and finalise funding allocations within budget lines, including the Strengthening Communities Programme (SCP). Funding is being released as decisions are taken so ensuring that activity can proceed in agreed areas as soon as possible whilst this review continues.\r\nHowever, in response to ongoing discussions with Development Trusts Association Scotland (DTAS) and other SCP partners, the release of funds to support April salaries costs is being processed for the community organisations supported by DTAS. Officials are in regular communication with DTAS and the other SCP delivery partners on this issue.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420001,"EventID":"S6W-27574","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:42.397","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T15:17:05.92","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider introducing mandatory HIV awareness training and education for health and social care staff.","AnswerText":"As part of the HIV Transmission Elimination (HIVTE) Delivery Plan, the Scottish Government has committed to developing a proposal to address HIV awareness across the health and social care sector. Funding has already been provided to NHS Education for Scotland to develop training materials for healthcare practitioners in non-HIV specialist roles and a specialist educator post has been funded to support the provision of training across Scotland. The HIVTE plan recognises that this work may require further expansion. We will work with relevant authorities to maximise uptake of training, and will consider whether NHS and local authorities should be encouraged to make this mandatory.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420002,"EventID":"S6W-27603","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:42.477","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T20:24:23.023","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last reviewed the free school meal allowance for secondary school pupils, in light of the varying rates across local authority areas. ","AnswerText":"The responsibility for the delivery of free school meals is a matter for local authorities. This duty under Section 53 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 sets out that local authorities must provide, or secure the provision of, a school lunch free of charge to pupils who meet the eligibility criteria set out within that Act. The national eligibility criteria for free school meals is available through the following web link:  Free school meals - mygov.scot  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420003,"EventID":"S6W-27602","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:42.523","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T20:23:56.163","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the roll-out of free school meals to P6 and P7 pupils, including whether it is considering expanding this further to include secondary school pupils. ","AnswerText":"We are committed to the expansion of universal free school meals in primary schools. The next step in this expansion is to P6 & P7 pupils in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment from February 2025, followed by universal provision in P6 & P7 during 2026.\r\nWe are also committed to delivering a pilot of universal free school meal expansion in secondary schools. This pilot will provide evidence which will assist us in our considerations of any future expansion of provision.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420004,"EventID":"S6W-27595","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:42.57","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T18:14:46.26","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many complaints of breaches of section 7.3 of the Scottish Ministerial Code by (a) ministers and (b) special advisers have been upheld in each year since 2016. ","AnswerText":"No complaints of breaches of the Scottish Ministerial Code have been upheld against Ministers. The Scottish Ministerial Code does not apply to special advisers, only to Ministers.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420005,"EventID":"S6W-27579","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:42.68","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T15:40:00.26","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the reasons are for the reported delays to the implementation of the Children (Scotland) Act 2020, and whether it will update the Parliament on its progress before the summer recess. ","AnswerText":"I refer the Member to the answer to question S6W-26002 on 18 March 2024, which provides an update on implementation of the Children (Scotland) Act 2020 (the 2020 Act). All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/questions-and-answers  .\r\nThis answer refers to a submission to the  Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee in relation to Petition PE1968  outlining our position on implementation of the 2020 Act and the commencement status of provisions.\r\nThe Cabinet Secretary for Justice & Home Affairs also provided the Criminal Justice Committee with an update on implementation of previously passed legislation, including the 2020 Act, in the context of the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill:  Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420006,"EventID":"S6W-27597","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:42.727","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T18:34:42.177","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on whether it remains committed to banning conversion therapy practices in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to banning conversion practices in Scotland. \r\nOur public consultation, containing detailed proposals, ran for 12 weeks and closed on 2 April 2024. Responses to that consultation are now being analysed and considered. Future legislative programmes will be announced in relevant Programmes for Government in the usual way. \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420007,"EventID":"S6W-27492","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:42.803","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-12T21:52:06.893","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what financial support is currently offered to (a) local authorities, (b) community organisations, (c) local charities and (d) voluntary groups for public electric vehicle (EV) charging points, and whether it will provide a breakdown of the support provided for public EV charging points in each of the last three financial years. ","AnswerText":"Since 2011 Scottish Ministers have invested over £65 million in public EV charging. Scotland now has over 5,000 public EV charge points and is on target to have 6,000 public EV charge points by 2026, through a combination of public and increasing private sector investment. Scotland has the best provision of public EV charge points per head of population of anywhere in the UK, outside of London, and the most rapid charge points per head of population of any region in the UK.\r\nTransport Scotland has also to-date provided £5.7 million to support the installation of 18,861 domestic charge points and £10.8 million to support 1,432 higher powered workplace charge points, complementing the public network.\r\nIn June 2023 the Scottish Government published its Vision for Scotland’s Public Electric Vehicle Charging Network, highlighting the need for a transition towards a public charging network that is largely financed and delivered by the private sector. In 2024, the private sector is forecast to invest £40 million to £55 million in public EV charging in Scotland.\r\nThe Government is investing a further £30 million through our EV infrastructure fund, supporting Local Authorities across Scotland, and prioritising areas of Scotland that are less likely to attract private investment, including rural and island communities.\r\nSince 21-22, the Scottish Government has provided over £15 million of financial support to Local Authorities to support the installing of public EV charge points.\r\n21-22\r\n22-23\r\n23-24\r\n£ 5,33,1833.92\r\n£ 2,523,738.88\r\n£ 3,515,174.91","AnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420008,"EventID":"S6W-27561","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:42.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T12:44:05.75","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to provide funding for the installation of HEPA filters in (a) schools, (b) hospitals and (c) public buildings to tackle the effects of COVID-19.","AnswerText":"We now live with COVID-19 as one of many respiratory infections. Good ventilation is beneficial to air quality and good hygiene. It is the statutory responsibility of Local Authorities to manage their school estate, and it would therefore be for them to determine if it would be appropriate to install HEPA filters, as a relatively costly technology, in their schools, based on local circumstances. However, in August 2021, funding of £10m was made available to local authorities in relation to improving ventilation in schools. Moreover, further funding of £4.8m was made available to local authorities in January 2022.\r\nThe Scottish Government will provide Health Boards with £149 million of capital funding in 2024-25 for investing in their estate and equipment. The installation of HEPA filters, or any other means of improving air quality is a matter for local decision making. Health Boards make decisions on what to invest in based on the risk profile of their buildings. Health Boards will consider what level of ventilation is needed across the different areas in their facilities and will invest accordingly.\r\nFunding allocations for ventilation upgrades and maintenance for public buildings is at the discretion of each individual local authority or public body, on the basis of local needs and priorities whilst also fulfilling any statutory obligations where applicable.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420009,"EventID":"S6W-27585","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:42.93","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T16:13:07.04","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much was spent from the Bus Partnership Fund in (a) 2021-22, (b) 2022-23 and (c) 2023-24.","AnswerText":"The amount spent through the Bus Partnership Fund was £2.54 million in 2021-22, £9.93 million in 2022-23 and £8.03 million is expected to be spent in 2023-24 following the processing of final grant claims from Partnerships (consisting of local authorities, bus operators and other key stakeholders) in the coming months. This has delivered bus gates, enforcement cameras and traffic light equipment to help buses get through them more quickly in Aberdeen, North Ayrshire, Glasgow, Inverness, and Edinburgh. It has also made a number of temporary measures, such as bus lanes, permanent in Edinburgh and Glasgow.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420010,"EventID":"S6W-27583","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:43.007","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T16:03:55.487","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether Forestry and Land Scotland has received any payments from Statkraft for widening roads at Brown Hill.","AnswerText":"Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) do not own or manage the land where Statkraft are proposing the development of the Craigwatch windfarm. They have therefore not been approached by Statkraft or received any payment from them for widening of roads.\r\nThere are several proposed windfarm sites in this area, and it is possible that road widening works are happening on neighbouring private land, of which FLS is not involved.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420011,"EventID":"S6W-27502","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:43.083","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T11:27:03.693","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, when setting its target to produce 20 GW of onshore wind energy by 2030, what analysis it undertook regarding the need for more wind energy in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The  Onshore Wind Policy Statement 2022  , which was the culmination of an extensive consultative process with industry, our statutory consultees and the public, sets an overall ambition of 20 GW of installed onshore wind capacity in Scotland by 2030.\r\nIn addition to the  public consultation  on the draft Onshore Wind Policy Statement, the Scottish Government considered a range of evidence, including the  Onshore Wind Industry Prospectus  and the  Climate Change Committee 6th Carbon Budget  in setting a 20 GW ambition.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":420012,"EventID":"S6W-27588","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:43.18","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T16:43:58.85","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been diagnosed with myeloma through the Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Service. ","AnswerText":"The recently published University of Strathclyde  evaluation report  showed that 3% of cancers diagnosed through the Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services (RCDS) were myeloma.\r\nThe Scottish Government doesn’t hold data on exact numbers, however a national RCDS data-set has been created with Public Health Scotland (PHS) and submission of this data from relevant Health Boards will commence in summer 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420013,"EventID":"S6W-27596","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:43.32","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T18:14:46.26","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many complaints have been reported to it in relation to potential breaches of section 7.3 of the Scottish Ministerial Code by (a) ministers and (b) special advisers in each year since 2016.","AnswerText":"Given the Scottish Ministerial Code is not a formal complaints procedure, the Scottish Government does not maintain a central list of 'complaints' made under it. The Scottish Government is therefore unable to provide a breakdown of 'complaints' by year and category. The Scottish Ministerial Code does not apply to Special Advisers, only to Ministers.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420014,"EventID":"S6W-27562","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:43.413","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T12:54:08.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to provide funding to the Strengthening Communities Programme beyond 31 March 2025.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Budget confirmed that the financial outlook for 2024-25 across Government is particularly challenging with future prospects continuing to be volatile. As such, the 2024-25 budget is a single year spending plan and no decisions have been made in relation to the budget for the Strengthening Communities Programme from 1 April 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420015,"EventID":"S6W-27591","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:43.49","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T17:21:10.99","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with ChargePlace Scotland regarding the roll-out of its new payment system and any issues that it has caused to drivers.","AnswerText":"The ChargePlace Scotland (CPS) operator is contractually obliged to continually improve the quality of the service for drivers. This includes a necessary shift from monthly billing to pay-as-you-go payment for charging using the CPS card or mobile app. This enables an experience akin to how drivers pay for petrol and diesel at traditional forecourts and has been widely welcomed by users. This has necessitated the migration to a new payment service provider (PSP).\r\nTransport Scotland officials and the CPS operator have held regular discussions about future enhancements, including the planned roll-out of the new PSP. Following the launch of the new PSP on 24 April this year, the CPS operator immediately notified Transport Scotland about the emergence of a technical issue which impacted less than 1% of CPS users. The CPS operator has provided regular briefings to Transport Scotland on the cause, impact and corrective actions, including advanced notice of the resolution that was implemented on 10 May. \r\nThe CPS operator will provide Transport Scotland with a detailed report on the issue, Transport Scotland officials will also meet senior managers from the CPS operator to discuss key lessons learned. ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420016,"EventID":"S6W-27524","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:43.583","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T14:58:10.097","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to increase funding for the provision of palliative care of children, including to (a) ensure that (i) children’s community nursing teams are fully staffed and (ii) children’s hospices are sustainably funded and (b) create the post of specialist practitioner. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring the provision of high quality child palliative care, regardless of location, supported by sustainable funding of at least £7m per year through CHAS (Children’s Hospices Across Scotland).\r\nWe are working with NHS National Services Scotland (NSS), Health Boards and CHAS to improve the sustainability and oversight of funding for CHAS and to develop a long term sustainable funding model.\r\nThe Palliative Care Strategy Steering Group’s Children and Young People’s Working Group is developing new actions to address equity and continuity of access to paediatric palliative care, including the staffing models required to deliver this.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420017,"EventID":"S6W-27581","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:43.663","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T15:46:24.657","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to lay regulations related to child contact centres under the Children (Scotland) Act 2020. ","AnswerText":"I refer the Member to the answer to question S6W-26002 on 18 March 2024, which provides an update on implementation of the Children (Scotland) Act 2020. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/questions-and-answers  .\r\nOn child contact centres, the Scottish Government is preparing Scottish Statutory Instruments on the regulation of these services. We hope to be in a position to lay these SSIs before Parliament later this year.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420018,"EventID":"S6W-27600","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:43.71","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T20:09:43.04","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to announce the successful education provider for the Return to Practice education provision contract, further to the deadline closing on 6 May 2024. ","AnswerText":"NHS Education for Scotland (NES) manage the nursing and midwifery Return to Practice education provision on behalf of Scottish Government.\r\nAlthough the deadline has passed, the tender process is still live, and NES expects to publish the award on the Public Contracts Scotland website in the week commencing 24 June 2024.\r\n","AnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420019,"EventID":"S6W-27610","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:43.833","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T20:32:14.727","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to respond to the recommendations of the Scottish Local Authorities Remuneration Committee. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is currently considering the recommendations in partnership with COSLA. It is important that appropriate consideration and deliberation is applied and a response will be published in due course.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420020,"EventID":"S6W-27476","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:43.897","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-10T12:13:45.453","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address any labour market barriers experienced by LGBTQ+ people.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to advancing equality for LGBTQI+ people across all areas of life, including the labour market.\r\nWe are providing over £1.1 million to organisations working to promote LGBTQI+ equality in Scotland in 2024-25, including for initiatives to tackle discrimination and empower LGBTQI+ people and allies to advocate for LGBTQI+ rights in their workplace.\r\nThrough our Fair Work First approach we are leveraging employers’ commitment to fair work for all, including the LGBTQI+ community, by applying Fair Work principles to public sector grants, contracts and other funding, where it is relevant and proportionate to do so. These principles ask employers to commit to creating more diverse and inclusive workplaces and providing channels for effective voice, including trade union recognition. These facilitate open communication with workers to share their lived experiences, advocate for equal rights and ultimately improve workplace culture; and help all workers protect their legal rights and ensure fair treatment.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420021,"EventID":"S6W-27590","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:44.1","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T17:21:10.99","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the timeframe is for the contract with SWARCO to operate ChargePlace Scotland, and what provisions are in the contract with SWARCO, including in relation to early termination for poor performance. ","AnswerText":"The current ChargePlace Scotland (CPS) framework agreement is due to end February 2025 with the call-off contract running until mid-2026. The framework agreement, which includes provisions for the circumstances in which early termination would be appropriate, have been published on Transport Scotland’s public facing website:  ChargePlace Scotland Framework Agreement 2021 | Transport Scotland. \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420022,"EventID":"S6W-27559","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:44.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T12:44:05.75","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to change current guidance in relation to HEPA filters in classrooms to allow parents to donate filters to schools, in light of recent reported research on the health benefits of clean air in preventing COVID-19.","AnswerText":"Although the “Reducing the risks of COVID-19 in schools” guidance has been stood down and there are no current plans to revise it, we recognise the benefits of clean air in preventing COVID-19.\r\nIt is the statutory duty of Local Authorities to manage their school estate and it would, therefore, be for them to consider local circumstances and determine if it would be appropriate to allow parents to donate HEPA filters to their schools.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420023,"EventID":"S6W-27587","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:44.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T16:43:18.603","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to reduce the number of people with myeloma diagnosed through an emergency route. ","AnswerText":"We know that the earlier cancer is diagnosed the easier it is to treat and so a number of Detect Cancer Earlier (DCE) programme initiatives are currently supporting Primary Care referral.\r\nThe Scottish Referral Guidelines (SRG) for Suspected Cancer were developed to support primary care clinicians to identify those with symptoms suspicious of cancer and identify those who require urgent assessment by a specialist. A clinical refresh of the Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer is underway to help ensure the right person is on the right pathway at the right time.\r\nIn addition to this work, a new primary care cancer education platform funded by Scottish Government – Gateway C – was launched on 30 April in NHS Scotland, supported by NHS Education for Scotland (NES). Gateway C provides innovative, and tailored information to support earlier cancer diagnosis efforts and enable effective decision-making. This free online platform has a number of available courses, including myeloma, and is accessible to all primary care clinicians to help support rapid referral for those who require it most.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420024,"EventID":"S6W-27576","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:44.6","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T15:37:18.043","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on a multi-year funding settlement for No One Left Behind. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises that certainty of funding is critical to allow Local Employability Partnerships to plan provision effectively and to provide security for the people accessing services through No One Left Behind. That is why the Scottish Budget 2024-25 sets out our commitment to explore future multi-year funding for employability. We will be working to determine the detail underpinning this commitment in the coming months.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420025,"EventID":"S6W-27560","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:44.663","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T12:44:05.75","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the World Health Organization's reported finding that adequate mechanical ventilation (HEPA) filters can be used in combination with proper natural ventilation to tackle the effects of COVID-19 in classrooms and schools.","AnswerText":"As was the case throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Scottish Government continue to listen carefully to the World Health Organization’s advice.\r\nFurthermore, although it is the statutory duty of Local Authorities to manage their school estate, we would be happy to work in partnership with them on this matter.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420026,"EventID":"S6W-27598","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:44.74","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T18:35:00.19","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to comments by the chief executive of the Scottish Prison Service to the Public Audit Committee that the entire prison estate may shortly reach maximum capacity and present significant risk of potential disorder.","AnswerText":"In my statement to Parliament on 16 May, I set out that there is now a critical risk to the continued safe and effective operation of the prison estate, and that urgent action is needed. \r\nIf the legal test for use of emergency release is satisfied when section 11 of the Bail and Release from Custody (Scotland) Act 2023 comes into force on 26 May, then I intend to bring forward a proposal for Parliament’s consideration for the emergency release of prisoners. \r\nThis is not a decision I have taken lightly. But we must ensure the safety and wellbeing of Scottish Prison Service staff and those people in their care, and that our prisons continue to function effectively to accommodate those who pose the greatest risk of harm.\r\nMembers will have the opportunity to scrutinise and debate the approach and, in this instance, we will not release a single prisoner without Parliament’s consent.\r\nI also intend to carry out a short consultative exercise over the summer, and to return after recess with a proposal for a Bill for Parliament’s consideration to change how long-term prisoners are released and managed. \r\nFinally, I intend to bring forward secondary legislation to amend the eligibility criteria for use of Home Detention Curfew (HDC), increasing the period of time individuals can spend on release under licence conditions. These regulations will be subject to scrutiny under the affirmative procedure. ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420027,"EventID":"S6W-27567","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:44.82","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T14:38:01.543","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what (a) guidance and (b) policies are in place to safeguard against any unpaid individuals being deployed to perform duties and roles that would normally be undertaken by NHS employees.","AnswerText":"NHS Boards have a responsibility for ensuring they have the right workforce in place at all times to provide safe and high quality patient care. \r\nThere is a long history of volunteer services in NHS Scotland, and we are thankful to those who chose to volunteer. Volunteer services are not however there to replace the core workforce, and we expect all NHS Boards to have policies and procedures in place to ensure that volunteers are used appropriately, and only specifically for volunteering services. Volunteers are subject to the same safety checks as NHS staff, including PVG and Disclosure. ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420028,"EventID":"S6W-27558","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:44.913","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T12:41:13.12","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-22282 by Lorna Slater on 14 November 2023, whether it will provide an update on which local authorities have contracts in place to comply with the delayed ban on biodegradable municipal waste to landfill.","AnswerText":"Local authorities are responsible for the provision of local waste services and are, therefore, best placed to comment on readiness to comply with the ban on sending biodegradable municipal waste to landfill in 2025.\r\nThe Scottish Government continues to provide procurement support to local authorities to secure contracts in preparation for the forthcoming ban. As part of this support, Zero Waste Scotland is working with local authorities to provide technical, legal and procurement advice.\r\nThrough this support, we understand that 28 local authorities have contracts in place for 2025 that comply with the landfill ban, covering over 90% of household residual waste, these are: Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Angus, City of Edinburgh, City of Glasgow, Clackmannanshire, Dundee City, East Dunbartonshire, East Ayrshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, Falkirk, Fife, Highland, Inverclyde, Midlothian, Moray, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Orkney, Perth and Kinross, Renfrewshire, Scottish Borders, Shetland, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, Stirling, and West Lothian.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420029,"EventID":"S6W-27571","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:44.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T15:17:05.92","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what specific funding has been allocated to deliver the actions in the HIV Transmission Elimination Delivery Plan 2023-2026. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has confirmed a budget of around £1.7m per year to deliver the actions contained within the Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus (SHBBV) Action Plan 2023-26. This includes a range of projects that support HIV transmission elimination, details of which were published with the SHBBV plan.\r\nWithin this, the Scottish Government has also provided funding for the national HIV anti-stigma campaign (£250,000 in 2022-23), the development of an ePrEP clinic (£400,000 in 2022-23), emergency department opt-out testing pilots (£145,000), online postal self-sampling for STIs and HIV (£119,000 in 2023-24, and £300,000 per year allocated in 2024-25 and 2025-26) and the Terrence Higgins Trust HIV self-test service (around £100,000 per year).","AnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420030,"EventID":"S6W-27609","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:45.07","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T20:31:39.3","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish the findings from the second phase of the local governance review. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government will publish the findings from the second phase of the Local Governance Review’s community engagement process, Democracy Matters, in Summer 2024. Alongside this we will provide an update on our wider work with COSLA to conclude the review including the development of place specific, single authority, governance models. We will also set out the next steps in our work to deliver reforms that can further empower communities to take a greater role in local decision-making.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420031,"EventID":"S6W-27605","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:45.13","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T20:27:50.947","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported withdrawal of members of the Law Society of Scotland from the Legal Aid Remuneration Project and Research Analysis Group, and whether it has recently met with the Law Society of Scotland to discuss such concerns. ","AnswerText":"To give effect to the principal recommendation of the Legal Aid Payment Advisory Panel, that independent research be commissioned to consider the financial landscape for legal aid providers, a working group was established in 2022.\r\nMembership of the group included representatives of the Law Society of Scotland, the Scottish Solicitors Bar Association and the Scottish Legal Aid Board. The group met regularly and agreed a specification to tender for the required research.\r\nFollowing two unsuccessful tendering processes, the Law Society of Scotland and the Scottish Solicitors Bar Association indicated their withdrawal from the working group. The Scottish Government share these frustrations, but an offer to re-tender remains.\r\nThe Scottish Government has held productive discussions with both the Law Society of Scotland and the Scottish Solicitors Bar Association on the purpose of the research and will continue to make the case for re-tendering. We do believe that there is much to gain by carrying out the research.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420032,"EventID":"S6W-27532","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:45.18","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T17:08:24.557","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed how many hectares of peatland it has restored in the 2023-24 financial year.  ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government, through its partnership with Peatland ACTION, restored a total of 10,361 hectares in 2023-24. This is a record high delivery for the peatland restoration programme, and continues our progress towards the 2030 restoration target of 250,000 hectares. \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420033,"EventID":"S6W-27593","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:45.43","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T17:21:10.99","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether compensation will be offered by ChargePlace Scotland in relation to any inconvenience caused to drivers by its new payment system, particularly for commercial electric vehicle users, such as taxi drivers.","AnswerText":"Following the implementation of a new payment service provider, Transport Scotland were notified by the ChargePlace Scotland (CPS) operator of a technical issue that was affecting less than 1% of CPS users. The issue caused the cards of those CPS members affected to be automatically ‘blocked’ by the system, leaving them unable to charge. Affected drivers were able to use other methods to charge, such as Webpay and contactless where available, and could also contact the CPS customer service team to start a charge remotely. The issue was fully resolved on 10 May. No compensation arrangements are in place, and to date CPS has not been contacted by any CPS users, including business users, seeking any.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420034,"EventID":"S6W-27582","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:45.523","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T15:47:26.337","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement the (a) Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs, (b) Minister for Victims and Community Safety, (c) Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise and (e) their officials have had with stakeholders regarding the implementation of the Children (Scotland) Act 2020. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to engage regularly with key stakeholders regarding implementation of the Children (Scotland) Act 2020 (the 2020 Act). We are currently prioritising work across the Scottish Government in light of increased budget pressures.\r\nThere has been detailed discussions with the Care Inspectorate on child contact services regulation, with a view to the Care Inspectorate taking on the role of independent regulator.\r\nWe plan to establish a short-life working group later this year with key stakeholders on child welfare reporters, which will inform the development of policy around the new register under the 2020 Act.\r\nThere has also been engagement with stakeholders in relation to special measures for vulnerable witnesses and parties. Part 3 of the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill, if enacted, will extend provisions in the 2020 Act, relating to certain family cases, to civil cases more generally.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420035,"EventID":"S6W-27611","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:45.583","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T20:33:05.557","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that planning services work as efficiently as possible to foster economic growth, in light of reported delays to planning processes across Scotland. ","AnswerText":"We have implemented extensive reforms to streamline and improve the planning system to support our economy and give greater certainty to developers and investors. Our reforms include removing certain applications from the system, increasing capacity to focus on applications where most value can be added; extending the review cycle of Local Development Plans to allow planning authorities to focus on delivery; and appointing Scotland’s first National Planning Improvement Champion to work with all those involved to support improvement within the service.\r\nWe recognise there is scope to improve on current planning timescales with the most recent annual data for the 2022-23 period showing that the average timescale for major developments is 39.5 weeks, and local (non householder) development is 14.4 weeks. It is important to note that there can be many reasons for delays in determining applications, including requests for and submission of additional information, delays with responses from consultees and the requirement for a legal agreement. However, constructive and collaborative working between applicants and authorities means that consistently over 93% of applications are approved annually.\r\nOur current consultation \"Investing in Planning - a consultation on resourcing Scotland's planning system\" aims to further support improvement in the delivery of planning services, including streamlining the assessments required to support applications, project managing applications, improving engagement and taking a proactive approach to development and consenting.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420036,"EventID":"S6W-27589","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:45.63","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T16:45:01.707","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what plans it has to clarify additional measurements for monitoring improvements in (a) blood and (b) neurological cancer pathways. ","AnswerText":"An annual report will be published by Scottish Government in Summer 2024 detailing progress made in the first year of the  Cancer Action Plan for Scotland 2023-2026  . Officials have been working with third sector organisations to determine what additional measurements for monitoring improvements in blood and neurological cancer pathways would be useful. Officials also continue to work with Public Health Scotland (PHS) to progress developments in data availability, including emergency presentation data.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420037,"EventID":"S6W-27575","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:45.71","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T15:17:05.92","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish the monitoring and evaluation plan as a component of the HIV Transmission Elimination Delivery Plan 2023-2026. ","AnswerText":"The monitoring and evaluation plan is being developed by Public Health Scotland (PHS). The first stage of this is for PHS to develop key indicators for monitoring progress. These are currently being drafted and PHS will be consulting on them shortly. Following this there will be further work to identify gaps in monitoring progress and address these. The finalised plan is expected to be published by the end of the financial year.\r\nA new PHS-led blood borne virus and sexually transmitted infection dashboard is also scheduled for launch in 2024-25 which will help to monitor progress on elimination at national and NHS board level.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420038,"EventID":"S6W-27572","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:45.96","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T15:17:05.92","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether local projects will be eligible for funding to achieve the aims of the HIV Transmission Elimination Delivery Plan 2023-2026. ","AnswerText":"An open bidding process was issued in 2023 for projects to support delivery of the Scottish Government’s sexual health and blood borne virus goals. The successful projects were published alongside the  Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Action Plan  and include a number of local initiatives which contribute to the aims of the HIV Transmission Elimination (HIVTE) Delivery Plan. Further funding for some actions within the HIVTE plan is still to be finalised.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420039,"EventID":"S6W-27570","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:46.053","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T15:17:05.92","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider extending the current HIV and blood borne virus testing pilot from three months to one year.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has no immediate plans to expand emergency department opt-out blood borne virus testing beyond the current three-month pilots. It is important that decisions about any further expansion are based on the best available evidence. \r\nA review will be undertaken once all three areas have completed their pilot projects and local evaluations later this summer. However, decisions about further interventions will also be informed by the findings of a Scottish Government-funded research project aimed at identifying optimal approaches to testing to reduce undiagnosed blood borne viruses, which are expected in spring 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420040,"EventID":"S6W-27606","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:46.13","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T20:29:15.12","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its approach to citizens' assemblies; when it next plans to hold one, and on which topic. ","AnswerText":"Scottish Government recognises that Citizens’ Assemblies are an important and effective method to involve the public in policy and decision making. \r\nOur longer term commitment to using Citizen’s Assemblies remains unchanged, and any Citizens’ Assembly will be targeted to help tackle some of Scotland’s most difficult issues.\r\nAs outlined in  our response  to the Institutionalising Participative and Deliberative Democracy working group, to ensure any future Citizens’ Assemblies build upon the learnings of previous Citizens’ Assemblies delivered in Scotland, a key first step in our approach will be to undertake an impact assessment of the Citizens' Assembly of Scotland and Scotland’s Climate Assembly.\r\nBudget to deliver participatory work is dispersed across policy areas, which currently allocate funds and undertake activities as required. The financial situation facing the Scottish Government continues to be the most challenging since devolution, and  we set out the limitations  that budget constraints have posed to the delivery of Citizens’ Assemblies to the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions committee in October 2023 (see page 4, paragraph 6).\r\nWe will update Parliament in due course when we arrange for the next Citizens’ Assembly to be convened.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jamie Hepburn","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420041,"EventID":"S6W-27565","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:46.193","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T14:30:32.06","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to Falkirk Council publishing a consultation on reducing the number of hours within the school week. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is clear that any cuts to learning hours are not acceptable. Scottish Ministers remain keen to come to an agreement with local government on the provision of learning hours in local authority schools. If no agreement is reached Scottish Ministers will take steps to ensure learning hours are protected, including considering the use of regulatory powers.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420042,"EventID":"S6W-27578","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:46.287","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T15:39:20.12","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it plans to introduce commencement regulations for the Children (Scotland) Act 2020. ","AnswerText":"I refer the Member to the answer to question S6W-26002 on 18 March 2024, which provides an update on implementation of the Children (Scotland) Act 2020 (the 2020 Act) and refers to a recent section-by-section breakdown provided to Parliament of the 2020 Act’s commencement status.\r\nAll answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/questions-and-answers  .\r\nThe Scottish Government has accepted a recommendation in the recent  ‘Hearings for Children’ report  to commence section 3 of the 2020 Act, relating to the views of the child in proceedings under the Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011. We are taking forward relevant work in that regard and are considering whether further provisions could be commenced.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420043,"EventID":"S6W-27564","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:46.507","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T12:54:08.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide assurances that Strengthening Communities Programme funding will be released without any further delay.","AnswerText":"Every action is being taken to facilitate an early decision on this funding, following which officials will be in contact with stakeholders.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420044,"EventID":"S6W-27592","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:46.583","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T17:21:10.99","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported issues caused by the new ChargePlace Scotland payment system, what action it is taking to prevent a similar situation arising again.","AnswerText":"In accordance with the ChargePlace Scotland (CPS) contract, the CPS operator will provide Transport Scotland with a written report outlining the cause, impact and actions take to rectify the issues which recently affected less than 1% of CPS members. The report will also detail steps that will be taken to mitigate the risk of future occurrences. Transport Scotland officials will meet senior managers from the CPS operator to discuss key lessons learned. \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420045,"EventID":"S6W-27584","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-15T17:20:46.663","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T16:03:55.487","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of Forestry and Land Scotland (a) upgrading existing and (b) building any new roads in anticipation of onshore windfarm developments that have yet to receive planning approval.","AnswerText":"Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) do not undertake any road upgrades, or build new roads, for the purpose of windfarm development. FLS include the right for a windfarm developer to upgrade roads or build new roads, at their expense, within a lease agreement. FLS will only enter into a lease and permit civil engineering works relating to windfarm construction once the development has received planning approval.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420075,"EventID":"S6W-27672","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":5622,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":148,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T12:57:46.677","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T12:52:19.437","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any implications of the UK Spring Budget for the 2024-25 Scottish Budget, and what its current position is on the 2023-24 Scottish Budget.","AnswerText":"The UK Spring Budget, announced by the Chancellor on 6 March, generated £293 million of resource consequentials for 2024-25, of which £237 million relates to Health. Health consequentials will be passed on in full to the Health portfolio, in line with our manifesto commitment.\r\nThe remaining £56 million of resource funding will be passed on to local authorities to support the Council Tax freeze. This comes on top of the record funding I announced for local authorities back in December.\r\nDisappointingly, Scotland received no new capital or financial transactions funding so the Scottish Government will continue to see a real-terms cut in our capital block grant – a cumulative loss of over £1.3 billion by 2027-28.\r\nThe 2023-24 budget in both resource and capital will be delivered on balance, which is a significant achievement given the pressures we have faced. As per normal practice, following the year-end process, Scottish Ministers will confirm the 2023-24 provisional outturn position to Parliament in June.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420076,"EventID":"S6W-27624","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:07.457","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-15T12:03:31.23","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to including a specified foster care allowance rate for young people in continuing care. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Recommended Allowance (SRA) currently applies to placements of children in foster care and eligible kinship care. Continuing care rates are for each individual local authority to determine.\r\nWe are considering a range of issues that impact young people and their carers as young care experienced people prepare to move on from care into adulthood.\r\nWe will launch a public consultation in Summer 2024 which will ask for views on the support required to help young people as they move on from care. This will include questions on the improvements which can be made to the provision of Continuing Care.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420077,"EventID":"S6W-27616","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:07.753","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-15T09:10:10.817","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work it has undertaken to establish the extent of the use of part-time timetables in schools.","AnswerText":"Information on pupils that are subject to reduced or part-time timetable is not reported centrally by the Scottish Government. Under the Additional Support for Learning Act 2004, education authorities have duties to identify, provide for and review the additional support needs of their pupils. Education authorities are responsible for determining the most appropriate educational provision for children and young people in their area, taking account of their legislative responsibilities and the individual circumstances of children, young people and their families.\r\n \r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420078,"EventID":"S6W-27639","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:07.987","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T09:51:57.06","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the next summary report on access to counsellors in secondary schools and children and young people’s community mental health services will be published.","AnswerText":"The next summary report, for the period January to June 2023, will be published in the coming weeks at:  Access to counsellors in secondary schools and children and young people’s community mental health services – summary reports - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420079,"EventID":"S6W-27499","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:08.237","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T11:26:51.04","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to any potential impact on devolved benefits in Scotland, what engagement it has had with the Ministry of Defence, including Veterans UK, regarding reported delays in the award and payment of war pensions for veterans resident in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Armed Forces Pension Scheme and benefits including the War Pension Scheme are wholly reserved to the UK Government and are assessed and administered by Veterans UK on behalf of the Ministry of Defence. The Scottish Government is therefore unable to intervene on those matters. Nevertheless, the Scottish Government has previously been made aware of people experiencing issues with their pensions and Scottish Ministers wrote to former Ministers for Defence People and Veterans at the Ministry of Defence in 2021 and 2022 highlighting this. I will raise this again at my next meeting with the UK Minister for Veterans Affairs.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420080,"EventID":"S6W-27613","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:08.493","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T23:26:36.033","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the prior approval mechanism in the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Amendment Order 2024 could cause permanent damage to the nation's built heritage.","AnswerText":"Phase 3 of Scottish Government’s Permitted Development Rights (PDR) review has focussed on new and extended PDR for domestic and non-domestic renewable energy equipment. The measures streamline the planning process for various low carbon technologies and for altering/replacing windows by removing the need to apply for planning permission. The purpose is to support households and businesses, including those in conservation areas, seeking to adapt their properties in the face of the cost and climate crises.\r\nThe new PDR allow windows on buildings located in a conservation area to be altered or replaced. However, where windows are located on a building’s front elevation or side elevation fronting a road, prior approval arrangements will apply in certain circumstances. This process allows the planning authority to consider the design and external appearance of the proposal. Furthermore, the new PDR do not apply in World Heritage Sites – and listed building consent will still be required for listed buildings. In this sense, planning controls will still apply in the most valuable heritage assets.\r\nWe consider that the measures achieve an appropriate balance which supports owners/occupiers improving the environmental performance of their properties while safeguarding the overall character and appearance of the historic environment.\r\nNew guidance to accompany the regulations will be published on 28 May.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420081,"EventID":"S6W-27623","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:08.57","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-15T12:03:16.24","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to increasing the recommended foster care allowance in line with inflation for 2024-25. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government committed at the time the Scottish Recommended Allowance (SRA) was launched to, maintaining the 2023-24 levels of support for the allowances going forward, and to reviewing the funding implications for future years from 2024-25.\r\nWe are carefully considering what is affordable for 2024-25 given we have already invested an additional £16 million per year, and the financial challenges facing the whole of the public sector. We plan to make an announcement shortly following discussions with COSLA.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420082,"EventID":"S6W-27635","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:08.65","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-15T17:22:27.937","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people have used the teaching bursary scheme to facilitate career changes into teacher training since its extension in 2023.","AnswerText":"In 2023, 70 bursaries were awarded to individuals wishing to change career and undertake a Post Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE).\r\nSince the introduction of the scheme, 659 bursaries have been awarded. ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420083,"EventID":"S6W-27503","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:08.713","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T11:47:02.433","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it anticipates that all adults who require rehabilitation will have timely access to the right information and services to support them by the end of 2025, as stated in the aims of the Framework for Supporting People through Recovery and Rehabilitation during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to work towards our ambition to ensure that all adults who require timely access to rehabilitation services can by the end of 2025.\r\nThis is being taken forwards through the implementation of the Six Principles of Good Rehabilitation as set out in the Once for Scotland Approach. This is supported by the national rehabilitation leads network and through working across health and social care, leisure, third and independent sectors.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420084,"EventID":"S6W-27614","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:08.867","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T23:27:45.967","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will urgently seek to revise the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Amendment Order 2024, which was laid before the Parliament on 28 March 2024 and is due to come into effect on 24 May 2024, in light of reported concerns that it will lead to irreversible heritage loss in conservation areas as a result of it designating uPVC windows as a permitted development where they are defined as \"substantially the same\" as existing windows, and such a definition being too vague.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Parliament Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee considered the negative instrument on 14 May and agreed to make no recommendations. The  legislation  comes into force on 24 May 2024.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420085,"EventID":"S6W-27642","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:08.963","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T10:32:45.28","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what data it has on the (a) uptake and (b) outcomes of support from the Mode Shift Revenue Support scheme in each year of its operation.","AnswerText":"The following table shows the level of Mode Shift Revenue Support grants awarded by the Scottish Government since the introduction of the scheme plus details of the committed traffic.\r\nYear\r\nMSRS - Grants Awarded\r\nContainers Moved by Rail or Water\r\n2010-2011\r\n£753,751\r\n121,100\r\n2011-2012\r\n£739,280\r\n115,740\r\n2012-2013\r\n£759,801\r\n114,930\r\n2013-2014\r\n£751,575\r\n121,280\r\n2014-2015\r\n£727,327\r\n132,453\r\n2015-2016\r\n£636,899\r\n103,148\r\n2016-2017\r\n£638,157\r\n122,565\r\n2017-2018\r\n£688,480\r\n129,537\r\n2018-2019\r\n£776,484\r\n140,441\r\n2019-2020\r\n£597,714\r\n124,143\r\n2020-2021\r\n£574,903\r\n151,224\r\n2021-2022\r\n£477,423\r\n85,099\r\n2022-2023\r\n£539,853\r\n129,872\r\nThe Scottish Government has a range of annualised data on the uptake and outcome of the Mode Shift Revenue Support Scheme including the value of Grants Awarded and the number of containers moved by rail or water. In total, between 2010-11 and 2022-23, £8,661,647 of awards were made leading to 1,591,532 containers moved by rail or water.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420086,"EventID":"S6W-27617","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:09.023","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-15T09:10:10.817","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work it has undertaken to establish the extent of the use of informal exclusions in schools.","AnswerText":"We are committed to ensuring that all children and young people get the support that they need to reach their full learning potential.\r\nOur national guidance on exclusion, ‘Included, Engaged and Involved Part 2’ makes clear that exclusion should be the last resort. Where exclusion is used, it should be as a proportionate response where there is no appropriate alternative, and the wellbeing of the child or young person should be the key consideration. The guidance makes clear that the practice of “sending home” or “informal exclusion” is illegal and denies pupils and parents their rights. Following an incident where the decision is made that the child or young person cannot remain in school, for one of the reasons specified in regulation 4 of the Schools General (Scotland) Regulations 1975 as amended, this must be recorded as an exclusion. This will ensure transparency, allow for appropriate monitoring and enable support to be put in place through the education authority’s staged intervention system.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420087,"EventID":"S6W-27652","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:09.087","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T10:52:06.913","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to roll out the ASSIST system across Scotland. ","AnswerText":"As outlined in my response to S6W-27647 on 31 May 2024, and in my recent letter to Ms Gosal, I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss further alongside your policy paper which outlines this particular ask. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420088,"EventID":"S6W-27643","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:09.15","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T10:32:45.28","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on freight movements commencing or ending at (a) Craiginches Down and (b) Raith’s Farm, and what it is doing to increase the use of these facilities.","AnswerText":"The movement of freight is a commercial matter and the Scottish Government’s leadership in support for rail freight is outlined in our 2016 rail freight strategy, and put into practice with significant investment, a freight-first approach, and through our regulatory rail freight growth targets. The Scottish Government does not hold detailed information on day to day rail freight movements but is aware that for both sites there is currently no traffic. Network Rail remains engaged with the industry through the Scotland Freight Joint Board and works with Freight Operating Companies and Freight End Users to enable modal shift to rail.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420089,"EventID":"S6W-27653","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:09.213","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T10:52:32.697","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to introduce guidance to encourage (a) local authorities and (b) social housing providers to ensure that domestic abuse victims are prioritised for social housing. ","AnswerText":"As outlined in my response to S6W-27647 on 31 May 2024, and in my recent letter to Ms Gosal, I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss further alongside your policy paper which outlines this particular ask. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420090,"EventID":"S6W-27633","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16175,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":119,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:09.26","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-15T16:26:22.633","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work it is undertaking to ensure that any armed forces compensation is not included in means testing calculations in relation to Scottish social security benefits.","AnswerText":"None of the benefits delivered by Social Security Scotland are directly means tested although some rely on a reserved UK benefit, such as Universal Credit as a qualifying benefit. In practice this means that armed forces compensation generally does not directly affect Scottish Government social security benefits. It may affect Funeral Support Payment. If the compensation payment has been issued to the deceased person it may be treated as funds that can cover or help towards funeral costs. This is to ensure that support goes to those who need it most.\r\nScottish Government officials do engage with The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on a range of subjects and in October 2023 raised the issue of war pensions being treated as income for pension credit. This engagement was prompted by Poppyscotland’s Credit their Service campaign. DWP made clear they had no plans to change their current policy, and as this is an area reserved to the UK Government, the Scottish Government is unable to intervene on this issue any further.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420091,"EventID":"S6W-27649","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:09.32","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T10:50:32.823","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to expand the Ask for ANI scheme.","AnswerText":"As outlined in my response to S6W-27647 on 31 May 2024, and in my recent letter to Ms Gosal, I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss further alongside your policy paper which outlines this particular ask. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420092,"EventID":"S6W-27615","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:09.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-15T08:50:41.327","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported figures from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) stating that companies in China receive nine times more government support, such as subsidies and tax breaks, than their counterparts in OECD countries such as the UK, and what measures it will take to improve such support for companies in Scotland.","AnswerText":"Subsidies can make an invaluable contribution to businesses. However, if they are misused or overused, it can lead to undesirable outcomes. This is why Scottish Government subsidies are allocated in line with the Subsidy Control Act 2022. The OECD themselves highlight this in their analysis, Measuring Industrial Subsidies, from January 2024 as an important key message; “while subsidies can be helpful in addressing emergencies or market failures, they can also undermine fair competition and lead other countries to respond in kind, to the detriment of consumers, taxpayers and governments with fewer resources, and ultimately undermining public support for an integrated global economy”.\r\nIt is unhelpful to compare subsidies in the Scottish economy with that in China, which operates a post-communist, state-driven model which is very different than most other economies, with high levels of state intervention in the economy, and currently facing its own significant economic challenges, including high levels of debt in its state-owned enterprises. \r\nThe First Minister and I have been clear in our message to businesses in Scotland and potential investors; Scotland is open for business and open for investment and we will do everything we can to ensure that is the case.\r\nWe have allocated over £307 million to our enterprise agencies in 2024-25. Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and South of Scotland Enterprise have a key role to play in unlocking the full economic potential of their regions and providing support to businesses - through advice and information, investment and access to business premises. The Scottish National Investment Bank provides long-term investments for businesses, projects and communities, including both debt and equity, and on 20 May I announced a £5 million package of support measures for start-up tech businesses that will create conditions to encourage more investment into Scotland. These measures will form the next step in providing one of the most comprehensive government-backed support networks in Europe.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420093,"EventID":"S6W-27625","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:09.417","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-15T12:13:30.73","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-16260 by Jenny Gilruth on 17 April 2023, whether it will provide an update on how many schools are currently mothballed, broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not routinely collect data on mothballed schools in Scotland. The Scottish Government does collect data from local authorities in order to collate a list of schools regarded as rural for the purposes of the Schools (Consultation)(Scotland) Act 2010. The most recent rural schools list was published on 25 October 2021 -  Rural schools in Scotland - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  . The rural schools list includes those schools the relevant local authority has mothballed. The 2021 rural schools list shows that 21 schools were reported as being mothballed. The following table shows how many rural schools are mothballed by local authority area.\r\nLocal Authority\r\nNumber of schools reported as being mothballed\r\nAberdeenshire\r\n4\r\nArgyll & Bute\r\n2\r\nDumfries & Galloway\r\n1\r\nEilean Siar\r\n2\r\nFalkirk\r\n2\r\nFife\r\n1\r\nHighland\r\n4\r\nMoray\r\n1\r\nScottish Borders\r\n1\r\nShetland Islands\r\n2\r\nStirling\r\n1\r\n \r\nThe Scottish Government has published statutory guidance on the Schools (Consultation)(Scotland) Act 2010 -  Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010: guidance - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  - which sets out the Scottish Government’s expectations in relation to mothballing schools.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420094,"EventID":"S6W-27627","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:09.54","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-15T14:41:48.2","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will convene a conference, in conjunction with the Glasgow School of Art, to establish a national effort to restore the Mackintosh Building by 2030, in light of the reported delay of the project due to insurance arbitration.","AnswerText":"The Mackintosh Building is owned by The Glasgow School of Art, with responsibility for its own strategic and operational decision making. It has been a long standing principle that employers, building owners and managers are responsible for their own premises.\r\nThe Scottish Government and other public bodies will continue to engage closely with the Glasgow School of Art as it progresses its plans for a faithful reinstatement of the Mackintosh building.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420095,"EventID":"S6W-27644","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:09.587","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T10:32:45.28","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on (a) what the outcomes were of the Lifting the Spirit trial at Elgin in 2013 and (b) whether it was operationally successful, and what it did to build on that trial.","AnswerText":"The movement of freight is a commercial matter and the Scottish Government’s leadership in support for rail freight is outlined in our 2016 rail freight strategy, and put into practice with significant investment, a freight-first approach, and through our regulatory rail freight growth targets. The Lifting the Spirit Trial at Elgin in 2013 was led by regional transport partnership HITRANS, in partnership with the Scotch Whisky Association, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Moray Council and the EU Food Port. Their report is publicly available with lessons learnt. It is for the industry to lead on any follow up activities and Network Rail remains engaged with the industry through the Scotland Freight Joint Board and works with Freight Operating Companies and Freight End Users to enable modal shift to rail.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420096,"EventID":"S6W-27365","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:09.743","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-07T16:45:25.327","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of women for whom it would be clinically helpful to access a placental growth factor (PlGF) based test can currently do so, and what targets it has set to increase this proportion, in light of reports that the equivalent figure in England is currently 90%.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government expects all NHS Boards to ensure the  SHTG recommendations on PLGF-based testing  published on 23 March 2023 are implemented effectively and consistently. However, NHS Boards have reported that there are some capacity and infrastructure challenges to effectively implement their plans.\r\nThe Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care wrote to NHS Boards on 22 May, World Pre-Eclampsia day, to re-emphasize the importance of PLGF-based testing and to request an update on implementation plans within boards.\r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420097,"EventID":"S6W-27640","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:09.82","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T10:32:45.28","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it discontinued the Smarter Choices, Smarter Places programme, and what its position is on what any repercussions of that decision will be.","AnswerText":"The Smarter Choices, Smarter Places (SCSP) programme was a long-established cornerstone of the way the Scottish Government approached promoting the popular shift to more active and sustainable ways of making our everyday journeys.\r\nWith its origins in the 2006 National Transport Strategy commitment to test and explore “sustainable travel demonstration towns and villages, to reduce car use and promote cycling, walking, home zones, tele-working and pedestrianisation”, the SCSP programme was announced jointly by the Scottish Government and COSLA in early 2008. The term ‘smarter choices’ was itself coined in the title of an extensive “Smarter Choices – Changing the Way We Travel” report conducted by a group of academic experts and published by the UK Department for Transport in 2004.\r\nSeven pilot projects ran for three years from 2009 to 2012, and following their success, the programme was continued and then expanded nationally, being delivered on Transport Scotland’s behalf by ‘Scotland’s national walking charity’ Paths for All, from 2015. SCSP continued to adapt as time went on, and as of 2023, it consisted of three funding and support packages: The core 'Local Authority Fund' allocated on a per capita basis to councils, an 'Open Fund' launched in 2018 to support public and third sector community-level projects, and an 'Active Nation Fund' launched in 2023 to support larger more strategic multi-regional projects.\r\nPaths for All managed the funding bid, allocation, and monitoring and evaluation process across the entire programme, providing a wealth of expert help and advice to the beneficiaries of all three funds, and facilitating knowledge and best practice sharing nationally through an SCSP Network. I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to Paths for All and all of the staff who have worked on the SCSP programme since it's inception and to this day, for their passion, dedication, and hard work in the service of a more sustainable Scotland.\r\nSome twenty years on from the publication of the original 'Smarter Choices' report, and after nearly ten years of Path for All's stewardship of SCSP as a national programme, we continue to adapt with the times. This year marks the start of a new chapter in the way we seek to achieve these outcomes. The stark reality is that despite the stalwart efforts and proven individual successes of SCSP projects, and the many other active and sustainable travel initiatives that we have supported, the national level figures across walking, wheeling, and cycling for the last decade and beyond have remained stubbornly consistent.\r\nMeanwhile, this government's ambition for active travel has never been greater, nor our acknowledgement of the vital role it has to play in keeping us physically fit and mentally happy, with cleaner air and safer streets for everyone. Not to mention, of course, helping tackle the climate emergency for the sake of our children. And knowing the social and economic dividends that these outcomes deliver, we have concentrated our efforts: Investment in active travel infrastructure and promotion stands at record levels, over five times the amount this year than it was in 2012.\r\nIn this context, we require a new model of programme delivery that can take this level of ambition and transform it into the change that people want and expect to see. That's why we took the decision, as difficult as it may have been for such a well-established programme, to discontinue SCSP, as part of a much larger transformation of active travel delivery across both infrastructure and behaviour change.\r\nOur new ‘Active Travel People and Place’ programme is a fresh approach whereby budget which was previously grant funded from the centre of government directly to national third sector delivery partners, has instead been entrusted to Scotland's seven Regional Transport Partnerships (RTPs). RTPs have in turn worked with their respective local authorities to design their own tailored programmes of ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420098,"EventID":"S6W-27645","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:09.867","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T10:32:45.28","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the trial in 2020 of bringing timber out of Caithness by rail has not been meaningfully followed up, in light of it reportedly being successful.","AnswerText":"The movement of freight is a commercial matter and the Scottish Government’s leadership in support for rail freight is outlined in our 2016 rail freight strategy, and put into practice with significant investment, a freight-first approach, and through our regulatory rail freight growth targets. The 2020 timber by rail trial in the Far North of Scotland proved the concept and provided lessons for the industry on the Scottish timber market, rolling stock/wagon capability and availability, operational considerations and the finances/economics of moving timber by rail. It is for the industry to lead on any follow up activities and Network Rail remains engaged with the industry through the Scotland Freight Joint Board and works with Freight Operating Companies and Freight End Users to enable modal shift to rail.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420099,"EventID":"S6W-27586","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:10.117","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T16:13:07.04","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26769 by Jim Fairlie on 29 April 2024, whether it will reallocate the remaining £473.1 million of the £500 million originally allocated to the Bus Partnership Fund, and, if so, when.","AnswerText":"Budget is allocated on an annual basis, therefore the £500m long term investment in bus priority infrastructure was not allocated in one budget to the Bus Partnership Fund.\r\nCapital budget is allocated to the Scottish Government as a total and then set against agreed priorities as part of the budget process on an annual basis. Future funding availability will be considered as part of annual budget setting processes and prioritisation exercises.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420100,"EventID":"S6W-27655","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:10.26","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T10:53:21.577","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to increase the maximum amount that a victim of domestic abuse can receive through the Fund to Leave scheme. ","AnswerText":"As outlined in my response to S6W-27647 on 31 May 2024, and in my recent letter to Ms Gosal, I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss further alongside your policy paper which outlines this particular ask. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420101,"EventID":"S6W-27658","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:10.337","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T11:20:47.78","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27231 by Angela Constance on 13 May 2024, whether it will provide the information requested regarding whether it has sought from (a) the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and (b) Police Scotland a full list of criminal offences that can be disposed of by way of a Recorded Police Warning, and for what reason it did not provide this information in its answer.","AnswerText":"The Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 stipulates that the Chief Constable of Police Scotland is responsible for the policing of Scotland and is accountable to the Scottish Police Authority for this, rather than to Scottish Ministers directly.\r\nDecisions about when to issue Recorded Police Warning’s (RPWs) are an independent operational matter for Police Scotland and the offence types covered by Recorded Police Warnings (RPWs) are a matter for the Lord Advocate as part of her independent role as head of Scotland’s system of prosecution.  Police Scotland's Direct Measures Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)  sets out a standard and instruction where an officer dealing with an incident may issue a RPW, where he or she has reason to believe that the person has committed one of the relevant offences and meets the necessary criteria.\r\nAs such, the Scottish Government has not sought a full list of criminal offences that can be disposed of by way of a RPW from (a) the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service or (b) Police Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420102,"EventID":"S6W-27622","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:10.617","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-15T11:52:39.897","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what medical advice it had received, regarding any risks of blood clots, prior to its decision to suspend the use of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for under-30s in April 2021. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government’s decision-making throughout all COVID-19 vaccination programmes has been guided by the expert clinical advice of both the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).\r\nScotland has three representatives that attend the JCVI, including its COVID-19 committee and subcommittee; one co-opted member, an invited observer from Scottish Government and another invited observer from Public Health Scotland.\r\nThe MHRA’s pharmacovigilance process, alongside wider global data, identified reports of extremely rare adverse events of concurrent thrombosis and thrombocytopenia following vaccination with the first dose of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.\r\nAs reports of extremely rare adverse event of concurrent thrombosis (blood clots) and thrombocytopenia (low platelet count) following vaccination with the first dose of the AstraZeneca (AZ) COVID-19 vaccine emerged in spring 2021, both the MHRA and the JCVI met to assess the data and the relative balance of benefits and risks.\r\nThe minutes from the JCVI COVID-19 Committee on  16 March 2021  and  18 March 2021  show that there was discussion of the topic and that the MHRA was working with international and European colleagues to share data and assess the risk.\r\nThe JCVI met again on the  6 April  and on  7 April  and published advice for the four UK health departments recommending that for adults aged under 30 years of age, without underlying health conditions that put them at higher risk of severe COVID-19 disease, there should be a preference for an alternative to the AstraZeneca vaccine, if available.\r\nThe following day on 8 April, Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer (CMO) issued a letter to the Scottish system stating the changes in the use of AstraZeneca vaccine and advising that Health Boards should now offer those under 30 years of age, without underlying health conditions, an alternative to the AstraZeneca vaccine. We also amended our patient information leaflets to reflect this new advice.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420103,"EventID":"S6W-27628","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:10.837","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-15T15:18:12.337","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the roll-out of the Caledonian System to all local authority areas.","AnswerText":"There are 20 local authority areas that currently deliver the Caledonian System, with the most recent area, West Dunbartonshire, starting delivery in 2023-24.\r\nThe Scottish Government announced additional investment of £11.4 million for justice social work services for 2024-25 to help build capacity, strengthen and improve services, existing and new, and to support local prioritisation aimed at reducing reoffending.\r\nThe Scottish Government wrote to the 12 Local Authorities who currently do not deliver the Caledonian System seeking views on whether in light of the additional sums provided they want to consider roll out of the Caledonian System in their area and wished to access central training and support.\r\nAll 12 areas have now responded. The majority of Local Authorities advised that their additional funding was being used for other areas that they considered to be of priority and they would not wish to consider roll out of the Caledonian system at this time. Several areas did note potential interest and will shortly meet the Caledonian National Team in Community Justice Scotland (CJS) to discuss the potential for any further roll out.\r\nWe were also made aware that some local authority areas have committed themselves to delivering alternative domestic abuse programmes and therefore have advised that they would not wish to change delivery to the Caledonian System at this time.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420104,"EventID":"S6W-27620","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:10.9","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-15T10:32:59.653","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will expedite protection of the Gairloch Erradale area of sea, in light of reports of the local community's discovery of a herring egg-laying site.","AnswerText":"Protecting our marine environment is vital for both the viability of our marine industries and to halt the loss of biodiversity. Marine protected areas remain a high priority for the Scottish Government and we are putting in place the remaining fisheries management measures required to protect those and other key biodviersity areas. The area where herring spawning recently occurred near Gairloch is mostly within the proposed Port Erradale Priority Marine Feature management area and where bottom contacting mobile fishing gear would be prohibited. Therefore, in light of advice which we have actively sought on the matter from NatureScot, we are prioritising bringing in protection for these priority marine features, as part of the wider package of fisheries management measures for inshore MPAs.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420105,"EventID":"S6W-27621","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5596,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":151,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:10.963","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-15T11:16:49.98","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to reform legislation on adults with incapacity, as recommended by the Scottish mental health law review.","AnswerText":"In our response to the Scottish Mental Health Law Review, published in June 2023, we committed to establishing a Mental Health and Capacity Reform Programme. We are due to publish the first Delivery Plan under this Programme shortly. Our main priority for early law reform centres on the updating of the Adults with Incapacity Act. Work has already begun to consider options for addressing long-standing gaps in Adults with Incapacity law, to ensure stronger rights, protections and safeguards.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420106,"EventID":"S6W-27629","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:11.01","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-15T15:19:00.693","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has allocated to local authorities to administer the Caledonian System in each financial year since it was launched.","AnswerText":"Caledonian Service funding to local authorities is paid through the Section 27 funding for Justice Services (the Men’s Programme) with additional monies for the Women and Children’s Service paid out under separate funding powers.\r\nThe following table shows Section 27 funding in previous years:\r\nYear\r\nMen’s Programme\r\n(Section 27 Funding)\r\n2010-2011\r\n£1,156,674.00\r\n2011-2012\r\n£1,288,359.00\r\n2012-2013\r\n£1,288,359.00\r\n2013-2014\r\n£1,288,359.00\r\n2014-2015\r\n£1,288,359.00\r\n2015-2016\r\n£1,288,359.00\r\n2016-2017\r\n£1,288,359.00\r\n2017-2018\r\n£1,288,359.00\r\n2018-2019\r\n£1,899,074.00\r\n2019-2020\r\n£2,557,546.00\r\n2020-2021\r\n£2,557,547.00\r\n2021-2022\r\n£2,557,547.00\r\n2022-2023\r\n£2,557,547.00\r\n2023-2024\r\n£2,557,547.00\r\n2024-2025\r\n£2,557,547.00\r\nFunding is also provided to Community Justice Scotland in support of the Caledonian Central Team for training delivered to Caledonian workers to ensure the programme is delivered to accredited standards.\r\nFunding for the women and children’s work is additional to the S27 support, and is paid out under separate grant powers (and is paid to local authorities and third sector providers). The total spend for the Caledonian System for 2023-24, (men, woman and children) was £4,467,666.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420107,"EventID":"S6W-27637","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:11.07","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-15T17:22:27.937","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered introducing a target for the number of people accessing the teaching bursary scheme.","AnswerText":"Every year, the Scottish Government clearly sets out how many bursaries are available. Arrangements for the 2024-25 bursary scheme are currently under consideration by the Teaching Bursary advisory group and will be publicised shortly.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420108,"EventID":"S6W-27634","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:11.227","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-15T16:39:28.36","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there is currently a shortage of Humalog insulin medications in Scotland, and what information it holds on whether any patients who require Humalog insulin have been (a) told to reduce their dosage and (b) denied this medication.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is aware that there is currently a supply issue with the medicine Humalog ® (insulin lispro) 100units/mL 10mL vials, used for the treatment of diabetes mellitus who require insulin for the maintenance of normal glucose homeostasis. At present, it is anticipated that supplies of Humalog ® (insulin lispro) 100units/mL 10mL vials will stabilise by the end of May 2024. Scottish Government officials will continue to monitor the situation for any further developments and any people affected should discuss alternative treatments with their doctor in the first instance.\r\nThe Scottish Government issued a Medicine Supply Alert Notice (MSAN) on 13 May 2024 which provides advice for healthcare professionals on alternative treatment options for patients prescribed Humalog ® (insulin lispro) 100units/mL 10mL vials. \r\nThe Scottish Government does not hold data on who is prescribed and/or unable to obtain Humalog ® (insulin lispro) 100units/mL 10mL vials. ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420109,"EventID":"S6W-27619","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:11.273","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-15T10:11:41.127","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it first became aware of any dangers of aging reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC). ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to question S6W-20958 on 3 October 2023 . All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420110,"EventID":"S6W-27641","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:11.337","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T10:32:45.28","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it ceased the Mode Shift Revenue Support scheme.","AnswerText":"In light of the budget settlement for 2024-2025, and the financial pressures being faced across the Scottish Government, the Mode Shift Revenue Support scheme in Scotland has been temporarily suspended to allow resources to be targeted at priority areas .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420111,"EventID":"S6W-27618","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:11.4","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-15T09:10:10.817","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the assessment of the National Autistic Society Scotland that \"while there are instances when part-time timetables could be beneficial, we know they are being used as a ‘sticking plaster’ for existing inadequacies in ASN provision\".","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all children and young people get the support they need to reach their full learning potential, including those with autism.\r\nIt is for local authorities to determine the most appropriate educational provision for pupils, taking into account both their legal responsibilities and the individual circumstances and wishes of children, young people, and their families.\r\nThe decision to adopt part-time learning should be taken in agreement with the school and the local authority and should also take into account the circumstances of the individual learner including existing planning arrangements in place for the child or young person.\r\nThe Scottish Government continues to work in partnership with Education Scotland and a range of stakeholders to improve professional understanding of, and support for autistic learners in all settings.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420112,"EventID":"S6W-27650","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:11.447","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T10:50:53.817","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve access to domestic abuse services for underrepresented groups. ","AnswerText":"As outlined in my response to S6W-27647 on 31 May 2024, and in my recent letter to Ms Gosal, I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss further alongside your policy paper which outlines this particular ask. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420113,"EventID":"S6W-27651","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:11.667","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T10:51:14.93","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to deliver a dedicated women’s officer for every local authority.","AnswerText":"As outlined in my response to S6W-27647 on 31 May 2024, and in my recent letter to Ms Gosal, I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss further alongside your policy paper which outlines this particular ask. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420114,"EventID":"S6W-27648","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:11.727","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T10:50:11.837","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to classify violence against women as a \"national threat\".","AnswerText":"As outlined in my response to S6W-27647 on 31 May 2024, and in my recent letter to Ms Gosal, I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss further alongside your policy paper which outlines this particular ask. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420115,"EventID":"S6W-27632","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16175,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":119,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:11.79","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-15T16:25:17.613","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to Poppyscotland’s Credit their Service campaign.","AnswerText":"We welcomed Poppyscotland’s Credit Their Service campaign last summer and acknowledge the two primary areas of concern highlighted in it. The first of these, Pension Credits, is reserved to the UK Government and the Scottish Government is therefore unable to intervene on this issue. However, we are in regular discussions with the UK Government on a range of related topics and have made them aware of the issues raised by Poppyscotland. We understand that officials from The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) met with Royal British Legion, Poppyscotland's sister organisation to discuss this.\r\nThe benefits administered by Local Authorities that are referenced by the campaign are Council Tax Support, Discretionary Housing Payment and the Scottish Welfare Fund. The Scottish Government recently published an Action Plan outlining improvements to the Scottish Welfare Fund which will be delivered in partnership with Local Authorities. Officials are working to update the statutory guidance and improve the Fund’s administration, accessibility and experience.\r\nDiscretionary Housing Payment (DHP) as a Local Authority benefit is administered by Local Authorities, who consider the circumstances of each individual case when dealing with applications. However, to receive DHP, an individual must be in receipt of either the housing element of Universal Credit or Housing Benefit. As both of these remain reserved to the UK Government, neither the Scottish Government nor Local Authorities have any powers over how they are administered.\r\nWith regards to Council Tax support, the Council Tax Reduction Regulations already instruct that Armed Forces independence payments should be fully disregarded as income in the calculation of council tax reduction in both the pension age and working age schemes. Therefore, all Local Authorities should disregard these payments as income in relation to applications for Council Tax reduction. The Scottish Government continues to keep the Council Tax Reduction regulations under review.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420116,"EventID":"S6W-27647","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:11.853","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T10:49:44.757","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to create a violence against women unit.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government absolutely recognises the serious damage which violence against woman and girls causes to individuals and society, as evidenced through the aims of our Equally Safe Strategy and its delivery mechanisms.\r\nAs I have outlined in my recent letter to Ms Gosal, I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss this area alongside your policy paper which outlines this particular ask in the context of Police Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420117,"EventID":"S6W-27525","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:11.947","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T15:01:33.33","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many tonnes of peat were damaged by the landslide at the Viking Wind Farm site in Shetland on 7 May 2024. ","AnswerText":"SSEN have shared with the Scottish Government that they estimate that a volume of approximately 1700 cubic metres of peat has been disturbed. SSEN have suggested that the loss was generally the surface layer of peat in the area. SSEN have confirmed to the Scottish Government that they are working with key stakeholders and environmental specialists to put in place a plan for safe restoration and reinstatement.\r\nSSEN have informed the Scottish Government that the landslide is not connected to the construction of the Viking Wind Farm but took place at SSEN Transmission’s Kergord Substation, which is currently under construction. We understand that there is no impact to the nearby Viking Wind Farm or the Shetland HVDC link.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420118,"EventID":"S6W-27638","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:12.01","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T09:47:47.347","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27130 by Maree Todd on 15 May 2024, when it expects a final decision to be taken on funding for Breathing Space in 2024-25.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the importance of confirming funding allocations to partners as early as possible. We are working closely with NHS 24 to agree funding requirements for their mental health services in 2024-25, including for Breathing Space, and will confirm funding thereafter.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420119,"EventID":"S6W-27612","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:12.057","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T23:24:59.103","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has consulted local authorities on the new regulations in the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Amendment Order 2024 and the prior approval mechanism that it sets out. ","AnswerText":"Phase 3 of the Review of Permitted Development Rights (PDR) has focussed on new and extended PDR for domestic and non-domestic renewable energy equipment to help address the climate and cost crises. A public consultation setting out proposed changes, including details on prior notification/prior approval arrangements, ran between May and August 2023 and several local authorities responded. ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420120,"EventID":"S6W-27630","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:12.103","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-15T15:19:30.033","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how many people participating in the Caledonian System have reoffended in each financial year since it was launched.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government assess the effectiveness of the Caledonian System through accreditation and evaluation.\r\nThe Caledonian System is delivered to accredited standards and accreditation gives confidence that a programme is designed based on the best available evidence, monitored to make sure it is delivered as intended and evaluated to show the outcomes.\r\nThe Scottish Advisory Panel on Offending Reduction (SAPOR) reaccredited the Caledonian System in December 2022 for a further five years. In re-accrediting SAPOR recognised the limitations in data collection for the purposes of evaluation, as a result of disruption to services due to Covid.\r\nWork is underway to improve data collection across the programme, including in what can be said about reconviction rates. Data on reoffending rates for those going through the programme every year since it was launched are not centrally held.\r\nIt should be noted that reconviction rates are not necessarily a reliable indicator of programme efficacy as the women being supported are encouraged to recognise abuse, so increased reporting of incidents by women (considered a positive outcome) could drive increased reoffending or reconviction rates. ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420121,"EventID":"S6W-27654","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:12.227","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T10:52:47.467","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to expand the Fund to Leave scheme across Scotland.","AnswerText":"As outlined in my response to S6W-27647 on 31 May 2024, and in my recent letter to Ms Gosal, I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss further alongside your policy paper which outlines this particular ask.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420122,"EventID":"S6W-27636","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:12.337","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-15T17:22:27.937","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has set a target for the number of people accessing its teaching bursary scheme.","AnswerText":"Whilst we do not set a public target per set, the numbers of available bursaries are published each year.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420123,"EventID":"S6W-27646","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-16T16:39:12.4","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T10:32:45.28","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it provides freight facilities grants for rail freight and coastal shipping terminals but not for wagons.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the importance of modal shift to help achieve transport emission reduction targets. The Freight Facilities Grant scheme is designed to provide assistance to companies who wish to move freight by rail or water instead of by road. The scheme required State Aid clearance and under the terms of the approval rail and water haulage equipment, including rail wagons, was prohibited from support.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420139,"EventID":"S6W-27697","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":3901,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":127,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-17T10:02:37.643","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-17T09:58:42.973","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to respond to the final report of the UK-wide Infected Blood Inquiry, which was published on 20 May 2024.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government welcomes publication of the Infected Blood Inquiry’s final report and thanks the Chair for his work in producing such a comprehensive document. The Scottish Government pays tribute to all those who have been infected, their families and support organisations and reiterates our sincere apology to those who have been infected or affected by NHS blood or blood products. A copy of the Inquiry’s final report is available online at  www.infectedbloodinquiry.org.uk/reports/inquiry-report  .\r\nThe Scottish Government will consider this report fully and is setting up an Oversight Group to help consider the Inquiry’s recommendations for Scotland. That group will involve senior staff from NHS Boards and the Scottish Government, along with charities representing the infected and affected.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420140,"EventID":"S6W-27670","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-17T16:29:42.537","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T12:20:12.743","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Plugged-in Communities Grant Fund will reopen for applications in 2024-25.","AnswerText":"Since its launch, the Plugged-in Communities grant fund has supported 38 community transport organisations across Scotland make the switch to zero emission vehicles, providing over £3.5 million of funding allowing these organisations to procure 53 zero emission vehicles. These vehicles play a key role in their local communities by providing mobility, contributing to improved air quality and reducing polluting greenhouse gas emissions in the communities they serve.\r\nThese are unprecedented times with significant pressure on financial resources and difficult decisions had to be taken when setting the 2024-25 Scottish Budget. Given these constraints, Transport Scotland officials are currently considering future levels of funding for the Plugged-In Communities scheme, with no final decision yet made. Eligible community transport organisations can continue to register their interest on the EST website to receive further information.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420141,"EventID":"S6W-27663","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-17T16:29:42.863","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T11:33:30.393","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the ScotRail rolling stock procurement plan is paused; whether procurement of new railway rolling stock is on track to deliver on the decarbonisation action plan, and whether diesel-powered passenger trains will be removed from the ScotRail network by 2035 as planned.","AnswerText":"The ScotRail rolling stock procurement plan has not been paused.\r\nThe Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan, which was published in July 2020 is currently being refreshed which will include consideration of the timescales for removal of ScotRail diesel stock.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420142,"EventID":"S6W-27660","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-17T16:29:43.067","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T11:33:30.393","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether an order for new ScotRail electric and battery electric multiple units (EMUs and BEMUs) was placed in 2023 as envisaged in the ScotRail fleet replacement plan.","AnswerText":"No orders were placed in 2023 for a new fleet of Suburban electric and battery multiple units.\r\nPlans for the procurement of a new fleet of EMU and BEMU Suburban trains are ongoing.\r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420143,"EventID":"S6W-27424","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-17T16:29:43.19","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T15:22:12.003","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures it has put in place to monitor the implementation of the new repairing standards in relation to fire and electrical safety, and, if it is the case that this is the responsibility of local authorities, what requirements exist for local authorities to report their findings to the Scottish Government.","AnswerText":"Private residential landlords in Scotland are required to register with their local authority under Part 8 of the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland Act) 2004 and pass the fit and proper person test. One of the considerations in the fit and proper person test is whether the applicant has contravened any provision of housing law. Landlords have a duty to ensure that property they let meets the Repairing Standard and Tolerable Standard at the start and at all times during a tenancy. \r\nResponsibility for enforcement of the Repairing Standard lies with the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber). Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service staff carry out the administration of that tribunal.\r\nThe First Tier Tribunal will notify the relevant local authority when an application for a determination on the repairing standard is received. It is the responsibility of the local authority to investigate and take any necessary action where standards are not being met.\r\nEnforcement arrangements for all elements of the Repairing Standard are set out in the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006.\r\nThere are no new requirements for fire safety in the Repairing Standard.\r\nThere are currently no requirements for local authorities to report to Scottish Government on the Repairing Standard.\r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420144,"EventID":"S6W-27425","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-17T16:29:43.393","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T15:33:42.693","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to any reports that it has received regarding the implementation of the new repairing standards on fire and electrical safety, whether it has been made aware of any adverse personal and/or professional circumstances that have resulted from the new standards.","AnswerText":"In the course of correspondence that the Scottish Government receives from the public and professional bodies on a range of matters, a few of those correspondence has highlighted the challenges of meeting some of the obligations that have come into effect from March 2024. Scottish Government officials are in contact where that is the case to explain the obligations and provide further clarification as may be required. \r\nThere are no new Repairing Standard requirements on fire safety. \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420145,"EventID":"S6W-27430","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-17T16:29:43.487","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T15:47:12.053","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the recording of non-crime hate incidents under the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 could have a material effect on an individual's employment or otherwise personal circumstances. ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27429 on 4 June 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420146,"EventID":"S6W-27678","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-17T16:29:43.677","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T13:20:36.523","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has been the subject of any civil action in Scottish courts by a person in relation to them having a non-crime hate incident recorded against them; if so, how many such cases are currently in process, and how many cases that have concluded resulted in a ruling in favour of the person bringing the action.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not been the subject of any civil action in Scottish courts by a person in relation to them having a non-crime hate incident recorded against them.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420147,"EventID":"S6W-27671","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-17T16:29:43.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T12:46:28.92","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the commitment in the Fair Fares Review to develop policy to consider the best way to provide free bus travel to people seeking asylum, including delivery of the one-year £2 million funding commitment for 2024-25 that was announced in October 2023. ","AnswerText":"A national pilot scheme is being developed for people seeking asylum not already eligible for free bus travel through the existing National Concessionary Travel Schemes.\r\nThis scheme will build on learning from local and regional pilots that have delivered free bus travel to people seeking asylum over recent years and will provide evidence on nationwide delivery, costs and demand.\r\nA Working Group has been established with representatives from Transport Scotland, Third Sector organisations and those with lived experience of the asylum system. Work is progressing to establish what is affordable and practical for delivery during 2024-25 within the £2 million budget allocated.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420148,"EventID":"S6W-27667","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-17T16:29:44.003","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T11:46:29.573","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering adopting the European Train Control System (ETCS) on Scotland's Railway, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government High Level Output Specification for Network Rail required Network Rail to develop a Scottish signalling strategy. This work considered the costs and benefits of ETCS carefully, but did not recommend immediate adoption in Scotland.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420149,"EventID":"S6W-27429","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-17T16:29:44.16","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T15:39:24.58","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the third supplementary to question S6O-03335 by Angela Constance on 24 April 2024, whether it can confirm if any non-crime hate incidents recorded by Police Scotland under the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 will appear in any (a) disclosure and barring service check, (b) security clearance check, including a developed vetting check and (c) database check by (i) a serving officer or civil employee of Police Scotland and (ii) an employee of Disclosure Scotland, including an informal inquiry carried out with regard to current or potential employment.","AnswerText":"In the  Interim guidance published for officers on the recording of Non-Crime Hate Incidents - Police Scotland  published by Police Scotland on 9 May 2024, it explains that the alleged perpetrator would usually be recorded as the ‘other party’ (unless in exceptional circumstances where there is real risk of harm or future criminal offence). When asked at the Scottish Police Authority Board Meeting on Thursday 23 May 2024 if detail on the ‘other party’ would appear on a Disclosure check, Deputy Chief Constable Alan Spiers provided reassurance that it would not.\r\nIn rare cases, Disclosure Scotland may receive other relevant information (ORI) from relevant police forces (including forces in England, Wales and Northern Ireland) when someone applies to join the PVG scheme, the ongoing monitoring of scheme members, or for an enhanced disclosure check.\r\nORI is used across the UK, with the UK Government having their own guidance to the police for the handling and processing of non-crime hate incidents in relation to disclosure checks. ORI about the applicant or scheme member can only be provided where the chief officer of a relevant police force reasonably believes it is relevant for the specific purpose of the disclosure and ought to be included on the disclosure certificate. The inclusion of any information Scottish police may hold on an individual is a decision for Police Scotland to make with regard to the statutory Guidance for the Chief Constable of Police Scotland.\r\nDisclosure Scotland staff do not have access to the database on which non-crime hate incidents are recorded.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420150,"EventID":"S6W-27631","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-17T16:29:44.287","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-15T16:15:58.283","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the performance of Scottish goods exports since 2019, in light of reports of other OECD countries' goods exports having grown by an average of 23% in this time. ","AnswerText":"His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) release accredited official statistics estimating the value of the UK's regional trade in goods, covering both exports and imports. These can be accessed at the following address:  uktradeinfo.com/trade-data/regional/  . These statistics include estimates for Scotland and are updated on a quarterly basis.\r\nThe Scottish Government provides further analysis of this data which is available on the Scottish Government website:  Total trade in goods - Scotland's International Goods Trade: Quarter 3 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) \r\nThe latest report available to date is for quarter three in 2023. This shows that, when looking at the total export value of goods in the year ending quarter three 2023 compared to the year ending quarter three 2019, Scotland's goods exports have increased by 2.1% to £35.1 billion. When looking at Scotland's onshore economy (excluding oil and gas), goods exports have risen by 17.3% over this period, to £23.7 billion.\r\nThe Scottish Government also produces estimates of exports which include both goods and services in the accredited official statistics publication Export Statistics Scotland (ESS),  Exports statistics Scotland 2021 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  . The latest statistics currently available in this release are for calendar year 2021. These statistics show that the value of Scotland's international exports was 11.5% lower in calendar year 2021 compared to calendar year 2019, at £31.3 billion (excluding oil and gas).\r\nDifferences between these sources of export estimates are described in the Export Statistics Scotland Methodology,  Other sources of trade data - Export Statistics Scotland: methodology - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  . It is important to note that none of the data sources mentioned above account for the effect of inflation on estimates of the value of exports.\r\nOver the period referenced, Scotland's export performance has been significantly impacted by the shocks of Covid-19, the detrimental impact of existing the EU and the subsequent trade deals, of which negotiations are not devolved. In fact, our analysis shows that in 2019 Scottish exports were growing consistently in all directions - to the rest of the UK, the EU and the rest of the world, and we have clear evidence that is no longer the case, with Brexit resulting in Scotland’s trade in goods to the EU being 12% lower in 2021, the first year of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation agreement.\r\nThe Scottish Government remains committed to supporting exporters and continues to work with its enterprise agencies to deliver A Trading Nation, our export growth plan. Trade results produced by Scottish Development International, one of our main delivery agencies, showed that the support it provided to companies across Scotland in Financial Year 2022-23 will result in £1.73 billion of planned international sales over the next three years – a 20% increase compared to Financial Year 2021-22. This trade support enabled Scottish firms to enter 301 new markets, with a focus on the United States, Germany, Singapore and the UAE. As part of this, 335 new products and services left Scotland for these markets in that year.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420151,"EventID":"S6W-27432","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-17T16:29:44.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T15:59:38.003","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what data destruction methods and processes Police Scotland would employ to delete any recorded non-crime hate incident where it had been found not to have met the threshold for being so recorded.","AnswerText":"Methods and processes with respect to handling of data on non-crime hate incidents recorded by Police Scotland, is an operational matter for Police Scotland.\r\nYou may wish to contact Police Scotland directly regarding any questions you have in relation to these procedures.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420152,"EventID":"S6W-27433","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-17T16:29:44.537","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T16:03:02.297","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether (a) it and (b) Police Scotland could be liable for any material effect to a Scottish resident's circumstances if it was found that any negligence or malice on the part of a public servant had led to public knowledge of a recorded non-crime hate incident.","AnswerText":"Any investigation into whether there has been any material effect to a Scottish resident’s circumstances due to alleged negligence or malice on the part of a public servant leading to public knowledge of a recorded non-crime hate incident, and related issues of potential liability, would be dealt with on a case by case basis.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420153,"EventID":"S6W-27669","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-17T16:29:44.723","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T12:18:07.27","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, following the closure of Torness nuclear power station, which is currently projected to be in 2028, what proportion of the energy that households in the Lothian region will draw from the grid it estimates will be generated by nuclear power stations in the rest of the UK.","AnswerText":"The proportion of electricity consumed by households that will be generated by nuclear power stations in the rest of the UK is not possible to predict with any level of certainty in 2028. It will depend on a range of market factors.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420154,"EventID":"S6W-27662","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-17T16:29:44.817","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T11:33:30.393","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current size of the ScotRail Class 43 fleet is; how many are required to be operational on a normal working day; how many are operational on average on any given day; how any shortfalls are covered; whether diesel multiple units (DMUs) are substituted in from other services, and what impact such action has on those other scheduled services.","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for ScotRail. The member may wish to contact ScotRail directly.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420155,"EventID":"S6W-27665","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-17T16:29:44.927","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T11:35:24.043","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it differentiates between a \"hate crime advisor\" and a \"hate crime champion\", and whether people who are designated as such (a) are all sworn constables and (b) have formal legal training.","AnswerText":"The designation of a Hate Crime Advisor and Hate Crime Champion is an operational decision for Police Scotland, and the Scottish Government does not hold this information.\r\nYou may wish to contact Police Scotland directly regarding any questions you have in relation to these procedures.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420156,"EventID":"S6W-27431","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-17T16:29:45.223","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T15:53:10.69","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recently published Police Scotland interim guidance on the recording of non-crime hate incidents (NCHIs), whether any process, such as arbitration, exists that would allow a person to appeal a decision that an incident has met the threshold for being recorded as a NCHI, or whether a person’s only recourse would be to pursue a civil action in order to seek to have the NCHI expunged from the record.","AnswerText":"The recording of non-crime hate incidents (NCHIs) is an operational matter for Police Scotland. This preserves the operational independence of Scotland’s criminal justice system and keeps it free from political interference.\r\nYou may wish to contact Police Scotland directly regarding any questions you have in relation to these procedures.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420157,"EventID":"S6W-27661","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-17T16:29:45.317","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T11:33:30.393","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Aberdeen Route Upgrade contractors framework agreements have been awarded, and, if not, for what reason, and when they will be.","AnswerText":"No contractor has yet been appointed for the Aberdeen – Central Belt Service Improvement Project as the project is still in the design stage. The programme for implementation, and therefore contracting, of the scheme remains under consideration. I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26336 on 11 April 2024.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420158,"EventID":"S6W-27659","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-17T16:29:45.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T11:22:22.653","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what reporting requirements Police Scotland has to the Scottish Government or other publicly funded bodies regarding the rate and nature of non-crime hate incidents.","AnswerText":"There are no reporting requirements on the rate and nature of non-crime hate incidents from Police Scotland to the Scottish Government. The Scottish Government is not aware of reporting requirements to any other public body.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420159,"EventID":"S6W-27666","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-17T16:29:45.8","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T11:39:45.473","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it (a) requires and (b) conducts formal security clearances for anyone designated as a (i) \"hate crime advisor\" and (ii) \"hate crime champion\", as set out in the document, Interim Guidance - Responding to Hate.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to S6W-27665, 4 June 2024, the designation of Hate Crime Advisors and Hate Crime Champions is an operational matter for Police Scotland. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420160,"EventID":"S6W-27668","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-17T16:29:45.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T12:17:12.47","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the role of new on-street electric vehicle (EV) charging technology, particularly the use of cross-pavement cable gullies for EV charging cables, in expanding the number of EV charge points and infrastructure in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The installation of cross-pavement solutions for on-street Electric Vehicle charging has the potential to provide those without off-street parking access to more affordable domestic tariffs, whilst reducing trip hazards posed by loosely trailed cables. The market for cross-pavement charging solutions is at a relatively early stage, however, there are already a variety of solutions that have been trialled by local authorities across the UK, including in local authorities in Scotland. The decision to allow or reject the installation of a cross-pavement solutions on the public highway ultimately rests with local authorities and cross-pavement charging solutions may not be the suitable in all circumstances. Transport Scotland is working closely with the Scottish Road Works Commissioner and Scottish local authorities to better understand the issue and how best to support local authorities as the market develops with actions incorporated within the Vision Implementation Plan.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420161,"EventID":"S6W-27500","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-17T16:29:46.02","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T11:26:51.04","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the Gaza Families Reunited campaign following the letter that the former Minister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees sent to the UK Government Minister for Legal Migration on 12 April 2024, and whether it has any plans to convene a working group of stakeholders who are involved in the campaign in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government supports the Gaza Families Reunited campaign’s calls for the UK Government to create a scheme to allow Palestinians in the UK to bring family members trapped in Gaza to a place of safety in the UK.\r\nThe former Minister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees met with members from the campaign on 26 March and campaign representatives were subsequently invited to a roundtable discussion with the former First Minister on 17 April.\r\nFollowing these meetings, Scottish Government officials are in discussions with Scottish Refugee Council to develop a proposal for a stakeholder working group and will continue to engage with campaign members to ensure this meets their priorities.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420187,"EventID":"S6W-27725","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":4940,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":81,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-20T12:32:31.533","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T12:26:43.33","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Registrar General for Scotland will publish the next results from the 2022 Census, and what topics will be included.","AnswerText":"I have asked Janet Egdell, Chief Executive of National Records of Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:\r\nNational Records of Scotland have today published: “  Scotland’s Census 2022: Ethnic group, national identity, language and religion  ”.\r\nThe publication includes unrounded population estimates and the first set of topic data from the 2022 census. Topic data includes census tables for the following variables:Ethnic groupNational identityCountry of birthReligionPassports heldMain languageGaelic language skillsScots language skillsEnglish language skillsBritish Sign Language\r\nTopic variables are broken down by age and sex. Where possible, data will be published at the lowest geographic level possible following assessment of disclosure protection.\r\nScotland’s Census results are designated as National Statistics and form an integral part of the statistical system in the UK. The Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR), the independent regulatory arm of the  UK Statistics Authority  , awards Accredited Official Statistics designation based on the quality, good practice and comprehensiveness of official statistics.\r\nMore detail about the schedule for future reports can be found at:  https://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/about/2022-census/census-outputs-schedule/ ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420188,"EventID":"S6F-03141","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-20T14:16:33.067","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T11:20:51.797","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420189,"EventID":"S6F-03142","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5586,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-20T14:16:33.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T11:21:13.56","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420190,"EventID":"S6F-03143","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16215,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-20T14:16:34.113","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T11:21:49.027","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420191,"EventID":"S6F-03158","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5074,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":104,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-20T14:16:34.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T10:45:38.79","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what the potential implications are for Scotland's economy of the UK Government's immigration policy changes for graduates.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420192,"EventID":"S6F-03166","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-20T14:16:34.473","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T11:35:16.043","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to reports that no NHS board has implemented placental growth factor-based testing for pre-eclampsia, in light of it having been recommended in March 2023 by the Scottish Health Technologies Group.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420193,"EventID":"S6F-03150","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-20T14:16:34.567","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T09:36:16.167","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on what action the Scottish Government is taking to support the Ferguson Marine shipyard.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-05-23T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420194,"EventID":"S6T-02000","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-20T14:16:46.257","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T10:44:46.46","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported figures showing that average rents increased at a higher rate in Scotland than any other region or nation in the UK between September 2022 and March 2024. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420195,"EventID":"S6T-01995","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-20T14:16:45.913","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T09:39:03.263","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has reportedly withdrawn all funding for the National Parent Forum of Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420196,"EventID":"S6T-01996","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":5110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":89,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-20T14:16:45.993","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T09:39:36.287","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is regarding any implications for community safety to the events that occurred in Trongate, Glasgow, following Celtic Football Club’s league title win.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-05-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420204,"EventID":"S6W-27702","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-20T17:29:59.2","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-17T10:37:30.92","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with alcohol and drug partnerships regarding the proposed early release of prisoners, in light of the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs on 16 May 2024.","AnswerText":"Following the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs on 16 May 2024, the Director of Justice in the Scottish Government wrote to Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs), to make them aware of the Cabinet Secretary’s statement.\r\nThe letter committed to keeping ADPs informed regarding plans for emergency release and other measures as they continue to be developed.\r\nThe Scottish Government, with the Scottish Prison Service, has established an Operational Delivery Leads Group, to support planning and delivery in relation to emergency release. Representatives from ADPs will be invited to join the group.\r\nIn addition to this, we are working with health boards to ensure that the impact on prison healthcare teams is understood and considered within decision-making and, to support these teams respond to the current high levels of the prison population, whose needs are increasingly complex. Following the statement, a network of Executive-level leads from all Health Board areas and national and local SPS representatives met to discuss the prison population increase and will continue to correspond on all significant developments, meeting whenever necessary.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420205,"EventID":"S6W-27674","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-20T17:29:59.42","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T13:10:57.037","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it anticipates the impact will be of Aberdeenshire Council reportedly receiving only 20 of the 44 newly qualified secondary school teachers it requested for the coming school year. ","AnswerText":"We recognise there is a challenge around the recruitment of teachers in certain geographical areas and in certain subjects. It is for this reason that we have manually allocated Preference Waiver Payment (PWP) probationers this year. Manually allocating PWPs will ensure those probationers are placed in the areas who have the most difficulties in securing probationers.\r\nI recently met with Aberdeenshire Council to discuss their concerns about teacher recruitment and probationer allocations. The Council indicated that they welcomed the approach taken to probationer allocations this year, which has resulted in an increase on the number of PWPs allocated compared to last year.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420206,"EventID":"S6W-27692","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-20T17:29:59.467","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-17T09:03:57.03","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on what the current waiting times are for hearing aids, broken down by NHS board.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold information on waiting times for hearing aids centrally. \r\nStatistics on audiology waiting times are included within Public Health Scotland’s (PHS)  18 weeks referral to treatment (RTT) publication  but this does not include specialty-level data. This publication is based on a dataset that collects information on waiting times for complete patient pathways from initial referral to first treatment. ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420207,"EventID":"S6W-27706","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-20T17:29:59.527","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-17T11:32:22.4","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the announcement that Right There has ended its contract with the City of Edinburgh Council, and what assessment it has made of the potential impact on homelessness services within Edinburgh as a result of this decision. ","AnswerText":"The City of Edinburgh Council is responsible for commissioning homelessness services in its area and assessing the impact of decisions on service provision. The Scottish Government cannot intervene in those decisions. The council has provided assurance that all three supported temporary accommodation facilities will remain operational and disruption to existing residents and staff will be minimised.\r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420208,"EventID":"S6W-27681","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-20T17:29:59.573","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T13:49:08.817","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost was of providing (a) bus and (b) taxi replacement services for any cancelled scheduled ScotRail train services in financial year (i) 2021-22, (ii) 2022-23 and (iii) 2023-24.","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for Abellio ScotRail for the year 2021-22 and for ScotRail Trains for the years 2022-23 and 2023-24. The member may wish to contact ScotRail directly.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420209,"EventID":"S6W-27693","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-20T17:29:59.653","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-17T09:03:57.03","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it provides to each NHS board for audiology services.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government provides policies, frameworks and resources to NHS Boards to deliver services that meet the needs of their local population. We are providing an increased investment of half a billion for NHS boards in 2024-25, taking funding to over £14.2 billion - an increase of almost 3% in real terms. An investment of £30 million is also being provided and will target reductions to the national backlogs that built up throughout the pandemic, including audiology.\r\nHowever, it is NHS Boards and healthcare professionals locally who have responsibility for service delivery and patient treatment. Therefore details of the funding NHS Boards have allocated to audiology services is held locally.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420210,"EventID":"S6W-27680","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-20T17:29:59.717","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T13:49:08.817","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many scheduled ScotRail trains were cancelled in financial year (a) 2021-22, (b) 2022-23 and (c) 2023-24. ","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for Abellio ScotRail for the year 2021-22 and for ScotRail Trains for the years 2022-23 and 2023-24. The member may wish to contact ScotRail directly.\r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420211,"EventID":"S6W-27699","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-20T17:29:59.763","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-17T10:22:40.983","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27126 by Tom Arthur on 13 May 2024, in light of the recent ministerial reshuffle, whether it still plans to report on the findings of the independent review prior to summer recess in 2024.","AnswerText":"Publication of the independent review focused on increasing the number of social enterprises, employee-owned businesses and co-operatives in Scotland has now been delayed due to the UK General Election announcement. A new publication timescale will be confirmed in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420212,"EventID":"S6W-27506","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-20T17:29:59.873","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T11:47:02.433","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the resources that are given to local rehabilitation services are adequate to ensure that all adults can access the appropriate support as close to their local areas as possible, as set out in the Framework for Supporting People through Recovery and Rehabilitation during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic. ","AnswerText":"The resourcing and commissioning of local rehabilitation services is the responsibility of individual Health Boards.\r\nThe Once for Scotland Rehabilitation Approach which supersedes the Framework for Supporting People through Recovery and Rehabilitation during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic (‘The Framework’) sets out the Six Principles of Good Rehabilitation. The Scottish Government expects that Health Boards have given consideration to these Principles to provide a good standard of rehabilitation services across Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420213,"EventID":"S6W-27703","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-20T17:29:59.933","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-17T11:17:02.813","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to prevent painkiller overdoses in young people. ","AnswerText":"The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), in combination with retailers, already limit the sale of paracetamol to a maximum of two packs (containing up to 16 solid dose tablets or capsules) in a retail environment. The aim of these voluntary measures is to balance the need of people for access to pain relief medicines against the dangers for vulnerable individuals and reduce the opportunity for people to purchase, on impulse, excessive quantities of any single analgesic (paracetamol, aspirin, or ibuprofen). A pharmacy may sell larger packs containing up to 32 tablets or capsules under the supervision of a pharmacist; it is illegal to sell more than 100 tablets or capsules of either paracetamol or aspirin in any one retail transaction. Since most packs available for sale are for 16 or 32 dose units, this means that, in practice, 96 is the maximum number that can be sold.\r\nThe Royal Pharmaceutical Society has provided guidelines to community pharmacies on the dispensing and supply of medicines to children and young people. The decision on whether a supply is appropriate is on a case by case basis and will involve considering the individual circumstances. The guidelines apply for both NHS and private prescriptions as well as pharmacy services such as NHS Pharmacy First Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420214,"EventID":"S6W-27694","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-20T17:30:00.23","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-17T09:10:31.343","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the reported policy change regarding the transfer of funds between revenue and capital departmental expenditure limit budgets that colleges use to manage their estate.","AnswerText":"My understanding is that the Scottish Funding Council has concluded that the flexibility it was in a position to be able to use in previous years is no longer possible because of the budgetary position it is now operating within. Therefore, there has not been any change of policy, but rather a lack of flexibility to accommodate switching capital to resource.\r\nThis follows the difficult decisions the Scottish Government faced in setting the 2024-25 budget in the most challenging financial context since devolution. The main point therefore is one of SFC budgetary cover.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420215,"EventID":"S6W-27689","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-20T17:30:00.31","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T22:54:15.793","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on whether the Scottish National Investment Bank has acquired any equity share positions in (a) companies and (b) projects it has invested in. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish National Investment Bank makes commercial investments, debt and/or equity, in businesses and/or projects in line with the three strategic missions set for it by Scottish Ministers. The Bank’s investment decisions are independent of Government.\r\nThe information on whether the Bank’s investment in a company or project is debt or equity may be available on the Bank’s Portfolio page at:  https://www.thebank.scot/portfolio  or from the Bank direct.\r\nThe Scottish Government does not hold details on the number of or percentage equity stakes the Bank holds in companies or projects.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420216,"EventID":"S6W-27505","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-20T17:30:00.357","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T11:47:02.433","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which social determinants it prioritises to ensure\r\nthat any health inequalities are tackled in rehabilitation service provision,\r\nas set out in the Framework for Supporting People through Recovery and Rehabilitation during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic.   ","AnswerText":"The Once for Scotland Rehabilitation Approach which supersedes the Framework for Supporting People through Recovery and Rehabilitation during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic (‘The Framework’) sets out the Six Principles of Good Rehabilitation. These Principles provide a standard for good rehabilitation services across Scotland, taking in to account health inequalities.\r\nThe Approach focusses on the individual not their health or social circumstances. It supports holistic, person-centred rehabilitation that is flexible to accommodate the needs of the individual, and delivered at a frequency, time and intensity that suits them.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420217,"EventID":"S6W-27684","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-20T17:30:00.42","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T13:49:08.817","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many complaints ScotRail received in financial year (a) 2021-22, (b) 2022-23 and (c) 2023-24, broken down by the nature of the complaint. ","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for Abellio ScotRail for the year 2021-22 and for ScotRail Trains for the years 2022-23 and 2023-24. The member may wish to contact ScotRail directly.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420218,"EventID":"S6W-27687","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16197,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-20T17:30:00.527","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T14:29:39.763","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on how the Scottish National Investment Bank's £50 million investment in the Ardersier Port will benefit (a) the local area, (b) industry and (c) its climate ambitions. ","AnswerText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on how the Scottish National Investment Bank's £50 million investment in the Ardersier Port will benefit (a) the local area, (b) industry and (c) its climate ambitions.The Scottish National Investment Bank has invested £50 million in Ardersier Port alongside a similar £50 million investment from the UK Infrastructure Bank. This investment follows a £300 million capital commitment from Quantum Capital - the largest private sector port investment for offshore wind to date. The project aligns with the Bank’s net zero mission.\r\nAs a result, Ardersier Port is expected to become of strategic importance in supporting the growing offshore wind industry over the coming years. Once operational, the facility will significantly increase the offshore wind port capacity, to support the transition to net zero in Scotland and the UK. As one of the largest industrial regeneration projects in the Highlands in decades, it will re-establish the port as a major local employer, supporting and creating hundreds of jobs. At full capacity it is estimated that the site has potential to enable around 3,000 jobs and reskilling opportunities for the local area.\r\nThe global transition to net zero offers enormous economic opportunities for Scotland. Offshore wind is at the heart of both our energy and economic policy. We have made a commitment to invest up to £500 million over 5 years to anchor our offshore wind supply-chain in Scotland. This will support market certainty, helping to create a highly productive, competitive economy, providing thousands of new jobs, embedding innovation and boosting skills. Investments like Ardersier show the Scottish public sector can play a key role in building market confidence and anchoring core parts of the global offshore wind sector in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420219,"EventID":"S6W-27673","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-20T17:30:00.637","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T13:10:57.037","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps it is taking to meet its target to reduce teacher class contact time by the end of this parliamentary session. ","AnswerText":"We remain committed to reducing class contact timegiving teachers more time out of the classroom. Any changes to terms and conditions for teachers, including how this time will be used, are matters for agreement through the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers.\r\nTo inform this work, we commissioned an external modelling and research exercise to help inform discussions which was published on 7 May. This contains a number of high-level future scenarios and assesses their broad compatibility with any changes to teachers’ contracted class-contact time.\r\nThese scenarios will help to facilitate our discussions with SNCT partners on how we can best deliver this commitment. \r\nWe are offering local authorities £145.5m in this year’s budget to maintain teacher numbers. This will assist in delivery in the reduction of class contact time.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420220,"EventID":"S6W-27695","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-20T17:30:00.997","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-17T09:10:31.343","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support and guidance it plans to provide to Ayrshire College, in light of reports that the college will be required to find an additional £882,000 in revenue savings in order to be able to continue to be financially sustainable, following the reported policy change regarding the transfer of funds between revenue and capital departmental expenditure limit budgets.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government and SFC are very conscious of the challenge colleges face. With regards to the specific issue raised, we are working collaboratively to understand the emerging impact and consider if a solution for 2024-25, as well as the longer term, can be found for affected colleges and keeping the Colleges: Tripartite Alignment Group updated.\r\nThe tripartite group provides strategic direction on the pressures and opportunities facing colleges. Further detail on the work of this group is available here:  Colleges: Tripartite Alignment Group - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) \r\nMy understanding is that the Scottish Funding Council has concluded that the flexibility it was in position to be able to use in previous years is no longer possible because of the budgetary position it is now operating within, therefore, there has not been any change of policy but rather a lack of flexibility to accommodate switching capital to resource.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420221,"EventID":"S6W-27705","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-20T17:30:01.123","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-17T11:31:23.75","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports of a backlog of over 1,600 short-term let applications to the City of Edinburgh Council, and whether it can provide further support to the Council to ensure that any backlog is cleared as soon as possible. ","AnswerText":"The legislation sets out maximum processing times and authorities are working within these to process applications as quickly as possible. Existing hosts can continue to operate while their applications are being processed and licensing authorities are prioritising applications from new hosts during this transitional period. Hosts are encouraged to work with councils to supply missing documentation in a timely manner, as incomplete applications will understandably increase processing times.\r\nLicensing authorities administer local short-term let licensing schemes based on a cost recovery model. When I met with the City of Edinburgh Council recently on this matter, it advised it is resourced to handle the volume of enquiries and applications it has received, this includes a team who will specifically focus on ensuring a quick turnaround of temporary exemption applications for the summer period.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420222,"EventID":"S6W-27701","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-20T17:30:01.31","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-17T10:37:30.92","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the Department for Work and Pensions regarding any potential impact on devolved benefits in Scotland of the proposed early release of prisoners, in light of the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs on 16 May 2024.","AnswerText":"Following the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs on 16 May 2024, the Director of Justice in the Scottish Government wrote to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Area Director for Scotland, to make them aware of the Cabinet Secretary’s statement.\r\nThe letter committed to keeping the DWP informed regarding plans for emergency release and other measures as they continue to be developed.\r\nThe Scottish Government, with the Scottish Prison Service, has established an Operational Delivery Leads Group, to support planning and delivery in relation to emergency release. Representatives from the DWP have been invited to join the group. The group met for the first time on 30 May 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420223,"EventID":"S6W-27566","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-20T17:30:01.48","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T14:34:05.817","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the tenure of Professor Anna Glasier OBE as Women’s Health Champion will be extended beyond the end of June 2024. ","AnswerText":"Yes, it is the intention of the Scottish Government that Professor Anna Glasier OBE will remain Women’s Health Champion beyond June 2024.\r\nThe Women’s Health Champion, Professor Anna Glasier OBE, has been central to the delivery of the Women’s Health Plan, and driving forward action to improve women’s health in Scotland.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420224,"EventID":"S6W-27675","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-20T17:30:01.717","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T13:10:57.037","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) intake targets are met, particularly in relation to STEM subjects. ","AnswerText":"Our Teaching Bursary Scheme offers a £20,000 payment to career changers who are looking to undertake teacher training in hard-to-fill STEM subjects – physics, maths, technical education, computing science, chemistry and home economics. The scheme was also extended to include Gaelic as a secondary subject, and Gaelic medium across all secondary subjects and in primary.\r\nIn addition, the Strategic Board for Teacher Education (SBTE) is considering issues around the recruitment and retention of teachers in Scotland in detail, together with work to improving the promotion of teaching as a valued career. \r\nThe Scottish Government and Scottish Funding Council have also offered to work with universities to develop alternative routes into subjects which have traditionally been difficult to recruit to.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420225,"EventID":"S6W-27690","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-20T17:30:01.763","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T23:31:06.923","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will make a high-level summary available of the benchmarking report that was undertaken by First Marine International on Ferguson Marine's shipbuilding facilities and its recommendations for improvement. ","AnswerText":"We do not intend to release this information while it remains commercially sensitive. Release of this information at this time would be likely to weaken the commercial position of Ferguson Marine while they pursue future contract opportunities and provide an advantage to competitors.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420226,"EventID":"S6W-27676","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-20T17:30:01.823","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T13:10:57.037","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work being carried out by the Strategic Board for Teacher Education. ","AnswerText":"The Board agreed its workplan in September 2023. The most recently published version of the workplan can be found on the Scottish Government website.  https://www.gov.scot/publications/strategic-board-teacher-education-meeting-27-thursday-1-february-2024-10-00am-11-30am/pages/2/ \r\nThe workplan contains three workstreams:Workstream 1 – Workforce Planning and Increasing Diversity of the ProfessionWorkstream 2 – Improving the Promotion of Teaching as a Valued CareerWorkstream 3 – Continuum of Teacher Education \r\nThe Board has held meetings in November, February and March to progress these workstreams. The agendas, minutes and papers from these meeting are published on the Scottish Government website at  https://www.gov.scot/groups/strategic-board-for-teacher-education/ \r\nThe Board last met on 15 May 2024, and the agenda, minutes and papers from this meeting will be published on the Scottish Government website following the next meeting of the Board, which is scheduled for 27 June.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420227,"EventID":"S6W-27682","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-20T17:30:01.873","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T13:49:08.817","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the average delay was on scheduled ScotRail services that were delayed in financial year (a) 2021-22, (b) 2022-23 and (c) 2023-24. ","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for Abellio ScotRail for the year 2021-22 and for ScotRail Trains for the years 2022-23 and 2023-24. The member may wish to contact ScotRail directly.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420228,"EventID":"S6W-27691","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-20T17:30:01.92","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-17T09:03:57.03","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to offer more training programmes in audiology to help tackle the reported workforce shortage.","AnswerText":"The provision of education and training of audiologists is being considered as part of the National Audiology Improvement Programme. In addition, there is a review underway of Healthcare Science Education in Scotland to look at education and training provision in healthcare science more widely.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420229,"EventID":"S6W-27657","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-20T17:30:02.013","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T11:18:22.027","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government in what system Police Scotland is currently mandated to record non-crime hate incidents; whether this is a distinctly different system to the system for recording arrest records or formal charges, and, if this is not the case, whether there are strict Chinese wall protocols in place to mitigate the risk of deliberate or accidental disclosure.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27432 on 4 June 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420230,"EventID":"S6W-27704","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-20T17:30:02.19","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-17T11:18:25.12","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many overdoses from painkillers in those under the age of 18 were recorded in the financial year 2023-24, and, of these, how many instances resulted in death.","AnswerText":"Drug-related hospital stats are published by Public Health Scotland and can be found at.  Drug-related hospital statistics - Scotland 2022 to 2023 - Drug-related hospital statistics - Publications - Public Health Scotland  Breakdowns are available by ‘drug type’, but are not specific to different painkillers, and are not cross tabulated with age.\r\nNational Records of Scotland also publish an annual official statistics report on Drug-related Deaths in Scotland. The most recent publication was released on 22 August 2023 and can be found at  Drug-related Deaths in Scotland in 2022 | National Records of Scotland (nrscotland.gov.uk)  . Within Table SUB2 (  Additional Data | National Records of Scotland (nrscotland.gov.uk)  of the additional data tables published alongside the main report there is a breakdown of drug poisoning deaths by year and by substance, including specifically those drugs which were implicated or potentially contributed to the cause of death. National Records of Scotland does not publish an age breakdown of this data.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420231,"EventID":"S6W-27683","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-20T17:30:02.23","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T13:49:08.817","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many scheduled ScotRail train services were delayed by at least 15 minutes in financial year (a) 2021-22, (b) 2022-23 and (c) 2023-24. ","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for Abellio ScotRail for the year 2021-22 and for ScotRail Trains for the years 2022-23 and 2023-24. The member may wish to contact ScotRail directly.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420232,"EventID":"S6W-27656","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-20T17:30:02.277","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T11:13:33.767","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recently published Police Scotland interim guidance on the recording of non-crime hate incidents (NCHIs), which states that a report would happen in \"exceptional circumstances\", what are defined as \"exceptional circumstances\" in which a party allegedly at fault in a reported incident could have their details recorded.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27431 on 4 June 2024 All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420233,"EventID":"S6W-27580","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-20T17:30:02.337","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T15:41:14.637","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made provision within its 2024-25 Budget for child welfare reporters, in light of the Children\r\n(Scotland) Act 2020, and when it expects any new child welfare reporters to be\r\nappointed. ","AnswerText":"We are currently prioritising work across the Scottish Government in light of increased budget pressures.\r\nWe estimate that establishing a register of child welfare reporters under the Children (Scotland) Act 2020 may cost around £5 million a year. This is based on calculations in the  Financial Memorandum Children (Scotland) Bill (parliament.scot)  that accompanied the Children (Scotland) Bill (now the Children (Scotland) Act 2020).\r\nThis is a significant financial pressure at the current time, and there is insufficient budget available within our 2024-25 allocation to implement the new register.\r\nHowever, we plan to establish a short-life working group on child welfare reporters later this year with key stakeholders. This will inform further development of policy around the new register.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420234,"EventID":"S6W-27685","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-20T17:30:02.4","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T13:49:08.817","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost was of the transfer of operations of ScotRail services from Abellio to public ownership. ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-10555 on 20 September 2022. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420235,"EventID":"S6W-27688","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-20T17:30:02.51","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T18:23:33.71","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what penalties there are for any window installation firms that knowingly fit inappropriate windows on (a) listed and (b) historic buildings in conservation areas without the correct planning consent.","AnswerText":"Under planning legislation set out in The Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 (the 1997 Act) it is a breach of planning control to carry out any development, including the installation of replacement windows, without the required planning consent.\r\nWhen a planning authority consider that a breach of planning control has occurred in their area, the planning authority has a range of powers available to them to ensure that the breach is rectified. These powers extend to requiring that any changes to the appearance of a building or land be reversed and the property in question restored to its original state prior to the unauthorised development taking place. Should any person responsible for the unauthorised development fail to comply with enforcement measures, the planning authority has the power to enter the land and carry out the required remedial work themselves, with the costs of such work being recovered form that person. Additionally the planning authority can seek to prosecute that person through the Scottish Courts with the maximum fine on summary conviction currently set at £50,000.\r\nIn the case of unauthorised works to a listed building, in addition to any action taken under the 1997 Act, the owner may also be subject to enforcement action under the Town and Country Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997. Again, they can be required to carry out any remedial work and can be liable to conviction with a fine of up to £50,000 on summary conviction.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420236,"EventID":"S6W-27700","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-20T17:30:02.557","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-17T10:37:30.92","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed the number of prisoners that will be released early in (a) North Lanarkshire, (b) South Lanarkshire and (c) Falkirk, in light of the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs on 16 May 2024.","AnswerText":"I am interpreting your question as relating to the number of prisoners who may potentially be released early under emergency release powers. \r\nSection 11 of the Bail and Release from Custody (Scotland) Act 2023 (which came into force on 26 May) provides Ministers with a power to release prisoners in emergency situations. I have now laid draft regulations for emergency release, setting out the eligibility criteria, for Parliament’s consideration and approval. \r\nThe number of prisoners that would be released in specific geographical areas would depend on a number of factors, including the composition of the prison population at the relevant time and the application of the Governor’s veto, for example. ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420237,"EventID":"S6W-27770","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":5771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-21T10:00:13.807","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T09:48:46.67","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has identified during the course of its ongoing investigation any other public sector organisations that have been impacted by the cyber attack on NHS Dumfries and Galloway infrastructure.","AnswerText":"As part of the on-going forensic analysis, NHS Dumfries & Galloway identified that files belonging to National Records of Scotland, that were stored on the NHS D&G IT infrastructure, have been stolen as part of the cyber-attack. As National Records of Scotland are the data controller for those files, they are now considered a second victim in this incident. As such a crime report has been made to Police Scotland.\r\nNational Records of Scotland have undertaken a risk assessment and are taking appropriate actions to notify individuals that have been affected. National Records of Scotland will issue a news release later today to provide further information to members of the public.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420256,"EventID":"S6W-27664","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16194,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-21T17:25:20.503","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T11:34:28.387","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has reimbursed the legal expenses sought by the UK Government regarding its legal challenge of the decision by the UK Government to issue a section 35 order in relation to the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill.","AnswerText":"On 28 May, the Advocate General for Scotland asked the Court of Session to extend the time limit to lodge their account of expenses with the court from 31 May to 31 July 2024. The court has now granted the Advocate General’s request, which the Scottish Government did not oppose.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420257,"EventID":"S6W-27729","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-21T17:25:20.66","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T14:01:57.037","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there are any restrictions on what any monies received from Low Emission Zone fines can be spent on, and, if so, what these are.","AnswerText":"Any monies received from penalty charges in respect of a LEZ scheme can be applied by a local authority only for the purposes of facilitating the achievement of the scheme’s objectives, and thus support at least air quality and/or climate change emission reduction activities, and/or the operational running costs of the scheme. The specifics of how these monies are spent is a matter for the local authority.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420258,"EventID":"S6W-27713","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-21T17:25:20.737","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T08:05:21.413","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26931 by Jenni Minto on 2 May 2024, what progress it has made towards the implementation of the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland’s transport to health recommendations.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government welcomed the transport to health and social care report from the Mobility and Access Committee (MACS) and agreed to develop a transport to health plan in response.\r\nProgress has been made against the recommendations including bringing more focus and prominence in work with the relevant partners including Regional Transport Partnerships and Health Boards to take forward specific actions and commitments towards better joined up care planning and working.\r\nRecognising the importance of the recommendations, Transport Scotland have included Transport to Health as one of seven thematic workstreams in their approach for delivery of the Accessible Travel Framework\r\nThe programme of NHS reform will consider the recommendation that transport should be built in as an integral part of the care pathway.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420259,"EventID":"S6W-27714","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-21T17:25:20.8","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T08:05:21.413","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26929 by Jenni Minto on 2 May 2024, how it is monitoring progress towards the implementation of sections 120 and 121 of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 on the duty to have regard to community benefit in non-emergency patient transport contracts, and what assessment it has made of the impact of this duty on meeting the needs of kidney patients who require dialysis.","AnswerText":"Whilst the Transport (Scotland) Act was implemented in 2019, sections 120 and 121 required secondary legislation to be enacted. This secondary legislation was enacted and came into effect on 1 October 2023. \r\nWe expect reports from Health Boards in Winter 2024. Assessments will be made once these reports are received. ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420260,"EventID":"S6W-27738","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-21T17:25:20.88","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T15:11:01.103","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many students have withdrawn from college courses between weeks five and 12 of their courses in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"Information on college withdrawals is collected and published by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) in their annual College Performance Indicator publication.  College Performance Indicators 2022-23 - Scottish Funding Council (sfc.ac.uk) \r\nThe SFC publish the number of students that withdraw from a course, but not broken down by week the student withdrew.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420261,"EventID":"S6W-27726","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-21T17:25:20.927","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T12:44:09.183","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to investigate any reasons for the standardised mortality ratio reportedly being (a) above the upper warning limit for the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and (b) below the lower warning limit for the Western General Hospital, in 2023.","AnswerText":"Hospital Standardised Mortality Ratio data is one of a series of measures we use to monitor safety in Scotland’s hospitals. With regard to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (RIE), the Deputy National Clinical Director (DNCD) has been in contact with NHS Lothian and has received assurance that this has been investigated.\r\nThe investigation provided evidence that there were a number of factors that have contributed to the higher-than-predicted mortality for admissions to RIE. The DNCD is confident that appropriate action has been put in place to address the findings of the investigation.\r\nThe Regional Centre for Cancer and Clinical Neuroscience is based at the Western General, and this is an important factor in its HSMR data. The slightly different case-mix of patients have understandably higher predicted probabilities of mortality.\r\nThe mix of patients seen varies between hospitals, and the mortality rate may be higher or lower at a hospital for many reasons; the patients seen, for example, may be more seriously ill than average. HSMRs therefore take account of some of the factors known to affect the risk of death, so that comparisons between individual hospitals and Scotland are made on a comparable basis.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":420262,"EventID":"S6W-27397","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-21T17:25:20.987","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T10:28:53.317","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23002 by Angela Constance on 11 December 2023, in light of reports\r\nthat the proceedings have concluded, whether it will now provide details of any\r\npayments it has made towards the legal costs of Sheriff Jack Brown in relation\r\nto his fitness for judicial office tribunal proceedings, and, if so, where\r\nthese will be published.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government intends to publish costs of the tribunal, which will include payments it has made towards the legal costs of Sheriff Jack Brown in relation to his fitness for judicial office tribunal proceedings. Following a recent Freedom of Information request for this information, the Scottish Government will publish these details on its website, as soon as possible after the Freedom of Information response is issued.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420263,"EventID":"S6W-27736","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-21T17:25:21.05","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T14:46:57.3","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consequences a dog might face where it attacks and physically injures a pedestrian.","AnswerText":"There are powers available under a range of legislation that can be used depending on the specific situation. This is ultimately a matter for those involved in enforcing the law to decide based on the facts and circumstances of each individual case.\r\nHowever, a dog that attacks and injures someone faces being seized, and could ultimately be destroyed. For example, where a dog owner has been found guilty of possessing a dangerously out of control dog under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, the court has a range of options available to it when sentencing. This includes imposing a destruction order in relation to the dog in question. These are matters for the independent court to decide upon in any given case.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420264,"EventID":"S6W-27734","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-21T17:25:21.097","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T14:46:57.3","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what research has been undertaken into whether dog harnesses are as effective at controlling aggressive dogs as leads.","AnswerText":"There are various research papers that that can be found online that are relevant in this area. This includes :  Dog Pulling on the Leash: Effects of Restraint by a Neck Collar vs. a Chest Harness - PMC (nih.gov)  . \r\nIn addition, there are papers on the behavioural and biomechanical effects of using harnesses from a welfare perspective, for instance:  Effect of harness design on the biomechanics of domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) — SRUC, Scotland's Rural College \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420265,"EventID":"S6W-27739","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-21T17:25:21.177","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T15:19:49.363","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has undertaken an analysis to establish any reasons for students withdrawing from college courses between weeks five and 12 of their courses.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government hasn’t carried out analysis to establish reasons for students withdrawing from college, by week of course.\r\nInformation on college withdrawals is collected by the Scottish Funding Council. Some data on the reason for withdrawing is included in the technical annex of the College Performance Indicators publication, though this isn’t broken down to week of course.  College Performance Indicators 2022-23 - Scottish Funding Council (sfc.ac.uk) ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420266,"EventID":"S6W-27733","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-21T17:25:21.223","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T14:46:57.3","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it logs and collates incidents of dog attacks in each local authority area to understand the extent of any problem.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not collate data on dog attacks broken down by local authority area.\r\nHowever, Public Health Scotland collects data provided by NHS Health Boards on the number of inpatient and day case admissions to hospital where a diagnosis of dog attack (bite or strike) was recorded.\r\nI would refer you to the answer given to question S6W-24486 on 24 January 2024 for the available data from 2004 to 2022.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420267,"EventID":"S6W-27732","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-21T17:25:21.283","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T14:35:20.05","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered expanding the number of salmon rivers that are classified as category 3, in light of the record low salmon catch recorded in the Scottish salmon and sea trout fishery statistics for 2023.","AnswerText":"Scotland has a regime of statutory salmon conservation orders in place which are refreshed annually. Salmon caught in rivers in poor conservation status, classified as category 3, are not allowed to be retained, thus ensuring the protection of the species where it is at greatest risk.\r\nWe will soon be consulting on the latest conservation assessment for salmon which takes account of the most recently available catch return statistics in assessing the status for 173 rivers and river groupings.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420268,"EventID":"S6W-27712","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-21T17:25:21.38","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T08:05:21.413","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26930 by Jenni Minto on 2 May 2024, when its final transport to health delivery plan will be published.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government prepared its draft Transport to Health Plan in 2023, we are continuing to engage with the relevant partners on the commitments contained within the plan. It is expected that the plan will be published by September 2024.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420269,"EventID":"S6W-27735","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-21T17:25:21.44","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T14:46:57.3","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on the number of attacks by dogs on people that have been committed by dogs in harnesses as opposed to with leads.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold data on whether dogs involved in incidents were wearing a harness or lead at the time of the incident.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420270,"EventID":"S6W-27727","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-21T17:25:21.503","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T12:57:33.317","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent action it has taken to ensure that (a) families have a choice of settings to access the 1,140 hours of funded early learning and childcare and (b) local authorities are encouraged to increase capacity.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government published updated national policy guidance on Funding Follows the Child in December 2023, which outlines the principles and criteria local authorities should follow when delivering funded early learning and childcare. The local authority is responsible for local delivery and has a duty to ensure that the statutory funded early learning and childcare entitlement is made available for each eligible young child belonging to its area. Local authorities also have a duty to publish local delivery plans outlining the choice available to parents and carers.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420271,"EventID":"S6W-27715","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-21T17:25:21.567","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T09:25:36.29","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support GPs and primary care teams to widen access to nature prescriptions.","AnswerText":"Connecting people to non-clinical options which can help with their health is an important part of a healthcare professional's toolkit. This is very much in line with the principles of Realistic Medicine, supporting our healthcare professionals to deliver a more personalised approach to care. The resources and services to which people are connected can range from financial, housing and welfare support through to engagement with cultural activity, community cafés, opportunities to be physically active and many others depending on what works for the individual. Connecting people to nature is one option which is available to health professionals where appropriate. There is a great deal of excellent work taking place across the country to deliver relevant initiatives. We are working with partners to understand how we can best support this local activity and develop our policy to ensure that these approaches are supported and valued.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420272,"EventID":"S6W-27731","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-21T17:25:21.8","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T14:34:53.657","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made towards the creation of an infrastructure levy under the provisions of the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019.","AnswerText":"We have committed to implementing new infrastructure-levy regulations under the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 by spring 2026. On 3 June  a discussion paper  was published setting out the research undertaken previously and seeking views on the various options for a levy. The discussion phase will run until 30 September. After that, and subject to the views received in response to the discussion paper, draft regulations will be prepared which will be subject to a formal consultation in early 2025.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420273,"EventID":"S6W-27698","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-21T17:25:21.847","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-17T10:22:40.983","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26254 by Tom Arthur on 27 March 2024, by what date it expects to have completed its analysis and feasibility exercise regarding a Community Wealth Building Bill.\r\n","AnswerText":"Further to my previous response (S6W-26254) we are continuing detailed analysis of all respondents’ feedback to the public consultation and examining the feasibility of all proposals for legislative change. We will keep parliament informed as the process develops.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420274,"EventID":"S6W-27710","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-21T17:25:21.927","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-18T19:52:50.707","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that all mental health hospitals and the State Hospital, Carstairs, have supplies of Samaritans freepost envelopes available to patients.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is working closely with Samaritans Scotland, as one of our key partners driving the delivery of the suicide prevention Creating Hope Together strategy, to better understand help seeking behaviour and increase signposting to local and national support. We recognise that there may be benefits for some mental health patients in accessing Samaritans’ listening services alongside NHS care. \r\nAt present, Samaritans provide pre-printed freepost envelopes in prison settings as part of their broader work to support people in prisons. However, while there is no specific scheme to provide pre-marked envelopes within hospitals, any individual can write to them for free by marking an envelope “FREEPOST SAMARITANS LETTERS”. \r\nSamaritans can also be contacted 24/7 by phone for free on 116 123 and by email at Jo@samaritans.org. They aim to respond to all emails within 24 hours.\r\nWe will continue to work alongside Samaritans Scotland to support any plans to further promote and expand access to its listening services within the NHS estate.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420275,"EventID":"S6W-27711","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-21T17:25:22.003","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T08:05:21.397","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26930 by Jenni Minto on 2 May 2024, whether it will publish its draft transport to health delivery plan.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government prepared its draft Transport to Health Plan in 2023, we are currently engaging with the relevant partners on the commitments contained within the plan. It is expected that the plan will be finalised by the end of September 2024. We do not intend to publish the draft plan while it is still being developed. \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420276,"EventID":"S6W-27709","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-21T17:25:22.067","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-18T19:35:56.71","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will request that the Scottish Prison Service ensures that all Samaritans envelopes distributed in prisons with out-of-date return addresses are destroyed and that only envelopes with the current up-to-date freepost address, \"Freepost Samaritans Letters\", are distributed to inmates.","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:\r\nSPS recognise the importance of those in our care maintaining contact with family and friends coupled with their ability to access support services such as the Samaritans.\r\nLast summer SPS rolled out in cell telephony throughout our estate, which continues to support the positive mental health and wellbeing for those we care for and enables access to the Samaritans free of charge, 24 hours per day.\r\nAny envelopes not marked with the “Freepost Samaritans Letters\" address are being removed from use in establishments.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420278,"EventID":"S6W-27707","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-21T17:25:22.237","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-17T12:28:14.693","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what role safer drug consumption facilities will play in its work to end new transmission of HIV in Scotland by 2030.","AnswerText":"Whilst the main objective of safer drug consumption facilities (SDCF) is to provide medical attention in the case of an overdose there is also a significant body of evidence for the important role SDCFs play in reducing the sharing of injecting equipment. This reduces the risk of HIV and hepatitis C transmission.\r\nThe SDCF in Glasgow will provide people who inject drugs, including cocaine, with sterile injection equipment, advice on injecting technique and other vital harm reduction advice. Current approaches to harm reduction with regards to injecting cocaine will be discussed with academics and presenters from the Cocaine & Crack Cocaine Conference on 4 June 2024.\r\nThe  Latest data from Public Health Scotland  indicate that sexual acquisition is the most common exposure category for new HIV diagnoses in Scotland, however people who inject drugs remain at risk of HIV and other blood borne viruses.\r\nThere has been a downward trend in diagnoses among people who inject drugs following the peak of the outbreak in NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde in 2015.\r\nThe effectiveness of interventions implemented at the height of the outbreak underline the importance of continuing to promote HIV testing, delivery of treatment and care, provision of harm reduction measures and awareness raising initiatives to this particularly vulnerable group.\r\nSDCF provide a further opportunity for delivering these vital interventions and could therefore contribute to ending new transmissions of HIV in Scotland by 2030.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420279,"EventID":"S6W-27716","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-21T17:25:22.3","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T11:20:52.213","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recently reported comments from trade union representatives that \"time is running out\" to give Ferguson Marine shipyard a future. ","AnswerText":"When the Ferguson Marine shipyard was threatened with closure in 2019 the Scottish Government stepped forward and saved the business. Taking the yard into public ownership preserved commercial shipbuilding on the Clyde, rescued more than 300 jobs and ensured that the Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa vessels – vital for our island communities – will be delivered.\r\nWe want to see the yard prosper, be competitive and continue the proud shipbuilding traditions on the Clyde. We are continuing to work with the business to understand its forward plans and to review proposals for investment.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420280,"EventID":"S6W-27737","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-21T17:25:22.347","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T15:08:56.653","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of the number of students articulating from college to university in the last financial year, and what impact this has had on universities filling their places.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government hasn’t undertaken any analysis of the number of students articulating from college to university in the last financial year.\r\nLatest data covering articulation from college to university is published in the annual Scottish Funding Council (SFC) publication ‘Report on Widening Access’, which relates to those starting university in the 2021-22 academic year.\r\nReport on Widening Access 2021-22 - Scottish Funding Council (sfc.ac.uk) \r\nData covering the 2022-23 academic year will be published later this year, with 2023-24 data in 2025 and the current academic year (2024-25) being published in 2026.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420281,"EventID":"S6W-27708","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-21T17:25:22.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-17T12:28:14.693","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to piloting opt-out HIV and blood borne virus testing in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has funded pilots of emergency department opt-out blood borne virus testing in three areas – NHS Lothian, NHS Grampian and NHS Highland. The funding allocations followed a call for bids which was open to all territorial NHS Boards, including NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. It is important that decisions about any further expansion are based on the best available evidence. The Scottish Government will use evaluation data from the three pilot projects, combined with other evidence, to determine whether further roll out would be acceptable, deliverable and cost-effective in Scotland.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420282,"EventID":"S6W-27717","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-21T17:25:22.473","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T11:21:03.393","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will support the short-term lets industry, in light of recent reports from industry leaders that at least 1,000 self-catering homes have stopped operating since the introduction of the licensing scheme.","AnswerText":"Short-term let accommodation is an important part of the tourism economy, and I am grateful to the many thousands of operators who have applied for a licence which shows their businesses are of high quality and safety for visitors.\r\nOur Business Regulatory Impact Assessment in 2019 was informed by available online listings data, I am pleased that we are now able to publish quarterly official statistics on application levels, reflecting the importance of formal monitoring of the size of the sector, and any trends in application data. I do not wish to see any operator leave the sector and I am aware of a range of factors, including the impact of the costs crisis that may be influencing business decisions.\r\nSince the deadline for existing hosts in October 2023, myself and my officials have undertaken a range of engagement with stakeholders which will be used as part of ongoing monitoring, and I will provide an update to Parliament on the implementation of licensing in June this year.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420283,"EventID":"S6W-27728","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-21T17:25:22.55","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T14:01:57.02","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any monies received from Low Emission Zone (LEZ) fines in Glasgow are to be used on project works within the LEZ, or whether they can be spent citywide.","AnswerText":"Glasgow City Council administers and enforces their LEZ and as such receives all penalty charge notice payments. The spending of any monies received from penalty charges in respect of a LEZ scheme is a matter for the local authority. These funds can only be used for the purposes of facilitating the achievement of the scheme’s objectives and thus support air quality/climate change emission reduction measures or supporting the operational cost of the scheme.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420296,"EventID":"S6W-27730","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:51:59.707","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T14:05:23.28","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the balance of the Scottish Funding Council has increased from £23.9 million in the financial year 2017-18 to £281.7 million in 2022-23, and how it plans to utilise any surplus, in light of the reported difficult financial circumstances of colleges.","AnswerText":"The increase in the Scottish Funding Council’s (SFC) balance relates to Taxpayers’ equity, which represents SFC’s investment in the university sector through low cost loans (SFC’s Financial Transactions programme) issued to universities to support them with longer-term projects since 2018. \r\nTaxpayers’ equity is not a liquid asset which can be spent. It is a measure of the financial position of SFC from the perspective of its stakeholders showing what assets (tangible and intangible) remain after all SFC debts and obligations are met. It reflects the overall net worth of SFC which belongs to the taxpayer.\r\nSFC’s ability to support the college and university sectors is framed by the allocation received in annual Budget Bills and SFC is required to live within the allocation set for that financial year. SFC does not hold any “reserves” of monies. ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420297,"EventID":"S6W-27750","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:52:00.053","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T15:41:07.823","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has allocated in 2024-25 to support the development of wheelchair accessible properties. ","AnswerText":"The Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP) funding for 2024-25 is not allocated to specific properties. Funding is made available to local authority areas through Resource Planning Assumptions (RPAs) to support local authority priority projects which are either already approved or will be approved during that year. Projects receiving funding will include a mix of dwelling types and could include both wheelchair accessible and homes specifically designed for wheelchair users. Projects can be funded across different financial years as the monies are drawn down on receipt of certification of works and so it is not possible to disaggregate the spend or funding in this way.\r\nAll new build homes supported by the Affordable Housing Supply Programme should, where possible, meet Housing for Varying Needs standard which means that they should be accessible for wheelchair users.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420298,"EventID":"S6W-27766","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:52:00.24","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T09:19:56.08","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it expects to spend on its partnership with Connect to establish a new national parent panel.\r\n","AnswerText":"Detailed costings are still being discussed but Connect have indicated that the National Parent Panel is likely to cost in the region of £50,000 - £60,000 a year to establish and run.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420299,"EventID":"S6W-27741","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:52:00.303","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T15:28:08.17","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Audit Scotland regarding its scrutiny of overall staffing budgets and spend in colleges.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government meets and engages with Audit Scotland regarding their annual publications on Scotland's Colleges which are published on Audit Scotland’s website. Audit Scotland’s most recent publication can be found here :  https://audit.scot/publications/scotlands-colleges-2023  . However, there has not been specific discussion regarding Audit Scotland’s scrutiny of overall staffing budgets and spend in colleges.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420300,"EventID":"S6W-27765","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:52:00.507","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T09:19:56.08","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it expects to incur any costs as a result of ending its previous arrangement with the National Parent Forum of Scotland.\r\n","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not expect to incur any costs as a result of not awarding any further grants to the National Parent Forum of Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420301,"EventID":"S6W-27771","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:52:00.553","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T10:47:57.143","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what progress has been made towards delivering the 2027 River Basin Management Plan.","AnswerText":"SEPA's  River Basin Management Plan for Scotland 2021-2027  (RBMP) sets out a range of actions aiming to improve the overall condition of Scotland’s water environment from 66% currently classified at good condition to 81% by 2027. \r\nThe Scottish Government supports SEPA to deliver the RMBP and invested almost £5m last year in the Water Environment Fund, a key element of the plan. Work continues this year providing access to rivers for migratory fish and restoring urban rivers providing benefits for biodiversity, climate change adaptation and flood management.\r\nThe most detailed and up to date classification information for all parameters is available in the  water classification hub  .","AnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420302,"EventID":"S6W-27751","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:52:00.613","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T15:41:41.953","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is on track to meet its 2040 accessible housing standard. ","AnswerText":"We continue to take forward our commitments to improving the accessibility and adaptability of new homes in Scotland.\r\nResponses to the consultation on proposals for enhancing the accessibility, adaptability and usability of Scotland's homes are currently being analysed, and a report on feedback will be published in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420303,"EventID":"S6W-27759","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:52:00.693","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T09:15:58.287","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any companies involved in ecologically damaging developments in other countries, or their subsidiaries, will be eligible to participate in future renewables leasing rounds, including subsequent ScotWind leasing rounds. ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27757 on? 7 June 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420304,"EventID":"S6W-27754","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:52:00.897","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T21:58:03.073","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many adverse incidents have occurred at, or within a half mile radius of, the Toll of Birness in each year since 2010, including the period from January to end of May 2024.","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland only holds accident information which is provided to us by Police Scotland. Transport Scotland does not hold information relating to damage only accidents or adverse incidents generally (i.e. not involving an injury).\r\nSince Amey took over the Operating Company contract in 2022, incidents such as flooding (7 times), potholes (3 times), fallen trees (twice) and dead badgers (twice) have prompted Amey to visit the location.\r\nAccording to Transport Scotland’s accident database, there have been 14 personal injury accidents which have occurred at or within half a mile radius of the A90 Toll of Birness junction between 1 January 2010 and 5 March 2024. These are tabulated below:\r\nAccidents by Year \r\nYear\r\nTotal\r\n2010\r\n1\r\n2011\r\n1\r\n2012\r\n0\r\n2013\r\n1\r\n2014\r\n3\r\n2015\r\n0\r\n2016\r\n1\r\n2017\r\n1\r\n2018\r\n2\r\n2019\r\n1\r\n2020\r\n1\r\n2021\r\n1\r\n2022\r\n0\r\n2023\r\n1\r\n2024*\r\n0\r\n \r\n* data available until 5 March 2024\r\n \r\nSource: Transport Scotland Accident Manager Database\r\nNotes:\r\nStatistics for Police Scotland\r\nDate Period: 01-01-2010 – 05-03-2024\r\nDate Extracted - 21/05/2024\r\nPlease note that the personal injury accident information provided above is based on the current figures available. The following are potential reasons for an accident not appearing on our system:\r\nTransport Scotland only holds accident information which is provided to us by Police Scotland. Transport Scotland does not hold information relating to damage only accidents (i.e. not involving an injury).\r\nTransport Scotland only holds accident information for the trunk road network.\r\nThe accident information Transport Scotland holds is subject to change. E.g. we receive late returns from Police Scotland, who are responsible for recording details of injury accidents.\r\nAnnual Scottish accident figures are published by Transport Scotland on a yearly basis and can be found by entering Reported Road Casualties Scotland into your search engine.\r\nFrom summer 2019, Police Scotland introduced a new system for recording traffic collisions. Due to improved recording and categorisation processes, it is expected that there will be an increase in the number of casualties and accidents on Scottish roads that are classified as serious.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420305,"EventID":"S6W-27744","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:52:00.96","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T15:28:08.17","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review (a) pay structures and (b) staffing costs in colleges.","AnswerText":"Staffing costs and pay structures are operational matters for colleges to determine. The Scottish Government has no locus to review pay structures and staffing costs in colleges.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420306,"EventID":"S6W-27749","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:52:01.053","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T15:40:13.833","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on implementing the recommendations of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) Scotland's Housing and Disabled People inquiry. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government responded to the recommendations of the 2018 EHRC report on Housing and Disabled People at that time. In that response, we set out the actions being taken forward to increase access for disabled people to accessible and adapted housing.\r\nIn 2019 we issued statutory guidance to local authorities requiring tenure neutral wheelchair-accessible housing targets must be included within Local Housing Strategies. There has been good progress on this and from information collated from 2024-2029 Strategic Housing Investment Plans, 30 of the 32 local authorities have in place wheelchair housing targets for the delivery of affordable homes.\r\nThen in 2020, the Relevant Adjustments to Common Parts (Disabled Persons) (Scotland) Regulations came in to force. These regulations make it easier for disabled people to make adaptations to the common areas of their property.\r\nThe Scottish Government is also increasing the supply and choice of accessible homes. Since 2007, we have supported delivery of 128,285 affordable homes, over 90,500 of which were for social rent.\r\nWe publish annual out-turn reports which set out the form, locations and types of social and other affordable housing we have delivered including specific annexes that cover accessible housing.\r\nWherever possible, all affordable homes are built to Housing for Varying Needs accessibility standards. In 2022-23, 98% of new build homes delivered by housing associations and councils, where information was returned on Housing for Varying Needs, met that standard.\r\nDuring the second half of 2023, we consulted on proposals to enhance the accessibility, adaptability and usability of Scotland’s homes. The consultation closed on 21 December and the responses to the consultation are being analysed and a report will be published in due course.\r\nWe are also progressing a review of the current housing adaptations system which will make recommendations on how best to improve and streamline the system.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420307,"EventID":"S6W-27753","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:52:01.147","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T17:25:26.57","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when SEPA expects to receive an update on the ground investigation following the oil pipeline leak in Glen Fruin in January 2024.","AnswerText":"SEPA are in regular communication with Petroineos and their consultant Adler & Allen regarding the continued containment and monitoring of Glen Fruin, the Fruin Water, and its tributaries. \r\nOfficers from SEPA were on site week commencing 20th May and have confirmed that the ground investigation is progressing well, hand auger samples are largely complete and borehole sampling has begun. SEPA expect to receive the ground investigation report by late June but have requested an updated timeline from Petroineos to confirm this. ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420308,"EventID":"S6W-27752","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:52:01.333","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T15:42:38.13","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any funding allocated for the development of wheelchair accessible properties also includes the development of \"wheelchair exemplar properties\". ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold details relating to the funding for the development of “wheelchair exemplar properties”.\r\nIn relation to the allocation of funding for homes for wheelchair users, I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27750 on 4 June 2024.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420309,"EventID":"S6W-27774","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:52:01.397","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T11:20:29.197","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27344 by Dorothy Bain on 21 May 2024, when the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service expects to complete its work to review and streamline the content of its domestic abuse training taking into account the target audience. ","AnswerText":"COPFS has commenced work in relation to the areas identified in the His Majesty's Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland (HMIPS) report and is identifying the necessary work that will require to be undertaken and the resource requirements needed to implement the recommendations.\r\nCOPFS has agreed to provide HMIPS with regular updates on the work undertaken in implementing the recommendations contained within the report and anticipate that an update on progress could be provided in 6 months.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ruth Charteris","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420310,"EventID":"S6W-27743","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:52:01.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T15:28:08.17","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to benchmark staffing (a) costs and (b) ratios in the college sector, relative to other sectors.","AnswerText":"Staffing costs and ratios are operational matters for colleges to determine. The Scottish Government has no locus to benchmark staffing costs and ratios in the college sector.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420311,"EventID":"S6W-27772","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:52:01.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T10:49:06.533","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what progress has been made towards increasing the number of combined sewage overflow networks that are being monitored. ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26620 on 25 April 2024.\r\nScottish Water has committed to publishing annual reports on progress against the improving urban waters routemap.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420312,"EventID":"S6W-27745","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:52:01.6","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T15:33:00.033","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider applying the chief executive pay framework element of its public sector pay policy to the principals of public colleges. ","AnswerText":"College Principals’ salaries are for individual colleges to determine. The Scottish Government does however, expect that pay arrangements for senior staff ensures value for money, affordability and sustainability in the longer term.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420313,"EventID":"S6W-27773","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:52:01.693","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T11:18:17.033","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27346 by Dorothy Bain on 21 May 2024, when the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service will complete its work to provide clear guidance to staff on when a domestic abuse victim should be informed of a decision to discontinue a case and of their right to request a review of that decision.","AnswerText":"COPFS has commenced work in relation to the areas identified in the His Majesty's Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland (HMIPS) report and is identifying the necessary work that will require to be undertaken and the resource requirements needed to implement the recommendations.\r\nCOPFS has agreed to provide HMIPS with regular updates on the work undertaken in implementing the recommendations contained within the report and anticipate that an update on progress could be provided in 6 months.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ruth Charteris","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420314,"EventID":"S6W-27767","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:52:01.787","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T09:34:47.643","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has made available to install Changing Places toilets in (a) the current financial year to date and (b) each of the last five financial years.","AnswerText":"We announced last year that we will look to make the new £10 million fund available across the financial years 2024-25 and 2025-26. As a result there has been no funding to date. We know how important it is to develop clear funding criteria to ensure the best possible use of the fund. We will confirm future funding after this has been finalised.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420315,"EventID":"S6W-27758","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:52:01.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T09:15:58.287","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any companies involved in human rights abuses, or their subsidiaries, will be eligible to participate in future renewables leasing rounds, including subsequent ScotWind leasing rounds. ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27757 on? 7 June 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420316,"EventID":"S6W-27760","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:52:01.897","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T09:15:58.287","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider seeking to amend section 7 of the Crown Estate Scotland Act 2019 to require Crown Estate Scotland to take into account social and environmental wellbeing activities outside Scotland for procurement and leasing purposes.","AnswerText":"Section 7 of the Scottish Crown Estate Act 2019 requires management of Crown Estate Scotland assets to be undertaken in a manner that is likely to contribute to the promotion or the improvement of social and environmental wellbeing in Scotland.\r\nSection 9 of the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 describes the sustainable procurement duty requires the contracting authority to consider how it conducts the procurement process to improve the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of the authority's area.\r\nIn addition to this, for the ScotWind and INTOG leasing rounds, CES required a statement of commitment which requires a company to abide by the law in Scotland and relevant domestic law, safeguarding against a company that has been convicted of unlawful conduct in relation to sustainability from being able to operate in Scotland.\r\nWe will continue to review the leasing requirements for future leasing rounds informed by best practice to deliver the best outcomes for Scotland and in line with our social, economic and environmental principles, including the need for any legislative changes to support the updated leasing conditions.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420317,"EventID":"S6W-27677","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:52:02.037","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T13:10:57.037","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to review the Teacher Induction Scheme to ensure that it is fully equipped to serve the needs of schools in rural areas.   ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is aware of the challenges around probationer allocations in certain geographical areas and in certain subjects. We are therefore currently considering how the Teacher Induction Scheme can better address these challenges. \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420318,"EventID":"S6W-27696","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:52:02.223","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-17T09:47:48.973","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it would support the creation of a fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty, in light of its presumption against new oil and gas exploration and its membership of the Under2 Coalition.","AnswerText":"Licencing for offshore oil and gas is a matter reserved to UK Government. With regards to development of an international treaty, we are monitoring this as part of a wider programme of ongoing engagement with a range of organisations and stakeholders.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420319,"EventID":"S6W-27769","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:52:02.303","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T09:47:28.75","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made towards meeting its target of 25% of its external recruits being disabled people by 2025, as set out in its 2019 Recruitment and Retention Plan for Disabled People. ","AnswerText":"The 2019 recruitment and retention Action plan for Disabled People has been superseded by the Diversity and Inclusion Employer Strategy for Scottish Government published April 2024. Having a workforce more representative of the people of Scotland it serves, remains one of our Employer Equality Outcomes. The Scottish Government has made excellent progress towards meeting the target of 25% of external recruits declaring a disability. Latest figures show 35% of successful applicants declared a disability, exceeding the 25% target.\r\n","AnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420320,"EventID":"S6W-27740","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:52:02.35","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T15:20:52.053","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27228 by Angela Constance on 17 May 2024, whether it will provide the information requested regarding the details of any communications that it has had with the (a) Lord President of the Court of Session and (b) Judicial Office for Scotland regarding a public inquiry into criminal prosecutions relating to the takeover of Rangers FC, since the Scottish Government announced in February 2021 that it was committed to such an inquiry, and for what reason it did not provide this information in its answer.","AnswerText":"In response to S6W-27228, I indicated necessary engagement in relation to the inquiry will be undertaken once all legal proceedings associated with the malicious prosecutions are concluded. Not all legal proceedings are concluded. When it is undertaken, this engagement will include communication with the Lord President of the Court of Session in respect of judicial involvement in the inquiry.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420321,"EventID":"S6W-27748","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:52:02.397","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T15:33:00.033","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the revised guidance on relationships, sexual health and parenthood education.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government consultation on the revised teaching guidance closed on 23 November 2023. Over 4,000 responses were received and officials are now in the process of writing up the consultation analysis report. Once that report is published, officials will revise the guidance, taking account of the consultation feedback.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420322,"EventID":"S6W-27763","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:52:02.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T09:19:56.08","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether its decision to end funding of the National Parent Forum of Scotland will affect the statutory duty regarding parental involvement in school education.\r\n","AnswerText":"The decision to end funding for the National Parent Forum of Scotland will not affect the statutory duty regarding parental involvement in school education. As set out in the Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Act 2006, Parent Councils remain the statutory bodies responsible for representing parents’ views.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420323,"EventID":"S6W-27761","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:52:02.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T09:15:58.287","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider seeking to amend section 9 of the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 to require Crown Estate Scotland to take into account social and environmental wellbeing activities outside Scotland for the purposes of meeting the sustainable procurement duty. ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27760 on? 7 June 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420324,"EventID":"S6W-27762","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:52:02.553","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T09:15:58.287","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider seeking to amend the conditions for future renewables leasing rounds, including subsequent ScotWind leasing rounds, regarding human rights obligations, in line with the conditions set for Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) project bidders.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27757 on? 7 June 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420325,"EventID":"S6W-27768","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:52:02.6","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T09:47:28.75","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made towards meeting its target of disabled people representing 19% of its workforce, as set out in its 2019 Recruitment and Retention Plan for Disabled People. ","AnswerText":"The 2019 recruitment and retention Action plan for Disabled People has been superseded by the Diversity and Inclusion Employer Strategy for Scottish Government published April 2024. Having a workforce more representative of the people of Scotland it serves, remains one of our Employer Equality Outcomes. We have higher levels of disabled staff than ever before but still have further progress to make. The overall proportion of disabled people working in the Scottish Government has more than doubled over the last ten years, rising from 6.4% in 2013 to 14.1% in 2023.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420326,"EventID":"S6W-27742","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:52:02.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T15:28:08.17","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact of college mergers in 2014 on costs, including on staffing.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not made any specific assessments in this regard, the Scottish Funding Council published a report on the impact of the programme of college mergers in Scotland in 2012-13 and 2013-14, available on their website here:  https://www.sfc.ac.uk/college_mergers_overarching_report-pdf/?_rt=NXwxfG1lcmdlcnwxNzE2NTQ0NDkw&_rt_nonce=8e88beaf84  .\r\nThe Scottish Government and SFC are very conscious of the challenge colleges face. We are working collaboratively as part of the Colleges: Tripartite Alignment Group and the tripartite group provides strategic direction on the pressures and opportunities facing colleges and I take a strong interest in its work as I ensure we do all we can to support colleges. Further detail on the work of this group is available here:  Colleges: Tripartite Alignment Group - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .","AnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420327,"EventID":"S6W-27757","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:52:02.693","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T09:15:58.287","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider seeking to amend the conditions for future renewables leasing rounds, including subsequent ScotWind leasing rounds, regarding group companies and supply chain partners, in line with the conditions set for Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) project bidders. ","AnswerText":"Seabed leasing for offshore wind is administered by Crown Estate Scotland (CES), which sets the terms of lease. CES keeps the terms of lease under regular review to reflect any legislative updates or changes to CES or Scottish government policy. Leasing terms will therefore vary between leasing rounds to ensure that such agreements remain fit for purpose and reflect the latest statutory requirements and policy positions, as demonstrated by changes between the ScotWind and INTOG leasing terms. \r\nCES appraise lease applications as part of a rigorous internal assessment and due diligence process to confirm developer suitability, and only make awards to organisations that satisfy this assessment process. As part of this process companies provide a written statement to CES to confirm they have not been convicted of unlawful activity in relation to a range of requirements, including corruption, bribery, fraud, and human trafficking and exploitation, within the last five years. Only companies providing such assurances could proceed with bids. Five years was chosen by CES as a practical timeframe that balanced the need for the required statement to be robust, pragmatic and timely. \r\nThe criteria underpinning this assessment process is published for the purposes of transparency and accountability. CES also considers the impact of developments with regards to social and environmental wellbeing in Scotland. \r\nIn both the Scotwind and INTOG leasing rounds, CES required a statement of commitment from each applicant and any project partners confirming that they were not in contravention of a range of legislation. This requirement safeguarded against the successful participation of companies convicted of unlawful conduct either within the UK or internationally, including unlawful conduct in relation to ecologically damaging developments. \r\nCES also have responsibilities under the Scottish Government’s Slavery and Human trafficking statement and follow guidance on due diligence in relation to human rights.\r\nCES are committed to taking all appropriate action to prevent the Scottish seabed from being used by any company that does not meet its terms of lease. \r\nCES reserves the right to void any application in relation to ScotWind, INTOG or other developments which is found to have provided false information. \r\nIn addition, all offshore wind developments in Scotland are subject to strict environmental assessment processes for the purposes of preserving our natural environment and mitigating any damage.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420328,"EventID":"S6W-27755","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:52:02.74","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T21:58:55.907","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government at what time, or during what time periods, road traffic accidents, including all reported adverse incidents, have been recorded as having occurred at the Toll of Birness in the last 10 years. ","AnswerText":"Personal injury accidents occurred at the following time periods at A90 Toll of Birness between 1 January 2014 and 4 May 2024. Transport Scotland only holds accident information which is provided to us by Police Scotland. Transport Scotland does not hold information relating accidents or incidents not involving an injury.\r\nDay\r\nDate\r\nTime\r\nMonday\r\n10-02-2014\r\n16:04\r\nSaturday\r\n12-04-2014\r\n08:10\r\nFriday\r\n04-07-2014\r\n07:00\r\nMonday\r\n26-09-2016\r\n12:39\r\nWednesday\r\n05-04-2017\r\n18:00\r\nThursday\r\n04-01-2018\r\n08:45\r\nWednesday\r\n11-07-2018\r\n15:45\r\nThursday\r\n05-12-2019\r\n18:00\r\nTuesday\r\n18-02-2020\r\n14:51\r\nThursday\r\n03-06-2021\r\n07:20\r\nSunday\r\n15-01-2023\r\n03:32\r\n \r\n* data available until 5 March 2024\r\nSource: Transport Scotland Accident Manager Database\r\nNotes:\r\nStatistics for Police Scotland\r\nDate Period: 01-01-2014 - 05-03-2024\r\nDate Extracted - 21-05-2024\r\nPlease note that the personal injury accident information provided above is based on the current figures available. The following are potential reasons for an accident not appearing on our system:\r\nTransport Scotland only holds accident information which is provided to us by Police Scotland. Transport Scotland does not hold information relating to damage only accidents (i.e. not involving an injury).\r\nTransport Scotland only holds accident information for the trunk road network.\r\nThe accident information Transport Scotland holds is subject to change. E.g. we receive late returns from Police Scotland, who are responsible for recording details of injury accidents.\r\nAnnual Scottish accident figures are published by Transport Scotland on a yearly basis and can be found by entering Reported Road Casualties Scotland into your search engine.\r\nFrom summer 2019, Police Scotland introduced a new system for recording traffic collisions. Due to improved recording and categorisation processes, it is expected that there will be an increase in the number of casualties and accidents on Scottish roads that are classified as serious.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420329,"EventID":"S6W-27756","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:52:02.787","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T21:59:28.447","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the recorded causes of road traffic incidents at the Toll of Birness have been in the last 10 years.","AnswerText":"The two most common contributory factors for accidents within half-mile radius of A90 Toll of Birness junction between 1 January 2014 and 5 March 2024 junction include: 'Failed To Look Properly' (indicated for 55% of accidents) and 'Failed To Judge Other Person's Path or Speed' (indicated for 45% of accidents).\r\nContributory factors also included 'Careless/Reckless/In A Hurry' (27%), 'Loss Of Control' (27%), 'Poor Turn Or Manoeuvre' (18%), 'Slippery Road (due to weather)' (18%), ‘Swerved’ (9%), ‘Vehicle Blind Spot’ (9%) and ‘Other’ (9%).\r\nPlease note that more than one contributory factor can be attributed to an accident.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420330,"EventID":"S6O-03493","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5598,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":139,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:55:21.473","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T11:52:40.837","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with NHS Ayrshire and Arran.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420331,"EventID":"S6O-03500","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16195,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:55:21.833","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T14:24:50.297","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps it\r\nis taking to address child poverty.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420332,"EventID":"S6O-03504","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5622,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":148,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:55:21.977","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T13:38:07.763","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that disabled people who receive Scottish social security benefits are treated lawfully, in light of the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s reported investigation into the treatment of some disabled benefits claimants by the UK Department for Work and Pensions.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420333,"EventID":"S6O-03499","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:55:22.147","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-22T11:14:55.163","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the total annual cost of alcohol harm in Scotland, including to the NHS and healthcare, in light of the Institute of Alcohol Studies reporting that the annual cost of alcohol harm in England is £27.4 billion, which includes a £4.9 billion cost to the NHS in England.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420334,"EventID":"S6O-03498","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16191,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":77,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:55:22.257","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T15:43:13.647","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with NHS Lanarkshire, and what was discussed.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420335,"EventID":"S6O-03490","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16207,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:55:22.537","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T17:06:45.65","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to tackle wildlife crime.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420336,"EventID":"S6O-03494","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5877,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:55:22.787","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-22T08:47:52.667","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to\r\nrestart the GP Sustainability Loan Scheme, including by what date it expects to\r\nrestart the scheme.  ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420337,"EventID":"S6O-03492","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:55:22.93","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T17:18:10.493","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the health secretary has had with local health and social care partnerships regarding minor injuries units.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420338,"EventID":"S6O-03507","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:55:23.023","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-22T11:03:17.29","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to update any guidance that it provides regarding the application of single-sex exemptions under the Equality Act 2010 in public buildings in Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420339,"EventID":"S6O-03501","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16189,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":129,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:55:23.1","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T18:16:34.99","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what funding it provided to East and South Ayrshire Councils in 2023-24 for Discretionary Housing Payments.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420340,"EventID":"S6O-03489","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2826,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":84,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:55:23.18","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-22T09:49:49.32","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis has been undertaken of the impact of Brexit on agriculture, in light of the National Audit Office's report on developing post-Brexit border arrangements. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420341,"EventID":"S6O-03496","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:55:23.287","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-22T11:43:10.703","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to reduce any health inequalities, specifically in relation to the uptake of cervical cancer screening appointments.  ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420342,"EventID":"S6O-03495","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:55:23.35","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T16:05:05.76","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to reduce NHS waiting times.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420343,"EventID":"S6O-03484","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":89,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:55:23.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T10:34:13.613","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact on the food and drink sector of reports that many food and drink businesses are owned and controlled from outwith Scotland.  ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420344,"EventID":"S6O-03486","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:55:23.583","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T12:52:18.823","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how much money\r\nit has distributed to farmers to address any damage caused by recent flooding.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420345,"EventID":"S6O-03502","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:55:23.82","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-22T10:53:46.63","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address food poverty, in light of the recent figures published by the Trussell Trust showing that its network distributed 262,400 emergency food parcels in the last 12 months.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420346,"EventID":"S6O-03485","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:55:23.897","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-22T09:52:02.267","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what forms of community engagement the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill mandates in relation to the creation of a land management plan for large land holdings.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420347,"EventID":"S6O-03497","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":86,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:55:24.18","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-22T10:24:03.107","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what role NHS boards have in the monitoring and minimising of dispensing errors by community pharmacies.  ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420348,"EventID":"S6O-03491","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:55:24.273","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T11:02:08.083","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact the ending of the Bute House Agreement will have on its rural policy.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420349,"EventID":"S6O-03506","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:55:24.38","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-22T10:43:21.21","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how its Rural Affordable Homes for Key Workers Fund will help tackle island depopulation.  ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420350,"EventID":"S6O-03505","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5075,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":112,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:55:24.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T11:42:18.377","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any potential impact on its provision of support for refugees and asylum seekers living in Scotland of the immigration enforcement operations that are reportedly underway in Scotland, following the passage of the UK Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act 2024.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420351,"EventID":"S6O-03487","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:55:24.537","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-22T11:44:32.227","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the issuing of licences for scallop dredging activities that may cause harm to priority marine habitats, in light of reports of harm being caused to such habitats, including the herring spawning grounds off North Erradale and Gairloch.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420352,"EventID":"S6O-03488","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16178,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":78,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:55:24.63","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-22T09:46:03.45","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what place human ecology, specifically a focus on the relationship between the natural environment and the social environment, has in its rural affairs policy development.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420353,"EventID":"S6O-03503","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:55:24.71","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-22T10:49:16.507","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates the first payment of Employment Injury Assistance will be made.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420354,"EventID":"S6O-03512","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:55:27.883","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-22T08:00:47.513","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to support cultural activities in the Cowdenbeath constituency.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420355,"EventID":"S6O-03513","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:55:28.117","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T16:43:18.057","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to take forward the recommendations in the Transport Scotland report, \"There’s an app for that!\" - Women’s Safety on Public Transport in Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420356,"EventID":"S6O-03514","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":3751,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":108,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:55:28.383","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-22T10:36:25.38","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress of the Sherrifhall roundabout project. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420357,"EventID":"S6O-03515","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:55:28.477","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-22T10:48:51.96","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has held any recent discussions with SSEN Transmission, in light of reported concerns by communities in the Highlands and Islands region regarding electricity transmission proposals.","AnswerText":"Policy and regulation of energy networks in the UK, including their operation, maintenance and resilience, are reserved to the UK Government. \r\nScottish Government Ministers and officials regularly meet with stakeholders, including network companies, across the energy industry. The Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy and I last met with SSEN, alongside SPEN and ESO, on 21 March to discuss the ESO’s ‘Beyond 2030’ network recommendations for connection and delivery of clean power to homes and businesses across GB, where we stressed the need for meaningful and early engagement with communities.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":420358,"EventID":"S6O-03508","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:55:28.553","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-22T10:36:49.25","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on work to extend the application of Road Equivalent Tariff to Northern Isles ferry routes.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420359,"EventID":"S6O-03510","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16177,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":125,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:55:28.617","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T15:34:26.883","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support BSL users across Scotland to access culture, in light of the publication of Scotland’s Census 2022 report on language, which found that 117,300 people can use BSL. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420360,"EventID":"S6O-03509","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:55:28.727","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-22T10:37:30.077","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will introduce legislation on climate\r\ntargets, as announced by the net zero secretary in her ministerial statement on\r\n18 April.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420361,"EventID":"S6O-03511","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5596,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":151,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-22T16:55:28.79","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-22T10:26:13.253","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that local authorities are able to provide full-time schooling for children with complex additional support needs.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420386,"EventID":"S6W-27788","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-23T17:24:09.333","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T14:09:00.323","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it anticipates that an implementation and engagement plan for the mental health and wellbeing whole school approach framework, which was published in August 2021, will be developed, and whether it anticipates that an update to the framework will be published.","AnswerText":"The Mental Health in Schools Working Group will consider whether any updates or engagement is required to support the Whole School Approach Framework. The Group is expected to reconvene in Autumn 2024. \r\n \r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420387,"EventID":"S6W-27818","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2633,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-23T17:24:09.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T16:32:51.123","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Scottish Ambulance Service began using the GoodSAM system, and what assessment has been made of its effectiveness.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Ambulance Service started using the GoodSAM system in 2017 in a limited capacity – initially this was aimed at SAS clinicians to register. This was paused during the Covid-19 pandemic. Full implementation of GoodSAM, which was open to all, was launched in October 2022. Since this date, effectiveness has been measured based on month on month increase to both registrations and alerts accepted through it. Data modelling is now ongoing to establish how best to optimise the system for different parts of Scotland.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420388,"EventID":"S6W-27787","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-23T17:24:09.63","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T14:08:34.98","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Mental Health in Schools Working Group, which last met in August 2021, will be reconvened.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is working with COSLA on arrangements to reconvene the Mental Health in Schools Working Group in Autumn 2024.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420389,"EventID":"S6W-27811","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2633,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-23T17:24:09.74","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T16:32:51.123","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it supports existing first responder groups and charities to assist with emergency calls received by the Scottish Ambulance Service. ","AnswerText":"Co-ordination of Community First Responders (CFRs) and Wildcat Cardiac Responders sits within the Scottish Ambulance Service National Risk and Resilience Department (NRRD). The Community Resilience team within NRRD provide governance, recruitment, training, and support to CFR schemes and ensure the consistency of operating practice across Scotland.\r\nCFRs subscribe to an agreed governance framework and clinically approved Scope of Practice. The primary focus of the role is responding to cardiac arrests, heart problems, chest pains, breathing difficulties, stroke and choking. Volunteering is flexible and there is no minimum requirement.\r\nCFRs are dispatched, predominantly via Airwave radio, by the Alternative Resource Desk (ARD) within the Ambulance Control Centre. CFRs may also use the GoodSam app to ensure an expedited response to known and suspected cardiac arrests.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420390,"EventID":"S6W-27800","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-23T17:24:09.833","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T14:52:28.433","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27445 by Dorothy Bain on 21 May 2024, when it anticipates that it will complete its work on ensuring that (a) new information is brought to the attention of deputes and acted on promptly, (b) deputes are available to deal with urgent and unexpected queries as they arise, (c) the tasking of reporting officers is followed up timeously, (d) action is taken to address any risks to the efficient progression of the case and (e) deputes have sufficient time to address issues during their case preparation.","AnswerText":"COPFS has commenced work in relation to the areas identified in the His Majesty's Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland (HMIPS) report and is identifying the necessary work that will require to be undertaken and the resource requirements needed to implement the recommendations.\r\nCOPFS has agreed to provide HMIPS with regular updates on the work undertaken in implementing the recommendations contained within the report and anticipate that an update on progress could be provided in 6 months.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ruth Charteris","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420391,"EventID":"S6W-27808","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-23T17:24:09.927","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T16:24:14.79","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what interim support is available to people who are currently on long waiting lists for adult (a) autism and (b) attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessments.","AnswerText":"It is the responsibility of local Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs) to put in place services to meet local needs, including the needs of adults with ADHD. Alongside this, the Scottish Government is engaged in work nationally to improve access to ADHD diagnosis in Scotland.\r\nThe Scottish Government funds Scottish Autism’s Autism Advice Line which is staffed by advisors who are trained and experienced in working with autistic people and their families. The Advice Line is open Tuesday – Friday, 10am-4pm. There is also a live chat facility, which you can access via the chat bubble at the bottom right hand corner of Scottish Autism’s  website  .\r\nWe also provide £1m of funding to several organisations via our Adult Autism Support Fund (AASF). Formal diagnosis is not required to access support from the new fund, which is directed at adults who currently receive very little local funding. The service is delivered in partnership with national charities and autistic led organisations, with Inspiring Scotland appointed as fund managers.\r\nThere are many other organisations across Scotland that run initiatives that support adults awaiting assessments for autism and/or ADHD. These initiatives do not require formal diagnoses as a prerequisite for access.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420392,"EventID":"S6W-27812","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2633,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-23T17:24:10.02","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T16:32:51.123","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what (a) international standards and (b) training accreditations are currently met by community first responders trained by the Scottish Ambulance Service. ","AnswerText":"New volunteers must undertake a 4-day mandatory training programme and assessment, aligned to a clinically assured Scope of Practice, prior to becoming an active CFR. The course is delivered in-house by SAS that aims to equip volunteers for their role.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420393,"EventID":"S6W-27809","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-23T17:24:10.1","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T16:24:14.79","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the current average waiting times for adult (a) autism and (b) attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessments.","AnswerText":"There is no national collection of waiting times for adult diagnosis of ADHD. Such collection is conducted at the level of Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs), and is not aggregated nationally.\r\nHowever, the Scottish Government established the  National Autism Implementation Team  (NAIT), in partnership with Queen Margaret University, to support Health and Social Care Partnerships to consider best practice and improve service in the redesigning of autism diagnostic services.\r\nIn May 2023, NAIT published a  review of waiting times for neurodevelopmental assessment in Scotland for adults  , conducted between October 2021 and May 2022. These assessments include those for autism and ADHD.\r\nThis review found that, while the median overall waiting time for a diagnosis in adults was 252 days, aligning with the recommended timeframe, under half (47%) of individual assessments met the 252-day time standard, indicating that some individuals experience longer waiting times.\r\nThe 2020  Programme for Government  included work to consider a National Clinical Pathway for ADHD. That work has now been completed and the  Feasibility Study  was published in January 2021 by the National Autism Implementation Team (NAIT). \r\nFollowing on from the study, the Scottish Government provided funding of £650,000 for a 12-month pilot in four HSCP areas - Fife, Borders, Lanarkshire and Highland. The findings of the pilot were published in March 2023. We have accepted the full recommendations of the  report  and are now working with NAIT on implementation.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420394,"EventID":"S6W-27805","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-23T17:24:10.21","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T16:00:44.05","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many instances of stalking were recorded in 2023-24, and how many of those cases have been prosecuted to date.","AnswerText":"Instances of stalking in 2023-24 will be published within the Recorded Crime in Scotland 2023-24 accredited official statistics on 25 June 2024. The most recently published data shows there were 872 crimes of stalking recorded by police over the year ending December 2023.\r\nWe do not hold information on the specific proportion of stalking cases recorded by the police that led to a prosecution. This is because the recorded crime and criminal proceedings statistics are not operationally linked. Recorded crime statistics count crimes and offences at the time that they came to the attention of Police Scotland, while criminal proceedings statistics report on cases once they have concluded in court. This means that a crime may be recorded by the police in one year and court proceedings concluded in a subsequent year. In addition, a person may be proceeded against for more than one crime, or a set of crimes with more than one victim, in a proceeding, but only a single conviction for the ‘main charge’ (the one receiving the most severe sentence) would be counted in the court proceedings statistics. There is also the possibility a crime recorded by the police may be altered in the course of judicial proceedings.\r\nNoting the above, the latest published Criminal Proceedings in Scotland accredited official statistics show 401 people were proceeded against in court for a crime of stalking in 2021-22.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420395,"EventID":"S6W-27501","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-23T17:24:10.303","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T11:27:03.693","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the potential impact on its energy policy in Scotland, what its position is on the proposed introduction of locational marginal pricing for the GB wholesale electricity market, and whether it plans to respond to the UK Government’s consultation on the review of electricity market arrangements.","AnswerText":"The UK Government’s Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA) provides an opportunity to take a whole systems view of our future electricity market and consider how it can be reformed to support further renewable deployment, ensure security of supply and reduce costs for consumers. We are clear that any reforms should support a fair and just transition to net zero. We provided a response to the second REMA consultation on 3 May.\r\nWe are aware of the potential impacts, both positive and negative, that locational marginal pricing could have for market participants, and we are cognisant of concerns expressed by the renewables industry in Scotland. We are also aware of potential benefits for consumers, including those in or at risk of fuel poverty, as well as for the decarbonisation of industry, heat and transport through electrification. We continue to call on the UK Government to act quickly to provide further clarity on market reform options.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":420396,"EventID":"S6W-27803","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-23T17:24:10.397","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T15:17:25.383","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to assess the potential cumulative impact of the reported five new proposed developments for pumped storage hydro-electricity generation around Loch Ness in the Highlands, particularly in relation to endangered wild salmon populations and fragile native woodlands. ","AnswerText":"It would not be appropriate to comment on the merits or impacts of any specific renewable energy proposal.\r\nNational Planning Framework 4, approved by the Scottish Parliament in 2023, is making sure the planning system enables the sustainable growth of the renewable energy sector while continuing to protect our most valued natural assets and cultural heritage.\r\nPotential impacts on biodiversity and woodlands, including the cumulative effects of developments, are important considerations in the decision-making process, with all applications being subject to site-specific assessments, including Environmental Impact Assessment where relevant.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420397,"EventID":"S6W-27814","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2633,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-23T17:24:10.49","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T16:32:51.123","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it provides to the Scottish Ambulance Service on the objectives of its community first responders programme.","AnswerText":"Scottish Ambulance Service see volunteers as a key part of its 2030 strategy, there is an emphasis on working collaboratively with communities to improve population health, enhance the resilience of communities and deliver high quality emergency care for patients. Community First Responders are an integral component of this approach.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420398,"EventID":"S6W-27807","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-23T17:24:10.57","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T16:24:14.79","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what support it is providing to NHS boards to help meet demand for adult (a) autism and (b) attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessments.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government funds the National Autism Implementation Team (NAIT) to support local areas to improve their neurodevelopmental support and diagnosis for adults; this includes diagnosis for both autism and ADHD. Since we accepted the recommendations of the Adult Neurodevelopmental Pathways report last year, we have provided £567k for implementation to the NAIT. Nine of the 14 NHS Health Boards in Scotland now have Adult Neurodevelopmental Pathway Strategic Groups and five have a current Local Action Plan. Progress in this area remains a priority.\r\nNAIT also published guidance in April (2022) regarding the prescribing of ADHD medication to adults following a private sector diagnosis in Scotland which can be read  here  .\r\nNAIT’s guidance was constructed in consultation with practising psychiatrists, the Royal Colleges of Psychiatry and General Practice, as well as individuals with ADHD.\r\nThis guidance helps clarify the roles and responsibilities of both NHS staff and non-NHS providers.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420399,"EventID":"S6W-27792","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-23T17:24:10.663","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T14:35:34.687","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27450 by Dorothy Bain on 21 May 2024, when it anticipates that it will complete the work on recommendation 12 in the report on HM Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland's (HMIPS) inspection of the prosecution of summary domestic abuse cases, in order to ensure that victims are informed of bail review applications, their views are sought and put before the court, and they are informed of the outcome timeously. ","AnswerText":"COPFS has commenced work in relation to the areas identified in the His Majesty's Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland (HMIPS) report and is identifying the necessary work that will require to be undertaken and the resource requirements needed to implement the recommendations.\r\nCOPFS has agreed to provide HMIPS with regular updates on the work undertaken in implementing the recommendations contained within the report and anticipate that an update on progress could be provided in 6 months.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ruth Charteris","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420400,"EventID":"S6W-27780","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-23T17:24:10.757","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T11:57:32.363","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the reported underlying causes of the recruitment and retention challenges within the childcare sector, such as gendered occupational segregation, low pay and poor working conditions, are being considered in the development of the strategic framework for Scotland’s childcare profession.","AnswerText":"We are engaging closely with our sector wide stakeholder group and taking an evidence-based approach to developing and delivering actions to support Scotland’s childcare profession that include consideration of gender, pay and wider working conditions. This builds on the important work the Scottish Government has led to make Fair Work central to the delivery of the expansion of funded early learning and childcare (ELC).\r\nIn 2016, before the ELC expansion to 1140 hours, approximately 80% of practitioners delivering funded ELC in private and third sector services were paid less than the real Living Wage. The investment to support sustainable rates, and the ELC real Living Wage commitment has led to increases in pay across private and third sector services. Our Financial Sustainability Health Check, published 31 July 2023, reports that 81% of funded ELC providers in the private and third sector are now paying the real Living Wage to either all staff or staff delivering funded ELC.\r\nIn 2024-25, the Scottish Government has provided local authorities with an additional £16 million to increase pay for staff in the private and voluntary (PVI) sector who are delivering funded ELC to at least £12 per hour from April 2024. This commitment could result in a £2,000 increase in the gross salary annual salary of a full-time childcare worker.\r\nThis demonstrates our commitment to the Fair Work agenda, as we remain the only part of the UK to provide funding to allow ELC staff in the PVI sector to be paid the real Living Wage.\r\nAnother key action we are taking forward is implementing a process for monitoring progress with providers paying the real Living Wage and re-establishing the ELC Fair Work and Real Living Wage Implementation Group.\r\nThese are critical steps towards addressing the recruitment and retention issues facing the sector today.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420401,"EventID":"S6W-27817","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2633,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-23T17:24:10.883","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T16:32:51.123","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many community first responders have been trained by the Scottish Ambulance Service, to date, broken down by parliamentary region. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Ambulance Service currently has around 900 Community First Responders. The number of Community First Responders trained by the Scottish Ambulance Service by SAS Operational Areas between April 2021 - March 2024: \r\nRegion \r\nPeriod\r\nNorth\r\nEast\r\nWest\r\nTotal\r\nApril 21 - March 22\r\n34\r\n2\r\n5\r\n41*\r\nApril 22 - March 23\r\n33\r\n30\r\n19\r\n82\r\nApril 23 - March 24\r\n56\r\n63\r\n66\r\n185 \r\n123\r\n95\r\n90\r\n308\r\n \r\n*The focus in 2021-2022 was re-mobilisation of Community First Responders post Covid, therefore recruitment of new volunteers was limited.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420402,"EventID":"S6W-27784","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-23T17:24:10.943","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T11:59:56.13","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its proposals for a human rights incorporation bill, when it plans to (a) publish an initial draft of the legislation and (b) introduce any bill to the Parliament, and whether it will provide an update on whether it anticipates that a bill on this issue will be passed during the current parliamentary session.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27480 on 4 June 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at -  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420403,"EventID":"S6W-27781","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-23T17:24:11.053","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T11:57:39.757","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many women workers in the early learning and childcare workforce it estimates will be captured by its commitment to pay at least £12 per hour to workers delivering the funded entitlement.","AnswerText":"It is estimated that around 12,500 female practitioners and support workers who are working in private and third sector ‘day care of children’ settings that deliver funded ELC will benefit from Scottish Government investment to allow staff to be paid at least £12 per hour. This could result in a £2,000 increase in the gross salary annual salary of a full-time childcare worker.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420404,"EventID":"S6W-27799","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-23T17:24:11.133","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T14:51:29.973","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27378 by Dorothy Bain on 21 May 2024, when it anticipates that it will complete its work on ensuring that the approach to counter allegations set out in the joint protocol on challenging domestic abuse is followed in practice by both reporting officers and marking deputes, and that counter allegations are part of the training. ","AnswerText":"COPFS has commenced work in relation to the areas identified in the His Majesty's Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland (HMIPS) report and is identifying the necessary work that will require to be undertaken and the resource requirements needed to implement the recommendations.\r\nCOPFS has agreed to provide HMIPS with regular updates on the work undertaken in implementing the recommendations contained within the report and anticipate that an update on progress could be provided in 6 months.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ruth Charteris","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420405,"EventID":"S6W-27797","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-23T17:24:11.21","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T14:44:59.013","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what temporary facilities are available for critical policing facilities in the event that Police Scotland's Edinburgh Division Fettes headquarters are closed, and what assurances it can provide that any such facilities do not contain reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), unsafe cladding or any other unsafe materials.","AnswerText":"The location of critical policing facilities is an operational decision for the Chief Constable.\r\nPolice Scotland is currently in discussions with a number of partners around possible locations in Edinburgh, to ensure it can continue to provide a policing service that meets the needs of communities across the city, in the event that the Divisional headquarters at Fettes are closed.\r\nIt is for Police Scotland to assure itself on the condition of its estate, and to ensure it meets all health and safety statutory requirements, to support the wellbeing of officers, staff and the public.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420406,"EventID":"S6W-27778","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-23T17:24:11.303","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T11:57:14.163","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on the development of the strategic framework for Scotland’s childcare profession, which was committed to in the document, Best Start: Strategic early learning and school age childcare plan for Scotland 2022-26.","AnswerText":"Following the announcement of major new childcare commitments in the 2023-24 Programme for Government, the Scottish Government is re-considering the approach to publication of the strategic framework for the early learning and school age childcare profession. In the mean time we are continuing to work with the Framework Steering Group and other partners to support delivery of the actions developed as part of the original plan.\r\nWe have already provided local authorities with an additional £16 million in 24-25 to increase pay for staff in the private and voluntary (PVI) sector who are delivering funded early learning and childcare (ELC) to at least £12 per hour from April 2024. This demonstrates our commitment to the Fair Work agenda, as we remain the only part of the UK to pay ELC staff in the PVI sector the real Living Wage.\r\nIn addition, we are progressing our commitment to growing the childminding profession by 1,000 and have funded the Scottish Childminding Association to develop a new national three-year programme of childminder recruitment and retention. We have also implemented a Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) fee waiver scheme for everyone joining the sector in fiscal year 2023-24 and launched a new national portal for continuous professional learning, which includes mental health and wellbeing resources.\r\nWe will continue to work with representatives from across the sector to understand key priorities for the ELC profession and how we can best support retention and recruitment.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420407,"EventID":"S6W-27746","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-23T17:24:11.383","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T15:33:00.033","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government (a) how and (b) in what timescale it plans to produce guidance on the transportation of children in secure care, as required by the recently passed Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Bill.","AnswerText":"Royal Assent is still awaited on the Bill, following its agreement by the Scottish Parliament on 25 April. Given the wide-ranging nature of the legislation, the Scottish Government is considering commencement schedules across different provisions rather than a final Act of Parliament being commenced in its entirety on one specific date. These considerations, across all aspects of the Bill, are being informed by stakeholders and delivery partners. This engagement includes the Implementation and Resourcing Group which was established during Parliamentary consideration of the Bill and will ensure commencement is managed well.\r\nHowever, as the Scottish Government made clear to Parliament during scrutiny of the Bill, ensuring secure transport is subject to a robust and transparent framework is of key importance and we continue to engage with relevant agencies across a range of work which is underway to support that.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420408,"EventID":"S6W-27782","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-23T17:24:11.57","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T11:57:52.37","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how any learning from the early adopter community programmes set out in the School Age Childcare Delivery Framework will be used to scale up an improved childcare offer at the national level.","AnswerText":"Since October 2022 we have invested £4 million to deliver innovative school age childcare services to around 600 children from 500 families through our Early Adopter Community projects in Glasgow, Inverclyde, Clackmannanshire and Dundee.\r\nOn 22 May 2024, the First Minister announced a further £16 million investment over the next two years in the early adopter community projects including expanding delivery to communities in Fife and Shetland. This will enable participating local authorities to increase the number of families supported across these communities, expanding parents’ access to childcare, particularly for those families most at risk of living in poverty.\r\nThe early adopter community projects are a key driver for change. They will be a leading source of evidence, data, insights, and evaluation relating to the impact, approach and economic outcomes associated with place-based, people-centred systems of childcare focused on understanding the changes local authorities can undertake to expand access to childcare for those families who need it most, and the difference that can make towards reducing poverty. This work is already informing what system changes are needed at national and local levels to support sustainable delivery of childcare services within communities, and how these link with wider public services which families need.\r\nWe are committed to sharing learning across the early adopter community network and with all Local Authorities, to ensure we support future development at a national level. Our independent process evaluation report for the early adopter communities, being carried out by IPSOS Scotland, will be published in September 2024. IPSOS have engaged with project leads, service staff, local delivery partners and families to understand what is working well for them and what could be improved, to support next steps and future investment.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420409,"EventID":"S6W-27789","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-23T17:24:11.663","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T14:29:25.647","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which police stations in the (a) Lothian region and (b) Edinburgh Division area have been identified as containing reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).","AnswerText":"Within the Police Scotland estate in the Edinburgh and Lothians area, Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) has been identified as being present in Fettes, and in an outbuilding at Haddington Police Station.\r\nPolice Scotland have ensured that there is no risk to officers, staff or visitors to their buildings that contain RAAC.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420410,"EventID":"S6W-27779","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-23T17:24:11.727","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T11:57:24.36","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the updated timescale is for delivery of the strategic framework for Scotland’s childcare profession, in light of the document, Best Start: Strategic early learning and school age childcare plan for Scotland 2022-26, stating that it would be published in late 2022.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27778 on 10 June 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420411,"EventID":"S6W-27804","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16205,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-23T17:24:11.867","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T15:22:19.327","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to publish the (a) minutes, (b) future meeting schedule and (c) work programme of the Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) Cross Sector Working Group, and, if so, when.","AnswerText":"All documents, including minutes, relating to the RAAC Cross Sector Working Group can be viewed on the Scottish Government website at:  Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC): Cross Sector Working Group - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).  Minutes are published once agreed by the Group.\r\nThe Group meets on a regular basis, as agreed by the membership. Currently, this is every 2 months. The Group, as set out in its purpose, is to enable the members to share information about RAAC, to build an understanding of RAAC in buildings across Scotland.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420412,"EventID":"S6W-27813","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2633,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-23T17:24:11.943","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T16:32:51.123","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what role existing first responder groups have in assisting the Scottish Ambulance Service response in rural areas of the Mid Scotland and Fife region. ","AnswerText":"Community First Responders (CFRs) are highly valued by the Scottish Ambulance Service and are a dedicated and valuable asset to the communities they serve across Scotland including Mid Scotland and Fife. They form an integral part of the Service’s response, especially but not solely, to Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrests (OHCA)\r\nCFRs are community-based volunteers that, subject to their availability, work to a clinically assured scope of practice to enhance and complement, but not replace, the emergency ambulance response within an agreed geographical area.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420413,"EventID":"S6W-27777","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-23T17:24:12.037","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T11:33:14.037","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Fund will reopen for applications, and what its budget allocation is for 2024. ","AnswerText":"We are currently delivering Calls 1, 2 and 3 of the Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Fund. A decision on potential future funding rounds will be taken once the 2025-26 budget allocation is confirmed. £8.8 million is allocated in 2024-25.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420414,"EventID":"S6W-27802","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-23T17:24:12.303","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T14:56:42.37","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27377 by Dorothy Bain on 21 May 2024, when it anticipates that it will complete its work on ensuring that Standard Prosecution Reports fully address the victim’s views on court proceedings, bail conditions and non-harassment orders, with reasons for victims’ views being fully explored and described, by both the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and Police Scotland, in appropriate and accurate language.","AnswerText":"COPFS has commenced work in relation to the areas identified in the His Majesty's Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland (HMIPS) report and is identifying the necessary work that will require to be undertaken and the resource requirements needed to implement the recommendations.\r\nCOPFS has agreed to provide HMIPS with regular updates on the work undertaken in implementing the recommendations contained within the report and anticipate that an update on progress could be provided in 6 months.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ruth Charteris","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420415,"EventID":"S6W-27806","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-23T17:24:12.383","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T16:18:16.89","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of hate crime charges or hate crime aggravations have been recorded in Lothian region, to date, under the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021.","AnswerText":"Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) uses a live, operational database to manage the processing of reports submitted to Procurators Fiscal by the police and other reporting agencies throughout Scotland. It is designed to meet business needs in the processing of criminal cases, rather than for statistical purposes and the information within it is structured accordingly. Information provided is at date of extract and may therefore be subject to change as data and systems are updated for operational reasons. \r\nFrom 1 April to 28 May 2024, 170 hate crime charges and 615 charges with one or more hate crime aggravations in terms of the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 have been reported to COPFS for the whole of Scotland. The total, therefore, is 785 charges.\r\nFrom 1 April to 28 May 2024, 33 hate crime charges and 98 charges with one or more hate crime aggravations in terms of the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 have been reported to COPFS in the Lothian region. For the purposes of this answer, the ‘Lothian region’ been restricted to charges reported to COPFS from the Edinburgh and Livingston Sheriff Court Districts. The total 131 hate crime charges and aggravations for Lothian region represents 16.7% of the total for the whole of Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ruth Charteris","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420416,"EventID":"S6W-27810","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2633,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-23T17:24:12.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T16:32:51.123","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the overall cost is of the GoodSAM system used by Scottish Ambulance Service.","AnswerText":"£25,000 per annum.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420417,"EventID":"S6W-27679","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-23T17:24:12.553","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T13:49:08.817","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much public funding it has provided to ScotRail in each year since 2016.","AnswerText":"The information requested is available online and can be found in the Transport Scotland’s annual accounts via the ‘Publications’ section of the Transport Scotland website,  Publications | Transport Scotland  .\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420418,"EventID":"S6W-27815","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2633,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-23T17:24:12.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T16:32:51.123","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government with what types of emergency call community first responders trained by the Scottish Ambulance Service are trained to assist. ","AnswerText":"Community First Responders (CFRs) are trained to operate within a clinically approved Scope of Practice. CFRs can be asked to attend a range of urgent and emergency medical emergencies including cardiac arrests, chest pains, breathing difficulties, strokes, choking and other similar types of call where a local and quick response may be beneficial to complement the emergency response.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420419,"EventID":"S6W-27793","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-23T17:24:12.727","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T14:37:34.507","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27444 by Dorothy Bain on 21 May 2024, when it anticipates that it will complete the work to ensure that statutory aggravations are applied where appropriate.","AnswerText":"COPFS has commenced work in relation to the areas identified in the His Majesty's Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland (HMIPS) report and is identifying the necessary work that will require to be undertaken and the resource requirements needed to implement the recommendations.\r\nCOPFS has agreed to provide HMIPS with regular updates on the work undertaken in implementing the recommendations contained within the report and anticipate that an update on progress could be provided in 6 months.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ruth Charteris","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420420,"EventID":"S6W-27816","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2633,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-23T17:24:12.803","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T16:32:51.123","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government within what radius of distance from an incident community first responders trained by the Scottish Ambulance Service are asked to assist. ","AnswerText":"Community First Responders generally respond to calls within a designated geographical area known as a polygon. The polygon is agreed between the Community First Responder scheme and the Scottish Ambulance Service. The size of the polygon may vary from scheme to scheme and will be dependent on factors such as geography, base location of volunteers, and predicted travel times. \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420421,"EventID":"S6W-27791","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-23T17:24:12.883","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T14:35:18.927","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has ever corresponded with the Divisional Commander of Police Scotland's Edinburgh Division regarding the operational distribution of officers.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government ministers and officials liaise with Police Scotland officers of various ranks on a regular basis. I and accompanying officials met the then Divisional Commander for Edinburgh in August 2023 as part of a short visit to the joint Police Scotland and City of Edinburgh Council operation overseeing the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.\r\nThe operational deployment of officers is however a matter for the Chief Constable. The Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 is very clear on this point, and that Police Scotland is accountable to the Scottish Police Authority for this, rather than to Scottish Ministers directly. These arrangements are in place to ensure public confidence that the police act independently, free from unwarranted Ministerial interference.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420422,"EventID":"S6W-27776","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-23T17:24:12.977","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T11:33:03.177","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many of the 8,500 jobs created in Scotland through inward investment in the 2022-23 financial year were connected to UK projects.","AnswerText":"Responsibility for measuring Scotland’s annual inward investment performance rests with Scottish Development International (SDI) on behalf of the Enterprise Agencies. SDI reports for the financial year 2022-23, of the 8,533 jobs generated in Scotland, 2,629 were created or secured through supported inward investment projects with UK headquartered businesses across 23 supported inward investment projects.\r\nSDI results form part of a suite of indicators used to measure Scotland’s inward investment performance. According to the latest EY Annual Attractiveness Survey (2023), Scotland’s strong track record of attracting inward investment continues, with Scotland maintaining its position as the top performing part of the UK outside of London for the eighth year.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420423,"EventID":"S6W-27798","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-23T17:24:13.083","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T14:48:15.303","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27449 by Dorothy Bain on 21 May 2024, when it anticipates that it will complete its work with justice partners, particularly the police and the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, to ensure that victims are informed of the outcome of the accused's first appearance on the same day, and update all guidance protocols accordingly. ","AnswerText":"COPFS has commenced work in relation to the areas identified in the His Majesty's Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland (HMIPS) report and is identifying the necessary work that will require to be undertaken and the resource requirements needed to implement the recommendations.\r\nCOPFS has agreed to provide HMIPS with regular updates on the work undertaken in implementing the recommendations contained within the report and anticipate that an update on progress could be provided in 6 months.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ruth Charteris","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420424,"EventID":"S6W-27775","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-23T17:24:13.163","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T11:26:37.437","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27345 by Dorothy Bain on 21 May 2024, when the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service expects to complete its work to (a) review the take-up of mandatory and other training, and identify and address the reasons for low take-up, (b) ensure that all staff managing and prosecuting domestic abuse cases and engaging with domestic abuse victims have appropriate training and (c) review the domestic abuse e-learning module for VIA officers and make it mandatory. ","AnswerText":"COPFS has commenced work in relation to the areas identified in the His Majesty's Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland (HMIPS) report and is identifying the necessary work that will require to be undertaken and the resource requirements needed to implement the recommendations.\r\nCOPFS has agreed to provide HMIPS with regular updates on the work undertaken in implementing the recommendations contained within the report and anticipate that an update on progress could be provided in 6 months.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ruth Charteris","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420425,"EventID":"S6W-27801","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-23T17:24:13.257","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T14:52:50.463","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27376 by Dorothy Bain on 21 May 2024, when it anticipates that it will complete its work on ensuring that prosecutors have sufficiently detailed information on the risk to victims that can be passed on to the court when required. ","AnswerText":"COPFS has commenced work in relation to the areas identified in the His Majesty's Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland (HMIPS) report and is identifying the necessary work that will require to be undertaken and the resource requirements needed to implement the recommendations.\r\nCOPFS has agreed to provide HMIPS with regular updates on the work undertaken in implementing the recommendations contained within the report and anticipate that an update on progress could be provided in 6 months.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ruth Charteris","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420430,"EventID":"S6W-27895","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":5771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-28T09:34:20.123","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T09:31:52.193","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to increase access to diabetes technologies.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that everyone living with diabetes can access the care that they need to live their lives well. This includes increasing access to diabetes technologies. \r\nBetween 2016 and 2022, we invested £29.6 million of additional funding to support the increased provision of diabetes technologies. \r\nI am delighted to confirm that this financial year, up to £8.8 million of funding will be made available to expand access to diabetes technologies in Scotland. The focus will primarily be on providing access to all children that want Closed Loop Systems, but will also allow us to continue increasing access to adults. \r\nThis investment will allow us to continue developing innovative care models for diabetes in Scotland that have a focus on digital pathways and peer support. ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420431,"EventID":"S6W-27896","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":4940,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":81,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-28T09:37:03.357","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T09:35:17.21","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on work to develop a refreshed National Events Strategy for Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government published the refreshed National Events Strategy for Scotland 2024-2035 today.\r\nDeveloping this strategy has been a collaborative effort, shaped by voices from across the event sector, Trade Unions, Local Authorities and the wider public sector. Following a consultation and engagement process clear agreed priorities have emerged to shape a strategy that provides focus for the whole sector, bringing everyone together to deliver a shared ambition.\r\nThis strategy can sustain and develop a dynamic, resilient, and responsible events sector that is a valued part of Scotland’s wellbeing economy, maintaining Scotland’s reputation as the perfect stage for events. It will ensure Scotland continues to support a dynamic portfolio of events – from regular local community events to Scotland’s signature events and festivals, to one off international business, cultural and sporting events.\r\nThe Scottish Government remains committed to continuing to work with the existing strong partnerships across Scotland – as well as creating new relationships in a collaborative and cohesive approach, helping to maximise our collective resources.\r\nA copy of the strategy is available using this URL –  https://www.visitscotland.org/about-us/what-we-do/events  .","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420432,"EventID":"S6W-27897","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":16189,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":129,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-28T09:49:43.54","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T09:43:28.44","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to undertaking a review of the New Build Heat Standard, in light of reported concerns regarding the importance of wood burning stoves in ensuring that some rural and island communities are more resilient to interruptions in heating supplies.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420433,"EventID":"S6T-02015","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-28T10:39:35.183","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T07:47:28.85","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on plans to review the New Build Heat Standard.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420434,"EventID":"S6T-02009","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-28T10:39:35.387","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-27T11:19:11.977","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to build resilience to flooding, in light of reports that heavy rain and flooding caused drivers to be stranded on the Edinburgh City Bypass for hours. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420435,"EventID":"S6F-03168","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-28T10:39:29.263","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-23T10:47:32.557","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420436,"EventID":"S6F-03169","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5586,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-28T10:39:29.403","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-23T10:47:51.497","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420437,"EventID":"S6F-03170","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":2892,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-28T10:39:29.107","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-23T10:48:15.517","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420438,"EventID":"S6F-03174","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5618,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":91,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-28T10:39:29.527","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-27T11:49:11.67","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what assessment the Scottish Government has made of the potential impact on the health service in Scotland of Home Office data showing that health and care worker visa applications are 76% lower in January to April this year, compared with last year.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":420439,"EventID":"S6F-03185","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-28T10:39:29.98","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T07:46:09.723","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to reports of a National Crime Agency warning about synthetic opioids being linked to rising numbers of deaths.  ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420440,"EventID":"S6F-03176","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-28T10:39:30.263","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-27T12:49:06.887","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s position is on whether teacher numbers should be maintained, in light of the reported concerns of many parents, pupils and school staff in Glasgow.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420444,"EventID":"S6W-27908","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":5596,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":151,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-28T13:50:29.787","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T13:47:20.847","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has undertaken to identify any additional capacity requirements for the implementation of the new model of neonatal care.","AnswerText":"In 2017, the Scottish Government published ‘The Best Start : A Five-Year Forward Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Care in Scotland’, and the report and recommendations were accepted by Ministers. The Best Start outlined a new model of neonatal service provision that suggests that care for the smallest and sickest babies should be consolidated to deliver the best possible outcomes.\r\nAn important part of planning for the implementation stage of the model of care is the modelling of demand and capacity requirements.\r\nThe Scottish Government contracted healthcare planning support, RSM UK Consulting LLP, to undertake detailed modelling and capacity planning work, to inform local implementation plans.\r\nThe approach to this work has included data collection and modelling alongside engagement with both operational and strategic stakeholders, to validate data, generate and test planning assumptions.\r\nActivity and capacity data was collected from each of the eight units included within the model scope, as well as Public Health Scotland (PHS) and, Scottish Specialist Transport and Retrieval (ScotSTAR) / Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS).\r\nThe report outlines this modelling approach, inputs, and interpretation of the outputs to support the future of NICU services. This aligns with the Best Start recommendations and focuses on the three regional NICU sites chosen for adoption in Scotland. To further support local implementation plans, this report also outlines a series of considerations for implementation that can be taken forward beyond the commission.\r\nThe report will be published on 29 May 2024 and can be accessed at  New Model of Neonatal Care – RSM UK Consulting - Report ","AnswerDate":"2024-05-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420445,"EventID":"S6W-27909","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":3763,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":142,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-28T14:38:12.51","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T14:31:56.873","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received the pre-election propriety advice from the permanent secretary, which was referred to during First Minister’s Questions on 23 May 2024.","AnswerText":"Pre-election guidance, informed by UK general election guidance and consistent with the devolved administrations, was published on the Scottish Government Website on 24 May:  UK General Election 2024: guidance for civil servants - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .\r\nIn addition, the Permanent Secretary wrote to me on 27 May outlining the impact of this guidance on the Scottish Government’s planned business:  https://www.gov.scot/publications/pre-election-period-advice-letter-to-the-first-minister \r\nThis advice means that during the restricted period which extends until 4 July, strategic policies due for publication, including the Programme for Government, the Medium Term Financial Strategy, the Scottish Government’s draft tax strategy and the Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, should be deferred.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"John Swinney","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420464,"EventID":"S6W-27821","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-28T15:56:51.327","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T16:53:42.043","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the current list of Specialist Reporting Agencies to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS).","AnswerText":"The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service are in the process of finalising a comprehensive list of all Specialist Reporting Agencies, which will be made available within the next three months.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ruth Charteris","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420465,"EventID":"S6W-27820","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-28T15:56:51.437","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T16:35:03.073","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to improve the processing of accessing care records for care experienced people. ","AnswerText":"The Digitisation of records is an operational responsibility of individual Health Boards GP practices and Local Authorities, and their partner organisations commissioned to deliver care. At a national level and building on the existing use of electronic record systems, we are focussed on allowing records to be stored, linked, and shared securely.\r\nOur national work recognises, however, that we need to improve the way this works for people across Scotland in a nationally consistent manner. As set out in our integrated health & social care record and a digital front door so that we can introduce a national approach to improving the process for accessing care records for care experienced people, and those around them.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420466,"EventID":"S6W-27828","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-28T15:56:51.483","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-22T08:54:29.387","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the Scottish breast screening programme data 2022-23, what steps are being taken to improve uptake rates for women living in Scotland’s most deprived communities. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Breast Screening Programme Statistics 2022-23 report confirms that a greater percentage of women experiencing socio-economic deprivation have attended screening for the three year period 2020-23 when compared to the last reporting period.\r\nWhile this is a positive trend, the Scottish Government continues to ensure work is carried out to address inequalities in uptake and access to screening. The Scottish Government has committed £3 million since 2021 to tackle inequalities in the programmes. This has supported Health Boards to develop initiatives to meet local needs, develop better data capabilities so interventions can be more targeted and work to raise the profile of screening among specific groups. In 2024-25, an additional £1 million will be provided to build on this work.\r\nThis funding will support the Scottish Equity in Screening Strategy, which was published July 2023 with Screening Oversight and Assurance Scotland, and provides direction and focus to tackling screening inequalities.\r\nIn addition to this, the  Executive Summary & List of Recommendations - Scottish Breast Screening Programme: major review - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  published in 2022 noted recommendations to address breast screening inequalities. The Breast Screening Modernisation Board, chaired by Dr Marzi Davies, is currently taking forward these recommendations.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420467,"EventID":"S6W-27847","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-28T15:56:51.563","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-23T12:26:35.003","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the absence rate is for (a) primary and (b) secondary school pupils with additional support needs, and how these rates compare with pupils without additional support needs.","AnswerText":"A comparison of attendance/absence rates for pupils with and without additional support needs in 2022-23 can be found in Figure 33 of Summary Statistics for Schools in Scotland, available here:\r\nhttps://www.gov.scot/publications/summary-statistics-for-schools-in-scotland-2023/pages/attendance-and-absence/  .","AnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420468,"EventID":"S6W-27854","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-28T15:56:51.61","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-23T13:54:38.267","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the roll-out of the R100 programme in Dumfries and Galloway.","AnswerText":"As at 30 April 2024, over 4,900 premises had been connected through the Reaching 100% (R100) South contract in the Dumfries and Galloway local authority area with over 1,400 additional premises connected beyond the contract scope. The R100 South contract remains on track to complete build in 2025. \r\nThrough the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme (SBVS) 198 connections have been delivered so far across Dumfries and Galloway.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420469,"EventID":"S6W-27843","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2633,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-28T15:56:51.657","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-23T11:28:20.35","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with NHS representatives regarding the risks of choking during consensual sexual activity, including in relation to guidance issued to medical professionals.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is aware of the guidelines issued by the Institute For Addressing Strangulation that have been endorsed by the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV  Non-Fatal-Strangulation-Guidelines_AcuteEmergency_Feb24.pdf (ifas.org.uk)  . We will continue to work with key partners, including the Scottish Health Protection Network, to consider how this guidance can be promoted and shared.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420470,"EventID":"S6W-27832","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-28T15:56:51.72","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-22T12:22:41.35","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many women have been invited for their breast screening appointment outwith the 36-month round length standard, in each year since 2019.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Breast Screening Programme Statistics 2022-23 published by PHS confirm that uptake of breast screening is at its highest level. This means that more women with breast cancer are diagnosed at an early stage when it is more easily treatable and survivable.\r\nSecondary data from this report shows the following number of women seen from 37 months in the respective years.\r\nYear\r\n>37 months screening round\r\n2019\r\n61,091\r\n2020\r\n81,021\r\n2021\r\n188,081\r\n2022\r\n198,981\r\n2023\r\n138,120\r\nThe programme pause between March and August 2020, and the continued impacts of COVID-19, including the measures designed to control its spread, made it particularly challenging for the programme to run at full capacity. This resulted in a significant backlog. Screening organisations worked closely with the breast screening centres to increase the number of available appointments, including introducing more mobile units and extending opening hours.\r\nSignificant progress has been made on reducing the average round length, the interval between the date of a woman’s previous screening mammogram and the date of her next first offered appointment, as it has fallen from 41 months in 2021 to 37 months in the first quarter of 2024. We will continue to monitor progress and work with the organisations responsible for breast screening to ensure as many women are invited within 36 months (up to one day less than 37 months) as possible.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420471,"EventID":"S6W-27839","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4940,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":81,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-28T15:56:51.78","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-22T15:41:12.61","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve data collection, mapping and tracking of critical minerals and other material streams within electrical and electronic equipment.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to S6W-27838 on 7 June 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .\r\nThe Scottish Government is also working on a joint 4-nations consultation on digital waste tracking which notes our intention to track waste through to end of waste products or materials that are produced from waste. The digital waste tracking will improve the quality of waste data and make it easier to identify opportunities to keep materials in use for as long as possible and ensure nothing is wasted, including material streams within electrical and electronic equipment.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420472,"EventID":"S6W-27840","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4940,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":81,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-28T15:56:51.827","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-22T15:41:12.61","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to support world-class research into sustainable materials, including those limiting emissions along entire material and product lifecycles.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is taking significant steps to imbed the principles of a Circular Economy, enabling the increased recovery of sustainable materials, including those limiting emissions along entire material and product lifecycles. Within our draft Circular Economy Route Map the Scottish Government has also committed to creating a Product Stewardship Strategy, with the aim of minimising the health, safety, environmental and social impacts of products. We will focus on policies and activities which have the greatest environmental and economic impact while continuing to encourage best practice by all businesses and consumers, with the aim to produce, consume and manage resources as effectively as possible. We are engaging with research from ZWS, SEPA and other partners, along with looking at best practice internationally to ensure the policy interventions in this area are not only effective but as impactful as possible.\r\nAlongside this, the 2023 Programme for Government outlined that we would continue to work on how we will help businesses and investors to realise the enormous economic opportunities of the global transition to net zero and create good, well-paid jobs across Scotland. Work is already happening at pace in various areas including how best to use and support research with the aim of capturing economic benefit from the transition to net zero.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420473,"EventID":"S6W-27845","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2633,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-28T15:56:51.89","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-23T11:28:20.35","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to raise awareness among the public of the risks of choking during consensual sexual activity.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not currently have any plans for specific public health awareness raising relating to the risks associated with choking during consensual sexual activity. Through our existing channels we will explore opportunities to discuss these matters and to identify possible areas for this to be highlighted, including the new sexual health website for Scotland, which is currently being developed.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420474,"EventID":"S6W-27837","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4940,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":81,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-28T15:56:51.953","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-22T15:41:12.61","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is, regarding any implications for Scotland, to the e-waste action plan that was recently published by the Royal Society of Chemistry.","AnswerText":"While not in direct response to the report, between 28 December 2023 and 7 March 2024, the Scottish Government, along with the UK, Welsh and Northern Irish governments, held a consultation on reforming the producer responsibility system for waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). This consultation sought views on a number of policy reforms, including the introduction of a producer financed household collection system for small and large items of WEEE, enhancing retailer obligations to provide a free collection on delivery service for large appliances, extending obligations to online marketplaces, creating a category for vapes to ensure that treatment and collection costs are borne by vapes producers, and establishing a new WEEE scheme administrator.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420475,"EventID":"S6W-27836","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4940,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":81,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-28T15:56:52.017","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-22T15:41:12.61","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to take steps to improve recycling infrastructure and technologies to enable the increased recovery of critical minerals and other materials.","AnswerText":"While the Scottish Government recognises the need to ensure that we have effective infrastructure and technologies to enable the increased recovery of critical minerals, we acknowledge the complexities of critical mineral markets. Data is often not readily available, markets can be volatile, and supply chains are fraught with environmental, social and governance issues. \r\nBetter data availability is in all our interests to support well-functioning markets and responsible, traceable supply chains, to help de-risk investments and development of new projects. We are working with the UK, Welsh and Northern Irish governments and regulators to implement a UK-wide mandatory digital waste tracking service. The digital waste tracking service will improve the quality of waste data and make it easier to identify opportunities to keep materials in use for as long as possible and ensure nothing is wasted.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420476,"EventID":"S6W-27848","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-28T15:56:52.077","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-23T12:26:35.003","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what research it is undertaking to establish the reasons for the reported increase in recent years of pupils being absent from (a) primary and (b) secondary school.","AnswerText":"Education Scotland published the results of a deep dive on attendance in November 2023, which sought to understand the current barriers and challenges which influence school attendance and make recommendations on how local authorities can support increased attendance. All 32 local authorities were consulted as part of the work, with 14 local authorities and 18 schools taking part in case studies. The case studies indicated that pupil mental health is a key concern and is believed to be a significant driver behind absence.\r\nIm  proving attendance: Understanding the issues (education.gov.scot) \r\nThe Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research (BISSR), published in November 2023, included insights into behaviours that were related to attendance and engagement in school. Attendance and school avoidance was identified as a significant issue post-COVID 19 by school staff and local authority representatives. Across local authority areas, representatives spoke about a small but persistent cohort of students who had experienced difficulties in returning to school post-COVID-19 and were continuing to learn online and in the community. The research found that some school staff felt that the disruption had made pupils feel that in-school attendance wasn’t important, while others felt that low attendance was related to mental health issues as a result of the pandemic.\r\nBehaviour in Scottish Schools 2023 (www.gov.scot) ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420477,"EventID":"S6W-27850","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-28T15:56:52.14","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-23T12:28:34.003","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much money it has agreed with COSLA will be required to cover the costs of making changes to the school estate to deliver free school meals in all primary schools.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to the expansion of the free school meal programme and the next phase will support those in receipt of Scottish Child Payment in Primaries 6 and 7 from February 2025.\r\nTo support this expansion we have made provision for £43m of capital funding in 2024-25 to support the infrastructure development required to deliver the next phase of the free school meal programme. This is in addition to the £10m of capital funding provided in 2023-24.\r\nThe Scottish Government continues to work closely with COSLA to deliver our free school meal expansion programme.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420478,"EventID":"S6W-27835","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-28T15:56:52.187","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-22T15:27:13.563","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of adding a question on the extent of fair working conditions and pay to the key quality indicators assessed in social care settings by the Care Inspectorate.","AnswerText":"As the Care Inspectorate is an independent non-departmental body, it operates at arm’s length from Government. Therefore, while Scottish Minsters can agree the strategic direction of public bodies, it is crucial that their independent role is respected.\r\nI can confirm that the Care Inspectorate has no plans to add a question on the extent of fair working conditions and pay to the Quality Framework for care services. The Care Inspectorate does not have an overt role in considering the pay and conditions of staff working in the sector.\r\nHowever, where the Care Inspectorate identifies that staffing negatively impacts on the standard of care and experience of people, it would report on this and require improvements to be made.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420479,"EventID":"S6W-27842","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4940,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":81,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-28T15:56:52.25","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-22T15:41:12.61","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to support the development of infrastructure to enable the re-use, repair and re-manufacturing of e-waste products according to the waste hierarchy.","AnswerText":"We will focus on policies and activities that have the greatest environmental and economic impact while continuing to encourage best practice by all businesses and consumers, with the aim to produce, consume and manage resources as effectively as possible. The Product Stewardship Strategy will set out a clear, cohesive approach to tackling the environmental and social impacts of products placed on the Scottish market, making the most of opportunities within the competence of the Scottish Government to reduce the environmental impacts of products and goods, and being clear where this requires further action from the UK Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420480,"EventID":"S6W-27846","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-28T15:56:52.313","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-23T11:31:47.203","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that it is failing to adequately fund the (a) enablement of more complex anterior eye conditions managed by independent prescribing optometrists in the community and (b) development of a new National Low Vision service, as set out in the NHS Recovery Plan, and when it plans to ensure that these services are rolled out across Scotland. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to delivering these two new services. Although the current financial pressures mean that we are unable to provide a delivery timescale, we will continue to undertake preparatory work where possible.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420481,"EventID":"S6W-27819","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-28T15:56:52.36","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T16:34:48.193","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the National Records of Scotland regarding access to adoption records.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has ongoing dialogue with the National Records of Scotland regarding access to adoption records. We are exploring collaboratively what more we can do to ensure people affected by adoption are able to easily access the right information and support when they need it.\r\nBoth the National Records of Scotland and the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service have updated the information that they provide online in order to assist people with the practical aspects of accessing records, as well as signposting to further support. Both organisations will continue to provide access and assistance to adoption records in line with current legislation.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420482,"EventID":"S6W-27838","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4940,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":81,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-28T15:56:52.407","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-22T15:41:12.61","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the scale of e-waste in Scotland, and what steps it is taking to tackle e-waste.","AnswerText":"Between 28 December 2023 and 7 March 2024, the Scottish Government, along with the UK, Welsh and Northern Irish governments, held a consultation on reforming the producer responsibility system for waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). This consultation sought views on a number of policy reforms, including the introduction of a producer financed household collection system for small and large items of WEEE, enhancing retailer obligations to provide a free collection on delivery service for large appliances, extending obligations to online marketplaces, creating a category for vapes to ensure that treatment and collection costs are borne by vapes producers, and establishing a new WEEE scheme administrator.\r\nWhile we do not have Scotland-specific data on the scale of e-waste, it was calculated as part of our impact assessments that an estimated 155kt of WEEE is disposed of in household residual waste collections in the UK annually, which is then sent to landfill and energy from waste. This is equivalent to 5.3kg per household per year.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420483,"EventID":"S6W-27829","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-28T15:56:52.47","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-22T08:54:29.387","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the Scottish breast screening programme data 2022-23, what steps are being taken to increase uptake of breast screening to reach the achievable 80% target in all NHS board areas. ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27833 on 10 June 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420484,"EventID":"S6W-27833","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-28T15:56:52.517","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-22T12:22:41.35","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the Scottish breast screening programme data 2022-23, for what reason the uptake for routine first invitations has been declining, and what steps are being taken to address this.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Breast Screening Programme Statistics 2022-23 show that more women than ever are attending breast screening appointments, and that uptake is increasing for most groups. It is important to note that uptake for women receiving their first breast screening invitation in 2022-23 was higher than any pre-COVID year since 2013-14, and was above the 10 year average of 70.8%. It is also above the standard uptake rate of 70%. Therefore, overall the picture for breast screening uptake is encouraging.\r\nHowever, the Scottish Government recognises that there is still work to be done to improve uptake, including among those receiving their first invitation, and to meet the 80% achievable standard. We continue to work with the organisations responsible for breast screening to fully understand barriers to uptake, and to encourage all women to attend breast screening when invited. As part of this, we continue to ensure work is carried out to address inequalities in uptake and access to screening, having committed £3 million since 2021 to tackle inequalities in the programmes, which remains a priority. We will also provide £1 million funding for 2024-25.\r\nThe Breast Screening Review that was published in 2022 noted recommendations that seek to increase breast screening uptake. The Breast Screening Modernisation Board, chaired by Dr Marzi Davies, is currently taking forward these recommendations.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420485,"EventID":"S6W-27834","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-28T15:56:52.563","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-22T15:27:13.563","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what specific consideration it has given to rights and protections for migrant workers as part of efforts to make Scotland \"a leading Fair Work Nation by 2025\".","AnswerText":"Migrant workers are essential contributors to our communities, public services, and vitally help address skills shortages.\r\nScotland’s Fair Work Action Plan sets out actions to become a leading Fair Work Nation by 2025.\r\nThe Scottish Government have funded the Worker Support Centre since 2022 to provide free and confidential support to seasonal migrant workers so that more of them understand their workplace rights and how to exercise them. RSABI (founded as the Royal Scottish Agricultural Benevolent Institution) provides practical, emotional, and financial support to all people involved in the Scottish agricultural industry.\r\nControl over employment and industrial relations legislation is currently reserved to the UK Parliament; while this remains the case, we will continue to use our Fair Work policy to drive up labour market standards for workers across the Scottish labour market.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420486,"EventID":"S6W-27853","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-28T15:56:52.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-23T13:31:40.63","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the creation of a Scottish Veterinary Service.","AnswerText":"Yes. Colleagues from across a range of sectors assisted us to scope out the case for the creation of a Scottish Veterinary Service. This identified that a new Scottish Veterinary Service (SVS) would deliver quality improvements and would be financially sustainable. However, the current financial climate and significant budget constraints mean that we are unable to progress with plans for the SVS, given the significant costs to create the new service.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420487,"EventID":"S6W-27855","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-28T15:56:52.687","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-23T13:55:11.727","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many properties are still to be connected in Dumfries and Galloway under the R100 programme.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government’s Reaching 100% (R100) programme is being delivered through three key strands of activity – the over £600 million R100 contracts (North, Central and South), the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme (R100 SBVS) and continued commercial coverage which includes newly emerging technologies such as Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite connections.\r\nAs a result, all homes and businesses in Scotland should now be able to access a minimum of a superfast broadband connection today.\r\nAs at 30 April 2024, around 3,890 premises were still expected to be connected through the R100 South contract in the Dumfries and Galloway local authority area. The R100 South contract remains on track to complete build in 2025. \r\nAs the R100 SBVS is a demand-led scheme, it is up to eligible property owners or residents to decide whether or not to secure a connection in this way. As a result, it is not possible to say how many properties will ultimately be connected through the R100 SBVS in Dumfries and Galloway.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420488,"EventID":"S6W-27841","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4940,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":81,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-28T15:56:52.733","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-22T15:41:12.61","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to (a) investing in and (b) incentivising resource-efficient design, production and processes for e-waste products.","AnswerText":"Between 28 December 2023 and 7 March 2024, the Scottish Government, along with the UK, Welsh and Northern Irish governments, held a consultation on reforming the producer responsibility system for waste electricals and electronic equipment (WEEE). This consultation sought views on a number of policy reforms. Along with this our Circular Economy Route Map the Scottish Government has also committed to creating a Product Stewardship Strategy, with the aim of minimising the health, safety, environmental and social impacts of products and packaging. Recognising the significant e-waste impact of single-use vapes, The Scottish Government is also introducing regulations to ban these products, incentivising more resource-efficient design and ensuring any vapes on the market are both rechargeable and refillable.\r\nEffective product stewardship policies can help to meet our objective of having a circular economy. They reduce waste by decreasing the materials needed for production, and by increasing product lifespan. They increase recycling by providing incentives to collect, re-use and recycling products and their component parts. They help keep products and materials within the circular economy and reduce waste to landfill.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420489,"EventID":"S6W-27822","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-28T15:56:52.797","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-22T07:47:18.63","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether NHS Scotland operating systems have two-factor authentication, and, if so, when these systems were put in place.","AnswerText":"The information requested is not held centrally, it is the responsibility of NHS Health Boards to implement these controls.\r\nThe Scottish Government Public Sector Cyber Resilience Framework which applies to all public bodies in Scotland, including health boards and Local Authorities is the framework to which Network Information Systems Regulation 2018 NHS Health Board compliance audits are conducted against. \r\nControls within the Scottish Government Public Sector Cyber Resilience Framework require that multi-factor authentication is implemented to cover and manage security risk, defending systems against cyber-attack, detecting cyber security events, and minimising the impact of cyber security incidents. ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420490,"EventID":"S6W-27831","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16189,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":129,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-28T15:56:52.843","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-22T11:11:00.89","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recently published data by the National Records of Scotland regarding Scotland's Census 2022, which show that over 60% of the school-age population had no religion, whether it will follow the advice of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and allow young people the right to opt out of religious observance in schools.","AnswerText":"As stated in the Scottish Government’s Initial Response to the Concluding Observations issued by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, published on 25 March this year, the Scottish Government is considering its next steps on religious observance in schools to ensure compliance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.\r\nUnder current legislation in Scotland, religious observance is not compulsory, and parents are legally entitled to withdraw their children from religious observance in local authority and grant-aided schools. This is supported by detailed guidance which states that ‘schools should include children and young people in any discussions about aspects of their school experience, ensuring their views are taken into account.’\r\nThis guidance is available at:  Curriculum for Excellence: religious observance - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .","AnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":420491,"EventID":"S6W-27844","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2633,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-28T15:56:52.89","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-23T11:28:20.35","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what data collection it is undertaking in relation to violence within consensual sexual activity, including on the prevalence of choking.","AnswerText":"As outlined in the answer to question S6W-15943 on 21 March 2023, the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey (SCJS) includes a module on sexual victimisation, which produces estimates of adults’ experiences of different types of sexual assault. At present this does not include any questions focused on specific acts of violence such as choking, during what began as consensual sexual activity. We are currently considering whether a question (or questions) on this topic could be added to the above module. Given the sensitivity of this subject, it requires careful consideration and testing prior to any rollout to ensure that such a question is understandable, accessible, and does not place undue stress on survey respondents. Analysts have recently conducted multiple evidence-gathering workshops with external organisations and charities dedicated to researching and preventing sexual violence. We will continue to engage with stakeholders as we consider options for changes to the 2025-26 survey sweep. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420504,"EventID":"S6O-03524","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16182,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":117,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T14:51:02.3","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-29T10:44:30.593","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the needs and welfare of women prisoners, in light of the reported challenges arising from a growing prison population.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420505,"EventID":"S6O-03522","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16189,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":129,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T14:51:02.393","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-29T08:29:42.97","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its assessment is of any impact that Brexit is having on Scotland’s culture sector.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420506,"EventID":"S6O-03523","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T14:51:02.44","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-29T08:35:43.2","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether Creative Scotland’s funding will be increased during the next financial year. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420507,"EventID":"S6O-03530","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T14:51:02.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-29T11:12:17.91","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether there are excessive delays in holding fatal accident inquiries.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420508,"EventID":"S6O-03517","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T14:51:02.58","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-27T15:02:04.84","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the culture secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding how the census outputs on Armed Forces veterans, due to be released on 13 June, will be able to be used to inform a better understanding of the veterans community.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420509,"EventID":"S6O-03537","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T14:51:02.643","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T15:14:30.57","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the national plan for action announced in November 2023 to tackle violence in schools.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420510,"EventID":"S6O-03533","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16178,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":78,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T14:51:02.69","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T14:01:44.587","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to address any issues regarding the implementation of the presumption of mainstreaming, as set out in the recent Education, Children and Young People Committee report on its inquiry into additional support for learning.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420511,"EventID":"S6O-03534","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T14:51:02.753","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-27T13:59:23.413","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has reconsidered collating information on the number of children who are “missing from education”, in light of its reported failure to do so to date. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420512,"EventID":"S6O-03520","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T14:51:02.817","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-23T13:30:57.497","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to propose a parliamentary debate on the provision of early learning and childcare.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420513,"EventID":"S6O-03518","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T14:51:02.863","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-29T10:09:03.393","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on what role local authorities have in preserving the heritage and culture of the areas that they serve. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420514,"EventID":"S6O-03525","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3129,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":83,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T14:51:02.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-29T10:18:30.35","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what role the Scottish Government Resilience Room would play in the event of a major nuclear incident.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420515,"EventID":"S6O-03536","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T14:51:02.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-29T09:39:32.103","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will increase the take-up of modern foreign languages in schools. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420516,"EventID":"S6O-03539","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T14:51:03.037","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T18:23:11.787","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide further details of how it is working to ensure free music tuition to pupils in schools across Scotland. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420517,"EventID":"S6O-03526","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2678,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":141,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T14:51:03.083","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T10:42:53.863","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to Police Scotland to tackle violent crimes in local communities.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420518,"EventID":"S6O-03528","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T14:51:03.16","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T15:55:33.393","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Police Scotland in relation to its guidance on recording non-crime hate incidents. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420519,"EventID":"S6O-03519","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16197,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T14:51:03.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-29T10:47:02.607","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its work to further the case for Scottish independence, what engagement it has carried out with businesses regarding Scotland's constitutional future.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420520,"EventID":"S6O-03535","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16207,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T14:51:03.27","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-29T10:40:36.02","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any discussions that it has had with universities across Scotland about how public money is used, including in relation to any activities that may impact the ongoing conflict in Palestine.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420521,"EventID":"S6O-03516","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T14:51:03.317","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-23T13:51:56.937","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that children and young people have opportunities to engage with fine arts and performing arts, such as music, drama and art.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420522,"EventID":"S6O-03531","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T14:51:03.38","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-29T11:04:36.603","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 since it came into force on 1 April 2024.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420523,"EventID":"S6O-03521","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4940,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":81,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T14:51:03.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-29T10:39:51.663","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it supports people in the Motherwell and Wishaw constituency to access and participate in cultural activities. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420524,"EventID":"S6O-03532","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3763,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":142,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T14:51:03.49","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-29T11:10:49.36","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with senior management of West College Scotland to discuss the college's Greenock campus. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420525,"EventID":"S6O-03529","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T14:51:03.537","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-29T10:47:45.007","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the Scottish justice system is \"close to collapse\" and that solicitors are taking industrial action.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420526,"EventID":"S6O-03538","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T14:51:03.583","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-27T15:23:18.387","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its cross-government support for learning disabilities, autism and neurodiversity, what discussions the education secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding how its proposed Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence Bill will help people into work.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420527,"EventID":"S6O-03540","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T14:51:10.567","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T17:09:44.143","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide further details of the process that it will follow to develop a Just Transition Plan for the Mossmorran industrial site.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420528,"EventID":"S6O-03543","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":4982,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T14:51:10.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-29T07:55:06.67","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the longest projected wait is, in years, for a neurodevelopmental assessment for a child currently on an NHS waiting list. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420529,"EventID":"S6O-03541","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T14:51:10.707","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T13:35:12.907","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has held any discussions with stakeholders regarding the future of hyperbaric treatment services on the west coast. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420530,"EventID":"S6O-03542","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":2892,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T14:51:10.77","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T16:47:17.44","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its recognition of a housing emergency, whether it will take steps to improve the application of policy 16 of the fourth National Planning Framework in relation to affordable housing.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420531,"EventID":"S6O-03545","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T14:51:10.833","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-23T16:31:53.39","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported calls for a moratorium on the closure of publicly owned care homes.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420532,"EventID":"S6O-03544","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T14:51:10.88","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-27T12:51:06.467","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to revise the terms of reference that it has set for the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420533,"EventID":"S6O-03547","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":3771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":86,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T14:51:10.943","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-29T10:33:57.42","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is investing in affordable homes within Glasgow, including within the Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn constituency, to help address any housing need.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420534,"EventID":"S6O-03546","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T14:51:11.007","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T12:28:16.443","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to prevent children and young people from overdosing on over-the-counter medication.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420535,"EventID":"S6W-27961","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":3763,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":142,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T15:40:13.063","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-29T15:37:18.02","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans for the award of the next Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services contract.","AnswerText":"While good progress has been made on the due diligence related to a Teckal compliant direct award to CalMac and we have clarity on the remaining issues to be finalised, it is clear that we cannot conclude these by 30 September 2024, which is the end date of the current contract. We therefore propose to implement a contract extension of up to 12 months to enable this work and the assurance processes, to be concluded prior to a final decision. I will provide a further update to Parliament later this year.","AnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420536,"EventID":"S6W-27960","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":3129,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":83,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T15:43:30.757","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-29T15:36:29.227","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its 2024-25 public sector pay metrics.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government set out the 2024-25 public sector pay metrics today in a new Framework for a multi-year Pay Policy covering 2024-25, 2025-26 and 2026-27. The cumulative impact of the pay metrics across the 3-year period is 9.3% compared with forecast CPI inflation of 5.7% over the same period. Employers are encouraged to continue our established progressive pay approach, which may include additional protections for the lowest paid.\r\nhttps://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781836013686","AnswerDate":"2024-05-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420537,"EventID":"S6W-27849","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T17:00:04.743","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-23T12:26:35.003","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to publish the number of pupils with less than (a) 90%, (b) 80% and (c) 50% attendance as part of its summary school statistics series, and, if so, how often it will do so.","AnswerText":"Statistics on the proportion of pupils with 90% or lower attendance are published by local authority and school sector in table 4.1 of the school attendance and absence statistics 2022-23, available here:\r\nhttps://www.gov.scot/publications/school-attendance-and-absence-statistics/ \r\nThe Scottish Government plans to publish these statistics annually.\r\nThe range of statistics published on attendance will be kept under review.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420538,"EventID":"S6W-27882","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T17:00:04.977","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-27T13:26:10.037","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many P1 children have taken (a) one part and (b) both parts of the Scottish National Standardised Assessment since 20 September 2018, broken down by (i) academic year and (ii) local authority.","AnswerText":"Table 1 provides an overview of P1 learners who have undertaken (a) one or (b) both parts of the Scottish National Standardised Assessments since 20 September 2018, broken down by (i) school year and (ii) local authority.\r\nPlease note that as the 2023-24 academic year is not yet complete, nor the annual data reconciliation process, these figures are subject to change.\r\nThe row \"n/a\" denotes publicly-funded schools outwith local authority control.?\r\nCopies of Table 1 - Number of P1 Children undertaking SNSA since 20 September 2018 - by year and local authority : are available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 65118)\r\n*Please note figures for 2022-23 have been adjusted since last published, to account for the annual assessment data reconciliation process which takes place each summer.\r\n** Please note that figures less than five have been suppressed to prevent the potential identification of individuals.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420539,"EventID":"S6W-27863","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T17:00:05.197","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-23T16:43:27.37","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what long-term strategies are being developed to ensure the financial viability and sustainability of nurseries.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to supporting a diverse, sustainable and thriving childcare sector.\r\nFor those providers in the private and third sector, including childminders, who deliver funded early learning and childcare (ELC) the payment of sustainable rates by local authorities is vital to supporting their financial sustainability and to enabling the delivery of high quality ELC. Rates have increased substantially since the implementation of the ELC expansion to 1140 hours – with the average rate paid by local authorities to providers for delivering funded ELC to 3-5 year olds increasing by 64.1% between 2017 and 2023, from £3.68 per hour in 2017-18 to £6.04 per hour in 2023-24.\r\nHowever, while the average rate has increased, there remains variation in the rates paid across Scotland. That is why the Scottish Government will continue to look for opportunities to strengthen the current system, including taking forward the recommendations of the joint Scottish Government and COSLA Review of Sustainable Rates  Early learning and childcare: sustainable rates review - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  , published in December 2023. The evidence-based review recommends a wide-ranging set of actions, which are currently being progressed, to strengthen the process for setting rates.\r\nIn 2024-25 the Scottish Government has provided local authorities with an additional £16 million to enable staff delivering funded ELC in the private, and third sector to be paid at least £12 per hour from April 2024. To support this commitment joint Scottish Government and COSLA guidance  Funding Follows the Child and the National Standard - Funded early learning and childcare (ELC) - setting sustainable rates 2024 to 2025: guidance - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  sets out our shared commitment to increasing rates for all funded ELC providers by at least 7.6% in 2024-25.\r\nTo support the sustainability of the overall childcare sector the Scottish Government has legislated to continue the Nursery Rates Relief Scheme, which provides 100 per cent relief on Non-Domestic Rates to eligible day nurseries; made more than £35 million of dedicated financial support available to providers during the pandemic; and funded pilot programmes of targeted Business Gateway support to enable childcare providers to access tailored, specialist advice on strengthening their businesses.\r\nAs set out in  Best Start: Strategic early learning and school age childcare plan for Scotland 2022-26 (careinspectorate.com)  we will maintain a robust but proportionate means of monitoring the financial sustainability of the childcare sector to ensure that both national and local policy is informed by up to date evidence about the health of the sector. This includes through the Financial Sustainability Health Checks. The most recent  Financial Sustainability Health Check of the Childcare Sector in Scotland - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  was published on 31 July 2023 and sets out a programme of actions, across a number of areas, to support the long-term sustainability of the sector.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420540,"EventID":"S6W-27871","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T17:00:05.43","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-24T16:54:07.72","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects the latest incineration capacity analysis, which is being conducted by Zero Waste Scotland as part of its work in considering the delivery of the ban on biodegradable municipal waste to landfill, to be published.","AnswerText":"As part of the work to deliver the ban on landfilling biodegradable municipal waste, Zero Waste Scotland commissioned a report which included an updated capacity analysis.\r\nZero Waste Scotland is currently reviewing the report to ensure that it does not contain commercially sensitive material, and publication of the report is likely to follow the General Election.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420541,"EventID":"S6W-27866","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T17:00:05.617","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-24T12:29:31.15","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has calculated how many hectares of degraded peatlands it has restored in 2022-23, in line with its commitment to restore 250,000 hectares of degraded peatlands by 2030. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government, through its Peatland ACTION partnership, restored 7,468 hectares in 2022-23 financial year. However, since then, in the full completed delivery year of 2023-24, a total of 10,360 hectares have been restored.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420542,"EventID":"S6W-27887","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T17:00:05.837","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-27T14:22:15.81","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much support it has provided in (a) grant funding and (b) loan guarantees to Scotland-based manufacturers for the purposes of manufacturing hydrogen buses in Scotland. ","AnswerText":"Through Scottish Enterprise, the Scottish Government provides a range of different types of support to Alexander Dennis Ltd, including for the development of zero emission buses.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420543,"EventID":"S6W-27892","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T17:00:06.007","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-27T17:20:11.363","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the effectiveness of the Inquiries into Fatal Accidents and Sudden Deaths etc. (Scotland) Act 2016, and what its position is on whether further changes might be needed. ","AnswerText":"The Lord Advocate is constitutionally responsible for the investigation of sudden, unexpected and suspicious deaths in Scotland. These functions are exercised independently of government. Parliament considered and modernised the law on FAIs in 2016 and there are no current plans to revisit the legislation.\r\nThe Scottish Government, in conjunction with the Crown Office, continually assesses the effectiveness of the system for FAIs. As a result of this continual assessment, the Crown Office has significantly reformed the arrangements for the investigation of deaths. These reforms have already resulted in reductions in the duration of death investigations and it is expected that they will continue to do so. The Crown Office has also recently established a Specialist Casework Death Investigations Improvement Programme. Its purpose is to oversee all ongoing pieces of work and new proposals to achieve greater public confidence, to improve the service delivered to bereaved relatives and to deliver increased efficiencies in the investigation of deaths.\r\nThe Crown Office has acknowledged that in some cases the time taken to conclude a thorough death investigation has been too long. Unfortunately, there will always be a small number of deaths that will need a prolonged period of investigation due to their complexity. Irrespective of the type of FAI, the investigation must be completed thoroughly before a decision can be made to commence any inquiry proceedings. The decision to hold an inquiry cannot be taken until other proceedings, such as any criminal charges have been completed or ruled out.\r\nFAIs are just one part of the system for investigating deaths. In many cases lessons are often learned, changes made and answers given to families without an FAI.\r\nWe have increased the Crown Office budget in recent years to support a range of its improvement work, including modernising processes for investigating deaths. The Crown Office has also significantly reformed its processes to reduce the time taken to investigate deaths and to bring FAIs to court more quickly. \r\nWe have every confidence in the system that is in place for FAIs but we acknowledge that there is always more that can be done. We keep matters under review in consultation with the Crown Office and are looking for ways in which the system can be improved.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420544,"EventID":"S6W-27862","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T17:00:06.21","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-23T16:43:27.37","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what early warning systems are in place to identify any nurseries that are at risk of closure due to financial difficulties or staffing shortages.","AnswerText":"Under Funding Follows the Child, all nurseries who deliver funded early learning and childcare (ELC) must, as part of the criteria in the National Standard for all ELC providers  Section 2: The National Standard for all Early Learning and Childcare Providers - Funding Follows The Child and The National Standard for Early Learning and Childcare Providers: Operating Guidance - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  , be able to demonstrate that they are financially viable providers and that they have a sustainable staffing structure in place which meets the recommended adult: child ratios.\r\nLocal authorities are responsible for assessing and monitoring compliance with the National Standard in all funded providers, as part of their contract management arrangements and in their role as guarantors of quality. With regards to business sustainability, services delivering funded ELC must ensure that they are able to demonstrate – when required – that their business model continues to be financially viable through the provision of appropriate financial information, for example, accounts and business forecasts/projections. A Business Continuity Plan must also be in place.\r\nIf a service delivering funded ELC was at risk of closure due to financial difficulties or staffing shortages then it is expected that they would make their local authority aware of these challenges.\r\nThe Scottish Government monitors trends in sustainability and staffing across the overall childcare sector, including through the Financial Sustainability Health Checks. Analysis in the most recent Financial Sustainability Health Check:  Financial Sustainability Health Check of the Childcare Sector in Scotland - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  published on 31 July 2023, reported that annual cancellation rates for private and third sector services over the period March 2020 to March 2023 were at similar levels to previous years.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420545,"EventID":"S6W-27858","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T17:00:06.353","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-23T14:16:46.827","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide (a) an update on how it has spent the Whole Family Wellbeing Fund to date and (b) a breakdown of its proposed spending plans for the fund in the current financial year.","AnswerText":"In 2022-23 and 2023-24 over £70m of Whole Family Wellbeing Funding (WFWF) was invested by the Scottish Government to deliver a transformational change in holistic family support so that families get the right support, in the right way and at the right time. The funding was distributed as follows:£32m provided annually for Children’s Services Planning Partnerships (CSPPs) to build local service capacity for transformation and the scaling up of holistic family support in local areas. This funding is being provided on a recurring, multi-year basis to 2025-26.£0.8m for National Support for Local Delivery – including a package of activity aimed at supporting local transformation. This part of the funding also supports the wider evaluation and research work for WFWF.£5.3m was provided to Scottish Government led national policy delivery for 12 specific projects that are transforming how families are supported.\r\nWe have prioritised £50m funding in 2024-25 to maintain the programme of activity above. Further details will be provided in a Whole Family Wellbeing investment approach to be published in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420546,"EventID":"S6W-27861","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T17:00:06.617","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-23T16:43:27.37","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many nurseries have cancelled their registrations with the Care Inspectorate since 2016.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold specific data on the number of nurseries which have cancelled their registrations with the Care Inspectorate since 2016. However, the Care Inspectorate publishes data each year on its website. This data shows that, between 1 January 2017 and 30 April 2024, 1,000 day care of children settings cancelled their registration. This figure will include nurseries as well as other types of day care of children settings.\r\nIt is important to note that a cancelled registration does not always mean that the service is no longer operating but can reflect other factors such as a change in ownership.\r\nSource: Care Inspectorate Cancelled Services,  Changes to registration, variations and cancelled services (careinspectorate.com)","AnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420547,"EventID":"S6W-27884","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T17:00:06.883","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-27T14:01:06.543","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to (a) encourage and (b) incentivise the production of hydrogen buses by Scotland-based manufacturers. ","AnswerText":"Through Scottish Enterprise, the Scottish Government provides a range of different types of support to Alexander Dennis Ltd, including for the development of zero emission buses.\r\nIn addition, the Scottish Government has been working to transform the market for zero emission buses in Scotland through the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB). This funding programme has been designed to incentivise the adoption of zero emission buses and their supporting infrastructure, increasing the size of the domestic market and encouraging increased levels of private investment. ScotZEB has been designed in collaboration with bus operators and industry, including Alexander Dennis Ltd.\r\nHowever, while hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and their supporting infrastructure were eligible for funding through ScotZEB, it is up to individual bus operators to decide what type of zero emission vehicle best suits their circumstances. No bids have been received for hydrogen fuel cell buses through ScotZEB.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420548,"EventID":"S6W-27881","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T17:00:07.023","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-27T12:29:05","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what direction it provides to Glasgow City Council to make new housing developments accessible for wheelchair users and for disabled people.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government provides guidance for local authorities to support the preparation of Local Housing Strategies including the provision of accessible and specialist housing. Separate guidance requiring local authorities to set all-tenure wheelchair accessible housing targets as part of their Local Housing Strategy has also been provided.\r\nWhere local authorities identify a strategic requirement for a particular type of home, including wheelchair accessible housing, projects to support delivery of these homes are expected to be included in Local Authority Strategic Housing Investment Plans for delivery through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420549,"EventID":"S6W-27859","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T17:00:07.227","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-23T15:40:26.95","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many approved providers are available to provide superfast service via the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme in the Mid Galloway and Wigtown West council ward in Dumfries and Galloway. ","AnswerText":"There are currently 10 suppliers who are registered to deliver services through the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme that may be able to provide a service within the Dumfries and Galloway local authority area, which includes the Mid Galloway and Wigtown West council ward. These are suppliers who have existing commercial customers within Dumfries and Galloway. \r\nAnyone can search for a supplier by local authority or the technology that they offer using the filters available here: \r\nFind a supplier | Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420550,"EventID":"S6W-27870","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T17:00:07.54","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-24T16:54:07.707","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what opportunities it has identified to exceed current EU standards in encouraging sustainable energy production from commercial, industrial and waste management sources.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to maintaining alignment with the EU where such alignment would be possible and meaningful in protecting and advancing the standards we share. \r\nOn waste management sources of energy, where waste is unavoidable and unrecyclable, the Scottish Government’s aim is to recover the highest value, while minimising as far as possible the environmental impacts of managing this waste, including through energy recovery. The second report of the Review of the Role Incineration in Scotland’s Waste Hierarchy made recommendations on the decarbonisation of residual waste, and the Scottish Government accepted these recommendations in full or in principle, including on the expansion of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme, ending the unnecessary incineration of plastic, incentivising heat networks and supporting the development of Carbon Capture Utilisation Storage (CCUS).\r\nOn heat networks, the Heat Network Support Unit, sponsored by the Scottish Government, supports heat network projects through the pre-capital stages of development through advice and funding. This support includes offering advice and grant funding for developing feasibility studies, Outline Business Cases (OBCs) and project commercialisation. The HNSU has supported several projects that seek to utilise excess heat from Energy from Waste facilities. This includes a recent feasibility study with Glasgow City Council, exploring the opportunity to utilise heat from the Glasgow Recycling and Renewable Energy Centre (GRREC). Through Scotland’s Heat Network Fund and its predecessor the Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme, the Scottish Government has provided approximately £32.8 million combined funding for heat networks which utilise recovered heat, including two projects using recovered heat from waste facilities in both Aberdeen and Midlothian and a project recovering Heat from a Waste water treatment facility in Stirling. In addition, the Scottish Government, in collaboration with Scottish ? Enterprise, will shortly publish a guidance document which provides information about how we can improve the capture and utilisation of heat from industrial and commercial processes. \r\nIn taking these things forward we will of course be mindful of existing and new EU legislation, like the EU Waste Framework Directive, Industrial Emissions Directive and Renewable Energy Directive.\r\nThe second report of the Review of the Role Incineration in Scotland’s Waste Hierarchy can be found here:  1 Introduction - Decarbonisation of residual waste infrastructure: report - gov.scot (www.gov.scot). \r\nThe Government Response to the second report of the Review of the Role Incineration in Scotland’s Waste Hierarchy:  Supporting documents - Decarbonisation of residual waste infrastructure: Scottish Government response - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).","AnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420551,"EventID":"S6W-27877","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T17:00:07.697","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-27T09:14:54.433","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the introduction and operation of Carer Support Payment, whether it has made an assessment of the potential merits of taking steps to prevent the accumulation of debt among carers in receipt of Carer's Allowance in Scotland due to (a) delayed investigation and (b) non-investigation of overpayment alerts.","AnswerText":"We have taken on board lessons from Carer’s Allowance in designing Carer Support Payment to better prevent overpayments. Information on earnings rules and when to report changes are much clearer. We are making better use of the ability to average out carers’ earnings, and using data from HMRC and scheduled reviews for self-employed carers to check and track carers’ earnings. Our systems use automated decision making for the most straightforward applications, allowing more time and resource to focus on complex cases and earnings processes. We pay Carer Support Payment four weekly in arrears as standard, reducing the potential for overpayments by allowing more time for a change of circumstances to be reported and reflected in a carer’s award. As part of the case transfer process, we also have processes in place to check earnings once carer’s awards are in payment to reduce the risk of inheriting existing overpayments. We are continuing to take feedback from carers and stakeholders to consider how we can continue to improve our earnings processes.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420552,"EventID":"S6W-27880","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T17:00:07.79","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-27T09:15:24.2","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to reform the threshold element of the Carer Support Payment following the completion of the transfer from Carer's Allowance in Scotland.","AnswerText":"As set out in our response to our 2022 public consultation, we are considering options for reform of the earnings threshold as part of longer-term plans for improvements to Carer Support Payment. These include increasing the earnings threshold and introducing a run-on of support to mitigate the earnings ‘cliff edge’, both of which were supported by the majority of respondents to the consultation. Given the range of views on how the earnings rules for Carer Support Payment could work differently from Carer’s Allowance, we are continuing to consider the responses received. We are also considering research, recently published by the DWP in May, on carers’ experiences of claiming and receiving Carer’s Allowance to inform our approach.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420553,"EventID":"S6W-27856","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T17:00:07.913","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-23T13:55:53.357","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many applications for the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme have been (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful across Dumfries and Galloway.","AnswerText":"As at 30 April 2024, through the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme (SBVS) 198 connections have been successfully delivered so far across Dumfries and Galloway, 36 are currently planned, and a further 3 have been requested. There are no unsuccessful applications.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420554,"EventID":"S6W-27873","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T17:00:08.04","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-24T16:54:07.72","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23750 by Lorna Slater on 19 December 2023, whether the criteria relating to such \"exceptional circumstances\" is set out in legislation, or whether it is a matter of convention.","AnswerText":"The circumstances for the use of the direction-making powers in the Environmental Protection Act 1990 are not set out in legislation, nor are they a matter of convention. In deciding whether or not to use these powers, Ministers would consider a range of factors, including carbon reduction goals and capacity needs, and would also take into account SEPA’s role and statutory functions as Scotland’s independent environmental regulator.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420555,"EventID":"S6W-27459","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T17:00:08.18","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T18:09:35.213","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish any legal advice that it has received regarding the potential for any action in the Scottish courts against (a) it and (b) Police Scotland resulting from any disclosure of a non-crime hate incident.","AnswerText":"The recording of non-crime hate incidents is an operational matter for Police Scotland.\r\nUnder legal professional privilege the Scottish Government does not disclose the content or source of any legal advice it has received on any topic or whether it has received any legal advice.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420556,"EventID":"S6W-27889","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T17:00:08.273","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-27T14:22:15.81","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much support has been provided through the Energy Transition Fund in each of the years in which the fund has operated, and whether it will provide a breakdown of the (a) fund recipients and (b) amounts awarded in each case. ","AnswerText":"The Energy Transition Fund was launched in 2020 and provides support for four major projects based in the Aberdeen City region. The following table sets out funding awarded to date, broken down by project and financial year. \r\nFunding awarded (£million) \r\nProject Name\r\n2020-21\r\n2021-22\r\n2022-23\r\n2023-24\r\nTotal to date\r\nAllocated 2024-25\r\nEnergy Transition Zone\r\n0.05\r\n2.38\r\n9\r\n5.541\r\n16.971\r\n2.505\r\nGlobal Underwater Hub\r\n0\r\n1.823\r\n1.811\r\n0.768\r\n4.402\r\n1.178\r\nNet Zero Technology Transition Programme\r\n0\r\n1.597\r\n6.574\r\n6.157\r\n14.328\r\n2.094\r\nAberdeen Hydrogen Hub\r\n4.5\r\n0\r\n1.35\r\n4.37\r\n10.22\r\n3.8\r\nTotal per year\r\n4.55\r\n5.8\r\n18.735\r\n16.836\r\n45.921\r\n9.577\r\n \r\nThe Scottish Government also provides planning for and support to the energy transition through a range of other vehicles. These include the Just Transition Fund, Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Fund and the development of a Just Transition Plan for the Grangemouth Industrial Cluster which will be published shortly.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420557,"EventID":"S6W-27851","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T17:00:08.353","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-23T13:08:38.54","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps have been taken to accommodate the use of (a) anastrozole, (b) tamoxifen and (c) raloxifene as risk-reducing treatments for primary breast cancer (i) in existing and (ii) to develop new, clinical pathways.","AnswerText":"The National Cancer Medicines Advisory Group (NCMAG) will review the use of Anastrozole, Tamoxifen and Raloxifene as a preventative treatments for post-menopausal women at a moderate or high risk of breast cancer at a rescheduled meeting in Autumn 2024. \r\nIn anticipation of potential NCMAG advice, Scottish Government is considering how these drugs may fit in to a chemoprevention care pathway within NHS Scotland, including patient identification and monitoring.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420558,"EventID":"S6W-27867","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T17:00:08.507","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-24T12:34:05.2","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what policy measures it is considering in order to reach its commitment to restore 250,000 hectares of degraded peatlands by 2030.","AnswerText":"Caring for our peatlands, and reducing peatland emissions, through protection, management and restoration is critical to mitigating and adapting to the linked climate and nature emergencies.\r\nRestoring 250,000 hectares is a combination of restoration through drain blocking and bare peat restoration on upland blanket bogs but also requires interventions on herbivore control as well as other farm management interventions.\r\nThrough various on-going reform programmes across government and our commitment to consult on a carbon land tax on the largest estates, we are considering the regulatory and fiscal measures that could further incentivise peatland restoration and create the conditions to keep our peatlands in good condition.\r\nAlongside this, work continues towards implementing a ban on the sale of peat in Scotland and we have established an expert group to develop the guidance and tools needed to inform decisions on windfarm development on peat.\r\nWe are also working hard with our delivery partners through the Peatland ACTION partnership to tackle the many barriers to upscaling peatland restoration in this relatively young sector.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420559,"EventID":"S6W-27874","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T17:00:08.617","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-24T16:54:07.72","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration has been given to potentially using the pollution prevention and control permit system to establish a waste hierarchy that prioritises the most circular and sustainable incineration methods and outputs.","AnswerText":"The waste hierarchy already has provision for different types of thermal treatment technology. For example, while incineration without energy recovery is classed as disposal, energy from waste processes (producing usable electricity and/or heat) can be classed as recovery of energy.\r\nMoreover, there is scope within the waste hierarchy for technologies that produce products to be classed as recycling if appropriate. For example, where the Anaerobic Digestion of food waste is undertaken to appropriate standards to produce a usable product, this is already classified as recycling in the Official Statistics published by SEPA.\r\nWe, therefore, are not considering making additional provisions through the Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) regulations 2012 (“the PPC regulations”).","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420560,"EventID":"S6W-27878","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T17:00:08.743","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-27T09:15:05.483","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it is having with the Department for Work and Pensions under the agency agreement for the delivery of Carer's Allowance in Scotland to identify the (a) number of carers affected by overpayment debt and (b) levels of debt accumulated.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has urged the DWP to carefully consider people’s individual circumstances before any recovery of Carer’s Allowance overpayments from carers. Discussions are ongoing with the DWP as to potential arrangements for the recovery of any Carer’s Allowance overpayments for carers in Scotland that remain once case transfer is complete and the current Agency Agreement comes to an end.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420561,"EventID":"S6W-27860","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T17:00:08.837","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-23T16:43:27.37","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many nurseries have closed since 2016, broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold specific data on the number of nursery closures by local authority area. However, the Care Inspectorate publishes data each year in the Early Learning and Childcare Statistics publication that sets out changes across different types of childcare settings at a national level. This shows an increase in the number of nurseries from 2,468 in 2016 to 2,538 in 2022 (a 3% increase). This figure will be affected by both closures and openings of new settings.\r\nSource: Care Inspectorate,  Early Learning and Childcare Statistics 2016.pdf (careinspectorate.com)  and  Early learning and childcare statistics 2022.pdf (careinspectorate.com)  .","AnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420562,"EventID":"S6W-27872","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T17:00:08.93","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-24T16:54:07.72","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of any variations granted to allow increased incineration capacities at operational incineration facilities in Scotland, since the publication of the Independent Review of the Role of Incineration in the Waste Hierarchy in Scotland.","AnswerText":"Permitting is a matter for the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA), who make this information available in the public domain here:  Find an Authorisation Document | Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)  .\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420563,"EventID":"S6W-27827","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T17:00:09.053","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-22T08:16:55.667","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of how its loss and damage funding assists communities in Central Africa with the preservation of endangered megafauna populations.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government loss and damage funding is not currently assisting communities in Central Africa, with the preservation of endangered megafauna populations.\r\nOur loss and damage funding for the rest of this Parliamentary term is focused on two multi-year Programmes: Climate Just Communities and our Non-Economic Loss and Damage Programme. Both programmes are multi-year and community-led, responding to their specific needs. \r\nOur £24 million Climate Just Communities programme operates in our partner countries of Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia, to help build inclusive and climate resilient communities. This includes projects that addresses the impacts of climate induced loss and damage. Our £5 million Non-Economic Loss and Damage programme is delivering interventions throughout East Africa, the Pacific and Bay of Bengal, with a specific emphasis on supporting women and girls to address loss and damage.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420564,"EventID":"S6W-27879","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T17:00:09.15","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-27T09:15:17.323","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work it will undertake with (a) the Department for Work and Pensions and (b) Social Security Scotland during the roll-out of, and process of case transfer to, Carer Support Payment, to increase the level of help and advice available to unpaid carers in Scotland who may have been left in debt due to overpayments of Carer's Allowance.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has urged the DWP to carefully consider people’s individual circumstances before any recovery of Carer’s Allowance overpayments from carers. It is our established policy that no-one should be placed into hardship as a result of overpayment recovery. Social Security Scotland have in place processes to prevent and identify overpayments as quickly as possible, and will consider an individual’s financial and personal circumstances as far as they are known before recovery is attempted. Social Security Scotland will discuss the best way forward for individuals and anyone affected will be able to seek support and advice before agreeing any repayment plan. Any deductions are set at manageable levels and individuals can seek a redetermination and appeal where a new determination has been made. Discussions are ongoing with the DWP as to potential arrangements for the recovery of any Carer’s Allowance overpayments for carers in Scotland that remain once case transfer is complete and the current Agency Agreement comes to an end.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420565,"EventID":"S6W-27864","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T17:00:09.257","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-23T17:13:26.463","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration Scottish Forestry has given to allocating funds from the Strategic Timber Transport Fund to support the full reopening of Aboyne Bridge.","AnswerText":"Scottish Forestry maintains very close working relationships with the relevant Local Authority and timber businesses in this region. Whilst we are aware of the closure of the Aboyne Bridge, and there have been discussions with local forest businesses around the implications of further deterioration on the adjacent Dinnet Bridge, Scottish Forestry has not received a request from the Local Authority for support towards reopening the Aboyne Bridge currently. \r\nScottish Forestry recently awarded £101,000 from the Strategic Timber Transport Fund to support £202,000 of improvements to the nearby B976 Birsemore to Dinnet Bridge Road through collaboration with Aberdeenshire Council.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420566,"EventID":"S6W-26881","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-29T17:00:09.383","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-04-16T14:47:04.917","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much private finance, which involves paying returns to private investors, was (a) arranged under the support of the private finance pilot and (b) spent on (i) tree p","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much private finance, which involves paying returns to private investors, was (a) arranged under the support of the private finance pilot and (b) spent on (i) tree planting and (ii) peatland restoration between the launch of the &pound;2 billion private finance pilot on 1 March 2023 and the last day of February 2024; who the private finance providers involved were; how much was invested and on which projects, and&nbsp;whether it considers any finance awarded by any lottery funds to be private finance.","AnswerText":"The Nature Investment Partnership (formerly referred to as the Private Finance Pilot) has not yet invested any private finance in to projects on the ground, or delivered any return to investors. The Partnership is focussed on building the pipeline of projects to enable that investment to flow, and engaging with a range of investors and communities to establish the best fit for each project. NatureScot have published a detailed FAQs page (  Private finance pilot for nature: FAQs | NatureScot  ). The first pilot &ndash; the  Wild Heart Expansion Project  - has been established in the South of Scotland and is now engaging with communities and land managers to test the appetite for nature finance and design the potential investment. We consider lottery funding to be philanthropic funding.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420612,"EventID":"S6W-27885","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-30T15:53:56.003","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-27T14:15:14.83","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions (a) it and (b) its agencies have had with (i) the UK Government, (ii) local authorities, (ii) devolved nations and (iv) other countries on the purchase of hydrogen buses manufactured in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government participates in the UK Hydrogen Propulsion Manufacturing Taskforce. The taskforce works to develop recommendations on how government and industry can maximise investment opportunities for the UK manufacturing of hydrogen propulsion systems. This has included reference to the opportunities for hydrogen fuel cell buses. The taskforce has been paused during the pre-election period for the UK general election.\r\nAs set out in our Hydrogen Action Plan, hydrogen in the transport sector could act as a complementary energy alongside battery electrification, providing an option to parts of the transport sector such as heavy duty vehicles, when battery electrification is challenging. However, it is up to individual bus operating companies to determine what type of zero emission vehicles best suits their particular circumstances, and for manufacturers to respond to that demand in the way that they think is most appropriate.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420613,"EventID":"S6W-27918","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-30T15:53:56.193","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T15:28:11.14","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of any funding that it has provided to (a) the City of Edinburgh Council and (b) (i) other public sector organisations, (ii) charities, (iii) other voluntary organisations and (iv) social enterprises in the Edinburgh Eastern constituency, in each of the last three financial years, and what the funding was intended to be used for. ","AnswerText":"The information requested on the funding provided to City of Edinburgh Council in each of the last 3 financial years is set out in the following table.\r\nThe Scottish Government does not hold information on funding to other public sector organisations, charities, other voluntary organisations and social enterprises broken down by parliamentary constituency.\r\nEdinburgh, City of\r\nRing-Fenced Grants\r\nNon Domestic Rates\r\nGeneral Revenue Funding\r\nTotal Revenue \r\nGeneral Capital Grant\r\nSpecific Grant\r\nTotal Capital \r\nOverall Local Government Finance Settlement \r\n£m\r\n£m\r\n£m\r\n£m \r\n£m\r\n£m\r\n£m \r\n£m\r\n2022-23 -  link \r\n56.739\r\n249.861\r\n608.762\r\n915.362 \r\n40.626\r\n30.260\r\n70.886 \r\n986.248\r\n2023-24 -  link \r\n56.545\r\n377.317\r\n519.172\r\n953.034 \r\n47.786\r\n30.249\r\n78.035 \r\n1,031.069\r\n2024-25 -  link \r\n16.210\r\n407.645\r\n581.234\r\n1,005.089 \r\n35.612\r\n30.206\r\n65.818 \r\n1,070.907\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420614,"EventID":"S6W-27925","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-30T15:53:56.24","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T15:45:29.62","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to update the Parliament on its work to split the role of the Lord Advocate, and whether this work remains one of its priorities.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question PQ S6W-27235 on 17 May 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at -  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .\r\nThe Scottish Government has announced it will consult on whether the prosecution and government functions of the law officers should be separated.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420615,"EventID":"S6W-27921","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-30T15:53:56.317","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T15:45:29.62","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that it will publish the findings of its most recent consultation on restricting promotions of food and drink high in fat, sugar or salt. ","AnswerText":"The consultation on the detail of proposed regulations to restrict promotions of food and drink high in fat, sugar or salt closed on 21 May 2024.\r\nWork is underway to procure an independent analysis of the consultation feedback. The feedback received will be used as part of the policy decision-making process, alongside a range of other available information and evidence. It is anticipated that the final report will be available for publication in late autumn.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420616,"EventID":"S6W-27914","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-30T15:53:56.363","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T15:17:23.517","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27515 by Ivan McKee on 23 May 2024, whether it will provide a breakdown of the work undertaken by the consultancies that were awarded funding in the 2022-23 financial year. ","AnswerText":"Following on from the answer to S6W-27515 where a list of 132 Scottish Government consultancy suppliers total annual spend was provided. Due to the high volume of transactional data that provides the breakdown of this spend (1,199 in total) and the work that would need to be carried out to provide the line level detail would be a substantial piece of work. To help to provide additional information to support the ask, a further breakdown on the top 10 suppliers has been provided which includes the number of annual transactions again for FY22-23. This captures approximately 83% of the total annual spend.\r\nSupplier Name\r\nSum of Aggregate Spend\r\nTransactions\r\nDeloitte LLP\r\n£8,298,702.55\r\n44\r\nSAC Commercial Ltd\r\n£4,571,346.65\r\n79\r\nErnst & Young LLP\r\n£3,917,671.36\r\n68\r\nRicardo-AEA Limited\r\n£1,585,598.88\r\n62\r\nTaleos Consulting Limited\r\n£1,305,222.50\r\n12\r\nJames Harvard Limited\r\n£558,950.00\r\n52\r\nThis is Milk Limited\r\n£518,035.00\r\n33\r\nPalladium International Limited\r\n£517,364.31\r\n6\r\nSniffer\r\n£341,667.00\r\n15\r\nCivil Service Learning (CSL) - KPMG LLP\r\n£278,150.73\r\n23 \r\n£21,892,708.98 \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420617,"EventID":"S6W-27907","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-30T15:53:56.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T12:52:11.243","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any impact of its Infrastructure Investment Plan on it meeting its climate ambitions.","AnswerText":"On 17 January, the Scottish Government published a carbon assessment of the Infrastructure Investment Plan for Scotland 2021-22 to 2025-26, drawing on a range of evidence, including results from a taxonomy assessment. Through this assessment, there is clear and consistent evidence that supports the assessment that the Infrastructure Investment Plan contributes positively to the achievement of Scotland’s emissions reduction targets. This assessment can be found here:  Infrastructure investment plan 2021-2022 to 2025-2026: carbon assessment - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .\r\nThe publication of the Infrastructure Investment Plan Annual Report and Pipeline Reset has had to be postponed due to the timing of the UK General Election. Scottish Ministers will now consider a revised publication date, and will inform Parliament in due course. The outcomes of the carbon assessment published in January 2024 will be reviewed in conjunction with these publications.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420618,"EventID":"S6W-27920","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-30T15:53:56.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T15:45:29.62","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that it will publish the next paper in the Building a New Scotland series; what the topic of the paper will be, and what consultation has taken place in advance of it being published. ","AnswerText":"The Permanent Secretary wrote to the First Minister on 27 May outlining the impact of the UK general election guidance on the Scottish Government’s planned business. In this letter, in line with normal practice, the Permanent Secretary advised on the deferral of strategic policies due to be published in the pre-election period. This includes the publication of the Building a New Scotland papers, which will be paused during the pre-election period. The Scottish Government is continuing to develop material to ensure people have the information they need to make an informed choice about Scotland’s future and will resume publication following the General Election.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420619,"EventID":"S6W-27913","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-30T15:53:56.567","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T15:16:01.057","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27611 by Ivan McKee on 23 May 2024, what further steps it is considering to unlock developments for economic growth and housebuilding, in light of any lengthy planning delays. ","AnswerText":"We are taking forward a range of actions to ensure that the planning system supports economic growth and house building.\r\nWe remain committed to working collaboratively with all those with an interest in planning and housing to deliver good quality homes in the right location. We are working with industry and others to take forward a number of short-term actions, including working with SME housebuilders to understand how we can support them better, and sharing good practice on implementing Statements of Community Benefit. At a recent evidence session with the Local Government, Planning and Housing Committee, Scottish Government officials indicated that we will shortly communicate a message, following the recent legal proceedings relating to policy 16 of National Planning Framework.\r\nThe Planning Infrastructure and Place Advisory Group, was set up with the aim of driving forward joined up, place based delivery of infrastructure. The group is investigating the issues of funding and finance affecting the delivery of infrastructure in order to identify actions and solutions which could have wider applicability. The group are expected to report on findings in the near future.\r\nWe are also now working on the implementation of Masterplan Consent Areas regulations following a public consultation which closed on 22 May. MCAs are a new consenting mechanism to support place-leadership, providing certainty by bringing forward consented development-ready land, supporting economic growth.\r\nOur consultation “Investing in Planning – A consultation on resourcing Scotland’s planning system” closed on 31 May. The consultation sought views on a range of proposals which could deliver a more proportionate and streamlined planning system in Scotland. The consultation included a proposal to establish a Planning Hub, which could provide much needed resilience for authorities and support improvements in decision making timescales.\r\nEarly findings from the consultation will be presented to the High Level Group on Planning Performance, which brings together key stakeholders who play an important role in delivering the planning system in Scotland, later this month.\r\nThe National Planning Improvement Champion (NPIC) is working with individual planning authorities to pilot a new National Planning Improvement Framework. Planning authorities will carry out a self-assessment and then work with the NPIC and others to identify areas for improvement and develop an action plan.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420620,"EventID":"S6W-27917","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-30T15:53:56.613","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T15:22:45.143","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with (a) the City of Edinburgh Council and (b) other partners to discuss the housing emergency, and whether it discussed the provision of additional (i) financial, (ii) regulatory and (iii) planning support to alleviate the impact on residents. ","AnswerText":"Since taking up post last year, I have met regularly with Councillor Jane Meagher, the City of Edinburgh Council Housing Convener, with our last meeting taking place on 18 April. The housing emergency has been raised in my discussions with other Housing Convenors and housing and homelessness partners as follows:Members of the Cross-Party Group on Housing on 27 February Councillor Allan Casey and Councillor Kenny McLean, Glasgow City Council on 13 MarchJenni Minto MSP, Argyll and Bute Council officials and Argyll and Bute registered social landlords and community trusts on 4 AprilAlison Watson, Shelter Scotland on 16 AprilMembers of the Homelessness Prevention and Strategy Group on 16 AprilStrategic Homeless Action Partnership in Edinburgh on 1 MaySally Thomas and Carolyn Lochhead, Scottish Federation of Housing Associations on 15 May Councillor Davie McLachlan, South Lanarkshire Council on 16 MayCouncillor Maureen Chalmers, COSLA on 21 MayCouncillor Judy Hamilton, Fife Council on 5 June\r\nThere have also been discussions at official level over recent months with other partners, including the Scottish Housing Regulator, ALACHO, COSLA and Homes for Scotland.\r\nThese meetings are used to discuss the homelessness pressures and housing supply matters in Edinburgh and other areas across Scotland, including the decisions by councils to declare a housing emergency. Within these discussions, a range of issues are covered, which have their basis in the proposals developed by local authorities in response to the pressures they are facing. Various financial and planning issues and potential regulatory changes have been discussed at these meetings in the context of reducing the use of temporary accommodation and improving housing outcomes for residents.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420621,"EventID":"S6W-27886","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-30T15:53:56.66","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-27T14:22:15.81","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the £4.65 million awarded through the Energy Transition Fund to Aberdeen City Council to expand its hydrogen bus fleet was used to purchase hydrogen buses that were manufactured in Scotland. ","AnswerText":"Hydrogen fuel cell buses in Aberdeen supported by grant funding from the Scottish Government were not manufactured in Scotland. State aid and subsequent subsidy control rules mean that grant conditions could not specify which vehicle supplier the bus operator should use.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420622,"EventID":"S6W-27904","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-30T15:53:56.723","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T11:55:35.51","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish an analysis of its consultation on the implementation timescales for a new environmental quality standard (EQS) for emamectin benzoate, as used in fish farms, which closed on 24 July 2023. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is currently considering the outcome of the consultation and will publish an analysis in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420623,"EventID":"S6W-27927","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-30T15:53:56.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T15:54:23.933","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has engaged with (a) universities, (b) Universities Scotland, (c) the Scottish Funding Council, (d) the Department for Education and (e) any other part of the UK Government regarding contingency planning in the event that a university in Scotland becomes bankrupt, and whether it has plans in place to deal with such an incident.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government are in regular discussions with the Scottish Funding Council about the financial sustainability of the university sector. These discussions consider sector risks and plans and seek to strengthen our collective approach.\r\nAdditionally, I last met with University Chairs on 5 March 2024 at which a range of topics of importance to the sector were discussed. In addition to regular meetings with Universities Scotland (US), I met with US, the Scottish Funding Council and PriceWaterhouseCoopers on 29 May to discuss the short to medium term financial sustainability of universities in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420624,"EventID":"S6W-27905","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-30T15:53:56.927","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T11:55:54.74","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many fish farms have been allowed to continue using the pesticide, emamectin benzoate, at the level set by the 2017 environmental quality standard (EQS), in light of the subsequent interim EQS applying only to new and expanded fish farms.","AnswerText":"All farms that discharge emamectin benzoate are being regulated against the previous environmental standard of 763 ng/kg of wet weight sediment or against the revised environmental standard recommended by UKTAG of 272 ng/kg of dry weight sediment.\r\nFarms authorised to discharge emamectin benzoate \r\nNo. farms\r\nNo. farms that have used emamectin benzoate at least once between 2017 and 2024\r\nRegulated against previous environmental standard (763 ng/kg of wet weight sediment).\r\n332\r\n194\r\nRegulated against updated environmental standard (272 ng/kg of dry weight sediment) recommended by UKTAG.\r\n22\r\n15\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420625,"EventID":"S6W-27906","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-30T15:53:57.02","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T11:59:01.14","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assurances it can provide that the delivery of payments from the Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme will be unaffected by the announcement that a new body, the Infected Blood Compensation Authority, has been established. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the strength of feeling of beneficiaries in Scotland about the future of the current Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme (SIBSS), which has been important both in supporting people, and in providing a service they value, over a number of years.\r\nThe UK Government set out its proposals for an infected blood final compensation scheme, and the setting up of a new UK-wide Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA), on 21 May. The UK Government proposes that support scheme payments, such as those currently provided by SIBSS, will continue to be paid on an ex-gratia basis until 31 March 2025. From 1 April 2025, SIBSS payments will be taken into account in calculating final compensation awards. Infected and affected people will have a choice of receiving their compensation as a lump sum or as periodic payments. The UK Government has also said that it will ensure that no one will receive less than they do now. In addition, Sir Robert Francis, interim chair of the IBCA, published a Statement of Intent on 29 May 2024 making clear that Regulations setting out details of the compensation scheme will be laid in the UK Parliament on or before 24 August 2024. Currently, he is consulting with infected and affected communities and their representatives.\r\nThe Scottish Government will continue to represent the views of Scottish stakeholders to the UK Government during these consultations, including on the question of whether SIBSS members who opt for periodic payments should get those ongoing payments from the support schemes or the IBCA. Having campaigned for years to achieve these outcomes, we do not want people to now feel they have no say in how compensation is paid.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420626,"EventID":"S6W-27915","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-30T15:53:57.13","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T15:18:29.267","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to ensure that the public has confidence in organisations that receive public funding, by ensuring that its funding processes operate at the highest level of governance accountability and transparency.","AnswerText":"There is a robust framework for the stewardship of public funds by the Scottish Government, its public bodies and recipients of public sector grants. The Scottish Public Finance Manual (SPFM) sets out statutory, parliamentary, and administrative requirements in relation to managing public resources, emphasising the need for economy, efficiency, and effectiveness, and promoting good practice.\r\nThere are ‘framework documents’ between the SG and public bodies covering accountability arrangements, financial controls and processes, and associated annual assurance processes. Accountable Officers are personally answerable for the regularity and propriety of the finances under their stewardship and report in annual accounts which are scrutinised by Audit Scotland and potentially by the Public Audit Committee. SG Sponsor teams work with public bodies, ensuring appropriate framework documents and governance arrangements are in place and action is taken on any audit recommendations.\r\nThe SPFM sets out the expectations of grant funding and the financial control framework required if public bodies disperse grants. Bodies in receipt of public funds are subject to binding agreements that are monitored as part of established grant management processes.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420627,"EventID":"S6W-27926","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-30T15:53:57.177","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T15:52:56.73","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will outline its infrastructure investment priorities to the Parliament, in light of the UK General Election. ","AnswerText":"The publication of the Infrastructure Investment Plan Annual Report and Pipeline Reset has had to be postponed due to the timing of the UK General Election. Scottish Ministers will now consider a revised publication date, and will inform Parliament in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420628,"EventID":"S6W-27910","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-30T15:53:57.24","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T15:06:34.5","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has implemented any of the recommendations in its report, Fit for the Future: developing a post-school learning system to fuel economic transformation.","AnswerText":"There is significant progress being made to reform and improve key areas of the post-school learning system covered by James Withers’ review Fit for the Future, including on apprenticeships, skills planning and simplification of the funding body landscape. I provided the latest update on progress in a letter to the Education, Children and Young People Committee on 27 March 2024, available at  Update to Committee - Post school reform | Scottish Parliament Website  .","AnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420629,"EventID":"S6W-27924","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-30T15:53:57.333","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T15:45:29.62","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to publish a housing emergency action plan, backed by regulatory and financial resources, before the end of 2024. ","AnswerText":"In declaring a national housing emergency, the Scottish Government recognises that there are major challenges within the housing sector in Scotland. To address these challenges, joined up action across Scottish Government, UK Government, local government, registered social landlords (RSLs) and our full range of housing sector partners will be critical.\r\nThere is widespread support for Scotland’s long term plan for housing set out in the Housing to 2040 strategy, and for our collective plan to end homelessness set out in Ending Homelessness Together. So rather than diverting effort to the creation of a new action plan, it is our intention to work at pace in collaboration with partners to critically review and prioritise actions within these current plans. In doing so, we will focus on their impact and deliverability, linked to the First Minister’s priorities of eradicating child poverty, driving economic growth and investing in vital public services.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420630,"EventID":"S6W-27903","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-30T15:53:57.38","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T11:13:49.43","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what measures it will put in place to increase the rate of housebuilding in Scotland. ","AnswerText":"We are conscious of the ongoing global issues affecting construction which are impacting the pace of housing delivery and remain focused on our target of delivering 110,000 high quality, energy efficient affordable homes by 2032. The £80m over two years announced on 26 April takes our investment in affordable housing in 2024-25 to nearly £600m, which will deliver social and affordable homes across Scotland, including acquisitions.\r\nThe recently established Housing Investment Taskforce will, over the course of financial year 2024/25, work to identify actions that will unlock both existing and new commitments to investment in housing across all tenures, bringing together key interests of investors and investees. \r\nFollowing recent legal proceedings, we will shortly provide a message to stakeholders relating to policy 16 of National Planning Framework. In addition, we are working with stakeholders on a series of cross-sector actions to ensure those involved collectively play a positive part in housing delivery.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420631,"EventID":"S6W-27916","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-30T15:53:57.49","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T15:20:06.783","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it anticipates the economic impact of the upcoming Taylor Swift concert will be on the (a) Edinburgh and (b) Scottish economy, and what discussions (i) ministers and (ii) their officials have had with stakeholders regarding this. ","AnswerText":"Given the commercial nature of these events the Scottish Government has not undertaken an assessment of the likely economic impact of the Taylor Swift concerts in Edinburgh. \r\nThere have been no specific discussions with stakeholders, by either Ministers or Officials, regarding the forecast impacts from the Taylor Swift concerts. VisitScotland however (as the national tourism agency for Scotland) has been undertaking PR and marketing activities to maximise the opportunity for Scotland's visitor economy from Taylor Swift fans attending the Edinburgh concerts - as it does for other major events across Scotland. \r\nThe launch of the refreshed “Scotland’s National Events Strategy 2024 – 2035” on Tuesday 28 May reflects the continued commitment by the Scottish Government to sustain and develop a dynamic, resilient, and responsible events sector that is a valued part of Scotland’s wellbeing economy, maintaining Scotland’s reputation as “The Perfect Stage for Events.”\r\nThe refreshed National Events Strategy has been the result of a collaborative effort, shaped by voices from across the event sector, Trade Unions, Local Authorities and the wider public sector. Following that consultation and engagement process clear agreed priorities have emerged to shape a strategy that provides focus for the whole sector, bringing everyone together to deliver a shared ambition.\r\nWorking with the sector and other partners we will ensure Scotland continues to support a dynamic portfolio of events – from regular local community events to Scotland’s signature events and festivals, to one off international business, cultural and sporting events. \r\nA copy of the National Events Strategy may be found using the URL  Scotland's National Events Strategy | VisitScotland.org \r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420632,"EventID":"S6W-27686","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-30T15:53:57.537","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-16T13:49:08.817","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the average reduction in journey times has been on each of the national train routes across Scotland in each year since 2016.    ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold the information requested.\r\nThe Scottish Government’s High Level Output Specification (HLOS) strategy requires Network Rail to take full advantage of maintenance and renewal works and timetable development processes to enable ScotRail to achieve improved journey times. It is also a requirement of the ScotRail Policy Compendium and Grant Agreement that ScotRail works with Network Rail to deliver a high performing railway, with competitive journey times.\r\nOffice of Rail and Road's Annual Assessment of Network Rail, which is published on its website, provides information on average national journey time for year 2022-23:\r\nAnnual Assessment of Network Rail - April 2022 to March 2023 (orr.gov.uk)  , which the member might find of interest.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420633,"EventID":"S6W-27852","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-30T15:53:57.63","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-23T13:31:40.613","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to publish the rural support plan before summer recess.","AnswerText":"Yes.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420634,"EventID":"S6W-27919","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-30T15:53:57.74","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T15:28:11.14","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of any financial support that it has provided to (a) small, (b) medium-sized, (c) large and (d) start-up businesses in the Edinburgh Eastern constituency in each of the last five financial years. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is keen to promote a culture of entrepreneurship.\r\nScottish Government business support is provided by our enterprise agencies, utilising a range of support mechanisms. Scottish Enterprise provide business support in the area which includes the Edinburgh Eastern Constituency.\r\nScottish Enterprise systems do not hold tags for UK or Scottish parliamentary constituencies. Accordingly, as a proxy, the postcodes for the Edinburgh Eastern constituency were used to identify businesses in that constituency to which payments were made. It is also not possible for Scottish Enterprise to break down the payments according to size of business as they do not hold company size in our finance system\r\n£\r\nFinancial Year     \r\nFunding Type\r\n2019-20\r\n2020-21\r\n2021-22\r\n2022-23\r\n2023-24\r\nGrand Total\r\nGrant Contribution\r\n1,030,835\r\n1,853,866\r\n719,756\r\n525,259\r\n818,095\r\n4,947,811\r\nNew Investment\r\n980,505\r\n1,316,627\r\n356,259\r\n1,065,670\r\n1,559,996\r\n5,279,057\r\nGrand Total\r\n2,011,340\r\n3,170,493\r\n1,076,015\r\n1,590,929\r\n2,378,091\r\n10,226,868\r\nScottish Enterprise can be contacted via their  website  or you can reach them on 0300 013 3385 every Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420635,"EventID":"S6W-27912","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-30T15:53:57.833","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T15:14:41.553","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27466 by Natalie Don on 21 May 2024, whether it will provide further information on the discussion that the Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise had at the recent meeting concerning volunteer retention; whether the concerns of the group, Children's Hearings Scotland Scandal, were discussed, and what steps are being taken to retain volunteers in light of the group's concerns. ","AnswerText":"As reflected in the answer to S6W-27466, a range of matters related to volunteer retention were discussed. Those included the development of the Tribunal Support Model (TSM) within Children’s Hearings Scotland (CHS), introduced to better support volunteers in local areas across Scotland. The National Convener also discussed the future additional demand for children’s panel members associated with the commencement of the Care and Justice (Scotland) Bill.\r\nThe National Convener had identified a general downward trend in broader volunteering and retention since the covid pandemic, and outlined his plans for future panel recruitment campaigns and retention efforts.\r\nThere is a long unbroken record dating back 6 decades of sufficient local volunteers coming forward to serve on the children’s panel, and the Scottish Government , through officials and portfolio Ministers, are in regular dialogue with CHS about recruitment and retention.\r\nThe issue of recruitment and retention of volunteers are independent statutory functions for the National Convener. His independence in discharging those functions is enshrined in the Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011. The member may wish to write to the National Convener for further information about the recruitment and retention of volunteers.\r\nThe group Children’s Hearings Scotland Scandal were not discussed in the meeting. The Scottish Government is not aware of any concerns from that group which have not already been addressed, or that would have any material bearing on volunteer retention issues at the national level.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420636,"EventID":"S6W-27922","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-30T15:53:57.88","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T15:45:29.62","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) NHS Lothian, (b) the City of Edinburgh Council and (c) other relevant authorities regarding the reports of non-surgical Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) procedures taking place in the city, which led to the local authority issuing a public warning on 25 April 2024.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government was approached by NHS Lothian, the City of Edinburgh Council and Public Health Scotland to make it aware of issues regarding Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) procedures taking place in Edinburgh.\r\nThe Scottish Government invited an environmental health officer from the City of Edinburgh Council to the Scottish Cosmetic Interventions Expert Group meeting on 25 March 2024 to provide the group with further details.\r\nThe decision to issue a public warning regarding these procedures rested with, and was made by, the City of Edinburgh Council.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420637,"EventID":"S6W-27911","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-30T15:53:57.927","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T15:06:34.5","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there are any ongoing skills reviews currently in progress for which the Minister for Higher and Further Education is responsible.","AnswerText":"The only review currently in progress for which I am responsible is the Independent Review of Community Learning and Development (CLD).\r\nThe review will consider the extent to which CLD is contributing to deliver positive outcomes in line with Scottish Government priorities.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420638,"EventID":"S6W-27865","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-30T15:53:58.003","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-24T11:37:53.24","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to\r\nquestion S6W-16651 by Maree Todd on 21 April 2023, whether it will\r\nprovide an update on whether it has commenced the recruitment for the\r\nadditional roles to ensure that every GP practice has access to a mental\r\nhealth and wellbeing service, and, if so, how many have been recruited, and\r\nwhat training is in place for them.","AnswerText":"The recruitment of the 1,000 additional roles to support community mental health resilience, ensuring every GP Practice has access to a mental health and wellbeing service has not yet commenced. The economic conditions for the 2024-25 Scottish Budget remain challenging which means that recruitment for this programme continues to be paused in 2024-25. We have already prioritised significant investment to build mental health capacity in primary care through Action 15 of the Mental Health Strategy 2017-2027 and the Primary Care Improvement Fund, with funding for posts continuing in 2024-25.\r\nWe continue to focus on delivery of our mental health and wellbeing strategy and delivery plan, which includes commitments around mental health in primary care, with a view to reporting on progress by November 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420639,"EventID":"S6W-27923","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-30T15:53:58.147","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T15:45:29.62","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has met with (a) Kidzcare, (b) the City of Edinburgh Council and (c) Education Scotland regarding the reported closure of Haystax Nursery in Niddrie, and what support it can offer to ensure that the nursery remains open for parents, families and staff. ","AnswerText":"All three and four year olds, as well as eligible two year olds, have a statutory entitlement of up to 1140 hours per year of funded ELC. Local authorities have a duty to make this available to all eligible children within their area, which is delivered across over 2500 centres in Scotland (excluding childminders). Ministers and senior Scottish Government officials regularly engage with CoSLA around issues relating to the implementation of 1140 policy. I would encourage parents to raise any concerns they have about the closure of Haystax Nursery directly with the relevant local authority, in this case City of Edinburgh Council.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420640,"EventID":"S6W-27888","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-30T15:53:58.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-27T14:22:15.81","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with Scotland-based manufacturers on (a) the manufacture and (b) marketing in (i) the UK and (ii) international markets of hydrogen buses manufactured in Scotland. ","AnswerText":"Through Scottish Enterprise, the Scottish Government has regular discussions with Scotland-based vehicle manufacturers, including bus manufacturers, about opportunities for hydrogen fuel cell and other types of zero emission vehicles in the UK and international markets.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420641,"EventID":"S6W-27899","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-30T15:53:58.27","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T10:26:46.58","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) ScotRail and (b) Transport Scotland regarding the reported 12 extra services per day that would operate on the Aberdeen, Inverness and Elgin route and which have not been included in the new train timetables.","AnswerText":"ScotRail operates 18 trains per day - an hourly service between Elgin and Inverness, which includes 7 return services between Inverness and Elgin and 11 services between Aberdeen and Inverness. Providing additional services between Elgin and Inverness was possible due to a £330 million investment from the Scottish Government, which was completed in December 2019.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420642,"EventID":"S6W-27537","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":8,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-31T10:02:44.607","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T09:54:29.967","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, in light of reports of a group of protesters forcing entry into a parliamentary constituency office in Glasgow on 21 February 2024 and intimidating parliamentary staff in their place of work, and Police Scotland's subsequent description of the incident as a \"peaceful protest\", what discussions it (a) has had and (b) plans to have with Police Scotland to clarify whether such incidents are considered acceptable.","AnswerText":"In the wake of the protest at Mr Sweeney’s office, the Parliament’s Security Office engaged with the ‘Operation Sandbed’ team within Police Scotland on behalf of the SPCB.  Protest activity can cause alarm and the Security Office shared Mr Sweeney’s concerns, and the experience of his staff, that this protest had been unsettling and upsetting for those involved.   \r\nTaking into account the issues experienced by Mr Sweeney’s office, the Security Office will undertake further engagement with Police Scotland on behalf of the SPCB to discuss additional support and training that can be provided to local office staff, and Members, should protest occur at a local office. ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Claire Baker (on behalf of the SPCB)","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420650,"EventID":"S6W-27943","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-31T16:19:55.393","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T16:22:58.417","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made any assessment of the potential impact on families of including meal deals and temporary price reductions on food by supermarkets, in light of the current cost of living crisis and increasing prices.","AnswerText":"The public consultation on the detail of proposed regulations to restrict promotions of food and drink high in fat, sugar or salt closed on 21 May 2024. Consultation responses are now being analysed and the feedback will be used as part of the policy decision-making process, alongside a range of other available information and evidence.\r\nA suite of impact assessments is also being developed to consider and understand as far as possible how different population groups may be impacted by the policy. This includes an Equality Impact Assessment and Fairer Scotland Duty assessment, which will consider, amongst other things, potential impacts in respect of cost of living pressures.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420651,"EventID":"S6W-27955","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-31T16:19:55.58","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-29T12:20:06.787","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much money has been paid out from the Digital Start Fund to date.","AnswerText":"The Digital Start Fund was established in 2019 and ran for three years. Scottish Government provided SDS with £3,083,383 for the Digital Start Fund programme.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420652,"EventID":"S6W-27947","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-31T16:19:55.69","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T16:27:39.54","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what progress it has made regarding the delivery of a railway station in Winchburgh, including in relation to (a) developing the business case and (b) meeting the cost.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains supportive of a new station in Winchburgh and I am pleased to confirm that my officials and I met with representatives from West Lothian Council, Winchburgh Development Limited and Network Rail on 17 April to discuss the proposed station.\r\nA number of actions to progress the station were agreed and I fully expect the development of the business case and routes towards locating potential funding streams to be discussed again, having formed part of the previous meeting agenda in April. I am also pleased to confirm my officials and I will attend a follow-up meeting with the organisations I mentioned previously on 25 June to further progress the matter.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420653,"EventID":"S6W-27900","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-31T16:19:55.753","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T10:26:46.58","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with (a) Transport Scotland and (b) ScotRail regarding the delivery of hourly train services between Inverness and Aberdeen, as committed to in the first Strategic Transport Projects Review in 2009 and which has not been included in the new train timetables.","AnswerText":"My officials at Transport Scotland meet with ScotRail and Scottish Rail Holdings regularly to discuss various matters. ScotRail keeps its services under constant review to ensure they best meet the passenger demand.\r\nSince the publication of the 2009 Strategic Transport Projects Review, the Scottish Government has invested £330 million in delivering journey time improvements and greater connectivity for both passenger and freight services operating on the line between Aberdeen and Inverness. These works were undertaken as part of the Aberdeen – Inverness Rail Improvement Project.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420654,"EventID":"S6W-27935","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-31T16:19:55.817","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T16:08:31.337","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with Crown Estate Scotland, and what was discussed. ","AnswerText":"Scottish Government and Crown Estate Scotland representatives meet regularly to discuss actions CES are taking forward which directly benefit Scotland’s communities. CES is a revenue-raising public corporation. Many of these conversations include commercially sensitive discussions. The last catch-up took place on 31 May 2024.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420655,"EventID":"S6W-27936","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-31T16:19:55.94","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T16:08:31.337","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to update the Parliament on its work to bring forward and implement a minimum income guarantee, and what it currently estimates the financial cost of such a policy to be. ","AnswerText":"The work to define a Minimum Income Guarantee for Scotland continues to be led by an independent Expert Group who are due to publish a full report, which will include consideration of costs, later this year. The Scottish Government will respond to the recommendations made in due course. The report is expected to focus on what is deliverable and fiscally responsible now, alongside a longer-term vision for what a Minimum Income Guarantee with full powers might look like. The Expert Group’s work has been overseen by a cross-party Strategy Group who will continue to be updated as the work progresses.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420656,"EventID":"S6W-27937","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-31T16:19:56.003","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T16:08:31.337","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Ministerial Taskforce on Population last met, and what was discussed. ","AnswerText":"The Ministerial Population Taskforce meets quarterly to oversee delivery of Scotland’s Population Strategy and it last met on 20 March 2024. Items discussed included: Scotland’s Migration Service, in advance of its launch on 27 March; the linkages between housing policy and population; an update on planned National Records of Scotland statistical and Census publications; and an overview of progress in developing a Rural Delivery Plan. Minutes from the meeting will be published on the Scottish Government website in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420657,"EventID":"S6W-27962","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-31T16:19:56.08","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-29T16:03:19.817","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to review cyber security, in light of the reported recent breaches at Scottish public bodies.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises that cyber resilience is paramount for the delivery of secure digital public services, and it works closely with the Scottish public sector to strengthen its cyber security posture through the implementation of The Strategic Framework for a Cyber Resilient Scotland.\r\nStaying ahead of cyber criminals is an ongoing battle; as technologies evolve, so do their tactics. Public bodies are responsible for their own cyber resilience and security arrangements and must continually adapt to emerging threats.\r\nThe Scottish Government supports public sector bodies to help strengthen their cyber resilience and address areas for improvement. This includes embedding robust security standards, controls and governance, maintaining and regularly testing incident response plans, training staff and learning lessons identified from incidents.\r\nAdditionally, the Scottish Cyber Coordination Centre plays a key role in coordinating effective multi-agency response to incidents which impact on the public sector.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420658,"EventID":"S6W-27928","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-31T16:19:56.16","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T16:05:16.107","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take regarding reports that UHI Inverness plans to withhold 100% of pay for lecturing staff taking part in action short of strike, including any steps that are being taken to end the ongoing pay dispute, and what its position is on whether any such action by UHI is in line with fair work practices. ","AnswerText":"Operational decisions on pay, resourcing and staffing matters are for individual colleges; Scottish Ministers have no locus to intervene in these negotiations, however I meet regularly with trade unions and employers, urging both sides to continue to negotiate and reach a settlement.\r\nOn 6 February, all colleges, with the exception of New College Lanarkshire, agreed to take forward initial mitigations in the form of pay deductions for staff taking part in ASOS.\r\nIn circumstances where deductions are to be made, colleges must ensure employees are reminded in advance of their contractual obligations and advised where taking part in ASOS is considered to be a breach of contract.\r\nEIS-FELA’s own guidance for Members acknowledges that colleges may not accept partial performance and may advise of pay deductions.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420659,"EventID":"S6W-27931","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-31T16:19:56.223","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T16:08:31.337","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last reviewed the rate of Education Maintenance Allowance, and whether it will consider an inflationary increase in advance of the next Scottish Budget. ","AnswerText":"The Education Maintenance Allowance is vital in supporting young people from lower-income households to overcome financial barriers and to stay in education. It is a central component of this government’s support for young people from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.\r\nThe Scottish Government has faced its most challenging budgetary settlement since devolution began – a settlement which has not been inflation-proofed, and which has subsequently required difficult decisions to be made, due to the pressures on our public services. Any future changes to EMA would need to be considered in this context.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420660,"EventID":"S6W-27952","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-31T16:19:56.283","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T18:22:04.057","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has modelled the potential impact on public revenue in Scotland of reducing the VAT registration threshold to £30,000, which would be the same level as projected for 2027 under Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self Assessment, from the current £90,000 threshold.","AnswerText":"VAT is a reserved area and the powers to set the VAT Registration Threshold sit with the UK Government.\r\nThe Scottish Government has not modelled the impact on public revenue in Scotland of a reduction of the VAT Registration Threshold to £30,000.\r\nWe encourage the UK Government to engage with devolved administrations and stakeholders to ensure that changes which affect all parts of the UK are fully considered as part of the assessment of impacts.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420661,"EventID":"S6W-27942","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-31T16:19:56.347","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T16:21:14.37","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of when the (a) Lord Advocate and (b) Solicitor General attended meetings of the Cabinet since August 2023, and the reason for their attendance at any such meetings. ","AnswerText":"Between 1 August 2023 and 4 June 2024 Cabinet has met 37 times. A Law Officer attended 24 of these meetings: the Lord Advocate on 17 occasions and the Solicitor General on behalf of the Lord Advocate on seven occasions. Law Officers attend Cabinet as principal legal advisers to the Scottish Government and to represent their Ministerial interests.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420662,"EventID":"S6W-27941","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-31T16:19:56.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T16:17:35.347","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to (a) local authorities and (b) community organisations for the provision of allotments, in light of the reported waiting times in Edinburgh and across Scotland. ","AnswerText":"Allotments and their provision are the responsibility of local authorities, as set out in the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 Part 9.\r\nWhilst the Scottish Government is not required to collect information on waiting lists, we are aware of long lists in some areas of the country. We are committed to maintaining an open dialogue and working with our local authority partners to support them to meet their various statutory duties relating to allotments. Scottish Ministers have also issued guidance about the carrying out of functions conferred on local authorities by Part 9.\r\nThe Scottish Government recognises the wide-ranging benefits which participating in community growing activities can bring, not only for our physical and mental wellbeing but also for a sense of cohesion in our local communities.\r\nIn recognition of this, between 2012 and this financial year, we have awarded around £2.3 million to directly support, and increase the land that is available for, community growing initiatives through various grant funding. This includes £100,000 awarded to the Green Action Trust to deliver the Growing Food Together Fund for another year, with applications due to open soon.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420663,"EventID":"S6W-27965","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-31T16:19:56.457","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-29T17:38:45.813","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the 2018 GP contract, which moved vaccination services from the remit of GPs to NHS boards, means that emergency vaccinations for tetanus and other conditions can no longer be provided in GP surgeries.","AnswerText":"The 2018 GP contract does not mean that emergency vaccinations for tetanus and other conditions can no longer be provided in GP surgeries.\r\nIn 2017, as part of the commitment to reduce GP workload and refocus their role onto more complex care, the Scottish Government and the BMA’s Scottish GP Committee agreed vaccinations would progressively move away from a model based on GP delivery to one based on NHS Board delivery through dedicated teams. NHS Boards can make arrangements for those teams to deliver vaccines on the premises of GP surgeries (many of which are in buildings owned by NHS Boards) if this meets local needs.\r\nIn rare circumstances it may be appropriate for GP practices, such as small rural and island practices, to continue delivering these services routinely.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420664,"EventID":"S6W-27794","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-31T16:19:56.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T14:38:44.147","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Independent Strategic Review of Funding and Commissioning of Violence Against Women and Girls Services, and, in particular, the views expressed in the review on single-sex spaces, what steps it has taken to ensure that single-sex services continue to be provided to biological women and girls.","AnswerText":"Equally Safe, Scotland’s strategy for preventing and eradicating violence against women and girls acknowledges the important role specialist and single-sex services play in supporting victim-survivors of violence against women and girls.\r\nThere are single sex exceptions in the UK wide Equality Act 2010, and it is the responsibility of service providers to comply with the 2010 Act. The Equality and Human Rights Commission as the body responsible for enforcing the 2010 Act has produced specific guidance to support organisations in their compliance, including a Statutory Code of Practice and a guide for service providers who operate a separate or single-sex service.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420665,"EventID":"S6W-27958","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-31T16:19:56.567","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-29T13:25:50.803","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the conclusions of the UK Parliament Education Committee regarding a consultation on a total ban on smartphones for under-16s and a statutory ban on mobile phone use in schools, what its position is on the committee's conclusions and any relevance that these may have in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The findings of the UK Parliament Education Committee are noted. It is recognised that the Committee's considerations and recommendations are rightly focussed on the interests of the UK Government and that the legalities around ‘banning’ mobile phones elsewhere in the UK differ from those in Scotland. This is because in Scotland our Local Authorities have statutory responsibility for the delivery of Education and it is consequently a decision for our Headteachers currently, whether or not they would wish to enforce a ban in their school estate.\r\nNonetheless, the Scottish Government is committed to bringing forward national guidance on mobile phones in schools in Scotland. The guidance has been informed by a range of research and evidence and will make clear that should Headteachers wish to do so, they are empowered to ban mobile phones within their school estate.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420666,"EventID":"S6W-27959","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-31T16:19:56.613","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-29T13:27:22.54","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received a business case regarding the provision of diabetes technology, and, if so, when it plans to make a decision.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to answer to question: S6W-27895 on 28 May 2024. The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that everyone living with diabetes can access the care that they need to live their lives well. This includes increasing access to diabetes technologies.\r\nBetween 2016 and 2022, we invested £29.6 million of additional funding to support the increased provision of diabetes technologies.\r\nI am delighted to confirm that this financial year, up to £8.8 million of funding will be made available to expand access to diabetes technologies in Scotland. The focus will primarily be on providing access to all children that want Closed Loop Systems, but will also allow us to continue increasing access to adults.\r\nThis investment will allow us to continue developing innovative care models for diabetes in Scotland that have a focus on digital pathways and peer support.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420667,"EventID":"S6W-27949","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-31T16:19:56.66","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T16:58:35.033","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy on 18 April 2024, what measures will be included in its timeline for implementing demand management as part of its route map to 20% reduction in car km; whether road pricing will be included as one of these measures, and what discussions it has had with the UK (i) Government and (ii) Office of the Leader of the Opposition regarding the implementation of such measures across the UK.","AnswerText":"The Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy confirmed to the Scottish Parliament on 18 April 2024 that we will deliver the commitment made to publish by autumn the route map for reduction in car use by 20% produced in partnership with CoSLA. It will include a timeline for implementing demand management and within the context of our commitment to a just transition.\r\nAs outlined in the draft route map, published in January 2022, the Scottish Government recognises that powers for local authorities to introduce potential road charging schemes were established in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001 and that Local Authorities are best placed to determine whether a local road user charging scheme supports the objectives set out in their local transport strategy.\r\nThe finalised route map will also ask the UK Government to reform motoring taxes, given that they are the most direct levers on the cost of buying or running a petrol or diesel car. Fuel duty and vehicle excise duty are reserved matters. We have made a number of attempts at both ministerial and official level to engage the UK Government on these issues, without any meaningful response. The Scottish Government has not had discussions with the Office of the Leader of the Opposition on this matter.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420668,"EventID":"S6W-27898","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-31T16:19:56.737","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T10:24:57.38","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27369 by Dorothy Bain on 21 May 2024, how many of the (a) 545 charges related to incidents that took place in and (b) 17 convictions were for crimes against residents of the Lothian region.","AnswerText":"Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) uses a live, operational database to manage the processing of reports submitted to Procurators Fiscal by the police and other reporting agencies throughout Scotland. It is designed to meet business needs in the processing of criminal cases, rather than for statistical purposes and the information within it is structured accordingly. Information provided is at date of extract and may therefore be subject to change as data and systems are updated for operational reasons.\r\nOf the 545 charges referred to in the answer to question S6W-27369, 90 charges took place in the Lothian region. For the purposes of this answer, the ‘Lothian region’ has been limited to charges reported to COPFS from Edinburgh and Livingston Sheriff Court Districts only.\r\nOf the 17 convictions referred to in the answer to question S6W-27369, there were 2 which related to offending against residents of the Lothian region.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420669,"EventID":"S6W-27967","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-31T16:19:56.8","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-30T09:25:13.94","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it does not publish data on the coverage of fracture liaison services in each NHS board, including information on how they are performing. ","AnswerText":"Data on Fracture Liaison Services across Scotland are not centrally held by the Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420670,"EventID":"S6W-27956","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-31T16:19:56.847","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-29T12:20:06.787","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of students studying computing science at Higher level in each of the last three years were female.","AnswerText":"The SQA publish information on the number of entries to Higher subjects by male and female candidates on the attainment statistics pages of their website:  Attainment Statistics - SQA \r\nBased on this the percentage of entries to Higher computing science by female candidates in each year between 2021 and 2023 can be found in the following table.\r\nTable: Percentage of entries to Higher computing science from female candidates, 2021 - 2023 \r\n2021\r\n2022\r\n2023\r\nHigher Computing Studies\r\n17%\r\n19%\r\n19%\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420671,"EventID":"S6W-27948","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-31T16:19:56.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T16:28:03.397","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will outline the current size of Scotland's civil service in terms of full-time equivalent staff count, and whether it expect this number to increase over the next two financial years. ","AnswerText":"At the end of December 2023, the Scottish Government directly employed 8,824 (full time equivalent) civil servants and engaged 1,436 contingent workers.\r\nThe latest available workforce statistics are at this link:  Scottish Government workforce statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).  This will be updated with end March 2024 data on Tuesday 11 June 2024.\r\nThe Scottish Government is proactively addressing the need to reduce in size to remain fiscally sustainable and has been on a reducing trajectory since March 2022. We continue to progress public sector reform, and workforce numbers are regularly and carefully reviewed to ensure that we are delivering for the people of Scotland as efficiently and effectively as possible.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420672,"EventID":"S6W-27953","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16188,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":82,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-31T16:19:56.957","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-29T10:04:55.827","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to (a) prevent severe topical steroid withdrawal (TSW) reactions that can result from long-term use of topical steroid treatments, (b) monitor and review the prescribing of topical corticosteroids on the NHS and (c) consider a four-nation approach to include TSW in the MedDRA clinical coding system. ","AnswerText":"Following the recent MHRA review into topical steroid withdrawal, regulatory action means topical steroids will soon be labelled with their potencies. This will aid correct selection and simplify the advice for patients. The Scottish Government will cascade the MHRA updated safety alert, new labelling and revised patient safety leaflet to prescribers through clinical networks.\r\nThe Scottish Government encourages individuals to review their treatment plans with their healthcare professionals at least annually, and we are working with Health Improvement Scotland to develop searches for clinicians to identify patients using steroids.\r\nWe are already working on a four nations approach with MHRA as a hub.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420673,"EventID":"S6W-27950","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-31T16:19:57.02","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T17:27:44.38","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it considers workers in the so-called gig economy as part of the work that it is undertaking to make Scotland \"a leading Fair Work Nation by 2025\".","AnswerText":"All workers should be paid fairly for the work they do and have the opportunity of job security. Recent research from Herriot-Watt University points to particular challenges in this regard in the gig economy.\r\nThese are not unique to Scotland. According to the Living Wage Foundation, 20% of workers in Scotland experience some form of work insecurity. Only London (18%) and the South East (19%) have lower levels compared to the highest region, Wales (26%). Research from the Fair Work Convention shows that other countries do better.\r\nResponsibility for employment law, including the rights and protection of workers, is reserved to the UK Government, therefore the Scottish Government cannot legislate for greater job security. Nevertheless, through Fair Work First we require recipients of government funding to move away from the inappropriate use of zero hours contracts and other non-standard types of employment that offer workers minimal job or financial security. This is part of our approach to delivering an economy that is fair, green and growing, while creating more secure, sustainable and satisfying jobs.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420674,"EventID":"S6W-27796","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-31T16:19:57.067","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T14:43:42.21","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps it has taken to implement the recommendations of the Independent Strategic Review of Funding and Commissioning of Violence Against Women and Girls Services, and whether it plans to update the Parliament on its progress. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is focussed on addressing violence against women and girls which is why we are implementing Equally Safe, our strategy to prevent and address all forms of violence against women and girls, specifically violence, abuse, and exploitation directed at them because of their gender. \r\nThe Scottish Government response to the Independent Strategic Review of Funding and Commissioning of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Services was published in November 2023 and can be found here (  https://www.gov.scot/publications/violence-against-women-and-girls-joint-statement-with-cosla  ). Since then we have established a VAWG Sustainable Funding Project Board to take forward our commitment to develop a flexible and stable funding model for VAWG services and the Review’s report will be considered as we develop a new funding model. ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420675,"EventID":"S6W-27946","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-31T16:19:57.113","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T16:26:12.533","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the (a) First Minister (b) Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs and (c) Lord Advocate, and any other ministers, and their officials, last met with the (i) Chief Constable and (ii) Deputy Chief Constables at Police Scotland, and what was discussed. ","AnswerText":"The First Minister last met with the Chief Constable on 16 May 2024. Deputy Chief Constable Alan Speirs was also in attendance. The agenda covered:IntroductionMental health and policingCriminal justice systemWorkforce and operating modelPolice (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) BillHate crime\r\nI meet the Chief Constable regularly. The last meeting was on 4 June 2024 with Deputy Chief Constable Bex Smith also in attendance. The agenda covered:Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) BillRevised model of policingCriminal justice systemScottish Resilience PartnershipEmma Caldwell Investigation – NPCC Request\r\nThe Lord Advocate last met with the Chief Constable on 12 March 2024. Deputy Chief Constable Bex Smith was also in attendance. The Lord Advocate and Chief Constable discussed violence against women and girls in Scotland and how prosecutors and police officers could work together to improve outcomes for victims.\r\nFrom January 2024, I agreed with the Chief Constable and SPA Chair to publish notes of their meetings, once approved, on the Scottish Government website:  https://www.gov.scot/collections/police-minutes-of-regular-meetings\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420676,"EventID":"S6W-27951","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-31T16:19:57.16","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T17:27:44.38","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is acting to improve the safety of food delivery drivers, in light of a recent survey by Heriot-Watt University that found that 81% of food delivery drivers feel unsafe. ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27426 on 28 May 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420677,"EventID":"S6W-27966","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-31T16:19:57.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-30T07:51:36.2","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to manage badger populations in the south of Scotland.","AnswerText":"Badgers and their setts are protected under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 as amended by the Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2011. \r\nNatureScot, the licensing agency in Scotland, may consider issuing licences under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 to undertake actions for a specific purpose, such as to prevent serious damage by badgers to agriculture. \r\nRecent research investigating reports of badger predation on lambs on Scottish farms was undertaken in 2022 and 2023 by Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA), in conjunction with NatureScot, Scottish Land and Estates, and the National Farmers Union Scotland, The research found that whilst the results cannot fully rule out the occurrence of badger predation, they strongly suggest that foxes are most likely to be responsible for the majority of lamb predation events on Scottish farms. A copy of the report of this research can be found at: \r\nhttps://www.nature.scot/doc/naturescot-research-report-1345-investigating-role-badgers-meles-meles-lamb-predation-scottish-farms ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420678,"EventID":"S6W-27968","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-31T16:19:57.27","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-30T09:25:39.733","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its commitment to do so in April 2023, whether it still plans to carry out and publish an audit of fracture liaison services, and, if so, when it will commence such an audit.","AnswerText":"In 2023 Scottish Government committed to carrying out a scoping exercise across Health Boards to consider the FLS audit through Scottish National Audit Programme (SNAP) with Public Health Scotland (PHS).\r\nScottish Government committed to funding up to £150,000 for this scoping exercise and a potential audit in year 1. This has now been completed and PHS have put forwards a Business Case to Scottish Government which is currently being considered.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420679,"EventID":"S6W-27957","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-05-31T16:19:57.317","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-29T12:20:06.787","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people (a) in receipt of welfare benefits and (b) on low incomes have accessed the Digital Start Fund to date.","AnswerText":"(a) The eligibility criteria for the Digital start fund required applicants to meet at least one of the following conditions:\r\n? Unemployed\r\n? In receipt of a low income benefit such as Universal Credit\r\n? Employed on an income of £16,000 or less\r\n? Experience two or more barriers or disadvantages as defined by Scottish Government’s  European Structural and Investment Funds Participant Guidance  .\r\nSDS, who administered the fund, do not hold the data necessary to determine how many participants met each of these specific criteria.\r\n(b) Over three years, the Digital Start Fund supported 468 individuals with 380 candidates completing training. Their employment status when starting the training is broken down as follows:\r\n? Year One: unemployed individuals 55.7%; employed 28.7%\r\n? Year Two:unemployed individuals 71.3%; employed 18.3%\r\n? Year Three: unemployed individuals 50.9%, employed 35.3%","AnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420683,"EventID":"S6T-02023","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-03T14:04:37.043","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-03T08:00:49.947","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has reportedly not allocated £450 million of available EU funding for investment projects in Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420684,"EventID":"S6T-02027","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-03T14:04:37.153","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-03T09:27:32.567","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains its position to have a target of 60% of household waste recycled annually by 2020, in light of reports that the target is being dropped.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-06-04T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420685,"EventID":"S6F-03193","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-03T14:04:30.73","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-30T10:45:19.853","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420686,"EventID":"S6F-03194","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5586,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-03T14:04:30.873","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-30T10:45:33.683","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420687,"EventID":"S6F-03197","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-03T14:04:31.997","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-03T08:52:29.93","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420688,"EventID":"S6F-03216","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":1756,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":136,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-03T14:04:30.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-03T11:29:28.427","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government will review the impact of the short-term let licensing legislation, in light of the upcoming summer tourist season. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420689,"EventID":"S6F-03209","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-03T14:04:31.747","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-03T10:45:42.877","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Government will prevent further GP practice closures, in light of reports that the number of surgeries has declined in every NHS board since 2015. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420690,"EventID":"S6F-03205","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-03T14:04:31.7","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-03T10:25:33.267","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister by what date the Scottish Government will decide which of the National Park nominations will be taken forward to the next stage.  ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420691,"EventID":"S6W-27971","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-03T16:45:12.273","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-30T10:26:22.773","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent Water Safety Scotland finding that 39 suicide suspected fatalities at or near water occurred in 2023, which is an increase from previous years.","AnswerText":"Every life lost to suicide is an enormous tragedy and while we welcome figures showing water related fatalities are at their lowest since 2018, we are not complacent. We are taking a whole of Government and societal approach towards suicide, focusing on addressing the social determinants, whilst ensuring we incorporate suicide prevention across our policy development and service delivery. To support this approach the Scottish Government published the Suicide Prevention Strategy in September 2022. It prioritises action on people with higher risk of suicide, and high risk settings which include locations which provide access to open water.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420692,"EventID":"S6W-27989","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-03T16:45:12.4","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-30T13:27:15.127","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the new funding announced for diabetes technology will be ringfenced.","AnswerText":"Yes – this funding is specifically for the provision of diabetes technologies and will be managed by a central team. A small part of this investment will cover costs of infrastructure to enable delivery at scale.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420693,"EventID":"S6W-28000","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-03T16:45:12.447","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-30T15:18:32.697","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27604 by Tom Arthur on 28 May 2024, when it plans to provide an updated long-term labour market strategy, and what involvement (a) businesses, (b) enterprise and (c) industry will have in the establishment of any updated strategy. ","AnswerText":"In setting out the four key priorities for the Scottish Government, the First Minister has been clear in emphasising the need to focus on action and delivery rather than additional strategies.\r\nThe National Strategy for Economic Transformation was published in 2022 and is a 10-year strategy. The strategy set out our long-term vision to build a fairer, wealthier and greener economy based on the principles of prosperity, equality, sustainability and resilience.\r\nThe strategy’s Fairer and More Equal Society programme aims to reorient our economy towards wellbeing and fair work, to deliver higher rates of employment and wage growth. The Skilled Workforce programme seeks to ensure that people have the skills they need at every stage of life to have rewarding careers and meet the demands of an ever-changing economy and society, and that employers invest in the skilled employees they need to grow their businesses.\r\nEngagement with business, enterprise and industry stakeholders was a critical part of developing the strategy. We continue to work with partners to deliver the labour market interventions that will have the greatest impact on achieving our ambition of growing an economy that is fair and green and we will be setting out the next phase of our approach in the forthcoming Programme for Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420694,"EventID":"S6W-27988","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-03T16:45:12.507","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-30T12:22:16.947","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is still committed to its policy to promote the translocation of beavers outside of their current range, to reduce or avoid negative impacts and help reintroduce beavers to appropriate areas of the country.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to expanding the range of beavers in Scotland to maximise the environmental, social and economic benefits that they can bring in consultation with local communities and land managers.\r\nWe appreciate that beavers can have negative impacts on agricultural land in certain circumstances. NatureScot have a range of mitigation measures that can reduce impacts and licensed control or translocation remains an option where there are no other satisfactory alternatives.\r\nNatureScot will continue to work through the licensing process to ensure that beavers are reintroduced into appropriate areas where they can help enhance biodiversity and wider environmental gains and avoid potential negative impacts.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420695,"EventID":"S6W-27972","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-03T16:45:12.57","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-30T10:35:10.933","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider strengthening provisions within the Housing (Scotland) Bill to support prospective tenants in addition to those with existing tenancies.","AnswerText":"The Bill provides a number of rights for existing tenants and only some would relate to availability of housing which will be the main concern of prospective tenants.\r\nThe rights created in the Bill mainly apply to those who have a tenancy and there is a clear difficulty in extending those rights to prospective tenants as those rights could then apply to anyone with an interest in renting a property even if they may never take up a tenancy of the property.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420696,"EventID":"S6W-27977","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-03T16:45:12.633","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-30T11:23:27.17","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the independent review of the National Parent Forum of Scotland (NPFS), and when it informed the NPFS of its response to it.","AnswerText":"The findings of the report were taken into account in developing the new, strengthened approach to parental engagement which the Scottish Government is taking forward. Under standard and ongoing grant management arrangements, aspects of the findings of the report, which was commissioned by NPFS, were discussed at regular meetings between Scottish Government officials and NPFS.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420697,"EventID":"S6W-27986","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-03T16:45:12.68","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-30T11:23:27.17","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6T-01995 by Jenny Gilruth on 21 May 2024, what additional resources it considers will be required to deliver the national parent panel.","AnswerText":"Detailed costings are still being discussed with Connect. \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420698,"EventID":"S6W-27999","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-03T16:45:12.727","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-30T15:14:06.62","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27602 by Jenny Gilruth on 28 May 2024, whether it plans to set out an indicative timetable to the Parliament for when universal free school meals will be rolled out in 2026. ","AnswerText":"As we set out in our Programme for Government, we will work with COSLA to prepare schools and infrastructure for the expansion of universal free school meal provision to Primary 6 and Primary 7 pupils. The next phase of our expansion will be to pupils in Primary 6 & 7 in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment, and will be rolled out from February 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420699,"EventID":"S6W-27983","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-03T16:45:12.773","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-30T11:23:27.17","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish all of its communications with National Parent Forum of Scotland pertaining to its decision to defund the body.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is content to share any relevant communication, if requested. \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420700,"EventID":"S6W-27996","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-03T16:45:12.837","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-30T15:11:52.59","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27601 by Ivan McKee on 29 May 2024, how the fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) is supporting housebuilding, and whether it considers this to have removed any bureaucratic delays from (a) developers and (b) housing organisations and associations.","AnswerText":"National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) supports the delivery of more high quality homes in the right locations to provide choice and meet diverse needs. As a recently adopted part of the development plan, it provides an up-to-date context for decision making that has a democratic mandate to guide us to the place we want Scotland to be in 2045. There is no need for local development plans to replicate policies in NPF, enabling planning authorities to focus on allocating land for new homes, and supporting their delivery in collaboration with developers, communities and infrastructure providers. \r\nWe recognise there is scope to improve on current planning timescales. There can be many reasons for delays in determining applications, including incomplete applications leading to requests for additional information, delays with responses from consultees and the time take to reach legal agreements. However, timescales for decisions are only one measure, and constructive and collaborative working between applicants and authorities means that consistently over 93% of applications are approved annually. \r\nWe recently consulted on resourcing the planning system, including options to improve capacity and the number of planners. The consultation closed on 31 May and we are carefully considering the responses received.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420701,"EventID":"S6W-27998","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-03T16:45:12.883","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-30T15:14:06.62","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27602 by Jenny Gilruth on 28 May 2024, what discussions (a) the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, (b) ministers and (c) officials have had with (i) COSLA, (ii) local authorities, (iii) parents and carers and (iv) young people regarding the roll-out of universal free school meals, and whether it has sought to roll this out before 2026. ","AnswerText":"Since the Scottish Government first introduced universal free school meals for Primaries 1-3 in 2015, Scottish Ministers and officials have regularly engaged with a wide range of stakeholders as their views and experiences have been essential in developing the programme.\r\nCOSLA and local authorities are represented on groups involved in the roll out of universal free school meals. Officials and Ministers have engaged with young people regarding free school meals through their attendance at stakeholder events. Parents and carers views have been captured in reports including the Poverty and Inequality Commission’s Child Poverty Delivery plan progress report and NHS Scotland’s Evaluation of the Implementation of Universal Free School Meals in Primaries 1-3.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420702,"EventID":"S6W-28001","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-03T16:45:12.93","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-30T15:18:32.697","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27604 by Tom Arthur on 28 May 2024, whether it can provide a breakdown of what specific action it has taken to address the labour and skill shortages since 2020. ","AnswerText":"Working across Government and together with our partners, we continue to take action to address labour and skills shortages, including better aligning the education and skills system with the needs of employers and the economy.\r\nWe remain committed to supporting a high-quality post-school education, research and skills system with over £2.4 billion investment, including more than £133 million of this investment focused on Modern Apprenticeships. There is also significant progress being made to reform and improve key areas of the post-school learning system covered by James Withers’ review Fit for the Future, including on apprenticeships, skills planning and simplification of the funding body landscape.\r\nI provided the latest update on progress in a letter to the Education, Children and Young People Committee on 27 March 2024, available at  Update to Committee - Post school reform | Scottish Parliament Website  . Other action includes Scotland’s Migration Service which was launched in March 2024. The new service provides information and offer individual appointments to help people with moving and settling into life in Scotland. It also supports businesses to navigate the immigration system, including advice from qualified advisors.\r\nNo One Left Behind is the Scottish Government’s shared approach to delivering an all-age, place-based, person-centred model of employability support in Scotland. It sees Scottish and Local Government working together, with partners from the third, private and wider public sectors to support both individuals and employers with their labour market needs.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420703,"EventID":"S6W-27987","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-03T16:45:12.977","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-30T12:22:03.613","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to NatureScot's reported view that the community engagement process carried out by Trees for Life and Forestry Land Scotland regarding the Glen Affric beaver translocation proposal was above and beyond what is required.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government are aware there has been significant and extended community engagement regarding the Glen Affric beaver translocation proposal, but as NatureScot have not received an application, they have not yet been able to form an opinion of the community engagement in its entirety.\r\nAs with all beaver translocation applications, the Scottish Government and NatureScot would expect an application to address the issues highlighted by the community engagement and the work needed to manage or mitigate any legitimate concerns raised.\r\nWe understand Trees for Life and Forestry Land Scotland are still considering these aspects.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420704,"EventID":"S6W-27993","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-03T16:45:13.023","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-30T15:04:24.93","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27605 by Siobhian Brown on 28 May 2024, whether it has considered alternative approaches to carrying out this research in the event that the re-tendering process is unsuccessful, and whether this has been raised by the (a) Law Society of Scotland, (b) Scottish Solicitors Bar Association and (c) Scottish Legal Aid Board. ","AnswerText":"Alternative approaches to the work have been considered at meetings of the research group, which the Law Society of Scotland, Scottish Solicitors Bar Association, and the Scottish Legal Aid Board are part of, should the tendering process remain unsuccessful. Ministers are also very mindful that the recommendation of the Legal Aid Payment Advisory Panel was very clear that any research carried out should be independent from the Scottish Government and that there are commercial sensitivities around the data being sought. Any alternative approaches would have to be carefully considered to ensure that this independence remains and that legal aid providers have confidence in the data gathering process.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420705,"EventID":"S6W-27985","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-03T16:45:13.087","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-30T11:23:27.17","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will support the breadth of representative voices as part of any new body that is planned to replace the National Parent Forum of Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to strengthening our approach to parental engagement to ensure there are a range of opportunities for parents and carers to shape and influence policy development. There is a need to establish a broader, more representative model to support meaningful engagement from parents and carers and this is what the National Parent Panel will do. It will play a critical role in informing policy, and providing advice and challenge to Government as we drive improvement in our education system.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420706,"EventID":"S6W-27902","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-03T16:45:13.133","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T11:13:21.277","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the operation of the short-term lets licensing legislation, in light of reports that, despite a growing black market in short-term lets, no breaches of the legislation have been recorded by the police.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has worked closely with Police Scotland during legislation development and implementation. It is important to remember that we are still within the transitional period of implementation and licensing authorities are processing thousands of licensing applications. We are aware authorities are working in partnership with local Police Scotland teams to investigate complaints about unlicensed operators, adopting an educate and encourage approach, with enforcement as a last resort. This is a supportive approach to businesses in a new regulatory environment and an approach advocated for by trade bodies representing the sector. \r\nOperating without a licence ultimately is a criminal offence, which may attract a maximum fine of £2,500, and which may also invalidate insurance and other policies if premises are used without a licence. We have already announced that we will legislate to increase the level of the maximum fine and this is still the intention once the scheme is embedded. ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420707,"EventID":"S6W-27981","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-03T16:45:13.197","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-30T11:23:27.17","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it will cost to implement any changes pertaining to the defunding of the National Parent Forum of Scotland, including the creation of any new body.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not expect to incur any costs as a result of not awarding any further grants to the National Parent Forum of Scotland. Detailed costings for the new panel are still in discussion with Connect. \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420708,"EventID":"S6W-28003","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-03T16:45:13.243","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-30T15:20:34.77","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27513 by Neil Gray on 28 May 2024, whether it can provide a breakdown of the spend incurred by NHS bodies on PR and consultancy bills over the last five financial years, broken down by (a) NHS board, (b) spend category, (c) the company or organisation that received funding and (d) the purpose of any such funding. ","AnswerText":"The information requested is not collected or held centrally by the Scottish Government and would require to be obtained from Health Boards.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420709,"EventID":"S6W-27984","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-03T16:45:13.337","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-30T11:23:27.17","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Parliament will have a say on the creation of any new body with which the Scottish Government plans to replace the National Parent Forum of Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government will bring forward plans for the replacement for the National Parent Forum of Scotland and I am happy to ensure that the member is kept informed.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420710,"EventID":"S6W-27980","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-03T16:45:13.4","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-30T11:23:27.17","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the first supplementary to question S6T-01995 by Jenny Gilruth on 21 May 2024, which elements of the work of the National Parent Forum of Scotland it considers duplicates the work of another organisation or forum.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises some duplication in how parents and carers are engaged by a range of parental focused organisations at local and national level, including the National Parent Forum of Scotland and Connect. However, we must ensure that, at this critical juncture for education reform, meaningful engagement draws on a wide range of perspectives and experiences from all parts of Scotland. As such, we have concluded that there is a need to establish a broader, more representative model to support engagement from parents and carers through the National Parent Panel.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420711,"EventID":"S6W-27970","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-03T16:45:13.447","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-30T10:08:10.333","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether Scotland will be represented at the 60th Sessions of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which is taking place in Bonn, Germany, in June 2024.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government International Climate Change Officials are attending the 60th Sessions of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Scottish Ministers are not in attendance.\r\nAlthough Scotland is not a UN member state, the Scottish Government is resolute in our commitment to utilise our convening and influencing powers wherever possible in order to drive forward climate action internationally.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420712,"EventID":"S6W-27995","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-03T16:45:13.507","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-30T15:11:52.59","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27601 by Ivan McKee on 29 May 2024, whether it has actively considered the establishment of a non-departmental public body, similar to Homes England, to help alleviate the housing emergency, increase the building of affordable and social housing and remove any bureaucratic delays from developers. ","AnswerText":"No plans have been actively considered to establish a non-departmental body for housing.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420713,"EventID":"S6W-27997","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-03T16:45:13.57","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-30T15:11:52.59","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27601 by Ivan McKee on 29 May 2024, what the costs associated with establishing a new non-departmental public body, similar to Homes England, to do this work would be. ","AnswerText":"We have not been actively considering the establishment of a non-departmental public body and therefore have made no assessment of the potential costs associated with doing so.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420714,"EventID":"S6W-27901","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-03T16:45:13.617","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T11:12:52.87","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it will support the protection of children against online abuse, in light of the finding of a recent study by Childlight that 7% of men in the UK were likely to have engaged in online behaviour that could be classed as online child sexual abuse.","AnswerText":"Keeping children and young people safe from online sexual abuse and exploitation is of the utmost importance to the Scottish Government.\r\nWe welcome the work of Childlight to harness worldwide data to help inform tangible action to protect children. We recognise that these problems are global and require global solutions.\r\nIn Scotland, we are working closely with partners to deliver a co-ordinated multi-agency response to preventing child sexual abuse and exploitation in all its forms.\r\nWe are establishing a new strategic group to provide national leadership and further improve our shared response in Scotland to child sexual abuse and exploitation, including online abuse. This group will first meet in the summer.\r\nThrough the Scottish Government’s membership of Police Scotland’s Multi-Agency Group on Preventing Online Child Sexual Abuse, we monitor emerging online threats and agree a shared approach to using technological advancements to tackle abuse, improve data-gathering, improve support for victims and survivors and promote key activities delivered by our partners.\r\nWe recognise that prevention is key to protecting children online and we are taking a range of actions to increase awareness of online child sexual abuse and exploitation and improve support to victims.\r\nIn 2023-24 we provided around £570,000 to third sector organisations involved in child safeguarding and prevention of child sexual abuse and exploitation, including online abuse. We have also updated our National Child Protection Guidance to support practitioners to develop effective, evidence-based responses to child sexual abuse and exploitation. In 2022 and 2023, we ran a national public awareness campaign to support parents are carers to keep their children safer online.\r\nWhile regulation of the internet remains a reserved matter, we have successfully engaged with the UK Government on its Online Safety Act, to strengthen protections for children. We will continue to engage with both the UK Government and Ofcom to ensure that the Act does all that it can to protect children online. With the Minister for Victims and Community Safety, I will be meeting Ofcom to discuss implementation of this important legislation and to ensure that children in Scotland are kept safe online.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420715,"EventID":"S6W-27979","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-03T16:45:13.68","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-30T11:23:27.17","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has allowed the National Parent Forum of Scotland (NPFS) to provide advice and challenge to Scottish Government policy, and whether it has made any policy changes as a result of any such advice and challenge provided by the NPFS.","AnswerText":"Under standard and ongoing grant management arrangements, the National Parent Forum Scotland (NPFS) has had many opportunities to provide advice and challenge to a range of Scottish Government policies since the organisation was established in 2009. \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420716,"EventID":"S6W-28002","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-03T16:45:13.727","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-30T15:18:32.697","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27604 by Tom Arthur on 28 May 2024, when its (a) ministers and (b) officials last met with the UK (i) Department for Business and Trade, (ii) Department for Work and Pensions and (iii) Government to discuss Scotland's long-term labour market strategy, and what the outcomes were of any such meetings. ","AnswerText":"Ministers and officials have regular engagement with the UK Government on labour market matters.\r\nScottish Government officials meet regularly with Department for Work and Pensions officials from Job Centre Plus to discuss a range of operational and strategic issues as we collectively shape the approach to employability delivery in Scotland. Scottish Government and DWP officials also attend the Access to Work Stakeholder Forum, which last met on 8 May 2024 and discussed research undertaken by Inclusion Scotland on people’s lived experience of using Access to Work.\r\nA notable example of recent constructive engagement was collaborative work with DWP to develop messaging for employers to promote the benefits of Fair Work. The most recent quarterly meeting between Scottish Government officials and the Department for Business and Trade focussed on new Flexible Working legislation.\r\nWe continue to call for employment powers to be devolved. Securing the full range of powers in relation to employment will enable the Scottish Parliament to fully implement policies that will best meet Scotland’s distinct needs. These powers would enable us to create fairer workplaces, enhance workers’ rights in Scotland and help shift the curve on poverty and deliver upon our shared ambition for a fairer, greener and more prosperous Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420717,"EventID":"S6W-27982","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-03T16:45:13.79","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-30T11:23:27.17","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it informed the National Parent Forum of Scotland (NPFS) of its plans to defund the NPFS.","AnswerText":"The Chair of the National Parent Forum of Scotland was informed on 14 May 2024 that the Scottish Government would not be continuing to grant fund the organisation beyond 2023/24. \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420718,"EventID":"S6W-27994","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-03T16:45:13.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-30T15:11:52.59","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27601 by Ivan McKee on 29 May 2024, whether its (a) ministers and (b) officials have had any recent discussions with (i) Homes England, (ii) the UK Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, (iii) industry and (iv) developers regarding the establishment of a dedicated non-departmental public body for housebuilding in Scotland. ","AnswerText":"There have been no recent discussions between Ministers and/or officials and the other bodies mentioned regarding the establishment of a dedicated non-departmental public body for housebuilding in Scotland.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420719,"EventID":"S6W-27992","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-03T16:45:13.913","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-30T14:46:52.647","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects an education assurance board to be established.","AnswerText":"Discussions are ongoing with local government about the establishment of an education assurance board to oversee Scottish education and help deliver the best educational outcomes for our children and young people. The board will form part of the wider assurance and accountability arrangements under the Verity House Agreement with local government.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420720,"EventID":"S6W-27978","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-03T16:45:13.977","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-30T11:23:27.17","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what was discussed at its meeting with the National Parent Forum of Scotland in the week commencing 20 May 2024.","AnswerText":"Under standard and ongoing grant management arrangements, Scottish Government officials met representatives from National Parent Forum of Scotland and their host organisation, Children in Scotland, on 21 May 2024. Issues relating to the decision to cease funding NPFS were discussed.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420751,"EventID":"S6W-28044","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":5608,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":103,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-04T12:25:12.48","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-04T12:16:34.393","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on determining the future role and focus of Scotland’s national education agency.","AnswerText":"Following engagement with teachers and stakeholders, the Scottish Government has further considered the role of the national education agency, including how it can add most value to Scotland’s education system.\r\nAn excellent curriculum from 3-18 requires national leadership and direction. Therefore, the primary purpose and focus of Scotland’s national education agency will be to lead curriculum design, delivery and improvement, including the provision of resources to support high quality learning and teaching.\r\nThe national agency will also have an important role in supporting a thriving professional learning sector through a national framework for professional learning and will build on the existing and well-regarded national leadership professional learning programmes.\r\nThe Scottish Government is ambitious for all of Scotland's children and young people and Scotland’s local authorities and schools have an important role in creating the conditions for them to thrive. The national agency will work with local authorities to inform approaches to wellbeing, inclusion, behaviour and enabling better support for those with additional support needs. The national agency will also employ its unique national perspective to inform, share and promote wider approaches to improvement to close attainment gaps as set out in the National Improvement Framework.\r\nThe Scottish Government has determined that refocussing Education Scotland will deliver the change and improvement necessary to achieve excellence and equity for Scotland’s children and young people including across Gaelic Medium Education.\r\nWork is underway to set out further detail on transition plans and associated timescales, including for the appointment of a permanent Chief Executive for a refocussed Education Scotland and HM Chief Inspector of Education, both of which will be taken forward as quickly as practicable. In line with previous commitments, there will be no compulsory redundancies as a result of this reform.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420753,"EventID":"S6W-27824","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-04T17:15:14.037","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-22T07:47:18.647","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether all of the reported data stolen from NHS Dumfries and Galloway, and others in the recent cyber attacks, have now been placed on the dark web.","AnswerText":"The investigation into this attack is on-going, and will take several more months to conclude, as such it is not currently possible to determine.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420754,"EventID":"S6W-28011","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-04T17:15:14.163","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-31T10:03:50.247","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will remove renewable liquid fuels such as hydrotreated vegetable oil from the “polluting heating systems” criteria that are anticipated to be within its proposed Heat in Buildings Bill.","AnswerText":"In the consultation on a Heat in Buildings Bill, we recognise that as a renewable, and potentially net zero, energy source, bioenergy may represent the best option to help decarbonise some homes for which clean heating systems are not suitable. We also want to ensure that owners who have taken the proactive step of installing renewable bioenergy systems are fairly treated.\r\nThis is why, in addition to permitting extra time for those currently using bioenergy to meet the clean heat element of the Standard, we sought views on whether a more flexible approach to the use of bioenergy under future regulations is needed.\r\nWe are currently analysing the over 1600 responses to this consultation and considering how to take this matter forward in a way that balances the needs of Scotland’s diverse buildings. We would need to balance this flexibility with the need to protect and ensure the supply of bioenergy in other sectors of the economy that also rely on bioenergy to remove emissions.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420755,"EventID":"S6W-27929","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-04T17:15:14.273","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T16:08:31.337","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has met with representatives of (a) the Scottish Solicitors Bar Association, (b) the Law Society of Scotland, (c) the Faculty of Advocates, (d) legal firms and (e) judicial officeholders since the stage 1 debate on the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill on 23 April 2024, and what was discussed.","AnswerText":"Angela Constance: The Scottish Government meets regularly with representatives of the bodies mentioned to discuss a range of issues.\r\nOn the specific topic of the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill the Scottish Government continues to engage with all interested stakeholders, including those from the legal sector.\r\nSince the Stage 1 debate on 23 April 2024 officials have met with the Law Society Scotland and the Faculty of Advocates to discuss the policies contained in the Bill.\r\nThe Bill has been shaped by cross-sector consideration and collaboration, and Scottish Ministers remain committed to this approach as it progresses through Parliament.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420756,"EventID":"S6W-27890","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-04T17:15:14.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-27T14:42:48.943","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the report by a professor at Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) on the impacts of the new agricultural support framework on agricultural businesses in Shetland, Orkney and the Western Isles has not yet been published.","AnswerText":"I understand the SRUC report ‘Island and Agricultural Development: Maximising the potential in the islands of Orkney, Shetland and Outer Hebrides’, will be published very soon. This report will add to the available pool of evidence on island and rural development.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420757,"EventID":"S6W-27375","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5877,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-04T17:15:14.537","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-08T14:21:56.103","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to (a) reviewing and (b) deleting, if found to be infringing UK GDPR and/or ethical standards for health research, the data gathered from 134,000 children who participated in the Health and Wellbeing Census survey in 2022 reportedly without being informed of what the Information Commissioner’s Office has described as the \"serious risks\" of being able to identify individuals by using their Scottish Candidate Numbers as part of their email addresses.\r\n","AnswerText":"The HWB Census underwent an Ethics Peer Review in line with the Scottish Government social research: protocols and guidance.  Scottish Government social research: protocols and guidance - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) \r\nIn light of the ICO's recommendations, the Scottish Government is introducing enhanced technical and organisational measures to ensure that any data which contains the SCN and is processed for statistical and research purposes will have a pseudonym created. The SCN and the method of pseudonymisation will be held separately. These enhanced measures have been agreed with the ICO.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420758,"EventID":"S6W-27421","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5877,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-04T17:15:14.583","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T14:22:51.89","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it still plans to add the data from 134,000 children gathered in the Health and Wellbeing Census to the Administrative Data Research Scotland system; what its position is on whether the data was captured ethically and legally, and whether it will implement measures to mitigate any risks of being able to link the data back to the respondents, in light of the Information Commissioner's Office advice to the Scottish Government in August 2023 that the arrangements for processing the data did not meet requirements of Article 4(5) of the UK GDPR around pseudonymisation, and Article 25 around Data Protection by Design and Default.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is fully committed to making best use its data, including making this available for further statistical analysis and research, subject to data protection legislation. The 2021-22 Health and Wellbeing Census data was added to Administrative Data Research Scotland (ADR-S) in May 2024. Further information on ADR-S can be found here:  ADR Scotland - ADR UK\r\nThe HWB Census underwent an Ethics Peer Review in line with the Scottish Government social research: protocols and guidance.  Scottish Government social research: protocols and guidance - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)\r\nData provided into the ADR-S infrastructure does not include the Scottish Candidate Number (SCN). The SCN is replaced with a pseudonym for this purpose.\r\nIn light of the ICO's recommendations, the Scottish Government is introducing enhanced technical and organisational measures to ensure that any data which contains the SCN and is processed for statistical and research purposes will have a pseudonym created. The SCN and the method of pseudonymisation will be held separately. These enhanced measures have been agreed with the ICO.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420759,"EventID":"S6W-27535","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-04T17:15:14.663","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-13T17:13:41.663","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much was paid out from the Marine Fund in the financial year 2023-24, and whether it will provide a detailed breakdown of this spend.  ","AnswerText":"The Marine Fund Scotland (MFS) has paid £11.63m to applicants who were awarded total funding of £14m in 2023-24. Individual awards are published here -  https://www.gov.scot/publications/marine-fund-scotland-grants-awarded/  . The Scottish Government publishes all payments over £25k here -  https://www.gov.scot/collections/government-spend-over-gbp25000-monthly-reports/  .\r\nThe remaining £2.37m funding supported data collection on stocks in the North Sea and the West of Scotland. This information is combined with data from other European nations who fish in these waters and is then considered by the International Council for Exploration of the Seas (ICES).","AnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420760,"EventID":"S6W-27825","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-04T17:15:14.727","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-22T07:47:18.647","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any data that has reportedly been published on the dark web in the recent cyber attack on NHS Dumfries and Galloway contains any patient information, which would normally be held nationally, and, if so, what data was published.","AnswerText":"Patient data is typically held on the IT infrastructure of the Health Board delivering, or having previously delivered, the individuals care. This can include data initially generated by other Health Boards or health and care organisations that is transferred to the NHS Dumfries & Galloway (e.g. referral letters) in order for them to deliver the best quality care. \r\nOnly data held on the NHS Dumfries and Galloway IT infrastructure was stolen during this cyber-attack.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420761,"EventID":"S6W-27826","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-04T17:15:14.773","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-22T07:47:18.647","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported comments that “it is important to note that the incident remains contained to NHS Dumfries and Galloway and there have been no further incidents across NHS Scotland as a whole,” whether any information stolen in the cyber attack is contained to only NHS Dumfries and Galloway patients.","AnswerText":"The patient data stolen during this incident was contained within the NHS D&G IT infrastructure. The vast majority of data related to people who are currently registered as NHS Dumfries and Galloway patients. However, some people currently registered as patients elsewhere will also have interacted with NHS Dumfries and Galloway in recent years, for example receiving treatment while travelling or on holiday, and it is possible that information relating to them may also have been stolen.\r\nIn addition, data controlled by National Records of Scotland was also stolen. I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27770 on 22 May 2024 for more information. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420762,"EventID":"S6W-27938","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-04T17:15:14.833","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T16:08:31.337","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24385 by Shona Robison on 22 January 2024, whether it will provide an updated list of any current (a) ministerial taskforces, (b) Cabinet committees, (c) Cabinet sub-committees, (d) ministerial working groups and (e) other ministerial committees.\r\n","AnswerText":"Kate Forbes: Information on Cabinet and Cabinet Sub-Committees is available on the Scottish Government website here; any change to these structures would be updated on these pages:\r\nCabinet and Ministers - gov.scot (  www.gov.scot  )\r\nCabinet sub-committees: factsheet - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)\r\nThere is also a range of other Ministerial groups and taskforces that are co-ordinated by individual portfolios. These are developed as required and change over time, therefore a comprehensive list of such groups is not available.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420763,"EventID":"S6W-28006","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-04T17:15:14.88","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-31T10:03:50.247","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what strategy it has developed to consider coastal defences.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the impacts of climate change on coastal communities and the need to consider coastal defences.\r\nOur Dynamic Coast 2 project, published in 2021, helps local authorities and other stakeholders identify where the greatest risks are from coastal erosion this decade and into the future. The 2020 Programme for Government committed £12 million to local authorities, over four years, for coastal change adaptation to allow them to plan for, and protect communities from, the impacts of coastal erosion and sea level rise. We published Guidance in 2023, to support local authorities in the preparation of Coastal Change Adaptation Plans,which includes using nature based solutions as part of coastal protection.\r\nImproving resilience to flooding is a priority for the Scottish Government and we continue to work with, and support, local authorities to fulfil their obligations to reduce the impact of flooding from all sources including coastal. To support flood protection measures, the Scottish Government provides £42 million each year to local authorities. In August 2020, the Programme for Government also committed an additional £150 million over 5 years to support flood risk management actions.\r\nThe Scottish Government is currently consulting on a Flood Resilience Strategy for Scotland which will lay out what we need to do in the long term to make our places more flood resilient, including at our coasts.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420764,"EventID":"S6W-28010","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-04T17:15:14.93","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-31T10:03:50.247","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many reports of short-term lets operating without a licence have been received by each local authority to date.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold the information that has been requested. Local authorities will have local arrangements in place for managing reports of licence breaches and non-compliance. I also refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28008 on 11 June 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420765,"EventID":"S6W-28020","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16188,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":82,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-04T17:15:14.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-31T16:26:56.627","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is available for mothers with bottle-fed newborns who have tongue-tie, and what steps are being taken to raise awareness of this condition in newborns.","AnswerText":"All new parents are entitled to infant feeding support regardless of how they feed their babies. Appropriate assessments will be carried out by qualified staff where there are feeding issues that could impact growth and development.\r\nInformation on feeding issues including tongue tie, and where to seek help, is available on national on-line platforms such as Parent Club  Tongue-tie | Parent Club  and through local resources.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420766,"EventID":"S6W-28008","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-04T17:15:15.053","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-31T10:03:50.247","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many short-term lets it estimates are currently operating without a licence.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold the information requested. I also refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27902 on 11 June 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420767,"EventID":"S6W-28017","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-04T17:15:15.117","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-31T13:56:40.457","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27514 by Ivan McKee on 30 May 2024, when it plans to update the Parliament on the Public Service Reform programme, including whether the current landscape remains (a) appropriate, (b) value for money and (c) effective. ","AnswerText":"The objective of the Public Service Reform programme is to ensure our public services remain sustainable that the future system must ensure the public service landscape is the right size and composition. Our commitment to reform balances responding to short-term budget pressures whilst building a platform for longer-term reform. There are over 30 actions under the PSR programme, including work to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.\r\nWe are committed to providing regular updates to the Parliament on the PSR programme and, as such, a detailed report was made to Parliament via the Finance and Public Administration Committee (FPAC) on 19 December 2023, noting a commitment to six monthly updates.\r\nHowever, in line with the pre-election guidance, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government, Shona Robison MSP wrote to the Convener of FPAC on 4 June highlighting the need to delay the publication of the next update. A revised publication date will be confirmed in due course which will set out our progress on the PSR programme.\r\nDuring this election period I remain committed to pressing forward on delivering on the immediate actions. Therefore, have written directly to public bodies reiterating my focus on improved effectiveness and setting out my intent to meet with public bodies.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420768,"EventID":"S6W-27939","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-04T17:15:15.18","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T16:15:38.8","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support has been provided to businesses in the Edinburgh Eastern constituency through the Young Person's Guarantee, and how this compares to other areas across Edinburgh.","AnswerText":"The Young Person’s Guarantee was introduced in response to the Covid-19 pandemic as a measure to prevent long-term adverse impacts for young people in the labour market. It contained a number of aspects, covering skills, education, and employability.\r\nEmployability support available through the Young Person’s Guarantee was delivered through Local Employability Partnerships, with Local Authorities acting as lead accountable body. Specific details on funding are not held by the Scottish Government, therefore requests for this information would need to be directed towards Local Authorities. Employability contacts for each local authority can be found on the Employability in Scotland website which can be accessed here:  https://www.employabilityinscotland.com/local-employability-services/ \r\nEmployability support for young people is now delivered through the No One Left Behind approach across Scotland including Edinburgh, as part of the long-term ambition to simplify the employability landscape for service users.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420769,"EventID":"S6W-27933","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-04T17:15:15.24","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T16:08:31.337","Title":"","ItemText":"\r\nTo ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to have a national integrated ticketing system for public transport in place and operational before the end of the current parliamentary session.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has already introduced a national smartcard that can be used across all modes of public transport. The National Entitlement Card ( saltire card) is available to any Scottish resident and, since 2019, can be used across Scotland for any operator that provides a compatible smart ticket. This platform is also used for the national concessionary travel schemes, with approximately 170m smart journeys taken each year.\r\nOur refreshed Smart Delivery Strategy will be published in summer 2024, outlining our programme of work in the coming years. This includes exploring development of options for a new national integrated ticketing system to reflect passenger desire for progression to integrated contactless and digital ticketing. We will encourage operators across all modes to participate in these options for a new system that could offer multi-modal fare capping, removing the need to think about a ticket for each leg of the journey, potentially building on the five regional integrated ticketing schemes that are available in Scotland, led by operators and local transport authorities.\r\nThe strategy aligns with the work of the National Smart Ticketing Advisory Board (NTSAB), established in November 2023, to advise on national technological ticketing standards that will support a new integrated system, as well as delivery of smart ticketing measures from the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019. With NSTAB’s advice, a business case will be developed, which will consider the timescales and costs of delivering a national integrated ticketing system.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420770,"EventID":"S6W-27932","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-04T17:15:15.287","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T16:08:31.337","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to retain the commitment to active travel spending by 2024-25, as outlined in the Bute House Agreement.","AnswerText":"Since 2021, we have seen year on year increases confirming record breaking funding in Active Travel. However, the significant pressures on public finances, including the failure of the outgoing UK government to provide more capital funding for Scotland in its Spring budget, means that there are real challenges in progressing our ambitions to invest in infrastructure, particularly for my portfolio. Consequently, difficult decisions about how and where to invest our capital for transport projects had to be made and continue to be kept under review.\r\nNonetheless, the Active Travel budget for 2024-25 was confirmed as £220m, a 16% increase on 2023-24. While the Bute House Agreement came to an end in April 2024, the Scottish Government remains committed to delivering on our ambition to increase investment in and participation in walking, wheeling and cycling.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420771,"EventID":"S6W-28015","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-04T17:15:15.333","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-31T13:49:39.803","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27509 by Ivan McKee on 30 May 2024, whether it will release (a) copies of the letters sent by the minister and (b) the responses received from the (i) chairs and (ii) chief executives mentioned. ","AnswerText":"My recent letter to chairs and chief executives of public bodies can be viewed at  www.gov.scot/publications/making-the-most-of-resources-letter-to-public-bodies/  .\r\nIn my letter, I reminded chairs and chief executives that it is incumbent on each public body to adhere to the statutory duties to which it is subject, which for many includes reporting requirements in Part 3 of the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010.\r\nNo substantive response from chairs and chief executives has, so far, been received to this letter.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420772,"EventID":"S6W-28014","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-04T17:15:15.38","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-31T10:40:38.093","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its current commitment is in relation to the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal; with specific regard to rural innovation and skills, whether it remains committed to the allocation of £7 million to local authorities, and whether it would support the allocation of this funding to regional colleges to ensure the future development and delivery of rural and land-based skills.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to delivering up to £85 million to support a range of projects across the south through the BorderlandsInclusive Growth Deal.\r\nOn rural innovation this includes £2.5 million towards six pilot projects which will harness the region’s natural capital to support economic growth and £4 million towards a dairy innovation centre at SRUC’s Barony campus in Dumfries. The Dairy Nexus will deliver state-of-the-art R&D infrastructure to support innovation in biorefinery and milk technology, and the UK’s first ‘digital twin’ of a dairy farm.\r\nThe Scottish Government has also committed £7 million through the Deal to develop the skills needed by the South of Scotland economy. We have encouraged the partners to work with the South of Scotland Education and Skills Strategic Coordination Group, a sub group of the South of Scotland Regional Economic Partnership, to develop proposals to utilise the skills funding focused on the needs of the region’s economy. The colleges are represented on that group alongside other relevant stakeholders.\r\nWe are currently awaiting proposals from the Borderlands Partnership for the skills element of the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal funding.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420773,"EventID":"S6W-27934","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-04T17:15:15.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T16:08:31.337","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much the potential designation of a new national park has cost to date.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has received nominations from five areas which wish to be considered for designation as a new National Park.\r\nThe delivery costs to date, excluding staffing costs and expenses, are £331,409.05.\r\nThese costs are broken down as follows:\r\n£100,000.00 funding to NatureScot for New National Parks\r\n£27,387.77 on consultation activities\r\n£48,269.22 on impact assessments\r\n£147,653.06 on nominations support funding\r\nIn 2022 NatureScot was asked to undertake public consultation and stakeholder engagement in order to provide advice to the Scottish Government on the future of National Parks in Scotland. More information is available here:  National Parks Advice to Ministers - February 2023 | NatureScot.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420774,"EventID":"S6W-28013","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-04T17:15:15.49","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-31T10:03:50.247","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will meet with (a) MSPs and (b) relevant industry leaders to discuss the reported concerns of people living in oil-heated homes in relation to its proposals for the decarbonisation of buildings, in light of its recent announcement that it will review regulations on wood-burning stoves.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has been listening to the concerns raised regarding the New Build Heat Standard regulations, which is why it was announced to Parliament on 28 May that we will be reviewing the regulations to adapt them to address those concerns. As part of this review, we will speak with stakeholders and Ministers are always happy to discuss issues with MSPs.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420775,"EventID":"S6W-28019","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-04T17:15:15.537","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-31T13:56:40.457","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27514 by Ivan McKee on 30 May 2024, whether it plans to publish the findings of the internal review and the report provided to ministers, and when it expects ministers to respond. ","AnswerText":"Scottish Government officials have reviewed the Chief Executive Framework and the report is being finalised. This report will be provided to Ministers for consideration in the summer. The outcomes of the review will be shared with relevant stakeholders and a new Chief Executive Framework published thereafter.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420776,"EventID":"S6W-28012","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-04T17:15:15.6","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-31T10:03:50.247","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the potential impact on off-grid households in Scotland, whether it plans to work with the heating oil industry in Scotland in relation to the UK Government's planned consultation on the Renewable Liquid Heating Fuel Obligation (RLHFO), in order to support a timely consultation process following the UK General Election.","AnswerText":"Following the UK General Election, we will work with the new UK Government to understand the approach they plan to take regarding a consultation on a Renewable Liquid Heating Fuel Obligation, which will then determine the need for engagement with the Scottish supply sector.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420777,"EventID":"S6W-27991","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16197,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-04T17:15:15.663","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-30T13:46:24.413","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding any modernisation of the energy consenting regime, as it relates to the UK Electricity Act 1989, to make pre-application community engagement mandatory.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government agreed with the UK Electricity Networks Commissioner that changes are required to modernise Scotland’s consenting regime under the UK Electricity Act 1989 to accelerate determinations and put pre-application community engagement on a statutory footing. This would improve public engagement and confidence in the consenting process, drive better applications and reduce delays to applications caused by insufficient information.\r\nPrior to the General Election announcement, Scottish Government and UK Government officials had been discussing the scope of a potential review of Scotland’s consenting regime, in line with the commitment made in the UK Government’s Transmission Acceleration Action Plan. The Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy recently wrote to the UK Government to urge that this wider work continues at pace and we will re-engage with an incoming UK Government as a matter of priority.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420778,"EventID":"S6W-27930","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-04T17:15:15.74","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T16:08:31.337","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it plans to allow patients to access their medical records digitally, and whether it plans to roll this out across Scotland.\r\n","AnswerText":"As stated in the answer to question S6W-27820 on 11 June 2024, I can confirm the Digitisation of records is an operational responsibility of individual Health Boards GP practices and Local Authorities, and their partner organisations commissioned to deliver care. At a national level and building on the existing use of electronic record systems, we are focussed on allowing records to be stored, linked, and shared securely.\r\nOur national work recognises, however, that we need to improve the way this works for people across Scotland in a nationally consistent manner. As set out in our integrated health & social care record and a digital front door so that we can introduce a national approach to improving the process for accessing care records for care experienced people, and those around them.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420779,"EventID":"S6W-28016","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-04T17:15:15.803","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-31T13:49:39.803","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27511 by Ivan McKee on 30 May 2024, whether it will release the correspondence from its (a) ministers and (b) officials with the (i) chairs and (ii) chief executives mentioned. ","AnswerText":"My recent letter to chairs and chief executives of public bodies can be viewed at  www.gov.scot/publications/making-the-most-of-resources-letter-to-public-bodies/  .\r\nContact by Scottish Government officials took the form of routine informal engagement between public body sponsor teams and staff in the organisations they sponsor. There was no formal correspondence from officials to chairs or chief executives.\r\nAs I have stated in other PQ replies (including S6W-27509 and S6W-27510 on\r\n 30 May 2024), it is for each public body to ensure that it fulfils all statutory duties to which it is subject, and to answer for its actions.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420780,"EventID":"S6W-28005","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5877,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-04T17:15:15.88","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-31T09:26:21.457","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will implement a Scottish version of the UK Government's national school breakfast club programme, specifically with a view to tackling child poverty.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to developing plans to deliver free breakfasts to all primary and special school children.\r\nBreakfasts are being provided across Scotland by a range of service providers including public, private and third sector. We are working with Local Authorities and key stakeholders to better understand and map existing provision. This work is ongoing and alongside learning from other approaches across the UK, will inform the development of a delivery strategy for breakfast provision, including how a future offer can support the Government's mission to eradicate child poverty.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420781,"EventID":"S6W-28009","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-04T17:15:15.96","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-31T10:03:50.247","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many inspections of short-term let properties have been conducted to date where they were found to be (a) in breach of their and (b) without an appropriate licence.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold the information that has been requested, as local authorities are responsible for administering the scheme and making relevant inspections. I also refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28008 on 11 June 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420782,"EventID":"S6W-27823","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-04T17:15:16.037","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-22T07:47:18.647","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any of the files that were stolen in the recent reported cyber attack on NHS Dumfries and Galloway contained patient data that is normally held nationally.","AnswerText":"Patient data is typically held on the IT infrastructure of the Health Board delivering, or having previously delivered, the individuals care. This can include data initially generated by other Health Boards or health and care organisations that is transferred to the NHS Dumfries & Galloway (e.g. referral letters) in order for them to deliver the best quality care.\r\nOnly data held on the NHS Dumfries and Galloway IT infrastructure was stolen during this cyber-attack.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420783,"EventID":"S6W-27940","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-04T17:15:16.1","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T16:16:23.743","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much the Edinburgh Eastern constituency has received from the CashBack for Communities fund since it was established, and what projects this funding has supported.\r\n","AnswerText":"Edinburgh Eastern has received £1,903,792 from the Cashback for Communities fund since 2008.\r\nEight CashBack Partners have delivered projects within Edinburgh Eastern Constituency from 2008 to 2024. They are: Boxing Scotland; Edinburgh Young Carers; Scottish Football Association; Scottish Rugby; SportScotland (Facilities Fund); Street Soccer Scotland; Youth Scotland and YouthLink Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420784,"EventID":"S6W-27420","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5877,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-04T17:15:16.147","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T14:21:57.05","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government on what date its Statistics Public Benefit and Privacy Panel (SPBPP) reportedly granted a request by the University of Strathclyde to access data gathered from 134,0000 children in the Health and Wellbeing Census, and whether it will provide any documentation that shows for what reason any such request was granted, in light of the Information Commissioner's Office advice to the Scottish Government in August 2023 that the arrangements for processing the data did not meet requirements of Article 4(5) of the UK GDPR around pseudonymisation, and Article 25 around Data Protection by Design and Default, which created \"serious risks\" and put children at risk of \"potential harms\".\r\n","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has a robust process in place when it receives access requests to its data for statistics and research purposes:  Scottish Government statistics: request our data - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .\r\nThis web page includes a list of projects that have been approved by the Statistics Public Benefit and Privacy Panel (SPBPP).\r\nThe request by the University of Strathclyde to access data gathered in the 2021-22 Health and Wellbeing Census did not progress to final approval and as such this data access request does not feature in the list of approved projects.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420785,"EventID":"S6W-28004","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-04T17:15:16.197","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-30T21:04:26.807","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to (a) the First Minister's National Advisory Council on Women and Girls 2024 Report and (b) reported concerns that a lack of urgency, coherence and accountability on the part of the Scottish Government has prevented the implementation of all previous recommendations of the advisory council.","AnswerText":"We are grateful to the National Advisory Council on Women and Girls and the Empowering Women Panel for the considerable work they put into the 2024 report. The Scottish Government is committed to working with the Council and Panel to meet our shared goal of greater equality for women and girls. We welcome the report are giving it our full consideration before responding formally to the Council.\r\nWhile we recognise progress has been made in this area, there is much more to do. I met with the co-chairs of the NACWG recently and discussed how we can best make that progress. I look forward to carrying on that discussion and taking forward any actions required.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420786,"EventID":"S6W-28018","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-04T17:15:16.257","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-31T13:56:40.457","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27514 by Ivan McKee on 30 May 2024, whether it will outline the savings made from the 10% reduction made to chief executive pay, and which posts these savings were achieved from. ","AnswerText":"Over the last 5 years (from 2019 to date) there have been 26 new Chief Executive appointments in public bodies directly covered by the public sector pay policy. To date, 20 posts have been filled and 6 are currently pending. The policy expectation to apply a 10% reduction on outgoing Chief Executive remuneration packages has delivered an estimated saving of over £325,000 to the public purse at the time of appointment.\r\nThe cumulative saving over the last 5 years is higher than £325,000 as the saving for each post is recurring year on year, although the amount will diminish each year as the new incumbents progress up their pay ranges.\r\nThis policy expectation is predicated on the ability to fill the post with a suitable candidate having regard to external market levels, value for money and recruitment and retention issues.When considering the level of reduction, the whole remuneration package (salary, pay range, non-consolidated performance payment, notice period and any other non-salary rewards) is taken into account. All remuneration packages are assessed to ensure they are an appropriate use of public resources to deliver the public services needed.\r\nOver the last 5 years, savings have been made in connection with the following Chief Executive posts.\r\nBord Gaidhlig na h-Alba\r\nCare Inspectorate\r\nChildren's Hearings Scotland\r\nCrown Estate Scotland\r\nHighlands and Islands Airports Ltd\r\nHighlands and Islands Enterprise\r\nNational Museums of Scotland\r\nPolice Investigations and Review Commissioner\r\nRisk Management Authority\r\nScottish Canals\r\nScottish Criminal Cases Review Commission\r\nScottish Enterprise\r\nScottish Environment Protection Agency\r\nScottish Funding Councils*\r\nScottish Rail Holdings Ltd*\r\nScottish Social Services Council*\r\nsportscotland\r\nVisit Scotland*\r\nWater Industry Commission for Scotland*\r\n* recruitment currently ongoing","AnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420818,"EventID":"S6W-28036","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:05:04.37","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-03T13:38:35.427","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many bursaries are available in 2024-25 as part of the teaching bursary scheme.","AnswerText":"During the 2024-25 Teaching Bursary scheme, 84 bursaries will be available. Modern Languages will also be included this year as additional subjects.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420819,"EventID":"S6W-28052","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:05:04.48","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T08:17:17.547","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the availability of liquified petroleum gas as a vehicle fuel in Scotland.","AnswerText":"Supply of LPG fuel in the UK is a matter reserved for UK Government. It is the responsibility of individual LPG retailers to ensure that the availability of LPG is actively monitored, and managed to prevent shortages, which can occur during periods of peak demand. The investment costs and installation of LPG fuelling sites is commercially led, and applications for new sites fall within the remit of local authority planning.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420820,"EventID":"S6W-28040","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:05:04.527","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-04T10:24:15.6","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the average length of time is for a section 36 energy consent application for an (a) onshore proposal over 50MW and (b) offshore proposal to receive a determination.","AnswerText":"The approximate average length of time, since 2015, for a section 36 energy consent application to receive a determination is as follows.\r\nOnshore proposals over 50MW:Onshore wind – 33 monthsBattery Energy Storage System (BESS) – 14 monthsHybrid (Solar and BESS) – 13 monthsHydro – 18 monthsOffshore proposals:Offshore wind - 11 monthsWave & Tidal - 24 months\r\nIt should be noted that these timeframes include the time taken for Public Local Inquiries, should they be necessary, and also any delays caused by missing or additional application information being required from developers, such as that under EIA legislation.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420821,"EventID":"S6W-28029","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:05:04.603","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-03T10:49:56.93","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the refreshed Skills Investment Plan for Scotland's Historic Environment sector, which was published on 1 April 2024, what additional investment has been allocated to progress the priority areas identified, particularly to provide career opportunities in the South of Scotland and in the historic built environment.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government and the Historic Environment sector cannot achieve the aims of the Skills Investment Plan alone. Public, private, and third sectors, private owners, and communities across the country all have a role to play in delivering the Skills Investment Plan actions, and all will benefit from a highly skilled historic environment sector.\r\nThe Scottish Government supports the historic environment through its sponsorship of Historic Environment Scotland the lead public body set up to investigate, care for and promote Scotland’s historic environment.\r\nIn 2024-25 Historic Environment Scotland’s operational budget is rising by 13.3% to £129.7 million, enabling the organisation to invest in fair staff pay, in running and maintaining its properties, in delivering grants to the heritage sector, continue research on Climate Change and in fulfilling its advisory and regulatory functions.\r\nSkills Development Scotland commenced contracting for new apprenticeship opportunities at the start of April 2024 and Scottish Government investment will support up to 25,500 new Modern Apprenticeship starts across Scotland, and continue to provide support for around 38,000 apprentices already in training for 2024-25. This will include MAs in traditional skills and craft roles.\r\nSkills Development Scotland publishes annual Regional Skills Assessments to provide a coherent evidence base to inform future investment in skills, built up from existing datasets and forecasts. Skills Development Scotland has worked with key partners and stakeholders in the production of these assessments to ensure an inclusive approach to their development, dissemination and utilisation and that they cover all Regional Outcome Agreement areas, City and Growth Deal Regions and Rural Scotland.\r\nAdditionally, Scotland’s strategy for the historic environment ‘Our Past Our Future’ will work with regional economic partnerships to embed the historic environment in job creation across the country.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420822,"EventID":"S6W-28037","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:05:04.667","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-03T16:05:54.923","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact that its recent announcement of up to £8.8 million for diabetes technology will have on waiting times for an insulin pump for type 1 diabetic adults in NHS Lothian, which are reportedly expected to increase to 10 years by the end of 2024.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government’s recent investment into diabetes technologies will specifically support children and adults to access closed loop systems.\r\nAlongside this additional investment, we will also encourage all NHS Boards including NHS Lothian to utilise the national onboarding team based at Centre of Sustainable Delivery as well their own local diabetes clinical teams to support technology starts.\r\nThis should increase the rate and scope at which individuals will be able to access closed loop systems and therefore have a positive impact on waiting times.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420823,"EventID":"S6W-28045","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:05:04.76","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-04T12:29:49.813","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps it is taking to (a) address the ongoing industrial disputes over pay and funding in the further education sector, in light of the repeated industrial actions taken by staff, and (b) ensure the provision of quality education. ","AnswerText":"As I set out in my statement to Parliament on 30 May 2024, the Scottish Government has no locus to intervene in the current dispute; it is for college management and trade unions to negotiate pay and terms and conditions. We continue to urge the employers and EIS-FELA to work collaboratively to find a fair and affordable settlement, in order to bring the current dispute to an end as a matter of priority.\r\nI have made clear to college management that I expect colleges to do everything within their power to ensure students are not adversely impacted by industrial action.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420824,"EventID":"S6W-28041","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:05:04.807","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-04T10:24:15.6","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what systems it has in place to monitor the performance of the Energy Consents Unit.","AnswerText":"The performance of the Energy Consents Unit has recently been considered through the Onshore Wind Sector Deal and the Transmission Network Short Life Working Group. Work is ongoing to implement the actions derived from the recommendations of both groups. At an individual level, all members of the Energy Consent Unit have agreed work objectives which are reviewed as part of our performance management process.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420825,"EventID":"S6W-28031","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:05:04.87","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-03T12:07:09.237","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to introduce regulations under section 74 of the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill, as passed.","AnswerText":"The Government plans to commence the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill within three months of the Bill receiving Royal Assent.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420826,"EventID":"S6W-28028","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:05:04.917","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-03T10:42:21.557","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to any (a) current and (b) future mineral mining exploration and related activities in Scotland, what plans it has to ensure that just transition principles are applied to support any communities in Scotland that are affected by such activities. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to delivering a just transition to net zero for all communities in Scotland, working with those most impacted to provide a fairer, greener future for all. Our approach is therefore being informed by communities, businesses, workers and their trade unions across Scotland.\r\nWhere new development proposals come forward, Policy 33 of National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) sets out that development proposals for the sustainable extraction of minerals will only be supported by that policy where relevant criteria are met. This includes where it is demonstrated that there are no significant adverse impacts on nearby homes and local communities, provision of an adequate buffer zone between sites and settlements, and the inclusion of schemes for a high standard of restoration and aftercare.\r\nWhere any mineral extraction takes place, relevant environmental permitting and licensing requirements will apply ensuring continuing environmental protection.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420827,"EventID":"S6W-28032","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":89,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:05:04.98","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-03T13:15:42.15","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the NatureScot licensing review.","AnswerText":"NatureScot have recently published the terms of reference and outline timescales of the licensing review on their website at  https://www.nature.scot/doc/species-licensing-review-terms-reference  and https://www.nature.scot/professional-advice/protected-areas-and-species/licensing/licensing-news  .\r\nThe terms of reference have also been circulated to all interested key stakeholders.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420828,"EventID":"S6W-28051","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:05:05.027","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T08:16:56.24","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what its position is on the addition of medicinal cannabis to NHS Scotland formularies.","AnswerText":"There are three licensed Cannabis Based Products for Medicinal use (CBPMs) available on the NHS in Scotland to treat specific conditions. These are:nabilone, a synthetic cannabinoid, as an add-on treatment for adults with chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting;Sativex®, a combination of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol for moderate to severe spasticity in adults with multiple sclerosis;and Epidyolex®, a cannabidiol for treating seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, Dravet syndrome and tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC)\r\nThe decision on whether to make a licensed medicine routinely available on the NHS in Scotland is made by healthcare professionals and other experts who make up the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC), following an application by the manufacturer. This is independent of Scottish Ministers. If a medicine is recommended for use,- Health Boards’ local Area Drug and Therapeutic Committees will consider and decide whether to include it in their prescribing formulary.\r\nClinical guidance does not recommend the prescribing of unlicensed CBPMs, other than in clinical trials. The biggest barrier to the prescribing of other CBPMs on the NHS is that most products remain unlicensed with a limited, or non-existent, peer-reviewed clinical evidence base for their use.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420829,"EventID":"S6W-28035","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:05:05.073","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-03T13:19:17.583","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement NatureScot has had with the Bat Conservation Trust regarding the protection of bat species from the loss of roost sites.","AnswerText":"NatureScot considers bat surveys submitted as part of a licence application against the Good Practice Guidelines developed by the Bat Conservation Trust. NatureScot also contributed to the creation of these guidelines. The guidelines ensure that bat roost sites are appropriately surveyed to inform species licensing decisions and allow NatureScot to assess what is the appropriate level of mitigation and compensation to protect bat species.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420830,"EventID":"S6W-28030","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:05:05.12","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-03T10:54:56.48","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has had or is planning to have discussions with manufacturers of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication in order to address any shortages.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is aware that supplies of various ADHD medicines continue to be intermittent. At present, market data and information provided by the UK Government indicates that some of these supply issues will continue into Autumn 2024. Scottish Government officials continue to monitor the situation for any further developments and are maintaining a close dialogue with all Health Boards to help manage these medicine supply disruptions and provide support when needed.\r\nThe supply of medicines and associated legislation are a reserved matter for the UK Government, and we continue to engage with them on this supply issue and other medicine shortages. The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for Scotland is a member of a UK-wide Medicines Shortage Response Group, set up to identify and co-ordinate responses to medicines shortages across the UK and provide advice to prescribers on alternative therapeutic options.\r\nThe UK Government’s Department of Health and Social Care, on behalf of all four nations, regularly meets with the manufacturers of ADHD medicines to discuss their supply chains challenges and any issues where they may require assistance, including providing an overview of current and forecasted demand to assist manufacturers with planning to increase production forecasts. T he Scottish Government has not had any separate engagement with the manufacturers of ADHD medicines.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420831,"EventID":"S6W-28033","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:05:05.167","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-03T13:19:03.907","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action NatureScot is taking to safeguard bat roost sites located on homes, while highlighting the importance of bat species protection to householders. ","AnswerText":"All bat species found in Scotland are classed as European protected species. They receive the highest level of species protection under the Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994.\r\nThis protection also extends to bat roosts. As bats return to the same places every year, a bat roost is protected even if no bats are present. Any action taken which might disturb or damage a bat roost requires a licence from NatureScot.\r\nNatureScot bat workers and Licensing staff advise residents on bat species protection and how to manage the bat roosts within their homes in line with this protection through the Bats in Houses helpline or, for more complex cases, a home visit. NatureScot staff encourage residents in the first instance to retain these roosts, though in some circumstances they need to be excluded under licence because of the public health issue they can pose to residents. The licence to exclude bats contains conditions for the actions to safeguard the bats during the exclusion.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420832,"EventID":"S6W-28050","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:05:05.23","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-04T16:41:18.423","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the average ambulance response time is for a cardiac arrest in NHS Dumfries and Galloway.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information. The Scottish Ambulance Service publish their weekly performance statistics, which can be found here -  https://www.scottishambulance.com/publications/unscheduled-care-operational-statistics/  .","AnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420833,"EventID":"S6W-27876","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:05:05.277","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-26T20:57:43.17","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when East Kilbride will have an all-day, four-train-per-hour \"turn up and go\" assisted travel service.","AnswerText":"ScotRail’s passenger assist service provides assistance to those who need help when travelling on the ScotRail network. Passengers who require assistance when travelling can turn up and use the help point to request assistance. For those who want peace of mind assistance cab be booked in advance with one hour’s notice, which compares favourably with the 2 hours required by other GB Train Operating Companies.\r\nCurrently ScotRail operates a half hourly service on the East Kilbride route, with additional services operating at peak times which gives four trains per hour. ScotRail keeps its services under continued review to ensure its services meet passengers requirements as much as possible.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420834,"EventID":"S6W-28048","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:05:05.357","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-04T16:06:52.113","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the question S6W-25696 by Jenny Gilruth on 5 March 2024, whether it is still the case that its report following the consultation on draft guidance on the Delivery of relationships, sexual health and parenthood (RSHP) education in Scottish schools will be published in spring 2024.","AnswerText":"Due to the large number of consultation responses received, we now expect this report to be published in Autumn 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420835,"EventID":"S6W-28043","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3763,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":142,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:05:05.417","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-04T12:06:14.11","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the latest round of negotiations between the college sector and trade unions.","AnswerText":"A pay deal between the college employers and support staff trade unions was agreed on 31 May 2024.\r\nNegotiations between the employers and EIS-FELA in regards to a pay deal for lecturers remains ongoing. The National Joint Negotiating Committee will meet again on 21 June 2024. I continue to urge the employers and EIS-FELA to work collaboratively to agree a fair and affordable settlement, in order to bring an end to this dispute as a matter of priority.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420836,"EventID":"S6W-28039","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:05:05.48","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-03T19:23:22.517","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the publication of a \"progress report on delivery\" of the recommendations that are set out in the paper, Investor Panel: Scottish Government Response to Investor Panel Recommendations.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has committed to publishing an update on progress on the Investor Panel recommendations and intends to do this in the coming months. The update will be published on the Scottish Government’s Investor Panel webpage.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420837,"EventID":"S6W-28038","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:05:05.527","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-03T19:22:42.523","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23922 by Mairi McAllan on 11 January 2024, whether it will provide an update on the work being undertaken to assess options and costings for resolving water deficits in each water zone.","AnswerText":"As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water, and the Scottish Government does not hold this information, I have asked them to respond. Their reply is as follows:\r\nScottish Water is currently developing its Long Term Strategy, due for publication in January 2025, which will include the investment requirements for addressing the forecast supply-demand deficits through demand reduction activities, increased connectivity between supply systems and potentially new water sources.\r\nScottish Water is also working on a zonal model which will inform the strategic choices for managing their supply-demand balance. Scottish Water is in the middle of the detailed planning activities and will be in a position to respond to the specifics of this query by the end of December 2024/early in 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420838,"EventID":"S6W-28034","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:05:05.573","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-03T13:19:11.52","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether NatureScot has analysed the impact delivered by contracted bat workers on bat species conservation. ","AnswerText":"NatureScot holds data on the type of roosts recorded by bat workers during visits to homes, including the number of bats present, and whether the roost was retained or excluded under licence.\r\nIn 2023, in Bats in Houses, a total of 74 bat roosts were excluded from properties across Scotland, following householder requests to do so due to Health & Safety requirements:\r\nBat Species\r\nNumber of roosts\r\nNumber of bats\r\nAverage\r\nCommon Pipistrelle\r\n10 roosts\r\n548 bats\r\n55 bats per roost\r\nSoprano Pipistrelle\r\n55 roosts\r\n10,177 bats\r\n185 bats per roost\r\nPipistrelle species\r\n9 roosts\r\n230 bats\r\n25 bats per roost\r\nThe number of roosts retained across Scotland by the Bats in Houses Team, through discussion and advice on management for the resident:\r\nBat Species\r\nNumber of roosts\r\nNumber of bats\r\nAverage\r\nCommon Pipistrelle\r\n4 roosts\r\n50 bats\r\n12 bats per roost\r\nSoprano Pipistrelle\r\n14 roosts\r\n1394 bats\r\n99 bats per roost\r\nPipistrelle species\r\n8 roosts\r\n316 bats\r\n40 bats per roost\r\nBrown Long-eared\r\n7 roosts\r\n216 bats\r\n31 bats per roost\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420839,"EventID":"S6O-03549","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2641,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":94,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:06:34.333","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-04T10:26:52.55","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recently published data from Scotland’s Census on the number of people with Gaelic language skills.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420840,"EventID":"S6O-03550","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4940,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":81,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:06:34.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-04T12:35:45.073","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its priorities are for improving intergovernmental relations with the UK Government.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420841,"EventID":"S6O-03557","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:06:34.503","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-04T16:29:45.117","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with local authorities regarding any further allocation from its Budget, including for housebuilding. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420842,"EventID":"S6O-03570","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16197,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:06:34.567","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-04T16:51:38.34","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it envisages that the recommendations of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review will benefit the people of the Highlands and Islands.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420843,"EventID":"S6O-03558","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":89,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:06:34.643","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-03T13:21:07.39","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when councillors’ pay is expected to rise.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420844,"EventID":"S6O-03562","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:06:34.707","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-03T13:06:37.45","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the application of the principles in the Scottish Public Finance Manual, what its position is on whether the reported estimated cost of £3.56 million for refurbishment to decarbonise the Procurator Fiscal’s Office in Elgin represents value for money, in light of the property being valued at £275,000 in March 2022.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420845,"EventID":"S6O-03552","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2826,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":84,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:06:34.8","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T09:52:56.577","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact that Brexit is having on Scotland’s economy.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420846,"EventID":"S6O-03561","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2633,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:06:34.847","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T10:23:15.083","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether Fife Council will be given assistance under the Bellwin Scheme.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420847,"EventID":"S6O-03556","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3751,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":108,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:06:34.893","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-04T12:20:56.607","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out any analysis of the potential impact that a policy to reduce net migration to the UK would have on its long-term labour market strategy.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420848,"EventID":"S6O-03565","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5800,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:06:34.957","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T11:47:30.103","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is informing tourists and other visitors of how to use roads across the Highlands and Islands safely.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420849,"EventID":"S6O-03563","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:06:35.033","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T08:23:24.023","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact that replicating the non-domestic rates relief available to businesses in England would have in Ayrshire, including in relation to job creation.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420850,"EventID":"S6O-03566","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:06:35.083","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-04T09:13:14.57","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that it has spent nearly £6 million on consultants providing advice on the future of ferries.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420851,"EventID":"S6O-03560","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:06:35.13","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-04T17:42:06.803","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any implications for its Budget and public sector finances, what assessment the finance secretary has made of how much revenue the visitor levy could generate for local authorities.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420852,"EventID":"S6O-03559","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16207,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:06:35.19","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T11:04:35.12","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how its recently published public sector pay policy will support public sector workers to cope with the cost of living.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420853,"EventID":"S6O-03568","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5618,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":91,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:06:35.237","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-03T12:27:19.843","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it works with local authorities to promote road safety.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420854,"EventID":"S6O-03569","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:06:35.3","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T11:00:40.177","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its commitment to increase the number of electric vehicle charging points, particularly in rural areas.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420855,"EventID":"S6O-03555","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:06:35.347","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-04T12:17:02.69","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address the rise in unemployment in Edinburgh as recently reported by the ONS.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420856,"EventID":"S6O-03571","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16176,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":137,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:06:35.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T10:06:33.603","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress in implementing the national strategy for 20mph speed limits.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420857,"EventID":"S6O-03553","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:06:35.473","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-04T11:48:11.99","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to support the retail sector.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420858,"EventID":"S6O-03554","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5074,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":104,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:06:35.55","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T10:45:32.443","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to support entrepreneurs and start-up businesses.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420859,"EventID":"S6O-03564","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:06:35.613","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-03T19:20:11.987","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to maximise value obtained from public sector procurement.","AnswerText":"Scotland continues to use public procurement to achieve a vast range of positive economic, social and environmental outcomes making Scotland a better place to live, work and do business.\r\nLatest available figures show that our £16 billion public procurement spend generated around £13.8 billion pounds of economic activity for Scotland and supported around 130,000 full time equivalent jobs.\r\nSpend in Scotland alone was £8.9 billion and, where relevant details are known, 55% of this was with SMEs, and almost half was with businesses in the 60% most disadvantaged areas in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420860,"EventID":"S6O-03551","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:06:35.69","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T08:20:23.89","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its work to develop a Green Industrial Strategy, what\r\ndiscussions the economy secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding\r\nthe role of hydrogen production in boosting economic growth. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420861,"EventID":"S6O-03567","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:06:35.783","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-04T17:33:50.417","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any economic and social impact of there being no rail services between Ayr, Girvan and Stranraer since the line was closed in September 2023.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420862,"EventID":"S6O-03574","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:06:39.277","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T09:54:45.023","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider increasing funding for empty homes officers, in light of the First Minister’s reported statement that empty homes are key to tackling the housing emergency. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420863,"EventID":"S6O-03578","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16191,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":77,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:06:39.353","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T11:54:52.743","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work to tackle poverty, in light of recent analysis by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation showing that 86% of low-income households receiving Universal Credit were going without the essentials and that nearly one million people in the UK are \"only £10 a week away from poverty\". ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420864,"EventID":"S6O-03580","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16177,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":125,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:06:39.433","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-04T14:34:41.593","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implications of the reported decision by Aberdeenshire Integration Joint Board to close minor injuries units overnight in Peterhead and Fraserburgh without prior consultation, which has raised significant concerns among constituents.","AnswerText":"As the member will know, decisions on how to deliver healthcare services for local communities are ultimately for local health boards and integration authorities to make. Boards and IJBs are expected to carry out proportionate engagement around service change proposals in line with Planning for People: Community Engagement and Participation Guidance. HIS have met with the board and made a number of recommendations on how they can better adhere to the guidance going forward.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420865,"EventID":"S6O-03575","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:06:39.48","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-04T13:20:19.963","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS Lothian and NHS Borders regarding financial stability in the 2024-25 financial year.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420866,"EventID":"S6O-03577","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:06:39.543","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T10:36:54.393","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps it is taking to increase the number of GPs.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420867,"EventID":"S6O-03579","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16186,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":120,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:06:39.59","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-04T10:05:31.643","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last engaged with Aberdeen City Council in relation to reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420868,"EventID":"S6O-03576","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":3763,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":142,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:06:39.637","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T11:07:25.457","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Communication Workers Union's call for housing standards to be updated to ensure that letterboxes are positioned at a suitably accessible height.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420869,"EventID":"S6O-03573","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-05T17:06:39.7","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-04T16:58:05.703","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will end the reported practice of children and young people being admitted to adult services for treatment, rather than an NHS specialist child and adolescent mental health ward.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420895,"EventID":"S6O-03585","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":3,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-06T10:49:21.71","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-04T16:29:39.52","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will review the process for admitting visitors to the public gallery in the chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420896,"EventID":"S6O-03583","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":3,"MSPID":16215,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-06T10:50:28.03","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-04T14:36:16.85","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether any of its contracted catering companies source produce or products from occupied land in Gaza or the West Bank.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420897,"EventID":"S6O-03586","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":3,"MSPID":5608,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":103,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-06T10:51:10.06","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-04T16:34:41.487","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it would consider increasing the £500 annual training budget that is allocated to MSP offices for staff training.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420898,"EventID":"S6O-03584","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":3,"MSPID":16177,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":125,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-06T10:51:48.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-04T14:38:16.977","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how much of its annual budget is allocated to the provision of BSL services to ensure that the Parliament is accessible to those who use BSL, in light of the 2022 Census results showing that BSL is used by 117,300 people or 2.2% of the population.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420899,"EventID":"S6O-03582","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":3,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-06T10:52:22.7","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-04T09:34:01.68","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will provide an update on the review commissioned by the security team, in light of the protest that took place on 21 February 2024.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420900,"EventID":"S6O-03548","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":3,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-06T10:53:05.433","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-29T16:26:27.46","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will provide an update on how it is widening access to its educational services.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420901,"EventID":"S6O-03587","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":3,"MSPID":2892,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-06T10:53:56.667","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T15:09:22.917","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what action it is taking to recognise Pride Month, including how it supports LGBTQ+ staff and visitors by ensuring that the Parliament remains a visibly inclusive environment.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420902,"EventID":"S6O-03581","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":3,"MSPID":5110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":89,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-06T10:54:22.47","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-03T15:56:33.747","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether a simplified employment process could be introduced for temporary staff working for just two or three days, for reasons such as covering sickness.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420903,"EventID":"S6O-03588","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":3,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-06T10:55:30.483","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T15:16:53.8","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will review the opening hours of the Scottish Parliament creche to cover non-business days.","AnswerText":"The creche service is available 3 days per week.  The opening hours reflect that the core purpose of the creche is to facilitate public engagement with parliamentary business.  We recently successfully negotiated with the Care Inspectorate to increase the number of hours each week, but we currently have no plans to review the facility on non-business days. ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Claire Baker (on behalf of the SPCB)","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420928,"EventID":"S6W-28067","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-06T16:59:00.423","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T12:16:13.04","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-06254 by Ivan McKee on 10 February 2022, whether there were any benefits to (a) Tata Steel and (b) Liberty Steel from the Scottish Government owning the Dalzell steelworks for a short period, and, if so, what any such benefits were.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government owning the Steelworks for a short period of time enabled all parties to achieve what they required from the sale and purchase of the business. The Scottish Government in doing so, supported the recommencement of steel production in Scotland and protected the livelihood of families across the Lanarkshire steel communities.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420929,"EventID":"S6W-28080","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-06T16:59:00.517","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T16:56:59.227","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what projections it holds of the total cost of repairs to Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service (CHFS) vessels by the end of the current extended CHFS contract. ","AnswerText":"The cost incurred by CalMac Ferries for maintenance and repair for vessels in the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service (CHFS) fleet to the end of the current contract, 30 September 2024 are detailed in the following table. These figures include all maintenance and repair costs including costs of annual overhaul. \r\nCHFS2        \r\nCY01\r\nCY02\r\nCY03\r\nCY04\r\nCY05\r\nCY06\r\nCY07\r\nCY08\r\n(to date) \r\nOct’16 – Sep’17\r\nOct’17 – Sep’18\r\nOct’18 – Sep’19\r\nOct’19 – Sep’20\r\nOct’20 – Sep’21\r\nOct’21 – Sep’22\r\nOct’22 - Sep’23\r\nOct’23 - Feb’24 \r\n£'000\r\n£'000\r\n£'000\r\n£'000\r\n£'000\r\n£'000\r\n£'000\r\n£'000\r\nTotal\r\n14,063\r\n18,254\r\n15,723\r\n18,359\r\n17,262\r\n28,525\r\n30,036\r\n24,852\r\n \r\nForecast for remaining period of CY08 (Mar’24 – Sep’24) is £15.9m\r\nAs dialogue regarding the extension of up to 12 months is ongoing, information for this period is not yet known.\r\nIn addition, there is a Ferries Resilience Fund administered by Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL). This is preventative fund, over and above regular maintenance, and is aimed at lowering the risk of vessel breakdown and loss of service. This totals £28.8m to date.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420930,"EventID":"S6W-28076","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-06T16:59:00.563","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T16:54:17.46","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current daily passenger capacity is on the Ardrossan to Brodick ferry route, broken down by (a) foot passengers and (b) vehicles, and what the comparative figures have been in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"Arran is currently served by the MV Isle of Arran from Ardrossan with a passenger capacity of 446 and vehicle deck for 55 cars, and MV Alfred from Troon with passenger capacity of 428 and vehicle deck for 98 cars.\r\nA comparison of weekly passenger and car capacity on the main Arran route over the past five years has been provided by CalMac Ferries Ltd and is shown in the following table.\r\nPASSENGER CAPACITY W/C 10TH JUNE\r\n2019\r\n2020\r\n2021\r\n2022\r\n2023\r\n2024\r\nMonday\r\n14,470\r\n4,000\r\n3,550\r\n11,510\r\n14,470\r\n6,172\r\nTuesday\r\n14,470\r\n4,000\r\n3,550\r\n11,510\r\n14,470\r\n6,172\r\nWednesday\r\n14,470\r\n4,000\r\n3,550\r\n11,510\r\n14,470\r\n6,172\r\nThursday\r\n13,129\r\n4,000\r\n3,760\r\n10,169\r\n13,129\r\n6,172\r\nFriday\r\n13,788\r\n4,000\r\n4,522\r\n10,236\r\n13,788\r\n7,028\r\nSaturday\r\n13,576\r\n4,000\r\n3,760\r\n10,616\r\n13,576\r\n6,582\r\nSunday\r\n9,788\r\n4,000\r\n2,524\r\n7,420\r\n9,788\r\n6,582\r\nOVERALL\r\n93,691\r\n28,000\r\n25,216\r\n72,971\r\n93,691\r\n44,880       \r\nDECK SPACE METRES CAPACITY W/C 10th JUNE\r\n2019\r\n2020\r\n2021\r\n2022\r\n2023\r\n2024\r\nMonday\r\n6,723\r\n1,536\r\n6,723\r\n6,723\r\n6,723\r\n4,450\r\nTuesday\r\n6,723\r\n1,536\r\n6,723\r\n6,723\r\n6,723\r\n4,450\r\nWednesday\r\n6,723\r\n1,536\r\n6,723\r\n6,723\r\n6,723\r\n4,450\r\nThursday\r\n5,937\r\n1,536\r\n6,199\r\n5,937\r\n5,937\r\n4,450\r\nFriday\r\n6,007\r\n1,536\r\n6,531\r\n6,007\r\n6,007\r\n5,300\r\nSaturday\r\n6,374\r\n1,711\r\n6,374\r\n6,374\r\n6,374\r\n5,025\r\nSunday\r\n4,470\r\n1,711\r\n4,470\r\n4,470\r\n4,470\r\n5,025\r\nOVERALL\r\n42,958\r\n11,104\r\n43,744\r\n42,958\r\n42,958\r\n33,150       \r\nNotes:      \r\n1. Data for 2024 is based on published timetables for week commencing 10th June 2024\r\n2. Data for 2019-2023 is based on published timetables for closest comparative full week Monday-Sunday in each of the previous 5 years\r\n3. A reduced timetable operated in 2020 and 2021 as a result of the Covid pandemic\r\n4. Data included all legs operated from the mainland ports of Ardrossan and Troon to Brodick (and includes legs operating from Ardrossan and ultimately terminating in Campbeltown)\r\n \r\nIt is important to note that the full passenger capacity is rarely reached on the majority of sailings under normal services.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420931,"EventID":"S6W-28056","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5866,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-06T16:59:00.627","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T10:57:09.783","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting small businesses to meet any potential costs associated with compliance with the requirements of Low Emission Zones.","AnswerText":"Financial support has been provided to smaller businesses since 2019 in preparation for Low Emission Zones, through scrappage grants and retrofitting grants. Over £6.3 million has been paid out to small businesses with cars, taxis and vans whilst over 1,100 non-compliant business vehicles have been scrapped with the owner receiving a £2000 cash scrappage grant. Over 450 taxis have retrofitted using the grant funding available. A further £5 million has been allocated to the LEZ Support Fund in this financial year to help both smaller businesses and lower income households scrap or retrofit their vehicles to adapt to LEZs.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420932,"EventID":"S6W-27724","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16194,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-06T16:59:00.673","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T12:01:57.443","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any potential impact on its funding of the service, what discussions it has had with the Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre in relation to its compliance with employment laws.","AnswerText":"Rape crisis centres are independent and the governance and day-to-day operation of services sits with their Boards. As such, it would not be appropriate for the Scottish Government to discuss employment law matters with Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre. We continue to fund Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre to support survivors of rape and sexual assault.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420933,"EventID":"S6W-28062","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-06T16:59:00.737","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T12:01:37.917","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received any representations from (a) IndustriALL Global Union and (b) IndustriALL Europe Union regarding reported concerns in relation to Liberty Steel's operations, in light of reports that the unions have asked the European Commission to set up a taskforce to look at Liberty Steel's operations.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has no record of receiving representations from IndustriALL Global Union or IndustriALL Europe Union regarding Liberty Steel’s operations.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420934,"EventID":"S6W-28059","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-06T16:59:00.783","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T11:52:52.143","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05308 by Ivan McKee on 27 January 2022, what (a) meetings and (b) correspondence it has had with (i) Tata Steel and (ii) Liberty Steel in the last two years regarding the sale of the Dalzell steelworks in 2016.","AnswerText":"Since June 2022, Scottish Government officials have met with Tata Steel UK on 23 June 2022 and 5 December 2022 regarding the sale of the Dalzell steelworks in 2016. No meetings have been held with Liberty Steel on this topic during the last two years.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420935,"EventID":"S6W-28046","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-06T16:59:00.83","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-04T15:48:18.083","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24804 by Jenni Minto on 5 February 2024, how much of the £190 million of funding from the Primary Care Improvement Fund in 2023-24 was provided to each NHS board for the development of Community Treatment and Care (CTAC) services.","AnswerText":"While the Scottish Government are responsible for the strategic direction of the NHS, territorial Health Boards and Integration Authorities are responsible for delivering services in their areas, including the amount spent on each of the service areas delivered by the Primary Care Improvement Fund (PCIF). Integrated Authorities must work closely with local communities and other stakeholders to ensure that Primary Care Improvement Plans address specific local challenges and population needs while taking into account the guidance in the GP contract and accompanying MoUs as well as amended regulations.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420936,"EventID":"S6W-28053","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-06T16:59:00.893","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T09:37:50.867","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to bring forward an updated homelessness action plan. ","AnswerText":"There are no plans to develop an updated homelessness action plan. There is widespread support for Scotland’s long term plan for housing set out in Housing to 2040, and collective agreement that the Ending Homelessness Together action plan is the right long term strategy to tackle homelessness in Scotland. An annual report on progress towards ending homelessness is shared with the Scottish Parliament each autumn.\r\nThe Scottish Government recognises these are exceptionally challenging times, which is why we declared a national housing emergency on 15 May 2024. I will make a statement to parliament on the Scottish Government’s response to the housing emergency on Thursday 20 June. This is the starting point of the work that we see is needed to agree priorities and identify actions we can take that will have the greatest impact and help those most in need.\r\nPartnership working at all levels – UK Government, Scottish Government and local government – as well as with our housing sector partners is needed to deliver a housing system that meets the needs of the people of Scotland. We will build on the solid foundations of the work already underway and continue taking forward action in response to the recommendations made by the Homelessness Prevention and Strategy Group's task and finish groups on key homelessness issues. We will continue to do everything we can within devolved powers to address levels of homelessness and improve the supply of social and affordable housing.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420937,"EventID":"S6W-28054","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-06T16:59:00.94","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T09:38:37.623","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many students currently enrolled in higher education institutions identify as homeless. ","AnswerText":"Data on Students enrolled in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) is collected and published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).\r\nThe data collection does not gather information on students that identify as homeless.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420938,"EventID":"S6W-28023","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-06T16:59:01.017","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-02T00:48:25.683","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will urgently allocate the reported £450 million of European structural and investment funding, due to be returned to the European Commission by the end of the current financial year, to so-called shovel-ready bids within currently suspended capital programmes, including the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund and Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme.","AnswerText":"The media reports suggesting that £450 million of European Structural and Investment Funds will be returned to the European Commission by the Scottish Government are wrong. As I stated in Parliament on Thursday 13 June, all projects supported by this funding must have concluded by December 2023 to be eligible. The criteria for projects supported by European Structural and Investments Funds is set by the European Commission - it cannot be used to replace core government funding. For further information, I include a link to the related Scottish Government webpages which provide more detail on how these funds have been administered in Scotland:  https://www.gov.scot/policies/european-structural-funds/ ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420939,"EventID":"S6W-27875","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-06T16:59:01.11","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-26T12:33:39.393","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether Transport Scotland and Scotland's Railway are actively promoting a policy of increasing population density in the vicinity of railway stations in Glasgow, in conjunction with local authorities, to underpin the business case for Clyde Metro.","AnswerText":"As previously advised in answer to question S6W-26346 on 9 April 2024, the current phase of Clyde Metro is being led by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, working alongside Glasgow City Council and with Transport Scotland providing support in a project assurance role.\r\nSPT have recently appointed consultants to undertake some preliminary work, with procurement of a framework for multi-disciplinary consultancy services for later phases of the case for investment currently ongoing.\r\nAs such, Transport Scotland is not promoting a policy aimed at increasing population density in the vicinity of railway stations in Glasgow.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420940,"EventID":"S6W-28078","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-06T16:59:01.19","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T16:55:40.3","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how much compensation was paid by CalMac to passengers across all ferry routes in the latest reporting period. ","AnswerText":"CalMac Ferries Ltd considers claims by customers under the  Passenger Rights when travelling by Sea and Inland Waterways  Regulations. They have paid £500,341 to customers in Financial Year 2023-24 in refunds or compensation claims in respect of Passenger Rights.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420941,"EventID":"S6W-28065","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-06T16:59:01.267","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T12:12:16.59","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-10100 by Ivan McKee on 19 August 2022, whether it will provide the information requested regarding what prevented a direct sale of the asset without the Scottish Government owning the steelworks for a short period.","AnswerText":"Tata Steel, Liberty House and the Scottish Government were all aligned in agreeing a transaction that secured the earliest realisation of the commercial and wider economic benefits of the deal, and the selected structure was the best available means to deliver this.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420942,"EventID":"S6W-28074","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3763,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":142,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-06T16:59:01.33","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T16:42:20.617","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the current deployment of combined cataract and glaucoma procedures.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28075 on 18 June 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420943,"EventID":"S6W-28057","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-06T16:59:01.393","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T11:31:27.79","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether carbon budgeting or compatibility with its emissions targets and wider climate and nature ambitions will form part of the criteria for awarding Scottish Government support to start-up businesses, as recently announced by the Deputy First Minister.","AnswerText":"The first £5m of the £15m Enterprise Package was announced on 20 May. Exact details and criteria for the interventions are still being developed and are yet to be confirmed. Further details about the allocation of this initial £5m will be provided in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420944,"EventID":"S6W-28022","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-06T16:59:01.44","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-01T16:28:30.67","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact of the reported long-term disruptions to the supply of the pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy, Creon, on the health of people with cystic fibrosis. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the impact of these global medicine shortages on people living with cystic fibrosis. The supply of medicines and associated legislation are a reserved matter for the UK Government, and we continue to engage with them on this supply issue and other medicine shortages. The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer (CPO) for Scotland is a member of a UK-wide Medicines Shortage Response Group (MSRG), set up to identify and co-ordinate responses to medicines shortages across the UK and provide advice to prescribers on alternative therapeutic options.\r\nIn May, the Scottish Government issued a Medicine Supply Alert Notice (MSAN) and a National Patient Safety Alert (NatPSA) which outline actions to be taken by prescribers, who are best-placed to determine the impact of this shortage on each individual person, and offer an alternative treatment, where appropriate. We also issued a Serious Shortage Protocol (SSP) for Creon ® 25000 gastro-resistant capsules which allows community pharmacists to restrict the total quantity of Creon ® supplied to one month’s supply to help conserve stocks of Creon ® .","AnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420945,"EventID":"S6W-28058","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-06T16:59:01.503","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T11:47:50.847","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12259 by Ivan McKee on 2 December 2022, whether any of the £7 million loan has been paid back, and on what date the last repayment was made by Liberty Steel.","AnswerText":"The current capital balance owed to Scottish Enterprise remains at £7 million and Scottish Enterprise remains in negotiation with the company over repayment. In the interim, the company is meeting the current interest repayments due on the loan.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420946,"EventID":"S6W-28024","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-06T16:59:01.55","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-02T19:10:45.04","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider introducing a toxics use reduction strategy.","AnswerText":"Toxics use reduction as a concept is already well embedded in the regulatory system on chemicals safety in Great Britain. This system includes UK REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of Chemicals) regulation, part of the post-brexit chemicals regulatory framework we inherited from the EU. It includes specific provisions to prevent the use of harmful substances, ensure mitigations are in place to reduce exposure from such chemicals where their use is essential, and reduce risks associated with chemical use more generally.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420947,"EventID":"S6W-28073","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3763,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":142,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-06T16:59:01.597","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T16:42:12.16","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which emerging medical technologies it considers to have the most potential to improve the treatment of glaucoma over the next five years.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is investing £250,000 including VAT, in a Small Business Research Initiative focused on Home Glaucoma Monitoring. The innovation challenge is to develop and validate the tools needed for home (or near-patient) glaucoma assessment, including home tonometry and home assessment of visual function, and potentially even optic disc imaging.\r\nPriority areas:\r\n? Development and validation of an affordable tool for home perimetry for monitoring glaucoma.\r\n? Development and validation of an affordable tool for home perimetry for detecting glaucoma.\r\n? Development of method of secure data storage, analysis, and transfer (or integration) with NHS electronic patient records.\r\n? Development of tools for home tonometry and /or home optic disc / retinal imaging, in addition to methods for integrating results from these tests with NHS electronic patient records.\r\nThe challenge was launched in 2022 and attracted a high number of applications. Three companies successfully completed 4-month Phase One feasibility projects in June 2023. Following a competitive application, two companies have embarked on their Phase 2 prototyping and validation projects.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420948,"EventID":"S6W-28077","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-06T16:59:01.66","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T16:55:11.277","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assurances it can provide that there will be no reduction in number of sailings or passenger capacity on the Ardrossan to Brodick ferry route as a result of MV Alfred now departing and arriving from Troon.","AnswerText":"The overall passenger and vehicle capacity on the main Arran route is reduced during the current period of disruption when compared to the normal service. The Scottish Government continues to task CalMac with making best use of available vessel and port resources to serve our island communities. The services currently operated by the MV Isle of Arran from Ardrossan and MV Alfred from Troon is expected to remain in place until the return of the MV Caledonian Isles. CalMac have recently added a further return sailing by the MV Alfred on Friday afternoon’s following a successful trial in May 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420949,"EventID":"S6W-28055","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-06T16:59:01.72","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T09:51:13.503","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase the number of computer science teachers in secondary schools. ","AnswerText":"While local authorities are responsible for the recruitment and deployment of teachers, the Scottish Government is committed to maximising the number of jobs available in a range of subjects, including computing science.\r\nThe Teaching Bursary Scheme offers a £20,000 payment to career changers who are looking to undertake graduate teacher training in hard-to-fill STEM subjects, including computing science.\r\nIn addition, the Strategic Board for Teacher Education is considering issues around the recruitment and retention of teachers in Scotland in detail, together with work to improving the promotion of teaching as a valued career.\r\nWe are also offering local authorities £145.5 million in this year’s budget to protect teacher numbers more widely.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420950,"EventID":"S6W-28069","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-06T16:59:01.783","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T12:20:19.343","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05314 by Ivan McKee on 27 January 2022, whether it has now carried out an assessment.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not carried out an overarching assessment of the typical environmental remediation costs for sites of former steelworks in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420951,"EventID":"S6W-28061","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-06T16:59:01.83","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T11:57:19.687","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether SEPA has carried out a compliance assessment of Dalzell steelworks and its handling of waste, and whether any assessment has resulted in (a) a further investigation of the site and (b) fines.","AnswerText":"As an executive non-departmental public body SEPA operates independently from ministers and is accountable to Parliament. SEPA can confirm if they have carried out a compliance assessment and its outcome.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420952,"EventID":"S6W-28021","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-06T16:59:01.893","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-01T16:28:30.67","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans are in place to address and minimise any disruptions to the supply of (a) Creon and (b) other medicines for people with cystic fibrosis.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is aware that there are global supply issues with Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy (PERT) medicines, including Creon ® , which are licensed for the treatment of pancreatic exocrine insufficiency for those with cystic fibrosis.\r\nWhile the supply of medicines and the associated legislation are a reserved matter for the UK Government, Scottish Government officials continue to engage with them on this supply issue and other medicine shortages. The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer (CPO) for Scotland is a member of a UK-wide Medicines Shortage Response Group (MSRG), set up to identify and co-ordinate responses to medicines shortages across the UK and provide advice to prescribers on alternative therapeutic options.\r\nIn May, the Scottish Government issued a Medicine Supply Alert Notice (MSAN) and National Patient Safety Alert (NatPSA) which outline actions to be taken by prescribers to ensure patients are moved onto alternative treatments and measures to help conserve stocks of PERT medicines, including Creon ® .","AnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420953,"EventID":"S6W-28063","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-06T16:59:01.94","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T12:03:00.997","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made any assessment of the potential impact on Dalzell steelworks in the event that Liberty Steel's productions in Europe remain idle.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not conducted any assessments regarding Liberty Steel’s production facilities in Europe.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420954,"EventID":"S6W-28068","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-06T16:59:01.987","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T12:19:09.553","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05329 by Ivan McKee on 27 January 2022, whether it can provide any further evidence to support the view expressed by the then Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise on 15 December 2021.","AnswerText":"Liberty Steel Dalzell continues to trade. At the time of the deal, in 2016, a parent company guarantee was signed with Liberty House, which meant that, if the part of the company at Liberty Steel Dalzell ceased to exist, the liabilities would pass to the wider group.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420955,"EventID":"S6W-28075","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3763,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":142,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-06T16:59:02.033","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T16:42:30.763","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any benefits to (a) public expenditure and (b) patients’ wellbeing of an increase in the deployment of combined cataract and glaucoma procedures.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to fully harnessing the potential of research-proven technological and scientific innovations through their rapid national adoption. The Accelerated National Innovation Adoption (ANIA) pathway, led by the Centre for Sustainable Delivery and drawing on the expertise of NHS National Services Scotland, Healthcare Improvement Scotland, Public Health Scotland, and NHS Education for Scotland, has been established to provide a once for Scotland approach to:\r\n• identifying innovations the Scottish Government should consider for national adoption within the NHS through a quarterly horizon scan report\r\n• producing robust value cases around clinical and financial impact\r\n• their national adoption at pace, if approved\r\nThe ANIA pathway is governed by an Innovation Design Authority (IDA). This brings together senior Scottish Government and NHS leadership to support improved partnership working, provide system leadership and take joint decisions on the progression of innovations through ANIA stage gates.\r\nCombined cataract and glaucoma procedures will be considered through the ANIA pathway. Scottish Ministers would then consider investment in this programme following any recommendation by the IDA.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420956,"EventID":"S6W-28066","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-06T16:59:02.097","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T12:14:51.283","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-08347 by Ivan McKee on 16 May 2022, whether it can now provide a response on the status of the parent company guarantee that was signed with Liberty House.","AnswerText":"The parent company guarantee remains valid.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420957,"EventID":"S6W-28064","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-06T16:59:02.143","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T12:09:29.007","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-06379 by Ivan McKee on 23 February 2022, whether its position, regarding what would happen in the event that there was any environmental remediation attached to the site in the future, remains the same.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government’s position remains the same.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420973,"EventID":"S6W-28083","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-07T16:15:12.567","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-06T14:40:14.34","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what monitoring it will undertake of the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service's pilot to reduce police numbers at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.","AnswerText":"This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who reply in writing within 20 days.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420974,"EventID":"S6W-28084","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-07T16:15:12.723","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-06T14:40:14.34","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the safety of (a) defendants, (b) witnesses, (c) staff and (d) the public is ensured while attending court.","AnswerText":"This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who reply in writing within 20 days.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420975,"EventID":"S6W-28085","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-07T16:15:12.803","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-06T14:40:14.34","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the pilot to reduce the number of police officers routinely on duty at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.","AnswerText":"This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who reply in writing within 20 days.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420976,"EventID":"S6W-28071","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-07T16:15:12.863","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T15:10:58.957","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to fatal accident inquiries, how many cases the Scottish Fatalities Investigation Unit (SFIU) of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has investigated in each of the last 10 years, and what the comparative figure was for each of the last 10 years in which the former unit for investigating deaths was in operation before it was replaced by the SFIU.","AnswerText":"In relation to each of the last ten years, the number of deaths reported to the Scottish Fatalities Investigation Unit (SFIU) of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has been as follows:\r\nFinancial Year\r\nDeaths Reported\r\n2014-15\r\n9,173\r\n2015-16\r\n9,579\r\n2016-17\r\n10,931\r\n2017-18\r\n10,865\r\n2018-19\r\n10,397\r\n2019-20\r\n10,921\r\n2020-21\r\n15,739\r\n2021-22\r\n15,377\r\n2022-23\r\n14,147\r\n2023-24\r\n13,218\r\nThe comparative figures of deaths reported to the Procurator Fiscal for each of the last ten years prior to the commencement of SFIU on 1 April 2012 are as follows:\r\n \r\nFinancial Year\r\nDeaths Reported\r\n2002-03\r\n14,508\r\n2003-04\r\n13,885\r\n2004-05\r\n13,786\r\n2005-06\r\n13,746\r\n2006-07\r\n13,572\r\n2007-08\r\n13,457\r\n2008-09\r\n13,608\r\n2009-10\r\n13,498\r\n2010-11\r\n13,112\r\n2011-12\r\n11,671\r\nThe extent of the investigation that requires to be carried out will depend on the particular circumstances of each death. A decision to conclude a death investigation may be able to be taken in the very early stages or after extensive enquiries have taken place. There are often legitimate reasons for prolonged enquiry before a decision on the conclusion of an investigation or the holding of an FAI can be taken, including the need to await the outcome of investigations by reporting agencies, to consider reports from other agencies or to instruct and receive expert opinion. It is not therefore possible to provide figures for every death investigation where the holding of an FAI has been in contemplation.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420977,"EventID":"S6W-28092","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-07T16:15:12.943","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-07T14:12:28.5","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the employment practices for caterers at Avanti West Coast are compliant with the Fair Work Framework.","AnswerText":"Our vision is for Scotland to be a leading Fair Work Nation by 2025, where fair work drives success, wellbeing and prosperity for individuals, businesses, organisations and society. Whilst the Scottish Government expects public bodies to implement and promote Fair Work First in all relevant procurement processes (and suppliers delivering public contracts) Avanti West Coast is contracted by, and reports directly to the UK Government and the Scottish Government does not have the details of Avanti West Coast’s employment practices.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":420978,"EventID":"S6W-28088","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-07T16:15:13.083","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-06T14:51:04.393","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support with energy costs is available to organisations in the cultural sector.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the ongoing and serious impact that high energy costs is having on the culture sector in Scotland and that is why we are increasing funding to the culture sector by £15.8m this financial year. The Scottish Government continues to call on the UK Government to bring in regulation of the energy market and other measures which will help to address the energy cost crisis.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420979,"EventID":"S6W-28087","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-07T16:15:13.303","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-06T14:40:14.34","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service regarding the safety of (a) staff, (b) members of the public and (c) other court users during the pilot to reduce the number of police officers routinely on duty at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.","AnswerText":"This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who reply in writing within 20 days.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420980,"EventID":"S6W-28086","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-07T16:15:13.49","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-06T14:40:14.34","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on any risk assessment that has been undertaken in relation to the pilot to reduce the number of police officers routinely on duty at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, in light of reports that this does not have the support of the recognised trade union.","AnswerText":"This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who reply in writing within 20 days.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420981,"EventID":"S6W-28090","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-07T16:15:13.71","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-06T16:34:45.803","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported data published by the British Medical Association Scotland showing that the top five NHS boards with the highest number of GP vacancies per 100,000 population are within the Highlands and Islands region.","AnswerText":"The British Medical Association has used data from the latest  General Practice Workforce Survey  , published by NHS Education Scotland in December 2023, which collects data on vacancies throughout the year. This report notes data quality concerns over vacancy status and advises caution when referring to vacancy rates published from the survey, which are likely an overestimation. It further suggests that the particularly high vacancy rates for island boards are unlikely to be an accurate reflection of the current staffing situation.\r\nImproving recruitment and retention of GPs and other doctors is vital in all localities, including rural and island areas. The Scottish Government provides a range of supports to the GP workforce, including a rural specific graduate entry medical degree (ScotGEM), Golden Hello payments for harder to fill posts mostly in remote and rural areas, as well as bursaries for GP Speciality Training aimed at attracting GPs to work in rural Scotland. NHS Education for Scotland (NES) also provide a Rural GP Fellowship for those interested in working in general practice in rural and island Boards.\r\nThe Scottish Government funds the National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care which focuses on recruitment and retention, education and training, research and evaluation, leadership and good practice.\r\nWe will publish a Remote and Rural Workforce Recruitment Strategy by the end of 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420982,"EventID":"S6W-28072","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-07T16:15:13.88","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T15:10:58.957","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the supplementary to question S6F-03197 by Kate Forbes on 6 June 2024, in relation to the reported concerns expressed about delays in holding fatal accident inquiries, whether it will provide further details of the timing of any statement to the Parliament by the Law Officers.","AnswerText":"The Solicitor General provided full and detailed answers in response to the questions asked of her regarding the system of fatal accident inquiries in Scotland. As the Solicitor General indicated, either she or the Lord Advocate would be willing to make a statement to Parliament should the need arise. No such statement is planned at the current time.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420983,"EventID":"S6W-28082","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-07T16:15:14.113","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-06T13:07:02.207","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of the suspension of the GP sustainability loan scheme on health inequalities.","AnswerText":"The GP Sustainability loan scheme was paused in March 2024 due to a greater than anticipated number of loans having completed this year with the result that our budget for loans was oversubscribed.\r\nThe Scottish Government’s position on GP premises remains that set out in The 2018 General Medical Services in Scotland document: we recognise and support a long-term shift that gradually moves towards a model which does not presume GPs own their practice premises.\r\nWe intend to resume Tranche 1 of the Sustainability Loan Scheme in 2024-25 once we have completed the disbursement of funds for those loans already completed and confirmed a budget. This will likely not be until midway through the financial year.\r\nOur preference remains to continue the loan scheme into Tranche 2 and beyond – however, this will depend on whether the UK Government resumes the allocation of Financial Transaction Capital to the Scottish Government.\r\nIn the meantime we have carried out no assessment of the potential impact of the suspension of the GP sustainability loan scheme on health inequalities as we intend to resume the scheme as soon as possible.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420984,"EventID":"S6W-28060","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-07T16:15:14.303","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T11:54:21.36","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met Sanjeev Gupta, and whether it will publish the minutes of any recent meetings that it has had.","AnswerText":"The Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Just Transition met Sanjeev Gupta on 27 March 2024. Minutes of ministerial meetings are not routinely published.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420985,"EventID":"S6W-28070","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-07T16:15:14.473","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T15:10:58.957","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to fatal accident inquiries, how many people are currently employed in the Scottish Fatalities Investigation Unit (SFIU) of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, and what the comparative figure was for the former unit for investigating deaths that the SFIU replaced.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Fatalities Investigation Unit (SFIU) is one of a number of specialist units within COPFS which investigates deaths and may conduct Fatal Accident Inquiries. Current staffing figures are shown in the following table:\r\n  \r\nLegal & Case Preparer Staff\r\nVIA (Victim Information & Advice) Staff\r\nAdministrative Staff\r\nTOTAL\r\nScottish Fatalities Investigation Unit (SFIU)\r\n42\r\n5\r\n31\r\n78\r\nHealth & Safety Investigation Unit (HSIU)\r\n25\r\n4\r\n5\r\n34\r\nCustody Deaths Unit (CDU)\r\n8\r\n0\r\n0\r\n8\r\nCOVID Deaths Investigation Team (CDIT)\r\n50\r\n20\r\n17\r\n87\r\nStaffing levels in these units have increased in recent years to reflect the importance of this area of work.\r\nPrior to the commencement of SFIU in April 2012, deaths were primarily reported to Procurators Fiscal who would carry out investigations alongside their other core function of the prosecution of crime. It is therefore not possible to provide comparative staffing figures.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420986,"EventID":"S6W-28094","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-07T16:15:14.6","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-07T14:12:28.5","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what communication it has had with Avanti West Coast regarding the current dispute with the RMT union, in which catering staff have reportedly highlighted concerns regarding the disruption to work-life balance as a result of rosters being frequently amended at very short notice.","AnswerText":"Whilst we expect public bodies to implement and promote Fair Work First in all relevant procurement processes, (and suppliers delivering public contracts) Avanti West Coast is contracted by, and reports directly to, the UK Government and the Scottish Government does not have the details of Avanti West Coast’s employment practices. The Scottish Government has not had any communication with Avanti West Coast on this matter, it is an operational matter for Avanti West Coast as employer.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":420987,"EventID":"S6W-28093","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-07T16:15:14.66","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-07T14:12:28.5","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it engages with rail companies that employ staff in Scotland, and in what ways it expects the Fair Work Framework principles to be applied.","AnswerText":"Our vision is for Scotland to be a leading Fair Work Nation by 2025, where fair work drives success, wellbeing and prosperity for individuals, businesses, organisations and society. In the absence of powers over employment legislation, the Scottish Government encourages all employers in Scotland to adopt Fair Work practices and play their part in making Scotland a leading Fair Work Nation.\r\nThe Scottish Government expects public bodies to show leadership in that regard, and implement and promote Fair Work First in all relevant procurement processes (and suppliers delivering public contracts).\r\nScottish Rail Holdings (SRH) oversees the delivery of rail operations by ScotRail Train Limited and Caledonian Sleeper Limited, which moved into the public sector in April 2022 and June 2023 respectively. SRH has responsibility for engaging with its subsidiaries to promote fair work practices . In addition, the Scottish Ministers set out in their High Level Output Specification for the current 5 year railway funding period (2024 -2029) that they expect Network Rail in Scotland to follow the Scottish Government’s Fair Work principles.\r\nMost cross-border passenger railway operators are the responsibility of the UK Government and this level of operational detail is not covered through Scottish Government engagement. The Scottish Government does not engage to this level either with ‘open-access’ operators which include all rail freight operators and rail charter operators.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":420988,"EventID":"S6W-28089","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3763,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":142,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-07T16:15:14.77","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-06T16:16:15.25","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to replace the fishery protection vessel, MPV Minna, which came into service in 2003.","AnswerText":"MPV Minna was commissioned in 2003 with an expected service life of 25 years. Concept designs for the vessels replacement have been developed and we are currently looking at funding options for a replacement in the near future. To ensure service continuity, upgrades and replacement of machinery and equipment have been scoped so we can safely extend the service life of the vessel should that be required.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":420989,"EventID":"S6W-28091","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-07T16:15:14.833","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-06T17:26:06.687","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6T-02027 by Màiri McAllan on 4 June 2024 and her statement that “we are not dropping targets”, whether it will clarify whether this means that it is still committed to meeting both its outstanding 2013 and 2020 household recycling targets as currently set.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to work towards meeting 2013 and 2020 household recycling targets.\r\nTo help us meet our targets, the Circular Economy Bill and draft Circular Economy and Waste Route Map set out further measures to improve and modernise local recycling services and drive up reuse and recycling rates.\r\nThis Bill also includes a commitment – in line with advice from the Climate Change Committee – to set new circular economy targets from 2025 so they are future proofed, support our work to tackle the climate emergency and help us measure progress in reducing emissions.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421012,"EventID":"S6W-28103","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-10T16:41:18.227","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-10T11:11:14.067","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the reasons are for the reported delays in awarding funding to organisations from the Strengthening Communities Programme for 2024-25.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Budget confirmed that the financial outlook for 2024-25 across Government is particularly challenging with future prospects continuing to be volatile. Within the context of this challenging position, achieving a balanced budget requires difficult decisions and robust spending control. Discussions are ongoing to work through priorities and finalise funding allocations within budget lines, including the Strengthening Communities Programme. Funding is being released as decisions are taken to ensure that activity can proceed in agreed areas as soon as possible whilst this review continues.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421013,"EventID":"S6W-27894","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-10T16:41:18.337","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-27T17:20:30.327","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding fatal accident inquiries, what the average length of time has been between the conclusion of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service investigation and the issuing of the determination by a sheriff, in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"The information requested is not held by Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service or Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421014,"EventID":"S6W-28081","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-10T16:41:18.413","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-06T01:27:17.16","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Transport Scotland being cited as a co-lead for a number of actions in the Glasgow City Centre District Regeneration Framework for Cowcaddens, published in November 2022, what Transport Scotland is doing to support work to (a) \"undertake an accessibility audit of streets leading up to the M8, ensuring fair access for pedestrians and cyclists from all walks of life, and making sure connections across the barriers are prioritised\", (b) undertake \"junction assessments with the express aim of simplifying the connections between the M8 and the city and humanising streets connecting to the junctions through conducing a Junction Rationalisation Study\", (c) \"design up interventions and test/model in order to identify additional measures needed to ensure successful delivery, rather than allowing the modelling to steer or dictate the design process\" and (d) \"snip the motorway junctions and humanise city streets leading to and from the motorway\" and \"undertake design and delivery of new uses and programmes on now available land to further stitch the city back together\".","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland continues to engage with Glasgow City Council regarding their aspirations for Glasgow City Centre, noting it is they who are responsible for bringing forward land use changes and the associated planning duties. The interests of Transport Scotland lie in the safe and effective operation of the M8.\r\nTransport Scotland has communicated to Glasgow City Council that to take forward potential proposals identified in its District Regeneration Framework for Cowcaddens, a robust assessment of the potential impacts on the M8, access roads and adjacent facilities should be carried out. Officials from Transport Scotland are currently scoping an assessment on the future of the M8.\r\nI also refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27301 on the Broomielaw District Regeneration Framework on 17 May 2024.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-06-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421015,"EventID":"S6W-28104","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2633,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-10T16:41:18.477","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-10T11:31:54.133","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current national school clothing grant level is for eligible (a) primary and (b) secondary school pupils; when the most recent increase to the grants took place, and when the next increase to the grants is due to take place.","AnswerText":"The national minimum school clothing grant is £120 per annum for primary pupils, and £150 for secondary pupils.\r\nThe Scottish Government has increased funding for local authorities to £13.9 million in the 2024-25 financial year. This includes an inflationary uplift of £0.9 million on the previous year’s funding. The purpose of this increase is to support local authorities to manage increases to the minimum amounts of school clothing grant paid to eligible families in the 2024-25 academic year.\r\nIt is for local authorities to determine their own eligibility criteria for school clothing grant and they also have the option to set their school clothing grant levels higher than the minimum if they wish to do so.\r\nDecisions about funding to local authorities in respect of the school clothing grant in future financial years will be through the Budget process in the usual way.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421016,"EventID":"S6W-28100","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-10T16:41:18.523","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-10T10:16:56.19","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what contaminant analysis work it is undertaking on marine animals in Scottish waters, in light of reports that fish in English waters have been contaminated with prescription and illegal drugs.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government regularly monitors for hazardous substances in the Scottish marine environment. Hazardous substances highlighted to be of particular concern and routinely monitored include heavy metals (cadmium, mercury and lead), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). These contaminants are measured in biota (mussels and fish) collected as part of the UK Clean Seas Environment Monitoring Programme for four biogeographic regions: Irish Sea (Clyde and Solway), Minches and Western Scotland, Scottish Continental Shelf and Northern North Sea.\r\nMore information related to the testing for contaminants in marine animals in Scottish waters can be found in the  Scotland's Marine Assessment 2020 | Scotland's Marine Assessment 2020  .","AnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421017,"EventID":"S6W-28099","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-10T16:41:18.587","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-09T15:40:11.113","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the oil and gas sector supply chain employment levels have been in Scotland in each of the last 10 years.","AnswerText":"This information is not held centrally.\r\nOffshore Energies UK (OEUK), a representative membership body for the UK offshore energy industry, estimated in their 2024 Economy and People report that the oil and gas sector supports around 206,000 jobs across the UK in total, including supply chain and wider induced activity.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421018,"EventID":"S6W-28098","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-10T16:41:18.65","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-09T14:30:06.73","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what training packages are in place for Police Scotland in relation to environmental (a) legislation and (b) crime.","AnswerText":"Scotland’s natural resources are vital to its economic success and the health and wellbeing of its citizens. The Scottish Government is committed to working with partners on the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce to reduce the significant harms caused by environmental crime.\r\nI understand that Police Scotland works closely with partner agencies such as Zero Waste Scotland, NatureScot and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) for guidance and expert witness testimony in matters of environmental legislation and crime.\r\nThe training of officers and staff is an operational matter for the Chief Constable. The Scottish Government supports the Chief Constable in having the flexibility to develop her workforce in a way that responds to the challenges she faces and this includes access to appropriate training.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421019,"EventID":"S6W-28096","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-10T16:41:18.713","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-09T14:30:06.73","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what training packages are in place for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in relation to environmental (a) legislation and (b) crime.","AnswerText":"The development and delivery of training packages is entirely an operational matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":421020,"EventID":"S6W-27883","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-10T16:41:18.76","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-27T13:38:34.087","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-36131 by Maree Todd on 23 March 2021, what percentage of the 435 equity and excellence leads are in post; how many of the posts are vacant, and on what date all posts were filled, including to where the post-holder has since moved on.","AnswerText":"Snapshot figures of graduate level posts in early learning and childcare (ELC) are published annually in Summary Statistics for Schools in Scotland 2023. Data in the tables is gathered from centres (either local authority or partner provider centres) with children registered for the funded entitlement at the time of the Census. In 2023, this was collected from 11 – 15 September. As of September 2023 there were 364 (322 FTE) equity and excellence leads in post, which equates to 71% of those that are funded . \r\nThe majority of the Scottish Government’s funding to Local Government is provided through the General Revenue Grant. As of 2024-25, and in line with the Verity House Agreement, this covers all funding for statutory ELC provision, including for equity and excellence leads.\r\nIt is the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources available to them, including on ELC, on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421021,"EventID":"S6W-27569","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5596,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":151,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-10T16:41:18.82","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T14:49:14.637","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to amending Regulation 15 of the Civil Legal Aid (Scotland) Regulations 2002 to (a) broaden the scope of legal aid to include community groups and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and (b) ensure that legal aid is available in public interest litigation on environmental matters, in order to comply with access to justice requirements under Article 9(4) of the Aarhus Convention, before the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee’s deadline of 1 October 2024.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to strengthening compliance with the requirements of the Aarhus Convention. We also remain committed to retaining a demand-led and sustainable system of legal aid, with legal aid funding to remain available to support individuals with the most need. Legal aid can be made available, at present, to individuals whose litigation engages matters of wider public interest, provided it can be demonstrated to the Scottish Legal Aid Board that the outcome of the case will have a direct tangible benefit to them. Our “Vision for Justice in Scotland: three year delivery plan” contains an action to engage with key stakeholders to inform and shape future legislative proposals in relation to the reform of legal aid. Discussions on legal aid reform will take place this year and will include environmental stakeholders.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421022,"EventID":"S6W-28097","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-10T16:41:18.867","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-09T14:30:06.73","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what training packages are in place for judicial office holders in relation to environmental (a) legislation and (b) crime.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is not involved in the training of judicial office holders. Part 2 of the Judiciary and Courts (Scotland) Act 2008 sets out that the Lord President is responsible for making and maintaining appropriate arrangements for the welfare, training and guidance of judicial office holders. This ensures that training is free from political interference and is essential to preserve the independence of the legal system. The Lord President delegates responsibility for the delivery of judicial training to the Judicial Institute of Scotland. Any queries on judicial training should therefore be directed to  judicialinstitute@scotcourts.gov.uk  .","AnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":421023,"EventID":"S6W-28095","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5866,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-10T16:41:18.93","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-07T16:40:44.917","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Public Petition PE2101, what its plans are for providing all primary and secondary schools with automated external defibrillators.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-14642 on 6 March 2023 , funding for local authorities is provided through the annual block grant settlement from the Scottish Government. Local authorities should use funding resources allocated to them in the manner which they believe will best meet local needs and circumstances within their respective areas. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .\r\nTherefore, decisions on the installation and maintenance of defibrillators in schools is a matter for local authorities to consider at the local level.\r\nA number of organisations provide advice and support for the purchasing and maintenance of defibrillators. This includes:\r\nThe British Heart Foundation:  Defibrillators - BHF\r\nSt Johns Scotland  Public Access Community Defibrillators | St John Scotland ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421024,"EventID":"S6W-27893","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-10T16:41:18.993","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-27T17:20:22.513","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government on how many days court business has included time dedicated to hearing fatal accident inquiries in each court in Scotland in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"  \r\nFinancial year\r\nCourt\r\n2019-20\r\n2020-21\r\n2021-22\r\n2022-23\r\n2023-24\r\nAberdeen\r\n4\r\n22\r\n41\r\n4\r\n0\r\nAirdrie\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\nAlloa\r\n2\r\n2\r\n8\r\n6\r\n10\r\nAyr\r\n4\r\n13\r\n14\r\n4\r\n0\r\nBanff\r\n0\r\n9\r\n6\r\n2\r\n0\r\nCampbeltown\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n2\r\nDumbarton\r\n0\r\n5\r\n2\r\n3\r\n0\r\nDumfries\r\n2\r\n8\r\n3\r\n7\r\n18\r\nDundee\r\n21\r\n21\r\n10\r\n0\r\n6\r\nDunfermline\r\n4\r\n12\r\n12\r\n7\r\n2\r\nDunoon\r\n0\r\n3\r\n8\r\n2\r\n0\r\nEdinburgh\r\n20\r\n15\r\n10\r\n5\r\n7\r\nElgin\r\n0\r\n5\r\n0\r\n5\r\n7\r\nFalkirk\r\n13\r\n4\r\n0\r\n12\r\n60\r\nForfar\r\n0\r\n0\r\n2\r\n17\r\n0\r\nFort William\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\nGlasgow\r\n54\r\n20\r\n25\r\n57\r\n56\r\nGreenock\r\n0\r\n18\r\n6\r\n4\r\n8\r\nHamilton\r\n12\r\n19\r\n49\r\n35\r\n21\r\nInverness\r\n20\r\n14\r\n3\r\n9\r\n14\r\nJedburgh\r\n0\r\n2\r\n2\r\n0\r\n2\r\nKilmarnock\r\n1\r\n10\r\n5\r\n10\r\n4\r\nKirkcaldy\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n9\r\n4\r\nKirkwall\r\n13\r\n11\r\n2\r\n7\r\n0\r\nLanark\r\n6\r\n4\r\n0\r\n2\r\n6\r\nLerwick\r\n2\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n2\r\nLochmaddy\r\n1\r\n4\r\n3\r\n0\r\n0\r\nLivingston\r\n7\r\n10\r\n12\r\n14\r\n10\r\nOban\r\n3\r\n11\r\n14\r\n0\r\n13\r\nPaisley\r\n2\r\n0\r\n17\r\n27\r\n0\r\nPerth\r\n30\r\n39\r\n16\r\n17\r\n14\r\nPeterhead\r\n9\r\n10\r\n4\r\n9\r\n1\r\nPortree\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\nSelkirk\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\nStirling\r\n11\r\n4\r\n5\r\n7\r\n17\r\nStornoway\r\n0\r\n0\r\n5\r\n5\r\n0\r\nStranraer\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\nTain\r\n0\r\n1\r\n0\r\n2\r\n23\r\nWick\r\n0\r\n0\r\n0\r\n6\r\n0\r\nNational\r\n241\r\n296\r\n284\r\n294\r\n307\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421025,"EventID":"S6W-28102","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-10T16:41:19.057","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-10T11:11:14.067","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will allocate funding to organisations from the Strengthening Communities Programme for 2024-25.","AnswerText":"Every action is being taken to facilitate a decision on funding for the Strengthening Communities Programme (SCP), subject to UK Government election period guidance, following which officials will be in contact with stakeholders.\r\nGiven the ongoing nature of the review process, interim funding will be released to support delivery costs up to the end of Quarter 2 and on a month by month basis starting from October pending the final decision being made.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421026,"EventID":"S6T-02037","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":4982,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-10T14:59:07.727","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-10T10:24:57.723","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether bowel cancer screening is being carried out to detect cancer at the earliest possible stage or whether it is being determined by NHS capacity for colonoscopies and treatment. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421027,"EventID":"S6T-02044","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":16178,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":78,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-10T14:59:07.807","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-10T11:52:31.377","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of reports that Scottish universities' budgets have been impacted by £100 million due to a 20% drop in applications from international students in the last academic year as a result of new UK Government immigration rules.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-06-11T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421028,"EventID":"S6F-03221","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-10T14:59:02.603","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-06T13:16:37.6","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421029,"EventID":"S6F-03222","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5586,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-10T14:59:02.757","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-06T13:16:54.607","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421030,"EventID":"S6F-03223","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16215,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-10T14:59:03.337","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-06T14:18:34.953","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421031,"EventID":"S6F-03239","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16175,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":119,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-10T14:59:03.21","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-10T11:27:48.137","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what assessment the Scottish Government has made of any implications for its policy for economic development in Scotland of the findings of the Resolution Foundation’s recent report on the UK’s economic and trade performance. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421032,"EventID":"S6F-03229","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-10T14:59:03.29","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-10T10:12:49.367","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what progress the Scottish Government has made in reducing drug-related harm, in light of the latest quarterly statistics showing a 17% increase in suspected drug deaths.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421033,"EventID":"S6F-03233","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-10T14:59:03.087","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-10T10:33:07.66","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to reports that hundreds of rapes and sexual assaults that had been reported by sex workers were not acted upon.     ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421049,"EventID":"S6W-28105","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-11T17:05:17.457","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-10T15:57:15.603","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27677 by Jenny Gilruth on 4 June 2024, whether it will clarify what the (a) format and (b) anticipated timing is of its consideration of the Teacher Induction Scheme.","AnswerText":"As indicated in the answer to S6W- 27677, we are currently considering how the Teacher Induction Scheme can better address challenges around probationer allocations in certain geographical areas and in certain subjects. This work is under development and further updates will be provided in due course.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421050,"EventID":"S6W-28116","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-11T17:05:17.55","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-11T11:20:22.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25831 by Jenni Minto on 11 March 2024, whether the development of specialist community perinatal mental health services includes provision for bereavement suites in maternity wards.","AnswerText":"Provision for bereavement support within maternity wards is outside of the scope of specialist Perinatal Mental Health Services, which support women with complex mental health presentations.\r\nThe Scottish Government committed through the  Programme for Government  2023 – 24  to improve miscarriage care. Part of this work includes the provision of separate spaces in maternity wards in hospitals for those experiencing a pregnancy or baby loss.\r\nThe Scottish Government is committed to developing services and support structures which facilitate good Perinatal and Infant mental health across Scotland, investing over £36 million since 2019. This includes funding for the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health (PIMH) third sector fund which has supported a range projects, including Held In Our Hearts which provide counselling and mental health support to parents and families who are pregnant after having experienced baby loss.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421051,"EventID":"S6W-27944","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-11T17:05:17.597","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T16:22:58.417","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its proposals on restricting promotions of foods high in fat, salt or sugar, what assessment it has made of any unintended consequences of potentially introducing different restrictions to those that are already in place in England, including regarding any increase in bureaucracy and cost, in light of the acknowledgement in the Partial Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment of the \"inter-connected food environment in the UK\".","AnswerText":"The public consultation on the detail of proposed regulations to restrict promotions of food and drink high in fat, sugar or salt closed on 21 May 2024. A partial Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA) was published alongside the consultation, setting out the rationale for Government intervention and welcoming feedback on the expected impact on businesses of proposals. Consultation responses including feedback on the BRIA are now being analysed.\r\nThe consultation was run in parallel with an extensive and inclusive programme of stakeholder engagement. We will continue to engage with stakeholders to finalise the BRIA and further develop a full suite of impact assessments that will be used in the decision making process to help inform the final policy.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421052,"EventID":"S6W-28114","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16191,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":77,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-11T17:05:17.677","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-11T10:51:19.67","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people in (a) the East Kilbride constituency and (b) each local authority area it estimates are (i) receiving Carer’s Allowance and (ii) eligible for the new Carer Support Payment. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Fiscal Commission’s December 2023 publication forecast that a total of 98,000 people in Scotland will receive payments for Carer’s Allowance/Carer’s Support Payment in the financial year 2024-25.\r\nStatistics on the number of people receiving Carer’s Allowance in each local authority and constituency area in Scotland can be found on the DWP’s statxplore tool:  https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/login.xhtml  .\r\nCarer Support Payment is replacing Carer’s Allowance in Scotland and is only currently available for new applications in Dundee City, Perth and Kinross and Na h-Eileanan Siar. Carer Support Payment will be open to new applicants in South Lanarkshire from 24 June 2024. Everyone in Scotland already receiving Carer’s Allowance will automatically have their awards moved safely and securely to Carer Support Payment. We are writing to carers to let them know when their award has been selected for transfer and what to expect.\r\nCarer Support Payment statistics are published on a quarterly basis. The latest published statistics are available at  https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/publications/statistics  .The next publication of Official Statistics is due to be released on 13 August 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421053,"EventID":"S6W-27945","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-11T17:05:17.737","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-28T16:22:58.417","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its proposals on restricting promotions of foods high in fat, salt or sugar, what assessment it has made of the potential impact that the proposed restrictions will have on the food and drink industry in Scotland, in light of reports that the industry is facing challenges due to regulatory burdens that increase the cost of doing business, the delay to the proposed Deposit Return Scheme, and uncertainty about the future of extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes.","AnswerText":"The public consultation on the detail of proposed regulations to restrict promotions of food and drink high in fat, sugar or salt closed on 21 May 2024. A partial Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA) was published alongside the consultation, setting out the rationale for Government intervention and welcoming feedback on the expected impact on businesses of proposals. Consultation responses including feedback on the BRIA are now being analysed.\r\nThe consultation was run in parallel with an extensive and inclusive programme of stakeholder engagement. We will continue to engage with business, including the food and drink industry in Scotland, to finalise the BRIA.\r\nIn addition work continues with the independent Regulatory Review Group (RRG) to support Scottish Ministers in improving the regulatory environment for businesses and their involvement in the process. This work includes scrutiny of proposals to restrict the promotion of food and drink high in fat, sugar or salt.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421054,"EventID":"S6W-28112","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16191,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":77,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-11T17:05:17.8","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-11T10:51:19.67","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds regarding the value of each local authority's reserves in real terms in 2023-24, and how this compares with the equivalent value in (a) 2003-04 and (b) 2013-14.","AnswerText":"The following table shows the cash and real terms value of Local Authority General Fund reserves at 31 March 2014 (final audited) and 31 March 2024 (budget estimate). Please note that the information requested on reserves is not held prior to 2007.\r\nAdjustments for inflation have been made using the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) deflators for March 2024 (available at:  GDP deflators at market prices, and money GDP - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)  ).\r\nFigures for 31 March 2024 will be superseded on 25 June 2024 by data published in Local Government 2023-24 Provisional Outturn and 2024-25 Budget Estimates.\r\nFurther information on Local Government Finance Statistics can be found at:  Local government finance statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot). \r\nGeneral Fund Reserves (in £ millions) as at 31 March  \r\nSources: LFR 23 for 31 March 2014 (audited data), POBE 2023 for 31 March 2024 which is a budget estimate provided in early 2023.\r\n  \r\nCash Terms \r\nReal Terms (2023-24 Prices)\r\nLocal Authority\r\n31-Mar-14\r\n31-Mar-24 \r\n31-Mar-14\r\n31-Mar-24 \r\nFinal Audited\r\nBudget Estimate \r\nFinal Audited\r\nBudget Estimate\r\nAberdeen City\r\n57.1\r\n70.1 \r\n75.2\r\n70.1\r\nAberdeenshire\r\n57.5\r\n73.8 \r\n75.7\r\n73.8\r\nAngus\r\n19.8\r\n45.7 \r\n26.1\r\n45.7\r\nArgyll & Bute\r\n44.0\r\n88.2 \r\n58.0\r\n88.2\r\nCity of Edinburgh\r\n123.3\r\n198.7 \r\n162.3\r\n198.7\r\nClackmannanshire\r\n12.0\r\n14.2 \r\n15.8\r\n14.2\r\nDumfries & Galloway\r\n58.4\r\n70.2 \r\n76.9\r\n70.2\r\nDundee City\r\n8.1\r\n44.2 \r\n10.6\r\n44.2\r\nEast Ayrshire\r\n28.0\r\n38.6 \r\n36.9\r\n38.6\r\nEast Dunbartonshire\r\n11.3\r\n28.0 \r\n14.9\r\n28.0\r\nEast Lothian\r\n9.2\r\n16.6 \r\n12.1\r\n16.6\r\nEast Renfrewshire\r\n14.9\r\n23.5 \r\n19.6\r\n23.5\r\nFalkirk\r\n25.8\r\n33.2 \r\n33.9\r\n33.2\r\nFife\r\n85.0\r\n181.9 \r\n111.9\r\n181.9\r\nGlasgow City\r\n32.8\r\n137.6 \r\n43.2\r\n137.6\r\nHighland\r\n40.3\r\n72.7 \r\n53.1\r\n72.7\r\nInverclyde\r\n42.9\r\n6.4 \r\n56.5\r\n6.4\r\nMidlothian\r\n20.5\r\n7.8 \r\n27.0\r\n7.8\r\nMoray\r\n21.4\r\n19.6 \r\n28.1\r\n19.6\r\nNa h-Eileanan Siar\r\n18.3\r\n14.2 \r\n24.1\r\n14.2\r\nNorth Ayrshire\r\n25.2\r\n109.0 \r\n33.1\r\n109.0\r\nNorth Lanarkshire\r\n75.0\r\n256.6 \r\n98.8\r\n256.6\r\nOrkney Islands\r\n23.8\r\n34.3 \r\n31.3\r\n34.3\r\nPerth & Kinross\r\n48.2\r\n39.8 \r\n63.5\r\n39.8\r\nRenfrewshire\r\n52.9\r\n73.3 \r\n69.7\r\n73.3\r\nScottish Borders\r\n17.1\r\n34.2 \r\n22.6\r\n34.2\r\nShetland Islands\r\n13.9\r\n25.8 \r\n18.2\r\n25.8\r\nSouth Ayrshire\r\n22.9\r\n11.1 \r\n30.2\r\n11.1\r\nSouth Lanarkshire\r\n13.4\r\n108.0 \r\n17.6\r\n108.0\r\nStirling\r\n13.3\r\n66.0 \r\n17.5\r\n66.0\r\nWest Dunbartonshire\r\n10.1\r\n4.6 \r\n13.3\r\n4.6\r\nWest Lothian\r\n22.6\r\n9.7 \r\n29.7\r\n9.7\r\nAyrshire VJB\r\n0.2\r\n0.4 \r\n0.3\r\n0.4\r\nCentral VJB\r\n0.8\r\n0.5 \r\n1.0\r\n0.5\r\nDunbartonshire & Argyll & Bute VJB\r\n0.5\r\n0.4 \r\n0.6\r\n0.4\r\nGrampian VJB\r\n0.2\r\n0.5 \r\n0.3\r\n0.5\r\nHighland & Western Isles VJB\r\n0.1\r\n0.1 \r\n0.2\r\n0.1\r\nLanarkshire VJB\r\n-\r\n1.3 \r\n-\r\n1.3\r\nLothian VJB\r\n-\r\n0.5 \r\n-\r\n0.5\r\nOrkney & Shetland VJB\r\n-\r\n0.0 \r\n-\r\n0.0\r\nRenfrewshire VJB\r\n0.5\r\n1.0 \r\n0.6\r\n1.0\r\nTayside VJB\r\n0.1\r\n0.1 \r\n0.1\r\n0.1\r\nTay Road Bridge\r\n1.2\r\n1.2 \r\n1.5\r\n1.2\r\nHITRANS\r\n0.2\r\n0.0 \r\n0.3\r\n0.0\r\nNESTRANS\r\n0.0\r\n2.7 \r\n0.0\r\n2.7\r\nSESTRAN\r\n-\r\n0.0 \r\n-\r\n0.0\r\nSPT\r\n12.5\r\n83.2 \r\n16.5\r\n83.2\r\nSWESTRANS\r\n-\r\n0.0 \r\n-\r\n0.0\r\nTACTRAN\r\n-\r\n0.0 \r\n-\r\n0.0\r\nZetTrans\r\n-\r\n0.0 \r\n-\r\n0.0\r\nScotland\r\n1,085.4\r\n2,049.6 \r\n1,428.8\r\n2,049.6      \r\nVJB = Valuation Joint Board     \r\nGDP Deflator\r\n75.97\r\n100.00   \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421055,"EventID":"S6W-28042","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-11T17:05:17.847","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-04T11:37:21.97","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to make provision for housing associations, and other organisations, to be legally compelled to attend meetings or committees that have been called by (a) it and (b) local authorities regarding the current or historic use of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), and whether any such plans would only apply to specific obligations for which an organisation is deemed to be legally liable.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has fully engaged with housing associations and organisations from all other sectors addressing issues relating to RAAC through a number of networks including the Scottish Government led RAAC Cross Sector Working Group. The Scottish Government has no plans to legally compel housing associations - or other organisations - to attend meetings or committees that have been called regarding the use of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).","AnswerDate":"2024-06-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421056,"EventID":"S6W-28111","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16191,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":77,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-11T17:05:17.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-11T10:51:19.67","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people in the East Kilbride constituency it estimates have received support from the Carer’s Allowance Supplement since its introduction, and what the average amount received by recipients is for these payments. ","AnswerText":"The latest published statistics show that since Carer’s Allowance Supplement was first introduced in April 2018, payments have been made to 10,845 carers in South Lanarkshire local authority area who were eligible on at least one eligibility date from April 2018 to October 2023.\r\nCarer’s Allowance Supplement is paid twice a year. For April 2023 and October 2023 eligibility dates, the payment value was £270.50. For the April 2024 eligibility date, the payment value increased to £288.60.\r\nThe latest statistics were published on 13 February 2024 and covered carers in receipt of Carer’s Allowance Supplement to the October 2023 eligibility date. This information is available at:  https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/reporting/publications/summary-statistics-for-carers-allowance-supplement-to-october-eligibility-date-2023  . The next publication of Official Statistics is due to be released on 13 August 2024 and will include information to the April 2024 eligibility date.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421057,"EventID":"S6W-27990","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-11T17:05:17.973","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-30T13:29:00.5","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any potential impact on its rail freight\r\nstrategy, what discussions it has had with the UK Government to ensure that any\r\nupgrade to rail connections between Wembley and the Channel Tunnel rail freight\r\ndepot would benefit rail freight transportation from Scotland to continental\r\nEurope.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government’s leadership in support for rail freight is outlined in our rail freight strategy and put into practice with significant investment and our first of a kind regulatory growth targets. Benefits for rail freight are included in our rail projects and we will continue to maximise these benefits in our future investment in the rail network in Scotland. Rail connections between Wembley and the Channel Tunnel have not been specifically discussed, but the Scottish Government meets the UK Government regularly to consider how to maximise the potential for rail freight growth and these discussions include the importance of sufficient capacity and power supply for cross-border rail freight services. ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421058,"EventID":"S6W-28109","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-11T17:05:18.16","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-11T10:46:38.547","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is planning to implement minimum standards of psychosocial care to ensure that all patients living with chronic kidney disease receive equal access to the care that they need, regardless of geography.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government expects all NHS Boards in Scotland to adhere to current guidelines and follow best practice when providing psychosocial care for people with chronic kidney disease.\r\nOur  Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy  published in 2023, sets out a long-term vision, and a set of outcomes, for the mental health and wellbeing of the population.\r\nWe published the  National Specification for Psychological Therapies and Interventions  in September 2023, and Public Health Scotland updated the  national waiting times guidance  , to ensure that PT is delivered to a high quality and measured consistently across Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":421059,"EventID":"S6W-28115","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-11T17:05:18.237","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-11T11:20:22.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26234 by Maree Todd on 15 April 2024, whether it can provide details of its work in implementing the recommendations relating to bereavement in the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee's 1st Report, 2022 (Session 6), Inquiry into perinatal mental health (SP Paper 104), which was published on 8 February 2022.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government committed through the  Programme for Government 2021-2022  and  2023–24  to improve miscarriage care, part of this work includes the provision of separate spaces in maternity wards in hospitals for those experiencing a pregnancy or baby loss.\r\nWe also funded Sands UK to develop and implement the National Bereavement Care Pathway for pregnancy and baby loss in Scotland (NBCP). All 14 NHS Boards are now signed up to the Pathways and implementation is ongoing with continued support from Sands.\r\nThe pathways acknowledge that bereavement care is the responsibility of all health professionals working in maternity services. While some NHS Boards have specialist bereavement midwives, all midwives, consultants and other workforce are trained in bereavement care. The maternity workforce, aim to have an informed, skilled team who are all able to provide the specialist care that bereaved parents need.\r\nIn addition to wider maternity bereavement supports, perinatal mental health services have a role in ensuring continuity, appropriate support, and signposting/transition for any parent who is within the perinatal period, is in receipt of perinatal mental health services and experiences bereavement.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421060,"EventID":"S6W-28110","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-11T17:05:18.283","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-11T10:46:38.547","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of preliminary data collected by Kidney Care UK, which currently suggests that there is a severe lack of designated psychosocial support for adults and children with kidney disease in Scotland, what steps it is taking to improve NHS psychosocial support provision for people with chronic kidney disease.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all people living with kidney disease in Scotland are able to access the best possible care and support, and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care.\r\nWe expect all NHS Boards in Scotland to adhere to current guidelines and follow best practice when providing psychosocial care for people with chronic kidney disease.\r\nOur  Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy  published in 2023, sets out a long-term vision, and a set of outcomes, for the mental health and wellbeing of the population.\r\nIn September 2023, we published the  National Specification for Psychological Therapies and Interventions  , to ensure effective, equitable, efficient and high-quality person-centred Psychological Therapies (PT) are delivered consistently across Scotland. The Specification sets out the standards to which we expect Psychological Therapies to be delivered, including appropriate staffing\r\nWe recently met with Kidney Care UK and welcome and value their work and remain committed to engaging with them on these important matters.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":421061,"EventID":"S6W-28113","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16191,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":77,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-11T17:05:18.347","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-11T10:51:19.67","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many children and young people it estimates, in the current financial year, are (a) eligible and (b) receiving payments for the (i) Scottish Child Payment and (ii) Best Start Grants, broken down by constituency.","AnswerText":"In their published December 2023 Economic and Fiscal Forecasts, the Scottish Fiscal Commission forecast 368,000 children will be eligible for the Scottish Child Payment in Scotland in 2024-2025 and that 329,000 children will receive payments.\r\nThey also forecast Best Start Foods will be paid for 51,000 children and pregnant women in Scotland in 2024-2025 and 58,000 Best Start Grant payments will be made, 16,000 for Pregnancy and Baby Payment, 20,000 for Early Learning Payment and 22,000 for School Age Payment.\r\nThe Scottish Fiscal Commission do not publish forecasts of the number of children eligible for Best Start Grant or Best Start Foods, or the number of children receiving Scottish Child Payment, Best Start Grant or Best Start Foods by constituency.\r\nSocial Security Scotland routinely publish Official Statistics for Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods, and Scottish Child Payment. The latest statistics, covering the period to the end of March 2024, do not currently include information by Scottish Parliament constituency. These also do not include information on the number of children benefitted from Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods.\r\nThe latest statistics show that, as of 31 March 2024, 329,055 children and young people aged 0-15 years were actively benefitting from Scottish Child Payment. This information along with further breakdowns including local authority area, and individual child age can be found at  Social Security Scotland - Scottish Child Payment: high level statistics to 31 March 2024  .\r\nThe latest statistics show that, in the 2023-2024 financial year covering April 2023 to March 2024, 56,455 individual parents or carers were paid for Best Start Grant. For comparison, 204,460 parents or carers received at least one Scottish Child Payment.\r\nThe latest publication for each benefit can be found at:  Social Security Scotland - Statistics  .","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421078,"EventID":"S6W-28135","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":2103,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":109,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T15:02:04.553","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-12T14:56:43.013","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Registrar General for Scotland will publish the next results from the 2022 Census.","AnswerText":"I have asked Janet Egdell, Chief Executive of National Records of Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:\r\nNational Records of Scotland have today published: “  Scotland’s Census 2022: Armed Forces veterans  ”.\r\nThis is the first time Scotland’s Census has ever collected data on veterans. Today’s publication provides a unique insight enabling governments, local authorities and charities to shape support for veterans and their families.\r\nScotland’s Census results are designated as National Statistics and form an integral part of the statistical system in the UK. The Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR), the independent regulatory arm of the  UK Statistics Authority  , awards Accredited Official Statistics designation based on the quality, good practice and comprehensiveness of official statistics.\r\nMore detail about the schedule for future reports can be found at:  https://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/about/2022-census/census-outputs-schedule/","AnswerDate":"2024-06-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421079,"EventID":"S6O-03601","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":86,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T16:31:51.5","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-12T09:50:09.237","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the levels of uptake for baby and child immunisation programmes, including any emerging trends.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421080,"EventID":"S6O-03592","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T16:31:51.703","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-10T12:51:02.647","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken to consider the impact that Brexit has had on Scottish food and drink exports.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421081,"EventID":"S6O-03610","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T16:31:51.78","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-12T09:02:27.963","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the provision of emergency homeless accommodation in the West Scotland region.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421082,"EventID":"S6O-03599","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T16:31:51.843","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-12T09:31:37.677","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will proceed with its reported plans to downgrade the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at University Hospital Wishaw.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421083,"EventID":"S6O-03600","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5074,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":104,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T16:31:51.937","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-12T10:02:54.353","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of\r\ninflation on health and social care services in Scotland.  ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421084,"EventID":"S6O-03603","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T16:31:52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-11T10:28:50.283","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to tackle long ambulance turnaround times.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421085,"EventID":"S6O-03597","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4982,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T16:31:52.06","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-11T15:19:37.5","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that capital expenditure work has now been stopped at Raigmore Hospital, when it will publish its plan for the Moray maternity services redesign.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421086,"EventID":"S6O-03611","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T16:31:52.123","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-11T13:52:26.043","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle poverty in black and minority ethnic households.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421087,"EventID":"S6O-03607","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T16:31:52.187","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-12T10:50:50.197","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what financial support it is providing to housing associations.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421088,"EventID":"S6O-03598","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2641,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":94,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T16:31:52.233","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-11T15:44:19.893","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to improve local access to medical treatments within island communities.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421089,"EventID":"S6O-03590","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T16:31:52.297","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-11T11:09:36.833","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the rural affairs secretary has\r\nhad with ministerial colleagues regarding action to support businesses in the\r\nrural economy to expand.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421090,"EventID":"S6O-03602","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T16:31:52.357","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-11T10:46:11.66","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that scheduled care transport provided by the Scottish Ambulance Service is accessible to all patients who need it.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421091,"EventID":"S6O-03612","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T16:31:52.577","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-12T10:51:17.6","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Audit Scotland’s analysis showing that Social Security Scotland’s benefit expenditure budget was £5.1 billion in 2023-24, which was an increase of 22% on its 2022-23 budget, what action it is taking to reduce expenditure on Scottish social security benefits, including through assisting people into meaningful paid employment. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421092,"EventID":"S6O-03609","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T16:31:52.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-11T15:37:03.087","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many homes provided by social landlords have been identified as containing reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421093,"EventID":"S6O-03589","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5877,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T16:31:52.703","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-10T13:12:16.877","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to mitigate against crop damage over the coming months.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421094,"EventID":"S6O-03604","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T16:31:52.78","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-12T11:13:18.817","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce waiting times for CAMHS in NHS Fife. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421095,"EventID":"S6O-03594","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16176,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":137,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T16:31:52.97","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-12T08:31:39.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the UK Government to discuss the impact of Brexit on Scotland’s food and drink exports.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421096,"EventID":"S6O-03591","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T16:31:53.047","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-12T11:30:11.39","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the rural affairs secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the potential link between agricultural support and rural depopulation.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421097,"EventID":"S6O-03593","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16197,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T16:31:53.123","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-12T08:49:27.627","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide further details of how the Small Producers Pilot Fund has supported micro businesses in Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421098,"EventID":"S6O-03605","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T16:31:53.373","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-12T10:27:49.057","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the housing minister has had with\r\nministerial colleagues regarding support available for veterans at risk of\r\nhomelessness.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421099,"EventID":"S6O-03595","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T16:31:53.47","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-12T11:16:29.173","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Scottish Association for Marine Science regarding its research into reducing the deaths of cetaceans from fishing line entanglements.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421100,"EventID":"S6O-03606","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2826,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":84,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T16:31:53.687","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-11T16:14:28.173","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact the second round of the Child Poverty Practice Accelerator Fund is anticipated to have in advancing the First Minister’s mission to eradicate child poverty in Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421101,"EventID":"S6O-03608","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T16:31:53.92","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-12T10:51:44.853","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that homeless women are not safe in hostels. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421102,"EventID":"S6O-03596","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T16:31:54.017","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-11T08:54:15.163","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to deliver on its commitment to produce a National Register of Ancient Woodland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421103,"EventID":"S6O-03615","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T16:31:57.407","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-11T09:19:17.903","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide further details of the progress that it has made regarding the delivery of a railway station in Winchburgh, including the date by which it anticipates the business case and cost will be finalised.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421104,"EventID":"S6O-03617","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T16:31:57.69","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-12T08:20:11.517","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Developing the Young Workforce programme in the Cowdenbeath constituency.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421105,"EventID":"S6O-03618","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T16:31:57.877","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-12T09:38:09.12","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it supports early learning and childcare in rural areas.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421106,"EventID":"S6O-03619","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16189,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":129,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T16:31:57.97","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-10T19:37:10.133","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies indicating that forecast UK Government tax and spending plans would be funded by reductions in public investment, what assessment it has made of the potential impact that any changes to Scotland’s block grant resulting from this would have on Scotland’s public finances.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421107,"EventID":"S6O-03614","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T16:31:58.19","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-12T10:04:56.933","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its ongoing work with local authorities, Police Scotland and other partners to tackle the reported increasing antisocial behaviour in town centres.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421108,"EventID":"S6O-03616","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T16:31:58.453","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-11T16:44:16.337","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support schools in rural communities.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421109,"EventID":"S6O-03613","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16182,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":117,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T16:31:58.627","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-11T14:45:54.453","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to improve access to childminders.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421110,"EventID":"S6W-28133","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T17:04:35.51","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-12T12:13:56.427","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Scottish Funding Council has taken any formal action as a result of any college failing to meet the fair work criteria set out in its outcome agreement, in the period since the Post-16 Education (Scotland) Act 2013 came into force.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) has not taken any formal action as a result of a college failing to meet Fair Work criteria since the Post-16 Education (Scotland) Act 2013 came into force.\r\nFair Work requirements are a condition of SFC funding. SFC will monitor compliance through reporting requirements in colleges' annual reports.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421111,"EventID":"S6W-28119","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T17:04:35.59","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-11T11:36:17.767","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27769 by Kaukab Stewart on 5 June 2024, which stated that 35% of successful external applicants declared a disability, what the exact number is of external recruits to Scottish Government jobs who declared a disability. ","AnswerText":"Latest figures from our  Diversity and inclusions statistics of the Scottish Government workforce 2023  official statistics publication show that there were 473 external recruits to core Scottish Government directorates between 1 Jan 2023 and 31 Dec 2023, excluding those that both joined and left in that period. Of those, 89 had declared their disability status by 31 Dec 2023, with 19 of those declaring one or more disabilities. This gives an estimated proportion of disabled external recruits of 21%.\r\nThe 35% figure previously quoted came from an earlier internal source of data where the declaration rate was lower (12 disabled out of 34 declarations). Staff diversity data is constantly updating as staff complete their diversity monitoring questions, and there may be a lag between external recruits joining and these staff declaring their diversity data.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421112,"EventID":"S6W-28128","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T17:04:35.637","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-12T10:23:37.827","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met representatives of (a) the Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council, (b) the oil and gas industry and (c) trade unions to discuss employment rates for people from Scotland working in the offshore energy industry.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government engages regularly with all three of these stakeholder groups, as well as with other bodies, to discuss a range of issues related to ensuring a just energy transition, including rates of employment and other workforce considerations.\r\nThe Scottish Government routinely meets with the Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council (SOWEC) and other stakeholders to discuss a range of issues including skills and workforce. The last SOWEC meeting was held on 20 June 2024.\r\nIn relation to oil and gas industry, I met with Offshore Energies UK on 20 March 2024. The First Minister also met with representatives from a number of individual businesses in Aberdeen, including oil and gas companies, to discuss the energy transition on 17 May 2024.\r\nIn relation to trade unions, I met with representatives from the Scottish Trade Unions Congress (STUC), UNISON, Unite, RMT and GMB on 29 February 2024. Ministers have also subsequently met with trade unions on matters related to transition in Scotland’s onshore energy system. Scottish Government officials also meet monthly, most recently on 3 June 2024, with representatives of STUC to discuss issues relevant to ensuring a just transition. Previous engagement with trade unions has been fundamental to our policy thinking about a just transition to date, including through the creation of the Just Transition Commission. The Scottish Government has committed to providing annual funding of £100k to support just transition capacity within the trade union movement, which will ensure this vital input continues, as we get on with delivering good, green jobs and a truly just transition.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421113,"EventID":"S6W-28131","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T17:04:35.747","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-12T10:23:37.827","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council regarding contracts for the delivery of floating offshore wind sites through the Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) programme for decarbonising offshore oil and gas installations.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government discussed INTOG at Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council (SOWEC) meeting on 6 March 2024.\r\nAs SOWEC chair, stakeholders were notified of the revised timeline for the updated Sectoral Marine Plan for offshore wind energy (SMP-OWE) which will provide a planning framework for Scotwind and INTOG. Consultation on a draft will commence in Autumn 2024 and a final plan adopted by Spring 2025. \r\nWhile the updated SMP-OWE is being prepared, developers may continue to submit applications for consent and licensing in the normal way. These will be considered by Ministers on a case-by-case basis in line with the planning, consenting and assessment framework available at the time. \r\nTherefore there will be no delay for any offshore wind project progressing through our licensing and consenting process as a result of the revised timeline. \r\nSOWEC will continue to engage with industry to discuss the key challenges and opportunities related to offshore wind in Scotland including INTOG projects. ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421114,"EventID":"S6W-28120","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T17:04:35.853","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-11T15:11:11.37","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many complaints regarding unlicensed short-term let operators have been investigated by Police Scotland since the introduction of the short-term let licensing scheme.  ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold the information that has been requested. I also refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27902 on 11 June 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421115,"EventID":"S6W-28134","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T17:04:35.963","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-12T14:23:49.913","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27858 by Natalie Don on 5 June 2024, whether it will provide a breakdown of the stated £5.3 million that \"was provided to Scottish Government-led national policy delivery for 12 specific projects that are transforming how families are supported\". ","AnswerText":"The following Scottish Government-led national policy delivery projects received a total funding of £5.3 million as follows:\r\nProject name\r\n2022-3\r\n2023-24\r\nAberlour Mother and Child Units\r\n£394,613\r\n£1,023,506\r\nCreating equitable outcomes and accessible pathways of support for young children in the earliest years of life\r\n£0\r\n£57,000\r\nDundee Pathfinder\r\n£50,000\r\n£20,150\r\nFamilies Learning Together\r\n£66,000\r\n£123,241\r\nFamily Childminding Partnership\r\n£0\r\n£104,430\r\nUnderstanding Family Support Needs of People in Prison Custody\r\n£0\r\n£1,191\r\nFoundations for families\r\n£118,997\r\n£430,904\r\nWhole Family Support Through General Practice\r\n£0\r\n£1,463\r\nGrow Your Own Routes\r\n£46,707\r\n£1,212,359\r\nIncludem ADAPT\r\n£525,000\r\n£925,507\r\nInverclyde Transformation Initiative\r\n£67,736\r\n£170,515\r\nTotal\r\n \r\n£1,269,053\r\n£4,070,266\r\nA separate project, Open Kindergarten, is due to commence shortly. For this reason, there is no spend for this specific project to date.\r\nFunding for Element 3 projects will continue to be provided in financial year 2024-25 and 2025-26 and will help transform how we support families by moving from crisis intervention to preventive whole family support, in line with our commitments on #KeepingthePromise, Covid recovery and tackling child poverty.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421116,"EventID":"S6W-28121","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T17:04:36.057","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-11T15:31:53.643","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has allocated to organisations and charities that support people with epilepsy, in each financial year since 2019-20. ","AnswerText":"Since 2019-2020, the Scottish Government has given the following funding per financial year to support organisations and charities that support people with epilepsy.\r\nFinancial Year\r\nTotal\r\n2019-2020\r\n£100,000\r\n2020-2021\r\n£225,574\r\n2021-2022\r\n£64,172.83\r\n2022-2023\r\n£127,191.57\r\n2023-2024\r\n£162,688\r\nDuring the financial year 2024-25, the Scottish Government has paid £30,990 to date.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421117,"EventID":"S6W-28137","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T17:04:36.15","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-12T15:35:48.087","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether every school has access to on-site mental health services. ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28136 on 26 June 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421118,"EventID":"S6W-28106","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T17:04:36.247","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-10T16:54:13.207","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any impact on its climate change policies and targets, how ministers plan to take account of the advisory opinion delivered by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea on 21 May 2024 on the request submitted to the tribunal by the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government welcomes the advisory opinion and the clarity that it provides on the specific obligations of State Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in relation to climate change and ocean acidification.\r\nThe relationship between climate change and ocean health is long-established in Scottish legislation and action to tackle the impacts of climate change is at the heart of decision making for the marine environment. Under the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 Scottish Ministers and public authorities must act in the way best calculated to mitigate, and adapt to, climate change in exercising any function that affects the Scottish marine area. Further, the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 requires that the climate change plan must set out the Scottish Ministers' proposals and policies regarding the consideration of the potential for the capture and long-term storage of carbon, known as blue carbon, when designating marine protected areas.\r\nThe Scottish Government’s commitment to ending Scotland’s contribution to global emissions by 2045 at the latest is unwavering. We are already around half-way there and continue to decarbonise faster than the UK average.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421119,"EventID":"S6W-28122","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T17:04:36.4","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-11T15:56:00.053","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the deadline is for relevant authorities to publish a Good Food Nation plan. ","AnswerText":"The Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022 requires relevant authorities to publish a Good Food Nation Plan within 12 months of the date that Section 10 of the Act comes into force. It is the Scottish Government’s intention to commence this part of the legislation at around the same time as the final version of the national Good Food Nation Plan is published in 2025. Relevant authorities will therefore be required to publish their own Plans in 2026.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421120,"EventID":"S6W-28123","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T17:04:36.497","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-11T17:01:52.46","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it recognises the use of the value of prevented fatality (VPF) approach as a suitable calculation to quantify the impact of public policy, and, if so, whether it has used a VPF approach to assess the potential impact of the proposed overnight closure of the minor injury units in Huntly, Fraserburgh and Peterhead.","AnswerText":"Whilst the Government recognises the value of prevented fatality (VPF) as a methodological approach, it is not currently routinely used in our analysis. With regards to the closure of minor injury units, it is for Health and Social Care Partnerships to plan and provide local services, in line with national policies and frameworks and as informed by best practice.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421121,"EventID":"S6W-28127","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T17:04:36.653","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-12T10:23:37.81","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of the number of qualified offshore commercial divers residing in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Diving at Work Regulations are enforced by the Health & Safety Executive, a UK Government agency. This is therefore a reserved matter and the Scottish Government do not hold such information.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421122,"EventID":"S6W-28108","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T17:04:36.777","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-10T21:37:59.4","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Borders Council declaring a housing emergency.","AnswerText":"In 2024-2025 we are making available £12.113 million for the provision of more social and affordable homes in the Scottish Borders Council area. We will invest almost £600 million in affordable homes across Scotland in 2024-2025 and will continue to work with partners – including in the Scottish Borders – to increase the delivery of more affordable homes, the majority of which will be for social rent, including supporting acquisitions of existing properties.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421123,"EventID":"S6W-28136","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T17:04:36.853","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-12T15:35:48.087","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there are any schools without an on-site school counsellor or a mental health practitioner. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to provide £16 million per year to ensure that all secondary schools have access to school counselling services. \r\nLocal authorities have confirmed that all secondary schools in Scotland have access to counselling services. All school pupils aged 10 and above have access to the service.\r\nIt is up to local authorities to decide how to deliver the service in their area to best suit the needs of their children and young people.\r\nSchool counselling is just one of a range of services that schools and authorities have in place to support the mental health of children and young people. ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421124,"EventID":"S6W-28132","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T17:04:36.963","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-12T10:23:37.827","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the number of jobs that will be created in Scotland by the Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) programme.","AnswerText":"The potential impacts, including that of job creation, of the Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (“INTOG”) leasing round are currently being assessed through the sectoral marine planning process. The INTOG sites together with the commercial-scale sites leased by Crown Estate Scotland through the ScotWind leasing round will form the spatial basis for the updated Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy. The planning process includes undertaking a plan-level social and economic impact assessment which will provide an estimate of the positive impacts INTOG developments may have on employment opportunities. The assessment will be made available for public consultation, alongside the draft updated Plan, later this year.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421125,"EventID":"S6W-28101","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T17:04:37.057","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-10T10:16:56.19","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how frequently its ministers receive reports from its Marine Directorate on contaminants in marine animals. ","AnswerText":"The findings from contaminant testing undertaken in the Scottish marine environment, are reported to the Scottish Ministers in the form of  Scotland’s Marine Assessment 2020  and the OSPAR Quality Status assessments, the most recent of which was published in 2023:  Quality Status Report 2023 | OSPAR Commission  . Monitoring data collected in 2021 will be used in the UK Marine Strategy 2024 assessment. These reports are compiled over a number of years and are not annual.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421126,"EventID":"S6W-28126","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T17:04:37.17","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-12T10:23:37.81","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Health and Safety Executive regarding the availability of hyperbaric treatment facilities within the NHS for offshore divers working in waters off the Scottish coastline.","AnswerText":"Review of NHS Hyperbaric Medicine Services in Scotland is ongoing. Scottish Government officials have been in contact with NHS National Services Scotland as commissioner of these services and NHS Grampian who provide and co-ordinate hyperbaric medical services in Scotland.\r\nNHS Grampian have continued to engage with the private service provider in Oban and agreed to undertake further review of the facility. This took place in early May. Findings from the visit are being compiled and analysed before next steps are determined.\r\nDiscussions with stakeholders regarding the service are an operational matter, however we are being kept updated as review of the situation continues and have been assured risk is minimised, service capacity is in line with demand and plans are in place for the timely transfer and treatment of patients.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421127,"EventID":"S6W-28124","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T17:04:37.277","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-12T09:54:02.203","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what (a) grants have been awarded to, (b) contracts have been entered into with and (c) payments have been made to Highland Rewilding by (i) it and (ii) any of its agencies; for what purpose any such funding was provided, and what due diligence was undertaken in relation to Highland Rewilding's financial status and ownership structure prior to any such funding being agreed.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold information centrally on the grants, contract and payments made by public bodies. Contracts let by public bodies are held on public record and can be found at Public Contracts Scotland (  www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/  )\r\nHighlands Rewilding received a payment of £5,000 plus VAT on 24 February 2023 for their participation in the CivTech 8 cohort Exploration Stage after applying with a solution for CivTech Challenge 8.6. Highlands Rewilding did not progress further than the Exploration Stage and as such only received the Exploration payment of £5,000 plus VAT. This money was not grant funding and was for work carried out during the exploration stage to develop their proposal as per the contract. \r\nParticipants are selected for the Exploration Stage after an open procurement process followed by a thorough sift, selection and interview process. There is no specific financial due diligence required at this stage of the process due to the nature of the procurement. \r\nMore information on the CivTech process can be found here:\r\nwww.civtech.scot/process \r\nMore information on the CivTech Challenge 8.6 can be found here:\r\nwww.civtech.scot/civtech-8-challenge-6-simplifying-and-enabling-investment-in-scotlands-nature \r\nHighlands Rewilding was offered a grant of £81,517 through the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) for a project entitled Beldorney Pond Creation for Biodiversity and Resilience to Climate Change. The Scottish Government does not hold information on payments made further to that offer, which would be administered by NatureScot. \r\nFurther details about the NRF, including eligibility and other criteria for applicants, can be found here:  www.nature.scot/funding-and-projects/scottish-government-nature-restoration-fund-nrf \r\nHighlands Rewilding was offered a grant of £97,350 through the Facility for Investment Ready Nature in Scotland (FIRNS) in September 2023, administered by NatureScot, with match funding of £97,350 also provided by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The project is titled Joint Ventures for Scalable Community Benefits from Rewilding. The Scottish Government does not hold information on payments made further to that offer. \r\nFurther details about FIRNS, including eligibility and information on successful applications, can be found here:  https://www.nature.scot/funding-and-projects/firns-facility-investment-ready-nature-scotland \r\nThe NRF and FIRNS conform to the conditions for such schemes set out in the Scottish Public Finance Manual (SPFM). The SPFM is issued by Scottish Ministers and provides guidance to the Scottish Government and relevant bodies on the proper handling and reporting of public funds. It covers the relevant statutory, parliamentary and administrative requirements and promotes good practice and high standards of propriety. \r\nFurther information on the SPFM can be found here:\r\nhttps://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-public-finance-manual/ ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421128,"EventID":"S6W-28107","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T17:04:37.497","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-10T21:37:59.4","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether any real-terms reductions that it has made to affordable housing budgets has led to (a) the Scottish Borders Council and (b) other local authorities declaring a housing emergency.","AnswerText":"It is for individual local authorities to decide whether they wish to declare a Housing emergency and to outline their reasons for doing so. The Scottish Government has asked individual local authorities who have declared housing emergencies to share specific actions that they are taking in response.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421129,"EventID":"S6W-28125","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-12T17:04:37.637","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-12T10:23:37.81","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact on the NHS’s hyperbaric treatment capacity for offshore divers in north east Scotland of NHS Grampian’s reported cessation of the contract for the hyperbaric facility in Oban.","AnswerText":"NHS National Services Scotland as commissioner of hyperbaric services and NHS Grampian who provide and co-ordinate the Hyperbaric Medical Unit in Scotland completed a full risk assessment exercise. Within this they reviewed the impact of the service level agreement with the NHS hyperbaric facility in Oban coming to an end.\r\nThis assessment is a matter for NHS National Services Scotland and NHS Grampian and information regarding it is not held centrally by Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421154,"EventID":"S6W-28143","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-13T16:39:58.493","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-12T17:11:52.047","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will involve (a) industry and (b) key stakeholders in the design of policies, as set out in its Heat transition: public engagement strategic framework, published on 13 December 2023.","AnswerText":"We already work with a range of stakeholders to design heat in buildings policies. The Scottish Government has established a number of expert groups including the Green Heat Finance Taskforce, EPC External Reference Group and the Strategic Advisory Group, who provide independent advice on a range of policies.\r\nRecently, we consulted on proposals for legislation to improve energy efficiency and drive the clean heat agenda in the existing built stock – both homes and non-domestic buildings. A number of stakeholder engagement events were held across Scotland for people to learn and give feedback to the consultation proposals. There were c1650 responses to our consultation from various stakeholders and industries which are now being independently analysed. \r\nWe also ran a consultation to invite views on proposals for a new Social Housing Net Zero Standard (SHNZS), which will replace the post-2020 Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing, or EESSH2. Stakeholders from the social rented sector, who are part of the EESSH2 Review Group, will be asked to help consider the final design of the proposed SHNZS policy, based on the consultation analysis.\r\nIn addition, the Strategic Public Engagement Delivery Partnership, which will be developed in 2024, will further strengthen those relationships.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421155,"EventID":"S6W-28159","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-13T16:39:58.693","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T10:13:06.58","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care will meet with (a) the Royal College of Radiologists and (b) NHS England to discuss the recommendations that were made in the 2023 Clinical Oncology and Clinical Radiology Workforce Census reports.","AnswerText":"The Chief Medical Officer met with the Royal College of Radiologists on 14 December 2023 and the Deputy Chief Medical Officer met with them on 16 May 2024. A representative of the Royal College of Radiologists is a member of the Oncology Task and Finish group that is developing a sustainable operating model for NHS Scotland oncology.\r\nThere are no meetings arranged with NHS England.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421156,"EventID":"S6W-28158","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-13T16:39:58.82","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T10:13:06.58","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the estimates from the Royal College of Radiologists that 20% of clinical oncology consultants and 18% of clinical radiology consultants are forecast to retire in the next five years, what plans it has to retain more clinical oncologists and radiologists in the workforce.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the need for active measures to improve retention across the health and social care workforce, which is essential to ensure confidence in longer-term modelling of a sustainable future medical workforce to meet future clinical service demand.\r\nOne of the 11 ambitions in the Cancer Strategy is for a Sustainable and Skilled Workforce with actions under 5 pillars. There are six actions being taken forward under ‘nurture’ to aid retention of staff. \r\nFor example, retiring employees who wish to continue in employment that is suitable to them and the service are supported by the Retire and Return provisions in the  NHSScotland Retirement Policy  . In addition, the  NHSScotland Flexible work location policy  and  NHSScotland Flexible work pattern policy  provide staff with a range of flexible working options to help them to balance their lifestyle whilst maintaining and promoting the best possible service to our patients and service users, supporting retention. ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421157,"EventID":"S6W-28145","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-13T16:39:58.913","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-12T17:11:52.047","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the appointment of members to the proposed Strategic Public Engagement Delivery Partnership as set out in its Heat transition: public engagement strategic framework, which was published on 13 December 2023.","AnswerText":"Development of the Partnership is progressing, with work on-going to identify membership from a wide range of organisations from across the Public, Private and Third Sector. As outlined in the Heat in Building’s Public Engagement Strategic Framework, we have made a commitment to set-up the Partnership during 2024 and will provide further details in the coming months. ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421158,"EventID":"S6W-28170","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-13T16:39:58.977","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T10:55:49.653","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what actions are being taken through the cancer strategy for children and young people to ensure that all children and young people are enrolled on a clinical trial where possible.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government/Cancer Research UK funded Paediatric Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC) in Glasgow has been involved in a number of initiatives aimed at maximising the number of opportunities for children and young people with cancer to participate in clinical trials.\r\nThe Glasgow Paediatric ECMC leads the Northern Paediatric ECMC Network that includes all Scottish Principle Treatment Centres (PTC’s), together with centres in the North of England and Northern Ireland. The Network holds weekly Regional Relapse Discussion Panel (RRDP) meetings which facilitate the identification across an extended geographical area of clinical trials suitable for individual patients.\r\nThis approach has been extended to clinical trials in the Teenage and Young Adult (TYA) patient cohort, with the Glasgow ECMC a participant in the UK ECMC TYA Network. This group is currently actively considering the development of a UK-wide national complex case TYA multi-disciplinary team (MDT) approach to enable availability of early phase trials across as wide a patient population base as possible.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421159,"EventID":"S6W-28175","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-13T16:39:59.023","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T10:55:49.653","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the number of people diagnosed at a late stage with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB).","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to supporting people living with dementia. We worked with a wide range of partners and people with lived experience, including those with dementia with Lewy bodies, to inform our new national strategy published last year. The first two year Delivery Plan (published February 2024) sets out the agreed deliverables and improvements, including improving access to a timely diagnosis for all dementias. We know that receiving a timely diagnosis helps people to access the support and services right for them and to plan for their future.\r\nWe are working with Public Health Scotland, local and academic partners to add to the data we collect and publish on diagnosis and post-diagnostic support as well as the quality of experience of dementia support and services.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421160,"EventID":"S6W-28177","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-13T16:39:59.1","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T10:55:49.653","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to promote the Carer Positive scheme to employers across Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government’s  National Carers Strategy  published in December 2022 sets out our cross-government approach to carer support and recognition, with an emphasis on the need for collaboration between national and local government, the third sector, wider public and private sector. The Strategy sets out the importance of all employers being positive about carers in the workforce and outlines our commitment to fund and promote the Carer Positive employer accreditation scheme. \r\nThe Scottish Government funds Carers Scotland to run the scheme, raise awareness and engage with prospective employers. It does this through direct engagement, speaking at networks and events, and via one-to-one support. To date there are now more than half a million employees working in 275 Carer Positive organisations across Scotland. A full list of Carer Positive employers is published on the  Carer Positive website  .\r\nThe Scottish Government remains committed to promoting the scheme, and to ensuring that people who provide care for loved ones are able to do so in a meaningful and sustainable way whilst still being able to work, study and have full lives away from caring.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421161,"EventID":"S6W-28153","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-13T16:39:59.147","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T10:13:06.58","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Royal College of Radiologists' 2023 Clinical Radiology Workforce Census, what its plans are to ensure that the 26% shortfall of consultant radiologists in Scotland (a) is addressed and (b) does not impact patient safety or the quality of care.","AnswerText":"There has been an expansion of 68 posts in Clinical Radiology specialty training since 2014. Clinical Radiology is a competitive specialty which has historically filled posts at 100%. The 2025 expansion process is currently underway and will conclude later this year. This will consider the need for expansion in all medical specialties, including clinical radiology and clinical oncology, with the overall aim of ensuring Scotland has a sufficient supply of trained doctors coming through the system to meet anticipated future demand. \r\nConsultant radiologists have increased by 34.2%, from 304 headcount ten years ago (March 2014) to 408 headcount in March 2024 .\r\nAn Oncology Task and Finish Group was established in May 2024 to improve access to safe, quality oncology services by planning, on a population basis across Scotland, a safe and sustainable operating model for NHS Scotland Oncology Services. ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421162,"EventID":"S6W-28161","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-13T16:39:59.21","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T10:13:06.58","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it would consider working with (a) NHS Scotland, (b) the Royal College of Radiologists and (c) the Association of Cancer Physicians to develop a recruitment campaign to attract trainees to oncology training posts.","AnswerText":"A number of actions are already underway to improve recruitment into clinical and medical oncology. For example, NHS Education for Scotland (NES) are:Increasing front-end supply by funding the creation of additional posts in Internal Medicine Training (IMT), which is a pre-requisite for both clinical and medical oncology (42 IMT posts added in 2021 and 22 in 2024).Using these IMT posts to increase exposure to oncology during the early years of a doctors career.Exploring the feasibility of a regional rotational training post to attract applicants to vacant posts in the North and East of Scotland.Providing ongoing support to trainees wishing to enter oncology training through alternative routes.Delivering (a) oncology-themed national training days in all regions for IMT and Foundation trainees, and (b) ‘roadshows’ in all regions to promote oncology as a specialism.\r\nIn addition, the Training Programme Directors (TPD) for clinical and medical oncology within NES sit on the respective Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) Specialty Advisory Committees (SAC). The SACs then feed into the relevant Specialty Training Board (STB) within NES. The TPD for medical oncology is a member of the Association of Cancer Physicians (ACP). The TPD for both medical and clinical oncology feed back to the RCR with relevant issues arising from the STB. The RCR and ACP both had major involvement in designing and implementing the new oncology curricula, which is now fully embedded. \r\nThe Chief Medical Officer met with the Royal College of Radiologists on 14 December 2023 and the Deputy Chief Medical Officer met with them on 16 May 2024. ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421163,"EventID":"S6W-28163","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-13T16:39:59.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T10:13:06.58","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendations made by the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) in its 2023 Clinical Oncology and Clinical Radiology Census reports, whether it will (a) put in place a plan for staff retention in radiology and oncology and (b) meet with the RCR to discuss the findings of its reports.","AnswerText":"a) The Scottish Government recognises the need for active measures to improve retention across the health and social care workforce, which is essential to ensure confidence in longer-term modelling of a sustainable future medical workforce to meet future clinical service demand.\r\nRetiring employees who wish to continue in employment that is suitable to them and the service are supported by the Retire and return provisions in the  NHSScotland Retirement Policy  . In addition, the  NHSScotland Flexible work location policy  and  NHSScotland Flexible work pattern policy  provide staff with a range of flexible working options to help them to balance their lifestyle whilst maintaining and promoting the best possible service to our patients and service users. We will continue to consider ways to increase staff retention alongside health boards.\r\nb) As stated previously in answer to S6W-28159 on 25 June 2024, The Chief Medical Officer met with the Royal College of Radiologists on 14 December 2023 and the Deputy Chief Medical Officer met with them on 16 May 2024.\r\nWe will continue to engage with them through their representation on the Oncology Task and Finish group that is developing a sustainable operating model for NHS Scotland oncology.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421164,"EventID":"S6W-28174","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-13T16:39:59.507","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T10:55:49.653","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many abandoned vehicles have been reported to local authorities in each year since 1999.","AnswerText":"Information is not held centrally on the number of abandoned vehicles reported to local authorities. Management information is available from Police Scotland on the number of police recorded incidents of abandoned vehicles. This is provided below, split by the local authority within which the incident occurred.\r\nIt should be noted that not all abandoned vehicles will relate to cars and an incident may relate to more than one abandoned vehicle. This information was consistently recorded across all police divisions from the calendar year of 2019 onwards and therefore the figures provided below relate to the period 01 January 2019 to 18 June 2024. As such the 2024 figures relate to only a partial year.\r\nRecorded incidents of abandoned vehicles, 01 January 2019 to 18 June 2024.\r\nLocal Authority\r\n2019\r\n2020\r\n2021\r\n2022\r\n2023\r\n2024\r\nScotland\r\n18,422\r\n13,471\r\n14,109\r\n13,702\r\n13,549\r\n6,770\r\nAberdeen City\r\n1,208\r\n797\r\n784\r\n639\r\n639\r\n311\r\nAberdeenshire\r\n680\r\n559\r\n534\r\n553\r\n496\r\n261\r\nAngus\r\n367\r\n282\r\n320\r\n248\r\n295\r\n123\r\nArgyll and Bute\r\n249\r\n162\r\n182\r\n164\r\n168\r\n82\r\nClackmannanshire\r\n145\r\n103\r\n131\r\n130\r\n99\r\n49\r\nDumfries and Galloway\r\n407\r\n317\r\n348\r\n313\r\n278\r\n149\r\nDundee City\r\n615\r\n494\r\n579\r\n517\r\n518\r\n264\r\nEast Ayrshire\r\n404\r\n283\r\n318\r\n251\r\n282\r\n152\r\nEast Dunbartonshire\r\n337\r\n267\r\n300\r\n248\r\n272\r\n119\r\nEast Lothian\r\n327\r\n241\r\n292\r\n303\r\n303\r\n174\r\nEast Renfrewshire\r\n280\r\n215\r\n227\r\n224\r\n214\r\n114\r\nEdinburgh, City of\r\n1,889\r\n1,208\r\n1,388\r\n1,402\r\n1,286\r\n657\r\nFalkirk\r\n526\r\n425\r\n408\r\n419\r\n450\r\n238\r\nFife\r\n1,093\r\n854\r\n859\r\n846\r\n907\r\n437\r\nGlasgow City\r\n2,219\r\n1,501\r\n1,654\r\n1,668\r\n1,636\r\n837\r\nHighland\r\n798\r\n610\r\n609\r\n627\r\n654\r\n324\r\nInverclyde\r\n236\r\n185\r\n199\r\n167\r\n147\r\n70\r\nMidlothian\r\n409\r\n255\r\n302\r\n261\r\n304\r\n151\r\nMoray\r\n258\r\n208\r\n192\r\n202\r\n217\r\n103\r\nNa h-Eilean Siar\r\n44\r\n32\r\n26\r\n34\r\n25\r\n10\r\nNorth Ayrshire\r\n417\r\n315\r\n345\r\n328\r\n297\r\n132\r\nNorth Lanarkshire\r\n1,317\r\n918\r\n927\r\n832\r\n839\r\n379\r\nOrkney Islands\r\n27\r\n16\r\n16\r\n24\r\n21\r\n14\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n478\r\n374\r\n374\r\n425\r\n369\r\n202\r\nRenfrewshire\r\n696\r\n482\r\n447\r\n517\r\n485\r\n243\r\nScottish Borders\r\n287\r\n256\r\n249\r\n260\r\n252\r\n137\r\nShetland Islands\r\n23\r\n22\r\n20\r\n22\r\n20\r\n15\r\nSouth Ayrshire\r\n337\r\n295\r\n264\r\n261\r\n300\r\n131\r\nSouth Lanarkshire\r\n1,145\r\n832\r\n864\r\n902\r\n780\r\n452\r\nStirling\r\n264\r\n215\r\n224\r\n211\r\n246\r\n101\r\nWest Dunbartonshire\r\n327\r\n253\r\n235\r\n179\r\n232\r\n119\r\nWest Lothian\r\n613\r\n495\r\n492\r\n525\r\n518\r\n220\r\nSource: Police Scotland Management Information","AnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421165,"EventID":"S6W-28117","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-13T16:39:59.57","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-11T11:23:29.18","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact on colleges of the 4.8% reduction in revenue funding in its Budget for 2024-25, in light of the Scottish Funding Council figures that were issued on 30 May 2024.","AnswerText":"The teaching funding available to each college/region has been maintained and is unchanged from the funds made available for Academic Year 2023-24. We recognise the range of financial challenges which colleges and universities are managing, and have sought to minimise the impact on frontline allocations for learning and teaching and support for students.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421166,"EventID":"S6W-28147","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-13T16:39:59.617","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-12T21:02:14.923","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it can do to extend the scope of the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 to cover all public procurement of goods and services.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government cannot extend the coverage of the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 as it applies to England and Wales only.\r\nThe Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 applies a sustainable procurement duty on Scottish public bodies which whilst similar to the general duty found in the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012, is more far reaching The sustainable procurement duty requires a Scottish public body to consider and act on opportunities to: improve the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of its area; facilitate the involvement of SMEs, third sector bodies and supported businesses; and promote innovation.\r\nThe legislation in Scotland also includes provisions for oversight, requiring public bodies with an annual procurement spend of £5 million or more to set out in annually reviewed procurement strategies how they will comply with the Act and to publish annual procurement reports setting out how they have complied with their strategies. The content of these reports forms the basis of the Scottish Ministers Annual report on procurement activity in Scotland. For example -  Procurement activity: annual report 2021 to 2022 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .","AnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421167,"EventID":"S6W-28164","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-13T16:39:59.68","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T10:13:06.58","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to address any regional disparities in the number of clinical oncologists, in light of estimates from the Royal College of Radiologists that the North of Scotland has just five consultant oncologists per 100,000 of the older population, compared with 6.2 per 100,000 of the older population nationally.","AnswerText":"An Oncology Workforce Review was completed in 2023 with a proposal for an Oncology Transformation Programme for Scotland.\r\nAs part of the transformation programme, an Oncology Task and Finish Group was established in May 2024 to support oncology services by planning, on a population basis across Scotland, a sustainable operating model to improve access to safe, quality services. One of its aims is to reduce unwarranted variation in and inequity of access to oncology services. \r\nA new Clinical Oncology training rotation in NHS Highland is also being explored in an effort to make the North of Scotland a more attractive place to work.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421168,"EventID":"S6W-28171","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-13T16:39:59.743","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T10:55:49.653","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve access to clinical trials for young people with cancer.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government, in collaboration with Cancer Research UK, provides funding for the Adult Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres (ECMC's) in both Edinburgh and Glasgow, and a Paediatric ECMC in Glasgow. These form part of a UK-wide ECMC Network.  Home | ECMC (ecmcnetwork.org.uk)  .\r\nThe Glasgow ECMC has developed and implemented a strategy to increase engagement with the Teenage and Young People with Cancer patient group (defined in NHS Scotland as those between ages 16-25) and improve access to Clinical Trials. In collaboration with the Teenage Cancer Trust they set up a workshop with the Scottish Youth Advisory Forum to discuss young people's views on equity of access to clinical trials, and the communication of clinical trial patient information to young people. The ECMC will continue to work with the Scottish Youth Advisory Forum to address issues that were identified during the workshop.\r\nTo improve trial access and recruitment of children and young people the UK-wide Paediatric ECMC network has developed 4 Regional networks. The Glasgow Paediatric ECMC leads the Northern network and hosts weekly Regional Relapse Discussion Panel (RRDP) meetings. All Scottish Principle Treatment Centres (PTC) (Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen) together with Belfast and Newcastle participate in these meetings. This aim of this network is to broaden the portfolio of studies for solid tumours and leukaemia - thereby maximising the opportunity for patients in any given centre to participate in a clinical trial.\r\nOn 13th February 2023 we published an Independent Report on Improving Equity of Access to Cancer Clinical Trials.\r\nImproving equity of access to cancer clinical trials in Scotland - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  We are working closely with the cancer research community here to develop plans for the implementation of the report’s key recommendations and have established an implementation board chaired by Professor David Cameron from the University of Edinburgh to oversee this work.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421169,"EventID":"S6W-28139","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-13T16:39:59.79","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-12T16:29:45.053","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update regarding its current position in relation to potentially lifting the prohibition on fishing vessels landing berried hen lobsters from the (a) Solway Firth and (b) North Channel of the Irish Sea, in light of reported concerns from the fishing industry that the Marine Directorate research that underpins the prohibition is inadequate. ","AnswerText":"The situation in the Solway Firth and Northern Channel was unique, as those areas were not covered by our crab and lobster assessment areas. Therefore they did not benefit from the robust evidence base we have used to underpin our decision making.\r\nAfter listening to concerns, officials met with fishers in that area over concerns of disproportionate impacts on their businesses. In response we adopted a co-management approach that put these fishers in the front seat of a bespoke scientific trial aimed at improving the evidence base and, longer term, developing a time series of data. Vessels participating in this initiative have now been issued with relevant permissions to continue to land, sell and consign berried lobsters.\r\nOur prohibition on fishing vessels landing berried lobster hens from Scotland’s waters is a short-term measure designed to deliver benefits for stock health ahead of this fishing season, and that will be monitored and kept under review. This kind of prohibition is a common fisheries management tool that is already in place across England and the Shetland isles.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421170,"EventID":"S6W-28130","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-13T16:39:59.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-12T10:23:37.827","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council regarding the development of the skills passport for offshore energy workers in Scotland.","AnswerText":"SOWEC routinely discusses skills and jobs as part of its agenda. During the SOWEC meeting of 13 May, it was agreed that SOWEC would issue a letter of support for the Skills Passport. A letter has been drafted and this will be issued in due course once approved by SOWEC. It is important to note that SOWEC is not delivering the Skills Passport and is not directly involved in its development.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421171,"EventID":"S6W-28148","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-13T16:39:59.93","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-12T21:30:54.983","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce a national licensing provision to allow pubs to trade until 1.00 am during EURO 2024 fixtures, as has been done in England.","AnswerText":"Decisions about whether to allow for extended hours under alcohol licensing law are for independent local Licensing Boards.\r\nUnlike the Home Secretary under the England and Wales alcohol licensing regime, the Scottish Ministers do not have a power within the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 to grant a general extension of licensed hours.\r\nThe 2005 Act provides that the administration of the alcohol licensing regime is devolved to independent local Licensing Boards – in effect the 32 Scottish Local Authorities.\r\nLicensing Boards can grant general extensions of licensed hours if they consider it appropriate to do so in connection with a special event of local or national significance. Whilst these are matters for Licensing Boards in their areas, the Scottish Government is supportive of Licensing Boards having these powers.\r\nAn example where an independent local Licensing Board has indicated it will use their powers is Scottish Borders Licensing Board. If Scotland reach the semi-finals of EURO 2024, local media reporting has indicated that the Licensing Board will give permission for opening beyond the normal terminal hour of 23:00.\r\nLate booze licences will be agreed – if Scotland reach the Euro 2024 Semi-Final - Midlothian View\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421172,"EventID":"S6W-28166","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-13T16:39:59.993","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T10:13:06.58","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to increase the interventional radiology workforce, in light of the reported 24% shortfall in interventional radiologists in Scotland, according to the latest workforce census from the Royal College of Radiologists.","AnswerText":"As previously stated in answer to S6W-28165 on 25 June 2024, The Scottish Government has been increasing the number of available specialty training places for junior doctors in Clinical Interventional Radiology training programmes. Since 2014 we have funded the creation of 10 additional posts in Clinical Interventional Radiology. The 2025 expansion process is currently underway and will conclude later this year. This will consider the need for expansion in all medical specialties, including clinical radiology and clinical oncology, with the overall aim of ensuring Scotland has a sufficient supply of trained doctors coming through the system to meet anticipated future demand.\r\nMore junior doctors are joining NHS Scotland than ever before, with more than 1,100 recruited throughout 2023, according to data from 26 March 2024. A total of 1,231 posts were advertised during the 2023 recruitment cycle and 94% filled successfully.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421173,"EventID":"S6W-28146","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-13T16:40:00.053","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-12T17:16:57.563","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when the East Kilbride line will have an all-day, four-train-per-hour \"turn up and go\" timetabled service.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27876 on 12 June 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421174,"EventID":"S6W-28155","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-13T16:40:00.1","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T10:13:06.58","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Royal College of Radiologists’ 2023 Clinical Oncology Workforce Census, what plans it has to ensure that the reported 16% shortfall of consultant radiologists (a) is addressed and (b) does not impact patient safety or the quality of care.","AnswerText":"As stated previously in answer to S6W-28153 on 25 June 2024, there has been an expansion of 68 posts in Clinical Radiology specialty training since 2014. Clinical Radiology is a competitive specialty which has historically filled at 100%. The 2025 expansion process is currently underway and will conclude later this year. This will consider the need for expansion in all medical specialties, including clinical radiology and clinical oncology, with the overall aim of ensuring Scotland has a sufficient supply of trained doctors coming through the system to meet anticipated future demand .\r\nAn Oncology Task and Finish Group was established in May 2024 to improve access to safe, quality oncology services by planning, on a population basis across Scotland, a safe and sustainable operating model for NHS Scotland Oncology Services .\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421175,"EventID":"S6W-28160","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-13T16:40:00.147","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T10:13:06.58","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to ensure that NHS boards have sufficient funding to maintain and expand the number of training places that they offer for clinical oncology and clinical radiology trainees.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government (SG) has funded the creation of 68 additional training places in clinical radiology since 2014 in line with recommendations made by the Scottish Shape of Training Transition Group (SSoTTG). The number of funded posts in clinical oncology has also increased by 15 over the same period. These additional posts, and indeed all training posts for trainee doctors, are funded in full by SG. This approach is referenced in the Royal College of Radiologists 2023 workforce census report:\r\n“In Scotland and Northern Ireland, the statutory education body provides funding for the full training place, with health boards and trusts paying on-call or any additional payments”.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421176,"EventID":"S6W-28173","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-13T16:40:00.21","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T10:55:49.653","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many short-term lets it estimates have stopped operating since the introduction of the short-term let licensing scheme, broken down by local authority.","AnswerText":"I will be shortly providing Parliament with an update on the implementation of short-term let licensing, which will highlight the difficulties with the accuracy and completeness of different datasets about short-term let numbers. Prior to licensing there has not been a single robust data source about the number of short-term lets in Scotland and while we recently started publishing data on short term lets licensing applications, this is still provisional and partial data that is subject to upward revision in future releases. The Scottish Government therefore does not hold the information requested.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421177,"EventID":"S6W-28140","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-13T16:40:00.257","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-12T17:07:36.937","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its policy is regarding food waste on the Caledonian Sleeper.","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for Caledonian Sleeper, the Member may wish to contact Caledonian Sleeper Ltd directly.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421178,"EventID":"S6W-28156","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-13T16:40:00.337","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T10:13:06.58","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, what its response is to the reported projections in the Royal College of Radiologists’ 2023 Clinical Oncology Workforce Census that the shortfall of clinical oncologists could rise to 22%, or 29 oncology consultants, by 2028.","AnswerText":"There has been an expansion of 15 specialty training posts in Clinical Oncology (and an additional 6 in Medical Oncology) since 2014. The 2025 expansion process is currently underway and will conclude later this year. This will consider the need for expansion in all medical specialties, including clinical radiology and clinical oncology, with the overall aim of ensuring Scotland has a sufficient supply of trained doctors coming through the system to meet anticipated future demand .\r\nConsultant oncologists have increased by 50%, from 102 headcount ten years ago (March 2014) to 153 headcount in March 2024 .\r\nInternal Medicine Training is a pre-requisite for Clinical Oncology. The Scottish Government has provided funding for the creation of 64 additional Internal Medicine Specialty Training posts since 2021 in order to bolster the front-end supply into oncology.\r\nThe Scottish Government is also working with NHS Education for Scotland to increase visibility of careers in clinical oncology.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421179,"EventID":"S6W-28144","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-13T16:40:00.383","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-12T17:11:52.047","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on expected timescales for its Heat transition: public engagement strategic framework, which was published on 13 December 2023.","AnswerText":"The Framework sets out a longer-term approach on how we will engage with homeowners, tenants and landlords over the next decade. In addition, we have outlined a number of shorter-term actions over the next three years to help build a strong foundation of public awareness. As follows:\r\n? Continued and expanded marketing and communications activity. \r\n? Exploring options for extending the reach of platforms like the Greener Homes Network so that people can share experiences and learn from each other.\r\n? Streamlining customer journeys and ensuring people and organisations know where and how to access advice and support available. \r\nWe have committed to undertake a review and evaluate the impact of the strategic framework during 2026. ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421180,"EventID":"S6W-28165","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-13T16:40:00.43","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T10:13:06.58","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to increase the number of interventional radiologists, in light of the estimate in the Royal College of Radiologists’ Clinical Radiology Workforce Census report that Scotland only has 9.5 interventional radiologists per million of the population, compared with 11.6 across the UK as a whole.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has been increasing the number of available specialty training places for junior doctors in clinical interventional radiology training programmes. Since 2014 we have funded the creation of 10 additional posts in Clinical Interventional Radiology. The 2025 expansion process is currently underway and will conclude later this year. This will consider the need for expansion in all medical specialties, including clinical radiology and clinical oncology, with the overall aim of ensuring Scotland has a sufficient supply of trained doctors coming through the system to meet anticipated future demand.\r\nMore junior doctors are joining NHS Scotland than ever before, with more than 1,100 recruited throughout 2023, according to data from 26 March 2024. A total of 1,231 posts were advertised during the 2023 recruitment cycle and 94% filled successfully.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421181,"EventID":"S6W-28168","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-13T16:40:00.523","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T10:21:09.52","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to amend the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 to include alleged perpetrators who are outside of the immediate family.","AnswerText":"Any form of violence against women and girls is abhorrent and we recognise that minority ethnic women can experience culturally specific forms of abuse and violence, including from perpetrators outside of their immediate family.\r\nWe have established a network of experts to support and inform our work to address violence against BME women and girls, including consideration of any further action that may be required. This group will ensure the voices and needs of BME women are heard, and the specific issues they face, such as extended family abuse and honour-based abuse, are effectively tackled.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421182,"EventID":"S6W-28154","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-13T16:40:00.6","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T10:13:06.58","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to expand the clinical radiology workforce, in light of projections in the Royal College of Radiologists’ 2023 Clinical Radiology Workforce Census that the shortfall of clinical radiologists in Scotland could rise to 36%, or 263 radiologists, by 2028.","AnswerText":"As stated previously in answer to S6W-28153 on 25 June 2024, there has been an expansion of 68 posts in Clinical Radiology specialty training since 2014. Clinical Radiology is a competitive specialty which has historically filled at 100%. The 2025 expansion process is currently underway and will conclude later this year. This will consider the need for expansion in all medical specialties, including clinical radiology and clinical oncology, with the overall aim of ensuring Scotland has a sufficient supply of trained doctors coming through the system to meet anticipated future demand.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421183,"EventID":"S6W-28176","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-13T16:40:00.663","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T10:55:49.653","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review pathways for patients to help improve earlier diagnosis of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB).","AnswerText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review pathways for patients to help improve earlier diagnosis of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB).The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring everyone living with dementia receives the person centred support and care they need, regardless of which form of dementia they have. Our Dementia Strategy highlights that each individual person's experience of their dementia will be different and care and support needs to reflect that.\r\nThe current diagnostic pathway of dementia with Lewy bodies is through an individual’s GP. Clinical guidance on diagnosing suspected dementia with Lewy bodies is contained in the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) which covers assessment, diagnosis, care and support for people with dementia and their care partners. The SIGN Guideline was developed by Healthcare Improvement Scotland and partners in 2023.\r\nThe Scottish Government has also established a cross-governmental; cross sectoral steering group to help shape the Scottish Government’s role in contributing to the research and development of greater understanding around dementia risk, earlier dementia identification, diagnosis, and treatment, including the trialling of new treatments which can slow the progression of some dementias.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421184,"EventID":"S6W-28169","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-13T16:40:00.727","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T10:30:19.387","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to amend the Forced Marriage etc. (Protection and Jurisdiction) (Scotland) Act 2011 to make explicit the obligations of public authorities to act should any individual experiencing forced marriage contact them for support. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has no current plans to amend the Forced Marriage etc. (Protection and Jurisdiction) (Scotland) Act 2011. Forced Marriage is illegal in Scotland and there are protections under civil and criminal law for any victims or potential victims.\r\nSection 11 of the Forced Marriage etc. (Protection and Jurisdiction) (Scotland) Act 2011 imposes a duty on Scottish Ministers to give guidance on the effect of Part 1 that Act. Section 11(3) states that a person exercising public functions to whom guidance is given under section 11 must have regard to it in the exercise of those functions.\r\nThe statutory Forced Marriage Guidance, which is currently being refreshed, outlines the responsibilities of relevant public authorities for developing and maintaining local procedures and practices to enable their practitioners to handle cases of forced marriage effectively. The guidance makes clear that staff may have limited opportunity to speak to a potential victim and as such, must be aware of their responsibilities when they come across forced marriage cases.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421185,"EventID":"S6W-28141","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-13T16:40:00.79","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-12T17:07:36.937","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the total value of any food waste on the Caledonian Sleeper has been in each month since June 2023.","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for Caledonian Sleeper, the Member may wish to contact Caledonian Sleeper Ltd directly.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421186,"EventID":"S6W-28118","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-13T16:40:01.023","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-11T11:27:56.907","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on (a) ScotRail and (b) Scottish Water having a representative of (i) customers and (ii) employees on its company board. ","AnswerText":"The majority of non-executive appointments to the Boards of Non-Departmental Public Bodies are regulated by the Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland. This means that the process used to appoint Board members is governed by the 'Revised Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies in Scotland’. Those which are not regulated, choose to adopt the same principles. \r\nThe entities advise Scottish Ministers on their Board’s membership needs, the ScotRail Board determines this themselves, with a focus on diverse boards comprised of members who possess the right skills, experience and knowledge. In addition to other relevant attributes, such as, integrity and commitment. STUC's General Secretary, Roz Foyer, is a non-executive Director on Scottish Rail Holdings’ Board, the parent company of ScotRail Ltd, is appointed to that role with the support of railway trade unions. \r\nAs set out in the Industry (Scotland) Act 2002, non-executive Board members appointed by Scottish Ministers are required to have knowledge and experience relevant to the functions of Scottish Water. In addition, one of the non-executive members must have special knowledge of the interests of the employees of Scottish Water.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":421187,"EventID":"S6W-28162","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-13T16:40:01.133","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T10:13:06.58","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to expand (a) clinical space, (b) office space and (c) picture archiving and communication system (PACS) access to accommodate (i) clinical oncology, (ii) diagnostic radiology and (iii) interventional radiology trainees, as recommended by the Royal College of Radiologists.","AnswerText":"Operational matters such as decisions around clinical space, office space and picture archiving and communication system access are the responsibility of individual health boards.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421188,"EventID":"S6W-28157","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-13T16:40:01.18","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T10:13:06.58","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to increase specialty training places for clinical radiology and clinical oncology to avoid the shortfalls of 36% and 22% respectively by 2028, as projected by the Royal College of Radiologists.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has funded the creation of 68 additional training places in clinical radiology since 2014 in line with recommendations made by the Scottish Shape of Training Transition Group (SSoTTG). The number of funded posts in clinical oncology has also increased by 15 over the same period. The SSoTTG is currently undertaking its annual review of medical training establishments and will be submitting recommendations later in the year for expansion taking place in 2025. This annual review will consider the need for expansion in all medical specialties, including clinical radiology and clinical oncology, to ensure that Scotland has a sufficient supply of trained doctors coming through the system to meet anticipated future demand for consultants. Recommendations to expand are informed by medical workforce modelling undertaken by NHS Education for Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421189,"EventID":"S6W-28172","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-13T16:40:01.243","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T10:55:49.653","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve access to specialist teenage and young adult (TYA) clinical psychology services, as set out in the cancer strategy for children and young people.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to improving support services for children and young people with cancer. Last year we provided recurring funding for the existing dedicated psychologists for children and young people with cancer.\r\nA review of further psychological support services in Scotland is currently being carried out by the Managed Service Network for Children and Young People with Cancer and the Scottish Government remains engaged with this.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421190,"EventID":"S6W-28167","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-13T16:40:01.307","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T10:19:13.95","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to raise public awareness about the issue of forced marriage. ","AnswerText":"We are currently refreshing the Scottish Government’s Forced Marriage Statutory Guidance. To support the launch of the refreshed guidance, we are producing resources for professionals and the general public to raise awareness about forced marriage. We are working with key partners and sector experts to ensure these resources are effective and widely disseminated across public bodies.\r\nForced marriage disproportionally impacts minority ethnic communities, which is why we continue to work with our newly established network of experts to inform our work to address violence against BME women and girls, including work to tackle forced marriage.\r\nIt is vital that survivors have access to support services which is why we fund Scotland’s Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline. Additionally, through our Delivering Equally Safe fund, we support organisations such as Shakti Women’s Aid, AMINA, Saheliya, Hemat Gryffe Women’s Aid and the Multi-Cultural Family Base to undertake vital work to tackle forced marriage.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421191,"EventID":"S6W-28142","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-13T16:40:01.37","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-12T17:07:36.937","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to reduce food waste on the Caledonian Sleeper.","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for Caledonian Sleeper, the Member may wish to contact Caledonian Sleeper Ltd directly.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421192,"EventID":"S6W-28129","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-13T16:40:01.447","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-12T10:23:37.827","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has discussed the skills passport for offshore energy workers with (a) SSE Renewables and (b) other members of the Global Wind Organisation that hold contracts in Scotland’s offshore wind industry.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has engaged with the industry-led Offshore Energy Skills Passport through the project steering group led by Renewable UK and Offshore Energies UK. This group also includes representation from the Global Wind Organisation (GWO), the Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Organization (OPITO), the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB), Trade Unions and a range of other stakeholders. SSE is not a member of the project steering group.\r\nWe have welcomed the recent joint statement from Renewable UK and Offshore Energies UK on progress to date and next steps with the Passport and urge industry partners to continue to develop and roll the initiative out at pace.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421206,"EventID":"S6W-28204","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":3771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":86,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-14T11:37:10.293","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-14T11:33:34.667","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress of its Cleaner Air for Scotland 2 strategy.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government will today publish the third annual progress report for the Cleaner Air for Scotland 2 strategy. \r\nSince publication of the strategy in July 2021, we have worked closely with stakeholders to deliver more than half of the actions, with seventeen completed since the last progress report. Work to take forward the remaining actions is continuing. \r\nThese actions, such as the introduction of Low Emission Zones in our four largest cities, have helped Scotland to meet all air quality objectives for the second consecutive year.\r\nThe report can be found on the Scottish Government website using the following link: https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781836013815","AnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421207,"EventID":"S6W-28208","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":16191,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":77,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-14T12:02:55.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-14T11:58:55.477","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will launch a consultation on plans to reform the regional strategic bodies for the colleges in the Glasgow and Lanarkshire regions.","AnswerText":"The consultation “Review of the Regional Strategic Bodies within the Glasgow and Lanarkshire college regions” opens today, 17 June, and it will run until midnight on 20 September 2024. The consultation can be accessed by using the following link: review of the regional strategic bodies within the Glasgow and Lanarkshire college regions.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421222,"EventID":"S6W-28149","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-14T16:19:00.217","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T09:44:52.91","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many producers applied for an exemption from the proposed Deposit Return Scheme before it was delayed in June 2023, and what percentage of these producers used glass packaging. ","AnswerText":"The Deposit Return Scheme requires all drinks producers to register with SEPA before their products may be sold in Scotland. There are no exemptions for producers under the scheme. Data on producer registration is held by SEPA.\r\nAs an industry-run scheme, data on individual product lines were held by the private sector scheme administrator.\r\nProducers may choose to register product lines with less than 5000 units placed on the market each year as a ‘Low Volume Product’. Producers of Low Volume Products must still register and report the number of products placed on the market, but products will be exempt from the requirement to apply deposits.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421223,"EventID":"S6W-28195","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-14T16:19:00.357","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T16:59:39.36","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27323 by Neil Gray on 17 May 2024, how it plans to evaluate the role that the Golden Hello payment scheme plays in supporting GP retention. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish School of Primary Care will be evaluating the role the Golden Hello scheme plays in supporting GP retention.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421224,"EventID":"S6W-28179","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-14T16:19:00.437","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T11:25:46.65","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the reasons for its decision to no longer provide new referrals for solar PV and energy storage systems to the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan scheme from 6 June 2024.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises that solar power has an important role to play in decarbonising our energy supply and supporting a just transition to net zero, however, we cannot meet our climate targets without ending the use of polluting heating systems in our buildings and moving to clean heat alternatives. \r\nWith sustained demand for the scheme and in the context of the real terms cuts to the Scottish Government’s capital funding – as well as drastic reductions in financial transactions – these changes were necessary to ensure that funding is best focused on interventions which directly decarbonise heat or reduce heat demand and ensure the scheme stays within its available budget.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421225,"EventID":"S6W-28187","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-14T16:19:00.513","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T12:37:20.327","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to attract investment and start-ups in Web 3.0 technology from non-UK sources.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government's CivTech Programme, has invested in diverse technologies that include Web 3.0, and has attracted over 90% of its participants from innovative start ups and SMEs, including participants from the USA, India, Finland, Greece, Italy and Spain, many of whom have gone on to set up Scottish bases. The Scottish Government has also provided funding support to the Scottish GovTech Cluster, which aims to support collaboration within the technology sector focused on connecting government agencies, businesses, researchers, academia and all other groups and individuals wishing to use technology (including Web 3.0) to improve and transform public services. The Scottish GovTech Cluster are working to attract investment both from within Scotland and from outside the country matching businesses and researchers with funding opportunities and provide support to help them secure investment.\r\nWe invest expert staff time in continuing to advise and support Scottish Enterprise’s work coordinating private sector activity on Web 3.0 technologies, through its Digital Trust Scotland - Blockchain Taskforce. The work of Scottish Enterprise produced a report in May 2023, Blockchain In Scotland Landscape Overview , which demonstrates the comprehensive engagement we have through this Taskforce. Hence, through involvement in the Taskforce, we would expect to have opportunity to provide more support where there are gaps identified that clearly lead to economic impacts.\r\nWe recognise that one potential private investment channel available for Web 3.0 companies is digital assets - for example cryptographic utility tokens. Our Financial Services/FinTech team are currently addressing related policy questions around Digital Assets in Scots Private Law. We would expect this work give Web 3.0 businesses in Scotland more legal clarity about such funding mechanisms.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421226,"EventID":"S6W-28192","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-14T16:19:00.593","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T16:59:39.36","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27321 by Jenny Gilruth on 17 May 2024, whether it will provide details of the schools that participated in Education Scotland’s Computing Science Scotland Week in 2023, broken down by local authority. ","AnswerText":"Based on registrations for November 2023 Computing Science week, the numbers provided in S6W-27321 are the accurate number of schools registered for each event during this week. It is difficult to be definitive on how many schools engaged as schools may also have participated by watching the recordings of sessions or by creating their own activities.\r\nNumber of schools\r\nCS Event\r\nLA\r\nData Selfie\r\nGD 1\r\nCode\r\nAI\r\nGame 1\r\nGame 2\r\nApps\r\nGD 2\r\nData\r\n1st level 1\r\n2\r\n3\r\nTotal\r\nAberdeen City Council\r\n1\r\n2 \r\n1 \r\n2 \r\n2 \r\n1\r\n1\r\n1\r\n11\r\nAberdeenshire Council\r\n2   \r\n1 \r\n4 \r\n2 \r\n1 \r\n10\r\nAngus Council \r\n3  \r\n1  \r\n2 \r\n1 \r\n2\r\n9\r\nCity of Edinburgh Council\r\n7\r\n5\r\n2\r\n5\r\n7\r\n4\r\n11\r\n8\r\n5 \r\n1 \r\n55\r\nClackmannanshire Council   \r\n1 \r\n1\r\n1 \r\n2   \r\n5\r\nComhairle nan Eilean Siar  \r\n1         \r\n1\r\nDumfries and Galloway Council\r\n1\r\n3\r\n1\r\n3\r\n5\r\n3\r\n2\r\n4\r\n2   \r\n24\r\nDundee City Council\r\n1\r\n4\r\n1 \r\n2\r\n2\r\n2\r\n2\r\n1\r\n2\r\n2\r\n2\r\n21\r\nEast Ayrshire Council \r\n2 \r\n2        \r\n4\r\nEast Dunbartonshire Council \r\n3 \r\n1\r\n2\r\n2\r\n1\r\n3 \r\n1\r\n1\r\n1\r\n15\r\nEast Lothian Council\r\n3\r\n2   \r\n1\r\n1\r\n2\r\n2  \r\n1\r\n12\r\nEast Renfrewshire Council\r\n1\r\n6 \r\n3\r\n2\r\n4\r\n2\r\n5\r\n3   \r\n26\r\nFalkirk Council\r\n4\r\n6\r\n2\r\n2\r\n2\r\n4\r\n4\r\n5\r\n6 \r\n2 \r\n37\r\nFife Council\r\n3\r\n5 \r\n6\r\n2\r\n3\r\n1\r\n4\r\n1 \r\n1\r\n1\r\n27\r\nGlasgow City Council\r\n3\r\n4\r\n1\r\n3\r\n2\r\n6\r\n3\r\n3\r\n4   \r\n29\r\nInverclyde Council\r\n1\r\n4\r\n1 \r\n1\r\n3\r\n3\r\n3\r\n2\r\n1\r\n2\r\n1\r\n22\r\nMidlothian Council\r\n1\r\n2 \r\n1\r\n1\r\n3\r\n1\r\n3\r\n1   \r\n13\r\nNorth Ayrshire Council\r\n2   \r\n2\r\n1  \r\n3   \r\n8\r\nNorth Lanarkshire Council\r\n2\r\n2\r\n2\r\n5\r\n6\r\n14\r\n4\r\n4\r\n2   \r\n41\r\nPerth and Kinross Council\r\n2\r\n3\r\n2\r\n2\r\n2\r\n3\r\n2\r\n3\r\n2 \r\n4\r\n1\r\n26\r\nRenfrewshire Council\r\n2\r\n2\r\n1\r\n1\r\n3\r\n2\r\n1\r\n2    \r\n14\r\nScottish Borders Council\r\n5\r\n1\r\n2\r\n2\r\n2\r\n4\r\n7 \r\n1\r\n2\r\n1\r\n2\r\n29\r\nShetland Islands Council   \r\n2\r\n3\r\n2\r\n2 \r\n4\r\n1\r\n1\r\n3\r\n18\r\nSouth Ayrshire Council\r\n2\r\n2\r\n2\r\n2\r\n3\r\n3\r\n2\r\n2\r\n3\r\n1\r\n1\r\n1\r\n24\r\nSouth Lanarkshire Council\r\n5\r\n5 \r\n2\r\n4\r\n4\r\n6\r\n4\r\n8\r\n5\r\n6\r\n5\r\n54\r\nStirling Council\r\n2\r\n1 \r\n2\r\n2\r\n2\r\n1 \r\n3\r\n2\r\n4\r\n1\r\n20\r\nThe Highland Council    \r\n1\r\n2      \r\n3\r\nThe Moray Council  \r\n1 \r\n3\r\n2    \r\n1 \r\n7\r\nWest Lothian Council\r\n11\r\n15\r\n1\r\n7\r\n6\r\n8\r\n6\r\n13\r\n7 \r\n2\r\n1\r\n77\r\nGrand Total\r\n61\r\n82\r\n20\r\n53\r\n65\r\n85\r\n67\r\n74\r\n65\r\n17\r\n31\r\n23\r\n642\r\n","AnswerDate":"2024-07-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421227,"EventID":"S6W-28181","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-14T16:19:00.67","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T11:25:46.65","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how much funding is currently available to be allocated as part of the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan scheme.","AnswerText":"An annual capital and financial transactions budget is allocated to the Heat in Buildings programme, which covers a range of funding programmes. The Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan Scheme is allocated an element of this budget.\r\nThe HES Grant and Loan Scheme budget is agreed annually and investment for 2024-25 remains subject to final accountable officer sign off. ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421228,"EventID":"S6W-28197","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16205,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-14T16:19:00.717","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T17:08:11.113","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of projects that have been allocated funding through European structural funds but did not receive EU funding because they did not meet the criteria, in each year since 2014.","AnswerText":"All projects that were allocated funding through European Structural Funds must have met the European Commission's criteria to qualify for support. A full list of projects that were awarded allocations is available on the Scottish Government's website:  European Structural and Investment Funds: operations funding - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421229,"EventID":"S6W-28193","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-14T16:19:00.78","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T16:59:39.36","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27321 by Jenny Gilruth on 17 May 2024, whether Education Scotland will hold Computing Science Scotland Week in 2024.","AnswerText":"Education Scotland will hold another Computing Science Event in November 2024. This year there will be 2 weeks – week 1 (4 to 8) will be targeted at computational thinking / no code/low code creative computing activities focusing on ELC and Primary and week 2 (11 to 15) will be focussed on coding activities for primary and secondary. Education Scotland will also be hosting 3 Computing Science Conferences (West, Central and North locations tbc) on 16 November 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421230,"EventID":"S6W-27721","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-14T16:19:00.857","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T11:30:30.213","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what checks it carries out to ensure that (a) Rape Crisis Scotland and (b) other organisations that it provides funding to uphold the law.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government expects all relevant organisations to comply with all laws. It is up to our independent judiciary to decide if laws have been broken. ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421231,"EventID":"S6W-28184","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-14T16:19:00.92","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T12:24:28.917","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when (a) it and (b) the Scottish Funding Council last offered to work with universities to develop alternative routes into teaching subjects that have traditionally been difficult to recruit for, and what options were considered.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government engages regularly through the Teacher Workforce Planning process, and recently discussed this with the Scottish Council of Deans of Education. Previously, this has led to the Scottish Government supporting a number of Initial Teacher Education universities to deliver a range of alternative routes into teaching. These included distance learning programmes, programmes aimed at training existing local authority employees to become teachers and a pathway to becoming a STEM teacher in rural areas. These programmes were summarised for the Strategic Board for Teacher Education (SBTE) in 2020 -  Alternative%2Broutes%2Binto%2Bteaching%2B-%2BFebruary%2B2020v3.pdf (www.gov.scot)  .\r\nWe are currently working with SBTE to consider issues around the recruitment and retention of teachers in Scotland in detail. The intention is that this will include consideration of potential alternative routes into teaching.\r\nThe Scottish Funding Council published its  University Intake Targets for Initial Teacher Education AY 2024-25 (sfc.ac.uk)  in April 2024. This contains a clear commitment to work with universities to develop alternative routes into subjects which have traditionally been difficult to recruit to, in response to the changing patterns of student demand for flexible learning routes.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421232,"EventID":"S6W-28198","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16205,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-14T16:19:01.03","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T17:08:11.113","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what funding was allocated to Scotland through European structural funds in each year since 2014.","AnswerText":"Funding was allocated to the Scottish Government by the European Commission at the beginning of the programme in 2014 and is not allocated on a yearly basis.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421233,"EventID":"S6W-28180","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-14T16:19:01.093","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T11:25:46.65","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the reasons for its decision to no longer make house builders eligible for funding from the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan scheme from 1 August 2024.","AnswerText":"With sustained demand for the scheme and in the context of the real terms cuts to the Scottish Government’s capital funding – as well as drastic reductions in financial transactions – these changes were necessary to ensure that funding is best focused on interventions which directly decarbonise heat or reduce heat demand in existing homes and ensure the scheme stays within its available budget.\r\nThe New Build Heat Standard currently requires new homes and buildings with a building warrant applied on or after 01 April 2024 to install a clean heating system, such as a heat pump. As these systems are now required to be included in the design of a project, it is expected that self-builders take into account the cost of installing a clean heating system into their project budget.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421234,"EventID":"S6W-28196","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-14T16:19:01.14","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T16:59:39.36","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it considered establishing a ferry compensation scheme for island businesses in advance of its announcement on 24 May 2024 of new funding schemes for island communities.","AnswerText":"Scottish Ministers are focused on ensuring a reliable and resilient ferry service, including six new vessels in service by 2026. We fully recognise the need to support our island businesses and that is why we are offering 100% relief in 2024-25 for hospitality businesses located on islands or in specified remote areas, capped at £110,000 per business.\r\nThe package of measures announced on 24 May 2024 also provides a further £5m support across our island communities.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421235,"EventID":"S6W-28186","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-14T16:19:01.217","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T12:37:20.327","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to help coordinate communication and support for Web 3.0 research, development and commercialisation between academia, industry, regulators and the public sector.","AnswerText":"We recognise the pioneering research and private investment in Web 3.0 technologies across Scotland. Nevertheless, our focus in applying digital technologies for Public Service Reform is based on an understanding of end-to-end services and user needs, rather than committing to use particular technologies.\r\nWe invest expert staff time in continuing to advise and support Scottish Enterprise’s work coordinating private sector activity on Web 3.0 technologies, through its Digital Trust Scotland - Blockchain Taskforce. The work of Scottish Enterprise produced a report in May 2023, Blockchain In Scotland Landscape Overview , which demonstrates the comprehensive engagement we have through this Taskforce. Hence, through involvement in the Taskforce, we would expect to have opportunity to provide more support where there are gaps identified that clearly lead to economic impacts.\r\nThe Scottish Government’s CivTech Programme enables research, development and commercialisation between the public sector, industry, regulators and academia across a broad range of technologies, including Web 3.0 approaches where they are relevant.\r\nThrough open innovation challenges delivered by the CivTech programme a range of innovative start ups and SMEs have worked with Public Sector bodies including Scottish Government Departments, Local Authorities and Non Departmental Public Bodies to develop experimental technologies which use Web 3.0 approaches on a range of issues including,tracking of Scope 3 Carbon Emissions,Building Standards certification processes,helping people access support they are entitled to andhigh integrity approaches to Nature Finance.\r\nThe CivTech programme has a strong track record in developing innovative technologies to solving challenges faced by the public sector while creating jobs and opportunities for new innovative businesses.\r\nThe Scottish Government has also provided funding support to the Scottish GovTech Cluster, which aims to support collaboration within the technology sector focused on connecting government agencies, businesses, researchers, academia and all other groups and individuals wishing to use technology (including Web 3.0) to improve and transform public services. The Scottish GovTech Cluster are working to attract investment both from within Scotland and from outside the country matching businesses and researchers with funding opportunities and provide support to help them secure investment.\r\nWe recognise that one potential private investment channel available for Web 3.0 companies is digital assets - for example cryptographic utility tokens. Our Financial Services/FinTech team are currently addressing related policy questions around Digital Assets in Scots Private Law. We would expect this work give Web 3.0 businesses in Scotland more legal clarity about such funding mechanisms.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421236,"EventID":"S6W-27719","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-14T16:19:01.28","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T11:30:19.803","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any potential impact on its funding of the service, what information has been provided to it regarding the recently announced review of the Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre, including (a) who is conducting the review, (b) the review’s remit, (c) what questions it seeks to answer, (d) what process will be used to reach its conclusion and (e) when any findings will be publicly available.","AnswerText":"As a funder of the organisation, the Scottish Government has been informed that Vicky Ling, an independent Chartered Quality Professional, who works in the justice sector, will carry out the independent review. \r\nAs the governance, management and operation of Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre are matters for their Board to consider and act upon, it is for them to set the remit and decisions around the review. ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421237,"EventID":"S6W-28178","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-14T16:19:01.343","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T11:25:46.633","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its progress on the allocation of funding from its commitment to spend £1.8 billion during the current parliamentary session on decarbonising Scotland’s buildings.","AnswerText":"Scotland’s Heat in Buildings Strategy, published in October 2021, outlines our ambitious programme that reflects the scale and the size of the challenge to reduce emissions from our buildings. Our commitment to allocate at least £1.8bn over this parliament will help kick-start growth in the market and support those least able to pay. This includes: \r\n? At least £465m to support those least able to pay, delivered through our Warmer Homes Scotland and Area Based schemes.\r\n? £300m for Scotland’s Heat Network Fund.\r\n? £200m Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund, investing in a sector already leading the way in the heat transition.\r\n? £200m Scottish Green Public Sector Estate Scheme, supporting leadership for energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation right across the public sector.\r\nOf the £1.8bn allocated as part of the strategy, over £1.3bn has been allocated through the budget setting process, of which, over £500m has been spent to the end of May 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421238,"EventID":"S6W-28199","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16205,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-14T16:19:01.42","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T17:08:11.113","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what European structural fund payments were made to the Scottish Government in each year since 2014.","AnswerText":"Details are as follows:\r\nYear\r\nPayments to the Scottish Government (£)\r\n2014\r\n6,958,111\r\n2015\r\n9,578,049\r\n2016\r\n20,497,374\r\n2017\r\n4,874,579\r\n2018\r\n62,231,645\r\n2019\r\n0.00\r\n2020\r\n21,757,347\r\n2021\r\n94,891,386\r\n2022\r\n126,239,743\r\n2023\r\n118,389,188\r\n2024\r\n24,958,243\r\nTotal\r\n490,375,665","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421239,"EventID":"S6W-28152","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-14T16:19:01.483","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T09:44:52.91","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the cost was for each producer of applying for an exemption from the proposed Deposit Return Scheme before it was delayed in June 2023.","AnswerText":"The Deposit Return Scheme requires all drinks producers to register with SEPA before their products may be sold in Scotland. There are no exemptions for producers under the scheme. Data on producer registration is held by SEPA.\r\nProducers may choose to register product lines with less than 5000 units placed on the market each year as a ‘Low Volume Product’. Producers of Low Volume Products must still register and report the number of products placed on the market, but products will be exempt from the requirement to apply deposits. There are no legislated costs associated with registering a product line as a low volume product.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421240,"EventID":"S6W-28202","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-14T16:19:01.56","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-14T09:39:19.967","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the registration rate for NHS dentistry amongst children reportedly falling between 2019 and 2020, for the first time since 2006. ","AnswerText":"Scottish Government recognises that the registration rate for NHS dentistry amongst children fell between 2019 and 2020, and this can be attributed to the impact of the pandemic which significantly curtailed dental activity, including registration of new patients.\r\nWhile we recognise that child registrations have not yet recovered to pre pandemic levels overall, official statistics published by Public Health Scotland in May - and showing registration by age cohort – show continued good levels of registration in older children aged six and over.\r\nFor younger age groups, where registration continues to be below national average, it should be noted that these cohorts received additional contacts through our flagship Childsmile programme. Childsmile offers every child attending nursery in Scotland free daily supervised tooth brushing, and fluoride varnish application to those in our most deprived communities.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421241,"EventID":"S6W-28189","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-14T16:19:01.623","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T14:58:34.263","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it still plans to undertake a review of the short-term let licensing scheme by late spring 2024 to assess how the scheme is working in practice, as it has previously committed to. ","AnswerText":"The implementation update will be published later in July instead of June. I also refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27717 on 4 June 2024 in relation to the monitoring work. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":421242,"EventID":"S6W-27795","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-14T16:19:01.717","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-21T14:40:50.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any potential impact on its funding of the service, whether (a) it, (b) local authorities and (c) service users will play a role in the recently announced review of the Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre, and, if so, whether it will provide details of what that role will be and what it will involve.","AnswerText":"As a funder of the organisation, the Scottish Government has been informed that Vicky Ling, an independent Chartered Quality Professional, who works in the justice sector, will carry out the independent review. \r\nAs the governance, management and operation of Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre are matters for their Board to consider and act upon, it is for them to set the remit and decisions around the review.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421243,"EventID":"S6W-27720","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-14T16:19:01.78","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T11:30:24.01","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review its funding model for Rape Crisis Scotland, in light of any avoidable costs that have been incurred as a result of the recent employment tribunal case involving the Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre and a former employee who was held to have been discriminated against.","AnswerText":"No funds have been provided by the Scottish Government to cover the costs of the Employment Tribunal.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421244,"EventID":"S6W-28191","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-14T16:19:01.827","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T16:59:39.36","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its next Carbon Neutral Islands Project Progress Report. ","AnswerText":"The six islands making up the Carbon Neutral Islands Project have seen significant successes since the last progress report was published on 19 January 2023. An annual report is currently being drafted in collaboration with key stakeholders which we plan to publish later this year.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421245,"EventID":"S6W-27723","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-14T16:19:01.903","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T11:31:09.827","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any potential impact on its funding of the service, what its response is to the recent employment tribunal judgement in relation to a former employee of the Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre, who was held to have been discriminated against.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government cannot comment on individual Employment Tribunal decisions. However, we are aware of and welcome, the decision to commission an independent review in light of the outcome of the Employment Tribunal.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421246,"EventID":"S6W-27718","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-14T16:19:01.967","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T11:30:10.47","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any potential impact on its funding of the service, what its position is on whether the recently announced review of the Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre will be sufficient to address reported concerns in relation to the recent employment tribunal judgement regarding discrimination within the centre.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government cannot comment on individual Employment Tribunal decisions. However, we are aware of and welcome, the decision to commission of an independent review in light of the outcome of the Employment Tribunal.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421247,"EventID":"S6W-28150","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-14T16:19:02.03","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T09:44:52.91","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the cost was of (a) processing and (b) any projected lost revenue resulting from each of the exemptions granted to producers from the proposed Deposit Return Scheme.","AnswerText":"The Deposit Return Scheme requires all drinks producers to register with SEPA before their products may be sold in Scotland. There are no exemptions for producers under the scheme. Data on producer registration is held by SEPA.\r\nAs an industry-led scheme, the Scottish Government receives no revenue from producers as a result of DRS.\r\nProducers may choose to register product lines with less than 5000 units placed on the market each year as a ‘Low Volume Product’. Producers of Low Volume Products must still register and report the number of products placed on the market, but products will be exempt from the requirement to apply deposits.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421248,"EventID":"S6W-28188","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-14T16:19:02.107","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T14:58:34.263","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish the Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment for the draft Housing (Scotland) Bill.","AnswerText":"The impact assessments for the Housing (Scotland) Bill will be published in tranches. The first of these to be published was the Equality Impact Assessment, published on 21 June 2024 on the Scottish Government website, and the remaining impact assessments including the Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment will be published in the coming weeks.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":421249,"EventID":"S6W-28194","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-14T16:19:02.17","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T16:59:39.36","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27321 by Jenny Gilruth on 17 May 2024, what steps Education Scotland will take to encourage more schools to participate in Computing Science Scotland Week, should it proceed again in 2024. ","AnswerText":"Education Scotland will continue to work with local authorities and external partners to promote themed weeks. Dates will be promoted from August 2024, through our networks (Computing Science and Primary Computing Science networks on Glow, Local Authority National Technologies Network, professional networks such as ADICOS, Computing at Schools and CompEdnet), stakeholders and Education Scotland and Digilernscot social media.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421250,"EventID":"S6W-28182","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-14T16:19:02.247","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T11:43:27.643","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors student retention data in colleges and universities.","AnswerText":"Information on university retention rates is published by the Scottish Funding Councils (SFC) in the statistics publication “Report on Widening Access”.\r\nThe latest publication is available on the SFC’s website:  Report on Widening Access 2021-22 - Scottish Funding Council (sfc.ac.uk) \r\nInformation on college withdrawal rates is published by the SFC in the statistics publication “College Performance Indicators”.\r\nThe latest publication is available on the SFC’s website:  College Performance Indicators 2022-23 - Scottish Funding Council (sfc.ac.uk) \r\nThis data supports Scottish Government and SFC’s work with colleges and universities to measure and improve performance across the sectors. The data is also used to monitor student progression as part of the SFC’s Outcome Agreements with institutions. In addition to monitoring data returns, institutions may provide written commentary on their student retention rates and/or discuss this with their Outcome Agreement contacts within SFC.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421251,"EventID":"S6W-28190","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5596,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":151,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-14T16:19:02.327","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T15:43:07.97","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to extending the cutting and filing of toenails through the NHS to those with (a) arthritis and (b) other conditions that make personal footcare difficult. ","AnswerText":"The NHS Scotland Podiatry Service treats patients depending on the individual person’s healthcare needs, not according to specific medical conditions. Effective triage helps allocate resources efficiently and ensures that patients receive timely care based on their healthcare needs.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421252,"EventID":"S6W-28203","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-14T16:19:02.403","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-14T09:39:19.967","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the total registration rate for NHS dentistry amongst children has been in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"This information is not held centrally. Since 2024, the statistics for registration and participation are released by Public Health Scotland (PHS) on a quarterly basis. Reports can be accessed at  NHS dental data monitoring report - Quarter Ending March 2024 - NHS dental data monitoring report - Publications - Public Health Scotland  .\r\nPrior to this, NHS dental registration and participation data was published by PHS annually and can be accessed at Show all releases - Publications - Public Health Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421253,"EventID":"S6W-28185","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-14T16:19:02.467","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T12:37:20.327","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the investment and support landscape for Web 3.0 development in Scotland, and what gaps it has identified that need addressing through either private or public sector action.","AnswerText":"We recognise the pioneering research and private investment in Web 3.0 technologies across Scotland. Nevertheless, our focus in applying digital technologies for Public Service Reform is based on an understanding of end-to-end services and user needs, rather than committing to use particular technologies.\r\nWe invest expert staff time in continuing to advise and support Scottish Enterprise’s work coordinating private sector activity on Web 3.0 technologies, through its Digital Trust Scotland - Blockchain Taskforce. The work of Scottish Enterprise produced a report in May 2023, Blockchain In Scotland Landscape Overview , which demonstrates the comprehensive engagement we have through this Taskforce. Hence, through involvement in the Taskforce, we would expect to have opportunity to provide more support where there are gaps identified that clearly lead to economic impacts.\r\nScottish Government's CivTech Programme, has invested in diverse technologies that include Web 3.0, and has attracted over 90% of its participants from innovative start ups and SMEs, many of whom have gone on to set up Scottish bases. The Scottish Government has also provided funding support to the Scottish GovTech Cluster, which aims to support collaboration within the technology sector focused on connecting government agencies, businesses, researchers, academia and all other groups and individuals wishing to use technology (including Web 3.0) to improve and transform public services. The Scottish GovTech Cluster are working to attract investment both from within Scotland and from outside the country matching businesses and researchers with funding opportunities and provide support to help them secure investment.\r\nWe recognise that one potential private investment channel available for Web 3.0 companies is digital assets - for example cryptographic utility tokens. Our Financial Services/FinTech team are currently addressing related policy questions around Digital Assets in Scots Private Law. We would expect this work give Web 3.0 businesses in Scotland more legal clarity about such funding mechanisms.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421254,"EventID":"S6W-28200","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-14T16:19:02.543","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-14T09:39:19.967","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the forecast in the Dental Workforce in Scotland 2021 report that the supply of dentists will fall short of the number required to maintain current registration rates.","AnswerText":"It should be noted that the Dental Workforce in Scotland 2021 report was published at the height of pandemic interruptions to dental training in Scotland, and we look forward to contemporary data in September 2024.\r\nThe Scottish Government has been clear that, as a result of its intervention in response to the pandemic, a full year of undergraduate and vocational training was lost with significant impact on the introduction of domestic workforce to the sector. This was not a decision taken lightly, but was made following recommendation from the Deans of the Scottish Dental Schools as a necessary action to preserve the competence and confidence of graduates impacted by the pandemic. Scottish Government has also been clear that it could take up to five years for repercussions to fully resolve, however vocational training has now resumed in full and dental school outputs are back to pre-pandemic levels. \r\nDespite this interruption, the Scottish Government has maintained a strong track record in growing the NHS dental workforce in Scotland, with 57 dentists per 100,000 of the population, compared to 42 in England and 46 in Wales. \r\nThe Scottish Government is continuing to work on a range of initiatives to bolster the NHS dental workforce through consideration of both domestic and international pipelines, as well as of the shape and structure of the workforce required into the future. This work includes collaboration with its counterparts across the UK and devolved governments to improve workforce pathways for international dentists, in addition to harnessing skill mix to improve capacity within dental teams.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421255,"EventID":"S6W-28201","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-14T16:19:02.623","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-14T09:39:19.967","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact it expects the reported reduction in the intake of students to Bachelor of Dental Surgery courses in 2021 and 2022 will have on the future dental workforce.","AnswerText":"Following recommendation from the Deans of the Scottish Dental Schools, with respect to competence and confidence of pandemic-affected students, undergraduates and vocational trainees in the system during the pandemic were required to repeat the 2020-21 academic year. The Scottish Government has been clear that it could take up to five years for repercussions to fully resolve, however vocational training has now resumed in full and dental school outputs are back to pre-pandemic levels.\r\nDespite this interruption, the Scottish Government has maintained a strong track record in growing the NHS dental workforce in Scotland, with 57 dentists per 100,000 of the population, compared to 42 in England and 46 in Wales.\r\nNHS Education for Scotland statistics published on 4 June 2024 also show an improving picture in workforce numbers, with the number of ‘high street’ NHS dentists from the period March 2023 to March 2024 increasing by almost 5%.\r\nThe longer term trend is also positive - these figures show the number of ‘high street’ NHS dentists has increased by 28% from the period March 2007 to March 2024.\r\nThe Scottish Government is continuing to work on a range of initiatives to bolster the NHS dental workforce through consideration of both domestic and international pipelines, as well as of the shape and structure of the workforce required into the future. This work includes collaboration with its counterparts across the UK and devolved governments to improve workforce pathways for international dentists, in addition to harnessing skill mix to improve capacity within dental teams.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421256,"EventID":"S6W-28183","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-14T16:19:02.687","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T11:48:47.23","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered an \"earn-as-you-learn\" route to midwifery as a means to widen access and help address any recruitment challenges in remote and island NHS boards.","AnswerText":"We recognise that alternative career pathways such as earn-as-you-learn can widen access to midwifery careers by providing an alternative route into the profession for those who may not want or be able to choose the undergraduate route, including those who are settled and rooted in our rural and island communities.\r\nThat is why, as part of its remit, the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce will propose recommended actions to develop alternative career pathways - recognising a growing interest in flexible learning models which allow students to earn and learn at the same time.\r\nWe are also developing a Rural and Islands Workforce Recruitment Strategy which will provide employers with tools and methodologies to strengthen recruitment practice both in and to rural and island communities.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421261,"EventID":"S6T-02046","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-17T13:02:57.027","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-17T09:36:58.79","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported claims that its net zero targets are at serious risk if solar is not reinstated to the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan scheme.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421262,"EventID":"S6T-02048","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":3763,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":142,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-17T13:02:57.197","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-17T10:02:22.16","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde regarding dental provision in the Greenock and Inverclyde constituency.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-06-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421263,"EventID":"S6F-03240","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-17T13:02:51.773","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T11:19:39.607","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421264,"EventID":"S6F-03241","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5586,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-17T13:02:52.01","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T11:19:55.803","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421265,"EventID":"S6F-03242","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":2892,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-17T13:02:51.6","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-13T11:20:11.97","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421266,"EventID":"S6F-03255","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":4940,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":81,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-17T13:02:53.167","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-17T11:25:01.507","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's position is on the call from the Federation of Small Business Scotland for the next UK administration to pilot a remote visa to benefit remote areas such as the Highlands, in line with the Migration Advisory Committee recommendation, and any implications that this could have for Scotland’s economy.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421267,"EventID":"S6F-03246","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-17T13:02:51.68","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-17T09:52:27.203","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what his response is to the reported comment from the Nuclear Industry Association that his stance on nuclear power is \"hopelessly ideological and anti-science\".","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421268,"EventID":"S6F-03260","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5060,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-17T13:02:51.883","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-17T11:57:07.86","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what assurances the Scottish Government can provide to the arts and culture sector to ensure confidence, in light of the reported issues with the sponsorship of cultural events.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-06-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421269,"EventID":"S6W-28213","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-17T16:41:11.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-16T20:06:38.29","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether bridge repainting has been included in the scope of works for improvements to Anniesland railway station in Glasgow.","AnswerText":"The development work delivered at Anniesland Station is led by Network Rail. Network Rail advises that painting of the adjacent bridge is not included in the scope for the current station accessibility improvements. Accessibility is a matter reserved to the UK Government. \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421270,"EventID":"S6W-28228","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-17T16:41:12.223","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-17T12:36:15.827","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assistance it is providing to the managing agent of the Warmer Homes Scotland programme, Warmworks, in light of reports that applicants in island areas, where levels of fuel poverty can be highest, are being advised that they may have to wait up to 12 weeks, increased from six weeks, for their assessment.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government monitors Warmworks' delivery across Scotland against key performance indicators including 'referral to completion' split by region. There had been delays in providing assessments due to high demand following launch of the scheme’s new phase in October 2023. Warmworks have now significantly increased their assessor capacity and the current expected wait time for a Warmer Homes Scotland assessment for a customer in the Islands is now six weeks.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421271,"EventID":"S6W-28220","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-17T16:41:12.397","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-17T10:57:42.037","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what fees have been charged by all private consultants for advising Transport Scotland regarding the Ardrossan Harbour upgrade.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to questions S6W-27104 on 10 May 2024 and S6W-26870 on 25 April 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-07-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421272,"EventID":"S6W-28218","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-17T16:41:12.57","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-17T10:57:42.037","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much CalMac Ferries has paid in harbour dues in each year since 2011-12.","AnswerText":"CalMac Ferries Ltd have paid harbour dues each year since 2011-12 as detailed in following table. This information is retained by Contract Year (October to September).\r\nCHFS1 contract (October 2007 to September 2016) *\r\nCY05\r\nCY06\r\nCY07\r\nCY08\r\nCY09\r\n2011-12\r\n2012-13\r\n2013-14\r\n2014-15\r\n2015-16\r\n'000\r\n'000\r\n'000\r\n'000\r\n'000\r\n£11,510\r\n£12,139\r\n£21,745\r\n£23,925\r\n£25,310\r\nCHFS2 contract (October 2016 to September 2024) *\r\nCY01\r\nCY02\r\nCY03\r\nCY04\r\nCY05\r\nCY06\r\nCY07\r\nCY08 **\r\n2016-17\r\n2017-18\r\n2018-19\r\n2019-20\r\n2020-21\r\n2021-22\r\n2022-23\r\n2023-24\r\n'000\r\n'000\r\n'000\r\n'000\r\n'000\r\n'000\r\n'000\r\n'000\r\n£31,494\r\n£33,046\r\n£33,578\r\n£28,569\r\n£31,780\r\n£36,576\r\n£38,362\r\n£25,125\r\n* Contract Year (CY) is October to September.\r\n** CHFS2 CY08 value is to date (May 2024)","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421273,"EventID":"S6W-28233","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-17T16:41:12.74","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-17T14:27:08.62","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of psychosocial support for people with chronic kidney disease.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28205 on? 5 July 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421274,"EventID":"S6W-28221","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-17T16:41:12.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-17T10:57:42.037","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions (a) Transport Scotland, (b) CalMac Ferries and (c) CMAL has had with Pentland Ferries regarding the safe management system on the MV Alfred prior to time chartering the vessel.","AnswerText":"Discussions regarding the charter, and terms of the contract were solely between the owner of the vessel, Pentland Ferries, and the operator CalMac Ferries Limited.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421275,"EventID":"S6W-28207","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-17T16:41:13.163","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-14T11:48:14.057","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to expand coverage of designated renal social work support.","AnswerText":"Employment of social workers rests with local authorities and the Scottish Government does not hold any information on numbers of renal social workers.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421276,"EventID":"S6W-28216","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-17T16:41:13.413","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-17T10:57:42.037","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what Transport Scotland’s full-time equivalent (FTE) staffing commitment is to building the case for a Teckal-compliant direct award of the next Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services contract to the incumbent public sector operator, and what information it holds on what the FTE staffing commitment is from the private consultants that are contracted to advise on this direct award.","AnswerText":"I refer to previous answers to question S6W-19363 on 7 July 2023 and S6W-23734 on 4 January 2024 and S6W-24773 on 1 February 2024. The core CHFS3 team consists of 13 FTE staff. Specialist support is being provided from relevant officials within the Legal, Financial and Subsidy Control teams as and when required to complete the necessary due diligence on a potential direct award (an award in reliance on the exemption in Regulation 13 (1) of the Public Contract (Scotland) Regulations 2015).\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421277,"EventID":"S6W-28231","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-17T16:41:13.57","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-17T13:38:33.73","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many fatal accident inquiries it expects the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service to complete in 2024.","AnswerText":"A Fatal Accident Inquiry is concluded when the presiding Sheriff issues their Determination. COPFS has limited control over the timescale for commencing and concluding a FAI after the First Notice has been lodged.\r\nIt is not possible to provide an accurate estimate of the number of death investigations where COPFS expects to conclude its enquiries and initiate FAI proceedings in 2024, particularly in relation to discretionary FAIs. There are a number of factors which affect timescales, such as the need to await the outcome of investigations by reporting agencies and to consider expert evidence or reports from other agencies.\r\nThe Head of SFIU writes to all Sheriffs Principal on a quarterly basis to ensure future FAI business is factored into the court programme as efficiently as possible.\r\n \r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421278,"EventID":"S6W-28227","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-17T16:41:13.79","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-17T12:16:43.67","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when Strengthening Communities Programme funding for the financial year 2024-25 will be released to the Development Trusts Association Scotland to allow local organisations to receive funds.","AnswerText":"Ministers have now made a decision on the final budget to support the Strengthening Communities Programme for 2024-25. The decision has been communicated through the delivery partners, including the Development Trusts Association Scotland, in order to advise all the community anchor organisations involved.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421279,"EventID":"S6W-28217","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-17T16:41:13.993","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-17T10:57:42.037","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of the annual payments that the operator of the current Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services contract has made to Transport Scotland since 2016.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not receive direct payments from the operator of the current Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services contract. Any financial transactions of this nature would be accounted for on completion of reconciliation at the end of each Contract Year.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-06-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421280,"EventID":"S6W-28214","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-17T16:41:14.18","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-16T23:11:10.667","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support the redevelopment of Pollok roundabout, in light of reported capital funding constraints facing Strathclyde Partnership for Transport and Glasgow City Council causing the project to be suspended. ","AnswerText":"Local authorities have a duty under the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 to manage and maintain local roads in their area and duties under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to secure the expeditious, convenient and safe movement of traffic.\r\nThe vast majority of funding to local authorities from the Scottish Government is provided via a block grant and we do not stipulate how local authorities should utilise their individual allocations. It is therefore the responsibility of each local authority to manage their own budget and to allocate the financial resources available to them on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities.\r\nIn 2024-25, Glasgow City Council will receive over £1.6 billion to fund local services, which equates to an extra £74.9 million to support vital day to day services or an additional 4.9% compared to the 2023-24 budget.\r\nUltimately, it is for locally elected representatives to make local decisions on how best to deliver services to their local communities.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421281,"EventID":"S6W-28215","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-17T16:41:14.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-17T10:57:42.037","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will take urgent steps to ensure that trade unions' organising staff at CalMac Ferries can have direct discussions with the consultants commissioned by Transport Scotland to conduct the due diligence of a Teckal-compliant direct award of the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services contract from 1 October 2024 to the incumbent public sector operator. ","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland officials meet regularly with trade union representatives. The consultants commissioned by Transport Scotland provide confidential legal and financial advice which supports decision making. Trade unions should continue to use the existing communication channels through Transport Scotland for any queries they have regarding the next Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service contract.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421282,"EventID":"S6W-28226","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-17T16:41:14.633","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-17T10:57:42.037","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether a crew fatigue management plan was in place on the MV Alfred when it was time chartered from Pentland Ferries in April 2023.","AnswerText":"Any discussions around the charter, including a crew fatigue management plan are solely a matter between the owner of the vessel, Pentland Ferries, and the operator CalMac Ferries Limited.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421283,"EventID":"S6W-28222","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-17T16:41:14.867","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-17T10:57:42.037","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will issue a statement on the safety of the MV Alfred, in light of the publication of the Marine Accident Investigation Branch’s report into the grounding of the vessel at Swona Island on 5 July 2022.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not intend to issue a statement on the safety on the MV Alfred, following the publication of the Marine Accident Investigation Branch, into the grounding of the vessel at Swona Isalnd on 5 July 2022.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421284,"EventID":"S6W-28224","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-17T16:41:15.12","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-17T10:57:42.037","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the total value is of the time charter agreements that it has signed with Pentland Ferries for the MV Alfred between April 2023 and July 2024.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government have not entered into, or signed, any agreement with Pentland Ferries.\r\nThe charter agreements of the MV Alfred from Pentland Ferries, vessel owner, for use on Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service contract (CHFS) have all been undertaken by the operator, CalMac Ferries Ltd. The Scottish Government has provided funding to CalMac Ferries Ltd to enable the charter of the MV Alfred and this was confirmed as £15.1m, in the Freedom of Information request published on 8 February 2024:  Information relating to Scottish ferries costs and upgrades: EIR release - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421285,"EventID":"S6W-28232","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-17T16:41:15.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-17T14:27:08.62","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the number of NHS boards that provide psychosocial support training for renal healthcare professionals.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28205 on? 5 July 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421286,"EventID":"S6W-28219","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-17T16:41:15.543","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-17T10:57:42.037","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an estimate of the amount of revenue that Peel Ports has received from car parking charges at Ardrossan Harbour since 2012.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not receive nor hold any information related to Car Parking charges at Ardrossan. This is the responsibility of Peel Ports Group (PPG) as the statutory harbour authority and owner of the port.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421287,"EventID":"S6W-28229","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-17T16:41:15.84","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-17T13:38:10.05","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-19612 by Mairi Gougeon on 13 July 2023, what it is doing to reduce the number of red squirrel kits that are killed, and what its prediction is for the number of killed red squirrel kits in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025 based on the current felling and harvesting programme.","AnswerText":"Forestry and Land Scotland reduce impacts on red squirrel by scheduling operations to avoid the breeding season in areas that are thought to hold higher than average densities of red squirrels. Prior to any harvesting operation, a pre-operational survey is carried out to assess the extent of use of the felling coupe by red squirrels, and to locate squirrel dreys.\r\nIf red squirrels are identified as being present, various mitigation may be enacted, such as retaining drey trees, avoiding areas with dreys until after the breeding season, and directional felling to slowly usher adults and kits into adjacent stands. During operations machine operators are required to report any dreys felled with kits in them. No such reports have been made in 2024 or 2023 seasons.\r\nIt is impossible to know with certainty whether in fact any kits are killed each year , for example if unobserved dreys are felled, which are consequently unreported by machine operators. FLS have therefore calculated a hypothetical maximum assuming worst case scenarios in all assumptions. Based on the current felling and harvesting programme, the potential numbers for a) 2024 and b) 2025, is:\r\na) 903 (or 1.2% of the estimated population of kits in Scotland)\r\nb) 876 (or 1.17% of the estimated population of kits in Scotland)\r\nThis will change as the programme is adjusted and finalised.\r\nOnly a small proportion of the theoretical deaths of squirrel kits due to forest operations would be extra mortality, as over 70% of young kits naturally die during their first winter.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":421288,"EventID":"S6W-28223","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-17T16:41:16.057","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-17T10:57:42.037","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many sailings under the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services contract with CalMac Ferries have been provided by the MV Alfred since May 2023.","AnswerText":"The number of sailings CalMac Ferries Ltd has provided with the charter vessel, MV Alfred, across the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service (CHFS) between 1 May 2023 and 30 April 2024 is 1,086.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421289,"EventID":"S6W-28209","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-17T16:41:16.243","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-14T14:21:05.897","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what work it is undertaking to update the School Premises (General Requirements and Standards) (Scotland) Regulations 1967.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government intends to update the School Premises (General Requirements and Standards) (Scotland) Regulations 1967.\r\nGiven the time elapsed between the previous consultation exercise that took place in 2017-18, we must now consider the updated context that the regulations will exist in. We are now taking this work forward.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421290,"EventID":"S6W-28230","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-17T16:41:16.433","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-17T13:38:33.73","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many fatal accident inquiries are currently outstanding.","AnswerText":"As of 19 June 2024, there are scheduled court dates for 45 Fatal Accident Inquiries where proceedings have been initiated (relating to 26 mandatory and 19 discretionary FAIs). There are also a further 14 Inquiries in which evidence has been concluded and the issuing of the Sheriff’s Determination is awaited. In addition, COPFS has 219 death investigations where FAI proceedings have not yet commenced or where court dates have not yet been fixed. Of these, 213 relate to ongoing investigations where a mandatory FAI requires to be held and 6 to investigations where I have instructed that a discretionary FAI is to be held.\r\nThese figures do not include cases where enquiries are ongoing and where a decision on the holding of a discretionary FAI will be taken at the conclusion of the investigation.\r\nBefore commencing an FAI, COPFS requires to conduct a thorough examination of the whole circumstances surrounding a death. There are often a number of complex factors to take into account including the need to await and consider expert evidence or reports from other agencies, such as the Health and Safety Executive, The National Health Service, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, the Scottish Prison Service, the Office of the Rail Regulator and many others. It can often take several years for these agencies to produce their reports to COPFS.\r\nCOPFS understands the impact that the delay in holding an FAI can have on bereaved families and is committed to working in partnership with all other agencies involved in death investigation to reduce the length of time it takes to initiate and conclude FAI’s.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421291,"EventID":"S6W-28225","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-17T16:41:16.62","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-17T10:57:42.037","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it holds regular discussions with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency regarding maritime safety compliance on privately-operated ferry routes in Scotland, and, if so, when the MV Alfred was last discussed.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not held discussions with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) regarding maritime safety compliance in respect of the MV Alfred. The MCA are responsible for the inspection and surveying of ships to ensure that they are meeting UK and international safety rules.\r\nThe Scottish Government expects the highest shipping safety and crew welfare standards and for these to be applied in the case of all vessels and personnel accessing our ports and coastal areas. ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421292,"EventID":"S6W-28206","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-17T16:41:16.887","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-14T11:48:14.057","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve psychosocial care for people living with kidney disease. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all people living with kidney disease in Scotland are able to access the best possible care and support, and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care.\r\nWe expect all NHS Boards in Scotland to adhere to current guidelines and follow best practice when providing psychosocial care for people with kidney disease.\r\nOur  Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy  published in 2023, sets out a long-term vision, and a set of outcomes, for the mental health and wellbeing of the population. \r\nIn September 2023, we published the  National Specification for Psychological Therapies and Interventions  , and  Mental Health Core Standards  to ensure effective, equitable, efficient and high-quality person-centred care is delivered consistently across Scotland. The Specification and Standards set out what we expect in terms of care in Psychological Therapies and Adult Secondary Services, including appropriate staffing.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421324,"EventID":"S6W-28235","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-18T16:47:47.877","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-17T17:09:34.063","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS boards are currently consulting on the future of any (a) A1, (b) A2, (c) A3, (d) B and (e) J26 hospitals, and which hospitals they are.","AnswerText":"Currently there are no territorial NHS Boards consulting on major service change proposals on the future of hospitals.\r\nAny major service change proposals being considered by NHS Boards are subject to at least three months formal public consultation and, ultimately, Ministerial approval; in line with national guidance which is available at:\r\nhttps://www.gov.scot/publications/planning-people-community-engagement-participation-guidance-updated-2024/  .","AnswerDate":"2024-07-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421325,"EventID":"S6W-27891","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-18T16:47:48.063","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-27T15:08:10.63","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that Amey is using masking paint patches to cover graffiti on the South West Trunk Roads Network, whether it will (a) request that Amey fulfils any contractual obligation to remove any graffiti and (b) consider commissioning street art murals on structures that are more prone to repeat targeting of graffiti. ","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland will review Amey’s treatment of graffiti on the South West Trunk Roads Network against their contractual requirements. We are supportive of using street art to deter undesirable graffiti on trunk road structures. Work has already been commissioned for various structures within the Glasgow area with final designs having already been submitted by street artists for approval.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421326,"EventID":"S6W-28237","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-18T16:47:48.627","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-18T11:23:42.173","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported concerns from projects in Scotland regarding an anticipated future decrease in the Scottish Landfill Communities Fund, and what action it plans to take to mitigate any loss of funding.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Landfill Communities Fund has played an important role in funding community and environmental projects across Scotland.\r\nThe Scottish Government recognises that the forecast decline in landfill tax revenues, which reflect the policy intent to reduce the volume of waste sent to landfill, will reduce the contributions that landfill operators make to the Fund. We are therefore carefully considering future arrangements for the Fund, working with Revenue Scotland and the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421327,"EventID":"S6W-28007","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-18T16:47:48.767","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-31T10:03:50.247","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to invest in the (a) Hillend Junction and (b) A704.","AnswerText":"Detailed design of traffic signals for the A702/A703/Old Pentland Road junction is currently being carried out by specialist engineers. Provided no issues arise through the detailed design process and resources are available, construction of these improvements is programmed to begin this financial year. We are continuing to liaise with Midlothian Council to coordinate these works with other projects affecting the A702. The start date of the construction of these works will be planned to reduce disruption wherever possible.\r\nThe A704 is not part of the trunk road network and is the responsibility of the Local Authority, in this case West Lothian Council. Any investment plans for this road would be for them to comment on.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421328,"EventID":"S6W-28238","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-18T16:47:48.907","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-18T11:23:42.173","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been distributed to projects from the Scottish Landfill Communities Fund in each local authority area in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Landfill Communities Fund is a tax credit scheme, linked to Scottish Landfill Tax. Contributions are provided directly by landfill operators to Approved Bodies, which are then responsible for awarding funding to projects throughout Scotland. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) regulates the fund on behalf of Revenue Scotland, which has overall responsibility for it.\r\nSEPA reports that £28,011,069 was distributed to community projects from the SLCF over the five-year period from 2019 to 2023. The following table breaks this down by local authority area.\r\nLocal Authority Area\r\n2019\r\n2020\r\n2021\r\n2022\r\n2023\r\nAberdeen City\r\n£17,622.00\r\n£38,400.00\r\n£0.00\r\n£500.00\r\n£50,000.00\r\nAberdeenshire\r\n£191,231.00\r\n£186,247.49\r\n£397,258.83\r\n£227,462.59\r\n£478,971.75\r\nAngus\r\n£53,073.00\r\n£56,469.51\r\n£28,566.72\r\n£108,403.00\r\n£53,442.00\r\nArgyll and Bute\r\n£164,430.00\r\n£224,378.00\r\n£211,050.26\r\n£214,542.32\r\n£114,000.00\r\nClackmannanshire\r\n£49,941.00\r\n£35,137.00\r\n£82,253.00\r\n£90,825.00\r\n£31,392.27\r\nDumfries and Galloway\r\n£175,558.80\r\n£46,670.48\r\n£80,736.00\r\n£86,936.08\r\n£56,000.00\r\nDundee\r\n£50,000.00\r\n£61,669.00\r\n£0.00\r\n£30,000.00\r\n£198,480.56\r\nEast Ayrshire\r\n£181,297.50\r\n£524,443.00\r\n£134,088.00\r\n£39,955.00\r\n£217,076.71\r\nEast Dunbartonshire\r\n£13,466.00\r\n£0.00\r\n£6,336.00\r\n£20,000.00\r\n£0.00\r\nEast Lothian\r\n£65,687.00\r\n£31,322.00\r\n£118,756.82\r\n£73,873.00\r\n£49,875.00\r\nEast Renfrewshire\r\n£0.00\r\n£0.00\r\n£0.00\r\n£15,000.00\r\n£25,000.00\r\nEdinburgh (city of)\r\n£94,119.00\r\n£53,148.74\r\n£20,000.00\r\n£114,312.00\r\n£14,332.00\r\nFalkirk\r\n£449,805.75\r\n£134,200.00\r\n£364,091.00\r\n£294,945.60\r\n£572,354.00\r\nFife\r\n£1,221,451.43\r\n£876,978.52\r\n£1,099,825.39\r\n£864,590.13\r\n£785,606.06\r\nGlasgow\r\n£567,525.24\r\n£276,213.04\r\n£180,980.00\r\n£597,477.20\r\n£1,052,507.86\r\nHighland\r\n£427,945.43\r\n£291,772.15\r\n£456,228.06\r\n£238,308.99\r\n£222,182.05\r\nInverclyde\r\n£0.00\r\n£23,000.00\r\n£106,000.00\r\n£42,614.00\r\n£60,430.00\r\nMidlothian\r\n£182,673.93\r\n£70,434.00\r\n£226,137.00\r\n£164,013.80\r\n£87,319.90\r\nMoray\r\n£267,300.59\r\n£57,850.00\r\n£153,946.56\r\n£133,695.00\r\n£299,400.00\r\nNorth Ayrshire\r\n£356,257.00\r\n£734,617.00\r\n£224,929.00\r\n£39,579.40\r\n£231,216.00\r\nNorth Lanarkshire\r\n£319,927.01\r\n£215,000.00\r\n£422,225.03\r\n£143,108.00\r\n£261,446.84\r\nOrkney Islands\r\n£27,109.00\r\n£0.00\r\n£0.00\r\n£0.00\r\n£10,504.93\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n£180,639.00\r\n£174,557.00\r\n£182,785.00\r\n£117,339.48\r\n£106,403.00\r\nRenfrewshire\r\n£96,500.00\r\n£24,000.00\r\n£26,250.00\r\n£29,868.00\r\n£89,555.89\r\nScottish Borders\r\n£297,130.00\r\n£270,556.00\r\n£75,715.00\r\n£21,500.00\r\n£79,922.00\r\nShetland Islands\r\n£54,851.00\r\n£0.00\r\n£19,502.00\r\n£0.00\r\n£0.00\r\nSouth Ayrshire\r\n£122,695.05\r\n£7,820.00\r\n£81,718.50\r\n£45,000.00\r\n£27,220.00\r\nSouth Lanarkshire\r\n£229,611.56\r\n£220,192.40\r\n£346,471.49\r\n£329,874.81\r\n£328,245.00\r\nStirling\r\n£64,013.97\r\n£98,126.00\r\n£264,508.00\r\n£133,785.00\r\n£182,859.28\r\nWest Dunbartonshire\r\n£125,000.00\r\n£92,477.29\r\n£131,121.60\r\n£69,700.00\r\n£104,481.00\r\nWest Lothian\r\n£170,939.01\r\n£234,352.90\r\n£200,434.80\r\n£180,127.80\r\n£492,908.90\r\nNa h-Eileanan an lar\r\n£75,635.97\r\n£56,147.20\r\n£99,857.14\r\n£31,899.55\r\n£77,314.10\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421329,"EventID":"S6W-27857","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-18T16:47:49","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-23T13:56:39.053","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review the affordability threshold for connections delivered through the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme, which currently stands at £56 per month.  ","AnswerText":"The affordability threshold for the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme (R100 SBVS) aligns with that of the broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) set by Ofcom, which is currently £56.20 per month. This threshold is increased by CPI (Consumer Price Index – a measure of inflation) each year.\r\nWe considered it appropriate to adopt this criteria, given the robust analysis and monitoring that Ofcom undertakes to support their decisions. Ofcom continues to monitor pricing regularly, and we will continue to mirror any changes in our own terms and conditions.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421330,"EventID":"S6W-28236","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-18T16:47:49.08","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-17T17:09:34.063","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) A1, (b) A2, (c) A3, (d) B and (e) J26 NHS hospitals have closed in the last 17 years.","AnswerText":"The hospital group codes that have been quoted in the question are only present in data that are used for the Public Health Scotland ‘Costs Book’. Therefore, the figures quoted below are based on hospitals that have been assigned with one of the hospital group codes in this annual data collection to support the Scottish Health Service Costs publication. Information is available for financial years 2007-08 to 2022-23 (most recent). Group code ‘J26’ (community hospitals) was not used until the 2009-10 data collection. A mapping exercise identified that group codes ‘A5’ and ‘B10’ (both since discontinued) were previously used to define community-based hospitals up to that point, and this is reflected in the following table. It should also be noted that changes over time in the following table will reflect system reconfigurations, e.g. the Acute Services Review in Greater Glasgow, where several smaller acute facilities were reconfigured over two larger main sites, including the opening of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital campus in 2015.\r\nAnother important point of context is that models of patient care have changed markedly over the 17-year time period covered by the question, with initiatives such as ‘Hospital at Home’ now offering supported care at or closer to home, where possible, in place of longer hospital stays.\r\nThe following table sets out the number of hospitals by group code in financial years 2007-08, 2009-10 and 2022-23:\r\nGroup Code\r\n2007-08\r\n2009-10\r\n2022-23\r\nA1\r\n6\r\n7\r\n7\r\nA2\r\n19\r\n18\r\n14\r\nA3\r\n12\r\n13\r\n12\r\nB\r\n66\r\n60\r\n27\r\nA5 + B10\r\n59\r\nn/a\r\nn/a\r\nJ26\r\nn/a\r\n59\r\n61\r\nSource: Public Health Scotland: Scottish Health Service Costs","AnswerDate":"2024-07-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421331,"EventID":"S6W-28234","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-18T16:47:49.157","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-17T16:55:07.673","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the outstanding medium-term Cleaner Air for Scotland 2 (CAFS2) recommendations that are not due to be completed until after 2024, as listed in the Cleaner Air for Scotland 2 - Towards a Better Place for Everyone: 2023/24 Progress Report, including for what reason they are outstanding in each case.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government published the annual Cleaner Air for Scotland 2 progress report on 17 June 2024, providing an update on progress on delivering the actions.\r\nOf the twenty medium term actions, the timeframe for completing three of these actions has been extended beyond 2024. The reasons for this are as follows.\r\nAction\r\nReason for extending\r\nThe Scottish Government will support investigation into the method of assessing risk of significant harmful ecological effects from atmospheric nitrogen (nitrogen deposition and elevated concentrations of ammonia and NOx), comparing critical loads/levels with dose-response or other options.\r\nCommissioned research under our Strategic Research Programme will deliver a number of the CAFS2 actions by 2026. The James Hutton Institute are leading on the Nitrogen Impacts on the Natural Environment (NINE) project which will deliver the outcomes of these two actions by 2026.\r\nThe Scottish Government with support from SEPA and NatureScot will assess the potential costs of implementing identified improvements to the current site condition monitoring of designated conservation sites, to improve on current methods which don't detect air pollution effects.\r\nPublic bodies should incorporate travel from employee commutesas part of their corporate carbon footprint and will report these emissions via their public bodies duties reporting.\r\nThis action is being taken forward through new statutory guidance on public bodies’ climate change duties and climate change reporting which is due to be published in 2025.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421353,"EventID":"S6W-28242","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:30:41.253","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-18T15:37:30.193","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to involve and consult with disability advocacy groups, including those representing people with sight loss, in the development and implementation of any e-scooter legislation and trials.","AnswerText":"The legal use of electric scooters and decisions around their introduction is broadly a reserved matter for the UK Government. The UK Government has stated its intention to bring forward a new regulatory framework for vehicles such as electric scooters, however the timescales for this are unclear and it may take a number of years for such a new framework to be in effect.\r\nEnabling the use of electric scooters through such a regulatory framework would also require amendments to devolved legislation, therefore the Scottish Government are monitoring developments in this area and will continue to engage with the Department for Transport on this matter.\r\nNo e-scooter trials are taking place in Scotland, and recent extensions to the trials do not enable onboarding of new areas. We do not anticipate that this is likely to change therefore no preparations for a Scottish trial are taking place.\r\nAs is recognised by Scotland’s Accessible Travel Framework, it is crucial that disabled people are involved in the design, development and improvement of transport policies, services and infrastructure. Therefore, before any changes are made to devolved legislation the Scottish Government would engage with all stakeholders and ensure all necessary impact assessments are carried out.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421354,"EventID":"S6W-28253","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:30:41.517","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-18T19:24:22.45","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to meet the strategic objectives outlined in the 2015 publication, Protecting Public Resources in Scotland.","AnswerText":"Since the publication of the strategy, the Scottish Government (SG) has sought to raise fraud awareness and build professional networks utilising conferences and forums aimed at building a community of counter fraud professionals. Creation of the Integrity Group within the SG, alongside joint activities such as the improvement action plan with Audit Scotland on improvement of the National Fraud initiative, were key initial activities. In 2021 the first Head of Counter Fraud Profession was appointed with the Counter Fraud Service established in 2022. This coincided with Covid pandemic and demonstrated the value of this new service in providing support and advice on fraud prevention to colleagues delivering grants to support the economy in Scotland. \r\nThe Counter Fraud Service has established links with the International Public Sector Fraud Forum - a public sector counter fraud strategy forum – which has strengthened the SG’s approach to fraud prevention and detection through cross-border collaboration on counter fraud best practice. The SG has embedded a fraud risk management framework and a Counter Fraud Toolkit in 2023, providing all colleagues with access to new in-depth guidance and tools for the management of fraud and corruption risk, and support with fraud cases. The Counter Fraud Service, in collaboration with Risk, Control and Assurance Division, is now focussing on ‘counter fraud culture’ and fraud awareness. This being delivered through new training, workshops and guidance aimed at improving the skills and capabilities across government, as well as general education on fraud and corruption to ensure that the SG stays fraud aware. \r\nFurther to this, the Integrity Group, made up of leadership in areas of integrity from across government, provides oversight on the counter fraud strategy and how this links to other areas of integrity under the Civil Service Code. Lastly, the establishment of the Counter Fraud Profession in SG, led by the Head of Counter Fraud Profession, acts to join up the counter fraud community across SG organisations, to deliver consistency, opportunities for joint working and a community of best practice in counter fraud.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421355,"EventID":"S6W-28250","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16205,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:30:41.627","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-18T18:26:59.26","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many applications for redress received by Redress Scotland since its inception have been approved.","AnswerText":"As of 24 June 2024, 1578 applications received by Redress Scotland have been deemed eligible for financial redress.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421356,"EventID":"S6W-28251","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16205,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:30:41.737","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-18T18:26:59.26","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many applications for redress received by Redress Scotland since its inception have not been approved.","AnswerText":"As of 24 June 2024, 55 applications received by Redress Scotland have been deemed not eligible for financial redress.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421357,"EventID":"S6W-28255","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:30:41.8","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-19T14:39:01.65","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on student finance for nursing and midwifery students, in light of reported concerns by both the Royal College of Nursing and the Royal College of Midwifery in Scotland regarding the viability of these courses.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government understands the financial challenges faced by all students, including nursing and midwifery students, and recognise that this has been exacerbated by the cost of living crisis.\r\nThe Scottish Government package of support for Scottish student nurses and midwives is currently at its highest level, and is the highest level of support available to nursing and midwifery students across the UK. The annual £10,000 bursary is non-means tested and non-repayable. Eligible students receive free tuition, free uniforms, free disclosure and health checks as well as the reimbursement of clinical placement expenses (travel and accommodation).\r\nBoth the Chief Nursing Officer and Chief Midwifery Officer have participated in roundtable events hosted by the Royal College of Nursing and the Royal College of Midwifery, where they have heard first hand student testimony around financial hardship.\r\nFollowing those discussions, but alongside the work of the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce and the findings from the royal colleges’ student surveys, the Scottish Government has committed to carrying out a review of nursing and midwifery student financial support.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421358,"EventID":"S6W-28248","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16205,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:30:41.893","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-18T18:26:59.26","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many of the applications not approved by Redress Scotland since its inception were not approved on the basis of the shortness of a victim’s stay in care.","AnswerText":"Applications for the Redress Scheme are received by the Scottish Government and passed to Redress Scotland for determination.\r\nWe are unable to answer this question as neither Scottish Ministers nor Redress Scotland hold information on the specific reason why an individual application has been deemed not eligible for financial redress.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421359,"EventID":"S6W-28249","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16205,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:30:42.173","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-18T18:26:59.26","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many applications for redress Redress Scotland has received since its inception.","AnswerText":"As of 24 June 2024, 3993 applications have been received by Scotland’s Redress Scheme. Of those applications, 2157 have been passed to Redress Scotland for a determination.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421360,"EventID":"S6W-28257","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:30:42.66","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-19T15:03:12.173","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the reported increase in COVID-19 cases between May and June 2024, and what its position is on whether the uptake of COVID-19 vaccinations during the winter vaccination programme was sufficient. ","AnswerText":"As part of the 2023- 24 COVID-19 and flu winter vaccination programme NHS Scotland delivered over 3.57 million winter vaccines, including 1,387,766 COVID-19 vaccines. Uptake of the COVID-19 vaccines dropped across all groups, but remained strong in the highest risk groups, with 85.6% of care home residents and 84.1% of those aged over 75 vaccinated which we know from recent statistics are the groups mostly likely to be admitted to hospital.\r\nPublic Health Scotland (PHS) is responsible for delivering  Scotland’s Infectious Respiratory Diseases Plan 2023–2024 (publichealthscotland.scot)  with the support of the Scottish Government. The Scottish Vaccination and Immunisation Programme (SVIP) has already undertaken various pieces of work to understand why uptake has decreased, and this is part of an ongoing drive to ensure that people can take up offers of vaccine easily and equitably. Should the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommend a 2024 winter COVID-19 programme, we shall incorporate that learning into planning for any future campaign.\r\nPublic Health Scotland (PHS) is responsible for COVID-19 surveillance. Given the recent increase in circulation of COVID-19 observed in Scotland, PHS has returned to weekly updates to their viral respiratory dashboard from 27 June 2024 (  COVID-19 & Respiratory Surveillance (shinyapps.io)  .Periodic peaks in COVID-19 are expected, not just in the winter.\r\nCOVID-19 is not a seasonal virus and circulates all year around and with the vaccine optimum protection period lasting up to 3 months, it remains essential that those who are eligible, come forward for vaccination when offered.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421361,"EventID":"S6W-28244","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:30:43.457","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-18T17:15:39.433","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has not published the report for the 2021 missed emissions target under section 36 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009, during the pre-election period, in light of reports that this report has already been substantially delayed and is critical to understanding how the Scottish Government plans to learn from its failures in order to reach its net zero targets.","AnswerText":"The published pre-election guidance sets out that announcements and publications from the Scottish Government, particularly those including a cross border or reserved element, can have a bearing on the UK general election campaign. Regrettably, in line with the guidance applying during the pre-election period, a decision was made not to publish this report as planned ahead of the Scottish Parliament entering summer recess on 29 June. We are committed to discharge this report as soon as reasonably practicable once the Scottish Parliament has reconvened after summer recess.\r\nOur commitment to ending Scotland’s contribution to global emissions as soon as possible, and by 2045 at the latest, is unwavering and work to take forward this report remains a priority.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421362,"EventID":"S6W-28252","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:30:44.253","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-18T19:24:22.45","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review the counter fraud strategy, Protecting Public Resources in Scotland, and, if so, within what timescale.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government plans to review and refresh all aspects of our approach to tackling fraud and corruption across government, including updating the counter fraud strategy Protecting Public Resources in Scotland. This is part of a wider strategic look at the prevention and detection of public sector fraud and corruption in Scotland.\r\nThe update to the counter fraud strategy, commencing in 2024-25, is part of a three-year counter fraud plan to enhance the way we prevent and detect fraud and corruption in public resources. The principles of the 2015 strategy remain extant and activities to date have focussed on developing in each strategic area with a focus on collaborative cross sector working. In 2021 there was the appointment of the first Head of Counter Fraud Profession in Scottish Government and the establishment of the Counter Fraud Service within the Directorate for Internal Audit and Assurance in 2022. Working across Government, we have improved how we identify fraud/corruption risk through fraud risk profiling and heat mapping, how we manage these risks with fraud risk and fraud impact assessments across government, and how we respond to fraud through the Fraud Response Plan and cross government Integrity Group. The counter fraud strategy update will reflect these changes and how we intend to move forward in our efforts to improve the maturity of approach against the Scottish Government’s Counter Fraud Maturity Model. \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421363,"EventID":"S6W-28241","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:30:44.973","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-18T15:37:17.893","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what specific measures it plans to implement to ensure the safety of people with sight loss, in light of the anticipated legalisation and potential public hire trials of e-scooters.","AnswerText":"The legal use of electric scooters and decisions around their introduction is broadly a reserved matter for the UK Government. The UK Government has stated its intention to bring forward a new regulatory framework for vehicles such as electric scooters.\r\nEnabling the use of electric scooters through such a regulatory framework would also require amendments to devolved legislation, therefore the Scottish Government are monitoring developments in this area and will continue to engage with the Department for Transport on this matter. The timescales for this regulatory framework are unclear and it may take a number of years for such a new framework to be in effect, as such the Scottish Government has not yet given detailed consideration to measures to be implemented that ensure safety of people with sight loss.\r\nNo e-scooter trials are taking place in Scotland, and recent extensions to the trials do not enable onboarding of new areas. We do not anticipate that this is likely to change therefore no preparations for a Scottish trial are taking place.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421364,"EventID":"S6W-28240","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:30:45.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-18T15:33:24.037","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) Royal Mail and (b) other delivery companies regarding the additional cost of parcel delivery in the Highlands and Islands region, and what measures are being implemented to ensure that residents in these areas are not disproportionately affected by (i) such costs and (ii) any proposed changes to the universal service obligation.","AnswerText":"The Royal Mail and postal delivery services are reserved matters.\r\nPostal delivery companies are commercial organisations, operating in an unregulated market. The Scottish Government has long called for an end to unfair delivery charges, but only the UK Government has the power to regulate them. Where there are opportunities to do so, the Scottish Government urges these companies to be fair and transparent in their pricing policies.\r\nThe Scottish Government supports the maintenance of the Universal Service Obligation (USO) and makes regular representations to the UK Government and Royal Mail on behalf of Scottish consumers.\r\nI will meet with Royal Mail in September and will continue to seek assurances that any reform of the USO does not cause detriment, particularly to consumers in rural and island communities.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421365,"EventID":"S6W-28239","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5596,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":151,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:30:45.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-18T15:10:09.77","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support consumers to purchase electric vehicles and reduce emissions on the roads.","AnswerText":"Since 2011 the Scottish Government has supported individuals and businesses across Scotland transition to electric vehicles by providing £223 million of interest free loans through the Low Carbon Transport loan, this scheme delivered on behalf of Scottish Ministers by Energy Saving Trust (EST) has funded over 8,300 loans and has saved an estimated 230,000 tCO2e.\r\nTransport Scotland officials are currently finalising details of the fund prior to the loan relaunching. Energy Saving Trust, who administer the loan on behalf of Scottish Ministers, will provide up to date information regarding the loan and interested parties can register their interest on their website here -  Used Electric Vehicle Loan - Energy Saving Trust  .","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421366,"EventID":"S6W-28256","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:30:46.567","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-19T14:42:06.237","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many (a) public and (b) private electric vehicle charging points there currently are in each local authority area. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold information relating to the total number of public or private electric vehicle (EV) charge points in each local authority area. Information about public EV charge points in each of Scotland’s local authority areas can be found in the UK Government's Department for Transport’s ‘Electric vehicle charging device statistics’ which are published on a quarterly basis. The next quarterly report is scheduled for release in July 2024.\r\nThere are no publicly available statistics on the number of private charging devices in Scotland, such as those in workplaces, fleet depots and at residential properties.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421367,"EventID":"S6W-28243","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:30:47.037","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-18T15:37:44.427","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will conduct a comprehensive impact assessment of the potential legalisation of e-scooters, specifically focusing on the implications for disabled people and those with sight loss.","AnswerText":"The legal use of electric scooters and decisions around their introduction is broadly a reserved matter for the UK Government. The UK Government has stated its intention to bring forward a new regulatory framework for vehicles such as electric scooters, however the timescales for this are unclear and it may take a number of years for such a new framework to be in effect.\r\nEnabling the use of electric scooters through such a regulatory framework would also require amendments to devolved legislation, therefore the Scottish Government are monitoring developments in this area and will continue to engage with the Department for Transport on this matter.\r\nAs is recognised by Scotland’s Accessible Travel Framework, it is crucial that disabled people are involved in the design, development and improvement of transport policies, services and infrastructure. Therefore, before any changes are made to devolved legislation the Scottish Government would engage with all stakeholders and ensure all necessary impact assessments are carried out.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421368,"EventID":"S6W-28245","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:30:47.583","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-18T17:32:36.367","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of ScotRail tickets were sold through the Trainline app or website in each of the last 24 months, also broken down by (a) percentage and (b) total revenue.","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for ScotRail. The Member may wish to contact ScotRail directly.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":421369,"EventID":"S6W-28247","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:30:48.21","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-18T17:32:36.367","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when its contract with Trainline to run the ScotRail ticketing app and website will expire.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28245 on 10 July 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":421370,"EventID":"S6W-28246","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:30:48.693","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-18T17:32:36.367","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) total and (b) annual cost is of its contract with Trainline to run the ScotRail ticketing app and website.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28245 on 10 July 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":421372,"EventID":"S6O-03636","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16207,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:49:48.847","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-18T17:07:45.55","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is undertaking to tackle racism in justice and community safety-related public bodies.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421373,"EventID":"S6O-03638","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:49:49.047","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-19T10:39:34.727","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to end the reported disruption to students in further education, in light of the ongoing industrial dispute between College Employers Scotland and EIS-FELA over pay and conditions.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421374,"EventID":"S6O-03627","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:49:49.097","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-18T10:00:40.947","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its humanitarian aid funding, what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the distribution of humanitarian aid to Gaza, in light of recent developments, including Ireland, Spain and Norway’s recognition of the state of Palestine.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421375,"EventID":"S6O-03631","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5074,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":104,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:49:49.267","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-18T13:09:13.66","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland’s Strategic review of the Scottish Police Authority, which was published earlier this month and sets out the progress made by the Scottish Police Authority in providing oversight and scrutiny of policing in Scotland.    ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421376,"EventID":"S6O-03644","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5622,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":148,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:49:49.61","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-19T10:28:23.087","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any specific measures or alternative programmes it is considering as a replacement to Erasmus+ in Scotland, whether it can provide a timeline for any support that may be available for Bishopbriggs Academy and other schools.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421377,"EventID":"S6O-03632","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:49:49.783","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-19T10:00:07.567","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to its decision to grant early release to prisoners\r\ncurrently in custody, whether all victims and their families will be duly\r\nnotified of the early release of any prisoner.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421378,"EventID":"S6O-03621","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3129,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":83,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:49:50.033","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-18T14:49:49.293","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its work to further the case for Scottish independence, what recent engagement it has had with third-sector organisations regarding Scotland's constitutional future.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421379,"EventID":"S6O-03625","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:49:50.11","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-18T09:46:56.57","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it prevents a loss of talent when considering any reduction in funding to the arts sector.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421380,"EventID":"S6O-03629","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:49:50.237","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-19T10:18:16.44","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the potential impact on the Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme of the roll-out of BT’s Digital Voice to rural and island areas in Scotland, in particular in relation to areas without adequate mobile phone provision.  ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421381,"EventID":"S6O-03634","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2892,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:49:50.283","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-19T11:13:08.443","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, as part of the delivery of its hate crime strategy, what action it is taking to tackle online extreme right-wing radicalisation.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421382,"EventID":"S6O-03639","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:49:50.347","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-19T11:06:16.973","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the education secretary last met with Aberdeenshire Council, and what was discussed.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421383,"EventID":"S6O-03633","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16197,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:49:50.597","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-18T16:12:28.593","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to make the process of reporting sexual crimes easier on survivors of these crimes.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421384,"EventID":"S6O-03635","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:49:51","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-18T12:31:29.113","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason HMP Barlinnie’s Target Operating Capacity is over 300 prisoners more than its Design Capacity.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421385,"EventID":"S6O-03622","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:49:51.097","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-18T11:32:30.823","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Edinburgh International Book Festival, in light of reports that the Fossil *Free* Books campaign has threatened its viability.  ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421386,"EventID":"S6O-03630","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:49:51.237","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-18T13:29:50.413","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the use of drones to fly illicit material into Scottish prisons.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421387,"EventID":"S6O-03623","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:49:51.313","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-18T13:37:07.95","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Glasgow’s Citizens Theatre about the future of its redevelopment project.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421388,"EventID":"S6O-03640","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:49:51.377","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-19T10:36:54.077","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the delivery of 1,140 hours of funded childcare in Orkney, in light of the specific challenges faced by island authorities in meeting this requirement.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421389,"EventID":"S6O-03626","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:49:51.643","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-19T11:36:51.46","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how citizens' assemblies can help ensure that the views of people in rural communities are taken into account in decision-making on matters of importance to rural Scotland.  ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421390,"EventID":"S6O-03628","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16205,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:49:51.737","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-19T09:53:47.343","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update regarding the status of its International Development Fund and its funding for emergency medical projects in Malawi.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421391,"EventID":"S6O-03624","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:49:51.893","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-19T11:34:43.703","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with Creative Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421392,"EventID":"S6O-03642","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5075,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":112,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:49:52.16","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-17T20:35:58.793","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take regarding the ongoing Fife College staff pay dispute.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421393,"EventID":"S6O-03637","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:49:52.33","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-19T08:20:49.43","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the impact of a reduction in teacher numbers in some areas on pupils with additional support needs.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421394,"EventID":"S6O-03643","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":86,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:49:52.457","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-19T10:25:47.177","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the effectiveness of the corporate governance arrangements underpinning Scotland’s colleges.  ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421396,"EventID":"S6O-03649","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":2103,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":109,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:49:56.397","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-19T11:56:36.327","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the roll-out of banking hubs in Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421397,"EventID":"S6O-03648","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5866,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:49:56.693","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-18T09:50:03.627","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to tackle any inappropriate care and overcrowding in NHS emergency departments.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421398,"EventID":"S6O-03652","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:49:56.943","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-18T14:46:33.577","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that the provision of midwives by the NHS meets demand.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421399,"EventID":"S6O-03650","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:49:57.1","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-19T09:52:37.957","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its consideration of the impact of the change in subsidised air service provider between Uist and Stornoway on access to services, including health services, for people with reduced mobility.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421400,"EventID":"S6O-03651","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:49:57.193","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-18T14:37:44.383","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a further update on plans for the redevelopment of Ardrossan Harbour.  ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421401,"EventID":"S6O-03647","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":3751,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":108,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:49:57.27","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-18T17:38:57.803","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what it is doing to ensure access to primary care in areas that have a high projected population growth.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421402,"EventID":"S6O-03646","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-19T16:49:57.383","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-19T09:50:18.547","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the Scottish National Investment bank is operating legally, in light of reports that the advisory group that was meant to be established by the Scottish Ministers has not yet been established.  ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421419,"EventID":"S6W-28270","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-20T16:03:06.847","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T07:59:33.78","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the cost was of setting up the Pain Management Task Force prior to it commencing meetings in June 2022, including a breakdown of any payments for (a) workers, (b) secondments, (c) members, (d) travel costs, (e) IT and (f) other expenses.","AnswerText":"There were no costs incurred in setting up the Pain Management Task Force prior to meetings commencing in June 2022, beyond the pay of NHS staff and civil servants undertaking this work as a part of their role. ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421420,"EventID":"S6W-28260","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-20T16:03:06.94","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-19T17:51:41.313","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much time, on average, it takes for a student midwife to be repaid for any expenses incurred on clinical placements, and what action it is taking to decrease this.","AnswerText":"Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) manage the reimbursement of clinical placement expenses for student paramedics, nurses and midwives on behalf of the Scottish Government and has a 12 day service level agreement in place. Since the start of the 2024-25 academic year the average turnaround time is 7.2 days and as of 21 June, SAAS were working on claims received on 20 June.\r\nAll placement expenses are routed to SAAS via Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) who assess students’ claims in the first instance before sending them to SAAS for reimbursement. The Scottish Government, SAAS and HEIs have met regularly to improve the process of these reimbursements and to create more flexibility within the rules for students. Revised guidance will go live on 1 July 2024 and a key element of these improvements has been to ensure that students are aware that they can claim expenses in advance.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421421,"EventID":"S6W-28289","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-20T16:03:06.987","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T11:44:01.76","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to publish national guidance on how to convert temporary accommodation into permanent homes. ","AnswerText":"In its response to the Temporary Accommodation Task and Finish Group recommendations, the Scottish Government committed to working with COSLA, ALACHO and the SFHA to develop national guidance to help maximise the impact of effective stock management and to support good flipping practice.\r\nThat engagement has highlighted the range of issues affecting different local authorities, each of which requires a different solution. Flipping of temporary accommodation into permanent homes has been taken forward in many areas, where possible, however, there are issues that limits some areas’ ability to take this practice forward.\r\nIn addition to continued engagement with local authorities to support this practice, the Scottish Government will discuss with ALACHO and COSLA what local areas need to support flipping and what they would find helpful from a national perspective, including national guidance if this is seen to be beneficial.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421422,"EventID":"S6W-28275","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-20T16:03:07.08","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T09:01:28.623","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what funding the Scottish National Investment Bank has (a) received and (b) issued to applicants in each year of its operation.","AnswerText":"The Bank receives funding through Grant in Aid which it uses to cover operating costs and fund its investments. From launch in November 2020 to the end of March 2023, the Bank received a total of £325m and has invested £304m. The annual breakdown is detailed below. The amount of cash invested in 2023-24 will be confirmed in the Bank’s audited Annual Accounts which will be published in the coming months.\r\nFinancial Year\r\nSG Cash Funding ? £m\r\nCash Invested ? £m\r\n2020-21(part year from November 2020)\r\n31\r\n23\r\n2021-22\r\n143\r\n129\r\n2022-23\r\n151\r\n152","AnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421423,"EventID":"S6W-28288","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-20T16:03:07.127","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T11:42:42.98","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to publish monthly delivery updates on (a) how many homes, (b) what type of homes and (c) the location of the homes that have been delivered through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to assess how we best share our data with partners. The Scottish Government publishes quarterly housing statistics on the Affordable Housing Supply Programme covering approvals, starts and completions by tenure and build form.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421424,"EventID":"S6W-28261","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-20T16:03:07.19","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-19T17:52:52.527","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scotland Student Midwives Finance Report, published by the Royal College of Midwives.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government welcomes the Student Midwives Finance Report, published by the Royal College of Midwives and thanks them for holding the roundtable event in the Scottish Parliament on 30 May 2024.\r\nThe event was attended by the Chief Midwifery Officer Justine Craig who heard powerful accounts from the students who clearly articulated their experiences.\r\nA similar event was held by the Royal College of Nursing in September last year and following that the Scottish Government created a short-life working group comprising representatives from the Scottish Government, Student Awards Agency Scotland and higher education institutes to review the placement expenses guidance.\r\nThis group recently concluded its review and revised guidance will go live on the 1 of July. Their work will ensure students are refunded as promptly as possible and has provided students with greater flexibility on issues such as claiming advance payments. A national FAQs has also been developed to ensure greater consistency in the application of the guidance by HEIs across the country.\r\nThe Scottish Government has also committed to carrying out a review of student financial support more widely.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421425,"EventID":"S6W-28274","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-20T16:03:07.237","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T09:01:28.623","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what unspent funding the Scottish National Investment Bank currently has available to issue to applicants.","AnswerText":"The Scottish National Investment Bank is operationally independent of Government. It makes commercial debt and equity investments to deliver on the three Missions set for it by Scottish Ministers. The Scottish Government will provide the Bank with £174m of budget for investment during 2024-25. Some of that budget will support existing investment commitments with the remainder available for new and follow-on investments.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421426,"EventID":"S6W-28272","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-20T16:03:07.3","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T08:00:43.117","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to help Glasgow Airport to secure the return of transatlantic flights.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28273 on? 5 July 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-07-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421427,"EventID":"S6W-28287","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-20T16:03:07.363","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T11:41:31.82","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to prioritise the (a) building and (b) buying of larger properties to provide suitable homes for households with children that have been living long term in temporary accommodation. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government wants to see a reduction in the number of households with children in temporary accommodation and works closely with local authority partners to ensure their Strategic Housing Investment Plans reflect their identified priorities including high quality homes for larger families where these are required. Homes for larger families can be supported through a variety of routes including new build and acquisitions of existing properties.\r\nWe are investing almost £600 million in the Affordable Housing Supply Programme in 2024-25, which includes up to £40 million for acquisitions announced in April this year, and a further £40 million next year. This additional £80 million investment in acquisitions offers another option to secure larger family homes where they are needed and will help reduce the time spent in temporary accommodation, including by children. This £80 million builds on the success of our National Acquisition Programme which has invested more than £83 million in 2023-24 and delivered almost 1,500 affordable homes.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421428,"EventID":"S6W-28262","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-20T16:03:07.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-19T18:00:09.67","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with (a) UK Government ministers and (b) private companies regarding its forthcoming Natural Capital Market Framework.","AnswerText":"Engagement on the Natural Capital Market Framework is taking place from March to September and is following Scottish Government’s approach to service design, using the expertise and insight from a diverse range of stakeholders to inform the development of the framework. This engagement has included UK Government officials leading their work on natural capital markets but there has been no direct engagement with UK Government Ministers. We have also engaged with a wide range of private businesses representing agricultural, land management, contractor and investment interests.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421429,"EventID":"S6W-28259","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-20T16:03:07.473","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-19T17:51:41.313","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether student midwives in receipt of benefits continue to receive their benefits after being awarded a bursary.","AnswerText":"There are a number of complexities around UK benefits and student systems and these can impact negatively on each other. With the Scottish Government Paramedic, Nursing and Midwifery Student Bursary, maintenance elements of the Bursary are considered as income for Universal Credit and other means-tested reserved benefits.\r\nIf a Universal Credit award is removed due to ‘excess income’ such as the bursary, students would also lose entitlement to Scottish Government benefits such as Scottish Child Payment. This includes the non-means tested bursary, the Spouse or Cohabiting Partner Allowance, the Child Dependent Allowance and the Lone Parents' Grant.\r\nThe Scottish Government have introduced a Special Support Loan for 2024-25 academic year and have obtained agreement from the Department for Work and Pensions that this element of student income will be disregarded when assessing Universal Credit entitlement.\r\nThe Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice  wrote to Viscount Younger of Leckie  , Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions, on 17 April 2024 asking for Student Maintenance Loans to also be disregarded as income for the purposes of calculating Universal Credit entitlement, particularly as they are a loan which must be repaid, but no reply has been received to date.\r\nIt should also be noted that due to the receipt of the non-repayable Paramedic, Nursing and Midwifery Bursary, students are not eligible for student loans. The Scottish Government has committed to carrying out a review of student finance for paramedic, nursing and midwifery students.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421430,"EventID":"S6W-28282","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-20T16:03:07.71","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T10:40:21.873","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what additional steps are being taken in the coming months to increase awareness of the peak fares removal trial on ScotRail services.","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland has written to a range of stakeholders to publicise the pilot as well as the ongoing public survey which will form an input into the final evaluation of the pilot.\r\nIn addition, ScotRail has ran an extensive marketing campaign across radio, TV, press and social media to highlight the potential pilot as well as regular social media posts which have reached a potential 15.8 million people.\r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":421431,"EventID":"S6W-28279","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-20T16:03:07.77","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T10:40:21.873","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it has consulted trade unions representing the workers in the rail industry during the ScotRail peak fares removal trial.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government regularly engages with the rail trade unions who have long campaigned for this Pilot and their members are key to the successful implementation of it to date. ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":421432,"EventID":"S6W-28268","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-20T16:03:07.817","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T07:59:33.78","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the number of vehicles that are not compliant with low emission zone (LEZ) standards that have been abandoned in each local authority area.","AnswerText":"As previously stated in the responses to S6W-28174 on 27 June 2024 and S6W-28267 on 10 July 2024, information is not held centrally on the number of abandoned vehicles in local authority areas, but management information is available from Police Scotland on police-recorded incidents of abandoned vehicles.\r\nAny assessment of abandoned vehicles specifically regarding non-compliance with Low Emission Zone (LEZ) standards is a matter for local authorities.\r\nFinancial support is available for the disposal of eligible non-compliant vehicles for lower income households and smaller businesses through the LEZ Support Fund. Households and smaller businesses are encouraged to visit the Energy Saving Trust website to apply.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421433,"EventID":"S6W-28284","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-20T16:03:07.88","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T10:59:24.647","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the importance of measures that assist current rail travellers with the impact of the cost of living on households.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to measures which deliver an available, affordable and accessible public transport system which enables people to make positive and proactive choices to use public transport. ScotRail continue to develop fares initiatives which can help attract more passengers, while offering savings and added value to existing rail users such as the recently extended ScotRail Peak Fares Removal Pilot.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421434,"EventID":"S6W-28269","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-20T16:03:07.96","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T07:59:33.78","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the cost of supporting the Pain Management Task Force has been since it started meetings in June 2022, including a breakdown of any payments for (a) workers, (b) secondments, (c) members, (d) travel costs, (e) IT and (f) other expenses.","AnswerText":"There have been no costs specifically incurred in supporting the Pain Management Task Force and associated Short Life Working Groups for either the 2022-23, 2023-24 or 2024-25 financial years, beyond the pay of NHS staff and civil servants undertaking this work as a part of their role.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421435,"EventID":"S6W-28265","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-20T16:03:08.083","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T07:59:33.78","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to undertake a review of the regulation of the audiology workforce, and, if so, whether it will provide details of this.","AnswerText":"The Independent Review of Audiology Services in Scotland made recommendations with regard to ensuring that audiologists are eligible for registration upon completion of training but did not include a recommendation for audiologists to be regulated by statute. At present, audiologists below the academic qualification threshold for statutory registration with the Health and Care Professions Council are expected to join the Professional Standards Authority-accredited voluntary register held by the Academy of Healthcare Science (AHCS). The review implementation group will be considering whether accreditation with the AHCS remains appropriate and sufficient. Discussions on the statutory regulation of audiologists would also need to take place on a four-country basis.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421436,"EventID":"S6W-28267","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-20T16:03:08.317","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T07:59:33.78","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many abandoned vehicles have been reported in each local authority area in each year since 1999.","AnswerText":"As previously confirmed in the response to S6W-28174 on? 27 June 2024, information regarding the number of abandoned vehicles reported to local authorities is not centrally held.\r\nManagement information is available from Police Scotland on the number of police recorded incidents of abandoned vehicles. This is provided below, split by the local authority within which the incident occurred.\r\nIt should be noted that not all abandoned vehicles will relate to cars and an incident may relate to more than one abandoned vehicle. This information was consistently recorded across all police divisions from the calendar year of 2019 onwards and therefore the figures provided below relate to the period 1 January 2019 to 18 June 2024. As such the 2024 figures relate to only a partial year.\r\nRecorded incidents of abandoned vehicles, 1 January 2019 to 18 June 2024.\r\nLocal Authority\r\n2019\r\n2020\r\n2021\r\n2022\r\n2023\r\n2024\r\nScotland\r\n18,422\r\n13,471\r\n14,109\r\n13,702\r\n13,549\r\n6,770\r\nAberdeen City\r\n1,208\r\n797\r\n784\r\n639\r\n639\r\n311\r\nAberdeenshire\r\n680\r\n559\r\n534\r\n553\r\n496\r\n261\r\nAngus\r\n367\r\n282\r\n320\r\n248\r\n295\r\n123\r\nArgyll and Bute\r\n249\r\n162\r\n182\r\n164\r\n168\r\n82\r\nClackmannanshire\r\n145\r\n103\r\n131\r\n130\r\n99\r\n49\r\nDumfries and Galloway\r\n407\r\n317\r\n348\r\n313\r\n278\r\n149\r\nDundee City\r\n615\r\n494\r\n579\r\n517\r\n518\r\n264\r\nEast Ayrshire\r\n404\r\n283\r\n318\r\n251\r\n282\r\n152\r\nEast Dunbartonshire\r\n337\r\n267\r\n300\r\n248\r\n272\r\n119\r\nEast Lothian\r\n327\r\n241\r\n292\r\n303\r\n303\r\n174\r\nEast Renfrewshire\r\n280\r\n215\r\n227\r\n224\r\n214\r\n114\r\nEdinburgh, City of\r\n1,889\r\n1,208\r\n1,388\r\n1,402\r\n1,286\r\n657\r\nFalkirk\r\n526\r\n425\r\n408\r\n419\r\n450\r\n238\r\nFife\r\n1,093\r\n854\r\n859\r\n846\r\n907\r\n437\r\nGlasgow City\r\n2,219\r\n1,501\r\n1,654\r\n1,668\r\n1,636\r\n837\r\nHighland\r\n798\r\n610\r\n609\r\n627\r\n654\r\n324\r\nInverclyde\r\n236\r\n185\r\n199\r\n167\r\n147\r\n70\r\nMidlothian\r\n409\r\n255\r\n302\r\n261\r\n304\r\n151\r\nMoray\r\n258\r\n208\r\n192\r\n202\r\n217\r\n103\r\nNa h-Eilean Siar\r\n44\r\n32\r\n26\r\n34\r\n25\r\n10\r\nNorth Ayrshire\r\n417\r\n315\r\n345\r\n328\r\n297\r\n132\r\nNorth Lanarkshire\r\n1,317\r\n918\r\n927\r\n832\r\n839\r\n379\r\nOrkney Islands\r\n27\r\n16\r\n16\r\n24\r\n21\r\n14\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n478\r\n374\r\n374\r\n425\r\n369\r\n202\r\nRenfrewshire\r\n696\r\n482\r\n447\r\n517\r\n485\r\n243\r\nScottish Borders\r\n287\r\n256\r\n249\r\n260\r\n252\r\n137\r\nShetland Islands\r\n23\r\n22\r\n20\r\n22\r\n20\r\n15\r\nSouth Ayrshire\r\n337\r\n295\r\n264\r\n261\r\n300\r\n131\r\nSouth Lanarkshire\r\n1,145\r\n832\r\n864\r\n902\r\n780\r\n452\r\nStirling\r\n264\r\n215\r\n224\r\n211\r\n246\r\n101\r\nWest Dunbartonshire\r\n327\r\n253\r\n235\r\n179\r\n232\r\n119\r\nWest Lothian\r\n613\r\n495\r\n492\r\n525\r\n518\r\n220\r\nSource: Police Scotland Management Information","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421437,"EventID":"S6W-28280","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-20T16:03:08.553","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T10:40:21.873","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the ScotRail peak fares removal trial contributes to supporting its commitment to (a) flexible working and (b) supporting family-friendly policies with a range of employers.","AnswerText":"Removing the timing restrictions on off-peak fares helps to simplify ticket options and supports flexible working practices which have grown in popularity. Such simplicity is also helpful in providing more flexible choices for families.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":421438,"EventID":"S6W-28271","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-20T16:03:08.74","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T07:59:33.78","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the cost to the public of producing the report, Scottish Government Pain Management Panel: Report on Phase 2 of engagement with the panel, regarding chronic pain information compiled by The Lines Between, which was the private firm commissioned by the Scottish Government.","AnswerText":"In summer 2022, the Lines Between were commissioned to recruit, support and engage a diverse cross-section of people with chronic pain across Scotland to establish a Pain Management Panel to help inform the Pain Management Implementation Plan. The total cost of the contract with The Lines Between was £40,000 exclusive of VAT. The cost of formatting the report for publication on the Scottish Government website was £516.58.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421439,"EventID":"S6W-28263","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-20T16:03:08.787","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-19T18:00:09.67","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how its forthcoming Natural Capital Market Framework will align with the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill.","AnswerText":"The Natural Capital Market Framework will seek to strengthen Scotland’s interim principles for ‘Responsible Investment in Natural Capital’. If passed by Scottish Parliament, the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill will also help to realise many of these Interim Principles, especially those relevant to land use, community engagement and community benefit.\r\nFor example, the Bill includes provisions that would place legal responsibilities on the owners of large landholdings to set out how they use their land and how that contributes to key public policy priorities, like addressing climate change and protecting and restoring nature. The Bill will also ensure the owners of large landholdings will have to engage with local communities about how they use the land, and it will prohibit certain sales of over 1000 hectares, until Ministers can consider the impact on the local community.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421440,"EventID":"S6W-28286","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-20T16:03:08.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T10:59:24.647","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what adjustment has been made to ScotRail's annual projections for travel to take account of the number of any (a) ticket examiner and (b) station booking office staff vacancies, and the impact of any such vacancies on ticket sales.","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for ScotRail. The member may wish to contact ScotRail directly for this information.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421441,"EventID":"S6W-28285","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-20T16:03:09.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T10:59:24.647","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the ScotRail peak fares removal pilot scheme is being evaluated to take account of variations on particular routes, and how that correlates with areas with greater numbers of lower income households.","AnswerText":"The final evaluation report will be undertaken before the Pilot ends. The final report will include data on the time passengers are travelling, by location and by socioeconomic background.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421442,"EventID":"S6W-28278","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-20T16:03:09.49","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T10:40:21.873","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recommendation has been made regarding the peak fares removal trial, following the ScotRail board meeting on 18 April 2024. ","AnswerText":"As announced by the First Minister in May, the Pilot was extended for a further three months until 27 September 2024. This was based on the existing data available and allows for a longer evaluation period to gather additional data on the pilot’s effectiveness at encouraging modal shift from car to rail while helping passengers facing cost of living pressures.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":421443,"EventID":"S6W-28290","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-20T16:03:09.553","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T11:44:43.93","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it (a) can take and (b) is taking to address any lengthy delays by energy suppliers in replacing or updating meters, in order to allow void social homes to be brought back into use. ","AnswerText":"I recently met with Housing Convenors across Scotland to discuss the challenges that have contributed to longer turnaround times for empty council properties, delays in reconnecting energy supplies was one of the key issues raised.\r\nAlthough energy is a reserved matter, Scottish Ministers imminently intend to send a joint letter with COSLA to individual energy suppliers on the impacts delays in reconnecting utilities is having on void turnaround times. This will be followed by official level engagement with energy suppliers over the summer.\r\nThe declaration of a housing emergency asks all partners to play their part, therefore, I hope organisations in the energy sector heed this call to action and respond quickly and satisfactorily to the concerns local authorities have raised.\r\nWe will continue to work with local authorities and registered social landlords to help reduce turnaround times for empty homes and voids and will support efforts at a national level where we can to address this problem.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421444,"EventID":"S6W-28283","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-20T16:03:09.63","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T10:59:24.647","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to fill any staff vacancies associated with revenue protection in ScotRail.","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for ScotRail. The member may wish to contact ScotRail directly for this information.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421445,"EventID":"S6W-28276","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-20T16:03:09.723","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T09:01:28.623","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many applications for funding of (a) under £5 million, (b) £5-25 million, (c) £25-50 million and (d) more than £50 million have been (i) received, (ii) declined and (iii) approved by the Scottish National Investment Bank in each year of its operation.","AnswerText":"The Scottish National Investment Bank does not consider ‘applications for funding’. Rather, it makes commercial debt and equity investments to deliver on the three Missions set for it by Scottish Ministers. The Bank is operationally independent of Government and the Government does not hold the information sought.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421446,"EventID":"S6W-28281","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-20T16:03:09.77","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T10:40:21.873","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will consult with employers to assess any impact of the ScotRail peak fares removal trial on businesses, including on business costs associated with any employee travel in the course of their work.","AnswerText":"The final evaluation of the pilot will assess the effectiveness of the Pilot against the First Minister’s priorities of eradicating child poverty, growing Scotland’s economy, tackling the climate emergency and improving Scotland’s public services. The value for money assessment will take into consideration the impact on business travel costs in the normal manner.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":421447,"EventID":"S6W-28266","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-20T16:03:09.817","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T07:59:33.78","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many audiology health professionals in Scotland are registered with the Academy for Healthcare Science (AHCS).","AnswerText":"This information is not held by the Scottish Government. The Academy for Healthcare Science is accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) , which demonstrates that it has achieved the PSA standards in governance, standard-setting, education and training, management of the register, complaints handling and equality, diversity and inclusion. It is the register itself that is accredited by PSA, not the practitioners who register with it.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421448,"EventID":"S6W-28264","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-20T16:03:09.88","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-19T18:00:09.67","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its Natural Capital Market Framework.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is developing a Market Framework to set out a clear long-term policy ambition and coherent policy framework to support our vision for the development of Natural Capital markets in Scotland. It will be published later in the year, following the current extended engagement phase with a wide variety of stakeholders.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421449,"EventID":"S6W-28258","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-20T16:03:10.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-19T16:43:21.3","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the Scottish economic link licence condition will be kept under review, and when it will share the findings of any review of the policy. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is analysing landings and liaising with industry in order to understand the impact of the new economic link licence conditions and keep the policy under review.\r\nIt is our intention to produce an update on the impact of the changes later this year. However, analysis of provisional landings data for 2023 indicates that the policy change has succeeded in driving up the share of landings for pelagic stocks into Scotland and Shetland in particular.\r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421450,"EventID":"S6W-28273","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-20T16:03:10.507","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T08:00:43.117","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to assist Glasgow Airport in increasing passenger numbers.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has always recognised the importance of Scotland’s international connectivity and we are committed to working with all Scotland’s airports to help grow international connectivity.\r\nOur International Strategy, published earlier this year, makes reference to that commitment and our overall ambition is for Scotland to be at least as well connected as peer nations.\r\nTransport Scotland, along with VisitScotland and Scottish Development International, works to help Scotland’s airports grow international connectivity and secure new routes that are essential for inbound tourism, business connectivity and the economy as a whole. This includes work to grow our connectivity to the US and Canada given the importance of these links for business, exports and tourism. That role is a complementary one with each airport competing on their own merits for new routes and capacity.\r\nRepresentatives from the Scottish Government recently took part in the route development forum Routes Europe 2024, meeting with a number of airlines to discuss future opportunities and promote Scotland as a market that can sustain more direct connectivity. We also have regular engagement with airlines to discuss future opportunities to further develop Scotland’s connectivity to North America. These discussions are commercially sensitive and I am unable to share specific details.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421479,"EventID":"S6W-28295","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-21T16:01:07.4","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T11:52:14.557","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that accurate data on households’ needs is shared in order to ensure that offers to homeless households can be made swiftly. ","AnswerText":"I welcome the work that local authorities already undertake in ensuring the data they share is accurate, allowing offers to homeless households can be made swiftly – but we also recognise that more can be done here to improve the accuracy of data provided. Data published by the Scottish Housing Regulator shows that 60% of registered social landlord lets to homeless households come through section 5 referrals, when a local authority requests that a registered social landlord provides the household with permanent accommodation. However, around 15% of offers to homeless households are declined due to the right information about the household’s needs not being provided. We want that situation to improve.\r\nThe Scottish Government produced the Code of Guidance on Homelessness to help guide local authorities in their duties to assist people who are threatened with or are experiencing homelessness. Local authorities must take account of this statutory guidance, which sets out how the legislation and related policies should be implemented, when making an assessment of the hosing support needs of the household. The Code of Guidance states that, to facilitate effective case management, local authorities should establish protocols and procedures for the sharing of information about people making homelessness applications between housing departments, social work, housing support providers and other relevant agencies. The protocols developed should set out the type of information to be shared and the stage at which this should be carried out.\r\nIn declaring a housing emergency, the Scottish Government expects action to be taken in response to the issues identified by organisations across the sector, which contributed to this situation. Local authorities have a key part to play in ensuring comprehensive and adequate data is passed to registered social landlords through the referral process to support the transition of a homeless household into a settled home, helping to ensure as little time as possible is spent in temporary accommodation.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421480,"EventID":"S6W-28277","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16205,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-21T16:01:07.62","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T10:36:17.98","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a full list of all European structural fund projects commenced in the last 10 years that were completed by December 2023, including the notional allocation of structural funds to each project.","AnswerText":"An up-to-date list of European Structural Fund projects, including notional allocations, is available on our website:  European Structural and Investment Funds: operations funding - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .","AnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421481,"EventID":"S6W-28309","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-21T16:01:07.68","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T15:44:39.623","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what training is provided to Social Security Scotland staff in relation to making reasonable adjustments in order to communicate meaningfully with the adults with incapacity that they visit at home.","AnswerText":"Making reasonable adjustments to meet client’s needs is intrinsic to the design of Social Security Scotland.\r\nClient choice in application routes, appointment type, length and time of appointments are all things agreed in discussion with the client on the pre-call Client Support Advisers have with clients before an appointment.\r\nAll staff meeting clients in their home go through an extensive training routeway when joining Social Security Scotland. Training focusses on the technical skills required for their role, and the personal skills needed to support vulnerable clients, such as Trauma Informed Practice, Clients at Risk of Harm, Managing Risk and Mental Health Awareness. This is supplemented with communications training to provide insight and understanding of the impacts a condition can have on a client’s ability to communicate. Given the wide range of conditions that clients can have, staff work closely with Social Security Scotland’s own Health and Social Care Practitioners to gain more specialist knowledge and understanding of medical conditions. Training is supplemented with a consolidation period to ensure learning has been fully understood .","AnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421482,"EventID":"S6W-28293","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-21T16:01:07.76","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T11:49:01.63","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to create a new homelessness prevention fund that is accessible to local authorities, registered social landlords and the third sector for tenants across tenures. ","AnswerText":"There are currently no plans to create a new homelessness prevention fund. In line with our commitment to introduce homelessness prevention duties, we agree with the principle that investment should be prioritised for prevention work, to address homelessness before households reach crisis point and to prevent repeat homelessness.\r\nWe make a significant annual investment in discretionary housing payments (over £90 million in 2024-25) to help people who are struggling with housing costs to remain in their homes. We also have a multi-year fund of £100 million to deliver actions in our homelessness strategy, the Ending Homelessness Together action plan, which has prevention at its heart.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421483,"EventID":"S6W-28307","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-21T16:01:07.823","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T15:44:39.623","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which external stakeholder groups were consulted in planning the exercise and the home visits carried out by Social Security Scotland in assessing need for Adult Disability Payments. ","AnswerText":"Social Security Scotland services were designed in consultation with clients and stakeholders. In shaping the design and Policy underpinning the service, staff consulted with the Disability and Carers Benefits Expert Advisory Group. As benefits launched the Agency Implementation Group and latterly the Operational Reference Group were created to ensure that they continually learn from those who interact and use their services. Social Security Scotland has also engaged with the clients that use the service, initially through Experience panels and then as benefits launched, the Client Experience panels. Their Inclusive Communication Group worked with clients to understand the challenges they face in dealing with Organisations and the barriers to getting the support they need. Through this direct feedback, and understanding of client’s needs, Social Security Scotland have built a client led, flexible service that supports clients in a way that meets their individual needs.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421484,"EventID":"S6W-28291","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-21T16:01:07.9","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T11:46:38.16","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to target additional revenue funding specifically at any local authorities identified as experiencing, or being at heightened risk of, systemic failure in their homelessness services. ","AnswerText":"This year's budget is the most challenging since devolution. For that reason, our preference is for any available money to be targeted at areas which are experiencing specific pressures, particularly where there is sustained use of temporary accommodation.\r\nThe Scottish Government are working with COSLA to develop a targeted approach.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421485,"EventID":"S6W-28292","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-21T16:01:07.977","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T11:48:16.633","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it is offering to social landlords to maintain their wider remit investment in homelessness prevention services. ","AnswerText":"We know that registered social landlords are uniquely placed as housing providers to identify and assist people at risk of homelessness, building on existing housing management practice and the delivery of housing support.\r\nThere is already good practice happening across the country by social landlords. Their services, such as tenancy sustainment, are already key features of their work with tenants. We want to build on this so there is a consistent, robust and sector wide approach to prevention across Scotland.\r\nWe make a significant annual investment in discretionary housing payments (over £90 million in 2024-25) to help people who are struggling with housing costs to remain in their homes. We also have a multi-year fund of £100 million to deliver actions in our homelessness strategy, the Ending Homelessness Together action plan, which has prevention at its heart.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421486,"EventID":"S6W-28302","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-21T16:01:08.057","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T15:25:46.423","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the average timescale is of its residential rehab placements.","AnswerText":"The length of residential rehabilitation programmes varies substantially. Data from the publication ‘Pathways into, through and out of Residential Rehab in Scotland ’ published in November 2021 shows that placements across private providers are typically shorter (5-12 weeks), while third-sector providers are typically longer (14-156 weeks). The mean average core programme length across all providers was 23 weeks. Some providers suggested that this was flexible based on individual need.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421487,"EventID":"S6W-28294","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-21T16:01:08.12","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T11:50:58.903","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will maintain funding for Rapid Rehousing Transition Plans until the end of the current parliamentary session, and what clarity it can provide regarding future funding plans for subsequent years.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government provided local authorities with funding of £8 million per annum between 2019-24 to implement Rapid Rehousing Transition Plans (RRTPs). RRTPs set out each local authority’s five-year plan to transition to rapid rehousing, including through the delivery of Housing First.\r\nIn recognition of the positive impact of rapid rehousing for people experiencing homelessness and the challenging context in which RRTPs have been delivered, including a pandemic and cost of living crisis, the Scottish Government provided a one-year extension to this funding in 2024-25.\r\nThe Scottish Government evaluates the impact of RRTP funding via annual local authority monitoring returns. Future funding will be considered as part of the Scottish Government’s usual budget setting processes.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421488,"EventID":"S6W-28308","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-21T16:01:08.197","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T15:44:39.623","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what reasonable adjustments Social Security Scotland is making in relation to communicating its visits to those with incapacity, such as those with Down’s syndrome, including any easy-read letters and other means of communication.","AnswerText":"Social Security Scotland works closely with individuals and disability organisations to design it’s services. Every stage of the application process has been tested to ensure that Social Security Scotland are taking a human rights-based approach to what they do, as set out in Our Charter. This means treating everyone without discrimination and in line with their values. This includes finding processes that work and are inclusive and fully accessible.\r\nSocial Security Scotland is committed to delivering a social security system that is inclusive. They do this by carrying out user research and testing with people who have lived experience of the benefit system, people who communicate in different ways and relevant stakeholders across Scotland. This is to embed inclusive communications across the entirety of Social Security Scotland. Social Security Scotland work with these stakeholders to influence how they develop their services and processes.\r\nSocial Security Scotland clients understand information and express themselves in different ways. To accommodate this, Social Security Scotland provide different channels clients can use to contact them in a way that suits them. Social Security Scotland can make written communications available in different formats and languages such as Braille and Easy-Read. Social Security Scotland can also arrange for interpreters for clients who request that level of support as well as support for clients who are non-verbal.\r\nSocial Security Scotland provide in-person support to clients who need it when accessing their services at a place and time that suits them. Social Security Scotland have specially trained advisors based in every local council area across Scotland who can support clients with appointments at home, in local community venues or by telephone or video call.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421489,"EventID":"S6W-28306","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-21T16:01:08.307","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T15:44:39.623","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there is a feedback exercise in place to ensure that any required improvements to the home visits carried out by Social Security Scotland are implemented. ","AnswerText":"Social Security Scotland is focused on continually reviewing and improving its services. People are encouraged to give feedback, whether this is positive or negative, through the official Social Security Scotland feedback process to capture the experiences of their clients.\r\nThe Charter, developed with clients, sets out a range of standards for their performance and each year they publish the Charter Measurement Framework to share how they are delivering against their Charter commitments.\r\nThe Local Delivery appointments process was developed using feedback from their clients and stakeholders. The service is client led with clients having full control over the type of appointment (home visit/outreach location/video/telephone), the time of the appointment and whether they feel they will need more than one appointment to complete the activity.\r\nTo ensure Scottish Security Scotland continue to deliver against the Charter, and meet the needs of their clients, they conduct regular surveys with their clients. These surveys cover all aspects of the service, including clients experience of appointments, whether the service meets their needs and where they can improve. This allows Social Security Scotland to continually review and adapt their service to meet the needs of their clients, regardless of their location or individual needs.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421490,"EventID":"S6W-28297","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-21T16:01:08.447","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T11:53:49.18","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the national housing emergency, whether it plans to review the planning and consenting system, in order to increase the scale and pace of development across all tenures. ","AnswerText":"The planning system in Scotland has undergone significant reform in recent years with the introduction of new legislation, policy and guidance. The Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 made changes to development planning and consenting regimes to strengthen decision making and enable the delivery of high-quality development. National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) was published in February 2023, following extensive public and Parliamentary consultation and scrutiny. NPF4 Policy 16, Quality Homes, takes an all tenure approach to supporting more quality homes, emphasising delivery and the plan-led approach.\r\nThe Scottish Government’s Chief Planner and I published a letter to stakeholders on 27 June 2024, providing further clarification on implementation of NPF4 and policy 16 Quality Homes, and emphasising the need for positive and constructive collaboration across sectors to support delivery. \r\nFollowing our recent public consultation on Investing in Planning, we are working with partners to progress a range of actions to increase the capacity and improve the performance of planning services. Key actions will be set out in due course.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421491,"EventID":"S6W-28299","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-21T16:01:08.543","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T11:55:42.09","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide clarity for investors by publishing, by the end of 2024, any proposed exemptions to the rent controls contained in the Housing (Scotland) Bill. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the importance of investment in housing to underpin quality, supply and affordability in the private rented sector, and is very clear that continuing to attract private investment is a priority to maintain the vital supply of new homes for rent that our communities need. We want to see a fair, well-managed private rented sector in which investment in quality rented homes for tenants is both viable and welcome.\r\nGiven the diversity of rent conditions across Scotland, our Housing Bill allows flexibility for local circumstance to be the guiding factor in applying rent control measures. We recognize this needs to be balanced by certainty where possible.\r\nWe are considering the information shared by stakeholders on how to support investor confidence, as we look to ensure that the rent control measures in the Housing (Scotland) Bill support investment in a quality, affordable and thriving PRS.\r\nMinisters will continue to listen to parliamentary and stakeholder views.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421492,"EventID":"S6W-28301","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5866,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-21T16:01:08.637","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T14:05:31.277","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spent almost £750,000 on a fleet of state-of-the-art vehicles designed to tackle wildfires that reportedly remain in storage a year after delivery due to technical issues, what due diligence was carried out before this money was spent on vehicles that are reportedly not fit for purpose.","AnswerText":"Prior to the development of the technical specification for the overall wildfire project, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) set up a User Intelligence Group (UIG) comprising uniformed wildfire subject matter experts, with relevant union and health and safety representation. The UIG was guided by procurement and fleet technical experts. In line with European procurement law the technical specification was put to the European market further to final amendments made to it by the UIG.\r\nThe tender returns were evaluated by the UIG and awarded on the technical aspects of the end user specification and support packages. It should be noted that two representative bodies, the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) and the Fire and Rescue Services Association (FRSA) were part of the UIG for the wildfire vehicles. SFRS has been made aware of concerns raised by the FRSA regarding the all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and has engaged extensively with that group. The FBU, SFRS and wildfire experts do not share the views of the FRSA.\r\nThe ATVs are general purpose vehicles and SFRS currently has four in operation. The Service’s newest Angloco models were purchased as part of its wildfire strategy and will be introduced in conjunction with a fleet of other 4x4 vehicles, which arrived earlier this year. The 4x4 vehicles are for transportation of ATVs and once on scene will be used to convey personnel around an incident ground. Firefighter safety is paramount and all new vehicles and equipment will only be rolled out once staff are trained to operate them within safe parameters.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421493,"EventID":"S6W-28298","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-21T16:01:08.747","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T11:54:50.833","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to (a) review any relevant regulatory timelines for the next five years and (b) publish associated deliverable route maps, in accordance with the principles of its Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment, in order to ensure that Scotland is an attractive location for investment. ","AnswerText":"As set out in the Minister for Housing’s statement to Parliament on 20 June, responding to the recently declared housing emergency, the Scottish Government recognise the importance of considering the impact of new regulation on the housing sector.\r\nWe have already taken action to reduce such impacts for example by rescheduling work on a new tenure neutral housing standard which we now intend to publish a public consultation on in 2025. We have also heard concerns from local authorities about the impact of introducing homelessness prevention duties at a time when councils are experiencing other pressures, and we are considering this carefully to ensure the implementation schedule balances the intended benefits with deliverability.\r\nAs with all new legislation being brought before the Scottish Parliament, the Scottish Government will be required to undertake a full range of impact assessments, including a Business Regulatory Impact Assessment - where careful consideration on the impact of business and wider investment is examined.\r\nIn wider work emerging from the New Deal for Business Group and Investor Panel, the Scottish Government will also bring coherence and focus to how the public sector works to attract investment at scale by convening policy, delivery and regulatory interests across the public sector to create a more ‘investor friendly’ environment and support the delivery of specific, priority investments.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421494,"EventID":"S6W-28305","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-21T16:01:08.81","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T15:32:25.42","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its Hydrogen Sector Export Plan.","AnswerText":"\r\nThe Scottish Government is currently working to publish the Hydrogen Sector Export Plan (HSEP) after Summer recess. The publication of the HSEP had been previously planned to take place in June 2024. However, the timetable for publication was revisited due to the start of the pre-electoral period on the 25 May 2024 which prevented official publications during this period.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421495,"EventID":"S6W-28304","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-21T16:01:08.903","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T15:26:14.28","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider extending the provisions of the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019 to cover volunteers in the NHS.","AnswerText":"There are no current plans to extend the provisions of the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019 to cover volunteers in the NHS. There is a staff in scope list available on the  Scottish Government website  which confirms the professions and services that are covered within the Health section of the Act.\r\nVolunteers in health care services are not referred to in the Act and volunteers who do work in clinical roles in health care, for example as community first responders, while performing an important role, have no minimum contractual requirement, are not rostered on shifts and do not replace clinical employees. For these reasons they are not considered to be within the scope of the Act.\r\nThe Act commenced in April 2024 and the Scottish Government and Healthcare Improvement Scotland have been engaging extensively with Health Boards to help them prepare to meet the duties of the Act. The Act is in it’s infancy and the Scottish Government will review it only once several years of data is available to inform a coherent review.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421496,"EventID":"S6W-28296","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-21T16:01:08.967","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T11:53:08.27","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to require all of its directorates to make the delivery of homes of all tenures across Scotland the top national infrastructure priority, in order to increase overall supply and improve affordability.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government published our Infrastructure Investment Plan in 2021 which sets out our national infrastructure priorities for Scotland. The Plan recognises the important role that housing plays in developing resilient and sustainable places, supporting economic growth and meeting the diverse economic, social and environmental needs of urban, rural and island areas.\r\nWe will continue to work across the Scottish Government and with local and UK Government to respond to the Housing Emergency and to deliver on our target of 110,000 affordable homes by 2032.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421497,"EventID":"S6W-28303","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-21T16:01:09.153","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T15:25:46.423","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many of its residential rehab treatments exceed 12 weeks.","AnswerText":"The length of residential rehabilitation treatments varies substantially. This data on individual placements is not collated centrally. The Scottish Government have commissioned PHS to establish the necessary data infrastructure to monitor residential rehab in Scotland. It will include more detailed information on treatment length. This monitoring data is not yet available.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421499,"EventID":"S6W-28334","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":2615,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":143,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-24T11:12:47.473","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-24T11:10:59.53","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will provide an update on its work to reform the post-school education and skills system.","AnswerText":"The Post-School Education and Skills Reform: Consultation on legislation was published today, 25 June 2024, with a closing date of 20 September 2024. The consultation seeks views on proposals for changes to simplify the funding body landscape in the post-school education and skills system. The consultation can be accessed  here  .","AnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421505,"EventID":"S6W-28328","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-24T16:46:18.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-21T14:22:12.407","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27931 by Graeme Dey on 14 June 2024, what assessment it has made of the Education Maintenance Allowance, and what its position is on whether any extension to the scheme would support its ambition to raise attainment. ","AnswerText":"Education Maintenance Allowance already contributes to the raising attainment agenda. It seeks to remove financial inequality and give every young person the same opportunity to remain and progress in learning, no matter their financial circumstances.\r\nEMA is one form of key support we have in place for children and young people in education. Additional support measures include Free School Meals, the school clothing grant and free bus travel for those under the age of 22. These measures also contribute to our wider ambition of raising attainment.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421506,"EventID":"S6W-28324","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-24T16:46:18.727","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-21T14:14:26.603","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27996 by Ivan McKee on 17 June 2024, when it expects to publish (a) the responses received and (b) its response to the consultation.","AnswerText":"The Investing in Planning consultation closed on 31 May 2024. We will publish the responses received, our analysis of them, and the steps we intend to take to improve the capacity of the planning system by September.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421507,"EventID":"S6W-28336","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-24T16:46:18.88","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-24T14:02:15.837","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to address the reported sewage discharge in the Kirkconnel/Kelloholm area.","AnswerText":"As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water, and the Scottish Government does not hold this information, I have asked them to respond. Their reply is as follows:\r\nScottish Water has advised that investigations have been on-going into reports of sewage leaking to a nearby water channel in the area; these investigations have included camera surveys and extensive dye testing of a nearby sewer pipeline. A fault has been identified and a repair made in a buried manhole chamber. Scottish Water has advised that they are continuing to monitor this area and remain in communication with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421508,"EventID":"S6W-28326","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-24T16:46:19.273","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-21T14:22:12.407","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27931 by Graeme Dey on 14 June 2024, what recent discussions its (a) ministers and (b) officials have had with the (i) UK Government and (ii) other devolved governments regarding Education Maintenance Allowance. ","AnswerText":"The UK Government abolished EMA in 2011 and therefore there have been no discussions with them regarding EMA in recent years.\r\nIn January 2024, EMA officials met with the Welsh Government to provide an overview of the current EMA programme in Scotland. The purpose of this meeting was to support the review of EMA being conducted by the Welsh Government which is due to publish later this year.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421509,"EventID":"S6W-28321","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-24T16:46:19.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-21T12:15:39.667","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recently published Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) Scotland report on crowding in hospitals, whether it will increase the number of general and acute beds within hospitals so that occupancy is at 85% maximum.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government works closely with local teams and expert groups to develop appropriate alternatives to attendance at A&E, minimise the need for admission, reduce length of stay and increase options and processes for timely and appropriate discharge which would in turn improve occupancy levels.\r\nDecisions on capacity levels are ultimately for local health boards and their planning partners to make however, the Delayed Discharge and Hospital Occupancy Action Plan has been put in place to support systems to create the necessary capacity to deal with emerging pressures.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421510,"EventID":"S6W-28322","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-24T16:46:19.71","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-21T12:15:39.667","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the occupancy rate of (a) general and (b) acute beds in hospitals has been in each of the last 12 months, also broken down by (i) NHS board and (ii) hospital.","AnswerText":"A copy of the associated data table has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre, Bib no. 65175 which provides information on the occupancy rates of acute specialty beds and all beds in hospitals between January 2023 and the end of December 2023. The data are broken down by quarter, NHS board and hospital. These data are from the Acute hospital activity and NHS beds information (quarterly) publication which is available on the Public Health Scotland website  Methods used to produce this data release - Acute hospital activity and NHS beds information (quarterly) - Quarter ending 31 December 2023 - Acute hospital activity and NHS beds information (quarterly) - Publications - Public Health Scotland  and provides further data on beds and hospital activity in Scotland along with definitions and data quality notes.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421511,"EventID":"S6W-28318","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-24T16:46:20.037","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-21T12:15:39.667","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the findings by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) Scotland that, between March and April 2024, 826 patients presented across 21 emergency departments in Scotland, with 12.8% of those being treated on trolleys in the corridor.","AnswerText":"As set out in answer to question S6W-28317 on 19 July 2024, any unnecessary delay in hospital is unacceptable and below the standard we would expect. The Scottish Government recognises the relationship between crowding in A&E and increased risk of harm which is why we remain committed to delivering improved A&E performance.\r\nAction is being taken to improve patient flow through our acute sites which will in turn reduce congestion within A&E and bring down waiting times. Through our Urgent and Unscheduled Care Collaborative Programme, we are working with Boards across Scotland to implement a range of initiatives such as improved escalation process and increased clinical support for care home and ambulance crews to avoid unnecessary admission to hospital.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-07-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421512,"EventID":"S6W-28333","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-24T16:46:20.227","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-23T12:20:28.38","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will (a) instruct Amey Consulting to reverse the decision to fence off the Kingston DIY community skatepark and (b) support the group of skateboarders to improve the environment under the motorway viaduct in the area.","AnswerText":"The area under the Kingston Bridge West Street on and off ramps requires fencing off to address a growing problem of anti-social behaviour. Issues include the lighting of fires, illegal drug use, discarded hypodermic needles and graffiti.\r\nIt should be emphasised that skateboarders who use the unofficial skate park are not being blamed for this anti-social behaviour.\r\nThe unofficial skate park lies within the area to be fenced-off. However, contrary to suggestions in the media, Transport Scotland has no intention of closing the skate park and, indeed, is supportive of the initiative. Gated access will be required to the area for bridge maintenance purposes. Transport Scotland and Amey will be happy to discuss how shared access can be accommodated, to allow continued use of the skate park.\r\nTransport Scotland’s Operating Company, Amey Highways, is progressing the fencing scheme. The work will commence in the autumn and will be completed by the end of the year.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421513,"EventID":"S6W-28331","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-24T16:46:20.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-21T14:29:20.897","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27492 by Fiona Hyslop on 31 May 2024, what financial support is being made available to local communities to install public EV charging points as part of its Vision for Scotland's Public Electric Vehicle Charging Network, and how groups can access any such funding.","AnswerText":"As set out in my previous reply to S6W-27492 we have now reached a point where there is a need for a transition to a public charging network that will be largely financed and delivered through the private sector. The £30 million EV infrastructure fund will support local authorities across Scotland attract private investment to install public charging infrastructure in locations best suited to serve the local community’s needs. Residents and organisations should contact their own Local Authorities to discuss potential charging infrastructure opportunities in their own local area.\r\nThese are unprecedented times with significant pressure on financial resources and difficult decisions had to be taken when setting the 2024-25 Scottish Budget. Given these constraints, our consumer-focussed incentives are evolving to support individuals who live in rural and island communities, residents in flats and factored developments that do not have access to dedicated off street parking, and community transport organisations. This financial support will enable recipients to purchase and install charge points for private use, complementing Scotland’s public EV charging network. Those who wish to register their interest should contact Energy Saving Trust for further details.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421514,"EventID":"S6W-28327","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-24T16:46:20.71","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-21T14:22:12.407","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27931 by Graeme Dey on 14 June 2024, whether it has considered revising the eligibility criteria for Education Maintenance Allowance in recent years. ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27931 on 14 June 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421515,"EventID":"S6W-28313","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-24T16:46:20.82","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-21T11:16:50.25","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28019 by Ivan McKee on 18 June 2024, whether it plans to publish the report alongside the new Chief Executive Framework.","AnswerText":"The internal review is focused on the procedures and policies set out in the Chief Executive Framework section of the Public Sector Pay Policy Technical Guide for public bodies and government officials. The report is being finalised and Ministers have still to consider the recommendations, including any publication arrangements. Any agreed recommendations will be included in a renewed Chief Executive Framework.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421516,"EventID":"S6W-28317","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-24T16:46:21.21","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-21T12:15:39.65","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the latest report by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) Scotland on A&E crowding and corridor waits.","AnswerText":"Any unnecessary delay in hospital is unacceptable and below the standard we would expect. The Scottish Government recognises the relationship between crowding in A&E and increased risk of harm which is why we remain committed to delivering improved A&E performance.\r\nAction is being taken to improve patient flow through our acute sites which will in turn reduce congestion within A&E and bring down waiting times. Through our Urgent and Unscheduled Care Collaborative Programme, we are working with Boards across Scotland to implement a range of initiatives such as improved escalation process and increased clinical support for care home and ambulance crews to avoid unnecessary admission to hospital.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421517,"EventID":"S6W-28330","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-24T16:46:21.43","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-21T14:25:48.1","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27927 by Graeme Dey on 13 June 2024, what specific risks were identified at the meeting held on 29 May, and what contingencies are in place in the event that any university in Scotland faces bankruptcy. ","AnswerText":"Ensuring universities are on a sustainable trajectory is at the heart of our considerations to reform the post-school system, so that the significant investment we are making delivers the best outcomes for learners, the economy and society.\r\nI met with officials from PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Universities Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council on 29 May 2024. At this meeting, PwC outlined the key findings from Scotland-specific modelling that Universities Scotland had commissioned them to undertake to assess the financial outlook for universities.\r\nOn the basis of this analysis, the potential risk of a sustained decline in numbers of international students leading to future financial challenges for some universities, was discussed.\r\nAs autonomous institutions, universities have the key role in mitigating financial pressures and external risks. On this basis, it was further discussed at the meeting that universities would consider a range of actions to mitigate the risks around declining international student recruitment, and that Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council would continue to engage with the university sector on financial sustainability risks and developing their own mitigation strategies.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421518,"EventID":"S6W-28329","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-24T16:46:21.583","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-21T14:24:33.263","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27936 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 14 June 2024, whether the report will be made publicly available once it has been received by the Scottish Ministers.","AnswerText":"Yes, the Minimum Income Guarantee Expert Group's report will be published in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-06-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421519,"EventID":"S6W-28320","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-24T16:46:21.773","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-21T12:15:39.667","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to provide additional resource to hospitals to ensure that there is sufficient capacity within emergency departments to safely treat patients.","AnswerText":"This Government is committed to ensuring the people of Scotland can access NHS services that meet their needs and provide the highest standard of care in the right place, at the right time.\r\nHealth services continue to face sustained pressure, and this is not unique to Scotland - with similar challenges being felt right across the UK. The 2024-25 Scottish Budget provides more than £19.5 billion for health and social care and an extra £500 million for frontline boards. Additionally, we continue to grow our NHS workforce and as at March 2024, NHS Staffing levels are at record high.\r\nWe also continue to grow our capacity through the expansion of Hospital at Home services. By providing care in this way we’re enabling more people to receive treatment in the comfort of their own home rather than on an acute ward, relieving pressure on frontline services in traditional hospital settings.\r\nHealthcare Improvement Scotland report  h-h-progress-update-march-2024.pdf (ihub.scot)  that H@H services prevented over 14,400 people spending time in hospital during April 2023 to March 2024. This represents an increase in bed days of 52% compared to the same period in the previous year.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421520,"EventID":"S6W-28316","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-24T16:46:21.833","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-21T11:39:03.563","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27997 by Ivan McKee on 17 June 2024, whether it will consider any benefits and drawbacks of the establishment of a new non-departmental public body, similar to Homes England, in advance of the Programme for Government, to speed up housebuilding in light of the housing emergency. ","AnswerText":"We are not actively considering the establishment of a non-departmental public body and there are no plans to consider this prior to publishing the Programme for Government. The Minister for Housing made a statement to Parliament on 20 June setting out the actions being taken to address the Housing Emergency and this can be accessed at:\r\nhttps://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament/meeting-of-parliament-20-06-2024?meeting=15946&iob=136142 \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421521,"EventID":"S6W-28319","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-24T16:46:22.18","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-21T12:15:39.667","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will implement the recommendations from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) Scotland to prevent inappropriate care and crowding in emergency departments.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has an existing improvement Programme informed by evidence-based best practice. Through this approach we are working with Health Boards and the Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) to implement actions that will improve patient flow through our acute sites, in turn reducing A&E waiting times.\r\nWe are working with boards to focus on the greatest areas of productive opportunity, many of which, are in line with the recommendations set out in the RCEM guidance, such as strengthening Same Day Emergency Care services, improving access to clinical decision makers from other services and enhancing the escalation process.\r\nWe regularly meet with RCEM to discuss this approach and to collectively improve experience for staff and patients.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421522,"EventID":"S6W-28332","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-24T16:46:22.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-22T23:21:25.97","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether Scotland's Railway is involved in any activities associated with the electrification of the branch line from the Cumbernauld Line into the former St Rollox railway works in Springburn.","AnswerText":"The electrification of the of the branch line from Springburn to St Rollox works does not form part of current suite of rail enhancement projects funded by Transport Scotland. The member may wish to contact Network Rail directly to enquire if the current owner of the site has made any enquiries or proposals to fund such works.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421523,"EventID":"S6W-28325","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-24T16:46:22.477","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-21T14:17:03.71","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27931 by Graeme Dey on 14 June 2024, when the last review of the Education Maintenance Allowance was carried out, and what the findings were. ","AnswerText":"Research on the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) programme was carried out in 2007. The aim of the research was to gather evidence of young people's awareness and experience of EMA, to assess the impact on young people's choices and pathways, and to assess if EMA helped to prevent young people from becoming 'Not in Education Employment and Training' (NEET).\r\nThe final report and associated research findings can be found here:\r\nhttps://webarchive.nrscotland.gov.uk/20170831082324/http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2007/07/30113243/0\r\nhttps://webarchive.nrscotland.gov.uk/20170831082335/http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2007/07/30113318/0 ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421524,"EventID":"S6W-28335","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-24T16:46:22.57","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-24T13:37:45.6","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27671 by Jim Fairlie on 4 June 2024, when it plans to roll out the national pilot scheme to provide free bus travel to people seeking asylum, and what plans it has to evaluate the impact of the scheme.","AnswerText":"Development of a national pilot scheme to provide travel support for people seeking asylum and not currently eligible for the existing National Concessionary Travel Schemes continues with the Working Group. Further information will be published on the Scottish Government website and provided to third sector organisations as preparations for the pilot to open are made.\r\nThe scheme will build on learning from the small local and regional pilots that have been delivered by third sector organisations over recent years. Expected learning from the scheme includes impact of providing free bus travel, demand for this concession, the cost of providing this concession, and the practicalities of delivery of such a scheme at the national level.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421525,"EventID":"S6W-28323","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-24T16:46:22.943","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-21T13:49:23.163","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question\r\nS6W-28146 by Fiona Hyslop on 21 June 2024, whether it will\r\nprovide the information requested regarding when the East Kilbride line\r\nwill have an all-day, four-train-per-hour \"turn up and go\" timetabled\r\nservice.","AnswerText":"Peak times on East Kilbride to Glasgow route currently see 4 services per hour. ScotRail advises that off peak services, which see 2 trains per hour are meeting the current passenger demand. With this in mind, there are no current plans to extend the 4 trains per hour service to off peak travel. However ScotRail keeps services under continued review to ensure the passenger demand is met.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421526,"EventID":"S6W-28314","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-24T16:46:23.037","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-21T11:21:54.977","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27929 by Angela Constance on 18 June 2024, whether it has yet to engage with (a) the Scottish Solicitors Bar Association, (b) legal firms and (c) judicial officeholders; if so, for what reason it has not yet done so, and whether it plans to do so in advance of stage 2. ","AnswerText":"Further to our previous response Ministers and officials will engage with a range of stakeholders ahead of Stage 2.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421527,"EventID":"S6W-28315","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-24T16:46:23.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-21T11:24:58.12","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28018 by Ivan McKee on 18 June 2024, whether it will outline the non-consolidated performance payments awarded to chief executives since 2016, including the (a) amount and (b) reason for award. ","AnswerText":"Non-consolidated performance payments for chief executives continue to be suspended. There is a presumption against provision for non-consolidated performance payments in all new Chief Executive contracts or following a review. There are 71 public bodies covered by the Public Sector Pay Policy, and of these there are a small number of public bodies with specific exemptions agreed by Ministers. These are Scottish Water and the Scottish National Investment Bank. All aspects of chief executive pay are detailed within the annual accounts of each public body.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421546,"EventID":"S6T-02059","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-24T13:50:08.813","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-24T10:29:04.593","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the delivery of the MV Glen Sannox and MV Glen Rosa, in light of reports that a senior programme director has been removed from the project. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421547,"EventID":"S6T-02058","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":5060,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-24T13:50:09","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-24T10:07:01.81","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported public safety and environmental concerns arising from the fire at Linwood industrial estate on 23 June.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-06-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421548,"EventID":"S6F-03261","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-24T13:50:02.987","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T11:14:23.03","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421549,"EventID":"S6F-03262","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5586,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-24T13:50:03.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-20T11:14:38.437","Title":"","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421550,"EventID":"S6F-03266","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-24T13:50:04.097","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-24T09:18:20.18","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421551,"EventID":"S6F-03277","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16186,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":120,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-24T13:50:04.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-24T10:59:36.123","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister, regarding the impact on child poverty levels in Scotland, what assessment the Scottish Government has made of recent research from the IFS on the impact of the two-child benefit cap.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421552,"EventID":"S6F-03264","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-24T13:50:02.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-24T09:02:33.49","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister, in light of the reported number of serious and fatal accidents on the A9 trunk road in recent weeks, what progress is being made on the dualling project.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421553,"EventID":"S6F-03280","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-24T13:50:03.69","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-24T11:06:50.363","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on the Scottish Government’s work to roll out the Carer Support Payment. ","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421557,"EventID":"S6W-28343","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-25T16:44:18.383","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-24T15:54:55.743","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to extend funding for the Homelessness Prevention Fund, administered by the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations. ","AnswerText":"Between 2020 and 2023 the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations worked in partnership with the Scottish Government to administer the Homelessness Prevention Fund.\r\nThe time-limited fund, which ended in December 2023, provided a total of £1.5 million to support the work of housing associations across the country to prevent homelessness for low-income families in Scotland.\r\nWe have not extended this particular scheme as the work required to end homelessness has evolved. In particular, the commitment to introduce new homelessness prevention duties points to the need for more targeted funding fully aligned with the aims of the legislation.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421558,"EventID":"S6W-28345","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-25T16:44:18.587","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-24T16:46:18.637","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work is being done to review existing structures surrounding the regulation of private (a) first aid event cover companies and (b) ambulance providers, to ensure that there is sufficient oversight of all first aid providers in Scotland.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28344 on 15 July 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-07-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421559,"EventID":"S6W-28348","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-25T16:44:18.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-24T16:46:18.637","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to establish an official body tasked with carrying out regular audits and inspections of private (a) first aid event cover companies and (b) ambulance providers, such as those that exist in both England and Wales.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government is currently undertaking work with Health Improvement Scotland (HIS) to consider commencement of their functions in relation to the regulation of independent ambulances as part of the next phase in the regulation of independent healthcare.\r\nShould these functions be commenced then, as an independent healthcare service, any service falling within the definition of an independent ambulance service could be inspected using the powers in the Healthcare Improvement Scotland (Inspections) Regulations 2011.\r\nAn official body to carry out audits and inspections will be specifically considered as part of any work on the potential regulation of private first aid companies.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421560,"EventID":"S6W-28347","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-25T16:44:18.71","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-24T16:46:18.637","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to consult stakeholders, including (a) first aid providers, (b) independent ambulance organisations, (c) the Scottish Ambulance Service and (d) representatives of the hospitality and events sector, with a view to regulating private (i) first aid companies and (ii) ambulance providers.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28344 on 15 July 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-07-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421561,"EventID":"S6W-28353","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16175,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":119,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-25T16:44:18.773","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-25T12:08:08.47","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) infants and (b) adults it expects to take up the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine in the first year of the new programme that was announced on 24 June 2024.","AnswerText":"RSV is one of the leading causes of hospitalisation in the first year of life and can also cause severe complications for older adults which may require hospitalisation. Protecting infants by vaccinating pregnant women and birthing people, and the adult RSV vaccination programme are therefore expected to prevent a significant number of GP consultations, hospitalisations and ICU admissions per year.\r\nWhile estimates of vaccine uptake are not currently available, the Scottish Government will continue to work with Public Health Scotland (PHS) and other key stakeholders to maximise uptake of the vaccine across both programmes, which will have a positive impact on winter pressures across the NHS. Health Boards collect data using local IT systems, which vary across Scotland, and PHS is currently working to collate data to record vaccination events.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421562,"EventID":"S6W-28352","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-25T16:44:18.837","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-25T10:49:46.31","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on repair works on the A83 in each financial year since 2016-17. ","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland has invested £86,956,343 on maintenance and improvement of the A83 between financial years 2016-17 and 2023-24. This figure is up to March 2024.\r\nThis is broken down in the following table.\r\nYear\r\nSpend\r\n2016-17\r\n£5,313,575\r\n2017-18\r\n£7,532,500\r\n2018-19\r\n£8,993,229\r\n2019-20\r\n£6,950,893\r\n2020-21\r\n£14,392,640\r\n2021-22\r\n£14,893,492\r\n2022-23\r\n£16,040,111\r\n2023-24\r\n£12,839,905","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421563,"EventID":"S6W-28361","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-25T16:44:18.883","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-25T14:43:56.42","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what level of pay increase has been awarded to each college principal in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28359 on 23 July 2024 All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-07-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421564,"EventID":"S6W-28205","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-25T16:44:18.93","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-14T11:48:14.057","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that every NHS board has a designated renal counsellor for adults with kidney disease.","AnswerText":"Recruitment and training of registered mental health professionals is a matter for employers such as NHS boards and Local Authorities. These bodies make informed decisions about recruiting counsellors and psychotherapists or training new mental health practitioners, according to the needs of local service providers and working with relevant professional bodies. The Scottish Government expects employers to apply standards and frameworks which are appropriate to the specialism being recruited for.\r\nIn September 2023, we published  Mental Health Core Standards  , initially applying to adult secondary mental health services. These outline national expectations to boards regarding staffing levels and appropriate skills.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421565,"EventID":"S6W-28360","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-25T16:44:18.977","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-25T14:43:56.42","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the average notice period is for a college principal.","AnswerText":"Contractual terms and conditions of Principals is a matter for individual colleges to determine. The Scottish Government therefore does not hold this information.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421566,"EventID":"S6W-28351","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-25T16:44:19.04","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-25T10:22:12.64","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with local authorities regarding the procedure for dealing with objections to proposals for redetermination orders, in light of reported concerns regarding the requirement for local authorities to refer a matter to the Scottish Ministers for confirmation of proposals where there is an objection to such an order.","AnswerText":"The procedures surrounding Redetermination Orders are contained within the relevant legislation (The Stopping Up of Roads and Private Accesses and the Redetermination of Public Rights of Passage (Procedure)(Scotland) Regulations 1986.\r\nTransport Scotland undertook a review of the Traffic Regulation Orders (TRO) process, which included Redetermination Orders, in 2021. Stakeholders consulted during this review included local authorities. As part of the findings of this review Transport Scotland has highlighted that Redetermination Orders are not needed in all circumstances.\r\nFor example, if a local authority has made a TRO which effectively determines the means by which the public can exercise their right of passage over the road then it may not be necessary to also have a Redetermination Order to give effect to the restrictions on traffic. However, the decision on whether a Redetermination Order is required for a project ultimately remains with the relevant Roads Authority.\r\nSince 2020 Transport Scotland has received 7 Redetermination Orders for determination where objections have been maintained. 6 of these have received a Ministerial Decision within an average of 4 months without referral to a Public Local Inquiry. One other is under active consideration having been received on the 4 th June 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421567,"EventID":"S6W-28338","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-25T16:44:19.1","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-24T14:40:03.103","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce planning regulations that would allow local authorities to adopt proportionate practices to ensure that the planning system actively supports the delivery of new homes by SMEs. ","AnswerText":"There is no current plan to bring forward regulations, however the Scottish Government has established a short life working group to encourage a proportionate approach to assessments required for planning applications. An initial scoping meeting, held on 25 June and hosted by the Chief Planner, has set out the group’s intention to use feedback from practitioners and authorities to identify priority areas for improvement and opportunities for increased proportionality and streamlining.\r\nThe Scottish Government is engaging with Homes for Scotland and the housebuilding industry relating to the findings of their recent work on SME housebuilders, and is also currently making arrangements for a discussion with SME housebuilders to consider how their experience of the planning system can be better supported.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421568,"EventID":"S6W-28354","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16175,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":119,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-25T16:44:19.147","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-25T12:08:26.553","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has held with patient organisations to raise awareness of the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine, which will be made available on 1 August 2024.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government was only able to officially confirm and announce the programme after the completion of the tender process in early June therefore initial work has been limited to a small planning group comprising the Scottish Government, Public Health Scotland (PHS) and Health Boards. As we are now able to confirm cohorts and launch plans, we are working closely with PHS to engage a range of partners to raise awareness of the programme and encourage those eligible to come forward. The Scottish Government, working in partnership with PHS, has engaged with a range of key stakeholders including Health Boards, NHS Education for Scotland (NES), National Services Scotland (NSS) and maternity services throughout this process. Promotion and engagement is also ongoing through charities such as Age UK.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421569,"EventID":"S6W-28362","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-25T16:44:19.21","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-25T16:01:29.55","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether there should be trade union representation on the board of Qualifications Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Education (Scotland) Bill, introduced by the Scottish Parliament on 4 June, sets out the provisions for Board membership of Qualifications Scotland to include one or more member who has relevant knowledge of the interests of employees within Qualifications Scotland.\r\nThe Scottish Government recognises the importance of ensuring that there is an effective staff voice within the formal governance structures of Qualifications Scotland. As the Bill progresses in Parliament, there will be opportunities to consider the detail of this aspect, as part of the organisational design work. Further engagement will take place with SQA staff and the recognised unions on this matter.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421570,"EventID":"S6W-28359","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-25T16:44:19.273","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-25T14:43:56.42","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the pay and rewards package was for all college principals in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not routinely collate pay and rewards package for college principals, however the information is publicly available through the colleges published accounts. The Scottish Funding Council, in its role, is responsible for monitoring Scotland's colleges financial accounts. To be clear, pay and rewards packages of College Principals are for individual colleges to determine.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421571,"EventID":"S6W-28344","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-25T16:44:19.35","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-24T16:46:18.637","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider bringing forward a consultation on the regulation of private (a) first aid event cover companies and (b) ambulance providers as part of its 2024-25 Programme for Government.","AnswerText":"The Programme for Government will be presented to Parliament at the earliest opportunity following the UK General Election.\r\nProvision for the regulation of independent ambulance services already exists in the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978, but Healthcare Improvement Scotland’s (HIS’) functions in relation to independent ambulance services have not yet been commenced. The commencement is being considered as part of the next phase in the regulation of independent healthcare.\r\nScottish Government is engaging with HIS on this topic and stakeholder engagement will be undertaken to gather first hand insight into the requirements for effective regulation of private ambulances. Additionally, the definition of an ‘independent ambulance service’ within the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978 may need revised to ensure it meets current needs.\r\nStakeholder engagement will also be undertaken to consider appropriate and proportionate next steps, in the potential regulation of independent first aid services.\r\nOnce the scope of further regulation has been developed, a public consultation will be required.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421572,"EventID":"S6W-28346","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-25T16:44:19.397","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-24T16:46:18.637","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-18113 by Jenni Minto on 5 June 2023, what specific engagement its officials have undertaken with (a) Healthcare Improvement Scotland and (b) other stakeholders to determine whether there are any concerns in relation to the regulation of private (i) first aid event cover companies and (ii) ambulance providers, which supply medical cover at events across Scotland.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28344 on 15 July 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-07-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421573,"EventID":"S6W-28356","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16175,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":119,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-25T16:44:19.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-25T12:09:09.793","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people received the seasonal flu vaccine in the winter 2023-24 programme.","AnswerText":"As part of the 2023-24 COVID-19 and Flu winter vaccination programme the NHS in Scotland delivered over 3.57 million vaccines, including 1,647,596 adult flu vaccines and 538,580 child flu vaccines.\r\nVaccination uptake rates in the 65 years and over group reached 79.8%, which is above the World Health Organization’s target ambition of 75%.\r\nA detailed breakdown of the seasonal flu vaccination 2023-24 uptake figures for each cohort can be found via the Public Health Scotland vaccination surveillance dashboard  PHS Vaccination Surveillance (shinyapps.io)  .","AnswerDate":"2024-07-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421574,"EventID":"S6W-27607","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-25T16:44:19.507","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T20:30:18.407","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its work to further the case for\r\nScottish independence, whether it has considered holding a citizens' assembly\r\non Scotland's route to independence.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government believes that Citizens’ Assemblies are an important and effective method to involve the public in policy and decision making.\r\nThe Scottish Government is currently engaged in developing the prospectus for independence through the Building a New Scotland papers, in order that people have information about the opportunities of independence and what it would mean for them. At this stage there are no plans for Citizens’ Assemblies on Scotland’s route to independence.\r\nThe Building a New Scotland paper on Scotland’s constitution makes a commitment to a legally mandated Constitutional Convention that would create the permanent constitution of an independent Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421575,"EventID":"S6W-28358","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-25T16:44:19.57","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-25T14:43:56.42","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which body is responsible for signing off pay awards for college principals.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28357 on 23 July 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-07-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421576,"EventID":"S6W-28337","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-25T16:44:19.617","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-24T14:37:52.2","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to enhance the viability of sites available to SMEs for housebuilding, in order to help reduce costs and increase the certainty required to deliver more homes.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government’s Chief Planner and I published a letter to stakeholders on 27 June 2024 regarding planning for housing. It provides further clarification on the implementation of National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) and specifically policy 16 Quality Homes, and emphasises the need for positive and constructive collaboration across sectors to support delivery. The letter outlines actions to be jointly progressed, including a discussion with SME housebuilders on how their experiences of the planning system can be better supported. We are also engaging with Homes for Scotland and the housebuilding industry relating to the findings of their recent work on SME housebuilders.\r\nThe Scottish Government has established a short life working group to encourage a proportionate approach to assessments required for planning applications. The initial scoping meeting, held on 25 June and hosted by the Chief Planner, has set out the group’s intention to use feedback from practitioners and authorities to identify priority areas for improvement and opportunities for increased proportionality and streamlining.\r\nScottish Government guidance on preparing Local Development Plans clearly states that providing land across a range of scales of sites and locations will enable the ambitious approach for new homes outlined in NPF4, encouraging local authorities to do so.\r\nScottish Government guidance on planning obligations recognises the potential financial consequences for developers, including SMEs. It makes clear that in negotiating obligations, consideration should be given to the economic viability of proposals and alternative solutions should be considered alongside options of phasing or staging payments.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421577,"EventID":"S6W-28350","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-25T16:44:19.663","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-24T17:33:51.653","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the report for the 2021 missed emissions target under section 36 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 in the first week of September 2024, following its commitment to the Environmental Rights Centre for Scotland that this report would be laid in the Scottish Parliament before summer recess and subsequently saying that it cannot publish the report during the pre-election period, and in light of reports that this report has already been substantially delayed and is critical to understanding how the Scottish Government plans to learn from its failures in order to reach its net zero targets.","AnswerText":"We are committed to discharge this report as soon as reasonably practicable once the Scottish Parliament has reconvened after summer recess.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421578,"EventID":"S6W-28357","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-25T16:44:19.71","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-25T14:43:56.42","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the role is of (a) college senior management teams, (b) college boards, (c) regional boards, (d) the Scottish Funding Council, (e) the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills and (f) the Minister for Higher and Further Education in signing off the pay and conditions package of college principals.","AnswerText":"Colleges are responsible for their own operational decisions. College Principals’ pay and conditions packages are for individual colleges to determine. Whilst Public Sector Pay Policy does not apply directly to colleges, the Scottish Funding Council’s Financial Memorandum states that colleges must have regard to it. The Scottish Government expects colleges and their Boards to be mindful of Public Sector Pay Policy  Public sector pay policy 2024 to 2025 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  and demonstrate restraint when determining senior staff salaries.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421579,"EventID":"S6W-28355","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16175,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":119,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-25T16:44:19.79","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-25T12:08:52.84","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine programme will engage with the seasonal flu vaccine programme.","AnswerText":"The RSV programme for older adults will run from 12 August to the end of September. The childhood flu programme will launch from early September. We are currently working with Public Health Scotland (PHS) and Health Boards to confirm a start date for the adult flu programme, which the JCVI has advised should start in early October.\r\nAlthough the RSV and flu programmes may overlap in September, there are no plans to co-administer the RSV vaccine alongside the flu vaccine this winter. This is because current data suggests that administering them together has the potential to blunt the RSV vaccine's effectiveness. For those who are eligible for both RSV and flu, they will therefore have two separate appointments.\r\nIf the JCVI announces a COVID-19 winter programme, it is likely we would co-administer the COVID-19 vaccine with flu, as has been done in previous winters, for maximum convenience for the patient.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421580,"EventID":"S6W-28340","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-25T16:44:19.837","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-24T14:43:04.687","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to implement an SME home builder impact assessment across the policy areas that support all-tenure housing delivery.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28339 on 10 July 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/questions-and-answers. ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421581,"EventID":"S6W-28339","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-25T16:44:19.883","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-24T14:41:35.33","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce new funding streams and partnerships to support SMEs to build more homes.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce new funding streams and partnerships to support SMEs to build more homes.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is engaging with Homes for Scotland and the housebuilding industry to discuss the findings of their recent work on SME housebuilders. Part of this work involves partnership discussions between Homes for Scotland, industry participants and the Minister for Housing and others to consider what actions can best support ongoing delivery from the SME housebuilding sector.We value the contribution of SME housebuilders who provide homes across Scotland in both urban and rural areas. We will work with industry to consider where targeted action can support this work.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421582,"EventID":"S6W-28349","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-25T16:44:19.947","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-24T16:52:18.55","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28046 by Neil Gray on 14 June 2024, whether it will provide a breakdown of the £190 million Primary Care Improvement Fund spend in 2023-24.","AnswerText":"In May 2023, information on Primary Care Improvement Fund (PCIF) spend during 2023-24 was collected by Scottish Government alongside workforce numbers and access to NHS board provided services, which was published in June. Data is provided directly by Integrated Authorities and may be revised.  Primary care improvement plans: implementation progress summary - March 2024 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .\r\nTable one provides a breakdown of the PCIF allocation and spend in 2023-24. Where spend is higher than allocation, Integration Authorities and Health Boards have used additional resources to support Primary Care Improvement Plan implementation. To note, for the purposes of reporting, some Integration Authority areas provide combined returns.\r\nTable 1 - PCIF allocation and spend by Integration Authority 2023-24 \r\nTotal PCIF\r\nAllocation 2023-24\r\n \r\n(£’000)\r\nTotal Spend\r\n2023-24\r\n \r\n(£’000)\r\nAberdeen City\r\n7,156\r\n7,827\r\nAberdeenshire\r\n8,017\r\n8,248\r\nAngus\r\n4,178\r\n4,113\r\nArgyll and Bute\r\n3,613\r\n3,636\r\nAyrshire and Arran combined\r\n13,971\r\n14,021\r\nDumfries and Galloway\r\n5,734\r\n6,971\r\nDundee City\r\n5,466\r\n5,679\r\nEast Dunbartonshire\r\n3,517\r\n3,506\r\nEast Lothian\r\n3,633\r\n3,633\r\nEast Renfrewshire\r\n2,994\r\n2,904\r\nEdinburgh City\r\n16,127\r\n16,167\r\nFife\r\n13,217\r\n13,217\r\nForth Valley combined\r\n10,421\r\n11,169\r\nGlasgow City\r\n22,674\r\n22,674\r\nHighland\r\n9,058\r\n8,245\r\nInverclyde\r\n3,045\r\n3,046\r\nLanarkshire combined\r\n21,931\r\n23,218\r\nMidlothian\r\n3,157\r\n3,157\r\nMoray\r\n3,265\r\n3,771\r\nOrkney Islands\r\n973\r\n714\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n5,393\r\n5,375\r\nRenfrewshire\r\n6,417\r\n5,953\r\nScottish Borders\r\n4,109\r\n5,933\r\nShetland\r\n928\r\n930\r\nWest Dunbartonshire\r\n3,355\r\n3,457\r\nWest Lothian\r\n6,024\r\n5,501\r\nWestern Isles\r\n1,177\r\n941\r\nALL\r\n189,550\r\n194,006\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421583,"EventID":"S6W-28341","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-25T16:44:19.993","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-24T14:45:04.187","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to classify housing as a separate National Outcome. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government laid the proposed revised National Outcomes in Parliament for scrutiny on 1 May 2024. These proposals include a new National Outcome for Housing. Parliamentary scrutiny is expected to conclude in late 2024 .","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421613,"EventID":"S6W-28371","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":5608,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":103,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-26T10:56:49.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-26T10:51:39.357","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Registrar General for Scotland will publish the next results from the 2022 Census.","AnswerText":"I have asked Janet Egdell, Chief Executive of National Records of Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:\r\nNational Records of Scotland have today published: '  Scotland’s Census 2022: Sexual Orientation and Trans Status or History'  .\r\nThis is the first time Scotland’s Census has asked questions in relation to ‘Sexual Orientation’ and ‘Trans Status or History’. These questions were voluntary and asked of those aged 16 and over. The data contained in this publication will help charities, local authorities, businesses and government plan a range of public services, to improve the lives of those living and working in Scotland. The data will also support the equality monitoring responsibilities of public sector organisations, which in turn informs policies and practices.\r\nScotland’s Census results are designated as Accredited Official Statistics and form an integral part of the statistical system in the UK. The Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR), the independent regulatory arm of the  UK Statistics Authority  , awards Accredited Official Statistics designation based on the quality, good practice and comprehensiveness of official statistics.\r\nMore detail about the schedule for future reports can be found  here  .","AnswerDate":"2024-06-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421615,"EventID":"S6W-28376","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-26T15:48:56.743","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-26T13:24:00.013","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures are being taken to ensure that local authorities provide adequate support to pupils and students with additional support needs in order to prevent the need for parents to appeal to the additional support needs tribunal, particularly in light of the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024 coming into force on 16 July 2024.","AnswerText":"The Additional Support for Learning Code of Practice is statutory guidance which explains the duties on education authorities and other agencies to support children’s and young people’s learning. It provides guidance on the provisions of the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act as well as on the supporting framework of secondary legislation. Education authorities and agencies involved in advising or supporting children and young people with additional support needs and their families, should encourage and support their employees in gaining knowledge of the content of the code and understanding of its application in their day-to-day work. To ensure that it continues to fully support schools and local authorities to fulfil their duties under the ASL Act, we have committed to a refresh of the Supporting Children’s Learning Code of Practice during this parliamentary term. The update will take account of the incorporation of UNCRC.\r\nIn terms of funding to support local authorities, spending on additional support for learning by authorities reached a record high of £926m in 2022-23 an increase of £386m in the last 10 years. We have invested £75m since 2019-20 to help schools respond to the individual needs of children and young people, which has contributed to the highest recorded level of support staff in Scotland. We also provide over £11m of funding each year to directly support pupils with complex additional support needs and services to support children and families.\r\nThe early resolution of concerns and disagreements is actively encouraged. Where this is not possible, the Additional Support for Learning legislation sets out a range of dispute resolution mechanisms and the Scottish Government provide for a range of services to support parents, carers and young people through this process.\r\nIn response to the Additional Support for Learning Review in 2020, Scottish Ministers are committed to ensuring that Additional Support for Learning legislation is UNCRC compliant, and will deliver this through the Additional Support for Learning Action Plan.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421616,"EventID":"S6W-28377","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-26T15:48:56.963","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-26T13:24:46.43","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to support housing associations to retrofit their housing stocks, with the aim of reducing fuel poverty, lowering energy consumption and preventing the occurrence of mould, and how it plans to ensure that any measures are implemented effectively.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is supporting housing associations to retrofit their housing stock through the Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund. We are making available up to £200m this Parliamentary Session to support clean heat and energy efficiency projects in socially rented homes.\r\n? Projects are eligible for up to 60% of the costs of clean heating systems and 50% of energy efficiency measures, including Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) which also helps to prevent the occurrence of mould and condensation.\r\nThe Scottish Government monitors grant funded projects closely, requiring frequent updates to ensure they are implemented effectively and that benefits are realised.\r\nThe Scottish Housing Quality Standard requires social landlords to meet minimum energy efficiency standards and to have in place satisfactory ventilation, as well as ensure that there is no rising or penetrating damp. The Scottish Housing Regulator wrote to all Social Landlords in December 2022 on the importance of appropriate systems to identify cases of mould and damp.\r\nEarlier this year the Scottish Government consulted on a new Social Housing Net Zero Standard. This included proposals to require landlords to devise a ventilation and monitoring strategy to accompany energy efficiency interventions where mechanical ventilation isn’t installed. We are now considering the consultation responses received before progressing.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421617,"EventID":"S6W-28373","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-26T15:48:57.027","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-26T12:42:59.21","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is promoting the Young Carer Grant to those that are eligible for the payment, and whether it has consulted with (a) young carers and (b) other stakeholders on recent public campaigns. ","AnswerText":"Since launching in October 2019, 12,305 Young Carer Grant payments worth £4.0 million have been made to young carers in Scotland.\r\nSocial Security Scotland promotes Young Carer Grant in a targeted way, including by working in partnership with local carers centres in each local authority, encouraging young carers to apply. Social Security Scotland have also delivered multiple marketing campaigns across digital channels that young people engage with most - including a joint campaign with Young Scot.\r\nWhen designing marketing campaigns, Social Security Scotland carry out primary research with eligible people. A series of focus groups and interviews with young carers has ensured the campaigns resonate with and reach those eligible for the payment.\r\nSocial Security Scotland also attends the Scottish Young Carers Festival, organised by the Carers Trust, to promote Young Carer Grant, talk to young carers about their experiences and encourage them to apply. To mark this year’s Young Carer Action Day, Social Security Scotland re-ran their digital Young Carer Grant campaign, including sharing a stakeholder toolkit with carer organisations, and worked with STV and a young carer on a broadcast feature.\r\nThis latest campaign activity helped drive the highest number of applications in a month since the payment launched - with 790 applications received from young carers in March alone this year. In the last financial year, over 3,700 young people received Young Carer Grant payments worth £1.4 million, almost 60% more than the year before.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421618,"EventID":"S6W-28364","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-26T15:48:57.073","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-26T10:28:20.043","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what precautionary advice and training is given by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to firefighters sent to tackle outbreaks of fire at (a) recycling centres and (b) electronic recycling centres.","AnswerText":"Firefighter training and the provision of precautionary advice is an operational matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS). The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service have provided reassurance that all necessary training is provided to staff, to ensure they appropriately manage any incident, including those at recycling and electronic recycling centres.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421619,"EventID":"S6W-28375","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-26T15:48:57.247","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-26T12:42:59.21","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many young people it estimates are eligible for the Young Carer Grant in (a) Fife and (b) the Cowdenbeath constituency. ","AnswerText":"Social Security Scotland publishes official statistics for the number of payments for Young Carer Grant by Local Authority but not at constituency level. In the financial year 2023-24, Social Security Scotland made 280 payments totalling £99,217 to clients in the Fife Local Authority.\r\nThe Scottish Government published estimates of take-up rates for a number of devolved benefits in November 2023. Take-up rates are estimates of the number of people who are eligible for a benefit that receive it. The latest estimated take-up rate for Young Carer Grant in Scotland for 2022-23 is 75%. This figure is for Scotland nationally.\r\nThe latest take-up rate estimates and further detail on the methodology can be found at:  Take-Up Rate Estimates - Take-up rates of Scottish benefits: November 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)\r\nThe latest statistics published for Young Carer Grant can be found at:  Social Security Scotland - Young Carer Grant: high level statistics to 31 March 2024  .","AnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421620,"EventID":"S6W-28363","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-26T15:48:57.543","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-25T16:52:46.513","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its previous commitment to establish at least one new national park before the end of the current parliamentary session, and the reporter process to do so reportedly needing to be started in summer 2024 in order to be able to deliver any new national parks within this timeframe, when it will make the decision on which region or regions to take forward into the reporter process; when the reporter process will start, and how it will inform the Parliament of any decisions in order for any new national parks to be delivered before May 2026.","AnswerText":"In October 2023, communities were invited to explore and develop proposals for their local area to be considered for designation as Scotland’s next National Park. The nomination phase closed on 29 February and nominations were received from Galloway, Lochaber, Scottish Borders, Tay Forest and Loch Awe.\r\nThe appraisal process considered all nominations against six published criteria.  Introduction - New National Parks: nominations guidance and appraisal framework - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  . These were:\r\n? outstanding national importance\r\n? size, character and coherence\r\n? meeting the special needs of the area\r\n? strategic contribution\r\n? visitor management and tourism\r\n? local support\r\nThe appraisal process concluded in May and the appraisal panel’s report has been published on our website: National Parks - Landscape and outdoor access - gov.scot (  www.gov.scot  )\r\nFollowing the conclusion of the appraisal process, I am pleased to inform Parliament ahead of a public announcement that will take place later today that we are proposing to move to the next stage in the process to establish a new National Park in Galloway.\r\nThe nomination from the Galloway National Park Association and the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire UNESCO biosphere highlights the area’s outstanding natural and cultural heritage and it sets out the potential benefits that designation could make to the environment, the economy and to local communities. The proposal also provides evidence of support for a new National Park from local communities, stakeholders and businesses. The report of the new National Parks appraisal panel concluded that the nomination from Galloway meets all of the published criteria.\r\nThe proposal for a new National Park in Galloway has been laid in Parliament this morning and it will be published on the Scottish Government website.\r\nOn behalf of the Scottish Government, I would like to offer our thanks for the considerable time, effort and commitment that all the nominating groups and members of these local communities have invested in exploring and developing their nominations.\r\nThe next stage in the process will begin with a ‘Reporter Phase’ in which communities will be asked if they want a National Park in the Galloway area. A ‘Reporter’ – in this case NatureScot – will now lead further work on the Galloway proposal, including extensive consultation and engagement with local residents, communities, community councils, local authorities, businesses, relevant public bodies and interest groups. This will include engagement and consultation with the agriculture, forestry and other land-based sectors given their importance within the area. The Reporter’s work will investigate, develop and test the National Park proposal in light of local views and circumstances, taking into account all views expressed during the consultation.\r\nThe Reporter is required to provide its findings to the Scottish Government on the proposal by 28 April 2025 and the report will be laid in Parliament. If we decide to proceed with the National Park proposal – with or without modification - secondary legislation will need to be developed, consulted on and approved by Parliament in order to designate a new National Park in Galloway.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421621,"EventID":"S6W-28372","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-26T15:48:57.603","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-26T11:38:54.59","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the recently passed EU Nature Restoration Law and how it intersects with (a) existing Scottish Government policies and (b) its forthcoming biodiversity strategy.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government officials are currently conducting an analysis of the newly-passed EU Nature Restoration Law to identify where it intersects with existing Scottish Government policies and the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy. The Scottish Government remains committed to maintaining alignment with the EU, where possible. The recent consultation on our biodiversity strategy and delivery plan set out an ambitious range of actions which aim to tackle the nature crisis. We have already invested heavily in tackling the nature crisis such as through our £65 million Nature Restoration Fund which has funded a wide range of projects across Scotland and our £250 million commitment to restore degraded peatlands.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421622,"EventID":"S6W-28378","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-26T15:48:57.65","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-26T14:33:36.907","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the purpose of discussions held on 12 June 2024 between the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and the Chinese Consul General in Scotland, reportedly requested by the latter and granted by the former, in light of an announcement by the City of Edinburgh Council that it is suspending plans for a friendship agreement with a major Taiwanese city. ","AnswerText":"I met the Chinese Consul General Zhang Biao on 12 June at the Consul General’s request. The Consul General raised the prospect of a friendship arrangement between the City of Edinburgh Council and Kaohsiung. I made clear that the Scottish Government could not instruct, nor influence local authority decision making, regardless of the topic or issue. He re-iterated that the Scottish Government policy regarding Taiwan had not changed.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":421623,"EventID":"S6W-28369","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-26T15:48:57.963","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-26T10:44:53.267","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to (a) ensure equal access to community assets for and (b) address the current lack of access faced by organisations serving black and minority ethnic and migrant communities, in light of the important role that a stable venue can play in enabling such groups to effectively provide services. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government introduced asset transfer legislation as part of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015. This landmark policy is the first of its kind in the UK and since its enactment on 23 January 2017 there has been more than 225 successful asset transfers agreed using these powers.\r\nWe are committed to ensuring that all our communities can access community assets, and are working with our partners to make sure our most vulnerable communities can access the assets they require to deliver important services and develop their own economies, wellbeing, and environments.\r\nOur work with the Community Ownership Support Service (COSS) and the Barmulloch Community Development Company in Glasgow established a central hub which has supported 11 marginalised groups engage with the asset transfer process including the Bangla Centre, Spingburn, who were able to progress their asset transfer ambitions by accessing this targeted support.\r\nAs part of the current review of the Community Empowerment Act we have asked our partners and their networks to help us better understand the experiences of those involved in taking on community assets, including seeking the views of underrepresented groups.\r\nWe maintain a vision for a Scotland where all people – including black and minority ethnic communities, and migrants – have equal access to wealth, opportunities, and power.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421624,"EventID":"S6W-28367","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-26T15:48:58.01","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-26T10:28:20.043","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been made of the impact of fires at (a) recycling plants and (b) electronic recycling plants on the (i) workload and (ii) health of firefighters.","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for SFRS. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service have the resources in place to provide the appropriate response to every emergency incident which occurs in Scotland. All fires can present a risk to firefighters which is why SFRS has taken all necessary steps to ensure the health and safety of their staff.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421625,"EventID":"S6W-28365","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-26T15:48:58.09","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-26T10:28:20.043","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many fires have occurred at (a) recycling centres and (b) electronic recycling centres in the past five years, broken down by location.","AnswerText":"Over the past five years, 40 fires have been reported to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).\r\nThe following table breaks down these incidents by centre type and location:\r\nType of site and location\r\nNumber of fires\r\nBattery Recycling Centre\r\n3\r\nKilwinning\r\n3\r\nElectronic Recycling Centre\r\n5\r\nAlness\r\n1\r\nPaisley\r\n1\r\nPerth\r\n3\r\nRecycling Centre\r\n32\r\nAberdeen\r\n1\r\nAyr\r\n1\r\nBargeddie\r\n2\r\nBathgate\r\n1\r\nBlantyre\r\n5\r\nCarberry\r\n1\r\nCardenden\r\n1\r\nCastle Douglas\r\n1\r\nCupar\r\n1\r\nDumfries\r\n1\r\nDundee\r\n1\r\nEast Kilbride\r\n3\r\nGlasgow\r\n1\r\nInvergordon\r\n3\r\nLochinver\r\n1\r\nPaisley\r\n1\r\nPolmont\r\n1\r\nRutherglen\r\n1\r\nStornoway\r\n1\r\nStrathaven\r\n1\r\nThornton\r\n1\r\nWallyford\r\n1\r\nWesthill\r\n1\r\nTotal\r\n40\r\n","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421626,"EventID":"S6W-28374","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-26T15:48:58.137","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-26T12:42:59.21","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, based on the most recent data available, what the uptake is for the Young Carer Grant in (a) Fife and (b) the Cowdenbeath constituency.","AnswerText":"The latest estimated take-up rate for Young Carer Grant in Scotland in 2022-23 is 75%. Social Security Scotland routinely publish Official Statistics on the number of carers receiving a payment for Young Career Grant. Whilst these statistics include information by local authority area, we do not currently include information by Scottish Parliament constituency.\r\nThe latest statistics show that, as of 31 March 2024, 875 Young Carer Grant payments with a total value of £285,143 had been issued to clients living in the Fife local authority since its launch in October 2019. Of these, 280 payments with a total value of £99,217 were made in the 2023-24 financial year.\r\nThe latest statistics publication for this benefit can be found at:  Social Security Scotland - Young Carer Grant: high level statistics to 31 March 2024  and estimated take-up rates are available at:  Analysis of Take-Up Rate Estimates - Take-up rates of Scottish benefits: November 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .","AnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421627,"EventID":"S6W-27964","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-26T15:48:58.23","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-29T16:14:23.887","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to its response to the report of the Independent Review of the Skills Delivery Landscape, what steps it has taken to embed consideration of gender in the exercise to be undertaken in summer 2024 to develop a better understanding of the specific skills needed across the country.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to my answer to question S6W-27963 on 23 July 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-07-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421628,"EventID":"S6W-27568","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5596,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":151,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-26T15:48:58.543","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-14T14:48:52.213","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Bill will meet its reported obligations to comply with access to justice requirements under Article 9(4) of the Aarhus Convention before the deadline of 1 October 2024.","AnswerText":"The Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Bill, which is currently being considered by the Scottish Parliament, will introduce a number of reforms which are intended to improve access to justice, one of the three pillars outlined in the Aarhus Convention. \r\nThe Bill will introduce a modern set of regulatory objectives which promote greater access to affordable legal services for consumers. It will also introduce direct regulation of legal businesses, remove restrictions on charities to allow them to directly employ solicitors, simplify the complaints process and introduce a register of regulated legal service providers. These reforms are designed to improve access to justice in Scotland.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421629,"EventID":"S6W-28366","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-26T15:48:58.637","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-26T10:28:20.043","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, of any fires that occurred at recycling centres or electronic recycling centres in the past five years, what information it holds on how many were caused by (a) batteries, (b) battery devices and (c) electronic devices.","AnswerText":"Of the 40 fires detailed in the answer to S6W-28365 on 10 July 2024, the number confirmed as being caused by batteries, battery devices, or electronic devices within the last five years is 9.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421630,"EventID":"S6W-27963","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-26T15:48:58.823","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-29T16:14:23.887","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to its response to the report of the Independent Review of the Skills Delivery Landscape, what steps it has taken to ensure that any barriers that women and girls face in accessing the skills system, such as gender segregation in subject choice, gender stereotypes around work, occupational segregation, caring responsibilities, sexism and sexual harassment, are fully considered in the skills review.","AnswerText":"An initial Equalities Impact Assessment ,  Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA): Purpose and Principles (www.gov.scot)  for the Purpose and Principles for Post-School education, research and skills  Post-school education, research and skills - purpose and principles - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  was published on 4 July 2023. Consideration of all protected characteristics, including gender, will continue to inform the design and delivery of post school education and skills reform.\r\nThis will build on our existing work to address barriers for women and girls, including:\r\n•A range of resources developed by Education Scotland to address gender segregation in subject choices in schools\r\n•Duties on colleges and universities to tackle inequality, including gender disparities within STEM subject areas\r\n•Working with the Equally Safe in Colleges and Universities Core Leadership Group to address gender-based violence.\r\n•The refreshed Fair Work Action Plan which was published in December 2022 and aims to take an intersectional approach, where possible, to tackling the structural labour market barriers faced by disadvantaged groups in Scotland’s labour market including women.\r\nOn the specifics of skills planning, consideration of all protected characteristics, including gender and socio-economically disadvantaged groups, will be embedded throughout the process.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421631,"EventID":"S6W-28368","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-26T15:48:58.917","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-26T10:42:47.947","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many type 1 diabetic adults are expected to be started on insulin pumps in NHS Lothian in the 2024-2025 period as a direct result of the recently announced funding of up to £8.8 million for diabetes technology. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government’s recent investment into diabetes technologies will allow all children living with Type 1 diabetes to get access, should they want it. This funding will also support increased provision to adults. Exact numbers in each NHS board area will be determined by local delivery plans being developed by NHS boards, working with the National Diabetes Technologies team in the Centre for Sustainable Delivery, based on waiting lists, staff capacity and affordability.\r\nThe new investment from the Scottish Government to support new access to technologies is in addition to baseline funding provided to NHS boards. It is not being allocated to boards to pay for their current delivery plans.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421632,"EventID":"S6W-28370","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-26T15:48:58.98","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-26T10:45:17.037","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to directly (a) fund and (b) engage with (i) experts and (ii) organisations in black and multi-ethnic communities. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government approved £21 million of funding for the 2021-2024 period to support equality and human rights in Scotland through the Equality and Human Rights Fund  Equality and Human Rights Fund: projects funded - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  . Of that total, nearly £5.5 million is specifically allocated to fourteen organisations delivering a range of activities to engage with and support black and minority ethnic organisations and communities in Scotland. Overall, the funded organisations have provided support to 4,168 people, and 747 organisations.\r\nThe Scottish Government also established a short term Anti-Racism Interim Governance Group to Develop National Anti-Racism Infrastructure (AIGG), which was comprised of academic experts, young people and community leaders with specific expertise in anti-racism in Scotland. An important part of the group’s work was commissioning participatory community research  Community-Report-_-Executive-Summary-September-2023.pdf (antiracismobservatoryforscotland.org)  to engage with racialised communities across Scotland to ensure they are informed and engaged with the work being done to progress anti-racism in Scotland.\r\nThe Scottish Government has long-standing and continued engagement with a variety of organisations in the minority ethnic sector, including our strategic partners BEMIS, CRER and CEMVO, to collectively drive change for our diverse communities across Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421658,"EventID":"S6W-28409","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-27T15:53:04.097","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-27T10:31:18.197","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many notices SEPA has issued under section 59 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 since its establishment in 1996.","AnswerText":"SEPA advises that it has issued a total of 255 Section 59 notices between 2005 and 2024. Data from 1996-2004 is not available due to the cyber-attack on SEPA that happened in 2020.\r\nNotices issued under section 59 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 since its establishment in 1996\r\nYear\r\nTotal Issued\r\nNo. of Recipients\r\nNo. of Recipients receiving multiple S59 Notices\r\n2024*\r\n7\r\n6\r\n1\r\n2023*\r\n8\r\n7\r\n1\r\n2022*\r\n5\r\n5\r\n-\r\n2021*\r\n4\r\n4\r\n-\r\n2020\r\n2\r\n2\r\n-\r\n2019\r\n6\r\n4\r\n1\r\n2018\r\n5\r\n5\r\n-\r\n2017\r\n8\r\n8\r\n-\r\n2016\r\n11\r\n11\r\n-\r\n2015\r\n19\r\n15\r\n3\r\n2014\r\n19\r\n12\r\n3\r\n2013\r\n5\r\n5\r\n-\r\n2012\r\n29\r\n25\r\n4\r\n2011\r\n20\r\n18\r\n2\r\n2010\r\n22\r\n19\r\n2\r\n2009\r\n23\r\n19\r\n3\r\n2008\r\n32\r\n27\r\n4\r\n2007\r\n16\r\n14\r\n2\r\n2006\r\n13\r\n13\r\n-\r\n2005\r\n1\r\n1\r\n-\r\n1996 - 2004\r\nNot Available\r\nNot Available\r\nNot Available\r\n* Snapshot of Enforcement records at 01-07-2024.\r\nNotes on recovered Registry data (2005 - 2020):\r\nSEPA have access to partially recovered records prior to the cyber-attack on 24/12/2020. The data is a download of the Enforcement Tracking Database (ETD) which was backed up just before the cyber-attack.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421659,"EventID":"S6W-28396","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-27T15:53:04.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-26T19:18:23.463","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to modernise deer management in Scotland to (a) help tackle the climate and nature emergencies and (b) implement the recommendations of the Deer Working Group. ","AnswerText":"As set out in the Scottish Government’s Climate Change Action: Policy Package,  Climate change action: policy package - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  , we are developing a package of incentives schemes for deer management to pilot across Scotland. These local schemes will be implemented this year in different parts of Scotland to test different approaches to incentives and to better understand the barriers to deer management.\r\nIn addition to this the Managing Deer for Climate and Nature: consultation closed on 29 March 2024. This consultation sought views on proposed legislative changes to Scotland’s systems of deer management, including in relation to a number of recommendations made by the Deer Working Group (DWG) in their 2020 report. The responses are currently being analysed and an update will be provided in due course.\r\nThe Scottish Government’s future legislative programme will be set out as part of the upcoming Programme for Government in due course. In the meantime we are working on those DWG recommendations that do not require primary legislation through the Strategic Deer Board.  Deer Management Strategic Board - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .","AnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421660,"EventID":"S6W-28395","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-27T15:53:04.287","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-26T18:54:27.697","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to polling by More in Common, which reportedly found that the Scottish public is overwhelmingly supportive of nature, with 92% stating that nature is personally important to them and that \"harm to nature and wildlife\" is the climate-related issue that they are most concerned about. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government welcomes the results of the More in Common survey. Nature is important to everyone. It is our world’s life support system. The twin crises of climate change and nature loss need urgent action across Government and society. The 2023 State of Nature report for Scotland shows the effect that a changing climate is having on our natural world. We face twin reinforcing crises – a decline in biodiversity will make the climate crisis worse and a changing climate will increase the rate of biodiversity loss. Halting and reversing biodiversity loss is critical for adapting to climate change and to ensure we can all continue to enjoy nature's benefits, on which we all depend.\r\nThe evidence tells us that Scotland, in common with the rest of the UK, has not done enough over the last 20 years to prevent the continuing decline in biodiversity. We remain firmly committed to tackling the twin crises by taking decisive actions to protect and restore the natural environment. Our ambitious new biodiversity strategy sets out our goals to halt nature loss by 2030 and reverse it by 2045 and provides a long-term vision of what our natural environment needs to look like in order to reverse biodiversity decline. We have committed to invest at least an additional £500 million in the natural economy over the course of this Parliament. Our £65 million Nature Restoration Fund is a key lever in delivering our Biodiversity Strategy, alongside investment in nature-based solutions, like peatland restoration and woodland creation, to tackle the twin crises, and create green jobs.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421661,"EventID":"S6W-28394","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-27T15:53:04.363","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-26T18:47:46.107","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce a Natural Environment Bill with statutory targets for nature recovery.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains firmly committed to protecting and effectively managing 30% of Scotland’s land and seas for nature by 2030, halting the loss of biodiversity by 2030 and restoring and regenerating it by 2045, and we continue to pursue a wide range of actions to deliver this commitment.\r\nThe Scottish Government’s future legislative programme will be set out as part of the upcoming Programme for Government in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421662,"EventID":"S6W-28408","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-27T15:53:04.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-27T10:31:18.197","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any landowners in Scotland have been issued more than one notice under section 59 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 since 1996.","AnswerText":"Section 10 notices can be issued to a land occupier by SEPA and local authorities. SEPA advises that it has issued multiple Section 59 notices to 26 individuals between 2005 and 2023 (earlier data is not available due to the cyber attack on SEPA in 2020). It is not possible to identify when a notice has been issued to a land occupier who is also the land owner. Data on Section 10 notices issued by local authorities is not held centrally.\r\nNotices issued under section 59 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 since its establishment in 1996\r\nYear\r\nTotal Issued\r\nNo. of Recipients\r\nNo. of Recipients receiving multiple S59 Notices\r\n2024*\r\n7\r\n6\r\n1\r\n2023*\r\n8\r\n7\r\n1\r\n2022*\r\n5\r\n5\r\n-\r\n2021*\r\n4\r\n4\r\n-\r\n2020\r\n2\r\n2\r\n-\r\n2019\r\n6\r\n4\r\n1\r\n2018\r\n5\r\n5\r\n-\r\n2017\r\n8\r\n8\r\n-\r\n2016\r\n11\r\n11\r\n-\r\n2015\r\n19\r\n15\r\n3\r\n2014\r\n19\r\n12\r\n3\r\n2013\r\n5\r\n5\r\n-\r\n2012\r\n29\r\n25\r\n4\r\n2011\r\n20\r\n18\r\n2\r\n2010\r\n22\r\n19\r\n2\r\n2009\r\n23\r\n19\r\n3\r\n2008\r\n32\r\n27\r\n4\r\n2007\r\n16\r\n14\r\n2\r\n2006\r\n13\r\n13\r\n-\r\n2005\r\n1\r\n1\r\n-\r\n1996 - 2004\r\nNot Available\r\nNot Available\r\nNot Available\r\n* Snapshot of Enforcement records at 01-0-/2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421663,"EventID":"S6W-28404","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-27T15:53:04.457","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-27T09:59:36.897","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what recent discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the reported late filing of full accounts for 2022 by (a) P&O Ferries and (b) Port of Cairnryan. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not held discussions with the UK Government regarding the late filing of accounts for either P&O Ferries or the Port of Cairnryan. Company accounts and related matters of HMRC taxation are reserved to the UK Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421664,"EventID":"S6W-28389","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-27T15:53:04.503","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-26T17:58:14.683","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much CMAL has spent, to date, from the budgets in the Infrastructure Investment Plan (IIP) for the procurement of new (a) vessels and (b) pier and harbour infrastructure.","AnswerText":"The requested spend information is as follows\r\na) Vessel spend to date since the launch of the IIP has been just over £145.1m. This funding aligns to the Islay class vessels which were increased from two to four vessels.\r\nb) The capital investment funding provided to CMAL on piers and harbours projects in the last three financial years since the launch of the IIP equates to around £70m.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":421665,"EventID":"S6W-28398","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-27T15:53:04.567","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-26T19:20:51.103","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Nature Restoration Fund will be (a) retained and (b) expanded. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) provides a total of at least £65 million for nature restoration projects led from communities across Scotland over this parliament. Financial decisions beyond that time will be announced as part of the annual budget process in the next parliament.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421666,"EventID":"S6W-28392","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-27T15:53:04.613","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-26T17:58:14.683","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what policy options are under consideration for procuring second-hand tonnage on the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services contract, as part of the Islands Connectivity Plan.","AnswerText":"CMAL continue to be tasked by the Scottish Government and Transport Scotland to seek suitable second hand tonnage. Where a vessel is thought to have the potential to supplement the existing fleet, a business case will developed to be considered by Ministers. Affordability and Value for Money would be key considerations.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":421667,"EventID":"S6W-28381","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-27T15:53:04.66","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-26T16:59:55.12","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason holders of the National Entitlement Card, on rail journeys booked through Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, must pay full price if they cross regions on their rail travel.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government provides funding for the National Concessionary Bus Travel Scheme for Older and Disabled People (NCTS) which provides free bus travel throughout Scotland for eligible older and disabled people. However, concessionary travel on other modes of transport, such as rail, is the responsibility of local authorities, which have discretionary powers under the Transport Act 1985 to provide and fund local concessionary travel schemes for residents. The extent and terms of any such scheme are for individual local authorities to consider and decide upon but are limited to be within the local authority or region boundary.\r\nFurther information on the specific Strathclyde Concessionary Travel Scheme can be found here:  Concessions | SPT | Strathclyde Partnership for Transport \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421668,"EventID":"S6W-28390","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-27T15:53:04.723","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-26T17:58:14.683","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to (a) set funding levels for each phase of the Vessels and Ports Plan for the (i) Clyde and Hebrides and (ii) Northern Isles public ferry networks to 2045 and (b) publish the Islands Connectivity Plan in full.","AnswerText":"As part of the Islands Connectivity Plan, the updated Vessel and Ports Plan was published for consultation on 1 February 2024. The Plan provides a long-term plan to 2045 for the vessel and port investment considered necessary to address the key challenges of reliability and resilience by modernising the fleet and reducing the average age to 15 years by the end of the decade.\r\nThe Plan also makes clear that the timing of the delivery of individual projects remains subject to Value for Money, prioritisation and affordability.\r\nThe final versions of the Islands Connectivity Plan’s Strategic Approach Paper and the Vessels and Ports Plan are expected to be published later this year.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":421669,"EventID":"S6W-27973","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-27T15:53:04.8","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-30T10:36:14.393","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it is giving to the provision of support for homeless dog owners who are seeking accommodation, including (a) any lack of provision by local authorities to house people in temporary accommodation with a dog and (b) the length of time that is spent in temporary accommodation that does not allow pets, and the impact that such separation can have on human and dog welfare.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the physical and mental health benefits that stem from pet ownership. \r\nWhile there is currently no legal duty on local authorities to house pets, the statutory code of guidance on homelessness and the temporary accommodation standards framework require local authorities to consider housing options which best meet an individual’s needs, including supporting homeless households to maintain relationships with their pets. \r\nEach local authority will need to consider how to achieve this on a case-by-case basis. This may include working with other organisations to help with planning for people’s pets and providing assistance with the kennelling of any pets if an applicant is not able to keep them in their temporary accommodation.\r\nTenants in the social sector can keep a pet with the written permission of their landlord, as can some private tenants. However, the Scottish Government wishes to enable all tenants where possible to benefit from the experience of pet ownership. There are provisions within the Housing (Scotland) Bill which, if passed, will give private and social housing tenants greater flexibility to have a pet by introducing a right to request to keep a pet, and for tenants’ requests not to be unreasonably refused.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421670,"EventID":"S6W-28402","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-27T15:53:04.863","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-27T09:59:36.897","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the contracts of employment for Scotland-domiciled seafarers working on P&O Ferries services between Cairnryan and Larne, in light of the evidence given to the House of Commons Business and Trade Committee by the chief executive officer of P&O Ferries on 7 May 2024. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not held recent discussions with the UK Government regarding employment conditions for merchant seafarers working on ferry routes between Scotland and Northern Ireland.\r\nShipping safety, seafarer welfare and employment conditions are matters reserved to the UK Government. The Scottish Government expects the highest shipping safety, crew welfare and employment conditions, and for these to be applied in the case of those vessels and personnel accessing Scotland’s ports and coastal areas.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421671,"EventID":"S6W-27975","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-27T15:53:04.927","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-30T10:38:32.313","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it is giving to the provision of support for dog owners who are fleeing domestic abuse and seeking accommodation, including (a) any lack of provision by local authorities to house people in temporary accommodation with a dog and (b) the length of time that is spent in temporary accommodation that does not allow pets, and the impact that such separation can have on human and dog welfare.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the physical and mental health benefits that stem from pet ownership.\r\nWhile there is currently no legal duty on local authorities to house pets, the statutory code of guidance on homelessness and the temporary accommodation standards framework require local authorities to consider housing options which best meet an individual’s needs, including supporting homeless households to maintain relationships with their pets.\r\nEach local authority will need to consider how to achieve this on a case-by-case basis. This may include working with other organisations to help with planning for people’s pets and providing assistance with the kennelling of any pets if an applicant is not able to keep them in their temporary accommodation. There are a number of animal charities that offer a fostering service so that people can leave an abusive partner knowing their pet will also be safely looked after until they can be reunited.\r\nTenants in the social sector can keep a pet with the written permission of their landlord, as can some private tenants. However, the Scottish Government wishes to enable all tenants where possible to benefit from the experience of pet ownership. There are provisions within the Housing (Scotland) Bill, which if passed, will give private and social housing tenants greater flexibility to have a pet by introducing a right to request to keep a pet, and for tenants’ requests not to be unreasonably refused.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421672,"EventID":"S6W-28400","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-27T15:53:05.003","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-27T09:26:51.047","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce teacher workload.","AnswerText":"We recognise the concerns around teacher workload, which is why we remain committed to reducing class contact time by 90 minutes giving teachers more time out of the classroom.\r\nTo help inform this discussion the WPI report which was commissioned by the Scottish Government and published on 7 May contains a number of high-level future scenarios and assesses their broad compatibility with any changes to teachers’ contracted class-contact time.\r\nThese scenarios will help to facilitate our discussions with SNCT partners on how we can best deliver this commitment and ensure effective and evidence-informed workforce planning we have commissioned an external modelling and research exercise.\r\nWe continue to explore with the SNCT how we can best make progress. Any changes to teachers’ terms and conditions require tripartite agreement through the SNCT.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421673,"EventID":"S6W-28385","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-27T15:53:05.05","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-26T16:59:55.12","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider (a) establishing further and (b) expanding the scope of existing national concessionary travel schemes under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2005, by the end of the current parliamentary session.","AnswerText":"The Fair Fares Review, which was undertaken to ensure a sustainable and integrated approach to public transport fares that supports the future long-term viability of a public transport system that is accessible, available, and affordable for people throughout Scotland, reviewed the current provision of concessionary travel schemes and reaffirmed our commitment to maintain existing eligibility to the National Concessionary Travel Schemes for those who currently benefit.\r\nWhilst the Scottish Government has no plans to extend the existing National Concessionary Travel Schemes under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2005 beyond the current eligibility criteria, the Review included a medium to long term recommended that further policy development be undertaken to consider better targeting of public funds towards supporting access to public transport for those who need it most, including consideration of concessionary travel support for those experiencing financial poverty.\r\nThe Fair Fares Review was published on 22 March 2024 and is available on the Transport Scotland website.  Fair Fares Review | Transport Scotland  .","AnswerDate":"2024-07-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421674,"EventID":"S6W-28387","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-27T15:53:05.097","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-26T17:58:14.683","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the remaining annual funding levels are for the Infrastructure Investment Plan (IIP) to 2025-26, and what assessment it has made of the impact of inflation levels since 2021-22 on the total IIP budget.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is absolutely committed to improving and modernising our ferry services and better meeting the needs of island residents, businesses and communities. The Infrastructure Investment Plan referenced capital investment of at least £580 million for ferries, port infrastructure, and related activities. In addition to the projects highlighted in the IIP, the Scottish Government has committed around £115 million for two new major vessels for the Little Minch routes. The draft Islands Connectivity Plan - Vessels and Port Plan provides further detail on the overall programme.\r\nThe total spend on ferries infrastructure, excluding Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa which are covered separately, between 2021-22 and 2025-26 is expected to be around £700 million, subject to approvals, funding, and relevant procurement processes. All capital projects are subject to inflation and costs and impacts are considered as part of the individual business case process.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":421675,"EventID":"S6W-28386","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-27T15:53:05.16","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-26T17:58:14.683","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that the Islands Connectivity Plan includes Orkney Islands Council in any new approach to procuring second-hand tonnage on publicly subsidised ferry services.","AnswerText":"The Islands Connectivity Plan recognises that Councils face the same challenges as the Scottish Government of meeting transport connectivity needs with ageing vessels in a time of financial challenge and this Government has already provided more than £220 million between 2018-19 and 2024-25 to the four local authorities that have responsibility for ferries.\r\nProcurement of its ferries, whether new or second-hand, is a matter for Orkney Islands Council, however, we remain committed to the Orkney Ferry Replacement Task Force and supporting the Council to develop a robust business case for replacing vessels and upgrading port infrastructure. Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited is already working with the Council to help assess the harbour and ports infrastructure upgrades that may be required and procurement processes for future vessels.\r\n \r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":421676,"EventID":"S6W-28382","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-27T15:53:05.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-26T16:59:55.12","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it engages with Regional Transport Partnerships on the governance of (a) bus and (b) rail services.","AnswerText":"Regional Transport Partnerships (RTPs) are valued stakeholders and my officials at Transport Scotland engage frequently with the RTPs on various matters. However, whilst Strathclyde Partnership for Transport manages the Glasgow Subway, RTPs have no formal role in governance of ScotRail or Caledonian Sleeper services.\r\nSimilarly, as bus services operate in a deregulated market, they are not subject to governance from local authorities or RTPs. However, local transport authorities, which include the model 3 RTPs, have a range of powers available to them in relation to bus services, including flexible tools available through the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 and the ability to subsidise services, where they consider these to be socially necessary. As such, my officials engage with them regularly in relation to bus services.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421677,"EventID":"S6W-28399","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-27T15:53:05.287","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-26T22:09:28.657","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27934 by Mairi Gougeon on 18 June 2024, what it estimates the final cost of designating a new national park will be, and what its position is on whether this is an effective use of public money, in light of the reportedly restricted financial situation. ","AnswerText":"As outlined on 18 June 2024 in response to question S6W-27934, the delivery costs to date of designating a new National Park, excluding staffing costs and expenses, are £331,409.05.\r\nThe Scottish Government estimates the final cost of designating a new National Park to be £478,500. This includes the delivery costs incurred to date as well as estimated costs for the next phase of work. It does not include the cost of a Reporter Investigation which will be undertaken by NatureScot.\r\nThe annual running cost of a new National Park will be determined by a range of factors which will be considered and consulted upon during the Reporter Investigation. This includes the size and boundary of any area proposed for designation and the powers, functions and governance of a new National Park.\r\nAny new National Park would be expected to contribute to Scottish Government priorities including growing the economy, tackling the climate emergency and improving public services.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421678,"EventID":"S6W-28393","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-27T15:53:05.363","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-26T18:43:43.13","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the academic research on teacher workload, commissioned by the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) and published at its June 2024 AGM, which provided evidence that teachers in Scotland continue to work well beyond their contracted hours and that the number of working hours per week is rising.","AnswerText":"I will be responding directly to the EIS on the important issues raised around teacher workload in their most recent report.\r\nI have also strengthened teacher union engagement in recent months through the creation of the Professional Association Forum, which allows for more routine engagement to discuss issues such as workload.\r\nAny changes to teachers’ terms and conditions require tripartite agreement through the SNCT.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421679,"EventID":"S6W-28384","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-27T15:53:05.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-26T16:59:55.12","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last reviewed the scope of national concessionary travel schemes established under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2005.","AnswerText":"The Fair Fares Review was undertaken to ensure a sustainable and integrated approach to public transport fares that supports the future long-term viability of a public transport system that is accessible, available, and affordable for people throughout Scotland.\r\nThe review considered the scope of both the Young Persons’ Scheme and Older and Disabled Persons Scheme, which provide free bus travel and were established under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2005.\r\nThe Fair Fares Review was published on 22 March 2024 and is available on the Transport Scotland website  Fair Fares Review | Transport Scotland  .","AnswerDate":"2024-07-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421680,"EventID":"S6W-28383","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-27T15:53:05.457","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-26T16:59:55.12","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last reviewed the number of national concessionary travel schemes established under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2005.","AnswerText":"The Fair Fares Review was undertaken to ensure a sustainable and integrated approach to public transport fares that supports the future long-term viability of a public transport system that is accessible, available, and affordable for people throughout Scotland.\r\nThe review considered the current provision of concessionary travel schemes, including both the Young Persons’ Scheme and Older and Disabled Persons Scheme, which provide free bus travel and were established under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2005.\r\nThe Fair Fares Review was published on 22 March 2024 and is available on the Transport Scotland website.  Fair Fares Review | Transport Scotland  .","AnswerDate":"2024-07-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421681,"EventID":"S6W-28411","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-27T15:53:05.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-27T13:59:33.633","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what policy measures it is considering to encourage people in Scotland to eat more plant-based meals, as illustrated in the Eatwell Guide.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government and partners continue to take a variety of steps to promote healthier food and diet, including an increase in plant-based meals. The 2021 Out of Home Action Plan (OOHAP) and the 2018 Diet and Healthy Weight Delivery Plan underpin this approach.\r\nPublic Health Scotland’s pilot of the Eating Out Eating Well Framework (announced in the OOHAP) is supporting people and business to facilitate access to healthier and sustainable options including, for instance, suggesting businesses may want to display and promote vegan and vegetarian meal options, or switching high-fat dairy products to plant based ones.\r\nThe Nutritional Requirements for Food and Drink in Schools (Scotland) Regulations 2020 have strengthened the provision of balanced and nutritious food to children, including setting standards for the maximum amount of red and processed meat that can be provided to primary and secondary school children each week, in addition to setting standards on the provision of fruit and vegetables.\r\nThe Healthy Living Programme, delivered in partnership with the Scottish Grocer’s Federation is supporting over 2,400 convenience stores to provide affordable healthier food options, especially in lower income areas, including promotion of fruit and vegetables as recommended by the Eatwell Guide.\r\nOur Parent Club website provides free advice on healthy eating, as well as recipe ideas to support individuals and families prepare healthy meals including how to increase their consumption of fruit and vegetables, featuring a range of vegetarian options. In 2023-24, the recipe page had 326,979 visits.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421682,"EventID":"S6W-28391","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-27T15:53:05.567","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-26T17:58:14.683","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of any additional costs from Transport Scotland’s contracts for external consultancy services that will result from the 12-month extension to the current contract for Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services from 1 October 2024. ","AnswerText":"Currently there are no estimated additional costs from Transport Scotland’s contracted external consultancy services relating to any extension of the CHFS2 contract.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":421683,"EventID":"S6W-28407","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-27T15:53:05.613","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-27T10:03:19.197","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what (a) discussions it had, (b) action it took and (c) meetings were held in relation to the decision of the City of Edinburgh Council to defer the planned friendship agreement with the Taiwanese port city, Kaohsiung.","AnswerText":"I met the Chinese Consul General Zhang Biao on 12 June at the Consul General’s request. The Consul General raised the prospect of a friendship arrangement between the City of Edinburgh Council and Kaohsiung. I made clear that the Scottish Government could not instruct, nor influence local authority decision making, regardless of the topic or issue and re-iterated that the Scottish Government policy regarding Taiwan had not changed.\r\nThe City of Edinburgh Council also approached members of the Edinburgh International Group, which includes the Scottish Government, on 14 June to ask for feedback on a final draft of the paper that was to be considered by the council.\r\nOfficials confirmed in their response that this was a decision to be made by the local authority and that this position had been communicated to the Consulate.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421684,"EventID":"S6W-28401","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-27T15:53:05.66","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-27T09:59:36.897","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of any payments that it has made to (a) P&O Ferries and (b) Port of Cairnryan from 17 March 2022 to date. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not made any payments to P&O Ferries or the Port of Cairnryan since 17 March 2022.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421685,"EventID":"S6W-28388","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-27T15:53:05.707","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-26T17:58:14.683","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will list the (a) recipient, (b) value and (c) project status of each of the Piers and Harbours Grants that it has issued from the Infrastructure Investment Plan to date.","AnswerText":"The Lochmaddy infrastructure project was led and delivered by the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar(CNES) and the offer of capital grant funding provided was £15,747,640.\r\nThe Tarbert (Harris) project was led and delivered by CMAL, the total spend by Transport Scotland was £19,240.552.75 \r\nThe Uig (Skye) project is currently in construction and led by the Highland Council. The offer of capital grant funding provided is £39,058,246. \r\nThe Ardrossan Harbour Business Case & Cost Exercise is currently being progressed. Transport Scotland has to date provided capital grant funding to Peel Ports Group of £650,000 as part of the design, planning and procurement stages of this project’s development. \r\nCMAL have project lead on a number of ongoing projects under the IIP. A total of £15,283,893.01 has been paid in respect of the works carried out. This spend covers the work on the Cumbrae Slipway, Gourock Harbour Development, Islay Vessel Enabling Works, Lochboisdale /Gasay Project Works and the Port Ellen Terminal Development.\r\nAll the information regarding spending on Vessels and Infrastructure can be found within the Section 70 reports published annually by Transport Scotland the most recent financial year updated 28th June 2024.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":421686,"EventID":"S6W-28380","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-27T15:53:05.753","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-26T16:37:45.057","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps have been taken to enable Police Scotland to record and retrieve information on incidents of pet theft more easily.","AnswerText":"The recording and retrieving of information by Police Scotland on incidents of pet theft is an operational matter for Police Scotland. Any query in relation to the Police Scotland operational approach in this area would therefore best be directed to Police Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421687,"EventID":"S6W-28403","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-27T15:53:05.817","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-27T09:59:36.897","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the provision of public funds to Port of Cairnryan since March 2022. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not held discussions with the UK Government regarding the provision of public funds to Port of Cairnryan since 2022.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421688,"EventID":"S6W-28379","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-27T15:53:05.863","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-26T16:37:45.057","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any further official data on incidents of dog theft have been collated since Police Scotland produced the document, Recorded Theft of Dogs in Scotland April 2019 – March 2021, in June 2021.","AnswerText":"The  Recorded Theft of Dogs in Scotland April 2019 - March 2021  was published by Police Scotland in response to queries they were receiving relating to dog theft. The data published revealed once ownership disputes arising over dogs were excluded from the data, the number of dogs thefts recorded in 2019-20 was 48 and the number of dog thefts recorded in 2020-21 was 60. It is an operational matter for Police Scotland as to information they publish as contained on their internal management information systems and any query as to whether Police Scotland will publish further information in this area would therefore best be directed to Police Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421689,"EventID":"S6W-28410","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-27T15:53:05.973","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-27T13:52:27.737","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Climate Change Committee's recommendation in the publication, Progress in reducing emissions in Scotland, 2023 Report to Parliament, whether it has further investigated the emissions reduction potential of dietary choices in Scotland, particularly in relation to meat and dairy consumption reduction.","AnswerText":"Upon the request of the Scottish Government, research was conducted between March 2023 and March 2024 to model the impact of a reduction in meat and dairy intakes on the nation’s micronutrient intake. This work was led by Food Standards Scotland (FSS), in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh, in response to the Climate Change Committee (CCC)’s recommendation in the publication, Progress in reducing emissions in Scotland, 2022 Report to Parliament . It revealed that Scotland could make significant progress towards the CCC targets for reduction in meat consumption by following existing dietary advice shown in the Eatwell Guide. The Scottish Government and FSS are seeking to carry out additional research dedicated to assessing the greenhouse gas emissions associated with dietary intakes as part a review of the Scottish Dietary Goals (SDG) in 2024-25. Additionally, the Scottish Government is engaging the CCC to explore the evidence base which has informed the Committee’s recommendation in the publication, Progress in reducing emissions in Scotland, 2023 Report to Parliament .\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421691,"EventID":"S6W-28426","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-28T16:01:23.933","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-28T14:30:24.123","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent engagement it has had with the voluntary sector to ensure that the aims of greater fiscal transparency are realised. ","AnswerText":"Scottish Government recognises the value engagement to evaluate the impact of the measures we are progressing with respect to Fairer Funding. Officials in the Third Sector Unit are in regular contact with organisations like SCVO and the network of Third Sector Interfaces which provide a voice for the wider sector.\r\nAs I said in my letter to the Social Justice and Social Security Committee on 20 May we recognise, through our engagement, there is a need to ensure that we can work with them to identify solutions to the challenges facing us.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421692,"EventID":"S6W-28425","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-28T16:01:24.31","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-28T14:28:58.843","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to publish annually its total direct investment in voluntary organisations, broken down by (a) grants and (b) contracts. ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to S6W-28419 on 22 July 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421693,"EventID":"S6W-28424","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-28T16:01:24.857","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-28T14:27:35.773","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to (a) collect funding information across all Scottish Government departments and (b) produce a breakdown of its funding to the (i) voluntary, (ii) private and (iii) public sector by (A) department and (B) budget line. ","AnswerText":"Reporting covering monthly spend over £25k are published on the Scottish Government website  Government spend over £25,000: monthly reports - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  . In addition, annual budget documentation setting out spending plans by portfolio and programme are included in the annual accounts,  Consolidated Accounts: year ended 31 March 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  also available from the Scottish Government website. Whilst current annual reporting does not give the analysis proposed, the monthly reporting provides detailed information. The Scottish Government is currently undergoing a transition of its financial reporting functionality, that will allow for financial reporting developments in the future.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421694,"EventID":"S6W-28405","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-28T16:01:25.137","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-27T09:59:36.897","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the number of seafarers being supplied by employment agencies based in Scotland to operate P&O Ferries' Cairnryan to Larne services. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not estimated employment levels at P&O Ferries.\r\nOur vision, shared with the Fair Work Convention, is for Scotland to be a leading Fair Work Nation by 2025, where fair work drives success, wellbeing and prosperity for individuals, businesses, organisations and society. Fair Work is a key driver for achieving sustainable and inclusive economic growth and a wellbeing economy.\r\nControl over employment and industrial relations legislation is currently reserved to the UK Parliament; while this remains the case, we will continue to use our Fair Work policy to drive up labour market standards for workers across the Scottish labour market.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421695,"EventID":"S6W-28423","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-28T16:01:25.293","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-28T14:25:18.61","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to (a) include all third sector spending in its monthly reports and (b) improve categories to ensure that data are accessible and useful. ","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to S6W-28419 on 22 July 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421696,"EventID":"S6W-28406","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-28T16:01:25.48","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-27T09:59:36.897","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will discuss the effect of P&O Ferries' crewing policies on Scotland-domiciled seafarer employment with members of the Scottish Maritime Cluster. ","AnswerText":"P&O are not members of the Scottish Maritime Cluster.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421697,"EventID":"S6W-28415","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-28T16:01:26.2","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-28T08:36:45.6","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been made of teaching staff at all levels with food allergy awareness training.","AnswerText":"The responsibility for staff training in schools is a matter for local authorities.\r\nThe Scottish Government has published guidance on supporting children and young people with healthcare needs in schools. Annex B of this guidance focuses upon UK-wide Regulations which allow schools to buy and hold spare adrenaline auto-injector (AAI) devices to treat pupils suffering from allergic reactions in emergency situations where their own prescribed device is unavailable. This guidance is available through the following web link:  Supporting children and young people with healthcare needs in schools: guidance - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .\r\nOur guidance states that schools must arrange specialist anaphylaxis training for staff where a pupil in their school has been diagnosed at risk of anaphylaxis. The specialist training should include practical instruction in how to use the different AAI devices available.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421698,"EventID":"S6W-28419","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-28T16:01:26.433","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-28T14:09:09.303","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to (a) review and (b) upgrade grant funding systems for third sector organisations, including whether it plans to create a framework for regular re-evaluation that would ensure (i) timely decision-making communication and (ii) payments by no later than the end of the financial year. ","AnswerText":"As I set out in a recent letter to the Social Justice and Social Security Committee, issued on 20 May, work is underway to improve the transparency and consistency of our grant-making practices with the third sector.\r\nConsideration is being given to how we can better monitor and report on third sector grant funding including the timeliness of notification and grant payments.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421699,"EventID":"S6W-28413","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-28T16:01:26.7","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-27T16:36:03.217","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27827 by Mairi McAllan on 11 June 2024, how it will identify new and innovative sources of funding for addressing loss and damage.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government loss and damage funding of £10m is fully committed for the lifetime of this parliament, through to 2026.\r\nWe will utilise learning from our programmes to demonstrate to the world that funding loss and damage can take many forms, which we hope will inspire other governments, organisations and NGOs to be equally aspirational in their work to address loss and damage.\r\nOn aviation, the Scottish Government continues to explore all options to implement Air Departure Tax (ADT) in a way that protects Highlands & Islands connectivity and complies with the UK Government’s subsidy control regime. A Frequent-Flyer Levy has previously been discounted on the grounds that it would be disproportionately resource-intensive to administer. Upon implementation, the Scottish Government’s Air Departure Tax will apply to all affected flights, but without the need for recording the number of flights an individual has taken.\r\nAs a well-respected Global North Government, we continue to engage in discussions with governments, organisations and NGOs around the world who are also eager to ensure action on loss and damage is suitably funded. We continue to build meaningful and lasting international partnerships to mobilise action and ambition, and find solutions to address some of the key climate change issues; including through our position as co-chair of the Under 2 Coalition and engagement via the Regions4 Network.\r\nThe Scottish Government will continue to use its position to amplify the voices of the Global South and address the unequal impacts of climate change on marginalised people, especially young people and women. We continue to push for global ambition, recognising that $650m dollars of pledges so far is significant, but insufficient.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421700,"EventID":"S6W-28421","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-28T16:01:27.2","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-28T14:16:49.03","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to establish transparent (a) delivery goals, (b) timelines and (c) accountability mechanisms to ensure that progress on fairer funding can be scrutinised by the (i) voluntary sector and (ii) Scottish Parliament. ","AnswerText":"In the 2023/24 Programme for Government we committed, as part of developing an approach to fairer funding for the third sector, to deliver improvements in grant-making arrangements, including providing greater clarity and consistency of practice.\r\nExpanding on this, the Former First Minister committed to specific delivery goals for 24/25 in his speech at the Gathering third sector conference including a) prompt notification of funding to third sector organisations (before 31 March for funding due to commence on 1 April) b) an increase in the number of multi-year arrangements, where possible and c) a review of grant conditions.\r\nI wrote to the Social Justice and Social Security Committee on 20 May to report on our progress against these delivery goals and our progress towards Fairer Funding more generally, setting out the challenges that we have met in the current financial context. I have committed to providing a further update as our work progresses.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421701,"EventID":"S6W-28416","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-28T16:01:27.403","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-28T08:36:45.613","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of food allergy training initiatives that it has funded for (a) nursery, (b) primary school and (c) secondary school staff in each of the past three years.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is providing record funding of over £14 billion to local authorities in the 2024-25 financial year, including £600.6 million of additional revenue funding for day to day services.\r\nIt should be noted that the vast majority of funding available to councils is provided by means of a block grant from the Scottish Government. It is then the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocated the total financial resources available to them on the bases of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421702,"EventID":"S6W-28420","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-28T16:01:27.873","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-28T14:14:50.447","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on whether it plans to introduce multi-year funding for the voluntary sector across all Scottish Government departments. ","AnswerText":"I provided an update on our plans to introduce multi-year funding for the third sector in my letter to the Social Justice and Social Security Committee on 20th May. As noted in that letter, we remain committed to embedding a multi-year grant approach on third sector grants by 2026 including delivering increased numbers of multi-year funding awards, where possible and appropriate.\r\nWhile it is very challenging to deliver in the current financial context, I have asked officials to do further work and have confirmed I will write to the committee again to update on progress.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421703,"EventID":"S6W-28418","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-28T16:01:28.23","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-28T14:05:16.017","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to align its fair funding principles with the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) definition of fair funding, which is defined as \"a long-term, flexible, sustainable, and accessible approach to funding\".","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to progressing a Fairer Funding approach for the third sector to improve the transparency and consistency of our funding relationships.\r\nImproving grant-making practices across the Scottish Government is a significant undertaking and we are at the beginning stages of this process. The measures that we have prioritised to date – early notification of funding, increased multi-year agreements, improved relationship practices and grant conditions – do align with the SCVO’s principles. However, we have been clear that the implementation of Fairer Funding within the current financial context is challenging and that our ability to deliver on every aspect of SCVO’s ask is constrained.\r\nI set out progress towards our priorities, the challenges that we have met and our next steps, in a letter to the Social Justice and Social Security Committee of 20 May and have committed to keep them updated as our work continues.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421704,"EventID":"S6W-28422","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-28T16:01:28.577","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-28T14:23:04.593","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to adopt the 360 Giving Standard by publishing awards to the 360 Giving data standard, such as recipient name, organisation and charity number.","AnswerText":"There are no plans for the Scottish Government to publish open data on grant funding using the non-governmental 360 Giving Standard database. Existing reporting covering monthly spend over £25k is published on the Scottish Government website, providing details of payee and description.  Government spend over £25,000: monthly reports - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .","AnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421705,"EventID":"S6W-28417","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-28T16:01:29.2","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-28T10:22:57.303","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the deeming of wages is in line with its Fair Work agenda.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is supportive of workers’ legal right to strike, and to take action short of a strike. We would in all situations encourage employers, workers, and their representatives to work together and engage in meaningful dialogue to ensure a satisfactory agreement can be reached.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421706,"EventID":"S6W-28412","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-06-28T16:01:29.747","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-27T16:30:42.377","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy’s statement of 19 June 2024, and in light of the missed targets for emissions reduction reported in that statement, when it plans to lay a report, under section 36 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009, as amended, in relation to the 2022 emissions report. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government will produce a Section 36 report, as soon as is reasonably practicable, and in accordance with our statutory duty as outlined in the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421707,"EventID":"S6W-28429","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-01T15:56:40.727","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-28T19:59:18.963","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered introducing any additional financial support for private owner-occupiers in relation to remediation works as part of the Mixed Tenure Improvement Scheme, administered by the City of Edinburgh Council, in light of reported concerns that owners may need to sell their homes and that this may increase pressure on social housing services.","AnswerText":"City of Edinburgh Council received £5.3m in 2023-2024 of Area Based Scheme funding from the Scottish Government. Private homeowners are also able to access interest-free loans from Home Energy Scotland and should contact Home Energy Scotland either by calling 0808 808 2282 or by emailing  Contact Home Energy Scotland  .\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421708,"EventID":"S6W-28440","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-01T15:56:40.837","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-01T11:24:09.003","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many local authorities currently have a published deer management plan that is available for the public to view. ","AnswerText":"This is a matter for local authorities. The information requested is not held centrally.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421709,"EventID":"S6W-28437","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-01T15:56:40.897","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-01T10:40:32.823","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration is being given to XL Bully dogs whose owners have been advised that they should not be neutered on veterinary grounds.","AnswerText":"As a condition of receiving and retaining a valid exemption certificate , the owner of the XL Bully must arrange to have their dog neutered. Male dogs must be castrated and female dogs must be spayed.\r\nFor dogs 18 months or older as at 31 July 2024, evidence of neutering having occurred must be provided to Scottish Government by 31 January 2025.\r\nFor dogs younger than 18 months as at 31 July 2024, evidence of neutering having occurred must be provided to Scottish Government by 31 January 2025 or within one month of the dog reaching the age of 18 months, whichever is later.\r\nThis approach ensures there is discretion for the owner to ensure this age is reached before neutering the dog, though an owner can decide to neuter before 18 months without losing their exemption.\r\nThis reflects guidance on an appropriate age for health reasons as to when XL Bully dogs can safely be neutered. The Scottish Government’s policy on neutering was developed and informed through direct engagement with key animal welfare stakeholders.\r\nThe legislation does not permit XL Bully dogs to be exempted from being neutered. However, the Scottish Government, through direct engagement with the Dog Control Coalition which includes representation from the British Veterinary Association, continues to keep the approach on neutering under review.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421710,"EventID":"S6W-28441","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-01T15:56:40.977","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-01T11:24:09.003","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many local authorities oversee the deer management that is undertaken on local authority grounds, and how many are actively involved in decisions regarding such management. ","AnswerText":"We are aware of the following five local authorities overseeing and being actively involved in deer management:East DunbartonshireWest LothianAberdeen CityHighland CouncilPerth & Kinross","AnswerDate":"2024-07-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421711,"EventID":"S6W-28430","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-01T15:56:41.023","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-28T19:59:18.963","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) the Minister for Housing, (b) any other minister and (c) its officials have met with (i) the City of Edinburgh Council, (ii) Shelter Scotland, (iii) Living Rent, (iv) owner-occupiers, (v) representatives of owner-occupiers and (vi) tenant representatives, to discuss the reported concerns surrounding remediation works as part of the Mixed Tenure Improvement Scheme, administered by the City of Edinburgh Council, and, if so, what was discussed. ","AnswerText":"The former Deputy First Minister undertook a visit in December 2022 and the Minister for Housing visited the MTIS project in July 2023 in Westerhailes to understand the scope of the works being undertaken. The former Deputy First Minister also met with a homeowner to discuss the impact that the project had on their life. Scottish Government officials meet City of Edinburgh Council regularly to discuss progress with the MTIS and any issues arising. The Scottish Government has not met with Shelter Scotland or Living Rent in regards to the MTIS project in either Westerhailes or Lochend and Restalrig.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421712,"EventID":"S6W-28439","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-01T15:56:41.07","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-01T11:24:09.003","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many local authorities in Scotland currently have a published deer management plan. ","AnswerText":"This is a matter for local authorities. The information requested is not held centrally.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421713,"EventID":"S6W-28435","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-01T15:56:41.117","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-01T10:40:32.823","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration is being given to XL Bully dog owners who are experiencing domestic abuse and are unable to seek support from fostering services, such as Dogs Trust Freedom, which provides fostering for those fleeing domestic abuse.","AnswerText":"While the XL Bully dog has been added to the list of designated prohibited dogs under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, any individual XL Bully dog will not be classed as prohibited where the owner obtains a certificate of exemption that enables them to legally own the dog. The Scottish Government would encourage all XL Bully owners to apply for an exemption certificate for their dog. The closing date for online applications is 31 July 2024:  https://www.gov.scot/publications/xl-bully-dog-rules/pages/overview/  .\r\nThe effect of an XL Bully dog owner who receives an exemption is that they must adhere to exemption conditions. In any given 12 month period, the exemption scheme conditions allows for an owner to be apart from their dog for up to 30 days. This flexibility can be used in a variety of situations including where a person experiencing domestic abuse is moving to a new location and there is a need for the Dogs Trust Freedom project or others to look after a dog for a short period during this period.\r\nMore generally in relation to housing, the Scottish Government has written to COSLA and social housing associations across Scotland to explain the process for the XL Bully dog safeguards. This information was shared with COSLA and housing associations to help tenants and landlords understand the changes where tenancy agreements include clauses relating to ‘prohibited’ dogs under the 1991 Act. As noted above, an XL Bully dog, where an exemption has been granted, is not a prohibited dog under the terms of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421714,"EventID":"S6W-28432","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-01T15:56:41.18","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-28T19:59:18.963","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) average and (b) longest wait time was for the awarding of Disabled Students' Allowance in the 2023-24 academic year. ","AnswerText":"This information is not currently held centrally. Students applying to the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) for the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) for the first time are referred for an assessment of their needs before a decision can be made. SAAS does not set the timing of this process, as it is undertaken by an external party. A new DSA Online system is currently in development.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421715,"EventID":"S6W-28434","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-01T15:56:42.337","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-30T20:25:24.487","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government further to the answer to question S6W-27078 by Natalie Don on 9 May 2024, whether \"the data from that exercise\" was submitted to the Scottish Government in June 2024 as anticipated in order to inform the Scottish Government's approach, and, if this is not the case, for what reason, and when it anticipates that the data will be submitted. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has been working with AssistFM and Improvement Service to map existing breakfast provision across Scotland, including a survey to all primary and special schools to understand the scale and uptake of provision.\r\nA report with the findings from the mapping exercise was submitted to the Scottish Government in June 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421716,"EventID":"S6W-28433","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-01T15:56:43.773","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-28T19:59:18.963","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is ensuring that retrofit schemes are well designed with (a) tenants, (b) private owner-occupiers and (c) the local community at the heart. ","AnswerText":"Retrofit schemes that are funded by the Scottish Government are assessed for value for money and the benefits to owners and the community as a whole. Scottish Government officials meet regularly with councils to monitor progress.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421717,"EventID":"S6W-28427","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-01T15:56:44.773","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-28T19:59:18.947","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported concerns of (a) council tenants, (b) private tenants and (c) private owner-occupiers regarding the Mixed Tenure Improvement Scheme, administered by the City of Edinburgh Council, in light of the remediation works set to be undertaken at Lochend and Restalrig. ","AnswerText":"The City of Edinburgh Council’s Mixed Tenure Improvement Scheme (MTIS) is operated under the Area Based Schemes which are designed, managed and delivered solely by Scottish local authorities or their managing agents. Hence any complaints about the MTIS should be directed to the council for resolution. The City of Edinburgh Council has a dispute resolution process for dealing with complaints which was used in the council’s first MTIS project undertaken in Westerhailes. \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421718,"EventID":"S6W-28436","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-01T15:56:45.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-01T10:40:32.823","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide clarity on the process that owners should follow to remove their dog from the XL Bully exemption list, in the event that their dog is latterly identified not to be an XL Bully-type. ","AnswerText":"Any person with an exemption certificate can seek for it to be withdrawn by the Scottish Government. This route involves writing to the Scottish Government asking for a certificate to be withdrawn. There is no fee payable. Any person with an exemption certificate can do this and it is a matter for a relevant person to consider whether to do so. In particular, if a person wishes to do this because they have reached a view they do not possess an XL Bully dog, that is a matter for them to consider. The Scottish Government will withdraw an exemption certificate if a request is made.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421719,"EventID":"S6W-28431","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-01T15:56:46.54","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-28T19:59:18.963","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the recent decision by the City of Edinburgh Council to permanently close Brunstane Road to through traffic, in light of the closure reportedly receiving 618 objections from the local community. ","AnswerText":"In Scotland, responsibility for all traffic management on local roads lies with local authorities. Under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, local authorities have a general duty to secure the expeditious, convenient and safe movement of traffic.\r\nThe Local Authorities' Traffic Orders (Procedure) (Scotland) Regulations 1999 set out the process that a local authority should follow when they are promoting Traffic Regulation Orders including the consideration of associated objections and when to refer for a Public Local Inquiry. The City of Edinburgh Council has referred a Redetermination Order to Scottish Ministers which has outstanding objections and is currently under consideration.\r\nLocal authorities are independent corporate bodies and as long as they act lawfully and follow the relevant legislation, it is a matter for them to arrange their day-to-day business.\r\nUltimately, it is for locally elected representatives to make local decisions on how best to deliver services to their local communities.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421720,"EventID":"S6W-28438","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-01T15:56:47.633","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-01T11:24:09.003","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many local authorities have provided NatureScot\r\nwith annual deer cull information in each of the past five years.","AnswerText":"Five local authorities have supplied NatureScot with cull return information in the past five years.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421721,"EventID":"S6W-28442","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-01T15:56:48.243","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-01T13:49:48.813","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to create a delivery plan for the announced £100 million towards culture in Scotland, including (a) when the funding will be delivered to cultural organisations and (b) how it will be decided where the funding is allocated. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is increasing funding to the culture sector by £15.8m this financial year to £196.6m. This is the first step on the route to investing at least £100m more annually in culture and the arts by the financial year 2028-29. In 2025-2026 we aim to provide an additional £25m to the culture sector.\r\nI appreciate the need for clarity within the culture sector regarding the £100m and I hope to set out the trajectory of spend for the remainder of this Parliament in due course.\r\nIn line with normal budgetary procedure the Scottish Government will publish a draft budget for 2025-26 later this year.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421722,"EventID":"S6W-28428","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-01T15:56:48.777","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-28T19:59:18.963","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what financial support is currently available for private owner-occupiers in relation to remediation works as part of the Mixed Tenure Improvement Scheme, administered by the City of Edinburgh Council, in light of reports of significant financial constrains on vulnerable families.","AnswerText":"Eligible owner/occupiers and eligible landlords can receive a minimum of £11,050 and a maximum of £16,900 as grant-in-kind funding as part of the Scottish Government’s Area Based Schemes allocation to the City of Edinburgh Council. Owners’ contributions to top up these grant levels are sometimes required. The council is working with Home Energy Scotland and the Energy Saving Trust to ensure that, where possible, owners are offered access to interest-free loans for these contributions. The council also offers payment instalment plans which are available to all participating property owners. The council is constantly reviewing its financial support for its Mixed Tenure Improvement Scheme.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421735,"EventID":"S6W-28454","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-02T15:43:08.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-01T16:32:23.727","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with teaching organisations to ensure that teachers are not required to work beyond their contracted hours at the weekend. ","AnswerText":"While employment practice is a matter for local authorities as employers, the Scottish Government values teachers and recognises the concerns around teacher workload.\r\nWe are committed to working with COSLA and the teacher unions, through the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers on matters such as teacher workload. \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421736,"EventID":"S6W-28446","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-02T15:43:08.653","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-01T16:32:23.727","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains committed to the 35-hour working week for teachers. ","AnswerText":"Yes. Teachers’ terms and conditions are matters for the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421737,"EventID":"S6W-28466","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-02T15:43:08.967","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-02T11:17:00.51","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason HMP Barlinnie’s target operating capacity is reportedly over 300 prisoners more than its design capacity.","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:\r\nThe prison population rose by around 400 between March and May and by around 13% since the beginning of 2023, resulting in the need to take a variety of actions to deal with the unprecedented high prisoner numbers. These actions will ensure the safety and well-being of SPS staff and those in our care, allowing prisons such as Barlinnie to continue to function effectively and accommodate those who pose the greatest risk of harm.\r\nDespite being above its design capacity, HMP Barlinnie is currently operating below its extended operating capacity.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421738,"EventID":"S6W-28449","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-02T15:43:09.06","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-01T16:32:23.727","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether 7.5 hours per week, out of the required 35 hours, is sufficient time for teachers to carry out their preparation and correction duties. ","AnswerText":"We continue to explore, with our partners on the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT), how best to deliver the balance required for preparation and contact time.\r\nAny changes to teachers’ terms and conditions require tripartite agreement through the SNCT.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421739,"EventID":"S6W-28447","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-02T15:43:09.45","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-01T16:32:23.727","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that teachers are not required to work beyond a 35-hour working week. ","AnswerText":"While employment practice is a matter for local authorities as employers, the Scottish Government values teachers and recognises concerns around teacher workload. That is why we remain which is why we remain committed to reducing class contact time by 90 minutes giving teachers more time out of the classroom. \r\nWe continue to explore with the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT) how we can best progress the commitment to reduce class contact time. \r\nTo help inform this discussion the WPI report which was published on 7 May contains a number of high-level future scenarios and assesses their broad compatibility with any changes to teachers’ contracted class-contact time. These scenarios will help to facilitate our discussions with SNCT partners on how we can best deliver this commitment and ensure effective and evidence-informed workforce planning. \r\nAny changes to terms and conditions for teachers in Scotland are a matter for the SNCT.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421740,"EventID":"S6W-28453","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-02T15:43:09.59","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-01T16:32:23.727","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is planning to take to streamline the lesson planning process for teachers. ","AnswerText":"The provision of education is the responsibility of Local Authorities and so the detailed approach to lesson planning is a matter for individual schools – however it has always been the case that Scotland’s teachers are entrusted to plan their lessons as they see fit. There are a variety of different approaches which may be deployed in the development of lesson plans and it would not be the role of central Government to dictate how that might look in individual classrooms. \r\nIn relation to avoiding unnecessary bureaucracy, the Statement from HM Inspector of Education from 2016 remains in place. That Statement sets out what teachers and practitioners are expected to do to effectively plan learning, teaching and assessment for all pupils, and also suggests what should be avoided. The guidance is available at the following hyperlink:  https://education.gov.scot/media/m1nlboum/cfe-statement.pdf \r\nTo further support effective lesson planning, Education Scotland continues to provide advice and support to educators on lesson planning with the provision of resources on the Education Scotland website and using their subject-specific networks, professional learning events and professional support visits.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421741,"EventID":"S6W-28464","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5877,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-02T15:43:09.857","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-02T08:03:59.977","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25394 by Mairi Gougeon on 6 March 2024, whether it will provide an up-to-date timeline for introducing public consultations on proposed fisheries management measures within offshore and inshore marine protected areas that do not currently have measures in place.","AnswerText":"Putting in place the remaining fisheries management measures remains a top government priority. We want to achieve this as soon as possible, however developing the evidence based and effective fisheries management measures for over 180 sites is a complex and challenging process.\r\nWe are working to put in place fisheries management measure for MPAs as quickly as possible and we plan to consult on fisheries management for offshore MPAs this summer. We are aiming to carry out the public consultation on fisheries management measures for inshore MPAs as soon as possible.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421742,"EventID":"S6W-28452","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-02T15:43:10.12","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-01T16:32:23.727","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that teachers are spending an average of 11.39 hours a week outside contracted hours on work-related activity, undertaken in the morning before work, into the evening and at home at the weekend. ","AnswerText":"While employment practice is a matter for local authorities as employers, the Scottish Government values teachers and recognises the concerns around teacher workload that are identified in this research.\r\nWe are committed to working with COSLA and the teacher unions, through the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers on matters such as teacher workload.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421743,"EventID":"S6W-28465","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5877,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-02T15:43:10.277","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-02T08:04:29.09","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-19319 by Mairi McAllan on 11 July 2023, when the UK Dolphin and Porpoise Conservation Strategy will be finalised and adopted, and what it is doing to safeguard cetaceans in the meantime.","AnswerText":"A public consultation on the UK Dolphin and Porpoise Conservation Strategy took place in 2021 and we are working on amendments to the strategy, in partnership with the other UK administrations and the working group, ahead of implementation in early 2025.\r\nThese amendments include the addition of a number of species of whale and dolphin that are regularly sighted in UK waters and updates to the evidence base and the areas identified where further action can be taken. In the meantime, the Scottish Government continues to take action to improve the conservation of UK cetaceans.\r\nWe recognise that bycatch and entanglement in fishing gear can pose a risk to our iconic marine life and remain committed to tackling this issue in our waters.\r\nWe are working in partnership with the UK Government and other administrations on implementing the bycatch mitigation initiative.\r\nThrough the Future Catching Policy, Scottish Ministers will be delivering on their obligations to minimise and, where possible, eliminate bycatch of sensitive species as part of wider efforts to ensure the sustainability of our fishing fleet.\r\nAs our first priority, we will take firm measures to increase selectivity by introducing additional technical measures to reduce unwanted catch and bycatch of sensitive marine species, working with stakeholders to explore and deliver solutions.\r\n \r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421744,"EventID":"S6W-28445","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-02T15:43:10.497","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-01T16:32:23.727","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will improve access to elective professional learning within the teaching sector. ","AnswerText":"Teachers in Scotland are required to spend 35 hours on professional learning per year and to engage in a Professional Update process every five years as a requirement for registration with the General Teaching Council for Scotland.\r\nAs set out in the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers Handbook, it is the employer’s responsibility to ensure a wide range of professional learning development opportunities and the teacher’s responsibility to undertake a programme of agreed professional learning. This should be capable of being discharged within contractual working time. \r\nIn terms of the provision of professional learning for teachers at a national level, Scotland’s national education agency will have an important role in supporting a thriving professional learning sector through a national framework for professional learning and will build on the existing and well-regarded national leadership professional learning programmes.\r\nEstablishing the new Centre for Teaching Excellence will also ensure every teacher is supported in delivering high-quality teaching. Effective professional learning, development and dedicated time for collaboration is critical to improving performance in the classroom.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421745,"EventID":"S6W-28450","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-02T15:43:10.747","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-01T16:32:23.727","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to recent Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) research suggesting that, on average, teachers in Scotland work 46 hours per week. ","AnswerText":"While employment practice is a matter for local authorities as employers, the Scottish Government values teachers and recognises the concerns around teacher workload that are identified in this research.\r\nWe are committed to working with COSLA and the teacher unions, through the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers on matters such as teacher workload.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421746,"EventID":"S6W-28451","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-02T15:43:10.887","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-01T16:32:23.727","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is planning to update the Teachers’ Agreement 2001, in light of recent reports that its provisions do not match the current workload that teachers undertake. ","AnswerText":"Whilst there are no current plans to update the Teachers’ Agreement 2001, any future changes to teachers’ terms and conditions would be matters for the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers, which was established as part of the Teachers’ Agreement.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421747,"EventID":"S6W-28455","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-02T15:43:10.95","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-01T16:32:23.727","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is tackling any work-related stress in the teaching sector that results from teachers working beyond the 35-hour working week. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government values teachers and is committed to understanding their needs and providing them with the right support.\r\nWhile teacher wellbeing is ultimately a matter for the employer, since 2020 we have invested more than £2 million specifically in supporting wellbeing in the education workforce. In 2023-24 we provided £0.2 million to Know You More, to offer free wellbeing coaching to teaching staff and educational professionals across Scotland.\r\nWe also worked in collaboration with the Association of Directors of Education Scotland to fund an Education Workforce Support Project, to gain a comprehensive understanding of how we support the wellbeing of our education workforce. We are currently considering the outcomes of this work and next steps to improve the existing wellbeing support that is provided by local authorities and teaching unions.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421748,"EventID":"S6W-28458","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-03T15:50:14.637","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-01T19:19:18.79","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government on what dates it made payments to lead partners under the European structural and investment funds between September 2019 and 31 December 2023, and to which lead partner each payment was made.","AnswerText":"As the information requested runs over several pages, a copy of the table listing those Lead Partners paid between September 2019 and 31 December 2023 has been placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre BIB number 65192 .","AnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421749,"EventID":"S6W-28476","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-03T15:50:15.103","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-03T13:27:25.937","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any skills shortages within the Scottish hospitality sector, and what action it is taking to address any such shortages.","AnswerText":"We understand that the hospitality sector, alongside other sectors within the economy, including construction and manufacturing, are facing challenges in attracting, recruiting and retaining workers. This situation has been exacerbated by Brexit and the loss of people from the EU, as well as problems caused by the pandemic.\r\nWe regularly monitor and assess the performance of the tourism and hospitality sector through a range of official statistics, as well as via regular engagement with key stakeholders, including the main hospitality trade bodies. Our most recent statistics show that in May 2024 29% of businesses in the accommodation and food services sector reported difficulties in recruiting employees, slightly higher than the Scotland average (27%). (Source BICS ONS May 2024).\r\nIn April 2024 , one in five (18%) of businesses within the accommodation and food sector reported recruitment difficulties (lower than the Scottish average for all businesses at 24%). The most common reason given for businesses reporting recruitment difficulties, by over half, was a lack of qualified applicants for the roles on offer (53%), while just under a third cited the reduced number of EU applicants (30%). (Source BICS ONS April 2024).\r\nThe Scottish Government is taking measures within our powers, to address labour and skills shortage issues. These include providing a range of employability support to help people enter the workforce alongside funding for the development of modern apprenticeships via Skills Development Scotland to meet the needs of the tourism and hospitality sector. We are also working to explore solutions to staff shortages in collaboration with the sector, through our Tourism and Hospitality Industry Leadership Group and our Tourism and Hospitality Skills Group.\r\nFair Work is at the heart of our national Tourism Strategy; Outlook 2030 which commits to support and enable the adoption of Fair work practices in Scotland’s tourism sector. We continue to promote fair work measures in the sector which will help businesses attract and retain staff and will carefully consider recommendations from the Fair Work Convention’s Hospitality inquiry and take forward as appropriate.\r\nWhile immigration is reserved, we hope to work collaboratively with the new UK Government to make a difference to the lives of people in Scotland, as the First Minister made clear in his meeting with the new Prime Minister on Sunday 7 July.\r\nScotland’s distinct demographic and economic needs require a tailored approach to migration. Scotland needs access to international talent and skills at all levels of the economy, for vital, challenging roles within sectors including tourism and hospitality.\r\nScottish Ministers are committed to working closely with the UK Government in delivering an immigration system that supports the prosperity of Scotland’s economy and communities.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421750,"EventID":"S6W-28468","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-03T15:50:15.807","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-02T16:10:27.65","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided to remove asbestos from public buildings in each of the last three years.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the hazard of asbestos and the risks to health that it poses. However, asbestos is only dangerous when disturbed and advice from the Health and Safety Executive is that asbestos should remain in-situ providing it is in “Good” condition and even where damage is minor it should still be encapsulated rather than removed. The Scottish Government does not provide support to public authorities specifically for the removal of asbestos from their buildings as it is their statutory duty under UK Government legislation to manage issues relating to asbestos affecting their estate.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421751,"EventID":"S6W-28478","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-03T15:50:16.637","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-03T14:40:15.027","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the level of uptake for the pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine has been in the (a) NHS Highland area and (b) rest of Scotland for each period for which information is available in each of the last three years.","AnswerText":"Quarterly data for the percentage of children who have received their full primary course of the 6-in-1 vaccine, which protects children against pertussis, and other diseases, by 12 months and 24 months of age, is published by Public Health Scotland:  Childhood immunisation statistics Scotland - Quarter and year ending 31 March 2024 - Childhood immunisation statistics Scotland - Publications - Public Health Scotland \r\nThis includes the national uptake and uptake for NHS Highland since June 2015. \r\nMaternal pertussis immunisation is offered to pregnant women between 16 and 32 weeks of pregnancy. This provides protection to infants in the first weeks of their life, before they are offered vaccination as part of the Childhood Immunisation Schedule. Uptake data is held within the individual NHS Health Boards. ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421752,"EventID":"S6W-28475","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-03T15:50:16.963","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-03T09:10:21.833","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many licences issued by NatureScot for the use of more than two dogs for a hunt, as provided for under section 4 of the Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act 2023, have been followed by a spot check to ensure compliance with the licence conditions, and, for any instances where a spot check has taken place, what (a) infringements or issues of concern were detected and (b) subsequent action was taken.","AnswerText":"Compliance monitoring was carried out by NatureScot staff on two licences issued for the use of more than two or more dogs, as provided for under section 4 of the Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act 2023.\r\nOn both occasions, NatureScot staff were content in the operation and there were no infringements or issues of concern.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421753,"EventID":"S6W-28471","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-03T15:50:17.56","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-03T09:00:28.433","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to bring forward the proposals set out in its Managing deer for climate and nature consultation.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government’s future legislative programme will be set out as part of the upcoming Programme for Government in due course. \r\nIn the meantime we are working on those Deer Working Group recommendations that do not require primary legislation through the  Strategic Deer Board  .\r\nIn addition to this, as set out in the Scottish Government’s  Climate Change Action: Policy Package  , we are developing a package of incentives schemes for deer management to pilot across Scotland. These local schemes will be implemented this year in different parts of Scotland to test different approaches to incentives and to better understand the barriers to deer management. ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421754,"EventID":"S6W-28443","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-03T15:50:18.043","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-01T15:02:32.533","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any information held by NHS Highland in relation to the comparative uptake rates of childhood immunisation through the (a) GP practice-delivered and (b) NHS board-delivered vaccination service in Argyll and Bute, against illnesses such as pertussis (whooping cough), has been withheld from GPs practicing in the Highlands; if this is the case, for what reason; whether any information not provided to Highland GPs has been shared with the Scottish Government by NHS Highland, and, if so, on what dates any such information was shared.","AnswerText":"NHS Highland was escalated to stage 2 of the NHS Scotland Support and Intervention Framework for their vaccination services in late 2023 and since then Scottish Government officials have been engaging closely in an improvement and assurance process which includes the Board Chief Executive and Director of Public Health. As part of this process, the Scottish Government receives a wide range of management information from NHS Highland. The best available information on comparative uptake rates of childhood immunisation through GP practice-delivered and NHS board-delivered vaccination services in Argyll and Bute was shared by NHS Highland with the chair of the GP committee in Highland on 2 July.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421755,"EventID":"S6W-28472","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-03T15:50:18.62","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-03T09:00:28.433","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which forthcoming Bill will contain proposals to modernise deer management, in light of its Managing deer for climate and nature consultation.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains firmly committed to modernising deer management to tackle high deer numbers, specifically in order to help us to achieve our biodiversity and carbon objectives. We continue to pursue a wide range of actions to deliver this commitment.\r\nThe Scottish Government’s future legislative programme will be set out as part of the upcoming Programme for Government in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421756,"EventID":"S6W-28459","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-03T15:50:19.2","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-01T19:19:32.51","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much money it was liable to pay to lead partners under the European structural and investment funds, as of 31 December 2023.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government was liable for paying all compliant claims submitted by Lead Partners. The figure at 31 December 2023 was £73.7m.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421757,"EventID":"S6W-28463","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-03T15:50:19.84","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-01T19:20:17.637","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government who was responsible for any audit failings that meant that proposed projects in Scotland, to be paid for with European structural and investment funds, could not go ahead.","AnswerText":"At no time were payments to those Lead Partners who submitted a fully compliant and verifiable claims paused. All audit findings were resolved with both programmes being successfully lifted from suspension by the European Commission.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421758,"EventID":"S6W-28456","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-03T15:50:20.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-01T19:18:56.5","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much of the reportedly remaining 118.1 million euros of the European Regional Development Fund, not committed by the end of 2023, will be spent by lead partners.","AnswerText":"The final European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) expenditure figures and reimbursements will not be known until the second half of 2025 when the figures will be published.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421759,"EventID":"S6W-28467","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-03T15:50:20.92","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-02T16:10:27.65","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the reported number of school buildings containing asbestos, and how many have had asbestos removed in each of the last three years, broken down by local authority.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold information regarding how many schools have had asbestos removed in the last three years. Local authorities have statutory responsibility for the control and management of asbestos within their schools.\r\nAlthough health and safety is not devolved to the Scottish Government, we take the issue of asbestos within schools very seriously and expect local authorities to strictly follow the Health and Safety Executive's recommendations. Moreover, we have recently engaged with local authorities and the Health and Safety Executive regarding asbestos in schools.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421760,"EventID":"S6W-28462","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-03T15:50:21.687","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-01T19:20:07.3","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many times the structures for distributing European structural and investment funds between the Scottish Government and the lead partners changed, between 2014 and December 2023, in order to address any audit failings.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government revised it procedures for the distribution of European structural and investment funds eight times over the period between 2014 and December 2023.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421761,"EventID":"S6W-28444","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-03T15:50:22.263","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-01T15:02:32.533","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on what level of uptake in the NHS Highland area for immunisation against pertussis (whooping cough), as a percentage of the total number to be immunised under the programme, is acceptable, and what the level of uptake has been in the NHS Highland area for each period for which records have been kept since March 2023.  ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government expects Health Boards to reach the World Health Organisation (WHO) target of 95% uptake of childhood vaccinations.\r\nThe most recent childhood data for NHS Highland, which includes quarterly data since 2015, is published by Public Health Scotland:  Childhood immunisation statistics Scotland - Quarter and year ending 31 March 2024 - Childhood immunisation statistics Scotland - Publications - Public Health Scotland \r\nThe trend data for NHS Highland shows that as of March 2024, the uptake rate of children who have received the 3-dose full primary course of the 6-in-1 vaccine by 12 months of age is 90.2% and by 24 months of age it is 94.4%. Since March 2023 this shows a decline of 3.2% uptake by 12 months of age and an increase of 0.4% uptake by 24 months of age.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421762,"EventID":"S6W-28461","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-03T15:50:22.857","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-01T19:19:53.157","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it paused European structural and investment fund payments to lead partners in November 2019, and, if so, when any such pause was lifted.","AnswerText":"No claims were paused to any Lead Partner who submitted a fully compliant and verifiable claim for payment.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421763,"EventID":"S6W-28470","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-03T15:50:23.187","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-03T09:00:28.433","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will respond to the outcome of its consultation, Managing deer for climate and nature.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government’s 'Managing Deer for Climate and Nature: consultation' closed on 29 March 2024. This consultation sought views on proposed legislative changes to Scotland’s systems of deer management, including in relation to a number of recommendations made by the Deer Working Group (DWG) in their 2020 report. \r\nThe responses are currently being analysed and an update will be provided in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421764,"EventID":"S6W-28469","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-03T15:50:23.747","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-02T16:10:27.65","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the reported number of NHS buildings containing asbestos, and how many have had asbestos removed in each of the last three years, broken down by NHS board.","AnswerText":"This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government as it is a matter for local Health Boards. Health boards carry out annual asbestos monitoring surveys and asbestos management plans are in place across the NHS estate.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421765,"EventID":"S6W-28460","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-03T15:50:24.31","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-01T19:19:42.587","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much money it was liable to pay to lead partners under the European structural and investment funds, as of 1 June 2024.","AnswerText":"As of 1 June 2024, the Scottish Government was liable to pay claims to the value of £62.7m.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421766,"EventID":"S6W-28473","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-03T15:50:24.92","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-03T09:10:21.833","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many licences issued by NatureScot for the use of more than two dogs for a hunt, as provided for under section 4 of the Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act 2023, have been in relation to a mounted hunt.","AnswerText":"Licence applications to NatureScot, for the use of more than two dogs for a hunt, as provided for under section 4 of the Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act 2023, only requires the details of the dog handler and any potential assistants. There is no requirement for any mounted hunt associated to be named within the application.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421767,"EventID":"S6W-28474","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-03T15:50:25.53","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-03T09:10:21.833","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of all licences issued by NatureScot for the use of more than two dogs for a hunt, as provided for under section 4 of the Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act 2023, broken down by the (a) geographical location of the area covered by each licence, (b) purpose of the maximum number of dogs permitted in each case, (c) minimum number of guns required in each case and (d) period of time for which each licence is valid.","AnswerText":"All licences issued by NatureScot to date, for the use of more than two dogs for a hunt, as provided for under section 4 of the Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act 2023, have been for preventing serious damage to livestock, woodlands, and crops. No licences have yet to be issued for environmental benefits.\r\nNatureScot publishes a summary of licences issued on their website at  https://www.nature.scot/doc/summary-licensing-data \r\nCommence Date\r\nExpiry Date\r\nLocations\r\nAnnex II Permitted Dates\r\nMaximum number of dogs permitted\r\nMinimum number of guns required\r\n30-Nov-23\r\n30-May-24\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n30 Nov 2023 - 30 April 2024\r\n20\r\n12\r\n19-Dec-23\r\n19-Jun-24\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n19 Dec 2023 - 30 April 2024\r\n20\r\n13\r\n20-Dec-23\r\n20-Jun-24\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n20 Dec 2023 - 30 April 2024\r\n20\r\n12\r\n21-Dec-23\r\n21-Jun-24\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n21 Dec 2023 - 30 April 2024\r\n20\r\n14\r\n21-Dec-23\r\n21-Jun-24\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n21 Dec 2023 - 30 April 2024\r\n20\r\n18\r\n18-Jan-24\r\n18-Jul-24\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n18 Jan 2024 - 30 April 2024\r\n20\r\n14\r\n18-Jan-24\r\n18-Jul-24\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n17 Jan 2024 - 30 April 2024\r\n20\r\n13\r\n19-Jan-24\r\n19-Jul-24\r\nArgyll & Bute\r\n18 Jan 2024 - 15 March 2024\r\n12\r\n20\r\n19-Jan-24\r\n19-Jul-24\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n19 Jan 2024 - 30 April 2024\r\n20\r\n13\r\n25-Jan-24\r\n25-Jul-24\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n25 Jan 2024 - 30 April 2024\r\n20\r\n10\r\n26-Jan-24\r\n26-Jul-24\r\nHighland\r\n26 Jan 2024 - 15 April 2024\r\n18\r\n10\r\n30-Jan-24\r\n30-Jul-24\r\nHighland\r\n29 Jan 2024 - 30 April 2024\r\n16\r\n15\r\n01-Feb-24\r\n01-Aug-24\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n01 Feb 2024 - 30 April 2024\r\n20\r\n10\r\n01-Feb-24\r\n01-Aug-24\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n01 Feb 2024 - 30 April 2024\r\n20\r\n12\r\n01-Feb-24\r\n01-Aug-24\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n01 Feb 2024 - 30 April 2024\r\n20\r\n15\r\n02-Feb-24\r\n02-Aug-24\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n02 Feb 2024 - 30 April 2024\r\n20\r\n14\r\n05-Feb-24\r\n05-Aug-24\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n05 Feb 2024 - 30 April 2024\r\n20\r\n12\r\n05-Feb-24\r\n05-Aug-24\r\nStirling\r\n05 Feb 2024 - 30 April 2024\r\n20\r\n12\r\n06-Feb-24\r\n06-Aug-24\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n06 Feb 2024 - 30 April 2024\r\n20\r\n12\r\n08-Feb-24\r\n08-Aug-24\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n08 Feb 2024 - 30 April 2024\r\n20\r\n14\r\n08-Feb-24\r\n08-Aug-24\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n08 Feb 2024 - 30 April 2024\r\n20\r\n15\r\n13-Feb-24\r\n01-Jul-24\r\nScottish Borders\r\n13 Feb 2024 - 31 March 2024\r\n20\r\n8 in three locations, 15 in one location and 17 in one location\r\n28-Feb-24\r\n28-Aug-24\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n21 Feb 2024 - 30 April 2024\r\n20\r\n8\r\n01-Mar-24\r\n01-Sep-24\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n01 March 2024 - 30 April 2024\r\n20\r\n12\r\n01-Mar-24\r\n01-Sep-24\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n01 March 2024 - 30 April 2024\r\n20\r\n12\r\n05-Mar-24\r\n05-Sep-24\r\nHighland\r\n05 March 2024 - 30 April 2024\r\n16\r\n14\r\n07-Mar-24\r\n07-Sep-24\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n09 March 2024 - 17 March 2024\r\n16\r\n10 in two locations and 15 in one location\r\n11-Mar-24\r\n11-Sep-24\r\nScottish Borders\r\n11 March 2024 - 31 May 2024\r\n25\r\n15\r\n14-Mar-24\r\n14-Sep-24\r\nMidlothian\r\n14th March 2024 - 31 March 2024\r\n20\r\n15\r\n18-Mar-24\r\n18-Sep-24\r\nScottish Borders\r\n18 March 2024 - 30 April 2024\r\n20\r\n8\r\n23-Mar-24\r\n23-Sep-24\r\nArgyll & Bute\r\n23 March - 31 May 2024\r\n20\r\n20\r\n25-Mar-24\r\n25-Sep-24\r\nScottish Borders\r\n25 March 2024 - 31 May 2024\r\n16\r\n30\r\n27-Mar-24\r\n27-Sep-24\r\nArgyll & Bute\r\n27 March 2024 - 30 April 2024\r\n15\r\n20\r\n28-Mar-24\r\n28-Sep-24\r\nDumfries & Galloway\r\n28 March 2024 - 30 April 2024\r\n18\r\n5\r\n28-Mar-24\r\n28-Sep-24\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n30 March 2024 - 30 May 2024\r\n20\r\n10\r\n28-Mar-24\r\n28-Sep-24\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n28 March 2024 - 30 April 2024\r\n20\r\n12\r\n04-Apr-24\r\n04-Oct-24\r\nScottish Borders\r\n04 April 2024 - 30 April 2024\r\n15\r\n15\r\n04-Apr-24\r\n04-Oct-24\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n04 April 2024 - 30 April 2024\r\n20\r\n6\r\n04-Apr-24\r\n04-Oct-24\r\nScottish Borders\r\n04 April 2024 - 30 April 2024\r\n20\r\n20\r\n09-Apr-24\r\n09-Oct-24\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n09 April 2024 - 30 April 2024\r\n20\r\n15\r\n26-Apr-24\r\n26-Oct-24\r\nDumfries & Galloway\r\n26 April 2024 - 31 May 2024\r\n18\r\n5","AnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421768,"EventID":"S6W-28457","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-03T15:50:26","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-01T19:19:08.223","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much of the reportedly remaining 17.9 million euros of the European Social Fund, not committed by the end of 2023, will be spent by lead partners.","AnswerText":"The final European Social Fund (ESF) expenditure figures and reimbursements will not be known until the second half of 2025 when the figures will be published.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421776,"EventID":"S6W-28479","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":5074,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":104,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-04T09:32:42.593","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-04T08:57:57.97","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its response to the Scottish Local Authority Remuneration Commission report on councillor pay.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has today published its response to the SLARC report and it is available at :  https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781836014898  .","AnswerDate":"2024-07-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421777,"EventID":"S6W-28489","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-04T16:02:34.717","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-04T11:31:54.893","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills held, between 1 April and 22 May 2024, to discuss its guidance on mobile phones in schools, and what the outcomes were of any such meetings. ","AnswerText":"Between 1 April and 22 May 2024 I held three meetings to discuss the revised guidance on use of mobiles phones in schools:\r\n? Two meetings with the Scottish Advisory Group on Relationships and Behaviour in Schools (SAGRABIS) on 16 April 2024 and 15 May 2024. Minutes of these meetings are available at:  Scottish Advisory Group on Relationships and Behaviour in Schools (SAGRABIS) - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .\r\n? A meeting with the Head Teacher Taskforce on 22 May, the minutes of which can be found here:  https://www.gov.scot/publications/head-teacher-taskforce-minutes-may-2024/ ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421778,"EventID":"S6W-28494","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-04T16:02:36.077","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-04T12:25:40.597","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether fire safety is assessed when considering whether to consent to grid-scale battery energy storage system projects in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), as the safety regulator, considers there to be a robust regulatory regime covering the fire risks associated with battery energy storage systems (BESS). A range of UK Government legislation is applicable to health and safety at BESS sites including the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002; the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989; and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.\r\nWhen the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service receive information on BESS proposals they will consider and provide a response where appropriate.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421779,"EventID":"S6W-28480","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-04T16:02:36.623","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-04T11:23:52.8","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with teaching organisations regarding increasing the timetabling of computing science at Higher level, and what the outcomes were of any such discussions.","AnswerText":"The timetabling of Computing Science in the senior phase is the responsibility of individual schools who have discretion to deliver a curriculum that best meets the needs of their pupils and the wider community.\r\nSince September 2022, Education Scotland has overseen a national timetabling group bringing school leaders and local authority representatives together to focus on innovative approaches to timetabling across all curricular areas.\r\nThe Scottish Government also continues to fund and engage with the organisation, Scottish Teachers Advancing Computing Science (STACS), to support Computing Science as a subject area. One of the key aims of STACS is to promote Computing Science as a desirable career option to young people and their parents/carers. ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421780,"EventID":"S6W-28485","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-04T16:02:37.077","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-04T11:30:17.587","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it will publish its response to the Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government will publish its response to the Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment as soon as practically possible in the new school year. ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421781,"EventID":"S6W-28490","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-04T16:02:38.573","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-04T11:31:54.893","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills held, between 1 April and 22 May 2024, to discuss its action plan on behaviour in schools, and what the outcomes were of any such meetings. ","AnswerText":"Between 1 April and 22 May 2024 I held four meetings to discuss the relationships and behaviour action plan:\r\n? Two meetings with the Scottish Advisory Group on Relationships and Behaviour in Schools (SAGRABIS) on 16 April 2024 and 15 May 2024, the minutes of which are available at:  Scottish Advisory Group on Relationships and Behaviour in Schools (SAGRABIS) - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .\r\n? A meeting with Opposition Party Spokespeople on education on 16 April to discuss their priorities for the development of the action plan, with actions to provide further information and further explore some of the issues discussed.\r\n? A meeting with the Head Teacher Taskforce on 22 May, the minutes of which can be found here:  https://www.gov.scot/publications/head-teacher-taskforce-minutes-may-2024/ ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421782,"EventID":"S6W-28477","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-04T16:02:38.81","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-03T14:36:19.41","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discretion exists for bus service operators to charge booking fees to passengers making journeys under concessionary travel schemes.","AnswerText":"Bus operators use their own commercial judgement to decide on service routes, frequency and fare structure, including booking procedures. Any changes must be consistent with the processes enforced by the Traffic Commissioner.\r\nDay to day operational activity and booking processes are the responsibility of individual bus operators in line with their conditions of carriage. The choice to offer advanced booking and charge a fee to passengers including National Entitlement cardholders is at the operator’s discretion.\r\nWhere a booking fee is charged it is not part of the National Concessionary Travel Scheme reimbursement process and the Scottish Government does not cover the cost.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421783,"EventID":"S6W-28488","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-04T16:02:39.607","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-04T11:30:17.587","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it had (a) completed all the work required to produce and (b) finalised a draft action plan on behaviour in schools, prior to the commencement of the purdah period for the 2024 General Election.","AnswerText":"The relationships and behaviour action plan had been agreed by the Scottish Advisory Group on Relationships and Behaviour in Schools (SAGRABIS) at its meeting on 15 May 2024, subject to some identified drafting changes. The guidance was in the process of being finalised when the need to consider whether or not it could be published during the pre-election period arose. The guidance would otherwise have been published prior to the end of school year.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421784,"EventID":"S6W-28486","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-04T16:02:40.67","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-04T11:30:17.587","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills held, between 1 April and 22 May 2024, to discuss the Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment, and what the outcomes were of any such meetings.","AnswerText":"As part of routine government business, the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills met with officials between 1 April and 22 May 2024. The Scottish Government response to the Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment was discussed and refinements were made to the draft response.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421785,"EventID":"S6W-28481","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-04T16:02:42.28","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-04T11:23:52.8","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many discussions it has had with teaching organisations regarding its plans to deliver a national digital academy in 2024, and what the outcomes were of any such discussions.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government and Education Scotland have begun user engagement around the development of a National Digital Academy. A survey capturing the views of 2,229 learners has been undertaken, and a series of interviews and focus groups have been held with learners, parents and virtual learning environment providers. Education Scotland will continue this engagement with teaching organisations and other national bodies over the next few months, with overall findings from engagement being shared in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421786,"EventID":"S6W-28495","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-04T16:02:42.623","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-04T12:25:40.597","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the regulatory framework for the safety of grid-scale battery energy storage systems in Scotland and the extent to which fire safety should be included.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28494 on 19 July 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421787,"EventID":"S6W-28496","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-04T16:02:42.7","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-04T12:25:40.597","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS boards regarding the potential integration of new health technology platforms.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government meets with NHS Board Digital leads on a monthly basis to discuss key issues including the integration of systems and new technologies. The Digital Health & Care Strategy and associated delivery plan set out our plans to integrate and build on our existing health and care infrastructure to improve patient outcomes.  Care in the Digital Age: delivery plan 2024 to 2025 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421788,"EventID":"S6W-28491","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-04T16:02:42.78","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-04T12:02:59.59","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the housing emergency, what action it is taking to ensure that child refugees arriving in Scotland through family reunification (a) have access to suitable housing and (b) are not required to present as homeless and stay in temporary accommodation for extended periods.","AnswerText":"We understand that reunion and contact with family members are vitally important to refugees living in Scotland. Although asylum and immigration are reserved matters, we want the process of family reunion to be simpler and safer for refugees in Scotland.\r\nThe legal duty for housing and homelessness, including responsibility for managing and allocating temporary accommodation, sits with local authorities and neither Ministers nor Scottish Government officials are able to intervene in those decisions. Support with finding suitable housing for refugees and their children are the responsibility of the local authority who should be contacted if housing circumstances change.\r\nIn some cases, where there is a change of circumstances, the local authority will require the individual/family to register as homeless. Refugees and their dependents, are entitled to access homelessness support from their local authority. Most funding for homelessness is provided through the local government settlement. In addition to this, the Scottish Government has provided local authorities with £60.5m since 2018 to support the implementation of rapid rehousing transition plans and provide £30.5m annually for their work to prevent homelessness.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421789,"EventID":"S6W-28492","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-04T16:02:42.857","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-04T12:25:40.597","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on NHS boards registering with the Apple Health platform.","AnswerText":"NHS Scotland has not registered with the Apple Health platform and has no plan to do so. Our strategic focus is on delivering the Digital Front Door as outlined in our Digital Health & Care Strategy and associated delivery plan. This will support our ambition; to ensure people have greater access to their data and personal information securely online.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421790,"EventID":"S6W-28483","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-04T16:02:43.17","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-04T11:23:52.8","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many computing science teachers it expects will be recruited in 2024.","AnswerText":"The recruitment of teachers is a matter for local authorities. Details on the number of teachers employed in Scotland’s schools will be available in the annual teacher census which is due to be published in December.\r\nThe university intake targets for Initial Teacher Education (ITE) for the academic year 2024-25 are set by the Scottish Funding Council. The ITE target for Computing Science for 2024-25 is 52.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421791,"EventID":"S6W-28482","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-04T16:02:43.28","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-04T11:23:52.8","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government in what way any technological and connectivity restrictions have impacted its ability to deliver its planned national digital academy.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government and Education Scotland have been working with stakeholders to determine the potential shape of a National Digital Academy. I am advised that this development work has not been affected by technological or connectivity restrictions.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421792,"EventID":"S6W-28484","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-04T16:02:43.42","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-04T11:30:17.587","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it had (a) completed all the work required to produce and (b) finalised its guidance on mobile phones in schools, prior to the commencement of the purdah period for the 2024 General Election.","AnswerText":"The revised guidance on use of mobile phones in schools was fully drafted and had been agreed by the Scottish Advisory Group on Relationships and Behaviour in Schools (SAGRABIS) prior to publication. The document was in the process of completing final due diligence consideration when the need to consider whether or not it could be published during the pre-election period arose. The guidance would otherwise have been published prior to the end of the school year.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421793,"EventID":"S6W-28493","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-04T16:02:43.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-04T12:25:40.597","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce guidance on whether fire safety requirements set in building regulations apply to grid-scale battery energy storage systems.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28494 on 19 July 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-07-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421794,"EventID":"S6W-28487","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-04T16:02:44.09","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-04T11:30:17.587","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it had (a) completed all the work required to produce and (b) finalised a draft response to the Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment, prior to the commencement of the purdah period for the 2024 General Election.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government was at the final stage of completing the work required to publish a response to the Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment when the need to consider whether or not it could be published during the pre-election period arose. \r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421797,"EventID":"S6W-28497","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":5771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-05T09:41:30.65","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-05T09:35:18.603","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when ministers will be in a position to provide an update to the Parliament on the work of the Chief Medical Officer’s office to review the recommendations of the Cass Review and its implications for Scotland.","AnswerText":"Today, the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) has laid the multidisciplinary team's full report (SG/2024/132) in Parliament. The CMO is also writing to the Convener of the Health, Social Care and Sport committee to set out the findings of the multidisciplinary team. Given the significant interest, the full report and the CMO's letter will also be published on the Scottish Government website later today.\r\nPre-election guidance prevented this update from being provided in the run-up to the UK General Election, but a commitment was made to Parliament to provide this at the first opportunity after the restricted period ended.\r\nThe conclusions of the report will now be considered and used to improve gender identity healthcare for children and young people. The Scottish Government will update Parliament after recess.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421798,"EventID":"S6W-28498","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":16186,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":120,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-05T12:35:20.807","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-05T12:32:08.597","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the ministerial statement on 16 May 2024, when it plans to publish a consultation on proposals to change how long-term prisoners are released.","AnswerText":"A Scottish Government public consultation has been published today on a proposal to change the release process for long-term prisoners. This is further to my statement to Parliament of 16 May 2024 about actions required to address the rising prison population.\r\nThe consultation seeks views on amending the point at which most long-term prisoners are released under supervision in the community ahead of the end of their sentence. The consultation includes a specific proposal for this point of release to be following two thirds of sentence.\r\nThis would mean that the affected prisoners spend less time in custody and more time in the community. In the community, they would be subject to licence conditions, supervision, and recall. Public and victim safety would remain an absolute priority, with specific support and supervision in place reflecting the outcomes of individualised risk assessment.\r\nIn addition to helping reduce the pressures on the prison estate, this proposal is also intended to better support the reintegration of long-term prisoners by providing those leaving prison with a more managed return to their communities, with access to the community supports and rehabilitation they need for a longer period of time.\r\nThis proposal forms part of a range of measures designed to respond to the rising prison population and responses will inform legislation to be introduced later in 2024.\r\nThe consultation paper can be found at  https://consult.gov.scot/justice/prisoner-release-process-consultation/  .","AnswerDate":"2024-07-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421799,"EventID":"S6W-28502","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":5598,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":139,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-08T12:28:15.453","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-08T12:25:00.557","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to respond to reported concerns by bereaved families and victim organisations regarding media coverage of child homicide victims.","AnswerText":"I committed to publishing a public consultation on this issue during the passage of the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Bill and following engagement with bereaved families and hosting a roundtable involving victims organisations, media representatives and others.\r\nThe consultation is now open and was published on 9 July 2024, will run for ? 12 weeks until 1 October, and will provide an opportunity to contribute to future policy approaches to this sensitive, complex and emotive issue. A link to the consultation paper is provided here:  https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781836014812 \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421800,"EventID":"S6W-28500","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-08T16:32:31.917","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-08T11:46:59.877","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many contracts have been awarded to supported businesses by public bodies in each of the last five calendar years.","AnswerText":"Supported Businesses make an important contribution to the Scottish economy. Not only through the goods and services they deliver, but also by providing meaningful employment, training, and social support for those who may otherwise be excluded from the workplace.\r\nThe following information is derived from the supported business suppliers included in Scottish national framework agreement for goods and services that was reserved for supported businesses. This framework was open to the whole of the public sector in Scotland, charities and third sector. The contract ran from 2018 to 2023.\r\nA total of 277 contracts have been awarded to the supported businesses on this framework by public bodies over the last five calendar years.\r\nYear\r\nFY ? 2022-23\r\nFY ? 2021-22\r\nFY 2020-21\r\nFY 2019-20\r\nFY 2018-19\r\nFive Year Total\r\nTotal number of contracts awarded to Supported Businesses\r\n43\r\n54\r\n56\r\n66\r\n58\r\n277","AnswerDate":"2024-08-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421801,"EventID":"S6W-28499","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2892,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-08T16:32:32.26","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-07T19:00:04.03","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the First Minister's statement welcoming the Prime Minister's \"commitment to forge a positive relationship between our governments\", what its position is on what would constitute fulfilment of this commitment, and whether it will set out the details of specific changes that it is seeking to the working relationship.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to acting in the best interests of Scotland. This includes working constructively with the UK Government and Westminster in order to benefit the people of Scotland.\r\nThe Prime Minister has made clear his commitment to rebuild trust and foster respect with Devolved Governments, which the Scottish Government welcomes. The Scottish Government is keen to work together in areas of shared ambition and responsibility, and where the most effective change can be delivered through joint or coordinated action, in a way that is mutually respectful and co-operative.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421802,"EventID":"S6W-28448","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-08T16:32:32.307","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-01T16:32:23.727","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains committed to reducing teachers' class-contact time to 21 hours per week, and, if so, when it expects to meet this target.","AnswerText":"We remain committed to reducing class contact time, and we continue to explore with COSLA and the teacher unions, through the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT), how best to deliver this commitment.\r\nAny changes to terms and conditions for teachers require tripartite agreement through the SNCT.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421803,"EventID":"S6W-28501","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-08T16:32:32.387","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-08T11:46:59.877","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many contracts it has awarded to supported businesses in Scotland in each of the last five calendar years.","AnswerText":"Supported Businesses make an important contribution to the Scottish economy. Not only through the goods and services they deliver, but also by providing meaningful employment, training, and social support for those who may otherwise be excluded from the workplace.\r\nThe following information is derived from the supported business suppliers included in Scottish national framework agreement for goods and services that was reserved for supported businesses. This framework was open to the whole of the public sector in Scotland, charities and third sector. The contract ran from 2018 to 2023.\r\nA total of seventy-six contracts have been awarded to the supported businesses on this framework by the Scottish Government (including its agency organisations) over the last five calendar years.\r\nYear\r\nFY ? 2022-23\r\nFY ? 2021-22\r\nFY ? 2020-21\r\nFY ? 2019-20\r\nFY ? 2018-19\r\nFive Year Total\r\nTotal number of contracts awarded to Supported Businesses\r\n3\r\n17\r\n21\r\n20\r\n15\r\n76\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421804,"EventID":"S6W-28503","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-08T16:32:32.433","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-08T13:41:01.393","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated cost has been to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service of call-outs to vacant, abandoned and derelict buildings in each year since 2016.","AnswerText":"This information is not collected or held by the Scottish Government. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service have the resources in place to provide the appropriate response to every incident which occurs in Scotland, including fires in abandoned or derelict buildings.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421809,"EventID":"S6W-28511","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-09T15:56:41.563","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-09T10:46:27.19","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of (a) any pressures being experienced by the Emergency Department at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and (b) the impact of any such pressures on the provision of pre-hospital critical care.","AnswerText":"The national Centre for Sustainable Delivery (nhscfsd.co.uk)  has undertaken significant work over the past year to diagnose the key challenges within Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.\r\nAlong with each local board across Scotland, NHS Lothian has a set of bespoke action plans which will bring about the greatest opportunities to create capacity in the system, resulting in lower occupancy and increased flow through the hospital. The Scottish Government will work with NHS Lothian to determine what support is required to embed these plans into business as usual that will allow sustainable improvements.\r\nIn terms of assessment of any impact of A&E pressures at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary on the provision of pre-hospital critical care, the Scottish Government receives weekly performance reports which include details on response times to the most critical calls to the Scottish Ambulance Service and times for turnaround of ambulances at A&E departments throughout Scotland, including the Royal Infirmary. Clear escalation plans are in place for all Boards should pressures on A&E be impacting on any level of patient care and mechanisms in place for any escalation to be reported to us.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421810,"EventID":"S6W-28510","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-09T15:56:45.22","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-09T10:46:27.19","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the Scottish Ambulance Service regarding advanced, doctor-led, pre-hospital critical care capabilities in NHS board areas, including NHS Lothian.","AnswerText":"Whilst the Scottish Government meets regularly with the Scottish Ambulance Service on operational matters, we have had no recent discussions with them regarding advanced, doctor-led, pre-hospital critical care capabilities in NHS board areas, including NHS Lothian.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421811,"EventID":"S6W-28508","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-09T15:56:46.33","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-09T10:46:27.19","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with NHS Lothian regarding the reported withdrawal of Medic 1 advanced, doctor-led, pre-hospital critical care capabilities within the NHS board area.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is aware of the situation regarding the withdrawal of the advanced doctor-led Medic One prehospital critical care service (PHCC) within NHS Lothian, which forms part of the wider Scottish Trauma Network (STN) for the Southeast of Scotland.\r\nIt is the responsibility of NHS Boards to make appropriate operational decisions to ensure a high level quality of emergency medical care for the members of their communities and we are aware that NHS Lothian and the Scottish Ambulance Service have interim emergency arrangements in place while they develop a business case for a replacement service.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421812,"EventID":"S6W-28509","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-09T15:56:46.407","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-09T10:46:27.19","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to harmonise the provision of consultant doctor-led Emergency Medical Retrieval Services across NHS boards.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Ambulance Service is responsible for the harmonisation and provision of consultant doctor-led Emergency Medical Retrieval Services across NHS boards which are implemented through the Scottish Trauma Network. They work collaboratively with pre-hospital trauma teams and boards across the country to deliver consistent high-quality person-centred and equitable critical care to the most seriously injured patients.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421819,"EventID":"S6W-28505","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-10T16:00:26.317","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-09T09:54:19.427","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on the number of student admission appeals that were (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful in each of the last five years, broken down by university. ","AnswerText":"As autonomous institutions, universities are responsible for their own entry requirements and admissions policies. Therefore, the Scottish Government does not collect or hold data on student admission appeals for universities in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421820,"EventID":"S6W-28534","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-10T16:00:26.787","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-09T17:04:29.943","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on the eight action points in its Fairer Deliveries For All: An Action Plan. ","AnswerText":"Fairer Deliveries For All: An Action Plan was launched in November 2018, with a focus on tackling unfair parcel delivery practices, and understanding the root causes of over-charging for these services.\r\nThe plan identified eight action points to be taken forward by the Scottish Government and its partners:\r\n1. We will develop an interactive data hub to allow users to measure the fairness of delivery pricing to improve transparency and drive behaviour change.\r\n2. We will develop the Scottish Parcel Delivery Map to understand consumer experiences and target interventions.\r\n3. We will celebrate best practice by retailers and parcel delivery companies.\r\n4. We will work with industry to explore how to increase the impact and reach of the Statement of Principles.\r\n5. We will make it easier for consumers to know and exercise their rights.\r\n6. We will improve the accuracy of postcode classification tools.\r\n7. We will establish the Improving Consumer Outcomes Fund to explore new approaches to tackling long-standing consumer issues, including misleading and unfair delivery charges in rural and remote areas of Scotland.\r\n8. We will shape UK Government action to further strengthen consumer protection.\r\nIn August 2020, the Scottish Government published a progress update on the eight action points, which can be found here:  Fairer deliveries action plan: progress statement - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .\r\nAt the time of the publication, the Scottish Government launched a consultation on the creation of a new public body to tackle the causes of consumer harm in Scotland. As a result, Consumer Scotland came into existence in April 2022, impacting on the role and remit of the Scottish Government in relation to consumer issues.\r\nWork on the Action Plan concluded in 2022 in response to the establishment of Consumer Scotland and its role considering consumer detriment in Scotland. Post and delivery services are key priorities for the organisation as set out in its work programme, which can be found here:  Work Programme 2024-2025 (HTML) | Consumer Scotland  . As part of this, Consumer Scotland works with UK Regulators, governments and partner organisations to ensure that the parcel delivery market is meeting the needs of current and future consumers living in Scotland.\r\nPostal services is a reserved policy which places a limit upon actions that the Scottish Government and Consumer Scotland can take.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421821,"EventID":"S6W-28527","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-10T16:00:27.363","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-09T13:31:32.61","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide detailed information on (a) the application process and (b) eligibility for its reopened Open Market Shared Equity scheme.","AnswerText":"Details on the application process and eligibility criteria for the Open Market Share Equity Scheme (OMSE) can be found in our administrative procedures:  https://www.gov.scot/publications/open-market-shared-equity-omse-administrative-procedures-2020/  .","AnswerDate":"2024-07-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421822,"EventID":"S6W-28526","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-10T16:00:27.787","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-09T13:31:32.61","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a summary of any evidence-based assessments it made of the possible outcomes of the reopening its Open Market Shared Equity scheme.","AnswerText":"Our evaluation reports are available via this link:  Shared equity schemes: evaluation reports - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  . The evaluation concluded that OMSE provides significant additionality, and is effective in enabling lower income households to overcome price and deposit constraints to become a homeowner.\r\nThe Scottish Government has continued to monitor the performance of OMSE which delivered over 900 affordable homes for priority groups and first time buyers in 2023-24. In 2022 we also made several evidence based adjustments to the scheme to further support priority groups into affordable home ownership.\r\nBased on previous years’ financial spend we expect that the current budget could provide up to an additional 466 units.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421823,"EventID":"S6W-28538","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-10T16:00:28.347","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-10T10:49:28.233","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether all Scottish Ministers routinely use ministerial despatch boxes and folders, similar to UK Government ministers.","AnswerText":"All Scottish Ministers routinely use electronic boxes (‘e-boxes’) for ministerial business. Cabinet Folders are issued to Cabinet Secretaries on appointment.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jamie Hepburn","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421824,"EventID":"S6W-28529","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-10T16:00:28.74","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-09T13:42:38.173","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of any additional costs that have been accrued as a result of the reported delays to completion of roadworks on the M8 Woodside Viaduct. ","AnswerText":"The cost of the temporary propping, which is extremely complex, is expected to be between £126m - £152m. The cost is dependent on a number of factors, for example duration and extent of works. Our estimated cost range includes allowances for risk, contingency and inflation, which is standard industry practice for large infrastructure projects.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421825,"EventID":"S6W-28516","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-10T16:00:29.317","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-09T12:00:47.35","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed the contribution of the cost of administering Sheriff Officer fees for recovering water and sewage charge debts to public sector debt. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not undertaken such an assessment.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421826,"EventID":"S6W-28515","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-10T16:00:29.863","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-09T12:00:47.35","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered any further increase in the rate of relief available via the Water Charges Reduction Scheme. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises that the cost of living crisis continues to place pressure on household budgets. However, previous industry research has shown that customers facing affordability issues can be found across all Council Tax bands. Therefore, at this time there are no plans to increase the Water Charges Reduction Scheme discount further as this would also have the effect of placing an additional burden on the general customer base who may also be struggling to afford water and sewerage charges.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421827,"EventID":"S6W-28522","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-10T16:00:30.35","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-09T12:48:37.223","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made regarding the level of\r\ncombustible façade material that will remain in situ on buildings in Scotland\r\nfollowing the introduction of the Single Building Assessment Specification\r\nDocument.","AnswerText":"An estimate as to the level of combustible cladding that will remain on buildings will not be able to be calculated until all buildings with such cladding have undergone a Single Building Assessment (SBA) to understand their condition and remediation required. These include buildings that are developer led where we do not hold all information. The aim of the remediation works following an SBA will be to ensure a building reaches a tolerable level of risk.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421828,"EventID":"S6W-28504","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-10T16:00:30.88","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-09T09:54:19.427","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to review the system of student admission appeals. ","AnswerText":"As autonomous institutions, universities are responsible for their own entry requirements and admissions policies. As such, the Scottish Government has no locus or plans to review the system of student admission appeals.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421829,"EventID":"S6W-28530","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-10T16:00:31.507","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-09T13:42:38.173","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the reasons for the reported delays in completion of roadworks on the M8 Woodside Viaduct. ","AnswerText":"The work to undertake the temporary propping is extremely complex. Each of the 23 supports requires individual propping designs to take account of the varying column heights, span lengths and widths resulting in different loads to be supported by the props. \r\nAdditionally, the propping foundations are affected by a number of buried services, ground conditions and the SPT Subway tunnels beneath the viaducts, which has a major impact on the solutions available. There were also a number of public utilities diversions or protection measures required in agreement and partnership with the various utility owners.\r\nThe extent of the work on each support is, therefore, exceptionally difficult to quantify until it is underway. ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421830,"EventID":"S6W-28514","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-10T16:00:32.49","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-09T12:00:47.35","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much public money has been spent on the administration of Sheriff Officer fees for the recovery of water and sewage charge debts from those in receipt of full Council Tax Reduction (CTR) in each year since CTR was introduced, broken down by year.","AnswerText":"The Water and Sewerage Services to Dwellings (Collection of Unmetered Charges by Local Authority) (Scotland) Order 2023 provides a mechanism for Scottish Water to pay Local Authorities for the costs of billing and collecting water and sewerage charges. The Scottish Government therefore has no requirement to hold the requested information.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421831,"EventID":"S6W-28535","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-10T16:00:32.803","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-10T10:04:38.517","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government by what date, at the latest, it will have concluded the review and business case for upgrading Ardrossan Harbour.","AnswerText":"The business case work is of vital importance, and we are continuing to progress this with input from the project partners. There are outstanding matters, both financial and technical which require completion before the business case review can be concluded and presented to Ministers. All partners are focused on resolving these issues and finalising the business case.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421832,"EventID":"S6W-28523","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-10T16:00:33.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-09T12:48:37.223","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26685 by\r\nPaul McLennan on 23 April 2024, whether it will define the term “large areas of\r\nthe façade” in relation to the statement “Where large areas of the façade are\r\nbeing remediated, alterations will be required to comply with current (fire)\r\nbuilding regulations including the use of acceptable materials”.","AnswerText":"To explain the statement large areas of the façade reference is made to the current standards. The limitation to work which does not need to meet current standards and can be ‘no worse than existing’ sits under Type 25A to schedule 3 of the building regulations being Replacement of part of an external wall cladding system when the replacement is to make a minor repair. Minor repair is described as isolated repair or replacement of elements of cladding which are physically damaged or have degraded to the point that the element is no longer fit for its intended purpose. So, in that context, Where large areas of the façade are being remediated means any replacement of part of an external wall cladding system other than when the replacement is to make a minor repair. The term large areas of facade is not used within the SBA, with assessors directed to the building regulations in section 2.4 of the document.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421844,"EventID":"S6W-28540","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-11T15:58:57.447","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-10T10:55:54.623","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what the current anticipated timescale is for the completion of HMP Glasgow.  ","AnswerText":"The design of HMP Glasgow concluded in summer 2024, in line with the PCSA programme. Full acceptance of this design will be completed in conjunction with the pricing and commercial process which is ongoing at present prior to the planned award of the construction contract that is scheduled for autumn 2024. Until the construction contract is signed, timescales cannot be confirmed.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421845,"EventID":"S6W-28546","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-11T15:58:57.727","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-10T14:03:48.453","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the findings from previous regional pilot schemes for free bus travel for people seeking asylum, including those in Glasgow and Aberdeen, and how it used these findings to inform the national pilot scheme set out in the New Scots Strategy Delivery Plan.","AnswerText":"The development of the national pilot scheme is building on useful learning from the small scale local and regional pilots that have been delivered by third sector organisations over recent years. These projects include the Grampian Regional Equality Council Report on the free bus travel project in Aberdeen, the Travel Choices Project Report by the Refugee Survival Trust and the Friends of Scottish Settlers project in Falkirk.\r\nRepresentatives of these and other Third Sector organisations are members of the Working Group and are providing valuable advice and knowledge in the development of the national pilot.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421846,"EventID":"S6W-28545","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-11T15:58:57.82","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-10T14:03:48.453","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the publication of the New Scots Strategy Delivery Plan, how the national pilot scheme for free bus travel for people seeking asylum will be evaluated, and whether this will be carried out while the pilot (a) is in place or (b) has concluded.","AnswerText":"The scheme will build on learning from the small local and regional pilots that have been delivered by third sector organisations over recent years. \r\nExpected learning from the scheme includes impact of providing free bus travel, demand for this concession, the cost of providing this concession, and the practicalities of delivery of such a scheme at the national level. Evidence to inform the evaluation will be collated both during and post the operation of the pilot.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421847,"EventID":"S6W-28544","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-11T15:58:57.947","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-10T14:03:48.453","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the publication of the New Scots Strategy Delivery Plan, what the timeline is for the (a) development of and (b) delivery process for the national pilot scheme for free bus travel for people seeking asylum.","AnswerText":"Development of a national pilot scheme to provide travel support for people seeking asylum and not currently eligible for the existing National Concessionary Travel Schemes is ongoing. Further information will be published on the Scottish Government website and provided to third sector organisations as preparations for the pilot to open are made.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421848,"EventID":"S6W-28542","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-11T15:58:58.023","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-10T11:36:53.957","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the effectiveness of its recently-closed emergency flee fund for victims of domestic abuse, Fund to Leave, whether it plans to renew the initiative and, if so, (a) by what date it will be reintroduced and (b) how much funding it will provide towards it.","AnswerText":"Scottish Women’s Aid (SWA) provided its evaluation of the pilot fund to leave at the end of June. The Scottish Government is now considering SWA's evaluation as part of a wider assessment of the pilot. We will be assessing how the pilot delivered against its objectives; how it improved outcomes for women and/or prevented their homelessness; and what lessons were learned during the pilot. We will be in a position to set out next steps once the wider evaluation is complete.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421849,"EventID":"S6W-28541","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-11T15:58:58.087","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-10T10:55:54.623","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on whether the final design plans have been accepted for HMP Glasgow.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28540 on? 30 July 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421850,"EventID":"S6W-28552","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-11T15:58:58.353","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-11T11:09:59.8","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the General Teaching Council for Scotland regarding the establishment of a national standardised system for disciplinary or investigative procedures regarding teachers. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not held any discussions with the General Teaching Council for Scotland regarding the establishment of a national standardised system for disciplinary or investigative procedures regarding teachers.\r\nThe General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS), as the Independent Professional and Regulatory Body for teachers in Scotland, has a published Fitness to Teach process at  https://www.gtcs.org.uk/fitness-to-teach  which sets out how the GTCS will investigate serious concerns about teachers.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421851,"EventID":"S6W-28533","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-11T15:58:58.43","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-09T17:04:29.943","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether its webpage, fairdeliveries.scot, which was planned to provide an online data hub and interactive parcel delivery map and be updated on a monthly basis, is available, and, if this is not the case, what the reasons are for it not being available.","AnswerText":"In August 2020, the Scottish Government launched an interactive website, fairdeliveries.scot, which provided users with information allowing them to measure the fairness of delivery pricing, improve transparency, and drive positive behavioural change from parcel delivery companies.\r\nIn January 2023, fairdeliveries.scot was decommissioned as the low levels of traffic did not represent best value for money. As an alternative, Highland Council Trading Standards runs the  Delivery Law UK  website which provides comprehensive information for consumers and businesses on their rights and obligations in relation to parcel delivery.\r\nPostal services is a reserved policy which places a limit on any actions that the Scottish Government can take. We will continue to work collaboratively with our partners in Consumer Scotland and Trading Standards to advocate for a fair approach to parcel delivery for both households and business.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421868,"EventID":"S6W-28554","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-12T14:42:07.51","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-11T12:51:30.667","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has conducted an equality impact assessment of the withdrawal by Microsoft of its Office 365 A1 Plus licenses for schools and, if so, whether it publish the outcome of that assessment.","AnswerText":"An equality impact assessment for Glow is published on the Education Scotland website -  Equality Impact Assessment - GLOW (education.gov.scot). ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421869,"EventID":"S6W-28547","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-12T14:42:07.947","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-10T15:34:54.24","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish its timetable for bringing the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 fully into force, and by what date it will lay the regulations required under the Act that will (a) require local transport authorities to provide people who are planning journeys with greater levels of, and improved information about, bus services in their area, (b) set out the process for the formation and operation of a panel to assess franchising proposals and (c) introduce ticketing arrangements and schemes that amend the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001 Act.","AnswerText":"The Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 is a multi-topic Act with an extensive number of statutory instruments needed to implement the various parts. Given the scale of this piece of legislation we have taken a measured and considered approach in implementing the Act.\r\nLarge sections of the Act have been fully implemented including workplace parking, low emission zones, and parking prohibitions. Significant progress is being made in relation to the remaining areas including bus services (with franchising and partnership powers commenced in December 2023), and ticketing arrangements and schemes.\r\nIn relation to your specific questions:\r\n1. We are exploring opportunities to enhance open data so more public transport information is available to users and third parties. Legislation is not the sole route, our Bus Open Data provisions in the Transport (Scotland) Act are high level to allow us to work through what can be done without legislation; recognising technology advancements and operators’ positive participation already through services such as Traveline Scotland. However we are actively considering secondary legislation requirements in light of Department for Transport advances and our current data provision services in Scotland and will seek further feedback from local authorities and Regional Transport Partnerships.\r\n2. We will be laying regulations before the end of 2024 on the appointment, removal and replacement of panel members; the remuneration of panel members; and the process to be followed by the panel in making decisions.\r\n3. The National Smart Ticketing Advisory Board (NSTAB), established in 2023, will advise on national ticketing standards, as well as delivery of measures from the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019. Timescales and costs of delivering a national integrated ticketing system will be supported by the advice of NSTAB.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421870,"EventID":"S6W-28557","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-12T14:42:08.15","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-11T12:51:30.667","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it has engaged with teaching (a) staff and (b) trade union representatives to prepare for the changes to Microsoft licensing arrangements following the withdrawal by Microsoft of its Office 365 A1 Plus licenses.","AnswerText":"Local authorities are responsible for communicating any Glow service changes to their staff. Education Scotland made local authorities aware of this global change announced by Microsoft at the Glow Key Contacts meeting in August 2023, which is the primary conduit between Education Scotland and local authorities for information sharing and engagement regarding Glow. Changes have been discussed at a number of subsequent meetings and Education Scotland issued formal email communications on this topic to this group in October 2023, January 2024, March 2024, and June 2024, as well as publishing detailed guidance on Glow Connect. Education Scotland has also undertaken a survey to assess impact.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421871,"EventID":"S6W-28553","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-12T14:42:08.62","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-11T12:51:30.667","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact the withdrawal by Microsoft of its Office\r\n365 A1 Plus licenses for schools will have on the storage available to teachers\r\nand other school staff to store key course content.","AnswerText":"The withdrawal of Office 365 A1 Plus by Microsoft will not impact storage. This withdrawal relates only to the offer to download Office desktop applications for personal use.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421872,"EventID":"S6W-28559","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-12T14:42:08.777","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-11T12:51:30.667","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it was made aware of the withdrawal by Microsoft of its Office 365 A1 Plus licenses for schools.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government was made aware of the proposed changes when Microsoft announced them in August 2023. Local authorities were made aware by the Scottish Government in August 2023.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421873,"EventID":"S6W-28549","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-12T14:42:08.963","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-10T15:34:54.24","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will emulate the bus franchising process\r\nin England by permitting local transport authorities to make the final decision\r\non franchising proposals once the audit of financial implications and public\r\nconsultation has been completed.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government notes the UK Government’s plans in the King’s Speech to remove barriers that currently limit bus franchising powers in England only to metro mayors. We will review the new UK Government’s proposals in relation to franchising in England when the Better Buses Bill is published.\r\nIn Scotland, all local transport authorities have the powers to commence the franchising process. The Scottish model includes an independent panel to consider proposed franchising frameworks, which was approved by the Scottish Parliament as part of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019. To ensure transparency, the panel will consider whether the local transport authority adhered to the franchising process, had regard to the statutory guidance which will be issued by the Scottish Ministers, given appropriate weight to matters prescribed by Scottish Ministers, and reached a reasonable conclusion in deciding to make their proposed franchising framework.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421874,"EventID":"S6W-28555","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-12T14:42:09.12","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-11T12:51:30.667","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the cost of Microsoft licensing to ensure that schools can continue to have the same access to IT services following the withdrawal by Microsoft of its Office 365 A1 Plus licenses","AnswerText":"This global change implemented by Microsoft change only pertains to Microsoft Office desktop apps. Schools, learners and teachers can continue to access web-versions of Microsoft Office products through Glow. Ultimately, local authorities are responsible for the provision of education, including any digital provision they consider appropriate for their schools and particularly where it is required for specific courses or individual needs.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421875,"EventID":"S6W-28568","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-12T14:42:09.213","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-11T14:06:44.86","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what average number of jobs has been created via foreign direct investment projects in Scotland in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"The primary source for measuring Scotland’s inward investment performance is through Scottish Development International’s (SDI) annual inward investment results on behalf of the Enterprise Agencies.\r\nSDI tracks the number of planned and safeguarded jobs associated with supported inward investment projects (Foreign Direct Investment and inward investment from the Rest of the UK).\r\nThe average number of planned and / or safeguarded jobs recorded per inward investment project (Foreign Direct Investment and inward investment from the Rest of the UK) in each of the last five years was as follows:\r\n2018-19: 93\r\n2019-20: 53\r\n2020-21: 58\r\n2021-22: 68\r\n2022-23: 99\r\nSDI results form part of a suite of indicators used to measure Scotland’s inward investment performance. The latest EY Annual Attractiveness Survey (2024), which excludes intra-UK investment, shows Scotland’s strong track record of attracting inward investment continuing, featuring as the top performing part of the UK outside of London for the ninth year.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421876,"EventID":"S6W-28556","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-12T14:42:09.293","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-11T12:51:30.667","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Microsoft regarding the continuity of its IT services to schools in Scotland following the withdrawal of its Office 365 A1 Plus licenses.","AnswerText":"Education Scotland and the Scottish Government have been in regular and direct contact with Microsoft officials since the global changes were announced by Microsoft to their services in August 2023. That engagement has primarily focused on wider changes to tenancy storage limits under the A1 Licence which is the subject of our existing contract with Microsoft. It is as a result of this direct and prolonged engagement throughout the past year that Microsoft have agreed that the Glow Microsoft tenancy will not be subject to this restriction to storage limits during our contract term.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421877,"EventID":"S6W-28551","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-12T14:42:09.37","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-10T15:34:54.24","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its timetable is for publishing the statutory guidance to support local transport authorities when utilising bus franchising powers under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has now delivered all the bus powers within the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 to enable local transport authorities to consider all the powers available to them, including partnership working, franchising and local authority run services which sits alongside their ability to subsidise services. Further regulations will be laid throughout 2024, which will give the partnership and franchising powers full effect.\r\nAlongside the outstanding legislation, the Scottish Government will publish its statutory guidance on bus franchising powers before the end of 2024. It will also publish statutory guidance on Bus Services Improvement Partnerships (BSIPs) before the end of 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421878,"EventID":"S6W-28567","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-12T14:42:09.76","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-11T14:01:37.937","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of foreign direct investment in Scotland came via a UK-based parent company in each of the last five years. ","AnswerText":"The primary source for measuring Scotland’s inward investment performance is through Scottish Development International’s (SDI) annual inward investment results on behalf of the Enterprise Agencies.\r\nSDI’s annual inward investment results show that the proportion of projects from companies headquartered in the Rest of the UK (excluding Scotland) over the past five years is as follows:\r\n2018-19: 31%\r\n2019-20: 40%\r\n2020-21: 31%\r\n2021-22: 33%\r\n2022-23: 28%\r\nSDI results form part of a suite of indicators used to measure Scotland’s inward investment performance. The latest EY Annual Attractiveness Survey (2024), which excludes intra-UK investment, shows Scotland’s strong track record of attracting inward investment continuing, featuring as the top performing part of the UK outside of London for the ninth year.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421879,"EventID":"S6W-27722","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-12T14:42:09.823","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-20T11:30:36.47","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any potential impact on its funding of the service, what its position is on whether a single-sex exemption under Schedule 9 (Part 1) of the Equality Act 2010, based on a candidate's biological and legal sex, should have prevented the board of the Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre appointing its current chief executive.","AnswerText":"Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre (ERCC) is an independent charitable organisation and its governance and operational management are matters for the ERCC Board to consider and act upon. The Scottish Government expects all recipients of public funding to comply with relevant laws. ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421880,"EventID":"S6W-28569","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-12T14:42:09.9","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-11T16:49:06.807","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans' report, Enhancing Accessibility: Venues and Visual Impairment. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all serving Armed Forces personnel and veterans living in Scotland, as well as their families, are able to access the best possible care and support, enjoy their rights on an equal basis to others, and are able to participate fully and lead their own lives.\r\nThe Equality Act 2010 requires service providers to make reasonable adjustments in circumstances where a disabled person is placed at a substantial disadvantage in comparison with non-disabled people. That requirement covers changing the way things are done such as making changes to the built environment and providing auxiliary aids and services. The Scottish Government expects all relevant organisations to comply with the requirements of the 2010 Act and with the relevant codes of practice and other guidance published by the Equality and Human Rights Commission. \r\nThe Scottish Government welcomes the report by Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans, Enhancing Accessibility: Venues and Visual Impairment and would encourage venues across Scotland to consider implementing the recommendations within the report, and using the checklist and top tips provided, to create a more accessible and inclusive experience for all. \r\nThe Scottish Government provide funding to veterans organisations primarily through the Scottish Veterans Fund and the Veterans Scotland Grant usually totalling c.£590,000 per year. We also continue to provide funding to the Unforgotten Forces Consortium totalling £950,000 from 2023-2026.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421881,"EventID":"S6W-28561","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-12T14:42:09.98","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-11T12:51:30.667","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the withdrawal by Microsoft of its Office 365 A1 Plus licenses for schools, what plans it has to renew or replace these, including whether it will purchase additional (a) A3 and (b) A5 licenses.","AnswerText":"The A1 licence in Glow remains in place and will continue to provide access to the web-based version of Microsoft Office until our contract end-date in September 2027. The Scottish Government has commissioned Education Scotland to undertake a review of needs for any national digital provision in the future.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421882,"EventID":"S6W-28564","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-12T14:42:10.197","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-11T12:51:30.667","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how the withdrawal by Microsoft of its Office 365 A1 Plus licenses for schools will impact on (a) teachers and other school staff and (b) pupils.","AnswerText":"Microsoft announced global changes to their licences in August 2023. At that time, Education Scotland took lead responsibility for communicating this change to all local authorities via their nominated Glow Key Contact, given that the statutory responsibility for the delivery of education rests with local authorities in Scotland. Education Scotland has undertaken a survey and engaged directly with each local authority throughout the past year as appropriate. All local authorities have confirmed their position, and all have either already implemented their plans for mitigations or are in the process of doing so.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421883,"EventID":"S6W-28560","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-12T14:42:10.26","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-11T12:51:30.667","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the withdrawal by Microsoft of its Office 365 A1 Plus licenses will impact on school devices.","AnswerText":"The free offer of offline desktop applications for Office 365 was intended for personal and home use. The vast majority of local authorities have not relied on this for school-based devices. In all cases, local authorities have in place, or are putting in place, alternative arrangements which afford access to the desktop version of Office products in schools and on council-issued devices.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421884,"EventID":"S6W-28563","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-12T14:42:10.323","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-11T12:51:30.667","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the withdrawal by Microsoft of its Office 365 A1 Plus licenses for schools, what plans it has to ensure that pupils and  staff across the country have access to Microsoft tools..","AnswerText":"Microsoft tools remain available through the web-based versions in Glow to all learners and teachers. These are available on any internet-connected device and at any time.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421885,"EventID":"S6W-28571","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-12T14:42:10.777","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-12T10:05:49.923","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the UK Government's recent announcement of plans for an additional 300 planning officers, what action it will take to assist boosting planning capacity in Scotland through (a) ensuring there are more officers and (b) removing from local authorities any burden of work caused by the short-term let regulations.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to boosting planning capacity across Scotland. Through our Investing In Planning Consultation earlier this year, we proposed a series of practical options, including the potential for a planning hub to support authorities to access skilled staff at short notice to help them to respond to pressures, alternative fee mechanisms to boost income and opportunities to get more people to consider planning as a career. We will announce the way ahead for our Investing in Planning proposals soon.\r\nIn the meantime, to strengthen the future pipeline of planners we are supporting 10 post graduate students, through grant funding, to study at Scottish planning schools this year . This bursary offer will be enhanced by helping to link students with internships and industry placements.\r\nIt remains the case that planning permission is required for any material change of use from any lawful planning use to a short-term let use, in addition to any licence required for the operation as a short term let. The licensing regime does not add any new planning requirement.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421886,"EventID":"S6W-28570","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-12T14:42:10.853","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-11T17:27:56.47","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government by what date the MV (a) Isle of Islay and (b) Loch Indaal will be fully operational. ","AnswerText":"The planned in-service dates provided by CMAL in the June 2024 update to the NZET Committee were end November 2024 for MV Isle of Islay and end March 2025 for MV Loch Indaal.\r\nTransport Scotland, CMAL and CalMac will keep these dates under review as the vessel builds progress. The dates will be subject to successful completion of construction, now entering the complex systems commissioning phases, and further crew familiarisation and berthing trails upon arrival in Scottish waters.\r\nFurther updates will be provided to Parliament in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421887,"EventID":"S6W-28584","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":16175,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":119,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-15T15:43:57.797","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-15T15:39:27.83","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will provide an update on the procurement of phase 1 of the Small Vessel Replacement Programme.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is absolutely committed to improving, decarbonising and modernising the small ferry fleet and better meeting the needs of island residents, businesses and communities. After careful consideration of the SVRP Phase 1 outline business case and procurement options, I can announce that a competitive process will begin today (Tuesday 16 July) to secure delivery of seven new electric vessels for our small vessels fleet. This will be progressed by Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited as the procuring authority. It is expected that the relevant processes will be completed in around eight months, at which point a contract can then be awarded. I will provide further updates to Parliament at key stages of the procurement process.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421888,"EventID":"S6W-28520","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-15T16:09:52.94","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-09T12:48:37.223","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether it is appropriate that BS 8414 test data remains part of the single building assessment in determining whether a building is safe, in light of reported evidence regarding the use of BS 8414, and it being removed as pathway to compliance for new residential buildings with a topmost habitable storey above 11 metres in height.   ","AnswerText":"The single building assessment technical specification sets out the specific and limited criteria in which BS 8414 test data can be used by a competent person as a benchmark for determining whether a wall cladding system is tolerable. This is set out in 3.1.4 of the SBA specification. It should be recalled however, that the single building assessment is a holistic assessment of the building that does not simply consider cladding combustibility, but also other relevant fire safety risks and provides an overall assessment of the measures required to bring a building to a tolerable level of risk.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421889,"EventID":"S6W-28536","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-15T16:09:55.35","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-10T10:10:00.483","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the advanced works for the dualling of the A9 between Tomatin and Moy, whether it will provide a detailed breakdown of the (a) total cost and (b) cost of any (i) preparatory work and (ii) consultancy fees for the creation of an ecological pond to accommodate a fly species.  ","AnswerText":"Advance works to a cost of £22.6 million have been undertaken for the A9 Dualling: Tomatin to Moy project, to de-risk the main construction works contract.\r\nThis cost is broken down as follows:\r\nA9 Dualling: Tomatin to Moy Advance Works\r\nFinal Cost\r\nArchaeological Investigation\r\n£0.6m\r\nTomatin Distillery Advance Worksand Local Road Improvements Project\r\n£1.5m\r\nGround Investigation Works 2016-2022\r\n£9.5m\r\nNetwork Rail Lynebeg Underbridge Advance Works\r\n£10.5m\r\nIntelligent Transport System Advance Works (Variable Message Signs and CCTV)\r\n£0.5m\r\nTotal\r\n£22.6m\r\nThe figures above are exclusive of land acquisition costs and design fees.\r\nThe Lynbeg Railway Underbridge advance works contract included construction of a new ecological pond to support local ecology, including a nationally rare sub-species of the Caddisfly, which is encountered at only nine locations in the UK, including Lynebeg. The new ecological pond was constructed to meet the commitments set out in the Environmental Statement for the Tomatin to Moy project, specifically Mitigation Items P12 to W32 and P12 to E31, found on pages 21 to 42 and 21 to 50 of the Environmental Statement respectively. The new pond was constructed during the Lynebeg Railway Underbridge advance works contract to de-risk the programme impact on the main works contract.\r\nThe cost information available does not enable a breakdown of costs to be provided in the exact form requested.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421890,"EventID":"S6W-28583","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-15T16:09:57.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-15T12:16:08.52","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27078 Natalie Don on 9 May 2024, in which it indicated its expectation that data on the scale, uptake and delivery models of breakfast provision across Scotland, both at local authority and schools' level, would be submitted to the Scottish Government in June 2024, whether it has received this data, and, if this is not the case, what the reasons are for the delay in the data being provided, and when the Scottish Government will report on the next stages. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has been working with AssistFM and Improvement Service to map existing breakfast provision across Scotland, including a survey to all primary and special schools to understand the scale and uptake of provision.\r\nA report with the findings from the mapping exercise was submitted to the Scottish Government in June 2024. The findings are being used to inform the government’s approach and we will report any decisions made about next steps once the data has been fully considered.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421891,"EventID":"S6W-28579","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-15T16:10:00.337","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-15T10:26:06.05","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to investigate reports of\r\ndangerous beauty products causing blindness or disfigurement. ","AnswerText":"The investigation of reports relating to dangerous beauty products, such as counterfeit prescription only medicines (POMs) e.g. unlicensed botulinum toxins, is reserved to the UK Government.\r\nThe Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for compliance with the regulatory requirements which govern the manufacture, distribution, retail sale/supply and advertisement of medicinal products, and the Scottish Government continues to work with and raise concerns to MHRA on these issues. \r\nOther forms of potentially dangerous beauty products, that are not classified as medicinal products (e.g. non UKCA or CE marked dermal fillers), are not subject to the same laws. These should be reported to Local Authority Trading Standards (LATS), as they are responsible for investigating allegations of all forms of dangerous products.\r\n \r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421892,"EventID":"S6W-28574","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-15T16:10:02.463","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-12T14:02:03.893","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans’ report, Enhancing Accessibility: Venues and Visual Impairment, what discussions it has had with entertainment venues and touring companies regarding making audio description and touch tours a standard practice for all performances.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government believes everyone should have the right to access a cultural life of their choice, and are committed to advancing disability equality and tackling systemic barriers that affect the daily lives of disabled people. We are working with Disabled People’s Organisations, Glasgow Disability Alliance, Inclusion Scotland, and Disability Equality Scotland to ensure disabled people’s experiences are heard.\r\nFacilitating access and participation to culture, is central to the artistic purpose of all Scottish Government funded culture bodies and they all share a desire to communicate with as large and diverse an audience as possible. The Equality Act 2010 requires service providers to make reasonable adjustments where a disabled person in placed at a substantial disadvantage in comparison with non-disabled people. The Equality and Human Rights Commission has produced a Code of Practice that gives more information on the application of reasonable adjustment. However the Equality and Human Rights Commission is an independent, and reserved public body, and therefore cannot be directed by Scottish Ministers.\r\nThe Scottish Government-funded National Performing Companies all offer relaxed and adapted performances, this includes Audio Described and Captioned performances across Scotland, and in some cases pre-show Touch Tours for visually impaired audiences.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421893,"EventID":"S6W-28517","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-15T16:10:03.183","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-09T12:48:37.223","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on what type of combustible façade material, based off the Euroclass rating (B to F), should be allowed to remain in situ following the completion of a single building assessment.","AnswerText":"A single building assessment is a holistic whole building assessment that assesses and identifies life critical fire safety risks alongside any mitigation or remediation that is required in respect of any potentially combustible façade material. The assessment is undertaken by a competent person and considers each building in its own context. As such, it is for the person who is undertaking the building assessment to provide recommendation as to the extent to which cladding materials needs to be removed and replaced, taking into account the other recommendations that they might make in relation to improving the general fire safety of the building. The objective of the assessment it to bring the building to a tolerable level of risk.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421894,"EventID":"S6W-28528","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-15T16:10:04.2","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-09T13:31:32.61","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for how long its reopened Open Market Shared Equity scheme will remain open.","AnswerText":"Due to wider funding constraints, we have operated the Open Market Shared Equity Scheme (OMSE) with a reduced budget in 2024-25.\r\nFollowing extremely high demand in June 2024 and in order to ensure that we settle all properties within budget, we have paused new applications from 19 July 2024 and will review remaining budget allocations in the coming months.\r\nThe scheme is likely to reopen when current passports expire and/or are withdrawn making funding available for reallocation.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421895,"EventID":"S6W-28519","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-15T16:10:05.123","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-09T12:48:37.223","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the approach taken by the PAS 9980 code of practice to considering financial or social factors would allow combustible façade material to remain in place on buildings above 11 metres in height in Scotland.","AnswerText":"External wall assessors are expected to weigh all the appropriate evidence and apply their professional judgement in determining the extent to which external cladding requires to be removed from a particular building, with a view to achieving the overriding objective of bringing the building to a tolerable level of risk.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421896,"EventID":"S6W-28518","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-15T16:10:05.997","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-09T12:48:37.223","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government in what way the PAS 9980 code of practice has been “tailored to the Scottish context” it its Single Building Assessment Specification Document, beyond the acknowledgement of the tenure system in Scotland, and how this tailoring has been a “critical enabler in setting the standard”, in light of the letter to the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee from the Minister for Housing on 8 March 2024.","AnswerText":"The single building assessment technical specification was published on the 21st of June 2024 and provides detailed guidance to competent persons on how they should conduct a single building assessment (SBA) in Scotland. The SBA makes clear that the relevant benchmark guidance includes the PAS 9980, PAS 79-2 and the Benchmark criteria from the Scottish Domestic Technical Handbook. The competent person should have due regard to all of this guidance in undertaking the SBA report. The SBA sets out the need to conduct a Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) and Fire Risk Appraisal of external walls (FRAEW). It also sets out templates and an approach that is relevant in Scotland. We engaged extensively with stakeholders across Scotland through the Task and Finish Group to develop the SBA technical specification and adopted the PAS 9980 standard as there is evidence that it is known and understood widely across the industry in Scotland. The objective of the assessment it to bring the building to a tolerable level of risk.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421897,"EventID":"S6W-28573","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-15T16:10:06.747","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-12T14:02:03.893","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland\r\nVeterans’ report, Enhancing Accessibility: Venues and Visual Impairment, what plans it has to introduce mandatory accessibility standards and\r\nrequirements that venues must meet.","AnswerText":"Scottish building regulations already set requirements for venues, for new buildings and new building work, that are intended to assist people with visual impairment to safely navigate a building.\r\nHowever, building regulations are not applied retrospectively to existing buildings.\r\nThe Scottish Government expects building owners and managers to be familiar with their duties under equalities legislation and where necessary make reasonable adjustments following the relevant codes of practice published by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421898,"EventID":"S6W-28575","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-15T16:10:07.513","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-12T14:02:03.893","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans’ report, Enhancing Accessibility: Venues and Visual Impairment, what discussions it has had with entertainment venues and security staff providers regarding the delivery of visual impairment awareness and sighted guide training for all staff members at venues.","AnswerText":"Our Culture Strategy sets out our ambition for everyone across Scotland to lead a cultural life of their choice, ensuring that everyone has an equal opportunity to enjoy and contribute to culture, the creative industries and the arts.\r\nCreative Scotland’s regularly funded organisations are contractually obliged to develop and implement Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plans. This covers all aspects of the organisation across governance, staffing, programme, audiences and marketing. Creative Scotland are also involved in “All In”, a UK wide initiative from Arts Council England, developing a new UK arts access scheme for D/deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent people, representing the Scottish perspective.\r\nVisitScotland’s website already provides information on the benefits for event organisers of engaging further in accessible tourism and how events can create their own access guides. In addition, amongst other resources, VisitScotland’s successful inclusive tourism project sets out the existing non-statutory Accessibility Guidance for Events produced by VisitScotland.\r\nRegards to training of venue and security staff in relation to visual impairment, the Scottish Government expects all relevant organisations to comply with the requirement of the Equality Act 2010 and relevant codes of practice published by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, and address their broader duties under UK health and safety and equalities legislation including the requirement for service providers to make reasonable adjustments in circumstances where a disabled person is placed at a substantial disadvantage compared with non-disabled people. The Equality and Human Rights Commission is an independent, and reserved public body, and therefore cannot be directed by Scottish Ministers.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421899,"EventID":"S6W-28578","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-15T16:10:08.243","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-15T10:26:06.05","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to regulate the carrying\r\nout of non-surgical cosmetic procedures, such as Botox and dermal fillers, by\r\npeople who are not healthcare professionals.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government officials are currently undertaking scoping work with a variety of stakeholders including healthcare professionals (representatives from British College of Aesthetic Medicine and British Association of Cosmetic Nurses), hair and beauty industry representatives, Environmental Health Officers, Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS), and other UK Governments in order to bring forward proposals regarding the potential regulation of non-surgical cosmetic procedures.\r\nThe scoping work includes consideration of the levels of insurance, training, qualifications and supervision required to safely perform various types of non-surgical cosmetic procedures that pierce and penetrate the skin. This is to ensure that we get any potential future legislation right and that it is robust, flexible and future-proof to maintain pace with any new procedures in this fast changing sector.\r\nWe hope to be in a position to update Parliament on this shortly.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421900,"EventID":"S6W-28577","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-15T16:10:09.053","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-15T10:26:06.05","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what discussions it has had with Healthcare Improvement Scotland regarding regulation of the carrying out of non-surgical cosmetic procedures, such as Botox and dermal fillers, by people who are not healthcare professionals.","AnswerText":"Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) is represented on, and contributes to the discussions at the Scottish Cosmetic Interventions Expert Group, which meets regularly to discuss and advise the Scottish Government on options for the potential regulation of non-surgical cosmetic procedures in Scotland.\r\nHowever, as a regulator, HIS only regulates independent clinics where services are provided by a medical practitioner, dental practitioner, registered nurse, registered midwife, dental care professional, pharmacist or pharmacy technician.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421901,"EventID":"S6W-28531","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-15T16:10:09.853","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-09T14:48:10.89","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the sum was of the tender by the sole bidder for the contract for the dualling of the A9 Tomatin to Moy under the original tender process, in light of the recent award of the re-tendered contract for £184.7 million.   ","AnswerText":"Following the conclusion of the procurement process and contract award for the A9 Dualling Tomatin to Moy project, I recently wrote to the Net Zero Energy and Transport Committee to disclose this information which I am aware is of great interest. An extract of this letter containing this information is provided below:\r\n'Having considered carefully our obligations around confidentiality and transparency, and following consultation with the contractor involved, I can advise that the contract value for the single bid received in October 2022 in relation to the previous procurement for the A9 Dualling: Tomatin to Moy project was £169,986,287.00 at October 2022 prices.\r\nAt the time of receipt of this tender, which was the first procurement of a major roads project undertaken by Transport Scotland following the occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Scottish Ministers were unable to conclude that the tender submission represented best value for the taxpayer. As only a single tender was received on that procurement, no direct market comparator cost was available at that time. The cost of the tender received was significantly higher than both the original £115 million cost estimate for this project, even after allowing for significant inflationary effects, and a cost comparator bid of £136,945,150 compiled by Transport Scotland’s technical advisors.\r\nI am delighted that the recent procurement process has led to a successful contract award and I am pleased to see progress with the delivery of the dualling. I am strongly of the view that the conclusion reached in respect of the previous procurement was appropriate based on the information available at that time. It is imperative that the Government ensures appropriate use of public funds and as best value for the taxpayer could not be demonstrated as outlined above, it was clearly not appropriate for the Government to proceed with a contract award at that time.'","AnswerDate":"2024-08-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421902,"EventID":"S6W-28537","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-15T16:10:11.04","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-10T10:10:00.483","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the advanced works for the dualling of the A9 between Tomatin and Moy; whether it will specify what upgraded active travel works have been undertaken, what the total cost was for this work, what consultation it undertook, whether this work has been completed, and, if this is not the case, when it anticipates that this work will be completed. ","AnswerText":"It is important to recognise that the dualling of the A9 between Tomatin and Moy and indeed, the whole A9 dualling programme seeks to enhance journey reliability and safety for all road users, including pedestrians, cyclists, and bus and coach passengers, as well as vehicle drivers and passengers. The design of each project builds in these elements, for example, the provision of new bus stops is integral to the contract for the Tomatin to Moy section.\r\nThe advance works listed in the response to S6W-28536 on 7 August 2024 include the following elements of work that will make improvements for pedestrians, cyclists, and bus and coach passengers.\r\n? Tomatin Distillery Access and Local Road Improvements Project:\r\nThis advance works contract provided new facilities for pedestrians, cyclists, and bus and coach passengers to facilitate more reliable and safer travel in the area. This included footpaths, a new footbridge which replaced an existing footbridge over All na Frithe watercourse, and new bus stops and bus shelters. Public lighting was also provided along the new footpaths. These enhancements were completed in autumn 2022.\r\n? Lynebeg Railway Underbridge:\r\nThis advance works contract included the provision of a new bus lay-by and bus shelter, and associated sections of new footpath, to provide better facilities for pedestrians and bus and coach passengers. This enhancement was completed in Spring 2022.\r\nThe cost information available does not enable a breakdown of costs to be provided for each of these measures included in these advance works contracts.\r\nThese works have been delivered early as part of the advanced works contracts for the A9 Dualling: Tomatin to Moy project, which was the subject of statutory consultation following publication of draft Orders and the Environmental Statement on 18 May 2018. Prior to that date, consultations on developing proposals were undertaken with a number of individuals and organisations and those findings helped to inform the nature of and design of the measures set out above that have been undertaken to improve reliability and safety for pedestrians, cyclists and bus and coach passengers who travel on this section of the A9.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-08-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421903,"EventID":"S6W-28532","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-15T16:10:11.977","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-09T14:48:10.89","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the original tender for the A9 Tomatin to Moy dualling contract was rejected on the grounds of excessive cost.","AnswerText":"Following careful consideration of the single tender received in 2022, the price of which was significantly higher than expected, Ministers concluded that award of the contract at that time would not represent best value for the taxpayer. Further background on this decision is set out in my response to S6W-28531 on 7 August 2024.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-08-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421904,"EventID":"S6W-28572","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-15T16:10:13.087","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-12T14:02:03.893","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland\r\nVeterans’ report, Enhancing Accessibility: Venues and Visual Impairment, what discussions it has had with entertainment venues and ticket providers regarding\r\nthe creation of a standardised booking system for accessible seats at venues in\r\nScotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to promoting the rights of disabled people and ensuring that they benefit from all that we are doing to improve people’s lives. This includes ensuring that all serving Armed Forces personnel and veterans living in Scotland, as well as their families, are able to: access the best possible care and support; enjoy their rights on an equal basis to others; and participate fully and lead their own lives.\r\nThose involved in ticket sales, such as venues or ticket providers, should be familiar with and address their broader duties under UK health and safety and equalities legislation including, for the latter, the requirement for service providers to make reasonable adjustments in circumstances where a disabled person is placed at a substantial disadvantage compared with non-disabled people.\r\nThe Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has produced a Code of Practice that gives more information on the application of reasonable adjustments. The Scottish Government expects all relevant organisations to comply with the requirement of the Equality Act 2010 and relevant codes of practice published by the EHRC.EHRC is an independent, and reserved public body, and therefore cannot be directed by Scottish Ministers.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421905,"EventID":"S6W-28581","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-15T16:10:17.217","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-15T11:33:29.237","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there has been a delay in the recruitment\r\nto the role of Chief Nursing Officer on a permanent basis, and, if this is the\r\ncase, what the reason is for any such delay, and when it will advertise this\r\nrole.","AnswerText":"The Chief Nursing Officer post is a valuable and integral part of the leadership team within the Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorates and across the health and care system. In the coming years against a backdrop of continuing financial pressures, the post holder will focus on the reform agenda for health and care services, leading the work required to meet the Nursing Vision 2030, whilst also contributing to wider Scottish Government objectives in relation to reducing child poverty, improving the economy and addressing climate change.\r\nWith that in mind, my officials have been considering how to ensure we attract the right calibre of candidate to this post whilst also providing them with the time necessary to achieve those goals. The Civil Service Commission has recently confirmed that it has granted an exception for this post which allows it to be advertised as a five year secondment opportunity instead of the usual two years.\r\nOfficials are now finalising the recruitment process arrangements with the Commission to ensure fair and open competition, and expect to be in a position to advertise the post by the end of August.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421906,"EventID":"S6W-28580","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-15T16:10:19.043","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-15T10:26:06.05","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Police Scotland\r\nregarding the reported black market for unlicensed beauty products, and any\r\nrole of organised crime in such a market.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government officials met with Police Scotland and Environmental Health Officers on 12 January 2023 regarding concerns related to the potential involvement of organised crime groups in the beauty/cosmetics sector.\r\nThe implications of the use of counterfeit and unlicensed beauty products is one of a number of issues under consideration as we consider further regulation of non-surgical cosmetic procedures. \r\nThe Scottish Government and its partners on the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce are committed to working together to disrupt any serious organised crime and the harm it causes to individuals and communities.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421907,"EventID":"S6W-28521","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-15T16:10:20.607","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-09T12:48:37.223","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider the evidence set out in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 report, and any potential impact that it may have on the single building assessment process in Scotland, in particular in relation to the utilisation of BS 8414 test data in the assessment of buildings. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government will review and respond to the evidence and recommendations presented within the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 report once it is published.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421916,"EventID":"S6W-28614","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-16T15:44:47.71","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-16T12:37:46.093","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what quality assurance measures are in place to\r\nensure that all residential rehabilitation facilities provide effective and\r\nevidence-based treatments.","AnswerText":"Residential rehabilitation services in Scotland are regulated by appropriate governing bodies independent of the Scottish Government; namely the Care Inspectorate, Healthcare Improvement Scotland or the NHS. \r\nIt is the responsibility of these bodies to monitor and ensure that residential rehabilitation services are providing safe, quality support to people in recovery across the country. \r\nThe Scottish Government entrusts these bodies to carry out this responsibility diligently, and in line with the qualified levels of clinical expertise that they provide. \r\nThe Scottish Government commissioned Scotland Excel to develop a National Commissioning Framework to support the procurement of residential rehabilitation placements. The Framework launched in April 2024 and includes a service specification as part of the contractual arrangement. This service specification was developed in conjunction with the regulators to ensure a minimum level of care provided by each provider on the framework.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421917,"EventID":"S6W-28576","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-16T15:44:47.867","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-13T14:50:35.533","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of any regulatory failures of water bodies have been due to road water run-off, in each of the last five years. ","AnswerText":"Urban areas typically have the highest concentrations of roads and as a result any significant road water run-off into rivers usually occurs in these areas. A mix of oils, chemicals and tyre particles from vehicles builds up on urban roads during dry spells and is washed off into drainage systems and watercourses during rainfall events. The resulting runoff can have an impact on our water environment if it enters watercourses before going through any mitigating treatment processes. For example sediment traps, such as road gulleys, or sustainable urban drainage systems designed to filter out as many “first-flush” pollutants as possible.\r\nThe widespread, diffuse and sporadic nature of this issue means it has the potential to impact our water environment in a range of ways and makes it challenging to monitor and to address.\r\nThe Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) assess the aquatic environment in Scotland through the Water Framework Directive classification. SEPA carries out a range of surveillance, operational and investigative monitoring to assess Scotland’s water bodies and to prioritise and drive improvements and action where needed. SEPA’s monitoring strategy for Scotland’s water environment can be seen here:  Scotland's WFD Aquatic Monitoring Strategy (sepa.org.uk) \r\nSEPA has assessed two water bodies (sections of rivers) as having failed to have met the water quality standards, where the reason has been ascribed to road transport.\r\nThe Scottish Government recognises the importance of managing urban run-off to protect the water environment and to reduce flooding in our towns and cities. The Scottish Government is working to improve how we manage surface water and drainage, including how we can bring in more sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS) and blue and green infrastructure into our urban environment to help manage pollution and flooding from urban run-off and reduce pressure on piped urban drainage systems. This is part of our developing policy for the future of the water industry in Scotland in response to the climate emergency. We are also currently consulting on Scotland’s first Flood Resilience Strategy which will focus on actions needed to make our communities more flood resilient over the coming decades. Part of this is looking at how we can make the most of urban green spaces and natural water bodies to capture rainwater where it falls and to reduce run-off and water flowing into our drainage systems. This too will help to reduce the impacts of road run-off on the water environment.\r\nMore details on the consultation paper and how to take part can be found  here  .\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421918,"EventID":"S6W-28608","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-16T15:44:47.913","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-16T12:37:46.093","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will set out its long-term strategy for\r\naddiction recovery services, and how will it ensure a comprehensive and effective\r\napproach to addressing both alcohol and drug misuse.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to addressing the twin public health emergencies on alcohol and drugs and recognises the key role treatment and recovery services play.\r\nImplementation of the Medicated Assisted Treatment (MAT) standards in such services is being supplemented with the implementation of UK-wide clinical treatment guidelines for alcohol services. Both MAT and the UK-wide clinical treatment guidelines will feature in the National Specification for alcohol and drugs services. We have committed to publishing the Specification and subsequent overarching guidance for treatment and recovery services, in response to recommendations made by the Drug Deaths Taskforce. The Specification and guidance, alongside MAT standard implementation and UK-wide guidelines, will help to ensure that high-quality treatment options, for those affected by addiction, will be met for years to come.\r\nIn addition, a comprehensive range of initiatives to improve alcohol and drug outcomes for people is set out in our National Mission, including investment in prevention and early intervention, improved treatment services and long-term recovery support for problematic alcohol and drug use. Investment in residential rehabilitation has increased the number of spaces for people, both now and in the future, and our work on tackling stigma aims to fundamentally break down barriers for those seeking support.\r\nTo ensure that our future strategic plans are evidence-based, they will be informed by the National Mission evaluation, with the final publication expected in 2026. In accordance with democratic processes, any future strategic plans will also take into account the outcomes of the 2026 Scottish election.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421919,"EventID":"S6W-28586","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-16T15:44:48.007","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-15T16:35:01.887","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide any cost or budget estimates that it has produced for the reopening of its Open Market Shared Equity scheme. ","AnswerText":"Within a backdrop of wider real term funding cuts we provisionally allocated £27m Financial Transactions for FY 2024-25 to re-open OMSE on 20 June 2024.\r\nBased on the previous financial years spend and units, we have estimated that this allocation could provide an estimated 466 units.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421920,"EventID":"S6W-28603","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-16T15:44:48.07","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-16T12:04:00.593","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28303 by Christina McKelvie on 9 July 2024, how it will ensure transparency and accountability in the reporting of residential rehabilitation treatment lengths once the data infrastructure is in place. ","AnswerText":"We have responded to calls for more transparency and accountability by commissioning Public Health Scotland to carry out an independent evaluation of the Residential Rehabilitation programme as part of the wider evaluation of the National Mission.\r\nBy collecting and publishing robust data, we will be able to increase the evidence base that will help us to best direct financial resource. This improved understanding means that more people will be able to access the treatment type that is right for them at the right time.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421921,"EventID":"S6W-28593","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-16T15:44:48.13","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-16T10:42:18.957","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28408 by Gillian Martin on 5 July 2024, what action it has taken towards any landowners who have received multiple notices under section 59 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is not responsible for taking action against any land occupiers who have received multiple Section 59 notices. It would be for SEPA or the local authority responsible for issuing the notices to determine whether or not any further action or investigation would be appropriate in relation to any ongoing activity on the land.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421922,"EventID":"S6W-28595","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-16T15:44:48.193","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-16T11:50:26.51","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to ensure that (a) local authorities and (b) housing associations provide housing adaptations for people with disabilities, when other accessible homes are not available. ","AnswerText":"As set out in our Housing to 2040 strategy, we are committed to streamlining and accelerating the housing adaptations system and to take action to reduce the time it takes for disabled people to apply for and receive support and maximise the available resources. My officials are taking forward a review of the current housing adaptations system which will make recommendations on how best to improve and streamline the system.\r\nWe published updated practical guidance on the delivery of adaptations and equipment services in January 2023. This guidance will contribute to the housing adaptations review.\r\nWe are considering the potential implications for the delivery of adaptations and other delegated housing services arising from the establishment of a new National Care Service.\r\nWe have also developed regulations under section 37 of the Equality Act 2010 that give disabled people the right to make necessary, reasonable adaptations to common areas of their property.\r\nAt local level, responsibility for the planning, ensuring delivery of adaptations and most funding currently rests with Health and Social Care Partnerships.\r\nIn addition, funding of over £8 million is also available for 2024-2025 for adaptations for Registered Social Landlord tenants. In the period between 2007-2008 and 2022-2023, over £200 million has been provided directly to housing associations to help them provide housing adaptations.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421923,"EventID":"S6W-28591","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-16T15:44:48.24","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-16T09:28:27.79","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to how users of bird-dissuading mesh may be incentivised to maintain the mesh so that the safety of birds is not threatened.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not given any consideration as to how users of bird-dissuading mesh may be incentivised to maintain the mesh so that the safety of birds is not threatened.\r\nIt is the responsibility of those installing the bird-dissuading mesh to comply with any necessary legislation, such as the Wildlife and Countryside (Scotland) Act 1981.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421924,"EventID":"S6W-28592","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-16T15:44:48.303","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-16T09:58:39.123","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential inclusion of spinal muscular atrophy screening as part of newborn health checks.","AnswerText":"Scotland’s screening policy relies on recommendations from the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), an independent scientific body that provides advice on screening policy to all four UK nations. To date, the UK NSC has not recommended Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) screening through the existing blood spot test, and has stated it needs further evidence before a recommendation can be made.\r\nIn June 2023 the UK NSC recommended that a new independent modelling study for SMA screening be commissioned. This is currently underway and expected to report its findings at the end of 2024. \r\nWork is also underway to begin an in-service evaluation (ISE) of SMA screening. This will allow an assessment of the potential benefits of SMA screening in real world situations. \r\nThis is vital work that will ensure any potential roll-out of a national screening programme is appropriately evidence-based. However, the Scottish Government recognises that SMA can have devastating consequences for children and families and will continue to explore what steps can be taken to realise screening benefits as quickly as possible. \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421925,"EventID":"S6W-28605","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-16T15:44:48.38","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-16T12:04:00.593","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28303 by Christina McKelvie on 9 July 2024, what action it will take if any significant discrepancies are found in the lengths of residential rehabilitation treatments across different regions or facilities. ","AnswerText":"The Residential Rehabilitation Development Working Group defines residential rehab as facilities offering programmes which aim to support individuals to attain an alcohol or drug-free lifestyle and to be re-integrated into society, provide intensive psychosocial support and a structured programme of daily activities, and which residents are required to attend over a fixed period of time.\r\nThe Scottish Government recognises that diversity of treatment options is important to empower individuals to have more choice and to meet the needs of individuals seeking different types of recovery, and this includes taking a person-centred approach to treatment length. ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421926,"EventID":"S6W-28594","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-16T15:44:48.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-16T11:28:26.173","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether NHS Scotland abides by the principles of the Volunteer Charter. ","AnswerText":"The NHS Scotland Volunteering program promotes the use of the Volunteer Scotland Volunteer Charter principles within its  Best Practice Guide  . The principles are also endorsed within the NHS Scotland’s Volunteering Programme’s  Strategic Vision for 2023-28. \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421927,"EventID":"S6W-28588","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-16T15:44:48.507","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-15T18:06:26.24","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will list any entities registered as Scottish limited partnerships to which (a) Scottish Enterprise, (b) South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE), (c) Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and (d) Scottish Development International (SDI) have provided (i) grants, (ii) account management services and (iii) other support, including a breakdown of the detail of any support provided, in each year from 2019 to 2024. ","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for the agencies referred to. I have asked the agencies’ Chief Executives to respond directly to you with the information requested.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421928,"EventID":"S6W-28612","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-16T15:44:48.57","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-16T12:37:46.093","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will address any impact of the closure of facilities,\r\nsuch as Turning Point 218 in Glasgow, on the availability and accessibility of\r\naddiction recovery services for women.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government will address the impact of changes to service provision on access and availability to alcohol and drug recovery services by continuing to ensure that the specific needs of women are considered in the design and delivery of services, and that a gendered approach is taken in all new or developing initiatives across the National Mission to reduce deaths and improve lives.\r\nThe Scottish Government provided specific funding of around £1.5m per year to Glasgow City Council to support the 218 Service. As a result of that funding relationship, Glasgow informed the Scottish Government of its plans to re-tender the service last year and discussions took place to confirm that the funding would still be available following that exercise.\r\nGlasgow City Council has provided assurances that it worked closely with Turning Point Scotland to support individuals in transitioning to other support arrangements and that other services, including residential placements, are available to support people with similar needs. In particular, it has confirmed that all 218 service residents had moved on from the service as of 31 January 2024 – some residents naturally came to the end of their stay, while others moved back to their own tenancy or to accommodation with support.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421929,"EventID":"S6W-28606","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-16T15:44:48.63","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-16T12:37:46.093","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the data regarding River Garden Auchincruive is absent from Public Health Scotland's Interim monitoring report on statutory-funded residential rehabilitation placements, which was published on 18 June 2024.","AnswerText":"Public Health Scotland (PHS) follows statistical disclosure control (SDC) when publishing data, including those submitted for their most recent report on statutory-funded residential rehabilitation placements.\r\nPHS applies the SDC to data due to the sensitive nature of the topic, and to reduce the risk of identifying individuals, (especially those from small geographic areas) who in this case were the number of people accessing residential rehabilitation for substance use in River Garden. \r\nThe data was therefore suppressed and an asterisk used to denote this in the published report.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421930,"EventID":"S6W-28587","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-16T15:44:48.693","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-15T18:06:26.24","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its policy is regarding the provision of public support for entities registered as Scottish limited partnerships. ","AnswerText":"Any application for public support from our enterprise agencies is subject to robust appraisal and appropriate due diligence.\r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421931,"EventID":"S6W-28602","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-16T15:44:48.757","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-16T12:04:00.593","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28303 by Christina McKelvie on 9 July 2024, what steps are being taken to involve key stakeholders, including (a) patients, (b) families and (c) addiction recovery organisations in the (i) development and (ii) monitoring of residential rehabilitation programmes. ","AnswerText":"Public Health Scotland worked in close consultation with key stakeholders to develop the core minimum dataset, which will form the basis for the monitoring of residential rehabilitation. Early versions of the dataset were shared with the Monitoring, Evaluation and Research Advisory Group (MERAG) and the Residential Rehabilitation Development Working Group (RRDWG), which have representatives from groups such as individuals with experience, families and recovery organisations. \r\nCurrent residential rehabilitation clients were given the opportunity to complete a survey to provide details of their own experience.  Qualitative research  was also undertaken with people with lived experience of having accessed residential rehabilitation to explore their experiences of the pathways into, through and out of this form of treatment. ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421932,"EventID":"S6W-28507","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-16T15:44:48.82","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-09T10:46:16.007","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to fulfil the Scottish National Party 2021 manifesto commitment to \"legislate to ensure equal rights of succession for women in agriculture, and reform trust law that enables avoidance of legal obligations like the pre-emptive right to buy for tenants\". ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to equality in agriculture, which is set out in the Agricultural Reform Route Map and in our 2023-2024 Programme for Government. \r\nIn line with the 2023-2024 Programme for Government, we are co-developing a gender strategy for agriculture. The strategy will be developed in partnership with women living and working in agriculture and through a ministerial roundtable with stakeholders. The results of these discussions will inform the development of the strategy and any future legislative needs. We are also continuing to fund training opportunities for women, new entrants, and young farmers as part of increasing business resilience, just transition, and equality of opportunity for all. \r\nWe will to bring forward a consultation on how trust law interacts with the pre-emptive right to buy for tenant farmers within the next year. This will draw on the views of the Tenant Farming Advisory Forum. \r\nThe Scottish Government remains committed to supporting everyone living and working in Scottish agriculture and empowering them to play their role in making our Vision for Agriculture a reality.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421933,"EventID":"S6W-28607","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-16T15:44:48.88","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-16T12:37:46.093","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide a detailed breakdown of (a) how\r\nits stated record investment in Alcohol and Drug Partnerships has been used and\r\n(b) the outcomes that have resulted from this funding.","AnswerText":"A breakdown of how funding is allocated to ADPs since 2017 can be found on the Scottish Government website:  https://www.gov.scot/publications/alcohol-and-drug-partnerships-funding-allocations/ \r\nThis shows a breakdown in funding for each ADP across several policy areas including: MAT Standards, Stabilisation, Residential Rehab, and Whole Family Approach.\r\nThe ADP Annual Survey evidences activity of ADPs in alignment to National Mission outcomes. The last survey, covering 2022-2023, was published in September 2023 and can be found on the Scottish Government website:  https://www.gov.scot/publications/alcohol-drug-partnerships-adp-2022-23-annual-survey/ \r\nThe upcoming report, covering 2023-2024, is due to be published in Autumn 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421934,"EventID":"S6W-28589","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-16T15:44:48.973","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-16T09:28:27.79","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to setting standards for bird-dissuading mesh so that the deterrent does not trap or threaten the safety of birds.","AnswerText":"There is no legislation that specifically prevents the installation of netting around buildings. However, Section 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside (Scotland) Act 1981 does make it an offence to obstruct or prevent any bird from using its nest during the nesting season and this would include the use of bird-dissuading mesh.\r\nThe Scottish Government has no plans to introduce standards for the use of bird-dissuading mesh.\r\nNatureScot have published advice which outlines that all exclusion measures [including netting] must be appropriately maintained to avoid welfare issues such as entanglement:  Guidance - gull management | NatureScot  .\r\nThe Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals have a leaflet on bird netting which recommends that netting is checked regularly for both trapped birds and to ensure that it is in good repair :  Wild birds and netting.pdf (rspca.org.uk) \r\nThe Royal Society for the Protection of Birds also recommends that exclusion nets, on both buildings and elsewhere should be checked at least daily, and any trapped birds or other wildlife should be released immediately:  The use of netting to stop birds nesting - what you need to know (rspb.org.uk) ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421940,"EventID":"S6W-28636","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":5771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-17T12:19:10.95","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-17T12:09:23.58","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Chair of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry’s report on Module 1, covering pre-pandemic preparedness and resilience, which publishes on 18 July 2024.","AnswerText":"We welcome the publication of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry’s Module 1 report on pre-pandemic preparedness and resilience. A copy of the report is available online at  Module 1 Report - UK Covid-19 Inquiry (covid19.public-inquiry.uk)  .\r\nThe Scottish Government will carefully consider the Module 1 report and provide detailed responses to its recommendations in due course, within the timescales set out by the Chair.\r\nFamilies across the country lost loved ones to the Covid-19 pandemic, and we offer our deepest sympathies to all those who have experienced pain and grief as a result. It is with their loss in mind that we continue our efforts to make effective, practical and measurable improvements in pandemic planning and preparedness.\r\nThe implementation of recommendations will require collaborative action with our counterparts across the four nations, and the Scottish Government is committed to working together, at all levels, in a way which allows us to best prevent, prepare for and respond to future whole system civil emergencies.\r\nIn parallel to the UK and Scottish Covid inquires, we have sought to identify key actions needed for the future. For example, the Standing Committee on Pandemic Preparedness was commissioned to provide advice on threat intelligence, assessment and response, priorities for research, ways to strengthen response infrastructure and priorities in relation to the Pandemic UK Risk Assessment. The Standing Committee’s final report is due this year.\r\nAs a direct result of lessons learned during the pandemic, the Scottish Risk Assessment (SRA) now presents a more generic pandemic scenario, reflecting a broader range of possible manifestations than previous iterations. The purpose of the SRA, alongside the UK national risk assessment, is to help the resilience community, at all levels, to understand and plan for the possible civil contingencies risks which Scotland may face. This includes how we can prepare for, respond to and mitigate the potential impacts of these risks, and recover from these events.\r\nWe recognise however, as set out in the Inquiry’s report, that there is further work to be done. It is important that we work together with communities, households and businesses to understand how we can make Scotland more resilient and support the most vulnerable in our society.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421941,"EventID":"S6W-28633","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-17T15:56:13.56","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-17T12:04:07.983","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28253 by Ivan McKee on 12 July 2024, what its position is on whether the Counter Fraud Service and Counter Fraud\r\nToolkit are adequate tools for the identification and mitigation of any corruption\r\nrisks, and of any incidents of fraud in the management of public resources.","AnswerText":"The creation of the Counter Fraud Service (CFS) and the introduction of the Counter Fraud Toolkit is a significant step forward in the Scottish Government’s (SG) management of the risks to public resources posed by fraud and corruption. Both the CFS and toolkit exist within a broader range of policies, processes, guidance and support within SG that are concerned with the identification and mitigation of fraud and corruption risks. The CFS routinely collaborates with colleagues across SG and wider public bodies in this, including Internal Audit, Risk Control & Assurance Division, Security Division and Procurement on fraud and corruption risk management, and the response to incidents of alleged fraud that occur.\r\nThis approach aligns with current best practice in public sector counter fraud, and the CFS is engaged with external partners and colleagues from the UK Government Public Sector Fraud Authority, the International Public Sector Fraud Forum, Audit Scotland and the Scottish Public Sector Counter Fraud Network. This facilitates the sharing of expertise and current counter fraud practice, as well as horizon scanning on future risks of fraud and corruption, providing assurance on the management of fraud and corruption risk and the protection of public resources.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421942,"EventID":"S6W-28525","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-17T15:56:14.14","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-09T13:31:32.61","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many homes it estimates will be delivered each year to priority access groups following the reopening its Open Market Shared Equity scheme to new applications, broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"The Open Market Shared Equity Scheme (OMSE) is available to first-time buyers and priority access groups. OMSE is a demand led scheme and as such The Scottish Government does not estimate how many priority access applications there will be per financial year.\r\nApplicants to OMSE have the choice to declare on their application which route they are applying under, whether that be as a first-time buyer or a priority access group. This means that some first-time buyers may also be disabled, a veteran etc however this information will not be captured as part of their application.\r\nDue to the demand led nature of the scheme we also do not project estimates for geographical or Local Authority areas.\r\nPublished information on OMSE home purchases in each Local Authority area for previous financial years can be found here:  Affordable Housing Supply Programme - More homes - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .","AnswerDate":"2024-07-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421943,"EventID":"S6W-28631","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-17T15:56:14.233","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-17T10:13:05.457","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27967 by\r\nJenni Minto on 14 June 2024, how it evaluates the effectiveness of fracture liaison\r\nservices across Scotland in the absence of any centrally held data. ","AnswerText":"Fracture liaison services across Scotland are managed and evaluated by territorial NHS Boards.\r\nThe forthcoming national audit of Fracture Liaison Services will assist in that evaluation.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421944,"EventID":"S6W-28624","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-17T15:56:14.31","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-16T14:18:54.017","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will instruct Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Ltd to make its shipyard available for lease as a common user facility for all tenders for Phase 1 of the Small Vessel Replacement Programme.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remain committed to pursuing a sustainable future for Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Ltd. Any lease of facilities would be a commercial decision for the yard and it would not be appropriate for the Scottish Government to make any such instruction.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421945,"EventID":"S6W-28627","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-17T15:56:14.403","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-16T16:02:29.45","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action is it taking to help displaced people\r\nfrom Ukraine to enter the private rented sector.  ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to helping displaced Ukrainians access sustainable accommodation, including in the PRS.\r\nThe Housing (Scotland) Bill includes a package of PRS reforms that provide additional rights and protections for tenants, including displaced people from Ukraine.\r\nInformation on tenants’ rights has been translated into Ukrainian and shared via the Scottish Government’s website and within the Ukrainian community. The Minister for Housing has engaged with landlords, estate agents and their representatives and will continue to do so to understand the challenges facing the PRS and how we may most effectively support displaced Ukrainians in accessing it.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421946,"EventID":"S6W-28524","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-17T15:56:14.497","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-09T13:31:32.61","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the funding allocated to its Open Market Shared Equity scheme, broken down by financial year.","AnswerText":"The following table shows a breakdown of the spend for the Open Marked Shared Equity Scheme (OMSE) in each financial year:\r\nYear\r\nSpend\r\n2014-15\r\n£38.6m\r\n2015-16\r\n£55.4m\r\n2016-17\r\n£68m\r\n2017-18\r\n£70.6m\r\n2018-19\r\n£76.7m\r\n2019-20\r\n£51.4m\r\n2020-21\r\n£35.1m\r\n2021-22\r\n£44.2m\r\n2022-23\r\n£35.5m\r\n2023-24\r\n£52.8m\r\nWithin a backdrop of wider real term funding cuts we provisionally allocated £27m Financial Transactions for FY 2024-25 to re-open OMSE on 20 June 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421947,"EventID":"S6W-28598","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-17T15:56:14.577","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-16T12:04:00.593","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28303 by Christina McKelvie on 9 July 2024, how it ensures that the length of residential rehabilitation treatments in Scotland meets or exceeds best practice guidelines and standards, when compared with other countries. ","AnswerText":"The Residential Rehabilitation Development Working Group defines residential rehab as facilities offering programmes which aim to support individuals to attain an alcohol or drug-free lifestyle and to be re-integrated into society, provide intensive psychosocial support and a structured programme of daily activities, and which residents are required to attend over a fixed period of time.\r\nThe Scottish Government recognises that diversity of treatment options is important to empower individuals to have more choice and to meet the needs of individuals seeking different types of recovery, and this includes taking a person-centred approach to the duration of treatment. ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421948,"EventID":"S6W-28601","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-17T15:56:14.687","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-16T12:04:00.593","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28303 by Christina McKelvie on 9 July 2024, whether it can provide information on the long-term outcomes for patients who undergo residential rehabilitation treatments, and how treatment length correlates with those outcomes. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government Residential Rehabilitation Literature Review published 30 May 2022 showed that demonstrating the association between residential rehabilitation and specific outcomes is complicated by the widely varied nature of provision in terms of programme length, treatment philosophy, the provision of throughcare (including preparatory work and aftercare) and quality.\r\nThe length of residential rehabilitation treatments varies substantially. This data on individual placements is not currently collated centrally. The Scottish Government have commissioned PHS to establish the necessary data infrastructure to monitor residential rehab in Scotland, and we expect that early extracts to be published in December 2024.\r\nAs the dataset continues to develop and becomes more mature, a greater level of insight and data will be available for publication, including treatment length and associated outcomes.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421949,"EventID":"S6W-28628","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-17T15:56:14.763","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-16T16:07:29.383","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many displaced people from Ukraine are currently\r\nresiding in temporary welcome accommodation.","AnswerText":"Latest data published by the Scottish Government on 25 April 2024, show that as at 25 March 2024, an estimated 2,150 guests were in welcome accommodation in Scotland. This represents a reduction of 70% from the peak of just over 7,200 people in November 2022\r\nThe next statistical release on the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme in Scotland will be published by the Scottish Government on 29 August 2024.\r\nAdditionally, the Scottish Government publish a calendar of forthcoming statistical releases. The calendar can be found here:  https://www.gov.scot/publications/official-statistics-forthcoming-publications/  ”","AnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421950,"EventID":"S6W-28629","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-17T15:56:14.827","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-16T16:08:42.017","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to provide any additional funding\r\nthrough the Ukraine Longer Term Resettlement Fund. ","AnswerText":"Given the significant numbers of arrivals and visas issued we need to continue to find creative ways to boost the supply of longer term housing. On 22 September 2022, the Scottish Government launched the Ukraine Longer-Term Resettlement Fund (ULTRF) to bring Local Authority (LA) and Registered Social Landlord (RSL) empty properties back into use that would otherwise not have been available for let.\r\nThrough this high value for money initiative, the Fund has approved twenty one capital projects across Scotland, bringing nearly 1300 homes back into use. As of 18 July 2024, 11 projects have fully completed, providing nearly 1200 homes, of which over 1000 are tenanted, providing settled accommodation for nearly 2200 Ukrainian people. The programme has offered commitments to fund improvement works of over £27.146 million in total across 2022-23 and 2023-24.\r\nThe ULTRF budget has now been confirmed as £5 million for 2024-45 and we continue to work closely with potential applicants to maximise delivery from the funding available.\r\nThe continuation of the Ukraine Longer-Term Resettlement Fund and its legacy is an opportunity to prevent unnecessary homelessness with some homes to be retained in the longer-term to address wider pressures by increasing social rented housing supply.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421951,"EventID":"S6W-28619","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-17T15:56:14.89","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-16T12:37:46.093","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to ensure transparency in reporting from all rehabilitation facilities, including River Garden Auchincruive, Aberlour and Phoenix Future Family Service.","AnswerText":"We have responded to calls for more transparency and accountability by working with Public Health Scotland to track the number of residential rehab placements that ADPs have funded and the development of a National Core Minimum Dataset that will provide data not only on the number of publicly funded placements but also with time will publish insights on outcomes from placements in Residential Rehab.\r\nThis will provide the Scottish Government with a clear line of sight on how residential rehab funding is being spent across the country and help to further the evidence base for this treatment model.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421952,"EventID":"S6W-28604","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-17T15:56:14.95","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-16T12:04:00.593","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28303 by Christina McKelvie on 9 July 2024, what immediate measures it is taking to improve the current (a) monitoring and (b) evaluation of residential rehabilitation treatments. ","AnswerText":"To better inform our understanding of residential rehabilitation, we commissioned Public Health Scotland to carry out an evaluation of the Residential Rehabilitation programme, covering the first two years of the National Mission, which will support the development of consistent, evidence-based policy.\r\nBy collecting and reviewing robust data, we will be able to increase the evidence base that will help us to best direct financial resource. This improved understanding means that more people will be able to access the treatment type that is right for them at the right time.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421953,"EventID":"S6W-28630","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-17T15:56:15.03","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-17T10:11:58.563","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27967 by\r\nJenni Minto on 14 June 2024, for what reason it does not collect data on fracture\r\nliaison services centrally.  ","AnswerText":"Clinical data collection, including around fracture liaison services, is carried out locally by territorial NHS Boards. Public Health Scotland will additionally carry out national data collection or collation in some areas, including its forthcoming audit of Fracture Liaison Services.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421954,"EventID":"S6W-28600","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-17T15:56:15.14","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-16T12:04:00.593","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28303 by Christina McKelvie on 9 July 2024, what funding and support mechanisms are being implemented to facilitate longer residential rehabilitation programmes, and how those are prioritised across different regions. ","AnswerText":"The Residential Rehabilitation Development Working Group defines residential rehab as facilities offering programmes which aim to support individuals to attain an alcohol or drug-free lifestyle and to be re-integrated into society, provide intensive psychosocial support and a structured programme of daily activities, and which residents are required to attend over a fixed period of time.\r\nThe Scottish Government recognises that diversity of treatment options is important to empower individuals to have more choice and to meet the needs of individuals seeking different types of recovery, and this includes taking a person-centred approach to the duration of treatment. \r\nWe commissioned The Gate Worldwide to develop and launch a National Directory of Residential Rehab providers. This directory will be announced soon and will include details on standard programme lengths for each provider listed. ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421955,"EventID":"S6W-28590","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-17T15:56:15.2","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-16T09:28:27.79","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many birds have been trapped and have died in bird-dissuading mesh being used in Scotland in the last five years. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information. There is no requirement for those using bird-dissuading mesh to submit information on how many birds have been trapped and have died.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421956,"EventID":"S6W-28599","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-17T15:56:15.263","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-16T12:04:00.593","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28303 by Christina McKelvie on 9 July 2024, what measures are currently in place to ensure the quality and effectiveness of residential rehabilitation treatments across different facilities in Scotland, in light of data not being collated centrally.  ","AnswerText":"Residential rehabilitation services in Scotland are regulated by appropriate governing bodies independent of the Scottish Government; namely the Care Inspectorate, Healthcare Improvement Scotland or the NHS. \r\nIt is the responsibility of these bodies to monitor and ensure that residential rehabilitation services are providing safe, quality support to people in recovery across the country. \r\nThe Scottish Government entrusts these bodies to carry out this responsibility diligently, and in line with the qualified levels of clinical expertise that they provide. \r\nThe Scottish Government commissioned Scotland Excel to develop a National Commissioning Framework to support the procurement of residential rehabilitation placements. The Framework launched in April 2024 and includes a service specification as part of the contractual arrangement. This service specification was developed in conjunction with the regulators to ensure a minimum level of care provided by each provider on the framework.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421957,"EventID":"S6W-28626","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-17T15:56:15.67","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-16T14:32:18.87","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will work with the UK Government toensure that the Shipbuilding Credit Guarantee Scheme (SCGS) can be fullyutilised during Phase 1 of the Small Vessel Replace","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will work with the UK Government toensure that the Shipbuilding Credit Guarantee Scheme (SCGS) can be fullyutilised during Phase 1 of the Small Vessel Replacement Programme, to promoteshipbuilding in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The UK Shipbuilding Credit Guarantee Scheme provides a partial guarantee to a lender making a loan to a ship-buyer or operator, so that new vessels, or refits, retrofits or repairs of existing vessels can be procured from UK shipyards. This type of finance guarantee is not required where the Scottish Government or its agencies are the buyer/funder. As the Scottish Government, through Transport Scotland, is the funder of CMAL vessels projects, the scheme does not benefit these kinds of contracts. The scheme may be applicable to commercial clients or funders looking to build or refit vessels at the Ferguson Marine Port Glasgow yard.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421958,"EventID":"S6W-28620","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-17T15:56:15.733","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-16T13:37:33.913","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on (a) its engagement with the UK Government regarding the banning of plastic waste exports to non-OECD countries and (b) action it is taking to reduce the volume of waste exported from Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that we are able to manage more of our own waste within Scotland both for environmental and economic aims. As part of this, Scottish Government officials and Defra continue to engage regularly on matters regarding international waste exports, a reserved policy area. We are currently seeking confirmation from the new UK Government on its priorities for waste exports policy and continue to encourage Defra to build on work already undertaken to ban the export of plastic waste to non-OECD-countries, and will work closely with them on the development of this.\r\nThrough our Circular Economy and Waste Route Map consultation, we are actively progressing actions that we can take under devolved powers to boost Scotland's ability domestically to manage its waste and provide greater incentives for domestic reprocessing. This includes new co-designed recycling standards and consulting on a statutory duty on local authorities and others to report on the final destinations of collected material to increase transparency and strengthen public confidence in recycling services. We have also committed to publish a report on Scotland’s existing and planned domestic reprocessing infrastructure. This builds upon existing measures like extended producer responsibility schemes, and the £63 million-worth of investments made via the Recycling Improvement Fund to improve the quality and quantity of recycling collected.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421959,"EventID":"S6W-28597","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-17T15:56:15.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-16T12:04:00.593","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28303 by Christina McKelvie on 9 July 2024, whether it can provide any interim estimates for the average length of residential rehabilitation treatments, based on existing reports or studies. ","AnswerText":" The Scottish Government survey of residential rehab providers,  published in November 2021, found that the duration of treatment programmes varied substantially across providers, with an average core treatment duration of 23 weeks. Some providers suggested that this was flexible based on individual need. Typically, private providers reported shorter (5–12 weeks) programmes, while third-sector providers reported longer (14–156 weeks) programmes. Further breakdown of treatment duration by facility is available in the published report.\r\nThis report was referenced in Public Health Scotland’s interim evaluation of the Residential Rehabilitation Programme, published 13 February 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421960,"EventID":"S6W-28622","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-17T15:56:15.92","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-16T14:05:05.037","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the announcement on 16 July 2024 regarding Phase 1 of the Small Vessel Replacement Programme, whether it will apply a social value weighting to the procurement procedure that is sufficient to ensure that the construction of the vessels is carried out in Scotland.","AnswerText":"CMAL, as the procuring authority, has highlighted that Scottish public procurement regulations explicitly state that contracting authorities cannot artificially narrow competition by designing a procurement with the intention of unduly favouring, or disadvantaging, any particular economic operator. This means that CMAL cannot lawfully weight or design the contract requirements to favour Scottish shipyards or businesses. All candidates must be treated equally and fairly.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421961,"EventID":"S6W-28596","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-17T15:56:16.437","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-16T12:04:00.593","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28303 by Christina McKelvie on 9 July 2024, when it expects the data infrastructure by Public Health Scotland to be fully operational, and when the detailed information on treatment lengths will be made publicly available. ","AnswerText":"We have responded to calls for more transparency and accountability by working with Public Health Scotland to track the number of residential rehab placements that have been funded using public money.\r\nPHS and SG have worked collaboratively with stakeholders to establish a core minimum dataset to support the monitoring and evaluation of residential rehab. The first batch of returns for the dataset have now been received from most providers. It is expected that the first extracts from the dataset, including the number of publicly funded residential rehabilitation placements will be published in December 2024. \r\nA greater level of insight and data will be available for publication, including average treatment length and associated outcomes, as the dataset continues to develop and become more mature.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421962,"EventID":"S6W-28621","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-17T15:56:16.857","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-16T13:47:34.913","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to ask the Scottish Prison Service to undertake ligature audits at all prisons, and, if this is not the case, what the reasons are for its position on the matter. ","AnswerText":"My deepest thoughts and condolences are with those families affected by a death in prison custody. The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) cares for and supports some of the most complex and vulnerable individuals in our society, often at times of personal crisis.\r\nLigature prevention is an operational matter and ongoing priority for the SPS. The SPS Estates team consider ligature prevention in the design of cells, which continues to evolve, in order to minimise ligature points.\r\nFollowing every death in prison, the SPS undertake a Death in Prison Learning Audit and Review to learn from the incident. Any learning in relation to ligature points is reported to the National Suicide Prevention Group, a multi-disciplinary group, which consider the high-level policy implications of tackling ligature risks and agree on any changes to be implemented.\r\nThere are ‘safer cells’ throughout the prison estate, which are specifically designed to reduce, as far as possible, opportunities for individuals to cause injury to themselves. Anti-ligature clothing and bedding is available where it is considered appropriate. Safer cells are used as a short term measure when the SPS believes they are necessary to safeguard the health and wellbeing of someone in their care.\r\nDesigning a prison that is considered to be entirely ligature point free would create a sterile living environment, incompatible with the aspiration of the provision of a normalised space for those in the care of the SPS. Placing individuals in the care of the SPS in restrictive, depersonalised environments as a matter of course could negatively impact on mental health, as well as indicating a lack of trust or acknowledgement of their needs.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421963,"EventID":"S6W-28635","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-17T15:56:16.937","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-17T12:04:07.983","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures it currently has in place to enable\r\nthe identification and mitigation of corruption risk in the management of\r\npublic resources.","AnswerText":"The key measures to identify and mitigate the risk of corruption in the management of public resources are found in the SG’s Scottish Public Finance Manual (SPFM), and within the SG’s polices and Civil Service Code. \r\nRequirements within the SPFM cover the appropriate standards for the handling of all elements of public finances in terms of payments made, received, and in how they are documented and authorised. All SG organisations are required to demonstrate their adherence to the SPFM standards on an annual basis.\r\nSG employees are required to adhere to employment policies, including adherence to the Civil Service Code, which requires all civil servants to always act with due regard to core principles relating to honesty, integrity, and fairness, and to uphold its standards whilst carrying out any function of government business. \r\nThe Integrity Group brings together expertise from across SG from areas such as Propriety & Ethics, Cyber Security, Counter Fraud, Legal and People Services. The group is focussed on providing advice and leadership to the SG on cross-cutting issues related to managing the risk of corruption and breaches of the Civil Service Code. ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421975,"EventID":"S6W-28648","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-18T15:53:05.553","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-17T17:10:54.903","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many certificates of exemption for XL Bully dogs have been issued each month.","AnswerText":"As set out in  The Dangerous Dogs (Compensation and Exemption Schemes) (Scotland) Order 2024  , from 1 August 2024 it is illegal to own an XL Bully dog in Scotland without a certificate of exemption, or without having applied for a certificate of exemption where a decision has not yet been made.\r\nXL Bully dog owners had from 1 April 2024 to 31 July 2024 to apply to the Scottish Government for a certificate of exemption for their dog, to allow them to continue to legally own the dog.\r\n3,308 certificates of exemption for XL Bully dogs have been issued to dog owners by the Scottish Government during the period 1 April 2024 to 31 July 2024.\r\n454 were issued in April 2024\r\n243 were issued in May 2024\r\n479 were issued in June 2024\r\n2,132 were issued in July 2024\r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421976,"EventID":"S6W-28650","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-18T15:53:05.897","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-17T18:16:37.69","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the outcomes were of the Small Business Bonus Scheme Evaluation Short-Term Working Group, which met in June and September 2022.","AnswerText":"The Small Business Bonus Scheme Evaluation Short-Term Working Group was established to inform advice to Scottish Ministers in respect the recommendations made in the  Evaluation of the Small Business Bonus Scheme Report  , and in particular “that the Scottish Government begins to collect new information that will make a more robust assessment of the Small Business Bonus Scheme (SBBS) (and potentially other reliefs) possible in the future.”\r\nThis Group met twice and minutes of the meetings are published on the  Scottish Government website  . Members were clear that SBBS relief is of great benefit to many small businesses, and also raised concerns about the burden that the collection of any additional information would entail. \r\nRecognising these concerns, the Scottish Government has not introduced any additional information-sharing requirements for this relief at this time and the Small Business Bonus Scheme remains the most generous scheme of its kind in the UK.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421977,"EventID":"S6W-28641","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-18T15:53:06.13","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-17T15:12:16.22","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government by what the date the Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence levels will be published, and how it will ensure that there will be sufficient time for MSPs to scrutinise this ahead of Christmas 2024.","AnswerText":"The 2023-24 Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence Levels statistics will be published in December 2024. In line with the Code of Practice for Statistics an exact date will be announced on the Scottish Government website at least four weeks before publication. ","AnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421978,"EventID":"S6W-28565","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-18T15:53:06.317","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-11T13:22:19.31","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the resource planning allocation is for each local authority to plan their housing supply for (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26; how this compares with the assumed figures that were published on 15 July 2021; what the reasons are for any variance in each case, and on what date each local authority was advised of its allocation","AnswerText":"The following table details the resource planning assumptions for each local authority for (a) 2024-2025 compared with the assumed figures that were published on 15 July 2021. These figures do not include the additional £40 million for 2024-2025, the allocations of for which are still being considered. No resource planning assumptions have yet been agreed for (b) 2025-2026.\r\nLocal Authority\r\nPublished 2024-2025 RPAs 15 July 2021 (£m)\r\nUpdated 2024-2025 RPAs May 2024 (£m)\r\nVariance (%)\r\nAberdeen City\r\n16.037\r\n12.133\r\n-24%\r\nAberdeenshire\r\n27.693\r\n20.952\r\n-24%\r\nAngus\r\n9.049\r\n6.846\r\n-24%\r\nArgyll and Bute\r\n18.328\r\n13.867\r\n-24%\r\nCity of Edinburgh\r\n45.211\r\n34.207\r\n-24%\r\nClackmannanshire\r\n5.750\r\n4.350\r\n-24%\r\nDumfries and Galloway\r\n20.524\r\n15.529\r\n-24%\r\nDundee City\r\n17.230\r\n13.037\r\n-24%\r\nEast Ayrshire\r\n12.860\r\n9.730\r\n-24%\r\nEast Dunbartonshire\r\n8.696\r\n6.579\r\n-24%\r\nEast Lothian\r\n11.774\r\n8.908\r\n-24%\r\nEast Renfrewshire\r\n7.250\r\n5.486\r\n-24%\r\nFalkirk\r\n12.594\r\n9.528\r\n-24%\r\nFife\r\n34.677\r\n26.237\r\n-24%\r\nGlasgow City\r\n104.001\r\n78.687\r\n-24%\r\nInverclyde\r\n9.629\r\n7.285\r\n-24%\r\nMidlothian\r\n10.571\r\n7.998\r\n-24%\r\nMoray\r\n8.933\r\n6.758\r\n-24%\r\nna Eilean Siar\r\n8.372\r\n6.334\r\n-24%\r\nNorth Ayrshire\r\n15.702\r\n11.880\r\n-24%\r\nNorth Lanarkshire\r\n32.988\r\n24.958\r\n-24%\r\nOrkney Islands\r\n3.433\r\n2.597\r\n-24%\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n16.645\r\n12.594\r\n-24%\r\nRenfrewshire\r\n17.200\r\n13.013\r\n-24%\r\nScottish Borders\r\n16.010\r\n12.113\r\n-24%\r\nShetland Islands\r\n5.164\r\n3.907\r\n-24%\r\nSouth Ayrshire\r\n12.760\r\n9.654\r\n-24%\r\nSouth Lanarkshire\r\n30.180\r\n22.834\r\n-24%\r\nStirling\r\n10.323\r\n7.810\r\n-24%\r\nThe Highland Council\r\n46.428\r\n35.127\r\n-24%\r\nWest Dunbartonshire\r\n10.795\r\n8.167\r\n-24%\r\nWest Lothian\r\n15.430\r\n11.674\r\n-24%\r\nTotal (£m)\r\n622.237\r\n470.782\r\n-24%\r\nThe overall reduction of 24% reflects the reduction in available capital for 2024-2025 from that assumed back in 2021, and allocates the capital remaining once top-sliced national programme commitments had been accounted for. The reduction was applied equally across all 32 local authority areas in line with the Strategic Housing Investment Framework (SHIF) methodology for 30 local authorities and the particular approach to funding City of Edinburgh and Glasgow City through the Transfer of Management of Development Funding (TMDF) arrangements.\r\nThe following table details the date each local authority was formally advised of their updated 2024-2025 resource planning assumption. Local discussions with local authorities prior to these dates had indicated the likely level of reduction.\r\nLocal Authority\r\nDate 2024-2025 RPA letter issued\r\nAberdeen City\r\n22 May 2024\r\nAberdeenshire\r\n22 May 2024\r\nAngus\r\n22 May 2024\r\nArgyll and Bute\r\n28 May 2024\r\nCity of Edinburgh\r\n21 May 2024\r\nClackmannanshire\r\n22 May 2024\r\nDumfries and Galloway\r\n21 May 2024\r\nDundee City\r\n22 May 2024\r\nEast Ayrshire\r\n21 May 2024\r\nEast Dunbartonshire\r\n30 May 2024\r\nEast Lothian\r\n21 May 2024\r\nEast Renfrewshire\r\n28 May 2024\r\nFalkirk\r\n22 May 2024\r\nFife\r\n21 May 2024\r\nGlasgow City\r\n28 May 2024\r\nInverclyde\r\n30 May 2024\r\nMidlothian\r\n21 May 2024\r\nMoray\r\n22 May 2024\r\nna Eilean Siar\r\n22 May 2024\r\nNorth Ayrshire\r\n21 May 2024\r\nNorth Lanarkshire\r\n21 May 2024\r\nOrkney Islands\r\n22 May 2024\r\nPerth and Kinross\r\n22 May 2024\r\nRenfrewshire\r\n30 May 2024\r\nScottish Borders\r\n21 May 2024\r\nShetland Islands\r\n22 May 2024\r\nSouth Ayrshire\r\n21 May 2024\r\nSouth Lanarkshire\r\n21 May 2024\r\nStirling\r\n22 May 2024\r\nThe Highland Council\r\n22 May 2024\r\nWest Dunbartonshire\r\n30 May 2024\r\nWest Lothian\r\n21 May 2024\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421979,"EventID":"S6W-28645","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-18T15:53:06.553","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-17T15:20:03.947","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the reported rise in cases of pertussis (whooping cough) from four in 2021 to more than 5,000 in 2024 so far. ","AnswerText":"In response to the increasing number of laboratory-confirmed cases of pertussis that have been reported in Scotland as well as other parts of the UK and Europe, the Scottish Government is working closely with Public Health Scotland (PHS) and NHS Maternity Services to raise awareness of the risks of pertussis, particularly to young infants and to promote timely vaccination uptake as well as emphasising the importance of pertussis vaccination during pregnancy to protect newborn infants.\r\nA National Incident Management Team (IMT) was convened by PHS on 23 May to ensure best practice across all Boards, including addressing any issues locally that might cause vaccination to be delayed.\r\nThe National Pertussis Incident Management Team continues to meet regularly to consider and review all actions in response to the increase in pertussis cases. \r\nThe Chief Midwifery Officer wrote to Maternity Services on 15 May 2024 encouraging midwives to promote the offer of vaccination to pregnant women.\r\nThe Chief Medical Officer wrote to Immunisation Coordinators and Directors of Public Health on  27 May 2024  about the importance of timely vaccination of infants and young children. He also wrote to Medical Directors and health professionals on  30 May 2024  to encourage all health care staff in priority groups working with infants and pregnant women to keep up to date with their own pertussis vaccinations via their occupational health services. \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421980,"EventID":"S6W-28623","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-18T15:53:06.787","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-16T14:11:59.153","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has divided the Small Vessel\r\nReplacement Programme into phases, and what its position is on whether a series\r\nproduction approach for all vessels in the programme would (a) enable the\r\nmaximisation of any learning curve efficiencies and (b) incentivise capital\r\ninvestment in shipyard productivity.","AnswerText":"Careful consideration was given to the most efficient phasing of the Small Vessel Replacement Programme. This resulted in the current split with seven similar vessels procured in the first phase. \r\nPhase two of the programme takes in other routes in the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service network where the service requirements differ from the seven vessels in phase one, including routes where specific requirements need to be addressed. CMAL will be commencing with studies and engagement on these vessels later this year.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421981,"EventID":"S6W-28642","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-18T15:53:07.007","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-17T15:12:41.187","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to calls for it to set up a body equivalent to the Stòrlann Nàiseanta na Gàidhlig for the provision of Scots language teaching resources.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government supports several small bodies that provide Scots language teaching resources for use in schools. Education Scotland and the Open University also make an important contribution to this. In addition, the Scottish Languages Bill, currently making its way through Parliament includes Scots provisions which will strengthen this support. In relation to Scots provisions, the Bill will also require Scottish Ministers to consult with those that have an interest in both the promotion of Scots and in the publication of Scots books and resources. We are confident that these measures will improve the resources available for teaching Scots in the classroom.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421982,"EventID":"S6W-28625","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-18T15:53:07.363","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-16T14:30:07.93","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will request that the Scottish National\r\nInvestment Bank develop products to address any gap in private finance\r\navailable in Scotland, to support a “globally successful, innovative and\r\nsustainable shipbuilding industry, particularly focussing on the construction\r\nof high value, low carbon, complex vessels”, in light of the UK Government’s\r\nrefreshed National Shipbuilding Strategy, which was published in March 2022.","AnswerText":"The Scottish National Investment Bank is guided by the missions set for it by Scottish Ministers but it is operationally independent and makes investment decisions in line with its own investment processes and strategy.\r\nThe Bank’s investments are also designed to fill gaps in the supply of capital available to businesses and at the same time to crowd in private capital to create a thriving ecosystem of investors active in Scotland.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421983,"EventID":"S6W-28640","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16207,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-18T15:53:07.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-17T13:57:48.027","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the publication of the Scottish Civil Justice Council’s review of court rules, and, to comply with the access to justice requirements of the Aarhus Convention, how it will ensure that any reforms will be enacted before the deadline of 1 October 2024.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Civil Justice Council's review of access to justice in environmental cases has resulted in new rules being made. The new rules are contained within the Act of Sederunt (Rules of the Court of Session 1994 Amendment) (Protective Expenses Orders) 2024.\r\nThe Council continues to assess what more can be done via rules in support of environmental actions in the sheriff court and will consult again when appropriate to do so. Work also continues on the plan of action to address the remaining Aarhus concerns raised, where they would result in an amendment to court rules.\r\nThe Scottish Government will continue to work with the UK Government to provide a further update to the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee in advance of the 1 October.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421984,"EventID":"S6W-28646","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-18T15:53:07.943","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-17T15:20:03.947","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government by what date Healthcare Improvement Scotland will publish the national healthcare standards. ","AnswerText":"Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) is the national health and social care improvement organisation for Scotland which develops standards and indicators to support health and social care organisations improve the quality of care and support they deliver.\r\nTo support nationwide improvements in the quality of care, work is currently underway to develop a set of healthcare standards which outline the requirements for all healthcare services across Scotland.\r\nHealthcare Improvement Scotland will publish draft National Healthcare Standards for consultation by 31 January 2025. It is anticipated that the final National Healthcare Standards will be published by end summer 2025.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421985,"EventID":"S6W-28643","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-18T15:53:08.16","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-17T15:19:36.453","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27196 by Tom Arthur on 13 May 2024, by what date the 4 Day Working Week Public Sector Pilot (a) will be completed and (b) evaluation report will be published.","AnswerText":"We anticipate that the Four Day Working Week Public Sector pilot and the accompanying Shorter Working Week evaluation report will be concluded and published in Spring 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":421991,"EventID":"S6W-28670","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":5622,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":148,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-19T15:10:28.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-19T15:07:59.62","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what legislative consent memorandums it anticipates lodging in the Parliament in connection with the legislative programme of the UK Government announced in The King’s Speech on 17 July 2024.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government’s analysis is ongoing, but the Bills that appear to require legislative consent include, but are not limited to, the following:\r\n· Renters’ Rights Bill\r\n· Planning and Infrastructure Bill\r\n· Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill\r\n· Railways Bill\r\n· GB Energy Bill\r\n· Digital Information and Smart Data Bill\r\n· Tobacco and Vapes Bill\r\nThe Scottish Government will consider the content of all Bills in the King’s Speech before making its recommendation to the Parliament on legislative consent. It will then be for the Scottish Parliament to determine whether to give or withhold consent.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jamie Hepburn","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422001,"EventID":"S6W-28662","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-19T15:50:06.053","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-18T15:16:46.593","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has not regularly adhered to the agreement under the New Deal for Business to publish monthly, the Scottish economic bulletin. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government publishes monthly reports on the Scottish economy at:\r\nEconomic briefs and bulletins - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) \r\nA report was not published in June 2024 due to the pre-election period for the UK General Election.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422002,"EventID":"S6W-28661","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-19T15:50:06.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-18T14:58:20.07","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to its news release of 16 July 2024, Building a sustainable future for Ferguson Marine, whether it will provide a breakdown of the capital equipment and resources that will be purchased using the £14.2 million investment in the shipyard.","AnswerText":"Ministers have agreed to support new proposals of investment of up to £14.2 million aimed at enabling Ferguson Marine Port Glasgow (FMPG) to improve productivity and build a sustainable future.\r\nHowever, this investment is subject to the plan passing detailed legal analysis and independent financial and commercial assessments, which should be complete by Autumn. The plan also contains commercially sensitive information and as such, details of the business case and investment plan cannot be shared, even after full due-diligence has concluded.\r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422003,"EventID":"S6W-28644","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-19T15:50:06.583","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-17T15:20:03.947","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government by what date the findings of the research that it commissioned into the long-term health outcomes of people accessing gender identity healthcare, which is being administered by the University of Glasgow, will be published.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government grant to the University of Glasgow for this purpose funds one PhD studentship and a number of small projects. The projects are currently at different stages, outputs from some of the projects are expected before the end of the year and all are expected to be completed by Spring 2025.\r\nThe successful candidate for the PhD studentship took up their post in January 2024 and the projects and PhD studentship are both wholly managed by the University of Glasgow.\r\nAs is standard with high quality research, it is anticipated that the findings will be published in relevant peer reviewed journals.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422004,"EventID":"S6W-28657","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-19T15:50:06.71","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-18T12:10:18.477","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will commence the provisions under the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Act 2024 that prevent any child found guilty of an offence being sent to a young offenders' institute.","AnswerText":"The Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Act 2024 (Commencement No.1 and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2024 were laid in the Scottish Parliament on 15 August. The Scottish Government does not generally lay secondary legislation during Parliamentary recess. However, Scottish Ministers are taking action to end the practice of detaining children in Young Offenders’ Institutions as soon as possible, having identified the earliest point at which delivery agencies and partners could safely deliver the change.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422005,"EventID":"S6W-28654","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-19T15:50:06.863","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-17T22:34:49.213","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the findings of the independent review on incineration, Stop, Sort, Burn, Bury - incineration in the waste hierarchy, which was published in 2022, by what date it will (a) set out further detail on the actions and implementation timelines to ensure that all of the recommendations can be delivered, including how the projected residual waste capacity gap in 2025 will be managed while ensuring commitments to end the landfilling of biodegradable waste are met and (b) implement each of the recommendations.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government published a response to Stop, Sort, Burn, Bury - Incineration in the Waste Hierarchy, the first report from the Independent Review of the Role of Incineration in Scotland’s Waste Hierarchy in June 2022 and set out some key actions in response to the full recommendations.\r\nThis response can be found here:  Independent review of the role of incineration in the waste hierarchy: Scottish Government response - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .\r\nThe consultation on our Circular Economy and Waste Route Map set out a range of actions with associated timelines, including the development of an indicative capacity cap as part of our Residual Waste Plan, due for publication in 2025/26, to meet these recommendations which can be found here:  Circular economy and waste route map to 2030: consultation - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .\r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422006,"EventID":"S6W-28660","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-19T15:50:06.943","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-18T13:20:31.7","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will update the values of the fixed monetary penalties, which are issued by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and set by the Environmental Regulation (Enforcement Measures) (Scotland) Order 2015.","AnswerText":"There are no plans to review the monetary penalties at this time.\r\nIt should be noted however that SEPA continues develop relationships with relevant parties with the aim of taking a prevention-based approach, where penalties are viewed as a last resort.\r\nWhilst fixed monetary penalties remain as one available enforcement measure, they are intended for lower-level offending. For more significant offending, SEPA also has the option of variable monetary penalties (with the current limit set at £40k) or it can recommend prosecution in serious cases to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.\r\nSEPA collected around £ 4.8m in financial penalties in the financial year 2023-24.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422007,"EventID":"S6W-28658","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-19T15:50:07.02","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-18T12:11:42.203","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take, or has taken, prior to the commencement of the provisions under the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Act 2024 that prevent any child found guilty of an offence being sent to a young offenders' institute, to ensure that there is the necessary capacity in secure accommodation for the under 18-year-olds who are required to be sent there.","AnswerText":"Action to prepare and plan for this transition began prior to the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Act 2024 receiving Royal Assent, and is ongoing. To support the relevant commencement and transitional provisions laid in the Scottish Parliament yesterday, intensive engagement with relevant partners across the sector has taken place. This to ensure readiness and capacity within secure care and wider children’s services, so that the children being moved are safe and well supported. The action included officials recently visiting each of Scotland’s four secure centres to ensure any additional support could be identified and put in place, and regular ongoing engagement with key delivery partners, including the Scottish Prison Service, secure accommodation providers, the Care Inspectorate, Social Work Scotland, COPFS, and the Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service.\r\nEach of the children currently in Polmont YOI has a bespoke “Child’s Plan”, grounded in the principles of Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC), Curriculum for Excellence and the SPS Vision for Young People in Custody (refreshed in 2021). A tailored transfer, matching and orientation process is being prepared for each child to transition to secure accommodation, along with action to inform and reassure their families.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422008,"EventID":"S6W-28656","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5866,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-19T15:50:07.083","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-18T11:48:22.913","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the potential closure of the Scottish Landfill Communities Fund following the implementation of landfill disposal legislation at the end of 2025, what assistance will be put in place in the Mid Scotland and Fife region to provide organisations with funding towards environmental projects.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Landfill Communities Fund has provided an important source of funding for community and environmental projects across Scotland.\r\nThe Scottish Government recognises that the forecast decline in Scottish Landfill Tax revenues, which reflect the policy intent to reduce the volume of waste sent to landfill, will reduce the contributions that landfill operators make to the Fund. We are therefore, in partnership with Revenue Scotland and the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, carefully considering future arrangements for the Fund.\r\nMore broadly, the Scottish Government is committed to supporting local environmental projects through, for example, the growth of our national network of regional Community Climate Action Hubs. These hubs, which are supported by up to £5.5 million of funding in 2024-25, enable local communities to develop place-based approaches to reduce emissions and become more climate resilient. \r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422009,"EventID":"S6W-28652","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-19T15:50:07.16","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-17T22:30:36.797","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is regarding whether Scotland should be part of the UK performance-based rating scheme for non-residential buildings.","AnswerText":"The previous UK Government consulted on further development of the non-domestic minimum energy efficiency standard scheme for England and Wales but their response was not published before the UK General Election. We look forward to understanding what the new UK Government’s policy will be in this area in due course.\r\nThe Scottish Government recently consulted on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill including new energy efficiency and heating standards for all buildings. We are currently analysing the responses to the consultation.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422010,"EventID":"S6W-28649","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-19T15:50:07.317","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-17T17:18:22.913","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the pause on providing gender-affirming hormones for under-18s, what discussions it has had with (a) the Chief Medical Officer and (b) NHS clinicians regarding reports that there has been a significant rise in the number of testosterone prescriptions for women.","AnswerText":"Decisions on prescribing medicines are a matter of clinical judgement for the prescribing clinician in consultation with their patient. These should be based on individual clinical need, informed by relevant advice such as that issued by the General Medical Council (GMC) and guidance for the medicine.\r\nThe Scottish Government’s Menopause Clinical Reference Group, Chaired by Dr Heather Currie, has discussed the prescribing of testosterone for women in menopause. This group is exploring supplementary guidance for healthcare professionals on prescribing testosterone for loss of libido in menopause, in line with the British Menopause Society and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422011,"EventID":"S6W-28653","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-19T15:50:07.363","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-17T22:32:20.583","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the reported expected delay to its 2025 tree-planting target will be mitigated.","AnswerText":"Scotland faces the most challenging budget settlement since devolution. Despite this Scottish Government remains committed to maximising the important contribution forestry makes in tackling the climate emergency. Unfortunately, with the available funding it will not be possible to achieve this year’s Climate Change Plan planting target of 18,000 hectares.\r\nWoodland creation is funded through the Forestry Grant Scheme (FGS) which has made £39.4 million available to support woodland creation in 2024/25 and earlier this year Scottish Forestry introduced new measures to increase the area of woodland creation supported. These include:-working with applicants and landowners to maximise planting over multiple years, including bringing forward planting from 2024 into 2023, in order to fully utilise the available funding in 2023-24 and approve as much tree planting as possible in 2024-25;approving projects for future years, to maintain momentum and ensure we utilise all the available funding in 2024-25. This involves creating a bank of projects that are ready to implement and can be brought forward in the event that other projects are delayed or more funding becomes available;reducing grant payments where woodland creation projects have alternative sources of funding. By reducing grant rates for some projects, FGS funds will support a greater area of planting in 2024-25.\r\nThe above measures will allow Scotland to create 10,000 ha of new woodland this year. Putting this in context, we would expect this to make up the majority of tree planting across the UK and it will maintain the level tree planting close to the average achieved over the last 5 years.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422012,"EventID":"S6W-28651","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-19T15:50:07.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-17T22:28:34.5","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the 2022 Transport Scotland report, Reducing car use for a healthier, fairer and greener Scotland, what progress is being made in developing its car-kilometre reduction strategy that will set out set out how it will achieve a reduction in car-kilometres and deliver \"20-minute neighbourhoods\", where people can have their everyday needs met locally within a 20-minute walk, wheel or cycle from their homes, and by what date this strategy will be published.","AnswerText":"Publication of the 20% car use reduction route map is planned in autumn this year. It is being produced in partnership with CoSLA.\r\nOn 25 April 2024 planning guidance on local living and 20 minute neighbourhoods was published, setting out a framework and information on how the concepts of local living and 20 minute neighbourhood can be applied in a Scottish context, as set out in the fourth National Planning Framework.\r\nThe above-mentioned route map does not commit to delivering 20 minute neighbourhoods, although both policies mutually support each other.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422013,"EventID":"S6W-28659","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-19T15:50:07.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-18T13:09:23.837","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-19595  by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 28 July 2023, whether Social Security Scotland has been subject to (a) denial of service (DoS) attacks and (b) other forms of cyber attacks since that response was provided and, if so, how many.","AnswerText":"Social Security Scotland has not been subject to any denial of service (DoS) attacks during the period between 30 June 2023 and 24 July 2024. During that same period, our security mechanisms protected our environment against 345,027 cyber events, the majority of which being external actors scanning our internet facing benefit systems to identify potential weaknesses.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422014,"EventID":"S6W-28665","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-22T15:59:20.71","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-19T01:07:41.503","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has for increasing investment in accessible childcare facilities for disabled children, and how any such plans align with the recommendations from the Glasgow Disability Alliance (GDA) Manifesto 2024.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28663 on 15 August 2024.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .\r\nThe Scottish Government continues to work closely with the Glasgow Disability Alliance (GDA) and other Disabled People’s Organisations to develop and implement a disability equality plan that is informed by the lived experience of disabled people and will deliver actions to help with the significant challenges they are currently facing.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422015,"EventID":"S6W-28664","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-22T15:59:21.053","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-19T01:07:41.503","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that childcare services are accessible to disabled children and their families, particularly in relation to (a) physical accessibility and (b) availability of specialised care.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28663 on 15 August 2024. \r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-08-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422016,"EventID":"S6W-28672","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-22T15:59:21.13","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-21T15:21:53.797","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been made of any impact on small businesses of the introduction of restricted pavement parking.","AnswerText":"During the development of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019, which brought in the ban on pavement parking, Transport Scotland convened a Parking Standards Group to seek views on the policy. This group comprised of a wide range of key stakeholders, including the Federation of Small Businesses.\r\nThis group continued to meet during the evolution of the Act, along with the development of secondary legislation that was required to bring the ban into force. No concerns were raised by the Federation of Small Businesses during this process. A number of consultations were undertaken throughout this period and no concerns were highlighted regarding small businesses, either from the Federation of Small Businesses or any other parties.\r\nParticular consideration was given to small businesses during the development of the Act which allows for a 20 minute exception for goods to be loaded or delivered, where 1.5 metres of clear pavement is left for the passing of pavement users.\r\nFurthermore, statutory Business and Regulatory Impact Assessments were carried out for each piece of legislation and no impacts to small businesses were identified.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422017,"EventID":"S6W-28666","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-22T15:59:21.21","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-19T01:07:41.503","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to support disabled parents in accessing childcare services in order to ensure that they can participate fully in the labour market and community life.","AnswerText":"Scotland is the only part of the UK to offer 1,140 hours a year of funded ELC to all 3 and 4-year-olds and eligible 2-year-olds regardless of their parents’ working status. This offer has been in place since 2021 and, if families paid for this themselves, it would cost them more than £5,500 per eligible child per year.\r\nNational eligibility for 2-year-olds covers: children with care experience; children of parents in receipt of a ‘qualifying benefit’, and; children of parents with care experience. We already offer up to 1140 hours of high quality ELC to around a quarter of families with a 2-year-old who experience the most disadvantage and we will continue to work with local authorities and our partners in the sector to support and improve up-take of the existing 2-year-old offer as well as planning for an expansion.\r\nIn addition to the inclusive early years offer to families, the Scottish Government has also committed to building a system of school age childcare that better meets the needs of all families and children. We recognise that the availability of accessible school age childcare is a key factor in supporting disabled parents to overcome their specific challenges allowing them to enter and sustain training and employment, or to benefit from much-needed respite.\r\nThe five Scottish family payments (Scottish Child Payment, Best Start Foods and the three Best Start Grants) also aim to give children the best start in life. Families with a parent who is disabled can access this financial support if they receive certain benefits and tax credits. Eligible families can be both in and out of work.\r\nThe Scottish Budget 2024-25 outlined plans to invest up to £90 million in devolved employability services in 2024-25, with services targeted at supporting those facing structural barriers to entering employment, including parents and those with disabilities. As we recognise disabled parents as one of the priority family groups who are most likely to experience poverty, Parental Employability Support is in place to ensure this cohort receives person-centred support, helping them move towards, into and to sustain employment as well as increasing their incomes. We recognise that employability stands the best chance of supporting people into fair and sustainable work at the right time for them with wrap-around support from other key public services providing additional help including childcare and money advice.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422018,"EventID":"S6W-28671","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-22T15:59:21.27","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-20T08:05:25.113","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-19916 by Gillian Martin on 31 July 2023, what progress has been made towards reviewing building standards to require the use of swift bricks and other features to support birds.","AnswerText":"Noting the answers previously provided to questions S6W-19916 on 31 July 2024, S6W-26193 and  S6W-26194  on 28 March 2024 on this topic, I can confirm it remains our intent to review standard 7.1 (statement of sustainability) to consider further opportunities for building regulations to make a positive contribution to biodiversity within new developments. As this standard sets out additional voluntary actions a developer may adopt, it would promote but not require specific provisions, such as the use of swift bricks, in new buildings.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422019,"EventID":"S6W-28663","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-22T15:59:21.333","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-19T01:07:41.503","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to integrate inclusive education policies with accessible childcare initiatives to create a cohesive support system for disabled children from early years through to school age","AnswerText":"The ‘Getting it right for every child’ (GIRFEC) approach lies at the heart of all Scotland’s services, including childcare services, to support children and young people. GIRFEC provides a universal and consistent framework for practitioners, together with families, to assess a child or young person’s needs, identify their strengths and any challenges they face, and consider the most appropriate offer of timely, coordinated support.\r\nEducation authorities have a duty under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 (as amended) to identify, provide for and review the additional support needs of their children, this includes supporting children and young people at key transition points, for example, when they transition from ELC into primary school. The Scottish Government provides funding to education authorities for additional support for learning as part of their block grant. It is for individual education authorities to manage their own budget and to allocate the total financial resources available to them, on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities.\r\nEarly learning and childcare (ELC) settings must provide appropriate support, including making any reasonable changes to the care and learning environment, to ensure that children's disabilities or additional support needs do not provide a barrier to them accessing a full range of experiences, and to ensure that provision meets their individual needs. The ‘Funding Follows the Child and the National Standard for Early Learning and Childcare Providers Operating Guidance’ is clear that local authorities and settings must work together to support children with additional support needs to access their funded ELC hours.\r\nIt is important that local funded ELC offers respond to parents’ and carers’ needs. Local authorities have a statutory duty to consult representative populations of parents and carers on how the statutory entitlement to ELC should be made available. It is also vital that local authorities provide clear and accessible information about funded ELC options, to help parents and carers make informed choices about the best setting for their child and family. \r\nIn respect of school age childcare, the Scottish Government has committed to building a system of school age childcare that better meets the needs of all children and their families. As set out in the ‘School Age Childcare Delivery Framework’, this includes reviewing inequalities in access, including for disabled children and families, and exploring how we can reduce barriers and support positive outcomes. ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422020,"EventID":"S6W-28582","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16175,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":119,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-22T15:59:21.397","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-15T11:56:35.89","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it anticipates receiving any Barnett consequential funding in light of the UK Government’s recent announcements on housebuilding, and, if this is the case, what assessment it has made of how much it is likely to receive.","AnswerText":"At this stage we've had no confirmation on whether recent UK Government announcements on housebuilding will generate additional consequential funding for Scotland. This is dependent on whether the UK Government policy is funded from within existing UK departmental budgets or through new money.\r\nThere remains significant uncertainty over our overall funding position. The current Spending Review period concludes at the end of the 2024-25 financial year and we currently have no details of our block grant funding from 2025-26 onwards.\r\nMore information on both matters will be provided following the UK Autumn Statement on 30 October 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422021,"EventID":"S6W-28667","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-22T15:59:21.473","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-19T01:07:41.503","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures are being implemented to provide disability equality training to childcare providers, in order to ensure that they can meet the needs of disabled children effectively.","AnswerText":"Under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004, education authorities have duties to identify, provide for and review the additional support needs (ASN) of their pupils.\r\nThe National Occupation Standards (NOS) form the basis of qualifications and training programmes required to work in social services in Scotland and to register with the Scottish Social Services Council. The NOS define the knowledge and skills needed for effective performance, and include that professionals must ‘know and understand legal and work setting requirements on equality, diversity, discrimination and rights.\r\nWithin the registerable qualifications, which all childcare staff must obtain, equalities, diversity and inclusion are woven into the mandatory units at all levels, as well as containing ASN specific optional units. The Next Generation Higher National Certificate in Childhood Practice, for example, now contains a mandatory stand-alone ASN unit - Additional Support Needs: Positive Support Strategies for Children and Young People.\r\nThe Scottish Social Services Council also recently launched a continuous professional learning (CPL) portal specifically for the childcare profession, funded by the Scottish Government. Within the CPL Directory of the portal are multiple training resources which help practitioners to support children with ASN, including a resource on ‘building confidence in identifying and responding to additional support needs.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422022,"EventID":"S6W-28669","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-22T15:59:21.537","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-19T14:36:41.293","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has banned use of all pesticides known to be damaging to bee health, including neonicotinoid pesticide Cruiser SB.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government takes the potential impact of use of chemicals on public health and the environment very seriously. We continue to support the regulatory decisions taken to restrict the use of neonicotinoid insecticides, including thiamethoxam which is used in Cruiser SB, due to their environmental effects, particularly on bees and pollinators.\r\nPesticide products authorised for use in Scotland are tightly regulated and are subject to thorough analysis by the Chemicals Regulation Division of the Health and Safety Executive before authorisation to demonstrate that the product is effective and poses no unacceptable risks to people, animals or the environment.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422030,"EventID":"S6W-28699","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":3771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":86,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-23T12:27:38.837","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-23T12:23:38.997","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it will publish its aviation statement.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government’s Aviation Statement will be published on 24 July (  https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/aviation-statement  ) and will set out the actions we will take on national and international connectivity, and on decarbonisation.\r\nThe actions and outcomes described in the Aviation Statement have been shaped by our commitments and existing policies on aviation, and the feedback received in our public consultation. The Statement contains a mixture of short, medium and longer term commitments. It covers the period to 2045, in line with our commitment to attaining overall net zero emissions.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422031,"EventID":"S6W-28679","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-23T16:07:49.847","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-22T11:16:57.033","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many special advisers received severance packages in each of the last five years, and what the total value was of any such payments.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many special advisers received severance packages in each of the last five years, and what the total value was of any such payments.","AnswerText":"The terms of Special Adviser contracts of employment are reserved to the UK Government. Those contracts include a requirement that severance payments are made to special advisers where their employment is terminated in the circumstances where a First Minister demits office, or on the dissolution of Parliament prior to a Scottish Parliamentary election. The value of severance payment due is dependent on an individual&rsquo;s length of service and range from the equivalent of 3 months&rsquo; pay up to a maximum of 6 months&rsquo; pay.However, payment of severance is subject to agreement that should an individual be reappointed as a special adviser, they will repay any severance pay less the amount of salary they would have been paid had they been employed during the period between the termination of the previous contract and re-appointment on a fresh contract. Therefore the amount of severance to be repaid upon reappointment varies depending on the length of time between termination of employment and later reappointment. The following table sets out for each of the last 5 years to July 2024, the net cost of severance payments once the approximate level of repayments received are taken into account for those who were reappointed:PeriodNo of SpAds receiving severance paymentsNet cost of severance paymentsJuly 2019 to June 2020 0&pound;0.00July 2020 to June 202112&pound;153,458July 2021 to June 20220&pound;0.00July 2022 to June 20238&pound;204,055July 2023 to June 20245&pound;144,843","AnswerDate":"2024-08-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422032,"EventID":"S6W-28685","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-23T16:07:49.973","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-22T11:44:27.323","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review its position on the authorisation of Asulox in bracken control, in light of reports that farmers and crofters are struggling to control the spread of bracken. ","AnswerText":"No application for the use of Asulox during 2024 was submitted. \r\nAsulam, the active substance in Asulox, has been withdrawn in the UK for over 15 years. For 10 years Asulox was approved annually as an emergency authorisation, for limited and controlled use each season, following application by the Bracken Control Group. An application must be submitted in order for emergency authorisation to be considered. Emergency authorisation applications are then assessed on a case-by-case basis against the legislative requirements.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":422033,"EventID":"S6W-28609","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-23T16:07:50.083","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-16T12:37:46.093","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether resources to support alcohol\r\ndependence recovery should match those allocated to drug addiction harm\r\nreduction services, and what measures it will take to ensure that alcohol\r\ndependence recovery receives adequate attention and resources.","AnswerText":"Funding allocated to Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) is for both alcohol and drug treatment services. In 2024-25, £112.9 million is being made available to ADPs. This funding is used to ensure that local services meet the needs of people who experience alcohol and drugs harms.\r\nOn 7 September 2023, the previous Minister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy supported a Member’s Debate Motion calling for investment in alcohol services, outlining the Government’s plan to reduce harm from alcohol misuse.\r\nWe have asked Public Health Scotland to investigate the apparent decline in alcohol treatment numbers. This is underway and is expected to be completed in 2024. In 2023-2024, the number of statutory-funded residential rehabilitation placements increased to 938, the majority of which included alcohol use or co-dependency.\r\nWe are working with partners and stakeholders to develop a national specification for alcohol and drug treatment in Scotland. The national specification will build on the forthcoming UK Alcohol Treatment Guidelines which will support the improvement of alcohol treatment in Scotland, mirroring the use of the Orange Book Guidelines for drug treatment.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422034,"EventID":"S6W-28677","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-23T16:07:50.16","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-22T11:16:57.033","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government who its special advisers are, and what portfolios they cover.","AnswerText":"Special Advisers are appointed in accordance with Part 1 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 by the First Minister as a Special Adviser for the purpose of providing assistance to the Scottish Ministers. There are currently 12 Special Advisers.\r\nThe Scottish Government has published a list of the Special Advisers and their specific portfolio responsibilities at:  Special advisers - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jamie Hepburn","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422035,"EventID":"S6W-28686","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-23T16:07:50.253","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-22T11:44:27.323","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has conducted any analysis of the reported expansion of bracken, following its decision not to reauthorise the use of Asulox for the purpose of bracken control. ","AnswerText":"In 2023, the Health and Safety Executive, the pesticides regulator, did not authorise Asulox for use in Scotland because of the risk it poses to the environment and human health.\r\nThe Scottish Government recognises that there is a lack of information on which areas in Scotland are most impacted by bracken and how coverage is changing. We are working closely with NatureScot to progress development of a bracken map. Mapping the presence of bracken would better identify concerns, support treatment methods and allow prioritisation of potential further research.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":422036,"EventID":"S6W-28668","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-23T16:07:50.363","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-19T08:09:25.383","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason, according to the latest information in March 2024, the Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Government earns a salary of £170,000 to £174,999 per annum, while the Director-General for Health and Social Care earns a salary of £190,000 to £194,999, and whether it will publish all (a) memos, (b) documents and (c) internal reports that justify the award of a higher sum to a less senior civil servant.","AnswerText":"Director General is a senior grade within the Senior Civil Service (SCS) and pay and terms and conditions of employment are reserved to the UK Government. The Director General for Health and Social Care’s salary remains within the overarching pay range set by Cabinet Office for Directors General, which has a ceiling as at 1 April 2023 of £208,100. The salary for the current Permanent Secretary was also set by Cabinet Office when they were appointed to the Scottish Government and was set to be cognisant of the salaries of other Permanent Secretaries across the UK.\r\nThe Director General for Health and Social Care’s salary reflects the fact she serves as both NHS Scotland’s Chief Executive and the Scottish Government’s Director-General Health and Social Care. As such the salary is set in relation to relevant market rates in Scotland and the wider UK, and at a level that ensures the role is attractive to candidates with relevant experience, particularly senior healthcare leaders in the NHS. The Senior Leadership Committee in the Cabinet Office, and the Civil Service Commission both approved the salary approach for this role.\r\nIt is not unusual both in the public and private sectors for there to be overlap between salaries and grades where salaries for individual roles need to be set to compete in a specialist market.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422037,"EventID":"S6W-28637","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16195,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-23T16:07:50.473","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-17T12:25:23.6","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the outcome of the 2022 review, Stop, Sort, Burn, Bury - incineration in the waste hierarchy, what its position is regarding the 12 incinerators that were approved, or were in the process of construction, prior\r\nto the decision to stop all new applications for incinerators; by what date a\r\ndecision will be announced regarding the proposed capacity cap on incineration, and\r\nwhether it will ask the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to\r\npause all new permits on incineration while the indicative cap is being\r\ndeveloped.  ","AnswerText":"The Independent Review of the Role of Incineration in Scotland’s Waste Hierarchy recommended that no further planning permission is awarded to incineration facilities, beyond those for which planning permission has already been granted, with some limited exceptions. This analysis took into account the need to develop some additional capacity to ensure that Scotland can manage its own waste and implement the ban on landfilling biodegradable municipal waste by 2025, as recommended by the Climate Change Committee. We addressed this recommendation through National Planning Framework 4.\r\nOur Circular Economy and Waste Route Map consultation, published January 18, set out further detail and proposed provisional associated timescales on the steps we will take to minimise the environmental and climate impacts of waste, including the development of an indicative capacity cap as part of our Residual Waste Plan to 2045, with a provisional publication date in 2025-26.\r\nThe Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) regulations 2012 (“the PPC regulations”) require that SEPA make impartial assessments of all PPC Permit applications and make decisions relating to environmental permits in accordance with these regulations. While Scottish Ministers do have the ability to intervene in the PPC process by way of a direction, SEPA is Scotland’s independent environmental regulator and intervening in the PPC process needs careful consideration and typically would not be appropriate in the absence of exceptional circumstances.\r\nFurther information on these developments can be found here:  Circular economy and waste route map to 2030: consultation - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422038,"EventID":"S6W-28617","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-23T16:07:50.597","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-16T12:37:46.093","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Public Health Scotland Interim monitoring report on statutory-funded residential rehabilitation placements, how many rehabilitation placements were successfully completed in the reported period, and whether it will provide the (a) names and (b) types of the organisations involved.","AnswerText":"The Public Health Scotland interim monitoring report on statutory-funded residential rehabilitation placements does not gather data on the number of successfully completed rehabilitation placements.\r\nWe have responded to calls for more transparency and accountability commissioning Public Health Scotland to develop a National Core Minimum Dataset that will provide data not only on the number of publicly funded placements but also with time will publish insights on outcomes from placements in Residential Rehab.\r\nThis will provide the Scottish Government with a clear line of sight on how residential rehab funding is being spent across the country and help to further the evidence base for this treatment model.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422039,"EventID":"S6W-28611","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-23T16:07:50.707","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-16T12:37:46.093","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will set out the (a) actions it will take and (b) timelines to\r\ndeliver its commitment to increase the number of publicly funded residential\r\nrehabilitation placements by 300% by 2026.","AnswerText":"Public Health Scotland’s (PHS) most recent report confirmed that 461 statutory-funded placements were approved in the second half of the 2023-24 financial year alone, with 938 placements approved for the year overall. This indicates that we are already on track to meet our commitment of 1000 people accessing statutory-funded residential rehab in 2026 (an increase of 300%). \r\nWhile the PHS statistics indicate welcome progress, we recognise the scale of the challenge that we continue to face and are determined to do more. \r\nWe are working with ADPs to aid the development of clear pathways into residential rehabilitation across the country, and the establishment of pathway development clusters by Healthcare Improvement Scotland has resulted in 29/30 ADPs publishing their pathways. This will help facilitate a further increase to statutory funded placements and support our aim of meeting the final target before the end of the National Mission in March 2026. ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422040,"EventID":"S6W-28687","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-23T16:07:50.8","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-22T11:44:27.323","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Scottish Bracken Working Group (a) last met and (b) is next due to meet. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Bracken working Group last met on 27 June. The next meeting is due to take place on 19 September.\r\nMore information on the group, including meeting minutes, can be viewed at the following link:  Bracken: Scottish Working Group - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .","AnswerDate":"2024-08-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":422041,"EventID":"S6W-28618","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-23T16:07:50.893","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-16T12:37:46.093","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether Ward 5 receives funding directly from the\r\nAlcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs), at an average cost of £15,012 per person,\r\nand, if this is the case, for what reason the funding is not being provided to\r\nNHS Ayrshire and Arran.","AnswerText":"The Public Health Scotland’s Interim monitoring report on statutory-funded residential rehabilitation placements published on 18 July 2024, shows that during the period between October 2023 and March 2024 estimated costs for 33 placements to Ward 5 was £495,396 – averaging at £15,012 per placement. \r\nThe Scottish Government have allocated a £5 million uplift in funding to Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) based on the National Resource Allocation Formula, for funding of residential rehabilitation placements and distribution of this fund at ADP and Health Board level is a local decision. ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422042,"EventID":"S6W-28616","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-23T16:07:51.003","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-16T12:37:46.093","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether shorter detox programmes, of two to four weeks, represent comprehensive rehabilitation, and, if this is not the case, how it ensures that such programmes are not misleadingly categorised as comprehensive rehabilitation.","AnswerText":"Public Health Scotland’s  baseline report  on the residential rehabilitation programme, published in February, outlines the complexities in evaluating shorter programmes within the context of wider residential rehabilitation. \r\nAs noted on Page 12 of the report, discussion as to whether two-week or four-week placements are best included or excluded from the total number of publicly funded residential rehab placements remains ongoing. The argument for including them is that they are publicly funded placements. The argument for excluding them is that there has been some evidence in previous reports such as the 2020 Residential Rehabilitation Working Group report which suggests that positive outcomes are more likely with longer placements. \r\nHowever, all placements for residential rehab are assessed on an individual needs basis, and so we cannot assume that longer programmes necessarily constitute a comprehensive rehabilitation experience in general. It is ultimately for professionals and clinicians to make the decision locally as to whether a shorter programme is as effective for the individuals involved.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422043,"EventID":"S6W-28678","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-23T16:07:51.097","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-22T11:16:57.033","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current pay bands are for special advisers.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current pay bands are for special advisers.","AnswerText":"Special Advisers in the Scottish Government are paid using the following Pay Bands and Pay Ranges which are effective from 1 April 2024:Pay BandPay Range1&pound;58,444 to &pound;61,5862&pound;64,335 to &pound;77,9553&pound;80,332 to &pound;90,2434&pound;108,781 to &pound;115,304","AnswerDate":"2024-08-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422044,"EventID":"S6W-28684","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-23T16:07:51.177","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-22T11:44:27.323","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Scottish Bracken Working Group has identified any effective alternatives to Asulox to help control bracken, and, if so, whether it will provide details of these.","AnswerText":"Minutes from the Scottish Bracken Working Group meetings are available at the following link:  Bracken: Scottish Working Group - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .\r\nA number of alternative methods of control are available to aid bracken management, which should be determined on a case by case basis.\r\nUK Preliminary Best Practice Guidance for bracken management was published in June 2024 and can be viewed at the following link:  Bracken | NatureScot  .","AnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":422045,"EventID":"S6W-28613","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-23T16:07:51.27","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-16T12:37:46.093","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Public Health Scotland's Interim monitoring report on statutory-funded residential rehabilitation placements, what assessment it has made of whether there are currently any geographic disparities in the provision of rehabilitation beds; what steps it is taking to increase the number of rehabilitation beds, and how it can ensure that they are evenly distributed across all regions. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government published a  capacity mapping report  in 2021 which found that residential rehabilitation provision was disproportionally located around the Central Belt. \r\nWe acted on this by announcing the second round of the Residential Rehabilitation Rapid Capacity Programme in 2022, with a specific priority to support new or expanded residential rehabilitation facilities which were regional or would accept placements on a national level. \r\nOver £14 million was made available to support the successful projects, which included the expansion of CrossReach’s service in Inverness (with outreach support to the Highlands and Islands), the extension and refurbishment of the Maxie Richards Foundation’s service in Tighnabruaich, and the creation of a new national residential rehab service in Aberdeenshire by Phoenix Futures. \r\nThese projects are progressing well and we expect all to be operational by the end of the year.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422055,"EventID":"S6W-28721","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-24T15:57:46.883","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-23T15:32:49.6","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps have been taken to reduce waiting lists for a kidney transplant.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government’s Donation and Transplantation Plan: 2021-2026 sets out a number of actions designed to help reduce waiting lists for a kidney transplant. This includes the use of novel technologies, which offer the opportunity to allow transplant units to use more “marginal” organs that may previously have been declined, by means of closer joint working between transplant units, and through work to increase living kidney donation.\r\nWorking through the Scottish Donation and Transplant Group, which brings together key stakeholders, and by means of NHS National Services Division's commissioning planning, we will to continue to monitor organ utilisation to encourage good practice. In addition, the Scottish Government and NHS Boards continue to raise awareness about organ donation in order to help increase numbers of deceased organ donors, for example during Organ and Tissue Donation Week, which will take place in September 2024.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422056,"EventID":"S6W-28700","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-24T15:57:47.133","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-23T13:15:43.597","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many graduate nurses have been employed by NHS Scotland in 2024, broken down by (a) NHS board and (b) speciality.","AnswerText":"The requested information on how many graduate nurses have been employed by NHS Scotland in 2024, broken down by (a) NHS board and (b) speciality is not centrally held.\r\nInformation on the number of nursing staff joining the NHS broken down by band, NHS board and specialty can be found on the TURAS NHS Education for Scotland workforce statistics site at:  NHS Scotland workforce (phase one) | Turas Data Intelligence  (turnover tab)\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422057,"EventID":"S6W-28696","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-24T15:57:47.21","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-22T21:09:19.627","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will engage with the Ministry of Defence to explore greater collaboration with NHS Scotland to improve the provision of dental services to armed forces personnel based in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Chief Dental Officer and a Deputy Chief Dental Officer met with Air Vice Marshal (AVM) and Director of Defence Health, Dave Mcloughlin earlier this year. Consequently, the Chief Dental Officer and AVM McLoughlin issued a joint letter to all dental teams on 22 February 2024.\r\nThe letter provides a reminder of the obligation to uphold the Armed Forces Covenant. The full letter can be found online at:  NHS Scotland - Publications.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422058,"EventID":"S6W-28713","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-24T15:57:47.303","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-23T14:47:57.78","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many university places have been available for medical students who are (a) Scotland-domiciled, (b) from the rest of the UK and (c) from overseas, in each of the last 10 years.","AnswerText":"The number of undergraduate medical school places available since 2015, broken down by domicile, has been provided in the following table. As requested, these reflect the places available, rather than the eventual entrants.\r\nAcademic\r\nyear (A/Y)\r\nScots/\r\nRest of the UK (rUK)/RoI/Gibraltar\r\nInternational\r\nTotal\r\nPer year\r\n2015-16\r\n784\r\n64\r\n848\r\n2016-17\r\n834\r\n64\r\n898\r\n2017-18\r\n834\r\n64\r\n898\r\n2018-19\r\n889\r\n64\r\n953\r\n2019-20\r\n949\r\n64\r\n1013\r\n2020-21\r\n974\r\n64\r\n1038\r\n2021-22\r\n1039 (of which 790 must be Scottish domiciled)\r\n78\r\n1117\r\n2022-23\r\n1239\r\n78\r\n1317\r\n2023-24\r\n1339\r\n78\r\n1417\r\n2024-25\r\n1339\r\n78\r\n1417\r\nIt should be noted that there is no separate target for students from the rest of the UK (rUK); instead, these students are considered to be home students in line with students from the RoI and Gibraltar.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422059,"EventID":"S6W-28703","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-24T15:57:47.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-23T13:15:43.597","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated number of vacancies is for (a) paediatric and (b) neonatal nurses in NHS Scotland, broken down by NHS board, and what the vacancy rate was in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"Information on the number of vacancies for (a) paediatric nurses in NHS Scotland, broken down by NHS board can be found on the TURAS NHS Education for Scotland workforce statistics site at:  Dashboards | Turas Data Intelligence (nhs.scot)  (Vacancy tab)\r\nInformation on the number of vacancies and vacancy rates for (b) neonatal nurses in not centrally collected.\r\nInformation on paediatric nursing vacancy rates across NHS Scotland in each of the last five years can be found in the following table:\r\nVacancy rate\r\nDec-19\r\nDec-20\r\nDec-21\r\nDec-22\r\nDec-23\r\nPaediatric Nursing\r\n5.5%\r\n2.1%\r\n12.5%\r\n8.8%\r\n5.3%\r\nNOTE: Vacancy rates for Mar 2024 are currently unavailable and will be published on TURAS on 13 August.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422060,"EventID":"S6W-28689","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-24T15:57:47.663","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-22T12:08:55.423","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the current GP contract, which has required, as of March 2023, the transfer of vaccination services in rural areas from GPs to NHS boards, has been a success; what its position is on whether this policy has resulted in any potential increased risks of death in infants, and, if so, whether it plans to take any action to address any such risks.","AnswerText":"The 2018 GP Contract was negotiated on a national basis with the BMA’s Scottish GP Committee which represents all Scottish GPs. The Contract is based on the transfer of some services to Health Board delivery to allow GP practices to focus on what only GPs can do. This means that GP practices are no longer the default providers of vaccinations.\r\nThe Scottish Government agreed a process with the GP committee to allow the continued delivery of vaccines, and other services intended for transfer, by GP practices where, due to remoteness and rurality, Health Board delivery would be difficult.\r\nThe seven key principles of service design are that any redesigned services should be:\r\n? safe for patients and staff;\r\n? person-centred;\r\n? equitable;\r\n? outcome focussed;\r\n? effective;\r\n? sustainable; and\r\n? affordable\r\nThe vast majority of vaccinations are now delivered by Health Board employed staff with a consequent release of capacity for GP practices.\r\nIf vaccination rates drop in any Health Board area, the Scottish Government would expect that board to examine its vaccination arrangements and make any necessary adjustments, including the full use of the flexibilities provided under the GP contract, to ensure a proper level of vaccination. This is a continuation of the expectation the Scottish Government would have had of Health Boards when delivery was mostly in the hands of GP contractors; Health Boards were still responsible for ensuring that a proper level of vaccination was met.\r\nThe decline in childhood uptake we are seeing nationally is of course a cause for concern. On 16 July, Public Health Scotland published a report on ‘Understanding and addressing declines in childhood immunisations’. This research provides valuable insights into various aspects of childhood immunisation delivery in Scotland. \r\nThe Scottish Vaccination and Immunisation Programme are working together to take forward the recommendations in the report. This will ensure that the learning and good practice highlighted in this report is put into action to improve uptake, and ensuring that the delivery of immunisations across all childhood programmes is equitable and accessible.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422061,"EventID":"S6W-28718","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2892,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-24T15:57:47.867","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-23T14:59:51.467","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, whether its proposed approach for supporting a climate compatibility assessment for new oil and gas licences will be the same as the climate compatibility checkpoint that was introduced by the UK Government in 2022, and, if not, what differences there will be.","AnswerText":"As set out in the responses to S6W-28715 and S6W-28717 on 6 August 2024, the Scottish Government has consulted on a range of proposals for aspects of Climate Compatibility Checkpoint design and application and will publish a finalised Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, including further information on these matters, later this Summer.\r\nThe proposals consulted on in the draft Strategy include significant differences from the Checkpoint approach introduced in 2022 by the previous UK Government, including in terms of how the climate impact of emissions arising from consumption of oil and gas products should be considered and at which stages of the licensing process such Checkpoints should be applied.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-08-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422062,"EventID":"S6W-28715","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2892,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-24T15:57:47.943","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-23T14:59:51.467","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, how its proposed climate compatibility assessment for new oil and gas licences, and the methodology that it uses, will demonstrate alignment with the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees.","AnswerText":"Gillian Martin: Offshore oil and gas licensing is reserved to the UK Government.\r\nThe Scottish Government’s focus continues to be on meeting Scotland’s energy security needs, reducing emissions in line with Paris Agreement goals and ensuring a just transition for our oil and gas workforce as North Sea resources decline.\r\nWe have, through our draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, called for a robust Climate Compatibility Checkpoint to be applied to licence applications for new North Sea oil and gas developments. The draft set out for consultation a range of proposals on aspects of Checkpoint design and application, including in relation to alignment with Paris Agreement goals Independent analysis commissioned by the Scottish Government in support of the draft Strategy also included consideration of what tests could potentially make up such a Checkpoint which could form the basis for UK wide and international discussion on this issue, despite the Scottish Government having no formal role in the licencing of new offshore oil and gas fields.\r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422063,"EventID":"S6W-28701","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-24T15:57:48.007","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-23T13:15:43.597","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many of the 2024 cohort of graduate (a) paediatric and (b) neonatal nurses have secured jobs in NHS Scotland, and how many have not been able to secure a post.","AnswerText":"The requested information on how many of the 2024 cohort of graduate (a) paediatric and (b) neonatal nurses have secured jobs in NHS Scotland, and how many have not been able to secure a post is not centrally held.\r\nInformation on the number of nursing staff joining the NHS broken down by band, NHS board and specialty can be found on the TURAS NHS Education for Scotland workforce statistics site at:  NHS Scotland workforce (phase one) | Turas Data Intelligence  (turnover tab)\r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422064,"EventID":"S6W-28720","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-24T15:57:48.163","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-23T15:32:49.6","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of (a) the number of people currently waiting for a kidney transplant in Scotland and (b) any impact of long waits on patient outcomes.","AnswerText":"NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) publishes  transplant waiting list statistics  across the UK on a quarterly basis. As of 30 June 2024, there were 459 people recorded by NHSBT as being on the active waiting list for a deceased donor kidney transplant in Scotland.\r\nAs set out in the Scottish Government’s Donation and Transplantation Plan: 2021-2026 , in order to deliver the best outcomes any individual in Scotland who would benefit from kidney transplantation should ideally have no or minimal time on dialysis, thereby avoiding the restrictive diet and some of the health problems associated with dialysis. A pre-emptive transplant (a kidney transplant before the patient needs to start dialysis) has many benefits including a lower risk that the body will reject the new kidney.\r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422065,"EventID":"S6W-28709","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-24T15:57:48.24","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-23T14:47:57.78","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much was spent on primary care (a) in cash terms and (b) as a percentage of the overall NHS budget, in each year from 2007-08 to 2023-24, and how much it anticipates will be spent in 2024-25.","AnswerText":"The amount spent by NHS Boards on Family Health Services (FHS), which includes the four primary care contractors, is reported in the annual Cost Book published by Public Health Scotland. This information is publicly available on the PHS website:  Costs Book publication - Costs Book - Finance within the NHS - Acute and emergency services - Our areas of work - Public Health Scotland  We would expect the 2023-24 data to be published in February 2025 and the 2024-25 data to be published in February 2026. The Scottish budget, including NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care is published on the Scottish Government website:  Scottish Budget - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)\r\n \r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422066,"EventID":"S6W-28710","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-24T15:57:48.32","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-23T14:47:57.78","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many GPs there were as of April 2024, broken down by (a) whole-time equivalent positions and (b) head count.","AnswerText":"Data on the Whole-Time Equivalent GP Workforce is published annually by NHS Education for Scotland (NES) in the  General Practice Workforce Survey  report . As of March 2023 the estimated WTE number of GPs (excluding GP registrars/specialist trainees) was 3,478.4, where 1 WTE is defined as 8 contracted sessions per week.\r\nGP headcount is published by NES through the  General Practitioner Headcount  report. In September 2023 there were 5,168 Headcount GPs in Scotland (including GP Registrars on placement in general practice). \r\nNES are due to publish results from the 2024 General Practice Workforce Survey and the 2024 General Practitioner Headcount data later this year.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422067,"EventID":"S6W-28705","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-24T15:57:48.397","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-23T13:15:43.597","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported concerns that a full recruitment process for recently graduated nurses has been undertaken in some NHS boards, despite no roles being available.","AnswerText":"With regards to the recruitment of staff, the Scottish Government’s role is to set policies and frameworks at a national level broadly to ensure sufficient workforce supply. Health Boards are autonomous institutions and as such, are responsible for their own recruitment activity taking into account, retention, absence rates and budgets when making decisions.\r\nWhilst it is hoped that all graduates are able to join the NHS within their trained field upon graduation, this is not always possible as vacancies can fluctuate across NHS Scotland boards and by specialism.\r\nThe Scottish Government has been engaging with Health Boards regarding their current position in relation to job offers and supply. Health Boards remain committed to maximising opportunities for new qualified nurses to find employment\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422068,"EventID":"S6W-28694","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5596,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":151,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-24T15:57:48.57","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-22T14:32:21.727","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to ensure that small towns and villages receive proportional investment in their amenities as their populations grow.","AnswerText":"A needs based distribution methodology based on factors, including population, is used to distribute the funding available for Local Government at a council level and is agreed with COSLA on behalf of all 32 local authorities each year.\r\nAs independent corporate bodies, it is the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources available to them on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities.\r\nAs part of the Population Balance pillar of the Scottish Government's Population Strategy, we are working with COSLA and a range of local authorities facing population growth to understand approaches to addressing this distinct challenge. It is intended that this will be considered at a future meeting of the Ministerial Population Taskforce.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422069,"EventID":"S6W-28697","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-24T15:57:48.633","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-23T09:43:58.663","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans’ report, Enhancing Accessibility: Venues and Visual Impairment, whether it will support the recommendation to develop a (a) standardised booking system for accessible seats at venues in Scotland and (b) designated accessible (i) phone line, (ii) website and (iii) app that allows disabled people to book seats at venues across Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to promoting the rights of disabled people and ensuring that they benefit from all that we are doing to improve people’s lives. This includes ensuring that all serving Armed Forces personnel and veterans living in Scotland, as well as their families, are able to access the best possible care and support; enjoy their rights on an equal basis to others; and participate fully and lead their own lives.\r\nCreative Scotland’s regularly funded organisations are contractually obliged to develop and implement Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plans. This covers all aspects of the organisation including audiences and marketing. Creative Scotland are also involved in “All In”, a UK wide initiative from Arts Council England, developing a new UK arts access scheme for D/deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent people, representing the Scottish perspective.\r\nVisitScotland’s website already provides information on the benefits for event organisers of engaging further in accessible tourism and how events can create their own access guides.\r\nRegards to the development of a standardised booking system, the Scottish Government expects all relevant organisations to comply with the requirement of the Equality Act 2010 and relevant codes of practice published by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, and address their broader duties under UK health and safety and equalities legislation including the requirement for service providers to make reasonable adjustments in circumstances where a disabled person is placed at a substantial disadvantage compared with non-disabled people. The Equality and Human Rights Commission is an independent, and reserved public body, and therefore cannot be directed by Scottish Ministers.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422070,"EventID":"S6W-28714","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-24T15:57:48.82","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-23T14:52:31.767","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to improve Wide Area Network coverage for smart meters across Aberdeenshire. ","AnswerText":"Energy policy, including smart meter policy, is mostly reserved to the UK Government and telecommunications is wholly reserved.\r\nDespite the limitations imposed by these reservations, the Scottish Government has taken the lead in addressing poor coverage by allocating its own resources to ensure Scotland's homes and businesses are not left behind.\r\nThe Scottish Government has invested over £600 million in the Reaching 100% (R100) programme – including the three R100 contracts and our R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme – which will improve access to broadband services in Aberdeen and across Scotland. This will enable Scottish energy consumers to benefit from the advantages of smart meters, helping to improve energy efficiency and reduce costs.\r\nScottish Government officials and Ministers continue to engage frequently with their UK counterparts and all relevant stakeholders to ensure that the connectivity needs of the people of Scotland are being met.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422071,"EventID":"S6W-28717","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2892,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-24T15:57:48.897","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-23T14:59:51.467","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the final Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan will set out further detail about the proposals of the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy for supporting an approach to licensing of oil and gas exploration on a case-by-case basis, and how calculations will be made regarding climate compatibility and energy security.","AnswerText":"Offshore oil and gas licensing is reserved to the UK Government.\r\nThe Scottish Government would be a willing partner in collaborative efforts, at UK and international levels, to further develop the detail of how robust and transparent Climate Compatibility Checkpoints could help support licensing decisions, despite the Scottish Government having no formal decision making powers in this area.\r\nAs part of this approach, our finalised Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan will set out the Scottish Government’s views on key elements which could form the basis of an enhanced Climate Compatibility Checkpoint that could be used by the UK Government, and form the basis of international discussions on this issue.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422072,"EventID":"S6W-28695","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-24T15:57:48.96","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-22T15:54:42.68","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will recapitalise the Scottish Growth Scheme.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Growth Scheme (SGS) supports the growth and export plans of SMEs. It has been delivered through a series of financial instruments the latest of which are the 5 debt and equity funds delivered by publicly procured fund managers who invest in Scotland’s most ambitious SMEs.\r\nThe current 5 SGS funds have £97 million in funds under management, 77% of which had been invested by December 2023 providing £75 million alongside £205 million from private sector investors so that 621 businesses received £280 million to finance their growth and exporting ambitions, creating 1,585 jobs to date. It is expected that the remaining £22 million to be invested by SGS fund managers will yield similar results.\r\nWe have confirmed that at present, there is no available budget to recapitalise Business Loans Scotland and UMi Debt Finance Scotland, 2 of the debt fund managers operating under the SGS.DSL Business Finance concluded microfinance lending in August 2021 as British Business Bank expanded the eligibility criteria for their microfinance scheme. Foresight is managing a portfolio of SGS investments and has successfully raised a new equity fund from private sector investors. There are ongoing discussions regarding the recapitalisation of Techstart who invest in young, innovative start-ups.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422073,"EventID":"S6W-28698","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-24T15:57:49.133","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-23T11:25:36.37","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce an HGV overtaking ban on the dual carriageway sections of the M8 to reduce congestion.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government currently has no plans to introduce a HGV overtaking ban on either of the two lane sections of the M8 motorway.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422074,"EventID":"S6W-28716","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2892,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-24T15:57:49.333","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-23T14:59:51.467","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when the final Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan will be published.","AnswerText":"We will publish our finalised Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan later this Summer.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422075,"EventID":"S6W-28692","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-24T15:57:49.43","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-22T13:06:46.687","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28363 by Mairi Gougeon on 22 July 2024, what consideration it will give to potentially extending the boundary of the (a) Cairngorms National Park and (b) Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park to incorporate parts of the Tay Forest National Park bid area.","AnswerText":"On 22 July 2024, the Scottish Government announced that Galloway has been proposed as the location for Scotland’s third National Park. A detailed investigation will now be carried out on its suitability including extensive engagement and consultation with local communities, businesses, interest groups and representatives from the agriculture, forestry and other land-based sectors given their importance in the area. NatureScot has been asked to take forward this investigation and to provide a report to Scottish Ministers by 28 April 2025.\r\nNew National Park nominations were also received from groups in Loch Awe, Lochaber, Scottish Borders and Tay Forest.\r\nI have written to all of the groups that submitted nominations, including for Tay Forest, to offer meetings with Scottish Government officials to discuss the outcome of this process and any reflections they may wish to share following its conclusion.\r\nThese meetings with officials will offer an opportunity for groups to make the case for such proposals and, where relevant, groups may wish to explore particular elements of their nominations that would merit further consideration. For example, they may wish to explore potential opportunities to support nature restoration and climate change mitigation and adaptation.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422076,"EventID":"S6W-28706","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-24T15:57:49.583","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-23T13:15:43.597","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much money it costs to train a (a) paediatric and (b) neonatal student nurse at a Scottish university.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government package of support for Scottish domiciled student nurses, midwives and paramedics remains the highest level of support offered in the UK.\r\nAnnual Student Cost Breakdown\r\n \r\nTeaching Grant to University (subject to change)\r\n \r\n£7,775\r\nTuition Fees to University (subject to change)\r\n£1,820\r\n \r\n \r\nAnnual Bursary\r\n£10,000\r\n \r\nUniform Costs\r\nOn average £54.72\r\n \r\nHealth Checks\r\nOn average £233.79\r\n \r\nDisclosure Checks: Protecting Vulnerable Groups scheme (PVG)\r\nCosts for the scheme:\r\n? £59 to join the scheme\r\n? £59 or £18 to update membership (cost dependent on whether the PVG member needs to apply to work with a new vulnerable group)\r\n \r\n \r\nAdditionally, students are entitled to claim travel allowances, the amount will be variable dependent on the students circumstances.\r\nThere are also a range of additional allowances eligible students may be entitled to claim such as:\r\n? Dependents allowance of up to £3,640 a year;\r\n? Single Parents’ Allowance of up to £2,303 a year;\r\n? Childcare Allowance for parents of up to £2,466 a year;\r\n? Disable Students’ Allowance which will be variable dependent on the students requirements\r\nOver a three year degree the average cost to train a nurse or midwife is in the region of £60,000 plus allowances and clinical placement expenses.\r\nWith regards to neonatal nurses, although a newly qualified nurse or midwife after completing their relevant pre-registration programme can be employed within a neonatal unit, a specific neonatal qualification is undertaken post-registration following an appropriate period of clinical experience. This is currently delivered by Edinburgh Napier University as a Neonatal Care - Qualified in Speciality postgraduate certificate (SCQF Level 11) part-time blended course, typically undertaken over 1 year. The current tuition fee is £1575 for Scottish & Rest of UK students, which is funded through Health Boards. Tuition fees are subject to an annual review and may increase from one year to the next.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422077,"EventID":"S6W-28723","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-24T15:57:49.68","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-23T15:32:49.6","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the findings of the Kidney Care UK publication, Transplant care in the UK: a patient perspective, what steps have been taken to ensure that all chronic kidney disease patients who have received a transplant have access to physiotherapy services.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the importance of access to interdependent services, including those provided by allied health professionals such as physiotherapists, in order to optimise kidney transplant outcomes.\r\nUnder the Scottish Government’s Donation and Transplantation Plan: 2021-2026, a working group on transplant recipient aftercare has been set up. Access to physiotherapy services, which are generally provided when needed both via the Transplant Units themselves and by referring centres, has not so far been identified as an issue of particular concern for chronic kidney disease patients who have received a transplant in Scotland. We will continue to monitor the situation closely including by means of the working group.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422078,"EventID":"S6W-28711","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-24T15:57:49.897","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-23T14:47:57.78","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many whole-time equivalent GPs have (a) been employed and (b) retired or left the profession, in each year since 2019.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold data on how many whole-time equivalent GPs have (a) been employed and (b) retired or left the profession, in each year since 2019. \r\nData on the GP Workforce is published annually by NHS Education for Scotland in the  General Practice Workforce Survey  report and includes the whole time equivalent number of GPs in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422079,"EventID":"S6W-28704","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-24T15:57:49.96","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-23T13:15:43.597","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) paediatric and (b) neonatal nurses have been employed by each NHS board, in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"Information on how many (a) paediatric and (b) neonatal nurses have been employed by each NHS board, in each of the last five years, can be found on the TURAS NHS Education for Scotland workforce statistics site at:\r\nNHS Scotland workforce (phase one) | Turas Data Intelligence  (Employment over time tab)\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422080,"EventID":"S6W-28724","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-24T15:57:50.023","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-23T15:32:49.6","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the findings of the Kidney Care UK publication, Transplant care in the UK: a patient perspective, what steps it is taking to ensure that those who have received a transplant have sufficient access to psychological support.","AnswerText":"Transplant patients can experience a variety of emotions following their transplant and as a result the Scottish Government recognises the importance of psychological and emotional support. In order to better understand patients’ experiences, the Scottish Government carried out a patient survey on organ transplant aftercare and support between September and December 2023, receiving 569 responses from patients in Scotland, including 192 from those who had received a kidney transplant. The survey asked about patients’ experience of psychological and emotional support both before and after transplant; about the sources of such support; about patients’ preference for where to receive this support; and about whether they had any further comments about what would have improved their experience.\r\nThe Scottish Government is currently analysing the responses to the survey with the intention of publishing the analysis by the end of the year. Working with the Scottish Donation and Transplant Group, which brings together key stakeholders, and NHS National Services Division as commissioners, the Scottish Government will consider whether further actions might need to be taken in this area and how best to ensure patients get what they need.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422081,"EventID":"S6W-28712","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-24T15:57:50.163","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-23T14:47:57.78","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the GP Sustainability Loan Scheme has now been restarted, and, if this is not the case, whether it will provide an update on when the scheme will be resumed.","AnswerText":"We intend to resume Tranche 1 of the Sustainability Loan Scheme in 2024-25 once we have completed the disbursement of funds for those loans already completed and confirmed a budget. This will likely not be until midway through the financial year.\r\nOur preference remains to continue the loan scheme into Tranche 2 and beyond – however, this is dependant on whether the UK Government resumes the allocation of Financial Transaction Capital to the Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422082,"EventID":"S6W-28691","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-24T15:57:50.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-22T13:03:05.91","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28363 by Mairi Gougeon on 22 July 2024, what further action it will take to support the development of nominations for new national parks.","AnswerText":"In October 2023, communities were invited to explore and develop proposals for their local area to be considered for designation as Scotland’s next National Park. The nomination phase closed on 29 February and nominations were received from Galloway, Loch Awe, Lochaber, Scottish Borders and Tay Forest.\r\nThe appraisal process concluded in May and the appraisal panel’s report has been published on our website:  Scotland's New National Park Appraisal Panel: final report - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  . On 22 July 2024, I announced that Galloway has been confirmed as the proposed location for Scotland’s next National Park. A Reporter process will now be undertaken by NatureScot to consider this proposal. That process will include extensive public consultation and engagement with local communities, stakeholders, businesses, landowners and managers and public bodies to discuss, test and further shape and refine the National Park proposal.\r\nI have written to all nominating groups to offer meetings with Scottish Government officials to discuss the outcome of this process and any reflections they may wish to share following its conclusion.\r\nOn behalf of the Scottish Government, I would like to offer our thanks for the considerable time, effort and commitment that all the nominating groups and members of these local communities have invested in exploring and developing their nominations.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422083,"EventID":"S6W-28702","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-24T15:57:50.583","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-23T13:15:43.597","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what workforce planning assumptions were provided to universities for (a) paediatric and (b) neonatal nurse places in each year from 2021 to 2024.","AnswerText":"Current targets for nursing and midwifery controlled funded places have been set for 3 years. Prior to that, targets for controlled places were set annually. The multi-year targets were set in 2022 after extensive engagement with key stakeholders. Those stakeholders included NHS Boards, NHS Board Planners, NHS Education for Scotland (NES), Council of Deans Health Scotland, Scottish Executive Nurse Directors, RCN, RCM, Unite, Unison and internal Scottish Government policy teams.\r\nA multi-year intake was agreed to provide stability across partners including higher education institutions. \r\nBoth quantitative and qualitative data were considered when arriving at the controlled intake targets for each student group. A modelling exercise was carried out by NES to support decision-making and this information was made available to all stakeholders ahead of the engagement process. Stakeholders were also invited to share their own data in advance as well as being invited to discuss their insights on vacancies, establishment figures and clinical placement capacity. \r\nThe Scottish Government does not provide universities with planning assumptions for neonatal nurse places as these are decided within NHS Boards in order to match the resource requirements in the Board and training needs of their staff.\r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422084,"EventID":"S6W-28690","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-24T15:57:50.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-22T12:23:40.793","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28192 by Jenny Gilruth on 1 July 2024, whether it can confirm that there were no participants in the November 2023 Computing Science week from (a) Argyll and Bute Council, (b) Orkney Islands Council and (c) West Dunbartonshire Council.","AnswerText":"Based on registrations for November 2023 Computing Science week, there were no schools registered for Education Scotland's organised live webinars from Argyll and Bute, Orkney Islands or West Dunbartonshire. It is difficult to be definitive on how many schools engaged as schools may also have participated by watching the recordings of sessions or by creating their own activities.","AnswerDate":"2024-07-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422085,"EventID":"S6W-28722","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-24T15:57:50.913","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-23T15:32:49.6","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the findings of the Kidney Care UK publication, Transplant care in the UK: a patient perspective, what steps it is taking to ensure that all chronic kidney disease patients are pre-emptively put on a transplant waiting list in all NHS boards, prior to going on dialysis.","AnswerText":"In line with the actions set out in the Scottish Government’s Donation and Transplantation Plan: 2021-2026 , a short-life working group has been set up to consider the issue of “timely transplantation” and to discuss perceived barriers to pre-emptive living donor kidney transplant and timely listing for deceased donor transplant. The group is currently gathering data and will report at the December 2024 meeting of the Scottish Donation and Transplant Group, which brings together key stakeholders.\r\nIn addition, as part of the Living Donation Scotland initiative, link nephrologists from each Renal Unit meet at an annual living donation event supported by the Scottish Government. A key objective is to work with nephrology colleagues to document transplant suitability on all electronic patient records in their patient groups so the multi-disciplinary team is aware of the individual pathway and progress, and this is now supported by the Renal Education and Choices at Home (REACH Transplant) nurses in each Renal Unit.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422086,"EventID":"S6W-28719","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-24T15:57:50.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-23T15:32:49.6","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the variation in access to living kidney donation across adult kidney centres, and what steps it is taking to make kidney donation easier.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the importance of ensuring equitable access to living kidney donation. All nine Renal Units in Scotland are currently supporting living kidney donation, with sixteen living donor co-ordinators in post across the Renal Units. In 2016, the Scottish Government supported the creation of the Living Donation Scotland Board, whose role, working with referring Renal Units and Transplant Centres, is to make it easier to access living donor kidney transplantation. The Scottish Government also supports the Renal Units in their work by hosting an annual event for staff to share good practice and learning.\r\nIn addition, the Scottish Government is taking a number of steps to make accessing kidney donation easier as set out in the Scottish Donation and Transplantation Plan: 2021-2026 . The plan makes clear that whilst it will not be feasible for everyone, the aim is to encourage all those who need a kidney transplant to consider and explore options for a living donor transplant as their first transplant.\r\nTo ensure that every recipient who would benefit from a kidney transplant receives standard information about living donation during transplant assessment, the Scottish Government provides living donor information packs and a range of resources through the Organ Donation Scotland website, including written information, video and clear pathway contact information access for recipients and donors. Annual living donation multi-media campaigns have also proven successful in increasing awareness for donors.\r\nFinally, following a pilot project, the Renal Education and Choices at Home (REACH Transplant) programme was implemented in 2022. REACH Transplant is funded by the Scottish Government and has involved the appointment of both a REACH transplant programme lead and ten REACH Transplant nurses across Scotland, based in each Renal Unit. The REACH Transplant nurses work with local nephrologists to identify those at an early stage who may need a kidney transplant in the future. A visit is organised with the recipient and their support network in a place of their choice to provide information on living kidney donation and to support the recipient to discuss living donation. The aim of this tailored support and timely referral for living donor transplantation is to increase the likelihood of pre-emptive transplantation by overcoming barriers and ensuring equity of treatment choice.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422091,"EventID":"S6W-28756","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2892,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-25T15:59:48.947","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-25T10:55:31.983","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it enforces the current rules on the use of netting on buildings to prevent birds from nesting or roosting.","AnswerText":"There is no legislation that specifically sets out rules on the use of netting on buildings to prevent birds from nesting or roosting. However, it is an offence to obstruct or prevent any bird from using its nest during the nesting season, under Section 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside (Scotland) Act 1981, and this would include the use of netting to prevent access to a nest.\r\nEnforcement of the law in relation to wildlife crime is the responsibility of Police Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422092,"EventID":"S6W-28752","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-25T15:59:49.54","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-24T16:36:34.703","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it can provide to employees of Carpetright Ltd as the company goes into administration, which has resulted in the announced closure of more than 200 stores,","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it can provide to employees of Carpetright Ltd as the company goes into administration, which has resulted in the announced closure of more than 200 stores, including those in Bridge of Don and Kittybrewster in the north east.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has provided support for employees affected by developments at Carpetright through our Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) initiative.In agreement with Carpetright's Talent Acquisition Manager, a PACE Introduction to Redundancy Support webinar took place on 7 August for all impacted staff across Scotland to inform them of the support on offer. In addition, information on PACE services has been issued to the impacted staff to support their self-referral to partnership services. Skills Development Scotland will also be undertaking promotion of PACE support to former Carpetright staff via social media activity.Through providing skills development and employability support, PACE aims to minimise the time individuals affected by redundancy are out of work.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422093,"EventID":"S6W-28755","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2892,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-25T15:59:50.4","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-25T10:55:31.983","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the current rules on the use of netting on buildings to prevent birds from nesting or roosting are appropriate.","AnswerText":"There is no legislation that specifically sets out rules on the use of netting on buildings to prevent birds from nesting or roosting. However, anyone obstructing or preventing any bird from using its nest during the nesting season through the installation of netting, would be committing an offence under Section 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside (Scotland) Act 1981.\r\nBird netting can be an effective and lawful measure when used correctly. Guidance is available on the RSPCA webpage , the NatureScot webpage , and the RSPB webpage on how and when to use bird netting.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422094,"EventID":"S6W-28735","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-25T15:59:50.727","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-24T08:27:22.56","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when monitoring of outflows will be undertaken by Scottish Water, including in the Dumbarton constituency.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to S6W-26620 on 25 April 2024 for information on the progress of installing CSO monitors.\r\nOverflow data is being published on Scottish Water’s website at  https://www.scottishwater.co.uk/Your-Home/Your-Waste-Water/Overflow-Event-Data  . As new monitors are installed, more information will become available in line with commitments under the Improving Urban Waters Routemap.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422095,"EventID":"S6W-28745","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-25T15:59:51.087","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-24T10:34:26.163","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on commissioning a review of climate risks to salmon farms, in light of reports suggesting that higher sea temperatures will have serious implications for the viability of these businesses, which could put jobs at risk. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not currently have any plans to commission a review of climate change risks to salmon farms, specifically in relation to higher sea temperatures. The Marine Directorate is currently collaborating with partners on a revision of the 2022 Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership’s review on the impacts of climate change on aquaculture,  https://www.mccip.org.uk/sites/default/files/2022-11/Aquaculture%20Formatted_updated%20and%20returned%20by%20authors.pdf  which explores key challenges and emerging issues in this area.\r\nScotland’s National Adaptation Programme 3 (SNAP3) is due to be laid in Parliament later this year and will set out specific commitments to support the Fisheries and Aquaculture sectors to adapt to the impacts of climate change.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422096,"EventID":"S6W-28747","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-25T15:59:51.32","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-24T12:50:40.053","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government who is responsible for ensuring that hydrogen production sites are decommissioned at the end of their lease.","AnswerText":"The regulatory regime for hydrogen in Scotland is a mixture of reserved and devolved powers and we continue to routinely engage with UK Government on a range of hydrogen policy matters including the regulation of and responsibility for the decommissioning of hydrogen production sites.\r\nTo achieve our hydrogen production ambitions, we must ensure that the regulatory framework for renewable hydrogen developments supports the scale-up of hydrogen at pace, whist protecting the environment and communities.\r\nThis is why the Scottish Government is working with the Scottish Regulatory Steering Group, comprised of key regulators, to assess the regulatory requirements for the development of the hydrogen sector in Scotland. This work with UK and Scottish regulators is designed to ensure that action is taken to address any identified issues and create a clear regulatory framework for the full life cycle of hydrogen projects, including the decommissioning of assets.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422097,"EventID":"S6W-28647","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-25T15:59:51.9","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-17T16:15:54.12","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to update the Sea Fish (Prohibition on Fishing) (Firth of Clyde) Order 2024 within the next year, in light of reports that the order was based on a draft report whose authors stated that, for the data to have statistical significance, the study should be considered as part of a number of years' worth of survey results.","AnswerText":"The Sea Fish (Prohibition on Fishing) (Firth of Clyde) Order 2024 was laid on Thursday 11th January 2024 and the spawning closure will be in place 14 February to 30 April for 2024 and 2025, respectively.\r\nThe study undertaken by the Scottish Oceans Institute and Clyde Fishermen’s Association was not used to inform this approach.\r\nThere are no plans to alter or update the Sea Fish (Prohibition on Fishing) (Firth of Clyde) Order 2024. Following the 2025 closure there will be another public consultation on the management for 2026 and 2027. That consultation will reflect on how the closure has operated since 2022, what if any factors are new or unchanged and will make recommendations for the future on that basis.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422098,"EventID":"S6W-28744","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-25T15:59:52.057","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-24T10:34:00.24","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reports that the salmon farm operator, Bakkafrost, is proposing an extension of its temporary closure of the Arnish Harvest Station and Maryb","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reports that the salmon farm operator, Bakkafrost, is proposing an extension of its temporary closure of the Arnish Harvest Station and Marybank Processing Facility in Stornoway, putting around 80 employees at risk of redundancy.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the significant and wide-ranging impacts of the decision by Bakkafrost to temporarily close its Arnish Harvest Station and Marybank Processing Facility in Stornoway.I met with representatives of Bakkafrost Scotland on 12 July and highlighted the importance of the aquaculture sector to the islands and the negative impact on jobs, the local communities and supply chains and asked whether any further support could be provided to reverse this decision. Officials from the Scottish Government and Highlands and Islands Enterprise have continued in dialogue with the business over recent weeks to consider all viable options to ensure that high value jobs are secured in the region.The Scottish Government is making arrangements to speak with Bakkafrost&rsquo;s senior management team, based in the Faroe Islands, as soon as possible to explore ways to mitigate the effects of this decision.The Scottish Government&rsquo;s Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) team has met the company to offer its full range of support to any employees who may be facing redundancy. PACE organised a group meeting for affected staff which was held on 7 August, with further CV/Employability workshops held on 14 and 15 August and a Jobs Fair on 16 August.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422099,"EventID":"S6W-28728","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-25T15:59:52.62","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-23T15:36:53.693","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with NHS boards to improve the stability and reliability of IT services, including the GP Vision system, in light of reports that some GPs are experiencing performance issues with this. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to improving the care and wellbeing of people through the best use of digital technologies. We work closely with NHS National Services Scotland (NSS), who manage the rollout of the new national GP IT System, ‘Vision’ supplied by Cegedim Healthcare Solutions. Our focus always is on patient safety and the resilience of such systems. The recent performance issue referred to was quickly identified as due to bandwidth capacity and was quickly resolved, since when there has been stable and consistent service for GP practices using Vision.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422100,"EventID":"S6W-28730","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-25T15:59:52.727","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-23T15:36:53.693","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the report in The Scotsman on 2 July 2024, which stated that the Scotland director of the Royal College of Nursing Scotland had said that they are experiencing a \"stress and anxiety crisis\", what action it is taking to support the mental health of health and social care workers.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government funding of over £2.5m has been committed to support the mental health and wellbeing of health and care staff in 2024-25. These resources include a 24/7 compassionate listening service, confidential mental health treatment through the Workforce Specialist Service and access to psychological therapies and interventions.\r\nPrioritising these treatment and therapeutic programmes reflects our commitment to offer care and support to those staff suffering from stress, anxiety and other conditions. In addition, the National Wellbeing Hub offers a range of self-care wellbeing resources and signposting to relevant mental health and support services.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422101,"EventID":"S6W-28751","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-25T15:59:52.837","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-24T16:11:18.527","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the most up-to-date estimate of the costs of developing and implementing the proposed National Care Service, including the money spent to date on","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the most up-to-date estimate of the costs of developing and implementing the proposed National Care Service, including the money spent to date on the proposals.","AnswerText":"Following Stage 2, we will provide a revised Financial Memorandum for Stage 2 amendments that have been agreed to which will also note the value of costs incurred to date on the Bill.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422102,"EventID":"S6W-28726","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-25T15:59:53.417","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-23T15:36:53.693","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many prisoners from HMP Grampian have been released under the Emergency Early Release programme.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many prisoners from HMP Grampian have been released under the Emergency Early Release programme.","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:SPS currently share information regarding the number of individuals released under Emergency Early Release (ER) on the SPS website. Further work has commenced on an analysis of the entire ER tranche data, and the SPS hope to be able to publish a full data report, which will be available on the SPS website by the end of August.SPS continue to be as open and transparent as possible, whilst continuing to meet our statutory obligation to ensure that those in our care have their personal information protected; as such we have taken the decision not to publish a breakdown of establishments of those released under the ER scheme as some of the data could relate to a small group of individuals, which may lead to their inadvertent identification. SPS will however, share information that does include individual local authorities and health boards as part of the released data set.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422103,"EventID":"S6W-28732","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-25T15:59:53.79","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-24T08:27:22.56","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it (a) is aware and (b) has agreed that Scottish Water can reportedly raise household bills by consumer price inflation (CPI) plus 2% in each of the next two financial years.","AnswerText":"As the member is aware from previously submitted questions, most recently S6F-01607 on 8 December 2022, arrangements for setting water charges are set out in the Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002, and the role of setting of annual price rises is primarily a matter for the Board of Scottish Water. During 2021-27, customers are protected by a cap on charges of CPI+2% as set out in the Water Industry Commission for Scotland’s Final Determination.\r\nThe answer to S6F-01607 is available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament  .\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422104,"EventID":"S6W-28746","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-25T15:59:54.01","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-24T10:58:36.993","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any future discussions planned with NHS Dumfries and Galloway regarding the future of Galloway Community Hospital.","AnswerText":"My officials are aware of the review of Galloway Community Hospital as part of NHS Dumfries and Galloway’s long-term sustainability planning and the Right Care, Right Place programme. Officials have engaged Dumfries and Galloway on these proposals over the course of the past year.\r\nWe understand that a report on the future of the facility is in development, and this will be considered by Dumfries and Galloway IJB in September. Officials are also anticipating a final recommendation later this year by NHS Dumfries and Galloway board on the proposed changes to maternity services offered in Wigtownshire. This is to be accompanied by a statement from the board on the independent consultation that examined options for proposed maternity service changes presented in February.\r\nAs it stands, NHS Dumfries and Galloway and the Integration Joint Board have publicly stated that they do not have plans to close Galloway Community Hospital. Scottish Government officials are continuing to engage with Dumfries and Galloway on their review and any proposals that will be made.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422105,"EventID":"S6W-28727","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-25T15:59:54.4","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-23T15:36:53.693","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government by what date the Acorn carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) project in St Cyrus will receive the full £80 million in funding that it earmarked towards it in January 2022.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains wholly committed to supporting the development and deployment of CCUS, including the Acorn Project and the Scottish Cluster, including with up to £80 million in support. When we, the project and the Scottish Cluster, are provided with more details by the UK Government on the next stage of the process, timelines and funding, it will then be possible to assess when and how best to support the project with Scottish Government funding.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422106,"EventID":"S6W-28734","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-25T15:59:55.15","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-24T08:27:22.56","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to measure water quality.","AnswerText":"Drinking water quality is regulated by the Drinking Water Quality Regulator. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency monitors the water environment by assessing water quality and quantity.\r\nBoth regulators publish information on their websites about the compliance of drinking water quality and environmental water quality on their websites at  https://dwqr.scot/public-water-supply/national-water-quality/  and  https://www.sepa.org.uk/environment/water/ \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422107,"EventID":"S6W-28754","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2892,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-25T15:59:55.43","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-25T10:55:31.983","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review the current rules on the use of netting on buildings to prevent birds from nesting or roosting, with a view to requiring the use of alternative approaches and reducing harm to wild birds.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has no plans to review the current rules on the use of netting on buildings to prevent birds from nesting or roosting, with a view to requiring the use of alternative approaches and reducing harm to birds.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422108,"EventID":"S6W-28748","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-25T15:59:55.743","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-24T14:49:32.91","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the accessibility of streets across Scotland, and what plans it has to develop consistent and enforceable national standards.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not undertake assessment of the accessibility of streets nationally.\r\nNational Performance Framework (NPF) 4 policy 14, highlights the six qualities of successful places which development proposals should demonstrate. The qualities of safety, attractiveness, connectedness and adaptability can improve the accessibility of a place to all users. NPF4 is part of the development plan, which means that planning decisions should be made in line with NPF4 policy unless material considerations indicate otherwise.\r\nDesigning Streets  is a policy statement that promotes the consideration of street design towards placemaking and away from the system focus upon the dominance of motor vehicles. It emphasises the need to consider accessibility and inclusive design for people over vehicular movements. It is not a standards based guidance but promotes a balanced decision making on designing for place and movement, and relates to both planning and transport policies.\r\nNPF4 policy 13 is clear that development proposals will be supported where they have taken into account, at the earliest stages of design, the transport needs of diverse groups including users with protected characteristics to ensure the safety, ease and needs of all users.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422109,"EventID":"S6W-28731","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-25T15:59:56.07","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-23T15:36:53.693","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been allocated to the National Wellbeing Hub for health and social care workers in each year since 2020. ","AnswerText":"The funding provided by Scottish Government, since 2020 for the National Wellbeing Hub for health and social care staff is broken down as follows: \r\n2020-2021: £57,000\r\n2021-2022: £85,000\r\n2022-2023: £87,000\r\n2023-2024: £191,000\r\n2024-2025: £96,000","AnswerDate":"2024-08-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422110,"EventID":"S6W-28736","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-25T15:59:56.493","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-24T10:09:12.07","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason additional grid capacity and infrastructure at Bearholm substation has reportedly been granted planning permission, in light of the Rivox and Scoop Hill Windfarm planning applications reportedly having not yet been determined.","AnswerText":"The decision to grant planning permission for an extension to an existing substation at Bearholm near Moffat was made by the relevant planning authority, Dumfries and Galloway Council.\r\nPlanning authorities are required to determine any valid application submitted to them in accordance with the relevant local development plan and National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) unless there are material considerations which justify a departure from the plan. The decision notice of the authority is required to include the reasons for the decision. In addition, as part of the decision-making process the authority is required to produce a report setting out their consideration of the application and the material considerations taken into account. The decision notice and report are published on the planning authority’s website.\r\nApplications for consent for the Rivox Wind Energy Hub and Scoop Hill Community Wind Farm projects are currently with the Scottish Ministers for determination under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422111,"EventID":"S6W-28733","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-25T15:59:56.68","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-24T08:27:22.56","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact of increasing water bills on households during the cost of living crisis, and specifically by consumer price inflation (CPI) plus 2%.","AnswerText":"As the former First Minister reported to the member in answer to S6F-01607, the Scottish Government expects the Board of Scottish Water to take a proportionate position when setting charges; balancing affordability with critical investment needs to protect the quality of our drinking water and the environment.\r\nThe Scottish Government is committed to supporting people in light of the rising costs of living and has already taken action on affordability of water charges; from 1 April 2021 – the start of the current 6-year regulatory period for the water industry - we increased the maximum discount under the water charges reduction scheme from 25% to 35% to support those struggling to pay their bills.\r\nThe answer to S6F-01607 is available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament  .\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422112,"EventID":"S6W-28750","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-25T15:59:56.773","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-24T16:07:00.29","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of the recommendations of the review into neonatal deaths in Scotland between April 2021 and March 2022, which was led by Dr Helen Mactier. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government commissioned Healthcare Improvement Scotland to undertake a review to determine underlying causes of an increase in neonatal mortality in Scotland in 2021-22 and make recommendations for improvements in care.\r\nThe report, published in February 2024, found no evidence of systemic failures of maternity or neonatal care, unusual factors, or a cluster of any one factor that would account for the significant increase in neonatal deaths in 2021-22.\r\nFollowing the publication, we are working with Healthcare Improvement Scotland and other partners on the recommendations of the review.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422113,"EventID":"S6W-28725","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-25T15:59:56.87","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-23T15:36:53.693","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the 2022 report by Endometriosis UK, Analysis of Endometriosis Service Provision in Scotland, which suggested that the average length of time from the onset of symptoms of the condition to diagnosis was 8.5 years, with 32% of women waiting over 10 years, what action it has taken to reduce the waiting time for diagnosis, and what analysis it has carried out of the effectiveness of this.","AnswerText":"We are committed to delivering on the priority in the  Women's Health Plan  (WHP) to improve access for women to appropriate support, speedy diagnosis and best treatment for endometriosis.\r\nWe know that, for many women, diagnosis time for endometriosis is not acceptable. It is vital that we improve care and support throughout the whole diagnosis process.\r\nTo do this a number of actions have been taken including:The development of the Endometriosis Care Pathway for Scotland which aims to provide a holistic approach and timely care for those with endometriosis and endometriosis-like symptoms.A NHS Education for Scotland (NES) training package and framework focused on menstrual health for general practice and others working in Primary Care.A NHS NES ‘Masterclass’ on endometriosis for healthcare professionals.Improving the information available for women and girls on endometriosis and menstrual health through our work with NHS Inform, Young Scotland, the ALLIANCE and Endometriosis UK.\r\nWe are working closely with our stakeholders across Scotland to understand the effectiveness of these workstreams and their impact upon reducing diagnostic times for endometriosis.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422114,"EventID":"S6W-28757","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2892,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-25T15:59:57.493","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-25T10:55:31.983","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many building owners faced fines or other consequences for harm caused to birds by poorly installed or maintained netting, in the last three years for which figures are available.","AnswerText":"There is no specific criminal offence of causing harm to birds by poorly installed or maintained building netting. Should such an offence be prosecuted in Scottish criminal court it would most likely be done under Section 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Although we cannot identify building owners as a subset of convicted persons, Criminal Proceedings in Scotland national statistics show no companies were convicted under Section 1 in the most recent available three financial years (2019-20 to 2021-22). The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service additionally confirmed no companies were convicted for an offence involving bird netting in the last five years (2019-2024).\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422115,"EventID":"S6W-28749","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-25T15:59:57.87","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-24T16:07:00.29","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the reportedly higher than average rates of neonatal mortality in five NHS boards, including NHS Grampian, where the rate in 2022 was reportedly 24% higher than the group average. ","AnswerText":"Mothers and Babies Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries across the UK (MBRRACE-UK), reports give us valuable insight into national and local rates of stillbirth and neonatal mortality. We expect all NHS Boards to carefully consider MBRRACE-UK reports, including their local reports, and undertake local reviews of services rated ‘red’ for stillbirth or neonatal death, and ensure that when deaths occur, any improvements are identified and acted on.\r\nWe will be writing to NHS Boards shortly to ensure that they have taken account of the MBRRACE-UK reports and to seek assurances in particular from Boards with higher-than-average rates that work is underway, or complete, to understand and learn from the possible factors which may have contributed to the reported increase. \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422116,"EventID":"S6W-28729","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-25T15:59:58.337","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-23T15:36:53.693","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the report in the Daily Record on 23 July 2024 that paediatric nursing graduates from Glasgow Caledonian University were interviewed recently for roles in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde but were told that no jobs were available.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has been engaging with Health Boards regarding their current position in relation to job offers and supply. Health Boards remain committed to maximising opportunities for new qualified nurses to find employment.\r\nWhilst it is hoped that all graduates are able to join the NHS within their trained field upon graduation, this is not always possible as vacancies can fluctuate across NHS Scotland boards and by specialism.\r\nWith regards to the recruitment of staff, the Scottish Government’s role is to set policies and frameworks at a national level broadly to ensure sufficient workforce supply. Health Boards are autonomous institutions and as such, are responsible for their own recruitment activity taking into account, retention, absence rates and budgets when making decisions.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422126,"EventID":"S6W-28758","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-26T15:00:19.967","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-25T11:41:33.94","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the data that it published on 15 January 2020 in response to the freedom of information request FOI/19/02661, what subsequent calculations it has made of the emissions that could be generated by extra flights between Heathrow Airport and airports in Scotland if a third runway was built at Heathrow.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not undertaken any further calculations of extra emissions that could be generated as a result of a third runway at Heathrow.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422127,"EventID":"S6W-28762","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-26T15:00:20.233","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-25T11:41:33.94","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Transport Scotland paper,&nbsp;Aviation Statement and Key Priorities, on what date it began work to explore all options for the implementation of its pro","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Transport Scotland paper,&nbsp;Aviation Statement and Key Priorities, on what date it began work to explore all options for the implementation of its proposed Air Departure Tax (ADT); for what reason it has reportedly not yet made a referral to the Subsidy Advice Unit at the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA); whether it has had any discussions with the CMA regarding this, and whether it has undertaken any work to prepare options for ADT, other than maintaining the current rates and bands.","AnswerText":"The introduction of Air Departure Tax (ADT) was deferred due to state aid issues raised in relation to replicating the existing Highlands and Islands exemption that currently exists under Air Passenger Duty. As of January 2023, Scottish Ministers have a responsibility to ensure all subsidies &ndash; including tax exemptions &ndash; comply with the UK Government&rsquo;s subsidy control regime introduced in the Subsidy Control Act 2022.A referral to the Subsidy Advice Unit at the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is necessary where a subsidy has a greater potential to lead to undue distortion and negative effects on competition or investment within the UK, or on international trade or investment. The Scottish Government has not yet had any specific discussions with the CMA regarding a future referral of a prospective Highland and Islands exemption but has had high-level discussions regarding the process through which a referral could be made. Prior to introducing ADT, the Scottish Government will assess whether a prospective Highlands and Islands exemption requires a referral to the CMA.The Scottish Government continue to explore all options to implement ADT in a way that protects Highlands &amp; Islands connectivity and complies with the UK Government&rsquo;s subsidy control regime. The UK-wide Air Passenger Duty will continue to apply in Scotland until ADT is implemented.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422128,"EventID":"S6W-28763","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-26T15:00:20.327","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-25T11:41:33.94","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement in the Transport Scotland paper, Aviation Statement and Key Priorities, that it carries out its work on a \"airport-neutral\" basis to ensure that it does not act in a way that interferes with competition, what its position is regarding whether this policy applies to airports outwith Scotland, in light of its support for the building of a third runway at Heathrow Airport, as set out in its memorandum of understanding with the airport.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government carries out its work to help improve Scotland’s direct international connectivity on an airport-neutral basis. By definition, our work on direct international connectivity does not apply to Heathrow or any other UK airport.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422129,"EventID":"S6W-28759","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-26T15:00:20.407","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-25T11:41:33.94","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what organisations and companies were met in preparation of the Transport Scotland paper, Aviation Statement and Key Priorities, and on what dates.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government publicly consulted on developing an Aviation Strategy, based on the questions in the  Discussion document to inform the development of an Aviation Strategy (transport.gov.scot)  . Officials also held four stakeholder workshops to examine specific issues in more depth. The workshops included representatives from the aviation sector and environmental organisations.\r\nTransport Scotland published the non-confidential consultation responses and an independent analysis of these responses and the stakeholder workshops (which also notes all participants):  Aviation Strategy - Analysis of consultation responses | Transport Scotland\r\nDue to Covid restrictions, the consultation noted was conducted online only between October 2021 and February 2022.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422130,"EventID":"S6W-28768","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-26T15:00:20.53","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-25T11:41:33.94","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the UK Climate Change Committee&rsquo;s report to the Scottish Parliament, which was published in March 2024, what its response is to the observation that&nb","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the UK Climate Change Committee&rsquo;s report to the Scottish Parliament, which was published in March 2024, what its response is to the observation that&nbsp;the Air Departure Tax is \"overdue\" and should be implemented as soon as possible, and whether it plans to introduce this before the end of the current parliamentary session.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s response to the UK Climate Change Committee's report, including its recommendation on Air Departure Tax, will be published shortly.We continue to explore all options to implement Air Departure Tax in a way that protects Highlands &amp; Islands connectivity and complies with the UK Government&rsquo;s subsidy control regime. We will set out the high-level principles of ADT, including how it will support emissions reductions, and will proceed with more detailed policy development as soon as possible.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422131,"EventID":"S6W-28761","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-26T15:00:20.61","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-25T11:41:33.94","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to its commitment set out in the Transport Scotland paper, Aviation Statement and Key Priorities, that it will contribute to the global effort to reduce CO2 emissions in international aviation by 5% by 2030, how it will measure (a) Scotland’s contribution to this target and (b) the impact of its support of the building of a third runway at Heathrow Airport, as set out in its memorandum of understanding with the airport.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government publishes ‘Scottish Greenhouse Gas Statistics’ on an annual basis. This contains information on emissions from aviation in Scotland, including flights to Heathrow.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422132,"EventID":"S6W-28740","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-26T15:00:20.72","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-24T10:26:27.957","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the potential impact on people in Scotland who are refugees, whether it has made representations to the UK Government to strengthen the Homes for Ukraine scheme in order to protect the safety and sustainability of sponsorship, as recommended by British Red Cross.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to supporting the safety and wellbeing of displaced people from Ukraine and to providing opportunities to integrate and thrive in our communities for as long as Scotland is their home. We will continue to engage with the UK Government on issues which impact people living in Scotland, including refugees, people seeking asylum and displaced people.\r\nSince the Homes for Ukraine scheme began, Scottish Government officials have been regularly meeting with their UK Government counterparts to share best practice and look at how we can strengthen the scheme in order to protect the safety and sustainability of sponsorship. \r\nWe will continue to engage with the new UK government to ensure a system that is effective and more humane.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422133,"EventID":"S6W-28767","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-26T15:00:20.797","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-25T11:41:33.94","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the UK Climate Change Committee’s report to the Scottish Parliament, which was published in March 2024, what its response is to the assertion that there (a) is no strategy for decarbonising aviation and (b) has been no progress in addressing aviation demand growth.","AnswerText":"The assertion that there is no Scottish strategy for decarbonising aviation does not take into account that aviation is reserved or that the UK Government’s Jet Zero Strategy applies throughout the UK. Separately, the Scottish Government’s Aviation Statement has now been published and describes actions we will take to contribute to the global effort to reduce CO2 emissions. The Statement also emphasises that Jet Zero should benefit Scotland and that Ministers will work with the UK Government to secure this aim.\r\nThe Scottish Government’s response to the UK Climate Change Committee's report will be published in the coming months.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422134,"EventID":"S6W-28766","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-26T15:00:20.923","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-25T11:41:33.94","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the comment in the UK Climate Change Committee’s 2023 report to the UK Parliament that the continued development of airport capacity expansion proposals is currently incompatible with the UK’s Net Zero target, whether it will reconsider its continued support for the building of a third runway at Heathrow Airport, as set out in its memorandum of understanding with the airport, and what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the report's recommendation that a UK-wide capacity framework should be developed by the Department for Transport in cooperation with the devolved governments, and be operational by no later than the end of 2024.","AnswerText":"The decision to allow Heathrow expansion was taken by the Westminster Government and UK Parliament. The Scottish Government’s Memorandum of Understanding with Heathrow Airport ensures that Scotland will benefit from this major infrastructure project, which will bring significant job creation and investment opportunities to Scotland.\r\nThe UK Government response to the Climate Change Committee recommendation on airport capacity expansion provides its reasoning as to why it considers a UK-wide airport capacity management framework is not required.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422135,"EventID":"S6W-28769","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-26T15:00:21.08","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-25T11:41:33.94","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the UK Climate Change Committee's report to the Scottish Parliament, which was published in March 2024, what its response is to the recommendation that it should publish a detailed strategy for decarbonising aviation as soon as possible in 2024, and that this should set out the capability of the technologies that will be prioritised to achieve this aim, whether it expects to achieve this before the end of the year, and, if so, by what date.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government’s response to the UK Climate Change Committee's report, including its recommendations on aviation, will be published in the coming months. Our new Aviation Statement clearly sets out the Scottish Government’s actions to support decarbonising aviation and Ministers’ intention to meet regularly with aviation stakeholders to discuss the progress made on reducing emissions. The Aviation Statement should be considered alongside the UK Government’s Jet Zero decarbonisation strategy, which applies across the UK.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422136,"EventID":"S6W-28770","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-26T15:00:21.173","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-25T11:41:33.94","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains its policy position that the building of a third runway at Heathrow Airport should deliver 200 extra flights to airports in Scotland per week.","AnswerText":"This is not the Scottish Government’s policy position. The Memorandum of Understanding with Heathrow notes the potential to offer slots for up to 21 additional daily domestic flights per day. This figure relates to the whole of the UK, not only to Scotland. The amount of capacity between Scotland and Heathrow now and in the future will be determined by airlines matching supply to demand.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422137,"EventID":"S6W-28765","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-26T15:00:21.267","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-25T11:41:33.94","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the assertion in the Transport Scotland paper, Aviation Statement and Key Priorities, that it expects to follow a similar CO2 emissions reduction trajectory to that set out in the UK Government’s Jet Zero strategy, what consideration it has given to the UK Climate Change Committee’s 2023 report to the UK Parliament that this is “high risk” due to its reliance on nascent technology, and what policy frameworks it will put in place to ensure that emissions reductions in the aviation sector occur if these technologies are not delivered on time and at sufficient scale.","AnswerText":"The UK Government’s Jet Zero strategy, with its associated emissions trajectories, will apply throughout the UK. As the Aviation Statement makes clear, it is therefore vital that Jet Zero should benefit Scotland and Ministers will work with the UK Government to secure that aim. Scottish Ministers support the harnessing of new technologies across aerospace to meet climate targets. In addition to the technology-related actions in our Aviation Statement, the Scottish Government has established an expert working group to provide recommendations on increasing the production and use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422138,"EventID":"S6W-28764","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-26T15:00:21.36","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-25T11:41:33.94","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Transport Scotland paper, Aviation Statement and Key Priorities, what projections it has made of the country's aviation emissions in (a) each year between 2023 and 2030, (b) 2040 and (c) 2045.","AnswerText":"The Aviation Statement sets out our commitment to contributing to the global effort to reduce CO2 emissions and the specific actions Ministers will take to do so. The Scottish Government has not sought to predict aviation emissions for the years in question.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422139,"EventID":"S6W-28743","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-26T15:00:21.47","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-24T10:31:18.593","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the&nbsp;potential impact on people in Scotland who are refugees, what representations it has made to the UK Government regarding applying the lessons learn","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the&nbsp;potential impact on people in Scotland who are refugees, what representations it has made to the UK Government regarding applying the lessons learnt from the schemes to support people from Ukraine and explore ways to offer safe routes to others seeking sanctuary.","AnswerText":"Safe and legal routes are crucial to enabling people to seek safety when forced to flee war and persecution. We will continue to engage with the UK Government on issues which impact people living in Scotland, including refugees, people seeking asylum and displaced people. This engagement includes sharing lessons from the experience of over 27,000 Homes for Ukraine visa-holders arriving in Scotland, over 21,000 of which were sponsored by the Scottish Government. We also hope other governments can learn from our work implementing the pioneering New Scots refugee integration strategy; which is a UK-leading integration approach built on a partnership led by the Scottish Government, COSLA and Scottish Refugee Council. We look forward to working closely with the UK Government to deliver a system that is effective and more humane.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422140,"EventID":"S6W-28760","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-26T15:00:21.563","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-25T11:41:33.94","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the&nbsp;Transport Scotland paper,&nbsp;Aviation Statement and Key Priorities, did not include a reference to the memorandum of understanding that it sig","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the&nbsp;Transport Scotland paper,&nbsp;Aviation Statement and Key Priorities, did not include a reference to the memorandum of understanding that it signed with Heathrow Airport in support of the building of a third runway.","AnswerText":"The Aviation Statement focusses on new actions where the Scottish Government can make a meaningful contribution to growing Scotland&rsquo;s direct international connectivity, securing lifeline services in the Highlands and Islands and contributing to decarbonising aviation. The Memorandum of Understanding with Heathrow airport is designed to ensure that any expansion of Heathrow approved by any UK Government results in significant job creation and investment opportunities in Scotland. As this has not changed, and as Heathrow expansion is not approved or underway, even though the new UK Government may support it, there was no need to include it in the Aviation Statement.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422141,"EventID":"S6W-28742","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-26T15:00:21.657","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-24T10:31:04.387","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the potential impact on people in Scotland who are refugees, whether it has made representations to the UK Government to publish a national integration strategy that promotes more equal support for all displaced people and builds on learning across each of the four UK nations.","AnswerText":"Scotland’s national refugee integration strategy has been in place for over a decade. In March 2024 the third New Scots refugee integration strategy was published. It is a UK-leading integration approach built on a partnership led by the Scottish Government, COSLA and Scottish Refugee Council. It was informed by an engagement process involving over 2,000 refugees and people seeking asylum. The strategy is accompanied by a delivery plan setting out the actions that New Scots partners will undertake to deliver the strategy. We hope that other governments can learn from our work. \r\nScottish Ministers have held introductory calls with their new UK Government counterparts and we look forward to working closely with the UK Government to support delivery of a more effective and humane asylum system and resettlement schemes. We are not aware of any plans, however, to publish a UK integration strategy.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422142,"EventID":"S6W-28741","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-26T15:00:21.783","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-24T10:26:49.86","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to help displaced people across the private rented sector. ","AnswerText":"I refer the Member to the answer to question S6W-28627 on? 31 July 2024. \r\nAll answers to Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at  http://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-08-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422143,"EventID":"S6W-28787","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-29T15:53:58.397","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-25T16:13:00.497","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how the Whole Family Wellbeing Fund's budget has been adjusted for inflation since its establishment.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the Whole Family Wellbeing Fund's budget has been adjusted for inflation since its establishment.","AnswerText":"The WFWF budget has not been adjusted for inflation. Rather, we are taking funding decisions based on evidence and engagement with our partners about need, and our collective understanding about how to support transformational change. We have continued to prioritise the &pound;50m funding for Whole Family Wellbeing to maintain the programme of activity which has been established across Children&rsquo;s Services Planning Partnerships. This maintains our multi-year commitment of &pound;32m to transform holistic family support services in communities.We recognise that further support is required to sustain positive change beyond the lifetime of this funding. We continue to evaluate and listen to our partners to understand the realities of delivering our shared ambitions and intended outcomes for children, young people and families in practice.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422144,"EventID":"S6W-28786","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-29T15:53:58.71","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-25T16:10:46.557","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the total budget for the Whole Family Wellbeing Fund, in real terms, from its establishment to date.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the total budget for the Whole Family Wellbeing Fund, in real terms, from its establishment to date.","AnswerText":"Since 2022 over &pound;110m of Whole Family Wellbeing Funding was invested by the Scottish Government to deliver a transformational change in holistic family support so that families get the right support, in the right way and at the right time. The funding was distributed as follows:&pound;96m provided for Children&rsquo;s Services Planning Partnerships (CSPPs) (Element 1) to build local service capacity for change and to transform family support services.&pound;1.6m National Support for Local Delivery (Element 2), includes a package of activity aimed at supporting local transformation. This part of the funding also supports the wider evaluation and research work for WFWF.&pound;13.1m for taking a cross Scottish Government approach to system change (Element 3) which is supporting 12 projects across Scottish Government policy areas to help progress the aims of the Programme.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422145,"EventID":"S6W-28791","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-29T15:53:58.803","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-25T17:08:39.46","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the report, Integration Joint Boards' Finance and performance 2024, published by the Accounts Commission in July 2024, whether it will provide details of th","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the report, Integration Joint Boards' Finance and performance 2024, published by the Accounts Commission in July 2024, whether it will provide details of the four outstanding national integration performance indicators that have not been finalised for reporting, and when it anticipates that this process will be concluded.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government acknowledges the importance of transparent and comprehensive reporting on integration performance indicators as highlighted in the Accounts Commission&rsquo;s report, Integration Joint Boards' Finance and performance 2024. The four national performance indicators that have not been finalised for reporting are:Indicator 10: Percentage of staff who say they would recommend their workplace as a good place to work.Indicator 21: Percentage of people admitted to hospital from home during the year, who are discharged to a care home.Indicator 22: Percentage of people who are discharged from hospital within 72 hours of being ready.Indicator 23: Expenditure on end of life care.These indicators are not currently reported on because there is not yet a nationally agreed definition or the necessary national data is either unavailable or not sufficiently robust.Robust data and digital infrastructure will be a key enabler of both our Data Strategy and the National Care Service. The Scottish Government continues to identify and invest in innovative digital and data solutions to support improvements in social care, and integrated care, such as the integrated social care and health record. Work is ongoing to develop the integrated social care and health record, including extensive co-design as part of the wider NCS programme, with those who will use the record &ndash; such as individuals in receipt of care and frontline staff &ndash; at the centre of that design.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422146,"EventID":"S6W-28788","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-29T15:53:59.04","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-25T16:20:14.557","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how its recent Budget supports its ambition that by 2030 at least 5% of all community-based health and social care spend will be on preventative whole family support mea","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how its recent Budget supports its ambition that by 2030 at least 5% of all community-based health and social care spend will be on preventative whole family support measures.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to this ambition and has prioritised investment in supporting local areas to develop preventative whole family support measures through the Whole Family Wellbeing Funding, with &pound;50m being allocated for the programme in the 2024-25 budget. The Scottish Government continues to work with partners on how we can most effectively deploy future investment to support the system change required and will shortly publish an investment approach setting out our future approach to the Programme and associated funding.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422147,"EventID":"S6W-28772","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-29T15:53:59.117","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-25T15:33:07.927","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve relationships between social services, schools and parents to ensure a coordinated support system for children and young people.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve relationships between social services, schools and parents to ensure a coordinated support system for children and young people.","AnswerText":"Scotland&rsquo;s &lsquo;Getting it right for every child&rsquo; (GIRFEC) approach underpins the delivery of high-quality universal and targeted support through a single, coordinated approach to planning across education, social work, and health and social care; and between public services, the third sector and community partners.The GIRFEC approach recognises that children, young people and their families need to know who they can contact when they require support. The named person,&nbsp;Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC): practice guidance 2 &ndash; role of the named person - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) or equivalent role, provides a clear point of contact within universal services for information, advice or help. A named person can provide or help families access further information on practical support from within their own service, or request support from other services or agencies across the community. For school-aged children, the named person is usually a head or senior teacher.The non-statutory GIRFEC Child&rsquo;s Plan remains an important element in the ways children&rsquo;s and related services can work in a co-ordinated way to support the wellbeing of children, young people and their families. Using the GIRFEC approach, practitioners and lead professionals should support a child or young person's wellbeing by working alongside them and their family, and other practitioners involved in supporting their wellbeing. Where a child or young person is supported through a GIRFEC Child&rsquo;s Plan, the lead professional&nbsp;Lead professional - Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) offers families a single point of contact who can work with them and any multi-agency team to help co-ordinate support and help everyone understand their respective roles in implementing the plan.GIRFEC provides the foundation for all of the Scottish Government&rsquo;s policies to ensure that children and young people receive the right support, at the right time. This includes Scotland&rsquo;s legislative approach to collaborative local strategic planning. Children&rsquo;s Services Planning duties are set out in Part 3 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014. This requires services and support to be planned and delivered in a way which delivers on national and local priorities and meets the statutory aims of Children&rsquo;s Services Planning, including the aim to ensure that support is experienced as joined-up from the point of view of children and families.Each local authority and Health Board must work collaboratively with specified service providers, other public bodies, the third sector, and children, young people and families to develop their Children&rsquo;s Services Plan (CSP). Each Children&rsquo;s Services Planning Partnership (CSPP) has a multi-agency strategic governance group of local senior leaders, who are responsible for their CSP. This includes publishing an annual report to demonstrate what progress has been made to improve outcomes for children, young people and families living in that area.The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 provides the legal framework for identifying and addressing the additional support needs of children and young people who face a barrier, or barriers, to learning. Parents, children, and young people have the right to ask for an assessment of whether additional support is required. Local authorities and other agencies should ensure that parents are fully aware of the processes for assessing and providing for children&rsquo;s additional support needs, understand the planning approaches and are familiar with the support services available from the school, the education authority and from other agencies.Scottish Ministers also fund Enquire, the national advice and information service on additional support for learning. Enquire operate a telephone helpline providing confidential and tailored advice to parents and carers on their chi","AnswerDate":"2024-08-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422148,"EventID":"S6W-28771","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-29T15:53:59.383","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-25T15:33:07.927","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures it has in place to provide practical support, such as assistance with housing issues, budgeting, and accessing benefits, to parents of children receiving care services.","AnswerText":"Children’s Services Plans are key to the delivery of Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC) at a strategic, operational, and frontline practice level, and are the legislative, strategic planning and delivery context in which Holistic Whole Family Support and action to Tackle Child Poverty and Keep The Promise is set. Children’s Services Planning partners have a key role embedding GIRFEC at a local level, to ensure joined up support for families so they get the right help at the right time across services.\r\nThe GIRFEC approach lies at the heart of all our policies and services which support the wellbeing of children and young people. It provides a framework for the delivery of high-quality universal and targeted support across public services, the third sector and community partners. At a local level, Children’s Services Plans set out how services, supports and improvement activities will be delivered to meet the national and local priorities which aim to improve wellbeing outcomes for children, young people and families.\r\nThe Scottish Government’s Whole Family Wellbeing Funding Programme was established with the purpose of driving the system change required at local level, principally through Children’s Service Planning Partnerships (CSPPs), to deliver holistic family support so that families get the right support, at the right time, for as long as they need. Recognising the varying circumstances in local areas, the Programme does not seek to mandate a specific delivery model – an approach which has been welcomed by delivery partners. Instead, CSPPs are asked to assess their current delivery system and consider what the gaps and opportunities were for them in delivering holistic support for families.\r\nSince 2022 we have invested over £110m in a programme of activity aimed at responding to what the sector told us was required to support local areas to deliver whole system change, including £96m provided directly to Children's Services Planning Partnerships to build local service capacity for change and transform family support services.\r\nIn addition, the Scottish Government has allocated over £12 million for the provision of free income maximisation support, welfare and debt advice in 2024-25. This vital funding ensures that people who are struggling the most can access the support they need in a way that works for them – be it face to face, online or over the phone. Building on the success of the Welfare Advice and Health Partnerships, the Scottish Government also established the Advice in Accessible Settings Fund last year. This fund supports the delivery of advice services in a range of community, health and education settings to further increase the availability and accessibility of advice.\r\nWe remain committed to supporting advice services as they continue to provide much needed support to households across Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422149,"EventID":"S6W-28778","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-29T15:53:59.54","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-25T15:33:07.927","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it supports initiatives that promote positive community relationships for families to ensure that they have access to local activities and services that benefit thei","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it supports initiatives that promote positive community relationships for families to ensure that they have access to local activities and services that benefit their children&rsquo;s development.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is providing &pound;18 million funding in 2024-25 through our Children, Young People, Families Early Intervention and Adult Learning and Empowering Communities (CYPFEI &amp; ALEC) and Children, Young People, Families and Adult Learners (CYPFAL) third sector funds to support children, families and communities.In addition to this, Children&rsquo;s Services Planning is Scotland&rsquo;s legislative approach to collaborative local strategic planning and delivery of services and support, to ensure this is delivered in a way which improves wellbeing outcomes for children, young people and families living in each area. Children&rsquo;s Services Planning duties are set out in Part 3 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014.Children&rsquo;s Services Planning Partnerships are key to driving a holistic and whole systems approach in the local area, which embeds Getting it right for every child, delivers holistic whole family support, as well as action to Keep the Promise.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422150,"EventID":"S6W-28779","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-29T15:53:59.803","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-25T15:33:07.927","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what strategies are in place to support parents in crisis situations, to ensure that they receive timely and effective assistance.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what strategies are in place to support parents in crisis situations, to ensure that they receive timely and effective assistance.","AnswerText":"Our latest tackling child poverty progress report against our delivery plan &lsquo;Best Start, Bright Futures&rsquo;, highlighted &pound;2.9 billion investment targeted at low income households. Actions include our unique Scottish Child Payment which we have increased to &pound;26.70 per week and is now benefitting around 330,000 children, further investment through our No One Left Behind approach to strengthen our employability offer to parents and investment of Whole Family Wellbeing Funding which aims to deliver transformational change to improve holistic whole family support.'Getting it right for every child' (GIRFEC) is the Scottish Government's commitment to provide all children, young people and their families with the right support at the right time. The GIRFEC approach recognises that children, young people and their families need to know who they can contact when they require support. The named person, or equivalent role, provides a clear point of contact within universal services for information, advice or help. The Scottish Government is also investing &pound;12 million this year in free income maximisation, welfare and debt advice services, helping to ensure people are aware of their rights and entitlements, tackle problem debt and reduce poverty.We are also proud that we have the Scottish Welfare Fund providing emergency support and a lifeline to people in need, through Crisis Grants to help meet immediate short-term needs arising from exceptional circumstances and Community Care Grants to help eligible people establish or maintain a home. We have protected investment in the fund of &pound;41 million this year. Statistics show that in 2023-24, 96% of Crisis Grant applications were processed within the target of the end of the next working day. Scotland is also the first nation in the UK to publish a Plan that works towards ending the need for food banks. The plan includes a &pound;1.8m Cash-First Programme to strengthen urgent access to cash in a crisis and reduce the need for food parcels, delivered collaboratively with advice and support to strengthen people&rsquo;s incomes and help prevent future hardship.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422151,"EventID":"S6W-28777","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-29T15:53:59.877","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-25T15:33:07.927","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to address the unique needs of parents and families in rural areas, in light of reported challenges such as limited access to healthcare, education and social services, as well as any transportation barriers. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the significant and unique challenges faced by our rural communities, and is committed to understanding and tackling those challenges.\r\nFor example, the forthcoming Mainland Rural Delivery Plan will set out how all parts of the Scottish Government are delivering for Scotland’s rural communities, and will cover a range of topics, including healthcare, education, social justice and transport. Furthermore, the Addressing Depopulation Action Plan, sets out how we will work with regional, local and community partners to ensure that we collectively deliver a sustainable solution to the key challenges in rural communities.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422152,"EventID":"S6W-28774","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-29T15:53:59.957","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-25T15:33:07.927","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what initiatives are in place to support parents in building the confidence and skills necessary to support their children&rsquo;s mental health and wellbeing.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what initiatives are in place to support parents in building the confidence and skills necessary to support their children&rsquo;s mental health and wellbeing.","AnswerText":"Maree Todd: The Scottish Government recognises the import role parents and carers play in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people. Because of this, we continue to invest in a range of initiatives to give parents and carers the confidence and skills they may require to support their children while looking after their own wellbeing.The Scottish Government&rsquo;s Parent Club web resource, and associated marketing campaigns, provide parents and carers with tips, advice and links to further information on how to support their children&rsquo;s mental health and wellbeing from birth to teenage years. The website also gives information on how parents and carers can support their own mental wellbeing and maintain resilience.  https://www.parentclub.scot/topics/mental-health-wellbeingParents and cares in Scotland can also access, free, online courses, expertly designed for parents, carers and grandparents on supporting the emotional wellbeing of their children. These courses are provided by NHS Education for Scotland, in partnership with the Solihull Approach.  https://inourplace.co.uk/scotland/In addition, since 2020, we have provided local authorities with over &pound;50 million to develop and deliver Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Supports and Services, for children, young people and their families, with a further &pound;15 million committed for 2024/25. The services are focused on prevention and early intervention and, where appropriate, offer an alternative to CAMHS by providing support in a community setting.Community supports and services are available in every local authority area, with more than 300 now in place across the country. Local authorities have advised that over 58,000 people used the supports and services in the first half of 2023. This includes parents and carers who have received advice and assistance on supporting their children&rsquo;s mental health and wellbeing through; mentoring services, digital services, whole-family supports, counselling services and spaces for peer learning and advice.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422153,"EventID":"S6W-28776","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-29T15:54:00.017","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-25T15:33:07.927","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what specific training programmes are available for parents to help them better support their children&rsquo;s educational and social development.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what specific training programmes are available for parents to help them better support their children&rsquo;s educational and social development.","AnswerText":"Support for parents in their children&rsquo;s development is provided across a range of different resources and programmes covering social and emotional as well as early literacy and speech &amp; language.In 2021 Scottish Government launched the Wellbeing for Wee Ones Hub on the Parent Club website, supporting parents to gain an understanding of their infant&rsquo;s emotional and mental wellbeing from an early stage. Solihull Online programmes have also been rolled out across Scotland providing evidence based information on relationships and child development all the way through to 18 years. Additionally, the Psychology of Parenting Programme (PoPP) supports local areas with the implementation of evidence based parenting programmes to support the development of positive relationships and attachment across childhood.Since 2010 the Scottish Government has funded the Scottish Book Trust&rsquo;s Bookbug Programme which as well as laying the foundations of early literacy, the programme aims to enhance attachment and promote emotional intelligence as well as good communication and listening skills. In 2024/25, the Scottish Government is providing &pound;1.8 million, to deliver this Programme.In 2024/25 the Scottish Government is also providing Smart Play Network with &pound;645,000 to deliver the PlayTalkRead programme which promotes the importance of playing, talking and reading with children from birth to four years old to boost their development. The programme includes &lsquo;Pathways Through Play&rsquo; which is an activity that supports early speech and language development through play.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422154,"EventID":"S6W-28781","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-29T15:54:00.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-25T15:33:07.927","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what funding is available for programmes aimed at strengthening parenting skills and improving parent-child relationships.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what funding is available for programmes aimed at strengthening parenting skills and improving parent-child relationships.","AnswerText":"Supporting parents is key to improving outcomes for children and young people. We want to build the knowledge, skills and confidence of parents, so they can be and do the best they can for their children. Since 2010 the Scottish Government has funded the Scottish Book Trust&rsquo;s Bookbug Programme, supported with &pound;1.8 million in funding in 2024-25 the programme lays the foundations of early literacy, enhances attachment and promotes emotional intelligence as well as good communication and listening skills. To further support the promotion of parent-child relationships in 2024-25 we are also funding the PlayTalkRead and Pathways through Play programme. Supported with &pound;645,000 funding, the programme is delivered by Smart Play Network across all 32 local authority areas in Scotland. The programme promotes the importance of playing, talking and reading with children from birth to four years old and supports targeted early speech and language development through play.The Scottish Government has worked with NHS Education for Scotland on the Psychology of Parenting Project (PoPP) which aims to increase the availability of training in, and support the effective implementation of, evidence-based early intervention and prevention programmes for improving the mental health and wellbeing of children and families. This involves working collaboratively with Community Planning Partnerships to support implementation.Additionally, the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Third Sector Fund provides funding of up to &pound;1m per annum to third sector organisations supporting perinatal and infant mental health. This includes projects and services which support parent-infant relationships.The Scottish Government is also providing &pound;18 million funding in 2024-25 through our Children, Young People, Families Early Intervention and Adult Learning and Empowering Communities (CYPFEI &amp; ALEC) and Children, Young People, Families and Adult Learners (CYPFAL) third sector funds to support children, families and communities.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422155,"EventID":"S6W-28794","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-29T15:54:00.267","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-26T09:36:15.52","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27486 by Mairi McAllan on 28 May 2024, whether a decision regarding Scottish ministerial attendance at (a) COP29 and (b) COP16 has been reached, and whether it has discussed attendance with the (i) UK Government, (ii) Welsh Government and (iii) Northern Ireland Executive.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to working with our international partners to secure a global transition to a net zero and nature positive future in a way that is fair and just for all.\r\nScotland will continue to play our part at COPs, building on the legacy of the Edinburgh Process by making the case for greater inclusion of devolved governments and ensuring climate justice is at the heart of international climate action.\r\nOfficials are currently preparing advice on Scottish Government attendance at COP29 or COP16 and a formal decision will be made in due course. We discuss our international climate and wider environmental engagements, including COP16 and COP29, as part of our routine engagement with the UK Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422156,"EventID":"S6W-28783","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-29T15:54:00.377","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-25T15:33:07.927","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it collaborates with local authorities to ensure consistency in parent support services across different regions.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it collaborates with local authorities to ensure consistency in parent support services across different regions.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s Whole Family Wellbeing Funding Programme was established with the purpose of driving the system change required at local level, principally through Children&rsquo;s Service Planning Partnerships (CSPPs), to deliver holistic family support so that families get the right support, at the right time, for as long as they need. Recognising the varying circumstances in local areas, the Programme does not seek to mandate a specific delivery model &ndash; an approach which has been welcomed by delivery partners.Delivery of the WFWF Programme involves a variety of collaborative work with CSPPs &ndash; of which local authorities are statutory members &ndash; including Providing direct funding to Children's Services Planning Partnerships to build local service capacity for change and transform family support services. Each CSPP is responsible deciding how to spend their allocation, based on a local assessment of need. Investing in a package of activity to support the development and sharing of learning across CSPPs and beyond, including the creation of the the Learning into Action Network and Knowledge Hub and dedicated collaborative partnerships with specific CSPP areas.Development of the Supporting Families - A National Self-Assessment Toolkit for Change (in collaboration with stakeholders) to support consistent and structured planning discussions about the design and delivery of holistic family support services at the local level.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422157,"EventID":"S6W-28775","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-29T15:54:00.457","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-25T15:33:07.927","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it collaborates with third sector organisations to provide comprehensive support to parents of children involved in the criminal justice system.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government works closely with third sector partners and all other agencies involved in supporting children and young people who are involved with the criminal justice system, their parents and carers.\r\nWe fund the Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice (CYCJ), who work with a number of third sector organisations providing a range of support services to both children and their parents. This includes Action for Children, Includem and Barnardos.\r\nAs part of their Promise implementation work, CYCJ is leading a project to engage directly with parents of children in conflict with the law. The aim of this is to develop a network of parents who can participate in the development of policy and practice. In order to reach these parents CYCJ is actively engaging with existing parenting networks such as Parenting Across Scotland and Families Outside.\r\nWe collaborate with third sector partners which seek to prevent at-risk young people from coming into conflict with the law by offering more targeted support to children and families. Preventing children and young people from going down a path where they are in conflict with the law and supporting them appropriately and effectively when they do – to help address their underlying needs – has been integral to Scotland’s youth justice agenda for over a decade.\r\nThis includes organisations such as Cyrenians and Aberlour, which receive funding through the Cashback for Communities programme. Cyrenians’ Keeping Families Together project works across Scotland in partnership with Scotland’s four secure centres, offering mediation, whole family support and conflict resolution workshops. The approach enables young people and families to improve communication, address underlying issues and build stronger, more positive relationships.\r\nAberlour’s project, Alternative Routes #CashBack, supports young people aged 10-25 and their families most at risk of being involved in antisocial behaviour, offending or reoffending. They use a whole system approach involving the whole family and community, which improves confidence in young people and provides them with opportunities to connect, flourish and achieve at home, school, and in the community.\r\nIncludem’s ADAPT project – funded through the Scottish Government’s Whole Family Wellbeing Fund – also focuses on young people who are in conflict or at risk of being in conflict with the law. The project works with young people and their families to help them navigate a way out of a variety of difficult circumstances by diverting them from criminal behaviour and a resultant trajectory into the criminal justice system.\r\nWe also ensure that child victims and their families are offered trauma-informed and person-centred support and advocacy through the Victim-Centred Approach Fund and the development of a Bairns’ Hoose model in Scotland. The Victim-Centred Approach Fund enables victim organisations to support provision of practice and emotional support to victims, survivors and witnesses of crime across Scotland, while Bairns’ Hoose provides trauma informed recovery, support and justice services for children who have been victims or witnesses of abuse or violence, as well as children under the age of criminal responsibility whose behaviour may have caused significant harm or abuse.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422158,"EventID":"S6W-28773","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-29T15:54:00.517","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-25T15:33:07.927","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it incorporates the feedback and experiences of parents and caregivers into the development of policies affecting child welfare and support services.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it incorporates the feedback and experiences of parents and caregivers into the development of policies affecting child welfare and support services.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has a distinctive way of delivering policy and public services. This has become known as the Scottish Approach and prioritises working in partnership to co-produce policy and shape services. In the development of policies related to care of children, co-production with parents and caregivers is achieved in a variety of ways. These include lived-experience panels, public consultations, citizens assemblies, and ensuring parents and caregiver organisations are involved in key stakeholder groups.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422159,"EventID":"S6W-28793","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-29T15:54:00.58","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-25T23:18:29.393","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to harness the capabilities of the fintech sector to improve public sector data efficiency and productivity.","AnswerText":"We recognise the significant potential of collaborating across sectors and with industries, including fintech, to harness technological advancements to improve the quality and delivery of public services.\r\nThrough the CivTech programme we have supported a number of open innovation challenges, working with a cross-sectoral pool of expertise to identify solutions that ensure the data that supports our public services can be accessed and used as easily and efficiently as possible.\r\nAs part of CivTech 10, launched on 30 July, we are committed to exploring possible solutions that use technology to share data seamlessly across public sector body boundaries. By streamlining data management processes to improve accessibility across public bodies and departments, we can unlock the value of data to enhance efficiency and productivity in the public sector.\r\nWe are contributing, in an advisory role, alongside FinTech Scotland, to Scottish Enterprise’s Blockchain and Digital Trust Task Force, to help drive adoption of blockchain and digital technologies across the finance, energy, manufacturing and health industries. We are also aware of  Smart Data Foundry’s work on a cost-of-living dashboard with East Renfrewshire Council  . We have had initial discussions with Smart Data Foundry and will explore how we can share learning from their innovative data-driven approaches and expertise with emerging technologies with public sector data communities.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422160,"EventID":"S6W-28780","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-29T15:54:00.817","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-25T15:33:07.927","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that parents of children with additional support needs are included in any decision-making processes regarding their child's care and education.","AnswerText":"Parental engagement is vital when there are decisions to be made about the care and education of children, particularly those with additional support needs.\r\nThe Scottish Government seeks to create opportunities to enable parents and carers to be consistently involved and fully listened to as key partners in the development of additional support for learning (ASL) policy, and more broadly in education policy. Parents and carers are represented in all our key stakeholder groups on ASL.\r\nParents are involved in the planning process for the delivery of care and educational support provided by local authorities, through Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) and ASL policy implementation.\r\nThe Children’s Service, My Rights, My Say is a Scottish Government funded national service which supports children who have attained the age of 12 years and their parents and carers who wish to exercise, or are considering exercising, relevant rights to help them access the advice and support that they need to be fully involved in decisions about their education.\r\nThe Scottish Government also funds Let’s Talk ASN Scotland, a national advocacy and legal representation service for young people (over 16 years old) and the parents and carers of children with additional support needs, who may require support in relation to a dispute or potential dispute with an education authority regarding support under the Additional Support for Learning Act 2004.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422161,"EventID":"S6W-28789","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-29T15:54:01.017","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-25T16:20:14.557","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how the effectiveness of the Whole Family Wellbeing Fund will be measured.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the effectiveness of the Whole Family Wellbeing Fund will be measured.","AnswerText":"Independent external evaluation of the Programme is a core component of delivery. A Year 1 process evaluation report of the programme was published on 31 January 2024: Whole Family Wellbeing Funding (WFWF) - year 1 process evaluation: final report - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) and evaluation of Year 2 is currently underway. Both focus on impact of the Programme in relation to short-, medium- and long-term outcomes set out in our WFWF logic model. A full evaluation report of Year 2 will be available in early 2025. Planning for the evaluation of Year 3 and beyond is underway, supported by a Research Advisory Group comprised of external experts and stakeholders.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422162,"EventID":"S6W-28784","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-29T15:54:01.113","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-25T15:33:07.927","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to provide targeted support for single parents, particularly those facing financial hardship.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to provide targeted support for single parents, particularly those facing financial hardship.","AnswerText":"As set out in the Scottish Government&rsquo;s second Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan, Best Start, Bright Futures, we remain fully committed to ensuring that all relevant action across government is focused on meeting the needs of the six priority families identified &ndash; including lone parent families. This will ensure that support is tailored and ultimately more effective in meeting the needs of families at risk of poverty.Despite facing the most challenging budget settlement of devolution, we are committing over &pound;3 billion this year to policies which tackle poverty and protect people, including single parents, as far as possible during the ongoing costs crisis. This includes investment in our game-changing Scottish Child Payment, funded early learning and childcare, providing free bus travel for over two million people, and offering free school meals to over 277,000 children.This investment also includes making &pound;7.8 million available to Local Authorities to mitigate the previous UK Government&rsquo;s benefit cap as fully as possible through Discretionary Housing Payments. This supports around 2,300 families, of which it is estimated 74% are lone parent families.Further to this wide ranging support for families, we continue to take action which is specifically targeted to lone parents. Since 2016 the Scottish Government has been providing core funding to One Parent Families Scotland (OPFS) through the Children, Young People and Families Early Intervention and Adult Learning and Empowering Communities Fund. OPFS will receive &pound;371,700 for core funding in 2024-25, supporting their work with and for single parent families, providing support services that enable them to achieve their potential and help create lasting solutions to the poverty and barriers facing many single parents and their children.We have also allocated &pound;523,966 to One Parent Families Scotland in 2024-25 to support its specialist National Advice and Information Service and debt advice service, which aims to reduce child poverty, provide debt support to single parent households and increase their financial and family wellbeing.In addition, we have continuously called upon the UK Government to abolish the two-child limit policy, which is estimated to impact almost 1 in 10 children in Scotland. Scottish Government analysis from February 2024 found that removing the two-child limit and reinstating the family element in Universal Credit would lift around 10,000 children in Scotland out of relative poverty in 2024-25. The Scottish Government will continue to do all we can within our powers and will leave no stone unturned across government as we seek to eradicate child poverty. We remain committed to working with the UK Government to build on the action we have taken to date and to end child poverty once and for all.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422163,"EventID":"S6W-28790","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-29T15:54:01.393","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-25T17:08:39.46","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the report, Integration Joint Boards' Finance and performance 2024, published by the Accounts Commission in July 2024, which, among other conclus","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the report, Integration Joint Boards' Finance and performance 2024, published by the Accounts Commission in July 2024, which, among other conclusions, found that \"uncertainty around the direction of the plans for a National Care Service\" has contributed to the \"difficult context for planning and delivering effective services\".","AnswerText":"While the Accounts Commission&rsquo;s recommendations are aimed at Integration Joint Boards, the Scottish Government is committed to working with the health and social care sector to support improvement. We have invested a record &pound;19.5 billion in health and social care in 2024-25, including over &pound;2 billion for social care and integration.The National Care Service (NCS) Bill is currently at Stage 2 and it is our intention for the NCS to be established before the end of this parliamentary term. In June we shared our package of government stage 2 amendments for the Bill with Parliament. Scottish Government officials have been in discussion with Integration Joint Board representatives, including through the tripartite NCS discussions and the ongoing NCS Key Stakeholder Reference Group. The voices of people who are service users are key in these changes and, as we have been clear from the outset, we will be working closely with them as the plans develop.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422164,"EventID":"S6W-28782","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-29T15:54:01.55","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-25T15:33:07.927","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors and evaluates the effectiveness of parent support programmes to ensure that they are meeting the needs of families.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors and evaluates the effectiveness of parent support programmes to ensure that they are meeting the needs of families.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises that supporting parents is key to improving outcomes for children and young people and that monitoring and evaluating of our parenting support programmes is an essential component to ensure the effectiveness of these programmes. Monitoring and evaluation are a key element of all grant funding conditions issued by the Scottish Government.In respect of both the Bookbug and PlayTalkRead/Pathways Through Play programmes, they provide quarterly reports on progress against outcomes along with a final annual report showing all activities undertaken, the outputs and outcomes achieved as well as an overall evaluation of the programme.The Psychology of Parenting Programme is monitored through outcomes briefings provided by NHS Education for Scotland (NES). The most recent is available in the Psychology of Parenting Programme section of the NES website alongside a published evaluation of the programme. NES also provide monthly updates on the rollout of Solihull Online.With regards to our third sector funding programmes &ndash; the Children, Young People, Families Early Intervention and Adult Learning and Empowering Communities fund (CYPFEI &amp; ALEC) and the Children, Young People, Families and Adult Learners fund (CYPFAL) - all 137 CYPFEI &amp; ALEC and CYPFAL funded organisation provide six monthly and annual progress reports. The reports provide key information on the outcomes achieved through the provision of funding, including the number of people directly supported and the work delivered in the reporting period.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422165,"EventID":"S6W-28785","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-29T15:54:01.8","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-25T15:33:07.927","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it addresses the needs of parents with disabilities, to ensure that they receive adequate support to care for their children.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it addresses the needs of parents with disabilities, to ensure that they receive adequate support to care for their children.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises that all parents are entitled to support throughout their parenting journey, and parents with disabilities will have specific needs that should be met.This support begins in pregnancy and one of the key recommendations in The Best Start, which sets out our vision for maternity care in Scotland is the introduction of continuity of carer. Through this model, women will receive the majority of their care through their primary midwife, supported by the wider team, which helps to build a continuous caring relationship, understanding that such personalised care will be particularly important for disabled women.Health visitors play a vital role in supporting families from pre-birth to age 5 and where additional needs of the parent are identified, the health visitor can facilitate additional support and referrals to specialised services. In recognition of their unique role, we invested over &pound;40 million over four years to recruit an additional 500 health visitors between 2014-18.The Scottish Government has overall responsibility for health and social care policy in Scotland, however, it is local authorities and health and social care partnerships who have the responsibility to ensure that the right social care support is available to meet the needs of those who rely on local services. Local and national government have committed to respecting each other&rsquo;s democratic mandates as part of the Verity House Agreement.Scotland&rsquo;s Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) approach underpins the delivery of high-quality universal and targeted support through a single, coordinated approach to planning across education, social work, and health and social care; and between public services, the third sector and community partners. The Scottish Government published a series of GIRFEC policy and practice guidance&nbsp;Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)&nbsp;in 2022-23 to provide practitioners and professionals with confidence, clarity and practical support to continue to embed the 'Getting it right for every child' approach across children&rsquo;s and related services.Self-directed Support (SDS) is Scotland&rsquo;s approach to social care that enables disabled people, people living with long term conditions, and unpaid carers to manage and choose the support they require. The Scottish Government published Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013: statutory guidance - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) in 2014, and reviewed and updated this in November 2022, making it clearer that self-directed support is for everyone in Scotland who needs social care services or support. In June last year we also published our  Self-directed support: improvement plan 2023 to 2027 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) which builds on the progress of the previous plan, aiming to set out priorities in a clear and helpful way, and to ensure that there is regular and appropriate reporting, monitoring and evaluation of what is being done.The Scottish Government continues to work closely with Disabled People&rsquo;s Organisations (DPOs) to develop and implement a plan that is informed by the lived experience of disabled people and will deliver actions to help with the significant challenges they are currently facing.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422175,"EventID":"S6W-28801","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-30T15:53:27.323","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-26T16:36:45.307","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update on Food Standards Scotland's work with local authorities to improve efficiency and resilience in the environmental health and food safet","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update on Food Standards Scotland's work with local authorities to improve efficiency and resilience in the environmental health and food safety workforces.","AnswerText":"Food Standards Scotland (FSS) meet on a quarterly basis with the representatives of the Society of Chief Officers in Environmental Health who work in local authorities to discuss issues in relation to food safety, food standards and nutrition in Scotland. The last time they met was on 17 July. They also attend and present at the Society&rsquo;s annual congress.FSS are members of the Environmental Health Policy Co-ordination Group, who meet monthly and have the Environmental Health Officer (EHO) vacancies and workforce shortages as standing agenda item for each meeting.Since vesting, FSS has provided an annual grant to the Society which it disperses to local authorities who apply for funding assistance in training and recruitment of trainee Environmental Health and Food Safety Officers. The amount has averaged at between &pound;20,000 - &pound;60,000 per annum and a one-off payment of &pound;300,000 was provided in 2022 &ndash; 23 to assist with the acute shortage in student and EHO numbers.FSS also provide a number of speciality training packages to local authorities to ensure EHOs are trained on numerous technical subjects. These courses are reviewed and updated regularly.I, in my capacity as Minister for Public Health and Women&rsquo;s Health, met with Geoff Ogle, CEO of FSS on 20 June to discuss the current state of local delivery in relation to food law and the proposed reform programme that would introduce digital capabilities, as well as an overhaul of the food law delivery system.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422176,"EventID":"S6W-28809","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-30T15:53:27.433","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-29T11:31:18.133","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many of the 1,000 inquiries received by the Scottish Land Matching service have been matched. ","AnswerText":"Of the 1,050 enquiries now received by the Scottish Land Matching Service (SLMS) since 2019, a total of 35 have been formally matched by the service.\r\nIn addition to these matches, the service has supported, and continues to actively support, the exploration and facilitation of a further 263 potential joint venture agreements. This engagement includes the provision of impartial advice by Land Matching Service advisers to encourage successful future matches and provides quality, impartial, future-proof advice on next steps for customers to take.\r\nA further 537, which are largely seeking land, are on the service’s database and are routinely reviewed when opportunities arise. 215 have engaged with the service, registered interest, but ultimately decided not to pursue their enquiry with the service. \r\nMatched\r\nFacilitated\r\nActive/\r\nArchived/ ? Inactive\r\nUnmatched\r\nFarming\r\n33\r\n255\r\n289\r\n104\r\nCrofting\r\n2\r\n8\r\n248\r\n111\r\nTotal\r\n35\r\n263\r\n537\r\n215\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":422177,"EventID":"S6W-28799","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5060,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-30T15:53:27.527","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-26T16:21:30.337","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what factors led it to choose Aberdeen and Glasgow airports as possible locations for a multi-modal hydrogen innovation hub.","AnswerText":"Launched in 2022, the Scottish Government’s Hydrogen Innovation Scheme (HIS) is supporting projects under the themes of renewable hydrogen production, hydrogen storage and distribution, and integration of hydrogen into our energy system. All applications for HIS funding were subject to a thorough assessment against a range of criteria, including alignment with our Hydrogen Action Plan.\r\nGlasgow Airport Ltd. applied for funding to support a study to test the feasibility of a hydrogen production, storage and distribution hub at the airport. The application demonstrated several positive aspects, such as use of local wastewater treatment effluent as feedstock to produce hydrogen via electrolysis, deployment of novel storage and distribution technologies, and the intent to explore scalability and replicability. A HIS grant of £150,000 was awarded in May 2023: work began in summer 2023, with the project involving a consortium of partners.\r\nThe project did not involve Aberdeen Airport. However, the Scottish Government has separately, via the Energy Transition Fund, helped to fund the Aberdeen Hydrogen Hub, a strategic programme that aims to accelerate the hydrogen economy in the city with an initial focus on the use of hydrogen for road transport.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422178,"EventID":"S6W-28798","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-30T15:53:27.59","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-26T16:10:45.163","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it expects that the executive management team make-up of Qualifications Scotland will remain the same as is currently the case at the Scottish Qualifications Authority. ","AnswerText":"The SQA Chair, appointed in November 2023, has been tasked with leading the organisation through reform and the establishment of Qualifications Scotland. As part of this, the Chair has been commissioned to provide advice on how the organisational design and leadership structures of Qualifications Scotland can best deliver this Government’s reform commitments. This includes advice on structures which will ensure a greater focus on the delivery of qualifications and related support services to schools, as well as further strengthening of the separation between awarding and accreditation functions, building on the proposed measures in the Education (Scotland) Bill.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422179,"EventID":"S6W-28797","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-30T15:53:27.667","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-26T15:25:50.53","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-01580 by Mairi McAllan on 19 August 2021, what action it is taking to prevent the spread of outbreaks of the larger eight-toothed European spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus) in Scotland, in light of reports that the species has been found in England.","AnswerText":"The surveillance network that has been established as per the answer to S6W-01580 has been expanded to include additional pheromone lure traps and ground surveys in Scotland. Communications and discussions with the forestry sector in Scotland are also increasing to encourage the sector to manage their forests in a way to reduce the risk of infection. This includes leading presentations, through the Institute of Chartered Foresters, to highlight the driving factors and potential impacts of a major infestation. Joint communications with Defra for North England and Scotland are being planned to ensure a collective sharing of knowledge across the border region to help prevent spread further north.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422180,"EventID":"S6W-28795","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-30T15:53:27.747","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-26T12:41:13.887","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Serco NorthLink Ferries booking system will open for bookings for dates beyond 31 December 2024.","AnswerText":"I fully appreciate the need to get bookings released in good time so that businesses and individuals can plan ahead. Bookings for dates beyond 31 December 2024 will be opened as soon as possible.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422181,"EventID":"S6W-28615","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-30T15:53:27.81","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-16T12:37:46.093","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what evidence it has to support its current policy that 12-week rehabilitation programmes are suitable, and what its response is to studies showing that longer treatment durations can lead to better outcomes. ","AnswerText":"The Residential Rehabilitation Development Working Group’s  2020 report  noted that there was some evidence that rehabilitation programmes of 12 weeks had led to more successful treatment outcomes. However, the recommendations were also clear that further research was required on the length of rehabilitation programmes and their correlation to outcomes across Scotland.\r\nThe Scottish Government’s current position is that all placements for residential rehabilitation should be assessed on an individual needs basis, and it is ultimately for professionals and clinicians to make the decision locally as to whether a shorter or longer programme is effective for the individuals involved.\r\nAs part of our work on developing the residential rehabilitation evidence base, the Scottish Government published a  literature review  in 2022 which looked at existing evidence and research gaps. As noted in Page 14, residential rehabilitation encompasses a diverse range of treatment models, and there is no one programme which has proven to produce routinely better outcomes for individuals.\r\nThe Scottish Government and Public Health Scotland have worked collaboratively with stakeholders to establish a core minimum dataset to support the monitoring and evaluation of residential rehabilitation. It is expected that the first extracts will be published in December, where a greater level of insight and data will be available, including average treatment length and associated outcomes, as the dataset continues to develop and mature.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christina McKelvie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422182,"EventID":"S6W-28796","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-30T15:53:27.917","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-26T15:25:50.53","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-01580 by Mairi McAllan on 19 August 2021, what discussions it has had with the forestry sector regarding the spread of outbreaks of the larger eight-toothed European spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus) in Scotland, in light of reports that the species has been found in England.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government considers industry involvement a vital component in preventing the spread of Ips typographus into or within Scotland.\r\nRegular updates on surveillance and discussions are held with industry representatives from the nursery sector, growers and processing sector through the scheduled Scottish Tree Health Advisory Group and the Sottish forest and Timber Technologies Industry Leadership Group. Scottish Government is also involved in wider GB discussions with the forestry sector through the GB Incident Management team and Lead Government Department management groups overseeing the outbreak in SE England.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422183,"EventID":"S6W-28800","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5060,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-30T15:53:28.01","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-26T16:21:30.337","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects the feasibility study conducted by (a) Aberdeen and (b) Glasgow airport on establishing a multi-modal hydrogen innovation hub to be published, and what it expects the next steps in this process will be.","AnswerText":"In May 2023, Glasgow Airport Ltd. were awarded a grant of £150,000 from the Hydrogen Innovation Scheme (HIS) to test the feasibility of a hydrogen production, storage and distribution hub at Glasgow Airport. Work on the project, which involves a consortium of partners based in Scotland and elsewhere in the UK, began in summer 2023.\r\n \r\nIt is anticipated that final reports from this and other HIS projects will be published by the end of 2024.\r\n \r\nThe project did not involve Aberdeen Airport. However, the Scottish Government has helped to fund the Aberdeen Hydrogen Hub, a strategic programme that aims to accelerate the hydrogen economy in the city, with an initial focus on the use of hydrogen for road transport. The outputs from the study will help to build the evidence base to help support other hydrogen hubs to develop in Scotland.\r\nSeparately, hydrogen production and potential demand across Scotland’s geography is explored in reports, such as ‘Hydrogen demand in Scotland: a mapping of industrial and transport applications’ which can be found at:  Research, evaluation and insight | Scottish Enterprise (scottish-enterprise.com)  and a detailed report focussing specifically on the distillery sector which can be found  at  Research, evaluation and insight | Scottish Enterprise (scottish-enterprise.com) ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422184,"EventID":"S6W-28804","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-30T15:53:28.107","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-28T07:09:20.87","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it action it can take to keep the Paisley Art Institute's collection in the west of Scotland, in light&nbsp;of reports that a quarter of the collection is to be sol","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it action it can take to keep the Paisley Art Institute's collection in the west of Scotland, in light&nbsp;of reports that a quarter of the collection is to be sold at auction in September 2024 after a dispute with Paisley Museum has forced the Institute to seek a new home at the Glasgow Art Club.","AnswerText":"As an independent charity, any curatorial decision regarding the Paisley Art institute&rsquo;s collection is a matter for them and their Board of Trustees. They are free to manage and dispose of the collection as they choose, in line with their charitable objectives.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422185,"EventID":"S6W-28812","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-30T15:53:28.17","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-29T14:46:01.14","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to making the Scottish Child Payment available to students in receipt of the Paramedic, Nursing and Midwifery Student Bursary.","AnswerText":"Scottish Child Payment is delivered under Section 79 of the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018, which enables Scottish Ministers to top-up a qualifying reserved benefit, such as Universal Credit. Students in receipt of the Paramedic, Nursing and Midwifery Student Bursary may therefore be eligible for Scottish Child Payment if they are in receipt of such a qualifying benefit.\r\nStudent nurses and midwives in Scotland continue to receive a high level of support including, where they are eligible, our non-means tested, non-repayable annual bursary of £10,000, plus associated allowances.\r\nThe Scottish Government has committed to carrying out a review of the Paramedic, Nursing and Midwifery Student Bursary.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422186,"EventID":"S6W-28802","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-30T15:53:28.263","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-26T17:09:50.077","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent consideration has been given to uprating the Paramedic, Nursing and Midwifery Student Bursary in line with inflation.","AnswerText":"We recognise the financial challenges faced by all students, including nursing, midwifery and paramedic students, and know that this has been exacerbated by the cost of living crisis.\r\nThe Scottish Government package of support for Scottish student nurses, midwives and paramedics is at its highest level and remains the highest level of support available to nursing, midwifery and paramedic students across the UK. The annual £10,000 bursary is non-means tested and non-repayable.\r\nLast year the Scottish Government created a short-life working group comprising representatives from the Scottish Government, Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) and higher education institutes (HEIs) to review the clinical placement expenses guidance. This was in response to growing student concerns and following the Royal College of Nursing roundtable.\r\nThis group recently concluded its review and the revised guidance was finalised on 1 July 2024. This work will ensure students continue to be refunded as promptly as possible and provides students with greater clarity and flexibility on issues such as claiming advance payments. A national frequently asked questions document has also been developed to ensure greater consistency in the application of the guidance by HEIs across the country.\r\nIn addition to this, the Scottish Government has committed to carrying out a review of the package of financial support for those in receipt of the nursing, midwifery and paramedic student bursary.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422187,"EventID":"S6W-28803","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-30T15:53:28.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-26T17:13:50.087","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28362 by Jenny Gilruth on 4 July 2024, what its position is on whether there should be reserved space on the new board of Qualifications Scotland for trade union representation in addition to staff representation.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government’s position is as set out in the draft Education (Scotland) Bill which indicates that the Board must consist of one or more members who have knowledge of the interests of the staff of Qualifications Scotland (QS).\r\nEnsuring an effective staff voice in QS is a priority for the Scottish Government. We are committed to working with the SQA and their two recognised trade unions to explore all options to ensure effective engagement is established for QS and that it meets Fair Work requirements.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422188,"EventID":"S6W-28844","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":4940,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":81,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-31T10:05:22.373","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T09:57:14.76","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will report on the outcome of the recent summit meeting of the British-Irish Council in the Isle of Man.","AnswerText":"On 21 June 2024, I represented the Scottish Government at the Summit meeting of the British-Irish Council hosted by the Government of Isle of Man and chaired by the Chief Minister – Alfred Cannan. The meeting was attended by Ministers from all eight of the BIC Member Administrations.\r\nThe theme of the Summit focussed on “Unlocking the Economic and Social Opportunities of Renewables Across These Islands ” which offered the opportunity to share and learn from the range of initiatives being taken across these islands to enable the benefits of renewable energy to be realised across jurisdictions, with Ministers noting the importance of a just transition to net zero.\r\nOn the Latest Political Developments item, the Council welcomed the return of the Northern Ireland Ministers to the table following the restoration of the Executive. Ministers also reflected on international issues including the ongoing situations in Ukraine and Israel/Gaza as well as issues closer to home such as the continuing cost crisis. I took the opportunity to set out Scotland’s missions of eradicating child poverty, building the economy and supporting jobs, improving the health service and addressing the climate crisis.\r\nI noted that the Scottish Government will host the next Summit in December.\r\nDuring the Summit, I held bilateral meetings with the Taoiseach, the Northern Ireland deputy First Minister who was joined by Junior Minister of the Executive, Aisling Reilly in the absence of the First Minister of Northern Ireland, and the Chief Minister of the Isle of Man.\r\nThe Communiqué that was issued by the British-Irish Council after the meeting can be found on its website at: britishirishcouncil.org\r\n \r\n41st British-Irish Council Summit\r\nIsle of Man, 21 June 2024\r\n \r\nCommuniqué\r\n \r\nThe British-Irish Council (BIC) held its 41 st Summit today hosted by the Isle of Man Government and discussed a range of political and economic developments across their administrations. The Summit meeting was chaired by Isle of Man Government Chief Minister Alfred Cannan MHK, who welcomed several Heads of Administration attending a BIC Summit for the first time.\r\n \r\nUnlocking the Economic and Social Opportunities of Renewables Across These Islands\r\nThe Council discussed various ways administrations are developing initiatives to realise the opportunities of renewable energy to stimulate economic growth and support decarbonisation efforts.\r\n \r\nLatest Political Developments\r\nThe Council warmly welcomed the return of the Northern Ireland Executive to the British-Irish Council table, as well as the restoration of the devolved institutions and the North South Ministerial Council. The Council also noted that 2024 marks the 25 th anniversary of the British-Irish Council following its establishment under the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and commended its work on promoting positive relations across these islands.\r\nThe Council also reflected on a range of developments across their administrations and internationally, and on topics of mutual interest.\r\n \r\nNext Summit Meeting\r\nThe Council noted that the next BIC Summit will be hosted by the Scottish Government.\r\n \r\nBIC Secretariat\r\n21 June 2024\r\n \r\nPlenary Participants\r\nGovernment of Guernsey\r\nChief Minister\r\nDeputy Lyndon Trott \r\nGovernment of Ireland\r\nTaoiseach\r\nSimon Harris TD \r\nIsle of Man Government\r\nChief Minister\r\nHon Alfred Cannan MHK \r\nGovernment of Jersey\r\nChief Minister\r\nDeputy Lyndon Farnham \r\nNorthern Ireland Executive\r\nFirst Minister\r\nMichelle O’Neill MLA (virtual)\r\ndeputy First Minister\r\nEmma Little-Pengelly MLA\r\nJunior Minister\r\nAisling Reilly MLA\r\nMinister for the Economy\r\nConor Murphy MLA \r\nScottish Government\r\nFirst Minister\r\nRt Hon John Swinney MSP \r\nUK Government\r\nSecretary of State for Northern Ireland\r\nRt Hon Chris Heaton-Harris \r\nWelsh Government\r\nCabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language\r\nJeremy Miles MS","AnswerDate":"2024-08-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"John Swinney","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422189,"EventID":"S6W-28847","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":2615,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":143,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-31T11:04:38.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T10:57:17.52","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Registrar General for Scotland will publish the next results from the 2022 Census.","AnswerText":"I have asked Janet Egdell, Chief Executive of National Records of Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:\r\nNational Records of Scotland have today published: '  Scotland’s Census 2022: Demography and Migration'  .\r\nScotland’s Census results are designated as Accredited Official Statistics and form an integral part of the statistical system in the UK. The Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR), the independent regulatory arm of the  UK Statistics Authority  , awards Accredited Official Statistics designation based on the quality, good practice and comprehensiveness of official statistics.\r\nMore detail about the schedule for future reports can be found  here  .\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422190,"EventID":"S6W-28837","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-31T16:09:59.103","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-30T16:06:06.053","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on applications to the Independent Living Fund since it re-opened in April 2024, including the (a) number of applications received to d","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on applications to the Independent Living Fund since it re-opened in April 2024, including the (a) number of applications received to date and (b) amount of money allocated.","AnswerText":"As at the end of July 2024, 98 applications to the reopened Independent Living Fund have been received. Of these, eight have completed all steps of the application process and are now in payment. The total annual value of these awards in payment is &pound;162,446, and &pound;7,443 has been paid out to new recipients so far.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422191,"EventID":"S6W-28843","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-31T16:09:59.273","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-30T16:37:44.03","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any work has progressed on the creation of a voluntary code of conduct for the dismissal and replacement of land-owning maintenance companies.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to developing a voluntary code of practice on dismissing and replacing land-owning land maintenance companies (“the Code”).\r\nWhilst work on the development of the Code continues, other work pressures have impacted the rate of progress.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422192,"EventID":"S6W-28826","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-31T16:09:59.32","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-30T12:09:08.49","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider providing innovation funding support for the tidal stream industry to ensure that the supply chain opportunity is secured in Scotland. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has provided consistent support for the marine energy sector for more than a decade, for example through our work with the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), based in Orkney, which is the world’s only fully accredited test and research centre for wave and tidal energy. However, the main levers for enabling the commercialisation of these emerging technologies lie with the UK Government. The UK Government’s Contracts for Difference Allocation Rounds 4 and 5 highlight Scotland’s pioneering role in the tidal stream energy and its potential in our future net zero energy system. We welcome the recently announced £15 million ring-fenced support for tidal steam projects and look forward to working with the UK Government to ensure these technologies are supported through the scheme.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422193,"EventID":"S6W-28838","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-31T16:09:59.37","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-30T16:06:06.053","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address any barriers that may prevent individuals and couples from starting a family, as highlighted in the Scottish Government publication, A Scotland for the future: the opportunities and challenges of Scotland's changing population, published in March 2021, in light of new statistics from National Records of Scotland that show that the number of babies born in Scotland fell to a record low in 2023. ","AnswerText":"In November 2022 the Ministerial Population Taskforce published the research report ‘Attitudes to Family Formation in Scotland’ to update the evidence base about fertility, family planning, and ideal family size in Scotland.\r\nBuilding on international engagement with other countries experiencing low birth rates, the Scottish Government is taking forward comparative work about family friendly policies in other European countries, to establish if successful interventions elsewhere could be applicable in Scotland.\r\nThe outputs of this work will be considered alongside recent Census data in order to develop next steps which reflect Scottish Ministers’ ambition for Scotland to be the best possible place for all families.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422194,"EventID":"S6W-28817","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-31T16:09:59.417","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-29T16:30:33.547","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support the childcare sector, in light of reported figures showing that the net number of childminders registered with the Care Inspectorate ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support the childcare sector, in light of reported figures showing that the net number of childminders registered with the Care Inspectorate fell from 5,344 in June 2017 to 3,043 in 2024, including a reduction of childminders in Aberdeenshire by 36.2%.","AnswerText":"Childminders are an essential part of the childcare sector, offering a high-quality, nurturing experience to children of all ages, and the Scottish Government is committed to supporting and growing the sector.We have seen declines in the childminding workforce over recent years &ndash; a trend that is mirrored elsewhere in the UK &ndash; and we have worked with the Scottish Childminding Association (SCMA) and other partners to understand the reasons behind the decline, and to identify priorities and further steps we can take to better support, recruit and retain childminders.Backed by over &pound;1m of Scottish Government funding, together with the SCMA we launched the Programme for Scotland&rsquo;s Childminding Future in June 2024. The Programme will support the recruitment of new professional childminders across Scotland, offering a package of funded support and training in addition to a &pound;750 start-up grant, providing everything needed to establish a new childminding business from home. Aberdeenshire Council are actively involved in the childminder recruitment strand this year, and we are seeing positive engagement and progression from candidates across the local authority area.The programme also includes a range of measures to address the retention of the childminding workforce, delivering more practical support to ensure our existing professionals are supported with their workloads and professional development.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422195,"EventID":"S6W-28823","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-31T16:09:59.447","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-30T01:03:23.777","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether funding will be made available to support ScotRail train driver recruitment, in order to phase out the reported need to depend on rest day working for the operation of a full timetable.","AnswerText":"ScotRail has been recruiting more staff to minimise reliance on staff working on rest days or overtime. ScotRail now employs 250 more train drivers than it did prior to public sector ownership. In addition, 160 Train Drivers are currently being recruited, the highest number ever, and ScotRail plans to continue its recruitment for Train Drivers in the coming years.\r\nAll ScotRail staffing costs including the funding for the planned recruitment are reflected in the current Transport Scotland rail budget for the financial year? 2024-2025.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422196,"EventID":"S6W-28832","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-31T16:09:59.51","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-30T12:36:19.35","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to ensure that cumulative impact assessments, as set out under the fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4), cover all energy projects in an area, regardless of the organisation responsible.","AnswerText":"All applications are subject to site specific assessments which are expected to address cumulative impacts. Where there is a need for co-ordination between applicants proposing development in the same area, the Scottish Ministers expect all parties to work together to co-ordinate development and minimise any impacts on communities and the environment. When determining applications made under the Electricity Act 1989, the Scottish Ministers are required to seek advice from planning authorities to ensure that decision-making is co-ordinated to reflect local circumstances. \r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422197,"EventID":"S6W-28833","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-31T16:09:59.57","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-30T14:35:49.477","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work is being done to progress the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government's previously-stated commitment to exploring a power of general competence for local government.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continue to work at pace with COSLA to develop a Fiscal Framework underpinned by an Accountability and Assurance Framework. The concept of a power of general competence for local government is a consideration in those discussions.\r\nThis work is being supported by working groups consisting of Scottish Government officials, COSLA officers and representatives of CIPFA Directors of Finance and SOLACE.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422198,"EventID":"S6W-28841","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-31T16:09:59.62","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-30T16:06:06.053","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of the National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care.","AnswerText":"In line with the 2024-2025 delivery plan for the National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care, a range of practical education and training projects have begun, with an early emphasis on improved support and training for remote and rural dispensing practices, and developing supervisory training.\r\nThe current programme of work includes, but is not limited to, an education programme for Rural GP Dispensing Practices and a new Rural Advanced Practitioners Programme (RAP), MSc and PG Diploma.\r\nIn addition the Rural Practitioners Series of Learning is delivering two rural education sessions per month, with a menu of sessions agreed for the next 6 months, and more in the planning for the year ahead in response to priority educational needs.\r\nThe first stage of a Primary Care Community Training Hub Pilot project has also been initiated in partnership with three primary care practices.\r\nFurther detail on the work of the Centre can be found at the TURAS Information hub  National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care: Information Hub | Turas | Learn (nhs.scot)","AnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422199,"EventID":"S6W-28820","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-31T16:09:59.667","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-30T00:45:50.503","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with Airbus regarding its potential acquisition of the Spirit AeroSystems factory at Prestwick Aerospace Park.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has been made aware of the ongoing commercial acquisition of Spirit Aerosystems by The Boeing Company, including the agreement Airbus has entered into in relation to a potential acquisition of some activities currently performed for Airbus.\r\nThe Scottish Government remains open to engagement with all parties as the commercial process develops.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422200,"EventID":"S6W-28816","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-31T16:09:59.727","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-29T16:30:33.547","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government to the Finance and Public Administration Committee, dated 15 July 2024, what assessment it has made of the impact of the delayed Infrastructure Investment Plan on NHS capital projects and the delivery of NHS services.","AnswerText":"The anticipated cut by the UK Government to the Scottish Government's capital budget of up to £1.3billion in real terms over the coming years has consequences. In December 2023, given the extremely challenging capital funding position, NHS Boards were instructed to pause any project development spend and instead direct capital budgets towards maintenance of the existing estate and essential equipment and digital replacement. Boards were notified that the Scottish Government does not anticipate starting construction of any new project over the next two years at least. Obviously should the UK Government change course on capital investment we have an opportunity to look at this again alongside the capital review ongoing across the Scottish Government.\r\nThere is therefore no change to the position on NHS Capital Projects as a result of the ongoing review of the Infrastructure Investment Plan.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422201,"EventID":"S6W-28846","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-31T16:09:59.79","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T10:36:56.637","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the open letter sent to the Minister for Public Health and Women's Health by the British Dental Association Scotland on 20 July 2024, whether it is consideri","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the open letter sent to the Minister for Public Health and Women's Health by the British Dental Association Scotland on 20 July 2024, whether it is considering further payment reform for NHS dentistry to improve access, inequalities and prevention.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government welcomes the comments of the British Dental Association Scotland that the new system represents an improvement on the previous Statement of Dental Renumeration.Official statistics published by Public Health Scotland on 28 May 2024 show that in the quarter ending 31 March 2024, over 1 million patient contacts were delivered by NHS dentists and there were three quarters of a million free at the point of use enhanced examinations. This is indicative that Scottish Government intervention is supporting patient access to care.Ongoing assessment of the sector will provide information to support any future interventions, in particular around equality.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422202,"EventID":"S6W-28839","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-31T16:09:59.837","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-30T16:06:06.053","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, following campaigns in 2021, 2022 and 2023, whether it plans to run any further national donor gamete campaigns, in light of reported criticism from the charity, Surrog","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, following campaigns in 2021, 2022 and 2023, whether it plans to run any further national donor gamete campaigns, in light of reported criticism from the charity, Surrogacy Concern, regarding a lack of information included in the most recent campaign about the health implications of egg donation for women.","AnswerText":"Donor gametes (eggs and sperm) are required to treat NHS patients throughout Scotland who require them for their NHS IVF treatment. To ensure that donor gametes are available to patients for their treatment, the Scottish Government/NHS Scotland are currently reviewing data from previous campaigns and considering options in relation to running a future donor campaign.As with the campaigns in 2021, 2022 and 2023, all prospective NHS gamete donors in Scotland are assessed by a qualified healthcare professional trained to screen out persons whose donations could present a health risk to themselves, to those receiving donated gametes and/or to any child born as a result of the donation. Donors are also advised of the medical process involved in donation and provided with free mandatory counselling to enable them to consider all the implications before going ahead, providing their consent, and donating.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422203,"EventID":"S6W-28822","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-31T16:09:59.9","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-30T01:00:47.093","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps Transport Scotland has taken to reduce ScotRail's reported dependency on rest day working in order to run a full and resilient timetable, without having to reduce service frequency. ","AnswerText":"Staff rotas and timetabling planning are operational matters for ScotRail. After coming into public ownership ScotRail was required to increase the number of Train Drivers to a level which would facilitate a reduction to reliance on staff working rest days and overtime.\r\nThe Scottish Government has funded the subsidy required to cover the net cost of ScotRail’s operations, including staffing.\r\nScotRail informs that its planning to recruit 160 train drivers each year from 2024-25 going forward.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422204,"EventID":"S6W-28842","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-31T16:09:59.993","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-30T16:25:41.633","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish the analysis of the performance of BIDs Scotland.","AnswerText":"Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) Scotland was contracted by Scottish Government in 2014 to help support the delivery and development of BIDs across Scotland. Scottish Government published a report in December 2016 outlining research findings on the impact of the support they provided. The report can be found on the Scottish Government website.  Research Findings 9/2016: Review of Business Improvement Districts Scotland (www.gov.scot)  .\r\nSince September 2018, Scottish Government has funded Scotland’s Improvement Districts (SIDs), which forms part of Scotland’s Towns Partnership, as the lead organisation for supporting and encouraging the development and success of the nation’s Improvement Districts. Though there are no plans to undertake a formal analysis of their performance, we review progress of BIDs activity with SIDs on a regular basis.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422205,"EventID":"S6W-28805","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-31T16:10:00.04","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-29T09:16:19.573","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to regulate the beauty sector in Scotland, and whether it will provide details of the timescale for when any (a) primary and (b) secondary legislation that seeks to achieve such regulation will be laid before the Scottish Parliament. ","AnswerText":"Scottish Government officials are currently undertaking scoping work with a variety of stakeholders including healthcare professionals (representatives from British College of Aesthetic Medicine and British Association of Cosmetic Nurses), hair and beauty industry representatives, Environmental Health Officers, Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS), and other UK Governments in order to bring forward proposals regarding the potential further regulation of non-surgical cosmetic procedures within the beauty sector in Scotland.\r\nThe scoping of further regulation of non-surgical cosmetics procedures includes the consideration of age restrictions, the levels of insurance, training, qualifications and supervision required to safely perform various types of non-surgical cosmetic procedures that pierce and penetrate the skin, is underway. \r\nWe hope to be in a position to update Parliament on timescale for this in due course.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422206,"EventID":"S6W-28827","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-31T16:10:00.103","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-30T12:09:08.49","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to setting deployment targets for tidal stream and wave energy. ","AnswerText":"In January 2023, we launched a consultation for the draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan (ESJTP), seeking feedback on our draft vision for marine energy, and including a question on whether the Scottish Government should set a deployment target for marine energy. The forthcoming finalised ESJTP will take into account the wide range of consultation responses received. As we develop Scotland’s ambitions for both wave and tidal energy, we will continue to engage with the industry to explore and support solutions to address long-term needs.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422207,"EventID":"S6W-28815","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-31T16:10:00.167","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-29T15:32:38.403","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to Transport Scotland's report, Women's and girls' views and experiences of personal safety when using public transport, which was published in March 2023, ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to Transport Scotland's report, Women's and girls' views and experiences of personal safety when using public transport, which was published in March 2023, what progress has been made towards implementing each of the report's 10 recommendations.","AnswerText":"Following recommendations made in the research report on women and girls' safety on public transport, a number of actions are being taken forward. These include: Transport Scotland officials are continuing to work with colleagues across Government to ensure that specific actions in development to tackle antisocial behaviour on bus take into account the safety of women and girls. ScotRail, Network Rail and British Transport Police are working together with stakeholders to deliver a wide range of activity to reduce anti-social behaviours across the rail network. For example, ScotRail established a Travel Safe Team, made up of 24 officers and 3 supervisors, in 2023. The team work mainly across the central belt and in the southwest and ScotRail are looking into how it can be expanded. The team promote safe behaviours as much as challenge bad behaviour. They engage closely with customers and staff to identify issues; this is then followed by targeted engagements e.g. they will spend time talking with (and maybe travelling with) people to explain the importance of buying tickets and the benefits of considerate behaviour to everyone. All ScotRail train carriages are fitted with CCTV. All but two ScotRail stations have CCTV. The two stations without CCTV are on private land and legal issues are currently being worked through. Of the ScotRail stations that have CCTV 246 are monitored continuously within control centres. Waverley has its own CCTV system and control room. Glasgow Central has plans to update its CCTV, which is out of date, but it does not have a dedicated and staffed control room for monitoring it. ScotRail are investing in increasing numbers of body worn cameras and encourage staff to wear them. They are working to persuade Trade Unions in particular of their benefits. Advertising campaigns and literature on board trains and at stations highlight ways to report incidents to the British Transport Police, for example via the Text 6-101-6 service or by reporting via the Railway Guardian app.Transport Scotland is writing to Scottish Rail Holdings to draw attention to the research recommendations, and asking that the recommendations be taken forward. Transport Scotland will also circulate the report from the stakeholder event hosted by Transport Scotland in December 2023 and the research report to bus and ferry operators to highlight the recommendations. The report from the stakeholder event can be found on the Transport Scotland website here: Women's Safety on Public Transport Workshop: Next steps to ensure a safer public transport system for women and girls in Scotland. Transport Scotland will publish a page on the Transport Scotland website which will feature the Principles that have emerged from the stakeholder event and provide links to other relevant information produced by Transport Scotland and partner organisations. Transport Scotland will report on progress of the research recommendations on an annual basis to coincide with 16 days of activism against gender-based violence, and also as part of reporting on the National Transport Strategy. Transport Scotland will continue to work with Violence Against Women and Girls colleagues across the Scottish Government to support the sharing of good practice in relation to progress on the principles. Transport Scotland will also publish research which explores literature around the use of personal safety apps for use in public spaces, particularly on public transport. In addition, the Cabinet Secretary held a round table with rail delivery partners and stakeholders to ensure collaboration on measures that will increase the safety of passengers and staff.&nbsp; Transport Scotland also work with the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) to support sharing best practice amongst bus operators.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422208,"EventID":"S6W-28845","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-31T16:10:00.227","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T10:36:56.637","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any action it is taking to reduce waiting lists for hospital gynaecology services. ","AnswerText":"We are committed to reducing waiting lists backed by an initial investment of £30 million has been allocated to Health Boards and will target reductions to the national backlogs that built up throughout the pandemic. This funding is being targeted at a series of national and local plans to reduce backlogs by maximising the use of local and national resources across Scotland. As part of this, we have allocated additional funding to Gynaecology services which we expect to l deliver around 3,500 New Outpatient Appointments. \r\nNHS Scotland’s Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) is also playing a central role in working with Health Boards to ensure that they are able to continually identify new ways to increase capacity, and to respond to demand through service innovation and redesign. \r\nCfSD programmes have developed strong clinically-led Specialty Delivery Groups (SDG), including one for Gynaecology, which promote multidisciplinary team working, and support local adoption of service improvement programmes. These groups are now well established and have supported several new and innovative pathway developments, many of which are now being successfully scaled up across Scotland, including Active Clinical Referral Triage (ACRT), Patient Initiated Review (PIR) and Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS).\r\nThis is all part of our programme to drive up productivity and tackle waiting lists, supported by the CfSD. Together, our actions will further enable NHS Scotland to maximise capacity, build greater resilience and deliver year-on-year reductions in the number of patients who have waited too long for treatment.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422209,"EventID":"S6W-28834","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-31T16:10:00.307","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-30T14:36:40.567","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work to introduce a cruise ship levy.","AnswerText":"The Government is open to giving local authorities the power to introduce a cruise ship levy. We will therefore be engaging with local authorities, the cruise ship industry, and others over the coming months to explore this issue further and develop more detailed proposals. We plan to launch a public consultation on a potential cruise ship levy before the end of the year.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422210,"EventID":"S6W-28585","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-31T16:10:00.417","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-15T16:06:18.703","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28234 by Gillian Martin on 5 July 2024, whether it will provide the information requested regarding for what reason the timeframe for the (a) Nitrogen Impacts on the Natural Environment (NINE) project and (b) assessment of potential costs for implementing site conditioning monitoring improvements has been extended beyond 2024 to 2026 instead of providing revised completion dates. ","AnswerText":"Cleaner Air for Scotland 2 (CAFS2) was published in July 2021 with two actions on the topic of nitrogen deposition. At the time of publication these actions were assigned a medium term timescale for delivery by 2024.\r\nIn April 2022 the Nitrogen Impacts on the Natural Environment (NINE) project led by the James Hutton Institute commenced as part of the Strategic Research Programme for air quality. In considering how to take the CAFS2 actions forward, Scottish Government worked with the NINE project team to ensure it would deliver the CAFS2 evidence needs. Following commencement of the NINE project we revised the delivery milestones for the CASF2 actions to align with the project deliverables.\r\nThe NINE project was commissioned on time and continues to be on track for delivery by 2027, with CAFS2 elements to be delivered in 2026.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422211,"EventID":"S6W-28825","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-31T16:10:00.523","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-30T10:26:09.67","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many local authorities have made a request under the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 to transfer funds into their Housing Revenue Account since 1999, and how many of any","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many local authorities have made a request under the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 to transfer funds into their Housing Revenue Account since 1999, and how many of any such transfers were authorised by the Scottish Ministers.","AnswerText":"Between 1999 and 2023, 28 of the 32 Local Authorities transferred funds into their Housing Revenue Account. It is important to note that Ministerial consent is not necessarily required for such transactions and would depend on the fund from which the transfer was made. Ministerial consent has been requested and granted by the following local authorities:Midlothian Council &ndash; 2022-23 &ndash; use of capital grant to meet HRA loans fund repayments      (as part of the Local Government pay deal) West Dunbartonshire Council &ndash; 2022-23 &ndash; use of capital grant to meet HRA loans      fund repayments (as part of the Local Government pay deal) Falkirk 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19 - hostel grant transfer East Ayrshire Council &ndash; 2012-13 - transfer from the repairs and renewal fund to      the HRA for 5 years Stirling Council &ndash; 2009-10 - use of Capital Grant for Homelessness Hostel Comhairle nan Eilean Siar &ndash; 2006-07 - closure of HRA &amp; transfer of reserves Edinburgh Council &ndash; 2006-07 - transfer from Repairs and Renewals Fund West Dunbartonshire council &ndash; 2005-06 &ndash; transfer from Housing Trading Account      to HRAConsent was also provided on an all-Scotland basis in 2023-24 to allow local authorities a specific flexibility to replace revenue reserves earmarked for capital purposes with capital grant, thereby allowing the release of those revenue reserves to meet the costs of the 2023-24 Local Government pay award.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422212,"EventID":"S6W-28807","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-31T16:10:00.57","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-29T09:16:19.573","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what review it has undertaken, or plans to undertake, of Scotland&rsquo;s beauty industry, in light of reports that &ldquo;Scots gangsters flog dangerous fillers and wei","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what review it has undertaken, or plans to undertake, of Scotland&rsquo;s beauty industry, in light of reports that &ldquo;Scots gangsters flog dangerous fillers and weight loss jabs &lsquo;that could kill&rsquo; as they launder cash through beauty industry&rdquo;.","AnswerText":"The implications of the use of counterfeit and unlicensed beauty products is one of a number of issues under consideration as we consider further regulation of non-surgical cosmetic procedures.Scottish Government officials met with Police Scotland and Environmental Health Officers on 12 January 2023 regarding concerns related to the suspected involvement of organised crime groups in the beauty/cosmetics sector. The Scottish Government and its partners on the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce are committed to working together to disrupt any serious organised crime and the harm it causes to individuals and communities.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422213,"EventID":"S6W-28836","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-31T16:10:00.65","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-30T15:10:58.477","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to (a) increase intergenerational funding opportunities and (b) find ways to encourage funding bodies to invest more in intergenerational projects.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to (a) increase intergenerational funding opportunities and (b) find ways to encourage funding bodies to invest more in intergenerational projects.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the positive contribution older people make to their communities and recognises the value in bringing generations together. We aim to enable better access to a range of services for older people as and when they need them. We want to ensure people are financially secure and supported as they age.Through our Equalities and Human Rights Fund, we are investing over &pound;2.2 million in support of older people&rsquo;s organisations and age equality projects that deliver positive outcomes for older people. Generations Working Together (GWT) were offered &pound;615,250 over three years through the Equality and Human Rights Fund. GWT is the nationally recognised centre of excellence supporting the development and integration of intergenerational work across Scotland. This funding aimed to tackle ageism through intergenerational activity across Scotland and to increase understanding and learning around the field of intergenerational practice.Generations Working Together are key stakeholders in our Older people&rsquo;s Strategic Action Forum (OPSAF) and the Social Isolation and Loneliness Advisory Group (SIALAG).In addition, our Social Isolation and Loneliness Fund of &pound;3.8m which was launched in 2023 over 3 years, supports intergenerational projects. Over the past year 2929 older people and 400 young people have benefitted from the services provided by the funded projects.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422214,"EventID":"S6W-28808","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-31T16:10:00.727","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-29T11:21:55.843","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government with which (a) organisations and (b) individuals it has engaged regarding the potential reintroduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement for large retailers in advance of the 2025-26 Budget, as set out in the 2024-25 Budget.","AnswerText":"Since the Budget, the Scottish Government has had exploratory discussions with a range of business and public health stakeholders. This includes Alcohol Focus Scotland, British Heart Foundation, Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems in their roles as members of the NCD Alliance Scotland.\r\nScottish Government has also met with the Scottish Retail Consortium and their members including Waitrose & Partners, Asda, Tesco, Wm Morrison Supermarkets, Sainsburys, and The Co-Op.\r\nThe potential reintroduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement has also been discussed at meetings of the Retail Industry Group and the New Deal for Business Non-Domestic Rates Subgroup with a wide-ranging membership across the business and rating community as well as representatives from COSLA.\r\nThese discussions continue to ensure that considered and informed decisions can be made in advance of the 2025-26 Budget.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422215,"EventID":"S6W-28806","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-31T16:10:00.773","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-29T09:16:19.573","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce legislation equivalent to the Botulinum Toxin and Cosmetic Fillers (Children) Act 2021 to ban Botox-style injections and fillers for under-18s in Scotland.","AnswerText":"Potential age restrictions for non-surgical cosmetic procedures are one of a number of issues that are being considered during the scoping work that Scottish Government officials are currently undertaking with a variety of stakeholders including healthcare professionals (representatives from British College of Aesthetic Medicine and British Association of Cosmetic Nurses), hair and beauty industry representatives, Environmental Health Officers, and Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS).\r\nWe hope to be in a position to update Parliament further in due course.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422216,"EventID":"S6W-28840","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-31T16:10:00.82","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-30T16:06:06.053","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it spent with partner organisations on the national donor gamete campaign in (a) 2021, (b) 2022 and (c) 2023.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it spent with partner organisations on the national donor gamete campaign in (a) 2021, (b) 2022 and (c) 2023.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government, in partnership with NHS Scotland, spent the following on national donor gamete campaigns:(a) Launched in June 2021 the first donor gamete campaign cost &pound;100,000(b) Launched in October 2022 the second donor gamete campaign cost &pound;35,999.24(c) Launched in October 2023 the third donor gamete campaign cost &pound;50,519.60","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422217,"EventID":"S6W-28824","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-31T16:10:00.87","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-30T01:08:03.737","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will request that ScotRail representatives are included in the ongoing development work for Clyde Metro, led by SPT, so that any ScotRail assets to be transferred to the Clyde Metro operation can be more effectively identified and programmed.","AnswerText":"I am advised that while it is too early to say how Clyde Metro will impact on the rail network, the Clyde Metro project team, led by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, has been engaging with ScotRail and Network Rail as part of the early work on the on-going Case for Investment stage. This engagement will continue throughout this key stage, which will define the Clyde Metro network.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422218,"EventID":"S6W-28828","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-31T16:10:00.947","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-30T12:09:08.49","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with industry in developing a marine energy vision, as set out in its Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has had ongoing engagement with the wave and tidal energy sectors during the development of the Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, including a Marine Energy Industry Roundtable event hosted by Scottish Renewables alongside key industry representatives. In addition, we received 346 responses from stakeholders to the consultation questions on marine energy in the draft ESJTP, which are being considered as we produce the final strategy.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422219,"EventID":"S6W-28821","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-31T16:10:01.01","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-30T00:47:28.557","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with BAE Systems regarding any potential reacquisition of the Spirit AeroSystems factory that it formerly operated at Prestwick Aerospace Park.","AnswerText":"There has been no ministerial engagement with BAE Systems regarding any potential reacquisition of Spirit Aerosystems at Prestwick.\r\nThe Scottish Government has been made aware of the ongoing commercial reacquisition of Spirit Aerosystems by The Boeing Company and remains open to engagement with all parties as the commercial process develops.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422220,"EventID":"S6W-28814","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-31T16:10:01.087","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-29T15:32:38.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the allocation of £30 million of targeted funding to the NHS, which was announced on 25 July 2024, whether it will provide a breakdown of the amount of funding that each specialty area will receive, and the amount that each NHS board has been allocated as part of the first instalment of funding. ","AnswerText":"The additional £30 million for planned care, initially announced in April, will support health boards across the country deliver around 12,000 inpatient procedures, over 40,000 extra diagnostic procedures and around 12,000 new outpatient appointments.\r\nFunding will target reductions to pandemic backlogs, including orthopaedics, ophthalmology, diagnostics for cancer referrals and patients waiting the longest time.\r\nThe funding will be allocated to health boards for the activity set out above based on delivery. We are working closely with health boards to monitor progress.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422221,"EventID":"S6W-28835","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-31T16:10:01.15","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-30T14:46:53.037","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to providing core funding for Shetland charity, Dogs Against Drugs, in light of the submission of public petition&nbsp;PE2107 on behalf o","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to providing core funding for Shetland charity, Dogs Against Drugs, in light of the submission of public petition&nbsp;PE2107 on behalf of The Shetland Times.","AnswerText":"I met Beatrice Wishart in July 2023 to discuss the work carried out by Dogs Against Drugs (Shetland) and have corresponded with her since. Dogs Against Drugs (Shetland) receives funding from the Scottish Government-funded Shetland Alcohol and Drugs partnership and has previously received a one-off grant from the Serious Organised Crime Community Grant Scheme. I have agreed to provide a further one-off grant of &pound;30,000 to help meet current pressures while my officials assess the longer term funding position against an extremely challenging financial climate.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422222,"EventID":"S6W-28818","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-07-31T16:10:01.243","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-29T16:30:33.547","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the delivery of breast cancer services in NHS Tayside, including staffing, in light of the investigation into chemotherapy treatment at Ninewells Hospital for breast cancer patients in 2019. ","AnswerText":"Since 2019, NHS Tayside has been focusing on developing and stabilising breast cancer services. They have successfully recruited new Breast Oncologists to their local service, including two Breast Clinical Oncologists who work solely for NHS Tayside alongside a joint Breast Medical Oncologist post with NHS Lothian.\r\nNHS Tayside is replacing a radiotherapy linac machine, which has generated some constraints in physical radiotherapy capacity. To ensure patients can access radiotherapy in a timely manner, NHS Tayside has collaborated with NHS Highland to offer faster access to radiotherapy for a small number of patients with breast cancer. Once the linac is fully replaced, and with the new breast oncologists now in place, NHS Tayside will deliver the full pathway of Breast Cancer Care locally with a continued drive to improve patient experiences and outcomes.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422246,"EventID":"S6W-28880","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-01T16:09:10.143","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T12:16:29.133","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what policies it has in place to ensure that developers adhere to decommissioning plans when battery energy storage systems reach the end of their lifespan.","AnswerText":"National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) at Policy 11 (Energy) ensures that consideration is given to the decommissioning of developments and site restoration, as well as to the quality of site restoration plans. This includes the measures in place to safeguard or guarantee availability of finance to effectively implement those plans. The enforcement of such matters is a matter for the relevant local authority.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422247,"EventID":"S6W-28875","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-01T16:09:10.253","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T12:13:02.237","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to help with the delivery of the school clothing grant in the next financial year, including any measures that it is taking to increase the uptake of the grant among those who are eligible, and how much it is spending on any such measures.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has worked with partners to develop national guidance on school uniform and clothing in Scotland. This is expected to be published in autumn 2024. The guidance will support schools and education authorities to develop and implement affordable and sustainable uniform and clothing policies that recognise the individual needs, circumstances and identities of all pupils and reduce costs of families.\r\nThe guidance will encourage schools to regularly and actively promote the availability of the school clothing grant among pupils and their families, and offer appropriate support to apply for the school clothing grant wherever it is necessary to do so.\r\nIn addition to the guidance, we have developed a supporting resource for parents and carers. This will also be published in the autumn. The resource will highlight the key messages from the guidance and signpost families to sources of support, including information about the school clothing grant.\r\nWe are working with partners, including organisations who support parents and carers, to ensure that these resources are widely disseminated.\r\nWe will continue to work with stakeholders to explore further opportunities to highlight the availability of the school clothing grant to families to ensure that those who are eligible can access this vital support.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422248,"EventID":"S6W-28851","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-01T16:09:10.657","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T11:27:22.653","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the findings of the Kidney Care UK publication, Transplant care in the UK: a patient perspective, what steps have been taken to ensure that reimbursement sy","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the findings of the Kidney Care UK publication, Transplant care in the UK: a patient perspective, what steps have been taken to ensure that reimbursement systems for health-related expenses incurred by patients (a) are consistently used across NHS boards, (b) are proactively presented to patients, (c) are easy to use and (d) provide prompt payment.","AnswerText":"Financial support for travel to hospital appointments is available to patients and authorised escorts, according to eligibility criteria and medical requirements. The Scottish Government provides the overall guidance to NHS Boards on reimbursement of patient travel costs and Boards are responsible for setting and applying local policy.Where travel is necessary, Boards are expected to support patients to identify and access support available, taking account individual circumstances and ensuring patient care is at the centre of all decisions made. Where a patient is eligible for assistance with travel costs, claims should normally be ratified and reimbursed within 1 to 2 weeks, allowing time for the claim and supporting documentation to be reviewed. Where assistance is required with upfront costs, Health Boards can make bookings on behalf of eligible patients and this should be discussed with the relevant Health Board as part of the overall treatment arrangements.In January 2024 we implemented a national policy for the reimbursement of electricity costs for home dialysis patients to address inconsistencies across Health Boards where some fully reimburse electricity costs, and others provide partial reimbursement or none at all. Boards are expected to proactively identify eligible patients and ensure electricity costs for eligible patients are reimbursed promptly. A review of implementation is currently underway and a further update will be provided in Autumn 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422249,"EventID":"S6W-28885","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-01T16:09:10.72","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T14:44:26.497","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that every NHS board has a designated renal (a) psychologist and (b) psychiatrist for (i) adults and (ii) children with kidney disease","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that every NHS board has a designated renal (a) psychologist and (b) psychiatrist for (i) adults and (ii) children with kidney disease.","AnswerText":"Recruitment and training of registered mental health professionals is a matter for employers such as NHS boards and Local Authorities. These bodies make informed decisions about recruiting counsellors and psychotherapists or training new mental health practitioners, according to the needs of local service providers and working with relevant professional bodies. The Scottish Government expects employers to apply standards and frameworks which are appropriate to the specialism being recruited for.In September 2023, we published  Mental Health Core Standards, initially applying to adult secondary mental health services. These outline national expectations to boards regarding staffing levels and appropriate skills.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422250,"EventID":"S6W-28878","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-01T16:09:10.907","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T12:16:29.133","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any cumulative impact on communities of the development of battery energy storage systems.","AnswerText":"Where new development proposals come forward, fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4), ensures that the impacts of proposals on communities and nature, including cumulative impacts, are important considerations in the decision-making process. All applications are subject to site specific assessments and the cumulative impacts of energy development proposals are also required to be considered through statutory Environmental Impact Assessment processes, where relevant and applicable. \r\nThe Scottish Ministers have an expectation that communities are engaged at an early stage and can meaningfully influence development proposals in their area. Where there is a need for co-ordination between applicants proposing development in the same area, all parties are expected to work together to co-ordinate development and minimise any impacts on communities and the environment.\r\nWhen determining applications under the Electricity Act 1989, Scottish Ministers are required to seek advice from planning authorities to ensure that decision-making is co-ordinated to reflect local circumstances.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422251,"EventID":"S6W-28850","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-01T16:09:11.253","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T11:26:00.817","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the findings of the Kidney Care UK publication, Transplant care in the UK: a patient perspective, what assessment it has made of the level of available tail","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the findings of the Kidney Care UK publication, Transplant care in the UK: a patient perspective, what assessment it has made of the level of available tailored support and information on the financial issues experienced by people living with long-term conditions, including chronic kidney disease.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all people living in Scotland with long-term conditions including chronic kidney disease, are able to access the best possible care and support, and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care.Financial support for travel to hospital appointments is available to patients and authorised escorts, according to eligibility criteria and medical requirements. Where travel is necessary, Boards are expected to support patients to identify and access support available, taking account individual circumstances and ensuring patient care is at the centre of all decisions made. In January 2024 we implemented a national policy for the reimbursement of electricity costs for home dialysis patients to address inconsistencies across Health Boards where some fully reimburse electricity costs, and others provide partial reimbursement or none at all. Boards are expected to proactively identify eligible patients and make reimbursement. A review of implementation is currently underway and a further update will be provided in Autumn 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422252,"EventID":"S6W-28888","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-01T16:09:11.313","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T16:30:22.04","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27745 by Graeme Dey on 6 June 2024, what its position is on whether all current college principal salary and remuneration packages meet its expectation of \"value for money, affordability and sustainability\".","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28357 on 23 July 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422253,"EventID":"S6W-28870","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-01T16:09:11.657","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T11:53:28.833","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people are affected, on a day-to-day basis, by thrombosis and related conditions, broken down by (a) NHS board and (b) age group.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people are affected, on a day-to-day basis, by thrombosis and related conditions, broken down by (a) NHS board and (b) age group.","AnswerText":"This information is not held by the Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422254,"EventID":"S6W-28852","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-01T16:09:11.72","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T11:27:58.113","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many pupils with special educational needs or a disability attend an independent school, broken down by local authority area.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many pupils with special educational needs or a disability attend an independent school, broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"The information sought is not held centrally.However, as at September 2023, around 28,500 children and young people were reported to attend an independent school in Scotland. Of those 28,500 children and young people, around 700 children and young people were reported to attend an independent special school.The following table outlines independent special school pupil numbers by Local Authority.Local AuthorityNumber of pupils enrolled in an independent special school (September 2023)*Aberdeen City Council 66Aberdeenshire Council 13Angus Council 28City of Edinburgh Council 16Clackmannanshire Council 17Dumfries &amp; Galloway Council 37East Ayrshire Council 12East Dunbartonshire Council 14Fife Council 73North Ayrshire Council 52North Lanarkshire Council 38Perth &amp; Kinross Council 53Renfrewshire Council 231West Dunbartonshire Council 31West Lothian Council 17Scotland 698* Figures as reported by independent schools as part of the annual census in September 2023, which offers a snapshot of attendance in independent special schools in Scotland. Some independent special schools have a presence in more than one Local Authority and the &lsquo;main&rsquo; school Local Authority has been used. Some pupils will attend a school in a campus outwith the Local Authority of the main school. Some pupils will live in a different Local Authority from the Local Authority of the school they attend.&nbsp;","AnswerDate":"2024-08-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422255,"EventID":"S6W-28854","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-01T16:09:11.8","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T11:28:45.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been in local authority housing budget reserves in each year since 1999.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been in local authority housing budget reserves in each year since 1999.","AnswerText":"A table with the information requested has been placed in SPICE bib number 65255.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422256,"EventID":"S6W-28886","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-01T16:09:11.86","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T16:17:31.067","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what progress has been made to date against the actions contained in its Learning for Sustainability Action Plan.","AnswerText":"The refreshed Learning for Sustainability (LfS) Action Plan was published in June 2023. The Learning for Sustainability Leadership Group – which meets quarterly – is overseeing delivery. The Leadership Group commenced an annual stocktake process in July to assess progress against the Action Plan and to agree key priorities for 2024-25.\r\nFurther to the Scottish Government’s response to S6W-25156 on 22 February 2024, key areas of progress since publication of the Action Plan include:\r\n? The development of a new LfS Mentor Network, which launched in February 2024 with over 97 engagements undertaken in its first 6 weeks, which reached more than 600 practitioners across 20 local authorities. The Network provides a forum for educators to provide peer-to-peer support and advice;\r\n? The formation of a sub-working group leading on development of LfS Indicators that will support practitioners and wider stakeholders to embed a whole-school approach to LfS and delivery of our Target 2030 vision;\r\n? The creation of a range of resources that draw on examples and activities from across Scotland to support educators to deliver good practice approaches to LfS. These resources will be hosted on the new and bespoke LfS online portal that launches in Autumn; and\r\n? Continued close engagement with Education Scotland, His Majesty’s Inspectorate for Education (HMIE), the Care Inspectorate and the Scottish Social Services Council to help consider alignment of LfS principles and approaches as part of on-going reviews of relevant inspection frameworks and practitioner standards.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422257,"EventID":"S6W-28871","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-01T16:09:11.94","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T11:54:25.737","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much money NHS Scotland has spent treating people affected by thrombosis and related conditions, broken down by NHS board, from 2004 to the most recent available dat","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much money NHS Scotland has spent treating people affected by thrombosis and related conditions, broken down by NHS board, from 2004 to the most recent available data.","AnswerText":"This information is not held by the Scottish Government. All NHS Board expenditure is recorded via the Scottish Financial Returns, which provides operating costs relating to the running of all services provided to patients across NHS Scotland, however, it does not show specific costs for conditions such as thrombosis.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422258,"EventID":"S6W-28848","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-01T16:09:12.267","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T11:24:58.757","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the percentage of the short-term let market that is operating without a licence.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not collect specific data on short-term lets who have chosen to stop operating. We have begun to publish regular official statistics on the number of short-term let license applications received, broken down by local authority here:  Short Term Lets Licensing Statistics Scotland to 31 December 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  This is an evolving dataset which will give us reliable information on the number of licensed properties, and the size of the sector in Scotland. So far less than 1% of licence of applications have been refused.\r\nWe also publish a range of regular statistical updates on tourism, which we use to monitor the health of the sector and take action where appropriate. The Industry Advisory Group, hosted by Visit Scotland also plays a role in considering information on short-term let licensing including the experience of hosts, which has informed several operational improvements to the scheme which will take effect shortly.\r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422259,"EventID":"S6W-28876","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-01T16:09:12.533","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T12:16:29.133","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the required energy storage capacity to meet targets and the level of capacity being proposed through applications for battery energy storage systems.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government uses modelling evidence such as the Electricity System Operators Future Energy Scenarios (FES) to explore the future storage capacity that could be required in Scotland and GB under different decarbonisation pathways. \r\nThe level of capacity being proposed through applications for battery energy storage systems can be found on the Renewable Energy Planning Database: quarterly extract (  Renewable Energy Planning Database: quarterly extract - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)  ). \r\nWhere Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) applications with a capacity greater than 50MW are brought forward, these will require consent from Scottish Ministers under the Electricity Act 1989. Proposals below 50MW are determined by the relevant planning authority in the first instance. Information on live applications under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 is available on the Energy Consents website, using the application search function and includes specific capacities, where this information is held.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422260,"EventID":"S6W-28849","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-01T16:09:12.643","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T11:25:22.353","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to bring forward planning reforms to provide for rural businesses with permitted development rights.","AnswerText":"Legislation sets out a wide range of permitted development rights. These allow certain types of development to be carried out without a planning application. In doing so, they help provide certainty and save the time and expense associated with applying for planning permission.\r\nIn the first phase of the Scottish Government’s review of permitted development rights, we introduced new PDR for the conversion of certain agricultural and forestry buildings to residential and flexible commercial uses (including shops, food and drink and business uses). We also increased the scale of agricultural buildings that may be built without a planning application. Rural businesses can also make use of and benefit from a range of other PDR.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422261,"EventID":"S6W-28855","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-01T16:09:12.707","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T11:29:04.177","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many children and young people have been recorded as going missing after being placed in Adult Mental Health Services in each of the last five years, broken down by ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many children and young people have been recorded as going missing after being placed in Adult Mental Health Services in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS facility.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold, nor collect, data on children and young people who have been recorded as going missing after being placed in Adult Mental Health Services.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422262,"EventID":"S6W-28858","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-01T16:09:12.957","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T11:30:12.32","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what estimate and assessment it has made of the number of additional people who will be registered with (a) GP and (b) dental practices in NHS Lothian over the next decade.","AnswerText":"Health Boards and Health & Social Care Partnerships are responsible for considering local health needs and taking population growth and infrastructure expansion into account when planning and providing for General Medical and Dental Services.\r\nThe Scottish Government annually uplifts General Medical Services funding specifically to account for population growth. In 2023/24, this amounted to £8.3 million.\r\nThe Scottish Government also introduced dental payment reform on 1 November 2023; this programme aims to better reflect the increased costs of modern dentistry, providing longer term sustainability and encouraging the dental sector to increase its existing NHS provision.\r\nThe latest statistics from Public Health Scotland show 90.9% of the population of Lothian Health Board were registered with a NHS dentist on 31 March 2024, over 833,000 adults and children:  tables.xlsx (live.com)","AnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422263,"EventID":"S6W-28853","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-01T16:09:13.143","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T11:28:24.783","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding how many Scotland-based (a) military personnel and (b) veterans send their children to an independent school, broken down by local auth","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding how many Scotland-based (a) military personnel and (b) veterans send their children to an independent school, broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"The information sought is not held centrally.However, it may be useful to note that Scotland&rsquo;s independent school sector includes Queen Victoria School in Dunblane. Queen Victoria School is an independent, mainstream, boarding school funded by the Ministry of Defence. The school caters to the children of UK Armed Forces personnel either based in Scotland or with a connection to Scotland. In September 2023, the school reported that around 260 children and young people were enrolled.The Board of His Majesty&rsquo;s Commissioners (HMC) are responsible for the management of Queen Victoria School and can be contacted care of: The Secretary to the Board of His Majesty&rsquo;s Commissioners, Queen Victoria School, Dunblane, FK15 0JY or the Director of Defence, Children&rsquo;s Services, MOD.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422264,"EventID":"S6W-28877","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-01T16:09:13.503","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T12:16:29.133","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what policies it has in place to ensure that the development of battery energy storage systems does not have a negative impact on the availability of prime agricultural land.","AnswerText":"National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4), published and adopted in February 2023, sets out at Policy 5 (Soils) that development proposals on prime agricultural land, or land of lesser quality that is culturally or locally important for primary use, as identified by the local development plan, will only be supported in limited circumstances. This includes for the generation of energy from renewable sources where there is secure provision for restoration and the layout and design of the proposal minimises the amount of protected land required.\r\nAll development proposals are subject to site specific assessments.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422265,"EventID":"S6W-28857","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-01T16:09:13.707","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T11:29:47.65","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to invest in GP practices in NHS Lothian.","AnswerText":"Each GP practice’s “Global Sum” allocation is adjusted every quarter to account for changes in their registered patients lists; growing practices should receive a greater share of national funding.\r\nThe Scottish Government annually uplifts General Medical Services funding specifically to account for population growth. In 2023-24, this amounted to £8.3 million.\r\nAll capital projects are under review and a revised Scottish Government infrastructure investment plan will be published later this year. All due consideration will be given to which projects can be included within that revised plan to ensure it is affordable and deliverable, while providing the best value for money. Our emphasis for the immediate future will be on addressing backlog maintenance and essential equipment replacement.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422266,"EventID":"S6W-28884","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-01T16:09:14.083","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T14:44:26.497","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28205 by Jenni Minto on 5 July 2024, what data it holds on the number of renal counsellors currently employed by the NHS to provid","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28205 by Jenni Minto on 5 July 2024, what data it holds on the number of renal counsellors currently employed by the NHS to provide support to people living with chronic kidney disease.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28882 on 26 August 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422267,"EventID":"S6W-28879","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-01T16:09:14.19","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T12:16:29.133","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what policies it has in place to protect communities against any cumulative impact of the development of battery energy storage systems.","AnswerText":"Where new development proposals come forward, National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4), ensures that the impacts of proposals on communities and nature, including cumulative impacts, are important considerations in the decision making process. All applications are subject to site specific assessments and the cumulative impacts of energy development proposals are also considered through statutory Environmental Impact Assessment processes, where relevant and applicable.\r\nThe Scottish Ministers have an expectation that communities are engaged at an early stage and can meaningfully influence development proposals in their area. Where there is a need for co-ordination between applicants proposing development in the same area, all parties are expected to work together to co-ordinate development and minimise any impacts on communities and the environment.\r\nWhen determining applications made under the Electricity Act 1989, Scottish Ministers are required to seek advice from planning authorities to ensure that decision-making is co-ordinated to reflect local circumstances.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422268,"EventID":"S6W-28887","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-01T16:09:14.253","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T16:20:36.54","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27748 by Jenny Gilruth on 4 June 2024, when the relationships, sexual health and parenthood education consultation analysis will b","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27748 by Jenny Gilruth on 4 June 2024, when the relationships, sexual health and parenthood education consultation analysis will be published.","AnswerText":"The relationships, sexual health and parenthood education consultation report will be published in the coming weeks. I will ensure the member is sent a link to the report when it is published.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422269,"EventID":"S6W-28872","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-01T16:09:14.49","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T11:54:45.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much money has been spent to raise awareness of thrombosis, in each year since 2018, also broken down by NHS board.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much money has been spent to raise awareness of thrombosis, in each year since 2018, also broken down by NHS board.","AnswerText":"Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government does hold the information on how much each NHS board spends on raising awareness of thrombosis. Although the Scottish Government has not funded a national awareness raising campaign for thrombosis in recent years, in December 2023, Scottish Government social media health channels ran a series of online awareness-raising messages on the risks and symptoms of DVT.In addition, the guidance available to the general public on NHS Inform on deep vein thrombosis is reviewed regularly to ensure it is up to date, with the most recent update taking place in July 2024. To support clinicians, the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) are responsible for publishing new rapid guidelines, with SIGN 122 and  SIGN 163(specifically in relation to the prevention and management of venous thromboembolism (VTE) and VTE in patients with COVID-19 respectively) both being available.SIGN supports the implementation of these guidelines by; raising awareness; networking with national projects and clinical networks; and developing implementation support tools and resources alongside specific guidelines.The Scottish Government have no current plans run a national awareness campaign for thrombosis, however we are engaging with stakeholders and intend to mark World Thrombosis Day in October via social media channels.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422270,"EventID":"S6W-28819","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-01T16:09:14.693","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-29T18:22:39.493","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding action to promote income maximisation among older people, including through the uptake of all devolved and reserved social security benefits, such as pension credit.","AnswerText":"Maximising incomes and ensuring everyone can access social security entitlements are fundamental priorities for the Scottish Government. In 2024-25 we plan to invest over £12 million in income maximisation and welfare advice services – including nearly £4.6 million for Citizens Advice Scotland’s Money Talk Team service, which last year helped over 9,000 older people secure financial gains of over £7 million.\r\nImproving uptake to Pension Credit is important to this, given the DWP estimates from October 2023 that an estimated £1.7bn is unclaimed, made even more critical now, given the UK Government’s announcement to end universal Winter Fuel Payments and to restrict those in receipt of Pension Credit and means-tested benefits only.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422271,"EventID":"S6W-28856","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-01T16:09:14.943","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T11:29:27.987","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what (a) research it has carried out and (b) discussions it has had regarding pay weighting for public sector workers working in Edinburgh.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what (a) research it has carried out and (b) discussions it has had regarding pay weighting for public sector workers working in Edinburgh.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"Research has focused on the wider challenges and opportunities associated with rapid localised population growth where it is occurring in parts of Scotland. This was discussed at the October 2023 meeting of the Population Taskforce and is a priority within the Population Balance strand of delivery of the Population Strategy. The minutes of the October meeting are published on the Scottish Government webpages: https://www.gov.scot/publications/population-taskforce-minutes-october-2023/Our approach to public sector pay has provided support to public sector workers during COVID-19 and the cost of living crisis, balancing fairness, affordability and fiscal sustainability within an extremely difficult fiscal context. We have protected the lowest paid and encourage employers to take a progressive approach to pay. As a result, public sector salaries in Scotland after taxes are 6% higher on average than the rest of the UK, with median full-time pay around &pound;1,500 higher, up from around &pound;430 prior to the pandemic.A short briefing note will be prepared on how the London weighting allowance is calculated and applied, which can be shared with Mr Briggs in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422272,"EventID":"S6W-28753","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-01T16:09:15.21","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-25T10:05:46.2","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28535 by Fiona Hyslop on 24 July 2024, whether it will provide the information requested regarding by what date, at the latest, it expects that the business case review into the redevelopment of Ardrossan Harbour will be concluded.","AnswerText":"I understand and share the Member's frustrations on the Ardrossan Harbour redevelopment, as do my Officials working on the project. The business case work and overall delivery of the project needs to be supported by the financial packages from each of the main funding partners. It is imperative therefore that these and the legal agreements are clearly defined, affordable and ensure value to the public purse.\r\nDuring recent discussions with funding partners there have been some emerging issues in relation to the funding packages and costs to Government that require further investigation and to be concluded before the business case can be finalised.\r\nOfficials are progressing these matters as quickly as possible and will look to provide respective updates when notable progress is made.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422273,"EventID":"S6W-28882","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-01T16:09:15.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T14:44:26.497","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on the number of renal (a) psychologists and (b) psychiatrists currently employed by the NHS to provide psychological support for (i) adults and (ii) ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on the number of renal (a) psychologists and (b) psychiatrists currently employed by the NHS to provide psychological support for (i) adults and (ii) children living with chronic kidney disease.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold the data requested which is a matter for health boards locally.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422274,"EventID":"S6W-28874","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-01T16:09:15.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T12:12:20.273","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people it estimates will receive the school clothing grant in the upcoming financial year; what it expects the cost will be, and what percentage of families are","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people it estimates will receive the school clothing grant in the upcoming financial year; what it expects the cost will be, and what percentage of families are eligible.","AnswerText":"Funding for local authorities is provided by the Scottish Government through the General Revenue Grant. It is the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources available to them, including on school clothing grants, on the basis of local needs and priorities.In recent years the Scottish Government has added a further &pound;13.9 million to support local authorities to provide eligible families with the national minimum amount of school clothing grant, as per our joint agreement with them.As local authorities are responsible for setting their own eligibility criteria for the school clothing grant, we do not hold information centrally about the percentage of families who will be eligible to receive the school clothing grant, and the number of grants we anticipate will be paid.Information about the number of children and young people who receive school clothing grants and the expenditure involved is provided within the annual Scottish Local Government Financial Statistics returns, which I have referred to in my answer to question S6W-28873 on 14 August 2024. The answer to this question contains information about school clothing grant expenditure in the five most recent financial years for which this information is available.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422275,"EventID":"S6W-28883","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-01T16:09:15.49","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T14:44:26.497","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28205 by Jenni Minto on 5 July 2024, whether it plans to update Mental Health Core Standards to include guidance for the treatment","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28205 by Jenni Minto on 5 July 2024, whether it plans to update Mental Health Core Standards to include guidance for the treatment of patients living with non-communicable diseases, including chronic kidney disease.","AnswerText":"Jenni Minto: In September 2023, we published  Mental Health Core Standards, initially applying to adult secondary mental health services. These general standards ensure high quality and safe mental health services. We are currently focusing on a phased implementation of the standards and there are no immediate plans to update them.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422276,"EventID":"S6W-28873","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-01T16:09:15.617","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T12:11:06.503","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost was of the school clothing grant in each of the last five financial years; how many families have received the grant in each of those years, and what percentage of families are currently eligible for the grant.","AnswerText":"Information about school clothing grants is recorded centrally through the Scottish Local Government Financial Statistics returns. Information about the number of school clothing grants paid to eligible families as well as expenditure on school clothing grants, during the five most recent financial years for which we hold this information, is as follows:\r\nFinancial Year\r\nNumber of Grants Issued\r\nGross Expenditure on School Clothing Grants   \r\n2018-19\r\n149,268\r\n£15,918,700\r\n2019-20\r\n157,585\r\n£17,460,520\r\n2020-21\r\n178,597\r\n£20,577,649\r\n2021-22\r\n182,104\r\n£23,983,850\r\n2022-23\r\n174,357\r\n£24,549,000\r\nInformation about the number of clothing grants issued, and expenditure on school clothing grants, in 2023-24 will become available when the next Local Government Financial Statistics return is published in March 2025.\r\nThe Scottish Local Government Financial Statistics returns are available on the Scottish Government’s website through the following link:  Local government finance statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)  .\r\nLocal authorities are responsible for setting their own eligibility criteria for the school clothing grant at the local level. Therefore, we do not hold information centrally about the percentage of families who are eligible to receive the grant.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422284,"EventID":"S6W-28891","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-02T15:43:27.033","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T16:38:34.227","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the transfer of Community Treatment and Care services from GP practices to NHS boards as part of the 2018 GMS Contract, and what its position is on whether these services have now been transferred in full. ","AnswerText":"As part of the 2018 GP Contract, the Scottish Government amended regulations for the delivery of CTAC Services. Boards are now responsible for providing a Community Treatment and Care service. These services are being designed locally, taking into account local population health needs, existing community services, and optimising benefit to practices and patients.\r\nOur annual statistical  publication  provides a progress update on implementation of the 2018 GP contract.\r\n \r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422285,"EventID":"S6W-28864","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-02T15:43:28.863","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T11:41:28.8","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) individuals and (b) families from each local authority area have had to use secure temporary accommodation outwith their local authority area, also broken d","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) individuals and (b) families from each local authority area have had to use secure temporary accommodation outwith their local authority area, also broken down by how many had to travel to England to do so.","AnswerText":"The information requested is not held centrally by Scottish Government.The Scottish Government collects information on the types of temporary accommodation provided or arranged by the local authority which a household makes a homelessness application to. Information on the location of this accommodation is not collected. Temporary accommodation data by local authority is released on an biannual basis as part of the Homelessness in Scotland statistics","AnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422286,"EventID":"S6W-28893","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-02T15:43:30.037","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T16:45:13.717","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether transitionary funding for GP practices following the 2018 GMS Contract will resume, and, if so, by what date.","AnswerText":"Transitionary funding, sometimes known as sustainability payments, were made to GP practices in 2021-22 and 2022-23 and reflected the status of the Primary Care Improvement Plans at that time. Since then we have continued to implement the plans and practices are now supported by over 4,900 multi-disciplinary team staff.\r\nIn 2024-25, we are investing over £190 million in the ongoing development of primary care multi-disciplinary teams.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422287,"EventID":"S6W-28892","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-02T15:43:30.723","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T16:45:13.717","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the delivery of Phase 2 of the 2018 GMS contract. ","AnswerText":"We remain committed to Phase 2 of the 2018 GP Contract and ensuring the stability and sustainability of general practice.\r\nDiscussions with the BMA on Phase 2 are ongoing and we are developing a refreshed delivery plan for this work – this will include a revised timeline for delivery.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422288,"EventID":"S6W-28861","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-02T15:43:31.097","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T11:40:32.707","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many e-bikes have been reported stolen in each year since 2013, broken down by Police Scotland division.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many e-bikes have been reported stolen in each year since 2013, broken down by Police Scotland division.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold information specifically on the number of e-bike thefts as the data we receive from Police Scotland is a general count of the number of crimes and offences recorded by the police, split by local authority.Depending on the circumstances of any given case, such as how an e-bike was stolen or it&rsquo;s spec, there are a number of different crime classifications that might be used by the police (for example Theft of a Pedal Cycle, Theft of a Motor Vehicle, Robbery etc.). As such, it is not possible to identify within the Recorded Crime statistics how many of the cases involve an e-bike being stolen.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422289,"EventID":"S6W-28866","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-02T15:43:32.747","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T11:42:52.217","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans are being developed to help improve access to mobility support.","AnswerText":"Scotland’s Accessible Travel Framework and its successive delivery plans set out the means of ensuring that disabled people can travel with the same freedom, choice, dignity and opportunity as other citizens.\r\nSpecific programmes to support disabled people to access mobility support include, the Accessible Vehicles and Equipment scheme, under which people receiving a qualifying social security benefit can lease a vehicle or mobility equipment that meets their needs, and the Scottish Driving Assessment Service, which provides advice on people’s ability to resume, continue or begin to drive, along with any potential car modifications, following diagnosis of illness or significant event.\r\nThe Scottish Government continues to work with disabled people’s organisations and the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland to provide a focus for action.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422290,"EventID":"S6W-28890","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-02T15:43:34.31","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T16:38:34.227","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its&nbsp;planned investment of &pound;60 million for the modernisation and restoration of play parks over the course of the current parliamentary term, whet","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its&nbsp;planned investment of &pound;60 million for the modernisation and restoration of play parks over the course of the current parliamentary term, whether it will provide an update on play park renovation across the country, including how much has been allocated each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is investing &pound;60 million to renew play parks in Scotland, so children have access to free, high-quality outdoor play in their own communities. Since funding began in 2021, a total of 887 play parks have been renewed or are in the process of being renewed by local authority partners. To support the delivery of the programme we agreed with CoSLA and our local authority partners a suite of national principles to guide and inform the renewal programme. The national principles set out how local authorities should review their existing estate, prioritise renewal work and design play parks that offer improved play opportunities for children and families. At the heart of the national principles is the recommendation for local authorities to engage with children and families within the local communities to inform delivery of a renewal that meets the needs of local people.Funding to support the Play Parks renewal programme has been allocated as follows:2021-22 - &pound;5 million2022-23 - &pound;5 million2023-24 - &pound;10 million2024-25 - &pound;15 million","AnswerDate":"2024-08-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422291,"EventID":"S6W-28860","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-02T15:43:35.247","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T11:39:07.03","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many patients have been treated in regional treatment centres since these became operational.","AnswerText":"Public Health Scotland’s (PHS) annual Acute Hospital Activity and NHS Beds information publication will include data on National Treatment Centre (NTC) admissions up to and including 31 March 2024. This publication will be released in September 2024 and will be available to view here:  All releases of Acute hospital activity and NHS beds information (annual) ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422292,"EventID":"S6W-28867","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-02T15:43:36.23","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T11:43:15.507","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to develop better access to community facilities to help tackle loneliness in society.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to develop better access to community facilities to help tackle loneliness in society.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government published our social isolation and loneliness strategy, A Connected Scotland&rsquo; in 2018 which set out our key priorities for tackling social isolation and loneliness. Our updated delivery plan published in 2023, set out a number of actions we are taking across Government to tackle this public health issue. Two themes within the plan, that develop better access to community facilities, focus efforts on creating opportunities for people to connect and support an infrastructure that fosters connections.Practical work we are delivering under these themes include funding Befriending Networks as a critical partner to build capacity within the befriending sector, and share learning from the developing evidence base on befriending to highlight what works to tackle social isolation and loneliness. Our &pound;3.8m Social Isolation and Loneliness Fund supports 53 community organisations throughout Scotland that provides opportunities for people to connect.We are also focussing on place-making and community infrastructure to foster connections by supporting Scotland&rsquo;s Public Library Strategy 2021-2025. Since 2021 we have provided the Scottish Library and information Council (SLIC) with &pound;665K. This includes &pound;450,000 for Public Library Improvement Fund (PLIF) to support creative, sustainable and innovative public library projects throughout Scotland.We have invested &pound;66 million in our Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults since 2021, with more than 3,300 grants made to local projects across Scotland in the first two years alone. The Fund was put in place to support those in the community with mental health and wellbeing, one of the top priorities of the Fund is social isolation and loneliness. More than 2,260 projects who have cited social isolation and loneliness as a main priority have received funding in the first two years of the Fund. This Fund provides a range of classes and activities to encourage people to re-engage with their community.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422293,"EventID":"S6W-28862","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-02T15:43:37.45","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T11:40:50.833","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much NHS Lothian has spent on taxis to transport patients in each year since 1999.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally. It is for Health Boards to ensure best use of available resources whilst prioritising patient safety and care.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422294,"EventID":"S6W-28863","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-02T15:43:38.817","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T11:41:11.757","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many homes in each local authority area contain reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete&nbsp;(RAAC).","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many homes in each local authority area contain reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete&nbsp;(RAAC).","AnswerText":"Following the initial data collection exercise in December 2023 on the presence of RAAC in social housing, the Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) published an update to the original figures at the end of March 2024. This provides information on the number of social homes identified as containing RAAC and how many were still under investigation. At that time 1,994 homes were identified with RAAC present across 13 social landlords and 8,311 homes were still under investigation. The findings are available on the SHR website. Regulator publishes further update on reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in social housing | Scottish Housing Regulator. SHR are shortly undertaking further data collection and will release their updated findings in the coming weeks. In April, SHR published their Engagement Plans for every social landlord in Scotland, setting out why they are working with a landlord and what the landlord needs to do. Within these Plans, SHR has set out how they will engage with social landlords who have identified RAAC in their housing.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422295,"EventID":"S6W-28868","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-02T15:43:40.037","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T11:44:09.08","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what 10-year infrastructure investment plans it has to improve the Scottish cancer centres.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government, through the Infrastructure Investment Plan 2021-22 to 2025-26 published in 2021, has enabled the upgrade to the Edinburgh Cancer Centre (ECC) at the Western General Hospital in NHS Lothian, which will complete this financial year.\r\nBeyond this, given the extremely challenging financial position, all capital projects are now under review. Publication of the revised Infrastructure Investment Plan will be considered only once allocations from the new UK Government are confirmed and fully appraised by the Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422296,"EventID":"S6W-28889","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-02T15:43:40.74","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T16:38:34.227","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the report in The Courier on 21 January 2024 that NHS Tayside, NHS Grampian, NHS Forth Valley and NHS Lanarkshire were not fulfilling the Universal Health V","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the report in The Courier on 21 January 2024 that NHS Tayside, NHS Grampian, NHS Forth Valley and NHS Lanarkshire were not fulfilling the Universal Health Visiting Pathway, what action it has taken with NHS boards since January 2024 to recruit more health visitors.","AnswerText":"Local recruitment is the responsibility of the Health Board with the Scottish Government providing support for workforce planning. Since December 2023, Scottish Government officials have met nursing leadership in all territorial Boards and all universities offering the post graduate health visiting course. These discussions included exploring recruitment and retention challenges and successes. Innovative recruitment and retention practices, identified as part of those discussions, will be shared across all Health Board partners.Attraction and retention of people into nursing and midwifery more generally is a key part of the remit of the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce. The Taskforce, chaired by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, will recommend a workplan of actions to support workforce sustainability, workplace culture, practice, flexibility, recruitment and retention, alongside the diversification of training pathways.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422297,"EventID":"S6W-28894","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-02T15:43:42.24","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T16:45:13.717","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the sustainability fund for GP practices will resume in 2024, and, if so, by what date.","AnswerText":"We intend to resume Tranche 1 of the Sustainability Loan Scheme in 2024-25 once we have completed the disbursement of funds for those loans already completed and confirmed a budget. This will likely not be until midway through the financial year.\r\nOur preference remains to continue the loan scheme into Tranche 2 and beyond – however, this is dependent on whether the UK Government resumes the allocation of Financial Transaction Capital to the Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422298,"EventID":"S6W-28869","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-02T15:43:43.18","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T11:44:30.41","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government&nbsp;what review it has made of the support being given to develop bespoke services to help disabled people who experience loneliness.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government&nbsp;what review it has made of the support being given to develop bespoke services to help disabled people who experience loneliness.","AnswerText":"We launched a new Social Isolation and Loneliness Fund on 8 March 2023. This funding is helping organisations to create opportunities for people to connect with one another in our communities. 53 projects are currently operational across Scotland, delivering projects within communities that are diverse and are responding to local needs. Disabled people are one of the priority groups targeted by the Fund.Our analysis of the fund informs us that 20 out of the 53 funded projects are targeted at disabled people and to date 1529 disabled people are benefitting from the services provided by these projects.We will continue to evaluate the fund and learn what further interventions are required for disabled people who experience loneliness.We recognise loneliness impacts on different demographics as stated in &lsquo;A Connected Scotland&rsquo; and we are using this strategy to bring together the different parts of Government that can make a real difference in tackling loneliness. This is evident in approaches delivered by both Creative Scotland and Sport Scotland, both Government funded bodies, who invest and support people to connect by enabling access to inclusive activities.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422299,"EventID":"S6W-28881","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-02T15:43:44.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T13:08:26.667","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many epilepsy specialist nurses there have been in each NHS board in each of the past two years. ","AnswerText":"The information requested on how many epilepsy specialist nurses there have been in each NHS board in each of the past two years is not centrally available.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-08-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422311,"EventID":"S6W-28919","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-05T15:57:11.63","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-01T15:12:37.667","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many P6 and P7 pupils in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment currently receive free school meals.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many P6 and P7 pupils in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment currently receive free school meals.","AnswerText":"Information on the number of P6 &amp; P7 pupils who are in registered for free school meals is published annually, and can be found in table 2.22 of our pupil census 2023 supplementary statistics: Pupil census supplementary statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).","AnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422312,"EventID":"S6W-28900","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-05T15:57:11.787","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-01T09:47:29.433","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans on undertaking a (a) quantitative and (b) qualitative evaluation of the revised payment system for NHS dentistry, which was rolled out on 1 November 202","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans on undertaking a (a) quantitative and (b) qualitative evaluation of the revised payment system for NHS dentistry, which was rolled out on 1 November 2023.","AnswerText":"Jenni Minto: Quantitative evaluation is ongoing through data analysis by Practitioner Services Division of NSS and is published by Public Health Scotland quarterly. This data can be found at the following link:https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/nhs-dental-data-monitoring-report/nhs-dental-data-monitoring-report-quarter-ending-march-2024/The Scottish Government has also introduced a revised system of Quality Improvement activity with a specific focus, in 2024-25, on qualitatively evaluating the impact of payment reform. Dental teams are required to undertake a team-based reflection activity to discuss their experience of the reform process in addition to the resultant changes they have made in their practices. This process has been to complement and enhance the qualitative information already collated through regular engagement with NHS Boards and Directors of Dentistry.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422313,"EventID":"S6W-28916","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-05T15:57:11.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-01T15:12:37.667","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the roll-out of universal free school meals to all P6 and P7 pupils will be completed by March 2026.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the roll-out of universal free school meals to all P6 and P7 pupils will be completed by March 2026.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to free school meal expansion and continues to work with partners in local government.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422314,"EventID":"S6W-28895","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-05T15:57:11.927","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T17:08:18.783","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to begin consultation on its previously proposed cruise ship levy.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government plans to launch a public consultation on a cruise ship levy before the end of the year, to formally hear the views of those potentially affected by such a levy.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422315,"EventID":"S6W-28922","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-05T15:57:11.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-02T01:28:46.947","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it reportedly does not have a departmental structure with direct ministerial oversight and leadership.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it reportedly does not have a departmental structure with direct ministerial oversight and leadership.","AnswerText":"The civil service that supports Scottish Ministers is structured into eight Director-General areas, each containing a number of directorates and related public bodes which are responsible for proposing legislation and putting Scottish Government policy into practice.Directors General are referred to within our governance processes as the accountable officers (AOs). They are accountable to Parliament for the duties given to them by the Permanent Secretary as the Principal Accountable Officer, and participate across the corporate governance system.Each Director General and their accountabilities align to Cabinet Secretary and Ministerial portfolios to enable oversight and leadership for their respective Ministerial responsibilities.These Directors General and their Directorates are all part of the Scottish Government organisation, referred to as core Scottish Government, that operates as a single employer. This structuring allows for the more flexible deployment of resources across portfolios to respond quickly and efficiently to Ministerial priorities and external events. It also supports the wider approach set out within the National Performance Framework, to focus the organisation on working and leading collectively to improve the National Outcomes for the people of Scotland.Further details of the government structures can be found on the Scottish Government website&nbsp;Government structure - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).","AnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422316,"EventID":"S6W-28905","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-05T15:57:12.067","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-01T11:59:44.533","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of the recommendations of the Independent Review of the Skills Delivery Landscape. ","AnswerText":"Work continues apace on the Post-School Education and Skills Reform Programme, developed in light of the recommendations of James Withers’ Independent Review of the Skills Delivery Landscape and the Scottish Government’s own report on the  Post-school education, research and skills - purpose and principles - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) \r\nFollowing my initial update of March 2024 to the Education, Children and Young People Committee, I provided the latest update on progress in a letter to that Committee on 25 June 2024, available at  Post School Reform 25 June 2024 (parliament.scot)  . This letter includes an annex detailing our position and actions taken with regards to each of the recommendations of the Independent Review of the Skills Delivery Landscape.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422317,"EventID":"S6W-28908","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-05T15:57:12.113","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-01T12:23:59.283","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking with Police Scotland to tackle rural crime, in light of new figures from insurance company, NFU Mutual, which show that rural crime in Scotland ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking with Police Scotland to tackle rural crime, in light of new figures from insurance company, NFU Mutual, which show that rural crime in Scotland was up 34.9% in 2023 compared with the previous year.","AnswerText":"Police Scotland have confirmed that the increase in claims received by NFU Mutual from Scotland for the 2022/23 period can largely be attributed to a particular 'spike' during that period including the theft of farm machinery, GPS units and an increase in quad bike thefts. A significant proportion of the machinery that was taken with investigations ongoing.The Scottish Government continues to work with partners across the Scottish Partnership Against Rural Crime (SPARC) and through the continued expansion of the local partnerships against Crime (LPARCS) across Scotland.These partnerships share intelligence on organised crime groups operating across borders, providing specific &lsquo;target hardening&rsquo; information to the rural and farming community on how to best secure and prevent theft of equipment. They also demonstrate crime prevention measures in relation to the marking, tracking and securing of farm machinery and tools, including in the highest impacted areas.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422318,"EventID":"S6W-28917","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-05T15:57:12.177","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-01T15:12:37.667","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet last discussed the (a) expansion of universal free school meals to P6 and P7 pupils and (b) establishment of a pilot scheme for free school meals in sec","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet last discussed the (a) expansion of universal free school meals to P6 and P7 pupils and (b) establishment of a pilot scheme for free school meals in secondary schools, and whether it will provide details of any such discussion.","AnswerText":"Cabinet minutes provide a full account of actions but are not a verbatim record. As such, it is not possible to determine with certainty when or how many times a particular topic has been discussed at Cabinet. The Cabinet discusses policies which relate to education and to child poverty on a regular basis.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422319,"EventID":"S6W-28933","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-05T15:57:12.24","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-02T14:35:38.28","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, following the recent statement on spending inheritance by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 29 July 2024, what it estimates the impact will be on (a) revenue and (b) capital funding in (i) the Scottish Budget 2024-25 and (ii) subsequent budget years.","AnswerText":"No additional funding has been confirmed as part of the Chancellor’s statement, with the consequential position, as per normal practice, confirmed as part of the Supplementary Estimates process in January/February 2025.\r\nThe Scottish Government will continue to work with the UK Government to seek clarity on changes that have an impact on funding.\r\nInformation on future year funding will be outlined as part of the UK Government Spending Review, the first two years of which will be published alongside the Autumn Statement on the 30th of October.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422320,"EventID":"S6W-28901","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-05T15:57:12.317","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-01T09:49:18.21","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans on undertaking a Health Inequalities Impact Assessment on the revised payment system for NHS dentistry, which was rolled out on 1 November 2023.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans on undertaking a Health Inequalities Impact Assessment on the revised payment system for NHS dentistry, which was rolled out on 1 November 2023.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government undertook and published an Equality Impacts Assessment and Fairer Scotland Duty Assessment, as part of the amendment regulations made as payment reform. Further detail can be found at:Supporting documents - NHS dental payment reform: equality impact assessment record - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)A Health Inequalities Impact Assessment would not ordinarily form part of the policy process in Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422321,"EventID":"S6W-28896","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-05T15:57:12.38","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-31T18:14:21.077","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many vessels have been reported to have run aground on the Cuan Sound in each year since 2021, broken down by month. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Shipping safety is a matter reserved to the UK Government. Coastguard operations are the responsibility of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency, reporting to the UK Secretary of State for Transport, is responsible for providing an effective response to maritime incidents in UK waters.\r\nThe Scottish Government expects the highest shipping safety standards and for these to be followed by those accessing our coastal areas.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422322,"EventID":"S6W-28925","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16188,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":82,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-05T15:57:12.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-02T12:33:12.923","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the UK Government's reported decision to means test Winter Fuel Payment on Social Security Scotland's Pension Age Winter Heating Payment, and any subsequent effects on pensioner poverty levels in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Chancellor has set out plans to end universal Winter Fuel Payments in England and Wales by restricting it to those receiving Pension Credit and other means tested benefits from this year onwards. This decision was taken without any consultation or discussion with Scottish Government Ministers, which is deeply disappointing given both governments committed to resetting the relationship between them.\r\nThe UK Government’s approach reduces the Block-Grant Adjustment associated with devolution of the UK’s Winter Fuel Payment by an estimated £140 million to £160 million in 2024-25 – nearly 90% of the cost of the Scottish Government’s new replacement benefit, Pension Age Winter Heating Payment.\r\nFollowing careful consideration of the options available for Scotland it is with deep regret that I confirm that the Scottish Government must replicate the decision made by the UK Government and restrict eligibility for Pension Age Winter Heating Payment to older people on relevant eligible benefits. This has been a very difficult decision and not one we want to, or expected to, be making. However, despite all efforts to review our financial position it is a necessary decision when faced with such a deep cut to the budget and in the most challenging financial circumstances since devolution.\r\nThe timing of the UK Government announcement has meant it is not practical to make changes in good time for the launch of Pension Age Winter Heating Payment. Delivery will therefore be deferred until winter 2025. However, I can offer reassurance that the Scottish Government is in discussion with the Department of Work and Pensions, which has committed to make payments this winter to eligible pensioners in Scotland on terms equivalent to Winter Fuel Payments in England and Wales.\r\nWe are also keen to understand the UK Government’s wider plans to protect energy customers in greatest need, such as a social energy tariff, and will work closely to ensure that they take every possible step to drive up the take-up of Pension Credit and other benefits which pensioners are entitled to.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422323,"EventID":"S6W-28923","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-05T15:57:12.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-02T12:30:24.44","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met with SEPA to discuss the enforcement of environmental legislation.","AnswerText":"The Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy has regular meetings with SEPA which cover a wide range of topics related to SEPA functions. Most recently, Miri McAllan MSP met SEPA Chair, Lisa Tennant and Nicole Paterson, Chief Executive Officer on 13 June 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422324,"EventID":"S6W-28906","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-05T15:57:12.6","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-01T12:07:25.707","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps have been taken to review the stroke awareness campaign, including exploring alternatives such as BE FAST (Balance, Eyes,","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps have been taken to review the stroke awareness campaign, including exploring alternatives such as BE FAST (Balance, Eyes, Face, Arms, Speech, and Time/Throwing Up).","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government commissioned research to evaluate the current public awareness of Face, Arms, Speech, Time (FAST), stroke symptoms and risk factors, which has now been completed. The results of this research are informing our plans for future work.Scottish Government, Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland and Stroke Association all support the continue used of FAST. The current evidence base does not support a move to the use of BE FAST, but we will regularly review this position based on the best available evidence.The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care asked the Specialty Adviser to the Chief Medical Officer for Stroke to review stroke recognition education for clinical staff. This review has informed the development of an education package, funded by the Scottish Government, to be delivered to staff in GP practices, Emergency Departments and the Scottish Ambulance Service. Although focusing on FAST, this education will also cover the less common presentations of stroke.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422325,"EventID":"S6W-28899","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-05T15:57:12.66","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-01T09:40:49.623","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to prevent and reduce the number of still-births, in light of National Records of Scotland data showing that still-births remained unchanged in ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to prevent and reduce the number of still-births, in light of National Records of Scotland data showing that still-births remained unchanged in 2023 at 3.7 per 1,000 births.","AnswerText":"The rate of stillbirth in Scotland has dropped from 5.7 stillbirths per 1000 births (live and still) in 2003 to 3.7 per 1000 births (live and still) in 2023, what this means is that 125 fewer babies were stillborn in 2023 than 2003. However, we recognise that there is still more work to do to improve stillbirth rates, and the Scottish Government is committed to participating and funding key initiatives to reduce the incidence of stillbirth in Scotland. The Scottish Patient Safety Programme (SPSP) perinatal improvement programme, established in 2013 has the specific aim of reducing stillbirth. Scotland continues to fund and participate in UK-wide audits including Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries &ndash; UK (MBRRACE-UK), which undertakes surveillance on stillbirth and makes recommendations for improvement, which we consider carefully with an expectation NHS Boards will review their local data and act on emerging themes. We also expect all Boards to use the Perinatal Mortality Review Tool to review all perinatal deaths in a systematic and consistent way to ensure, where possible lessons are learned to improve care.We provide NHS Boards with information leaflets for pregnant women which include advice on important ways to help reduce the risk of stillbirth, including side sleeping, not smoking and monitoring baby&rsquo;s movements. This information is also set out in Ready Steady Baby, a comprehensive guide to pregnancy, labour and birth and given to pregnant women in the ante natal period.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422326,"EventID":"S6W-28924","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-05T15:57:12.723","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-02T12:30:24.44","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet last discussed (a) the enforcement of environmental laws and (b) funding for SEPA.","AnswerText":"Cabinet minutes provide a full account of decisions made but are not a verbatim record. As such, it is not possible to determine with certainty when or how many times a particular topic has been discussed at Cabinet. The Cabinet discusses issues relating to the natural environment on a regular basis.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422327,"EventID":"S6W-28921","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-05T15:57:12.787","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-01T16:40:56.087","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the national code of practice for GP premises, agreed between the Scottish Government and the BMA Scottish GP committee, which sets out how the Scottish Government will support a shift to a new model in which GPs will no longer be expected to provide their own premises. ","AnswerText":"NHS Boards are responsible for implementing the National Code of Practice for GP premises.\r\nThe NHSScotland National Primary Care (GP) Premises Group has been set up to consider all matters relating to GP Premises including:Oversight of the implementation of the Code of Practice for GP Premises.Implementation of GP Sustainability Loans.Consideration and review of available guidance.Consideration of appropriate schedules of accommodation within Primary Care premises, and specifically that of General Practice occupied areas and how this may affect reimbursement.Provide a platform for the Scottish Government to present papers/proposals to the group.Provide a platform for the BMA to present papers to the group.Provide a platform for the NHS Boards to present papers to the group.Ensure the Rent Review Process is consistent and supports the intent of the GP contract where required.Standardise approaches, e.g. standardise leases across Scotland.\r\nHealth Boards are represented on a regional basis alongside the BMA, the Scottish Government and other stakeholders.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422328,"EventID":"S6W-28937","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-05T15:57:12.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-02T15:04:06.06","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what resources it is providing to Police Scotland to tackle any anti-social behaviour issues caused by (a) off-road bikes, (b) e-bikes and (c) e-scooters in communities ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what resources it is providing to Police Scotland to tackle any anti-social behaviour issues caused by (a) off-road bikes, (b) e-bikes and (c) e-scooters in communities across Scotland, and whether it has had any recent discussions with (i) Police Scotland and (ii) local authorities regarding how best to tackle this issue.","AnswerText":"Despite deeply challenging financial circumstances, we are investing record funding of &pound;1.55 billion in policing in the current financial year, which is an increase of &pound;92.7 million. It is for the Scottish Police Authority, working with the Chief Constable, to determine how to allocate its budget to meet policing priorities.Enforcement of all traffic offences is a matter for Police Scotland, which operates independently of Scottish Ministers. However, the Scottish Government fully supports Police Scotland and its partners in dealing with the misuse of such vehicles. Local policing teams are ideally placed to identify where the misuse of such vehicles is causing distress to the public and ensure that those areas can be prioritised to prevent future incidents.The Scottish Government was previously in contact with Police Scotland in June 2022 about the issue of quad bikes and other off-road vehicles. Police Scotland then outlined work ongoing within local policing divisions in raising awareness of the dangers of misusing such vehicles. The Scottish Government has encouraged local authority partners to continue to work closely with Police Scotland on these issues.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422329,"EventID":"S6W-28920","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-05T15:57:12.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-01T15:42:29.717","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it is giving to addressing agricultural equipment theft by introducing legislation similar to the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023 in England and","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it is giving to addressing agricultural equipment theft by introducing legislation similar to the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023 in England and Wales.","AnswerText":"We are aware of the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023, enforceable in England and Wales but, as yet, have no intelligence on how effective it has been in preventing this sort of crime. The theft of agricultural plant and machinery is a significant concern to our rural communities and can have serious consequences for the agricultural sector in terms of cost and confidence. The Scottish Government continues to work with partners across the Scottish Partnership Against Rural Crime (SPARC) and through the continued expansion of the local partnerships against Crime (LPARCS) across Scotland with this sort of theft a priority for the group.SPARC and the local partnerships share intelligence on organised crime groups operating across borders, providing specific information to the rural and farming community on how to best secure and prevent theft of equipment, as well as other crimes. They also demonstrate crime prevention measures in relation to the marking, tracking and securing of farm machinery and tools, including in the highest impacted areas.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422330,"EventID":"S6W-28902","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-05T15:57:12.973","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-01T09:49:19.337","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the provisions of the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Act 2024 will come into force.","AnswerText":"The Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones)(Scotland) Act was granted Royal Assent on 22 July 2024.\r\nCommencement of the Act is subject to parliamentary procedure which requires a Scottish Statutory Instrument to be laid. The Scottish Government is therefore currently undertaking work to commence the provisions as soon as possible.\r\n ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422331,"EventID":"S6W-28907","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-05T15:57:13.037","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-01T12:08:31.97","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what research it or Public Health Scotland has undertaken to discover the rate of \"false negatives\" after the application of the FAST&nbsp;(Face, Arms, Speech, Time) tes","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what research it or Public Health Scotland has undertaken to discover the rate of \"false negatives\" after the application of the FAST&nbsp;(Face, Arms, Speech, Time) test for stroke.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not conducted research to discover the rate of &lsquo;false negatives&rsquo; after the application of the FAST (Face, Arm, Speech, Time) test.Public Health Scotland are best placed to advise on research they have undertaken. Public Health Scotland can be contacted at: General enquiries - Contact us - Public Health Scotland","AnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422332,"EventID":"S6W-28904","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-05T15:57:13.1","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-01T11:59:44.533","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the further education sector in advance of any potential industrial action.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the further education sector in advance of any potential industrial action.","AnswerText":"I met with the employers and EIS-FELA on Monday 19 August 2024 and welcome the significant efforts of both sides that day to provisionally agree a revised pay deal.I also welcome EIS-FELA suspending planned strike action whilst it ballots members on the revised pay deal.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422333,"EventID":"S6W-28914","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-05T15:57:13.16","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-01T15:08:14.723","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that nursing graduates are able to reduce the NHS vacancy list.","AnswerText":"Health Boards are autonomous institutions and as such, are responsible for their own recruitment activity taking into account, retention, absence rates and budgets when making decisions.\r\nScottish Government officials have however been engaging with Health Boards about their current position in relation to job offers and supply, with Boards remaining committed to maximising the opportunities for newly qualified nurses to find employment and reduce vacancies across nursing.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422334,"EventID":"S6W-28935","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-05T15:57:13.223","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-02T15:04:06.06","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28571 by Ivan McKee on 30 July 2024, when it plans to announce the Investing in Planning proposals, and whether industry bodies have been consulted on these. ","AnswerText":"On 15 August 2024, we published the Summary of Responses to Investing in Planning - a consultation on resourcing Scotland’s planning system, which ran from 28 February 2024 to 31 May 2024. \r\nWe received 140 responses from a range of stakeholders, including industry bodies, and have published responses where consent has been given to do so. A full breakdown of respondents can be found in the Summary of Responses at:  https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781836016328  .\r\nI will set out the next steps on improvements to the planning system when the Scottish Parliament returns after recess. ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422335,"EventID":"S6W-28898","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-05T15:57:13.27","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-01T09:38:17.097","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to reduce infant mortality, which rose to four per 1,000 live births in 2023, the highest since 2011.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to reduce infant mortality, which rose to four per 1,000 live births in 2023, the highest since 2011.","AnswerText":"It is disappointing that the infant mortality rate rose last year. We are involved in a number of initiatives to help improve perinatal and infant outcomes.The established Scottish Patient Safety Programme (SPSP) perinatal and paediatric improvement programmes are currently supporting NHS Boards to improve outcomes for families through two ongoing collaboratives. One of the key aims of the SPSP Perinatal collaborative is to reduce neonatal morbidity and mortality. The SPSP paediatric collaborative launched in September 2023 and aims to improve the recognition and response to clinical deterioration in babies, children and young people. Additionally, since October 2021 a National Hub has been in place to review and learn from the deaths of babies, children, and young people in Scotland. Commissioned and funded by Scottish Government, the National Hub is jointly hosted by Healthcare Improvement Scotland and the Care Inspectorate. A principal aim of the National Hub is to channel the learning from child death reviews to inform change and improvement and ultimately help reduce future preventable child deaths.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422336,"EventID":"S6W-28934","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-05T15:57:13.333","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-02T15:04:06.06","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with (a) the City of Edinburgh Council and (b) other stakeholders regarding the regeneration of Niddrie, and whether it has considered any further financial support for the area. ","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not had any recent discussions regarding regeneration of Niddrie with the City of Edinburgh Council or other stakeholders.\r\nWe are committed to supporting our most disadvantaged communities and places to build their capacity, resilience and sustainability through a place-based approach to regeneration, which is underpinned by our Regeneration Strategy. However, as set out in the Scottish Budget, we are in an extremely challenging financial position which has resulted in this year’s pause of the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund and Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme. As such, we do not have plans to provide funding support for the Niddrie area.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422337,"EventID":"S6W-28915","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-05T15:57:13.397","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-01T15:08:14.723","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the annual spend is on the NHS iMatter survey.","AnswerText":"The final spend for 2023 survey amounted to £155,238. The final spend for 2024 is yet to be finalised but will come within the total approved spend allocation of £111,954.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422338,"EventID":"S6W-28912","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-05T15:57:13.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-01T14:04:23.213","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many applicants that had previously been approved by local authorities for the Place Based Investment Programme will now no longer receive funding, and what options are now available to them.","AnswerText":"Given the nature of Place Based Investment Programme (PBIP) funding, it is the responsibility of local authorities to administer and manage their respective PBIP allocations. As such, the Scottish Government does not hold that level of information on local authorities’ provisional plans for use of their PBIP funding.\r\nWe hope to be able to provide further clarity on the full PBIP allocation for 2024-25 in the autumn.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422339,"EventID":"S6W-28913","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-05T15:57:13.507","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-01T14:04:23.213","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Place Based Investment Programme.","AnswerText":"As set out in the Scottish Budget, the financial position for 2024-25 is extremely challenging and we continue to operate in a volatile period, with difficult decisions being made and robust spending controls in place. In light of the potential financial risks and uncertainties, we are unable to confirm the 2024-25 Place Based Investment Programme (PBIP) funding position for local authorities at this current time.\r\nMinisters have, however, authorised an initial release of PBIP funding to support projects that are well underway and at risk of stalling, to protect significant investment made to date, and to reduce the risk of losing match funding. Scottish Government officials have been working closely with councils to identify these priority projects.\r\nWe hope to be able to provide further clarity on the full PBIP allocation for 2024-25 in the autumn.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422340,"EventID":"S6W-28918","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-05T15:57:13.57","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-01T15:12:37.667","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had since May 2024 with local authorities regarding the expansion of universal free school meals.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had since May 2024 with local authorities regarding the expansion of universal free school meals.","AnswerText":"Officials last met with COSLA to discuss the free school meal expansion programme in July 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422341,"EventID":"S6W-28813","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-05T15:57:13.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-29T15:27:23.633","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its timescale is for reviewing the\r\nrecommendations contained in the UK Animal Welfare Committee's update to the\r\n2014 Farm Animal Welfare Committee's (FAWC) opinion on the welfare of farmed\r\nfish at the time of killing.","AnswerText":"We continue to consider the recommendations made by the UK Government's Animal Welfare Committee although do not have a timescale for completing our review. However, we are continuing to work with the industry to find ways of improving and safeguarding the welfare of farmed fish at the time of slaughter.\r\nThe Scottish Government is committed to the highest possible animal welfare standards, and improving aquaculture health and welfare is one of the main priorities embedded within our Vision for Sustainable Aquaculture.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422342,"EventID":"S6W-28909","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-05T15:57:13.71","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-01T12:58:06.16","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to reduce mobile phone addiction among teenagers.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to reduce mobile phone addiction among teenagers.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises that online platforms, including social media, can have a positive and negative impact on children and young people&rsquo;s mental health and wellbeing and that it is important to support people to use social media in a healthy and balanced way. We have provided over &pound;400,000 to children and young people&rsquo;s organisations since 2020, to fund a range of initiatives including the Young Scot &lsquo;Aye Feel&rsquo; online hub and the &lsquo;Mind Yer Time&rsquo; resource, with some of the work focusing on addressing social media usage amongst children and young to help them navigate online spaces and use screen time in a healthy and positive way. Additionally, our national resource for parents - Parent Club - has a range of information and advice to support parents to manage their child&rsquo;s screen time, and to have informed conversations with their children on screen time, social media and internet use.Keeping children and young people safe online is a priority for the Scottish Government and while we recognise that regulation of the internet remains a reserved matter, we have successfully engaged with the UK Government to strengthen protections for children in its Online Safety Act. We continue to press for stronger protections for our children and young people online, in cooperation with the new UK Government and the online safety regulator, Ofcom. The Minister for Victims and Community Safety and I will be meeting with Ofcom in August to discuss their strategy for online safety in Scotland.In addition, the Scottish Government has recently published guidance for schools on the issue of mobile phones in schools, which supports education authorities and schools in their consideration of limiting access to mobile phones in schools. This approach will reduce distraction and support increased engagement in learning.&nbsp;","AnswerDate":"2024-08-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422356,"EventID":"S6W-28952","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-06T16:15:52.667","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-05T12:50:28.527","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what grant support (a) is currently available and (b) it plans to introduce for egg producers to upgrade their farms and to improve animal welfare.","AnswerText":"There is currently no direct funding available to egg producers in Scotland. Pressures on the Scottish budget, brought about by global inflationary trends and exacerbated by the previous UK Government’s decisions means that we are unable to commit to possible future support at this time.\r\nThe Scottish Government remains committed to improving the health and welfare of all animals in Scotland and that is why we recently met our 2023-2024 Programme for Government to consult on proposals to phase out the use of cages for laying hens, and published a call for evidence for phasing out the use of cages for gamebirds and quail. We will continue to engage with the industry and stakeholders before making any decisions on how to proceed in order to maintain egg production in Scotland while ensuring the highest standards of animal welfare.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422357,"EventID":"S6W-28964","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-06T16:15:52.883","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-05T18:07:25.89","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has allocated to canal maintenance in each year since 2016.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has allocated to canal maintenance in each year since 2016.","AnswerText":"Since 2016, the Scottish Government has provided Revenue and Capital Grant support to Scottish Canals as follows:YearRevenue (&pound;m)Capital (&pound;m)Total (&pound;m)2016-178.002.0010.002017-188.104.9313.032018-198.1010.4818.582019-208.766.5015.262020-2112.5820.2532.832021-2210.4014.6025.002022-2311.1226.7837.902023-2411.0412.2023.24Total78.1097.74175.84 It is the responsibility of Scottish Canals to ensure that the maintenance and improvement of the canal network is resourced from its allocated budget and aligned to the aims of its Asset Management Strategy.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422358,"EventID":"S6W-28931","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-06T16:15:52.98","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-02T13:10:02.413","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government who carried out the independent review of maternity and neonatal services for The Best Start: A Five-Year Forward Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Care in Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government who carried out the independent review of maternity and neonatal services for The Best Start: A Five-Year Forward Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Care in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Review of Maternity and Neonatal Services was led by a review group consisting of representatives from the key professional groups involved in managing and delivering maternity and neonatal services, representatives of the Scottish Government, staff side organisations, Royal Colleges, third sector representatives and academics working in maternal and infant health research. The full membership of the Review group can be found in Appendix E of The Best Start: A Five Year Forward Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Care in Scotland, and membership of Sub Groups and their remit in Appendix F.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422359,"EventID":"S6W-28962","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-06T16:15:53.29","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-05T18:07:25.89","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has conducted any recent studies into the impact of coastal erosion in the Highlands and Islands region, and, if so, whether it will provide details of this.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has conducted any recent studies into the impact of coastal erosion in the Highlands and Islands region, and, if so, whether it will provide details of this.","AnswerText":"It is important we work together to understand and plan for coastal change. The Scottish Government&rsquo;s Dynamic Coast (DC) project is helping us understand the erosion threat to Scotland&rsquo;s coast including in the Highlands and Islands.DC2 assesses coastal erosion rates nationally and considers how these rates might be exacerbated by climate change. This report has been published and can be found at the following link; https://www.crew.ac.uk/dynamic-coastThroughout the project, we have worked closely with local authorities, including in the Highland and Islands, to help them plan for coastal adaptation. To support them, we have provided an additional &pound;11.7 million of funding for coastal change adaptation from 2022-23 to 2025-26.In 2024-25, the funding of &pound;2.7m will be distributed to local authorities in two ways. &pound;1.65m in direct allocation to coastal local authorities including the Highlands and Islands and &pound;1.05m for case studies, including a study in Nairn looking at monitoring coastal data.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422360,"EventID":"S6W-28929","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-06T16:15:53.383","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-02T13:10:02.413","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on what lessons can be learnt from neonatal consolidation in NHS England, similar to what is being proposed in the Best Start programme for maternit","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on what lessons can be learnt from neonatal consolidation in NHS England, similar to what is being proposed in the Best Start programme for maternity and neonatal care.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government is supportive of NHSScotland sharing learning, and also learning from experience and practice of NHS England in relation to operational delivery of government policy, including neonatal policy.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422361,"EventID":"S6W-28944","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-06T16:15:53.79","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-05T12:00:41.337","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is in place for students receiving their exam results on 6 August 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is in place for students receiving their exam results on 6 August 2024.","AnswerText":"A range of support was available for students receiving their exam results, including:The SQA Candidate Advice Helpline, which was open from 6 to 9 August, answered queries relating to Scottish Qualifications Certificates.The SDS Results Helpline which provides young people, parents and carers, with career information, expert advice and guidance on the wide range of post-school options and pathways available was also open from 6 to 9 August.A free and direct appeals service is available giving all young people the right to request a review of their marked exam papers or coursework for their National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher results this year, including a priority service for young people with a conditional offer of a place in university, college, training or employment that depends on their grade.Information for young people on how to look after their emotional wellbeing, including support and tips on how to promote a positive mindset are also available on the Young Scot website.We would encourage all young people to discuss any concerns about their next steps and progression with their teachers or lecturers who know them best.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422362,"EventID":"S6W-28966","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-06T16:15:53.883","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-06T09:24:20.387","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent studies have been carried out to assess the potential effects of polycystic ovary syndrome in the workplace in Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent studies have been carried out to assess the potential effects of polycystic ovary syndrome in the workplace in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The health and wellbeing of women at work is an important element of fair work. Our policy approach is informed by evidence and findings from a range of expert stakeholders. This includes the 2023 survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) which recommends employers provide appropriate workplace culture, environments and support that are menstruation friendly. These can increase employee attendance, and also legitimise absence where this is needed.In addition, we have worked in partnership with the University of Glasgow on the ground-breaking study \"Advancing Menopause and Menstrual Health in Organisations (AMMInO): A National Study of Employees in Health and Social Care\".Over 6,000 NHSScotland staff responded to the staff survey which informed the NHSScotland Menopause and Menstrual Health Workplace Policy, launched in October 2023. This policy and accompanying supporting resources are available on the National Wellbeing Hub which is accessible to the public.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422363,"EventID":"S6W-28950","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-06T16:15:53.993","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-05T12:17:21.02","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government,&nbsp;regarding the potential impact on its&nbsp;energy&nbsp;policy in Scotland, what its response is to the reported critical national energy infrastructure security ri","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government,&nbsp;regarding the potential impact on its&nbsp;energy&nbsp;policy in Scotland, what its response is to the reported critical national energy infrastructure security risks inherent in Ming Yang Wind Power Group Limited's plan to build a wind turbine manufacturing facility in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The UK Government is responsible for national security and energy-related critical national infrastructure.Like the UK Government, we consider that China&rsquo;s global impact means it is important to maintain pragmatic economic relationships with the potential to create jobs and growth. The Scottish and UK governments, relevant agencies and delivery partners work closely with experts and investing businesses on these issues.We welcome the involvement of international companies in supporting the domestic offshore wind sector and supply chain. When attracting inward investment strict due diligence is applied on a case-by-case basis by the lead enterprise agency and supported by guidance from Scottish Government. Due diligence will factor in a range of political, economic and social issues, including sanctions, human rights and national security.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422364,"EventID":"S6W-28956","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-06T16:15:54.323","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-05T14:35:17.7","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to improve building standards in new social housing developments.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to improve building standards in new social housing developments.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28955 on 28 August 2024.Building regulations set out technical requirements applicable to building work to protect the public interest. The Scottish Government publish technical handbooks which explain how to achieve the requirements set out in the Building (Scotland) Regulations 2004. Work to improve compliance with building regulations is at the core of the current work of the Building Standards Futures Board. Information on this work can be found at: https://www.gov.scot/groups/building-standards-futures-board/.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422365,"EventID":"S6W-28967","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-06T16:15:54.383","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-06T09:31:00.363","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle any stigma associated with symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome, such as facial hair growth and male pattern baldness.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle any stigma associated with symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome, such as facial hair growth and male pattern baldness.","AnswerText":"The Women&rsquo;s Health Champion, Professor Anna Glasier, has highlighted the impact of polycystic ovarian syndrome and its effect on women as one of her priorities.Given the impact PCOS can have on women&rsquo;s lives, and in particular the way in which symptoms such as these can affect relationships, work, education and mental health, we have ensured that our Women&rsquo;s Health Platform on NHS Inform provides accurate and comprehensive information about PCOS including the options for care, treatment and support.The Platform also offers a wide range of information to support people with their mental health including a self-help guide focussed on menstrual health and mental health.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422366,"EventID":"S6W-28811","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-06T16:15:54.463","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-29T12:38:33.823","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will grant Scotland&rsquo;s Rural College taught degree awarding powers through secondary legislation for its veterinary training programme, and, if so, when.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will grant Scotland&rsquo;s Rural College taught degree awarding powers through secondary legislation for its veterinary training programme, and, if so, when.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28810 on 3 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-Closecommittees/questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422367,"EventID":"S6W-28936","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-06T16:15:54.823","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-02T15:04:06.06","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recently reported decision by the UK Government to retract the &pound;800 million of support for the University of Edinburgh exascale superco","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recently reported decision by the UK Government to retract the &pound;800 million of support for the University of Edinburgh exascale supercomputer, and whether it has had any recent discussions with the UK Government regarding this matter.","AnswerText":"This is a matter between the University and UK Government, and general UK Government budgeting is continuing to be reviewed. However, the Scottish Government recognises the University&rsquo;s unique track record and further potential as the UK&rsquo;s foremost supercomputing centre, and we will continue to work to influence UK Government public finance discussions to positively benefit our economy and key sectors, including computing and AI.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422368,"EventID":"S6W-28829","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-06T16:15:54.92","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-30T12:32:48.077","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what specific measures are being implemented to enhance investment in equipment aimed at ensuring early diagnosis and prompt treatment for cancer patients.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what specific measures are being implemented to enhance investment in equipment aimed at ensuring early diagnosis and prompt treatment for cancer patients.","AnswerText":"Since 2021, Scottish Government has provided three permanent CT scanners to support core diagnostic imaging capacity within Boards, including a mobile CT pod which is deployed flexibly to Boards that require additional capacity. One further mobile CT and seven mobile MRI scanners are also being used across multiple NHS Boards to provide additional capacity and earlier diagnosis efforts.To specifically support scope-based diagnostics we have published an Endoscopy and Urology Diagnostic Recovery and Renewal Plan backed by &pound;70 million. The plan focuses on key areas including infrastructure. Funding has been allocated to extend the use of mobile endoscopy units for 24-25 to provide additional capacity.Further to this and despite the extremely challenging capital funding position, we are committed to continued investment in our capital radiotherapy replacement programme. We intend to invest more than &pound;65 million over the next 3 years for this programme.We continue to invest in cancer services across NHS Scotland, with &pound;11.3m recurring funding provided to Health Boards in 2024-25 to support cancer waiting times improvements, focusing efforts on the most challenged tumour types.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422369,"EventID":"S6W-28942","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-06T16:15:54.997","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-03T18:16:06.603","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the opinion of the Court of Session regarding the case of Weiss Development Company Limited v The Scottish Ministers in the appeal under section ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the opinion of the Court of Session regarding the case of Weiss Development Company Limited v The Scottish Ministers in the appeal under section 58 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997, and what subsequent measures it will take to strengthen policy on the designation of buildings as listed, in instances where they are deemed worthy of listing, but threatened by demolition proposals.","AnswerText":"Following the decision by the Court of Session the appeal has been returned to DPEA to be re-determined by another reporter. As the appeal is still live it would not be appropriate to comment on the merits of the case at this stage.Designation is devolved to Historic Environment Scotland as our lead public body for the historic environment. Historic Environment Scotland will shortly be reviewing the principles and priorities of the designations policy, including the approach to listed buildings. There will be an opportunity for the public to submit their views on these matters to ensure our built heritage can continue to be protected for current and future generations.National Planning Framework (NPF4) aims to protect and enhance historic environment assets and places and enables positive change as a catalyst for the regeneration of places. It provides that historic buildings are brought back into use, and recognises the social, environmental and economic value of the historic environment to our economy and cultural identity.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422370,"EventID":"S6W-28939","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-06T16:15:55.107","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-02T15:36:50.597","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the economic value of a new train fleet procurement programme for ScotRail.","AnswerText":"Business cases for new train fleets for ScotRail are undertaken by ScotRail on a fleet by fleet basis as necessitated by renewal requirements. Such business cases include analysis of the socio-economic case for renewal.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422371,"EventID":"S6W-28930","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-06T16:15:55.187","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-02T13:10:02.413","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will share what clinical outcomes data it has gathered on the proposed reconfiguration of services outlined in The Best Start: A Five-Year Forward Plan for Ma","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will share what clinical outcomes data it has gathered on the proposed reconfiguration of services outlined in The Best Start: A Five-Year Forward Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Care in Scotland.","AnswerText":"Neonatal clinical outcomes data is gathered from neonatal units in Scotland and routinely published by Public Health Scotland on their  Scottish Pregnancy, Births and Neonatal Data Dashboard. The National Neonatal Audit Programme run by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health also provides a further level of detailed comparable neonatal clinical outcomes data for units in England, Scotland and Wales on their Data Dashboard, and in their annual reports.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422372,"EventID":"S6W-28948","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-06T16:15:55.247","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-05T12:00:41.337","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact that the Young Person's Guarantee has had in the Edinburgh Eastern constituency since its introduction.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact that the Young Person's Guarantee has had in the Edinburgh Eastern constituency since its introduction.","AnswerText":"The Young Person&rsquo;s Guarantee Implementation Progress Report highlights the progress made against the initial recommendations contained within the Young Person Guarantee- No-one Left Behind: initial report, as well as outlining the next steps against the commitments made in the supporting activity plan. The full report can be accessed here:Young Person's Guarantee Implementation Progress Report (www.gov.scot)On 10 August 2023, we published the implementation evaluation for No One Left Behind, which specifically included the employability activity delivered under the Young Person&rsquo;s Guarantee. The study found that most employability staff thought the Young Person's Guarantee had made a positive difference to the way employability services were being delivered to young people in their area, that it was the right response to mitigating the impact of the pandemic on young people's progression, and supported employer engagement. The full report can be accessed at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/implementation-evaluation-no-one-left-behind-young-persons-guarantee.Specific area-based assessments are not held by the Scottish Government, therefore requests for this information would need to be directed towards Local Authorities. Employability contacts for each local authority can be found on the Employability in Scotland website which can be accessed here:https://www.employabilityinscotland.com/local-employability-services/Employability support for young people is now delivered through the No One Left Behind approach across Scotland including Edinburgh, as part of the long-term ambition to simplify the employability landscape for service users. Assessments of No One Left Behind delivery can be assessed at: https://www.gov.scot/collections/scotlands-devolved-employment-services-statistics/","AnswerDate":"2024-08-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422373,"EventID":"S6W-28965","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-06T16:15:55.31","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-05T22:36:49.61","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will introduce compulsory sale orders for vacant and derelict land and buildings, in light of the reported continuing loss and damage to the nation's built herit","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will introduce compulsory sale orders for vacant and derelict land and buildings, in light of the reported continuing loss and damage to the nation's built heritage.","AnswerText":"We have committed to consider the justification for and practical operation of Compulsory Sales Orders and to reform the existing compulsory purchase process. We need to properly and fully consider the justification and benefits of introducing Compulsory Sales Orders, against a complex practical and legal background, and to make sure they would be compatible with Convention rights. Local authorities already have broad compulsory purchase powers, which can and are used for a range of purposes including to bring vacant and derelict property back into productive use. As part of our work to reform and modernise compulsory purchase, a Practitioner Advisory Group was set up in February 2024, and we are engaging with it and wider stakeholders to help us develop our reform proposals, with the aim of a public consultation in autumn 2025. Further information on the reform programme is available at https://blogs.gov.scot/planning-architecture/2024/07/09/compulsory-purchase-reform/","AnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422374,"EventID":"S6W-28946","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-06T16:15:55.39","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-05T12:00:41.337","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the \"no wrong path\" approach is working within the education system, and what changes are being made in light of changes within the Scott","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the \"no wrong path\" approach is working within the education system, and what changes are being made in light of changes within the Scottish economy.","AnswerText":"Launched in 2017, No Wrong Path is an initiative led by Developing the Young Workforce (DYW), designed to provide inspiration and reassurance to young people receiving their exam results. DYW facilitates the engagement between employers and schools to support young people transition into the world of work.&nbsp;In the decade since the DYW programme started we have seen a significant increase in the numbers of young people achieving vocational and technical qualifications, recognising the breadth of young people&rsquo;s talents and skills.We must ensure that people have the skills they need at every stage of life to have rewarding careers and meet the demands of an ever-changing economy. DYW and its no wrong path initiative is continuing to support this ambition, playing an important role in preparing young people for the world of work and working with industry to match the needs of employers with the needs of young people.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422375,"EventID":"S6W-28943","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-06T16:15:55.45","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-05T12:00:41.337","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that there are enough apprenticeship opportunities available to all young people who wish to undertake one.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that there are enough apprenticeship opportunities available to all young people who wish to undertake one.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to work closely with Skills Development Scotland (SDS) and the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) to maximise apprenticeship opportunities and ensure that employers wishing to take on an apprentice are supported and able to do so. Scottish Government investment will support up to 25,500 new Modern Apprenticeship starts in 2024-25 and continue to provide support for more than 38,500 apprentices already in training.For Graduate Apprenticeships (GA), SFC have published their indicative funding allocation for universities, which includes provision for up to 1,378 GA in academic year 2024-25. In addition, we have committed to fund up to 5,000 Foundation Apprenticeships in 2024-25.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422376,"EventID":"S6W-28963","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-06T16:15:55.543","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-05T18:07:25.89","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any canal repairs that may be needed in the future, and whether it will provide a breakdown of any such repairs by (a) section, (b) local ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any canal repairs that may be needed in the future, and whether it will provide a breakdown of any such repairs by (a) section, (b) local authority area and (c) the date that the repair work (i) was first identified as required and (ii) is projected to be completed by.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not made such an assessment. These are operational matters for Scottish Canals as part of their Asset Management Strategy work and responsibility to maintain and develop Scotland's canal network.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422377,"EventID":"S6W-28941","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-06T16:15:55.607","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-03T03:08:27.02","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will reintroduce the simplified Royal Coat of Arms of Scotland as a visual identity of the Scottish Government.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will reintroduce the simplified Royal Coat of Arms of Scotland as a visual identity of the Scottish Government.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has no plans to change its visual identity from the current saltire.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422378,"EventID":"S6W-28927","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-06T16:15:55.7","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-02T13:10:02.413","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of safe staffing numbers in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde&rsquo;s Neonatal Unit as part of its Best Start programme for maternity and neonata","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of safe staffing numbers in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde&rsquo;s Neonatal Unit as part of its Best Start programme for maternity and neonatal care.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government commissioned independent modelling report was published on 29 May, and, following consideration of that report, we have asked the Regional Chief Executives to progress with the development of implementation plans. We have asked that implementation plans are developed with the input of multidisciplinary clinical teams and describe service requirements for the new model and how they will be achieved.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422379,"EventID":"S6W-28951","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-06T16:15:55.78","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-05T12:50:28.513","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether an environmental impact assessment will be required to be carried out before any licence is granted for the trial being proposed to keep adult salmon broodstock for the aquaculture industry in a trout fish farm at the headwaters of the River Annan.","AnswerText":"The need for an Environmental Impact Assessment would be dependent upon the site and whether there is any material change of use with regards to existing permissions. Ultimately, that is a local planning matter and determining whether the operator requires further planning permission is for the relevant planning authority to consider.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422380,"EventID":"S6W-28932","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-06T16:15:55.84","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-02T13:10:02.413","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which consulting firm has been hired to oversee the implementation of Best Start programme for maternity and neonatal care, and how much the firm has been paid for its s","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which consulting firm has been hired to oversee the implementation of Best Start programme for maternity and neonatal care, and how much the firm has been paid for its services.","AnswerText":"No consulting firm has been hired or paid to oversee the implementation of the Best Start programme for maternity and neonatal care. The Best Start Implementation Programme Board (IPB), Chaired by Jane Grant, Chief Executive of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde was established in June 2017 to guide the implementation of The Best Start: A Five-Year Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Care in Scotland.Members of the IPB are drawn from NHSScotland, third sector organisations, Partnership and Royal Colleges. Members are not paid; however, third sector representative have been reimbursed for travel expenses.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422381,"EventID":"S6W-28830","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-06T16:15:55.937","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-30T12:32:59.327","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to boost the cancer diagnostic workforce.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to boost the cancer diagnostic workforce.","AnswerText":"Over the past 10 years, there has been a 50% increase in consultant oncologists, from 94.8 WTE (whole time equivalent) in March 2014, to 142.6 WTE in March 2024. We have also increased consultant radiologists by 31.9%, from 288.2 WTE ten years ago (March 2014) to 380.1 WTE in March 2024.In addition to this, we have been increasing the number of available specialty training places for junior doctors in Radiology and Oncology training programmes, and more junior doctors are joining NHS Scotland than ever before, with more than 1,100 specialty trainees recruited throughout 2023.To specifically support scope based diagnostics, the National Endoscopy Training Programme has been established within the NHS Scotland Academy to commission and deliver endoscopy training to a wide range of learners from different professional backgrounds, with representatives from every mainland health board in Scotland.This ensures the availability of appropriately trained endoscopists and endoscopy support staff to deliver safe, high quality endoscopic investigations for Scotland&rsquo;s patients. To date this has supported 80 trainees to complete Basic Skills courses, 137 trainees to attend upskilling courses, 54 trainees to attend immersion training at the Golden Jubilee University National Hospital, and 113 trainees to develop their ability to recognise lesions, primarily to support improved cancer detection.We have also funded NHS Education for Scotland (NES) to develop a non-medical endoscopy programme. Since 2021, 53 places in total have been made available for non-medical endoscopy training and 20 places have been made available for non-medical cystoscopy training.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422382,"EventID":"S6W-28945","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-06T16:15:55.997","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-05T12:00:41.337","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what dedicated support is in place for students who are unsatisfied with their exam results, and whether the SQA has been provided with additional resources for the appe","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what dedicated support is in place for students who are unsatisfied with their exam results, and whether the SQA has been provided with additional resources for the appeals process in the current academic year.","AnswerText":"As a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB), SQA operates at arm&rsquo;s length to Ministers and is therefore responsible for its own operational decisions and processes, including on appeals.The Scottish Government works closely with the SQA to ensure that its budget allocation is sufficient to undertake its functions.For students who did not receive the results they thought they should, SQA&rsquo;s free and direct appeals service gives all young people the right to request a review of their marked exam papers or coursework for their National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher results this year. The approach to appeals in 2024 is the same as last year and is the same approach that, discounting the pandemic years, has been in place for over a decade in Scotland (since April 2014).A priority service is available for young people where they have a conditional offer of a place in university, college, training or employment that depends on their grade.Further information on the appeals service is available from the SQA website at:  Appeals service - SQA&nbsp;","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422383,"EventID":"S6W-28947","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-06T16:15:56.077","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-05T12:00:41.337","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that the Young Person's Guarantee is successfully encouraging young people into further opportunities.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that the Young Person's Guarantee is successfully encouraging young people into further opportunities.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government launched the Young Person&rsquo;s Guarantee in November 2020, with the aim of protecting young people against the immediate economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Guarantee was set up to ensure every young person between 16 and 24 had the opportunity of a job, apprenticeship, further or higher education, training or volunteering. Between November 2020 and March 2023 we invested over &pound;175m in additional support from Covid-related funding to support young people in Scotland towards employment, training and apprenticeships.We have now mainstreamed this work across Government, with activity across education, skills and employability supporting young people into opportunities.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422384,"EventID":"S6W-28961","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-06T16:15:56.153","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-05T18:07:25.89","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it considered investing in new canals as part of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2).","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it considered investing in new canals as part of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2).","AnswerText":"Canals in Scotland were not considered during the second Strategic Transport Projects Review, as water-based transport on canals and estuaries (such as water taxis) were deemed to be out of scope of the review, as noted in the Appendix A of the.&nbsp;Final technical report - December 2022 - STPR2 | Transport ScotlandThe Scottish Government laid out their plans for the canal network in the 2013 publication HYPERLINK \"\" Making the most of Scotland&rsquo;s canals | Transport Scotland based on the following seven principles:Valuing the heritage of our canalsFulfilling statutory and regulatory obligationsRisk management and safetyIncreasing awareness of the potential contribution which canals can makeDelivering a high quality experienceWorking through partnership and collaborationMonitoring and measuring outcomes","AnswerDate":"2024-08-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422385,"EventID":"S6W-28940","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-06T16:15:56.233","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-02T15:36:50.597","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has consented to Transport Scotland issuing a notice for the procurement of new rolling stock for ScotRail, and, if it is not the case, when it expects to do so.","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland is not the procuring authority for new rolling stock for Scotrail therefore it would not be the party issuing procurement notices for rolling stock procurement.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422386,"EventID":"S6W-28928","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-06T16:15:56.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-02T13:10:02.413","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will guarantee that there will be no deterioration of neonatal clinical outcomes following the proposed reconfiguration of services outlined in The Best Start","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will guarantee that there will be no deterioration of neonatal clinical outcomes following the proposed reconfiguration of services outlined in The Best Start: A Five-Year Forward Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Care in Scotland.","AnswerText":"Evidence shows that the very smallest and sickest babies, including those born extremely premature (less than 27 weeks gestation), do best when they are cared for in larger specialist neonatal units which look after a lot of these babies, and have the right staff and services available on site to give them the very best care. The Best Start report recommended that we move to three of these units in Scotland, to meet the needs of our population, and neonatal experts then went through a rigorous process to decide on the three NICUs.It is important that we ensure that all babies born in Scotland receive the best and most up to date care, provided by appropriately trained staff. Outcomes in all units will be monitored following the changes, and we are developing plans for long term evaluation of outcomes of the package of changes outlined in The Best Start.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422387,"EventID":"S6W-28955","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-06T16:15:56.42","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-05T14:35:17.7","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that affordable homes as part of new developments are not of a lesser quality than other properties on the site.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that affordable homes as part of new developments are not of a lesser quality than other properties on the site.","AnswerText":"All new homes, regardless of tenure, are required to comply with Scottish building regulations, which set minimum standards for a wide range of building function and performance topics. Responsibility for compliance rests with the party commissioning the works (the owner or developer).Our guidance for Registered Social Landlords and local authorities on the grant-funded element of the Affordable Housing Supply Programme (MHDGN 2023/01) outlines the specific quality standards that new build affordable homes receiving funding are required to meet. For example, new build homes which are delivered directly by Registered Social Landlords and local authorities should meet, as a minimum, the design criteria indicated as a &lsquo;basic&rsquo; requirement within the Housing for Varying Needs design guide.Individual Registered Social Landlords and local authorities may also have their own additional design and quality standards which they require affordable homes that they procure to meet.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422388,"EventID":"S6W-28897","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-06T16:15:56.513","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-01T09:24:13.013","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the study carried out by the Association of Local Authority Chief Housing Officers (ALACHO), including the reported finding that (a) 25 local aut","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the study carried out by the Association of Local Authority Chief Housing Officers (ALACHO), including the reported finding that (a) 25 local authorities are breaching the law around homelessness, amid a \"general deterioration\" in councils' confidence of meeting their statutory obligations, (b) the majority of local authorities had registered a red flag on at least one of the three key aspects of homelessness services, which are the legal obligation to offer temporary accommodation to those assessed as unintentionally homeless, meeting statutory requirements not to place people in \"unsuitable\" homes, and the ability to supply permanent lets, and (c) a total of 15 local authorities registered red flags on all three aspects of their services, which is an increase from 12 in 2023 and two in November 2021.","AnswerText":"The ALACHO report reflects the significant pressure and increasing demand for homeless support in some local authority areas. However, these challenges are experienced differently across the country and are not universal across Scotland. Although 10 local authorities have declared housing emergencies, which is reflective of the pressures they are experiencing, the report states a number of local authorities are showing an improvement compared to the results in November 2023.There are many variables for the reasons behind the increased pressure in some areas and local, targeted solutions that consider the needs of each locality are required. Since taking up my role as Housing Minister I have been meeting, and I will continue to meet, with Housing Convenors from across local authorities to discuss issues that are particular to their area and how the Scottish Government can best support them.The report shows that, although the early prisoner release programme presented a risk in terms of potential impact on homelessness services, this was largely mitigated by early involvement of ALACHO in discussions throughout the planning and delivery of the emergency release processes. This was in addition to information on planned releases shared by the Scottish Prison Service with each local authority area prior to each tranche of releases.This report highlights the increased demand for temporary accommodation, but not all temporary accommodation is unsuitable. Most households living in temporary accommodation are living in local authority or housing association properties. Some households chose to wait for an offer that fully meets their needs and, in some circumstances, this can take time.Every local authority in Scotland has the legal duty to provide accommodation for people facing homelessness but we know demand for housing has been exacerbated by the pandemic, which has led to increased pressures for local authorities. When the Scottish Government declared a housing emergency in May earlier this year, we were clear that there needs to be an all-agency approach from partners &ndash; including the UK, national and local governments &ndash; to address the challenges in the housing and homelessness sector.Scotland has an effective strategy to end homelessness (Ending Homelessness Together) and an ambitious housing strategy (Housing to 2040). There is widespread support for both from across the sector and there is confidence that they remain the right long-term plans.We are progressing activity across the three pillars I set out in my statement to Parliament on 20 June 2024:delivering more high quality, permanent homes &ndash; growing the economy and supporting affordable housing as a vital public service through increased private and public sector investment;ensuring that the homes we are delivering are the right homes in the right places - working with local authorities so that that the Affordable Housing Supply Programme continues to support assessed investment priorities based on Local Housing Strategies and Strategic Housing Investment Plans and that the programme has maximum impact on local pressures; andensuring there is a settled home for everyone who needs one#x200f#x200f &ndash; with continued effort to address high numbers of people &ndash; and particularly children &ndash; in temporary accommodation and preventing homelessness before it happens.&nbsp;In 2023-24, we invested &pound;83 million of the Affordable Housing Supply programme to enable local authorities and registered social landlords to acquire almost 1,500 properties of the right types and in the right places for use as high quality, affordable, permanent homes. In 2024-25, we will invest almost &pound;600 million in affordable housing, including an additional &pound;40 million to bring existing homes into affordable use through acquisitions and, where appropriate, also bring long term voids back into effective use. By utilising these routes to boosting affordable supp","AnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422389,"EventID":"S6W-28949","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-06T16:15:56.623","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-05T12:00:41.337","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that the Young Person's Guarantee is offering equal opportunities to deprived communities to encourage young people into further oppor","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that the Young Person's Guarantee is offering equal opportunities to deprived communities to encourage young people into further opportunities.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government launched the Young Person&rsquo;s Guarantee in November 2020, with the aim of protecting young people against the immediate economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Guarantee was set up to ensure every young person between 16 and 24 had the opportunity of a job, apprenticeship, further or higher education, training or volunteering. Between November 2020 and March 2023 we invested over &pound;175m in additional support from Covid-related funding.&nbsp;We have now mainstreamed this work across Government, with activity across education, skills and employability supporting young people into opportunities. This includes support for lower income households and to advance equality and inclusion. For example, specialist support continues to be provided to young people from lower income households to enable them to move towards a positive destination through third sector partners such as the Young Person&rsquo;s Consortium (Barnardo&rsquo;s, Princes Trust and Action for Children).","AnswerDate":"2024-08-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422390,"EventID":"S6W-28926","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-06T16:15:56.717","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-02T13:10:02.413","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the immediate stabilisation of ill or premature babies born at University Hospital Wishaw or within the NHS Lanarkshire area, followin","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the immediate stabilisation of ill or premature babies born at University Hospital Wishaw or within the NHS Lanarkshire area, following the reported proposal to downgrade Wishaw&rsquo;s Neonatal Unit from level 3 to level 2.","AnswerText":"The expectation is that the mothers in threatened extreme preterm labour, or those whose babies will require surgery, will be identified antenatally and will birth in the maternity unit alongside the NICU. The Scottish Perinatal Network has published guidance on in-utero obstetric transfer in these circumstances.Local Neonatal Units (LNU&rsquo;s) will continue to deliver intensive care and care for babies from 27+0 weeks that need stabilisation and treatment, and both nursing staff and medical staff will continue to have experience in delivering these aspects of intensive care. We have asked Regional Chief Executives to consider arrangements for ongoing professional development of staff where required within their Regional Implementation Plans.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422391,"EventID":"S6W-28953","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-06T16:15:56.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-05T13:39:16.093","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will outline how it is encouraging schools to identify young carers to (a) ensure that they receive the support that they need to successfully transition to u","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will outline how it is encouraging schools to identify young carers to (a) ensure that they receive the support that they need to successfully transition to university or college and (b) increase their awareness of targeted support and resources that might be available at university or college.","AnswerText":"As set out in our National Carers Strategy, the Scottish Government recognises the importance of young carers being identified in schools so that they can be supported in achieving their educational and wider goals.This is why we fund an Education Officer post at Carers Trust Scotland to work with Education Scotland, the General Teaching Council for Scotland, and the Scottish Qualification Authority on improving young carer awareness, identification, and support in education. This has led to an accredited e-training module to help education staff understand, identify, and support young carers.This e-training module has recently been refreshed to add information about supporting young carers in their transition into further or higher education or employment. Additionally, we have funded Young Scot to work with young carers to create a page on their platform which hosts information and resources for young carers about what support is available to them at key transitions, such as moving from Primary to Secondary School; and from Secondary School onto further education or work. Skills Development Scotland are also highlighting to career advisers the additional support young carers may need at this pivotal time.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422392,"EventID":"S6W-28954","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-06T16:15:56.873","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-05T13:44:07.657","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will outline how it is encouraging schools to designate young carers school leads.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will outline how it is encouraging schools to designate young carers school leads.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the importance of ensuring schools are a safe supportive space for all young carers. The answer to question S6W-28953 on 29 August 2024 provides greater detail on how we are supporting and raising awareness of young carers in education.In addition, to encourage schools to consider having young carer leads or champions, we have funded Carers Trust Scotland to launch the &ldquo;Young Carers School Challenge&rdquo;. This programme supports and encourages all schools who sign up to:Have a young carer championHave all school staff undertake Young Carer Awareness trainingHave a young carers charter or policyCorrectly record all young carers on the school system (SEEMiS)And to forge partnership links with their local carer organisationThis challenge is currently in the pilot phase with 5 Local Authorities (covering both primary and secondary schools) trialling in these areas:Dumfries and GallowaySouth AyrshireFalkirk and ClackmannanshireEast RenfrewshireArgyll and ButeMore local authorities have committed to sign up once the pilot period has ended.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422393,"EventID":"S6W-28810","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-06T16:15:56.967","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-29T12:38:33.823","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether Scotland&rsquo;s Rural College (SRUC) will be granted taught degree awarding power through secondary legislation, and, if so, within what timeframe.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether Scotland&rsquo;s Rural College (SRUC) will be granted taught degree awarding power through secondary legislation, and, if so, within what timeframe.","AnswerText":"An Order granting SRUC taught degree awarding powers was made by the Privy Council on 29 August, and was laid in the Scottish Parliament on 2 September 2024. Once the parliamentary process is complete, the Order will come into force on 14 October 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422418,"EventID":"S6W-28979","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-07T16:08:16.61","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-06T12:01:45.667","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it has provided to public transport operators to provide transport for disabled people.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it has provided to public transport operators to provide transport for disabled people.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government through its subsidy, has funded publicly owned ScotRail Trains Ltd., Caledonian Sleeper Ltd and ferry operators, namely CalMac and Serco, in Scotland. This includes meeting their obligations to provide accessible transport as set out in various, relevant legislation.The National Concessionary Bus Travel Scheme for Older and Disabled People provides free travel on local and long distance scheduled bus journeys throughout Scotland for eligible disabled people living in Scotland.In 2014 the Ferries Accessibility Fund worth a total of &pound;500,000, was launched by the Scottish Government to improve accessibility on Scotland&rsquo;s ferry network as part of the Ferries Review and Plan 2013-2022; which has successfully delivered a number of projects that improve accessibility across the ferry network.Although its focus is on supporting bus operators in meeting our Net Zero targets, the second phase of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB 2) funded 252 buses and coaches of various sizes. The majority of these vehicles must comply with the Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000 (PSVAR 2000). ScotZEB 2 also offered funding towards the installation of wheelchair space in vehicles which did not need to comply with PSVAR 2000 regulations.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422419,"EventID":"S6W-28960","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-07T16:08:16.973","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-05T14:36:42.97","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on what benefits the compulsory splitting up of land by the Scottish Ministers can have for local communities.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on what benefits the compulsory splitting up of land by the Scottish Ministers can have for local communities.","AnswerText":"Land is key to ensuring that rural and island communities can thrive, to giving people places to live and work, to providing essential infrastructure that people need and to help us keep people on the land.When land is transferred at scale this makes it more difficult for communities and others to purchase land, as the supply of smaller and more affordable plots of land is restricted. This can be detrimental to the sustainability of those communities.Further information on the transfer test proposals in the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill can be found in the Policy Memorandum (parliament.scot)","AnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422420,"EventID":"S6W-28983","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-07T16:08:17.567","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-06T15:29:00.333","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28593 by Gillian Martin on 6 August 2024, what action SEPA has taken towards any landowners who have received multiple notices und","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28593 by Gillian Martin on 6 August 2024, what action SEPA has taken towards any landowners who have received multiple notices under section 59 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.","AnswerText":"As this is a matter for SEPA, outlined in answer to S6W-28593, the Scottish Government does not hold the information being requested. I will therefore ask SEPA to write to the member to provide any further detail on the matter, where it is available.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422421,"EventID":"S6W-28981","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-07T16:08:17.96","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-06T13:12:02.86","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has given to Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland in each of the last five years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has given to Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has provided the following funding to Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland:2020-21 financial year - &pound;952,4442021-22 financial year - &pound;218,996 2022-23 financial year - &pound;379,685 2023-24 financial year &ndash; No funding provided in this financial year.2024-25 financial year - &pound;62,639","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422422,"EventID":"S6W-28959","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-07T16:08:18.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-05T14:36:42.97","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the provisions in the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill, what its position is on whether the holding of large amounts of land by private landowners is detrimental t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the provisions in the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill, what its position is on whether the holding of large amounts of land by private landowners is detrimental to Scotland.","AnswerText":"We do not think it is right that ownership and control of much of Scotland&rsquo;s land is still in the hands of relatively few people.A 2019 report by the Scottish Land Commission:&nbsp;The Model CHP for the Scottish Government and Associated Public Authorities Sector in Scotland - Word Template (landcommission.gov.scot) concluded that highly concentrated landownership can have detrimental effects on rural development outcomes, and that these effects arise because landowners have the power to decide who can access land, when, for what purpose and at what price.Analysis by the James Hutton Institute to support the Bill identified 1066 landholdings above 1000 hectares, representing 4.32 million hectares, or 55% of Scotland&rsquo;s land.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422423,"EventID":"S6W-28978","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-07T16:08:18.71","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-06T12:01:45.667","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what requirement there is for private car hire firms to provide transport for disabled people.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what requirement there is for private car hire firms to provide transport for disabled people.","AnswerText":"Accessibility obligations for taxi and private hire car drivers and Local Licencing Authorities are reserved to the UK Government under the Equality Act 2010.However, the taxi licensing system is devolved under the Civic Government Act 1982 and is implemented by (local authority) licensing authorities. Therefore, the day-to-day administration of the licensing regime for taxis and private hire cars rests with independent local licensing authorities, who are best placed to take local circumstances into account in the decision making process to ensure that they provide safe and appropriate services for members of the public.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422424,"EventID":"S6W-28957","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-07T16:08:19.037","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-05T14:36:42.97","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the provisions in the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill, what safeguards are in place for large landowners, such as farmers, to be protected from having their land ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the provisions in the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill, what safeguards are in place for large landowners, such as farmers, to be protected from having their land split up on sale where this would be detrimental to their business.","AnswerText":"If passed by the Scottish Parliament, the Bill will allow Ministers to consider the impact on the local community of certain sales of land over 1000 hectares before the sale can proceed.Ministers may decide that the landholding should be sold as separate lots, though this is not expected to be appropriate in all cases.The Bill sets out a process for landowners to apply for a review of a Ministerial lotting decision as well as appeal and compensation processes.More details on this issue can be read in paragraphs 109 to 134 of the&nbsp;Policy Memorandum accessible (parliament.scot).","AnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422425,"EventID":"S6W-28958","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-07T16:08:19.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-05T14:36:42.97","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what safeguards are in place to ensure that the provisions in the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill balance the protection of the principle of private ownership with the inter","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what safeguards are in place to ensure that the provisions in the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill balance the protection of the principle of private ownership with the interests of the local community.","AnswerText":"The European Convention on Human Rights is fundamental to our legal framework in Scotland. Our proposals in the Bill are fully compliant with the ECHR, including the right to private property.More details on the consideration of the effect of the provisions of the Bill on human rights can be found in the&nbsp;Policy Memorandum accessible (parliament.scot).","AnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422426,"EventID":"S6W-28982","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-07T16:08:19.693","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-06T13:17:38.147","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish the full economic impact assessment of the potential closure of the Grangemouth Refinery.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish the full economic impact assessment of the potential closure of the Grangemouth Refinery.","AnswerText":"As confirmed by the then Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy in December 2023, the Scottish Government will share with the Economy and Fair Work Committee its assessment of the economic contribution of the Grangemouth refinery. This assessment will be published shortly.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422427,"EventID":"S6W-28985","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-07T16:08:20.537","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-06T15:33:16.353","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what matters of human rights and equalities were discussed by the First Minister and the Chinese ambassador at their meeting in Bute House in August 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what matters of human rights and equalities were discussed by the First Minister and the Chinese ambassador at their meeting in Bute House in August 2024.","AnswerText":"Ministers regularly raise concerns about human rights abuses with the Chinese government. The First Minister reiterated these concerns in his meeting with Ambassador Zheng Zeguang.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422428,"EventID":"S6W-28977","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-07T16:08:20.693","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-06T12:01:45.667","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it has provided to private transport operators to provide transport for disabled people.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it has provided to private transport operators to provide transport for disabled people.","AnswerText":"This is a matter for local authorities. The information requested is not held centrally.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422429,"EventID":"S6W-28976","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-07T16:08:21.24","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-06T11:29:41.44","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will implement menstrual wellbeing education to ensure mandatory age appropriate education in all primary and secondary schools.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answers to questions S5W-32637 on? 9 November 2020 and S6W-22271 on 16 November 2023.\r\nAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers  .","AnswerDate":"2024-08-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422430,"EventID":"S6W-28980","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-07T16:08:21.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-06T13:11:26.147","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has given to the Stroke Association in each of the last five years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has given to the Stroke Association in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not provided any funding to the Stroke Association in the last five years.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422431,"EventID":"S6W-28674","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-07T16:08:21.833","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-22T11:11:42.753","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on any proposals to make legislative reforms in relation to MSPs&rsquo; privilege when speaking in the Scottish Parliament.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on any proposals to make legislative reforms in relation to MSPs&rsquo; privilege when speaking in the Scottish Parliament.","AnswerText":"Matters of parliamentary reform, including changes in relation to the position on parliamentary privilege, are primarily for Parliament to develop and consider.The Scottish Government would consider proposals put before Parliament.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jamie Hepburn","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422432,"EventID":"S6W-28984","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-07T16:08:22.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-06T15:32:40.07","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, during the meeting with the Chinese ambassador in Bute House in August 2024, whether the First Minister raised the issue of reported threats from the Chinese consulate ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, during the meeting with the Chinese ambassador in Bute House in August 2024, whether the First Minister raised the issue of reported threats from the Chinese consulate in Scotland to Scottish universities in relation to the City of Edinburgh Council entering into a friendship agreement with the city of Kaohsiung in Taiwan.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government take seriously reports of pressure being put on universities in relation to a proposed arrangement between the City of Edinburgh Council and Kaohsiung. The decision as to whether to enter a friendship arrangement with Kaohsiung is for the elected councillors from the City of Edinburgh Council. The Scottish Government continues to engage with the FCDO, who lead the relationship with the Embassy, on this issue to ensure appropriate action is taken.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422433,"EventID":"S6W-28986","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-07T16:08:23.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-06T17:03:47.083","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether its publication, Scotland&rsquo;s Long COVID Service, will be updated to reflect any research undertaken and guidance provided since 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether its publication, Scotland&rsquo;s Long COVID Service, will be updated to reflect any research undertaken and guidance provided since 2021.","AnswerText":"There are no current plans to update the publication &lsquo;Scotland&rsquo;s Long COVID Service&rsquo;.The guideline &lsquo;Managing the long-term effects of COVID-19' was first issued by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) and the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) in December 2020 and updated in November 2021. NICE continues to check for the publication of new evidence and consider whether it would change any recommendations in the guideline. No evidence to update the recommendations has been found since the last update in November 2021.NHS Inform has a dedicated microsite (https://www.nhsinform.scot/long-covid) which provides information for people living with long COVID .This was reviewed and where necessary updated in 2023 following user research with people living with long COVID.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422434,"EventID":"S6W-28903","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-07T16:08:24.74","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-01T11:14:54.217","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Transport Scotland's Aviation\r\nStatement, which was published on 24 July 2024, and in relation to the\r\nHighlands and Islands Air Discount Scheme, what process it will pursue when it\r\nstates that it will \"consider how it could be made fairer and more\r\neffective, and to ensure it is providing value for money\". ","AnswerText":"The specification of the review of the Highlands and Islands Air Discount Scheme has yet to be determined. The review will, however, include consultation with scheme members and other stakeholders.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422453,"EventID":"S6W-29008","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-08T16:09:02.803","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-07T16:57:01.077","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on offering compensation to islanders using lifeline services, such as boats or airlines, when their trips are cancelled due to adverse weather cond","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on offering compensation to islanders using lifeline services, such as boats or airlines, when their trips are cancelled due to adverse weather conditions, and what measures it is taking to financially support island residents who need to attend NHS appointments on the mainland.","AnswerText":"No compensation is available, from CalMac Ferries or NorthLink Ferries, for islanders when their trip is cancelled.Airline passengers should expect air services to operate as scheduled. The aviation regulatory regime is Reserved to the UK Government and the Scottish Government has no power to intervene in the operation of air services. Passenger rights in relation to aviation in the UK, including in relation to service disruption, are overseen by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).In respect of islanders attending NHS appointments, under the Highlands and Islands Travel Scheme, financial support for travel to hospital is available for patients and authorised escorts, according to eligibility criteria and medical requirements. Health boards are responsible for reimbursing patient travel expenses, in line with Scottish Government guidance, and are expected to support patients to identify and access support available.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422454,"EventID":"S6W-28675","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-08T16:09:02.88","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-22T11:16:57.033","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has implemented the recommendations of James Hamilton's report on the conduct of former First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has implemented the recommendations of James Hamilton's report on the conduct of former First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government set out in June 2021 our plan for implementing the recommendations of James Hamilton&rsquo;s report, alongside the recommendations of the reports by Laura Dunlop QC and the Scottish Parliament Committee on the Handling of Harassment Complaints. Implementation was delivered through the Continuous Improvement Programme, which was reported regularly to the Scottish Parliament&rsquo;s Finance and Public Administration Committee. The final report on the Continuous Improvement Programme was provided in January 2023, and with the agreement of the Committee the programme was then concluded and activities absorbed into ongoing work.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422455,"EventID":"S6W-28998","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-08T16:09:02.943","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-07T15:31:48.267","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made towards sharing a draft contract with housing developers in relation to undertaking cladding remediation works.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made towards sharing a draft contract with housing developers in relation to undertaking cladding remediation works.","AnswerText":"Following the signing of the Developer Commitment Letter by nine developers in 2023, work has been ongoing on the development of the Developer Remediation Contract. We are continuing to work at pace on the Contract to ensure alignment with the Housing (Cladding Remediation) Scotland Act 2024 and the Single Building Assessment (SBA) specification, which was published in June 2024. We appreciate the desire from developers to receive a draft contract and we will share this as soon as we are able.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422456,"EventID":"S6W-28997","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-08T16:09:03.007","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-07T15:31:48.267","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how the single building assessment for housing developments will operate in relation to fire safety.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the single building assessment for housing developments will operate in relation to fire safety.","AnswerText":"Single Building Assessment (SBA) is defined by section 32 of the Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Act 2024, with SBAs to be carried out in accordance with the standards to be specified by Scottish Ministers. The SBA Technical Specification was published on 21 June 2024 and is expected to form the core of these standards.The SBA is a risk assessment process rather than a change to existing fire safety. An SBA will culminate in a report on any risk to human life that is (directly or indirectly) created or exacerbated by the building&rsquo;s external wall cladding system, and what work (if any) is needed to eliminate or mitigate any risk of that kind which is identified.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422457,"EventID":"S6W-29007","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-08T16:09:03.053","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-07T16:41:52.263","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when CalMac&rsquo;s winter timetable for 2024-25 will be published.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when CalMac&rsquo;s winter timetable for 2024-25 will be published.","AnswerText":"CalMac have advised that they will publish their winter timetable and annual maintenance schedule by Friday 23 August.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422458,"EventID":"S6W-28682","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-08T16:09:03.1","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-22T11:16:57.033","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it spent on coaching (a) former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and (b) civil servants on how to answer questions before the Committee on the Scottish Government","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it spent on coaching (a) former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and (b) civil servants on how to answer questions before the Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government Committee witnesses to the Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints were not coached.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422459,"EventID":"S6W-28991","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5866,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-08T16:09:03.147","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-07T12:25:37.157","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28656 by Ivan McKee on 6 August 2024, in light of reported concerns that paths, play parks and community halls may not be eligible","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28656 by Ivan McKee on 6 August 2024, in light of reported concerns that paths, play parks and community halls may not be eligible for funding through the alternative funding stream that it refers to, in contrast to the Scottish Landfill Communities Fund, which does provide funding for such amenities, what funding plans it has for organisations such as Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust, which constructs and maintains footpaths, cycle paths and trails.","AnswerText":"Active travel infrastructure such as footpaths and cycle paths could be funded through the Active Travel Infrastructure Fund (ATIF) Tier 1 which has been provided directly to each local authority through their General Capital Grant.Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust should engage with Perth and Kinross Council who received &pound;738,757 ATIF Tier 1 funding for 2024-25, in order to discuss their proposals, establish alignment with the local authority&rsquo;s Active Travel Strategy and whether the Council will decide to fund them.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422460,"EventID":"S6W-28738","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-08T16:09:03.193","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-24T10:14:34.077","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many public sector (a) grants and (b) contracts that have been awarded since 1 July 2023 have required the receiving body to comply with the Fair Work First principl","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many public sector (a) grants and (b) contracts that have been awarded since 1 July 2023 have required the receiving body to comply with the Fair Work First principle, broken down by the receiving body.","AnswerText":"Based on the information available, since the implementation of the more stringent Fair Work First grant conditionality, requiring public sector grant recipients to pay their workers the real Living Wage and provide appropriate channels for effective voice, Fair Work First has been applied to over 2400 grants across the public sector, at a total value of over &pound;2.5bn (between July 2023 and March 2024.)A list of each and every organisation awarded public sector grant funding is not held centrally. However, further detail on the number and value of grants awarded by individual public bodies will be published by end September on the Fair and Inclusive Workplaces webpage:&nbsp;&nbsp;Fair and inclusive workplaces - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)Fair Work First in public procurement is distinct from the application of Fair Work First in grants. Each public body is accountable for its own decisions in relation to procurement, including when it is appropriate to include Fair Work requirements in tendering exercises.The latest annual report on procurement activity in Scotland covering 2021-22 showed that 101 public bodies awarded a combined total of 1,645 regulated contracts containing a scored Fair Work criterion during the period. Based on information from 95 public bodies a combined total of 2,016 unique suppliers committed to paying the real Living Wage in the delivery of regulated contracts awarded.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422461,"EventID":"S6W-28683","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-08T16:09:03.24","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-22T11:16:57.033","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of all of the recommendations from the report of the Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of all of the recommendations from the report of the Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints.","AnswerText":"The Continuous Improvement Programme, which delivered the Scottish Government&rsquo;s implementation of the recommendations of the Scottish Parliament Committee on the Handling of Harassment Complaints, was concluded with the agreement of the Scottish Parliament&rsquo;s Finance and Public Administration Committee in January 2023, with activities absorbed into ongoing work and annual reporting thereafter. The Scottish Government provided a written update to Parliament on ongoing actions on 17 May 2024, ahead of the Permanent Secretary giving evidence to the Committee on 21 May 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422462,"EventID":"S6W-28996","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-08T16:09:03.287","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-07T13:29:57.293","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the next Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund checkpoint will be.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the next Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund checkpoint will be.","AnswerText":"Alasdair Allan: Currently, there is no date set for the next funding checkpoint of the Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund. When a date has been set it will be communicated to stakeholders through the fund website and stakeholder channels.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":422463,"EventID":"S6W-29001","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-08T16:09:03.333","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-07T15:31:48.267","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the legislative process is for transferring the powers to the Scottish Parliament that are required to establish a building safety levy.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the legislative process is for transferring the powers to the Scottish Parliament that are required to establish a building safety levy.","AnswerText":"The Scotland Act 2012 introduced provisions for the UK Parliament to devolve further tax powers to the Scottish Parliament (now section 80B of the Scotland Act 1998, &ldquo;Power to add new devolved taxes&rdquo;).This followed a recommendation from the Calman Commission, which stated that &ldquo;we see no reason why the Scottish Parliament should not be able to legislate to create new taxes that affect the whole of Scotland uniformly and not just via local taxation, if it does so with the agreement of the whole UK Parliament&rdquo;.The specific legislative mechanism is an Order in Council which must be approved by both Houses of the UK Parliament and by the Scottish Parliament. Once approved, the Order in Council would add any new tax to the existing list of devolved taxes in the Scotland Act 1998.Primary and secondary legislation would then be required in the Scottish Parliament for a new devolved tax to come into effect.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422464,"EventID":"S6W-28992","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-08T16:09:03.38","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-07T12:42:47.907","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review options for extending the provision of financial support for the Veterans Community Support Service, which is run under the auspices of Legion Sco","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review options for extending the provision of financial support for the Veterans Community Support Service, which is run under the auspices of Legion Scotland, beyond the current end point for grant funding in 2026.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not currently provide direct funding to Legion Scotland&rsquo;s Veterans Community Support Service. The Service does, however, receive Scottish Government grant funding indirectly through the Unforgotten Forces consortium, which the Scottish Government has funded since 2020. In 2023 the consortium&rsquo;s Scottish Government funding was extended for a further three years on the condition that they develop and implement a long term sustainable funding model from 2026 onwards, and we are liaising with the consortium to support them in that transition.The consortium independently allocates funding from the Scottish Government grant amongst their partners each financial year, in line with grant conditions. Therefore, if the consortium have other funds available once the Scottish Government funding has ceased then the decision on whether funding continues to be allocated to the Veterans Community Support Service beyond 2026 will be made by them.A possible alternative source of funding for the Veterans Community Support Service is the Scottish Government&rsquo;s Scottish Veterans Fund. The Fund provides a total of &pound;500,000 per annum for projects that support the Armed Forces and veterans community. Details regarding the 2026-2027 funding round will be announced closer to the time.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422465,"EventID":"S6W-28676","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-08T16:09:03.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-22T11:16:57.033","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27595 by Kate Forbes on 30 May 2024, whether its special advisers are now subject to the Scottish Ministerial Code, and, if this i","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27595 by Kate Forbes on 30 May 2024, whether its special advisers are now subject to the Scottish Ministerial Code, and, if this is not the case, when it plans to extend the application of the Scottish Ministerial Code to special advisers.","AnswerText":"As noted in the answer to parliamentary question S6W-27596 on 30 May 2024, the Scottish Ministerial Code only applies to Scottish Ministers and does not apply to special advisers, who are bound by the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers. The Scottish Government has no plans to extend the application of the Ministerial Code to special advisers.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422466,"EventID":"S6W-29005","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-08T16:09:03.477","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-07T15:31:48.267","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the overall economic impact of its cladding remediation programme, including the impact of new homes being built as a result of this.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the overall economic impact of its cladding remediation programme, including the impact of new homes being built as a result of this.","AnswerText":"We recognise the potential impact of the cladding remediation programme on developers and on the building of new homes. These issues will be among those being considered by an in-depth economic analysis, which is in development.&nbsp;","AnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422467,"EventID":"S6W-28739","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-08T16:09:03.507","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-24T10:14:34.077","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many public sector (a) grants and (b) contracts that have been awarded since 1 July 2023 have exempted the receiving body from complying with the Fair Work First pri","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many public sector (a) grants and (b) contracts that have been awarded since 1 July 2023 have exempted the receiving body from complying with the Fair Work First principle, broken down by the (i) receiving body. and (ii) reason for exemption.","AnswerText":"In total, between July 2023 and March 2024, 26 organisations in receipt of grants from the Scottish Government have an approved limited exception to the real Living Wage grant condition. A list of these organisations can be found in the following table.Name of organisation with a limited exception to the real Living Wage grant conditionReason for exceptionAberdeen City CouncilException approved on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce, and the cost of resulting uplifts throughout the organisational pay scale within existing allocated budgets.Angus CouncilException awarded on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce, and the cost of resulting uplifts throughout the organisational pay scale within existing allocated budgets.Building Craftsmen Ltd (BCS)Exception awarded on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce.Centre StageException approved on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce.Dumfries and Galloway CouncilException awarded on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce, and the cost of resulting uplifts throughout the organisational pay scale within existing allocated budgets.Dundee City CouncilException awarded on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce, and the cost of resulting uplifts throughout the organisational pay scale within existing allocated budgets.East Ayrshire CouncilException awarded on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce, and the cost of resulting uplifts throughout the organisational pay scale within existing allocated budgets.East Dunbartonshire CouncilException awarded on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce, and the cost of resulting uplifts throughout the organisational pay scale within existing allocated budgets.East Lothian CouncilException awarded on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce, and the cost of resulting uplifts throughout the organisational pay scale within existing allocated budgets.East Renfrewshire CouncilException awarded on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce, and the cost of resulting uplifts throughout the organisational pay scale within existing allocated budgets.Falkirk CouncilException awarded on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce, and the cost of resulting uplifts throughout the organisational pay scale within existing allocated budgets.Glasgow City CouncilException awarded on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce, and the cost of resulting uplifts throughout the organisational pay scale within existing allocated budgets.Inverclyde CouncilException awarded on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce, and the cost of resulting uplifts throughout the organisational pay scale within existing allocated budgets.Link HousingException awarded on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce.Moray CouncilException awarded on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce, and the cost of resulting uplifts throughout the organisational pay scale within existing allocated budgets.North Ayrshire CouncilException awarded on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce, and the cost of resulting uplifts throughout the organisational pay scale within existing allocated budgets.North Lanarkshire CouncilException awarded on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce, and the cost of resulting uplifts throughout the organisational pay scale within existing allocated budgets.Perth and Kinross CouncilException awarded on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce, and the cost of resulting uplifts throughout the organisational pay scale within existing allocated budgets.Renfrewshire CouncilException awarded on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422468,"EventID":"S6W-29003","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-08T16:09:03.583","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-07T15:31:48.267","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many so-called &ldquo;orphan&rdquo; buildings have been identified as part of its cladding remediation programme, and how much it will cost to carry out the remediat","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many so-called &ldquo;orphan&rdquo; buildings have been identified as part of its cladding remediation programme, and how much it will cost to carry out the remediation work required on these buildings.","AnswerText":"The Cladding Remediation Programme is in a pilot phase. Of the 107 pilot entries there are currently 12 entries for which we expect assessment and any mitigation or remediation required to be led by Scottish Government.It is not possible to estimate the cost of remediating a building ahead of a Single Building Assessment (SBA) being undertaken. This assessment will identify the works needed to eliminate or mitigate risks to human life that are (directly or indirectly) created or exacerbated by the building&rsquo;s external wall cladding system. While some pilot entries have already had pilot assessments, before costs can determined these assessments will need to be refreshed to ensure that they are completed in accordance with the SBA Standard to be specified by Scottish Ministers under the Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Act 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422469,"EventID":"S6W-29009","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-08T16:09:03.63","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-08T08:55:36.403","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the announcement of Hospital at Home Funding on 8 August 2024, how much funding NHS Fife originally applied for, and how the distribution of funding was decided that resulted in NHS Fife receiving £18,100.56, in light of it being the third largest NHS board area. ","AnswerText":"Scottish Government funding has been provided to improve the resilience and sustainability of Hospital at Home services for older people in Scotland. Distribution of funds is decided in collaboration between Scottish Government and Healthcare Improvement Scotland. NHS Fife received £18,100.56 which was the full amount of funding requested.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422470,"EventID":"S6W-28989","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-08T16:09:03.693","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-07T10:36:56.283","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will include composite fillings as a treatment option for registered NHS dental patients when treating molar teeth, particularly in cases such as for women wh","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will include composite fillings as a treatment option for registered NHS dental patients when treating molar teeth, particularly in cases such as for women who are breastfeeding and are unable to have amalgam fillings.","AnswerText":"Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government recognises certain groups of patients for whom the use of dental amalgam has been specifically contra-indicated in the European Union&rsquo;s 2018 Minimata Convention on Mercury. As a result, resin composite fillings are available for the restoration of molar teeth in patients under 15 years of age, pregnant or breast-feeding women and those who have specific medical conditions that contraindicate the use of dental amalgam.For all other patient groups, where there are no contra-indications, dental amalgam remains the first line treatment material for fillings in molar teeth. As the primary focus of NHS General Dental Services in Scotland is to provide care to maintain the oral health of patients, it is essential that the service is able to provide an evidence-based package of care which meets clinical requirements while also providing value for money, and the continued use of dental amalgam remains an essential element to meeting these goals.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422471,"EventID":"S6W-29000","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-08T16:09:03.74","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-07T15:31:48.267","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making towards the introduction of a building safety levy, and by what date this will be introduced.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making towards the introduction of a building safety levy, and by what date this will be introduced.","AnswerText":"Following the general election, I wrote to the Secretary of State for Scotland, Ian Murray MP, requesting renewal of the agreement to the devolution of the necessary powers for a Building Safety Levy in Scotland that was in place with the previous UK Government.An affirmative response to this letter was received on 27 August 2024 and arrangements are now being made for the necessary legislative procedures to take place in the Scottish and UK Parliaments to progress the devolution.The Scottish Government&rsquo;s 2024-25 Programme for Government announced that, subject to the devolution of powers, the Scottish Government proposes to bring forward a Bill to establish a Building Safety Levy in Scotland.A consultation will be launched later this month to inform policy development for the proposed Bill. The levy is not expected to come into effect until April 2026 at the earliest.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422472,"EventID":"S6W-28993","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-08T16:09:03.803","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-07T12:58:57.743","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current average waiting time is for a diagnosis of endometriosis, and what plans are in place to reduce the time for an endometriosis diagnosis.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current average waiting time is for a diagnosis of endometriosis, and what plans are in place to reduce the time for an endometriosis diagnosis.","AnswerText":"Routinely collected data on the waiting time for a diagnosis of endometriosis are not available.However, in 2024 Endometriosis UK published a report based on a survey of 4,371 people who received a diagnosis of endometriosis from a medical practitioner or following a diagnostic intervention. The report suggested that the current average waiting time for a endometriosis diagnosis in Scotland is now 8 years and 10 months.Endometriosis has two stages of diagnosis, a working diagnosis at primary care level and a confirmed diagnosis via laparoscopy at secondary care. Not everyone with endometriosis will want to have a laparoscopy to confirm their diagnosis, particularly if their symptoms can be well managed.We know that excessively long waits for laparoscopy are not acceptable and we apologise to all patients waiting too long. We are determined to drive improvements in this area and continue to work closely with NHS boards and stakeholders on a number of actions which will see patients treated as quickly as possible.We want people to achieve a working diagnosis as soon as possible to enable swift access to appropriate care and treatment. Through the actions set out in our Women&rsquo;s Health Plan we have taken steps to support both women and health professionals to learn more about endometriosis, the symptoms and treatment options.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422473,"EventID":"S6W-29006","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-08T16:09:03.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-07T15:31:48.267","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government since 5 July 2024 regarding delivering more homes across all housing tenures in Scotland, including the potential for ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government since 5 July 2024 regarding delivering more homes across all housing tenures in Scotland, including the potential for increased funding for increasing unit output.","AnswerText":"The First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government met with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, via a Microsoft Teams call, on Wednesday 17 July 2024. Discussion highlighted that the forecast reduction in Capital and Financial Transactions (FTs) funding is causing significant challenges for the Scottish Government&rsquo;s investment in affordable housing.The First Minister met with the Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, via a Microsoft Teams call, on Wednesday 31 July 2024. The First Minister raised his close interest in the UK Government&rsquo;s housing agenda, and reiterated the impact of the reductions to our capital and FTs.The First Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister met in person at Bute House on Thursday 15 August 2024. The First Minister again raised the issue of reductions to financial transactions funding in relation to affordable housing. The First Minister also restated his commitment to building a constructive and collaborative relationship with the UK Government that delivers for the people of Scotland.On 28 August, the First Minister and the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government met the Chancellor of the Exchequer in Glasgow and reiterated the concern of the Scottish Government over the damage that has been done to housing investment by the real terms reductions in the overall Capital Budget and the budget for Financial Transactions. The First Minister encouraged the Chancellor to rectify this in her Budget Statement on 30 October.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422474,"EventID":"S6W-28681","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-08T16:09:03.913","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-22T11:16:57.033","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it spent on legal fees for (a) former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, (b) the former First Minister&rsquo;s chief of staff and (c) the former Permanent Secretar","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it spent on legal fees for (a) former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, (b) the former First Minister&rsquo;s chief of staff and (c) the former Permanent Secretary, in connection with the inquiry of the Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints.","AnswerText":"Legal advice was provided to individuals in relation to the Scottish Parliament Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints. The total costs were &pound;151,811.17 (exclusive of VAT). This information is already published at Cost to Scottish Government of its participation of recent inquiry&rsquo;s: FOI release - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)The then First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon did not consult a lawyer of any kind ahead of her evidence session at the Scottish Parliament's Committee on the Scottish Government's Handling of Harassment Complaints.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422475,"EventID":"S6W-28994","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-08T16:09:03.96","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-07T12:58:57.743","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will (a) implement a baseline for endometriosis care and (b) ensure that everyone with endometriosis gets access to care in line with NICE guidelines.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will (a) implement a baseline for endometriosis care and (b) ensure that everyone with endometriosis gets access to care in line with NICE guidelines.","AnswerText":"We are committed to ensuring those living with endometriosis symptoms can access the best possible care and support and that they benefit from healthcare services that are safe and effective.The Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) has developed and published the  Endometriosis Referral Care Pathway for Scotland, which has been adapted from NICE guidelines. The pathway aims to support healthcare professionals to provide a holistic approach and timely care for those with endometriosis and endometriosis-like symptoms. All NHS Boards should be taking steps to implement the pathway.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422476,"EventID":"S6W-28987","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5608,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":103,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-08T16:09:04.007","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-07T10:18:04.837","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is available for early release prisoners to ensure that they are able to find and maintain stable accommodation upon release.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is available for early release prisoners to ensure that they are able to find and maintain stable accommodation upon release.","AnswerText":"Pre-release planning, including in relation to housing needs, was a key feature of the recent emergency early release process.&nbsp;Scottish Prison Service (SPS) worked closely with representatives from Local Government &ndash; including housing departments, wider public bodies, and the third sector in the planning and operation of the process.SPS officials conducted an expedited pre-release process to help prisoners identify their needs, and supported their engagement with relevant community services. That included establishing their housing status and making referrals, as required, to Local Authority housing departments.&nbsp;Releases were staggered across four separate tranches, which enabled service providers to better support those released. SPS notified Local Authorities and key stakeholders of planned releases, to each area, prior to each tranche.For those nearer to their expected liberation date, any planning would have been underway, in line with the Sustainable Housing on Release for Everyone (SHORE) Standards.As is normal practice, Local Authorities allocate housing in their area, including to those released as part of the emergency release programme, where necessary, in line with local resources and demand.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422477,"EventID":"S6W-28988","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5608,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":103,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-08T16:09:04.087","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-07T10:18:04.837","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans are in place to ensure that early release prisoners are not at risk of homelessness upon release.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans are in place to ensure that early release prisoners are not at risk of homelessness upon release.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28987 on 28 August 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility, which can be found at: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422478,"EventID":"S6W-28995","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-08T16:09:04.15","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-07T13:29:57.293","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the next quarterly report for the Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the next quarterly report for the Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund.","AnswerText":"The next Social Housing Net Zero Heat Quarterly Report will be published in October and will update on the fund&rsquo;s progress over Quarter 1 and Quarter 2 of this financial year.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":422479,"EventID":"S6W-28680","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-08T16:09:04.197","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-22T11:16:57.033","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it spent on (a) internal and (b) external legal costs in pursuing or defending any court action involving former First Minister, Alex Salmond.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it spent on (a) internal and (b) external legal costs in pursuing or defending any court action involving former First Minister, Alex Salmond.","AnswerText":"Internal legal costs are not available because in line with usual practice, details of individual tasks carried out by civil servants, including the number of hours spent on them, are not routinely recorded because there is no business need to do this.The legal costs in defending and settling the Judicial Review brought by Mr Salmond in 2018 are published on the Scottish Government website.The costs of legal services regarding the former First Minister&rsquo;s judicial review are published at: Costs of legal services regarding former First Minister's judicial review: FOI release - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).The costs of the settlement in respect of the former First Minister&rsquo;s legal fees in the Judicial Review are published at: Former First Minister Legal fees: FOI release - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).As the action brought by Mr Salmond against the Scottish Government is live litigation, we are not able to publish the Scottish Government&rsquo;s legal costs at this stage. We will publish this information in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422480,"EventID":"S6W-28999","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-08T16:09:04.243","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-07T15:31:48.267","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it plans with housing developers towards agreeing a contract for undertaking cladding remediation works for buildings under their responsibility.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it plans with housing developers towards agreeing a contract for undertaking cladding remediation works for buildings under their responsibility.","AnswerText":"We are continuing to work at pace on the Developer Remediation Contract to ensure alignment with the Housing (Cladding Remediation) Scotland Act 2024 and the Single Building Assessment (SBA) specification, which was published in June 2024. We are committed to sharing a draft with developers with a view to engaging in further discussions and we have been discussing timings with stakeholders.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422481,"EventID":"S6W-28990","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-08T16:09:04.29","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-07T11:08:49.243","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the three-year small business productivity programme that was announced in its Programme for Government 2023-24 is operational, and, if so, what its outputs are.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the three-year small business productivity programme that was announced in its Programme for Government 2023-24 is operational, and, if so, what its outputs are.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is funding Peer Works to deliver the productivity programme set out in the 2023-24 Programme for Government. Formerly called Productivity Clubs, Peer Works has been delivered by Prosper in partnership with the Scottish Government since 2019.The aim of Peer Works is to start or accelerate organisations along a productivity journey by providing practical peer-to-peer support and knowledge sharing opportunities. There are currently over 2,600 members, and over 700 members have participated in events over the last year. A range of case studies can be found here:&nbsp;Peer Stories - Peer Works.The Peer Works programme exists to support the needs of micro and small organisations. An evaluation survey indicated that nearly half of attendees in 2023-24 had not received advice or support in managing their business from any other source in the previous six months. Furthermore, 99% of respondents found the Peer Works events and activities useful and 47% made improvements to their business as a direct result of participation.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422495,"EventID":"S6W-29013","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-09T14:47:04.28","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-08T16:05:19.657","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact that battery energy sites have on the health and wellbeing of those living nearby.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact that battery energy sites have on the health and wellbeing of those living nearby.","AnswerText":"Where new development proposals come forward, Scotland&rsquo;s Fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) ensures that the impacts of proposals on communities and nature, including cumulative impacts, are important considerations in the decision-making process. All applications are subject to site specific assessments.Where the Electricity Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2017 apply to relevant applications made to Scottish Ministers, the effects of a proposed development on population and human health may, if appropriate and on a case-by-case basis, be considered in the overall assessment.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422496,"EventID":"S6W-29018","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-09T14:47:04.437","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T09:08:03.743","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many observed landings there have been at Scottish ports of non-UK vessels over the last three years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many observed landings there have been at Scottish ports of non-UK vessels over the last three years.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government publish Enforcement Data which details the number of inspections by nationality.  Marine and fisheries compliance: boardings of vessels in Scottish waters - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) The latest period will shortly be published. The Marine Directorate has observed 421 inspections of non-UK landings between 1 July 2021 and 30 June 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422497,"EventID":"S6W-29024","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-09T14:47:04.487","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T12:35:08.887","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the annual Young Carer Grant of &pound;385.75 for young carers aged 16 to 18 adequately reflects the responsibilities that a young carer ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the annual Young Carer Grant of &pound;385.75 for young carers aged 16 to 18 adequately reflects the responsibilities that a young carer undertakes.","AnswerText":"Our Young Carer Grant is the only benefit if its kind in the UK, supporting young carers in Scotland to access the same opportunities as their peers. An Interim Evaluation, published in August 2021, confirmed the grant has made a positive impact on young carers&rsquo; ability to take part in opportunities, increased their sense of choice and control, and made a positive impact on their mental wellbeing.The Young Carer Grant is one part of the Scottish Government&rsquo;s commitment to recognising the contributions of young carers across Scotland. Young Carers aged 11 to 18 can also access non-cash benefits and support through the Young Scot Young Carers Package, which provides tailored discounts and opportunities including high value e-vouchers, wellbeing boxes and vouchers for family days out.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422498,"EventID":"S6W-29023","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-09T14:47:04.547","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T12:35:08.887","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is in place for young carers below the age of 16 who do not yet qualify for the Young Carer Grant, and what its position is on whether such support is suffi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is in place for young carers below the age of 16 who do not yet qualify for the Young Carer Grant, and what its position is on whether such support is sufficient.","AnswerText":"We want to ensure there is appropriate support for young carers so that they can be children first and foremost.Alongside Young Carer Grant the Scottish Government funds non-cash support through the Young Scot Young Carers Package. It is available to young carers aged 11-18 and provides tailored discounts and opportunities including high value e-vouchers, wellbeing boxes and vouchers for family days out.Also, under the Carers Act 2016 all young carers have a right to a young carer statement. This involves an outcome based conversation about the young carer&rsquo;s personal circumstances and must include information about the impact of caring on their wellbeing and whether the care they provide is appropriate.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422499,"EventID":"S6W-28938","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-09T14:47:04.61","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-02T15:36:50.597","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the scope of the role of Transport Scotland, including any duplication of (a) responsibility and (b) funding in the period (i) before and ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the scope of the role of Transport Scotland, including any duplication of (a) responsibility and (b) funding in the period (i) before and (ii) after the new structures were put in place regarding the nationalisation of ScotRail.","AnswerText":"ScotRail was brought into the public sector under Scottish Government control.Transport Scotland carries out, on behalf of Scottish Ministers, the role of the Franchising Authority. ScotRail Trains Limited (SRT) is a train operating company who provides certain rail passenger services.Scottish Rail Holdings (SRH) is an arm&rsquo;s length entity, who manages and oversees delivery of SRT services.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422500,"EventID":"S6W-29021","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-09T14:47:04.657","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T09:08:03.743","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to ensure that fish caught in Scottish waters by non-UK vessels is appropriately landed.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to ensure that fish caught in Scottish waters by non-UK vessels is appropriately landed.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government ensures all non-UK vessels landing into Scotland are authorised to do so by meeting detailed regulations which includes vessel tracking and daily electronic catch reporting, and the requirement to complete Port State Control and export documentation. Officers from the Marine Directorate verify documentation by undertaking risk-based remote and physical inspections at ports. The Scottish Government also inspect non-UK vessels at sea using Marine Protection Vessels and surveillance aircraft. Additionally, the Scottish Government is further developing a program of detailed analysis of vessels fishing Scottish waters but landing in another state. This involves working closely with the EU and other third countries to improve data sharing, including sales and inspection data.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422501,"EventID":"S6W-29011","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-09T14:47:04.72","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-08T12:54:02.52","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to ensure that people using motorhomes for recreational activities such as camping do so in a manner that respects the environment and local area.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to ensure that people using motorhomes for recreational activities such as camping do so in a manner that respects the environment and local area.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises that Tourism is a vital part of the Scottish economy both nationally and locally.We are working closely through the Visitor Management Group with the relevant agencies, Local Authorities and National Park Authorities to ensure those visiting areas of natural beauty are aware of their responsibility in respecting the local environment. The Group was established in 2020, by the then Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Tourism, because of tourism pressures in rural areas. It meets regularly with a cross Government approach to address issues caused at rural pinch points in scenic countryside areas. This includes addressing such issues as managing visitor dispersal, the impact of motorhomes, littering, environmental damage, public toileting and antisocial behaviour.VisitScotland undertook research, on behalf of the Visitor Management group, in 2023 to better understand the motivations and behaviours of people visiting Scotland in campervans and motorhomes. The full results are here:Motorhomes, Caravans and Camping - Industry Research | VisitScotland.orgThe research found that many visitors do wish to do the right thing and are actively seeking out information on issues such as parking and waste disposal. We all want to see responsible tourism, which balances the needs of local communities, visitors and the environment. The response to any visitor pressures needs to be a combination of visitor messaging, encouraging responsible behaviour and visiting at quieter times of year, alongside practical responses such as improved infrastructure, as well as engagement and education.In that regard, VisitScotland will continue to promote responsible visitor messaging, and we will do that alongside partners such as local authorities and others who lead on infrastructure and ranger services. In more extreme cases it will be for local authorities, roads authorities or Police Scotland to manage any infringements.VisitScotland promote Sustainable and Responsible Tourism in Scotland on their website Scotland's Responsible Tourism Promise | VisitScotland and A Guide to Outdoor Safety in Scotland | VisitScotland.Although the access rights enshrined in the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 relate to responsible rights of non-motorised access to land, the three key principles within the accompanying Scottish Outdoor Access Code (SOAC) provide useful general guidance: that people should respect the interests of other people, care for the environment, and take responsibility for their own actions. The SOAC provides further advice on how to wild camp responsibly, should those using motorhomes decide to hike from their parking space. Local authority and National Park Authority access officers take the lead role in assisting land managers to manage access.We would ask that all visitors to our rural areas behave in a manner that respects and protects our environment so everyone for generations to come can enjoy the great Scottish outdoors.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422502,"EventID":"S6W-29020","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-09T14:47:04.783","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T09:08:03.743","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what estimates it has made of the percentage of fish catch that is routinely transported out of Scotland without appropriate landings documentation.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what estimates it has made of the percentage of fish catch that is routinely transported out of Scotland without appropriate landings documentation.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not make estimates of the percentage of fish transported out of Scotland without appropriate landings documentation, this is because no vessel would be given authorisation to land without appropriate Port State Control authority, a condition of which is that all documentation is correct. All non-UK vessels landing into Scotland are subject to documentation checks prior to landing.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422503,"EventID":"S6W-29022","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-09T14:47:04.83","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T12:35:08.887","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason young carers below the age of 11 do not have access to the Young Carers Package or an analogous scheme, and what support is in place instead.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason young carers below the age of 11 do not have access to the Young Carers Package or an analogous scheme, and what support is in place instead.","AnswerText":"As set out in our National Carers Strategy, the Scottish Government recognises the importance of young carers being identified so that they can be supported in achieving their educational and wider goals.Under the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016, local authorities and Health and Social Care Partnerships are responsible for supporting young carers of all ages. Much of this support is delivered on their behalf by local third sector young carer projects and carer centres, and can include counselling, peer support groups and short break opportunities.Young carers can also benefit from Scottish Government funded voluntary sector short breaks delivered through four national schemes &ndash; &lsquo;Better Breaks&rsquo;, &lsquo;Creative Breaks&rsquo;, &lsquo;Time to Live&rsquo; and &lsquo;Take a Break Scotland&rsquo;.In respect of the Young Carers Package, this is delivered on our behalf by Young Scot through their wider platform for children and young people. Young Scot Membership accounts are limited to young people age 12+, and the content of the package is designed for those aged between 12 and 18.11 year old young carers can access a limited offline version of the package by completing a short form. Through this they will receive a &pound;50 Love 2 Shop voucher which they can use to access a range of retailers. This is designed to provide a taste of what the package is like and encourage young carers to sign up to the full package once they turn 12.We would encourage all young carers (including those under 11) and their families to contact their local young carer service, and to also speak with their schools about additional support they can offer.We fund an Education Officer at Carers Trust Scotland, who works with Education Scotland, the General Teaching Council for Scotland and the Scottish Qualification Authority to help ensure education staff are aware of young carers and are able to support them appropriately. This has included producing a free and accredited e-module for all education staff to help them better understand how they can identify and support young carers.Additionally, school nurses also have young carers as one of their 10 priorities. Once a young carer is referred to a school nurse with concerns, the school nurse may complete a GIRFEC wellbeing assessment, support referrals onto specialist services when needed and support with transitions.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422504,"EventID":"S6W-29014","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-09T14:47:04.877","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T09:08:03.743","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether its Marine Directorate is adequately resourced, and what percentage of staff vacancies the directorate has had in each year between 2019 ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether its Marine Directorate is adequately resourced, and what percentage of staff vacancies the directorate has had in each year between 2019 and 2024 to date.","AnswerText":"The Marine Directorate is adequately resourced to deliver against the First Minister's priorities and to meet its core Statutory and Regulatory obligations. We continually review our workforce management plan to ensure we are recruiting to match our delivery. Although we do not hold the vacancy information requested, you can find a variety of Scottish Government workforce information online, including the latest Scottish Government Workforce Statistics.&nbsp;Scottish Government Workforce Statistics March 2024 &ndash; gov.scot","AnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422505,"EventID":"S6W-29016","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-09T14:47:04.94","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T09:08:03.743","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, on average, how many boxes of landed fish from non-UK registered vessels are physically checked by its Marine Directorate each month.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, on average, how many boxes of landed fish from non-UK registered vessels are physically checked by its Marine Directorate each month.","AnswerText":"Marine Directorate officers do not record how many boxes of fish they physically check. When undertaking a monitor of a vessel, officers are expected to assure themselves that the quantities landed are consistent with quantities declared. Where species are sorted and landed together, officers are required to undertake sample checks by physically inspecting containers to check that all fish is the same species and correctly recorded. Where fish is not sorted and landed by species, officers are required to inspect each box.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422506,"EventID":"S6W-29017","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-09T14:47:04.987","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T09:08:03.743","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what statistics it has on the quantity of fish, broken down by species, that is landed at Scottish ports by non-UK vessels.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what statistics it has on the quantity of fish, broken down by species, that is landed at Scottish ports by non-UK vessels.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government publish Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics. In the latest publication, supplementary table 19 details the Tonnage and value of landings by foreign vessels into Scotland by main species 2018 to 2022. See&nbsp;Supporting documents - Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics 2022 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).","AnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422507,"EventID":"S6W-29010","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-09T14:47:05.063","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-08T12:04:27.977","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21294 by Michael Matheson on 22 September 2023, when it will confirm a start date for the review of the NHS Scotland patient trave","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21294 by Michael Matheson on 22 September 2023, when it will confirm a start date for the review of the NHS Scotland patient travel scheme.","AnswerText":"Regrettably, a start date for the review is not confirmed at this time. It is important that the review of the guidance on patient travel expenses reimbursement is considered within the context of wider reform on access to health care which is already in progress. This will inform both how and when the review is taken forward.In 2023 we prepared the draft Transport to Health plan and have been engaging with Health Boards, Regional Transport Partnerships and other partners to take forward a range of commitments to improve joined up working on transport to health. The plan will be published in September and a workplan has been agreed.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422508,"EventID":"S6W-29015","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-09T14:47:05.127","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T09:08:03.743","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether its Marine Directorate inspects all boxes of fish landed by non-UK vessels into Scottish ports.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether its Marine Directorate inspects all boxes of fish landed by non-UK vessels into Scottish ports.","AnswerText":"In 2023, Coastal officers carried out 177 inspections from 266 non-UK vessel landings into Scotland, or 67%. Routine inspections by Coastal officers include document checks, box counts, species identification and assurance sampling checks of catch landed. The level of sample checks will depend on risk, which considers the likelihood and impact of an infringement.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422509,"EventID":"S6W-29019","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-09T14:47:05.173","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T09:08:03.743","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many non-UK registered vessels are licensed to fish in Scottish waters.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many non-UK registered vessels are licensed to fish in Scottish waters.","AnswerText":"The licensing of non-UK fishing vessels to fish in UK waters is led by the UK Government, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. As of 12 August 2024, there were 1549 EU vessels, 213 Norwegian vessels and 26 Faroes vessels with UK access licences.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422510,"EventID":"S6W-29012","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-09T14:47:05.237","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-08T16:05:19.657","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the development of more battery energy sites is crucial to the future energy mix of Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the development of more battery energy sites is crucial to the future energy mix of Scotland.","AnswerText":"Battery storage will play a role in the future energy mix of Scotland. As set out in our draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, battery storage offers fast responding, dispatchable power when required. They also provide a number of ancillary services required to maintain stability within the electricity networks.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422511,"EventID":"S6W-29040","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-12T15:51:52.6","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how any instances of bullying and harassment have been recorded in NHS Scotland in each year since 2021, also broken down by NHS board.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how any instances of bullying and harassment have been recorded in NHS Scotland in each year since 2021, also broken down by NHS board.","AnswerText":"Please see the breakdown of recorded bullying and harassment cases as advised by each NHS Board through Staff Governance Monitoring returns from 2021 in the following table. Please note, recorded cases for 2023-24 are not yet available centrally.As defined in the policy, there are two stages to raise bullying and harassment concerns. Early resolution cases are resolved at the earliest opportunity by informing the other party of the impact of their behaviour or actions. If early resolution is unsuccessful or inappropriate, cases can be raised formally.&nbsp;2021-222022-23NHSScotland BoardsEarly ResolutionFormal ComplaintEarly ResolutionFormal ComplaintNHS Ayrshire and Arran38016NHS Borders8268NHS Dumfries and Galloway84251NHS Fife01105NHS Forth Valley91111NHS Grampian71693NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde09044NHS Golden Jubilee2224NHS Health Improvement Scotland0000NHS Highland3051020NHS Lanarkshire014019NHS Lothian541023NHS240464NHS Education for Scotland1130NHS National Services Scotland3115NHS Orkney2000NHS Public Health Scotland1111NHS Shetland2174NHS Scottish Ambulance Service270914NHS State Hospital0304NHS Tayside120030Western Isles0414NHSScotland10914891210(Source: Staff Governance Monitoring Annual Board Returns)","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422512,"EventID":"S6W-29052","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-12T15:51:52.757","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many licence applications NatureScot received for the culling of (a) Greylag, (b) pink-footed and (c) Canada geese in (a) 2022-23 and (b) 2023-24, broken down by loc","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many licence applications NatureScot received for the culling of (a) Greylag, (b) pink-footed and (c) Canada geese in (a) 2022-23 and (b) 2023-24, broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"The information you requested is as follows:RegionYearGreylagPink-footedCanadaAberdeen2022111&nbsp;2023020&nbsp;2024110&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Angus2022010&nbsp;2023000&nbsp;2024100&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Argyll and Bute2022505&nbsp;2023101&nbsp;2024100&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;City of Edinburgh2022110&nbsp;2023000&nbsp;2024000&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Clackmannanshire2022010&nbsp;20232024000&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles)2022403&nbsp;2023000&nbsp;2024000&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Dumfries and Galloway2022020&nbsp;2023020&nbsp;2024010&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Dundee City2022101&nbsp;2023000&nbsp;2024000&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;East Ayrshire2022100&nbsp;2023100[ST1]&nbsp;2024000&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Falkirk2022010&nbsp;2023030&nbsp;2024020&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Fife2022231&nbsp;2023111&nbsp;2024020&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Highland20223102&nbsp;2023060&nbsp;2024171&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Midlothian2022010&nbsp;2023010&nbsp;2024010&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Moray2022101&nbsp;2023000&nbsp;2024101&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Orkney Islands2022320&nbsp;2023180&nbsp;2024070&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Perth and Kinross2022121&nbsp;2023101&nbsp;2024010&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Renfrewshire2022101&nbsp;2023000&nbsp;2024000&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Shetland Islands2022201&nbsp;2023000&nbsp;2024000&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;South Ayrshire2022101&nbsp;2023000&nbsp;2024000NatureScot also publishes information on licensing data on their website at https://www.nature.scot/doc/summary-licensing-data[ST1]These two areas need splitting out with figures for each of the three years requested. Even if they are zero for all species like South Ayrshire.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":422513,"EventID":"S6W-29032","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-12T15:51:52.833","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has engaged with (a) NHS Highland and (b) Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership regarding the provision of dialysis services in Lorn and Islands ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has engaged with (a) NHS Highland and (b) Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership regarding the provision of dialysis services in Lorn and Islands Hospital.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has had no recent engagement with (a) NHS Highland and (b) Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership regarding the provision of dialysis services in Lorn and Islands Hospital.It is the responsibility of NHS Boards, working with their local partners, to plan service delivery and treatment in accordance with the needs of patients undergoing dialysis in their area.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422514,"EventID":"S6W-29036","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-12T15:51:52.897","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government (a) where and (b) when the Convention of the Highlands and Islands will next meet.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government (a) where and (b) when the Convention of the Highlands and Islands will next meet.","AnswerText":"The next meeting of the Convention of the Highlands and Islands will take place on 7 October and will be hosted by Shetland Islands Council in Lerwick.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422515,"EventID":"S6W-29034","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-12T15:51:52.977","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has commenced the process of appointing Scotland&rsquo;s next Makar, in light of the term time having been reduced from five years to three years, and, if so,","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has commenced the process of appointing Scotland&rsquo;s next Makar, in light of the term time having been reduced from five years to three years, and, if so, whether it can provide details of the process.","AnswerText":"The First Minister recently met with Kathleen Jamie at Bute House to mark her term and thank her for her stellar work over the last three years as Scotland&rsquo;s fourth modern Makar, as an ambassador for poetry, in Scotland and overseas. The next National Makar will again be appointed by the First Minister. The Scottish Government is considering the process and will share more detail in the coming months.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422516,"EventID":"S6W-29031","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-12T15:51:53.037","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings (a) the First Minister and (b) previous First Ministers had with the leader of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar in each year since 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings (a) the First Minister and (b) previous First Ministers had with the leader of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"Since 2021, Scottish Ministers have regularly met with Council Leaders, including Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, to discuss a range of issues of mutual interest.The First Minister and previous First Minister have also committed to meeting with the COSLA Presidential team biannually to discuss key priorities and issues for local government. The First Minister and previous First Ministers have also delivered keynote speeches at the COSLA Annual Conference since 2021.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422517,"EventID":"S6W-29035","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-12T15:51:53.1","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been allocated to support the work of Scotland&rsquo;s Makar in each year since 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been allocated to support the work of Scotland&rsquo;s Makar in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has allocated &pound;20,000 per annum to support the Makar since 2021.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422518,"EventID":"S6W-29039","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-12T15:51:53.163","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many complaints have been made to NHS non-Executive Whistleblowing Champions in each year since 2019, also broken down by NHS board.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many complaints have been made to NHS non-Executive Whistleblowing Champions in each year since 2019, also broken down by NHS board.","AnswerText":"This information is not held centrally.The non-executive Whistleblowing Champion role has no operational involvement in cases, rather it is an assurance role which helps NHS boards comply with their responsibilities in relation to whistleblowing.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422519,"EventID":"S6W-29033","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-12T15:51:53.227","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any engagement that it has had with relevant stakeholders regarding the future of Kinloch Castle on the Isle of Rum.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any engagement that it has had with relevant stakeholders regarding the future of Kinloch Castle on the Isle of Rum.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is currently carrying out research with Rum residents and wider stakeholders, with the aim of reaching consensus on conditions of sale for Kinloch Castle. The Kinloch Castle Delphi Study is being led by analysts within the Rural and Environmental Science and Analytical Services Division of the Scottish Government.In March, we sent a survey invitation to all residents on the isle of Rum, and received a response from the majority of islanders. We shared the Round 1 report with all residents, and met with the Rum Community Association, Kinloch Castle Friends Association and Isle of Rum Community Trust to discuss the results. In July, we sent the Round 2 survey invitation to all residents. We have also invited Kinloch Castle Friends Association members to share their views in a separate survey. During Round 3, we plan to arrange an in-person community workshop on Rum. We aim to publish the final report by December 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422520,"EventID":"S6W-29045","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-12T15:51:53.287","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12374 by Humza Yousaf on 5 December 2022, whether the cytosponge diagnostic service is now available in all island NHS boards.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12374 by Humza Yousaf on 5 December 2022, whether the cytosponge diagnostic service is now available in all island NHS boards.","AnswerText":"Service innovation and redesign are central to the future of NHS, and the CytoSCOT programme is an excellent example of how innovation in diagnostic services can support patients to access alternatives to traditional endoscopy closer to home, helping to reduce demand on health services. NHS Scotland&rsquo;s Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) continues to support island Health Boards to implement this service, with NHS Orkney and NHS Shetland expected to begin roll out later this year.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422521,"EventID":"S6W-29048","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-12T15:51:53.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to increase the number of public electric vehicle (EV) charging points that are suitable for (a) light commercial vehicles, (b) heavy goods vehicles","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to increase the number of public electric vehicle (EV) charging points that are suitable for (a) light commercial vehicles, (b) heavy goods vehicles and (c) buses, and, if so, whether it can provide details of any such plans.","AnswerText":"Through the &pound;30 million EV Infrastructure Fund, the Scottish Government has provided each Local Authority with up to &pound;140,000 to support the cost of carrying out analysis to identify future public EV charging requirements for cars and light commercial vehicles. This analysis is being used by each Local Authority to support bids for further funding to partner with private sector charge point operators to continue to expand the network. Funding for Dundee, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray and Highland Councils has already been announced, with further announcements expected later this year.The Scottish Government will publish a draft Vision Implementation Plan by the end of 2024 for a public charging infrastructure network that works for all. The plan is being developed with input from owners and operators of light commercial vehicles, among others, to ensure that public charging meets the needs of users of cars and vans.Electric charging for heavy vehicles is likely to be owned and operated by the private sector. The Scottish Government is working with transport operators including the HGV sector, charge point providers, electricity networks and trade bodies to develop a shared understanding of the energy infrastructure that will be required in the future. The first iteration of this work will be published shortly. Scottish Government will convene discussions with interested parties following this research to explore how to progress.The second phase of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund, announced in July 2024, will deliver more than 200 new charger guns in bus depots across Scotland before 2026. Where possible these will be made available to other road users in addition to supporting the 252 new zero-emission buses delivered through the scheme.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422522,"EventID":"S6W-29046","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-12T15:51:53.43","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it still plans to bring forward its proposed Crofting Bill before the end of the current parliamentary session.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it still plans to bring forward its proposed Crofting Bill before the end of the current parliamentary session.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to reforming crofting law, subject to agreement by parliament, to support the future of crofting. The Scottish Government sets out its legislative agendas for each year in the respective Programme for Government.A consultation on proposals for crofting law reform was launched on 6 June 2024, and will close on 2 September 2024. Throughout July and August, officials have held public events throughout the crofting counties, which have been well attended with positive discussion.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":422523,"EventID":"S6W-29047","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-12T15:51:53.49","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many public electric vehicle (EV) charging points are suitable for (a) light commercial vehicles, (b) heavy goods vehicles and (c) buses, broken down by local author","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many public electric vehicle (EV) charging points are suitable for (a) light commercial vehicles, (b) heavy goods vehicles and (c) buses, broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"As a result of &pound;65m of public investment since 2011, and increasing private sector investment, Scotland has one of the most comprehensive public EV charging networks of any part of the UK, with over 5,800 public EV charge points, and is on target to have 6,000 public charge points by 2026. On a per head of population basis Scotland has more public charge points than any other part of the UK except London, and more rapid charge points than any other part of the UK.The Scottish Government does not collect information about how many public EV charge points are suitable for any particular vehicle type. However, EV charge point parking spaces designed to accommodate passenger cars should also be able to accommodate the majority of light commercial vehicles which have broadly similar dimensions. Engagement with industry suggests that many larger fleets do not intend to make use of the public EV charging network in Scotland and are instead working with commercial charge point operators to develop fleet-specific solutions.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422524,"EventID":"S6W-29042","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-12T15:51:53.57","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost has been of consultancy fees relating to Transport Scotland&rsquo;s work on developing long- and medium-term resilient routes to replace the existing","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost has been of consultancy fees relating to Transport Scotland&rsquo;s work on developing long- and medium-term resilient routes to replace the existing A83 Rest and Be Thankful corridor in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to delivering medium and long term solutions to address the landslip risks at the A83 Rest and Be Thankful.Delivery of a permanent and resilient solution is a priority and we will continue to seek ways to achieve that as quickly as possible. Following identification of a preferred option last year, the next step for the permanent solution, which is the detailed development and assessment of the preferred option, is progressing at pace and will conclude with the publication of draft Orders for comment, currently expected by the end of this year. As with all infrastructure projects, delivery of the scheme can only commence if approved under the relevant statutory authorisation procedures and thereafter a timetable for construction can be set.At the same time, improvements to the existing Old Military Road (OMR) through the Glen Croe corridor are being made to make it a more resilient diversion route until the long term solution is in place.The Scottish Government has spent the following amounts each year on the necessary design and assessment work for the A83 Rest and Be Thankful project:YearSpend2021&pound;2,724,800.182022&pound;2,008,235.912023&pound;6,591,664.042024 (to 16 August)&pound;4,757,610.52TOTAL&pound;16,082,310.60These figures are inclusive of VAT where applicable and cover costs associated with design and assessment work on both the medium and long term solutions to the landslip risks at the Rest and Be Thankful from 2021 to 16 August 2024. This includes costs associated with engineering design, environmental assessment (including environmental survey work), traffic and economic assessment, stakeholder engagement, and supervision of ground investigation works and medium term solution works to the Old Military Road.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422525,"EventID":"S6W-29043","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-12T15:51:53.633","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-11194 by Angus Robertson on 27 October 2022, whether its over-arching General Report of Scotland&rsquo;s Census 2022 will be laid ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-11194 by Angus Robertson on 27 October 2022, whether its over-arching General Report of Scotland&rsquo;s Census 2022 will be laid before Parliament in 2024, and, if so, when.","AnswerText":"I have asked Janet Egdell, Chief Executive of National Records of Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:NRS are currently publishing topic data from Scotland&rsquo;s Census 2022. Later in 2024, we will publish multivariate data. This means we will publish tables which include more than one census topic variable.An evaluation of Scotland&rsquo;s Census 2022, with a focus on lessons learned for any future census and other complex programmes, will be laid before the Scottish Parliament by the end of 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422526,"EventID":"S6W-29027","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-12T15:51:53.71","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings (a) the First Minister and (b) previous First Ministers had with the leader of Argyll and Bute Council in each year since 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings (a) the First Minister and (b) previous First Ministers had with the leader of Argyll and Bute Council in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"Since 2021, Scottish Ministers have regularly met with Council Leaders, including Argyll and Bute Council, to discuss a range of issues of mutual interest.The First Minister and previous First Minister have also committed to meeting with the COSLA Presidential team biannually to discuss key priorities and issues for local government. The First Minister and previous First Ministers have also delivered keynote speeches at the COSLA Annual Conference since 2021.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422527,"EventID":"S6W-29053","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-12T15:51:53.773","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it purchased any artwork in 2023-24, and, if so, whether it can provide details of this, including any associated costs.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it purchased any artwork in 2023-24, and, if so, whether it can provide details of this, including any associated costs.","AnswerText":"There were no artwork purchases in 2023-24.A detail of artwork spend in previous years is outlined below.Financial YearSpend on Photography/Wall Art18-19&pound;019-20&pound;252.0020-21&pound;49.9521-22&pound;600.7022-23&pound;471.7323-24&pound;0Total Spend&pound;1374.38","AnswerDate":"2024-08-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422528,"EventID":"S6W-29028","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-12T15:51:53.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings (a) the First Minister and (b) previous First Ministers had with the leader of Orkney Islands Council in each year since 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings (a) the First Minister and (b) previous First Ministers had with the leader of Orkney Islands Council in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"Since 2021, Scottish Ministers have regularly met with Council Leaders, including Orkney Islands Council, to discuss a range of issues of mutual interest.The First Minister and previous First Minister have also committed to meeting with the COSLA Presidential team biannually to discuss key priorities and issues for local government. The First Minister and previous First Ministers have also delivered keynote speeches at the COSLA Annual Conference since 2021.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422529,"EventID":"S6W-29051","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-12T15:51:53.9","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to establish an international office in Warsaw.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to establish an international office in Warsaw.","AnswerText":"Our plans to open an office in Warsaw will be considered as part of the wider review of government spending. It is necessary to ensure resources are used economically, efficiently and effectively, and high levels of scrutiny are applied to expenditure.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422530,"EventID":"S6W-29054","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-12T15:51:53.96","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-15885 by Angus Robertson on 24 March 2023, whether the National Records of Scotland remains committed to maintaining a website for","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-15885 by Angus Robertson on 24 March 2023, whether the National Records of Scotland remains committed to maintaining a website for the Scottish Register of Tartans, in light of its digital strategy, and, if so, whether it now has plans to modernise the user interface of the website.","AnswerText":"I have asked Janet Egdell, Chief Executive of NRS to respond. Her response is that the National Records of Scotland (NRS) are responsible for the Scottish Register of Tartans website. NRS remains committed to maintaining a website to support the Scottish Register of Tartans. There are no current plans to update the user interface of the Scottish Register of Tartans website.NRS are focused on the launch of the refreshed Scotland&rsquo;s People website during September 2024 and work will then follow to consider all website provision.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422531,"EventID":"S6W-29030","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-12T15:51:54.04","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings (a) the First Minister and (b) previous First Ministers had with the leader of Moray Council in each year since 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings (a) the First Minister and (b) previous First Ministers had with the leader of Moray Council in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"Since 2021, Scottish Ministers have regularly met with Council Leaders, including Moray Council, to discuss a range of issues of mutual interest.The First Minister and previous First Minister have also committed to meeting with the COSLA Presidential team biannually to discuss key priorities and issues for local government. The First Minister and previous First Ministers have also delivered keynote speeches at the COSLA Annual Conference since 2021.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":422532,"EventID":"S6W-29038","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-12T15:51:54.117","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many vacancies currently exist for NHS non-Executive Whistleblowing Champions, broken down by NHS board.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many vacancies currently exist for NHS non-Executive Whistleblowing Champions, broken down by NHS board.","AnswerText":"There are currently no vacancies.The list of current Whistleblowing Champions for each board can be accessed via this link:  Public appointments - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422533,"EventID":"S6W-29049","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-12T15:51:54.197","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Instrumental Music Services Survey 2023, which reports that the number of piano/keyboard instructors within local authorities is at its lowes","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Instrumental Music Services Survey 2023, which reports that the number of piano/keyboard instructors within local authorities is at its lowest level in a decade.","AnswerText":"The most recent Instrumental Music Survey published in December 2023 shows the number of pupils participating in free instrumental music tuition is at a record high since the survey began (61,175).Local Authorities are responsible for the delivery of free instrumental music tuition in their schools. They review the instruments offered, and therefore instructors required, on a regular basis to ensure this meets pupil demand in terms of what sort of instrument young people want to learn and the needs of schools.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422534,"EventID":"S6W-29050","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-12T15:51:54.257","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government in what ways can support music instructors in rural local authorities with travel costs.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government in what ways can support music instructors in rural local authorities with travel costs.","AnswerText":"Support with travel costs for music instructors in rural local authority areas is ultimately the responsibility of local authorities as their employer.Music instructors working in remote schools or who are employed in a school on a distant island, receive a remote school or distant islands allowance as stipulated by the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers Handbook (SNCT) in addition to the normal salary. These payments are made directly by the relevant local authority. There are, however, conditions to these allowances which are outlined in the SNCT handbook (Appendix 2.5).","AnswerDate":"2024-09-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422535,"EventID":"S6W-29041","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-12T15:51:54.32","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much Transport Scotland has spent on new road signage in the Highlands and Islands region in each year since 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much Transport Scotland has spent on new road signage in the Highlands and Islands region in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"The following table details annual spend on signage on the trunk road network during the period 2021 to 2024 within the Scottish Parliament Highland and Islands electoral region. These figures include spend on sign plates, sign poles and sign bases.Signage on Local Authority roads is a matter for the relevant Local Authority.YearSpend2021&pound;230,5442022&pound;200,3782023&pound;395,0392024 to date&pound;80,760","AnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422536,"EventID":"S6W-29029","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-12T15:51:54.383","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings (a) the First Minister and (b) previous First Ministers had with the leader of Shetland Islands Council in each year since 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings (a) the First Minister and (b) previous First Ministers had with the leader of Shetland Islands Council in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"Since 2021, Scottish Ministers have regularly met with Council Leaders, including Shetland Islands Council, to discuss a range of issues of mutual interest.The First Minister and previous First Minister have also committed to meeting with the COSLA Presidential team biannually to discuss key priorities and issues for local government. The First Minister and previous First Ministers have also delivered keynote speeches at the COSLA Annual Conference since 2021.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422537,"EventID":"S6W-29044","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-12T15:51:54.447","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12124 by Jenny Gilruth on 22 November 2022, whether it has made any further progress on reintroducing a passenger ferry service to Europe.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains fully committed to improving Scotland’s transport and trade links to the Continent, which carries even more importance after the UK Government’s damaging exit from the EU.\r\nI have personally engaged with parties interested in introducing new ferry services, and Transport Scotland officials continue to communicate regularly with potential operators and Scotland’s main ports.\r\nI also met with Lord Davies of Gower, then Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, in London on 5 February regarding this issue. I subsequently received written confirmation from Lord Davies that the UK Government was not willing to financially support a new service from Rosyth, highlighting the risk of potential litigation should other operators consider such support to be subsidy.\r\nDue to UK Subsidy Control restrictions, any service is required to operate on a commercial basis. I hope that prospective commercial operators are able to commit to operating a successful and profitable service, however this is ultimately a decision for those operators.\r\nWe will continue to engage with port operators and others to explore opportunities for new commercial services, so that Scottish exporters have more direct routes to markets on the Continent.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422538,"EventID":"S6W-29026","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-12T15:51:54.507","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings (a) the First Minister and (b) previous First Ministers had with the leader of Highland Council in each year since 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings (a) the First Minister and (b) previous First Ministers had with the leader of Highland Council in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"Since 2021, Scottish Ministers have regularly met with Council Leaders, including Highland Council, to discuss a range of issues of mutual interest.The First Minister and previous First Minister have also committed to meeting with the COSLA Presidential team biannually to discuss key priorities and issues for local government. The First Minister and previous First Ministers have also delivered keynote speeches at the COSLA Annual Conference since 2021.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422539,"EventID":"S6W-29037","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-12T15:51:54.57","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will invite all (a) constituency and (b) regional MSPs to attend the next Convention of the Highlands and Islands.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will invite all (a) constituency and (b) regional MSPs to attend the next Convention of the Highlands and Islands.","AnswerText":"The Convention of the Highlands and Islands is a public meeting and anyone is welcome to attend. However, only Members and invited speakers are able to contribute to discussions on the day.While the Scottish Government is the Secretariat for the Convention, it is for the collective membership to decide where non-members should be invited to contribute to the discussion of a meeting of the Convention.Constituency and regional MSPs for the host area will be made aware of Convention meetings in advance and in accordance with the Ministerial Code (2023).","AnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422540,"EventID":"S6W-29072","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-13T15:51:42.003","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:48:43.71","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that it has reduced funding available through the Investing in Communities Fund, when it made this decision, and at what point stakeholders were inf","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that it has reduced funding available through the Investing in Communities Fund, when it made this decision, and at what point stakeholders were informed.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Budget set out the considerable financial challenges faced for 2024-25. The Scottish Government is committed to delivering vital public services and supporting households, but also has an obligation to balance the budget each year. This requires some difficult decisions and robust spending control.Ministers made the difficult decision to reduce the ICF budget by 5% on 8 July 2024 and stakeholders were informed on 10 July 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422541,"EventID":"S6W-29069","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-13T15:51:42.113","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any civil servants are still working on additional publications as part of the Building a New Scotland series, in light of a new First Minister being sworn in on","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any civil servants are still working on additional publications as part of the Building a New Scotland series, in light of a new First Minister being sworn in on 8 May 2024, and, if so, whether it can provide details of any ongoing work and associated costs.","AnswerText":"Yes. The First Minister will set out his priorities in the new Parliamentary term and these plans will be announced in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422542,"EventID":"S6W-29068","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-13T15:51:42.193","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide a breakdown of the number of CalMac scheduled sailings that were defined as (a) on time, (b) Level 1 Lateness and (c) Level 2 Lateness in each mon","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide a breakdown of the number of CalMac scheduled sailings that were defined as (a) on time, (b) Level 1 Lateness and (c) Level 2 Lateness in each month since March 2023, including any penalties incurred.","AnswerText":"The breakdown of CalMac scheduled sailings defined as (a) on time, (b) Level 1 Lateness and (c) Level 2 Lateness in each month since March 2023, including performance deductions incurred, are available in a table placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre, Bib Number 62561.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422543,"EventID":"S6W-29065","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-13T15:51:42.27","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the topic of Scottish independence was discussed in the meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and the Ambassador o","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the topic of Scottish independence was discussed in the meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and the Ambassador of Denmark to the UK on 25 January 2024.","AnswerText":"The topic of Scottish independence was not discussed.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422544,"EventID":"S6W-29055","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-13T15:51:42.333","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the topic of Scottish independence was discussed in the meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and the Ambassador o","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the topic of Scottish independence was discussed in the meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and the Ambassador of Bulgaria on 19 February 2024.","AnswerText":"The topic of Scottish independence was not discussed.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422545,"EventID":"S6W-29056","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-13T15:51:42.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the topic of Scottish independence was discussed in the meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and the Ambassador o","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the topic of Scottish independence was discussed in the meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and the Ambassador of Thailand on 29 February 2024.","AnswerText":"The topic of Scottish independence was not discussed.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422546,"EventID":"S6W-29071","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-13T15:51:42.537","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:48:43.71","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Investing in Communities Fund.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Investing in Communities Fund.","AnswerText":"The Investing in Communities Fund (ICF) is a multiyear communities fund that targets our most disadvantaged communities to deliver projects, services and activities that address poverty and disadvantage on their own terms. The second round of the fund invited applications addressing four areas of action:tackling poverty and inequality, including child poverty#x200fdeveloping and sustaining place based approaches#x200fcommunity-led regeneration#x200fensuring a just transition to net zero#x200fOne hundred and five community projects are currently in receipt of ICF round 2 support (2023-2026), receiving a total of &pound;27 million funding.Link to the projects being supported https://www.gov.scot/publications/investing-in-communities-fund-round-2-approved-awards-2023-2026&nbsp;","AnswerDate":"2024-08-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422547,"EventID":"S6W-29063","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-13T15:51:42.617","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the topic of Scottish independence was discussed in the meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and the Minister-Pre","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the topic of Scottish independence was discussed in the meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and the Minister-President of Flanders on 25 January 2024.","AnswerText":"The topic of Scottish independence was not discussed.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422548,"EventID":"S6W-29064","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-13T15:51:42.71","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the topic of Scottish independence was discussed in the meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and the Ambassador o","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the topic of Scottish independence was discussed in the meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and the Ambassador of Norway to the EU on 25 January 2024.","AnswerText":"The topic of Scottish independence was not discussed.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422549,"EventID":"S6W-29067","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-13T15:51:42.77","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether Transport Scotland will consider including a target for reliability of services in the next Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service contract.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether Transport Scotland will consider including a target for reliability of services in the next Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service contract.","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland will consider suitable reliability targets in the next contract. As part of monitoring performance we will ensure these reflect the lived customer experiences. Using enhanced Performance Indicators, reliability statistics will be reported through the Enhancement and Change Plan, which has been developed in collaboration with CalMac and was published on 25 July 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422550,"EventID":"S6W-29070","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-13T15:51:42.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to reopen its Scottish Connections Fund in 2024-25.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to reopen its Scottish Connections Fund in 2024-25.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government launched a call for applications for the second round of funding in July 2024.The call for applications is open until 4 September 2024 and we welcome bids from any individual or organisation with a Scottish connection, whether that link is through heritage, education, business, culture, or a broader affinity.Grants from &pound;2,000 to &pound;5,000 will be awarded to support innovative projects that bring together Scotland&rsquo;s diaspora and promote Scottish connections worldwide.The Scottish Government has allocated up to &pound;50,000 to the second round of the fund, however what is finally allocated will be subject to final Ministerial decision.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422551,"EventID":"S6W-29062","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-13T15:51:42.913","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the topic of Scottish independence was discussed in the meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and MEPs from the Eu","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the topic of Scottish independence was discussed in the meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and MEPs from the European Parliament&rsquo;s Culture and Education (CULT) Committee on 24 January 2024.","AnswerText":"The topic of Scottish independence was not discussed.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422552,"EventID":"S6W-29074","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-13T15:51:42.973","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:51:00.513","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) NHS Lanarkshire and (b) North Lanarkshire Council regarding the reported detection of hepatitis A in the region.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) NHS Lanarkshire and (b) North Lanarkshire Council regarding the reported detection of hepatitis A in the region.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is aware of the recent reported detection of Hepatitis A in North Lanarkshire.This is being managed locally by the NHS Lanarkshire health protection team with support from Public Health Scotland and other partners. Although the Scottish Government has had no direct discussions with NHS Lanarkshire or North Lanarkshire, we are in regular contact with Public Health Scotland and will take appropriate action should the situation escalate.A series of public health measures has already been implemented, including provision of vaccination and information to identified contacts who may be at risk.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422553,"EventID":"S6W-29058","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-13T15:51:43.037","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the topic of Scottish independence was discussed in the meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and the Irish Ambass","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the topic of Scottish independence was discussed in the meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and the Irish Ambassador to the EU on 23 January 2024.","AnswerText":"The topic of Scottish independence was not discussed.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422554,"EventID":"S6W-29066","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-13T15:51:43.117","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the topic of Scottish independence was discussed in the meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and the Ambassador o","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the topic of Scottish independence was discussed in the meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and the Ambassador of Austria to the EU on 25 January 2024.","AnswerText":"The topic of Scottish independence was not discussed.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422555,"EventID":"S6W-29075","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-13T15:51:43.177","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:51:00.513","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in light of the reported detection of hepatitis A in North Lanarkshire.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in light of the reported detection of hepatitis A in North Lanarkshire.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29074 on 3 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422556,"EventID":"S6W-29135","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":5608,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":103,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-14T09:40:20.093","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-14T09:27:52.12","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made with the development and delivery of Scotland’s National Marine Plan 2.","AnswerText":"The National Marine Plan 2 (NMP2) aims to support sustainable development of our seas, protect our marine environment, and deliver for Scotland’s communities, in particular those living by, relying on, and visiting Scotland’s seas. The NMP2 will support our blue economy vision, helping to tackle the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change and realising the opportunities from the transition to net zero.\r\nThe NMP2 is already in development and stakeholder engagement has commenced on the plan policies, objectives and supporting assessments. Stakeholder involvement at every stage is essential to ensure that Scotland’s marine planning framework can continue to support sound decision-making to guide the future use of our seas. To maximise opportunities to meaningfully engage with stakeholders in the design of the Plan, the delivery timeline for the NMP2 and the accompanying Statement of Public Participation (SPP) have been updated.\r\nLater in 2024, consultation on a marine Planning Position Statement will take place. This is a new stage of the NMP2’s development and will provide an invaluable and earlier opportunity for meaningful discourse. The Statement will set out the views gathered from stakeholders to date, and the Scottish Government’s commitments and aspirations for the new Plan. This will align the development of NMP2 with the approach taken for the National Planning Framework (NPF4), where consultation on the NPF4 position statement was carried out in 2021 and used to inform the development of the draft NPF4.\r\nThe feedback gathered from consultation on the statement and from the ongoing programme of stakeholder engagement will be used to produce a draft plan. The draft NMP2 will then be subject to public consultation in 2025.\r\nThese documents and further information are available at: Statutory Statement of Public Participation ","AnswerDate":"2024-08-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422557,"EventID":"S6W-29096","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-14T15:58:49.483","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-12T11:42:04.43","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review the law in relation to the protection and management of seagulls.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review the law in relation to the protection and management of seagulls.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has no plans to review the law in relation to the protection and management of gulls.NatureScot has responsibility for the issuing of licences under Section 16(1) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which permits the killing and taking of wild birds, including gulls, for specified reasons. These reasons include the preservation public health and safety, the prevention of bird strikes on aircraft at airports, and the prevention of serious damage to farmer's crops and livestock.The Scottish Government has asked NatureScot to undertake a review of its species licensing functions. Further details about this review can be found on NatureScot&rsquo;s website: Species Licensing Review - Terms of Reference | NatureScot","AnswerDate":"2024-08-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422558,"EventID":"S6W-29085","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-14T15:58:49.61","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-11T22:23:29.7","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any impact in Scotland, what discussions it has had with the new UK administration regarding the status of gambling levy legislation.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any impact in Scotland, what discussions it has had with the new UK administration regarding the status of gambling levy legislation.","AnswerText":"Engagement on the development of the gambling levy has continued at official level with UK Government and Welsh officials since the UK General Election on 4 July 2024.The formal consultation process has concluded; we are currently awaiting publication of the consultation response to facilitate further discussions on the structure of the levy. The next steps will include how a levy could be implemented across GB and we will continue to work with UK Government and Welsh Government on this issue.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422559,"EventID":"S6W-29087","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-14T15:58:49.687","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-11T22:23:29.7","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any impact in Scotland, whether it has had any discussions with the UK Government about including video game loot boxes in gambling legislation and regulation","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any impact in Scotland, whether it has had any discussions with the UK Government about including video game loot boxes in gambling legislation and regulation.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government regularly engages with the UK Government at both official and Ministerial level in relation to the development of gambling policy across Great Britain.The Digital Strategy 2021 &ldquo;A changing nation: how Scotland will thrive in a digital world&rdquo;, set out actions for how Scotland can develop as an ethical digital nation. which commits the Scottish Government to developing and embedding an agreed ethical framework and principles into the way we design and build digital public.We recognise that the law has struggled to keep up with the pace of change on the internet and acceleration of digital technologies and by setting the example in the public sector through ethical and transparent digital services we would seek to lead the way in fair and ethical practice.In July 2023 the games industry trade body UK Interactive Entertainment (Ukie) developed and published UK games industry guidance on loot boxes in response to a UK Government call for evidence.The Scottish Government will continue to work with the UK Government and Wales on this issue.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422560,"EventID":"S6W-29089","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-14T15:58:49.767","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-11T22:23:29.7","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many inspections of premises in Scotland with gambling licences have been carried out in each year since 2010.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many inspections of premises in Scotland with gambling licences have been carried out in each year since 2010.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29084 on 26 August 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at&nbsp;https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422561,"EventID":"S6W-29060","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-14T15:58:49.97","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the topic of Scottish independence was discussed in the meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and David McAllister","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the topic of Scottish independence was discussed in the meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and David McAllister MEP on 24 January 2024.","AnswerText":"I confirmed with David McAllister the current position on holding another independence referendum following the supreme court ruling on the subject.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422562,"EventID":"S6W-29082","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-14T15:58:50.03","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T17:01:30.947","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide a list of all publicly owned bodies that have a trade union representative as a board member.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide a list of all publicly owned bodies that have a trade union representative as a board member.","AnswerText":"For the purposes of this response we are interpreting &ldquo;publicly owned bodies&rdquo; to mean devolved public bodies. The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422563,"EventID":"S6W-29073","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-14T15:58:50.093","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:49:43.97","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action NatureScot is taking in response to reports of a decline in breeding seabirds last season.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action NatureScot is taking in response to reports of a decline in breeding seabirds last season.","AnswerText":"The results from the most recent seabird census show that many of Scotland&rsquo;s internationally important seabird populations are suffering from a range of pressures, including climate change, and more recently highly pathogenic avian influenza.We take these declines extremely seriously, which is why the Scottish Government, supported by NatureScot, is developing a Scottish Seabird Conservation Strategy in partnership with stakeholders, which will drive forward and prioritise action aimed at improving the conservation status of Scotland&rsquo;s seabirds and increase their resilience to climate change. Work on the strategy is moving at pace with public consultation planned for later this year.Alongside the strategy, NatureScot is working with partners to investigate the underlying causes of these declines. These include continuing to undertake monitoring and research so that we can better understand the trends in seabird populations, the threats they face and how these can best be managed; work on biosecurity and invasive non-native species to address the risks posed by predators to breeding seabirds; and continuing to contribute to the response to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza through sampling and surveillance of wild birds.NatureScot also continues to support Scottish Government in taking forward action to meet its commitment to achieve and maintain Good Environmental Status for seabirds. This includes delivering action to minimise, and where possible eliminate, bycatch of sensitive marine species, including seabirds, to ensure the sustainability of our fisheries, as well as supporting ongoing work to ensure the coherence of our marine protected areas network.Much of this work is supported by funding streams, including the Scottish Marine Environmental Enhancement Fund and Scottish Government's Nature Restoration Fund which is managed by NatureScot.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422564,"EventID":"S6W-29101","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-14T15:58:50.157","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-12T11:49:13.77","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many mid-market rent properties are currently in the development pipeline, broken down by (a) local authority area and (b) stage of development, for example, on-site","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many mid-market rent properties are currently in the development pipeline, broken down by (a) local authority area and (b) stage of development, for example, on-site, in planning, etc.","AnswerText":"Local authorities as strategic housing and planning authorities are responsible for assessing affordable housing needs in their area and setting out their investment priorities in their Strategic Housing Investment Plans (SHIPs). These plans set out planned proposals for affordable housing supply over a five year period, including homes for mid-market rent, and should be available on each local authority&rsquo;s website.The Scottish Government only holds development information relating to projects on site and does not hold information relating to projects in planning beyond projects outlined in SHIPs. It is worth noting that not all mid-market rent projects in planning would necessarily be delivered through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP).The following table provides a breakdown by local authority area of mid-market rent homes receiving funding through the AHSP which are currently on site. The figures include Registered Social Landlord mid-market rent and Council mid-market rent homes, and other mid-market rent homes through programmes such as Places for People Capital MMR Initiative and Rural and Island Housing Funds.Local Authority AreaNumber of HomesAberdeenshire89Angus28City of Edinburgh592Dundee City28East Lothian118Fife29Glasgow City874Orkney Islands16Scottish Borders1Shetland Islands6Stirling49The Highland Council197West Lothian62Total Homes2,089","AnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422565,"EventID":"S6W-29088","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-14T15:58:50.203","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-11T22:23:29.7","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many premises in Scotland currently have gambling licences.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many premises in Scotland currently have gambling licences.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29084 on 26 August 2024.The Gambling Commission maintains a&nbsp;national register of premises licences for gambling. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422566,"EventID":"S6W-29084","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-14T15:58:50.267","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-11T22:23:29.683","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many premises with gambling licences have breached regulations in each year since 2010.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many premises with gambling licences have breached regulations in each year since 2010.","AnswerText":"Betting, gaming and lotteries are generally reserved matters and their regulation is primarily the responsibility of the UK Government. The UK Government regulates gambling through the operation of the Gambling Commission which has responsibility for regulating commercial gambling. The Gambling Commission works in partnership with local licensing authorities to regulate gambling in Scotland. As such, this is a matter for the Gambling Commission and local licensing authorities (i.e. the 32 Scottish local authorities) and the information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422567,"EventID":"S6W-29086","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-14T15:58:50.343","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-11T22:23:29.7","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to introduce gambling clinics to help people with gambling problems.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to introduce gambling clinics to help people with gambling problems.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is working with Public Health Scotland as co-leads of the Gambling Related Harms Working group to explore how people experiencing gambling-related harms are able to access the right support, and treatment, across health and social care services.Treatment Clinics are one avenue of treatment which this work will consider, but we also understand the need for a trauma informed, person-centred approach with more localised options.The working group is expected to report on the first stage of this work by Spring 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422568,"EventID":"S6W-29025","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-14T15:58:50.393","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the number of people who have supplied blood pressure readings through the Connect Me tool in each year since 2021, also broken do","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the number of people who have supplied blood pressure readings through the Connect Me tool in each year since 2021, also broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information unfortunately. A key transition for Connect Me from the previous IT platform (FLORENCE) to the new platform (Inhealthcare) during 2021-22 means it&rsquo;s not possible for an accurate picture across Scotland to be made available. FLORENCE in particular allowed for minimal data of this nature to be collected at the time.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422569,"EventID":"S6W-29090","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-14T15:58:50.453","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-11T22:23:29.7","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many instances of test purchases, to prevent access by under-18s, have been carried out in premises in Scotland with gambling licences in each year since 2010.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many instances of test purchases, to prevent access by under-18s, have been carried out in premises in Scotland with gambling licences in each year since 2010.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29084 on 26 August 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at  https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422570,"EventID":"S6W-29100","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-14T15:58:50.5","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-12T11:49:02.673","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many mid-market rent properties have been built with Scottish Government funding in each local authority area in each of the last five years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many mid-market rent properties have been built with Scottish Government funding in each local authority area in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government publishes figures relating to the supply of affordable homes across Scotland, on a quarterly basis, which can be found online at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/housing-statistics-for-scotland-new-house-building/.The following table provides a breakdown of mid-market rent homes delivered with Scottish Government funding in each local authority area between April 2019 and end March 2024. The figures include Registered Social Landlord mid-market rent and Council mid-market rent homes. The figures also include other mid-market rent homes delivered through programmes such as National Housing Trust, Local Affordable Rent Housing Trust, Places for People Capital MMR Initiative and Rural and Island Housing Funds.Local Authority Area2019-20202020-20212021-20222022-20232023-2024Total HomesAberdeen City28108971526274Aberdeenshire13&nbsp;25&nbsp;87125Angus&nbsp;&nbsp;6&nbsp;814Argyll and Bute&nbsp;&nbsp;462232City of Edinburgh3243365699322312,392Clackmannanshire&nbsp;&nbsp;21&nbsp;&nbsp;21Dundee City15&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;86101Dumfries and Galloway&nbsp;547&nbsp;16East Dunbartonshire21&nbsp;&nbsp;12&nbsp;33East Lothian872910870204Falkirk&nbsp;13&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;13Fife564333838223Glasgow City271813151896031,459Midlothian236015&nbsp;14112Moray&nbsp;&nbsp;816&nbsp;24na Eilean Siar2&nbsp;1&nbsp;&nbsp;3North Lanarkshire&nbsp;10&nbsp;182452Orkney Islands1&nbsp;311015Perth and Kinross128514912132Renfrewshire3432&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;66Scottish Borders9&nbsp;111526South Ayrshire&nbsp;34&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;34South Lanarkshire&nbsp;1&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1Stirling&nbsp;118&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;118The Highland Council7136119111102439West Lothian&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;7448122Total Homes9679141,2821,5321,3566,051","AnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422571,"EventID":"S6W-29059","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-14T15:58:50.547","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the topic of Scottish independence was discussed in the meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and Nathalie Loiseau","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the topic of Scottish independence was discussed in the meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and Nathalie Loiseau MEP on 23 January 2024.","AnswerText":"The topic of Scottish independence was not discussed.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422572,"EventID":"S6W-29102","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-14T15:58:50.643","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-12T11:49:24.887","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered (a) temporarily and (b) permanently redesignating mid-market rent properties as properties for social rent, in light of the declared housing em","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered (a) temporarily and (b) permanently redesignating mid-market rent properties as properties for social rent, in light of the declared housing emergency and reports that more than 240,000 people were on social housing waiting lists in 2023.","AnswerText":"While we have no such plans given the important role that homes for mid-market rent play in the wider housing system, we will continue to work across the Scottish Government and with local and UK Government to respond to the housing emergency and to deliver on our target of 110,000 affordable homes by 2032 &ndash; of which at least 70% will be for social rent.As set out in Programme for Government 2024-25 we are making a new long-term commitment of &pound;100 million, to grow with institutional investment to at least &pound;500 million, supporting the construction of around 2,800 mid-market rent homes by making public funds go further.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422573,"EventID":"S6W-29091","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-14T15:58:50.69","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-12T07:09:05.753","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28648 by Siobhian Brown on 2 August 2024, for what reason the total number of exemption certificates issued for XL Bully dogs prov","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28648 by Siobhian Brown on 2 August 2024, for what reason the total number of exemption certificates issued for XL Bully dogs provided in its answer is lower than the figure of 3,342 exemptions reported in The&nbsp;Scottish Sun on 3 August 2024.","AnswerText":"The answer to S6W-28648 stated that 3,308 certificates of exemption for XL Bully dogs have been issued to dog owners by the Scottish Government during the period 1 April 2024 to 31 July 2024. This reflected the number of exemptions issued when the PQ answer was developed and there can be a short time lag between an answer being drafted by the Scottish Government and the PQ being answered.The figure that was provided by the Scottish Government to the Scottish Sun newspaper was that, as of Thursday 1 August, there have been 3,342 applications for exemption certificates for XL Bully dogs approved.The difference in figure is explained by the time-lag noted above meaning that 34 additional manually produced exemption certificates issued by the Scottish Government after 31 July 2024 were included in the figure given to the Scottish Sun, but not in the PQ answer.It may be helpful to be aware that the Scottish Government is continuing to work through a small number of cases where XL Bully dog owners have met the legal requirement to apply before 31 July 2024, but still require to provide additional information in order for their exemption application to be processed and granted.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422574,"EventID":"S6W-29080","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-14T15:58:50.737","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:59:18.377","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government since 4 July 2024 regarding the implementation of a ban on single-use vapes.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government since 4 July 2024 regarding the implementation of a ban on single-use vapes.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government officials have attended two Four Nations meetings regarding the ban on single-use vapes within this time period, during which implementation was discussed - on 14 August and 24 July. We have corresponded with the UK Government regarding the implementation of a ban on 9 August, 26 July, 18 July, 16 July, 15 July and 11 July. These discussions have focused on our respective legislative timelines, and on preparing guidance for Business.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422575,"EventID":"S6W-29081","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-14T15:58:50.783","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T17:00:49.153","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that Scottish Rail Holdings Limited aligns with the provisions of the UK Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that Scottish Rail Holdings Limited aligns with the provisions of the UK Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill.","AnswerText":"As the Bill is currently passing through the UK Parliament, we do not yet know what its final provisions will be.However the Scottish Government welcomes the objectives of the Bill as introduced, which we believe align with the policy of Scottish Ministers that a fully publicly owned and integrated railway will deliver the best service for Scotland. Scottish Rail Holdings Ltd. is required to follow this policy.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422576,"EventID":"S6W-29057","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-14T15:58:50.843","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the topic of Scottish independence was discussed in the meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and Simon Coveney TD","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the topic of Scottish independence was discussed in the meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and Simon Coveney TD on 17 January 2024.","AnswerText":"The topic of Scottish independence was not discussed.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422577,"EventID":"S6W-29099","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-14T15:58:50.907","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-12T11:42:04.443","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what requirements exist to ensure that public sector buildings are equipped to support mothers who breastfeed at work.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what requirements exist to ensure that public sector buildings are equipped to support mothers who breastfeed at work.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29098 on 3 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422578,"EventID":"S6W-29079","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-14T15:58:50.953","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:59:18.377","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to mandate the installation of solar panels on all new build properties.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to mandate the installation of solar panels on all new build properties.","AnswerText":"There are no plans to mandate the installation of solar panels on all new buildings in Scotland.Standard 6.1 (energy demand) of Scottish building regulations set challenging overall energy targets for new homes. This has, in recent years, contributed to an increased presence of solar panels on new buildings and new homes in particular. These regulations do not, however, require the installation of such technologies.Energy targets are set through application of a &lsquo;notional building&rsquo; specification for domestic and non-domestic properties. Where the heating system proposed has an efficiency of no greater than 100%, this specification includes an element of onsite generation in the form of photovoltaic panels, which contributes to improved energy targets.Following revision of standards on 1 February 2023, building regulations encourage the proportionate and effective use of on-site generation of power as part of a new building specification, recognising only that portion of generation which can be used or stored at the building, excluding any energy exported to the grid.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422579,"EventID":"S6W-29077","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-14T15:58:51.017","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:53:08.873","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its policy is in relation to deep sea mining in Scotland's marine territory.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its policy is in relation to deep sea mining in Scotland's marine territory.","AnswerText":"At present, there are no license requests for seabed mining in Scotland&rsquo;s inshore or offshore waters.Deep sea mining refers to the exploration for - or extraction of - minerals from the seabed at depths greater than 200 metres. Most of Scotland&rsquo;s waters of this depth or greater fall within existing MPAs. Existing Conservation and Management Advice for the West of Scotland Marine Protected Area from Joint Nature Conservation Committee: West of Scotland MPA | JNCC - Adviser to Government on Nature Conservation, which covers the majority or our deep waters and seamounts, advises against seabed mining in such waters.Any licensing request relating to seabed mining within Scotland&rsquo;s seas would be subject to the licensing requirements set out in the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 for inshore waters (between 0 and 12 nautical miles), and the UK Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 for offshore waters (between 12 and 200nm), as well as statutory environmental assessment requirements and the policies set out in Scotland&rsquo;s National Marine Plan, which covers both inshore and offshore waters. Consideration of any licence application would be based on best available evidence.Scotland&rsquo;s National Marine Plan 2015 sets policies for the sustainable development of our seas and marine resources. Aggregates Policy 2 states that decision makers should ensure all the necessary environmental issues are considered and safeguards are in place when determining whether any proposed marine aggregate dredging is considered to be environmentally acceptable. Any licensing request relating to seabed mining in Scotland&rsquo;s seas would be subject to this policy.The National Marine Plan 2 (NMP2), which is currently being developed, will support sustainable development of our seas, protect our marine environment, and deliver for our coastal communities. NMP2 is considering our marine economy, local communities, and the environment together by adopting a Blue Economy: A Blue Economy Vision for Scotland - gov.scot (www.gov.scot). This will help get the right planning framework in place to balance the need for protection and enhancement of the marine environment, and sustainable development of existing and emerging sectors.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422580,"EventID":"S6W-29061","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-14T15:58:51.063","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:47:53.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the topic of Scottish independence was discussed in the meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and Terry Reintke ME","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the topic of Scottish independence was discussed in the meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and Terry Reintke MEP on 24 January 2024.","AnswerText":"The topic of Scottish independence was not discussed.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422581,"EventID":"S6W-29104","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-14T15:58:51.11","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-12T12:00:17.45","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has allocated to Home Energy Scotland's Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan scheme since its inception.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has allocated to Home Energy Scotland's Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan scheme since its inception.","AnswerText":"For financial years 2020-21 to 2023-24, I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-17940 on 30 May 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.For 2024-25, the allocated budget for Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan Scheme is:YearAllocated Budget2024-25&pound;500,000","AnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422582,"EventID":"S6W-29092","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-14T15:58:51.157","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-12T07:09:05.753","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any financial support that it is providing to tackle coastal erosion in Montrose.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any financial support that it is providing to tackle coastal erosion in Montrose.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the serious erosion issues to the sand dunes in Montrose and the impact this could have on flood risk for residents.Through our Dynamic Coast project, we have worked closely with local authorities to help them plan for coastal adaptation and in our Programme for Government 2020 we announced a new &pound;11.7 million capital budget over four years for coastal change adaptation, starting in 2022-23.In 2024-25, funding of &pound;2.7m will be distributed to local authorities in two ways. &pound;1.65m in direct allocation to coastal local authorities and &pound;1.05m will be made available for local authorities to bit for to undertake case studies. Angus Council, where Montrose sits in, will receive &pound;56,375 for coastal change adaptation in 2024-25.In addition, Angus Council submitted a proposal to fund a case study and an additional &pound;440k will be distributed for this, which is the largest allocation for any local authority to undertake a case study.Local authorities can choose to additionally fund coastal protection work from their general capital grant allocation.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422583,"EventID":"S6W-29103","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-14T15:58:51.203","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-12T11:59:27.037","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many landlords have been granted funding through Home Energy Scotland's Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan scheme in each year of its operation.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many landlords have been granted funding through Home Energy Scotland's Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan scheme in each year of its operation.","AnswerText":"The Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan Scheme was launched in April 2020 to support landlords with the cost of installation of energy efficiency improvements, renewable systems and energy storage systems. It is a demand-led scheme open to landlords who choose to apply.The following table outlines the number of landlords who received a loan offer in each financial year since the launch of the scheme:YEARNo. of Landlords2020-211102021-22912022-23752023-24462024-25(1 Apr-15 August)14TOTAL336","AnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422584,"EventID":"S6W-29098","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-14T15:58:51.267","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-12T11:42:04.443","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is in place for mothers who wish to breastfeed at work.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is in place for mothers who wish to breastfeed at work.","AnswerText":"Regulations, such as The Equality Act 2010, make it unlawful to discriminate against a breastfeeding mother in the workplace.The Scottish Government encourages employers to adopt a breastfeeding and return to work policy such as the NHS Workforce Breastfeeding Policy. Our Fair Work First Guidance, provides good practice examples to guide employers and, importantly, explains the benefits of fair work for workers. Good practice examples for supporting women at work include providing safe spaces for breastfeeding mothers to express milk at work.Parent Club, our national on-line parenting platform, provides practical advice and information on rights for breastfeeding mothers on returning to work.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422585,"EventID":"S6W-29097","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-14T15:58:51.313","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-12T11:42:04.443","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed how effective current legislation is regarding the management of seagulls in relation to any public health and safety concerns.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed how effective current legislation is regarding the management of seagulls in relation to any public health and safety concerns.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not formally assessed how effective current legislation is regarding the management of gulls in relation to any public health and safety concerns.In previous years, NatureScot have seen a large number of applications submitted for gull management for public nuisance issues which is not a licensable purpose under Section 16(1) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. In response, NatureScot provided guidance this year on the differences between gull behaviours which result in impacts on public health and safety and that which is considered to be nuisance behaviour. They also provided further advice in relation to alternatives to licenced control. A copy of the guidance is available on NatureScot&rsquo;s website: Species Licensing Review - Terms of Reference | NatureScot","AnswerDate":"2024-08-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422586,"EventID":"S6W-29083","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-14T15:58:51.36","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-10T16:24:04.26","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it is reportedly (a) aiding five new transatlantic airline routes at Edinburgh Airport and (b) not aiding any new routes at Glasgow Airport.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it is reportedly (a) aiding five new transatlantic airline routes at Edinburgh Airport and (b) not aiding any new routes at Glasgow Airport.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has always recognised the importance of Scotland&rsquo;s international connectivity and we are committed to working with all Scotland&rsquo;s airports to help grow international connectivity, a commitment recently reaffirmed in our Aviation Statement published in July. The statement also makes clear that the decision on where an airline flies to in Scotland rests entirely with the airline and we do not seek to influence that process. Of the four routes currently being supported, three started at Edinburgh while one operated both to Glasgow and Edinburgh before switching all capacity to Edinburgh. This was a decision by the airline and we are not sighted on what Glasgow Airport did to retain the route, or what Edinburgh Airport did to encourage consolidation.The Scottish Government take a national approach to route development and our route development work with airlines is carried out strictly on an &ldquo;airport-neutral&rdquo; basis, leaving airlines to decide which Scottish airport to use. The role of the Scottish Government is a complementary one with each airport competing on their own merits for new routes and capacity.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422587,"EventID":"S6W-29078","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-14T15:58:51.423","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-09T16:53:08.873","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the viability of deep sea mining within Scotland's marine environment.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the viability of deep sea mining within Scotland's marine environment.","AnswerText":"The new National Marine Plan 2 (NMP2) will set out an updated planning framework to support sustainable management of our seas and is being developed with representatives from marine sectors and local communities. NMP2 will consider the requirement for any specific planning policies regarding seabed mining activities in Scotland&rsquo;s seas and the need for any associated implementation guidance. The UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Scotland) (Continuity) Act 2021 ('the Continuity Act') established the five guiding principles on the environment in law; this includes the precautionary principle. These will be considered as part of the development of NMP2 planning policies. All policies in the draft NMP2 will be subject to statutory assessments to determine the potential impacts on marine sectors, communities and the marine environment and identify any mitigation measures required.Deep sea mining refers to the exploration for - or extraction of - minerals from the seabed at depths greater than 200 metres. Most of Scotland&rsquo;s waters of this depth or greater fall within existing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Existing Conservation and Management Advice for the West of Scotland MPA from the Joint Nature Conservation Committee: West of Scotland MPA | JNCC - Adviser to Government on Nature Conservation (JNCC), which covers the majority or our deep waters and seamounts, advises against seabed mining in such waters. The Scottish Government is working closely with the JNCC on the West of Scotland MPA, this includes projects such as the Managing Impacts of Deep Sea Resource Exploitation or MIDAS Project: Library | MIDAS (eu-midas.net) Any licence applications would be considered on the best available evidence.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422610,"EventID":"S6W-29131","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-15T15:52:55.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-13T16:24:31.79","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish the conclusions of its review of the Affordable Housing Supply Programme.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish the conclusions of its review of the Affordable Housing Supply Programme.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government officials are progressing the Affordable Housing Supply Programme review with a focus on deliverability. Ministers will consider the outputs, and update Parliament, once the review is complete.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422611,"EventID":"S6W-29095","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-15T15:52:56.06","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-12T10:20:13","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether a local authority can undertake the actions specified in section 13 of the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act 2024 where the guidance referred t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether a local authority can undertake the actions specified in section 13 of the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act 2024 where the guidance referred to in section 23 of the act has not been published.","AnswerText":"There is no requirement under the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act 2024 for guidance made under section 23 of the Act to be published before a local authority consults on potential visitor levy scheme.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422612,"EventID":"S6W-29119","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-15T15:52:56.42","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-13T10:06:16.7","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been allocated to the Scottish Flood Forum in each of the past five years, as set out in the Scottish Government&rsquo;s Flood Resilience Strategy c","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been allocated to the Scottish Flood Forum in each of the past five years, as set out in the Scottish Government&rsquo;s Flood Resilience Strategy consultation document.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has awarded the following amounts to the Scottish Flood Forum in the most recent five financial years.An additional &pound;10,000 of discretionary funding was awarded to the Scottish Flood Forum in 2023-24 in light of the exceptional nature of the winter storm season and the vital support SFF provides to flood affected communities.Financial yearTotal grant amount awarded2020-2021&pound;193,0002021-2022&pound;195,0002022-2023&pound;220,0002023-2024&pound;230,0002024-2025&pound;229,550","AnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422613,"EventID":"S6W-29114","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-15T15:52:56.763","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-12T13:16:08.24","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with relevant stakeholders to discuss its ongoing review of the public sector equality duty.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with relevant stakeholders to discuss its ongoing review of the public sector equality duty.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government regularly engages with stakeholders to discuss the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED). Over the past six months, we have met with various groups to ensure ongoing collaboration. This includes regular monthly meetings with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and frequent catch-up conversations. Director for Equalities, Inclusion and Human Rights, John Somers, also met with Head of EHRC Scotland, John Wilkes in June 2024.Additionally, we have engaged with key stakeholders such as Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and Zero Waste Scotland. We participated in a sectoral event with the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) and EHRC, and held discussions with the NDPB Equalities Forum, Communications Inclusion People, and Engender. These engagements are crucial in shaping our approach to equality and human rights across Scotland.The Scottish Government has further engagement planned to continue our discussions on the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED). In late autumn, we will be holding roundtable discussions with both duty bearers and equality advocacy groups. These sessions will focus on the 2025-2029 equality outcome setting process as part of the ongoing improvement of the PSED regime.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422614,"EventID":"S6W-29130","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-15T15:52:57.123","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-13T15:33:40.127","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to the reported closure of Moat Brae in Dumfries.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to the reported closure of Moat Brae in Dumfries.","AnswerText":"I am saddened to hear of the closing of Moat Brae, Scotland&rsquo;s national centre for children&rsquo;s literature and storytelling.The Scottish Government firmly believes in the importance of literature and its unique ability to enrich our lives. Through our funding to Creative Scotland we support organisations who ensure children and young people can access literature, including the Scottish Book Trust and Gaelic Books Council.I understand that these are incredibly difficult times and my thoughts are with the staff and people affected by the closure of Moat Brae.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422615,"EventID":"S6W-29108","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-15T15:52:57.45","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-12T12:10:55.143","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress against each of the recommendations on land use, particularly relating to agriculture, in the 2021 report, Just Transition ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress against each of the recommendations on land use, particularly relating to agriculture, in the 2021 report, Just Transition Commission: A national mission for a fairer, greener Scotland.","AnswerText":"The work, advice, and recommendations of the Just Transition Commission (JTC) continue to be an important part of the Scottish Government&rsquo;s drive towards a Just Transition to our net zero future. We are committed to providing an annual statement to update on the progress of just transition activity, with the date for the next statement yet to be confirmed. The upcoming statement will include information about land use and agriculture as well as the other sectors of importance highlighted by the JTC.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422616,"EventID":"S6W-29132","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-15T15:52:57.763","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-13T16:24:31.79","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its current projections are on reaching the target of delivering 110,000 homes from the affordable housing supply budget.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its current projections are on reaching the target of delivering 110,000 homes from the affordable housing supply budget.","AnswerText":"To the end of March 2024, 21,092 homes have been delivered towards the target. In the absence of future year budget assumptions we do not have current projections towards the 110,000 affordable homes target. There is additional uncertainty due to the upcoming UK budget on 30 October following the Prime Minister&rsquo;s statement on 27 September which indicated that the autumn budget would be &ldquo;painful&rdquo;.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422617,"EventID":"S6W-29133","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-15T15:52:57.967","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-13T16:24:31.79","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it anticipates that it will meet the target of delivering 110,000 homes by 2032, as set out in the Affordable Housing Supply Programme.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it anticipates that it will meet the target of delivering 110,000 homes by 2032, as set out in the Affordable Housing Supply Programme.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to delivering the 110,000 affordable homes target by 2032.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422618,"EventID":"S6W-29129","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-15T15:52:58.2","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-13T11:11:01.423","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28065 by Tom Arthur on 19 June 2024, whether it will clarify the reasons for the selected structure being the best available struc","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28065 by Tom Arthur on 19 June 2024, whether it will clarify the reasons for the selected structure being the best available structure.","AnswerText":"The agreed transaction structure secured the earliest realisation of the commercial and wider economic benefits of the deal and prevented the closure of the last remaining steel plant in Scotland and the loss of hundreds of highly skilled jobs.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422619,"EventID":"S6W-29116","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-15T15:52:58.513","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-12T14:23:09.993","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what total cost has been incurred to date in relation to the planned National Treatment Centre in NHS (a) Ayrshire and Arran, (b) Grampian, (c) Lanarkshire, (d) Lothian ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what total cost has been incurred to date in relation to the planned National Treatment Centre in NHS (a) Ayrshire and Arran, (b) Grampian, (c) Lanarkshire, (d) Lothian and (e) Tayside.","AnswerText":"The cost incurred to date in relation to the planned National Treatment Centre in NHS Ayrshire and Arran, NHS Grampian, NHS Lanarkshire, NHS Lothian and NHS Tayside is as follows.BoardCost incurred to date on National Treatment CentreAyrshire &amp; Arran&pound;4,843,600Grampian&pound;6,474,000Lanarkshire&pound;268,000Lothian&pound;12,342,000Tayside&pound;12,111,438Total&pound;36,039,038","AnswerDate":"2024-09-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422620,"EventID":"S6W-29126","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-15T15:52:58.797","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-13T10:06:16.7","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with COSLA to discuss flood resilience, and how many times it and COSLA have met to discuss flood resilience over the past five years, as set out in the","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with COSLA to discuss flood resilience, and how many times it and COSLA have met to discuss flood resilience over the past five years, as set out in the Scottish Government&rsquo;s Flood Resilience Strategy consultation document.","AnswerText":"As set out in the Flood Resilience Strategy Consultation, the Scottish Government is working in partnership with COSLA and Local Authorities to reform the current approach to funding flood resilience actions.We have met regularly, having met 3 times already in 2024 with the next meeting on 5 September.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422621,"EventID":"S6W-29111","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-15T15:52:59.033","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-12T13:15:47.203","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the review of the public sector equality duty, what progress has been made on the proposal to use regulation 11 of the Scottish specific duties to make more e","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the review of the public sector equality duty, what progress has been made on the proposal to use regulation 11 of the Scottish specific duties to make more effective use of intersectional equality data in policy making and increasing consideration of equality data in policy making.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is actively exploring the use of Regulation 11 of the Scottish Specific Duties. This includes considering how this regulation might be used to encourage public bodies to make more effective use of intersectional equality data in policymaking. In the meantime, we continue to implement the Equality Evidence Strategy to support public bodies in this area.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422622,"EventID":"S6W-29109","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-15T15:52:59.377","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-12T12:11:08.127","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how its agriculture reform programme will meet the recommendation set out in the 2021 report, Just Transition Commission: A national mission for a fairer, greener Scotla","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how its agriculture reform programme will meet the recommendation set out in the 2021 report, Just Transition Commission: A national mission for a fairer, greener Scotland,&nbsp;(a) for \"a new model of farm advice, with advisory services upscaled and upskilled to help farmers and land managers identify suitable climate action for their land holdings\", (b) \"to redirect money towards activity that better protects and maintains our land, and supports more sustainable food production\" and (c) \"to rebuild the connection between consumers and local produce, through integrated food policy, to reward farmers who implement more sustainable methods\".","AnswerText":"The Agricultural Reform Programme (ARP) will deliver the Vision for Agriculture which makes clear that Scotland will have a robust and coherent framework to underpin our future agricultural support regime from 2025 onwards, that delivers climate mitigation and adaptation, nature restoration and high quality food production. The Agricultural Reform Route Map provides further clarity on how we intend to deliver the ambitions set out in the Vision.Enhanced direct payments will launch first, as a mechanism to incentivise farmers and crofters take meaningful action for climate and nature. The Enhanced tier is key to deliver the policy outcomes of the Vision and to meet the public commitment that 50% of direct payments will be &lsquo;conditioned&rsquo; by 2025. New conditions will be introduced, with revised Greening and Cross Compliance rules, and the introduction of measures such as the Whole Farm Plan. Whole Farm Plans (WFPs) were a recommendation of the Farmer-led Groups. The foundations of the Whole Farm Plan will go live in 2025. The Foundations are 'productivity baselines': soil testing, animal health and welfare declaration, carbon audits, biodiversity audits, and the support for effective business planning. We are committed to delivering a Just Transition and the WFP will be developed with this at the forefront. That is why we will continue to work with the industry to deliver a 'just' sequencing of this requirement, ensuring that those able to contribute the most will drive this change, whilst support is put in place for those who need it.Preparing for Sustainable Farming(PSF) is already helping businesses prepare for these changes with support for conducting carbon audits and soil sampling, support for animal health and welfare activities and access to herd data for Suckler beef producers through MyHerdStats. This support includes &pound;500 for a Carbon Audit, financial support for soil analysis and up to &pound;1,250 for animal health and welfare. More information about this support can be found on the Rural Payments but, in addition to that, we will be working closely with the Farm Advisory Service (FAS) on communicating with customers impacted by these changes.It is also vital to consider the food system as a whole, not only in terms of nutritional benefits but in regard to sustainability too. Partnership was key to delivering the Good Food Nation Act, which places duties on Scottish Ministers, local authorities and health boards to produce plans of their food-related policies and set out what they will do to make them a reality. The Good Food Nation Plan will provide the direction for these and was subject to a recent consultation. The National Plan is due to be published next year, with local authority and health board iterations to follow the year after.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422623,"EventID":"S6W-29115","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-15T15:52:59.657","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-12T13:16:15.307","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on establishing an advisory group of equalities experts to co-produce new regulations for the public sector equality duty, as committed to by","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on establishing an advisory group of equalities experts to co-produce new regulations for the public sector equality duty, as committed to by the then Minister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees in response to a letter from 26 equalities organisations in April 2022.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is focused on implementing a phased approach to improving the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED). Scoping and planning of this work are underway in continued engagement with partners and stakeholders.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422624,"EventID":"S6W-29124","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-15T15:53:00.017","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-13T10:06:16.7","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown by local authority of the estimated 240,000 properties that are currently exposed to flooding, as set out in its Flood Resilience Str","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown by local authority of the estimated 240,000 properties that are currently exposed to flooding, as set out in its Flood Resilience Strategy consultation document.","AnswerText":"The Flood Resilience Strategy consultation document refers to there being an estimated 284,000 properties across Scotland exposed to flooding. This figure was derived from the most recent version of the National Flood Risk Assessment (NFRA), which was prepared by SEPA. The figures per local authority from the NFRA are as follows:AuthorityNumber of properties at riskAberdeen City Council19,116Aberdeenshire Council10,091Angus Council5,698Argyll and Bute Council6,762Clackmannanshire Council3,254Dumfries and Galloway Council9,190Dundee City Council5,135East Ayrshire Council5,941East Dunbartonshire Council4,284East Lothian Council5,203East Renfrewshire Council3,380Edinburgh, City of Council28,231Comhairle nan Eilean Siar801Falkirk Council10,846Fife Council11,527Glasgow City Council45,178Highland13113Inverclyde Council4,889Midlothian Council2,147Moray Council5,281North Ayrshire Council10,298North Lanarkshire Council7,479Orkney Islands Council1,820Perth and Kinross Council8,730Renfrewshire Council12,454Scottish Borders Council9,369Shetland Islands Council224South Ayrshire Council6,422South Lanarkshire Council8,559Stirling Council5,005West Dunbartonshire Council8,042West Lothian Council5,587TOTAL284,056","AnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422625,"EventID":"S6W-29093","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-15T15:53:00.297","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-12T10:20:13","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether a local authority can introduce a visitor levy scheme where the guidance referred to in section 23 of the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act 202","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether a local authority can introduce a visitor levy scheme where the guidance referred to in section 23 of the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act 2024 has not been published.","AnswerText":"A local authority can introduce a visitor levy scheme where the statutory guidance produced under section 23 of the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act 2024 has not been published.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422626,"EventID":"S6W-29094","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-15T15:53:00.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-12T10:20:13","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that any guidance produced pursuant to section 23 of the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act 2024 will be published.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that any guidance produced pursuant to section 23 of the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act 2024 will be published.","AnswerText":"The duty to prepare and publish guidance under section 23 of the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act 2024 falls on VisitScotland. We anticipate they will send a draft of the guidance to Scottish Ministers in the next few weeks.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422627,"EventID":"S6W-29117","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-15T15:53:00.877","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-12T15:57:11.113","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether any of the policies within the Fourth National Planning Framework (NFP4) are prioritised over the others.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether any of the policies within the Fourth National Planning Framework (NFP4) are prioritised over the others.","AnswerText":"National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) should be read and applied as a whole. A plan-led approach is central to supporting its delivery and it is a legislative requirement that planning decisions must be made in accordance with the development plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise.Annex A to NPF4 outlines how to use the document, It states that it is for the decision maker to determine what weight to give to individual policies in the circumstances of each case.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422628,"EventID":"S6W-29113","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-15T15:53:01.063","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-12T13:16:01.233","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that the public sector equality duty and any new human rights framework are compatible and adequately linked.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that the public sector equality duty and any new human rights framework are compatible and adequately linked.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29112 on 5 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at - https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.Officials are working together with internal and external stakeholders to ensure that the work on advancing human rights, including the proposals around extending rights protections in law, is compatible and aligned with the public sector equality duty and other existing requirements on bodies exercising public functions.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422629,"EventID":"S6W-29123","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-15T15:53:01.423","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-13T10:06:16.7","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what compensation it plans to make available to communities for which the \"option to improve [their] flood resilience in the long term may be to slowly withdraw from the","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what compensation it plans to make available to communities for which the \"option to improve [their] flood resilience in the long term may be to slowly withdraw from the flooded area over time\", as set out in its Flood Resilience Strategy consultation document.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29121 on 2 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422630,"EventID":"S6W-29112","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-15T15:53:01.673","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-12T13:15:54.037","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that lessons from the implementation of the public sector equality duty are taken into account in the development of its proposed Human Rights Bill.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that lessons from the implementation of the public sector equality duty are taken into account in the development of its proposed Human Rights Bill.","AnswerText":"The 2024-25 Programme for Government set out the Scottish Government&rsquo;s commitment to strengthening the implementation of human rights and advancing proposals around extended rights protection. This includes continuing to work to develop a new Human Rights Bill that will incorporate international treaties into Scots law.Lessons from the implementation of the public sector equality duty and associated Scottish regulations will continue to shape development of the Human Rights Bill in the period ahead, including reflections on the alignment of existing and upcoming reporting requirements on listed public bodies and work on guidance, toolkits and wider capability and capacity building. The Scottish Government will do this through regular dialogue with duty bearers, sectoral groups of duty bearers, civil society and through close and regular communication between officials.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422631,"EventID":"S6W-29122","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-15T15:53:02.017","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-13T10:06:16.7","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consultation it plans to carry out when choosing which riverside and coastal areas it plans to gradually move back from, as set out in its Flood Resilience Strategy","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consultation it plans to carry out when choosing which riverside and coastal areas it plans to gradually move back from, as set out in its Flood Resilience Strategy consultation document.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29121 on 2 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422632,"EventID":"S6W-29134","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16176,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":137,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-15T15:53:02.39","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-13T16:49:46.373","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to address the reported issue of (a) giant hogweed and (b) other non-native invasive plants, and whether it is considering how climate change could be ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to address the reported issue of (a) giant hogweed and (b) other non-native invasive plants, and whether it is considering how climate change could be creating new pathways for the introduction and spread of non-native invasive plant species.","AnswerText":"As one of the five main drivers of biodiversity loss and a barrier to nature restoration, the Scottish Government takes the control of invasive non-native species (INNS) seriously and we work with a range of partners to minimise their negative impacts. We recognise that more action is needed on tackling invasive non-native plants; as a key component of the Biodiversity Delivery Plan, we are developing an INNS Action Plan to better focus resources on preventing and tackling INNS where possible.In addition the Scottish Invasive Species Initiative (SISI) is tackling a range of invasive non-native plants including giant hogweed alongside water courses in an area of rivers of 29,500km2 within northern Scotland (approximately a third of mainland Scotland). Last year phase two of the SISI was awarded over &pound;2 million under the Scottish Government&rsquo;s Nature Restoration Fund. Phase two will run for three years and will focus on continuing the work to control and eradicate invasive non-native plants in current control areas as well as expanding this programme to many new downstream catchment locations.The Scottish Government is considering how climate change will impact the introduction and spread of INNS. INNS that pose a threat to GB are currently being assessed for addition to both the GB and Scottish lists of species of special concern. Once added to these lists these species will become subject to a range of restrictions. In 2021 the Scottish Government commissioned a horizon scanning study on INNS. This work involved analysis of pathways of spread of INNS into Scotland and is feeding into decisions on listing species. Horizon scanning will be repeated every five years and the next exercise will take place in 2026.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422633,"EventID":"S6W-29125","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-15T15:53:02.673","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-13T10:06:16.7","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much total funding it has allocated to flood resilience in each of the past five years, also broken down by local authority.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much total funding it has allocated to flood resilience in each of the past five years, also broken down by local authority.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has allocated (a) &pound;42m in 2020-21 (b) &pound;52m in 2021-22 (c) &pound;63m in 2022-23 (d) &pound;61m in 2023-24 and (e) &pound;88m in 2024-25 to local authorities through the general capital grant to invest in flood protection and resilience measures.However, the vast majority of funding available to councils is provided by means of a block grant from the Scottish Government. It is then the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources available to them, including on flooding protection, on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities.The funding has been distributed as follows:FLOODING2020-21(&pound;m)2021-22(&pound;m)2022-23(&pound;m)2023-24(&pound;m)2024-25(&pound;m)Aberdeen City1.2821.5871.9241.8631.282Aberdeenshire4.7661.5565.059-4.3220.250Angus2.4990.5851.2110.9010.263Argyll &amp; Bute-0.7840.3172.7055.9530.156Clackmannanshire0.1110.1370.1660.1610.111Dumfries &amp; Galloway-0.1240.343-0.67718.908-9.853Dundee City1.1510.1650.2040.1900.133East Ayrshire0.3891.1750.9430.3450.149East Dunbartonshire0.3350.4150.5030.4840.335East Lothian0.8730.4589.524-3.70617.762East Renfrewshire0.1310.1610.1960.1900.130Edinburgh0.3270.4050.4900.4740.327Eilan Siar0.0560.069-0.7360.9460.056Falkirk2.84914.0295.816-4.4250.199Fife0.4750.7800.7131.8421.435Glasgow1.2851.4921.8081.7501.205Highland1.545-0.1038.314-0.7371.923Inverclyde0.0610.0750.0670.1120.061Midlothian0.0980.1210.1470.1420.098Moray0.0290.0790.0960.0930.064North Ayrshire17.723-2.91711.70820.7710.170North Lanark0.1190.1470.1780.1720.119Orkney0.0330.0410.0500.0490.033Perth &amp; Kinross-0.31713.151-1.4584.55713.289Renfrewshire0.4980.6170.7460.7230.498Scottish Borders0.84621.04910.1139.0890.372Shetland0.0050.0060.0070.0070.005Sth Ayrshire0.0850.1050.1280.1240.085Sth Lanark0.4030.4990.6050.5850.403Stirling0.1310.6172.725-2.12913.278West Dunbarton4.970-5.347-0.5005.671-2.488West Lothian0.1500.1860.2250.2180.150Undistributed&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;46.000Scotland42.00052.00063.00061.00088.000","AnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422634,"EventID":"S6W-29127","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-15T15:53:02.987","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-13T11:09:31.897","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28058 by Tom Arthur on 19 June 2024, what (a) discussions and (b) correspondence Scottish Enterprise has had regarding the repayme","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28058 by Tom Arthur on 19 June 2024, what (a) discussions and (b) correspondence Scottish Enterprise has had regarding the repayment of the loan since 2022.","AnswerText":"Scottish Enterprise is responsible for the operational management of its portfolio of investments. Scottish Enterprise remains in regular discussion with Liberty Steel regarding the loan.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422635,"EventID":"S6W-29120","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-15T15:53:03.173","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-13T10:06:16.7","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much of the &pound;12 million capital budget to manage coastal change has been allocated since its launch in 2022, broken down by (a) financial year and (b) local au","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much of the &pound;12 million capital budget to manage coastal change has been allocated since its launch in 2022, broken down by (a) financial year and (b) local authority, as set out in the Scottish Government&rsquo;s Flood Resilience Strategy consultation document.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has allocated (a) 1.6m in 2022-23 (b) 2.4m in 2023-24 and (c) 2.7m in 2024-25 to local authorities through the general capital grant to invest in managing coastal change and resilience measures.However, the vast majority of funding available to councils is provided by means of a block grant from the Scottish Government. It is then the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources available to them, including on coastal change adaptation, on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities.The funding has been distributed as follows:Capital FundingCOASTAL2022-23(&pound;m)2023-24(&pound;m)2024-25(&pound;m)Aberdeen City0.0000.1500.060Aberdeenshire0.0000.2060.071Angus0.0000.1500.496Argyll &amp; Bute0.1600.0000.195Clackmannanshire0.0000.1000.000Dumfries &amp; Galloway0.1600.0360.072Dundee City0.0000.1500.065East Ayrshire0.0000.0000.000East Dunbartonshire0.0000.0000.000East Lothian0.1600.0000.085East Renfrewshire0.0000.0000.000Edinburgh0.0000.1500.092Eilan Siar0.0000.1500.068Falkirk0.0000.1500.069Fife0.1600.1260.162Glasgow0.0000.0000.000Highland0.1600.0830.299Inverclyde0.0000.1500.052Midlothian0.0000.0000.000Moray0.1600.0000.300North Ayrshire0.1600.0000.199North Lanark0.0000.0000.000Orkney0.1600.0660.111Perth &amp; Kinross0.0000.1000.000Renfrewshire0.0000.1000.000Scottish Borders0.0000.2220.052Shetland0.1600.0000.072Sth Ayrshire0.1600.1060.180Sth Lanark0.0000.0000.000Stirling0.0000.0000.000West Dunbarton0.0000.1000.000West Lothian0.0000.1000.000Undistributed0.0000.0000.000Scotland1.6002.3952.700","AnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422636,"EventID":"S6W-29128","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-15T15:53:03.503","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-13T11:10:23.59","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28067 by Tom Arthur on 19 June 2024, whether it will provide details of how exactly it enabled \"all parties to achieve what they r","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28067 by Tom Arthur on 19 June 2024, whether it will provide details of how exactly it enabled \"all parties to achieve what they required from the sale and purchase of the business\", and whether or not the transaction would have proceeded without Scottish Government ownership.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s involvement in the transaction helped secure the earliest realisation of the commercial and wider economic benefits of the deal, and the selected structure was agreed by all parties.The statement given by the then Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise to the Scottish Parliament on 15 December 2021 highlighted that one clause in the 2016 transaction, an indemnity from Scottish Ministers to Longs Steel (Tata Steel took over the business), is no longer valid.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422637,"EventID":"S6W-29110","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-15T15:53:03.77","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-12T13:15:36.483","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to revisit and expand the review of the public sector equality duty, in light of the letter to stakeholders on 4 October 2023 from the then Minister for","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to revisit and expand the review of the public sector equality duty, in light of the letter to stakeholders on 4 October 2023 from the then Minister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is currently reviewing the effectiveness of the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) and is committed to improving its implementation through a phased approach, within the limits of devolved competence.We are progressing key initiatives under the improvement regime of the PSED, including our approach to inclusive communications, pay gap reporting, and utilising ministerial powers under Regulation 11. Insights from commissioned international research are also being considered to inform our policies.Our focus remains on effectively implementing and improving the current frameworks.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422638,"EventID":"S6W-29105","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-15T15:53:03.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-12T12:10:07.037","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its commitment in the Bute House Agreement to \"support public sector bodies, as part of their statutory duty under the Forestry and ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its commitment in the Bute House Agreement to \"support public sector bodies, as part of their statutory duty under the Forestry and Land Management (Scotland) Act 2018, to identify and implement opportunities to increase tree cover on land they own and manage, with an emphasis on native woodland and natural regeneration\" and to \"explore if further legislative changes are required to strengthen the duty on public bodies\".","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government, through its various public bodies is increasing woodland cover on the land that they own and manage and are looking for further opportunities. This includes the landscape scale native woodland creation work being explored by Forestry and Land Scotland at Glen Prosen, and the delivery of significant new woodland by Scottish Water at Loch Katrine. At this time there are no plans to amend the Forestry and Land Management (Scotland) Act 2018 with regards to this policy area.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422639,"EventID":"S6W-29118","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-15T15:53:04.127","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-12T15:57:26.12","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the Fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) affords more or less weight to the climate and nature emergencies than the previous plannin","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the Fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) affords more or less weight to the climate and nature emergencies than the previous planning frameworks.","AnswerText":"National planning Framework 4 (NPF4) signalled a turning point for the Scottish planning system, placing climate and nature at the heart of decision making. For example, Policy 1: Tackling the climate and nature crises, encourages, promotes and facilitates development that addresses the global climate emergency and nature crisis to achieve zero carbon, nature positive places.NPF4 integrates these matters into its policies and decision-making processes more comprehensively than previous national planning frameworks.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422640,"EventID":"S6W-29121","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-15T15:53:04.377","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-13T10:06:16.7","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government from which riverside and coastal areas it plans to gradually move back, as set out in its Flood Resilience Strategy consultation document.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government from which riverside and coastal areas it plans to gradually move back, as set out in its Flood Resilience Strategy consultation document.","AnswerText":"The Flood Resilience Strategy consultation document sought views on a range of flooding related matters, including how best to improve the long term resilience of coastal communities. The results of this consultation will help to inform the Flood Resilience Strategy. Both the Strategy and an analysis of the consultation responses will be published later in the year.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422666,"EventID":"S6W-29142","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-16T15:18:53.507","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-14T15:16:52.71","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will set out a timescale for ensuring that all NHS clinical waste produced in Scotland is processed in Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will set out a timescale for ensuring that all NHS clinical waste produced in Scotland is processed in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The management of the NHS clinical waste contract is the responsibility for Health Boards. NHS National Services Scotland&rsquo;s National Procurement and Logistics Service manages the NHS&rsquo;s relationship with the clinical waste contractor, however there is no target date for when all NHS clinical waste produced in Scotland is processed in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422667,"EventID":"S6W-29153","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-16T15:18:53.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-14T16:52:14.703","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether implementing a robust governance process will remedy any failure of NHS boards to meet Scottish Stroke Standards and national stroke guid","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether implementing a robust governance process will remedy any failure of NHS boards to meet Scottish Stroke Standards and national stroke guidelines.","AnswerText":"A robust governance process is one important aspect of delivering effective care and meeting the Scottish Stroke Care Standards measured in the Scottish Stroke Care Audit.That is why NHS Board reviews conducted by the Scottish Stroke Improvement Programme explicitly ask NHS Boards to set out their governance structure and any plans to improve this.We have also asked every NHS Board to nominate an accountable individual to take overall responsibility of stroke care, including meeting the Scottish Stroke Care Standards.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422668,"EventID":"S6W-29136","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-16T15:18:53.727","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-14T09:33:17.56","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the HM Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland report, HMP &amp; YOI Stirling, Full Inspection, 19 February to 23 February 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the HM Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland report, HMP &amp; YOI Stirling, Full Inspection, 19 February to 23 February 2024.","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:SPS welcomes the inspection report from HM Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland (HMIPS), and we are encouraged to hear that the Chief Inspector believes that Scotland is &lsquo;leading the way when it comes to managing women in custody&rsquo;.SPS acknowledges that it has been just over a year since the opening of HMP &amp; YOI Stirling, and although the report highlights many areas of good practice, there are areas where further development is needed. We are in the process of working through these areas for those in our care, our staff, and our neighbours.SPS will work collaboratively with HMIPS on the recommendations made and will provide updates to HMIPS on the actions taken forward in the areas that require further development.We are confident that our transformative and groundbreaking Strategy for Women in Custody, supported by significant investment from the Scottish Government, has delivered a step change in how we support the rehabilitation of women in our care.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422669,"EventID":"S6W-29140","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-16T15:18:53.82","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-14T13:32:42.69","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when (a) ministers and (b) representatives of Transport Scotland last met (i) SUSTRANS and (ii) other relevant stakeholders to discuss the Neilston and Uplawmoor Link ac","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when (a) ministers and (b) representatives of Transport Scotland last met (i) SUSTRANS and (ii) other relevant stakeholders to discuss the Neilston and Uplawmoor Link active travel project.","AnswerText":"Sustrans are funded to manage and administer the Places for Everyone fund and meet with the applicants as appropriate. As Sustrans manage the fund on behalf of Transport Scotland neither Ministers nor Transport Scotland meet regularly to discuss specific projects that are funded through the programme. Transport Scotland does however receive regular updates through our oversight of the programme and management of the grant to Sustrans for the programme.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422670,"EventID":"S6W-29155","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-16T15:18:53.897","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-14T16:52:14.703","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what projected savings through thrombectomy provision have been made to date as a result of reduced length of stay and reduced care costs due to associated better health","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what projected savings through thrombectomy provision have been made to date as a result of reduced length of stay and reduced care costs due to associated better health outcomes.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not calculated the likely savings resulting from the provision of thrombectomy procedures. However, academic research suggests that thrombectomy is cost-effective and likely to result in long-term savings.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422671,"EventID":"S6W-29137","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-16T15:18:53.977","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-14T11:26:45.557","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received an update from Scottish Water regarding the situation in Strathclyde Country Park in North Lanarkshire following the collapse of a pipe bridge ca","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received an update from Scottish Water regarding the situation in Strathclyde Country Park in North Lanarkshire following the collapse of a pipe bridge carrying a waste water main in October 2023.","AnswerText":"As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water, and the Scottish Government does not hold this information, I have asked them to respond. Their reply is as follows:Scottish Water has advised that a major repair has been required under challenging conditions following a pipe bridge collapse. Following the incident, Scottish Water installed a temporary system while the design for a new bridge was being developed to ensure that there was no detriment to the environment.The design work for the permanent solution is now complete and on-site work started on 19th August 2024. Scottish Water is aiming to complete this work by the end of December 2024. Scottish Water has advised that it is continuing to monitor the temporary system and it remains in communication with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).","AnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422672,"EventID":"S6W-29139","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-16T15:18:54.037","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-14T13:32:35.86","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when ministers last met Transport Scotland to discuss the Places for Everyone programme administered by SUSTRANS and its associated funding.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when ministers last met Transport Scotland to discuss the Places for Everyone programme administered by SUSTRANS and its associated funding.","AnswerText":"Officials met with the Cabinet Secretary for Transport on 26 June, where Places for Everyone was included as part of the discussion.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422673,"EventID":"S6W-29148","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-16T15:18:54.13","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-14T16:52:14.687","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the reporting of data in relation to stroke care across Scotland, as referenced in its  updated Stroke Improvement Plan 2023.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the reporting of data in relation to stroke care across Scotland, as referenced in its  updated Stroke Improvement Plan 2023.","AnswerText":"A tool for collection of empirical data relating to various stroke rehabilitation outcomes - such as time to rehabilitation assessment, creation of rehabilitation plans, commencement of rehabilitation, input from various Allied Health Professional specialities and time to commencing community rehabilitation - has been developed. Data collection with this tool is currently being trialled in two NHS Boards, with the aim of using this across Scotland once this has been assessed.We are in the process of developing a tool to capture and publish patient experience of rehabilitation in each NHS Board.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422674,"EventID":"S6W-29149","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-16T15:18:54.21","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-14T16:52:14.687","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the reporting of organisational data in relation to stroke care will be routinely published.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the reporting of organisational data in relation to stroke care will be routinely published.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Stroke Care Audit already tracks the number of beds by health board as part of the Scottish Stroke Improvement Programme. This information will be added to the dashboard of the most recent annual report within the next two weeks.We will continue to work with Public Health Scotland on the most effective methods of capturing and reporting organisational data, including staffing levels.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422675,"EventID":"S6W-29150","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-16T15:18:54.303","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-14T16:52:14.687","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether patients in stroke units are being cared for by a full complement of stroke professionals who are fully trained to provide timely interve","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether patients in stroke units are being cared for by a full complement of stroke professionals who are fully trained to provide timely interventions as necessary.","AnswerText":"We expect staff providing care for individuals who have had a stroke to be fully trained in providing stroke care. However, in smaller Health Boards, it is not always possible to maintain a dedicated stroke unit.A range of online stroke care competency training programmes are available and as part of the Scottish Stroke Improvement Programme review process all NHS Boards are asked to complete an education template highlighting the training stroke staff have undertaken.We expect staff providing care for individuals who have had a stroke to be fully trained in providing stroke care. However, in smaller Health Boards, it is not always.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422676,"EventID":"S6W-29166","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-16T15:18:54.413","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-15T10:39:28.983","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it holds information on how many (a) dentists and (b) dental nurses are currently employed to provide dental healthcare to Armed Forces personnel in Scotland, an","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it holds information on how many (a) dentists and (b) dental nurses are currently employed to provide dental healthcare to Armed Forces personnel in Scotland, and, if so, whether it will provide the total given as a (i) headcount and (ii) full-time equivalent figure.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information.I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29165 on 5 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422677,"EventID":"S6W-29157","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-16T15:18:54.507","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-14T16:52:14.703","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will routinely provide details of stroke outcomes for stroke patients, in light of reported concerns that only information relating to mortality levels is pro","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will routinely provide details of stroke outcomes for stroke patients, in light of reported concerns that only information relating to mortality levels is provided in the Scottish Stroke Care Audit report.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not currently plan to provide overall outcome information beyond mortality.A tool for collection of empirical data relating to stroke rehabilitation provision - including time to rehabilitation assessment, creation of rehabilitation plans, commencement of rehabilitation, input from various Allied Health Professional specialities and time to commencing community rehabilitation - has been developed. Data collection with this tool is currently being trialled in two NHS Boards, with the aim of using this across Scotland and including this in the Scottish Stroke Care Audit once data collection has been assessed.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422678,"EventID":"S6W-29164","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-16T15:18:54.583","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-14T18:08:48.88","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what alternative financial support is available to young people under 17 who wish to continue their education but are not eligible for the Education Maintenance Allowanc","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what alternative financial support is available to young people under 17 who wish to continue their education but are not eligible for the Education Maintenance Allowance.","AnswerText":"Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is available at school and college for eligible 16-19 year olds supporting them to remain and progress in learning. For those at school, and under 17 who are not eligible for EMA, they may receive Free School Meals and/or the School Clothing Grant depending on their individual circumstances.Similarly, for those young people studying a further education course at college, they may be eligible for discretionary funding, study costs and childcare funding. This support is assessed and administered directly by individual colleges.In the instances where a young person under 17 opts to study a higher education course, they may be eligible to apply for tuition fee support, bursary and living cost grants to support them throughout their studies. Students over the age of 16 are also eligible to apply for a student loan. This support is assessed and administered by the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS).All young people and children living in Scotland aged 5-21 can apply for a card to access the Young Persons&rsquo; (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel Scheme.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422679,"EventID":"S6W-29143","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-16T15:18:54.663","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-14T15:16:52.71","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide the estimated number of lorry journeys being made by Tradebe per month to transport NHS Scotland clinical waste to Wales.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide the estimated number of lorry journeys being made by Tradebe per month to transport NHS Scotland clinical waste to Wales.","AnswerText":"This is a matter for NHS National Services Scotland. The information requested is not held centrally.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422680,"EventID":"S6W-29156","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-16T15:18:54.74","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-14T16:52:14.703","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the projected savings will be as a result of thrombectomy being made available to all eligible patients, and how any savings will be used.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the projected savings will be as a result of thrombectomy being made available to all eligible patients, and how any savings will be used.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not calculated the likely savings resulting from the provision of thrombectomy procedures. However, academic research suggests that thrombectomy is cost-effective and likely to result in long-term savings.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422681,"EventID":"S6W-29138","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-16T15:18:54.82","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-14T13:32:29.36","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that decisions regarding funding for SUSTRANS&rsquo; Places for Everyone programme for 2024-25 will be made by Transport Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that decisions regarding funding for SUSTRANS&rsquo; Places for Everyone programme for 2024-25 will be made by Transport Scotland.","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland has already provided &pound;46.7 million of funding to Sustrans for Places for Everyone for 2024-25 which will deliver a range of active travel infrastructure this year. More broadly in 2024-25 more than &pound;145 million has been provided for Active Travel.The utmost importance is placed on balancing the Scottish Government&rsquo;s budget each financial year. The Scottish Government and the whole of the public sector faces a financial position that is extremely challenging. It is always necessary to ensure resources are used economically, efficiently and effectively, and increased scrutiny and spending controls are in place across all expenditure. As with all programmes across Scottish Government, further funding for Places for Everyone will need to be considered in this context for 2024-25. This consideration is currently on-going and once concluded will enable further decisions to be made.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422682,"EventID":"S6W-29145","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-16T15:18:54.897","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-14T15:16:52.71","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the estimated cost to NHS Scotland of transporting clinical waste by road to Wales.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the estimated cost to NHS Scotland of transporting clinical waste by road to Wales.","AnswerText":"This is a matter for NHS National Services Scotland. The information requested is not held centrally.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422683,"EventID":"S6W-29151","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-16T15:18:54.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-14T16:52:14.687","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason only NHS Tayside, NHS Lanarkshire, NHS Shetland and NHS Borders have reportedly achieved an acceptable level of stroke care governance, according to the ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason only NHS Tayside, NHS Lanarkshire, NHS Shetland and NHS Borders have reportedly achieved an acceptable level of stroke care governance, according to the latest Scottish Stroke Care Audit report, and when it expects that the remaining NHS boards will have appropriate governance in place.","AnswerText":"The revised criteria assessing NHS Boards requires more rigorous reporting on stroke service governance structures and data reporting, and these will take time to fully implement.I expect NHS Boards to prioritise their stroke governance structures and have scheduled a roundtable meeting with the accountable individuals from all NHS Boards where the importance of service governance will be emphasised.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422684,"EventID":"S6W-29160","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-16T15:18:55.083","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-14T16:52:14.703","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what obligations are currently placed on NHS boards to deliver stroke rehabilitation.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what obligations are currently placed on NHS boards to deliver stroke rehabilitation.","AnswerText":"As part of the Scottish Stroke Improvement Programme Board review process, Boards are expected to demonstrate rehabilitation provision in a variety of settings, and at a range of intensities, as well as outlining a robust rehab assessment process and the availability of symptom-specific rehabilitation pathways.Boards must also demonstrate that there is a clear pathway for people who have had strokes to re-engage with stroke rehabilitation services as appropriate.Where rehabilitation provision is found not to fully align with these criteria, the Scottish Stroke Improvement Programme works with stroke services to develop action plans for improvement.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422685,"EventID":"S6W-29161","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-16T15:18:55.163","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-14T16:52:14.703","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what a funded stroke bed is, as referenced on page 9 of the latest Scottish Stroke Care Audit report, and how many will be available over the next year across Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what a funded stroke bed is, as referenced on page 9 of the latest Scottish Stroke Care Audit report, and how many will be available over the next year across Scotland.","AnswerText":"A funded stroke bed is a bed which has established funding for the provision of stroke nurse and therapist staffing. There are currently 531 stroke beds available in Scotland, including hyperacute, acute and integrated stroke beds. However, stroke services may adjust the number of beds available to meet service demands.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422686,"EventID":"S6W-29159","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-16T15:18:55.243","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-14T16:52:14.703","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the Scottish Stroke Improvement Plan RAG (red, amber, green) charts, which reportedly show a large number of amber ratings for various re","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the Scottish Stroke Improvement Plan RAG (red, amber, green) charts, which reportedly show a large number of amber ratings for various rehabilitation priorities, indicate that many patients are not getting the help that they need to achieve their stroke recovery potential.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Stroke Improvement Programme Board review process allows for an evaluation of stroke service performance, identification of areas for improvement and agreement of steps to implement local action plans to improve the delivery of stroke care in every Board.Many of the areas on the RAG chart, especially those around rehabilitation pathways, were new requirements in the last reporting year to reflect the commitments in the Stroke Improvement Plan. The expectation is that boards will progress and improve in their status as they implement the guidance.Where areas of stroke care have been identified as not fully meeting criteria, Boards are asked to agree action plans to drive service improvement.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422687,"EventID":"S6W-29144","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-16T15:18:55.337","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-14T15:16:52.71","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide the estimated number of miles travelled per month, since January 2018, in the transport of NHS Scotland clinical waste by road to Wales.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide the estimated number of miles travelled per month, since January 2018, in the transport of NHS Scotland clinical waste by road to Wales.","AnswerText":"This is a matter for NHS National Services Scotland. The information requested is not held centrally.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422688,"EventID":"S6W-29165","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-16T15:18:55.417","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-15T10:39:28.983","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of access to dental care for (a) Armed Forces personnel and (b) veterans in Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of access to dental care for (a) Armed Forces personnel and (b) veterans in Scotland.","AnswerText":"A) Armed forces personnel receive dental care through the Defence Dental Service &ndash; a tri-service dental services to the UK Armed Forces - and is therefore not within the locus of the Scottish Government.B) Armed forces veterans access NHS dental services as per the general population. As acknowledged in answer to the Member&rsquo;s Question S6W-28696 on 9 August 2024, the Chief Dental Officer and Air Vice Marshal McLoughlin issued a joint letter to all dental teams on 22 February 2024, highlighting service provision to serving armed forces personnel and veterans.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422689,"EventID":"S6W-29152","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-16T15:18:55.493","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-14T16:52:14.687","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what obligations NHS boards have to meet Scottish Stroke Standards and national stroke guidelines, in light of the latest Scottish Stroke Care Audit report, which report","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what obligations NHS boards have to meet Scottish Stroke Standards and national stroke guidelines, in light of the latest Scottish Stroke Care Audit report, which reportedly shows a failure to meet many of these key standards.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Stroke Care Standards are designed to enhance service delivery and improve patient outcomes. Monitoring performance against these standards through the Scottish Stroke Care Audit allows us to identify where challenges are being faced in the delivery of stroke care and implement quality improvements where required.We recognise the standards are challenging and continue to expect Health Boards to identify aspects of their stroke services which do not meet these standards and to work to improve their standards of care locally to meet the Scottish Stroke Care Standards.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422690,"EventID":"S6W-29141","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-16T15:18:55.573","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-14T13:32:48.833","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is committed to continued support through Transport Scotland of SUSTRANS&rsquo; Places for Everyone programme, as part of its commitment to supporting active ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is committed to continued support through Transport Scotland of SUSTRANS&rsquo; Places for Everyone programme, as part of its commitment to supporting active travel.","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland has already allocated &pound;46.7 million of funding to Sustrans for Places for Everyone for 2024-25 which will deliver a range of active travel infrastructure this year. More broadly in 2024-25 financial year more than &pound;145 million has been allocated for Active Travel.The utmost importance is placed on balancing the Scottish Government&rsquo;s budget each financial year. The Scottish Government and the whole of the public sector face a financial position that is extremely challenging. It is always necessary to ensure resources are used economically, efficiently and effectively, and increased scrutiny and spending controls are in place across all expenditure. As with all programmes across Scottish Government, further funding for Places for Everyone will need to be considered in this context for 2024-25.Increased Active Travel funding has led to major change programme for Active Travel delivery starting in 2024. This is aligned with the Verity House Agreement (June 2023) which confirmed the direction of travel towards more direct funding to Local Authorities and for local control over that budget, with a driving principle of &lsquo;local by default, national by agreement&rsquo;.As part of this, from 2025-26, Transport Scotland will be providing funding for all active travel infrastructure projects of the type that have historically been delivered through Places for Everyone directly to Local Authorities, Regional Transport Partnerships and National Park Authorities rather than via Sustrans. A managed transition of existing projects from Sustrans to Transport Scotland is underway and for those which are likely to be completed by December 2025, it is the intention that these will continue to be managed by Sustrans.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422691,"EventID":"S6W-29146","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-16T15:18:55.65","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-14T15:16:52.71","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Malcolm Group is contracted to undertake the transportation of NHS Scotland clinical waste, and whether it will outline which other hauliers are also contrac","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Malcolm Group is contracted to undertake the transportation of NHS Scotland clinical waste, and whether it will outline which other hauliers are also contracted to undertake such transportation.","AnswerText":"This is a matter for NHS National Services Scotland. The information requested is not held centrally.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422692,"EventID":"S6W-29147","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-16T15:18:55.743","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-14T15:16:52.71","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will encourage Tradebe to honour its reported pledge to process clinical waste in Scotland rather than transporting it to Wales.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will encourage Tradebe to honour its reported pledge to process clinical waste in Scotland rather than transporting it to Wales.","AnswerText":"This is a matter for NHS National Services Scotland. The information requested is not held centrally.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422693,"EventID":"S6W-29163","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-16T15:18:55.853","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-14T16:52:14.703","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it plans to take to improve out-of-hours thrombolysis times, in light of data reportedly showing that out-of-hours demand exceeds in-hours demand.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it plans to take to improve out-of-hours thrombolysis times, in light of data reportedly showing that out-of-hours demand exceeds in-hours demand.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Stroke Improvement Programme team works closely with stroke services in all NHS boards to use learning from the Scottish Stroke Care Audit to support improvement across the whole stroke pathway, including timely access to thrombolysis.We have established a National Stroke Engagement Forum, with representation from every NHS Board, with the aim of tackling common challenges in the delivery of stroke care and sharing best practice and novel approaches to care delivery. Improving thrombolysis times will be a focus of the National Stroke Engagement Forum.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422694,"EventID":"S6W-29192","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":16175,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":119,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-19T15:33:11.78","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-19T15:29:48.26","Title":"","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the ScotRail peak fares removal pilot.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has subsidised the temporary removal of ScotRail peak fares for twelve months in a move to encourage modal shift from private car to rail while making rail travel more affordable and accessible over the pilot period. The cost of the full year subsidy was approximately £40m.\r\nThe success of the pilot has been measured through analysis, which uses daily patronage data (from April 2022 to start of July 2024) covering the period before and nine months of the pilot.\r\nThis analysis shows that while there has been a limited increase in the number of passengers during the pilot, it did not achieve its aims of encouraging a significant modal shift from car to rail. In light of the financial challenges facing the Scottish Government and the level of additional and continuing subsidy that would be required to continue the pilot versus its contribution towards tackling climate change with modal shift from car and tackling child poverty which are key Scottish Government missions, the pilot will end on 27th September 2024.\r\nThe pilot primarily benefitted existing train passengers and those with medium to higher incomes and although passenger levels increased to a maximum of around 6.8%, it would require a 10% increase in passenger numbers for the policy to be self-financing. The pilot will have been welcome in saving many passengers hundreds and in some cases thousands of pounds during the cost of living crisis but this level of subsidy cannot continue in the current financial climate on that measure alone.\r\nI am aware, however, that a significant minority of people cannot choose when they travel to and from work who did and would benefit from lower priced rail travel and who might find the return to peak fares challenging. I can therefore announce the introduction of a 12-month discount on all ScotRail season tickets and permanently amending the terms of flexipasses to allow for 12 single journeys for the price of 10, used within 60 days, equivalent to a 20% discount for those who travel less frequently.\r\nFor example, prior to the pilot someone travelling between Edinburgh and Glasgow would have paid £28.90 for an anytime return. They will now pay £31.40 for an anytime day return but with the 20% discount this reduces to £18.52 if they use an annual season ticket to travel at least 4 days per week or £21.25 if using a flexipass for a return journey. Weekly and monthly season tickets are also available with the 20% discount which offer savings over buying tickets on a daily basis.\r\nPrior to the pilot, someone travelling between Barrhead and Glasgow would have paid £6.60. While this will increase to £7.20 for an anytime day return it reduces to £4.06 if they use an annual season ticket to travel at least 4 days per week. Someone using a flexipass on the same journey will pay £4.85 for a return journey.\r\nSuper off-peak tickets will also be reintroduced.\r\nThe final evaluation of the Pilot is available on the Transport Scotland website.\r\nThe Scottish Government would be open to consider future subsidy to remove peak fares should UK budget allocations to the Scottish Government improve in future years.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422695,"EventID":"S6W-29171","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5060,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-19T15:53:25.837","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-15T12:16:21.683","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work on inclusive communication, following the closure of its consultation on a Scottish Specific Duty on inclusive communicatio","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work on inclusive communication, following the closure of its consultation on a Scottish Specific Duty on inclusive communication.","AnswerText":"I issued a letter to stakeholders providing an update on the Scottish Government&rsquo;s work on inclusive communication on 14 August 2024. Due to restrictions in relation to legislative competence, the decision has been made to enhance public authorities' inclusive communication through guidance, tools, and training.A scoping exercise will identify existing resources and gaps, with new materials to be developed in collaboration with partners and informed by lived experience of using diverse communication tools and approaches. Ministerial powers will be used to require public authorities to consider inclusive communication when fulfilling their equality duties, ensuring more consistent practices.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422696,"EventID":"S6W-29168","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-19T15:53:25.977","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-15T10:54:13.837","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans on re-opening the Fair Start Scotland (FSS) employability service to new referrals.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans on re-opening the Fair Start Scotland (FSS) employability service to new referrals.","AnswerText":"Fair Start Scotland launched in April 2018 with an initial referral period of 3 years. Contracts were subsequently extended for an additional 3 years.New referrals to the service ended on 31 March 2024, with the delivery of Scotland&rsquo;s devolved employability support being met through our No One Left Behind approach from 1 April 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422697,"EventID":"S6W-29167","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-19T15:53:26.057","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-15T10:40:05.593","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many whole-time equivalent anaesthetists have (a) been employed and (b) retired or left the profession, in each year since 2019.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many whole-time equivalent anaesthetists have (a) been employed and (b) retired or left the profession, in each year since 2019.","AnswerText":"The information requested on how many whole-time equivalent anaesthetists have been employed in each year since 2019 can be found on the TURAS NHS Education for Scotland workforce statistics site at: NHS Scotland workforce | Turas Data Intelligence (Employment over time tab, anaesthetics consultants).The information requested on how many whole-time equivalent anaesthetists have left the profession, in each year since 2019 can be found on the TURAS NHS Education for Scotland workforce statistics site at: NHS Scotland workforce | Turas Data Intelligence (Turnover tab).The requested information on how many whole-time equivalent anaesthetists have retired in each year since 2019 is not centrally available.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422698,"EventID":"S6W-29169","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-19T15:53:26.133","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-15T10:56:39.5","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people are currently employed directly or indirectly by the Scottish Government to deliver the Fair Start Scotland (FSS) employability service.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people are currently employed directly or indirectly by the Scottish Government to deliver the Fair Start Scotland (FSS) employability service.","AnswerText":"The Fair Start Scotland employability service was procured, and national contracts awarded to public, private and third sector Service Providers across Scotland. The Scottish Government does not have any staff directly employed to deliver the service. There are 4.75 full time equivalent staff assigned to manage the delivery of the contracts with the Service Providers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422712,"EventID":"S6W-29221","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":3771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":86,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T10:30:40.53","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-20T10:25:57.957","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to make it easier for people to travel by public transport in Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to make it easier for people to travel by public transport in Scotland.","AnswerText":"Making public transport easier for people to use is crucial in driving forward a greener, fairer Scotland, enhancing equality, growing the economy, and supporting communities.With this in mind, I am pleased to announce the publication today of the Scottish Government&rsquo;s updated strategy on smart, digital, integrated ticketing and payments.&nbsp;&nbsp;https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/smart-digital-integrated-ticketing-and-payments-delivery-strategy-2024/ This strategy builds on the enhancements progressed since its first iteration published in 2018, such as enabling universal smartcards to be used across operators, supporting the provision of contactless payment to be available on 98% of buses in Scotland, and delivering smart concessionary travel for young people and on our ferry services to Orkney and Shetland. Technological advancements since 2018 have opened a vast array of new opportunities to rethink and evolve how we can continue to encourage use of sustainable public transport, and address the change in travel patterns and public expectations witnessed in the years following the pandemic.It complements the delivery of my wider transport priorities and provides a refreshed vision, To increase the use of sustainable public transport by providing smart and integrated ticketing, payment, and journey planning data enhancements, contributing to a healthier, fairer and more prosperous Scotland.The strategy also aligns with the new National Smart Ticketing Advisory Board three year Work Programme, which is being published today as well, outlining the advice that will be provided to Ministers on the future of smart ticketing in Scotland. All of these actions seek to support the improved accessibility, availability and affordability of public transport.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422719,"EventID":"S6W-29180","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:12.573","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-19T12:30:34.373","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any public money will be provided to support Vestas with its reported plans for a facility to construct turbine blades in Leith, inside the Forth freeport zone.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any public money will be provided to support Vestas with its reported plans for a facility to construct turbine blades in Leith, inside the Forth freeport zone.","AnswerText":"Our fast-growing offshore wind industry provides us with significant opportunities to attract inward investment, generate green jobs and grow our regional and national economies, not least in our Green Freeport areas in Inverness and Cromarty Firth and the Firth of Forth.There is a range of public sector commercial and grant funding avenues, alongside other dedicated support, available to all potential inward investors, including Vestas. We work closely with partner organisations to make sure companies are aware of these and can access them easily.For example, investors at Green Freeport tax sites can benefit from a range of devolved and reserved tax reliefs which would constitute revenue forgone by UK and Scottish Government respectively.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422720,"EventID":"S6W-29213","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:13.637","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-19T16:45:17.453","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any ongoing repair work at Scalloway Castle, and when it will reopen to the public.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any ongoing repair work at Scalloway Castle, and when it will reopen to the public.","AnswerText":"Questions regarding day-to-day operational matters of Historic Environment Scotland, including information relating to any repair and maintenance works, are best answered directly by Historic Environment Scotland.I have asked Historic Environment Scotland to respond directly to the member with a full reply to his question in writing.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422721,"EventID":"S6W-29208","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:14.26","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-19T16:45:17.453","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many whistleblowing champions it currently employs.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many whistleblowing champions it currently employs.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has a whistleblowing policy in place. Those who wish to raise concerns are directed to the SG Nominated Officers who are headed by the Director of Internal Audit and Assurance who has a direct reporting line to the SG Audit and Assurance Committee. Including the Director there are 4 Nominated Officers in place.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422722,"EventID":"S6W-29188","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:15.103","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-19T14:17:25.89","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions took place between Marine Scotland and Crown Estate Scotland in the year leading up to the 2024 General Election, and whether any discussions included t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions took place between Marine Scotland and Crown Estate Scotland in the year leading up to the 2024 General Election, and whether any discussions included the possibility of new borrowing powers being granted to the Crown Estate and any opportunity or implication of this for Crown Estate Scotland.","AnswerText":"As Scottish Government sponsor directorate, the Marine Directorate meets regularly throughout the year with Crown Estate Scotland to maintain robust governance, accountability and positive relationships, ensuring the public corporation is effective, invests to grow and maintain the value of its assets, operates in line with Ministerial priorities and contributes to the public good. Discussions include considerations around the governance and operating model of Crown Estate Scotland to optimise the benefits the Scottish Crown Estate provides for Scotland and its communities.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422723,"EventID":"S6W-29189","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:15.917","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-19T14:24:21.707","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how its review of the Community Right to Buy will examine the role of the Scottish Government in the administrative processes of the Community Right to Buy and the inter","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how its review of the Community Right to Buy will examine the role of the Scottish Government in the administrative processes of the Community Right to Buy and the internal legal interpretations of the statute and court decisions.","AnswerText":"The review will examine all aspects of the four existing community rights to buy - Community Right to Buy, Crofting Community Right to Buy, Community Right to Buy Abandoned, Neglected or Detrimental Land, and the Right to Buy Land to Further Sustainable Development. This will include Scottish Government&rsquo;s legislative and administrative processes and the various interactions between the Scottish Government, community groups, landowners and stakeholder organisations.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422724,"EventID":"S6W-29197","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:17.103","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-19T16:45:17.453","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether investment in the (a) medium- and (b) long-term replacements for the A83 Rest and Be Thankful will be impacted by the reported announcement that the Cabinet Secr","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether investment in the (a) medium- and (b) long-term replacements for the A83 Rest and Be Thankful will be impacted by the reported announcement that the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government has imposed emergency spending controls.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to delivering medium and long term solutions to address landslip risks at the A83 Rest and Be Thankful.Delivery of a permanent and resilient solution is a priority and we continue to seek ways to achieve that as quickly as possible. Following identification of a preferred option last year, the next step for the permanent solution, which is the detailed development and assessment of the preferred option, is progressing at pace and will conclude with the publication of draft Orders for comment, currently expected by the end of this year. As with all infrastructure projects, delivery of the scheme can only commence if approved under the relevant statutory authorisation procedures and thereafter a timetable for construction can be set.At the same time, improvements to the existing Old Military Road (OMR) through the Glen Croe corridor are being made to make it a more resilient diversion route until the long term solution is in place.Funding is included in the 2024-25 Budget to continue to deliver the medium term solution and progress the essential preparatory work on the long term solution.Funding to construct the long term solution to the landslip risks will be determined annually as part of the annual Scottish Budget setting exercises. However, this scheme is a priority for the Scottish Government, noting it is a key recommendation in the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2).","AnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422725,"EventID":"S6W-29209","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:17.62","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-19T16:45:17.453","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many whistleblowing champion vacancies it currently has.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many whistleblowing champion vacancies it currently has.","AnswerText":"There are no current vacancies within the Nominated Officer team and the wider Directorate of Internal Audit and Assurance can provide surge capacity when needed.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422726,"EventID":"S6W-29183","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:18.167","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-19T12:30:34.373","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any minister will be removed from office in the event that the &pound;16 billion to fund manufacturing and fabrication of turbines and offshore infrastructure in","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any minister will be removed from office in the event that the &pound;16 billion to fund manufacturing and fabrication of turbines and offshore infrastructure in Scotland, as pledged by the energy companies who won offshore contracts through the ScotWind auction in 2022, is not delivered.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is determined to maximise the economic opportunity for the Scottish supply chain from our offshore wind potential.We expect developers to honour their commitments set out in the Supply Chain Development Statements (SCDS) and a process has been carefully designed and is managed by Crown Estate Scotland (CES) to hold developers to account. Failure by developers to deliver on their commitments can trigger remedies ranging from financial penalties to an inability to progress to a seabed lease.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422727,"EventID":"S6W-29178","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:18.933","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-19T12:30:34.373","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what fines or punishments are available for it to impose in the event that energy companies fail to deliver their share of the &pound;16 billion worth of manufacturing a","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what fines or punishments are available for it to impose in the event that energy companies fail to deliver their share of the &pound;16 billion worth of manufacturing and fabrication of turbines and offshore infrastructure in Scotland, which was pledged by companies who won offshore contracts through the ScotWind auction in 2022.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is determined to maximise the economic opportunity for the Scottish supply chain from our offshore wind potential. We expect developers to honour their commitments set out in the Supply Chain Development Statements (SCDS). The SCDS process has been carefully designed and is managed by Crown Estate Scotland (CES). Failure by developers to deliver on their commitments can trigger remedies ranging from financial penalties to an inability to progress to a seabed lease.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422728,"EventID":"S6W-29198","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:19.667","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-19T16:45:17.453","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the longest time between a pipe leak being reported to Scottish Water and it being repaired has been in each year since 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the longest time between a pipe leak being reported to Scottish Water and it being repaired has been in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water, and the Scottish Government does not hold the information, I have asked them to respond. Their reply is as follows:Question2021-222022-232023-24Average customer leak duration(days)4.24.24.2Longest customer reported leak duration*(days)100+100+100+Total customer leaks reported777159425718Total customer leaks repaired775259565639*The table shows the average time to repair a leak from being reported to being fixed. However, due to issues with locating leaks and access issues there are occasional outliers that will be 100 plus days in duration.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422729,"EventID":"S6W-29204","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:20.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-19T16:45:17.453","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many local authorities the Food for Life programme currently operates in.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many local authorities the Food for Life programme currently operates in.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s funded Food for Life Scotland Programme currently operates within 15 local authorities with 19 &lsquo;Food for Life Served Here&rsquo; awarded caterers across 1,336 sites in Scotland.We continue to support the delivery of the Food for Life Programme which has had a primary focus on school meals with over 100,000 daily &lsquo;Food for Life Served Here&rsquo; meals served in primaries, secondaries and additional support needs schools. Most recently over the past 12 months, 191 new local authority sites have achieved &lsquo;Food for Life Served Here&rsquo;.Throughout financial year 2024-25, the Soil Association will continue to work with local authorities on maintaining accreditation as well as seeking to further embed Food for Life principles across the wider Scottish Public sector.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422730,"EventID":"S6W-29205","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:21.917","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-19T16:45:17.453","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has allocated to the Food for Life programme in each year since 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has allocated to the Food for Life programme in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"Since financial year 2021-22, the Scottish Government has awarded &pound;1,860,000 to the Soil Association for the Food for Life Scotland programme.A breakdown of funding for the last four financial years has been provided in the following table.Financial YearAmount2021-22&pound;400,0002022-23&pound;480,0002023-24&pound;490,0002024-25&pound;490,000Total&pound;1,860,000","AnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422731,"EventID":"S6W-29214","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:23.167","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-19T16:45:17.453","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any ongoing repair work at Eynhallow Church, and when it will reopen to the public.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any ongoing repair work at Eynhallow Church, and when it will reopen to the public.","AnswerText":"Questions regarding day-to-day operational matters of Historic Environment Scotland, including information relating to any repair and maintenance works, are best answered directly by Historic Environment Scotland.I have asked Historic Environment Scotland to respond directly to the member with a full reply to his question in writing.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422732,"EventID":"S6W-29187","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:23.76","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-19T14:17:25.89","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what policy development was undertaken by (a) Marine Scotland and (b) Crown Estate Scotland in the months leading up to the 2024 General Election in preparation for the ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what policy development was undertaken by (a) Marine Scotland and (b) Crown Estate Scotland in the months leading up to the 2024 General Election in preparation for the prospect of Great British Energy being created and any strategic relationship and role that the Crown Estate in Scotland could have with Great British Energy in delivering accelerated growth in renewable energy production within Scotland.","AnswerText":"No policy development work on this subject was undertaken by these bodies prior to the 2024 General Election. Subsequent to the General Election, the Scottish Government has engaged with the new UK Government and has made clear that GB Energy should deliver clear benefits for the people of Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422733,"EventID":"S6W-29203","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:24.543","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-19T16:45:17.453","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to (a) promote the use and (b) widen the availability of tick removal kits.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to (a) promote the use and (b) widen the availability of tick removal kits.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to continuing its work on preventing, raising awareness and improving our understanding of Lyme disease and ticks.As part of the Scottish Government Lyme Disease Awareness Campaign, which ran in May to coincide with Lyme Disease Awareness Month , a campaign toolkit is distributed to stakeholders such as NHS24, Public Health Scotland and Visit Scotland. This provides stakeholders and partners with films, social media and print materials to raise awareness of Lyme Disease and ticks and directs the public to NHS Inform page as source of further information which also contains information on safe tick removal.Tick removal devices are widely available at most pharmacies and outdoor stores as well as some retail shops and online.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422734,"EventID":"S6W-29175","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:25.293","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-19T10:06:37.29","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many prisoners have had early release into the Edinburgh Eastern constituency in each of the last three years, and what assessment it has made of any pressures place","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many prisoners have had early release into the Edinburgh Eastern constituency in each of the last three years, and what assessment it has made of any pressures placed on local services as a result of this.","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:In the period 2021-2024 there has only been one period of Emergency Release (ER). This took place over 4 tranches during June &ndash; July 2024.SPS have proactively published total numbers released following each tranche. We recently published a summary report which includes breakdown of data at health board and Local Authority level. We are unable to publish data at parliamentary constituency level because some of the data could relate to a small group of individuals, which could lead to inadvertent identification.This period of ER, saw only those within six months of their original release date released. A range of partnership working took place with local partners to ensure release arrangements were in place for those released under emergency release regulations. SPS did consider the numbers of individuals being released and assessed the impact to local authorities and services to be similar to figures for the 6-month period where these people would be released anyway.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422735,"EventID":"S6W-29170","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:26.043","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-15T10:57:29.797","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has allocated towards the Fair Start Scotland (FSS) employability service in each of the last five financial years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has allocated towards the Fair Start Scotland (FSS) employability service in each of the last five financial years.","AnswerText":"The following table outlines the last five financial years of allocations for Fair Start Scotland:YEARBUDGET (&pound; million)2019-2020&pound;16.602020-2021&pound;21.482021-2022&pound;27.002022-2023&pound;23.602023-2024&pound;23.50","AnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422736,"EventID":"S6W-29185","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:26.73","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-19T12:30:34.373","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Scottish Renewables regarding reports that \"significant investment\" is required to make the most of \"an unprecedented opportunity to gro","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Scottish Renewables regarding reports that \"significant investment\" is required to make the most of \"an unprecedented opportunity to grow the renewable energy supply chain in Scotland and to establish the facilities we will need to manufacture and supply the components for wind turbines\", and whether Scottish Renewables has provided it with a figure for such investment.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government holds regular discussions with key stakeholders in the renewable energy industry, including Scottish Renewables.We remain committed to ensuring projects are supported to deliver maximum economic benefits. This includes investing up to &pound;500m over the next five years to anchor our offshore wind supply chain in Scotland. Our commercial first approach will stimulate private investment in the infrastructure and manufacturing facilities critical to the growth of our world-leading offshore wind sector. Sumitomo&rsquo;s &pound;350 million high voltage direct current (HVDC) cable manufacturing plant in the highlands is a significant step which will address a major supply chain constraint for offshore wind projects.? Investment into the sector will support market certainty, create a highly productive, competitive economy, provide thousands of new jobs, embed innovation and boost skills.In addition, the Onshore Wind Sector Deal, which was signed with the onshore wind sector in September 2023, contains a series of commitments that promote supply chain opportunities, including the circularity of wind turbine blades. The onshore wind sector has committed to the delivery of at least one blade treatment facility in Scotland by 2030.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422737,"EventID":"S6W-29186","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:27.917","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-19T12:51:55.807","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many newly qualified teachers completed their probationary period in 2024, and, of the teachers that completed their probation, how many gained permanent employment.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many newly qualified teachers completed their probationary period in 2024, and, of the teachers that completed their probation, how many gained permanent employment.","AnswerText":"Statistics on the number of teachers in a Teacher Induction Scheme (TIS) post at the time of the annual teacher census in September are available in Table 1.6a of the teacher census supplementary statistics:https://www.gov.scot/publications/teacher-census-supplementary-statistics/Statistics on the number of teachers in a permanent post in the year following their probation are available in Figure 16 of Summary Statistics for Schools in Scotland:https://www.gov.scot/collections/school-education-statistics/#summarystatisticsforschoolsinscotlandStatistics on the 2023-24 TIS probationer cohort will be published in December 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422738,"EventID":"S6W-29212","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:29.137","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-19T16:45:17.453","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any ongoing repair work at Kisimul Castle, and when it will reopen to the public.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any ongoing repair work at Kisimul Castle, and when it will reopen to the public.","AnswerText":"Questions regarding day-to-day operational matters of Historic Environment Scotland, including information relating to any repair and maintenance works, are best answered directly by Historic Environment Scotland.I have asked Historic Environment Scotland to respond directly to the member with a full reply to his question in writing.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422739,"EventID":"S6W-29211","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:30.29","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-19T16:45:17.453","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any ongoing repair work at Kilchurn Castle, and when it will reopen to the public.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any ongoing repair work at Kilchurn Castle, and when it will reopen to the public.","AnswerText":"Questions regarding day-to-day operational matters of Historic Environment Scotland, including information relating to any repair and maintenance works, are best answered directly by Historic Environment Scotland.I have asked Historic Environment Scotland to respond directly to the member with a full reply to his question in writing.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422740,"EventID":"S6W-29174","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:30.887","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-17T09:37:10.157","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the actionable steps outlined in the Zero Waste Scotland report, Scotland&rsquo;s Circular Economy Practices Ecosystem: Barriers to businesses be","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the actionable steps outlined in the Zero Waste Scotland report, Scotland&rsquo;s Circular Economy Practices Ecosystem: Barriers to businesses being more circular.","AnswerText":"I welcome this report from Zero Waste Scotland, alongside its ongoing circular economy business support service. It is vital that we understand and tackle the barriers Scottish businesses face in adopting more circular operating models, ensuring we value materials and keep them in use for as long as possible. This is key for our efforts to address the climate emergency and nature crises, and create opportunities for investment and economic growth.The report reinforces the key findings and actions proposed in our draft Circular Economy and Waste Route Map, published earlier this year. This includes work to identify ways to expand business models that prolong product lifespan, complementing our focus on producer stewardship for priority products. The sustainable, circular choices are still not the easy choices for different parts of society, including businesses, and large-scale, and rapid system change is required to ensure a more rapid transition to net zero and a fully circular economy in Scotland.Supporting businesses to become more circular is a key part of this transition. As we finalise the Route Map for publication later this year, and develop our first statutory Circular Economy Strategy, the Scottish Government will carefully consider the report&rsquo;s findings and insights.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422741,"EventID":"S6W-29200","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:31.853","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-19T16:45:17.453","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding Scottish Water has allocated to upgrading water pipes in each year since 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding Scottish Water has allocated to upgrading water pipes in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water, and the Scottish Government does not hold the information, I have asked them to respond. Their reply is as follows:Financial year2021-222022-232023-24Investment in upgradingwater mains&pound;124m&pound;147m&pound;167m","AnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422742,"EventID":"S6W-29202","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:32.213","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-19T16:45:17.453","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many litres of public water it estimates have been lost due to faulty piping in each year since 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many litres of public water it estimates have been lost due to faulty piping in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"Scottish Water states the annual leakage level in its annual report and accounts, laid before Parliament and published online at https://www.scottishwater.co.uk/about-us/who-we-are/annual-report","AnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422743,"EventID":"S6W-29191","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:33.323","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-19T14:24:21.707","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether ministers considered the option of undertaking an independent review of the Community Right to Buy, and, if so, what the reasons were for deciding against this o","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether ministers considered the option of undertaking an independent review of the Community Right to Buy, and, if so, what the reasons were for deciding against this option.","AnswerText":"Ministers considered a range of options for conducting the review of Community Right to Buy. The selected option &ndash; a review led by the SG Community Right to Buy team &ndash; was chosen as the best, and most cost-effective, way to ensure the flexibility of process required to align with the stages of the Land Reform Bill.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422744,"EventID":"S6W-29195","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:34.29","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-19T16:45:17.453","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on landslide mitigation infrastructure on roads in each year since 2021, also broken down by site.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on landslide mitigation infrastructure on roads in each year since 2021, also broken down by site.","AnswerText":"Please see the following table for details of annual spend on landslide mitigation infrastructure on the trunk road network for the years 2021-2024 to date:Sites2021202220232024A68 North of Jedburgh&pound;0&pound;25,000&pound;68,000&pound;0A7 Boleside&pound;66,000&pound;0&pound;210,000&pound;15,000A7 Mosspaul&pound;0&pound;0&pound;0&pound;10,000A77 Carlock Wall&pound;505,846&pound;3,197,943&pound;1,384,958&pound;0A82 Gavinburn&pound;0&pound;0&pound;25,974.90&pound;0A82 Glen Gloy&pound;10,095.92&pound;96,991.57&pound;6,852.80&pound;908,842.35A83 Glen Kinglas&pound;240,677.02&pound;312,506.61&pound;104,327.90&pound;236,029.38A83 Old Military Road&pound;1,611,616.69&pound;3,633.58&pound;1,054.61&pound;0.00A83 Rest and Be Thankful&pound;2,560,921.43&pound;3,802,247.93&pound;1,240,549.70&pound;51,672.92A87 Luib&pound;0.00&pound;0.00&pound;0.00&pound;2,124.44","AnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422745,"EventID":"S6W-29216","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:35.04","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-19T16:45:17.453","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any ongoing repair work at Dallas Dhu Historic Distillery, and when it will reopen to the public.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any ongoing repair work at Dallas Dhu Historic Distillery, and when it will reopen to the public.","AnswerText":"Questions regarding day-to-day operational matters of Historic Environment Scotland, including information relating to any repair and maintenance works, are best answered directly by Historic Environment Scotland.I have asked Historic Environment Scotland to respond directly to the member with a full reply to his question in writing.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422746,"EventID":"S6W-29199","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:35.963","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-19T16:45:17.453","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many reports of a pipe leak have been submitted to Scottish Water in each year since 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many reports of a pipe leak have been submitted to Scottish Water in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29198 on 5 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422747,"EventID":"S6W-29182","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:36.463","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-19T12:30:34.373","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has had any discussions with Shell and Scottish Power, which are jointly developing the CampionWind and MarramWind projects, regarding reported comments that ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has had any discussions with Shell and Scottish Power, which are jointly developing the CampionWind and MarramWind projects, regarding reported comments that \"it is evident that significant investment will be required into Scottish facilities to prepare the Scottish market for the pipeline of projects which will be developed through ScotWind leasing\".","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government regularly engages with key stakeholders involved in ScotWind projects, including a recent developer roundtable which I chaired on 13 August 2024, at which CampionWind and MarramWind were both represented. The roundtable included discussions on the need for targeted investment to ensure that the Scottish market is prepared for the pipeline of projects which will be developed through the ScotWind leasing round.The Scottish Government remains committed to supporting the offshore wind industry and maximising the significant opportunities to attract inward investment, generate green jobs and grow our regional and national economies. To that end, we are continuing to engage in crucial public sector and industry partnerships such as the Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council (SOWEC), and we support the industry-led Strategic Investment Model.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422748,"EventID":"S6W-29210","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:37.23","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-19T16:45:17.453","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar regarding reported calls to upgrade the road leading into the Gearrannan Blackhouse Village.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar regarding reported calls to upgrade the road leading into the Gearrannan Blackhouse Village.","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland has had no engagement with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar regarding reported calls to upgrade the road leading into the Gearrannan Blackhouse Village. Transport Scotland has responsibility for the trunk road network, and as such has no responsibility for that road as it is not a trunk road.Local authorities have a duty under the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 to manage and maintain local roads in their area and duties under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to secure the expeditious, convenient and safe movement of traffic.Ultimately, it is for locally elected representatives to make local decisions on how best to deliver services to their local communities.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422749,"EventID":"S6W-29173","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:38.26","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-16T13:38:21.493","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the civil service headcount in Scotland reportedly increased by 51% between 2019 and 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the civil service headcount in Scotland reportedly increased by 51% between 2019 and 2024.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government workforce size has had to grow over several years to deliver on newly devolved powers, the implications of EU Exit, responding to the Covid-19 pandemic and now supporting our recovery from that. More recently the Government has had to respond to the conflict in Ukraine, the cost of living crisis and the establishment of ScotWind within our wider Net Zero commitments, as well as the introduction of a National Care Service.Devolved powers relating to certain aspects of social security to the Scottish Government in 2018 and Forestry in 2019 have also seen growth in the three related agencies to take on this additional work &ndash; Social Security Scotland has grown by 3,425 FTE since 2019, and Scottish Forestry and Forestry &amp; Land Scotland have grown by 1,310 FTE since 2019.In support of the wider Public Sector Reform agenda and budget constraints, Scottish Government is proactively addressing the need to reduce in size to remain fiscally sustainable, and we have seen further reductions in overall workforce in the 12 months since March 2023.Recruitment controls have been in place since April 2022 and have been successful in controlling growth within the Scottish Government and ensuring any recruitment activity is aligned to Ministerial priorities.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422750,"EventID":"S6W-29179","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:38.917","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-19T12:30:34.373","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what communication it has had with Vestas regarding its reported plans for a facility to construct turbine blades in Leith, inside the Forth freeport zone.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what communication it has had with Vestas regarding its reported plans for a facility to construct turbine blades in Leith, inside the Forth freeport zone.","AnswerText":"We are continuing to engage with Vestas around potential investment into Scotland. The former First Minister met with the CEO of Vestas on 3 April 2024. A further meeting between the First Minister and the CEO is due to take place in September 2024.Officials from the Scottish Government and our agencies also meet with the company regularly.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422751,"EventID":"S6W-29206","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:39.04","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-19T16:45:17.453","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many teachers have been registered as supply teachers in each year since 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many teachers have been registered as supply teachers in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"Information of the number of teachers registered as supply teachers is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. The member may wish to contact local authorities who directly employ our teachers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422752,"EventID":"S6W-29177","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:39.103","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-19T12:30:34.373","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the &pound;16 billion to fund the manufacturing and fabrication of turbines and offshore infrastructure in Scotland, as pledged by the en","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the &pound;16 billion to fund the manufacturing and fabrication of turbines and offshore infrastructure in Scotland, as pledged by the energy companies who won offshore contracts through the ScotWind auction in 2022, will be delivered.","AnswerText":"The ScotWind leasing round was carefully designed by Crown Estate Scotland with a focus on quality and deliverability of bids, and the long-term goal of securing supply chain investment. We welcome the commitment of developers to invest an average projection of &pound;1.5bn in Scotland per project across the 20 ScotWind projects and we expect developers to honour these commitments.We recognise that investment, both public and private, is key to unlocking these commitments. That is why we are investing up to &pound;500m over five years to anchor the offshore wind supply chain in Scotland. Our commercial-first approach will stimulate and support private investment in the infrastructure and manufacturing facilities critical to the growth of our offshore wind sector.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422753,"EventID":"S6W-29190","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:39.183","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-19T14:24:21.707","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the four most recent applications for a late registration for a Community Right to Buy have reportedly been refused.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the four most recent applications for a late registration for a Community Right to Buy have reportedly been refused.","AnswerText":"The reasons for not approving the four most recent late applications are detailed in the decision notice for each. These can be found in the Register of Community Interest in Land (RCIL), which is held on the Registers of Scotland website. It is free to access. The four cases were:Broomhill Community Trust Hub Limited (Ref:CB00263) &ndash; September 2023Kinlochard (Cottages) Residents Association Ltd (Ref: CB00248) &ndash; January 2021Kinlochard (Cottages) Residents Association Ltd (Ref: CB00247) &ndash; November 2020Carty Port Community Company (Ref: CB00234) - April 2018","AnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422754,"EventID":"S6W-29196","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:39.243","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-19T16:45:17.453","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on repairing landslide mitigation infrastructure on roads in each year since 2021, also broken down by site.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on repairing landslide mitigation infrastructure on roads in each year since 2021, also broken down by site.","AnswerText":"Please see the following table for details of annual spend on repairs landslide mitigation infrastructure on the trunk road network for the years 2021-2024 to date:Site2021202220232024A68 Fala&pound;0&pound;4,000&pound;0&pound;0A702 Damhead&pound;0&pound;0&pound;0&pound;10,000A7 Ewes Water&pound;0&pound;0&pound;0&pound;35,000A7 Fiddleton&pound;0&pound;0&pound;0&pound;25,000A83 Rest and Be Thankful&pound;295,760.98&pound;0.00&pound;0.00&pound;526.74A83 Glen Kinglas&pound;0.00&pound;0.00&pound;0.00&pound;1,682.47A83 Old Military Road&pound;0.00&pound;0.00&pound;0.00&pound;3,436.80","AnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422755,"EventID":"S6W-29207","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:39.337","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-19T16:45:17.453","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many incidents of bullying have been reported by its civil servants in each year since 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many incidents of bullying have been reported by its civil servants in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"As an employer, the Scottish Government is committed to ensuring the workplace is free from bullying, harassment, discrimination and victimisation, where work related concerns, problems or issues can be raised and responded to.Under the Scottish Government's grievance policy, line managers are expected to deal with concerns about inappropriate behaviour at an early stage and on an informal basis, where appropriate.The number of formal complaints about bullying reported by civil servants in the Scottish Government since 2021 is provided in the following table:Number of formal complaints of bullying reported by Scottish Government civil servants2021202220232024(from 1 January to 20 August 2024)Total424212The figures provided in our response to this question only cover staff working in the following core Scottish Government business areas:Director-General CommunitiesDirector-General CorporateDirector-General EconomyDirector-General Education and JusticeDirector-General Health and Social CareDirector-General Net ZeroDirector-General Scottish ExchequerDirector-General Strategy and External Affairs","AnswerDate":"2024-09-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422756,"EventID":"S6W-29215","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:39.667","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-19T16:45:17.453","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any ongoing repair work at Castle of Old Wick, and when it will reopen to the public.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any ongoing repair work at Castle of Old Wick, and when it will reopen to the public.","AnswerText":"Questions regarding day-to-day operational matters of Historic Environment Scotland, including information relating to any repair and maintenance works, are best answered directly by Historic Environment Scotland.I have asked Historic Environment Scotland to respond directly to the member with a full reply to his question in writing.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422757,"EventID":"S6W-29181","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:39.76","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-19T12:30:34.373","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to count any components fabricated outside the UK and shipped to the UK for assembly towards the &pound;16 billion to fund manufacturing and fabrication","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to count any components fabricated outside the UK and shipped to the UK for assembly towards the &pound;16 billion to fund manufacturing and fabrication of turbines and offshore infrastructure in Scotland, as pledged by the energy companies who won offshore contracts through the ScotWind auction in 2022.","AnswerText":"The Supply Chain Development Statements (SCDS) process has been carefully designed and is managed by Crown Estate Scotland. It requires developers to outline their initial commitments to the Scottish supply chain across four project phases - development, manufacturing and fabrication, installation and operations &amp; maintenance.We welcome developers&rsquo; commitments to invest an average projection of &pound;1.5bn per project on the 20 ScotWind projects.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422758,"EventID":"S6W-29201","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:39.823","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-19T16:45:17.453","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many reports of a pipe leak submitted to Scottish Water have been resolved in each year since 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many reports of a pipe leak submitted to Scottish Water have been resolved in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29198 on 5 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422759,"EventID":"S6W-29172","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:39.9","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-16T10:14:53.16","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W- 28736 by Ivan McKee on 7 August 2024, what consideration it has given to how the public and other stakeholders may perceive insta","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W- 28736 by Ivan McKee on 7 August 2024, what consideration it has given to how the public and other stakeholders may perceive instances of planning permission being granted, and advance construction beginning, for associated grid infrastructure for wind farms that have yet to be determined by the Scottish Ministers.","AnswerText":"Planning legislation requires that any particular planning application is timeously determined on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration relevant planning considerations of the individual application. This is the responsibility of the relevant planning authority in the first instance. It is a matter for the applicant to decide when any application is submitted. Where planning permission is granted, it is then a matter for the applicant to decide whether, and when, to implement that permission before it expires.A grant of planning permission that enables grid connection for future possible renewable energy proposals does not affect the consideration of separate applications for those renewable energy developments.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422760,"EventID":"S6W-29194","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:39.963","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-19T16:45:17.453","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any ongoing repair work at Glenbuchat Castle, and when it will reopen to the public.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any ongoing repair work at Glenbuchat Castle, and when it will reopen to the public.","AnswerText":"Questions regarding day-to-day operational matters of Historic Environment Scotland, including information relating to any repair and maintenance works, are best answered directly by Historic Environment Scotland.I have asked Historic Environment Scotland to respond directly to the member with a full reply to his question in writing.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422761,"EventID":"S6W-29184","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:40.04","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-19T12:30:34.373","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the maximum capacity is per year of wind turbines that can currently be manufactured in Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the maximum capacity is per year of wind turbines that can currently be manufactured in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The large pipeline of offshore wind projects under development in Scotland offers a significant manufacturing opportunity. We are already seeing significant progress in this regard. Sumitomo&rsquo;s &pound;350 million high voltage direct current (HVDC) cable manufacturing plant in the Highlands is a significant step which will address a major supply chain constraint for offshore wind projects. The factory will bring manufacturing capability to Scotland to support the offshore wind sector and will create hundreds of good, green jobs.Whilst Scotland currently has no wind turbine manufacturing facilities, Scotland&rsquo;s strong specialised SME base, offshore installation services, advanced port infrastructure, operations and maintenance expertise, word-class engineering capabilities and highly-skilled offshore energy workforce make Scotland a prime location for offshore wind manufacturing facilities.The Onshore Wind Sector Deal, which was signed with the onshore wind sector in September 2023, contains a series of commitments that promote supply chain opportunities, including the circularity of wind turbine blades. The onshore wind sector has committed to the delivery of at least one blade treatment facility in Scotland by 2030.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422762,"EventID":"S6W-29176","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:40.103","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-19T12:30:34.373","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported comments that it is committing \"&pound;500 million to anchor our offshore wind supply chain in Scotland\", how much of this money has been spent","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported comments that it is committing \"&pound;500 million to anchor our offshore wind supply chain in Scotland\", how much of this money has been spent to date, and how many additional jobs it has supported.","AnswerText":"We are kick-starting our commitment to invest up to &pound;500m to anchor our offshore wind supply chain in Scotland with investment of &pound;67 million in the sector this financial year. This investment will support market certainty, helping to create a highly productive, competitive offshore wind economy that provides thousands of new jobs, embeds innovation and boosts skills. We are working across public sector delivery partners to ensure that the funding is delivered to projects as quickly as possible subject to rigorous due diligence and value for money assurance processes.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422763,"EventID":"S6W-29217","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:40.167","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-19T16:45:17.453","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any ongoing repair work at Auchindoun Castle, and when it will reopen to the public.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any ongoing repair work at Auchindoun Castle, and when it will reopen to the public.","AnswerText":"Questions regarding day-to-day operational matters of Historic Environment Scotland, including information relating to any repair and maintenance works, are best answered directly by Historic Environment Scotland.I have asked Historic Environment Scotland to respond directly to the member with a full reply to his question in writing.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus Robertson","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422764,"EventID":"S6W-29193","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-20T14:51:40.23","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-19T16:28:42.23","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on any deeming of wages of college staff who take action short of a strike.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on any deeming of wages of college staff who take action short of a strike.","AnswerText":"I welcome the recent pay deal agreed between college employers and EIS-FELA, which brings an end to strike action across the college sector.I am aware that local agreements are in place, as part of the pay offer, to repay any deductions of pay to staff once outstanding results have been processed.I welcome this move and hope this now brings this long running period of industrial action to a close.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":null,"ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422765,"EventID":"S6W-29234","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3129,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":83,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-21T11:08:40.037","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-21T09:42:45.373","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government test","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government test","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422767,"EventID":"S6W-29249","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":5608,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":103,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-21T13:34:14.14","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-21T13:30:40.02","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Registrar General for Scotland will publish the next results from the 2022 Census.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Registrar General for Scotland will publish the next results from the 2022 Census.","AnswerText":"I have asked Janet Egdell, Chief Executive of National Records of Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:National Records of Scotland have today published: 2022 results | Scotland's Census (scotlandscensus.gov.uk).  Scotland&rsquo;s Census results are designated as Accredited Official Statistics and form an integral part of the statistical system in the UK. The Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR), the independent regulatory arm of the UK Statistics Authority &ndash; Statistics for the Public Good, awards Accredited Official Statistics designation based on the quality, good practice and comprehensiveness of official statistics.&nbsp;  More detail about the schedule for future reports can be found here. Census outputs schedule | Scotland's Census (scotlandscensus.gov.uk).","AnswerDate":"2024-08-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422773,"EventID":"S6W-29224","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-21T14:52:01.02","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-20T11:59:10.213","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions its ministers have had with (a) Police Scotland and (b) companies that provide delivery services regarding any requirements for delivery drivers to wear","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions its ministers have had with (a) Police Scotland and (b) companies that provide delivery services regarding any requirements for delivery drivers to wear safety helmets.","AnswerText":"The enforcement of traffic offences is an operational matter for Police Scotland, with oversight provided by the Scottish Police Authority, who act independently of Scottish ministers.The wearing of cycle helmets is covered by the Highway Code and is a matter reserved to the UK government. The Scottish government endorses the Highway Code, which states: You should wear a cycle helmet that conforms to current regulations, is the correct size and securely fastened. Evidence suggests that a correctly fitted helmet will reduce your risk of sustaining a head injury in certain circumstances however this latter is not a legal requirement and remains a matter of personal choice.Furthermore, the Scottish Government takes road safety seriously. Scotland&rsquo;s Scotland's Road Safety Framework to 2030 - Scotlands Road Safety Framework (RSF2030) was published in February 2021, with the goal of Scotland having the best road safety performance in the world. It adopts the Safe System approach to road safety which is recognised internationally as best practice in road safety delivery. It sets challenging targets for the years ahead, with a 50 per cent reduction in fatal and serious injuries and a 60 per cent reduction in child fatal and serious injuries by 2030.Transport Scotland works in collaboration with our road safety partners, to deliver the Road Safety Framework through a three-tier governance structure. This includes Police Scotland, who are represented at each level of governance.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422774,"EventID":"S6W-29220","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-21T14:52:01.553","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-20T10:08:44.717","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Minimum Income Guarantee Steering Group, what process was put in place to recruit and identify the members of the Expert by Experience panel.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Minimum Income Guarantee Steering Group, what process was put in place to recruit and identify the members of the Expert by Experience panel.","AnswerText":"The independent Minimum Income Guarantee Expert Group commissioned a public participation charity to appoint an Experts by Experience Panel to ensure the policy is developed with the voices and experiences of financial insecurity at its core. Panel members were initially recruited through a civic lottery database, additional recruitment then took place through the Expert Group member&rsquo;s organisations, following an extension of the project. Further details regarding the recruitment process are available online at: Minimum Income Guarantee: Experts by Experience Panel report - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).","AnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422775,"EventID":"S6W-29230","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-21T14:52:01.543","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-20T13:44:25.423","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much each action in the New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy Delivery Plan with a deadline of 2024-25 will cost.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much each action in the New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy Delivery Plan with a deadline of 2024-25 will cost.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to providing over &pound;3.8m of grant funding towards the delivery of the New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy in 2024-25. This includes funding for Scottish Refugee Council to provide a comprehensive, nationwide Refugee Support Service. There is also funding made available to progress a Family Reunion service with the British Red Cross, a contribution to the continuation of Bridges Programme's Refugee Doctors Project, and partner resourcing to ensure actions they are responsible for delivering are progressed.Additionally, we continue to fund a number of third sector organisations to support refugee integration. This funding totals &pound;488,000 in 2024-25, with a number of these organisations working to the outcomes of the New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422776,"EventID":"S6W-29231","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-21T14:52:01.56","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-20T13:44:25.44","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consultation took place with stakeholders before its reported decision to cancel the national free bus travel for asylum seekers pilot was made.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consultation took place with stakeholders before its reported decision to cancel the national free bus travel for asylum seekers pilot was made.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is having to make very difficult decisions to deliver balanced and sustainable spending plans for the 2024-25 financial year, therefore it is unaffordable to progress our plans to pilot free bus travel for all people seeking asylum in Scotland.I am grateful to the stakeholders involved in the working group set up to develop the free bus travel for asylum seekers pilot. My officials informed them directly of the difficult decision to cancel the proposed pilot scheme to provide free bus travel for asylum seekers on 16 August 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422777,"EventID":"S6W-29219","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-21T14:52:01.56","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-20T10:07:53.67","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what feedback it has received from the expert group on the minimum income guarantee in relation to the social security elements of t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what feedback it has received from the expert group on the minimum income guarantee in relation to the social security elements of the minimum income guarantee.","AnswerText":"The work to define a Minimum Income Guarantee for Scotland, including the role of social security, continues to be led by an independent Expert Group. the Expert Group&rsquo;s Interim report which published in March 2024, contained recommendations for actions around social security elements of a Minimum Income Guarantee. The report is available at: Minimum Income Guarantee Expert Group: Interim report - gov.scot (www.gov.scot). The Chair of the Expert Group also brought early thinking on the vision for the social security aspects of a Minimum Income Guarantee to the Steering Group meeting on 27 March this year. The minutes for that meeting can be found at Minimum Income Guarantee Steering Group minutes: March 2024 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot). The Scottish Government look forward to receiving the recommendations for the Expert Group&rsquo;s final report later this year and will respond in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422778,"EventID":"S6W-29229","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-21T14:52:01.55","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-20T13:44:25.423","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much money was allocated to the delivery of the New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy in its 2024-25 Budget; whether this allocation has changed due to its emergenc","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much money was allocated to the delivery of the New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy in its 2024-25 Budget; whether this allocation has changed due to its emergency spending controls, and, if so, what the revised total allocation is for the current financial year.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has ensured that we have enhanced the support we are providing to new Scots in 2024-25, despite a very challenging financial context. We have provided over &pound;3.8m of grant funding towards the delivery of the New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy in 2024-25.Additionally, we continue to fund a number of third sector organisations to support refugee integration. This funding totals &pound;488,000 in 2024-25.This investment represents an increase in the funding the Scottish Government has provided in previous years, to mitigate the impact of the end of EU funding.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422779,"EventID":"S6W-29227","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-21T14:52:01.563","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-20T11:59:10.213","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many developments have been approved in the first phase of its review of permitted development rights, broken down by local authority area.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many developments have been approved in the first phase of its review of permitted development rights, broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"In most cases, permitted development rights (PDR) allow certain developments to be carried out without reference to the planning authority &ndash; provided the relevant PDR conditions are complied with. Therefore, such developments do not require an application for planning permission to be submitted to and approved by a planning authority and, accordingly, data is not available on those developments carried out under PDR.However, a small number of PDR are subject to a process known as &ldquo;prior notification/prior approval&rdquo;. The planning authority&rsquo;s determination is limited to the particular matters specified in the relevant PDR class &ndash; for example, siting, design or appearance. Although there is no statutory requirement to do so, planning authorities should keep records of prior notification/prior approval cases.Data on prior notification/approvals form part of the statistics that are submitted by planning authorities and form the basis of the Scottish Government&rsquo;s Official Statistics available on https://www.gov.scot/collections/planning-statistics/. Most recent figures are available https://www.gov.scot/publications/planning-applications-statistics-2022-23-annual-quarterly-october-2022-march-2023/documents/The information is broken down into certain development types. However, the figures are not broken down by local authority area.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422780,"EventID":"S6W-29222","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-21T14:52:00.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-20T11:43:45.737","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its timeline for consulting on the Good Practice Principles for community benefits from offshore renewable energy developments.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its timeline for consulting on the Good Practice Principles for community benefits from offshore renewable energy developments.","AnswerText":"Community benefits from our abundant energy resources, and the potential for communities to own a share of renewable energy projects, are important components in empowering people and communities to help shape and benefit from the energy transition. We are currently reviewing our Good Practice Principles for Offshore Renewables ahead of public consultation. Further details are included in the Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422781,"EventID":"S6W-29218","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-21T14:52:00.997","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-20T01:08:48.8","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the cost of travel on intercity journeys within Scotland of comparable length can reportedly be up to 50% more expensive than those in the south west of ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the cost of travel on intercity journeys within Scotland of comparable length can reportedly be up to 50% more expensive than those in the south west of England, and what is being done to further reduce fares for ScotRail passengers to ensure that green transport options are accessible and affordable for all.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has kept fares comparatively lower, on average, than across the rest of GB network, and this has been the case for over a decade.ScotRail offers a range of products and discounts to its passengers to make rail travel more affordable in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422782,"EventID":"S6W-29228","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-21T14:52:01.553","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-20T13:44:25.423","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that the free bus travel for asylum seekers pilot referenced in the New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy Delivery Plan will no longer proceed due ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that the free bus travel for asylum seekers pilot referenced in the New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy Delivery Plan will no longer proceed due to emergency spending controls, whether it expects that any other actions in the strategy will be cancelled in the current financial year.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government are continuing to work with our partners COSLA and Scottish Refugee Council on the implementation of the actions set out in the Delivery Plan. There are no plans to cancel other actions.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422783,"EventID":"S6W-29225","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-21T14:52:01.543","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-20T11:59:10.213","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions its ministers have had with local authorities regarding the wearing of safety helmets by delivery drivers.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions its ministers have had with local authorities regarding the wearing of safety helmets by delivery drivers.","AnswerText":"No discussions have taken place between ministers and Local Authorities regarding the wearing of safety helmets by delivery drivers.As outlined in the Highway Code (a matter reserved to the UK Government), riders are recommended to wear a correctly fitted cycle helmet. However, this is not a legal requirement and remains a matter of personal choice.However, the Scottish Government takes road safety seriously. Scotland&rsquo;s Road Safety Framework to 2030 (RSF2030) was published in February 2021, with the goal of Scotland having the best road safety performance in the world. It adopts the &lsquo;Safe System&rsquo; approach to road safety which is recognised internationally as best practice in road safety delivery. It sets challenging targets for the years ahead, with a 50 per cent reduction in fatal and serious injuries and a 60 per cent reduction in child fatal and serious injuries by 2030.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422784,"EventID":"S6W-29232","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-21T14:52:01.577","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-20T13:44:25.44","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is available for (a) third sector organisations and (b) local authorities to provide support with transport costs for people seeking asylum, in light of the","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is available for (a) third sector organisations and (b) local authorities to provide support with transport costs for people seeking asylum, in light of the reported cancellation of its pilot scheme for free bus travel for asylum seekers.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Governments approach to supporting the integration of refugees, people seeking asylum and other forced migrants within Scotland&rsquo;s communities is set out in the New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy published in March 2024.The Scottish Government does not provide direct funding to third sector organisations or local authorities specifically for the purpose of providing travel support for people seeking asylum.However, people seeking asylum who are aged 60 or over or under 22 years old, or meet the disability eligibility criteria are eligible for concessionary travel in the same way as all other Scottish residents. I would encourage all those eligible to apply.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422785,"EventID":"S6W-29223","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-21T14:52:01.05","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-20T11:59:10.213","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions its ministers have had with Police Scotland regarding the wearing of safety helmets by delivery drivers.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions its ministers have had with Police Scotland regarding the wearing of safety helmets by delivery drivers.","AnswerText":"The enforcement of traffic offences is an operational matter for Police Scotland, with oversight provided by the Scottish Police Authority, who act independently of Scottish ministers.The wearing of cycle helmets is covered by the Highway Code and is a matter reserved to the UK government. The Scottish government endorses the Highway Code, which states: You should wear a cycle helmet that conforms to current regulations, is the correct size and securely fastened. Evidence suggests that a correctly fitted helmet will reduce your risk of sustaining a head injury in certain circumstances however this latter is not a legal requirement and remains a matter of personal choice.Furthermore, the Scottish Government takes road safety seriously. Scotland&rsquo;s Scotland's Road Safety Framework to 2030 - Scotlands Road Safety Framework (RSF2030) was published in February 2021, with the goal of Scotland having the best road safety performance in the world. It adopts the Safe System approach to road safety which is recognised internationally as best practice in road safety delivery. It sets challenging targets for the years ahead, with a 50 per cent reduction in fatal and serious injuries and a 60 per cent reduction in child fatal and serious injuries by 2030.Transport Scotland works in collaboration with our road safety partners, to deliver the Road Safety Framework through a three-tier governance structure. This includes Police Scotland, who are represented at each level of governance.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422786,"EventID":"S6W-29233","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-22T09:58:17.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-20T16:19:49.123","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the cost to the NHS was of dispensing methadone in the last year, broken down by NHS board.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the cost to the NHS was of dispensing methadone in the last year, broken down by NHS board.","AnswerText":"The total drug costs and fees for dispensing methadone mixture and solution (1mg/ml) to the NHS in the last year (July 2023 &ndash; June 2024), broken down by NHS Board, are presented in the following table. Cost data are complete for all NHS Boards, whereas fees are incomplete as some payment elements are handled locally.Table 1: Total drug costs and fees for dispensing methadone mixture1. Items dispensed in Scotland by NHS Board &ndash; July 2023 to June 2024Dispensing NHS Health BoardGross Ingredient Cost (&pound;)2Methadone fees (&pound;)3Supervision fees (&pound;)4NHS Ayrshire &amp; Arran312,950.580.000.00NHS Borders37,704.7232,628.7596,265.10NHS Dumfries &amp; Galloway66,962.590.000.00NHS Fife268,639.30287,487.51441,648.50NHS Forth Valley119,753.970.000.00NHS Grampian401,156.440.000.00NHS Greater Glasgow &amp; Clyde1,246,624.400.000.00NHS Highland93,103.9727,367.5025,096.95NHS Lanarkshire286,939.790.000.00NHS Lothian677,684.471,023,985.60840,335.04NHS Orkney2,784.092,855.255,089.54NHS Shetland13,328.2517,274.8528,613.20NHS Tayside317,234.790.000.00NHS Western Isles4.010.000.00NHS Scotland3,844,871.371,391,599.461,437,048.33Notes:1.Data relate to methadone mixture and solution (1mg/ml), which are recognised as being the standard products for methadone programmes. Data cover Opioid Substitution Therapy (OST) methadone dispensing only and do not include the dispensing of other OST medicines;2.Total drug cost is the paid Gross Ingredient Cost (GIC);3.Methadone fees (cost applied to dispensing methadone), (data are incomplete as some NHS Boards may pay elements of methadone dispensing locally and where this is the case, no central data will be held);4.Fees paid for the supervision of methadone (data are incomplete as some NHS Boards may pay elements of methadone supervision locally and where this is the case, no central data will be held);Source: Public Health Scotland (IR2024-00639)","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422787,"EventID":"S6W-29243","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-22T09:58:17.843","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-21T12:44:11.343","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with local authorities regarding antisocial behaviour since April 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with local authorities regarding antisocial behaviour since April 2024.","AnswerText":"We fully support local authorities, and Police Scotland, who lead on preventing and tackling antisocial behaviour and are best placed to work with their local communities using the powers available to them. I have regular direct engagement with COSLA&rsquo;s Spokesperson for Community Wellbeing discussing a range of issues, including on developing a strategic and sustainable long-term approach to antisocial behaviour and fireworks safety. Officials regularly engage with Local Authorities and COSLA on community safety matters, including antisocial behaviour. Since April 2024, this has included discussion on sharing best practice on local partnership working to prevent and tackle antisocial behaviour.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422788,"EventID":"S6W-29245","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-22T09:58:17.843","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-21T12:57:24.49","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether Marine Scotland has recorded any collisions between its offshore patrol fleet and (a) whales, (b) dolphins, (c) porpoises, (d) basking sharks, (e) seals and (f) ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether Marine Scotland has recorded any collisions between its offshore patrol fleet and (a) whales, (b) dolphins, (c) porpoises, (d) basking sharks, (e) seals and (f) other large marine species since 2021.","AnswerText":"The Marine Directorate has recorded no collisions between its Marine Protection Vessels and (a) whales, (b) dolphins, (c) porpoises, (d) basking sharks, (e) seals and (f) other large marine species since 2021, and is not aware of any collisions.","AnswerDate":"2024-08-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422789,"EventID":"S6W-29248","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-22T09:58:17.84","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-21T13:13:35.863","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress of the Learning Estate Investment Programme.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress of the Learning Estate Investment Programme.","AnswerText":"To date, 9 school infrastructure projects have opened through the &pound;2bn Learning Estate Investment Programme (LEIP). Furthermore, 16 projects are currently in construction.The LEIP aims to deliver 47 projects by the end of 2027-28.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422790,"EventID":"S6W-29246","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-22T09:58:17.843","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-21T12:57:24.49","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its assessment is of the capacity of the alcohol and drug partnership workforce to deliver its commitment to increase access to residential rehab.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its assessment is of the capacity of the alcohol and drug partnership workforce to deliver its commitment to increase access to residential rehab.","AnswerText":"For the Scottish Government to meet our commitment of ensuring that at least 1000 people receive public funding for their stay in Residential Rehabilitation, it is largely dependent on capacity in the residential rehabilitation providers who provide the service, rather than the alcohol and drug partnership workforce.We have made &pound;38m available to eight projects across Scotland provide 140 more beds by 2025-26. 36 of these beds are already operational and 34 will be completed in this financial year across Aberdeenshire and the Highlands and Islands, with the remainder coming onstream in future years.Collectively, these not only substantially increase the number of bed spaces available but also importantly widen access to specific groups and addresses geographic barriers to accessing rehab.Scottish Government analysts intend to undertake and publish a robust audit of capacity in 2025 which will provide a public record for progress against our commitment of 650 RR beds by 2026.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422791,"EventID":"S6W-29244","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-22T09:58:17.847","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-21T12:57:24.49","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how (a) NatureScot and (b) Marine Scotland prevent whale strandings.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how (a) NatureScot and (b) Marine Scotland prevent whale strandings.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government funds the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme (SMASS) at the University of Glasgow to provide a coordinated approach to the surveillance of marine species (e.g., cetaceans, seals and basking sharks) stranded around the Scottish coast. As well as investigating major causes of death, the scheme also helps identify any substantial new threats to the conservation status of these species as well as assisting in the identification of other pressures and threats.This information is used by the Scottish Government and NatureScot to take forward action that can help to prevent strandings in the future and to meet its commitment to achieve and maintain Good Environmental Status for cetaceans. This includes delivering action to minimise, and where possible eliminate, bycatch of sensitive marine species, including cetaceans, to ensure the sustainability of our fisheries, as well as supporting ongoing work to ensure the coherence of our marine protected areas network.Much of this work is supported by the Scottish Marine Environmental Enhancement Fund and Scottish Government's Nature Restoration Fund which is managed by NatureScot.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422792,"EventID":"S6W-29247","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-22T09:58:17.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-21T13:09:15.99","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) primary and (b) secondary schools it estimates have been successfully retrofitted since 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) primary and (b) secondary schools it estimates have been successfully retrofitted since 2021.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government school estate statistics are collected and published annually at: School education statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)The number of schools refurbished since April 2021 is (a) 88 in primary and (b) 13 in secondary. Only projects with a cost of at least &pound;500,000 for primary and &pound;1m for secondary have been included.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422793,"EventID":"S6W-28632","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-22T09:58:17.84","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-17T12:04:07.983","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28252 by Ivan McKee on 12 July 2024, who has been consulted as part of its collaborative cross-sector work to update the counter f","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28252 by Ivan McKee on 12 July 2024, who has been consulted as part of its collaborative cross-sector work to update the counter fraud strategy Protecting Public Resources in Scotland, and whether it will provide details of the membership of (a) the cross-government Integrity Group and (b) any other stakeholder groups that have been involved.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government Integrity Group permanent membership, as per its Terms of Reference, is as follows:The Head of Counter Fraud Profession (Chair)Strategic Lead, Risk, Control &amp; Assurance DivisionPropriety and EthicsThe Head of Finance Programme ManagementThe Chief Information Security OfficerA nominated HR representativeA nominated Scottish Government Legal Directorate (SGLD) advisorA nominated Internal Audit representative.The strategy, Protecting Public Resources in Scotland, is due to be updated with the 2024-25 objectives for planned continual improvement in Counter Fraud within Scottish Government and the public sector. The strategy remains extant in its current form. Current collaboration and engagement includes the following stakeholders/partners:The Public Sector Fraud Authority &ndash; UK GovernmentThe International Public Sector Fraud ForumThe Government Counter Fraud Network &ndash; ScotlandThe Commonwealth Fraud Prevention CentreAudit ScotlandNHS Counter Fraud ServiceSocial Security Scotland Fraud &amp; Error Resolution UnitDuring the wider engagement for Protecting Public Resources in Scotland in 2015, the following stakeholders were involved and endorsed the strategy:Crown Office &amp; Procurator Fiscal ServiceStudent Awards Agency ScotlandAudit ScotlandThe Department for Work and PensionsNHS National Services ScotlandNHS Counter Fraud ServicesCOSLASerious Organised Crime Task ForcePolice ScotlandScottish Business Resilience CentreScottish Public Pensions AgencyScottish Local Authority Investigators GroupScottish Local Authorities Chief Internal Auditors GroupRevenue ScotlandAs part of the planned update to the strategy, the Scottish Government will again engage with a broad stakeholder group to ensure that the strategy reflects the wider public sector and current counter fraud strategy and best practice.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422794,"EventID":"S6W-28634","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-22T09:58:17.847","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-17T12:04:07.983","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its work on the prevention and detection of public sector fraud and corruption, what its definition is of (a) fraud and (b) corruption.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its work on the prevention and detection of public sector fraud and corruption, what its definition is of (a) fraud and (b) corruption.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s (SG) definition of fraud is found within the Scottish Public Finance Manual (SPFM), under the section titled &lsquo;Fraud&rsquo;. The term &lsquo;fraud&rsquo; is used to describe a wide variety of dishonest behaviour such as deception, forgery, false representation, and concealment of material facts. It is usually used to describe the act of depriving a person of something by deceit, which may involve the misuse of funds or other resources, or the supply of false information. Computer fraud covers the use of information technology equipment to manipulate programs or data dishonestly (e.g. by altering, substituting or destroying records, or creating spurious records), or where the use of an IT system was a material factor in the perpetration of a fraud.The Scottish Government does not use a separate definition for &lsquo;corruption&rsquo;, as it is covered by its description of fraud. The general definition of &lsquo;corruption&rsquo; describes actions that are fraudulent and carried out by those in a position of authority or control, often involving bribery. The SG has a definition for &lsquo;bribery&rsquo;, also contained with the SPFM, which aligns to the legal definition as contained within the Bribery Act 2010.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422795,"EventID":"S6W-29242","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-22T09:58:17.847","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-21T12:44:11.343","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it provides to NHS boards regarding the positioning of pharmacies that offer supervised methadone supply.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it provides to NHS boards regarding the positioning of pharmacies that offer supervised methadone supply.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not provided guidance on this matter. It is for Health Boards to ensure that NHS pharmaceutical services are in place to meet the needs of their local population.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422796,"EventID":"S6W-29241","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-22T09:58:17.847","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-21T12:44:11.343","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Independent Working Group on Antisocial Behaviour is expected to report on the efficacy of the Scottish Government&rsquo;s current approach to antisocial behavi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Independent Working Group on Antisocial Behaviour is expected to report on the efficacy of the Scottish Government&rsquo;s current approach to antisocial behaviour.","AnswerText":"The Independent Working Group on Antisocial Behaviour is expected to report to Ministers, COSLA and Police Scotland by the end of 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422813,"EventID":"S6W-29264","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-22T14:53:47.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-21T15:21:09.087","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to create a permanent national \"fund to leave\" for women experiencing domestic abuse.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to create a permanent national \"fund to leave\" for women experiencing domestic abuse.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government received the final evaluation of the fund to leave pilot from Scottish Women&rsquo;s Aid in August. This has fed into a wider assessment of the pilot looking at how it delivered against its objectives; how it improved outcomes for women and/or prevented their homelessness; and what lessons were learned during the pilot. The assessment is nearing completion and we will then be in a position to set out next steps.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422814,"EventID":"S6W-29251","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-22T14:53:47.77","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-21T14:06:12.59","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what meetings, discussions or telephone conversations the Minister for Higher and Further Education has been involved in over the Parliament's 2024 summer recess in rela","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what meetings, discussions or telephone conversations the Minister for Higher and Further Education has been involved in over the Parliament's 2024 summer recess in relation to securing the future of the City of Glasgow College Trade Union Education Centre.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29250 on 19 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422815,"EventID":"S6W-29260","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16195,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-22T14:53:47.857","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-21T14:33:34.94","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the reported failure to meet national standards of stroke care, as outlined in the most recent Scottish Stroke Improvement Plan annua","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the reported failure to meet national standards of stroke care, as outlined in the most recent Scottish Stroke Improvement Plan annual report, and what its plan is to ensure that people who experience a stroke are able to get access to appropriate and evidence-based care to improve their outcomes.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Stroke Care Standards are designed to drive effective service delivery and improve patient outcomes. Monitoring of performance against stroke standards through the Scottish Stroke Care Audit allows us to identify where challenges are being faced in the delivery of high-quality stroke care and implement quality improvements.We recognise the standards are challenging and continue to expect Health Boards to identify aspects of their stroke services which do not meet these standards and to work to improve their standards of care locally.We continually assess the delivery of evidence-based stroke care, as recommended in the Progressive Stroke Pathway, via the Scottish Stroke Improvement Programme Board review process. This allows for an evaluation of Board performance, identification of areas of challenge and the formulation of local action plans to improve the delivery of stroke care.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422816,"EventID":"S6W-29252","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-22T14:53:48.013","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-21T14:06:12.593","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the reported proposal submitted by the STUC to the City of Glasgow College to secure the future of the City of Glasgow College Trade Union Educat","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the reported proposal submitted by the STUC to the City of Glasgow College to secure the future of the City of Glasgow College Trade Union Education Centre.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government welcomes the new partnership agreement reached between the College and the Trade Union Congress to safeguard the delivery of trade union education at the City of Glasgow College.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422817,"EventID":"S6W-28970","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-22T14:53:47.72","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-06T11:07:45.097","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish any correspondence that it has sent to public bodies regarding the need for them to consider the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner f","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish any correspondence that it has sent to public bodies regarding the need for them to consider the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights&nbsp;database of companies involved in certain activities relating to settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory in their human rights due diligence; whether any public bodies have responded to any such correspondence identifying any potential issues, and, if so, whether it will publish these responses.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28974 on 19 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422818,"EventID":"S6W-28972","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-22T14:53:48.01","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-06T11:07:45.097","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has identified any companies that have a relationship with Scottish public bodies that are on the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rig","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has identified any companies that have a relationship with Scottish public bodies that are on the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights database of companies involved in certain activities relating to settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and, if so, which companies.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28974 on 19 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422819,"EventID":"S6W-29261","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-22T14:53:47.717","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-21T15:08:29.73","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its position on climate change, for what reason it supports the planting of new commercial forestry on land with peat depth greater than 30cm.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its position on climate change, for what reason it supports the planting of new commercial forestry on land with peat depth greater than 30cm.","AnswerText":"Expanding our woodlands alongside restoring peatlands are critical elements of our plans to reach net zero and address climate change.Woodland creation and re-stocking in Scotland must comply with the UK Forestry Standard which defines deep peat as greater that 50 centimetres. The most recent review of the UK Forestry Standard in October 2023 considered whether the definition of deep peat for forestry in terms of carbon sequestration needed to be lowered. All UK nations agreed there was insufficient evidence to support a change. Evidence shows conifers are faster at sequestering carbon in the short term compared to broadleaves. Scotland will continue to prohibit planting on peats deeper than 50 centimetres.Cultivation guidance for woodland creation was updated in 2021 to exclude the use of intensive cultivation techniques on organo-mineral soils with an organic layer over 10 centimetres in depth. The guidance update minimises disturbance to soils during woodland creation to reduce emissions and create an earlier positive soil carbon balance.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422820,"EventID":"S6W-29253","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-22T14:53:47.75","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-21T14:06:12.597","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills plans to meet the STUC to discuss its proposal for ensuring that the City of Glasgow College Trade Union Education Ce","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills plans to meet the STUC to discuss its proposal for ensuring that the City of Glasgow College Trade Union Education Centre remains open.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29252 on 19 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422821,"EventID":"S6W-29263","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-22T14:53:47.75","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-21T15:20:15.907","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to amend Scotland&rsquo;s National Strategy for Economic Transformation to embed gender analysis that recognises women-led growth sectors, including the","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to amend Scotland&rsquo;s National Strategy for Economic Transformation to embed gender analysis that recognises women-led growth sectors, including the care economy.","AnswerText":"Scotland&rsquo;s National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET) is a ten-year strategy, and we stand by its vision to grow a sustainable and inclusive wellbeing economy. Two and a half years into that ten-year strategy, significant progress has already been made in driving us towards that vision of a fairer, greener wellbeing economy.Through NSET we have established a Centre of Expertise in Equality and Human Rights, which is embedding equality and human rights in our economic policy development. We recognise the importance of care to Scotland&rsquo;s economy and understand that the majority of unpaid care is provided by women. In line with NSET&rsquo;s ambition to tackle structural inequalities, we are implementing recommendations from the &lsquo;Pathways&rsquo; report on Women in Entrepreneurship; addressing barriers to start-up participation for under-represented groups via the Techscaler network; and building an inclusive labour market by delivering person-centered employability support.Since publishing NSET we recognise that much has changed &ndash; fiscally, politically and internationally. Our focus is therefore now on accelerating delivery of NSET through our Programme for Government by prioritising actions that are affordable, deliverable and will have the greatest impact on the Government&rsquo;s four priorities of eradicating child poverty, growing the economy, tackling the climate emergency, and delivering high quality and sustainable public services.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422822,"EventID":"S6W-29256","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-22T14:53:48.057","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-21T14:06:12.607","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether a financially viable City of Glasgow College Trade Union Education Centre should remain open.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether a financially viable City of Glasgow College Trade Union Education Centre should remain open.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29252 on 19 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422823,"EventID":"S6W-29254","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-22T14:53:47.687","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-21T14:06:12.6","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the City of Glasgow College Trade Union Education Centre contributes to the fair work agenda in Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the City of Glasgow College Trade Union Education Centre contributes to the fair work agenda in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government values trade unions in providing a strong and effective voice for Scotland&rsquo;s workers, and believes a progressive approach to industrial relations is at the heart of a fairer, more successful society. Ensuring trade union representatives have the skills to effectively represent members is key to maintaining the vital role of trade unions.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422824,"EventID":"S6W-29259","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-22T14:53:47.94","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-21T14:07:55.167","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29221 by Fiona Hyslop on 21 August 2024, which refers to \"delivering smart concessionary travel for young people and on our ferry ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29221 by Fiona Hyslop on 21 August 2024, which refers to \"delivering smart concessionary travel for young people and on our ferry services to Orkney and Shetland\", for what reason such concessionary travel does not include young people on other islands.","AnswerText":"Young people aged 16-18 (or 19-25 for full time volunteers) who live on the Western Isles, Orkney, Shetland, plus islands in North Ayrshire, Argyll and Bute and Highland Council areas are entitled to receive ferry vouchers.Transport Scotland has been undertaking a project to modernise ferry concessions by introducing digital vouchers which are stored on a National Entitlement Card. This was rolled out to cardholders in Orkney and Shetland in April 2024.Whilst we intend for digital ferry concessions vouchers to be used on any Scottish ferry route in time, the initial focus has been introducing the digital vouchers in Shetland and Orkney as a pilot area. At present, all other eligible cardholders continue use paper vouchers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422825,"EventID":"S6W-29265","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-22T14:53:47.75","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-21T15:22:05.813","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to develop the next phase of the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan 2021-24 to include further focus on the intersectionality of women&rsquo;s health inequalitie","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to develop the next phase of the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan 2021-24 to include further focus on the intersectionality of women&rsquo;s health inequalities, sexual health services, pain, chronic conditions and mental health.","AnswerText":"The next phase of the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan is in the early stages of development.The ambition of the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan is that women and girls enjoy the best possible health, throughout their lives. This remains the ambition of the Scottish Government and will continue to be our guiding principle as we consider our next steps for the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan following the end of this initial three year phase in August 2024.This next phase will be developed in collaboration with women and girls, including our lived experience stakeholder group, clinical experts, other relevant stakeholders and our Women&rsquo;s Health Champion, using the most up-to-date evidence base.Any future priorities will be determined in partnership with our stakeholders, and informed by women and girls, so are yet to be decided.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422826,"EventID":"S6W-29255","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-22T14:53:47.94","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-21T14:06:12.603","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will facilitate talks between the STUC and the City of Glasgow College to ensure that the City of Glasgow College Trade Union Education Centre remains open.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will facilitate talks between the STUC and the City of Glasgow College to ensure that the City of Glasgow College Trade Union Education Centre remains open.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29252 on 19 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422827,"EventID":"S6W-28968","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-22T14:53:47.89","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-06T11:07:45.097","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the First Minister's statement during the debate on motion S6M-11342 on 21 November 2023, what action it has taken following the publication of the revised O","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the First Minister's statement during the debate on motion S6M-11342 on 21 November 2023, what action it has taken following the publication of the revised Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights database of companies involved in certain activities relating to settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, regarding any companies that have a relationship with Scottish public bodies.","AnswerText":"The constraints under which the Scottish Government operates in this area limit what we can request Scottish public bodies or businesses to do. We cannot lawfully impose a blanket ban on companies based solely on the fact that they are on the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights database (&ldquo;UN Database&rdquo;). Specifically with regard to public contracts, any action we take must be compliant with national UK and international law such as the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement, of which Israel, like the UK, is a signatory.What we can do &ndash; and have done for the original UN Database - is instruct public bodies to take the UN Database into account in their case by case due diligence. The Scottish Government wrote to Scottish Public Bodies at the time of the publication of the original UN Database, instructing them to take it into account when carrying out their routine human rights due diligence and asking them to provide information on any relationships they had with companies on the Database. The then Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise subsequently wrote to identified companies in June 2022, asking what they were doing to cease the specific activities which had led to their inclusion on the Database.Following the publication of the revised Database, the Scottish Government has been assessing the options available to it. The revised Database did not add any new companies, and none of the small number of companies identified by Public Bodies through the previous exercise were removed.Prior to the UK General Election, it was expected that the already tight legal constraints affecting the Scottish Government and Public Bodies in this area would increase, due to the then UK Government&rsquo;s Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) (EAPB) Bill.However, a definitive view could not be taken at that time as the Bill was still subject to amendment. The Bill subsequently fell following the announcement of the General Election. The Bill falling, however, does not change the fact that the Scottish Government is still very constrained in what action we can take, and we are currently considering next steps.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422828,"EventID":"S6W-28974","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-22T14:53:48.013","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-06T11:07:45.097","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish any correspondence that it has had with companies that have a relationship with Scottish public bodies that are listed on the Office of the Unite","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish any correspondence that it has had with companies that have a relationship with Scottish public bodies that are listed on the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights database of companies involved in certain activities relating to settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, in which the Scottish Government has asked what they are doing to cease the activities that led to their inclusion.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s response to FOI 202200290245, on 24 March 2022, sets out the responses from, and any potential issues identified by, the Public Bodies who responded to Scottish Government correspondence asking them to consider the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Database of companies involved in certain activities relating to settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (&ldquo;UN Database&rdquo;) in carrying out their human rights due diligence.The Scottish Government&rsquo;s response to FOI 202200334471, issued on 9 February 2023, provides the correspondence between the Scottish Government and all companies identified as having a relationship with a Scottish public body, in relation to what they were doing to cease the activities that had led to their inclusion in the UN Database.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422829,"EventID":"S6W-28975","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-22T14:53:47.687","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-06T11:07:45.097","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any companies on the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights database of companies involved in certain activities relating to settlements","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any companies on the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights database of companies involved in certain activities relating to settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory will be prevented from securing public contracts in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government expects companies which are awarded public contracts to maintain high standards of business and professional conduct. Public procurement legislation, implementing the UK&rsquo;s international obligations in this field, provides that companies may be excluded from bidding for contracts in certain circumstances, including where they have engaged in grave professional misconduct which renders their integrity questionable.The exploitation of assets in illegal settlements could be regarded as constituting grave professional misconduct for the purposes of procurement law, but a decision to exclude a company from a competition must be taken on a case-by-case basis by the public body awarding the contract in question, in full consideration of all of the evidence available to them at that point in time. Decisions must be proportionate and are subject to challenge in the courts.Scottish Ministers have no power to require that any company is excluded from all competitions.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422830,"EventID":"S6W-29257","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-22T14:53:48.013","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-21T14:07:12.757","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish the Minister for Equalities' speech from the launch of the third New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy and New Scots Refugee Integration Strate","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish the Minister for Equalities' speech from the launch of the third New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy and New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy Delivery Plan 2024&ndash;2026 on 19 August 2024.","AnswerText":"The speaking note used to address attendees at the launch of the third New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy and New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy Delivery Plan 2024 to 2026 on 19 August 2024 can be found here:&nbsp;https://www.gov.scot/publications/new-scots-refugee-integration-strategy-minister-for-equalities/The actual speech given is likely to have differed to the copy of the speaking note provided.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422831,"EventID":"S6W-29250","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-22T14:53:47.817","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-21T14:06:12.587","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken over the Parliament's 2024 summer recess to secure the future of the City of Glasgow College Trade Union Education Centre.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken over the Parliament's 2024 summer recess to secure the future of the City of Glasgow College Trade Union Education Centre.","AnswerText":"Operational decisions on course delivery are a matter for individual colleges. I did however, write to the Principal of City of Glasgow College on 8 July to encourage continued constructive dialogue between the College and its trade union partners to find ways to keep the centre open.The Scottish Government welcomes the new partnership agreement reached between the College and the Trade Union Congress to safeguard the delivery of trade union education at the City of Glasgow College.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422832,"EventID":"S6W-29258","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-22T14:53:47.837","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-21T14:07:12.76","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will issue official confirmation to third sector organisations in the asylum and refugee sector to (a) confirm that it has cancelled the national pilot of fre","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will issue official confirmation to third sector organisations in the asylum and refugee sector to (a) confirm that it has cancelled the national pilot of free bus travel for people seeking asylum and (b) set out how that decision was reached.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is having to make very difficult decisions to deliver balanced and sustainable spending plans for the 2024-25 financial year. It is therefore unaffordable to progress piloting free bus travel for all people seeking asylum in Scotland.It was considered appropriate in the first instance to inform members of the Working Group established to help develop the pilot. Accordingly, the group, consisting of representatives from third sector organisations supporting people seeking asylum and those with lived experience of the asylum system, was informed at a scheduled meeting on 16 August. Formal confirmation was provided by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government Shona Robison during a Ministerial Statement on the Pre-budget Fiscal Update in Parliament on 3 September 2024.This decision sits within the wider context of extremely challenging financial constraints across the whole of the public sector in Scotland. I can confirm however, that people seeking asylum in Scotland who are currently eligible for free bus travel through the National Concessionary Travel Schemes, including those under 22, those aged 60 and over and those with qualifying disabilities, will continue to be able to make use of their entitlement.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422833,"EventID":"S6W-29262","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-22T14:53:47.94","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-21T15:18:11.407","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to reform the public sector equality duty by producing regulations that aim to improve outcomes for people with protected characteristics.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to reform the public sector equality duty by producing regulations that aim to improve outcomes for people with protected characteristics.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is taking forward a phased approach to improvement, which will include efforts to enhance the regulatory regime in Scotland, within the limits of devolved competence. We intend on progressing key initiatives, including our approach to inclusive communications, pay gap reporting, and utilising ministerial powers under Regulation 11. We are also considering insights from commissioned international research to inform our policies.However, after careful consideration, we will not pursue regulatory changes for inclusive communications at this time. I have updated stakeholders on this work in a communication on 14 August, 2024, reinforcing our commitment to equitable outcomes across the public sector.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422834,"EventID":"S6W-28973","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-22T14:53:47.963","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-06T11:07:45.097","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which companies that have a relationship with Scottish public bodies that are listed on the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights database of c","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which companies that have a relationship with Scottish public bodies that are listed on the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights database of companies involved in certain activities relating to settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory it has contacted to ask what they are doing to cease the activities that led to their inclusion.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28974 on 19 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422835,"EventID":"S6W-29266","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-22T14:53:48.057","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-21T15:23:11.487","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to develop a Scottish Institute for Women&rsquo;s Health.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to develop a Scottish Institute for Women&rsquo;s Health.","AnswerText":"A Final Report will be published in the Autumn setting out the progress that has been made since publication of the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan in 2021.The Women&rsquo;s Health Plan has brought about positive change, driving changes to policy, guidance and training in many of the ways envisaged for a Scottish Institute for Women&rsquo;s Health. There is now a Women&rsquo;s Health Leads Network; a specialist menopause service in every mainland health board and a &lsquo;buddy&rsquo; support system in place for the Island health boards; there is a women&rsquo;s health platform on NHS Inform; there is a menopause and menstrual health workplace policy for NHS Scotland and a Women&rsquo;s Health Champion, Professor Anna Glasier OBE, has been appointed. In addition, the Scottish Government, primarily through the Chief Scientist Office, has invested in a range of women&rsquo;s health related research, providing funding for grants and fellowships.In light of the financial circumstances facing the Scottish Government, it is not possible at present to develop proposals for a Scottish Institute for Women&rsquo;s Health.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422851,"EventID":"S6W-29267","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-23T14:27:32.51","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-21T15:29:49.28","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the third route will be to receive a replacement ferry, in light of the announcement by CMAL on 15 August 2024 that it will replace three vessels as part of Phase 2","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the third route will be to receive a replacement ferry, in light of the announcement by CMAL on 15 August 2024 that it will replace three vessels as part of Phase 2 of the Small Vessel Replacement Programme, which will include the Berneray to Leverburgh and Barra to Eriskay routes.","AnswerText":"The third vessel will be designed to serve the Sound of Barra and Sound of Harris routes; however, it will also have the flexibility to provide cover across a variety of other routes. As we progress the SVRP, this will improve resilience and flexibility within the fleet.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422852,"EventID":"S6W-29240","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5608,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":103,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-23T14:27:32.513","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-21T12:40:34.973","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its announced review of the Community Right to Buy, what steps it has taken to (a) advertise its review of the community right to buy land and (b) invite evid","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its announced review of the Community Right to Buy, what steps it has taken to (a) advertise its review of the community right to buy land and (b) invite evidence; what deadline it has set for the submission of evidence; whether it plans to publish all evidence submitted, and what formal terms of reference were given to the review by ministers.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government issued a general call for evidence on the Scottish Government&rsquo;s X Account on 10 July. In addition, since announcing the review on 6 March at a visit to the Heart of Newhaven project in Edinburgh, we have emailed stakeholder and community groups who have engaged with Community Right to Buy to seek their views.The deadline for submission of evidence to Phase 1 of the review is the end of September 2024. The anonymised responses received will be made available (in October 2024). The terms of reference for the review are set out in the call for evidence and the emails issued to stakeholders.This initial call for evidence will inform a full formal consultation in summer 2025, which will give everyone the opportunity to comment. The response to which will be published and summarised in accordance with standard consultation practice.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422857,"EventID":"S6W-29294","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-26T15:29:34.5","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-22T16:54:28.697","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how NatureScot (a) assesses, (b) monitors and (c) publicises routine progress toward reaching the additional 50,000 deer cull target.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how NatureScot (a) assesses, (b) monitors and (c) publicises routine progress toward reaching the additional 50,000 deer cull target.","AnswerText":"NatureScot&rsquo;s Deer Work Programme Action Plan and spreadsheet showing progress on delivery of the Deer Working Recommendations are on their website (https://www.nature.scot/doc/deer-work-programme).These show progress across the range of projects, initiatives and activities that are aimed at increasing culls to achieve a more sustainable deer population in Scotland.NatureScot are also working to improve cull data collection and presentation to better monitor progress.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422858,"EventID":"S6W-29269","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-26T15:29:34.89","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-21T15:49:32.857","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28109 by Jenni Minto on 25 June 2024, whether it plans to publish guidelines outlining best practice provision of psychological su","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28109 by Jenni Minto on 25 June 2024, whether it plans to publish guidelines outlining best practice provision of psychological support services to patients living with non-communicable diseases, including chronic kidney disease.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring high-quality care for people with kidney disease, and other non-communicable diseases, expecting adherence to existing guidelines and best practice, such as the National Specification for Psychological Therapies and Interventions.The Specification sets out how access to and the quality of psychological service delivery can be improved, and what the people of Scotland can expect.To support the implementation of the Specification we are producing a number of &lsquo;Once for Scotland&rsquo; guides, in collaboration with key partners. These national guides will support the delivery of psychology therapies in Scotland and promote best practice.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":422859,"EventID":"S6W-29283","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-26T15:29:34.657","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-22T15:50:01.41","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported concerns from teachers about the marking procedures for exams in 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported concerns from teachers about the marking procedures for exams in 2024.","AnswerText":"Marking of exams is an operational matter for the SQA in its independent role as an examination body.However, given the persistent concerns that have been raised in relation to the marking of Higher History this year, I met with the Chief Examiner and the Chair of the SQA to discuss the position on 18 September.SQA has confirmed that, in light of the concerns, a review is underway which is being carried out by SQA's Head of Standards &ndash; an individual who has had no involvement in the marking of Higher History. I have asked for a further update once the review is complete, and have agreed with SQA that, if necessary, the findings will be reviewed independently. The findings will be published, and both SQA and Scottish Government are clear that if any issues are uncovered then action will be taken.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422860,"EventID":"S6W-29285","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-26T15:29:35.053","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-22T15:53:38.463","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28563 by Jenny Gilruth on 31 July 2024, how it plans to support any digitally excluded children who do not have access to the inte","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28563 by Jenny Gilruth on 31 July 2024, how it plans to support any digitally excluded children who do not have access to the internet at home now that Microsoft tools will only remain available through web-based versions in Glow.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is working hard to support hard pressed families to be able to enjoy the benefits of digital inclusion. Since 2022, around 280,000 digital devices had already been provided to learners along with 14,000 connectivity packages.The Scottish Government is developing a new digital strategy, for school education in Scotland, in partnership with COSLA and key education stakeholders. The strategy will outline the important role we believe digital tools and services play in the future of Scottish education and will highlight the key features of successful technology provision. It will consider both people and technology aspects of digital in education in Scotland to help support deployment and purposeful use of technology in our schools.Through our Connecting Scotland programme, the Scottish Government provides internet-enabled devices, connectivity, and digital skills support to those who are digitally excluded. Since it was established, the programme has delivered more than 61,000 devices, removing barriers to digital access and supporting inclusion.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422861,"EventID":"S6W-29298","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-26T15:29:34.693","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-22T19:47:30.027","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on (a) what the benefits are of community social work and (b) whether a transition to such a model across Scotland would benefit families in the mos","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on (a) what the benefits are of community social work and (b) whether a transition to such a model across Scotland would benefit families in the most deprived areas.","AnswerText":"A] The Scottish Government believes that the community social work model remains an important approach and undoubtedly, in the right circumstances, offers a targeted early response to tackle a wide range of issues which may in some circumstances lead to crisis.B] The Scottish government recognises that, as part of range of approaches, the community based social work model holds an important place in responding to the needs of deprived communities with the main strength being the proactive and accessible nature of the approach.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422862,"EventID":"S6W-29289","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-26T15:29:34.497","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-22T16:03:00.93","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with ScotRail to ensure that the technology partner it appoints to deliver &ldquo;a state-of-the-art multi-channel e-commerce solution that r","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with ScotRail to ensure that the technology partner it appoints to deliver &ldquo;a state-of-the-art multi-channel e-commerce solution that redefines convenience, accessibility, and value for our passengers&rdquo; will provide integrated ticketing with the Glasgow subway, Edinburgh trams and with the bus and ferry network across Scotland.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has discussed with ScotRail and Scottish Rail Holdings its live procurement exercise for a technology partner to deliver an ecommerce solution to ensure it is compatible with our new Smart, Digital, Integrated Ticketing and Payments Delivery Strategy, published on August 21st 2024.This strategy builds on the work delivered under the 2018 Smart Ticketing Delivery Strategy, setting out Scotland&rsquo;s vision for smart ticketing. Reflecting on views from the public, local transport authorities, operators and the newly established National Smart Ticketing Advisory Board, it aligns with the National Transport Strategy and supports the delivery of the Fair Fares Review actions.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":422863,"EventID":"S6W-29276","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-26T15:29:34.5","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-22T13:50:19.543","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what internal processes exist to ensure that Transport Scotland&rsquo;s policy development and project implementation (a) are consistent with the Scottish Government&rsq","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what internal processes exist to ensure that Transport Scotland&rsquo;s policy development and project implementation (a) are consistent with the Scottish Government&rsquo;s climate change policies, including the Climate Change Plan (CCP), and (b) act to ensure that emissions from the transport sector are reduced in line with the emissions reduction envelope set out in the CCP.","AnswerText":"The approach to the transport sector is consistent with other sectors in the Climate Change Plan (update) (CCPu) Securing a green recovery on a path to net zero: climate change plan 2018&ndash;2032 - update - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) which outlines a sectoral approach to meeting emission targets, it also recognises clear synergies and interdependencies across sectors. Part 2 of the CCP(u) outlines this coordinated approach, with specific reference to transport demand.A key element of the Climate Change Plan update was the presentation of emissions envelopes for each sector annually over the period 2020 to 2032 and this includes the emissions envelope for the transport sector.Our Net Zero Assessment aims to assist Ministers to make better informed decisions on budgets and policies by providing information on impacts on carbon emissions. Following completion of the current pilot within Scottish Government, it intends to roll the pilot out across all significant new Scottish Government expenditure decisions from the beginning of 2025.Consistent with other sectors, transport sector policies and proposals will be included within the next Climate Change Plan covering the period of 2026-2040. The Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Bill, which was laid in Parliament on 5 September, seeks to amend the current deadline to bring forward a draft of the next Climate Change Plan for Scotland, so the Plan can align with the timescale for carbon budgets.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422864,"EventID":"S6W-29268","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-26T15:29:34.737","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-21T15:49:32.857","Title":"Toask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28109 byJenni Minto on 25 June 2024, what steps it has taken to assess the adherence ofNHS boards to the standards outlined in the ","ItemText":"Toask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28109 byJenni Minto on 25 June 2024, what steps it has taken to assess the adherence ofNHS boards to the standards outlined in the (a) National Specification forthe Delivery of Psychological Therapies and Interventions and (b) Core MentalHealth Quality Standards.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government published the National Specification for Psychological Therapies and Interventions and the Core Mental Health Standards in September 2023.We have made a commitment to take a phased approach to implementation, to ensure the Standards and Specification would be implemented effectively in light of existing pressures across the health and social care system.Assessment tools to assess and support adherence to the Specification and Standards were developed and piloted in spring 2024 and will be rolled out across all boards in 2024-25.Additionally, Public Health Scotland have reviewed the publication of the Mental Health Quality Indicator Framework and will be publishing this in interactive dashboard format including new Board and HSCP level data from 26 November 2024. This will provide transparency of key access and quality indicators relevant to the Specification and Standards in one place, with the intention to expand this collection in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":422865,"EventID":"S6W-29278","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-26T15:29:34.633","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-22T14:01:58.803","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many air weapon licence applications made since 1 November 2016 have been (a) received, (b) processed, (c) approved and (d) rejected.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many air weapon licence applications made since 1 November 2016 have been (a) received, (b) processed, (c) approved and (d) rejected.","AnswerText":"Air Weapons licensing statistics are published by Police Scotland annually. Most recent statistics were published in August 2024 .A table has been provided below noting the number of Air Weapons Licence applications made since 1 November 2016 including the numbers (a) received, (b) processed, (c) granted and (d) refused.Total Number of Air Weapon Licence Applications&nbsp;ReceivedProcessedApproved/ GrantedRejected/ Refused2016-20171122411224110971272017-20181010310103100031002018-2019318531853105802019-2020309830983063352020-2021488148814854272021-2022396139613914472022-2023151515151498172023-202414191419139128Total393863938638925461","AnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422866,"EventID":"S6W-29286","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-26T15:29:34.963","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-22T15:54:16.11","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28559 by Jenny Gilruth on 31 July 2024, whether it considered negotiating a deal with Microsoft when it was first made aware of th","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28559 by Jenny Gilruth on 31 July 2024, whether it considered negotiating a deal with Microsoft when it was first made aware of the withdrawal of Office 365 A1 Plus licenses from schools in August 2023.","AnswerText":"The removal of A1 Plus was a change enforced by Microsoft, applied to all customers globally. In effect, that licence tier has been retired by Microsoft, therefore there was no option to negotiate a deal to continue to provide A1 Plus for Glow users. Officials pressed Microsoft to afford some flexibility in regards to the A1 Plus licence withdrawal date. However, Microsoft responded that this was not possible.The A1 licence in Glow remains in place and will continue to provide access to the web-based version of Microsoft Office until the contract end-date in September 2027. Scottish Government has commissioned Education Scotland to undertake a review of needs for any national digital provision in the future.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422867,"EventID":"S6W-29271","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-26T15:29:35.047","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-22T10:01:09.587","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has allocated to financially support the 19 Afghan medical students that are completing their medical degrees in Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has allocated to financially support the 19 Afghan medical students that are completing their medical degrees in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Afghan medical students are eligible for support under paragraph 12B of the Student Support (Scotland) Regulations 2022, as amended by the Education (Fees and Student Support) (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Scotland) Regulations 2024. This provision enables the students to be considered as Scottish domiciled for the purposes of funding and entitles them to apply for tuition fees and living cost support in the same manner as other Scottish domiciled students.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422868,"EventID":"S6W-29274","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-26T15:29:35.337","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-22T13:24:45.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people in each NHS board area are currently on a waiting list for (a) a kidney and (ii) any other organ transplant.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people in each NHS board area are currently on a waiting list for (a) a kidney and (ii) any other organ transplant.","AnswerText":"As at 31 July 2024, the numbers of people active on the waiting list for a kidney transplant by NHS Board are:Kidney Transplant Waiting ListNHS Board&nbsp;Ayrshire &amp; Arran45Borders10Dumfries and Galloway12Fife35Forth Valley43Grampian36Greater Glasgow and Clyde125Highland17Lanarkshire75Lothian72Orkney&lt;5Shetland&lt;5Tayside33Western Isles0As at 31 July 2024, the numbers of people waiting for any other organ transplant by NHS Board are:NHS BoardHeartLungLiverPancreasBowelAyrshire &amp; Arran&lt;5&lt;5550Borders00000Dumfries and Galloway&lt;5&lt;5&lt;5&lt;5&lt;5Fife&lt;5&lt;5&lt;5&lt;50Forth Valley0&lt;5&lt;550Grampian0&lt;5660Greater Glasgow and Clyde671217&lt;5Highland0&lt;5&lt;5&lt;50Lanarkshire5&lt;5&lt;5&lt;50Lothian&lt;5510&lt;50Orkney00000Shetland00000Tayside&lt;5&lt;5&lt;5&lt;50Western Isles00000To note:If an NHS Board has less than 5 people waiting on an organ transplant the figure has been presented as &lt;5.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422869,"EventID":"S6W-29277","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-26T15:29:34.493","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-22T13:50:19.543","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made to strengthen &ldquo;the capacity of climate policy development within the Scottish Government&rdquo;, as set out as action number 18 of the po","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made to strengthen &ldquo;the capacity of climate policy development within the Scottish Government&rdquo;, as set out as action number 18 of the policy package announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy on 18 April 2024.","AnswerText":"Despite the real terms budget cuts introduced by the previous UK Government, in 2024-25 alone we have committed &pound;4.7 billion to support the delivery of our climate change goals.We are committed to tackling climate change through the existing actions we have set out as part of government policy, and through the development of our next Climate Change Plan. Work has already started on planning and delivery of a number of measures in key areas of the Climate Policy Package.We continually review staffing and resourcing, to support Programme for Government and forthcoming Budget commitments to ensure that the government&rsquo;s ambition for climate change is delivered.Our Net Zero Assessment aims to assist Ministers and public sector leaders to make better informed decisions on budgets and policies by providing information on impact on climate targets and signposting areas for enhanced emissions reduction effort. The intention is, on completion of the current pilot within Scottish Government, to roll the pilot out across all significant new Scottish Government expenditure decisions from the end of 2024.The Assessment will support an enhanced formal advisory role for the Global Climate Emergency Programme Board and the Cabinet Sub-Committee for the Climate Emergency on the climate impact of future Scottish Government proposals.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422870,"EventID":"S6W-29296","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-26T15:29:34.497","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-22T19:47:30.027","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on community social work, and whether it has considered piloting this approach across Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on community social work, and whether it has considered piloting this approach across Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises that the community social work approach may provide assistance for people experiencing a range of circumstances. We know that children, young people and families benefit when they can access the support they need when and where they need it. Communities across Scotland are currently supported through national initiatives including Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC), the Promise, and UNCRC legislation. Multi-agency community support hubs - which include social work - exemplify the ways in which national and local partners are working with their communities to provide effective whole family support in a place-based way that works for people.We will continue to invest to provide a template for future change and improvement, however there are currently no plans to pilot the community social work approach across Scotland. We also acknowledge the role of local authorities in understanding and responding to the needs of people in local communities through the provision of services which promote people&rsquo;s wellbeing.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422871,"EventID":"S6W-29284","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-26T15:29:34.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-22T15:50:39.69","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has confidence in the Scottish Qualifications Authority&nbsp;marking system used in 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has confidence in the Scottish Qualifications Authority&nbsp;marking system used in 2024.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29283 on 24 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website search facility, which can be found at: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422872,"EventID":"S6W-29275","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-26T15:29:35.047","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-22T13:34:41.907","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET) Economic Leadership Group was established, and how many times it has met.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET) Economic Leadership Group was established, and how many times it has met.","AnswerText":"As stated in this summer&rsquo;s National Strategy for Economic Transformation Second Annual Progress Report, Second Annual Progress Report (www.gov.scot) with NSET now two years into its 10-year term, a governance review is underway. As part of that review we continue to consider the merits of different governance models, including an Economic Leadership Group or similar.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422873,"EventID":"S6W-29305","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-26T15:29:34.69","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-23T10:14:55.627","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will support NHS boards to deliver reductions in A&amp;E waiting times.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will support NHS boards to deliver reductions in A&amp;E waiting times.","AnswerText":"We are supporting NHS Boards through our Urgent and Unscheduled Care Collaborative Programme to improve patient flow through our acute sites and reduce A&amp;E delays. Key actions include: strengthening arrangements to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions such as Same Day Emergency Care services; optimising Flow Navigation Centres; enhancing the discharge process - focusing on discharge planning; and reducing length of stay.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422874,"EventID":"S6W-29292","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-26T15:29:34.693","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-22T16:46:27.127","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what policy measures and incentives it is considering in order to reach its commitment to increase the national deer cull by 25% or 50,000 deer each year.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what policy measures and incentives it is considering in order to reach its commitment to increase the national deer cull by 25% or 50,000 deer each year.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to modernising deer management to tackle high deer numbers, specifically in order to help us to achieve our biodiversity and carbon objectives. We continue to pursue a range of actions to deliver this commitment.The Scottish Government&rsquo;s future legislative programme has been set out as part of the 2024-25 Programme for Government. The Natural Environment Bill will be introduced this Parliamentary year, which will bring forward significant reforms to the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996.In the meantime we are working on those Deer Working Group recommendations that do not require primary legislation through the Strategic Deer Board.In addition to this there are three pilot incentive schemes led by NatureScot and the Cairngorms National Park Authority which will launch this autumn to financially support deer managers to control numbers of deer in specific parts of Scotland in response to the climate and nature emergencies.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422875,"EventID":"S6W-29297","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-26T15:29:34.677","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-22T19:47:30.027","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has reviewed the findings of the community social work pilot approach undertaken by Fife Council, and whether it is considering providing additional resources","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has reviewed the findings of the community social work pilot approach undertaken by Fife Council, and whether it is considering providing additional resources to local authorities to pilot this approach.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is aware of the Community Social Work pilot undertaken by Fife Council and recognises the approach is known to support positive outcomes. Ms Ewing will be aware of the challenging fiscal climate we are operating in at this time, which means that we are currently unable to provide additional resources to local authorities to pilot such an approach.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422876,"EventID":"S6W-29303","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-26T15:29:34.707","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-23T10:06:59.853","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Scottish Qualifications Authority, in light of reported concerns regarding the approach taken to marking the 2024 Higher History pap","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Scottish Qualifications Authority, in light of reported concerns regarding the approach taken to marking the 2024 Higher History paper.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29283 on 24 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website search facility, which can be found at: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422877,"EventID":"S6W-29295","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-26T15:29:34.79","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-22T19:47:30.027","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers community social work as integral to supporting and empowering families to provide a stable and nurturing environment for children and young people,","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers community social work as integral to supporting and empowering families to provide a stable and nurturing environment for children and young people, as part of its priority to eradicate child poverty.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises that social work has the greatest impact where practitioners are embedded in communities. This enables them to recognise and understand the challenges people in communities face on a day to day basis, including the existence of child poverty.Social work has evolved to respond to both the existing and emerging needs of people and their communities, including demographic and societal changes. The Scottish Government understands that, as part of a range of approaches in which social work supports people, the community social work model holds an important place, especially in relation to responding to child poverty and other complex issues which people experience.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422878,"EventID":"S6W-29279","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-26T15:29:34.937","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-22T15:05:29.34","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any impact on devolved benefits in Scotland, whether it will provide an update on any discussions that it has had with the UK Government regarding the (a) wor","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any impact on devolved benefits in Scotland, whether it will provide an update on any discussions that it has had with the UK Government regarding the (a) work capability assessment and (b) Universal Credit health element.","AnswerText":"Further to the answer to S6W-24007&nbsp;on 4 June 2024, Scottish Government officials regularly meet Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and have reiterated the need for effective co-operation on these matters in order to ensure that any negative impact on people receiving Scottish social security benefits can be mitigated.The Scottish Government has consistently opposed the Work Capability Assessment reforms as proposed by the previous UK Government, and will continue to call on the current UK Government to choose to protect people's incomes and not implement the proposed changes.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422879,"EventID":"S6W-29293","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-26T15:29:34.58","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-22T16:51:35.343","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the most recent deer culling figures broken down by (a) public bodies and (b) private landowners.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the most recent deer culling figures broken down by (a) public bodies and (b) private landowners.","AnswerText":"NatureScot culling data does not distinguish between public and private deer managers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422880,"EventID":"S6W-29291","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-26T15:29:34.537","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-22T16:39:00.363","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether NatureScot will consider the new research findings published in the British Ecological Society journal, Ecological Solutions and Evidence, outlining the ecologic","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether NatureScot will consider the new research findings published in the British Ecological Society journal, Ecological Solutions and Evidence, outlining the ecological benefits of leaving deer carcasses in their environment in appropriate and defined circumstances.","AnswerText":"Wild Deer Best Practice (WDBP) covers the practice of leaving carcasses on the hill and this guidance is regularly reviewed through the steering group to ensure it provides accurate and up to date information.NatureScot recognises the benefits of leaving carcasses on the hill (in line with WDBP guidance) for nutrient cycling and food sources for wildlife. Decisions on when to leave carcasses is at the discretion of the land owner / manager and in many properties (including NatureScot properties) a proportion of culled deer are not removed.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422881,"EventID":"S6W-29299","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-26T15:29:35.17","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-22T19:47:30.027","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with (a) Social Work Scotland and (b) chief social work officers, and whether community social work was discussed.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with (a) Social Work Scotland and (b) chief social work officers, and whether community social work was discussed.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government officials meet with Social Work Scotland and Chief Social Work Officers regularly to discuss a range of social work issues. Specifically, Chief Social Work Officer Network meetings are held every fortnight, coordinated by the Scottish Government and Social Work Scotland.Whilst community social work has not been a specific agenda item on the meetings this year, many of the discussions keep abreast of issues underpinning community social work.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422882,"EventID":"S6W-29288","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-26T15:29:34.72","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-22T16:03:00.93","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a timescale for the introduction of an integrated ticketing scheme covering all forms of public transport.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a timescale for the introduction of an integrated ticketing scheme covering all forms of public transport.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"Significant progress has been made in recent years to improve smart, integrated ticketing and payment on public transport. Since 2019 Scottish smartcards are universal, meaning they are compatible for nearly all smart tickets available in Scotland. This includes the National Entitlement Card which is used by over two million citizens for concessionary travel. Regionally there are six integrated multi-bus operator or multi-modal schemes available in Scotland&rsquo;s main cities, on a mix of mobile or smartcard platforms. The Smart, Integrated Ticketing and Payment Delivery Strategy, published on 21 August 2024 also provides detail on activity over the next period to build on this progress.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":422883,"EventID":"S6W-29270","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-26T15:29:34.563","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-21T15:49:32.857","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28109 byJenni Minto on 25 June 2024, whether it has undertaken an analysis of whatimpact the publication of its Mental Health and ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28109 byJenni Minto on 25 June 2024, whether it has undertaken an analysis of whatimpact the publication of its Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy has had onthe psychological support offered to patients living with non-communicablediseases, including chronic kidney disease.","AnswerText":"The Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy was published in June 2023. To show how the Strategy is making a positive difference to people&rsquo;s mental health, at all levels of need, it is structured around a Vision and a set of Outcomes so we can be held to account for our progress.We published our Delivery Plan and Workforce Action Plan in November 2023. Both set out the actions we will take in order to make progress on these outcomes. This requires local and national leadership as we collectively work towards key national outcomes whilst maintaining local flexibility.We are committed to robustly review, monitor and evaluate the Strategy, the accompanying Delivery Plan and the Workforce Action Plan to ensure we are committed to the right actions. We will shortly begin publication of regular reporting on progress towards our Strategy Delivery Plan.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":422884,"EventID":"S6W-29290","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-26T15:29:35.31","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-22T16:33:21.42","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the annual deer cull figures in Scotland in each of the past five years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the annual deer cull figures in Scotland in each of the past five years.","AnswerText":"Data from the reported annual cull returns is set out in the following table:Season Red Roe Sika Fallow Total Mortality 2019-20 60711 38499 6964 2211 108385 617 2020-21 66373 36587 8154 2521 113626 4529 2021-22 66575 43455 8495 2640 121165 1079 2022-23 73251 48662 9427 2582 133922 1016 2023-24 31739 14940 2961 928 50568 TBC NatureScot regularly publish this data and further breakdowns can be found on their website&nbsp;https://www.nature.scot/doc/naturescot-deer-census-results which includes a breakdown of reported cull information from 1996 &ndash; 2023-24.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422885,"EventID":"S6W-29302","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-26T15:29:35.203","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-23T09:52:35.743","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many floorcovering Modern Apprenticeship starts there have been in each of the last five years. &nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many floorcovering Modern Apprenticeship starts there have been in each of the last five years. &nbsp;","AnswerText":"The number of Modern Apprenticeship starts for floorcovering in the last 5 years are as follows;&nbsp;19-2020-2121-2222-2323-24Total4230393355","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422886,"EventID":"S6W-29327","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-27T13:46:13.397","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-23T12:59:12.3","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether private homeowners in deprived areas reportedly being charged a 4% interest fee by the City of Edinburgh Council on their payment plan as","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether private homeowners in deprived areas reportedly being charged a 4% interest fee by the City of Edinburgh Council on their payment plan as part of the Mixed Tenure Improvement Service is helping to meet its mission of eradicating poverty.","AnswerText":"The interest rate is applicable to debt where private property owner occupiers pay back over an agreed period of time. The City of Edinburgh Council consider this a last resort for private property owners who may be able to source more favourable rates through re-mortgaging or external finance. This rate was agreed within the council in 2021 alongside the approval of the enhanced Scheme of Assistance and extension of the debt recovery terms. It is worth noting that interest rates were much lower in 2021.The policy is aimed at getting the balance right for both the council and debtors whilst not encouraging owners to agree payment plans with the council by default. Debt recovery from owners for the works in Wester Hailes is very positive so far with 77% of debt paid or secured in payment plans.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422887,"EventID":"S6W-29329","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-27T13:46:14.48","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-23T12:59:12.3","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is in place for any tenants receiving a notice to quit from landlords impacted by the Mixed Tenure Improvement Service, where the landlord has decided to se","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is in place for any tenants receiving a notice to quit from landlords impacted by the Mixed Tenure Improvement Service, where the landlord has decided to sell their property due to the reportedly high financial cost.","AnswerText":"The prescribed Notice to Leave that landlords must use to end a private residential tenancy includes important information for tenants and signposts to a number of organisations, such as Citizens Advice Scotland and Shelter Scotland, should they need advice and support to understand their rights. It also directs tenants worried about having somewhere to live to contact their local authority to discuss their circumstances.Local authorities are obliged by law to offer minimum of temporary accommodation, advice and assistance for people who are at risk or who are experiencing homelessness. They are best placed to provide advice on housing options and what further support they can offer.For short assured or assured tenancies, the Notice to Quit landlords must use to end the tenancy advises tenants about getting legal advice or contacting organisations who provide housing support if they are unsure of the validity of the Notice. It advises that help with all or part of the cost of legal advice may be available under the legal aid legislation.Scottish Government are providing up to &pound;2 million this year to support the Early Resolution Advice Programme administered by the Scottish Legal Aid Board, which supports projects in the third sector, to provide assistance and representation for people at risk of, or facing court action related to debt and housing matters.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422888,"EventID":"S6W-29348","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-27T13:46:14.483","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-26T09:05:44.35","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many police road traffic officers were employed by Police Scotland in each of the past five calendar years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many police road traffic officers were employed by Police Scotland in each of the past five calendar years.","AnswerText":"The deployment of officers and staff is a matter for the Chief Constable, the Scottish Government does not hold this information.The Scottish Government has provided a record &pound;36m towards road safety in this year&rsquo;s Scottish Budget. This funding has supported councils to improve safety on local roads, campaigns to tackle the behaviours identified as causing most harm on our roads, and the continued development of learning resources for children and young people.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422889,"EventID":"S6W-29342","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2615,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":143,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-27T13:46:14.5","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-23T15:14:48.963","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider allowing a pilot programme to be established for football clubs to offer the sale of alcohol within family-friendly fan zones before a football ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider allowing a pilot programme to be established for football clubs to offer the sale of alcohol within family-friendly fan zones before a football game.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29341 on 25 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422890,"EventID":"S6W-29319","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-27T13:46:14.63","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-23T12:59:12.3","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with the City of Edinburgh Council to discuss the Mixed Tenure Improvement Service, and whether the Minister for Housing will meet with Living Rent Edin","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with the City of Edinburgh Council to discuss the Mixed Tenure Improvement Service, and whether the Minister for Housing will meet with Living Rent Edinburgh to hear its reported concerns.","AnswerText":"The Minister for Housing visited the Wester Hailes pilot on 4 July 2023 and met with local councillors, members of the City of Edinburgh Mixed Tenure Improvement Service (MTIS) Team and local tenants living in flats affected by the MTIS. Scottish Government officials meet City of Edinburgh Council regularly to discuss progress with the MTIS and any issues arising, most recently in July 2024 with another meeting expected in September.Living Rent Edinburgh gave a deputation at the City of Edinburgh Council&rsquo;s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee on 27 August 2024, after which they shared their concerns with council officials. The council have extended an invitation to Edinburgh Living Rent to hold regular meetings with them to discuss and agree options to improve local engagement.MTIS is the responsibility of the City of Edinburgh Council and decisions related to service delivery are best discussed with the council.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422891,"EventID":"S6W-29336","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-27T13:46:16.15","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-23T13:26:08.85","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Young Carers Package has reportedly not been extended to young adult carers aged 18 to 26 who are eligible for a Young Scot Card but are not currentl","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Young Carers Package has reportedly not been extended to young adult carers aged 18 to 26 who are eligible for a Young Scot Card but are not currently eligible for the Young Carers Package.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the incredible contribution that Scotland&rsquo;s unpaid carers, including our young carers, make to our communities as well as the pressures many carers are under.The Young Carers Package, delivered by Young Scot, was put in place to provide additional benefits and opportunities for young carers. The Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 defines a young carer as someone who provides (or intends to provide) care who is under 18 (or over 18 and still at school). The package is designed to support children and young people who are not eligible for social security benefits and other support available to young adults.In recognition of the fact that transitioning from being a young carer to an adult carer can be difficult, as young people look towards work or further or higher education, the package includes a transition bundle to provide extra benefits before young carers turn 19. There is a Young Scot webpage with further information on the transition bundle and young carers transitions more generally at: www.young.scot/get-informed/young-carers-transitionsI would encourage anyone providing unpaid care to contact their social work department or local carer centre to find out what support they may be able to offer.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422892,"EventID":"S6W-29346","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-27T13:46:14.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-26T08:39:10.753","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the Nature Restoration Fund's contribution to maintaining populations in rural and island communities.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the Nature Restoration Fund's contribution to maintaining populations in rural and island communities.","AnswerText":"We remain firmly committed to tackling the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss across Scotland. However, we are also taking on very significant additional financial pressure following decisions made at a UK level, and the Finance Secretary has been clear that painful choices have had to be made. The Scottish Government will work with local authorities to understand and, where feasible within depleted resources, mitigate the impacts of this situation.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422893,"EventID":"S6W-29337","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2633,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-27T13:46:14.493","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-23T14:51:44.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-16692&nbsp;by Natalie Don on 27 April 2023, whether it will provide an update on how it has progressed towards its commitment to d","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-16692&nbsp;by Natalie Don on 27 April 2023, whether it will provide an update on how it has progressed towards its commitment to deliver free breakfasts for all (a) primary and (b) special school children.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to developing plans to deliver free breakfasts to all primary and special school children.The Scottish Government worked with AssistFM and the Improvement Service from September 2023 to June 2024 to map breakfast provision across Scotland at both local authority and school level. A survey of all primary and special schools showed that almost half are already delivering breakfast provision. We will use the information provided by this mapping exercise to develop plans to build on this provision in line with our commitment.In addition, we are delivering free or subsidised school age childcare through our Early Adopter Communities and Scottish Football Association &lsquo;Extra Time&rsquo; projects, many of which include free breakfast club places for children from families most at risk of living in poverty.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422894,"EventID":"S6W-29326","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-27T13:46:14.447","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-23T12:59:12.3","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Scottish National Investment Bank has been approached for low-interest finance by local authorities as part of their drive towards net zero buildings.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Scottish National Investment Bank has been approached for low-interest finance by local authorities as part of their drive towards net zero buildings.","AnswerText":"As noted in the answer to question S6W-29325 on 16 September 2024, the Bank cannot invest in local authorities and it does not make sub-commercial investments or provide grant funding.As the Bank has operational independence it can work with local authorities and create joint venture structures, as long as the Bank is not investing in the local authority.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422895,"EventID":"S6W-29347","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-27T13:46:14.65","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-26T08:39:19.493","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is committed to at least maintaining current funding levels for the Nature Restoration Fund during the remainder of the current parliamentary session, in ligh","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is committed to at least maintaining current funding levels for the Nature Restoration Fund during the remainder of the current parliamentary session, in light of the reported continuing loss of nature and the Fund's positive reputation amongst stakeholders.","AnswerText":"Protecting and restoring our natural environment is key to addressing the twin crises of nature loss and climate change. Our commitment to the Nature Restoration Fund (NRF), and to introduce a Natural Environment Bill which will set a framework for statutory targets to restore and protect nature, are reiterated in our most recent Programme for Government.While capital funding of &pound;5 million from this year&rsquo;s NRF allocation to Local Authorities has been redirected to fund the public sector pay offer, it will be restored in 2025-26. The competitive strand of the NRF, administered by NatureScot, remains unaffected by this temporary reallocation of local authority funding.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422896,"EventID":"S6W-29317","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-27T13:46:15.683","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-23T12:59:12.3","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported concerns expressed by Living Rent Edinburgh regarding the City of Edinburgh Council's 15 to 20% management fee as part of the Mixed ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported concerns expressed by Living Rent Edinburgh regarding the City of Edinburgh Council's 15 to 20% management fee as part of the Mixed Tenure Improvement Service, which reportedly reduces the amount of financial support that (a) homeowners and (b) landlords receive from the Energy Efficient Scotland Area Based Scheme grant in kind by around &pound;7,000.","AnswerText":"The level of grant-in-kind potentially available to households participating in Area Based Schemes is not affected by these fees. Councils are required to separately claim a proportion of overhead costs such as surveys, scaffolding and project management as enabling funding.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422897,"EventID":"S6W-29340","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-27T13:46:14.5","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-23T15:11:28.593","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many of its former senior (a) civil servants and (b) agency staff sought its approval in (i) 2021-22, (ii) 2022-23 and (iii) 2023-24 to take up a position with anoth","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many of its former senior (a) civil servants and (b) agency staff sought its approval in (i) 2021-22, (ii) 2022-23 and (iii) 2023-24 to take up a position with another employer, also broken down by how many times this approval was granted.","AnswerText":"The number of Senior Civil Servants working in core Scottish Government and its Agencies who have requested approval under the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA) rules in (i) 2021-22, (ii) 2022-23 and (iii) 2023-24 is published on the Scottish Government website at https://www.gov.scot/publications/appointments-or-employment-of-former-staff/&nbsp;","AnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422898,"EventID":"S6W-29323","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-27T13:46:14.507","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-23T12:59:12.3","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided to the City of Edinburgh Council in relation to the Mixed Tenure Improvement Service in each financial year since 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided to the City of Edinburgh Council in relation to the Mixed Tenure Improvement Service in each financial year since 2021.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not provide funding in support of the Mixed Tenure Improvement Service operated by the City of Edinburgh Council.The total amount of grant claimed as part of the Area Based Schemes programme by the City of Edinburgh Council since 2020 is published on the Scottish Government website. Area-Based Schemes - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).","AnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422899,"EventID":"S6W-29335","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-27T13:46:14.477","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-23T12:59:12.3","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has been engaged in discussions with the City of Edinburgh Council's Mixed Tenure Improvement Service regarding the Scottish Government's part-ownership of an","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has been engaged in discussions with the City of Edinburgh Council's Mixed Tenure Improvement Service regarding the Scottish Government's part-ownership of any properties under the Low-cost Initiative for First Time Buyers (LIFT) scheme that are impacted.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not engaged in any such discussions with the City of Edinburgh Council's Mixed Tenure Improvement Service. Homeowners who have purchased properties under the Low Cost Initiative for First Time Buyers (LIFT) are able to participate in such improvements schemes in the same manner as other residents.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422900,"EventID":"S6W-29338","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2633,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-27T13:46:14.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-23T14:51:44.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how information on the ScotRail peak fares removal pilot was targeted at (a) those on lower incomes and (b) non-rail users.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how information on the ScotRail peak fares removal pilot was targeted at (a) those on lower incomes and (b) non-rail users.","AnswerText":"The purpose of ScotRail peak fares removal pilot is to encourage modal shift from car to rail, therefore any information promoted by ScotRail aimed to target people who commuted by car and encouraged them to switch to rail.ScotRail was actively promoting rail travel and rail travel uptake during the pilot. Several advertisements with the key messages of the pilot have been promoted regularly through various channels, including social media, with an average reach of 4 million each.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422901,"EventID":"S6W-29310","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16195,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-27T13:46:14.65","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-23T11:06:27.183","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration and support has been given to ensure that all reasonable upstream flood alleviation measures have been taken to reduce flood risk at Grangemouth","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration and support has been given to ensure that all reasonable upstream flood alleviation measures have been taken to reduce flood risk at Grangemouth","AnswerText":"It is the responsibility of Local Authorities to plan, develop and deliver flood protection schemes and other flood resilience actions.It is best practice for options development to be carried out by local authorities using an appraisal framework. The options should go through a robust and transparent appraisal of costs and benefits, and positive and adverse impacts in order to deliver best use of public money taking full account of economic, environmental and social priorities","AnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422902,"EventID":"S6W-29318","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-27T13:46:15.663","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-23T12:59:12.3","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether a 15 to 20% management fee applied by the City of Edinburgh Council as part of the Mixed Tenure Improvement Service is (a) excessive and ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether a 15 to 20% management fee applied by the City of Edinburgh Council as part of the Mixed Tenure Improvement Service is (a) excessive and (b) above industry standard.","AnswerText":"The Mixed Tenure Improvement Service is delivered by the City of Edinburgh Council using powers as set out in the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004. The Scottish Government does not collect or collate information about the management fees charged by local authorities or housing associations as part of Tenement Management Schemes.The guidance issued by the Scottish Government about the design and delivery of Area Based Schemes (ABS) allows for councils to claim up to 20% of their grant award as enabling costs. This ensures that participating households are not asked to help meet wider household engagement, survey, scaffolding and management costs for ABS projects as a whole.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422903,"EventID":"S6W-29322","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-27T13:46:15.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-23T12:59:12.3","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the City of Edinburgh Council's Mixed Tenure Improvement Service, what its position is on whether 21 days to respond to an estimated bill is enough time to ma","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the City of Edinburgh Council's Mixed Tenure Improvement Service, what its position is on whether 21 days to respond to an estimated bill is enough time to make significant financial decisions.","AnswerText":"The City of Edinburgh Council set their 21-day timescale during the Wester Hailes pilot and the timescale is based on experience gained during the pilot programme.The timescale allows owners to reflect and seek advice but is short enough to prevent undue delays to the repairs. The council have provided numerous extensions to this timescale where requested by owners.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422904,"EventID":"S6W-29334","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-27T13:46:14.59","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-23T12:59:12.3","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how households with a poor credit rating will be able to access finance to afford the reportedly significant financial bill from the Mixed","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how households with a poor credit rating will be able to access finance to afford the reportedly significant financial bill from the Mixed Tenure Improvement Service by the City of Edinburgh Council.","AnswerText":"The council have considered residents with poor credit ratings and have offered payments plans which have been extended to 15 years and the interest rate was lowered to 4% from 8%. This option was specifically established where owners would not be eligible for loans from other sources and is not dependant on any credit references being obtained.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422905,"EventID":"S6W-29331","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-27T13:46:15.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-23T12:59:12.3","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered setting a limit on the financial cost to households impacted by the transition to net zero buildings, including as part of the Mixed Tenure Imp","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered setting a limit on the financial cost to households impacted by the transition to net zero buildings, including as part of the Mixed Tenure Improvement Service, in light of the reportedly large financial bills that families are currently facing.","AnswerText":"With energy bills remaining significantly high, the Scottish Government has offered to work with the UK Government to ensure energy consumers are supported, including through driving improvement to the energy efficiency of our housing stock, in order to tackle fuel poverty and ensure the energy market is fit for purpose as we transition towards net zero.Our consultation on a Heat in Buildings Bill, which closed on 8 March 2024, included proposals for setting a cap on the costs to property owners of meeting the proposed Heat in Buildings Standard. This proposal was included in recognition of our overall aim to ensure our proposals are fair, proportionate and affordable.We are currently considering responses to the consultation to inform our thinking and development of future proposals.The Mixed Tenure Improvement Service is not a Scottish Government initiative and was established and is led by the City of Edinburgh Council.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422906,"EventID":"S6W-29320","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-27T13:46:14.49","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-23T12:59:12.3","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether local authorities, including the City of Edinburgh Council, which purchase (a) owner-occupier and (b) private tenancy properties can flip these into Scottish Sec","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether local authorities, including the City of Edinburgh Council, which purchase (a) owner-occupier and (b) private tenancy properties can flip these into Scottish Secure Tenancy Agreements under existing legislation.","AnswerText":"There is no statutory process for either scenario.Subject to the agreement of both parties, any owner-occupier who wishes to sell their home to a local authority and remain in it as a tenant in the social rented sector may do so.If there is already a private tenancy in place, prior to any purchase there could be some negotiation and agreement with the sitting tenant in order to bring their private tenancy with their existing landlord to an end so that they may enter into a social tenancy when the property is purchased by the local authority.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422907,"EventID":"S6W-29328","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-27T13:46:13.49","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-23T12:59:12.3","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is available to any owner-occupier families in deprived areas impacted by the Mixed Tenure Improvement Service who are considering selling their homes due t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is available to any owner-occupier families in deprived areas impacted by the Mixed Tenure Improvement Service who are considering selling their homes due to the high financial estimates that they are reportedly receiving.","AnswerText":"In Edinburgh, the council&rsquo;s Scheme of Assistance Strategy allows owner occupiers to sell their homes back to the Council and remain in their home with a Scottish Secure Tenancy. Throughout the 3-year Pilot programme in Wester Hailes, the team have engaged and consulted with owners and landlords to understand their concerns and see what support could be offered. This approach will continue as the service expands to Restalrig and Lochend.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422908,"EventID":"S6W-29349","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-27T13:46:14.473","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-26T09:05:44.353","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many police officers are expected to not havecompleted their safety training&nbsp;regardingthe&nbsp;Hate&nbsp;Crime&nbsp;and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 as of t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many police officers are expected to not havecompleted their safety training&nbsp;regardingthe&nbsp;Hate&nbsp;Crime&nbsp;and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 as of theend of August 2024.","AnswerText":"It is for Police Scotland to report on, and determine, training procedures for their officers. In August they published an update on hate crime guidance and training. Police Scotland have previously provided assurances that officers are trained, have sufficient capacity to undertake the legislation and have the systems in place to do so.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422909,"EventID":"S6W-29314","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-27T13:46:14.483","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-23T11:46:26.677","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what guidance has been issued on flag policy to (a) local authorities, (b) government agencies and (c) other governmental departments in the last six months.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what guidance has been issued on flag policy to (a) local authorities, (b) government agencies and (c) other governmental departments in the last six months.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government publishes detailed flag flying guidance annually on the Scottish Government website Guidance - Flag flying on government buildings: 2024 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) and a link to the guidance is also available on the Scottish Government&rsquo;s intranet pages, available to Directorates and other government departments. In addition, this flag flying guidance is issued to local authorities and government agencies.The guidance sets out the relevant flag to be flown in recognition of national anniversaries and Royal events. It also provides advice on the half/masting of flags following national/international tragedies and events.This guidance applies to Scottish Government buildings only and is provided to non-Scottish Government organisations for information purposes. It remains the prerogative of each organisation to set their own flag flying programme.Separate communication was issued by email to Scottish Government external flag flying contacts in June 2024 in relation to the 80th anniversary of D-Day and for the Coronation of Their Majesties in May 2023.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422910,"EventID":"S6W-29321","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-27T13:46:14.493","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-23T12:59:12.3","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to set out its communication and consultation standards for schemes such as the Mixed Tenure Improvement Service by the City of Edinburgh Council, in li","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to set out its communication and consultation standards for schemes such as the Mixed Tenure Improvement Service by the City of Edinburgh Council, in light of the reported concerns raised by owner-occupiers, private tenants and landlords and social tenants.","AnswerText":"The Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004 provides that repairs and maintenance work will be carried out according to the provisions in the relevant title deeds of the properties.Where homeowners have workable provisions in their title deeds to carry out maintenance and repair then these should be followed. Where title deeds do not specify how decisions should be made, or if different owners' title deeds say conflicting things and are therefore unworkable, the Tenement Management Scheme (TMS) in Schedule 1 Rule 2 of the 2004 Act sets out procedures for flat owners to follow when making scheme decisions about maintaining and repairing common parts of a shared building.Rules 7 and 8 already set out the requirements for consultation, and rule 9 sets out the procedure for giving notice in connection with the TMS.More detail is here: Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004 (legislation.gov.uk)","AnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422911,"EventID":"S6W-29344","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-27T13:46:14.613","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-26T08:38:07.77","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the Nature Restoration Fund's impact on tackling the nature and climate emergencies.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the Nature Restoration Fund's impact on tackling the nature and climate emergencies.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has appointed an analyst to carry out an evaluation of the first three years of the Nature Restoration Fund. Work on this exercise began in August 2024, and the findings will be published in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422912,"EventID":"S6W-29307","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16195,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-27T13:46:15.607","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-23T11:05:25.46","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had to ensure that the use of natural flood management measures is prioritised as part of any flood defence scheme at Grangemouth.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had to ensure that the use of natural flood management measures is prioritised as part of any flood defence scheme at Grangemouth.","AnswerText":"It is the responsibility of Local Authorities to plan, develop and deliver flood protection schemes and other flood resilience actions.Local authorities carry out appraisals of flood protection schemes. It is expected that every scheme, which is delivered by a local authority, is developed with consideration of catchment processes and characteristics, making reasonable and practical efforts to enhance the landscape&rsquo;s natural ability to slow and store flood water.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422913,"EventID":"S6W-29339","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2633,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-27T13:46:15.88","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-23T14:51:44.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to monitor changes in rail passenger activity following the end of the ScotRail peak fares removal pilot on 27 September 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to monitor changes in rail passenger activity following the end of the ScotRail peak fares removal pilot on 27 September 2024.","AnswerText":"ScotRail Trains Ltd routinely monitors patronage on its services to identify trends, opportunities and to best match its resources with the passenger demand. Following the Ministerial decision to end the 12 month trial removing peak fares, the Scottish Government intends to repeat the analysis undertaken to assess the pilot, as detailed in the published report, after an appropriate period has elapsed.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422914,"EventID":"S6W-29330","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-27T13:46:13.397","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-23T12:59:12.3","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the average interest rate charged to local authorities is as part of any loan financing over the last five financial years, broken down by (a) year and (b) local au","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the average interest rate charged to local authorities is as part of any loan financing over the last five financial years, broken down by (a) year and (b) local authority.","AnswerText":"The information requested is not held centrally.As independent corporate bodies with their own powers and responsibilities, any decisions around borrowing and the interest rate charged are a matter for individual local authorities.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422915,"EventID":"S6W-29345","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-27T13:46:14.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-26T08:39:02.543","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide information on the Nature Restoration Fund's record so far, including the (a) total amount of funding awarded, (b) number of projects funded, bro","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide information on the Nature Restoration Fund's record so far, including the (a) total amount of funding awarded, (b) number of projects funded, broken down by (i) terrestrial and (ii) marine, (c) number of beneficiary organisations and (d) number of jobs created or posts funded by the Fund.","AnswerText":"(a) To date, just over &pound;51 Million has been awarded through the Nature Restoration Fund (NRF). This includes just over &pound;32 Million awarded through the NRF competitive strand, just over &pound;1.3 Million through NRF-funded Scottish Marine Environmental Enhancement Fund (SMEEF) projects, and &pound;18 Million provided directly to local authorities and National Parks, via the NRF Edinburgh Process strand, as of the end of the 2023-24 financial year.(b) 220 projects have been offered competitive funding to date. This includes 192 projects through the NRF competitive strand and 28 NRF-funded SMEEF projects. (i) 162 were terrestrial or freshwater projects (ii) 30 were coastal and marine projects (plus the 28 NRF-funded SMEEF projects).Additionally, local authorities and National Parks have supported further projects directly through their allocation from the NRF Edinburgh Process strand.(c) 119 separate applicants have been offered funding from the NRF competitive strand or NRF-funded SMEEF projects. That does not include the 32 local authorities and 2 National Parks who have also benefitted from direct NRF funding, and will in turn have used their allocation to support projects led by other organisations (e.g. community groups, local charities).(d) We do not hold information on the number of jobs created or posts funded by the NRF.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422916,"EventID":"S6W-29341","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2615,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":143,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-27T13:46:14.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-23T15:14:05.28","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider allowing football clubs to sell alcohol at games, allowing clubs the opportunity to offer fans a chance to meet up and enjoy a pint before the g","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider allowing football clubs to sell alcohol at games, allowing clubs the opportunity to offer fans a chance to meet up and enjoy a pint before the game.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to reducing the significant impact of alcohol harm on the nation&rsquo;s health through a range of measures including the forthcoming increase to Minimum Unit Pricing. However, we also recognise the calls for football fans to have the same opportunities as fans at other sports and events and we will continue to engage with the football authorities, supporters groups and clubs on ways to enhance the fan experience.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422917,"EventID":"S6W-29312","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-27T13:46:13.4","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-23T11:11:18.44","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that individual artists can still apply for and have access to public funding, in light of Creative Scotland's recent change to its gui","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that individual artists can still apply for and have access to public funding, in light of Creative Scotland's recent change to its guidance on applications from individual artists.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government provides significant funding to Creative Scotland each year and will continue doing so. It is disappointing that Creative Scotland took the decision about the Open Fund before the Scottish Government could complete due diligence to release funding, as is normal practice. The due diligence has now been completed and the funding has been released to Creative Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422918,"EventID":"S6W-29332","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-27T13:46:15.967","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-23T12:59:12.3","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has reviewed the design of the Mixed Tenure Improvement Service, in light of reported concerns that it was designed without input from the residents that are ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has reviewed the design of the Mixed Tenure Improvement Service, in light of reported concerns that it was designed without input from the residents that are most impacted.","AnswerText":"The Mixed Tenure Improvement Service is not a Scottish Government initiative and was established by the City of Edinburgh Council in 2021. The local authority has created this service based upon powers provided to them under the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004 to establish a Tenement Management Scheme.It is for each local authority to review the delivery of their services.During the 3-year Pilot programme in Wester Hailes, the team have had numerous discussions with owners and landlords.In Lochend and Restalrig, the team have held a mixture of individual meetings and open &lsquo;drop-in&rsquo; sessions where, over the course of a day and evening, local residents can discuss their concerns. So far five of these sessions have been held with the local community, in addition to the newsletters and letters that have been issued in the area.The council have extended an invitation to Edinburgh Living Rent to hold regular meetings with them to discuss and agree options to improve local engagement.The council is also in the process of establishing a dedicated project office in the community where residents can drop in to meet with the project team. It is anticipated that this project office will be in place during September.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422919,"EventID":"S6W-29287","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-27T13:46:14.643","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-22T16:01:05.9","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its pledge of &pound;300 million to tackle NHS waiting lists over the next three years, of which &pound;30 million has been allocate","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its pledge of &pound;300 million to tackle NHS waiting lists over the next three years, of which &pound;30 million has been allocated to date, and whether any reduction to this sum of money is planned.&nbsp; &nbsp;","AnswerText":"Significant activity is already underway following the &pound;30 million investment to target backlogs, announced in the spring. This will see around 12,000 new outpatient appointments, around 12,000 inpatient procedures and over 40,000 diagnostic procedures delivered.The Scottish Government remains committed to reducing waiting times year-on-year across the NHS as set out in the Policy Prospectus. We will continue to work with all NHS boards to maximise current resources and productivity.Future funding for commitments will be considered as part of the 2025-26 budget process that will allocate resources to the Government&rsquo;s priorities of the day.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422920,"EventID":"S6W-29324","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-27T13:46:15.703","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-23T12:59:12.3","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what  level of management fee is currently charged by each local authority in relation to Mixed Tenure Improvement, and whether it will consider setting a standard rate ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what  level of management fee is currently charged by each local authority in relation to Mixed Tenure Improvement, and whether it will consider setting a standard rate to ensure equality across Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not collect or hold management fee information about local authorities&rsquo; mixed tenure improvement services, which would need to be obtained directly from each local authority that operates such a service.The Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004 does not discuss &ldquo;standard rates&rdquo; for any aspect of work to be undertaken and no changes to this are currently under consideration.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422921,"EventID":"S6W-29315","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-27T13:46:14.497","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-23T12:27:36.667","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when Scotland's Mental Health First Aid: Young People (SMHFA: YP) courses will be available, following the reported pausing of the programme in 2020.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when Scotland's Mental Health First Aid: Young People (SMHFA: YP) courses will be available, following the reported pausing of the programme in 2020.","AnswerText":"The mental health and wellbeing of children and young people is an absolute priority for the Scottish Government.Public Health Scotland (PHS) holds the national licence for Scotland&rsquo;s Mental Health First Aid: Young People- (SMHFA:YP). Following COVID, PHS took the decision to pause the delivery of the SMHFA: YP, due to the content of the course being considered out of date, given changes to the social and cultural context in which young people live in Scotland (for example, content in relation to alcohol and drugs and bullying). There are no current plans to update the content or reverse the current pause on this programme; as many alternative and up-to-date sources of advice are available to adults who support children and young people.A new professional learning resource for school staff, supported by the Mental Health in Schools Working Group, was published in 2021. The resource provides essential learning required to support children and young people&rsquo;s mental health and wellbeing. The resource is free and can be found at: CYPMH &ndash; Professional Learning Resource. A number of education resources linked to Curriculum for Excellence are also available to support the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people in schools and other settings. Just this week, a new resource will be launched &ndash; One Good Adult:Job Description. This was designed by children and young people to help those around them provide the support they need.In addition, Public Health Scotland and NHS Education for Scotland have developed further digital resources aimed at those supporting the mental health, self-harm and suicide prevention needs of young people. These can be found at: Informed level of practice | Turas | Learn (nhs.scot)Interactive training is also available on specific topics. For example, Self-Harm Network Scotland provides free training sessions, in-person or online. Anyone can sign up for these sessions, and there are a range of options offered, with more in-depth sessions for professionals. Since these started in early 2023, the service has already trained over 2,500 people.These sources of advice complement expanded provision of supports and services for children and young people &ndash; with access to counselling available through every secondary school; over 300 community-based mental health and wellbeing supports for children and young people now in place across Scotland; and advice for young people themselves available through the investment we have made in the likes of Young Scot&rsquo;s Aye Feel website.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422922,"EventID":"S6W-29325","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-27T13:46:16.053","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-23T12:59:12.3","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered using the Scottish National Investment Bank to provide finance to local authorities to ensure that buildings meet net zero standards, including","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered using the Scottish National Investment Bank to provide finance to local authorities to ensure that buildings meet net zero standards, including through the Mixed Tenure Improvement Service by the City of Edinburgh Council.","AnswerText":"Under its remit, the Scottish National Investment Bank (&lsquo;the Bank&rsquo;) cannot invest in local authorities or give guarantees. However, they can work with local authorities and create joint venture structures, as long as the Bank is not investing in the local authority.The Bank is operationally independent. As such it makes its investment decisions independent of the Scottish Government and Scottish Ministers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422941,"EventID":"S6O-03678","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16197,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T13:37:49.573","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-28T08:30:00.16","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to support communities to bring derelict buildings back into use as houses.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to support communities to bring derelict buildings back into use as houses.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422942,"EventID":"S6O-03680","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T13:37:49.743","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-27T22:41:25.443","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in light of the most recent annual update on suicide statistics showing that people living in Scotland&rsquo;s most deprived areas are 2.5 times","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in light of the most recent annual update on suicide statistics showing that people living in Scotland&rsquo;s most deprived areas are 2.5 times more likely to die by suicide than those living in the least deprived areas.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422943,"EventID":"S6O-03683","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5622,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":148,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T13:37:49.347","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-28T09:12:27.7","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any steps that it is taking to ensure that any increases in the Scottish Police Authority resource budget continue to support furthe","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any steps that it is taking to ensure that any increases in the Scottish Police Authority resource budget continue to support further police recruitment, in light of any challenging financial circumstances as a result of the UK Government&rsquo;s proposed financial settlement.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422944,"EventID":"S6O-03682","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T13:37:49.67","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-27T15:09:47.377","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported significant increase in shoplifting recorded in Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported significant increase in shoplifting recorded in Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422945,"EventID":"S6O-03679","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":1756,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":136,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T13:37:49.503","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-28T08:58:09.69","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on mitigating any UK Government reductions to UK-wide benefits since 2019.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on mitigating any UK Government reductions to UK-wide benefits since 2019.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422946,"EventID":"S6O-03677","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T13:37:49.343","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-27T09:38:55.87","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs last met with the Chief Constable of Police Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs last met with the Chief Constable of Police Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422947,"EventID":"S6O-03684","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":4982,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T13:37:49.423","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-28T10:12:03.397","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to take any action in relation to reported concerns regarding how the 2018 GP contract is working in the Highlands and Islands.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to take any action in relation to reported concerns regarding how the 2018 GP contract is working in the Highlands and Islands.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422948,"EventID":"S6O-03668","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T13:38:04.65","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-27T15:26:36.44","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its reported decision to instruct local authorities to divert money from the Nature Restoration Fund towards local government pay settlements, what discussi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its reported decision to instruct local authorities to divert money from the Nature Restoration Fund towards local government pay settlements, what discussions the finance secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding action that can be taken to mitigate any impact of this decision on projects aimed at reversing nature loss.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422949,"EventID":"S6O-03655","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T13:38:04.833","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-26T13:21:21.053","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the economy secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding support for any businesses impacted by the ban on wood burning stoves in new build h","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the economy secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding support for any businesses impacted by the ban on wood burning stoves in new build homes.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422950,"EventID":"S6O-03654","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3907,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":135,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T13:38:04.943","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-28T09:52:08.783","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with UK Government counterparts regarding future plans for the Shared Prosperity and Levelling Up Funds.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with UK Government counterparts regarding future plans for the Shared Prosperity and Levelling Up Funds.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422951,"EventID":"S6O-03665","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T13:38:04.84","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-27T09:46:30.477","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to fund any pay increases for local government employees.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to fund any pay increases for local government employees.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422952,"EventID":"S6O-03664","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T13:38:04.657","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-28T08:22:31.017","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recently published government expenditure and revenue figures, which reportedly show a &pound;2,400 dividend in the last year for every perso","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recently published government expenditure and revenue figures, which reportedly show a &pound;2,400 dividend in the last year for every person in Scotland as a result of its continued membership of the UK.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422953,"EventID":"S6O-03672","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T13:38:04.76","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-27T12:27:47.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with Network Rail and ScotRail with regards to improving the Dumfries-Glasgow train service.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with Network Rail and ScotRail with regards to improving the Dumfries-Glasgow train service.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422954,"EventID":"S6O-03657","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5598,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":139,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T13:38:04.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-26T14:33:16.173","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the contribution that housebuilding makes to the Scottish economy.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the contribution that housebuilding makes to the Scottish economy.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422955,"EventID":"S6O-03675","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4941,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":87,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T13:38:04.65","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-28T10:07:46.307","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its priorities are for COP29, which will take place in Baku later this year.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its priorities are for COP29, which will take place in Baku later this year.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422956,"EventID":"S6O-03667","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16191,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":77,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T13:38:04.983","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-27T15:38:08.533","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions the finance secretary has had with the UK Government regarding public spending, in light of the Prime Minister&rsquo;s remarks that the Labour ad","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions the finance secretary has had with the UK Government regarding public spending, in light of the Prime Minister&rsquo;s remarks that the Labour administration&rsquo;s first Budget is &ldquo;going to be painful&rdquo;.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422957,"EventID":"S6O-03663","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16205,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T13:38:04.653","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-26T15:33:30.943","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in line with the agreed procedure, whether it will provide the Scottish Fiscal Commission with a public sector pay policy ahead of its Budget for 2025-26.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in line with the agreed procedure, whether it will provide the Scottish Fiscal Commission with a public sector pay policy ahead of its Budget for 2025-26.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422958,"EventID":"S6O-03671","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T13:38:04.993","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-28T10:28:19.93","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review its goal of decarbonising transport, in light of its reported decision to increase fares and reduce services on Scotland&rsquo;s railways.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review its goal of decarbonising transport, in light of its reported decision to increase fares and reduce services on Scotland&rsquo;s railways.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422959,"EventID":"S6O-03656","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2892,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T13:38:04.643","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-27T19:13:36.93","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to implement the policy announced in March 2022 in regard to companies maintaining trade links with Russia following the invasion of Ukraine.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to implement the policy announced in March 2022 in regard to companies maintaining trade links with Russia following the invasion of Ukraine.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422960,"EventID":"S6O-03662","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T13:38:04.833","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-28T08:37:13.39","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has allocated to local authorities whose housing stock and former housing stock requires demolition and rebuilding due to the presence of reinforced ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has allocated to local authorities whose housing stock and former housing stock requires demolition and rebuilding due to the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422961,"EventID":"S6O-03661","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4940,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":81,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T13:38:04.657","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-26T13:21:55.57","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met North Lanarkshire Council and what was discussed.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met North Lanarkshire Council and what was discussed.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422962,"EventID":"S6O-03674","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T13:38:04.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-27T12:41:32.337","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve road safety on the A75.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve road safety on the A75.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422963,"EventID":"S6O-03669","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T13:38:04.97","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-27T11:49:00.947","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to implement Scotland&rsquo;s National Transport Strategy.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to implement Scotland&rsquo;s National Transport Strategy.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":422964,"EventID":"S6O-03670","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5877,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T13:38:04.657","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-26T13:01:41.89","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide further details of its position on the re-introduction of peak fares on ScotRail trains.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide further details of its position on the re-introduction of peak fares on ScotRail trains.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422965,"EventID":"S6O-03676","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5866,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T13:38:04.94","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-26T13:10:06.913","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the dualling of the A9.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the dualling of the A9.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422966,"EventID":"S6O-03660","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T13:38:04.943","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-27T17:39:26.753","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the development of its Green Industrial Strategy and its commitment to leverage up to &pound;500 million over the next five years fo","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the development of its Green Industrial Strategy and its commitment to leverage up to &pound;500 million over the next five years for Scotland's offshore wind supply chain.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422967,"EventID":"S6O-03653","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T13:38:04.653","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-27T22:08:25.99","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether its decision not to make survivors of abuse at Fornethy House eligible for Scotland's Redress Scheme was due to budgetary pressures.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether its decision not to make survivors of abuse at Fornethy House eligible for Scotland's Redress Scheme was due to budgetary pressures.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422968,"EventID":"S6O-03658","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5075,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":112,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T13:38:04.733","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-27T15:43:47.09","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with Harland &amp; Wolff regarding any potential job losses at its yards in Methil in the Kirkcaldy constituency and Arnish on the Isl","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with Harland &amp; Wolff regarding any potential job losses at its yards in Methil in the Kirkcaldy constituency and Arnish on the Isle of Lewis.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422969,"EventID":"S6O-03659","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T13:38:04.857","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-26T17:25:52.907","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it decided that survivors of abuse at Fornethy House should not be eligible to access Scotland's Redress Scheme.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it decided that survivors of abuse at Fornethy House should not be eligible to access Scotland's Redress Scheme.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422970,"EventID":"S6O-03673","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T13:38:04.66","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-28T08:43:58.74","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to assist local authorities with repairing potholes, in light of reports of the detrimental impact that large numbers of potholes are having on drivers acro","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to assist local authorities with repairing potholes, in light of reports of the detrimental impact that large numbers of potholes are having on drivers across Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422971,"EventID":"S6W-29343","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T15:23:29.59","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-26T08:20:34.58","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many private landlords on the Scottish LandlordRegister have been found, over the past 10 years, to have not complied withtheir legal responsibilities to (a) provide","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many private landlords on the Scottish LandlordRegister have been found, over the past 10 years, to have not complied withtheir legal responsibilities to (a) provide an Energy Performance Certificateto the tenant and in any advertisement to rent the property, (b) issue a copyof the latest gas safety check to tenants within 28 days of the check beingcompleted and (c) provide a copy of the electrical inspection condition reportto the tenant, where legally required.","AnswerText":"The information requested is not held by the Scottish Government. Landlord Registration is administered and enforced by each local authority for their own geographical area. Any records of non-compliance by a landlord are kept by the relevant local authority.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422972,"EventID":"S6W-29311","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16195,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T15:23:30.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-23T11:06:42.16","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how the requirements of the National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) Policy 3 pertaining to biodiversity enhancement will be integrated into the proposals for Grangemouth Fl","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the requirements of the National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) Policy 3 pertaining to biodiversity enhancement will be integrated into the proposals for Grangemouth Flood Protection Scheme.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"It is the responsibility of Local Authorities to plan, develop and deliver flood protection schemes and other flood resilience actions.Policy 3 of the National Planning Framework requires that development proposals contribute to the enhancement of biodiversity and that any potential adverse impacts will be minimised through careful planning and design. We would expect all schemes progressed by local authorities to include appropriate measures to conserve, restore and enhance biodiversity","AnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422973,"EventID":"S6W-29377","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T15:23:30.05","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-26T12:53:35.117","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much brokerage it expects NHS Borders to owe before it returns a financial balance.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much brokerage it expects NHS Borders to owe before it returns a financial balance.","AnswerText":"NHS Borders are escalated to Level 3 of the NHS Support and Intervention Framework for finance. To date NHS Borders have &pound;20m outstanding brokerage from years 2019-20 to 2022-23.Scottish Government continue to work with NHS Borders to create a credible and realistic path to balance. This is an ongoing exercise due to ongoing pay negotiations, high inflation and increased demand for services, but the Board will be expected to repay all outstanding brokerage when it has reached financial sustainability.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422974,"EventID":"S6W-29379","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T15:23:31.287","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-26T15:08:28.727","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any impact in Scotland, what its response is to the most recent report of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its cause","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any impact in Scotland, what its response is to the most recent report of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences.","AnswerText":"Earlier this year I met with the UN Special Rapporteur and we welcome publication of the report.Our strategic approach to challenge demand for prostitution and improve support for those with experience of it, published in February 2024, recognises that prostitution cannot be considered in isolation, and sets out the Scottish Government&rsquo;s collective approach, working with stakeholders across the wider public and third sector.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422975,"EventID":"S6W-29301","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16188,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":82,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T15:23:29.32","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-23T08:32:19.63","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update on the (a) progress of the safer drug consumption facility pilot, (b) establishment of drug-checking facilities and (c) expansion of acc","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update on the (a) progress of the safer drug consumption facility pilot, (b) establishment of drug-checking facilities and (c) expansion of access to life-saving naloxone and residential rehabilitation services, and what additional measures are being implemented to reduce the harm and fatalities associated with drug use.","AnswerText":"The creation of a Safer Drug Consumption Facility in Glasgow is progressing well - construction work is nearing completion to convert the existing facilities and make them fit for purpose and necessary staff recruitment and training is well underway. A provisional opening date of 21 has been announced by Glasgow Council.We are committed to help deliver drug checking facilities across Scotland. The three pilot areas (Dundee, Aberdeen and Glasgow) have now submitted their licence applications to the Home Office and we are providing support as they are being progressed. We expect the application for the National Testing Laboratory, which will provide additional analysis of drug samples, to be submitted shortly. Edinburgh have also recently joined the national project group and they are at the early stages of considering the establishment of a similar facility.Over &pound;38 million has been made available through two rounds of the Residential Rehabilitation Rapid Capacity Programme (RRRCP) to increase residential rehab capacity across Scotland. This fund supports eight capacity projects &ndash; of which four are new projects and four are expansions to existing services. This will provide 140 more bed by 2025-26.36 of these beds are already operational and additional projects will be completed over the coming year to add a further 34 beds across Ayrshire, Aberdeenshire and Highlands and Islands. Collectively, these not only substantially increase the number of bed spaces available but also importantly widen access to specific groups and addresses geographic barriers to accessing rehab.Work is continuing through a range of projects and initiatives to expand access to naloxone and the latest estimated reach of the National Naloxone Programme was 74.7% (percentage of people at risk of opioid overdose who have been supplied with THN) at the end of 2023-24 Quarter 3. We continue to support Police Scotland in their carriage of naloxone by all front-line police officers, where it has been administered to over 450 individuals. Our click-and-deliver service continues to distribute large numbers of kits (894 in quarter 3 of 23-24, last data available) while the work we have supported through the Scottish Ambulance Service also meant 211 kits were distributed by them in the same period.Recent activity to further expand access to naloxone has included making it available in first aid kits (crash packs) within Scottish prisons while also expanding the work being done by the Scottish Drugs Forum to distribute naloxone to people on liberation from prison through peers. We also continue to engage with UK Government colleagues around the forthcoming legislative change to naloxone prescribing regulations which will make accessing kits easier across the UK.Additional harm reduction measures being implemented can be found on the Scottish Government&rsquo;s website: https://www.gov.scot/policies/alcohol-and-drugs/national-mission/","AnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422976,"EventID":"S6W-29353","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T15:23:31.013","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-26T10:09:12.497","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29245&nbsp;by Mairi Gougeon on 23 August 2024,&nbsp;whether it can provide details of the system that is in place to report collis","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29245&nbsp;by Mairi Gougeon on 23 August 2024,&nbsp;whether it can provide details of the system that is in place to report collisions between its Marine Protection Vessels and (a) whales, (b) dolphins, (c) porpoises, (d) basking sharks, (e) seals and (f) other large marine species.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not have a procedure in place to report collisions between its Marine Protection Vessels and cetaceans, basking sharks and other marine mammals. There have been no known incidences of collisions and so no procedure has been developed. Should an incident occur, our crews would assist where possible and report to the British Divers Marine Life Rescue and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, both of which crews have worked with before to assist stranded cetaceans.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422977,"EventID":"S6W-29333","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T15:23:30.27","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-23T12:59:12.3","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered issuing additional guidance to local authorities in relation to the (a) purchase of (i) owner-occupier and (ii) private tenancy properties and ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered issuing additional guidance to local authorities in relation to the (a) purchase of (i) owner-occupier and (ii) private tenancy properties and (b) process of making these Scottish secure tenancies.","AnswerText":"There are no current plans to issue additional guidance covering cases where an owner occupier wishes to sell their home to a local authority or a Registered Social Landlord and remain in it as a tenant in the social rented sector. These matters are covered in our operational procedures for local authorities and Registered Social Landlords on (a) the grant-funded element of the Affordable Housing Supply Programme and (b) the Mortgage to Rent scheme which is part of the Home Owners Support Fund.In due course however, we intend to issue additional guidance to local authorities and Registered Social Landlords on the purchase of properties from landlords leaving the private rented sector with a tenant in situ through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422978,"EventID":"S6W-29355","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T15:23:31.573","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-26T10:11:54.287","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason Marine Scotland is reportedly unable to conduct a further inspection of the partially deconstructed man-made causeway between the Isles of Luing and Tors","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason Marine Scotland is reportedly unable to conduct a further inspection of the partially deconstructed man-made causeway between the Isles of Luing and Torsa, as requested by members of the community in Luing.","AnswerText":"Marine Directorate - Licensing Operations Team (MD-LOT), on behalf of Scottish Ministers, investigated the unlicensed construction of a causeway between Luing and Torsa between September 2021 and July 2022. During that time, several site visits were undertaken by authorised Marine Enforcement officers (MEOs) and remedial works were instructed under Section 44 of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010. Following a final visit to the site by MEOs, these works were completed to the satisfaction of MD-LOT on 26 July 2022. No further enforcement action is planned in this case.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422979,"EventID":"S6W-29350","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T15:23:30.737","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-26T09:38:48.023","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent report from the Design Council, Design Economy:&nbsp;The&nbsp;Green Design Skills Gap, what work is being conducted to ensure that environmental ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent report from the Design Council, Design Economy:&nbsp;The&nbsp;Green Design Skills Gap, what work is being conducted to ensure that environmental impact is at the heart of the design process in Scotland.","AnswerText":"Creative Scotland, in its role of supporting the growth of sustainable creative businesses in Scotland, has an explicit focus on environmental sustainability. This is detailed in their 2022 A Climate Emergency and Sustainability Plan for Creative Scotland | Creative Scotland and subsequent annual reviews, Environmental Sustainability Review 2023/24 | Creative Scotland as well as in the detailed guidance in the form of funding criteria Environmental Sustainability | Creative Scotland that is employed in assessing applicants to its Grant-in-Aid and National Lottery funds.The design sector, as defined by Scottish Government, reported GVA of &pound;570.8m in 2022, but its impact and benefits are often overlooked. In response to this, Creative Scotland and V&amp;A Dundee have been working together under the banner of &lsquo;Design for Scotland&rsquo; to progress a project involving the design community responding to a call to action of &lsquo;Ask not what Scotland can do for Design, but what Design can do for Scotland&rsquo;. This has included consideration of the environmental impact of design.In Scotland, we benefit from excellent design education in our colleges and Universities. Per head of population, Scotland has more of its art and design schools in the global top 100 ranking Universities than any other European country.Furthermore, Architecture and Design Scotland helps support the design of sustainable buildings and places in Scotland, including with local authorities, agencies, stakeholders and communities to address environmental impacts of the built environment and promote positive environmental outcomes.We can be confident that both the Design community and the structures that support them are looking forward to ensuring that their skills and aspirations are fully employed in ensuring that environmental impact is at the heart of the design process in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422980,"EventID":"S6W-29368","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T15:23:29.43","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-26T10:55:44.507","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) UK and (b) EU registered vessels received boarded inspections by Marine Scotland in each year since 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) UK and (b) EU registered vessels received boarded inspections by Marine Scotland in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government publish enforcement data which details the number of marine inspections by nationality. Marine and fisheries compliance: boardings of vessels in Scottish waters - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) These statistics have been updated recently to include data up to 30 June 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422981,"EventID":"S6W-29378","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T15:23:31.017","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-26T12:53:35.12","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it expects NHS Borders to make any further reductions or savings once the NHS board returns a financial balance to repay  accumulated brokerage.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it expects NHS Borders to make any further reductions or savings once the NHS board returns a financial balance to repay  accumulated brokerage.","AnswerText":"NHS Scotland is facing an unprecedented financial challenge, but all NHS Boards continue to have a statutory responsibility to reach a break-even financial position.NHS Borders delivered a deficit outturn in 2023-24 and continue to manage financial pressures in 2024-25. Scottish Government are working with NHS Borders to create a credible and realistic path to balance and, once that path balance has been achieved, the Board would start to repay outstanding brokerage.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422982,"EventID":"S6W-29358","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T15:23:29.67","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-26T10:24:56.147","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to use Tier 2 of the new agricultural support framework to support farmers and crofters to deliver on objectives around nature and climate improvement.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to use Tier 2 of the new agricultural support framework to support farmers and crofters to deliver on objectives around nature and climate improvement.","AnswerText":"Tier 2 will deliver Enhanced support payment which is designed to be a universally accessible payment that supplements Base.Funding will also be made available through Tier 2 for a replacement for Less Favoured Areas Support Scheme (LFASS), where people are farming and crofting in the most marginal and challenging of circumstances. We are working with stakeholders on how best to deliver this type of support under the new Framework.Enhanced has the clear purpose of incentivising and supporting agricultural businesses to undertake best practices and/or actions that actively improve nature and climate outcomes that are consistent with the transition towards sustainable and regenerative farming. Many of these practices and actions will improve business efficiency and productivity.Enhanced will use levers to reward behaviours, practices and measures aligned to this aim, which are broad enough to allow all type of agricultural businesses to take part while delivering against the overarching objectives of the Vision.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422983,"EventID":"S6W-29359","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T15:23:30.003","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-26T10:25:34.97","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has identified any practical limitations caused by the current IT system for distributing farming and crofting payments that will impact on the approach taken","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has identified any practical limitations caused by the current IT system for distributing farming and crofting payments that will impact on the approach taken to agricultural support framework Tiers 2, 3 and 4.","AnswerText":"The current paying agency is performing well, making payments more quickly and stably than before. The existing system was built to deliver against the CAP and while we work to reform the support system we must also prioritise existing payment delivery to ensure no cliff edges. Regular maintenance of the system is required to protect the integrity and stability of existing payments and the Scottish Government must allocate sufficient budget to ensure continuation of that stability. However, these systems, whilst vital for maintain ongoing payments, are not designed to deliver the four tier support framework required for the Agricultural reform programme. Therefore, we are currently working on what capabilities and requirements will be needed in the future.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422984,"EventID":"S6W-29363","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T15:23:29.327","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-26T10:55:44.507","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there was any increase in passenger levels on the (a) Aberdeen to Inverness and (b) Perth to Inverness route during the ScotRail peak fares removal pilot compare","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there was any increase in passenger levels on the (a) Aberdeen to Inverness and (b) Perth to Inverness route during the ScotRail peak fares removal pilot compared with passenger levels prior to the pilot being introduced, and, if so, whether it can outline this as a percentage of passengers.","AnswerText":"The following table sets out the comparisons on passenger data for the Aberdeen to Inverness and Glasgow / Edinburgh to Inverness rail services prior and during the peak pilot.We don&rsquo;t hold a breakdown of the Perth to Inverness section due to the way the data is collated by route.RouteChange in demand from Peak FaresABERDEEN-INVERNESS4.5%GLASGOW/EDINBURGH-INVERNESS3.5%","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422985,"EventID":"S6W-29226","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T15:23:30","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-20T11:59:10.213","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how muchsupport has been made available to support services for people who experiencedhistoric forced adoption, in each year since 2","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how muchsupport has been made available to support services for people who experiencedhistoric forced adoption, in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to fund the charity, Health in Mind, to deliver a specialist peer service to those affected by historic forced adoption. This is in direct response to feedback from people with lived experience for this type of support.Funding has totalled over &pound;73,000 to date, (&pound;23,389 in 2022-2023 and &pound;49,276 in 2023-2024). Health in Mind continues to promote the service across Scotland and raise awareness of the impact of historic forced adoption practices. Further details of the service are available at: https://health-in-mind.org.uk/how-we-can-help/national-services/historic-adoption-trauma-support-service/","AnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422986,"EventID":"S6W-29300","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16188,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":82,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T15:23:30.31","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-23T08:27:40.563","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28925 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 14 August 2024, what steps it has taken to urge pensioners to check their eligibility for pens","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28925 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 14 August 2024, what steps it has taken to urge pensioners to check their eligibility for pension credit and thereby be eligible for Winter Fuel Payment in the Uddingston and Bellshill constituency, in light of Independent Age's report that an estimated &pound;3,436,244 in pension credit goes unclaimed annually.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that everyone receives the benefits to which they are entitled. In 2024-25 we have invested over &pound;12 million in free income maximisation, welfare and debt advice services &ndash; including &pound;4.6 million for Citizens Advice Scotland&rsquo;s Money Talk Team service, which last year supported over 9,000 older people, securing financial gains of over &pound;7 million.As Pension Credit is a reserved benefit the Scottish Government has written to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions urging that more is done to promote this benefit. We have also offered to work with the Department of Work and Pensions to improve take-up rates. This will include working with stakeholders across Scotland to increase awareness of Pension Credit and the link to eligibility for Pension Age Winter Heating Payment.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422987,"EventID":"S6W-29371","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T15:23:30.53","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-26T10:55:44.507","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people it estimates will (a) now be eligible and (b) not be eligible to receive its Pension Age Winter Heating Payment, following its reported decision to make ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people it estimates will (a) now be eligible and (b) not be eligible to receive its Pension Age Winter Heating Payment, following its reported decision to make it a means-tested payment.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government analysis suggests that between 110,000 and 130,000 pensioners will remain eligible for payment in Scotland this winter. This represents a reduction of around 900,000 pensioners who will no longer be entitled in 2024-25.The UK Government&rsquo;s decision to restrict eligibility for Winter Fuel Payments has had a significant impact, reducing the Block-Grant Adjustment associated with devolution of the UK&rsquo;s Winter Fuel Payment by an estimated &pound;140 million to &pound;160 million in 2024-25, nearly 90% of the cost of the Scottish Government&rsquo;s replacement benefit, Pension Age Winter Heating Payment.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422988,"EventID":"S6W-29351","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T15:23:30.06","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-26T09:43:02.737","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures are being implemented to apply the waste hierarchy to waste wood.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures are being implemented to apply the waste hierarchy to waste wood.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to supporting the application of the waste hierarchy to reduce waste and maximise the value of any waste that is generated in order to encourage the sustainable use of our limited resources and help reduce emissions.There are currently a number of measures already underway that apply the waste hierarchy to waste wood. The &lsquo;Wood cascading in Scotland&rsquo; report, published in 2023 by Built Environment &ndash; Smarter Transformation (BE-ST) for Scottish Forestry and Zero Waste Scotland, provides an overview of existing measures and future opportunities to efficiently utilise wood to prolong its life cycle and ensure effective end of life management for energy recovery. The report is available at https://be-st.build/media/fospozdi/be-st_wood-cascading-in-scotland_2023.pdf.Examples of existing measures include:?Scotland&rsquo;s forest industries continue to work in close collaboration with a range of internal and external partners to maximise best practice in waste management in accordance with the waste hierarchy at all stages of supply chains. There are already well-established pre-existing markets for the buying and selling of pre-used wood products according to the type of wood and grade of waste. At present, from UK production of 9.8 million tonnes annually, the sector disposes of 306,000 tonnes (3.1%) to landfill.?Four Recycling Improvement Fund projects include wood as a material stream in order to increase the amount of wood that is recycled.?Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) prioritise wood recycling and most HWRCs will have a container for wood to be recycled and this would be encouraged at site to divert from residual to recycling. A small number of sites may have some reuse options available, such as for community groups.Going forward, the powers in the Circular Economy Act and the proposals in the Circular Economy and Waste Route Map will further promote the use of surplus and reuse in the construction sector, aiming to move all construction waste and surplus up the waste hierarchy, including wood products. In addition, the Scottish Government&rsquo;s draft Bioenergy Policy Statement sets out that the bioenergy sector should prioritise the use of available waste feedstocks, including waste wood, and that the use of biomass must comply with the principles of a circular economy.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422989,"EventID":"S6W-29316","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T15:23:30.26","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-23T12:59:12.3","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether net zero is being done to people, rather than with them, in light of reported concerns regarding the Mixed Tenure Improvement Service.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether net zero is being done to people, rather than with them, in light of reported concerns regarding the Mixed Tenure Improvement Service.","AnswerText":"The Mixed Tenure Improvement Service is delivered by the City of Edinburgh Council using powers as set out in the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004. Any concerns with the scheme would need to be raised with the Council.Tackling the climate emergency is one of this Government&rsquo;s key priorities and we are committed to ensuring that those who may be impacted by the transition to net zero are involved in designing how we manage it.Our Public Engagement Strategy for Climate Change, published in September 2021, recognises our commitment to a participatory approach where people can actively shape just, fair and inclusive policies that promote mitigation of, and adaptation to, climate change.Heating our homes and workplaces causes around 20% of our carbon emissions, so we cannot achieve net zero without improving energy efficiency and ending our use of gas boilers. We recently consulted on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill, receiving over 1600 responses. We will ensure that our proposals are affordable for homes and businesses, and take account of responses to the consultation.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422990,"EventID":"S6W-29282","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T15:23:30.82","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-22T15:49:06.61","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the planned date of commencement of the prohibition of the use of snares, as provided for in the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (S","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the planned date of commencement of the prohibition of the use of snares, as provided for in the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024.","AnswerText":"A complete ban on the use of snares, as provided for in the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024, subject to parliamentary procedure, is expected to come into force on 25 November 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422991,"EventID":"S6W-29375","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T15:23:31.2","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-26T12:53:35.107","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action has been taken through its performance escalation framework in relation to \"financial sustainability\" at NHS Borders.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action has been taken through its performance escalation framework in relation to \"financial sustainability\" at NHS Borders.","AnswerText":"NHS Borders are at Level 3 of the NHS Support and Intervention Framework and the Board continue to receive tailored support from Scottish Government. Support includes, a dedicated Finance Support Lead, advice on savings delivery in pursuit of 3% recurring savings against baseline budget, resource from the Finance Delivery Unit to improve capacity in the finance team including financial analysis, reporting tools, and stakeholder management, and non-recurring funding to bolster the Board&rsquo;s finance team. The FDU have also attended Executive Board meetings to challenge the financial position and support path to balance.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422992,"EventID":"S6W-29376","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T15:23:31.38","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-26T12:53:35.113","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS Borders regarding the repayment of total brokerage accumulated once the NHS board returns to financial balance.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS Borders regarding the repayment of total brokerage accumulated once the NHS board returns to financial balance.","AnswerText":"NHS Borders are at Level 3 of the NHS Support and Intervention Escalation Framework and the Board continue to receive tailored support from Scottish GovernmentUnder the terms of this tailored support, the Scottish Government Financial Delivery Unit maintain frequent contact with NHS Borders Executives regarding its financial position. At present, these conversations are focussed on securing a credible path to balance and, once this has been established and on course to be achieved, conversations will commence on brokerage repayment.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422993,"EventID":"S6W-29273","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1756,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":136,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T15:23:30.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-22T11:27:06.303","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, based on the most recent data it holds, which 10 breeds of dogs have been most responsible for seriously injuring or killing people, ranked in order.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, based on the most recent data it holds, which 10 breeds of dogs have been most responsible for seriously injuring or killing people, ranked in order.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24486 on 24 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.As noted in the answer to S6W-24486, there is no central database within Scotland or the UK that provides data on dog attacks, broken down by the breed of dog involved.Data is available from National Records Scotland on deaths from being bitten or struck by a dog in Scotland. Data is also available from Public Health Scotland on the number of inpatient and day case admissions to hospital where a diagnosis of dog attack (bite or strike) was recorded. Data on the breed or type of dogs involved is not recorded.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422994,"EventID":"S6W-29272","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1756,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":136,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T15:23:30.057","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-22T11:27:06.303","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, since the new rules came into effect on 23February 2024, how many XL bully-type dogs have been (a) found abandoned orhanded in to animal welfare charities and (b) eutha","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, since the new rules came into effect on 23February 2024, how many XL bully-type dogs have been (a) found abandoned orhanded in to animal welfare charities and (b) euthanised under the ScottishGovernment scheme.","AnswerText":"Information on the number of suspected XL Bully dogs that have been abandoned or handed in to animal welfare charities is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.XL Bully owners who have taken the decision to have their dog euthanised can claim up to &pound;200 compensation from the Scottish Government.To claim compensation, the owner of the XL Bully must have arranged to have their dog euthanised by 31 July 2024. The euthanisation itself can happen after this date, but arrangements must be in place by this date. The Scottish Government must receive any claim by 30 September 2024.The Scottish Government has so far received 25 claims for compensation following arrangements being made for the euthanisation of an XL Bully dog.Where an XL Bully dog owner has decided to have their dog euthanised without seeking compensation from the Scottish Government, the Scottish Government would not be advised by the owner. Therefore, the number of claims for compensation sent to the Scottish Government may not be a full picture of the number of XL Bully dogs euthanised.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422995,"EventID":"S6W-29374","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T15:23:31.47","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-26T11:54:21.02","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when NatureScot will be revising its Scottish Biodiversity List of species and habitats that Scottish Ministers consider to be of principal importance for biodiversity c","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when NatureScot will be revising its Scottish Biodiversity List of species and habitats that Scottish Ministers consider to be of principal importance for biodiversity conservation in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government and NatureScot have been focused on the development of the final draft of the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy and supporting Delivery Plans, which will be published later this year. The Scottish Biodiversity List remains an important part of this framework. NatureScot has already undertaken some preparatory work which will help inform this task, and we will continue to work together to produce a revised list in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422996,"EventID":"S6W-29367","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T15:23:31.113","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-26T10:55:44.507","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) UK and (b) EU vessels were registered to fish in Scottish waters in each year since 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) UK and (b) EU vessels were registered to fish in Scottish waters in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"UK commercial fishing licences provide general authority for the registered vessel to fish in the UK EEZ, subject to specific conditions detailed in the licence. The UK Fisheries Act 2020 sets out the &lsquo;equal access objective&rsquo;, stating that, \"access of UK fishing boats to any area within British fishery limits is not affected by- (a) the location of the fishing boat&rsquo;s home port, or (b) any other connection of the fishing boat, or any of its owners, to any place in the United Kingdom.\"UK fishing licences may also be retained as an \"entitlement\" which means that that there is no active fishing vessel linked to the licence entitlement at that time. That entitlement may be re-activated in the future by being transferred or sold and then attached to an active UK vessel.The information provided in the following table is the number of \"active\" UK licences - i.e. where a fishing vessel is linked to the licence - as of 1 January in each year. As noted above, whilst UK fishing licences permit activity in all UK waters, the number of active UK licences is not necessarily representative of UK vessels' fishing activity in Scottish waters.YearUK vessels licensed at 1 January20244896202350312022528320215307The following number of EU vessels were issued with fishing licences to access and fish in UK waters since 2021. These licences permit access to all UK waters not just Scottish waters. All eligible EU vessels must hold a historic track record of operating in the UK EEZ prior to UK withdrawal from the EU. The following numbers therefore cannot be said to represent EU vessels' fishing activity in the Scottish zone.YearUK access licences issued to EU vessels20241549202315422022158520211677","AnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422997,"EventID":"S6W-29373","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T15:23:29.293","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-26T10:55:44.507","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people it estimates were claiming the Winter Fuel Payment prior to its decision to make its proposed Pension Age Winter Heating Payment a means-tested payment, ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people it estimates were claiming the Winter Fuel Payment prior to its decision to make its proposed Pension Age Winter Heating Payment a means-tested payment, in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"In 2021-22, there were 973,604 recipients of Winter Fuel Payment in Scotland. This number increased to 991,431 recipients in 2022-23.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422998,"EventID":"S6W-29357","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T15:23:31.62","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-26T10:24:40.837","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to split funding between Tiers 1 and 2 of the new agricultural support framework, in light of the announcement in February 2024 that at least 70% of the ove","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to split funding between Tiers 1 and 2 of the new agricultural support framework, in light of the announcement in February 2024 that at least 70% of the overall budget would sit within those tiers.","AnswerText":"A phased transition approach to the new Future Support Framework is outlined in the Agriculture Reform Route Map. Tiers 1 and 2 are the tiers that most closely resemble the current Basic Payment Scheme and Greening payments and will receive at least 70% of the available budget. The announcement at February&rsquo;s NFU Scotland Conference means that the majority of funding will remain open to the majority of farmers and crofters.Announcements on the future budget split between Tier 1 and 2 will be provided in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":422999,"EventID":"S6W-29306","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T15:23:30.26","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-23T10:17:19.433","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with sports governing bodies that may be affected by the decision of sportscotland to dispose of its headquarters at Caledonia House, Edinbur","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with sports governing bodies that may be affected by the decision of sportscotland to dispose of its headquarters at Caledonia House, Edinburgh.","AnswerText":"In 2009, sportscotland&rsquo;s headquarters moved to Doges, Templeton on the Green, Glasgow and Caledonian House was retained as a &ldquo;House of Sport&rdquo;. A full cost-benefit analysis of Caledonian House was conducted in March 2023, and it was concluded the building was not a good use of public money. All existing tenants, including relevant Scottish Governing Bodies of sport, were part of a sportscotland consultation process, have been kept up to date with the process throughout, and were provided ample time to consider their future office needs and find alternative office space.sportscotland continue to support tenants with information and guidance on alternative accommodation and where possible, have facilitated introductions to wider partners where there is potential to co-locate.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423000,"EventID":"S6W-29370","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T15:23:30.067","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-26T10:55:44.507","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures Marine Scotland takes to ensure that EU registered vessels are properly monitored when landing in ports.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures Marine Scotland takes to ensure that EU registered vessels are properly monitored when landing in ports.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government ensures all non-UK vessels landing into Scotland are authorised to do so by meeting detailed regulations which includes vessel tracking and daily electronic catch reporting, and the requirement to complete Port State Control and export documentation. Officers from the Marine Directorate verify documentation by undertaking risk-based remote and physical inspections at ports. The Scottish Government also inspect non-UK vessels at sea using Marine Protection Vessels and surveillance aircraft. Additionally, the Scottish Government is further developing a program of detailed analysis of vessels fishing Scottish waters but landing in another state. This involves working closely with the EU and other third countries to improve data sharing, including sales and inspection data.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423001,"EventID":"S6W-29354","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T15:23:31.48","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-26T10:11:12.873","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its announced review of Community Right to Buy, which stakeholders and community groups it plans to invite for informal discussions and how these were se","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its announced review of Community Right to Buy, which stakeholders and community groups it plans to invite for informal discussions and how these were selected; whether the review will consider previous independent reviews of community right to buy, and what role it envisages for the Scottish Land Commission in the review process.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government issued a general call for evidence on the Scottish Government&rsquo;s X Account on 10 July. In addition, since announcing the review on 6 March at a visit to the Heart of Newhaven project in Edinburgh, we have emailed stakeholder and community groups who have engaged with Community Right to Buy to seek their views.This initial call for evidence will inform a full formal consultation in summer 2025, which will give everyone the opportunity to comment. The response to which will be published and summarised in accordance with standard consultation practice.The review will consider all of the previous work that has been carried out in exploring the various community rights to buy. The Scottish Land Commission will be involved in discussions along with a wide range of other stakeholders and community groups, throughout the review.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423002,"EventID":"S6W-29356","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T15:23:30.923","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-26T10:23:31.34","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to deliver on its commitment to make half of all funding for farming and crofting targeted towards outcomes for biodiversity gain and climate mitigation ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to deliver on its commitment to make half of all funding for farming and crofting targeted towards outcomes for biodiversity gain and climate mitigation and adaptation.","AnswerText":"The Agricultural Route Map states that from 2025 the support framework will be aimed at delivering against the following five outcomes with at least half of all funding targeted towards outcomes for biodiversity gain and climate mitigation and adaption:High Quality Food Production - the primary food production sector is a productive sector of the economy and ensures we meet more of our own food needs more sustainablyThriving Agricultural Businesses - profitable and resilient agricultural businesses support local livelihoods, supply chains and the wider rural economyClimate Change Mitigation and Adaptation - greenhouse gas emissions from the agricultural sector are reduced in line with the CCP, and the ability to adapt to climate change is increasedNature Restoration - there will be substantial regeneration in, and maintenance of, biodiversity, ecosystem, and soil health on agricultural landSupport for a Just Transition","AnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423003,"EventID":"S6W-29352","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T15:23:30.057","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-26T09:45:26.52","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures are being implemented to support the recovery of (a) potassium, (b) nitrogen, (c) sulphur, (d) phosphorus, (e) magnesium, (f) calcium and (g) any other nut","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures are being implemented to support the recovery of (a) potassium, (b) nitrogen, (c) sulphur, (d) phosphorus, (e) magnesium, (f) calcium and (g) any other nutrients from waste water.","AnswerText":"Recovering these nutrients from wastewater is expensive and the income generated from the sale of recovered resources does not cover the costs of recovery &ndash; as a result it is not widely done by Scottish Water. For this reason, in our recent consultation on water, wastewater and drainage policy, we sought views on whether resource recovery is something that Scottish Water should be undertaking, and to what extent they should be able to use the money it receives from customer charges to do this. The consultation responses show broad support for our proposals and there was a recognition to support a circular economy through resource recovery. We will consider how this activity can be progressed further as part of our on-going development of policy in Water, Wastewater and Drainage services.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423004,"EventID":"S6W-29369","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T15:23:31.293","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-26T10:55:44.507","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) UK and (b) EU registered vessels were monitored during their landings in each year since 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) UK and (b) EU registered vessels were monitored during their landings in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government publish Enforcement Data which details the number of coastal inspections by nationality. Marine and fisheries compliance: boardings of vessels in Scottish waters - gov.scot (www.gov.scot). These statistics have been updated recently to include data up to 30 June 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423005,"EventID":"S6W-29280","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T15:23:31.57","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-22T15:26:28.22","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27776 by Tom Arthur on 7 June 2024, how Scotland has performed relative to other UK nations and regions on inward investment, both","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27776 by Tom Arthur on 7 June 2024, how Scotland has performed relative to other UK nations and regions on inward investment, both from UK located firms and foreign firms, in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"The latest EY Attractiveness survey, published 11 July 2024, shows that for the ninth consecutive year Scotland was the top performing part of the UK for foreign direct investment (FDI) projects outside of London. Scotland remains highly attractive as an FDI destination, with 26% of investors looking to invest or expand in Scotland in the next year. This is up from 19.2% in 2022 and ranks behind only London &ndash; as well as being well ahead of the UK&rsquo;s other regions and devolved administrations.Information on how Scotland has performed relative to other UK nations and regions are available via the EY attractiveness survey (the latest results can be found here: ey-scotland-attractiveness-survey-07-2024.pdf) and the Department for Business and Trade Inward Investment Results (the latest results can be found here: DBT inward investment results 2023 to 2024 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)The Minister for Employment and Investment's answer to your question S6W-28567 on 30 July 2024 provided details on investment in Scotland for the past five years from a UK-based parent company. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423006,"EventID":"S6W-29281","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T15:23:31.473","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-22T15:41:34.69","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what research it has conducted on the screening of non-FAST (face, arms, speech, time) stroke symptoms, since the publication of the 2023 National Clinical Guideline for","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what research it has conducted on the screening of non-FAST (face, arms, speech, time) stroke symptoms, since the publication of the 2023 National Clinical Guideline for Stroke.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not conducted research on the screening of non-FAST (Face, Arm, Speech, Time) stroke symptoms since the publication of the 2023 National Clinical Guidelines for Stroke.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423007,"EventID":"S6W-29360","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-28T15:23:30.45","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-26T10:25:55.167","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the IT system for agricultural payments, whether it remains committed to the approach set out in the Agricultural Reform Route Map, including the propose","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the IT system for agricultural payments, whether it remains committed to the approach set out in the Agricultural Reform Route Map, including the proposed list of measures for inclusion in Tier 2.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to the approach set out in the Agricultural Reform Route Map. The proposed measures was not a final list but examples were published to highlight the broad types of actions that may be required in the future to access support. Future measures will be introduced over time where they best fit within the Future Support Framework.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423031,"EventID":"S6W-29422","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":5622,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":148,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-29T10:22:51.02","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-29T10:17:38.22","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Short-Term Let Licensing Implementation Update will be published.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Short-Term Let Licensing Implementation Update will be published.","AnswerText":"I am pleased to announce that the Short-Term Let Licensing Implementation Update has been published today [https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781836016878]. This report follows on from the update provided to Parliament in June 2023 and details the findings of ongoing monitoring within the scope outlined to Parliament in October 2023 and January 2024.&nbsp;","AnswerDate":"2024-08-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423032,"EventID":"S6W-29382","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-30T14:24:09.947","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-27T09:15:10.527","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when passenger ferries will run from Rosyth to mainland Europe.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when passenger ferries will run from Rosyth to mainland Europe.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains fully committed to the development of our ports, and the potential for new direct freight and passenger ferry services linking Scotland to Europe.I have personally engaged with parties interested in introducing new ferry services, and Transport Scotland officials communicate regularly with potential operators and Scotland&rsquo;s main ports. We have been clear throughout those discussions that UK Subsidy Control rules mean that any new service will be required to be delivered on a commercial basis.We will continue to engage with port operators and others to explore opportunities for new commercial services, so that Scottish exporters and passengers have more direct routes to Europe. However, this is ultimately a decision for commercial operators.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423033,"EventID":"S6W-29409","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5596,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":151,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-30T14:24:10.6","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-28T16:14:40.923","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is in place for people who have Huntington's disease and their families.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is in place for people who have Huntington's disease and their families.","AnswerText":"The National Care Framework for Huntington&rsquo;s Disease sets out information on the services and support available to people with Huntington&rsquo;s Disease by health board area. This includes services provided through NHS Scotland and other aspects such as social care, employability, financial help, carer respite and housing adaptation.The Scottish Huntington&rsquo;s Association also maintains a list of HD Clinical Leads by health board on its website: HD Clinical Leads &bull; Scottish Huntington's Association (hdscotland.org).","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423034,"EventID":"S6W-29405","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-30T14:24:10.363","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-28T15:45:49.977","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many jobs it expects the Forth Green Freeport deal to create.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many jobs it expects the Forth Green Freeport deal to create.","AnswerText":"Forth Green Freeport&rsquo;s recently submitted full business case details ambitions to create 34,500 direct jobs, comprising 16,000 direct jobs and 18,500 jobs supported indirectly in supply chains and through wages, and up to &pound;7.9 billion in investment.The full business case is currently being appraised by Scottish and UK governments. Upon approval, it will unlock up to &pound;25m seed capital funding to support enabling works. The commitments made by the Green Freeports in their business cases will be subject to robust monitoring and reporting requirements, enshrining their commitments across a number of key dimensions.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423035,"EventID":"S6W-29406","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-30T14:24:10.633","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-28T15:45:49.977","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what role it expects  ports to play as part of its proposed Green Industrial Strategy.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what role it expects  ports to play as part of its proposed Green Industrial Strategy.","AnswerText":"The Green Industrial Strategy recognises ports are key enablers for the energy transition. Ports have a critical role to play in supporting the growth of Scotland&rsquo;s offshore wind sector and accelerating investment in related infrastructure, manufacturing and fabrication. Ports will also play a key role in growing the hydrogen sector to facilitate the export of hydrogen and hydrogen products to external markets in the UK and in Northern Europe. Both Wind and Hydrogen are priority opportunity areas identified in the GIS.Our two Green Freeports in Scotland have a strong focus on supporting renewable energy developments, and will play a crucial role in our commitment to a just transition to net zero, by creating clusters of high-tech manufacturing excellence in low carbon sectors, including offshore wind and renewable hydrogen. The recent announcements on investments at Nigg and Ardersier, part of the Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport, demonstrate the programme&rsquo;s early impacts.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423036,"EventID":"S6W-29393","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-30T14:24:10.057","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-28T07:35:21.503","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to S6W-03307 by George Adam on 5 October 2021, whether any progress has been made on revisions to the (a) Scottish Ministerial Code and (b) Code o","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to S6W-03307 by George Adam on 5 October 2021, whether any progress has been made on revisions to the (a) Scottish Ministerial Code and (b) Code of Conduct for Special Advisers.","AnswerText":"(a) The First Minister announced his intention to publish a strengthened Scottish Ministerial Code later this year on 4 September 2024, as part of his Programme for Government statement in the Scottish Parliament. Under his new Code, the First Minister's independent advisers will be able to launch investigations into alleged breaches of the Code whenever they feel it is warranted, without a referral from the First Minister. They will also be able to provide advice to the First Minister on appropriate sanctions should the First Minister deem that the Code has been breached. The advisers will also be given a role in scrutinizing Ministers' declarations of interests and their Terms of Reference will be published.The 2023 Scottish Ministerial Code already set an extremely high bar in terms of standards in public life. The forthcoming updates to the Code, which, collectively, will be the most significant since independent advisers were introduced in 2008, will further increase transparency and independent scrutiny. The changes meet a number of the asks of Petition PE2093, which is currently being considered by the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee.(b) In accordance with PQ answer S6W-03307, the Scottish Government has considered matters relating to Special Advisors, including the Code of Conduct for Special Advisors, which is reserved to UK Government. The Scottish Government has no plans to ask the UK Government to make changes to the Special Advisers' Code. The Scottish Government&rsquo;s plan for implementing the recommendations of James Hamilton&rsquo;s report, alongside the recommendations of the reports by Laura Dunlop QC and the Scottish Parliament Committee on the Handling of Harassment Complaints, were published in June 2021 and implemented through the Continuous Improvement Programme, which was reported regularly to the Scottish Parliament&rsquo;s Finance and Public Administration Committee.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423037,"EventID":"S6W-29396","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-30T14:24:10.27","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-28T09:04:44.657","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28569 by Kaukab Stewart on 31 July 2024, what support it can offer to venues to implement the recommendations within the Sight Sco","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28569 by Kaukab Stewart on 31 July 2024, what support it can offer to venues to implement the recommendations within the Sight Scotland report, and to use the checklist and top tips provided to create more accessible and inclusive experiences for all.","AnswerText":"We continue to work closely with Disabled People&rsquo;s Organisations (DPOs) to develop and implement a plan that is informed by the lived experience of disabled people and will deliver actions to help with the challenges they are currently facing. Venues should be familiar with and address their broader duties under UK health and safety, and equalities legislation including, for people with a visual impairment, the requirement for service providers to make reasonable adjustments in circumstances where disabled people are placed at a substantial disadvantage compared with non-disabled people. The Scottish Government expects all relevant organisations to comply with the requirement of the Equality Act 2010. We welcome the report&rsquo;s recommendations which will support venues in meeting these requirements.Creative Scotland&rsquo;s regularly funded organisations, which include a number of venues across Scotland, are contractually obliged to develop and implement Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plans. Creative Scotland provide their own guidance on how to best achieve this edi-toolkit-dec-2019.pdf (creativescotland.com). This covers all aspects of the work for these organisations, including audience development activities. Facilitating access and participation to culture, is central to the artistic purpose of all Scottish Government funded culture bodies and they all share a desire to communicate with as large and diverse an audience as possible.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423038,"EventID":"S6W-29397","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-30T14:24:10.337","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-28T09:11:21.603","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS Lanarkshire regarding the prevention of monkeypox.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS Lanarkshire regarding the prevention of monkeypox.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government have not met with NHS Lanarkshire to discuss the prevention of Mpox. However, Public Health Scotland, who are leading on planning and preparedness in Scotland, are working closely with public health colleagues across the UK, as well as NHS Boards in Scotland, to monitor the situation and prepare for any cases that we might see.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423039,"EventID":"S6W-29398","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-30T14:24:10.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-28T09:11:21.603","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the prevention of monkeypox.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the prevention of monkeypox.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government meets regularly with UK Government and UK Health Security Agency in response to Mpox.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423040,"EventID":"S6W-29385","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2678,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":141,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-30T14:24:10.297","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-27T09:32:06.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government on how many occasions people who are employed as medical receptionist staff in GP practices have been cited for jury service in each financial year from 2018-19 to 2023-","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government on how many occasions people who are employed as medical receptionist staff in GP practices have been cited for jury service in each financial year from 2018-19 to 2023-24, and so far in 2024-25, also broken down  by (a) local authority and (b) NHS board.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this data. Court operational matters, including the system and arrangements for jury service, fall within the remit of the independent Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS).","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423041,"EventID":"S6W-29403","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-30T14:24:10.6","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-28T15:45:49.977","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects a consenting decision to be reached in relation to the Berwick Bank offshore windfarm.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects a consenting decision to be reached in relation to the Berwick Bank offshore windfarm.","AnswerText":"A decision on Berwick Bank will be taken by Ministers in due course. We cannot comment on a live application but we are committed to a robust decision making process for offshore wind farms which considers the need for development alongside potential impacts to the marine environment and marine users.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423042,"EventID":"S6W-29394","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-30T14:24:10.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-28T07:35:21.507","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to S6W-28676 by Kate Forbes on 27 August 2024, what its position is on whether its answer represents a reversal of its previous position of consid","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to S6W-28676 by Kate Forbes on 27 August 2024, what its position is on whether its answer represents a reversal of its previous position of considering changes to the Scottish Ministerial Code and the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers, as recommended by the Hamilton Report in March 2021.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government set out in June 2021 its plan for implementing the recommendations of James Hamilton&rsquo;s report, alongside the recommendations of the reports by Laura Dunlop QC and the Scottish Parliament Committee on the Handling of Harassment Complaints. Implementation was delivered through the Continuous Improvement Programme, which was reported regularly to the Scottish Parliament&rsquo;s Finance and Public Administration Committee. The final report on the Continuous Improvement Programme was provided in January 2023, and with the agreement of the Committee, the programme was then concluded and activities were absorbed into ongoing work. In line with previous commitments, the Scottish Government considered matters relating to Special Advisors, including the Code of Conduct for Special Advisors, which is reserved to UK Government. The Scottish Government has no plans to ask the UK Government to make changes.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423043,"EventID":"S6W-29388","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-30T14:24:10.627","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-27T10:21:38.117","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28906 by Jenni Minto on 26 August 2024, whether it will publish the research that it used to justify the continued use of FAST, ra","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28906 by Jenni Minto on 26 August 2024, whether it will publish the research that it used to justify the continued use of FAST, rather than BE FAST, in full.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government provided funding in 2023-24 to carry out a piece of quantitative research to establish a baseline measure of public awareness and understanding of the symptoms and risk factors for cardiovascular disease (including awareness of FAST (Face, Arm, Speech, Time), to track progress over time should communications activity be undertaken in this area, and to inform and consider the case for public information campaigns in relation to cardiovascular disease.This research did not provide any evidence to support the use or not of BE FAST. The decision not to adopt BE FAST was based on existing research and the National Clinical Guideline for Stroke for the UK and Ireland and is aligned with the stance of Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland, Stroke Association and the rest of the United Kingdom&rsquo;s health services.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423044,"EventID":"S6W-29389","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-30T14:24:10.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-27T10:26:38.697","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28909 by Natalie Don on 27 August 2024, what analysis has been conducted to examine whether the &pound;400,000 spent has helped to","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28909 by Natalie Don on 27 August 2024, what analysis has been conducted to examine whether the &pound;400,000 spent has helped to reduce mobile phone addiction among young people.","AnswerText":"There has been no specific analysis completed on the impact of our expenditure in relation to mobile phone addiction. However the funding has been used to create a suite of online resources, information and advice to support the emotional health and wellbeing of children and young people.The Scottish Youth Parliament receive funding for &lsquo;Mind Yer Time&rsquo; - a national resource comprising of positive tips, stories and information to help children and young people use their screentime in a healthy and responsible way.Young Scot receive funding for &lsquo;Ayefeel&rsquo; &ndash; a national hub for young people to support their mental health and wellbeing. This includes a podcast series called &lsquo;This is How AyeFeel&rsquo;, allowing young people, content creators, known figures, and influencers a platform to share their experiences, coping mechanisms, and journeys toward better mental health through interviews, personal stories, and expert insights.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423045,"EventID":"S6W-29391","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-30T14:24:10.28","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-27T13:15:54.503","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many rural jobs it anticipates could be impacted by the provisions of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many rural jobs it anticipates could be impacted by the provisions of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill.","AnswerText":"To understand the impact of Land Reform Bill proposals on businesses, the Scottish Government conducted a Scottish firms impact test, involving engagement with landowners, land agents and representative organisations of land-based businesses.Full detail of this assessment of anticipated impacts can be found in the .Land Reform (Scotland) Bill - Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (www.gov.scot).","AnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":423046,"EventID":"S6W-29399","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-30T14:24:10.297","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-28T12:00:06.967","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the delivery of superfast broadband in rural areas, particularly in any places where mobile phone signal, data connectivity and broadband ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the delivery of superfast broadband in rural areas, particularly in any places where mobile phone signal, data connectivity and broadband speed are extremely limited.","AnswerText":"Despite the reserved nature of telecommunications in the UK, the Scottish Government has chosen to step in and make substantial investments in both broadband and mobile digital connectivity across Scotland.The over-&pound;600 million investment in the Reaching 100% (R100) programme is building upon our strong track record of delivery, with Scottish Government led programmes delivering improved broadband to over one million properties so far.Through a rolling Open Market Review, the Scottish Government continuously monitors broadband coverage across Scotland. This process enables the identification of premises that are eligible for future publicly subsided interventions, including those to be delivered through the UK Government&rsquo;s Project Gigabit broadband investment, for which the Scottish Government will act as contracting authority for local and regional procurements.We also recognise how vital access to mobile connectivity is, especially in rural areas. We have recently published an evaluation of our &pound;28.75 million Scottish 4G Infill Programme, which has delivered 4G connectivity to 55 &lsquo;notspots&rsquo; across rural and island Scotland, highlighting the transformational benefits that this new coverage is delivering to businesses and communities alike.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423047,"EventID":"S6W-29383","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2678,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":141,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-30T14:24:10.283","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-27T09:30:58.087","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider adding medical receptionist staff who work in a GP surgery to the category of \"persons excusable as of right\" for jury duty.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider adding medical receptionist staff who work in a GP surgery to the category of \"persons excusable as of right\" for jury duty.","AnswerText":"Court operational matters, including the system and arrangements for jury service, fall within the remit of the independent Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service.Jury service is an important civic duty, and I am grateful to all those who undertake it.The Scottish Government currently has no plans to review the list of &ldquo;persons excusable as of right&rdquo; for jury duty as set out in Schedule 1 of the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Scotland Act 1980.It is the view of the Scottish Government that the pool of potential jurors should be as wide as possible, to ensure that an accused person is being judged by their peers from all walks of life. This also prevents the burden of jury service falling on a narrower section of society than can reasonably be helped.However, it is recognised that there will always be people who have difficulty in serving as jurors. Therefore, in addition to those eligible to be excused as of right as set out in statute, individuals may also apply for excusal.Clerks of Courts will be as sympathetic as they can to requests for excusal, and will consider, amongst other things; commitments at work, the cancellation of which would cause abnormal inconvenience - while at the same time balancing the need to have sufficient numbers of prospective jurors from which to ballot a jury.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423048,"EventID":"S6W-29400","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-30T14:24:10.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-28T13:23:22.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what financial support is available for bereaved parents who do not qualify for any other benefits or welfare payments.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what financial support is available for bereaved parents who do not qualify for any other benefits or welfare payments.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to supporting bereaved parents and tackling funeral poverty.We have removed child burial and cremation fees for children under 18 years old and for stillborn babies, financially supporting bereaved parents.Parents whose baby sadly dies after it was born, or is stillborn, may be eligible for Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment. If the parent is under 18 or a dependent aged 18 or 19, they do not need to receive any benefits to be eligible.Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay and Leave is reserved to the UK Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423049,"EventID":"S6W-29384","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2678,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":141,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-30T14:24:10.29","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-27T09:31:24.99","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out any form of review exercise regarding the impact of medical receptionist staff who are employed at a GP practice having to attend jury duty, b","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out any form of review exercise regarding the impact of medical receptionist staff who are employed at a GP practice having to attend jury duty, both in terms of the ability of surgeries to manage a high volume of patient phone calls and digital triage requests.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has made no assessment of the impact of GP medical receptionists being called for jury duty. Individual GP practices are responsible for ensuring that they are adequately staffed for normal contingencies.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423050,"EventID":"S6W-29404","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-30T14:24:10.643","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-28T15:45:49.977","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out any assessment of the economic impact of the reportedly increasing length of time being taken for a section 36 energy consent determination.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out any assessment of the economic impact of the reportedly increasing length of time being taken for a section 36 energy consent determination.","AnswerText":"In respect of offshore consenting, we have been planning for an increase in offshore wind applications for some time and aim to determine offshore wind farm applications within 12 months where possible, however we have been clear that more complex applications may take longer. The average timeline to determine consents for offshore wind is currently 11 months (down from 17 months pre 2015).Each application must be considered on its own merit, balancing the needs of all maritime users and the natural environment. Maintaining this balance will continue to enhance Scotland&rsquo;s place as a world-leading destination for offshore wind investment.In respect of onshore consenting, through the Onshore Wind Sector Deal, we set an ambition to accelerate the determination of Section 36 applications for new sites by early 2025, and for the re-powering of existing operational sites, to 12 months, where there is no public inquiry, or 24 months, if there is a public inquiry. Further, we will aim to determine applications for the life extension of operational wind farms within five months, and other Section 36C applications within nine months where there is no public inquiry. The average timeline to determine new onshore renewable electricity generating station applications is currently 22.7 months (down from 38.5 months pre 2015).","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423051,"EventID":"S6W-29407","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-30T14:24:10.607","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-28T15:45:49.977","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out any assessment of the economic impact of delaying the publication of its Green Industrial Strategy.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out any assessment of the economic impact of delaying the publication of its Green Industrial Strategy.","AnswerText":"We committed to publishing the Green Industrial Strategy in summer 2024. The strategy was published on 11 September, following summer recess and the launch of the 2023-24 Programme for Government.The strategy aims to ensure Scotland gets the maximum possible economic benefit from the opportunities created by the global transition to net zero and we are already getting on with delivering across the five opportunity areas, and wider system enablers identified in the strategy. For example, the Scottish Government is driving forward the recommendations of the First Minister&rsquo;s Investor Panel to attract global capital investment around the physical infrastructure needed to achieve our energy transition. On skills, funding has been allocated to support industry-led development of the energy skills passport; to create an energy transition skills hub in Aberdeen; and launch a pilot scheme with the National Energy Skills Accelerator to determine the skills required for an energy transition. The new Planning Hub will strengthen capacity and accelerate decision making, with an initial focus on hydrogen applications.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423052,"EventID":"S6W-29401","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-30T14:24:10.62","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-28T15:45:49.977","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with ports regarding the development of its Green Industrial Strategy.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with ports regarding the development of its Green Industrial Strategy.","AnswerText":"The Green Industrial Strategy recognises ports are key enablers for the energy transition. Ports have a critical role to play in supporting the growth of Scotland&rsquo;s offshore wind sector and growing our hydrogen production and export capabilities, which are two of the five priority opportunity areas identified in the strategy.The Scottish Government is engaging and collaborating with ports on the opportunities from offshore wind and engaging with key industry bodies including the recently formed Scottish Offshore Wind Ports Alliance (SOWPA) and the British Ports Association&rsquo;s Scottish Ports Group.The Scottish Government is working closely with both Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport and Forth Green Freeport which will play a crucial role in our commitment to a just transition to net zero, by creating clusters of high-tech manufacturing excellence in low carbon sectors, including offshore wind and renewable hydrogen.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423053,"EventID":"S6W-29392","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-30T14:24:10.31","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-27T13:15:54.503","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has undertaken any economic modelling of the potential impact of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill on the rural economy.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has undertaken any economic modelling of the potential impact of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill on the rural economy.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has carried out economic analysis of impacts of the provisions of the Land Reform Bill. This is set out in the. Land Reform (Scotland) Bill - Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (www.gov.scot).","AnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":423054,"EventID":"S6W-29408","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-30T14:24:09.88","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-28T16:04:15.277","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when data beyond 2021-22 will be made available on the Scottish Energy Statistics Hub.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when data beyond 2021-22 will be made available on the Scottish Energy Statistics Hub.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Energy Statistics Hub is an interactive tool which compiles data from over 70 different sources with different time lags for each data source. The Hub currently contains data beyond 2021-22, such as renewable electricity projects within the planning system in Scotland which is available up to and including the first quarter of 2024.Due to technical issues there is currently a delay in updating statistics on the Hub. However, key energy statistics are published on the Scottish Government website.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423055,"EventID":"S6W-29381","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-30T14:24:10.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-27T09:11:28.1","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27609 by Ivan McKee on 23 May 2024, whether it will provide an update on when it plans to publish the findings from the second pha","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27609 by Ivan McKee on 23 May 2024, whether it will provide an update on when it plans to publish the findings from the second phase of the Local Governance Review's community engagement process, Democracy Matters.","AnswerText":"The findings of the second phase of Democracy Matters will be published in September 2024. The publication of the findings will be accompanied by a joint statement with COSLA outlining the next steps for this process.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423056,"EventID":"S6W-29402","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-30T14:24:09.873","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-28T15:45:49.977","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with Forth Ports regarding securing green jobs in Edinburgh.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with Forth Ports regarding securing green jobs in Edinburgh.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is working closely with Forth Green Freeport and Forth Ports as a consortium member, to ensure that it delivers maximum positive impact as soon as possible, including at the tax site in Leith where a renewable energy hub is being developed and a potential customs site at Edinburgh Airport. This includes regular engagement at official level to support the development of their recently submitted full business case.Scottish Ministers have had a number of engagements with Forth Ports in the last few months about the company&rsquo;s challenges and opportunities as they look to support a just transition to a decarbonised economy. This includes a visit of Cabinet Secretary for Transport Fiona Hyslop to Port of Grangemouth on 6 March 2024, a meeting between Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes with Forth Ports CEO Stuart Wallace on 12 July and a visit to the Leith tax site of Forth Green Freeport of Minister for Employment and Investment Tom Arthur together with UK Government Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds on 22 August 2024.Green Freeports will play a crucial role in the Scottish Government&rsquo;s commitment to a just transition to net zero, by creating clusters of high-tech manufacturing excellence in low carbon sectors and high-quality, well-paid new jobs within these sectors.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423057,"EventID":"S6W-29387","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-30T14:24:10.627","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-27T10:16:20.867","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28981 by Jenni Minto on 26 August 2024, what objectives were given to Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland before receiving taxpayer mo","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28981 by Jenni Minto on 26 August 2024, what objectives were given to Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland before receiving taxpayer money.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government provided the following objectives to Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland covering financial years 2020-21 to 2024-25:2024-25Thrombectomy educationContinued delivery of Stroke and Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA) Assessment Training (STAT+) education sessions to NHS boards to incorporate recent changes to thrombectomy services and to ensure all new staff within NHS Boards have the required knowledge and skills in their role.Continued offer of delivery of thrombectomy information sessions to staff across the stroke pathway and out with acute services i.e. stroke rehabilitation units, allied health professions, community stroke nurses.Continued delivery of virtual Link up and Learn education sessions to healthcare professionals working in stroke across Scotland, ensuring allocated sessions for thrombectomy updates.Continued promotion of this programme and the Scottish Government approach to supporting the implementation of thrombectomy services at external engagement events, conferences and training sessions.Continued liaison with the Scottish Stroke Improvement Programme Coordinator and the Scottish Government on outcomes achieved within Health Boards in relation to Thrombectomy Education to support Stroke Improvement Plan measures.In partnership with the Stroke Speciality Advisor to Chief Medical Officer and Stroke Improvement Programme Lead, carry out scoping of Face Arms Speech Time (FAST) education required across clinical staff groups e.g. Scottish Ambulance Service and Emergency D staff, and to implement FAST education to enhance recognition of stroke symptoms2022-23Social Isolation and Loneliness (SIAL) Winter funding packageTranslation of materials into Polish, Ukranian, Urdu and Punjabi. Proposed impact: Total 4,500 people reached (1,500 copies distributed and 3,000 impressions on the website.)Recruitment of Urdu and Punjabi-speaking volunteers. Impact: Work towards 10 bilingual volunteers recruited with 10 people supported initially. Total of 40 contacts per month (4 contacts per person per month).Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest bystander aftercare projectEngagement with Scottish Ambulance Service to agree effective contact mechanismDevelopment of bystander support website landing pageDevelopment and refinement of debrief scriptInitiation of bystander support serviceMixed methods evaluationThrombectomy educationRedesign of the STAT + service to take into account recent changes in delivery of thrombectomy services to ensure education reflects practice.Continued delivery of STAT+ education sessions to Boards to incorporate recent changes to thrombectomy service.Offer of thrombectomy information sessions to staff across the stroke pathway and out with acute services i.e. stroke rehabilitation units, allied health professionals, community stroke nurses.Offer of delivery of a virtual re-fresher course to NHS boards to incorporate recent changes to thrombectomy service.Continued delivery of virtual Link up and Learn education sessions, twice per month, to healthcare professionals working in stroke across Scotland ensuring allocated sessions for thrombectomy updates.Long CovidPeople with long COVID access support and proactive advice around self-management which promotes recovery, in parallel with wider clinical management and complementing NHS interventions.People with long COVID can access or be signposted to relevant sources of support including advice on social security entitlements or debt management.People living with long COVID accessing the service report positive outcomes, including reporting a positive experience of accessing the service, feeling listened to, feeling supported to look after their health and wellbeing, feeling supported to do the things that matter to them, and achieving personal outcomes identified as goals at the start of their engagement with the service.Long CovidIntegrate the long COVID application developed by Pogo studios in to the system that CHSS uses for clinical records,","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423058,"EventID":"S6W-29386","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2678,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":141,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-30T14:24:10.65","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-27T09:33:33.697","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government on how many occasions  staff employed as medical receptionists in a GP surgery have applied to be excused from jury duty, and what the total number is of such requests t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government on how many occasions  staff employed as medical receptionists in a GP surgery have applied to be excused from jury duty, and what the total number is of such requests that have been (a) accepted and (b) declined, in each financial year from 2018-19 to 2023-24, and so far in 2024-25, also broken down by (i) local authority and (ii) NHS board.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this data. Court operational matters, including the system and arrangements for jury service, fall within the remit of the independent Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS).","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423059,"EventID":"S6W-29395","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-08-30T14:24:10.63","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-28T07:35:21.507","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government on what dates it has met with the independent advisers on the Scottish Ministerial Code to discuss the recommendations of the Hamilton Report since it was published in M","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government on what dates it has met with the independent advisers on the Scottish Ministerial Code to discuss the recommendations of the Hamilton Report since it was published in March 2021.","AnswerText":"Following his appointment as First Minister, Humza Yousaf met with James Hamilton on 27 July 2023 and with Lady Dame Elish Angliolini on 2 August 2023. Scottish Government officials have also engaged with the First Minister's independent advisers on a number of occasions in the course of routine business, including to consult them on the 2023 edition of the Code prior to its publication.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423072,"EventID":"S6W-29515","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":16175,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":119,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T13:11:53.39","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T13:07:51.387","Title":"To ask Scottish Government what plans it has to replace the trains that currently operate on ScotRail Intercity services.","ItemText":"To ask Scottish Government what plans it has to replace the trains that currently operate on ScotRail Intercity services.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is planning to require ScotRail to procure replacement trains for the current fleet, known as the High Speed Trains (HST) fleet which operate on its InterCity routes between Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Inverness.The aim for the replacement trains will be to provide a more consistent, comfortable experience for passengers on the InterCity routes.This will ensure the reliability of Intercity routes for the long-term, will reduce emissions from Intercity services and will provide a path towards a decarbonised Intercity network.The decision follows a process of appraisal to look at different options to replace the trains. These options take into consideration the potential transition from diesel power to electric trains, the availability of funding and affordability challenges.A contract notice will be published in the coming weeks, with a more detailed delivery timeline available at the point of contract award.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423073,"EventID":"S6F-03283","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T13:30:28.877","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-29T07:30:30.733","Title":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423074,"EventID":"S6F-03284","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5586,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T13:30:28.887","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-29T07:30:51.647","Title":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423075,"EventID":"S6F-03291","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16215,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T13:30:29.463","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T08:08:45.657","Title":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423076,"EventID":"S6F-03302","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T13:30:30.013","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T09:51:57.463","Title":"To ask the First Minister what analysis the Scottish Government is undertaking of any impact that reductions to winter fuel payments will have on people in Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what analysis the Scottish Government is undertaking of any impact that reductions to winter fuel payments will have on people in Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423077,"EventID":"S6F-03289","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T13:30:29.263","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-01T19:35:54.737","Title":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government&rsquo;s response is to the recently published report, Education Outcomes for Looked After Children 2022/23.","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government&rsquo;s response is to the recently published report, Education Outcomes for Looked After Children 2022/23.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423078,"EventID":"S6F-03298","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T13:30:29.77","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T09:26:00.54","Title":"To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking in response to reports that newly qualified nurses are unable to find employment in the NHS despite there being over 3,300 whole","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking in response to reports that newly qualified nurses are unable to find employment in the NHS despite there being over 3,300 whole-time equivalent unfilled nursing and midwifery vacancies.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-09-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423079,"EventID":"S6T-02065","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":5866,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T13:30:41.577","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-29T07:48:26.103","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact on the culture sector and livelihoods of the reported closure of Creative Scotland&rsquo;s Open Fund for Individuals ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact on the culture sector and livelihoods of the reported closure of Creative Scotland&rsquo;s Open Fund for Individuals due to budgetary constraints.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423080,"EventID":"S6T-02081","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T13:30:42.037","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T10:57:27.197","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of its work to tackle the poverty-related educational attainment gap, in light of the gap reportedly widening across all school qualification","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of its work to tackle the poverty-related educational attainment gap, in light of the gap reportedly widening across all school qualifications in the recent exam results.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-09-03T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423098,"EventID":"S6W-29421","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:28.227","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-29T08:00:18.703","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to its announcement on 28 August 2024 of &pound;2.6 million being provided to Sistema Scotland, when that funding will be provided to Sistema Scotland; whether ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to its announcement on 28 August 2024 of &pound;2.6 million being provided to Sistema Scotland, when that funding will be provided to Sistema Scotland; whether the funding will be provided in full or in tranches, and whether the Scottish Government will decide how the funding will be allocated across the Sistema organisation or whether Sistema Scotland has total control and decision-making powers.","AnswerText":"As with any grant agreement, in providing funds to Sistema Scotland, the Scottish Government and Sistema Scotland agree how funds will be used and when payments will be made. In 2024-25 the Scottish Government will provide &pound;2.6m to Sistema Scotland from the culture budget to sustain and develop the Big Noise programmes which give almost 4,000 children and young people the opportunity to realise their potential through music education. This will be paid in three equal tranches. The first tranche was paid in August 2024. The next 2 payments will be made in November 2024 and February 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423099,"EventID":"S6W-29474","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:29.217","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-01T07:12:24.063","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of the palliative and end-of-life care strategy steering group.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of the palliative and end-of-life care strategy steering group.","AnswerText":"The Strategy Steering Group for Palliative Care (SSG), representing the wide range of partners involved in palliative care, chaired by a National Clinical Lead for Palliative Care, and supported by a Clinical and Professional Advisory Group (CPAG), has been crucial in the development of our new Palliative Care Strategy.The Strategy Steering Group last met on 20 June 2024, to consider the latest version of the draft Palliative Care Strategy and provide further feedback. We anticipate that the draft Palliative Care Strategy and associated consultation will be published in the coming weeks.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423100,"EventID":"S6W-29443","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:29.2","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-30T09:30:12.873","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will encourage engagement and relationship-building between policymakers and landlords.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will encourage engagement and relationship-building between policymakers and landlords.","AnswerText":"We are committed to working constructively with landlords, tenants and investors in policy development and implementation. The Private Rented Sector (PRS) stakeholder group, established in March 2023 and the Housing Investment taskforce, established in April 2024 are two forums that are in place to support this engagement.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423101,"EventID":"S6W-29465","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:28.307","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-30T16:13:26.097","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government  how many fines it has issued in relation to fishing in restricted areas within Marine Protected Areas since 2020.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government  how many fines it has issued in relation to fishing in restricted areas within Marine Protected Areas since 2020.","AnswerText":"Since 2020 Marine Directorate have issued thirty Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) totalling &pound;95,000 in relation to suspected fishing in restricted areas where the fishing method involved was prohibited. Of those thirty incidents, four were specifically within Marine Protected Areas which are protected by a Scottish Statutory Instrument implemented under powers provided by the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 and/or the Inshore Fishing (Scotland) Act 1984.Fines totalling &pound;20,000 were issued for these four cases, one of which was paid and no further action taken. The remaining three cases, following non-payment, were subsequently reported to Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) for consideration of prosecution. Two of these cases were convicted in court and fined &pound;2,000 and &pound;5,000 respectively. The third case has recently been submitted to COPFS and has not as of yet proceeded to trial.In addition to these four cases where Fixed Penalty Notices were issued by Marine Directorate, One further case was not offered an FPN and was referred directly to the Procurator Fiscal resulting in a conviction and fine of &pound;2,075.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423102,"EventID":"S6W-29434","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:29.203","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-29T17:20:20.663","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it measured the efficacy of its Ecosystem Fund in 2023-24.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it measured the efficacy of its Ecosystem Fund in 2023-24.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government ensured a comprehensive evaluation of the 2023-24 Ecosystem Fund was undertaken by Scottish Enterprise. The Fund provided vital stimulus to organisations supporting start-ups, reaching over 13,000 direct beneficiaries across Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423103,"EventID":"S6W-29467","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:31.84","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-30T16:13:26.097","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the allocation of fishing quotas, whether it considers whether an operator aligns with its fair work framework as part of the Scottish Ministers' obligations ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the allocation of fishing quotas, whether it considers whether an operator aligns with its fair work framework as part of the Scottish Ministers' obligations under section 25 of the Fisheries Act 2020.","AnswerText":"Section 25 of the UK Fisheries Act 2020 obliges the Scottish Government (and other UK national fisheries authorities) to utilise objective and transparent criteria related to social, environmental and economic factors when allocating quota. It also requires that national fisheries authorities seek to incentivise the use of selective fishing gear and the use of fishing techniques that have a reduced impact on the environment.The Fair Work First policy applies fair work criteria to grants, other funding and public contracts awarded by and across the public sector. In distributing fishing quota, the Scottish Government is not making an award of a grant, contract or other funding, so this policy is not a direct consideration.In our recent consultation on the allocation of Additional Quota, we sought views on crew welfare as a criterion for distributing quota. In the consultation outcome report we recognise that the ILO188 Work in Fishing Convention, enforced by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, is the appropriate framework for monitoring crew welfare.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423104,"EventID":"S6W-29415","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:30.767","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-29T07:55:53.913","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the gross value added (GVA) by the hospitality sector to the economy has been in each of the last 10 years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the gross value added (GVA) by the hospitality sector to the economy has been in each of the last 10 years.","AnswerText":"Statistics on gross value added (GVA) by industry are published in the Quarterly National Accounts for Scotland, covering periods from 1998 onwards. The latest estimates of current price GVA for the accommodation and food services sector can be found in Table D of the other national accounts summary tables at https://www.gov.scot/publications/gdp-quarterly-national-accounts-2024-q1/.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423105,"EventID":"S6W-29418","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:30.203","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-29T07:55:53.913","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of what the median hourly pay in the hospitality sector has been in each of the last 10 years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of what the median hourly pay in the hospitality sector has been in each of the last 10 years.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government monitors pay in the hospitality sector using data from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (table 5.6a) published by the Office for National Statistics. This data is available at https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/regionbyindustry2digitsicashetable5.The latest available data shows that median gross hourly pay (excluding overtime) for all employees in the Accommodation and Food Services sector was estimated to be &pound;10.89 in 2023. This was the lowest median hourly pay across all industrial sectors in Scotland for which data are published by ONS. The median gross hourly pay in the Accommodation and Food Service sector for the last 10 years is shown in the following table.Table 1: Median gross hourly pay (excluding overtime) in the accommodation and food services sector, 2014-2023YEARMEDIAN GROSS HOURLY PAY (EXCLUDING OVERTIME)2014&pound;6.632015&pound;7.002016&pound;7.442017&pound;7.692018&pound;8.012019&pound;8.522020&pound;8.722021&pound;8.902022&pound;10.002023&pound;10.89Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, ONSThe Fair Work Convention considered pay, including information on median hourly pay, in the hospitality sector as part of its recent inquiry into fair work in the hospitality industry in Scotland. The Fair Work Convention Hospitality Inquiry Report will be published on 24 September 2024.Fair work is at the heart of our national Tourism Strategy, Scotland Outlook 2030, which commits to support and enable the adoption of fair work practices in Scotland&rsquo;s tourism and hospitality sector. We continue to promote fair work measures in the sector which will help businesses attract and retain staff and will carefully consider recommendations from the Fair Work Convention&rsquo;s hospitality inquiry and take forward as appropriate.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423106,"EventID":"S6W-29445","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:31.543","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-30T09:30:41.983","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to undertake a comprehensive review of the landlord registration system, spanning people, processes and systems.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to undertake a comprehensive review of the landlord registration system, spanning people, processes and systems.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government regularly engages with local authorities on the processes and operation of the landlord register digital platform, which is maintained and updated on an ongoing basis.The Housing (Scotland) Bill includes a package of important reforms to the private rented sector which are in the interest of both tenants and responsible landlords. Should Parliament pass the legislation, it is intended that a full review of the current landlord registration regime will be undertaken, taking account of the impact of the new measures.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423107,"EventID":"S6W-29476","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:32.45","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T08:03:37.127","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to update its strategy to tackle drug-related deaths.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to update its strategy to tackle drug-related deaths.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains absolutely committed to doing all it can to reduce harm and deaths caused by drugs through our National Mission and addressing the twin public health challenges on alcohol and drugs.Long-term thinking has been embedded into the National Mission, as we are investing in a comprehensive range of services, from prevention and early intervention to treatment and long-term recovery support. For example, implementing the Medicated Assisted Treatment (MAT) standards across Scotland, ensures high-quality treatment options for those affected by addiction will be met for years to come.In addition, capital investment in residential rehabilitation has increased the number of spaces for people, both now and in the future, and our work on tackling stigma aims to fundamentally break down barriers for those seeking support.The Scottish Government is also developing a National Service Specification alongside guidance, which provide clarity on the types of treatment and recovery services available for drugs and alcohol and in the long term, improve joint working between public and third sector partners. We plan full public consultation on a draft specification with an aim to publish in 2025.Within the National Mission strategy we are also adapting to new trends such as the change in global markets with the increased prevalence of new synthetic substances, such as the synthetic opioids nitazenes, which is of real concern.To ensure that our future strategic plans are evidence-based, they will be informed by the National Mission evaluation, with the final publication expected in 2026. In accordance with democratic processes, any future strategic plans will also take into account the outcomes of the 2026 Scottish election.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423108,"EventID":"S6W-29426","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:31.513","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-29T17:20:20.663","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of all funding associated with carrying out the Phase 2 Democracy Matters national conversation.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of all funding associated with carrying out the Phase 2 Democracy Matters national conversation.","AnswerText":"A key aim of Phase 2 of the Democracy Matters engagement process was ensuring that as many voices were involved as possible in the national conversation on the future of community decision-making. Therefore, resources were invested to remove barriers to participation, ensuring that under-represented groups, participants with protected characteristics, rural and remote communities and young people were all able to contribute.A full breakdown of the Democracy Matters Phase 2 spend over the 2021-22 to 2024-25 financial years can be found in the following table:ItemAmountGrants for Equality Groups to deliver Democracy Matters events (including Glasgow Disability Alliance, Poverty Alliance, Making Rights Real, Lex Scotland, Children&rsquo;s Parliament, Forth Valley Sensory Centre, BEMIS, Scottish Youth Parliament, Childrens Parliament)&pound;59,735Grants for place-based community organisations to deliver Democracy Matters events (SCDC, DTAS, Highland Third Sector Interface)&pound;48,506Impact Funding Partners (distributors of a small grants of up to &pound;300 to cover the costs of grassroots organisations running democracy matters events)&pound;25,445Analysis (includes analysis of the responses and report write-up)&pound;35,995Publishing (publishing of the consultation document, development of a promotional British Sign Language animation and Gaelic version of consultation document. Publication of the findings report is still in progress, as such this cost has not been included.)&pound;21,276.05Misc (process launch costs)&pound;125Total&pound;191,082.05The Democracy Matters 2 national conversation was informed by engagement through multiple channels including facilitated engagement events. This engagement has informed a detailed findings report which will be published later in September 2024 alongside a joint statement with COSLA outlining next steps for this process.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423109,"EventID":"S6W-29435","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:32.487","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-29T17:20:20.663","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government by what date National Records for Scotland will next publish a report on alcohol-specific deaths.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government by what date National Records for Scotland will next publish a report on alcohol-specific deaths.","AnswerText":"I have asked Janet Egdell, Chief Executive of NRS to respond. Her response is that the National Records of Scotland (NRS) will be publishing a release on Alcohol-specific deaths 10 September 2024.Future publication dates are pre-announced on the NRS website and can be found at the following link: https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/future-publications","AnswerDate":"2024-09-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423110,"EventID":"S6W-29411","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:28.183","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-28T16:42:12.01","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the number of mobile phone signal blackout spots for (a) 3G, (b) 4G and (c) 5G services on train routes in the Highlands and Islands regio","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the number of mobile phone signal blackout spots for (a) 3G, (b) 4G and (c) 5G services on train routes in the Highlands and Islands region.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not collect or hold, nor has assessed data on current 3G, 4G and 5G mobile notspots or areas with coverage, alongside train routes in the Highlands and Islands region. Overall policy relating to telecommunications, including mobile communications, is reserved to the UK Government.Ofcom produces an annual Connected Nations report including coverage and performance of mobile networks across Scotland and at local authority and constituency levels. This is accessible at https://www.ofcom.org.uk/research-and-data/multi-sector-research/infrastructure-research&nbsp;along with underlying datasets.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423111,"EventID":"S6W-29468","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:29.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-30T16:13:26.097","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Home Office regarding any human trafficking in the fishing sector.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Home Office regarding any human trafficking in the fishing sector.","AnswerText":"Any form of human trafficking or exploitation is completely unacceptable. Police Scotland&rsquo;s specialist National Human Trafficking Unit continues to work closely with partners across the UK and internationally to tackle human trafficking. This includes the International Trade Workers Federation, Home Office, and HM Maritime and Coastguard Agency. The Scottish Government has consistently opposed the inappropriate use of transit visas as means of accessing non-UK labour in the fishing industry, and reports of migrant labour exploitation within the sector are concerning. The Scottish Government does not support an immigration system which increases the risks for forced labour and exploitation of migrant workers. Sector specific concessions and visa routes are only temporary fixes adding unnecessary complexity to the immigration system. The Scottish Government wrote to the previous UK Government last year, outlining concerns regarding the immigration system&rsquo;s poor suitability in addressing skills shortages within the fishing industry. We will continue engaging with the new UK Government on the need for a fair immigration system that meets Scotland&rsquo;s unique economic and demographic circumstances.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423112,"EventID":"S6W-29440","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:32.08","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-29T21:01:55.87","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the SQA's consultation with young people in relation to the exam results appeals process for (a) 2023 and (b) 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the SQA's consultation with young people in relation to the exam results appeals process for (a) 2023 and (b) 2024.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29439 on 17 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility, which can be found at: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423113,"EventID":"S6W-29461","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:32.73","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-30T10:53:09.843","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains committed to upgrading the Delmore passing loop.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains committed to upgrading the Delmore passing loop.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29458 on 17 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423114,"EventID":"S6W-29419","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:31.577","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-29T07:55:53.913","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds in relation to the gender pay gap within the hospitality sector.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds in relation to the gender pay gap within the hospitality sector.","AnswerText":"Estimates of the gender pay gap for full-time employees in the accommodation and food services sector in Scotland are published in Table 2.5 of the Scottish Government&rsquo;s summary of earnings statistics from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings: Annual survey of hours and earnings: 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)The gender pay gap estimates included in Table 2.5 measure the difference between median hourly earnings (excluding overtime) of men and women as a proportion of men's median hourly earnings (excluding overtime).","AnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423115,"EventID":"S6W-29438","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:28.58","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-29T21:01:31.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what input it had into the SQA's reported decision to observe whether or not papers had been inputted correctly.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what input it had into the SQA's reported decision to observe whether or not papers had been inputted correctly.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423116,"EventID":"S6W-29436","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:29.227","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-29T17:20:20.663","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what  the outcomes were of its Phase 2 Democracy Matters national conversation, which concluded in February 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what  the outcomes were of its Phase 2 Democracy Matters national conversation, which concluded in February 2024.","AnswerText":"The Democracy Matters 2 national conversation received over 160 responses and was informed by engagement through multiple channels including facilitated engagement events. Engagement has informed a detailed findings report which will be published later in September 2024. The publication of the findings will be accompanied by a joint statement with COSLA outlining next steps for this process. As outlined in the 24-25 Programme for Government, we will work with communities and wider stakeholders to take forward the Democracy Matters findings on the future of community decision-making.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423117,"EventID":"S6W-29475","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:29.25","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T08:02:24.47","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether its current strategy to tackle drug-related deaths is failing.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether its current strategy to tackle drug-related deaths is failing.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains absolutely committed to doing all it can to reduce harm and deaths caused by drugs through our National Mission.Whilst drug misuse deaths in Scotland have generally been increasing over the last two decades, the latest figures released for 2023 are the second lowest figure seen in 6 years.Every life lost to drugs is a tragedy. And I would like to send my heartfelt condolences to all those affected.Although the decrease in deaths back in 2022 was welcomed at the time, we did also made it clear at that time that it should not, in any way, be seen as a signal to be complacent.On 4th September 2024 we published the third annual report National Mission on Drugs: annual report - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)of the National Mission which summarises activity, progress and achievement in the 23-24 financial year.Key achievements in 2023-24 includeOur progress in receiving legal clearance and establishing the UK&rsquo;s first Safer Drug Consumption Facility. We are now expecting the Glasgow facility to open in the Autumn.We are now in the process of establishing drug testing facilities in 3 sites across Scotland. License applications for three drug checking sites, based in Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee are currently being assessed by Home Office colleagues and we would hope, once these licenses have been granted, that the sites would be operational by the end of the year.Monitoring data from Public Health Scotland also indicates that we are on track to meet our commitment of 1,000 people receiving public funding for Residential Rehab, with data, published showing that in the financial year 2023-24 a total of 938 placements were approved.In 2023-24, for MAT standards National benchmarking report on the implementation of the medication assisted treatment (MAT) standards: Scotland 2023/24 revised 30 July 2024 - National benchmarking report on implementation of the medication assisted treatment (MAT) standards - Publications - Public Health Scotland 1&ndash;5, 90% have been assessed as fully implemented, and MAT standards 6-10 showed strong early stage progress.Despite this progress we have seen increased harms with the increased prevalence of new synthetic substances, such as the synthetic opioids nitazenes. The increased toxicity and potency of such substances are of real concern. As such, we are working closely with Public Health Scotland to step up our response to this threat and continue to support the development of their Rapid Action Drug Alert and Response (RADAR) system.The Scottish Government will continue to follow the evidence of what works and intensify the delivery of the National Mission over the next 2 years, working closely with our key partners to do that, as well as look at its sustainability beyond the end of this parliamentary term.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423118,"EventID":"S6W-29464","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:31.803","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-30T12:43:22.947","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made towards implementing the goals set out in the publication, Transforming Nursing Roles: Advanced Nursing Practice - Phase II.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made towards implementing the goals set out in the publication, Transforming Nursing Roles: Advanced Nursing Practice - Phase II.","AnswerText":"Since the publication of the 'Transforming Nursing Roles: Advanced Nursing Practice - Phase II' paper in 2021, NHS Education for Scotland (NES) has taken the lead for this work.The minimum qualification of a PG Dip Advanced Practice is required by NHS Scotland employers for all new Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANPs) and the specific clinical competencies identified for advanced nursing practice in acute, primary care/community, mental health, paediatric acute and neonatal settings are used as the standard for practice. In addition, a final 'sign-off' against these competencies, evidenced by a portfolio is required by most employers.The introduction of 3.75 hours of non-clinical time per week has been implemented widely and enables ANPs to maintain and progress their knowledge and skills through a variety of continuing professional development activities.The NES frameworks for clinical supervision were launched in 2023 and 2024 and support the clinical supervision needs of ANPs https://learn.nes.nhs.scot/3580/clinical-supervision.In addition, the NES Advanced Practice Toolkit was revised in 2023 and provides a repository of relevant resources and weblinks for advanced practice for all professions. https://learn.nes.nhs.scot/63343.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423119,"EventID":"S6W-29471","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:28.167","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-30T16:52:21.147","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to encourage modal shift from car to rail, in light of the peak fares removal pilot ending.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to encourage modal shift from car to rail, in light of the peak fares removal pilot ending.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to be committed to finding ways to make sustainable travel modes more attractive and supporting people to take fewer journeys by car. The forthcoming route map to 20% car kilometre reduction will aim to set out our approach to support this recommendation.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423120,"EventID":"S6W-29472","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:32.307","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-30T16:52:21.147","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects the reduced ScotRail timetable to be removed.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects the reduced ScotRail timetable to be removed.","AnswerText":"ScotRail is expected to remove its current temporary timetable as soon as possible, when ScotRail pay talks are concluded and ScotRail drivers agree to return to delivery of more train services.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423121,"EventID":"S6W-29427","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:31.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-29T17:20:20.663","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will confirm the (a) number and (b) percentage of schools that have (i) been awarded Reading Schools accreditation and (ii) joined the Reading Schools program","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will confirm the (a) number and (b) percentage of schools that have (i) been awarded Reading Schools accreditation and (ii) joined the Reading Schools programme, broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Book Trust (SBT) has a dedicated page on their website providing information on the total number of accredited Reading Schools. The website can be accessed at: https://www.readingschools.scot/map and includes a filter option which enables the total to be broken down by local authority.That web page confirms that, as of 6 September 2024, there are 505 accredited Reading Schools, with 663 working towards accreditation. All 32 Local Authorities have schools working towards an accreditation and the total number of schools involved in the programme is 1,168.The most recent Scottish Government statistics on the number of schools in Scotland confirms there are 2,456 schools. This means that approximately 21% of schools are currently accredited and 48% are involved in the programme.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423122,"EventID":"S6W-29460","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:29.83","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-30T10:53:09.843","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to upgrade train services north of Inverness.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to upgrade train services north of Inverness.","AnswerText":"As part of the Far North Line Enhancements project, the Scottish Government previously granted authority and funding for enhancements to the Radio Electronic Token Block signalling system on the Far North Line and for line speed improvements at various points on the Line. The majority of these enhancements are now completed.Further options for development of services north of Inverness remain in consideration. However, given the extremely challenging financial climate, and following the UK Autumn Statement, Ministers have had to take difficult decisions in setting the budget for 2024-25. For the time being this affects the Scottish Government&rsquo;s ability to fund any projects to which it is not already committed in the current investment programme.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423123,"EventID":"S6W-29444","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:29.237","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-30T09:30:24.587","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to issuing a national representative landlord survey at regular intervals.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to issuing a national representative landlord survey at regular intervals.","AnswerText":"We are committed to improving our data and understanding of the private rented sector including through the use of surveys. A national representative landlord survey is one of a number of approaches that could support this, however, there are no current plans to take this forward at this time.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423124,"EventID":"S6W-29412","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:28.553","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-28T16:42:12.01","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of locations along train routes in the Highlands and Islands region has access (a) 3G, (b) 4G and (c) 5G mobile phone signals.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of locations along train routes in the Highlands and Islands region has access (a) 3G, (b) 4G and (c) 5G mobile phone signals.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29411 on 17 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423125,"EventID":"S6W-29473","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:28.177","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-01T07:02:24.84","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with the independent hospice sector to discuss long-term planning and funding for the commissioning of hospice care.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with the independent hospice sector to discuss long-term planning and funding for the commissioning of hospice care.","AnswerText":"The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care met with the Chair of the Scottish Hospice Leadership Group and Hospice UK on 8 August to discuss long-term planning and funding for the commissioning of hospice care as part of an agreed visit.I am also meeting the Chair of the Scottish Hospice Leadership Group and Hospice UK on 18 September to discuss these matters further.The Scottish Government continues to work with Integration Joint Boards (IJB) chief officers and independent hospices to support longer term sustainable planning and commissioning for the sector.However, it is for Integration Joint Boards (IJBs) to govern, plan and resource adult palliative care in their areas, including independent hospice care, using the delegated budgets under their control. We would encourage hospice colleagues to continue to engage with IJBs to help ensure that the needs of the local population are met.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423126,"EventID":"S6W-29439","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:28.173","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-29T21:01:43.21","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what involvement it had in the SQA's approach to the exams appeals process in 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what involvement it had in the SQA's approach to the exams appeals process in 2024.","AnswerText":"Operational delivery of National Qualifications is a matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) as the awarding body for Scotland. As a Non-Departmental Public Body, SQA operates at arm&rsquo;s length to ministers and is responsible for its own operational decisions, including appeals processes.The approach to National Qualification appeals in 2024 is the same as last year and is the same approach that, discounting the pandemic years, has been in place since 2014 in Scotland. It is comparable with other appeals services in the rest of the UK and internationally &ndash; but with free and direct access for learners.SQA&rsquo;s decision to revert to an enhanced version of the established appeals approach in 2023 was informed by an extensive evaluation of the 2022 approach, and engagement with the National Qualifications Group, of which Scottish Government was part, as well as a wide range of stakeholders - including teachers, parents and young people. Decisions in 2024 were, similarly, informed by evaluation of the 2023 awarding arrangements.Drawing on the views of stakeholders, the SQA (and Qualifications Scotland once formed) will continue to evaluate the awarding processes to inform decisions going forward.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423127,"EventID":"S6W-29380","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:29.753","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-27T09:09:11.28","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which community has been selected in Fife for additional investment in early years childcare, as outlined in the 2023-24 Programme for Government, and whether this has y","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which community has been selected in Fife for additional investment in early years childcare, as outlined in the 2023-24 Programme for Government, and whether this has yet commenced.","AnswerText":"Fife Council have been working with the Levenmouth community since January 2024 and are now finalising their plans for their childcare &lsquo;early adopter community&rsquo; projects in line with the First Minister&rsquo;s announcement in May of &pound;16 million investment over two years in six local authorities.As part of the early adopter community work it is important for local authorities to be able to target communities which have an identified need for improved childcare services, and where increased delivery could support plans to tackle poverty. Fife identified Levenmouth as an area where there is a good opportunity to engage local people in co-designing high quality early learning and school age childcare services that meet local needs, with a strong focus on tackling poverty. This acknowledges the need for more accessible and affordable childcare services in the community to support employment, and builds on some existing local childcare provision and infrastructure options.This is part of a wider package of work with the local authority and communities. This will help Scottish Government and our local partners to understand what it takes to deliver local childcare systems that support families with children from the early years to the end of primary school, and the difference this can make in eradicating child poverty.A key focus of the Early Adopter Communities (EAC) approach is to learn more about what works to deliver childcare solutions for children and their families in targeted communities. It should be noted that for families with younger children tests of change will be more limited, given the initial focus is on gathering insight about user needs and the local childcare system for younger children.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423128,"EventID":"S6W-29431","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:32.77","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-29T17:20:20.663","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it works with teachers to  improve its Reading Schools programme.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it works with teachers to  improve its Reading Schools programme.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government funds the Scottish Book Trust (SBT) to deliver the Reading Schools programme and therefore SBT works with teachers to seek feedback and improve its programme.SBT seek feedback from teachers taking part in the programme via annual surveys. They conduct three teacher surveys: one to gather feedback on their Professional Learning offer; a second one focusing on the process for staff experience; and a final survey that is sent after accreditation is granted to assess the impact of the programme on the school.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423129,"EventID":"S6W-29457","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:32.61","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-30T09:51:26.493","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consultation took place with (a) residents of and (b) people who are employed in Largs, Fairlie and West Kilbride before the recent announcement by ScotRail that it","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consultation took place with (a) residents of and (b) people who are employed in Largs, Fairlie and West Kilbride before the recent announcement by ScotRail that it plans to reduce services to Largs station.","AnswerText":"Any consultation with the public regarding timetables is an operational matter for Scotrail as the train operating company.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423130,"EventID":"S6W-29410","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:28.19","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-28T16:42:12.01","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has met (a) BT Openreach and (b) mobile phone service providers to discuss improving access to a phone signal on train routes in the Highlands and Islands reg","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has met (a) BT Openreach and (b) mobile phone service providers to discuss improving access to a phone signal on train routes in the Highlands and Islands region, and, if so, what the outcome was.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s recently concluded &pound;28.75 million Scottish 4G Infill investment programme and the UK Government&rsquo;s ongoing Shared Rural Network programme have, and are continuing, to deliver widespread improvements to mobile connectivity across the whole of Scotland.The Scottish Government continues to engage with BT Openreach and the mobile network operators to improve phone connectivity across the country, which includes access on train routes in the Highlands and Islands region. However, policy relating to telecommunications, including mobile communications, is reserved to the UK Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423131,"EventID":"S6W-29470","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:29.287","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-30T16:52:21.147","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to alleviate the cost for commuters on trains, in light of the reported \"double hit\" of the end of the peak fares removal pilot and the general cost inc","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to alleviate the cost for commuters on trains, in light of the reported \"double hit\" of the end of the peak fares removal pilot and the general cost increase.","AnswerText":"ScotRail will introduce a range of new discounted fares, including a 20% reduction in weekly, monthly and annual season ticket prices, 12 flexi tickets for the price of 10 and super off peak fares following the end of the year long extended trial removing peak fares for passengers from October 2023 to October 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423132,"EventID":"S6W-29462","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:29.54","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-30T12:36:31.743","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the success of the previous winter vaccination programme.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the success of the previous winter vaccination programme.","AnswerText":"As part of the 2023-24 COVID-19 and flu winter vaccination programme NHS Scotland delivered over 3.57 million winter vaccines, including 1,387,766 COVID-19 vaccines, 1,647,596 adult flu vaccines and 538,580 child flu vaccines. Uptake dropped across almost all groups, but remained strong in the highest risk groups, with over 85% of care home residents and almost 85% of those aged over 75 vaccinated for both vaccines, the groups mostly likely to be admitted to hospital with these illnesses. We continued to surpass the World Health Organisation&rsquo;s flu target of 75% uptake for those aged 65 and over, achieving 79.8%.The primary aim of the vaccination programme remains the prevention of severe illness and the vaccine offer is to those most likely to directly benefit from vaccination, particularly those with underlying health conditions that increase their risk of hospitalisation. The data from last winter&rsquo;s programme shows that uptake remained strong within these eligible groups and meets the primary aim of the winter programme.There were however certain groups where uptake was far lower than expected, for both COVID-19 and flu, notably pregnant women, frontline health and social care workers and those at clinical risk, although uptake in those with a weakened immune system was better than for more general at risk conditions.The emergence of the new, and theoretically more dangerous variant BA.2.86 in late summer 2023 resulted in us deciding to pull forward the programme to protect those at higher risk. We appointed those at higher risk into all and any spare appointments at the start and middle of the programme, meaning that those at lower risk, who had been prompted to book, found it hard to find spare appointments until November and December. It is difficult to quantify, but we believe that some individuals may have not come forward due to this difficulty.The Scottish Vaccination and Immunisation Programme (SVIP) has already undertaken various pieces of work to understand why overall uptake has decreased and we have incorporated that learning into our planning for this winter campaign. Communicating why annual revaccination (or bi-annual in the case of COVID for higher risk groups) remains necessary and important is key, as is reiterating the value of these vaccines, and the real health risk to some people in contracting these viruses over the winter period.We will continue to work closely with Public Health Scotland and the NHS Boards to ensure the successful delivery of Scotland&rsquo;s vaccination programmes.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423133,"EventID":"S6W-29414","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:32.253","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-29T07:55:53.91","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what economic assessment it has made of the recovery of the hospitality sector  since the COVID-19 pandemic.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what economic assessment it has made of the recovery of the hospitality sector  since the COVID-19 pandemic.","AnswerText":"Latest data shows that both output and employment in the hospitality sector are above pre-pandemic levels. However, the sector continues to face challenges related to rising costs, squeezed household budgets and staff shortages. Whilst cost rises and recruitment difficulties have eased somewhat over the last 12 months, the sector remains more impacted than the economy overall. These challenges appear to be affecting business viability, with insolvencies and business closures in the sector rising over the past two years. However, the insolvency rate in the sector remains lower than that in the rest of Great Britain and the business closure rate remains lower than in the UK as a whole and is broadly in-line with the pre-pandemic period. The total number of businesses in the sector is growing modestly, with business births marginally exceeding closures.The Scottish Government&rsquo;s Evaluation of COVID-19 Business Support Measures in Scotland, published in June 2022, found that the Accommodation and Food Services sector had the highest proportion of firms receiving support from Scottish Government grants out of all sectors and was also one of the sectors that benefited most from the support provided by the Scottish and UK Governments, in terms of the proportion of businesses reporting that the support helped them continue trading.The forthcoming Fair Work Convention Hospitality Inquiry Report, which will be published on 24 September 2024, includes a high-level assessment of the recovery of the hospitality sector since the pandemic and subsequent cost crisis as underpinning evidence for its more detailed assessment of fair work within the sector.The Scottish Government wants a strong and high value hospitality sector in Scotland. We will do all we can to support businesses to be successful and resilient and will continue to engage directly with the sector, to monitor evolving impacts of the ongoing cost crisis, and to work with the UK Government to support Scottish businesses. The 2024-25 Scottish Budget delivers a competitive non-domestic rates regime with the lowest poundage in the UK for the sixth year in a row, and a package of reliefs worth an estimated &pound;685 million, including the Small Business Bonus Scheme which continues to be the most generous relief of its kind in the UK. We estimate around half the properties in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors are eligible for 100% Small Business Bonus Scheme relief in 2024-25.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423134,"EventID":"S6W-29441","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:31.753","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-30T09:29:39.737","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what role it envisages for the private rented sector, from an investment perspective, to enable long-term decision-making and stabilise investment patterns.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what role it envisages for the private rented sector, from an investment perspective, to enable long-term decision-making and stabilise investment patterns.","AnswerText":"Many people find a home in the private rented sector and we recognise the contribution that it makes to housing supply in Scotland.Our New Deal for Tenants consultation set out our vision for a rented sector where all tenants, whether living in private or social rented homes, can access secure, stable, tenancies, with affordable choices - whilst also benefiting from good quality of homes and professional levels of service and rights.We will continue to work with stakeholders &ndash; including the investment sector &ndash; to make sure that we build a system where investment in private rented property is viable and welcomed.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423135,"EventID":"S6W-29423","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:29.243","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-29T10:55:23.643","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are available for park home owners who believe that a local authority is not upholding site licence conditions.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are available for park home owners who believe that a local authority is not upholding site licence conditions.","AnswerText":"If a resident believes that a local authority is not upholding site license conditions, they should report this to the relevant team at the local authority in the first instance. If the response received is unsatisfactory, the resident can make a complaint under the Council&rsquo;s complaints process. If, after completing all stages of the complaints process the resident is dissatisfied with the response or the way the local authority has dealt with the complaint, they can ask the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman to look at it. Residents may also wish to discuss any concerns with their local Councillor.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423136,"EventID":"S6W-29442","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:29.24","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-30T09:29:59.227","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to identifying a strategy for the private rented sector that establishes the (a) optimum size of the sector, (b) markets that it should s","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to identifying a strategy for the private rented sector that establishes the (a) optimum size of the sector, (b) markets that it should serve and (c) arrangements/levers for reducing, sustaining, growing or otherwise re-aligning the sector within these markets.","AnswerText":"We consulted in 2022 on A New Deal for Tenants &ndash; draft rented sector strategy. This set out the Scottish Government commitment to deliver a successful and high quality, affordable and fair rented sector and invited views on how we can deliver this for the rented sector as a whole.We are progressing some elements of the New Deal for Tenants through Housing (Scotland) Bill and we are committed to publishing a final rented sector strategy in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423137,"EventID":"S6W-28910","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:29.193","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-01T13:31:18.307","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its final settlement terms were for the case of McMaster &amp; Others and MacKay &amp; Others (Gov ref LIT/11764/AT).","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its final settlement terms were for the case of McMaster &amp; Others and MacKay &amp; Others (Gov ref LIT/11764/AT).","AnswerText":"Scottish Ministers honoured the commitment to treat sympathetically the compensation claims of the tenant farmers in the court actions of McMaster &amp; Others v Scottish Ministers and Mackay &amp; Another v the Scottish Ministers. Settlement terms are confidential to the parties involved in a litigation and should not be disclosed.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423138,"EventID":"S6W-29446","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:29.967","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-30T09:30:55.7","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to create a nationally representative landlord panel, which can be consulted when sector developments, including legislative changes, are considered.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to create a nationally representative landlord panel, which can be consulted when sector developments, including legislative changes, are considered.","AnswerText":"We are committed to continuing to consult and engage with landlords. There are no current plans to create a nationally representative landlord panel.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423139,"EventID":"S6W-28911","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:28.403","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-01T13:31:18.307","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the full costs that it occurred in relation to the case of McMaster &amp; Others and MacKay &amp; Others (Gov ref LIT/11764/AT).","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the full costs that it occurred in relation to the case of McMaster &amp; Others and MacKay &amp; Others (Gov ref LIT/11764/AT).","AnswerText":"As with any litigation, the details of any settlement are confidential to the parties involved in that litigation. The Scottish Ministers however can confirm that the total costs incurred by the Scottish Ministers in relation to the cases of McMaster &amp; Others v the Scottish Ministers and MacKay &amp; Another v the Scottish Ministers is &pound;1,033,302.75.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423140,"EventID":"S6W-29425","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:29.68","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-29T14:19:58.657","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains its position to issue fair work grants and, if so, by what date it will do so.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains its position to issue fair work grants and, if so, by what date it will do so.","AnswerText":"As announced on 21 August as part of emergency budget controls, the Fairer Workplaces Fund 2024 to 2025 has been cancelled.This is just one of a number of spending plans that we have been forced to withdraw due to the extremely challenging financial position faced by the Scottish Government following the continuing effects of Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the cost of living crisis, alongside UK Government spending decisions. This does not in any way change our commitment to Fair Work or desire to promote Fair Work in Scotland. We continue to take forward the range of actions within the Fair Work Action Plan and to embed Fair Work throughout the delivery of the programme for government.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423141,"EventID":"S6W-29524","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:31.677","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T14:41:36.853","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact the recent announcement by ScotRail that it plans to reduce services to Largs station will have on rail users who plan to attend the Largs Viking Festival.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact the recent announcement by ScotRail that it plans to reduce services to Largs station will have on rail users who plan to attend the Largs Viking Festival.","AnswerText":"ScotRail matches its resources to best meet passenger needs during expected grow in demand, for example when special events are happening.ScotRail advises that it added extra carriages for travelers attending the Largs Viking Festival at the weekend of 31st August and 1st September 2024 and maintained an hourly service to Largs on 7th September. Extra carriages were added to services ran on Sunday the 8th September to provide better capacity.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423142,"EventID":"S6W-29456","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:29.217","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-30T09:41:16.677","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21297 by Emma Roddick on 25 September 2023, which of the recommendations that were made by the expert group&nbsp;to \"measure, trac","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21297 by Emma Roddick on 25 September 2023, which of the recommendations that were made by the expert group&nbsp;to \"measure, track and evaluate progress made in eradicating racism in Scotland' it has followed.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is determined to play our part in eradicating racism, inequality and injustice &ndash; and in building a better, fairer world.On the recommendation of the Anti-Racism Interim Governance Group to Develop National Anti-Racism Infrastructure (AIGG), a public procurement process has commenced to identify a host organisation for the Anti-Racism Observatory for Scotland (AROS). The tender process closed on the 2nd September and tenders are currently being evaluated. The contract award is scheduled to take place at the end of October and the contract will commence in January 2025.AROS will support the development of a detailed workplan to track and measure progress being made with the Scottish Government&rsquo;s antiracism commitments, including relevant Key Performance Indicators. Working in partnership with partners, including third sector organisations and communities, AROS will develop robust governance and accountability mechanisms to ensure effective oversight of the workplan and strategic objectives that will drive anti-racism change.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423143,"EventID":"S6W-29428","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:31.433","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-29T17:20:20.663","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what criteria  schools are required to meet to achieve Reading Schools accreditation.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what criteria  schools are required to meet to achieve Reading Schools accreditation.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government funds the Scottish Book Trust (SBT) to deliver the SBT Reading Schools programme and therefore SBT is responsible for setting the criteria for core, silver and gold accreditation.Reading Schools encourages a whole-school approach to establishing a healthy reading culture in schools across Scotland. The Reading Schools Accreditation framework details the key areas considered crucial to building and sustaining a whole-school reading culture and are mapped against How Good Is Our School? 4. In order to be accredited, a school must provide evidence of how they have achieved the standard described under each of the key areas. Schools retain their accreditation for three years, before being required to evidence further developments to sustain reading culture.The SBT Reading Schools Framework can be accessed online here: https://www.readingschools.scot/framework","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423144,"EventID":"S6W-29417","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:32.577","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-29T07:55:53.913","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on how many job vacancies there have been in the hospitality sector in each of the last 10 years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on how many job vacancies there have been in the hospitality sector in each of the last 10 years.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold data on the number of job vacancies by sector.However, the Scottish Government monitors vacancies in the hospitality sector using data and intelligence from a number of sources including the Business Insights and Conditions Survey, the Employer Skills Survey and Sectoral Skills Assessments.The latest data from the Business Insights and Conditions Survey, published by the Scottish Government, shows that 29% of businesses in the Accommodation and Food Services sector were experiencing recruitment difficulties in July 2024 and 23% were experiencing worker shortages in August 2024. The latest data is available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/bics-weighted-scotland-estimates-data-to-wave-114/documents/.The latest data from the Employer Skills Survey, published by the Scottish Government, shows that in 2022, 30% of businesses in the Hotels and Restaurants sector had at least one vacancy and 13% had at least one skills-shortage vacancy. The latest data is available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/uk-employer-skills-survey-2022-scotland-report/documents/.Sectoral Skills Assessments, published by Skills Development Scotland, provide data on the number of online job postings in the wider tourism sector, sourced from Lightcast. The latest data indicates that between January-June 2023, there were 5,000 online job postings for chefs and cooks and 2,300 job postings for waiters and waitresses. The latest sectoral skills assessment for the tourism sector can be found at: https://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/media/l55d3jqy/sectoral-skills-assessment-tourism.pdf.The Scottish Government is taking measures within our powers to address labour and skills shortage issues. These include providing a range of employability support to help people enter the workforce alongside funding for the development of modern apprenticeships, via Skills Development Scotland, to meet the needs of the tourism and hospitality sector.We are also working to explore solutions to staff shortages in collaboration with the sector, through our Tourism and Hospitality Industry Leadership Group and our Tourism and Hospitality Skills Group.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423145,"EventID":"S6W-29429","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:32.217","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-29T17:20:20.663","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has allocated to promote its Reading Schools programme.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has allocated to promote its Reading Schools programme.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has allocated &pound;548,723 in this financial year 2024/25 to the Scottish Book Trust (SBT) to deliver the Reading Schools Programme. Since the Scottish Government began funding the programme in 2018, SBT have received a total of &pound;1,592,923, including this year.SBT also received funding of &pound;28,750 from Scottish Government in 2023-24, to deliver a Reading Schools Early Years pilot in seven childcare settings across Angus.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423146,"EventID":"S6W-29432","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:28.177","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-29T17:20:20.663","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reasons its Ecosystem Fund was not continued in 2024-25.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reasons its Ecosystem Fund was not continued in 2024-25.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is developing the third phase of the Ecosystem Fund, building on the success of previous rounds. This follows a comprehensive evaluation of the 2023-24 phase conducted by Scottish Enterprise. Further information about the next phase will be released in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423147,"EventID":"S6W-29424","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:28.183","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-29T10:55:23.643","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether road planings are a suitable road surfacing material for residential developments.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether road planings are a suitable road surfacing material for residential developments.","AnswerText":"Scottish Ministers are responsible for the safe operation and maintenance of the trunk road network. The requirements for surfacing materials used on the trunk road network are laid out in the Specification for Highway Works and the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges. These documents do allow some use of road planings in certain circumstances. They can be used in the lower foundation layers of all road types, depending on levels of traffic or as a base layer when mixed with a small amount of cement and foamed bitumen. Finally, small proportions of road planings can be recycled into hot and warm mix asphalt, which are generally used in the upper layers of a road.The Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 places the statutory responsibility for local roads&rsquo; improvement, maintenance and repair with local road authorities. Local authorities have a duty to manage and maintain local roads in their area and duties under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to secure the expeditious, convenient and safe movement of traffic.Where the maintenance liability for new roads being built within new residential developments is to be adopted by the Local Authority then the relevant local road authority will define the required specifications and standards and these govern what may be used.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423148,"EventID":"S6W-29459","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:32.123","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-30T10:53:09.843","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what plans it has to upgrade train services.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what plans it has to upgrade train services.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is investing in rail services across Scotland, including the rolling programme of electrification. East Kilbride line electrification is now under way and I have recently announced that ScotRail is to procure replacement trains for the current InterCity High Speed Train fleet. The work continues to develop further procurements to replace and renew the ScotRail fleet as it ages","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423149,"EventID":"S6W-29420","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:32.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-29T07:55:53.913","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much revenue has been received through non-domestic rates from the hospitality sector in each year since 1999.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much revenue has been received through non-domestic rates from the hospitality sector in each year since 1999.","AnswerText":"Non-domestic rates are administered by local councils, and the Scottish Government does not routinely hold information on the amounts actually paid by individual businesses or properties. However, we are able to estimate the amounts some property types would have been liable for in some years where individual property level relief data has been collected nationally.Table 1 presents estimated historic rateable values and estimates of net non-domestic rates income for hotels, public houses, and restaurants. Property level reliefs data, and therefore net income estimates, for years before 2012-13, and for 2014-2015, 2017-2018, and 2023-2024 are not available, and are not yet available for 2024-2025.Hospitality premises are identified by property classes &ldquo;public houses and restaurants&rdquo; and &ldquo;hotels&rdquo;. Property class is a classification used by Scottish Assessors to describe the type of property, and does not necessarily accurately reflect the use of a property. There may be properties within those classes which are not actually used for hospitality, and properties within other classes which are used for hospitality. Rateable values are as at 1 April in each financial year, and do not take into account any subsequent changes, even if backdated. A revaluation occurred in 2017-2018, and in 2023-2024. Reliefs information is derived from councils&rsquo; billing data, as at end April 2012, 1 October 2013, 8 October 2015, 5 October 2016, 1 June 2018, 31 May 2019, 1 July 2020, 1 June 2021, and 1 July 2022. The relief percentages reported in these billing data snapshots are applied to the gross income estimates based on rateable values on 1 April in each year to derive the net estimates. Net income in 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 was affected by the Retail, Hospitality, and Leisure (RHL) relief introduced in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. RHL relief awarded in 2022-2023 is not included, as this relief was not reported on the 2022 billing snapshot. Figures are rounded to the nearest &pound;100,000.Table 1: Total rateable value and estimated net NDR income related to hotels, public houses, and restaurantsFinancial yearRateable valueNet income2012-2013296,200,000123,600,0002013-2014292,100,000126,100,0002014-2015289,700,000[not available]2015-2016296,200,000133,300,0002016-2017299,800,000138,500,0002017-2018402,500,000[not available]2018-2019410,200,000185,100,0002019-2020413,500,000185,000,0002020-2021404,200,0008,100,0002021-2022395,800,00038,300,0002022-2023399,600,000182,600,000","AnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423150,"EventID":"S6W-29463","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:29.24","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-30T12:36:31.743","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the cost was of the previous winter vaccination programme, broken down by NHS board.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the cost was of the previous winter vaccination programme, broken down by NHS board.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government welcomes the innovation, continuous improvement and efficiency that Health Board delivery teams have demonstrated to make best use of resources and funding throughout our national vaccination programmes, which remain a key public health intervention.The Scottish Government provided &pound;80 million on an National Resource Allocation formula (NRAC) basis to cover local Board vaccine delivery costs for the full financial year 2023/24.These funds were allocated to the following programmes, the largest of which was the winter Seasonal Flu &amp; COVID-19 booster programme:Spring 2023 COVID-19 programme6 months &ndash; 4 years at risk COVID-19 programmechanges to the COVID-19 primary rolling offerCOVID-19 vaccination out-with seasonal programmes for the clinically extremely vulnerable and for travel or visa purposesWinter Seasonal Flu &amp; COVID-19 booster programme 2023Boards also used this funding to deliver across the full range of other vaccine programmes. A breakdown of investment provided to each Health Board is as follows.Allocations by Territorial Board 2023-24Unified Budget target sharesNRAC ShareNHS Ayrshire and Arran7.32%&pound;5,854,246NHS Borders2.15%&pound;1,716,573NHS Dumfries and Galloway2.97%&pound;2,373,498NHS Fife6.86%&pound;5,488,643NHS Forth Valley5.46%&pound;4,370,004NHS Grampian9.81%&pound;7,845,888NHS Greater Glasgow &amp; Clyde22.18%&pound;17,743,815NHS Highland6.58%&pound;5,265,083NHS Lanarkshire12.28%&pound;9,824,970NHS Lothian14.97%&pound;11,976,356NHS Orkney0.49%&pound;394,381NHS Shetland0.48%&pound;380,909NHS Tayside7.80%&pound;6,239,202NHS Western Isles0.66%&pound;526,432Total100.00%&pound;80,000,000Additional funding from Scottish Government: &pound;25.85MIn addition, the Scottish Government also provided &pound;25.85 million of additional national investment into services to support the Boards beyond the &pound;80 million allocation. This included:Scottish Ambulance Service: &pound;1.1 millionFor a mobile vaccination outreach service to support the territorial Boards. This service is utilised by Boards to target specific communities where uptake is low, such as areas of high SIMD, or ethnic communities, as well supporting delivery in remote and rural areas.NHS National Services Scotland (NSS): &pound;20 millionThis funded the National Contact Centre, which operates the National Vaccination Helpline for booking, rescheduling and cancelling flu and Covid appointments for those who did not wish to use, or cannot use, the online booking portal. The helpline also gives a range of other information on the programme and provided outbound calling services to boards. It also supported digital vaccination services such as the online booking portal for Covid and flu, as well the national vaccination scheduling service.NHSl Education Scotland (NES): &pound;2 millionThis funded additional digital services for the recording and storage of national vaccination uptake data via the vaccine management tool (VMT) and the vaccination National Clinical Data Store (NCDS). It also funded NES&rsquo;s vaccination workforce education team, providing high quality training materials to vaccinators and health professionals, including a live vaccinator webinar for the winter 2023-24 flu and Covid programme.Public Health Scotland: &pound;2.75 millionFor vaccination programme operational delivery co-ordinationVaccine Supply Costs: 26 millionAll costs regarding storage and distribution of COVID-19 and adult flu vaccines were met by the Scottish Government.The Scottish Government has invested &pound;14.4million in adult flu vaccine supplies and &pound;11.6 million in child flu vaccine supplies. (Adult flu was also funded in part from Health Board baseline budgets to a total of &pound;10.39 million.)COVID-19 vaccines were procured by the UK Government on behalf of the four nations.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423151,"EventID":"S6W-29466","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:31.68","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-30T16:13:26.097","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to tackle any modern slavery and human rights abuses in the fishing sector.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to tackle any modern slavery and human rights abuses in the fishing sector.","AnswerText":"Any form of human trafficking or exploitation is completely unacceptable. Police Scotland&rsquo;s National Human Trafficking Unit (NHTU) continues to work closely with partners to monitor the threat, risk and harm posed by those exploiting vulnerable workers in the fishing sector. Police Scotland have collaborated with other law enforcement partners to target those responsible for Modern Slavery in the fishing industry, with several companies subject to both criminal proceedings and also Trafficking Exploitation and Risk Orders (TERO). The first Order of this kind in Scotland related to an investigation in the fishing industry, which is closely monitored by Police Scotland to ensure compliance, mitigate risk and prevent further exploitation. Between 2022 and 2025 we have allocated &pound;480k to the charity Justice and Care who provide specialist Victim Navigators to work alongside the NHTU. Navigators play a vital role in focusing on the victims of human trafficking operations investigations, and are able to offer strategic advice to police officers. This enables our law enforcement organisations to focus on bringing perpetrators to justice in the knowledge that immediate victim support is available. A current fishing industry police investigation is on-going, led by the NHTU, and the services of Victim Navigators are being utilised to fully support the victims.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423152,"EventID":"S6W-29430","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:31.927","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-29T17:20:20.663","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of its Reading Schools programme on improving literacy rates among children.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of its Reading Schools programme on improving literacy rates among children.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government funds the Scottish Book Trust (SBT) to deliver the Reading Schools programme which represents an inclusive, whole school approach to embedding a reading culture within schools.SBT commissions independent evaluations of the programme to examine the impact on pupils, learning professionals and schools. All evaluations are published on the Reading Schools website at: https://readingschools.scot/evaluationThe Scottish Government understands that the most recent report on the 2023-24 programme by Research Scotland will be published in the next few weeks and will be publicly available through the Reading Schools website as referenced above.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423153,"EventID":"S6W-29433","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:28.193","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-29T17:20:20.663","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the organisations that received funding from its Ecosystem Fund in 2023-24, broken down by local authority area.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the organisations that received funding from its Ecosystem Fund in 2023-24, broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"A full breakdown of the organisations that received funding from the 2023-24 Ecosystem Fund, including their core project local authority areas, is available on the Scottish Enterprise website Funding outcomes and information | Scottish Enterprise (scottish-enterprise.com).","AnswerDate":"2024-09-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423154,"EventID":"S6W-29413","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:32.7","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-28T16:42:12.01","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action (a) it and (b) its agencies are taking to improve the strength of mobile phone signals along train routes in the Highlands and Islands region.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action (a) it and (b) its agencies are taking to improve the strength of mobile phone signals along train routes in the Highlands and Islands region.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29410 on 17 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423155,"EventID":"S6W-29416","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:31.967","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-29T07:55:53.913","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many jobs there have been in the hospitality sector in each of the last 10 years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many jobs there have been in the hospitality sector in each of the last 10 years.","AnswerText":"The Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES), produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), is the preferred source for jobs estimates for industry sectors. The latest available BRES jobs estimates are for 2022 with consistent time series available back to 2015. Jobs estimates for the Accommodation and Food Service Activities sector for 2015 to 2022 are shown in the following table.Table 1: Estimated jobs in the Accommodation and Food Service Activities sector, Scotland, 2015 to 2022YEARJOBSESTIMATE2015210,0002016191,0002017197,0002018207,0002019214,0002020179,0002021196,0002022216,000Source: Business Register and Employment SurveyNotes:1.These data are available from Table 2.5 of the Scottish Government Industry Statistics Database: Industry statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)2.Estimates are rounded to the nearest thousand.3.Estimates include all employee jobs within VAT/PAYE registered enterprises, and also working owners of VAT/PAYE registered enterprises. However, the employment jobs estimate does not include those that are self-employed in enterprises that are not registered for VAT/PAYE i.e. the smallest sole traders/partnerships.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423156,"EventID":"S6W-29437","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:29.253","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-29T17:49:43.687","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with Gaelic-medium education schools regarding SQA reform.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with Gaelic-medium education schools regarding SQA reform.","AnswerText":"The Gaelic medium education (GME) sector has distinct development needs in qualifications, teacher support and continuity in secondary education. At all stages, officials in the Gaelic and Scots team have aimed to keep the GME sector aware of developments and encouraged their response to consultations. Most recently, I met with CLAS (Professional Association for Gaelic Secondary School Teachers) on Thursday 12 September.The replacement of the SQA and changes to our qualifications and assessment approaches have been informed by extensive stakeholder engagement including stakeholders from Gaelic communities. This engagement took place during the Muir Review, the National Discussion on Scottish Education, the Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment and consultations on the Scottish Languages and Education (Scotland) Bills.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423157,"EventID":"S6W-29458","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:29.223","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-30T10:53:09.843","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Delmore passing loop will be upgraded.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Delmore passing loop will be upgraded.","AnswerText":"The advantages for capacity and performance of a new rail loop in the Delmore area are recognised. However, the proposal for a passing loop at Delmore does not feature in the Scottish Government&rsquo;s current investment programme.Given the extremely challenging financial climate, and following last year's UK Autumn Statement, we have had to take difficult decisions in setting the budget for 2024-25. This affects our ability to fund any projects which do not yet feature in the current investment programme.A loop at Delmore remains in consideration for future delivery alongside a number of other potentially valuable schemes.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423158,"EventID":"S6W-29469","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-02T16:18:29.323","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-30T16:13:26.097","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last reviewed its policy on the issuing of fishing quotas under the Fisheries Act 2020.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last reviewed its policy on the issuing of fishing quotas under the Fisheries Act 2020.","AnswerText":"All Scottish quota is issued in line with the requirements of the UK Fisheries Act 2020.On 7 June 2024, the Scottish Government published the outcome of its consultation on the allocation of Additional Quota. Additional Quota is the extra quota the UK receives following EU exit.As part of Scotland&rsquo;s Fisheries Management Strategy 2020-2030, the Scottish Government committed to the maintenance of FQA system as the primary method of allocating Exiting Quota (the UK&rsquo;s established share of quota prior to leaving the EU) following stakeholder feedback.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423159,"EventID":"S6W-29555","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":8,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T13:42:29.223","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T12:36:51.603","Title":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what it is doing to encourage the employment of more people with learning disabilities, autism and neurodivergence (LDAN) in the Parliament.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what it is doing to encourage the employment of more people with learning disabilities, autism and neurodivergence (LDAN) in the Parliament.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body is committed to building a diverse and representative workforce. The SPCB monitors and reports on the diversity of its staff, including people with a disability.&nbsp; Where a group is identified as underrepresented in the workforce, positive action measures are used to remove barriers and increase representation. The SPCB is one of a small number of organisations in Scotland to be recognized as a Disability Confident Leader. This accreditation recognises the actions taken to actively encourage the recruitment of disabled people and the support provided to foster career progression.&nbsp; In keeping with this accreditation guidance has been developed for managers to ensure that they take an inclusive approach to recruitment, ensuring that our approach is open and accessible for all.&nbsp; This includes guidance and resources for managers and staff on creating an inclusive workplace for neurodivergent colleagues.&nbsp; Where a colleague with a learning disability, autism or neurodivergence requires support to access the recruitment process or work effectively, an adjustment plan is agreed with them to ensure that appropriate adjustments are put in place and updated, as required.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jackson Carlaw (on behalf of the SPCB)","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423160,"EventID":"S6W-29451","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:43.97","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-30T09:32:25.477","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will expand the use of policy impact assessments to consider the cumulative effect of legislation covering the private rented sector in terms of costs, compli","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will expand the use of policy impact assessments to consider the cumulative effect of legislation covering the private rented sector in terms of costs, compliance behaviours and the availability of tradespeople and other enabling resources.","AnswerText":"With respect to the effect of legislative change that will affect the private rented sector, the Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment for the Housing (Scotland) Bill will be published shortly and considers the cumulative impact of policy covering the private rented sector in terms of costs, benefits and risks of proposed legislation.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423161,"EventID":"S6W-29523","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:43.877","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T14:37:31.787","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of new solar developments approved in the last five years have been (a) ground and (b) non-ground mounted.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of new solar developments approved in the last five years have been (a) ground and (b) non-ground mounted.","AnswerText":"Solar energy developments with a capacity over 50MW are considered by Scottish Ministers under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989. All solar developments approved by Scottish Ministers in the last five years have been ground mounted.Solar energy developments with a capacity of 50MW or less require planning permission from the relevant planning authority. The Scottish Government does not hold information on planning applications determined by planning authorities for ground mounted or grounded solar panels. However, this information could be obtained from individual planning authorities.Householders and businesses also have certain permitted development rights (PDR) for the installation of solar panels on their properties. Provided that the relevant conditions are complied with, these PDR allow for the installation of solar panels without the requirement for a planning application. In doing so, they save the time and expense associated with applying for planning permission. Accordingly, data is not available on those developments carried out under PDR.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423162,"EventID":"S6W-29516","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:44.303","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T13:16:31.193","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason NHS Scotland reportedly no longer offers graduate midwives at least a one-year job guarantee, and whether it has plans to review this.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason NHS Scotland reportedly no longer offers graduate midwives at least a one-year job guarantee, and whether it has plans to review this.","AnswerText":"The One Year Job Guarantee (OYJG) scheme was previously facilitated by NHS Education for Scotland. The scheme was closed due to low application numbers.Scottish government officials have been engaging with health boards on their current position in relation to supply of midwives. It is our understanding that they remain committed to maximising opportunities for newly qualified midwives and officials are exploring all options to support graduates into employment.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423163,"EventID":"S6W-29497","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:43.867","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T11:27:33.14","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of how many full-time equivalent teachers there will be in 2025-26.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of how many full-time equivalent teachers there will be in 2025-26.","AnswerText":"The number of FTE teachers for the 2025-26 school year will be confirmed following publication of the 2025 teacher census results.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423164,"EventID":"S6W-29313","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:45.79","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-23T11:24:39.31","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many regulations have been removed as per advice from the Regulatory Review Group since it was relaunched in autumn 2023 as recommended by the New Deal for Business ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many regulations have been removed as per advice from the Regulatory Review Group since it was relaunched in autumn 2023 as recommended by the New Deal for Business Group.","AnswerText":"The remit of the Regulatory Review Group is to provide the Scottish Government with advice on all aspects of Better Regulation from a business and regulatory perspective. It does not propose removal of regulations but works to identify implementation challenges and practical mitigations during policy development.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423165,"EventID":"S6W-29479","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:45.08","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T08:07:00.23","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the ongoing talks with Petroineos and the UK Government on extending the life of the Grangemouth oil refinery.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the ongoing talks with Petroineos and the UK Government on extending the life of the Grangemouth oil refinery.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government regularly engages with the UK Government and Petroineos. Most recently the Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Net Zero convened a trilateral discussion with the UK Government and Petroineos on 2 September. The Scottish Government has used these engagements to consistently convey to the business that refining must continue at Grangemouth for as long as practicable.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423166,"EventID":"S6W-29513","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:47.05","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T12:38:04.403","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what funding it provides to organisations and services providing post-diagnostic support for adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what funding it provides to organisations and services providing post-diagnostic support for adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not currently provide dedicated funding to organisations and services providing post-diagnostic support for adults with ADHD.However, we know that ADHD often co-occurs with autism. Accordingly, through the Adult Autism Support Fund, we are funding 14 organisations that are providing post-diagnostic support to autistic adults, some of whom will also have ADHD. One organisation, Lochaber Hope in the Highland council area, specifically provides online workshops on Autism and ADHD, as well as a Neurodivergent group for women and non-binary people.We are also working to ensure that local diagnostic pathways for adults adopt a stepped care model and a neurodevelopmental approach, inclusive of ADHD.The Scottish Government has provided funding to National implementation Team (NAIT) to support the Health and Social Care Partnerships to develop action plans to introduce adult neurodevelopmental pathways. NAIT will also provide ADHD professional learning workshops and establish adult neurodevelopmental professional networks.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423167,"EventID":"S6W-29532","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:44.747","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T19:34:16.787","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many applications for the Home Owners' Support Fund it has received since 20 March 2022, broken down by the (a) Mortgage to Rent and (b) Mortgage to Shared Equity sc","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many applications for the Home Owners' Support Fund it has received since 20 March 2022, broken down by the (a) Mortgage to Rent and (b) Mortgage to Shared Equity schemes, and, of the applications that were received, how many were (i) successful and (ii) ineligible.","AnswerText":"All applications are made to the overall HOSF programme, and are then carefully assessed by my officials to determine suitability for either Mortgage to Shared Equity (MTSE) or Mortgage to Rent (MTR).Applicants to HOSF receive advice from accredited money advisers. The advisers offer holistic advice and identify which potential solutions will best meet applicants&rsquo; needs. They are appropriately qualified to determine when homeowners meet the HOSF eligibility criteria. This ensures all options and potential solutions have been considered before an application to HOSF is made.Since 20 March 2022, 96 new applications have been made to the Home Owners Support Fund (HOSF), an average of 3 new applications per calendar month.To date, 47 cases have successfully completed. A further 10 cases have been approved and are in the final stages of conveyancing, due to complete imminently. All successful applications since 20 March 2022 have been Mortgage to Rent cases.3 cases received during this period did not meet the eligibility criteria and were deemed ineligible. These cases represent a small proportion of overall intake and are the result of unforeseen issues that could not be resolved. For example, where alterations were made to the property without having the correct building consents in place.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423168,"EventID":"S6W-29481","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:45.503","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T08:08:19.63","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it has concluded from its  economic impact assessment of the potential closure of the Grangemouth Refinery, which is yet to be published.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it has concluded from its  economic impact assessment of the potential closure of the Grangemouth Refinery, which is yet to be published.","AnswerText":"The Economic Impact Assessment has been shared with the Economy and Fair Work Committee.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423169,"EventID":"S6W-29514","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:46.707","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T12:38:04.403","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to promote public awareness of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in (a) general and (b) relation to adults.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to promote public awareness of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in (a) general and (b) relation to adults.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is taking a range of steps to promote awareness of ADHD, often targeted at professionals in healthcare and education settings in order to maximise impact.The Scottish Government published the National Neurodevelopmental Specification: Principles and Standards of Care for Children and Young People in 2021. This specifies the standards that all children&rsquo;s services should follow to ensure access to support is effective and consistent across Scotland. Whilst aimed at service providers, it nevertheless serves to promote general awareness of the needs of children with ADHD across NHS Health Boards and Local Authorities.Additionally, last year, resources on ADHD were published on Education Scotland&rsquo;s website. These cover the common features, positive traits and challenges of ADHD. This was accompanied by a webinar, attended by over 300 individuals.As part of our work on implementing Adult Neurodevelopmental Pathways, the Scottish Government is working with the National Autism Implementation Team (NAIT) to ensure that Health and Social Care Partnerships across Scotland are equipped to support adults with ADHD.The Scottish Government provides funding to NHS Education for Scotland (NES) to deliver neurodiversity training resources for staff across agencies, including health and social care, and education. This training is delivered both in-person and via an online learning hub. It equips staff to deliver for neurodivergent individuals, including those with ADHD, across the lifespan. In 2023, at least 1,243 individuals attended webinars that dealt specifically with ADHD across the lifespan, and at least 2,189 individuals accessed the recordings of these sessions at a later date.As part of our consultation on potential provisions within a future Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence Bill, consideration is also being given to the possible introduction of mandatory training on neurodivergence, including ADHD, for public-facing staff in some public services.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423170,"EventID":"S6W-29365","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:44.683","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-26T10:55:44.507","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to end the process of \"salami-slicing\" of energy infrastructure projects.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to end the process of \"salami-slicing\" of energy infrastructure projects.","AnswerText":"As part of the application process for energy infrastructure projects, the Scottish Government undertake a full and thorough consultation with stakeholders, including the relevant Local Planning Authorities, to ensure all aspects of the development are considered.Where it is necessary to understand the environmental impact of an infrastructure project, a full Environment Impact Assessment is required to be undertaken which takes into account the cumulative impacts of the full development.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":423171,"EventID":"S6W-29449","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:43.88","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-30T09:31:37.193","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will carry out a review to identify any changes required to allow the private rented sector to fulfil the role that it envisages for the sector.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will carry out a review to identify any changes required to allow the private rented sector to fulfil the role that it envisages for the sector.","AnswerText":"We consulted in 2022 on A New Deal for Tenants &ndash; draft rented sector strategy. This set out the Scottish Government commitment to deliver a successful and high quality, affordable and fair rented sector and invited views on how we can deliver this for the rented sector as a whole.Measures being progressed in the Housing (Scotland) Bill deliver on a number of commitments from the New deal for Tenants and have been informed by consultation and targeted engagement with stakeholders. The changes build on previous reforms to strengthen tenants&rsquo; rights through tenancy reform in 2016 providing private tenants with increased stability and security.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423172,"EventID":"S6W-29491","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:43.957","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T09:38:35.763","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28739 by Tom Arthur on 29 August 2024, how many public sector (a) grants and (b) contracts that have been awarded since 1 July 202","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28739 by Tom Arthur on 29 August 2024, how many public sector (a) grants and (b) contracts that have been awarded since 1 July 2023 have exempted the receiving body from complying with the \"effective workers' voice\" criteria, broken down by the (i) receiving body and (ii) reason for exemption.","AnswerText":"(a) There are no exemptions to the Fair Work First conditions in public sector grants. There is provision in the Fair Work First policy for limited exceptions where a potential grant recipient cannot afford to pay the real Living Wage to all or part(s) of its workforce and so is unable to accept the standard grant conditions regarding payment of the real Living Wage. There is no provision for an exception to meeting the effective voice condition. Funders may apply flexibility to recognise the different forms of voice that are appropriate for different organisations. The Fair Work First guidance is available here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/fair-work-first-guidance-2/.(b) For information on the number of contracts including Fair Work First considerations, I refer the member to the answer to questions S6W-28739 on 29 August 2024 and S6W-28738 on 23 August 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423173,"EventID":"S6W-29486","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:46.18","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T08:16:58.573","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many shoplifters have been issued a fixed penalty notice in each year since 2019.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many shoplifters have been issued a fixed penalty notice in each year since 2019.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s Criminal Proceedings in Scotland statistics primarily focus on prosecutions and convictions in criminal courts. However,&shy;&shy; they also include some non-court disposals, including police-issued Antisocial Behaviour Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) and COPFS-issued FPNs. The former are not used for shoplifting offences and the latter are only very rarely used for them. The most recent data show no FPNs issued for shoplifting since 2018-19.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423174,"EventID":"S6W-29501","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:45.677","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T11:34:07.847","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent civil servants there were in 2023-24.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent civil servants there were in 2023-24.","AnswerText":"To answer this question both sets of data refer to the full time equivalents (FTE) at March 24 as the end point of FY2023-24.Data is provided from both the Scottish Government core workforce information and the devolved Scottish Civil Service employment information.This information is published quarterly as part of the Scottish Government statistics on workforce information and the Public Sector Employment in Scotland Statistics.The links are attached and FTE refers to March 24 published statistics.Scottish Government workforce information - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)Public sector employment in Scotland: web tables - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)In relation to 2023-24, at end March 2024, the Scottish Government core employed 8,843 FTE directly employed staff including permanent and fixed term staff.In relation to 2023-24, at end March 2024, the Scottish Government devolved civil service employed 26,800 FTE.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423175,"EventID":"S6W-29492","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:45.927","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T11:27:33.14","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of how many full-time equivalent police officers there will be in 2025-26.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of how many full-time equivalent police officers there will be in 2025-26.","AnswerText":"The recruitment of officers and staff is a matter for the Chief Constable, The Scottish Government does not hold the information requested.The Chief Constable confirmed that our investment will enable Police Scotland to recruit enough officers to increase numbers back to the region of 16,500 to 16,600 officers in 2024-25. Throughout this financial year the Scottish Government budget has allowed for planned intakes of around 1300 recruits, which is more than at any time since 2013.Police Scotland has commenced transformative work to develop a new operating model and three-year business plan. It is important the Chief Constable has the flexibility to develop her workforce in a way that responds to the challenges she faces and ensures Police Scotland can continue to tackle high threat, harm, and risk in all of Scotland&rsquo;s communities.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423176,"EventID":"S6W-29364","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:43.853","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-26T10:55:44.507","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has given any consideration to establishing a publicly available real-time map of (a) proposed, (b) ongoing and (c) completed energy infrastructure projects.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has given any consideration to establishing a publicly available real-time map of (a) proposed, (b) ongoing and (c) completed energy infrastructure projects.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Parliament publishes a renewable energy map of Scotland which is available here Renewable energy map of Scotland &ndash; SPICe Spotlight | Solas air SPICe (spice-spotlight.scot) This makes available details of operational and planned renewable energy generation projects.The data that the map is based on comes from the Renewable Energy Planning Database: quarterly extract, which is maintained by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.The Electricity System Operator (ESO) provides a map which provides a view of the current and what the potential future electricity transmission system could look like out to 2040. Note this is for illustrative purposes only. The map can be viewed here - Web map | ESO (nationalgrideso.com)The Scottish Government is not, at this time, considering to establish anything further to this already publicly available information.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":423177,"EventID":"S6W-29447","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:47.17","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-30T09:31:08.077","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to remove any uncertainty and improve communication between it and landlords.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to remove any uncertainty and improve communication between it and landlords.","AnswerText":"We will continue to engage and listen to the views of landlords, tenants and investors, through the Private Rented Sector (PRS) Stakeholder Group, the Housing Investment Taskforce, as well as ongoing targeted stakeholder engagement.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423178,"EventID":"S6W-29489","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:46.907","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T08:27:22.617","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what promotional efforts it will make inconjunction with the UK Government to encourage any pensioners impacted by theloss of the Winter Heating Payment to apply for pen","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what promotional efforts it will make inconjunction with the UK Government to encourage any pensioners impacted by theloss of the Winter Heating Payment to apply for pension credit.","AnswerText":"Pension Credit is reserved to the UK Government and is the responsibility of the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP). The Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice has written to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to ask her to do more to increase take up rates. We have also offered to work with the DWP to improve take-up rates. This will include working with stakeholders across Scotland to increase awareness of Pension Credit and the link to eligibility for Pension Age Winter Heating Payment.Our welfare advice services, supported by Scottish Government investment, also work very closely with people who may be entitled to benefits, devolved or reserved, but have not yet applied. These efforts include increasing the awareness and take-up of assistance to support people who are struggling financially.This is why we have committed to investing over &pound;12 million for the provision of free income maximisation support, welfare and debt advice services in 2024-25, including support for the Citizens Advice Scotland Money Talk Team Service, which last year supported over 9,000 older people.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423179,"EventID":"S6W-29511","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:46.867","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T12:25:34.663","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment (a) Transport Scotland and (b) CMAL has made of comparative crewing levels for the Phase 1 contract in the Small Vessel Replacement Programme.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment (a) Transport Scotland and (b) CMAL has made of comparative crewing levels for the Phase 1 contract in the Small Vessel Replacement Programme.","AnswerText":"Crewing levels will be comparable with existing small vessels to ensure safe manning and operation of the new vessels when they are introduced. CalMac Ferries Limited will continue to engage with crew and unions ahead of the vessels introduction. Further detail on particulars of the vessels is available in Q&amp;A documents on CMAL&lsquo;s dedicated SVRP website - Small Vessel Replacement Programme | CMAL Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (cmassets.co.uk).","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":423180,"EventID":"S6W-29518","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:43.863","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T13:16:31.193","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Royal College of Midwives' reported statement that the current number of student midwives due to graduate in 2024 who have not been offered p","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Royal College of Midwives' reported statement that the current number of student midwives due to graduate in 2024 who have not been offered posts could result in an estimated &pound;12 million of public money having been spent on training midwives who do not end up in employment.","AnswerText":"The training costs for an average nursing or midwifery student is in the region of &pound;60,000 and a full breakdown of these costs including teaching grants, tuition fees, bursary and the various allowances was reported in S6W-28706 on 6 August 2024.In the academic year of 2021-22, there were 190 entrants to first degree courses at a Scottish university on midwifery courses. Training costs for the 190 Scots Domiciled students for 3 years would be in the region of &pound;11.4 million.However combined with student attrition / withdrawal, pauses in education due to academic failure, ill health or maternity leave taken into account, the full cohort of students would not be expected to graduate in 3 years. Of those delayed students, many will go on to complete their programmes after 4 or even 5 years.Vacancies fluctuate across NHS Scotland Boards and by specialism but vacancies will continue to be advertised across all Boards as they arise over coming months allowing graduates additional opportunities to apply. Health Boards are autonomous institutions, separate from the Scottish Government, and as such are responsible for recruitment. The Scottish Government&rsquo;s role is to set policies and frameworks at a national level, and Health Boards, as employers, are responsible in recruiting graduates through fair and consistent recruitment practices. In some specialist areas the workforce profile means that turnover is lower and so anticipatory recruitment is more challenging than in higher volume / higher turnover roles.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423181,"EventID":"S6W-29450","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:44.163","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-30T09:32:09","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will carry out a review of the support required by local authorities to ensure that there is robust enforcement of the legislation that covers the private ren","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will carry out a review of the support required by local authorities to ensure that there is robust enforcement of the legislation that covers the private rented sector.","AnswerText":"The Housing (Scotland) Bill includes a package of reforms to the private rented sector which are in the interests of both tenants and responsible landlords. Should Parliament pass the legislation, it is intended that a full review will be undertaken of the support required by local authorities to ensure robust enforcement in the PRS. This will include an assessment of the enforcement provisions and the resource required to adequately support this.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423182,"EventID":"S6W-29478","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:43.873","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T08:05:29.977","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of the Grangemouth Future Industry Board.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of the Grangemouth Future Industry Board.","AnswerText":"The Grangemouth Future Industry Board continues to meet regularly with the last meeting of the programme board taking place on 19 August. At the invitation of the Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Net Zero, the leadership forum will now be co-chaired by the UK Government Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.The Board continues to focus its effort on securing a long-term and sustainable future for the Grangemouth cluster.Minutes of previous meetings are on the Scottish Government website, accessible here: Grangemouth Future Industry Board - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)","AnswerDate":"2024-09-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423183,"EventID":"S6W-29452","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:43.92","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-30T09:32:39.637","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to providing training opportunities to support landlords in their awareness of their legislative requirements.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to providing training opportunities to support landlords in their awareness of their legislative requirements.","AnswerText":"It is important that landlords and tenants are supported to understand their rights and responsibilities. Support for landlords and tenants, including the potential for training opportunities, will form part of our planning for the implementation of the new legislative requirements in the Housing (Scotland) Bill, if passed.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423184,"EventID":"S6W-29502","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:43.857","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T11:34:07.847","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent operational staff there were in the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in 2023-24.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent operational staff there were in the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in 2023-24.","AnswerText":"Figures for the full time equivalent (FTE) number of operational staff in the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service at year end 2023-24 can be found at the SFRS published Fire Safety and Organisational Statistics 2023/24. These are a snapshot of the organisation on 31 March 2024 Fire Safety and Organisational Statistics, 2023-2024, Statistics | Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (firescotland.gov.uk).For ease of reference the figure of FTE operational staff at the end of 2023-24 is 3419.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423185,"EventID":"S6W-29534","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:46.04","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T19:44:33.3","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current underspend is in the Affordable Housing Supply Programme.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current underspend is in the Affordable Housing Supply Programme.","AnswerText":"There is currently no projected underspend in the 2024-25 Affordable Housing Supply Programme.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423186,"EventID":"S6W-29448","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:44.7","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-30T09:31:22.21","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will carry out a review of the cumulative impact of legislative changes on the private rented sector in the current parliamentary session.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will carry out a review of the cumulative impact of legislative changes on the private rented sector in the current parliamentary session.","AnswerText":"With respect to prospective legislative change that will affect the private rented sector, the Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment for the Housing (Scotland) Bill will be published shortly and this considers the cumulative impact of policy on the private rented sector.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423187,"EventID":"S6W-29484","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:44.747","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T08:12:43.08","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what studies it has conducted into the consequences for individuals and wider society of long-term absence from school.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what studies it has conducted into the consequences for individuals and wider society of long-term absence from school.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s Education Analytical Services division conducts analysis on issues related to school attendance, including absence and attendance statistics. These statistics are collected and published annually. Additionally, our team regularly reviews both internal and external literature on school attendance, examining various types of attendance issues, the factors influencing attendance patterns, and interventions aimed at addressing these challenges.While we continuously track attendance trends, we draw upon the latest academic studies and research to ensure our understanding of the consequences of long-term school absence remains current. This includes considering the immediate impact on academic performance as well as the broader social, emotional, and economic effects of school absence. Our work informs policies and strategies designed to mitigate these impacts and promote equitable outcomes for all learners.The Scottish Government recognises the long-term impacts of persistent absence and is committed to improving school attendance. Following a comprehensive review by Education Scotland, five key recommendations were identified, including the need for tailored support in areas where attendance remains a challenge, and ensuring that children and young people's voices are central to solutions. An online support package has been developed for use by local authorities and schools. Education Scotland is also working with local authorities through the &lsquo;Improving Attendance Quality Improvement Programme,&rsquo; launching in October. Additionally, the Chief Inspector for Education is focusing on persistent absence during inspections to identify and share successful strategies across Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423188,"EventID":"S6W-29494","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:44.847","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T11:27:33.14","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of how many full-time equivalent nurses there will be in 2025-26.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of how many full-time equivalent nurses there will be in 2025-26.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government do not hold an estimate of the number of full-time equivalent nurses there will be in 2025-26.Student number targets are set after extensive engagement with key stakeholders to provide stability across partners including higher education institutes.Nursing Students graduate after 3 years, some take 4 or even 5 years, and as with all educational courses there is some attrition which makes it difficult to forecast the exact numbers of graduates.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423189,"EventID":"S6W-29455","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:47.017","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-30T09:33:38.247","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what projection it has made of the impact onresource levels in the private rented sector against future planned or proposedlegislative requirements, such as those relati","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what projection it has made of the impact onresource levels in the private rented sector against future planned or proposedlegislative requirements, such as those relating to net zero.","AnswerText":"The First Minister confirmed the Scottish Government&rsquo;s intention to bring forward a Heat in Buildings Bill in the recent Programme for Government. We will continue to work with businesses, including the private rented sector to understand the impacts and benefits of our proposals. The Bill and any subsequent regulations will each be accompanied by a full Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423190,"EventID":"S6W-29510","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:45.28","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T12:25:34.663","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with Marine Scotland regarding the upgrades of harbours owned by (a) CMAL and (b) local authorities required by the (i) Small Vessel R","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with Marine Scotland regarding the upgrades of harbours owned by (a) CMAL and (b) local authorities required by the (i) Small Vessel Replacement Programme and (ii) draft Islands Connectivity Plan.","AnswerText":"Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) as procuring authority for the programme will continue to involve all relevant stakeholders, including local authority harbour owners, in planned upgrades and works associated with the Small Vessel Replacement Programme.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":423191,"EventID":"S6W-29507","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:47.25","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T12:25:34.663","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what CMAL's total capital budget is for the Small Vessel Replacement Programme.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what CMAL's total capital budget is for the Small Vessel Replacement Programme.","AnswerText":"The current estimate for the seven new vessels and related port works in SVRP Phase 1 is &pound;175 million. CMAL are progressing the vessel procurement with a view to agreeing a contract around March in 2025. The project spend profile remains under review and will be subject to completion of appropriate procurement processes, agreement of delivery schedules with the successful shipyard and port works providers, and approvals from Ministers. Budget will be allocated annually as part of the normal budget process.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":423192,"EventID":"S6W-29496","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:43.857","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T11:27:33.14","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of how many full-time equivalent operational staff there will be in the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in 2025-26.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of how many full-time equivalent operational staff there will be in the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in 2025-26.","AnswerText":"The estimated number of Full Time Equivalent operational staff for 2025/26 is a matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. Workforce figures up to the year 2023/24 are available on the SFRS website at Statistics | Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (firescotland.gov.uk)","AnswerDate":"2024-09-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423193,"EventID":"S6W-29493","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:46.217","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T11:27:33.14","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of how many full-time equivalent prison officers there will be in 2025-26.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of how many full-time equivalent prison officers there will be in 2025-26.","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:The forecasting that has been undertaken to produce SPS&rsquo; workforce plan projects that SPS will employ 3623 full time equivalent prison officers on 1 April 2025. This projection relies on assumed variables, such as turnover rate.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423194,"EventID":"S6W-29505","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:46.5","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T12:25:34.663","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will set out the capital allocation for (a) vessel procurement and (b) harbour infrastructure upgrades in Phase 1 of the Small Vessel Replacement Programme.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will set out the capital allocation for (a) vessel procurement and (b) harbour infrastructure upgrades in Phase 1 of the Small Vessel Replacement Programme.","AnswerText":"The full costs of the procurement for the seven vessels as part of the Small Vessels Replacement Programme are estimated to be around &pound;175 million including the provision of harbour upgrades and shore power connections.The split cannot be given at this time given the live procurement of the programme and will only be known following the successful completion of the procurement exercise, anticipated March 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":423195,"EventID":"S6W-29520","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:46.743","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T14:14:08.48","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to educate (a) communities and (b) businesses to recognise and support people with learning disabilities, autism and neurodivergence (LDAN).","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to educate (a) communities and (b) businesses to recognise and support people with learning disabilities, autism and neurodivergence (LDAN).","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is already engaged in work to educate communities and businesses to recognise and support people with learning disabilities, autism and neurodivergence.The differentminds website (Different Minds | Autism Scotland) was launched in 2020 to provide clearer information on autism. It aims to deliver a better understanding of autism and dispel myths surrounding it, leading to greater acceptance and increased awareness. The site and its resources have been co-produced with autistic people.The Scottish Government also funds an organisation called Into Work, through the Autistic Adult Support Fund. This helps various organisations throughout the country to educate employers and offer support on how to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people or those with a long term health condition. Autistic people and their support needs have been both highlighted and supported by Into Work.We are taking forward the Review of Supported Employment within Scotland (2021). This recommended that work continues to support the professionalisation of the supported employment workforce, including ensuring it is well equipped to provide appropriate support to people with learning disabilities.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423196,"EventID":"S6W-29519","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:43.863","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T13:16:31.193","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to ensure that there will be no loss in whole-time equivalent (WTE) midwifery hours as a result of the reduction in the time worked by midwives by 30 m","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to ensure that there will be no loss in whole-time equivalent (WTE) midwifery hours as a result of the reduction in the time worked by midwives by 30 minutes each week, as stated in the NHS Agenda for Change.","AnswerText":"The reduction of the working week for Agenda for Change staff was agreed in partnership between the Scottish Government, Agenda for Change Staff Side representative groups and NHS Scotland employers, and the implementation of the first 30 minute reduction has been overseen in partnership through a sub-group of the Scottish Terms and Conditions Committee. The Implementation Sub-Group agreed guidance at the beginning of the process which was published as NHS Scotland circular PCS(AFC)2024/2, and this continues to be updated as required.The guidance provides a set of overarching principles, but it is recognised that the specifics of how the reduction will be achieved are best discussed and agreed locally through NHS Board partnership structures. The guidance makes clear that the reduction should only be implemented when this can be done safely. Where staff continue to work their previous hours, there is provision for payment of a Transitional Allowance until the reduction can be achieved.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423197,"EventID":"S6W-29482","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:44.787","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T08:09:14.93","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that three in 10parents in Scotland believe that the COVID-19 pandemic showed that it is not necessaryfor their children to attend school","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that three in 10parents in Scotland believe that the COVID-19 pandemic showed that it is not necessaryfor their children to attend school every day, and how it plans to addressthis.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government wants all children and young people to get the support that they need to reach their full learning potential and to do so it is important that pupils not only attend school but that they engage in their learning.The Scottish Government is clear that parents and carers have a role to play in supporting young people to attend school. We recognise that parents have a legal duty to ensure that their child attends school. Included, Engaged and Involved Part 1, our national guidance on attendance, encourages education authorities and schools to engage with children, young people and families to support improved attendance and reduce absence. We know engagement with children, young people and families to understand and address barriers to regular attendance is the most effective way of addressing this issue.The Scottish Government has been working intensely to address concerns about the impact of the pandemic on attendance. Education Scotland are working to deliver enhanced support for schools and local authorities in monitoring and tracking absence, to develop policy at school and local authority level to support improvements in attendance, and to provide practical support for local authorities who need it. The Scottish Government has also strengthened our understanding of the issue, through increased analysis of attendance data, such as the data on persistent absence published in March 2024. The Interim Chief Inspector has been tasked with ensuring persistent absence is addressed in every school inspection, and identifying successful approaches which can be shared more widely.We are considering the findings on attendance within the Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research and Education Scotland&rsquo;s report &lsquo;Improving Attendance: Understanding the Issues,&rdquo; as part of the joint Scottish Government and COSLA action plan on relationships and behaviour, which published on 15 August.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423198,"EventID":"S6W-29487","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:45.987","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T08:19:50.86","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it had with the hospitality sector before making its announcement of the reintroduction of peak fare train tickets.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it had with the hospitality sector before making its announcement of the reintroduction of peak fare train tickets.","AnswerText":"ScotRail Trains Ltd. regularly engages with a range of business groups to understand their views. All weekend, later evening and between-peak tickets remain available at off peak rates and many products are available which offer further discounts to passengers depending on their circumstances at all times of the day.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423199,"EventID":"S6W-29488","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:45.177","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T08:24:05.863","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the impact on eligibility for the WinterHeating Payment in Scotland, what representations it has made to the UKGovernment regarding simplifying the applicatio","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the impact on eligibility for the WinterHeating Payment in Scotland, what representations it has made to the UKGovernment regarding simplifying the application process for pension credit.","AnswerText":"Pension Credit is reserved to the UK Government and is the responsibility of DWP. The Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice has written to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to ask her to do more to increase take up rates.The Scottish Government is keen to see further details of plans by the UK Government to merge the administration of Housing Benefit and Pension Credit, which should simplify the application process and improve take-up rates.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423200,"EventID":"S6W-29495","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:45.403","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T11:27:33.14","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of how many full-time equivalent civil servants there will be in 2025-26.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of how many full-time equivalent civil servants there will be in 2025-26.","AnswerText":"The number of full time equivalent civil servants in 2025-26 across the core Scottish Government and the various Executive Agencies will be informed by the 2025-26 budget in December.Workforce numbers will be considered in the context of the recently announced recruitment freeze and the Pre-Budget Fiscal Update to Parliament on 4 September.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423201,"EventID":"S6W-29525","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:43.877","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T14:54:17.263","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much public funding it allocated to (a) Highland, (b) Argyll and Bute, (c) Orkney Islands and (d) Shetland Islands Council for ferry services in each year since 2017","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much public funding it allocated to (a) Highland, (b) Argyll and Bute, (c) Orkney Islands and (d) Shetland Islands Council for ferry services in each year since 2017-18 to date.","AnswerText":"The requested information is provided in the following table.&nbsp;2017-182018-192019-202020-212021-222022-232023-242024-25Orkney Islands Council4.74510.1849.46010.13812.84713.40215.82915.829Shetland Islands Council6.80111.80712.25911.76317.28917.49623.08223.082Argyll &amp; Bute Council0.6750.7680.8551.6821.2691.3001.8211.821The Highland Council0.7260.6950.8670.8390.6900.8971.0001.000Total (&pound;Million)12.94723.45323.44224.42232.09533.09541.73241.732","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423202,"EventID":"S6W-29521","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:43.873","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T14:14:08.48","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to encourage the employment of more people with learning disabilities, autism and neurodivergence (LDAN) in the public sector.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to encourage the employment of more people with learning disabilities, autism and neurodivergence (LDAN) in the public sector.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is taking a range of actions to encourage the employment of people with learning disabilities, autism and neurodivergence in the public sector, including investment of up to &pound;90 million in employability services in the 2024-25 financial year.We are delivering all-age, person-centred, tailored employability services to those further from the labour market, including people with learning disabilities, autism and neurodivergence, and those with health conditions, through locally designed services such as No One Left Behind.Under No One Left Behind, participants can access person-centred support to gain employment, which includes roles within the public sector. From summer 2025 all local employability partnerships will have an enhanced specialist employability offer which may be beneficial for those with learning disabilities, autism and neurodivergence.We are also undertaking work internally to encourage the employment of people with learning disabilities, autism and neurodivergence within the Scottish Government as a public sector body.The Scottish Government launched its Diversity and Inclusion Employer Strategy in April 2024. This sets out how the organisation will make further progress towards our employer equality outcomes. It is complemented by an action plan for 2024 - 2027 setting out what we will do to achieve this, and when we will do it. Improving the experience of disabled applicants and employees is an integral part of this plan, and employees who are neurodivergent, are autistic and/or have learning disabilities are a central focus of our activity.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423203,"EventID":"S6W-29480","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:43.853","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T08:07:54.507","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government on what basis people in receipt of a state pension in Scotland will be able to receive a Winter Heating Payment in 2024-25.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government on what basis people in receipt of a state pension in Scotland will be able to receive a Winter Heating Payment in 2024-25.","AnswerText":"The UK Government&rsquo;s decision to introduce means-testing of Winter Fuel Payments in England and Wales in 2024-25 significantly reduces the annual funding available to the Scottish Government, by an estimated &pound;140 million to &pound;160 million. It is with deep regret and only following careful consideration that the Scottish Government has decided it must replicate that decision in Scotland and Pension Age Winter Heating Payment will therefore be payable to people over state pension age in receipt of certain benefits. Those benefits are Pension Credit, Income-based Jobseeker&rsquo;s Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, Universal Credit, Working Tax Credits and Child Tax Credits (where the award is not less than &pound;26 in respect of the tax year 2024-2025).Payments of Pension Age Winter Heating Payment in 2024-25 will be made by the Department of Work and Pensions on behalf of the Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423204,"EventID":"S6W-29366","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:46.377","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-26T10:55:44.507","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assistance it can provide to local authorities to help them train community councillors on planning applications in relation to energy infrastructure projects.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assistance it can provide to local authorities to help them train community councillors on planning applications in relation to energy infrastructure projects.","AnswerText":"We currently do not have plans to provide direct training for community councillors in relation to energy infrastructure projects. The Scottish Government provide funding to Planning Aid Scotland who offer tailored training for Community Councils to meet their individual needs.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":423205,"EventID":"S6W-29485","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:47.133","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T08:15:46.783","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many shoplifting offences have been recorded by the police in each year since 2019.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many shoplifting offences have been recorded by the police in each year since 2019.","AnswerText":"The number of police recorded crimes of shoplifting are published in Table 1 of the Recorded Crime in Scotland bulletins. The latest data is shown in the following table.year endingJune 2019year endingJune 2020year endingJune 2021year endingJune 2022year endingJune 2023year endingJune 202433,61127,04521,13624,87730,20240,554Source: Recorded Crime in Scotland: year ending June 2024","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423206,"EventID":"S6W-29483","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:46.303","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T08:10:29.147","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to improve classroom attendance, in light of reports that almost 20,000 pupils in Scotland missed more than half of their lessons last year.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to improve classroom attendance, in light of reports that almost 20,000 pupils in Scotland missed more than half of their lessons last year.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to improving attendance in Scottish schools. Last year, we requested that Education Scotland undertake a &ldquo;deep dive&rdquo; to support greater understanding of the issue and the reasons for it.Within the resulting report, five recommendations were identified. Education Scotland and Scottish Government officials have been working together to support the implementation of the recommendations. An online package of support, designed in collaboration with local authorities and schools, has been published.Education Scotland are working with local authorities to improve attendance through both universal supports and through a bespoke support package using Quality Improvement Methodology. The first cohort of the &lsquo;Improving Attendance Quality Improvement Programme&rsquo; will run from October to January.Our commitment to delivering these recommendations is set out in &lsquo;The National Action Plan on Relationships and Behaviour: 2024 &ndash; 2027 (The Joint Action Plan, 2024)&rsquo;. This includes actions to review and revise national guidance on attendance This will enable refreshed guidance to be produced.In recognition of the challenge of persistent absence, HM Chief Inspector for Education has also been asked with addressing this during school inspections and to identify successful approaches which can be shared more widely.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423207,"EventID":"S6W-29530","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:47.287","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T17:39:02.95","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26596 by Paul McLennan on 23 April 2024, how many buildings on the pilot programme within the scope of a single building assessmen","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26596 by Paul McLennan on 23 April 2024, how many buildings on the pilot programme within the scope of a single building assessment have been placed on a pathway to assessment.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"With the passage of the Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Act 2024, work is now progressing to have pilot buildings on an SBA pathway. The first step in this work is to complete a pilot cleanse of the 107 developments on the pilot list to ensure they are within the scope of the legislation. This would be conducted by a suitable expert, likely a Fire Engineer to provide assurance the correct buildings are on a pathway.Scottish Government are aware of 30 Pilot assessments that have been undertaken for of the pilot entries. A pilot assessment includes any assessment carried out prior to the publication of the Single Building Assessment specification on the 21 June 2024. These numbers relate to known pilot assessments only as developers, home owners or other organisations could have commissioned assessments without informing the Scottish Government and therefore the true numbers may be higher and could increase as further information becomes available.Pilot works to mitigate or remediate risks have started for five of the pilot entries. Works in this context refers to any action taken to address known cladding-related risks, including Urgent Interim Measures.For those within the scope of the legislation, homeowners and residents will be informed and they will continue on the SBA pathway with the aim of completing a SBA in line with the newly published specification as soon as possible after the commencement of the Act.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423208,"EventID":"S6W-29490","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:43.867","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T08:28:50.737","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to reduce the number of assaults against public sector staff, in light of recent reported figures by Falkirk Council that show a 520% increase in","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to reduce the number of assaults against public sector staff, in light of recent reported figures by Falkirk Council that show a 520% increase in violent incidents.","AnswerText":"Any violence &ndash; including that against public sector staff - is a concern and should not be tolerated. The Violence Prevention Framework for Scotland, with over &pound;4 million of funding over the last two years, supports partner organisations, including the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit, to deliver priority activity to help tackle violence. This is supporting the delivery of programmes to help prevent violence across Scotland, such as in the Falkirk Council area &ndash; and supports the delivery of the Mentors in Violence Prevention school-based programme, which is now operational in eight schools in the area.We also worked with partners, including COSLA, education authorities, teaching unions and parents and carers representatives, to publish the Relationships and Behaviour in Schools National Action Plan, which includes specific actions in support of reducing violence and significant disruptive behaviour in schools.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423209,"EventID":"S6W-29453","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:46.817","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-30T09:33:11.23","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to better understand theresource constraints associated with tradespeople in relation to the private rentedsector.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to better understand theresource constraints associated with tradespeople in relation to the private rentedsector.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government engages regularly with stakeholders across the private rented sector to understand issues that may impact on landlords and their ability to fulfil their legal obligations.Where necessary, Business and Regulatory Impact Assessments (BRIAs) are used to assess the costs, benefits and risks of any proposed legislation that may have an impact on the public, private sector, third sector or regulators.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423210,"EventID":"S6W-29533","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:44.953","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T19:38:17.037","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the average time taken to determine a major housing development application has been in 2023-24, broken down by local authority.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the average time taken to determine a major housing development application has been in 2023-24, broken down by local authority.","AnswerText":"The average time taken to determine applications for major housing applications for Q1 and Q2 of 2023-24 for each local authority can be found at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/planning-applications-statistics-2023-24-quarterly-april-2023-september-2023/documents/.The planning application statistics for Q3 and Q4 and the annual statistics 2023-24 are due to be published on 1 October 2024. The statistics will be available on the Scottish Government website at: https://www.gov.scot/collections/planning-statistics/.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423211,"EventID":"S6W-29454","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:44.88","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-30T09:33:25.277","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has mapped existing resource levels geographically against demand in the private rented sector.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has mapped existing resource levels geographically against demand in the private rented sector.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not undertaken such a mapping exercise. Local Authorities, as the statutory housing authority for their area, are required to prepare Local Housing Strategies, informed by an assessment of Housing Need and Demand, which considers both the existing supply of housing alongside future requirements. Local Authorities are expected to develop a broad understanding of the extent and location of the Private Rented Sector across their area to support the development of the Local Housing Strategy.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423212,"EventID":"S6W-29509","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:46.083","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T12:25:34.663","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that the successful bidder for the Phase 1 design and build contract in the Small Vessel Replacement Programme is required to recognise","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that the successful bidder for the Phase 1 design and build contract in the Small Vessel Replacement Programme is required to recognise trade unions, including seafarer unions, at the (a) test and survey, (b) launch, (c) equip and (d) sea trial stage of the contract.","AnswerText":"Consultation and engagement with seafarer unions has been ongoing for SVRP and will continue during the design and build stage and will include (a) test and survey, (b) launch, (c) equip and (d) sea trial stage of the contract.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":423213,"EventID":"S6W-29503","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:46.623","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T11:34:07.847","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent teachers there were in 2023-24.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent teachers there were in 2023-24.","AnswerText":"Data on teacher numbers and characteristics are collected in the annual teacher census, conducted in September of each year.Headline figures are published the following December as part of &lsquo;Summary statistics for schools in Scotland&rsquo;: https://www.gov.scot/collections/school-education-statistics/#summarystatisticsforschoolsinscotland","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423214,"EventID":"S6W-29499","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:46.337","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T11:34:07.847","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent prison officers there were in 2023-24.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent prison officers there were in 2023-24.","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:As of 2 April 2024 (the date on which SPS&rsquo; year end people data was collated), SPS&rsquo; full time equivalent figure across prison officer positions was 3440.5.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423215,"EventID":"S6W-29500","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:46.587","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T11:34:07.847","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent nurses there were in 2023-24.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent nurses there were in 2023-24.","AnswerText":"The information requested on how many full-time equivalent nurses there were in 2023-24 can be found on the TURAS NHS Education for Scotland workforce statistics site at: NHS Scotland workforce | Turas Data Intelligence","AnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423216,"EventID":"S6W-28610","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:47.167","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-16T12:37:46.093","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to reconcile any discrepancy between the targets for residential rehabilitation, which it set in 2021, and the current status of residential rehabilitation ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to reconcile any discrepancy between the targets for residential rehabilitation, which it set in 2021, and the current status of residential rehabilitation services.","AnswerText":"In November 2021 we committed to increasing residential rehabilitation capacity from 425 to 650 beds and to increasing the number of statutory-funded placements by 300%, so that by 2026 1,000 people are publicly funded for their placement.From a baseline of an estimated 425 beds in 2021, we provided funding for 140 additional residential rehabilitation beds through our Residential Rehabilitation Rapid Capacity Fund. Of this amount, 36 are now operational, with a further 34 due to open across Aberdeenshire and the Highlands and Islands in the coming months. The remainder will become operational over 2025-2026.The increased investment has also led to a number of privately-funded developments within the sector, which contribute towards our overall bed target. Scottish Government analysts are collecting updated data about current capacity in Scotland, including these wider developments, which when published will provide a public record for progress against our commitments by March 2026.Public Health Scotland's June report found &lsquo;the available evidence suggests that the Scottish Government is on track to hit its target of 1,000 individuals per year publicly funded to go to rehab by 2026.&rsquo; The statistics show that in the full financial year 2023-24, 938 placements were approved.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423217,"EventID":"S6W-29517","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:46.71","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T13:16:31.193","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Royal College of Midwives' reported statement that fewer than a third of student midwives due to graduate in 2024 have been offered posts by ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Royal College of Midwives' reported statement that fewer than a third of student midwives due to graduate in 2024 have been offered posts by NHS Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of student midwives recruited who have not been offered posts in NHS Scotland.Scottish Government officials have been engaging with Health Boards about their current position in relation to job offers and supply, with Boards remaining committed to maximising the opportunities for newly qualified midwives to find employment.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423218,"EventID":"S6W-29506","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:46.98","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T12:25:34.663","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the cost of the tendering process for the Small Vessel Replacement Programme Phase 1 contract.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the cost of the tendering process for the Small Vessel Replacement Programme Phase 1 contract.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information as the cost of tendering for the Small Vessel Replacement Programme is a cost borne by the bidders in the procurement process.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":423219,"EventID":"S6W-29498","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:47.36","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T11:34:07.847","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent police officers there were in 2023-24.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent police officers there were in 2023-24.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government publish full-time police officer numbers on a quarterly basis. The statistics published provide a snapshot of police strength at the end of each quarter. Police officer quarterly strength statistics Scotland - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)The following table shows the number of full-time equivalent police officers at the end of each quarter during 2023-24.Q2 2023Q3 2023Q4 2023Q1 202416,60016,61316,36316,356Source: Police officer quarterly strength statistics","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423220,"EventID":"S6W-29504","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:43.86","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T12:25:34.663","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent steps it has taken to ensure that low and zero carbon-fuelled ferries are safely (a) crewed and (b) operational from all harbours on the (i) Clyde and Hebrid","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent steps it has taken to ensure that low and zero carbon-fuelled ferries are safely (a) crewed and (b) operational from all harbours on the (i) Clyde and Hebrides, (ii) Northern Isles and (iii) inter-island ferry service contract routes.","AnswerText":"Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) work with operators, crew and unions to ensure that all replacement ferries are safely crewed and operated from the ports and harbours they are set to serve before their introduction. The four vessels being built at Cemre are sister vessels, of a standardised design and layout and as such the crew will be interoperable. This will be the case also for the seven vessels as part of the Small Vessel Replacement Programme. Port works are also being undertaken to ensure that they are suitable for the new vessels.Inter-island ferry services and operations must also comply with strict training and safety regulations for crew.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":423221,"EventID":"S6W-29512","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:44.817","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T12:25:34.663","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment (a) Transport Scotland and (b) CMAL has made of (i) passenger accessibility and (ii) crew training for the Phase 1 contract in the Small Vessel Replaceme","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment (a) Transport Scotland and (b) CMAL has made of (i) passenger accessibility and (ii) crew training for the Phase 1 contract in the Small Vessel Replacement Programme.","AnswerText":"Engagement and consultation have been undertaken on both aspects ahead of the live procurement. Passenger accessibility and crew training and familiarisation has also been included in the scope of the Small Vessel Replacement Programme ahead of successful delivery.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":423222,"EventID":"S6W-29508","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-03T15:46:46.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T12:25:34.663","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to issue the invitation to tender for the Phase 1 design and build contract in the Small Vessel Replacement Programme, and what it anticipates the value ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to issue the invitation to tender for the Phase 1 design and build contract in the Small Vessel Replacement Programme, and what it anticipates the value will be of this public contract.","AnswerText":"Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) as procuring authority foresee the invitation to tender issuing late September/early October 2024. A contract range will be given but it will be for bidders to confirm the cost of the design and build contract and for CMAL to evaluate bids against the set criteria of the procurement process.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":423258,"EventID":"S6O-03693","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2103,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":109,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:07:36.083","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T09:57:39.773","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with NHS Forth Valley.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with NHS Forth Valley.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423259,"EventID":"S6O-03698","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:07:36.387","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T08:56:52.97","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support specialist neonatal intensive care units across Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support specialist neonatal intensive care units across Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423260,"EventID":"S6O-03689","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:07:36.323","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T08:50:01.383","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to ensure that any future Galloway National Park will work in the best interests of local communities.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to ensure that any future Galloway National Park will work in the best interests of local communities.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423261,"EventID":"S6O-03686","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5618,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":91,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:07:36.613","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T08:48:01.073","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support animal welfare.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support animal welfare.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423262,"EventID":"S6O-03701","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5608,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":103,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:07:36.15","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T09:00:26.827","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of the Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Act 2024 and Cladding Remediation Programme, including the Scott","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of the Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Act 2024 and Cladding Remediation Programme, including the Scottish Safer Buildings Accord and Single Building Assessment pilot programme.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423263,"EventID":"S6O-03700","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4982,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:07:36.327","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T08:03:59.75","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide any additional funding to NHS Highland,&nbsp;in light of the reported overspend in excess of &pound;50 million by the NHS board in its 2023-24 re","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide any additional funding to NHS Highland,&nbsp;in light of the reported overspend in excess of &pound;50 million by the NHS board in its 2023-24 revenue budget.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423264,"EventID":"S6O-03699","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16194,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:07:36.28","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T08:45:36.457","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact reductions to mental health budgets will have on child and adult mental health services.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact reductions to mental health budgets will have on child and adult mental health services.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423265,"EventID":"S6O-03694","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:07:36.4","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T13:45:30.59","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to Dr Stephen Smith&rsquo;s evaluation of the Alcohol Related Brain Damage (ARBD) Residential Rehabilitation Service in Edinburgh.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to Dr Stephen Smith&rsquo;s evaluation of the Alcohol Related Brain Damage (ARBD) Residential Rehabilitation Service in Edinburgh.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423266,"EventID":"S6O-03704","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:07:36.077","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T10:17:19.783","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its Pre-budget Fiscal Update on 3 September, what the potential impact will be of its \"review and reprofile of recruitment\" at Social Security Scotland on t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its Pre-budget Fiscal Update on 3 September, what the potential impact will be of its \"review and reprofile of recruitment\" at Social Security Scotland on the agency&rsquo;s provision of frontline services to clients.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423267,"EventID":"S6O-03691","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:07:36.51","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T09:32:56.517","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the rural affairs secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding how its procurement powers can encourage the availability of healthy, local fo","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the rural affairs secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding how its procurement powers can encourage the availability of healthy, local food.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423268,"EventID":"S6O-03697","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16186,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":120,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:07:36.253","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T10:27:00.683","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent outbreak of mpox in Africa, which was declared by the World Health Organization on 14 August to be a public health emergency of international con","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent outbreak of mpox in Africa, which was declared by the World Health Organization on 14 August to be a public health emergency of international concern, what plans it has put in place for any potential outbreak of mpox in Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423269,"EventID":"S6O-03702","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5866,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:07:36.473","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T09:34:55.173","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports of almost 10,000 children living in temporary accommodation and 110,000 households on the waiting list for affordable social housing, what progress ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports of almost 10,000 children living in temporary accommodation and 110,000 households on the waiting list for affordable social housing, what progress it has made towards providing those affected with safe and affordable accommodation.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423270,"EventID":"S6O-03705","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3907,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":135,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:07:36.6","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T10:31:03.297","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact its national mission to tackle child poverty is having in the Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley constituency.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact its national mission to tackle child poverty is having in the Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley constituency.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423271,"EventID":"S6O-03687","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":86,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:07:36.593","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T10:59:40.347","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what interaction and correspondence it has had, regarding matters related to Scotland&rsquo;s rural economy, with the UK Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rur","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what interaction and correspondence it has had, regarding matters related to Scotland&rsquo;s rural economy, with the UK Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, including&nbsp;relevant officials, since their appointment in July.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423272,"EventID":"S6O-03692","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:07:36.333","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T12:45:22.583","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing for new entrants to farming.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing for new entrants to farming.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423273,"EventID":"S6O-03688","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:07:36.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T10:52:15.573","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason rainforests were excluded from the deer management incentive scheme pilots.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason rainforests were excluded from the deer management incentive scheme pilots.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423274,"EventID":"S6O-03695","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5596,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":151,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:07:36.317","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T16:25:01.207","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with NHS Lanarkshire regarding the progress of the Monklands Replacement Project.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with NHS Lanarkshire regarding the progress of the Monklands Replacement Project.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423275,"EventID":"S6O-03707","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16177,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":125,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:07:36.22","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T15:58:53.48","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any impact on the administration of Scottish social security benefits, what information it holds on the percentage of pensioners in Scotland who have not clai","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any impact on the administration of Scottish social security benefits, what information it holds on the percentage of pensioners in Scotland who have not claimed pension credit for which they are eligible.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423276,"EventID":"S6O-03690","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5800,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:07:36.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T10:33:44.163","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact its recently announced budget reductions will have on investment in infrastructure that supports agriculture in remote and island communities.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact its recently announced budget reductions will have on investment in infrastructure that supports agriculture in remote and island communities.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":423277,"EventID":"S6O-03703","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:07:36.51","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T09:00:32.503","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment the Ministerial Taskforce on Population has made of the reported population increase in Edinburgh and the south east, including any proposals that it has","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment the Ministerial Taskforce on Population has made of the reported population increase in Edinburgh and the south east, including any proposals that it has made to address this, since it was established in June 2019.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423278,"EventID":"S6O-03706","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:07:36.3","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T15:24:48.543","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Fife Council regarding the impact of its housing adaptation policy.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Fife Council regarding the impact of its housing adaptation policy.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423279,"EventID":"S6O-03696","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4941,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":87,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:07:36.713","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T11:00:12.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on funding allocations to ensure the best possible cancer care for patients, particularly within their local communities.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on funding allocations to ensure the best possible cancer care for patients, particularly within their local communities.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423280,"EventID":"S6O-03708","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:07:36.633","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T13:48:14.867","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it estimates it will cost to fund the Minimum Income Guarantee scheme proposed in the&nbsp;Minimum Income Guarantee Expert Group Interim Report.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it estimates it will cost to fund the Minimum Income Guarantee scheme proposed in the&nbsp;Minimum Income Guarantee Expert Group Interim Report.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423281,"EventID":"S6O-03685","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:07:36.607","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T12:47:55.343","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the return has been on any anticipated community, biodiversity and environmental outcomes resulting from the &pound;17.6 million public purchase of Glen Prosen by F","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the return has been on any anticipated community, biodiversity and environmental outcomes resulting from the &pound;17.6 million public purchase of Glen Prosen by Forestry and Land Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423282,"EventID":"S6O-03710","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:07:45.853","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T08:44:40.323","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the most recent Recorded Crime in Scotland statistics, which showed a 22% rise in crimes recorded under the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 in","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the most recent Recorded Crime in Scotland statistics, which showed a 22% rise in crimes recorded under the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 in a single year.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423283,"EventID":"S6O-03709","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:07:45.86","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T10:02:06.393","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it plans to achieve its net zero and just transition goals.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it plans to achieve its net zero and just transition goals.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423284,"EventID":"S6O-03712","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:07:45.857","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T10:52:20.67","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the latest achievement rates for Modern Apprenticeships across all frameworks.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the latest achievement rates for Modern Apprenticeships across all frameworks.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423285,"EventID":"S6O-03715","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:07:45.863","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T07:14:34.62","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to strengthen its Fair Work First Guidance to support and promote the good practice example, referenced in the guidance, of providing a private, healthy","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to strengthen its Fair Work First Guidance to support and promote the good practice example, referenced in the guidance, of providing a private, healthy and safe environment for breastfeeding mothers to express and store milk.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423286,"EventID":"S6O-03711","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16205,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:07:45.863","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T10:33:34.91","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting the renewables economy in the north east of Scotland, including through the retraining of energy workers and enhancing supply chain development.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting the renewables economy in the north east of Scotland, including through the retraining of energy workers and enhancing supply chain development.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423287,"EventID":"S6O-03713","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:07:45.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T08:30:08.973","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to protect the provision of instrumental music tuition in schools.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to protect the provision of instrumental music tuition in schools.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423288,"EventID":"S6O-03714","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:07:45.857","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T10:51:45.31","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent Centre for Social Justice report, Where have all the children gone?, which found that there has been a 72% increase in severe school a","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent Centre for Social Justice report, Where have all the children gone?, which found that there has been a 72% increase in severe school absence rates in the last five years.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423289,"EventID":"S6W-29582","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:02.09","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T08:52:58.453","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how much has been spent to date from the cladding remediation fund.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how much has been spent to date from the cladding remediation fund.","AnswerText":"Latest published data shows the aggregated spend on single building assessments, fire risk measures and remediation is just over &pound;9.0m to the end of quarter one 2024-25; spend is updated quarterly, the next update will be published in October 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423290,"EventID":"S6W-29544","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:02.097","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T10:37:37.027","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many children&rsquo;s hearing panel members there were in each local authority in (a) 2022 and (b) 2023.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many children&rsquo;s hearing panel members there were in each local authority in (a) 2022 and (b) 2023.","AnswerText":"Children's Hearings Scotland regularly publishes data on panel member numbers as part of their Board papers, which can be found here (Our Board (chscotland.gov.uk)). A breakdown by Local Authority is a matter for Children's Hearings Scotland. This information is not held centrally.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423291,"EventID":"S6W-29561","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:02.687","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T15:16:31.68","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to its fiscal statement on 3 September 2024, how much funding was allocated to the affordable homes budget for 2024-25 (a) prior to the statement and (b) after ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to its fiscal statement on 3 September 2024, how much funding was allocated to the affordable homes budget for 2024-25 (a) prior to the statement and (b) after the statement was given.","AnswerText":"A total of &pound;595.862 million has been allocated to the Affordable Housing Supply Programme for 2024-2025 which includes the previously announced additional &pound;40 million. This has not changed following the fiscal statement.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423292,"EventID":"S6W-29548","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:03.503","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T10:59:41","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of productivity in the Scottish public sector.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of productivity in the Scottish public sector.","AnswerText":"The latest labour productivity statistics for Scotland are available at Labour productivity statistics: 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot). This reports estimates of gross value added (GVA) per hour worked and per job filled for the whole economy and for industry sectors, including results for the public administration and defence, education, and health and social care sectors. Results from the statistics release for 2022 were reported within the Public sector: economic overview publication available at Public sector: economic overview - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)An update on the Government&rsquo;s Public Service Reform (PSR) programme will be shared with the Finance and Public Administration Committee setting out the details of a wide range of activity, including work to drive efficiency and effectiveness. A key component of this is the Public Bodies Programme where work is progressing to gather comparable and consistent data across public bodies to interrogate efficiency and effectiveness. This data and our wider engagement will drive a culture of continuous improvement across all public bodies.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423293,"EventID":"S6W-29545","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:01.36","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T10:53:20.297","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its reported plans to require ScotRail to procure high-speed trains to replace the current fleet that operates on its InterCity routes between Glasgow, Edinbu","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its reported plans to require ScotRail to procure high-speed trains to replace the current fleet that operates on its InterCity routes between Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness, what impact this will have on journey times, and whether this procurement covers improvements to rail track or is exclusive to train fleets.","AnswerText":"ScotRail is to undertake the procurement exercise for the new intercity fleet. The timescales for replacement and the exact type of train to replace the HST Fleet as well as any implications of this replacement, including necessary infrastructure investments and journey times are dependent on the outcomes of the procurement.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423294,"EventID":"S6W-29154","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:03.797","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-14T16:52:14.703","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many thrombectomy patients have been treated at each of the thrombectomy hub centres in each of the last five years, also broken down by the number of patients who h","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many thrombectomy patients have been treated at each of the thrombectomy hub centres in each of the last five years, also broken down by the number of patients who have been transferred in as part of the hub and spoke model.","AnswerText":"The number of thrombectomy patients treated at each thrombectomy hub is shown in the following table.YearEast of Scotland (Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh)North of Scotland(Ninewells)West of Scotland(Queen Elizabeth University Hospital)NHS Scotland Total2020030320211514029202244432511220236246201282024293549113This data, provided by Public Health Scotland, reflects the position in the East and West of Scotland as of 31st July 2024 and the North of Scotland as of 31st August 2024.Since 2020, 35 patients have been transferred to hub hospitals for thrombectomy.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423295,"EventID":"S6W-29557","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:03.11","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T15:10:53.367","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the letter of 3 September 2024 from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government to the Finance and Public Administration Committee, what elements ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the letter of 3 September 2024 from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government to the Finance and Public Administration Committee, what elements of the Distress Brief Interventions programme will not continue in 2024-25.","AnswerText":"Following the UK Chancellor's July statement, the Scottish Government continues to face the most challenging financial situation since devolution.We have sought to protect mental health funding, despite difficult decisions about reductions which affect all of Government.Despite this reduction to the 2024-25 budget, we remain committed to taking forward our work across mental health, working closely with our key delivery bodies, partners and stakeholders. Our collective focus has to be on making as much difference as possible with our funding.No elements of the Distress Brief Intervention (DBI) programme will be discontinued in 2024-25. Savings were realised through pre-agreed changes in funding to the original pilots, which from 2024-25 will be funded by local areas rather than centrally by the Scottish Government. The DBI programme continues to grow &ndash; it is now live locally in 29 of the 31 Health and Social Care Partnership areas, with the remaining 2 actively preparing to go live in October 2024. In addition, 3 national pathways to DBI are live &ndash; via NHS24 and via call handling centres operated by Police Scotland and the Scottish Ambulance Service.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423296,"EventID":"S6W-29529","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:01.363","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T16:15:26.85","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it was first advised to halt the use of puberty suppressing hormones.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it was first advised to halt the use of puberty suppressing hormones.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to my the answer to question S6W-26340 on 19 April 2024, that clarifies that decisions on clinical pathways are not for the Scottish Government. Decisions on clinical pathways, and prescribing, are for clinicians, based on the best evidence available, through the appropriate clinical governance structures.The timeline of the Health Boards informing the Scottish Government about their decision:28 March (pm) - Medical Directors in NHS Lothian and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde wrote to the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) advising him that, following a consultation with senior medical staff, both Boards were pausing any new prescriptions for puberty hormone suppressants and cross sex medication for those under 18 years of age. This position followed an interim pause on referrals to paediatric endocrinology, following clinical advice, from mid-March by the Health Boards.5 April - Ministers were informed of the proposed change in policy, following consideration of the implications of the letter.9 April - The CMO responded to Medical Directors in NHS Lothian and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde confirming that this area is no exception to his expectation that Health Boards make decisions on the delivery of clinical care via agreed local governance processes, considering new and emerging evidence in a clinical field - and conveying his support for the Health Boards&rsquo; decision.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423297,"EventID":"S6W-29556","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:03.02","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T14:49:49.253","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28739 by Tom Arthur on 29 August 2024, whether it will outline the scale of the limited exception applied to each receiving body, ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28739 by Tom Arthur on 29 August 2024, whether it will outline the scale of the limited exception applied to each receiving body, including (a) grant amount and (b) number of employees affected.","AnswerText":"Based on administrative data currently available, detail on the number of exceptions approved by the Scottish Government and public bodies between 1 July 2023 and 31 March 2024 will be published by the end of September on the Fair and inclusive workplaces webpage.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423298,"EventID":"S6W-29566","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:02.3","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T15:44:52.05","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of the relative value of issuing bonds versus borrowing via the National Loans Fund.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of the relative value of issuing bonds versus borrowing via the National Loans Fund.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is continuing with its due diligence process, which includes a value for money assessment.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423299,"EventID":"S6W-29570","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:03.77","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T16:10:22.587","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided to South of Scotland Enterprise in each of the last five financial years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided to South of Scotland Enterprise in each of the last five financial years.","AnswerText":"In the last five financial years Scottish Government has provided the following funding to South of Scotland Enterprise:South of Scotland Enterprise &ndash; Budget Allocations 2020-2025Year2020-212021-222022-232023-242024-25&pound;000&pound;000&pound;000&pound;000&pound;000Total Allocation27,30035,70337,00334,46927,364","AnswerDate":"2024-09-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423300,"EventID":"S6W-29560","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:03.643","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T15:10:53.377","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the letter of 3 September 2024 from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government to the Finance and Public Administration Committee, whether it wil","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the letter of 3 September 2024 from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government to the Finance and Public Administration Committee, whether it will provide more information on the reprofiling of the commencement of the Changing Places Toilet fund.","AnswerText":"The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government&rsquo;s statement to Parliament on 3 September outlined the challenging financial situation faced by the Scottish Government following the UK Chancellor's July statement. She confirmed that spending controls are in place to make sure the entire SG budget is being managed prudently. These additional controls set out that any activity undertaken, or commitment made, that generates expenditure in 2024-25 must only proceed if it is truly essential and unavoidable. &ldquo;Unavoidable&rdquo; means if the Scottish Government would otherwise breach its legal obligations, or fail to provide essential support to emergency situations, or cause significant economic damage across Scotland. The scale of the savings required means that these exceptional measures are being applied across the whole Government, with all policy areas having to think about what this means for them.Whilst I had originally set out the intention to make Changing Place Toilets funding available across financial years 2024-25 and 2025-26, reductions in the mental health budget mean we are no longer able to launch the fund in the current financial year. Instead, funding will be reprofiled into future years. I remain committed to increasing the numbers of Changing Places Toilets across Scotland and we are continuing preparatory work to enable the launch of the Fund.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423301,"EventID":"S6W-29573","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:02.943","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T22:54:38.067","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to ensuring that there will be a place for a second safety-critical member of staff, which trade unions and passengers reportedly recognise as a p","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to ensuring that there will be a place for a second safety-critical member of staff, which trade unions and passengers reportedly recognise as a playing a key role in providing a safe, secure and accessible railway, on all services operated by the new Intercity fleet of trains that will be procured to replace ScotRail&rsquo;s existing High Speed Train fleet.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to specify a requirement that all ScotRail services should have a second staff member on board to assist passengers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423302,"EventID":"S6W-29550","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:03.213","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T12:33:35.983","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will detail how its International Strategy aligns with its commitment to reducing carbon emissions.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will detail how its International Strategy aligns with its commitment to reducing carbon emissions.","AnswerText":"Scotland's International Strategy - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) was launched in January 2024, building on the work of the Scottish Government&rsquo;s Scotland's Global Affairs Framework - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).The International Strategy demonstrates the outcomes Scottish Government will achieve through international engagement for the remainder of this parliamentary term, within the current constitutional context. It acknowledges the need for the Scottish Government to deepen ties with key partners and increase economic opportunities to advance domestic policy including our commitment to reduce carbon emissions.This includes showcasing Scotland&rsquo;s high ambition and expertise on net zero and continuing to promote Scotland&rsquo;s climate and environment work internationally, as climate change, biodiversity and renewable energy is one of the three priority areas identified in the Strategy. Our International Trade and Investment Plans, alongside our recently published Green Industrial Strategy, have a clear focus on net zero and are delivering renewable export opportunities and attracting high quality inward investment projects to support and strengthen our expertise and associated renewable supply chains. In addition, we will focus on the Just Transition and Scotland&rsquo;s strengths and expertise in areas such as onshore and offshore wind, Carbon Capture Usage and Storage (CCUS) and hydrogen and be ambitious in our commitment to decarbonise heat and transport.The Scottish Government will report on its progress towards these objectives in the 2024-25 International Strategy Annual Report.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423303,"EventID":"S6W-29558","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:03.853","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T15:10:53.37","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the letter of 3 September 2024 from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government to the Finance and Public Administration Committee, what student m","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the letter of 3 September 2024 from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government to the Finance and Public Administration Committee, what student mental health measures will not proceed in 2024-25.","AnswerText":"Since 2019/20, the Scottish Government has invested, in the pursuance of its Programme for Government commitments, over &pound;19 million across five years to support student mental health and wellbeing in colleges and universities and to help institutions to transition to a more sustainable means of providing mental health support for students. The cessation of this funding &ndash; referred to in the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government&rsquo;s letter &ndash; was extensively discussed with the sector, including when transition funding was put in place for Academic Year 2023-24.Our new Student Mental Health Action Plan, published on 13 September, seeks to move to a mainstreamed approach to student mental health which will help students better access services. The Government will work with NHS Boards, CoSLA, Public Health Scotland and community based providers to join up support that is already available, embedding students&rsquo; mental health needs into the wider communities in which they live and study.The Action Plan recognises the importance of each college and university having a Student Mental Health Agreement in place. To enable this we continue to support NUS Think Positive with &pound;130,000 in 2024-25.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423304,"EventID":"S6W-29535","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:01.593","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T08:24:31.317","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking following reports that at least 16 childrenand young people have died of suicide or drugs overdoses in Scotland's care systemsince 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking following reports that at least 16 childrenand young people have died of suicide or drugs overdoses in Scotland's care systemsince 2021.","AnswerText":"Creating Hope Together: suicide prevention action plan 2022 to 2025 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) our joint suicide prevention strategy with CoSLA, has a concerted focus on understanding and meeting the needs of those who face a higher risk of suicide. This includes the care experienced community. Our Creating Hope Together &ndash; Year 2 Delivery plan (2024-26) - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) includes specific commitments to support the care experienced community ensuring, where appropriate, connection is made at local level with the relevant Promise leads. As part of our work with high risk settings, we are also working with secure care providers to develop a suicide prevention action plan framework for use in the care experience sector.Any death of a young person due to drugs is a real concern to this government and we are currently developing a set of Standards for local areas, co-designed with young people, to ensure there is sufficient support in place for young people who take drugs. As part of our cross-government response to the final Drug Deaths Taskforce Report, Changing-Lives-updated-1.pdf (knowthescore.info) we are investing &pound;1.5 million in Planet Youth Home | Planet Youth Scotland, sometimes referred to as the Icelandic Model, which is an evidence based model for substance use prevention.Since October 2021 we have commissioned and funded a National Hub to review and learn from the deaths of all children and young people in Scotland and ultimately help reduce future preventable child deaths. The first Data Overview report: National hub for reviewing and learning from the deaths of children and young people &ndash; Data overview report: March 2024 &ndash; Healthcare Improvement Scotland from the National Hub was published by Healthcare Improvement Scotland in March 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423305,"EventID":"S6W-29576","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:02.097","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T23:23:13.193","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government to what extent the forthcoming commercial tender to procure a new fleet of Intercity trains will increase capacity across Scotland&rsquo;s intercity rail network, and wh","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government to what extent the forthcoming commercial tender to procure a new fleet of Intercity trains will increase capacity across Scotland&rsquo;s intercity rail network, and what considerations have been made in calculating long-term passenger estimates to ensure that the new fleet provides ample capacity for ScotRail&rsquo;s long-term future.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29572 on 17 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423306,"EventID":"S6W-29563","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:01.673","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T15:21:16.447","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it allocated to any work carried out by external consultants on any spending reductions outlined in its fiscal statement on 3 September 2024, and whether it wil","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it allocated to any work carried out by external consultants on any spending reductions outlined in its fiscal statement on 3 September 2024, and whether it will provide details of any such work.","AnswerText":"No external consultants were engaged to identify the spending reductions outlined in the fiscal statement of 3 September 2024. External consultants were engaged in the evaluation of the rail peak fares removal pilot. Their expertise supported the public survey component of the evaluation, informing understanding of the effects of the pilot which informed decision-making over the future of the pilot. This was an important part of the evaluation and would have occurred irrespective of the fiscal statement.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423307,"EventID":"S6W-29158","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:03.267","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-14T16:52:14.703","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, on average, what proportion of patients who survive a stroke are eligible for rehabilitation within NHS Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, on average, what proportion of patients who survive a stroke are eligible for rehabilitation within NHS Scotland.","AnswerText":"The information requested is not held by the Scottish Government.A tool for collection of empirical data relating to stroke rehabilitation provision - including time to rehabilitation assessment, creation of rehabilitation plans, commencement of rehabilitation, input from various Allied Health Professional specialities and time to commencing community rehabilitation - has been developed. This tool is currently being trialled in two NHS Boards, with the aim of using this across Scotland and including this in the Scottish Stroke Care Audit once data collection has been assessed.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423308,"EventID":"S6W-29538","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:03.743","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T10:03:55.757","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many hours of civil servants' time was spent (a) preparing the Fairer Workplaces Fund to open and (b) processing applications prior to the fund being cancelled.&nbsp","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many hours of civil servants' time was spent (a) preparing the Fairer Workplaces Fund to open and (b) processing applications prior to the fund being cancelled.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"This Information is not held. Detail on hours spent by civil servants on specific individual tasks is not recorded.No time was spent processing applications prior to the fund being cancelled.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423309,"EventID":"S6W-29539","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:01.363","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T10:03:55.76","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses and organisations applied for funding from the Fairer Workplaces Fund prior to it being closed on 21 August 2024.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses and organisations applied for funding from the Fairer Workplaces Fund prior to it being closed on 21 August 2024.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"Prior to the announcement that the Fairer Workplaces Fund was closing on 21 August 2024 a total of three applications had been received.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423310,"EventID":"S6W-29567","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:01.677","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T15:45:37.21","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many community pharmacies are currently delivering gender identity related healthcare.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many community pharmacies are currently delivering gender identity related healthcare.","AnswerText":"Specialist NHS gender identity healthcare in Scotland is delivered by gender identity clinics. There are four NHS gender identity clinics in Scotland providing clinical assessment, treatment and specialist support to adults and a separate service for children and young people.The role of community pharmacy in relation to gender identity healthcare primarily relates to the dispensing of prescriptions for medication prescribed as part of healthcare support for gender dysphoria.Scottish Government does not hold information on how many pharmacies have dispensed prescriptions related to gender identity healthcare.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423311,"EventID":"S6W-29562","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:02.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T15:19:03.7","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide any equalities impact assessments that it carried out in relation to the reductions in spending detailed in its fiscal statement on 3 September 2","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide any equalities impact assessments that it carried out in relation to the reductions in spending detailed in its fiscal statement on 3 September 2024.","AnswerText":"Details of impact assessments in relation to the measures set out in the Fiscal Statement will be published in the coming weeks on the Scottish Government&rsquo;s website.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423312,"EventID":"S6W-29536","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:03.913","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T09:01:34.783","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it anticipates that the minutes and recommendations of the Single Building Assessment Task and Finish Group&nbsp;will be publis","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it anticipates that the minutes and recommendations of the Single Building Assessment Task and Finish Group&nbsp;will be published.","AnswerText":"The ambition of Scottish Government is to publish the summary report from the Task &amp; Finish Group sessions along with the agreed recommendations by end September 2024.These publications will provide an overview of discussions held amongst the Task &amp; Finish Group members and the recommendations for future progress of the Single Building Assessment.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423313,"EventID":"S6W-29572","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:01.44","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T22:53:30.987","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the forthcoming commercial tender to procure a new fleet of Intercity trains will include a requirement for level boarding, so that ScotRail can play a leading r","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the forthcoming commercial tender to procure a new fleet of Intercity trains will include a requirement for level boarding, so that ScotRail can play a leading role in ensuring that Scotland has a safe and universally accessible rail network.","AnswerText":"ScotRail is to undertake the procurement. The timescales for replacement and the exact type of train to replace the HST Fleet are dependent on the outcomes of the procurement.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423314,"EventID":"S6W-29577","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:03.507","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T23:23:39.557","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government to what extent it has engaged with key stakeholders, such as rail workers and passengers, in relation to the development of the forthcoming commercial tender to procure ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government to what extent it has engaged with key stakeholders, such as rail workers and passengers, in relation to the development of the forthcoming commercial tender to procure a new fleet of Intercity trains to ensure that (a) the specification for this new fleet is reflective of the needs and wants of staff and service users and (b) they provide a comfortable environment with, for example, an increase in the number of table seats rather than airline-style seats and ensuring that seats align with windows, which is reportedly a proven driver in making rail travel an attractive alternative to car travel.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29572 on 17 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.ScotRail will engage with various stakeholders during the process in order best to meet passenger needs.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423315,"EventID":"S6W-29537","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:03.383","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T09:31:37.063","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many times the Housing to 2040 Strategic Board has met in 2024, and when it expects to publish minutes of those meetings.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many times the Housing to 2040 Strategic Board has met in 2024, and when it expects to publish minutes of those meetings.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"The Housing to 2040 Strategic Board has met three times so far in 2024 - 8 February, 7 June and 22 August. The minutes of the February meeting are published on the Scottish Government website. The minutes of the latter meetings will be published within 12 weeks and once approved by the Housing to 2040 Strategic Board.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423316,"EventID":"S6W-29574","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:03.557","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T22:55:29.033","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that (a) the forthcoming commercial tender to procure a new fleet of Intercity trains will build upon any benefits already delivered by the existi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that (a) the forthcoming commercial tender to procure a new fleet of Intercity trains will build upon any benefits already delivered by the existing High Speed Train fleet and (b) this new fleet will provide (i) an uplift in capacity and (ii) adequate facilities to support an increase in leisure and tourist travel, such as family-friendly facilities, ample bicycle and luggage storage, and improved catering provisions, which have reportedly played a key role in supporting ScotRail&rsquo;s post-COVID-19 pandemic recovery.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29572 on 17 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423317,"EventID":"S6W-29569","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:03.507","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T16:08:09.587","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26007 by Shona Robison on 13 March 2024, whether it will provide an update on how much of the reported &pound;756 million that it ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26007 by Shona Robison on 13 March 2024, whether it will provide an update on how much of the reported &pound;756 million that it received in option fees through the 2022 ScotWind leasing round it spent in 2023-24; how much it projects that it will spend in (a) 2024-25, (b) 2025-26 and (c) 2026-27, and by what date it anticipates that all of the funding will have been spent.","AnswerText":"&pound;756 million of ScotWind option fees were received, of which &pound;96 million was used in 2022-23 to support the overall financial position. No ScotWind Revenues were utilised in 2023-24.&pound;200 million of ScotWind Revenues were profiled as required to support the funding position in the original Scottish Budget for 2024-25. As was set out in the Fiscal Statement to parliament on 3 September current planning is on the basis of utilising up to &pound;460 million of additional ScotWind revenue funding in the current financial year, the entirety of the remaining Scotwind option fee funding.The statement made clear the intention to reduce this down as far as possible depending on the final financial position, with an update on the in-year consequential position expected at the UK Budget on October 30th. Decisions on the future utilisation of ScotWind Revenues will be taken in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423318,"EventID":"S6W-29546","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5060,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:03.423","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T10:57:44.417","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will set out its working definition of austerity.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will set out its working definition of austerity.","AnswerText":"Austerity measures are those which take forward a definite policy of reducing public spending on programmes and activity irrespective of the impact on the outcomes of those programmes and activity.For example, the Labour UK Government&rsquo;s severe restriction on the Winter Fuel Payment, and its consequent impact of reducing the budget for these programmes in Scotland by up to &pound;160m, is a clear implementation of Westminster austerity.This has followed Scotland long being subject to the austerity policies of the Conservative UK Government. In the face of this, the Scottish Government has stepped in to support people and services where it has been needed most &ndash; on social security, health, public sector pay, and public services &ndash; and has used all levers at its disposal to do so and mitigate the impact of Westminster austerity in Scotland. This includes an around &pound;1.5 billion in 2024-25 from Scotland&rsquo;s progressive Income Tax policy.The new Labour UK Government&rsquo;s commitment to the same debt rule as the previous government was always going to entail a similar fiscal constraint, and the UK Government is now pursuing policies that appear to be a continuation of Conservative austerity. Further spending cuts and austerity by the new UK Government will impact on the funding available for the budget here in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423319,"EventID":"S6W-29162","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:02.907","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-14T16:52:14.703","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how NHS boards match demand for funded stroke beds with the flow of patients, and how many patients have been impacted by not having a fully funded stroke bed during the","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how NHS boards match demand for funded stroke beds with the flow of patients, and how many patients have been impacted by not having a fully funded stroke bed during their stay in each month in the last five years.","AnswerText":"The information requested is not held by the Scottish Government. Individual NHS Boards are best placed to advise on the decisions they take to match service provision with demand.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423320,"EventID":"S6W-29542","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:03.883","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T10:28:18.497","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains committed to removing all diesel passenger trains from the Scottish network by 2035.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains committed to removing all diesel passenger trains from the Scottish network by 2035.","AnswerText":"Fiona Hyslop: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27663 on 3 June 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423321,"EventID":"S6W-29575","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:03.11","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T22:57:03.78","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that the forthcoming commercial tender to procure a new fleet of Intercity trains will include a clause to allow the option to order additional tr","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that the forthcoming commercial tender to procure a new fleet of Intercity trains will include a clause to allow the option to order additional trains in the future, which would allow ScotRail to increase its fleet size as passenger demand requires or to support potential future uplifts in service levels without any additional costs that could be associated with completing a further procurement process.","AnswerText":"A full ScotRail fleet strategy is being developed and refined, taking into account the fiscal constraints as well as other relevant government policies.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423322,"EventID":"S6W-29551","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:03.83","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T12:33:35.983","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26809 by Mairi McAllan on 25 April 2024, whether it will detail any work that it has undertaken in relation to exploring joining t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26809 by Mairi McAllan on 25 April 2024, whether it will detail any work that it has undertaken in relation to exploring joining the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance (BOGA) as a core member.","AnswerText":"Alongside finalising the Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan (ESJTP), the Scottish Government continues to engage with the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance as part of a wider programme of analysis and engagement with a range of organisations and stakeholders. The final ESJTP will also build from the substantial independent evidence base on domestic energy transition in the context of the global Paris Agreement goals that was developed and published in support of the draft version.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423323,"EventID":"S6W-29528","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:03.713","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T16:12:33.893","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide further details of the anticipated delivery timescale for the Prestwick Spaceport.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide further details of the anticipated delivery timescale for the Prestwick Spaceport.","AnswerText":"Both Scottish and UK Government Ministers have accepted a South Ayrshire Council proposal that the Prestwick Spaceport is no longer taken forward as part of the Ayrshire Growth Deal. Scottish Ministers look forward to working constructively with AGD partners to agree new projects to be taken forward using funding previously committed to the spaceport project, and are confident that these will focus on and build on South Ayrshire&rsquo;s clear strengths in aerospace.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423324,"EventID":"S6W-29526","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:03.263","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T15:03:11.207","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the negotiations between Transport Scotland and Ambassador Living in relation to concluding the Ferrymuir Gait access issue.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the negotiations between Transport Scotland and Ambassador Living in relation to concluding the Ferrymuir Gait access issue.","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland is still engaged in positive dialogue with the housing developer to agree a way forward for access through Ferrymuir Gait. We are now at a position whereby the agreements are being signed by both parties, therefore it is hoped that this will be concluded as soon as reasonably practicable.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423325,"EventID":"S6W-29564","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:02.087","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T15:31:43.2","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how funding to local authorities for flood defences will change as a result of the in-year spending reductions outlined in its fiscal statement on 3 September 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how funding to local authorities for flood defences will change as a result of the in-year spending reductions outlined in its fiscal statement on 3 September 2024.","AnswerText":"Within an extremely challenging financial context, the Scottish Government has made difficult funding decisions. Local authorities have received all the funding they have requested for flood protection in 2024-25 and, as such, &pound;26 million from the Flood Risk Management Programme is being repurposed this financial year to support local government pay and avoid impactful industrial action. We have sought assurances from local authorities through COSLA that redirection of this portion of the funding will not impact on councils progressing with their flood protection schemes as planned.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423326,"EventID":"S6W-29547","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:03.683","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T10:58:03.773","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what review it has undertaken of its funding of LGBT Youth Scotland, in light of reported allegations regarding safeguarding and the protection of children.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what review it has undertaken of its funding of LGBT Youth Scotland, in light of reported allegations regarding safeguarding and the protection of children.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government have engaged with LGBT Youth Scotland to determine the facts around the recent media reports. We have determined no further action is needed at this stage.The Scottish Government are continuing to fund all organisations who have received funding through the Equality and Human Rights Fund for the 2024-2025 financial year.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423327,"EventID":"S6W-29549","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16191,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":77,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:03.383","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T12:02:37.797","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28112 by Shona Robison on 20 June 2024, whether it will provide (a) an update on the final audited reserves held by each local aut","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28112 by Shona Robison on 20 June 2024, whether it will provide (a) an update on the final audited reserves held by each local authority at 31 March 2024 and (b) the percentage increase in reserves for each local authority since 31 March 2014.","AnswerText":"Final audited reserves data for 31 March 2024 is not currently held by the Scottish Government.As far as possible, where audited reserves figures are available for 31 March 2024, these will be published in February 2025 as part of Scottish Local Government Finance Statistics 2023-24.The following table shows the cash and real terms value of Local Authority General Fund reserves at 31 March 2014 (final audited) and 31 March 2024 (now updated with provisional outturn data from POBE 2024 dataset). Please note that the information requested on reserves is not held prior to 2007.Due to small numbers in many of the VJBs and transport authorities, real-term percentage changes in reserves have only been calculated for Councils and Strathclyde Passenger Transport.Adjustments for inflation have been made using the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) deflators for March 2024 (available at: GDP deflators at market prices, and money GDP - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)).Further information on Local Government Finance Statistics can be found at: Local government finance statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).General Fund Reserves (in &pound; millions) as at 31 March&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sources: LFR 23 for 31 March 2014 (audited data), POBE 2024 for 31 March 2024 which is provisional outturn data provided in early 2024.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Cash Terms&nbsp;Real Terms (2023-24 Prices)&nbsp;Percentage IncreaseLocal Authority31-Mar-1431-Mar-24&nbsp;31-Mar-1431-Mar-24&nbsp;Real Terms&nbsp;Final AuditedProvisional Outturn&nbsp;Final AuditedProvisional Outturn&nbsp;&nbsp;Aberdeen City57.185.9&nbsp;75.285.9&nbsp;14%Aberdeenshire57.565.4&nbsp;75.765.4&nbsp;-14%Angus19.871.2&nbsp;26.171.2&nbsp;173%Argyll &amp; Bute44.086.4&nbsp;58.086.4&nbsp;49%City of Edinburgh123.3265.9&nbsp;162.3265.9&nbsp;64%Clackmannanshire12.021.0&nbsp;15.821.0&nbsp;32%Dumfries &amp; Galloway58.486.4&nbsp;76.986.4&nbsp;12%Dundee City8.156.6&nbsp;10.656.6&nbsp;433%East Ayrshire28.049.1&nbsp;36.949.1&nbsp;33%East Dunbartonshire11.347.7&nbsp;14.947.7&nbsp;220%East Lothian9.226.4&nbsp;12.126.4&nbsp;118%East Renfrewshire14.952.1&nbsp;19.652.1&nbsp;165%Falkirk25.849.7&nbsp;33.949.7&nbsp;47%Fife85.0216.1&nbsp;111.9216.1&nbsp;93%Glasgow City32.8277.4&nbsp;43.2277.4&nbsp;543%Highland40.3131.8&nbsp;53.1131.8&nbsp;148%Inverclyde42.927.4&nbsp;56.527.4&nbsp;-51%Midlothian20.535.0&nbsp;27.035.0&nbsp;29%Moray21.445.7&nbsp;28.145.7&nbsp;62%Na h-Eileanan Siar18.330.0&nbsp;24.130.0&nbsp;24%North Ayrshire25.2110.1&nbsp;33.1110.1&nbsp;233%North Lanarkshire75.0249.9&nbsp;98.8249.9&nbsp;153%Orkney Islands23.828.5&nbsp;31.328.5&nbsp;-9%Perth &amp; Kinross48.269.7&nbsp;63.569.7&nbsp;10%Renfrewshire52.9127.4&nbsp;69.7127.4&nbsp;83%Scottish Borders17.149.6&nbsp;22.649.6&nbsp;120%Shetland Islands13.972.0&nbsp;18.272.0&nbsp;295%South Ayrshire22.947.7&nbsp;30.247.7&nbsp;58%South Lanarkshire13.4150.3&nbsp;17.6150.3&nbsp;753%Stirling13.329.9&nbsp;17.529.9&nbsp;71%West Dunbartonshire10.129.1&nbsp;13.329.1&nbsp;118%West Lothian22.657.1&nbsp;29.757.1&nbsp;92%Ayrshire VJB0.20.7&nbsp;0.30.7&nbsp;&nbsp;Central VJB0.80.4&nbsp;1.00.4&nbsp;&nbsp;Dunbartonshire&amp; Argyll &amp; Bute VJB0.50.8&nbsp;0.60.8&nbsp;&nbsp;Grampian VJB0.20.7&nbsp;0.30.7&nbsp;&nbsp;Highland &amp; Western Isles VJB0.10.2&nbsp;0.20.2&nbsp;&nbsp;Lanarkshire VJB-1.7&nbsp;-1.7&nbsp;&nbsp;Lothian VJB-1.3&nbsp;-1.3&nbsp;&nbsp;Orkney &amp; Shetland VJB-0.0&nbsp;-0.0&nbsp;&nbsp;Renfrewshire VJB0.50.8&nbsp;0.60.8&nbsp;&nbsp;Tayside VJB0.10.1&nbsp;0.10.1&nbsp;&nbsp;Tay Road Bridge1.21.2&nbsp;1.51.2&nbsp;&nbsp;HITRANS0.20.1&nbsp;0.30.1&nbsp;&nbsp;NESTRANS0.03.6&nbsp;0.03.6&nbsp;&nbsp;SESTRAN-0.2&nbsp;-0.2&nbsp;&nbsp;SPT12.5109.7&nbsp;16.5109.7&nbsp;565%SWESTRANS-0.0&nbsp;-0.0&nbsp;&nbsp;TACTRAN-0.1&nbsp;-0.1&nbsp;&nbsp;ZetTrans-0.0&nbsp;-0.0&nbsp;&nbsp;Scotland1,085.42870.0&nbsp;1,428.82,870.0&nbsp;101%&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;VJB = Valuation Joint Board&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbs","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423328,"EventID":"S6W-29527","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:01.67","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T15:21:59.197","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29077 by Gillian Martin on 2 September 2024, whether, in principle, it is opposed to deep sea mining, and whether it will prohibit","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29077 by Gillian Martin on 2 September 2024, whether, in principle, it is opposed to deep sea mining, and whether it will prohibit deep sea mining in a similar way to unconventional oil and gas extraction.","AnswerText":"Deep sea mining refers to the exploration for - or extraction of - minerals from the seabed at depths greater than 200 metres. Most of Scotland&rsquo;s waters of this depth or greater fall within existing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Current Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) conservation and management advice for the West of Scotland MPA, which covers the majority of Scotland&rsquo;s deep waters and seamounts, advises against seabed mining in such waters.In 2019 the Scottish Government finalised its policy position of &lsquo;no support&rsquo; for Unconventional oil and gas development: our position - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) unconventional oil and gas (UOG) development in Scotland. This policy position relates to onshore unconventional oil and gas development. This means development connected to the onshore exploration, appraisal or production of coal bed methane or shale oil or shale gas using unconventional oil and gas extraction techniques, including hydraulic fracturing and dewatering for coal bed methane.As yet, the Scottish Ministers have not received any marine licence applications for deep sea mining in Scotland&rsquo;s inshore or offshore waters. All marine licence applications are considered on a case-by-case basis. Any licensing application relating to seabed mining within Scotland&rsquo;s seas would be subject to the licensing requirements set out in the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 for inshore waters (between 0 and 12 nautical miles), and the UK Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 for offshore waters (beyond 12 nm). Statutory environmental assessment requirements and policies set out in Scotland&rsquo;s existing National Marine Plan would have to be factored into any potential licensing request and considered on the best available evidence.Scotland&rsquo;s National Marine Plan 2015 states that decision makers should ensure all the necessary environmental issues are considered, and safeguards are in place when determining whether any proposed marine aggregate dredging is considered to be environmentally acceptable. Any licensing request relating to seabed mining in Scotland&rsquo;s seas would be subject to this policy.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423329,"EventID":"S6W-29553","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:03.423","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T12:33:35.983","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its engagement with the Under2 Coalition.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its engagement with the Under2 Coalition.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is proud to have played a leading role in the Under2 Coalition for the past four years. The Coalition is made up of 260 governments representing over 1.75 billion people and 50% of the global economy and has been named one of the international partnerships with the highest potential for emissions reduction - 3.3-3.9GtCO2e/year in 2030 &ndash; more than the current annual emissions of the EU.Over the last four years as co-chair, we have increased member governments&rsquo; ambition via a new MoU committing them to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 or earlier.We have increased the influence of non-party governments in the global climate debate, including in UNFCCC processes and in COPs. Finally, we have increased the sharing of best practice between sub-nationals via our co-chairing of the Net Zero Futures Policy Forum and establishing and funding the Just Transition Taskforce.Going forward, the Scottish Government will continue to play a key role in the strategic direction of the coalition. We will look to increase devolved, state and regional government&rsquo;s role and influence within international climate policy and processes and to develop the capacity building and knowledge exchange offer for the coalition, via the Net Zero Futures Policy Forum.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423330,"EventID":"S6W-29571","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:01.67","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T16:18:30.493","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government who it has sought advice from on the policy of issuing bonds to fund additional spending.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government who it has sought advice from on the policy of issuing bonds to fund additional spending.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government sought advice from the Investor Panel on how we can attract investment to Scotland that supports our transition to net zero, and bring investor intelligence to policy and regulatory development early in the process. One of the recommendations in their report, 'Mobilising international capital to finance the transition to Net Zero', was to use existing devolved powers to issue debt, i.e. bonds. Further information can be found in the Scottish Government response to the report: Investor Panel recommendations: Scottish Government response - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423331,"EventID":"S6W-29552","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:03.303","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T12:33:35.983","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23975 by Mairi McAllan on 18 January 2024, whether the Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy will commit to meeting wit","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23975 by Mairi McAllan on 18 January 2024, whether the Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy will commit to meeting with representatives of (a) the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance (BOGA), (b) core member nations of BOGA and (c) the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government will continue to engage with the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance, Fossil Fuel Non Proliferation Treaty and other international climate change initiatives as part of a wider ongoing programme of analysis and engagement with a range of organisations and stakeholders.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423332,"EventID":"S6W-29543","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:03.943","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T10:28:18.497","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of the Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of the Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan.","AnswerText":"The route from Glasgow to Barrhead was electrified in December 2023. Electrification from Glasgow to East Kilbride is due to complete in December 2025. Plans to decarbonise the Fife Circle and Borders are in development.I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27663 on 3 June 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423333,"EventID":"S6W-29559","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:03.977","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T15:10:53.373","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the letter of 3 September 2024 from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government to the Finance and Public Administration Committee, how many roles","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the letter of 3 September 2024 from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government to the Finance and Public Administration Committee, how many roles the Mental Health Officer funding allocated in the original 2024-25 budget was expected to fund and what assessment it has made of any impact of this funding being reprioritised on the workforce for this financial year.","AnswerText":"Over the past four years, the Scottish Government provided a total of &pound;12.13 million of additional funding to address Mental Health Officer (MHO) shortfall across Scotland. Under the Training Grant Scheme alone, we provided &pound;1.93 million for local authorities to train 83 additional MHOs. This funding exceeded our original commitment to invest &pound;1.5 million over three years to train MHOs. Under the Capacity Increase scheme, the Scottish Government provided another &pound;10.2 million for local authorities to increase MHO capacity. These schemes were intended to run for a limited number of years to alleviate system pressures raised specifically from the pandemic and to allow local government to undertake statutory duties.Since 2022-23, the Scottish Government has been providing local authorities with an additional &pound;22 million per annum to increase social work capacity in adult services. Given the close links between social workers&rsquo; and MHOs&rsquo; duties, this additional &pound;44 million in funding is thought to have also benefited MHO capacity.We monitor the state of the MHO workforce through the annual MHO Report published by the Scottish Social Services Council. The most recent report, published in August 2024, showed an increase of 27 individuals (headcount) working as MHOs, compared to the previous year. This figure represents the net headcount after considering the MHOs who have left the sector. The actual number of MHOs who have joined the workforce over the previous year, therefore, is higher.In addition to providing funding, the Scottish Government is working closely with partners to improve MHO capacity, for instance, we have set up a Joint Social Services Taskforce with the aim of exploring opportunities to deliver improvements for the adult and children&rsquo;s social care and social work workforce. This group is exploring options for a pilot exercise to increase capacity for the MHO workforce by reducing administrative burdens.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423334,"EventID":"S6W-29565","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:02.15","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T15:44:19.987","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it still plans to begin issuing bonds, as announced by the previous First Minister.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it still plans to begin issuing bonds, as announced by the previous First Minister.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to taking forward a Bond issuance subject to ongoing due diligence.This will be done in line with our Capital Borrowing strategy and the objectives we published in December 2023 in the Memorandum available at Scottish Government capital borrowing and bonds: memorandum - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)I will say more about our future borrowing plans in the upcoming Scottish Budget.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423335,"EventID":"S6W-29541","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-04T15:59:03.557","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T10:28:18.493","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects the electrification of Intercity passenger routes between Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Inverness to be complete.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects the electrification of Intercity passenger routes between Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Inverness to be complete.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to decarbonising its passenger rail network and is continuing with the rolling programme of electrification as funding permits.This is set out in Transport Scotland&rsquo;s Decarbonisation Action Plan, which is planned as a dynamic document, with a refresh of the Plan underway. The refresh will examine the electrification programme, informed by progress with rolling stock procurement.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423360,"EventID":"S6W-29660","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":5622,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":148,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-05T12:31:33.26","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T12:27:31.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost of employing special advisers was in 2023-24.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost of employing special advisers was in 2023-24.","AnswerText":"Special Advisers are appointed in accordance with Part 1 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 by the First Minister as a Special Adviser for the purpose of providing assistance to the Scottish Ministers.The total cost of Special Advisers employed during the financial year 2023-24 was &pound;1,906,963. Total cost includes all salary costs, employer NI, and employer pension contributions. The level of employer NI, and civil service pension contribution is reserved and is not a matter for the Scottish Government.The cost of Special Advisers during 2023-24 was based on the following Pay Bands and Pay Ranges:Pay BandPay Range (&pound;)Number of SpAds in Band1&pound;56,611 &ndash; &pound;60,37812&pound;61,894 &ndash; &pound;76,42683&pound;78,383 - &pound;88,47354&pound;106,143 - &pound; 113,0433","AnswerDate":"2024-09-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jamie Hepburn","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423361,"EventID":"S6W-29602","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-05T15:28:09.363","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T12:41:14.62","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many victim surcharge orders were (a) paid on time, (b) paid late and (c) not paid at all by criminals in each year since 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many victim surcharge orders were (a) paid on time, (b) paid late and (c) not paid at all by criminals in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"This information is available in the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (&ldquo;SCTS&rdquo;) quarterly fines data publication, found on the Official Statistics section of the SCTS website. Official Statistics | Scottish Courts (scotcourts.gov.uk)","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423362,"EventID":"S6W-29591","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-05T15:28:10.63","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T11:24:37.357","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its policy is on large-scale commercial forestry schemes being planted in close proximity to communities, and whether such communities should have the right to obje","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its policy is on large-scale commercial forestry schemes being planted in close proximity to communities, and whether such communities should have the right to object to these.","AnswerText":"In 2023, Scottish Forestry published refreshed guidance on Forestry Engagement and Consultation Processes, which reflects the principles of the Land Rights and Responsibilities Statement and provides greater clarity on expectations, requirements and roles and responsibilities around community engagement and consultation on forestry plans and proposals.The criteria for assessing all woodland creation schemes are set under stage 3 of this guidance and includes taking into account whether the proposal has considered all the issues raised in the consultation and made changes where appropriate.There is no ban on woodland planting in close proximity to communities however in such cases any planting proposal would be expected to demonstrate that community feedback had been taken into account and that significant efforts made to address concerns. Communities can raise objections and where there do so there is a requirement for these to be considered and addressed.Many rural communities exist in close proximity to forest land and forests normally deliver a range of opportunities and benefits for local people.Scottish Government is striving to ensure that more people and communities have the opportunity to engage with our expanding forests and woodland, and that more people and communities benefit from forestry.We want to ensure that the woodland expansion needed to tackle the twin climate and biodiversity crises takes place in a just and sustainable way, with positive impacts for everybody, including future generations to come.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423363,"EventID":"S6W-29597","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-05T15:28:10.673","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T12:41:14.62","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many offenders aged under 18 at date of offence in the Highlands and Islands region have been ordered to pay a victim surcharge for a (a) conditional discharge, (b) ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many offenders aged under 18 at date of offence in the Highlands and Islands region have been ordered to pay a victim surcharge for a (a) conditional discharge, (b) fine, including a Youth Rehabilitation Order or Referral Order, and (c) custodial sentence, in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold information on the Victim Surcharge Fund broken down in this way.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423364,"EventID":"S6W-29593","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-05T15:28:10.837","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T11:24:37.363","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the cumulative impact of the loss of farmland in Eskdale as a result of commercial forestry planting.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the cumulative impact of the loss of farmland in Eskdale as a result of commercial forestry planting.","AnswerText":"The loss of agricultural land, including the cumulative loss with other recent forestry projects, is considered as part of the formal assessment of significant woodland creation applications.An agricultural assessment is also normally carried out as part of any woodland creation application. These assessments are prepared by independent agricultural specialists and incorporate feedback with the Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Division.Indicative analysis of schemes under development indicates that over 95% of planting is being proposed on LCA classes 5 and 6.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423365,"EventID":"S6W-29595","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-05T15:28:09.47","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T12:41:14.62","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many offenders aged 18 or over at date of offence in the Highlands and Islands region have been ordered to pay a victim surcharge for (a) a conditional discharge, (b","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many offenders aged 18 or over at date of offence in the Highlands and Islands region have been ordered to pay a victim surcharge for (a) a conditional discharge, (b) a fine, (c) a community sentence, (d) a suspended sentence order and (e) an immediate custodial sentence, in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold information on the victim surcharge broken down in this way.The victim surcharge came into force in Scotland on 25 November 2019 and applies to all persons who commit an offence on or after that date and who are subsequently convicted and receive a court fine. The amount payable is proportionate to the value of the fine imposed by the court. The surcharge is collected from offenders by the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, in the same way it collects fines. Monies are then paid into the Victim Surcharge Fund, administered by the Scottish Government.We publish an annual report detailing payments into and out of the Victim Surcharge Fund. Victim Surcharge Fund: annual report 2023 to 2024 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423366,"EventID":"S6W-29583","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-05T15:28:09.277","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T09:20:54.943","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the recent postponement to the Medium Term Financial Strategy will result in a further delay to a replacement eye hospital for Edinburgh.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the recent postponement to the Medium Term Financial Strategy will result in a further delay to a replacement eye hospital for Edinburgh.","AnswerText":"There is no change to the position on NHS Capital Projects as a result of the postponement of the Medium Term Financial Strategy.In December 2023, given the extremely challenging capital funding position, NHS Boards were instructed to pause any project development spend and instead direct capital budgets towards maintenance of the existing estate and essential equipment and digital replacement. Boards were notified that the Scottish Government does not anticipate starting construction of any new project over the next two years at least. Obviously should the UK Government change course on capital investment we have an opportunity to look at this again alongside the capital review ongoing across the Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423367,"EventID":"S6W-29599","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-05T15:28:10.927","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T12:41:14.62","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been raised from victim surcharges ordered from organisations in the Highlands and Islands region in each year since June 2022.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been raised from victim surcharges ordered from organisations in the Highlands and Islands region in each year since June 2022.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold information on the Victim Surcharge Fund broken down in this way.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423368,"EventID":"S6W-29606","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-05T15:28:09.45","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T12:41:14.62","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its engagement with local authorities in the Highlands and Islands region regarding any impact of reinforced autoclaved aerated conc","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its engagement with local authorities in the Highlands and Islands region regarding any impact of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in buildings.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to routinely engage with local authorities across Scotland as part of ongoing work ensuring all key stakeholders such as building owners, representative organisations and professional bodies can share information and best practice on RAAC management, where required. Engagement is primarily through the Scottish Government led Cross Sector Working Group but also via Scottish Futures Trust for school estate interests and the Scottish Heads of Property Services (SHoPs) network.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423369,"EventID":"S6W-29607","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-05T15:28:09.503","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T12:41:14.62","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to reopen its Pathways Pre-Start Fund for applications in the 2024-25 financial year.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to reopen its Pathways Pre-Start Fund for applications in the 2024-25 financial year.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government launched a call for applications for the What you can apply for - Pathways Fund: form and guidance - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) between 19th July 2024 and 30th August 2024.We welcomed bids from organisations registered in the UK, who are providing support to pre-start entrepreneurs and/or early stage businesses in Scotland.We are currently processing the applications received and successful applicants will be announced in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423370,"EventID":"S6W-29598","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-05T15:28:09.53","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T12:41:14.62","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been raised from victim surcharges ordered from offenders aged 18 or over at date of offence in the Highlands and Islands region in each year since June 202","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been raised from victim surcharges ordered from offenders aged 18 or over at date of offence in the Highlands and Islands region in each year since June 2022.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold information on the Victim Surcharge Fund broken down in this way.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423372,"EventID":"S6W-29612","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5060,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-05T15:28:09.527","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T13:20:37.81","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much (a) it has allocated to and (b) has been spent by the Whole Family Wellbeing Fund, and whether its commitment to invest &pound;500 million in the fund by the en","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much (a) it has allocated to and (b) has been spent by the Whole Family Wellbeing Fund, and whether its commitment to invest &pound;500 million in the fund by the end of the current parliamentary session remains its position.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to investing &pound;500m in Whole Family Wellbeing to improve holistic family support so that families get the right support, in the right way and at the right time.Since 2022 over &pound;110m of Whole Family Wellbeing Funding (WFWF) was invested by the Scottish Government to deliver a transformational change in holistic family support so that families get the right support, in the right way and at the right time. The funding was distributed as follows:&bull;&pound;96m provided for Children&rsquo;s Services Planning Partnerships (CSPPs) (Element 1) to build local service capacity for change and to transform family support services.&bull;&pound;1.6m National Support for Local Delivery(Element 2), includes a package of activity aimed at supporting local transformation. This part of the funding also supports the wider evaluation and research work for WFWF.&bull;&pound;13.1m for taking a cross Scottish Government approach to system change(Element 3) which is supporting 12 projects across Scottish Government policy areas to help progress the aims of the Programme.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423373,"EventID":"S6W-29568","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-05T15:28:09.2","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T16:06:19.45","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its fiscal statement on 3 September 2024, how much money it projects it will save from (a) restrictions on overtime and (b) recruitment freezes.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its fiscal statement on 3 September 2024, how much money it projects it will save from (a) restrictions on overtime and (b) recruitment freezes.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government Fiscal Statement (3 September 2024) and accompanying letter to the Finance Committee Scottish Government Pre-Budget Fiscal Update: Letter to Finance Committee - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)set out savings measures taken in the financial year to date, including those generated through the application of emergency spending controls. Alongside specific savings detailed in the statement a further up to &pound;60 million savings are anticipated to be generated through the emergency spending controls over the remainder of the financial year. The controls require greater scrutiny over expenditure and whether it is truly essential or unavoidable, as well as targeting recruitment, overtime, travel and marketing, savings generated that result in revisions to budgets will be reported and published in the Autumn and Spring Budget Revisions, in line with usual in-year financial management processes.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423376,"EventID":"S6W-29604","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-05T15:28:09.193","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T12:41:14.62","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people have participated in workshops organised by (a) Scottish Union Learning and (b) Community Enterprise to tackle online scams and promote internet safety, ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people have participated in workshops organised by (a) Scottish Union Learning and (b) Community Enterprise to tackle online scams and promote internet safety, since its announcement of funding for this purpose on 20 September 2023.","AnswerText":"Following the announcement of funding from the Scottish Government, on 20 September 2023, to build cyber resilience in communities and enable more people across the country to keep themselves safe and secure online;(a) 961 people participated in Scottish Union Learning workshops, and(b) over 950 people participated in workshops organised by Community Enterprise.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423377,"EventID":"S6W-29610","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-05T15:28:10.873","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T13:06:19.52","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many listed buildings in Glasgow are considered to be \"at risk\", and what plans it has to allocate funding for their preservation and restoration.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many listed buildings in Glasgow are considered to be \"at risk\", and what plans it has to allocate funding for their preservation and restoration.","AnswerText":"The owner of any property, listed or otherwise is responsible for the repair and maintenance of their property. There is a Buildings at Risk Register online, hosted by Historic Environment Scotland at Welcome to Buildings at Risk Register | Buildings at Risk Register. This site provides information on properties of architectural or historic merit that are considered to be at risk, including listings by planning authority area. The Glasgow Planning authority currently list 143 properties.Questions regarding Historic Environment Scotland&rsquo;s day-to-day operational matters, such as their Grant programme and awards, are best answered by Historic Environment Scotland.I have asked Historic Environment Scotland to respond directly to the member with a full reply to her question in writing.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423379,"EventID":"S6W-29608","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-05T15:28:09.407","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T12:41:14.62","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains committed to maintaining its Public Library Improvement Fund 2024, in light of reports that the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government has","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains committed to maintaining its Public Library Improvement Fund 2024, in light of reports that the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government has imposed emergency spending controls.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to providing annual funding towards the Public Library Improvement Fund (PLIF), administered by the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC), to enable libraries to undertake a wide range of pioneering initiatives within communities.In 2024-25 we have allocated &pound;450k for the PLIF.On 19 August 2024 SLIC announced that this fund was open to applications Public Library Improvement Fund 2024 Open (scottishlibraries.org). Applications close at noon on 25 September.For more information on how to apply, visit: The Public Library Improvement Fund (scottishlibraries.org).","AnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423380,"EventID":"S6W-29590","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-05T15:28:09.447","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T10:27:52.627","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that environmental impact assessments take into account seasonal variations in the surveyed environment.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that environmental impact assessments take into account seasonal variations in the surveyed environment.","AnswerText":"Where an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is required, this must include a description of the relevant aspects of the current state of the environment and an outline of the likely evolution thereof without implementation of the project, as far as natural changes from the baseline scenario can be assessed with reasonable effort, on the basis of the availability of environmental information and scientific knowledge. Where an EIA Report is considered to contain insufficient information it is open to the decision-maker to request further environmental information.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423381,"EventID":"S6W-29592","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-05T15:28:09.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T11:24:37.36","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with Scottish Woodlands regarding reported community opposition to the planting scheme at Warblaw in Langholm.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with Scottish Woodlands regarding reported community opposition to the planting scheme at Warblaw in Langholm.","AnswerText":"Neither Scottish Government or Scottish Forestry have had recent discussions with Scottish Woodlands regarding community opposition to the Warblaw planting scheme.The project developer has recently been seeking feedback on their draft planting proposals and planting scheme may change in response to community views.The Warblaw proposal is currently going through the due diligence (development) stage of the woodland creation application process. This stage is led by the landowner&rsquo;s forestry agent, Scottish Woodlands. Public consultation events, focussed on this project, were held in April 2023 and August 2024.Scottish Forestry officials attended these public consultation events, have been copied into community feedback provided to Scottish Woodlands and are aware of the concerns about the project.Scottish Forestry hasn&rsquo;t received a formal planting application. When a formal planting application is submitted Scottish Forestry will assess the proposal including carefully considering how community concerns have been addressed, and there will be a further public consultation exercise to inform this assessment.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423382,"EventID":"S6W-29581","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-05T15:28:09.487","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T03:12:52.893","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that the new fleet of Intercity trains currently being procured for the rail network is manufactured in Scotland to support the creation of high-s","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that the new fleet of Intercity trains currently being procured for the rail network is manufactured in Scotland to support the creation of high-skilled apprenticeships and jobs, and to ensure that Scotland has a rolling stock manufacturing facility to support any future fleet procurement and upgrade programmes.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29572 on 17 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423383,"EventID":"S6W-29580","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-05T15:28:11.077","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T01:29:49.263","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on whether Glasgow Science Centre Limited has plans to remove the Millennium Bridge over the River Clyde at Pacific Quay, due to the reported f","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on whether Glasgow Science Centre Limited has plans to remove the Millennium Bridge over the River Clyde at Pacific Quay, due to the reported failure of its double bascule opening mechanism.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold any information regarding plans to remove the Millenium Bridge. Any decision on the future of the bridge would be an operational matter for Glasgow City Council.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423384,"EventID":"S6W-29603","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-05T15:28:09.187","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T12:41:14.62","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when its Travelling Cabinet will next meet in the Highlands and Islands region.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when its Travelling Cabinet will next meet in the Highlands and Islands region.","AnswerText":"In line with standard practice, the location of each Travelling Cabinet is announced in advance, including by notifying local elected representatives and local media.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jamie Hepburn","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423385,"EventID":"S6W-29585","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-05T15:28:11.003","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T09:42:14.913","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when registered social landlords (RSL) will be advised of their 2024-25 budget allocation for aids and adaptations.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when registered social landlords (RSL) will be advised of their 2024-25 budget allocation for aids and adaptations.","AnswerText":"Since the integration of health and social care, most funding for aids and adaptations for all housing sectors comes from Health and Social Care Partnerships. Housing adaptations are structural changes to a property made to support a disabled person to live safely and independently at home.The Scottish Government provides some funding to help Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) deliver adaptations for their disabled tenants. Funding of &pound;8.245 million is available for 2024-25 for adaptations for RSL tenants.The budget allocation process for the 2024-25 RSLs Adaptations Programme is underway. My officials will contact RSLs directly with information on their funding allocation once the process has been concluded. I expect this to be in the coming weeks.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423386,"EventID":"S6W-29605","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-05T15:28:10.7","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T12:41:14.62","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will next publish its Housing Statistics for Scotland Quarterly Update.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will next publish its Housing Statistics for Scotland Quarterly Update.","AnswerText":"The publication dates of official statistics are routinely announced on the Official Statistics forthcoming publications calendar found on the Scottish Government website: Official statistics: forthcoming publications - gov.scot (www.gov.scot). As stated on the calendar, the next publication of the quarterly housing statistics will be published on 24 September 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423387,"EventID":"S6W-29601","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-05T15:28:10.75","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T12:41:14.62","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government within what timescale offenders must pay their victim surcharge once a court orders it to be paid.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government within what timescale offenders must pay their victim surcharge once a court orders it to be paid.","AnswerText":"The imposition, collection and enforcement of a victim surcharge mirrors the arrangements for fines subject to some differences set out in the The Enforcement of Fines (Relevant Penalty) (Scotland) Order 2019 (legislation.gov.uk)The court is required to grant time to pay a victim surcharge &ndash; the time allowed is a matter for the sentencer taking account of the circumstances of each individual, but subject to a minimum of seven days. The court cannot impose an immediate term of imprisonment, which it could do for a fine if it could not be paid immediately.When any relevant penalty has been imposed the court shall make an enforcement order. The order sets out the penalty/payment terms and explains the effect of the enforcement order. The victim surcharge would then be collected and enforced in the same way as any other relevant penalty (including a fine) subject to the provisions of section 253J Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 (legislation.gov.uk)of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 (&ldquo;the 1995 Act&rdquo;).Section 253H Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 (legislation.gov.uk)of the 1995 Act provides that where a court makes a victim surcharge and imposes a fine and/or makes a compensation order, the monies would be applied in the following order:1.Compensation2.Victim Surcharge3.Fine","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423388,"EventID":"S6W-29579","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-05T15:28:10.587","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T23:24:35.587","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has engaged with trade unions and train operators with experience and knowledge of other intercity rail fleets within the UK, to learn from their best practic","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has engaged with trade unions and train operators with experience and knowledge of other intercity rail fleets within the UK, to learn from their best practices when specifying key aspects of the commercial tender to procure a new fleet of trains for ScotRail's Intercity rail network, including in relation to required luggage capacity, toilet provisions, appropriate furnishings, the provision of plug sockets, catering services, size and position of saloon windows, information screens, and onboard ventilation and air conditioning.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29572 on 17 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423389,"EventID":"S6W-29596","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-05T15:28:10.88","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T12:41:14.62","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many organisations in the Highlands and Islands region have been ordered to pay a victim surcharge for a (a) conditional discharge and (b) fine, in each year since 2","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many organisations in the Highlands and Islands region have been ordered to pay a victim surcharge for a (a) conditional discharge and (b) fine, in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold information on the Victim Surcharge Fund broken down in this way.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423390,"EventID":"S6W-29611","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5060,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-05T15:28:09.423","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T13:20:29.847","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on issuing pupils with free laptops and digital devices, and what evaluation it has carried out of the impact of this policy on the educational per","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on issuing pupils with free laptops and digital devices, and what evaluation it has carried out of the impact of this policy on the educational performance of the pupils who have received these devices.","AnswerText":"Up to 2022, around 280,000 digital devices had already been provided to learners by local authorities and the Scottish Government, along with 14,000 connectivity packages.As set out by the Finance Secretary, the &pound;10m budget for purchasing additional digital devices for hard pressed families will be available from the financial year 2025-26.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423391,"EventID":"S6W-29613","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-05T15:28:11.003","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T13:26:36.497","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether Scottish Water is on track to complete the installation of 1,000 new combined sewer overflows (CSO) by the end of 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether Scottish Water is on track to complete the installation of 1,000 new combined sewer overflows (CSO) by the end of 2024.","AnswerText":"At the end of August 2024 Scottish Water had installed over 900 new CSO monitors, and is on track to deliver on its commitment.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423392,"EventID":"S6W-29578","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-05T15:28:11.007","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T23:24:04.18","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the forthcoming commercial tender to procure a new fleet of Intercity trains will provide for bi-modal power options, and what steps are being taken to further e","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the forthcoming commercial tender to procure a new fleet of Intercity trains will provide for bi-modal power options, and what steps are being taken to further expand and accelerate the Scottish Government&rsquo;s rail electrification programme to enable any new fleet to play a key role in decarbonising Scotland&rsquo;s railway from the moment that it is introduced into revenue-earning service.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29572 on 17 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.The extent of electrification required will be determined by the outcome of the procurement exercise.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423393,"EventID":"S6W-29600","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-05T15:28:09.43","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T12:41:14.62","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been raised from victim surcharges ordered from offenders aged under 18 at date of offence in the Highlands and Islands region in each year since June 2022.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been raised from victim surcharges ordered from offenders aged under 18 at date of offence in the Highlands and Islands region in each year since June 2022.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold information on the Victim Surcharge Fund broken down in this way.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423439,"EventID":"S6W-29669","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:01.42","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T14:06:52.11","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to open the &pound;10 million Changing Places toilet fund, in light of the reprofiling of the commencement of the fund, as detailed in the letter from the ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to open the &pound;10 million Changing Places toilet fund, in light of the reprofiling of the commencement of the fund, as detailed in the letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government to the Convener of the Finance and Public Administration Committee, published on 3 September 2024.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is working towards a launch date for the Changing Places Toilets fund and we will provide an update in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423440,"EventID":"S6W-29668","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:05:59.54","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T14:06:41.663","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is still committed to investing &pound;10 million in Changing Places toilets by the end of the current parliamentary session, in light of the reprofiling of t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is still committed to investing &pound;10 million in Changing Places toilets by the end of the current parliamentary session, in light of the reprofiling of the commencement of the Changing Places toilet fund, as detailed in the letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government to the Convener of the Finance and Public Administration Committee, published on 3 September 2024.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to investing in Changing Places Toilets in order to increase the number of these facilities across the country, allowing people easier access to events and outdoor venues.As you will be aware, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government&rsquo;s statement to Parliament on 3 September outlined the challenging financial situation faced by the Scottish Government following the UK Chancellor's July statement. She confirmed that spending controls are in place to make sure the entire Scottish Government budget is being managed prudently. These additional controls set out that any activity undertaken, or commitment made, that generates expenditure in 2024-25 must only proceed if it is truly essential and unavoidable. &ldquo;Unavoidable&rdquo; means if the Scottish Government would otherwise breach its legal obligations, or fail to provide essential support to emergency situations, or cause significant economic damage across Scotland. The scale of the savings required means that these exceptional measures are being applied across the whole Government, with all policy areas having to think about what this means for them.This means that whilst the Scottish Government had set out the intention to make CPT funding available across financial years 2024-25 and 2025-26, unfortunately it is no longer possible to launch the fund in the current financial year. However, funding will be reprofiled into future years.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423441,"EventID":"S6W-29681","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:05:59.823","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T14:45:25.95","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards prescribe fingolimod (Gilenya) to treat multiple sclerosis (MS); how many patients in each NHS board are receiving this disease modifying therapy, and w","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards prescribe fingolimod (Gilenya) to treat multiple sclerosis (MS); how many patients in each NHS board are receiving this disease modifying therapy, and what its position is on whether it should be prescribed to appropriate patients.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29676 on 18 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423442,"EventID":"S6W-29619","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:01.25","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T13:31:26.763","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many projects in the Highlands and Islands will be impacted by its announced reduction of &pound;800,000 from the Community Led Local Development collaboration fund.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many projects in the Highlands and Islands will be impacted by its announced reduction of &pound;800,000 from the Community Led Local Development collaboration fund.","AnswerText":"The allocation of funding to Collaboration projects had not yet been determined, and was intended to be open to applications from all Local Action Groups. Scottish Government officials had therefore not yet been in a position to provide any breakdown of geographical distribution of projects funded by the &pound;800,000. To date this financial year (2024-25), we have allocated funding of &pound;6.65m for Community Led Local Development (CLLD), from which Highlands &amp; Islands-based Local Action groups received &pound;2,086,003.73 (Highlands and Islands is defined here as Highland, Shetland, Orkney, Outer Hebrides and Argyll and Bute)Despite the reduction of &pound;800k, we will continue to support projects that assist and empower rural communities through the CLLD budget.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":423443,"EventID":"S6W-29688","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:02.117","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T14:45:25.95","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards prescribe Rebif (beta interferon-1a) to treat multiple sclerosis (MS); how many patients in each NHS board are receiving this disease modifying therapy,","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards prescribe Rebif (beta interferon-1a) to treat multiple sclerosis (MS); how many patients in each NHS board are receiving this disease modifying therapy, and what its position is on whether it should be prescribed to appropriate patients.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29676 on 18 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423444,"EventID":"S6W-29632","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:02.667","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T15:31:27.727","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on whether it will introduce its proposed Human Rights Bill in the current parliamentary session.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on whether it will introduce its proposed Human Rights Bill in the current parliamentary session.","AnswerText":"The Programme for Government 2024-25 reaffirms the Scottish Government&rsquo;s commitment to advance human rights protections in Scotland. We will continue work to further develop and strengthen proposals for legislation to incorporate international treaties into Scots law, with the intention of taking forward legislation in the next Parliamentary session.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423445,"EventID":"S6W-29652","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1848,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":90,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:03.097","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T09:39:45.333","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the ownership structure is of any private entity operating residential children&rsquo;s homes or foster agencies in Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the ownership structure is of any private entity operating residential children&rsquo;s homes or foster agencies in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information in relation to children&rsquo;s residential homes. Residential children&rsquo;s homes can be owned and operated by health boards, local authorities, private, or third sector not for profit organisations.The Scottish Government has some limited information in relation to fostering agencies. Fostering services can be owned and operated by local authorities, or third sector not for profit organisations. We are publishing a consultation on the future of fostering later this year which will include questions on the role of independent fostering agencies.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423446,"EventID":"S6W-29667","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:01.88","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T13:55:56.097","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28979 by Fiona Hyslop on 4 September 2024, how much of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB 2) for the installat","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28979 by Fiona Hyslop on 4 September 2024, how much of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB 2) for the installation of wheelchair space in vehicles has been taken up by operators.","AnswerText":"Funding for the installation of wheelchair space in vehicles has not been required as the new zero emission buses ordered through ScotZEB 2 comply with Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423447,"EventID":"S6W-29634","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16177,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":125,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:04.167","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T08:46:11.9","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to improve (a) access to BSL for children and young people and (b) teaching of BSL in schools, as set out in action 19 of the British Sign Langua","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to improve (a) access to BSL for children and young people and (b) teaching of BSL in schools, as set out in action 19 of the British Sign Language National Plan 2023-2029, since the publication of the plan in November 2023.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to making Scotland the best place in the world for BSL users to live, work, visit and learn. The BSL National Plan 2023-29 is a cross government plan containing 45 actions under the 10 priority themes. Education is a key theme within the plan, with stretch aims that will help improve access to BSL for children and young people in schools.The BSL National Plan Implementation Advisory Group will consider this theme further over the course of the plan's six year life cycle. Activity to date has focused on understanding the support put in place by Local Authorities, who have responsibility under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 to identify, provide for and review the additional support needs of their pupils, including those affected by deafness.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423448,"EventID":"S6W-29665","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1848,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":90,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:04.567","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T12:44:09.48","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any additional conditionality that could be asked of developers applying to future offshore wind leasing rounds, to ensure maximum supply ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any additional conditionality that could be asked of developers applying to future offshore wind leasing rounds, to ensure maximum supply chain development.","AnswerText":"Seabed leasing for offshore wind is administered by Crown Estate Scotland (CES), which sets the terms of lease. Leasing terms may vary between leasing rounds to ensure that such agreements remain fit for purpose and reflect the latest statutory requirements and policy positions.As part of the ScotWind bidding round, applicants were required to submit a Supply Chain Development Statement (SCDS) to CES. The SCDS outlines the commitment and ambition for supply chain activity within Scotland, the UK and overseas, across four project phases &ndash; development, manufacturing and fabrication, installation, and operations &amp; maintenance.The Scottish Government and CES will continue to review the leasing requirements for future leasing rounds, informed by best practice to deliver the best outcomes for Scotland and in line with our social, economic and environmental principles, including the need for any legislative changes to support the updated leasing conditions.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423449,"EventID":"S6W-29658","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:05:59.717","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T11:30:57.193","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how any funds for a sports facility at Park of Keir will be re-allocated, in light of the withdrawal of the project.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how any funds for a sports facility at Park of Keir will be re-allocated, in light of the withdrawal of the project.","AnswerText":"We recognise the enormous contribution the Murray family has made to tennis in Scotland and we are committed to delivering a tangible and fitting legacy.sportscotland&rsquo;s provisional allocation of up to &pound;5m for the development of a potential tennis facility at Park of Keir remains in place to deliver a suitable Murray Legacy in Scotland.We will work with sportscotland, the Murray family, and wider partners, to ensure that we capitalise on the achievements of one of Scotland's greatest ever athletes.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423450,"EventID":"S6W-29637","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:01.297","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T08:48:29.577","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29198 by Gillian Martin on 5 September 2024, how many Scottish Water customers have waited longer than the longest customer report","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29198 by Gillian Martin on 5 September 2024, how many Scottish Water customers have waited longer than the longest customer reported leak duration of 100 days for a leak repair, in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water, and the Scottish Government does not hold the information, I have asked them to respond. Their reply is as follows:Scottish Water is able to provide figures for 2022-23 onward, as a new system was introduced then which means that any figures before this would not be comparable, with some data representing reporting anomalies rather than leak repair times. Scottish Water has also advised that these figures do not necessarily relate to customers but are reports into their contact centre of visible leaks. Work to identify and repair some leaks can in some cases be complex in nature or require preparations such as traffic management, notice of roadworks, etc., and there can be cases where the timescales relate to administration of the record as opposed to the leak repair.For 2022-23, repairs of 4 bursts took over 100 days. For 2023-24, repairs of 8 bursts took over 100 days.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423451,"EventID":"S6W-28513","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:05:59.903","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-09T10:46:46.097","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of public transport provision, particularly bus services, for accessing grassroots music venues, in light of reported concerns that a lack of","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of public transport provision, particularly bus services, for accessing grassroots music venues, in light of reported concerns that a lack of access can negatively impact the sector and the wider small business economy.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to value the important contribution music offers to Scotland&rsquo;s arts and culture as well as to the wider economy and recognises the role venues play in providing opportunity and support to all levels of talent.No specific assessment has been carried out by the Scottish Government in relation to bus and public transport access to grassroots music venues.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423452,"EventID":"S6W-29653","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1848,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":90,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:05:59.9","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T09:39:45.333","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding how such a policy could apply in Scotland, what assessment it has made of the Welsh Government&rsquo;s legislative proposal to remove profit from the care of ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding how such a policy could apply in Scotland, what assessment it has made of the Welsh Government&rsquo;s legislative proposal to remove profit from the care of looked after children.","AnswerText":"The Promise is clear that there is no place for profiting in how Scotland cares for its children and the Scottish Government supports this principle.The Scottish Government meets with the UK Government, the Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive on a regular basis to discuss children&rsquo;s residential care policy, including profit from care.Although we have not undertaken a formal assessment of the Welsh Government&rsquo;s legislative proposals, we continue to engage with the Welsh Government as these develop.The Scottish Government, working alongside COSLA and local government, will consider what further steps could be taken in Scotland, including through legislation.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423453,"EventID":"S6W-29621","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:01.887","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T14:21:39.967","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with people living with vaccine injury, and whether it will consider meeting with representatives of such people in the coming months.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with people living with vaccine injury, and whether it will consider meeting with representatives of such people in the coming months.","AnswerText":"It is important to acknowledge that vaccines are medicines and like all medicines they can have side effects and, on rare occasions, cause injury. Thankfully, most side effects are mild and short lived, but the Scottish Government recognises that some are not.The Scottish Government has corresponded with the Scottish Vaccine Injury Group on several occasions, and has routinely signposted members of the public to the vaccine damage payment scheme when they have raised issues of vaccine&ndash;related injury. The safety of medicines, including vaccines, and the subject matter of the Vaccine Damage Payments Scheme are matters which are reserved to the UK Government, therefore we are unable to comment on individual cases.The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry is currently underway and the forthcoming Module 4 of the UK COVID-19 Public Inquiry on Vaccines and Therapeutics will consider vaccine safety and other aspects, such as potential reforms to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme.The Scottish Vaccine Injury Group is a core participant of both the UK and Scottish Inquiries and as such has a central role. Due to the group&rsquo;s involvement with the Inquiries, it would not be appropriate for Ministers to meet with them at this stage.I advised through recent correspondence with the Scottish Vaccine Injury Group that I would be open to meeting with representatives of the group once Module 4 of the UK Inquiry has concluded, and after Baroness Hallett has issued my recommendations. This would facilitate a full and open discussion to take place between both parties, where recommendations could be discussed, especially if there were any the group felt weren&rsquo;t full addressed as part of the inquiry.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423454,"EventID":"S6W-29689","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:01.497","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T14:45:25.95","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards prescribe siponimod (Mayzent) to treat multiple sclerosis (MS); how many patients in each NHS board are receiving this disease modifying therapy, and wh","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards prescribe siponimod (Mayzent) to treat multiple sclerosis (MS); how many patients in each NHS board are receiving this disease modifying therapy, and what its position is on whether it should be prescribed to appropriate patients.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29676 on 18 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423455,"EventID":"S6W-29671","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:02.213","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T14:28:50.107","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6F-03284 by John Swinney on 5 September 2024, how it is working to lower waiting times for urology operations classified as urgent by","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6F-03284 by John Swinney on 5 September 2024, how it is working to lower waiting times for urology operations classified as urgent by NHS Scotland.","AnswerText":"Patients referred for urgent care, including cancer treatment, continue to be prioritised across NHS Scotland.We are committed to providing Health Boards with the necessary support to drive improvements in waiting times, and will continue to target resources to this effect, including maximising regional and national capacity. Our continued partnership with NHS Scotland&rsquo;s Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) plays a central role in this.CfSD&rsquo;s National Elective Coordination Unit (NECU) supports NHS Health Boards through a number of key work streams. Through a collaborative and centrally coordinated approach, this has helped to ensure the best use of capacity across National Treatment Centres and territorial Health Boards by matching available capacity to demand within NHS Scotland for a number of specialities, including urology. This has been supported by the additional &pound;30 million investment this year. We will continue to work with NECU to explore whether there is further opportunity to expand this work with a focus on urgent urology patients within NHS Lothian.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423456,"EventID":"S6W-29657","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3129,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":83,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:01.887","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T10:52:33.193","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the rate of interest is on student loans for students from Scotland, and how this compares with other parts of the UK.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the rate of interest is on student loans for students from Scotland, and how this compares with other parts of the UK.","AnswerText":"The interest rate for Scottish domiciled students is currently 4.3%.The interest rates currently applied across the UK are as follows:Plan 1 &ndash; Northern Irish borrowers, English and Welsh pre-2012 borrowers &ndash; 4.3%Plan 2 &ndash; Post 2012 Welsh borrowers, English borrowers between 2012 &ndash; 2023 &ndash; 7.3%Plan 3 &ndash; English and Welsh postgraduate borrowers &ndash; 7.3%Plan 4 - All Scottish borrowers &ndash; 4.3%Plan 5 &ndash; English post 2023 borrowers &ndash; 4.3%Information on student loan interest rates and further terms and conditions across the UK can be found here: Repaying your student loan: Overview - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).","AnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423457,"EventID":"S6W-29647","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1848,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":90,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:03.243","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T09:39:45.333","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether all local authorities are now paying foster and kinship carers equally and at a level equivalent to at least the recommended standard national rate.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether all local authorities are now paying foster and kinship carers equally and at a level equivalent to at least the recommended standard national rate.","AnswerText":"The implementation of the Scottish Recommended Allowance for Foster and Kinship Carers was an agreement between Scottish Government and COSLA. Part of this agreement was that where local authorities were already paying above the national minimum allowance, this would continue so that kinship or foster carers currently in receipt of the allowance would not be worse off because of this commitment. Therefore, while the national rate has been implemented, the allowances paid by local authorities may still differ. Officials are working with Social Work Scotland to ensure that all local authorities are publishing their allowances online, so that rates paid are transparent.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423458,"EventID":"S6W-29628","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:02.757","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T15:20:14.303","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what multi-year funding it can provide to advice services on the Western Isles to ensure that islanders are able to continue to access free legal advice.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what multi-year funding it can provide to advice services on the Western Isles to ensure that islanders are able to continue to access free legal advice.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s budget for 2024-25 has maintained levels of funding for the cost of legal aid (&pound;141.3 million for the legal aid fund). The budget is demand led and all of those who meet the eligibility criteria will have access to legal aid, regardless of those who live in rural and remote geographical areas.In addition to the provision of judicare, the Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB) supports the Civil Legal Assistance Office (CLAO) from its core funding from the Scottish Government and provides a network of publicly funded solicitors by SLAB, operating from offices across Scotland.The CLAO offers assistance with civil legal problems, targeted at specific geographical areas and specific types of work, in line with priorities agreed by government. It offers a triage service whereby people contacting the service are assessed and offered one or a combination of services, depending on their eligibility for legal aid, needs and the capacity of the service. These include referral to another organisation and signposting and works closely with other advice providers to triage cases also offering, second tier advice and training. CLAO works with local advice services, advocacy services and support groups such as local women&rsquo;s aid groups.In addition, access to free legal services is provided to the Scottish Women&rsquo;s Rights Centre of around &pound;690,000 from 2023-2026 to tackling all forms of violence against women and girls, including domestic abuse, and ensuring that victims receive the support they need. Anyone over 16 in Scotland can access this service.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423459,"EventID":"S6W-29640","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1848,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":90,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:04.733","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T09:39:45.33","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what percentage of looked after children have been separated from at least one of their birth siblings in each year since the publication of The Pro","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what percentage of looked after children have been separated from at least one of their birth siblings in each year since the publication of The Promise in 2020.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has worked with local authorities to introduce new data related to siblings into the annual Looked after Children Statistics (CLAS). This data will help establish the extent to which children are placed together with their siblings in care. The definition of siblings includes sibling-like relationships, in recognition of the diversity of family relationships and children&rsquo;s experiences.The first year of data collection, 2023-2024, will be treated as a test of change and will provide the basis for further development to data to understand reasons for sibling separation.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423460,"EventID":"S6W-29670","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:04.297","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T14:07:03.643","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, prior to the announcement by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government, in her letter to the Convener of Finance and Public Administration Committee, that ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, prior to the announcement by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government, in her letter to the Convener of Finance and Public Administration Committee, that the Changing Places toilet fund would be reprofiled, what work it had undertaken to prepare for the fund to open at the start of 2025, as previously committed to by the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport.","AnswerText":"A range of work has been undertaken to prepare for the opening of the Changing Places Toilets fund. This has included scoping work, internal discussions and meetings with key stakeholders. We are working closely with PAMIS (Promoting a More Inclusive Society) and will continue to engage with wider interests, including the Scottish Parliament&rsquo;s Cross Party Group on Changing Places Toilets, as we finalise the details of the fund.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423461,"EventID":"S6W-29683","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:05:59.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T14:45:25.95","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards prescribe natalizumab (Tysabri) to treat multiple sclerosis (MS); how many patients in each NHS board are receiving this disease modifying therapy, and ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards prescribe natalizumab (Tysabri) to treat multiple sclerosis (MS); how many patients in each NHS board are receiving this disease modifying therapy, and what its position is on whether it should be prescribed to appropriate patients.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29676 on 18 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423462,"EventID":"S6W-29627","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:01.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T15:20:07.943","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to enhance the education and training of healthcare professionals on hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) and hypermobility spectrum disord","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to enhance the education and training of healthcare professionals on hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) and hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD).","AnswerText":"Scotland&rsquo;s Action Plan for Rare Diseases (2022) and Progress Report (August 2024) note awareness raising among healthcare professionals as the most important of our priorities, including making educational and training materials available for rare conditions. Work is underway with NHS Education for Scotland to develop the first of these, for all rare conditions, which will be video based. We will continue to explore opportunities to develop or signpost further learning resources.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423463,"EventID":"S6W-29672","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:01.163","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T14:45:25.95","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the conclusions in the Economist Impact report,&nbsp;The value of action: mitigating the impact of neurological disorders in the United Kingdom.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the conclusions in the Economist Impact report,&nbsp;The value of action: mitigating the impact of neurological disorders in the United Kingdom.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises how debilitating and distressing neurological conditions can be and the significant human and economic costs associated. However, we note that this report contains no Scotland-specific analyses of health policy or delivery of care for neurological conditions.Through the Neurological Care &amp; Support Framework 2020-25, we have awarded &pound;2.6 million supporting innovative projects to achieve better outcomes for people living with neurological conditions. We are working to deliver the aims of improving the provision of co-ordinated health and social care and support, developing sustainable workforce models and ensuring high standards of person-centred care.We are also working to support people with health conditions, such as neurological conditions, to play an active role within the economy. In 2023-24 we invested &pound;108 million in employability services, providing intensive and personalised pre-employment and in-work support for unemployed disabled people and those with health conditions or other barriers to progressing within work.Some people with neurological conditions may also be disabled. Our ambition is to at least halve the disability employment gap &ndash; the difference between the employment rates for non-disabled people and disabled people aged 16-64 years &ndash; by 2038 from 37.4 percentage points in 2016, our baseline year.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423464,"EventID":"S6W-29675","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:00.373","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T14:45:25.95","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase the availability of disease modifying therapies for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS).","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase the availability of disease modifying therapies for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS).","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to increasing the availability of medicines that patients in Scotland need.In Scotland, the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) appraises the clinical and cost-effectiveness of newly licensed medicines, following receipt of a submission from the manufacturer. Since 2003, the SMC has accepted 17 medicines for use/ restricted use to treat Multiple Sclerosis (MS) within NHS Scotland.Where the SMC accepts or accepts with restrictions, a medicine, or on an interim basis, then there is a clear expectation that NHS Boards will consider it and make it (or its equivalent) available. This is considered by each NHS Board Area and Drug and Therapeutics Committee.NHS Boards are expected to reach a decision within 90 days of being informed of the SMC advice, which provides time to consider any issues associated with the implementation of the medicine, such as changes to the care pathway and staff training. Boards should publish their decision on their website within 14 days of the decision.The SMC appraisal is undertaken independently of Scottish Ministers and is based on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of the medicine at a population level. Ultimately, the decision to prescribe any medicine is for the clinician in charge of an individual&rsquo;s care.We recognise that innovation remains crucial to finding a cure for MS, which is why we have funded &pound;1.9 million to support a four-year research project led by NHS Lothian and Edinburgh University to develop a new approach to guide the treatment of MS and help people have better control of their condition.The Precision-MS Study will introduce precise measurements of brain health to people with MS, with the ultimate aim of helping to ensure the right treatment at the right time, to the right person.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423465,"EventID":"S6W-29684","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:01.72","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T14:45:25.95","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards prescribe ocrelizumab (Ocrevus) to treat multiple sclerosis (MS); how many patients in each NHS board are receiving this disease modifying therapy, and ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards prescribe ocrelizumab (Ocrevus) to treat multiple sclerosis (MS); how many patients in each NHS board are receiving this disease modifying therapy, and what its position is on whether it should be prescribed to appropriate patients.","AnswerText":"Jenni Minto: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29676 on 18 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423466,"EventID":"S6W-29682","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:00.797","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T14:45:25.95","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards prescribe glatiramer acetate (Copaxone) to treat multiple sclerosis (MS); how many patients in each NHS board are receiving this disease modifying thera","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards prescribe glatiramer acetate (Copaxone) to treat multiple sclerosis (MS); how many patients in each NHS board are receiving this disease modifying therapy, and what its position is on whether it should be prescribed to appropriate patients.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29676 on 18 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423467,"EventID":"S6W-29677","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:01.967","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T14:45:25.95","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards prescribe Avonex (interferon beta-1a) to treat multiple sclerosis (MS); how many patients in each NHS board are receiving this disease modifying therapy","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards prescribe Avonex (interferon beta-1a) to treat multiple sclerosis (MS); how many patients in each NHS board are receiving this disease modifying therapy, and what its position is on whether it should be prescribed to appropriate patients.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29676 on 18 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423468,"EventID":"S6W-29645","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1848,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":90,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:02.33","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T09:39:45.333","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many looked after or care experienced young people have been subject to restraint in each year since the publication of The Promise in 202","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many looked after or care experienced young people have been subject to restraint in each year since the publication of The Promise in 2020.","AnswerText":"The wellbeing and safety of children and young people is always paramount, and the Scottish Government is clear that the use of restraint should always be a last resort in exceptional circumstances when it is the only practicable means of securing the welfare or safety of the child or another person.The Scottish Government does not hold information on how many looked after or care experienced young people have been subject to restraint.The Care Inspectorate oversees reporting and monitoring on the use of restraint in care services and collects data on the number of restraints that occur in registered care settings, such as care homes for children and young people, school care accommodation services and secure accommodation services. In order to improve monitoring and reporting of restraint of children in these settings, the Care Inspectorate intend to publish its data on restraint annually. The first report is due to be published shortly.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423469,"EventID":"S6W-29678","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:02.003","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T14:45:25.95","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards prescribe cladribine (Mavenclad) to treat multiple sclerosis (MS); how many patients in each NHS board are receiving this disease modifying therapy, and","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards prescribe cladribine (Mavenclad) to treat multiple sclerosis (MS); how many patients in each NHS board are receiving this disease modifying therapy, and what its position is on whether it should be prescribed to appropriate patients.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29676 on 18 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423470,"EventID":"S6W-29623","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:02.877","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T15:19:04.173","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with healthcare providers regarding reducing any prolonged diagnosis times for individuals with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) or ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with healthcare providers regarding reducing any prolonged diagnosis times for individuals with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) or hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD).","AnswerText":"Clinical geneticists are represented on Scotland&rsquo;s Rare Disease Implementation Board (RDIB) where issues around the referral and diagnosis of individuals with hEDS and HSD have been discussed. RDIB are responsible for overseeing the implementation of Scotland&rsquo;s Action Plan for Rare Diseases (2022) and the priorities for the coming year set out in our recent Progress Report (August 2024). Faster diagnosis remains one of these priorities, for all rare conditions.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423471,"EventID":"S6W-29680","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:02.22","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T14:45:25.95","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards prescribe diroximel fumarate (Vumerity) to treat multiple sclerosis (MS); how many patients in each NHS board are receiving this disease modifying thera","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards prescribe diroximel fumarate (Vumerity) to treat multiple sclerosis (MS); how many patients in each NHS board are receiving this disease modifying therapy, and what its position is on whether it should be prescribed to appropriate patients.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29676 on 18 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423472,"EventID":"S6W-29674","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:02.037","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T14:45:25.95","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that there is early (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS).","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that there is early (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS).","AnswerText":"We are committed to ensuring that people living in Scotland with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) are able to access the best possible care and support, and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and person-centred.Since October 2020 we have awarded &pound;2.6 million to fund innovative projects working to achieve better outcomes for people living with neurological conditions, including a project by Revive MS Support to undertake preliminary work towards an integrated national MS pathway.The most recent National Scottish MS Register report states that the percentage of newly diagnosed patients receiving contact from a MS specialist nurse within 10 working days of diagnosis increased from 86.1% in 2022 to 89% in 2023.We know that imaging capacity is important in supporting the delivery of waiting times targets and recovery, and we have provided seven mobile MRI scanners to increase activity to seven days a week, 12 hours a day, to help people get the tests they need, reducing diagnostic waits.We recognise that innovation remains crucial to finding a cure for MS and have funded &pound;1.9 million to support a four-year research project led by NHS Lothian and Edinburgh University to develop a new approach to guide the treatment of MS and help people have better control of their condition.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423473,"EventID":"S6W-29648","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1848,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":90,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:02.667","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T09:39:45.333","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many children&rsquo;s residential care homes there are in Scotland, and, of these, how many are owned by (a) local authorities, (b) voluntary organisations and (c) p","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many children&rsquo;s residential care homes there are in Scotland, and, of these, how many are owned by (a) local authorities, (b) voluntary organisations and (c) private entities.","AnswerText":"The Care Inspectorate publish quarterly statistics which includes the numbers of registered care services in Scotland. The link to the most recent statistics, published on 15 August 2024, can be found here:https://www.careinspectorate.com/index.php/publications-statistics/219-statistics-and-data/statistics/quarterly-statistical-reports/quarterly-statistical-summary-report-qtr-1-2024-25These show that, as at 30 June 2024, there are 353 residential care services in Scotland (to note this does not include residential schools). This is made up of 115 local authority services, 166 private services, 71 voluntary/not for profit services and 1 health board.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423474,"EventID":"S6W-29646","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1848,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":90,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:03.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T09:39:45.333","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether all local authorities record instances of looked after or care experienced young people being restrained, and, if not, which local authorities do not, and by wha","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether all local authorities record instances of looked after or care experienced young people being restrained, and, if not, which local authorities do not, and by what date it anticipates that all local authorities will record this data.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information. It is for local authorities to determine their own mechanisms for recording instances of restraint in relation to looked after or care experienced children and young people and any record of this would be held at local authority level.The Care Inspectorate collects data on the number of restraints that occur in registered care settings, such as care homes for children and young people, school care accommodation services and secure accommodation services. The Care Inspectorate does not collect data on restraint from local authorities. In order to improve monitoring and reporting of restraint of children in these settings, the Care Inspectorate intend to publish its data on restraint annually. The first report is due to be published shortly.In school settings, existing guidance is clear that any decision to physically intervene must be recorded and monitored by local authorities. The Scottish Government is bringing forward new guidance on the use of physical intervention in schools to help improve practice in this area and prevent the use of restraint and seclusion.The wellbeing and safety of children and young people is always paramount, and the Scottish Government is clear that the use of restraint should always be a last resort in exceptional circumstances when it is the only practicable means of securing the welfare or safety of the child or another person.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423475,"EventID":"S6W-29651","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1848,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":90,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:04.203","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T09:39:45.333","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many foster agencies are operational in Scotland, and, of these, how many are owned by (a) local authorities, (b) voluntary organisations and (c) private entities.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many foster agencies are operational in Scotland, and, of these, how many are owned by (a) local authorities, (b) voluntary organisations and (c) private entities.","AnswerText":"Fostering services in Scotland can be owned and operated by local authorities, or third sector not-for-profit organisations. The Care Inspectorate publish quarterly statistics, which includes the number of registered fostering agencies in Scotland. The most recent data was published on 15 August 2024, there are 57 fostering services in Scotland registered with the Care Inspectorate, made up of 32 local authority services and 25 voluntary/not-for-profit organisations.The link to the most recent statistics is here:Quarterly Statistical Summary Report - Qtr 1 (2024/25) (careinspectorate.com)","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423476,"EventID":"S6W-29622","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:01.293","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T14:34:53.22","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it plans to take over the next four years to ensure that it fulfils its duties under article 23 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in relation t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it plans to take over the next four years to ensure that it fulfils its duties under article 23 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in relation to disabled children under 12 years old.","AnswerText":"The UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024 places legal duties on public authorities and provides legal protection for children&rsquo;s rights that was not previously available in Scotland, and is not available in any other part of the UK.The Scottish Government expects public authorities to ensure that they fulfil their duties within the Act, including under Article 23, to ensure all rights under UNCRC are respected, protected and fulfilled. We have supported public authorities with their approach to implementation through: non-statutory guidance; a children&rsquo;s rights guide for senior leaders; an introduction to Children&rsquo;s Rights e-learning and guidance on Child Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessments. We have also provided funding to the Improvement Service and NHS Education Scotland to assist local authorities and health boards to fulfil their UNCRC duties. Statutory guidance will be published this month and a Children&rsquo;s Rights Skills and Knowledge Framework will be available before the end of the year.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423477,"EventID":"S6W-29655","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1848,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":90,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:01.463","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T09:45:06.343","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to set aside funding, equal to that drawn down from ScotWind to help achieve budget balance, over future years for investment in projects to assist the ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to set aside funding, equal to that drawn down from ScotWind to help achieve budget balance, over future years for investment in projects to assist the transition to net zero.","AnswerText":"I am giving careful consideration into how remaining ScotWind funding should be deployed in both the current and future years. Through our emergency controls and savings announced on 3 September, I will seek to minimise usage of ScotWind in 2024-25.Successive Scottish budgets have demonstrated Scotland&rsquo;s commitment to addressing the climate change crisis, using all the power and resources at our disposal to accelerate the just transition to a net zero, climate-resilient and biodiverse Scotland.Funding and spending decisions for 2025-26 will be set out in the 2025-26 Scottish Budget in December.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423478,"EventID":"S6W-29656","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1848,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":90,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:05:59.907","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T10:50:08.323","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken in response to the Competition and Markets Authority report, Children&rsquo;s social care market study.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken in response to the Competition and Markets Authority report, Children&rsquo;s social care market study.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government welcomes the 2021 Competition and Markets Authority report. We continue to consider the recommendations relevant to Scotland in line with implementation of the Promise. We are working alongside COSLA and local government to consider what further steps could be taken in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423479,"EventID":"S6W-29662","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1848,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":90,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:03.007","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T12:44:09.48","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is monitoring the supply chain development statements submitted by ScotWind developers as part of their option agreement applications, and what action it will tak","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is monitoring the supply chain development statements submitted by ScotWind developers as part of their option agreement applications, and what action it will take in the event that any commitments are not delivered.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to maximising the economic opportunity for the Scottish supply chain from our offshore wind potential. We expect developers to honour their commitments set out in the Supply Chain Development Statements (SCDS) which were a condition of their being awarded Option Agreements.The SCDS process has been carefully designed and is managed by Crown Estate Scotland (CES) to ensure focus is maintained on supply chain capacity and capability to develop and deliver offshore wind projects in Scotland.The ScotWind SCDS were updated within 12 months of signing the Option Agreement, and must be updated at least once every 3 years thereafter. The first updates made in 2023 have resulted in an increase from &pound;1.4 billion to &pound;1.5 billion in projected average spend per project.Failure by developers to deliver on their commitments can trigger remedies ranging from financial penalties to an inability to progress to a seabed lease.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423480,"EventID":"S6W-29638","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:05:59.537","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T08:48:29.577","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29198 by Gillian Martin on 5 September 2024, how many Scottish Water customers have waited longer than the average customer leak d","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29198 by Gillian Martin on 5 September 2024, how many Scottish Water customers have waited longer than the average customer leak duration of 4.2 days for a leak repair, in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water, and the Scottish Government does not hold the information, I have asked them to respond. Their reply is as follows:Scottish Water is able to provide figures for 2022-23 onward, as a new system was introduced then which means that any figures before this would not be comparable, with some data representing reporting anomalies rather than leak repair times. Scottish Water has also advised that these figures do not necessarily relate to customers but are reports into their contact centre of visible leaks. Work to identify and repair some leaks can in some cases be complex in nature or require preparations such as traffic management, notice of roadworks, etc., and there can be cases where the timescales relate to administration of the record as opposed to the leak repair.For 2022-23, 3280 (or 37.8%) burst repairs took over the 4.2 day average. For 2023-24, 2125 (23.9%) burst repairs took over the 4.2 day average.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423481,"EventID":"S6W-29635","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16177,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":125,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:04.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T08:46:11.907","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to build partnerships and effective working relationships between NHS teams and providers of BSL language and support services to children and yo","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to build partnerships and effective working relationships between NHS teams and providers of BSL language and support services to children and young people, as set out in action 10 of the British Sign Language National Plan 2023-2029, since the publication of the plan in November 2023.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to making Scotland the best place in the world for BSL users to live, work, visit and learn.The BSL National Plan 2023-29 is a cross government plan containing 45 actions under the 10 priority themes. This is a six year plan and the actions within it are designed to address barriers faced by BSL users in their daily lives. Ensuring equal access, opportunity, representation and inclusion are key components of our plan stemming across areas such as education, health, justice and culture.We recognise the importance in building effective partnerships and effective working relationships between NHS teams and providers of BSL language, that is why our work to date has focused on understanding the landscape better and identifying possible next steps in helping us deliver action 10 with the BSL National Plan.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423482,"EventID":"S6W-29641","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1848,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":90,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:02.163","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T09:39:45.33","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether all local authorities record instances of looked after children being separated from siblings, and, if not, which local authorities do not yet do so, and by when","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether all local authorities record instances of looked after children being separated from siblings, and, if not, which local authorities do not yet do so, and by when it anticipates that all local authorities will routinely record this data.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s National Practice Guidance on siblings and the Looked after Children (Scotland) Regulations 2009 highlights the importance of recording information about a child&rsquo;s brothers and sisters.From 2023-2024, data reported by all local authorities to Scottish Government as part of their annual Looked after Children Statistics (CLAS) return will include data on the number of siblings living apart from each other.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423483,"EventID":"S6W-29679","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:04.453","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T14:45:25.95","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards prescribe dimethyl fumarate (Tecfidera) to treat multiple sclerosis (MS); how many patients in each NHS board are receiving this disease modifying thera","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards prescribe dimethyl fumarate (Tecfidera) to treat multiple sclerosis (MS); how many patients in each NHS board are receiving this disease modifying therapy, and what its position is on whether it should be prescribed to appropriate patients.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29676 on 18 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423484,"EventID":"S6W-29620","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:02.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T13:31:26.763","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it currently spends annually on non-essential advertising in newspapers in the Highlands and Islands region, and what the annual reduction will be following its","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it currently spends annually on non-essential advertising in newspapers in the Highlands and Islands region, and what the annual reduction will be following its reported announcement that it will stop non-essential advertising.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government marketing and advertising spend is published each year on gov.scot including a breakdown by campaign and media type. Spend for 2024-25 has still to be agreed in light of the need to freeze public sector marketing expenditure and the ongoing process to identify exceptions.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423485,"EventID":"S6W-29644","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1848,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":90,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:03.723","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T09:39:45.33","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many looked after or care experienced young people have been excluded from school in each year since the publication of The Promise in 2020.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many looked after or care experienced young people have been excluded from school in each year since the publication of The Promise in 2020.","AnswerText":"Statistics on school exclusions are collected and published biennially.In 2020-21, there were 1,650 exclusions of children who had been looked after within the last year. In 2022-23, there were 1,912 exclusions of children who had been looked after within the last year. As children can be excluded more than once per year, a single child may be counted more than once in these figures.A link to the latest statistics is provided here: Education Outcomes for Looked After Children 2022/23 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423486,"EventID":"S6W-29686","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:03.833","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T14:45:25.95","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards prescribe Plegridy (peginterferon beta 1a) to treat multiple sclerosis (MS); how many patients in each NHS board are receiving this disease modifying th","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards prescribe Plegridy (peginterferon beta 1a) to treat multiple sclerosis (MS); how many patients in each NHS board are receiving this disease modifying therapy, and what its position is on whether it should be prescribed to appropriate patients.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29676 on 18 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423487,"EventID":"S6W-29614","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:02.08","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T13:31:26.763","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which non-essential advertising campaigns it plans to stop in the Highlands and Islands region.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which non-essential advertising campaigns it plans to stop in the Highlands and Islands region.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government freeze on public sector marketing expenditure for the remainder of the year is a necessary decision to ensure we have a balanced budget.There will be some limited Scottish Government marketing activity where costs have already been committed, or an essential need is identified, and the process to identify exceptions is still underway.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423488,"EventID":"S6W-29616","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:02.293","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T13:31:26.763","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29120 by Gillian Martin on 2 September 2024, in which years it expects the remaining &pound;5.3 million of the capital budget to m","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29120 by Gillian Martin on 2 September 2024, in which years it expects the remaining &pound;5.3 million of the capital budget to manage coastal change to be allocated.","AnswerText":"The remaining capital budget for coastal change will be distributed in 2025-26. As in all previous years, it will be allocated via a distribution method agreed by Ministers and COSLA Leaders via the local authority general capital grant. It is then the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources available to them.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423489,"EventID":"S6W-29654","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1848,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":90,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:04.42","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T09:39:45.333","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether its policy is for local authorities not to award contracts for the delivery of children&rsquo;s residential care to profit-making companies, and, if so, by what ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether its policy is for local authorities not to award contracts for the delivery of children&rsquo;s residential care to profit-making companies, and, if so, by what date it anticipates that this policy will be implemented.","AnswerText":"Local authorities are responsible for the placement of children and young people and decisions that relate to the most suitable options for meeting their needs.The Promise is clear that there is no place for profiting in how Scotland cares for its children. The Scottish Government is committed to Keeping The Promise and we are working alongside COSLA and local government to consider what further steps could be taken in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423490,"EventID":"S6W-29661","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1848,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":90,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:02.45","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T12:44:09.48","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential for public equity stakes in future offshore wind developments.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential for public equity stakes in future offshore wind developments.","AnswerText":"Within the Green Industrial Strategy, published on 11 September 2024, we set out how the people of Scotland will see maximum benefits from Scotland&rsquo;s energy transition, including identifying Scotland&rsquo;s wind economy as one of the five opportunity areas.Our public bodies already invest commercially in projects that will support the energy transition, for example the Scottish National Investment Bank provided a &pound;50m credit facility alongside &pound;50m from the UK Infrastructure Bank to accelerate the Ardersier port development. This investment will underpin one of the largest regeneration projects in the Highlands for decades. Once fully operational, Ardersier will be the largest dedicated offshore wind facility in Scotland.While many powers remain reserved, we will use the powers we do have and continue to explore further opportunities to invest in energy-related projects, technology, and infrastructure.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423491,"EventID":"S6W-29615","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:01.37","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T13:31:26.763","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29121 by Gillian Martin on 2 September 2024, on what date the (a) analysis of the Flood Resilience Strategy consultation and (b) F","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29121 by Gillian Martin on 2 September 2024, on what date the (a) analysis of the Flood Resilience Strategy consultation and (b) Flood Resilience Strategy will be published.","AnswerText":"The Flood resilience Strategy is currently scheduled for publication by the end of this year. The report on the analysis of the Flood Resilience Strategy consultation responses is scheduled for publication on the Citizen Space website at the beginning of November. This will be accompanied by all of the responses that have given their permission to be published and a &ldquo;We Asked, You Said, We Did&rdquo; summary. This highlights the main points of the consultation (\"We Asked&rdquo;), how many responses there were and key messages coming out of the responses (&ldquo;You Said&rdquo;) and what we have done, or plan to do as a result of the consultation (&ldquo;We Did&rdquo;).","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423492,"EventID":"S6W-29691","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:02.923","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T14:45:25.95","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards prescribe hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) to treat multiple sclerosis (MS); how many patients in each NHS board are receiving HSCT, and w","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards prescribe hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) to treat multiple sclerosis (MS); how many patients in each NHS board are receiving HSCT, and what its position is on whether HSCT should be available.","AnswerText":"A 2019 Scottish Government-commissioned review by the Scottish Health Technologies Group recommended that where patients understand and accept the risks, HSCT should be considered as a treatment option for patients with relapsing-MS who have significant disease activity which has not responded to adequate treatment with licensed high-efficacy drugs.HSCT can be offered to patients from Scotland who meet the eligibility criteria, and when the benefits of treatment outweigh the significant risks. In these circumstances, NHS National Services Division (NSD) will fund the treatment via cross-border referral to a provider in England, usually Sheffield NHS Trust. Any health board in Scotland may refer eligible patients to NSD for consideration.Expertise in the use of HSCT to treat MS in Scotland is still developing and small-scale clinical trials of the procedure have also commenced in NHS Lothian and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde as part of the UK-wide Star-MS trial.The Scottish Government does not hold information on how many patients in each NHS board are receiving HSCT.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423493,"EventID":"S6W-29687","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:05:59.723","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T14:45:25.95","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards prescribe ponesimod (Ponvory) to treat multiple sclerosis (MS); how many patients in each NHS board are receiving this disease modifying therapy, and wh","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards prescribe ponesimod (Ponvory) to treat multiple sclerosis (MS); how many patients in each NHS board are receiving this disease modifying therapy, and what its position is on whether it should be prescribed to appropriate patients.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29676 on 18 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423494,"EventID":"S6W-29692","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:04.82","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T14:46:20.847","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28961 by Jim Fairlie on 23 August 2024, whether it has any plans to publish an updated report on Scotland&rsquo;s canal network, i","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28961 by Jim Fairlie on 23 August 2024, whether it has any plans to publish an updated report on Scotland&rsquo;s canal network, in light of it being more than 10 years since the previous report was published.","AnswerText":"The timing of the Making the Most of Scotland&rsquo;s Canals document reflected the split from the Canals and Waterways Trust in 2012 and Ministers&rsquo; desire to set the policy context for a fully devolved Scottish Canals. That context is maintained and refreshed through corporate documents such as the Framework Document and Scottish Canals' Corporate Plan and also through the oversight of the Ministerially appointed Board and Transport Scotland's regular dialogue with Scottish Canals&rsquo; CEO and Directors.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423495,"EventID":"S6W-29618","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:05:59.613","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T13:31:26.763","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out to estimate how many rural jobs in the Highland and Islands will be impacted by its announced reduction of &pound;1 million from the Nat","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out to estimate how many rural jobs in the Highland and Islands will be impacted by its announced reduction of &pound;1 million from the Nature Restoration Fund.","AnswerText":"The reduction of &pound;1 million referred to in the letter from the Finance Secretary to the Scottish Parliament's Finance and Public Administration Committee dated 3 September relates to the nature restoration budget line, rather than the Nature Restoration Fund (NRF). The &pound;1m reduction will result in reduced scope of some projects and delay in implementing other projects.The Edinburgh Process strand of the NRF is provided directly to Local Authorities and the &pound;5 million allocated to this strand for 2024-25 has been redirected to help meet the public sector pay deal. Scottish Ministers have made a commitment to replace this funding in 2025-26. We remain firmly committed to tackling the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. However we are also taking on significant additional financial pressure, not least as a consequence of wider decisions around funding made by the current and previous UK Governments. The Finance Secretary has been clear that painful choices have had to be made as a result. The Scottish Government will work with local authorities to understand and mitigate any impacts on rural jobs, wherever that is feasible in these circumstances.Scottish Ministers know the vital role local government employees play in delivering local services which are valued by the public. This pay offer demonstrates just how much we value these workers too. It will provide an above-inflation pay increase for all council employees and ensure the most support is focused on the lowest paid.Whilst this difficult fiscal choice has had to be made, NatureScot is providing NRF funding to 14 partnership projects this year, to transform nature including through river and woodland restoration, rainforest regeneration, tackling invasive species and conserving iconic species such as the red squirrel.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":423496,"EventID":"S6W-29631","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:01.59","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T15:21:10.377","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) and hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD), what discussions it has had with healthcare providers regarding (a) the d","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) and hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD), what discussions it has had with healthcare providers regarding (a) the development of and (b) equipping patients with high-quality self-management tools and resources early in their diagnostic journey, to encourage agency and independence in managing their condition.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"The Progress Report on Scotland&rsquo;s Action Plan for Rare Disease (August 2024) noted the discussions taken forward with NHS Scotland regarding the implementation of Future Care Planning, shared decision making and the Right Decision Service. These are all useful tools that can be used by people with a rare condition to encourage agency in making the most of consultations, and assist healthcare professionals in knowing what matters most to the person involved. We will continue to promote the use of these tools and any others for people living with a rare condition.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423497,"EventID":"S6W-29685","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:02.493","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T14:45:25.95","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards prescribe ozanimod (Zeposia) to treat multiple sclerosis (MS); how many patients in each NHS board are receiving this disease modifying therapy, and wha","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards prescribe ozanimod (Zeposia) to treat multiple sclerosis (MS); how many patients in each NHS board are receiving this disease modifying therapy, and what its position is on whether it should be prescribed to appropriate patients.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29676 on 18 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423498,"EventID":"S6W-29636","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16177,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":125,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:03.387","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T08:46:11.907","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings of the British Sign Language National Plan 2023-2029 Implementation Advisory Group have taken place since the publication of the plan in November 2023.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings of the British Sign Language National Plan 2023-2029 Implementation Advisory Group have taken place since the publication of the plan in November 2023.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to making Scotland the best place in the world for BSL users to live, work, visit and learn. The BSL National Plan 2023-29 is a cross government plan containing 45 actions under the 10 priority themes. The actions will address barriers faced by BSL users in their daily lives. Ensuring equal access, opportunity, representation and inclusion are key components of our plan stemming across areas such as education, health, justice and culture.To inform the delivery of the National Plan, an Implementation Advisory Group (IAG) consisting of representative organisations of the deaf and deafblind communities was established to help advise on the delivery of actions and provide accountability on the overall plan.The group has met twice since the publication of the National Plan. The next meeting is due to take place at the end of October.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423499,"EventID":"S6W-29650","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1848,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":90,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:03.56","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T09:39:45.333","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much local authorities have spent on placements in residential children&rsquo;s homes owned by (a) local authorities, (b) voluntary organisations and (c) private ent","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much local authorities have spent on placements in residential children&rsquo;s homes owned by (a) local authorities, (b) voluntary organisations and (c) private entities in each year since the publication of The Promise in 2020.","AnswerText":"In 2020-2021, there was a total of &pound;118.9m spent on accommodation-based services for children and young people. A breakdown by provider is not available for this year.In 2021-2022 there was a total of &pound;133.4 million spent on accommodation-based services for children and young people. This can be broken down to &pound;110.5 million for care homes run by the council and &pound;22.9 million for care homes not run by the council. A further breakdown by voluntary and private providers is not available.In 2022-2023 there was a total of &pound;139.6 million spent on accommodation-based services for children and young people. This can be broken down to &pound;115 million for care homes run by the council and &pound;24.6 million for care homes not run by the council. A further breakdown by voluntary and private providers is not available.The data for 2023-2024 will be published in February 2025.Local government finance statistics are published each year and can be accessed on the Scottish Government&rsquo;s website at:&nbsp;https://www.gov.scot/collections/local-government-finance-statistics/#scottishlocalgovernmentfinancialstatistics","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423500,"EventID":"S6W-29673","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:01.843","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T14:45:25.95","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that the Independent Review of Adult Disability Payment will report back to it.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that the Independent Review of Adult Disability Payment will report back to it.","AnswerText":"The Independent Review of Adult Disability Payment was announced in the 2023 Programme for Government and is currently underway. The review is being chaired by Edel Harris OBE and the final report will be published in July 2025.The Scottish Government will provide a written response to the review within 6 months of the submission of the final report. The response will comment on each recommendation. The implementation of recommendations will be subject to rigorous assessment of delivery requirements and the affordability of changes. It will also be dependent upon the provision of resources in the relevant Scottish Budget.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423501,"EventID":"S6W-29659","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1848,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":90,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:01.89","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T11:44:56.613","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors the financial health of private providers of residential children&rsquo;s homes to ensure that there is early warning of potential failure, in line with ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors the financial health of private providers of residential children&rsquo;s homes to ensure that there is early warning of potential failure, in line with the recommendation by the Competition and Markets Authority.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not monitor the financial health of private providers of residential children&rsquo;s homes. Local authorities are responsible for the placement of children and young people and decisions that relate to the most suitable options for meeting their needs.The Care Inspectorate range of powers include that they can require providers to make proper provision for children&rsquo;s needs. However, how private providers do that and how they are funded is their responsibility.We continue to engage with the UK Government, the Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive on a regular basis to understand and learn from how responses to this issue are developing across the UK.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423502,"EventID":"S6W-29663","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1848,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":90,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:03.95","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T12:44:09.48","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of the Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council&rsquo;s collaborative framework charter and its development of a str","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of the Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council&rsquo;s collaborative framework charter and its development of a strategic investment model.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council (SOWEC) drove efforts to create a Collaborative Framework Charter to increase collaboration within the offshore wind industry. The primary output of that work is the Strategic Investment Model (SIM).A strong pipeline of port infrastructure and supply chain projects has emerged through the industry-led SIM process. 38 project proposals were developed through the SIM, with a combined total capital expenditure of around &pound;6.5 billion.The industry-led SIM process has identified ten priority projects so far; five are port facilities, four are supply chain proposals and one is an equipment project. Further progress has been made with nineteen &ldquo;progress&rdquo; projects being identified through the SIM.This approach will help deliver supply chain and port investment critical to the expansion of Scotland&rsquo;s offshore wind capacity, while supporting the deployment of ScotWind.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423503,"EventID":"S6W-29629","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:02.577","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T15:20:14.303","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it carried out an Island Communities Impact Assessment in advance of the reported end of grant funding agreements for advice services in the Western Isles on 31 ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it carried out an Island Communities Impact Assessment in advance of the reported end of grant funding agreements for advice services in the Western Isles on 31 March 2024, and, if this is not the case, for what reason.","AnswerText":"An Island Communities Impact Assessment has been carried out and will be published on the Scottish Government&rsquo;s website The Scottish Government - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) by the end of September 2024. The current grant funding provision for the Western Isles Advice Project which is part of the Scottish Legal Aid Board&rsquo;s Early Resolution and Advice Programme, will continue under the existing criteria for funding until 30 September 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423504,"EventID":"S6W-29633","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16177,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":125,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:02.617","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T08:46:11.897","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many of the authorities listed in the schedule of the British Sign Language (Scotland) Act 2015 had published their own BSL local plans by May 2024, in line with the","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many of the authorities listed in the schedule of the British Sign Language (Scotland) Act 2015 had published their own BSL local plans by May 2024, in line with the requirement in section 3 of the Act.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to making Scotland the best place in the world for BSL users to live, work, visit and learn. The BSL National Plan 2023-29 is a cross government plan containing 45 actions under the 10 priority themes. The actions will address barriers faced by BSL users in their daily lives. Ensuring equal access, opportunity, representation and inclusion are key components of our plan stemming across areas such as education, health, justice and culture.The Scottish Government does not have a regulatory role in ensuring compliance with the British Sign Language (Scotland) Act 2015. It is for Listed Authorities to satisfy themselves they are complying with the law, meet statutory deadlines and assess the legal risks should they fail to do so.The Scottish Government has a strong interest in the actions contained in BSL local plans. As a result, we are engaging with key partners to identify initiatives that can be shared as best practice across the wider system.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423505,"EventID":"S6W-29626","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:01.75","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T15:19:58.66","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to establish a pathway of care for individuals with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) or hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD).","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to establish a pathway of care for individuals with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) or hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD).","AnswerText":"Discussions around the development of care pathways for rare conditions have taken place at Scotland&rsquo;s Rare Disease Implementation Board (RDIB) and with our counterparts in the UK government and other devolved nations. We will continue doing so to explore how care could be improved in this way.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423506,"EventID":"S6W-29690","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:03.867","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T14:45:25.95","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards prescribe teriflunomide (Aubagio) to treat multiple sclerosis (MS); how many patients in each NHS board are receiving this disease modifying therapy, an","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards prescribe teriflunomide (Aubagio) to treat multiple sclerosis (MS); how many patients in each NHS board are receiving this disease modifying therapy, and what its position is on whether it should be prescribed to appropriate patients.","AnswerText":"Jenni Minto: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29676 on 18 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423507,"EventID":"S6W-29639","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1848,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":90,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:05:59.72","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T09:39:45.33","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on implementing the recommendations in the Hearings for Children: Hearings System Working Group's Redesign Report.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on implementing the recommendations in the Hearings for Children: Hearings System Working Group's Redesign Report.","AnswerText":"After a 20 month independent review, the Hearings System Working Group (HSWG), chaired by Sheriff Mackie, published its report on 25 May 2023.Following detailed analysis, The Scottish Government published its response to the &lsquo;Hearings for Children&rsquo; report in December 2023. Of the 138 &lsquo;Hearings for Children&rsquo; recommendations, 63 were accepted in full, 26 were accepted with conditions, 42 were identified as requiring further exploration or consultation, and 7 were not accepted.In January 2024, a strategic redesign board was then established to drive forward the non-legislative components of system redesign by 2026. Co-chaired by Scottish Government and COSLA, membership comprises the National Convener of Children&rsquo;s Hearings Scotland, the Principal Reporter of the Scottish Children&rsquo;s Reporter Administration and Social Work Scotland.In addition, a public consultation on the legislative elements of the redesign of the children&rsquo;s hearings system launched on 26 July. That will run for 13 weeks and close on 28 October 2024. The Scottish Government intends to introduce legislation later this Parliamentary term. If passed, the legislative elements and the overall system redesign programme, will be introduced by 2030.The Our Hearings Our Voice Board (OHOV) worked closely with Sheriff David Mackie and The Promise Scotland during the development of the &lsquo;Hearings for Children&rsquo; report. Scottish Government officials have continued to build on this relationship and are keen to ensure OHOV members continue to amplify the voice of those with lived and living experience of the hearings system throughout the redesign work. Further engagement with children and young people is also being undertaken through the Children and Young Persons Participation Framework. Who Cares? Scotland and Barnardo&rsquo;s have been appointed to lead.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423508,"EventID":"S6W-29664","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1848,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":90,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:03.183","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T12:44:09.48","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will list the (a) nature and (b) value of each of the supply chain projects being progressed through the strategic investment model developed by the Scottish ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will list the (a) nature and (b) value of each of the supply chain projects being progressed through the strategic investment model developed by the Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council and its partners.","AnswerText":"32 of the 38 projects progressed through the industry-led Strategic Investment Model have consented to being published and a list is available online at: Strategic Investment Model Stage 2 projects announced | Offshore Wind ScotlandTen priority projects have been identified through the industry-led SIM process: five are port facilities, four are supply chain proposals and one is an equipment project.A list of SIM priority projects is available online at: Full SIM Stage 2 List published | Offshore Wind Scotland.The prospectuses and the details within them belong to the individual project proponents, however taken together the total capital expenditure of SIM projects is around &pound;6.5 billion.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423509,"EventID":"S6W-29643","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1848,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":90,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:02.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T09:39:45.33","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which local authorities have ended the practice of excluding looked after or care experienced children from school, and by what date it anticipates that all local author","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which local authorities have ended the practice of excluding looked after or care experienced children from school, and by what date it anticipates that all local authorities will have done so.","AnswerText":"The latest statistics on exclusions of looked after or care-experienced children show that there were no exclusions of children looked after in the last year in 2022-23 in Orkney Islands. Exclusions rates per 1,000 pupils who were looked after ranged from 7.4 per 1,000 to 291.2 per 1,000 in other local authority areas.The legal power to exclude children or young people from school rests with the relevant local authority and therefore it is the responsibility of the local authority to have regard to the particular facts and circumstances of each case when deciding if exclusion is necessary. Our national guidance, Included, Engaged and Involved Part 2, is already clear that exclusion should be used as a measure of last resort and that there are particular considerations before the exclusion of care experienced young people.The Promise Implementation Plan sets out the commitment to support attendance and reduce exclusion of care experienced children from education. To support local authorities to meet the commitment in the implementation plan, we have developed a Framework which aims to focus on improving the educational outcomes of care experienced children and young people which include increased attendance and reduced exclusion. This Framework has recently been tested in nine local authorities and the outcomes are being considered and will be discussed with COSLA and the Association of Directors of Education in due course to inform any future roll out. In addition, in August 2024, the Scottish Government published a new three-year action plan on relationships and behaviour in schools, setting out 20 actions to support efforts to improve relationships and behaviour, which will contribute to efforts to reduce exclusions by maintaining and further embedding our approach to relational approaches and promoting positive relationships and behaviour.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423510,"EventID":"S6W-29676","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:02.62","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T14:45:25.95","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards prescribe alemtuzumab (Lemtrada) to treat multiple sclerosis (MS); how many patients in each NHS board are receiving this disease modifying therapy, and","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards prescribe alemtuzumab (Lemtrada) to treat multiple sclerosis (MS); how many patients in each NHS board are receiving this disease modifying therapy, and what its position is on whether it should be prescribed to appropriate patients.","AnswerText":"The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government or Public Health Scotland (PHS).The decision to prescribe any medicine is for the clinician in charge of an individual&rsquo;s care, having considered their clinical condition and any relevant clinical guidance.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423511,"EventID":"S6W-29642","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1848,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":90,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:04.057","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T09:39:45.33","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that the presumption against sibling separation of looked after children will be fully operational in all local authority areas.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that the presumption against sibling separation of looked after children will be fully operational in all local authority areas.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government legislation places a duty on local authorities to keep siblings together when they can&rsquo;t live at home with their family. We published National Practice Guidance in 2021 alongside the legislation to support practitioners with implementation.This guidance clearly sets out that while the presumption should be in favour of keeping siblings together, a robust assessment must be made with the aim of keeping a child safe and promoting their wellbeing.No two cases will be the same and the circumstances of each child need to inform the approach taken, within the context of the Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) approach.Where there is evidence that it is not appropriate or safe for brothers and sisters to live together, local authorities have a duty to put measures in place to nurture their relationships.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423512,"EventID":"S6W-29625","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:03.04","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T15:19:38.913","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to create a coordinated approach for the treatment and care of people with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) or hypermobility spectrum d","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to create a coordinated approach for the treatment and care of people with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) or hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD).","AnswerText":"Scotland&rsquo;s Action Plan for Rare Diseases (2022) set out actions to improve co-ordination of care for rare conditions. Our recent Progress Report (August 2024) noted progress including Future Care Planning, shared decision making and the Right Decision Service, all of which we will continue to promote as useful tools to improve the co-ordination of care.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423513,"EventID":"S6W-29666","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:04.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T13:19:38.817","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26079 by Richard Lochhead on 19 March 2024, when the innovation scorecard will be published, in line with the National Innovation ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26079 by Richard Lochhead on 19 March 2024, when the innovation scorecard will be published, in line with the National Innovation Strategy.","AnswerText":"As you are aware, the Scottish Government&rsquo;s National Innovation Strategy included an action to publish an annual innovation scorecard allowing us to track our progress towards becoming a more innovative nation across multiple key metrics.The first iteration of the scorecard, showing our baseline performance, was published alongside National Innovation Strategy last summer and the next iteration will be published this year.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423514,"EventID":"S6W-29649","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1848,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":90,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:03.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T09:39:45.333","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the average cost is of a placement in residential children&rsquo;s homes owned by (a) local authorities, (b) voluntary organisations and (c) private entities.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the average cost is of a placement in residential children&rsquo;s homes owned by (a) local authorities, (b) voluntary organisations and (c) private entities.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423515,"EventID":"S6W-29617","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:04.697","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T13:31:26.763","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many projects in the Highlands and Islands will be impacted by its announced reduction of &pound;1 million from the Nature Restoration Fund.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many projects in the Highlands and Islands will be impacted by its announced reduction of &pound;1 million from the Nature Restoration Fund.","AnswerText":"The reduction of &pound;1 million referred to in the letter from the Finance Secretary to the Scottish Parliament's Finance and Public Administration Committee dated 3 September relates to the nature restoration budget line, rather than the Nature Restoration Fund (NRF). The &pound;1m reduction will result in reduced scope of some projects and delay in implementing other projects.The Edinburgh Process strand of the NRF is provided directly to Local Authorities and the &pound;5 million allocated to this strand for 2024-25 has been redirected to help meet the public sector pay offer. Scottish Ministers have made a commitment to replace this funding in 2025-26. The Edinburgh Process strand of the NRF supports the devolved delivery of nature restoration projects that best meet local priorities for climate and nature. It helps Local Authorities to deliver upon their commitment to the Edinburgh Declaration for biodiversity, and to meet their Biodiversity Duty in taking action to conserve biodiversity.In the period 2021-22 to 2023-24, individual Local Authorities across the Highlands and Islands have received around &pound;2.4 million from the Edinburgh Process NRF strand, to support a range of nature restoration projects.This funding announcement has not affected the competitive strand of the NRF which is administered by NatureScot. Funding awarded is supporting 14 projects across Scotland including the Highland and Island region in 2024-25, for river and woodland restoration, rainforest regeneration, and restoring coastal habitats. Full details of projects funding by the NRF competitive strand can be found at Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) - Supported Projects | NatureScot.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":423516,"EventID":"S6W-29624","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-06T15:06:04.523","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T15:19:22.95","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve the healthcare infrastructure for people with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) or hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD).","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve the healthcare infrastructure for people with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) or hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD).","AnswerText":"Scotland&rsquo;s Action Plan for Rare Diseases (2022) and Progress Report (August 2024) note awareness raising among healthcare professionals as the most important of our priorities, so that professionals are empowered to recognise rarer symptoms and have access to information resources on how to refer patients for appropriate care. Our long term aim is to embed training for rare conditions into the education pathway for healthcare professionals.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423518,"EventID":"S6T-02083","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T12:44:21.023","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T09:01:58.603","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the Grenfell report, what plans it has to ensure that the reported 107 buildings identified in its cladding remediation programme are fix","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the Grenfell report, what plans it has to ensure that the reported 107 buildings identified in its cladding remediation programme are fixed, including how many will be remediated this year.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423519,"EventID":"S6T-02092","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":5060,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T12:44:21.597","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T10:44:13.427","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the Commonwealth Games potentially being hosted in Glasgow in 2026.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the Commonwealth Games potentially being hosted in Glasgow in 2026.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423520,"EventID":"S6T-02090","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":1756,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":136,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T12:44:21.463","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T10:26:26.32","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent reported dog attack in Aberdeenshire, what effect the restrictions on XL Bully-type dogs have had on the incidence of dog attacks.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent reported dog attack in Aberdeenshire, what effect the restrictions on XL Bully-type dogs have had on the incidence of dog attacks.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-09-10T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423521,"EventID":"S6F-03320","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T12:44:10.027","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T12:36:27.047","Title":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423522,"EventID":"S6F-03321","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5586,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T12:44:10.033","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T12:36:45.887","Title":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423523,"EventID":"S6F-03322","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":2892,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T12:44:10.04","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T12:37:05.39","Title":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423524,"EventID":"S6F-03346","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":3771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":86,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T12:44:11.567","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T10:49:06.373","Title":"To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Government&rsquo;s plans to improve the planning and consenting regime for renewable energy generation can support the journey to net zero.","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Government&rsquo;s plans to improve the planning and consenting regime for renewable energy generation can support the journey to net zero.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423525,"EventID":"S6F-03340","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T12:44:11.08","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T10:22:25.463","Title":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to recent reports regarding Police Scotland&rsquo;s policy on gender self-identification for individuals charged with or convicted ","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to recent reports regarding Police Scotland&rsquo;s policy on gender self-identification for individuals charged with or convicted of serious sexual assaults.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423526,"EventID":"S6F-03333","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T12:44:10.56","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T09:48:23.043","Title":"To ask the First Minister&nbsp;what action the Scottish Government is taking in response to the reported rise in hospice care costs, including to ensure that employees in that sector have pay parity w","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister&nbsp;what action the Scottish Government is taking in response to the reported rise in hospice care costs, including to ensure that employees in that sector have pay parity with NHS staff.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423529,"EventID":"S6W-29725","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:02.047","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T09:58:34.677","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact the Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre paper recently considered by the Grangemouth Future Industry Board will have on discussions reg","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact the Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre paper recently considered by the Grangemouth Future Industry Board will have on discussions regarding the future of the Grangemouth Refinery.","AnswerText":"The paper shared by the Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre at the last Grangemouth Future Industry Board was not specific to the Grangemouth Refinery.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423530,"EventID":"S6W-29728","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:01.96","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T10:03:12.823","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many midwives are currently employed on permanent contracts, broken down by NHS board.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many midwives are currently employed on permanent contracts, broken down by NHS board.","AnswerText":"The information requested on how many midwives are currently employed on permanent contracts, broken down by NHS board can be found on the TURAS NHS Education for Scotland workforce statistics site at: NHS Scotland workforce | Turas Data Intelligence (Employment over time tab, contract type drop-down).","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423531,"EventID":"S6W-29710","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:02.883","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T09:34:23.473","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether public health campaigns will be reduced or stopped as a result of the reported reductions to its marketing.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether public health campaigns will be reduced or stopped as a result of the reported reductions to its marketing.","AnswerText":"A number of public health campaigns will continue to run. Public Health Scotland will continue to undertake targeted communications work for vaccine programmes, including Winter Flu, to ensure those who are eligible for vaccinations are aware and encouraged to take them up. The Scottish Government&rsquo;s Detect Cancer Early and Dementia campaigns are currently running and a number of public health topics continue to be supported by social media, public relations and partner marketing, which is delivered directly by the Scottish Government Communications Directorate.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423532,"EventID":"S6W-29720","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:02.6","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T09:50:09.247","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the reasons were for the reported 1,152 reduction in the number of nursing and midwifery jobs in the last year.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the reasons were for the reported 1,152 reduction in the number of nursing and midwifery jobs in the last year.","AnswerText":"The 1,152 reported is the Whole Time Equivalent (WTE) fall in the NHS Scotland Nursing and Midwifery establishment over the six months to 30 June 2024. Care should be taken when comparing workforce data over a six month period as it will be influenced by seasonal patterns. The NHS Scotland Nursing and Midwifery establishment fell by 99 WTE in the year to 30 June 2024.The Scottish Government sets the strategic policy direction for the NHS in Scotland. However, operational matters, including staffing, are in the first instance the responsibility of each NHS board. Health Boards will set their establishment depending on the service needs, taking account of national, regional and local priorities, and we expect NHS boards to plan and provide safe, effective and high-quality care, in line with their statutory service provision and workforce planning responsibilities.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423533,"EventID":"S6W-29693","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5060,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:02.113","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T14:50:17.123","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its reported cessation of all &ldquo;non-essential&rdquo; advertising for the remainder of the financial year, what advertising it considers to be &ldquo;es","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its reported cessation of all &ldquo;non-essential&rdquo; advertising for the remainder of the financial year, what advertising it considers to be &ldquo;essential&rdquo;.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government freeze on public sector marketing expenditure for the remainder of the year is a necessary decision to ensure we have a balanced budget. There will be some limited Scottish Government activity where costs have already been committed, or an essential need is identified, and the process to identify exceptions is still underway.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423534,"EventID":"S6W-29734","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:02.88","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T10:24:12.27","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met developers regarding the Bankton junction on the A1 in East Lothian.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met developers regarding the Bankton junction on the A1 in East Lothian.","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland is in regular contact with Hargreaves, the developer for the Blindwells Development. The last meeting took place on 3 September 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423535,"EventID":"S6W-29729","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:02.13","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T10:03:45.547","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many midwives are currently employed on temporary contracts, broken down by NHS board.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many midwives are currently employed on temporary contracts, broken down by NHS board.","AnswerText":"The information requested on how many midwives are currently employed on temporary contracts, broken down by NHS board can be found on the TURAS NHS Education for Scotland workforce statistics site at:NHS Scotland workforce | Turas Data Intelligence (Employment over time tab, contract type drop-down).","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423536,"EventID":"S6W-29735","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:03.023","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T10:28:31.623","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government by what percentage the block grant from the UK Government has increased (a) each year and (b) cumulatively since 2007, and by how much the local government budget has in","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government by what percentage the block grant from the UK Government has increased (a) each year and (b) cumulatively since 2007, and by how much the local government budget has increased (i) each year and (ii) cumulatively over the same period.","AnswerText":"The total Resource (RDEL) Block Grant funding received by the Scottish Government (SG) each year since 2007/08, along with calculations of the year-on-year percentage change and the cumulative change over the specified timeframe is as follows:YearBasis&pound;'mPercentage Change Year on YearCumulative increase since 2007-082007-08Outturn22,905--2008-09Outturn23,5522.82%2.82%2009-10Outturn24,4863.97%6.90%2010-11Outturn25,2112.96%10.07%2011-12Outturn24,814-1.57%8.33%2012-13Outturn24,9680.62%9.01%2013-14Outturn25,4661.99%11.18%2014-15Outturn25,6600.76%12.03%2015-16Outturn25,563-0.38%11.60%2016-17Outturn26,0982.09%13.94%2017-18Outturn26,7162.36%16.64%2018-19Outturn27,2552.02%18.99%2019-20Outturn28,6215.01%24.95%2020-21Outturn38,85235.75%69.62%2021-22Outturn36,939-4.93%61.27%2022-23Outturn35,993-2.56%57.14%2023-24Outturn37,6094.49%64.19%2024-25Plans39,8145.86%73.82%2025-26Plans41,1413.33%79.62%The Total Local Government resource settlement each year since 2007-08, along with calculations of the year-on-year percentage change and the cumulative change over the specified timeframes is set out below. This is split into 2 parts, 2007-08 to 2012-13 and 2013-14 to 2025-26. Extended time series comparisons of the Local Government Settlement are inappropriate and misleading due to the impact of the Concordat and machinery of government changes such as the transfer of police and fire services out of local government which create discontinuities in the time series data. The data presented for the Local Government Settlement is taken from the relevant Local Government Circular published following the Local Government Finance (Scotland) Order in each year. It is important to note that additional funding is often allocated to local authorities in-year and processed through a retrospective redetermination in the subsequent year&rsquo;s Local Government Finance Order. By extension such funding is not reflected in this time series data but is published in the relevant Local Government Finance Circular and is available at Local government finance circulars - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)Year&pound;'mPercentage Change Year on YearCumulative increase since 2007-082007-088,717--2008-0910,06215.43%15.43%2009-1010,6035.37%21.63%2010-1110,6880.81%22.62%2011-1210,432-2.4%19.67%2012-1310,4870.53%20.30%&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Year&pound;'mPercentage Change Year on YearCumulative increase since 2013-142013-149,5830.00%0.00%2014-159,6660.87%0.87%2015-169,8712.12%3.00%2016-179,560-3.15%-0.24%2017-189,527-0.35%-0.59%2018-199,7242.07%1.47%2019-2010,0163.00%4.52%2020-2110,6165.99%10.78%2021-2210,9282.94%14.04%2022-2312,15611.24%26.85%2023-2412,3741.79%29.12%2024-2513,0565.51%36.24%2025-2613,8035.72%44.03%","AnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423537,"EventID":"S6W-29704","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16197,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:02.933","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-06T11:31:29.083","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support as many people as possible to apply for the Rural Housing Fund.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support as many people as possible to apply for the Rural Housing Fund.","AnswerText":"A three year package of financial support of almost &pound;1 million has been co-funded by the Scottish Government and Nationwide Foundation, to Communities Housing Trust and South of Scotland Community Housing, to enable them to support organisations with applications to the fund.Officials in More Homes Division are also working closely with applicants to assist as many fully developed, consented projects to gain a formal approval for delivery of affordable rural and island homes through the fund.Scottish Government guidance makes clear the expectation that projects supported by the local authority brought forward under the fund should be included in future Strategic Housing Investment Plans.The Scottish Government&rsquo;s Rural Delivery Plan, which is set to be published by the end of this parliamentary term, will set out how all parts of the Scottish Government will deliver for Scotland&rsquo;s rural and island communities. It will cover a range of priority areas, including housing, transport and economic development.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423538,"EventID":"S6W-29714","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:02.197","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T09:38:29.277","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact it anticipates that the reported &pound;800,000 reduction to VisitScotland's advertising budget will have on tourism numbers.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact it anticipates that the reported &pound;800,000 reduction to VisitScotland's advertising budget will have on tourism numbers.","AnswerText":"The decision relates to uncommitted marketing spend, however, Visit Scotland will continue to maximise the impact of its &pound;43.6 million budget through use of its own and partner channels, including relationships with travel intermediaries, to attract domestic and international visitors to Scotland.The number of people visiting Scotland is subject to different variables, including the state of the global economy. Scottish Government will work closely with VisitScotland to track and report performance.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423539,"EventID":"S6W-29540","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:03.117","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T10:13:30.773","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of the low carbon Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme (VDLIP), which was announced on 19 December 2020 to bring vacant and derelict land back i","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of the low carbon Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme (VDLIP), which was announced on 19 December 2020 to bring vacant and derelict land back into use, has been used to invest in new affordable housing.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-23569 on 13 December 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423540,"EventID":"S6W-29702","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:02.69","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-06T10:17:58.257","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to publish an impact assessment of its decision to reduce Net Zero and Energy funding by &pound;23.4 million.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to publish an impact assessment of its decision to reduce Net Zero and Energy funding by &pound;23.4 million.","AnswerText":"Details of impact assessments in relation to the measures set out in the Fiscal Statement will be published in the coming weeks on the Scottish Government&rsquo;s website.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423541,"EventID":"S6W-29731","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:03.03","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T10:06:49.587","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the latest developments in relation to the Grangemouth Flood Protection Scheme.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the latest developments in relation to the Grangemouth Flood Protection Scheme.","AnswerText":"At the request of the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy, Miri McAllan MSP, Scottish Government officials are engaging with Falkirk Council officials on a taskforce to deliver improved flood resilience for Falkirk and Grangemouth. There have been three meetings of the taskforce to date, with the next meeting scheduled for the start of October. The taskforce reports back regularly to the Cabinet Secretary.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423542,"EventID":"S6W-29700","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:03.327","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-06T09:00:26.393","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what provision there is for transporting care home residents to and from hospital appointments.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what provision there is for transporting care home residents to and from hospital appointments.","AnswerText":"Where a publicly funded resident under the National Care Home Contract qualifies for transport from the NHS to attend for a clinical appointment/ treatment the provider will, where practicable, ensure this is arranged. For the avoidance of doubt, the cost of providing transport for the resident to and from scheduled medical appointments, as well as emergency admissions to hospital are not covered in the Council&rsquo;s Approved Rate and are not therefore the responsibility of the provider where they are being paid that rate.In the absence of free provision by the NHS, transport to the following may also be provided, but shall be charged in addition to the price charged for care and accommodation:ChiropodyOpticiansDentistryPhysiotherapyTransportationand Staff escorts to and from medical appointmentsAny private contract between a self-funded resident and a care home may include provision for such transport.Should the Scottish Ambulance Service be contacted, to provide consistency, all patients are taken through the Patient Needs Assessment (PNA) to assess their eligibility for ambulance transport. SAS ask the PNA questions to allow them to fully understand the patient&rsquo;s needs and to confirm if they require ambulance transport. From this, SAS can then identify the correct resource required. If the caller indicates the patient can get out and about independently or can travel with the assistance of an escort, SAS will seek to understand what is preventing them from getting to their appointment. If there is a clear clinical or medical need, SAS will look to support this request; otherwise, patients will be signposted to alternative transport options specific to where a patient resides. SAS will always ask that if a patient is able to use other means of transport, this is considered the first choice rather than the Scottish Ambulance Service. A patient or representative is advised at the beginning of the call that if they disagree with their decision then they can ask for their request for transport to be put to appeal and this will be answered by a SAS supervisor.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423543,"EventID":"S6W-29722","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:03.093","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T09:53:09.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether children and young people are taught about their own gender identity in school.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether children and young people are taught about their own gender identity in school.","AnswerText":"Children and young people are not taught about their own gender identity in Scottish schools. That is a personal matter for any individual and, in the case of young people, their family.Relationships, sexual health and parenthood (RSHP) education is an integral part of the health and wellbeing area of the school curriculum in Scotland. Learning and teaching focusses on equipping children and young people with the knowledge, skills and values to make informed and positive choices about forming relationships. This aspect of the curriculum is intended to enable children and young people to build positive relationships as they grow older. Relationships, sexual health and parenthood education has been in place since 2010, the same year Curriculum for Excellence was implemented.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423544,"EventID":"S6W-29718","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:02.077","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T09:45:12.03","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the &pound;97 million in consequential funding that it received in relation to fixing unsafe cladding has reportedly not all been spent on cladding remed","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the &pound;97 million in consequential funding that it received in relation to fixing unsafe cladding has reportedly not all been spent on cladding remediation.","AnswerText":"Scottish Ministers prioritise consequential funding in the financial year in which it is received to support public services in Scotland and a balanced budget.Scottish Ministers have said they will spend the equivalent value of the &pound;97.1 m received in consequentials on cladding remediation at the time it is appropriate to spend it.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423545,"EventID":"S6W-29696","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:01.917","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T15:06:28.593","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of introducing prescription charges for medicines on the NHS on people with (a) chronic kidney disease and (b) long-t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of introducing prescription charges for medicines on the NHS on people with (a) chronic kidney disease and (b) long-term conditions.","AnswerText":"No impact assessment has been made on the potential impact on people with chronic kidney disease or long term conditions as there are no plans to reintroduce prescription charges.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":423546,"EventID":"S6W-29709","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:02.433","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T09:33:37.083","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact it anticipates that the reported &pound;19 million reduction to mental health services will have on mental health waiting times.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact it anticipates that the reported &pound;19 million reduction to mental health services will have on mental health waiting times.","AnswerText":"Following the UK Chancellor's July statement, the Scottish Government continues to face the most challenging financial situation since devolution.Whilst any reduction is regrettable, we remain committed to taking forward our work across mental health, working closely with key partners. Our collective focus has to be on making as much difference as possible with our funding.We continually monitor both CAMHS and Psychological therapies (PT) waiting times performance and directly engage with all 14 territorial NHS Boards. The latest CAMHS and PT waiting times statistics published on 3 September 2024 show positive signs of improvement. However, we are not complacent and continue to direct enhanced support to those NHS Boards with the longest waits.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423547,"EventID":"S6W-29726","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:02.567","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T10:00:59.493","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had in response to reports that local authorities are considering a reduction in the school week.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had in response to reports that local authorities are considering a reduction in the school week.","AnswerText":"I am concerned at suggestions of cuts to learning hours in any local authority. I wrote to all local authorities in February this year make clear that this would not be acceptable to Scottish Government.We are continuing to engage with COSLA to work towards a voluntary agreement with local government on protecting learning hours. If no agreement is reached, I remain open to taking steps towards utilising the powers in the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 to prescribe in the regulations the number of hours made available.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423548,"EventID":"S6W-29727","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:03.007","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T10:01:55.333","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what mechanisms it has to prevent local authorities from reducing the number of hours in the school week.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what mechanisms it has to prevent local authorities from reducing the number of hours in the school week.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is keen to come to a voluntary agreement with local government on protecting learning hours, but if no agreement is reached we will consider options including use of regulations. We continue to engage with local government on this matter.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423549,"EventID":"S6W-29697","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:03.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T15:06:28.593","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has undertaken an impact assessment regarding the potential introduction of prescription charges for medicines on the NHS.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has undertaken an impact assessment regarding the potential introduction of prescription charges for medicines on the NHS.","AnswerText":"No impact assessment has been undertaken as there are no plans to reintroduce prescription charges.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":423550,"EventID":"S6W-29705","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16197,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:01.913","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-06T11:31:48.803","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support those who are unable to meet the March 2026 spend deadline for the Rural Housing Fund.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support those who are unable to meet the March 2026 spend deadline for the Rural Housing Fund.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29704 on 17 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423551,"EventID":"S6W-29717","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:03.167","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T09:43:21.073","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what training for senior administrators in the NHS will be reduced or stopped, in light of its fiscal statement on 3 September 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what training for senior administrators in the NHS will be reduced or stopped, in light of its fiscal statement on 3 September 2024.","AnswerText":"We have made a commitment, under the Nurture strand of the National Workforce Strategy to support leadership and talent management across NHS Scotland. We know that succession planning for senior roles is an urgent priority to ensure the continuity of service delivery and reform &ndash; and that we need to ensure we are also developing our pipeline of future leaders. We further emphasised the importance of this with the publication of Improving Wellbeing and Working Cultures in July, which set out our ambition to enhance working cultures through programmes of work that focus on the pillars of: wellbeing, leadership and equality.As we face one of the most challenging financial circumstances since devolution, we are focussed on taking forward affordable actions that will have the biggest impact on progressing our priorities. Leadership learning and development will be delivered both nationally and locally, as appropriate, supported by the sharing of good practice and guidance across organisational boundaries. This will ensure that we continue to make appropriate savings while utilising the best of the resources we have to maintain high quality leadership in our NHS.We continue support leadership and talent development at all leadership levels, delivered nationally by NHS Education for Scotland. This includes onboarding support for new NHS Chief Executives, including executive coaching, mentoring and peer learning opportunities, as well as support for identified aspiring chief executives.We have looked to ensure best value for money from interventions supporting senior systems leaders, and are launching adaptive learning sets, utilising skilled inhouse staff to facilitate cross system peer learning. We have a range of free to access digital tools and resources that can be used by staff at any leadership level, including senior administrators, to support their personal leadership development.We are continually reviewing our leadership learning and talent development offerings for leaders, to ensure that we both deliver on the need to make the best value of public money, while still ensuring that critical skills of leadership are continually supported and developed.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423552,"EventID":"S6W-29723","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:02.113","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T09:54:57.687","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which company has been contracted to undertake the economic impact assessment for the Grangemouth Refinery.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which company has been contracted to undertake the economic impact assessment for the Grangemouth Refinery.","AnswerText":"PriceWaterhouseCoopers LLP were commissioned by Scottish Ministers to carry out this independent assessment. The findings of this assessment have been shared with the Economy and Fair Work Committee.The document has been published online: Economic Contribution of Grangemouth Refinery | Scottish Enterprise (scottish-enterprise.com).","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423553,"EventID":"S6W-29698","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16215,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:02.073","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T15:46:44.437","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review the funding model for St Mary's Music School in Edinburgh.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review the funding model for St Mary's Music School in Edinburgh.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government officials meet with St Mary&rsquo;s Music School on a regular basis to discuss funding and other issues, for example the impact of the removal of VAT exemption on school fees. We also continue to work with the school to regularly update the St Mary&rsquo;s Music School (Aided Places Scheme) (Scotland) Regulations 2015, which includes an examination of, for example, the income thresholds for parental contributions and ancillary grants.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423554,"EventID":"S6W-29721","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:02.21","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T09:51:23.633","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to make the process for nursing and midwifery graduates to find jobs in NHS Scotland easier.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to make the process for nursing and midwifery graduates to find jobs in NHS Scotland easier.","AnswerText":"Recruitment is a matter for the employing Health Boards, and the Scottish Government has no direct role in newly qualified nurse recruitment plans and processes. However, officials have been engaging with Health Boards and it is our understanding that Boards remain committed to maximising the opportunities for newly qualified nurses to find employment.When a Health Board is unable to offer roles, they will often retain applications on file should future vacancies arise. Where a student who is ready to graduate cannot find employment with a local Health Board, I am aware that universities provide support and career guidance to assist students in the consideration of all employment opportunities within health and social care.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423555,"EventID":"S6W-29719","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:02.483","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T09:47:29.097","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to (a) complete and (b) fund its cladding remediation programme, in light of reports that some of the consequential funding that it received for this purpos","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to (a) complete and (b) fund its cladding remediation programme, in light of reports that some of the consequential funding that it received for this purpose has been allocated elsewhere.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government expects the cost of cladding remediation work to be met through a combination of responsible developers assessing and remediating their own buildings, consequential funding from the UK Government, and a devolved Building Safety Levy. This effectively matches the funding approach that the UK Government is taking in England.Scottish Ministers have said they will spend the equivalent value of the &pound;97.1 m received in consequentials on cladding remediation at the time it is appropriate to spend it.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423556,"EventID":"S6W-29708","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:01.93","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T09:32:43.01","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact it anticipates that reallocating a further &pound;460 million from ScotWind revenue will have on investment in renewable energy.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact it anticipates that reallocating a further &pound;460 million from ScotWind revenue will have on investment in renewable energy.","AnswerText":"Successive Scottish budgets have demonstrated Scotland&rsquo;s commitment to addressing the climate change crisis, using all resources at our disposal to accelerate the just transition to a net zero, climate-resilient and biodiverse Scotland. The 2024-25 Budget committed &pound;4.7 billion for activities with a positive impact on our climate change goals.Use of ScotWind revenue is an action we would rather not take but must carefully consider given the fiscal challenges faced, given the limited options available under existing fiscal framework arrangements. We will seek to minimise usage of ScotWind in 2024-25 &ndash; just as we did in 2023-24.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423557,"EventID":"S6W-29707","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:02.073","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-06T15:06:51.203","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on providing pupils with free laptops and digital devices to date, and what evaluation it has carried out of the impact of its policy of providing ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on providing pupils with free laptops and digital devices to date, and what evaluation it has carried out of the impact of its policy of providing free laptops and digital devices on the educational performance of the pupils who have received them.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29611 on 20 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423558,"EventID":"S6W-29695","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:01.973","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T15:06:28.593","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the article in The Times on 26 August 2024, whether it is considering introducing prescription charges for medicines on the NHS to balance its budget defici","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the article in The Times on 26 August 2024, whether it is considering introducing prescription charges for medicines on the NHS to balance its budget deficit.","AnswerText":"There is no plan to re-introduce prescription charges in Scotland. Prescription charges were abolished in April 2011 because Scottish Ministers believed that they were a tax on ill health and a barrier to good health for many people. This was particularly so for those with long-term conditions and those on a low income who in the past faced choices about which medicines they could afford. The introduction of free prescriptions has been fully funded by the Scottish Government, at no cost to NHS budgets.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":423559,"EventID":"S6W-29701","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:02.617","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-06T10:16:47.333","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of any new measures put in place to respond to storm damage in Angus and across the North East as a result of lessons learned from  s","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of any new measures put in place to respond to storm damage in Angus and across the North East as a result of lessons learned from  severe storm damage in 2023.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"The primary responsibility for flood resilience rests with the individual property owner, and then it is for Local Authorities to develop Local Flood Risk Management Plans. Effective mechanisms to support response and recovery during and after extreme weather events are already in place, including regional resilience partnerships, and through the Scottish Flood Forum. Various lessons learned exercises were carried out by the responsible authorities following the responses to different storm events last year.Later this year, the Scottish Government will publish a Flood Resilience Strategy which will aim to set Scotland on a long-term course towards a sustainable level of flood resilience in the face of increasing flood risks associated with climate change.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423560,"EventID":"S6W-29733","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:02.903","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T10:08:20.49","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many unique views there have been of the website, Mind Yer Time, in each of the last 12 months.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many unique views there have been of the website, Mind Yer Time, in each of the last 12 months.","AnswerText":"The number of unique views to the Scottish Youth Parliament/Children&rsquo;s Parliament Mind Yer Time website in each of the last 12 months are as follows:Date rangeActive usersNew users10th September - 30th September 20231601511st October - 4th November 20232612465th November - 2nd December 20232772593rd December - 6th January 20242142097th January - 3rd February 20242152044th February - 2nd March 20243252993rd March - 6th April 20244654387th April - 4th May 20242592475th May - 1st June 20242692492nd June - 6th July 20244974867th July - 3rd August 20242862724th August - 31st August 2024101910131st September - 11th September 2024116107&nbsp;42734180\"Active users\" is the number of people who engaged with the site or app in the specified date range. \"New users\" is the number of people who have never visited the site or app before in the specified date range.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423561,"EventID":"S6W-29732","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:03.23","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T10:07:34.387","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the cost was of developing the website, Mind Yer Time.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the cost was of developing the website, Mind Yer Time.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government funding for the development and maintenance of the Scottish Youth Parliament/Children&rsquo;s Parliament Mind Yer Time website is as follows:Year&pound;2020-2153,4002021-2239,6002022-235,0002023-2440,1872024-2540,000Total178,187Mind Yer Time is an online hub specifically designed to give children and young people advice on social media use, screen time, sleep and the impacts of these things on body image and mental wellbeing.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423562,"EventID":"S6W-29713","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:02.143","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T09:37:28","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a detailed breakdown of the proposed &pound;115 million of savings in the Health and Social Care budget outlined in its fiscal statement on 3 Sep","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a detailed breakdown of the proposed &pound;115 million of savings in the Health and Social Care budget outlined in its fiscal statement on 3 September 2024.","AnswerText":"On the 3 September 2024, the Scottish Government pre-budget fiscal update outlined savings measures of &pound;115.8m in the Health and Social Care budget, with funding redirected to support emerging pressures within Health and Social Care, not used for wider SG spending.A breakdown of the savings can be found at: Scottish Government Pre-Budget Fiscal Update: Letter to Finance Committee - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423563,"EventID":"S6W-29711","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:03.247","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T09:35:12.95","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which flood defence projects may be reduced or stopped, in light of its fiscal statement on 3 September 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which flood defence projects may be reduced or stopped, in light of its fiscal statement on 3 September 2024.","AnswerText":"Within an extremely challenging financial context, the Scottish Government has made difficult funding decisions. Local authorities have received all the funding they have requested for flood protection in 2024-25 and, as such, &pound;26 million from the Flood Risk Management Programme is being repurposed this financial year to support local government pay and avoid impactful industrial action. Decisions on the status of future projects will therefore be made by individual local authorities. We have sought assurances from local authorities through COSLA that redirection of this portion of the funding will not impact on councils progressing with their flood protection schemes as planned.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423564,"EventID":"S6W-29736","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:03.11","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T10:32:54.32","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the letter from the&nbsp;Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government to the&nbsp;Finance and Public Administration Committee on 3 September 2024, whet","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the letter from the&nbsp;Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government to the&nbsp;Finance and Public Administration Committee on 3 September 2024, whether it will provide a full breakdown of the &pound;27.7 million in budget savings that were listed under the category \"other\" in the&nbsp;Health and Social Care portfolio.","AnswerText":"On the 3 September 2024, the Scottish Government pre-budget fiscal update outlined \"other\" savings measures of &pound;27.7M in the Health and Social Care budget, with funding redirected to support emerging pressures within Health and Social Care, not used for wider SG spending.The breakdown is as follows:Health and Social CareTotalReprioritisation DescriptionPortfolio by Level 3 Budget&pound;m&nbsp;Early Years2.9Savings made across budget lines including breastfeeding and young patient family fund. Also includes reprofiling and reducing planned activity on some smaller projects.Active Healthy Lives1.2Reduced activity on programmes focussing on physical activity and diet and healthy weight.Access Support3.2Emerging underspends following a review of anticipated funding requirements for 2024-25.Corporate Support and Resilience8.8Includes a reduction in health emergency contingency budgets amd release of historical budget to support board pressures.Other Board Services and Misc Income9.2Includes reprofiling of activity in relation to women's health, innovation Fellowship Scheme and reducing contingency funding for transvaginal mesh alongside one off savings in stock and pausing investment in digital trial developments within Health Research.Other2.3A range of smaller savings including anticipated 5% savings of total budget for Sportscotland, underspends in e-Pharmacy and re-profiling of digital spend.&nbsp;27.6&nbsp;","AnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423565,"EventID":"S6W-29724","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:03.057","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T09:56:13.217","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will next update the Parliament on its just transition plan for Grangemouth.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will next update the Parliament on its just transition plan for Grangemouth.","AnswerText":"We remain committed to delivering a Just Transition Plan that reflects the needs of the industrial site operators, workforce and the wider community and anticipate the launch of a draft plan for consultation in the coming months.We will update the Parliament on the Grangemouth Just Transition Plan in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423566,"EventID":"S6W-29554","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:02.11","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-03T12:35:16.703","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government  how many hectares of vacant and derelict land have been brought back into use as a result of the Vacant and Derelict Land Fund that it announced on 19 December 2020.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government  how many hectares of vacant and derelict land have been brought back into use as a result of the Vacant and Derelict Land Fund that it announced on 19 December 2020.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-23571 on 13 December 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423567,"EventID":"S6W-29706","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16197,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:02.583","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-06T11:32:18.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is currently taking to tackle pensioner poverty in Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is currently taking to tackle pensioner poverty in Scotland.","AnswerText":"We work closely with partners, including through the Older People&rsquo;s Strategic Forum (OPSAF) on a range of issues related to age equality. This includes the Strategic Action Framework &lsquo;A Fairer Scotland for Older People&rsquo;, in which Ensuring Financial Security is a priority area. We are running a number of Roundtables throughout Scotland to hear from older people and older people's organisation as part of the refresh of the Framework.We support projects that enable older people to live independent and fulfilling lives. Our Equality and Human Rights Fund provides over &pound;2.2M to support older people&rsquo;s organisations and age equality projects and programmes. We also launched a &pound;3.8m Social Isolation and Loneliness Fund on 8 March 2023 which funds 53 projects supporting people at risk of social isolation and loneliness.Between Oct 23-March 24 the Equalities and Human Rights Fund resulted in a total of 17,350 individuals helped directly with the provision of support information and advice, with &pound;1097,832 of income maximisation and 1,039 organisations have also been supported via capacity building and information sharing.We have committed to investing over &pound;12 million for the provision of free income maximisation support, welfare and debt advice services in 2024-25, including support for the Citizens Advice Scotland Money Talk Team Service, which last year supported over 9,000 older people.The Scottish Government recognises the positive contribution older people make to their communities. We aim to enable better access to a range of services for older people as and when they need them. We want to ensure people are financially secure and supported as they age.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423568,"EventID":"S6W-29716","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:03.227","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T09:43:09.773","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many applications were received in the process of appointing a new chair of the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission, and where, in addition to the Scottish Gov","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many applications were received in the process of appointing a new chair of the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission, and where, in addition to the Scottish Government website, the position was advertised.","AnswerText":"A total of 13 applications were received for the post of Chair to the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission. The appointment process for that post remains on-going. At the same time, the SCCRC advertised a vacancy for a Legal Member, which also attracted 13 applications.The Scottish Government posted the adverts on the Scottish Government hosted public appointments webpages.The adverts were circulated to over 1500 individuals and groups who have registered on the public appointments notes of interest contact list. This information is circulated to bodies such as Citizens Advice Scotland, the Equality Network, Women on Boards, and Changing the Chemistry.Scottish Government officials also reached out to a number of other relevant organisations to draw their attention to the vacancies. These were:The Faculty of Advocates;Scottish Legal Aid Board;The Society of Solicitor Advocates;Scottish Legal Complaints;The Equalities and Human Rights Commission;The Scottish Human Rights Commission;The Legal Services Agency;Law Centres Network;Fair Justice System for Scotland Group;Govan Law Centre; andThe Scottish Ethnic Minorities Lawyers Association.The vacancies were also posted on the Scottish Legal News website, the Scottish Legal News X page, and advertised via Scottish Legal News&rsquo; daily newsletter.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423569,"EventID":"S6W-29737","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:03.113","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T11:28:20.127","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29060 by Angus Robertson on 26 August 2024, whether an official from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) was p","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29060 by Angus Robertson on 26 August 2024, whether an official from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) was present at the meeting, as per the established protocol that ministerial meetings have a FCDO official present.","AnswerText":"An FCDO official was not present at this meeting. This is in accordance with standard practice for my meetings with Members of the European Parliament. FCDO officials were of course informed of the visit and programme in the normal way.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423570,"EventID":"S6W-29703","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:02.063","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-06T10:17:58.257","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it sought advice from the Climate Change Committee before reducing Net Zero and Energy funding by &pound;23.4 million.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it sought advice from the Climate Change Committee before reducing Net Zero and Energy funding by &pound;23.4 million.","AnswerText":"The Climate Change Committee were not consulted in advance of the savings in Net Zero and Energy portfolio set out in the Fiscal Statement on 3 September 2024. There is no legislative requirement for Ministers to seek such advice and it is not common practice to do so. The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 sets out when Scottish Ministers must request advice from the CCC as well as when Scottish Ministers must have regard to CCC advice. There is no requirement on Ministers to ask the CCC for advice in relation to financial budgets.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423571,"EventID":"S6W-29730","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:02.463","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T10:06:07.283","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many vacancies there currently are for midwives, broken down by NHS board.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many vacancies there currently are for midwives, broken down by NHS board.","AnswerText":"The information requested on how many vacancies there currently are for midwives, broken down by NHS board can be found on the TURAS NHS Education for Scotland workforce statistics site at: NHS Scotland workforce | Turas Data Intelligence (Vacancy tab).","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423572,"EventID":"S6W-29694","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:02.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-05T15:06:28.593","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated administrative cost would be of the potential introduction of prescription charges on the NHS.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated administrative cost would be of the potential introduction of prescription charges on the NHS.","AnswerText":"No estimations have been made as there are no plans to reintroduce prescription charges.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":423573,"EventID":"S6W-29699","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:02.053","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-06T09:00:26.393","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the criteria are for patients to qualify for patient transport.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the criteria are for patients to qualify for patient transport.","AnswerText":"The service the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) provide is based on a medical and mobility requirement and the Patient Needs Assessment (PNA) is designed to identify the patients who have the following needs. All patients requesting patient transport are taken through the PNA.SAS support patients who:Require a high level of mobility assistanceNeed specialist ambulance equipment to help them mobiliseRequire oxygen and are unable to self-administer this during transportationHave a communicable disease with which travel on public/community transport or in a taxi is not advised, and do not have access to appropriate private transportHave undergone a procedure and the potential side effects of the treatment require the assistance of a trained ambulance crew for the return journeyHave been clinically determined by an HCP as at risk from using alternative transport due to being immunocompromised and do not travel routinely by other meansThey have a cognitive or sensory impairment that requires oversight to safely travel, and no escort is travellingHave dementia, mental health conditions that means they are unable to make their own way with alternative transport and could be a risk to themselves or othersMore information on Scheduled Care Service can be found on the SAS website at www.scottishambulance.com including information on some other alternative transport providers within the local area. Alternatively, patients/representatives can contact the attending hospital who may be able to provide additional advice on options for travelling to and from any future hospital appointments and if eligible, patients may be able to claim help with travel costs.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423574,"EventID":"S6W-29712","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-09T15:50:02.777","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T09:36:32.643","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which (a) organisations and (b) local authorities may have their funding reduced, in light of the reductions to active travel spending announced in its fiscal statement ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which (a) organisations and (b) local authorities may have their funding reduced, in light of the reductions to active travel spending announced in its fiscal statement on 3 September 2024.","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland has already allocated over &pound;145 million of our 2024-25 budget to delivery partners across both Active Travel infrastructure and behaviour change. 2024-25 is the first year for a local authority and Regional Transport Partnerships led delivery model for infrastructure and behaviour change programmes that will encourage a shift towards more walking, wheeling and cycling. This funding remains in place.The utmost importance is placed on balancing the Scottish Government&rsquo;s budget each financial year. The Scottish Government and the whole of the public sector face a financial position that is extremely challenging. As with all programmes across Scottish Government, further active travel funding will need to be considered in this context for 2024-25. As the active and sustainable travel funding referred to in the Cabinet Secretary for Finance&rsquo;s Pre-Budget Fiscal Update had not been allocated, no organisations nor local authorities will see their previously confirmed 2024-25 funding reduced as a result.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423603,"EventID":"S6W-29768","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":16186,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":120,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T10:17:54.017","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T10:15:56.053","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will provide an update on its Green Industrial Strategy.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will provide an update on its Green Industrial Strategy.","AnswerText":"Our Green Industrial Strategy is published today and is available online at https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781836016847. This strategy will ensure that Scotland gets the maximum possible economic benefit from the opportunities created by the global transition to net zero. To create good, well-paid jobs we need to translate Scotland&rsquo;s huge strengths into competitive advantages in a global race: that is why this strategy provides a clear direction and focus to create confidence and encourage investment. We will use all the powers at our disposal to make Scotland a fantastic place to invest in the green economy opportunities which the strategy identifies.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423604,"EventID":"S6W-29791","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":5596,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":151,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T12:43:51.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T12:39:06.237","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its first annual Progress Report on implementing the Violence Prevention Framework for Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its first annual Progress Report on implementing the Violence Prevention Framework for Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has today published the Violence Prevention Framework for Scotland: Annual Progress Report 2023-2024. This can be accessed on the Scottish Government website at https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781836017684.The report highlights work undertaken by our partners in the first year, over 2023-24 to implement the actions set out in the Violence Prevention Framework for Scotland to prevent violence and reduce its harm when it does occur.Further Progress Reports will be published on an annual basis.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423605,"EventID":"S6W-29793","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":5622,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":148,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T13:59:20.217","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T13:56:55.247","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Registrar General will publish information on education, labour market and travel to work from the 2022 Census.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Registrar General will publish information on education, labour market and travel to work from the 2022 Census.","AnswerText":"I have asked Janet Egdell, Chief Executive of National Records of Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:National Records of Scotland have today published: &lsquo;Scotland&rsquo;s Census 2022: Education, labour market and travel to work&rsquo;.Scotland&rsquo;s Census results are designated as Accredited Official Statistics and form an integral part of the statistical system in the UK. The Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR), the independent regulatory arm of the UK Statistics Authority, awards Accredited Official Statistics designation based on the quality, good practice and comprehensiveness of official statistics.More detail about the schedule for future reports can be found here.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423619,"EventID":"S6W-29784","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:05.397","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T10:31:08.993","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that the core minimum dataset is transparent and accessible to the public and stakeholders, in order to foster accountability and continuous improveme","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that the core minimum dataset is transparent and accessible to the public and stakeholders, in order to foster accountability and continuous improvement in rehabilitation services.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government responded to calls for more transparency and accountability by working with Public Health Scotland, who were commissioned to carry out an evaluation of the residential rehabilitation programme, including the establishment of an experimental core minimum dataset.The core minimum dataset was developed with input from the Monitoring and Evaluation Advisory Group. This includes input from individuals with lived experience of substance use, allowing robust data to be collected to help both the development and outcomes of this work to be more transparent and accountable.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423620,"EventID":"S6W-29756","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:05.657","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T15:17:09.493","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its decision to pause the replacement of St Brendan&rsquo;s hospital in Castlebay; whether it has held any recent meetings with NHS Western Isles,&nbsp;a","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its decision to pause the replacement of St Brendan&rsquo;s hospital in Castlebay; whether it has held any recent meetings with NHS Western Isles,&nbsp;and, if so, whether it can provide details of what was discussed.","AnswerText":"In December 2023, given the extremely challenging capital funding position, NHS Boards were instructed to stop any project development spend and instead direct capital budgets towards maintenance of the existing estate and essential equipment and digital replacement. Boards were notified that the Scottish Government does not anticipate starting construction of any new project over the next two years at least.We are working with all health boards to develop a whole-system infrastructure plan which reflects on the needs for the whole of Scotland and will support continued safe operation of existing facilities and well as determination of longer-term investment priorities.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423621,"EventID":"S6W-29783","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:07.75","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T10:31:08.993","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what specific metrics will be included in the monitoring and evaluation of residential rehabilitation through the core minimum dataset.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what specific metrics will be included in the monitoring and evaluation of residential rehabilitation through the core minimum dataset.","AnswerText":"Public Health Scotland&rsquo;s experimental core minimum dataset for the residential rehabilitation programme will include information on three core elements: client characteristics, client outcomes and the residential rehabilitation service pathways (including duration of placements and costs).It is expected that the dataset will strengthen the evidence of progress towards more people accessing publicly-funded residential rehabilitation through breaking down the reported placements to include information on shorter durations and placements funded by Housing Benefit.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423622,"EventID":"S6W-29788","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:07.817","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T10:31:08.993","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the definition of \"rehabilitation\" has been altered to include any form of \"residential placement\", in light of reported concerns that this potentially dilutes t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the definition of \"rehabilitation\" has been altered to include any form of \"residential placement\", in light of reported concerns that this potentially dilutes the understanding of what constitutes true rehabilitation.","AnswerText":"No - we have set out a clear definition of what counts as residential rehabilitation and used it consistently since its publication in 2021.The Scottish Government uses the Residential Rehabilitation Development Working Group definition of residential rehab as \"facilities offering programmes which aim to support individuals to attain an alcohol or drug-free lifestyle and to be re-integrated into society, provide intensive psychosocial support and a structured programme of daily activities, and which residents are required to attend over a fixed period of time.\"","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423623,"EventID":"S6W-29778","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:06.663","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T10:31:08.993","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government,&nbsp;further to the answer to question&nbsp;S6W-28615&nbsp;by Christina McKelvie on 9 August 2024, how any insights gained from the core minimum dataset, which is expec","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government,&nbsp;further to the answer to question&nbsp;S6W-28615&nbsp;by Christina McKelvie on 9 August 2024, how any insights gained from the core minimum dataset, which is expected to be published in December, will be utilised to improve residential rehabilitation services.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government will carefully consider the key insights from the experimental core minimum dataset when the first batch of information is published by Public Health Scotland in December 2024.It should be noted that this first publication is likely to be limited to reflect only the number of placements reported in the monitoring period. Similarly, the dataset will not provide specific recommendations on what is required to improve rehabilitation services, but will help us understand possible issues for exploration.A greater level of insight and data will be available for publication, including average treatment length and outcomes, as the dataset continues to develop and become more mature.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423624,"EventID":"S6W-28512","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:06.083","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-07-09T10:46:46.097","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to ensure that public transport is available to enable people to access entertainment venues.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to ensure that public transport is available to enable people to access entertainment venues.","AnswerText":"As you will be aware, the majority of bus services in Scotland are operated on a purely commercial basis by operators who use their own commercial judgement on service routes and frequencies. Local authorities can identify where there is a social need for particular bus services and can subsidise these at their discretion however this is entirely a matter for the local authority to consider and action as appropriate.In relation to rail travel, the Scottish Government brought ScotRail into public ownership to ensure that ScotRail focuses its delivery on the needs of Scottish passengers. ScotRail keeps its services under continued review to ensure its services meet passengers requirements as much as possible.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423625,"EventID":"S6W-29789","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:07.63","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T10:31:08.993","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to ensure that the definition and delivery of rehabilitation services meet the comprehensive, long-term care needs of those seeking recovery.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to ensure that the definition and delivery of rehabilitation services meet the comprehensive, long-term care needs of those seeking recovery.","AnswerText":"Residential rehabilitation services in Scotland are regulated by appropriate governing bodies independent of the Scottish Government; namely the Care Inspectorate, Healthcare Improvement Scotland or the NHS.It is the responsibility of these bodies to monitor and ensure that residential rehabilitation services are providing safe, quality support to people in recovery across the country.The Scottish Government are working with regulators and providers to develop and publish a series of &ldquo;Principles for Residential Rehabilitation&rdquo; to support regulatory bodies with their evaluation of RR providers, and to empower individuals to understand what they should expect from a stay in residential rehab, including pre-rehab support and appropriate aftercare.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423626,"EventID":"S6W-29757","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:07.473","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T15:17:09.493","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that&nbsp;the air flow cleansing canopy in an NHS Western Isles operating theatre is showing signs of failure, but that this work is repo","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that&nbsp;the air flow cleansing canopy in an NHS Western Isles operating theatre is showing signs of failure, but that this work is reportedly unaffordable in the current financial year.","AnswerText":"As a result of significant increases in construction costs due to inflation, and a lower than expected capital grant from the UK Government, a capital review is currently underway.Alongside this, we are working with all health boards to develop a whole-system infrastructure plan which reflects on the needs for the whole of Scotland and will support continued safe operation of existing facilities and well as determination of longer-term investment priorities.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423627,"EventID":"S6W-29748","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:06.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T15:03:16.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the total value of grants awarded by Creative Scotland&rsquo;s Open Fund for Individuals to applicants in the Highlands and Islands region has been since May 2021, ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the total value of grants awarded by Creative Scotland&rsquo;s Open Fund for Individuals to applicants in the Highlands and Islands region has been since May 2021, broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"The following table shows the total value of grants awarded by Creative Scotland&rsquo;s Open Fund for Individuals to applicants in the Highlands and Islands region from 1 May 2021 to 31 August 2024, which are broken down by local authority area.Local Authority AreasNumber of applicationsAmount awardedArgyll and Bute27&pound;296,255Highland61&pound;797,771Moray12&pound;191,893Na h-Eileanan Siar6&pound;43,285Orkney Islands7&pound;112,731Shetland Islands8&pound;84,229Grand Total121&pound;1,526,164","AnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423628,"EventID":"S6W-29782","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:07.967","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T10:31:08.993","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how the forthcoming UK Alcohol Treatment Guidelines will (a) influence the national specification for alcohol treatment in Scotland and  (b) ensure consistency across bo","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the forthcoming UK Alcohol Treatment Guidelines will (a) influence the national specification for alcohol treatment in Scotland and  (b) ensure consistency across both alcohol and drug treatment services.","AnswerText":"The UK clinical guidelines for alcohol treatment (UKCGAT) will help to influence the national specification and subsequent overarching guidance for alcohol treatment in Scotland through looking to introduce new approaches to treatment and will apply to a broad range of settings including primary care, hospital and justice settings.The UKCGAT aims to develop a clear consensus on good practice and help services to implement interventions for alcohol use disorders that are recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). The intention is to promote and support consistent good practice and improve the quality-of-service provision, resulting in better outcomes, similarly to the Orange Book supporting treatment for drugs misuse and dependency.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423629,"EventID":"S6W-29785","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:05.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T10:31:08.993","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the reported drop in the number of individuals accessing alcohol treatment services can be attributed to comprehensive and effective trea","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the reported drop in the number of individuals accessing alcohol treatment services can be attributed to comprehensive and effective treatment not being readily available.","AnswerText":"We have asked Public Health Scotland (PHS) to investigate the reasons behind the apparent 40% reduction in the number of people accessing specialist alcohol treatment services. We will use this information to better understand the reasons for treatment number decline and how we can improve and better support alcohol treatment services in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423630,"EventID":"S6W-29751","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:05.937","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T15:03:16.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of whether its Pre-Budget Fiscal Update proposal to reduce mental health services spending by &pound;18.8 million will have an impact on ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of whether its Pre-Budget Fiscal Update proposal to reduce mental health services spending by &pound;18.8 million will have an impact on the number of people able to access (a) the Distress Brief Interventions programme and (b) student mental health support measures.","AnswerText":"Following the UK Chancellor's July statement, the Scottish Government continues to face the most challenging financial situation since devolution.Whilst any reduction is regrettable, we remain committed to taking forward our work across mental health, working closely with key partners. Our collective focus has to be on making as much difference as possible with our funding.No elements of the Distress Brief Intervention (DBI) programme will be discontinued in 2024-25. Savings were realised through pre-agreed changes in funding to the original pilots, which from 2024-25 will be funded by local areas rather than centrally by the Scottish Government. There is no anticipated impact on the number of people able to access the DBI programme.The cessation of funding in relation to student mental health was extensively discussed with the sector, including when transition funding was put in place for Academic Year 2023-24 at the conclusion of our previous four year Programme for Government commitment in relation to counsellor provision. Our five year investment of over &pound;19 million sought to support student mental health and wellbeing and help institutions to transition to a more sustainable means of providing mental health support for students.Our new Student Mental Health Action Plan, published on 13 September, seeks to move to a mainstreamed approach to student mental health. The Government will work with NHS Boards, CoSLA, Public Health Scotland and community based providers to join up support that is already available, embedding students&rsquo; mental health needs into the wider communities in which they live and study.The Action Plan recognises the importance of each college and university having a Student Mental Health Agreement in place. To enable this we continue to support NUS Think Positive with &pound;130,000 in 2024-25.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423631,"EventID":"S6W-29746","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:05.603","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T15:03:16.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) improvement and (b) repair works have been (i) postponed or (ii) rescheduled by Traffic Scotland in the Highlands and Islands region between August 2023 and","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) improvement and (b) repair works have been (i) postponed or (ii) rescheduled by Traffic Scotland in the Highlands and Islands region between August 2023 and August 2024, broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"Seven improvement works were re-scheduled in the Highland Council Area. One set of repair works was re-scheduled in the Highland Council Area. All programmed works for the period in question have been completed.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423632,"EventID":"S6W-29745","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:06.09","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T15:03:16.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made any assessment of whether the spending reductions announced in the Pre-Budget Fiscal Update will have an indirect impact on the community link worker","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made any assessment of whether the spending reductions announced in the Pre-Budget Fiscal Update will have an indirect impact on the community link worker programme in the Highlands and Islands region.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s Primary Care Improvement Fund (PCIF) provides funding for the implementation of multidisciplinary teams in primary care, including Community Link Workers. The PCIF was not subject to reductions announced in the Pre-Budget Fiscal Update so there has been no assessment of impacts.The latest data that the Scottish Government holds on CLW numbers (to 31 March 2024) shows that CLW programmes in the six integration authorities within the Highlands and Islands region were funded (except for one post in Argyle and Bute) from integration authority PCIF allocations. These figures are published &ndash; please see the supplementary tables that accompany the summary report: Primary care improvement plans: implementation progress summary - March 2024 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423633,"EventID":"S6W-29787","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:07.663","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T10:31:08.993","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported concerns that residential rehabilitation placements often refer to short stays in facilities that may not include full detoxification or","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported concerns that residential rehabilitation placements often refer to short stays in facilities that may not include full detoxification or substantial rehabilitation.","AnswerText":"The Residential Rehabilitation Development Working Group defines residential rehab as facilities offering programmes which aim to support individuals to attain an alcohol or drug-free lifestyle and to be re-integrated into society, provide intensive psychosocial support and a structured programme of daily activities, and which residents are required to attend over a fixed period of time.The Scottish Government recognises that diversity of treatment options is important to empower individuals to have more choice and to meet the needs of individuals seeking different types of recovery, and this includes taking a person-centred approach to the duration of treatment.It is the responsibility of the bodies responding to Public Health Scotland to ensure that reporting of residential rehabilitation placements meets this definition.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423634,"EventID":"S6W-29762","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:07.06","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T10:13:16.343","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the value of local alcohol deaths reviews to enable improvements to be made in the provision and practice of local services that can reduce the r","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the value of local alcohol deaths reviews to enable improvements to be made in the provision and practice of local services that can reduce the risk of future deaths.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"Alcohol death reviews are a valuable practice for Alcohol and Drug Partnerships to undertake in order to gain a deeper and more detailed understanding of the circumstances surrounding alcohol-specific deaths. To assess to what extent the people who have died were in touch with local services, what interventions had taken place, whether there is an identifiable profile of the people who are suffering an alcohol-specific death and whether there are lessons that can be learned, changes or improvements that can be made to services to prevent future deaths in the local area.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423635,"EventID":"S6W-29749","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:07.5","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T15:03:16.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29126 by Gillian Martin on 2 September 2024, whether it proposed an increase in funding for flood resilience for local authorities","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29126 by Gillian Martin on 2 September 2024, whether it proposed an increase in funding for flood resilience for local authorities within the Highlands and Islands region at the last COSLA meeting on 5 September 2024.","AnswerText":"Funding for flood resilience is distributed to local authorities through the general capital grant. The allocation mechanism is agreed by Ministers and COSLA Leaders on a national basis, rather than bespoke to each local authority, and as such there was no discussion around increasing flood resilience funding for local authorities within the Highlands and Islands region at the meeting on 5 September.The current distribution agreement is that 80% of available funding is allocated to a list of prioritised flood protection schemes, and 20% allocated to local authorities to fund other actions within Flood Risk Management Plans.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423636,"EventID":"S6W-29755","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:05.66","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T15:17:09.493","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that, following a review of existing facilities at St Brendan&rsquo;s Hospital in Castlebay by NHS Assure, \"heating systems, electrical w","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that, following a review of existing facilities at St Brendan&rsquo;s Hospital in Castlebay by NHS Assure, \"heating systems, electrical wiring, and water systems have been identified as requiring upgrade in the very near future\".","AnswerText":"As a result of significant increases in construction costs due to inflation, and a lower than expected capital grant from the UK Government, a capital review is currently underway.Alongside this, we are working with all health boards to develop a whole-system infrastructure plan which reflects on the needs for the whole of Scotland and will support continued safe operation of existing facilities and well as determination of longer-term investment priorities.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423637,"EventID":"S6W-29753","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:07.877","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T15:17:09.493","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that NHS Western Isles has designated the acquisition of automated medicine cabinets as high priority, but that this is reportedly unaffo","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that NHS Western Isles has designated the acquisition of automated medicine cabinets as high priority, but that this is reportedly unaffordable in the current financial year.","AnswerText":"As a result of significant increases in construction costs due to inflation, and a lower than expected capital grant from the UK Government, a capital review is currently underway.Alongside this, we are working with all health boards to develop a whole-system infrastructure plan which reflects on the needs for the whole of Scotland and will support continued safe operation of existing facilities and well as determination of longer-term investment priorities.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423638,"EventID":"S6W-29786","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:07.19","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T10:31:08.993","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide a clear and precise definition of what constitutes a \"residential rehabilitation placement\" within the context of the reported 938 placements.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide a clear and precise definition of what constitutes a \"residential rehabilitation placement\" within the context of the reported 938 placements.","AnswerText":"Public Health Scotland&rsquo;s report, published on 18 June 2024, presents a high-level overview of the number of statutory-funded residential rehabilitation placements between April 2021 and March 2024. This includes statutory-funded placements approved by:local Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs)the Scottish Government, using funds that are managed centrally for some residential rehabilitation placements (e.g. under the Prison-to-Rehab pathway). These placements are reported as National Mission-funded in this report.Ward 5 of the Woodland View mental health facility and community hospital in NHS Ayrshire and Arran. Ward 5 is a residential unit for Ayrshire and Arran residents who have an alcohol or drug problem and mental health 5 issues. Ward 5 offers detoxification followed by a four-week residential programme.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423639,"EventID":"S6W-29739","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16197,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:08.177","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T11:41:14.16","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what area, in hectares, is currently covered by a year-round prohibition on the use of mobile or active gear to (a) dredge for scallops and (b) trawl for nephrops norveg","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what area, in hectares, is currently covered by a year-round prohibition on the use of mobile or active gear to (a) dredge for scallops and (b) trawl for nephrops norvegicus under any measure other than the Inshore Fishing (Prohibition of Fishing and Fishing Methods) (Scotland) Order 2004.","AnswerText":"As of April 2024: 309,761 hectares were closed to both scallop dredging and bottom trawling within the 6 nautical miles limit adjacent to Scotland.15,660,261 hectares were closed to both scallop dredging and bottom trawling within the UK Exclusive Economic Zone adjacent to Scotland.28,962,015 hectares were closed to both scallop dredging and bottom trawling within the UK Continental Shelf adjacent to Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423640,"EventID":"S6W-29759","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:07.313","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T09:15:56.64","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether an official from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) was present at the meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affa","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether an official from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) was present at the meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and the T&aacute;naiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence of Ireland on 6 September 2024, as per the established protocol that ministerial meetings have an FCDO official present.","AnswerText":"In line with agreed practice, an FCDO official was not present at this meeting.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423641,"EventID":"S6W-29760","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:07.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T10:08:21.193","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will utilise the powers under the Pollution Prevention and Control Regulations 2012 to direct SEPA to temporarily or permanently refuse incineration permits.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will utilise the powers under the Pollution Prevention and Control Regulations 2012 to direct SEPA to temporarily or permanently refuse incineration permits.","AnswerText":"As Scotland moves towards a circular economy, we must treat residual waste responsibly. This is why the Scottish Government commissioned the independent review of the role of incineration in the waste hierarchy (the Review), published in 2022.The Review underlined that that the best form of residual waste treatment is preventing waste from occurring in the first place, but in the short-term incineration has a role to play as we make the transition to a circular economy and end the practice of sending biodegradable municipal waste to landfill by 2025.The Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) regulations 2012 (&ldquo;the PPC regulations&rdquo;) require that SEPA make impartial assessments of all PPC Permit applications and make decisions relating to environmental permits in accordance with these regulations. Whilst Scottish Ministers do have the ability to intervene in the PPC process by way of a direction, they would not normally do so in the absence of exceptional circumstances.The Review recommended that no further planning permission for incineration facilities, beyond what was already in place, should be granted. This was reflected in National Planning Framework 4, which came into force on 13 February 2023 and is clear that development proposals for energy from waste facilities will not be supported except under very limited circumstances.An updated incineration capacity analysis by Zero Waste Scotland (which is being finalised for publication later this year) indicates that facilities currently in development are required to help meet Scotland&rsquo;s impending waste management needs, including for when the ban on landfilling biodegradable municipal waste comes into force on 31 December 2025.The key policy levers on this matter exist within the planning system. We will continue to work with SEPA, planners and the wider sector to ensure appropriate management of incineration capacity issues.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423642,"EventID":"S6W-29769","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:07.35","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T10:24:10.787","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination report, following the combined 24th and 26th periodic reports of the UK and N","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination report, following the combined 24th and 26th periodic reports of the UK and Northern Ireland, which reportedly notes concern about \"reports of racist incidents and ethnic and religious prejudice against Irish persons in Scotland\".","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is absolutely clear that there is no place for hatred and prejudice in Scotland. We work cooperatively with a range of organisations throughout the country to tackle all forms of hatred and prejudice, including Irish community organisations in Scotland.Our Hate Crime Strategy Delivery Plan sets out our immediate actions over the next two years, up to April 2026, to implement Scotland&rsquo;s Hate Crime Strategy. This reflects our commitment that everyone in Scotland lives free from hatred and prejudice and that all our communities, including our Irish communities, are empowered, inclusive and safe.The Delivery Plan supports the implementation of the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021. The Act consolidates, modernises and extends existing hate crime legislation and is an essential element of our wider approach to tackling hate crime. The Act includes legislative protections against offences aggravated by prejudice against race and religion.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423643,"EventID":"S6W-29764","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:05.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T10:13:16.343","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many Alcohol and Drugs Partnerships have conducted local alcohol death reviews since 2020.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many Alcohol and Drugs Partnerships have conducted local alcohol death reviews since 2020.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"We are aware of two alcohol death reviews that have been conducted since 2020. These were completed by the Borders Alcohol and Drug Partnership and NHS Fife.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423644,"EventID":"S6W-29770","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:05.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T10:24:10.793","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to act upon the reported recommendations made in the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination report, following the combined 24th and 26th p","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to act upon the reported recommendations made in the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination report, following the combined 24th and 26th periodic reports of the UK and Northern Ireland, including that the (a) Scottish Government engage with stakeholders and members of the Irish community to develop measures to address any ethnic and religious prejudice in Scotland and (b) devolved governments systematically collect and publish comparable statistics on the enjoyment of rights by members of ethnic minorities in all fields of life.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring our work is informed by the experiences of people and communities that are affected by racism, hatred and prejudice.The Scottish Government&rsquo;s Hate Crime Strategy, and its associated Delivery Plan launched in November 2023, sets out our strategic priorities for tackling hate crime in Scotland. It was informed by communities with lived experience of hate crime, including Irish communities. We are committed to supporting a range of ongoing and participatory engagement, and will continue to work in partnership with Irish community organisations in Scotland to understand issues of importance to them, as we deliver our Strategy.Scotland&rsquo;s National Performance Framework is our wellbeing framework that sets out a vision of societal progress through National Outcomes. The Framework has equality breakdowns available as standard for each of the 48 National Indicators relating to people.Scotland&rsquo;s Equality Evidence Strategy 2023-2025 demonstrates a clear, continuing commitment to improve the collection and analysis of racial data, to inform understanding of needs and differential experiences of marginalised groups. The strategy was developed in collaboration with a range of external partners. By the end of 2024, an Interim Review of the Equality Evidence Strategy will be completed and published. Aligning with one of the Equality Evidence Strategy Actions, analysis of Scotland Census 2022 data will be completed in 2025 to further add to understanding of differential experiences.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423645,"EventID":"S6W-29777","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:06.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T10:31:08.993","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government,&nbsp;further to the answer to question S6W-28615&nbsp;by Christina McKelvie on 9 August 2024,&nbsp;whether it can provide more detail on any research gaps identified in","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government,&nbsp;further to the answer to question S6W-28615&nbsp;by Christina McKelvie on 9 August 2024,&nbsp;whether it can provide more detail on any research gaps identified in the 2022 literature review, and how it plans to address any such gaps.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government and Public Health Scotland have worked collaboratively with stakeholders to establish an experimental core minimum dataset to support the monitoring and evaluation of the residential rehabilitation programme. It is expected that the first extracts will be published in December 2024, which will allow us to gauge the current status of the research gaps identified in 2022 and address those remaining as appropriate.Further detail on the research gaps identified in the 2022 literature review can be found in pages 27-30 of the report. The report recommends further research in several areas, including impact on specific demographics and the differences between residential rehabilitation models.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423646,"EventID":"S6W-29765","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:05.4","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T10:13:16.343","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will remind local Alcohol and Drugs Partnerships (ADPs) of the expectation that they will undertake local alcohol death reviews every three years, and whether","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will remind local Alcohol and Drugs Partnerships (ADPs) of the expectation that they will undertake local alcohol death reviews every three years, and whether this expectation will be included in ADP funding letters in the future.","AnswerText":"The then Minister for Public Health, Sport and Wellbeing issued a letter to Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) supporting the release of Alcohol Focus Scotland&rsquo;s guidance on undertaking alcohol death reviews on 24 September 2020. The letter asked that ADPs undertake an alcohol death review every three years.We are currently working with both Alcohol Focus Scotland and Public Health Scotland to review how alcohol death reviews are being delivered in Scotland and also what learning can be taken from the delivery of drugs death reviews.These findings will feature in the national specification for treatment of drug and alcohol misuse in Scotland which is currently in development and will build on the recommendations of the forthcoming UK Clinical Guidelines for Alcohol Treatment.It is our expectation that future Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP) funding letters will ask ADPs to undertake local alcohol death reviews .","AnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423647,"EventID":"S6W-29741","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16197,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:07.103","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T11:48:02.26","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what area, in hectares, is currently covered by a year-round prohibition on the use of creels for fishing under any measure other than the Inshore Fishing (Prohibition o","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what area, in hectares, is currently covered by a year-round prohibition on the use of creels for fishing under any measure other than the Inshore Fishing (Prohibition of Fishing and Fishing Methods) (Scotland) Order 2004.","AnswerText":"As of April 2024:9,011 hectares were closed to creeling within the 6 nautical miles limit adjacent to Scotland.522,485 hectares were closed to creeling within the UK Exclusive Economic Zone adjacent to Scotland.3,700,024 hectares were closed to creeling within the UK Continental Shelf adjacent to Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423648,"EventID":"S6W-29744","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:05.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T15:03:16.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether its Pre-Budget Fiscal Update proposal to reprofile the timing of project spend on the Hydrogen Emerging Energies Technology Fund will impact on the ability of th","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether its Pre-Budget Fiscal Update proposal to reprofile the timing of project spend on the Hydrogen Emerging Energies Technology Fund will impact on the ability of the selected projects to develop and demonstrate renewable hydrogen technologies by the end of the funding period in 2026.","AnswerText":"The Hydrogen Action Plan, published in December 2022, set out a clear commitment to support renewable hydrogen production.The UK Government&rsquo;s 10% cut on the Scottish Government capital budget has impacted Scottish government funding ability. However, on 16 September we launched a &pound;7m funding call to enable companies to develop renewable green hydrogen production projects and support the development of the hydrogen supply chain in Scotland.More details on the call can be found on the website of our delivery partner, Scottish Enterprise; Funding for development of hydrogen projects | Scottish Enterprise (scottish-enterprise.com)Earlier this summer, on 14 August, I announced the &pound;3.1m match-funding grant award to the Storegga Speyside Hydrogen Project in Moray. This will help to support the development stage of the construction of a new regional hydrogen production hub which will produce green hydrogen for operations across distilleries and other businesses in Moray.Allocations from the first tranche of the Emerging Energy Technology Fund hydrogen investment programme, the Hydrogen Innovation Scheme, totalled nearly &pound;7m to 31 projects, and were announced in May 2023. These projects will all conclude by 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":423649,"EventID":"S6W-29781","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:05.61","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T10:31:08.993","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government,&nbsp;further to the answer to question S6W-28609&nbsp;by Christina McKelvie on 6 August 2024,&nbsp;whether it can provide further detail on the process of developing th","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government,&nbsp;further to the answer to question S6W-28609&nbsp;by Christina McKelvie on 6 August 2024,&nbsp;whether it can provide further detail on the process of developing the national specification for alcohol and drug treatment, including how stakeholders, including those with lived experience, will be involved in this process.","AnswerText":"For the development of the national specification for alcohol and drug services, initial engagement has begun with representative groups covering service commissioners, service providers and people who use, have used or could use the services.We have invited relevant stakeholders to be part of the national specification and overarching guidance reference group which we will continue to engage with during development. This includes stakeholders with lived experience.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423650,"EventID":"S6W-29738","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16197,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:06.263","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T11:40:36.307","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what area, in hectares, is currently covered by a year-round prohibition on the use of mobile or active gear to (a) dredge for scallops and (b) trawl for nephrops norveg","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what area, in hectares, is currently covered by a year-round prohibition on the use of mobile or active gear to (a) dredge for scallops and (b) trawl for nephrops norvegicus under schedules 1 and 3 of the Inshore Fishing (Prohibition of Fishing and Fishing Methods) (Scotland) Order 2004.","AnswerText":"Under schedules 1 and 3 of the Inshore Fishing (Prohibition of Fishing and Fishing Methods) (Scotland) Order 2004 - 167,773 hectares are closed to both scallop dredging and bottom trawling within the 6 nautical miles limit adjacent to Scotland, as of April 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423651,"EventID":"S6W-29780","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:06.89","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T10:31:08.993","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to balance resource allocation between alcohol and drug addiction services to ensure that equitable and effective treatment options are available for both s","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to balance resource allocation between alcohol and drug addiction services to ensure that equitable and effective treatment options are available for both services.","AnswerText":"Funding allocated to Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) is for both alcohol and drug treatment services. In 2024-25, &pound;112.9 million has been made available to ADPs. ADPs decide how this money is spent in their local areas to meet the needs of those who live there and experience drug and/or alcohol harms.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423652,"EventID":"S6W-29750","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:07.23","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T15:03:16.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of the potential impact of its proposed Pre-Budget Fiscal Update reduction of &pound;4.1 million to the Health Improvement and Protection","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of the potential impact of its proposed Pre-Budget Fiscal Update reduction of &pound;4.1 million to the Health Improvement and Protection budget on its (a) diet and healthy weight and (b) effective prescribing and therapeutics policies.","AnswerText":"As part of the development of the measures outlined in the Pre-budget Fiscal Update, all Portfolios assessed the impact of specific measures relevant to their portfolios. The Scottish Government approach to impact assessments is guided by meeting our statutory duties whilst ensuring our approach is proportionate, noting that a full analysis will continue to be provided annually as part of the Scottish Budget process.The savings realised from the Health Improvement and Protection budget do not have any impact on, or reduction to, planned spending on diet &amp; healthy weight or effective prescribing and therapeutics.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423653,"EventID":"S6W-29758","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:08.263","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T15:17:09.493","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that NHS Western Isles has designated the refurbishment of Medical Ward 2 at the Western Isles Hospital in Stornoway as high priority, bu","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that NHS Western Isles has designated the refurbishment of Medical Ward 2 at the Western Isles Hospital in Stornoway as high priority, but that this work is reportedly unaffordable in the current financial year.","AnswerText":"As a result of significant increases in construction costs due to inflation, and a lower than expected capital grant from the UK Government, a capital review is currently underway.Alongside this, we are working with all health boards to develop a whole-system infrastructure plan which reflects on the needs for the whole of Scotland and will support continued safe operation of existing facilities and well as determination of longer-term investment priorities.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423654,"EventID":"S6W-29740","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16197,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:07.783","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T11:41:31.93","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what area, in hectares, is currently covered by a year-round prohibition on the use of creels for fishing under schedule 2 of the Inshore Fishing (Prohibition of Fishing","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what area, in hectares, is currently covered by a year-round prohibition on the use of creels for fishing under schedule 2 of the Inshore Fishing (Prohibition of Fishing and Fishing Methods) (Scotland) Order 2004.","AnswerText":"As of April 2024 - 12,689 hectares were closed to creeling within the 6 nautical miles limit adjacent to Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423655,"EventID":"S6W-29309","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16195,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:06.173","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-23T11:05:48.95","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on what level of certainty would be required that essential infrastructure would remain operational for a significant period of time in order for it","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on what level of certainty would be required that essential infrastructure would remain operational for a significant period of time in order for its protection from flooding to be considered an imperative reason of overriding importance for the purpose of the Habitats Regulations, and whether it will provide the reasons for its position on this matter.","AnswerText":"Flood protection schemes are an effective way to improve flood resilience for the design flood, they are not an absolute guarantee that flooding will not occur. Events beyond the design flood are possible and a residual risk will always remain. It is up to individual local authorities to determine what level of protection they deem appropriate considering the impacts of climate change and wider environmental factors in the area of the flood protection works.Operational matters are ultimately the responsibility of the infrastructure owner, including how their operations may be impacted in the event of a flood.Where a flood protection development may have a significant impact on a European site, then under the Habitats Regulations an appropriate assessment must be carried out by the Local Authority to determine whether an impact on the integrity of the designated site is likely. Should the appropriate assessment conclude an adverse impact on integrity then the Local Authority must apply for a derogation from Scottish Ministers to allow the development to proceed. One of the three tests which must be satisfied under the Habitats Regulations before a derogation is granted is that the development is of imperative reasons of over-riding public interest.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423656,"EventID":"S6W-29308","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16195,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:05.457","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-23T11:05:37.703","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported need for rapid transition from fossil fuels, what its position is on whether the defence of petrochemical infrastructure from flooding could be","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported need for rapid transition from fossil fuels, what its position is on whether the defence of petrochemical infrastructure from flooding could be considered an imperative reason of overriding public interest for the purposes of the Habitats Regulations, and whether it will provide the reasons for its position on this matter.","AnswerText":"Individual local authorities have responsibility for the development and delivery of flood protection schemes. Every location at risk is unique and therefore the business case for improving flood resilience will reflect this.Where a flood protection development may have a significant impact on a European site, then under the Habitats Regulations an appropriate assessment must be carried out by the Local Authority to determine whether an impact on the integrity of the designated site is likely. Should the appropriate assessment conclude an adverse impact on integrity then the Local Authority must apply for a derogation from Scottish Ministers to allow the development to proceed. One of the three tests which must be satisfied under the Habitats Regulations before a derogation is granted is that the development is of imperative reasons of over-riding public interest.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423657,"EventID":"S6W-29743","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:08.09","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T14:48:09.6","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason ethical commissioning no longer features in the marked-up version of the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill that it published on 25 June 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason ethical commissioning no longer features in the marked-up version of the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill that it published on 25 June 2024.","AnswerText":"Ethical commissioning was defined in the Bill, as introduced, as making arrangements for services in ways which were consistent with the NCS Principles. As a consequence of the agreement reached on shared accountability for the NCS these specific provisions were removed. There will be other requirements placed on relevant bodies to comply with the NCS Principles more widely which will achieve the same intent for ethical considerations to be embedded in commissioning and procurement of NCS services. Therefore the intent within the Bill remains unchanged.We will carefully consider the responses to the Scottish Parliament&rsquo;s call for views.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423658,"EventID":"S6W-29767","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:06.977","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T10:13:16.343","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the National Mission on Drugs was extended to include alcohol.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the National Mission on Drugs was extended to include alcohol.","AnswerText":"The National Mission was established to improve and save lives of people impacted by drugs. However, given that many of the improvements to services, such as residential rehabilitation, included as part of the Mission are integrated for both alcohol and drugs, the work of the Mission has always been helping save and improve the lives of people impacted by alcohol as well. There is also a significant cohort of people whose lives have been impacted by both alcohol and drugs.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423659,"EventID":"S6W-29752","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:07.433","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T15:03:16.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government&nbsp;how many Changing Places toilets it estimates will be introduced following its announcement in its Pre-Budget Fiscal Update to reprofile the commencement of the Cha","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government&nbsp;how many Changing Places toilets it estimates will be introduced following its announcement in its Pre-Budget Fiscal Update to reprofile the commencement of the Changing Places Toilet Fund, compared with its previous funding plans.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government committed to investing &pound;10 million in Changing Places Toilets over the lifetime of the Parliament. Ultimately, the number of Changing Places Toilets that will be introduced as a result of investment will be determined by the number and quality of funding bids received. The Changing Places Toilets Planning Guide published by the Scottish Government provides information on Changing Places Toilets and guidance to those considering installing one.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423660,"EventID":"S6W-29763","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:08.003","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T10:13:16.343","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether a letter was issued to local Alcohol and Drugs Partnerships in 2020, asking them to undertake local reviews of alcohol deaths every three years, and, if so, what","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether a letter was issued to local Alcohol and Drugs Partnerships in 2020, asking them to undertake local reviews of alcohol deaths every three years, and, if so, what the content was of that letter.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"The then Minister for Public Health, Sport and Wellbeing issued a letter to Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) supporting the release of Alcohol Focus Scotland&rsquo;s guidance on undertaking alcohol death reviews on 24 September 2020. The letter asked that ADPs undertake an alcohol death review every three years.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423661,"EventID":"S6W-29766","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:06.31","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T10:13:16.343","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether its current actions in relation to alcohol are sufficient to address the scale of alcohol harm in Scotland, particularly in light of the ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether its current actions in relation to alcohol are sufficient to address the scale of alcohol harm in Scotland, particularly in light of the latest alcohol-specific death statistics.","AnswerText":"Every life lost to alcohol is a tragedy and the recent alcohol specific deaths statistics published by the National Records of Scotland is a stark reminder of the challenge we continue to face in tackling alcohol harm across Scotland.The Scottish Government continues to prevent alcohol harm including continuing and increasing the minimum unit price of alcohol. Minimum unit pricing has been estimated to have saved hundreds of lives since it was first implemented in 2018 and the steps taken by this Government are expected to continue and increase the positive health effects of the policy. The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care has also set out the next steps for progressing work on alcohol marketing, which also seeks to develop further preventative approaches to reducing alcohol harm.To support people already drinking at hazardous and harmful levels the Scottish Government provided record investment to ADPs in the 2024-2025 financial year. In addition to this we are currently developing a national treatment specification for alcohol treatment in Scotland which will look to build on the work of the forthcoming UK Clinical Guidelines for Alcohol Treatment. The Scottish Government also supports innovation to develop best practice on tackling alcohol harm including projects such as the Managed Alcohol Programme and the Primary Care Alcohol Nurse Outreach Service which has recently been embedded into mainstream services in Glasgow City ADP.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423662,"EventID":"S6W-29747","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:07.547","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T15:03:16.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is able to provide a breakdown of the number of patients that faced delayed discharge in NHS Western Isles between January 2024 and August 2024 by age group.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is able to provide a breakdown of the number of patients that faced delayed discharge in NHS Western Isles between January 2024 and August 2024 by age group.","AnswerText":"A delayed discharge occurs when a hospital patient (aged 18 or over) who is clinically ready for discharge from inpatient hospital care continues to occupy a hospital bed beyond the date they are ready for discharge. Public Health Scotland hold data relating to people aged 18 and over affected by delayed discharge.Data for August 2024 is not yet available as it is due to be published on 1 October 2024. Therefore Table 1 presents the total number of people aged 18 or over who faced a period of delay, for any reason, in NHS Western Isles between 1 January and 31 July 2024.Table 1: Number of people1 who faced a period of delay in NHS Western Isles hospitals in the period 1 January 2024 to 31 July 2024, by age group.Age Group2Number of individual people who had a delayed discharge episodeNo longer in delay at 31 July 20243Still in delay at 31 July 2024418+93801318-741413175+7967121.Some individuals may have had more than one delay episode in this period, however they have only been counted once. Figures include people who experienced a delay at any point in the time period including people whose delay may have started prior to January 2024.2.The age groups reflect the age groups presented in the monthly delayed discharges publication.3.Includes people who were: discharged from hospital; have died; or were removed from the delayed discharge list as they were no longer fit for discharge.4.Delay could have started at any time.Information on delayed discharges is published monthly on the Public Health Scotland Website. The publication provides a monthly update on the:number of people experiencing a delay in discharge from hospital at the monthly census point &ndash; the last Thursday of the month.number of hospital bed days associated with delayed discharges in the calendar month.number of discharges from hospital that followed a period of delay in the calendar month.In the publication people could be counted in multiple months if they are delayed in more than one month.Source: Public Health ScotlandRef: IR2024-0061","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423663,"EventID":"S6W-29754","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-10T16:22:05.657","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T15:17:09.493","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that NHS Western Isles has identified &pound;4.5 million of high-priority and high-cost works, \"but has received a grant of just &pound;1","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that NHS Western Isles has identified &pound;4.5 million of high-priority and high-cost works, \"but has received a grant of just &pound;1.29 million from the Scottish Government\"&nbsp;for the works in 2024-25.","AnswerText":"As a result of significant increases in construction costs due to inflation, and a lower than expected capital grant from the UK Government, a capital review is currently underway.Alongside this, we are working with all health boards to develop a whole-system infrastructure plan which reflects on the needs for the whole of Scotland and will support continued safe operation of existing facilities and well as determination of longer-term investment priorities.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423683,"EventID":"S6O-03735","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:31:22.383","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T08:52:56.33","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to deliver better outcomes for children and young people with learning disabilities, autism and neurodiversity, in light of its decision not to include","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to deliver better outcomes for children and young people with learning disabilities, autism and neurodiversity, in light of its decision not to include the introduction of its proposed Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence Bill in the Programme for Government 2024-25.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423684,"EventID":"S6O-03725","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:31:22.487","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T16:02:00.123","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of police service strength, in light of the decrease in Police Scotland's officer numbers.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of police service strength, in light of the decrease in Police Scotland's officer numbers.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423685,"EventID":"S6O-03719","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5598,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":139,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:31:23.103","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T09:43:57.24","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to invest in supporting youth culture in the Cunninghame South constituency.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to invest in supporting youth culture in the Cunninghame South constituency.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423686,"EventID":"S6O-03728","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:31:23.28","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T14:10:39.06","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to tackle antisocial behaviour in Lothian. &nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to tackle antisocial behaviour in Lothian. &nbsp;","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423687,"EventID":"S6O-03734","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:31:22.457","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T09:26:52.087","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work to explore the feasibility of an islands scholarship to support higher education students studying in Scotland&rsquo;s isla","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work to explore the feasibility of an islands scholarship to support higher education students studying in Scotland&rsquo;s islands.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423688,"EventID":"S6O-03720","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:31:22.513","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T14:14:53.78","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government about improving relations with the European Union, including on rejoining the single market and customs union.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government about improving relations with the European Union, including on rejoining the single market and customs union.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423689,"EventID":"S6O-03721","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:31:22.84","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T15:49:26.497","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what work it is doing to enhance protection of the nation's built heritage and listed buildings.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work it is doing to enhance protection of the nation's built heritage and listed buildings.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423690,"EventID":"S6O-03727","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:31:23.39","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T10:00:34.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with the Scottish Prison Service to discuss the findings of HM Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland's report on the full inspection of HMP YOI Stirling.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with the Scottish Prison Service to discuss the findings of HM Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland's report on the full inspection of HMP YOI Stirling.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423691,"EventID":"S6O-03738","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:31:22.833","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T15:29:20.063","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve the school attendance of care experienced young people.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve the school attendance of care experienced young people.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423692,"EventID":"S6O-03730","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:31:22.83","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T09:54:51.68","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide further details of what it is doing to ensure that Police Scotland has enough officers to deal with antisocial behaviour resulting from the illeg","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide further details of what it is doing to ensure that Police Scotland has enough officers to deal with antisocial behaviour resulting from the illegal use of e-bikes and e-scooters.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423693,"EventID":"S6O-03723","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:31:22.957","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T10:20:54.817","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any impact on the development of its constitutional policy and strategy, what its position is on whether the promises made by the leaders of the three main UK","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any impact on the development of its constitutional policy and strategy, what its position is on whether the promises made by the leaders of the three main UK unionist parties prior to the 2014 independence referendum, known as The Vow, have been kept.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423694,"EventID":"S6O-03739","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:31:22.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T09:32:25.873","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the levels of funding for tertiary education are adequate to support a thriving sector.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the levels of funding for tertiary education are adequate to support a thriving sector.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423695,"EventID":"S6O-03731","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4982,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:31:22.627","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T13:11:23.177","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the new HMP Highland will be completed by 2026 without further exceeding the reported current cost overrun of &pound;157 million, which is a 300% increase compar","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the new HMP Highland will be completed by 2026 without further exceeding the reported current cost overrun of &pound;157 million, which is a 300% increase compared with the original cost.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423696,"EventID":"S6O-03733","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5596,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":151,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:31:22.827","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T12:28:08.823","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that qualified teachers are able to find suitable employment through permanent teaching posts in Scottish schools.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that qualified teachers are able to find suitable employment through permanent teaching posts in Scottish schools.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423697,"EventID":"S6O-03722","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:31:22.387","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T14:09:00.11","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to support the retention of Scotland&rsquo;s public libraries.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to support the retention of Scotland&rsquo;s public libraries.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423698,"EventID":"S6O-03737","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:31:22.837","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T15:40:08.987","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that green skills are embedded in the provision of further education. &nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that green skills are embedded in the provision of further education. &nbsp;","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423699,"EventID":"S6O-03732","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16176,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":137,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:31:23.08","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T21:05:28.233","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects the Scottish Law Commission to publish its report on damages for personal injury, including recommendations on the time bar for asbestos-related illness ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects the Scottish Law Commission to publish its report on damages for personal injury, including recommendations on the time bar for asbestos-related illness compensation. &nbsp;","AnswerText":"The Scottish Law Commission intend to publish its report and a draft Bill before the end of the year. I know the difficulties that can be caused by the law of limitation for sufferers of mesothelioma, who through no fault of their own may not be in a position to raise civil proceedings and are therefore denied an effective remedy. This is a matter of particular interest to a number of members across parties and I look forward to receiving the report. When I have had the time to consider any findings and recommendations I will respond and ensure that the Parliament , and the Member, is aware of that.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423700,"EventID":"S6O-03736","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:31:23.313","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-09T13:31:34.443","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage teacher retention during the current academic year.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage teacher retention during the current academic year.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423701,"EventID":"S6O-03729","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16205,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:31:23.21","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T13:02:20.843","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Police Scotland regarding possible criminal charges against the former NHS Tayside surgeon, Sam Eljamel.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Police Scotland regarding possible criminal charges against the former NHS Tayside surgeon, Sam Eljamel.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423702,"EventID":"S6O-03718","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:31:22.873","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T10:55:30.72","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has had any discussions with organisations in the arts and culture sector since the publication of the Programme for Government 2024-25.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has had any discussions with organisations in the arts and culture sector since the publication of the Programme for Government 2024-25.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":423703,"EventID":"S6O-03717","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:31:22.697","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T08:53:28.317","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Channel 4 in relation to increasing its Made outside England quota from 9% to 16% in line with population breakdown, as called for by PA","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Channel 4 in relation to increasing its Made outside England quota from 9% to 16% in line with population breakdown, as called for by PACT, the independent TV representative body.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423704,"EventID":"S6O-03740","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":86,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:31:22.777","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T15:42:50.397","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it supports wraparound care for school-age children in the Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn constituency.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it supports wraparound care for school-age children in the Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn constituency.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423705,"EventID":"S6O-03726","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:31:23.18","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T13:41:33.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports of senior lawyers seeking the introduction of a domestic abuse register.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports of senior lawyers seeking the introduction of a domestic abuse register.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423706,"EventID":"S6O-03746","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:31:35.473","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T09:47:03.83","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to develop local flood plans, including natural flood prevention measures.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to develop local flood plans, including natural flood prevention measures.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423707,"EventID":"S6O-03744","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:31:35.47","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T15:07:18.183","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish its review of the Water Industry Commission for Scotland, following the Auditor General for Scotland&rsquo;s decision to issue a Section 22 repo","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish its review of the Water Industry Commission for Scotland, following the Auditor General for Scotland&rsquo;s decision to issue a Section 22 report in relation to the audit of the organisation&rsquo;s accounts.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423708,"EventID":"S6O-03743","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":2633,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:31:35.477","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T10:04:10.857","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is improving access to NHS dentistry for patients in the Mid Scotland and Fife region.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is improving access to NHS dentistry for patients in the Mid Scotland and Fife region.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423709,"EventID":"S6O-03747","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:31:35.48","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T10:28:59.143","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to a recent report from the Scottish Health Equity Research Unit, which highlights that \"core outcomes related to inequalities and health are not im","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to a recent report from the Scottish Health Equity Research Unit, which highlights that \"core outcomes related to inequalities and health are not improving significantly and some are getting worse\".","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423710,"EventID":"S6O-03745","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5877,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:31:35.47","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T12:50:58.2","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported comments by Glasgow Disability Alliance that the Disability Equality Plan lacks the ambition, meaningful actions or commitments need","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported comments by Glasgow Disability Alliance that the Disability Equality Plan lacks the ambition, meaningful actions or commitments needed to improve disabled people's lives.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423711,"EventID":"S6O-03741","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:31:35.467","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T20:25:45.88","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the reported reduction to the Investing in Communities Fund and any impact on its aim of addressing poverty and disadvantage.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the reported reduction to the Investing in Communities Fund and any impact on its aim of addressing poverty and disadvantage.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423712,"EventID":"S6O-03748","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16186,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":120,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:31:35.477","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T08:02:15.733","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support the provision of psychotherapists.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support the provision of psychotherapists.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423713,"EventID":"S6O-03742","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":4940,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":81,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:31:35.473","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T14:00:09.54","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact it anticipates the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 will have on local government procurement.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact it anticipates the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 will have on local government procurement.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423714,"EventID":"S6W-29796","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:57:11.97","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T15:54:15.68","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27210 byAngela Constance on 13 May 2024, on how many occasions two prisoners have beenrequired to share a cell against the recomme","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27210 byAngela Constance on 13 May 2024, on how many occasions two prisoners have beenrequired to share a cell against the recommendation of a Cell Sharing RiskAssessment, in each year since the introduction of the current Cell SharingRisk Assessment framework, also broken down by prison.","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29797 on 19 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423715,"EventID":"S6W-29807","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:57:11.98","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T09:43:24.973","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many jobs could potentially be lost as a result of its recently announced decision to reduce funding for public health information marketing campaigns.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many jobs could potentially be lost as a result of its recently announced decision to reduce funding for public health information marketing campaigns.","AnswerText":"For clarity, the Scottish Government has not suspended public health information marketing campaigns. We continue to run awareness raising campaigns, aimed at raising awareness among key groups to ensure our investment in public health marketing generates is spent most effectively where it will make the biggest difference.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423716,"EventID":"S6W-29823","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:57:12.53","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T11:22:33.75","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to make funding available to deliver the National Transitions to Adulthood Strategy.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to make funding available to deliver the National Transitions to Adulthood Strategy.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government faces a very challenging situation as we continue to manage our finances through the current financial year and look to set the Scottish Budget for 2025-26.Notwithstanding the very difficult financial situation, we are delivering a range of actions which contribute to improving transitions for disabled young people. This includes:Providing almost &pound;400k in grant funding between 2023-25 to ARC Scotland to continue the work of the Scottish Transitions Forum and to support the wider implementation of Principles into Practice and Compass.Investing nearly &pound;19m since opening at the end of 2017 in the Independent Living Fund Scotland&rsquo;s Transition Fund to support young disabled people to make a smoother transition from childhood into adulthood.Providing &pound;361k in 2024-25 for Enable Scotland (Leading the Way)&rsquo;s &lsquo;Stepping Up&rsquo; transitions programme, which connects disabled young people to fair work, education and productive activities designed to support a successful transition into adult life and work.We are currently undertaking analysis of our recent engagement with over 500 people to identify what currently works well and what could be even better, in order to consider possible actions for the strategy. The costs of the final strategy will be determined by the actions which are ultimately included in it.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423717,"EventID":"S6W-29812","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:57:13.45","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T10:19:55.09","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of crime is estimated to have gone undetected by the police between June 2023 and June 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of crime is estimated to have gone undetected by the police between June 2023 and June 2024.","AnswerText":"By its nature, it is difficult to estimate the volume of crime in Scotland which doesn&rsquo;t come to the attention of the police. The Scottish Crime and Justice Survey (SCJS) asks victims of crime whether they reported the incident to the police (or any other authority). As a survey of adults living in private residences within Scotland, the SCJS findings do not include any crimes against children (those aged under 16), those living in communal establishments or businesses.The SCJS results are typically reported for financial years ending in March with figures for 2023-24 due to be published in 2025. The latest figures available, for 2021-22, estimated that 29% of property and violent crimes combined were reported to the police (based on interviews over October 2021 to December 2022), this splits into 27% and 34% for property and violent crimes respectively.From the 2023-24 survey sweep, the SCJS questionnaire was expanded to include measures of fraud and computer misuse victimisation, including estimates of those cases reported to the police. The first results from this new module will be published alongside the main report next year.Finally, the survey also asks about experiences of sexual victimisation and partner abuse. The latest figures for 2018-20 estimated that the police came to know about the most recent (or only) incident for 22% and 16% of respondents who experienced serious sexual assault or partner abuse respectively since the age of 16.We encourage victims to report all crimes to Police Scotland, who are committed to protecting our communities.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423718,"EventID":"S6W-29800","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:57:13.56","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T16:26:38.027","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the environmental assessment of the dualling of the A96 has been completed.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the environmental assessment of the dualling of the A96 has been completed.","AnswerText":"It is expected that the draft outcomes from the Review, which includes a climate compatibility assessment and other impact assessments, will be consulted on this Autumn, before a final decision can be reached.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423719,"EventID":"S6W-29792","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:57:11.973","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T12:52:17.543","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many fire incidents in listed buildings the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has attended in each of the last 10 years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many fire incidents in listed buildings the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has attended in each of the last 10 years.","AnswerText":"This information is not collected or held by the Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423720,"EventID":"S6W-29811","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:57:13.477","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T10:19:55.09","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the costs for affected individuals resulting from the ending of the universal Winter Heating Payment for pensioners.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the costs for affected individuals resulting from the ending of the universal Winter Heating Payment for pensioners.","AnswerText":"The UK Government&rsquo;s decision to restrict eligibility for Winter Fuel Payments was taken without consultation with the Scottish Government This decision is estimated to result in a reduction in this year&rsquo;s Block Grant Adjustment (BGA) provided to the Scottish Government of approximately &pound;150 million, over 80% of the cost of the Scottish Government&rsquo;s planned replacement benefit, Pension Age Winter Heating Payment (PAWHP). Scottish Government analysis suggests that around 900,000 pensioners will no longer be eligible for this payment, of between &pound;200 and &pound;300, in Scotland in 2024-25.Despite our best efforts to review our financial position we have no choice but to follow the UK Government and restrict eligibility for Pension Age Winter Heating Payment to older people who receive relevant eligible benefits.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423721,"EventID":"S6W-29810","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:57:12.717","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T10:19:55.09","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in the past five years, how many people have faced consequences of any cosmetic procedures gone wrong due to the reported lack of regulation of beauticians carrying out","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in the past five years, how many people have faced consequences of any cosmetic procedures gone wrong due to the reported lack of regulation of beauticians carrying out non-surgical cosmetic procedures, and what the cost has been for the NHS to treat any issues associated with this.","AnswerText":"This information is not centrally collected. When NHS Scotland treats someone that has suffered harm from a non-surgical cosmetic procedure which has gone wrong, NHS Scotland will not necessarily record that this was the result of that procedure as there is no specific code to record this. This means that it is difficult to assess the cost to NHS Scotland of treating harm or complications that may have been caused.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423722,"EventID":"S6W-29813","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:57:12.753","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T10:19:55.09","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the ending of the ScotRail peak fares removal pilot, what alternative incentives it is considering to encourage the use of public transport over car travel.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the ending of the ScotRail peak fares removal pilot, what alternative incentives it is considering to encourage the use of public transport over car travel.","AnswerText":"I have instructed ScotRail to offer a 12 month 20% reduction on the price of weekly, monthly and annual season tickets also to amend the Flexipass terms so it offers 12 return journeys for the same price as 10.Passengers will be able to make significant savings with these discounted products.For example, in the Member&rsquo;s constituency, if someone travels between Ayr and Glasgow at least 4 days a week, the equivalent of the daily return with an annual season pass would be &pound;11.48, and &pound;9.18, if they commute 5 days a week, which in both cases is lower than the off peak fare of &pound;13.40 or &pound;20.10 - the new all day fare. For those traveling less regularly, flexipass could be an option to consider, with this pass a return journey would cost an equivalent of &pound;13.62.It would be most welcome if the Member could help promote these discounts to her constituents.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423723,"EventID":"S6W-29806","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:57:13.243","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T09:43:24.973","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out a full impact assessment of the public health implications of its recently announced decision to reduce funding for public health information ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out a full impact assessment of the public health implications of its recently announced decision to reduce funding for public health information marketing campaigns.","AnswerText":"For clarity, the Scottish Government has not suspended public health information marketing campaigns. The Scottish Government is fully aware of the importance that campaigns have in communicating public health priorities, and essential public health marketing activity in 2024-25 is continuing, including Public Health Scotland targeted communications work for particular vaccine programmes, including Winter Flu, to encourage people who often do not get vaccinated to take up the offer this year. Paid-for activity is also continuing where costs have already been committed, or where an essential need is identified, such as campaigns on Sexual Assault Response and Care Service; Abortion Safe Access Zones; dementia, and our Detect Cancer Early campaign, which launched last month. Marketing activity will also continue across portfolio areas through low or no cost channels, such as social content, public relations and work with partner organisations.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423724,"EventID":"S6W-29824","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:57:13.353","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T11:23:08.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it next plans to publish its Analysis of the National Performance Framework Indicators from the Perspective of Disability.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it next plans to publish its Analysis of the National Performance Framework Indicators from the Perspective of Disability.","AnswerText":"The upcoming Disability Equality Plan, however, will set out an intention to improve disability-specific evidence in collaboration with Disabled Peoples Organisations.The Scottish Government recognises the importance of analysing, collecting and publishing disability data alongside other equalities breakdowns. This is set out in the Equality Evidence Strategy 2023-2025.There is currently no plan to repeat this publication.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423725,"EventID":"S6W-29805","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:57:12.103","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T09:33:39.513","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to expand access to alcohol related brain damage (ARBD) residential rehabilitation services.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to expand access to alcohol related brain damage (ARBD) residential rehabilitation services.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is currently working with representatives from our Residential Rehabilitation Development Working Group to ascertain whether the existing ARBD unit, managed by Penumbra for NHS Lothian, meets the Scottish Government&rsquo;s definition of a residential rehabilitation service.We have set out a clear definition of what counts as residential rehabilitation and have used it consistently. We are expecting to receive the appropriate advice on this in due course, after which point we will be able to develop a position on including this type of service under our definition of residential rehabilitation in the future.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423726,"EventID":"S6W-29814","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:57:12.24","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T10:19:55.09","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports from a General Medical Council survey that one in three doctors felt unable to cope with their workload, what assessment is being undertaken to iden","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports from a General Medical Council survey that one in three doctors felt unable to cope with their workload, what assessment is being undertaken to identify the satisfaction rates of NHS staff in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The NHSScotland iMatter Staff Experience Survey provides an annual assessment of staff experience. All NHSScotland staff and local authority staff from participating Health and Social Care Partnerships, are invited to respond.All Boards receive local reports, which provide them with a measure of employee satisfaction, and they are expected to take appropriate actions based on their results. Assurance that results are being acted upon is sought via our annual Staff Governance Monitoring exercise.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423727,"EventID":"S6W-29801","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:57:13.327","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T16:26:38.027","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the environmental assessment of the dualling of the A96 will be published.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the environmental assessment of the dualling of the A96 will be published.","AnswerText":"It is expected that the draft outcomes from the Review, which includes a climate compatibility assessment and other impact assessments, will be consulted on this Autumn, before a final decision can be reached.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423728,"EventID":"S6W-29761","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:57:13.677","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T10:13:16.343","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what changes have been made to the National Drugs Mission plan to reflect the extension of the mission to alcohol, and how this has been communicated to (a) NHS boards, ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what changes have been made to the National Drugs Mission plan to reflect the extension of the mission to alcohol, and how this has been communicated to (a) NHS boards, (b) local authorities and (c) local Alcohol and Drug Partnerships.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"No changes have been made to the National Mission.The National Mission was established to improve and save lives of people impacted by drugs. However, many service improvements supported by the Mission, such as residential rehabilitation, addressing stigma and improving the workforce, address both alcohol and drug issues. Meaning the work of the National Mission has consistently saved and improved the lives of people impacted by alcohol as well as drugs.NHS boards, local authorities and local Alcohol and Drug Partnerships are long standing partners in our work on harmful alcohol and drug use and they have recognised that many aspects of the National Mission are bringing benefit to people impacted by both drugs and alcohol.,","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423729,"EventID":"S6W-29815","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:57:12.07","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T10:19:55.09","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent doctors have been employed in each of the past five years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent doctors have been employed in each of the past five years.","AnswerText":"The information requested on how many full-time equivalent doctors have been employed in each of the past five years can be found on the TURAS NHS Education for Scotland workforce statistics site at: NHS Scotland workforce | Turas Data Intelligence.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423730,"EventID":"S6W-29818","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:57:12.107","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T10:22:38.05","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to amend the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 to better reflect developing human rights standards.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to amend the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 to better reflect developing human rights standards.","AnswerText":"We outlined our plans to reform and modernise mental health legislation in Scotland in our &ldquo;Mental Health Capacity Reform: Delivery Plan&rdquo; published in June 2024 (Mental Health and Capacity Reform: delivery plan October 2023 to April 2025 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)).The plan sets out the recommendations of the Scottish Mental Health Law Review (SMHLR) that will be considered in the short to medium term. We have sought to prioritise areas of potential change that can be achieved as quickly as possible, within existing resources, as well as starting new work to scope and develop options for future reform. This includes work to consider various aspects of the scope of compulsory care and treatment within the 2003 Act; work around the operation of named persons within the mental health tribunal system; and advance statement safeguards.We are taking staged approach to mental health law reform due to the scope, complexity, and inter-related nature of the SMHLR recommendations with other significant ongoing policy developments. This approach recognises the pressure on budgets and services and the challenges of delivering further change and reform at a time when there is significant wider transformation across the health and social care sectors.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423731,"EventID":"S6W-29799","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:57:13.687","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T16:26:38.027","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on whether it remains committed to dualling the A96.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on whether it remains committed to dualling the A96.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to improving the A96. This is despite stark challenges we face due to severe budgetary restrictions, as a result of the UK Government&rsquo;s cut to our capital funding of almost 9% over five years.The current plan is to fully dual the route and as part of this process we are undertaking a transparent, evidence-based review of the programme, which includes a climate compatibility assessment and other statutory assessments.The significant interest in the review&rsquo;s initial consultation, with nearly 4,600 responses, generated 11,000 options to improve the corridor. It is only right that appropriate time has been taken in order to properly examine and fully appraise these.It is expected that the draft outcomes from the Review, including the climate compatibility assessment, will be consulted on this Autumn, before a final decision can be reached.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423732,"EventID":"S6W-29809","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:57:12.6","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T10:19:55.09","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering the introduction of a centralised and up-to-date data collection system for school absences.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering the introduction of a centralised and up-to-date data collection system for school absences.","AnswerText":"The legal responsibility for ongoing data collection on attendance and absence from schools rests with education authorities. This information is collected on behalf of education authorities by the SEEMiS system, managed by the SEEMiS Group.The Scottish Government collects and publishes Accredited Official Statistics on the attendance and absence of pupils from schools. These statistics include analysis of attendance rates by pupil characteristics, reason for absence and rates of persistent absence. Beginning with the 2024-25 school year these statistics will be collected and published on an annual basis.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423733,"EventID":"S6W-29797","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:57:12.353","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T15:54:15.68","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27210 by Angela Constance on 13 May 2024, whether two prisoners are ever required to share a cell against the recommendation of th","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27210 by Angela Constance on 13 May 2024, whether two prisoners are ever required to share a cell against the recommendation of the Cell Sharing Risk Assessment.","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:A Cell Sharing Risk Assessment (CSRA) is conducted on every occasion where two (or more) individuals are required to share one cell.A CSRA provides a generic assessment of the suitability for individuals to share cells with an option for additional detail and context regarding identified risks to be recorded. Once complete, the CSRA assessment will be used to make an informed decision on the individual&rsquo;s suitability to share cells, based on known risk and operational necessity.Individuals will never knowingly be asked to share a cell when it is in direct conflict with what has been recorded in the CSRA.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423734,"EventID":"S6W-29817","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:57:12.32","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T10:22:38.05","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made since the publication of the Mental Health Capacity Reform: Delivery Plan October 2023 to April 2025 report in June 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made since the publication of the Mental Health Capacity Reform: Delivery Plan October 2023 to April 2025 report in June 2024.","AnswerText":"The initial Delivery Plan for the Mental Health and Capacity Reform Programme published in June 2024 set out a range of actions being taken forward under Adults with Incapacity (AWI) and mental health law reform.In terms of reforming capacity legislation, the AWI Amendment Act consultation was published in July and will run to October 2024 (Adults with Incapacity Amendment Act: consultation - Scottish Government consultations - Citizen Space). This builds on previous consultation work undertaken in this area and takes account of the targeted discussions that have taken place over the past year with stakeholders around specific policy proposals.The Programme for Government 2024-25 which was published in September confirms that the Adults with Incapacity Bill will form part of the Year 4 Legislative Programme and officials have been working to progress this.As part of work to progress mental health legislative reform, we have undertaken extensive engagement with partners to consider various aspects of the scope of compulsory care and treatment within the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003, with a view to developing potential options for change. We have also begun scoping work to consider recommendations around named persons and advanced statements.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423735,"EventID":"S6W-29816","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:57:12.983","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T10:22:38.05","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made towards developing a framework for mental health security and assurance.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made towards developing a framework for mental health security and assurance.","AnswerText":"In line with the recommendation made in the Scrutiny and Assurance Review, we have been working with the Care Inspectorate, Mental Welfare Commission and Healthcare Improvement Scotland to develop a framework for scrutiny and assurance in mental health. We are in the process of agreeing this with scrutiny bodies and aim to publish shortly.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423736,"EventID":"S6W-29794","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:57:13.68","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T14:01:29.937","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its commitment in the Programme for Government 2024-25 to consult on further protection measures for Marine Protected Areas and Priority Marine Features, wh","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its commitment in the Programme for Government 2024-25 to consult on further protection measures for Marine Protected Areas and Priority Marine Features, whether it will consult on fisheries management measures for both the remaining Marine Protected Areas and Priority Marine Features before the end of 2024.","AnswerText":"Putting in place the remaining fisheries management measures remains a top government priority. We want to achieve this as soon as possible, however developing the evidence based and effective fisheries management measures for over 180 sites is a complex and challenging process.We launched the 8-week consultation on proposed fisheries management measures within Scottish 20 offshore marine protected areas (MPAs) on 19 August 2024.Social, economic and environmental impact assessments are currently being undertaken for inshore MPAs and we will consult within the current Programme for Government timeframe.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423737,"EventID":"S6W-29821","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:57:12.853","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T11:21:47.49","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish the Pupil Equity Fund evaluation.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish the Pupil Equity Fund evaluation.","AnswerText":"A programme of evaluation of the Attainment Scotland Fund (ASF), of which Pupil Equity Funding (PEF) is a key part, has been ongoing since the inception of the Scottish Attainment Challenge (SAC). The evaluation aims to provide learning about the overall implementation of the ASF and to assess progress towards its long-term outcomes. Pupil Equity Funding is considered in all evaluation activity and reporting.The current ASF Evaluation Strategy, which can be found here: Attainment Scotland Fund - 2022 to 2026: evaluation strategy, was published in 2022 and sets out plans for evaluation between 2022-23 and 2026-27. Alongside this, a detailed analytical plan outlining evaluation activity in support of the high level strategy will be published annually over the course of this parliament. The first two analytical plans can be found here:Attainment Scotland Fund 2022 - 2026 Evaluation: Analytical Plan Year 1 (2022/23) (www.gov.scot)Attainment Scotland Fund 2022-2026 evaluation: analytical plan - year 2 2023 -2024 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)The most recent publications that contribute to the ASF Evaluation Strategy are:Attainment Scotland Fund Evaluation: Process Evaluation - Scottish Attainment Challenge Local Authority Leads Survey Report, 2022/23Attainment Scotland Fund evaluation: National Improvement Framework - attainment and health and wellbeing measures, 2023Attainment Scotland Fund Evaluation: Reporting on National Improvement Framework Attainment and Health and Wellbeing Measures, 2024Attainment Scotland Fund Evaluation: Reporting on Wider Evidence Sources, 2024Attainment Scotland Fund evaluation: Thematic Evaluation Summary Report 2024Attainment Scotland Fund evaluation: Families and Communities Thematic Evaluation Report 2024Attainment Scotland Fund evaluation: Readiness to Learn Thematic Evaluation Report 2024Attainment Scotland Fund evaluation: Voice of Children and Young People Thematic Evaluation Report 2024Prior to 2022, the evaluation reported annually with an initial report on Year 1 and 2 (2015 to 2017) published in 2017 and found here: Evaluation of the Attainment Scotland Fund - interim report (Years 1 and 2) (www.gov.scot), and annual evaluation reports published from 2018 to 2022 which can be found here:Evaluation of the Attainment Scotland Fund - Interim Report (Year 3) (www.gov.scot)Evaluation of Attainment Scotland Fund - Third interim report - Year 4 (www.gov.scot)Attainment Scotland Fund evaluation: Fourth interim report - year 5 (www.gov.scot)Attainment Scotland Fund evaluation: fifth interim report - year 6 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)In March 2021, Scottish Government and Education Scotland published the Closing the poverty-related attainment gap: progress report 2016 to 2021.In addition to the ASF Evaluation, Education Scotland publish a range of evidence detailing how the Attainment Scotland Fund programmes, including Pupil Equity Funding, are helping to close the poverty related attainment gap.The latest national report, published in August, is a high-level evaluative summary drawn from Education Scotland Attainment Advisors&rsquo; reports on 32 local authorities for the period December 2023 to March 2024. The key theme for this reporting period was &lsquo;Evidence-based approaches&rsquo;. Case studies from each local authority focused on different aspects of equity. The national summary report contains links to all case studies. The report can be accessed here: National Summary Report March 2024 | Scottish Attainment Challenge | Learning in Scotland | Education ScotlandComplementing this work, officials are undertaking a PEF Sampling exercise with over 100 schools across Scotland to draw out key learning on how PEF is contributing towards improving the educational outcomes of children and young people and their families, impacted by poverty. Once completed we will seek to share the innovative work taking place in our schools and communities, supported by PEF, with other Headteachers, Local Authorities a","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423738,"EventID":"S6W-29803","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:57:13.82","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T16:36:12.89","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains committed to reviewing the Highlands and Islands Patient Travel Scheme.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains committed to reviewing the Highlands and Islands Patient Travel Scheme.","AnswerText":"Regrettably, a start date for the review is not confirmed at this time. It is important that the review of the guidance on patient travel expenses reimbursement is considered within the context of wider reform on access to health care which is already in progress. This will inform both how and when the review is taken forward.In 2023 we prepared the draft Transport to Health plan and have been engaging with Health Boards, Regional Transport Partnerships and other partners to take forward a range of commitments to improve joined up working on transport to health. The plan will be published this Autumn and a workplan has been agreed.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423739,"EventID":"S6W-29820","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:57:12.983","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T10:38:38.523","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to protect agricultural land from solar development.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to protect agricultural land from solar development.","AnswerText":"Scotland&rsquo;s agricultural land and farming sector have a critical role to play in Scotland&rsquo;s food security, producing food for consumption in Scotland, and increasing our economic resilience through exports of food and drink worth &pound;7.6 billion in 2023.National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) Policy 5 (Soils) sets out that development proposals on prime agricultural land, or land of lesser quality that is culturally or locally important for primary use, as identified by the local development plan, will only be supported in limited circumstances. This includes for the generation of energy from renewable sources where there is secure provision for restoration and the layout and design of the proposal minimises the amount of protected land required.All development proposals are subject to site specific assessments.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423740,"EventID":"S6W-29808","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:57:13.79","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T09:47:30.457","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the budget for the Scottish Cyber Coordination Centre will be.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the budget for the Scottish Cyber Coordination Centre will be.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Cyber Coordination Centre budget forms a component of existing Cyber Resilience funding, and the future budget for the Scottish Cyber Coordination Centre is still to be determined.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423741,"EventID":"S6W-29795","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:57:13.98","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T15:51:24.133","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what percentage&nbsp;ofpost-induction scheme teachers from the previous year were in permanent ortemporary employment in 2023-24, broken down by tho","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what percentage&nbsp;ofpost-induction scheme teachers from the previous year were in permanent ortemporary employment in 2023-24, broken down by those in (i) full-timepermanent, (ii) full-time temporary, (iii) part-time permanent and (iv)part-time temporary employment.","AnswerText":"Statistics on the employment status of post-induction scheme teachers, including counts and percentages of those in full-time and part-time permanent and temporary employment are published in Table 1.6 of the teacher census supplementary statistics, available here:https://www.gov.scot/publications/teacher-census-supplementary-statistics/","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423742,"EventID":"S6W-29819","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:57:13.897","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T10:22:38.05","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland having a role in appointing a named person, and whether it plans to make reforms in this area.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland having a role in appointing a named person, and whether it plans to make reforms in this area.","AnswerText":"We outlined our plans to reform and modernise mental health legislation in Scotland in our &ldquo;Mental Health Capacity Reform: Delivery Plan&rdquo; published in June 2024 (Mental Health and Capacity Reform: delivery plan October 2023 to April 2025 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)).The plan lists several actions under the priority of Mental Health Law reform. One of these is that we will consider whether the Mental Health Tribunal should have a role in appointing a named person and in what circumstances that provision might apply. Scoping work for this is well underway but further work is needed to inform that position.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423743,"EventID":"S6W-29802","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:57:12.233","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T16:36:12.89","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will conduct a review into the Highlands and Islands Patient Travel Scheme.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will conduct a review into the Highlands and Islands Patient Travel Scheme.","AnswerText":"Regrettably, a start date for the review is not confirmed at this time. It is important that the review of the guidance on patient travel expenses reimbursement is considered within the context of wider reform on access to health care which is already in progress. This will inform both how and when the review is taken forward.In 2023 we prepared the draft Transport to Health plan and have been engaging with Health Boards, Regional Transport Partnerships and other partners to take forward a range of commitments to improve joined up working on transport to health. The plan will be published this Autumn and a workplan has been agreed.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423744,"EventID":"S6W-29790","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:57:13.683","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T11:31:18.303","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much of the &pound;250 million 10-year Peatland ACTION funding package that has been committed for peatland restoration remains to be spent in the remainder of the d","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much of the &pound;250 million 10-year Peatland ACTION funding package that has been committed for peatland restoration remains to be spent in the remainder of the delivery period, and how much it expects to spend in each of the remaining years.","AnswerText":"The spend on peatland restoration in recent years is shown in the following table:YearSpend (&pound;m)2020-218.02021-2214.62022-2317.32023-2427.9Total:67.8Budget allocations are considered each year as part of the Scottish budget process.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423745,"EventID":"S6W-29822","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-11T15:57:13.587","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T11:22:06.173","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish its National Transitions to Adulthood Strategy.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish its National Transitions to Adulthood Strategy.","AnswerText":"We recognise that the current situation in respect of disabled young people's transitions must improve, and remain fully committed to developing a strategy which recognises the urgency of the improvements we have heard are required whilst also allowing sufficient time to support the meaningful engagement and participation of those impacted by the strategy.We are currently analysing our recent engagement with over 500 people, including disabled young people themselves. Following this, we will further develop the timeline for the strategy to ensure that it can be published alongside a range accessible formats. I commit to writing to the Member in due course to provide a further update on this.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423768,"EventID":"S6F-03350","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T07:56:12.163","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-12T07:53:22.097","Title":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-09-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423769,"EventID":"S6W-29888","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":16175,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":119,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T10:34:18.713","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-12T10:26:50.337","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact the No One Left Behind approach has made to date, and what its future priorities are for devolved employability services.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact the No One Left Behind approach has made to date, and what its future priorities are for devolved employability services.","AnswerText":"Latest devolved employability statistics show that over 61,000 people have started receiving support through our No One Left Behind approach, with over 19,000 people moving into work.Today we have published the No One Left Behind Employability Strategic Plan 2024-2027, which outlines the key priorities for No One Left Behind over the next three years and identifies the actions we will take to deliver on these priorities, reaffirming our commitment to continuous improvement.www.gov.scot/isbn/9781836017738This includes a commitment to introduce a local, flexible model of Specialist Employability Support across all 32 Local Authorities from Summer 2025. This approach will adhere to the principles of No One Left Behind whilst ensuring a dedicated service offer for disabled people and those with long term health conditions.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423770,"EventID":"S6W-29827","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:31.983","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T12:01:13.797","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the number of properties still to be connected under the R100 Central contract.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the number of properties still to be connected under the R100 Central contract.","AnswerText":"Latest assured figure (from 31 July 2024) showed that around 14,000 premises were still expected to be connected through the R100 Central contract.Latest coverage figures, including premises connected that were beyond the scope of the initial R100 contracts, are available on our website at Data insights | Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423771,"EventID":"S6W-29856","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:32.543","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T14:09:27.207","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the implications are for colleges and universities of the reduction in mental health services that were set out in the letter from the&nbsp;Cabinet Secretary for Fi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the implications are for colleges and universities of the reduction in mental health services that were set out in the letter from the&nbsp;Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government to the&nbsp;Finance and Public Administration Committee on 3 September 2024.","AnswerText":"The cessation of funding, referred to in the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government&rsquo;s letter, was extensively discussed with the sector. Since 2019/20, the Scottish Government has invested over &pound;19 million to support student mental health and wellbeing in colleges and universities. This includes the Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Transition Fund 2023-24 for Academic Year 2023-24, to help institutions to transition to a more sustainable means of providing mental health support for students.Our new Student Mental Health Action Plan, published on 13 September, seeks to move to a mainstreamed approach to student mental health which will help students better access services. The Government will work with NHS Boards, CoSLA, Public Health Scotland and community based providers to join up support that is already available, embedding students&rsquo; mental health needs into the wider communities in which they live and study.The Action Plan recognises the importance of each college and university having a Student Mental Health Agreement in place. To enable this we continue to support NUS Think Positive with &pound;130,000 in 2024-25.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423772,"EventID":"S6W-29841","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:31.993","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T13:34:50.507","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the timescale is for the co-design of the code of practice provided for through the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024; when the co-design is expected to start, a","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the timescale is for the co-design of the code of practice provided for through the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024; when the co-design is expected to start, and what level of consultation and stakeholder engagement there will be on the code of practice.","AnswerText":"The Circular Economy Act does not provide a timescale for the completion of the new Household Recycling Code of Practice. However, the Scottish Government&rsquo;s draft Circular Economy and Waste Route Map sets out the aim to complete the co-design process by March 2026.The first stage of co-design engagement took place on 24 September 2024, with a workshop with local authorities to develop the methodology. The co-design methodology will enable engagement with local authorities, the waste sector, businesses, civil society, citizens and other stakeholders.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423773,"EventID":"S6W-29852","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:32.507","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T13:34:50.507","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what mandated minimum percentage of uniforms must be produced by supported businesses in the provisions of the NHS Scotland uniform contract.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what mandated minimum percentage of uniforms must be produced by supported businesses in the provisions of the NHS Scotland uniform contract.","AnswerText":"There is no minimum percentage of uniforms that must be produced by supported businesses for the NHS Scotland uniform contract. The current contract is based on the volumes ordered by health boards and so allows for fluctuations in demand.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423774,"EventID":"S6W-29858","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:32.45","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T14:11:53.623","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it is giving to protecting the Gairloch herring spawning habitats through variations in licence conditions that would prohibit bottom-towed vessels fr","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it is giving to protecting the Gairloch herring spawning habitats through variations in licence conditions that would prohibit bottom-towed vessels from operating in the area.","AnswerText":"The spawning in Gairloch was a short-term event, lasting only a few days, and has not occurred there in recent years apart from this spring. This is not sufficient evidence to justify immediate protection as a spawning area, especially as measures that will remove the fishing pressure in this area are already being developed. Based on the available evidence, an immediate spawning closure is also not required to preserve the overall sustainability of the herring stock.Therefore, in line with the advice we have received from NatureScot,we are prioritising bringing in protection for this site as part of the wider programme of fisheries management measures for inshore MPAs and PMFs. NatureScot will advise us if, and when, they consider that there is a requirement for additional protection.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423775,"EventID":"S6W-29871","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:32.84","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T16:06:42.64","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29030 by Shona Robison on 9 September 2024, whether it will provide the specific number of occasions that it has met with the lead","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29030 by Shona Robison on 9 September 2024, whether it will provide the specific number of occasions that it has met with the leader of Moray Council in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"Details of every external meeting all Ministers have undertaken since 2016 can be found here: https://www.gov.scot/collections/ministerial-engagements-travel-and-gifts/. This currently shows engagements up until May of this year, however information on engagements after this point will be published in due course, as per the Scottish Government&rsquo;s commitment to do so, which is set out in the Scottish Ministerial Code.It is also worth noting that although the names of specific councils or council leaders may not appear in records of certain engagements, the First Minister, previous First Ministers and other Ministers have engaged with various council leaders at COSLA Annual Conferences and other conferences and events that involve council leaders since 2021.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":423776,"EventID":"S6W-29804","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:32.69","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T08:24:56.627","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any farm subsidies that it plans to introduce will include Scottish Outdoor Access Code compliance obligations.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any farm subsidies that it plans to introduce will include Scottish Outdoor Access Code compliance obligations.","AnswerText":"Under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 (LRSA) there is a right of responsible non-motorised access to land throughout Scotland with few exceptions. The rights and responsibilities of land managers and those exercising access rights are set out in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, also approved by the Scottish Parliament.The Scottish Government is clear that the countryside is a living and working environment and that there is a need to balance the right of the land manager to conduct their activities with the upholding of access rights. I will continue to co-develop future support with our industry and partners to ensure that together we deliver on the outcomes of the Vision for Agriculture.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":423777,"EventID":"S6W-29879","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:32.693","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T16:06:42.64","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many chief executives of non-departmental public bodies have received a non-consolidated performance payment without a pay increase in the same year since 2021, and ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many chief executives of non-departmental public bodies have received a non-consolidated performance payment without a pay increase in the same year since 2021, and what the total amount was of any such payments.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29878 on 27 September 2024. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423778,"EventID":"S6W-29884","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:33.187","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T16:06:42.64","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the budget to deliver the planned HMP Highland will be reduced, in light of the wider budgetary pressures highlighted in its fiscal statement on 3 September 2024","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the budget to deliver the planned HMP Highland will be reduced, in light of the wider budgetary pressures highlighted in its fiscal statement on 3 September 2024.","AnswerText":"The price for HMP Highland is set in the construction contract which was awarded in April 2024. While there remains a risk of extension of time (and associated costs) due to extreme weather or other unforeseen circumstances, it is expected that the agreed price will be the price paid.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423779,"EventID":"S6W-29865","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:32.813","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T16:06:42.64","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29267 by Fiona Hyslop on 5 September 2024, for what reason it is allocating a third vessel to the Sound of Harris and Sound of Bar","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29267 by Fiona Hyslop on 5 September 2024, for what reason it is allocating a third vessel to the Sound of Harris and Sound of Barra routes as part of phase 2 of the Small Vessel Replacement Programme, as opposed to allocating it to an alternative route.","AnswerText":"The Small Vessels Replacement Programme (SVRP) Phase 2 will primarily focus on the Berneray&ndash;Leverburgh and Barra&ndash;Eriskay routes with a vessel on each of these routes. The third vessel&rsquo;s deployment is still to be confirmed and is subject to fleet cascades following the successful deployment of the planned 7 new vessels of SVRP Phase 1.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423780,"EventID":"S6W-29839","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:33.22","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T12:34:42.243","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on preparations for the National Care Service in each of the last 24 months, and how much it estimates the cost of operating the National Care Se","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on preparations for the National Care Service in each of the last 24 months, and how much it estimates the cost of operating the National Care Service will be in each of the next 12 months.","AnswerText":"&nbsp;Costs Incurred&nbsp;M1M2M3M4M5M6M7M8M9M10M11M12M13 Adj2022-23&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&pound;805,364&pound;689,179&pound;1,157,770&pound;907,007&pound;1,049,521&pound;1,473,735&pound;3,488,250&pound;301,1002023-24&pound;935,454&pound;504,272&pound;778,303&pound;985,823&pound;887,496&pound;698,055&pound;1,440,000&pound;773,891&pound;661,354&pound;1,212,611&pound;576,330&pound;1,126,617&pound;163,9902024-25&pound;544,963&pound;550,518&pound;556,454&pound;1,296,254&pound;609,328&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Forecast Costs&nbsp;M1M2M3M4M5M6M7M8M9M10M11M12M13 Adj2024-25&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&pound;1,609,139&pound;619,247&pound;718,098&pound;1,671,344&pound;665,291&pound;665,291&pound;1,894,034&pound;0The tables above set out the costs incurred over the past 24 months and the forecast costs for the remainder of 2024-25. We are currently finalising the budget allocations for 2025-26 after which we will revise the forecast position.The 'M13 adj' column relates to year end adjustments for items such as accruals.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423781,"EventID":"S6W-29882","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:33.33","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T16:06:42.64","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that two captive-bred wildcats died after their release into Cairngorms National Park.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that two captive-bred wildcats died after their release into Cairngorms National Park.","AnswerText":"Although the deaths of the two captive-bred wildcats, who died after their release into Cairngorms National Park, is disappointing, these deaths need to be set in context. They bring the total deaths to date to three from a release of 28 wildcats since last year.Conditions this year have been more challenging due to poor weather and this year representing a low point in the vole population cycle, which are one of the wildcats&rsquo; main prey species.Some mortality is expected in reintroduction projects (as we would also expect in the wild population), with the current rate at the lower end of what we would anticipate. The survival rate of the wildcats released last year has been much higher than anticipated, and wild births have also increased wildcat numbers in the area.This is down to the extensive planning and efforts of the Scottish Wildcat Action project and its partners to ensure that released wildcats have the best possible chance of survival following their release. The Saving Wildcats field team closely monitor all of the released wildcats using GPS-radio collars and a network of camera traps, and have been providing them with supplementary food in the weeks immediately after their release.?","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423782,"EventID":"S6W-29848","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:31.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T13:34:50.507","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider (a) the findings of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and (b) how it will take forward any recommendations or findings within its remit.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider (a) the findings of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and (b) how it will take forward any recommendations or findings within its remit.","AnswerText":"A Ministerial Working Group, chaired by myself, has been set up to support the Scottish Government in considering the Grenfell Inquiry Phase 2 Report and how its 58 recommendations could apply in a Scottish context. Where necessary, we will take further action to address building safety.The Scottish Government will consider each recommendation and its supporting evidence in order to prepare a response on the matters for which it has responsibility. A report will be prepared by Spring 2025.Engagement with Ministers in the UK Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Assembly will take place throughout this process.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423783,"EventID":"S6W-29853","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:34.683","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T13:34:50.507","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of all uniforms supplied to NHS Scotland have been manufactured by supported businesses in each of the last three years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of all uniforms supplied to NHS Scotland have been manufactured by supported businesses in each of the last three years.","AnswerText":"Supported businesses have produced approximately 33% of uniforms supplied to NHS Scotland over the last three years.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423784,"EventID":"S6W-29883","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:34.847","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T16:06:42.64","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on whether it remains the position of Historic Environment Scotland to oversea the \"managed decline\" of any of the properties that it m","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on whether it remains the position of Historic Environment Scotland to oversea the \"managed decline\" of any of the properties that it manages, and, if so, whether it will provide details of this.","AnswerText":"Historic Environment Scotland will continue to consider all options available to sustain and enhance the sites across its estate as it develops its Properties in Care strategy. However, it is important that we recognise climate change effects have been accelerating, and the increased rainfall and variations in temperature have continuing impacts on both Scotland's natural and built heritage.I have asked Historic Environment Scotland to write directly to the member to update him of the position.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423785,"EventID":"S6W-29887","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:32.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-12T10:13:51.257","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an updated timeline for the roll-out of body-worn cameras to all Police Scotland officers.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an updated timeline for the roll-out of body-worn cameras to all Police Scotland officers.","AnswerText":"The introduction of Body Worn Video is a priority for Police Scotland, and it is working to introduce it as soon as possible. The decision on how and when to roll out body-worn video is a matter for the Chief Constable with oversight provided by the Scottish Police Authority.The Chief Constable and senior colleagues provided an update to the SPA Board on 22 August, assuring the Authority that progress is being driven at pace given the complexities of the programme. They highlighted their expectation that the devices will begin to be deployed on roll-out from Spring 2025 for the first tranche of over 10,000 officers and staff. This will be followed by a coordinated, sequenced roll-out thereafter for all other relevant officers and staff. The Chief Constable informed the Criminal Justice Committee on 11 September that she would update the Committee on specific timings when she is able to do so.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423786,"EventID":"S6W-29875","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:32.57","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T16:06:42.64","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29027 by Shona Robison on 9 September 2024, whether it will provide the specific number of occasions that it has met with the lead","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29027 by Shona Robison on 9 September 2024, whether it will provide the specific number of occasions that it has met with the leader of Argyll and Bute Council in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"Details of every external meeting all Ministers have undertaken since 2016 can be found here: https://www.gov.scot/collections/ministerial-engagements-travel-and-gifts/. This currently shows engagements up until May of this year, however information on engagements after this point will be published in due course, as per the Scottish Government&rsquo;s commitment to do so, which is set out in the Scottish Ministerial Code.It is also worth noting that although the names of specific councils or council leaders may not appear in records of certain engagements, the First Minister, previous First Ministers and other Ministers have engaged with various council leaders at COSLA Annual Conferences and other conferences and events that involve council leaders since 2021.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423787,"EventID":"S6W-29854","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:33.203","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T13:35:27.303","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan will include a target for 100% community-owned energy, alongside the proposed target for community- and locally-owne","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan will include a target for 100% community-owned energy, alongside the proposed target for community- and locally-owned energy.","AnswerText":"Scotland&rsquo;s potential for renewable energy generation is one of our greatest environmental and economic opportunities. The forthcoming Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan will chart a path to a clean, fair and secure energy system.As part of a just energy transition, the Scottish Government is committed to working with partners to continue to grow a thriving community energy sector. This is evidenced by our Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES), which has recently awarded funding to 20 projects from 19 community groups across Scotland through the &pound;1.5 million Community Energy Generation Growth Fund. This funding will support these communities to develop their own renewable energy projects.Our ambition to reach 2GW of community and locally owned energy by 2030 includes different types of community and local ownership to reflect the different needs, requirements and opportunities available to communities across Scotland. The latest Community and Locally Owned Energy statistics show at the end of December 2023, there was an estimated 1,028 MW of community and locally owned renewable energy in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423788,"EventID":"S6W-29845","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:33.023","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T13:34:50.507","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27175 by Gillian Martin on 13 May 2024, whether it still plans to publish the recommendations of the Transmission Network Short Li","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27175 by Gillian Martin on 13 May 2024, whether it still plans to publish the recommendations of the Transmission Network Short Life Working Group, and, if so, when.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does still plan to publish the recommendations of the Transmission Network Short Life Working Group (SLWG).Alongside this, we will also publish the Terms of Reference of the Transmission Steering Group (TSG), which have recently been finalised by the group. The TSG has been established in order to implement priority actions in the SLWG Report and monitor their progress.Both documents are currently being assessed for accessibility compliance and are currently due to be published on the Scottish Government website in the week commencing 30 September 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423789,"EventID":"S6W-29835","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:33.503","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T12:33:47.15","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will monitor the effectiveness of the campaign, Quit Fighting for Likes, which is aimed at young people to discuss attitudes and behaviours regarding the filming ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will monitor the effectiveness of the campaign, Quit Fighting for Likes, which is aimed at young people to discuss attitudes and behaviours regarding the filming and sharing of violent incidents.","AnswerText":"The effectiveness of the campaign will be monitored by YouthLink Scotland, Medics Against Violence and the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit, our funded partners who created the campaign, produced the accompanying resources and will be delivering training sessions to support those working with young people to help them navigate social media safely and prevent violence. Website traffic and data on the engagement with the online materials via the campaign landing page will be collected. Follow up sessions with training participants will monitor the impact and use of the materials. A report will be shared with the Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423790,"EventID":"S6W-29857","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:34.737","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T14:09:27.21","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the need and demand for mental health support in colleges and universities.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the need and demand for mental health support in colleges and universities.","AnswerText":"Our new Student Mental Health Action Plan, published on 13 September, seeks to move to a mainstreamed approach to student mental health which will help students better access services.It is informed by a significant number of research sources, in particular, the Thriving Learners studies published by the Mental Health Foundation in 2021 and 2022 in relation to universities and colleges. In addition, college and university sector input was sought throughout the development of the Action Plan as were the views from NUS Scotland and Think Positive. The Action Plan was also shaped by student voices from the wider Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy consultation last year.The Scottish Government will publish the required Impact Assessments for the Action Plan in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423791,"EventID":"S6W-29847","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:33.117","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T13:34:50.507","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the UK Government regarding its announcement of &pound;22 billion of potential budget reductions and any impact that this will have on Ba","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the UK Government regarding its announcement of &pound;22 billion of potential budget reductions and any impact that this will have on Barnett consequential funding.","AnswerText":"The First Minister and I met the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 28 August, following the Chancellor&rsquo;s statement on 29 July that outlined a &pound;22 billion shortfall in the UK public finances.I will be having further discussions with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, along with the devolved finance ministers from Wales and Northern Ireland, at a meeting of the Finance: Interministerial Standing Committee (F:ISC) on 3 October.Under the Barnett formula, increases or decreases in funding for UK Departments drive the funding available to the Scottish Budget. We expect that consequentials for this financial year will be not be formally confirmed until the completion of the supplementary estimates process in early 2025, with an update expected as part of the UK Budget on 30 October.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423792,"EventID":"S6W-29881","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:32.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T16:06:42.64","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much (a) ministers and (b) civil servants from its Constitution Directorate have spent on (i) domestic and (ii) foreign travel in each year since 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much (a) ministers and (b) civil servants from its Constitution Directorate have spent on (i) domestic and (ii) foreign travel in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"a) Ministerial travel costs are routinely published online three months in arrears and in line with the Scottish Ministerial Code: 2018 edition - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) This can be found at: Ministerial engagements, travel and gifts - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)b) The following table outlines how much has been spent on travel by civil servants working in the Constitution Directorate of the Scottish Government in each year since 2021:&nbsp;FY21-22FY22-23FY23-24FY24-25*Domestic&pound;2,326.08&pound;10,861.79&pound;16,135.63&pound;3,826.00Foreign0000*part year costsOfficials working in the Constitution directorate travel in support of Ministerial and other Scottish Government business across the UK, including the First Minister&rsquo;s participation in twice yearly meetings of the British Irish Council.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423793,"EventID":"S6W-29837","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:32.177","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T12:33:47.15","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential financial impact of freezing the (a) basic, (b) intermediate and (c) Higher Property Rate for 2025-26.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential financial impact of freezing the (a) basic, (b) intermediate and (c) Higher Property Rate for 2025-26.","AnswerText":"Assessments of revenue impact will be taken in the course of the Scottish Budget using up to date data relating to the non-domestic rates tax base and inflation. Indicative revenue changes of the result of a 1p change to the basic, intermediate and higher property rates were published in Scottish Tax &ndash; changes for 2023 to 2024 ready reckoners which can be found here : Summary - Scottish Tax - changes for 2023 to 2024: ready reckoners - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423794,"EventID":"S6W-29586","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:32.69","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T10:14:26.607","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much revenue remains from Crown Estate Scotland&rsquo;s first round of offshore wind leasing, following&nbsp;the announcement by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance an","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much revenue remains from Crown Estate Scotland&rsquo;s first round of offshore wind leasing, following&nbsp;the announcement by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government of plans to withdraw &pound;460 million from this to support the 2024-25 budget.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29569 on 19 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423795,"EventID":"S6W-29866","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:33.313","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T16:06:42.64","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it discounted the use of underground tunnelling as part of its long-term solution for the A83 Rest and Be Thankful.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it discounted the use of underground tunnelling as part of its long-term solution for the A83 Rest and Be Thankful.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to an infrastructure solution to address landslip risks at the A83 Rest and Be Thankful and shares the urgency communities and businesses place on maintaining and improving connectivity of this vital route.As part of the comprehensive route options assessment process for the permanent solution, five options were assessed, two of which included tunnels. The options were assessed across a range of criteria including Engineering, Environment and Economics along with performance against the Scheme Objectives.In June 2023, the &lsquo;Brown Option&rsquo;, consisting of a 1.4km debris flow shelter on the line of the existing A83, was selected as the Preferred Route Option as it improves resilience and operational safety of the trunk road network by reducing the impact of disruption for travel to, from and between Argyll and Bute and the Central Belt of Scotland. The Brown Option performed most favourably across a broad range of environmental criteria including cultural heritage, visual, population and human health, climate, and materials and waste. It also had the greatest potential to be delivered quickly and provides the greatest opportunity to encourage sustainable travel.While the tunnelling options would equally provide improved resilience and operational safety of the trunk road network, the associated costs for both construction and ongoing operation and maintenance of these options were significantly greater than the preferred route option.The full assessment can be found in the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) Stage 2 Route Options Assessment Report which is available on the Transport Scotland website.Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) stage two route options assessment report - A83 Access to Argyll and Bute | Transport Scotland","AnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423796,"EventID":"S6W-29872","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:33.08","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T16:06:42.64","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29029 by Shona Robison on 9 September 2024, whether it will provide the specific number of occasions that it has met with the lead","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29029 by Shona Robison on 9 September 2024, whether it will provide the specific number of occasions that it has met with the leader of Shetland Islands Council in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"Details of every external meeting all Ministers have undertaken since 2016 can be found here: https://www.gov.scot/collections/ministerial-engagements-travel-and-gifts/. This currently shows engagements up until May of this year, however information on engagements after this point will be published in due course, as per the Scottish Government&rsquo;s commitment to do so, which is set out in the Scottish Ministerial Code.It is also worth noting that although the names of specific councils or council leaders may not appear in records of certain engagements, the First Minister, previous First Ministers and other Ministers have engaged with various council leaders at COSLA Annual Conferences and other conferences and events that involve council leaders since 2021.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423797,"EventID":"S6W-29826","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:33.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T12:01:13.797","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received any funding directly from the UK Government to be spent on the R100 project, and, if so, where this funding was utilised.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received any funding directly from the UK Government to be spent on the R100 project, and, if so, where this funding was utilised.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has received a total of &pound;52 million from the UK Government for deployment via the R100 contracts.&pound;17 million of UK Government funding is being deployed via the R100 North contact, &pound;7 million via the Central contract and &pound;28 million via the South contract. These figures are rounded to the nearest million pounds.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423798,"EventID":"S6W-29840","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:32.527","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T13:34:50.507","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024, whether it is considering including the recycling of recyclable PET or PP plastic plant pots in household kerbside r","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024, whether it is considering including the recycling of recyclable PET or PP plastic plant pots in household kerbside recycling in its code of practice.","AnswerText":"The new Household Recycling Code of Practice will be co-designed with local authorities and other stakeholders to deliver modernised and more consistent waste and recycling services across Scotland.The co-design process will provide opportunities to consider collection of a range of new items and materials, which may include PET and/or PP plastic plant pots. Our approach to determining changes to the Code of Practice will be evidence-led and take account of different local circumstances and needs.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423799,"EventID":"S6W-29885","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5596,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":151,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:32.68","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T16:44:24.753","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to young people who have been involved in serious offending, particularly those who are at risk of being placed in secure care, and how it suppo","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to young people who have been involved in serious offending, particularly those who are at risk of being placed in secure care, and how it supports the families of these young people.&nbsp;&nbsp;","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government works closely with local authorities, third sector partners and all other agencies involved in supporting children and young people involved with the criminal justice system. This includes support for parents and carers. This collaborative approach ensures that a broad range of expertise and resources are brought together to address the needs of young people holistically. By partnering with organisations that provide specialised services such as mental health support, family counselling, and education, the Scottish Government ensures that young people receive the targeted interventions they need to prevent reoffending and to successfully reintegrate into society.This includes organisations such as Cyrenians and Aberlour, which receive funding through the Cashback for Communities programme. Cyrenians&rsquo; Keeping Families Together project works across Scotland in partnership with Scotland&rsquo;s four secure centres, offering mediation, whole family support and conflict resolution workshops. The approach enables young people and families to improve communication, address underlying issues and build stronger, more positive relationship.Aberlour&rsquo;s project, Alternative Routes #CashBack, supports young people aged 10-25 and their families most at risk of being involved in antisocial behaviour, offending or reoffending. They use a whole system approach involving the whole family and community, which improves confidence in young people and provides them with opportunities to connect, flourish and achieve at home, school, and in the community.Includem&rsquo;s ADAPT project &ndash; funded through the Scottish Government&rsquo;s Whole Family Wellbeing Fund &ndash; also focuses on young people who are in conflict or at risk of being in conflict with the law. The project works with young people and their families to help them navigate a way out of a variety of difficult circumstances by diverting them from the criminal behaviour and a resultant trajectory into the criminal justice system.The Scottish Government also funds the Children and Young People&rsquo;s Centre for Justice (CYCJ), who work closely with a number of organisations providing a range of support services to both children and their parents and carers. This includes local authority practitioners, Police Scotland and third sector organisations such as Action for Children, Includem and Barnardos.As part of their Promise implementation work, CYCJ is leading a project to engage directly with parents of children in conflict with the law. The aim of this is to develop a network of parents who can participate in the development of policy and practice. In order to reach these parents CYCJ is actively engaging with existing parenting networks such as Parenting Across Scotland and Families Outside.The Scottish Government also ensure that child victims and their families are offered trauma-informed and person-centred support and advocacy through the Victim-Centred Approach Fund and the development of a Bairns&rsquo; Hoose model in Scotland.The Intensive Support Monitoring and Supervision (ISMS) programme is a key component of Scotland&rsquo;s youth justice system, aimed at providing an alternative to secure care or custody for young people (typically between the ages of 12 and 18) who are at high risk of reoffending or presenting significant risks to themselves or others. ISMS combines electronic monitoring (such as tagging) with intensive support services, including:Structured supervision with regular check-ins and monitoring by social workers or case managers.Individualised interventions including tailored programmes focusing on addressing offending behaviour, mental health, substance abuse, or other personal challenges.Support with education and employment including assistance in engaging with school, vocational training, or employment to foster personal development and reduce reoffending risks.Family support with efforts to involve and support the fa","AnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423800,"EventID":"S6W-29832","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:32.61","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T12:01:13.797","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects  the R100 programme to conclude.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects  the R100 programme to conclude.","AnswerText":"The Reaching 100% (R100) programme met its original aim of ensuring everyone could access a superfast broadband connection by the end of 2021. However, as per previous statements, the R100 contracts &ndash; which are now providing full-fibre and gigabit-capable connectivity &ndash; are expected to deliver connections until 2028.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423801,"EventID":"S6W-29844","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:33.15","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T13:34:50.507","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in addition to the &pound;144.5 million that has already been announced, what further financial support it will provide to local authorities to maintain teacher numbers","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in addition to the &pound;144.5 million that has already been announced, what further financial support it will provide to local authorities to maintain teacher numbers.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has provided record funding of over &pound;14 billion to local councils this year &ndash; a real-terms increase of 2.5% compared with the previous year. This includes &pound;145.5 million to maintain teacher numbers and &pound;242 million to support previous teacher pay deals.We have also made available &pound;29 million to support the 2024-25 teachers&rsquo; pay deal.We value the teaching profession which is why Scotland has the most teachers per pupil and the highest paid classroom teachers in the UK.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423802,"EventID":"S6W-29836","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:34.077","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T12:33:47.15","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that local authorities maintain school buildings to an extremely high standard.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that local authorities maintain school buildings to an extremely high standard.","AnswerText":"Although it is the statutory responsibility of all local authorities to manage and maintain the school estate, the Scottish Government is providing them with significant funding towards improving their school estate.The &pound;2 billion Learning Estate Investment Programme is being delivered in partnership with local authorities and will benefit tens of thousands of pupils across Scotland. It follows on from the successful &pound;1.8 billion Scotland&rsquo;s Schools for the Future Programme which completed in 2021 and delivered 117 new or refurbished schools.Our latest school estate statistics, published on 10th September 2024, show that the proportion of schools in &ldquo;good&rdquo; or &ldquo;satisfactory&rdquo; condition has increased from 62.7% in April 2007 to 91.7 % in April 2024. Investment through the Learning Estate Investment Programme will build on this remarkable progress.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423803,"EventID":"S6W-29834","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:33.59","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T12:33:47.15","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what economic impact assessment it has made of restoring rates parity with England for businesses paying the Higher Property Rate.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what economic impact assessment it has made of restoring rates parity with England for businesses paying the Higher Property Rate.","AnswerText":"It is not practical to estimate the behavioural response of businesses to any change in the Higher Property Rate that may arise from restoring parity with the English Standard Multiplier in order to assess the economic impact robustly.It is however possible to assess the financial impact of changes in liability for an individual business. The median rateable value for properties liable to pay the Higher Property Rate in Scotland is &pound;191,000. The additional gross non-domestic rates liability for a property with that rateable value in Scotland in 2024-25 is &pound;2,483.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423804,"EventID":"S6W-29838","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:32.683","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T12:34:42.243","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how much has been spent on work on the National Care Service to date.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how much has been spent on work on the National Care Service to date.","AnswerText":"From 2021-22 through to the end of period 5 in 2024-25 a total of &pound;28,730,224 has been spent on work related to the National Care Service.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423805,"EventID":"S6W-29870","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:32.087","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T16:06:42.64","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29026 by Shona Robison on 9 September 2024, whether it will provide the specific number of occasions that it has met with the lead","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29026 by Shona Robison on 9 September 2024, whether it will provide the specific number of occasions that it has met with the leader of Highland Council in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"Details of every external meeting all Ministers have undertaken since 2016 can be found here: https://www.gov.scot/collections/ministerial-engagements-travel-and-gifts/. This currently shows engagements up until May of this year, however information on engagements after this point will be published in due course, as per the Scottish Government&rsquo;s commitment to do so, which is set out in the Scottish Ministerial Code.It is also worth noting that although the names of specific councils or council leaders may not appear in records of certain engagements, the First Minister, previous First Ministers and other Ministers have engaged with various council leaders at COSLA Annual Conferences and other conferences and events that involve council leaders since 2021.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423806,"EventID":"S6W-29863","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:32.837","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T16:03:49.7","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28647&nbsp;by Mairi Gougeon on 19 August 2024, what factors it will consider as part of the consultation process on fisheries mana","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28647&nbsp;by Mairi Gougeon on 19 August 2024, what factors it will consider as part of the consultation process on fisheries management in the Firth of Clyde for 2026 and 2027.","AnswerText":"We are open to considering if any factors are new and will make recommendations for future management on that basis. The consultation in summer 2025 will gauge public opinion on the closure in light of the best available evidence on environmental and socioeconomic factors to help us understand relative impacts to date, as well as those forecasted should the closure be maintained in the future.We will also be publishing a report on the 2024 closure in due course which will contribute to the available consultation package.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423807,"EventID":"S6W-29825","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:32.547","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T11:34:10.217","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its proposed Adults with Incapacity Bill as outlined in its Programme for Government 2024-25, whether it plans to consult on each of the recommendations con","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its proposed Adults with Incapacity Bill as outlined in its Programme for Government 2024-25, whether it plans to consult on each of the recommendations contained under Recommendation 13.3 of the final report of the Mental Health Law Review, which relate to amending the power of attorney scheme.","AnswerText":"&lsquo;The Adults with Incapacity Amendment Act Consultation&rsquo; published on 25 July 2024 consults on four out of seven power of attorney (PoA) recommendations at section 13.3 of the Scottish Mental Health Law Review. Although not part of this consultation, the remaining PoA recommendations will be considered as part of the longer term reform programme.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423808,"EventID":"S6W-29828","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:32.777","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T12:01:13.797","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the number of properties still to be connected within the Falkirk Council area under the R100 project.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the number of properties still to be connected within the Falkirk Council area under the R100 project.","AnswerText":"Latest assured figure (from 31 July 2024) showed that around 1,000 premises were still expected to be connected through the R100 Central contract in the Falkirk Council area.Latest coverage figures, including premises connected that were beyond the scope of the initial R100 contracts, are available on our website at Data insights | Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423809,"EventID":"S6W-29868","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:32.663","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T16:06:42.64","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24400 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 9 January 2024, whether it will provide an update on any recent discussions that it has had wi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24400 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 9 January 2024, whether it will provide an update on any recent discussions that it has had with the UK Government on enabling pre-existing marriages to become civil partnerships.","AnswerText":"Following the appointment of Lord Cameron of Lochiel as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Scotland Office, I wrote to him on 17 April 2024 seeking an update on the proposed Order under section 104 of the Scotland Act 1998.Alister Jack, the then Secretary of State for Scotland, wrote to me on 15 May 2024. In his letter, Mr Jack apologised for the delay. He said he was satisfied that a section 104 Order under the Scotland Act 1998 was the appropriate legislative vehicle, and he was content to provide his in-principle agreement to this Order. He indicated that his officials in the Scotland Office would shortly be setting up a working group of officials to consider the work plan for the Order, including timescales and Parliamentary requirements.The UK General Election was then called on 23 May and took place on 4 July. Given the change in the UK Government, I wrote to the new Secretary of State, Ian Murray MP, on 12 August 2024 seeking his in-principle agreement to proceed with the section 104 Order. I have not yet received a reply.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423810,"EventID":"S6W-29843","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:32.987","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T13:34:50.507","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what further discussions it has had with the ChargePlace Scotland operator, SWARCO, regarding further reports of issues with the roll-out of the new Stripe payment syste","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what further discussions it has had with the ChargePlace Scotland operator, SWARCO, regarding further reports of issues with the roll-out of the new Stripe payment system over summer 2024, and whether compensation has been offered to any affected customers.","AnswerText":"The ChargePlace Scotland (CPS) operator, SWARCO Smart Charging, introduced the STRIPE payment system in April 2024. Transport Scotland were made aware of technical issues during the introduction period which affected some CPS customers. In line with agreed incident management procedures, the issues were investigated by the CPS operator and actions outlined for their swift resolution. On 27 June 2024, Transport Scotland met with the CPS operator to discuss the effectiveness of the actions and to ensure no other issues had been reported. There have been no further reports of issues relating to the STRIPE implementation. CPS has not been contacted by any customers requesting compensation to-date.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423811,"EventID":"S6W-29886","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:32.83","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-12T08:20:33.49","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government further to the answer to question S6W-27753 by Mairi McAllan on 3 June 2024, by what date it expects to (a) receive and (b) publish the full report from Petroineos regar","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government further to the answer to question S6W-27753 by Mairi McAllan on 3 June 2024, by what date it expects to (a) receive and (b) publish the full report from Petroineos regarding the ground investigation into the pipeline leak in Glen Fruin in January 2024.","AnswerText":"The ground investigation report is being prepared by Petroineos for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). The Scottish Government would not expect to receive it formally and has no plans to publish it, as this is an operational matter for SEPA.We are advised that the ground investigation work has concluded that the contamination is localised and SEPA continue to work with Petroineos and their consultant Adler and Allan to ensure the physical remediation works, which have commenced, can be delivered timeously. Once the remediation has concluded SEPA will be in a position to publish a statement regarding the environmental condition of the site.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423812,"EventID":"S6W-29855","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:32.607","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T14:09:27.203","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it supports disabled women who need hoists to support their access to cervical smear tests.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it supports disabled women who need hoists to support their access to cervical smear tests.","AnswerText":"GP practices are funded to provide cervical screening services as a default part of their contracts with health boards. Practices are responsible for ensuring appropriate provision.The handbook for people performing cervical screening includes guidance which states that sample takers who work with physically disabled women should be confident and experienced in taking cervical samples. In addition, sample takers should consider whether it is appropriate to take actions or make adjustments based on the woman&rsquo;s healthcare needs, such as making arrangements with local colposcopy services to ensure samples are taken at clinics where hoists are available.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423813,"EventID":"S6W-29833","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:33.55","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T12:01:13.797","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any additional funding has been provided to the R100 programme beyond the original &pound;600 million announced in December 2017.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any additional funding has been provided to the R100 programme beyond the original &pound;600 million announced in December 2017.","AnswerText":"In addition to the &pound;600 million announced in December 2017, the Scottish Government has invested an additional &pound;20 million with the UK Government's Project Gigabit programme contributing a further &pound;31 million. This further investment has been deployed via the R100 contracts to extend and enhance the coverage footprint.The R100 contracts form only one part of the overall R100 programme. The R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme (SBVS) is demand-led and, as such, there is no pre-determined amount of funding allocated for delivering connections via SBVS. As of 31st August 2024, &pound;10 million has been paid to suppliers to deliver connections via SBVS.These figures are rounded to the nearest million pounds.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423814,"EventID":"S6W-29877","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:34.887","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T16:06:42.64","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any senior civil servants have received a non-consolidated performance payment without a pay increase in the same year since 2023, and what the total amount was ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any senior civil servants have received a non-consolidated performance payment without a pay increase in the same year since 2023, and what the total amount was of any such payments.","AnswerText":"In line with Scottish Public Sector Pay Policy, the Scottish Government does not pay non-consolidated performance payments to any staff, including Senior Civil Servants. Therefore, I can confirm that no Scottish Government Senior Civil Servants have received a non-consolidated performance payment in the period referenced.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423815,"EventID":"S6W-29864","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:33.227","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T16:06:42.64","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the planned HMP Highland remains on track to be delivered by 2026.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the planned HMP Highland remains on track to be delivered by 2026.","AnswerText":"Following the award of the construction contract for HMP Highland in April this year, the construction is progressing to plan on site and is scheduled to complete in 2026.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423816,"EventID":"S6W-29842","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:33.04","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T13:34:50.507","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it (a) has had and (b) plans to have with the UK Government regarding further support for pensioners in Scotland, in light of the impact of the UK Govern","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it (a) has had and (b) plans to have with the UK Government regarding further support for pensioners in Scotland, in light of the impact of the UK Government's decision to make the Winter Fuel Payment means tested.","AnswerText":"Following the publication of the UK Government&rsquo;s equality analysis on the impact introducing means-tested Winter Fuel Payments, the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice wrote to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on 20 September urging the UK government to reinstate Winter Fuel Payment for all pensioners. The Cabinet Secretary also called for reform of the UK energy markets to address the root causes of fuel poverty in Scotland, such as high fuel prices.This followed the previous letter to the Secretary of State on 14 August, in which the Cabinet Secretary urged the UK Government to undertake a benefits uptake campaign for Pension Credit and to move forward with plans for a social energy tariff.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423817,"EventID":"S6W-29859","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:33.35","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T14:18:21.107","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the commitment that it gave to Environmental Standards Scotland on the matter, whether the current policy position on Ramsar sites, which are officially des","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the commitment that it gave to Environmental Standards Scotland on the matter, whether the current policy position on Ramsar sites, which are officially designated as \"wetlands of international importance\", will be reviewed by autumn 2024, and by what date any revised policy statement regarding the sites will be (a) published and (b) consulted upon.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is currently reviewing its policy position on Ramsar sites and a revised policy statement will be published before the end of 2024. We will be conducting a targeted consultation on the proposed new policy position in early October to inform decisions about how to proceed.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423818,"EventID":"S6W-29849","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:32.553","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T13:34:50.507","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, whether it is considering providing (a) further financial support and (b) other resources for research into (i) neuroblast","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, whether it is considering providing (a) further financial support and (b) other resources for research into (i) neuroblastoma and (ii) other cancers that affect children.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s ten year Cancer Strategy published in 2023 sets out the Scottish Government&rsquo;s approach to improving patient pathways from cancer prevention and diagnosis through to treatment and post-treatment care, and this includes our ambitions for flourishing research and innovation. The Scottish Government is also the only UK-nation to have a dedicated strategy to support children and young people with cancer, delivered through the Managed Service Network for Children and Young People with Cancer. This network will continue to contribute to national and international research projects which aim to maximise cure for those with the highest risk disease and minimise treatment burden for those who are already curable.The Scottish Government&rsquo;s Chief Scientist Office (CSO) supports cancer research in Scotland including on cancers affecting children through investments in NHS Research Scotland infrastructure including Cancer and Paediatric Research Networks and in Paediatric and Adult Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres that support the delivery of clinical studies and trials. In addition, CSO supports funding opportunities for cancer research through access to National Institute for Health &amp; Care Research programmes. CSO also recently established a collaboration with the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission to co-fund a neuro-oncology fellowship in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423819,"EventID":"S6W-29873","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:33.353","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T16:06:42.64","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29028 by Shona Robison on 9 September 2024, whether it will provide the specific number of occasions that it has met with the lead","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29028 by Shona Robison on 9 September 2024, whether it will provide the specific number of occasions that it has met with the leader of Orkney Islands Council in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"Details of every external meeting all Ministers have undertaken since 2016 can be found here: https://www.gov.scot/collections/ministerial-engagements-travel-and-gifts/. This currently shows engagements up until May of this year, however information on engagements after this point will be published in due course, as per the Scottish Government&rsquo;s commitment to do so, which is set out in the Scottish Ministerial Code.It is also worth noting that although the names of specific councils or council leaders may not appear in records of certain engagements, the First Minister, previous First Ministers and other Ministers have engaged with various council leaders at COSLA Annual Conferences and other conferences and events that involve council leaders since 2021.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423820,"EventID":"S6W-29878","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:33.007","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T16:06:42.64","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many chief executives of non-departmental public bodies have received a non-consolidated performance payment and a pay increase in the same year since 2021, and what","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many chief executives of non-departmental public bodies have received a non-consolidated performance payment and a pay increase in the same year since 2021, and what the total amount was of any such payments.","AnswerText":"Non-consolidated performance payments for chief executives continue to be suspended. There is a presumption against provision for non-consolidated performance payments in all new Chief Executive contracts or following a review. There are 71 public bodies covered by the Public Sector Pay Policy, and of these there are a small number of public bodies with specific exemptions agreed by Ministers. These are Scottish Water and the Scottish National Investment Bank. All aspects of chief executive pay are detailed within the annual accounts of each public body.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423821,"EventID":"S6W-29831","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:32.627","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T12:01:13.797","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any previously planned elements of the R100 programme have been discontinued.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any previously planned elements of the R100 programme have been discontinued.","AnswerText":"The three strands of activity which form the Reaching 100% (R100) programme &ndash; the over-&pound;600 million R100 contracts, the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme (SBVS) and ongoing commercial build - continue to deliver faster broadband connections across Scotland.The interim voucher portion of the R100 SBVS was originally intended to close on 31 December 2021, but was extended by three months and closed on 31 March 2022.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423822,"EventID":"S6W-29850","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:32.587","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T13:34:50.507","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in addition to the actions set out in the Programme for Government 2024-25, what further action it is taking to support the acceleration of (a) renewable energy and (b)","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in addition to the actions set out in the Programme for Government 2024-25, what further action it is taking to support the acceleration of (a) renewable energy and (b) grid infrastructure projects.","AnswerText":"As well as continuing to seek further legislative powers from the UK Government that will allow us to create a more efficient consenting system, we are also working closely to review consenting processes for larger scale energy proposals, in line with the commitments set out in the UK Government&rsquo;s response to the Electricity Networks Commissioner&rsquo;s recommendations.The Scottish Government are engaging with the UK Government, Ofgem and the Electricity System Operator (ESO) on the implementation of the Transmission Acceleration Action Plan (TAAP) and the Connections Action Plan (CAP). We continue to push for reform, ensure that the proposals in the TAAP and CAP are robust, fit for purpose and tailored to the needs of Great Britain as a whole.Within the Scottish Government we are increasing staff numbers in the Energy Consents Unit to aid processing times for all Section 36 and Section 37 applications. Additionally, the unit continues to progress a number of efficiency measures and improvements and we are continuing to work closely with stakeholders to improve timescales further; specifically, through implementation of the commitments made in the Onshore Wind Sector Deal and the Transmission Network Short Life Working group.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423823,"EventID":"S6W-29869","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:33.17","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T16:06:42.64","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that bus services in rural communities remain (a) accessible and (b) affordable.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that bus services in rural communities remain (a) accessible and (b) affordable.","AnswerText":"Bus services in Scotland were deregulated by the then Conservative UK Government under the Transport Act of 1985 and are mostly provided by private operators.Our commitment to bus travel includes investment of over &pound;370 million to support concessionary bus travel and funding of almost &pound;50 million to help ensure our bus operators can continue to provide access to affordable transport in the de-regulated market across all of Scotland. The Network Support Grant is aimed at keeping bus networks more extensive and fares lower than would otherwise be the case. This fund is paid on a per kilometre basis which favours longer distance routes more common in rural areas.The Older &amp; Disabled and Young Persons concessionary travel schemes provide free bus travel for over two million people in Scotland, including all children and young people under 22, eligible disabled people and everyone aged 60 and over.The Scottish Government is committed, in partnership with operators and local authorities, to looking at ways of ensuring that everyone has accessible public transport regardless of where they live. The importance of local bus services to communities and ensuring the long-term sustainability of these vital local routes is a collaborative endeavour.Funding is also provided to local authorities in their annual settlement to support services they consider socially necessary and for community transport services, which can play an important role in rural transport networks.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423824,"EventID":"S6W-29862","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:33.527","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T16:03:49.697","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the consultation process for the Firth of Clyde fisheries management for 2026 and 2027 will consider the health of the Clyde cod population, and, if so, how this","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the consultation process for the Firth of Clyde fisheries management for 2026 and 2027 will consider the health of the Clyde cod population, and, if so, how this will be monitored.","AnswerText":"The International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) provides annual advice on the population of Northern Shelf cod which currently includes the West of Scotland (6a) and the Clyde areas.During the 2024 closure we enhanced our data collection in the Clyde and intend to share those findings and reflections on monitoring of the closure with stakeholders when available. We intend to continue the data collection programme in 2025. This along with the ICES advice will contribute to the evidence base and help inform a consultation on future management measures.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423825,"EventID":"S6W-29874","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:34.54","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T16:06:42.64","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29031 by Shona Robison on 9 September 2024, whether it will provide the specific number of occasions that it has met with the lead","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29031 by Shona Robison on 9 September 2024, whether it will provide the specific number of occasions that it has met with the leader of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"Details of every external meeting all Ministers have undertaken since 2016 can be found here: https://www.gov.scot/collections/ministerial-engagements-travel-and-gifts/. This currently shows engagements up until May of this year, however information on engagements after this point will be published in due course, as per the Scottish Government&rsquo;s commitment to do so, which is set out in the Scottish Ministerial Code.It is also worth noting that although the names of specific councils or council leaders may not appear in records of certain engagements, the First Minister, previous First Ministers and other Ministers have engaged with various council leaders at COSLA Annual Conferences and other conferences and events that involve council leaders since 2021.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423826,"EventID":"S6W-29867","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:33.75","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T16:06:42.64","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated cost was of tunnelling in relation to its consideration of a long-term solution for the A83 Rest and Be Thankful, and how this compared with the optio","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated cost was of tunnelling in relation to its consideration of a long-term solution for the A83 Rest and Be Thankful, and how this compared with the option it chose of constructing a debris flow shelter.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to an infrastructure solution to address landslip risks at the A83 Rest and Be Thankful and shares the urgency communities and businesses place on maintaining and improving connectivity of this vital route.During the Route Options Assessment process cost estimates were developed for each of the options under consideration. The two options considered which included a tunnel were the &lsquo;Pink&rsquo; and &lsquo;Purple&rsquo; options with estimated costs ranging from &pound;1.3 billion to &pound;1.38 billion and &pound;968.3 million to &pound;1.1 billion at 2023 prices respectively, which are, individually, more than double the cost of the preferred &lsquo;Brown&rsquo; route option, at &pound;404.2 million to &pound;465.4 million at 2023 prices.A comparative assessment of operation and maintenance costs was also undertaken, which estimated that the preferred route option had the lowest cost, totalling approximately &pound;24.6 million. In comparison the Pink and Purple Options were estimated to have operation and maintenance costs of &pound;117.5 million and &pound;138.8 million respectively.The estimated costs of all options can be viewed in the DMRB Stage 2 Route Options Assessment Report available on the Transport Scotland website.Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) stage two route options assessment report - A83 Access to Argyll and Bute | Transport Scotland","AnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423827,"EventID":"S6W-29587","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:33.567","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-04T10:16:26.27","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much revenue (a) has been raised by and (b) it has withdrawn from Crown Estate Scotland&rsquo;s first round of offshore wind leasing in each year since the round con","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much revenue (a) has been raised by and (b) it has withdrawn from Crown Estate Scotland&rsquo;s first round of offshore wind leasing in each year since the round concluded in 2022-23.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29569 on 19 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423828,"EventID":"S6W-29880","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:33.533","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T16:06:42.64","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) taskforces and (b) working groups it has (i) established and (ii) disbanded in each year since 2021, and whether it will provide details of these.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) taskforces and (b) working groups it has (i) established and (ii) disbanded in each year since 2021, and whether it will provide details of these.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24570 on 29 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423829,"EventID":"S6W-29876","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:33.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T16:06:42.64","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any senior civil servants have received a non-consolidated performance payment and a pay increase in the same year since 2023, and what the total amount was of a","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any senior civil servants have received a non-consolidated performance payment and a pay increase in the same year since 2023, and what the total amount was of any such payments.","AnswerText":"In line with Scottish Public Sector Pay Policy, the Scottish Government does not pay non-consolidated performance payments to any staff, including Senior Civil Servants. Therefore, I can confirm that no Scottish Government Senior Civil Servants have received a non-consolidated performance payment in the period referenced.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423830,"EventID":"S6W-29851","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:33.097","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T13:34:50.507","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what further support it plans to provide to supported businesses.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what further support it plans to provide to supported businesses.","AnswerText":"Supported Businesses make an important contribution to the Scottish economy. Not only through the goods and services they deliver, but also by providing meaningful employment, training, and social support for those who may otherwise be excluded from the workplace.The Scottish Government values the role of Supported Businesses and is committed to helping them achieve commercial sustainability.In December 2016, the Scottish Government published the coproduced &lsquo;Scotland&rsquo;s Social Enterprise Strategy&rsquo;, in March 2017, the then Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Equalities launched the first of three underpinning action plans, and in March 2021, the then Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government, launched the second plan. The second action plan[1] describes our priorities for 2021-24, and details how we will work across the public sector and with partners to build forward and put the social enterprise model at the heart of Scotland's recovery. The action plan includes the following actions:We will bring forward a programme to help improve collaborative commissioning and the role of social enterprise in the delivery of public services.Review our support for procurement and how we best support mechanisms that will enable social enterprises to prepare, bid, win, and deliver public sector contracts.Take continued action to realise the potential of supported businesses to access public contracts, through the use of reserved contracts and other mechanisms.Procurement officials are working with Supported Businesses and the public sector to make it easier for supported businesses to access public sector contracts.A multi-supplier Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) for Requirements Reserved for Supported Businesses provides Scottish public bodies with a route to market for a range of goods and services which can be provided by Supported Businesses.Having sought the views of both affected suppliers and buyers and considered feasibility of the various commercial options with procurement leads from each centre of expertise, it is evident that a blended approach to Supported Businesses represents the best way forward. A blended approach comprises:a new national collaborative solution;scoping of opportunities for sectoral commercial arrangements; andnon-collaborative interventions to support local contracting activity.This will be coupled with work already underway to raise the profile of Supported Businesses and make the process of identifying them easier for public bodies.The Requirements Reserved for Supported Businesses Dynamic Purchasing System commenced on 07 September 2023 for a two-year period, following a detailed stakeholder consultation process. Further information on the DPS can be found within the Scottish Government&rsquo;s contracts directory.[1]Social enterprise: action plan - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423831,"EventID":"S6W-29829","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:33.06","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T12:01:13.797","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the original target was for the R100 programme, and what its position is on whether this has been met.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the original target was for the R100 programme, and what its position is on whether this has been met.","AnswerText":"The Reaching 100% (R100) programme aimed to ensure that every home and business could access a superfast broadband connection by the end of 2021 and this was achieved through a combination of the three strands that comprise the R100 programme - the over &pound;600 million R100 contracts, our demand-led R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme (SBVS) and the ongoing expansion of commercial coverage.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423832,"EventID":"S6W-29830","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:33.133","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T12:01:13.797","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what outstanding work is remaining on the R100 programme.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what outstanding work is remaining on the R100 programme.","AnswerText":"To date, the R100 contracts have delivered connections to more than 45,200 premises across Scotland, along with an additional 13,558 non-contracted premises connected while Openreach is delivering R100 contract build.For those who live or work in premises beyond the reach of commercial and R100 contract build plans, the demand-led R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme (SBVS) remains available and offers up to &pound;5,000 with which to secure, as a minimum, an affordable superfast broadband connection.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423833,"EventID":"S6W-29846","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-12T15:31:33.487","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-11T13:34:50.507","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on mitigating any UK Government (a) reductions and (b) changes to benefit entitlements in each of the last three years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on mitigating any UK Government (a) reductions and (b) changes to benefit entitlements in each of the last three years.","AnswerText":"In the last three complete financial years (2021-22 to 2023-24), we have invested almost &pound;250 million mitigating the impacts of UK Government policy such as the bedroom tax and benefit cap, and shortfalls in Local Housing Allowance rates through Discretionary Housing Payments. These policies have a direct impact on households in Scotland by reducing the level of social security support they receive.This year alone, almost &pound;134m will be spent through activities such as our Discretionary Housing Payments and the Scottish Welfare Fund. The Scottish Welfare Fund provides crisis support and helps eligible people to establish independent living, and shortfalls in the UK social security system have contributed to an increased demand on the fund.In 2024-25, we are also investing &pound;457 million in the Scottish Child Payment, giving support to the families of over 325,000 under 16s who currently receive it. However, its impacts are reduced by UK Government welfare policies, such as the two-child limit and benefit cap, and by the inadequacy of Universal Credit.Table 1 below provides a breakdown of Discretionary Housing Payment funding for each activity in the last three years, including this financial year.Table 1: Discretionary Housing Payments budget (2021/22 &ndash; present)&nbsp;2021-222022-232023-242024-25TotalBedroom tax&pound;71.00m&pound;68.10m&pound;69.70m&pound;74.84m&pound;283.64mBenefit cap*&nbsp;&nbsp;&pound;6.15m&pound;7.75m&pound;13.90mOther DHPs**&pound;10.90m&pound;16.00m&pound;7.90m&pound;7.90m&pound;42.70mAdmin funding***&pound;1.20m&pound;1.70m&pound;2.20m&pound;2.20m&pound;7.30m&nbsp;&pound;83.10m&pound;85.80m&pound;85.95m&pound;92.69m&pound;347.54m*Prior to 2023/24, benefit cap funding was included in the DHP &ldquo;other&rdquo; funding stream.**The DHP &ldquo;other&rdquo; funding stream includes funding for claimants affected by reductions in Local Housing Allowance and other housing related costs at the discretion of local authorities.***Please note: admin funding is paid to LAs on top of their DHP budget to cover the costs associated with administrating the DHP scheme.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423866,"EventID":"S6W-29954","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":5622,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":148,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-16T15:03:19.763","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T14:59:17.183","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its position on the Commonwealth Games potentially being hosted in Glasgow in 2026.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its position on the Commonwealth Games potentially being hosted in Glasgow in 2026.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has conducted a thorough assessment of Commonwealth Games Scotland&rsquo;s proposal for Glasgow to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games. That assessment has been conducted alongside Commonwealth Games Scotland, the Commonwealth Games Federation, Glasgow City Council, the UK Government and, most recently, Commonwealth Games Australia. The collaboration has been extremely positive and productive and has resulted in the finalisation of a strong event proposal that will help to support a new future for the Commonwealth Games and deliver economic and sporting opportunity for Scotland.On that basis, I have written to the Commonwealth Games Scotland today to inform them that the Scottish Government will give its support for the proposal.Scotland, and in particular Glasgow has built a track record of successful event delivery, including being the first to host newly modelled events such as the multi-city European Championships in 2018 and the more recent UCI Cycling World Championships in 2023. It is because Glasgow is a world class event hosting destination with the facilities and expertise required to deliver an event such as the Commonwealth Games that we are able to proceed. Glasgow will deliver a world -class sporting event which will reimagine the Commonwealth Games for future generations to come and support more of our Commonwealth partners to be able to host future iterations of the event. In return, this proposal will bring economic benefit to businesses in Glasgow and Scotland and support a programme of capital upgrades to a number of existing venues in Glasgow to create an additional legacy for public sports facilities and local communities.The proposal will also ensure we retain the Commonwealth Games&rsquo;s significant importance for Scottish sport. The Games allows our athletes to compete under their national flag, marks the pinnacle of sport for some Scottish Sports Governing Bodies and is a key influence in how Scottish performance funding is distributed. Glasgow 2014 provided a catalyst for success for many Scottish athletes, including those who won medals at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games; 25 of the 34 Scots on Team GB have competed for Team Scotland at the Commonwealth Games, including six of the nine medallists. This reimagined model will help to inform future Games and enable the Commonwealth Games Federation to encourage hosts for 2030 and beyond.No public funding is required from the Scottish Government for the delivery of the event and the Scottish Government will not provide any financial underwriting. This has been clearly communicated in my letter to Commonwealth Games Scotland and will be included in the final legal documentation.The Commonwealth Games Federation will cover the majority of costs using money secured in a compensation negotiation with the Victorian Government following their withdrawal as hosts in July 2023. The Commonwealth Games Federation have provided a further &pound;20m of funding to support delivery of the event and required contingency: this includes a &pound;5 million investment for Glasgow City Council to utilise for capital upgrades and a cultural programme. The UK Government has agreed to provide a ringfenced contingency funding of up to &pound;2.3m that can be accessed if existing budget funds and contingency have been exceeded and all efforts to reduce costs have been exhausted.An additional multi million pound investment has also now been accepted to support the Games to take place. The final quantum of investment and the balance of direct funding and contingency provision will be finalised shortly but Commonwealth Games Australia have indicated flexibility in their approach. The Scottish Government is grateful to Commonwealth Games Australia for agreeing to provide financial support to the event in recognition of the importance of the Commonwealth Games to Australia&rsquo;s sporting system.The additional amount of funding and investment agreed since negotiat","AnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423867,"EventID":"S6W-29896","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-16T15:37:21.433","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-12T12:14:14.127","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to address the reportedly increased number of cancelled operations in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde since March 2020.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to address the reportedly increased number of cancelled operations in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde since March 2020.","AnswerText":"During the pandemic, and beginning in March 2020, routine planned operations were paused to allow our NHS to focus on patients with COVID-19 and to minimise transmission of the virus.As services have remobilised, the number of patients listed for surgery has increased, therefore the number of cancelled operations increased in parallel.The latest data for NHS Greater Glasgow &amp; Clyde shows that in July 2024, of all cancelled planned operations, just 1.6% were cancelled for capacity reasons, down from 2.1% in July 2021, while 5.7% were cancelled either by the patient or for clinical reasons.We have also seen planned activity in NHS Greater Glasgow &amp; Clyde rise from 4,238 in July 2021 to 4,798 in July 2024 &ndash; a 13.2% increase.When a patient&rsquo;s operation is cancelled, I expect NHS Boards to liaise with patients to find a suitable date as quickly as possible in order to ensure disruption to the patient is kept the minimum.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423868,"EventID":"S6W-29913","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-16T15:37:21.44","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-13T13:01:27.52","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what advice and support it offers to self-employed people through its employability programmes.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what advice and support it offers to self-employed people through its employability programmes.","AnswerText":"In Scotland, employability services are delivered through the No One Left Behind approach. Through this approach, Scottish and Local Government are working together with public, private, and third sector organisations to design and deliver place-based, person-centred employability services in Scotland.Self-employed people on low-income and experiencing poverty, particularly parents, are eligible for support through our No One Left Behind offer.Our services recognise self-employment as a positive destination for participants, with 400 people achieving this outcome between April 2019 and March 2024. Services will ensure on-going support is available to those supported to enter self-employment.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423869,"EventID":"S6W-29919","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-16T15:37:21.49","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T06:21:02.163","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS (a) Fife, (b) Dumfries and Galloway, (c) Ayrshire and Arran, (d) Lanarkshire and (e) Borders regarding the future funding of Rapid D","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS (a) Fife, (b) Dumfries and Galloway, (c) Ayrshire and Arran, (d) Lanarkshire and (e) Borders regarding the future funding of Rapid Diagnostic Cancer Services.","AnswerText":"Development of Scotland&rsquo;s Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services (RCDS) is being led through the Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD). Colleagues in CfSD have regular progress discussions with each of the established RCDS teams.The Scottish Government have provided funding to each of these services until March 2025, and NHS Boards continue to develop their business cases for sustainable investment.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423870,"EventID":"S6W-29918","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-16T15:37:22.747","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T06:21:02.157","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure the sustainability of Rapid Diagnostic Cancer Services, in light of reported uncertainty around future funding, as highlighted in the final ev","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure the sustainability of Rapid Diagnostic Cancer Services, in light of reported uncertainty around future funding, as highlighted in the final evaluation report by the University of Strathclyde.","AnswerText":"As reflected in Scotland&rsquo;s Cancer Strategy for Scotland, published June 2023, we are committed to &ldquo;expanding and evaluating Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services (RCDS) to ensure population-based coverage&rdquo;.To date, we have five fully operational RCDSs across NHS Scotland, with our Programme for Government committing to establish a sixth service in 2024/25.The University of Strathclyde&rsquo;s independent evaluation provided an incredibly positive assessment of the Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Service innovation, as they are finding cancer faster.The Scottish Government and the whole of the public sector faces a financial position that is extremely challenging. The utmost importance is placed on balancing the Scottish Government&rsquo;s budget each financial year, and it is always necessary to ensure resources are used economically, efficiently, and effectively, and increased additional scrutiny is being applied to expenditure.Despite financial pressures, colleagues in the Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) continue to work with territorial health boards and regional networks across Scotland to embed the learning from the University of Strathclyde&rsquo;s evaluation report and support them to develop full business cases.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423871,"EventID":"S6W-29915","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-16T15:37:23.02","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-15T10:20:28.347","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much new incineration capacity has become operational  since June 2022.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much new incineration capacity has become operational  since June 2022.","AnswerText":"Two incineration facilities, both of which already held planning permission at the time of the incineration review, have become operational since June 2022.These facilities have permitted capacities of 270,000 and 150,000 tonnes per annum but their operational capacity is likely to be less. For example, data available through SEPA&rsquo;s &lsquo;waste sites and capacity tool&rsquo; shows facilities typically operate at less than their permitted capacity.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423872,"EventID":"S6W-29909","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-16T15:37:22.987","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-13T12:25:39.647","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what statutory obligations community councils have to implement projects that help to meet climate targets.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what statutory obligations community councils have to implement projects that help to meet climate targets.","AnswerText":"Community Councils are not subject to statutory climate change duties.Public bodies have had statutory climate change duties since 2011. Section 44 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 requires a public body, in exercising its functions, to: contribute to delivery of Scotland&rsquo;s national net zero target; help deliver Scotland&rsquo;s climate change adaptation programme; and act sustainably. Community councils are not subject to these duties, although local authorities are and they have statutory oversight of community councils.Scottish Government continues to work closely with all local authorities to help deliver our ambitious climate targets. We have worked with COSLA to develop a Climate Delivery Framework that will enable better alignment of our respective targets and collective decision making, supporting delivery. A Scottish Climate Intelligence Service has been established to help build the capacity of local authorities to reduce area wide emissions.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423873,"EventID":"S6W-29903","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-16T15:37:22.123","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-12T15:02:37.603","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the budget provision to provide 100% rates relief for hospitality businesses on islands and specific remote locations; what consultation h","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the budget provision to provide 100% rates relief for hospitality businesses on islands and specific remote locations; what consultation has taken place regarding the impact of applying this relief at that level, and what plans it has to maintain it.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Fiscal Commission&rsquo;s forecasts from December 2023 estimate the cost of Hospitality Relief for Islands and Specified Remote areas to be &pound;4 million in 2024-25. An Island Communities Impact Assessment, published alongside the Non-Domestic Rates (Islands and Remote Areas Hospitality Relief) (Scotland) Regulations 2024 which deliver this relief, considers the impact of this relief.Scottish Ministers have, and continue to have, regular engagement with representatives of the hospitality sector on non-domestic rates matters, including relief, through quarterly roundtables as well as the New Deal for Business Non-Domestic Rates sub-group which includes a task team considering the impact of non-domestic rates reliefs.Decisions on non-domestic rates and reliefs for 2025-26 will be considered in the context of the Scottish Budget.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423874,"EventID":"S6W-29889","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-16T15:37:21.777","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-12T10:35:59.257","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much money will be taken from sustainable travel projects in Glasgow, in light of the &pound;23.7 million reduction in its Active and Sustainable Travel budget in 20","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much money will be taken from sustainable travel projects in Glasgow, in light of the &pound;23.7 million reduction in its Active and Sustainable Travel budget in 2024-25 compared with 2023-24.","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland has already allocated over &pound;145 million of our 2024-25 budget to delivery partners across both Active Travel infrastructure and behaviour change. 2024-25 is the first year for a local authority and Regional Transport Partnerships led delivery model for infrastructure and behaviour change programmes that will encourage a shift towards more walking, wheeling and cycling. This funding remains in place.The utmost importance is placed on balancing the Scottish Government&rsquo;s budget each financial year. The Scottish Government and the whole of the public sector face a financial position that is extremely challenging. As with all programmes across Scottish Government, further active travel funding will need to be considered in this context for 2024-25. As the active and sustainable travel funding referred to in the Cabinet Secretary for Finance&rsquo;s Pre-Budget Fiscal Update had not been allocated, no organisations nor local authorities will see their previously confirmed 2024-25 funding reduced as a result.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423875,"EventID":"S6W-29920","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-16T15:37:21.603","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T08:52:07.923","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to address the reported drop in school attendance.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to address the reported drop in school attendance.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29483 on 18 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423876,"EventID":"S6W-29893","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-16T15:37:21.767","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-12T11:52:19.99","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is encouraging NHS boards to provide plant-based meal options for patients.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is encouraging NHS boards to provide plant-based meal options for patients.","AnswerText":"The NHS Scotland Climate Emergency and Sustainability Strategy 2022&ndash; 2026 aims to maximise plant-based options in the provision of food in Hospitals across NHS Scotland, whilst ensuring that nutritional needs are met in line with the Food in Hospitals specification.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423877,"EventID":"S6W-29899","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-16T15:37:23.253","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-12T14:28:07.097","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Public Sector Employmentfigures that were published in September 2024, which recorded that, between 23June&nbsp;2023 and 24 June 2024, employ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Public Sector Employmentfigures that were published in September 2024, which recorded that, between 23June&nbsp;2023 and 24 June 2024, employment in Scotland's further educationcolleges decreased by 550 (-4.3%).","AnswerText":"Operational decisions on matters such as staffing are the responsibility of individual colleges.The Scottish Government expects every effort to be made by Scotland&rsquo;s colleges, in consultation with trade unions, to protect jobs, while continuing to deliver provision to meet regional needs.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423878,"EventID":"S6W-29898","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-16T15:37:21.437","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-12T13:33:55.52","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide details of every public service obligation flight service that is funded by (a) it and (b) local authorities.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide details of every public service obligation flight service that is funded by (a) it and (b) local authorities.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government funds the Glasgow to Campbeltown, Tiree and Barra air services.Dundee City Council funds the Dundee to London Heathrow air service with financial contributions from the Scottish Government and the UK Government.Highland Council funds the Wick to Aberdeen air service with a financial contribution from the Scottish Government.Argyll &amp; Bute Council funds the Oban to Coll, Colonsay and Tiree air services.Orkney Islands Council fund the Kirkwall to Papa Westray, North Ronaldsay, Westray, Sanday, Stronsay and Eday air services.Shetland Islands Council fund the Tingwall to Fair Isle and Foula air services.Comhairle nan Eilean Siar fund the Benbecula to Stornoway air service.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423879,"EventID":"S6W-29895","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-16T15:37:21.597","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-12T12:14:14.127","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to address any misuse of off-road vehicles in Glasgow.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to address any misuse of off-road vehicles in Glasgow.","AnswerText":"Safety is a paramount priority and the Scottish Government fully supports Police Scotland and its partners in dealing with illegal use and misuse of off-road vehicles.Enforcement is a matter for Police Scotland and local policing teams are best placed to identify where misuse is causing public concern and ensuring those areas can be prioritised to prevent future incidents. Police Scotland have previously outlined work within local policing divisions that raises awareness about the dangers of the misuse of these vehicles and we encourage local authorities to continue to work with Police Scotland to address this issue.Within Glasgow, there are a range of initiatives being pursued by Police Scotland working closely with partners including Glasgow City Council. This includes nine officers within the Greater Glasgow Division who are trained with off-road motorbike capability and can access hard to reach local areas and open spaces. The local division also promotes social media messaging promoting legal use of these vehicles.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423880,"EventID":"S6W-29901","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-16T15:37:21.6","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-12T14:43:16.25","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it is having with the UK Governmentregarding the Subsidy Control Act 2022, including amending this legislation toaddress recent concerns raised by the bu","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it is having with the UK Governmentregarding the Subsidy Control Act 2022, including amending this legislation toaddress recent concerns raised by the bus manufacturing industry in Scotland.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government officials have regular engagement with officials from the Department for Business and Trade. As you are aware, Subsidy Control is a reserved matter and it is our understanding that UK Government have no current plans to amend the Subsidy Control Act 2022.Scottish Ministers are bound by this UK legislation and also have a legal obligation to comply with World Trade Organisations rules. The Subsidy Control Act 2022 and World Trade Organisation rules are in place to promote fair competition, and prevent any distortion in competition or negative effects on trade and investment within the UK, or between the UK and another country.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423881,"EventID":"S6W-29477","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-16T15:37:21.7","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-02T08:04:08.82","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any funding reductions thathave been made as a result of the reallocation of funds to local authority payawards. &nbsp; &nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any funding reductions thathave been made as a result of the reallocation of funds to local authority payawards. &nbsp; &nbsp;","AnswerText":"Public sector pay continues to be a significant driver of in-year pressures and, under the current devolution settlement, any substantive in-year pressures can only be funded by reductions elsewhere. If the UK Government does not fully fund public sector pay deals, there will be a significant gap between the expectations of the workforce and the available funding.As confirmed in the Fiscal Statement to the Scottish Parliament on 3 September, the Scottish Government has identified a range of measures to support the 2024-25 budget totalling almost &pound;1 billion, of which up to &pound;500 million are direct savings. Correspondence with the Convenor of the Finance and Public Administration on 3 September, confirmed that the impact of these measures has been appropriately assessed, including in formal impact assessments where required.In relation to local authority pay awards, the Scottish Government has agreed with local government that they can draw on specific existing programmes to fund pay deals. The relevant funding will be replaced in 2025-26 and assurance has been sought from local authorities to confirm that they are able to mitigate any impacts in 2024-25 and that delivery timescales will not be significantly impacted.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423882,"EventID":"S6W-29921","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-16T15:37:22.127","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T08:53:30.403","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any funding will be made available for the Commonwealth Games in 2026.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any funding will be made available for the Commonwealth Games in 2026.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"No public funding is required from the Scottish Government for the delivery of Commonwealth Games 2026 and the Scottish Government will not provide any financial underwriting. The Commonwealth Games Federation will cover the majority of costs using compensation from the Victorian Government following their withdrawal.The additional investment will be supplemented by commercial income from ticketing, sponsorship, hospitality and merchandising. The Scottish Government thanks Commonwealth Games Australia for their offer of additional investment and the UK Government for its offer of contingency funding provisions that can be accessed if existing budget funds and contingency have been exceeded and all efforts to reduce costs have been exhausted.The Scottish Government has conducted a thorough assessment of Commonwealth Games Scotland&rsquo;s proposal for Glasgow to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games, alongside key partners. The collaboration has been positive and as a result, the Scottish Government has given its support for the proposal.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423883,"EventID":"S6W-29911","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-16T15:37:22.183","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-13T12:28:20.177","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to help East Dunbartonshire Council to reach its climate targets.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to help East Dunbartonshire Council to reach its climate targets.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to work closely with all local authorities to help deliver our ambitious climate targets. The establishment of the joint Climate Delivery Framework will enable better alignment of our respective targets and collective decision making, supporting delivery.The Scottish Government is supporting a number of initiatives in East Dunbartonshire, including long term funding to support the development and delivery of Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies and installation of public EV charging infrastructure and fleet decarbonisation, as well as &pound;745,840 in 2024/25 for the Active Travel Infrastructure Tier 1 Fund.New statutory guidance to support public bodies, including local authorities, in complying with statutory duties under the Climate Change Act is being developed that is due for publication in 2025.A Scottish Climate Intelligence Service has been established to help build the capacity of local authorities to reduce area wide emissions.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423884,"EventID":"S6W-28027","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-16T15:37:22.19","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-03T10:42:15.337","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any potential impact oncommunities in Scotland of the (a) UK Critical Mineral Strategy and (b)findings of the report, Potential for Critic","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any potential impact oncommunities in Scotland of the (a) UK Critical Mineral Strategy and (b)findings of the report, Potential for Critical Raw Material Prospectivity in the UK&nbsp;by the British Geographical Survey (BGS) for the UK Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre (CMIC). &nbsp;","AnswerText":"Access to Critical Raw Materials and Technologies is a vitally important issue for our economy, energy security and Net Zero ambitions.Where areas of potential prospectivity are identified, this does not mean that critical minerals are guaranteed to be found and there are a range of factors which will influence whether or not extraction will take place. This includes the requirement that where new development proposals come forward, applications for planning permission must be made to the relevant local planning authority. Policy 33 of National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) sets out that development proposals for the sustainable extraction of minerals will only be supported by that policy where certain criteria are met, this includes demonstrating that there are no significant adverse impacts (including cumulative impact) on any nearby homes and local communities. NPF4 should be read as a whole, alongside local development plans, in applying balanced planning judgement in planning decisions.The Scottish Government has not undertaken any assessment of impacts on communities from these reports at this stage.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423885,"EventID":"S6W-29894","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-16T15:37:22.533","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-12T12:14:14.127","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS staff have been hired in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde in each year since 2020 to date.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS staff have been hired in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde in each year since 2020 to date.","AnswerText":"The requested information on how many staff have joined NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde in each year since 2020 can be found on the TURAS NHS Education for Scotland workforce statistics site at: NHS Scotland workforce | Turas Data Intelligence (Turnover tab).","AnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423886,"EventID":"S6W-29900","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-16T15:37:22.917","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-12T14:28:40.813","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported claim by Alexander Dennis Limited that zero-emission bus funding has disproportionately benefitted competitors from lower-cost and lower-securi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported claim by Alexander Dennis Limited that zero-emission bus funding has disproportionately benefitted competitors from lower-cost and lower-security economies, citing this as the reason for it starting a consultation regarding a potential 160 redundancies at the business, whether it will revise its social value conditions on public funds being used to subsidise foreign bus manufacturers.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"The aim of the most recent phase of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB 2) is to support the implementation of new, innovative business models into Scotland's bus market, so that zero-emission buses become the default choice for operators, and that public subsidy is no longer required. Bus operating companies have the freedom to choose which manufacturers to purchase buses from, as best suit the needs of their routes and operations. Fair Work sits at the heart of our ambition to move toward a wellbeing economy and is central to supporting economic recovery and renewal, and a just transition to net-zero. UK based employees working on delivering the ScotZEB 2 project must be paid at least the Real Living Wage, and have an effective forum for employees&rsquo; voices. Suppliers from different countries will operate within different economic, social and legal contexts. The real Living Wage is UK-specific and cannot be applied to workers based in foreign countries. Scottish Ministers are required to comply with the terms of the Subsidy Control Act which prohibits the favouring of domestic over non-domestic manufacturers when offering public subsidy.Since 2020 the Scottish Government has made available more than &pound;23 million in R&amp;D grant funding to Alexander Dennis Ltd to support the company&rsquo;s capacity to secure orders for ultra low emission and zero emission buses.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423887,"EventID":"S6W-29897","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-16T15:37:23.163","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-12T13:33:55.52","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Stornoway to Benbecula public service obligation flight service is funded by Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar rather than Transport Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Stornoway to Benbecula public service obligation flight service is funded by Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar rather than Transport Scotland.","AnswerText":"It is longstanding Scottish Government policy that the provision of an air service wholly within a local authority boundary is a matter for that local authority.The Scottish Government provides indirect support to the Benbecula to Stornoway service through our subsidy of Highlands and Islands Airports Limited which operates both Benbecula and Stornoway airports. The Comhairle also receives funding from the Scottish Government through the Local Government Settlement. The funding formula does take account of the Comhairle&rsquo;s need in relation to air transport and includes &pound;377,000 in 2024-25.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423888,"EventID":"S6W-29914","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-16T15:37:21.677","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-13T13:01:37.66","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the impact on employment of any delays to interventions on chronic pain.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the impact on employment of any delays to interventions on chronic pain.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is aware that chronic pain can impact on an individual's ability to work. While no specific work has been done to consider the impact on employment of any delays to interventions on chronic pain, work continues to improve service delivery. We also continue to work with people with lived experience to understand the impact chronic pain has on daily life, including employment.We are working across Economy and Health to focus on how those at risk of leaving the labour market through ill health can be identified at the earliest opportunity so they, and their employers, can receive the right support to prevent this happening. Schemes such as Healthy Working Lives and Working Health Services Scotland provide support to people with ill health in employment on matters related to health, work and wellbeing.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423889,"EventID":"S6W-29917","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-16T15:37:23.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-15T15:30:25.7","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ban the installation of uPVC windows in conservation areas.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ban the installation of uPVC windows in conservation areas.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has no plans to ban the installation of uPVC windows in conservation areas.Following extensive consultation, and taking account of the need to address the cost and climate crises, new permitted development rights (PDR) were introduced in May this year. These PDR allow for (amongst other things) the alteration or replacement of windows without the need to apply for planning permission. The measures strike an appropriate balance between allowing owners/occupiers to improve the environmental performance of their properties whilst safeguarding the overall character and appearance of the historic environment.Reflecting the importance of conservation areas, PDR for the alteration/replacement of windows on buildings in such areas, are subject to prior approval arrangements in some cases where the windows are located on the building&rsquo;s front elevation or side elevation fronting a road. This enables planning authorities to consider the design and external appearance of proposed replacement windowsThe new PDR do not apply in World Heritage Sites, and they do not remove any need for listed building consent. Additionally, planning authorities have the power to use an Article 4 direction to restrict PDR in certain locations should they consider that appropriate.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423890,"EventID":"S6W-29906","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-16T15:37:22.493","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-12T15:10:41.61","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the findings and recommendations set out in Blood Cancer UK&rsquo;s latest report,  UK Blood Cancer Action Plan 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the findings and recommendations set out in Blood Cancer UK&rsquo;s latest report,  UK Blood Cancer Action Plan 2024.","AnswerText":"I met with Ms Helen Rowntree, CEO of Blood Cancer UK, on 12 September 2024 to discuss their recently published Action Plan. The Scottish Government is pleased to note that the charity&rsquo;s five recommendations align closely with the ambitions laid out in its own Cancer Strategy for Scotland, published in June 2023.The cancer strategy takes a comprehensive approach to improving patient pathways in cancer, from prevention and diagnosis through to treatment and post-treatment care. The Scottish Government looks forward to continuing its work with the third sector to deliver on the ambitious strategy.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423891,"EventID":"S6W-28026","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-16T15:37:21.693","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-03T10:42:04.387","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what powers it has over mineral mining activity in Scotland,in light of written answer HL3093 in the House of Lords on 20 March 2024, inwhich the Minister of State in th","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what powers it has over mineral mining activity in Scotland,in light of written answer HL3093 in the House of Lords on 20 March 2024, inwhich the Minister of State in the Department for Business and Trade statesthat &ldquo;mineral planning policy is also a devolved matter&rdquo;. &nbsp;","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is responsible for overseeing Scotland&rsquo;s statutory planning system which manages the development and use of land in the long-term public interest. Applications for planning permission for the extraction of minerals in Scotland must be made to the relevant local planning authority and Scottish Ministers only rarely intervene. Our Fourth National Planning Framework, published and adopted by Scottish Ministers in 2023 guides spatial development, sets out national planning policies, designates national developments and highlights regional spatial priorities. It is part of the development plan, and so influences planning decisions across Scotland.Where any mineral extraction takes place, relevant environmental authorisation requirements will apply ensuring continuing environmental protection.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423892,"EventID":"S6W-29916","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-16T15:37:22.403","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-15T10:20:28.347","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made towards developing an indicative declining cap on residual waste treatment capacity, as outlined in the Independent Review of the Role of Inc","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made towards developing an indicative declining cap on residual waste treatment capacity, as outlined in the Independent Review of the Role of Incineration in the Waste Hierarchy in Scotland.","AnswerText":"To support future planning decisions, we accepted the review&rsquo;s recommendation to develop an indicative capacity cap. It is important that any indicative cap is as robust as possible and developing such a cap is a significant piece of work.For that reason, we are undertaking work to improve the quality of data on waste to support the development of an indicative cap. This includes, working with other governments of the UK to implement mandatory Digital Waste Tracking from April 2025, which will provide a step-change in the quality of Scottish waste data, and engaging with partners, including ZWS and SEPA, to draw together key waste composition, carbon and environmental impact data insights.Together, these initiatives will provide invaluable data to support the accurate forecasting of Scotland&rsquo;s waste infrastructure needs and the development of an indicative cap. Further information on these developments can be found here:Digital Waste Tracking Consultation Response.Outcome of the Household Waste Composition Analysis.Our draft Circular Economy and Waste Route Map, published 18 January 2024, set out further detail and associated timescales on the steps we will take to minimise the environmental and climate impacts of waste, including the development of an indicative capacity cap.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423893,"EventID":"S6W-29910","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-16T15:37:22.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-13T12:27:51.477","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29351 by Gillian Martin on 12 September 2024, what measures (a) it has taken to expand the provision of reuse options at household","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29351 by Gillian Martin on 12 September 2024, what measures (a) it has taken to expand the provision of reuse options at household waste recycling centres and (b) will be taken forward as part of the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 to expand the provision of such options.","AnswerText":"Local authorities are responsible for service provision at household waste recycling centres, and for any decisions regarding any expansion of reuse options. The Scottish Government has, through the Recycling Improvement Fund, supported projects led by Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Stirling Councils to improve reuse at household waste recycling centres. This includes setup of a reuse shop and enhancing on-site facilities to enable storage of reuse items. In addition, guidance was published by Zero Waste Scotland in June 2024 to help local authorities move to a reuse first approach at Household Waste Recycling Centres. The guidance, Making reuse happen at Household Waste Recycling Centres: Guidance for local authorities, is available on the Zero Waste Scotland website: mf-kq5rq09l-1720088177d (zerowastescotland.org.uk).The Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 requires Scottish Ministers to prepare a circular economy strategy. In preparing the strategy Scottish Ministers must have regard to the waste hierarchy, including preparing for reuse.In addition, a new statutory Household Recycling Code of Practice, which will be co-designed with local authorities and other stakeholders, will set out standards expected of, and steps to be taken by, local authorities in carrying out their waste management functions in so far as they relate to the collection and recycling (including preparation for reuse) of household waste. The co-design process may also create an opportunity to agree that information is provided to householders about reuse and repair opportunities in their area. However, the new Code could not prescribe mandatory requirements for reuse or repair services as these do not fall within local authority statutory waste management functions.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423894,"EventID":"S6W-29890","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-16T15:37:23.087","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-12T10:35:59.257","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many primary school pupils have received free school meals, compared with the total number of pupils in the Glasgow region, since 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many primary school pupils have received free school meals, compared with the total number of pupils in the Glasgow region, since 2021.","AnswerText":"The number of pupils registered for free school meals is published annually as part of our pupil census supplementary statistics, available in table 2.22 at the following link: Pupil census supplementary statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot). The total number of pupils in each local authority area is also available through the pupil census supplementary statistics, and is shown in table 5.2.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423924,"EventID":"S6T-02099","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":2633,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-16T12:40:05.38","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T09:19:22.233","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what discussions it has had with Harland &amp; Wolff regarding the future of its construction yards at Methil and Arnish. &nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what discussions it has had with Harland &amp; Wolff regarding the future of its construction yards at Methil and Arnish. &nbsp;","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423925,"EventID":"S6T-02095","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-16T12:40:05.39","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T06:24:12.767","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent independent inquiry, carried out by Vicky Ling, into the Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre and the subsequent resignation of its chief exec","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent independent inquiry, carried out by Vicky Ling, into the Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre and the subsequent resignation of its chief executive, Mridul Wadhwa.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-09-17T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423926,"EventID":"S6F-03351","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-16T12:39:54.183","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-12T08:49:10.583","Title":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423927,"EventID":"S6F-03352","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5586,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-16T12:39:54.227","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-12T08:49:26.027","Title":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423928,"EventID":"S6F-03353","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-16T12:39:54.537","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-12T15:41:11.087","Title":"To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet.","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423929,"EventID":"S6F-03358","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-16T12:39:54.32","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T08:55:17.867","Title":"To ask the First Minister what the implications are for public health in Scotland of the UK Government&rsquo;s announcement that it plans to ban junk food advertising before 9.00 pm.","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what the implications are for public health in Scotland of the UK Government&rsquo;s announcement that it plans to ban junk food advertising before 9.00 pm.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423930,"EventID":"S6F-03373","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-16T12:39:54.733","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T10:36:26.097","Title":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to reports that Transport Scotland has spent more than &pound;16 million on consultancy fees in relation to the A83 Rest and Be Tha","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to reports that Transport Scotland has spent more than &pound;16 million on consultancy fees in relation to the A83 Rest and Be Thankful project.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423931,"EventID":"S6F-03376","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-16T12:39:54.567","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T10:59:25.793","Title":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the decision by Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park regarding the&nbsp;Flamingo Land&nbsp;Lomond Banks planning applicat","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the decision by Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park regarding the&nbsp;Flamingo Land&nbsp;Lomond Banks planning application.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423942,"EventID":"S6W-29979","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:19.88","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T09:57:56.957","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of any potential reduction in grant funding for the Timberlink shipping service.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of any potential reduction in grant funding for the Timberlink shipping service.","AnswerText":"My officials are in exploratory discussions with the service provider and users of the Timberlink ferry service to explore the future of the contract. As part of this officials are engaging with Timberlink users to assess the feasibility of introducing a new funding contribution from them. At this stage no formal impact assessment has been undertaken.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423943,"EventID":"S6W-29962","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:19.887","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T09:35:01.693","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many buildings in Scotland that have significant evacuation challenges, such as hospitals and care settings, have been identified as having unsafe cladding.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many buildings in Scotland that have significant evacuation challenges, such as hospitals and care settings, have been identified as having unsafe cladding.","AnswerText":"As set out in question S6W-29963 which was answered on 24 September 2024, there are 107 entries in the pilot phase of the Cladding Remediation Programme. Entries in the pilot can comprise a single block or building, or a development, or part of a development consisting of multiple blocks or buildings.Only a Single Building Assessment meeting the Scottish Standards can identify what cladding if any, a building has and further identify whether the cladding is unsafe.Developers, homeowners or other organisations could have commissioned assessments without informing the Scottish Government. Therefore, the true number may be higher and could increase as further information becomes available.In terms of the health service, there are no hospitals in Scotland with significant evacuation challenges and unsafe cladding.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423944,"EventID":"S6W-29978","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:20.807","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T09:52:46.893","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide (a) a timeline and (b) details of its plans to extend the work of its planning hub from speeding up hydrogen consenting to developing housing.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide (a) a timeline and (b) details of its plans to extend the work of its planning hub from speeding up hydrogen consenting to developing housing.","AnswerText":"As laid out in the Programme for Government, the Planning Hub&rsquo;s initial priority is to help planning authorities make quicker decisions on hydrogen planning applications.This first phase of the Hub will be a pilot that looks to provide proof of concept for it to be in place for the longer term, with a plan to extend the services offered by the Hub in 2025-26 to support wider developments including the delivery of good quality homes and onshore wind. We will set out further details relating to extending the Hub&rsquo;s services as this initial work progresses.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423945,"EventID":"S6W-29948","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:20.103","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T14:42:14.573","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current status is of the project to deliver a digital offshore training passport for offshore energy workers, and when it last discussed this project with repre","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current status is of the project to deliver a digital offshore training passport for offshore energy workers, and when it last discussed this project with representatives from the trade unions representing offshore oil and gas workers in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Offshore Energy Skills Passport is an initiative led and driven by industry.The most recent statement from the key industry delivery bodies, Renewable UK and Offshore Energies UK, indicates that an initial version of the Passport will be available for workers to access later this year.The Scottish Government remains committed to supporting the Passport&rsquo;s successful implementation. Ministers last met with Renewable UK and Offshore Energies UK to receive updates on progress on 10 September 2024.Ministers last discussed the project with the relevant trade union representatives on 17 September 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423946,"EventID":"S6W-29949","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:20.143","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T14:42:14.573","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of the legislative requirement for Crown Estate Scotland to obtain market value in its transactions.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of the legislative requirement for Crown Estate Scotland to obtain market value in its transactions.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not made a recent assessment of the legislative requirement for Crown Estate Scotland to obtain market value in its transactions. An assessment is not required under the Scottish Crown Estate Act 2019.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423947,"EventID":"S6W-29957","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:23.477","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T08:23:53.76","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Retail Consortium&rsquo;s suggestion in its Retail industry recommendations for the 2025-26 Scottish Budget&nbsp;paper, that no rate","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Retail Consortium&rsquo;s suggestion in its Retail industry recommendations for the 2025-26 Scottish Budget&nbsp;paper, that no ratepayer in Scotland should be liable for a higher business rate than counterparts in England.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"The Scottish Budget 2024-25 ensures that over 95% of non-domestic properties continue to be liable for a lower property tax rate than anywhere else in the UK.Decisions on non-domestic rates for 2025-26 will be considered in the context of the Scottish Budget.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423948,"EventID":"S6W-29932","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:21.097","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T12:44:49.53","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the forestry sector regarding any potential future reduction in the maximum threshold for planting of a single species to below 65%.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the forestry sector regarding any potential future reduction in the maximum threshold for planting of a single species to below 65%.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not had discussions with the forestry sector regarding any potential future reduction in the maximum threshold for planting of a single species below 65%. The fifth edition of the UK Forestry Standard sets the maximum threshold of 65% across the UK and will be implemented in Scotland from 1st October 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423949,"EventID":"S6W-29967","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:21.823","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T09:35:01.693","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has allocated for remediating unsafe cladding on buildings in each year since 2017.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has allocated for remediating unsafe cladding on buildings in each year since 2017.","AnswerText":"&pound;97.1m in Barnett consequentials was received in 2021-22. The cumulative spend of the programme to date is &pound;9.m, spend of &pound;0.5m was incurred in quarter one 2024-25 to support programme delivery works. Details on spend to date are on the Scottish Government website Single Building Assessment programme: spending information - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423950,"EventID":"S6W-29931","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:22.07","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T12:43:39.847","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Assisted Support for Learning Project Board last met, and what was discussed.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Assisted Support for Learning Project Board last met, and what was discussed.","AnswerText":"The Additional Support for Learning (ASL) Project Board last met on the 12 September 2024. The Project Board discussed the upcoming publication of the ASL Progress Report and updated Action Plan. This included discussions on how the relevant outcomes from the Education, Children and Young People Committee Inquiry on ASL, would be reflected.The minutes of every Project Board meeting are published on the groups dedicated Scottish Government web page. A more detailed view on discussions held at the last meeting will be published soon.The Scottish Government continue to work at pace, working closely with local government partners through the Additional Support for Learning Project Board to improve the experience of children and young people with additional support needs at school, implementing the recommendations of the 2020 review of additional support for learning.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423951,"EventID":"S6W-29907","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5598,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":139,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:23.473","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-12T17:15:04.01","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the findings of the independent review of the forensic pathology response to the Hillsborough disaster, conducted by forensic science exp","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the findings of the independent review of the forensic pathology response to the Hillsborough disaster, conducted by forensic science expert, Glenn Taylor, which identified seven areas for reform, what further action forensic pathology services in Scotland can take to ensure that they engage and communicate in ways that properly understand what families coming into contact with them are experiencing.","AnswerText":"COPFS has contracts and service level agreements with universities, local authorities, Scottish Police Authority and the NHS for pathology mortuary and toxicology services across Scotland to allow the discharge of our death investigation duties.As part of those agreements, pathologists will meet with nearest relatives if they wish to discuss their post mortem examination findings. In our experience, these discussions are of great assistance to families in understanding what happened to their loved ones and pathologists are experienced at providing that information in a respectful and sensitive manner.We are reviewing those agreements with all service providers and the report&rsquo;s findings will be taken into account in our discussions.COPFS ensures that nearest relatives are kept informed of decisions in relation to a post mortem and are offered a copy of the pathologist&rsquo;s report if they wish.We have also established a Death Investigation Improvement Board and work is ongoing to improve the quality and level of information provided to nearest relatives in the early stages of the investigation, including what is involved in the post mortem examination process.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423952,"EventID":"S6W-29938","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:20.62","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T14:31:14.55","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any local authorities are not in whole or in part subscribed to Scotland's national electricity supply framework arrangements.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any local authorities are not in whole or in part subscribed to Scotland's national electricity supply framework arrangements.","AnswerText":"All 32 local authorities use the national Framework for the Supply of Electricity, however if local authorities are also getting electricity from another source or another contract, then Scottish Government do not have visibility of this and this information would only be available from each individual local authority.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423953,"EventID":"S6W-29981","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:20.737","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T10:11:18.627","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the responses to its consultation on managing deer for climate and nature.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the responses to its consultation on managing deer for climate and nature.","AnswerText":"The Managing Deer for Climate and Nature: Consultation Analysis report was published on the Scottish Government website on 9 September 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":423954,"EventID":"S6W-29986","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:21.013","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T10:13:13.687","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to improve the consenting process for fish farming in Scotland, as set out in the Programme for Government 2024-25.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to improve the consenting process for fish farming in Scotland, as set out in the Programme for Government 2024-25.","AnswerText":"Pilots of a new pre-application consenting process developed by the Consenting Task Group commenced in January 2024 in the Shetland and Highland local authority areas.Our priorities for this year, developed by the Consenting Task Group and agreed by the Scottish Aquaculture Council, include delivering more pilots, completing and responding to evaluation activities to improve the process, exploring opportunities to better coordinate Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) activities and working to align onward application processes.We are also taking action to clarify the consenting process for aquaculture developments beyond 3 nautical miles.As part of this work we have recently published a consultation on proposals for plans to address an existing gap in aquaculture planning regulations by extending Local Authority planning controls through marine planning zones further offshore out to 12 nautical miles.The public consultation will run until 11 December and can be viewed at Extending marine planning zones: consultation - Scottish Government consultations - Citizen Space.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423955,"EventID":"S6W-29944","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:21.61","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T14:31:14.55","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the contract with EDF as part of Scotland's national electricity supply framework arrangements expires, and what provision exists for the terms of the contract to b","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the contract with EDF as part of Scotland's national electricity supply framework arrangements expires, and what provision exists for the terms of the contract to be varied before expiry.","AnswerText":"The National Electricity Supply expires on 31 March 2026, the framework has 3 optional 12 month extensions.Variations to the framework can be made, however these must be in accordance with procurement law and be non-material changes and in agreement with the Supplier.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423956,"EventID":"S6W-29959","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:20.12","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T08:25:46.943","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consultation it will undertake with (a) hauliers, (b) the seafood sector and (c) passengers from the Northern Isles ahead of the decision on whether or not to exten","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consultation it will undertake with (a) hauliers, (b) the seafood sector and (c) passengers from the Northern Isles ahead of the decision on whether or not to extend the current Northern Isles Ferry Service contract from 30 June 2026 to 30 June 2028.","AnswerText":"The decision to extend the NIFS3 contract will be carried out as part of the current contractual agreement in place. Scottish Ministers have sole discretion on whether they accept the Revised Base Case. Transport Scotland and Serco NorthLink will continue to engage with stakeholders as appropriate on service provisions as per the current contract.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423957,"EventID":"S6W-29934","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:21.387","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T14:31:14.55","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many megawatts can currently be generated by wind power installations that have leases within the national forest estate, and how many such installations are communi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many megawatts can currently be generated by wind power installations that have leases within the national forest estate, and how many such installations are community owned.","AnswerText":"FLS has a portfolio of 25 operational windfarms on the national forests and land, amounting to a total of 1217MW installed generation capacity. FLS is not currently aware of any community ownership in this portfolio.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423958,"EventID":"S6W-29964","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:21.94","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T09:35:01.693","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many individual domestic properties in Scotland have been identified as having unsafe cladding.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many individual domestic properties in Scotland have been identified as having unsafe cladding.","AnswerText":"There are 107 entries in the pilot phase of the Cladding Remediation Programme. Entries in the pilot can comprise a single block or building, or a development, or part of a development consisting of multiple blocks or buildings.Only a Single Building Assessment meeting the Scottish Standards can identify what cladding if any, a building has and further identify whether the cladding is unsafe.Developers, homeowners or other organisations could have commissioned assessments without informing the Scottish Government. Therefore, the true number may be higher and could increase as further information becomes available.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423959,"EventID":"S6W-29982","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:21.063","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T10:13:13.687","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS boards currently deliver the Family Nurse Partnership programme.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS boards currently deliver the Family Nurse Partnership programme.","AnswerText":"The Family Nurse Partnership has been carefully scaled up with quality since its introduction in 2010 and Scotland became the first country in the world to deliver FNP at scale in 2018.The programme is delivered in 11 mainland health boards as follows:NHS Ayrshire and ArranNHS BordersNHS Dumfries and GallowayNHS FifeNHS Forth ValleyNHS GrampianNHS Greater Glasgow and ClydeNHS HighlandNHS LanarkshireNHS LothianNHS Tayside","AnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423960,"EventID":"S6W-29950","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:22.837","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T14:42:14.573","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the effectiveness of the ScotWind process to increase employment in offshore supply chain jobs in Sco","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the effectiveness of the ScotWind process to increase employment in offshore supply chain jobs in Scotland over the next decade.","AnswerText":"Scotland has a current reported potential pipeline of over 40 GW of offshore wind projects. ScotWind reflects very significant market ambition for offshore wind in Scottish waters &ndash; around 28 GW across 20 projects.The Scottish Government engages regularly with the UK Government to discuss the development and implementation of initiatives to support the offshore wind supply chain in Scotland and across the UK.For example, we have worked closely with the UK Government on its plans to introduce a Sustainable Industry Reward (SIR) into the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme. The SIR will help drive investment in the supply chain here in Scotland and across the UK, and into greener supply chains globally.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423961,"EventID":"S6W-29925","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:21.42","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T10:02:11.31","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it reportedly removed funding for upskilling and reskilling Scotland's workforce in its Budget 2024-25; what assessment it has undertaken of any impact o","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it reportedly removed funding for upskilling and reskilling Scotland's workforce in its Budget 2024-25; what assessment it has undertaken of any impact of this on (a) equalities and (b) the future economy, and whether it has any plans to reintroduce any such funding in the remainder of the current parliamentary session.","AnswerText":"Despite facing the most challenging fiscal position since devolution, the 2024-25 Budget allocates around &pound;2bn to both colleges and universities &ndash; supporting their delivery of high-quality education, training and research.In this challenging fiscal environment, decisions have been made regarding specific individual funds, in the current and previous financial years, including the Flexible Workforce Development Fund (FWDF) and the Scottish Funding Council&rsquo;s Upskilling Fund. These decisions were not taken lightly but aimed to minimise the impact on frontline allocations for learning, teaching, and support for students.Colleges and universities can continue to deliver short courses to meet employer and business needs including those developed using FWDF and Upskilling Fund resources. Across all funded delivery, we fully expect that they will continue to prioritise actions to address inequality. Despite the ongoing fiscal challenges, the Scottish Government remains committed to ensuring equalities underpin all our work.In taking forward our long term plans for reform of post-school education, a priority will be the need for accessible, high quality learning which meets our economic, environmental and social needs and ambitions.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423962,"EventID":"S6W-29952","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:23.267","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T14:42:14.573","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, and what public funding it will make available to deliver this in (a) 2024-25, (b) 2025-26 and (c) 202","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, and what public funding it will make available to deliver this in (a) 2024-25, (b) 2025-26 and (c) 2026-27.","AnswerText":"As confirmed in the Programme for Government, we will shortly publish the Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan to support Scotland&rsquo;s just transition to a green economy.Scottish Government capital investment is primarily focussed on the demand sectors of heat, transport and industry.In support of the delivery of our energy ambitions this financial year (2024-2025) we have allocated:over &pound;145 million for active travel, in addition to the over &pound;2 billion we invest in public transport annually.&pound;266 million budget for Heat in Buildings.&pound;12.2 million for hydrogen projects.&pound;9 million to Scotland&rsquo;s manufacturing industries through the Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Fund.&pound;2 million to support the Acorn Carbon transport and storage project.Our Just Transition Fund for the North East and Moray continues to support a range of pioneering projects with an allocation of &pound;16.4 millionFunding for future years will be subject to annual budget allocations.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423963,"EventID":"S6W-29985","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:22.39","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T10:13:13.687","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to bring forward its proposed Community Wealth Building Bill, as set out in the Programme for Government 2024-25.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to bring forward its proposed Community Wealth Building Bill, as set out in the Programme for Government 2024-25.","AnswerText":"A Bill will be introduced to parliament this parliamentary year, with final decisions on timing to be taken as part of the overall legislative programme.The Scottish Government is committed to developing legislative proposals and other actions to support Community Wealth Building across Scotland. We have undertaken detailed analysis of respondents&rsquo; feedback to our public consultation, which can be found on the Scottish Government Website at this link: CWB Consultation Analysis.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423964,"EventID":"S6W-29980","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:23.9","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T10:03:56.473","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current average waiting time is for cataract surgery across Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current average waiting time is for cataract surgery across Scotland.","AnswerText":"The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.Public Health Scotland (PHS) uses the national waiting times datamart to collect electronic patient records covering the waits that patients experience waiting for treatment as an inpatient or day case under the Treatment Time Guarantee. This data source can be used routinely to identify the specialty of treatment. However, these records are unable to accurately capture procedural level data.More detailed information on the procedure(s) that is planned or undertaken for a patient will be held locally by NHS Boards.Although we are unable to provide procedural level data, the latest data for inpatient or day-case admission for ophthalmology is provided for reference.Inpatient or Day case Admission: Waiting Times for AdmissionsNHS Scotland, Ophthalmology, up to Month ending 30 June 2024&nbsp;&nbsp;Quarter endingNHS Board of treatmentIndicator30-Jun-24&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;NHS ScotlandAdmissions13 970Median (days)5790th percentile (days)313Of which: Waits over 12 weeks5 521Of which: Waits within 12 weeks (%)60.5Source: Stage of treatment waiting times - Inpatients, day cases and new outpatients quarter ending 30 June 2024 - NHS waiting times - stage of treatment - Publications - Public Health Scotland","AnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423965,"EventID":"S6W-29984","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:20.89","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T10:13:13.687","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support the negotiation of a new UK-EU Food and Drink/Veterinary Agreement, as set out in the Programme for Government 2024-25.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support the negotiation of a new UK-EU Food and Drink/Veterinary Agreement, as set out in the Programme for Government 2024-25.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has long called for the negotiation of an EU-UK SPS and Veterinary agreement, that could remove many Brexit barriers to benefit our businesses and consumers.Several aspects of any such agreement are devolved -like agriculture, food safety and biosecurity - so it is important that we work with the UK and other governments to negotiate as comprehensive and deep an agreement as possible to deliver the best results for Scotland.While we will do everything we can in the current circumstances to further Scotland&rsquo;s interests, we believe the best set of trading relationships for Scotland will be found as an independent member of the EU&rdquo;","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":423966,"EventID":"S6W-29968","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:20.927","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T09:35:01.693","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on the removal of unsafe cladding from buildings in each year since 2017.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on the removal of unsafe cladding from buildings in each year since 2017.","AnswerText":"Information on Single Building Assessments and the number of buildings in the Cladding Remediation Programme and the level of spend on the programme, is published and updated on a quarterly basis on the Scottish Government website -Single Building Assessment programme: spending information - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423967,"EventID":"S6W-29892","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:20.613","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-12T10:35:59.257","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many ScotRail passengers travelled on all lines between Glasgow and Edinburgh in (a) 2023 and (b) 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many ScotRail passengers travelled on all lines between Glasgow and Edinburgh in (a) 2023 and (b) 2024.","AnswerText":"While this is an operational matter for ScotRail as the service provider, the Member might wish to note that Office of Rail and Road (ORR) publishes information on passenger numbers on its website: Passenger rail usage | ORR Data PortalThe Member may wish to contact ScotRail who might be able to provide a more detailed information, if required.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423968,"EventID":"S6W-29983","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:20.113","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T10:13:13.687","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many women have enrolled in the Family Nurse Partnership programme since its introduction, broken down by NHS board.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many women have enrolled in the Family Nurse Partnership programme since its introduction, broken down by NHS board.","AnswerText":"Over 13,100 families have benefited from the Family Nurse Partnership (FNP) programme since it began in 2010 with, on average, over 81% of mothers offered the programme taking it up.NHS BoardNumber of clients enrolled(1st April 2011 - 31st March 2024)NHS Ayrshire and Arran930NHS Borders281NHS Dumfries and Galloway185NHS Fife1196NHS Forth Valley628NHS Grampian738NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde2234NHS Highland458NHS Lanarkshire1677NHS Lothian2713NHS Tayside2069","AnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423969,"EventID":"S6W-29922","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:21.693","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T08:54:25.79","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the budget for external affairs is reportedly being increased when the budget for mental health services is being reduced.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the budget for external affairs is reportedly being increased when the budget for mental health services is being reduced.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"As I told Parliament on 3 September, this Government has consistently warned of the significance of the financial challenge ahead. In the face of this challenge, the Scottish Government has stepped in to support people and services where it has been needed most &ndash; on social security, health, and public services and as set out in our 2024-25 budget, we have delivered a real-terms uplift for the NHS.However, given the circumstances, the amount allocated to external affairs was reduced in the Scottish Budget published for 2024-25, from &pound;27.051 million to &pound;26.283 million . The continuing uncertainty about additional funding and further in-year pressures have required that more action is taken now to ensure that we can balance the budget, which has required difficult choices. Regrettably, the amount allocated to mental health services has also been reduced. This reduction has been identified through programmes being adapted, or which have come to an end. However, we remain committed to taking forward our work across mental health, working closely with key partners. Through the overall 2024-25 budget, NHS Boards and the Scottish Government will continue to spend in excess of &pound;1.3 billon on mental health.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423970,"EventID":"S6W-29953","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:21.293","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T14:42:14.573","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28126 by Jenni Minto on 26 June 2024, when it anticipates that the Review of NHS Hyperbaric Medicine Services in Scotland will con","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28126 by Jenni Minto on 26 June 2024, when it anticipates that the Review of NHS Hyperbaric Medicine Services in Scotland will conclude, and what steps it has taken to ensure that commercial divers have been included in the review.","AnswerText":"Review of NHS Hyperbaric Medicine Services in Scotland is due to conclude in July 2025.It is imperative adequate time is taken to review, due to the specialist nature of the facilities and services provided, to engage subject matter experts and consultants to participate in the review process. Assurance has also been provided that the Review Consultation Group includes contributions from a wide range of stakeholders including the British Hyperbaric Association, The British Sub Aqua Club (BSAC) and Scottish Sub Aqua Club (ScotSAC).Whilst the review is on-going all NHS patients whom would have been treated at Oban are transferred to Aberdeen. It should be noted that the transfer of patients to Aberdeen is normal pathway for the sickest patients as Aberdeen hosts the only Category 1 chamber in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423971,"EventID":"S6W-29927","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16215,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:21.937","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T10:49:31.323","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Low-cost Initiative for First Time Buyers (LIFT) scheme will be re-implemented in 2025.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Low-cost Initiative for First Time Buyers (LIFT) scheme will be re-implemented in 2025.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"Within the difficult financial environment a decision has not yet been made on the funding for the Low-cost Initiative for First Time Buyers (LIFT) scheme for 2025-26.Any decision on funding for LIFT will be made within the full context of the Scottish Government&rsquo;s budget discussions for FY 2025-26.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423972,"EventID":"S6W-29929","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:23.233","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T11:30:45.1","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans are in place to ensure that forestry planting rates will rise to 18,000 hectares, as per the woodland creation target.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans are in place to ensure that forestry planting rates will rise to 18,000 hectares, as per the woodland creation target.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to maximising the important contribution forestry makes in tackling the climate and biodiversity crises, despite the most challenging budget settlement from the UK Government since devolution.As announced in the Programme for Government in 24-25 around 10,000 hectares of new woodland, including around 4,000 hectares of native woodland will be created. Putting this in context, it will still allow Scotland to create more woodland than the rest of the UK combined.To support this work Scottish Forestry continues to develop the Woodland Carbon Code, which provides an alternative revenue stream for land owners to support woodland creation. Scottish Forestry have already exceeded the target to increase the woodland carbon market by 50% by 2025. This year Scottish Forestry are piloting a new funding scheme allowing applicants to access a reduced public grant alongside Woodland Carbon Code funding, which will allow greater woodland creation to take place with reduced public funds. SF are also in the process of rolling out improvements to systems and processes to make the woodland creation application process more efficient and transparent, these are captured in a new Woodland Creation Route Map which will be published shortly.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423973,"EventID":"S6W-29939","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:23.15","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T14:31:14.55","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which public agencies, other than local authorities, are part of Scotland's national electricity supply framework arrangements, and what share of the procured arrangemen","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which public agencies, other than local authorities, are part of Scotland's national electricity supply framework arrangements, and what share of the procured arrangements any such agencies are estimated to have.","AnswerText":"The National Electricity Framework is used by all sectors including, Local Authorities, NHS bodies, Universities and Colleges, Central Government inc NDPBs and agencies, Housing Associations, Charities etc. The split of % usage of the electricity framework is as follows:Affordable Housing2.57%Central Government inc NDPB and Agencies10.54%Charities And Voluntary Associations4.27%Health Service15.87%Local Authorities52.59%Other0.11%Universities And Colleges14.06%This is based on usage from F/Y 23-24","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423974,"EventID":"S6W-29933","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:21.853","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T14:31:14.55","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what monitoring it has undertaken of the extent and range of community owned renewables projects on land owned by public sector agencies.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what monitoring it has undertaken of the extent and range of community owned renewables projects on land owned by public sector agencies.","AnswerText":"The Energy Saving Trust (EST), on behalf of the Scottish Government, publishes the annual Community and Locally Owned Energy in Scotland (COLO) Report.This reports against six specific ownership categories (Farm &amp; Estate, Local Authority, Local Business, Community, Housing Association, and Public Sector and Charity) with ownership then broken down by technology and distribution by local authority area. This last category groups public sector and charity organisations together as they are commonly considered not for profit organisations.The latest report states that, as of December 2023, there are 92 MW of operational capacity across 12,110 installations in the Public Sector and Charity category, across a range of technologies.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423975,"EventID":"S6W-29977","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:22.213","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T09:52:46.893","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when its planning hub will start operating","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when its planning hub will start operating","AnswerText":"The Planning Hub was established in September within the Improvement Service.Scoping and engagement has commenced in collaboration with planning authorities, industry and other key organisations to identify the support and expertise needed by planning authorities to support consenting on hydrogen planning applications.The Scottish Government continues to support the Improvement Service to work at pace to make the Hub fully operational.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423976,"EventID":"S6W-29955","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:23.727","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T08:23:34.73","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Retail Consortium&rsquo;s suggestion in its Retail industry recommendations for the 2025-26 Scottish Budget paper, that spending res","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Retail Consortium&rsquo;s suggestion in its Retail industry recommendations for the 2025-26 Scottish Budget paper, that spending restraint rather than tax rises should form the bulk of the measures to plug the projected gap in devolved government finances.","AnswerText":"Prolonged Westminster austerity, the economic damage of Brexit, a global pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and the cost of living crisis have all placed enormous and growing pressure on the public finances.For example, Brexit has reduced the size of the UK economy by 2.5 per cent, equating to a &pound;2.3 billion annual cut in revenue in Scotland.Decisions for 2025-26 will be published as part of the 2025-26 Scottish Budget on 4 December. Scottish Income Tax policy for 2025-26 will be announced during the annual Budget process.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423977,"EventID":"S6W-29972","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:21.06","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T09:45:19.247","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been admitted to hospital for cold weather related illnesses in each year since 2010.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been admitted to hospital for cold weather related illnesses in each year since 2010.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold information on the people admitted to hospital for cold weather related illnesses in each year since 2010.Hospital admissions data record the diagnostic conditions patients were admitted for using the International Classification of Disease Codes version 10 (ICD-10). Cold weather related illnesses are not a defined list of conditions that can be identified through ICD-10 codes.Some ICD-10 codes identify specific conditions which may be associated with cold weather, however these do not represent all conditions that could be considered cold weather related admissions.Official statistics relating to emergency admissions to acute general hospitals in NHSScotland are published by Public Health Scotland annually: Acute hospital activity and NHS beds information (annual) - year ending 31 March 2024 - Acute hospital activity and NHS beds information (annual) - Publications - Public Health ScotlandThese statistics will include detailed diagnosis specific information for emergency admissions, the data collection cannot attribute admissions due to prevailing cold weather per se.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":423978,"EventID":"S6W-29961","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:19.96","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T09:28:29.543","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve pay and career pathways in social care.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve pay and career pathways in social care.","AnswerText":"Since 2016, the Scottish Government has provided funding to ensure that adult social care workers, delivering direct care in commissioned services, are paid at least the Real Living Wage (RLW). This pay uplift has been extended to workers delivering direct care to children and young people in commissioned services for the first time this financial year. We have transferred &pound;230 million to Local Government to deliver this &pound;12 minimum wage for adult social care workers and a further &pound;20 million has been transferred to support the uplift for children&rsquo;s social care workers.The Scottish Government is proud to be leading the way in increasing minimum hourly rates of pay for the social care workforce among the four UK nations.We are working in partnership with key stakeholders &ndash; including trade unions, providers and COSLA &ndash; to introduce sectoral bargaining for the commissioned adult social care sector. Once developed and introduced, sectoral bargaining will encourage improvements in pay, and terms and conditions, and also take into consideration the varied roles and responsibilities across the sector.The Scottish Government and our partners are also taking action to promote social care roles as an attractive career, support routes in to the sector, and enable career development.In collaboration with COSLA, we established the Joint Social Services Taskforce (JSST) to address priority workforce issues. One of the JSST Workstreams led by the Scottish Social Services Council and NHS Education for Scotland, is the development of a new Career Opportunities Tool to map the range of roles and careers on offer in social care, and potential pathways open to new and existing staff.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423979,"EventID":"S6W-29975","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:20.197","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T09:52:46.893","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to announce its proposals for the planning process following the conclusion of its consultation into Investing in Planning.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to announce its proposals for the planning process following the conclusion of its consultation into Investing in Planning.","AnswerText":"On 23 September, we published a progress update on the Investing in Planning Consultation. It confirms that we are taking forward a package of proposals to improve capacity, skills and resources within the planning system. This includes the establishment of a National Planning Improvement Hub; changes to planning fees to support the resourcing of planning authorities; and proposals to streamline the system and support professional skills and capacity.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423980,"EventID":"S6W-29966","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:20.263","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T09:35:01.693","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many individual properties in Scotland have had unsafe cladding completely removed since 2017.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many individual properties in Scotland have had unsafe cladding completely removed since 2017.","AnswerText":"There are 107 entries in the pilot of the Cladding Remediation Programme.Pilot assessments have been undertaken for 30 of the entries. A pilot assessment includes those carried out prior to the publication of the Single Building Assessment (SBA) specification on 21 June 2024. This number relates to known pilot assessments only; developers, homeowners or other organisations could have commissioned assessments without informing the Scottish Government. Therefore, the true number may be higher and could increase as further information becomes available.Works to mitigate or remediate risks have started for five of the entries. Works in this context refers to any action taken to address known cladding-related risks, including Urgent Interim Measures. This number relates to known works on a pilot entry only; developers or other organisations could have carried out works without informing the Scottish Government. Again, this means the true number may be higher and could increase as further information becomes available.Works to remediate risks have not been completed for any of the entries. Although work on the external wall cladding system has been undertaken on one building, an SBA &ndash; carried out to the standard to be specified by Scottish Ministers under section 32 of the Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Act 2024 &ndash; is required to ensure that all works required have been identified and completed ahead of the remediation being designated as complete.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423981,"EventID":"S6W-29958","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:20.617","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T08:24:03.23","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Retail Consortium&rsquo;s suggestion in its Retail industry recommendations for the 2025-26 Scottish Budget&nbsp;paper, that followi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Retail Consortium&rsquo;s suggestion in its Retail industry recommendations for the 2025-26 Scottish Budget&nbsp;paper, that following the 2014 Regulatory Reform Act, a Primary Authority system for devolved regulation should be introduced. &nbsp;","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government committed to review and improve our process of developing, implementing, and reviewing devolved regulation to meet our economic, environmental and societal aims within the National Strategy for Economic Transformation. While there are no current plans to implement a Primary Authority system for devolved regulation, we will consider the merit of Primary Authority provisions with business and regulatory stakeholders in line with the NSET commitment and New Deal for Business Group recommendations.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423982,"EventID":"S6W-29973","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:21.193","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T09:45:19.247","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people aged 65 and over have been admitted to hospital for cold weather related illnesses in each year since 2010.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people aged 65 and over have been admitted to hospital for cold weather related illnesses in each year since 2010.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold information on the people admitted to hospital for cold weather related illnesses in each year since 2010.Hospital admissions data record the diagnostic conditions patients were admitted for using the International Classification of Disease Codes version 10 (ICD-10). Cold weather related illnesses are not a defined list of conditions that can be identified through ICD-10 codes.Some ICD-10 codes identify specific conditions which may be associated with cold weather, however these do not represent all conditions that could be considered cold weather related admissions.Official statistics relating to emergency admissions to acute general hospitals in NHSScotland are published by Public Health Scotland annually: Acute hospital activity and NHS beds information (annual) - year ending 31 March 2024 - Acute hospital activity and NHS beds information (annual) - Publications - Public Health ScotlandThese statistics will include detailed diagnosis specific information for emergency admissions, the data collection cannot attribute admissions due to prevailing cold weather per se.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":423983,"EventID":"S6W-29947","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:21.54","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T14:42:14.573","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will list the recipients of payments made through the Just Transition Fund to develop a digital offshore training passport.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will list the recipients of payments made through the Just Transition Fund to develop a digital offshore training passport.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has provided &pound;3.7 million for the development of the Offshore Energy Skills Passport, which is an initiative led and driven by industry.The following table provides information of the recipients and their allocated funding in relation to the development of a offshore training passport via the Just Transition Fund:&nbsp;Total JTF Award (2022-24)OPITO - Offshore Energy Skills Passport&pound;3.7 million(capital)OPITO received funding from the Just Transition Fund in 2022, to deliver an Offshore Energy Skills Passport which supports the cross-sector transferability of the offshore energy sector workforce.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423984,"EventID":"S6W-29987","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:23.107","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T10:13:13.687","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding will be available for the Highlands and Islands in each of the next five years from the Rural Affordable Homes for Key Workers Fund, as set out in the P","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding will be available for the Highlands and Islands in each of the next five years from the Rural Affordable Homes for Key Workers Fund, as set out in the Programme for Government 2024-25.","AnswerText":"The Rural Affordable Homes for Key Workers Fund is a demand led fund of up to &pound;25 million from the Affordable Housing Supply Programme budget over a five year period 2023-24 to 2027-28.Local authorities and registered social landlords can apply to the fund to purchase existing suitable properties in rural and island areas where there is identified need and we would expect this to be included in local authorities' Strategic Housing Investment Plans. Annual funding levels will reflect the pace at which projects are brought forward as well as available budgets.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":423985,"EventID":"S6W-29936","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:21.457","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T14:31:14.55","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much power within Scotland's national electricity supply framework arrangements is currently procured from community-owned energy providers.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much power within Scotland's national electricity supply framework arrangements is currently procured from community-owned energy providers.","AnswerText":"Within the National Electricity Supply Framework no power is procured from community &ndash; owned energy providers.The framework has been set up to supply electricity to all of the Scottish Public sector. The supplier on the framework is required to purchase power on the futures market through a risk managed hedging strategy. The strategy is owned by a Risk Management Committee who represent all of the main Public Sector bodies.The framework supplier needs to ensure it has the capacity to secure forward purchases on behalf of all framework customers. The supplier also needs to account manage each individual customer organisation including billing, invoicing, meter reading queries, complaints, energy efficiency queries, and social value programmes within the framework. As well as managing the consumption for over 30,000 meters for electricity that are part of the portfolio. Therefore, the supplier needs to have capacity to trade large volumes and achieve Value For Money for the whole Scottish public sector.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423986,"EventID":"S6W-29924","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:21.983","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T08:56:15.41","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to reduce waiting times at A&amp;E.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to reduce waiting times at A&amp;E.","AnswerText":"We remain determined to deliver improved A&amp;E performance and are working with Health Boards to reduce delays by enhancing patient flow at our acute sites. Through our Urgent and Unscheduled Care Collaborative Programme, work is underway to strengthen arrangements to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions by utilising services such as Same Day Emergency Care and Hospital at Home.To release capacity within the system, NHS Boards are enhancing the discharge process &ndash; ensuring that every patient has an effective discharge date, agreed through multidisciplinary working, to avoid being delayed in hospital once clinically fit for discharge.Boards are also supporting the public to access the right care in the right place by optimising Flow Navigation Centres and have been increasing capacity at NHS 24 which now has the highest level of call handlers on record.Having the right, basic principles in place in the acute hospital will improve flow, reduce long waits due to exit block and ultimately benefit A&amp;E performance.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423987,"EventID":"S6W-29943","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:21.57","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T14:31:14.55","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether its policy on the procurement of power for the public sector (a) incentivises, (b) facilitates, (c) inhibits and (d) discriminates agains","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether its policy on the procurement of power for the public sector (a) incentivises, (b) facilitates, (c) inhibits and (d) discriminates against community-owned energy providers and public bodies taking self-owned power generating initiatives.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government do not (a) incentivise (c)inhibit or (d) discriminate against community owned energy providers. Scottish Government conduct all procurement in accordance with the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 and the Public Procurement Regulations. Under Section 8 &ndash; General Duties of the Act, procurement authorities must:&ldquo;in carrying out a regulated procurement&mdash;(a) treat relevant economic operators equally and without discrimination,(b) act in a transparent and proportionate manner.&rdquo;To actively incentivise or discriminate any provider or group of providers would be a clear breach of the requirements of the Act.The framework terms and conditions do (b) facilitate self generating sources to approach the Supplier, and there is a mechanism in the Terms and Conditions for local authorities to approach EDF to sell electricity which they have generated. The Framework also has included the option of Power Purchase Agreements.The terms and conditions state that for the Supply of Electricity from a self-generating source the Supplier shall enter into a Power Purchase Agreement with such Scottish Public Sector Body on normal commercial terms. Such purchase shall stand entirely separate to the arrangements under the Framework and the Supplier shall not be under any obligation to sleeve the electrical output of such Public Body&rsquo;s facility into the supply of electricity under the framework.The Supply of Electricity agreement has also included the options of 6 different Power Purchase Agreement variations as part of the Statement of Requirements and the Terms and Conditions, these include.Option 1 - A PPA entered into between the Scottish Government (Authority) and a third party generator. The generator is not a Client under the Framework. (Direct PPA)Option 2 - A PPA entered into between the Contractor and a third party generator. The generator is not a Client under the Framework. (Indirect PPA)Option 3 - A PPA entered into between the Scottish Government (Authority) and a generator. The generator is a Client under the Framework ( for example a Local Authority). Under this category of PPA the power sleeved into the Framework volume for use by the entire portfolioOption 4 - A PPA entered into between the Contractor and a generator. The generator is a Client under the Framework. Under this category of PPA the power sleeved into the Framework volume would be for use by the entire portfolio.Option 5 &ndash; : Export PPA where Client under the framework sells excess volume to the ContractorOption 6 (as advice only) - Private Wire. This category is distinct from any of the above as it involves a direct physical connection between the generator and the buyer.Overall the National Framework for the Supply of Electricity includes a statement of requirements and Ts and Cs which are agreed by the User Intelligence Group made up of public sector representatives (including representatives from local authorities). They have set out that the framework supplier needs to ensure it has the capacity to secure forward purchases on behalf of all framework customers. The Supplier also needs to account manage each individual customer organisation including billing, invoicing, meter reading queries, complaints, energy efficiency queries, and social value programmes within the framework. As well as managing the consumption for over 30,000 meters for electricity that are part of the portfolio. Therefore the supplier needs to have capacity to trade large volumes and achieve Value For Money for the whole Scottish public sector.All of these aspects have been set out as well as the options of Power Purchase Agreements and the mechanism for local authorities to approach the Supplier to sell the power which has been self-generated.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423988,"EventID":"S6W-29941","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:23.35","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T14:31:14.55","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has provided guidance or direction to Procurement Scotland that seeks to ensure that community-owned energy providers and public body self-owned generation wi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has provided guidance or direction to Procurement Scotland that seeks to ensure that community-owned energy providers and public body self-owned generation within a local authority area are not disadvantaged in any national electricity supply procurement arrangements.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government Procurement and Property Directorate (SPPD) conduct all procurements in accordance with the requirements of procurement law which requires that we treat all providers equally and without discrimination. National Statutory, Policy and Best Practice guidance is available to support buyers across the public sector on delivering against our ambitions, along with a range of point-of-use tools, support and training for buyers and suppliers.The Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 includes a Sustainable Procurement Duty which requires all public sector procurers to consider how their procurement process can:&ldquo;Facilitate the involvement of small and medium sized enterprises, third sector bodies and supported businesses in the procurement process&rdquo; (Section 9(1)(a)(ii) of the Act)To support the procurement officers with making decisions about the best approach to market, the Scottish Government provide a suite of Sustainable Procurement tools which ensure that appropriate consideration is given at strategy stage to the nature of the requirement, the complexity of the market and the volumes which require to be delivered to identify the best strategy and approach.The outcome of this test is considered by the team and informs the strategy which is then presented to a cross sectoral User Intelligence Group (UIG), consisting of procurement and technical staff from across the public sector. For the provision of the national electricity framework, the UIG agreed with the SPPD recommendation that a single supplier framework would deliver best value, taking into account the requirement for competitive pricing and guaranteed security of supply.The framework terms and conditions have a mechanism for local authorities to approach EDF to sell electricity which they have generated. The Framework also has included the option of Power Purchase Agreements.The terms and conditions state that for the Supply of Electricity from a self-generating source the Supplier shall enter into a Power Purchase Agreement with such Scottish Public Sector Body on normal commercial terms. Such purchase shall stand entirely separate to the arrangements under the Framework and the Supplier shall not be under any obligation to sleeve the electrical output of such Public Body&rsquo;s facility into the supply of electricity under the framework.The Supply of Electricity agreement has also included the options of 6 different Power Purchase Agreement variations as part of the Statement of Requirements and the Terms and Conditions.Inclusion of these terms within the structure of the Framework Agreements ensures that our procurement of Electricity is conducted in a fair and proportionate manner.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423989,"EventID":"S6W-29963","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:22.073","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T09:35:01.693","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many individual buildings in Scotland have been identified as having unsafe cladding.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many individual buildings in Scotland have been identified as having unsafe cladding.","AnswerText":"There are 107 entries in the pilot phase of the Cladding Remediation Programme. Entries in the pilot can comprise a single block or building, or a development, or part of a development consisting of multiple blocks or buildings.Only a Single Building Assessment meeting the Scottish Standards can identify what cladding if any, a building has and further identify whether the cladding is unsafe.Developers, homeowners or other organisations could have commissioned assessments without informing the Scottish Government. Therefore, the true number may be higher and could increase as further information becomes available.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423990,"EventID":"S6W-29988","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:22.653","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T10:13:13.687","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what funding it has committed to support the World Agritourism Conference in Scotland in 2026.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what funding it has committed to support the World Agritourism Conference in Scotland in 2026.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has provided Scottish Agritourism with &pound;60k funding in 2024-2025 to support with preparations for Scotland hosting the 2026 World Agritourism Conference.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":423991,"EventID":"S6W-29942","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:20.777","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T14:31:14.55","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its assessment is of the ability of local community-owned energy providers to retain wealth locally and contribute to community wealth building.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its assessment is of the ability of local community-owned energy providers to retain wealth locally and contribute to community wealth building.","AnswerText":"Communities are at the heart of our renewable energy ambitions, and we are committed to working with partners to ensure the delivery of renewable energy comes with benefits for people in Scotland and contributes to community wealth building (CWB).Where communities have an ownership stake in energy production, we are seeing surpluses being used to support local employment and other initiatives. For example, in North Tolsta, on Lewis, one of five Scottish Government Community Wealth Building pilot areas, revenue from a community owned wind turbine supports local jobs, provides grants for home energy improvements and offers financial support for young people attending further and higher education.The Community Energy Generation Growth Fund, through our Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES), recently awarded &pound;1.5 million in grants to 19 community groups across Scotland to develop their own renewable energy projects. These communities are able to earn money from their projects, for example by selling excess energy generation.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423992,"EventID":"S6W-29912","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:22.113","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-13T12:32:02.967","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with Natural Power regarding the Climate Neutral Milngavie project.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with Natural Power regarding the Climate Neutral Milngavie project.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not had any direct engagement with Natural Power regarding the Climate Neutral Milngavie project.We did fund a feasibility study via our CARES (Community and Renewable Energy Scheme) programme, delivered by Local Energy Scotland. The feasibility study looked to determine what can be deployed to generate heat and power and related climate solutions for Milngavie. Natural Power was contracted by Local Energy Scotland in 2022 to undertake the study. The final report was delivered by Natural Power and presented to the MCC group at The Fraser Centre, Milngavie in April 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423993,"EventID":"S6W-29940","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:22.75","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T14:31:14.55","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) local authorities and (b) other public sector organisations generating power must sell that power to the Scottish Government or the appointed contractor unde","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) local authorities and (b) other public sector organisations generating power must sell that power to the Scottish Government or the appointed contractor under Scotland's national electricity supply framework, or whether they are free to find the best price for their power in the open market and remain part of the wider portfolio of national procurement arrangements.","AnswerText":"There is no mandate for (a) local authorities or (b) other public sector organisations that are generating power, to sell that power to Scottish Government or the appointed contractor under the National Electricity Framework.Ofgem administer a Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) scheme where renewable electricity can be fed into the grid. Customers can apply for a SEG tariff, where their generating system meets the SEG eligibility requirements.EDF (the current framework supplier for electricity) have a SEG licence to facilitate this service.This or any other arrangement a local authority or public sector organisation puts in place to sell power and find the best price in the open market, is outside the terms and conditions of the electricity framework. However, a local authority or public sector organisation can have an export arrangement in place and remain part of the wider portfolio.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423994,"EventID":"S6W-29923","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:21.283","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T08:55:44.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is being given to staff in the NHS who feel burnt out.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is being given to staff in the NHS who feel burnt out.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government funding of over &pound;2.5m has been committed to support the mental health and wellbeing of health and care staff in 2024-25. These resources include a 24/7 compassionate listening service, confidential mental health treatment through the Workforce Specialist Service and access to psychological therapies and interventions.Prioritising these treatment and therapeutic programmes reflects our commitment to offer care and support to those staff suffering from burnout, stress, anxiety and other conditions. In addition, the National Wellbeing Hub offers a range of self-care wellbeing resources and signposting to relevant mental health and support services.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423995,"EventID":"S6W-29926","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:21.423","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T10:30:48.433","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of the Practitioner Advisory Group to reform and modernise the compulsory purchase process.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of the Practitioner Advisory Group to reform and modernise the compulsory purchase process.","AnswerText":"The Practitioner Advisory Group was set up in March 2024, and has met three times since, and is due to meet again in November 2024.The Group acts as a sounding board for the Scottish Government in developing its proposals for changes to the compulsory purchase system. As indicated in the Programme for Government 2024-25, the Scottish Government will issue a package of proposals for public consultation, which is due in autumn 2025. This will pave the way for a comprehensive bill in the next Parliament.Further information on the Practitioner Advisory Group, including the minutes of their meetings (once agreed by the Group), can be found at: https://www.gov.scot/groups/compulsory-purchase-practitioners-advisory-group/ .Further information on compulsory purchase reform programme can be found at:https://blogs.gov.scot/planning-architecture/2024/07/09/compulsory-purchase-reform/.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423996,"EventID":"S6W-29976","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:22.563","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T09:52:46.893","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent officers will work in its planning hub, and, of those, how many officers will concentrate on extending the hub's work from speeding up hydr","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent officers will work in its planning hub, and, of those, how many officers will concentrate on extending the hub's work from speeding up hydrogen consenting to housing development.","AnswerText":"The Planning Hub is hosted and coordinated by the National Planning Improvement team in the Improvement Service. As host, the Improvement Service is responsible for the operational delivery of the Hub, including resourcing.The Scottish Government continues to support the Improvement Service to work at pace to make the Hub fully operational.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423997,"EventID":"S6W-29937","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:21.74","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T14:31:14.55","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether local authorities are required to participate in Scotland's national electricity supply framework arrangements.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether local authorities are required to participate in Scotland's national electricity supply framework arrangements.","AnswerText":"The National Electricity Supply Framework is not mandated however all 32 Local Authorities use the framework and there is local authority representation on the Risk Management Committee who oversee the purchasing strategy.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":423998,"EventID":"S6W-29971","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:23.553","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T09:45:19.247","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people aged 65 and over have been treated within the NHS for exposure to excessive natural cold in each year since 2010.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people aged 65 and over have been treated within the NHS for exposure to excessive natural cold in each year since 2010.","AnswerText":"Public Health Scotland have provided some limited information regarding those who have had an inpatient hospital admission which includes a diagnosis of &lsquo;exposure to excessive natural cold&rsquo;.Table 1 below provides information on the number of hospital admissions within NHS Scotland for people aged 65 and over treated for &ldquo;natural exposure to cold weather&rdquo; since 2010. The code &lsquo;exposure to excessive natural cold&rsquo; is only captured where this has been clearly stated by a clinician and is likely an underestimation of the number of people admitted to hospital who had been exposed to excessive natural cold.Table 1: Number of people aged 65 and over admitted to hospital and treated for natural exposure to cold weather since 2010Calendar YearNo. of Patients 65+2010962011492012742013732014882015792016762017972018572019562020622021732022702023652024*28**Note that 2024 data includes the first 6 months of 2024 only.Source: Public Health ScotlandData completeness figures are 93% for April 2024 &ndash; June 2024, 98% for October 2023 - March 2024 and typically 99% otherwise.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":423999,"EventID":"S6W-29945","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:22.927","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T14:31:14.55","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether local authorities are able to procure energy from local community-owned energy providers within Scotland's national electricity supply framework arrangements.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether local authorities are able to procure energy from local community-owned energy providers within Scotland's national electricity supply framework arrangements.","AnswerText":"No, the Scottish Government Electricity Framework is a single supplier framework awarded to EDF. Local community owned energy providers cannot be added as a supplier to the framework. However it may be possible for local community owned energy providers to enter into direct supply agreements with EDF under contractual agreements which could be established between EDF and the local provider direct with no involvement from Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424000,"EventID":"S6W-29946","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:22.477","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T14:42:14.573","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the allocation of funds from the Just Transition Fund in each year since 2021-22, including 2024-25 to date.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the allocation of funds from the Just Transition Fund in each year since 2021-22, including 2024-25 to date.","AnswerText":"The Just Transition Fund has allocated &pound;75 million to date, supporting projects and communities across the North East and Moray to create jobs, support innovation, and secure the highly skilled workforce of the future.The following table provides a breakdown of the allocation of funds from Just Transition Fund across the consecutive years from the financial year the fund began of 2022-23 to 2024-25:&nbsp;2022-232023-242024-25Energy Transition Skills Hub (formerly Advanced Manufacturing Skills Hub&pound;1,180,000 (capital)&pound;470,000 (capital)&pound;2,850,000 (capital)Cabrach Distillery Climate Assemblies Pilot&pound;361,767.25 (capital)--Climate Assemblies Pilot&pound;214,055 (resource)--Community Capacity Support&pound;23,968 (resource)--Digital Innovation Lab&pound;313,982.04 (capital)&pound;750,000 (capital)-Easter Anguston Farm&pound;504,446.86 (capital)&nbsp;-Energy Skills Passport&pound;1,871,967.88 (capital)&pound;1,831,641.69 (capital)-Findhorn Ecovillage&pound;226,775 (capital)--Findhorn Watershed Riverwoods Pilot&pound;139,972.45 (capital)&pound;434,098 (capital)&pound;395,930 (capital)Hydrogen Offshore Production (HOP2)&pound;126,000 (capital)&pound;514,000 (capital)&pound;680,000 (capital)Hydroglen&pound;262,270.09 (capital)&pound;1,248,412.94 (capital)&pound;1,987,031 (capital)Just Transition Hub&pound;243,601.16 (capital)&pound;667,000 (capital)&pound;6,281,399 (capital)Moray Council Just Transition Masterplan&pound;250,544.62 (capital)&pound;288,000 (capital)-NESS Carbon Capture Feasibility Study&pound;96,750 (capital)--North East Adventure Tourism (NEAT)&pound;397,000 (capital)&pound;1,700,000 (capital)-Participatory Budgeting&pound;1 million (capital), &pound;200,000 (resource)&pound;1 million (capital), &pound;200,000 (resource)&pound;1 million (capital), &pound;200,000 (resource)Pilot Energy Skills Project&pound;39,960 (capital)&pound;800,000 (capital)-SeedPod&pound;500,000 (capital)&pound;2,600,000 (capital)-Social Enterprise Just Transition Fund&pound;476k (capital), &pound;500k (FT&rsquo;s), &pound;27,180 (resource)--Sustainable Solvent Recovery/EV Battery Recycling&pound;457,559 (capital)&pound;169,174.80(capital)-Supply Chain Pathway and Energy Transition Challenge Fund&pound;1,299,598 (capital)&pound;2,840,000 (capital)&pound;2,840,000 (capital)Tidal Rotor Generator&pound;71,200 (capital)&pound;96,000 (capital)-Moray Net Zero Bottlenecks&pound;41,596.47 (capital)&pound;168,000 (capital)-Wave Energy Converter&pound;70,000 (capital)&pound;30,100 (capital)-CNER&pound;250,000 (capital)--","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424001,"EventID":"S6W-29974","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:22.3","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T09:52:46.893","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will set out details of its plans to extend services offered by the planning hub to support housing developments.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will set out details of its plans to extend services offered by the planning hub to support housing developments.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"As laid out in the Programme for Government, the Planning Hub&rsquo;s initial priority is to help planning authorities make quicker decisions on hydrogen planning applications.This first phase of the Hub will be a pilot that looks to provide proof of concept for it to be in place for the longer term, with a plan to extend the services offered by the Hub in 2025-26 to support wider developments including the delivery of good quality homes and onshore wind. We will set out further details relating to extending the Hub&rsquo;s services as this initial work progresses.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424002,"EventID":"S6W-29969","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:23.013","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T09:35:01.693","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that all unsafe cladding in Scotland will be removed or remediated.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that all unsafe cladding in Scotland will be removed or remediated.","AnswerText":"At present no timeline is available for the completion of all remedial works however work is on going with developers to ensure timely completion.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424003,"EventID":"S6W-29956","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:22.02","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T08:23:44.043","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Retail Consortium&rsquo;s suggestion in its Retail industry recommendations for the 2025-26 Scottish Budget paper, that increases in","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Retail Consortium&rsquo;s suggestion in its Retail industry recommendations for the 2025-26 Scottish Budget paper, that increases in income tax rates should be ruled out.","AnswerText":"Scottish Income Tax policy for 2025-26 will be announced during the annual Budget process.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424004,"EventID":"S6W-29951","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:23.383","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T14:42:14.573","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last discussed the supply chain development statements required under the ScotWind process with trade unions representing offshore energy workers in Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last discussed the supply chain development statements required under the ScotWind process with trade unions representing offshore energy workers in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The supply chain development statement process has been carefully designed and is managed by Crown Estate Scotland to ensure focus is maintained on supply chain capacity and capability to develop and deliver offshore wind projects in Scotland.Since the ScotWind announcements, Crown Estate Scotland have conducted webinars and engagement with a wide range of stakeholders, including trade unions, to provide information and updates on the supply chain development statement SCDS process.The Scottish Government also continues to actively engage with the Just Transition Partnership, and individual trade unions, on a range of issues, including in relation to support for the Scottish supply chain and securing a Just Transition for our offshore energy workers.The Scottish Government is committed to maximising the economic opportunity for the Scottish supply chain from our offshore wind potential, and ensuring a just transition that takes our existing skilled workforce with us.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424005,"EventID":"S6W-29970","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:23.81","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T09:35:01.693","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many properties there are with unsafe cladding in each Scottish Parliament constituency.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many properties there are with unsafe cladding in each Scottish Parliament constituency.","AnswerText":"There are 107 entries in the pilot of the Cladding Remediation Programme.Pilot assessments have been undertaken for 30 of the entries. A pilot assessment includes those carried out prior to the publication of the Single Building Assessment (SBA) specification on 21 June 2024. This number relates to known pilot assessments only; developers, homeowners or other organisations could have commissioned assessments without informing the Scottish Government.Therefore, the true number may be higher and could increase as further information becomes available.At present, data is not held at constituency level relating to the number of properties with unsafe cladding.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424006,"EventID":"S6W-29960","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:20.11","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T08:39:46.333","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent consideration it has given to widening access to PSA tests to help increase the early detection of prostate cancer.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent consideration it has given to widening access to PSA tests to help increase the early detection of prostate cancer.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government relies on advice on prostate screening from the UK National Screening Committee (UKNSC).The UK NSC does not currently recommend population screening for prostate cancer &ndash; this was last reviewed in November 2020. As part of this review, the use of the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test to identify prostate cancers was considered.The PSA test identifies the levels of PSA in a male&rsquo;s blood, however, levels can be raised for a number of reasons and doesn&rsquo;t confirm the individual has prostate cancer. As a result, while the PSA test can be one helpful tool for GPs when assessing a patient, the test is not definitive enough to detect prostate cancer which may require treatment, can falsely find people who do not have prostate cancer and can also miss some cancers. Therefore, the UK NSC determined that the test would not be a suitable test for a national expansion.It is anticipated that the UK NSC will review their recommendation for prostate screening in 2024-25, and will take account of any new evidence as part of that process.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424007,"EventID":"S6W-29965","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:22.12","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T09:35:01.693","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many individual domestic properties have been identified as having a sleeping risk, in relation to any risk assessment.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many individual domestic properties have been identified as having a sleeping risk, in relation to any risk assessment.","AnswerText":"We have not identified buildings with a specific sleeping risk, however buildings on the pilot are residential.The Single Building Assessment (SBA) must result in a report on any risk to human life that is (directly or indirectly) created or exacerbated by the building&rsquo;s external wall cladding system and what work (if any) is needed to eliminate or mitigate that risk.There are 107 entries in the pilot phase of the Cladding Remediation Programme. Entries in the pilot can comprise a single block or building, or a development, or part of a development consisting of multiple blocks or buildings. Pilot assessments have been undertaken for 30 of the pilot entries. A pilot assessment includes any assessment carried out prior to the publication of the SBA specification on the 21 June 2024.These numbers relate to known pilot assessments only as developers, home owners or other organisations could have commissioned assessments without informing the Scottish Government and therefore the true numbers may be higher and could increase as further information becomes available","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424008,"EventID":"S6W-29930","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:21.287","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T12:31:05.78","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will make changes to the ways in which it collects data, in light of the Scottish Health Equity Research Unit's 2024 Inequality Landscape report, which report","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will make changes to the ways in which it collects data, in light of the Scottish Health Equity Research Unit's 2024 Inequality Landscape report, which reportedly states that important information necessary to assess the effectiveness of policies aimed at tackling poverty and health inequalities are either missing or not detailed enough.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to improved data collection and analysis to accurately assess the impact of policies to ensure greatest impact can be achieved.Data collection methodologies and approaches are kept under constant review to ensure not only the relevance of the data being collected but also to ensure efficiencies in how this is done.The Scottish Government is committed to the use of evidence in developing and evaluating policies to understand what works. The Scottish Government regularly undertakes evaluation activity across a wide range of policy areas. Final reports are routinely published on the Scottish Government website.The Scottish Government published its Evaluation Action Plan in August 2024. One of the key pillars of the Plan is to make better use of evaluation evidence, at the right times when developing policy and to enhance value for money. To deliver the Action Plan the Scottish Government is setting up an internal Centre of Expertise in Appraisal and Evaluation. This will make better use of in-house expertise to further improve the standards of appraisal and evaluation planning.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424009,"EventID":"S6W-29935","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-17T16:19:23.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T14:31:14.55","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what total power use is provided for in Scotland&rsquo;s national electricity supply framework arrangements.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what total power use is provided for in Scotland&rsquo;s national electricity supply framework arrangements.","AnswerText":"The total electricity use provided for in the electricity supply framework is determined by the estimated consumption of all framework customers. This is currently estimated at 2,293, 227MWh (megawatt hours) with a value of &pound;686.7m, which will vary each year, depending on customer consumption.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424025,"EventID":"S6O-03753","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16207,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T14:44:24.867","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T17:19:23.643","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the findings of the Fair Work Convention&rsquo;s inquiry into Fair Work in the Hospitality Industry.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the findings of the Fair Work Convention&rsquo;s inquiry into Fair Work in the Hospitality Industry.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424026,"EventID":"S6O-03755","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T14:44:24.873","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T08:37:40.007","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will set out how it measures economic growth, including what metrics it uses to assess success in economic growth.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will set out how it measures economic growth, including what metrics it uses to assess success in economic growth.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424027,"EventID":"S6O-03761","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16191,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":77,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T14:44:24.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T09:02:57.253","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the cost of privatefinance initiative repayments in the current financial year.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the cost of privatefinance initiative repayments in the current financial year.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424028,"EventID":"S6O-03772","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5074,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":104,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T14:44:24.863","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T09:23:14.353","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its efforts to develop a world-leading green hydrogen sector.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its efforts to develop a world-leading green hydrogen sector.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424029,"EventID":"S6O-03762","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3751,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":108,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T14:44:24.883","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T10:44:00.917","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Midlothian and East Lothian councils regarding the financial impact of national policies, in light of reports of their constrained budge","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Midlothian and East Lothian councils regarding the financial impact of national policies, in light of reports of their constrained budgets.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424030,"EventID":"S6O-03750","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T14:44:24.877","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T08:48:52.353","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how its Green Industrial Strategy will encourage companies to remain in Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how its Green Industrial Strategy will encourage companies to remain in Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424031,"EventID":"S6O-03770","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5608,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":103,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T14:44:24.897","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T10:25:41.29","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the implementation of its heat in buildings strategy, what discussions it has had with the UK Government on consumer protection, in light of reported concerns","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the implementation of its heat in buildings strategy, what discussions it has had with the UK Government on consumer protection, in light of reported concerns that customers currently using heat networks are not protected by Ofgem's price cap.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424032,"EventID":"S6O-03752","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T14:44:24.86","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T13:27:55.133","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what improvements it has considered making to governance arrangements at Ferguson Marine, in light of recent reported concerns around quality control at the yard.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what improvements it has considered making to governance arrangements at Ferguson Marine, in light of recent reported concerns around quality control at the yard.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424033,"EventID":"S6O-03768","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4940,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":81,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T14:44:24.867","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T09:06:01.763","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the UK Government regarding action to address the impact in Scotland of the rising energy price cap, which&nbsp;will increase by 10% in O","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the UK Government regarding action to address the impact in Scotland of the rising energy price cap, which&nbsp;will increase by 10% in October.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424034,"EventID":"S6O-03764","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T14:44:24.873","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T09:29:20.25","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to reassess its tax policies, in light of reports from some businesses that higher taxes are having a negative impact on recruitment, including in the m","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to reassess its tax policies, in light of reports from some businesses that higher taxes are having a negative impact on recruitment, including in the most recent Fraser of Allander Institute survey on Scottish income tax.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424035,"EventID":"S6O-03765","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16176,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":137,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T14:44:24.877","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T20:21:50.94","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with ScotRail regarding the operation of a reduced train timetable.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with ScotRail regarding the operation of a reduced train timetable.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424036,"EventID":"S6O-03767","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T14:44:24.863","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T10:41:25.297","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last engaged with the four nations steering group on the review of&nbsp;noise guidance for onshore wind turbines&nbsp;as it applies to Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last engaged with the four nations steering group on the review of&nbsp;noise guidance for onshore wind turbines&nbsp;as it applies to Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":424037,"EventID":"S6O-03751","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5618,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":91,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T14:44:24.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T15:37:24.587","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, as part of the development and delivery of its economic strategy, what assessment it has made of the contribution of the drinks sector to the economy.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, as part of the development and delivery of its economic strategy, what assessment it has made of the contribution of the drinks sector to the economy.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424038,"EventID":"S6O-03757","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T14:44:24.887","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T10:05:22.973","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the commitment in its 2024-25Programme for Government to \"consult on modernisation of the compulsorypurchase system to help deliver a wide range of projects","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the commitment in its 2024-25Programme for Government to \"consult on modernisation of the compulsorypurchase system to help deliver a wide range of projects in the publicinterest\", whether this consultation will include compulsory sale orders andcompulsory rental orders in its scope.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424039,"EventID":"S6O-03763","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T14:44:24.883","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T02:16:56.563","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the local government funding settlement, what discussions the finance secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the potential revenue that ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the local government funding settlement, what discussions the finance secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the potential revenue that local authorities could generate through Decriminalised Parking Enforcement regimes in their areas.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424040,"EventID":"S6O-03759","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16175,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":119,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T14:44:24.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T12:49:44.597","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent UK Government announcements ahead of its Budget statement, whether it will provide an update on its latest engagement with the UK Government regardin","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent UK Government announcements ahead of its Budget statement, whether it will provide an update on its latest engagement with the UK Government regarding the potential devolution of further financial powers to Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424041,"EventID":"S6O-03760","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T14:44:24.89","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T09:28:18.973","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the comments of Professor Graeme Roy, Chair of the Scottish Fiscal Commission, that Scotland's net position in 2022-23 was around &pound;624 mill","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the comments of Professor Graeme Roy, Chair of the Scottish Fiscal Commission, that Scotland's net position in 2022-23 was around &pound;624 million lower than it would have been had Scottish economic performance matched that of the rest of the UK.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424042,"EventID":"S6O-03766","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T14:44:24.903","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T16:35:25.523","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Just Transition Commission's recent report on the future of Grangemouth.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Just Transition Commission's recent report on the future of Grangemouth.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424043,"EventID":"S6O-03771","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T14:44:24.907","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T13:53:24.527","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what financial impact its proposed Heat in Buildings Bill will have on homeowners.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what financial impact its proposed Heat in Buildings Bill will have on homeowners.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424044,"EventID":"S6O-03769","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T14:44:24.913","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T08:52:25.917","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its policy is on upgrading the infrastructure of ports.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its policy is on upgrading the infrastructure of ports.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424045,"EventID":"S6O-03756","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T14:44:24.9","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T15:38:05.26","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to boost confidence in the retail sector.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to boost confidence in the retail sector.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424046,"EventID":"S6O-03758","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3763,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":142,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T14:44:24.89","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T09:50:20.447","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of what Scotland's fiscal position would be today if a \"Yes\" vote had been returned in the independence referendum of 18 September 2014.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of what Scotland's fiscal position would be today if a \"Yes\" vote had been returned in the independence referendum of 18 September 2014.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424047,"EventID":"S6O-03778","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T14:44:38.423","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T08:13:42.233","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with East Dunbartonshire Council regarding the condition of Milngavie Primary School.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with East Dunbartonshire Council regarding the condition of Milngavie Primary School.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424048,"EventID":"S6O-03774","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":2826,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":84,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T14:44:38.407","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T17:55:07.91","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how its investment in Fairer Futures Partnerships will help to tackle child poverty.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how its investment in Fairer Futures Partnerships will help to tackle child poverty.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424049,"EventID":"S6O-03777","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16215,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T14:44:38.43","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T15:11:16.89","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recently published Holyrood Park Strategic Plan, what the timeline is for Historic Environment Scotland to complete its Movement Strategy and deliver on","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recently published Holyrood Park Strategic Plan, what the timeline is for Historic Environment Scotland to complete its Movement Strategy and deliver on its 10 objectives for the park.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424050,"EventID":"S6O-03773","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":2892,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T14:44:38.45","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T14:02:20.06","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the culture secretary has had with the Music Venues Trust regarding the introduction of a ticket levy, on a voluntary or statutory basis, for stadium an","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the culture secretary has had with the Music Venues Trust regarding the introduction of a ticket levy, on a voluntary or statutory basis, for stadium and arena shows, to support grassroots culture venues.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424051,"EventID":"S6O-03776","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T14:44:38.433","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T09:13:46.51","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to concerns over its reported plans to downgrade the neonatal intensive care unit at Ninewells Hospital.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to concerns over its reported plans to downgrade the neonatal intensive care unit at Ninewells Hospital.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424052,"EventID":"S6O-03779","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16194,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T14:44:38.437","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T07:28:00.767","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review its relationship with LGBT Youth Scotland, in light of reported allegations regarding safeguarding failings.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review its relationship with LGBT Youth Scotland, in light of reported allegations regarding safeguarding failings.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424053,"EventID":"S6O-03780","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T14:44:38.417","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T13:04:27.007","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of the recommendations from the National Review of Eating Disorder Services.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of the recommendations from the National Review of Eating Disorder Services.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424054,"EventID":"S6O-03775","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T14:44:38.413","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T08:13:47.83","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve access to GP appointments.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve access to GP appointments.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424055,"EventID":"S6W-30001","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T15:09:38.163","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T10:21:49.517","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported information from National Records of Scotland stating that, in the second quarter of 2024, Dumfries and Galloway had the highest stillbirth rate, p","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported information from National Records of Scotland stating that, in the second quarter of 2024, Dumfries and Galloway had the highest stillbirth rate, perinatal death rate and extended perinatal death rate in Scotland, as well as one of the highest infant death rates and neonatal death rates in Scotland, whether it has any plans to launch an investigation into healthcare outcomes for expectant mothers and infants in Dumfries and Galloway.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to improving outcomes for babies and children and funds key initiatives, including the established Scottish Patient Safety Programme (SPSP) led by Healthcare Improvement Scotland. SPSP Perinatal currently supports NHS Boards to improve outcomes by reducing stillbirth, neonatal morbidity and mortality. The SPSP Paediatric Collaborative, launched in September 2023, aims to improve the recognition and response to clinical deterioration in children and young people.The Scottish Government continue to fund and participate in UK-wide audits including Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries &ndash; UK (MBRRACE-UK), which undertakes surveillance on Perinatal deaths and makes recommendations for improvement, and are considered carefully with an expectation NHS Boards will review their local data and act on emerging themes. We wrote to NHS Boards on 12 September 2024 to ensure they have taken account of the MBRRACE-UK reports and National Records of Scotland data, and to seek assurances from those with higher-than-average rates that work is underway to understand and learn from the possible factors which may have contributed to these deaths.Since October 2021 a National Hub has been in place to review and learn from the deaths of all babies, children and young people in Scotland. Commissioned and funded by Scottish Government, the National Hub is jointly hosted by Healthcare Improvement Scotland and the Care Inspectorate. A principal aim of the National Hub is to channel the learning from child death reviews to inform change and improvement and ultimately help reduce future preventable child deaths.NHS Dumfries and Galloway has confirmed that they are aware of the higher than usual rates within their NHS Board as published by National Records of Scotland, Births, Deaths and Other Vital Events - Quarterly Figures: Second Quarter, and have proactively been interrogating the findings to be assured that the numbers can be explained within the local context and not attributed to any shortcomings in care. It is important to note that quarterly National Records of Scotland publications data contains relatively small numbers, and the rates are subject to large percentage fluctuations.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":424056,"EventID":"S6W-29990","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T15:09:38.943","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T11:30:21.35","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29551 by Gillian Martin on 17 September 2024, when it last directly engaged with the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance in relation to jo","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29551 by Gillian Martin on 17 September 2024, when it last directly engaged with the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance in relation to joining as a core member.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29551 on 17 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424057,"EventID":"S6W-29998","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T15:09:38.177","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T08:24:36.01","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the area of (a) prime and (b) other agriculture land that is currently used for renewable energy projects, also broken down by the","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the area of (a) prime and (b) other agriculture land that is currently used for renewable energy projects, also broken down by the type of renewable energy project.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold any data on the area of renewable energy projects, as described.Department for Energy Security and Net Zero publishes a quarterly Renewable Energy Planning Database (REPD)[1] that lists renewable energy projects at the following stages: inception, planning, construction, operation, and decommissioning. This dataset is limited geographically, in that it provides a single grid reference point for a site. And while it does provide significant data on the planning, commissioning and construction of the site, it provides no information on the area covered - as indicated in this interactive map[2].Prime land for agriculture is defined by the James Hutton Institute&rsquo;s Land Capability for Agriculture (LCA) measure[3]. LCA 1 to 3.1 is considered &lsquo;prime&rsquo; land suitable for arable production. LCA 3.2 to 7 ranges from land considered suitable for mixed agriculture through to land suitable for various types of grazing.It is possible to plot renewable energy project sites in relation to land capability for agriculture, but such analysis only gives the number of sites registered on prime agricultural and other agricultural land, not the specific locations of the infrastructure and the areas involved. The Scottish Government has explored this for ground mount solar and onshore wind using 2022 data. For operational onshore wind and ground mount solar the number of sites on different types of land and their generation capacity is shown in Table 1.Table 1: Onshore Wind and Ground Mount Solar by Land Type, 2022 1QualityTechnologySitesCapacity (MW)Prime LandGround Mount Solar Photovoltaics737Wind Onshore1435Other LandGround Mount Solar Photovoltaics36213Wind Onshore2818206All&nbsp;3388491Note: The definition of Prime and Other land is based on the suitability of land to support different types of agricultural production. It is not necessary that this land is or was utilised for agricultural production prior to the construction of renewable energy sites.Of a total of 338 sites recorded with onshore wind or ground mount solar photovoltaics in 2022, 21 were registered on prime agricultural land. These accounted for 72 megawatts of a total of 8491 megawatts of capacity.It is worth noting that until 2021 the minimum threshold for installed capacity in the DESNZ database was 1MW, at which point it was lowered to 150kW. This means that projects below 1MW that were going through planning system before 2021 may not be represented in the REPD. The DESNZ report on renewable electricity capacity and generation in Scotland shows a capacity of 9022 MW for onshore wind in 2022, indicating an underrepresentation[4]. This comparison is not possible with solar photovoltaics as there is no split between ground mount and roof installations in the other dataset.[1]Renewable Energy Planning Database: quarterly extract - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)[2]Renewable Energy Planning Database | DESNZ &amp; Barbour ABI (barbour-abi.com)[3]Land Capability for Agriculture (LCA) - James Hutton Institute[4]Energy Trends: UK renewables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)","AnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424058,"EventID":"S6W-29928","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T15:09:38.937","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-16T11:14:52.34","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28938 by Fiona Hyslop on 9 September 2024, whether its restatement of the position is confirmation that it has not made an assessm","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28938 by Fiona Hyslop on 9 September 2024, whether its restatement of the position is confirmation that it has not made an assessment of the scope of the role of Transport Scotland, including any duplication of (a) responsibility and (b) funding in the period (i) before and (ii) after the new structures were put in place regarding the nationalisation of ScotRail, and, if this is not the case, and it has made such an assessment, whether it will provide the information requested.","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland considered carefully the respective roles of ScotRail Trains, Scottish Rail Holdings and Transport Scotland when establishing the appropriate arrangements under the requirements of the current flawed UK rail legislation.An important consideration has been that the cost of these arrangements would be significantly less than the alternative management and contract costs associated with the previous private franchise arrangements.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424059,"EventID":"S6W-29991","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T15:09:39.03","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T11:30:21.35","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29551 by Gillian Martin on 17 September 2024, whether the Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy will commit to meeting ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29551 by Gillian Martin on 17 September 2024, whether the Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy will commit to meeting the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance at COP29.","AnswerText":"As set out in response to S6W-29551, the Scottish Government continues to engage with the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance and other international climate initiatives as part of wider ongoing engagement with a range of organisations and stakeholders. Ministerial engagements at COP29 will be published in the usual manner in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424060,"EventID":"S6W-30000","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T15:09:38.17","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T09:23:11.563","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29379 by Siobhian Brown on 13 September 2024, whether it will provide an update on progress on the delivery of the four components","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29379 by Siobhian Brown on 13 September 2024, whether it will provide an update on progress on the delivery of the four components outlined in Scotland&rsquo;s strategic approach to challenging and deterring men&rsquo;s demand for prostitution and supporting the recovery and sustainable exit of those involved in prostitution.","AnswerText":"The primary aim of the Strategic Approach is to improve support for those with experience of prostitution, from crisis support through to support to exit from prostitution. We remain focussed on progressing this and the strategy&rsquo;s wider components.Since publishing the Strategy in February 2024 we have worked across Scottish Government, the wider public and third sectors, to identify opportunities to move forward with its implementation. This includes hosting a workshop earlier this month involving key stakeholders to discuss some of the challenges around capacity and resource in the current fiscal environment.Over the coming weeks I will be announcing the key next steps we will be taking to progress this work.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424061,"EventID":"S6W-30003","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T15:09:39.107","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T10:26:43.47","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29541 by Fiona Hyslop on 18 September 2024, when it expects the present refresh of the Decarbonisation Action Plan to be concluded","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29541 by Fiona Hyslop on 18 September 2024, when it expects the present refresh of the Decarbonisation Action Plan to be concluded.","AnswerText":"A refresh of the Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan, informed by current progress with rolling stock procurement, is currently expected to conclude in early 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424062,"EventID":"S6W-29997","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T15:09:38.173","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T17:42:14.217","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29352 by Gillian Martin on 17 September 2024, what approaches have been made to (a) academia and (b) the private sector to explore","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29352 by Gillian Martin on 17 September 2024, what approaches have been made to (a) academia and (b) the private sector to explore the potential for new recovery solutions.","AnswerText":"Scottish Water engages extensively with academia and the private sector to explore the potential for new recovery solutions. As examples Scottish Water is:1.Working in partnership with the Hydro Nation Chair and Glasgow Caledonian University to investigate advanced technologies for energy recovery solutions from wastewater.2.Currently designing a resource recovery factory in Alloa with links to the Hydro Nation Chair, Glasgow Caledonian University, the James Hutton Institute and Forth Valley College.3.Working with the private sector on the trial of ammonia recovery at Cumnock Wastewater Treatment Works, exploration into the use of recovered ammonia as a fertiliser and, phosphorous recovery.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424063,"EventID":"S6W-29994","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T15:09:38.24","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T15:42:26.063","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29408 by Gillian Martin on 17 September 2024, when it anticipates that it will resolve the technical issues impacting the Scottish","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29408 by Gillian Martin on 17 September 2024, when it anticipates that it will resolve the technical issues impacting the Scottish Energy Statistics Hub, and when these technical issues were first identified.","AnswerText":"In November 2023 Scottish Government statisticians identified technical issues with the automatic data processing and updating of some of the data sources on the Energy Statistics Hub. This affected the formatted display of some of the figures and charts on the hub. Work is continuing to resolve the issue and updates are being processed as quickly as possible.Updates to the underlying data sources and publication of Scotland's quarterly energy statistics are unaffected and there has been no delay in the quarterly publication of any of the Scottish Government&rsquo;s energy statistics. The next Energy Statistics Quarterly publication is on Thursday 26 September 2024.Key energy statistics are published on the Scottish Government website.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424064,"EventID":"S6W-30008","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T15:09:38.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T12:19:01.787","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to review the principle and methodology of council tax as a taxation method to contribute to the funding of local authorities, and what its position","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to review the principle and methodology of council tax as a taxation method to contribute to the funding of local authorities, and what its position is on whether the current local taxation model is fit for purpose.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to fairer, more inclusive and fiscally sustainable forms of local taxation. We are exploring proposals for meaningful long-term changes to Council Tax in partnership with COSLA through the &lsquo;Joint Working Group on Sources of Local Government Funding and Council Tax Reform&rsquo;.We continue to partner with COSLA and local authorities on local empowerment measures in the spirit of the Verity House Agreement. We have undertaken intensive collaborative work on a Fiscal Framework for local government. This includes facilitating opportunities for greater local fiscal empowerment in the future, with the aim to give councils more flexibility. Through the &lsquo;Joint Working Group&rsquo; we can explore opportunities for local empowerment collaboratively with local government.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424065,"EventID":"S6W-30006","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T15:09:38.267","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T12:13:48.8","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what efforts it is making to support Scotland's film and screen sector and ensure that it is world class and world leading in its international offering.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what efforts it is making to support Scotland's film and screen sector and ensure that it is world class and world leading in its international offering.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government supports Screen Scotland, our dedicated public agency for screen, through Grant-in-Aid funding, with &pound;10.25m in Financial Year 2024-25.As set out in our Programme for Government, we will continue to support Screen Scotland to deliver their Strategy to 2030-31, ensuring the screen sector can reach our goal of &pound;1 billion Gross Value Added to the Scottish economy by 2030, up from &pound;627m in 2021.Screen Scotland will also continue their excellent work in skills and education, making a career in film and television more accessible for more young people in Scotland, and helping our sector to stay globally competitive for future generations.Since it was first established in 2018, Screen Scotland, has been instrumental to the success of our screen sector. By nurturing locally-originated content as well as attracting international inward investment, Screen Scotland ensures that the sector continues to grow strongly and sustainably.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424066,"EventID":"S6W-29993","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5596,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":151,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T15:09:38.19","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T14:17:37.523","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its efforts to reduce child poverty, whether it plans to expand the eligibility criteria for the Young Patients Family Fund to include those regularly travel","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its efforts to reduce child poverty, whether it plans to expand the eligibility criteria for the Young Patients Family Fund to include those regularly travelling as day-patients for cancer treatment, in light of Young Lives vs Cancer's #RunningOnEmpty research, which states that one in five families have had to take on debt, and a third have fallen behind on household bills, to help cover the cost of travelling to receive treatment for their or their child's cancer treatment, due to travelling over 400 miles every month on average.","AnswerText":"I met with representatives from Young Lives vs Cancer on 25 September 2024 to discuss their campaign.Under the existing patient travel expenses schemes, financial support for travel to hospital is available for patients and authorised escorts, according to eligibility criteria and medical requirements. The families of patients with cancer aged under 18 who are receiving inpatient care can also already access financial support through the Young Patients Family Fund (YPFF).Scottish Government has provided funding to Young Lives vs Cancer of &pound;213,600 over two years (2023-2025) through the Children, Young People Families and Adult Learning (CYPFAL) fund. This funding supports the provision of advice on potential welfare benefits as well as direct grants to improve the emotional and mental wellbeing and reduce financial worries of young patients with cancer and their families.There are no plans to expand the eligibility criteria for the YPFF at this time.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424067,"EventID":"S6W-29992","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T15:09:38.947","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T12:57:28.35","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the spending on the national acquisition plan in 2023-24, and what its evaluation is of the effectiveness of this spend.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the spending on the national acquisition plan in 2023-24, and what its evaluation is of the effectiveness of this spend.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question: S6W-26978 on 7 May 2024, which details the spend and homes delivered by local authority area; S6W-27110 on 14 May 2024, which provides details on applications approved; and S6W-27112 on 14 May 2024 which details the spend by applicant in the 2023-2024 National Acquisition Programme. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.In 2023-2024, the National Acquisition Programme helped to bring almost 1,500 homes into affordable use, 94% (1,413) of which were homes for social rent. Due to the effectiveness of this programme in accelerating the delivery of affordable homes and boosting affordable housing supply, we have allocated the additional &pound;40 million in 2024-2025 to acquire properties to help with temporary accommodation pressures or, where appropriate, to bring long term void properties back into use with a further &pound;40 million being made available in 2025-2026.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424068,"EventID":"S6W-29995","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5596,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":151,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T15:09:38.177","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T15:56:43.097","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle Islamophobia through education in schools.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle Islamophobia through education in schools.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is clear that there is no place for religious or racial intolerance, including Islamophobia, in Scotland&rsquo;s schools.Scotland&rsquo;s Curriculum for Excellence aims to develop a society based on social justice, equality and respect, and provides opportunities for pupils to develop their understanding of various forms of discrimination and their intersectional impact, including Islamophobia. The curriculum is clear in saying that responsible citizens must understand different beliefs and cultures, and have respect for others.Education Scotland provides teachers with a range of resources to help them navigate sensitive or controversial topics, including discrimination on the basis of religious belief, and to help foster good relations. Recently their online Inclusion, Wellbeing and Equalities Professional Learning Framework has been updated to specifically include a Developing Religious Literacy component.In addition, by taking an intersectional approach, the work of the Scottish Government&rsquo;s Anti-Racism in Education Programme addresses many of the issues at the heart of Islamophobia. Actions which have been taken forward include:Developing a set of Anti-Racist Principles for the curriculum;Providing racial literacy professional development, through the award winning Building Racial Literacy Programme;Publishing an Anti-Racist Action Guide aimed at empowering local authorities to better support their minority ethnic workforce;Developing guidance to address racism and racist incidents in schools, to empower the workforce to recognise and tackle racism and prejudice in all of its forms.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424069,"EventID":"S6W-29989","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T15:09:38.187","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T11:16:28.38","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to share the analysis of the responses submitted to the Energy Performance Certificate reform consultation, and what opportunities there will be to build t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to share the analysis of the responses submitted to the Energy Performance Certificate reform consultation, and what opportunities there will be to build the learning from that consultation into its proposed Heat in Buildings Bill.","AnswerText":"Our Programme for Government 2024-25 set out that we will bring forward a Heat in Buildings Bill that is deliverable and affordable for households and businesses, setting the long term direction of travel and, in turn, providing certainty to building owners and the supply chain.Given the important relationship between our consultations on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill and to reform Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), we are considering responses to both at the same time. We intend to publish our responses to the Heat in Buildings Bill and EPC reform consultations at the same point later this year.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424070,"EventID":"S6W-29999","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T15:09:38.187","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T08:40:29.15","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government on what date (a) it currently anticipates that CMAL will deliver the Glen Sannox to CalMac, (b) the operator currently anticipates that it will begin delivery to operati","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government on what date (a) it currently anticipates that CMAL will deliver the Glen Sannox to CalMac, (b) the operator currently anticipates that it will begin delivery to operational sea trials of the vessel and (c) it currently anticipates that the Glen Sannox will enter service on the Troon-Brodick route.","AnswerText":"In his most recent letter to the NZET committee on 12 September, the interim Chief Executive of Ferguson Marine indicated that the handover date for MV Glen Sannox of 30 September 2024 was delayed by around two weeks. Following successful Builder&rsquo;s LNG sea trials the vessel is on track for delivery by mid-October 2024.Following delivery there will be a period of familiarisation needed by the operator, usually around 6-8 weeks, to conduct further owner&rsquo;s sea and berthing trials and conduct final operational readiness preparations before she is ready to enter service.CalMac anticipate the vessel entering service on the Troon-Brodick route around the end of November based on current planning assumptions.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424071,"EventID":"S6W-29996","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T15:09:38.18","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-17T17:41:03.67","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29523 by Alasdair Allan on 16 September 2024, how it accurately monitors the total installed solar capacity, of all types, approve","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29523 by Alasdair Allan on 16 September 2024, how it accurately monitors the total installed solar capacity, of all types, approved by local authorities.","AnswerText":"The approval, construction and installation of Solar photovoltaic projects over 150kW is monitored through the Renewable Energy Planning Database (REPD). Information is provided both as a spreadsheet and as an interactive map which provides the location and capacity of all renewable energy projects within the planning system.Renewable Energy Planning Database | DESNZ &amp; Barbour ABI (barbour-abi.com)The electricity capacity and generation provided by all grid-connected renewable projects is monitored through UK Renewables Energy Trends.Energy Trends: UK renewables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)Both these data sources are updated on a quarterly basis and summary data is provided within Scotland's quarterly energy statistics publication.Quarterly energy statistics Scotland - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)Details of all small-scale renewable energy installations in the UK are available from the MCS data dashboardAbout the MCS Data Dashboard - MCS (mcscertified.com)","AnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424072,"EventID":"S6W-30002","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T15:09:38.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T10:26:43.47","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27663 by Fiona Hyslop on 3 June 2024, whether it is committed to retaining the 2035 deadline for the removal of diesel passenger t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27663 by Fiona Hyslop on 3 June 2024, whether it is committed to retaining the 2035 deadline for the removal of diesel passenger trains in any refreshed Decarbonisation Action Plan.","AnswerText":"The refresh of the Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan will examine how and when the traction elements of rail transport can best be achieved. The order and programme in which decarbonisation can be achieved is and remains dependent on business cases and available budgets.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424073,"EventID":"S6W-29908","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-18T15:09:38.223","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-13T11:29:31.73","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27175 byGillian Martin on 13 May 2024, on what date it will publish the recommendationsof the Transmission Network Short Life Work","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27175 byGillian Martin on 13 May 2024, on what date it will publish the recommendationsof the Transmission Network Short Life Working Group.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29845 on 24 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424091,"EventID":"S6W-29891","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-19T15:24:09.23","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-12T10:35:59.257","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much of the &pound;12.8 million reduction in the Mental Health Services budget announced in its Pre-Budget Fiscal Update will be taken from NHS Greater Glasgow and C","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much of the &pound;12.8 million reduction in the Mental Health Services budget announced in its Pre-Budget Fiscal Update will be taken from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde's budget.","AnswerText":"The recent reduction in mental health budget provision relates to the Scottish Government&rsquo;s direct programme budget in 2024-25, not NHS Board baseline allocations.Through the overall 2024-25 budget, NHS Boards and the Scottish Government will continue to spend in excess of &pound;1.3billion on mental health.The reduction in the Scottish Government&rsquo;s budget has been identified through programmes being adapted, or which have come to an end. In some cases work has been re-profiled where this has been possible.Whilst any reduction is regrettable, we remain committed to taking forward our work across mental health, working closely with key partners. Our collective focus has to be on making as much difference as possible with our funding.As part of this, we have allocated &pound;120million to NHS Boards and Integrated Joint Boards for the Enhanced Mental Health Outcomes Framework in 2024-25, which will be baselined from April 2025. This flexible funding stream means local areas have choices in how services are configured and organised in order to deliver better outcomes. This will enable mental health services to deliver the long-term services reforms required that will help us work towards a more sustainable and improved system.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424092,"EventID":"S6W-30027","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-19T15:24:10.087","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T13:12:11.29","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made with delivering the Offshore Skills Passport.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made with delivering the Offshore Skills Passport.","AnswerText":"The Offshore Energy Skills Passport is an initiative led and driven by industry.The most recent statement from the key industry delivery bodies, Renewable UK and Offshore Energies UK, indicates that an initial version of the Passport will be available for workers to access later this year.The Scottish Government remains committed to supporting the Passport&rsquo;s successful implementation. Ministers last met with Renewable UK and Offshore Energies UK to receive updates on progress on 10 September 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424093,"EventID":"S6W-27441","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-19T15:24:10.54","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-05-09T16:32:14.307","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many data breaches that contained private orpersonal information of UK citizens have occurred within Police Scotland sincefigures were last disclosed through a Freed","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many data breaches that contained private orpersonal information of UK citizens have occurred within Police Scotland sincefigures were last disclosed through a Freedom of Information request in 2023,and whether any such information was related to alleged or convicted crimes.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold the information requested. It is for the Chief Constable to determine Police Scotland&rsquo;s approach to data management and to ensure there are policies and controls in place to ensure the organisation complies with the wide range of obligations required to discharge its statutory and regulatory responsibilities regarding the processing of data, with oversight and scrutiny undertaken by the Scottish Police Authority Board.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424094,"EventID":"S6W-30029","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-19T15:24:09.467","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T13:12:11.29","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which of the 42 prioritised flood protection schemes that were planned between 2016 and 2021 have yet to be completed, and when the expected completion date is for each.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which of the 42 prioritised flood protection schemes that were planned between 2016 and 2021 have yet to be completed, and when the expected completion date is for each.","AnswerText":"The responsibility for development and delivery of flood protection schemes rests with individual local authorities, who are best placed to respond to local resilience needs.The Scottish Government provides funding to local authorities to enable delivery of these important projects. &pound;570million will be invested in flood resilience in the period 2016-2026. 40 of 42 have received funding to support development. 2 are not eligible because they have previously received funding.15 of the cycle 1 flood schemes have now been completed. The status of those that remain is as follows:Scheme nameLocal authorityCurrent stageEst. completionMillport CoastalNorth AyrshireUnder construction2024CampbeltownArgyll and ButeUnder construction2024HawickBordersUnder construction2024StranraerDumfries and GallowayUnder construction2024Upper GarnockNorth AyrshireUnder construction2024MilnathortPerth and KinrossConstruction due to start 2025&nbsp;Mill Burn MillportNorth AyrshireConstruction due to start 2025&nbsp;Kilmacolm &ndash; Glenmosston BurnInverclydeLegal confirmation complete&nbsp;ComriePerth and KinrossLegal confirmation complete&nbsp;Dumfries - WhitesandsDumfries and GallowayLegal confirmation complete&nbsp;Quarriers VillageInverclydeLegal confirmation complete&nbsp;Dumbarton Gruggies BurnWest DunbartonshireLegal notification complete&nbsp;South KinrossPerth and KinrossLegal notification complete&nbsp;MusselburghEast LothianLegal notification complete&nbsp;Bridge of AllanStirlingLegal notification complete&nbsp;Newton Stewart/ River CreeDumfries and GallowayLegal notification complete&nbsp;Grangemouth FPSFalkirkLegal notification complete&nbsp;St Andrews - Kinness BurnFifeWithdrawn &ndash; notification deadline missed&nbsp;South FordsComhairle nan Eilean SiarWithdrawn &ndash; notification deadline missed&nbsp;SconePerth and KinrossWithdrawn &ndash; notification deadline missed&nbsp;HaddingtonEast LothianWithdrawn &ndash; notification deadline missed&nbsp;CallanderStirlingWithdrawn &ndash; notification deadline missed&nbsp;StirlingStirlingWithdrawn &ndash; notification deadline missed&nbsp;LangholmDumfries and GallowayWithdrawn&nbsp;Greenock CoveInverclydeScheme no longer required&nbsp;","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424095,"EventID":"S6W-30018","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-19T15:24:09.733","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T12:47:46.847","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports given to the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry that a &ldquo;culture of bullying&rdquo; existed at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgo","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports given to the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry that a &ldquo;culture of bullying&rdquo; existed at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, and what steps it is taking to eradicate any such culture in all NHS hospitals.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Hospitals Inquiry is a public inquiry established in accordance with the Inquiries Act 2005 and is entirely independent of the Scottish Government. It would not be appropriate for the Scottish Government or Ministers to comment on the Inquiry&rsquo;s proceedings while the Inquiry is ongoing.Bullying and harassment is unacceptable in any circumstance. We expect all staff, regardless of position, to act in line with the values and behaviours expected of everyone in NHSScotland.Staff must be confident in raising any concerns they may have, and when they do, that these concerns are fully investigated. The NHSScotland Bullying and Harassment Workforce Policy provides a supportive environment for employees seeking an early resolution to bullying or harassment concerns. It is also a formal mechanism to address unresolved, significant or persistent bullying or harassment, or both.We emphasised the importance of good workplace cultures with the publication of Improving Wellbeing and Working Cultures (IWWC) in July 2024. IWWC sets out our ambition to enhance working cultures across our health, social work and social care workforce, through programmes of work at a national level that focus on the pillars of: wellbeing, leadership and equality.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424096,"EventID":"S6W-30005","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-19T15:24:10.43","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T12:12:52.447","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Audit Scotland report, Scotland&rsquo;s colleges 2024; what its position is on the ongoing viability of Scotland's colleges, and how it plans","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Audit Scotland report, Scotland&rsquo;s colleges 2024; what its position is on the ongoing viability of Scotland's colleges, and how it plans to address any financial shortfalls in funding for this sector, in light of the role that it plays in skilling the next generation of Scotland's workforce.","AnswerText":"Ministers recognise the crucial role that our colleges play and notably, the Audit Scotland report recognises that the courses that college students undertake contribute not only to their own development but also to Scotland&rsquo;s sustainable economic growth.Against a challenging backdrop of financial pressures across the public sector, a priority has been to protect investment in the college sector as far as possible. It is the responsibility of each college to manage its operations in line with the funding allocated by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC). As part of this we expect each institution to continually reassess operational models and explore avenues for cost reduction and revenue maximisation in this demanding climate.We are committed to work alongside colleges and the SFC through the Tripartite Alignment Group to provide greater flexibility for institutions in how they use the investment that is available. The SFC has proposed modifications to the college funding model to provide short-term relief to colleges and has expressed plans to revamp the funding model for future sustainability; while Scottish Government has progressed work on college disposals in order to help deliver flexibilities to colleges in their approach to managing their estate.The Audit Scotland report recognises there are important opportunities coming from reform. As we progress with reform, we will work closely with colleges and other stakeholders to ensure that they have a sustainable future.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424097,"EventID":"S6W-30009","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-19T15:24:11.313","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T12:20:42.08","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Transform Scotland report, In Reverse, which found that the Scottish Government had failed to meet seven out of 10 commitments made over the ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Transform Scotland report, In Reverse, which found that the Scottish Government had failed to meet seven out of 10 commitments made over the past five years to invest in, and prioritise, sustainable transport.","AnswerText":"I recognise Transform Scotland&rsquo;s valuable contributions to sustainable transport through research and briefing such as their \"In Reverse\" report, and I met with them on 16 July.During 2024-25 we will spend over &pound;3.87 billion on transport across Scotland, with almost &pound;430 million in funding for concessionary travel and bus services. We will also invest over &pound;1.6 billion to operate, maintain and improve Scotland&rsquo;s railway and are continuing to support Scotland&rsquo;s trunk road network, providing over &pound;1 billion for our critical safety, adaptation, maintenance and improvement priorities. We are also investing &pound;526 million to expand our vital support for rural and island connectivity.We continue to take decisive climate action and work towards our commitment of reducing car use by 20% by 2030 by supporting making sustainable travel a more attractive option including providing up to 2.3 million people in Scotland with access to free bus travel. Over 150 million journeys have been made by under 22s across Scotland who are now benefitting from this. We will publish the updated route map to achieving car use reduction this autumn. On active travel, we have already distributed over &pound;145 million of our 2024-25 budget to delivery partners for infrastructure and schemes which will work to transform communities and reduce barriers to everyday walking, wheeling and cycling.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424098,"EventID":"S6W-30021","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-19T15:24:09.453","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T12:48:35.453","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of its decision to redistribute funds from ScotWind to other spending areas on Scotland&rsquo;s climate and net zero ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of its decision to redistribute funds from ScotWind to other spending areas on Scotland&rsquo;s climate and net zero targets.","AnswerText":"Successive Scottish budgets have demonstrated Scotland&rsquo;s commitment to addressing the climate change crisis, using all resources at our disposal to accelerate the just transition to a net zero, climate-resilient and biodiverse Scotland. The 2024-25 Budget committed &pound;4.7 billion for activities with a positive impact on our climate change goals.Use of ScotWind revenue is an action we would rather not take but must carefully consider given the fiscal challenges faced and the limited options available under existing fiscal framework arrangements. We will seek to minimise usage of ScotWind in 2024-25 &ndash; just as we did in 2023-24.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424099,"EventID":"S6W-30035","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-19T15:24:11.14","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T13:41:57.493","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is regarding developing further regional specialist endometriosis centres across the country.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is regarding developing further regional specialist endometriosis centres across the country.","AnswerText":"There are three specialist endometriosis centres which accept patients from across Scotland when specialist surgery for complex endometriosis is required.This was recommended as the optimal approach for effective treatment by a specialist working group of clinicians and representatives from patient groups and Endometriosis UK. There are no plans to establish a specialist centre within every NHS Board.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424100,"EventID":"S6W-30019","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-19T15:24:10.26","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T12:48:05.243","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether reducing the working hours of 8,000 civil servants while increasing pay by 3% represents value for money.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether reducing the working hours of 8,000 civil servants while increasing pay by 3% represents value for money.","AnswerText":"A key condition of the agreement for the Scottish Government to move to a 35-hour week was that productivity levels are maintained, and that costs are not increased as a result. These conditions are consistent with the findings of research into shorter working weeks, which point towards the wellbeing benefits of such improvements to terms and conditions and, in some cases, even positive impacts on productivity.The Scottish Government&rsquo;s position is that the 3% (of which 2.25% was in-year) pay award for 2024-25, alongside the introduction of the 35-hour week, does represent good value for money. Both elements formed part of a two-year pay deal, which was reached during a period of high inflation, and is consistent with pay awards reached across the Scottish Public Sector. Achieving agreement on pay with the recognised trade unions for this extended period has also meant the Scottish Government has avoided the costly impacts of industrial action.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424101,"EventID":"S6W-30036","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-19T15:24:10.003","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T13:41:57.5","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on implementing a nationwide endometriosis-friendly employer scheme.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on implementing a nationwide endometriosis-friendly employer scheme.","AnswerText":"Within the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan we committed to develop a menopause and menstrual health workplace policy for NHSScotland, and to promote best practice across the public, private and third sector.The NHSScotland Menopause and Menstrual Health Policy was launched on 31 October 2023 and supports employees to experience good menstrual health and menopause at work.Supporting resources, including line managers, workplace adjustment guides, and signposting to more information on symptoms and conditions including endometriosis, are intended for use more widely across a variety of employment sectors and are available on the National Wellbeing Hub, which is accessible to the public.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424102,"EventID":"S6W-28049","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-19T15:24:10.957","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-04T16:14:04.977","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many currentlylicensed short-term lets there are in the Lothian region; how many short-termlets in the Lothian region have been found to","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many currentlylicensed short-term lets there are in the Lothian region; how many short-termlets in the Lothian region have been found to be in breach of the short-termlet licensing regulations, either for not holding the appropriate license oranother reason; for what reasons other than not holding the appropriate licenceany such properties have been found to be in breach of regulations since theregulations came into force, including any civil and criminal citations,arrests and charges, and how many short-term lets have been visited or placedunder investigation by Police Scotland in this period.","AnswerText":"I have provided answers to the information you are seeking in previous parliamentary replies and refer you to these as follows:how to access the Scottish Government&rsquo;s official statistical publications on short-term let licensing application data (S6W-24548 responded to on 30 January 2024 and S6W-27007 responded to on 30 April 2024)how to access information about short-term let licences on local authority public registers (S6W-23003 responded to on 4 December 2023)what the Scottish Government holds about licence breaches and Police Scotland investigations (S6W-28008, S6W-28009 and S6W-28010 responded to on 11 June 2024 and S6W-28120 responded to on 18 June 2024, some of which also refer members to S6W-27902 answered on 11 June 2024). All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.&rdquo;","AnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424103,"EventID":"S6W-30028","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-19T15:24:09.317","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T13:12:11.29","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the  timescale is for ministers to consider reports from the Reporters Unit following public inquiries and planning appeals for renewables applications.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the  timescale is for ministers to consider reports from the Reporters Unit following public inquiries and planning appeals for renewables applications.","AnswerText":"There are no statutory deadlines or timescales for Scottish Ministers to consider reports from the Planning and Environmental Appeals Division.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424104,"EventID":"S6W-30034","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-19T15:24:09.43","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T13:41:57.487","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to make menstrual wellbeing education, including awareness of endometriosis, part of the school curriculum.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to make menstrual wellbeing education, including awareness of endometriosis, part of the school curriculum.","AnswerText":"Menstrual health and wellbeing education is a key part of relationships, sexual health and parenthood (RSHP) education. RSHP education is an integral part of the health and wellbeing area of the Scottish curriculum, Curriculum for Excellence. Learning about RSHP education begins early on in primary school and continues right up to S4-S6. RSHP education is delivered in an age and stage appropriate manner and is intended to enable children and young people to build positive relationships as they grow older. Schools will equip young people with information on a wide range of issues, including menstrual health and wellbeing, depending on their age and stage of learning. Learning should present facts in an objective, balanced and sensitive manner within a framework of sound values and an awareness of the law.An online RSHP teaching resource, (www.rshp.scot) was published in 2019 and provides age and stage appropriate learning activities on RSHP education for use in all education settings and is aligned to Curriculum for Excellence. This resource includes learning activities on menstruation from second level (P5 to P7), with endometriosis introduced at third/fourth level (S1 to S3).The RSH teaching resource was subject to a significant review and refresh in 2023 to ensure it remained up-to-date and fit for purpose. Teachers continue to access the resource regularly.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424105,"EventID":"S6W-30011","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-19T15:24:09.433","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T12:27:01.623","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on airport drop-off fees in Scottish airports and any equalities impact that they have on people with mobility issues or who rely on vehicular drop-","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on airport drop-off fees in Scottish airports and any equalities impact that they have on people with mobility issues or who rely on vehicular drop-off and pick-up when no other option is available or suitable.","AnswerText":"The introduction of drop off charges, their level and their terms and conditions are a matter for individual airports. We expect airport operators to comply with equalities legislation in all aspects of their operations, including in relation to drop off charges and providing support for disabled passengers arriving at an airport.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424106,"EventID":"S6W-30015","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-19T15:24:09.437","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T12:46:24.79","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the letter from the chief executive of the Ferguson Marine shipyard to the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee on 12 September 2024 stating ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the letter from the chief executive of the Ferguson Marine shipyard to the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee on 12 September 2024 stating that the delivery of the MV Glen Sannox will be further delayed due to ongoing issues with the vessel's liquefied natural gas (LNG) system.","AnswerText":"I wrote to the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee on 13 September 2024 to give the Scottish Government&rsquo;s response to the latest progress update on the delivery of MV Glen Sannox.Since then, liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel has been successfully loaded on to MV Glen Sannox and sea trails to test those systems commenced on 20 September. Work on the vessel will continue in the coming weeks, with a further set of sea trials planned for the end of September.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424107,"EventID":"S6W-30020","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-19T15:24:09.917","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T12:48:26.573","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will maintain the (a) quality and (b) availability of mental health support provision, in light of reported in-year funding reductions to mental health services.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will maintain the (a) quality and (b) availability of mental health support provision, in light of reported in-year funding reductions to mental health services.","AnswerText":"Through the 2024-25 budget, NHS Boards and the Scottish Government continue to support spend in excess of &pound;1.3 billion on mental health.The recent reduction in the Scottish Government&rsquo;s direct programme funding has been identified through programmes being adapted, or which have come to an end. In some cases work has been re-profiled where this has been possible.Whilst any reduction is regrettable, it is only right that we make a contribution to the overall savings required to enable a balanced budget for Scottish Government in 2024-25; ensuring a stable base for future years.We remain committed to taking forward our work across mental health, working closely with key partners. Our collective focus has to be on making as much difference as possible with our funding.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424108,"EventID":"S6W-30022","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-19T15:24:10.173","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T12:48:52.473","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to increase the number of affordable homes&nbsp;being&nbsp;built.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to increase the number of affordable homes&nbsp;being&nbsp;built.","AnswerText":"Affordable housing has a clear priority in this year&rsquo;s Programme for Government. We are investing nearly &pound;600 million in affordable housing in 2024-2025, which includes the additional &pound;40 million capital announced earlier this year, and will deliver social and affordable homes across Scotland, including new build, rehabilitation and acquisitions. We have also committed &pound;100 million over the longer term to grow institutional investment to at least &pound;500 million and support the construction of around 2,800 mid-market rent homes.We also recognise the key role that planning plays in supporting the delivery of housing and are working collaboratively to introduce new approaches to performance reporting and improvement action by planning authorities &ndash; as well as taking action to improve skills and increase recruitment and retention of planners.We have supported the delivery of more than 133,000 affordable homes since 2007, over 94,000 of which were for social rent, including 26,000 council homes. Of these, between 23 March 2022 and end of June 2024, we have delivered 22,743 affordable homes towards the 110,000 target, of which over 17,000 have been homes for social rent. We continue to work closely with partners to deliver the right homes in the right places.The Scottish Government regularly publishes figures on homes delivered, which can be found online at:Housing statistics quarterly update: new housebuilding and affordable housing supply - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424109,"EventID":"S6W-30014","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-19T15:24:09.78","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T12:36:38.213","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to address the issues raised in the University of Stirling study, Permanently Progressing? Building secure futures for children in Scotland, which states th","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to address the issues raised in the University of Stirling study, Permanently Progressing? Building secure futures for children in Scotland, which states that, among other findings, more than one in 10 children in care were still in temporary placements a decade after entering the care system.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is dedicated to Keeping The Promise, by ensuring that all care experienced children and young people grow up safe, loved and respected.We welcome the Permanently Progressing report and are committed to ensuring permanent homes are secured for children and young people in timescales that are right for them.We are funding the Association of Fostering, Kinship and Adoption to produce a series of Good Practice in Permanence Guides. These guides will support the workforce to deliver change in the way children, young people and families experience their care journey. This will include promoting consistent and effective practice within children&rsquo;s services to ensure that permanence is achieved quickly for children, where this is in their best interest.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424110,"EventID":"S6W-30025","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-19T15:24:10.697","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T12:50:34.113","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that more than one million calls to Police Scotland's 101 service went unanswered over the last two years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that more than one million calls to Police Scotland's 101 service went unanswered over the last two years.","AnswerText":"As I made clear in the Chamber on 18 September during Portfolio Questions in reply to Katy Clark MSP, Police Scotland does not recognise those figures. Indeed Assistant Chief Constable Emma Bond said:\"It is misleading and inaccurate to suggest that non-emergency 101 calls are being left unanswered, missed, or are disconnected by our call handlers.&rdquo;This position was reinforced by DCC Bex Smith at the Scottish Police Authority Policing Performance Committee meeting of 18 September.Many discontinued 101 calls will be cases where callers have been instructed to hang up and dial 999, they have decided to redial and select another option from a pre-recorded menu, or they have realised they should be calling another agency.I am very grateful for the hard work of Police Scotland&rsquo;s call handlers to ensure all calls to the service are answered as quickly and as safely as possible.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424111,"EventID":"S6W-30007","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-19T15:24:10.873","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T12:16:49.433","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it expects the long-term legacy benefits to be for greater Glasgow, particularly to grassroots sports, by hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games, in light of reported ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it expects the long-term legacy benefits to be for greater Glasgow, particularly to grassroots sports, by hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games, in light of reported concerns that the reduced timetable for its approval to go ahead has not outlined the obvious benefits to the city in the way that a normal award process would have.&nbsp; &nbsp;","AnswerText":"The Commonwealth Games is a hugely important event for Scottish sport.Hosting the 2026 Games will deliver economic and sporting opportunities for Glasgow and Scotland, and it is vital that the event leaves a positive legacy.Scotland, and in particular Glasgow, has a world-renowned reputation for delivering outstanding major events, from Glasgow 2014 to the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.Details are still being finalised, but the legacy of Glasgow 2026 is expected to include vital infrastructure upgrades to sporting facilities. which will benefit individuals, communities and clubs in Glasgow, particularly at the grassroots level.Inspirational performance by Scottish athletes on the world stage can also inspire the public to be more active, try a new sport, or join a local sports club, contributing to our vision of a more active Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424112,"EventID":"S6W-30024","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-19T15:24:11.4","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T12:49:35.883","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to improve efficiency within the justice system, in light of the reported comment from the chief constable of Police Scotland that as many as 500","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to improve efficiency within the justice system, in light of the reported comment from the chief constable of Police Scotland that as many as 500 police officers each day are taken off Scotland's streets to appear at court.","AnswerText":"The citation of witnesses is a matter for Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Office. As outlined in the 2022 Vision for Justice, and Programme for Government 2024-25 Serving Scotland, the Scottish Government is supporting justice partners to drive key areas of reform to make our criminal justice system more efficient and work better for everyone who experiences it.Our vision is our criminal justice system will work better for everyone who experiences it, cases will take less time, more cases will conclude early, and fewer witnesses will have to come to court. Summary Case Management (SCM), which provides a new approach to summary criminal cases and aims to improve the summary criminal process to benefit justice users; and DESC (Digital Evidence Sharing Capability), which is a critical enabler for criminal justice reform and allows digital evidence to be collected and shared at every stage of a criminal case at the earliest opportunity are two of the key programmes the Scottish Government is working together with justice partners to deliver this vision.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424113,"EventID":"S6W-30016","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-19T15:24:09.237","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T12:46:53.84","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of the link between alcohol addiction and suicide, in light of the reported comment by the deputy chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotla","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of the link between alcohol addiction and suicide, in light of the reported comment by the deputy chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland that the link between the two is on an \"upwards trajectory\".","AnswerText":"Creating Hope Together, our 10 year joint suicide prevention strategy with COSLA, adopts a whole of government and society approach to reducing suicide in Scotland. This allows us to focus on tackling the social determinants of suicide such as poverty, which also presents increased risk for alcohol addiction; and we are taking forward work to join up mental health and addiction support. For example, Healthcare Improvement Scotland has recently produced an exemplar joint working protocol for mental health and substance use services, which draws on best practice from across the country and internationally. We are also prioritising suicide prevention training for the workforce supporting people with addictions.In developing the Creating Hope Together strategy, and the associated 3 year action plan, we reviewed all available evidence on suicide, including risk factors such as alcohol addiction. This was complemented by extensive engagement with communities and partners across Scotland. The delivery of our strategy continues to be evidence informed and guided by our suicide prevention Academic Advisory Group whose most recent research on the risk and protective factors associated with suicide includes analysis of alcohol related factors. Insights from such research, along with those from our suicide prevention lived experience panels, are informing the design and delivery of interventions which meet the needs of different groups and communities, including those with addiction issues.The full suite of Academic Advisory Group reports on suicide prevention research can be accessed through the Suicide Behaviour Research Lab site.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424114,"EventID":"S6W-28079","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-19T15:24:09.59","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-06-05T16:55:52.81","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much compensation was provided to passengers on the (a) Ardrossan to Brodick and (b) Largs to Cumbrae ferry route in each of the last five years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much compensation was provided to passengers on the (a) Ardrossan to Brodick and (b) Largs to Cumbrae ferry route in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold the information requested on passenger compensation by route.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424115,"EventID":"S6W-30012","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-19T15:24:10.58","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T12:30:23.94","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether Scottish Water, as a public body, is meeting all of its statutory health, environmental and safety duties and requirements across all of ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether Scottish Water, as a public body, is meeting all of its statutory health, environmental and safety duties and requirements across all of its activities, and, if any shortfalls have been identified, what discussions ministers have had in regards to them and their rectification.","AnswerText":"Scottish Water continues to deliver a high quality service throughout Scotland as demonstrated in its Annual Report for 2023-24, available here. Compliance with its statutory obligations is independently regulated by the Drinking Water Quality Regulator for Scotland (DWQR), the Water Industry Commission for Scotland (WICS) and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). Scottish Water is required to meet strict drinking water standards and its performance is reported on annually by the DWQR; available here. It must also ensure the water it discharges into the environment meets strict standards; SEPA&rsquo;s water environment classification is available here and Scottish Water publishes the information it provides to SEPA here. WICS&rsquo; most recent report on its performance in the 2021-27 regulatory period is available here. Ministers meet with Scottish Water and its regulators routinely to discuss a variety of matters.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424116,"EventID":"S6W-30017","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-19T15:24:09.423","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T12:47:39.583","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that one in five of Scottish Water's sewage discharge points are in \"unsatisfactory condition\".","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that one in five of Scottish Water's sewage discharge points are in \"unsatisfactory condition\".","AnswerText":"Scottish Water&rsquo;s Improving Urban Waters Route Map sets out a programme of continued action to reduce wastewater pollution and sewage litter over the coming decade backed by investment of half a billion pounds. As part of the programme, Scottish Water is progressing improvements to 109high priority unsatisfactory CSOs, identified in conjunction with SEPA, that have water quality or sewer related debris impactsMany of these unsatisfactory discharges are due to sewer related debris &ndash; materials such as wet wipes that have been inappropriately flushed away by consumers into the sewer system. Scottish Water&rsquo;s Nature Calls campaign aims to highlight how consumers can help to protect our environment by disposing of their wet wipes, plastics etc in the waste bin.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424117,"EventID":"S6W-30023","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-19T15:24:10.667","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T12:49:05.143","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to (a) dementia charities and (b) health and social care partnerships for the provision of support for people with dementia.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to (a) dementia charities and (b) health and social care partnerships for the provision of support for people with dementia.","AnswerText":"The Dementia Strategy for Scotland (published by Scottish Government and COSLA in 2023) sets out an ambitious 10-year vision for dementia policy in Scotland, developed in collaboration with people with lived experience and wider partners. This includes third sector, local authority and healthcare organisations. The first 2-year delivery plan was subsequently published in February of this year, setting out the key deliverables being prioritised in this initial period. This was agreed with the National Dementia Lived Experience Panel, and local/national delivery partners including HSCP representatives and dementia charities. It includes:Launching the new Rethink Dementia anti-stigma campaign on Wednesday 4th September. The campaign is intended to increase awareness that maintaining relationships with someone with a diagnosis is an important part of helping them keep well for longer.A &pound;600,000 fund to support and sustain community-led work across Scotland, allocated via a Resilient Communities Programme board made up of local, national and community representatives.Continuing our additional investment of &pound;3.5m a year, to enhance access to dementia post-diagnostic support, in addition to the routine spending on dementia support services by local partnerships.Working with partners in Public Health Scotland to develop a clearer understanding of the number of people with dementia in Scotland, with a strengthened focus on inclusion and equalities.This work sits alongside ongoing activity, locally and nationally, to improve the dementia experience. This includes embedding a Getting It Right for Everyone approach to care and support wrapped around the person, continued investment of over &pound;88m in local carers support, and collaborations with Alzheimer Scotland and others to empower people living with dementia to participate in the design, and development, of the National Care Service.We look forward to continuing to engage with partners within the Member&rsquo;s region and beyond, to improve the dementia experience.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424118,"EventID":"S6W-30032","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-19T15:24:10.543","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T13:41:57.477","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on gynaecology waiting lists.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on gynaecology waiting lists.","AnswerText":"Our investment of &pound;30 million is supporting significant targeted action across a number of specialities, including gynaecology, with around 3,500 additional New Outpatient appointments planned for the longest waiting patients.NHS Scotland&rsquo;s Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) also continues to work with Health Boards to accelerate implementation of high impact changes, including Active Clinical Referral Treatment (ACRT) and Patient Initiated Review (PIR), freeing up additional capacity in the NHS system and providing sustainable solutions for the future.CfSD programmes have developed strong clinically-led Specialty Delivery Groups (SDG), including one for gynaecology, which was established to support, innovate and develop high quality gynaecology services across Scotland, reducing unwarranted variation, promoting a best-in-class and - where appropriate - a once-for-Scotland approach.This is all part of our programme to drive up productivity and tackle waiting lists, supported by the CfSD. Together, our actions will further enable NHS Scotland to maximise capacity, build greater resilience and deliver reductions in the number of patients who have waited too long for treatment.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424119,"EventID":"S6W-30030","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-19T15:24:10.787","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T13:12:11.29","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has identified any new sites for flood protection schemes outwith those&nbsp;that were identified for work between 2016 and 2021, and, if so, at what location","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has identified any new sites for flood protection schemes outwith those&nbsp;that were identified for work between 2016 and 2021, and, if so, at what locations.","AnswerText":"The responsibility for development and delivery of flood protection schemes rests with individual local authorities, who are best placed to respond to local resilience needs.Proposals to improve flood resilience in potentially vulnerable areas, including flood protection schemes, are set out in Flood Risk Management Plans published on SEPA&rsquo;s website, and Local Flood Risk Management Plans, published by local authorities.These plans are renewed every 6 years. The current plans are valid until 2028.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424120,"EventID":"S6W-30010","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-19T15:24:11.483","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T12:23:41.5","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the open letter from the Scottish Music Industry Association, signed by around 170 music acts and performers, which states that the music industr","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the open letter from the Scottish Music Industry Association, signed by around 170 music acts and performers, which states that the music industry faces \"the worst crisis that Scotland's music and wider arts sector has ever faced\" and that a \"cultural catastrophe is in process\".","AnswerText":"I appreciate the concerns that have been raised by the culture sector. Funding for the culture sector has increased this financial year, as the first step to achieving the First Minister&rsquo;s commitment to invest at least &pound;100 million more annually in culture and the arts by 2028-29.I understand the Scottish Music Industry Association&rsquo;s concerns and have restated the Scottish Government&rsquo;s continued commitment to supporting the arts. I was also pleased that following a period of necessary due diligence the &pound;3m funds for Creative Scotland&rsquo;s Open Fund have now been released and Creative Scotland are due to reopen this fund on 8 October.I have also agreed to meet with the Scottish Music Industry Association to further understand the concerns held by the sector and its musicians.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424121,"EventID":"S6W-30033","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-19T15:24:09.457","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T13:41:57.483","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the waiting time for an endometriosis diagnosis.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the waiting time for an endometriosis diagnosis.","AnswerText":"Routinely collected data on the waiting time for a diagnosis of endometriosis are not available.Through the actions set out in our Women&rsquo;s Health Plan we have taken steps to support both women and health professionals to learn more about endometriosis, the symptoms and treatment options. Our Women&rsquo;s Health Plan Final Report on Progress will provide more detail.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424122,"EventID":"S6W-30031","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-19T15:24:10.343","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T13:41:57.47","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to a replacement for the Fruit and Vegetable Aid scheme to help provide clarity to  growers.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to a replacement for the Fruit and Vegetable Aid scheme to help provide clarity to  growers.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to supporting the valuable fruit and vegetable sector in Scotland. We recognise the many benefits of the Fruit and Vegetables Aid Scheme and Producer Organisations operating in this sector.We have no plans to change the existing scheme model for Scotland. Farmers and crofters must not lose out from Brexit, a multi-year programme funding settlement from the UK Government is needed to reflect the essential role of Scottish agriculture to sustain high quality food production while delivering towards climate and nature outcomes.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424123,"EventID":"S6W-30013","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-19T15:24:11.23","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T12:34:27.733","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the GMB union withdrawing support for its proposed National Care Service due to its view that it would add bureaucracy to the delivery of care an","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the GMB union withdrawing support for its proposed National Care Service due to its view that it would add bureaucracy to the delivery of care and would not deliver meaningful change.","AnswerText":"We need to fundamentally transform the way social care is delivered in Scotland, and we have listened to thousands of people, including the social care workforce, who have told us this.People who receive support through social care, their families and communities, and the workforce must be involved in planning and delivery at local level. But the system needs to work and people have told us, clearly, that it does not provide the high standard of care that people should rightfully expect. We are committed to establishing a National Care Service that delivers clear, consistent national care standards by the end of this Parliamentary term.The Scottish Government will continue to engage with GMB and other Trade Unions as we co-design the National Care Service.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424124,"EventID":"S6W-30026","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-19T15:24:11.057","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T13:12:11.29","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to build resilience in communities across the country in response to the reported increasing amounts of extreme weather events that are being experienc","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to build resilience in communities across the country in response to the reported increasing amounts of extreme weather events that are being experienced.","AnswerText":"Supporting communities to build resilience to emergency events is an established and integral part of the Scottish Government's approach to resilience and will remain so going forward. Scottish Government promotes community-led action, based on local priorities, and provides a combination of investment and other forms of support in ways that build on the strengths and resources of individual communities. Scottish Government works to embed community resilience through a number of connected policy areas which enables collaboration between community resilience groups, voluntary sector organisations, Government and statutory responders, through established networks and relevant meetings at the national and more local levels. As part of Scotland&rsquo;s National Adaptation Plan and wider Just Transition commitments, the Scottish Government is developing a Flood Resilience Strategy, due to be published by the end of this year, which will set out what needs to be done to make Scotland&rsquo;s communities more flood resilient over the coming decades. We continue to fund the Scottish Flood Forum&rsquo;s vital work to support flood risk communities. Scottish Government has also committed up to &pound;5.5 million, in 2024-25, to fund a network of Climate Action Hubs so that, by Autumn 2024, every area of Scotland will have access to a Hub, alongside a support package for delivery. The Hubs will empower communities to take further collective action, shaped locally, to transition to low carbon, reduce emissions, and improve resilience in the face of ongoing climate change and extreme weather events. The Ready Scotland website and associated digital campaigns also provide a range of advice and support to individuals and communities to help them to prepare for and respond to weather-related disruption.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424169,"EventID":"S6W-30053","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-20T15:08:38.447","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T09:37:12.677","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with NHS Tayside regarding access to Scottish Dental Access Initiative grants in Brechin and Montrose, and whether there are plans to review t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with NHS Tayside regarding access to Scottish Dental Access Initiative grants in Brechin and Montrose, and whether there are plans to review the allowance in this part of Scotland.","AnswerText":"Officials meet NHS Boards regularly to discuss local issues, potential solutions and manage risk, which the Director of Dentistry attends. This includes Scottish Dental Access Initiative (SDAI) provision in the Tayside area.The Chief Dental Officer wrote to Health Boards on 2 September 2024, confirming our intention to introduce a more targeted and evidence-based approach to SDAI provision, ensuring those areas with clear unmet need are supported.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424170,"EventID":"S6W-30060","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-20T15:08:40.12","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T11:09:41.477","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29797 by Angela Constance on 19 September 2024, whether there have been any recorded instances of requests that were unknowingly o","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29797 by Angela Constance on 19 September 2024, whether there have been any recorded instances of requests that were unknowingly or inadvertently made in conflict with what was  recorded in the Cell Sharing Risk Assessment, and what policy governs the response to such a situation.","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:A Cell Sharing Risk Assessment (CSRA) must be completed before any individual is allocated to share a cell. SPS has no recorded instances of individuals sharing a cell that conflicts with a CSRA.The CSRA will be used to make an informed decision on the individual's suitability to share a cell and if required alternative options are explored with the safety, security, health and wellbeing at the forefront of any decision made.The CSRA process is used as the assessment process in accordance with Rule 28 (Accommodation of Prisoners) of the Prison Rules (Scotland) 2011.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424171,"EventID":"S6W-30048","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-20T15:08:38.45","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T09:02:04.363","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the regeneration capital grant fund for the community element of the Victoria Road School project in Torry has been allowed to roll over into 2024-25.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the regeneration capital grant fund for the community element of the Victoria Road School project in Torry has been allowed to roll over into 2024-25.","AnswerText":"The remaining Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) allocation for the community element of the Victoria Road School project has been reprofiled into 2024-2025. Confirmation on whether the project will be progressed in 2024-2025 is awaited from Aberdeen City Council.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424172,"EventID":"S6W-30040","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-20T15:08:38.853","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T13:41:57.53","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish details of the specific case studies demonstrating that it had been unable to exercise powers under sections 7 and 8 of the Deer (Scotland) Act 1","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish details of the specific case studies demonstrating that it had been unable to exercise powers under sections 7 and 8 of the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996, which have led to the policy intention to establish deer management nature restoration orders under the proposed Natural Environment Bill.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not intend to publish details of any case studies in relation to regulatory powers under sections 7 and 8 of the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996.However any legislation brought forward under the Natural Environment Bill will be justified and accompanied by published policy notes and impact assessments.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424173,"EventID":"S6W-30057","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-20T15:08:39.233","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T10:15:44.91","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to deliver the Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Pathway, in light of the reported delay in implementation being cited as a concern in the Sc","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to deliver the Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Pathway, in light of the reported delay in implementation being cited as a concern in the Scottish Veterans Commissioner's 2024 progress report, and whether its delivery is expected to be further delayed following its emergency spending controls being put in place for 2024-25.","AnswerText":"The Veterans Mental Health Advisory Group has been established to oversee the development of the Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing pathway and the implementation of the principles laid out in the Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Action Plan. The Advisory Group is chaired by Dr Lynne Taylor, the Scottish Government&rsquo;s Principal Psychology Advisor. It held its inaugural meeting in March 2024 and has met another three times since. The Advisory Group has agreed the preferred model of delivery for the Veterans Mental Health &amp; Wellbeing Pathway and will discuss further details when it meets on 14 October. This preferred model of delivery will then be recommended to Scottish Ministers for approval.Two sub-groups, the Operational Working Group and the Stakeholder Network, have been established to ensure there is continued stakeholder engagement, from a broad range of partners, as the plans for implementation are evolved by the Advisory Group. The main remit of the Operational Group is to consider the operational and local requirements for the delivery of the pathway as well as determining where there are gaps in service and where there are established, effective practices, across Scotland. The wider Stakeholder Network will assess the recommendations of the Advisory Group and Operational Working Group and provide feedback.The Scottish Government remains committed to implementing the principles of the Veterans&rsquo; Mental Health and Wellbeing Action Plan and to ensuring that all veterans living in Scotland are able to access the best possible care and support, including safe, effective and person-centred healthcare. The work to develop the new mental health pathway will be progressed this financial year with the intention that tests of change will be actioned at the earliest opportunity. We do not anticipate any significant impact from current spending controls.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424174,"EventID":"S6W-30058","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-20T15:08:40.117","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T10:35:06.087","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact the announced &pound;1 million of savings from its Nature Restoration budget will have on any projects in the Mid Scotland and Fife region funded by the Edin","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact the announced &pound;1 million of savings from its Nature Restoration budget will have on any projects in the Mid Scotland and Fife region funded by the Edinburgh Process strand of the Nature Restoration Fund.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29617 on 17 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.In the period 2021-22 to 2023-24, individual Local Authorities across the Mid Scotland and Fife region have received around &pound;2.89 million from the Nature Restoration Fund Edinburgh Process strand, to support a range of nature restoration projects. The competitive strand of the NRF, which is unaffected by this funding announcement, continues to support projects across Scotland, including in the Mid Scotland and Fife Region. Further details can be found at https://www.nature.scot/funding-and-projects/nature-restoration-fund/nature-restoration-fund-supported-projects.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424175,"EventID":"S6W-30073","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-20T15:08:40.123","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T15:14:40.51","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much Seafish was paid to assist in drafting its Fisheries Management Plans.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much Seafish was paid to assist in drafting its Fisheries Management Plans.","AnswerText":"Seafish has been provided with a grant of &pound;39,479 in connection with the development of Fisheries Management Plans for the North Sea and West of Scotland Nephrops stocks.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424176,"EventID":"S6W-30055","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-20T15:08:38.707","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T10:15:44.903","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Veterans Commissioner's 2024 annual progress report.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Veterans Commissioner's 2024 annual progress report.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government welcomes the publication of the Scottish Veterans Commissioner&rsquo;s 2024 Annual Report and the independent scrutiny it offers to both Government and its partners in delivering against the Commissioner&rsquo;s recommendations.I was pleased that, overall, the Commissioner has assessed that the Scottish Government continues to make progress against the majority of the recommendations and that none of the &lsquo;RAG&rsquo; assessments have regressed &ndash; all have either improved or stayed the same. This is a testament to the great work going on across government and throughout the sector to support our veterans and their families. I was encouraged in particular that the Commissioner noted progress that we continue to make across the areas of Health and Wellbeing and Employment, Skills and Learning.However, I do recognise that the Commissioner has highlighted two particular concerns in the areas of mental health support and homelessness. I will be meeting with the Commissioner soon to discuss these and her report more generally.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424177,"EventID":"S6W-30059","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-20T15:08:39.16","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T11:00:56.837","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its current position is on funding for the Whitesands Flood Protection Scheme in Dumfries.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its current position is on funding for the Whitesands Flood Protection Scheme in Dumfries.","AnswerText":"Funding for flood resilience is distributed to local authorities through the general capital grant. The allocation mechanism is agreed by Ministers and COSLA Leaders on a national basis.The current distribution agreement is that 80% of available funding is allocated to a list of prioritised flood protection schemes, and 20% allocated to local authorities to fund other actions within Flood Risk Management Plans.Since 2008, the Scottish Government has made available &pound;42 million per year to local authorities to invest in flood risk management actions &ndash; a commitment that is in place until 2026. The 2020 Programme for Government also committed an extra &pound;150 million for flood risk management.Whitesands is one of the 31 flood protection schemes eligible to receive this funding, as long as the scheme remains viable. 15 such schemes have already been completed across Scotland, with a further 5 due to be completed in 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424178,"EventID":"S6W-30072","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-20T15:08:38.55","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T15:14:09.353","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide full details in relation to the commissioning of Seafish to assist in the delivery of its Fisheries Management Plans under the Joint Fisheries St","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide full details in relation to the commissioning of Seafish to assist in the delivery of its Fisheries Management Plans under the Joint Fisheries Statement.","AnswerText":"Seafish have supported Defra to deliver Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) for English waters. We have also utilised their expertise in Scotland by asking them to support the development of the two Nephrops FMPs.Seafish have been asked to support evidence gathering, collaborative development through sector-specific working groups, as well as delivery of engagement events and workshops.Seafish have a wealth of experience and knowledge, and have been well placed to carry out stakeholder engagement in relation to Nephrops, and to produce drafts of the FMPs.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424179,"EventID":"S6W-30061","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-20T15:08:40.107","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T12:31:16.547","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide a list of any Cleaner Air for Scotland 2 (CAFS2) actions that may be impacted by the announced &pound;0.1 million reduction in its Air quality pub","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide a list of any Cleaner Air for Scotland 2 (CAFS2) actions that may be impacted by the announced &pound;0.1 million reduction in its Air quality public engagement strategy budget line.","AnswerText":"Work is underway to deliver the 84 actions in the Scottish Government&rsquo;s Cleaner Air for Scotland 2 Strategy which runs until 2026, with 65 actions delivered to date. Updates on delivery will be reported in the next annual progress report due to be published in 2025.Consideration is underway on the impact of the &pound;0.1 million reduction in the Air Quality budget which formed part of a recent savings exercise.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424180,"EventID":"S6W-30074","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-20T15:08:39.08","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T15:15:08.273","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether each of its Fisheries Management Plans will be delivered before the deadline.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether each of its Fisheries Management Plans will be delivered before the deadline.","AnswerText":"At the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee on 11 September, I updated members on the challenges of the current timeframes for all four UK nations in relation to developing quality, credible Fisheries Management Plans and confirmed that I will be writing to the Committee formally in due course regarding the statutory deadlines associated with the plans. I expect to do this shortly and will be happy to update the member further following this communication.It is important to remember that we already have a strong suite of measures in place to manage our fisheries and safeguard our fish stocks.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424181,"EventID":"S6W-30037","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-20T15:08:38.457","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T13:41:57.507","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the position is of NatureScot regarding the policy intention to establish deer management nature restoration orders under the proposed Natural Environment Bill, and","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the position is of NatureScot regarding the policy intention to establish deer management nature restoration orders under the proposed Natural Environment Bill, and whether it will publish all of the correspondence and advice, including the minutes of any meetings, that it has received from NatureScot regarding these orders.","AnswerText":"As set out in the 2024-25 Programme for Government, the Natural Environment Bill will include provisions to modernise the way in which deer are managed in Scotland.In January the Scottish Government consulted on a range of potential reforms to deer management, including the introduction of new powers designed to secure effective deer management that supports Scottish Government nature and climate objectives (Deer Management Nature Restoration Orders). The 'Managing Deer for Climate and Nature: consultation' closed on 29 March 2024. We received around 1600 responses and the full analysis report of the responses was published on 9 September 2024.The Scottish Government is currently giving careful consideration to all of the consultation responses, which will inform the development of the provisions to be included in the future Natural Environment Bill.We have no plans to publish all correspondence and advice on the development of planned legislation. The minutes of the Strategic Deer Board relevant to the legislation are published on the Scottish Government website.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424182,"EventID":"S6W-30050","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-20T15:08:40.067","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T09:37:12.66","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors the impact of Scottish Dental Access Initiative grants, and what its position is on whether the funding is supporting NHS dentistry in remote and rural a","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors the impact of Scottish Dental Access Initiative grants, and what its position is on whether the funding is supporting NHS dentistry in remote and rural areas.","AnswerText":"Scottish Dental Access Initiative (SDAI) grants are Health Board led and are subject to continuous review.The purpose of SDAI grants is to provide targeted additional funding to those areas in Scotland where there is clear evidence of unmet need in NHS dental service provision.The significant national policy intervention was made on the 1st November 2023, to increase fees and make NHS Dentistry more attractive to providers. This clearly benefits and supports NHS dentistry in rural areas.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424183,"EventID":"S6W-30045","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-20T15:08:40.137","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T17:14:17.033","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the external consultants that have advised (a) CMAL and (b) Transport Scotland on the design and build contract for seven new ferr","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the external consultants that have advised (a) CMAL and (b) Transport Scotland on the design and build contract for seven new ferries on Clyde and Hebrides network routes under phase 1 of the Small Vessel Replacement Programme.","AnswerText":"naValue GmbH is the ferry design company which assisted CMAL and Transport Scotland in the concept design stage of SVRP Phase 1. Addleshaw Goddard provided contractual and legal advice.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424184,"EventID":"S6W-30044","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-20T15:08:40.093","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T17:13:53.057","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government by what date CMAL will publish the invitation to tender to design and build seven new ferries for the Clyde and Hebrides network under phase 1 of the Small Vessel Replac","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government by what date CMAL will publish the invitation to tender to design and build seven new ferries for the Clyde and Hebrides network under phase 1 of the Small Vessel Replacement Programme, and how many expressions of interest in this contract have been received.","AnswerText":"CMAL are currently finalising the outcome report for the 1st stage of the Procurement exercise for SVRP and expect to issue the Invitation To Tender in the coming weeks at which point they will disclose the number of expression of interest in the contract.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424185,"EventID":"S6W-30046","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2892,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-20T15:08:40.1","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T06:39:12.933","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what role (a) SEPA, (b) local authorities and (c) other bodies have or might be given in setting or enforcing controls regarding the release of non-biodegradable materia","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what role (a) SEPA, (b) local authorities and (c) other bodies have or might be given in setting or enforcing controls regarding the release of non-biodegradable materials, including electronic components, into the environment at events such as so-called lantern festivals.","AnswerText":"The Environmental Protection Act 1990 (&ldquo;the EPA&rsquo;&rsquo;) regulates waste management, including the handling and disposal of non-biodegradable waste. SEPA and local authorities both have statutory enforcement functions under the EPA. Any event that results in waste generation, such as lantern festivals, must ensure proper disposal of waste to avoid environmental harm.In addition, under section 87 of the EPA it is an offence to throw down, drop or otherwise deposit, and then leave, litter in an area which is open to the air and to which the public has access. Local authorities have powers to issue fixed penalty notices if they have reason to believe a littering offence has been committed. Section 89 of the EPA places duties on certain organisations to keep land free from litter, as far as is practical. The 2018 Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse gives practical guidance on fulfilling these duties.Many Local Authorities have put restrictions in place to prevent the release of sky lanterns and helium balloons on Council owned property and land and when an event is supported by the local authority.The Duty of care: code of practice for managing controlled waste sets out duties of care for disposal of waste and specific information for waste producers. This includes complying with special requirements for the disposal of waste batteries and waste electrical and electronic equipment which are covered by producer take back schemes.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424186,"EventID":"S6W-30052","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-20T15:08:38.773","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T09:37:12.67","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it engages with dental practices in remote and rural areas to understand and respond to the reported challenges that they face, such as recruitment and retention.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it engages with dental practices in remote and rural areas to understand and respond to the reported challenges that they face, such as recruitment and retention.","AnswerText":"As the Health Board makes the arrangements with independent dental contractors and bodies corporate, it is for the Board to have direct discussions with the rural practices.Each NHS Board has a Director of Dentistry. Officials meet all NHS Boards regularly to discuss local issues, potential solutions and manage risk, which the Director of Dentistry attends.The Scottish Government also regularly meet with the official representative body, British Dental Association Scotland, to discuss a range of matters including recruitment and retention across rural and island Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424187,"EventID":"S6W-30047","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2892,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-20T15:08:40.103","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T06:39:12.933","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what environmental regulations control the release of non-biodegradable material, including electronic components, at events such as so-called lantern festivals.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what environmental regulations control the release of non-biodegradable material, including electronic components, at events such as so-called lantern festivals.","AnswerText":"There are no environmental regulations which specifically control the release of non-biodegradable material in sky lanterns. The Environmental Protection Act 1990 includes the offences of littering and offences relating to waste management, including the handling and disposal of non-biodegradable waste. Any event that results in waste generation, such as lantern festivals, must ensure proper disposal of waste to avoid environmental harm. These offences may be relevant where the release of lanterns was determined to have met the statutory definitions for those offences, which would be determinable on a case-by-case basis.Organisers of public events, like lantern festivals, are required to ensure waste materials are collected and disposed of in a manner that minimises environmental impact. The Duty of care: code of practice for managing controlled waste provides statutory guidance on the duties that must be complied with by anyone who produces, keeps, imports or manages controlled waste in Scotland.Organisers of events, including lantern festivals, must comply with the legislation, and will be subject to enforcement if offences are committed. Zero Waste Scotland&rsquo;s guide &ldquo;How to Plan and Deliver Environmentally Sustainable Events&rdquo; provides guidance for event organisers and suppliers. This is available at https://www.visitscotland.org/events/advice-materials/sustainability#sustainable.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424188,"EventID":"S6W-30051","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-20T15:08:39.01","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T09:37:12.663","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last assessed the eligibility criteria for dental practices to access  Scottish Dental Access Initiative grants, and what its position is on whether the eligibil","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last assessed the eligibility criteria for dental practices to access  Scottish Dental Access Initiative grants, and what its position is on whether the eligibility criteria are proportionate to meet the needs of dental practices providing NHS care in remote and rural areas.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30050 on 1 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424189,"EventID":"S6W-30049","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-20T15:08:40.09","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T09:25:27.6","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the National Qualifications Group last met, and what was discussed.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the National Qualifications Group last met, and what was discussed.","AnswerText":"The National Qualifications Steering Group is organised and chaired by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA). The group met on 27 September 2024 and agenda items included a review of the remit and workplan; investigating the drivers of attainment; assessment arrangements; and National Qualifications arrangements for 2024-2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424190,"EventID":"S6W-30039","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-20T15:08:38.63","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T13:41:57.523","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of them currently delivering a reported 80% of the annual deer cull, how it will ensure that the policy intention to establish deer management nature restorati","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of them currently delivering a reported 80% of the annual deer cull, how it will ensure that the policy intention to establish deer management nature restoration orders under the proposed Natural Environment Bill will not adversely affect private deer managers, and what impact assessment it will carry out.","AnswerText":"We recognise the key role that private deer managers play in managing deer across Scotland. We expect to continue to work in collaboration with private deer managers in our objectives to modernise deer management across Scotland and want to work collaboratively with them.As stated in the answer to S6W-30037 on 1 October 2024, we have consulted on a range of potential reforms to deer management. Alongside our public consultation we will also continue to speak with stakeholders to help inform any new legislation.In addition to this we will be undertaking a number of impact assessments in relation to any provisions included in the Natural Environment Bill, including a Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA).BRIAs are used to assess the costs, benefits and risks of any proposed or policy changes that may have an impact on the public, private, third sector or regulators. These impact assessments will be an integral and necessary part of evidenced-based policy development in relation to deer management.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424191,"EventID":"S6W-30056","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-20T15:08:38.927","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T10:15:44.907","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to expedite the delivery of the Veterans Homelessness Prevention Pathway, in light of it having been two years since publication and  the reported delay","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to expedite the delivery of the Veterans Homelessness Prevention Pathway, in light of it having been two years since publication and  the reported delay in implementation having been cited as a concern in the Scottish Veterans Commissioner progress reports in both 2023 and 2024, and, if so, how it plans to do so.","AnswerText":"The report from the Scottish Veterans Commissioner recognised the progress made in bringing forward the homelessness prevention provisions within the Housing (Scotland) Bill, which builds on the existing strong rights for people who are homeless, including veterans.The number of homeless veterans in Scotland remains low and homeless veterans are a relatively small proportion (2%) of homeless households. However, we recognise that when veterans do become homeless they may have particular needs and we will continue to work with partners, including Veterans Scotland, both to prevent homelessness and improve housing outcomes for veterans.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424193,"EventID":"S6T-02111","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-23T12:42:34.72","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-23T09:55:37.41","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported announcement that issues with the gearbox of the MV Caledonian Isles have been identified, resulting in a further delay to its retur","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported announcement that issues with the gearbox of the MV Caledonian Isles have been identified, resulting in a further delay to its return to service on the Arran route.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424194,"EventID":"S6T-02115","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-23T12:42:34.77","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-23T10:07:56.143","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government&nbsp;what its position is regarding whether the early release scheme for prisoners has been a success.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government&nbsp;what its position is regarding whether the early release scheme for prisoners has been a success.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-09-24T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424195,"EventID":"S6F-03379","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-23T12:42:15.007","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T09:43:53.733","Title":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424196,"EventID":"S6F-03380","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5586,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-23T12:42:15.013","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T09:44:18.08","Title":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424197,"EventID":"S6F-03381","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16215,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-23T12:42:15.057","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T09:44:39.34","Title":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424198,"EventID":"S6F-03402","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16197,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-23T12:42:15.18","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-23T10:47:26.573","Title":"To ask the First Minister what discussions the Scottish Government is having with energy companies regarding a possible \"social tariff\" to reduce bills for low-income households.","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what discussions the Scottish Government is having with energy companies regarding a possible \"social tariff\" to reduce bills for low-income households.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424199,"EventID":"S6F-03383","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-23T12:42:15.073","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-20T12:32:02.163","Title":"To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government plans to embed domestic abuse experts in 999 control rooms, similar to plans announced by the UK Government for England and Wales.","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government plans to embed domestic abuse experts in 999 control rooms, similar to plans announced by the UK Government for England and Wales.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424200,"EventID":"S6F-03394","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-23T12:42:15.03","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-23T10:23:14.49","Title":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to reports regarding the number of young people aged 11 to 14 who are involved in violent crime.","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to reports regarding the number of young people aged 11 to 14 who are involved in violent crime.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-09-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424223,"EventID":"S6W-30066","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-23T16:03:39.503","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T12:47:12.433","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much of the Young Person's Guarantee budget is currently allocated to rural and remote areas, and what strategies are in place to ensure equitable access in these ar","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much of the Young Person's Guarantee budget is currently allocated to rural and remote areas, and what strategies are in place to ensure equitable access in these areas.","AnswerText":"Funding for the Young Person&rsquo;s Guarantee was allocated through Further Education, Higher Education, the third sector and Developing the Young Workforce. For the employability element of the Young Person&rsquo;s Guarantee, funding was allocated through Local Employability Partnerships (LEPs) which then distributed funding based on local context and needs. We do not hold a breakdown of allocation to rural and remote areas.From April 2023 the Young Person&rsquo;s Guarantee has been mainstreamed across Government, with activity across education, skills and employability supporting young people into opportunities.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424224,"EventID":"S6W-30067","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-23T16:03:41.507","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T12:47:12.433","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how the success of the Young Person's Guarantee is evaluated, and what criteria are used to measure its effectiveness.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the success of the Young Person's Guarantee is evaluated, and what criteria are used to measure its effectiveness.","AnswerText":"The Young Person&rsquo;s Guarantee Measurement and Evaluation Framework was published in February 2022. This set out the approach envisaged at the time to monitor and evaluate the progress with the Guarantee, including Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and a planned Implementation Evaluation. The framework is available at: Young Person's Guarantee: measurement and evaluation framework - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).The Young Person&rsquo;s Guarantee Implementation Progress Report (July 2021) and Update Report (March 2023) both highlight progress made over the 2 years. The reports also summarised developments at the time in relation to KPIs identified in the monitoring and evaluation framework. These reports can be found at:Young Person's Guarantee - implementation: progress report - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)Young Person's Guarantee: update report March 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)The Scottish Government published the Implementation Evaluation of No One Left Behind &amp; the Young Person's Guarantee in August 2023. This evaluation considered progress in implementation and delivery, the experiences of service providers and service users, barriers and enablers to implementation and identified lessons from early delivery.The Implementation Evaluation of No One Left Behind &amp; the Young Person's Guarantee is available at: No One Left Behind and the Young Person's Guarantee: implementation evaluation - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)From April 2023 the Young Person&rsquo;s Guarantee has been mainstreamed across Government, with activity across education, skills and employability supporting young people into opportunities.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424225,"EventID":"S6W-30087","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-23T16:03:40.413","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T15:50:13.987","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government in what ways it evaluates the efficacy of the Funeral Support Payment.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government in what ways it evaluates the efficacy of the Funeral Support Payment.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government published the Funeral Support Payment evaluation in July 2022, which found that the payment reduced the need for people to borrow money to arrange a funeral.Social Security Scotland&rsquo;s annual client survey monitors the impact of benefit payments. Respondents to the most recent survey in 2022-23 rated Funeral Support Payment an average of 8.7 out of 10 when asked to rate how much benefit payments had helped make a difference to their lives.We are committed to continually improving Scottish benefits. As a result of evaluation findings and learnings since Funeral Support Payment was launched in 2019, we have recently introduced regulations into Parliament to make improvements to the payment, further supporting bereaved people.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424226,"EventID":"S6W-30109","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-23T16:03:39.433","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-23T14:39:39.22","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to ensure that GPs are aware of the Medication Assisted Treatment standards.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to ensure that GPs are aware of the Medication Assisted Treatment standards.","AnswerText":"Public Health Scotland&rsquo;s (PHS) MAT Standards Implementation Team (MIST) has a role in working with and supporting Scotland&rsquo;s Alcohol and Drug Partnerships in collating information from frontline services and partners that are used for Benchmarking on all 10 MAT standards.Awareness-raising for the MAT standards would be led through the local Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs), the services they commission and Primary Care representatives in health boards.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424227,"EventID":"S6W-30086","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-23T16:03:39.393","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T15:50:13.987","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many Funeral Support Payment applications have been (a) approved and (b) rejected in each year since 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many Funeral Support Payment applications have been (a) approved and (b) rejected in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"Social Security Scotland routinely releases information on Funeral Support Payment including applications received, application outcomes and payments.The following table shows total applications processed and the application outcomes by financial year since 2021-22.Financial YearTotal applications processedAuthorised applicationsDenied applicationsWithdrawn applications2021-228,5506,5651,1508352022-237,8155,3901,4509752023-2410,5957,1451,9101,5402024-25*2,2901,620420250*Note: The 2024-25 financial year only covers data until the end of June 2024.The latest statistics publication for this benefit can be found at: Social Security Scotland - Funeral Support Payment Statistics.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424228,"EventID":"S6W-30004","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-23T16:03:40.38","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T12:11:02.397","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what further action it can take to support (a) local authorities and (b) other public bodies to ensure that public toilets are maintained and do not face closure, in lig","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what further action it can take to support (a) local authorities and (b) other public bodies to ensure that public toilets are maintained and do not face closure, in light of reported concerns regarding their necessity, particularly for children and older and disabled people, and their function in preventing damage and waste in tourist and other public areas.","AnswerText":"The responsibility for public conveniences rests with the owner of the land, which could be a variety of different bodies such as local authorities, community organisations and tourist boards. Local authorities are independent corporate bodies with their own powers and responsibilities and are entirely separate from the Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424229,"EventID":"S6W-30098","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-23T16:03:39.627","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-20T09:51:45.343","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the &pound;10 occasional licence fee was last reviewed, and what factors were considered in determining the current fee level.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the &pound;10 occasional licence fee was last reviewed, and what factors were considered in determining the current fee level.","AnswerText":"The purpose of the occasional licence is to cater for events which take place on premises which are not 'fully' licensed but feature the sale of alcohol. These include events arranged for the benefit of local communities such as local community fetes, wedding receptions and arts events. The Licensing (Fees) (Scotland) Regulations 2007 (SSI 2007/553) set the fee for making an occasional licence application at a flat rate of &pound;10 for all applicants. While the supporting documents for SSI 2007/553 do not make clear the reasons for setting the fee at &pound;10, it may be one reason is the nature of those who seek occasional licences are often charitable organisations within local communities.As noted in the answer to question S6W-30096 on 1 October 2024, the Scottish Government previously consulted in 2019 on whether the current &pound;10 occasional licence fee should be reviewed, and also whether the Scottish Ministers should make regulations setting limits on the number and duration of occasional licences granted.A summary of the responses received to the consultation can be viewed on the Scottish Government website.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424230,"EventID":"S6W-30100","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-23T16:03:40.8","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-20T12:21:08.397","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it provided to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation in (a) 2022-23 and (b) 2023-24.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it provided to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation in (a) 2022-23 and (b) 2023-24.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not provided any funding to Asthma and Allergy Foundation in (a) 2022-23 and (b) 2023-24.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424231,"EventID":"S6W-30075","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-23T16:03:39.573","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T15:16:12.657","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when all of its Fisheries Management Plans will be made public in draft form.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when all of its Fisheries Management Plans will be made public in draft form.","AnswerText":"We are currently working with the other UK administrations to refine the drafting of the Scottish-led FMPs and will undertake further discussions with stakeholders prior to formal consultation. Draft FMPs will be published at the time of the formal consultation. Timings for this will be confirmed in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424232,"EventID":"S6W-30108","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-23T16:03:40.373","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-23T14:39:39.22","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that GPs are confident in delivering treatment aligned with the Medication Assisted Treatment standards, including the provision of tr","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that GPs are confident in delivering treatment aligned with the Medication Assisted Treatment standards, including the provision of training opportunities for GPs related to these standards.","AnswerText":"Ensuring individuals have access to Primary Care is a key component in tackling the Drug Crisis we face in Scotland, MAT Standard 7 specifies &lsquo;All people have the option of MAT shared with Primary Care&rsquo;The Scottish Government provides funding to the Royal College of General Practitioners to deliver the Certificate in Management of Problem Drug Use. This supports primary care professionals within Scotland to provide care for people who experience problem drug use.Those who have undertaken the course report improved knowledge of the MAT standards and how to appropriately incorporate these into clinical practice.The Scottish Government also provides funding to Scottish Recovery Consortium to deliver the Humanising Healthcare Conversation Caf&eacute; project. This is a project which provides medical students across Scotland with the opportunity to engage with people with lived experience of substance use through guided roundtable discussions in medical schools across Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424233,"EventID":"S6W-30062","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-23T16:03:40.667","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T12:47:12.433","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current budget allocation is for the Young Person's Guarantee in 2024-25, and how this compares with each year since its introduction.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current budget allocation is for the Young Person's Guarantee in 2024-25, and how this compares with each year since its introduction.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government committed &pound;60 million to the Young Person&rsquo;s Guarantee in 2020/21, &pound;70 million in 2021-22, and &pound;45 million in 2022-23.Funding for 2020-21 and 2021-22 came from UK Government Consequentials. From April 2023 the Young Person&rsquo;s Guarantee has been mainstreamed across Government, with activity across education, skills and employability supporting young people into opportunities.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424234,"EventID":"S6W-30091","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-23T16:03:41.723","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T16:11:03.347","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the proposed speed management scheme on the A75 at Crocketford will be introduced.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the proposed speed management scheme on the A75 at Crocketford will be introduced.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government, through Transport Scotland&rsquo;s Trunk Road Casualty Reduction programme of works, is delivering a speed management scheme on the A75 at Crocketford. Construction is programmed to commence by November 2024 through the delivery of an additional electronic vehicle-activated sign (VAS) to encourage vehicles to comply with the speed limit in addition to two existing VAS in the town. Changes to the signs and footway are programmed for the 2025-26 financial year, but subject to the availability of resources. This will involve upgrading the existing signs to current standards and providing a new section of footway and uncontrolled crossings at Park of Brandedleys.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424235,"EventID":"S6W-30069","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-23T16:03:40.603","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T13:07:43.397","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what data it collects on the participation rates of different demographic groups in the Young Person&rsquo;s Guarantee, and how any such data is used to address any disp","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what data it collects on the participation rates of different demographic groups in the Young Person&rsquo;s Guarantee, and how any such data is used to address any disparities.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government collect data on all 16-19 year olds through the Skills Development Scotland&rsquo;s Annual Participation Measure and publish Labour Market Statistics for 16-24 year olds.From April 2023 the Young Person&rsquo;s Guarantee has been mainstreamed across Government, with activity across education, skills and employability supporting young people into opportunities. We therefore do not collect the data requested.Data will continue to inform our approach to policy-making.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424236,"EventID":"S6W-30065","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-23T16:03:39.4","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T12:47:12.433","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what data is available on the retention rates of young people in (a) employment and (b) education after completing the Young Person's Guarantee.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what data is available on the retention rates of young people in (a) employment and (b) education after completing the Young Person's Guarantee.","AnswerText":"The Young Person&rsquo;s Guarantee Implementation Progress Report (July 2021) and Update Report (March 2023) both highlight progress made over the 2 years. The links for these reports can be found below.Young Person's Guarantee - implementation: progress report - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)Young Person's Guarantee: update report March 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)The Scottish Government publishes quarterly statistics on its devolved employability services which can be found at the link below.https://www.gov.scot/collections/scotlands-devolved-employment-services-statistics/These statistics show that through the No One Left Behind approach, 12,204 (35%) participants aged under 25 have entered employment, with 6,599 (19%) entering Further or Higher education and 5,350 (15%) gaining a qualification.From April 2023 the Young Person&rsquo;s Guarantee has been mainstreamed across Government, with activity across education, skills and employability supporting young people into opportunities. We therefore do not hold data on retention rates of young people completing the Young Person&rsquo;s Guarantee.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424237,"EventID":"S6W-30084","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-23T16:03:40.387","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T15:50:13.987","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the question S6W-03645 by Ben Macpherson on 26 October 2021, whether it can provide an update on the number of Funeral Support Payments that ha","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the question S6W-03645 by Ben Macpherson on 26 October 2021, whether it can provide an update on the number of Funeral Support Payments that have been made for each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"Social Security Scotland routinely releases information on Funeral Support Payment including applications received, application outcomes and payments.The latest statistics show that 6,100 payments were made in 2021-22 financial year, 5,020 payments were made in 2022-23 financial year and 6,735 payments were made in 2023-24 financial year. The latest published statistics cover to 30 June 2024 and show that 1,510 payments had been issued in the first three months of the 2024-25 financial year.The latest statistics publication for this benefit can be found at: Social Security Scotland - Funeral Support Payment Statistics.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424238,"EventID":"S6W-30099","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-23T16:03:40.38","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-20T09:51:45.343","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed the impact of the current &pound;10 occasional licence fee on local authorities' ability to cover any direct and indirect costs of administering ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed the impact of the current &pound;10 occasional licence fee on local authorities' ability to cover any direct and indirect costs of administering licences, and, if so, what conclusions were drawn.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30096 on 1 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424239,"EventID":"S6W-30070","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-23T16:03:40.75","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T13:07:43.397","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what collaboration exists between the Young Person&rsquo;s Guarantee and other youth support programmes to ensure comprehensive and equitable support for all young peopl","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what collaboration exists between the Young Person&rsquo;s Guarantee and other youth support programmes to ensure comprehensive and equitable support for all young people.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to provide funding to a wide range of organisations and third sector partners to improve support for young people; this includes more specialist support for young people furthest from positive destinations through third sector partners, many whom work in collaboration such as the Young Person&rsquo;s Consortium (Barnardo&rsquo;s, Princes Trust and Action for Children) and Inspiring Scotland.From April 2023 the Young Person&rsquo;s Guarantee has been mainstreamed across Government, with activity across education, skills and employability supporting young people into opportunities.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424240,"EventID":"S6W-30054","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-23T16:03:41.72","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T09:37:12.683","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many dental practices there are in total in Scotland, and how many have received financial support through the Scottish Dental Access Initiative in each of the last ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many dental practices there are in total in Scotland, and how many have received financial support through the Scottish Dental Access Initiative in each of the last five financial years.","AnswerText":"This information is not held centrally. Public Health Scotland publish information on the number of Dental Practices in Scotland and this can be found at:Dental Practices and Patient Registrations - Datasets - Scottish Health and Social Care Open Data (nhs.scot)The following below shows the number of practices that have received financial support through Scottish Dental Access Initiative grants in each of the last five years.2020120210202222023220244Total9","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424241,"EventID":"S6W-30104","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-23T16:03:39.403","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-23T08:35:16.46","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what economic analysis it has undertaken regarding the potential early closure of the Forties Pipeline System.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what economic analysis it has undertaken regarding the potential early closure of the Forties Pipeline System.","AnswerText":"The Energy System and Just Transition: Independent Analysis published in support our draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan highlights the need for careful management of the North Sea energy transition, including the fields linked to the Forties System.Offshore oil and gas licensing and consenting, as well as the associated fiscal regime, are reserved to the UK Government.Publication of the outputs from a programme of work to better understand our energy requirements as we transition to net zero - Energy system and Just Transition: independent analysis - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424242,"EventID":"S6W-30103","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-23T16:03:41.667","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-20T14:36:01.24","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) charges and (b) convictions for kerb crawling offences there have been in each local authority area in each year since 2018, including 2024 to date.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) charges and (b) convictions for kerb crawling offences there have been in each local authority area in each year since 2018, including 2024 to date.","AnswerText":"As there isn&rsquo;t a specific offence of &lsquo;kerb crawling&rsquo;, information has been provided in the following table on the number of charges and convictions for (i) Prostitution (Public Places) (Scotland) Act 2007 S1 (1) &ndash; Person solicits relevant place for purpose of obtaining services of prostitute and (ii) Prostitution (Public Places) (Scotland) Act 2007 S1 (3) &ndash; Person loiters in relevant place so that infer purpose obtain services of prostitute.(a) Charges reported to COPFS, 2018-19 to 2024-25*.ChargeReported to Procurator Fiscal Office:-2018-192019-202020-212021-222022-232023-242024-25Prostitution (Public Places) (Scotland) Act 2007 S1(1) - Person solicits relevant place for purpose of obtaining services of prostituteAberdeen109851351&nbsp;Dundee1200000&nbsp;Edinburgh3520010&nbsp;Glasgow513312971Total&nbsp;654911722132Prostitution (Public Places) (Scotland) Act 2007 S1(3) - Person loiters in relevant place so that infer purpose obtain services of prostituteAberdeen3302212&nbsp;Dundee1000000&nbsp;Dunfermline0000010&nbsp;Edinburgh1000010&nbsp;Glasgow521302761&nbsp;Inverness0000010Total&nbsp;5716049103Grand Total&nbsp;12265111131235Source: COPFSPlease note:The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service does not hold local authority data. The location of the PF office has been provided as an alternative.*Data for 2024-25 covers only a partial year - specifically the period 1 April 2024 to 31 August 2024(b) People convicted, where main crime, by crime type, 2018-19 to 2021-22.&nbsp;&nbsp;2018-192019-202020-212021-22PROSTITUTION (PUBLIC PLACES)(SCOTLAND) ACT 2007 SECTION 1(1)Aberdeen City35-3&nbsp;Dundee City-1--&nbsp;Edinburgh, City of1111&nbsp;Glasgow City82343Total&nbsp;123057PROSTITUTION (PUBLIC PLACES)(SCOTLAND) ACT 2007 SECTION 1(3)Aberdeen City-11-&nbsp;Edinburgh, City of1---&nbsp;Glasgow City13711Total&nbsp;14821Grand Total&nbsp;263878Source: Scottish Government Criminal Proceedings databasePlease note:The Criminal Proceedings local authority data is based on court location.Data for 2020-21 and 2021-22 are affected by the pandemic, subsequent court closures, reduced court capacity due to physical distancing measures and delays to cases where key participants were forced to self-isolate after testing positive for COVID-19, and should not be considered indicative of long term trends.The latest available data is for 2021-22. Information for 2022-23 will not be available until publication of the Criminal Proceedings in Scotland, 2022-23 Statistical Bulletin. This is planned to be published in late 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424243,"EventID":"S6W-30094","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-23T16:03:40.36","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T16:11:03.347","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the planned trunk road safety investigations on the A75 by Mouswald, Glenluce and Twynholm will be completed.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the planned trunk road safety investigations on the A75 by Mouswald, Glenluce and Twynholm will be completed.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government, through Transport Scotland&rsquo;s Trunk Road Casualty Reduction programme of works, is undertaking road safety investigations on the A75 by Mouswald, Glenluce and Twynholm. These investigations are programmed to be completed by the end of the 2024-25 financial year.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424244,"EventID":"S6W-30101","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-23T16:03:41.67","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-20T12:44:34.9","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress on the provision of guidance to businesses on the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress on the provision of guidance to businesses on the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act 2024.","AnswerText":"Under the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act VisitScotland have a duty to prepare and publish guidance for local authorities on the introduction and administration of a visitor levy. Whilst that guidance is for local authorities, it will be of interest to businesses and other organisations. Scottish Ministers are currently considering that guidance, as required under section 23 of the Act. Local authorities are best placed to provide guidance to businesses in their area on the specific visitor levy schemes they decide to put in place.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424245,"EventID":"S6W-30064","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-23T16:03:41.067","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T12:47:12.433","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what partnerships are involved in delivering the Young Person's Guarantee, and how these partnerships are monitored for effectiveness.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what partnerships are involved in delivering the Young Person's Guarantee, and how these partnerships are monitored for effectiveness.","AnswerText":"The Young Person&rsquo;s Guarantee was delivered in partnership with Developing the Young Workforce, local government, Local Employability Partnerships, services from Skills Development Scotland, employers, universities and colleges.The Scottish Government published the Implementation Evaluation of No One Left Behind &amp; the Young Person's Guarantee in August 2023. This is available at: No One Left Behind and the Young Person's Guarantee: implementation evaluation - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)From April 2023 the Young Person&rsquo;s Guarantee has been mainstreamed across Government, with activity across education, skills and employability supporting young people into opportunities.Local Employability Partnerships continue to deliver through the No One Left Behind approach. The No One Left Behind: employability strategic plan 2024 to 2027 can be found here:No One Left Behind: employability strategic plan 2024 to 2027 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)","AnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424246,"EventID":"S6W-30071","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-23T16:03:41.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T13:07:43.397","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it addresses any disparities in access to digital resources and support for young people participating in the Young Person&rsquo;s Guarantee.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it addresses any disparities in access to digital resources and support for young people participating in the Young Person&rsquo;s Guarantee.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to increasing digital participation and ensuring that all of Scotland is able to enjoy the social, cultural and economic benefits of the internet. Connecting Scotland is a Scottish Government programme, delivered in partnership with the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO). It has provided internet-enabled devices, connectivity and digital skills support to people who are digitally excluded.From April 2023 the Young Person&rsquo;s Guarantee has been mainstreamed across Government, with activity across education, skills and employability supporting young people into opportunities.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424247,"EventID":"S6W-30096","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-23T16:03:39.393","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-20T09:51:45.343","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received any representations from local authorities, other than South Ayrshire Council's Licensing Board, requesting a review of the occasional licence fe","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received any representations from local authorities, other than South Ayrshire Council's Licensing Board, requesting a review of the occasional licence fee, and what its response has been to any such requests or concerns.","AnswerText":"The administration of the alcohol licensing regime in Scotland, as set out in the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 is devolved to independent Licensing Boards. This is, in effect, the 32 Scottish local authorities. They undertake their day-to-day duties within the licensing legal framework.In 2019 the Scottish Government consulted on whether the current &pound;10 occasional licence fee should be reviewed, and also whether the Scottish Ministers should make regulations setting limits on the number and duration of occasional licences granted.Those Licensing Boards that responded to the consultation generally commented that the &pound;10 fee did not cover the administrative costs of processing occasional licence applications. Some Boards also highlighted the burden that the processing of these applications places on them. Some concerns were expressed by respondents in terms of any reforms avoiding any undue impact on certain events where occasional licences are regularly sought e.g. local gala days.In total seventy six responses were received to the consultation, with sixty six respondents consenting to the publication of their response online. Those published responses, including from Licensing Boards, can be viewed on the Scottish Government Citizen Space website.The Scottish Government continues to engage with local authority Licensing Board representatives through direct engagement with the Society of Local Authority Lawyers and Administrators in Scotland (SOLAR) about a variety of licensing policy issues, including the occasional licence fee and wider policy changes to the occasional licence regime. The Scottish Government is planning further engagement in the next few months with SOLAR and other licensing stakeholders to consider how policy in respect of occasional licences can be developed including assessing the various views offered.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424248,"EventID":"S6W-30097","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-23T16:03:39.4","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-20T09:51:45.343","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the &pound;10 occasional licence fee, in light of reported concerns by South Ayrshire Council's Licensing Board regarding the fee's inadequac","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the &pound;10 occasional licence fee, in light of reported concerns by South Ayrshire Council's Licensing Board regarding the fee's inadequacy in covering the administrative costs of larger events.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30096 on 1 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424249,"EventID":"S6W-30083","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-23T16:03:40.82","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T15:50:13.987","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the campaign to strengthen the Funeral Support Payment by (a) the Caledonian Funeral Aid and (b) Quaker Social Action.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the campaign to strengthen the Funeral Support Payment by (a) the Caledonian Funeral Aid and (b) Quaker Social Action.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to providing financial support for bereaved people on a low-income.Funeral Support Payment has provided &pound;51.1 million of support to over 26,000 people since launching in September 2019. The average award for 2024-25, up to 30 June 2024, is &pound;2,065. There is a statutory duty to uprate the payment and in 2024/25 we increased the flat rate payment by 6.7%.We are committed to continually reviewing and improving Funeral Support Payment; we substantially widened eligibility compared to the UK Government&rsquo;s Funeral Expenses Payment at launch and have recently introduced legislation to make further improvements.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424250,"EventID":"S6W-30092","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-23T16:03:41.313","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T16:11:03.347","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when signalisation will be introduced on the A75 at the Cuckoo Bridge Roundabout.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when signalisation will be introduced on the A75 at the Cuckoo Bridge Roundabout.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government, through Transport Scotland&rsquo;s Trunk Road Casualty Reduction programme of works, is delivering signalisation works on the A75 at the Cuckoo Bridge Roundabout. The works are currently programmed to start on site in January 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424251,"EventID":"S6W-30090","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-23T16:03:41.01","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T16:11:03.347","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on the proposed feasibility study on the upgrade of the A75.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on the proposed feasibility study on the upgrade of the A75.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30089 on 7 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424252,"EventID":"S6W-30063","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-23T16:03:40.88","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T12:47:12.433","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many young people with additional support needs have been supported through the Young Person's Guarantee in each of the last three years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many young people with additional support needs have been supported through the Young Person's Guarantee in each of the last three years.","AnswerText":"From April 2023 the Young Person&rsquo;s Guarantee has been mainstreamed across Government, with activity across education, skills and employability supporting young people into opportunities. We do not hold data on the number of young people with additional support needs supported through the Young Person&rsquo;s Guarantee.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424253,"EventID":"S6W-30089","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-23T16:03:39.397","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T16:11:03.347","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much of the &pound;8 million that the UK Government reportedly committed to providing to carry out a feasibility study on the A75 it has received.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much of the &pound;8 million that the UK Government reportedly committed to providing to carry out a feasibility study on the A75 it has received.","AnswerText":"The previous UK Government had committed &pound;8m of Union Connectivity funding for the Scottish Government to take forward design development and assessment of options for the realignment of the A75 around the settlements of Springholm and Crocketford. This funding was over the period of 2024/25 to 2026/27 of which &pound;1,480,500 was received for 2024-25.However, the UK Chancellor in her recent statement announcing &pound;22 billion of cuts, also included a number of investment projects that will now no longer proceed as planned but will need to wait for the conclusion of forthcoming spending review process.. The earliest point at which we will know whether or not the UK Government is able to commit to this funding over the relevant future financial years, allowing the design development and options appraisal for these by-passes to be concluded is Spring 2025. We have therefore been offered no guarantee that such funding will be available.The Scottish Government is disappointed that this lack of commitment by the UK Government is impacting on our ability to make meaningful and demonstrable progress for the people and businesses of the South-West of Scotland who rely on this vital route.Transport Scotland officials have progressed a robust procurement process to appoint a technical advisor to take forward the design development and assessment work, however, re-confirmation of the UK Government&rsquo;s funding position is awaited prior to awarding the contract.The Scottish Government is committed to improving safety, resilience and reliability on the A75 for all users traveling on this important route to benefit not just the people of Scotland but those from the wider UK too. As such, the Scottish Government will continue to engage positively and collaboratively with the UK Government on our shared priorities for transport.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424254,"EventID":"S6W-30095","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-23T16:03:41.673","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T16:15:08.287","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much of the &pound;10 million that the UK Government reportedly committed to providing in 2023 to carry out a feasibility study on the Borders Railway has been alloc","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much of the &pound;10 million that the UK Government reportedly committed to providing in 2023 to carry out a feasibility study on the Borders Railway has been allocated to that project.","AnswerText":"The Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal includes a commitment of up to &pound;5m from both the Scottish Government and the UK Government to assess the benefits and challenges of extending the Borders Railway to Carlisle. This includes the undertaking of associated detailed feasibility work to fully understand the factors associated with re-instatement of the railway. Whilst the project is still going through the business case development phase, no funding has yet been drawn down to date, however the Scottish Government remains committed to enabling Growth Deal Partners to progress this project.We recognise that there are a number of complexities within this project and we need to make sure that the extensive feasibility work undertaken is fit for purpose from both a transport appraisal perspective as well as meeting Growth Deal criteria. The cross-border nature of this particular project also means that input and agreement from both Governments is needed for this to advance. The Scottish Government recently approved its contribution for the recruitment of a Project Manager to progress the feasibility work necessary to support the project business case and we hope similar approval is obtained from UK Government post October Spending Review to allow this element of the project to commence .The Scottish Government continues to work with UK Government and Scottish Borders Council, the lead delivery partner, in an effort to move this project forward.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424255,"EventID":"S6W-30085","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-23T16:03:40.383","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T15:50:13.987","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it reviews the Funeral Support Payment on an annual basis in response to reported inflationary rises of funeral costs.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it reviews the Funeral Support Payment on an annual basis in response to reported inflationary rises of funeral costs.","AnswerText":"Scottish Ministers are under an annual statutory duty to consider and report on the impact of inflation on the rate of Funeral Support Payment, and to bring forward legislation to increase the payment in line with that report. In 2024-25 the flat rate was increased by 6.7%, in line with September CPI. The higher flat rate payment is &pound;1,257.75 and the lower flat rate is &pound;153.50.The UK Government equivalent, Funeral Expenses Payment, does not increase annually in line with inflation.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424256,"EventID":"S6W-30093","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-23T16:03:41.697","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T16:11:03.347","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the junction improvements on the A75 at Haugh of Urr will be completed.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the junction improvements on the A75 at Haugh of Urr will be completed.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government, through Transport Scotland&rsquo;s Trunk Road Casualty Reduction programme of works, is delivering improvements at the A75 Haugh of Urr junction. Construction of static sign improvements, relating to advanced direction signage and rationalisation of existing signage, is currently programmed for November 2024. An electronic vehicle-activated sign system to warn drivers of vehicles turning or waiting to turn at the junction is also proposed at the junction. This may be delivered this financial year subject to the approval of a non-prescribed sign application.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424257,"EventID":"S6W-30102","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-23T16:03:41.76","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-20T12:58:16.32","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29506 by Fiona Hyslop on 17 September 2024, what the estimated cost to the taxpayer is of administering the tender process for thi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29506 by Fiona Hyslop on 17 September 2024, what the estimated cost to the taxpayer is of administering the tender process for this contract.","AnswerText":"CMAL are the procurement authority and administer the tendering process through their staff. This would be a normal BAU cost by way of paying the salaries of the staff involved.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":424265,"EventID":"S6W-30124","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-24T15:44:13.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T08:17:15.52","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last had correspondence with the UK Health Security Agency.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last had correspondence with the UK Health Security Agency.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30125 on 30 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424266,"EventID":"S6W-30106","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3907,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":135,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-24T15:44:13.357","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-23T11:42:00.567","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will appoint the Patient Safety Commissioner for Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will appoint the Patient Safety Commissioner for Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Patient Safety Commissioner is a Parliamentary office-holder and is being recruited by the Scottish Parliament. They will be appointed by His Majesty on nomination of the Scottish Parliament.As the Commissioner will be an independent public advocate for patients on issues of safety the Scottish Government does not have a role in the recruitment process. The Commissioner will champion the value of listening to patients and will hold organisations to account for their responsibility to take patients&rsquo; concerns seriously.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424267,"EventID":"S6W-30113","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-24T15:44:13.637","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-23T16:18:15.15","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is providing any support towards the Poverty Alliance&rsquo;s Taking Action on Rural Poverty campaign, and, if so, whether it will provide details of this.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is providing any support towards the Poverty Alliance&rsquo;s Taking Action on Rural Poverty campaign, and, if so, whether it will provide details of this.","AnswerText":"We continue to work alongside the Poverty Alliance and others to support the aims of Taking Action on Rural Poverty.Scottish Government officials are currently working in partnership with the Poverty Alliance in preparation for Challenge Poverty week, including presenting at the event launch on the 4th of October.As part of Challenge Poverty Week, both myself and the Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity will visit rural projects supported by the Scottish Government&rsquo;s Community Led Local Development fund which aim to tackle Child Poverty.In June 2024 officials also attended a Taking Action on Rural Poverty - Learning Partnership, meeting with rural poverty stakeholders, including the Poverty Alliance to explore further opportunities to address rural and island child poverty.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424268,"EventID":"S6W-30079","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-24T15:44:13.477","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T15:38:03.647","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much direct subsidy it has given to the group of companies referred to in the BBC&rsquo;s recent reporting on slavery in the Scottish fishing sector since 2019.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much direct subsidy it has given to the group of companies referred to in the BBC&rsquo;s recent reporting on slavery in the Scottish fishing sector since 2019.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is continuing to look into this matter and awards to TN Trawlers or associated companies over the periods of time covered in the BBC&rsquo;s recent reporting.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424269,"EventID":"S6W-30133","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-24T15:44:13.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T09:42:13.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it spent the &pound;97.1 million of Barnett consequential funding that it received from the UK Government to fund cladding remediation work, broken down by allocatio","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it spent the &pound;97.1 million of Barnett consequential funding that it received from the UK Government to fund cladding remediation work, broken down by allocation.","AnswerText":"Under devolution, consequentials of this kind become part of the Scottish Government&rsquo;s overall budget for that year. As part of the Scottish Budget process, it is for Scottish Ministers to propose funding levels for specific programmes in Scotland, and when the budget is required.In the case of cladding remediation, we have said that we will spend whatever is necessary to address the problems created by unsafe cladding, that we will make provision for that at the appropriate time, and that we expect the cost of that in Scotland to be at least the quoted amount of consequentials &ndash; that is, &pound;97.1 m.We publish updated information on programme spend on a quarterly basis at https://www.gov.scot/publications/single-building-assessment-spending-information/.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424270,"EventID":"S6W-30130","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-24T15:44:13.48","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T09:42:13.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many children and young people have been on an NHS waiting list in each year since 1999.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many children and young people have been on an NHS waiting list in each year since 1999.","AnswerText":"This information is not held centrally by either Scottish Government or Public Health Scotland (PHS).PHS does not capture waiting list information on all NHS services and where they are captured, many are sourced from aggregate returns submitted to PHS by NHS boards. It is therefore not possible to identify the number of individuals that &lsquo;have been on an NHS waiting list&rsquo;. In addition, the aggregate data supplied by NHS boards does not provide patient-level information and as such, age breakdown is not available.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424271,"EventID":"S6W-30115","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-24T15:44:13.54","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-23T16:26:16.233","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29676 by Jenni Minto on 18 September 2024, for what reason (a) it and (b) Public Health Scotland does not (i) collect and (ii) hol","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29676 by Jenni Minto on 18 September 2024, for what reason (a) it and (b) Public Health Scotland does not (i) collect and (ii) hold this data centrally, and whether either organisation will commit to begin collecting this data to help understand how disease modifying therapies are being used in Scotland to treat multiple sclerosis (MS).","AnswerText":"Many specialist medicines, often referred to as \"biologics\", and including the disease modifying medicines for multiple sclerosis (MS), are normally managed by secondary care specialists, but supplied to patients in their homes, most often by homecare medicines (HCM) suppliers. A number of these companies operate in the Scottish market.The national HCM dataset is a relatively new resource and is still developing as new suppliers come onstream and start providing data (including, where available, retrospective data from January 2019). As a new resource, and because these medicines can have multiple supply models, work is being undertaken to validate the completeness and accuracy of the national HCM dataset in comparison with local registries, where local registries are available.It is anticipated that, in the future, the national HCM dataset, either itself or through linkage with other datasets, will become a valuable resource in helping to better understand treatments pathways and the beneficial outcomes or otherwise from these types of medicines, as well as helping to identify any unwarranted variation in clinical practice or access to treatment.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424272,"EventID":"S6W-30107","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-24T15:44:13.48","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-23T11:50:04.54","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update on the establishment of river management plans.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update on the establishment of river management plans.","AnswerText":"Scotland&rsquo;s River Basin Management Plans 2021-2027 (RBMP) set out a range of actions aiming to improve the overall condition of Scotland&rsquo;s water environment by 2027.The Scottish Government invested almost &pound;5m last year in the Water Environment Fund, a key element of the RBMP. Work continues this year providing access to rivers for migratory fish and restoring urban rivers providing benefits for biodiversity, climate change adaptation and flood management.The most up to date RBMP classification information is available at the water classification hub.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424273,"EventID":"S6W-30078","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-24T15:44:13.657","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T15:38:03.647","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it was aware that workers at companies referred to in the BBC&rsquo;s recent reporting on slavery in the Scottish fishing sector had been recognised by the Home ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it was aware that workers at companies referred to in the BBC&rsquo;s recent reporting on slavery in the Scottish fishing sector had been recognised by the Home Office as victims of trafficking when it awarded any funding to those companies.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is continuing to look into this matter and awards to TN Trawlers or associated companies over the periods of time covered in the BBC&rsquo;s recent reporting.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424274,"EventID":"S6W-30134","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-24T15:44:13.65","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T09:42:13.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many developments have been identified by local authorities as containing suspected reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many developments have been identified by local authorities as containing suspected reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government encourages all building owners to be open and transparent about the presence of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) in their properties, including making information available on websites. Information on the presence of RAAC in the public sector can also be found in a recently published Scottish Government report: https://www.gov.scot/publications/raac-in-the-public-sector/","AnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424275,"EventID":"S6W-30135","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-24T15:44:13.36","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T09:42:13.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many (a) local authority-owned and (b) privately owned properties have been identified by local authorities as containing suspec","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many (a) local authority-owned and (b) privately owned properties have been identified by local authorities as containing suspected reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government encourages all building owners to be open and transparent about the presence of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) in their properties, including making information available on websites (although there is no duty on the part of local authorities to gather information on RAAC in privately owned buildings). Information on the presence of RAAC in the public sector can be found in a recently published Scottish Government report: https://www.gov.scot/publications/raac-in-the-public-sector/","AnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424276,"EventID":"S6W-30132","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-24T15:44:13.557","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T09:42:13.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many children and young people have been assessed for (a) autism and (b) ADHD privately in each year since 1999.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many children and young people have been assessed for (a) autism and (b) ADHD privately in each year since 1999.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not collect this data.The Scottish Government is committed to implementing the National Neurodevelopmental Specification: Principles and Standards of Care for Children and Young People, published in September 2021, which specifies service standards that all children&rsquo;s services should follow, to ensure access to support is effective and consistent across Scotland.The Scottish Government have also established the National Autism Implementation Team, in partnership with Queen Margaret University, to support Health and Social Care Partnerships to consider best practice and support improvement through the redesign of autism diagnostic services.The National Implementation Team is supporting NHS Boards to examine diagnostic pathways for autism and establish regional experts to assist with improving tiered autism specialisms across health boards.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424277,"EventID":"S6W-30125","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-24T15:44:13.633","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T08:17:15.523","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what regular communication it has with the UK Health Security Agency.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what regular communication it has with the UK Health Security Agency.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government maintains regular and ongoing communication with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) on shared priorities. The Scottish Government and UKHSA do this through formal meetings, working groups, and collaborative efforts on public health issues such as disease surveillance, pandemic preparedness, emerging health threats and emergency response. UKHSA also provides expert advice and support to Public Health Scotland and other relevant bodies to ensure a coordinated approach to health security across the UK.This collaboration plays a vital role in ensuring robust public health surveillance, managing health risks effectively and protecting Scotland&rsquo;s population.","AnswerDate":"2024-09-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424278,"EventID":"S6W-30082","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-24T15:44:13.617","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T15:49:43.477","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to using remote electronic monitoring to help respond to any modern slavery, human trafficking and human rights abuses in the fishing sec","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to using remote electronic monitoring to help respond to any modern slavery, human trafficking and human rights abuses in the fishing sector.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is not considering the use of remote electronic monitoring (REM) technologies in its response to modern slavery, human trafficking and human rights abuses in the fishing sector.REM involves the use of imagery, sensors and Vessel Positioning Systems (VPS) to independently monitor fishing operations and data that is produced is used for fisheries compliance and scientific purposes. The views of the cameras are fixed on key areas of the boat where fishing operations take place; they are not set up to monitor or identify people.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424279,"EventID":"S6W-30127","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-24T15:44:13.517","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T09:42:13.917","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on consultancy fees for the Sheriffhall roundabout upgrade project.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on consultancy fees for the Sheriffhall roundabout upgrade project.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has spent approximately &pound;6.4 million on the necessary design and assessment work for the A720 Sheriffhall Roundabout scheme since Transport Scotland appointed its technical advisor, AECOM, in July 2013.This figure is inclusive of VAT where applicable and covers costs associated with design and assessment work. This includes costs associated with options assessment, engineering design and preparation work, environmental assessment (including environmental survey work), traffic and economic assessment, stakeholder engagement, statutory process including public local inquiry, and supervision of ground investigation works.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424280,"EventID":"S6W-30043","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-24T15:44:13.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T14:43:03.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Aberdeenshire Council withdrawing its technical objection to the plans in February 2024, whether it will provide an update on the most recent timetable for ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Aberdeenshire Council withdrawing its technical objection to the plans in February 2024, whether it will provide an update on the most recent timetable for the delivery of the A90/A937 Laurencekirk Junction Improvement Scheme.","AnswerText":"Following the publication of draft Orders, Transport Scotland received four objections to the proposed A90/A937 Laurencekirk Junction Improvement scheme, including one from Aberdeenshire Council following its decision to close the existing Oatyhill Bridge to vehicular traffic.Transport Scotland has been undertaking comprehensive engagement with all those who objected to the scheme proposals including that of Aberdeenshire Council and this work has successfully resulted in all objections now being removed.Whilst resolution of the final objection represents a significant milestone for the scheme, it is necessary to publish supplementary Orders for a new bridge at Oatyhill. This is required to address the decision of Aberdeenshire Council to close the existing Oatyhill Bridge to vehicular traffic. Work is being progressed by Transport Scotland to prepare and publish these supplementary draft Orders as a priority.It is important to note that whilst all objections to the scheme have been removed the supplementary draft Orders will carry their own statutory consultation period and should further objections be received then these would have to resolved before proceeding.Delivery of the scheme itself can only commence when the scheme is approved under the relevant statutory authorisation procedures and thereafter a timetable for construction can be determined in line with available budgets.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424281,"EventID":"S6W-30105","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-24T15:44:13.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-23T11:39:55.393","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the reported decline of capercaillie populations.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the reported decline of capercaillie populations.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government, its partners and agencies, have undertaken a range of measures to address the reported decline in capercaillie populations. This includes providing funding through schemes to support capercaillie conservation directly.Funding has also been awarded to projects that would indirectly benefit capercaillie conservation. This could include supporting new pine wood planting in capercaillie areas, the management and improvement of existing habitat as well as its extension through actions such as controlling deer numbers, fence marking or removal, and thinning to improve light levels. Funding has been awarded to estates as well as eNGOs and individuals and we expect this to continue.NatureScot is working closely with the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) to support capercaillie conservation in Scotland. Last year NatureScot&rsquo;s Scientific Advisory Committee provided advice on possible measures that could be taken to save capercaillie.(Measures to save capercaillie)In June 2023, the Scottish Government requested that the CNPA and NatureScot work with stakeholders to look at ways to improve capercaillie populations. The publication of this work, known as the Capercaillie Emergency Plan 2025-2030, was published on 30 September 2024 and can be found on the CNPA website here .The plan identifies priority actions that public, private and third sector organisations will take to promote capercaillie numbers within the Cairngorms National Park. These actions include looking at expanding and improving habitat; reducing the impact of predation; removing and marking; reducing disturbance; capercaillie monitoring; and reinforcement feasibility. We will work with NatureScot and the CNPA, as well as other partners, to monitor progress as our efforts to support capercaillie in Scotland continue.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424282,"EventID":"S6W-30076","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-24T15:44:13.62","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T15:38:03.647","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what due diligence was carried out prior to it providing any funding to the group of companies referred to in the BBC&rsquo;s recent reporting on modern slavery in the S","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what due diligence was carried out prior to it providing any funding to the group of companies referred to in the BBC&rsquo;s recent reporting on modern slavery in the Scottish fishing sector.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is continuing to look into this matter and awards to TN Trawlers or associated companies over the periods of time covered in the BBC&rsquo;s recent reporting.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424283,"EventID":"S6W-30129","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-24T15:44:13.51","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T09:42:13.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many children and young people have waited over a year for medical treatment in each year since 1999.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many children and young people have waited over a year for medical treatment in each year since 1999.","AnswerText":"Neither Scottish Government or Public Health Scotland (PHS) centrally hold all of the information requested.Table 1 presents the latest available statistics on the total number of admissions for patients aged less than 16 years who had waited over a year for planned treatment as an inpatient or day case covered by the Treatment Time Guarantee (TTG) from 2013 onwards. The data below are presented at NHSScotland level for all specialties, broken down by calendar year. Please note that this does not cover services that are exempt from the TTG, including obstetrics services, and organ, tissue or cell transplantation whether from a living or deceased donor. Spinal treatment by injection or surgical intervention was excluded from TTG until 1 April 2014 and designated national specialist services for surgical intervention of spinal scoliosis was excluded until 1 October 2014. These have been included in the TTG reporting from these dates.Table 1 &ndash; Total number of admissions as an inpatient or day case for patients aged less than 16 years who had waited over a year (52 weeks), NHSScotland and all specialty level, by calendar year, from 2013 onwardsCalendar YearWaited over 52 weeks2013020142220155201692017*252018*1372019935202077920211,88920222,00120233,9232024**1,927*Data for NHS Tayside are unavailable between April 2017 and June 2018 for inpatients and day cases. Therefore, please note that NHS Tayside data are excluded from NHSScotland totals for the affected period in the above table and data should be interpreted as &lsquo;NHSScotland excluding NHS Tayside&rsquo;.**Please note that calendar year 2024 only includes data from 1 January 2024 to 30 June 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424284,"EventID":"S6W-30111","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-24T15:44:13.523","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-23T16:18:15.15","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made any assessment of the domestic shipbuilding sector&rsquo;s ability to meet future demand for (a) new ferries and (b) ferry-related infrastructure in ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made any assessment of the domestic shipbuilding sector&rsquo;s ability to meet future demand for (a) new ferries and (b) ferry-related infrastructure in (i) Argyll and Bute and (ii) the Western Isles.","AnswerText":"This analysis has not been carried out by the Scottish Government or by Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) on our behalf, although CMAL are aware of the shipyard capabilities in the UK. There is a UK Department for Transport body called the National Shipbuilding Office which has carried out this assessment for both military and commercial shipbuilding capabilities - CMAL are well connected with them and share information and best practices for the benefit of exploring future opportunities.New vessel and infrastructure tenders are usually let by CMAL to enhance and improve the Clyde &amp; Hebrides Ferry Services fleet and associated infrastructure and these are procured on the open market. These tenders are international and cannot be focussed on a subset of UK only contractors or yards. So, when CMAL tender, they invite UK as well as Global yards to submit interest.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424285,"EventID":"S6W-30131","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-24T15:44:13.61","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T09:42:13.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many children and young people have been assessed for (a) autism and (b) ADHD through the NHS in each year since 1999.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many children and young people have been assessed for (a) autism and (b) ADHD through the NHS in each year since 1999.","AnswerText":"This data is not centrally available; whilst Public Health Scotland publish the total number of patients waiting for specialist mental health services, detail of the individual types of assessment or diagnosis is not held. The publications for both CAMHS and Psychological Therapies waiting times for each quarter can be found at Publications - Public Health Scotland.The Scottish Government is committed to implementing the National Neurodevelopmental Specification: Principles and Standards of Care for Children and Young People, published in September 2021, which specifies service standards that all children&rsquo;s services should follow, to ensure access to support is effective and consistent across Scotland.The Scottish Government have also established the National Autism Implementation Team, in partnership with Queen Margaret University, to support Health and Social Care Partnerships to consider best practice and support improvement through the redesign of autism diagnostic services.The National Implementation Team is supporting NHS Boards to examine diagnostic pathways for autism and establish regional experts to assist with improving tiered autism specialisms across health boards.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424286,"EventID":"S6W-30077","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-24T15:44:13.623","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T15:38:03.647","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it was aware that there were ongoing police investigations into the companies referred to in the BBC&rsquo;s recent reporting on slavery in the Scottish fishing ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it was aware that there were ongoing police investigations into the companies referred to in the BBC&rsquo;s recent reporting on slavery in the Scottish fishing sector when it awarded any funding to those companies.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is continuing to look into this matter and awards to TN Trawlers or associated companies over the periods of time covered in the BBC&rsquo;s recent reporting.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424287,"EventID":"S6W-30126","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-24T15:44:13.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T09:30:19.67","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the financial situation regarding support services for victims of historic forced adoption practices.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the financial situation regarding support services for victims of historic forced adoption practices.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government, along with public sector bodies across the UK, face a very challenging environment as we manage our finances through the current financial year and set our budget for 2025-26. We are continuing to fund the charity, Health in Mind, in 2024-25, to deliver a specialist peer service to those affected by historic forced adoption. We also fund the charity Birthlink to manage the Adoption Contact Register for Scotland which helps facilitate connections between individuals and families affected by adoption. Decisions on funding other related historical forced adoption activities have not yet been made.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424288,"EventID":"S6W-30042","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-24T15:44:13.63","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-18T14:43:03.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been budgeted by Transport Scotland for the delivery of the&nbsp;A90/A937 Laurencekirk Junction Improvement Scheme, and what impact the \"current funding res","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been budgeted by Transport Scotland for the delivery of the&nbsp;A90/A937 Laurencekirk Junction Improvement Scheme, and what impact the \"current funding restraints\", which the Cabinet Secretary for Transport made reference to on 10 April 2024 in a letter to a representative of Aberdeen City Council, has had on (a) this budget and (b) the delivery of the scheme.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is facing significant pressures on its capital budget, with an expected real terms reduction from the UK Government to capital funding in Scotland of nearly 9% over five years. This equates to a cumulative loss of over &pound;1.3 billion between 2023-24 and 2027-28 which will significantly affect the Scottish Government&rsquo;s ability to maintain investment in transport infrastructure across Scotland.However, the Scottish Government remains committed to the delivery of the proposed A90/A937 Laurencekirk Junction Improvement scheme as part of a package of additional investment alongside the Aberdeen City Region Deal.The current estimated cost for the scheme is approximately &pound;24.7m at 2019 prices (excluding non-recoverable VAT). This estimate will continue to be refined and updated as the scheme design becomes more developed.The necessary on-going design preparatory work in 2024-25 is being funded through the Scottish Government&rsquo;s Roads Improvement budget line.Delivery of the scheme itself can only commence when the scheme is approved under the statutory procedures and thereafter a timetable for construction can be determined in line with available budgets.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424308,"EventID":"S6W-30114","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:29:36.287","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-23T16:18:15.15","Title":"&nbsp;To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to tackle the so-called evidence gap in assessing rural poverty and deprivation, as described in the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation","ItemText":"&nbsp;To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to tackle the so-called evidence gap in assessing rural poverty and deprivation, as described in the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation&rsquo;s Rural deprivation: Evidence summary, which was published in November 2016.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"The Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation rural deprivation evidence summary included sections describing the main issues associated with using SIMD in rural areas, as well as ways of overcoming these through using the wide range of available data sources alongside SIMD for exploring particular topics or communities of interest. The evidence summary was published alongside two case studies Fuel poverty in Dumfries and Galloway and Child poverty in the Orkney Islands which illustrated how this could be done. The SIMD 2020 introductory booklet included a case study on using SIMD in a rural area. Scottish Government has also published (or funded) a number of reports and resources on poverty and deprivation in rural areas, including Poverty in rural Scotland: evidence review, The cost of remoteness - reflecting higher living costs in remote rural Scotland when measuring fuel poverty: research report, National Islands Plan Survey: final report, Improving our understanding of child poverty in rural and island Scotland, A design based approach to understanding and tackling rural child poverty,Scottish Islands Survey 2023: main findings,Rural Scotland data dashboard: overview and Review of evidence on rural community interventions.The Scottish Government Office of the Chief Social Policy Adviser has recently funded a UKRI/ESRC Policy Fellow to carry out research on trends in rural and island poverty. National Records of Scotland are in the process of developing the 2022 Census-based household level deprivation indicator which will allow analysis of key household variables by deprivation for very small geographies.There are numerous other reports and resources produced by a range of external stakeholder organisations.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424309,"EventID":"S6W-30120","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:29:36.263","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-23T16:50:00.007","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many young people are currently using community-based mental health and wellbeing support and services, not including child and adolescent mental health services (CA","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many young people are currently using community-based mental health and wellbeing support and services, not including child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), in the Scottish Borders.","AnswerText":"Information on how many children and young people have accessed community-based mental health and wellbeing supports and services is provided retrospectively to the Scottish Government by local authorities. Reporting provided by Scottish Borders Council for the period 1 July 2023 to 31 March 2024 indicates that 3,967 children and young people used the community-based mental health and wellbeing supports and services delivered by Scottish Borders Council through its share of the &pound;15 million per annum funding provided to local authorities by the Scottish Government. Data is not collected on whether those accessing these supports and services are also accessing, or have accessed, CAMHS.In addition, young people aged 16 and over residing in the Scottish Borders have benefitted from grassroots community-based projects supporting mental health and wellbeing provided through the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults. However, the Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of young people using these projects or those accessing other community-based mental health support that may be available in the Scottish Borders but not provided through the Scottish Government funding streams referenced above.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424310,"EventID":"S6W-30141","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:29:36.293","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T11:20:54.61","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will carry out a comprehensive review of maternity experiences throughout Scotland to understand the occurrence of pregnancy-related trauma.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will carry out a comprehensive review of maternity experiences throughout Scotland to understand the occurrence of pregnancy-related trauma.","AnswerText":"We are committed to gathering evidence on maternity care experiences across Scotland and are currently developing the next iteration of the Maternity Care Survey, which was previously run in 2013, 2015 and 2018. Our intention is for the next survey to take place in 2025. The survey will ask about experiences of antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal maternity care, including questions about person-centred care, trust in healthcare providers, and the provision of advice and support. However this survey is not the right vehicle to ask about pregnancy related trauma, which requires sensitive and responsive inquiry.In line with NICE guidelines, we would expect Health Professionals to offer advice and support to women who have had a traumatic birth and wish to understand and talk about their experience. We are working with NHS Boards to develop specialist Community Perinatal Mental Health services to provide assessment and care for women with moderate to severe mental illness, including psychological impact following the birth of a baby.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424311,"EventID":"S6W-30138","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:29:36.33","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T11:18:36.343","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to increase the number of (a) teachers and (b) teaching assistants.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to increase the number of (a) teachers and (b) teaching assistants.","AnswerText":"Local authorities have statutory obligations in respect of the delivery of education, which includes ensuring they have a complement of staff to meet local needs.In Scotland we have the most teachers per pupil and highest paid teachers in the UK. We are once again providing &pound;145.5 million to local authorities for the purpose of protecting teacher numbers. We are also continuing to provide &pound;20,000 bursaries to incentivise career changers to train in the hardest to fill teaching subjects. Since the introduction of the scheme, 659 bursaries have been awarded.I have also asked the Strategic Board for Teacher Education, which is made up of a range of key education stakeholders, to look at issues around the recruitment and retention of teachers in Scotland in detail, including geographical and subject-specific issues, as well as how we can increase diversity within the profession and improve support for early career teachers.We have 17,330 pupil support staff in Scotland, the highest level on record and an increase of more than 2,000 since 2020. This is a direct result of our continued annual investment of &pound;15 million to councils.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424312,"EventID":"S6W-30171","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:29:36.413","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T08:51:03.077","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review the Adoption Support Services and Allowances (Scotland) Regulations 2009 during the current parliamentary session.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review the Adoption Support Services and Allowances (Scotland) Regulations 2009 during the current parliamentary session.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has no plans to undertake a review of The Adoption Support Services and Allowances (Scotland) Regulations 2009, however we continue to keep adoption policy and practice under review. This is in close collaboration with stakeholders, as we work collectively to Keep the Promise by 2030. As part of this we will publish an adoption vision statement which sets out the place of adoption in Scotland today and our strategic priorities moving forward. This includes a focus on understanding the needs and priorities in relation to improving the consistency of post-adoption support across Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424313,"EventID":"S6W-30118","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:29:37.327","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-23T16:50:00","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what alternatives are offered to young people rejected from child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what alternatives are offered to young people rejected from child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).","AnswerText":"Every child and young person should be able to access support for their mental health and wellbeing when and where they need it. Not all children and young people need specialist services like CAMHS, and many will find more suitable support in their local community.Since 2020, we have provided local authorities with over &pound;50 million to develop and deliver community-based mental health and wellbeing supports and services for children, young people and their families, with a further &pound;15 million being made available in 2024-25. The services are focused on prevention and early intervention and, where appropriate, offer an alternative to CAMHS by providing support in a community setting.Supports and services are available in every local authority area, with more than 300 now in place across the country. This includes mentoring services, art-based therapies, digital services, whole-family supports, counselling services and supports involving sport or physical activity.Local authorities have reported that over 58,000 people used the supports and services in the first half of 2023. We have also ensured access to counselling services in all secondary schools, and continue to give local authorities &pound;16 million per year to fund this.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424314,"EventID":"S6W-30123","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:29:36.263","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-23T16:50:00.017","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26430 byMaree Todd on 16 April 2024, whether it will provide a breakdown of the over&pound;50 million that it has provided to loca","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26430 byMaree Todd on 16 April 2024, whether it will provide a breakdown of the over&pound;50 million that it has provided to local authorities since 2020 to\"develop and deliver mental health and wellbeing supports andservices\".","AnswerText":"Funding for Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Supports and Services for children, young people and their families has been distributed to each local authority area as follows:&nbsp;2019-20&pound;2020-21&pound;2021-22&pound;2022-23&pound;2023-24&pound;2024-25&pound;Aberdeen City62,500144,000576,000585,000577,000571,000Aberdeenshire62,500197,500790,000797,000809,000823,000Angus62,50081,500326,000322,000324,000325,000Argyll and Bute62,50061,250245,000246,000247,000247,000City of Edinburgh62,500335,7501,343,0001,361,0001,339,0001,305,000Clackmannanshire62,50034,750139,000135,000136,000138,000Dumfries and Galloway62,500108,250433,000430,000430,000435,000Dundee City62,500111,250445,000434,000427,000424,000East Ayrshire62,50083,000332,000326,000328,000330,000East Dunbartonshire62,50067,000268,000270,000271,000275,000East Lothian62,50073,500294,000290,000291,000295,000East Renfrewshire62,50065,250261,000268,000271,000277,000Falkirk62,500104,750419,000419,000419,000424,000Fife62,500261,7501,047,0001,040,0001,036,0001,036,000Glasgow City62,500434,2501,737,0001,759,0001,755,0001,709,000Highland62,500178,000712,000707,000713,000713,000Inverclyde62,50050,500202,000192,000191,000192,000Midlothian62,50062,000248,000249,000254,000261,000Moray62,50068,750275,000274,000276,000278,000Na h-Eileanan Siar62,50022,25089,00088,00089,00089,000North Ayrshire62,50092,500370,000360,000359,000359,000North Lanarkshire62,500234,500938,000935,000940,000943,000Orkney Islands62,50017,50070,00071,00071,00071,000Perth and Kinross62,500103,500414,000418,000423,000427,000Renfrewshire62,500113,500454,000453,000452,000454,000Scottish Borders62,50082,250329,000334,000335,000338,000Shetland Islands62,50020,75083,00084,00085,00086,000South Ayrshire62,50070,750283,000283,000282,000284,000South Lanarkshire62,500210,250841,000835,000840,000849,000Stirling62,50073,250293,000291,000281,000281,000West Dunbartonshire62,50058,250233,000231,000231,000234,000West Lothian62,500144,000511,000513,000518,000527,000Total2,000,0003,750,00015,000,00015,000,00015,000,00015,0000Total&nbsp;&pound;65,750,000","AnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424315,"EventID":"S6W-30112","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:29:36.303","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-23T16:18:15.15","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made any assessment of its current ability to provide additional childcare to (a) parents and (b) guardians of nursery-age children with (i) short- and (i","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made any assessment of its current ability to provide additional childcare to (a) parents and (b) guardians of nursery-age children with (i) short- and (ii) long-term additional support needs.","AnswerText":"Education authorities have a duty under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 (as amended) to identify, provide for and review the additional support needs of their children, including in respect of funded early learning and childcare (ELC). The Scottish Government provides funding to education authorities for additional support for learning as part of their block grant. It is for individual education authorities to manage their own budget and to allocate the total financial resources available to them, on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424316,"EventID":"S6W-30080","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:29:36.253","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T15:38:03.647","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has given scallop effort quota to any of the group of companies referred to in the BBC&rsquo;s recent reporting on slavery in the Scottish fishing industry at","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has given scallop effort quota to any of the group of companies referred to in the BBC&rsquo;s recent reporting on slavery in the Scottish fishing industry at any point during 2024.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not give scallop effort quota to any fishing vessel within the Scottish fleet. Unlike many fish quotas, scallop effort is not allocated by the UK government to the devolved fisheries administrations, instead, a common effort regime is operated by all UK fisheries licensing authorities. Following a communication by the UK Government, to all devolved administrations, fishing licences are varied so that limits to the number of days at sea for vessels over 15 metres can fish for king or queen scallops in the waters of ICES area VII per quarter of the year are introduced. Unlike other fish quotas, the scallop limit cannot be transferred or leased between vessels.The Scottish Government does not give scallop effort quota to any fishing vessel within the Scottish fleet. Unlike many fish quotas, scallop effort is not allocated by the UK government to the devolved fisheries administrations, instead, a common effort regime is operated by all UK fisheries licensing authorities. Following a communication by the UK Government, to all devolved administrations, fishing licences are varied so that limits to the number of days at sea for vessels over 15 metres can fish for king or queen scallops in the waters of ICES area VII per quarter of the year are introduced. Unlike other fish quotas, the scallop limit cannot be transferred or leased between vessels.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424317,"EventID":"S6W-30143","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:29:37.297","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T11:23:22.783","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it provides to the relevant authorities to tackle any misogynistic and racist attitudes within the justice system.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it provides to the relevant authorities to tackle any misogynistic and racist attitudes within the justice system.","AnswerText":"Justice agencies are operationally independent of the Scottish Ministers.However, misogyny and racism should play no part in the operation of the justice system. We will continue to support all justice agencies and bodies who operate within the justice system to eradicate racism and misogyny.In April 2023, Scottish Government published a landmark summary of data on Ethnicity and Justice. This presents a picture of what is currently known about the experiences of minority ethnic people within Scotland&rsquo;s justice system and supports the development and delivery of evidence-led actions.Through our Cross Justice Group on Race Data and Evidence, the Scottish Government continues to improve our understanding of the experiences of minority ethnic people within Scotland&rsquo;s Justice system. Generally, our approach supports the commitments contained within the Race Equality Framework (2016-2030) and Immediate Priorities Plan (2021-2023).In relation to policing specifically, in May 2023, the former Chief Constable of Police Scotland declared that it is institutionally racist and discriminatory. This is an important recognition of the work still to do to ensure that policing and justice feel trusted by, and provide the right service to, all our communities. Their Policing Together programme is taking forward a range of actions to move towards this goal.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424318,"EventID":"S6W-30155","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:29:36.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T13:56:26.49","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the next Northern Isles Ferry Service contract will include provision to exempt islanders from seasonal fares.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the next Northern Isles Ferry Service contract will include provision to exempt islanders from seasonal fares.","AnswerText":"The draft Islands Connectivity Plan (ICP) Strategic Approach paper was published for public consultation earlier this year. Building on the Fair Fares Review, we said that we would take forward detailed consideration of a number of ferry fare proposals, including on Road Equivalent Tariff, islander fares and under 22s.The outputs from the consultation and engagement, published on 3 September, will support the finalisation of the ICP Strategic Approach, and will inform the development of the remaining elements of the ICP, including work on future ferry fares policy.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424319,"EventID":"S6W-30139","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:29:36.32","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T11:19:15.737","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what plans it has to create a system of universal free childcare that is flexible and Scotland-wide.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what plans it has to create a system of universal free childcare that is flexible and Scotland-wide.","AnswerText":"Scotland is the only part of the UK that already offers 1140 hours (equivalent to 30 hours per week in term time) of funded ELC to all 3 and 4-year-olds regardless of whether their parents are working or not because we are committed to promoting equality for all Scotland&rsquo;s children, putting their interests first. We also make 1140 hours available to around a quarter of 2 year olds and to all children whose entry to primary school is deferred.It is far from clear that a universal system of &lsquo;free&rsquo; childcare for everyone would deliver either value for money for the Scottish taxpayer or the best outcomes for our children and young people. Despite the unprecedented financial challenges facing the Scottish Government we have prioritised tackling child poverty and expanding access to funded childcare for those families who stand to benefit most.That is why over the next two years we are investing &pound;16 million within six early adopter communities to continue our work to understand what it takes to design and deliver local childcare systems that support those families most at risk of living in poverty.In addition we are also continuing to support the &lsquo;Extra Time&rsquo; Programme, investing &pound;4 million in a partnership with the Scottish Football Association to deliver before, after school and breakfast clubs, providing 3,000 targeted free places each week for children and their families.We have also invested close to &pound;1 million to deliver free or subsidised school age childcare services through our Access to Childcare projects. These projects are also considering specific challenges for families including remote and rural childcare provision, and specialist provision for children with disabilities or complex additional support needs.We remain committed to expanding funded ELC to reach more younger children and to building a system of School Age Childcare, and we are going as far and as fast as we can to deliver that.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424320,"EventID":"S6W-30110","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5608,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":103,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:29:36.347","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-23T15:10:08.143","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to implementing the Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 earlier than April 2025.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to implementing the Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 earlier than April 2025.","AnswerText":"I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:Implementation of the Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 was initially to be April 2024. Following the onset of the cost crisis in the public sector, Disclosure Scotland advised its Ministers that a one-year delay would be more cost effective in the context of the worsening financial climate. This delay would allow Disclosure Scotland to build the required technology at reduced expense and deliver a better product in terms of quality.Disclosure Scotland advised Ministers that the longer delivery period would also allow our stakeholders more time to get ready for the coming changes and that the delay would not diminish the child and adult protection services that are the number one priority for Scottish Ministers in operating the PVG Scheme.Ministers decided to agree a one-year delay in Act implementation but asked that appropriate elements of the new legislation should be commenced sooner, where possible.Accordingly, parts of the Act and the policy intent of the Act have commenced earlier than the substantive implementation date, specifically:On 10 December 2021, the Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 (Commencement No.1 and Transitory Provision) Regulations 2021 came into force. These related to sections 83-85 of the 2020 Act which enabled individuals to withdraw from the PVG Scheme, to apply for removal from the barred list(s), permitted Scottish Ministers powers to obtain information to assess whether an individual is no longer unsuitable and to remove an individual from the list(s).On 19 December 2022,The Police Act 1997 (Offences in Schedules 8A and 8B) Amendment (Scotland) Regulations 2022 updated the offence lists in the Police Act 1997 to reflect the changes listed in the Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020.On 01 April 2023,the Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 (Commencement No.2) Regulations 2023 came into force. These related to section 89 of the 2020 Act and provided Scottish Ministers must issue guidance to the chief constable of the Police Service of Scotland relating to disclosure of &lsquo;other relevant information&rsquo;.On 30 September 2024, Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 (Commencement No.3) Regulations 2024 brought into force provisions of the 2020 Act including section 82 which amended the PVG Act to give local authorities and integration joint boards referral powers.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424321,"EventID":"S6W-30142","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:29:36.33","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T11:21:44.913","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to build more social housing to meet the needs of women and families.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to build more social housing to meet the needs of women and families.","AnswerText":"Our ambition is for everyone to have a safe, good quality and affordable home that meets their needs in the place where they want to be, including women and families. Since 2007, we have supported the delivery of more than 133,000 affordable homes, over 94,000 of which were for social rent, including over 26,000 council homes. We remain committed to delivering 110,000 affordable homes by 2032 with at least 70% for social rent and 10% in rural and island areas, and between 23 March 2022 and end of June 2024, we have delivered 22,743 affordable homes towards the 110,000 target, of which over 17,000 have been homes for social rent.We continue to work closely with partners to deliver the right homes in the right places and it is for local authorities through their Local Housing Strategies and Strategic Housing Investment Plans to identify the type, location, size and tenure of homes required in their areas.The Scottish Government regularly publishes figures on homes delivered, which can be found online at:Housing statistics quarterly update: new housebuilding and affordable housing supply - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)","AnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424322,"EventID":"S6W-30156","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:29:37.81","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T13:56:26.49","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when a decision will be made on whether to extend the current Northern Isles Ferry Service contract from 30 June 2026 to 30 June 2028.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when a decision will be made on whether to extend the current Northern Isles Ferry Service contract from 30 June 2026 to 30 June 2028.","AnswerText":"The decision to extend will be carried out as part of the current contractual agreement in place with NorthLink Ferries.Transport Scotland are currently in the process of considering a Revised Base Case and this is expected to conclude shortly. Following this, advice will be provided to Scottish Ministers. Subject to their review and approval, the contract would then run until 30 June 2028.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424323,"EventID":"S6W-30149","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:29:37.96","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T13:00:42.253","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what  action it is taking to bring forward Falkirk Growth Deal projects, in light of reports of the Grangemouth refinery closure.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what  action it is taking to bring forward Falkirk Growth Deal projects, in light of reports of the Grangemouth refinery closure.","AnswerText":"Project development and delivery are led by Falkirk Council and other local partners. Officials are in regular communication with both the UK Government and Falkirk Council regarding the signing of the Falkirk and Grangemouth Growth Deal. Partners are currently preparing business cases for all projects and officials are working to support this process to enable project delivery to commence. This crucial project development work has been ongoing ahead of the formal signing. Partners have identified the Deal projects which are sufficiently developed to commence and have prioritised those accordingly within the 10 year delivery programme of the Growth Deal.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424324,"EventID":"S6W-30150","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:29:36.313","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T13:00:42.253","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with (a) the UK Government and (b) Falkirk Council regarding the final sign-off of the Falkirk Growth Deal.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with (a) the UK Government and (b) Falkirk Council regarding the final sign-off of the Falkirk Growth Deal.","AnswerText":"Officials are in regular contact with both the UK Government and Falkirk Council regarding the signing of the Falkirk and Grangemouth Growth Deal. Discussion continues at pace to align Ministers and Falkirk Council to secure a date for the signing to bring the Deal into delivery. Signing was previously scheduled before the General Election but had to be postponed during that process. Project development is led by Falkirk Council and other local partners and this has continued ahead of the formal signing, ensuring this delay does not adversely impact Deal progress.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424325,"EventID":"S6W-30122","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:29:36.32","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-23T16:50:00.013","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been provided to community-based mental health and wellbeing support and services in the Scottish Borders since 2020, broken down by (a) year and (b","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been provided to community-based mental health and wellbeing support and services in the Scottish Borders since 2020, broken down by (a) year and (b) project.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has provided funding to community-based mental health and wellbeing support services for children, young people and their families in the Scottish Borders since 2020. This is broken down into:2019-20&pound;62,5002020-21&pound;82,2502021-22&pound;329,0002022-23&pound;334,0002023-24&pound;335,0002024-25&pound;338,000Total&pound;1,480,750A further breakdown of this funding by project is not available as this is a matter for Scottish Borders Council, and the Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally.In addition, residents of the Scottish Borders have also benefitted from the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults which was established in 2021. The funding is for grassroot community-based projects supporting mental health and wellbeing and is distributed through the Third Sector Interface Network.In the first three years of the Fund, Scottish Borders (Borders Community Action) have received more than &pound;1,778,000.00 of the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults to distribute to grass root projects. The breakdown of the annual grants can be found below:Year 1 (2021-22)&pound;1,133,848.47*Year 2 (2022-23)&pound;321,858.00Year 3 (2023-24)&pound;322,909.32*Scottish Borders received &pound;318,924.96 plus a further &pound;814,918.51 from the additional &pound;6 million funding made available nationally, totalling &pound;1,133,848.47A list of the projects funded in Year 1 and 2 can be found on the Scottish Government website at:Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund Projects awarded funding in Year 1 2021/2022 (www.gov.scot)Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults - Projects awarded funding in Year 2 - 2022/2023 (www.gov.scot)A list of funded projects in the Scottish Borders in Year 3 has not yet been published but can be found in the following table.Organisation NameName of ProjectFunding AwardedAllanbank Arts, Social EnterpriseBerwickshire community arts and information project&pound;5,630.00Borders Additional Needs GroupASN Peer Hubs Parents&pound;26,774.00Borders Disability SportPhysical Activity Intervention for Adults with Disability&pound;45,413.00Central Borders Citizens Advice BureauCAB Wellbeing Project&pound;10,668.00Clubsport BordersHeadstrong - Evolution&pound;15,500.00Duns Senior Citizens ClubSummer Trip to Eyemouth + Meal&pound;600.00Gavinton Village Hall AssociationGavinton Village Hall Hearing Loop &amp; Caster&pound;4,388.00Greener PeeblesGreener Wellbeing&pound;25,520.00Innerleithen, Traquair &amp; Walkerburn Parish Church of Scotland3 Communities Craft &amp; Chat&pound;5,600.00Interest Link BordersNew Learning Disabilities Groups 2024&pound;8,965.00Leitholm, Eccles and Birgham Community CouncilLeitholm, Eccles and Birgham Community Council&pound;2,709.00LGBT Youth ScotlandLGBT Youth Scotland - Scottish Borders&pound;31,300.00Nature Unlimited CICThrive in Nature&pound;20,088.00Nature Unlimited CICConnect in Nature&pound;8,998.00Nomad BeatRecollective&pound;4,955.00Outside the Box Development Support LtdBorders Queer Chosen Families (working title)&pound;17,049.00ParentSpace (SCIO)Getting it Right for Every Parent&pound;9,996.00Peebles Old Parish Church of ScotlandGrand Hands, Hearts &amp; Minds&pound;7,200.00PMH BordersFunding for Counsellor&pound;14,560.00QuarriersQuarriers - Breaking Down Barriers&pound;36,429.00Recovery Coaching Scotland CICRecovery Coaching - Self Coaching - Additional Support for Learning Group&pound;17,339.00","AnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424326,"EventID":"S6W-30157","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:29:36.333","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T13:56:26.49","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of comments reportedly made by a Transport Scotland official at Shetland&rsquo;s external transport forum on 17 September 2024 that fares on the Serco NorthLin","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of comments reportedly made by a Transport Scotland official at Shetland&rsquo;s external transport forum on 17 September 2024 that fares on the Serco NorthLink Northern Isles Ferry Service are &ldquo;fairly priced&rdquo; and &ldquo;not astronomical&rdquo;, what work has been done by Transport Scotland to assess the affordability of fares, giving consideration to inflationary increases on household budgets in Shetland and across Scotland, to provide a basis for these claims.","AnswerText":"Scottish Ministers make contractual grant payments based on the projected cumulative difference between Operating Costs and Revenue for each Service Year.Islander fares on Northern Isles routes were frozen from 2020 to 2024 along with a 20% reduction in cabin fares. This meant that government effectively bore the loss of revenue.These initiatives have required the Scottish Government to invest an additional &pound;4.8m since 2020, over and above the general subsidy, in order to protect islanders from the impacts of recent high levels of inflation.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424327,"EventID":"S6W-30119","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:29:36.3","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-23T16:50:00.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what community-based mental health and wellbeing support and services, not including child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), are available to young people i","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what community-based mental health and wellbeing support and services, not including child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), are available to young people in the Scottish Borders.","AnswerText":"In 2024-25, the following community-based mental health and wellbeing supports and services are available to children and young people in the Scottish Borders Council area through its share of the &pound;15 million per annum funding provided to local authorities by the Scottish Government:Quarriers &ndash; Wellbeing ServiceTogetherallKoothAction for Children &ndash; BAME SupportAction for Children &ndash; Support for Young CarersLGBT Youth ScotlandOne Step BordersChildren 1st &ndash; Trauma WorkSeasons for GrowthYoung people aged 16 and over can also access grassroots community-based projects to support their mental health and wellbeing provided through the Scottish Government&rsquo;s Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults, which has distributed &pound;51 million over three years through the Third Sector Interface Network. A list of the projects funded in the Scottish Borders in 2023-24 has not yet been published but can be found in the following table.Allanbank Arts, Social Enterprise &ndash; Berwickshire Community Arts and Information ProjectBorders Additional Needs Group &ndash; ASN Peer Hubs ParentsBorders Disability Sport &ndash; Physical Activity Intervention for Adults with DisabilityCentral Borders Citizens Advice Bureau &ndash; CAB Wellbeing ProjectClubsport Borders &ndash; Headstrong, EvolutionDuns Senior Citizens Club &ndash; Summer Trip to Eyemouth and MealGavinton Village Hall Association &ndash; Hearing Loop and CasterGreener Peebles &ndash; Greener WellbeingInnerleithen, Traquair &amp; Walkerburn Parish Church of Scotland &ndash; 3 Communities Craft &amp; ChatInterest Link Borders &ndash; New Learning Disabilities Groups 2024Leitholm, Eccles and Birgham Community CouncilLGBT Youth Scotland &ndash; Scottish BordersNature Unlimited CIC &ndash; Thrive in NatureNature Unlimited CIC &ndash; Connect in NatureNomad Beat &ndash; RecollectiveOutside the Box Development Support Ltd &ndash; Borders Queer Chosen Families (working title)ParentSpace (SCIO) &ndash; Getting it Right for Every ParentPeebles Old Parish Church of Scotland &ndash; Grand Hands, Hearts &amp; MindsPMH Borders &ndash; Funding for CounsellorQuarriers &ndash; Breaking Down BarriersRecovery Coaching Scotland CIC &ndash; Recovery Coaching, Self-Coaching, Additional Support for Learning GroupWe do not hold information on other community-based mental health support that may be available in the Scottish Borders but not provided through the Scottish Government funding streams referenced above.Child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) are funded and delivered separately.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424328,"EventID":"S6W-30146","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:29:36.417","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T11:26:54.833","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to establish an accessible, affordable, safe and integrated public transport system, which would improve wo","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to establish an accessible, affordable, safe and integrated public transport system, which would improve women&rsquo;s transport options.","AnswerText":"As set out in our recent Programme for Government, we will provide nearly &pound;2.5 billion in 2024-25, to support public transport, making our transport system available, affordable and accessible for all. We also committed, in the PfG, to work with local authorities to ensure as many children as possible can access their free bus entitlement, cutting travel costs and making sustainable travel a more attractive option.The safety of all public transport users is crucial, and we are working with industry stakeholders to develop actions to tackle antisocial behaviour on the bus network. This includes a process for temporary suspension or withdrawal of concessionary travel entitlement.Ministers continue to work closely with ScotRail to develop measures to tackle and prevent antisocial behaviour while maximising the safety of all rail passengers and staff. ScotRail has taken several steps to enhance the visible presence of staff on trains, especially on key routes identified as needing additional support. Initiatives such as the \"Safer Shores\" campaign demonstrate a collaborative approach, with ScotRail working alongside Local Authorities and British Transport Police to provide extra staff on trains to popular seaside destinations during peak times. ScotRail has invested &pound;1.6 million to triple the number of body-worn cameras for frontline staff. ScotRail have also invested in improved CCTV with intelligent video analytics.To remove barriers to public transport, we have supported operators to accept contactless payment, with about 98% of buses now enabled. We delivered on our PfG commitment to launch a new Traveline Scotland journey planning website and app on 17 September. This improves the quality and availability of travel data to provide a journey planner that is fit for the future.Much progress has been made in recent years to improve smart, integrated ticketing and payment on public transport, as detailed in the Smart Integrated Ticketing Delivery Strategy, which was published in August this year. This strategy also outlines a programme of work and strategy for the next 5-10 years, building on this progress and including exploring options for a new national integrated ticketing system, reflecting passenger's desires for integrated contactless and digital ticketing.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424329,"EventID":"S6W-30117","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:29:36.27","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-23T16:49:59.997","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the child and adolescent mentalhealth services (CAMHS) rejected referral rate in the quarter ending June 2024was reportedly much higher in NHS Borders th","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the child and adolescent mentalhealth services (CAMHS) rejected referral rate in the quarter ending June 2024was reportedly much higher in NHS Borders than the national rejected referralrate.","AnswerText":"Every child and young person should be able to access support for their mental health and wellbeing when and where they need it. Not all children and young people need specialist services like CAMHS, and many will find more suitable support in their local community.We are aware that the rate of CAMHS referrals not accepted in NHS Borders in the quarter ending June 2024 was higher than other Health Boards. Scottish Government officials are meeting with NHS Borders to understand the reasons behind this, and to ensure that any referrals not accepted are receiving meaningful redirection.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424330,"EventID":"S6W-30152","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:29:36.343","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T13:43:42.183","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to improve communication between hospitals and local GP surgeries to ensure the continuation of care for all patients, particularly those with a termina","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to improve communication between hospitals and local GP surgeries to ensure the continuation of care for all patients, particularly those with a terminal illness.","AnswerText":"All Health Boards should have appropriate arrangements in place to ensure co-ordination of care for patients across primary, community and hospital health care services. This includes patients with a terminal illness.To date the Scottish Government has provided over &pound;342,000, of which, &pound;125,000 was provided this financial year, in funding to the Royal College of General Practitioners &ldquo;Primary Care Secondary Care Interface&rdquo; project. The project is considering ways to improve this co-ordination and interface working arrangements. The College is working with the Centre for Sustainable Delivery and Health Boards on this project.The Scottish Government published the General Practice Access Principles in November 2023. This report sets out a clear framework for the core principles of how GP services should be delivered &ndash; equitably, sensitively, reasonably and appropriately, making the most effective use of resources and systems currently available.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424331,"EventID":"S6W-30153","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:29:36.347","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T13:56:26.49","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what calculations form the basis for the comments that a Transport Scotland official reportedly made at Shetland&rsquo;s external transport forum on 17 September 2024 th","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what calculations form the basis for the comments that a Transport Scotland official reportedly made at Shetland&rsquo;s external transport forum on 17 September 2024 that reducing fares on the Serco NorthLink Northern Isles Ferry Service could cost the Scottish Government &ldquo;millions&rdquo;.","AnswerText":"Scottish Ministers make contractual grant payments based on the projected cumulative difference between Operating Costs and Revenue for each Service Year.Islander fares on Northern Isles routes were frozen from 2020 to 2024 along with a 20% reduction in cabin fares. This meant that government effectively bore the loss of revenue.These initiatives have required the Scottish Government to invest an additional &pound;4.8m since 2020, over and above the general subsidy, in order to protect islanders from the impacts of recent high levels of inflation.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424332,"EventID":"S6W-30154","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:29:36.327","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T13:56:26.49","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering options to exempt islanders from seasonal fares on the Northern Isles Ferry Service routes.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering options to exempt islanders from seasonal fares on the Northern Isles Ferry Service routes.","AnswerText":"The draft Islands Connectivity Plan (ICP) Strategic Approach paper was published for public consultation earlier this year. Building on the Fair Fares Review, we said that we would take forward detailed consideration of a number of ferry fare proposals, including on Road Equivalent Tariff, islander fares and under 22s.The outputs from the consultation and engagement, published on 3 September, will support the finalisation of the ICP Strategic Approach, and will inform the development of the remaining elements of the ICP, including work on future ferry fares policy.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":424333,"EventID":"S6W-30151","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:29:37.61","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T13:43:13.887","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that patients with a terminal illness are able to access GP surgery appointments requested by their specialists without any undue delay or dis","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that patients with a terminal illness are able to access GP surgery appointments requested by their specialists without any undue delay or distress.","AnswerText":"All Health Boards should have appropriate arrangements in place to ensure co-ordination of care for patients across primary, community and hospital health care services. This includes patients with a terminal illness.To date the Scottish Government has provided over &pound;342,000, of which, &pound;125,000 was provided this financial year, in funding to the Royal College of General Practitioners &ldquo;Primary Care Secondary Care Interface&rdquo; project. The project is considering ways to improve this co-ordination and interface working arrangements. The College is working with the Centre for Sustainable Delivery and Health Boards on this project.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424334,"EventID":"S6W-30121","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:29:36.337","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-23T16:50:00.01","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the further &pound;15 million that it planned to provide to local authorities for the continuation of community-based mental health and wellbeing support and ser","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the further &pound;15 million that it planned to provide to local authorities for the continuation of community-based mental health and wellbeing support and services in 2024-25 is still being provided.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has provided &pound;15 million to local authorities for the provision of community-based mental health and wellbeing supports and services in 2024-25.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424335,"EventID":"S6W-30137","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:29:36.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T11:12:16.203","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle dangerous driving behaviours, such as (a) speeding, (b) driving too slowly, (c) using a mobile phone while driving and (d) racing, and","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle dangerous driving behaviours, such as (a) speeding, (b) driving too slowly, (c) using a mobile phone while driving and (d) racing, and what measures are in place to improve road safety across Scotland.","AnswerText":"Scotland&rsquo;s Road Safety Framework to 2030 sets out a vision for Scotland to have the best road safety performance in the world by 2030 and a long-term goal where no one is seriously injured or killed on our roads by 2050.In response to interim figures in 2023 showing an increase in road casualties in Scotland, the Scottish Government has allocated a record &pound;36m for road safety investment in the 2024/25 financial year. Latest figures in 2024 show that fatal casualties are tracking 26% above the same period last year.In response to this, a range of interventions totalling &pound;5.5m will be delivered. These include driver behaviour campaigns targeting speeding and seat belt use, as well as advancing the use of distracted driver technology. Additionally, local projects will focus on reducing pedestrian and cyclist casualties.Further initiatives include launching a consultation on the National Speed Management Review, overseeing the &pound;10m Road Safety Improvement Fund to support local authorities reduce casualties and risk, and the rolling out of a pioneering training and education programme which includes the development of the world&rsquo;s first Safe System Manual for road safety practitioners.This comprehensive approach underscores the Scottish Government&rsquo;s unwavering commitment to achieving its goal of making Scotland&rsquo;s roads among the safest in the world by 2030.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424336,"EventID":"S6W-30170","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:29:36.35","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T08:51:03.073","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last reviewed the Adoption Support Services and Allowances (Scotland) Regulations 2009,&nbsp;and what conclusion  any such review reached regarding the efficacy ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last reviewed the Adoption Support Services and Allowances (Scotland) Regulations 2009,&nbsp;and what conclusion  any such review reached regarding the efficacy of the regulations in providing proportionate and equitable support for adoptive families.","AnswerText":"A National Review of Care Allowances was published in 2018 which highlighted that each local authority is able to develop their own adoption allowance scheme within the parameters of the Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007 (&lsquo;the 2007 Act&rsquo;). Under the 2007 Act, local authorities have a duty to assess someone&rsquo;s need for adoption support services and to provide this support.Adoption agencies should ensure that prospective adopters are made aware at the earliest opportunity of the adoption process about the purpose of an adoption allowance, as well as the process for applying.In addition, the Adoption Support Services and Allowances (Scotland) Regulations 2009 (&lsquo;the 2009 Regulations&rsquo;) are designed to ensure that those persons identified in section 1 of the 2007 Act can access and receive the ongoing support for an adoption required to ensure the improved outcomes associated with adoption. It is the duty of local authorities to implement these duties to ensure that adoptive families receive this support.The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that adoptive families receive the support they need, when and where they need it throughout life. This includes the provision of over &pound;770,000 funding in 2024/25 to organisations delivering services and support to adoptive families and practitioners.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424337,"EventID":"S6O-03806","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:37:45.817","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T08:25:00.35","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is supporting childcare providers. &nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is supporting childcare providers. &nbsp;","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424338,"EventID":"S6O-03807","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":3129,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":83,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:37:45.817","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T15:40:33.51","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the provision of levelling up funding for areas of multiple deprivation such as Drumchapel in the Gla","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the provision of levelling up funding for areas of multiple deprivation such as Drumchapel in the Glasgow Anniesland constituency.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424339,"EventID":"S6O-03805","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5618,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":91,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:37:45.807","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T13:22:19.463","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its latest engagement with the UK Government regarding the UK Budget on 30 October 2024. &nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its latest engagement with the UK Government regarding the UK Budget on 30 October 2024. &nbsp;","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424340,"EventID":"S6O-03810","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:37:45.82","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T08:20:34.097","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its long-term ferry strategy to ensure reliability for communities.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its long-term ferry strategy to ensure reliability for communities.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424341,"EventID":"S6O-03808","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":1756,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":136,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:37:45.813","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T10:15:32.503","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact on public services of an increased population in areas such as Midlothian.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact on public services of an increased population in areas such as Midlothian.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424342,"EventID":"S6O-03811","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:37:45.82","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T09:19:50.217","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recommendations in the recent Oxfam Scotland report, Cleared for Take-off: A Private Jet Tax for Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recommendations in the recent Oxfam Scotland report, Cleared for Take-off: A Private Jet Tax for Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424343,"EventID":"S6O-03809","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:37:45.81","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T09:27:46.43","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with senior representatives from the Scottish hospitality industry.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with senior representatives from the Scottish hospitality industry.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424344,"EventID":"S6O-03812","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:37:45.81","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T11:57:52.96","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that school meals meet or exceed existing nutritional standards.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that school meals meet or exceed existing nutritional standards.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424345,"EventID":"S6O-03796","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:37:32.633","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T13:33:45.707","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the use of locums in local mental health services.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the use of locums in local mental health services.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424346,"EventID":"S6O-03804","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4941,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":87,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:37:33.05","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T09:19:24.183","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of the Ministerial Population Taskforce.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of the Ministerial Population Taskforce.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424347,"EventID":"S6O-03783","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4940,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":81,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:37:32.913","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T10:45:14.953","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what assessment it has made of the impact of Brexit on Scotland's food and drink sector. &nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what assessment it has made of the impact of Brexit on Scotland's food and drink sector. &nbsp;","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424348,"EventID":"S6O-03799","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4982,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:37:32.937","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T12:32:35.443","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people are homeless in the Highland Council area.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people are homeless in the Highland Council area.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424349,"EventID":"S6O-03782","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:37:32.603","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T09:50:04.207","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether any further action is required to address reported concerns around the environmental, sustainability and welfare impacts of farmed salmon","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether any further action is required to address reported concerns around the environmental, sustainability and welfare impacts of farmed salmon. &nbsp;","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424350,"EventID":"S6O-03797","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:37:32.97","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T09:49:00.617","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to bring down processing times for the Adult Disability Payment, in light of the most recent high level statistics from Social Security Scotland","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to bring down processing times for the Adult Disability Payment, in light of the most recent high level statistics from Social Security Scotland indicating a reversal in the previous reduction to processing times.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424351,"EventID":"S6O-03802","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:37:32.7","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T09:36:43.707","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its proposed timeline and target date are for the establishment of a leavers fund to support victims of domestic abuse to leave abusive relationships.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its proposed timeline and target date are for the establishment of a leavers fund to support victims of domestic abuse to leave abusive relationships.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424352,"EventID":"S6O-03795","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:37:33.17","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T09:14:57.103","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish revised modelling to show any impact of delays to the opening of the remaining National Treatment Centres on bringing down waiting lists, as outl","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish revised modelling to show any impact of delays to the opening of the remaining National Treatment Centres on bringing down waiting lists, as outlined in its NHS Recovery Plan.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424353,"EventID":"S6O-03787","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2892,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:37:32.757","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T13:50:36.67","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to reported concerns that the licensing scheme introduced by the Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act 2023 is acting as a loophole in th","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to reported concerns that the licensing scheme introduced by the Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act 2023 is acting as a loophole in the fox hunting ban.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424354,"EventID":"S6O-03801","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:37:32.883","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T09:43:52.917","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how payments made by Social Security Scotland are incentivising people in Fife back into work.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how payments made by Social Security Scotland are incentivising people in Fife back into work.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424355,"EventID":"S6O-03785","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2826,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":84,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:37:32.987","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T09:26:20.857","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what communication it has had with the UK Government, since the general election, regarding the potential impact on Scotland's food and drink sector of the reported prop","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what communication it has had with the UK Government, since the general election, regarding the potential impact on Scotland's food and drink sector of the reported proposal for \"not for EU\" labelling on food and drink products in the UK.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424356,"EventID":"S6O-03803","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:37:33.083","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-23T15:43:25.253","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to continue delivering social security provisions, in light of reports that total spending on devolved social security in 2024-25 is expected to be around &","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to continue delivering social security provisions, in light of reports that total spending on devolved social security in 2024-25 is expected to be around &pound;1.1 billion higher than the funding received from the UK Government through the block grant adjustment.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424357,"EventID":"S6O-03792","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5866,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:37:32.557","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T07:46:54.757","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that diagnostic pathways in Scotland are appropriate for those affected by brain tumours.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that diagnostic pathways in Scotland are appropriate for those affected by brain tumours.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424358,"EventID":"S6O-03784","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:37:33.13","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-23T13:07:29.687","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will increase funding to enable more trees of commercial species to be planted in Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will increase funding to enable more trees of commercial species to be planted in Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424359,"EventID":"S6O-03786","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3907,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":135,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:37:32.553","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T08:33:42.727","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on the availability and prominence of Scottish food and drink produce in supermarkets operating in Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on the availability and prominence of Scottish food and drink produce in supermarkets operating in Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424360,"EventID":"S6O-03790","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16215,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:37:32.673","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T13:25:13.663","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many alcohol-related deaths were reported in the Lothian region in the last year for which data is available. &nbsp; &nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many alcohol-related deaths were reported in the Lothian region in the last year for which data is available. &nbsp; &nbsp;","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424361,"EventID":"S6O-03789","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5596,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":151,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:37:32.73","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T13:22:19.51","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is in place to help newly qualified paramedics find suitable employment.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is in place to help newly qualified paramedics find suitable employment.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424362,"EventID":"S6O-03793","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:37:33.033","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T09:52:31.383","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what compensation is available for any families that are paying for private urgent dental treatment due to delays in accessing NHS treatment.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what compensation is available for any families that are paying for private urgent dental treatment due to delays in accessing NHS treatment.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424363,"EventID":"S6O-03791","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16177,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":125,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:37:33.113","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T07:24:24.267","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support neurodivergent people, in light of reports of people waiting years for diagnosis, and subsequent access to support and treatment, which is se","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support neurodivergent people, in light of reports of people waiting years for diagnosis, and subsequent access to support and treatment, which is seriously impacting their lives.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424364,"EventID":"S6O-03800","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16176,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":137,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:37:32.823","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T15:36:32.52","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how its social security policies are mitigating any impact in Scotland of the UK Government&rsquo;s so-called bedroom tax and benefit cap.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how its social security policies are mitigating any impact in Scotland of the UK Government&rsquo;s so-called bedroom tax and benefit cap.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424365,"EventID":"S6O-03794","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:37:32.787","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T07:54:37.287","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it can provide to NHS Ayrshire and Arran, in light of reports that the health board requires over &pound;85 million to cover the cost of backdated repairs.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it can provide to NHS Ayrshire and Arran, in light of reports that the health board requires over &pound;85 million to cover the cost of backdated repairs.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424366,"EventID":"S6O-03788","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:37:32.657","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T13:33:18.883","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the first statutory National Islands Plan, published in 2019, has been&nbsp;a success.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the first statutory National Islands Plan, published in 2019, has been&nbsp;a success.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424367,"EventID":"S6O-03798","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5075,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":112,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-25T15:37:32.853","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T08:16:51.787","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implications of the UK Government&rsquo;s decision to reduce the Winter Fuel Payment for the delivery of the Winter Heating Paym","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implications of the UK Government&rsquo;s decision to reduce the Winter Fuel Payment for the delivery of the Winter Heating Payment in Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424404,"EventID":"S6W-30144","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:26.147","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T11:24:34.527","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what training it has provided to justice system staff regarding eradicating male violence against women and girls.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what training it has provided to justice system staff regarding eradicating male violence against women and girls.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government are committed to the eradication of violence against women and girls (VAWG), and this is why we are implementing the Equally Safe Strategy.However, the Scottish Government are not responsible for the training of justice system staff. As independent organisations, they are responsible for their own learning and development.The Scottish Government often provides additional funding for training to support the implementation of new legislation and initiatives, for example, additional funding of &pound;825k was provided to Police Scotland to support officers and staff respond to and investigate the new Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 offence.Justice organisations are subscribed to the Equally Safe Strategy and are included in the membership of the Equally Safe Joint Strategic Board who are responsible for driving change in relation to the aims and priorities of the Equally Safe Strategy and its implementation. Our Equally Safe delivery plan, which was published in August 2024, contains a commitment to develop a streamlined approach to trauma-informed workplace practices that promote and enhance VAWG knowledge, skills, and expertise. Partners from the justice system will be engaged in the development of this approach.The Vision for Justice in Scotland (2022) prioritises women and children and reiterates a commitment to make improvements to the justice system which benefit and empower women. The Justice Board, which represents many of the key national justice organisations, overseas the implementation of the delivery plan. The Vision ensures that Equally Safe is a key component in the route to a transformed justice system and commits to working across boundaries to improve outcomes for individuals to address causes of crime and reduce offending.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424405,"EventID":"S6W-30203","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4982,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:25.917","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T13:54:25.57","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many hearings each member of Children&rsquo;s Hearings Scotland undertook in (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024 to date.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many hearings each member of Children&rsquo;s Hearings Scotland undertook in (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024 to date.","AnswerText":"This is a matter for Children&rsquo;s Hearings Scotland. This information is not held centrally.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":424406,"EventID":"S6W-30163","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:26.257","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T16:03:37.12","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to improve its guidance to local authorities in relation to the allocation of priority adapted housing for disabled people in social housing.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to improve its guidance to local authorities in relation to the allocation of priority adapted housing for disabled people in social housing.","AnswerText":"Social landlords (local authorities and housing associations) are responsible for the allocation of social housing. They must develop and publish allocation policies, within a broad legal framework for social housing allocations. Our Social housing allocations in Scotland: practice guide  was published in 2019 and provides practical assistance to staff with responsibility for reviewing, monitoring and updating allocation policies and procedures to ensure they comply with current legislation. This includes having an allocation policy that recognises some people will need an adapted or accessible property and ensure that people requiring one of these properties are given priority.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424407,"EventID":"S6W-30208","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:26.23","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T15:06:08.873","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government on how many occasions the number of road workers onsite at the (a) A83 Rest and Be Thankful and (b) Old Military Road, when operating under convoy control, has fallen be","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government on how many occasions the number of road workers onsite at the (a) A83 Rest and Be Thankful and (b) Old Military Road, when operating under convoy control, has fallen below the minimum required level, resulting in the convoy being unable to operate, in each year since 2016.","AnswerText":"There have been no occasions where there have been insufficient staff to operate the convoy.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424408,"EventID":"S6W-30192","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:26.273","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T12:40:47.963","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that its international offices have spent over &pound;430,000 on events such as whisky tastings over the last three years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that its international offices have spent over &pound;430,000 on events such as whisky tastings over the last three years.","AnswerText":"The activities of our external network of international offices deliver tangible benefits to Scotland&rsquo;s people, businesses and institutions, for example, supporting &pound;1.73 billion in forecast export sales and more than 8,500 jobs in 2022-23. The offices help to ensure that Scotland remains well-connected among our closest friends and partners.Delivering events and undertaking outreach work is an important part of our international network&rsquo;s activity. It allows the network to promote Scottish goods and services and to make connections that support investment and knowledge exchange by engaging directly with businesses, governments, universities and other organisations in their respective countries. All events and outreach activities delivered by the international network are in support of business plans aligned to the government&rsquo;s priorities, and funded within budgets agreed by Parliament.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424409,"EventID":"S6W-30191","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:26.57","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T12:40:08.823","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported increase in alcohol-related deaths in Scotland, what plans it has to review the effectiveness of minimum unit pricing.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported increase in alcohol-related deaths in Scotland, what plans it has to review the effectiveness of minimum unit pricing.","AnswerText":"Every life lost to alcohol is a tragedy and the recent alcohol specific deaths statistics, published by the National Records of Scotland, is a stark reminder of the challenge we face in tackling alcohol harm across Scotland.The Scottish Government commissioned Public Health Scotland (PHS) to deliver independent evaluation of Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP). That evaluation estimated that MUP had reduced alcohol specific deaths by 13.4%, compared to what would have been the case if MUP wasn&rsquo;t in place. A letter published in the Lancet authored by a number of internationally renowned public health experts stated that, &ldquo;policy makers can be confident that there are several hundred people with low income in Scotland who would have died as a result of alcohol, who are alive today as a result of minimum unit pricing.&rdquo;The Scottish Government is continuing to develop work on the range of options to consider the uprating of minimum unit pricing in future. As part of that activity the Scottish Government will consider the appropriate way to continue to review the effects and impacts of MUP. Appropriate stakeholder engagement will be undertaken with industry, business and public health stakeholders in advance of any decisions on uprating being taken.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424410,"EventID":"S6W-30165","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:26.967","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T07:31:49.5","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it issues to local authorities in relation to granting or refusing consent for the installation of domestic (a) solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and (b) win","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it issues to local authorities in relation to granting or refusing consent for the installation of domestic (a) solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and (b) wind generators.","AnswerText":"It is for local planning authorities to implement relevant planning legislation, policies and guidance as they deem appropriate and to ensure that the provisions of the planning system are applied properly within their areas. General guidance on the processing and determination of planning applications is available in Planning Circular 3: Development Management Procedures.In line with long-established planning legislation, planning applications are determined in accordance with the development plan unless material planning considerations justify a departure from the plan. National Planning Framework 4  (NPF4) forms part of the development plan, alongside the local development plan for each area.NPF4 signals the key priorities for &lsquo;where&rsquo; and &lsquo;what&rsquo; development should take place and is combined with national planning policy on &lsquo;how&rsquo; development planning should manage change. It places climate and nature at the centre of our planning system. NPF4 Policy 11 provides support in principle for all forms of renewable, low-carbon and zero emission technologies including small-scale renewable energy generation proposals. However, it also confirms that potential impacts on communities and individual dwellings, the environment and other receptors are important considerations in the decision-making process.In some instances, solar panels and wind turbines can be installed on domestic properties under permitted development rights without the need for a planning application. Guidance on this is contained in Section 6 of Planning Circular 1/2024: Householder Permitted Development Rights.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424411,"EventID":"S6W-30161","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:26.913","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T15:01:00.22","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27871 by Gillian Martin on 7 June 2024, when it will publish Zero Waste Scotland's landfill ban and infrastructure capacity report","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27871 by Gillian Martin on 7 June 2024, when it will publish Zero Waste Scotland's landfill ban and infrastructure capacity report.","AnswerText":"Zero Waste Scotland intends to publish the report on their website on 11 October 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424412,"EventID":"S6W-30202","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4982,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:27.04","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T13:54:06.4","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many volunteer team members across Scotland were working with Children&rsquo;s Hearings Scotland as of August (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many volunteer team members across Scotland were working with Children&rsquo;s Hearings Scotland as of August (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024.","AnswerText":"This is a matter for Children&rsquo;s Hearings Scotland. This information is not held centrally.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":424413,"EventID":"S6W-30183","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:25.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T10:25:31.717","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what barriers to progress of the work of the national thrombectomy programme have been identified, and what action is being taken to overcome these.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what barriers to progress of the work of the national thrombectomy programme have been identified, and what action is being taken to overcome these.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to expanding the thrombectomy service, and to ensuring that access to this treatment is as equitable as possible. We recognise, however that achieving an equitable service access across diverse geographical areas is challenging. That is why the Scottish Government has asked the National Thrombectomy Planning Board (NTPB) to plan a phased approach to service expansion, to ensure that all plans and decisions consider the access requirements of patients, and reflect the appropriate workforce, infrastructure and resourcing required across Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424414,"EventID":"S6W-30196","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:26.183","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T13:45:54.687","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many complaints have been received in each yearsince 2019-20 from landowners following a decision to designate their land as aSite of Special Scientific Interest, al","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many complaints have been received in each yearsince 2019-20 from landowners following a decision to designate their land as aSite of Special Scientific Interest, also broken down by how many were upheld.","AnswerText":"Through the provisions of the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004, the scientific justification for a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) can be challenged by owners or managers of a site:At notification of the siteOnce every 10 years following notificationThe number of challenges since 2019-20 and the outcome is summarised in the following table:&nbsp;2019-202020-212021-222022-232023-242024-25Challenges210030Upheld000000Withdrawn000020","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424415,"EventID":"S6W-30193","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:26.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T12:41:54.023","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comment by the Chief Constable whengiving evidence to the Criminal Justice Committee on 11 September 2024 that\"The demands made by the criminal justice s","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comment by the Chief Constable whengiving evidence to the Criminal Justice Committee on 11 September 2024 that\"The demands made by the criminal justice system form one of the largestelements that saps away the capacity of policing in Scotland. Going to courttakes away 500 officers a day; on many occasions, they will not giveevidence\", what steps it will take to improve efficiency in the justicesystem.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30024 on 1 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424416,"EventID":"S6W-30207","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:26.473","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T15:01:15.027","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many homes have been secured for key workers as a result of the &pound;25 million Rural Affordable Homes for Key Workers Fund.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many homes have been secured for key workers as a result of the &pound;25 million Rural Affordable Homes for Key Workers Fund.","AnswerText":"To date 17 homes have been approved through the demand-led Rural Affordable Homes for Key Workers Fund. This includes 7 homes in Highland, 7 homes in Orkney, 2 homes in Moray and 1 home in North Ayrshire. More Homes Division officials are in discussion with local authority partners on a number of other potential projects.We are continuing to engage with all local authorities through Scotland Housing Network&rsquo;s Local Housing Strategy Forum to encourage proposals to be forward where there are identified local requirements.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424417,"EventID":"S6W-30186","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:26.86","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T12:20:11.94","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with (a) local authorities, (b) higher education institutions and (c) private providers in order to establish local housing market intelligenc","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with (a) local authorities, (b) higher education institutions and (c) private providers in order to establish local housing market intelligence hubs.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has had no engagement with local authorities, higher education institutions, and private providers in order to establish local housing market intelligence hubs. It is the statutory responsibility of local authorities through their Local Housing Strategy and Development Plan to determine the appropriate housing required in their area, informed by a Housing Need and Demand Assessment (HNDA). HNDA Guidance encourages local authorities to establish a Housing Market Partnership (HMP) to oversee the development, production and sign-off of a HNDA. The structure and membership of a HMP is determined locally to reflect the circumstances and requirements of individual partnerships.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424418,"EventID":"S6W-30174","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:26.887","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T09:19:36.23","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to increase funding for hospices in order to support staff wage increases.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to increase funding for hospices in order to support staff wage increases.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is keen to support independent hospice organisations where possible. I recently met with the chair of the Scottish Hospice Leadership Group, and Hospice UK to discuss this matter. I have agreed that officials will work with the sector to understand estimated costs on increased funding associated with staff wage increases in line with Agenda for Change (AfC) uplifts.However, it is for Integration Joint Boards (IJBs) to govern, plan and resource adult palliative care in their areas, including independent hospice care, using the delegated budgets under their control. We would encourage hospice colleagues to continue to engage with IJBs to help ensure that the needs of the local population are met.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424419,"EventID":"S6W-30198","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:27.013","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T13:47:38.083","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how long traffic is required to wait on average at each end of the Old Military Route while the road is operating under convoy control.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how long traffic is required to wait on average at each end of the Old Military Route while the road is operating under convoy control.","AnswerText":"The cycle time is around 20 minutes although this can vary depending on how busy it is or if there are breakdowns or the like.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424420,"EventID":"S6W-30200","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4982,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:26.817","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T13:53:29.443","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the cost of running Children&rsquo;s Hearings Scotland was in (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024 to date.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the cost of running Children&rsquo;s Hearings Scotland was in (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024 to date.","AnswerText":"CHS Annual Reports and accounts for 2021-22 and 2022-23 were published and laid in Parliament, in accordance with the Children's Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011, with the 2023-24 accounts to be laid in Parliament later this month.This information is available on the CHS website: Reports and Planning (chscotland.gov.uk).","AnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":424421,"EventID":"S6W-30188","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:25.987","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T12:23:38.643","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage private landlords to participate in the student rental market.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage private landlords to participate in the student rental market.","AnswerText":"While the Scottish Government Review of Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) related solely to this specific type of student housing, we know that student accommodation in Scotland is a complex and interdependent system interacting with local housing systems and local communities, and that many students prefer to live in private tenancies. We will be inviting a representative from the Scottish Association of Landlords to a roundtable discussion on student accommodation which will be scheduled for the end of this year.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424422,"EventID":"S6W-30169","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:26.997","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T08:51:03.067","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there are any plans to (a) improve the consistency of data on the (i) number and (ii) outcomes of adoption placements across local authorities and (b) start moni","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there are any plans to (a) improve the consistency of data on the (i) number and (ii) outcomes of adoption placements across local authorities and (b) start monitoring any new data in relation to adoption placements to improve the understanding of adoption in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The National Records of Scotland, a non-Ministerial office of the Scottish Administration, publishes data tables annually, including in relation to the number of adoptions per year in Scotland.In addition, the Care Inspectorate publishes an annual fostering and adoption statistical bulletin which outlines data from local authorities&rsquo; annual returns, including in relation to their adoption services.The Scottish Government uses this data, and direct engagement with stakeholders, to continually improve the understanding of adoption in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424423,"EventID":"S6W-30162","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:26.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T16:03:37.12","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the results of its 2023 consultation,&nbsp;Enhancing the accessibility, adaptability and usability of Scotland's homes,&nbsp;will be released.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the results of its 2023 consultation,&nbsp;Enhancing the accessibility, adaptability and usability of Scotland's homes,&nbsp;will be released.","AnswerText":"The responses to the consultation on proposals for enhancing the accessibility, adaptability and usability of Scotland's homes are currently being analysed, and a report on the feedback received will be published in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424424,"EventID":"S6W-30140","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:27.117","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T11:20:06.697","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to improve healthcare provision, with a specific focus on (a) dental care, (b) mental healthcare and (c) the reintegration of face-to-face GP appointme","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to improve healthcare provision, with a specific focus on (a) dental care, (b) mental healthcare and (c) the reintegration of face-to-face GP appointments.","AnswerText":"Our intention to reform health and social care is now well established, outlined in our Programme for Government, the Policy Prospectus and in my statement in Parliament in June on my vision for health and social care.Primary care and community health is a core part of this work on reform, as a key building block of a reformed sustainable system supporting early intervention and prevention; and care closer to home. Our strategic priorities for primary care reform focus on shifting the balance of care closer to people&rsquo;s homes and driving a proactive approach of early intervention and prevention, promoting value for money across the health system. The Scottish Government is developing a reform Route Map to further enhance sustainability of Primary Care, aligned to wider reform of Health and Social Care.To answer your specific questions. Since the introduction of reforms NHS dental services have performed well nationally, with official statistics published on 27 August 2024 showing that over 2.7 million courses of treatment have been delivered to patients since 1 November 2023. In addition, we are currently considering the longer-term actions required to improve the dental workforce and ensure sustainable access to NHS dental services.To support mental healthcare, we published our Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, jointly with COSLA, in June 2023, and the accompanying Delivery Plan and Workforce Action Planin November 2023. The Strategy sets out a vision of a Scotland, free from stigma and inequality, where everyone fulfils their right to achieve the best mental health and wellbeing possible. It describes the support that anyone should be entitled to receive when they ask for help for any aspect of their mental health and wellbeing.Regarding the reintegration of face &ndash; to &ndash; face GP appointments we want to emphasise that General Practice continues to see patients. The General Practice Access Principles report sets out a clear framework for the core principles of how GP services should be delivered &ndash; equitably, sensitively, reasonably and appropriately, making the most effective use of resources and systems currently available.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424425,"EventID":"S6W-30210","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16176,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":137,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:26.58","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T15:23:43.11","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to reduce waiting times for NHS audiology services, in particular for people requiring hearing aids.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to reduce waiting times for NHS audiology services, in particular for people requiring hearing aids.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government accepted, in principle, the recommendations set out by the Independent Review of Audiology Services in Scotland and are fully committed to seeing improvement in Audiology services.Audiology is now being considered as a clinical priority area, and work is being progressed through the National Planning and Delivery Board arrangements led by the Chief Operating Officer &ndash; NHS Scotland.In order to support with long waits, our NHS Recovery Plan sets out our plans for health and social care over the course of this parliament. The plan will support an increase in inpatient, day case, and outpatient activity to address the backlogs of care, which will be supported by the implementation of sustainable improvements and new models of care.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424426,"EventID":"S6W-30145","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:25.957","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T11:25:15.16","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase the number of local authority care homes to ensure that the proper care is available to women.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase the number of local authority care homes to ensure that the proper care is available to women.","AnswerText":"Although the Scottish Government has overall responsibility for health and social care policy in Scotland, the statutory responsibility for delivering and commissioning services at a local level lies with local authorities, NHS boards and integrated health and social care partnerships. Local authorities are distinct corporate bodies whose powers and duties are set out in statute and are separate from the Scottish Government. As long as they act lawfully, it is up to each authority to manage its day to day activities, including the planning of services, in accordance with these responsibilities.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424427,"EventID":"S6W-30213","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:26.94","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T16:08:34.373","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the results of its practice-level dental workforce census will be published.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the results of its practice-level dental workforce census will be published.","AnswerText":"The practice level workforce survey was administered on behalf of The Scottish Government by NHS Education for Scotland (NES). A closing date of 31 July was set for responses. Analysis of the data is ongoing and while no specific date has been set NES are working towards a publication date towards the end of October.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":424428,"EventID":"S6W-30209","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:26.13","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T15:06:08.873","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the minimum number of road workers is that are required to be onsite at the (a) A83 Rest and Be Thankful and (b) Old Military Road when operating under convoy contr","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the minimum number of road workers is that are required to be onsite at the (a) A83 Rest and Be Thankful and (b) Old Military Road when operating under convoy control.","AnswerText":"The minimum number of road workers that are required to be onsite at the A83 Rest and Be Thankful is 5 and 6 at the Old Military Road.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424429,"EventID":"S6W-30194","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:26.1","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T13:42:36.937","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of its Sites of Special Scientific Interest is privately owned.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of its Sites of Special Scientific Interest is privately owned.","AnswerText":"There are 1423 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Scotland, the majority of which have one or more private owners. 88.2% of all SSSIs cover the properties of one or more private owners.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424430,"EventID":"S6W-30159","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:25.923","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T15:01:00.22","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comments by the then Minister for Climate Action during the stage 3 proceedings for the Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill on 25 June 2024 that the Scottis","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comments by the then Minister for Climate Action during the stage 3 proceedings for the Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill on 25 June 2024 that the Scottish Government \"intend[s] to consider targets for separate waste streams and carbon-based metrics\", and that this \"approach is based on the Climate Change Committee&rsquo;s recommendations&rdquo;, what recommendations the minister was referring to, and where they were made.","AnswerText":"Page 161 of the &lsquo;Progress in reducing emissions in Scotland: 2022 Report to Parliament&rsquo; by the Climate Change Committee (Progress in reducing emissions in Scotland 2022 Report to Parliament (theccc.org.uk)) contains the following recommendation:&ldquo;Legislate the Circular Economy Bill and set targets to reduce waste and improve recycling rates beyond 2025, ensuring these are more ambitious than existing targets. Targets should be set on the basis of separate waste streams (rather than 'All waste') and where possible consider carbon-based metrics&rdquo;","AnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424431,"EventID":"S6W-30167","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:26.047","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T08:51:03.057","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it is giving to improving financial support for adoptive parents and families.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it is giving to improving financial support for adoptive parents and families.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that adoptive families receive the support they need, when and where they need it throughout life. Despite the challenging fiscal environment, we are providing over &pound;770,000 to organisations delivering services and support to adoptive families and practitioners in 2024-25.As outlined in the Promise Implementation Plan update published on 19 September 2024, we will publish an adoption vision statement which sets out the place of adoption in Scotland today and our strategic priorities moving forward. This includes a focus on understanding the needs and priorities in relation to improving the consistency of post-adoption support across Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424432,"EventID":"S6W-30204","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:26.083","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T14:17:35.503","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what initiatives it is currently pursuing to protect capercaillie, and what assessment it has made of the impact of any such initiatives.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what initiatives it is currently pursuing to protect capercaillie, and what assessment it has made of the impact of any such initiatives.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30105 on 7 October 2024 for what initiatives the Scottish Government is currently pursuing to protect capercaillie. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answersThe Scottish Government has not conducted any formal assessment of the impact of the initiatives to protect capercaillie. However, a review commissioned by NatureScot, A Review of Capercaillie Conservation and Management - Report to the Scientific Advisory Committee, was published on 25 February 2022. The Report is the output of a sub-group of NatureScot&rsquo;s Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) who were asked to review the evidence and advise on further measures for the conservation and management of capercaillie in Scotland, with emphasis on the core area of the species in the Cairngorms.The plan of positive management measures based on the SAC Report recommendations, along with best available evidence and learning from work recently delivered to benefit capercaillie, including through the Cairngorms Capercaillie Project and Cairngorms Connect, is being taken forward through the Capercaillie Emergency Plan which was published on the 30 September 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424433,"EventID":"S6W-30168","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:26.777","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T08:51:03.063","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what work is being undertaken to update the current allowance system for adoptive parents and families in order to improve consistency across local authorities, includin","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work is being undertaken to update the current allowance system for adoptive parents and families in order to improve consistency across local authorities, including through the potential introduction of a national set rate, as is the case with the Scottish Recommended Allowance payments for foster and kinship carers.","AnswerText":"We are not currently considering the introduction of a national set rate for adoption allowances. A National Review of Care Allowances was published in 2018 which highlighted that each local authority is able to develop their own adoption allowance scheme within the parameters of the Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007 (&lsquo;the 2007 Act&rsquo;). Under the 2007 Act, local authorities have a duty to assess someone&rsquo;s need for adoption support services and to provide this support.The Adoption Support Services and Allowances (Scotland) Regulations 2009 (&lsquo;the 2009 Regulations&rsquo;) are designed to ensure that those persons identified in section 1 of the 2007 Act can access and receive the ongoing support for an adoption required to ensure the improved outcomes associated with adoption. It is the duty of local authorities to implement these duties to ensure that adoptive families receive this support.The Regulations outline the circumstances in which adoption allowances may be paid and the factors that an adoption agency must take into account. Adoption allowances are not a universal entitlement, but are based on a child&rsquo;s current and potential future needs.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424434,"EventID":"S6W-30187","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:26.723","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T12:22:15.037","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with investors to pilot affordable, mid-range, purpose-built student accommodation housing developments to address the current student housing","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with investors to pilot affordable, mid-range, purpose-built student accommodation housing developments to address the current student housing need.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government Review of Purpose Built Student Accommodation recommended convening a national roundtable discussion which included representation from all those involved with the provision of purpose-built student accommodation, including developers and the investment community. The first roundtable discussion, chaired by myself, took place on 23 August. A further meeting will be convened later this year.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424435,"EventID":"S6W-30199","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:26.003","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T13:51:33.28","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has provided in compensation to land owners whose land was designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in each financial year since 2020-21.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has provided in compensation to land owners whose land was designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in each financial year since 2020-21.","AnswerText":"Through the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004, NatureScot can enter into Management Agreements to compensate land owners for stopping or not adopting management practices which would damage nature on Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Positive Management Agreements can also be agreed to support specialist management for nature which is not available through agri-environment or forestry support mechanisms. The amounts provided each year since 2020-21 are:Value &pound;&rsquo;s2020-212021-222022-232023-24204-25Positive231,959292,506207,551110,23833,688 (+85,203)Compensatory (part or purely)167,756139,894150,971139,28049,602 (+12,972)Totals399,715432,400358,522249,51883,290 (+98,900)* Figures in bracket &ndash; anticipated spend to end of Financial Year","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424436,"EventID":"S6W-30173","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:26.747","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T09:11:51.177","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government by what date the palliative and end-of-life care strategy will be published.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government by what date the palliative and end-of-life care strategy will be published.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government published our draft strategy Palliative Care Matters for All on 2nd October 2024. The draft strategy builds on extensive work with stakeholders to date and the consultation is open until 10 January 2025. We look forward to receiving any comments on the draft strategy in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424437,"EventID":"S6W-30182","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:26.67","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T10:25:31.717","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on providing recurrent funding for the national thrombectomy programme.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on providing recurrent funding for the national thrombectomy programme.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to introducing a high quality and clinically safe thrombectomy service in Scotland.We have invested more than &pound;35m to date in the delivery of a thrombectomy service in Scotland and will continue to work with our stakeholders to further develop and support delivery of an equitable service across Scotland to maximise patient access.The Scottish government will announce more comprehensive spending plans for 2025-26 in its budget, scheduled for 4 December.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424438,"EventID":"S6W-30160","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:26.653","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T15:01:00.22","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its current recycling targets are for (a) all and (b) household waste.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its current recycling targets are for (a) all and (b) household waste.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s Zero Waste Plan, published in 2010, set out targets to recycle 70% of all waste by 2025 and 60% of household waste by 2020.Scotland has made significant progress in reducing waste, increasing recycling and decarbonising the waste sector, but there is further work to be done. The overall recycling rate in Scotland of 62.3% in 2022 is at its highest level since records began in 2011. In 2022 the household recycling rate was 43.3%.The Circular Economy (Scotland) Act, passed unanimously in June 2024, includes our commitment to determine new circular economy targets for Scotland from 2025, to support our work to reduce emissions to tackle the climate emergency.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424439,"EventID":"S6W-30197","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:26.577","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T13:47:38.083","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the maximum number of vehicles is that can travel single-file along the Old Military Route at any given time while the road is operating under convoy control.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the maximum number of vehicles is that can travel single-file along the Old Military Route at any given time while the road is operating under convoy control.","AnswerText":"There is no maximum number. Normally all vehicles queuing are convoyed through in the first convoy cycle. Those who miss the convoy vehicle are required to wait for it to return.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424440,"EventID":"S6W-30189","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:26.623","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T12:24:42.753","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to undertake or commission further research to fill any remaining data and knowledge gaps in relation to student housing.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to undertake or commission further research to fill any remaining data and knowledge gaps in relation to student housing.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has no plans at this time to commission further research in relation to student housing.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424441,"EventID":"S6W-30180","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:26.803","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T10:18:28.1","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29992 by Paul McLennan on 24 September 2024, whether it will provide a breakdown by local authority area of its allocations of spe","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29992 by Paul McLennan on 24 September 2024, whether it will provide a breakdown by local authority area of its allocations of spending on the National Acquisition Programme in 2022-23.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26978 on 7 May 2024, which details the spend and homes delivered by local authority areas through the 2022-2023 National Acquisition Programme.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424442,"EventID":"S6W-30195","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:25.973","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T13:44:40.21","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which national public awareness health campaigns it has funded since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which national public awareness health campaigns it has funded since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.","AnswerText":"National public health marketing campaigns which have run since the end* of the COVID-19 pandemic are as follows:Financial Year 2023-24Paid-for media public health campaignsDetect Cancer EarlyDentistry ReformMental HealthOrgan DonationRight Care Right PlaceVapingWinter VaccinesLow cost/no cost public health campaignsWomen and Girls in Sport WeekLyme DiseaseSmoking CessationCampaigns funded by Scottish Government, working in partnership with executive agencies or other public sector organisationsChildhood flu - Public Health ScotlandSperm and Egg - NHS GrampianPublic health campaigns which have run so far in financial year 2024-25 are as follows:Paid-for-media public health campaignsDementia StigmaDetect Cancer EarlyOrgan Donation Week* The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 was no longer a public health emergency of public concern on 5 May 2023. For the purposes of answering this question, we have used this definition as a guide to defining the 'end' of the pandemic.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424443,"EventID":"S6W-30201","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4982,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:27.09","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T13:53:52.68","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time employees were working for Children&rsquo;s Hearings Scotland as of August (a) 2022 and (b) 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time employees were working for Children&rsquo;s Hearings Scotland as of August (a) 2022 and (b) 2024.","AnswerText":"Children&rsquo;s Hearings Scotland (CHS) publishes the number of staff it employs in its Annual Report. The 2023-24 Annual Report will be published later this month.The information relating to 2022 is available on the CHS website: Reports and Planning (chscotland.gov.uk).","AnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":424444,"EventID":"S6W-30164","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:26.02","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T16:03:37.12","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Minister for Housing last met with South Ayrshire Council to discuss its local housing strategy.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Minister for Housing last met with South Ayrshire Council to discuss its local housing strategy.","AnswerText":"The Minister for Housing has not met South Ayrshire Council to discuss its Local Housing Strategy.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424445,"EventID":"S6W-30206","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:26.17","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T14:17:35.513","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Scottish Gamekeepers Association regarding initiatives that can be taken to protect capercaillie.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Scottish Gamekeepers Association regarding initiatives that can be taken to protect capercaillie.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not had any direct discussions with the Scottish Gamekeepers Association regarding initiatives that can be taken to protect capercaillie.The Capercaillie is both an important and iconic species and contributes to Scotland&rsquo;s biodiversity and, as a key stakeholder, I would encourage the Scottish Gamekeepers Association, and its members, to engage fully with the work proposed as part of the Capercaillie Emergency Plan which was published on 30 September 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424446,"EventID":"S6W-30175","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:26.843","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T09:22:34.86","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support the long-term future of the independent hospice sector.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support the long-term future of the independent hospice sector.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed, through our draft palliative care strategy, to work with Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs) and adult independent hospice organisations to develop a national guidance framework to support and improve consistency of local planning and commissioning of independent hospice services.The Scottish Government continues to work with Integration Joint Boards (IJB) Chief Officers and adult independent hospice organisations to support longer-term sustainable planning and commissioning for the sector, and officials will take forward plans to develop a new national guidance framework.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424447,"EventID":"S6W-30166","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-26T15:46:26.697","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T07:31:49.5","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what financial support is available to people seeking to install (a) solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and (b) wind generators.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what financial support is available to people seeking to install (a) solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and (b) wind generators.","AnswerText":"Financial support is available for the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems through the Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund, which provides support for the retrofit of Registered Social Landlords' existing housing stock, and targeted support is also available through our Warmer Homes Scotland and Area Based schemes.The Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan scheme currently provides an interest-free loan to contribute towards the cost of domestic wind turbine installation.The Scottish Government has also made capital grant funding available over the course of this parliamentary term to public sector bodies through Scotland&rsquo;s Public Sector Heat Decarbonisation Fund and the Scottish Central Government Energy Efficiency Grant Scheme. These schemes support retrofit decarbonisation of public sector estates, including support to install solar PV and other electricity generation measures when integrated with an existing or new clean heating system.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424448,"EventID":"S6W-30222","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-27T14:35:30.48","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-26T11:57:29.24","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the \"14 days notice\" to the occupier, as required by paragraph 10(2) of Schedule 4 of The Electricity Act 1989 to permit a person \"authorised to enter upon any l","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the \"14 days notice\" to the occupier, as required by paragraph 10(2) of Schedule 4 of The Electricity Act 1989 to permit a person \"authorised to enter upon any land\" to do so \"as of right\", is a (a) general notice, (b) notice published or posted locally or (c) specific notice issued directly to each individual occupier.","AnswerText":"The Electricity Act 1989 is legislation enacted by the UK Parliament. Interpretation of the requirements of paragraph 10(2) of Schedule 4 of The Electricity Act 1989 would be dependent on legal advice based on the circumstances of the individual case.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424449,"EventID":"S6W-30231","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-27T14:35:30.503","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-26T13:18:37.867","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered recruiting additional staff to support the completion of deer culling by Christmas 2024, in light of the reported preference of cullers to comp","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered recruiting additional staff to support the completion of deer culling by Christmas 2024, in light of the reported preference of cullers to complete culling within this timeframe and the availability of highly trained recreational deerstalkers to facilitate this.","AnswerText":"Approximately 80% of deer culling in Scotland is carried out by the private sector and in these circumstances stalkers are not employed to do so by the Scottish Government, its bodies or agenciesWhere deer are culled on publicly owned land this is done by trained stalkers which can include: agency staff, for example those employed by Forestry and Land Scotland; contractors; and recreational stalkers.It is for those managing the land to decide how and when to shoot deer in line with their responsibilities and their Deer Management Plan, with support from NatureScotI would also refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-30224 on 8 October 2024 which sets out methods being trialled to support and incentivise individuals to cull more deer in some parts of Scotland.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424450,"EventID":"S6W-30256","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-27T14:35:30.71","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-26T15:49:16.39","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support (a) investigator-led and (b) commercially-sponsored clinical trials in blood cancer research.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support (a) investigator-led and (b) commercially-sponsored clinical trials in blood cancer research.","AnswerText":"Through NHS Research Scotland (NRS), the Scottish Government provides funding for infrastructure to support the delivery of both investigator-led and commercially-sponsored clinical trials in the NHS here.The NRS infrastructure includes the NRS Cancer Network whose role is to support the recruitment of cancer patients into clinical research studies. Cancer | NHS Research Scotland | NHS Research Scotland.In Financial Year 2023-24 the NRS Cancer Network supported a total of 56 Blood Cancer clinical studies across Scotland.The Scottish Government co-funds in partnership with Cancer Research UK the Adult Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres (ECMC's) in Edinburgh and Glasgow, and a Paediatric ECMC in Glasgow. These form part of a UK-wide ECMC Network that works to support the delivery of commercial and non-commercial early phase cancer studies, covering both solid tumours and haematological malignancies:Edinburgh | ECMC (ecmcnetwork.org.uk)Glasgow | ECMC (ecmcnetwork.org.uk)The Glasgow ECMC has supported early phase studies developed through Blood Cancer UK's Trial Acceleration Programme (TAP).","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424451,"EventID":"S6W-30228","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-27T14:35:30.757","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-26T13:18:37.867","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has implemented any measures to ensure that any additional meat resulting from increased deer culling is not wasted, including distributing it through schools","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has implemented any measures to ensure that any additional meat resulting from increased deer culling is not wasted, including distributing it through schools or other community initiatives.","AnswerText":"As deer management increases over the next few years, in line with our aim to increase the Scottish deer cull by 25%, we want to maximise the benefits deer management can bring.We have seen peaks and increased venison numbers in the past that our established network of processors has been able to accommodate, and we are working with the sector to ensure that there is no barrier to venison processing in future years.We have previously provided &pound;80,000 through the Covid-19 Recovery Fund to support three new deer larders in Scotland. With regard to mitigating venison waste, we will consider all proposals for venison distribution to ensure as much as possible makes its way into the food chain safely. This is an important aspect of the revised Scottish Venison strategy launched last year and closer engagement with the wholesale sector is underway.Officials will be meeting shortly with Scottish Venison and Scotland Food and Drink to consider the specific issue of public sector procurement of wild venison.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424452,"EventID":"S6W-30257","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-27T14:35:30.48","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-26T15:49:26.3","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of participation levels in clinical trials for blood cancer, and what action it can take to increase participation among underrepresented gro","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of participation levels in clinical trials for blood cancer, and what action it can take to increase participation among underrepresented groups.","AnswerText":"The NHS Research Scotland (NRS) Cancer Network monitors recruitment to eligibly funded non-commercial and commercial cancer clinical studies taking place in the NHS here, including in Blood Cancer. Routinely collected data includes postcode, date of birth and, where available, ethnicity of consented and recruited trial participants.In February 2023 we published an Independent Report on Improving Equity of Access to Cancer Clinical Trials.Improving equity of access to cancer clinical trials in Scotland - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).We are working closely with the cancer research community here to develop plans for the implementation of the report&rsquo;s key recommendations and have established an implementation board chaired by Professor David Cameron from the University of Edinburgh to oversee this work.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424453,"EventID":"S6W-30224","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-27T14:35:30.687","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-26T13:18:37.867","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported goal to cull an additional 50,000 deer annually, whether it has explored plans to implement infrastructure in the Central Belt and Lowlands, si","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported goal to cull an additional 50,000 deer annually, whether it has explored plans to implement infrastructure in the Central Belt and Lowlands, similar to that established in the Highlands, including community hubs.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to reducing high deer numbers in order to help us to achieve our biodiversity and carbon objectives. We are pursuing a range of actions to deliver this commitment including the provision of community deer larders and the three pilot incentive schemes led by NatureScot and the Cairngorms National Park Authority which launched in early autumn to financially support deer managers to control numbers of deer in specific parts of Scotland.One of these pilots is in Central Scotland and focusses on lowland and urban roe deer management, as well as expanding red deer populations. We will work closely with NatureScot and the Cairngorms National Park as these pilots progress, and the findings from the pilots will be used to inform future deer management policy.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424454,"EventID":"S6W-30264","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-27T14:35:30.483","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-27T10:15:32.817","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it plans to reduce industrial emissions in order to achieve net zero by 2045.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it plans to reduce industrial emissions in order to achieve net zero by 2045.","AnswerText":"Scottish industry has made good progress in reducing emissions but there is more to do. Reducing industrial emissions is central to Scotland&rsquo;s net zero commitment and our economic ambitions as outlined in our Green Industrial Strategy.Realising the environmental and economic opportunities in net zero is a collective endeavour with many policy, fiscal and regulatory levers reserved at the UK level, including for carbon capture and storage which is critical to decarbonise industry. Last week the UK Government announced that &pound;22 billion of funding for carbon capture projects in England, but provided no update on the Acorn Project.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424455,"EventID":"S6W-30245","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-27T14:35:30.693","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-26T14:16:37.143","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what effect limiting the purchase of alcohol at off-licence premises to between 10.00 am and 10.00 pm has had on alcohol-related illnesses and deaths.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what effect limiting the purchase of alcohol at off-licence premises to between 10.00 am and 10.00 pm has had on alcohol-related illnesses and deaths.","AnswerText":"Every life lost to alcohol is a tragedy and the recent alcohol specific deaths statistics published by the National Records of Scotland is a stark reminder of the challenge we continue to face in tackling alcohol harm across Scotland. There is currently no specific information available on the effect of licensed hours for the off-sale of alcohol being 10:00 to 22:00 on alcohol deaths and alcohol-related illness in Scotland though a number of studies have concluded that reducing the times of availability of alcohol are effective at reducing alcohol harms.The Scottish Government takes a whole population approach to tackling alcohol-related harms, in line with the World Health Organization&rsquo;s focus on affordability, availability and attractiveness of alcohol. Reducing availability of alcohol through limiting hours of sale continues to be recommended by the World Health Organization as one of the &lsquo;best buys&rsquo; for reducing alcohol related harm.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":424456,"EventID":"S6W-30255","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-27T14:35:30.68","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-26T15:49:05.313","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to (a) encourage blood cancer patients' knowledge of self-monitoring their condition and (b) improve resources for blood cancer patient advocacy, inclu","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to (a) encourage blood cancer patients' knowledge of self-monitoring their condition and (b) improve resources for blood cancer patient advocacy, including signposting and referral to third sector support services.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government expects that health and care professionals will support patients with cancer to help them understand their condition and explain the options open to them, including around self-monitoring their condition where appropriate.The Scottish Government is committed to working with third sector support services for cancer. We are currently in partnership with Macmillan to improve the service we offer patients with cancer through the Transforming Cancer Care Programme. This joint partnership with Macmillan is worth &pound;27 million and is the first of its kind in the UK. The programme ensures that every patient with cancer in Scotland has access to specialist key support worker, who can provide emotional, financial, and practical support to those who need it most.We have also piloted 12 Single Point of Contact (SPoC) sites, which allow an individual to work through their individual needs and design a care pathway that works best for them. Learning from this programme is demonstrating the role of SPoC in improving communication and optimising collaborative working across health, care and third sectors. We are considering how best to scale up this approach to the benefit of all patients, including those with blood cancer.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424457,"EventID":"S6W-30252","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-27T14:35:30.697","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-26T15:30:40.837","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce waiting lists for people seeking audiology appointments.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce waiting lists for people seeking audiology appointments.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government accepted, in principle, the recommendations set out by the Independent Review of Audiology Services in Scotland and are fully committed to seeing improvement in Audiology services.Audiology is now being considered as a clinical priority area, and work is being progressed through the National Planning and Delivery Board arrangements led by the Chief Operating Officer &ndash; NHS Scotland.In order to support with long waits, our NHS Recovery Plan sets out our plans for health and social care over the course of this parliament. The plan will support an increase in inpatient, day case, and outpatient activity to address the backlogs of care, which will be supported by the implementation of sustainable improvements and new models of care.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424458,"EventID":"S6W-30250","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-27T14:35:30.783","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-26T14:58:37.01","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what Barnett consequential funding it (a) has received and (b) anticipates it will receive as a result of the UK Government's announcement in July 2023 of &pound;5.1 bil","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what Barnett consequential funding it (a) has received and (b) anticipates it will receive as a result of the UK Government's announcement in July 2023 of &pound;5.1 billion of funding for the Cladding Safety Scheme.","AnswerText":"(a) &pound;97.1 million in cladding specific consequentials were received in 2021-22.(b) In the Spending Review 2021, the UK Government confirmed &pound;5 billion funding (&pound;3 billion over the Spending Review period to 2024-25) for remediation of the highest risk buildings with unsafe cladding. This was the funding referred to in the July 2023 statement.Cladding funding is factored into the Barnett Settlement for the Spending Review. However, as the Scottish Government does not, except in certain circumstances, receive a full breakdown of consequentials at programme level from the UK Government, it is not possible in this case to determine how much was received from individual programmes such as cladding.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424459,"EventID":"S6W-30242","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-27T14:35:30.78","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-26T13:55:48.79","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in order to prevent school meal debt and hidden hunger among pupils, what plans it has to widen the eligibility for free school meals to all families in receipt of Scot","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in order to prevent school meal debt and hidden hunger among pupils, what plans it has to widen the eligibility for free school meals to all families in receipt of Scottish Child Payment.","AnswerText":"We remain focused on delivering the next phase of our free school meal expansion programme, which is to Primary 6 &amp; 7 pupils in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment and will deliver this within the parliamentary term. We are committed to universal expansion in primary schools when the financial circumstances allow.We review the eligibility criteria for free school meals regularly to take account of changes to the national living wage. The eligibility criteria were last updated in April this year.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424460,"EventID":"S6W-30260","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-27T14:35:30.603","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-27T09:41:59.977","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to protect Scotland's energy security in the event that the Forties Pipeline System closes in 2030.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to protect Scotland's energy security in the event that the Forties Pipeline System closes in 2030.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30259 on 8 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424461,"EventID":"S6W-30261","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-27T14:35:30.697","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-27T09:43:32.843","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to protect the public's right to privacy, in light of Police Scotland's reported decision to use live facial recognition surveillance technology ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to protect the public's right to privacy, in light of Police Scotland's reported decision to use live facial recognition surveillance technology for the first time.","AnswerText":"The use of live facial recognition technology is an operational matter for Police Scotland, under the scrutiny of the Scottish Police Authority. Police Scotland must also abide by the relevant laws; the European Convention on Human Rights; and the Scottish Biometrics Commissioner&rsquo;s statutory code of practice.The Scottish Government recognises that assurances are required in order to secure public trust and support for any future use of new technology by Police Scotland, including live facial recognition.We stand ready to work with Police Scotland, the SPA, the Scottish Biometrics Commissioner and others to develop an approach to the use of facial recognition technology which is lawful, effective, proportionate and rights-based.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424462,"EventID":"S6W-30251","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-27T14:35:30.563","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-26T14:58:37.01","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much of the &pound;97.1 million in Barnett consequential funding, which it received as a result of the UK Government&rsquo;s announcement in March 2020 to remediate ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much of the &pound;97.1 million in Barnett consequential funding, which it received as a result of the UK Government&rsquo;s announcement in March 2020 to remediate additional residential cladding, was allocated to the Single Building Assessment delivery team, and to which other areas of spending the money was allocated.","AnswerText":"Under devolution, consequentials of this kind become part of the Scottish Government&rsquo;s overall budget for that year. As part of the Scottish Budget process, it is for Scottish Ministers to propose funding levels for specific programmes in Scotland, and when the budget is required.In the case of cladding remediation, we have said that we will spend whatever is necessary to address the problems created by unsafe cladding, that we will make provision for that at the appropriate time, and that we expect the cost of that in Scotland to be at least the quoted amount of consequentials &ndash; that is, &pound;97.1 m.The Cladding Remediation Programme has spent &pound;9 m as of 30 June 2024. We publish updated information on programme spend on a quarterly basis at https://www.gov.scot/publications/single-building-assessment-spending-information/.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424463,"EventID":"S6W-30259","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-27T14:35:30.677","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-27T09:41:06.35","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the Forties Pipeline System may close as early as 2030.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the Forties Pipeline System may close as early as 2030.","AnswerText":"Offshore oil and gas licensing and consenting and issues pertaining to fuel security, as well as the associated fiscal regime, are currently reserved to the UK Government.Our Energy System and Just Transition: Independent Analysis highlights the need for careful management of the North Sea energy transition, including the fields linked to the Forties System.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424464,"EventID":"S6W-30262","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-27T14:35:30.483","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-27T09:43:32.843","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its assessment is of the privacy and human rights implications of live facial recognition technology.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its assessment is of the privacy and human rights implications of live facial recognition technology.","AnswerText":"Technological advances in biometrics have brought huge benefits to police and other justice agencies in detecting, preventing and prosecuting crime.With regard to live facial recognition technology, the Scottish Government is aware that concerns have been raised about privacy and inaccurate results for the faces of people from racialised minorities. That is why it is important that in adopting new technology, it is done in a way that secures public confidence. Any deployment of new technologies should be lawful, effective, proportionate and compliant with the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR).The use of live facial recognition technology is an operational matter for Police Scotland, under the scrutiny of the Scottish Police Authority. Police Scotland must also abide by the relevant laws; the ECHR; and the Scottish Biometrics Commissioner&rsquo;s statutory code of practice.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424465,"EventID":"S6W-30254","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-27T14:35:30.693","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-26T15:48:58.537","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to implement targeted monitoring programmes for people who are at a higher risk of developing blood cancer, including people with monoclonal gammopathy","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to implement targeted monitoring programmes for people who are at a higher risk of developing blood cancer, including people with monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer have been developed to support primary care clinicians to identify those with symptoms suspicious of cancer and identify those who require urgent assessment by a specialist.Referrals are closely monitored to ensure capacity and support is available for those on an Urgent Suspicion of Cancer pathway. A clinical refresh of the Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer is underway to help ensure the right person is on the right pathway at the right time.The Scottish Government expects Health Boards to follow regional clinical management pathways and any guidance from the appropriate royal colleges when discussing monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance or any other conditions with patients.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424466,"EventID":"S6W-30226","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-27T14:35:30.673","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-26T13:18:37.867","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Deer Working Group did not contain any practitioners from the deer stalking community, in light of reports of their expressed interest in participati","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Deer Working Group did not contain any practitioners from the deer stalking community, in light of reports of their expressed interest in participating.","AnswerText":"The purpose of the Deer Working Group (DWG) was to &ldquo;examine the issues over the standards of deer management in Scotland and recommend changes to help resolve these issues in ways that promote sustainable deer management&rdquo;.Therefore, the DWG was comprised of experts from both deer management and environmental backgrounds. The DWG included a number of individuals who represented those, or were themselves, directly involved in deer management. Andrew Barbour, acting Chair of the DWG from September 2018, is a farmer and forester with experience in managing deer, and Robin Callendar has had over 30 years&rsquo; experience in deer management as a land manager. Alongside DWG members, Richard Cooke then Chair of the Association for Deer Management Groups, served as an external adviser. The DWG terms of reference and member profiles are available on the Scottish Government website.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424467,"EventID":"S6W-30221","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-27T14:35:30.777","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-26T09:45:30.14","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government  how many successful reductions of substance abuse have been produced by the Planet Youth pilot scheme, compared with the rates of reduction produced by pre-existing ant","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government  how many successful reductions of substance abuse have been produced by the Planet Youth pilot scheme, compared with the rates of reduction produced by pre-existing anti-substance abuse campaigns.","AnswerText":"Planet Youth is a long term, upstream preventative approach and as such we would not yet expect to see a reduction in the substance use. The purpose of the pilot, which only started last year, is to build capacity in local communities to allow them to better use and understand data directly from their young people. There is significant evidence from Iceland that the approach works to reduce the number of young people engaging in health harming behaviours, and in increasing the age of first use. The pilot should allow us to ascertain the challenges and opportunities in transferring this model to Scotland, thanks to the 6 local areas who are pioneering the approach. There is an ongoing learning evaluation which will be published after the pilot ends in March 2025. Preliminary findings indicate there has been progress so far both in terms of taking a whole systems approach and at a community level. We are also seeing increasing interest in investing in prevention at a national and local level. It is clear from the numbers that pre-existing campaigns on substance use among teenagers are not as effective as we would like, hence the investment in a longer term, more systemic approach. There may be a misunderstanding about what Planet Youth is and colleagues from national charity Winning Scotland, who are facilitating Planet Youth in Scotland, would be happy to provide more information to interested members.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424468,"EventID":"S6W-30266","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-27T14:35:30.763","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-27T10:15:32.82","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it plans to increase peatland restoration in order to achieve net zero by 2045.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it plans to increase peatland restoration in order to achieve net zero by 2045.","AnswerText":"Caring for our peatlands, and reducing peatland emissions, through protection, management and restoration is critical to achieving net zero by 2045.Through the Peatland ACTION partnership we are funding the restoration of our peatlands. We are also working hard with our Peatland ACTION delivery partners to tackle the many barriers to upscaling peatland restoration in this relatively young sectorIn addition to interventions on herbivore control as well as other farm management interventions, we are also considering the regulatory and fiscal measures that could further incentivise peatland restoration and create the conditions to keep our peatlands in good condition.Alongside this, work continues towards implementing a ban on the sale of peat in Scotland and we have established an expert group to develop the guidance and tools needed to inform decisions on windfarm development on peat.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424469,"EventID":"S6W-30225","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-27T14:35:30.787","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-26T13:18:37.867","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported concerns regarding the potential negative impact on the mental health of deer stalkers required to cull pregnant female deer, whether it has consid","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported concerns regarding the potential negative impact on the mental health of deer stalkers required to cull pregnant female deer, whether it has considered alternative measures to extending the female deer season until 31 March, and what its position is on whether the extension is appropriate, in light of such concerns regarding the mental health implications for the workforce.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government want to ensure that changes to deer management policy are effective in achieving our climate and biodiversity aims.We are aware that there are a range of views on changes to the female deer close seasons. That is why we undertook a full public consultation on proposals for deer legislation which included this issue. We have also ensured that animal welfare organisations have been fully consulted.We are carefully considering all the responses, and we are in regular contact with gamekeepers and other land management stakeholders, on deer management issues. We will continue to work with them as our deer management legislation develops.It is important to note that deer close seasons set a time period during which it is unlawful to kill a female deer, on deer welfare grounds. The timing of deer management outside these close seasons remans a decision for deer stalkers and, where appropriate, their employers.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424470,"EventID":"S6W-30219","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-27T14:35:30.753","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-26T09:45:30.14","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has not published an updated Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey (SALSUS) report since 2018, in light of its reported commi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has not published an updated Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey (SALSUS) report since 2018, in light of its reported commitment to publishing one every two years.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey (SALSUS) was integrated into the Health and Wellbeing Census in 2021-22. A link to the Health and Wellbeing Census is provided here:Health and Wellbeing Census Scotland 2021- 2022 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)","AnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424471,"EventID":"S6W-30227","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-27T14:35:30.773","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-26T13:18:37.867","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the status of its proposed Natural Environment Bill and the anticipated timescale for its progress through the Parliament.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the status of its proposed Natural Environment Bill and the anticipated timescale for its progress through the Parliament.","AnswerText":"The most recent Programme for Government (2024-25) sets out the Scottish Government&rsquo;s intention to introduce the Natural Environment Bill in this current parliamentary year.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424472,"EventID":"S6W-30265","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-27T14:35:30.677","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-27T10:15:32.82","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it plans to achieve the goal of a 20% reduction in&nbsp;car kilometres travelled by 2030.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it plans to achieve the goal of a 20% reduction in&nbsp;car kilometres travelled by 2030.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government confirmed to the Scottish Parliament on 18 April 2024 that we will publish, by autumn, the updated route map for reduction in car use by 20%, including a timeline for demand management.We have always been clear that reaching our target of a 20% reduction in use will require a broad combination of interventions, including infrastructure, incentives and disincentives. The updated route map, produced in partnership with CoSLA, will be published in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424473,"EventID":"S6W-30230","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-27T14:35:30.603","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-26T13:18:37.867","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there are any plans to take action to reduce the number of traffic accidents involving deer across the Central Belt.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there are any plans to take action to reduce the number of traffic accidents involving deer across the Central Belt.","AnswerText":"Alongside our work to reduce deer populations which should have an impact on reducing the number of deer involved in road traffic accidents, we are also taking action at &lsquo;hotspots&rsquo; where there are higher numbers of deer vehicle collisions.NatureScot and Transport Scotland have been recording and analysing deer vehicle collisions (DVCs) across the Scottish road network since 2008. Between 2022 to 2025 several &lsquo;hotspots&rsquo; for DVCs were identified as part of this work, most of which were in the Central Belt. NatureScot are now running a project looking at site-specific mitigation options in three Central Belt sites. This includes site visits to liaise with landowners over deer management.Alongside this, a &lsquo;Deer Aware&rsquo; media campaign is being run in the Central Belt. The campaign warns drivers on trunk roads of the increased likelihood of deer on the road in the spring.We are also investigating the practicality of incorporating wildlife crossings into the design of the proposed replacement pedestrian bridges across the M8 trunk road near to Junction 3, Livingston. Such &lsquo;green bridges&rsquo; can service multiple users and provide a safe alternative route for wildlife across busy roads.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424474,"EventID":"S6W-30248","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-27T14:35:30.687","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-26T14:58:07.947","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to withholding or reducing any tax incentives available in Green Freeports to PetroIneos in the event that it pursues the closure of the ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to withholding or reducing any tax incentives available in Green Freeports to PetroIneos in the event that it pursues the closure of the Grangemouth oil refinery.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30246 on 11 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424475,"EventID":"S6W-30218","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-27T14:35:30.627","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-26T09:45:30.14","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can share the results of the Planet Youth pilot scheme in each year since the scheme was established across participating schools in the Highlands and Islands","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can share the results of the Planet Youth pilot scheme in each year since the scheme was established across participating schools in the Highlands and Islands region.","AnswerText":"The information requested is not held centrally. Highland is one of 6 local authority areas implementing Planet Youth in Scotland. Data on the Highlands and Islands schools participating in the Planet Youth pilot is held by the Highland Alcohol and Drug Partnership and the charity Winning Scotland.Winning Scotland has been carrying out research on the progress of the pilot in participating local authorities in Scotland, including Highland. Five communities are involved in the pilot in Highland and the data has, and continues to be, shared with the local coalitions which have formed around those communities. This includes community planning partners, schools, third sector, businesses and others.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424476,"EventID":"S6W-30247","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-27T14:35:30.77","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-26T14:58:07.947","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of any impact of the Forth Green Freeport tax and customs incentives on the decision of PetroIneos to close the Grangemouth oil refinery ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of any impact of the Forth Green Freeport tax and customs incentives on the decision of PetroIneos to close the Grangemouth oil refinery and open an import-export terminal.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30246 on 11 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424477,"EventID":"S6W-30267","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2892,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-27T14:35:30.78","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-27T11:06:13.997","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the possibility of designating Scottish bodies, including Creative Scotland, as endorsing bodies for the Glo","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the possibility of designating Scottish bodies, including Creative Scotland, as endorsing bodies for the Global Talent Visa.","AnswerText":"While immigration is reserved, the Scottish Government is committed to seeking to work collaboratively with the new UK Government to ensure that the UK immigration system reflects Scotland&rsquo;s distinct demographic, cultural and economic needs. The First Minister made this clear in his meeting with the new Prime Minister on Sunday 7 July and this was reinforced during an introductory meeting between the Home Secretary and the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice on 29 September.In relation to Creative Scotland, Arts Council England currently endorse applications for the Global Talent Visa for the culture sector on a UK-wide basis. Creative Scotland is not currently seeking to become an endorsing body. Creative Scotland has a good working relationship with the international team at Arts Council England around mobility matters and engages with them on the process on an ongoing basis.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424478,"EventID":"S6W-30246","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-27T14:35:30.79","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-26T14:58:07.947","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made any representations to PetroIneos to state that seed capital for site preparation and infrastructure in the outer boundary of Green Freeports will no","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made any representations to PetroIneos to state that seed capital for site preparation and infrastructure in the outer boundary of Green Freeports will not be made available for the proposed import-export terminal in the event that PetroIneos pursues the closure of the Grangemouth oil refinery.","AnswerText":"As you will know, delivery of Green Freeports are a joint initiative between the Scottish Government and the UK Government, with a detailed programme in place to do this. Responsibility for the various incentives (including tax and seed capital) lie with the appropriate government.The Forth Green Freeport consortium recently submitted their Full Business Case (FBC). Officials are currently reviewing this - including analysis of potential tax and customs incentives across the sites.Tax sites were designated at an earlier stage of the business case process, and include an area of land owned by Petroineos Manufacturing Scotland Ltd (PIMSL). This area is not involved in the current fossil-fuel refining operations, and is designated for bio-refining and low carbon fuels manufacturing. The nature of the potential development in this particular area is the subject of a proposed study, called Project Willow, which it is intended will be developed in collaboration between PIMSL, INEOS, the Scottish Government and its agencies.The Forth Green Freeport is focused on the transition to net zero, and supporting that transition through targeted seed capital funding. None of the proposals for seed funding include the proposed Petroineos import-export terminal, nor are there customs sites proposals involving Petroineos.Once the business case process is complete, both governments and Forth Green Freeport will agree a detailed Memorandum of Understanding which will include monitoring and evaluation of the delivery and impact of the Green Freeport. The Scottish Government has worked in partnership with the UK Government to ensure that specific provisions on Just Transition, Fair Work and the Real Living Wage are critical parts of Green Freeport monitoring and evaluation.The decision by Petroineos to cease refinery operations is of course a blow to the workforce and local community. PACE (Partnership Action for Continuing Employment) is the Scottish Government&rsquo;s initiative for responding to redundancy situations. Through providing skills development and employability support, PACE aims to minimise the time individuals affected by redundancy are out of work. PACE partners SDS and Scottish Enterprise had a joint introductory meeting with Petroineos on 3 October 2024 to outline the support available to employees impacted by the planned closure of refining operations.We believe that the wider Grangemouth site retains the potential to be utilised as part of Scotland&rsquo;s low-carbon transition, and it has been identified as a potential site for future low carbon technologies which will not only drive Scotland&rsquo;s economy, but contribute to our transition to net zero.This is why the Scottish and UK Governments have confirmed a &pound;100m package for Falkirk and Grangemouth, including our &pound;40 million contribution to the Growth Deal and &pound;10 million for community projects in Grangemouth and an additional &pound;10m announced by UK Government after Petroineos&rsquo; decision to close the refinery site, as well as the &pound;1.5m Project Willow study (jointly funded by the Scottish and UK Governments) which aims to look at options for developing new long term industry at the refinery site.My officials will continue to work in partnership with the Forth Green Freeport team, and with UK Government counterparts in order to ensure the successful delivery of the Green Freeport, to the benefit of the communities in the region, and to the wider economic success of Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424479,"EventID":"S6W-30217","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-27T14:35:30.76","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-26T09:45:30.14","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided to Winning Scotland to fund its Planet Youth in Scotland programme in each year since the programme was established.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided to Winning Scotland to fund its Planet Youth in Scotland programme in each year since the programme was established.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government are funding a total of &pound;1.5 million to Winning Scotland for Planet Youth. This is &pound;750,000 per year in financial years 2023-24 and 2024-25.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424480,"EventID":"S6W-30244","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16191,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":77,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-27T14:35:30.607","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-26T14:02:29.217","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its policy that adult social care workers must earn at least the real Living Wage, what estimate it has made of the potential  Barnett consequential funding","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its policy that adult social care workers must earn at least the real Living Wage, what estimate it has made of the potential  Barnett consequential funding that might receive if the UK Government were to replicate this approach in England.","AnswerText":"Since 2016, the Scottish Government has provided funding to ensure that adult social care workers, delivering direct care in the third and private sectors, are paid at least the Real Living Wage (RLW).As employment powers are reserved, this uplift is funded by the Scottish Government but processed, delivered and assured by Local Authorities through the annual contract variation process. This year, the Scottish Government transferred &pound;230 million to Local Government to deliver the uplift to at least &pound;12 per hour.As we do not have access to the relevant contractual information in England, we are unable to estimate how much it would cost to replicate this approach in England or the subsequent Barnett consequentials.In the absence of Barnett consequentials, the Scottish Government&rsquo;s commitment to prioritise funding a minimum RLW rate clearly demonstrates the value we place on the Scottish social care workforce.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424481,"EventID":"S6W-30253","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-27T14:35:30.767","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-26T15:48:51.137","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to improve access to a timely diagnosis of blood cancer for (a) black and minority ethnic people, (b) people from deprived backgrounds and (c)","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to improve access to a timely diagnosis of blood cancer for (a) black and minority ethnic people, (b) people from deprived backgrounds and (c) people who live in remote locations.","AnswerText":"We are committed to tackling health inequalities and providing access to the highest quality of care for all, which is why our ambitious cancer strategy has a focus on reducing inequities in access to all cancer care, and cancer outcomes.We continue to support improving timely access to cancer services. We committed in our Programme for Government to opening a further Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Service (RCDS) in 2024/25, bringing our national total to six.A clinical refresh of the Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer is also underway via the Centre for Sustainable Delivery to help ensure the right person is on the right pathway at the right time. This is further supported by a new primary care cancer education platform Gateway C, which was launched on 30th April in NHS Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424482,"EventID":"S6W-30220","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-27T14:35:30.767","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-26T09:45:30.14","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish an updated version of the Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey (SALSUS) before the end of the current parliamentary ses","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish an updated version of the Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey (SALSUS) before the end of the current parliamentary session.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has no plans to recommission the Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey (SALSUS), as it was integrated into the Health and Wellbeing Census in 2021-22.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424483,"EventID":"S6W-30249","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-27T14:35:30.697","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-26T14:58:07.947","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government about withholding any customs incentives available in Green Freeports to PetroIneos in the event that it pursues the c","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government about withholding any customs incentives available in Green Freeports to PetroIneos in the event that it pursues the closure of the Grangemouth oil refinery.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30246 on 11 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424484,"EventID":"S6W-30263","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-27T14:35:30.79","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-27T09:44:38.653","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it anticipates the impact will be on employment in the event that the Forties Pipeline System closes in 2030.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it anticipates the impact will be on employment in the event that the Forties Pipeline System closes in 2030.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30259 on 8 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424485,"EventID":"S6W-30216","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-27T14:35:30.743","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-26T09:45:30.14","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is able to directly attribute any decline in rates of teenage (a) smoking, (b) drinking and (c) drug-taking to either (i) the Planet Youth pilot scheme or (ii","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is able to directly attribute any decline in rates of teenage (a) smoking, (b) drinking and (c) drug-taking to either (i) the Planet Youth pilot scheme or (ii) pre-existing anti-substance abuse health campaigns.","AnswerText":"No. We are investing in Planet Youth over 2 years, from 2023-2025. Planet Youth, sometimes referred to as the Icelandic Model, is an approach to prevention which empowers communities to support their young people to reduce the risk of substance use and harms. In Iceland, this approach instigated a decline in teenage substance use. Whilst Planet Youth in Scotland is in its early stages, Winning Scotland who lead on this initiative, are currently developing evaluation tools to measure outcomes.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424486,"EventID":"S6W-30243","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-27T14:35:30.787","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-26T13:55:48.79","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on extending the one-year school meal debt write-off permanently.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on extending the one-year school meal debt write-off permanently.","AnswerText":"School meal debt is a matter for local authorities in the first instance, and the Scottish Government expects them to use the powers available to them to support families struggling with school meal debt. Authorities approach to the management of meal debt should align to the guidance produced by COSLA on this issue.The Scottish Government made a fund available to support councils to help remove the impact of school meal debt in the 2024-25 Budget and will confirm allocations to councils in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424487,"EventID":"S6W-30229","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-27T14:35:30.78","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-26T13:18:37.867","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the statutory duty on local authorities to implement deer management plans, and the reported increased importance of recording deer numbers to meet the targ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the statutory duty on local authorities to implement deer management plans, and the reported increased importance of recording deer numbers to meet the target of an additional 50,000 culled deer annually, for what reason data is available for only five out of 32 local authorities, and whether it will provide funding to local authorities to ensure that accurate deer management plans can be produced to facilitate the recording of deer numbers.","AnswerText":"NatureScot only receives cull return data from the five local authorities that manage deer on their land. The remaining local authorities do not undertake deer culls, and therefore do not provide cull returns.Naturescot has funded local authorities approximately &pound;37,000 over the last seven years to produce deer management plans and deer statements alongside providing expert advice and guidance. NatureScot will continue to work with local authorities to support their deer management efforts.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424511,"EventID":"S6T-02122","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-30T13:56:57.243","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-30T07:05:46.713","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to council leaders withdrawing support for its National Care Service Bill.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to council leaders withdrawing support for its National Care Service Bill.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424512,"EventID":"S6T-02121","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-30T13:56:57.053","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-29T16:33:46.69","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that pensioners can afford to heat their homes this winter.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that pensioners can afford to heat their homes this winter.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-10-01T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424513,"EventID":"S6F-03410","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5586,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-30T13:56:46.723","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-27T09:32:54.167","Title":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424514,"EventID":"S6F-03409","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-30T13:56:46.903","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-27T09:32:36.817","Title":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424515,"EventID":"S6F-03411","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":2892,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-30T13:56:46.547","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-27T09:33:11.643","Title":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424516,"EventID":"S6F-03412","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16182,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":117,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-30T13:56:46.95","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-27T12:44:51.563","Title":"To ask the First Minister what steps the Scottish Government can take to ensure the reliability of public transport services.","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what steps the Scottish Government can take to ensure the reliability of public transport services.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424517,"EventID":"S6F-03420","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-30T13:56:46.843","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-30T09:08:51.943","Title":"To ask the First Minister, in light of the recent reports of an increase in alcohol-related deaths in Scotland, what steps the Scottish Government is taking to reduce excessive drinking.","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister, in light of the recent reports of an increase in alcohol-related deaths in Scotland, what steps the Scottish Government is taking to reduce excessive drinking.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424518,"EventID":"S6F-03413","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-30T13:56:47.067","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-27T15:04:41.367","Title":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's position is regarding whether teachers are essential to raising educational attainment and closing the poverty-related attainment gap.","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's position is regarding whether teachers are essential to raising educational attainment and closing the poverty-related attainment gap.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424535,"EventID":"S6W-30232","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-30T16:00:47.313","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-26T13:21:29.497","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics, 2023, which was due to be published in November 2024 is recorded in its&nbsp;calendar of statistical releases as b","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics, 2023, which was due to be published in November 2024 is recorded in its&nbsp;calendar of statistical releases as being delayed, and by what date this will be published.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics 2023 was originally scheduled for publication in September 2024. This publication was delayed until November 2024 as a result of an unscheduled revision of previous years data for the United Kingdom by the Marine Management Organisation. Our publication includes fishing data from the Marine Management Organisation for the rest of the UK. We therefore needed to delay our publication. We are hoping to publish the Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics 2023 in late November or early December 2024. The exact date will be confirmed by the end of October 2024.More detail on the data revision by the Marine Management Organisation, which was published on 8 October 2024, is available at: UK Sea Fisheries Statistics: Unscheduled Corrections - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)","AnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424536,"EventID":"S6W-30239","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-30T16:00:47.317","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-26T13:21:29.497","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many times the (a) Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, (b) Minister for Public Health and Women&rsquo;s Health and (c) Minister for Social Care, Mental Wel","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many times the (a) Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, (b) Minister for Public Health and Women&rsquo;s Health and (c) Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport has met the Migraine Trust since 2021, and what was discussed.","AnswerText":"Our records indicate that since 2021:a) The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care has not met with the Migraine Trust.b) The former Minister for Public Health, Women&rsquo;s Health &amp; Sport, Maree Todd MSP, met with the Migraine Trust once.The current Minister for Public Health and Women&rsquo;s Health, Jenni Minto MSP, has met with the Migraine Trust three times.c) The Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport has not met with the Migraine Trust.Discussions between the former and current Minister for Public Health, Women&rsquo;s Health &amp; Sport and the Migraine Trust have focussed on the charity&rsquo;s activities and publications and more generally the improvement of care in Scotland for those with migraine.The most recent Ministerial engagement with the Migraine Trust was 20 August 2024, when the Minister for Public Health and Women&rsquo;s Health visited NHS Grampian to learn more about the collaborative project undertaken between the charity and the health board.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424537,"EventID":"S6W-30236","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-30T16:00:47.423","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-26T13:21:29.497","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it took to promote the awareness and treatment of migraines during Migraine Awareness Week 2024, and how much funding it provided to support the event.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it took to promote the awareness and treatment of migraines during Migraine Awareness Week 2024, and how much funding it provided to support the event.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to support the Centre for Sustainable Delivery in updating their national headache pathway for Scotland, which was launched last year, which will help to improve care for migraines and headache.The Scottish Government received no requests for funding to support Migraine Awareness Week 2024. No funding was provided.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424538,"EventID":"S6W-30223","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-30T16:00:47.347","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-26T12:26:22.843","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to NHS Lothian&rsquo;s account of the reasons that the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh had a hospital standardised mortality ratio (HSMR) more than two","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to NHS Lothian&rsquo;s account of the reasons that the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh had a hospital standardised mortality ratio (HSMR) more than two standard deviations above the Scotland-wide average, in light of NHS Lothian not attributing excess mortality to any deficiencies in care provision and reports that multiple  randomly selected mortality cases for the review had experienced problems in the provision of their care, which, if fixed, could have resulted in a different outcome.","AnswerText":"The latest release by Public Health Scotland (PHS), providing information on Hospital Standardised Mortality Ratios (HSMRs), for the period April 2019 to March 2024 is available via the PHS website. (Hospital Standardised Mortality Ratios - April 2023 to March 2024 - Hospital Standardised Mortality Ratios - Publications - Public Health Scotland).These statistics are updated on a quarterly basis and reflect the HSMR for the latest 12-month reporting period, whilst crude mortality data is presented by quarter and month to show trends. For the period April 2023 to March 2024, the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (RIE) is within two standard deviations of the Scotland-wide average for their HSMR, and no hospital in Scotland had a significantly higher standardised mortality ratio than the national average.NHS Lothian&rsquo;s January 2024 HSMR report explored the reasons behind the higher ratio of the standardised mortality measure at RIE and specifically to understand if there is any evidence of avoidable mortality.The report identified 4 cases where a different plan and/or delivery of care may have resulted in a different outcome for patients, but the use of &lsquo;may&rsquo; identifies this classification as hypothetical in nature, it is impossible to know if a different care plan would have resulted in a different outcome. Furthermore, the report specifically advised the Healthcare Governance Committee that there is no clear current evidence of avoidable mortality in any of the cases considered.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":424539,"EventID":"S6W-30237","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-30T16:00:47.317","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-26T13:21:29.497","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve mental health support for&nbsp;people who experience migraines.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve mental health support for&nbsp;people who experience migraines.","AnswerText":"Our Mental Health &amp; Wellbeing Strategy lays out our vision for improving mental health so people can get the right help, in the right place, at the right time for any aspect of their mental health. This includes people whose mental health has been affected as a result of migraines.I acknowledge the recent report by the Migraine Trust, which highlighted the links between migraines and mental health.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424540,"EventID":"S6W-30235","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-30T16:00:47.433","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-26T13:21:29.497","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to promote more understanding from employers regarding staff who experience migraines.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to promote more understanding from employers regarding staff who experience migraines.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government&rsquo;s Fair Work policy sets out actions to promote fair and inclusive workplaces across Scotland. Becoming a 'fair work employer' includes creating a healthy and safe environment where individuals' wellbeing is actively supported.Scottish Government supports employers to do this via several interventions, including:Providing occupational health support for employers via Health Scotland's Healthy Working Lives website and Working Health Services Scotland. Access to occupational health can help enable early intervention and personalised support where required.Promoting flexible and hybrid working by providing over &pound;1.1 million in funding through Fair Work and Social Innovation Partnership budgets. Flexible working practices can help people to manage their condition without dropping out of the workplace and incurring a loss of income.Those who experience a substantial and long-term impact on their lives due to migraine have a right under the Equality Act 2010 to have their employer make reasonable adjustments in the workplace.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424541,"EventID":"S6W-30271","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-30T16:00:47.437","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-27T17:38:47.22","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the new overbridge at Westerton Lane will have a sufficient span for any future dual tracking of the East Kilbride line south of Busby.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the new overbridge at Westerton Lane will have a sufficient span for any future dual tracking of the East Kilbride line south of Busby.","AnswerText":"I can confirm that the new overbridge at Westerton Lane has been designed to include passive provision for any potential future double tracking of the East Kilbride line.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424542,"EventID":"S6W-30241","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-30T16:00:47.447","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-26T13:21:29.497","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government on what dates since 2022 the Pain Management Task Force has discussed migraine-related issues, and what the outcomes were of any such discussions.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government on what dates since 2022 the Pain Management Task Force has discussed migraine-related issues, and what the outcomes were of any such discussions.","AnswerText":"The Pain Management Task Force oversees the implementation of the Framework for Pain Management Service Delivery in Scotland. Discussions at the Task Force are centred around delivery of the actions in the Implementation Plan rather than condition specific issues. While there have been no specific discussions on migraine-related issues at the Task Force, many of the actions in the Plan discussed at each Task Force meeting will benefit people with migraine, such as updated quality prescribing guidelines and the creation of a chronic pain Knowledge Hub, a resource available to all NHS Scotland staff and third sector organisations to deepen their understanding of chronic pain.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424543,"EventID":"S6W-30234","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-30T16:00:47.44","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-26T13:21:29.497","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to provide specialist training for (a) GPs and (b) pharmacists on the treatment of people experiencing migraines.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to provide specialist training for (a) GPs and (b) pharmacists on the treatment of people experiencing migraines.","AnswerText":"a) A national headache pathway was launched in October 2023 by the Centre for Sustainable Delivery at NHS Golden Jubilee. This pathway aids clinicians, including GPs, in the diagnosis and management of headache disorders, including migraine. The pathway specifically includes guidance for the treatment of migraine in primary care.b) Through the Neurological Care &amp; Support Framework, the Scottish Government provided &pound;221,176 in total to the Migraine Trust across 2022-24, to work with community, primary and secondary care pharmacists to help people with migraine manage their symptoms and treatments more effectively. The work has been undertaken in NHS Grampian, and is being expanded into further NHS Boards who are working towards adopting this model of care.Through this work an eLearning programme and resource page has been developed on NHS Education for Scotland&rsquo;s platform TURAS. This comprises a suite of training materials available for all pharmacists and pharmacy teams to access.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424544,"EventID":"S6W-30240","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-30T16:00:47.42","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-26T13:21:29.497","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people have reported experiencing migraine in each year since 2021, broken down by NHS board.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people have reported experiencing migraine in each year since 2021, broken down by NHS board.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424545,"EventID":"S6W-30148","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-30T16:00:47.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T13:00:42.253","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what further engagement it will have with the UK Government regarding bringing the oil port terminal at Grangemouth into public ownership to support energy security.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what further engagement it will have with the UK Government regarding bringing the oil port terminal at Grangemouth into public ownership to support energy security.","AnswerText":"Following the announcement by Petroineos to continue supplying fuel via an import terminal at Grangemouth and reflecting the reserved nature of the security of fuel supplies, the Scottish Government has been engaging collaboratively with the UK Government&rsquo;s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) to assess the efficacy of the business&rsquo; import terminal plans.We will continue to seek assurance from both the UK Government and Petroineos that appropriate controls and actions are in place to ensure adequate fuel flows to continue from Grangemouth long into the future.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424546,"EventID":"S6W-30269","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-30T16:00:47.457","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-27T15:27:36.36","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the legal status is of seasonal agricultural workers housed in caravan accommodation on agricultural land, with regards to that accommodation.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the legal status is of seasonal agricultural workers housed in caravan accommodation on agricultural land, with regards to that accommodation.","AnswerText":"The rights that a worker has in tied accommodation will depend on the type of tenancy or occupancy agreement in place. If an employer gives an employee accommodation as part of the job and the employee has to live there to be able to do the job, they may have a Service Occupancy agreement. Rights will depend on what is written in the employment contract and will depend on the individual circumstances of the case. However, if an employee has a Private Residential Tenancy, then they will have the same rights as a private tenant.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424547,"EventID":"S6W-30088","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-30T16:00:47.43","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-19T15:51:04.853","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish what direct engagement the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills had with young people, in light of the comments made in her ministerial sta","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish what direct engagement the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills had with young people, in light of the comments made in her ministerial statement on 19 September 2024 on the Scottish Government's response to the recommendations from the Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment.","AnswerText":"I routinely discuss the development of education policy, including in respect of qualifications and assessment, with young people through frequent visits to schools and a range of other events and meetings. The Scottish Government does not intend to publish details of this range of engagements.I also met with representatives of the Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP) on the 19th of September, prior to the statement, to provide an overview of the Scottish Government response to the Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment ahead of its publication.The views of young people have, and continue to be, vital to informing our approach to evolving the qualifications and assessment system and I remain committed to meaningfully engaging with young people (including the SYP) as we take this work forward.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424548,"EventID":"S6W-30233","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-30T16:00:47.45","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-26T13:21:29.497","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to (a) speed up and (b) expand treatment for people experiencing migraines.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to (a) speed up and (b) expand treatment for people experiencing migraines.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to increasing the availability of medicines that patients in Scotland need.A national headache pathway was launched in October 2023 by the Centre for Sustainable Delivery at NHS Golden Jubilee. This is to aid clinicians in the diagnosis and management of headache disorders, including migraine, and offers guidance on management of conditions.Through the Neurological Care &amp; Support Framework, the Scottish Government awarded &pound;221,176 in total to the Migraine Trust across 2022-24, to work with community, primary and secondary care pharmacists In NHS Grampian to help people with migraine manage their symptoms and treatments more effectively.Through the success of this project, a further seven NHS Boards are working towards adopting this model of care in future.In Scotland, the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) appraises the clinical and cost-effectiveness of newly licensed medicines, following receipt of a submission from the manufacturer. Where the SMC accepts a medicine, or accepts it with restrictions or on an interim basis, there is an expectation that NHS Boards will consider the medicine and make it (or its equivalent) available. This is considered by each NHS Boards&rsquo; Area Drug and Therapeutics Committee.NHS Boards are expected to reach a decision within 90 days of being informed of the SMC advice, which provides time to consider any issues associated with the implementation of the medicine, such as changes to the care pathway and staff training. Boards should publish their decision on their website within 14 days of the decision.The SMC appraisal is undertaken independently of Scottish Ministers and is based on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of the medicine at a population level.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424549,"EventID":"S6W-30268","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-09-30T16:00:47.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-27T13:54:13.157","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) short- and (b) long-term aims are of its Post-school Education and Skills Reform Programme Board.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) short- and (b) long-term aims are of its Post-school Education and Skills Reform Programme Board.","AnswerText":"Post School Education and Skills Reform is a 10-year transformation programme which will help us to achieve the ambitions set out in the Purpose and Principles for Post-School Education, Research and Skills.Early priorities include:leading a new, national approach to skills planning and working with partners to strengthen regional approaches;reforming the education and skills funding system so it is easier to navigate and is responsive to learners and to skills priorities, initially by introducing a Bill to simplify the post-school funding body landscape;continuing to work closely with partners to improve careers support;apprenticeships reform to reduce the complexity, make the system more transparent and maximise the value of investment to learners and the economy; andbuilding up an understanding of the post-school qualifications landscape alongside defining the oversight role for the new qualifications body.The Programme Board provides the necessary governance and assurance to support successful delivery of the aims of the Post School Education and Skills Reform Programme.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424551,"EventID":"S6W-30323","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.6","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T10:22:12.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government where the training data for live facial recognition systems will come from under the reported proposals outlined by the Police Scotland Chief Constable.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government where the training data for live facial recognition systems will come from under the reported proposals outlined by the Police Scotland Chief Constable.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30309 on 28 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424552,"EventID":"S6W-30184","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.567","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T11:13:08.257","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it spent preparing for the roll-out of its replacement for the Winter Fuel Payment prior to its decision to delay the roll-out until 2025, and what any money wa","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it spent preparing for the roll-out of its replacement for the Winter Fuel Payment prior to its decision to delay the roll-out until 2025, and what any money was spent on.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government spent approximately &pound;4.2 million on the preparation to roll out Pension Age Winter Heating Payment between May 2023 and August 2024. This primarily relates to the development of systems to deliver the benefit but also covers costs associated with the public consultation, analysis of responses and relevant publications.Given the short notice of the change in policy following the UK Government&rsquo;s decision, DWP will deliver Pension Age Winter Heating Payment this winter ahead of Social Security Scotland delivering in 2025-26.The systems to deliver Pension Age Winter Heating Payment have been designed and developed in line with the Digital Scotland Service Standards, reusing existing technology where possible, to ensure value for money. The service design and the digital systems developed for launch in Winter 2024-25 will be reused when Social Security Scotland delivers the payment next winter (2025-26), although some changes will be required to reflect the new eligibility rules.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424553,"EventID":"S6W-30285","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.543","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-30T14:30:44.483","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21980&nbsp;by Graeme Dey on 31 October 2023, whether it has concluded and published the findings of the Student Finance and Wellbe","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21980&nbsp;by Graeme Dey on 31 October 2023, whether it has concluded and published the findings of the Student Finance and Wellbeing Study, and, if not, when it will do so.","AnswerText":"The Social Research Report on the findings from the Student Finance and Wellbeing Study is currently being finalised and will be published on the Scottish Government website later this year.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424554,"EventID":"S6W-30334","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.847","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T10:22:12.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the use of live facial recognition systems, as reportedly proposed by Police Scotland's Chief Constable, will result in fewer officers on","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the use of live facial recognition systems, as reportedly proposed by Police Scotland's Chief Constable, will result in fewer officers on duty on Scotland's streets.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30309 on 28 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424555,"EventID":"S6W-30281","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.807","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-30T13:16:20.8","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many control test inspections on farms have been conducted by Scottish Government Agricultural Wages Inspectors in 2024 to date.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many control test inspections on farms have been conducted by Scottish Government Agricultural Wages Inspectors in 2024 to date.","AnswerText":"During the 2024 calendar year up until 10 October 2024, 88 Control Test Inspections have been conducted by Agricultural Wages Inspectors (AWI). This figure is in addition to 9 complaint cases raised directly by agricultural employees, that AWIs have investigated in 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424556,"EventID":"S6W-30293","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.74","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T08:18:30.433","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Preparing for Sustainable Farming (PSF) programme, how many farmers and crofters have claimed the Soil Analysis and Development Payment under the PSF prog","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Preparing for Sustainable Farming (PSF) programme, how many farmers and crofters have claimed the Soil Analysis and Development Payment under the PSF programme in each year since it was launched in spring 2022; what data it holds on how many farmers and crofters have carried out soil analysis since spring 2022 without support from the PSF programme; whether it is collecting the results of soil analysis carried out with support from the PSF programme, and, if so, whether this information may be used to help inform future policy development.","AnswerText":"Preparing for Sustainable Farming (PSF) has received a total of 1964 claims to date for soil analysis with a development payment associated with the first claim, with the following number of claims per scheme year: 607 (2022); 1201 (2023); 156 (2024, to date). As part of the claim submission process, high level data was captured to assess if there has been any barriers to acting on the analysis recommendations, whether or not more or less fertiliser was applied than expected, if variable rate application has been used, and whether lime was required based on the analysis. It is worth noting that from the UK-wide British survey of fertiliser practice, only 37% of the farms included in the survey undertook a standard soil analysis (which measures levels of P, K, Mg and soil pH). Data gathered and lessons learnt have been incorporated into the new Whole Farm plan requirements.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424557,"EventID":"S6W-30185","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:30.267","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T11:13:14.77","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has spent any money in the current financial year on transferring responsibility for the Winter Fuel Payment from Social Security Scotland back to the Departm","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has spent any money in the current financial year on transferring responsibility for the Winter Fuel Payment from Social Security Scotland back to the Department for Work and Pensions, and, if so, how much, and what this money was spent on.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government, including Social Security Scotland, have not incurred any additional costs in 2024-25 as a result of the Department for Work and Pensions administering a payment equivalent to Winter Fuel Payment to eligible Scottish clients in 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424558,"EventID":"S6W-30294","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.6","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T08:23:00.473","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the City of Edinburgh Council regarding the proposed closure of the Edinburgh People's Story Museum.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the City of Edinburgh Council regarding the proposed closure of the Edinburgh People's Story Museum.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424559,"EventID":"S6W-30308","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.58","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T10:22:12.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it considers the potential behavioural impact on officers would be of the reported proposals from the Chief Constable of Police Scotland to deploy live facial recog","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it considers the potential behavioural impact on officers would be of the reported proposals from the Chief Constable of Police Scotland to deploy live facial recognition technology for law enforcement purposes.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30309 on 28 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424560,"EventID":"S6W-30325","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.56","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T10:22:12.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether Police Scotland can sufficiently monitor the workings of live facial recognition systems, as proposed by the Chief Constable, in relation","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether Police Scotland can sufficiently monitor the workings of live facial recognition systems, as proposed by the Chief Constable, in relation to any stereotyping or harmful assumptions, in light of the so-called black box problem affecting some AI systems.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30309 on 28 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424561,"EventID":"S6W-30287","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.56","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-30T15:35:38.013","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider continuing to fund the Timberlink shipping service at its current rate of approximately &pound;945,000 per annum, rather than potentially passin","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider continuing to fund the Timberlink shipping service at its current rate of approximately &pound;945,000 per annum, rather than potentially passing on the cost of 30% to the businesses that use the service.","AnswerText":"Whilst the inherent environmental and social benefits of the TimberLINK service are recognised, increasing budgetary pressure has meant it is also important to explore opportunities to maximise benefits of public funding for all communities.My officials are continuing discussions with the service provider and users of the TimberLINK service to explore options for the future of the contract.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424562,"EventID":"S6W-30332","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.78","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T10:22:12.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what safeguards will be in place to minimise any incidences of wrongful arrests under the reported proposals by Police Scotland's Chief Constable to deploy live facial r","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what safeguards will be in place to minimise any incidences of wrongful arrests under the reported proposals by Police Scotland's Chief Constable to deploy live facial recognition for law enforcement purposes.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30309 on 28 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424563,"EventID":"S6W-30327","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.77","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T10:22:12.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the live facial recognition systems that Police Scotland's Chief Constable has proposed deploying for law enforcement purposes could be used to corroborate other","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the live facial recognition systems that Police Scotland's Chief Constable has proposed deploying for law enforcement purposes could be used to corroborate other pieces of evidence in criminal proceedings.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30309 on 28 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424564,"EventID":"S6W-30336","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.553","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T10:22:12.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when its last correspondence with Police Scotland was regarding the contents of the 2023 report, Review of emerging technologies in policing.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when its last correspondence with Police Scotland was regarding the contents of the 2023 report, Review of emerging technologies in policing.","AnswerText":"The adoption of any new technology for policing purposes must be done in a way that secures public confidence. It is important to have clear governance frameworks which take account of ethical and human rights obligations in this area, which is why the Scottish Government commissioned the report into emerging technologies. The report confirmed that Scotland is in a strong position to become world-leading in adopting a rights-based, ethical approach to the adoption of emerging technologies in policing.The Scottish Government last wrote to the Chief Constable in February 2023 enclosing a copy of the Review of emerging technologies in policing report.It should be noted that the monitoring of progress to address the report&rsquo;s recommendations is being taken forward through the Scottish Police Authority. Progress was to be reported and tracked through the Police Scotland Change Board and a short life working group was to task sub-forums across the organisation with activities for specific workstreams where appropriate. The short life working group was to provide an update to the SPA Audit &amp; Risk Committee on a quarterly basis. This is referred to in the note of the Policing Performance Committee - 15 June 2023 | Scottish Police Authority (spa.police.uk).","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424565,"EventID":"S6W-30277","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.813","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-30T10:14:53.89","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the announcement in its Programme for Government 2024-25 of &pound;100 million of investment to support the construction of mid-market rent homes, when it e","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the announcement in its Programme for Government 2024-25 of &pound;100 million of investment to support the construction of mid-market rent homes, when it expects that the first mid-market rent home being built using this funding will begin construction.","AnswerText":"The Programme for Government announcement is a new long-term commitment to provide &pound;100 million of funding which will grow, with institutional investment, to create a fund of at least &pound;500 million to support the construction of around 2,800 homes for mid-market rent, making public funds go further.The new MMR Fund will form part of the Affordable Housing Supply Programme which already supports mid-market rent and funding will be linked to the fund's performance and growth, over a number of financial years. Decisions on future AHSP funding will be set out as part of the Scottish Government's annual budget process. The next step is the commercial process to commission a fund manager and expected delivery timescales will be set out at that stage.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424566,"EventID":"S6W-30289","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.493","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-30T15:41:41.88","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it anticipates the cost of a formal impact assessment regarding any potential reduction in funding for the Timberlink coastal shipping service will be, and whether ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it anticipates the cost of a formal impact assessment regarding any potential reduction in funding for the Timberlink coastal shipping service will be, and whether this cost would exceed the contribution that users of the service are reportedly being asked to make towards Timberlink.","AnswerText":"Discussions are ongoing so no formal impact assessment has been undertaken.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424567,"EventID":"S6W-30322","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.757","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T10:22:12.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that Police Scotland deletes and does not retain any images or video used for live facial recognition under the reported proposals outlined by the","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that Police Scotland deletes and does not retain any images or video used for live facial recognition under the reported proposals outlined by the Chief Constable, and, if so, how it will ensure this.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30309 on 28 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424568,"EventID":"S6W-30211","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.567","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T15:33:16.97","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the report by the Centre for Social Justice, Where Have All the Children Gone?, which suggests that there are \"crisis levels\" of persistent and s","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the report by the Centre for Social Justice, Where Have All the Children Gone?, which suggests that there are \"crisis levels\" of persistent and severe school absence.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6O-03714 on 12 September 2024. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website Meeting of the Parliament: 12/09/2024 | Scottish Parliament Website.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424569,"EventID":"S6W-30317","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.843","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T10:22:12.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the overall accuracy of the live facial recognition technology that the Chief Constable of Police Scotland has reportedly proposed deploying for ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the overall accuracy of the live facial recognition technology that the Chief Constable of Police Scotland has reportedly proposed deploying for law enforcement purposes.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30309 on 28 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424570,"EventID":"S6W-30333","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.913","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T10:22:12.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its understanding is regarding how images used by live facial recognition systems will be stored, under the reported proposals by Police Scotland's Chief Constable.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its understanding is regarding how images used by live facial recognition systems will be stored, under the reported proposals by Police Scotland's Chief Constable.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30309 on 28 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424571,"EventID":"S6W-30278","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.37","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-30T10:14:53.89","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the announcement in its Programme for Government 2024-25 of &pound;100 million of investment to support the construction of mid-market rent homes will result in ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the announcement in its Programme for Government 2024-25 of &pound;100 million of investment to support the construction of mid-market rent homes will result in &pound;100 million being invested within the current financial year.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30277 on 11 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424572,"EventID":"S6W-30303","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.613","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T09:56:09.58","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the main goal is of alcohol minimum unit pricing, and what its position is on whether  this goal has been achieved.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the main goal is of alcohol minimum unit pricing, and what its position is on whether  this goal has been achieved.","AnswerText":"The aim of Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) of alcohol is to reduce health harms caused by alcohol consumption by setting a floor price below which alcohol cannot be sold. In particular, it targets a reduction in consumption of alcohol that is considered cheap, relative to its strength. It aims to reduce both the consumption of alcohol at population level and, in particular, those who drink at hazardous and harmful levels. In doing so, it aims to reduce alcohol related health harms among hazardous and harmful drinkers, and contribute to reducing harm at a whole population level.Public Health Scotland's independent evaluation of MUP, commended by internationally-renowned public health experts, found that evidence pointed to the policy having a positive impact on health outcomes &ndash; during the period study it was estimated to have reduced alcohol specific deaths by 13.4% and likely to have reduced hospital admission wholly attributable to alcohol by 4.1%. There was also a finding that MUP was estimated to have reduced alcohol consumption by 3% when compared to England.Overall, the evidence supports that MUP has had a positive impact on health outcomes, including alcohol-related health inequalities.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424573,"EventID":"S6W-30315","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.853","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T10:22:12.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received a reliable estimate of the false positive rate of the live facial recognition technology that the Chief Constable of Police Scotland has reported","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received a reliable estimate of the false positive rate of the live facial recognition technology that the Chief Constable of Police Scotland has reportedly proposed deploying for law enforcement purposes.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30309 on 28 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424574,"EventID":"S6W-30314","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.703","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T10:22:12.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether live facial recognition technology could disproportionately misidentify the faces of ethnic minority people, and what implications this m","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether live facial recognition technology could disproportionately misidentify the faces of ethnic minority people, and what implications this might have for the use of the technology.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30309 on 28 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424575,"EventID":"S6W-30212","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.437","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T15:33:16.97","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to publish details of the number of pupils with 50% or less attendance as part of its summary school statistics series and, if so, how often it will do ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to publish details of the number of pupils with 50% or less attendance as part of its summary school statistics series and, if so, how often it will do so.","AnswerText":"The Summary Statistics for Schools in Scotland series now includes attendance on an annual basis. Headline statistics on school attendance for the 2023-24 school year will be published in December 2024. Detailed statistics on school attendance, including a measure of pupils with an absence rate of 50% or more, will be published in March 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424576,"EventID":"S6W-30288","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-30T15:39:04.677","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it anticipates the potential impact of any reduction in grant funding to the Timberlink coastal shipping service will be on Scotland's journey towards achieving net","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it anticipates the potential impact of any reduction in grant funding to the Timberlink coastal shipping service will be on Scotland's journey towards achieving net zero.","AnswerText":"Discussions are ongoing so no formal impact assessment has been undertaken.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424577,"EventID":"S6W-30321","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.533","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T10:22:12.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how people will be able to access data on whether they have been subjected to the use of live facial recognition technology, under the reported proposals outlined by the","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how people will be able to access data on whether they have been subjected to the use of live facial recognition technology, under the reported proposals outlined by the Chief Constable of Police Scotland.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30309 on 28 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424578,"EventID":"S6W-30311","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.497","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T10:22:12.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has had any correspondence from Police Scotland regarding the reported proposals from the Chief Constable to deploy live facial recognition technology for law","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has had any correspondence from Police Scotland regarding the reported proposals from the Chief Constable to deploy live facial recognition technology for law enforcement purposes.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30309 on 28 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424579,"EventID":"S6W-30329","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.377","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T10:22:12.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported comments by Police Scotland's Chief Constable while proposing the use of live facial recognition for law enforcement purposes, what its positio","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported comments by Police Scotland's Chief Constable while proposing the use of live facial recognition for law enforcement purposes, what its position is on whether the non-consensual use of AI in public for live facial recognition is \"parallel\" to the consensual use of AI in confidential medical settings for the detection of cancer.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30309 on 28 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424580,"EventID":"S6W-30312","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.413","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T10:22:12.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it was informed by Police Scotland about the reported proposals to use live facial recognition technology for law enforcement purposes before they were recently ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it was informed by Police Scotland about the reported proposals to use live facial recognition technology for law enforcement purposes before they were recently referred to by the Chief Constable.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30309 on 28 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424581,"EventID":"S6W-30316","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.69","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T10:22:12.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received a reliable estimate of the false negative rate of the live facial recognition technology that the Chief Constable of Police Scotland has reported","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received a reliable estimate of the false negative rate of the live facial recognition technology that the Chief Constable of Police Scotland has reportedly proposed deploying for law enforcement purposes.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30309 on 28 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424582,"EventID":"S6W-30304","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.623","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T09:57:10.987","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address the reported fall in the number of pupils taking STEM subjects at Higher level.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address the reported fall in the number of pupils taking STEM subjects at Higher level.","AnswerText":"The latest SQA data shows that the total number of entries into STEM National Qualifications at Higher have increased every year since 2019, with entries in 2024 being 3.4% higher than 2023.Work has been ongoing since 2017 to implement the STEM Training and Education Strategy, which is designed to ensure ongoing take up of STEM subjects. This includes providing funding to organisations and programmes such as SSERC and the Raising Aspirations in Science Education (RAiSE) Programme, to equip practitioners with the skills, knowledge and confidence to create inspiring STEM learning experiences.In addition, the Scottish Government funds the Young STEM Leader Programme which inspires young people to take up STEM subjects, as well as initiatives such as Maths Week Scotland which promotes numeracy as an essential life skill.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424583,"EventID":"S6W-30328","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.653","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T10:22:12.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported comments by Police Scotland's Chief Constable while proposing the use of live facial recognition for law enforcement purposes, whether Police S","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported comments by Police Scotland's Chief Constable while proposing the use of live facial recognition for law enforcement purposes, whether Police Scotland has shared with it any evidence that would support the claim that \"AI will help us take violent perpetrators off the streets quicker and will keep your children safe\".","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30309 on 28 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424584,"EventID":"S6W-30338","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.55","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T10:27:10.217","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported low incidence of violent and criminal behaviour among the public at large, what its understanding is regarding how the risk of base rate neglec","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported low incidence of violent and criminal behaviour among the public at large, what its understanding is regarding how the risk of base rate neglect will be factored into the use of live facial recognition technology in criminal proceedings, under the reported proposals by Police Scotland's Chief Constable.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30309 on 28 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424585,"EventID":"S6W-30280","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.857","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-30T13:16:20.8","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of section 315(2) of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987, which local authorities have (a) applied to the Scottish Ministers for the dispensation of the making of ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of section 315(2) of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987, which local authorities have (a) applied to the Scottish Ministers for the dispensation of the making of byelaws with respect to accommodation for seasonal workers and (b) been (i) granted and (ii) denied such a dispensation, in each year since 1999; whether it will provide the dates on which any such applications were made by local authorities, and what equivalent information it has on any such applications made to the Secretary of State prior to 1999.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold the requested information. This information is held at a local authority level. Local authorities are required under section 202B of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 to keep a register of all byelaws.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424586,"EventID":"S6W-30331","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.73","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T10:22:12.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what safeguards will be in place to protect the rights of law-abiding citizens under the reported proposals by Police Scotland's Chief Constable to deploy live facial re","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what safeguards will be in place to protect the rights of law-abiding citizens under the reported proposals by Police Scotland's Chief Constable to deploy live facial recognition for law enforcement purposes.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30309 on 28 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424587,"EventID":"S6W-30286","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.74","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-30T14:34:06","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government,&nbsp;further to the answer to question S6W-26191 by Jenny Gilruth on 9 April 2024, whether it will provide&nbsp;the latest timescales and developments regarding the est","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government,&nbsp;further to the answer to question S6W-26191 by Jenny Gilruth on 9 April 2024, whether it will provide&nbsp;the latest timescales and developments regarding the establishment of a Centre for Teaching Excellence, including&nbsp;whether the co-production of the Centre concluded \"by the summer [2024]\" as planned, and in relation to the \"formal process to determine hosting arrangements\".","AnswerText":"The Co-Production Group had their final meeting in June 2024. The group provided advice on the functions of the Centre and the principles that will underpin its operation.The host of the Centre will be determined through a competitive grant process which will be assessed in two stages. The first stage of applications for interested Scottish education institutions to apply for funding to set up and host the Centre for Teaching Excellence opened on 9th September 2024 and closed on 7th October 2024. Applicants successful at that first stage will be invited to provide more information at stage two which opens in November 2024.The intention is to appoint and announce a host of the Centre by the end of 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424588,"EventID":"S6W-30319","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.683","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T10:22:12.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which companies would provide any live facial recognition technology services to Police Scotland under the reported proposals outlined by the Chief Constable.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which companies would provide any live facial recognition technology services to Police Scotland under the reported proposals outlined by the Chief Constable.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30309 on 28 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424589,"EventID":"S6W-30337","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:30.193","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T10:22:12.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what Police Scotland's response was to the recommendations in the 2023 report, Review of emerging technologies in policing.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what Police Scotland's response was to the recommendations in the 2023 report, Review of emerging technologies in policing.","AnswerText":"Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority put their joint response into the public domain in June 2023 item-2-3-1-police-scotland-spa-joint-response-to-the-iag-on-new-and-emerging-te-_.pdf. The Scottish Government published its response to the report in February 2023 Recommendations for the Scottish Government - Policing emerging technologies report: Scottish Government response - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424590,"EventID":"S6W-30310","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.377","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T10:22:12.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has spoken to Police Scotland regarding the reported proposals from the Chief Constable to deploy live facial recognition technology for law enforcement purpo","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has spoken to Police Scotland regarding the reported proposals from the Chief Constable to deploy live facial recognition technology for law enforcement purposes.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30309 on 28 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424591,"EventID":"S6W-30320","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.86","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T10:22:12.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can guarantee that any companies implicated in human rights abuses will not be used to provide the live facial recognition technology services to Police Scotl","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can guarantee that any companies implicated in human rights abuses will not be used to provide the live facial recognition technology services to Police Scotland under reported proposals outlined by the Chief Constable.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30309 on 28 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424592,"EventID":"S6W-30284","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16178,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":78,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-30T13:59:45.797","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the reported calls from the Scottish Retail Consortium and Scottish Tourism Alliance for the UK Government, in the upcoming Autumn Budget, to res","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the reported calls from the Scottish Retail Consortium and Scottish Tourism Alliance for the UK Government, in the upcoming Autumn Budget, to restore tax-free shopping for overseas visitors as a means of supporting Scotland&rsquo;s retail, tourism and hospitality sectors.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government opposed the abolition of tax-free shopping when it was announced in 2020 and called upon the previous UK Government to listen to industry and urgently reconsider the issue, including in a letter sent to the Chancellor ahead of the 2024 UK Spring Budget.The removal of VAT-free shopping is likely to be having a detrimental impact on retail businesses and may be discouraging tourists from visiting the UK, and Scotland specifically. Many EU countries offer tax-free shopping for non-EU visitors, giving their retail sectors an advantage over Scotland&rsquo;s fantastic range of shops, stores, manufacturers and producers and making those European cities a more attractive tourist destination.The Scottish Government&rsquo;s position remains that the restoration of VAT-free shopping for all overseas visitors to the UK would help support this vital sector in Scotland.Ultimately, the Scottish Government believes that all tax powers should be devolved to the Scottish Parliament so that we can provide the support that Scottish retailers and tourism businesses need.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424593,"EventID":"S6W-30279","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.713","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-30T10:14:53.89","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government where the money for the &pound;100 million of investment to support the construction of mid-market rent homes, as announced in its Programme for Government 2024-25, will","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government where the money for the &pound;100 million of investment to support the construction of mid-market rent homes, as announced in its Programme for Government 2024-25, will come from.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30277 on 11 October 2024.. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424594,"EventID":"S6W-30313","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:30.053","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T10:22:12.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received any legal advice about the potential equalities impacts of using live facial recognition technology for law enforcement purposes, in light of the","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received any legal advice about the potential equalities impacts of using live facial recognition technology for law enforcement purposes, in light of the reported proposals from the Chief Constable of Police Scotland.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30309 on 28 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424595,"EventID":"S6W-30318","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.867","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T10:22:12.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is regarding any expected risks of using the live facial recognition technology that the Chief Constable of Police Scotland has reportedly proposed dep","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is regarding any expected risks of using the live facial recognition technology that the Chief Constable of Police Scotland has reportedly proposed deploying for law enforcement purposes.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30309 on 28 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424596,"EventID":"S6W-30309","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:30.123","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T10:22:12.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it supports the reported proposals from the Chief Constable of Police Scotland to deploy live facial recognition technology for law enforcement purposes.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it supports the reported proposals from the Chief Constable of Police Scotland to deploy live facial recognition technology for law enforcement purposes.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to the legal, ethical and proportionate use of new technologies in policing, which takes account of ethical and human rights obligations, to ensure that the adoption of any new technology for policing purposes is done in a way that secures public confidence.That is why we commissioned a report into emerging technologies in policing from an independent advisory group, which was published in February 2023 (Independent advisory group on new and emerging technologies in policing: final report ). The report confirmed that Scotland is in a strong position to become world-leading in adopting a rights-based, ethical approach to the adoption of emerging technologies in policing.Any decision to deploy Live Facial Recognition technology is an operational matter for the Chief Constable under the scrutiny of the Scottish Police Authority. The Chief Constable is responsible for operational policing and is accountable to the Scottish Police Authority for this - not to Scottish Ministers. These arrangements are in law and in place to ensure public confidence that the police act independently, free from Ministerial interference.I have written to the Scottish Police Authority to seek assurances that a transparent and robust process will be adopted in considering and scrutinising any plans for the future deployment of Live Facial Recognition technology.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424597,"EventID":"S6W-30324","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T10:22:12.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether Police Scotland can sufficiently monitor the workings of live facial recognition systems, as proposed by the Chief Constable, in relation","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether Police Scotland can sufficiently monitor the workings of live facial recognition systems, as proposed by the Chief Constable, in relation to any equalities impacts, in light of the so-called black box problem affecting some AI systems.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30309 on 28 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424598,"EventID":"S6W-30326","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.837","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T10:22:12.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the live facial recognition systems that Police Scotland's Chief Constable has proposed deploying for law enforcement purposes could be used as evidence in crimi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the live facial recognition systems that Police Scotland's Chief Constable has proposed deploying for law enforcement purposes could be used as evidence in criminal proceedings.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30309 on 28 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424599,"EventID":"S6W-30339","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.72","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T10:27:10.217","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported low incidence of violent and criminal behaviour among the public at large, what its understanding is regarding how the risk of base rate neglec","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported low incidence of violent and criminal behaviour among the public at large, what its understanding is regarding how the risk of base rate neglect will be factored into the operational use of live facial recognition technology, under the reported proposals by Police Scotland's Chief Constable.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30309 on 28 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424600,"EventID":"S6W-30330","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-01T16:03:29.59","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T10:22:12.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its understanding is regarding whether, under the reported proposals by the Chief Constable, Police Scotland would use live facial recognition only temporarily for ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its understanding is regarding whether, under the reported proposals by the Chief Constable, Police Scotland would use live facial recognition only temporarily for major events, or whether permanent installations would be set up.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30309 on 28 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424624,"EventID":"S6W-30383","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":16175,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":119,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T09:31:24.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T09:26:21.333","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is responding to reported concerns by local authorities regarding a lack of proxy voting for councillors.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is responding to reported concerns by local authorities regarding a lack of proxy voting for councillors.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has today published a consultation seeking views on allowing proxy voting by councillors. The consultation is available at - http://www.gov.scot/ISBN/9781836018704","AnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424625,"EventID":"S6W-30421","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":2615,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":143,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T12:50:04.463","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T12:46:59.127","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Registrar General for Scotland will publish information on health, disability and unpaid care from the 2022 Census.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Registrar General for Scotland will publish information on health, disability and unpaid care from the 2022 Census.","AnswerText":"I have asked Janet Egdell, Interim Chief Executive of National Records of Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:National Records of Scotland (NRS) have today published: &lsquo;Scotland&rsquo;s Census 2022: Health, disability and unpaid care&rsquo;. This is the final topic release from Scotland&rsquo;s Census 2022. Later in 2024, NRS will publish multivariate data. This means we will publish tables which include more than one census topic variable. More detail about the schedule for future reports can be found here.Scotland&rsquo;s Census results are designated as Accredited Official Statistics and form an integral part of the statistical system in the UK. The Office for Statistics Regulation, the independent regulatory arm of the UK Statistics Authority, awards Accredited Official Statistics designation based on the quality, good practice and comprehensiveness of official statistics.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424626,"EventID":"S6O-03838","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T14:19:38.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T13:09:36.85","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what would be required for the frequency of service on the Milngavie rail line to return to quarter-hourly throughout the day, as was the case before the COVID-19 pandem","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what would be required for the frequency of service on the Milngavie rail line to return to quarter-hourly throughout the day, as was the case before the COVID-19 pandemic.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424627,"EventID":"S6O-03840","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T14:19:38.43","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T14:42:34.087","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact it anticipates that the planned closure of Grangemouth oil refinery will have on the Forties Pipeline System and associated jobs and businesses.    &nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact it anticipates that the planned closure of Grangemouth oil refinery will have on the Forties Pipeline System and associated jobs and businesses.    &nbsp;","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424628,"EventID":"S6O-03837","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T14:19:38.437","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T08:22:12.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to removing free bus passes from people who abuse the system.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to removing free bus passes from people who abuse the system.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424629,"EventID":"S6O-03844","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5596,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":151,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T14:19:38.433","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T09:08:19.603","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the regulation of dog walking services, following its public consultation on the licensing of activities involving animals.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the regulation of dog walking services, following its public consultation on the licensing of activities involving animals.","AnswerText":"While there was support among respondents to our consultation last year, concerns were also expressed about the proportionality and cost of such a scheme and about the capacity of local authorities to absorb and meaningfully enforce additional licensing requirements. We are therefore assessing whether less onerous and more proportionate approaches, such as registration schemes linked to codes of conduct, could deliver similar outcomes to licensing.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424630,"EventID":"S6O-03839","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5060,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T14:19:38.437","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T09:41:15.96","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work on inclusive communication.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work on inclusive communication.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424631,"EventID":"S6O-03843","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T14:19:38.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T09:23:34.197","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work to support the introduction of a ban on biodegradable municipal waste going to landfill.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work to support the introduction of a ban on biodegradable municipal waste going to landfill.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424632,"EventID":"S6O-03842","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T14:19:38.437","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T13:16:00.62","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Transport Scotlandand Amey regarding the repairs that are required at Union Bridge on the A96 inKeith.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Transport Scotlandand Amey regarding the repairs that are required at Union Bridge on the A96 inKeith.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424633,"EventID":"S6O-03841","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T14:19:38.44","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T13:45:35.48","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what preparations it has conducted in advance of the planned opening of Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership&rsquo;s safer drug consumption facility on 21 Oct","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what preparations it has conducted in advance of the planned opening of Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership&rsquo;s safer drug consumption facility on 21 October.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424634,"EventID":"S6O-03836","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3129,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":83,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T14:19:25.58","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T13:23:15.837","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans there are for the future provision of Gaelic education in primary schools in the Glasgow Anniesland constituency.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans there are for the future provision of Gaelic education in primary schools in the Glasgow Anniesland constituency.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424635,"EventID":"S6O-03816","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4982,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T14:19:25.787","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T07:34:13.483","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what the total monetary cost has been, including in relation to travel, accommodation and staff and ministerial working time, of all","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what the total monetary cost has been, including in relation to travel, accommodation and staff and ministerial working time, of all overseas trips taken by the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture since his appointment in 2021.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424636,"EventID":"S6O-03821","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T14:19:25.547","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-30T13:16:00.937","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made in reforming the female custodial estate.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made in reforming the female custodial estate.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424637,"EventID":"S6O-03828","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16215,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T14:19:25.487","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T16:13:40.55","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure access to advice and advocacyfor civil justice issues, especially for people in rural and islandcommunities, in light of the reported recent reduction","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure access to advice and advocacyfor civil justice issues, especially for people in rural and islandcommunities, in light of the reported recent reduction in funding for the EarlyResolution and Advice Programme.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424638,"EventID":"S6O-03814","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T14:19:25.49","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T10:43:49.837","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether Creative Scotland is fit for purpose as an arts funding body. &nbsp; &nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether Creative Scotland is fit for purpose as an arts funding body. &nbsp; &nbsp;","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424639,"EventID":"S6O-03815","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T14:19:25.513","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T12:16:16.547","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of its international offices.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of its international offices.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424640,"EventID":"S6O-03822","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T14:19:25.653","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T10:27:17.647","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the justice secretary has had with Police Scotland and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service regarding their role in addressing food crime, in ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the justice secretary has had with Police Scotland and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service regarding their role in addressing food crime, in light of reports of counterfeit vodka being seized in the Central Scotland region.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424641,"EventID":"S6O-03817","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T14:19:25.607","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T07:28:27.533","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is engaging with local arts organisations to address any current challenges they face in maintaining their operations.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is engaging with local arts organisations to address any current challenges they face in maintaining their operations.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424642,"EventID":"S6O-03818","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T14:19:25.713","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T13:12:14.807","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions ministers have had with the City of Edinburgh Council regarding the proposed closure of Edinburgh's People's Story Museum.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions ministers have had with the City of Edinburgh Council regarding the proposed closure of Edinburgh's People's Story Museum.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424643,"EventID":"S6O-03813","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5866,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T14:19:25.76","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T09:56:33.677","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to address reported concerns regarding the future of arts funding in Scotland.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to address reported concerns regarding the future of arts funding in Scotland.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424644,"EventID":"S6O-03826","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T14:19:25.537","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T08:03:43.383","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address the reported reduction in the number of legal aid solicitors.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address the reported reduction in the number of legal aid solicitors.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424645,"EventID":"S6O-03831","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16178,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":78,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T14:19:25.62","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T15:46:13.817","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what further support and guidance it can provide to secondary education establishments regarding the balancing of the right to education of both a victim of sexual assau","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what further support and guidance it can provide to secondary education establishments regarding the balancing of the right to education of both a victim of sexual assault and the alleged perpetrator. &nbsp;","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424646,"EventID":"S6O-03834","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4941,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":87,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T14:19:25.757","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T08:34:20.993","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its Anti-Racism in Education Programme.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its Anti-Racism in Education Programme.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424647,"EventID":"S6O-03833","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16207,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T14:19:25.697","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T09:28:49.48","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent report by Audit Scotland on Scotland&rsquo;s colleges, which states that &ldquo;colleges need more clarity from the Scottish Governmen","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent report by Audit Scotland on Scotland&rsquo;s colleges, which states that &ldquo;colleges need more clarity from the Scottish Government on the aspects of their role to prioritise,&rdquo; and that colleges are &ldquo;making fundamental decisions about their future services without this clarity&rdquo;. &nbsp;","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424648,"EventID":"S6O-03829","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T14:19:25.733","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T10:16:25.14","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether young people have the opportunity to study subjects that they are interested in.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether young people have the opportunity to study subjects that they are interested in.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424649,"EventID":"S6O-03825","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T14:19:25.677","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T12:51:19.677","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what arrangements it has in place to ensure that victims of rape and sexual assault can always access the support that they need to deal with trauma.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what arrangements it has in place to ensure that victims of rape and sexual assault can always access the support that they need to deal with trauma.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424650,"EventID":"S6O-03820","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T14:19:25.637","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T13:31:06.29","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to humanitarian aid funding through its Humanitarian Emergency Fund, what consideration it is giving to supporting the provision of humanitarian assistance ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to humanitarian aid funding through its Humanitarian Emergency Fund, what consideration it is giving to supporting the provision of humanitarian assistance in Lebanon.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424651,"EventID":"S6O-03830","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T14:19:25.593","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T09:53:48.687","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to support the university sector during the current academic year.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to support the university sector during the current academic year.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424652,"EventID":"S6O-03819","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T14:19:25.78","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T09:37:59.55","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to ensure that those delivering Scotland&rsquo;s Winter Festivals will be involved in the planned strategic partnership for Scotland&rsquo;s festivals.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to ensure that those delivering Scotland&rsquo;s Winter Festivals will be involved in the planned strategic partnership for Scotland&rsquo;s festivals.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424653,"EventID":"S6O-03835","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T14:19:25.563","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-30T14:37:38.387","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on whether it will review any guidance in relation to the teaching of gender identity in schools, in light of the Cass report.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on whether it will review any guidance in relation to the teaching of gender identity in schools, in light of the Cass report.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424654,"EventID":"S6W-30349","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T15:07:53.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T11:01:52.61","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported concerns regarding potential ethnic and racial bias, what its position is on whether the use of live facial recognition technology in public spaces","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported concerns regarding potential ethnic and racial bias, what its position is on whether the use of live facial recognition technology in public spaces is compatible with the position stated in the fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) that \"successful places\" must be designed for \"accessibility and inclusion for everyone regardless of gender, sexual orientation, age, ability and culture\".","AnswerText":"The fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) sets out the Scottish Ministers&rsquo; policies and proposals for the development and use of land. If an application for planning permission is necessary for any development associated with the use of live facial recognition technology, it is for the relevant planning authority to consider that application. When making decisions on planning applications, planning authorities must consider the development plan as a whole, comprising NPF and local development plans, alongside all other material considerations.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424655,"EventID":"S6W-30307","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T15:07:54.183","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T10:07:51.287","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is available to those living in residential properties for which a right of lease in land is registered and granted for a period of more than 175 years and ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is available to those living in residential properties for which a right of lease in land is registered and granted for a period of more than 175 years and were not converted to ownership under the Long Leases (Scotland) Act 2012.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not offer support for individuals whose lease did not meet the criteria to convert under the Long Leases (Scotland) Act 2012.Individuals with leases which did not convert should consider making contact with their landlord to establish whether they would be willing to consider ending the lease. Tenants should be aware that the landlord will be seeking compensation and the level will be dependent of the circumstances of the lease. Any such discussions will be a private matter which the Scottish Government will not be able to intervene or assist with. Advice from a legal adviser may be required.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424656,"EventID":"S6W-30342","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T15:07:54.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T11:01:52.61","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the use of live facial recognition technology in public spaces is compatible with the priority stated in the fourth National Planning Fra","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the use of live facial recognition technology in public spaces is compatible with the priority stated in the fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) of \"creating a sense of belonging and identity within the community\".","AnswerText":"The fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) sets out the Scottish Ministers&rsquo; policies and proposals for the development and use of land. If an application for planning permission is necessary for any development associated with the use of live facial recognition technology, it is for the relevant planning authority to consider that application. When making decisions on planning applications, planning authorities must consider the development plan as a whole, comprising NPF and local development plans, alongside all other material considerations.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424657,"EventID":"S6W-30354","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5060,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T15:07:54.483","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T11:34:54.223","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29171 by Kaukab Stewart on 3 September 2024, and in light of the commitment in its Programme for Government 2021-22 to act on incl","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29171 by Kaukab Stewart on 3 September 2024, and in light of the commitment in its Programme for Government 2021-22 to act on inclusive communication, its consultation on new regulations between 2021 and 2022, its proposed new regulations in 2023, and its substantially revised proposals in July 2024 without consultation, when it (a) will start and (b) plans to finish the work detailed in its answer.","AnswerText":"The decision to enhance public authorities' inclusive communication through guidance, tools, and training was communicated in a letter by myself, issued to stakeholders on 14 August 2024. Officials are now undertaking a scoping exercise and gap analysis endeavouring to work with partners in this and will continue to communicate updates on this work as it progresses.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424658,"EventID":"S6W-30344","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T15:07:53.977","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T11:01:52.61","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported proposals from the Chief Constable of Police Scotland, what its response is to reports that the Metropolitan Police's use of live facial recogn","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported proposals from the Chief Constable of Police Scotland, what its response is to reports that the Metropolitan Police's use of live facial recognition technology produced verifiably correct matches on only 19% of occasions and that this was still \"exceeding\" its \"accuracy expectations\".","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30309 on 28 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424659,"EventID":"S6W-30369","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T15:07:54.14","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T15:11:22.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to any increasing weight of vehicles and any damage that this may be doing to ageing road infrastructure.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to any increasing weight of vehicles and any damage that this may be doing to ageing road infrastructure.","AnswerText":"The design of road infrastructure is influenced by the loading from heavy goods vehicles and the legislation for the weights and dimensions of these vehicles is reserved to the UK Government. Regular engagement on potential changes to vehicle weights and dimensions is held between officials in Transport Scotland, and the Department for Transport. It is known that increasing axle weights causes increased wear and tear on carriageways and could result in the requirement to re-assess the load carrying capacity of bridges.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424660,"EventID":"S6W-30356","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5060,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T15:07:53.917","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T11:34:54.223","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29171 by Kaukab Stewart on 3 September 2024, whether it will provide further details of the &ldquo;restrictions related to legisla","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29171 by Kaukab Stewart on 3 September 2024, whether it will provide further details of the &ldquo;restrictions related to legislative competence&rdquo; that led to the decision to stop work on the proposed, and reportedly widely supported, new public sector equality duty on inclusive communication.","AnswerText":"The content of any legal advice is confidential. By long-standing convention, successive Scottish and Westminster Governments have not disclosed the source or content of legal advice other than in the most exceptional circumstances.However, we have sought to provide some further details of the relevant legal background. There are multiple constraints on the ability to legislate in relation to this matter. Firstly, the Scottish Parliament cannot make laws which relate to a reserved matter. The relevant reserved matter is Section L2 of Schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998 which reserves the subject matter of &ldquo;Equal opportunities&rdquo;. A proposed new duty relating to inclusive communications relates to this reserved matter and therefore falls within one of the limited exceptions to this reservation.Further, in terms of section 29(2)(c) and schedule 4 of the Scotland Act 1998, the Scottish Parliament cannot make laws which modify the law on reserved matters. The Equality Act 2010 is a law on reserved matters and as such a new duty related to inclusive communications cannot modify any provision of it. Lastly, the enabling power for a new duty was limited to the following (as per section 153 of the Equality Act 2010): regulations which have the purpose of enabling the better performance of listed authorities of their public sector equality duty.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424661,"EventID":"S6W-30296","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T15:07:53.957","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T08:27:27.19","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what information recipients of the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults are required to provide the Scottish Government to demonstrate how grant funds","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information recipients of the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults are required to provide the Scottish Government to demonstrate how grant funds were used.","AnswerText":"The Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults is distributed in all 32 regions of Scotland by Third Sector Interface (TSI) organisations who allocate funding in line with the National Fund Guidance.TSIs are required to submit monitoring and reporting data annually, including information on the number and value of awards granted, types of organisations funded, key priorities and target groups reached, aims of funded projects and overall spend including any underspend.This data informs the content of the Reporting and Monitoring Summary which is published for each year of the Fund.The published reports can be found here. Wellbeing and prevention - Mental health - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).From Year 2 of the Fund (2022-23) Scottish Government has also requested that TSIs collect standard evaluation data from organisations to demonstrate the impact of the Fund on their specific projects. This includes information on: what the project expected to do compared to what they did; the activities and level of participants; and the outcomes and challenges/changes of the project.An external evaluation of Year 1 of the Fund was commissioned by the Scottish Government. The findings were published in July 2023 and can be found here:Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults: evaluation - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).","AnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424662,"EventID":"S6W-30358","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16205,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T15:07:54.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T13:23:54.277","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of the dates on which its Tax Advisory Group (a) has met and (b) is scheduled to meet.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of the dates on which its Tax Advisory Group (a) has met and (b) is scheduled to meet.","AnswerText":"The Tax Advisory Group (TAG) most recently met on 11 September. Their last meeting for 2024 is scheduled for 6 November.The minutes and dates for previous TAG meetings are published at https://www.gov.scot/groups/tax-advisory-group/. The minutes from their September meeting will be added once the group has cleared them at their November meeting.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424663,"EventID":"S6W-30297","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T15:07:54.13","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T08:27:27.19","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how the funding of &pound;15 million to the Children and Young People&rsquo;s Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Supports will be distributed to recipients, and what ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the funding of &pound;15 million to the Children and Young People&rsquo;s Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Supports will be distributed to recipients, and what account is made of how those funds are spent.","AnswerText":"The &pound;15 million per annum funding for Children and Young People&rsquo;s Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Supports and Services is provided by grants from the Scottish Government to all 32 local authorities. The funding allocations are calculated and distributed based on the number of children and young people in each local authority area, with appropriate adjustments made to take account of the deprivation level and rurality of each area.Local authorities administer the funding at a local level and determine which supports and services to implement on the basis of locally-identified need and in line with the Children and Young People&rsquo;s Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Supports and Services Framework.Local authorities are required to provide the Scottish Government with annual profiles of expenditure and statements of compliance at the end of the financial year, and must keep the Scottish Government informed of any changes to estimated expenditure each year.Local authorities also report annually on data including numbers of people accessing support, age and gender of service users, reasons for presenting at the services, and numbers of people reporting an improved outcome. Summaries of this information are published retrospectively by the Scottish Government at https://www.gov.scot/publications/access-to-counsellors-in-secondary-schools-and-children-and-young-peoples-community-mental-health-services-summary-reports/.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424664,"EventID":"S6W-30347","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T15:07:54.2","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T11:01:52.61","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Scottish Biometrics Commissioner regarding the reported proposals from the Chief Constable of Police Scotland to deploy live facial ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Scottish Biometrics Commissioner regarding the reported proposals from the Chief Constable of Police Scotland to deploy live facial recognition technology for law enforcement purposes.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30309 on 28 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424665,"EventID":"S6W-30353","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5060,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T15:07:54.257","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T11:34:54.223","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its commitments on inclusive communication, what alternative legislation or regulations were considered beyond any restrictions identified under the Equality ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its commitments on inclusive communication, what alternative legislation or regulations were considered beyond any restrictions identified under the Equality Act 2010, and what the reasons were for any such alternative routes not being pursued.","AnswerText":"Our commitment relating to inclusive communication was part of our work considering improvements to the operation of the Public Sector Equality Duty (&ldquo;PSED&rdquo;) in Scotland, which is contained in section 149(1) of the Equality Act 2010. The Scottish Government has limited competence to legislate in relation to equal opportunities including the PSED.In relation to supporting public authorities to better comply with the PSED, the only available legislation making power Scottish Ministers have is to impose specific duties under the Equality Act 2010, therefore no other alternative legislative route is available.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424666,"EventID":"S6W-30368","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T15:07:54.277","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T14:24:20.273","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the report that it commissioned on the constitutional role(s) of the Law Officers for Scotland is subject to peer review, and, if so, how long it anticipates tha","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the report that it commissioned on the constitutional role(s) of the Law Officers for Scotland is subject to peer review, and, if so, how long it anticipates that this will take, and whether the report's author is able to release a pre-print of the report before the review stage is completed.","AnswerText":"The report has been proposed for peer review, which will take some weeks. Release of a draft of the report is not proposed before the review stage is completed.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424667,"EventID":"S6W-30367","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T15:07:54.327","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T14:24:20.273","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the UK Government since July 2024 regarding potential reform of the constitutional role(s) of the Law Officers for Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the UK Government since July 2024 regarding potential reform of the constitutional role(s) of the Law Officers for Scotland.","AnswerText":"I wrote to the then Secretary of State for Scotland on 29 February and made a commitment to keep the UK Government appraised of progress on this matter as it develops.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424668,"EventID":"S6W-30345","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T15:07:54.147","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T11:01:52.61","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported proposals from the Chief Constable of Police Scotland to deploy live facial recognition systems in Scotland, what its response is to the Europe","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported proposals from the Chief Constable of Police Scotland to deploy live facial recognition systems in Scotland, what its response is to the European Parliament's reported decision to classify the use of real-time biometrics in public spaces as posing an unacceptable risk.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30309 on 28 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424669,"EventID":"S6W-30341","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T15:07:54.273","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T10:56:10.357","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will support economic growth in light of The Hunter Foundation's plans to support Scottish businesses through its ScaleUpScotland programme.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will support economic growth in light of The Hunter Foundation's plans to support Scottish businesses through its ScaleUpScotland programme.","AnswerText":"Supporting fair and green economic growth is a core priority for this Government, as highlighted in our recently published Programme for Government. Since 2007, Scotland&rsquo;s GDP per capita has grown by 10.7%, outpacing the UK&rsquo;s growth of 5.6%. Productivity in Scotland has also increased at an average of 1.1% per year, well above the UK average of 0.4%.It is encouraging to see Sir Tom Hunter lending his support and expertise to promising businesses in Scotland. The ScaleUpScotland programme aligns well with the broad range of initiatives we support to help businesses grow, such as the Techscaler programme, Scottish EDGE, and the support from our Enterprise Agencies and the Scottish National Investment Bank. All of these efforts are integrated into our New Deal for Business, creating a strong foundation for economic success.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424670,"EventID":"S6W-30340","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5060,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T15:07:54.317","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T10:39:15.333","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29611 by Jenny Gilruth on 20 September 2024, what evaluation it has carried out regarding the impact on educational performance of","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29611 by Jenny Gilruth on 20 September 2024, what evaluation it has carried out regarding the impact on educational performance of providing around 280,000 free digital devices and 14,000 connectivity packages to learners, and for what reason it did not provide this information in its answer.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government provision of devices and connectivity packages during the pandemic was an emergency response to ensure disadvantaged learners could remain in contact with schools, teachers and learning during the periods when schools were closed.The remainder of the devices have been funded, procured and distributed by local authorities themselves, in line with local learning strategies. Local authorities are ultimately responsible for delivery of education, including decisions around how, when and why to deploy any technology. Therefore, it would be for local authorities to undertake any evaluation of local device rollout programmes.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424671,"EventID":"S6W-30335","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T15:07:54.18","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T10:22:12.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to Professor Angela Daly's reported comments that live facial recognition technology is \"not fit for purpose\" and is \"generally unethical\", in light","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to Professor Angela Daly's reported comments that live facial recognition technology is \"not fit for purpose\" and is \"generally unethical\", in light of the reported proposals by the Chief Constable of Police Scotland to deploy the technology in Scotland.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30309 on 28 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424672,"EventID":"S6W-30295","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T15:07:54.32","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T08:27:27.19","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it (a) currently makes available and (b) plans to make available to the Scottish Parliament for the purposes of evaluating the efficacy of community men","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it (a) currently makes available and (b) plans to make available to the Scottish Parliament for the purposes of evaluating the efficacy of community mental health funding.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has published the following reports relating to the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults.Year 1 (2021-2022)Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund: year 1 - monitoring and reporting summary - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)External Evaluation of Year 1Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults: evaluation - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)Year 2 (2022 -2023)Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults: year 2 - monitoring and reporting summary - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)Year 3 (2023-2024)Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults - year 3: monitoring and reporting summary - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)Year 4 of the Fund opened for applications on 30 September 2024. As with previous years, data in respect of Year 4 will be published when it is available.In addition, we are currently working with Third Sector Interface organisations to gather information on the impact of the Fund and we intend to make key findings available in due course.In relation to the children and young people&rsquo;s community mental health and wellbeing supports and services funded by the Scottish Government, the Scottish Youth Parliament conducted an independent evaluation which was published in August 2023 and is available at https://syp.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Independent-Evaluation-of-Community-Mental-Health-Supports-and-Services-April-2023.pdf.Local authorities also report annually on data including numbers of people accessing support, age and gender of service users, reasons for presenting at the services, and numbers of people reporting an improved outcome. Summaries of this information are published retrospectively by the Scottish Government at https://www.gov.scot/publications/access-to-counsellors-in-secondary-schools-and-children-and-young-peoples-community-mental-health-services-summary-reports/.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424673,"EventID":"S6W-30348","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T15:07:54.243","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T11:01:52.61","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the use of live facial recognition technology in public spaces is compatible with the priority stated in the fourth National Planning Fra","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the use of live facial recognition technology in public spaces is compatible with the priority stated in the fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) of \"ensuring spaces, routes and buildings feel safe and welcoming\".","AnswerText":"The fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) sets out the Scottish Ministers&rsquo; policies and proposals for the development and use of land. If an application for planning permission is necessary for any development associated with the use of live facial recognition technology, it is for the relevant planning authority to consider that application. When making decisions on planning applications, planning authorities must consider the development plan as a whole, comprising NPF and local development plans, alongside all other material considerations.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424674,"EventID":"S6W-30305","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T15:07:54.307","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T10:07:51.287","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to bring forward legislation or regulation in respect of the legal status of residential properties for which a right of lease in land is registered and","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to bring forward legislation or regulation in respect of the legal status of residential properties for which a right of lease in land is registered and granted for a period of more than 175 years and were not converted to ownership under the Long Leases (Scotland) Act 2012.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has no plans to bring forward legislation on long leases at this time.The Long Leases (Scotland) Act 2012 converted certain ultra-long leases (over 175 years long) with an unexpired duration of 100 years (on the appointed day) into outright ownership. These periods were chosen based on research carried out by the Scottish Law Commission and is set out in its Report on Conversion of Long Leases (2006). Report on Conversion of Long Leases (Scot Law Com No 204)The Scottish Government requires to ensure that any legislation that is put before the Scottish Parliament is compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). These provisions were considered to be consistent with Article 14 and Article 1, Protocol 1 of the ECHR.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424675,"EventID":"S6W-30306","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T15:07:54.343","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T10:07:51.287","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many residential properties for which a right of lease in land is registered and granted for a period of more than 175 years were not converted to ownership under th","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many residential properties for which a right of lease in land is registered and granted for a period of more than 175 years were not converted to ownership under the Long Leases (Scotland) Act 2012.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information.The Scottish Law Commission (SLC) Report on Conversion of Long Leases (2006). Report on Conversion of Long Leases (Scot Law Com No 204) provides several tables on the number of leases and the variations of length and duration. A survey of long leases was undertaken by the SLC see paragraph 1.14 and Appendix C for the results broken down into various categories.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424676,"EventID":"S6W-30355","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5060,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T15:07:54.26","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T11:34:54.223","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29171 by Kaukab Stewart on 3 September 2024, how it plans to monitor the use of inclusive communication guidance, tools and resour","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29171 by Kaukab Stewart on 3 September 2024, how it plans to monitor the use of inclusive communication guidance, tools and resources and the impact of powers under Regulation 11 of the Scottish Specific Duties on listed public authorities.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the importance of accountability and seeks to ensure that it is built into everything that we do. Regarding monitoring arrangements, the responsibility for oversight of compliance with the Equality Act 2010, including compliance with the Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) (Scotland) Regulations 2012 including Regulation 11, rests with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), which has issued guidance on how the Regulations should be applied in practice.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424677,"EventID":"S6W-30351","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T15:07:54.337","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T11:13:45.667","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the full list of members of all five Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council subgroups.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the full list of members of all five Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council subgroups.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council (SOWEC) is a strategic leadership group that brings together the Scottish public sector and the offshore wind industry. SOWEC has five subgroups that are administered by individual group leads and are tasked with dealing with different industry challenges.The Scottish Government does not hold a complete list of the Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council (SOWEC) sub-group members as this is held by individual sub-group leads.A range of organisations across the sector have been involved to date, including: BP, college sector, Copenhagen Offshore Partners, Crown Estate Scotland, Dundee Council, EDF Renewables, Equinor, ESB, Energy Skills Partnership, Floatation Energy, Forth &amp; Tay Cluster, Fred Olsen, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), HIE/DeepWind Cluster, Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm, Mainstream, Muir Mhor, Nadara, Net Zero Technology Centre, Northland Power, Ocean Winds, Orsted, RenewableUK, RWE, Scottish Enterprise, Scottish Renewables, ScottishPower, Skills Development Scotland, Scottish Funding Council, Shell, Simply Blue Group, SSE Renewables, University of Strathclyde and Vattenfall.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424678,"EventID":"S6W-30343","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T15:07:54.107","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T11:01:52.61","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported proposals from the Chief Constable of Police Scotland, what its response is to reports that the use of live facial recognition by South Wales P","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported proposals from the Chief Constable of Police Scotland, what its response is to reports that the use of live facial recognition by South Wales Police has produced 2,833 false alerts, compared with only 72 resultant arrests.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30309 on 28 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424679,"EventID":"S6W-30361","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16205,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T15:07:54.173","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T13:40:23.087","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assumptions it made on public sector pay when setting the 2024-25 Budget.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assumptions it made on public sector pay when setting the 2024-25 Budget.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government places the upmost importance on planning accordingly to balance its budget. We originally assumed 3% per cent for pay awards at the time of the Budget, and a 2% +1% phased multi-year approach was confirmed as part of our 2024-25 Pay Policy.The 3% was based on a range of judgements including affordability and on known funding at the time under the previous UK Government. The UK Government&rsquo;s Autumn Statement was the worst-case scenario for Scotland and caused further uncertainty about future funding for public services from UK Government.Stabilising economic conditions were also taken into account with inflation forecast to reduce to 2%. To those who believe we should set out our pay metrics earlier, it is worth remembering the UK Government does not set out its pay policy for the public sector and does not share the workings of the Pay Review bodies with us.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424680,"EventID":"S6W-30360","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T15:07:54.203","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T13:30:21.557","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what work is being carried out to (a) expand the red-only squirrel areas of Scotland and (b) facilitate grey squirrel control.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work is being carried out to (a) expand the red-only squirrel areas of Scotland and (b) facilitate grey squirrel control.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government fully supports the work being undertaken by the Saving Scotland&rsquo;s Red Squirrels (SSRS) partnership project. The project has been working in strategic areas to protect, maintain and promote existing red squirrel populations, and to defend these populations from the spread of squirrelpox. With support from project staff, professional Grey Squirrel Officers have been working with volunteers and landowners to deliver strategic grey squirrel control in four priority areas: Argyll, the Trossachs and Stirling; Tayside (collectively the Central Lowlands); North East Scotland; and South Scotland.The SSRS Project has recently been awarded just over &pound;1m by the Scottish Government&rsquo;s Nature Restoration Fund. Over two years, this funding is enabling the creation of new community-focused rapid response monitoring and control networks across the northern Central Lowlands, made possible by increased year-round professional grey squirrel control activities in the area. This will pave the way for a long-term southward shift of the current &ldquo;Highland Line Control Zone&rdquo; &ndash; the 10km zone stretching from Balloch to Montrose and buffering the diagonal Highland Boundary Fault Line, where Scotland&rsquo;s Highland red-only squirrel population intersects with the most northly reaches of grey squirrels incurring from the Lowlands.This funding has enabled a concentrated effort to eradicate the last remaining isolated population of grey squirrels in the North East of Scotland. The project also aims to eradicate grey squirrels from the islands of Loch Lomond with the support of partners and landowners and additional funding from the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority.Funding for land managers for grey squirrel control is also available through the Sustainable Management of Forests under the Scottish Government&rsquo;s Forestry Grant Scheme.The Scottish Government and partners will continue to be involved in discussions on taking forward the work currently being undertaken by SSRS.The Scottish Strategy for Red Squirrel Conservation was published in 2015 and we are currently reviewing this with a view to publishing a revised strategy in 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424681,"EventID":"S6W-30350","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T15:07:54.343","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T11:13:45.667","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the full list of members of the Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the full list of members of the Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council is a strategic leadership group that brings together the Scottish public sector and the offshore wind industry. The group is co-chaired by the Minister for Climate Action, and Brian MacFarlane of SSE.Group membership includes: Andrew MacDonald (Innovation Working Group Chair, ORE Catapult), Alex Louden (Innovation Working Group Deputy Chair, &Oslash;rsted), Andy Riley (Crown Estate Scotland), Claire Mack (Barriers to Deployment Working Group Chair, Scottish Renewables), David Oxley (Highlands, and Islands Enterprise), Jim Brown (Skills Working Group Chair, Energy Skills Partnership), Lloyd Duthie (Supply Chain &amp; Clusters Working Group Chair, Seaway 7), Mark Baxter (Developers&rsquo; Forum Interim Chair, Ocean Winds), Paul Wheelhouse (South of Scotland Enterprise), Reuben Aitken (Scottish Development International) and Suzanne Sosna (Scottish Enterprise).New chairs for the Developer Forum and Skills Working Group will be appointed before the end of 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424682,"EventID":"S6W-30357","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5060,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T15:07:54.307","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T11:34:54.223","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will specify the definition that it used to outline communities that could benefit from regulations on inclusive communication when determining its legal comp","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will specify the definition that it used to outline communities that could benefit from regulations on inclusive communication when determining its legal competence to introduce laws in this area.","AnswerText":"This work related to a new duty related to inclusive communication in Scotland made under the Equality Act 2010. This means that the legislation could only relate to communities who have protected characteristics set out in that Act.However, the Scottish Government&rsquo;s policy understanding of inclusive communication, is as follows: &ldquo;Inclusive communication is giving information in a way that is accessible to as many people as possible. It ensures people can receive information and express themselves in ways that best meet each individual&rsquo;s needs.&rdquo; Therefore we anticipate that many communities could benefit from activities to enhance the use and understanding of inclusive communication across the public sector.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424683,"EventID":"S6W-30190","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5877,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T15:07:54.277","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T12:39:45.607","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the findings in the report, The Ethical Basis of the Scottish Health and Wellbeing Census, 2021-22, by Lindsay Paterson, Emeritus Professor of Education Pol","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the findings in the report, The Ethical Basis of the Scottish Health and Wellbeing Census, 2021-22, by Lindsay Paterson, Emeritus Professor of Education Policy at the University of Edinburgh, which outlines ethical failings in how data was gathered, how it will give all children and families the right to request deletion of their data, and whether it will commit to deleting all data gathered, in light of the reported concerns that it is unfit to be used by ethical researchers.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government takes the privacy of citizen&rsquo;s data very seriously and is committed to ensuring that the personal data we hold complies with the Data Protection Act and the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR).The UK GDPR gives individuals the right to have personal data erased, and requests for deletion can be made to the data controller(s) of the personal data. However, the right is not absolute and only applies in certain circumstances.The right to erasure does not apply if processing is necessary for some specific purposes, including for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority, or for archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific research, historical research or statistical purposes where erasure is likely to render impossible or seriously impair the achievement of that processing.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424684,"EventID":"S6W-30366","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T15:07:54.13","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T14:24:20.273","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its commitment to consult on reforming the constitutional role(s) of the Law Officers for Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its commitment to consult on reforming the constitutional role(s) of the Law Officers for Scotland.","AnswerText":"Development of the consultation will be informed by an initial phase of expert research, which is currently underway.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424685,"EventID":"S6W-30363","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T15:07:54.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T14:24:20.273","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether reform of the constitutional role(s) of the Law Officers for Scotland should be carried out; if it considers that such reform should be c","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether reform of the constitutional role(s) of the Law Officers for Scotland should be carried out; if it considers that such reform should be carried out, what its position is on whether this should be carried out via an Act of the UK Parliament, or via an Act of the Scottish Parliament, subsequent to the devolution of the requisite powers, and whether it would oppose its dispreferred option.","AnswerText":"We have committed to consulting on the role of the Law Officers. To further that commitment research has been commissioned to develop a detailed baseline understanding of the many distinct roles and functions of the Law Officers and will provide information on how the functions of law officers operate in other countries.The role of the Law Officers is secured by the Scotland Act 1998, and reflects the system in place prior to devolution. What any changes to that role would require by way of an Act of the UK or Scottish parliament would depend on any changes proposed.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424686,"EventID":"S6W-30299","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T15:07:53.917","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T08:54:05.163","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether a local authority that introduces a workplace parking levy under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 could set local exemptions for workers (a) with incomes below ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether a local authority that introduces a workplace parking levy under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 could set local exemptions for workers (a) with incomes below a certain level, (b) who work particular hours, for example early or late shifts, and (c) with an electric vehicle.","AnswerText":"The Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 provides local authorities with a discretionary power to set up workplace parking licensing (WPL) schemes. Section 71 of the 2019 Act defines what constitutes a workplace parking place.The liability for licences and associated charges is the responsibility of the occupier of the premises providing workplace parking spaces, and not employees or workers. There is no licence charge payable by workers and therefore no scope to vary such charges.Local authorities do, however, have the discretion to make local exemptions beyond the fixed national exemptions to support their local objectives and circumstances. For example, a local authority could apply WPL to only certain parts of the local authority boundary, exempt premises with fewer than a specified number of parking places, exempt parking places for use by certain types of vehicles or for specified uses, or specific premises or premises of a specified description. A WPL scheme may also provide for descriptions of persons or motor vehicles to be exempt from the scheme or from paying charges under the scheme.In addition to providing for exemptions, a WPL scheme may make provision for different charges (or no charge) to apply in different cases. This can include provision for different charges to apply on different days, at different times of day, to different part of a licensing area and to different descriptions of persons. Different charges could also be applied to different descriptions of premises and to different classes of motor vehicles.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424687,"EventID":"S6W-30300","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T15:07:54.187","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T08:54:36.377","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether a local authority that introduces a workplace parking levy under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 could set different levels of licence charge for workers (a) w","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether a local authority that introduces a workplace parking levy under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 could set different levels of licence charge for workers (a) with incomes below a certain level, (b) who work particular hours, for example early or late shifts, and (c) with an electric vehicle.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30299 on 15 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424688,"EventID":"S6W-30359","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T15:07:54.187","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T13:27:41.737","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29916 by Gillian Martin on 30 September 2024,&nbsp;whether it will provide details of the work that (a) it, (b)&nbsp;Zero Waste Sc","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29916 by Gillian Martin on 30 September 2024,&nbsp;whether it will provide details of the work that (a) it, (b)&nbsp;Zero Waste Scotland and (c)&nbsp;SEPA has carried out on digital waste tracking since 2010, including a breakdown of (i) how much has been spent on and (ii) the staff resource allocations to such projects.","AnswerText":"Officials operate flexibly across a range of policies and programmes according to the specific requirements of their work at any given time. They do not, as a matter of course, record the proportion of their time spent working on particular project. It is therefore not possible to provide an expenditure figure regarding how much the Scottish Government has spent on work by officials involved with the development of Digital Waste Tracking.As a four nations programme, staff resource contributing toward the development of Digital Waste Tracking is shared across UK Government and the devolved nations, with the UK Government, through Defra, providing the majority of resource and funding.Zero Waste ScotlandWe are not aware of any money spent specifically on Digital Waste Tracking within Zero Waste Scotland. A Zero Waste Scotland employee provided a response to the consultation on Digital Waste Tracking on behalf of the organisation in 2022. Some preparatory research went into the preparation of this response. Zero Waste Scotland does not have a record of any further staff allocation to the development of Digital Waste Tracking.SEPASEPA staff work also flexibly across a range of priority projects and work areas, and do not, as a matter of course, record the proportion of their time spent working on different activities. Due to the cyber-attack SEPA experienced in December 2020, data is not available on resourcing of digital waste tracking work prior to December 2020. It is therefore not possible to provide a complete and detailed expenditure figure regarding how much existing SEPA resource has worked on Digital Waste Tracking.Since December 2020 SEPA has used existing staff resources to provide:1 Principal Scientist working on the project until June 20221 Senior Scientist working on the project until August 2024Additional funding was secured from the Scottish Government to employ a User Researcher in 2022 at a cost of approximately &pound;80k. The focus of the above-noted posts was on supporting the establishment of the UK Digital Waste Tracking project, engaging with industry and SEPA teams to define user requirements for the systemSince March 2022, additional funding from the Scottish Government has supported the recruitment of two fixed-term Senior Policy Officers to work on the project at a cost in the region of &pound;530k. They are supporting both the UK Digital Waste Tracking project, further refining the detail of SEPA&rsquo;s operational requirements, and preparing for agency readiness.Management oversight for the project has been provided from existing resources, taking on average no more than the equivalent of 1 day per week. Given the complexity of SEPA&rsquo;s interaction with the UK project and requirement for a robust governance framework for SEPA&rsquo;s Digital Waste Tracking implementation project, a Senior Project Manager has also been provided to support Digital Waste Tracking from existing SEPA staff resource since May 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424689,"EventID":"S6W-30364","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T15:07:54.313","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T14:24:20.273","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the report that it commissioned on the constitutional role(s) of the Law Officers for Scotland has been completed.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the report that it commissioned on the constitutional role(s) of the Law Officers for Scotland has been completed.","AnswerText":"Work is progressing towards publication of the report to develop a detailed baseline understanding of the distinct roles and functions of the Law Officers and how the functions of law officers operate in other countries.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424690,"EventID":"S6W-30301","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T15:07:54.18","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T09:27:45.973","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government with whom it has met to discuss a potential power of general competence for local government, and on how many occasions.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government with whom it has met to discuss a potential power of general competence for local government, and on how many occasions.","AnswerText":"As part of discussions around the development of a fiscal framework, and in direct response to specific requests to explore a general power of competence, both officials and Ministers have held numerous meetings with COSLA, SOLACE and Local Government representatives to clarify what additional powers Local Government would wish to use and to better understand the restrictions of the wide latitude of existing legislative provisions, which include a power for local authorities &lsquo;to do anything to advance well-being&rsquo; in their local area. Regular discussions are ongoing, with the most recent meeting held on 14 October, and further meetings planned to develop robust proposals for such a power to ensure that any legislative amendments will be effective in delivering the greater freedoms local authorities wish to have while providing assurance over potential increased financial risk.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424691,"EventID":"S6W-30346","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T15:07:54.113","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T11:01:52.61","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether Police Scotland has corresponded with the Scottish Biometrics Commissioner about the reported proposals to deploy live facial recognition technology in Scotland,","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether Police Scotland has corresponded with the Scottish Biometrics Commissioner about the reported proposals to deploy live facial recognition technology in Scotland, and, if so, whether this correspondence was undertaken before the Chief Constable outlined the proposals to the media.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30309 on 28 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424692,"EventID":"S6W-30370","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T15:07:54.333","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T16:09:17.593","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the&nbsp;Coroner's Regulation 28 report,&nbsp;Susan Pollitt: Prevention of Future Deaths Report,&nbsp;dated 31 July 2024, what consideration it has given to t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the&nbsp;Coroner's Regulation 28 report,&nbsp;Susan Pollitt: Prevention of Future Deaths Report,&nbsp;dated 31 July 2024, what consideration it has given to the Coroner's \"Matters of Concern\" in relation to the role and increased use of Physician Associates and Anaesthesia Associates in NHS Scotland's workforce.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is aware of the concerns raised by the Coroner in respect of this unfortunate case. We will await the responses of the recipients named in the report to help inform any future actions that may be applicable to Scotland, and will continue to work with stakeholders across the UK on matters of national scale.The Anaesthesia Associates and Physician Associates Order 2024 was passed by the Scottish Parliament on 31 January 2024. It will bring the roles into statutory regulation for the first time when it comes into force on 13 December of this year, addressing one of the key concerns of the Coroner.In the meantime, extant Scottish Government guidance to NHS Scotland Boards makes clear that all Physician Associates must be registered on the appropriate managed voluntary register. That guidance also recognises the importance of ensuring that patients are properly advised that they are being treated by a Physician Associate and not a doctor.Building on the above, the Scottish Government will continue to work with partners through its Medical Associate Professionals (MAPs) Programme Board to consider appropriate utilisation of the role within NHS Scotland, taking into account developments over the coming months.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":424693,"EventID":"S6W-30352","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T15:07:54.33","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T11:13:45.667","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of any trade union engagement that took place regarding the Onshore Wind Sector Deal.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of any trade union engagement that took place regarding the Onshore Wind Sector Deal.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government publicly consulted on the draft Onshore Wind Policy Statement between October 2021 and January 2022. A final Onshore Wind Policy Statement was published in December 2022 after careful consideration of the 163 responses received during the consultation period. An analysis of the consultation responses can be found on the Scottish Government website &ndash; Supporting documents - Onshore wind policy statement refresh - draft: consultation analysis - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)The final Onshore Wind Policy Statement set out our ambition for 20GW of onshore wind to be installed by 2030. The Policy Statement also set out measures that the Scottish Government would take to reach our ambition of 20GW of onshore wind by 2030 and to ensure that Scotland&rsquo;s people benefit from this ambition.One such measure was the establishment of the Onshore Wind Strategic Leadership Group (SLG), which consists of government representatives, onshore wind industry leaders, Scottish Renewables, relevant Scottish Government agencies, Supply Chain representatives and a body representing issues affecting local communities. The SLG was tasked with the development of the Scottish Onshore Wind Sector Deal. Since the publication of the Sector Deal in September 2023, the SLG monitors and scrutinises the delivery of the deal. There was no direct engagement with trade unions during the drafting of the Sector Deal.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424694,"EventID":"S6W-30365","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-02T15:07:54.48","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T14:24:20.273","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish the report that it commissioned on the constitutional role(s) of the Law Officers for Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish the report that it commissioned on the constitutional role(s) of the Law Officers for Scotland.","AnswerText":"Work is progressing towards finalisation of research after which a report will be published.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424762,"EventID":"S6W-30376","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:04.113","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T17:05:34.14","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question&nbsp;S6W-25444&nbsp;by Lorna Slater on 22 February 2024,&nbsp;whether it will provide an updated breakdown of how much funding has bee","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question&nbsp;S6W-25444&nbsp;by Lorna Slater on 22 February 2024,&nbsp;whether it will provide an updated breakdown of how much funding has been allocated through the Recycling Improvement Fund to each local authority to date.","AnswerText":"To date, over &pound;63 million of funding has been allocated through the Recycling Improvement Fund (RIF) and the Fund&rsquo;s Small Grant Scheme.As noted in the answer to S6W-25444, a list of local authority projects allocated funding from the RIF is available on the Zero Waste Scotland website: www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/resources/recycling-improvement-fundAdditionally, a list of local authority projects allocated funding through the RIF Small Grant Scheme is available on the Zero Waste Scotland website: www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/resources/recycling-improvement-fund-small-grant-schemeAll answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424763,"EventID":"S6W-30382","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:04.493","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T08:56:46.3","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent report, For farming, nature and climate: Investing in the UK&rsquo;s natural infrastructure to achieve Net Zero and nature&rsquo;s recovery on la","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent report, For farming, nature and climate: Investing in the UK&rsquo;s natural infrastructure to achieve Net Zero and nature&rsquo;s recovery on land, what its position is on what proportion of the UK farming budget should be allocated to Scotland; what analysis it has carried out on this issue; what its response is to the reported assessment that farm budgets in Scotland need to more than double if nature and climate targets and commitments are to be met, and what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding future arrangements for farm funding.","AnswerText":"Short-term settlements from the former UK Government, lack of inflation proofing and reduced capital allocations have resulted in the Scottish Government being forced to take difficult decisions that have negatively impacted our ability to deliver land-based climate change measures such as woodland creation and peatland restoration at the scale required. There is currently no UK Government agricultural funding commitment from 2025.The UK Government must commit to urgent, meaningful engagement on a sufficient, ring-fenced, multi-year programme funding settlement. The Scottish Government has sought early engagement with the UK Government to work towards a reset in the relationship, with an emphasis on the value of regular engagement and collaboration, while respecting devolution.The Inter-Ministerial Group for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (IMG EFRA) met on 16 September 2024, its first meeting with the new UK Government and the first meeting since September 2023. It was a positive meeting between Ministers from the Four Nations with an agreement on a shared programme of work.The current agricultural funding allocation is a historical percentage based on decades old agricultural production figures. We need to come to a position that provides the long-term assurance required for our respective Agricultural Reform Programmes and to meet our shared nature and climate obligations.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424764,"EventID":"S6W-30298","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:05.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T08:44:50.427","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether its policy of opposition to unconventional oil and gas extraction, or fracking, continues to apply in Green Freeports.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether its policy of opposition to unconventional oil and gas extraction, or fracking, continues to apply in Green Freeports.","AnswerText":"Scottish Ministers announced their finalised position of no support for unconventional oil and gas, commonly known as fracking, in 2019 having concluded that it is incompatible with our policies on climate change, energy transition and the decarbonisation of our economy. This means that no unconventional oil and gas activity, including fracking, can take place in Scotland, including within Green Freeports.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424765,"EventID":"S6W-30413","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:03.907","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T12:45:12.317","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that Police Scotland is prepared for when Glasgow hosts the 2026 Commonwealth Games.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that Police Scotland is prepared for when Glasgow hosts the 2026 Commonwealth Games.","AnswerText":"As the event organiser, Commonwealth Games Scotland are now formally engaging with Police Scotland and other public sector partners to commence planning to ensure the delivery of a safe and secure Commonwealth Games.The event budget makes provision for policing and stewarding costs to ensure the event can be delivered safely and securely. Commonwealth Games Scotland have engaged with Police Scotland to carry out an initial assessment of the budget and resources that will be required.Commonwealth Games Scotland will now engage with the relevant organisations to undertake robust safety and security risk assessments, which will determine the exact resourcing requirements and associated costs for public sector, including Police Scotland, to deliver the event. These costs will be met by Commonwealth Games Scotland.The Scottish Government will engage across the Games governance structure to ensure our interests are represented and that the relevant organisations are engaged and supported at the appropriate junctures.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424766,"EventID":"S6W-30425","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:04.25","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T13:58:26.7","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will work with HM Coastguard and NHS boards to ensure that all hospital helicopter landing sites will be available for medical emergency evacuations from vess","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will work with HM Coastguard and NHS boards to ensure that all hospital helicopter landing sites will be available for medical emergency evacuations from vessels, including fishing boats, cruise ships and oil and gas supply vessels and installations.","AnswerText":"As set out in the answer to question S6W-30423 on 22 October 2023, the Civil Aviation Authority has made a series of safety recommendations regarding hospital helicopter landing sites following a tragic accident in Plymouth, in 2022. The safety recommendations apply across the UK and those that are applicable to Scottish sites are being acted on by NHS Boards, with support from NHS Assure.While this work is ongoing, Search and Rescue helicopters will land at alternative sites where this is required for safety reasons. Scottish Air Ambulance and charity air ambulances can continue to land at NHS Scotland helipads.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424767,"EventID":"S6W-30379","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:05.043","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T08:01:09.833","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many customs sites are being used by businesses at the two Scottish Green Freeports.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many customs sites are being used by businesses at the two Scottish Green Freeports.","AnswerText":"In order for businesses to utilise Green Freeport customs sites they must first be designated by HMRC. Both Green Freeports are currently at full business case stage and working towards customs site designation.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424768,"EventID":"S6W-30403","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:05.637","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T11:47:12.53","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recommendation within the Scottish Land Commission's report, Land Reform and Taxation: Advice to Scottish Ministers, to (a) establish \"a prog","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recommendation within the Scottish Land Commission's report, Land Reform and Taxation: Advice to Scottish Ministers, to (a) establish \"a programme to bring all land onto the valuation roll\" and (b) commit to \"the development and use of a consistent and comprehensive cadastral approach which would enable the integration of information on land ownership, use and value, building on the current work of Registers of Scotland\".","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to land reform and improving transparency of those who own and control land in Scotland is at the heart of our land reform objectives.The Scottish Government will continue to review any evidence &ndash; including that arising from the Scottish Land Commission&rsquo;s report on land and property taxation &ndash; and assess this as part of our wider approach to tax policyRegisters of Scotland are currently working to deliver the benefits of a completed land register through their Unlocking Sasines project. This uses spatial data to help &lsquo;unlock&rsquo; the historic information in the Sasine register, which means that they can link Sasine property search sheets to a map for the first time, making it visually more helpful and accessible. Additionally, the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill will improve transparency and help ensure that large scale land holdings deliver in the public interest. The Bill will place legal responsibilities on the owners of the very largest landholdings to set out &ndash; through Land Management Plans - how they use their land and how that contributes to key public policy priorities, like addressing climate change and protecting and restoring nature.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424769,"EventID":"S6W-30371","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:04.06","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T16:14:12.037","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there are any plans to review the operational aspects of the Caledonian Sleeper train service now that it has come into public ownership.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there are any plans to review the operational aspects of the Caledonian Sleeper train service now that it has come into public ownership.","AnswerText":"Scottish Rail Holdings working with its subsidiary Caledonian Sleeper Limited keep all aspects of the Caledonian Sleeper operation under review to ensure it operates effectively and in alignment with the policies of the Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424770,"EventID":"S6W-30176","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:04.013","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T09:40:42.083","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people who have been sentenced to prison in each year since 2016 were care-experienced.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people who have been sentenced to prison in each year since 2016 were care-experienced.","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:Scottish Prison Service do not hold this information in the format requested.Whilst we recognise the profound impact that experience of care can have on a person, SPS aims to support those in our care with care, compassion and in a consistent manner that recognises avenues for potential trauma.SPS rely on those individuals coming into our care to either self-report that they are a care leaver, which will be annotated on Prisoner Records (PR2)) or anonymously report via the bi-annual Prisoner Survey.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424771,"EventID":"S6W-30423","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:03.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T13:58:26.7","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will investigate what measures are needed to ensure that all hospital helicopter landing sites adhere to Air Accidents Investigation Branch guidance.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will investigate what measures are needed to ensure that all hospital helicopter landing sites adhere to Air Accidents Investigation Branch guidance.","AnswerText":"The Civil Aviation Authority has made a series of safety recommendations regarding hospital helicopter landing sites following a tragic accident in Plymouth, in 2022. The safety recommendations apply across the UK and those that are applicable to Scottish sites are being acted on by NHS Boards, with support from NHS Assure.While this work is ongoing, Search and Rescue helicopters will land at alternative sites where this is required for safety reasons. Scottish Air Ambulance and charity air ambulances can continue to land at NHS Scotland helipads.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424772,"EventID":"S6W-30407","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:04.15","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T12:05:50.763","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the potential impact of the UK Procurement Act 2023 on cross-border procurement when it comes into force, pa","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the potential impact of the UK Procurement Act 2023 on cross-border procurement when it comes into force, particularly in circumstances where there is more than one awarding body, which are subject to the different procurement regimes.","AnswerText":"There has been significant contact at official level on this issue. When devolved Scottish authorities award a contract from a framework advertised and awarded under the terms of the Procurement Act 2023, then relevant elements of the rules established by that Act will apply to the call-off procedure. Similarly, when non-devolved Scottish authorities award contracts from a framework agreement awarded under the Scottish regulations, then relevant elements of those rules will apply to the call-off procedure. Regulations made under section 115 of the Procurement Act 2023 will set this out.Devolved Scottish and other UK authorities can continue to work together to procure jointly. The applicable rules will be determined by which authority is designated as the lead authority for the procurement exercise as outlined in Section 114 of the Procurement Act 2023.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424773,"EventID":"S6W-30276","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:04.257","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-30T09:43:13.81","Title":"To ask      the Scottish Government whether there are any ongoing reviews or      evaluations assessing the impact of antisocial behaviour by young people      entitled to free bus travel.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask      the Scottish Government whether there are any ongoing reviews or      evaluations assessing the impact of antisocial behaviour by young people      entitled to free bus travel.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"A one year evaluation of the Young Persons&rsquo; Free Bus Travel scheme was published in December 2023.The findings of the review were generally very positive, indicating that it is beginning to deliver progress towards its longer-term objectives. While personal safety continues to be a concern across all modes of public transport, the study also showed that young people generally felt safer travelling alone, or at night, than they had expected to before the scheme launched.Evidence from the evaluation is being used to inform the development of measures to reduce antisocial behaviour on the bus network and we are committed to ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the scheme.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424774,"EventID":"S6W-30415","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:04.763","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T12:46:30.287","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the Scottish Funding Council to discuss funding for energy skills initiatives.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the Scottish Funding Council to discuss funding for energy skills initiatives.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government regularly meets with the Scottish Funding Council to discuss a wide range of matters, including sectoral skills initiatives.For example, skills officials recently met with SFC to discuss the co-led Tertiary Pathfinder Programme which, among others, includes the NESA Energy Transition Skills Pathway pilot project.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424775,"EventID":"S6W-30388","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:04.25","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T09:50:08.283","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with emergency services regarding the safety of battery storage facilities.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with emergency services regarding the safety of battery storage facilities.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government officials meet with Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) representatives regularly to discuss fire safety issues in Scotland, including the safety of battery energy storage sites (BESS). The role of SFRS in relation to BESS sites is regularly discussed, and SFRS continue to develop and update their operational processes, as appropriate.In addition, if SFRS receive information about proposed BESS sites they refer those duty holders (site operators) responsible for the plant in any application process to the National Fire Chief Council's best practice guidance for such sites and continue to engage with them around emerging issues and updated guidelines as required. These guidelines detail, amongst other things, minimum standards for fire safety systems and design features, water requirements for firefighting and access requirements.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424776,"EventID":"S6W-30177","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:05.287","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-25T09:40:42.083","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people who died (a) by suicide, (b) prematurely from non-natural causes and (c) from alcohol-related causes in each year since 2016 were care-experienced.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people who died (a) by suicide, (b) prematurely from non-natural causes and (c) from alcohol-related causes in each year since 2016 were care-experienced.","AnswerText":"Regulation 6 of The Looked After Children (Scotland) Regulations 2009 states that Scottish Ministers should be informed of the death of a child who is looked after. In addition, the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 inserted a statutory duty in the Children (Scotland) 1995 Act requiring local authorities to notify Scottish Ministers and the Care Inspectorate of the death of a care leaver in receipt of a Continuing Care or Aftercare service.Data from the Care Inspectorate states the confirmed causes of death from 2016 to 15 October 2024 of any young person who was looked after or a care leaver receiving an Aftercare or Continuing Care service.YearCause of death -SuicideCause of death &ndash; non natural causesCause of death - Alcohol related201633020173102018430201951002020710020213100202264020235702024 (up to 15 October 24)610There were no deaths that were solely reported as alcohol related. While some records indicated alcohol as a contributing factor, it was associated with a range of complex issues faced by the individual rather than being identified as the direct cause of death.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424777,"EventID":"S6W-30418","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:05.387","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T12:46:30.287","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met Offshore Energies UK to discuss employment and training initiatives.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met Offshore Energies UK to discuss employment and training initiatives.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government Ministers and officials regularly meet with industry stakeholders, including OEUK to discuss their ongoing employment and training initiatives. The First Minister and I met with David Whitehouse, CEO of OEUK on 30 September 2024. The Scottish Government is working with the energy sector to plan for a multi-skilled workforce to ensure a fair and just transition for Scotland&rsquo;s highly skilled offshore workers.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424778,"EventID":"S6W-30394","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:05.08","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T10:47:56.78","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to expand the eligibility criteria for the Key Worker Fund to landlords in the private rented sector.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to expand the eligibility criteria for the Key Worker Fund to landlords in the private rented sector.","AnswerText":"The Rural Affordable Homes for Key Workers Fund is a five year demand led fund of up to &pound;25 million from the Affordable Housing Supply Programme budget and is available to local authorities and registered social landlords to purchase existing suitable properties in rural and island areas to provide affordable homes for key workers where there is identified need. The fund will run from 2023-24 to 2027-28. There are no plans for the fund to be made available to landlords in the private rented sector.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424779,"EventID":"S6W-30385","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:03.973","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T09:42:34.837","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the off-peak 15-minute express rail service frequency between Glasgow Queen Street's high level terminus and Edinburgh Waverley will be restored.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the off-peak 15-minute express rail service frequency between Glasgow Queen Street's high level terminus and Edinburgh Waverley will be restored.","AnswerText":"Whilst services on the main Edinburgh to Glasgow via Falkirk High route ran every 15 minutes prior to the Covid pandemic, ScotRail reported an underutilisation of resources, which was addressed with ScotRail&rsquo;s &lsquo;Fit for Future&rsquo; timetable re-shuffle in 2022.With 4 services per hour in peak times, and 2 services per hour off peak on week days, this route is currently served well and provides the required capacity at the times people need it.ScotRail monitors the passenger demand closely and wherever possible, increases capacity where it is required. As part of May 2023 timetable change ScotRail increased the number of services on Saturdays, which is now the busiest day on this route. As a result, passengers enjoy 4 services per hour on Saturdays during the day.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424780,"EventID":"S6W-30426","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:04.153","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T13:58:28.167","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to help mitigate Glasgow's reported affordable housing supply shortage, in light of the &pound;78.7 million reduction in the funding being provi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to help mitigate Glasgow's reported affordable housing supply shortage, in light of the &pound;78.7 million reduction in the funding being provided to the city through the national affordable housing programme.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government Affordable Housing Supply Programme allocation for Glasgow City Council for this year is &pound;90.231m. This comprises the original allocation of &pound;78.687m and the additional &pound;11.544m made available as part of efforts to boost affordable housing supply by acquiring properties to bring into use for affordable housing and to help reduce homelessness. The funding made available to Glasgow City Council last year through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme was &pound;103.683m, so this years funding represents a decrease of &pound;13.452m. As well as the additional &pound;11.544m made available to Glasgow City Council this year, the Council and Scottish Government officials meet regularly and will continue to work closely in order to maximise affordable housing delivery in the city.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424781,"EventID":"S6W-30401","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:04.147","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T11:33:33.347","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30096 by Siobhian Brown on 1 October 2024, when it expects to complete the engagement with stakeholders to review the occasional l","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30096 by Siobhian Brown on 1 October 2024, when it expects to complete the engagement with stakeholders to review the occasional licence fee.","AnswerText":"As set out in the Scottish Government&rsquo;s response to question S6W-30400 on 18 October 2024, planned engagement with stakeholders will commence in the next few months. No timescale has been set for concluding this work, but this would be agreed in discussion with said stakeholders.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424782,"EventID":"S6W-30392","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:03.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T10:21:26.833","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, when it was initially conceived, whether a stated aim of minimum unit pricing was to reduce the consumption of alcohol among hazardous and harmful drinkers, and, if so,","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, when it was initially conceived, whether a stated aim of minimum unit pricing was to reduce the consumption of alcohol among hazardous and harmful drinkers, and, if so, whether this aim has changed, and for what reason.","AnswerText":"The aim of Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) of alcohol is to reduce health harms caused by alcohol consumption by setting a floor price below which alcohol cannot be sold. In particular, it targets a reduction in consumption of alcohol that is considered cheap, relative to its strength. It aims to reduce both the consumption of alcohol at population level and, in particular, those who drink at hazardous and harmful levels. In doing so, it aims to reduce alcohol related health harms among hazardous and harmful drinkers, and contribute to reducing harm at a whole population level.The aim of MUP remains the same as stated at the Bill's introduction in 2011.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":424783,"EventID":"S6W-30438","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:05.66","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-03T09:30:53.357","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many former oil and gas workers have transitioned to green jobs as a result of Just Transition funding.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many former oil and gas workers have transitioned to green jobs as a result of Just Transition funding.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not currently hold overall figures relating to employment outcomes or job creation as a result of our funded programmes. We are currently commissioning an independent evaluation which will help to determine this and the impact of the Fund to date, in due course.Through the Just Transition Fund specifically, we have allocated &pound;9.7 million for a package of skills interventions in the North East. We are currently commissioning an independent evaluation of the Fund&rsquo;s impact to date which will include existing jobs supported and new jobs created. This work is due to complete by March end 2025.This includes:&pound;4.5 million over 5 years for the Energy Skills Transition Hub &ndash; which aims to support 1000 people into energy transition roles.&pound;1 million for the National Energy Skills Accelerator to support a pilot scheme to better understand future energy skills needs and deliver workforce training.funding for a feasibility study about net zero skills requirements and labour supply chain bottlenecks in Moray.&pound;3.7 million for the development of the Offshore Energy Skills Passport.In addition, we are taking forward and supporting a wide range of sector-specific efforts, designed to help workers seize new opportunities, while ensuring that the sector does not lose essential skills and experience.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424784,"EventID":"S6W-30380","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:03.947","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T08:08:53.39","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many foreign direct investment recipients there have been in the last five years, broken down by sector.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many foreign direct investment recipients there have been in the last five years, broken down by sector.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"Data on supported inward investment projects secured and created in Scotland is tracked by Scottish Development International.Supported inward investment projects (Foreign Direct Investment and Inward Investment from the Rest of the UK) over the last five years is as followsSector\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNumber of Projects\t\t\t2019-20 to 2023-24Technology &amp; Advanced Engineering\t\t149Energy\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t 73Financial &amp; Business Services\t\t\t 59Life Sciences\t\t\t\t\t\t\t 46Food &amp; Drink\t\t\t\t\t\t\t 39Tourism\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t 39Aerospace Defence &amp; Marine\t\t\t\t 26Chemical Services\t\t\t\t\t\t 14Other (e.g Textiles, Creative Industries, \t\t 47Constructions, Education","AnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424785,"EventID":"S6W-30441","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:04.253","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-03T10:11:36.357","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made with the BP &amp; EnBW enabling (a) crew transfer vessel and (b) service operation vessel fabrication project in the&nbsp;Scottish Offshore W","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made with the BP &amp; EnBW enabling (a) crew transfer vessel and (b) service operation vessel fabrication project in the&nbsp;Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council Strategic Investment Model.","AnswerText":"These projects have been classed as referral projects in the Strategic Investment Model process and have been referred to their local enterprise agency to continue discussions on ways in which the projects can be supported. Full details about the route forward for each of the project categories are available online: Full SIM Stage 2 List published | Offshore Wind Scotland.While the Scottish Government supports the industry-led Strategic Investment Model, the decision to prioritise projects for investment through the Strategic Investment Model was made by industry &ndash; not the Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424786,"EventID":"S6W-30272","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:04.713","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-30T09:43:13.81","Title":"To ask      the Scottish Government whether it has engaged with community      organisations, schools or youth groups to gather feedback on any misuse of      free bus travel and how to address it.","ItemText":"To ask      the Scottish Government whether it has engaged with community      organisations, schools or youth groups to gather feedback on any misuse of      free bus travel and how to address it.","AnswerText":"Our one year evaluation of the Young Persons Free Bus Travel Scheme, included the views of over 10,000 young people, their parents and input from children&rsquo;s and families&rsquo; organisations. This evidence is being used to inform our work to ensure that appropriate options to prevent and tackle antisocial behaviour on the public transport network are available at the local and national level.At a strategic level, the Independent Working Group on Antisocial Behaviour, has been established, bringing experts and practitioners together to consider a long-term strategic approach to antisocial behaviour. The transport sector recently fed into the Group&rsquo;s engagement work which is expected to report its findings and recommendations by the end of 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424787,"EventID":"S6W-30373","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:04.287","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T17:00:24.203","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many journeys have been taken by young people under the age of 22 in (a) Inverclyde, (b) North Ayrshire, (c) West Dunbartonshire and (d) East Dunbartonshire using th","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many journeys have been taken by young people under the age of 22 in (a) Inverclyde, (b) North Ayrshire, (c) West Dunbartonshire and (d) East Dunbartonshire using the concessionary bus travel scheme since its launch.","AnswerText":"As of the end of day 30 September 2024, the amount of journeys made by young people under the Young Persons&rsquo; (under 22) Free Bus Travel Scheme since its launch, was (a) Inverclyde &ndash; 2,578,637, (b) North Ayrshire &ndash; 4,719,775, (c) West Dunbartonshire &ndash; 2,986,088 and (d) East Dunbartonshire &ndash; 2,251,144.Journeys are based on the local authority in which the card was issued, therefore some journeys will have been undertaken outwith the local authority area.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424788,"EventID":"S6W-30417","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:04.253","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T12:46:30.287","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group to discuss employment and training initiatives for the renewable energy sector.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group to discuss employment and training initiatives for the renewable energy sector.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not yet met with the Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group to discuss employment and training initiatives for the renewable energy sector.The Scottish Government engages with industry regularly via a number of mechanisms including the Scottish Energy Advisory Board (SEAB) and the Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council (SOWEC).","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424789,"EventID":"S6W-30414","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:05.193","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T12:46:30.287","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the Energy Skills Partnership to discuss the coordination of skills initiatives across Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the Energy Skills Partnership to discuss the coordination of skills initiatives across Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government engages frequently with the Energy Skills Partnership (ESP) to discuss their work supporting Scotland&rsquo;s college sector. Skills officials last met with ESP directly in August 2024.The Scottish Funding Council funds ESP to act as the college sector lead for the transition to net zero, supporting institutions in developing their capability, capacity and curriculum pathways. SFC are represented on the ESP Advisory Board and maintain regular contact with ESP.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424790,"EventID":"S6W-30398","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:05.27","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T11:28:43.453","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what overspend or extra fees have arisen with the 10-year NHS waste management contract that was awarded to Tradebe Healthcare in 2019, which was initially estimated to ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what overspend or extra fees have arisen with the 10-year NHS waste management contract that was awarded to Tradebe Healthcare in 2019, which was initially estimated to cost &pound;10 million per year, and what the final estimated cost of the contract is.","AnswerText":"This is a matter for NHS National Services Scotland. The information requested is not held centrally.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424791,"EventID":"S6W-30400","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:04.24","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T11:33:33.347","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30096 by Siobhian Brown on 1 October 2024, whether it is giving consideration to implementing a scalable fee structure, particular","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30096 by Siobhian Brown on 1 October 2024, whether it is giving consideration to implementing a scalable fee structure, particularly in relation to events such as the 152nd Open Golf Championship.","AnswerText":"As noted in the answer to PQ S6W-30096, planned engagement with stakeholders will commence in the next few months. This will include assessing the various views offered in the responses received to the previous Scottish Government consultation on occasional licence policy.As noted in the &lsquo;Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 - fee review: consultation responses&rsquo; document on the Scottish Government website, some respondents suggested a scalable fee structure. i.e. the level of the occasional licence fee should be dependent on the size of the event.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424792,"EventID":"S6W-30436","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:04.253","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-03T08:14:22.177","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will address migraine as part of the consultation for the next Women&rsquo;s Health Plan.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will address migraine as part of the consultation for the next Women&rsquo;s Health Plan.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government's ambition is that women and girls enjoy the best possible health, throughout their lives and this will continue to be our guiding principle as we develop the next phase of the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan.Any future topics or priorities for the next phase of the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan are yet to be decided. Priorities will be agreed in collaboration with women and girls, clinical experts, other relevant stakeholders and our Women&rsquo;s Health Champion, using the most up-to-date evidence base.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424793,"EventID":"S6W-30378","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:05.343","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T17:35:39.2","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many eviction order applications from private landlords were (a) submitted to and (b) granted by the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland in each year since 2019, broken","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many eviction order applications from private landlords were (a) submitted to and (b) granted by the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland in each year since 2019, broken down by the local authority area in which the property was located, for each local authority area in the West Scotland parliamentary region.","AnswerText":"(a) The First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber) has published the number of applications for eviction received in their Scottish Tribunals Annual Reports. For ease of reference, this is set out in the following table.Financial yearReceived2019 - 202017422020 - 20217672021 &ndash; 202212512022 &ndash; 202322522023 - 20242687(b) The First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber) are the relevant body in relation to processing eviction applications and determinations in Scotland. They are, therefore, best placed to answer how many eviction orders were granted in each year since 2019.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424794,"EventID":"S6W-30405","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:04.243","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T12:05:50.763","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what provisions within the UK Procurement Act 2023 it plans to adopt when the Act comes into force in February 2025, and, in the event that it decides not to adopt the A","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what provisions within the UK Procurement Act 2023 it plans to adopt when the Act comes into force in February 2025, and, in the event that it decides not to adopt the Act in full, whether it will outline the basis for such a decision.","AnswerText":"The Procurement Act 2023 does not generally legislate for the procurement activities of devolved Scottish authorities, and there is no provision within the Act for the Scottish Government to simply adopt it, though the Scottish Ministers will use the powers conferred on them by the Act appropriately, for example to implement international agreements, or to set out provision in relation to cross-border procurement.The Scottish Government has already taken significant steps to reform public procurement practice in Scotland. The Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 already requires contracting authorities in Scotland to consider the economic, social and environmental wellbeing impact on their area of procurement activity, increases transparency by requiring contracts to be advertised on one single advertising portal, requires authorities to set out anticipated contracts over the next two years in an annual procurement report and requires authorities to consider community benefits in major contracts.This was achieved in a way which was consistent with EU law. It remains the view of the Scottish Government that Scotland is best served by aligning with EU law where it is practical and sensible to do so.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424795,"EventID":"S6W-30408","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:05.177","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T12:22:52.643","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Offshore Energies UK report, Energy Industry Skills Landscape Study, and whether it will seek to implement its recommendations.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Offshore Energies UK report, Energy Industry Skills Landscape Study, and whether it will seek to implement its recommendations.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government welcomes the Energy Industry Skills Landscape Study.We continue to work with the energy sector to plan for a multi-skilled workforce that can benefit from opportunities across the energy system. This includes enabling skilled offshore workers to carry their experience and expertise into different roles as our energy sector evolves, and ensuring a reliable pipeline of future talent, to support Scotland's renewable energy ambitions.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424796,"EventID":"S6W-30419","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:04.553","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T12:46:30.287","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the UK Government to discuss the impact of any funding changes on local skills initiatives for the energy sector in Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the UK Government to discuss the impact of any funding changes on local skills initiatives for the energy sector in Scotland.","AnswerText":"Officials are in regular contact with our UK Government counterparts. We are engaging closely with the newly formed Office for Clean Energy Jobs - set up to tackle workforce and skills challenges in the energy sector&nbsp;- and we look forward to supporting the work this office will drive forward.&nbsp; Whilst skills are a devolved responsibility, we are committed to working with all the stakeholders necessary to deliver the skills system needed as our energy sector transforms. This includes Scottish Government taking responsibility for skills planning at the national level and working with partners to strengthen regional skills planning.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424797,"EventID":"S6W-30437","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:04.147","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-03T09:15:19.46","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether mental health screenings should take place at routine epilepsy appointments to help identify any possible issues at an earlier stage.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether mental health screenings should take place at routine epilepsy appointments to help identify any possible issues at an earlier stage.","AnswerText":"We want all people with epilepsy to be able to access the best possible care and support. Since October 2020 we have committed almost &pound;650,000 towards projects which specifically improve the health and wellbeing of people with epilepsy.In 2022-23 Scottish Government funded Epilepsy Scotland to work with NHS Lothian in piloting mental health screening and intervention for people with epilepsy.We are working hard to improve support for those whose mental health is affected by long term physical health conditions, such as epilepsy, and in 2023 published a new Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy jointly with COSLA, which incorporates a focus on wellbeing and prevention.One of the Strategy&rsquo;s priorities is that &ldquo;People with mental health conditions, including those with co-existing health conditions, experience improved quality and length of life, free from stigma and discrimination.&rdquo;Our Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults has been a key development on prevention and early intervention in recent years, addressing a number of mental health and wellbeing concerns. It has a focus on at risk groups including those with a long-term health condition or disability.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424798,"EventID":"S6W-30372","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:04.15","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T16:58:49.783","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27244 by Jim Fairlie on 13 May 2024, whether it will provide an update on&nbsp;how many concessionary bus passes have been issued ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27244 by Jim Fairlie on 13 May 2024, whether it will provide an update on&nbsp;how many concessionary bus passes have been issued to young people under the age of 22 since the launch of the scheme in (a) Inverclyde, (b) North Ayrshire, (c) West Dunbartonshire and (d) East Dunbartonshire.","AnswerText":"As of 1 October 2024 the number of valid cardholders under the Young Persons&rsquo; (under 22) Free Bus Scheme was (a) Inverclyde &ndash; 11,793, (b) North Ayrshire &ndash; 20,581, (c) West Dunbartonshire &ndash; 14,156 and (d) East Dunbartonshire &ndash; 14,569.The data refers to the number of young people with a valid card but does not include products which either start in the future or have expired.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424799,"EventID":"S6W-30435","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:04.247","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-03T08:14:22.177","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding the impact of migraine on the (a) economy and (b) NHS workforce.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding the impact of migraine on the (a) economy and (b) NHS workforce.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold specific information on these issues, however information regarding the impact of migraine on workplaces and the economy have been published by organisations such as the Migraine Trust.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424800,"EventID":"S6W-30434","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:04.117","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-03T01:36:28.657","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with American Axle &amp; Manufacturing, in light of the planned closure of its Glasgow manufacturing site, formerly Albion Automotive, on 4 Oc","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with American Axle &amp; Manufacturing, in light of the planned closure of its Glasgow manufacturing site, formerly Albion Automotive, on 4 October 2024, with the reported loss of 100 jobs.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government was disappointed to hear of the decision to close the Albion Automotive site in Glasgow. This has obviously been a very worrying time for the workforce, their families and the local area.Scottish Enterprise worked closely with the company to explore all viable options to retain these highly skilled jobs in Scotland, but unfortunately a solution could not be found.The Scottish Government&rsquo;s initiative for responding to redundancy situations, Partnership Action for Continuing Employment, has been working with the company to support the affected staff and will continue to provide support as required. We understand that a number of staff have secured alternative employment.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424801,"EventID":"S6W-30409","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:04.18","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T12:37:55.33","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish its submission to the Strategic Defence Review.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish its submission to the Strategic Defence Review.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government welcomes the opportunity we have been given to contribute to the ongoing Strategic Defence Review. Whilst Defence is a reserved matter, the decisions made within it can have far reaching implications for our Armed Forces community in Scotland, as well as devolved areas of responsibility such as industry, public services and the economy.We will look to publish our submission to the review in the near future, once we have fully consulted with the relevant stakeholders on any sensitivities around the material included within it.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424802,"EventID":"S6W-30404","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:04.097","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T12:05:50.763","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what (a) direct and (b) indirect implications it anticipates that the UK Procurement Act 2023 will have for the (i) Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015, (ii) Ut","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what (a) direct and (b) indirect implications it anticipates that the UK Procurement Act 2023 will have for the (i) Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015, (ii) Utilities Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2016 and (iii) Concession Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2016, for the providers of private procurement frameworks, and what its position is on whether this could delay the procurement and award of any key projects.","AnswerText":"Section 119 of the Procurement Act 2023 amends the scope of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015, Utilities Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2016, and Concession Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2016, so as to be clear that they extend only to devolved Scottish authorities.Devolved Scottish authorities will continue to be subject to these regulations when awarding contracts or framework agreements, and there is no reason for this to delay the procurement or award of such contracts.When devolved Scottish authorities award a contract from a framework advertised and awarded under the terms of the Procurement Act 2023, then relevant elements of the rules established by that Act will apply to the call-off procedure. Similarly, when other authorities award contracts from a framework agreement awarded under the Scottish regulations, then relevant elements of those rules will apply to the call-off procedure. Regulations made under section 115 of the Procurement Act 2023 will set this out.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424803,"EventID":"S6W-30387","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:04.933","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T09:49:30.533","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when a decision will be made on reallowing alcohol at certain times on ScotRail services.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when a decision will be made on reallowing alcohol at certain times on ScotRail services.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is aware that passengers, ScotRail staff and other stakeholders hold a wide range of views about alcohol on trains.Ministers continue to consider this wide range of diverging views in line with the broad range of recommendations made in our report on women and girls&rsquo; safety on public transport and in the context of ongoing initiatives to tackle antisocial behaviour on public transport.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424804,"EventID":"S6W-30389","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:04.827","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T09:50:19.323","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to discuss the safety of battery storage facilities.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to discuss the safety of battery storage facilities.","AnswerText":"At the recent SFRS Annual Performance Review (APR) on 10 September, the Minister for Victims and Community Safety raised the issue of battery energy storage sites (BESS) with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS).Scottish Government officials also meet with SFRS Prevention, Protection and Preparedness representatives regularly to discuss fire safety issues in Scotland, including the safety of BESS sites, most recently on 3 October.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424805,"EventID":"S6W-30424","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:04.783","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T13:58:26.7","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to NHS boards to ensure that hospital helicopter landing sites  are safe to use.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to NHS boards to ensure that hospital helicopter landing sites  are safe to use.","AnswerText":"As set out in the answer to question S6W-30423 on 22 October 2024, the Civil Aviation Authority has made a series of safety recommendations regarding hospital helicopter landing sites following a tragic accident in Plymouth, in 2022. The safety recommendations apply across the UK and those that are applicable to Scottish sites are being acted on by NHS Boards, with support from NHS Assure.While this work is ongoing, Search and Rescue helicopters will land at alternative sites where this is required for safety reasons. Scottish Air Ambulance and charity air ambulances can continue to land at NHS Scotland helipads.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424806,"EventID":"S6W-30420","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:05.48","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T12:46:30.29","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met industry stakeholders to discuss workforce planning for renewable energy projects.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met industry stakeholders to discuss workforce planning for renewable energy projects.","AnswerText":"The most recent discussion on workplace planning for renewable energy projects took place at The Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council (SOWEC) on 18 September 2024, where members discussed barriers and opportunities in relation to skills and the workforce for the offshore wind industry.We will continue to engage with industry stakeholders to plan for a multi-skilled energy workforce that can benefit from opportunities across the energy system.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424807,"EventID":"S6W-30374","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:05.32","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T17:02:41.99","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many children are in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment in each local authority area in the West Scotland parliamentary region.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many children are in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment in each local authority area in the West Scotland parliamentary region.","AnswerText":"Social Security Scotland routinely publishes information on Scottish Child Payment applications, payments and the number of children actively in receipt of the payment by local authority area.As of 30 June 2024, the number of children aged 0-15 years actively benefitting from Scottish Child Payment in each local authority area relevant to the West Scotland parliamentary region were as follows:Argyll and Bute &ndash; 4,100;East Dunbartonshire &ndash; 3,770;East Renfrewshire &ndash; 3,575;Inverclyde &ndash; 5,375;North Ayrshire &ndash; 10,395;Renfrewshire &ndash; 10,545;West Dunbartonshire &ndash; 7,165.This information along with other local authority areas can be found in the latest Scottish Child Payment Official Statistics publication:https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/publications/statistics.The next edition of the Scottish Child Payment publication which will cover the period to the end of September 2024, is due to be published on 26 November 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424808,"EventID":"S6W-30274","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:04.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-30T09:43:13.81","Title":"To ask      the Scottish Government whether any consultations have been held with      local transport operators or law enforcement to address the reported issue      of young people using free bus tr","ItemText":"To ask      the Scottish Government whether any consultations have been held with      local transport operators or law enforcement to address the reported issue      of young people using free bus travel for disruptive or illegal      activities.","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland is working with the Confederation of Passenger Transport to facilitate the sharing of best practice between bus operators, to ensure that the legal protections which allow drivers to refuse travel to passengers who breach conditions of carriage are well understood by operators, staff and passengers, and that bus drivers feel safe and supported to enforce these rules and to report unacceptable behaviour.Wider engagement with other key stakeholders such as Police Scotland, local authorities and unions is also taking place as we seek to ensure that a full and effective range of preventative measures and sanctions are in place to tackle antisocial behaviour on the bus network.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424809,"EventID":"S6W-30375","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:05.727","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T17:04:46.383","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many projects&nbsp;have received funding from the&nbsp;Nature Restoration Fund, and what the value is of that funding, broken down by local authority area.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many projects&nbsp;have received funding from the&nbsp;Nature Restoration Fund, and what the value is of that funding, broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"The Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) makes funding available through two main strands: the competitive strand administered by NatureScot, and the Edinburgh Process strand, which provides direct allocations to Local Authorities and National Parks.In total, to date, 220 projects have been offered funding from the competitive strand of the NRF, including 28 NRF-funded Scottish Marine Environmental Enhancement Fund (SMEEF) projects. This represents a total of &pound;33,366,872 in committed funding.The following table sets out by local authority area the 183 projects awarded competitive funding to the end of March 2024, the period for which data is currently available. We do not hold information about the amounts of funding offered in this format and this does not include the NRF-funded SMEEF projects referred to above.Local authorityNumber of NRF competitive strand supported projects (as of end of March 2024)Aberdeen City1Aberdeenshire12Angus6Argyll and Bute11Clackmannanshire3Dumfries and Galloway13Dundee City1East Ayrshire5East Dunbartonshire1East Lothian&nbsp;East Renfrewshire&nbsp;Edinburgh, City of7Eilean Siar3Falkirk1Fife14Glasgow City2Highland28Inverclyde&nbsp;Midlothian&nbsp;Moray1North Ayrshire4North Lanarkshire3Orkney Islands3Perth and Kinross12Renfrewshire1Scottish Borders11Shetland Islands1South Ayrshire2South Lanarkshire1Stirling10West Dunbartonshire1West Lothian2Scotland-wide / multiple areas23The Edinburgh Process strand of the NRF has provided a total of &pound;17 Million in direct allocations to Local Authorities and National Parks to date, between 2021-22 and 2023-24. A further &pound;5 Million was distributed to Local Authorities in 2023-24 to support the development of Nature Networks. The following table provides a breakdown of the Local Authority awards. However, each council is responsible for using this funding on locally determined biodiversity priorities, in line with the principles of the Edinburgh Process. We do not therefore hold a centralised record of the number of individual projects supported by the Edinburgh Process strand in each local authority area. Not included in the table is an additional &pound;1 Million which was made available as a competitive fund for local authorities in 2022.Local AuthorityRounded Allocation (&pound;m)&nbsp;2021-222022-232023-243-year totalNature Networks 2023-24Aberdeen City0.1280.1350.1350.3980.135Aberdeenshire0.2680.2130.2230.7040.223Angus0.0950.150.1530.3980.153Argyll &amp; Bute0.1080.2380.2450.5910.245Clackmannanshire0.0670.0910.0980.2560.098Dumfries &amp; Galloway0.1350.2570.2450.6370.245Dundee City0.1090.0860.0860.2810.086East Ayrshire0.1720.1020.1030.3770.103East Dunbartonshire0.0790.1320.1330.3440.133East Lothian0.1090.110.1120.3310.112East Renfrewshire0.0840.0610.0610.2060.061Edinburgh, City of0.2640.1610.1360.5610.136Eilean Siar0.0180.1240.1280.2700.128Falkirk0.1830.1790.1740.5360.174Fife0.4160.3780.3061.1000.306Glasgow City0.4870.1320.1240.7430.124Highland0.2580.3280.3380.9240.338Inverclyde0.0880.160.1530.4010.153Midlothian0.0810.1030.1060.2900.106Moray0.1010.1240.1230.3480.123North Ayrshire0.1660.190.1780.5340.178North Lanarkshire0.3690.2740.2780.9210.278Orkney Islands0.0160.0540.0530.1230.053Perth &amp; Kinross0.1660.1760.1770.5190.177Renfrewshire0.1570.1020.1000.3590.100Scottish Borders0.120.1610.1640.4450.164Shetland Islands0.0160.0790.0810.1760.081South Ayrshire0.1050.0960.0950.2960.095South Lanarkshire0.2640.1880.2730.7250.273Stirling0.0970.1140.1140.3250.114West Dunbartonshire0.1020.1260.1290.3570.129West Lothian0.1720.1760.1840.5320.184TOTAL555155","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424810,"EventID":"S6W-30439","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:05.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-03T09:30:53.357","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many green jobs have been created directly as a result of Just Transition funding.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many green jobs have been created directly as a result of Just Transition funding.","AnswerText":"The Just Transition Fund has allocated &pound;75 million to date, supporting a cross-sector portfolio of projects ranging across sectors like energy, agriculture, digital innovation and construction while also supporting communities across the North East and Moray to create jobs, support innovation, and secure the highly skilled workforce of the future.This includes &pound;9.7 million on a package of skills interventions supporting the transferability of workforce across sectors to meet the needs of the net zero transition including: a digital offshore energy skills passport; and an Energy Transition Skills Hub.The Scottish Government does not currently hold overall figures relating to employment outcomes or job creation as a result of our funded programmes. We are currently commissioning an independent evaluation which will help to determine this and the impact of the Fund to date, in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424811,"EventID":"S6W-30410","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:05.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T12:45:12.317","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that some of the 477 prisoners that were released in summer 2024 under the Emergency Early Release programme went on to reoffended, how many of thos","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that some of the 477 prisoners that were released in summer 2024 under the Emergency Early Release programme went on to reoffended, how many of those prisoners that went on to reoffend were originally released from HMP Barlinnie.","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:By 18 September 2024, 57 people of the 477 who left custody as part of the emergency release (ER) programme in June and July 2024 had returned to custody before their original Earliest Date of Liberation (EDL), i.e. the date when they would originally have been liberated.SPS have proactively published a range of data relating to ER and we recently published a summary report of ER return to custody data. We are unable to publish return to custody data for HMP Barlinnie and for other establishments because some of the data could relate to a small group of individuals, which could lead to inadvertent identification.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424812,"EventID":"S6W-30381","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:04.37","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T08:08:53.39","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of foreign direct investments over the last five years can be classified as greenfield.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of foreign direct investments over the last five years can be classified as greenfield.","AnswerText":"Data on supported inward investment projects secured and created in Scotland is tracked by Scottish Development International.SDI reports that for the financial years 2019-20-2023-24 there were 172 new inward investment projects supported, i.e. inward investors supported with their first inward investment to Scotland, from a total of 492 projects.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424813,"EventID":"S6W-30416","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:05.023","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T12:46:30.287","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met Scottish Renewables to discuss employment and training initiatives for the renewable energy sector.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met Scottish Renewables to discuss employment and training initiatives for the renewable energy sector.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government regularly meets with Scottish Renewables to discuss a wide range of matters related to the energy transition. The First Minister met Claire Mack, the Chief Executive of Scottish Renewables, in August, and this meeting included discussion of skills, workforce and training in the renewables sector.Following this, the Minister for Higher and Further Education and the Minister for Climate Action met Claire Mack, along with other partners, in September to discuss the needs of the energy sector.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424814,"EventID":"S6W-30391","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:05.497","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T10:21:26.833","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether minimum unit pricing has reduced the consumption of alcohol among hazardous and harmful drinkers.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether minimum unit pricing has reduced the consumption of alcohol among hazardous and harmful drinkers.","AnswerText":"Public Health Scotland's (PHS) independent evaluation of Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) of alcohol estimated that our world-leading policy reduced wholly alcohol-attributable deaths by 13.4% and was likely to have reduced hospital admissions wholly attributable to alcohol by 4.1%.There was strong and consistent evidence of a reduction in alcohol consumption following MUP implementation, and that the reduction in consumption was driven by the heaviest purchasing households, leading to the conclusion that MUP was well targeted. As MUP was estimated to have resulted in a decrease in alcohol-attributable deaths and hospital admissions related to chronic conditions, the evaluation took this as further evidence to suggest that MUP has reduced consumption in those that drink at hazardous and harmful levels.Overall, the evidence supports that MUP has had a positive impact on health outcomes, including alcohol-related health inequalities.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":424815,"EventID":"S6W-30402","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:05.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T11:45:44.143","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its position that prostitution is a form of violence against women and girls, as stated in its Equally Safe strategy, what work it is doing to eradicate vio","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its position that prostitution is a form of violence against women and girls, as stated in its Equally Safe strategy, what work it is doing to eradicate violence against women and girls in every sector of society.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is progressing Equally Safe, Scotland's strategy to prevent and address all forms of violence against women and girls, specifically violence, abuse, and exploitation directed at them because of their gender.The Equally Safe Delivery Plan underpins the wider strategy and outlines collaborative working between key partners across the public and third sectors. It sets out a wide range of deliverables and actions that reach across many areas, including education, health, and justice to ensure the aims of the Equally Safe strategy are achieved.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424816,"EventID":"S6W-30275","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:05.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-30T09:43:13.81","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when a decision is expected to be made regarding any potential changes to the free bus travel policy for young people who misuse it.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when a decision is expected to be made regarding any potential changes to the free bus travel policy for young people who misuse it.","AnswerText":"The vast majority of passengers travelling under the National Concessionary Travel Schemes behave appropriately. However, there is a minority of people, of all ages, who abuse their entitlement, including to commit offences, which can result in serious harm. That is not acceptable.Transport Scotland is already working proactively with stakeholders to reduce antisocial behaviour on the bus network, including through changes to the application processes for the schemes and development of a behaviour code. Further work to develop additional preventative measures and sanctions is being progressed a priority.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424817,"EventID":"S6W-30412","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:05.303","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T12:45:12.317","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to maintain increased tourism in Glasgow, in light of reports that over &pound;2.35 billion was spent by visitors in 2023.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to maintain increased tourism in Glasgow, in light of reports that over &pound;2.35 billion was spent by visitors in 2023.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises how vital Tourism is to both our national economy and to that of Glasgow as well.Through our national tourism agency, VisitScotland, the Scottish Government is committed to helping grow the value of tourism across Scotland, including in our cities. VisitScotland promote Glasgow throughout the year across all of their channels and activity, focusing on driving visits at times of the year where there is capacity for growth. A live example is Glasgow being featured in current VisitScotland Expedia activity in the US and UK. Partnership working is a core part of VisitScotland&rsquo;s approach, and they are guided by their Glasgow city partners and work with them on content planning and development.VisitScotland also provide specialist support for tourism businesses in Glasgow &ndash; to help them develop quality experiences, build digital capability, reach new markets and move towards more sustainable practices. They work closely with partners to support delivery of the Glasgow 2030 Tourism Strategy, which is aligned with the national tourism strategy Scotland Outlook 2030, a key component of the National Strategy for Economic Transformation. In addition, VisitScotland will be a supporting partner in the delivery of the forthcoming Glasgow Events Strategy 2035 to maintain the city&rsquo;s position as a leading global event destination.Scotland, and in particular Glasgow, is a world-leading events destination with an annual portfolio of major events, These events contribute to a range of outcomes, including the Scottish Government&rsquo;s ambition to grow the economy and showcase Scotland on the world stage.The refreshed National Events Strategy Scotland the Perfect Stage 2024 &ndash; 2035, sets a clear vision for the events sector as a whole, reaffirming Scotland&rsquo;s ambition for the events sector. The Scottish Government will continue to work with partners across the events sector to attract major events to Glasgow and Scotland.Hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games will deliver economic and sporting opportunity for Scotland and support a new future for the Games movement. The Scottish Government is pleased to be working alongside partners to once again welcome athletes, official and visitors to Glasgow and showcase all that Scotland has to offer. Commonwealth Games Scotland estimate the Gross Value Added from the 2026 Commonwealth Games to be in excess of &pound;100 million. The capital investment funding will provide direct economic benefit for the Scottish supply chain and visitors to the event would be expected to provide further direct spending into the Scottish visitor economy.In addition, Scotland will co-host EURO 2028 after UEFA confirmed the success of the joint UK and Ireland bid in October, 2023. Building on successfully hosting games at EURO 2020, matches in Scotland will be played at Hampden Park in Glasgow.Although the Glasgow City Region Deal supports infrastructure projects and does not include any tourism projects in Glasgow itself, the &pound;14.1m City Deal funded Ocean Terminal Project in Inverclyde, aims to provide a new Cruise Line Terminal including a berthing facility, state of the art visitor centre, gallery, and restaurant to boost the number of cruise ship passengers welcomed to Scotland through the facility operated by Peel Ports. It is estimated that over 150,000 passengers could pass through Greenock Ocean Terminal delivering &pound;26 million in annual visitor and crew spend to the Scottish economy.From 2026, the Visitor levy will have the potential to make a positive impact on Tourism in Glasgow. While it is up to Glasgow City Council to decide on whether to have a levy or not, the Act requires that funds raised by a visitor levy must be used to support the visitor economy. Funding raised by a visitor levy (net of local authority administrative costs) must be used for purposes related to developing, supporting or sustaining facilities or services substantially f","AnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424818,"EventID":"S6W-30397","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:04.113","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T11:28:43.45","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on the clinical waste budget in each year since 2019.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on the clinical waste budget in each year since 2019.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not spend directly on disposal of clinical waste. However, funding for additional costs associated with delivering clinical waste services was allocated to NHS National Services Scotland to cover resilience measures as detailed in the following table.&nbsp;2019-202020-212021-222022-232023-24Total revenue&pound;0&pound;381,300&pound;1,316,931&pound;981,037&pound;0In addition, &pound;6.9m was allocated for the purchase of the Hassockrigg Eco Park and equipment. This was done to increase the resilience of the system for disposing of NHS clinical waste and to secure its long-term future following the decision of the site&rsquo;s administrator to serve notice to vacate the site on Cliniwaste Limited and to place the site for sale on the open market.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424819,"EventID":"S6W-30386","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:04.743","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T09:49:07.287","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-20679, S6W-22695 and S6W-24757 by Neil Gray on 31 August 2023, 15 November 2023 and 1 February 2024 respectively and question S6","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-20679, S6W-22695 and S6W-24757 by Neil Gray on 31 August 2023, 15 November 2023 and 1 February 2024 respectively and question S6W-27001 by Mairi McAllan on 7 May 2024, whether it will provide an update on the establishment of the advisory group required under section 29 of the Scottish National Investment Bank Act 2020.","AnswerText":"I am pleased to announce, in line with the Scottish National Investment Bank Act 2020, six individuals have agreed to become members of the Ministerial Advisory Group. They have a broad range of knowledge and expertise relevant to providing Ministers with advice on the objects, conduct and performance of the Bank.I will host the first meeting of the Group in due course.Full details of the Group&rsquo;s membership can be found at https://www.gov.scot/groups/scottish-national-investment-bank-ministerial-advisory-group.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424820,"EventID":"S6W-30411","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:05.403","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T12:45:12.317","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is available for the Centre for Contemporary Arts in Glasgow, in light of the reported announcement that it will close between December 2024 and March 2025.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is available for the Centre for Contemporary Arts in Glasgow, in light of the reported announcement that it will close between December 2024 and March 2025.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government will continue to work with the culture sector to do everything within our powers and resources to help those most affected by current economic challenges.Creative Scotland (CS), the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries in Scotland, continues to have regular discussions with Glasgow Life and the Centre for Contemporary Arts Board members and staff. CS have offered them flexibility in the use of existing regular funding they receive, together with support for external expertise to inform their future operating model when they reopen.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424821,"EventID":"S6W-30395","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:04.8","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T10:50:49.467","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to fund directly the cost of achieving net zero in social homes.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to fund directly the cost of achieving net zero in social homes.","AnswerText":"The Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund (SHNZHF) launched in August 2020 and provides capital funding to social landlords to retrofit their existing housing stock by installing clean heat and improving their energy efficiency. Projects are eligible for up to 60% of the capital costs of clean heating systems and 50% of energy efficiency measures.This year the SHNZHF is investing approximately &pound;16.8m in 19 projects. To date, the fund has awarded approximately &pound;75.3 million to 80 projects across Scotland for the installation of net zero measures to existing social rented homes.The date set for the next funding checkpoint of the SHNZHF has not yet been set. When set it will be communicated to stakeholders through the fund website and stakeholder channels.Social Landlords interested in developing heat networks can also access Scotland&rsquo;s Heat Network Fund which makes capital funding available for the construction of new heat networks in addition to the decarbonisation and expansion of existing heat networks.Our Area Based Schemes target areas with high levels of fuel poverty and enable improvements projects to go ahead in mixed tenure blocks benefiting some social tenants. Since 2013 we have invested over &pound;600 million in area based schemes. This has helped around 40,000 social tenants and their neighbours to benefit from net zero measures and warmer homes that are less expensive to heat.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424822,"EventID":"S6W-30406","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:05.363","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T12:05:50.763","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it anticipates that the UK Procurement Act 2023 will work alongside the (a) Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015, (b) Utilities Contracts (Scotland) Regulati","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it anticipates that the UK Procurement Act 2023 will work alongside the (a) Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015, (b) Utilities Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2016 and (c) Concession Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2016.","AnswerText":"The Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015, Utilities Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2016 and Concession Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2016 will continue to apply to the award of contracts by devolved Scottish contracting authorities.Regulations made under section 115 of the Procurement Act 2023 will set out the procedures to be followed when a contracting authority awards a contract under procurement arrangements put in place under the other jurisdiction&rsquo;s regime.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424823,"EventID":"S6W-30396","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:04.517","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T10:51:50.933","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support registered social landlords to maintain their wider remit investment in prevention services for people with wider care and support ne","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support registered social landlords to maintain their wider remit investment in prevention services for people with wider care and support needs, such as welfare rights, tenancy sustainment and housing support.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government fully recognises the role of Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) in prevention and the importance of tenancy sustainment and housing support. That is why we are supporting this work in a variety of ways.The Scottish Government continues to provide funding to help RSLs deliver adaptations for older and disabled people. The Adaptations Programme budget for 2024-25 is &pound;8.245 million. Individual funding awards have now been issued to RSLs to support the delivery of housing adaptations for disabled tenants. My officials are in contact with RSLs directly to support them through this process.Through our Investing in Communities Fund, we are providing &pound;3,671,900 between 2023-26 to 16 RSLs to support the delivery of projects that include activities such as family support, food insecurity support, training and skills development and financial capability support.Welfare and Debt advice services are critical for supporting communities across Scotland. That is why in 2024-25 the Scottish Government has allocated &pound;12 million to support welfare, debt and income maximisation advice services. This investment includes support for the Advice in Accessible Settings Fund, which delivers advice within or alongside a range of other services. This year the fund is supporting a wide range of organisations, including 20 RSLs, to provide advice to their tenants and clients.Housing support enables tenants to live as independently as possible in their communities and is a key part of the work delivered by RSLs. These services are commissioned locally through Health and Social Care Partnerships and Local Authorities, as they are best placed to assess and respond to local needs.We are also widening responsibility for homelessness prevention through the Housing (Scotland) Bill. Services such as tenancy sustainment, welfare rights and housing support are already key features of the work RSLs do with their tenants. We want to build on this so there is a consistent, robust and sector wide approach across Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424824,"EventID":"S6W-30377","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16207,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-03T15:41:05.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-01T17:33:07.03","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has produced an action plan on achieving compliance with Article 9(4) of the UN Aarhus Convention to ensure that access to justice is \"fair, timely, equitable","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has produced an action plan on achieving compliance with Article 9(4) of the UN Aarhus Convention to ensure that access to justice is \"fair, timely, equitable, and not prohibitively expensive\".","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government will be contributing to a UK wide report on compliance to the Aarhus Compliance Committee very shortly. The report will detail significant progress towards addressing concerns previously raised by the Compliance Committee.Our &ldquo;Vision for Justice in Scotland: three-year delivery plan&rdquo; contains an action to engage with key stakeholders to inform and shape future legislative proposals in relation to the reform of legal aid. Those proposals will build upon the recommendations of the independent strategic review undertaken by Martyn Evans and upon subsequent public consultations. Discussions on legal aid reform will commence this year and will include environmental stakeholders.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424827,"EventID":"S6W-30445","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-04T14:46:14.58","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-03T11:21:27.623","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to introduce a standardised booking system for accessible seats at entertainment venues.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to introduce a standardised booking system for accessible seats at entertainment venues.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28572 on 12 August 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-11-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424828,"EventID":"S6W-30447","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-04T14:46:14.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-03T11:24:57.093","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that entertainment venues provide (a) visual impairment awareness and (b) sighted guide training for all staff members.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that entertainment venues provide (a) visual impairment awareness and (b) sighted guide training for all staff members.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28575 on 12 August 2024 . All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-11-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424829,"EventID":"S6W-30455","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-04T14:46:14.623","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-03T14:09:55.613","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that it will receive the revised outline business case from CMAL for the proposed Gasay ferry terminal development for Lochboisdale.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that it will receive the revised outline business case from CMAL for the proposed Gasay ferry terminal development for Lochboisdale.","AnswerText":"Additional technical and economic studies, including ground investigation scoping, are now underway by CMAL and these will lead to an update of the draft Outline Business Case report.The Outline Business Case is expected to be completed by CMAL by early 2025. It would then be subject to consideration by Transport Scotland and Scottish Ministers. Work continues on the project to develop the business case and once this work is complete, availability of funding and value for money will need to be considered","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424830,"EventID":"S6W-30459","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-04T14:46:14.727","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-03T14:09:55.613","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to speed up the approval process for the proposed Gasay ferry terminal development for Lochboisdale, in light of reports that the initial Lochboi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to speed up the approval process for the proposed Gasay ferry terminal development for Lochboisdale, in light of reports that the initial Lochboisdale Harbour Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) report was published in 2017 and the local community has been waiting since then for a replacement to this lifeline service.","AnswerText":"Work is currently progressing with additional technical and economic studies, including ground investigation scoping, now underway by CMAL. It is vital that a robust business case is completed to refine the options, costs and risks, as well as outlining affordability and value for money, taking cognisance of the current fiscal challenges across the Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424831,"EventID":"S6W-30440","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-04T14:46:14.78","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-03T09:36:16.82","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current (a) average and (b) longest waiting time for an appointment&nbsp;is for non-emergency cardiology referral in NHS Dumfries and Galloway.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current (a) average and (b) longest waiting time for an appointment&nbsp;is for non-emergency cardiology referral in NHS Dumfries and Galloway.","AnswerText":"Public Health Scotland (PHS) does not hold the information requested. NHS Boards submit patient level records to the national waiting times datamart but the information provided on the clinical priority of a referral is not available for reporting as it isn&rsquo;t quality assured. This is due to there being no agreed national definition on what constitutes an urgent or routine referral.Statistics relating to the waits patients experience for a new outpatient appointment at a consultant-led clinic are published up to 30th June 2024 and can be found using the link https://publichealthscotland.scot/media/29135/newop_aug24.xlsx. The median and 90th percentile waits for cardiology in NHS Dumfries and Galloway, as well as a breakdown of the length of waits, can be found using the dropdowns in the 1.6 Table tab:Please note, PHS does not publish the longest wait because this statistic can often reflect the wait of one of a very small number of patient records where there are inaccuracies in the information recorded at the time the data were extracted, and consequently the wait that can be derived is erroneously long.To minimise this risk, PHS publishes the 90th percentile statistic (the length of time within which 9 out of 10 patients are seen) to provide a more reliable indication of the longest waits that are occurring, as this statistic is not susceptible to these outliers.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424832,"EventID":"S6W-30450","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-04T14:46:15.217","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-03T12:52:58.137","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21202 by Tom Arthur on 22 September 2023, whether it will provide an update on how much revenue raised by the business rates incen","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21202 by Tom Arthur on 22 September 2023, whether it will provide an update on how much revenue raised by the business rates incentivisation scheme was retained by each local authority in (a) 2022-23, (b) 2023-24 and (c) 2024-25.","AnswerText":"The business rates incentivisation scheme (BRIS) was suspended in 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23 due to the disruptive impact of COVID on NDR revenues, as confirmed in Local government finance circular 8/2021: business rates incentivisation scheme 2019-2022 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)there was therefore no revenue retained by any council in 2022-23, retentions generally affecting the following year&rsquo;s non-domestic rates income.Non-domestic rates incentivisation scheme (NDRIS, formerly BRIS) retention amounts relating to 2023-24 will be made available at the earliest opportunity, these amounts will be reported in councils provisional NDR outturn returns following the end of the current financial year.Local government finance circular 1/2024: Non Domestic Rates Incentivisation Scheme 2023 to 2026 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) details final NDRIS targets for 2023-24 and provisional targets for 2024-25 and 2025-26.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424833,"EventID":"S6W-30446","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-04T14:46:14.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-03T11:23:45.983","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action is it taking to ensure that entertainment venues meet mandatory accessibility standards and requirements.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action is it taking to ensure that entertainment venues meet mandatory accessibility standards and requirements.","AnswerText":"Scottish building regulations already set requirements for new buildings and new building work, including entertainment venues, that are intended to provide safe, unassisted and convenient access to and within buildings. However, building regulations are not applied retrospectively to existing buildings.Attention should be drawn to the Scottish Government's response to S6W-28573 on 12 August 2024 noting that the Scottish Government expects building owners and managers to be familiar with their duties under equalities legislation and where necessary make reasonable adjustments following the relevant codes of practice published by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424834,"EventID":"S6W-30452","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-04T14:46:14.723","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-03T12:52:58.137","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21204 by Tom Arthur on 22 September 2023, whether it will provide an update on any action that it has taken to encourage more loca","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21204 by Tom Arthur on 22 September 2023, whether it will provide an update on any action that it has taken to encourage more local authorities to consider and utilise their existing powers under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 to reduce non-domestic rates.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30449 on 22 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424835,"EventID":"S6W-30456","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-04T14:46:14.71","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-03T14:09:55.613","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that it will have completed the new Scottish Government Gateway Review on the proposed Gasay ferry terminal development for Lochboisdale.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that it will have completed the new Scottish Government Gateway Review on the proposed Gasay ferry terminal development for Lochboisdale.","AnswerText":"The indicative programme for Gasay (Lochboisdale) anticipates the next Scottish Government Gateway Review for the project within Q1 2025, however this is dependent on the options development and other key elements of work being satisfactorily concluded.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424836,"EventID":"S6W-30449","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-04T14:46:14.717","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-03T12:52:58.137","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21203 by Tom Arthur on 19 September 2023, whether it will provide an update on which local authorities have used or are seeking to","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21203 by Tom Arthur on 19 September 2023, whether it will provide an update on which local authorities have used or are seeking to use their powers under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 to reduce business rates in (a) 2022-23 and (b) 2023-24.","AnswerText":"Local authorities are independent bodies, and it is for them to consider whether to use the powers under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 to deliver local reliefs. The Scottish Government includes information on these powers in its Local government finance circular 5/2024: non-domestic rates relief guidance - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) issued to local authorities annually.There were no awards of local relief in 2022-23.Empty Property Relief was devolved to local authorities since 1 April 2023 and councils can now deliver relief for empty properties via the powers under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015. As at 1 July 2023, all councils had awarded local Empty Property Reliefs to an estimated 17,000 properties, worth a total of &pound;81 million in 2023-24.Green Freeport relief is available for properties within the tax sites of Green Freeports in Scotland from the date of tax site designation, which was in 2024-25 for both Green Freeports. Local authorities will deliver this relief under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 powers and will be reimbursed by Scottish Government for any awards of this relief.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424837,"EventID":"S6W-30448","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16188,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":82,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-04T14:46:14.97","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-03T11:49:09.783","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to address the issues faced by patients affected by transvaginal mesh when two NHS boards are involved in their care and they (a) cannot agree on a ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to address the issues faced by patients affected by transvaginal mesh when two NHS boards are involved in their care and they (a) cannot agree on a course of treatment and (b) are not communicating with each other on the matter.","AnswerText":"Decisions about patient care should be taken by the clinicians and the patient involved following meaningful discussion and the sharing of all necessary information, including benefits, risks and alternative treatments.In a circumstance where two NHS boards are involved in a patients care, it would be expected that healthcare professionals from both health boards communicate with each other to discuss and agree a coordinated treatment plan. If a resolution cannot be reached by the clinical teams involved, then concerns can be escalated to the Health Board Management through the appropriate channels.Patients can consider submitting a formal complaint to the Health Board(s) involved. It is through feedback of this nature that health services can identify any issues and take steps to make improvements. The Patient Advice &amp; Support Service (PASS) is a free, independent and confidential service that supports NHS patients. PASS can offer help and advice with complaints, advocacy support, and help navigating the healthcare system.Patients can also use their right to request a second opinion from another clinician. This may be appropriate in cases where Health Boards cannot agree on a recommended course of action. If a patient would like a second opinion their clinician or GP will be able to provide advice and make arrangements.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424838,"EventID":"S6W-30453","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-04T14:46:14.71","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-03T12:52:58.137","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21203 by Tom Arthur on 19 September 2023, whether it will provide details of which local authorities it anticipates will use or ar","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21203 by Tom Arthur on 19 September 2023, whether it will provide details of which local authorities it anticipates will use or are considering using their powers under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 to reduce business rates in (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30449 on 22 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424839,"EventID":"S6W-30454","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-04T14:46:14.583","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-03T14:09:55.613","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration has been given to providing compensation to the community landlord, Storas Uibhist, for any business lost due to the delay to the development of the p","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration has been given to providing compensation to the community landlord, Storas Uibhist, for any business lost due to the delay to the development of the proposed Gasay ferry terminal development for Lochboisdale.","AnswerText":"There are no plans for compensation to be offered to Storas Uibhist for any business lost during the ongoing development of the Gasay proposals. Any such scheme ultimately draws resources otherwise intended for the operation of ferry services and associated projects.The importance of this project and the future of the route to the communities it serves, is well understood by both Scottish Ministers and the three organisations involved in leading the project. Developing a robust Business Case is essential in underpinning decisions against the current fiscal backdrop.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424840,"EventID":"S6W-30451","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-04T14:46:14.787","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-03T12:52:58.137","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it estimates that it will receive in receipts from the UK Apprenticeship Levy in (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it estimates that it will receive in receipts from the UK Apprenticeship Levy in (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26.","AnswerText":"Since 2020-21 the Scottish Government has not received a specific allocation of the Apprenticeship Levy revenue. Scotland receives a Barnett Formula share of funding via the block grant in the usual way.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424841,"EventID":"S6W-30461","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-04T14:46:14.943","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-03T14:37:35.447","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to its news release of 25 July 2024,&nbsp;&pound;30 million to reduce waiting times, whether it will provide a breakdown on how much of this funding will be all","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to its news release of 25 July 2024,&nbsp;&pound;30 million to reduce waiting times, whether it will provide a breakdown on how much of this funding will be allocated to each (a) specialty area where it believes that it can have the greatest impact and (b) NHS board.","AnswerText":"As part of the Scottish Government&rsquo;s commitment to reduce waiting times, significant activity is already underway following an additional &pound;30 million investment to target backlogs, announced in the spring1.This will see around 12,000 new outpatient appointments, around 12,000 inpatient procedures and over 40,000 diagnostic procedures delivered2. A breakdown of the committed funding at both Specialty &amp; Health Board levels are shown in the tables. The final allocations will be made to respective NHS boards following delivery of the activity.We will continue to work with all NHS boards to maximise current resources and productivity. I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29287 on 12 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.SpecialtyCommitted funding (rounded)Cancer&pound;2,750,000Dermatology&pound;2,150,000Endoscopy&pound;60,000Ear, Nose &amp; Throat&pound;950,000Gastroenterology&pound;20,000General Surgery&pound;330,000Gynaecology&pound;470,000Imaging&pound;6,900,000Neurology&pound;200,000Ophthalmology&pound;1,900,000Orthopaedics&pound;7,160,000Paediatrics&pound;170,000Endoscopy&pound;5,740,000Urology&pound;800,000Cardiology&pound;400,000Total&pound;30,000,000References1.www.gov.scot/news/first-instalment-of-gbp-300-million-to-reduce-waiting-times/2.www.gov.scot/news/30-million-to-reduce-waiting-times/Health BoardSum of Approved fundingSum of Funding 'Approved in principle' (Q2 - Q4) (rounded)Ayrshire &amp; Arran677,122&nbsp;Borders231,000&nbsp;Dumfries &amp; Galloway215,638&nbsp;Fife1,930,432248,000Forth Valley986,2571,640,000Forth Valley (for Fife)50,855&nbsp;GG&amp;C196,366&nbsp;Golden Jubilee National Hospital1,392,690162,000Grampian4,574,186216,000Greater Glasgow &amp; Clyde1,599,470&nbsp;Highland3,880,867300,000Lanarkshire2,276,392920,000Lothian1,898,395&nbsp;National Elective Coordination Unit4,474,000&nbsp;Shetland138,629&nbsp;Tayside1,758,701&nbsp;Grand Total26,514,0003,486,000","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424842,"EventID":"S6W-30460","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-04T14:46:14.723","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-03T14:10:52.42","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it is having regarding introducing regulations similar to those set out by the UK Social Housing Regulation Act 2023 that require landlords to investiga","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it is having regarding introducing regulations similar to those set out by the UK Social Housing Regulation Act 2023 that require landlords to investigate and fix reported health hazards within specified timeframes (Awaab's law).","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is aware of the regulations set out in the UK Social Housing Regulation Act 2023 and the plans to introduce Awaab&rsquo;s Law by setting out specified timeframes for addressing health hazards. This reflects similar rights already in place for social housing tenants in Scotland.Under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001, Scottish secure tenants and short Scottish secure tenants currently have the right to have certain urgent repairs carried out by their landlord within a given timescale. The Right to Repair scheme applies to all tenants of local authorities and housing associations. The list of qualifying repairs is set out in The Scottish Secure Tenants (Right to Repair) Regulations 2002, which also sets out the maximum permissible period for completing repairs, and the compensation that is due to tenants where these timescales are not met.This sits alongside existing requirements for social landlords in Scotland as part of the Scottish Social Housing Charter, monitored by the Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR). The Charter includes expected outcomes on the customer/landlord relationship and on the quality of housing. Landlords need to meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard, which requires that homes are healthy, safe and free from serious disrepair.As part of their review of the Annual Return on the Scottish Social Housing Charter (ARC), SHR are engaging with the sector to develop updated indicators for tenant and resident safety.SHR aim to confirm the revised ARC indicators by January 2025, with the new ARC being in place for collection year 2025/26. In the meantime, SHR will use Annual Assurance Statements to require landlords to provide specific assurance on their compliance with their tenant and resident safety obligations, including their performance in dealing with instances of damp and mould.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424843,"EventID":"S6W-30457","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-04T14:46:14.78","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-03T14:09:55.613","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to present its new Scottish Government Gateway Review on the proposed Gasay ferry terminal development for Lochboisdale to the CMAL board and Transport Sco","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to present its new Scottish Government Gateway Review on the proposed Gasay ferry terminal development for Lochboisdale to the CMAL board and Transport Scotland investment decision-making board for funding.","AnswerText":"The Outline Business Case is expected to be completed by early 2025 and will then be subject to review and consideration by the Transport Scotland Investment Decision Making Board and thereafter by Scottish Ministers, prior to agreeing the next steps.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424844,"EventID":"S6W-30458","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-04T14:46:14.717","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-03T14:09:55.613","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that the new Gasay ferry terminal development for Lochboisdale will be operational.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that the new Gasay ferry terminal development for Lochboisdale will be operational.","AnswerText":"The procurement timelines of the project are subject to completion of appropriate business case processes, availability of funding, and approvals from Scottish Ministers. The construction timelines are subject to successful completion of procurement and agreement of programmes with the contractor for the works.Subject to approvals, procurement and construction, the Islands Connectivity Plan has scheduled the completion of the majority of the projects which commenced during Phase 1 by 2026-2031.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424845,"EventID":"S6W-30462","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-04T14:46:14.777","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-03T15:25:43.517","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recommendations of the report by Engender, Outdated, harmful and never in the public interest - The urgent need to modernise Scotland's abort","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recommendations of the report by Engender, Outdated, harmful and never in the public interest - The urgent need to modernise Scotland's abortion law and prevent prosecutions.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government believes that all women in Scotland should have access to abortion services, available free from stigma.In the 2023 Programme for Government, the Scottish Government committed to undertake a review of the law on abortion. An expert group chaired by Professor Anna Glasier, the Scottish Government&rsquo;s Women&rsquo;s Health Champion, has been set up to help take forward this review. The review aims to identify potential proposals for reform, within specified term limits, before the end of this parliament. The Scottish Government will consider the recommendations made within the report carefully as part of this review. As such, the Scottish Government plans to wait for the outcomes of the review before commenting in more detail on the recommendations set out in Engender&rsquo;s report.Engender represent members of the advisory group of women&rsquo;s rights organisations on this expert group, and will be able to feed their views into the review.Details of the expert group, including minutes of their meetings are published on the Scottish Government website here: Abortion Law Review Expert Group - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)Once the expert group has completed its work, the Scottish Government will consider any recommendations or options proposed. Any proposals for changes to abortion law would be subject to a public consultation.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-01T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424859,"EventID":"S6W-30478","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-07T14:00:20.8","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-04T17:55:18.763","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered allowing an exemption under section 10 of the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act 2024 for contract workers who require overnight accommodation.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered allowing an exemption under section 10 of the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act 2024 for contract workers who require overnight accommodation.","AnswerText":"Local authorities have the freedom to create exemptions and rebates at a local level to suit the needs and demands. When local government and the tourism sector have a strong consensus that there is a need for a specific exemption from the scope of a visitor levy, the Scottish Government will explore delivery in partnership with local government.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424860,"EventID":"S6W-30465","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-07T14:00:21.01","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-04T08:38:18.787","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how the secondary headteacher who will be seconded to the SQA for the purpose of taking forward its response to the Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment w","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the secondary headteacher who will be seconded to the SQA for the purpose of taking forward its response to the Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment will be selected.","AnswerText":"The specification for the seconded headteacher position is being developed by the Scottish Government and the SQA in consultation with key stakeholders. Recruitment to the role will be undertaken by the SQA with the selection process involving the Scottish Government.The seconded headteacher will be pivotal in delivering improvements to the relationship between the national qualifications body and the school sector and enabling the successful implementation of qualifications and assessment reform. More information on the role and the selection process will be available soon.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424861,"EventID":"S6W-30479","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-07T14:00:21.293","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-04T19:08:27.7","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which countries Police Scotland has international training partnerships with at the Scottish Police College.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which countries Police Scotland has international training partnerships with at the Scottish Police College.","AnswerText":"While the work of Police Scotland&rsquo;s International Academy is a matter for the service, Police Scotland has a proven track record in working with other countries. In terms of training partnerships, these are in place for the work undertaken in Malawi and Zambia which predominately address gender-based violence and contribute towards achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in promoting peace, justice, and strong institutions.In addition to this, Police Scotland host a number of international events where there is mutual collaboration and sharing of good practice with law enforcement colleagues around the world. In recent years this has involved programmes with colleagues from a variety of countries which includes USA, Australia, Norway, Sweden, Germany, New Zealand covering a range of themes including probationer training, de-escalation, recruitment and retention, equality diversity and inclusion, senior leadership and criminal justice.Further information and detail on all International activity can be obtained from Police Scotland&rsquo;s International Business Development Manager who can be contacted at PoliceScotlandInternational@scotland.police.uk.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424862,"EventID":"S6W-30466","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-07T14:00:20.353","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-04T09:44:10.57","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the timeline is for the introduction of the proposed The Promise Bill.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the timeline is for the introduction of the proposed The Promise Bill.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to keep The Promise by 2030 and has recently set out further detail on activity underway in our Promise Implementation Plan Update 2024.This includes a continued commitment to introduce a Promise Bill by the end of this parliamentary session, dependent on wider pressures on the Parliamentary legislative calendar. The Scottish Government continue to work with partners, including The Promise Scotland and COSLA, to identify areas where a legislative direction may support delivery of The Promise. There are a number of public consultations underway which, where appropriate, will inform any legislative change required. This is supported by a programme of engagement and participation with the care experienced community which is being led by Who Cares? Scotland and Barnardo&rsquo;s.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424863,"EventID":"S6W-30474","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-07T14:00:19.993","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-04T15:48:45.027","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had regarding ordering a new vessel to serve the Sound of Harris ferry route, particularly during peak periods, in light of the reported demands ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had regarding ordering a new vessel to serve the Sound of Harris ferry route, particularly during peak periods, in light of the reported demands on the current service, which is restricted by tides and daylight hours.","AnswerText":"The updated Vessels and Ports Plan was published on 1 February 2024 as part of the Islands Connectivity Plan. This includes a plan to replace the current Sound of Harris vessel.CMAL has commenced work on phase two of the Small Vessel Replacement Programme which includes a replacement vessel to serve the Sound of Harris route. Design work from phase one will be expanded upon with lessons learned applied to phase two. CMAL will shortly launch a procurement process to appoint a naval architect consultant to develop the concept design.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424864,"EventID":"S6W-30469","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-07T14:00:21.113","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-04T15:48:45.027","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much freight has been transported by CalMac vessels in each year since 2021, also broken down by (a) freight category, (b) freight item and (c) ferry route.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much freight has been transported by CalMac vessels in each year since 2021, also broken down by (a) freight category, (b) freight item and (c) ferry route.","AnswerText":"CalMac Ferries Limited (CFL) do not capture freight carryings by category or by freight item. They only capture the number of Commercial Vehicles carried and the number of Commercial Vehicle lane metres used. A table has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib Number 65382) that provides a breakdown, by individual routes and calendar year from 2021 up until 9 October 2024, detailing the total number of Commercial Vehicles carried and the total number of Commercial Vehicle lane metres used only.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424865,"EventID":"S6W-30472","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-07T14:00:20.36","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-04T15:48:45.027","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered committing to ordering at least two ferries per year in order for CalMac to maintain a lower average age across its ferry fleet.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered committing to ordering at least two ferries per year in order for CalMac to maintain a lower average age across its ferry fleet.","AnswerText":"Our updated Vessels and Ports Plan was published on 1 February 2024 as part of the Islands Connectivity Plan. It sets out the recommended investment programme needed to maintain and safely operate the Clyde &amp; Hebrides and Northern Isles ferry services networks and sets a target average vessel age of around 15 years by the end of this decade. This investment programme includes six new major vessels currently under construction and seven new small vessels now in procurement.Individual project and programme business cases will continue to be considered through the Transport Scotland Investment Decision-Making process and in light of future Budget allocations.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424866,"EventID":"S6W-30483","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-07T14:00:20.89","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-07T10:08:26.053","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what funding it will provide to Police Scotland to enable the investigation of the reported increase in incidences of online crime, including attempts to defraud individ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what funding it will provide to Police Scotland to enable the investigation of the reported increase in incidences of online crime, including attempts to defraud individuals.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Police Authority budget for 2024-25 provides record funding of &pound;1.55bn for policing, an increase of &pound;92.7m despite difficult financial circumstances due to UKG austerity.The allocation of this budget to policing priorities, is for the Chief Constable and Scottish Police Authority, including the allocation of resources to tackle cybercrime and fraud.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424867,"EventID":"S6W-30476","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-07T14:00:21.02","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-04T15:48:45.027","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the existing capacity of the CalMac ferry fleet for island communities in relation to the (a) current and (b) future needs of island commu","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the existing capacity of the CalMac ferry fleet for island communities in relation to the (a) current and (b) future needs of island communities.","AnswerText":"Our Islands Connectivity Plan draft Strategic Approach paper, published 1 February 2024, noted feedback that the space for vehicles on busy ferry routes fills up quickly at popular times, especially in summer. At other times, and on other routes, there is space available for more vehicles to be carried and there is almost always space for people on any sailing at any time.With the introduction of larger vessels and increased services, vehicle deck capacity has already increased and planned vessel deployments and service enhancements will bring further increases during the current decade.The draft Strategic Approach set out our proposal to publish key baseline data, including on capacity, and that work is coming to its conclusion. Transport Scotland will use this information as the starting point for refreshed community needs assessments. This will support our proposed identification of key &ldquo;pinch points&rdquo; on the Clyde &amp; Hebrides and Northern Isles networks and consider options for additional vehicle capacity where this is practical, beneficial and affordable.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424868,"EventID":"S6W-30475","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-07T14:00:20.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-04T15:48:45.027","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made any assessment of the number of people who use the existing Sound of Harris ferry service for health-related appointments, and, if so, whether it wil","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made any assessment of the number of people who use the existing Sound of Harris ferry service for health-related appointments, and, if so, whether it will provide details of this.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold information on numbers of patients travelling and the means of travel. However we are aware of an increase in travel on the sound of Harris Ferry following changes to the Benbecula Stornoway air service in April 2024.As you may be aware, at the meeting to consider Access to Health Services in the Western Isles on 21 August, it was agreed to establish a working group, led by HITRANS, to consider ways to improve the patient experience.At the first meeting of this group, NHS Western Isles and CalMac confirmed that they are working together to minimise issues for patients using ferry travel through a block booking of 2 cars per day for NHS Wester Isles patients. It was noted that monitoring of capacity and demand is ongoing by NHS Western Isles and CalMac will consider an increase in pre booked spaces if required.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424869,"EventID":"S6W-30477","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-07T14:00:20.893","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-04T15:48:45.027","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has had any discussions with CalMac regarding creating additional ferry fleet capacity during the 2024-25 winter timetable period, and, if so, whether it will","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has had any discussions with CalMac regarding creating additional ferry fleet capacity during the 2024-25 winter timetable period, and, if so, whether it will provide details of this.","AnswerText":"Deployment of vessels is an operational matter for CalMac, who are looking again at options for the Winter timetabling light of current challenges with the ferry fleet.Whilst we expect the operator to make full use of the available fleet, Scottish Ministers appreciate there have been ongoing technical issues with vessels in the fleet which have complicated these considerations.As part of this it was agreed to extend the current charter of MV Alfred for a further 6 months, which has added much needed resilience.As well as investing in new vessels our operators and CMAL also continue to scour the market for suitable additional tonnage.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424870,"EventID":"S6W-30481","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-07T14:00:20.72","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-06T23:42:50.45","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement (a) it and (b) its agencies have had with (i) the New Gorbals Housing Association and (ii) Glasgow City Council regarding the development of the North La","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement (a) it and (b) its agencies have had with (i) the New Gorbals Housing Association and (ii) Glasgow City Council regarding the development of the North Laurieston regeneration masterplan.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is aware that the regeneration masterplan is being developed for North Laurieston although there has been limited engagement to date.The Scottish Government is a partner in Transforming Communities: Glasgow (TC:G) along with Glasgow City Council and Wheatley Homes Glasgow to oversee the delivery of a regeneration and development programme across 8 Transformational Regeneration Areas (TRA). The North Laurieston area falls within the Laurieston TRA. The masterplan development is being led by New Gorbals Housing Association and Glasgow City Council planning department, but it is anticipated that TC:G partners will be a consultee in the masterplan going forward.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424871,"EventID":"S6W-30470","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-07T14:00:20.313","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-04T15:48:45.027","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with CalMac regarding whether it would benefit from having at least one spare ferry available in the event of a breakdown of an operating fer","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with CalMac regarding whether it would benefit from having at least one spare ferry available in the event of a breakdown of an operating ferry.","AnswerText":"Our updated Vessels and Ports Plan, published 1 February 2024, confirms that a &ldquo;resilience vessel&rdquo; will be retained in the CalMac major vessel fleet to cover planned and unplanned outages.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424872,"EventID":"S6W-30464","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-07T14:00:20.3","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-03T15:36:50.833","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the medicines homecare services review will be published.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the medicines homecare services review will be published.","AnswerText":"The Medicines Homecare Review is an independent review commissioned by the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer (CPO). The CPO is currently considering the recommendations in order to determine the next steps and will publish the review thereafter.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424873,"EventID":"S6W-30473","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-07T14:00:21.477","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-04T15:48:45.027","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12129 by Jenny Gilruth on 22 November 2022, whether it has given any further consideration to establishing a separate freight-only","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12129 by Jenny Gilruth on 22 November 2022, whether it has given any further consideration to establishing a separate freight-only service to and from Islay.","AnswerText":"The option of a separate freight-only service to and from Islay has been considered. However, the Government is investing in two new vessels for Islay that will, together, provide 55% more space for Heavy Goods Vehicles than the two current vessels and are expected to meet growing demand in the coming years. We will continue to consider and discuss with key stakeholders provision of freight-only options which balance the roles and responsibilities of business and government.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424874,"EventID":"S6W-30471","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-07T14:00:20.303","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-04T15:48:45.027","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government in what ways it will ensure that the CalMac ferry fleet remains at a lower average age, following the delivery of the new ferries that have been ordered.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government in what ways it will ensure that the CalMac ferry fleet remains at a lower average age, following the delivery of the new ferries that have been ordered.","AnswerText":"Our updated Vessels and Ports Plan was published on 1 February 2024 as part of the Islands Connectivity Plan. It sets a target average vessel age of around 15 years by the end of this decade. The delivery of the six new major CalMac vessels currently under construction, and an accompanying programme of disposals, will support this. Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd are now procuring seven new small vessels for CalMac. The Vessels and Ports Plan proposes a programme of further investments including vessel replacements for Mallaig-Lochboisdale, Gourock-Dunoon and Kilcreggan, Craignure-Oban, and the Northern Isles freighters.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424875,"EventID":"S6W-30443","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-07T14:00:20.313","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-03T11:11:36.71","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of its spending on the National Care Service up to 2032 will be directly on pay for frontline care workers.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of its spending on the National Care Service up to 2032 will be directly on pay for frontline care workers.","AnswerText":"Projected spending on the National Care Service up to 2032 is focused on strategic improvement of the sector, including improving standards for our workforce. The NCS Board will improve oversight, accountability and transparency on the delivery of integrated health and social care across Scotland. Allowing for greater consistency across local areas and helping frontline workers deliver their services to the best of their ability. We have already implemented Fair Work measures, including paying our commissioned social care workforce at least the real living wage of &pound;12 an hour from April 2024 and improving standards through the NCS will make the sector a more attractive career.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":424876,"EventID":"S6W-30444","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-07T14:00:20.21","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-03T11:11:36.71","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it expects that its National Care Service proposals will lead to benefits in social care outcomes beyond those that would have been delivered by the existing soc","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it expects that its National Care Service proposals will lead to benefits in social care outcomes beyond those that would have been delivered by the existing social care structure and, if so, what (a) these benefits might be and (b) evidence it has used to determine this.","AnswerText":"The Independent Review of Adult Social Care recommendations, consultation and co-design with thousands of people who receive or provide social care have told us change is needed in how social care and support in delivered. We are working with people to design a system that best fits the needs of the communities it serves.The National Care Service will improve participation and empower people who use and deliver care services, to have a say in how social care is developed and delivered. The NCS will also promote transparency of both performance and investment in social care. The NCS Board will improve the scrutiny of local services, allow intervention at earlier stages to identify good practice, and target efforts on areas where there are emerging issues.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":424877,"EventID":"S6W-30485","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16207,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-07T14:00:20.697","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-07T10:48:01.407","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported comment by the Fire Brigades Union Scotland that the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is in a &ldquo;deadly cycle of decline&rdquo;.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported comment by the Fire Brigades Union Scotland that the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is in a &ldquo;deadly cycle of decline&rdquo;.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government believes the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) continues to deliver the high standard of services required to keep Scotland safe. Firefighters play a crucial role in keeping communities safe and preventing fires remains a priority and we continue to support the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to be a highly effective emergency service.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424878,"EventID":"S6W-30480","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-07T14:00:19.98","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-04T19:10:34.99","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how the Scottish Police College compares with other UK police training establishments in terms of international officer training.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the Scottish Police College compares with other UK police training establishments in terms of international officer training.","AnswerText":"International training and deployments undertaken by UK officers are a matter for their individual services and no comparable data is available.Further information and detail on all Police Scotland&rsquo;s international activity can be obtained from the service&rsquo;s International Business Development Manager who can be contacted at PoliceScotlandInternational@scotland.police.uk.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424879,"EventID":"S6W-30468","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-07T14:00:20.893","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-04T15:28:09.637","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its previous announcement that it plans to align with other UK administrations to deliver a UK-wide ban on single-use vapes, whether it expects that this ba","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its previous announcement that it plans to align with other UK administrations to deliver a UK-wide ban on single-use vapes, whether it expects that this ban will come into effect from 1 April 2025.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to aligning with a four-nation approach towards banning the sale and supply of single-use vapes.In order to align with timescales recently announced by the Welsh and UK governments and provide consistency across the four nations, the Scottish Government will lay legislation to amend the coming into force date in the Scottish regulations banning the sale and supply of these vapes recently passed by the Scottish Parliament from 1 April 2025 to 1 June 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424888,"EventID":"S6T-02138","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":4982,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-07T14:10:19.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-07T09:34:00.507","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the reported growing concerns over the shortfall of psychiatrists employed by the NHS to deliver psychiatric care.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the reported growing concerns over the shortfall of psychiatrists employed by the NHS to deliver psychiatric care.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424889,"EventID":"S6T-02142","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-07T14:10:19.44","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-07T10:10:47.207","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported view of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine that its winter planning is \"not doing enough\" to support A&amp;E departments as the","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported view of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine that its winter planning is \"not doing enough\" to support A&amp;E departments as they approach their busiest time of year.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-10-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424890,"EventID":"S6F-03437","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-07T14:06:04.98","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-03T09:49:27.6","Title":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424891,"EventID":"S6F-03438","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5586,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-07T14:06:04.967","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-03T09:49:43.757","Title":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424892,"EventID":"S6F-03447","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-07T14:06:05.217","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-07T08:55:16.45","Title":"To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424893,"EventID":"S6F-03439","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":4940,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":81,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-07T14:06:04.977","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-03T10:46:22.163","Title":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is, regarding any potential impact on its Fair Work agenda and the nighttime economy in Scotland, to the new UK legal framework that h","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is, regarding any potential impact on its Fair Work agenda and the nighttime economy in Scotland, to the new UK legal framework that has come into force requiring employers to pass all tips, gratuities and service charges on to workers.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424894,"EventID":"S6F-03444","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-07T14:06:05.143","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-07T08:26:17.607","Title":"To ask the First Minister what support the Scottish Government is providing to NHS boards in order to reduce waiting times for breast reconstruction surgery.","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what support the Scottish Government is providing to NHS boards in order to reduce waiting times for breast reconstruction surgery.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424895,"EventID":"S6F-03457","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":1756,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":136,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-07T14:06:04.96","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-07T10:39:22.193","Title":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to reported concerns that the UK Labour administration has not affirmed the commitment, which was signed in March 2021 by the UK an","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to reported concerns that the UK Labour administration has not affirmed the commitment, which was signed in March 2021 by the UK and Scottish governments under the Borderlands Growth deal, to allocate &pound;5 million towards&nbsp;a feasibility study to extend the Borders railway to Carlisle.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424903,"EventID":"S6W-30497","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-08T14:29:03.923","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-07T13:37:47.06","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to recast the National Strategy for Economic Transformation to integrate a gender analysis so that any gender barriers to the labour market can be t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to recast the National Strategy for Economic Transformation to integrate a gender analysis so that any gender barriers to the labour market can be tackled.","AnswerText":"Scotland&rsquo;s National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET) is a ten-year strategy, and we stand by its vision to grow a sustainable and inclusive wellbeing economy. Two and a half years into that ten-year strategy, significant progress has already been made in driving us towards that vision of a fairer, greener wellbeing economy.Through NSET we have established a Centre of Expertise in Equality and Human Rights, which is embedding equality and human rights in our economic policy development. We are committed to addressing the range of labour market barriers, including intersectional barriers, experienced by women that lead them to be paid less on average than men. In line with NSET&rsquo;s ambition to tackle structural inequalities, we are supporting women furthest from the labour market through delivery of our person-centered employability support. Through our Fair Work approach, we are supporting the creation of good quality, well-paid and flexible jobs to support women to raise their income levels and progress in the workplace. Further, our work to tackle economic inactivity seeks to support more people to enter, remain and progress in employment. Women are more likely to be economically inactive than men and the main reason for inactivity for both women and men is long term sickness, therefore we have focussed our efforts on addressing this challenge.Since publishing NSET we recognise that much has changed &ndash; fiscally, politically and internationally. Our focus is therefore now on accelerating delivery of NSET through our Programme for Government by prioritising actions that are affordable, deliverable and will have the greatest impact on the Government&rsquo;s four priorities of eradicating child poverty, growing the economy, tackling the climate emergency, and delivering high quality and sustainable public services.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424904,"EventID":"S6W-30496","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-08T14:29:04.017","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-07T13:36:19.88","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address any undervaluation of women&rsquo;s work in female-dominated sectors, such as childcare, social care and retail.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address any undervaluation of women&rsquo;s work in female-dominated sectors, such as childcare, social care and retail.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"While employment law is reserved, our Fair Work approach seeks to improve workers&rsquo; rights and conditions and aims to address women&rsquo;s workplace inequalities by encouraging employers to take action to tackle occupational segregation and reduce gender pay gaps across the labour market in Scotland.Through our National Strategy for Economic Transformation and the publication of our refreshed Fair Work Action Plan in December 2022, we have committed to working with employers and trade unions to promote Fair Work and further reduce the gender pay gap. And in partnership with Living Wage Scotland, we continue to promote payment of the real Living Wage in sectors where low pay is most prevalent, including those with significantly female workforces.In line with Audit Scotland recommendations and the 2024-25 Programme for Government, we plan to support the Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) sector by focussing efforts on implementing payment of the real Living Wage for all staff delivering funded childcare. It is estimated that around 12,500 female practitioners and support workers who are working in private and third sector &lsquo;day care of children&rsquo; settings that deliver funded ELC are currently benefitting from Scottish Government funding to allow staff to be paid at least &pound;12 per hour. This means some full-time staff will have seen a &pound;2,000 increase in their gross annual salary.In the adult social care sector, which is over 80% female, social care workers delivering direct care in commissioned services also saw their pay increase from April 2024 to a minimum of &pound;12 per hour. The Scottish Government have transferred &pound;230 million to Local Government to deliver this uplift in pay. The Scottish Government is continuing to progress its work on introducing a sectoral bargaining framework for the commissioned adult social care sector in Scotland, once developed and introduced, sectoral bargaining will encourage improvements in pay, and terms and conditions, across the social care workforce.Retail is Scotland&rsquo;s largest private sector employer, employing more than 240,000 people &ndash; almost 10% of all employment in Scotland. As per &lsquo;Getting the Right Change &ndash; retail strategy for Scotland&rsquo;, in 2020, it was estimated that women made up 60.7% of those in employment aged 16+ in the retail sector in Scotland, up slightly from 60.5% in 2019.The Retail Industry Leadership Group (ILG) was created to drive and support delivery of the actions set out in the Retail Strategy, in particular on improving fair work across the sector. Members of the ILG continue to be committed to productive engagement around Fair Work and this is a key topic for the Group&rsquo;s future discussions.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424905,"EventID":"S6W-30482","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-08T14:29:04.327","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-07T10:07:12.917","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29929 by Mairi Gougeon on 24 September 2024, how a Scottish Forestry scheme allowing applicants to access a reduced public grant a","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29929 by Mairi Gougeon on 24 September 2024, how a Scottish Forestry scheme allowing applicants to access a reduced public grant alongside the Woodland Carbon Code will comply with (a) its additionality investment test and (b) international definitions.","AnswerText":"The new category under the Forestry Grant Scheme for projects to receive lower levels of grant intervention is designed specifically to help projects meet the requirements of the Woodland Carbon Code investment test for additionality. By reducing the amount of grant funding, a project is better able to demonstrate that revenues from carbon credits are needed for the project to be financially viable. The Woodland Carbon Code additionality test is consistent with additionality tests applied by other leading carbon standards globally.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424906,"EventID":"S6W-30513","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-08T14:29:04.107","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-08T11:39:51.783","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to create a transition course for paramedics who graduate but cannot find employment in a paramedic position in Scotland due to any oversaturation of th","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to create a transition course for paramedics who graduate but cannot find employment in a paramedic position in Scotland due to any oversaturation of the job market.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government currently has no plans to introduce a transition course for paramedics unable to find employment with the Scottish Ambulance Service.The Scottish Government sets policies and frameworks at a national level, and it is the role of Health Boards, as the employers, to recruit graduates through a fair and consistent recruitment practice. When making recruitment decisions, Health Boards have to consider current turnover, retention, absence rates and budgets.The Scottish Ambulance Service is in the process of recruiting paramedic positions for the remainder of the 2024-25 financial year.We continue to work with SAS to explore how the role of a paramedic can expand into primary and secondary care further, offering new and different employment opportunities.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424907,"EventID":"S6W-30510","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16197,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-08T14:29:04.047","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-08T10:32:17.123","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will maximise the collaborative process under the National Marine Plan 2, supported by the latest science, so that all stakeholders come together and work coopera","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will maximise the collaborative process under the National Marine Plan 2, supported by the latest science, so that all stakeholders come together and work cooperatively on reaching decisions.","AnswerText":"Widespread stakeholder participation is essential if we are to successfully develop a new National Marine Plan for Scotland that helps deliver our statutory targets, supports sustainable economic growth and protects our marine environment. We remain committed to our vision for engaging stakeholders throughout the development of NMP2 and we want everyone who uses, relies on or has an interest in Scotland's seas to have the opportunity to contribute when considering Scotland&rsquo;s marine space.In developing the NMP2, we are adopting a blue economy approach - considering our marine economy, local communities, and the environment altogether. The timeline for the development of the plan has been designed to allow for sufficient opportunity for meaningful engagement with stakeholders throughout the process. A public consultation on the NMP2 Planning Position Statement will take place in late 2024 allowing stakeholders to submit their views. A further public consultation for the NMP2 Draft Plan will take place in late 2025.The timeline also allows for the NMP2 team to host events dedicated to cross-sector discussion and collaboration. Our first National Marine Planning Forum took place on 15 June 2023, providing an opportunity for everyone with an interest in the plan to input into its development at an early stage and discuss the key themes to be addressed in the plan. A further NMP2 forum will be held in winter 2024 specifically designed to bring together stakeholders and promote cooperation between sectors. The forum will facilitate discussions between stakeholders pertinent to the cross-sector issues that exist in the marine environment and give stakeholders the opportunity to collaborate and devise solutions to these issues that can influence NMP2. The NMP2 team will actively seek this feedback at the forum with the intention of integrating it into future policy development from NMP2.A Steering Group has been established to provide advice on the statutory assessments and Sustainability Appraisal for NMP2, which are used to understand potential impacts on marine sectors and the marine environment from the proposals in the plan. The Steering Group is formed of stakeholders from various sectors who regularly meet with NMP2 officials to advise on the development of the statutory assessment and Sustainability Appraisal.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424908,"EventID":"S6W-30501","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-08T14:29:03.933","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-07T15:56:58.317","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many passenger stations on the rail network in Scotland have gated access or ticket barriers.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many passenger stations on the rail network in Scotland have gated access or ticket barriers.","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for ScotRail and Network Rail who manage railway stations in Scotland. ScotRail advises there are currently 18 stations with ticket gates.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424909,"EventID":"S6W-30487","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-08T14:29:04.433","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-07T12:49:40.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendations of Shelter Scotland and Engender's recent joint report,&nbsp;Gender and the Housing Emergency, what action it is taking to create target","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendations of Shelter Scotland and Engender's recent joint report,&nbsp;Gender and the Housing Emergency, what action it is taking to create targeted streams of the Scottish Welfare Fund to support (a) marginalised women and (b) women with no recourse to public funds.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government published an Action Plan in June 2023 to deliver improvements to the Scottish Welfare Fund. The actions committed to are being progressed in conjunction with stakeholders through our Practitioners&rsquo; Forum and Statutory Guidance Review Committee.As well as stakeholders on these forums, officials have met with organisations including Engender to discuss the work that is being progressed on the back of the independent review recommendations and action plan and have discussed clarifying the Scottish Welfare Fund statutory guidance to support marginalised women.In the Ending Destitution Together strategy, published in 2021, the strategy is clear that there are limits on the action that can be taken by the Scottish Government to support women with the condition of No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF). This is because immigration and nationality, including the NRPF policy, are reserved to the UK Parliament. There is an ask of the UK Government to remove the Scottish Welfare Fund from the list of restricted public funds set out under paragraph 6 of the immigration rules. If successful, this would enable Crisis and Community Care Grants to be provided from the Scottish Welfare Fund to people subject to NRPF, where they are eligible, on the same basis as anyone else.We are proud that we have the Scottish Welfare Fund providing emergency support and a lifeline to people in need, through Crisis Grants to help meet immediate short-term needs arising from exceptional circumstances and Community Care Grants to help eligible people establish or maintain a home. We have protected investment in the fund of &pound;41 million this year.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424910,"EventID":"S6W-30509","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16197,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-08T14:29:03.95","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-08T10:31:54.397","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether industry and other stakeholders have been, or will be, consulted on considerations around whether the National Marine Plan 2 will include detailed marine spatial","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether industry and other stakeholders have been, or will be, consulted on considerations around whether the National Marine Plan 2 will include detailed marine spatial plans.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s Marine Directorate will be sharing draft outputs, as noted in our revised Statement of Public Participation and Stakeholder Engagement Strategy, as they become available so we can collaboratively develop the plan with communities as part of our commitment to considering the Just Transition principles in the marine planning process.By including a staged approach to our engagement for NMP2, and by speaking to people who use or rely on Scotland&rsquo;s seas, the Marine Directorate can take time to better understand their needs and use these experiences and knowledge to create a new plan that works well for the people of Scotland.This engagement has included the first National Marine Planning Forum and sector-based workshops, with future engagement planned around the consultation on the NMP2&rsquo;s forthcoming Planning Position Statement (PPS) and draft plan.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424911,"EventID":"S6W-30504","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-08T14:29:04.37","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-08T08:50:45.687","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to consult with (a) the UK Government and (b) health ministers from other devolved administrations on co-ordinating national cancer registries in the c","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to consult with (a) the UK Government and (b) health ministers from other devolved administrations on co-ordinating national cancer registries in the collection, analysis and reporting of blood cancer data.","AnswerText":"The key group responsible for co-ordinating the national cancer registries of all the UK nations, as well as the Republic of Ireland, is the UK and Ireland Association of Cancer Registries (UKIACR). Achieving consistency and comparability in the collection, analysis and reporting of cancer data are among the UKIACR&rsquo;s Terms of Reference. The Director of the Scottish Cancer Registry represents Scotland on this group.The UK and Ireland cancer registries all adhere, where possible, to the recommendations of the European Network of Cancer Registries (ENCR).","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424912,"EventID":"S6W-29304","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-08T14:29:04.09","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-08-23T10:14:55.627","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports of an increase in NHS Ayrshire and Arran's accident and emergency waiting times with reported figures for June 2024 showing its lowest mo","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports of an increase in NHS Ayrshire and Arran's accident and emergency waiting times with reported figures for June 2024 showing its lowest monthly performance on record over the past eight years.","AnswerText":"As with Health Services across Scotland and the rest of the UK, NHS Ayrshire &amp; Arran are experiencing sustained pressure on their Urgent Care Services with some patients waiting longer than we would wish. I recognize that NHS Ayrshire &amp; Arran&rsquo;s A&amp;E performance in June was below the level I and the Board expect. It is important to note that fluctuation in performance figures is not unusual. Monthly figures for July show that Ayrshire &amp; Arran&rsquo;s performance increased by more than five percentage points and was the Board&rsquo;s highest monthly performance this year.Through our Urgent and Unscheduled Care Collaborative Programme we continue to support NHS Boards, including NHS Ayrshire &amp; Arran, to improve patient flow through acute sites and reduce A&amp;E delays. Key actions include: strengthening arrangements to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions such as Same Day Emergency Care services; optimising Flow Navigation Centres; enhancing the discharge process - focusing on discharge planning; and reducing length of stay.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424913,"EventID":"S6W-30486","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-08T14:29:03.853","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-07T12:46:39.373","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendations of Shelter Scotland and Engender's recent joint report,&nbsp;Gender and the Housing Emergency, whether it will provide an update on what","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendations of Shelter Scotland and Engender's recent joint report,&nbsp;Gender and the Housing Emergency, whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to \"encourage the acquisition of larger properties specifically for households with children trapped in temporary accommodation\".","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the need to increase the supply of affordable homes, including larger properties suitable for households with children. The Scottish Government has allocated additional capital of &pound;40 million in each of the next two financial years to support acquisitions and, where appropriate, to help bring long term empty social homes back into use. This builds on the success of last year&rsquo;s National Acquisition Programme, which invested more than &pound;83 million in 2023-24 and helped deliver almost 1,500 affordable homes. This additional &pound;40 million takes our total investment in affordable housing to almost &pound;600 million in 2024-25.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424914,"EventID":"S6W-30512","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-08T14:29:03.853","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-08T11:15:31.193","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the publication of the Criminal Justice Modernisation and Abusive Domestic Behaviour Reviews (Scotland) Bill, what its position is on what any differences in","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the publication of the Criminal Justice Modernisation and Abusive Domestic Behaviour Reviews (Scotland) Bill, what its position is on what any differences in principle are between the proposed domestic homicide and suicide reviews and existing fatal accident inquiries.","AnswerText":"Part two of the Criminal Justice Modernisation &amp; Abusive Domestic Behaviour Reviews (Scotland) Bill, introduced to the Scottish Parliament on 24 September 2024, includes provisions to create the statutory framework for what will be Scotland&rsquo;s first national multi-agency domestic homicide and suicide review model.The purpose of domestic homicide and suicide reviews is to learn lessons following a death where domestic abuse is suspected to improve services and help prevent further deaths. The reviews will be undertaken by a review panel which will include an independent chair with a review oversight committee overseeing the completing of a review.The Lord Advocate, is the Head of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and is also responsible for investigating all sudden, suspicious and unexplained deaths. Supported by Procurator&rsquo;s Fiscal, in circumstances where a death is sudden, suspicious or unexplained, the Lord Advocate will investigate the death and seek to establish the cause of death and the circumstances of the death. A death investigation may lead to a Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI.) The legislative framework which governs the holding of an FAI is the Inquiries into Fatal Accidents and Sudden Deaths etc. (Scotland) Act 2016.The purpose of a Fatal Accident Inquiry is to establish:&bull; where and when the death took place;&bull; the cause of the death;&bull; reasonable precautions whereby the death might have been avoided;&bull; the defects, if any, in any system of working that contributed to the death or any accident resulting in the death; and&bull; other facts relevant to the circumstances of the death.As with the aims of a domestic homicide and suicide review, to prevent future deaths from happening in similar circumstances. However, unlike a domestic homicide and suicide review, FAI&rsquo;s are a judicial process and a public examination of the circumstances of a death conducted before a Sheriff with the Sheriff issuing a determination at the conclusion of the Inquiry.A domestic homicide and suicide review will take place where domestic abuse is suspected. An FAI is broader and can either be &lsquo;mandatory&rsquo; in terms of Section 2 of the Act, and conducted where the death occurred (i) as the result of an accident when the deceased was acting in the course of their employment or occupation or (ii) when the deceased was in legal custody or was a child detained in secure accommodation at the time of the death or &lsquo;Discretionary&rsquo; in terms of Section 4 of the Act, or &lsquo;discretionary&rsquo; and conducted, on the Authority of the Lord Advocate, where the Lord Advocate considers that the death was sudden, suspicious or unexplained or that it occurred in circumstances that give rise to serious public concern and it is decided that it is in the public interest for an Inquiry to be held in to the circumstances of the death.It is anticipated that the majority of cases likely to be reviewed under the domestic homicide and suicide review model, would not result in a FAI. The information gathered as part of a domestic homicide and suicide review will be information rather than &lsquo;evidence&rsquo; and the reviews will have a specific focus on domestic abuse which will follow through to the learning and recommendations made from a review which will likely have a broader reach to safeguarding victims of domestic abuse in addition to the prevent of deaths.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424915,"EventID":"S6W-30508","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16197,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-08T14:29:04.063","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-08T10:31:39.253","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the National Marine Plan 2 will include detailed marine spatial plans.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the National Marine Plan 2 will include detailed marine spatial plans.","AnswerText":"The National Marine Plan 2 (NMP2) will provide the coordinated overarching planning framework for sustainable development. It will incorporate within the planning framework policy developed in relevant areas - such as marine environmental protection, climate change mitigation and adaption, energy and fisheries - and consider the interaction between these policies in planning decisions. This includes the pathway to deliver net zero and the approach to delivering a green recovery established in the Climate Change Plan 2018 &ndash; 2032.The Marine Directorate will explore, with stakeholders, the potential options for spatial policies as part of the NMP2 process, taking into account the need for protection of the marine environment to serve as a strong platform providing opportunities for sustainable development of our existing and growing marine sectors. NMP2 is intended as a high-level strategic framework which would not contain detailed marine spatial plans or measures.There is a Sectoral Marine Plan supporting offshore wind development, which provides the spatial framework for the sustainable development of this sector in our seas.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424916,"EventID":"S6W-30489","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-08T14:29:04.263","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-07T12:54:12.703","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendations of Shelter Scotland and Engender's recent joint report,&nbsp;Gender and the Housing Emergency, what engagement has it had with (a) local","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendations of Shelter Scotland and Engender's recent joint report,&nbsp;Gender and the Housing Emergency, what engagement has it had with (a) local authorities and (b) third sector organisations to develop print and online resources for women experiencing domestic abuse that detail their housing options and signpost to sources of support.","AnswerText":"Through Equally Safe, we are working closely with local government and third sector partners to ensure victims and survivors of domestic abuse are aware of all sources of support. This year we are providing over &pound;7.5m to Women&rsquo;s Aid groups in Scotland, through our Delivering Equally Safe Fund, that provide vital and sometimes lifesaving support through a range of channels, including online and print materials. In addition to this we are also supporting Scotland's Domestic Abuse &amp; Forced Marriage Helpline with over &pound;550,000 funding to also ensure this information is widely available to those who need it.The Scottish Government also funds the Scottish Women&rsquo;s Rights Centre, which provides online guidance on legal and housing options available to women experiencing domestic abuse.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424917,"EventID":"S6W-30506","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-08T14:29:04.413","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-08T08:57:31.637","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29823 by Natalie Don-Innes on 25 September 2024, when it will publish the National Transitions to Adulthood Strategy.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29823 by Natalie Don-Innes on 25 September 2024, when it will publish the National Transitions to Adulthood Strategy.","AnswerText":"Allowing sufficient time to support the meaningful engagement and participation of those the Strategy will affect, including robust analysis of their views, and ensuring that it can be published alongside a range of accessible formats to meet the needs of those it aims to support has remained of central importance to the Scottish Government throughout the Strategy&rsquo;s development.This was reiterated during a recent meeting of the External Strategic Working Group who reviewed the aim of publishing the Strategy by the end of 2024 and concluded that publication in Spring 2025 presents a more favourable timeline to achieving this.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424918,"EventID":"S6W-30463","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16195,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-08T14:29:04.457","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-03T15:26:51.76","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light the commitment set out in its document, Stroke Improvement Plan 2023, to set up a forum &ldquo;for regular engagement between stroke services from every NHS bo","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light the commitment set out in its document, Stroke Improvement Plan 2023, to set up a forum &ldquo;for regular engagement between stroke services from every NHS board&rdquo;, whether it will confirm whether this forum has been established and, if so, (a) on what date it first met, (b) whether it will provide the names of each person nominated by each NHS board to serve on it and (c) what progress it is making towards improving the delivery of stroke services, and how this progress is being measured.","AnswerText":"The Stroke Engagement Forum met for the first time on 2 October 2024. The agenda included items on acute stroke care and research involvement and involved the sharing of local practices and approaches to shared challenges. The next meeting of the group will be in early 2025.The membership of the Stroke Engagement Forum comprises stroke clinicians, stroke managers, Scottish Government officials and third sector representatives. Members are invited as a representative of their NHS Board or organisation. Members are expected to consult with their professional groups, networks and other stakeholders as appropriate. This forum is to facilitate operational improvement and the sharing of best practice. It is not a public forum and the Scottish Government will not be publishing the names of the attendees.Stroke service delivery continues to be measured via the Scottish Stroke Care Audit and the Board reviews conducted as part of the Scottish Stroke Improvement Programme.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424919,"EventID":"S6W-30498","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-08T14:29:04.127","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-07T13:38:38.447","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to develop a roadmap to delivering 50 hours of high-quality, flexible funded childcare to all children aged six months and over.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to develop a roadmap to delivering 50 hours of high-quality, flexible funded childcare to all children aged six months and over.","AnswerText":"Scotland is the only part of the UK that already offers 30 hours per week, in term time, of funded ELC to all 3 and 4-year-olds regardless of whether their parents are working or not. We also make 1140 hours available to around a quarter of 2 year olds and to all children whose entry to primary school is deferred.It is far from clear that a universal system of government funded childcare would deliver either value for money for the Scottish taxpayer or the best outcomes for our children and young people.Before turning to the detail, I think it is important to recognise the financial context that the Scottish Government is currently having to work within. As the Cabinet Secretary for Finance outlined in the fiscal statement on 3 September, we cannot shy away from the fact that Scotland continues to face one of the most difficult public spending environments that this devolved Parliament has ever seen.That is why we have committed in this year&rsquo;s Programme for Government to work with local authorities to maximise uptake of funded early learning and childcare for eligible two-year-olds, with a particular focus on families most at risk of poverty and areas with some of the lowest uptake rates.Over the next two years we are also investing &pound;16 million within six early adopter communities to continue our work to understand what it takes to design and deliver local childcare systems that support those families most at risk of living in poverty.The engagement and targeted delivery that takes place for younger children in our six EACs will be a key element of our developing evidence base to inform future delivery.We are continuing to support the &lsquo;Extra Time&rsquo; Programme, investing &pound;4 million in a partnership with the Scottish Football Association to deliver before, after school and breakfast clubs, providing 3,000 targeted free places each week for children and their families. We have also invested close to &pound;1 million to deliver free or subsidised school age childcare services through our Access to Childcare projects. These projects consider specific challenges for families, including remote and rural childcare provision, and specialist provision for children with disabilities or complex additional support needs.We remain committed to expanding funded ELC to reach more young children and to building a system of School Age Childcare, and we are going as far and as fast as budgets allow to deliver that.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424920,"EventID":"S6W-30511","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16197,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-08T14:29:04.203","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-08T10:33:31.61","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion, expressed as a percentage, of the area of the inshore&nbsp;out to the six nautical mile limit is covered by a year-round prohibition on the use of mobil","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion, expressed as a percentage, of the area of the inshore&nbsp;out to the six nautical mile limit is covered by a year-round prohibition on the use of mobile or active gear to (a) dredge for scallops and (b) trawl for nephrops norvegicus under any legal instrument as of April 2024.","AnswerText":"The proportion, expressed as a percentage, of the area of the inshore out to the six nautical mile limit is covered by a year-round prohibition on the use of mobile or active gear to (a) dredge for scallops and (b) trawl for nephrops norvegicus under any legal instrument as of April 2024 is estimated to be 7.68%.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424921,"EventID":"S6W-30491","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-08T14:29:03.853","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-07T12:59:23.517","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendations of Shelter Scotland and Engender's recent joint report,&nbsp;Gender and the Housing Emergency, what its position is on whether there is ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendations of Shelter Scotland and Engender's recent joint report,&nbsp;Gender and the Housing Emergency, what its position is on whether there is an \"urgent need for gendered [temporary accommodation] in Scotland, in particular for women with children\", and what engagement it has had with local authorities to ensure that availability of this type of temporary accommodation is increased.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s ambition is to prevent homelessness, where possible, to avoid the need for temporary accommodation. We understand, however, that there is a need for more suitable temporary accommodation, which would include accommodation suitable for the needs of women with children.The Scottish Government has taken action to increase the supply of suitable accommodation, in particular, larger properties suitable for households with children. Scottish Government investment of more than &pound;83 million in our National Acquisition Programme in 2023-24 delivered almost 1,500 affordable homes. This assisted local authorities&rsquo; efforts to ensure households with children who have been living in temporary accommodation for longer periods are supported into suitable settled housing.The Scottish Government has allocated additional capital of &pound;40 million to the Affordable Housing Supply Programme in each of the next two financial years. As women make up the majority (74%) of single parent households assessed as homeless, this will benefit them most.In our engagement with local authorities to date, we have been clear that increasing the supply of social housing suitable for families is needed to reduce the number of children in temporary accommodation, a key Scottish Government objective in tackling child poverty.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424922,"EventID":"S6W-30505","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-08T14:29:04.243","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-08T08:50:45.693","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to ensure that blood cancer is routinely included as a distinct category alongside solid tumours when reporting on key metrics such as prevalence, heal","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to ensure that blood cancer is routinely included as a distinct category alongside solid tumours when reporting on key metrics such as prevalence, healthcare utilisation and other appropriate benchmarks.","AnswerText":"Public Health Scotland (PHS) records all tumours using the ICD-O3 classification and is therefore able to routinely report on blood cancers in many different ways. This includes a variety of benchmarks such as incidence rates, quality performance indicators and survival.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424923,"EventID":"S6W-30507","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-08T14:29:04.287","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-08T09:36:21.517","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Office of National Statistics mid-year population estimates for the UK and its constituent countries for mid-2023, which shows that Scotland ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Office of National Statistics mid-year population estimates for the UK and its constituent countries for mid-2023, which shows that Scotland experienced a natural population decline of 19,100 between 2022 and 2023.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government welcomes the mid-year 2023 population estimates, which show inward migration driving the biggest single-year increase in Scotland&rsquo;s population since the 1940s. Scotland continues to be an attractive and welcoming country which people from across the UK and internationally are choosing to call home.With deaths continuing to outnumber births, these statistics underline the importance of delivering our Population Strategy&rsquo;s ambition to make Scotland as family friendly as possible, and for collaboration between the Scottish and UK Governments to deliver tailored migration approaches which meet Scotland&rsquo;s needs, including our Rural Visa Pilot proposal.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424924,"EventID":"S6W-30490","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-08T14:29:04.393","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-07T12:55:47.413","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendations of Shelter Scotland and Engender's recent joint report,&nbsp;Gender and the Housing Emergency, what action it is taking to provide appro","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendations of Shelter Scotland and Engender's recent joint report,&nbsp;Gender and the Housing Emergency, what action it is taking to provide appropriate, safe housing and accommodation solutions for women who have no recourse to public funds.","AnswerText":"The previous UK Government&rsquo;s No Recourse to Public Funds policy prevents local and national government in Scotland from being able to provide appropriate, safe housing and accommodation solutions for women who have restricted immigration status. It is not acceptable that people, including women are fleeing domestic abuse, face destitution or are forced to remain in unsafe conditions because of their immigration status. Scottish Ministers raised this issue repeatedly with the previous UK Government and will continue to engage with the new UK Government to urge change to these policy conditions.The Scottish Government and COSLA continue to work together to deliver the vision and principles of Ending Destitution Together, to improve access to support and services for people who are subject to UK Government immigration policies, as far as is possible within devolved powers. During 2024-25, the Scottish Government provided &pound;440,000 to Fair Way Scotland to enable the increased capacity of case workers across Scotland, supporting those who are risk of, or experiencing homelessness and destitution. This investment will help people exercise their rights to eligible public funds and access emergency cash support.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424925,"EventID":"S6W-30488","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-08T14:29:04.3","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-07T12:51:31.323","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendations of Shelter Scotland and Engender's recent joint report,&nbsp;Gender and the Housing Emergency, what action it is taking to ensure that h","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendations of Shelter Scotland and Engender's recent joint report,&nbsp;Gender and the Housing Emergency, what action it is taking to ensure that housing officers and front-line services undertake mandatory training on domestic abuse and other forms of violence against women.","AnswerText":"Our code of guidance on homelessness is designed to give the best possible support to frontline practitioners in their work to prevent homelessness. It sets out the importance of staff training for homelessness officers, particularly in the requirements of the homelessness legislation, the code of guidance, anti-discrimination legislation and the relevant local authority's housing and homelessness policies.More recently we have supported the development of a housing options training toolkit. The toolkit is a learning and development resource platform for housing officers and frontline staff to aid them in providing housing options advice, including to people experiencing domestic abuse.Additionally, as part of the homelessness prevention duties within the Housing (Scotland) Bill, we will work with stakeholders and delivery partners to identify the training and guidance required to support relevant bodies to meet their new obligations.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424926,"EventID":"S6W-30503","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-08T14:29:03.883","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-08T08:50:45.683","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many blood cancer clinical nurse (a) specialists are currently employed within NHS Scotland and (b) specialist vacancies there currently are, and what its position i","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many blood cancer clinical nurse (a) specialists are currently employed within NHS Scotland and (b) specialist vacancies there currently are, and what its position is on the development of a new blood cancer support role, with a clinical nurse specialist informed job description.","AnswerText":"The information requested on (a) how many blood cancer clinical nurse specialists are currently employed within NHS Scotland and (b) specialist vacancies there currently are, is not centrally collected.The information requested on what the Scottish Governments position is on the development of a new blood cancer support role is that it is for Boards to determine roles and job descriptions to deliver services they feel required to meet their local population needs.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424927,"EventID":"S6W-30495","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-08T14:29:03.907","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-07T13:26:30.127","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what planning guidance it issues in relation to the proximity of large-scale solar farms to housing.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what planning guidance it issues in relation to the proximity of large-scale solar farms to housing.","AnswerText":"Scotland&rsquo;s fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) states that, when considering development proposals for renewable energy generation, potential impacts on communities, nature and other receptors will be important considerations in the decision-making process. NPF4 Policy 11 requires project design and mitigation to demonstrate how impacts on communities and individual dwellings, including residential amenity, will be addressed. All applications are subject to site specific assessments.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424928,"EventID":"S6W-30273","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-08T14:29:04.223","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-30T09:43:13.81","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to limit free bus travel for any young people who abuse it for the purposes of engaging in shoplifting and other forms of antisocial behaviour.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to limit free bus travel for any young people who abuse it for the purposes of engaging in shoplifting and other forms of antisocial behaviour.","AnswerText":"The vast majority of passengers travelling under the National Concessionary Travel Schemes behave appropriately. However, there is a minority of people, of all ages, who abuse their entitlement, including to commit offences, and which can result in serious harm to bus employees and passengers. That is simply not acceptable.Bus operators can already restrict access to their services in line with their own conditions of carriage and Transport Scotland is working with operators and other stakeholders to develop further sanctions and preventative measures including temporary suspension of concessionary cards, although this does have some complexities.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424929,"EventID":"S6W-30502","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-08T14:29:04.17","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-08T08:50:45.677","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans NHS Scotland has to (a) undertake modelling of the blood cancer care workforce and (b) develop national standards for staffing and facilities.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans NHS Scotland has to (a) undertake modelling of the blood cancer care workforce and (b) develop national standards for staffing and facilities.","AnswerText":"NHS Scotland health care workers supporting those with blood cancer are from a wide range of professions, often supporting patients with other conditions too. There are no plans to model a blood cancer care workforce specifically.National standards for staffing and facilities providing services are set by guidance such as the Staff Governance Standard. This applies to all staff employed by NHS Scotland Boards. It provides a system of accountability for the fair and effective management of all staff and requires all NHS Boards to demonstrate that staff are: well informed; appropriately trained and developed; involved in decisions; treated fairly and consistently, with dignity and respect, in an environment where diversity is valued; and, provided with a continuously improving and safe working environment, promoting the health and wellbeing of staff, patients and the wider community.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424930,"EventID":"S6W-30500","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-08T14:29:04.347","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-07T13:41:57.103","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will be designing employability programmes that consciously tackle any occupational segregation, and provide flexible opportunities for women in fair work job","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will be designing employability programmes that consciously tackle any occupational segregation, and provide flexible opportunities for women in fair work jobs.","AnswerText":"No One Left Behind is our national approach to devolved employability services in Scotland. This approach sees a move away from nationally contracted provision to a model which empowers Local Employability Partnerships to lead the design and delivery of services in each Local Authority area.Local Employability Partnerships work with employers, educational institutions and organisations to ensure that participants enter a positive destination which is right for them, at that time. As well as employment; education, training and volunteering are seen as positive destinations for participants, allowing for the development of skills in preparation to enter the labour market.Between April 2019 and June 2024, 30,280 female participants started receiving No One Left Behind support (45% of all participants). Female participants account for the majority of participants in the 25 to 34 age group (56%), the 35 to 49 age group (59%), and the parental cohort (72% of all parents). Additionally, 30% of all female participants entered employment (8,935), 13% entered full time or higher education or training (4,063) and 15% gained a qualification (4,423).We ensure that information and advice on the benefits that flexible working and other fair work practices bring to protected groups and employers are promoted regularly. For example, a recent Fair Work social media campaign covered those benefits including that diverse and inclusive workplaces are more creative, innovative and better at problem-solving.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424931,"EventID":"S6W-30494","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-08T14:29:04.15","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-07T13:05:10.673","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether NHS Scotland plans to undertake modelling of the blood cancer care workforce and develop national standards for staffing and facilities.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether NHS Scotland plans to undertake modelling of the blood cancer care workforce and develop national standards for staffing and facilities.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"NHS Scotland health care workers supporting those with blood cancer are from a wide range of professions, often supporting patients with other conditions too. There are no plans to model a blood cancer care workforce specifically.National standards for staffing and facilities providing services are set by guidance such as the Staff Governance Standard. This applies to all staff employed by NHS Scotland Boards. It provides a system of accountability for the fair and effective management of all staff and requires all NHS Boards to demonstrate that staff are: well informed; appropriately trained and developed; involved in decisions; treated fairly and consistently, with dignity and respect, in an environment where diversity is valued; and, provided with a continuously improving and safe working environment, promoting the health and wellbeing of staff, patients and the wider community.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424932,"EventID":"S6W-30499","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-08T14:29:04.183","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-07T13:39:48.467","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to design targeted skills programmes that will tackle any occupational segregation and move low-paid women into higher-quality and better-paid jobs.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to design targeted skills programmes that will tackle any occupational segregation and move low-paid women into higher-quality and better-paid jobs.","AnswerText":"Consideration of all protected characteristics, including gender, will continue to inform the design and delivery of post school education and skills reform.We will continue to build on our existing work to address barriers for women and girls, including:A range of resources developed by Education Scotland to address gender segregation in subject choices in schools.The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) is working with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to tackle persistent inequalities in the tertiary education sector. Their approach includes for institutions to have regard to significant imbalances on courses and take action to address it.The refreshed Fair Work Action Plan which was published in December 2022 and aims to take an intersectional approach, where possible, to tackling the structural labour market barriers faced by disadvantaged groups in Scotland&rsquo;s labour market including women.The Scottish Apprenticeship Advisory Board (SAAB) created the Gender Commission, who developed recommendations that offer practical solutions to help address the gender imbalance across the Apprenticeship family. The Gender Commission published their report and recommendations, and SG are committed to integrate findings from the Commission into our reform work to ensure they become embedded in the skills system.An initial Equalities Impact Assessment, Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA): Purpose and Principles (www.gov.scot) for the Purpose and Principles for Post-School education, research and skills Post-school education, research and skills - purpose and principles - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) was published on 4 July 2023.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424959,"EventID":"S6W-30527","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":3771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":86,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-09T08:40:24.063","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T08:23:30.14","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress of its Heat in Buildings Strategy.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress of its Heat in Buildings Strategy.","AnswerText":"We have laid before Parliament today the third annual progress report against our Heat in Buildings Strategy and the first report against the Heat in Buildings Monitoring and Evaluation Framework: www.gov.scot/isbn/9781836018100.The report describes significant activity in key areas, including through our delivery schemes, new build regulations, heat networks, the energy efficiency of our homes and steady growth in clean heat installations. This follows our recent consultations on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill, a Social Housing Net Zero Standard and EPC reform, and in relation to which we will confirm next steps shortly.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424961,"EventID":"S6W-30557","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":16175,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":119,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-09T13:41:44.537","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T13:26:16.94","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what progress it is making towards delivering its Fisheries Management Plans.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what progress it is making towards delivering its Fisheries Management Plans.","AnswerText":"Development of the 43 UK Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) is an important element of the UK Fisheries Act (2020) and the 2022 UK Joint Fisheries Statement (JFS). The four UK fisheries policy authorities (UK Government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and DAERA) have been working together and in partnership with stakeholders to develop the FMPs according to the parameters set within the JFS.A significant amount of work has already been completed, however, this work is complex and further stakeholder engagement and consultation is needed. The statutory deadlines therefore need to be amended to ensure the right time and space to develop and deliver robust and effective plans.A consultation paper proposing amendments to Annex A in the JFS, which contains the list of FMPs and the revised timetable for their delivery, has today been published. The consultation will be led by DEFRA and will run for 6 weeks from 10 October to 21 November. The deadline for the Scottish-led FMPs will be moved to the end of 2026.We already have a strong suite of management measures in place to sustainably manage our fisheries and safeguard our fish stocks. FMPs will support further improvements where these are needed and will help deliver increased transparency in the way in which fisheries management takes place across the UK.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424980,"EventID":"S6W-30547","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-09T16:04:19.863","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T13:16:30.947","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to ensure that clinical waste disposal programmes align with the (a) sustainability strategy and (b) net zero targets.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to ensure that clinical waste disposal programmes align with the (a) sustainability strategy and (b) net zero targets.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the NHS Scotland Climate Emergency and Sustainability Strategy 2022-2026 which sets out the Scottish Government&rsquo;s plans to help reduce carbon emissions from clinical waste in NHS Scotland. This publication is available at: .NHS Scotland climate emergency and sustainability strategy: 2022-2026 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).Specifically, the strategy sets out that each Health Board should set appropriate targets for reducing the volume of clinical waste it produces through measures including; greater use of reusable items, improvements to waste segregation and increased recycling of recyclable materials. The Scottish Government will review the need for a national target for clinical waste reduction.In addition, the strategy requires that Health Board waste management officers ensure that arrangements are in place for the safe treatment and disposal of all waste streams. It is the responsibility of Health Boards to manage the NHS clinical waste contract while NHS National Services Scotland&rsquo;s National Procurement and Logistics Service manages the NHS&rsquo;s relationship with the clinical waste contractor.The Scottish Government supports Health Boards with their net zero commitments and monitors progress towards these targets. This information is published through the Annual NHS Scotland Climate Emergency and Sustainability Report - Annual NHS Scotland Climate Emergency &amp; Sustainability Report 2024 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).","AnswerDate":"2024-10-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424981,"EventID":"S6W-30526","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-09T16:04:21.283","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T07:49:54.433","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on theredevelopment of the Institute of Neurological Sciences in Glasgow.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on theredevelopment of the Institute of Neurological Sciences in Glasgow.","AnswerText":"Given the extremely challenging financial position all Health capital projects not already in construction are paused.This pause is subject to a cross-Government review of capital projects. All due consideration will be given to which projects can be included within our revised infrastructure plan to ensure it is affordable and deliverable.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424982,"EventID":"S6W-30523","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-09T16:04:21.073","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T06:10:18.43","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made regarding the potential impact in Scotland of the wholesale objection by Transport Focus to plans by&nbsp;train operating companies to close ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made regarding the potential impact in Scotland of the wholesale objection by Transport Focus to plans by&nbsp;train operating companies to close the majority of their ticket offices in 2023.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government welcomed Transport Focus&rsquo; objection to the Department for Transport&rsquo;s proposals to close the vast majority of its tickets office. It is equally welcome that these draconian proposals were subsequently dropped by the DfT. Unlike this situation, there are no plans to close any ScotRail ticket offices.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":424983,"EventID":"S6W-30520","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-09T16:04:21.357","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T06:10:18.43","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether its permission has been sought by ScotRail to proceed with reducing ticket office opening hours at ScotRail stations.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether its permission has been sought by ScotRail to proceed with reducing ticket office opening hours at ScotRail stations.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30519 on 4 November 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":424984,"EventID":"S6W-30533","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-09T16:04:21.823","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T10:40:02.227","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent action it has taken to reduce the number of non-smokers, particularly young people, taking up vaping.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent action it has taken to reduce the number of non-smokers, particularly young people, taking up vaping.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s Tobacco and Vaping Framework, published in November 2023, committed to taking action to reduce vaping among non-smokers and young people.Alongside the Framework, we launched the Take Hold marketing campaign which successfully increased parents, carers and young people&rsquo;s awareness of the harms and risks of nicotine addiction from vaping. New resources were also launched on Parent Club, NHS Inform and Young Scot on vaping.The Scottish Government is committed to aligning with a four-nation approach towards banning the sale and supply of single-use vapes.In order to align with timescales recently announced by the Welsh and UK governments and provide consistency across the four nations, the Scottish Government will lay legislation to amend the coming into force date in the Scottish regulations banning the sale and supply of these vapes recently passed by the Scottish Parliament from 1 April 2025 to 1 June 2025.We continue to work closely across the four-nations on the development of the UK Tobacco and Vapes Bill to ensure that it reflects Scotland&rsquo;s public health ambitions and remain hopeful this will be reintroduced as soon as possible.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424985,"EventID":"S6W-30535","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-09T16:04:19.86","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T10:57:58.543","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29982 by Jenni Minto on 1 October 2024, whether it will provide details of how it is progressing with rolling out the Family Nurse","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29982 by Jenni Minto on 1 October 2024, whether it will provide details of how it is progressing with rolling out the Family Nurse Partnership programme in (a) island NHS boards and (b) the rest of the NHS Highland area.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has been working with NHS boards to carefully scale up the Family Nurse Partnership (FNP) programme across Scotland, ensuring implementation models are sustainable and delivered with quality.Under this phased rollout of the programme (a) FNP is not yet offered in Island Boards and (b) we are still in the process of scaling up across NHS Highland areas, noting we began delivering the programme in Argyll and Bute earlier this year.We want to ensure every eligible mother can access this support, that is why we are testing a number of options to support delivery in remote and rural contexts. The learning will be used to build a sustainable model that could expand the FNP programme to these areas in the future.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424986,"EventID":"S6W-30518","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-09T16:04:19.863","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-08T16:25:05.78","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30045 by Fiona Hyslop on 4 October 2024, what the (a) value and (b) length of the contract is with (i) naValue GmbH and (ii) Addle","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30045 by Fiona Hyslop on 4 October 2024, what the (a) value and (b) length of the contract is with (i) naValue GmbH and (ii) Addleshaw Goddard.","AnswerText":"The contracts for support services for the Small Vessel Replacement Programme commenced in 2019 and will conclude in 2027. The value of these contracts is commercially confidential.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424987,"EventID":"S6W-30538","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-09T16:04:19.963","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T12:36:32.073","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to recruit a new Chief Entrepreneur.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to recruit a new Chief Entrepreneur.","AnswerText":"Following the recent resignation of Mark Logan from the role of Chief Entrepreneur, Ministers will now take time to consider how the role can be optimised in future.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424988,"EventID":"S6W-30516","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-09T16:04:21.353","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-08T13:37:40.72","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any impact on its energy policy and strategy, what its position is on the reported calls on the UK Government by Scottish Renewables and other trade bodies to","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any impact on its energy policy and strategy, what its position is on the reported calls on the UK Government by Scottish Renewables and other trade bodies to rule out zonal pricing under the Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA), and to instead commit to a Reformed National Market (RNM) programme.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is aware that the introduction of zonal pricing could have a significant impact on all market participants, including industry, communities and consumers. It is therefore important that any such proposal is considered in the round in wider electricity market reform, which considers how we can establish an energy system that ultimately delivers investment, energy security and translates the lower costs of renewables through to consumers.The Scottish Government welcomes the constructive engagement we have had with Ofgem, NG ESO, the UK Government and industry on the reform of electricity markets, however, it is crucial that the UK Government urgently provides clarity on the timetable and direction of travel on this key piece of work.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424989,"EventID":"S6W-30539","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-09T16:04:19.743","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T12:37:57.487","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made any contract extension for the Chief Entrepreneur.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made any contract extension for the Chief Entrepreneur.","AnswerText":"A new contract was provided for the Chief Entrepreneur earlier this year. The procurement notice was published as per our standard procurement processes. There has been no further extension to this contract.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424990,"EventID":"S6W-30545","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-09T16:04:21.14","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T13:04:01.247","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with all local authorities, including Glasgow City Council, to ensure that drug and alcohol support services remain accessible in the evenings.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with all local authorities, including Glasgow City Council, to ensure that drug and alcohol support services remain accessible in the evenings.","AnswerText":"We know that people affected by substance use and their families face ongoing issues relating to out of hours support. The Scottish Drugs Forum (SDF) operate a services directory which has details of drug and alcohol support services across Scotland.As well as local contacts, we support national phone lines that are available for anyone to call. Know the Score operate a phoneline which is open until 9pm during the week and then open 10am until 4pm on weekends. This provides free, confidential support for people experiencing issues with drugs, alcohol or mental health.Scottish Recovery Consortium publish information on recovery communities and local groups which operate during the Christmas period and this is available on their website ahead of Christmas.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424991,"EventID":"S6W-30522","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-09T16:04:21.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T06:10:18.43","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the data used during the 2021 ScotRail ticket office consultation is still  valid and accurate.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the data used during the 2021 ScotRail ticket office consultation is still  valid and accurate.","AnswerText":"ScotRail has adjusted its proposals to take account of feedback from its previous consultation. It&rsquo;s important to note that Ticket Office opening hours haven&rsquo;t changed for 33 years while ticket office sales over that period have reduced from 78% to 14%.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":424992,"EventID":"S6W-30519","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-09T16:04:19.777","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T06:10:18.43","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether any decision to reduce ScotRail ticket office hours would be compatible with its Accessible Travel Framework.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether any decision to reduce ScotRail ticket office hours would be compatible with its Accessible Travel Framework.","AnswerText":"Scottish Rail Holdings (SRH) recently submitted proposals for ScotRail (SRT) to redeploy staff to more passenger focussed duties across the Scottish rail network through changes to ticket office hours, and secured approval to this proposal from Transport Scotland. This acceptance was predicated on conditions that stipulate existing passenger assistance arrangements for disabled passengers will not be affected, and that additional help points are installed at stations where the ticket office is at a different level to the platforms. It should be made clear that these proposals continue to keep ticket offices open for passengers when they are needed and that no members of staff will lose their jobs as a result.SRH and ScotRail have given assurances that reducing the opening hours at some stations will create opportunities for staff to offer enhanced face to face support for passengers, including those with disabilities.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":424993,"EventID":"S6W-30531","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-09T16:04:19.743","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T09:56:21.777","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on the implementation of the strategy set out in the document, Rehabilitation and Recovery: A Once for Scotland Person-Centred Approach to Re","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on the implementation of the strategy set out in the document, Rehabilitation and Recovery: A Once for Scotland Person-Centred Approach to Rehabilitation in a Post-COVID Era, since its publication in June 2022.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has established a National Rehabilitation Network, comprised of rehabilitation leads from each health board or health and social care partnership. Network members lead on supporting the application of the Six Principles of Good Rehabilitation and share best practice where the principles are already in place.The introduction of the Rehabilitation Self-Assessment tool, issued to all 14 health boards in September 2024, will support the evaluation of progress against the Six Principles of Good Rehabilitation to improve rehabilitation services as set out in the Once for Scotland Rehabilitation Approach. The data collected through the self-assessment can be used to demonstrate the impact of rehabilitation services across health and social care services and raise the profile of rehabilitation.Scottish Government reconfirmed the commitment to improving rehabilitation services through joining the World Rehabilitation Alliance (WRA) in May 2023. This global network of stakeholders supports the implementation of the Rehabilitation 2030 Initiative through advocacy activities. Scottish government continue to share approaches and learning internationally.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424994,"EventID":"S6W-30515","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-09T16:04:20.447","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-08T13:20:42.577","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports of damage to the seabed in a Marine Protected Area close to Rum, what its planned timeline is for implementing restrictions on forms of fishing that","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports of damage to the seabed in a Marine Protected Area close to Rum, what its planned timeline is for implementing restrictions on forms of fishing that cause harm in Scotland's inshore Marine Protected Areas.","AnswerText":"Putting in place the remaining fisheries management measures remains a top government priority. We want to achieve this as soon as possible, however developing the evidence based and effective fisheries management measures for over 160 inshore sites is a complex and challenging process.Statutory social, economic and environmental impact assessments are currently being undertaken for inshore MPAs and we will then undertake a public consultation within the current Programme for Government timeframe. Final fisheries management measures will then be implemented as soon as possible once the consultation responses have been analysed and a final decision on the measures taken.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424995,"EventID":"S6W-30528","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-09T16:04:19.813","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T09:11:17.11","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the report,&nbsp;Prostitution and violence against women and girls - Report of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and co","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the report,&nbsp;Prostitution and violence against women and girls - Report of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences, Reem Alsalem, whether it will commit to supporting the Nordic Model in the current parliamentary session, in order to tackle violence against women and girls and any commercial sexual exploitation of prostitution.","AnswerText":"I met with the UN Special Rapporteur earlier this year and we welcome publication of the Report&rsquo;s findings.Our Strategic Approach to challenge and deter demand for prostitution and improve support for those with experience was published in February 2024. It recognises that prostitution cannot be considered in isolation, and sets out the Scottish Government&rsquo;s collective approach, working with stakeholders across the wider public and third sector.In common with the Nordic Model, the Strategy seeks to enable women to safely, and sustainably, exit from prostitution.While we continue work with partners to develop a wider improved support pathway, we are now in a position to make progress with an initial phase of this work. Collaborating with Police Scotland, we will look to challenge demand and improve support for women with experience of commercial sexual exploitation.I met with key stakeholders earlier this month to outline this collaboration, which includes:A secondment from the Scottish Government&rsquo;s Violence against Women and Girls team to ensure that strategic connections to wider relevant Scottish Government initiatives are made.Supporting the further development of Operation Begonia (already operational in Aberdeen) to lead to a national and consistent policing approach.Funding Police Scotland to gather intelligence to understand the full extent of demand for commercial sexual exploitation across Scotland, helping to better reach victims and strengthen the response to tackling perpetratorsThis is a key stage in implementing our Strategic Approach, ensuring that we increase the opportunities for women to access support whilst at the same time ever limiting the opportunities for those carrying out exploitation.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424996,"EventID":"S6W-30534","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-09T16:04:21.293","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T10:57:58.543","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30086 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 1 October 2024, whether it will provide details of the reasons why Funeral Support Payment app","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30086 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 1 October 2024, whether it will provide details of the reasons why Funeral Support Payment applications were rejected in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"Social Security Scotland communicate the reasons why Funeral Support Payment applications are denied to applicants on an individual basis by letter. Applications can be denied if the client is not eligible or provides insufficient evidence to support their Funeral Support Payment application.Social Security Scotland routinely publishes information on Funeral Support Payment including applications received, application outcomes and payments.The latest statistics publication for this benefit can be found at: Social Security Scotland - Funeral Support Payment Statistics.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424997,"EventID":"S6W-30530","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-09T16:04:20.643","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T09:56:21.777","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support has been made available to (a) NHS boards, (b) health and social care partnerships and (c) other bodies involved in delivering rehabilitation services, to e","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support has been made available to (a) NHS boards, (b) health and social care partnerships and (c) other bodies involved in delivering rehabilitation services, to ensure the successful implementation of the strategy set out in the document, Rehabilitation and Recovery: A Once for Scotland Person-Centred Approach to Rehabilitation in a Post-COVID Era.","AnswerText":"To support practitioners in applying the Six Principles of Good Rehabilitation, Scottish Government has developed a self-assessment tool in partnership with the National Rehabilitation Network. This tool was issued to all 14 health boards in September 2024, to be used as a local benchmarking assessment in line with local rehabilitation strategies, for monitoring and evaluation purposes as well as improvements in patients care.The data collected through the self-assessment will be used to demonstrate the impact of rehabilitation services across health and social care services.Since the strategy was published Scottish Government has also awarded funding to support the delivery of the Once for Scotland Approach. This includes &pound;526,650 to the Care Inspectorate to enable them to scale up their Care About Physical Activity Programme and &pound;250,000 to Thistle Foundation to support rehabilitation teams to adopt person-centred rehabilitation.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":424998,"EventID":"S6W-30524","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-09T16:04:20.843","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T06:10:18.43","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has ruled out reducing any ScotRail ticket office opening hours in line with the proposed changes that were consulted on in 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has ruled out reducing any ScotRail ticket office opening hours in line with the proposed changes that were consulted on in 2021.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30519 on 4 November 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":424999,"EventID":"S6W-30532","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-09T16:04:21.29","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T10:31:58.603","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has examined the reasons for the steady decrease in the funds held for colleges in arm's-length foundations over the last decade, from &pound;99 million in 20","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has examined the reasons for the steady decrease in the funds held for colleges in arm's-length foundations over the last decade, from &pound;99 million in 2014 when they were first established to an estimated &pound;9 million by the end of 2024.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not conducted any specific analysis of the college sector&rsquo;s use of their arm's-length foundations (ALFs), however, the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) maintains an overview. Colleges are only permitted to donate commercially generated surpluses to ALFs, so donations will partly be dependent on colleges&rsquo; ability to raise commercial revenue.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425000,"EventID":"S6W-30536","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-09T16:04:20.373","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T11:01:11.337","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to (a) raise awareness of the concept of &ldquo;digital legacies&rdquo; and (b) encourage people to make provision for their digital accounts an","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to (a) raise awareness of the concept of &ldquo;digital legacies&rdquo; and (b) encourage people to make provision for their digital accounts and assets after they pass away.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not have any plans to raise awareness of digital legacies or to make provision for their digital accounts and assets after they pass away. The Scottish Government encourages all individuals to consider taking professional advice and make a will. Digital assets take many forms and will vary from one individual to another. Solicitors are best placed to offer advice tailored to a person&rsquo;s specific circumstances and the Law Society of Scotland offers training and advice to its members on digital legacies and digital assets.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425001,"EventID":"S6W-30558","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-09T16:04:19.937","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T14:23:02.903","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason Scottish Forestry is reportedly not processing grant applications for grey squirrel control, and whether it will provide an update on its position on the","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason Scottish Forestry is reportedly not processing grant applications for grey squirrel control, and whether it will provide an update on its position on the value of this scheme.","AnswerText":"Scottish Forestry is reviewing its approach to assessing Forestry Grant Scheme applications for grey squirrel control. This has been necessary because the Saving Scotland&rsquo;s Red Squirrel project is no longer able to provide assistance with the assessment of grant applications. This process will be concluded shortly and we hope to be able to continue the processing of grant applications. An evaluation of the effectiveness of the FGS grey squirrel control grant has been undertaken will be shared as part of an overall FGS evaluation report when finalised.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425002,"EventID":"S6W-30514","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-09T16:04:20.4","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-08T11:44:24.517","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in each of the last five years, how many students who received funding to undertake paramedic courses in Scotland subsequently found employment in order to complete the","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in each of the last five years, how many students who received funding to undertake paramedic courses in Scotland subsequently found employment in order to complete their one-year newly qualified paramedic programme in (a) Scotland and (b) England or Wales.","AnswerText":"This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425003,"EventID":"S6W-30529","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-09T16:04:19.87","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T09:29:19.227","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it plans to allocate towards third sector organisations dealing with domestic abuse in the next funding round, broken down by organisation.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it plans to allocate towards third sector organisations dealing with domestic abuse in the next funding round, broken down by organisation.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"Decisions on future funding for third sector organisations dealing with domestic abuse will be confirmed on completion of the budget process later this year.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425004,"EventID":"S6W-30517","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-09T16:04:21.143","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-08T13:53:59.303","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether its review of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 has concluded, and when it will be published.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether its review of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 has concluded, and when it will be published.","AnswerText":"The review of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 is nearing completion and three Findings Reports will be published in December 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425005,"EventID":"S6W-30525","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-09T16:04:21.15","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T06:10:18.43","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the equalities impact assessment for the proposed reductions in ScotRail ticket office opening hours that were consulted on in 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the equalities impact assessment for the proposed reductions in ScotRail ticket office opening hours that were consulted on in 2021.","AnswerText":"It is the Scottish Government&rsquo;s understanding that ScotRail has adjusted its proposals to take account of feedback from its previous consultation, including consideration of equalities impact assessments. This is an operational matter for ScotRail as the train operating company and the Member may wish to contact ScotRail directly.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":425006,"EventID":"S6W-30521","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-09T16:04:21.87","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T06:10:18.43","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with ScotRail regarding any changes to ticket office opening hours.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with ScotRail regarding any changes to ticket office opening hours.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30519 on 4 November 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":425007,"EventID":"S6W-30537","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-09T16:04:19.747","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T12:35:14.973","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the effectiveness of the Chief Entrepreneur.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the effectiveness of the Chief Entrepreneur.","AnswerText":"The Chief Entrepreneur has been fundamental to the development of some of our most ambitious economic policies, including but not limited to: the building of a new policy agenda embodied by the Scottish Tech Ecosystem Review; the Entrepreneurial Campus Blueprint report to enhance the economic impact of our universities and colleges, and promote the teaching of Computer Science in schools; the Pathways report to increase women&rsquo;s participation in entrepreneurship; and the delivery of Techscaler, a programme central to our ambitions to create one of the finest state-funded entrepreneurial systems in the world dedicated to the creation of high-growth businesses.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425008,"EventID":"S6W-30546","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-09T16:04:19.87","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T13:16:30.943","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to build a high-temperature incineration plant in Scotland for the incineration of clinical waste.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to build a high-temperature incineration plant in Scotland for the incineration of clinical waste.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government currently has no plans to build a high temperature incineration plant in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425009,"EventID":"S6W-30541","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-09T16:04:21.83","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T13:04:01.247","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address any ongoing stigma around accessing support for individuals experiencing drug and/or alcohol addiction.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address any ongoing stigma around accessing support for individuals experiencing drug and/or alcohol addiction.","AnswerText":"The Stigma Action Plan was published on 12 January 2023 as part of the Cross Government response to the Drug Deaths Taskforce. As part of this, a &ldquo;Design Team&rdquo; made up of people with lived and living experience are currently exploring what concrete future actions should be taken to minimize the impact of stigma for people who are experiencing problems with their drug or alcohol use.A number of existing initiatives are already working to reduce the stigma people who use drugs and their families experience. For instance, the Charter of Rights, to be launched on December 11th this year will articulate the Right to Health for this community, a Mental Health Protocol, delivered by Health Improvement Scotland addresses the barriers to accessing co-existing mental health and substance use problems, and an initiative named Humanising Health Care is working with medical students, providing opportunities for them to meet and speak to people in recovery to learn about the human costs of drug and alcohol problems.We have been working closely with a range of stakeholders to make sure that children, young people and families affected by harms of alcohol or drug use are supported in their own right, as well as being involved in their loved one&rsquo;s treatment and recovery without having to suffer the shame of stigma which we knows drives people away from support.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425010,"EventID":"S6W-30590","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":2615,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":143,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-10T08:10:10.217","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-10T08:07:21.12","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress of the UEFA Euro 2028 commercial rights protection legislation.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress of the UEFA Euro 2028 commercial rights protection legislation.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has today published the UEFA EURO 2028 commercial rights protection consultation analysis (https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781836018759) and Scottish Government response (https://consult.gov.scot/culture-tourism-and-major-events/euro-2028-commercial-rights-protection).The analysis summarises the feedback received during the consultation. This will inform the development of legislation to deliver our Programme for Government commitment on meeting UEFA's requirements for hosting EURO 2028 matches in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425011,"EventID":"S6W-30593","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":3129,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":83,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-10T08:50:19.877","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-10T08:42:48.397","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can confirm what the full cost and impact of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships has been.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can confirm what the full cost and impact of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships has been.","AnswerText":"From 3 to 13 August 2023, Scotland proudly hosted the inaugural UCI Cycling World Championships &ndash; the biggest cycling event ever. This historic and innovative event brought together 13 existing UCI World Championships to create a new &lsquo;mega event&rsquo; that will be held every four years in the year preceding the Olympics.More than 7,000 elite and amateur athletes from 131 countries competed, with 220 World Championship titles awarded. Around 1 million visitors attended the Championships, over a third of whom came from outside Scotland, with people travelling from five continents.The event was a significant success for Scotland, economically and reputationally. It brought total GVA for Scotland of &pound;205 million, with &pound;129 million in total GVA for Glasgow. The total visitor spend in Scotland was &pound;220 million. The Championships enjoyed significant international coverage, resulting in a global media equivalency value of &pound;330 million for Scotland.The Scottish Government was a Principal Funder for the Championships, alongside Glasgow City Council, UK Sport and British Cycling. The original budget for the event was &pound;50 million, set in 2018. However, while significant efforts were made to bear down on costs throughout the project, the impact of Covid and inflationary pressures meant it was not possible to deliver the high-quality product required in the legal agreement with the UCI, the event rights holder, within the budget envelope. I can therefore confirm that the full cost of the Championships was &pound;61.4 million. There is a small caveat to this figure which is still subject to final project closure and final company accounts being prepared and submitted, but there is no expectation that this will have a material impact on the overall figure.The breakdown of costs is as follows:AreaCostCommercial&pound;2.5 millionGovernance and Business Services&pound;14.7 millionMarketing and Communications&pound;1.9 millionOperations&pound;7.3 millionPolicy&pound;0.1 millionSport&pound;27.1 millionWorkforce&pound;7.7 millionThe Scottish Government&rsquo;s original forecast funding contribution for the event was &pound;30 million, however the final figure, in part due to inflation, is &pound;39.2 million. We are clear that the significant direct economic and long-term reputational benefits are such that hosting the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships provided a very positive return for this investment.Our successful delivery in Glasgow and across Scotland in August 2023 leaves a fantastic blueprint for the next iteration of the Cycling World Championships in France in 2027, and for future major events in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425012,"EventID":"S6W-30548","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-10T15:04:09.97","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T13:16:30.95","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether allowing the trucking of clinical waste to disposal plants in England and Wales, reportedly amounting to an estimated 25,000 tonnes of wa","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether allowing the trucking of clinical waste to disposal plants in England and Wales, reportedly amounting to an estimated 25,000 tonnes of waste travelling in 2,500 lorry journeys and over a distance of one million miles, aligns with its (a) sustainability strategy and (b) net zero targets.","AnswerText":"Management of the NHS clinical waste contract is a matter for Health Boards, and management of the NHS&rsquo;s relationship with the clinical waste contractor is a matter for NHS National Services Scotland&rsquo;s National Procurement and Logistics Service. According to information published by NHS National Services Scotland, around 3000 to 4000 tonnes of clinical waste were shipped to England / Wales annually between 2018-19 and 2021-22. This publication is available at: https://www.nss.nhs.scot/publications/foi-000270-clinical-medical-waste-shipped-to-england-and-europe/foi-000270-clinical-medical-waste-shipped-to-england-and-europe-html/In 2023/24, Health Boards reported 7,833 tonnes of CO2 equivalent (tCO2e) of greenhouse gas emissions from waste disposal (both general and clinical waste). This made up 1.4% of total NHS reported emissions. This information is published through the Annual NHS Scotland Climate Emergency and Sustainability Report - Annual NHS Scotland Climate Emergency &amp; Sustainability Report 2024 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)The NHS Scotland Climate Emergency and Sustainability Strategy 2022-2026 sets out the Scottish Government&rsquo;s plans to help reduce carbon emissions from clinical waste in NHS Scotland. This publication is available at: NHS Scotland climate emergency and sustainability strategy: 2022-2026 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)Specifically, the strategy sets out that each Health Board should set appropriate targets for reducing the volume of clinical waste it produces through measures including; greater use of reusable items, improvements to waste segregation and increased recycling of recyclable materials. The Scottish Government will review the need for a national target for clinical waste reduction.In addition, the strategy requires that Health Board waste management officers ensure that arrangements are in place for the safe treatment and disposal of all waste streams. The Scottish Government supports Health Boards with their net zero commitments and monitors progress towards these targets.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425013,"EventID":"S6W-30603","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-10T15:04:11.33","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-10T12:04:12.93","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there are any plans for testing for blood borne viruses, such as HIV and hepatitis C, to be incorporated into the support provided at the safer drug consumption ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there are any plans for testing for blood borne viruses, such as HIV and hepatitis C, to be incorporated into the support provided at the safer drug consumption pilot in Glasgow.","AnswerText":"Yes, everyone who accesses the safer drug consumption service will be offered Dry Blood Spot Testing (DBST) via the nursing staff and health care support workers. Sexual health nurses are integrated into the wider Hunter Street services and will support any positive test results and follow up treatment.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425014,"EventID":"S6W-30554","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-10T15:04:09.823","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T13:16:30.963","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether Hassockrigg Ecopark in Shotts is lying dormant with no licence to operate.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether Hassockrigg Ecopark in Shotts is lying dormant with no licence to operate.","AnswerText":"Hassockrigg Ecopark is currently not operating as a waste processing plant. NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) are carrying out essential works on the site to allow the site to operate as an NHS Scotland waste resilience plant. The site has a license and NSS are currently in a process of application for the license to be transferred under the control of NSS.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425015,"EventID":"S6W-30613","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-10T15:04:09.73","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-10T14:15:00.46","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve secondary breast cancer data collection as part of its Cancer Action Plan for Scotland 2023-2026.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve secondary breast cancer data collection as part of its Cancer Action Plan for Scotland 2023-2026.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is working with Public Health Scotland to review options in relation to collecting data on secondary breast cancer in Scotland. This includes consideration of the NHS England audit, data available in Scotland, clinical time required, other cancer data priorities and how it can be used to improve services. We are aiming to agree the best method of data collection by the end of the current Cancer Action Plan in March 2026.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425016,"EventID":"S6W-30484","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-10T15:04:09.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-07T10:26:50.313","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of the current (a) COVID-19 and (b) flu vaccination programme, including in relation to (i) uptake, (ii) age group and (iii) how it is ta","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of the current (a) COVID-19 and (b) flu vaccination programme, including in relation to (i) uptake, (ii) age group and (iii) how it is taking care of any transport issues for those wishing to attend an appointment.","AnswerText":"Openness and transparency of vaccination programmes is essential to building trust with the public and easy access to uptake data is an important aspect of this.Public Health Scotland (PHS) will release the first COVID-19 and Seasonal Flu Vaccination public uptake data on 24 October 2024 via PHS Vaccination Surveillance (shinyapps.io). It will provide uptake for Covid-19, adult flu and child flu, as well as total uptake by Health Board for each of the eligible cohorts (in line with eligibility recommendations from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI)).Uptake data will be updated every Thursday, until December, at which point reporting will move to monthly. The shift to monthly data is because the vast majority of vaccinations will be completed before the festive break and historically the numbers vaccinated in January, February and March are negligible and therefore do not require weekly updates. At a later point in the winter, uptake data broken down by ethnicity, SIMD and urban/rural will also become available.The Scottish Government understands that some members of the public may require support in order to attend a vaccine appointment. The Scottish Government funds the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) for mobile vaccination units to reach remote and rural communities, recognising the challenge some may experience in traveling to clinics. Health Boards have been asked to plan their vaccine clinics with their local communities in mind, making them as accessible as possible. It is for Boards to decide where they deploy the SAS offer within their own area, utilising their own local knowledge and data. Information on local travel support available can be found here.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425017,"EventID":"S6W-30612","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-10T15:04:10.263","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-10T14:15:00.46","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people were living with secondary breast cancer on the last date for which figures are available.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people were living with secondary breast cancer on the last date for which figures are available.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information. We are currently working with Public Health Scotland to review options for a national approach to data collection for secondary breast cancer.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425018,"EventID":"S6W-30556","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-10T15:04:11.447","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T13:16:30.967","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much money has been provided to Tradebe for clinical waste removal in each year since 2019.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much money has been provided to Tradebe for clinical waste removal in each year since 2019.","AnswerText":"This is a matter for NHS National Services Scotland. The information requested is not held centrally.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425019,"EventID":"S6W-30442","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-10T15:04:12.03","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-03T10:17:59.577","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided to (a) Epilepsy Scotland, (b) Epilepsy Connections, (c) Quarriers' non-clinical and non-residential care services, (d) Cerebral Palsy Sc","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided to (a) Epilepsy Scotland, (b) Epilepsy Connections, (c) Quarriers' non-clinical and non-residential care services, (d) Cerebral Palsy Scotland, (e) MS Society Scotland, (f) Parkinson's UK and (g) MND Scotland in each year since 2019.","AnswerText":"The following funding has been given to the identified charities, both directly and indirectly:a) Epilepsy ScotlandYEARDirect SG FundingFunding via Intersectional PartnersTotal FundingJan-Mar 2019&pound;8,000.00&pound;0&pound;8,000.002019 - 2020&pound;0&pound;0&pound;02020 - 2021&pound;42,453.27&pound;2,000&pound;44,453.272021 - 2022&pound;16,960.40&pound;9,990.00&pound;26,950.402022 - 2023&pound;46,902.92&pound;10,000.00&pound;56,902.922023 - 2024&pound;25,923.00&pound;99,917.00&pound;125,840.002024 - 2025&pound;0&pound;92,971.00&pound;92,971.00Total since January 2019&pound;355,117.59(b) Epilepsy ConnectionsYEARDirect SG FundingFunding via Intersectional PartnersTotal FundingJan-Mar 2019&pound;0&pound;0&pound;02019 - 2020&pound;0&pound;0&pound;02020 - 2021&pound;0&pound;0&pound;02021 - 2022&pound;9,987.00&pound;4,222.00&pound;14,209.002022 - 2023&pound;0&pound;0&pound;02023 - 2024&pound;0&pound;0&pound;02024 - 2025&pound;0&pound;0&pound;0Total since January 2019&pound;14,209.00(c) Quarriers' non-clinical and non-residential care servicesYEARDirect SG FundingFunding via Intersectional PartnersTotal FundingJan-Mar 2019&pound;0&pound;9,000.00*&pound;9,000.002019 - 2020&pound;6,152.25&pound;59,452.00&pound;65,604.252020 - 2021&pound;22,914.76&pound;113,774.00&pound;136,688.762021 - 2022&pound;163,214.43&pound;214,483.00&pound;377,697.432022 - 2023&pound;130,939.57&pound;268,007.00&pound;398,946.572023 - 2024&pound;10,909.20&pound;297,102.00&pound;308,011.202024 - 2025&pound;23,203.00&pound;138,929.00&pound;162,132.00Total since January 2019&pound;1,458,080.21*a quarter of an annual payment of &pound;36,000.00 in 2018-2019(d) Cerebral Palsy ScotlandYEARDirect SG FundingFunding via Intersectional PartnersTotal FundingJan-Mar 2019&pound;0&pound;12,500.00*&pound;12,500.002019 - 2020&pound;11,938.50&pound;50,000.00&pound;61,938.502020 - 2021&pound;37,106.50&pound;120,308.00&pound;157,414.502021 - 2022&pound;59,558.50&pound;50,000.00&pound;109,558.502022 - 2023&pound;48,270.50&pound;52,500.00&pound;100,770.502023 - 2024&pound;43,460.00&pound;62,490.00&pound;105,950.002024 - 2025&pound;2,640.00&pound;39,375.00&pound;42,015.00Total since January 2019&pound;590,147.00*a quarter of an annual payment of &pound;50,000.00 in 2018-2019(e) MS Society ScotlandYEARDirect SG FundingFunding via Intersectional PartnersTotal FundingJan-Mar 2019&pound;0&pound;0&pound;02019 - 2020&pound;0&pound;0&pound;02020 - 2021&pound;68,123.00&pound;0&pound;68,123.002021 - 2022&pound;66,513.33&pound;0&pound;66,513.332022 - 2023&pound;33,256.67&pound;0&pound;33,256.672023 - 2024&pound;20,702.00&pound;0&pound;20,702.002024 - 2025&pound;20,702.00&pound;0&pound;20,702.00Total since January 2019&pound;209,297.00(f) Parkinson's UKYEARDirect SG FundingFunding via Intersectional PartnersTotal FundingJan-Mar 2019&pound;0&pound;0&pound;02019 - 2020&pound;75,000.00&pound;0&pound;75,000.002020 - 2021&pound;26,983.00&pound;0&pound;26,983.002021 - 2022&pound;93,402.00&pound;0&pound;93,402.002022 - 2023&pound;60,124.00&pound;0&pound;60,124.002023 - 2024&pound;31,175.00&pound;0&pound;31,175.002024 - 2025&pound;0&pound;0&pound;0Total since January 2019&pound;286,684.00(g) MND ScotlandYEARDirect SG FundingFunding via Intersectional PartnersTotal FundingJan-Mar 2019&pound;0&pound;0&pound;02019 - 2020&pound;11,698.29&pound;0&pound;11,698.292020 - 2021&pound;0&pound;0&pound;02021 - 2022&pound;55,545.01&pound;0&pound;55,545.012022 - 2023&pound;0&pound;0&pound;02023 - 2024&pound;27,950.90&pound;0&pound;27,950.902024 - 2025&pound;0&pound;0&pound;0Total since January 2019&pound;95,194.20","AnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425020,"EventID":"S6W-30595","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-10T15:04:11.76","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-10T09:55:49.407","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it had with Scotland&rsquo;s Improvement Districts regarding the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers pri","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it had with Scotland&rsquo;s Improvement Districts regarding the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers prior to the announcement in the 2024-25 Budget, and what discussions it has had since.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has had a number of exploratory discussions with stakeholders including retailers and public health representative organisations on the possible reintroduction of a non-domestic rates Public Health Supplement on large retailers. However, to date there has been no discussion on this specific matter directly with Scotland&rsquo;s Improvement Districts.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425021,"EventID":"S6W-30551","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-10T15:04:09.743","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T13:16:30.957","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that none of Scotland&rsquo;s \"yellow bag\" clinical waste is currently being processed in Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that none of Scotland&rsquo;s \"yellow bag\" clinical waste is currently being processed in Scotland.","AnswerText":"Yellow Stream Waste, which makes up less than 20% of clinical waste in Scotland, requires High Temperature Incineration (HTI). There are no healthcare waste HTI disposal facilities in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425022,"EventID":"S6W-30587","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-10T15:04:11.437","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T16:38:14.97","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that Health Improvement Scotland will complete its scalability assessment of the 12 Single Point of Contact (SPoC) pilot projects, and whether this a","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that Health Improvement Scotland will complete its scalability assessment of the 12 Single Point of Contact (SPoC) pilot projects, and whether this assessment will be shared publicly.","AnswerText":"A wider review of the Single Point of Contact programme is being led by Healthcare Improvement Scotland and includes a scalability assessment. This commenced in early 2024 and is expected to complete by Spring 2025.The scalability assessment and an implementation toolkit will be publicly available upon completion of the assessment to support the ongoing programme of work.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425023,"EventID":"S6W-30596","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-10T15:04:09.887","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-10T10:42:36.427","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6O-03822 by Angela Constance on 9 October 2024, whether it will provide details of the list of partners involved in intelligence gath","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6O-03822 by Angela Constance on 9 October 2024, whether it will provide details of the list of partners involved in intelligence gathering in relation to food crime.","AnswerText":"Food Standards Scotland (FSS) is the competent authority in Scotland and has a statutory objective to protect the public from risks to health which may arise in connection with the consumption of food. Partnership arrangements for operations will depend on the nature of the investigation.FSS shares information with a range of partner agencies, both nationally and internationally. As advised previously, FSS is a member of the Multi Agency Tasking and Delivery Board (MATDB), chaired by Police Scotland, and comprises a number of law enforcement agencies. The MATDB seeks to maximise the benefit of partnership working by sharing information and pooling resource wherever necessary.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425024,"EventID":"S6W-30597","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-10T15:04:11.393","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-10T10:43:08.813","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can guarantee that no funds will be diverted from other transport projects in order to pay for Winchburgh railway station.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can guarantee that no funds will be diverted from other transport projects in order to pay for Winchburgh railway station.","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland has fully allocated its budget to rail projects which are currently the Scottish Government&rsquo;s priorities.These projects have been subject to review under our Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG).","AnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425025,"EventID":"S6W-30600","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-10T15:04:11.357","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-10T10:43:08.813","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the reasoning was for Transport Scotland's reported decision not to allow West Lothian Council to apply section 75 funding obligations in relation to a new railway ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the reasoning was for Transport Scotland's reported decision not to allow West Lothian Council to apply section 75 funding obligations in relation to a new railway station for Winchburgh in 2012.","AnswerText":"West Lothian Council (WLC) is the Planning Authority, who granted the planning permission in principle for the Winchburgh development in April 2012.As a statutory consultee, Transport Scotland, acting on behalf of Scottish Ministers, provided a response prior to this decision which included reasonings for why it did not support the provision of a station, at that time.The content of the Section 75 Agreement and Decision Notice was decided upon by WLC.Transport Scotland does not have the powers to prevent WLC applying Section 75 developer obligations.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425026,"EventID":"S6W-30552","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-10T15:04:10.127","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T13:16:30.96","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps NHS Scotland took to ensure that Tradebe had sufficient insurance cover in the event of any disruption in the fulfilment of its contract.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps NHS Scotland took to ensure that Tradebe had sufficient insurance cover in the event of any disruption in the fulfilment of its contract.","AnswerText":"This is a matter for NHS National Services Scotland. The information requested is not held centrally.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425027,"EventID":"S6W-30605","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-10T15:04:11.947","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-10T12:18:56.103","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Working Group last met, and when it plans to next meet.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Working Group last met, and when it plans to next meet.","AnswerText":"The Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Working Group&rsquo;s remit was to inform the development of a Student Mental Health Action Plan as set out in our 21-22 Programme for Government. The Action Plan was published in September 2024.We are considering how best to support delivery of the Action Plan, including oversight and support.We will shortly be engaging with the higher and further education sectors and health and other public and third sector organisations to update them on next steps and request their support and participation going forward.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425028,"EventID":"S6W-30544","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-10T15:04:09.72","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T13:04:01.247","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to increase drug support services operating times, in light of the report by The Salvation Army, Breaking the Cycle, which states that 83% of such services ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to increase drug support services operating times, in light of the report by The Salvation Army, Breaking the Cycle, which states that 83% of such services are closed during weekends.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is keen to ensure that local areas provide support at all times and that they assess the needs of people in their areas and work with them to design and deliver services in a way that meets the needs of people impacted by drugs and alcohol.Through our National Mission we are providing around &pound;250 million of investment to support local areas to assess and meet their local needs.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425029,"EventID":"S6W-30601","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-10T15:04:12.15","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-10T11:40:57.567","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of the recommendations of the Independent Review of the Skills Delivery Landscape.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of the recommendations of the Independent Review of the Skills Delivery Landscape.","AnswerText":"Post-School Education and Skills Reform is a 10-year transformation programme developed in light of James Withers&rsquo; Independent Review of the Skills Delivery Landscape, and which will help us to achieve the ambitions set out in the Post-school education, research and skills - purpose and principles - gov.scot (www.gov.scot),This is one of the first and one of the largest programmes of public service reform to get underway, with five main strands of work currently progressing at different stages of development and preparation towards implementation.For instance, we are taking forward legislation to deliver simplification of the funding body landscape as part of the 2024-25 legislative programme and have also commenced work on skills planning across government and with key partners.Change of this magnitude requires careful collaboration with a wide range of delivery partners and will not happen overnight.At my latest appearance at the Education, Children and Young People Committee on 4 September 2024 I reiterated my commitment to continue to update that Committee on progress with post-school reform at the appropriate times. Our programme to reform post-school education and skills is progressing well, and I expect to be providing a further update early in 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425030,"EventID":"S6W-30553","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-10T15:04:11.95","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T13:16:30.96","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it cost NHS Scotland to purchase Hassockrigg Ecopark in Shotts.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it cost NHS Scotland to purchase Hassockrigg Ecopark in Shotts.","AnswerText":"The cost to purchase Hassockrigg Ecopark in Shotts was &pound;4,920,000.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425031,"EventID":"S6W-30598","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-10T15:04:09.457","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-10T10:43:08.813","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its reasoning was for investing &pound;116 million in the Levenmouth Rail Link while not investing in Winchburgh railway station.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its reasoning was for investing &pound;116 million in the Levenmouth Rail Link while not investing in Winchburgh railway station.","AnswerText":"The two schemes are not related.The decision by the then Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity to progress the Levenmouth Rail Link was based on the findings of the Levenmouth Sustainable Transport Study.The study was undertaken in line with Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) and provided robust evidence of a Strategic Business Case (SBC) for the Rail Link. The SBC provided the initial stage of the business case for the Rail Link in accordance with Transport Scotland's guidance on the development of business cases, which then progressed through the subsequent stages of the business case process.The Winchburgh station proposal is developer led. It is for Winchburgh Developments Limited to progress the required business case.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425032,"EventID":"S6W-30599","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-10T15:04:09.537","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-10T10:43:08.813","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of it being approved in principle 12 years ago, for what reason there is reportedly still no completed design specification, business plan or agreed promoter t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of it being approved in principle 12 years ago, for what reason there is reportedly still no completed design specification, business plan or agreed promoter to progress the Winchburgh railway station project.","AnswerText":"The station proposal is a developer led proposal with planning permission in principle granted by the Planning Authority, in this case West Lothian Council. It is for Winchburgh Developments Limited to progress the above items.Transport Scotland, utilising its considerable experience of rail infrastructure construction, is currently supporting West Lothian Council and Winchburgh Developments Limited as they look towards identifying a lead promoter, or promoters, and the development of both the station design and business case process.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425033,"EventID":"S6W-30611","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-10T15:04:09.723","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-10T14:12:45.053","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of the Orkney Ferries Task Force, including a list of all of the occasions when the Task Force has met in 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of the Orkney Ferries Task Force, including a list of all of the occasions when the Task Force has met in 2024.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to the Orkney Ferry Replacement Task Force, which is supporting the Council address its fleet replacement challenges.The Task Force has met twice in 2024, on Thursday 18 April and on Wednesday 2 October and meeting minutes will be published on the Transport Scotland website in due course.Through the work of the Task Force we have confirmed that &pound;3 million additional funding will be allocated to the Council. This funding will support the Council's electric ferry trial, design work for a North Isles ferry and desk top based work on the proposed port upgrades. These are all important steps in the development of a robust business case.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425034,"EventID":"S6W-30586","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-10T15:04:11.437","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T16:37:05.493","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many of the 12 Single Point of Contact (SPoC) pilot projects provide support for people diagnosed with blood cancer, and in which NHS boards any such support is avai","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many of the 12 Single Point of Contact (SPoC) pilot projects provide support for people diagnosed with blood cancer, and in which NHS boards any such support is available.","AnswerText":"Of the 12 Single Point of Contact (SPoC) pilot projects, 4 fully include a service for haemato-oncology patients in NHS Borders, NHS Forth Valley, NHS Highland and NHS Western Isles.Further to this, NHS Grampian and NHS Fife SPoC projects have a navigation team to support patients from point of cancer referral to diagnosis and is able to support those with blood cancer.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425035,"EventID":"S6W-30592","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-10T15:04:11.763","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-10T08:39:43.23","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to ensure that the data provided in its annual and bi-annual homelessness statistics is accurate, in light of reported concerns regarding any undercounting ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to ensure that the data provided in its annual and bi-annual homelessness statistics is accurate, in light of reported concerns regarding any undercounting of breaches of legal duties on the unsuitable accommodation order and duty to provide temporary accommodation.","AnswerText":"Information presented in the annual and bi-annual Homelessness in Scotland publications is based on quarterly homelessness applications and temporary accommodation data provided to the Scottish Government by local authorities.There are rigorous quality assurance processes in place for the data provided by local authorities. Validation checks are in place with summary reports prepared for checking by local authorities. Scottish Government statisticians undertake further in-depth quality assurance on the data and follows up with local authorities to confirm or correct data as necessary prior to publication. This has included enhanced quality assurance on the reporting of breaches of the Unsuitable Accommodation Order (UAO), following on from reporting inconsistencies and inaccuracies that were uncovered due to COVID-19 exceptions that were put in place, and the extension of the UAO (to all households) over the same period.Where specific data issues are brought to the attention of Scottish Government, these are investigated and followed up on with local authorities as necessary. Scottish Government will continue to work with local authorities to ensure the data provided is as accurate as possible for future publications.Further information on the quality assurance of homelessness data collections is available on the homelessness statistics webpages.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425036,"EventID":"S6W-30604","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-10T15:04:10.05","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-10T12:04:12.937","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the delay to the opening of the safer drug consumption pilot in Glasgow is due to the facility failing an initial NHS Scotland Assure inspection and it requiring","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the delay to the opening of the safer drug consumption pilot in Glasgow is due to the facility failing an initial NHS Scotland Assure inspection and it requiring another one, or is due to the building being incomplete and not being inspected yet.","AnswerText":"The building work on the safer drug consumption facility is now complete and the Building Control completion certificate has been processed by Glasgow City Council.We are currently working with our colleagues in the NHS to demonstrate full compliance with the Scottish Healthcare Technical Memoranda (SHTM)&rsquo;s NHS Assure to conclude their oversight that the project, as delivered, meets the brief and relevant design parameters. This includes the bespoke ventilation system to the injection booths, for which no SHTM currently exists and the water supply which includes us connecting into an existing facility.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425037,"EventID":"S6W-30594","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-10T15:04:11.947","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-10T09:55:49.403","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in the 2024-25 Budget, whether it (a) has assessed and (","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in the 2024-25 Budget, whether it (a) has assessed and (b) will assess the potential impact on support for new or renewal ballots for business improvement districts from those firms liable for the new levy.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not assessed the specific impact of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on support for new or renewal ballots for Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) and there are currently no plans to do so. However, the Scottish Government continues to engage with a broad range of stakeholders to understand the impact of Non-Domestic Rates policies and would welcome any contributions from Improvement Districts.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425038,"EventID":"S6W-30602","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-10T15:04:11.603","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-10T11:50:51.99","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many improvement notices relating to mental health wards in Scottish hospitals have been issued by the Health and Safety Executive in each of the last five years, al","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many improvement notices relating to mental health wards in Scottish hospitals have been issued by the Health and Safety Executive in each of the last five years, also broken down by hospital.","AnswerText":"The Health and Safety Executive is a body exercising reserved powers and the information requested is not held centrally. It would be a matter for them to provide the information requested.The quality and safety of mental health estates is an important issue for the Scottish Government. We expect Health Boards across Scotland to place significant emphasis on patient safety and the environments mental health services are delivered from.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425039,"EventID":"S6W-30588","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-10T15:04:11.763","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T16:39:20.657","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS boards about providing recurring funding for the Single Point of Contact (SPoC) pilot projects beyond 2024-25.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS boards about providing recurring funding for the Single Point of Contact (SPoC) pilot projects beyond 2024-25.","AnswerText":"Funding of over &pound;3.5 million was issued between 2021-2024 to support 12 pilot projects across Scotland to deliver a single point of contact (SPoC) to people diagnosed with cancer. A further &pound;1.5 million during financial year 2024-25 has ensured continuity of this programme of work.A scalability assessment, commenced in early 2024 and led by Healthcare Improvement Scotland, will consider how we best support the design and delivery of SPoC services for the future to ensure that all patients with cancer in Scotland benefit from the approach. Each project is actively evaluating their local impact to support this work.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425040,"EventID":"S6W-30542","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-10T15:04:09.733","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T13:04:01.247","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting any vulnerable children who have lost a parent to a drug-relateddeath, in light of The National Drug-Related Deaths Database (Scotland) Report, publ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting any vulnerable children who have lost a parent to a drug-relateddeath, in light of The National Drug-Related Deaths Database (Scotland) Report, published by Public Health Scotland, which indicates that 602 children lost a parent or parental figure as a result of a drug-related deathin 2020.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"A child losing a parent to a drug-related death is a tragedy. We understand that children, young people and families affected by substance use must be supported in their own right. Our framework to improve holistic family support sets out principles of how we will improve support for families affected by drugs and alcohol by taking a whole family approach and using family inclusive practice. The framework is supported by investment totalling &pound;6.5 million per year over the life of the Parliament.In partnership with an expert national working group, we are working with local areas to improve family support and implement family inclusive practice across alcohol and drug services. This, alongside our work to support young people affected by substance use, will support the delivery of The Promise by making significant change in the way services work with families.Additionally, we are investing nearly &pound;4 million to expand the successful Routes model, run by Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs. Routes supports young people with substance use in their families, by helping them meet their own goals and break inter-generational cycles of addiction. With investment from Scottish Government, Routes will be expanded to Falkirk, Aberdeenshire, Renfrewshire, North Lanarkshire, East Lothian and Orkney.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425041,"EventID":"S6W-30589","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-10T15:04:11.917","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-10T06:56:45.76","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to (a) ensure that its (i) directorates and (ii) agencies provide migraine-friendly workspaces, (b) support staff who experience migraines to req","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to (a) ensure that its (i) directorates and (ii) agencies provide migraine-friendly workspaces, (b) support staff who experience migraines to request reasonable adjustments to their working environment and (c) share good practice in supporting staff who experience migraines.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all employees are fully supported and are empowered to carry out their role to their maximum potential. Where staff experience migraines, lighting and desk location can be altered to mitigate symptoms. In addition, the Scottish Government has a dedicated workplace adjustments team who can arrange for more specialist equipment, with input from health and safety colleagues and our external occupational health provider as appropriate.Available support can include anti-glare monitors and coloured overlays to reduce strain from reading documents. Assistive software can be installed to enable staff to dictate work or have documents read to them, potentially reducing eye strain. Staff are also encouraged to take regular micro-breaks to ensure they have time away from laptops or other screens, and to use flexible working to help manage symptoms/triggers. The flexibility provided by hybrid working, where available, can also be helpful.Scottish Government staff can use an employee passport to set out the workplace adjustments needed to support them at work. The passport provides a framework to help discussions with managers and improve understanding of the impact of health conditions, including migraines.Staff from the Scottish Government&rsquo;s workplace adjustments team regularly attend the civil service Workplace Adjustments Network to ensure we share good practise around migraines and other health conditions. Alongside assisting staff experiencing Migraines, the workplace adjustments team will advise line managers and business areas on available adjustments and good practise around this, to ensure staff are fully supported. Peer support and advice can also be found through the Scottish Government&rsquo;s staff networks including the Disabled Staff Network.Please note this information pertains to all core Scottish Government Directorates and associated agencies who receive an HR service from core SG.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425071,"EventID":"S6W-30646","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-11T15:51:11.373","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-11T13:48:40.503","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what processes for monitoring and measuring outcomes it has implemented to gather evidence on the effectiveness of the delivery of its school meal debt fund.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what processes for monitoring and measuring outcomes it has implemented to gather evidence on the effectiveness of the delivery of its school meal debt fund.","AnswerText":"Reporting will be considered as part of the grant award process.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425072,"EventID":"S6W-30624","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-11T15:51:11.387","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-11T11:03:22.547","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to bring forward legislation in relation to any future Commonwealth Games to be held in Scotland and, if so, (a) when and (b) what matters will be cover","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to bring forward legislation in relation to any future Commonwealth Games to be held in Scotland and, if so, (a) when and (b) what matters will be covered.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government will not bring forward any legislation in relation to the 2026 Commonwealth Games.For the 2014 Games, the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2008 Act was passed to support Government Guarantees in relation to street trading, advertising, ticket touting, and transport and provide for the acquisition of land for facilities and the funding of the Organising Committee. However, a key condition of the Scottish Government&rsquo;s support for the 2026 Commonwealth Games is that Scotland will only act within its existing legal framework. This condition has been clearly communicated to both Commonwealth Games Scotland and the Commonwealth Games Federation and is accepted by all parties.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425073,"EventID":"S6W-30608","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2678,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":141,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-11T15:51:11.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-10T13:55:52.493","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it has monitored the performance of (a) NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and (b) all other NHS boards in delivering augmentative and alternative communication (ACC) sup","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it has monitored the performance of (a) NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and (b) all other NHS boards in delivering augmentative and alternative communication (ACC) support to people in the period since&nbsp;the Health (Tobacco, Nicotine etc. and Care) Scotland Act 2016 came into force.","AnswerText":"Since 2018, NHS boards across Scotland have had a legislative duty to provide children and adults who have lost their voice or have difficulty speaking with communication equipment and support, necessary to meet their requirements.To support and monitor the delivery of this duty, a National Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) advisory group with representation from AAC Executive Leads across all NHS boards including NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, was established. Its membership brought together knowledge and influence, as well as specialist expertise to enable best practice to be shared to drive improvement.In February 2020, the Provision of Communication Equipment and Support Progress Report was published, informed by contributions from the National AAC Advisory Group members, local government, people who use AAC and third sector providers. The report set out progress in the implementation of the legislative duty since commencement in 2018, which included:The publication of guidance on the Provision of Communication and Support,The development of a National AAC core pathwayThe development of AAC topic related learning modulesMore information can be found in the report: Provision of Communication Equipment and Support : Part 4 of the Health (Tobacco, Nicotine etc. and Care) (Scotland) Act 2016 (www.gov.scot).","AnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425074,"EventID":"S6W-30643","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-11T15:51:12.023","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-11T13:47:26.867","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which local authorities applied to its school meal debt fund, and how much funding each received.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which local authorities applied to its school meal debt fund, and how much funding each received.","AnswerText":"Consideration is still being given to the bids received by local authorities. We will publish how much funding each local authority received once this has been allocated to them.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425075,"EventID":"S6W-30627","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-11T15:51:11.963","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-11T11:03:22.547","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it issues to local authorities in relation to the application of discretionary reliefs for non-domestic rates.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it issues to local authorities in relation to the application of discretionary reliefs for non-domestic rates.","AnswerText":"Non-domestic rates are administered by local authorities in accordance with the relevant legislation. Under that statutory framework, the award of discretionary reliefs is a matter for individual local authorities. In line with the recommendation from the independent Barclay Review of Non-Domestic Rates to remind councils of the arrangements for reliefs and to provide better public information on reliefs and the legislative framework, the Scottish Government publishes an annual Local Government Finance Circular providing information for each non-domestic rates relief, including discretionary reliefs like Hardship Relief or the discretionary element of Rural Relief.Under section 18 of the Non-Domestic Rates (Scotland) Act 2020, the Scottish Government published statutory guidance in February 2021 on relief awarded under section 4(5)(c) of the Local Government (Financial Provisions etc.) (Scotland) Act 1962 (the discretionary element of what is often known as Sports Club relief).Part 11 of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 allows local authorities to deliver local non-domestic rates relief schemes, including Empty Property Relief. From 2024-25, local authorities will also use these powers to deliver Green Freeports non-domestic rates relief to properties within Green Freeport tax sites, where the property meets the eligibility criteria set out in the non-statutory guidance published in May 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425076,"EventID":"S6W-30634","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3129,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":83,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-11T15:51:11.493","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-11T13:02:44.18","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what stakeholder engagement it has undertaken to progress the delivery of the proposed National Register of Ancient Woodlands.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what stakeholder engagement it has undertaken to progress the delivery of the proposed National Register of Ancient Woodlands.","AnswerText":"NatureScot and Scottish Forestry are currently putting together a project plan to build on the existing Ancient Woodland Inventory to develop the new National Register of Ancient Woodlands. This will help us to determine how best work with land managers and other interested parties in delivering and maintaining the Register. We are committed to working with a broad range of stakeholders in taking this work forward.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425077,"EventID":"S6W-30636","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-11T15:51:11.437","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-11T13:37:22.75","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on government advisory groups in each year since 1999.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on government advisory groups in each year since 1999.","AnswerText":"The following public bodies are currently considered to be government advisory groups, in line with the National Public Bodies Directory:Boundaries ScotlandJudicial Appointments Board for ScotlandMobility and Access Committee for ScotlandNational Smart Ticketing Advisory Board (NSTAB)Poverty and Inequality Commission for ScotlandScottish Advisory Committee on Distinction AwardsScottish Commission on Social SecurityScottish Fuel Poverty Advisory PanelScottish Law CommissionScottish Local Authorities Remuneration CommitteeInformation regarding advisory groups that previously existed is not held centrally, and this response is restricted to those advisory bodies currently in place.Information regarding expenditure for several of these bodies can be found on their own websites:Boundaries Scotlandhttps://boundaries.scot/corporate-documentsJudicial Appointments Boardhttps://www.judicialappointments.scot/publicationsMobility and Access Committee for Scotlandhttps://www.transport.gov.scot/our-approach/accessible-transport/mobility-and-access-committee-for-scotland-macs/#42413Poverty and Inequality Commission for ScotlandThe Poverty and Inequality Commission for Scotland was established from 1 July 2019. Links to their accounts since this date are as follows:2019-20 https://povertyinequality.scot/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Annual-Report-Poverty-and-Inequality-Commission-2019-20.pdf2020-21 https://povertyinequality.scot/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Poverty-and-Inequality-Commission-Annual-Report-2020-21.pdf2021-22 https://povertyinequality.scot/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Annual-Report-Poverty-and-Inequality-Commission-2021-2022.pdf2022-23 https://povertyinequality.scot/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Poverty-and-Inequality-Commission-Annual-Report-2022-23-.pdf2023-24 https://povertyinequality.scot/publication/the-poverty-and-inequality-commission-annual-report-2023-2024/Scottish Commission on Social Security (SCoSS)https://socialsecuritycommission.scot/publications/corporate-documents/Scottish Fuel Poverty Advisory Panelhttps://fuelpovertypanel.scot/our-publications/the-scottish-fuel-poverty-advisory-panel-annual-report/Scottish Law Commissionhttps://www.scotlawcom.gov.uk/publications/annual-report/The National Smart Ticketing Advisory Board was established in November 2023 and had incurred no expenditure up to 31 March 2024.The Scottish Advisory Committee on Distinction Awards was provided Secretariat provision by the Common Services Agency, which is now known as NHS National Services Scotland (NSS). Information on expenditure for this public body is not held centrally.The Scottish Local Authorities Remuneration Committee was reconvened in April 2013 after it had previously been stepped down in 2013. Spend on this committee for the financial year 2023-24 was &pound;90,985. Financial information on spend prior to 2013 is not available due to the age of this data and the changes in the finance system since this date.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425078,"EventID":"S6W-30633","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3129,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":83,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-11T15:51:11.407","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-11T13:02:44.177","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the timescales for the delivery of the proposed National Register of Ancient Woodlands.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the timescales for the delivery of the proposed National Register of Ancient Woodlands.","AnswerText":"NatureScot and Scottish Forestry are currently putting together a project plan to build on the existing Ancient Woodland Inventory to develop the new National Register of Ancient Woodlands. Until this plan is complete, it is not possible to provide an indicative timescale for completion. The new National Register of Ancient Woodlands will be an important element of the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy and Delivery plan, which will be published shortly.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425079,"EventID":"S6W-30623","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-11T15:51:11.967","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-10T16:48:52.597","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many of its employees have been paid a salary of at least (a) &pound;100,000, (b) &pound;150,000 and (c) &pound;200,000 in each financial year since 2000-01.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many of its employees have been paid a salary of at least (a) &pound;100,000, (b) &pound;150,000 and (c) &pound;200,000 in each financial year since 2000-01.","AnswerText":"The pay framework for the Senior Civil Service (SCS) is reserved to the UK Government. The level of the basic pay increase to be applied to SCS staff each year is set by the UK Government in response to recommendations made by the Senior Salaries Review Body, and which the Scottish Government are required to comply with.From 2017 onwards, the Scottish Government has published details of Senior Civil Servants who are paid a salary of over &pound;100,000. The Cabinet Office have also published the salaries of &lsquo;high earners&rsquo;, which are those who are paid a salary of &pound;150,000 and higher, since 2010.Unfortunately, the Scottish Government does not hold any information on senior staff salaries prior to 2009-10, as this information was published by neither Scottish Government nor Cabinet Office. Between 2009-10 and 2012-13, only information on those earning &pound;150k and over is available, based on information published by Cabinet Office. The Scottish Government now has a rigorous publication schedule in place to ensure that senior salaries are published each year.Year&pound;100,000 to &pound;149,999&pound;150,000 to &pound;199,999&pound;200k upwards2009-10NA302010-11NA102011-12NA102012-13NA102013-1411*102014-1513*102015-1615*102016-1714102017-1813102018-1914202019-2031**202020-2138**202021-2238**302022-2352**202023-2476**11*Data marked with an asterisk is historic data that precedes published information, and has been retrieved for the purposes of this PQ. We do not maintain records of data older than what is already provided.**The increase in the number of staff in receipt of a salary of &pound;100,000 or more from 2019-20 onwards reflects the application of annual pay awards which are set by the UK Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425080,"EventID":"S6W-30607","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2678,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":141,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-11T15:51:12.027","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-10T13:55:29.377","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Part 4 of the Health (Tobacco, Nicotine etc. and Care) Scotland Act 2016, whether it can provide more detail on what would be considered as the \"reasonable ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Part 4 of the Health (Tobacco, Nicotine etc. and Care) Scotland Act 2016, whether it can provide more detail on what would be considered as the \"reasonable requirements\" to meet in order to support (a) people who have lost their voice or have difficulty speaking with communication equipment and (b) such people in using this equipment.","AnswerText":"The legislative duty provides flexibility for the development of future communication equipment technology. Through the assessment process health boards should ensure they have justification based on the circumstances of each individual regarding necessity and reasonability, and taking into consideration the needs, views, and choices of each individual, as is the case with other health provision.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425081,"EventID":"S6W-30610","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2678,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":141,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-11T15:51:11.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-10T13:56:38.173","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much NHS funding has been spent on communication equipment to deliver augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) support in each financial year since the Healt","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much NHS funding has been spent on communication equipment to deliver augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) support in each financial year since the Health (Tobacco, Nicotine etc. and Care) Scotland Act 2016 came into force, broken down by NHS board.","AnswerText":"Since 2018, NHS boards across Scotland have had a legislative duty to provide children and adults who have lost their voice or have difficulty speaking with communication equipment and support, necessary to meet their requirements.As such, this information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government as it is for local NHS Boards to determine the levels of funding required for services providing Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), based on local priorities and clinical needs.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425082,"EventID":"S6W-30642","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-11T15:51:11.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-11T13:45:52.477","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding in total has been received by local authorities through its school meal debt fund.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding in total has been received by local authorities through its school meal debt fund.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is currently analysing bids to the School Meal Debt Fund and is following up with local authorities on the information provided. Therefore, no funding has been issued at this time. The funding will be issued as soon as all due diligence processes are complete.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425083,"EventID":"S6W-30609","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2678,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":141,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-11T15:51:11.97","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-10T13:56:14.57","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many staff in NHS Scotland are specifically trained in the use of communication equipment to help people who require augmentative and alternative communication (ACC)","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many staff in NHS Scotland are specifically trained in the use of communication equipment to help people who require augmentative and alternative communication (ACC) support, broken down by NHS board.","AnswerText":"This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.Since 2018, NHS Boards across Scotland have had a legislative duty to provide children and adults who have lost their voice or have difficulty speaking with communication equipment and support, necessary to meet their requirements.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425084,"EventID":"S6W-30632","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3129,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":83,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-11T15:51:11.923","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-11T13:02:44.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to progress its commitment to establishing a National Register of Ancient Woodlands.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to progress its commitment to establishing a National Register of Ancient Woodlands.","AnswerText":"NatureScot and Scottish Forestry are currently putting together a project plan to build on the existing Ancient Woodland Inventory to develop the new National Register of Ancient Woodlands. The new National Register of Ancient Woodlands will be an important element of the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy and Delivery plan, which will be published shortly.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425085,"EventID":"S6W-30644","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-11T15:51:11.997","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-11T13:47:56.737","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what (a) criteria were used and (b) supporting information or evidence was requested from each local authority in order to access its school meal debt fund.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what (a) criteria were used and (b) supporting information or evidence was requested from each local authority in order to access its school meal debt fund.","AnswerText":"Local authorities were asked to consider whether they wished financial support to cancel school meal debt while adhering to guidance produced by COSLA on the issue. Local authorities are expected to use any grant for the purpose of clearing school meal debt and that in accepting the offer of funding, local authorities will agree to adhere to the COSLA Good Practice Principles for School Meal Debt Management in their management of school meal debt going forward. The COSLA Good Practice Principles are available through the following web link: Good-Practice-Principles-for-School-Meal-Debt-Management.pdf (cosla.gov.uk)Local authorities were asked that any bid included details of the amount of school meal debt accrued as of 31 March 2024, as well as the amount that they were seeking to write off. This could include any debt that the local authority has cleared prior to that point.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425086,"EventID":"S6W-30637","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-11T15:51:12.017","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-11T13:37:22.75","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many teachers have been impacted by backdated pay agreements in (a) the current pay year and (b) each of the last five pay years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many teachers have been impacted by backdated pay agreements in (a) the current pay year and (b) each of the last five pay years.","AnswerText":"Teachers in Scotland are directly employed by local authorities, who will have their own local payroll arrangements; therefore provisions relating to the backdated payment of pay awards will differ between authorities. The Scottish Government does not hold data on the number of teachers in Scotland who have received backdated payments, because this data is held locally by Councils as the employer of teachers.On 2 October 2024 the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT) issued a joint circular to local authorities regarding the agreed 4.27% pay increase for teachers, at all points in the SNCT pay scales, to be backdated to 1 August 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425087,"EventID":"S6W-30626","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-11T15:51:11.907","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-11T11:03:22.547","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government (a) how and (b) when it plans to deliver its commitment to allow local authorities to increase council tax rates on second and holiday homes, beyond the current cap of 2","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government (a) how and (b) when it plans to deliver its commitment to allow local authorities to increase council tax rates on second and holiday homes, beyond the current cap of 200%.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government believes that local councils should decide how to achieve the right balance in the use of housing to meet local needs and to support thriving communities. We delivered secondary legislation to enable councils to apply a 100% Council Tax premium to second homes from 1 April 2024.To enable increases beyond the 100% premium would require primary legislation. We are continuing to explore and consider this change, in partnership with COSLA, as part of the Joint Working Group on Sources of Local Government Funding and Council Tax Reform.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425088,"EventID":"S6W-30606","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2678,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":141,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-11T15:51:11.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-10T13:54:54.743","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what specific technology and communication equipment is available in (a) NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and (b) all other NHS boards to provide care to patients who need ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what specific technology and communication equipment is available in (a) NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and (b) all other NHS boards to provide care to patients who need augmentative and alternative communication (ACC) support, and how such support can be accessed.","AnswerText":"Information on the specific technology and communication equipment that is available in NHS boards is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) support is being delivered across Scotland by NHS boards, primarily through speech and language therapy and often in collaboration with Education, Social Work, and the Third Sector, as appropriate to the assessed needs of each individual.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425089,"EventID":"S6W-30625","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-11T15:51:11.967","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-11T11:03:22.547","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government by what date it plans to publish draft regulations in relation to the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 provisions on an infrastructure levy.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government by what date it plans to publish draft regulations in relation to the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 provisions on an infrastructure levy.","AnswerText":"A Discussion Paper on the Infrastructure Levy was published in June and comments were invited until 30 September. We are carefully considering the responses received and will use the feedback to inform how to proceed. An update on next steps will be provided shortly.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425090,"EventID":"S6W-30635","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2678,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":141,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-11T15:51:12.013","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-11T13:35:54.823","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has reviewed what other NHS boards can learn from the pilot initiative in NHS Grampian that is focused on improving training for migraine management and promo","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has reviewed what other NHS boards can learn from the pilot initiative in NHS Grampian that is focused on improving training for migraine management and promoting public awareness of migraine treatment options in community pharmacies, and what steps it is taking to assess the case for continuing this work.","AnswerText":"The Migraine Trust were awarded &pound;85,675 in 2022-23 through the Scottish Government Neurological Care &amp; Support Framework, for work upskilling community, primary and secondary care pharmacists across NHS Grampian to help people with migraine manage their symptoms and treatments more effectively.The Scottish Government funded an additional &pound;135,501 in 2023-24 to further embed this work locally, and to partner with other Health Boards to extend the reach of pharmacists trained and increase care and support for people living with migraine based on the blueprint NHS Grampian approach.We understand that a further six NHS Boards are working towards adopting this model of migraine care in future, including NHS Lanarkshire, NHS Lothian &amp; NHS Tayside who have project teams in place with plans to undertake work with support from the NHS Grampian/Migraine Trust project team.An eLearning programme for NHS Education for Scotland&rsquo;s platform TURAS has been developed through the project. This comprises a suite of training materials available for all pharmacists and pharmacy teams in Scotland to access.The project in Grampian has forged links with Robert Gordon University&rsquo;s School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences with the aim of helping to shape students&rsquo; learning, towards create a sustainable change to the way migraine care is given.We receive regular progress updates from the Migraine Trust and myself visited the project in August. We are discussing options with the Migraine Trust for further adoption of this approach to delivering care for people with migraine.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425091,"EventID":"S6W-30622","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-11T15:51:11.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-10T16:48:52.593","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) permanent and (b) other staff, as defined in its consolidated accounts, it has had in each financial year from 2000-01 to 2023-24, also broken down by portf","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) permanent and (b) other staff, as defined in its consolidated accounts, it has had in each financial year from 2000-01 to 2023-24, also broken down by portfolio.","AnswerText":"The accounts are published and available for download on the Scottish Government website for the financial years 2015-16 to 2023-24:2023-24 (page 89) https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-government-consolidated-accounts-year-ended-31-march-2024/2022-23 (page 109) https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-government-consolidated-accounts-year-ended-31-march-2023/2021-22 (page 100) https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-government-consolidated-accounts-year-ended-31-march-2022/2020-21 (page 95) https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-government-consolidated-accounts-year-ended-31-march-2021/2019-20 (page 63) https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-government-consolidated-accounts-2019-2020/2018-19 (page 55) https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-government-consolidated-accounts-year-ended-31-march-2019/2017-18 (page 44) https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-government-consolidated-accounts-year-ended-31-march-2018/2016-17 (page 41) https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-government-consolidated-accounts-year-ended-31-march-2017/2015-16 (page 46) https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-government-consolidated-accounts-2015-16/The accounts prior to 2015-16 are not published online, with information back to 2004-05 held within Scottish Government electronic records. Years prior to 2004-05 are not held.Tables showing staff numbers by portfolio, in line with the published accounts, for the years 2004-05 to 2014-15 have been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. Number 65408).","AnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425092,"EventID":"S6W-30645","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-11T15:51:11.55","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-11T13:48:11.333","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) children and (b) families had their school meal debt written off as a result of its school meal debt fund, broken down by local authority area.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) children and (b) families had their school meal debt written off as a result of its school meal debt fund, broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information. We are currently analysing bids to the School Meal Debt Fund and following up with local authorities on the information provided.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425093,"EventID":"S6W-30647","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-11T15:51:11.973","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-11T13:48:47.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what processes for monitoring and measuring outcomes local authorities were required to implement to gather evidence on the effectiveness of the delivery of its school m","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what processes for monitoring and measuring outcomes local authorities were required to implement to gather evidence on the effectiveness of the delivery of its school meal debt fund.","AnswerText":"Monitoring will be expected as part of the grant award process. Successful applicants will be informed in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425095,"EventID":"S6W-30652","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-14T15:14:19.963","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-11T15:45:31.913","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which (a) organisations and (b) individuals have been engaged as part of the review of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which (a) organisations and (b) individuals have been engaged as part of the review of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015.","AnswerText":"Work on the review of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 has not yet concluded but is at a final stage. Three Findings Reports will be published in December 2024 which will include details of engagement.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425096,"EventID":"S6W-30651","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-14T15:14:20.147","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-11T14:15:17.837","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what timescale the Scottish Ministers follow for the consideration of all planning applications that they receive.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what timescale the Scottish Ministers follow for the consideration of all planning applications that they receive.","AnswerText":"Scottish Ministers have an initial 28-day period from when an application is notified to them to consider whether to call it in or clear it back to the authority. This can be extended should Ministers require more time to consider the matter. Ministers can also recall an appeal for their own determination and do so in exceptional circumstances.When an application is called in or an appeal recalled, Ministers aim to issue decisions on cases within 2 &ndash; 3 months of receiving the independent Reporter&rsquo;s report from the Planning and Environmental Appeals Division. These are targets, not statutory deadlines, and these timescales can sometimes increase where there are more complex issues involved.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425097,"EventID":"S6W-30658","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-14T15:14:19.887","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-14T11:23:45.02","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it has given to NHS boards on the implementation of the National Headache Pathway.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it has given to NHS boards on the implementation of the National Headache Pathway.","AnswerText":"The National Headache Pathway sets out key principles of best practice headache management. NHS boards have flexibility to implement this in a way that is appropriate to their local circumstances. Representatives from all boards were consulted throughout the pathway&rsquo;s development.A pathway measurement framework is being used by the NHS Scotland Centre for Sustainable Delivery Neurology Speciality Delivery Group, and boards are asked to update quarterly on the implementation of published pathways and provide data, where available, against a number of agreed metrics.NHS Education for Scotland Pharmacy also hosted a webinar in September 2024 to provide guidance to pharmacy staff on the assessment, support and management of people living with migraine in line with the Scottish National Headache Pathway.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":425098,"EventID":"S6W-30648","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-14T15:14:20.047","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-11T13:54:30.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recommendation in the Economy and Fair Work Committee report, Closing the Disability Employment Gap in Scotland, regarding training for teach","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recommendation in the Economy and Fair Work Committee report, Closing the Disability Employment Gap in Scotland, regarding training for teaching staff and careers advisors on the specific needs of disabled and neurodiverse young people.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government will provide a full response to the Committee&rsquo;s report within two months of its publication as consistent with Parliamentary Guidance.The Scottish Government remains committed to an all-age careers information and guidance offer that supports all people, including the specific needs of disabled and neurodiverse young people to progress rewarding careers.In regards to training for teaching staff, we are working closely with local government partners to improve the experience of children and young people with additional support needs at school, implementing the recommendations of the 2020 review of additional support for learning Supporting documents - Additional support for learning: action plan - gov.scot (www.gov.scot). In November 2022, an updated action plan Additional Support for Learning review: action plan - November 2022 update - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) was published alongside a second progress report Additional Support for Learning review action plan: second progress report - gov.scot (www.gov.scot). A further update is due to be published in the coming weeks.Furthermore, Skills Development Scotland (SDS) are developing a new Continuous Professional Development (CDP) framework for careers practitioners with dedicated elements supporting transition support for disabled individuals. SDS also have mandatory internal learning highlighting Equality Responsibilities for all staff.All planning and support for disabled children and young people should be underpinned by &lsquo;Getting it right for every child&rsquo; (GIRFEC) &ndash; Scotland&rsquo;s holistic approach to upholding the rights and wellbeing of our children and young people.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425099,"EventID":"S6W-30650","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-14T15:14:20.15","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-11T14:15:17.837","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the timescale is for ministerial decisions to be made after being provided with a report or recommendation from the Energy Consents Unit.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the timescale is for ministerial decisions to be made after being provided with a report or recommendation from the Energy Consents Unit.","AnswerText":"There is no set timescale for ministerial decisions on energy consents. The consideration to be undertaken by ministers before reaching a determination will depend on the particulars of each application.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425100,"EventID":"S6W-30653","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-14T15:14:19.987","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-11T17:42:20.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the study undertaken by researchers at the University of Dundee's Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science, in collaboration with Scottish","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the study undertaken by researchers at the University of Dundee's Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science, in collaboration with Scottish Prison Service, which found an increase from 1% to 10% in four years of steroid compounds detected within prisons, including  in herbal material and vapes.","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:SPS continue to work collaboratively with its partners and stakeholders to utilise new technologies such as DeDrone, X-ray body scanners and Rapiscan machines, to detect, deter and prevent illicit substances from entering our establishments. We recognise the profound impact that illicit articles entering our prisons have and we will continue to seek prosecution where possible.We do also recognise the continued need to support to those in our care who misuse substances and those who are on their recovery journey.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425101,"EventID":"S6W-30662","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16188,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":82,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-14T15:14:20.04","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-14T12:35:05.373","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the ScotRail peak fares removal pilot ending, what measures it is taking to ensure that ScotRail remains an affordable transport option for students, and wh","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the ScotRail peak fares removal pilot ending, what measures it is taking to ensure that ScotRail remains an affordable transport option for students, and what consideration has been given to implementing a student discount on rail fares to support accessible and sustainable travel for young people.","AnswerText":"The Young Scot National Entitlement Card (NEC), funded by the Scottish Government, offers young people concessionary travel on ScotRail services. This includes a third off most rail fares and 50% off weekly and monthly season tickets. There are no time restrictions on travel when using a Young Scot NEC to purchase a weekly or monthly season ticket.We are also providing over &pound;350m of support through our National Concessionary Travel Schemes (NCTS), allowing free bus travel for young people under 22. With over 3 million journeys every week, these schemes are helping people all across Scotland, including young people, to cut costs for essential, every day and leisure travel, making sustainable travel a more attractive option which will support our net zero ambitions.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425102,"EventID":"S6W-30649","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-14T15:14:20.147","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-11T13:55:09.377","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the evidence received by the Economy and Fair Work Committee, as part of its inquiry on the disability employment gap, which stated that there ar","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the evidence received by the Economy and Fair Work Committee, as part of its inquiry on the disability employment gap, which stated that there are few conversations with disabled young people about getting a job once they leave school because of a perception that employment will not be for them.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government will provide a full response to the Committee&rsquo;s report within two months of its publication as consistent with Parliamentary Guidance.Education authorities have duties under the Additional Support for Learning Act 2004 to identify, provide for and review the additional needs of their pupils.Where a young person needs support from other agencies to transition from school, the authority should work with those agencies, taking into consideration the views of the young person, to establish the support required and ensure it is put in place.Skills Development Scotland&rsquo;s careers advisers work closely with local schools to support young people with additional support needs, including disabled young people and this is captured in their school partnership agreements and close work with guidance and pastoral care to identify the young people who require more intensive support. They also offer support to transition planning and take an individual centred approach.When a young person is expected to leave school the education authority has a duty to request and share information within specific timeframes to help support their transition. This should take place no later than 12 months before the expected leaving date. They must provide information to other agencies no later than six months before a child or young person is expected to leave school. Local authorities are encouraged to prepare for children and young peoples&rsquo; transitions wherever possible in advance of these timeframes.All planning and support for disabled children and young people should be underpinned by &lsquo;Getting it right for every child&rsquo; (GIRFEC) &ndash; Scotland&rsquo;s holistic approach to upholding the rights and wellbeing of our children and young people. Using the GIRFEC approach, practitioners and lead professionals should support a child or young person's wellbeing through transitions by working alongside them and their family, and other practitioners involved in transition planning. They should ensure the views and rights of the young person and family are considered in decisions throughout a transition. Effective transfer of information between services during transitions, in line with information sharing guidance, is also essential to achieving successful outcomes for the child or young person and their family.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425103,"EventID":"S6W-30654","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-14T15:14:19.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-11T17:42:20.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the use of steroid drugs within prisons is reportedly increasing.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the use of steroid drugs within prisons is reportedly increasing.","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:SPS have no specific evidence as to why the use of steroids is reportedly increasing within prisons. However, in collaboration with our Partners at Dundee University, the regular re-calibration of Rapiscan machines does support our ability to identify new substances.We recognise the profound impact that illicit articles entering our prisons and acknowledge the continued need to support to those in our care who misuse substances and those who are on their recovery journey.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425104,"EventID":"S6W-30660","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-14T15:14:19.903","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-14T11:31:18.58","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that public data availability in relation to primary care services is limited because these services are mostly delivered by sub-contractors, what s","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that public data availability in relation to primary care services is limited because these services are mostly delivered by sub-contractors, what steps it would consider taking to facilitate greater data (a) collection and (b) publication in relation to primary care service (i) delivery and (ii) outcomes, in order to enable improved accountability and identification of any potential issues.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is willing to consider any steps that might usefully and proportionately allow us to improve the data collected about primary care services and which could be used to improve those services. Any consideration of steps would be done in collaboration with the representative bodies of our contractor groups.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":425105,"EventID":"S6W-30659","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-14T15:14:20.047","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-14T11:31:18.58","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government by what means and metrics  it assesses its own performance in delivering primary care services.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government by what means and metrics  it assesses its own performance in delivering primary care services.","AnswerText":"Scottish Ministers are responsible for securing the provision of general medical, general dental and general ophthalmic services, and of pharmaceutical services.Health Boards have a duty to provide those services in accordance with regulations.Each set of regulations makes its own requirements of the contractors providing various primary care services. General Medical Services contractors, for example, must respond to undifferentiated presentations; patients who are ill or believe themselves to be ill and require diagnosis. This is necessarily a matter of judgement and the regulations do not set targets or particular goals for GP practices. By comparison, routine dental and ophthalmic examinations take place at intervals set by the Scottish Government in accordance with clinical best practice guidelines.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":425106,"EventID":"S6W-30661","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-14T15:14:20.117","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-14T11:31:18.58","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that Public Health Scotland collects A&amp;E data by more detailed categories than are published, such as by patient triage category, whether it wil","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that Public Health Scotland collects A&amp;E data by more detailed categories than are published, such as by patient triage category, whether it will consider asking Public Health Scotland to expand the details in its regular A&amp;E publications.","AnswerText":"There are no immediate plans to ask Public Health Scotland (PHS) to expand the content within their Accident and Emergency publications.Due to data quality and completeness issues, PHS do not publish information on the full list of data items in the A&amp;E dataset, including patient triage category as it would not provide an accurate national picture or meaningful comparisons between NHS Boards.We continue to work with PHS to ensure that A&amp;E reporting guidance can be applied as consistently as possible across NHS Scotland and publication of data is subject to the necessary data quality and completeness standards being met.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":425117,"EventID":"S6W-30679","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-15T14:56:27.98","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-14T15:20:33.7","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what rate of direct cash return it is expecting from any public investment made in support of attracting private investment into nature recovery.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what rate of direct cash return it is expecting from any public investment made in support of attracting private investment into nature recovery.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government is currently assessing alternative spending models for natural restoration that will seek to encourage greater responsible private investment.Scottish Government has not set an expected rate of direct cash return that may be derived from these models.Scottish Government&rsquo;s approach will focus on maximising the value of public spending to achieve the greatest amount of nature restoration and positive environmental outcomes while ensuring communities benefit from this investment.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425118,"EventID":"S6W-30677","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-15T14:56:28.103","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-14T15:19:53.373","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what target ratio of public to private sector investment it has set when seeking to incentivise private investment in nature recovery, and whether it has established a m","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what target ratio of public to private sector investment it has set when seeking to incentivise private investment in nature recovery, and whether it has established a maximum limit to the proportion that the public purse should pay of any investment.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government is currently assessing alternative spending models for nature restoration that will seek to encourage greater responsible private investment.The Scottish Government has not set a target ratio of public to private investment or established a maximum limit that the public purse should pay of any investment with regards to incentivising nature recovery.Scottish Government&rsquo;s approach will focus on maximising the value of public spending to achieve the greatest amount of nature restoration and positive environmental outcomes while ensuring communities benefit from this investment.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425119,"EventID":"S6W-30678","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-15T14:56:28.047","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-14T15:20:18.683","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what transparency arrangements it proposes in relation to the sources of private finance into natural capital investments that is supported by public spending, to ensure","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what transparency arrangements it proposes in relation to the sources of private finance into natural capital investments that is supported by public spending, to ensure that any such investment can be fully visible and scrutinised against high-integrity principles, and whether it will provide any financial support to private investment that comes from offshore financial arrangements.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&lsquo;s forthcoming Natural Capital Markets Framework will set out the actions we will take to deliver our market vision for private investment in natural capital, including in relation to transparency and integrity.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425120,"EventID":"S6W-30676","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-15T14:56:28.057","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-14T15:19:34.153","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25949 by Mairi McAllan on 13 March 2024, whether it has now assessed potential public expenditure or contingent liability implicat","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25949 by Mairi McAllan on 13 March 2024, whether it has now assessed potential public expenditure or contingent liability implications for its Budget to de-risk or otherwise sufficiently underwrite private investment in nature recovery, as part of contributing to reducing carbon in the atmosphere.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government is currently assessing alternative spending models for natural restoration that will seek to encourage greater responsible private investment while maximising the value of public spending.Assessment of the public expenditure or contingent liability implications of these models is ongoing.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425121,"EventID":"S6W-30687","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-15T14:56:27.987","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-15T12:11:29.09","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people have (a) applied for and (b) received the Paramedic, Nursing and Midwifery Student Bursary in each of the last five academic years, also broken down by t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people have (a) applied for and (b) received the Paramedic, Nursing and Midwifery Student Bursary in each of the last five academic years, also broken down by type of course.","AnswerText":"Eligible Scottish pre-registration nursing, midwifery and paramedic science students receive funding through the Paramedic, Nursing and Midwifery Student Bursary Scheme (PNMSB) which is administered by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS).Eligibility for support depends on three conditions:that the course is eligible;that the individual has not had previous PNMSB funding; andthat they meet the residence requirements.Bursaries are for eligible students attending courses which:lead to registration on the Professional Register maintained by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), which may include degree, honours and masters levels; orlead to the award of a BSc Paramedic Science; andare partly or wholly funded by the Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorates (SGHSCD).&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Paramedic, Nursing and Midwifery Student Bursary Applicants and Recipients by Course, 2019-20 to 2023-24&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2019-202020-212021-2212022-232023-24&nbsp;AppliedReceivedAppliedReceivedAppliedReceivedAppliedReceivedAppliedReceived&nbsp;BSc Nursing27,8157,5208,0857,8758,8908,5259,0408,5708,3458,015&nbsp;BSc Nursing Studies1,0801,0052,0802,0602,2402,1452,2352,1152,2752,165&nbsp;BSc Midwifery570550650635690670740715680660&nbsp;BSc Paramedic Practice----160150215200205200&nbsp;BSc Paramedic Science----535515750710815790&nbsp;MSc Nursing2275260255245235215220210260240&nbsp;MSc Nursing Studies1515554540352525--&nbsp;MSc Midwifery8575110105120115135130135130&nbsp;Other31601503535cc----&nbsp;Total10,0009,57511,27011,00012,91512,38513,35512,67512,72512,195&nbsp;Source: SAAS&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Note: Figures relating to student numbers have been rounded to the nearest 5 to mitigate the risk of individuals being identified. Totals may not equal the sum of the parts.c - value suppressed to protect against the risk of disclosure of personal information&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1 from 2021-22 the existing NMSB scheme incorporated those undertaking Paramedic courses&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2 Nursing degree courses include those taking a BSc/MSc in adult, child, learning disability and mental health nursing as well as those taking a dual registration qualification.3 Other includes those undertaking pre-registration courses and conversion courses.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425122,"EventID":"S6W-30686","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-15T14:56:28.03","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-15T11:29:30.903","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made towards completing the partial electrification of the Fife Circle, in light of its final completion being due by December 2025.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made towards completing the partial electrification of the Fife Circle, in light of its final completion being due by December 2025.","AnswerText":"As reported in the Infrastructure Investment Plan 2021-22 to 2025-26, Major capital projects progress update (December 2023), I can advise that a refresh of the Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan is underway. Timescales for this project will be updated in the light of current affordability constraints as part of the wider programme and the rolling stock procurement exercise.Meanwhile, progress with development work for this project continues and I am pleased to confirm that a contract to provide a new electrification Feeder Station at Thornton has been placed with National Grid PLC.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425123,"EventID":"S6W-30681","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-15T14:56:28.007","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-15T10:51:08.883","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many live homeless applications there were in each local authority area on Christmas Day 2023, and how many (a) adults and (b) children these related to.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many live homeless applications there were in each local authority area on Christmas Day 2023, and how many (a) adults and (b) children these related to.","AnswerText":"The following table gives the number of live homeless applications at December 25th 2023 for each local authority, along with the number of adults and children these applications refer to.&nbsp;Live cases at 25 December 2023Number of adultsNumber of childrenAll30,55735,36117,002Aberdeen City707763306Aberdeenshire219255133Angus730820232Argyll &amp; Bute371434166Clackmannanshire318361173Dumfries &amp; Galloway540606217Dundee City813885320East Ayrshire387414188East Dunbartonshire359398216East Lothian842928266East Renfrewshire507657361Edinburgh6,8158,2764,099Eilean Siar10712654Falkirk1,1611,288548Fife1,8472,036686Glasgow City5,8006,9203,988Highland772860359Inverclyde19520163Midlothian727804515Moray19821465North Ayrshire459532185North Lanarkshire874972461Orkney192233125Perth &amp; Kinross14115639Renfrewshire35339289Scottish Borders425533272Shetland9410517South Ayrshire449478216South Lanarkshire1,6501,9001,282Stirling563649355West Dunbartonshire481520224West Lothian1,4611,645782","AnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425149,"EventID":"S6W-30690","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:32.317","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-15T13:44:18.157","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many households it estimates currently have at least one person with a drug addiction.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many households it estimates currently have at least one person with a drug addiction.","AnswerText":"Public Health Scotland published Estimated Prevalence of Opioid Dependence in Scotland 2014/15 to 2019/20 - Estimated Prevalence of Opioid Dependence in Scotland - Publications - Public Health Scotland earlier this year, based on Bayesian analysis of linked healthcare data. However, those estimate do not include problematic use of other substances, nor do they provide information about the living and family circumstances of people experiencing problematic drug use.The Scottish Government also published Child protection - Children's Social Work Statistics Scotland: 2021 to 2022 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) which showed that there were 2,358 new registrations onto the Child Protection Register during 2022 where parental drug misuse or parental substance misuse was identified as a concern at the Case Conference. Similar to the Public Health Scotland source, however, this does not provide a full picture of problematic drug use in households.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425150,"EventID":"S6W-30682","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:32.843","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-15T10:56:36.643","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there is a target timescale for the completion of cladding remediation works  (a) at the 107 pilot entries in the pilot of the Cladding Remediation Programme and","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there is a target timescale for the completion of cladding remediation works  (a) at the 107 pilot entries in the pilot of the Cladding Remediation Programme and (b) on all residential properties affected by dangerous cladding.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has received the report for a Single Building Assessment (SBA) based on the specification published on 21 June 2024 for one of the pilot entries. An invitation to tender has been issued to undertake SBAs based on the specification published on 21 June 2024 for a further twelve of the pilot entries.Pilot works to mitigate or remediate risks have started for five of the pilot entries. Works in this context refers to any action taken to address known cladding-related risks, including Urgent Interim Measures. These numbers relate to known works on a pilot entry only, as developers or other organisations could have carried out works without informing the Scottish Government, and therefore the true numbers may be higher and could increase as further information becomes available.Works to remediate risks have not been completed for any of the pilot entries. Although work on the external wall cladding system has been carried out on one building, a Single Building Assessment carried out to the standard to be specified by Scottish Ministers under section 32 of the Housing (Cladding Remediation)(Scotland) Act 2024 is required to ensure that all works required have been identified and completed ahead of being designated as complete.We are aware that there are potentially a larger number of buildings in Scotland affected by cladding beyond those in the pilot phase. Full remediation of a building is a complex process encompassing, assessment, design, remediation, and assurance, with physical completion of work dependent on the entirety of any remediation design and the commercial capacity to undertake such work.We are continuing to take steps to improve our understanding of the number and nature of these buildings (for example, whether they fall within the scope of the Cladding Remediation Act) and will collaborate with relevant authorities in considering the action required.For many such buildings, taking forward assessment and any remediation required will be a matter for the relevant developer or other responsible body.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425151,"EventID":"S6W-30710","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:34.97","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-16T10:48:03.817","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to address any gaps in the enactment of regulations to restrict the promotion of food and drink products high in fat, salt and sugar.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to address any gaps in the enactment of regulations to restrict the promotion of food and drink products high in fat, salt and sugar.","AnswerText":"The public consultation on the detail of proposed regulations to restrict promotions of food and drink high in fat, sugar or salt closed on 21 May 2024. The consultation paper sought views on proposals for the implementation and enforcement of regulations.Independent analysis of the consultation responses is underway. The feedback received will be used as part of the policy decision-making process, alongside a range of other available information and evidence to help ensure the regulations are proportionate and effective.Legislation to restrict promotions is part of a wide range of action, set out in our Diet and Healthy Weight Delivery Plan, to improve diet and help create a food environment which better supports healthier choices.This includes, amongst other things, ongoing support for the Healthy Living and Reformulation for Health Programmes, both of which are helping to increase the availability of healthier options. We are also working with Public Health Scotland and Food Standard Scotland to implement our Out of Home Action Plan.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425152,"EventID":"S6W-30711","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:36.78","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-16T10:48:03.817","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures are being implemented to make any code of practice for children&rsquo;s food menus mandatory.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures are being implemented to make any code of practice for children&rsquo;s food menus mandatory.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government currently has no plans to make any code of practice (COP) for children&rsquo;s food menus mandatory.The COP is one of 11 key principles set out in the Eating Out, Eating Well (publichealthscotland.scot), currently being developed by Public Health Scotland (PHS) and Food Standards Scotland. The development of the Framework meets a key commitment set out in the Scottish Government&rsquo;s 2021. Diet and healthy weight: out of home action plan - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)The COP currently contains 7 actions detailed in published pilot guidance Code of practice for children&rsquo;s menus: principles, actions, and top tips (publichealthscotland.scot) .Taken together with the rest of the Framework, these are designed to guide and support food businesses in providing healthier options for families with young children when eating out.PHS has just concluded a pilot of the new Framework, including the COP, so its details are still subject to change. We are expecting it to be published in 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425153,"EventID":"S6W-30699","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:36.02","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-16T09:14:44.11","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26790 by Jenni Minto on 2 May 2024, when it will provide an update on Public Health Scotland's development of a national respirato","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26790 by Jenni Minto on 2 May 2024, when it will provide an update on Public Health Scotland's development of a national respiratory audit programme.","AnswerText":"We recognise the importance of having access to meaningful data in relation to improving respiratory services and understanding respiratory care in Scotland. Due to the extremely challenging fiscal position the Scottish Government is facing, we have not been able to progress the development of the national respiratory audit programme this financial year. We aim to do so in the financial year 2025 to 2026.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425154,"EventID":"S6W-30689","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:37.33","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-15T13:44:18.157","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many households it estimates currently have at least one person with an alcohol addiction.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many households it estimates currently have at least one person with an alcohol addiction.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold any data on the number of households that currently have at least one person with an alcohol addiction.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425155,"EventID":"S6W-30725","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:32.407","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-16T10:48:45.057","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met Obesity Action Scotland to discuss childhood obesity.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met Obesity Action Scotland to discuss childhood obesity.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government officials last met Obesity Action Scotland on the 22 October 2024.At the meeting childhood obesity was discussed as part of their on-going work to support the Diet and Healthy Weight Action Plan.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425156,"EventID":"S6W-30680","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:32.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-15T10:17:15.713","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide (a) a breakdown of the cost to partners to kennel XL Bully dogs and (b) the total cost to the public to kennel XL Bully dogs since the ban was an","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide (a) a breakdown of the cost to partners to kennel XL Bully dogs and (b) the total cost to the public to kennel XL Bully dogs since the ban was announced in January 2024.","AnswerText":"The information requested is not held by the Scottish Government. These are operational matters for Police Scotland and local authorities.The Scottish Government has ongoing dialogue with a range of partners regarding implementation of the new safeguards on XL Bully dogs.My officials are continuing to engage with Police Scotland, local authorities, Scottish SPCA and other key dog welfare stakeholders about the impact of enforcing and implementation of the new safeguards, including ongoing consideration of kennelling provision and demand.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425157,"EventID":"S6W-30703","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:33.27","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-16T09:56:34.82","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Scottish Police Federation regarding a 2024-25 pay award for police officers.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Scottish Police Federation regarding a 2024-25 pay award for police officers.","AnswerText":"On 23 May 2024 I met with David Kennedy and David Threadgold from the Scottish Police Federation, as part of my regular meetings with policing partners, where we discussed various topics of interest, including the pay claim for 2024-25.During the discussion it was noted that negotiations on the police officer pay claim would progress through the Police Negotiating Board for Scotland.The Police Negotiating Board for Scotland consists of two sides, the Official Side with representatives from Scottish Ministers; Scottish Police Authority; and the Chief Constable of Police Scotland, and a Staff Side with representatives from Scottish Chief Police Officers Staff Association; Association of Scottish Police Superintendents; and the Scottish Police Federation. Representatives of both sides have engaged regularly to discuss the Staff Side claim, the full Board met on 25 June 2024 and most recently on 31 October 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425158,"EventID":"S6W-30688","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:35.937","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-15T13:44:18.157","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it currently provides to family members, particularly children, who have someone in their family who is addicted to alcohol or drugs.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it currently provides to family members, particularly children, who have someone in their family who is addicted to alcohol or drugs.","AnswerText":"All family members, including children and young people, need support in their own right when their family is affected by substance use.The &lsquo;Whole Family Approach&rsquo;, supported by the &lsquo;Family Inclusive Practice Framework&rsquo;, is being implemented locally to ensure tailored support and access to resources for everyone in need. Local services will receive a &pound;6.5 million investment per year over the life of the Parliament.In addition to this, we provide annual funding to national organisation Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs, which offers free resources, helplines, peer support groups, and counselling specifically designed for families using substances.In 2023, Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs received government funding to expand their &lsquo;Routes&rsquo; initiative nationally for young people impacted by parental substance use.Through the Routes initiative, young people can access counselling services and attend peer support groups to help reduce isolation, as well taking part in group experiences and developing practical skills to increase their chance of a happy and fulfilling future.We are investing nearly &pound;4 million to expand the successful Routes model in to Falkirk, Aberdeenshire, Renfrewshire, North Lanarkshire, East Lothian and Orkney.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425159,"EventID":"S6W-30724","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:36.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-16T10:48:03.817","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the national ambition to halve childhood obesity prevalence to 7% by 2030 is still achievable.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the national ambition to halve childhood obesity prevalence to 7% by 2030 is still achievable.","AnswerText":"Our aim to halve childhood obesity by 2030 and significantly reduce diet related health inequalities is deliberately ambitious.A recent study completed by Nesta Counting the cost of obesity in Scotland | Nesta calculated that, on average across all children living with obesity within the 2-to-15-year age range, a sustained reduction of 65 kcal per day &ndash; the equivalent of one digestive biscuit &ndash; would achieve the desired reduction in obesity from 16.4% (2019 Scottish Health Survey figure) to 7% by 2030.This represents a reduction of 3.0% in the daily calorie consumption of the average child living with obesity in Scotland.However, it is important to note that 65 kcal per day is the weighted average of a range of estimates that vary by children&rsquo;s age and sex, from 19 kcal per day to 142 kcal per day. In practice, a 65 kcal-per-day reduction in excess calories would be excessive for a two-year-old child, but insufficient for a 15-year-old living with obesity.This suggests the ambition is feasible, even if challenging and we remain committed to achieving this aim.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425160,"EventID":"S6W-30708","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:37.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-16T10:48:03.817","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on implementing (a) its 2018 diet and healthy weight delivery plan and (b) the commitments in the plan relating to children.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on implementing (a) its 2018 diet and healthy weight delivery plan and (b) the commitments in the plan relating to children.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government are taking forward a range of actions across five key outcomes: giving children the best start in life; creating a healthier food environment; better access to weight management services; leadership and reducing health inequalities.This includes our continued support for convenience stores to increase the accessibility of fruit and vegetables in more deprived areas, supporting businesses to reformulate their products to make them healthier, and maintaining funding to community food networks, to enable them to increase access to affordable, healthier food to their communities and to promote the health benefits of nutrition and physical activity.Specifically, regarding children, we have updated the Nutritional Requirements for Food and Drink in Schools (Scotland) Regulations, strengthening the provision of balanced and nutritious food to children.Our Scottish Milk and Healthy Snack Scheme promotes good nutrition to support healthy physical and brain development through the provision of healthy drinks and snacks in the earliest years. We have continued provision of free vitamin D to children under three, and pregnant and breastfeeding women.Over the last 6 years, in addition to the core funding provided to Boards to support maternal and infant nutrition, we have invested more than &pound;10 million to promote, protect and support breastfeeding to help give children the best possible start in life. Breastfeeding rates at 6-8 weeks are now at 47%. Infant feeding statistics - Financial year 2022 to 2023 - Infant feeding statistics - Publications - Public Health Scotland the highest they have been since records began.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425161,"EventID":"S6W-30720","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:32.853","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-16T10:48:03.817","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to address any barriers to delivering interventions for (a) pregnant women and (b) young children to maintain a healthy weight.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to address any barriers to delivering interventions for (a) pregnant women and (b) young children to maintain a healthy weight.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not recommend active dieting and weight loss interventions in pregnancy.There is strong evidence that breastfeeding is one of the most important things that a mother can do to give her baby the best nutritional start in life and can also be a means of preventing obesity among infants and young children.The Scottish Government is committed to supporting women to breastfeeding and have demonstrated this by providing additional investment of more than &pound;10m for breastfeeding support services over the past six years, in addition to our core funding to Boards to improve maternal and infant nutrition.Health Boards deliver weight management services in line with Public Health Scotland Standards Weight Management Standards. These standards were introduced in 2019 and aim to ensure a fair and equal approach to the treatment of overweight and obesity for children, young people and adults across weight management services in Scotland.Health boards delivering weight management interventions work to ensure that programmes are tailored to the specific needs of their local populations by conducting robust needs assessments, consulting with local communities and frontline staff, and addressing barriers related to equality, diversity, and inclusion. This includes conducting Equality Impact Assessment to continuously improve service accessibility and effectiveness.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425162,"EventID":"S6W-30695","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:32.327","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-15T14:46:02.99","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered extending modern language provision in primary and secondary schools to include the languages spoken by New Scots pupils and their families, in","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered extending modern language provision in primary and secondary schools to include the languages spoken by New Scots pupils and their families, in line with the recommendations set out in the University of Glasgow-led project, Welcoming Languages, and the principles of the New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government notes the University of Glasgow-led project and report &lsquo;Welcoming Languages&rsquo;, and officials are in contact with researchers from the University to consider the report&rsquo;s findings and to ensure that learning from the project is shared with the education system.The 1+2 Languages policy provides all pupils with an entitlement to learn additional languages from primary 1 (P1). Schools and local authorities make decisions on the specific languages taught based on the needs of their learners and local circumstances.Currently, the first additional language, taught from P1, must be a language that can be taught to national qualification level (i.e. Cantonese, French, Gaelic (Learners), German, Italian, Mandarin, Spanish and Urdu) which includes some of the most spoken community languages in Scotland. The SQA is responsible for establishing and maintaining all national qualifications, and a range of criteria would need to be met before establishing any new language qualifications.The second additional language, taught from Primary 5 (P5), can be any language. The latest survey of local authorities, taken in 2023, showed that some primary schools, supported by Education Scotland and Scotland&rsquo;s National Centre for Languages (SCILT), are already offering a wider range of second additional languages including Polish, Arabic and Ukrainian.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425163,"EventID":"S6W-30698","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:32.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-16T09:14:44.107","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26075 by Jenni Minto on 18 March 2024, what the Scottish Expert Advisory Group (SEAG) has identified as specific challenges and op","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26075 by Jenni Minto on 18 March 2024, what the Scottish Expert Advisory Group (SEAG) has identified as specific challenges and opportunities for a Scottish programme, and whether SEAG is exploring examples of the Lung Health Check programmes in places such as Hull, where the Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is reportedly collaborating with Chiesi Ltd to enable early chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) diagnosis and timely initiation of evidence-based pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions to improve outcomes for participants of the Hull Lung Health Check programme.","AnswerText":"The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) recommendation that the four UK Nations should move towards implementing a programme of targeted lung screening for those between 55-74 with a history of smoking, was based on evidence from the lung health check pilots which continue to inform the Scottish Expert Advisory Group (SEAG) work.The UK NSC established an expert Lung Task Group to oversee modelling work and explore the issues around implementation, which is attended by all four UK nations. In addition, representatives from the SEAG attend both the NHS England Lung Screening Implementation Group and the Welsh equivalent. Representatives from these groups have in turn attended the SEAG, to share learning and develop evidence-based feasibility advice.Officials continue to invest in the University of Edinburgh who have been conducting a research study, LungScot, into targeted lung health checks across four health boards. This important work will help to inform the considerations of the SEAG as work progresses towards a business case which will highlight the challenges and opportunities for a Scottish Programme.Lung cancer remains a national priority, with Scotland's first optimal cancer diagnostic pathway for lung published 12 December 2022. This pathway sets optimal timeframes for each step to enable diagnosis by day twenty one and treatment for most by day forty two. Work continues to develop and share best practice to ensure patients receive faster access to treatment.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425164,"EventID":"S6W-30657","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:33.02","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-14T10:10:36.87","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which licences to trade and permissions could potentially be in the scope of any decision to make eligibility for licences to operate conditional on payment of the real ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which licences to trade and permissions could potentially be in the scope of any decision to make eligibility for licences to operate conditional on payment of the real Living Wage, as set out in its Fair Work Action Plan, and how many licence holders could potentially be affected.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to using all levers at our disposal to extend Fair Work First conditionality with clear standards and minimum requirements to cover all forms of Scottish Government support within the limits of devolved competence.We are currently focussed on implementing fair work conditionality in public sector grants, and the Scottish Government will be undertaking an evaluation of Fair Work First before exploring options to extend conditions to other forms of support such as licencing.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425165,"EventID":"S6W-30683","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:36.313","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-15T10:56:36.643","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, of the 29 Glasgow entries in the pilot phase of the Cladding Remediation Programme, how many entries have had (a) Single Building Assessments carried out, (b) works sta","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, of the 29 Glasgow entries in the pilot phase of the Cladding Remediation Programme, how many entries have had (a) Single Building Assessments carried out, (b) works started to mitigate or remediate risks and (c) remediation works fully completed.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has received the report for a Single Building Assessment (SBA) based on the specification published on 21 June 2024 for one of the pilot entries in Glasgow.An invitation to tender has been issued to undertake SBAs based on the specification published on 21 June 2024 for a further twelve of the pilot entries. Seven of which are in Glasgow and that are SG led. It is expected that these SBAs will be completed by the end of February 2025.Pilot works to mitigate or remediate risks have started for five of the pilot entries. Four of which are in Glasgow. Works in this context refers to any action taken to address known cladding-related risks, including Urgent Interim Measures.These numbers relate to known works on a pilot entry only, as developers or other organisations could have carried out works without informing the Scottish Government, and therefore the true numbers may be higher and could increase as further information becomes available.Works to remediate risks have not been completed following recommendations within SBA Reports for any of the SG led pilot entries.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425166,"EventID":"S6W-30685","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:37.39","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-15T10:56:36.643","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in addition to the 29 Glasgow entries in the pilot phase of the Cladding Remediation Programme, how many further properties it anticipates will be identified as having ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in addition to the 29 Glasgow entries in the pilot phase of the Cladding Remediation Programme, how many further properties it anticipates will be identified as having unsafe cladding in Glasgow, and, if this data is not yet available, what efforts it has made to determine the number of affected properties.","AnswerText":"We have made significant progress in the last few months, including the passage of the Housing (Cladding Remediation) Scotland Bill and publication of the technical specification for the Single Building Assessment (SBA).We will publish the SBA Standards this month which will set out the basis for assessment, remediation, compliance, and assurance in Scotland and commence the Act in January 2024.We are aware that there are potentially a larger number of buildings in Scotland affected by cladding beyond those in the pilot phase.We are continuing to take steps to improve our understanding of the number and nature of these buildings (for example, whether they fall within the scope of the Cladding Remediation Act) and will collaborate with relevant authorities in considering the action required.For many such buildings, taking forward assessment and any remediation required will be a matter for the relevant developer or other responsible body.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425167,"EventID":"S6W-30714","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:35.733","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-16T10:48:03.817","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to address the affordability and availability of unhealthy food and drink products.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to address the affordability and availability of unhealthy food and drink products.","AnswerText":"To improve our food environment and support heathier choices, we are committed to legislate to restrict the promotion of food and drink high in fat, salt or sugar (HFSS) at the point of purchase. The consultation on the detail of proposed regulations closed on 21 May 2024 and independent analysis of the responses is underway. The feedback received will be used as part of the policy decision-making process, alongside a range of other available information and evidence.We support the Healthy Living Programme to help convenience stores offer healthier choices. More than two-thirds of the 2,300 strong Healthy Living Programme membership serves the most deprived areas of the country and ensures access to affordable, healthier food and drink in those communities.We continue to help smaller businesses to reformulate common products to make them healthier. This is playing an important role in improving dietary health by removing hundreds of millions of calories from Scottish food and drink products sold across the country, including deprived areas.This was also discussed as part of the Population Health Framework development roundtables with Public Health and Business stakeholders in September.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425168,"EventID":"S6W-30717","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:36.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-16T10:48:03.817","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures are being taken to improve the early identification of childhood obesity.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures are being taken to improve the early identification of childhood obesity.","AnswerText":"Effective approaches to preventing childhood obesity are focused on population-level measures, and therefore it is important that we can track progress on child healthy weight across our communities.The universal health visiting pathway includes growth assessment of all children at several points across early childhood and supports interventions that promote healthy growth.Public Health Scotland and Scottish Directors of Public Health established a short life working group, including expertise from local boards and PHS, to consider the Primary 1 BMI surveillance https://publichealthscotland.scot/population-health/early-years-and-young-people/child-health-data-and-intelligence/child-weight-and-growth/routine-health-review/ model and to catalyse work to improve P1 measurement data usability and coverage.Robust data is really important not only to exhibit the effectiveness of our policies but to inform continuous improvement. We welcome Public Health Scotland and the wider public health system&rsquo;s continued support on the range of data that underpins our policies.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425169,"EventID":"S6W-30709","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:34.08","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-16T10:48:03.817","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to improve the nutritional standards of school meals, beyond the 2020 regulatory interventions.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to improve the nutritional standards of school meals, beyond the 2020 regulatory interventions.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to supporting the health and wellbeing of all children and young people by giving them the best possible start in life.We expect all local authorities to meet their statutory duty to comply with their statutory duty to comply with the Nutritional Requirements for Food and Drink in Schools (Scotland) Regulations 2020, which are based on scientific evidence and dietary advice designed to ensure children and young people are provided with food and drink which contains an appropriate amount of energy and nutrients to support their healthy growth and development. They also ensure there is a limit to the amount of salt, sugar, fat and saturated fat contained within food and drink offered at any time of the school day, including at meal times.We recognise that local authorities, and schools themselves, are best placed to decide upon the content of their school menus at the local level given their understanding of local needs and circumstances. Working in partnership with Education Scotland Health and Nutrition Inspectors, who monitor compliance with the Regulations, we continue to support local authorities as they build upon the work already being done to ensure that school meals meet the highest standards of nutrition, recognising that this is vital to supporting our children and young people&rsquo;s effective learning.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425170,"EventID":"S6W-30715","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:32.33","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-16T10:48:03.817","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what specific interventions it is planning to address the reported higher consumption of sugary soft drinks among children from deprived areas.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what specific interventions it is planning to address the reported higher consumption of sugary soft drinks among children from deprived areas.","AnswerText":"As reported in the Scottish Health Survey Supporting documents - The Scottish Health Survey 2022 &ndash; volume 1: main report - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) there has already been a significant decline in children&rsquo;s consumption of non-diet soft drinks once a day or more, from 38% in 2008-2009 to 16% in 2017-2018, and to 5% in 2021-2022.The Scottish Government recognises that there is much that still needs to be done to further reduce children&rsquo;s sugary soft drinks consumption, especially in low-income areas. We continue to support the UK Government&rsquo;s Soft Drink Industry Levy, recognising the positive impact this has made in reducing sugary soft drinks consumption and incentivising industry reformulation.The Scottish Government is delivering a range of initiatives to further improve the access and affordability of healthier food and drink options, helping children, especially those in deprived areas, to develop healthier nutritional habits that will last them a lifetime. This includes continued support of the Healthy Living Programme, the Nutritional Requirements for Food and Drink in Schools (Scotland) Regulations and the Scottish Milk and Healthy Snack Scheme(SMHSS) Milk and Healthy Snack Scheme - Maternal and child health - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)","AnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425171,"EventID":"S6W-30656","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:36.67","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-14T10:10:16.803","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which rate reliefs could potentially be in the scope of any decision to make eligibility for business rates reliefs conditional on payment of the real Living Wage, as se","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which rate reliefs could potentially be in the scope of any decision to make eligibility for business rates reliefs conditional on payment of the real Living Wage, as set out in its Fair Work Action Plan, and how may relief recipients might be affected.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to using all levers at its disposal to extend Fair Work conditionality with clear standards and minimum requirements to cover all forms of Scottish Government support within the limits of devolved competence and this matter is still being considered.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425172,"EventID":"S6W-30722","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:33.383","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-16T10:48:03.817","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to ensure that the National Good Food Nation Plan effectively addresses (a) child obesity and (b) diet-related health inequalities.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to ensure that the National Good Food Nation Plan effectively addresses (a) child obesity and (b) diet-related health inequalities.","AnswerText":"The first national Good Food Nation Plan represents a fresh approach to food policy and it embeds long-term strategic transformation into decision making at both the national and local levels. The consultation draft of the national Plan set out the six overarching Good Food Nation Outcomes to achieve our ambitions for Scotland&rsquo;s food system. Draft Outcomes 1 and 3 set out the high-level aspirations in relation to health and diet related inequalities:Outcome 1 - Everyone in Scotland eats well with reliable access to safe, nutritious, affordable, sustainable, and age and culturally appropriate food.Outcome 3 - Scotland&rsquo;s food system encourages a physically and mentally healthy population, leading to a reduction in diet-related conditions.These Outcomes will be updated and refined based on the consultation responses received before the draft Plan is laid before Parliament in 2025.Scottish Ministers will need to have regard to the national Good Food Nation Plan when carrying out specified functions in relation to food ensuring a clear, consistent and coherent approach to food policy across policy areas and ministerial portfolios. This approach ensures connections are made between policy areas so that complex issues such as child obesity and diet-related inequalities will be considered in the context of wider food system challenges. As part of this joined up approach the Ministerial Working Group on Food supports cross-Government work to drive progress across portfolios on issues relating to food policy.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425173,"EventID":"S6W-30691","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:32.48","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-15T13:44:18.157","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many children it estimates currently have at least one parent or parental figure with an alcohol addiction.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many children it estimates currently have at least one parent or parental figure with an alcohol addiction.","AnswerText":"Data included in the 2019 Public Health Survey states that, among all children in 2017-2019 combined: 17% were living with at least one parent who exhibited hazardous, harmful drinking behaviour or had a possible alcohol dependence (AUDIT score of 8 or more), 2% were living with at least one parent who exhibited harmful drinking behaviour or who had a possible alcohol dependence (AUDIT score of 16 or more) and 83% did not live in a household with a parent who exhibited hazardous, harmful drinking behaviour or who had a possible alcohol dependence.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425174,"EventID":"S6W-30684","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:33.677","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-15T10:56:36.643","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the complexity of the cladding remediation process for those involved, and what steps it has taken to expedite the delivery of remediation","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the complexity of the cladding remediation process for those involved, and what steps it has taken to expedite the delivery of remediation works.","AnswerText":"We have made significant progress in the last few months, including the passage of the Housing (Cladding Remediation) Scotland Bill and publication of the technical specification for the Single Building Assessment (SBA).We will publish the SBA Standards this month which will set out the basis for assessment, remediation, compliance, and assurance in Scotland and commence the Act in January 2024. Combined with the technical specification this allows Developers to conduct SBAs on buildings they have responsibility for.The Scottish Government has received the report for a Single Building Assessment (SBA) based on the specification published on 21 June 2024 for one of the pilot entries. An invitation to tender has been issued to undertake SBAs based on the specification published on 21 June 2024 for a further twelve of the pilot entries.These numbers relate to known works on a pilot entry only, as developers or other organisations could have carried out works without informing the Scottish Government, and therefore the true numbers may be higher and could increase as further information becomes available.We have also begun engagement with linked developers to agree the hand-over of pilot phase buildings where there is draft Single Building Assessments for them to proceed with refreshed SBA assessments which will set the standard for design and remediation.Full remediation of a building is a complex process encompassing, assessment, design, remediation, and assurance, with physical completion of work dependent on the entirety of any remediation design and the commercial capacity to undertake such work.We are aware that there are potentially a larger number of buildings in Scotland affected by cladding beyond those in the pilot phase.We are continuing to take steps to improve our understanding of the number and nature of these buildings (for example, whether they fall within the scope of the Cladding Remediation Act) and will collaborate with relevant authorities in considering the action required.For many such buildings, taking forward assessment and any remediation required will be a matter for the relevant developer or other responsible body.We recognise the need to better understand the complexities faced by owners and residents in the cladding remediation process. Our intent is to engage directly with these groups to gain insight into the challenges they experience during the assessment and remediation process. By doing so, we aim to ensure that their lived experiences inform our approach, helping us to identify the barriers they face and work towards more effective and timely solutions. This engagement will be crucial in helping us address the full scope of issues involved and ensuring that remediation efforts are responsive to the needs of those most affected.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425175,"EventID":"S6W-30705","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:37.213","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-16T10:48:03.817","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what specific measures are being taken to meet the national ambition of halving childhood obesity prevalence to 7% by 2030, in light of the current rate reportedly being","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what specific measures are being taken to meet the national ambition of halving childhood obesity prevalence to 7% by 2030, in light of the current rate reportedly being 18%.","AnswerText":"Our 2018 Diet and Healthy Weight Delivery Plan, A healthier future: Scotland's diet and healthy weight delivery plan - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) set out ambitious and wide-ranging action to deliver our vision for a Scotland where everyone eats well and has a healthy weight. We are taking forward a range of action across five key outcomes: giving children the best start in life; creating a healthier food environment; better access to weight management services; leadership and reducing health inequalities.This includes our continued support for convenience stores to increase the accessibility of fruit and vegetables in more deprived areas, supporting businesses to reformulate their products to make them healthier, and maintaining funding to community food networks, to enable them to increase access to affordable, healthier food to their communities and to promote the health benefits of nutrition and physical activity.We have updated the Nutritional Requirements for Food and Drink in Schools (Scotland) Regulations strengthening the provision of balanced and nutritious food to children. Our Scottish Milk and Healthy Snack Scheme promotes good nutrition to support healthy physical and brain development through the provision of healthy drinks and snacks in the earliest years.The annual Scottish Health Survey (SHeS) Scottish Health Survey - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) provides key indicators relating to diet, including fruit and vegetable consumption, weight and physical activity, which we use to monitor progress towards our ambitious aim of halving childhood obesity by 2030.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425176,"EventID":"S6W-30693","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:37.11","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-15T13:55:26.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the wait time for urgent neurology referrals at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow is now 50 weeks.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the wait time for urgent neurology referrals at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow is now 50 weeks.","AnswerText":"We know that some people are waiting too long for treatment, and we remain determined to provide the necessary support to drive improvements in waiting times. Across NHS Scotland, patients who require urgent care continue to be prioritised across services.NHS Greater Glasgow &amp; Clyde have confirmed the average waiting time for an urgent neurology new outpatient appointment at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) is currently 20 weeks, however there are a small number of patients whose waiting time will be markedly longer than average due to an upgrade of their status from routine to urgent.The Board have recruited additional consultants to the service which will deliver additional capacity at the QEUH site for general Neurology waits. They have also implemented Patient Focused Booking (PFB) into Neurology services to ensure optimum use of outpatient capacity and additional headache slots are being supported by GPs with special interest (GPSI), helping to free-up the consultant team to focus on general neurology longest waits.More widely, NHS Scotland&rsquo;s Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) has developed a strong clinically-led Specialty Delivery Groups (SDG) for Neurology which promotes multidisciplinary team working, and supports local adoption of service improvement programmes. The Neurology SDG has strong links with the National Advisory Committee for Neurological Conditions and includes third sector representation. The group has made considerable progress implementing Active Clinical Referral Triage (ACRT) pathways and Discharge Patient Initiated Review (PIR), helping to free-up capacity across NHS Scotland and support sustainable solutions for the future.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":425177,"EventID":"S6W-30723","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:35.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-16T10:48:03.817","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to monitor and evaluate the progress of the National Good Food Nation Plan in reducing childhood obesity.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to monitor and evaluate the progress of the National Good Food Nation Plan in reducing childhood obesity.","AnswerText":"The consultation on the draft national Good Food Nation Plan sets out the indicators and other measures that will be used to measure progress towards achieving the six Outcomes set out in the Plan. This included extending the Scottish Government&rsquo;s existing target to halve childhood obesity by 2030 to read: &ldquo;To aim to halve childhood obesity by 2030 and significantly reduce associated diet-related inequalities&rdquo;.The Scottish Government is undertaking work to develop further indicators of progress towards meeting the Outcomes. This work will take account of the responses received to the consultation which suggested indicators that might be used.Once the final version of the Plan is published there is a legislative requirement to report on the progress towards achieving the Outcomes set out in the national Good Food Nation Plan every two years and to review and, if necessary, revise the Plan within five years.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425178,"EventID":"S6W-30718","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:34.68","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-16T10:48:03.817","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to address the reported low levels of physical activity among children in (a) general and (b) deprived areas.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to address the reported low levels of physical activity among children in (a) general and (b) deprived areas.","AnswerText":"In 2022, the Scottish Health Survey reported that the proportion of all children aged 5-15 undertaking at least 60 minutes of activity on average per day in the previous week was 69% (including school-based activities). These levels have been relatively stable since 2019 and are broadly comparable with levels in England.In partnership with COSLA, the Scottish Government published a new Physical Activity for Health Framework on October 2nd 2024. This document provides a framework for action to improve levels of physical activity at both national and local level which is firmly founded on evidence-based international guidance from the World Health Organization and other global partners as to the approach which is needed to deliver sustainable change.There are a range of ways we are ensuring children and young people continue to be physically active, including the following:We are committed to ensuring that all children in primary schools receive at least two hours of physical education each school week, and all young people in secondaries 1 to 4 receive at least two 50-minute periods of physical education each school week.Our Active Schools programme takes place in all local authorities and is free for all children and young people. It provides a focus on inclusion, for example to support children living in poverty, those with additional support needs, and care-experienced young people to participate. The Active Schools programme is a long-term investment in health and wellbeing, supported by a network of over 400 Active Schools managers and coordinators working with schools to deliver quality sporting opportunities for children and young people. In 2023/24, there were 4.9 million visits by pupils over 262,000 sessions &ndash; a 6% increase from the previous year.sportscotland invests in and supports approximately 47 Scottish Governing Bodies of sport (SGBs) to develop their sport-specific pathways, including undertaking work to increase participation levels for children and young people in their sports.Our Active Play Development Project, which targets areas of disadvantage, provides children with the opportunity to develop physical skills in their early years and to encourage a long-term, positive relationship with physical activity.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425179,"EventID":"S6W-30701","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:37.517","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-16T09:55:43.047","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to make a formal pay offer to police officers.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to make a formal pay offer to police officers.","AnswerText":"The negotiation of police officer pay is carried out through the Police Negotiating Board for Scotland (PNBS), which has been negotiating the police officer pay claim since it was received on 10 May 2024.The Official Side (Scottish Ministers, the Scottish Police Authority and Police Scotland) made what I believe was a strong offer, of a 4.75% uplift for all ranks and changes to terms and conditions. However, this was rejected on 29 October 2024 by the PNBS Staff Side and they registered a &lsquo;failure to agree&rsquo; with the PNBS.Under the PNBS constitution, a period of conciliation will now take place and if agreement can still not be reached, the two Sides of the PNBS will enter into an arbitration process through ACAS. These procedures provide officers with the safeguard that, should the PNBS fail to agree on a position through collective bargaining, an independent panel can consider the merits of each side&rsquo;s position.I remain hopeful that an agreement can be reached through conciliation but I recognise that arbitration may be required, so that the independent panel can consider the sides&rsquo; positions and then make an award.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425180,"EventID":"S6W-30719","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:33","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-16T10:48:03.817","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to ensure consistency in the delivery of weight management services across different NHS boards.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to ensure consistency in the delivery of weight management services across different NHS boards.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government supports NHS Scotland&lsquo;s Health Boards implement a standardised approach to weight management services.Health Boards deliver weight management services in line with Public Health Scotland Standards Weight Management Standards. These standards were introduced in 2019 and aim to ensure a fair and equal approach to the treatment of overweight and obesity for children, young people and adults across weight management services in Scotland.The Scottish Government is working with Boards to reduce any unnecessary variation, this includes working to develop once for Scotland approaches to weight management and adoption of evidence-based weight management interventions such as Counterweight Plus Type 2 Diabetes Remission.Public Health Scotland are undertaking an evaluation of the implementation and impact of the Standards for weight management services with recommendations to inform local action and national policy direction.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425181,"EventID":"S6W-30702","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:32.95","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-16T09:55:56.603","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to publicly respond to the Scottish Police Federation's submitted pay claim for a 5.7% pay increase for 2024-25.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to publicly respond to the Scottish Police Federation's submitted pay claim for a 5.7% pay increase for 2024-25.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30701 on 4 November 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425182,"EventID":"S6W-30696","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5800,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:37.32","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-15T14:47:17.383","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is complying with its duty under the Wildlife and Countryside (Registration and Ringing of Certain Captive Birds) (Scotland) Regulations 2009 to maintain a re","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is complying with its duty under the Wildlife and Countryside (Registration and Ringing of Certain Captive Birds) (Scotland) Regulations 2009 to maintain a register of captive bred schedule 4 birds held by keepers in Scotland, and, if not, whether this means that keepers of schedule 4 birds in Scotland are acting unlawfully by not having their annex A birds registered with the Scottish Ministers.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is complying with its duty to maintain a register of captive bred schedule 4 birds held by keepers in Scotland, as required under the Wildlife and Countryside (Registration and Ringing of Certain Captive Birds) (Scotland) Regulations 2009. The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) carry out this function for Scotland with the agreement of the Scottish Ministers.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425183,"EventID":"S6W-30707","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:35.97","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-16T10:48:03.817","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to regulate the promotion and advertising of food and drink products high in fat, salt and sugar, and how it plans to regulate the advertising","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to regulate the promotion and advertising of food and drink products high in fat, salt and sugar, and how it plans to regulate the advertising of such products in outdoor public spaces.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government have long advocated for restrictions on the broadcast advertising of less healthy food and drink before 9pm. We welcome the announcement that the UK Government intend to introduce these restrictions next year. We continue to work with the UK Government to further understand the implications of this policy and its implementation for Scotland.As set out in our 2018 Diet and Healthy Weight Delivery plan, we remain committed to developing proposals to strengthen outdoor advertising restrictions for food that is high in fat, salt or sugar.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425184,"EventID":"S6W-30697","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5800,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:37.317","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-15T14:47:17.387","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has given the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) the statutory powers under the Wildlife and Countryside (Registration and Ringing of ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has given the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) the statutory powers under the Wildlife and Countryside (Registration and Ringing of Certain Captive Birds) (Scotland) Regulations 2009 to collect registration fees for schedule 4 birds in Scotland, and, if so, whether it will state the statutory mechanism by which this is achieved.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has given the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) the statutory powers under the Wildlife and Countryside (Registration and Ringing of Certain Captive Birds) (Scotland) Regulations 2009 to collect registration fees for schedule 4 birds in Scotland.The statutory mechanism that enables this is the Scotland Act (Agency Agreements) (Specification) Order 2000 (S.I. 2000/745) which specifically allows the Scottish Ministers to enter into agency arrangements such as the function in section 7(2A) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Act for determining a charge, and charging, for registration.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425185,"EventID":"S6W-30700","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:32.947","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-16T09:14:44.117","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26793 by Jenni Minto on 2 May 2024, whether it has any plans to record this data, and what work has been undertaken with key stake","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26793 by Jenni Minto on 2 May 2024, whether it has any plans to record this data, and what work has been undertaken with key stakeholders to determine the best ways to improve access to spirometry testing in respiratory care.","AnswerText":"We recognise the importance of having access to meaningful data in relation to respiratory services and we continue to aim to develop a national respiratory audit programme with Public Health Scotland to achieve this. We have not been able to progress this this financial year due to the challenging fiscal position we face, but we aim to do so in the financial year 2025 to 2026.Spirometry is already a key recommendation in national clinical guidelines, and we expect clinicians to deliver care in line with all relevant clinical guidelines when assessing patients who present themselves at healthcare settings with respiratory symptoms.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425186,"EventID":"S6W-30706","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:36.433","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-16T10:48:03.817","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to address the reported doubling risk of obesity among children from deprived areas, compared with those from less deprived areas.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to address the reported doubling risk of obesity among children from deprived areas, compared with those from less deprived areas.","AnswerText":"According to the 2022 Scottish Health Survey, 23% of children who live in most deprived areas are at risk of obesity, compared with 15% in the least deprived. Addressing the risk of obesity and its associated health conditions is therefore a key priority for the Scottish Government in reducing health inequalities for those on lower incomes.We have provided core funding of &pound;8.25 million to health boards to continue to deliver adult, children and young people&rsquo;s weight management services in 2024-25.Our aim to halve childhood obesity by 2030 and significantly reduce diet related health inequalities is deliberately ambitious. A Whole Systems Approach to childhood obesity remains the strongest evidence-based route to improving levels of healthy weight in children.However, dealing only with the consequences of poor diet and higher weight is not enough. We also need to address the underlying causes. This includes ending poverty, supporting fair wages, and improving our physical and social environments. Since 2022-23, we continue to allocate around &pound;3bn a year to policies which tackle poverty and protect people as far as possible during the ongoing cost of living crisis.With particular reference to child poverty, our Scottish Child Payment provides &pound;26.70 per eligible child per week &ndash; support that is only available in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425187,"EventID":"S6W-30721","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:36.49","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-16T10:48:03.817","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to improve the (a) effectiveness and (b) uptake of child healthy weight programmes.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to improve the (a) effectiveness and (b) uptake of child healthy weight programmes.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government supports NHS Scotland&lsquo;s Health Boards implement a standardised approach to Child Healthy Weight programmes through funding for Tier 2 and Tier 3 pathways as part of the delivery of Scotland&rsquo;s Diet and Healthy Weight PlanHealth Boards deliver weight management services in line with Public Health Scotland Standards Weight Management Standards. These standards were introduced in 2019 and aim to ensure a fair and equal approach to the treatment of overweight and obesity for children, young people and adults across weight management services in Scotland.Health boards delivering weight management interventions work to ensure that programmes are tailored to the specific needs of their local populations by conducting robust needs assessments, consulting with local communities and frontline staff, and addressing barriers related to equality, diversity, and inclusion. This includes conducting Equality Impact Assessment to continuously improve service accessibility and effectiveness.All Health Boards provide data via Public Health Scotland on their weight management service&rsquo;s performance and outcomes. This data is published regularly.Public Health Scotland are undertaking an evaluation of the implementation and impact of the Standards for weight management services with recommendations to inform local action and national policy direction.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425188,"EventID":"S6W-30713","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:32.97","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-16T10:48:03.817","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to establish cross-sectoral mechanisms for delivering healthier food environments.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to establish cross-sectoral mechanisms for delivering healthier food environments.","AnswerText":"This government is committed to ensuring everyone in Scotland has reliable access to safe, nutritious, affordable, sustainable, and age and culturally appropriate food.The Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022 provided the framework for our future food strategy, to build an environment where people from every walk of life take pride and pleasure in, and benefit from, the food they produce, buy, cook, serve, and eat each day. It places duties on Scottish Ministers, local authorities and health boards to produce plans of their policies in relation to food and set out what they will do to make those plans real.The Ministerial Working Group on Food will provide cross-Government leadership to co-ordinate action on food relevant to achieving a Good Food Nation. Members will work collectively to drive progress across portfolios by providing strategic direction, tackling complex issues and sharing best practice.To help create a food environment which better supports healthier choices, we are committed to legislation to restrict promotions of food high in fat, sugar or salt at the point of purchase. This is when people make their decisions about what and how much to buy and to consume, for themselves as well as for their families.Over the last seven years we have invested in the Healthy Living Programme (HLP) and the Reformulation for Health Programme. The HLP helps convenience stores offer healthier choices. More than two-thirds of the 2,300 strong HLP membership serves the most deprived areas of the country and ensures access to affordable, healthier food and drink in those communities.The Reformulation Programme helps smaller businesses reformulate common products to make them healthier. This is playing an important role in improving dietary health by removing hundreds of millions of calories from Scottish food and drink products sold across the country, including deprived areas.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425189,"EventID":"S6W-30655","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:36.837","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-14T10:09:45.403","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what representations it has received from businesses and others regarding any consideration being given to making eligibility for business rates reliefs and licences to ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what representations it has received from businesses and others regarding any consideration being given to making eligibility for business rates reliefs and licences to trade conditional on payment of the real Living Wage.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has received representations on the principle of making eligibility for business rates reliefs and licences to trade conditional on payment of the real Living Wage from a range of stakeholders, including retail representative bodies like the Scottish Retail Consortium, Scottish Grocers Federation and Association of Convenience Stores. Forums such as the New Deal for Business Non-Domestic Rates Subgroup, Retail Industry Leadership Group, Scottish Ratepayers Forum also provide a routine opportunity for stakeholders to make representations to Scottish Government.The recently published Fair Work Convention Inquiry into the hospitality industry also made recommendations for the Scottish Government on fair work conditionality. The Scottish Government will undertake a programme of assessment and consider each of the recommendations carefully.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425190,"EventID":"S6W-30704","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:33.023","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-16T09:58:19.273","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will renew its commitment to provide sustainable funding for the nationwide roll-out of the Scottish Care and Coordination Service for Hepato-Pancreato-Biliar","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will renew its commitment to provide sustainable funding for the nationwide roll-out of the Scottish Care and Coordination Service for Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Cancers (SCOT HPB), in line with action 45 of its Cancer Action Plan for Scotland 2023-26.","AnswerText":"As part of the Cancer Action Plan for Scotland 2023-26, Scottish Government committed to &ldquo;Invest in improving the pathways of less survivable cancers, particularly hepatocellular carcinoma and pancreatic cancer. This will shorten the time to staging and agreeing treatment options.&rdquo;Scottish Government invested in a pilot Scottish Care and Coordination Service for Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Cancers (SCOT HPB) as a potential way to achieve this action. Scottish Government commissioned the Scottish Cancer Network (SCN) to review the pilot to consider lessons learned and potential options for future delivery.Following this and further expert engagement, we are considering how best to continue to improve patient pathways for those with Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary cancers in an equitable, evidenced and sustainable way.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425191,"EventID":"S6W-30692","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:36.89","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-15T13:44:18.157","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many children it estimates currently have at least one parent or parental figure with a drug addiction.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many children it estimates currently have at least one parent or parental figure with a drug addiction.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government do not hold any data on the number of children that currently have at least one parent or parental figure with a drug addiction, nor do we collect data that could make an informed assessment of this or provide a proxy.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425192,"EventID":"S6W-30716","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-16T14:48:36.61","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-16T10:48:03.817","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to support small businesses and independent enterprises to tackle obesogenic environments in deprived areas.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to support small businesses and independent enterprises to tackle obesogenic environments in deprived areas.","AnswerText":"In the last seven years we have invested over &pound;2 million in the Healthy Living Programme, to help convenience stores offer healthier choices. More than two-thirds of the 2,300 strong Healthy Living Programme membership serves the most deprived areas of the country and ensures access to affordable, healthier food and drink in those communities.Public Health Scotland published an evaluation on the Programme last year: Evaluation of the Scottish Grocers&rsquo; Federation Healthy Living Programme - Evaluation of the Scottish Grocers&rsquo; Federation Healthy Living Programme - Publications - Public Health Scotland. The evaluation shows that the Programme has increased the availability of healthier options in the sector and provides recommendations to further expand its reach and scope, for instance, through sector-wide healthier promotions.We have also invested over &pound;600,000 in the last seven years to help smaller businesses reformulate common products to make them healthier. This is playing an important role in improving dietary health by removing hundreds of millions of calories from Scottish food and drink products sold across the country, including deprived areas.The Reformulation for Health Programme is administered by the Food and Drink Federation Scotland with additional support from Food Standards Scotland, Scotland Food &amp; Drink and trade associations for relevant manufacturing sectors such as Scottish Bakers.This was also discussed as part of the Population Health Framework development roundtable with Public Health and business stakeholders in September.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425194,"EventID":"S6W-30750","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:26.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-17T10:40:33.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to calls for improved regulation of non-healthcare professionals who carry out medical aesthetic treatments, such as Botox and dermal fillers.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to calls for improved regulation of non-healthcare professionals who carry out medical aesthetic treatments, such as Botox and dermal fillers.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government officials have been undertaking scoping work with a variety of stakeholders including healthcare professionals (representatives from British College of Aesthetic Medicine and British Association of Cosmetic Nurses), hair and beauty industry representatives, Environmental Health Officers, and Healthcare Improvement Scotland.This scoping work is informing the development of a consultation that will seek the views of the public on the specific details to ensure that proportionate, robust, flexible and future-proofed further regulation is introduced. This new public consultation will be published by the end of the year.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425195,"EventID":"S6W-30727","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:26.51","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-16T12:50:03.437","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the letter of 3 October 2024 from its Directorate for Culture and Major Events to the managing director at The Orcadian, how it defines \"essential need\" rela","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the letter of 3 October 2024 from its Directorate for Culture and Major Events to the managing director at The Orcadian, how it defines \"essential need\" relative to paid-for media activity.","AnswerText":"As part of the process to assess essential marketing expenditure for 2024-25, the use of paid-for-media activity is considered where it is required to help achieve specific policy outcomes. This can include a requirement to reach specific audiences or to ensure audiences are presented with messages a number of times to achieve the desired impact.Marketing activity and campaigns that are without expenditure, such as no-cost approaches that have no external production, service or media costs, continue to support delivery of policy outcomes as part of the communications mix.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425196,"EventID":"S6W-30749","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:25.5","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-17T10:31:10.53","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with rail companies whose trains pass through Carstairs railway station but do not stop there about increasing the frequency of rail services","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with rail companies whose trains pass through Carstairs railway station but do not stop there about increasing the frequency of rail services from Carstairs.","AnswerText":"Whilst I understand that both cross border operators and ScotRail have no current plans to increase calls at Carstairs railway station, my officials will raise this issue at future meetings.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425197,"EventID":"S6W-30735","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:25.507","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-16T16:47:38.82","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to fill computing studies teacher vacancies.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to fill computing studies teacher vacancies.","AnswerText":"While local authorities are responsible for the recruitment and deployment of teachers, the Scottish Government is committed to maximising the number of jobs available in a range of subjects, including computing science.The Teaching Bursary Scheme offers a &pound;20,000 payment to career changers who are looking to undertake graduate teacher training in hard-to-fill STEM subjects, including computing science.We are currently exploring a pilot programme that would create more computing science teachers through the University of Aberdeen. Once finalised, further detail will be announced.In addition, we are working with Scottish Teachers Advancing Computing Science (STACS) to consider wider initiatives to promote teaching as a valued career choice for computing students.We have also asked our Strategic Board for Teacher Education to develop advice on how we can encourage more people into teaching, particularly in subjects we know are challenging to fill.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425198,"EventID":"S6W-30729","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:25.233","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-16T12:50:03.437","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement in the letter of 3 October 2024 from its Directorate for Culture and Major Events to the managing director at The Orcadian that it is advised b","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement in the letter of 3 October 2024 from its Directorate for Culture and Major Events to the managing director at The Orcadian that it is advised by procured agencies on the most \"cost-effective media mix\", what its position is on whether (a) \"return on investment\" is an appropriate aim for essential public health messaging and (b) maximising lives saved or quality-adjusted life years (QALY) would be a more reasonable aim.","AnswerText":"Since the announcement of the freeze on marketing expenditure, the following public health campaigns have subsequently been assessed and approved to run in 2024-25 in line with the process set out in the answer to question S6W-30726 on 20 November 2024, and the desired health outcomes and aims that need to be achieved for each.&bull; Early Cancer Detection &ndash; Detect Cancer Earlier&bull; Dementia Stigma&bull; Appropriate Use of NHS Services - Right Care Right Place&bull; Adult Mental Health&bull; Organ Donation &amp; Tissue&bull; Winter Vaccines (delivered by Public Health Scotland)&bull; The Importance of Home Recovery - Home First&bull; Sexual Assault Referral Centres&bull; Abortion Safe Access ZonesAll activity is developed and evaluated against SMART objectives to help deliver policy outcomes, which includes actions that contribute to improving or saving lives. Where there is substantial spend on paid-for media, quantitative evaluation is carried out by an independent research agency to assess campaign performance. Return on investment is considered to assess the number of people in a target audience who can be reached, and how frequently, via a particular media channel to ensure campaigns are delivered cost-effectively.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425199,"EventID":"S6W-30616","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:25.857","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-10T15:53:44.39","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many public bodies are compliant with the Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2011, which requires them to provide a publicly available report every thre","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many public bodies are compliant with the Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2011, which requires them to provide a publicly available report every three years.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is aware of 85 public bodies who have produced a report covering the most recent reporting period, 2021-2023, in compliance with the 2011 Act. This figure is an estimate based on our most up to date analysis and the actual number may be higher.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425200,"EventID":"S6W-30751","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:26.263","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-17T10:43:09.823","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on cladding remediation, broken down by local authority.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on cladding remediation, broken down by local authority.","AnswerText":"Information on the level of spend by the Cladding Remediation Programme is proactively published and broken down by local authority.Latest published data shows the aggregated spend by local authorities on single building assessments, fire risk measures and remediation is just over &pound;9m to the end of quarter one 2024-25; spend is updated quarterly, the next update will be proactively published in quarter three 2024-25. Single Building Assessment programme: spending information (gov.scot).","AnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425201,"EventID":"S6W-30584","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:28.24","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T15:17:45.183","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many times it has provided fast-track ministerial reviews since the start of the current parliamentary session.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many times it has provided fast-track ministerial reviews since the start of the current parliamentary session.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not collect or record information relating to the volume of ministerial correspondence that is fast-tracked.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jamie Hepburn","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425202,"EventID":"S6W-30578","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:27.053","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T15:17:45.183","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many times it met the offshore wind developer, Flotation Energy, prior to April 2023, and how many times it has met since then.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many times it met the offshore wind developer, Flotation Energy, prior to April 2023, and how many times it has met since then.","AnswerText":"As part of normal practice in processing any marine licence or section 36 consent application, officials from the Marine Directorate Licensing Operations Team will meet with applicants and as such, have met with Flotation Energy on multiple occasions for the projects they are developing, both before and after April 2023. Meeting arrangements between MD-LOT and applicants are set out on the Scottish Government website here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/marine-licensing-and-consenting-offshore-renewable-energy-projects/pages/meeting-arrangements-with-md-lot/Offshore Wind Directorate officials have also met with Flotation Energy multiple times, including at conferences and as part of regular stakeholder engagement, to discuss opportunities and challenges of their projects and the wider offshore wind sector.Ministers meet developers as part of regular engagement with the renewables sector. For example, the Deputy First Minister met Flotation Energy in September 2024 to discuss supply chain opportunities, the First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy attended an Offshore Energies UK Roundtable in January 2024, at which the Flotation Energy CEO was present and the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy met with the Flotation CEO in March 2023 to discuss Flotation Energy&rsquo;s plans for offshore wind developments in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425203,"EventID":"S6W-30641","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:26.81","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-11T13:37:22.75","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it notifies public sector bodies of the centrally funded eCommerce shared service for procurement and finance systems; what measures it has in place to encourage upt","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it notifies public sector bodies of the centrally funded eCommerce shared service for procurement and finance systems; what measures it has in place to encourage uptake, and what steps it will take to reduce the overlap in spending on external IT systems and consultancies when a centralised option is available at no or minimal cost.","AnswerText":"The eCommerce Shared Service provides a joined up suite of procurement tools to drive excellence, consistency and best practice within public procurement. The tools include the Public Contracts Scotland advertising portal (PCS mandated for all public bodies in advertising procurements &pound;50k and over), PCS-Tender, PECOS P2P, PECOS Content management (PCM), eInvoicing. All or elements of the Service are used by all Scottish public bodies to enable and support their end to end procurement processes.The eCommerce Shared Service is promoted via established stakeholder groups and at various events to represent and endorse the Service to public bodies. Appendix 1 shows the number of public bodies that currently use the Service.Spending decisions on IT Systems and Consultancies is a matter for public bodies, however the eCommerce Shared Service works with public bodies to promote and drive uptake of these systems.Appendix 1SystemPublic BodiesPublic Contracts ScotlandMandated for all public bodies advertising procurements &pound;50k and abovePublic Contracts Scotland-Tender126PECOS P2P57PECOS Content Management106eInvoicing35","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425204,"EventID":"S6W-30748","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:29.447","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-17T10:31:10.53","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there are plans to increase rail services from Carstairs railway station.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there are plans to increase rail services from Carstairs railway station.","AnswerText":"ScotRail advises, it currently has no plans to increase service levels at Carstairs. ScotRail monitors passenger demand closely and wherever possible, adjusts service levels where it is required.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425205,"EventID":"S6W-30618","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:27.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-10T15:53:44.39","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish its timeline for the planned doubling of the Scottish Land Fund to &pound;20 million by 2026.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish its timeline for the planned doubling of the Scottish Land Fund to &pound;20 million by 2026.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remain committed to increasing the Scottish Land Fund to &pound;20m by 2026. Annual budgets for the SLF are set as part of the annual budget process.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425206,"EventID":"S6W-30738","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:28.777","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-17T08:08:40.757","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any of its current electric vehicle fleet was purchased through loan or other credit agreements, and, if so, whether it will provide a breakdown of the (a) value","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any of its current electric vehicle fleet was purchased through loan or other credit agreements, and, if so, whether it will provide a breakdown of the (a) value of those agreements at purchase, (b) amounts outstanding and (c) amount of interest payable on any agreements.","AnswerText":"There are no Scottish Government vehicles purchased through loan or credit agreements.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425207,"EventID":"S6W-30672","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5877,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:29.08","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-14T13:52:02.26","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, prior to progressing a flood protection scheme to the objections stage, and where any proposals other than the deemed planning authority-granted elements are included i","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, prior to progressing a flood protection scheme to the objections stage, and where any proposals other than the deemed planning authority-granted elements are included in presentations to the community, what its position is on whether planning permission for such proposals should be obtained prior to their inclusion in the final presentation to the community.","AnswerText":"Section 57(2B) of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 provides that once a flood protection scheme is confirmed (whether by the local authority or the Scottish Ministers), the Scottish Ministers are to direct that planning permission for the development is deemed to be granted, subject to any planning conditions which Ministers may specify.The implementation of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 is a matter primarily for local planning authorities.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425208,"EventID":"S6W-30560","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:26.767","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T15:17:45.183","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with Police Scotland to discuss road safety in the North East.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with Police Scotland to discuss road safety in the North East.","AnswerText":"On 30 October I chaired the Road Safety Strategic Partnership Board. This meeting involved a range of operational partners, including Police Scotland and local authorities, to discuss measures aimed at enhancing road safety and progressing towards achieving our vision for Scotland, including the north east, to have the best road safety performance in the world by 2030.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425209,"EventID":"S6W-30663","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5877,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:25.9","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-14T13:49:31.547","Title":"&nbsp;To ask the Scottish Government whether Flood Risk Management Plans submitted to it by local authorities, under the provisions of the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009, have been scrutini","ItemText":"&nbsp;To ask the Scottish Government whether Flood Risk Management Plans submitted to it by local authorities, under the provisions of the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009, have been scrutinised and signed-off by experts with relevant expertise in all aspects of a scheme, including hydrology and civil and structural engineering, and who are fully independent and therefore not employed by the project proponents or by its appointed consultants, and, if this is not the case, whether it will undertake such scrutiny itself.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"Flood Risk Management Plans are developed by SEPA, which has the expertise to do so as Scotland&rsquo;s Strategic Flood Risk Management Authority.It is a local authority responsibility to develop and deliver flood protection schemes. However, the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act sets out a specific set of circumstances where the Scottish Ministers may consider a scheme if they receive notice from a local authority under Schedule 2 of the Act.Should Ministers decide that they wish to consider a scheme, a Public Local Inquiry would be held by a Reporter. The Reporter would hear evidence on all relevant considerations, including from relevant experts, before making a recommendation. Ministers would then consider the recommendation of the Reporter before making their decision.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425210,"EventID":"S6W-30675","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5877,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:29.727","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-14T13:52:30.453","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is ensuring that value for money is achieved by the flood protection schemes that it is funding in full or partly.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is ensuring that value for money is achieved by the flood protection schemes that it is funding in full or partly.","AnswerText":"It is a local authority responsibility to develop and deliver flood protection schemes. As such, it is for the local authority to ensure that its individual project is value for money and has a robust business case.Individual local authorities are responsible for managing their finances in a prudent and sustainable way, ensuring the delivery of best value to the public for the services they provide. The Scottish Government provides grant funding to support local authorities in this responsibility through the general capital grant.At a programme level, a joint COSLA/ Scottish Government Flood Risk Management Funding Working Group has been set up to discuss funding and governance of flood resilience actions in Scotland. The group includes representatives from COSLA, SEPA, local authority Directors of Finance and flood officers, and the Scottish Government. This group have been tasked with making recommendations to improve affordability, learn lessons for future programmes, and discuss future funding arrangements. This includes consideration of VfM.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425211,"EventID":"S6W-30621","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:30.55","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-10T16:48:52.593","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide a breakdown by type of employee, for example, communications staff, policy staff, or, for the NHS, frontline health staff, or any other staff cate","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide a breakdown by type of employee, for example, communications staff, policy staff, or, for the NHS, frontline health staff, or any other staff category for which data is recorded, for the Public Sector Employment in Scotland Statistics headcount figure for (a) NHS, (b) Devolved Civil Service, (c) Police and Fire Related Services and (d) Other Public Bodies for Quarter 2 in each year since 1999.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not collect information on the type of employee as part of the Public Sector Employment data collection. Some of the trend information on headcount can be obtained from the data sources below: NHS Scotland Workforce data: NHS Scotland workforce | Turas Data Intelligence Scottish Government Workforce data: Scottish Government workforce information - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) Police Officer numbers: Police officer quarterly strength statistics: 30 June 2024 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) Please note that the statistics on Police Officer numbers are provided in terms of Full-Time Equivalent, not headcount.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425212,"EventID":"S6W-30730","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:27.167","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-16T12:50:03.437","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any assessment was undertaken regarding the anticipated quality-adjusted life year (QALY) impact of the freeze on public sector marketing expenditure as a whole,","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any assessment was undertaken regarding the anticipated quality-adjusted life year (QALY) impact of the freeze on public sector marketing expenditure as a whole, and, if so, what the outcomes of any such assessment were.","AnswerText":"The freeze on public sector marketing expenditure was part of a wider exercise to introduce the necessary emergency spending controls to achieve a balanced budget. Cabinet Secretaries were given a directive to freeze all marketing expenditure with immediate effect, with any spend deemed essential then requiring to be assessed accordingly in line with individual policy priorities and outcomes, and approved by the First Minister before proceeding. Many campaigns have gone ahead.Further details on this process are set out in the answer to question S6W-30726 on 20 November 2024, alongside the now approved public health campaigns listed in the answer to question S6W-30729 on 20 November 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425213,"EventID":"S6W-30747","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5110,"Party":"Independent","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":89,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:25.507","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-17T09:48:10.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Abortion Law Review Expert Group is looking at the 24-week limit and whether it should be updated.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Abortion Law Review Expert Group is looking at the 24-week limit and whether it should be updated.","AnswerText":"As outlined in the Terms of Reference, the Expert Group is considering the appropriate gestational limits for abortion alongside grounds for abortion; pathways for patients; the data and information collected about patients accessing services; regulations; the right to conscientious objection for healthcare workers; and criminal offences related to having or providing an abortion. This is in line with the commitment made by the Scottish Government.The Terms of Reference can be accessed online; Abortion Law Review Expert Group - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).","AnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425214,"EventID":"S6W-30666","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5877,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:25.49","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-14T13:51:07.147","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the standard of protection in Flood Risk Management Plans, under the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009, should encompass the view","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the standard of protection in Flood Risk Management Plans, under the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009, should encompass the views of the beneficiaries, particularly the local community&rsquo;s perceptions of the level of risk that is desirable and acceptable, and, if so, how this should be determined.","AnswerText":"It is a local authority responsibility to develop and deliver flood protection scheme, including the selection of an appropriate standard of protection. This is because each place is unique and bespoke solutions are required.Schedule 2 of the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 sets out the local authority&rsquo;s responsibilities in terms of public consultation as part of the notification of a flood protection scheme. However, we would expect local authorities to engage with their local communities on relevant design considerations throughout the development process.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425215,"EventID":"S6W-30744","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:26.193","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-17T09:25:32.837","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29275 by Kate Forbes on 13 September 2024, when the outcome of the governance review will be completed.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29275 by Kate Forbes on 13 September 2024, when the outcome of the governance review will be completed.","AnswerText":"The governance review will be completed by the end of 2024. As part of the review, the First Minister has formally agreed to the creation of the Cabinet Sub-Committee for Investment and Economy.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425216,"EventID":"S6W-30737","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:28.467","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-17T08:08:40.753","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an overview of the public electric vehicle charging network, including what the (a) number of installed chargers, (b) potential uptime, (c) recor","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an overview of the public electric vehicle charging network, including what the (a) number of installed chargers, (b) potential uptime, (c) recorded downtime and (d) proportion of uptime and downtime served to the public has been in each month of the last three years.","AnswerText":"We can only provide information relating to the Scottish Government funded ChargePlace Scotland (CPS) public electric vehicle (EV) charging network. The commercial sector does not make their own charge point fault information readily available to third parties.The following tables provides a monthly breakdown of the total number of charge points on the CPS network by month and the recorded uptime and downtime across the entire CPS network as served to the public for the last three yearsCPS have published a Network Performance page on the CPS website which provides a breakdown by local authority from November 2021. This will continuously be updated with ready access to detailed information on the performance of the public charging network. Prior to November 2021 this information was not collated by the Scottish Government.Please note that the new CPS contractor took over responsibility of the contract from the end of July 2021, therefore the figures provided are from the first full month of delivery.202121-Aug21-Sep21-Oct21-Nov21-DecNumber of Units17602065210121262148Potential Uptime(minutes)78,566,40089,208,00090,763,20091,843,20095,886,720Logged Downtime per fault tickets( minutes)16,368,3605,894,5803,418,5005,877,7203,995,340% Downtime20.83%6.61%3.77%6.40%4.17%% Uptime79.17%93.39%96.23%93.60%95.83%2022JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayNumber of Units21682216222722492268Potential Uptime(minutes)96,779,52089,349,12099,413,28097,157,800101,243,520Logged Downtime per fault tickets( minutes)5,271,7203,869,4603,276,9605,361,5224,286,700% Downtime5.45%4.33%3.20%5.50%4.20%% Uptime94.55%95.67%96.80%94.50%95.80%2022JuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNumber of Units22842319236323892388Potential Uptime(minutes)98,668,800103,520,160105,484,320103,204,800106,600,320Logged Downtime per fault tickets( minutes)5,422,8003,049,8604,816,2001,910,4002,131,020% Downtime5.50%2.95%4.50%1.85%2.00%% Uptime94.50%97.05%95.50%98.15%98.00%&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2022NovemberDecemberNumber of Units24132448Potential Uptime(minutes)104,241,600109,278,720Logged Downtime per fault tickets( minutes)3,648,4564,261,870% Downtime3.50%3.90%% Uptime96.50%96.10%2023JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayNumber of Units24592475249325182512Potential Uptime(minutes)109,769,76099,792,000111,287,520108,777,600112,135,680Logged Downtime per fault tickets( minutes)3,512,6323,293,1363,338,6263,263,3283,139,799% Downtime3.20%3.30%3.00%3.00%2.80%% Uptime96.80%96.70%97.00%97.00%97.20%2023JuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNumber of Units25312569257425992618Potential Uptime(minutes)109,339,200114,680,160114,903,360112,276,800116,867,520Logged Downtime per fault tickets( minutes)2,952,1582,752,3242,757,6812,694,6432,687,953% Downtime2.70%2.40%2.40%2.40%2.30%% Uptime97.30%97.60%97.60%97.60%97.70%&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2023NovemberDecemberNumber of Units26482682Potential Uptime(minutes)114,393,600119,724,480Logged Downtime per fault tickets( minutes)2,516,6592,753,663% Downtime2.20%2.30%% Uptime97.80%97.70%2024JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayNumber of Units27052760277927952845Potential Uptime(minutes)120,751,200111,283,200124,054,560120,744,000127,000,800Logged Downtime per fault tickets( minutes)2,898,0292,336,9472,729,2002,656,3682,667,017% Downtime2.40%2.10%2.20%2.20%2.10%% Uptime97.60%97.90%97.80%97.80%97.90%2024JuneJulyNumber of Units28712885Potential Uptime(minutes)124,027,200128,786,400Logged Downtime per fault tickets( minutes)2,852,6262,962,087% Downtime2.30%2.30%% Uptime97.70%97.70%&nbsp;28712885","AnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425217,"EventID":"S6W-30577","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:28.887","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T15:17:45.183","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Net Zero Technology Centre about future funding after the Aberdeen City Region Deal funding stream concludes.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Net Zero Technology Centre about future funding after the Aberdeen City Region Deal funding stream concludes.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government officials meet quarterly with the Net Zero Technology Centre to discuss a variety of financial matters, including the Centre's plans for future funding beyond the term of the Aberdeen City Region Deal and its journey towards financial self sustainability. Officials will continue to meet with the Centre to discuss these matters for the remainder of the Deal period.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425218,"EventID":"S6W-30570","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:26.973","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T15:17:45.183","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many road traffic accidents have been recorded in the (a) Aberdeen City, (b) Aberdeenshire and (c) Angus Council area on trunk roads (i) in each of the last five cal","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many road traffic accidents have been recorded in the (a) Aberdeen City, (b) Aberdeenshire and (c) Angus Council area on trunk roads (i) in each of the last five calendar years and (ii) since January 2020.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government only holds personal injury accident information. It does not hold information relating to damage only accidents (i.e. not involving an injury).There has been the following number of personal injury accidents recorded on trunk roads in Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Angus Council in the last 5 years:Year (1 January &ndash; 31 December)Aberdeen CityAberdeenshire CouncilAngus Council20198401520204279202133818202242311202363110*2024 (1/1/24 to 7/9/24)21510* data available until 7 September 2024 (fatal accidents to 23 October 24).Source: Transport Scotland Accident Manager DatabaseNotes:Statistics for Police ScotlandDate Period: 1 January 2019 &ndash; 7 September 2024Date Extracted &ndash; 24 October 2024Please note that the personal injury accident information provided above is based on the current figures available. The following are potential reasons for an accident not appearing on our system:Transport Scotland only holds accident information which is provided to us by Police Scotland. Transport Scotland does not hold information relating to damage only accidents (i.e. not involving an injury).Transport Scotland only holds accident information for the trunk road network.The accident information Transport Scotland holds is subject to change. E.g. we receive late returns from Police Scotland, who are responsible for recording details of injury accidents.Annual Scottish accident figures are published by Transport Scotland on a yearly basis and can be found by entering Reported Road Casualties Scotland into your search engine.From summer 2019, Police Scotland introduced a new system for recording traffic collisions. Due to improved recording and categorisation processes, it is expected that there will be an increase in the number of casualties and accidents on Scottish roads that are classified as serious.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425219,"EventID":"S6W-30739","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:27.837","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-17T08:08:40.757","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided to install new public electric vehicle charging points in each of the last five years, and how many new charging points this has resulte","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided to install new public electric vehicle charging points in each of the last five years, and how many new charging points this has resulted in being installed in each year, broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"On Monday 4 November 2024 I announced that, through a combination of public and increasing private sector investment, Scotland has achieved its target of 6,000 publicly available EV charge points two years ahead of its 2026 target and this was achieved through a combination of public sector and growing private sector investment. Charge point data provider ZapMap reports Scotland had 6,030 public charge points as of 31 October.The amount of Scottish Government funding which has been awarded and drawn down by recipients to support investment in public EV charging in the last five years is noted in the following table, from financial year 2019-2020.Financial YearSum of TS funding award2019-20&pound;13,624,8512020-21&pound;11,341,0112021-22&pound;6,539,9632022-23&pound;2,559,6022023-24&pound;2,879,3752024-25&pound;1,095,590Grant Total&pound;38,040,392In addition to the &pound;1,095,590 drawn down to date in 2024-25 the &pound;13,462,923 in funding has also been awarded :North of Scotland collaboration (Highland, Moray, Aberdeenshire &amp; Aberdeen City Councils) - &pound;6,862,923North, South and East Ayrshire collaboration &ndash; &pound;2,800,000Glasgow City Region collaboration (West Dunbartonshire Council, South Lanarkshire Council, Renfrewshire Council, North Lanarkshire Council, Inverclyde Council, East Renfrewshire Council, Glasgow City Council, East Dunbartonshire Council) - &pound;3,500,000Dundee City Council - &pound;300,000Further awards that are expected to be made before the end of this financial year. Local Authorities will commence drawing down this funding once they have completed public procurement.Annual statistics regarding the total charge points owned by Scottish local authorities which have been commissioned onto the ChargePlace Scotland (CPS) network are published annually on the Transport Scotland website.The number of new charge points that have been commissioned through Scottish Government funding over the last five years are shown in the following table. Prior to the new contract operator taking over in July 2021 some charge point commission dates were not captured and these are shown as unknown.LA Area20202021202220232024Aberdeen712577Aberdeenshire20141342Angus148710Argyll and Bute1408112City of Edinburgh31784211Clackmannanshire114871Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar221208Dumfries and Galloway12321141618Dundee5724110East Ayrshire2022041East Dunbartonshire00123East Lothian198701East Renfrewshire012100Falkirk192033210Fife4101263Glasgow273640266Highlands5823202416Inverclyde62550Midlothian121802113Moray219400North Ayrshire910655North Lanarkshire35576213Orkney Islands37200Perth and Kinross61118712Renfrewshire1453972Scottish Borders521211Shetland Islands27560South Ayrshire126820South Lanarkshire34507305Stirling392252217West Dunbartonshire010461West Lothian8111261Unknown attribution&nbsp;9&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Total412452543310129","AnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425220,"EventID":"S6W-30742","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:28.747","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-17T08:09:50.483","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the WWF publication, 2024 Living Planet Report.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the WWF publication, 2024 Living Planet Report.","AnswerText":"The findings of the WWF Living Planet Report provide further evidence, if any were needed, that the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss represent the existential threat of our times. We know we must take urgent action to address them now.Scotland&rsquo;s Strategic Framework for Biodiversity sets out our ambition to be nature-positive, halting biodiversity loss by 2030 and making significant progress to restoring nature by 2045. The Strategic Framework will drive a step change to accelerate the pace and scale of our efforts. It includes: the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy, the first six yearly Delivery Plan, and a framework for statutory nature restoration targets to be established through the Natural Environment Bill.The Bill will also include provisions to:Reform deer management in ScotlandModernise the aims and powers of National Park AuthoritiesProvide powers to allow for future amendments to Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) legislation and the 1994 Habitats Regulations to support delivery of our net zero and biodiversity goals.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425221,"EventID":"S6W-30638","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:29.79","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-11T13:37:22.75","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason NHS Lothian has reportedly not implemented public health messaging on long COVID, in light of the reported need to raise awareness, reduce stigma, promot","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason NHS Lothian has reportedly not implemented public health messaging on long COVID, in light of the reported need to raise awareness, reduce stigma, promote early diagnosis and connect individuals with available rehabilitation support, and what upcoming plans it has to address this.","AnswerText":"This is a matter for NHS Lothian. The information requested is not held centrally.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425222,"EventID":"S6W-30746","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5110,"Party":"Independent","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":89,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:29.33","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-17T09:47:24.087","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the mix is of (a) pro-choice, (b) pro-life and (c) neutral members of the Abortion Law Review Expert Group.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the mix is of (a) pro-choice, (b) pro-life and (c) neutral members of the Abortion Law Review Expert Group.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is not able to speak on behalf of individual members regarding their personal views on abortion. Members were chosen for their professional affiliations and expertise. No members of the Expert Group represent pro-life organisations as the Group is not considering the fundamental right to abortion.The Expert Group is carefully considering all the evidence before it. Views from a range of perspectives, including those raised by pro-life organisations, will be considered on issues within the scope of the review. As outlined in the answer to S6W-30745 on 14 November 2024 on the work of the group is one part of the wider review and a stakeholder group has been established to represent a range of groups including pro-life organisations. The review will examine all evidence provided.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425223,"EventID":"S6W-30755","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:29.527","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-17T10:50:37.633","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28801 by Jenni Minto on 26 August 2024, whether it considered including the (a) University of West of Scotland and (b) Royal Envir","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28801 by Jenni Minto on 26 August 2024, whether it considered including the (a) University of West of Scotland and (b) Royal Environmental Health Institute for Scotland as members of the&nbsp;Environmental Health Policy Co-ordination Group,","AnswerText":"The Environmental Health Policy Co-ordination Group consists of representatives from across Scottish Government, Food Standards Scotland, COSLA, the Society of Chief Officers of Environmental Health in Scotland and SOLACE.Should matters arise concerning educational and wider regulatory interests, then members representing these organisations are advised and invited to attend the group for awareness or to provide relevant updates.Therefore, the University of West of Scotland and the Royal Environmental Health Institute for Scotland are invited to attend meetings, when there is an update which is of interest to group members.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425224,"EventID":"S6W-30562","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:29.53","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T15:17:45.183","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met (a) Aberdeen City and (b) Aberdeenshire Council to discuss road safety in the North East.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met (a) Aberdeen City and (b) Aberdeenshire Council to discuss road safety in the North East.","AnswerText":"On 30 October I chaired the Road Safety Strategic Partnership Board. This meeting involved a range of operational partners, including Police Scotland and local authorities, to discuss measures aimed at enhancing road safety and progressing towards achieving our vision for Scotland, including the north east, to have the best road safety performance in the world by 2030.One of my Transport Scotland officials recently attended the Aberdeenshire Road Safety Seminar on 10 October, with Police Scotland, local authorities, elected members and key stakeholders in attendance. Road safety at a national level and issues pertaining to the local road network, with a particular focus on the A90 and A952, were discussed.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425225,"EventID":"S6W-30467","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:28.5","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-04T15:17:06.813","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the report in The Courier on 7 March 2024, \"The Fife girls fighting for better school lunches: &lsquo;We&rsquo;re not asking for McDonalds, just meals that f","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the report in The Courier on 7 March 2024, \"The Fife girls fighting for better school lunches: &lsquo;We&rsquo;re not asking for McDonalds, just meals that fill us up&rsquo;\", what meetings it had with the pupils of Beath High School, and what the outcomes were.","AnswerText":"A Scottish Government official met with pupils and representatives of the Council, at Beath High School on 18 March 2024. This was an opportunity for pupils to present on their concerns and for them to get an understanding of the School Food Regulations and that flexibility exists for Fife Council to address the issues raised by the pupils in a way that balanced local preferences alongside nutritional needs. Following the meeting, Fife Council and the pupils were to discuss matters further to identify what changes could be made to the meals offer in their schools.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425226,"EventID":"S6W-30734","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:29.7","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-16T15:44:27.42","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what specific steps it is taking to enhance education on menstrual health in (a) male-dominated coaching environments and (b) school physical education settings, as part","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what specific steps it is taking to enhance education on menstrual health in (a) male-dominated coaching environments and (b) school physical education settings, as part of its broader strategy to support women and girls in sport.","AnswerText":"sportscotland&rsquo;s Institute of Sport delivers tailored support services for athletes. Their Female Athlete Performance Working Group have developed a range of resources specifically for female athletes, designed to support anyone working with girls and women in sport. The Group have also launched a learning platform which provides access to e-learning resources such as the menstrual cycle in sport.These resources are available for free to all, with the ambition that all within the sporting system are comfortable having conversations about female athlete health and understand the impacts on training and performance.Menstrual health and wellbeing education is a key part of relationships, sexual health and parenthood (RSHP) education. RSHP education is an integral part of the health and wellbeing area of the Scottish curriculum, Curriculum for Excellence.The RSHP teaching resource, refreshed in 2023, equips young people with information on a wide range of issues, including menstrual health and wellbeing, depending on their age and stage of learning, enabling children and young people to build positive relationships as they grow older.Through programmes such as sportscotland&rsquo;s Fit For Girls and Young People&rsquo;s Sport Panel, tutors are holding workshops with girls where menstrual education and impact on physical education is a key topic of discussion.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425227,"EventID":"S6W-30576","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:26.917","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T15:17:45.183","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided to the Net Zero Technology Centre since its foundation in 2017.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided to the Net Zero Technology Centre since its foundation in 2017.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has provided the following funding to the Net Zero Technology Centre from its foundation to the end of the second quarter of financial year 2024-25:&pound;148,696,581 through the Aberdeen City Region Deal and paid through Aberdeenshire Council as the Deal's Accountable Body (including funding provided on behalf of the UK Government whereby both governments have committed up to &pound;90 million each over 10 years to financial year 2026-27)&pound;4,521,000 through the Decommissioning Challenge Fund, payments concluding in financial year 2018-19&pound;15,151,601 through the Energy Transition Fund&pound;709,126 through the Just Transition Fund.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425228,"EventID":"S6W-30673","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5877,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:25.477","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-14T13:52:11.757","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the community that is purported to benefit from a flood protection scheme must always be consulted on the options long list in the early ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the community that is purported to benefit from a flood protection scheme must always be consulted on the options long list in the early stages of a proposal, which is then used to produce an options short list.","AnswerText":"It is a local authority responsibility to develop and deliver flood protection schemes and we would expect them to engage with their local communities on relevant design considerations throughout the development process.The Scottish Government will publish a Flood Resilience Strategy by the end of this year, which will set out our vision on creating flood resilient places and recognise the important contribution people and communities make to their own flood resilience.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425229,"EventID":"S6W-30668","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5877,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:27.293","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-14T13:51:24.82","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether it is appropriate that all new and, as yet, unbuilt flood protection schemes should incorporate a component of natural flood management a","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether it is appropriate that all new and, as yet, unbuilt flood protection schemes should incorporate a component of natural flood management as a requirement for receiving public funding.","AnswerText":"The Flood Risk Management Act promotes a catchment wide approach to managing flood risk. The Scottish Government recognise that Natural Flood Management (NFM) can provide multiple benefits, including reducing flood risks, enhancing biodiversity, and contributing to climate resilience.The Scottish Government does not require the use of NFM as a funding condition, as each community and catchment are different and require a bespoke solution. Local Authorities are best placed to carry out the assessment of options to improve flood risk as they understand their local areas and project goals best.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425230,"EventID":"S6W-30741","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:26.913","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-17T08:09:21.093","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the proportion of zero-emissions vehicles in (a) its own fleet, (b) each of its agencies' fleets and (c) the public sector fleet as a whole has been in each of the ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the proportion of zero-emissions vehicles in (a) its own fleet, (b) each of its agencies' fleets and (c) the public sector fleet as a whole has been in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"A breakdown of the Scottish Government fleet (including pool, Government Car Service and Transport Scotland) over the last 5 years is provided in the following table.YearZero Emission %2020-2113%2021-2227%2022-2327%2023-2427%2024-25 (1)27%Notes1.Data range 01 April to 22 October 2024.Transport Scotland holds information on the composition of the public sector fleet based on responses to surveys of vehicle type in 2020, 2022 and 2023, this information is summarised in the following table for Scottish Government agencies. Transport Scotland does not hold information for each of the last 5 years.Executive Agencies2020 Zero Emission %2022 Zero Emission %2023 Zero Emission %Accountancy in BankruptcyNo FleetNo FleetNo FleetDisclosure ScotlandNo Data HeldNo FleetNo FleetEducation ScotlandNo FleetNo FleetNo FleetForestry and Land ScotlandNo Data Held4%15%Scottish Forestry0.14%8%17%Scottish Pensions AgencyNo FleetNo FleetNo FleetScottish Prison Service4%2%3%Social Security Scotland0%50%75%Student Awards Agency for ScotlandNo Data HeldData Not HeldNo FleetData collected by Transport Scotland in 2020,2022 and 2023 indicates that there are around 30,000 vehicles in the public sector fleet, the following table shows the % of zero emission vehicles in the fleet in each of the years that data was collected.Public Sector Fleet% Vehicles that are Zero Emission20205%202212%202317%","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425231,"EventID":"S6W-30731","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:27.387","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-16T12:50:03.437","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the letter of 3 October 2024 from its Directorate for Culture and Major Events to the managing director at The Orcadian, whether any assessment was undertake","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the letter of 3 October 2024 from its Directorate for Culture and Major Events to the managing director at The Orcadian, whether any assessment was undertaken regarding the anticipated quality-adjusted life year (QALY) impact on individual campaigns as a result of the freeze on public sector marketing expenditure, and, if so, whether this impacted its assessment of \"essential need\".","AnswerText":"As detailed in the answer to question S6W-30730 on 20 November 2024, individual campaign requirements were assessed on a case by case basis further to the implementation of emergency spending controls, and decisions on whether or not to proceed with planned activity were taken in line with Scottish Government priorities, the desired policy aims and outcomes, and budget impact. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425232,"EventID":"S6W-30640","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:28.707","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-11T13:37:22.75","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds regarding the number of public sector bodies that have chosen to use their own procurement and finance IT systems or consultancies instead of t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds regarding the number of public sector bodies that have chosen to use their own procurement and finance IT systems or consultancies instead of the centrally funded eCommerce shared service, and how much each body has spent annually since 2020 on these alternative systems and consultancy services.","AnswerText":"A report on public bodies data, including spend on different corporate functions in 2022-23, will be published on 15 November 2024 on the Scottish Government website, but this does not include information on bodies that have chosen to use their own procurement and finance IT systems or consultancies instead of the centrally funded eCommerce Shared Service. That information is not held centrally. We are engaged with public bodies via various forums where opportunities are identified to promote and drive uptake of the eCommerce tools. Detailed below is a list of how many public bodies currently use the eCommerce Shared Service.SystemPublic BodiesPublic Contracts ScotlandMandated for all public bodies advertising procurements &pound;50k and abovePublic Contracts Scotland-Tender126PECOS P2P57PECOS Content Management106eInvoicing35","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425233,"EventID":"S6W-30745","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5110,"Party":"Independent","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":89,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:29.113","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-17T09:46:19.813","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government by what criteria it selected the members of its Abortion Law Review Expert Group.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government by what criteria it selected the members of its Abortion Law Review Expert Group.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government committed to reviewing the law on abortion to ensure that abortion services are first and foremost a healthcare matter.An expert group chaired by Professor Anna Glasier, the Scottish Government&rsquo;s Women&rsquo;s Health Champion, has been established to take this forward. The Group will consider the legal framework for abortion and clinical practice with a view to making recommendations where appropriate.Membership of the expert group consists of clinical, legal, reproductive rights and academic experts. Members were selected to reflect a diverse range of expertise relevant to the healthcare focus of the review and its aim to develop recommendations that best serve the needs of those seeking and providing abortion care, while also considering the complexities of the matter.Stakeholder engagement is a vital part of the wider review. The work of the expert group is one element of that wider review, and written submissions will be provided to the group from a range of organisations, including pro-life groups. The Scottish Government has written to a range of pro-life groups to ask if they wish to participate in a stakeholder group to feed directly into the wider review. All organisational views will be carefully considered alongside a range of clinical evidence in addition to the recommendations made by the Expert Group.All minutes of the Expert Group are published online, and can be accessed here: Abortion Law Review Expert Group - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).","AnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425234,"EventID":"S6W-30617","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:25.77","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-10T15:53:44.39","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of public bodies is compliant with the Biodiversity Duty, as required by the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of public bodies is compliant with the Biodiversity Duty, as required by the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004.","AnswerText":"The biodiversity duty requires public bodies to further the conservation of biodiversity in the exercise of their functions, having regard to the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy. Biodiversity duty reports produced under the Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2011 are the best measure we have for compliance, and this shows that at least 85 of 156 (54.5%) public bodies active during the most recent reporting cycle (2021-2023) are compliant with the duty. However, the actual figure is likely to be higher. A number of smaller public bodies which are technically covered by the duty have limited opportunities to further the conservation of biodiversity due to the nature of their remit. We do not consider it to be a good use of public funds to try to enforce the production of a biodiversity duty report in every case, but all the information we have suggests that where it is relevant, most public bodies take the duty very seriously.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425235,"EventID":"S6W-30674","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5877,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:25.343","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-14T13:52:22.39","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the potential impact of schemes and actions to prevent flood risks in conservation areas must be carried out in equivalence to that of hi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the potential impact of schemes and actions to prevent flood risks in conservation areas must be carried out in equivalence to that of historic and scheduled monuments, in light of these being covered by the Listed Buildings and Conservation Area (Scotland) Act 1997.","AnswerText":"It is a local authority responsibility to develop and deliver flood protection schemes, ensuring that it complies with all relevant legislation, policy and guidance.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425236,"EventID":"S6W-30564","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:28.033","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T15:17:45.183","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on road improvement and road safety measures at the Toll of Birness in the current financial year.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on road improvement and road safety measures at the Toll of Birness in the current financial year.","AnswerText":"In the current 2024-25 financial year, there has been no design or construction spend at the A90 Toll of Birness junction.Through Transport Scotlands 2023 annual assessment of the safety performance of the trunk road network, the A90 Toll of Birness junction was not identified as a priority site for further investigation. However it was identified that there have been some collisions in recent years on the section of the A90 to the north of the Toll of Birness junction, between the A90/A952 Toll of Birness Junction and the A975 Junction at Longhaven, which warrant further investigation. Aberdeenshire Council raised concerns around the Toll of Birness junction through stakeholder engagement undertaken as part of the annual road safety assessment process and it was agreed to include the A90 Toll of Birness junction within this investigation. Transport Scotland&rsquo;s Operating Company, Amey, are currently undertaking this investigation. The cost of this investigation is &pound;10,000.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425237,"EventID":"S6W-30667","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5877,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:29.013","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-14T13:51:16.26","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether community \"appetite for risk\" should be secondary to the implied standard of protection arising from the implementation of the UK Treasur","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether community \"appetite for risk\" should be secondary to the implied standard of protection arising from the implementation of the UK Treasury Green Book and based upon Cost Benefit Analysis using SEPA&rsquo;s proposed risk levels in relation to the development of flood development plans.","AnswerText":"It is a local authority responsibility to develop and deliver flood protection schemes. This includes the selection of an appropriate standard of protection. This is because each place is unique and bespoke solutions are required.We would expect local authorities to engage with their local communities on relevant design considerations including the level of protection throughout the development process.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425238,"EventID":"S6W-30567","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:29.633","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T15:17:45.183","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Transport last met Transport Scotland to discuss road improvements to the Toll of Birness.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Transport last met Transport Scotland to discuss road improvements to the Toll of Birness.","AnswerText":"I have not met with Transport Scotland to discuss road improvements to the Toll of Birness junction specifically.On 30 October I chaired the Road Safety Strategic Partnership Board. This meeting involved a range of operational partners, including Police Scotland and local authority representatives, to discuss measures aimed at enhancing road safety and progressing towards achieving our vision for Scotland, including the north east, to have the best road safety performance in the world by 2030.Road safety remains of paramount importance to the Scottish Government. Transport Scotland assesses the safety performance of the trunk road network on an annual basis using a robust, evidence-based approach ensuing that funding can be prioritised to those locations that support effective delivery of the Scottish Government&rsquo;s 2030 casualty reduction targets.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425239,"EventID":"S6W-30732","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:30.55","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-16T14:12:06.393","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many secondary schools are currently running the Equally Safe programme.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many secondary schools are currently running the Equally Safe programme.","AnswerText":"Our Equally Safe strategy for preventing and eradicating violence against women and girls (VAWG) emphasises the importance of challenging the underpinning attitudes which enable such violence to take place.Our Equally Safe at School (ESAS) project, developed by Rape Crisis Scotland and Zero Tolerance, applies a whole school approach to inequality and gender-based violence in schools. Rape Crisis Scotland have reported that currently 116 schools are registered with an ESAS account.The Scottish Government also funds and supports other education-based programmes and initiatives aimed at tackling violence against women and girls and the attitudes which perpetuate it such as Mentors in Violence peer education programme, the preventing and responding to gender based violence: a whole school framework, Gender Equality Taskforce in Education and Learning and Rape Crisis Scotland&rsquo;s national sexual violence programme for secondary schools.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425240,"EventID":"S6W-30753","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:29.363","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-17T10:43:09.823","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many buildings in the Lothian region have been identified as requiring cladding remediation.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many buildings in the Lothian region have been identified as requiring cladding remediation.","AnswerText":"In our pilot programme, all 107 pilot entries are undergoing necessary pre-assessment checks, if in scope they will proceed to a developer or Government led Single Building Assessment (SBA). We have identified 12 pilot entries in scope, without a linked developer, and have confirmed that we are commissioning SBAs as a priority. This includes 4 in Edinburgh and 8 in Glasgow.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425241,"EventID":"S6W-30743","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:27.927","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-17T08:10:19.563","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30360 by Alasdair Allan on 9 October 2024, what funding is being made available to support work in the Central Lowlands, beyond th","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30360 by Alasdair Allan on 9 October 2024, what funding is being made available to support work in the Central Lowlands, beyond the northern areas.","AnswerText":"As I set out in response to S6W-30360 we are providing a range of support and funding to work that aims to promote red squirrel populations. Alongside the support detailed in my previous answer, we have also recently awarded the Eastern Lowlands Red Squirrel Group a development grant of &pound;59,500 through the Scottish Government Nature Restoration Fund. The funding will be used to create a conservation strategy dedicated to protecting and restoring the red squirrel population across the eastern lowlands.The grant will support a year-long initiative to get a better understanding of population sizes of both red and grey squirrels across Fife, Kinross and Clackmannan-shire, and identify key challenges and opportunities for safeguarding Scotland's beloved native red squirrels in the face of growing environmental pressures.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425242,"EventID":"S6W-30620","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:29.663","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-10T15:53:44.39","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of ways in which land can be used to make a community more sustainable.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of ways in which land can be used to make a community more sustainable.","AnswerText":"If passed by the Scottish Parliament, the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill will prohibit certain sales of over 1,000 hectares, until Ministers can consider the impact on the local community. Ministerial consideration of a lotting decision and what factors may be expected to make a community more sustainable will be based on the individual circumstances of the landholding and the particular communities in question.While this assessment will depend on these individual factors, it is anticipated that the assessment of potential contributions to the sustainability of communities would include having regard to high level objectives such as economic development, repopulation, maintenance of populations, regeneration, public health, social wellbeing and environmental wellbeing.Further information can also be found in my letter to the Convener of Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee: cabsecralriproviding-further-information-following-informal-briefing-on-the-land-reform-bill-14-may.pdf (parliament.scot)","AnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425243,"EventID":"S6W-30581","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:28.58","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T15:17:45.183","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what criteria is used when determining whether a piece of correspondence should lead to a fast-track ministerial review.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what criteria is used when determining whether a piece of correspondence should lead to a fast-track ministerial review.","AnswerText":"Ministerial correspondence received by the Scottish Government is fast-tracked when a Minister or their Private Office determine that a response should be issued in advance of the typical 20 working day deadline the Scottish Government endeavours to meet. There are no set criteria across the organisation for deciding whether correspondence should be fast-tracked. Decisions about whether to fast-track are made on a case by case basis.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jamie Hepburn","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425244,"EventID":"S6W-30559","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:25.24","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T15:17:45.183","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Transport last met with Transport Scotland to discuss road improvements in the North East.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Transport last met with Transport Scotland to discuss road improvements in the North East.","AnswerText":"I meet with Transport Scotland officials on a regular basis to discuss improvements across the entire trunk road network including those located in the North East of Scotland, and most recently met at our regular portfolio meeting on 30 October 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425245,"EventID":"S6W-30566","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:27.11","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T15:17:45.183","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many collisions have been recorded at, or within a half mile radius of the Toll of Birness in each year since 2015, including the period from January to end of Septe","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many collisions have been recorded at, or within a half mile radius of the Toll of Birness in each year since 2015, including the period from January to end of September 2024.","AnswerText":"The following table provides the number of injury road collisions recorded by Police Scotland as taking place at or within a half mile radius of the Toll of Birness.Please note that the figures for 2024 are provisional, as they are based on monthly returns received thus far from Police Scotland in 2024, with the most recent returns being received on 10th October 2024. This may be an incomplete picture of casualties up to that date due to a slight lag between collisions occurring and the data being processed and shared by Police Scotland. These figures are also subject to change due to subsequent corrections and late records.Injury road collisions within half a mile radius of the Toll of Birness, by severity&nbsp;FatalSeriousSlightTotal20150011201600112017110220180022201901012020010120210101202301012024 101011. Provisional to September 2024","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425246,"EventID":"S6W-30728","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:28.357","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-16T12:50:03.437","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement in the letter of 3 October 2024 from its Directorate for Culture and Major Events to the managing director at The Orcadian that it is advised b","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement in the letter of 3 October 2024 from its Directorate for Culture and Major Events to the managing director at The Orcadian that it is advised by procured agencies on the most \"cost-effective media mix\", whether it oversees the assessments made by procured agencies, and, if so, how.","AnswerText":"All Scottish Government media planning and buying is proposed by media agencies appointed in call-off arrangements from the Media Planning, Buying and Associated Services Frameworks. The Providers of the Framework services have all been successful as a result of competition which evaluates Quality and Price, therefore offering the Most Economically Advantageous Tender(s) within the market place.Media agencies take an evidence-based approach to developing a media strategy to deliver campaign objectives reflecting audience media consumption. All media plans and schedules procured in the call-off arrangements from media agencies are robustly assessed by Scottish Government marketing teams, across a range of different criteria including audience reach and frequency by channel; effectiveness of the media mix in delivering against SMART marketing objectives and policy outcomes; along-side quality and price.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425247,"EventID":"S6W-30733","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:26.693","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-16T15:31:25.623","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress of the research that it commissioned on the experience of Gypsy/Travellers in Scotland during the so-called Tinker Expe","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress of the research that it commissioned on the experience of Gypsy/Travellers in Scotland during the so-called Tinker Experiment, which was originally due to be completed in September 2024.","AnswerText":"The archival fieldwork for the independent research has been completed and the report on this complex work is currently being produced. We intend to publish a report in due course, and will work to ensure those who wish to provide feedback and share their experiences are able to do so.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425248,"EventID":"S6W-30671","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5877,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:28.843","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-14T13:51:54.22","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the presentation of a flood protection scheme in a publicly-available notification must be sufficiently clear so that the deemed planning","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the presentation of a flood protection scheme in a publicly-available notification must be sufficiently clear so that the deemed planning authority-granted elements of the scheme are clearly and unambiguously identifiable from any elements that require planning permission under the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997.","AnswerText":"Section 57(2B) of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 provides that once a flood protection scheme is confirmed (whether by the local authority or the Scottish Ministers), the Scottish Ministers are to direct that planning permission for the development is deemed to be granted, subject to any planning conditions which Ministers may specify.The implementation of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 is primarily a matter for local planning authorities.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425249,"EventID":"S6W-30614","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:29.863","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-10T15:53:44.39","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how its review of the Community Rights to Buy will consider how communities can actively respond to the nature and climate emergencies.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how its review of the Community Rights to Buy will consider how communities can actively respond to the nature and climate emergencies.","AnswerText":"The review of the community rights to buy will look at legislative and procedural changes that can help make those rights more accessible to communities. How, and for what purposes, communities choose to exercise those rights to buy, is a matter for each community to decide. The review will make sure that those rights can be exercised more easily when communities need them.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425250,"EventID":"S6W-30568","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:29.57","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T15:17:45.183","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met Police Scotland to discuss road safety at the Toll of Birness.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met Police Scotland to discuss road safety at the Toll of Birness.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not met with Police Scotland specifically to discuss road safety at the Toll of Birness.Transport Scotland and Amey however had the opportunity to discuss road safety at the Toll of Birness with Police Scotland on 1 August 2023 following a separate meeting that had been arranged to discuss two locations on the A90 in the North East of Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425251,"EventID":"S6W-30664","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5877,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:25.51","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-14T13:49:44.93","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has developed the Cycle Two process for guiding and determining flood protection schemes under the&nbsp;Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009, and, if so,","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has developed the Cycle Two process for guiding and determining flood protection schemes under the&nbsp;Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009, and, if so, when this will be published.","AnswerText":"A joint COSLA/ Scottish Government Flood Risk Management Funding Working Group has been set up to discuss funding and governance of flood resilience actions in Scotland and make recommendations to Cosla and Scottish Ministers on cycle 1 and cycle 2 flood protection schemes. The group includes representatives from COSLA, SEPA, local authority Directors of Finance and flood officers, and Scottish Government officials.The work of this group continues with some recommendations already agreed by Ministers and COSLA Leaders whilst further recommendations are being developed.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425252,"EventID":"S6W-30575","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:26.81","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T15:17:45.183","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the recorded causes of road traffic incidents at the Toll of Birness have been since January 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the recorded causes of road traffic incidents at the Toll of Birness have been since January 2024.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has reviewed the personal injury accident information provided by Police Scotland and can confirm that there has been one personal injury accident at the Toll of Birness junction between 1 January 2024 and 30 September 2024, the date for which data is currently available. As this road traffic collision is subject to ongoing Police enquiries no further information can be provided on its cause at the present time.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425253,"EventID":"S6W-30740","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:27.223","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-17T08:08:40.757","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many fault reports have been submitted by members of the public in relation to the public electric vehicle charging network in each month of the last three years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many fault reports have been submitted by members of the public in relation to the public electric vehicle charging network in each month of the last three years.","AnswerText":"We can only provide information relating to the Scottish Government funded ChargePlace Scotland (CPS) public electric vehicle (EV) charging network. The commercial sector does not make their own charge point fault information readily available to third parties.Overall reliability across the CPS network is typically very good with charge points being available for use 95% to 97% on average each month. Most faults on the CPS network are short-lived in nature and in the majority of cases require no physical intervention. Typically around 90% of faults are resolved within 48 hrs with the ChargePlace Scotland helpdesk remedying most faults remotely.Please note, &lsquo;faults&rsquo; cover many different scenarios and do not necessarily relate to issues that affect the operation of the charging infrastructure itself, for example, it could relate to lighting at the site. Some faults may be reported by more than one member of the public and therefore each recorded fault is not necessarily a unique instance. The following table shows the total number of &lsquo;faults&rsquo; logged by members of the public.CPS have published a Network Performance page on the CPS website Network Performance &ndash; Charge Place Scotland which provides a breakdown of &lsquo;fault tickets&rsquo; by local authority from November 2022 onwards. Information prior to November 2022 has not been published on the website but is detailed in the following table.MonthFaults reported by the publicNov-21696Dec-21734Jan-22765Feb-22675Mar-22795Apr-22922May-22753Jun-22588Jul-22550Aug-22509Sep-22434Oct-22556ChargePlace Scotland notifies the charge point host and the supplier (the private company who sends out engineers to units) of faults. Members of the public can inform CPS of faults (for example, by phoning and advising that a charge point they have tried to use is not operational) but please note that separate data is not kept purely on reports submitted by members of the public.Weekly data is kept on a tracker beginning 30th October 2022 which had 109 faults for the week.The monthly figures thereafter are as follows:DATEFAULTSNovember 2022433December 2022525January 2023515February 2023425March 2023419April 2023409May 2023391June 2023408July 2023429August 2023318September 2023472October 2023471November 2023634December 2023603January 2024449February 2024366March 2024446April 2024471May 2024381June 2024500July 2024418August 2024534September 2024431The full month of October 2024 has not concluded at the time this response was compiled. However the following weekly figures are available &ndash;05-10-20249912-10-202411419-10-2024101","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425254,"EventID":"S6W-30665","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5877,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:25.307","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-14T13:50:14.83","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the pressures on its spending, what its position is on whether it is now appropriate for all Flood Risk Management Plans that are still to be approved to be","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the pressures on its spending, what its position is on whether it is now appropriate for all Flood Risk Management Plans that are still to be approved to be subject to Cycle Two arrangements.","AnswerText":"For the last 15 years the Scottish Government has provided Local Authorities with &pound;42m per annum for flood resilience through the general capital grant and we have committed to continue that until 2026. We have also committed an additional &pound;150m over the course of this Parliament to deliver improved flood resilience.The current distribution agreement is that 80% of available funding is allocated to the remaining schemes on the cycle one programme, and 20% allocated to local authorities to fund other actions within Flood Risk Management Plans.A joint COSLA/ Scottish Government Flood Risk Management Funding Working Group has been set up to discuss funding and governance of flood resilience actions in Scotland. The group includes representatives from COSLA, SEPA, local authority Directors of Finance and flood officers, and the Scottish Government.This group has put a series of recommendations to Scottish Ministers and COSLA leaders to improve the affordability of cycle one and will make further recommendations as required.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425255,"EventID":"S6W-30583","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:28.983","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T15:17:45.183","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many times it has provided a fast-track ministerial review in response to correspondence from members of the (a) Scottish and (b) UK Parliament since the start of th","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many times it has provided a fast-track ministerial review in response to correspondence from members of the (a) Scottish and (b) UK Parliament since the start of the current parliamentary session.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not collect or record information relating to the volume of ministerial correspondence that is fast-tracked.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jamie Hepburn","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425256,"EventID":"S6W-30726","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:30.433","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-16T12:50:03.437","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the letter of 3 October 2024 from its&nbsp;Directorate for Culture and Major Events to the managing director at&nbsp;The Orcadian, what assessment it made in","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the letter of 3 October 2024 from its&nbsp;Directorate for Culture and Major Events to the managing director at&nbsp;The Orcadian, what assessment it made in order to identify \"essential need\" prior to the freeze on public sector marketing expenditure.","AnswerText":"Following the implementation of emergency spending controls (which included the public sector marketing expenditure freeze), a process was put in place across all policy areas to rigorously assess which essential marketing expenditure should still proceed in 2024-25 and what activity can be halted or postponed. This assessment process is aligned with the 4 key priorities of the Scottish Government and with individual policy outcomes. All Scottish Government marketing expenditure with an essential need for 2024-25 is subject to the First Minister&rsquo;s approval.For clarity, the Scottish Government has not suspended public health marketing campaigns and remains committed to the importance that campaigns have in communicating public health priorities. It should be noted, however, that marketing is just one of a number of interventions that can affect health outcomes.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425257,"EventID":"S6W-30580","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:28.503","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T15:17:45.183","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish all correspondence with Flotation Energy regarding the Green Volt floating wind farm.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish all correspondence with Flotation Energy regarding the Green Volt floating wind farm.","AnswerText":"It is not practicable to publish all correspondence in relation to marine licence and/or consent applications and subsequent determinations, however key information such as application, consultation responses and decision notices are shared here: https://marine.gov.scot/marine-projects.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425258,"EventID":"S6W-30752","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:26.853","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-17T10:43:09.823","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many buildings in the Lothian region have been identified as having flammable cladding.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many buildings in the Lothian region have been identified as having flammable cladding.","AnswerText":"Only a Single Building Assessment meeting the Scottish Standards can identify what cladding if any a building has and further identify whether the cladding is unsafe.There are 107 entries in the pilot phase of the Cladding Remediation Programme. Entries may comprise a single block or building or a development or part of a development consisting of multiple blocks or buildings. Regional data is proactively published on gov.scot.Developers homeowners or other organisations may have commissioned assessments without informing the Scottish Government, Therefore the true number may be higher and could increase as further information becomes available.To respect the privacy of residents and homeowners we do not disclose the names of individual buildings or developments. The total entries in the pilot phase is 107, of which 69 entries are in Edinburgh and the Lothian region.Extract from Single Building Assessment programme: spending information - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).RegionTotalCity of Edinburgh62East Lothian5Midlothian1West Lothian1Total Edinburgh &amp; Lothian69","AnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425259,"EventID":"S6W-30669","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5877,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:27.453","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-14T13:51:38.977","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the design requirements of flood protection schemes (FPS) should be determined first-and-foremost by the hydrological and river and/or co","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the design requirements of flood protection schemes (FPS) should be determined first-and-foremost by the hydrological and river and/or coastal geomorphology, and that, therefore, the design of any active travel plans in the same area should only ever be considered once the design of an FPS has been agreed.","AnswerText":"A Flood Protection Scheme is a major place-based intervention. Local Authorities take the lead on their development and delivery, because they are best placed to understand local needs and opportunities. Like all place-based interventions, the design of a new flood protection scheme should consider how it interacts with, and on, other activities in that place.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425260,"EventID":"S6W-30585","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:28.537","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T15:17:45.183","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what correspondence it has had with members of the UK Parliament regarding the Green Volt project.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what correspondence it has had with members of the UK Parliament regarding the Green Volt project.","AnswerText":"Any correspondence from members of the UK Parliament will be processed by officials in line with the Scottish Ministerial Code.As is a matter of public record, Stephen Flynn, MP, contacted the then Minister for Energy and the Environment, Gillian Martin, in October 2023 forwarding on information from Flotation Energy. Mr Flynn asked that Scottish Government officials could review the information below and, if appropriate, arrange contact with those involved to discuss these matters further and stated that no detailed response is required just confirmation the below is receiving attention. A written response was sent to Mr Stephen Flynn MP confirming that officials had reviewed the information provided in his enquiry and that officials were in regular contact with the Green Volt project team on this matter and that discussions are ongoing regarding the progress of the Green Volt application.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425261,"EventID":"S6W-30615","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:25.967","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-10T15:53:44.39","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many landholdings in public ownership are (a) 3,000 hectares or more, (b) 1,000 to 2,999 hectares and (c) 500 to 999 hectares.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many landholdings in public ownership are (a) 3,000 hectares or more, (b) 1,000 to 2,999 hectares and (c) 500 to 999 hectares.","AnswerText":"Within the scope of the size thresholds stated in the question there are a total of 355 land parcels in public ownership in Scotland. The following table breaks this down by the size thresholds requested.Land parcel size threshold (ha)Number of land parcels in size threshold500-9991121,000-2,9991653,000+78These land ownership data relate to land owned or managed by Crown Estate Scotland (CES) and the following five public bodies:1.Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS);2.NatureScot;3.Ministry of Defence (MoD);4.Scottish Ministers Crofting and Farming Estate; and5.Scottish Water.The data analysed in providing the response to this question have been provided by the respective public bodies themselves, who collate and update their own data independently, so the data used here may be slightly out of date.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425262,"EventID":"S6W-30670","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5877,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:29.493","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-14T13:51:46.667","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether a working version of all hydrological and hydraulic models used to formulate flood maps in support of flood protection schemes should be ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether a working version of all hydrological and hydraulic models used to formulate flood maps in support of flood protection schemes should be made freely available to the public.","AnswerText":"SEPA&rsquo;s National Flood Risk Assessment (NFRA) underpins the Flood Risk Management Planning process in Scotland. It identifies potentially vulnerable areas (PVAs) where a multiagency approach is likely to be required to address flood risk. This ensures the process is nationally consistent.The NFRA uses SEPA&rsquo;s national flood hazard maps which include rivers, the sea and surface water. This flood map data provides quality assured nationally valuable resource in support of strategic flood risk decisions.SEPA&rsquo;s maps can be viewed freely from its website and in addition, the full suite of data is shared with partners and other organisations to support their flood risk management and public bodies&rsquo; duties.Once a strategic risk has been identified through the Flood Risk Management Planning process, more detailed work including hydraulic modelling can be undertaken to understand and confirm the risk and potential actions to mitigate it. Local authorities are responsible for developing this detailed modelling for flood protection schemes.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425263,"EventID":"S6W-30619","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:29.29","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-10T15:53:44.39","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Rural Land Market Insights Report published in summer 2024 by the Scottish Land Commission, confirming that rural land prices remain at an all-time high","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Rural Land Market Insights Report published in summer 2024 by the Scottish Land Commission, confirming that rural land prices remain at an all-time high, whether it plans to (a) review and (b) provide funding routes for communities seeking to take large areas of land into ownership.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to an ongoing programme of land reform, working with the powers and resources available to us, to tackle the pattern of land ownership in Scotland. Communities in Scotland now have more options than ever before to take ownership of land and assets. Since 2016, the Scottish Land Fund has approved 300 awards of funding for the acquisition of land and land assets, totalling over &pound;50m, bringing over 24,500 acres into community ownership.The Land Reform (Scotland) Bill introduced into Parliament earlier this year sets out ambitious proposals that will change how land is owned and managed in our rural and island communities for the better. If passed by the Scottish Parliament, the Bill will prohibit certain sales of over 1,000 hectares, until Ministers can consider the impact on the local community. Potentially, this could lead to some landholdings being lotted into smaller parts if this will support community sustainability. The Bill also seeks to empower communities with more opportunities to own land through introducing advance notice of certain sales from large landholdings.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425264,"EventID":"S6W-30563","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:29.397","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T15:17:45.183","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on road improvement works in the North East in the current financial year.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on road improvement works in the North East in the current financial year.","AnswerText":"So far &pound;23,094,147 has been spent on trunk road improvement schemes in the North East of Scotland during the 2024-25 financial year. This figure includes capital expenditure on Minor Improvement works, Structural Maintenance, Strategic Road Safety and Structures improvement schemes. This figure includes Construction, Design and Investigation costs.An additional &pound;993,181.21 has been spent on Major Project schemes in the North East of Scotland for financial year 2024-25. This figure provided includes spend for taking the various projects through design and statutory process stages, acquisition of land compensation payments, preparatory works, as well as costs associated with construction.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425265,"EventID":"S6W-30736","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:30.557","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-17T08:00:51.07","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29010 by Neil Gray on 28 August 2024, when the final Transport to Health plan will be published.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29010 by Neil Gray on 28 August 2024, when the final Transport to Health plan will be published.","AnswerText":"The Transport to health Plan was published on 30 October 2024 and sets out 20 commitments on behalf of the Scottish Government, Transport Scotland, and delivery bodies. The plan can be found here Transport to Health Delivery Plan - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)","AnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425266,"EventID":"S6W-30639","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:29.753","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-11T13:37:22.75","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the total amount spent by the public sector has been on IT systems and consultancy services, specifically in the areas of procurement and finance, in each year sinc","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the total amount spent by the public sector has been on IT systems and consultancy services, specifically in the areas of procurement and finance, in each year since 2020, also broken down by public sector body, and how this expenditure compares with the availability of the centrally-funded eCommerce shared service that can reportedly be used by these bodies at no or minimal cost.","AnswerText":"A report on public bodies data, including spend on different corporate functions in 2022-23, will be published on 15 November 2024 on the Scottish Government website, but this does not include the total amount spent by public bodies on IT systems and consultancy services specifically relating to procurement and finance systems. This is a matter for individual public bodies and is not held centrally. Whilst we do not hold this data we do monitor use of the eCommerce systems across the Scottish public sector and identify opportunities to promote and implement the tools available as part of the eCommerce Shared Service.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425267,"EventID":"S6W-30754","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-17T15:02:29.597","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-17T10:43:09.823","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessments have been undertaken to determine the cost of cladding remediation across Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessments have been undertaken to determine the cost of cladding remediation across Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has been actively assessing the issue of cladding on high-rise buildings across the country. As part of its commitment to ensuring the safety of residents, several steps have been taken to determine the scale and cost of cladding remediation.1.Building Safety Assessments: A nationwide review of high-rise buildings has been conducted to identify those with potentially unsafe cladding. This includes a comprehensive inventory of buildings affected by materials such as Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) and other types of cladding.2.Financial Impact Analysis: The Scottish Government has commissioned detailed financial assessments to estimate the overall cost of remediation efforts. This process involves consultation with local authorities, housing associations, and private sector stakeholders to gather data on the number of affected buildings and the potential costs of necessary remedial work.3.Pilot Project and Funding Allocations: The pilot project has been initiated to address cladding issues, and these have provided initial data on the costs associated with removing and replacing unsafe cladding. Additionally, funding schemes such as the Single Building Assessment Programme have been introduced to support building owners in conducting safety assessments and implementing remediation where necessary.4.Collaboration with the UK Government: As part of a broader UK-wide effort, the Scottish Government continues to liaise with the UK Government on financial support mechanisms, including potential contributions from developers and building product manufacturers responsible for defective cladding.We are committed to providing funding to safeguard homeowners and residents by addressing the risk to human life that is (directly or indirectly) created or exacerbated by a building&rsquo;s external wall cladding system.The cumulative spend of the programme to date is &pound;9.0m. Spend of &pound;0.5m was incurred in quarter one 2024-25 to support programme delivery works.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425294,"EventID":"S6W-30771","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-18T13:58:13.063","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-17T15:37:35.667","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to measure long-term trends in NHS dental activity and assess if activity has improved year on year, given there has been reform in the system","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to measure long-term trends in NHS dental activity and assess if activity has improved year on year, given there has been reform in the system","AnswerText":"Public Health Scotland have produced regular Official Statistics post introduction of NHS dental payment reform. The most recent version was published on 27 August 2024 and provides the activity levels for all treatment items, each month since introduction. Statistical information will form the basis of ongoing monitoring of dental sector activity.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425295,"EventID":"S6W-30759","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-18T13:58:13.577","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-17T11:07:05.033","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when ministers became aware of the Ofqual review of the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) investigations, which resulted in the SQA's undertaking to Ofqual was acc","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when ministers became aware of the Ofqual review of the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) investigations, which resulted in the SQA's undertaking to Ofqual was accepted in August 2024, into&nbsp;the resit assessments for the 2024 SQA Level 1 Health and Safety in a Construction Environment qualification.","AnswerText":"Ofqual regulates qualifications, examinations and assessments in England. Its findings relate to the SQA Level 1 Health and Safety in a Construction Environment qualification delivered in England which was withdrawn by SQA in April 2019.SQA made the Scottish Government aware of the issue through its regular governance channels when it first arose in 2019 and have regularly updated the Scottish Government on developments throughout the process.SQA formally notified the Scottish Government of the final and published version of the Undertaking given by the SQA to Ofqual on 11 October 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425296,"EventID":"S6W-30763","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-18T13:58:13.667","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-17T11:07:05.033","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the the undertaking given by theScottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and accepted by Ofqual on 16 August2024, when concerns were raised with or within th","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the the undertaking given by theScottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and accepted by Ofqual on 16 August2024, when concerns were raised with or within the SQA regarding compliancewith Ofqual's conditions of recognition and the 2024 SQA Level 1 Health and Safety in a Construction Environment qualification; whatsteps the SQA took in response, and when.","AnswerText":"Ofqual regulates qualifications, examinations and assessments in England. It&rsquo;s findings relate to the SQA Level 1 Health and Safety in a Construction Environment qualification delivered in England which was withdrawn by SQA in April 2019.SQA is an executive Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB), established under the Education (Scotland) Act 1996. As a NDPB, SQA is responsible for making its own operational decisions. The undertaking by the SQA to Ofqual is a matter for Ofqual. The Scottish Government will be monitoring progress closely.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425297,"EventID":"S6W-30764","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-18T13:58:13.673","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-17T11:07:05.033","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the the undertaking given by theScottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and accepted by Ofqual on 16 August2024, what actions the SQA took to address the im","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the the undertaking given by theScottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and accepted by Ofqual on 16 August2024, what actions the SQA took to address the impact on learners who wereawarded qualifications for the resit assessments for the 2024 SQA Level 1 Health and Safety in a Construction Environment qualification, which were subsequently withdrawn,whether the SQA put any compensatory measures in place, and how learners wereinformed of the situation.","AnswerText":"Ofqual regulates qualifications, examinations and assessments in England. Its findings relate to the SQA Level 1 Health and Safety in a Construction Environment qualification delivered in England which was withdrawn by SQA in April 2019.SQA is an executive Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB), established under the Education (Scotland) Act 1996. As a NDPB, SQA is responsible for making its own operational decisions. I have asked the SQA to write to Mr Rennie setting out the measures taken and communications with stakeholders related to the undertaking.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425298,"EventID":"S6W-30760","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-18T13:58:13.223","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-17T11:07:05.033","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the the undertaking given by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and accepted by Ofqual on 16 August 2024, whether it is aware of what \"significant ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the the undertaking given by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and accepted by Ofqual on 16 August 2024, whether it is aware of what \"significant issues\" were identified by Ofqual regarding the 2024 SQA Level 1 Health and Safety in Construction qualification, and if so what those issues were.","AnswerText":"Ofqual regulates qualifications, examinations and assessments in England. It&rsquo;s findings relate to the SQA Level 1 Health and Safety in a Construction Environment qualification delivered in England which was withdrawn by SQA in April 2019.SQA have regularly updated the Scottish Government on the Ofqual review from its inception.Ofqual has published its findings: Undertaking given by Scottish Qualifications Authority to Ofqual in accordance with B8 of the Conditions of Recognition - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425299,"EventID":"S6W-30776","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-18T13:58:13.063","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-18T10:07:48.26","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update on its commitment to establish a pilot scheme in secondary schools for the delivery of universal free school meals, in light of research","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update on its commitment to establish a pilot scheme in secondary schools for the delivery of universal free school meals, in light of research research published by NASUWT, which suggested that 21% of secondary school teachers are using money from the Pupil Equity Fund to buy school meals for children coming to school hungry,","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to tackling the child-poverty related attainment gap and is already ensuring eligible pupils in Secondary 1 to Secondary 6 can receive free school meals.Local authorities issue specific complementary guidance about how Pupil Equity Funding operates locally. This varies across Local Authorities and is designed to provide targeted support for children and young people affected by poverty to achieve their full potential. Headteachers have the flexibility to use this funding to help support children in their schools to close the poverty related attainment gap.In light of the challenging financial context, we have been clear that our initial focus will be on expanding Free School Meals to Primary 6 and 7 pupils who are in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment, which will be delivered in this Parliament.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425300,"EventID":"S6W-30775","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-18T13:58:13.687","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-18T08:50:06.197","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to settle the full &pound;6.9 million sum claimed by Angus Council under the Bellwin Scheme and, if so, when.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to settle the full &pound;6.9 million sum claimed by Angus Council under the Bellwin Scheme and, if so, when.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government processed payment of &pound;5.7 million (90%) to Angus Council on 10 April this year based on the interim Bellwin claim provided by the council. Following certification of the final claim and the supporting evidence provided, the balance will be paid to Angus Council week commencing 11 November.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425301,"EventID":"S6W-30773","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-18T13:58:13.66","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-17T15:45:43.6","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether reform to the NHS dental payment system in 2023 has meant it is not possible to compile data in a way that allows for examination of longer term trends.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether reform to the NHS dental payment system in 2023 has meant it is not possible to compile data in a way that allows for examination of longer term trends.","AnswerText":"The data available through NHS dental payment reform reflects the revision to fee codes that was delivered in November 2023. Activity and treatment trends are available in the Public Health Scotland statistics that have been published post reform.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425302,"EventID":"S6W-30769","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2678,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":141,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-18T13:58:13.61","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-17T15:07:47.293","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has reviewed Education Scotland's Building Racial Literacy programme and, if so, whether it can set out what specific materials on antisemitism are included a","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has reviewed Education Scotland's Building Racial Literacy programme and, if so, whether it can set out what specific materials on antisemitism are included as part of the initiative.","AnswerText":"The Building Racial Literacy (BRL) Programme is funded by the Scottish Government as part of the work of the Anti-Racism in Education Programme. An interim review Building Racial Literacy (education.gov.scot) was undertaken in 2022 and the programme underwent an external review in 2023 by The Collective, which can be viewed here. BRL External Evaluation (education.gov.scot).While the programme does not focus on one single experience or type of racism, feedback from participants evidences the wide range of racialised experiences, including antisemitism, which are incorporated into the programme&rsquo;s learning, as well as the ongoing commitment to spotlighting the social evolution of systemic racism.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425303,"EventID":"S6W-30770","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2678,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":141,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-18T13:58:13.613","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-17T15:08:56.67","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will engage with stakeholders, such as Education Scotland, to determine whether feedback needs to be sought on what information and what training should be av","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will engage with stakeholders, such as Education Scotland, to determine whether feedback needs to be sought on what information and what training should be available to teachers about antisemitism through initiatives such as the Building Racial Literacy programme.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable educational environment. Engaging with key partners such as Education Scotland to gather feedback on professional learning, training and the information provided about antisemitism takes place in various ways, including during meetings of the Education Learning and Professional Leadership workstream of the Scottish Government&rsquo;s Anti-Racism in Education programme.Education Scotland supports a range of organisations who create resources for or deliver teaching about antisemitism. It is crucial that any approach to antisemitism within educational materials also considers the broader context of how race and racism operate in society. This includes understanding the role of structural racism, institutional discrimination, and the persistence of stereotypes.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425304,"EventID":"S6W-30774","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-18T13:58:13.643","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-17T19:27:22.327","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the anticipated timescale is for the electrification of the Maryhill railway line in Glasgow.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the anticipated timescale is for the electrification of the Maryhill railway line in Glasgow.","AnswerText":"Whilst electrification remains an option, no timescale has been established for the decarbonisation of the Maryhill Line.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425305,"EventID":"S6W-30772","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-18T13:58:13.15","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-17T15:40:26.15","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how often car deck space on sailings of the passenger Northern Isles Ferry Services between Aberdeen-Lerwick has been full in each of the last five years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how often car deck space on sailings of the passenger Northern Isles Ferry Services between Aberdeen-Lerwick has been full in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"To ask the Scottish Government how often car deck space on sailings of the passenger Northern Isles Ferry Services between Aberdeen-Lerwick has been full in each of the last five years.The number of sailings where vehicle deck space reached full bookable capacity on the Aberdeen &ndash; Lerwick passenger vessels for each Contract Year is displayed in the following table, which also includes the number of passenger vessel sailings each year.&nbsp;Total SailingsFull based on 470m+&nbsp;NorthboundSouthboundNorthboundSouthboundJun 19 - Jul 203063061824Jun 20 - Jul 213343343120Jun 21 - Jul 223463464935Jun 22 - Jul 233383374219Jun 23 - Jul 243323336436","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425306,"EventID":"S6W-30766","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-18T13:58:13.66","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-17T13:04:52.603","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what emotional support, such as a school counsellor, is available in schools for children living with at least one alcoholic parental figure.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what emotional support, such as a school counsellor, is available in schools for children living with at least one alcoholic parental figure.","AnswerText":"The mental health and emotional wellbeing of children and young people in Scotland is of paramount importance. That is why we continue to support our local authority partners with &pound;16 million in funding to ensure that all school pupils aged 10 and above and all secondary schools in Scotland have access to school counselling services. Children impacted by parental alcohol or substance misuse can access these services and can also be referred to the school nurse service in order to receive appropriate support.We are also providing local authorities with &pound;15 million per annum to deliver community-based mental health and wellbeing support and services for children and young people, with many of these delivered through primary and secondary schools. It is for local authorities and schools to determine what support is put in place to best meet the needs of children and young people in their area.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425307,"EventID":"S6W-30756","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-18T13:58:13.06","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-17T11:07:05.033","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the the undertaking given by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and accepted by Ofqual on 16 August 2024, what steps it and the SQA have taken to e","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the the undertaking given by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and accepted by Ofqual on 16 August 2024, what steps it and the SQA have taken to ensure that the issues identified by Ofqual&rsquo;s investigation, similar to the&nbsp;resit assessments for the 2024 SQA Level 1 Health and Safety in a Construction Environment qualification, do not occur in future.","AnswerText":"Ofqual regulates qualifications, examinations and assessments in England. It&rsquo;s findings relate to the SQA Level 1 Health and Safety in a Construction Environment qualification delivered in England which was withdrawn by SQA in April 2019.We expect all public bodies to comply with their obligations and the Ofqual findings must be fully addressed.SQA is an executive Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB), established under the Education (Scotland) Act 1996. As a NDPB, SQA is responsible for making its own operational decisions. SQA has taken forward an action plan to address the concerns raised by Ofqual and the plan will be independently audited.The Scottish Government will be monitoring progress closely.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425308,"EventID":"S6W-30767","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-18T13:58:13.677","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-17T13:04:52.603","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what academic accommodation is available in schools for children that live with at least one alcoholic parental figure, in light of a report by Alcohol Focus Scotland th","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what academic accommodation is available in schools for children that live with at least one alcoholic parental figure, in light of a report by Alcohol Focus Scotland that noted that two-thirds of these children indicated that their parent(s) drinking had, among other negative effects, caused them to be late for school.","AnswerText":"The attendance of children and young people in schools is a priority for the Scottish Government. Our published guidance Ministerial foreword - Included, engaged and involved part 1: promoting and managing school attendance - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) for local authorities and schools is clear on the need to follow-up absence and provide appropriate support to address the underlying causes of absence.Under the Additional Support for Learning Act 2004, local authorities are under a statutory duty to identify, provide for, and review the additional support needs of their pupils. An additional support need can arise for any reason and be of short or long-term duration. Support needs arising from a young person&rsquo;s individual family circumstances, such as having an alcohol dependent parent, are covered by the 2004 Act.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425309,"EventID":"S6W-30768","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2678,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":141,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-18T13:58:13.687","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-17T15:07:19.22","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what information resources and training are available for teachers in all local authority areas to learn more about antisemitism and the need to guard against this form ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information resources and training are available for teachers in all local authority areas to learn more about antisemitism and the need to guard against this form of hatred.","AnswerText":"There is a range of investment and resources available to support teachers to promote equality and address racism and other forms of discrimination within their school communities.For example, Education Scotland, our national education improvement body, in partnership with Interfaith Scotland, has developed an Inclusion, Wellbeing and Equalities Professional Learning framework: Inclusion, Wellbeing and Equalities Professional Learning Framework | Leading professional learning | Professional Learning | Education Scotland which includes resources on religious literacy, aimed at supporting teachers&rsquo; understanding of the diverse needs, issues and discrimination experienced by different religious communities in the UK, including Jewish communities. Education Scotland also provides guidance on preventing radicalisation and extremism in schools; Prevent radicalisation and extremism | Resources | Education Scotland.In relation to antisemitism specifically, the Scottish Government provides funding for the Holocaust Educational Trust&rsquo;s Holocaust Educational Trust - LFA Project (het.org.uk) and Vision Schools Scotland&rsquo;s Holocaust education programme: Vision Schools Scotland (uws.ac.uk) which aims to promote excellence in Holocaust teaching. While both programmes focus on the Holocaust, they also promote awareness of Jewish people, culture and their contribution to society and address antisemitism in the world today, including through professional learning and resources for teachers.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425310,"EventID":"S6W-30777","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-18T13:58:13.62","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-18T10:07:48.26","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what is its response to research published by NASUWT, which suggests that 21% of teachers are using money from Pupil Equity Fund to buy school meals for children coming ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what is its response to research published by NASUWT, which suggests that 21% of teachers are using money from Pupil Equity Fund to buy school meals for children coming to school hungry.","AnswerText":"There is a package of national and local support available to assist schools in planning how to use their Pupil Equity Funding (PEF). Local authorities issue specific complementary guidance and headteachers can use their professional judgement to identify children in their school who may benefit from targeted interventions. Headteachers must develop a clear rationale for their use of PEF and plans must be grounded in evidence of what is known to be effective at raising attainment.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425311,"EventID":"S6W-30762","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-18T13:58:13.627","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-17T11:07:05.033","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the the undertaking given by theScottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and accepted by Ofqual on 16 August2024, whether it is aware of what issues were ide","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the the undertaking given by theScottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and accepted by Ofqual on 16 August2024, whether it is aware of what issues were identified by Ofqual regardingthe SQA's failure to ensure that the content of resit assessments for the 2024 SQA Level 1 Health and Safety in a Construction Environment qualification were fit for purpose, and if so what those issueswere and how they affected the course of Ofqual's investigation.","AnswerText":"Ofqual regulates qualifications, examinations and assessments in England. It&rsquo;s findings relate to the SQA Level 1 Health and Safety in a Construction Environment qualification delivered in England which was withdrawn by SQA in April 2019.SQA have regularly updated the Scottish Government on the Ofqual review from its inception.The investigation of the non-compliance is a matter for Ofqual. Ofqual has published its findings: Undertaking given by Scottish Qualifications Authority to Ofqual in accordance with B8 of the Conditions of Recognition - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425312,"EventID":"S6W-30765","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16188,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":82,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-18T13:58:13.613","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-17T12:05:42.23","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what actions are being taken to promote a culture of responsible textile consumption and reuse to ensure that (a) clothes are designed for recycling and (b) recycling fa","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what actions are being taken to promote a culture of responsible textile consumption and reuse to ensure that (a) clothes are designed for recycling and (b) recycling facilities have the necessary technologies to process them, and what impact the&nbsp;Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 will have on promoting an economy where materials, including textiles, remain in use for as long as possible to reduce the household waste carbon impact.","AnswerText":"The environmental impacts of current textile consumption can be damaging, and we recognise the need for a strategic approach to textiles, from production and consumption, through to recycling and end-of-life management, as set out in our draft Circular Economy &amp; Waste Route Map.The Route Map identifies a range of measures, including the intention to consult on kerbside collection of textiles. It also sets out that textiles are being considered as one of the priority products for our product stewardship plan, which will support the development of circular supply chains in Scotland by reducing the quantity of clothing that needs to be produced from raw materials.The Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 gives Scottish Ministers powers to make regulations to restrict the disposal of unsold goods and powers to make regulations that require businesses to report on waste and surplus for specified product types, both of which could include textiles.Scottish Ministers will also develop a statutory Code of Practice for household recycling, co-designed with local government, and consider ways to prevent materials being put into waste streams by building a high performing service across Scotland that will provide a consistent supply of high-quality recyclable materials.The Scottish Government's Let&rsquo;s Do Net Zero website provides practical advice and links to raise awareness of how we can reduce, reuse and recycle more effectively https://netzeronation.scot/.In addition, information and advice for consumers on how they can make fashion more sustainable is provided by Zero Waste Scotland in their guide on https://www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/resources/how-fast-fashion-failing-environment","AnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425313,"EventID":"S6W-30761","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-18T13:58:13.68","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-17T11:07:05.033","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the the undertaking given by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and accepted by Ofqual on 16 August 2024, whether it is aware of the concerns ident","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the the undertaking given by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and accepted by Ofqual on 16 August 2024, whether it is aware of the concerns identified by Ofqual in January 2022 regarding the SQA's approach to investigating and dealing with with malpractice and maladministration concerns and. if so. what whose concerns were.","AnswerText":"Ofqual regulates qualifications, examinations and assessments in England. It&rsquo;s findings relate to the SQA Level 1 Health and Safety in a Construction Environment qualification delivered in England which was withdrawn by SQA in April 2019.SQA have regularly updated the Scottish Government on the Ofqual review from its inception.Ofqual has published its findings: Undertaking given by Scottish Qualifications Authority to Ofqual in accordance with B8 of the Conditions of Recognition - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425314,"EventID":"S6W-30757","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-18T13:58:13.653","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-17T11:07:05.033","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the undertaking given by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) to Ofqual, which was accepted on 16 August 2024, and the non-compliances ide","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the undertaking given by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) to Ofqual, which was accepted on 16 August 2024, and the non-compliances identified by Ofqual's investigation into the resit assessments for the 2024 SQA Level 1 Health and Safety in a Construction Environment qualification","AnswerText":"Ofqual regulates qualifications, examinations and assessments in England. It&rsquo;s findings relate to the SQA Level 1 Health and Safety in a Construction Environment qualification delivered in England which was withdrawn by SQA in April 2019.We expect all public bodies to comply with their obligations and the Ofqual findings must be fully addressed.SQA is an executive Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB), established under the Education (Scotland) Act 1996. As a NDPB, SQA is responsible for making its own operational decisions. SQA has taken forward an action plan to address the concerns raised by Ofqual and the plan will be independently audited.The Scottish Government will be monitoring progress closely.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425315,"EventID":"S6W-30758","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-18T13:58:13.603","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-17T11:07:05.033","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what communication it has had with the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and Ofqual regarding the undertaking the SQA gave to Ofqual, which was accepted on 16 Augu","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what communication it has had with the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and Ofqual regarding the undertaking the SQA gave to Ofqual, which was accepted on 16 August 2024, following Ofqual's identification of non-compliance with its conditions into the resit assessments for the 2024 SQA Level 1 Health and Safety in a Construction Environment qualification.","AnswerText":"Ofqual regulates qualifications, examinations and assessments in England. It&rsquo;s findings relate to the SQA Level 1 Health and Safety in a Construction Environment qualification delivered in England which was withdrawn by SQA in April 2019.The Scottish Government meets regularly with SQA to discuss a range of matters. This has included updates on Ofqual&rsquo;s investigation of SQA.SQA is an executive Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB), established under the Education (Scotland) Act 1996. As a NDPB, SQA is responsible for making its own operational decisions. The undertaking by the SQA to Ofqual is a matter for Ofqual. The Scottish Government will be monitoring progress closely.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425316,"EventID":"S6W-30781","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2678,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":141,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-21T14:37:06.73","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-18T13:54:41.143","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has reviewed the document, Guidance on the Provision of Wheelchairs on Short-Term Loan, which was published in March 2021, to consider whether any updates may","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has reviewed the document, Guidance on the Provision of Wheelchairs on Short-Term Loan, which was published in March 2021, to consider whether any updates may be required.","AnswerText":"In 2023, Scottish Government published revised guidance on the Provision of Equipment and Adaptations, which includes actions regarding provision for short-term wheelchair loans. Officials are currently engaging with Health and Social Care Partnerships to better understand how this and the related guidance on the Provision of Wheelchairs for Short-Term Loan is being locally implemented. Throughout the course of their engagement, officials will consider if any updates to this guidance or additional materials are necessary.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425317,"EventID":"S6W-30793","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-21T14:37:06.767","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-21T09:16:25.053","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any crimes of drug possession will be recorded, for the purposes of recorded crime statistics, for those who enter the safer drug consumption facility in Glasgow","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any crimes of drug possession will be recorded, for the purposes of recorded crime statistics, for those who enter the safer drug consumption facility in Glasgow in possession of substances deemed illegal under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1972.","AnswerText":"As a harm reduction service, there is no intention that staff would record or report suspected crimes in relation to the possession of drugs. The service will collate information on the substances being reported by service users but this will be anonymous and for the purposes of the city&rsquo;s drug harms agenda in relation to gathering intelligence to support wider service responses. Staff working in the service are not expected to determine whether a crime in relation to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 is being committed.Police Scotland will record any crime in the usual manner, there is no change to either Police Scotland or crime reporting where they find people to be committing a crime, including those under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425318,"EventID":"S6W-30787","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-21T14:37:06.637","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-18T16:26:57.64","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will share its estimate of thetimeframes by when any backlog of (a) inpatient and (b) outpatient care in NHSWestern Isles will be cleared.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will share its estimate of thetimeframes by when any backlog of (a) inpatient and (b) outpatient care in NHSWestern Isles will be cleared.","AnswerText":"All long waits are regrettable, and we continue to work with Health Boards, including NHS Western Isles, to drive improvements in waiting times.Public Health Scotland publishes data on NHS Waiting Times across NHS Scotland quarterly. This can be accessed using the following link: Stage of treatment waiting times - Inpatients, day cases and new outpatients quarter ending 30 June 2024 - NHS waiting times - stage of treatment - Publications - Public Health Scotland. The data for NHS Western Isles show:Inpatient/Day-Case:Ongoing waits: 371Over 52 weeks: 1Over 78 weeks: 0New Outpatient Appointment:Ongoing waits: 1,518Over 52 weeks: 14Over 78 weeks: 2I understand from NHS Western Isles that 70% of Inpatient/Day-Case patients are currently listed within 12 weeks. However, a small number of patients are waiting longer due to medical unavailability or due to the timetable for visiting services.NHS Western Isles expect to clear the majority of their backlog for New Outpatients in November 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425319,"EventID":"S6W-30790","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-21T14:37:06.803","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-21T09:16:25.053","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent to date on the setting up ofthe safer drug consumption facility in Glasgow.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent to date on the setting up ofthe safer drug consumption facility in Glasgow.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has committed to funding this facility for &pound;2 million annually until March 2026. To date, the only Scottish Government spend on this facility is the first tranche of funding for 2024-25 which was &pound;760,000, provided to the HSCP in August. The second tranche of funding for 2024-25 is due to be provided in December.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425320,"EventID":"S6W-30782","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-21T14:37:06.79","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-18T15:04:15.667","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30195 by Shona Robison on 9 October, how much funding has been provided to each of the national public awareness health campaigns ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30195 by Shona Robison on 9 October, how much funding has been provided to each of the national public awareness health campaigns that have run since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.","AnswerText":"Financial Year 2023-24*Paid-for media public health campaigns:Detect Cancer Earlier&pound;360,115.02Dentistry Reform&pound;213,310.79Adult Mental Health&pound;450,109.58Organ Donation&pound;32,609.15Right Care Right Place&pound;171,433.19Vaping&pound;178,292.84Winter Vaccines&pound;676,346.72**Low Cost / No cost public health campaigns:Women &amp; Girls in Sport Week&pound;34,658.40Lyme Disease&pound;25,041.57Smoking Cessation&pound;13,786.72**Campaigns funded by Scottish Government working in partnership with executive agencies or other public sector organisations:Childhood Flu &ndash; Public Health Scotland&pound;92,574Sperm &amp; Egg &ndash; NHS Scotland&pound;50,520Financial Year 2024-25*Paid-for media public health campaigns which have so far run in financial year 2024-25 are as follows. These are estimated costs which cannot be finalised until all campaign spend is reconciled:Dementia Stigma&pound;410,000Detect Cancer Earlier&pound;450,000Organ Donation &amp; Tissue Week&pound;30,000Appropriate Use of NHS Services - Right Care Right Place&pound;250,000Sexual Assault Referral Centres&pound;99,000**Low Cost / No cost public health campaigns:Women &amp; Girls in Sport Week&pound;39,000The Importance of Home Recovery - Home First&pound;47,000Abortion Safe Access Zones&pound;25,500**Campaigns funded by Scottish Government working in partnership with executive agencies or other public sector organisations:Winter Vaccines &ndash; Public Health Scotland&pound;58,200* publishable spend.** non publishable spend.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425321,"EventID":"S6W-30788","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-21T14:37:06.733","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-21T09:16:25.053","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many of its civil servants have workedon the establishment of the safer drug consumption facility in Glasgow in thefinancial years (a) 2023-24 and (b) 2024-25 to dat","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many of its civil servants have workedon the establishment of the safer drug consumption facility in Glasgow in thefinancial years (a) 2023-24 and (b) 2024-25 to date, and what the salaries are ofthose civil servants working in this area.","AnswerText":"Work on the establishment of a safer drug consumption facility in Glasgow by the Scottish Government has been undertaken through the Harm Reduction team in the Drugs Policy Division. The work has been led by a C1 (&pound;57,141&ndash;&pound;71,243) supported by a B3 (&pound;45,449&ndash;&pound;54,419).","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425322,"EventID":"S6W-30780","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2678,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":141,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-21T14:37:06.733","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-18T13:53:46.96","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is currently available incircumstances where NHS wheelchair and special seating provision may not beable to meet the needs of a patient.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is currently available incircumstances where NHS wheelchair and special seating provision may not beable to meet the needs of a patient.","AnswerText":"Following an assessment by a healthcare worker, the NHS will provide the necessary equipment to support the clinical needs of a patient free of charge. This includes the provision of a wheelchair. Seating is also provided to individuals free of charge following an assessment. For those living in a care home (residential and nursing), it is the responsibility of the care home to purchase and provide seating to their residents.However, should an individual choose to purchase other forms of equipment which is not available on the NHS or not assessed by the healthcare worker as required for their needs, they may be able to do so by using their Self-Directed Support (SDS) budget, if the equipment clearly meets an identified personal outcome in their support plan.Another option is support via Adult Disability Payment. The key intent of Adult Disability Payment is to provide individuals with payments to help mitigate the costs they incur because of a disability or long-term condition. This means individuals can use it to pay for things such as care, access to community resources, transport, social activities, and any other goods or services of their choosing, including aids or equipment.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425323,"EventID":"S6W-30779","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2678,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":141,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-21T14:37:06.73","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-18T13:53:25.95","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what work has taken place in recent years todetermine whether a formal mechanism should be put in place to allow NHS boardsto partially fund privately purchased wheelcha","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work has taken place in recent years todetermine whether a formal mechanism should be put in place to allow NHS boardsto partially fund privately purchased wheelchairs through a personalised budgetor voucher scheme.","AnswerText":"Following a clinical assessment, the NHS will always provide the necessary equipment to support the healthcare needs of a patient. This includes the provision of a wheelchair.However, should an individual choose to purchase a wheelchair which is not available on the NHS, they may be able do so using their Directed Support (SDS) budget, if the wheelchair clearly meets an identified personal outcome in their support plan.Another option is support via Adult Disability Payment. The key intent of Adult Disability Payment is to provide individuals with payments to help mitigate the costs they incur as a result of a disability or long-term condition. This means individuals can use it to pay for things such as care, access to community resources, transport, social activities, and any other goods or services of their choosing, including aids or equipment.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425324,"EventID":"S6W-30792","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-21T14:37:06.867","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-21T09:16:25.053","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis has been conducted of any expectedchanges to the levels of non-drug related crime that occur near or within thevicinity of the safer drug consumption facil","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis has been conducted of any expectedchanges to the levels of non-drug related crime that occur near or within thevicinity of the safer drug consumption facility in Glasgow.","AnswerText":"The safer drug consumption facility is targeted at reducing drug-related harms. In countries where drug consumption rooms already operate, they have seen a drop in drug-related issues within the vicinity of the site. International literature suggests there is no increase in drug-related crime around these facilities but we are not aware of the measurement of non-drug related crime.Glasgow Health and Social Care Partnership plan to assess the impact of the opening of the safer drug consumption facility on the local community, including experiences of crime and perceptions of local safety as part of the formal evaluation, led by Public Health Scotland academics. This work is being informed by consultation with the local community.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425325,"EventID":"S6W-30785","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-21T14:37:06.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-18T16:26:57.64","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the timeframe was during which TransportScotland was required to assess and respond to any objections in relation tothe proposed Oban Municipal Harbour project; whe","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the timeframe was during which TransportScotland was required to assess and respond to any objections in relation tothe proposed Oban Municipal Harbour project; whether Transport Scotlandcompleted this work during the required timeframe and, if this was not thecase, what the reasons were for it not doing so.","AnswerText":"There is no specific timeframe set for the consideration of a Harbour Order application. The Harbour Order application process can be complex and, depending on the proposed aims and potential impact, some applications require more detailed consideration. Applicants may choose to communicate directly with those who make representations during the formal consultation period, which can increase the time to complete the process. However, this can also help ensure that an application is adequately considered, providing the opportunity for all those impacted by its aims to provide views before a final decision is made.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425326,"EventID":"S6W-30789","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-21T14:37:06.737","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-21T09:16:25.053","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much the safer drug consumption facility, opening in Glasgow, is anticipated to cost in its first year of operation.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much the safer drug consumption facility, opening in Glasgow, is anticipated to cost in its first year of operation.","AnswerText":"The anticipated full year spend (12 months from opening, not the financial year) is &pound;2.3 million. This funding is largely to cover the staffing of the facility. Glasgow Health and Social Care Partnership have funded the building works and furnishings.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425327,"EventID":"S6W-30791","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-21T14:37:06.863","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-21T09:16:25.053","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any money has been spent procuring substances deemed illegal under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1972 for use in the safer drug consumption facility in Glasgow and, if","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any money has been spent procuring substances deemed illegal under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1972 for use in the safer drug consumption facility in Glasgow and, if so, how much has been spent and which substances have been purchased.","AnswerText":"Substances used within the service are procured by the individuals using the service and not by the service itself. The Lord Advocate indicated in September 2023 that she would be prepared to publish a statement of prosecution policy to the effect that it would not be in the public interest to prosecute users of the facility in terms of section 5(2) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 for simple possession offences committed within the confines of the safer drug consumption facility. This does not apply to the staff. No substances have been or will be purchased, and therefore there are no associated costs.The SDCF website contains information on the service and highlights that those attending the service &lsquo;can only use the drug they bring onto the site&rsquo;.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425328,"EventID":"S6W-30786","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-21T14:37:06.823","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-18T16:26:57.64","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of the total cost of the consultation process for the proposed Oban Municipal Harbour project, from December 2023 to date.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of the total cost of the consultation process for the proposed Oban Municipal Harbour project, from December 2023 to date.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government applies fixed fees for its processing of Harbour Orders in Scotland. These are as follows:&pound;2,000 for an order the sole purpose of which is to amend the borrowing powers of an existing authority;&pound;4,000 for any other order that would not empower an authority to undertake works;&pound;6,000 for an order which expressly empowers an authority to undertake works where an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is not required; and&pound;10,000 for an order which expressly empowers an authority to undertake works where it is decided that an EIA is required.As this proposal does not involve works, the fee paid by Argyll and Bute Council to the Scottish Government for the Argyll and Bute Council (Oban) Harbour Revision Order application is &pound;4,000.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425329,"EventID":"S6W-30778","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-21T14:37:06.75","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-18T13:51:30.423","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the increase in ferry fares for2025-26 is being implemented several months earlier on Northern Isles routesthan on Clyde and Hebrides services.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the increase in ferry fares for2025-26 is being implemented several months earlier on Northern Isles routesthan on Clyde and Hebrides services.","AnswerText":"The usual timing of the annual implementation of changes to ferry fares has been consistent for many years and is defined in the Northern Isles Ferry Services (NIFS) contract as January and the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services (CHFS) contracts as the start of CHFS summer timetable.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425338,"EventID":"S6W-30806","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-22T15:00:31.983","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-22T10:37:32.547","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of any benefits of Scotland&rsquo;s Green Freeports to Scotland&rsquo;s wider economy.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of any benefits of Scotland&rsquo;s Green Freeports to Scotland&rsquo;s wider economy.","AnswerText":"As part of the business case setup phase, each Green Freeport is required to submit detailed analysis to Government setting out the benefits they will deliver. By driving new investment, creating high-quality employment and promoting decarbonisation, both Green Freeports seek to have transformational impacts not only in their respective regional economies but also in wider supply chains across Scotland and beyond. Forth Green Freeport aims to support up to 34,500 jobs, including creation of up to 16,000 direct jobs. Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport aims to create over 18,000 jobs in the UK &ndash; over 11,000 of those in the Highlands. Both Governments have carefully scrutinised the business cases of each Green Freeport to ensure the benefits articulated are deliverable, supported by evidence, and represent value for money. The Scottish and UK Government have also established a Green Freeports monitoring and evaluation framework which will gather regular performance data, track the Green Freeports&rsquo; against their aims, and report on progress.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425339,"EventID":"S6W-30797","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-22T15:00:32.16","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-21T10:01:36.143","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question&nbsp;S6W-26654&nbsp;by Jenny Gilruth on 10 May 2024, whether it has any plans to seek to amend section 42(4) of the Education (Scotlan","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question&nbsp;S6W-26654&nbsp;by Jenny Gilruth on 10 May 2024, whether it has any plans to seek to amend section 42(4) of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 to alter the statutory walking distances of (a) two miles for children aged under eight and (b) three miles for children aged eight or over.","AnswerText":"As part of their statutory responsibilities in relation to home to school transport local authorities are also required by the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 to have regard to the safety of pupils.Where local authorities conclude a route used by pupils to walk to school is unsafe transport should be provided even though the distance falls short of their normal distance criteria. Existing guidance sets out that Ministers expect local authorities to keep their criteria for providing school transport under review and be flexible enough to take into account factors, relative to the nature of the route, which might affect pupil safety.The Cabinet Secretary for Transport, the Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity and I have commissioned an update to the Scottish Government&rsquo;s school transport guidance for local authorities to provide further clarity on our expectations in relation to safety.The statutory minimum walking distances set out in legislation are a long-standing feature of our education system and there are no plans to change them. The Scottish Government published guidance for local authorities regarding home to school transport in 2021.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425340,"EventID":"S6W-30801","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-22T15:00:31.977","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-21T12:32:18.65","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of the UK Government's proposal to end the VAT exemption for private schools on the closure of private schools in Sco","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of the UK Government's proposal to end the VAT exemption for private schools on the closure of private schools in Scotland.","AnswerText":"Officials have met with education leads in the local authorities expecting to be most affected to understand their assessment of the potential move of pupils to the state sector. We have also sought assurance from local authorities that they have the capacity to support pupils in the event of an independent school closing. I have met with the Scottish Council for Independent Schools and officials will continue to engage with them directly, following this policy change from the UK Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425341,"EventID":"S6W-30809","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-22T15:00:32.143","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-22T10:38:40.493","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many seven-day emergency readmissions there have been in each year since 2016, broken down by NHS board.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many seven-day emergency readmissions there have been in each year since 2016, broken down by NHS board.","AnswerText":"Table 1 provides information on the number of emergency readmissions within 7 days of a prior hospital discharge. The data are broken down by financial year (2016-17 to 2023-24) and NHS board of residence, in Scotland.Table 1: Emergency Readmissions within 7 days of a prior hospital discharge by NHS Board, Scotland 2016-17 to 2023-24NHS Board2016-172017-182018-192019-202020-212021-222022-232023-24NHS Ayrshire and Arran5,0585,4705,5065,2333,9474,5013,9704,435NHS Borders1,2691,2331,2421,1748158341,2991,531NHS Dumfries and Galloway1,4541,5601,5931,6541,2411,3671,4801,595NHS Fife3,9154,7444,7164,5473,4674,3104,4935,181NHS Forth Valley2,5242,5762,5294,2543,2703,5883,5583,514NHS Grampian4,7665,0315,0455,6614,2364,7194,9745,349NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde13,51811,46911,72312,0788,8589,9279,85710,477NHS Highland2,7353,4233,8943,7792,8773,4743,8204,005NHS Lanarkshire8,0117,8588,2348,5655,8267,3788,1787,953NHS Lothian8,1918,3178,7269,5518,0127,8426,7957,822NHS Orkney145153193174150171175138NHS Shetland147162181183154134148176NHS Tayside3,8353,7043,5883,9863,2413,9234,5835,332NHS Western Isles307321332392251264304265NHS Scotland55,87556,02157,50261,23146,34552,43253,63457,773Source: Public Health Scotland (SMR01)","AnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425342,"EventID":"S6W-30796","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-22T15:00:31.983","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-21T10:01:36.143","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider seeking to amend section 51 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 to ensure that the assessment of the safety of safe walking routes to school is","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider seeking to amend section 51 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 to ensure that the assessment of the safety of safe walking routes to school is undertaken by an independent body.","AnswerText":"As part of their statutory responsibilities in relation to home to school transport local authorities are also required by the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 to have regard to the safety of pupils.Where local authorities conclude a route used by pupils to walk to school is unsafe transport should be provided even though the distance falls short of their normal distance criteria. Existing guidance sets out that Ministers expect local authorities to keep their criteria for providing school transport under review and be flexible enough to take into account factors, relative to the nature of the route, which might affect pupil safety.The Cabinet Secretary for Transport, the Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity and I have commissioned an update to the Scottish Government&rsquo;s school transport guidance for local authorities to provide further clarity on our expectations in relation to safety.The statutory minimum walking distances set out in legislation are a long-standing feature of our education system and there are no plans to change them. The Scottish Government published guidance for local authorities regarding home to school transport in 2021.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425343,"EventID":"S6W-30799","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-22T15:00:32.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-21T12:08:00.383","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to increase the capital grant to East Dunbartonshire Council to progress projects across five schools in the local authority area, as reportedly request","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to increase the capital grant to East Dunbartonshire Council to progress projects across five schools in the local authority area, as reportedly requested by the council's chief executive.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s policy towards local authorities&rsquo; spending is to allow local authorities the financial freedom to operate independently. As such, the vast majority of funding is provided by means of a block grant. It is then the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources available to them, on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities.Decisions on Local Government budget allocations for future years are subject to the outcome of negotiations with COSLA, the results of which will be confirmed in future Scottish Budgets.Furthermore, although it is the statutory responsibility of local authorities to manage and maintain their school estate, East Dunbartonshire Council will receive significant funding support from the Scottish Government - through the &pound;2bn Learning Estate Investment Programme - for their Lenzie Academy project.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425344,"EventID":"S6W-30783","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-22T15:00:32.003","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-18T16:21:25.513","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-02414 byLorna Slater on 8 September 2021, whether Zero Waste Scotland was one of the agencies that worked onthe multi-agency proje","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-02414 byLorna Slater on 8 September 2021, whether Zero Waste Scotland was one of the agencies that worked onthe multi-agency project that resulted in the electronic duty of care (edoc)system, and, if this is the case, for what reason nodetails of this were included in the answer to&nbsp;question S6W-30359 byGillian Martin on 16 October 2024.","AnswerText":"The reply to the 2024 PQ S6W-30359 was interpreted as seeking cost information for the Digital Waste Tracking project. The Electronic Duty of Care (edoc) system was a wholly separate project to the ongoing &ldquo;Digital Waste Tracking&rdquo; project. As such, edoc was not referred to in the response to PQ S6W-30359 on 16 October 2024.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425345,"EventID":"S6W-30158","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-22T15:00:32.157","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T15:01:00.22","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it stated that the terms of reference of the Zero Waste Scotland landfill ban and infrastructure capacity report were \"incomplete\" and \"under final revie","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it stated that the terms of reference of the Zero Waste Scotland landfill ban and infrastructure capacity report were \"incomplete\" and \"under final review\" on 19 June 2024, in correspondence with Friends of the Earth Scotland in response to freedom of information request FOI/202400417634, in light of it having stated in earlier correspondence on 3 May 2024 that the \"outputs and recommendations of this work are currently under consideration by the Scottish Government\".","AnswerText":"The landfill ban and infrastructure capacity report was published by Zero Waste Scotland on 11 October 2024. At the time of the Environmental Information Regulations request (EIR), 19 June 2024, the report was still being reviewed by ZWS. Scottish Government considered outputs and considerations of various draft versions of the report prior to its final publication.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425346,"EventID":"S6W-30795","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-22T15:00:32.167","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-21T09:38:32.94","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12859 by Jenny Gilruth on 20 December 2022, what further progress has been made regarding the reform of the Traffic Regulation Ord","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12859 by Jenny Gilruth on 20 December 2022, what further progress has been made regarding the reform of the Traffic Regulation Orders system.","AnswerText":"There are currently no imminent plans to make any further amendments to the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) system, following the amended Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) regulations which were introduced in November 2021.The Scottish Government will continue to engage with a range of stakeholders including the local authority sector, Police Scotland and business and active travel representatives to understand any issues that arise from the various road order processes.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425347,"EventID":"S6W-30810","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-22T15:00:32.227","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-22T10:55:25.35","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the management of the City of Glasgow College regarding the long-term future of the Trade Union Education Centre.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the management of the City of Glasgow College regarding the long-term future of the Trade Union Education Centre.","AnswerText":"I raised this issue with the Principal of City of Glasgow College on 29 October 2024, who assured me the College remains committed to providing trade union education.The Scottish Government welcomes the new partnership agreement reached between the College and the Trade Union Congress. I encourage both parties to continue to work collaboratively to find ways to ensure sustainable delivery of trade union education at the City of Glasgow College on a longer-term basis.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425348,"EventID":"S6W-30804","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-22T15:00:32.217","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-22T08:52:56.22","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what value it places on heritage industries like spinning and the wool sector.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what value it places on heritage industries like spinning and the wool sector.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the intrinsic value of traditional skills and practices within heritage industries, and their important role both in local communities and within our wider society.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425349,"EventID":"S6W-30807","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-22T15:00:32.22","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-22T10:37:59.31","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many delayed discharges there were in NHS Ayrshire and Arran in each month from January 2022 to September 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many delayed discharges there were in NHS Ayrshire and Arran in each month from January 2022 to September 2024.","AnswerText":"Public Health Scotland's latest monthly statistics publication Delayed discharges in NHSScotland monthly - Figures for September 2024 - Delayed discharges in NHSScotland monthly - Publications - Public Health Scotland, published on 5 November, shows the number of delayed discharges by Health Board and by month, up to and including September 2024.The relevant information can be found in Summary tables to September 2024 2024-11-05_delayed_discharges_summary_tables_to_september_2024.xlsx (live.com) on sheet Tab 1 Summary, by selecting the relevant health board and date range using the drop down options.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425350,"EventID":"S6W-30803","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-22T15:00:32.167","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-22T08:52:56.22","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with New Lanark Mill regarding the reported proposals for it to close.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with New Lanark Mill regarding the reported proposals for it to close.","AnswerText":"There was no formal consultation with Scottish Government or Historic Environment Scotland on the closure of the spinning mill, though Historic Environment Scotland had been aware of an ongoing review of the Trust&rsquo;s various enterprises as part of its wider vision to create long term sustainability for the World Heritage Site.The decision to close the New Lanark Spinning Mill is a decision for the owner of the site, New Lanark Trust, to make. New Lanark Trust has the responsibility for these difficult commercial decisions which it needs to consider within the context of the wider implications for the World Heritage Site to ensure its long-term sustainability.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425351,"EventID":"S6W-30805","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-22T15:00:32.223","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-22T10:37:23.607","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the potential for creating additional Green Freeports in Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the potential for creating additional Green Freeports in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government, in partnership with UK Government, agreed to deliver two Green Freeports in Scotland, and we are focussed on supporting the two selected Green Freeports to deliver maximum impact as soon as possible. There are no current plans to create additional Green Freeports in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425352,"EventID":"S6W-30800","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-22T15:00:32.17","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-21T12:13:49.607","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to expand mandatory pay gap disaggregated data collection to include reporting by parental status.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to expand mandatory pay gap disaggregated data collection to include reporting by parental status.","AnswerText":"The legal powers to mandate the reporting of pay gaps is largely reserved to the UK Parliament and is currently limited to the reporting of gender pay gaps under the Equality Act 2010 (Gender Pay Gap Information) Regulations 2017. There is no requirement for data to be disaggregated or collected to the level of parental status and Scottish Ministers have no plans to expand pay gap reporting in this way.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425353,"EventID":"S6W-30808","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-22T15:00:32.213","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-22T10:38:19.077","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many GP practices are currently closed to new patient registrations in each NHS board.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many GP practices are currently closed to new patient registrations in each NHS board.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Practices must apply to their Health Boards to close their lists and agree the conditions and timelines for reopening them.Circumstances will arise where GP practices experience capacity issues and are unable to routinely accept new patients onto their lists. We expect Health Boards to work with practices as constructively and as flexibly as is appropriate to help manage these situations and ensure that all patients have access to GP services.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425354,"EventID":"S6W-30798","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-22T15:00:32.227","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-21T11:08:19.743","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-22487 by Mairi McAllan on 9 November 2023,&nbsp;whether it will provide an update on which of the 42 formal flood protection schem","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-22487 by Mairi McAllan on 9 November 2023,&nbsp;whether it will provide an update on which of the 42 formal flood protection schemes or engineering works are (a) under construction and (b) at the planning or other stage of development, broken down by the (i) expected completion date, including the reason for any date being beyond the 2021 timeframe, (ii) number of properties that will be protected and (iii) (A) initial forecast and (B) final expected cost of each.","AnswerText":"The responsibility for development and delivery of flood protection schemes rests with individual local authorities, who are best placed to respond to local resilience needs.The first set of Flood Risk Management plans covering the period 2015-2021 included 42 prioritised flood protection schemes. Work was expected to start, but construction was not necessarily expected to be completed, on those schemes within this six-year timeframe.Flood protection schemes have impacts on individuals, communities and the environment, and require careful and thorough planning. Like all infrastructure projects, it can take many years for flood schemes to progress from option appraisal to completion.The Scottish Government provides funding to local authorities to enable delivery of these important projects. &pound;570million will be invested in flood resilience in the period 2016-2026.40 of 42 have received funding to support development. 2 were not deemed eligible because they had previously received funding.16 schemes are complete. The detailed status of those that remain is as follows:4 are under construction.Scheme(ii)Properties protected(i)CompletionDate(iii A)Initial cost(&pound; million) (1)( iii B)Estimated final cost(&pound; million) (2)Upper Garnock600?2024?15.518.5Hawick970202437.478.6Campbeltown77020249.315.2Millport Coastal657202412.148.6&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Schemes (b) under development are as follows:2 will commence construction in 2025.4 have been legally confirmed as required under the FRM Act (2009) and are undergoing further development and detailed design towards construction.5 have begun the legal notification process towards confirmation.SchemeStage(ii) Properties protected(iii A)Initial cost(&pound; million) (1)( iii B)Estimated Final Cost of Scheme (2)MilnathortConstruction start 2025791.90.9Mill Burn MillportConstruction start 20251241.11.7Kilmacolm &ndash; Glenmosston BurnConfirmed (3)Not held0.50.5ComrieConfirmed (3)18915.740.0Dumfries - WhitesandsConfirmed (3)16618.937.5Quarrier&rsquo;s VillageConfirmed (3)600.20.2Dumbarton - Gruggies BurnLegal notification complete (4)37014.520.0South KinrossLegal notification complete (4)Not held3.215.1MusselburghLegal notification complete (4)25008.995.9Bridge of AllanLegal notification complete (4)Not held4.417.0Newton Stewart/ River CreeLegal notification complete (4)2707.519.18 have been withdrawn from the cycle one funded programme (2 voluntarily and 6 because they failed to meet the notification deadline of 31 March 2024). 1 is no longer required.(1) Note: Initial costs as provided by local authorities in 2016-17.(2) Note: Final Scheme costs are the latest estimates provided by local authorities. Differences between these latest estimates and initial cost estimates arise as a result of inflationary pressures and because flood protection schemes are put forward for prioritisation at various stages of their development to fit with Flood Risk Management Planning cycle set out in the FRM Act. Costs are revised over time as designs are finalised and more detailed investigations are carried out and as new information emerges.Schemes will only be taken forward for construction if they receive the necessary statutory and regulatory approvals, so the expected completion date is not yet known.More detailed information on each of the schemes can be obtained from the relevant local authorities whose responsibility it is to develop and deliver flood protection schemes and who are best placed to answer specific questions on each of the schemes.(3) Note: Formally confirmed under Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act (2009).(4) Note: Notification (first stage towards legal confirmation) complete under Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act (2009)","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425355,"EventID":"S6W-30802","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-22T15:00:32.203","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-22T08:52:56.22","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will support wool producers that use the services and skills currently available at New Lanark Mill, in light of reports of proposals to close the mill.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will support wool producers that use the services and skills currently available at New Lanark Mill, in light of reports of proposals to close the mill.","AnswerText":"I would advise wool producers to engage with the British Wool Marketing Board, which is a public, non-financial corporation established by the British Wool Marketing Scheme (Approval) Order 1950. As the organisation can collect, grade and sell wool from across the UK on behalf of producer members, it may be able to advise on alternative services.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425356,"EventID":"S6W-30543","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-22T15:00:32.167","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T13:04:01.247","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it estimates the annual monetary value is of the trade in illicit drugs in Glasgow, in light of illicit drugs with an estimated value of &pound;5.5 million reported","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it estimates the annual monetary value is of the trade in illicit drugs in Glasgow, in light of illicit drugs with an estimated value of &pound;5.5 million reportedly being seized in the city.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold information to enable it to estimate the annual monetary value of the drugs trade in Glasgow.The Scottish Government welcomes the significant seizure of illicit drugs and the continuing activity by Police Scotland and other partners on the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce to remove illicit drugs from our communities and reduce the harm they cause.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425380,"EventID":"S6O-03876","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:20:13.027","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-22T09:12:25.73","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on how many genders there are.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on how many genders there are.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425381,"EventID":"S6O-03875","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:20:13.033","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-22T08:07:21.023","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on Police Scotland&rsquo;s extension across Scotland of the north east pilot of not investigating \"low-level\" crime.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on Police Scotland&rsquo;s extension across Scotland of the north east pilot of not investigating \"low-level\" crime.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425382,"EventID":"S6O-03872","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:20:13.033","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-21T13:36:32.393","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the &pound;12.5 million of funding that it plans to provide for education in Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia was set out in the Budget for 2024-25.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the &pound;12.5 million of funding that it plans to provide for education in Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia was set out in the Budget for 2024-25.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425383,"EventID":"S6O-03874","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:20:13.023","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-22T15:28:47.597","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the health secretary last met the Scottish Ambulance Service to discuss rural ambulance provision.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the health secretary last met the Scottish Ambulance Service to discuss rural ambulance provision.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425384,"EventID":"S6O-03869","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5596,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":151,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:20:13.02","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-22T12:00:50.817","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is in place for people in North Lanarkshire with Huntington's disease.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is in place for people in North Lanarkshire with Huntington's disease.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425385,"EventID":"S6O-03871","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5060,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:20:13.03","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-22T10:34:09.203","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and what issues were discussed.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and what issues were discussed.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425386,"EventID":"S6O-03873","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16189,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":129,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:20:13.03","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-22T16:23:40.42","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work that it has been undertaking with disabled people&rsquo;s organisations regarding the delivery of its Disability Equality P","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work that it has been undertaking with disabled people&rsquo;s organisations regarding the delivery of its Disability Equality Plan.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425387,"EventID":"S6O-03870","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5618,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":91,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:20:13.027","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-21T13:46:44.693","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work that it is doing to support those affected by historic forced adoption.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work that it is doing to support those affected by historic forced adoption.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425388,"EventID":"S6O-03864","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:20:02.62","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-23T09:21:42.873","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is committed to fully dualling the A96 from Inverness to Aberdeen.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is committed to fully dualling the A96 from Inverness to Aberdeen.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425389,"EventID":"S6O-03852","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:20:02.983","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-22T06:35:59.65","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made towards securing a long-term future for Ferguson Marine.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made towards securing a long-term future for Ferguson Marine.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425390,"EventID":"S6O-03851","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":86,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:20:02.853","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-23T09:39:50.887","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the economy secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding how its approach to business taxation supports the economy.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the economy secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding how its approach to business taxation supports the economy.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425391,"EventID":"S6O-03862","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2892,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:20:03.023","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-23T08:57:28.173","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce energy consumption from the built environment.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce energy consumption from the built environment.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425392,"EventID":"S6O-03861","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16191,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":77,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:20:02.623","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-23T09:11:39.83","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to generate investment into the net zero sector.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to generate investment into the net zero sector.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425393,"EventID":"S6O-03867","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16197,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:20:03.04","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-23T10:32:15.1","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support the internal ferry fleet in Orkney.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support the internal ferry fleet in Orkney.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425394,"EventID":"S6O-03856","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5075,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":112,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:20:02.89","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-23T08:41:56.717","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of what Scotland's fiscal position would be today had the UK remained a member of the EU.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of what Scotland's fiscal position would be today had the UK remained a member of the EU.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425395,"EventID":"S6O-03854","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:20:02.733","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-22T15:55:49.627","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has in place for local authorities that may be unable to fulfil any legal requirements for a balanced budget in the forthcoming financial year.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has in place for local authorities that may be unable to fulfil any legal requirements for a balanced budget in the forthcoming financial year.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425396,"EventID":"S6O-03866","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:20:02.653","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-23T10:56:01.877","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to fully implement the recommendations of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review in relation to the A77.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to fully implement the recommendations of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review in relation to the A77.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425397,"EventID":"S6O-03868","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2826,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":84,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:20:02.757","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-23T10:21:13.6","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many journeys in Glasgow have been taken by under-22s using a free bus pass in the last year.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many journeys in Glasgow have been taken by under-22s using a free bus pass in the last year.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425398,"EventID":"S6O-03847","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:20:03.06","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-23T10:11:35.61","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it evaluates the performance of the enterprise agencies in directly investing in businesses.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it evaluates the performance of the enterprise agencies in directly investing in businesses.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425399,"EventID":"S6O-03853","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:20:02.79","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-23T09:22:21.263","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how youth groups can access funds to buy community&nbsp;assets.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how youth groups can access funds to buy community&nbsp;assets.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425400,"EventID":"S6O-03850","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:20:02.82","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-21T16:24:36.483","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the potential closure of the Grangemouth oil refinery and any economic impact that this may have.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the potential closure of the Grangemouth oil refinery and any economic impact that this may have.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":425401,"EventID":"S6O-03865","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:20:02.833","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-22T17:43:23.847","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve public consultation on renewable energy projects by energy companies.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve public consultation on renewable energy projects by energy companies.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":425402,"EventID":"S6O-03858","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5608,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":103,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:20:02.953","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-23T08:36:04.413","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the finance secretary has had with ministerial colleagues, City of Edinburgh Council and other relevant stakeholders&nbsp;regarding how its financial pl","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the finance secretary has had with ministerial colleagues, City of Edinburgh Council and other relevant stakeholders&nbsp;regarding how its financial planning can support the delivery of affordable housing in Edinburgh.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425403,"EventID":"S6O-03848","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4940,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":81,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:20:03.007","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-21T12:26:54.567","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting entrepreneurship in the games sector.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting entrepreneurship in the games sector.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425404,"EventID":"S6O-03845","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16182,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":117,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:20:02.68","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-22T11:53:45.807","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the findings from Santander on the impact of Brexit on UK-EU trade, as it relates to Scotland's economy.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the findings from Santander on the impact of Brexit on UK-EU trade, as it relates to Scotland's economy.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425405,"EventID":"S6O-03857","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16186,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":120,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:20:02.807","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-23T08:18:07.193","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of any engagement that it has had withthe UK Government regarding potential Barnett consequential funding, how muchit anticipates that it will be able to alloc","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of any engagement that it has had withthe UK Government regarding potential Barnett consequential funding, how muchit anticipates that it will be able to allocate in its Budget to address anyrisks arising from reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425406,"EventID":"S6O-03859","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:20:02.71","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-21T12:01:31.59","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has carried out regarding the potential impact of introducing a public health supplement to be paid by retailers in Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has carried out regarding the potential impact of introducing a public health supplement to be paid by retailers in Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425407,"EventID":"S6O-03846","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5877,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:20:02.907","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-21T13:12:14.297","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the participation of disabled people in the economy is of significant benefit.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the participation of disabled people in the economy is of significant benefit.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425408,"EventID":"S6O-03860","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:20:02.923","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-22T09:47:34.55","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it is having with COSLA regarding the 2025-26 local government finance settlement.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it is having with COSLA regarding the 2025-26 local government finance settlement.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425409,"EventID":"S6O-03863","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:20:02.937","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-23T10:15:04.76","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is supporting local transport authorities to franchise bus services.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is supporting local transport authorities to franchise bus services.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425410,"EventID":"S6O-03855","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:20:02.773","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-22T14:44:55.947","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve transparency in the management of Scotland's finances.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve transparency in the management of Scotland's finances.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425411,"EventID":"S6O-03849","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16178,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":78,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:20:03.113","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-23T08:50:54.207","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to sustain the economic value of the chemical production sector based around Grangemouth.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to sustain the economic value of the chemical production sector based around Grangemouth.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425412,"EventID":"S6W-30820","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:54:32.557","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-22T12:03:08.043","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many prisoners in HMP Barlinnie have tested positive for drugs use in each year from 2022.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many prisoners in HMP Barlinnie have tested positive for drugs use in each year from 2022.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:Scottish Prison Service conducts Mandatory Drug Tests (MDTs) via urine testing, for two primary reasons, progression as part of the risk assessment process, and when an individual is suspected of taking an illicit substance, through suspicion testing.MDT urine testing can only detect certain substances, and many new synthetic substances such as Psychoactive Substances (PS) are undetectable via this testing method.The application of The Management of an Offender at Risk (MORS) policy, is applied when an individual is suspected to be under the influence of or have an unknown substance secreted on their person. This policy is in place to care and support individual&rsquo;s during this time and is not used or considered as a positive test.Most MDTs carried out in HMP Barlinnie since 2022 were conducted for progression reasons:YearNo of individuals testing positive202292023322024(up to and including 25 October)5","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425413,"EventID":"S6W-30825","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:54:33.167","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-23T08:06:11.09","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps are being taken to improve (a) diagnosis and (b) outcomes for people with brain tumours.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps are being taken to improve (a) diagnosis and (b) outcomes for people with brain tumours.","AnswerText":"Through our 10-year cancer strategy, the Scottish Government continues to have a focus on the less survivable cancers, including brain tumours, and improving their outcomes. We will assess the suitability of any new diagnostic tests specifically for brain tumours as the evidence develops.The Scottish Government is taking various actions to help ensure the right patient is on the right pathway at the right time, and they receive an appropriate diagnosis as early as possible. These actions include:A clinical review of the Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected CancerPublication of a new Headache Referral pathway, which lists red flag symptoms that indicate the need for urgent and/or emergency assessment to exclude a secondary cause, such as a brain tumourPublication of a Clinical Management Pathway for adult brain tumours, to ensure consistency, equity of treatment and care, and improve outcomes across Scotland.Brain cancer is one of 11 priority testing pathways with Scottish Government funding provided to NHS National Services Division (NSD) in 2023 to commission enhanced genomic testing for patients with brain cancer in Scotland. NSD are working with the laboratory service on an implementation plan for this testing.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425414,"EventID":"S6W-30784","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:54:32.97","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-18T16:26:57.64","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made an assessment of the impact of any so-called banking deserts on local communities within the Highlands and Islands region.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made an assessment of the impact of any so-called banking deserts on local communities within the Highlands and Islands region.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is aware of the impact that branch closures are having on people in Scotland, particularly in rural areas and our island communities.The regulation of financial services is reserved to the UK Government. In September the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) assumed new powers to regulate access to cash. The FCA&rsquo;s access to cash regime is data-led and outcomes focused, with flexibilities to accommodate different cash needs across local areas and changing cash usage trends. The new rules seek to reasonably address the local requirements of consumers and businesses and the FCA&rsquo;s expectation is that assessment processes will adapt over time based on lessons learned, data analysis, and evolving need. The FCA has indicated that it will also seek to prevent unreasonable delays in the delivery of appropriate cash access solutions as well as costs to accessing services while maintaining assisted services where needed.LINK, a not-for-profit organisation, has been named as the coordination body under the rules and automatically carries out an assessment when there is any change to cash services within a given community. LINK also have a community request scheme that allows local people and their elected representatives to request an access to cash review if they feel the current level of cash services in their area is insufficient. LINK have stated that they welcome input from elected representatives so that they can assure themselves that they have arrived at the correct decision for areas they have assessed.In October 2024, In my role as Minister for Business, I convened a cross-party roundtable with representatives from across the financial services sector, including the FCA, to discuss the new rules and the impact on communities, businesses, and individuals. The FCA have set out their belief that the data they will collect under the new regime will provide a more informed view of access to cash provision across the UK. Scottish Government will continue to work closely with the regulator and relevant stakeholders to understand the impact of changes to banking provision across Scotland and to collaborate on ways to support communities who need it most.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425415,"EventID":"S6W-30818","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:54:33.16","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-22T12:03:08.043","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on what the main routes are for any illicit drugs that are present in prisons and used by prisoners.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on what the main routes are for any illicit drugs that are present in prisons and used by prisoners.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:SPS has invested in technology to support and enhance an existing range of security measures and remains vigilant to the continuously evolving nature of drug use to ensure that these tactical measures remain current and capable of detecting and preventing drugs from entering our prisons.Despite these measures, individuals do still attempt to introduce contraband into prisons using methods such as drone activity, secretion on a person, impregnation onto and within articles and perimeter wall throws.SPS recognise the profound impact that illicit articles entering prisons have and acknowledges the continued need to support those in our care who misuse substances as well as those on their recovery journey.SPS will continue to work with partners to prevent the introduction of contraband and seek convictions where appropriate.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425416,"EventID":"S6W-30826","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:54:32.607","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-23T08:06:11.1","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to The Brain Tumour Charity&rsquo;s report, Understanding the barriers to diagnosis of brain tumours in Scotland, whether it is aware of any steps that have","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to The Brain Tumour Charity&rsquo;s report, Understanding the barriers to diagnosis of brain tumours in Scotland, whether it is aware of any steps that have been taken to implement the report's recommendations on assessing the viability of a diagnostic/triage tool in remote and rural settings.","AnswerText":"There are no diagnostic tools, such as blood tests, currently available in NHS Scotland to assess brain tumours in primary care.However, the new Headache Referral pathway can be used as a triage tool across Scotland based on presentation at General Practice. The pathway lists red flag symptoms that indicate the need for urgent and/or emergency assessment to exclude a secondary cause, such as a brain tumour, and is suitable for use within remote and rural settings.Further to this, the National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care (NCRRHC) was launched in October 2023. The Centre is working in an efficient, innovative way with health and social care providers that serve all of Scotland&rsquo;s remote, rural and island populations, aiming to improve the capability and sustainability of primary and community care-based service delivery.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425417,"EventID":"S6W-30827","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3763,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":142,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:54:32.637","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-23T08:06:57.793","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review the availability of roadside facilities for HGV drivers, and provide an analysis of where secure facilities should be available on the trunk r","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review the availability of roadside facilities for HGV drivers, and provide an analysis of where secure facilities should be available on the trunk road network.","AnswerText":"In 2022, the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) was published. recommendation-36-strategy-for-improving-rest-and-welfare-facilities-for-hauliers.pdf (transport.gov.scot) includes a detailed national audit and review of support for lorry parks. This would include consultation with the freight industry, representative bodies, local authorities, and other stakeholders to collect views on the provision of lorry parks including where and what type of facilities are required. The audit will indicate which routes have gaps in provision and support Transport Scotland in making future decisions on the need (or otherwise) to address market failure.Development of the STPR2 Delivery Plan is currently underway. This is a complex piece of work, with consultation ongoing across the Scottish Government, including with Statutory Bodies and Exchequer officials. Once this exercise is complete we will be able to advise with more certainty on the potential implementation of and the associated timelines of the proposed audit.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425418,"EventID":"S6W-30813","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:54:32.527","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-22T10:57:40.323","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what estimate (a) it and (b)&nbsp;the City of Glasgow College has made of any lost revenue for the College resulting from unions reportedly being unable to secure places","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what estimate (a) it and (b)&nbsp;the City of Glasgow College has made of any lost revenue for the College resulting from unions reportedly being unable to secure places at the Trade&nbsp; Union Education&nbsp;Centre&nbsp;beyond June 2025.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30812 on 19 November 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425419,"EventID":"S6W-30819","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:54:33.157","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-22T12:03:08.043","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the report, &ldquo;Understanding Substance Use and the Wider Support Needs of Scotland&rsquo;s Prison Population&rdquo;, which states that some prisoners ha","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the report, &ldquo;Understanding Substance Use and the Wider Support Needs of Scotland&rsquo;s Prison Population&rdquo;, which states that some prisoners have admitted to using drugs while in prison, how many prisoners it estimates have switched to using psychoactive drugs in each year from 2022.","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:SPS does not record this information.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425420,"EventID":"S6W-30812","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:54:33.17","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-22T10:57:20.48","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that staff at the Trade Union Education Centre are being prevented from planning and offering courses beyond June 2025.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that staff at the Trade Union Education Centre are being prevented from planning and offering courses beyond June 2025.","AnswerText":"Operational decisions on course planning and delivery are for individual colleges to determine. I encourage the City of Glasgow College and the Trade Union Congress to build upon its recent partnership agreement and work together to ensure sustainable delivery of trade union education at the College on a longer term basis.I raised this issue with the Principal of City of Glasgow College on 29 October 2024, who assured me the College remains committed to providing trade union education.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425421,"EventID":"S6W-30828","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:54:32.983","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-23T08:33:15.057","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the minutes of meetings of the Digital Economy Skills Group since 2023.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the minutes of meetings of the Digital Economy Skills Group since 2023.","AnswerText":"Although officials from the Scottish Government are invited to attend meetings of the group, the Digital Economy Skills Group is organised by Skills Development Scotland. A request for the minutes of the meetings should be directed to Skills Development Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425422,"EventID":"S6W-30829","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:54:33.173","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-23T08:33:15.06","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Digital Economy Skills Group last met, and how many times it has met since the start of 2023.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Digital Economy Skills Group last met, and how many times it has met since the start of 2023.","AnswerText":"The last meeting of the DESG was held on 31 October 2024. Although officials from the Scottish Government are invited to attend meetings of the group, the Digital Economy Skills Group is organised by Skills Development Scotland. A request for the number of meetings held since the start of 2023 should be directed to Skills Development Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425423,"EventID":"S6W-30816","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:54:32.927","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-22T10:59:51.367","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30256 by Neil Gray on 8 October 2024, how many blood cancer clinical studies have been supported by the NHS Research Scotland (NRS","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30256 by Neil Gray on 8 October 2024, how many blood cancer clinical studies have been supported by the NHS Research Scotland (NRS) Cancer Network in each financial year since 2018-2019.","AnswerText":"Data provided by the NHS Research Scotland Cancer Research Network on the number of blood cancer clinical studies that have been supported by the Network in each financial year since 2018-19 are shown in the following table, noting that individual studies can take a number of years to complete. The figures are inclusive of studies open to recruitment and in participant follow up in any given year, paediatric and adult studies, and public, charity, and industry sector funded studies.YearNumber of clinical studies supported in given year2018-192062019-202002020-212122021-222212022-232182023-24230The data source used to compile the information above provides a more detailed study record compared with the source used to answer question S6W-30256. This accounts for the difference in the figure for the number of studies supported in 2023-24 given in the table above and in the answer to question S6W-30256.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425424,"EventID":"S6W-30822","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:54:33.18","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-22T12:56:09.303","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support economically inactive people enter the job market.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support economically inactive people enter the job market.","AnswerText":"To address inactivity, it is essential to support those who are currently inactive &ndash; not in paid work and not actively looking for work &ndash; through employability and other interventions that seek to support a return to the labour market, and also provide preventative in-work support, for instance through occupational health services and retraining/upskilling, which reduces the likelihood of people becoming economically inactive.No One Left Behind is our shared approach to delivering an all-age, place-based, person-centred model of employability support in Scotland. Our Employability Strategic Plan, published in September, sets out our vision to deliver an employability system that tackles inequalities in Scotland&rsquo;s labour market, creating a responsive and aligned approach that helps people of all ages who face the greatest barriers to progress towards, into and to sustain work.Drivers of inactivity are diverse, with evidence indicating a rise in physical and mental health conditions in all inactive people in recent years. Our Programme for Government commits to support those already in work, help more people back into work by improving access to health and work services by April 2025 and introducing enhanced specialist support for disabled people across all 32 local authorities by Summer 2025. The Programme for Government also ensures access to funded early learning and childcare, demand-led employability support to parents and carers, and improves careers support for carers.We are also considering what additional actions can be taken across employability, health and local service delivery through the development of a health and work action plan, in partnership with Public Health Scotland (PHS) and employers.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425425,"EventID":"S6W-30830","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:54:33.177","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-23T08:53:35.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question&nbsp;S6W-29283&nbsp;by Jenny Gilruth on 24 September 2024, when it will publish the review of the 2024 Higher History paper.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question&nbsp;S6W-29283&nbsp;by Jenny Gilruth on 24 September 2024, when it will publish the review of the 2024 Higher History paper.","AnswerText":"Publication of the 2024 Higher History marking review is an operational matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) in its independent role as an examination body.SQA published the review on 6 November 2024, and it can be accessed at:Higher History Review finds marking standards did not change - SQAHigher History Review 2024Higher History Review 2024 &ndash; Summary VersionSQA&rsquo;s Process for Awarding Graded National Courses &ndash; Infographic","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425426,"EventID":"S6W-30811","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:54:33.003","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-22T10:56:45.597","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the importance of the Trade Union Education Centre in Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the importance of the Trade Union Education Centre in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government values trade unions in providing a strong and effective voice for Scotland&rsquo;s workers, and believes a progressive approach to industrial relations is at the heart of a fairer, more successful society. Ensuring trade union representatives have the skills and training required to effectively represent members is key to maintaining the vital role of trade unions.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425427,"EventID":"S6W-30814","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:54:32.503","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-22T10:58:12.333","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to ensure that the Trade Union Education Centre will be able to provide an extensive range of trade union learning opportunities beyond June 2025","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to ensure that the Trade Union Education Centre will be able to provide an extensive range of trade union learning opportunities beyond June 2025.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30812 on 19 November 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425428,"EventID":"S6W-30821","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5596,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":151,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:54:32.5","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-22T12:13:42.97","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to making the drug, ivabradine, available on the NHS as a treatment for postural tachycardia syndrome.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to making the drug, ivabradine, available on the NHS as a treatment for postural tachycardia syndrome.","AnswerText":"The regulation for the licensing, safety and efficacy of medicines is currently reserved to the UK Government and is the responsibility of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Ivabradine is currently licensed in the UK for the symptomatic treatment of chronic stable angina pectoris, and the treatment of chronic heart failure.The use of ivabradine for the treatment of postural tachycardia syndrome is an off-label indication (where the product licence does not cover the indication for which the medicine is being prescribed). Clinicians can prescribe medicines off-label, in line with local Health Board protocols where they consider there would be significant clinical benefit for an individual.Decisions on whether to prescribe a medicine are based on an individual&rsquo;s needs and are a matter for the clinical judgement of the prescribing clinician in consultation with the individual (and where appropriate their parent/s or guardian/s), informed by advice and guidance about the medicine.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425429,"EventID":"S6W-30817","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:54:32.583","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-22T10:59:59.703","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to expand the genomics workforce in Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to expand the genomics workforce in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The expansion and retention of our specialist genomic workforce is an important part of the Scottish Government&rsquo;s genomic medicine strategy and is critical to the delivery of both diagnosis and treatment across the NHS.The Scottish Strategic Network for Genomic Medicine is working to capture not only our current workforce needs but those of our future service as we move towards an expansion in testing.In doing so, we are working closely with NHS Education Scotland, our partners across the UK and national networks, acknowledging the many interdependencies between genomics, pathology and radiology in delivering diagnostic information needed by clinicians.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425430,"EventID":"S6W-30815","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:54:33.153","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-22T10:59:41.31","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has held with the Scottish Strategic Network for Genomic Medicine about introducing Specialist Integrated Haematology Malignancies Diagnostic Service","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has held with the Scottish Strategic Network for Genomic Medicine about introducing Specialist Integrated Haematology Malignancies Diagnostic Services (SIHMDS), as defined in the NICE NG47 guidelines, to diagnose blood cancers in Scotland.","AnswerText":"Equitable and consistent access to appropriate and timely diagnostic services and expertise are core requirements within the NICE NG47 guidelines cited within the recent Blood Cancer UK Action Plan.We are aware of a gap analysis carried out by the Haematology and Transfusion Scotland and Scottish Strategic Network for Genomic Medicine networks on the genomic testing needed in Scotland, and we are working to address this as part of the overall implementation of the Genomics in Scotland strategy.Work is also underway to better support integrated diagnostic reporting through the development of a national Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) in a programme of work led by a consortium of NHS Boards.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425431,"EventID":"S6W-30823","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-23T14:54:32.71","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-22T12:58:30.34","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has conducted on the impact of economic inactivity on the economy.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has conducted on the impact of economic inactivity on the economy.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government routinely analyses labour market data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), with the latest Scotland's Labour Market Insights: October 2024 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) statistical publication released on 28 October 2024. The latest ONS Labour Force Survey statistics for June to August 2024 show that Scotland had an estimated economic inactivity rate of 23.2% compared to 21.8% for the UK.Analysis suggests that the recent upturn in economic inactivity in Scotland appears to be driven by increases in those who are long-term sick or disabled. ONS Annual Population Survey (APS) statistics for July 2023 to June 2024 estimate that 32.0% of inactive people in Scotland were inactive due to being long-term sick or disabled. The second most common reason for being economically inactive was being a student (24.6%), followed by looking after family/home (16.1%) then retired (14.5%).The Scottish Government&rsquo;s latest Scottish Economic Insights report, Overview - Scottish economic insights: October 2024 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) published on 18 October 2024, provided an illustrative example of how an increase in economic activity of individuals aged 16+ could impact the economy. It found that even a relatively small increase of 0.25 percentage points in the economic activity rate could boost GDP in the long-term by around 0.1%, or around &pound;180 million a year (in 2024-25 prices).Economic inactivity due to ill health is a key concern of the Scottish Government and as outlined in the Scottish Government&rsquo;s Programme for Government, published in September 2024, we are taking action to help people access and stay in the labour market.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425441,"EventID":"S6W-30833","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-24T14:57:56.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-23T10:03:43.267","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the average class size has been for each primary school year group in each year since 2016.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the average class size has been for each primary school year group in each year since 2016.","AnswerText":"Statistics on the average class size for each primary school year group in each year since 2016 are available from Table 2.10 of the pupil census supplementary statistics, available on the Scottish Government website at:Pupil census supplementary statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).","AnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425442,"EventID":"S6W-30844","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-24T14:57:57.077","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-23T14:19:25.86","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it anticipates that it will achieve its target of eliminating the hepatitis C virus (HCV) as a public health concern by the end of the 2024-25 financial year.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it anticipates that it will achieve its target of eliminating the hepatitis C virus (HCV) as a public health concern by the end of the 2024-25 financial year.","AnswerText":"In 2019, Scotland committed to the ambitious goal of eliminating HCV as a public health concern five years ahead of the World Health Organization&rsquo;s global target of 2030. Since then, we&rsquo;ve seen considerable progress with major achievements across multiple indicators. Unfortunately the COVID-19 pandemic slowed the rate of progress, however we continue to work with NHS Boards and other services to press towards our shared goal of HCV elimination.Public Health Scotland&rsquo;s annual HCV surveillance report is scheduled for release on 3 December 2024 and we are working with PHS to assess our position against the indicators. We will provide an update on progress towards our elimination goal in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425443,"EventID":"S6W-30147","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-24T14:57:57.573","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T12:02:49.843","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25972 by TomArthur on 18 March 2024, whether it will provide an updated table that includesfigures for 2024-25, broken down by pro","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25972 by TomArthur on 18 March 2024, whether it will provide an updated table that includesfigures for 2024-25, broken down by property class.","AnswerText":"Table 1 presents the estimated gross cost of setting the Higher Property Rate equal to the Standard Multiplier in England, updated to include 2024-2025.In England, in 2021-2022, 2022-2023 and 2023-2024, the Standard Multiplier was 51.2p, or 1.3p above the Small Business Multiplier of 49.9p.In 2024-2025, the Standard Multiplier is 54.6p, or 4.7p above the Small Business Multiplier of 49.9p.In Scotland, the Higher Property Rate in 2021-2022, 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 was 2.6p above the poundage, which was 49p in 2021-2022 (having been temporarily reduced from 49.8p in 2020-2021 in response to the ongoing impact of COVID-19), and 49.8p in 2022-2023, 2023-2024.The costs therefore represent the impact of setting the Higher Property Rate at 51.2p instead of 51.6p in 2021-2022, and 51.2p instead of 52.4p in 2022-2023 and 2023-2024.The Higher Property Rate in 2024-2025 is 6.1p above the poundage, which remains at 49.8p from 2023-2024. The costs therefore represent the impact of setting the Higher Property Rate at 54.6p instead of 55.9p.The figures for 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 are presented after General Revaluation Transitional Relief is applied.The figures are gross estimates and are not adjusted for any other relief. Figures are broken down by property class, a classification used by Scottish Assessors to describe the type of property, which may not necessarily accurately reflect the use of a given property.This table is based on the valuation roll as at 1 October 2021, 1 October 2022, 1 October 2023 and 1 October 2024.Figures from 30 March 2023 and 1 April 2023 were used to calculate General Revaluation Transitional Relief.Figures in this table are rounded to the nearest &pound;1,000, and may not sum due to rounding.Table 1: Estimated gross cost of reducing the Higher Property Rate to the level of the English Standard Multiplier (&pound;), broken down by property class.Property class2021-2022 (&pound;)2022-2023 (&pound;)2023-2024 (&pound;)2024-2025 (&pound;)Shops3,589,00010,798,0008,824,0009,627,000Public houses and restaurants127,000377,000317,000409,000Offices2,167,0006,597,0006,092,0007,066,000Hotels778,0002,390,0002,270,0002,649,000Industrial subjects2,863,0008,658,0008,709,0009,969,000Leisure and entertainment600,0001,814,0001,873,0002,206,000Garages and petrol stations117,000341,000312,000406,000Cultural145,000408,000412,000448,000Sporting subjects36,000113,00098,000185,000Education and training1,918,0005,707,0006,229,0006,988,000Public service subjects895,0002,614,0002,505,0003,038,000Communications81,000197,000303,000298,000Quarries, mines, etc.34,00094,00095,000121,000Petrochemical447,0001,291,0001,400,0001,529,000Religious14,00050,00050,00076,000Health and medical714,0002,097,0002,120,0002,364,000Other352,0001,045,0001,102,0001,537,000Care facilities207,000631,000704,000773,000Advertising11,00034,00039,00055,000Statutory undertaking3,647,00010,897,00010,039,00013,139,000All18,743,00056,152,00053,493,00062,883,000","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425444,"EventID":"S6W-30850","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-24T14:57:57.68","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-24T08:44:20.34","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will evaluate the success of the Digital Inclusion Charter.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will evaluate the success of the Digital Inclusion Charter.","AnswerText":"The purpose of Scotland&rsquo;s Digital Inclusion Charter is to support, guide and recognise the work of organisations doing digital inclusion. SCVO will support organisations to take action to meet each pledge. The Charter is one tool that is being used to engage organisations and encourage them to act on digital inclusion.It is the intention that the Charter will provide a useful source of data on the different activities being undertaken across all sectors to tackle digital exclusion. When organisations are asked to renew their pledges after a two-year period, they will be asked to demonstrate any progress they have made.As with any charter or pledge, the levels of commitment by signatories is likely to vary. The priority is to secure Charter signatories who can deliver meaningful actions, rather secure large numbers of signatories with superficial commitments.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425445,"EventID":"S6W-30856","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-24T14:57:57.17","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-24T08:46:19.96","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will list any meetings held with Ofcom, mobile phone, or internet providers to discuss access to social tariffs since 2022.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will list any meetings held with Ofcom, mobile phone, or internet providers to discuss access to social tariffs since 2022.","AnswerText":"Across government, particularly in the Digital Directorate, a number of teams meet regularly with OfCom and mobile phone providers to discuss a wide range of issues. As social tariffs remain a reserved matter for the UK Government, the majority of these discussions do not focus on social tariffs however the exceptions to this are listed below:The Digital Citizen Division meet with Vodafone every 2 months to discuss a wide range of topics. This includes, at times, social tariffs.The Digital Citizen Division will meet with OfCom later in November to discuss digital inclusion and the interventions that are most effective in supporting households take up connectivity. This will likely include a discussion on social tariffs.The Digital Strategy Team are having ongoing discussions with Ofcom regarding a proposed visit to their offices by the Minister for Business where social tariffs are a potential topic for discussion.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425446,"EventID":"S6W-30834","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-24T14:57:56.497","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-23T10:03:58.047","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many children have been educated in category (a) C and (b) D school buildings in each of the last eight years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many children have been educated in category (a) C and (b) D school buildings in each of the last eight years.","AnswerText":"Statistics on the number of children educated in category (a) C and (b) D school buildings in each of the last eight years are available in Table 4.1c of the school estate supplementary statistics, available on the Scottish Government website at: School estates supplementary statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).","AnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425447,"EventID":"S6W-30854","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-24T14:57:57.577","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-24T08:46:03.267","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will share examples of coordinated approaches to digital inclusion across government since 2022.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will share examples of coordinated approaches to digital inclusion across government since 2022.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to taking a joined-up approach to digital inclusion. We engage across government and with the UK and the other devolved nations to understand and share good practice. We will continue to work in this way and aim to continue supporting coordinated approaches across government.The Connecting Scotland Programme team have been involved in supporting the development and advancement of other Scottish Government projects such as digital health programmes and education projects. The team also work very closely with colleagues taking forward the R100 and S4GI programmes.The Scottish Government is also building a Digital Inclusion Alliance (DIA), which is the national delivery mechanism to bring together the public, private and third sectors to jointly agree how to tackle digital exclusion through long-term, sustainable approaches.In addition the Scottish Government is currently undertaking a mapping exercise of digital inclusion initiatives with local authorities, housing associations and third sector to undertake place-based mapping of the digital inclusion ecosystem. This will help us understand the digital inclusion models and barriers to progress in a local context. The findings from this will inform a collective plan for the DIA that draws in all sectors to work together. Through this work we will seek to identify good practice and promote collaboration to advance digital inclusion.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425448,"EventID":"S6W-30831","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-24T14:57:57.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-23T10:03:15.14","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the pupil-teacher ratio has been in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in each year since 2019.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the pupil-teacher ratio has been in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in each year since 2019.","AnswerText":"Statistics on the pupil-teacher ratio in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in each year since 2019 are published in Figure 4 of Summary statistics for schools in Scotland 2023, which is available on the Scottish Government website at:Summary statistics for schools in Scotland 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).","AnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425449,"EventID":"S6W-30851","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-24T14:57:57.233","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-24T08:45:08.41","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much of Connecting Scotland&rsquo;s &pound;1.6 million budget for 2024-25 has been committed, and on what this is being spent.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much of Connecting Scotland&rsquo;s &pound;1.6 million budget for 2024-25 has been committed, and on what this is being spent.","AnswerText":"There is a budget of &pound;1.8m which covers Connecting Scotland, Ethical Digital Nation and Unlocking the Value of Data programmes. To date, the following spend has been committed:Grant funding to the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) to develop digital training, continue support for existing clients and deliver existing projects. This funding covers support for a wide range of digital inclusion initiatives including:&lsquo;Digital Champion&rsquo; training, delivered through Mhor Collective, which equips individuals to support others in engaging safely and meaningfully online, building digital confidence within communities.;Offboarding support for existing Connecting Scotland users, including temporary extension of connectivity with further support for users to transition to other means of connectivity;Supporting the delivery of three digital inclusion programmes - lending libraries, social housing, and place-based initiatives - helping more people to get online through access to devices, connectivity, and technical support, and providing public and third-sector organisations and their staff with support in digital inclusion provision;The University of Liverpool to undertake research on a Minimum Digital Living Standard for Scotland. The findings from this research will provide the Scottish Government with detailed Scotland-specific data to identify where there is a need for targeted support for digital inclusion, and help to inform future service design;licenses, travel and other servicesstaffing costs to support the management of the programme.All remaining spend in this financial year will be assessed in line with the guidance set out by Ministers in the Scottish Public Finance Manual and current Scottish Government guidelines on spending controls","AnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425450,"EventID":"S6W-30840","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-24T14:57:57.78","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-23T14:09:28.127","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last communicated with the Faculty of Pain Medicine regarding the safety of steroid injections to treat chronic lower back pain.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last communicated with the Faculty of Pain Medicine regarding the safety of steroid injections to treat chronic lower back pain.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government believes it is important to work with a wide range of clinical, lived experience and third sector representatives in developing chronic pain policies. This includes the Faculty for Pain Management (FPM) Our clinical lead for chronic pain policy has recently joined its committee and we sought input from the FPM in our stakeholder engagement in the summer of 2023.The Scottish Government last had specific discussions with the FPM in 2020 to understand if there were any safety concerns around receiving chronic pain interventions, including steroid injections, and an individual&rsquo;s immune response to COVID-19.As part of the updated chronic pain implementation plan, Framework for pain management service delivery - implementation plan update (www.gov.scot) we are working with Healthcare Improvement Scotland to deliver a national approach to specialist interventions, which may cover steroid injections, for chronic pain. This process will review effectiveness, safety, cost effectiveness, and incorporate the views of patients and clinicians.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425451,"EventID":"S6W-30853","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-24T14:57:57.873","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-24T08:45:55.67","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains its position to establish a Digital Inclusion Alliance.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains its position to establish a Digital Inclusion Alliance.","AnswerText":"The Digital Inclusion Alliance is the proposed national delivery mechanism to bring together the public, private and third sectors to jointly agree how to tackle digital exclusion through long-term, sustainable approaches.The work to establish the Alliance commenced in November 2023 following approval in the Connecting Scotland Full Business Case. We are currently scoping out options for the financial and legal structure of the Digital Inclusion Alliance and once these are finalised and agreed with Ministers the Alliance will be formally constituted.To help us co-design the focus of the Alliance and define the role of the third and public sector partnership within that Alliance, we established a Short Life Working Group in March 2024. This group is co-convened by Scottish Government and COSLA using the principles of the Verity House Agreement. Its members are the key organisations in the public and third sector who will work in partnership within the Alliance.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425452,"EventID":"S6W-30842","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-24T14:57:56.447","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-23T14:19:25.86","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to work with NHS boards and the Scottish Prison Service to ensure that there is routine opt-out blood-borne virus testing for hepatitis C, hepati","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to work with NHS boards and the Scottish Prison Service to ensure that there is routine opt-out blood-borne virus testing for hepatitis C, hepatitis B and HIV for all new prisoners.","AnswerText":"As part of the reception process into prison, everyone has a consultation with an NHS healthcare professional within 24 hours of arrival, using a nationally agreed admission process.Public Health Scotland (PHS) is currently in the process of updating its guidance on opt-out testing for blood-borne virus (BBV) in prisons with the intent to publish a revised document in the coming months. This updated guidance will recommend routine opt-out testing for new admissions and check and test for transfers between establishments. PHS is taking a cross-programme approach to opt out testing for BBV in prisons, and other justice settings, and works with Alcohol &amp; Drug Partnerships, prisons, police custody and the national justice networks to ensure a coordinated approach.In addition the Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) standards include a requirement for opt-out testing in justice settings (including prisons) and PHS will gather intelligence on local policies and pathways for opt-out testing in prisons as part of an improvement approach to help implement the standards. The MAT programme will also publish a toolkit for the implementation of the MAT standards in justice settings and this will complement the BBV opt-out testing guidance.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425453,"EventID":"S6W-30839","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-24T14:57:56.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-23T13:34:02.63","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recommendations in the Asthma + Lung UK Scotland report,&nbsp;Clearing the Air: Transport + Lung Health.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recommendations in the Asthma + Lung UK Scotland report,&nbsp;Clearing the Air: Transport + Lung Health.","AnswerText":"We welcome the Asthma + Lung UK Scotland report and make the following comments in response to the recommendations on air quality and transport:WHO guidelines - the review of Cleaner Air for Scotland 2 will consider the current air quality objectives. The 2021 WHO guideline values will be a factor in our considerations.Monitoring - air pollution hotspots will generally be where high levels of traffic coincide with locations where large numbers of people are regularly present. The monitoring network and the supporting methodologies are sufficiently robust to ensure that any areas of concern will be picked up.Alert system - Know &amp; Respond is a free service to subscribers in Scotland sending registered users an alert message if air pollution in their area is forecast to be moderate, high or very high. Air pollution episodes are rare in Scotland, but this early warning service allows people with medical conditions that may be affected by pollution, to take action to protect their health during periods of higher air pollution.Scrap peak rail fares - the final evaluation of the pilot clearly shows that the ScotRail Peak Fares Removal Pilot has not achieved its aim of encouraging a significant shift from car to rail, and therefore it ended on 27 September 2024.Accelerate the roll out of electric trains and buses and reduce the proportion of routes using diesel vehicles &ndash; we are committed to decarbonising the passenger rail network. Details of how this is to be achieved are set out in the Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan. The Decarbonisation Action Plan commits to all passenger diesel trains being replaced; the order and programme in which that is done will depend on business cases and available budgets.Utilise the powers of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 to support bus travel - we have delivered all the bus powers within the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 to enable local transport authorities to consider all the powers available to them, including partnership working, franchising and local authority run services which sit alongside their ability to subsidise services.Greater incentives to purchase new ultra-low emissions vehicles - since 2011 we have provided over 8,000 interest free loans worth &pound;223,178,275 million which has funded 8,514 ultra-low emission vehicles.Audit the electric vehicle charging network annually - we recognise how important a reliable public EV charging network is for instilling confidence in drivers. While we cannot comment on the reliability of commercial charging networks, reliability across the Charge Place Scotland CPOS network is typically very good with charge points on the network available for around 95-98% of the time each month. Where faults do occur they are usually rectified remotely and swiftly with minimal impact on EV drivers.Implement Low Emission Zones (LEZ) in further cities and large towns - local authorities have been given the powers to introduce and administer Low Emission Zones as appropriate through the Transport Scot Act 2019. To date four local authorities have used this power, Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Local authorities can apply to amend their LEZ if so required following due process and according to legislative requirements. Any other local authority can submit an application for a LEZ to Scottish Ministers following the due process and according to legislative requirements.Vehicle idling - we are undertaking a review of the current guidance on vehicle idling with local authorities.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425454,"EventID":"S6W-30848","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-24T14:57:57.167","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-24T08:44:20.34","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on the delivery of the Digital Inclusion Charter.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on the delivery of the Digital Inclusion Charter.","AnswerText":"Scotland&rsquo;s Digital Inclusion Charter is delivered by SCVO as part of an annual grant of &pound;308,000. This funding supports a much wider programme of activity delivered by SCVO to tackle digital exclusion. SCVO estimates that around 10% of the annual grant covers staff time and costs directly associated with development and promotion of the Charter.The launch event in August 2024 was hosted as an in-kind contribution from Standard Life plc, a Charter signatory, which covered the costs of the event.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425455,"EventID":"S6W-30843","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-24T14:57:57.65","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-23T14:19:25.86","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support (a) drug services and (b) local authorities with the provision of drug harm reduction measures such as needle and syringe programmes ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support (a) drug services and (b) local authorities with the provision of drug harm reduction measures such as needle and syringe programmes and opioid substitution therapy.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to support Health and Social Care Partnerships and their local services deliver on our National Mission to save and improve lives affected by problem drug use. This includes the implementation of harm reduction initiatives including needle and syringe programmes and improved access to opioid substitution therapy (OST).Our broad principle is that if providing safe equipment to a person is likely to reduce the risk of harm to themselves or others, there should be no question of that provision. We continue to provide direction and funding to local areas to implement the Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) standards, and Standard 4 in particular states that everyone at risk, including those who inject drugs, should be able to access a wide range of harm reduction services &ndash; for example, needles and syringes, injecting risk assessments, wound care and naloxone.Services across Scotland have developed flexible and targeted approaches to supplying Injecting Equipment Provision (IEP) by introducing more mobile and more flexible approaches (such as IEP vans) that actively go out to areas where they know people will use them.The Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Standards, published on 31 May 2021 aim to improve access, choice and support to OST and to a range of linked support such as primary care, mental health treatment and advocacy for other services. Public Health Scotland reports annually on how local areas are achieving this. Its Benchmarking Reports are published each June and these include details of how access to OST and access to drug harm reduction measures are improving in local areas.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425456,"EventID":"S6W-30845","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16188,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":82,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-24T14:57:56.523","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-23T14:49:25.62","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what  its response is to the declaration by Children First of a \"childhood emergency\", particularly regarding the impact of smartphones, social media and harmful online ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what  its response is to the declaration by Children First of a \"childhood emergency\", particularly regarding the impact of smartphones, social media and harmful online content on children's mental health and, in light of this, what (a) discussions it has had with (i) the UK Government and (ii) digital media providers and (b) actions has it taken to ensure online safety for children, in particular autistic children, who are reportedly more vulnerable to the negative consequences of online risks.","AnswerText":"We want Scotland to be the best place in the world to grow up. As part of our approach, we recognise that online platforms, including social media, can have both a positive and negative impact on children and young people&rsquo;s mental health and wellbeing and that it is important to support people to use social media in a healthy and balanced way.Keeping children and young people safe online is a priority for the Scottish Government and while we recognise that regulation of the internet remains a reserved matter, we have successfully engaged with the previous UK Government to strengthen protections for children in its Online Safety Act. The Minister for Victims and Community Safety and I met with the online safety regulator Ofcom in August to discuss their strategy for online safety in Scotland.Following the appalling acts of violence and disorder seen elsewhere in the UK over the summer, the First Minister wrote to social media companies Misinformation, racism and hateful material online: letter to social media companies - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) asking them how they are combating the spread of misinformation and steps being taken to address racist/hateful speech across platforms, and officials are considering responses. Our commitment to this work was further set out by the First Minister recently in response to a question on this issue in Parliament Written question and answer: S6F-03493 | Scottish Parliament WebsiteWe have provided over &pound;400,000 to children and young people&rsquo;s organisations since 2020, to fund a range of initiatives including the Young Scot Aye Feel online hub and the Mind Yer Time resource, with some of the work focusing on addressing social media usage amongst children and young to help them navigate online spaces and use screen time in a healthy and positive way.Additionally, our national resource for parents - Parent Club - has a range of information and advice to support parents to manage their child&rsquo;s screen time, and to have informed conversations with their children on screen time, social media and internet use. The Scottish Government funded public awareness campaigns in 2022 and 2023 to inform parents and carers about the risks of online harm and how to protect their children online which linked to Parent Club resources. In addition, the Scottish Government has recently published guidance for schools on the issue of mobile phones in schools, which supports education authorities and schools in their consideration of limiting access to mobile phones in schools.In September 2021, the Scottish Government published the National Neurodevelopmental Specification for Children and Young People: Principles and Standards of Care: Children and young people - national neurodevelopmental specification: principles and standards of care - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) which sets out seven standards for service providers to ensure children and young people who have neurodevelopmental profiles receive support that better meets their needs. This recognises neurodevelopmental differences are estimated to affect around 10% of pupils in Scotland&rsquo;s mainstream schools, and their additional support needs.We are working with Health Boards and Local Authorities towards implementing the Specification in full. As part of this, we have provided over &pound;1 million to fund five pilots which are focusing on various aspects of the Specification, including implementing our Getting It Right For Each Child approach and multi-agency working. We are working to share the learning from these with all appropriate stakeholders to support wider implementation of the specification across Scotland and inform future service improvements.More broadly, every child and young person should be able to access support for their mental health and wellbeing when and where they need it. Since 2021, we have provided local authorities with &pound;15 million per annum to deliver community-based mental health and wellbeing supports an","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425457,"EventID":"S6W-30836","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-24T14:57:57.573","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-23T11:23:47.523","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the recommendation by the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission \"that the use of e-collars for the training of animals in Scotland should be prohibi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the recommendation by the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission \"that the use of e-collars for the training of animals in Scotland should be prohibited\", as set out in its paper, Report on the use of handheld remote-controlled training devices (e-collars) in dog training.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government welcomed the 2023 Scottish Animal Welfare Commission (SAWC) report on handheld remote-controlled training devices that use static pulse as the stimulus. We are currently awaiting a further report from SAWC on a wider range of aversive dog training tools, including other types of electronic training collars. We will consider all their findings carefully as part of our ongoing commitment to improve and enhance animal welfare.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425458,"EventID":"S6W-30849","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-24T14:57:57.813","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-24T08:44:20.34","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its targets are for the Digital Inclusion Charter.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its targets are for the Digital Inclusion Charter.","AnswerText":"The targets set out in SCVO&rsquo;s grant agreement are 200 signatories by the end of March 2025. To date we have attracted 42 organisations, across the public, private and voluntary sectors, who have made a range of pledges to support the Charter.Current signatory organisations include large businesses (Standard Life plc), public sector organisations (e.g. Edinburgh City Libraries) and local community projects (e.g. Milan Senior Welfare).SCVO will be running a campaign focusing on each of the 5 pledges from November 2024 to March 2025, with examples of best practice and video case studies from existing signatories.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425459,"EventID":"S6W-30857","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-24T14:57:57.177","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-24T09:32:58.58","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to introducing routine prostate cancer screening for men in their 40s.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to introducing routine prostate cancer screening for men in their 40s.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government, along with the other UK nations, relies on advice about screening programmes from the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), an independent expert advisory group.Population screening for prostate cancer was last reviewed by the UK NSC in November 2020 when they concluded that the benefits of screening did not outweigh the potential risk of harm. As you may be aware, I have recently written to the UK NSC to ask them to review this matter again. The UK NSC chairman, Sir Mike Richards, has responded with assurance that this issue is a high priority for the Committee.I am also encouraged that a large-scale study (TRANSFORM) has been launched to provide valuable evidence, looking at potential innovative screening methods and recruiting hundreds of thousands of men for the research. The UK NSC have committed to assessing evidence as it is published throughout the trial, and this will inform any future recommendation.Should a recommendation be made to introduce prostate screening, the organisations that oversee screening will advise Scottish Ministers on how to take that recommendation forward.In the meantime, men and those with a prostate who are concerned they have possible symptoms should speak to their GP. There is a list of symptoms available on the NHS website: Prostate cancer - NHS (www.nhs.uk).Men aged 50 or over can also discuss taking a PSA test with their GP, even if they do not have symptoms.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425460,"EventID":"S6W-30847","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-24T14:57:57.703","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-23T16:03:36.27","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the rationale was behind the decision to cease funding for the Directorate of Optometric Continuing Education and Training, and what alternative provisions are bein","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the rationale was behind the decision to cease funding for the Directorate of Optometric Continuing Education and Training, and what alternative provisions are being made to ensure that optometrists  can continue to meet their mandatory continuing professional development requirements.","AnswerText":"Due to the current financial situation the Scottish Government is having to make some difficult budgetary decisions.As part of this, NHS Education for Scotland (NES) was asked to minimise any discretionary spend where possible. The Scottish contribution to DOCET is held as part of the NES budget and in that context, NES Optometry decided to remove the funding to DOCET as part of the savings exercise.The Scottish Government provides considerable funding to NES to provide training and education to support the provision of NHS General Ophthalmic Services. NES delivers a programme of on-line and in person events, e-learning modules, Independent prescriber training, peer support groups, as well as teach and treat clinics that provide clinical experience. Funding also supports training for other practice staff including dispensing opticians, with access to resources also available to eyecare professionals working within the hospital eye service too.In addition to their NES training, optometrists can continue to meet their mandatory continuing professional development requirements via a number of different sources including self-directed learning, The College of Optometrist&rsquo;s programme of courses, their employer&rsquo;s events and also by the extensive array of private provider provision.On a comparative basis, and adjusted for size, even with the removal of DOCET access, the investment in education and training for Optometrists in Scotland remains dramatically better than England.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425461,"EventID":"S6W-30855","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-24T14:57:57.843","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-24T08:46:12.12","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will outline the key achievements of the Digital Citizen Division since its creation in 2022.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will outline the key achievements of the Digital Citizen Division since its creation in 2022.","AnswerText":"The Digital Citizen Unit (DCU) was created in 2022 with the Digital Citizen Division (DCD) forming in 2023. DCD is the team within Scottish Government that manage the Connecting Scotland Programme; Ethical Digital Nation; Unlocking the Value of Data; and the Knowledge and Information Shared Services Unit, which is an operational internal business support unit for Core Scottish Government and some public sector shared services customers, comprised of: Information Assurance and Data Protection; Knowledge and Information Management; and Library and Information Services functions.Since its formation, the DCD has:developed a full business case outlining a more sustainable way forward for Connecting Scotland;developed, in partnership with the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), new projects that allow us to deliver the next phase of the Connecting Scotland programme. These have been focused on delivering kit and connectivity to device library and social housing organisations via grant award. Applications for the projects closed on 27 November 2023, with &pound;204,000 in grant funding awarded to 34 projects working to further digital inclusion across Scotland.delivered kit and connectivity to 5 place-based projects via grant award. Applications closed in April this year.supporting offboarded Connecting Scotland users to move on to other forms of free internet and undertaking user research to ensure they are supported through this process in a way that meets their needs;developed, in partnership with third-sector partners, an enhanced phoneline for Connecting Scotland that currently provides support to an average of 500 people each month;launched Scotland&rsquo;s Digital Inclusion Charter to support, guide and recognise best practice in digital inclusion work in Scotland;developing the Digital Inclusion Alliance to bring together the public, private, and third sectors to tackle digital exclusion;commissioned research into a Minimum Digital Living Standard for Scotland. Once complete this will give us a baseline of the minimum needs of citizens and help us shape and target future interventions.developed a cohesive and practical approach to ethics that will allow us to harvest the most significant economic and social benefits while mitigating the perceived and actual downsides of digital innovation and data-driven technology.mobilised a public engagement panel / public dialogue on the use of data which led to the development of ethical guidelines for the use of data by the public sector in Scotland.commissioned an Independent Expert Group to explore the issue of private sector use of public sector personal data in Scotland, as public sector data controllers had identified the need for additional support in this area.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425462,"EventID":"S6W-30852","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-24T14:57:57.383","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-24T08:45:08.41","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of how the &pound;1.3 million 2023-34 Connecting Scotland funding was spent.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of how the &pound;1.3 million 2023-34 Connecting Scotland funding was spent.","AnswerText":"In 2023-24, total Scottish Government funding for Connecting Scotland and Ethical Digital Nation combined was &pound;1.3 million. This was allocated as follows:Grant funding to the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) to develop digital training, continue support for existing clients and deliver existing projects. This funding covers support for a wide range of digital inclusion initiatives including:&lsquo;Digital Champion&rsquo; training, delivered through Mhor Collective, which equips individuals to support others in engaging safely and meaningfully online, building digital confidence within communities;Offboarding support for existing Connecting Scotland users, including temporary extension of connectivity with further support for users to transition to other means of connectivity;Supporting the delivery of three digital inclusion programmes - lending libraries, social housing, and place-based initiatives - helping more people to get online through access to devices, connectivity, and technical support, and providing public and third-sector organisations and their staff with support in digital inclusion provision;&pound;100,000 for the Digital Participation Charter Fund to promote and recognise digital inclusion amongst organisations. Some of the projects funded include:Budding Engineers (&pound;10,000 award) to provide access to digital skills and teaching for people with additional support needs in several areas of Scotland;Deaf Action (&pound;10,000 award) to provide digital and employability support for people experiencing hearing loss across Scotland;Milan Senior Welfare Organisation (&pound;9,850 award) to provide basic digital skills and digital support for older people and their carers from the South Asian community in East Lothian and Edinburgh;Programme incidentals (e.g. software licences, training, stakeholder engagement, advertising and marketing);Staffing costs to support the ongoing management of both programmes","AnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425463,"EventID":"S6W-30841","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-24T14:57:57.24","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-23T14:09:28.127","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to review the guidance for services dealing with pain management within the NHS.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to review the guidance for services dealing with pain management within the NHS.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is working with stakeholders on the review and development of various guidance to inform pain management services.As outlined in the updated chronic pain implementation plan, Framework for pain management service delivery - implementation plan update (www.gov.scot) the national clinical guidelines for Scotland (SIGN 136), and polypharmacy guidelines are currently being updated.We are also working with Healthcare Improvement Scotland to deliver a national approach to specialist interventions for chronic pain and to consider the creation of national standards for chronic pain management.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425464,"EventID":"S6W-30838","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16215,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-24T14:57:57.807","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-23T13:30:55.943","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will publish its response to the report, Developing Scotland's Economy: Increasing The Role Of Inclusive And Democratic Business Models, and whether this","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will publish its response to the report, Developing Scotland's Economy: Increasing The Role Of Inclusive And Democratic Business Models, and whether this will include a commitment and timeline to establish an economic democracy group, as recommended by the report.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is grateful for all of the detailed work conducted by the Chair and Review Group members to produce this important independent report. We are giving careful consideration to all of the recommendations, including the suggestion of establishing an Economic Democracy Group, and will publish a formal response in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-01T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425465,"EventID":"S6W-30837","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-24T14:57:57.903","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-23T11:23:47.523","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-17386, S6W-17387 and S6W-17875 by Mairi Gougeon on 5 May, 9 May and 24 May 2023, by what date it will publish its response to th","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-17386, S6W-17387 and S6W-17875 by Mairi Gougeon on 5 May, 9 May and 24 May 2023, by what date it will publish its response to the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission paper, Report on the use of handheld remote-controlled training devices (e-collars) in dog training.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not routinely publish its response to SAWC recommendations. We are currently awaiting a further report from SAWC on a wider range of aversive dog training tools, including other types of electronic training collars. We will consider all their findings carefully.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425466,"EventID":"S6W-30863","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-24T14:57:57.197","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-24T13:37:52.643","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what funding it has provided in each of the last five years for research projects aimed at developing a more reliable prostate cancer screening test.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what funding it has provided in each of the last five years for research projects aimed at developing a more reliable prostate cancer screening test.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s Chief Scientist Office supports open competitive grant and fellowship schemes for applied health research in Scotland across a wide remit that is inclusive of consideration of applications for research relating to prostate cancer. Applications submitted to these schemes are assessed through independent expert peer-review with funding recommendations made by independent expert committees. While projects on prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment have been awarded funding in the course of these schemes, in the period from 2019 to date, no funding awards have been made for research specifically relating to prostate cancer screening test development.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425467,"EventID":"S6W-30835","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-24T14:57:57.707","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-23T10:04:22.787","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many jobs there are currently in the low-carbon economy, and how this compares with each of the last seven years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many jobs there are currently in the low-carbon economy, and how this compares with each of the last seven years.","AnswerText":"The most up to date estimates from the Low Carbon and Renewable Energy Economy (LCREE) survey published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that there were 25,700 direct full time equivalent LCREE jobs in Scotland in 2022.A seven year time series from 2015 to 2022 is presented in the following table. The results in LCREE are survey-based, the data is gathered from a sample rather than the whole population. The estimates are therefore subject to uncertainty and the level of uncertainty is expressed through confidence intervals. These are presented alongside the estimates below.&nbsp;20152016201720182019202020212022Estimate22,80024,00021,80022,30021,90021,80029,70025,700Lower Confidence Interval16,40018,40019,20018,40017,80018,20023,60023,200Upper Confidence Interval29,20029,60024,40026,10026,00025,30035,80028,100Estimated direct, full time equivalent jobs in the Low Carbon and Renewable Energy Economy in Scotland from 2015-2022 (LCREE survey, ONS; as of March 2024).","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425468,"EventID":"S6W-30832","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-24T14:57:57.54","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-23T10:03:26.573","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much each local authority has received from the Attainment Scotland Fund in each year since 2016.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much each local authority has received from the Attainment Scotland Fund in each year since 2016.","AnswerText":"The Attainment Scotland Fund has been providing funding to local authorities and schools since 2015 with the aim of using education to improve outcomes for children and young people impacted by poverty, with a focus on tackling the poverty-related attainment gap.The Scottish Attainment Challenge began in 2015, when funding was distributed to targeted local authorities through the Schools Programme and Challenge Authorities. In 2017, the Pupil Equity Fund (PEF) was introduced, providing funding direct to schools. In 2018, the Care Experienced Children and Young People fund (CECYP) began, providing funding to local authorities to enable them to target initiatives, activities, and resources that will improve the educational outcomes of this group of young people.In 2022, the Scottish Attainment Challenge was refreshed, and the &lsquo;Schools Programme and &lsquo;Challenge Authorities&rsquo; funds were replaced by Strategic Equity Funding (SEF) which provided grants to all 32 local authorities.The total amount provided to each local authority within these funding programmes in each financial year* since 2015-16 are as follows:&nbsp;2015-162016-172017-182018-192019-202020-212021-222022-232023-24Aberdeen City&pound;115,254&pound;328,243&pound;3,264,876&pound;3,409,052&pound;4,021,781&pound;4,113,976&pound;4,777,267&pound;4,163,137&pound;4,302,373Aberdeenshire&pound;0&pound;0&pound;2,569,200&pound;2,906,520&pound;3,430,600&pound;3,233,185&pound;3,823,272&pound;3,909,227&pound;4,226,527Angus&pound;0&pound;0&pound;2,113,200&pound;2,118,240&pound;2,394,880&pound;2,382,431&pound;2,815,731&pound;2,718,079&pound;2,919,059Argyll &amp; Bute&pound;16,665&pound;19,879&pound;1,340,202&pound;1,425,495&pound;1,563,762&pound;1,473,413&pound;1,746,517&pound;1,637,110&pound;1,776,791Clackmannanshire&pound;482,208&pound;1,242,458&pound;3,108,000&pound;3,151,211&pound;3,427,165&pound;3,264,342&pound;3,570,907&pound;3,186,389&pound;2,924,359Dumfries &amp; Galloway&pound;43,936&pound;60,481&pound;2,998,509&pound;3,109,671&pound;3,435,706&pound;3,316,675&pound;3,883,445&pound;3,879,174&pound;4,175,854Dundee City&pound;701,329&pound;3,135,370&pound;10,045,244&pound;10,568,958&pound;11,150,976&pound;11,181,281&pound;12,442,488&pound;10,325,609&pound;9,181,564East Ayrshire&pound;291,470&pound;814,836&pound;5,897,260&pound;7,090,299&pound;7,621,819&pound;7,565,208&pound;8,250,453&pound;7,224,930&pound;6,594,511East Dunbartonshire&pound;0&pound;0&pound;1,564,800&pound;1,588,440&pound;1,782,434&pound;1,788,723&pound;2,120,338&pound;1,986,260&pound;2,119,730East Lothian&pound;0&pound;0&pound;1,569,600&pound;1,565,160&pound;1,823,557&pound;1,814,715&pound;2,134,716&pound;2,175,877&pound;2,384,767East Renfrewshire&pound;0&pound;0&pound;1,370,400&pound;1,412,040&pound;1,556,240&pound;1,442,825&pound;1,721,026&pound;1,719,495&pound;1,842,830Edinburgh City&pound;304,535&pound;742,935&pound;8,257,293&pound;8,276,495&pound;9,547,788&pound;9,164,717&pound;10,540,094&pound;9,377,776&pound;9,976,813Eilean Siar&pound;0&pound;0&pound;274,800&pound;290,880&pound;338,391&pound;327,413&pound;388,016&pound;476,241&pound;477,189Falkirk&pound;73,000&pound;169,463&pound;3,797,974&pound;3,835,057&pound;4,263,853&pound;4,177,157&pound;4,935,327&pound;4,602,820&pound;4,948,309Fife&pound;416,112&pound;666,213&pound;10,750,302&pound;11,151,018&pound;12,023,174&pound;11,660,123&pound;13,609,549&pound;12,045,243&pound;12,846,433Glasgow City&pound;1,389,969&pound;7,537,018&pound;29,022,634&pound;30,200,152&pound;33,197,000&pound;32,416,002&pound;36,713,592&pound;32,941,570&pound;32,577,601Highland&pound;91,269&pound;385,146&pound;4,695,262&pound;5,269,590&pound;5,699,886&pound;5,509,668&pound;6,346,310&pound;5,545,507&pound;5,536,773Inverclyde&pound;580,092&pound;1,512,219&pound;5,154,900&pound;5,399,265&pound;6,013,910&pound;6,028,744&pound;6,517,856&pound;5,503,244&pound;4,767,926Midlothian&pound;0&pound;0&pound;2,272,800&pound;2,315,195&pound;2,513,155&pound;2,415,784&pound;2,837,045&","AnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425469,"EventID":"S6W-30846","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-24T14:57:57.19","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-23T14:58:19.143","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what any underspend was on capital funding of flood protection schemes in each of the last five years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what any underspend was on capital funding of flood protection schemes in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government policy towards local authorities&rsquo; spending is to allow local authorities the financial freedom to operate independently. As such, the vast majority of capital funding is provided by means of a block grant. It is then the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources available to them, including on flood protection, on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities. Individual local authorities hold information on spending in this area.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425496,"EventID":"S6W-30868","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":16189,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":129,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-25T08:56:18.453","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-25T08:49:59.213","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the economic impact was for Scotland of The 152nd Open, a major golf championship in 2024, and what plans are in place to ensure that Scotland continues to stage Th","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the economic impact was for Scotland of The 152nd Open, a major golf championship in 2024, and what plans are in place to ensure that Scotland continues to stage The R&amp;A&rsquo;s major championships.","AnswerText":"The 152nd Open, which took place at Royal Troon in South Ayrshire from 14-21 July 2024, was a significant success for Scotland. The Championship enjoyed a record crowd for Troon, with over 250,000 spectators in attendance, more than half of whom travelled from outside of Scotland.Independent research from Sheffield Hallam University&rsquo;s Sport Industry Research Centre has found that The 152nd Open generated an estimated &pound;87.3 million in total economic impact &ndash; new money entering the economy &ndash; for Scotland. Ayrshire received total economic impact of an estimated &pound;43.8 million.The figures for this year&rsquo;s Championship bring the total economic benefit generated by the ten stagings of The Open in Scotland since 2005 to &pound;1.36 billion.The Open is synonymous with Scotland and of significant importance to our country from an economic and reputational perspective. Scottish Ministers have therefore committed funding for a renewed long-term agreement with The R&amp;A starting in 2024, which will ensure that its major championships are staged in Scotland regularly until 2034. The agreement guarantees that 14 major championships organised by The R&amp;A will be staged in Scotland across its lifetime, including five stagings of The Open.The agreement also brings an exclusive benefits package for Scotland, covering elements such as international promotion, advertising and support for Scottish Government policies, notably in relation to sustainability and health.As well as delivering significant economic benefits at national and local level, the investment in The R&amp;A&rsquo;s major championships will drive tourism and showcase Scotland as a world-class stage for major events.Funding from the Scottish Government and VisitScotland is &pound;1 million per year for 11 years, therefore totalling &pound;11 million. Given the economic impact and wider value that can be expected, this represents very strong value for money.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425509,"EventID":"S6W-30865","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-25T14:21:53.997","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-24T15:26:37.537","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any work that it has been undertaking to treat prescription pharmaceuticals in wastewater.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any work that it has been undertaking to treat prescription pharmaceuticals in wastewater.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the importance of emerging chemicals of concern, such as prescription pharmaceuticals and works closely with Scottish Water and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to develop further understanding and take appropriate action in this area.Scottish Water have a number of activities either ongoing or in development including a sampling programme at selected treatment works to quantify the impact of real time control on treatment of substances of emerging concern, including pharmaceuticals and a process optimisation trial to see whether better removal of steroids can be achieved at Activated Sludge Treatment Plants.Scottish Water also directly funds research in this area including two PhD projects at Glasgow Caledonian and Robert Gordon Universities which look at reducing anti-microbial resistance and the treatment potential of septic tanks for pharmaceuticals. A further study is also underway to investigate how different pharmaceuticals degrade and change during wastewater transport to enable more accurate prediction of pharmaceutical concentrations in waters around Scotland.Scottish Water is also a member of the One Health Breakthrough Partnership, which is funded by the Scottish Government and brings together key stakeholders across the water, environment and healthcare sectors who are committed to addressing pharmaceutical pollution in the environment through source control. The project has produced the first open access interactive tool: Pharmaceuticals in the Environment (sepa.org.uk) in the UK to combine national environmental and prescribing data with data for 60 medicines detected in river water, raw wastewater and treated wastewater. The tool is used to explore and develop appropriate and sustainable solutions to reduce the discharge of pharmaceuticals to the environment.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425510,"EventID":"S6W-30859","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-25T14:21:54.013","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-24T09:58:18.827","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to removing the so-called cliff edge earnings limit for recipients of the Carer Support Payment.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to removing the so-called cliff edge earnings limit for recipients of the Carer Support Payment.","AnswerText":"Carer Support Payment is replacing Carer&rsquo;s Allowance in Scotland. Ahead of delivering the benefit we engaged extensively with carers and support organisations to consider how our benefit could work better, and we know the earnings limit is an area where people would like to see change.Carer Support Payment largely mirrors Carer&rsquo;s Allowance rules on earnings to protect a safe and secure transfer for people in Scotland already getting Carer&rsquo;s Allowance. We have already improved how these rules are applied, for example with better ways of averaging earnings, reducing the impact of the &lsquo;cliff edge&rsquo; for many carers.We have also considered further changes which could be made once the transfer of benefits from Carer&rsquo;s Allowance is complete. Our analysis found that an earnings taper to address the cliff edge earnings limit would add significant complexity for carers, operationally, and in terms of interactions with wider support. However we took feedback in our 2022 public consultation on two proposals which would help address this issue &ndash; an increase to the earnings threshold, with a link to 16 hours at a specific rate, such as Real Living Wage, and a proposal for a run on of support where carers earn over the limit so that they don&rsquo;t lose all support immediately.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425511,"EventID":"S6W-30873","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-25T14:21:53.993","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-25T10:53:13.86","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the adequacy of the NHS non-emergency patient transport service in meeting the specific clinical and logistical needs of young cancer pati","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the adequacy of the NHS non-emergency patient transport service in meeting the specific clinical and logistical needs of young cancer patients under 25, in light of any need they may have to travel as a family unit, their immunocompromised status and the often significant treatment-related side effects that they may endure.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s role is to set the strategic policy for the NHS in Scotland, NHS Boards are responsible for service delivery and treatment. As set out in our recently published Transport to Health Plan All Health Boards should consider patient transport needs when they plan and deliver services and must ensure Patients have access to all information on any relevant patient transport (including community transport) and travel reimbursement entitlement.Individual Boards are responsible for developing and assessing their own policies, including determining eligibility for escorts and reimbursement rates, whilst ensuring patient care and safety.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425512,"EventID":"S6W-30858","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-25T14:21:54","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-24T09:57:39.21","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much basic payment scheme funding has been awarded to crofters in each year since 2016, also broken down by what proportion of the scheme's budget this represented.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much basic payment scheme funding has been awarded to crofters in each year since 2016, also broken down by what proportion of the scheme's budget this represented.","AnswerText":"Details are as follows:Scheme YearBasic PaymentSchemeGreeningYoung Farmer PaymentTotal PaymentsPercentageof Budget2016&pound;13,159,516.98&pound;8,034,413.77&pound;82,710.65&pound;21,276,641.405.3%2017&pound;14,717,656.80&pound;8,346,051.08&pound;100,820.05&pound;23,164,527.935.4%2018&pound;15,897,839.65&pound;8,341,637.76&pound;104,294.50&pound;24,343,771.915.7%2019&pound;16,706,540.21&pound;8,297,249.49&pound;104,464.03&pound;25,108,253.735.9%2020&pound;17,464,866.57&pound;8,473,816.01&pound;96,699.60&pound;26,035,382.186.1%2021&pound;17,419,003.61&pound;8,418,431.75&pound;87,894.17&pound;25,925,329.536.1%2022&pound;17,303,035.99&pound;8,356,501.06&pound;82,654.19&pound;25,742,191.246.0%2023&pound;16,190,430.99&pound;7,790,318.31&pound;68,886.59&pound;24,049,635.895.6%2024*&pound;14,867,321.75&pound;7,165,412.11&pound;386.82&pound;22,033,120.685.2%*Note: 2024 payment processing is ongoing.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425513,"EventID":"S6W-30862","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-25T14:21:54.137","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-24T10:17:17.303","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported calls from community groups for a pause on processing planning applications for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), in light of repor","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported calls from community groups for a pause on processing planning applications for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), in light of reports that there is currently 100GW of energy storage in the National Grid connection \"queue\" but the Electricity Systems Operator's Future Energy Scenarios highlighting a UK need for 20GW to 30GW of energy storage by 2035.","AnswerText":"The National Energy System Operator (NESO) provides modelling of the projected amount of (short duration) battery storage that could be required in the GB system and Scotland. On 5 November NESO published advice to the UK Government on how to achieve Clean Power by 2030. At the same time, NESO also published consultations on the connections queue reform. We are currently considering this advice and modelling, which will inform our approach. We will also consider any measures proposed in the forthcoming UK Government Clean Power Action Plan.Scotland&rsquo;s National Planning Framework 4 ensures that the impacts of proposals on communities and nature are important considerations in the decision-making process.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425514,"EventID":"S6W-30882","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-25T14:21:54.763","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-25T11:11:52.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what measurable objectives it has for building cohesive communities.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measurable objectives it has for building cohesive communities.","AnswerText":"Community cohesion stretches across a number of policy themes and outcomes. For example, our Vision for Justice three year delivery plan remains to deliver a just, safe resilient Scotland. This will see us living in safer, more tolerant and inclusive communities, free from inequality and hate. We are progressing with delivering on our three year plan, and key milestones. We also continue to promote the use of the Place Standard Tool as an effective tool for community engagement, including within community planning and spatial planning. It includes themes and prompts relating to exploring community cohesion, and its use can in itself promote trust and increased participation in decision making, as well as drive improvements in neighbourhood quality. We don&rsquo;t have formal measurable objectives regarding use of the tool.The report Social Capital and Community Wellbeing in Scotland (published on 1 October 2024) provides a measure of social capital that includes &lsquo;community cohesion&rsquo; as one of the four domains, and it provides a range of measures to track community cohesion over time and broken down by geography and population subgroups.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425515,"EventID":"S6W-30860","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-25T14:21:53.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-24T09:58:47.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) High, (b) Sheriff and (c) Justice of the Peace Court trials (i) have been delayed since April 2024 and (ii) were delayed in each year since 2017-18.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) High, (b) Sheriff and (c) Justice of the Peace Court trials (i) have been delayed since April 2024 and (ii) were delayed in each year since 2017-18.","AnswerText":"This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who will reply in writing within 20 days.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425516,"EventID":"S6W-30880","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-25T14:21:54.133","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-25T10:54:06.177","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been made regarding the length of time that it takes to be diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been made regarding the length of time that it takes to be diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).","AnswerText":"We are committed to ensuring that people living in Scotland with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are able to access the best possible care and support, and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and person-centred.Significant additional activity is already underway following the allocation of &pound;30 million funding to target reductions to the national backlogs that built up throughout the pandemic. This includes over 40,000 extra diagnostic procedures.Our Endoscopy and Urology Diagnostic Recovery and Renewal Plan has so far delivered four mobile endoscopy units across Scotland, providing 5-6 additional endoscopy rooms, and a Dyce facility to provide additional endoscopy procedures for NHS Grampian. Additionally, the national endoscopy surveillance framework, introduced in February 2022, has been implemented in all Health Boards.We have also funded the Modernising Patient Pathways Programme (MPPP) with a specific workstream continuing to promote improvements in IBD care which is being taken forward through the MPPPs National Gastroenterology Speciality Delivery Group (SDG). They have developed a national IBD pathway for NHS Scotland which is due to be published imminently.In addition, the Gastroenterology SDG is developing a lower gastrointestinal pathway which will provide primary care guidance about testing and diagnosis for people with IBD and Coeliac Disease in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425517,"EventID":"S6W-30872","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-25T14:21:54.007","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-25T10:53:13.86","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address the reportedly significant costs incurred by children and young people under 25 with cancer and their families due to travelling for t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address the reportedly significant costs incurred by children and young people under 25 with cancer and their families due to travelling for treatment at specialist principal treatment centres, in light of reported concerns about the inadequacy of the NHS Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme in meeting their needs.","AnswerText":"While the Scottish Government provides the overarching guidance/framework for patient travel expenses reimbursement, NHS Boards are responsible for developing local policy to best meet the needs to their populations, and for assessing eligibly for financial support and level of that support.The cost of reimbursement is met from Boards&rsquo; budgets and all Boards must balance value for money with patient need, ensuring that patients are supported in identifying and accessing available support and that patient care is at the centre of all decisions.It is recognised that transport to health is a key enabler to ensure equitable access to healthcare, and work to bring travel/transport and health planning closer together is in progress. This work will include bringing local bodies together at a regional level to consider the options for transport to health. This work will also inform how and when a review of the overarching patient travel expenses reimbursement guidance is taken forward.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425518,"EventID":"S6W-30877","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-25T14:21:54.243","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-25T10:53:13.86","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in situations where a child or young person under 25 with cancer must receive treatment outwith Scotland, whether it is the (a) referring principal treatment centre NHS","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in situations where a child or young person under 25 with cancer must receive treatment outwith Scotland, whether it is the (a) referring principal treatment centre NHS board or (b) patient's home NHS board that funds the travel and access to this treatment.","AnswerText":"Guidance on establishing the responsible commissioner has been issued to NHS Boards to ensure services are always provided in the best interests of the patient (CEL 06 (2013)).As set out in this guidance and under article 2 of the Functions of Health Boards (Scotland) Order 1991, Health Boards have a responsibility to provide for the health care of patients living within their boundaries, i.e. patients who are &ldquo;ordinarily resident&rdquo; in their area. This includes when a Health Board refers a patient for whom they are responsible directly to another Health Board within Scotland or cross-border within the UK.Two exceptions are designated national specialist services in both NHS Scotland and NHS England; and the commissioning of highly specialised services in NHS England. In such cases and through referral from the patient&rsquo;s home Board, NHS National Services Scotland National Services Division (NSD) manages cross-border care through a financial risk share arrangement on behalf of all NHS Boards or, through an overarching Service Level Agreement in place with NHS England which allows Scottish patients to access highly specialist care.In situations where the responsible commissioner is unclear, all facets of the NHS are expected to work together to reach agreement on a case by case basis.In regards to reimbursement for travel specifically, a patient&rsquo;s home Board is responsible for developing and applying local policy. This includes assessment of eligibility and the discretion to reimburse travel expenses where they are viewed to be an extension of treatment costs and are clinically necessary.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425519,"EventID":"S6W-30881","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-25T14:21:54.017","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-25T11:02:55.02","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) services are appropriately resourced and staffed to meet the needs of the reported over 50,000 people in Scotlan","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) services are appropriately resourced and staffed to meet the needs of the reported over 50,000 people in Scotland with Crohn&rsquo;s disease and colitis.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all people in Scotland living with Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including Crohn's disease and colitis, are able to access the best possible care and support, and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care.Scottish Government workforce planning guidance requires Boards to take a demand-led approach by determining future staffing requirements in line with healthcare needs within their locality.Speciality training numbers are reviewed and considered annually by the Scottish Shape of Training Transition Group (SSoTTG), with subsequent recommendations made to Scottish Ministers around the need to increase training establishments. The most recent uplift in Gastroenterology (as the specialty which treats IBD) took place in 2022 when 10 additional posts were created. This saw the overall number of speciality training places on Scottish Gastroenterology training programmes increase to 47.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425520,"EventID":"S6W-30861","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-25T14:21:53.997","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-24T09:59:33.837","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many level three incidents have been declared or required at each prison in each year since 2016, broken down by the reason.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many level three incidents have been declared or required at each prison in each year since 2016, broken down by the reason.","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:SPS have reported or recorded 0 level three incidents since 2016.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425521,"EventID":"S6W-30876","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-25T14:21:54.677","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-25T10:53:13.86","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the financial support that NHS boards provide to children and young people under 25 with cancer for their travel for treatment at speciali","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the financial support that NHS boards provide to children and young people under 25 with cancer for their travel for treatment at specialist centres.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government provides the overall guidance to NHS Boards for patient travel expenses reimbursement. Health Boards are responsible for developing and applying their own policies, including reimbursement rates, ensuring patient care and safety. Health Boards therefore have the discretion to provide financial support for any travel to treatment centres where deemed to be an extension of treatment and clinically necessary.Scottish Government expects Health Boards to support patients to identify and access support available, taking account of individual circumstances and ensuring that patient care is at the centre of all decisions.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425522,"EventID":"S6W-30883","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-25T14:21:54.847","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-25T11:12:06.653","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made with developing the toolkit for local authorities to build cohesive communities, and when this will be published.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made with developing the toolkit for local authorities to build cohesive communities, and when this will be published.","AnswerText":"CoSLA and Scottish Government are undertaking a joint programme of engagement with local authorities to understand what they would find helpful to address hate crime and strengthen community cohesion at a local level. A toolkit is expected to publish in early 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425523,"EventID":"S6W-30871","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-25T14:21:53.997","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-25T10:53:13.86","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many college and university course places have been developed to date to help address any skills shortages in the renewables industry workforce.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many college and university course places have been developed to date to help address any skills shortages in the renewables industry workforce.","AnswerText":"Our education and skills system is already adapting in response to the transition to net zero with colleges and universities acting as key anchor points for research, innovation, and training.Due to the depth, breadth and variety of interrelated programmes of teaching for net zero skills run by both colleges and universities, it is not possible to provide an exact figure for courses specifically designed for and only catering to skills shortages in the renewables industry workforce at this stage.A range of work is underway to help address need. For example, the Energy Skills Partnership, Built Environment - Smarter Transformation (BE-ST) Innovation Centre and the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland, all funded by the Scottish Funding Council, support colleges and universities in developing their capability, capacity and curriculum pathways for the transition to net zero.SFC have been leading collaborative regional pathfinders, in both the North-East and the South of Scotland, which have identified a range of important best practices for institutions which will help improve the system and ensure provision is more responsive to Scotland&rsquo;s strategic skills needs.A number of sector-based initiatives are also in place to inform system improvement. For example, the Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council (SOWEC) is taking forward crucial work that will help both industry and the public sector to identify and address future skills and workforce gaps.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425524,"EventID":"S6W-30864","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-25T14:21:53.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-24T15:04:14.057","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which bodies provide accreditation for the provision of counselling in schools for children aged 10 and over.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which bodies provide accreditation for the provision of counselling in schools for children aged 10 and over.","AnswerText":"We continue to support our local authority partners with &pound;16 million in funding a year to ensure all school pupils aged 10 and above have access to counselling services across Scotland.Prior to delivering the commitment, the Scottish Government published a set of aims and principles, agreed in partnership with COSLA. These principles require school counselling services to be delivered within an agreed definition of counselling by qualified counsellors registered with an appropriate registration body, such as the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) or Counselling &amp; Psychotherapy in Scotland (COSCA).","AnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425525,"EventID":"S6W-30878","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-25T14:21:54.543","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-25T10:53:13.86","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it can ensure that all young people with cancer across Scotland have access to specialist psychological support from the point of diagnosis to a minimum of two years","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it can ensure that all young people with cancer across Scotland have access to specialist psychological support from the point of diagnosis to a minimum of two years post treatment.","AnswerText":"The duration of access to psychological support for children and young people with cancer is led by clinical need.In December 2022 Scottish Government committed to making recurring funding available to the existing specialist psychological support services for young people with cancer across Scotland. This commitment was successfully met in 2023-24 and continues to provide more certainty to these specialist roles.The psychological support considerations regarding specialist workforce for children and young people with cancer is currently being reviewed by the Managed Service Network for Children and Young People with Cancer (MSN CYPC) as part of a wider workforce review. The Scottish Government is in regular contact with the MSN as their review continues.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425526,"EventID":"S6W-30874","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-25T14:21:54.013","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-25T10:53:13.86","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered developing an early alert system for GPs to improve the early diagnosis of cancer in children, adolescents and young adults under 25, and what ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered developing an early alert system for GPs to improve the early diagnosis of cancer in children, adolescents and young adults under 25, and what its position is on this matter.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the importance of early diagnosis of cancer and would expect any child or young adult presenting with potential cancer symptoms to be assessed as quickly as possible.To support earlier diagnosis, a clinical refresh of the Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer is currently underway to help ensure the right person is on the right pathway at the right time and will be published in 2025.This will include updated guidelines for suspected cancer in children and young people. These guidelines, developed with input from clinicians in primary and secondary care and third sector, will support primary care clinicians to identify those children and young people with symptoms suspicious of cancer who require urgent assessment by a specialist.A new primary care cancer education platform &ndash; Gateway C &ndash; was launched on 30 April 2024 across NHS Scotland. Gateway C provides innovative and tailored information to support earlier cancer diagnosis efforts and enable effective decision-making. This free online platform is accessible to all primary care clinicians and includes specific education on cancers affecting children and young people.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425527,"EventID":"S6W-30869","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2615,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":143,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-25T14:21:54.013","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-25T10:35:46.393","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on plans to progress the proposed (a) Clyde Metro and (b) Glasgow Airport link, and when it anticipates that construction will commence","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on plans to progress the proposed (a) Clyde Metro and (b) Glasgow Airport link, and when it anticipates that construction will commence.","AnswerText":"The Case for Investment for Clyde Metro is being led by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT), supported by Glasgow City Council, with Transport Scotland providing a project assurance and support role.This key stage of the development process, which will include consideration of access improvement to Glasgow Airport, will inform decisions around network selection, phasing and implementation. This work is already underway and progressing in earnest with completion currently anticipated by early 2027.Further details on the progress of the Case for Investment stages can be obtained by contacting SPT directly at enquiry@spt.co.uk.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425528,"EventID":"S6W-30870","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-25T14:21:54.517","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-25T10:53:13.86","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many new skilled workers the renewables industry estimates will be needed for renewable energy and grid upgrade projects.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many new skilled workers the renewables industry estimates will be needed for renewable energy and grid upgrade projects.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is aware of a number of reports that set out the potential opportunities for workers in the renewable energy and electricity grid sectors. For example Robert Gordon University research suggests that there could be between 7,000 and 33,000 offshore renewables sector jobs in the North East of Scotland by 2030 while SP Energy Networks suggest that there could be between 40,000 and 80,000 jobs in 2035 in Scotland in electricity networks and related infrastructure.Independent analysis prepared by EY to better understand our energy requirements as we transition to net zero suggests that with the right support, there could be almost 80,000 low carbon energy production sector jobs in Scotland in 2050.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425529,"EventID":"S6W-30867","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-25T14:21:54.14","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-25T08:04:39.6","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that all young people with cancer have access to specialist psychological support from the point of diagnosis to a minimum of two years post treatment","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that all young people with cancer have access to specialist psychological support from the point of diagnosis to a minimum of two years post treatment.","AnswerText":"The duration of access to psychological support for children and young people with cancer is led by clinical need.In December 2022 Scottish Government committed to making recurring funding available to the existing specialist psychological support services for young people with cancer across Scotland. This commitment was successfully met in 2023-24 and continues to provide more certainty to these specialist roles.The psychological support considerations regarding specialist workforce for children and young people with cancer is currently being reviewed by the Managed Service Network for Children and Young People with Cancer (MSN CYPC) as part of a wider workforce review. The Scottish Government is in regular contact with the MSN as their review continues.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425530,"EventID":"S6W-30866","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-25T14:21:54.23","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-25T08:04:39.597","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to fulfil the commitment made in the Children's and Young People's Cancer Plan to expand access to specialist psychological support.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to fulfil the commitment made in the Children's and Young People's Cancer Plan to expand access to specialist psychological support.","AnswerText":"The psychological support considerations regarding specialist workforce for children and young people with cancer are currently being reviewed by the Managed Service Network for Children and Young People with Cancer (MSN CYPC) as part of a wider workforce review.This review includes making clear how the current workforce could be upskilled, as well as how the MSN will prioritise various roles across the entirety of the patient pathway to support psychological needs. The Scottish Government is in regular contact with the MSN as their review continues.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425531,"EventID":"S6W-30875","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-25T14:21:54.557","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-25T10:53:13.86","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to increase the digitisation of patient records for young people with cancer, and whether it will consider creating a Scottish equivalent of t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to increase the digitisation of patient records for young people with cancer, and whether it will consider creating a Scottish equivalent of the NHS England app to make accessing medical records and NHS services easier for young cancer patients and their families.","AnswerText":"The Digitisation of records is an operational responsibility of individual Health Boards and GP practices. At a national level and building on the existing use of electronic patient record systems, we are focussed on allowing medical records, including cancer, to be stored, linked, and shared securely. This will support our ambition set out in the 2021 Digital Health &amp; Care Strategy 2021 Strategy - Digital Healthcare Scotland % (digihealthcare.scot) to make the right information available to all appropriate staff, when and where it is needed.We recognise the need to open access to individuals and facilitate consistency in experience across the country, which is why we committed in the 2024-25 Programme for Government: Programme for Government 2024-25: Serving Scotland - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)to launch the first version of a personalised digital health and social care service. Over a 5-year period this will incrementally provide digital notifications, access to personal health information, and options for interacting online with health and social care services.The new service, as well as the digitisation and access to online medical records will support patients, and by extent their families, on a national level over time.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425532,"EventID":"S6W-30879","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-25T14:21:54.53","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-25T10:53:13.86","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28172 by Neil Gray on 19 June 2024, what further steps have been taken to fulfil the commitment in the cancer strategy for childre","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28172 by Neil Gray on 19 June 2024, what further steps have been taken to fulfil the commitment in the cancer strategy for children and young people to expand access to specialist psychological support.","AnswerText":"As noted in the answer to the question S6W-28172, the specialist psychological workforce for children and young people with cancer is currently being reviewed by the Managed Service Network for Children and Young People with Cancer (MSN CYPC) as part of a wider workforce review. The Scottish Government is in conversation with the MSN CYPC as their review of workforce needs continues. This will consider how best to improve access to specialist psychological support for those who need it.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425534,"EventID":"S6T-02150","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-28T15:17:53","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-27T20:52:52.55","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it launched a court appeal against a ruling by the Scottish Information Commissioner, in light of this costing tens of thousands of pounds and it reporte","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it launched a court appeal against a ruling by the Scottish Information Commissioner, in light of this costing tens of thousands of pounds and it reportedly receiving legal advice that it was likely to fail.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425535,"EventID":"S6T-02160","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-28T15:17:53.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-28T11:35:10.817","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that Young Enterprise Scotland faces closure due to it withdrawing its support.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that Young Enterprise Scotland faces closure due to it withdrawing its support.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-10-29T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425536,"EventID":"S6F-03462","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-28T15:17:40.523","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-24T11:07:29.247","Title":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425538,"EventID":"S6F-03463","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5586,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-28T15:17:40.493","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-24T11:07:46.14","Title":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425539,"EventID":"S6F-03464","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16215,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-28T15:17:40.533","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-24T11:08:02.087","Title":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425540,"EventID":"S6W-30894","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-28T16:58:30.137","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-25T13:18:41.133","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has investigated successful models of parental engagement, and what work it has undertaken with key local partners to deliver materials for parents and carers","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has investigated successful models of parental engagement, and what work it has undertaken with key local partners to deliver materials for parents and carers on how they can support anti-racist education.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has provided funding to Connect for this financial year to establish and host the Scottish Assembly of Parents and Carers. This new model will enhance the diversity of parental voices to help inform policy and provide advice and challenge as we drive forward reform of our education system.Additionally, our Anti-Racism in Education Programme (AREP) brings together education bodies and organisations and individuals with anti-racist expertise and lived experience. The AREP contains a number of ambitions which seek to support teachers, school staff and leaders at all levels in the education sector to embed antiracist approaches.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425541,"EventID":"S6W-30884","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-28T16:58:30.263","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-25T13:08:49.45","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to further review the existing professional learning available to school leaders to respond to incidents of racism and racist bullying.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to further review the existing professional learning available to school leaders to respond to incidents of racism and racist bullying.","AnswerText":"Education Scotland provides a range of professional learning opportunities for school leaders, which focus on anti-racism. These include Into Headship, Connected and Collaborative Systems Leadership, Aspiring to Middle Leadership, and Middle Leaders Leading Change, as well as the award winning Building Racial Literacy Programme (BRL) and the Anti-Racism Mentors project. All Professional Learning resources are subject to review and, as part of the evaluation cycle, updated based on participant feedback.In addition to this, the recent external evaluation of the BRL programme concluded that as a national anti-racist professional learning opportunity, it achieves its goal in supporting participants to become racially literate, with them feeling more confident in challenging discrimination and racist incidents. While the programme has welcomed a wide range of school leaders across Scotland, the evaluation identified the need for enhanced anti-racist professional development for school and system leaders. This in part led to the development of Education Scotland&rsquo;s new Anti-Racism Mentors project being piloted this year.Beyond Education Scotland&rsquo;s offers, a range of local authorities and third sector organisations have different levels of professional learning available as well. These are not subject to formal Scottish Government review processes.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425542,"EventID":"S6W-30899","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-28T16:58:30.223","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-25T15:15:04.27","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of any complaints of bullying by senior members of the Scottish Ambulance Service.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of any complaints of bullying by senior members of the Scottish Ambulance Service.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is aware of complaints of bullying by senior members of staff in the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS).Whilst Scottish Government provide support in applying the appropriate policies, this is a contractual issue which, by law, must remain between an employee and SAS as their employer. We expect all health boards to thoroughly investigate any complaints made about bullying, regardless of grade, and to ensure that these are appropriately actioned.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425543,"EventID":"S6W-30898","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-28T16:58:30.223","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-25T15:12:53.35","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to publish the new See Hear Strategy, and what work has been done to ensure that lived experience is at the centre of that work.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to publish the new See Hear Strategy, and what work has been done to ensure that lived experience is at the centre of that work.","AnswerText":"The current See Hear Strategy which was published in 2014 still exists to support children and adults who have deafness, sight loss and dual sensory loss to access the support and social care they need.See Hear Leads, within local authorities, are in place to help drive progress across priority areas within each local partnership.Since March 2023 policy officials have been engaged in extensive discussions with stakeholders, delivery partners and people with lived experience to hear what has been working well and any challenges people with Sensory Loss were facing in living a good life. Discussions are taking place across Scottish Government to identify other areas of policy work which can help resolve some of those challenges. The publication date of the refreshed strategy will be announced in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425544,"EventID":"S6W-30886","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-28T16:58:30.78","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-25T13:11:22.473","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has developed a whole-school approach to embedding anti-racism into the school environment, including providing practical measures, approaches and professiona","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has developed a whole-school approach to embedding anti-racism into the school environment, including providing practical measures, approaches and professional learning opportunities for leaders and school staff.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is clear that there is no place for racism in our schools. Discrimination or prejudice of any kind is unacceptable and must be addressed quickly whenever it arises. All staff are expected to be proactive in promoting positive relationships and behaviour in the classroom, playground and the wider school community.The Racism and Racist Incidents sub-group of the Anti-racism in Education Programme (AREP) is focussed on the support to schools and school staff to improve understanding of racism and to ensure that these issues are properly identified and addressed. It is currently developing guidance on a whole-school approach to preventing and responding to racism and racist incidents in schools. Further information about the workstream, including minutes from their meetings can be accessed here: Racism and Racist Incidents subgroup - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).The RRI workstream is currently developing practical guidance for schools to support them to respond to racism and racist incidents, including strengthening approaches to recording and monitoring.It is anticipated this guidance will be published in Spring 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425545,"EventID":"S6W-30889","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-28T16:58:30.143","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-25T13:14:25.417","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last reviewed its national approach for recording and monitoring bullying in schools.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last reviewed its national approach for recording and monitoring bullying in schools.","AnswerText":"We expect schools and local authorities to record all incidents of bullying and violence in schools.In 2019 we introduced a consistent national approach to recording and monitoring bullying incidents in schools. HMIe carried out a thematic review of approaches to recording and monitoring incidents of bullying in schools and published its report in February 2023.As part of its response to this review, the Scottish Government established a working group to review Respect for All, its national anti-bullying guidance as well as the supplementary guidance on recording and monitoring bullying incidents. The updated guidance will be published in November 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425546,"EventID":"S6W-30892","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-28T16:58:30.553","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-25T13:16:49.44","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the development of age and stage appropriate lesson plans that enable the delivery of anti-racist education and racist bullying educ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the development of age and stage appropriate lesson plans that enable the delivery of anti-racist education and racist bullying education and learning, drawing on Scottish and UK examples of good practice.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has been progressing a number of areas of work in relation to articulating and embedding anti-racism in the curriculum. This has included the introduction of anti-racism curriculum principles Breaking the Mould, published in June 2023 which were co-designed with young people, educators and organisations with anti-racism expertise.To support the education sector in designing and delivering an anti-racist curriculum we have also funded a range of programmes including: funding for diversifying texts and projects in school libraries; professional learning programmes for history teachers on the role of the British Empire in world history and its legacy today, and the impact of the Transatlantic Slave Trade; and small grants for young people-led anti-racist clubs to deliver school-based activities highlighting the importance of an anti-racist learning environment.In particular, we have partnered with the Development Education Centres to support early years practitioners and teachers to effectively deliver age appropriate curriculum content aligned with the Breaking the Mould principles. This work has culminated in the development of a suite of new online resources that cover health and wellbeing and personal and social education, which were published in 2024. The online resources include workshop plans, activities and animations to support classroom learning on issues such as discrimination, bias, stereotyping and identity as well as the causes and impacts of racism. The roll out of these resources is supported by funded online and in-person professional learning.We are also currently working with the Children&rsquo;s Parliament to create a new resource for children on racism and rights in education.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425547,"EventID":"S6W-30896","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-28T16:58:30.663","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-25T13:39:26.123","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what work it has undertaken with young people's representative organisations to provide effective practice resources for schools and local authorities on how to engage w","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work it has undertaken with young people's representative organisations to provide effective practice resources for schools and local authorities on how to engage with young people on anti-racism and racist bullying approaches.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s Anti-Racism in Education Programme continues to consider the best ways in which the voices of young people, particularly those with lived experience, are centred within the programme. Since 2021, we have provided funding to a range of young people&rsquo;s organisations, including Intercultural Youth Scotland, Show Racism the Red Card, the Scottish Youth Parliament and the Children&rsquo;s Parliament, to participate in discussions and support the development of all of our resources, guidance and professional learning.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425548,"EventID":"S6W-30891","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-28T16:58:30.747","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-25T13:16:02.817","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last reviewed successful models of parental engagement in relation to approaches to prevent and respond to racism and racist bullying in Personal and Social Educ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last reviewed successful models of parental engagement in relation to approaches to prevent and respond to racism and racist bullying in Personal and Social Education (PSE) or Health and Wellbeing Education.","AnswerText":"As part of Education Scotland&rsquo;s Anti-Racism Mentors project, selected alumni from the Building Racial Literacy programme are working to take forward anti-racist action at local and national levels, with some of their activities exploring models of parental engagement.I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30894 on 11 November 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425549,"EventID":"S6W-30885","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-28T16:58:30.14","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-25T13:09:48.077","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the collection and publication of effective practices underway in schools and local authorities that embed anti-racism practices in ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the collection and publication of effective practices underway in schools and local authorities that embed anti-racism practices in schools.","AnswerText":"A number of approaches are being used to collect and publish effective practices underway in schools and local authorities that embed anti-racism practices in schools:Case studies are being gathered and published to illustrate Scotland's Breaking the mould: Principles for an anti-racist curriculum | Resources | Education Scotland located on Education Scotland&rsquo;s Anti-Racist Curriculum Principles &ndash; Promoting Anti-Racist Education in Scotland (glowscotland.org.uk) web-based resource.As part of Education Scotland&rsquo;s Anti-Racism Mentors project, alumni from the Building Racial Literacy programme are also providing case studies of effective anti-racist practice.Case studies taken from examples of practice that inspectors see in schools are shared on the Education Scotland webpage, Promoting improvement through sharing highly effective practice | Inspection and review | Education Scotland. Through inspection and review, HM Inspectors continue to identify and share highly effective practice, within and across sectors. They work closely with a range of organisations to disseminate good practice and build the capacity of establishments and authorities to provide education and services for children, young people and adult learners of the highest quality. HM Inspectors exemplify and promote good practice through web-based publications, video extracts and events.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425550,"EventID":"S6W-30895","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-28T16:58:30.523","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-25T13:21:12.497","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review what anti-racism learning is currently available to all school staff.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review what anti-racism learning is currently available to all school staff.","AnswerText":"The Education Leadership and Professional Learning workstream of the Scottish Government&rsquo;s Anti-Racism in Education Programme includes a wide range of stakeholders who bring their expertise and experience to inform strategic actions. Facilitated by Education Scotland, this workstream contributes to the ongoing review of what anti-racist professional learning is available to all school staff, from the national anti-racist professional learning programme, Building Racial Literacy, to more local offers and self-directed professional learning resources.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425551,"EventID":"S6W-30893","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-28T16:58:30.227","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-25T13:17:42.12","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has issued effective practice guidance for schools on how to engage young people, including young people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds, in the de","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has issued effective practice guidance for schools on how to engage young people, including young people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds, in the development and delivery of anti-racist education in Personal and Social Education (PSE) and health and wellbeing lessons.","AnswerText":"Children and young people should feel happy, safe, respected and included in the learning environment and all staff should be proactive in promoting positive relationships and behaviour in the classroom, playground, and wider learning community.It is for teachers, head teachers and other professional educational practitioners to decide the development and implementation of the curriculum within the overall framework. Schools are encouraged to work closely with parents and carers on the development and delivery of learning and teaching.Guidance is, however, made available on health and wellbeing, such as relationships, sexual health and parenthood education, and is updated regularly. The Racism and Racist Incidents Sub-group of the Anti-Racism in Education Programme is currently developing guidance on a whole-school approach to preventing and responding to racism and racist incidents in schools, including how to engage with children and young people.As part of the Scottish Government&rsquo;s commitment to embedding the Breaking the Mould anti-racism curriculum principles, we have funded development of new online anti-racism in education resources, antiracisted.scot published last month. Personal and Social Education was identified as the priority for curriculum development by children and young people that were part of the Anti-Racism in Education Programme and this was selected as the first topic for focus. The resources were created by the Development Education Centres in collaboration with a range of different voices and perspectives. The voices of learners from St Euan&rsquo;s Primary School in Clydebank and Drumchapel Hight School in Glasgow are reflected in the animations as well as other areas of the resource.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425552,"EventID":"S6W-30907","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-28T16:58:30.777","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-28T10:23:48.123","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) NHS Lanarkshire and (b) any other NHS board has closed its attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessment waiting lists to adult patients.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) NHS Lanarkshire and (b) any other NHS board has closed its attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessment waiting lists to adult patients.","AnswerText":"This is not data that we hold centrally. There is no national collection of waiting times for adult diagnosis of ADHD. Accordingly, we cannot confirm whether any NHS board has closed its ADHD assessment waiting list to adult patients.I can advise that The Scottish Government is currently working with the National Autism Implementation Team to implement Adult Neurodevelopmental Pathways across Scotland to ensure that adults with ADHD receive appropriate diagnosis and support.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425553,"EventID":"S6W-30887","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-28T16:58:30.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-25T13:12:34.527","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out a review of the recording of racist incidents in schools by local authorities and/or schools.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out a review of the recording of racist incidents in schools by local authorities and/or schools.","AnswerText":"In February 2023, Education Scotland published the report of its thematic review on approaches to recording and monitoring of bullying incidents in schools. This report can be accessed at: Approaches to recording and monitoring incidents of bullying in schools (education.gov.scot).In January 2024 Education Scotland published an online resource following a second phase of its thematic review, which looked at good practice in preventing and responding to bullying behaviour. This resource includes examples of schools responding to increases in prejudice-based behaviours. Information and case studies can be accessed here: Preventing and responding to bullying | Bullying | Resources | Education Scotland.The findings from the thematic inspection are informing the work of the Racism and Racist Incidents workstream. This includes the development of resources which are focused on preventing and responding to racism and racist incidents, including strengthening approaches to recording and monitoring, and developing guidance on a whole-school approach to anti-racism.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425554,"EventID":"S6W-30904","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-28T16:58:30.78","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-28T10:23:48.123","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update regarding reports of ongoing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication shortages, and what support it is providing to ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update regarding reports of ongoing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication shortages, and what support it is providing to (a) NHS boards and (b) patients in relation to this.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is aware that supplies of various ADHD medicines continue to be intermittent. The supply of medicines and associated legislation are a reserved matter for the UK Government and the Scottish Government continues to engage with them on all medicine supply issues. At present, information provided by the UK Government indicates that some ADHD medicine shortages will continue into early 2025.Scottish Government officials continue to monitor the situation for any further developments and are maintaining a close dialogue with all Health Boards to help manage these medicine supply disruptions. The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer (CPO)for Scotland is a member of a UK-wide Medicines Shortage Response Group that supports the management of medicine shortages. In addition, the CPO will be holding a roundtable meeting with key stakeholders in Scotland on 12 November 2024 to better understand the impact of ADHD medicine shortages locally and to determine if there is any further action that can be taken to strengthen our response.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425555,"EventID":"S6W-30888","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-28T16:58:30.237","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-25T13:13:16.583","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to issue any new guidance to support schools to respond to incidents of racism.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to issue any new guidance to support schools to respond to incidents of racism.","AnswerText":"As part of the Anti-Racism in Education Programme - gov.scot (www.gov.scot), the Scottish Government has established the Racism and Racist Incidents (RRI) workstream. This workstream is focussed on developing support for schools and school staff to improve understanding of racism and to ensure that these issues are properly identified and addressed.The RRI workstream is currently developing practical guidance for schools to support them to respond to racism and racist incidents, including strengthening approaches to recording and monitoring.It is anticipated this guidance will be published in Spring 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425556,"EventID":"S6W-30902","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-28T16:58:30.29","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-27T11:25:05.76","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any barriers that patients face in accessing ME specialist services for an initial assessment, care plan and ongoing support as required, ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any barriers that patients face in accessing ME specialist services for an initial assessment, care plan and ongoing support as required, and whether this varies in different NHS boards.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"In May 2023 the Scottish Government published an analysis of survey data of health boards&rsquo; arrangements: Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Services in Scotland: Findings from an analysis of surveys issued to NHS Boards in Autumn 2022 (www.gov.scot) for the care and support of individuals with ME/CFS, with the aim of establishing a clearer picture of variations in service provision around Scotland.The report sought to map ME/CFS support and service provision, review implementation of the 2021 NICE guideline and identify barriers to this, and highlight areas of good practice or where further support is needed to embed the guidance.We have since gathered updated information on ME/CFS care from every health board in Scotland and are currently preparing to publish a revised report later this month.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425557,"EventID":"S6W-30897","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-28T16:58:30.303","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-25T15:12:53.35","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what funding will be allocated to support the work of the new the See Hear Strategy, to support people who are Deaf, Deafblind or  have visual impairments to live well.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what funding will be allocated to support the work of the new the See Hear Strategy, to support people who are Deaf, Deafblind or  have visual impairments to live well.","AnswerText":"The See Hear Strategy is supported by Scottish Government See Hear funding of &pound;320,000 yearly, shared across each local authority area and based on population size, to deliver local implementation of the Strategy. This is in addition to Section 10 grant awards made in 2024-25 and totalling &pound;102,475 to support sensory loss projects that meet recommendations in the Strategy.Future funding of the Strategy will be subject to the outcome of the Scottish Budget which is due to take place on 4 December.I also refer the member to the answer to question S6W-22870 on 22 November 2023 which details the amount of funding used to support the Strategy since its publication in 2014. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425558,"EventID":"S6W-30901","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-28T16:58:30.623","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-26T11:27:38.837","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will support local government to develop an open source cashless parking service app to avoid the rents extracted by private cashless parking app vendors, whi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will support local government to develop an open source cashless parking service app to avoid the rents extracted by private cashless parking app vendors, which are reported to be around 20p per transaction.","AnswerText":"The Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 places the statutory responsibility for local roads with the local road authorities, including parking. The provision of parking, the charges levied and how they are collected is therefore at the local authorities discretion and this is not something in which the Scottish Government would become directly involved.There is a National Parking Platform available across the UK, run at no cost to local authorities by the Department of Transport, which local authorities in Scotland would be free to participate in if they so wish.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425559,"EventID":"S6W-30903","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-28T16:58:30.277","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-27T11:25:05.76","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can confirm when the 2021 NICE guideline on myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) will be implemented.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can confirm when the 2021 NICE guideline on myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) will be implemented.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"While the Scottish Government sets the strategic policy for the NHS in Scotland, it is NHS Boards and healthcare professionals locally who have responsibility for both service delivery and ensuring people receive the right care for them, taking into account relevant guidance, local service needs and priorities for investment.The Health and Social Care Standards set out the expectation that care should be provided by health and social care professionals based on the most relevant evidence, guidance and best practice, as is appropriate to their profession and patient group.In May 2023 the Scottish Government published an analysis of survey data of heath boards' arrangements for the care and support of individuals with ME/CFS, which sought to map ME/CFS support and service provision and review awareness and implementation of the 2021 NICE guideline.We have since gathered updated information on ME/CFS care from every health board in Scotland and are currently preparing to publish an updated report later this month.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425560,"EventID":"S6W-30890","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-28T16:58:30.25","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-25T13:15:20.597","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has developed a universal national approach for recording and monitoring racist incidents in schools.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has developed a universal national approach for recording and monitoring racist incidents in schools.","AnswerText":"Schools and education authorities should ensure any allegations of racism are investigated fully and any necessary action taken.A consistent and uniform approach to recording and monitoring incidents of bullying in schools was introduced in 2019. The Bullying and Equalities Module on SEEMiS, the school&rsquo;s management information system, was updated to reflect the new approach. The Bullying and Equalities Module should not be interpreted as being focused solely on bullying; it is designed to capture a range of behaviours related to equalities and includes &lsquo;Racism or racist incident&rsquo; as a category.Our work on Racism and Racist Incidents, which is part of the Anti-Racism in Education Programme, alongside work to refresh Respect for All, the national anti-bullying guidance, will provide further guidance for schools on recording and monitoring racist incidents and instances of prejudiced-based bullying.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425561,"EventID":"S6F-03477","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":2103,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":109,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-28T15:17:40.51","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-28T10:36:27.527","Title":"To ask the First Minister what assessment the Scottish Government has undertaken of the impact of the UK Government Budget on Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what assessment the Scottish Government has undertaken of the impact of the UK Government Budget on Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425562,"EventID":"S6F-03468","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-28T15:17:40.583","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-28T09:17:46.36","Title":"To ask the First Minister what engagement the Scottish Government has had with Police Scotland officials who are responsible for investigating whether the actions of Professor Eljamel amounted to crim","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what engagement the Scottish Government has had with Police Scotland officials who are responsible for investigating whether the actions of Professor Eljamel amounted to criminal conduct.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425563,"EventID":"S6F-03488","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-28T15:17:40.513","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-28T11:50:45.303","Title":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the reported rise in sex crimes.","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the reported rise in sex crimes.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425587,"EventID":"S6W-30930","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-29T15:25:33.21","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T09:25:57.277","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps it is taking to improve palliative care provision.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps it is taking to improve palliative care provision.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is currently consulting on Scotland&rsquo;s draft palliative care strategy Palliative Care Matters for All. The consultation is open until 10 January 2025 and builds on extensive stakeholder engagement to develop a framework to support delivery and build on existing work to support those in need of palliative care and their families. Through our draft palliative care strategy, we are committed to working with Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs) and adult independent hospice organisations to develop a national guidance framework to support and improve consistency of local planning and commissioning of independent hospice services through Integrated Joint Boards (IJBs).","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425588,"EventID":"S6W-30948","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5866,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-29T15:25:34.317","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T12:52:51.787","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that all NHS boards implement full patient care pathways for the early detection and management of liver disease.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that all NHS boards implement full patient care pathways for the early detection and management of liver disease.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government through its national Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) has formed a Specialty Delivery Group for Liver Disease with the first meeting on 6th November 2024. Early Detection is one of the pathways being prioritised.The Early Detection Pathway has already been passed through the first Gateway in the CfSD delivery pathway. The challenges are around how individual boards can implement this before the National Laboratory Information Management System.There has been progress in developing the Early Detection pathways in individual boards using the technology as currently available while others are using the their Referral Advice to Primary Care with increased use of the FIB-4 and Fibroscan with advice for Lifestyle changes and repeat investigation as required.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425589,"EventID":"S6W-30925","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-29T15:25:33.903","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-28T18:48:02.983","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26556 by Jim Fairlie on 19 April 2024, whether it can provide an update on its position on the compulsory microchipping of pet cat","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26556 by Jim Fairlie on 19 April 2024, whether it can provide an update on its position on the compulsory microchipping of pet cats.","AnswerText":"At this time we cannot provide an update further to that of S6W-26556, as we await the publication of the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission&rsquo;s (SAWC) Responsible Cat Ownership Working Group report.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425590,"EventID":"S6W-30908","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-29T15:25:33.21","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-28T11:57:51.66","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30441 by Alasdair Allan on 28 October 2024, what its position is on whether (a) this commercial shipbuilding opportunity is of nat","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30441 by Alasdair Allan on 28 October 2024, what its position is on whether (a) this commercial shipbuilding opportunity is of national importance, (b) it should be a key priority for the Scottish Government to develop a domestic supply chain and industrial base and (c) this should also be integrated with the UK Government's National Shipbuilding Strategy.","AnswerText":"Our evidence paper, Offshore Wind Focus - gov.scot (www.gov.scot), sets out our strategic approach to investing up to &pound;500m over five years to anchor our offshore wind supply chain in Scotland, supporting the delivery of our Green Industrial Strategy.Vessels have been identified in that paper as a priority for strategic investment, alongside ports and harbours infrastructure and the wider offshore wind supply chain, including blades and turbine manufacturing, foundations, offshore services, and cables.We are committed to working collaboratively with the UK Government to ensure alignment on investment priorities to support the offshore wind supply chain in Scotland, including vessels.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425591,"EventID":"S6W-30942","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-29T15:25:33.887","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T11:08:53.943","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many university training places for teaching information and communications technology (ICT) subjects there have been in each of the last 10 years, also broken down ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many university training places for teaching information and communications technology (ICT) subjects there have been in each of the last 10 years, also broken down by the number of places that were unfilled.","AnswerText":"Information on university students is collected and published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). Using this data between academic years 2018-19 and 2022-23, the last year of available data, there has been an increase of over 30% in enrolments into Computer Science courses at Scottish Universities.It should be noted that prior to 2018-19 academic year, data was collected using a different subject classification. As such, figures prior to 2018-19 are not directly comparable.The number of enrolments (covering all years of study and at all levels) and the number of full-time first degree entrants (all domiciles) from either Computing or Computer Science courses at Scottish universities, over the last 10 Academic Years, can be found in the following tables. These are taken from published data.ICT courses are not controlled subjects and unlike controlled subjects the Scottish Government does not direct individual universities on the number of funded places made available.With regard to the number of unfilled places HESA does not collect this data.Student enrolment on &lsquo;Computer Science&rsquo; courses at Scottish Universities - Subject classification based on JACS code = computer scienceAcademic yearAll EnrolmentsFull-time first degree entrants2013-149,8402,5402014-1510,3602,5852015-1610,6902,4052016-1711,6002,7002017-1812,6402,770Source: HESA Student data -Figure 14 - HE student enrolments by subject area and sex 2013/14 to 2017/18 | HESAStudent enrolment on Computing&rsquo; courses at Scottish Universities - Subject classification based on HECOS code = ComputingAcademic YearEnrolmentsFull-time first degree entrants2018-1913,9603,2302019-2015,5153,3552020-2117,3803,2902021-2218,3552,9352022-2318,3503,045Source: HESA Student data - Figure 13 - HE student enrolments by CAH level 1 subject and sex 2018/19 to 2022/23 | HESAEnrolment figures include those in all years of study, and on all levels of coursesFigures have been rounded to the nearest 5 and are based on full-person equivalents.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425592,"EventID":"S6W-30923","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-29T15:25:34.317","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-28T17:11:51.093","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the capacity is of the new HMP Highland, and whether each cell will accommodate one prisoner only.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the capacity is of the new HMP Highland, and whether each cell will accommodate one prisoner only.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:HMP Highland will have a design capacity of 200 prisoner places which includes 12 cells designed to accommodate two people.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425593,"EventID":"S6W-30921","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-29T15:25:33.883","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-28T16:50:05.143","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Graduate Apprenticeship Enhancement Group, specifically in relation to its workstreams; what the timescale is for the work of th","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Graduate Apprenticeship Enhancement Group, specifically in relation to its workstreams; what the timescale is for the work of the group, and whether as part of its work the group plans to consult more widely with employer and industry representatives.","AnswerText":"The Graduate Apprenticeship Enhancement Group was established in spring 2024 to make recommendations on the development of future policy and a delivery model for GAs in line with Scotland&rsquo;s economic growth opportunities, skills need, and the wider reform of the post-16 education landscape. The Group's membership includes the Scottish Funding Council, Skills Development Scotland, Colleges Scotland, Universities Scotland, and representation from businesses.The Group&rsquo;s work is evidence and data informed and is taken forward through workstreams. It will include engagement with employers and their industry representatives, public sector partners and apprentices. The Group anticipates completing its work over the winter.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425594,"EventID":"S6W-30926","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-29T15:25:33.907","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-28T20:07:05.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30466&nbsp;by Natalie Don-Innes on 17 October 2024, whether it has identified any specific pressures on the parliamentary legislat","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30466&nbsp;by Natalie Don-Innes on 17 October 2024, whether it has identified any specific pressures on the parliamentary legislative calendar that will prevent the proposed The Promise Bill from being introduced during the current parliamentary session.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to introducing a Promise Bill in this Parliamentary term.The Government&rsquo;s future legislative programmes will be announced in the relevant Programme for Government in the normal way in due course.We are currently conducting a number of consultations which will inform the next steps on key areas and, where appropriate to inform The Promise Bill.This includes the next stages of reform of the children&rsquo;s hearing system; the future of foster care; the definition of care experience; and the support available to those moving on from care.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425595,"EventID":"S6W-30935","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-29T15:25:33.86","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T09:28:43.123","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the number of core staff that it employs has risen by 80% over the&nbsp;past&nbsp;decade.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the number of core staff that it employs has risen by 80% over the&nbsp;past&nbsp;decade.","AnswerText":"The most recent workforce publication shows that in June 2014 the workforce comprised of 5,101 FTE directly employed staff, and 1,249 contingent workers.For June 2024 showed the core Scottish Government workforce comprised of 8,911 FTE directly employed staff and 1,214 contingent workers.This represents an increase of 75% in the directly employed workforce and a reduction of -3% in the contingent workforce.The growth in the directly employed workforce in the last ten years has supported the devolution of new powers to the Scottish Government, for example Social Security and Exchequer functions. The growth in the core Scottish Government has also supported the response to exiting the European Union and the Covid-19 pandemic.Since March 2022 the Scottish Government has increased its permanent workforce while prioritising the reduction of the more expensive contingent workforce such as contractors and consultants. The number of contingent workers is now 40% lower than in March 2022.The number of core Scottish Government staff is available at Scottish Government workforce information - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425596,"EventID":"S6W-30919","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-29T15:25:34.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-28T15:25:04.923","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of the current support that is offered to women-led businesses.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of the current support that is offered to women-led businesses.","AnswerText":"The independent Pathways review and recommendations were developed through extensive consultation and engagement with entrepreneurs and analysis of data on women in entrepreneurship.Activity within the South of Scotland Enterprise Pilot pre-start programme and projects funded through the Pathways Fund will be evaluated to determine effectiveness and to support the development of further implementation of the Pathways recommendations.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425597,"EventID":"S6W-30941","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-29T15:25:33.867","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T11:08:26.767","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many university students have graduated in information and communications technology (ICT) courses in each of the last 10 years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many university students have graduated in information and communications technology (ICT) courses in each of the last 10 years.","AnswerText":"Information on university student qualifiers is collected and published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).It should be noted that prior to 2018-19 academic year, data was collected using a different subject classification. As such, figures prior to 2018-19 are not directly comparable.The number of qualifiers (covering all levels of study) and the number of full-time first degree qualifiers (all domiciles) from either Computing or Computer Science courses at Scottish universities, over the last 10 Academic Years, can be found in the following tables. These are taken from published data.Student qualifiers on &lsquo;Computer Science&rsquo; courses at Scottish UniversitiesSubject classification based on JACS code = computer scienceAcademic yearAll QualifiersFull-time first degree qualifiers2013-143,1501,7102014-153,2851,7852015-163,4501,9052016-173,4951,8652017-183,8551,975Source: HESA Student dataFigure 14 - HE student enrolments by subject area and sex 2013/14 to 2017/18 | HESAStudent qualifiers on Computing courses at Scottish UniversitiesSubject classification based on HECOS code = ComputingAcademic YearAll QualifiersFull-time first degree qualifiers2018-194,1652,0502019-204,3202,0452020-214,3352,1252021-225,9502,3002022-235,1602,050Source: HESA Student data - Figure 13 - HE student enrolments by CAH level 1 subject and sex 2018/19 to 2022/23 | HESAFigures have been rounded to the nearest 5 and are based on full-person equivalents.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425598,"EventID":"S6W-30944","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-29T15:25:33.223","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T11:20:33.777","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what specific actions have been taken in the current parliamentary session to improve the average reading age in schools.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what specific actions have been taken in the current parliamentary session to improve the average reading age in schools.","AnswerText":"Literacy, which includes reading, remains the responsibility of all educators and a key priority in the National Improvement Framework. The National Improvement Framework and improvement plan 2024 included a range of actions to support literacy under the National Response to Improving Literacy, all of which are relevant to reading. The 2025 National Improvement Framework, which will be published in December 2024, will include a new long-term strategy setting out how we will work in partnership with local authorities and wider children's services to improve outcomes for young people. Improving achievement in literacy will remain a key priority.Of particular note, in February 2024 Education Scotland published an Early Reading Professional Support Overview followed by a number of Professional Learning Resources from March to June 2024 for educators who support children and young people to learn to read. This guidance covers a range of themes including developing skills for reading and it seeks to provide clarity on the position of systematic phonics within an overall approach to early reading. The guidance is accompanied by an enhanced national primary schools professional learning programme on early reading.In addition, the Scottish Government continues to fund the Scottish Book Trust to deliver both the Reading Schools programme and Read Write Count with the First Minister (RWC). Reading Schools offers three accreditation levels to Primary, Secondary and Additional Support Needs schools, designed to champion schools&rsquo; efforts to build and sustain a reading culture, while RWC gifts books and other materials to Primary 2 and 3 pupils across Scotland. The Scottish Government also continues to fund the School Library Improvement Fund to support creative and innovative projects within the school library sector.The National Response to Improving Literacy Partnership Board (NRIL) brings together Scottish Government, Education Scotland and the Association of Directors of Education Services (ADES) to identify and support actions to improve literacy. A key priority for the &ldquo;NRIL&rdquo; in 2024 and 2025 is the Literacy and English Curriculum Improvement Cycle which will seek to strengthen and update Scotland&rsquo;s Literacy and English Curriculum.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425599,"EventID":"S6W-30936","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-29T15:25:33.87","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T09:57:48.663","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers the increase in tonnage of waste incinerated, outlined in the 2023 household waste statistics, to be a positive or negative market signal for preven","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers the increase in tonnage of waste incinerated, outlined in the 2023 household waste statistics, to be a positive or negative market signal for prevention and reuse efforts.","AnswerText":"Scotland was the first UK nation to introduce a ban on landfilling biodegradable municipal waste, which comes into force on 31 December 2025.The increase in waste incinerated reflects preparations for the upcoming ban which have already supported a decrease in the total amount of waste going to landfill in Scotland by half over the past decade.As we continue to increase our reuse and recycling rates, we will produce even less waste, however we will still need an appropriate way to manage our unavoidable and unrecyclable waste &ndash; and continue to reduce the amount going to landfill. The development of the Waste Route Map with partners now the Circular Economy Act is in place will be critical in accelerating action in this area.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425600,"EventID":"S6W-30931","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-29T15:25:34.163","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T09:26:19.167","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent findings of a report by the Fraser of Allander Institute,&nbsp;which state that just 6% of Scottish businesses believe that the Scotti","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent findings of a report by the Fraser of Allander Institute,&nbsp;which state that just 6% of Scottish businesses believe that the Scottish Government &ldquo;engages effectively&rdquo; with their sector.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is working intensively with business organisations and stakeholders to deliver on our shared ambitions, including through the New Deal for Business Group, which helped shape the First Minister&rsquo;s recent Programme for Government and is informing our key priorities regarding economic growth.There are good examples of business already feeding into policy development in areas like public health, circular economy and fair work. Deepening this relationship is an ongoing process, and I&rsquo;m committed to building on the progress to date.The Scottish Government will keep working with business to improve productivity, bring investment and create high quality jobs for Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425601,"EventID":"S6W-30922","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-29T15:25:34.317","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-28T17:11:28.713","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the capacity is of the new HMP Glasgow, and whether each cell will accommodate one prisoner only.&nbsp;&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the capacity is of the new HMP Glasgow, and whether each cell will accommodate one prisoner only.&nbsp;&nbsp;","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:HMP Glasgow will have a design capacity of 1,344 prisoner places which includes 120 cells designed to accommodate two people.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425602,"EventID":"S6W-30911","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5110,"Party":"Independent","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":89,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-29T15:25:33.867","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-28T13:17:11.657","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the resignation of Sir Brian May as vice president of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) due to reported concerns","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the resignation of Sir Brian May as vice president of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) due to reported concerns over \"appalling\" animal welfare standards on farms certified under the RSPCA Assured scheme, and what steps it is taking to ensure that animal welfare standards on Scottish farms meet or exceed national and international requirements.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not comment on the internal affairs of non-SG bodies.The Scottish Government is fully committed to improving and protecting the welfare of all animals in Scotland. The Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 protects animals in Scotland, including livestock, and in November 2023 we published our own pig welfare guidance to further improve the welfare of farmed pigs. The Welfare of Farmed Animals (Scotland) Regulations 2010 was updated to include this updated guidance.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425603,"EventID":"S6W-30947","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5608,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":103,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-29T15:25:34.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T12:43:49.557","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its planned review of Creative Scotland, and wider funding streams for the arts and culture sector.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its planned review of Creative Scotland, and wider funding streams for the arts and culture sector.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government announced in the Programme for Government that we would undertake a review of Creative Scotland as part of a wider review of how the sector is supported. My officials are currently undertaking preparatory work and I will provide a further update in due course. In the meantime, I would refer you to the update I provided to the Scottish Parliament&rsquo;s Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee on 18 September: https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/committees/constitution-europe-external-affairs-and-culture-committee/correspondence/2024/letter--cab-sec-to-ceeac--creative-scotland--cs-open-fund-18-sep-2024.pdf.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425604,"EventID":"S6W-30933","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-29T15:25:34.273","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T09:26:42.483","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on whether it plans to proceed with its National Care Service plans.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on whether it plans to proceed with its National Care Service plans.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to the plans for a National Care Service, and Scottish Ministers are continuing work on progressing this as quickly and effectively as possible.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425605,"EventID":"S6W-30945","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-29T15:25:34.383","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T11:25:08.64","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what digital solutions are being explored to improve the reading age in schools.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what digital solutions are being explored to improve the reading age in schools.","AnswerText":"There are a range of commercial digital products available to schools aimed at improving children's reading.Some schools in Scotland are already using these approaches to improve children's reading and Education Scotland, the Scottish education agency, will continue to explore the evidence base and relative effectiveness of these and how to best share good practice in this area.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425606,"EventID":"S6W-30939","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-29T15:25:33.87","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T10:21:49.5","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will instruct all public bodies for which it is responsible to use an Open Government Licence, in line with the Scottish Government's own use of OGL v3.0.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will instruct all public bodies for which it is responsible to use an Open Government Licence, in line with the Scottish Government's own use of OGL v3.0.","AnswerText":"Open Government Licences (OGLs) are controlled and administered solely by the Kings Printer for Scotland. The license is freely available to public bodies, and we support public bodies to use OGL where appropriate. Bodies such as the Care Inspectorate, Nature Scot, Food Standards Scotland and the National Records of Scotland are already using OGLs. It should be noted it is a matter for anyone who wants to use material under the OGL to satisfy themselves that the terms of that licence are suitable to cover any intended use.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425607,"EventID":"S6W-30937","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-29T15:25:33.873","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T09:57:48.663","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the level of progress in household recycling during 2023.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the level of progress in household recycling during 2023.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government welcomes the news that recently released statistics from SEPA show that in 2023 both the amount of household waste generated, and the carbon impact of Scotland&rsquo;s household waste, were at their lowest levels since records began in 2011.The small increase in the household recycling rate of 0.15% to 43.5% in 2023 shows there is work to do to increase recycling and to support our sustainable resource and climate goals. This is why our Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 and draft Circular Economy and Waste Route Map set out numerous measures to increase Scotland's reuse and recycling rates.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425608,"EventID":"S6W-30934","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-29T15:25:34.437","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T09:27:28.88","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support communities that have seen large-scale job losses since the COVID-19 pandemic, in light of reports that Inverclyde has lost an estima","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support communities that have seen large-scale job losses since the COVID-19 pandemic, in light of reports that Inverclyde has lost an estimated 1,200 jobs in the past 18 months.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government works closely with its agencies and partners to explore all viable options to avoid closures and retain jobs in the region. However, despite our best efforts to seek alternative outcomes, this is not always possible to achieve.The people affected by these announcements are always our immediate priority. The Scottish Government provided support to these individuals through our initiative for responding to redundancy situations, Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE). Through providing skills development and employability support, PACE aims to minimise the time individuals affected by redundancy are out of work.In Scotland, employability services are delivered through the No One Left Behind approach, which sees Scottish and Local Government work in partnership with public, private, and third sector organisations to deliver support to those who are at risk of long-term unemployment. Employability support is in place in every local authority area, with decisions on the design taken by Local Employability Partnerships. Between April 2019 and June 2024, 1813 people have entered No One Left Behind support in Inverclyde.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425609,"EventID":"S6W-30924","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-29T15:25:33.97","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-28T17:49:00.447","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve the total fertility rate.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve the total fertility rate.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"Falling birth rates are a demographic trend replicated across many high-income countries, with significant future implications for our economies, communities and public services.The Family Friendly Nation strand of our Population Strategy sets out our ambition to ensure Scotland is the ideal place to raise a family. In delivering this, in November 2022, the Ministerial Population Taskforce published &lsquo;Attitudes to Family Formation in Scotland&rsquo; to update our evidence base about family planning and ideal family size.Next steps are being considered by the Taskforce, including scoping potential policy lessons from international comparators to support people to have the number of children they wish to have.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425610,"EventID":"S6W-30929","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-29T15:25:34.32","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T09:25:42.737","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it expects the MV Glen Sannox to be handed over to CMAL, in light of the handover date of 14 October 2024 reportedly being dela","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it expects the MV Glen Sannox to be handed over to CMAL, in light of the handover date of 14 October 2024 reportedly being delayed due to a blackout experienced during the vessel's sea trials.","AnswerText":"In his latest letter to the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee (NZET) on 11 October, Ferguson Marine&rsquo;s interim Chief Executive reported that recent acceptance sea trials were successfully completed and assured the Committee that a definitive handover date will be provided as soon as it is confirmed. I will then write to the NZET Committee to give the Scottish Government&rsquo;s response to the latest progress update on the delivery of MV Glen Sannox. The vessel is now in the final stages of delivery, with all parties collaborating to complete the remaining technical details.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425611,"EventID":"S6W-30918","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-29T15:25:33.88","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-28T15:24:01.19","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to implement more personalised support that gives women the choice of women-specific business advice and support programmes.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to implement more personalised support that gives women the choice of women-specific business advice and support programmes.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is fully committed to implementing the recommendations of the Pathways Review: Pathways: A new approach for women in entrepreneurship - gov.scot (www.gov.scot). Record levels of funding have been allocated to support women&rsquo;s enterprise, including the &pound;1.3m Pathways Fund in 2023 and a further &pound;2.6m of funding in 2024-25 for the Pathways Fund and Pre-Start regional pilot.The successful applicants of the Pathways Fund have been notified and will be announced shortly. The funded projects addressing the challenges faced by women and other under-represented groups while promoting the key Pathways themes of access to support, education, finance and investment.These interventions are foundational to the full implementation of the Pathways Review and the Scottish Government remains determined to unlock the full potential of Scotland&rsquo;s female business leaders.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425612,"EventID":"S6W-30900","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-29T15:25:33.913","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-25T15:52:46.087","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30385 by Fiona Hyslop on 25 October 2024, what its response is to reports that the Edinburgh to Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGI","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30385 by Fiona Hyslop on 25 October 2024, what its response is to reports that the Edinburgh to Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP) originally aimed to increase service frequency to six trains per hour, but that Transport Scotland commissioned Jacobs to examine the project for potential savings and it identified that a similar capacity increase could be achieved by increasing train length while maintaining a four-train-per-hour frequency, and what its position is on whether further reducing that frequency to a two-train-per-hour off peak service undermines the (a) EGIP project investment benefits and (b) convenience of a \"turn up and go\" frequency for passengers.","AnswerText":"The decision was made to choose four longer trains per hour rather than six shorter trains per hour between Edinburgh and Glasgow because this was the better value for money option to deliver the necessary peak capacity for passengers.ScotRail adjusts its services to reflect changing travel patterns over time. The emission free electric train peak capacity delivered by the Edinburgh to Glasgow Improvements Project is being used today to the benefit of passengers.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425613,"EventID":"S6W-30943","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-29T15:25:34.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T11:20:03.653","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been made of the reported decline in the reading age of pupils in schools.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been made of the reported decline in the reading age of pupils in schools.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government takes into account a broad range of data and evidence when considering priorities to improve and support literacy including reading.For example, Scotland&rsquo;s performance in the PISA (Reading) international survey in 2022 was above the OECD average and higher than 24 other countries. 9.6% of students in Scotland performed at &ldquo;PISA Level 5&rdquo; or better in reading, which is defined by the OECD as top performers, and above the OECD average of 7.2%.The most recent Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence Levels (ACEL) data for literacy showed that 73% of primary school pupils achieved the expected Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) Level for literacy, the highest figure on record. The poverty related attainment gap in primary literacy was the narrowest on record.The focus remains on improving further, and the answer to S6W-30944 on 12 November 2024 provides a summary of the action being taken to support reading and literacy in schools. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425614,"EventID":"S6W-30932","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-29T15:25:33.26","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T09:26:36.547","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it expects to make a decision on whether the Small Vessel Replacement Programme contract will be awarded to Ferguson Marine shi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it expects to make a decision on whether the Small Vessel Replacement Programme contract will be awarded to Ferguson Marine shipyard.","AnswerText":"Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) is progressing the Small Vessel Replacement Programme Phase One vessels procurement and has confirmed that six shipyards have been invited to tender for the contract.Scottish Government Ministers have no role in the procurement process or in assessing the bids.Tender returns are expected in January 2025 with a view to awarding the contract in March 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425615,"EventID":"S6W-30938","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-29T15:25:34.347","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T09:57:48.663","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the current level of resources directed towards household recycling is sufficient to meet its household recycling targets.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the current level of resources directed towards household recycling is sufficient to meet its household recycling targets.","AnswerText":"Although SEPA official statistics for 2023 show that Scotland&rsquo;s household recycling rate increased slightly to 43.5%, we know that there is more to do to accelerate progress to meet our circular economy aims.The Scottish Government&rsquo;s Recycling Improvement Fund has now awarded over &pound;63 million to 25 local authorities to increase the quantity and quality of recycling across Scotland and we expect to see those projects deliver significant results locally in the coming years.We are also in the early stages of the co-design of the new Household Recycling Code of Practice. This will deliver new statutory recycling standards and more consistent and easy to use services for households across Scotland. The co-design will enable national and local government to identify if additional resources are needed to achieve our ambitions to drive up reuse and recycling rates.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425651,"EventID":"S6W-30965","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":5622,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":148,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T09:53:26.973","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-30T09:50:25.52","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Parliament agreed the general principles of the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill in April. In advance of the dates for Stage 2 of the Parliamentary process being agreed, I am proposing to make some amendments to the Bill. On 9 October the Scottish Government published its response to the independent review of the Victim Notification Scheme (VNS), which signalled our intention to use the Bill to deliver reforms to the VNS that require primary legislation, to ensure we reform the VNS as quickly as possible. I have already made clear my willingness to amend the provisions that enable a time-limited pilot of single judge rape trials. I recognise, however, that there is not enough cross-party support at this time for such a pilot, irrespective of the model. In the interests of building as much consensus as possible, I will no longer pursue this policy and bring forward relevant amendments to remove it from the Bill. I remain committed to exploring the impact of rape myths and improving access to justice for rape victims. As part of this work, I will bring forward amendments to allow for research to be carried out into jury deliberations, which is currently heavily restricted by the Contempt of Court Act 1981. I also intend to bring forward amendments at Stage 2 so that Scotland retains a 15 person jury in criminal trials. After reflecting carefully on the Criminal Justice Committee&rsquo;s recommendations, and on the evidence, I believe that the most prudent approach to jury reform, including the abolition of the not proven verdict, is to seek support for a model with two verdicts (guilty and not guilty), 15 jurors, and a two-thirds majority requirement for conviction. I have written to the Criminal Justice Committee to provide further detail about the planned amendments.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425652,"EventID":"S6W-30978","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":16178,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":78,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T12:14:19.087","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-30T12:06:53.39","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it has applied its international trade principles and when it plans to publish the next Vision for Trade Annual Report.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it has applied its international trade principles and when it plans to publish the next Vision for Trade Annual Report.","AnswerText":"I am pleased to announce that the third Annual Report on our progress towards implementing Scotland&rsquo;s Vision for Trade is being published today and is available at: www.gov.scot/isbn/9781836019084 The Report sets out how the Scottish Government has applied its principles to international trade policy matters, covering the period from July 2023 &ndash; October 2024.  Since our last Annual Report, published in Summer 2023, we have taken a range of actions to improve the international trading environment for businesses in Scotland, including stepping up our direct engagement with the business community, supporting the resolution of individual market access barriers and using standards and regulation to support businesses. For example, we collaborated with the British Standards Institution on the introduction of a new voluntary whisky standard which empowers distillers in Scotland to trade internationally.  We are using our principles-based approach to trade to create more opportunities for people to participate in our economy, for example by gaining a better understanding of the cause, impact and potential measures to address the a clear gender export gap, whereby businesses led by women are less likely to export than those led by men.  The tragic events unfolding globally demonstrate why taking such a principles-based approach, with concern for human rights at its core, is so important.  Many trade levers sit with the UK Government, and we are committed to working constructively with the newly-elected UK Government in furthering our shared trade interests.","AnswerDate":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425653,"EventID":"S6O-03892","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T16:20:32.59","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-30T09:22:32.91","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps it is taking to eliminate long waits in A&amp;E departments across Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps it is taking to eliminate long waits in A&amp;E departments across Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425654,"EventID":"S6O-03894","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T16:20:32.593","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-30T10:44:33.07","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work regarding the Social Isolation and Loneliness Strategy, particularly in relation to rural areas ahead of the winter months.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work regarding the Social Isolation and Loneliness Strategy, particularly in relation to rural areas ahead of the winter months.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425655,"EventID":"S6O-03888","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16215,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T16:20:32.19","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T17:15:17.843","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent reports that Chalmers Gender Identity Clinic has paused gender-affirming surgery referrals for people under 25, what work it is doing to ensure that ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent reports that Chalmers Gender Identity Clinic has paused gender-affirming surgery referrals for people under 25, what work it is doing to ensure that such referrals for 18- to 24-year-olds can be reinstated as soon as possible.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425656,"EventID":"S6O-03881","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5598,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":139,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T16:20:32.48","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T16:03:57.637","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on how a natural capital approach to land use can benefit the environment, economy and wellbeing of individuals and communities.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on how a natural capital approach to land use can benefit the environment, economy and wellbeing of individuals and communities.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425657,"EventID":"S6O-03897","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T16:20:32.457","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T14:58:51.873","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what it is doing to support people seeking asylum in Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what it is doing to support people seeking asylum in Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425658,"EventID":"S6O-03899","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T16:20:32.31","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T14:49:04.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to end homelessness.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to end homelessness.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425659,"EventID":"S6O-03878","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T16:20:32.383","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T11:40:18.317","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of the UK Government&rsquo;s decision to reform agricultural property relief on the future of family farms in Scotlan","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of the UK Government&rsquo;s decision to reform agricultural property relief on the future of family farms in Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425660,"EventID":"S6O-03900","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2826,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":84,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T16:20:32.593","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-30T10:48:40.633","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the national roll-out of the Carer Support Payment.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the national roll-out of the Carer Support Payment.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425661,"EventID":"S6O-03877","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5800,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T16:20:32.353","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-30T11:55:46.263","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that the most accurate and up-to-date science and data is used when making decisions that impact Scotland's fishing sector.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that the most accurate and up-to-date science and data is used when making decisions that impact Scotland's fishing sector.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425662,"EventID":"S6O-03885","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T16:20:32.333","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-28T12:17:59.123","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what recent discussions it has had with NHS Lanarkshire about the replacement Monklands Hospital.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what recent discussions it has had with NHS Lanarkshire about the replacement Monklands Hospital.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425663,"EventID":"S6O-03884","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4982,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T16:20:32.283","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T15:19:57.463","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of payments under the Basic Payment Scheme had been made to farmers by 15 October 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of payments under the Basic Payment Scheme had been made to farmers by 15 October 2024.","AnswerText":"As of 15 October 2024, 76% of the overall value of the Basic Payment Scheme had been paid out with 83% of the total number of eligible businesses receiving payment.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":425664,"EventID":"S6O-03883","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":86,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T16:20:32.55","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-30T10:42:35.593","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the rural affairs secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the potential implications for its policies on land reform and land use of a c","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the rural affairs secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the potential implications for its policies on land reform and land use of a carbon emissions land tax.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425665,"EventID":"S6O-03890","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T16:20:32.453","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T17:10:30.987","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to improve life expectancy and tackle any health inequalities affecting the most disadvantaged communities.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to improve life expectancy and tackle any health inequalities affecting the most disadvantaged communities.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425666,"EventID":"S6O-03898","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4941,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":87,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T16:20:32.613","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-30T09:59:57.57","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of its Ministerial Population Taskforce.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of its Ministerial Population Taskforce.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425667,"EventID":"S6O-03880","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T16:20:32.217","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T17:05:30.59","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government by what date it expects all farmers to receivepayment through the Basic Payment Scheme.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government by what date it expects all farmers to receivepayment through the Basic Payment Scheme.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425668,"EventID":"S6O-03895","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T16:20:32.187","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-28T16:02:47.38","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address social isolation and loneliness.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address social isolation and loneliness.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425669,"EventID":"S6O-03886","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16197,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T16:20:32.547","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-30T11:28:55.917","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what it isdoing to establish a care pathway for people living with hypermobileEhlers-Danlos syndrome and hypermobility spectrum diso","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what it isdoing to establish a care pathway for people living with hypermobileEhlers-Danlos syndrome and hypermobility spectrum disorders.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425670,"EventID":"S6O-03893","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T16:20:32.617","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T13:25:24.457","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact it anticipates that the recent UK Government Budget will have on its aim to deliver social justice.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact it anticipates that the recent UK Government Budget will have on its aim to deliver social justice.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425671,"EventID":"S6O-03896","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16182,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":117,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T16:20:32.51","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T16:14:47.097","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it supports the third sector to ensure that learning can be shared and successful local models can be rolled out nationally.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it supports the third sector to ensure that learning can be shared and successful local models can be rolled out nationally.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425672,"EventID":"S6O-03891","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4940,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":81,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T16:20:32.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T14:20:56.667","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is improving outcomes for people affected by breast cancer.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is improving outcomes for people affected by breast cancer.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425673,"EventID":"S6O-03889","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T16:20:32.493","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-30T11:47:15.177","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported decision by members of the Integration Joint Board of Dumfries and Galloway Health and Social Care Partnership to reject the recomme","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported decision by members of the Integration Joint Board of Dumfries and Galloway Health and Social Care Partnership to reject the recommendations of an independent review to re-open the Clenoch Birthing Centre at the Galloway Community Hospital in Stranraer for in-hospital births.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-06T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425674,"EventID":"S6O-03905","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16186,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":120,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T16:20:41.98","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-30T09:30:02.31","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work that it is doing to support oil and gas companies to collaborate with renewables companies to test and deploy new technolog","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work that it is doing to support oil and gas companies to collaborate with renewables companies to test and deploy new technologies.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425675,"EventID":"S6O-03908","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":3751,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":108,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T16:20:41.967","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-30T11:19:02.95","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the arts should be protected for the town of Musselburgh and the people of East Lothian.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the arts should be protected for the town of Musselburgh and the people of East Lothian.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government wants to ensure that everyone in Scotland has access to culture. Since 2020 Creative Scotland, our national arts body, has provided &pound;2.8m in funding to organisations based in East Lothian including the Lammermuir Festival and the Brunton Theatre.This year we have committed &pound;15.8m more to the culture budget than in 2023-2024. This is the first step to achieving our commitment to invest at least &pound;100 million more annually in the culture sector by 2028-29.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425676,"EventID":"S6O-03907","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":2633,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T16:20:41.98","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-30T09:47:10.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is ensuring adequate provision of enterprise support to businesses in the Mid Scotland and Fife region.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is ensuring adequate provision of enterprise support to businesses in the Mid Scotland and Fife region.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425677,"EventID":"S6O-03903","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T16:20:41.973","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-28T12:13:13.557","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with Police Scotland, and what issues were discussed.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with Police Scotland, and what issues were discussed.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":425678,"EventID":"S6O-03902","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T16:20:41.97","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T17:51:16.573","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding cross-border machinery theft in rural areas, including the Scottish Borders.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding cross-border machinery theft in rural areas, including the Scottish Borders.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425679,"EventID":"S6O-03901","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T16:20:41.967","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-30T09:42:42.693","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the importance of instrumental music within the education service.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the importance of instrumental music within the education service.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425680,"EventID":"S6O-03906","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5110,"Party":"Independent","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":89,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T16:20:41.973","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T10:10:29.263","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on levels of compliancewith ScotRail&rsquo;s alcohol ban.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on levels of compliancewith ScotRail&rsquo;s alcohol ban.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425681,"EventID":"S6O-03904","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T16:20:41.97","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T15:08:29.607","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to local authorities to help secure the future of community libraries.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to local authorities to help secure the future of community libraries.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425682,"EventID":"S6W-30962","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5598,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":139,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T17:03:57.75","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T16:05:22.867","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29907 by Dorothy Bain on 26 September 2024, how many contracts and service level agreements for pathology and mortuary services th","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29907 by Dorothy Bain on 26 September 2024, how many contracts and service level agreements for pathology and mortuary services the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) has; whether all contracts and service level agreements require pathologists to meet with the nearest relatives if they wish to discuss the post mortem examination findings; what training pathologists are given to ensure that, when they meet with the nearest relatives to discuss the post mortem examination findings, information is provided &ldquo;in a respectful and sensitive manner&rdquo;; what checks are in place to ensure that (a) pathology training standards are maintained and (b) practitioners are kept up to date with best practice; which organisation oversees training standards in pathology and their uniformity across Scotland; what the terms of reference are for the Death Investigation Improvement Board, and who the members are; what plans COPFS has to engage with service users, regarding reported experiences of service delivery, to inform the Death Investigation Improvement Board; what the current metrics in Scotland show in relation to the experiences reported in the independent review of the forensic pathology response to the Hillsborough disaster, and what metrics are planned to enable (i) comparable and (ii) more accurate measurement of performance in Scotland compared with (A) that reported in the independent review of the forensic pathology response to the Hillsborough disaster and (B) international best practice.","AnswerText":"COPFS has 16 contracts and service level agreements in place for pathology mortuary and toxicology services across Scotland.All pathology agreements require pathologists to discuss post mortem findings with bereaved relatives if requested. Their assistance is invaluable to relatives seeking to understand the circumstances of their loved one&rsquo;s death and is greatly appreciated by COPFS.All doctors receive undergraduate medical school education in patient communication. This continues into forensic pathology training and consultancy when meeting with families to discuss post mortem findings. All doctors are expected to work within the standards set out by the General Medical Council for good medical practice.The Royal College of Pathologists and NHS Education for Scotland oversee training standards in pathology and their uniformity across Scotland.The purpose of the Death Investigation Improvement Board is to take forward three key areas for improvement in the death investigation system &ndash; (i) raising public awareness of the death investigation service, sharing lessons learned to reduce the incidence of avoidable deaths, (ii) providing bereaved relatives with the timeous provision of information they need to ensure they can effectively participate in the process and (iii) reducing the journey time for concluding death investigations, including FAIs.The Board is chaired by the Deputy Crown Agent, Specialist Casework and its membership has representatives from each of the specialist death investigation units, Communications and Business Management.The Board has a number of ongoing workstreams, including the creation of a Lived Experience Advisory Panel to enable participants with experience of the death investigation process to help inform improvements to the process by providing independent advice to the Board on issues such as the provision of information to relatives.COPFS regularly meets and engages with pathology providers on a range of issues, including communication with bereaved relatives. These also allow discussion on any feedback received. Consideration is being given to the terms of the review and any further appropriate measures to be put in place.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425683,"EventID":"S6W-30958","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T17:03:57.83","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T14:22:26.693","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the cost has been of delivering the Scottish Digital Academy in each year since it was launched in January 2018.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the cost has been of delivering the Scottish Digital Academy in each year since it was launched in January 2018.","AnswerText":"The total cost of the Scottish Digital Academy since its commencement in January 2018 to September 2024 is &pound;4,320,722. This includes staff and programme delivery costs.2018 to 2019 (&pound;288,564)2019 to 2020 (&pound;513,548)2020 to 2021 (&pound;765,440)2021 to 2022 (&pound;784,262)2022 to 2023 (&pound;749,674)*2023 to 2024 (&pound;810,495)2024 to September 2024 (&pound;408,739)*To note that the Scottish Digital Academy team merged with the Digital, Data and Profession Team in 2023 and now includes profession support and management within its portfolio.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425684,"EventID":"S6W-30977","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T17:03:58.303","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-30T12:05:27.917","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its progress towards its target of eliminating new HIV transmissions in Scotland by 2030.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its progress towards its target of eliminating new HIV transmissions in Scotland by 2030.","AnswerText":"Public Health Scotland (PHS) will provide updates on HIV statistics as part of the HIV in Scotland annual surveillance report. The latest report was published in September 2024 and the next release will be in Autumn 2025.The HIV Transmission Elimination Delivery Plan was launched in March 2024. PHS is developing a monitoring and evaluation plan to assess progress against this plan and the Scottish Government will update Parliament on this in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425685,"EventID":"S6W-30949","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T17:03:57.753","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T14:14:04.593","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what recommendations from the Creative Industries Leadership Group it has adopted.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recommendations from the Creative Industries Leadership Group it has adopted.","AnswerText":"The Creative Industries Leadership Group (CILG) recommendations have helped to inform many of the actions included in the Culture Strategy Action Plan, published in 2023. The Action Plan sets out current and planned activity and is available at A Culture Strategy for Scotland: Action Plan (www.gov.scot).","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425686,"EventID":"S6W-30940","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T17:03:58","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T11:07:43.127","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30808&nbsp;by Neil Gray on 29 October 2024,&nbsp;and in light of this information having previously been held, as indicated in the","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30808&nbsp;by Neil Gray on 29 October 2024,&nbsp;and in light of this information having previously been held, as indicated in the answer to question S4W-30590&nbsp;by Shona Robison on 23 March 2016, (a) when and&nbsp;(b) for what reason it stopped collecting this information, and whether it has any plans to resume the collection of this information.","AnswerText":"The answers to questions S4W-30590 on 23 March 2016 and S5W-24194 on 30 July 2019 provided information on formal practice list closures which the Scottish Government gathered from NHS boards for the purpose of answering those parliamentary questions. NHS boards are responsible for the accuracy of this data and the Scottish Government decided that the best answer to S6W-30808 was to refer Mr Green directly to the source of the data.The Scottish Government does not routinely gather information on list closures, and as the responsibility for the accuracy of this management information lies with NHS boards, the Scottish Government would not look to publish it.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425687,"EventID":"S6W-30955","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T17:03:57.747","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T14:21:37.53","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many ScotAccounts are currently active.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many ScotAccounts are currently active.","AnswerText":"As stated in the answer to question S6W-30954 on 7 November 2024, there are 95,000 accounts, as at 4 November 2024. All of these are active. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425688,"EventID":"S6W-30968","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T17:03:58.04","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-30T10:12:50.433","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish the domestic abuse statistics recorded by Police Scotland for the fiscal year 2023-24.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish the domestic abuse statistics recorded by Police Scotland for the fiscal year 2023-24.","AnswerText":"As pre-announced in the forthcoming publications document, Official statistics: forthcoming publications - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) statistics for domestic abuse incidents recorded by Police Scotland for the reporting year of 2023-24 will be published on Tuesday 19 November.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425689,"EventID":"S6W-30954","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T17:03:58.067","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T14:21:37.53","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people have signed up to ScotAccount since it was launched in February 2023.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people have signed up to ScotAccount since it was launched in February 2023.","AnswerText":"ScotAccount launched in private beta with Disclosure Scotland in February 2023, and with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service Witness Gateway in February 2024. As at 4 November 2024, there are 95,000 accounts across these services.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425690,"EventID":"S6W-30959","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T17:03:57.663","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T14:22:26.693","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) online and (b) in-person courses have been completed by Scottish Government employees through the Scottish Digital Academy since it was launched in January ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) online and (b) in-person courses have been completed by Scottish Government employees through the Scottish Digital Academy since it was launched in January 2018.","AnswerText":"In total, there are 7,710 registrations from Scottish Government employees, which represents 40 percent of all registrations over time.Scottish Government employees have registered for a) 124 online courses and, b) 42 in-person courses since the Scottish Digital Academy was launched in 2018.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425691,"EventID":"S6W-30967","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T17:03:58.28","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-30T10:03:10.217","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the first anniversary of the launch of the Rural and Islands Housing Action Plan, how many homes have been built since the plan's launch; how many of the pr","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the first anniversary of the launch of the Rural and Islands Housing Action Plan, how many homes have been built since the plan's launch; how many of the properties built have been funded, in whole or in part, by the Rural and Islands Housing Fund, and what its position is on whether it is well placed to meet its overarching commitment to deliver 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, of which 10% will be in rural and island areas.","AnswerText":"Between 1 October 2023 and end June 2024 we have supported the delivery of 6,774 affordable homes across Scotland of which 933 have been in rural and island areas. 26 of these homes were delivered through the Rural and Islands Housing Fund. We remain committed to delivering 110,000 affordable homes by 2032 of which at least 10% will be in rural and island areas.Figures relating to homes delivered in rural and island areas are based on provisional programme management information to end June 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425692,"EventID":"S6W-30946","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T17:03:58.333","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T11:30:10.22","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it has disposed of electric vehicles (EVs) in its fleet, and how much it has (a) spent on new EVs and (b) obtained through the sale or other means of disposal of old","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it has disposed of electric vehicles (EVs) in its fleet, and how much it has (a) spent on new EVs and (b) obtained through the sale or other means of disposal of older EVs, in each year since it purchased its first EV.","AnswerText":"All electric vehicles disposed from the fleet have been sold through motor auctions.We first purchased electric vehicles in 1999 however records are no longer held.A breakdown of expenditure on new electric vehicles and income received from sale through motor auctions from 2010 are provided in the following table.YearTotal cost of procurementTotal income from sales2010-11&pound;163,12102011-12002012-13&pound;21,36702013-14&pound;36,28102014-15&pound;62,467&pound;3,5462015-16&pound;002016-17&pound;002017-18&pound;002018-19&pound;0&pound;6,2982019-20&pound;361,18602020-21&pound;383,920&pound;4,2982021-22&pound;833,03102022-23&pound;182,195&pound;37,7202023-24&pound;0&pound;02024-25&pound;0&pound;0","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425693,"EventID":"S6W-30953","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T17:03:57.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T14:21:37.53","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many organisations currently use the payments platform, ScotPayments.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many organisations currently use the payments platform, ScotPayments.","AnswerText":"ScotPayments is currently in the private Beta phase of delivery, with the first Beta partner fully transitioned onto the platform (including a new fund launched in June 2024). Feasibility assessments with three additional public bodies responsible for large volume and value outbound payments concluded in May 2024. A new Beta partner is planned to onboard to the service in January 2025 before the programme moves into public Beta phase in late 2025. Currently two public bodies and three internal Scottish Government departments use the ScotPayments Confirmation of Payee feature.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425694,"EventID":"S6W-30971","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T17:03:58.087","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-30T11:10:42.383","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made an assessment of the capacity increase on Arran ferry routes (a) in absolute terms and (b) per capita resulting from the chartering of the MV Alfred.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made an assessment of the capacity increase on Arran ferry routes (a) in absolute terms and (b) per capita resulting from the chartering of the MV Alfred.","AnswerText":"This Scottish Government has made no assessment. As per the terms of the Clyde &amp; Hebrides Ferry Services contract CalMac are required to consider and address capacity issues. As part of this they record and publish carrying statistics.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425695,"EventID":"S6W-30972","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T17:03:58.087","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-30T11:10:42.383","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made an assessment of the capacity reduction on Caithness&ndash;Orkney routes (a) in absolute terms and (b) per capita resulting from the chartering of th","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made an assessment of the capacity reduction on Caithness&ndash;Orkney routes (a) in absolute terms and (b) per capita resulting from the chartering of the MV Alfred.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has made no assessment. The charter of the vessel is a commercial agreement between CalMac Ferries Ltd (CFL) and Pentland Ferries. Any reduction in capacity on the route would be for the operator of that route to consider when leasing the vessel.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425696,"EventID":"S6W-30951","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T17:03:58.197","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T14:14:04.593","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Creative Industries Leadership Group has met since its meeting on 8 June 2022.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Creative Industries Leadership Group has met since its meeting on 8 June 2022.","AnswerText":"The Creative Industries Leadership Group (CILG) has not been convened by The Scottish Government since its meeting on 8 June 2022. However, the Scottish Government carries out regular engagement with key stakeholders across the Creative Industries sector, including those involved with CILG, as part of the normal business of Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425697,"EventID":"S6W-30969","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T17:03:57.633","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-30T10:19:40.18","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that bodies delivering public services are protecting employees from violence.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that bodies delivering public services are protecting employees from violence.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the importance of reducing violence against employees of bodies delivering public services. In addition to work undertaken by public bodies themselves, we are currently working on a range of targeted initiatives including:Invested over &pound;4 million in the delivery and implementation of the Violence Prevention Framework, including supporting the Mentors in Violence Prevention school-based programme.Published a joint action plan with COSLA to tackle violence towards staff in educational establishments.Co-chairing Your Safety Matters (YSM) External Partners Group (EPG).Promoting the Equally Safe at Work (ESAW) employer accreditation programme.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425698,"EventID":"S6W-30950","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T17:03:57.627","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T14:14:04.593","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Creative Industries Leadership Group has been disbanded, and, if so, for what reason.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Creative Industries Leadership Group has been disbanded, and, if so, for what reason.","AnswerText":"The Creative Industries Leadership Group (CILG) was paused pending the outcome of a strategic stakeholder review. This work will now be considered as part of the Scottish Government&rsquo;s review of how the culture and creative industries sector can be best supported going forward as set out in PfG 2024-25.This sector support review is currently under development and will include a review of Creative Scotland as the lead body for arts, screen and creative industries in Scotland. Further details on the review process will be set out in due course, including proposed timings and how the culture sector and other interested parties, can input into the review.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425699,"EventID":"S6W-30976","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T17:03:58.17","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-30T11:50:56.457","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people in Scotland have contracted HIV in each year since 2016.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people in Scotland have contracted HIV in each year since 2016.","AnswerText":"It is not possible to determine how many people contracted HIV in any given year as people may not be tested or diagnosed for a number of years after they contract HIV.Public Health Scotland (PHS) publishes an annual HIV in Scotland surveillance report which includes data on new diagnoses. The report includes indicators of recently acquired infections and late diagnoses since 2017, however this does not identify the year in which people acquired HIV. In addition to this there are a number of people who remain undiagnosed, which is why it is important that anyone who thinks they may have been at risk seeks a HIV test.Data on the number of new HIV diagnoses in Scotland each year from 2014 to 2023 can be found in Table 3 of the latest HIV in Scotland report at: https://publichealthscotland.scot/media/29204/final-hiv-in-scotland-update-to-31-december-2023-1.pdf.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425700,"EventID":"S6W-30956","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T17:03:58.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T14:22:04.84","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many online courses have been completed through the Scottish Digital Academy since it was launched in January 2018.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many online courses have been completed through the Scottish Digital Academy since it was launched in January 2018.","AnswerText":"There have been 1,116 courses delivered since 2018. By the end of October 2024, 92 percent (1,030) were delivered fully or in part online. This does not include non-course events such as workshops, symposia or other types of professional learning.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425701,"EventID":"S6W-30973","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T17:03:58.023","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-30T11:37:09.42","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which community radio stations it has asked to run public information adverts in each of the last five years, broken down by the amount received by each community radio ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which community radio stations it has asked to run public information adverts in each of the last five years, broken down by the amount received by each community radio station from the Scottish Government.","AnswerText":"Below is a list of the community radio stations that the Scottish Government has run public information advertisements on over the last five years, alongside the total annual spend for each year. Spend per individual community station is classed as commercially sensitive and as such we are unable to provide this level of detail.April 2020 - March 2021 - Total spend: &pound;214,731Argyll RadioAwaz FMCaithness FMCuillin FM/SkyeHeartland FMIsles FMK107FMLochbroom/ Two LochsNevis RadioOban FMPanjab RadioPulse 98.4Radio RamadanShetland Islands Broadcasting CompanyWaves Radio 101.2FMApril 2021 - March 2022 &ndash; Total spend: &pound;405,912Alive FMArgyll RadioAwaz FMCaithness FMCuillin FM/SkyeHeartland FMIsles FMK107FMLochbroom/ Two LochsMearns FMNevis RadioOban FMPanjab RadioPulse 98.4Radio RamadanShetland Islands Broadcasting CompanyWaves Radio 101.2FMApril 2022- March 2023 &ndash; Total spend: &pound;74,008Argyll RadioAwaz FMCaithness FMCuillin FM/SkyeHeartland FMIsles FMJambo RadioLochbroom/ Two LochsNevis RadioOban FMPanjab RadioShetland Islands Broadcasting CompanyWaves Radio 101.2FMApril 2023 - March 2024 &ndash; Total spend: &pound;69,029Argyll RadioAwaz FMCaithness FMCuillin FM/SkyeHeartland FMIsles FMJambo RadioK107FMLochbroom/ Two LochsNevis RadioOban FMPanjab RadioShetland Islands Broadcasting CompanyApril 2024 &ndash; October 2024 spend to date Total spend: &pound;14,438Argyll RadioAwaz FMCaithness FMCuillin FM/SkyeHeartland FMIsles FMJambo RadioLochbroom/ Two LochsNevis RadioOban FMPanjab RadioShetland Islands Broadcasting Company","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425702,"EventID":"S6W-30966","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T17:03:57.757","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-30T10:02:32.703","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29790 by Jim Fairlie on 25 September 2024, whether it anticipates that it will achieve its commitment to spend &pound;250 million ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29790 by Jim Fairlie on 25 September 2024, whether it anticipates that it will achieve its commitment to spend &pound;250 million on peatland restoration by 2030.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to provide &pound;250 million towards peatland restoration by 2030.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425703,"EventID":"S6W-30970","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T17:03:57.76","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-30T10:20:38.627","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that bodies delivering public services record incidents of violence against staff, including with a breakdown by sex.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that bodies delivering public services record incidents of violence against staff, including with a breakdown by sex.","AnswerText":"It is the responsibility of individual public bodies to ensure they have procedures in place for the recording of violent incidents and policies for staff welfare. The Scottish Government would strongly encourage staff to report all instances of violent and aggressive behaviour through their local reporting systems. If it is a serious incident, we expect employers to fully support staff in escalating issues to Police Scotland as quickly as possible.It is important for public bodies to capture data on protected characteristics when staff report instances of violence. This kind of data will help inform targeted interventions on a national and local level.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425704,"EventID":"S6W-30952","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T17:03:57.98","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T14:14:04.593","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Creative Industries Leadership Group's \"working group reports\", which are referenced in the minutes of the meeting on 8 June 2022, will be published.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Creative Industries Leadership Group's \"working group reports\", which are referenced in the minutes of the meeting on 8 June 2022, will be published.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government committed to publishing a summary of discussions and action points from the working groups which can be found in the published minutes of the group on https://www.gov.scot/groups/creative-industries-leadership-group/ However, due to the interest from the member, the reports, and the Scottish Government response, will be published in full as soon as possible.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425705,"EventID":"S6W-30963","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4940,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":81,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T17:03:58.337","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T16:30:50.36","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve waiting times for endoscopy appointments.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve waiting times for endoscopy appointments.","AnswerText":"Significant additional activity is already underway following the allocation of &pound;30 million funding to target reductions to the national backlogs that built up throughout the pandemic. This includes over 40,000 extra diagnostic procedures.The Scottish Government has also helped develop the Endoscopy and Urology Diagnostic Recovery and Renewal Plan. This plan focuses on key areas such as: Balancing Demand and Capacity; Workforce Training and Development; Infrastructure; and Innovation and Redesign.This plan has so far delivered four mobile endoscopy units across Scotland, providing 5-6 additional endoscopy rooms, and a Dyce facility to provide additional endoscopy procedures for NHS Grampian. Additionally, the national endoscopy surveillance framework, introduced in February 2022, has been implemented in all Health Boards.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425706,"EventID":"S6W-30974","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T17:03:57.757","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-30T11:44:24.863","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided to each NHS board in each year since 2018 to support the implementation of the sexual health and blood borne virus action plan.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided to each NHS board in each year since 2018 to support the implementation of the sexual health and blood borne virus action plan.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government provides core funding annually to Health Boards for sexual health and blood borne virus (BBV) services. From 2018-19 to 2023-24, Health Boards received funding through the annual Outcomes Framework allocation to cover a range of outcomes, including sexual health and BBVs. It was up to Health Boards to decide how much to allocate to each outcome within this envelope. In order to give Boards more control over local priorities this funding was baselined in 2023-24.The total value for Outcomes Framework allocations since 2018-19 is set out in the following table.YearTotal Outcomes Framework (&pound;m)2018-1966.22019-2075.72020-2171.92021-2274.12022-2374.12023-2474.1The Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Action Plan was published in November 2023 and is supported by funding for a range of projects which align with the priorities in the plan. These projects are being taken forward by a variety of organisations including Health Boards, academia and the third sector. Full details can be found at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/sexual-health-blood-borne-virus-action-plan-2023-2026/documents/.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425707,"EventID":"S6W-30975","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T17:03:57.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-30T11:48:59.047","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when its (a) ministers and (b) civil servants last met with representatives of each of the 131 public bodies.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when its (a) ministers and (b) civil servants last met with representatives of each of the 131 public bodies.","AnswerText":"Given the wide range of bodies that make up the public bodies landscape in Scotland, and that not all public bodies share the same relationship with Government, there are no set rules as to the frequency ministers and officials should meet with them. Ministers with portfolio responsibility for public bodies do meet with them on a regular basis, and I have met with multiple public bodies over the past 6 months.Of the 131 public bodies referred to there are some public bodies such as Parliamentary Commissioner that Ministers are not responsible for, but those public bodies that Ministers have responsibility for, civil servants make up the public body sponsor team within the Scottish Government.Sponsor teams are the first point of contact between an Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs) and the Scottish Government. They provide advice, help and support to the public body and advice on accountability, governance and performance to Ministers and Portfolio Accountable Officers both on an ad-hoc basis and as part of regular meetings. Sponsorship is flexible, proportionate and responsive; and facilitates positive relationships between the body and the Scottish Government. Each public body will have a Framework Document that outlines the working relationship between itself and the Scottish Government. The Framework Document should be published on the public bodies website and will set out expectations for regular meetings.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425708,"EventID":"S6W-30957","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T17:03:58.09","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T14:22:04.84","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people have registered with the Scottish Digital Academy in each year since it was launched in January 2018.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people have registered with the Scottish Digital Academy in each year since it was launched in January 2018.","AnswerText":"Since the Scottish Digital Academy was established in 2018, it has recorded 19,209 registrations from people working across the public or third sector.2018 (504)2019 (769)2020 (601)2021 (1,239)2022 (3,429)2023 (6,061)2024 to October end (6,606)This excludes data where closed courses or sessions have not required delegate registration via the Scottish Digital Academy training management system.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425709,"EventID":"S6W-30964","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T17:03:57.79","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-30T08:52:11.2","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that emergency care is maintained for patients requiring air ambulance services, in light of any issues created by the issuance of CAP","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that emergency care is maintained for patients requiring air ambulance services, in light of any issues created by the issuance of CAP1264 by the Civil Aviation Authority.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government (SG) is aware of the Civil Air Publication to address the design requirements and options for new heliports located at hospitals in the United Kingdom. Any new recommendations will, of course, be considered by Health Boards and organisations with responsibility for maintaining helicopter landing sites.The SG is also aware that HM Coastguard Search and Rescue has paused helicopter landings at a number of landing sites across the UK.Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) and Scotland&rsquo;s Charity Air Ambulance aircraft continue to land at helicopter landing sites across Scotland. Should a helicopter landing site not be available for use by one of these assets then another suitable site will be identified. A SAS vehicle will transfer a patient and clinical team to the appropriate receiving medical facility.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425710,"EventID":"S6W-30961","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-30T17:03:58.337","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-29T15:02:00.56","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent contact its agencies have had with the owner of the former Pinneys site in Annan.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent contact its agencies have had with the owner of the former Pinneys site in Annan.","AnswerText":"I can advise that South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) are working closely with Bhagat Holdings in regard to the former Pinneys Site in Annan.With apologies, SOSE need a little more time to report fully on the latest position and I shall be in touch as soon as I have this information.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425751,"EventID":"S6W-31010","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":3129,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":83,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-31T13:48:20.077","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-31T13:43:44.887","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent commencement of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024, what it will do to ensure that the ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent commencement of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024, what it will do to ensure that the views of children and young people are considered when a parent or carer seeks to withdraw them from religious observance and religious education in schools.","AnswerText":"Religious observance (RO), plays an important role in pupil&rsquo;s education. However, there is also a longstanding parental right to withdraw a pupil from both RO and religious instruction or religious and moral education (RME).As with any decision which affects children and young people, it is only right that their views should also be taken into account when this right to withdraw is being exercised. Doing so is in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), and is especially relevant as pupils mature and take more responsibility for their own learning. However, while consideration of pupils&rsquo; views has long been a feature of our guidance on RO, this is not reflected in legislation.The UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024 builds upon a strong record on children&rsquo;s rights in Scotland, but the commencement of the Act is merely a step on our journey to uphold and promote children&rsquo;s rights. It is with this in mind that I am announcing that the Scottish Government will shortly be bringing forward a narrowly focussed Bill, with the purpose of amending the current legislation to require that pupils&rsquo; views are considered when parents or carers are exercising their right to withdraw their child from RO and RME. This will bring legislation into line with existing guidance as well as strengthening our commitment to upholding children&rsquo;s rights in all aspects of their lives, including education.These changes in no way diminish the significance of RO and RME in the work of schools, helping pupils to grow and develop their own sense of themselves, to be confident in expressing their own beliefs and values, and to develop an understanding of and empathy towards others. This approach will strengthen the rights of Scottish children and young people, which are a key priority of this government, but I am also conscious of the wide range of views on this issue and will discuss these issues with members across the chamber and with other interested parties.As part of this, although the proposed changes on RO and RME merely bring legislation into line with existing guidance, a public consultation will launch tomorrow to seek views on any implications of these changes, as well as insights into how the right to withdraw currently works in practice to help inform implementation. The consultation can be found here: https://consult.gov.scot/education-reform/religious-observance-education-legislation-schools.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425781,"EventID":"S6W-30992","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-31T16:46:30.26","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-31T10:03:01.02","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many employers make deductions at (a) themaximum and (b) less than the maximum permitted level for accommodation otherthan a house from workers on the Seasonal Worke","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many employers make deductions at (a) themaximum and (b) less than the maximum permitted level for accommodation otherthan a house from workers on the Seasonal Worker Visa scheme.","AnswerText":"The number of employers and the amount they deduct is not a statistic (figure) that the Scottish Government collects or has access to. The amount deducted is a contractual agreement between employer and employee and would only be investigated during a wages complaint or routine inspection if the amount deducted was more than the maximum allowed under the Agricultural Wages (Scotland) Order (AWO). The AWO does not differentiate between agricultural workers on the Seasonal Worker Visa scheme and other seasonal workers or permanent employees.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425782,"EventID":"S6W-31001","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-31T16:46:30.773","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-31T11:01:19.533","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the composition is of the members of the Design Team of the Drug Deaths Taskforce.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the composition is of the members of the Design Team of the Drug Deaths Taskforce.","AnswerText":"The Design Team is the group of people with lived or living experience of drug harm that has been recruited by Deciding Matters, the small company charged with developing the nature and direction of the Stigma Plan (which was a recommendation of the Drug Death Task Force, rec. 22).The call for expressions of interest asked for &ldquo; 20-24 people broadly representative of Scotland (age, gender, sex, race, disability with lived or living experience of substance use including family or friends of people with lived or living experience) who would like to inform how Scotland tackles stigma related to drugs and alcohol. Participants must be aged 18+&rdquo; The existing group reflects that and were chosen through a recruitment process run by Deciding Matters.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425783,"EventID":"S6W-30979","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-31T16:46:30.967","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-30T12:28:57.643","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Education (Scotland) Bill and proposed inspectorate, what its position is on whether colleges are a \"relevant educational establishment\" or an \"excepted e","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Education (Scotland) Bill and proposed inspectorate, what its position is on whether colleges are a \"relevant educational establishment\" or an \"excepted establishment\".","AnswerText":"Excepted establishments are a subset of relevant education establishments. Both terms are defined in Section 31 of the Education (Scotland) Bill. Only some of the Chief Inspector&rsquo;s powers apply to excepted establishments.Colleges are an excepted establishment. This means that the Chief Inspector will have the power to inspect colleges that provide fundable Further Education, but only at the request of Scottish Ministers under section 30(2)(c), or by voluntary arrangement (section 32 of the Bill). This will enable the current arrangement with the Scottish Funding Council to continue.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425784,"EventID":"S6W-31011","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5866,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-31T16:46:30.9","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-31T14:39:37.913","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that, in 2023,16% of primary school teachers nationally moved directly from their probation period to a permanent contract compared with ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that, in 2023,16% of primary school teachers nationally moved directly from their probation period to a permanent contract compared with 57% in 2017.","AnswerText":"The Teacher Induction Scheme guarantees every eligible student a one-year probationary placement, it does not provide a guarantee of future employment with a particular local authority. Teaching posts should be advertised and filled in a fair and transparent manner.While the recruitment and deployment of teachers is the responsibility of local authorities, the Scottish Government is doing everything it can to help maximise the number of teaching jobs available. As part of this, we are providing &pound;145.5m to local authorities to protect teacher numbers.While we cannot direct teachers where to work, it is important to note that teacher vacancies arise across Scotland throughout the year.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425785,"EventID":"S6W-31006","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-31T16:46:30.25","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-31T11:01:19.533","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many young people have been helped by the Routes model&nbsp;that is run by Scottish Families Affected by Drugs and Alcohol, which supports young people with substanc","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many young people have been helped by the Routes model&nbsp;that is run by Scottish Families Affected by Drugs and Alcohol, which supports young people with substance use in their families.","AnswerText":"In 2023-24, there was a monthly average caseload of 134 young people supported by the service, this included 1818 hours of one-to-one sessions, 1,234 group services, 241 hours in professional meetings with housing, education and teaching. This information can be found in the Scottish Families Affected by Drugs and Alcohol 2023-24 impact statement; Impact Reports - SFADScottish Families Affected by Drugs and Alcohol have an active caseload of 152 young people in East and West Dunbartonshire. They have supported a total of 187 young people.Each of the six Grow Your Own Routes partnership services has between 27 and 77 young people on their current caseload. The total number of young people being supported by the Grow Your Own Routes partners is 296.The total number of young people who have ever been supported by Routes across Scotland is 483.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425786,"EventID":"S6W-30984","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-31T16:46:31.183","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-30T14:51:25.7","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered the minimum percentage of ownership stakes in any new renewable energy development that should be offered to local communities to purchase, und","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered the minimum percentage of ownership stakes in any new renewable energy development that should be offered to local communities to purchase, under a good practice shared ownership model.","AnswerText":"Shared ownership has an important role to play in delivering a just transition, by giving communities the chance to make an investment in a commercially owned renewable energy project.Whilst mandating shared ownership is a matter reserved to the UK Government, the Scottish Government encourages developers to offer shared ownership opportunities to communities as standard on all new renewable energy projects, including repowering and extensions to existing projects.Additionally, the Onshore Wind Sector Deal includes a commitment to publish a framework of practical approaches to support and encourage community shared ownership models, to assist communities, and developers and funders to engage in shared ownership opportunities.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425787,"EventID":"S6W-30981","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-31T16:46:30.903","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-30T14:51:25.7","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what new measures it plans to take to facilitate the expansion of renewable energy that is fully community-owned, as part of meeting its ambition to reach 2GW of communi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what new measures it plans to take to facilitate the expansion of renewable energy that is fully community-owned, as part of meeting its ambition to reach 2GW of community- and locally-owned energy by 2030.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is more than halfway towards achieving our ambition for 2GW of community and locally owned energy by 2030, with an estimated 1,028 MW of community and local renewable energy capacity operational in Scotland at the end of December 2023. We are taking action to continue to help ensure people and communities benefit from the energy transition, including support for community and locally owned energy.In 2024-5, the Scottish Government&rsquo;s Community Energy Generation Growth Fund awarded up to &pound;1.5 million in grants to community groups across Scotland to develop their own renewable energy projects. We are also taking action to increase ownership opportunities. Through our Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) we provide online guidance, resources, and support to access funding and contractors to enable communities to engage with shared ownership opportunities.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425788,"EventID":"S6W-30994","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-31T16:46:30.93","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-31T10:03:01.02","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent staffed posts there have been in the Agricultural Wages Enforcement Team in each of the last five years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent staffed posts there have been in the Agricultural Wages Enforcement Team in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"The full-time equivalent staffed posts within the Agricultural Wages Enforcement Team to ensure compliance with the Agricultural Wages (Scotland) Order, over the last five years, is:Financial YearFull Time Equivalents2020-20210.82021-20220.82022-20231.22023-20242.12024-20252.25","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425789,"EventID":"S6W-30998","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-31T16:46:30.887","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-31T10:03:01.02","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what housing standards (a) caravans and (b) static homes that are provided by employers to workers employed on the Seasonal Worker Visa scheme are subject to.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what housing standards (a) caravans and (b) static homes that are provided by employers to workers employed on the Seasonal Worker Visa scheme are subject to.","AnswerText":"Caravans and static homes provided by employers through a Service Occupancy Agreement are not subject to housing standards. Where agricultural land is used for the accommodation of people involved in farming operations on a seasonal basis, a site licence for a caravan is not required.Employees&rsquo; rights will depend on what is written in their employment contract and will depend on the individual circumstances of the case. However, if an employee has a Private Residential Tenancy, then they will have the same rights as a private tenant.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425790,"EventID":"S6W-31005","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-31T16:46:30.797","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-31T11:01:19.533","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government where the Routes programme that is run by Scottish Families Affected by Drugs and Alcohol, which supports young people with substance use in their families, is currently","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government where the Routes programme that is run by Scottish Families Affected by Drugs and Alcohol, which supports young people with substance use in their families, is currently operating.","AnswerText":"Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs supports young people through the Routes programme in East and West Dunbartonshire. Through Scottish Government funding, Routes has expanded to &lsquo;Grow Your Own Routes&rsquo; partnership services at Barnardos in North Lanarkshire, Action for Children in Renfrewshire, Aberlour in Falkirk, Right There in Orkney, ADA in Aberdeenshire and Circle in East Lothian.Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs are also funding some small Grow Your Own Routes grants of &pound;5K to other areas who want to trial Routes. This has included &pound;5K to South Lanarkshire (My Support Day) and Helensburgh and Lomond (Young Carers).","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425791,"EventID":"S6W-30995","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-31T16:46:31.277","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-31T10:03:01.02","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many agricultural wages inspectors are (a) directly employed by it and (b) independent contractors.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many agricultural wages inspectors are (a) directly employed by it and (b) independent contractors.","AnswerText":"There are currently 21 Scottish Government employees working as Agricultural Wage Inspectors. This role is conducted by Agricultural Officers who work for Rural Payments &amp; Inspections Division and are responsible for other statutory functions in addition to agricultural wages inspections.No independent contractors conduct the role of Agricultural Wages Inspector on behalf of the Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425792,"EventID":"S6W-31008","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16197,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-31T16:46:30.983","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-31T12:06:43.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6O-03876 by Kaukab Stewart on 31 October 2024, in which the minister stated that people \"can either be male or female\", what progress","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6O-03876 by Kaukab Stewart on 31 October 2024, in which the minister stated that people \"can either be male or female\", what progress it is making with the Non-Binary Equality Action Plan, and whether it remains its position that many people identify with neither a male or a female gender.","AnswerText":"In law, including under the Equality Act 2010, people are either male or female.The Scottish Government recognises that many people may identify differently. Scotland&rsquo;s Census 2022 showed that almost half of people who responded to the question on trans status or history identified as non-binary. We know too that depending on the circumstances, the law on gender reassignment discrimination might protect non-binary people.The Scottish Government is committed to advancing equality for all LGBTQI+ people, and promoting, protecting and realising the rights of every LGBTQI+ person in Scotland. This includes trans people, and non-binary people who do not identify as either male or female.The Non-Binary Equality Action Plan 2023-28, published last November, aims to improve equality and bring about real, positive and lasting change to the lives of non-binary people.We will soon publish our first Progress Report which will provide detail on the steps which we have made so far towards achieving the actions in the Plan.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425793,"EventID":"S6W-30794","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-31T16:46:30.263","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-21T09:16:25.053","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Lord Advocate has provided a statement of prosecution policy regarding the safer drug consumption facility, and, if so, whether it will publish this.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Lord Advocate has provided a statement of prosecution policy regarding the safer drug consumption facility, and, if so, whether it will publish this.","AnswerText":"The Lord Advocate has not provided the statement of prosecution policy regarding the safer drug consumption in Glasgow as of yet. It is anticipated that this will be provided in the coming weeks, ahead of the planned opening of the facility. The decision as to whether or not the statement of prosecution policy is published is one for the Lord Advocate.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425794,"EventID":"S6W-31015","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-31T16:46:30.763","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-31T15:29:22.923","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to NHS boards to establish more separate spaces in hospitals with maternity wards for patients experiencing miscarriage or baby loss.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to NHS boards to establish more separate spaces in hospitals with maternity wards for patients experiencing miscarriage or baby loss.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government expects all women receiving maternity care to be treated with dignity and respect and is developing a Delivery Framework for Miscarriage Care, which includes the provision of separate private spaces in hospitals with maternity wards for women experiencing miscarriage or baby loss. Officials are currently working with stakeholders to finalise the content and we expect to publish the Framework by the end of 2024 or early in 2025.The Scottish Government funded National Bereavement Care Pathways for pregnancy and baby loss and accompanying bereavement care standards are clear that women and families experiencing pregnancy or baby loss should be treated sensitively and compassionately and difficult news should be delivered in a quiet private space. All 14 NHS Boards are signed up to the pathways and at different stages of implementation.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425795,"EventID":"S6W-30999","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-31T16:46:30.867","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-31T11:01:19.533","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how young people get recommended for the Routes programme that is run by Scottish Families Affected by Drugs and Alcohol, which supports young people with substance use ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how young people get recommended for the Routes programme that is run by Scottish Families Affected by Drugs and Alcohol, which supports young people with substance use in their families.","AnswerText":"Young people can be referred to Routes from anywhere but are mainly referred to Routes by schools. Referrals are also made by addiction services, GPs, local authorities, social workers and family members. Young people often refer friends and they can self-refer.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425796,"EventID":"S6W-30991","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-31T16:46:30.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-31T10:03:01.02","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) employers and (b) workplaces are monitored by the Agricultural Wages Enforcement Team.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) employers and (b) workplaces are monitored by the Agricultural Wages Enforcement Team.","AnswerText":"All agricultural businesses that have employees are required to comply with the Agricultural Wages (Scotland) Order (AWO). The monitoring of compliance with the AWO takes the form of Control Test Inspection (CTIs). Each year, a selection of 120 businesses, encompassing employers and workplaces, are randomly selected from the information taken from the June Scottish Agricultural Census. In 2024, circa 8200 businesses were deemed to have employees covered by the AWO. In addition to CTIs, the Agricultural Wages Enforcement Team will investigate all businesses where employees have raised complaints.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425797,"EventID":"S6W-31002","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-31T16:46:30.78","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-31T11:01:19.533","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consultation is taking place with the community in Glasgow where the drug consultation facility has opened to assess the impact of this on members of this community","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consultation is taking place with the community in Glasgow where the drug consultation facility has opened to assess the impact of this on members of this community.","AnswerText":"Glasgow Health and Social Care Partnership will assess the impact of the opening of the Safer Drug Consumption Facility on the community in which it is operating. This will be led by Public Health Scotland academics.Significant time has been invested in engaging with the local community through drop in sessions. Feedback from these events has informed implementation planning, the formation of a Community Engagement Forum (that will address community concerns after the service is operational) and work with other relevant partners.The independent evaluation team has also begun to gather community information on the impact of injecting drug use in the area. This will be monitored as the services becomes operational to assess the impact of the service on these issues.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425798,"EventID":"S6W-31014","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-31T16:46:30.78","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-31T15:10:45.27","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the maximum punishment available to the courts on (a) summary conviction and (b) indictment under section 40 of the Regulatory Reform (Scotland) ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the maximum punishment available to the courts on (a) summary conviction and (b) indictment under section 40 of the Regulatory Reform (Scotland) Act, and whether it plans to review this.","AnswerText":"Section 40 of the Regulatory Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 introduces an offence of significant environmental harm and sets maximum penalties for convictions for this offence. As set out in the Scottish Government&rsquo;s draft Annual Report on the Scottish Government's commitment to align with the European Union where appropriate that was laid on 31 October 2024, we are considering Directive (EU) 2024/1203 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 April 2024 on the protection of the environment through criminal law. As a part of our consideration of this Directive, we are assessing the provisions for qualified offences for conduct that causes widespread and substantial environmental damage to particular features of the environment, and comparing this with existing provisions in Scots law to protect the environment.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425799,"EventID":"S6W-31003","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-31T16:46:30.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-31T11:01:19.533","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what  its framework is to improve holistic family support for those affected by drugs and alcohol.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what  its framework is to improve holistic family support for those affected by drugs and alcohol.","AnswerText":"Our framework Drug and alcohol services - improving holistic family support - gov.scot (www.gov.scot), which was published on 8 December 2021, sets out principles of how we will improve holistic support for families affected by drugs and alcohol by taking a whole family approach and using family inclusive practice.The framework is supported by investing totalling &pound;6.5 million per year over the life of the Parliament.We are working with local areas to improve their family support and implement family inclusive practice across alcohol and drug services. This is supported by a national working group.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425800,"EventID":"S6W-30988","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-31T16:46:31.063","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-30T15:50:51.933","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent account managers have been employed by Scottish Enterprise in each year since 2021-22.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent account managers have been employed by Scottish Enterprise in each year since 2021-22.","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I have asked their Chief Executive, Adrian Gillespie, to contact you directly with a response.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425801,"EventID":"S6W-30980","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-31T16:46:31.43","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-30T12:30:51.523","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Education (Scotland) Bill, what its position is on how the new Tertiary Quality Enhancement Framework will sit with the work of the proposed inspectorate.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Education (Scotland) Bill, what its position is on how the new Tertiary Quality Enhancement Framework will sit with the work of the proposed inspectorate.","AnswerText":"As set out in the Scottish Government&rsquo;s response to Professor Muir&rsquo;s report, the move of the inspection function to the new Chief Inspector will work alongside existing ministerial commitments to the Scottish Funding Council&rsquo;s (SFC) Tertiary Quality Enhancement Framework (TQEF), which is being implemented from Academic Year 2024-25.The TQEF has been co-designed, developed and implemented by the SFC in partnership with the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), Education Scotland and other stakeholders.In order to fulfil its existing statutory responsibilities for quality assurance and enhancement of colleges and universities, the SFC commissions the QAA and Education Scotland to support this work on its behalf.Under the Education (Scotland) Bill, the Chief Inspector will have the power to enter into an arrangement with the SFC in order to support the latter&rsquo;s statutory functions.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425802,"EventID":"S6W-30985","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-31T16:46:30.293","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-30T14:51:25.7","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason there was reportedly no external evaluation of the Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) prior to its retendering, and what substantive changes w","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason there was reportedly no external evaluation of the Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) prior to its retendering, and what substantive changes were made to the tender as a result of the call for feedback on CARES.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continually reviews the support available to communities through the CARES scheme and uses this information to inform future support. An evaluation of the current contract, which is due to end on 31 March 2025, will be completed prior to the beginning of a new contract. Stakeholders will have an opportunity to input into this evaluation.The Scottish Government has published an Invitation to Tender for the new CARES contract with a submission deadline on 26 November 2024. Ahead of publication, the Scottish Government gathered information from stakeholders via an in-person supplier engagement event and Request for Information. The feedback gathered from these engagements were taken into consideration when developing the new CARES Statement of Requirement.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425803,"EventID":"S6W-30990","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-31T16:46:31.023","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-30T15:57:36.33","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many patients are waiting to access occupational therapy services, and what the average waiting time has been in the last 12 months, broken down by NHS board.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many patients are waiting to access occupational therapy services, and what the average waiting time has been in the last 12 months, broken down by NHS board.","AnswerText":"Information on waiting times for occupational therapy for all conditions is not held centrally but can be provided by NHS Boards.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425804,"EventID":"S6W-31000","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-31T16:46:30.763","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-31T11:01:19.533","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what work is being done through its National Mission to ensure that drug support services are available at weekends.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work is being done through its National Mission to ensure that drug support services are available at weekends.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is keen to ensure that local areas provide support at all times and that they assess the needs of people in their areas and work with them to design and deliver services in a way that meets the needs of people impacted by drugs and alcohol, including services being easily assessable and available at weekends.As well as local contacts, we support national phone lines that are available for anyone to call. Know the Score operate a phoneline which is open until 9pm during the week and then open 10am until 4pm on weekends. This provides free, confidential support for people experiencing issues with drugs, alcohol or mental health.For families, Scottish Families operate a phoneline which is open until 11pm on weekdays and operates a call back service on weekends. This provides support for anyone concerned about someone else&rsquo;s drug use with information, advice and linking to local support.Through our National Mission we are providing an additional &pound;250 million of investment over the course of this parliament to support reduce deaths and improve lives.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425805,"EventID":"S6W-30989","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-31T16:46:31.003","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-30T15:50:51.933","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent account managers are currently employed by Scottish Enterprise.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent account managers are currently employed by Scottish Enterprise.","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I have asked their Chief Executive, Adrian Gillespie, to contact you directly with a response.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425806,"EventID":"S6W-30987","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-31T16:46:31.237","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-30T15:42:26.45","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many grants have been awarded to businesses in the creative industries by Scottish Enterprise in each year since 2021-22.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many grants have been awarded to businesses in the creative industries by Scottish Enterprise in each year since 2021-22.","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I have asked their Chief Executive, Adrian Gillespie, to contact you directly with a response.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425807,"EventID":"S6W-31013","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5866,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-31T16:46:31.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-31T14:39:37.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to local authorities to increase the number of primary school teachers moving directly from their probation period to a permanent contract.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to local authorities to increase the number of primary school teachers moving directly from their probation period to a permanent contract.","AnswerText":"The Teacher Induction Scheme guarantees every eligible student a one-year probationary placement, however it does not provide a guarantee of future employment with a particular local authority.While local authorities are the direct employers of teachers, the Scottish Government continues to make available &pound;145.5m to local authorities to protect teaching jobs.In addition, I have also asked the Strategic Board for Teacher Education, which is made up of a range of key education stakeholders, to consider issues around the recruitment and retention of teachers in Scotland. This includes geographical issues as well as how we can increase diversity within the profession, and improve support for early career teachers.Despite substantial investment, and the progress we have made in recruiting thousands of additional teachers since 2018, we recognise that more work is needed to ensure that our teachers have access to long term, sustainable, employment opportunities, regardless of which stage of their career they are at, and we will continue to work with COSLA to ensure this can happen.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425808,"EventID":"S6W-31007","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-31T16:46:31.143","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-31T11:34:04.697","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide extra funding for pulmonary rehabilitation services in light of the&nbsp;Barnett&nbsp;consequentials arising from the UK Budget and, if so, how m","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide extra funding for pulmonary rehabilitation services in light of the&nbsp;Barnett&nbsp;consequentials arising from the UK Budget and, if so, how much.","AnswerText":"We recognise that pulmonary rehabilitation is an important element in managing respiratory disease and it is already a key recommendation for all appropriate patients in NICE clinical guidelines which we expect all NHS Boards to follow.The funding announced in the UK Autumn Statement is welcome, however, the Scottish Government continues to face the most challenging financial situation since devolution. The new Scottish Budget will be presented to Parliament on Wednesday 4 December 2024. This will detail Scottish Ministers spend proposals for the year ahead.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":425809,"EventID":"S6W-30997","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-31T16:46:30.83","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-31T10:03:01.02","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many enforcement notices have been issued by the Agricultural Wages Enforcement Team in each of the last five years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many enforcement notices have been issued by the Agricultural Wages Enforcement Team in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"Total number of Enforcement Notices issued by the Agricultural Wages Enforcement Team in each of the last 5 years:2020: 162021: 02022: 32023: 82024: 13Enforcement Notices (ENs) are issued as a result of non-compliance with AWET correspondence. If an underpayment has been identified as a result of a wages inspection or complaint, ENs are used if an Employer fails to fulfil a request for payment. These act as the end of deliberation between the Employer and AWET, and now form a legal requirement for the Employer to provide reimbursement to an Employee.Any further objection to the contents of an EN may now only be challenged via Employment Tribunal or an agreed settlement.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425810,"EventID":"S6W-31012","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5866,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-31T16:46:30.883","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-31T14:39:37.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that some primary school teachers who do not succeed in moving directly from their probation period to a permanent contract are having to","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that some primary school teachers who do not succeed in moving directly from their probation period to a permanent contract are having to work zero-hour contracts or find low-income employment, and what support it can provide to them until they find a permanent teaching position.","AnswerText":"The member may wish to be aware that teachers are not employed on zero hour contracts as supply lists are registers and not contractual. The employment contract only begins once a teacher has taken up the supply work that is offered.Whilst the recruitment and deployment of teachers are matters for local authorities, the Scottish Government is doing everything it can to help maximise the number of teaching jobs available.As part of this, we are providing &pound;145.5m to local authorities to protect teacher numbers.Despite substantial investment, and the progress we have made in recruiting thousands of additional teachers since 2018, we recognise that more work is needed to ensure that our teachers have access to long term, sustainable, employment opportunities, regardless of which stage of their career they are at, and we will continue to work with COSLA to ensure this can happen.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425811,"EventID":"S6W-30996","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-31T16:46:31.487","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-31T10:03:01.02","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what translation and interpretation support is provided to agricultural wages inspectors when they make visits to workplaces.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what translation and interpretation support is provided to agricultural wages inspectors when they make visits to workplaces.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has contracted provision for interpretation services (face-to-face, remote video and telephone). This provision can be used by the Agricultural Wages Enforcement Team under the interpreting, translation and transcription services framework should it be required.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425812,"EventID":"S6W-31009","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5866,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-31T16:46:30.763","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-31T13:14:24.42","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the most recent figure is for what percentage of primary school teachers (a) nationally and (b) in the Mid Scotland and Fife region moved directly from their probat","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the most recent figure is for what percentage of primary school teachers (a) nationally and (b) in the Mid Scotland and Fife region moved directly from their probation period to a permanent contract.","AnswerText":"Statistics on the percentage of primary school teachers moved directly from their Teacher Induction Scheme probation period to a permanent teaching contract are shown in the post-probationer teacher employment dashboard, available from the Scottish Government website here:Post-probationer teacher employment dashboard - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).The statistics are not available by parliamentary constituency as the Scottish Government does not hold information on the address of teachers. The statistics are available split by local authority as the employers of teachers.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425813,"EventID":"S6W-31016","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-31T16:46:31.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-31T15:29:22.923","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many maternity wards in hospitals there are, and how many of these have a separate space for patients experiencing miscarriage or baby loss.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many maternity wards in hospitals there are, and how many of these have a separate space for patients experiencing miscarriage or baby loss.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information. However, the information in this report https://www.gov.scot/publications/miscarriage-care-facilities-scotland-scoping-report-national-overview/ which details the findings of a scoping exercise to enable better understanding of miscarriage care in Scotland nationally may be of interest.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425814,"EventID":"S6W-30982","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-31T16:46:31.357","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-30T14:51:25.7","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its timeline for reviewing its good practice principles for onshore wind developments, and whether there will be opportunities for t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its timeline for reviewing its good practice principles for onshore wind developments, and whether there will be opportunities for the community sector to meaningfully engage with this process.","AnswerText":"Driven by our Good Practice Principles, community benefits are a well-established and integral part of renewable energy projects in Scotland, with over &pound;26 million of community benefits offered to Scottish communities in the last 12 months. The Scottish Government continues to work with industry and communities to build on this success, including through our Onshore Wind Sector Deal that commits industry to meet or exceed the Good Practice Principles.The Good Practice Principles for Onshore Developments, published in 2019 were developed in close collaboration with the sector and local communities to set national standards for community benefits. We are currently considering feedback from stakeholders on the potential for a review of these Good Practice Principles.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425815,"EventID":"S6W-31004","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-31T16:46:30.813","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-31T11:01:19.533","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what is the expert national working group that it has partnered with to improve family support and inclusive family practices across drug and alcohol services.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what is the expert national working group that it has partnered with to improve family support and inclusive family practices across drug and alcohol services.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government national working group set up to improve family support and inclusive family practices across drug and alcohol services, includes members from the following organisations:Scottish Children&rsquo;s Reporter Administration (SCRA)AberlourCare InspectorateThe Corra foundationQuarriersScottish Families Affected by Alcohol and DrugsCircleCOSLAThe Beacons &ndash; My Support DayAlcohol and Drug Partnerships","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425816,"EventID":"S6W-30986","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-31T16:46:31.257","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-30T15:42:26.45","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses in the creative industries have been supported by Scottish Enterprise in each year since 2021-22.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses in the creative industries have been supported by Scottish Enterprise in each year since 2021-22.","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I have asked their Chief Executive, Adrian Gillespie, to contact you directly with a response.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425817,"EventID":"S6W-30983","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-10-31T16:46:31.083","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-30T14:51:25.7","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its timeline for developing a framework to support shared ownership of renewables, as proposed within the onshore wind sector deal, ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its timeline for developing a framework to support shared ownership of renewables, as proposed within the onshore wind sector deal, and whether there will be opportunities for the community sector to meaningfully engage with this process.","AnswerText":"We are committed to working with the community sector and other stakeholders to ensure the delivery of renewable energy comes with benefits for people in Scotland. This includes shared ownership, which has a vital role to play in a just transition by giving communities the chance to make an investment in a commercially owned renewable energy project.Through our Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) we provide online guidance, resources, and support to access funding and contractors to enable communities to engage with shared ownership opportunities. Building on the progress we have made to date, the Scottish Government is progressing work on the commitment in the Onshore Wind Sector Deal to develop a framework of practical approaches to support and encourage community shared ownership models, to assist communities, and developers and funders to engage in shared ownership opportunities. There will be opportunities for the community sector to engage with this process as work progresses.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425827,"EventID":"S6W-31026","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-01T15:29:15.773","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-31T17:55:19.647","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the prevalence of (a) non-payment of taxi and private hire fares and (b) abusive and violence conduct towards taxi and private hire driver","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the prevalence of (a) non-payment of taxi and private hire fares and (b) abusive and violence conduct towards taxi and private hire drivers by members of the public.","AnswerText":"Taxis and private hire cars (PHCs) are a vital part of transport networks for citizens, businesses and visitors across Scotland, and all taxi and PHC drivers should be able to go about their work without the threat of any violence and abuse from their customers.Taxis and PHCs are licensed under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (&ldquo;the 1982 Act&rdquo;). While the Scottish Government has responsibility for the overarching legislation, the day to day administration of the licensing regime, as set out in the 1982 Act, is devolved to independent licensing authorities &ndash; in effect the 32 Scottish local authorities.Within this context, any reports of non-payment of fares, and/ or abuse of drivers would be directed to the local licensing authority and the local police. The Scottish Government does not hold data in relation to the non-payment of taxi and PHC fares or abusive conduct towards taxi and PHC drivers.The Scottish Government recommends that licensing authorities should actively promote and facilitate good links between the taxi and PHC trades and the local police force, including active participation in any crime reduction initiatives.Owners and drivers of vehicles will often want to install security measures to protect the driver. Licensing authorities may consider that this is a matter best left to the judgement of the owners and drivers themselves. However, it is recommended practice for licensing authorities to consider, as part of their licensing policy under the legislative framework of the 1982 Act, sympathetically, or indeed actively encourage, their installation.Further information about security measures in vehicles is available in the taxi and PHC licensing best practice guidance document published by the Scottish Government, in conjunction with Transport Scotland, last year: https://www.gov.scot/publications/taxi-private-hire-car-licensing-best-practice-licensing-authorities-taxi-private-hire-car-operators-3rd-edition/pages/7/.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425828,"EventID":"S6W-31025","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-01T15:29:15.83","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-31T17:13:10.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current status is of the Nature Conservation Order requested by NatureScot on 27June 2024 to protect the Parallel Roads of Lochaber Site of Special Scientific I","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current status is of the Nature Conservation Order requested by NatureScot on 27June 2024 to protect the Parallel Roads of Lochaber Site of Special Scientific Interest&nbsp;(SSSI)&nbsp;at Achnabobane, and what steps are being taken to address the reported unconsented activities that have caused damage to that area.","AnswerText":"Having considered the circumstances and in response to the damage caused by unconsented activity in the area of the Parallel Roads of Lochaber Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Scottish Ministers have begun drafting a Nature Conservation Order (NCO). This is being developed in parallel with enforcement action being taken by The Highland Council and Scottish Forestry and an ongoing Police Scotland investigation.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425829,"EventID":"S6W-31024","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-01T15:29:15.827","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-31T17:07:50.61","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of IT system faults at Charge Place Scotland over the last three years, also broken down by the downtime and systems affected.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of IT system faults at Charge Place Scotland over the last three years, also broken down by the downtime and systems affected.","AnswerText":"IT system faults are unplanned events of a technical nature that result in an IT system that is required to operate the public charging network becoming inoperable or unable to work as intended. Downtime is a period of time when an affected IT system is inoperable or working sub-optimally due to a fault. This does not include planned downtime, for example, as part of routine systems maintenance.IT system downtime does not necessarily mean that the charging infrastructure itself was affected or that drivers could not get the charge they needed. Most IT system faults that arise on the Charge Place Scotland network are resolved quickly and do not impact the majority of users.Total Percentage &lsquo;IT systems&rsquo; downtime:2022: 3.5 hrs &ndash; 0.04% downtime = 99.96% uptime2023: 13 hrs &ndash; 0.15% downtime = 99.85% uptime2024: 53 hrs &ndash; 0.6% downtime = 99.4% uptimeBreakdown of &lsquo;IT system&rsquo; faults over last 3 years:2 December 2021 Downtime: 1 hourSystems affected: Third party SIM card supplier&rsquo;s system &ndash; A data centre shut down for maintenance. This caused the system to go down for 1 hour but the system defaulted to &lsquo;any card&rsquo; mode which allowed drivers to continue using the network with minimal impact.26 January 2022 Downtime: unavailableSystems affected: Network wide outage caused by load balancing issues. Resulted in temporary communication issues between the network and the back office. Drivers still able to charge throughout this event.13 May 2022 Downtime: Unavailable, but noted that fault arose on a Friday and was fully resolved by the Monday.Systems affected: CPS website map. Status pins freezing and not updating.26 May 2022 Downtime: unavailableSystems affected: reoccurrence of map app issue noted above8 June 2022 Downtime: 1 daySystems affected: Third party SIM card supplier&rsquo;s system &ndash; data centre shut down for maintenance as before (Dec 2021).1 and 2 August 2022 Downtime: Below 1 hourSystems affected : Third party data centre issue caused back office and website interruptions around 11pm. The issue originating at a data centre in London and impacted multiple customers across the whole sector, not just CPS.18 September 2022 Downtime: 4 hoursSystems affected: eConnect issue &ndash; some drivers unable to start a charge with RFID cards. However, other access methods remained available to start/stop charges, such as the mobile app, webpay and contactless pay.1 December 2022 Downtime : 2 hours 25 minutesSystems affected: network issue resulting in the loss of RFID authentication for some drivers. However, other access methods remained available to start/stop charges, such as the mobile app, webpay and contactless pay.14 December 2022 Downtime: 1 hourSystems affected: DNS Certificate not approved &ndash; affected access to web application and driver accounts. Fixed by renewing certificates.20 January 2023 Downtime: 4 hoursSystems affected: Network connectivity &ndash; Third party SIM card issue which affected multiple businesses/services not just the CPS network.18 February 2023 Downtime: 07:13 &ndash; 09:15 &ndash; 2 hoursSystems affected: Live map/website certification affecting access.Did not impact the network access in any way.14 July 2023 Downtime: 6 hours 32 minutesSystems affected: Software vulnerability resulting in the website being taken down until resolved. Network still fully functioned, no impact on driver experience.26 September 2023 Downtime: 1 hourSystems affected: Password reset for drivers on Econnect system. This resulted in high demand for access to the website. Development team placed the CPS website into &lsquo;maintenance mode&rsquo; to allow them to investigate and implement a fix for the performance issue. No impact on charging sessions or connectivity between CPS &amp; charge points2 March 2024 to 12 March 2024 Downtime: UnavailableSystems affected: webpage error relating to Google Maps. CPS live map not allowing a search of charge points to t","AnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425830,"EventID":"S6W-31027","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-01T15:29:15.827","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-01T10:42:50.35","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Scottish Courts      and Tribunal Service will engage with the development of the North      Laurieston Masterplan on the architectural plan for the Glasgow ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Scottish Courts      and Tribunal Service will engage with the development of the North      Laurieston Masterplan on the architectural plan for the Glasgow Sheriff      Court building and its environs.","AnswerText":"This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who will reply in writing within 20 days.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425834,"EventID":"S6W-31036","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-04T16:37:43.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-04T14:23:47.633","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to publish a full update to the 2005 Guidance for Local Authorities and National Park Authorities on Part 1 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, and,","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to publish a full update to the 2005 Guidance for Local Authorities and National Park Authorities on Part 1 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, and, if so, when.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has no current plans to update the 2005 Guidance for Local Authorities and National Park Authorities on Part 1 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425835,"EventID":"S6W-31028","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-04T16:37:43.763","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-01T15:49:20.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on the \"waking watch\" system in apartment blocks in Glasgow since it was introduced in February 2023.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on the \"waking watch\" system in apartment blocks in Glasgow since it was introduced in February 2023.","AnswerText":"The total cumulative spend incurred on Waking Watch services in apartment blocks in Glasgow is &pound;2.2 million. Waking Watch costs for one building within the pilot programme were reimbursed by the responsible developer.Latest published data shows a breakdown of the waking watch grant and contract costs for entries in the pilot in Glasgow to the end of quarter one 2024-25; spend is updated quarterly, the next update will be published in quarter three 2024-25. Single Building Assessment programme: spending information - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425836,"EventID":"S6W-31038","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-04T16:37:43.807","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-04T15:09:22.93","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will renew the legal aid trainee fund.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will renew the legal aid trainee fund.","AnswerText":"The current Traineeship Fund is due to end in March 2025. Learning lessons from previous grant funding projects such as this is extremely important, and the outcome of the evaluation will help shape and inform any decisions with regards to a future Traineeship Fund.It is important that before any decisions are taken, we continue to have constructive and meaningful dialogue with our stakeholders, particularly the Law Society of Scotland.The Scottish Government needs to ensure that funding is targeted where it is most needed. It is also essential that there is a clear evidence base of that need and that value for money for the use of public funds can be demonstrated in line with the Scottish Government&rsquo;s Public Financial Manual.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425837,"EventID":"S6W-30550","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-04T16:37:43.763","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T13:16:30.953","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding reported comments from NHS National Services Scotland that \"Over 85 per cent of Scotland&rsquo;s clinical waste is processed in Scotland by [its] contractor\",","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding reported comments from NHS National Services Scotland that \"Over 85 per cent of Scotland&rsquo;s clinical waste is processed in Scotland by [its] contractor\", what evidence it can provide that this is the case, in light of reports suggesting that a higher volume of clinical waste is transported to England and Wales from Scotland for incineration.","AnswerText":"Management of the NHS clinical waste contract is a matter for Health Boards, and management of the NHS&rsquo;s relationship with the clinical waste contractor is a matter for NHS National Services Scotland&rsquo;s (NSS) National Procurement and Logistics Service. The information requested is not held centrally.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425838,"EventID":"S6W-31037","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16194,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-04T16:37:43.72","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-04T14:50:06.19","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the School Premises (General Requirements and Standards) (Scotland) Regulations 1967 will be updated.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the School Premises (General Requirements and Standards) (Scotland) Regulations 1967 will be updated.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government intends to update the School Premises (General Requirements and Standards) (Scotland) Regulations 1967.Given the previous consultation exercise took place in 2017-18, we must now consider the updated context that the regulations will exist in.We are now taking this work forward and will re-consult on the Regulations in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425839,"EventID":"S6W-31030","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-04T16:37:43.677","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-03T20:41:32.253","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the replacement barriers installed on the parapets and ramps of the M8 at Charing Cross (a) are reportedly approximately twice the height of the ones tha","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the replacement barriers installed on the parapets and ramps of the M8 at Charing Cross (a) are reportedly approximately twice the height of the ones that they are replacing and (b) have reportedly been finished in bare galvanised steel rather than a visually neutral painted finish, similar to the previous ones, and what its position is on whether this design complies with its and Glasgow City Council's agreement to collaborate to reduce any adverse impact of the M8 on central Glasgow's urban environment, particularly in light of Charing Cross being situated adjacent to both the Glasgow Central Conservation Area and Woodlands Conservation Area.","AnswerText":"(a) The new parapets at Charing Cross have been increased in height from 1.1 metres to 1.5 metres, which is a 36% increase, to comply with the current national design standards that require a minimum of a 1.4 metre high parapets where routes can be used by cyclists. This was necessary due to the installation of the new cycle lanes around Charing Cross.(b) The works were designed and constructed in collaboration with Glasgow City Council and their Phase 2 of Connecting Woodside Project. Parapets are galvanised to increase their resistance to corrosion, which is more durable than a painted finish. While the galvanising can be over-painted, the paint does not bond well and is more expensive. Over time, the galvanised finish will weather and be less obtrusive.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425840,"EventID":"S6W-31040","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-04T16:37:43.673","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-04T15:09:22.93","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the reason why there has been a reported reduction in criminal aid solicitors, since 2007, from 1,459 to 966.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the reason why there has been a reported reduction in criminal aid solicitors, since 2007, from 1,459 to 966.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Legal Aid Board doesn&rsquo;t use the register of criminal legal aid solicitors as an indication of solicitor availability. A small number of solicitors register and do small amounts of work to meet ad hoc requests from individual clients. They often choose to eventually withdraw from the register rather than meeting the requirements for remaining on it. A better indication of solicitor supply is the number of active solicitors &ndash; those solicitors who have carried out criminal legal aid work in the last 12 months.The number of solicitors actively involved in criminal legal assistance has remained relatively stable for the last four years, with activity heavily concentrated among the busier solicitors. Based on active solicitor numbers there has been a reduction of 23 active solicitors &ndash; or 3% - in last four years.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425841,"EventID":"S6W-31029","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-04T16:37:43.8","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-03T11:45:56.48","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will request that Scottish Water allocates funds from its public top-up taps programme specifically to restore disused historic drinking fountains in public p","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will request that Scottish Water allocates funds from its public top-up taps programme specifically to restore disused historic drinking fountains in public places by fitting top-up taps to them in collaboration with conservation-accredited engineers.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government have no plans to request this.Scottish Water has a programme of installing blue top up taps in communities across Scotland, with over 120 installed and providing fresh drinking water for bottle refills. However they are not in a position to support the refurbishing/reuse of existing architecture and historic fountains and wells. These older pieces of equipment present a number of issues around health and safety risks, use of historic materials, location, the bespoke nature of every site and ultimately the inability to guarantee water quality. The taps provided by Scottish Water are Water Regulation Approval Scheme (WRAS) approved, which provides an enhanced level of water quality protection. This level of assurance would be very difficult and costly to achieve via pre-existing historic structures &ndash; and in some cases it may not be possible.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425842,"EventID":"S6W-31041","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-04T16:37:43.803","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-04T15:39:12.28","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which members of the Cabinet have visited a college in the last year.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which members of the Cabinet have visited a college in the last year.","AnswerText":"The following members of the Cabinet have visited a college in the last year:John Swinney MSP, First MinisterKate Forbes MSP, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and GaelicShona Robison MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local GovernmentNeil Gray MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social CareJenny Gilruth MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Education and SkillsGillian Martin MSP, Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and EnergyFiona Hyslop MSP, Cabinet Secretary for TransportMairi Gougeon MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and IslandsAngela Constance MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs","AnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425843,"EventID":"S6W-31031","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-04T16:37:43.753","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-03T23:48:50.61","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether noise mitigation measures form part of the current scope of work being undertaken on the M8 at Charing Cross.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether noise mitigation measures form part of the current scope of work being undertaken on the M8 at Charing Cross.","AnswerText":"Noise mitigation measures do not form part of the current scope of works being undertaken at Charing Cross.Glasgow City Council are currently constructing an active travel scheme to install cycle lanes at Charing Cross and along St George&rsquo;s Road. Therefore, as the area around Charing Cross is changing substantially, it is our intention to undertake noise monitoring in the area on completion of these works to ensure that any noise mitigation works implemented in the future work effectively following these major works.Transport Scotland is committed to ensuring noise management is included in all their activities and responsibilities, including the work being undertaken on the M8 at Charing Cross. Transport Scotland has also been working closely with Glasgow City Council on providing noise management advice to the Future of the M8 Motion, and related schemes.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425844,"EventID":"S6W-31039","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-04T16:37:43.673","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-04T15:09:22.93","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that the legal aid budget has reduced by 45%, allowing for inflation, over the last 10 years, whether it plans to restore it to the level that it wo","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that the legal aid budget has reduced by 45%, allowing for inflation, over the last 10 years, whether it plans to restore it to the level that it would have been were it to have been uprated each year by inflation, or to otherwise increase it.","AnswerText":"The Legal Aid Fund is demand-led and directly linked to application numbers and all eligible costs are met. The Scottish Legal Aid Board&rsquo;s Annual Accounts and Report 2023-24 show that the total cost of legal aid has increased 12% on the previous year to &pound;151 million, 16% higher than the pre-pandemic year of 2019-20 and just under &pound;10 million above the Scottish Legal Aid Boards&rsquo;s budget of &pound;141.3 million. Indications for this financial year show that expenditure levels are predicted to rise to around &pound;171 million which will be the highest ever recorded.Fees were uprated in 2019 by 3% and in 2021 by 5% and a further 5% came into effect in April 2022. Fees were increased most recently in April 2023 implementing an &pound;11 million package of legal aid reforms and an uplift worth 10.25%. The compound effect of these increases is just over 25% and is a year-on-year increase in expenditure and investment in legal aid.The most recent increase came into force on 29 April 2023, taking the total additional funding in legal aid to &pound;31 million since April 2021.In addition to fee increases, other forms of investment have been delivered by the Scottish Government. In 2021 a further &pound;9 million in funding was also made available to assist legal aid providers through the pandemic.The Scottish Government also provided funding to establish 40 traineeships in legal aid firms during 2021. The total additional funding package for legal aid providers between 2021-22 was worth &pound;20 million.The Scottish Legal Aid Board&rsquo;s Annual Accounts and Report 2023-24 can be found here: Annual Report and Accounts - Scottish Legal Aid Board (slab.org.uk).","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425845,"EventID":"S6W-30555","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-04T16:37:43.767","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-09T13:16:30.963","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported concerns that NHS Scotland is paying too much for clinical disposal needs, and when the contract for this was last tendered.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported concerns that NHS Scotland is paying too much for clinical disposal needs, and when the contract for this was last tendered.","AnswerText":"Management of the NHS clinical waste contract is a matter for Health Boards, and management of the NHS&rsquo;s relationship with the clinical waste contractor is a matter for NHS National Services Scotland&rsquo;s (NSS) National Procurement and Logistics Service.Information regarding contracts tendered by NSS is publicly available and can be viewed on the Public Contracts Scotland website - Home - Public Contracts Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425848,"EventID":"S6T-02170","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-04T14:33:52.847","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-04T10:00:59.61","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of any potential implications for accessibility, equality and safety for passengers and the public, whether it will permit the reduction in opening hours of ti","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of any potential implications for accessibility, equality and safety for passengers and the public, whether it will permit the reduction in opening hours of ticket offices by ScotRail.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":425849,"EventID":"S6T-02168","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-04T14:33:52.847","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-04T09:42:16.64","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any increased risk to public safety resulting from industrial action by the Scottish Police Federation.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any increased risk to public safety resulting from industrial action by the Scottish Police Federation.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-11-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425850,"EventID":"S6F-03490","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-04T14:33:42.37","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-31T11:31:31.01","Title":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425851,"EventID":"S6F-03491","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5586,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-04T14:33:42.323","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-31T11:31:45.89","Title":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425852,"EventID":"S6F-03492","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":2892,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-04T14:33:42.313","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-31T11:32:13.273","Title":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425853,"EventID":"S6F-03493","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16177,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":125,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-04T14:33:42.4","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-01T09:03:35.637","Title":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government is doing to ensure that young people are equipped with the skills to recognise online misinformation and disinformation.","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government is doing to ensure that young people are equipped with the skills to recognise online misinformation and disinformation.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425854,"EventID":"S6F-03503","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-04T14:33:42.307","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-04T10:13:33.98","Title":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the concerns expressed by the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee regarding funding to complete the dualling of","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the concerns expressed by the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee regarding funding to complete the dualling of the A9 between Perth and Inverness by the new target date of 2035.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425855,"EventID":"S6F-03507","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-04T14:33:42.33","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-04T10:57:40.793","Title":"To ask the First Minister what plans the Scottish Government has to end the reported increase in families in the Central Belt living in temporary accommodation, in light of reports of almost 2,000 chi","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what plans the Scottish Government has to end the reported increase in families in the Central Belt living in temporary accommodation, in light of reports of almost 2,000 children in Glasgow living in unsuitable bed and breakfast accommodation in 2024 and more than 4,600 households in Edinburgh projected to be living in temporary accommodation by 2040.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425893,"EventID":"S6W-31022","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-05T16:55:01.02","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-31T16:27:22.2","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will set out timescales for the delivery of alcohol marketing reform.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will set out timescales for the delivery of alcohol marketing reform.","AnswerText":"As the Cabinet Secretary set out to Parliament, Public Health Scotland (PHS) are being commissioned to carry out a review of the evidence for the range of options that are available to the Scottish Government under devolved powers. This important step will ensure that our work is evidence based and will deliver clear public health outcomes.The final commission will be published in due course, and will set out the timelines for that review activity. The Scottish Government will consider PHS&rsquo; findings, and consider where the evidence supports further action or consultation on alcohol marketing restrictions. Once the evidence review is concluded the Scottish Government will consider any areas where evidence supports further consultation. No decisions have been taken yet on what these areas may be.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425894,"EventID":"S6W-31049","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-05T16:55:01.26","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T11:22:19.343","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with MND Scotland about funding research on motor neurone disease (MND).","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with MND Scotland about funding research on motor neurone disease (MND).","AnswerText":"Within the Scottish Government, funding for Health and Care Research comes under the policy remit of the Chief Scientist Office (CSO)Officials from CSO met with representatives from MND Scotland on 9th February 2023 to discuss the possibility of co-funding a Clinical Academic Fellowship. Funding arrangements were agreed and a joint call for applications launched on 1 August 2023Details of the funded fellowship are available on the CSO websiteCAF/24/13 - Identifying early theragnostic targets for MNDMs Kristine Roberts - University of AberdeenCAF2413abstract.pdf (scot.nhs.uk)","AnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425895,"EventID":"S6W-31059","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1756,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":136,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-05T16:55:01.56","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T12:36:39.117","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has given consideration to calls to introduce a mandatory and permanent field on a dog's microchip to record the breeder to improve traceability.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has given consideration to calls to introduce a mandatory and permanent field on a dog's microchip to record the breeder to improve traceability.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to discuss with the other devolved administrations as part the Microchipping Devolved Administration Working Group ways to improve traceability of breeders.With regards to current requirements to record breeder information, as part of The Microchipping of Dogs (Scotland) Regulations 2016 this Government made it compulsory for all dogs to be microchipped and for the following details be recorded7 (d) where applicable, the fact that the keeper of the dog is also a breeder7 (e) where applicable, the fact that the keeper of the dog is a person who holds a breeding licence granted under section 1(2) of the Breeding of Dogs Act 1973(7) and, if so &mdash;(i) the name of the local authority which issued the breeder&rsquo;s licence; and(ii) the breeder&rsquo;s licence number or code (if any);","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425896,"EventID":"S6W-31017","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-05T16:55:01.027","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-31T16:27:22.2","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to assess drug and alcohol services for their cost-effectiveness.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to assess drug and alcohol services for their cost-effectiveness.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to evidence-based policy making. National Mission activity undertaken to date has been based on the evidence available and informed by people with lived and living experience, as well as the National Mission&rsquo;s Clinical Advisory Group and National Mission Oversight Group.For example, our approach to setting up the UK&rsquo;s first Safer Drug Consumption Facility has been based on evidence from 300 existing safer drug consumption facilities already in operation around the world.To ensure that our future strategic plans are evidence-based, they will be informed by the National Mission evaluation due to be published in 2026.We will ensure that any new approaches to reducing deaths and harms is accompanied with evaluation as a matter of course, such as the Safer Drug Consumption Facility (The Thistle Service), which is due to open in the near future.A full evaluation of the Thistle Service will be carried out, details of the evaluation package will be made available shortly but it will use a range of data to examine the impact of the facility on health, social, community, environmental, and economic outcomes.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425897,"EventID":"S6W-31062","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-05T16:55:01.583","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T13:23:59.817","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish its Fisheries Climate Change Action Plan, as set out in its National Islands Plan: Implementation Route Map 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish its Fisheries Climate Change Action Plan, as set out in its National Islands Plan: Implementation Route Map 2024.","AnswerText":"We do not yet have a timescale for publishing the Fisheries Climate Change Action Plan. Further work is required, in partnership with stakeholders, to develop a clear plan of actions which will support fisheries in the drive to net zero.Many of the actions that are required will need to be developed and initiated by the fishing industry and others in the private sector (for example vessel designers). Regulators and policy makers will also need to identify and remove barriers where this is possible.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425898,"EventID":"S6W-31042","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-05T16:55:01.637","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-04T18:37:53.533","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will request that Police Scotland reactivates the disused Gatso speed camera at Cumbernauld Road in Riddrie, Glasgow.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will request that Police Scotland reactivates the disused Gatso speed camera at Cumbernauld Road in Riddrie, Glasgow.","AnswerText":"Across Scotland, safety cameras are deployed through the Scottish Safety Camera Programme primarily where they have the greatest potential to reduce injury collisions and where there is evidence of both collisions and speeding. This is in accordance with criteria contained in the Scottish Safety Camera Programme Handbook. This can be viewed at: https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/scottish-safety-camera-programme-handbook/.An annual site prioritisation process is undertaken each year to determine new safety camera sites across our road network and to maximise the casualty reduction potential of the Programme. This national exercise acts to ensure the right camera technology is in the right place at the right time. It involves a range of partners including the three regional safety camera units, all thirty-three road authorities and Police Scotland, and acts to identify potential new camera sites which meet the minimum criteria, while at the same time assessing the performance of existing enforcement strategies.In 2019, the site at Cumbernauld Road, Riddrie was assessed to have good speed compliance and no evidence of injury collisions with speed as a causation. A decision was taken to make this site dormant through the process set out within the Handbook. This process allows for a thorough assessment of improvements in driver behaviour over a 3 year period. In 2022, a further assessment confirmed that there had been a sustained improvement in driver behaviours during the three year dormancy period and the decision was taken to remove the site from prioritised enforcement.As part of the annual site selection process, if this location was identified again as meeting minimum site selection criteria to redeploy, this site would be considered for reinstatement.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425899,"EventID":"S6W-31065","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-05T16:55:01.027","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T13:23:59.817","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much of the &pound;10 million of funding provided over 2023 to 2025 for the work of the new Food and Drink Industry Strategy was spent in the Highlands and Islands, ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much of the &pound;10 million of funding provided over 2023 to 2025 for the work of the new Food and Drink Industry Strategy was spent in the Highlands and Islands, as set out in the Scottish Government&rsquo;s National Islands Plan: Implementation Route Map 2024.","AnswerText":"Scotland Food &amp; Drink Partnership has been awarded &pound;10 million to support its national strategy. It sets out short- to long-term objectives developed in partnership with food and drink producers throughout Scotland, including those in the Highlands and Islands.Spend is not disaggregated on a regional basis.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425900,"EventID":"S6W-31021","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-05T16:55:01.323","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-31T16:27:22.2","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government&nbsp;what its response is to the suggestion in the Audit Scotland report,&nbsp;Alcohol and Drugs Services, that it has been \"slow\" to implement alcohol marketing reform.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government&nbsp;what its response is to the suggestion in the Audit Scotland report,&nbsp;Alcohol and Drugs Services, that it has been \"slow\" to implement alcohol marketing reform.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to progressing work on protecting children and young people from exposure to alcohol marketing. It was clear from our earlier public consultation that there was a wide range of views on alcohol marketing proposals, including uncertainty about the existing evidence base for many proposals.Public Health Scotland (PHS) are being commissioned to carry out a review of the evidence for the range of options that are available to the Scottish Government under devolved powers. This will ensure that our work is evidence based and will deliver clear public health outcomes. We will consider PHS&rsquo; findings, and consider where the evidence supports further action or consultation on alcohol marketing restrictions.If the evidence supports it, the Scottish Government will return with a further consultation on a range of targeted proposals. Ensuring public health policy is based on clear evidence is vital in delivering progress on alcohol harm and ensuring that the right balance is struck between improving population health and the potential impacts and effects on the economy, business and industry.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425901,"EventID":"S6W-31053","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-05T16:55:01.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T11:45:34.033","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of so-called high puff-count vapes on (a) youth vaping and (b) the success of the proposed disposable vapes ban.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of so-called high puff-count vapes on (a) youth vaping and (b) the success of the proposed disposable vapes ban.","AnswerText":"The 2023 Scottish Health Survey shows that among those aged 16-24 vape use is 22%.The Smoking and Vaping Among Scottish Adolescents Key findings - Vaping and smoking among Scottish adolescents - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) (2024) showed that 19% of those aged 11-17 had tried vaping even once. Amongst ever vapers, 75% of young people aged 11-17 stated that they used disposable vapes.While we do not disaggregate data down to specific kind of vape used, high puff-count vapes are more likely to be single use.The Environmental Protection (Single-use Vapes) (Scotland) Regulations 2024 set out that in order for a vape to be considered reusable, it must be both refillable and rechargeable.High puff-count vapes are typically designed to include a USB charging port to allow for the battery to be recharged. Many of these devices contain an extra 10ml container of e-liquid as well as the standard 2ml already built inside the vape.However, if they do not allow for the coil to be replaced or for the replacement or refilling of the e-liquid container by the user, they remain single-use in practice.We will continue to work with Trading Standards to monitor developments in vape design to ensure that the definition is fit for purpose and that manufacturers comply with the ban on single-use vapes.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425902,"EventID":"S6W-31056","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-05T16:55:01.35","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T11:49:02.41","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the possibility of bringing forward the implementation of excise duty on vapes from 2026 to 2025.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the possibility of bringing forward the implementation of excise duty on vapes from 2026 to 2025.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government welcomes the UK Government&rsquo;s commitment in the Autumn budget to introduce a duty on vapes from 2026 and renew the tobacco duty escalator. Our Tobacco and Vaping Framework recognises that price can be a critical factor in people&rsquo;s decisions on starting to smoke and vape. Increases in the price of tobacco have helped reduce the number of young children smoking, so we know this type of policy is effective. We are pleased that the UK Government have also stated that the price differential between tobacco and vapes will be maintained, this is essential as it can encourage smokers to quit smoking using vaping as a cessation tool. As of 14 November 2024 the Scottish Government has not had any engagement with the UK Government regarding the possibility of bringing forward the implementation of excise duty on vapes from 2026 to 2025.Increases to tobacco duty and vaping duty are reserved and will apply in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425903,"EventID":"S6W-31060","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-05T16:55:01.637","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T12:40:29.27","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering undertaking a national hedgehog census to ascertain the number of hedgehogs in Scotland, in light of recent Mammal Society research that estima","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering undertaking a national hedgehog census to ascertain the number of hedgehogs in Scotland, in light of recent Mammal Society research that estimates a 50% decline in Scotland's hedgehog population between 2000 and 2020.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has no plans to undertake a national hedgehog census in Scotland.Hedgehogs are protected in Scotland under the Wildlife and Countryside (Scotland) Act 1981. Alongside this legal protection, steps are being taken to halt the decline of hedgehogs in our towns and cities including the promotion of green space and green networks.It is important to recognise that hedgehogs exist in some parts of Scotland where they are a non-native species. In those areas, such as South Uist, work is being done to manage the population through methods such as trapping and translocation.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425904,"EventID":"S6W-31020","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-05T16:55:01.377","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-31T16:27:22.2","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the suggestion in the Audit Scotland report,&nbsp;Alcohol and Drugs Services, that 93% of alcohol and drugs partnerships (ADPs) have drug death r","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the suggestion in the Audit Scotland report,&nbsp;Alcohol and Drugs Services, that 93% of alcohol and drugs partnerships (ADPs) have drug death review groups, while 7% carried out alcohol death audits in 2022-23.","AnswerText":"Tackling alcohol related harm remains a priority for Scottish Government, and we are treating our policies to reduce alcohol and drug deaths as twin public health issues in Scotland.We are working to ensure that people who experience harms as a result of alcohol use receive the same quality of care and support as people who experience harms as a result of drug use. We work closely with Alcohol and Drugs Partnerships and regularly monitor services through the annual ADP survey. The most recent one, reflecting activity for 2023-24, was published on 12 November 2024 and notes the following on data surveillance.Almost all ADP areas reported having specific groups or structures in place at ADP level to inform surveillance and monitoring of drug harms or deaths. All but two (93%) of ADPs reported having a drug death review group and 77% reported having a drug trend monitoring group or early warning system.Fewer ADPs reported groups relating to alcohol, with a quarter (27%) reporting having an alcohol death review group and 30% reporting having an alcohol harms group.A third of ADPs reported having other structures in place for informing surveillance, which included multi-agency groups working on drug death prevention and action plan groups, wider public health monitoring which included drug and alcohol harms and sudden death groups whose remits include both drug death reviews and suicides reviews. Several ADPs indicated that alcohol harm and death review groups are currently in development.It is our expectation that future Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP) funding letters will ask ADPs to undertake local alcohol death review. This message will also be reinforced in our National Specification for treatment of drug and alcohol misuse in Scotland, which is currently in development and will build on the recommendations of the forthcoming UK Clinical Guidelines for Alcohol Treatment.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425905,"EventID":"S6W-31018","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-05T16:55:01.187","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-31T16:27:22.2","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the suggestion in the Audit Scotland report, Alcohol and Drugs Services,&nbsp;that its increased focus on drug harm is shifting the balance of at","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the suggestion in the Audit Scotland report, Alcohol and Drugs Services,&nbsp;that its increased focus on drug harm is shifting the balance of attention from, and effort on, tackling alcohol harm.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to take significant steps to tackle alcohol harm as a public health priority.The National Mission focuses on actions and initiatives to address the harms associated with drugs, but these can and do support people affected by all substances including alcohol. For example, through an increase in residential rehabilitation places; initiatives to tackle the stigma and support the workforce and an increased understanding of the co-occurring nature of problem substance use and mental health issues.This Government&rsquo;s work to continue and increase the world leading Minimum Unit Pricing policy is an example of our approach to take concrete action to reduce alcohol harms. It is estimated that our world-leading policy has saved hundreds of lives, likely averted hundreds of alcohol-attributable hospital admissions and contributed to tackling health inequalities.However, we have been clear that Minimum Unit Pricing is not a silver bullet &ndash; but one of the ways in which we are tackling alcohol harm including our investment in treatment and work to consider alcohol marketing restrictions.The Scottish Government remains committed to progressing work on protecting children and young people from exposure to alcohol marketing. Public Health Scotland (PHS) are being commissioned to carry out a review of the evidence for the range of options that are available to the Scottish Government under devolved powers and will bring focused proposals forward should the evidence support it.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425906,"EventID":"S6W-31058","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1756,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":136,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-05T16:55:01.187","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T12:36:39.113","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26106 by Jim Fairlie on 19 March 2024, what (a) discussions it has had with the UK Government Department for Environment, Food and","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26106 by Jim Fairlie on 19 March 2024, what (a) discussions it has had with the UK Government Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and (b) progress has been made regarding a UK-wide single point of search portal for dog microchipping information.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government officials continue to engage and contribute to the Microchipping Devolved Administration Working Group and on 11 October I wrote to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Rt Hon Steve Reed OBE, MP expressing the Scottish Government&rsquo;s support for the work being done by the Working Group towards a single point of search portal for all animals microchipped.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425907,"EventID":"S6W-31067","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-05T16:55:01.497","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T13:23:59.817","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been allocated to date to \"additional travel and subsistence support for island women to attend courses on the mainland\", as set out in its National","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been allocated to date to \"additional travel and subsistence support for island women to attend courses on the mainland\", as set out in its National Islands Plan: Implementation Route Map 2024.","AnswerText":"Since the establishment of the Practical Training Fund for Women in Agriculture, the Scottish Government has distributed approximately &pound;600 in support of women and girls aged 13 and over who are living on islands and sought financial support for travel and accommodation costs to attend courses on the mainland.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425908,"EventID":"S6W-31054","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-05T16:55:01.107","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T11:46:06.013","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to review the Environmental Protection (Single-use Vapes) (Scotland) Regulations 2024 in light of the reported growing market share of so-called","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to review the Environmental Protection (Single-use Vapes) (Scotland) Regulations 2024 in light of the reported growing market share of so-called high puff-count vapes.","AnswerText":"We share concerns regarding the growing market share of high puff-count vapes, however the definition of single-use within the Regulations sets out that a vape must be refillable and rechargeable. In addition to a rechargeable battery, it must have a replaceable coil in order to be considered rechargeable and a refillable or replaceable container to be refillable. It is otherwise single-use and its sale and supply will be banned in Scotland when the ban comes into force next year. We have worked closely with Trading Standards to ensure that there are no loopholes in the definition of a single-use vape in the Regulations that manufacturers can exploit. We will continue to work with Trading Standards to monitor developments in vape design to ensure that the ban is fit for purpose and properly enforced.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425909,"EventID":"S6W-31023","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-05T16:55:01.183","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-31T16:27:22.2","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will update its Alcohol Framework.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will update its Alcohol Framework.","AnswerText":"A refreshed cross-government and cross-sectoral approach to population health - focused on prevention - is being progressed. Increasing healthy life expectancy and reducing health inequalities across Scotland remains a clear ambition for this Government. It is clear the reform of health and care services alone will not be enough to stem the current tide of population health decline in Scotland.The Population Health Framework is being developed jointly by the Scottish Government &amp; COSLA and in collaboration with Public Health Scotland, Directors of Public Health and key local, regional and national partners. The Framework will consider a broad range of population health drivers, including alcohol harm prevention. The Scottish Government continues to work with partners to identify what actions we, and they, can take to reduce inequalities and to improve the health of people in Scotland over the next decade.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425910,"EventID":"S6W-31063","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-05T16:55:01.45","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T13:23:59.817","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact its decision to introduce a means-tested Pension Age Winter Heating Payment  will have on strategic objective 5 of its National Islands Plan: Implementation ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact its decision to introduce a means-tested Pension Age Winter Heating Payment  will have on strategic objective 5 of its National Islands Plan: Implementation Route Map 2024 to reduce levels of fuel poverty.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to call on the UK Government to overturn their decision to limit eligibility for Winter Fuel Payments.The decision was taken without consultation and has forced us to review the way in which the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment (PAWHP) will be delivered.Nonetheless, the PAWHP will make a significant contribution towards the heating expenses of low-income, pension-aged island households.Since December 2022, we have also provided &pound;3.4 million in support of island households through the Islands Cost Crisis Emergency Fund.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425911,"EventID":"S6W-31055","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-05T16:55:01.56","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T11:46:48.39","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures it plans to implement to regulate so-called high puff-count vapes, in light of them reportedly not being addressed in the Environmental Protection (Single-","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures it plans to implement to regulate so-called high puff-count vapes, in light of them reportedly not being addressed in the Environmental Protection (Single-use Vapes) (Scotland) Regulations 2024, and reported concerns regarding their accessibility to young people and the potential health risks associated with their use.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government shares concerns about the rise in popularity of high puff-count vapes, their accessibility to young people and the associated health risks they pose. The Environmental Protection (Single-use Vapes) (Scotland) Regulations 2024 set out that in order for a vape to be considered reusable, it must be both refillable and rechargeable. By refillable, this means that the vape must contain a single-use container which is separately available for purchase by an individual user and can be replaced by the user in the normal course of use, or a container that can be refilled by the user in the normal course of use. By rechargeable, it means that the vape must have both a battery that can be recharged, and a coil which is separately available for purchase by an individual user and can be replaced by the user within the normal course of use.High puff-count vapes are typically designed to include a USB charging port to allow for the battery to be recharged. Many of these devices contain an extra 10ml container of e-liquid as well as the standard 2ml already built inside the vape. However, if they do not allow for the coil to be replaced or for the replacement or refilling of the e-liquid container by the user, they remain single-use in practice. We will continue to work with Trading Standards to monitor developments in vape design to ensure that the definition is fit for purpose and that manufacturers comply with the ban on single-use vapes.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425912,"EventID":"S6W-31052","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-05T16:55:01.493","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T11:22:19.343","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has for motor neurone disease (MND) funding in the coming years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has for motor neurone disease (MND) funding in the coming years.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to face the most challenging financial situation since devolution, as a result of unprecedented economic pressures following the pandemic and the cost of living crisis. Despite the financial constraints, the Scottish Government continues to focus on building a more inclusive Scotland for all, including investing in MND services and support that will help our communities during these difficult times.The new Scottish Budget will be presented to Parliament on Wednesday 4 December 2024. This will detail Scottish Ministers' spend proposals for the year ahead. Funding for future years will be subject to the Scottish budget process, however the Scottish Government remains committed to supporting MND services across Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425913,"EventID":"S6W-31019","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-05T16:55:01.403","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-31T16:27:22.2","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the suggestion in the Audit Scotland report,&nbsp;Alcohol and Drugs Services, that alcohol and drugs partnerships (ADPs) have focused on medicati","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the suggestion in the Audit Scotland report,&nbsp;Alcohol and Drugs Services, that alcohol and drugs partnerships (ADPs) have focused on medication assisted treatment (MAT) standard compliance, leading to less focus on tackling alcohol harm.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has fully committed to ensuring that treatment services are available for all forms of substance use. The MAT standards are an essential part of the National Mission on Drugs, to save and improve lives.The National Mission focuses on actions and initiatives to address the harms associated with drugs, but these can and do support people affected by all substances including alcohol. For example, through an increase in residential rehabilitation places; initiatives to tackle the stigma directed by people affected by substance use; and an increased understanding of the co-occurring nature of problem substance use and mental health issues.A National Specification for treatment and recovery services is also currently in development, which aims to provide clarity on the range of substance use support services that should be available in local areas. The Specification will help local services set out future strategic plans to deliver on their commitment to reduce alcohol and drug harms and deaths, improving the lives of those impacted by alcohol and drugs.In addition, the Scottish Government is supporting the UK Government on reviewing and updating the UK clinical guidelines for alcohol treatment: consultation document - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) to introduce new approaches to treatment that will apply to a broad range of settings including primary care, hospital and justice settings.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425914,"EventID":"S6W-31050","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-05T16:55:01.557","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T11:22:19.343","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what funding it has provided for motor neurone disease (MND) research in the last 10 years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what funding it has provided for motor neurone disease (MND) research in the last 10 years.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s Chief Scientist Office (CSO) supports open competitive grant and fellowship schemes for applied health research in Scotland across a wide remit that is inclusive of consideration of applications for research relating to motor neuron disease (MND). Applications submitted to these schemes are assessed through independent expert peer-review with funding recommendations made by independent expert committees.CSO have funded 4 Fellowships in MND in the last 10 years. 2 of these were funded in collaboration with MND Scotland and one was in collaboration with MND Scotland and the Motor Neurone Disease Association. The total CSO investment into these 4 fellowships was &pound;672,000.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425915,"EventID":"S6W-31051","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-05T16:55:01.497","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T11:22:19.343","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what funding it has provided for motor neurone disease (MND) care in the last 10 years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what funding it has provided for motor neurone disease (MND) care in the last 10 years.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government invested &pound;2.2 million in 2015-2016 in the Specialist Nursing and Care Fund, &pound;700,000 of which was specifically allocated to specialist Motor Neurone Disease (MND) nursing care following a successful campaign from Gordon Aikman and his 'Fightback Challenge'. This was mainstreamed to Territorial NHS Boards in 2017 while taking account of NHS pay awards. This funding has more than doubled nationally the number of Motor Neurone Disease Clinical Nurse Specialists employed within the NHS.The Scottish Government has provided an additional &pound;101,000 to MND Scotland since 2014, specifically in relation to the care of those with MND, and excluding any research costs.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425952,"EventID":"S6W-31074","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T08:59:52.467","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-06T08:29:14.903","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update on the progress of the Grangemouth Just Transition Plan.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update on the progress of the Grangemouth Just Transition Plan.","AnswerText":"The Draft Grangemouth Just Transition Plan has been published today for consultation. The plan sets out the strategic approach to securing a long term and sustainable future for the Grangemouth cluster. I am grateful to all those who have shaped this work to date and welcome their further constructive input over the course of the consultation period. The Scottish Government intend to publish the final plan in Spring 2025.The publication can be found here.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425953,"EventID":"S6W-31075","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":16189,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":129,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T09:02:34.713","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-06T08:59:15.677","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will provide an update on the consultation on the proposal for a new National Park in Galloway.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will provide an update on the consultation on the proposal for a new National Park in Galloway.","AnswerText":"Following the Government&rsquo;s proposal to establish a new National Park in Galloway, NatureScot &ndash; in its role as reporter &ndash; has been engaging with communities, businesses, public bodies and other interested parties in the Galloway area in order to seek initial views and develop more detailed proposals for consultation.Today, NatureScot will launch a formal statutory public consultation on the proposal. As well as gauging support for the proposal, the consultation will seek views on options for the possible area, functions, powers and governance of a new National Park.The consultation process will include a full consultation paper and survey available via the NatureScot website, Have Your Say Today - Information Hub - A Proposal For A National Park In Galloway - Commonplace a survey available both online and distributed to households and businesses in, and near, the area proposed in the nomination, as well as events for businesses including agriculture, forestry and other land-management sectors and activities; and events for under-represented groups and young people. Information about the consultation surveys and events will be published today on NatureScot&rsquo;s website and the dedicated online engagement hub.An important part of the consultation process &ndash; in addition to the consultation paper and surveys &ndash; will be a series of independently facilitated consultation events and drop-in surgeries that will take place throughout the area proposed for National Park status. NatureScot began publicising these consultation events on 1 November, via the NatureScot website National Parks | NatureScot and the Hub Have Your Say Today - Consultation Events - Information Hub - A Proposal For A National Park In Galloway (commonplace.is) and they also intend to promote them in local news outlets and with posters in an effort to make these events as visible as possible.Attendees at the consultation events will be supported to share their thoughts and opinions in a welcoming environment. There will be sessions within each event asking for responses on different topics, and interactive boards and spaces, as well as opportunities to leave anonymous feedback, and to complete a consultation leaflet in writing.Additionally, a number of drop-in surgeries, hosted by NatureScot, will also be announced between November and January, with the locations and times publicised via the NatureScot website National Parks | NatureScot in due course. These sessions are aimed at individuals with questions about the consultation. They will complement the more structured consultation events. Completed surveys can also be left with NatureScot at these events.It is extremely important that we hear from people living and working in the area and that the people of Galloway and South and East Ayrshire have the opportunity to discuss the issues, consider the content of the proposal including the desirability of a National Park in their area and suggest any alternatives.I recognise the significant public interest in this proposal and am aware that there is both support and opposition. Everyone&rsquo;s views will be listened to and taken into account and I would encourage everyone with an interest to engage with the consultation process in a constructive and respectful way.The 14 week consultation period will start today and it will conclude on Friday 14 February. The consultation period has been extended to take account of the festive period and to enable as many people as possible to respond.All views received will be captured and reported on.We will carefully consider the outcome of this public consultation and NatureScot&rsquo;s report before taking any further decisions on the proposal for a new National Park in Galloway.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425954,"EventID":"S6O-03970","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16194,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T15:26:11.213","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T14:14:13.74","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions its ministers have had with their UK Government counterparts regarding the changes made to agricultural property relief on inheritance tax.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions its ministers have had with their UK Government counterparts regarding the changes made to agricultural property relief on inheritance tax.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425955,"EventID":"S6O-03967","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T15:26:11.217","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T10:25:45.27","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to local residents to take forward a replacement river crossing in Annan following storm damage in 2021, in light of the findings of the rec","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to local residents to take forward a replacement river crossing in Annan following storm damage in 2021, in light of the findings of the recently completed feasibility study.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425956,"EventID":"S6O-03965","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T15:26:11.23","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-06T10:45:21.6","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the calls from Sir Chris Hoy to change the advice on testing for prostate cancer, to encourage more younger men to be checked.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the calls from Sir Chris Hoy to change the advice on testing for prostate cancer, to encourage more younger men to be checked.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425957,"EventID":"S6O-03969","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T15:26:11.227","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T13:48:20.407","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve data collection on gender inequality.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve data collection on gender inequality.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425958,"EventID":"S6O-03971","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T15:26:11.227","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T11:47:26.34","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the hospitality and tourism sectors to promote safety on Scotland&rsquo;s mountains in winter 2024-25.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the hospitality and tourism sectors to promote safety on Scotland&rsquo;s mountains in winter 2024-25.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425959,"EventID":"S6O-03968","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T15:26:10.513","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T12:21:10.863","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what further policy changes it plans to bring forward to address reported concerns regarding the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what further policy changes it plans to bring forward to address reported concerns regarding the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425960,"EventID":"S6O-03966","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T15:26:11.223","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T14:06:25.083","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it anticipates the benefits to Scotland will be of a fully circular waste management system.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it anticipates the benefits to Scotland will be of a fully circular waste management system.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425961,"EventID":"S6O-03972","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T15:26:11.22","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-06T10:33:24.59","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it will make available to fully fund and protect hospice care services, in light of the increase in national insurance contributions in the UK Budget and an","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it will make available to fully fund and protect hospice care services, in light of the increase in national insurance contributions in the UK Budget and any impact of the Agenda for Change on hospice budgets.","AnswerText":"The Finance Secretary wrote to the Treasury on 31 October seeking urgent clarification on the increase to employer national insurance contributions.We are clear that this change must be fully funded so that there is no impact on our frontline services. Clarity must be provided before we set our budget in just a few weeks&rsquo; time. We also need clarity on whether funding will cover the full extent of organisations delivering public services.We will continue to work with the hospice sector to consider opportunities to deliver pay parity with Agenda for Change for independent hospices.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425962,"EventID":"S6O-03941","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T15:25:59.997","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T12:43:49.637","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to encourage library usage in the Mid Scotland and Fife region.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to encourage library usage in the Mid Scotland and Fife region.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425963,"EventID":"S6O-03956","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T15:26:00.307","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T10:01:36.677","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to improve the legal aid system, in light of reports of senior defence lawyers saying they will no longer take on legal aid cases and the system","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to improve the legal aid system, in light of reports of senior defence lawyers saying they will no longer take on legal aid cases and the system being in crisis.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425964,"EventID":"S6O-03950","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T15:26:00.043","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T16:32:10.22","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in relation to its handling of malicious and vexatious criminal complaints.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in relation to its handling of malicious and vexatious criminal complaints.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425965,"EventID":"S6O-03953","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T15:26:00.033","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-06T11:08:14.897","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure appropriate oversight of the police use of facial recognition technology.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure appropriate oversight of the police use of facial recognition technology.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425966,"EventID":"S6O-03947","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2826,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":84,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T15:26:00.22","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T08:55:46.547","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its funding for humanitarian assistance in Gaza.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its funding for humanitarian assistance in Gaza.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425967,"EventID":"S6O-03949","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5074,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":104,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T15:26:00.177","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T14:51:28.073","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action Police Scotland can take to ensure the safe and legal use of e-bikes and e-scooters.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action Police Scotland can take to ensure the safe and legal use of e-bikes and e-scooters.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425968,"EventID":"S6O-03959","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T15:26:00.037","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T12:59:38.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Fife Council following the publication of an EIS survey showing that two thirds of surveyed teachers in Fife were considering leaving te","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Fife Council following the publication of an EIS survey showing that two thirds of surveyed teachers in Fife were considering leaving teaching as a result of disruptive, challenging or violent pupils.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425969,"EventID":"S6O-03964","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T15:26:00.05","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T16:59:29.68","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration has been given to improving the living costs support available to part-time disabled students.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration has been given to improving the living costs support available to part-time disabled students.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425970,"EventID":"S6O-03957","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16197,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T15:26:00.04","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T11:13:56.3","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains committed to free university tuition,&nbsp;in light of the UK Government's decision to raise tuition fees for universities in England.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains committed to free university tuition,&nbsp;in light of the UK Government's decision to raise tuition fees for universities in England.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425971,"EventID":"S6O-03955","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16182,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":117,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T15:26:00.233","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T17:00:40.46","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the justice secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding police action to tackle raptor persecution, in light of reports of a dead golden eag","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the justice secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding police action to tackle raptor persecution, in light of reports of a dead golden eagle being found recently in the Stirling constituency.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425972,"EventID":"S6O-03952","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5800,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T15:26:00.047","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-06T11:07:42.953","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the reduction in&nbsp;police numbers since 2010 on Police Scotland&rsquo;s ability to respond to all incidents of crime, inc","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the reduction in&nbsp;police numbers since 2010 on Police Scotland&rsquo;s ability to respond to all incidents of crime, including antisocial behaviour, within its responsibilities.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425973,"EventID":"S6O-03948","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T15:26:00.003","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T12:06:59.54","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the UK Government announcing the largest funding settlement in real terms since devolution, how it will use any increase in funding to ensure that Glasgow&r","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the UK Government announcing the largest funding settlement in real terms since devolution, how it will use any increase in funding to ensure that Glasgow&rsquo;s arts and culture sector is able to thrive.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425974,"EventID":"S6O-03954","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5075,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":112,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T15:26:00.06","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-06T10:24:20.657","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work to reform the Victim Notification Scheme in the coming year, to ensure that it operates in a more trauma-informed way.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work to reform the Victim Notification Scheme in the coming year, to ensure that it operates in a more trauma-informed way.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425975,"EventID":"S6O-03951","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5110,"Party":"Independent","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":89,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T15:26:00.103","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T19:12:03.653","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address unnecessary court citations for police officers, in light of reports that over 500 officers are summoned to court each day, with only ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address unnecessary court citations for police officers, in light of reports that over 500 officers are summoned to court each day, with only 10% required to give evidence, leading to an estimated &pound;22.5 million per annum in lost productivity for Police Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425976,"EventID":"S6O-03961","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T15:26:00.223","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T12:27:12.9","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that approximately 1,200 applications for places in special schools were refused, whether it will increase funding and resources to ensure that all ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that approximately 1,200 applications for places in special schools were refused, whether it will increase funding and resources to ensure that all children requiring specialised support can access appropriate education without placing any additional pressure on families.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425977,"EventID":"S6O-03963","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3751,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":108,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T15:26:00","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T14:23:36.007","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it collaborates with local authorities to monitor teacher numbers and staffing needs across council areas.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it collaborates with local authorities to monitor teacher numbers and staffing needs across council areas.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425978,"EventID":"S6O-03942","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T15:26:00.317","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-06T11:45:14.617","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that young people across Scotland have access to facilities that can support their involvement in arts and culture.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that young people across Scotland have access to facilities that can support their involvement in arts and culture.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425979,"EventID":"S6O-03944","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16207,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T15:26:00.167","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-06T11:55:47.937","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what conversations it has had with its international development partners regarding building resilience to increasing humanitarian crises.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what conversations it has had with its international development partners regarding building resilience to increasing humanitarian crises.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425980,"EventID":"S6O-03962","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T15:26:00.057","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-06T09:59:56.347","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many of last year's newly qualified teachers have a permanent contract to teach in a Scottish school.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many of last year's newly qualified teachers have a permanent contract to teach in a Scottish school.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425981,"EventID":"S6O-03960","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16189,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":129,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T15:26:00.303","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T15:22:41.287","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress being made to improve the educational experiences of children and young people with additional support needs in school ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress being made to improve the educational experiences of children and young people with additional support needs in school settings.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425982,"EventID":"S6O-03946","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16178,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":78,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T15:26:00.2","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T14:31:11.423","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it anticipates the impact of the recent UK Budget will be on funding for Creative Scotland.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it anticipates the impact of the recent UK Budget will be on funding for Creative Scotland.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425983,"EventID":"S6O-03958","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T15:26:00.037","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-06T11:55:27.173","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact free university tuition has had on young people deciding to stay in Scotland to study for a degree.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact free university tuition has had on young people deciding to stay in Scotland to study for a degree.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425984,"EventID":"S6W-31083","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T17:08:40.23","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-06T13:42:46.777","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-07245 by Mairi Gougeon on 18 March 2022, which agency is responsible for (a) the authorised pet checkers and (b) enforcement of pu","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-07245 by Mairi Gougeon on 18 March 2022, which agency is responsible for (a) the authorised pet checkers and (b) enforcement of puppy smuggling offences, at Cairnryan ferry port.","AnswerText":"Persons undertaking basic checks on pets travelling with their owners on the Cairnryan ferry route are ferry employees and are, therefore, responsible to the ferry operator. These staff are not however authorised pet checkers as movements from Northern Ireland are within the UK. Where ferry staff on the Cairnryan route suspect a commercial movement or otherwise non-compliant activity, they will inform the harbour police and/or local authority to enable appropriate action to be taken.Authorised pet checkers on official Pet Travel ferry routes into England from the EU are also ferry operator personnel responsible to their employer, but they have been specifically trained by the APHA to undertake checks on documentation and conduct visual inspections of animals. Authorised pet checkers will alert APHA or the local authority where issues are identified either with travel documentation or with the animals.In terms of enforcement responsibility at Cairnryan where puppy smuggling offences are suspected, this generally sits with the local authority and/or Police Scotland. However, either may request that the Scottish SPCA intervene to take appropriate action under the Animal Health &amp; Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425985,"EventID":"S6W-31043","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T17:08:40.253","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T08:30:02.797","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress on implementing each recommendation in the 2018 report, Rejected Referrals Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAM","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress on implementing each recommendation in the 2018 report, Rejected Referrals Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).","AnswerText":"Since the Audit of Rejected Referrals was published in 2018, Scottish Government has undertaken a wide range of work to implement the recommendations in the report and take forward whole systems reform of children and young people&rsquo;s mental health services.One of the key actions we have taken to address the recommendations is to develop a CAMHS Service Specification: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS): NHS Scotland National Service Specification (www.gov.scot) published on 2 February 2020, to set out clear standards for all CAMHS services in Scotland. This outlines how CAMHS services should be delivered and what young people and their families can expect from CAMHS. The National CAMHS specification includes a clear expectation that children and young people whose referral is not accepted for CAMHS are sensitively and appropriately signposted to a more suitable service, such as those provided by our community-based supports.The subsequent publication of the Neurodevelopmental Specification in September 2021 also addresses actions from the Audit of Rejected Referrals and ensures that children and young people who have neurodevelopmental profiles with support needs, receive support that better meets their needs, based on the Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC) approach.Another action to address key findings in the report was establishing community mental health and wellbeing services across Scotland. Not all children and young people need specialist services like CAMHS, which can lead to referrals not being accepted. This is why we are providing local authorities with &pound;15m per annum to fund community-based mental health supports for children, young people and their families. Local authorities report that, in the first half of 2023, more than 58,000 children, young people and their family members accessed community-based mental health support.In addition, we have recently seen the best national performance against CAMHS waiting times since the 18 week standard was introduced in 2014. 1 in 2 children and young people referred to CAMHS now start treatment within 6 weeks, compared to 12 weeks pre-pandemic.The Audit of Rejected Referrals highlighted that improved patient-level data was required to provide further insight and intelligence into system performance. Therefore, the Scottish Government has also commissioned national patient-level data to help with service planning and improvement, for measuring the true impact of investment, and for telling the stories of people seeking and receiving treatment in CAMHS. Directors of eHealth have been commissioned to upgrade data systems supporting CAMHS to enable the collection of patient-level data. This work is ongoing.In parallel, and responding to recommendations in the report, Public Health Scotland have started publishing data from the CAMHS and Psychological Therapies National Dataset (CAPTND), including referrals to CAMHS by sex, age and SIMD as well as reasons for referral not being accepted. Boards are also working with PHS and Directors of eHealth to enable the collection and publication of additional information in 2025.While we have made significant progress in improving mental health and wellbeing services for children and young people since 2018, we continue to work closely with Boards to understand the reasons for non-accepted referrals and to ensure that the criteria in the CAHMS specification are being met. The Joint Strategic Board for Child and Family Mental Health provides oversight across all areas of children and families&rsquo; mental health, with the aim of ensuring we continue to improve and develop services to help children and young people in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425986,"EventID":"S6W-31068","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T17:08:40.297","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T15:34:44.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the planned construction of National Treatment Centres (NTC), in light of the&nbsp;Barnett&nbsp;consequential funding arising from t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the planned construction of National Treatment Centres (NTC), in light of the&nbsp;Barnett&nbsp;consequential funding arising from the UK Budget.","AnswerText":"The capital funding position remains challenging and infrastructure projects remain under review. The Scottish Government is assessing the full implications of the UK Autumn Budget and also await the outcome of the UK Government&rsquo;s Spending Review in 2025. Full consideration will be given as to which projects are affordable and deliverable and can be included within our revised infrastructure investment plan pipeline.We are working with all health boards to develop a whole-system NHS infrastructure plan which will reflect needs across Scotland and support continued safe operation of existing facilities, as well as determination of longer term investment priorities.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425987,"EventID":"S6W-31077","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1756,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":136,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T17:08:40.227","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-06T11:31:09.557","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-28648 and S6W-29091 by Siobhian Brown on 2 August  and 22 August 2024, how many applications for XL bully dogs to be added to th","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-28648 and S6W-29091 by Siobhian Brown on 2 August  and 22 August 2024, how many applications for XL bully dogs to be added to the Index of Exempted Dogs have been unsuccessful, and how many dogs were euthanised as a result.","AnswerText":"XL Bully dog owners had from 1 April 2024 to 31 July 2024 to apply to the Scottish Government for a certificate of exemption for their dog, to allow them to continue to legally own the dog.The Scottish Government continues to work through a small number of cases where XL Bully dog owners have met the legal requirement to apply before 31 July 2024, but still require to provide additional information in order for their exemption application to be processed and granted.For all applications that were received by the Scottish Government where there is evidence that confirms the legal requirement to apply for exemption through the application process, successful completion of the form, and confirmation of the application fee payment in relation to that application, the Scottish Government approved the application for exemption.Following the closure of the exemption window for when exemptions could be sought direct from the Scottish Government, the only way that now exists for an XL Bully dog to be added to the Index of Exempted Dogs is through a court authorised application.Separately, XL Bully owners who took the decision to have their dog euthanised could claim up to &pound;200 compensation from the Scottish Government. The Scottish Government had to receive any claim for compensation by 30 September 2024 with owners seeking compensation required to make the necessary arrangements by 31 July 2024. The Scottish Government received and approved 35 claims for compensation following arrangements being made for the euthanisation of an XL Bully dog.Where an XL Bully dog owner has decided to have their dog euthanised without seeking compensation from the Scottish Government, the Scottish Government would not be advised by the owner. Therefore, the number of claims for compensation sent to the Scottish Government does not provide the total number of XL Bully dogs euthanised.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425988,"EventID":"S6W-31064","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T17:08:40.26","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T13:23:59.817","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how often its Gaelic and Scots Team and B&ograve;rd na G&agrave;idhlig have met in each of the last five years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how often its Gaelic and Scots Team and B&ograve;rd na G&agrave;idhlig have met in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"The Gaelic and Scots Team has a sponsorship role for B&ograve;rd na Gidhlig and meets with officers in the body regularly and consistently. The nature of the sponsorship duties combined with the Gaelic and Scots Team&rsquo;s policy role requires close working at different levels and on a range of subjects. The Gaelic and Scots Team is in contact with B&ograve;rd na Gidhlig every week and this pattern of working has been in place for the last five years and before. In addition, B&ograve;rd na Gidhlig Chair and CEO meet with ministers at least twice a year; with Scottish Government directors at least twice a year and officials from the Gaelic and Scots Division support these meetings. Gaelic and Scots officials arrange quarterly meetings and regular media meetings with the senior team at B&ograve;rd na Gidhlig.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425989,"EventID":"S6W-31086","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T17:08:40.247","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-06T13:43:29.013","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-07415 by Mairi Gougeon on 29 March 2022, regarding the potential impact in Scotland, what assessment it has made of Dogs Trust's r","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-07415 by Mairi Gougeon on 29 March 2022, regarding the potential impact in Scotland, what assessment it has made of Dogs Trust's recommendation that the number of pet animals able to travel to Great Britain be reduced from five to three per vehicle, in light of the UK Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill being withdrawn.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to support measures to reduce the number of dogs per vehicle which can be transported non-commercially into the UK, having obtained legislative consent from the Scottish Parliament for this to be taken forward under the UK Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill before this was withdrawn by the UK Government in May 2023, and having agreed in principle to seek legislative consent for the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill before this fell due to the dissolution of the UK Parliament in May 2024.The Scottish Government maintains that to ensure consistency of approach and the most effective outcomes, these measures would best be delivered by a UK Parliament bill. To this end, Scottish Government officials continue to engage with DEFRA on the possibility of legislation in the UK parliament to reduce the number of dogs per vehicle which can be transported non-commercially into the UK, along with other animal welfare measures relating to the transport of pets.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425990,"EventID":"S6W-31044","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T17:08:40.293","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T08:30:02.8","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress each NHS board has made on developing and introducing a multi-agency assessment system for child and adolescent mental health services, as called for in re","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress each NHS board has made on developing and introducing a multi-agency assessment system for child and adolescent mental health services, as called for in recommendation six of the 2018 report, Rejected Referrals Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).","AnswerText":"As with all services for children and young people, CAMHS and the community mental health and wellbeing services work within the context of a multi- agency system and the Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) model and principles. At the heart of the GIRFEC process is an assessment of need and creation of a single child&rsquo;s plan. The meeting at which the joint (multi-agency and multi professional) plan is agreed is called The Child&rsquo;s Plan meeting. Anyone involved with the child or young person can call a Child&rsquo;s Plan meeting, and all relevant children&rsquo;s services and others are involved.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425991,"EventID":"S6W-31084","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T17:08:40.267","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-06T13:43:01.723","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what (a) consideration had been given to and (b) action it will take regarding Dogs Trust's calls to raise the minimum legal age for dogs travelling non-commercially int","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what (a) consideration had been given to and (b) action it will take regarding Dogs Trust's calls to raise the minimum legal age for dogs travelling non-commercially into the UK to help tackle any illegal puppy smuggling.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to support measures to raise the minimum legal age for dogs travelling non-commercially into the UK, having obtained legislative consent from the Scottish Parliament for this to be taken forward under the UK Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill before this was withdrawn by the UK Government in May 2023, and having agreed in principle to seek legislative consent for the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill before this fell due to the dissolution of the UK Parliament in May 2024.The Scottish Government maintains that to ensure consistency of approach and the most effective outcomes, these measures would best be delivered by a UK Parliament bill. To this end, Scottish Government officials continue to engage with DEFRA on the possibility of legislation in the UK parliament to raise the minimum legal age of dogs travelling non-commercially into the UK, along with other animal welfare measures relating to the transport of pets.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425992,"EventID":"S6W-31071","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T17:08:40.233","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T16:27:52.827","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its budget underspend has been for financial years (a) 2022-23 and (b) 2023-24, broken down by (i) portfolio and (ii) line item.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its budget underspend has been for financial years (a) 2022-23 and (b) 2023-24, broken down by (i) portfolio and (ii) line item.","AnswerText":"Annual outturn against budget is provided in the Scottish Government&rsquo;s Consolidated Accounts. Results on a portfolio basis are reported within the Summary of Total Outturn section, and more detailed portfolio information is included within the relevant Consolidated Portfolio Outturn Statement.In 2023-24, the Scottish Government reported an overall underspend of &pound;277 million, representing 0.5% of the total budget. The underspend in 2022-23 was &pound;509 million, 1% of that year&rsquo;s total budget.The underspends do not represent a loss of spending power to the Scottish Government. Under the current devolution settlement, the Scottish Government must manage spending within fixed limits. It is not allowed to overspend its budget and has limited powers to carry forward funding through the Scotland Reserve. As a consequence, the Scottish Government has consistently adopted a position of controlling public expenditure to ensure we live within the budget limits that apply, whilst remaining able to carry forward any fiscal underspends for use in a future year within the current Scotland Reserve Limits.The Scottish Government&rsquo;s Consolidated Accounts are published annually and are available on the Scottish Government&rsquo;s website.2023-24:scottish-government-consolidated-accounts-year-ended-31-march-2024.pdf (www.gov.scot)2022-23:The Scottish Government Consolidated Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2023 (www.gov.scot)","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425993,"EventID":"S6W-31066","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T17:08:40.227","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T13:23:59.817","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much of the &pound;1.5 million of Islands Growth Deal investment earmarked for the Outer Hebrides Food and Drink Programme, as set out in its National Islands Plan: ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much of the &pound;1.5 million of Islands Growth Deal investment earmarked for the Outer Hebrides Food and Drink Programme, as set out in its National Islands Plan: Implementation Route Map 2024, has been allocated to date.","AnswerText":"To date, &pound;174,000 of the Scottish Government's &pound;1.5 million investment in the Outer Hebrides Food and Drink Programme has been allocated to Acarsaid Harbour Redevelopment on the Isle of Eriskay and a gear storage facility at Vatersay Pier on the Isle of Vatersay. This will be followed by the release of further funds once we are in receipt of the remaining project business cases from the Island Growth Deal's Programme Management Office and these have been reviewed and endorsed.Through this package of support, multiple investments will preserve and enhance local markets for traditional fishing industries, enable the sustainable development of the primary food production industries in the Outer Hebrides in a socio-economic context by developing local food and drink markets and respond to sectoral opportunities linked to product diversification. This will build economic resilience, community wealth and well-being by supporting communities and businesses across the Outer Hebrides throughout the Island Growth Deal's ten-year lifespan and beyond.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425994,"EventID":"S6W-31072","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T17:08:40.23","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T17:07:46.073","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of nurseries  received a rating of (a) excellent, (b) good, (c) satisfactory and (d) poor from inspections conducted by (i) the Care Inspectorate and (ii","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of nurseries  received a rating of (a) excellent, (b) good, (c) satisfactory and (d) poor from inspections conducted by (i) the Care Inspectorate and (ii) Education Scotland in each year since 2012, also broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold the information requested as it relates to inspection activities undertaken by the Care Inspectorate and Education Scotland, who will be able to provide analysis of inspection grades on request.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425995,"EventID":"S6W-31045","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T17:08:40.3","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T08:30:02.807","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what progress each NHS board has made on the implementation of the child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) NHS Scotland ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what progress each NHS board has made on the implementation of the child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) NHS Scotland National Service Specification.","AnswerText":"We are working closely with all NHS Boards to support implementation of the CAMHS specification to improve the service provided to children, young people and families, as well as improve performance across CAMHS. We remain committed to supporting all Boards to meet the standard that 90% of patients start treatment within 18 weeks of referral.Local CAMHS teams continue to respond well to demand, with 1 in 2 children and young people referred to CAMHS starting treatment within 6 weeks, compared to 12 weeks pre-pandemic. In the first half of this year, we have seen the best national performance against CAMHS waiting times since the 18 week standard was introduced in 2014.Recognising that performance does still vary across Health Boards, we continue to provide enhanced support to those Boards not on track to meet the standard. This includes providing access to professional advice, ensuring they have robust improvement plans in place and monitoring their implementation. This is in addition to a programme of routine engagement with all 14 territorial Health Boards.We have directly allocated &pound;120 million to NHS Boards and Integrated Joint Boards for a new Enhanced Mental Health Outcomes Framework in 2024-25. The Framework provides a single, flexible funding stream to support continued improvements and better outcomes across a range of mental health and psychological services in line with the Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, including CAMHS and implementation of the CAMHS Specification.We continue to work with NHS Boards to monitor the Service Specification&rsquo;s implementation, to improve services and enhance support for children and young people and their families.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425996,"EventID":"S6W-31078","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1756,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":136,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T17:08:40.273","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-06T11:31:09.557","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there is any provision  for the interim liberation of a dog of a prohibited type, where court proceedings are pending or in progress under section 1(3) of the Da","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there is any provision  for the interim liberation of a dog of a prohibited type, where court proceedings are pending or in progress under section 1(3) of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, as amended by the Dangerous Dogs (Designated Types) (Scotland) Order 2024.","AnswerText":"There is no provision for the interim liberation of a prohibited type dog in Scotland as there is no interim exemption scheme available that would permit such dogs to be released pending the consideration and outcome of court proceedings.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425997,"EventID":"S6W-31079","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1756,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":136,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T17:08:40.233","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-06T11:31:09.557","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what provision it has made for the potential situation in which an XL bully type dog was too young to have been microchipped prior to closure of applications for inclusi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what provision it has made for the potential situation in which an XL bully type dog was too young to have been microchipped prior to closure of applications for inclusion on the Index of Exempted Dogs on 31 July 2024.","AnswerText":"Dogs need to be over 8 weeks old to be microchipped.Where an XL Bully dog was too young &ndash; under 8 weeks &ndash; as at the date of application for exemption to be microchipped, the owner was given additional time to provide evidence of microchipping having occurred.There are also exemptions for those dogs deemed unfit for a microchip to be fitted. A dog is unfit to be microchipped if a veterinary surgeon has issued a certificate indicating a dog is unfit to be microchipped under the Microchipping of Dogs (Scotland) Regulations 2016.Further information about microchipping can be found on the mygov.scot website:Exemptions - mygov.scot.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425998,"EventID":"S6W-31085","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T17:08:40.297","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-06T13:43:16.67","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to calls from Dogs Trust to ban the (a) non-commercial transport of pregnant dogs in the last 30% of their gestation period, meaning more","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to calls from Dogs Trust to ban the (a) non-commercial transport of pregnant dogs in the last 30% of their gestation period, meaning more than 42 days pregnant, as a minimum, and (b) commercial movement of pregnant dogs, to tackle any illegal puppy smuggling.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to support measures to restrict the transport of pregnant dogs into the UK, having obtained legislative consent from the Scottish Parliament for this to be taken forward under the UK Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill before this was withdrawn by the UK Government in May 2023, and having agreed in principle to seek legislative consent for the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill before this fell due to the dissolution of the UK Parliament in May 2024.The Scottish Government maintains that to ensure consistency of approach and the most effective outcomes, these measures would best be delivered by a UK Parliament bill. To this end, Scottish Government officials continue to engage with DEFRA on the possibility of legislation in the UK parliament to restrict the transport of pregnant dogs into the UK, along with other animal welfare measures relating to the transport of pets.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":425999,"EventID":"S6W-31046","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T17:08:40.277","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T08:30:02.807","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it (a) has evaluated and (b) plans to evaluate the impact of the child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) NHS Scotland National Service Specification,","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it (a) has evaluated and (b) plans to evaluate the impact of the child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) NHS Scotland National Service Specification, including evaluating the experience of young people and their families of CAMHS.","AnswerText":"The National Specification includes requirements for Boards to fully engage with children, young people and families and to gather outcome data against these standards, including experience of service, and to report performance, quality and governance.While there are no current plans to carry out a specific evaluation, we are working closely with all NHS Boards to support implementation of the CAMHS specification and to improve the service provided to children, young people and families, as well as improve performance across CAMHS. We remain committed to supporting all Boards to meet the standard that 90% of patients start treatment within 18 weeks of referral. We continue to provide enhanced support to those Boards not on track to meet the standard, providing access to professional advice, ensuring they have robust improvement plans in place and monitoring their implementation.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426000,"EventID":"S6W-31082","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T17:08:40.29","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-06T13:42:22.877","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the most recent data it holds regarding the number of puppies and dogs illegally imported into Scotland at Cairnryan ferry port.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the most recent data it holds regarding the number of puppies and dogs illegally imported into Scotland at Cairnryan ferry port.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold any such data.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426001,"EventID":"S6W-31076","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1756,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":136,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T17:08:40.237","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-06T11:31:09.557","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many suspected XL bully type dogs have been seized since 1 August 2024, and, of these, how many (a) have been euthanised, (b) have been returned to their owners foll","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many suspected XL bully type dogs have been seized since 1 August 2024, and, of these, how many (a) have been euthanised, (b) have been returned to their owners following an assessment that they are not of the XL bully type and (c) are currently in kennels awaiting a decision regarding their legal status.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not have any role to play in operational matters that fall to Police Scotland and Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) when considering allegations of criminal offences under dangerous dogs legislation. In addition, the Scottish Government does not have any role in the decision making of the independent court when it considers how to dispose of cases.Within this context, the information requested is not held by the Scottish Government.Scottish Government officials are continuing to engage with Police Scotland, COPFS, local authorities and Scottish SPCA about the impact of enforcing and implementation of the new safeguards on XL Bully dogs.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426002,"EventID":"S6W-31087","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T17:08:40.25","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-06T13:43:42.263","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the non-commercial movement of pets into Great Britain, what assessment it has made of (a) the current procedure in relation to stop and searches of vehicles ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the non-commercial movement of pets into Great Britain, what assessment it has made of (a) the current procedure in relation to stop and searches of vehicles entering Scotland via ferry and (b) Dogs Trust's calls to implement visual checks for all dogs entering Scotland via Cairnryan ferry port.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has undertaken no such assessments. It is the responsibility of the enforcement agencies to plan and execute any stop and search of vehicles entering Scotland by ferry. On the call from the Dogs Trust for visual checks on all dogs entering Scotland, we consider this impractical, as it would require significant resources to be permanently deployed. Additionally, it should be recognised that it is a small minority of individuals that are involved in the smuggling of puppies from NI to Scotland and so visually inspecting every dog arriving in Scotland would be disproportionate. We consider intelligence-led, targeted checks to be the most effective approach.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426003,"EventID":"S6W-31081","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T17:08:40.283","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-06T13:41:56.883","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to tackle any smuggling of puppies into Scotland at Cairnryan ferry port.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to tackle any smuggling of puppies into Scotland at Cairnryan ferry port.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to work closely with DAERA NI officials and key agencies through the Paws for Thought Puppy Trafficking Group to disrupt and target those involved in the smuggling of puppies into Scotland from Northern Ireland. The collaborative actions of this Group are delivering significant reductions in the number of pups being trafficked into Scotland, mainly as a consequence of intelligence-led targeting of known or flagged transporters. The Group also continues to raise awareness among ferry passengers of puppy smuggling through the use of flyers, posters and social media, with anyone seeing suspicious activity encouraged to immediately report it.More widely, the Scottish Government continues to work with the multi-agency Pet Trade Taskforce to share intelligence and target those involved in the illegal breeding and smuggling of puppies for sale in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426004,"EventID":"S6W-31088","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T17:08:40.28","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-06T13:43:53.58","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the main barriers are to implementing visual checks for all dogs entering Scotland via Cairnryan ferry port.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the main barriers are to implementing visual checks for all dogs entering Scotland via Cairnryan ferry port.","AnswerText":"The visual checking of all dogs entering Scotland via Cairnryan, would require deployment of additional human resource when there are already significant demands being placed on local authority and other enforcement agency staff.Many commercial movements of animals are already inspected at Border Control Posts, and pet dogs travelling with their owners on ferries will often be checked by APHA trained ferry staff. The movements of concern, i.e. puppies being smuggled, happens under the radar, and is best addressed through intelligence-led targeted enforcement action.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426005,"EventID":"S6W-31070","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T17:08:40.263","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T15:35:43.46","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to introducing tougher sentences against those who attack emergency workers.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to introducing tougher sentences against those who attack emergency workers.","AnswerText":"There are a range of criminal laws available to deal with individuals who attack emergency workers.Anyone who is guilty of assaulting an emergency worker can receive up to life imprisonment under the common law of assault. Anyone who is guilty of threatening or abusive behaviour towards emergency workers can receive up to five years imprisonment under the general offence of threatening or abusive behaviour. In addition, there is specific legal protection for emergency workers contained in the Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act 2005 which can be used to prosecute cases.Following a conviction, decisions on the sentence in any given case is a matter for the independent courts within the overall legal framework.The Scottish Government supports the independent courts having these powers available to use in relevant cases.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426006,"EventID":"S6W-31069","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T17:08:40.247","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T15:35:08.173","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to a recent report from Public Health Scotland, which shows that there are currently more than 5,000 people in Scotland waiting for a social care as","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to a recent report from Public Health Scotland, which shows that there are currently more than 5,000 people in Scotland waiting for a social care assessment.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the value of social care support to all who require additional support in living independently at home or in the community.Under the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 local authorities and Health and Social Care Partnerships have a duty to assess the social care support needs of people and decide, in light of that assessment, whether to arrange any services, and if so, which services.We know that the system needs to work better for everyone in Scotland and we are continuing to work with partners and people with lived experience on ongoing improvement and reform.These statistics show the fewest amount of people waiting for a social care support assessment this year &ndash; a reduction of 12% since January.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426007,"EventID":"S6W-30927","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T17:08:40.253","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-28T20:07:05.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30466 by Natalie Don-Innes on 17 October 2024, whether it will provide a precise timetable for the introduction of the proposed Th","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30466 by Natalie Don-Innes on 17 October 2024, whether it will provide a precise timetable for the introduction of the proposed The Promise Bill.","AnswerText":"The Government&rsquo;s future legislative programmes will be announced in the relevant Programme for Government in the normal way.The Scottish Government is committed to keep The Promise by 2030 and has recently set out further detail on activity underway in our Promise Implementation Plan Update 2024: Keeping The Promise to our children, young people and families: progress update 2024 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot). This includes a continued commitment to introduce a Promise Bill by the end of this parliamentary session, dependent on wider pressures on the Parliamentary legislative calendar.We are currently conducting a number of consultations which will inform the next steps on key areas and, where appropriate to inform The Promise Bill.This includes the next stages of reform of the children&rsquo;s hearing system; the future of foster care; the definition of care experience; and the support available to those moving on from care.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426008,"EventID":"S6W-31080","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1756,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":136,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-06T17:08:40.237","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-06T11:31:09.557","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there is any means by which the owner of an XL bully dog can obtain a court order authorising a late application for inclusion on the Index of Exempted Dogs, oth","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there is any means by which the owner of an XL bully dog can obtain a court order authorising a late application for inclusion on the Index of Exempted Dogs, other than following seizure of the dog and a conviction under section 1(3) of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, as amended by the Dangerous Dogs (Designated Types) (Scotland) Order 2024.","AnswerText":"XL Bully owners in Scotland had from 1 April 2024 to 31 July 2024 to apply to the Scottish Government for a Certificate of Exemption for their XL Bully dog, to allow them to legally keep their dog. Under the relevant legislation that set these dates, the time period for applications for a Certificate of Exemption to keep an XL Bully dog has closed.The only means by which an exemption can be granted now is as follows.The XL Bully dog is on the list of prohibited dogs under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.Following the passing of the Dangerous Dogs (Amendment) Act 1997, it continued to be the case that it is a criminal offence to own a prohibited type of dog, but following a conviction the court has discretion in sentencing so that a dog of this type is not always required to be destroyed where an owner was found to have kept a dog in breach of the legislation.The court can, as an alternative to ordering the destruction of the dog, authorise a person owning such a dog to be able to apply to place the dog on the Index of the Exempted Dogs. Only courts can direct that an owner can be authorised to apply for a dog to be placed on the Index of Exempted Dogs.The Scottish Government does not have any role to play in the decision making of the independent court when it considers how to dispose of cases, but will of course consider any application for exemption on the back of any court direction that would permit the owner of an XL Bully dog to apply to Scottish Ministers to seek a Certificate of Exemption.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426052,"EventID":"S6W-31098","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":16189,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":129,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-07T09:27:52.277","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T09:23:54.693","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the final report on the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan 2021-2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the final report on the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan 2021-2024.","AnswerText":"Today we published the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan 2021 &ndash; 2024 Final Report on the Scottish Government website to mark the progress achieved in the three years since the publication of Scotland&rsquo;s first Women&rsquo;s Health Plan.This final report sets out the progress made against the 66 short, medium and long term actions to improve health information, services and outcomes for women and girls in Scotland.Key achievements include the appointment and work of the first Women&rsquo;s Health Champion Professor Anna Glasier, development of a women&rsquo;s health information platform on NHS Inform and this Parliament passing The Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Act 2024.Alongside this report, a Women&rsquo;s Health Plan: Review of the Data Landscape has been published setting out the routinely published data on women&rsquo;s health currently available and highlighting the key data gaps.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426053,"EventID":"S6W-31106","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":16197,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-07T12:52:04.303","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T12:44:48.997","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will conclude its review of the New Build Heat Standard.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will conclude its review of the New Build Heat Standard.","AnswerText":"An amendment to the New Build Heat Standard will shortly be laid in Parliament. This will demonstrate we have heard and responded to the concerns raised earlier in the year about the reliance on woodburning stoves and bioenergy, particularly in rural and island areas.The review involved full consideration of previous and new evidence submitted, and a series of individual and group workshops with key stakeholders, and two Ministerial roundtables. The Standard will be subject to the usual Parliamentary process and remains an important and positive step in our journey to decarbonising buildings.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426104,"EventID":"S6W-31089","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-07T17:02:14.35","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-06T14:19:23.007","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Minister for Public Finance's reported statement on BBC Scotland's The Sunday Show on 3 November 2024 that the Barnett consequential funding from the re","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Minister for Public Finance's reported statement on BBC Scotland's The Sunday Show on 3 November 2024 that the Barnett consequential funding from the recent UK Budget is actually worth an extra &pound;300 million for the 2025-26 Scottish Budget, what calculations it made for the minister to arrive at this conclusion.","AnswerText":"The total Resource (RDEL) Block Grant funding received by the Scottish Government (SG) in 2024-25 is currently &pound;39.8 billion. For 2025-26 the Spending Review confirms a resource block grant of &pound;41.1 billion, &pound;1.3 billion higher than 2024-25.The following table shows the real terms calculations.&nbsp;&pound;billions&pound;billions&nbsp;2024-252025-26&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;RDEL (excluding depreciation)39.841.1&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;GDP Deflator1.0001.024&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Real Terms Calculation39.840.1&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Increase-0.3RDEL figures are as provided by HM Treasury.GDP deflators taken from OBR publication on the day of the UK Budget.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426105,"EventID":"S6W-31061","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-07T17:02:14.343","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T13:17:21.91","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25674 by Patrick Harvie on 7 March 2024, whether it will provide an updated table regarding the number of children who have undert","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25674 by Patrick Harvie on 7 March 2024, whether it will provide an updated table regarding the number of children who have undertaken cycling proficiency training, based on the latest information&nbsp;available.","AnswerText":"Further to question S6W-25674, the latest Bikeability Scotland participation statistics are as follows:LOCAL AUTHORITY2010-112011-122012-132013-142014-152015-162016-172017-182018-192019-202020-212021-222022-232023-24&nbsp;Aberdeen City21%25%31%57%68%62%68%42%47%9%27%67%100%100%&nbsp;Aberdeenshire93%93%76%91%91%63%80%79%85%27%51%65%65%71%&nbsp;Angus74%72%74%57%43%45%50%67%78%41%71%88%94%96%&nbsp;Argyll &amp; Bute45%No returnNo returnNo returnNo returnNo returnNo returnNo returnNo returnNo returnPilotPilot22%26%&nbsp;Clackmannanshire11%11%37%37%39%44%17%33%100%33%100%100%100%100%&nbsp;Dumfries &amp; Galloway70%73%47%30%29%41%43%38%36%4%5%29%69%86%&nbsp;Dundee0%0%3%23%29%17%11%53%91%67%82%97%100%100%&nbsp;East Ayrshire7%9%No returnNo returnNo returnNo returnNo returnNo returnNo returnNo returnPilotPilot10%8%&nbsp;East Dunbartonshire5%3%5%24%14%8%22%15%67%76%94%100%100%100%&nbsp;East Lothian0%0%11%26%29%23%29%41%49%24%47%94%100%100%&nbsp;East Renfrewshire33%40%70%100%100%100%100%100%100%0%100%67%83%96%&nbsp;Edinburgh29%40%52%72%70%48%68%60%53%7%26%40%41%38%&nbsp;Falkirk4%6%10%8%22%12%4%6%8%19%6%2%21%19%&nbsp;Fife31%21%16%16%18%21%36%22%29%23%24%33%35%21%&nbsp;Glasgow4%4%15%28%25%34%29%35%34%22%33%31%22%24%&nbsp;Highland34%28%16%29%28%29%36%21%30%12%15%22%32%26%&nbsp;Inverclyde4%21%35%10%30%30%20%15%26%0%5%5%10%30%&nbsp;Midlothian10%40%63%87%63%63%81%75%69%22%41%65%67%67%&nbsp;Moray96%65%58%47%62%49%37%40%56%27%62%76%93%95%&nbsp;Na h-Eileanan Siar0%0%0%0%0%0%5%96%100%0%100%100%100%100%&nbsp;North Ayrshire0%No returnNo returnNo returnNo returnNo returnNo returnNo returnNo returnNo returnNo returnNo returnNo returnNo return&nbsp;North Lanarkshire0%7%5%0%4%No return9%10%11%15%29%50%82%64%&nbsp;Orkney40%40%65%95%90%65%68%63%58%37%90%65%100%100%&nbsp;Perth &amp; Kinross91%61%40%37%34%62%52%51%61%26%67%87%90%99%&nbsp;Renfrewshire6%8%22%29%20%22%20%22%29%10%59%72%84%86%&nbsp;Scottish Borders54%54%43%8%27%29%31%31%8%2%25%41%100%100%&nbsp;Shetland100%53%45%90%100%100%100%100%100%25%100%100%100%100%&nbsp;South Ayrshire79%55%73%76%83%76%81%83%88%44%34%41%59%58%&nbsp;South Lanarkshire0%10%17%28%39%34%39%39%43%15%10%40%40%32%&nbsp;Stirling17%18%5%43%65%68%50%72%66%26%58%74%87%100%&nbsp;West Dunbartonshire9%12%9%21%44%41%49%56%59%13%38%28%31%38%&nbsp;West Lothian21%0%15%15%15%15%17%11%26%9%9%22%30%37%&nbsp;TOTALS32%32%35%37%40%38%42%42%47%20%37%50%60%60%&nbsp;&nbsp;2012-132013-142014-152015-162016-172017-182018-192019-202020-212021-222022-232023-24Number of pupils trained across all levels of Bikeability Scotland25,97430,80032,10533,08236,71136,31443,70016,32741,04652,60460,228*54,039","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426106,"EventID":"S6W-31073","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-07T17:02:14.363","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T17:08:40.113","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25927 by Natalie Don on 14 March 2024, whether it will provide an updated table regarding how much Disclosure Scotland has spent o","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25927 by Natalie Don on 14 March 2024, whether it will provide an updated table regarding how much Disclosure Scotland has spent on employing temporary staff, based on the latest information available.","AnswerText":"I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland, to respond. His response is as follows:The spend on employing temporary staff in the 9 month period of January to September 2024 was &pound;7,504,000. The spend on employing temporary staff from 2012-2023 was provided in the answer to question S6W-25927 on 14 March 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.To note, these figures relate to both agency staff and contractors.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426107,"EventID":"S6W-31091","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-07T17:02:14.36","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-06T15:25:44.63","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to mitigate any long-term effects of the reported increase to GP facility management costs  in NHS boards, including NHS Lothian, and, if so, how it pla","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to mitigate any long-term effects of the reported increase to GP facility management costs  in NHS boards, including NHS Lothian, and, if so, how it plans to do so.","AnswerText":"Phase Two of the 2018 GMS Contract will change the way that practice expenses are allocated, with direct reimbursement of costs. Scottish Government is discussing GP facility management costs with the BMA as part of this work.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426108,"EventID":"S6W-31107","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-07T17:02:14.36","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T13:39:43.59","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the trust provisions within the Trusts and Succession (Scotland) Act 2024 will come into force.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the trust provisions within the Trusts and Succession (Scotland) Act 2024 will come into force.","AnswerText":"The following provisions of the Act have come into forceSection 76 dealing with the effect of divorce, dissolution or annulment on special destination;Section 77 involving the rights of succession to intestate estate respectively;Section 7, under which an unfit trustee may be removed by the court for the purposes of section 8; and,Parts of section 9 concerning removal from office by a majority of co-trustees of a trustee who is no longer a member of a regulated profession or entitled to practice, and who was appointed or assumed to provide professional services in managing the trust, together with sections 13 and 14 by which decisions on the removal of a professional trustee by co-trustees are to be governed for these purposes.The remaining provisions of the Act will come into force in due course although no decision has been taken about a date for that. The decision on when to commence the rest of the provisions generally is closely related to ongoing work with UK Government regarding the provisions covering the reserved matter of pension trusts.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426109,"EventID":"S6W-31090","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-07T17:02:14.357","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-06T15:25:44.63","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any impact assessment of the reported increase in GP facility management costs has been conducted, and, if so, whether the results of any such assessment will be","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any impact assessment of the reported increase in GP facility management costs has been conducted, and, if so, whether the results of any such assessment will be published.","AnswerText":"NHS boards are responsible for managing their estates and agreeing terms for facilities management costs with their tenants. It would be for NHS Lothian and other boards to carry out any necessary impact assessment of the reported increase in facility management costs for their GP practices and determine publication.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426110,"EventID":"S6W-31093","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-07T17:02:14.353","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-06T17:09:38.263","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether funding for the 2025-26 round of the Place Based Investment Programme (PBIP) will take place as planned.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether funding for the 2025-26 round of the Place Based Investment Programme (PBIP) will take place as planned.","AnswerText":"Discussions regarding the 2025-26 budget remain ongoing, and as such we are unable to provide any details regarding the Place Based Investment Programme (PBIP) or other regeneration capital funding programmes for 2025-26.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426111,"EventID":"S6W-31092","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-07T17:02:14.363","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-06T15:25:44.63","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many GPs have made formal representations regarding reported facility management cost increases by NHS boards.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many GPs have made formal representations regarding reported facility management cost increases by NHS boards.","AnswerText":"GPs have raised their concerns about reported facility management cost increases by NHS Lothian directly with the Scottish Government and through their elective and professional representatives. As many of the representations received have been on behalf of multiple GPs and their practices, the Scottish Government does not have a count of how many individual GPs have made representations.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426113,"EventID":"S6W-31134","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-08T15:48:59.637","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T15:19:36.9","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29941 by Ivan McKee on 24 September 2024, whether procurement law requires the Scottish Government to treat all energy providers e","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29941 by Ivan McKee on 24 September 2024, whether procurement law requires the Scottish Government to treat all energy providers equally and without discrimination; if so, for what reason no power is procured from community-owned energy providers, and what its position is on whether excluding community energy providers from the National Electricity Supply Framework is discriminatory.","AnswerText":"Yes, Scottish Government is compliant with all procurement regulations.The electricity framework was advertised openly and fairly in Public Contracts Scotland and therefore the competition was open to all suppliers. It is up to each individual bidder to determine if they meet the requirements of the framework, and if they wish to put forward a bid. At the last procurement opportunity no bids were received from community energy providers.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426114,"EventID":"S6W-31124","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-08T15:48:59.703","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T15:19:02.23","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the Cowal and Rosneath Community Needs Assessment by Transport Scotland on 11 September 2024, and the completion of the associated consul","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the Cowal and Rosneath Community Needs Assessment by Transport Scotland on 11 September 2024, and the completion of the associated consultation exercise on 9 October 2024, which one of the assessment&rsquo;s recommendations will be taken forward in terms of aligning the service levels and subsidy payments with the assessed needs.","AnswerText":"Community views are an essential part of informing future service options. The community feedback gathered at engagement events in Kilcreggan on the 1st of October, Dunoon on the 2nd of October, and Gourock on the 3rd of October, along with the online user survey outcomes, is currently being analysed as part of the appraisal of the possible options. No decisions on the future service design of the Gourock-Dunoon and Gourock-Kilcreggan routes have been made at this stage.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426115,"EventID":"S6W-31033","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-08T15:49:01.2","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-04T08:08:42.137","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has revised its estimate of how many taxpayers fall into each Scottish income tax band since the publication of the 2024-25 Scottish Budget and, if so, whethe","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has revised its estimate of how many taxpayers fall into each Scottish income tax band since the publication of the 2024-25 Scottish Budget and, if so, whether it will publish this.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government relies on estimates of the number of taxpayers by tax band using forecasts provided by the Scottish Fiscal Commission. The most recent estimate for 2024-25 was published in December 2023 and can be found here: Chapter 4 &ndash; Tax &ndash; Supplementary Figures. The Scottish Fiscal Commission will publish their five-year Economic and Fiscal forecasts alongside the draft Scottish Budget 2025-26 on 4 December which will include updated forecasts for 2025-26.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426116,"EventID":"S6W-31121","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-08T15:49:01.173","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T14:10:48.053","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address any recruitment challenges faced by the energy sector in the north east.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address any recruitment challenges faced by the energy sector in the north east.","AnswerText":"As set out in our Green Industrial Strategy, the Scottish Government is working with partners across the energy sector to plan for a multi-skilled workforce.This approach includes enabling skilled offshore oil and gas workers to carry their experience and expertise into different roles, including renewables, as the energy transition progresses. We are also committed to the development of Scotland&rsquo;s CCUS and Hydrogen sectors, which will protect jobs and utilise existing skills within the workforce as well as developing new opportunities.Funding from the Just Transition Fund has already been allocated to support industry-led development of an Offshore Energy Skills Passport; to create an advanced manufacturing skills hub in Aberdeen and a pilot scheme with the National Energy Skills Accelerator to determine the skills required for an energy transition.In addition, the Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council is currently taking forward crucial work to map the future skills need for offshore wind development, which will help both industry and the public sector to identify and address future skills and workforce gaps.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426117,"EventID":"S6W-31128","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-08T15:49:01.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T15:19:36.9","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29944 by Ivan McKee on 24 September 2024, whether it will be exercising its first 12-month extension to the existing National Elec","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29944 by Ivan McKee on 24 September 2024, whether it will be exercising its first 12-month extension to the existing National Electricity Supply Contract.","AnswerText":"A decision on exercising the first extension is still to be made, once this decision has been reached then the supplier will be informed.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426118,"EventID":"S6W-31117","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-08T15:49:01.237","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T14:10:48.053","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported concerns that the political environment is acting as a \"barrier to diversification\" in the energy sector, as set out in Aberdeen and Gra","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported concerns that the political environment is acting as a \"barrier to diversification\" in the energy sector, as set out in Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce's&nbsp;Energy Transition 40th Survey report.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31114 on 15 November 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426119,"EventID":"S6W-31109","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5866,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-08T15:48:59.67","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T13:55:38.38","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that most local authorities are unable to deliver instrumental music tuition to all interested school pupils and are operating waiting lists for ins","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that most local authorities are unable to deliver instrumental music tuition to all interested school pupils and are operating waiting lists for instrumental music tuition due to capacity issues, what urgent action it can take to resolve this.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"The most recent Instrumental Music Services Survey 2023 Instrumental Music Services: Results from the IMS Survey 2023 (improvementservice.org.uk) (published in December 2023) confirmed that the number of pupils accessing free instrumental music tuition was the highest on record since the survey began in 2012.It is for individual councils to make decisions about their own provision. For those local authorities which do operate waiting lists, it is clearly important that they work to accommodate as many interested pupils as possible.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426120,"EventID":"S6W-31119","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-08T15:48:59.633","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T14:10:48.053","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is considering to improve (a) awareness and (b) accessibility of grants and funding available to support the energy sector&rsquo;s transition.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is considering to improve (a) awareness and (b) accessibility of grants and funding available to support the energy sector&rsquo;s transition.","AnswerText":"Our Enterprise Agencies deliver a comprehensive programme of activities to engage with companies and raise awareness of opportunities arising from the energy transition, and of the funding and other support available.Since April, Scottish Enterprise has delivered two marketing campaigns, with over 500 companies directly targeted and a focus on the north east of Scotland. Two more campaigns will be delivered before the end of this financial year.This includes raising awareness of the range of financial support mechanisms, such as Research and Development grants, Capital grants, and Regional Selective Assistance grants.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426121,"EventID":"S6W-31125","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-08T15:48:59.727","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T15:19:02.23","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the Cowal and Rosneath Community Needs Assessment by Transport Scotland on 11 September 2024, and the completion of the associated consul","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the Cowal and Rosneath Community Needs Assessment by Transport Scotland on 11 September 2024, and the completion of the associated consultation exercise on 9 October 2024, when it will announce the order for new vessels for the Gourock to Dunoon route.","AnswerText":"The Gourock Dunoon Kilcreggan Infrastructure and Vessels Programme is working to develop resilient vessel and port design options. Preferred vessel options will be considered as part of the associated business case and any investment in new vessels and infrastructure will be subject to value for money and affordability considerations.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426122,"EventID":"S6W-31122","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-08T15:48:59.65","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T14:37:45.147","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action has been taken to meet the commitment for Transport Scotland to explore freight issues in more detail by revisiting the Freight Fares Review, as set out in t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action has been taken to meet the commitment for Transport Scotland to explore freight issues in more detail by revisiting the Freight Fares Review, as set out in the Islands Connectivity Plan - Strategic Approach, published in January 2024.","AnswerText":"The draft Islands Connectivity Plan (ICP) Strategic Approach was published for public consultation from 1 February 2024 to 6 May 2024. The draft proposed that we would revisit the Freight Fares Review in the medium to longer term.The purpose of the consultation was to gather feedback on our proposals and test our understanding of the priority issues facing island transport connectivity and ferry services in particular.The outputs from the consultation and engagement will support the finalisation of the ICP which will set out our plans for taking forward ferry fares policy.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426123,"EventID":"S6W-31100","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-08T15:49:01.457","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T10:28:50.433","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains committed to recruiting 1,000 community mental health workers by 2026.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains committed to recruiting 1,000 community mental health workers by 2026.","AnswerText":"As a result of the difficult decisions which had to be taken through the Emergency Budget review, recruitment of the 1,000 additional roles to support community mental health resilience, ensuring every GP Practice has access to a mental health and wellbeing service has not yet commenced. We have already prioritised significant investment to build mental health capacity in primary care through Action 15 of the Mental Health Strategy 2017-2027 and the Primary Care Improvement Fund.We remain committed to delivering increased mental health and wellbeing capacity in primary care and the Mental Health and Wellbeing Delivery Plan sets out a range of actions to achieve the ambition in the Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy to drive a shift in the balance of care across mental health to ensure a focus on prevention and early intervention in the community, including a focus on providing high quality mental health care within General Practice.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426124,"EventID":"S6W-31123","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-08T15:49:01.203","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T15:19:02.23","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the Cowal and Rosneath Community Needs Assessment by Transport Scotland on 11 September 2024, and the completion of the associated consul","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the Cowal and Rosneath Community Needs Assessment by Transport Scotland on 11 September 2024, and the completion of the associated consultation exercise on 9 October 2024, whether it will confirm the cost of providing the assessed excessive service level between Gourock and Dunoon.","AnswerText":"The independent Cowal and Rosneath Community Needs Assessment concluded that there is evidence of over-provision on the Gourock-Dunoon passenger ferry service in terms of sailings per day and in terms of the length of the operating day in winter. The Assessment does not calculate the cost of the over-provision. There are several options considered to address the findings and the preferred approach and associated costs will be determined in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426125,"EventID":"S6W-31101","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-08T15:48:59.757","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T10:28:50.44","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of frontline health spending is allocated to mental health, and whether it is on track to meet its commitment of allocating 10% to this.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of frontline health spending is allocated to mental health, and whether it is on track to meet its commitment of allocating 10% to this.","AnswerText":"Latest available data published in February 2024 by Public Health Scotland in the Scottish Health Service Costs book confirmed that NHS expenditure on mental health rose from &pound;1.282 billion in 2021-22 to &pound;1.307 billion in 2022-23, an increase of &pound;25.1 million or 2% - representing 8.53% of total NHS expenditure.We continue to work with NHS Boards and Integration Joint Boards towards delivery of the commitment that at least 10% of their frontline health spending will be dedicated to mental health by the end of this parliamentary session.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426126,"EventID":"S6W-31131","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-08T15:49:01.68","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T15:19:36.9","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29940 by Ivan McKee on 24 September 2024, for what reason the National Electricity Supply Contract prohibits clients from replacin","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29940 by Ivan McKee on 24 September 2024, for what reason the National Electricity Supply Contract prohibits clients from replacing a proportion of their single supply with a proportion of locally produced renewable energy.","AnswerText":"The National Supply of Electricity Framework does not prohibit customers from using locally produced renewable energy.If a client wishes to use locally produced renewable energy then they can advise the Scottish Procurement Team and the Supplier. The volumes generated by the locally produced renewable energy provider would no longer be included in the overall framework volumes and the reduced demand will be taken into consideration and future demand will be reshaped accordingly. Any withdrawal of buildings/sites from the framework are subject to the terms and conditions set out in the framework agreement.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426127,"EventID":"S6W-31116","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-08T15:49:01.357","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T14:10:48.053","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to support the diversification of businesses in the north east away from oil and gas.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to support the diversification of businesses in the north east away from oil and gas.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to working in partnership with business and industry to deliver a just transition for Scotland&rsquo;s valued oil and gas sector, which recognises the declining nature of the North Sea basin and is in line with our climate change commitments.Our Energy Transition Fund is supporting four major projects in Aberdeen and the north east which promote collaboration across offshore energy sectors. These include the Energy Transition Zone, transforming the region into a globally integrated energy cluster, and the Global Underwater Hub, using underwater expertise, technologies and skills to drive innovation and accelerate the transition.We are also working with the energy sector to plan for a multi-skilled workforce, one that can benefit from opportunities across the energy system. This includes supporting industry-led initiatives to enable skilled offshore workers to carry their experience and expertise into different roles as the transition progresses, and providing funding through the Just Transition Fund to skills initiatives and capacity building within businesses.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426128,"EventID":"S6W-31111","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-08T15:49:01.177","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T14:10:48.053","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address the decline in the proportion of businesses in the north east forecasting revenue growth, as reported in Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address the decline in the proportion of businesses in the north east forecasting revenue growth, as reported in Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce's&nbsp;Energy Transition 40th Survey&nbsp;report.","AnswerText":"We have noted the latest Energy Transition survey report published by Aberdeen and Grampian Chambers of Commerce and the launch of a North Sea Transition Taskforce. We acknowledge the concerns that businesses are raising through the survey, however we also note the difficulty of measuring change at a regional level over short periods of time.The energy transition presents an opportunity as well as a challenge to our existing energy sector and Scottish Government is committed to realising that opportunity, especially by securing a just transition for the north east. We have already committed significant funding to the region through our Just Transition Fund and our Energy Transition Fund. We will continue to support growth of our world-leading renewables sector and to enable our existing oil and gas sector to transition.In September, we published our Green Industrial Strategy, which aims to ensure that Scotland gets the maximum possible economic benefit from the opportunities created by the net zero transition. We are taking steps to support businesses to capitalise on these opportunities.For example, we have committed up to &pound;500 million strategic investment over five years to support market certainty and facilitate the development of the offshore wind sector in Scotland. The Offshore Wind Supply Chain Development Statements process, carefully designed and managed by Crown Estate Scotland, ensures focus is maintained on supply chain capacity and capability to develop and deliver offshore wind projects in Scotland.Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) presents a particular opportunity for the north east region. The UK Government recently announced &pound;23 billion funding to support Track 1 CCUS clusters over 25 years. We urgently need a similar announcement for Track 2, including the Acorn project; continued UK Government delays are impacting investor, developer and supply chain confidence, and we continue to call for a meaningful update on this.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426129,"EventID":"S6W-31129","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-08T15:49:01.16","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T15:19:36.9","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29944 by Ivan McKee on 24 September 2024, whether it is possible to amend the current National Electricity Supply Contract to incl","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29944 by Ivan McKee on 24 September 2024, whether it is possible to amend the current National Electricity Supply Contract to include provision for clients to reduce their demand for electricity from the single supplier within the framework, if they choose to buy locally produced renewable electricity, in order to further community wealth building.","AnswerText":"As part of the framework process, in the run up to the start of every financial year, the supplier works with each individual customer to determine their estimated consumption for the next financial year. If the volume is going to decrease or increase the supplier will work with the Scottish Procurement team to reshape the future demand to take into account any planned increases or decreases.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426130,"EventID":"S6W-31034","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-08T15:49:01.213","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-04T08:08:42.14","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the (a) number and (b) proportion of public-sector workers that pay more in income tax than they would if they lived elsewhere in the UK.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the (a) number and (b) proportion of public-sector workers that pay more in income tax than they would if they lived elsewhere in the UK.","AnswerText":"Income Tax data does not break down by public and private sector.As set out in the Public sector: economic overview - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) publication, after tax, the average full-time public sector employee in Scotland earned around &pound;1,500 more than the UK average in 2023, up from around &pound;400 in 2019.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426131,"EventID":"S6W-31112","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-08T15:49:01.213","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T14:10:48.053","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has conducted of the impact on Scotland of the declining trends in the value of work in production, exploration, renewables and decarbonisation within t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has conducted of the impact on Scotland of the declining trends in the value of work in production, exploration, renewables and decarbonisation within the UK continental shelf (UKCS), as described in&nbsp;Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce's&nbsp;Energy Transition 40th Survey&nbsp;report.","AnswerText":"In support of the Scottish Government&rsquo;s draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, we commissioned and published a set of independent analysis on the North Sea energy transition. This can be found here: Publication of the outputs from a programme of work to better understand our energy requirements as we transition to net zero - Energy system and Just Transition: independent analysis - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).","AnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426132,"EventID":"S6W-31120","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-08T15:49:01.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T14:10:48.053","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that the North Sea Transition Taskforce&rsquo;s recommendations are implemented effectively to safeguard jobs and support the energy tr","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that the North Sea Transition Taskforce&rsquo;s recommendations are implemented effectively to safeguard jobs and support the energy transition.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has noted the launch by the British Chambers of Commerce of a new North Sea Transition Taskforce. Based on the information made available so far, we understand that the Taskforce will hold its first meetings before the end of the year and then intends to publish recommendations for both the UK and Scottish Governments next Spring.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426133,"EventID":"S6W-31115","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-08T15:49:01.32","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T14:10:48.053","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of findings in Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce's&nbsp;Energy Transition 40th Survey report that North Sea oil and gas firms \"expect a desperately ble","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of findings in Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce's&nbsp;Energy Transition 40th Survey report that North Sea oil and gas firms \"expect a desperately bleak situation to go from bad to worse\", what measures it is taking to improve confidence in the North Sea oil and gas sector.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31114 on 15 November 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426134,"EventID":"S6W-31032","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-08T15:49:01.4","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-04T08:08:42.133","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has conducted any analysis of the impact of reducing Scottish income tax on economic growth and, if so, what the outcome was.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has conducted any analysis of the impact of reducing Scottish income tax on economic growth and, if so, what the outcome was.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government analyses a range of impacts, including on the economy, when considering Income Tax policy options during the annual budget process. We also closely monitor the impacts of our existing policies on revenues, taxpayers, and the economy. Scottish Income Tax performance remains strong &ndash; Scotland outperformed the rest of the UK in both tax and earnings growth for both 2022-23 and 2023-24. Scottish Income Tax policy for 2025-26 will be announced during the annual Budget process.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426135,"EventID":"S6W-31096","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-08T15:49:01.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-06T17:13:38.727","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to its letter of 13 December 2023 to the UK energy minister urging the UK Government to explore mandating communitybenefits for all onshore energy developments,","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to its letter of 13 December 2023 to the UK energy minister urging the UK Government to explore mandating communitybenefits for all onshore energy developments, whether it has discussed thiswith the current UK administration and, if so, what the response was.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has long recognised the need for our communities to benefit from our just energy transition to net zero. This is why we continue to engage with the UK Government to encourage them to explore mandating community benefits for all onshore energy developments, along with plans for transmission infrastructure.Despite the powers to mandate community benefits being reserved to the UK Government, Scotland has made significant progress with a voluntary approach to community benefits. Supported by our Good Practice Principles, our Community Benefits Register shows that in the past year, over &pound;26m of community benefits have been offered to Scottish communities.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426136,"EventID":"S6W-31114","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-08T15:48:59.797","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T14:10:48.053","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the findings showing the lowest levels of confidence in the UK continental shelf (UKCS) since the Energy Transition survey series began, as set o","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the findings showing the lowest levels of confidence in the UK continental shelf (UKCS) since the Energy Transition survey series began, as set out in Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce's&nbsp;Energy Transition 40th Survey&nbsp;report.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to working in partnership with business and industry to deliver a just transition for Scotland&rsquo;s valued oil and gas sector, which recognises the declining nature of the North Sea basin and is in line with our climate change commitments.We recognise that the oil and gas sector has an important and valued continuing role to play in our economy and energy; and that retention of both a strong workforce and energy supply chain, will be crucial for the success of the transition to net zero and renewables.Offshore oil and gas licensing and consenting, as well as the associated fiscal regime, are currently reserved to the UK Government. We continue to call on UK Government to listen carefully to the concerns being expressed by businesses around risks to jobs and investment in the transition.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426137,"EventID":"S6W-31126","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-08T15:49:01.193","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T15:19:36.9","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29938 by Ivan McKee on 24 September 2024, whether it has established (a) whether each local authority has any option to source ano","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29938 by Ivan McKee on 24 September 2024, whether it has established (a) whether each local authority has any option to source another supply within their area, outwith the National Electricity Supply Contract, and (b) what benefits contracting with such sources could bring for public expenditure and the National Electricity Supply Contract.","AnswerText":"(a)The National Electricity Supply Framework is not mandatory, so organisations can source another supply out-with the framework agreement. If they do leave the framework they need to comply with the terms and conditions which set out the notice period required to leave the electricity framework.(b)With regards to public expenditure benefits, because the other source of electricity would be purchased by a local authority and be out-with the framework any benefit would be assessed and recorded by the local authority.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426138,"EventID":"S6W-31130","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-08T15:49:01.157","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T15:19:36.9","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29936 by Ivan McKee on 24 September 2024, who the members are of the Risk Management Committee that owns the current risk managed ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29936 by Ivan McKee on 24 September 2024, who the members are of the Risk Management Committee that owns the current risk managed hedging strategy; whether the committee has considered any community wealth building advantages of adding community energy suppliers to the generation mix; whether any financial benefits of doing so for the main public sector bodies have been considered, and, if so, whether any conclusions were published.","AnswerText":"The Risk Management committee includes a mix of procurement, financial and energy personnel from the following organisations &ndash; Scottish Government, Scottish Prison Service, Police Scotland, University of Edinburgh, Advanced Procurement for Universities and Colleges, Glasgow Clyde College, Inverclyde Council, Aberdeenshire Council, Argyll and Bute Council, NHS National Services Scotland, NHS Ayrshire and Arran, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.The generation mix of electricity for the Framework is not dictated by the Risk Management Committee, this would be something which is decided by the supplier with regards to their own generation mix, therefore no information or conclusions can be published about other supply mixes.Ultimately, the generation mix for the electricity framework is sourced from the National Grid.Any community energy used/used in future would be out-with the framework.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426139,"EventID":"S6W-31132","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-08T15:49:01.17","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T15:19:36.9","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29938 by Ivan McKee on 24 September 2024, whether local authorities can (a) build and generate their own supply to offset their re","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29938 by Ivan McKee on 24 September 2024, whether local authorities can (a) build and generate their own supply to offset their requirement to purchase electricity from the single supplier and (b) sell or sleeve their independent supply in the wider electricity marketplace to maximise any community wealth building benefits of so doing.","AnswerText":"Local authorities are able to build and generate their own electricity supply. Any local authority considering the option to build and generate their own electricity supply should advise Scottish Procurement and the Supplier once they have committed to the decision to build and generate electricity supplies, as they will be reducing the volumes that they require from the national framework.If a local authority wanted to sell or sleeve their independent electricity supply to the wider marketplace, this would be their commercial decision, and any agreement would be out-with the national electricity framework.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426140,"EventID":"S6W-31099","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-08T15:49:01.423","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T10:05:59.34","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to NHS Grampian to reduce the waiting list for elective surgery at Woodend Hospital, in light of reports that this is estimated to be around","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to NHS Grampian to reduce the waiting list for elective surgery at Woodend Hospital, in light of reports that this is estimated to be around 3,000 people.","AnswerText":"NHS Grampian was allocated funding to support additional orthopaedic activity at Woodend Hospital as part of our &pound;30 million investment in planned care.Activity levels will increase over the coming months and the Scottish Government will work closely with the Board to support delivery.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426141,"EventID":"S6W-31102","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-08T15:48:59.69","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T10:28:50.443","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of frontline health spending is spent on child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), and whether if it is on track to meet its commitment of all","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of frontline health spending is spent on child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), and whether if it is on track to meet its commitment of allocating 1% to this.","AnswerText":"Latest available data published in February 2024 by Public Health Scotland in the Scottish Health Service Costs book confirmed that NHS expenditure on child and adolescent mental health rose from &pound;97.9 million in 2021-22 to &pound;114.8 million in 2022-23, an increase of &pound;16.9 million or 17% - representing 0.75% of total NHS expenditure.We continue to work with NHS Boards and Integration Joint Boards towards delivery of the commitment that at least 1% of their frontline health spending will be dedicated to child and adolescent mental health by the end of this parliamentary session.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426142,"EventID":"S6W-31118","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-08T15:49:01.19","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T14:10:48.053","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support Aberdeen&rsquo;s role as a global renewable energy hub.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support Aberdeen&rsquo;s role as a global renewable energy hub.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has committed up to &pound;500 million strategic investment over five years, to leverage private investment in critical offshore wind infrastructure and supply chain.Additional support for energy transition in Aberdeen and the North East region is also being provided through:The Just Transition Fund, through which we have allocated up to &pound;75 million across the North East region to support projects, including the Supply Chain Pathway and Energy Transition Challenge Fund helping supply chain companies to transition and access new net zero and global business opportunities, and the Offshore Energy Skills Passport aiding the cross sector transferability of the offshore energy workforce.The Energy Transition Fund, which is supporting four major projects in Aberdeen and the North East region. These include supporting development in Aberdeen of the Energy Transition Zone, providing the necessary facilities and investment opportunities to attract renewable energy manufacturing companies and the creation of the Global Underwater Hub, to provide sub sea supply chain companies with access to multiple sector markets worldwide.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426143,"EventID":"S6W-31113","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-08T15:49:01.223","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T14:10:48.053","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the steadily declining value in renewables work over recent Energy Transition surveys, as described in Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the steadily declining value in renewables work over recent Energy Transition surveys, as described in Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce's&nbsp;Energy Transition 40th Survey&nbsp;report.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31111 on 18 November 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426144,"EventID":"S6W-31103","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-08T15:48:59.74","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T10:28:50.45","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is on track to meet its commitment to (a) increase frontline health spending by at least &pound;2.5 billion, (b) increase primary care spending by 25%, (c) in","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is on track to meet its commitment to (a) increase frontline health spending by at least &pound;2.5 billion, (b) increase primary care spending by 25%, (c) increase mental health investment by 25% and (d) invest &pound;250 million on dealing with the drug deaths emergency over the course of the current parliamentary session.","AnswerText":"Against a challenging economic and financial context, the Scottish Government continues to increase funding for health and social care services.Providing over &pound;1.9 billion additional investment in frontline health spend since 2021-22 - ahead of trajectory to meet the &pound;2.5 billion target by 2026-27.Supporting a 20% increase in Primary Care investment over the same time frame &ndash; ensuring we remain on track to deliver our commitment to reach 25% by 2026-27.Mental health remains a priority, with overall increases in spend and total investment now standing at over &pound;1.3 billion across the Scottish Government and NHS Boards - enabling record numbers of staff in providing more varied support and services to a larger number of people than ever before.We remain committed to making an additional &pound;250 million available for the National Mission on Drugs over the course of the parliament, and we will continue to publish a financial breakdown in the National Mission Annual Reports.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426145,"EventID":"S6W-31110","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-08T15:49:01.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T14:10:48.053","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce's Energy Transition 40th Survey report.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce's Energy Transition 40th Survey report.","AnswerText":"We have noted the latest Energy Transition survey report published by Aberdeen and Grampian Chambers of Commerce. Offshore oil and gas licensing and consenting, as well as the associated fiscal regime, are currently reserved to the UK Government. We continue to call on UK Government to listen carefully to the concerns being expressed by businesses around risks to jobs and investment in the transition.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426146,"EventID":"S6W-31095","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-08T15:49:01.893","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-06T17:13:38.727","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the reported shortageof environmental health officers and the impact that this is having on localauthorities (a) nationally and (b) t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the reported shortageof environmental health officers and the impact that this is having on localauthorities (a) nationally and (b) that serve island areas, such as Orkney.","AnswerText":"Environmental Health Officers are a core part of the public health workforce in Scotland and the Environmental Health function is key to protecting and improving the health of the Scottish population.The Scottish Government set up the Environmental Health Policy Co-ordination Group in 2022. The group works collaboratively with the Society of Chief Officers in Environmental Health, COSLA and other relevant stakeholders, including the Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland (REHIS) to seek solutions in issues affecting the sector, such as the difficulties in filling vacancies and improving the route into the profession.Since 2023, REHIS have offered an alternative route into the Diploma in Environmental Health for people who have a science related degree. This has helped attract more people into the profession from different backgrounds.The wider impact that the shortages in Environmental Health Officers is having nationally and in island communities varies across the country and should be advised by the relevant local authority.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426147,"EventID":"S6W-31133","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-08T15:49:01.183","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T15:19:36.9","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29941 by Ivan McKee on 24 September 2024, for what reason no provision exists within the National Electricity Supply Contract to p","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29941 by Ivan McKee on 24 September 2024, for what reason no provision exists within the National Electricity Supply Contract to provide local community-owned renewable electricity to clients, and what priority it gives to allowing clients to secure electricity that was being sourced from certified renewable supplies to reduce their carbon footprint and any related carbon charges.","AnswerText":"The strategy for the provision of electricity under the national framework agreement was developed and agreed in partnership with the User Intelligence Group (UIG). The UIG consists of representatives from across the public sector and they define the core purpose of the procurement and set out the key deliverables. In this case the core requirement was that the provider should be capable of delivering electricity supply and service to over 300 customers. Continuity of supply is a critical element and taking into account the requirement and the risks associated with supply, the UIG agreed that the framework should be tendered as a single supplier agreement. The energy supplier must have the capacity to supply and service all organisations by providing the ability to prepurchase electricity and also provide a billing service.If a framework customer wishes to source certified renewable supplies, then they could do this. However any agreement between a customer and an additional supplier would be out-with the framework and its terms.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426148,"EventID":"S6W-31127","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-08T15:49:01.377","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T15:19:36.9","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29945 by Ivan McKee on 24 September 2024, for what reason it did not make provision for community energy suppliers to be added to ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29945 by Ivan McKee on 24 September 2024, for what reason it did not make provision for community energy suppliers to be added to the generation mix in the contract awarded to EDF, in light of its support for community wealth building, and how the policy approach adopted supports community wealth building.","AnswerText":"The national electricity framework covers circa 300 organisations across Scotland, covering all sectors &ndash; Local Government, Central Government, NHS, Universities and colleges. Any energy supplier needs to have the capacity to supply and service all organisations by providing the ability to pre-purchase electricity and also provide a billing service.The mix of energy used is the suppliers decision, the energy mix cannot be decided by Scottish Procurement.The community energy element was not raised as a requirement in the scoping of the procurement strategy which is developed by the framework users, who are representatives from across the public sector.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426149,"EventID":"S6W-31094","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-08T15:49:02.163","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-06T17:13:38.727","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is engaging with the UK Government to ensure that a fair share of the (a) &pound;400 million allocated in loans for community energy and (b) &pound;600 millio","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is engaging with the UK Government to ensure that a fair share of the (a) &pound;400 million allocated in loans for community energy and (b) &pound;600 million for community development via local authorities proposed as part of the Local Power Plan will be available for communities in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to working with partners to continue to grow the community and local energy sector and ensure the delivery of renewable energy comes with benefits for people in Scotland.On 17 October the Scottish Government signed a Joint Vision Statement with the UK Government which set out a commitment to work together to explore opportunities for GB Energy to support community &amp; local energy in Scotland. This includes considering the role of the Scottish Government&rsquo;s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES).In line with this Vision Statement, the Scottish Government continues to work with the UK Government to explore opportunities, including for community energy and community developments via local authorities, offered by the Local Power Plan.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426150,"EventID":"S6W-31108","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5866,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-08T15:48:59.77","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T13:42:30.917","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether reducing tax costs for businesses through rates reliefs would support (a) enterprise in and (b) the local economy of the Mid Scotland and","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether reducing tax costs for businesses through rates reliefs would support (a) enterprise in and (b) the local economy of the Mid Scotland and Fife region, and what action it is taking to do so.","AnswerText":"The 2024-25 Scottish Budget delivers a competitive non-domestic rates regime including the lowest poundage in the UK for the sixth year in a row, and a package of reliefs worth an estimated &pound;685 million. As at 1 June 2024, over 20,000 properties in the Clackmannanshire, Fife, Perth and Kinross, and Stirling council areas benefited from one or more non-domestic rates reliefs, worth almost &pound;84 million.The Scottish Government is acutely aware of the enormous pressures facing businesses across Scotland and considers carefully how best to target support for businesses within the limited finances available, noting the important role non-domestic rates play in public finances.Decisions on non-domestic rates for next year will be considered in the context of the Scottish Budget 2025-26.The Scottish Government has further committed &pound;45.1 million to the Stirling and Clackmannanshire City Region Deal, which aims to support economic growth throughout the city region. The Deal supports projects across the region, in sectors including innovation, skills, culture heritage and tourism, and active travel.In addition, through the Forth Green Freeport, the Scottish Government and UK Government are working together to provide targeted tax incentives at strategic port sites within the Forth estuary. In designated Green Freeport tax site areas in Rosyth and Burntisland, businesses will have access to a range of reserved and devolved tax incentives (including Non-Domestic Rates and Land and Buildings Transaction Tax reliefs). These incentives aim to help drive investment and high-quality job creation in key sectors for the region including offshore wind, shipbuilding, and advanced manufacturing.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426175,"EventID":"S6W-31135","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5596,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":151,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-11T15:18:54.78","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T15:55:09.317","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the proposed consultation regarding the legal age of marriage, and family and succession law.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the proposed consultation regarding the legal age of marriage, and family and succession law.","AnswerText":"Work is continuing on this consultation. It covers a wide range of areas: the minimum age of marriage and civil partnership; extending simplified divorce and dissolution procedures; qualifying requirements for religious and belief bodies when they solemnise marriage or register civil partnership; a Scottish Law Commission report on cohabitant's rights following separation; and points arising on financial provision when one cohabitant dies.We are also preparing impact assessments in relation to this consultation. We are planning to issue it within the next few months.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426176,"EventID":"S6W-31156","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-11T15:18:55.42","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-08T14:12:25.623","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address any barriers that prevent women from accessing support and rehabilitation services for alcohol misuse.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address any barriers that prevent women from accessing support and rehabilitation services for alcohol misuse.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has made a combined &pound;13.5 million available to Phoenix Futures and Aberlour Childcare Trust to support the creation of three new rehabilitation services specifically designed to support women through recovery from both alcohol and drug use.Aberlour&rsquo;s Mother and Child Houses in Dundee and Falkirk can support 8 women across both facilities at any one time, including wraparound childcare support and accommodation, ensuring that many women can access residential treatment without fear of their children being removed from their care.Phoenix&rsquo;s Harper Housein Saltcoats has been designed to support single parents (male/female) or couples along with their children, who live on-site and benefit from the support of specialist childcare staff. Harper House can support up to 20 families at any one time meaning that between 60 and 80 families can be kept together and supported annually.All three services are now operational and accept referrals from across Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426177,"EventID":"S6W-31139","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-11T15:18:55.737","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T16:42:56.803","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many islands-based people currently sit on the (a) CMAL and (b) CalMac board of directors.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many islands-based people currently sit on the (a) CMAL and (b) CalMac board of directors.","AnswerText":"CMAL and CalMac each have 1 island-based person sitting on their board of directors.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426178,"EventID":"S6W-31144","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-11T15:18:54.783","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-08T09:51:16.303","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is reviewing whether to incorporate, via regulations, a provision for &ldquo;low noise&rdquo; or &ldquo;silent&rdquo; fireworks into the Fireworks and Pyrotec","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is reviewing whether to incorporate, via regulations, a provision for &ldquo;low noise&rdquo; or &ldquo;silent&rdquo; fireworks into the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31145 on 19 November 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426179,"EventID":"S6W-31148","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-11T15:18:55.087","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-08T10:42:35.057","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has had any discussions with Crown Estate Scotland about replicating the UK Government partnership announcement with The Crown Estate for future ScotWind leas","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has had any discussions with Crown Estate Scotland about replicating the UK Government partnership announcement with The Crown Estate for future ScotWind leasing rounds.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government already has a well established partnership with the Crown Estate that was fundamental to the Scotwind and INTOG licensing rounds for offshore wind. Our current focus is not on new leasing opportunities but delivering Scotland&rsquo;s strong pipeline of clean energy and supply chain opportunities.To support this the Scottish Government and UK Government Department of Energy Security and Net Zero developed a shared objective for Great British Energy to maximise the benefits of its activities in Scotland. Through developing partnerships with existing Scottish public bodies active within the clean energy sector (Crown Estate Scotland, the Enterprise Agencies and the Scottish National Investment Bank) organisations will work together to deliver joint objectives to maximise impact and value for money from Scottish projects.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426180,"EventID":"S6W-31171","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-11T15:18:55.763","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-11T11:29:08.36","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the brief that it provided to the former chief executive of the Scottish Law Commission to inform and instruct his report regarding the offices o","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the brief that it provided to the former chief executive of the Scottish Law Commission to inform and instruct his report regarding the offices of the Lord Advocate and the Solicitor General.","AnswerText":"The brief will be included with the published report.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426181,"EventID":"S6W-31161","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-11T15:18:55.63","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-08T14:28:04.023","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it received the report on the review of Higher History from the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA).","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it received the report on the review of Higher History from the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA).","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government received a draft of the full Higher History Review report from the SQA on 30 October 2024, and the Executive Summary report on 1 November 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426182,"EventID":"S6W-31172","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-11T15:18:55.71","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-11T14:12:39.55","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in the event that it recommends a change to the dual role of the Lord Advocate, what process it will follow within its statutory power to give effect to the report by t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in the event that it recommends a change to the dual role of the Lord Advocate, what process it will follow within its statutory power to give effect to the report by the former chief executive of the Scottish Law Commission regarding the offices of the Lord Advocate and the Solicitor General,&nbsp;and within what timescale.","AnswerText":"The baseline report is aimed at developing the understanding of the roles and functions of the Law Officers with a view to consulting on their role. The Law Officers&rsquo; role is secured by the Scotland Act 1998. What any changes to that role would require by way of an Act of the UK or Scottish parliament would depend on any changes proposed. As we have said, the Scottish Government will engage further with the UK Government when the research has concluded.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426183,"EventID":"S6W-31142","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-11T15:18:55.083","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-08T02:39:57.403","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will introduce a free, at-home testing service for hepatitis C.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will introduce a free, at-home testing service for hepatitis C.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government has no imminent plans to introduce at-home testing for hepatitis C.Testing for hepatitis C is currently available through a range of routes, with a particular focus on settings which are most likely to be accessed by people at highest risk of infection, such as drugs services and prison healthcare. In addition, anyone who has concerns about exposure to hepatitis C can speak to their GP practice about getting a test, which would allow them to be referred into treatment and services rapidly if required.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426184,"EventID":"S6W-31162","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-11T15:18:55.093","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-08T16:22:58.423","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will fully implement the 2021 National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline, NG206, Myalgic encephalomyelitis (or encephalopathy)/chronic fa","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will fully implement the 2021 National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline, NG206, Myalgic encephalomyelitis (or encephalopathy)/chronic fatigue syndrome: diagnosis and management.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30903 on 11 November 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426185,"EventID":"S6W-31168","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-11T15:18:54.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-11T09:49:27.877","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the design capacity is of HMP Inverness; how many prisoners it currently holds, and how many cells typically accommodate more than one inmate.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the design capacity is of HMP Inverness; how many prisoners it currently holds, and how many cells typically accommodate more than one inmate.","AnswerText":"HMP Inverness has a total of 73 cells and a design capacity of 93. As of 12 November, the establishment held 116 prisoners.SPS are unable to quantify the number of cells that typically accommodate more than one person in our care, due to the many variables that accompany our complex population, however as of the aforementioned date, the establishment had a single cell occupancy rate of 33%","AnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426186,"EventID":"S6W-31157","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-11T15:18:56.167","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-08T14:12:25.623","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address any barriers that prevent women from accessing support and rehabilitation services for drug misuse.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address any barriers that prevent women from accessing support and rehabilitation services for drug misuse.","AnswerText":"As residential rehabilitation is a cross-cutting intervention for both alcohol and drug use, the answer provided to one of the member&rsquo;s proceeding questions (ref. S6W-31156 on 21 November 2024), specific to alcohol use is also applicable to this question about drug use.The Scottish Government has been working with Alcohol and Drug Partnerships to aid the development of clear pathways into through and out of residential rehabilitation, and has commissioned the establishment of residential rehabilitation pathway development clusters by Healthcare Improvement Scotland which has resulted in 29/30 ADPs publishing their pathway. This will facilitate an increase in publicly funded placements across the country, and support utilisation of new and renovated facilities.We also announced the completion of a national online service directory in August which provides a nationwide list of residential rehabilitation providers for the first time, empowering individuals and their loved ones to learn about and access quality residential rehabilitation and identify the best service to support them.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426187,"EventID":"S6W-31163","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-11T15:18:54.937","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-08T16:22:58.423","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the status of its work on the Scottish Good Practice Statement on ME-CFS, in light of the updated statement published in February 20","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the status of its work on the Scottish Good Practice Statement on ME-CFS, in light of the updated statement published in February 2023 stating that &ldquo;This represents a first step in updating the Scottish Good Practice Statement\", and that \"Further work will be undertaken to more comprehensively review the guidance&rdquo;.","AnswerText":"We continue to explore how best to bring together cross-sector ME/CFS stakeholders, to ensure effective collaboration and engagement from all parties is considered in driving forward developments and recommendations regarding ME/CFS in Scotland.The Health and Social Care Standards set out the expectation that care should be provided by health and social care professionals based on the most relevant evidence, guidance and best practice, as is appropriate to their profession and patient group. In July 2022 we wrote to health boards and GPs to raise awareness of the NICE guidelines and highlight key changes in practice, and these remain the most current national guidelines on the management of ME/CFS.We are considering the potential to seek further clarity around the status and continued applicability of the Scottish Good Practice Statement on ME/CFS and its relationship to the existing NICE guideline.In terms of our wider strategic work, a joined-up policy approach to long-term conditions is now being explored as the outcomes we seek are broadly the same regardless of condition including early identification and prevention, effective, safe and person-centred care and improved service delivery.We are currently engaging with clinicians, patients, those who care for them and the third sector organisations who provide services to find out what matters to them. From this we will then have a full public consultation commencing in January 2025, following which a strategy will be developed and published later in 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426188,"EventID":"S6W-31138","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-11T15:18:55.683","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T16:40:07.707","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out an assessment of how agriculture in Scotland could be impacted by the Chancellor of the Exchequer&rsquo;s recent announcement of changes to th","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out an assessment of how agriculture in Scotland could be impacted by the Chancellor of the Exchequer&rsquo;s recent announcement of changes to the inheritance tax system for farms from April 2026.","AnswerText":"Our rural economies will be hit by the proposed changes to Inheritance Tax&rsquo;s Agricultural Property Relief.It is disappointing that there had been no prior indication of the change or engagement with the Scottish Government. Indeed, ahead of the election a Labour spokesperson had explicitly stated there was no intention of changing APR.The Scottish Parliament recently debated this matter and agreed to call on the UK Government to reverse the changes &ndash;and urgently commit to undertake and publish impact assessments on the cumulative impact of its budget proposals on farmers and crofters in Scotland.Given the lack of available data on the impact of this decision, there should now be an immediate review of this policy, informed by close engagement with the agricultural sector and devolved governments.The Scottish Government want to see a tax system that supports &ndash; rather than hinders &ndash; orderly succession planning and the transfer of land to the next generation of custodians.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426189,"EventID":"S6W-31170","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-11T15:18:55","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-11T11:28:00.937","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government by what date it expects the report by the former chief executive of the Scottish Law Commission regarding the offices of the Lord Advocate and the Solicitor General to b","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government by what date it expects the report by the former chief executive of the Scottish Law Commission regarding the offices of the Lord Advocate and the Solicitor General to be (a) received by ministers, (b) produced and (c) published.","AnswerText":"Work is progressing on finalising the baseline report after which it will be presented to Ministers and thereafter published. While its important that this work progresses, it is also important that the report is considered, robust and accurate. I will report back to the Parliament as timescales become available.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426190,"EventID":"S6W-31169","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2633,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-11T15:18:54.803","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-11T11:14:16.12","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made with its consultation regarding the legal age of marriage.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made with its consultation regarding the legal age of marriage.","AnswerText":"We continue to make progress on this consultation. As well as the minimum age of marriage and civil partnership, it will cover a wide range of areas: extending simplified divorce and dissolution procedures; qualifying requirements for religious and belief bodies when they solemnise marriage or register civil partnership; a Scottish Law Commission report on cohabitant's rights following separation; and some points arising on financial provision when one cohabitant dies.We are also preparing impact assessments in relation to this consultation. We are planning to issue it within the next few months.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426191,"EventID":"S6W-31160","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-11T15:18:54.987","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-08T14:27:17.697","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the executive director of qualifications and assessment at the Welsh Joint Education Committee (WJEC) was involved in the review of Higher History in 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the executive director of qualifications and assessment at the Welsh Joint Education Committee (WJEC) was involved in the review of Higher History in 2024.","AnswerText":"The 2024 Higher History review is an operational matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) in its independent role as an examination body. The Scottish Government accepts the findings of the review.Richard Harry, Executive Director of Qualifications and Assessment at the Welsh Joint Education Committee (WJEC), Wales&rsquo; largest awarding body, independently peer reviewed the report and agreed that its conclusions and recommendations are supported by evidence.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426192,"EventID":"S6W-31136","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-11T15:18:54.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T16:10:01.557","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding child contact hearings, what action it is taking to ensure that Scottish Family Court processes are streamlined so as to maximise the opportunity for fathers,","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding child contact hearings, what action it is taking to ensure that Scottish Family Court processes are streamlined so as to maximise the opportunity for fathers, where it is appropriate, to have meaningful contact with their children without any unnecessary and bureaucratic delays, including through reported delay tactics by defenders in such actions.","AnswerText":"It is the Scottish Government&rsquo;s view that delay in child contact proceedings will usually not be in the best interests of the child.The Children (Scotland) Act 1995 (the 1995 Act) is the key legislation in relation to child contact and residence. In deciding whether to make a contact order under section 11 of the 1995 Act, the welfare of the child must be the court&rsquo;s paramount consideration.The Children (Scotland) Act 2020 will reform the 1995 Act and a key aim is to ensure that the child&rsquo;s best interests are at the centre of any contact or residence case. Section 30(2), once in force, will require the court to have regard to any risk of prejudice to the child&rsquo;s welfare that delay in proceedings would pose.The Family Law Committee of the Scottish Civil Justice Council developed new case management rules: Act of Sederunt (Ordinary Cause Rules 1993 Amendment) (Case Management of Defended Family and Civil Partnership Actions) 2022 (scottishciviljusticecouncil.gov.uk) covering family actions in the sheriff court. The new rules came into effect on 25 September 2023 and are intended to help prevent undue delay in proceedings relating to the welfare of children.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426193,"EventID":"S6W-31147","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-11T15:18:55.84","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-08T10:42:35.057","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on timelines for future ScotWind leasing rounds.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on timelines for future ScotWind leasing rounds.","AnswerText":"The response to both the concluded ScotWind and INTOG leasing rounds provides Scotland with a hugely exciting opportunity to transform its generating capacity, with 30GW of generating potential and significant revenue opportunities. Our focus is on delivering this opportunity, but we remain open to reassessment and possible additional leasing opportunities in the longer term if deemed necessary.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426194,"EventID":"S6W-31151","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-11T15:18:56.36","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-08T14:12:25.623","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what actions are being taken to protect children from alcohol advertisements in shops and stores.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what actions are being taken to protect children from alcohol advertisements in shops and stores.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to progressing work on protecting children and young people from exposure to alcohol marketing. It was clear from our earlier public consultation that there was a wide range of views on alcohol marketing proposals, including uncertainty about the existing evidence base for many proposals.Public Health Scotland (PHS) are being commissioned to carry out a review of the evidence for the range of options that are available to the Scottish Government under devolved powers. This will ensure that our work is evidence based and will deliver clear public health outcomes. We will consider PHS&rsquo; findings, and consider where the evidence supports further action or consultation on alcohol marketing restrictions.If the evidence supports it, the Scottish Government will return with a further consultation on a range of targeted proposals. No decisions have been taken yet on what these areas may be.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426195,"EventID":"S6W-31137","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-11T15:18:56.253","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T16:16:06.347","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken following the reported disruptions to ferry services on the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service network as a result of Storm Ashley.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken following the reported disruptions to ferry services on the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service network as a result of Storm Ashley.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not taken specific action as a result of disruption to services attributed to Storm Ashley. When sailings are late or cancelled due to weather such as during Storm Ashley and therefore out with the ferry operators&rsquo; control, there are no penalties applied.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426196,"EventID":"S6W-31155","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-11T15:18:55.307","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-08T14:12:25.623","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the main barriers are that reportedly prevent women from accessing alcohol misuse support and rehabilitation services.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the main barriers are that reportedly prevent women from accessing alcohol misuse support and rehabilitation services.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government pathways report: Pathways into, through and out of Residential Rehabilitation in Scotland: Results from the Residential Rehabilitation Providers Survey (www.gov.scot), published in November 2021, serves as a baseline to help identify specific barriers and facilitators to accessing Residential Rehabilitation (RR). Public Health Scotland&rsquo;s Evaluation of the Scottish Government Residential Rehabilitation programme: Evaluation of the Scottish Government Residential Rehabilitation programme 13 February 2024 - Evaluation of the Scottish Government Residential Rehabilitation programme - Publications - Public Health Scotland, published on 13 February 2024, also provides details of some of the barriers individuals, including women, face when seeking access to RR, and the actions already taken to address these.The main barriers women face while accessing RR is the awareness of rehab, including funding, and how to access services and the lack of provision for individuals with caring responsibilities.The Residential Rehabilitation Rapid Capacity Programme (RRRCP) was established to provide funding to increase RR capacity, with a particular focus on improving provision for women and those with childcare responsibilities.Through the RRRCP, funding has been awarded to support the establishment of two Aberlour mother and child recovery units, one in Dundee and the other in Falkirk. It has also supported the establishment of Phoenix Future&rsquo;s Harper House, in Saltcoats, that offers a unique national family services which can support up to 20 families at one time.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426197,"EventID":"S6W-31149","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-11T15:18:56.333","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-08T12:06:14.65","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30938 by Gillian Martin on 7 November 2024, what modelling it has carried out on potential increases to the household recycling ra","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30938 by Gillian Martin on 7 November 2024, what modelling it has carried out on potential increases to the household recycling rate from investments made through the Recycling Improvement Fund.","AnswerText":"A local authority is required to model projected impacts to local recycling rates of their project during the Recycling Improvement Fund application process.Projected impacts are then reviewed by technical experts and contribute to an estimate of the total impact of all Recycling Improvement Fund projects on Scotland&rsquo;s national household recycling rate.The projected increase to the national household recycling rate from current projects is 2.5 percentage points, subsequent to the conclusion of the Fund in 2026.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426198,"EventID":"S6W-31140","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-11T15:18:54.873","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T16:55:07.227","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to introducing Hindi as a national qualification modern language, in light of Scotland&rsquo;s Census 2022 reportedly showing that Indian","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to introducing Hindi as a national qualification modern language, in light of Scotland&rsquo;s Census 2022 reportedly showing that Indians are the second largest immigrant population in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government fully recognises the importance of young people learning languages, including languages spoken in our communities. The introduction of new qualifications is a matter for the Scottish Qualification Authority (SQA). To establish a new National Qualification, the SQA would first consider if certain criteria have been met. These include evidence of demand and sufficient availability of qualified and registered subject specialist teachers to teach any new qualification.The 1+2 Languages policy provides all pupils with an entitlement to learn additional languages from primary 1 to the end of S3. The second additional language, taught from primary 5, can be any language including Hindi.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426199,"EventID":"S6W-31153","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-11T15:18:56.01","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-08T14:12:25.623","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to reduce any stigma surrounding women  accessing drug misuse services.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to reduce any stigma surrounding women  accessing drug misuse services.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government are working to implement specific recommendations from the Drug Deaths Taskforce relating to the stigma that women very often face when accessing drug and alcohol treatment.We are working to ensure that a gender-sensitive approach is taken across all new and developing initiatives in the National Drugs Mission, and are taking specific steps to address the particular stigma faced by women who have children.This includes convening an expert working group to develop a good practice guide to improve the support and care that women and their infants receive during the perinatal period, which will reach across drugs and alcohol, social work and maternity and wider health services.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426200,"EventID":"S6W-31145","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-11T15:18:55.933","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-08T09:51:16.303","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with industry representatives regarding standards of specification to categorise \"silent\" or \"low-noise\" fireworks, in order to incorporate t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with industry representatives regarding standards of specification to categorise \"silent\" or \"low-noise\" fireworks, in order to incorporate their use into the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022.","AnswerText":"The current maximum legal noise level for fireworks is defined in UK-wide legislation, the Pyrotechnic Articles (Safety) Regulations 2015.While we recognise that some retailers label fireworks as silent or low noise consultations with various stakeholders had confirmed that no formal standard or specification exists to identify or differentiate these products.We are keen to stay informed about advancements in this area, and I have written to the new UK Government to request a meeting to discuss possible updates to fireworks regulations on a UK wide basis. I recognise we share the goal of enhancing community safety and wellbeing, and I plan to address noise as part of these discussions.Within the powers available to us, we have taken a series of proportionate, evidence-based steps to strengthen the law around access to and use of fireworks.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426201,"EventID":"S6W-31146","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-11T15:18:54.907","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-08T10:42:35.057","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the Local Power Plan, and whether it will provide support for local authorities in Scotland to take advantag","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the Local Power Plan, and whether it will provide support for local authorities in Scotland to take advantage of any potential opportunities as a result of the plan.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to working with partners to continue to grow the community and local energy sector and ensure the delivery of renewable energy comes with benefits for people in Scotland.On 17 October the Scottish Government signed a Joint Vision Statement with the UK Government which set out a commitment to work together to explore opportunities for GB Energy to support community and local energy in Scotland. This includes considering the role of the Scottish Government&rsquo;s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES).In line with this Vision Statement, the Scottish Government continues to work with the UK Government to explore opportunities, including for local authorities in Scotland, offered by the Local Power Plan. The Scottish Government looks forward to working with local authorities to ensure that opportunities arising from the Local Power Plan are maximised for local communities.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426202,"EventID":"S6W-31141","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-11T15:18:55.92","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T17:21:05.01","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it (a) is taking and (b) plans to take to improve the early diagnosis of (i) Crohn&rsquo;s disease and (ii) ulcerative colitis.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it (a) is taking and (b) plans to take to improve the early diagnosis of (i) Crohn&rsquo;s disease and (ii) ulcerative colitis.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all people in Scotland living with Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, are able to access the best possible care and support, and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care.Significant additional activity is already underway following the allocation of &pound;30 million funding to target reductions to the national backlogs that built up throughout the pandemic. This includes over 40,000 extra diagnostic procedures.Our Endoscopy and Urology Diagnostic Recovery and Renewal Plan has so far delivered four mobile endoscopy units across Scotland, providing 5-6 additional endoscopy rooms, and a Dyce facility to provide additional endoscopy procedures for NHS Grampian. Additionally, the national endoscopy surveillance framework, introduced in February 2022, has been implemented in all Health Boards.We have also funded the Modernising Patient Pathways Programme (MPPP) with a specific workstream continuing to promote improvements in IBD care which is being taken forward through the MPPPs National Gastroenterology Speciality Delivery Group (SDG). They have developed a national IBD pathway for NHS Scotland which is due to be published imminently.In addition, the Gastroenterology SDG is developing a lower gastrointestinal pathway which will provide primary care guidance about testing and diagnosis for people with IBD and Coeliac Disease in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426203,"EventID":"S6W-31152","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-11T15:18:54.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-08T14:12:25.623","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to reduce any stigma for women wishing to access services pertaining to alcohol misuse.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to reduce any stigma for women wishing to access services pertaining to alcohol misuse.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government are working to address the stigma that people affected by substance use issues face when accessing treatment, which can be particularly acute for women.We made a combined &pound;13.5 million available to Phoenix Futures and Aberlour Childcare Trust to develop three new rehabilitation services specifically designed to support women and their families through recovery from both alcohol and drug use.We have also convened an expert working group to develop a good practice guide to improve the support and care that women and their infants receive during the perinatal period, which will reach across drugs and alcohol, social work and maternity and wider health services.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426204,"EventID":"S6W-31154","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-11T15:18:54.833","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-08T14:12:25.623","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address any link between breast cancer rates and alcohol consumption among women.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address any link between breast cancer rates and alcohol consumption among women.","AnswerText":"Cancer remains a national priority, within the Scottish Government and across NHS Scotland. Our Cancer Strategy for Scotland 2023-2033 was published in June 2023.We know that there is a clear relationship between alcohol consumption and increased risk of developing certain cancers, including breast cancer. Successful implementation of evidence-based prevention strategies targeted at harmful health behaviours could prevent approximately 40% of cancers.Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems in partnership with Scottish Government shared information with primary care providers on the link between alcohol and some cancers in 2022-23, and maintains guidance on this on its website.The Scottish Government has also increased the minimum unit price of alcohol to 65 pence per unit from 30 September 2024, and commissioned Public Health Scotland to carry out a review of the evidence for potential restrictions on alcohol marketing. If the evidence supports it, the Scottish Government will consult on focused proposals at a future date.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426205,"EventID":"S6W-31143","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-11T15:18:56.093","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-08T09:51:16.303","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it is undertaking regarding (a) the implementation of firework control zones and (b) any impact that firework control zones are having on deterring the a","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it is undertaking regarding (a) the implementation of firework control zones and (b) any impact that firework control zones are having on deterring the antisocial use of fireworks.","AnswerText":"All local authorities are required to review the operation and effectiveness of any firework control zones designated within their area. Data gathered as a part of such reviews can be utilised for the Scottish Government's statutory obligation to report on the operation of the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022 for the period through to 10 August 2027. Ministers also engage with relevant parties, such as Police Scotland, to understand the impact of firework control zones.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426233,"EventID":"S6T-02182","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-11T13:06:15.147","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-11T09:43:33.21","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Children and Young People&rsquo;s Commissioner Scotland's call for it to introduce \"legal&nbsp;protection for children on the use of physical","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Children and Young People&rsquo;s Commissioner Scotland's call for it to introduce \"legal&nbsp;protection for children on the use of physical restraint and seclusion in all situations where children are in the care of the state\".","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-11-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426234,"EventID":"S6F-03519","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-11T13:06:05.067","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T13:35:23.843","Title":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426235,"EventID":"S6F-03520","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5586,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-11T13:06:04.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-07T13:35:38.363","Title":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426236,"EventID":"S6F-03526","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-11T13:06:05.217","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-11T10:06:50.8","Title":"To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet.","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426237,"EventID":"S6F-03534","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16182,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":117,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-11T13:06:05.193","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-11T11:10:14.383","Title":"To ask the First Minister what engagement the Scottish Government has had with the UK Government regarding reports from BBC Panorama that smart meters in Scotland are experiencing a disproportionate n","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what engagement the Scottish Government has had with the UK Government regarding reports from BBC Panorama that smart meters in Scotland are experiencing a disproportionate number of operational issues compared with elsewhere in the UK, due to differences in connection type used to send data to energy providers.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426238,"EventID":"S6F-03538","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-11T13:06:05.293","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-11T12:00:29.75","Title":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to reports that its spending on private consultants has almost doubled in the space of five years.","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to reports that its spending on private consultants has almost doubled in the space of five years.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426239,"EventID":"S6F-03527","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16207,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-11T13:06:05.09","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-11T10:13:13.607","Title":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to reported concerns that its proposed formula for calculating rent controls in the Housing (Scotland) Bill will require above-infl","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to reported concerns that its proposed formula for calculating rent controls in the Housing (Scotland) Bill will require above-inflation rent rises for hundreds of thousands of renters, thus not tackling unaffordable rents.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426240,"EventID":"S6W-31097","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":8,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-11T15:54:13.913","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-06T17:36:51.617","Title":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will emulate the UK Parliament's annual Constituency Garden of Remembrance in the Scottish Parliament's garden from 2025.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will emulate the UK Parliament's annual Constituency Garden of Remembrance in the Scottish Parliament's garden from 2025.","AnswerText":"I thank the Member for their question. The SPCB will consider this suggestion in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Claire Baker (on behalf of the SPCB)","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426268,"EventID":"S6W-31047","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-12T15:22:50.007","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T10:37:33.833","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the introduction of the UK Government Tobacco and Vapes Bill on 5 November 2024, what plans it has to introduce (a) a licensing scheme and (b) regulations r","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the introduction of the UK Government Tobacco and Vapes Bill on 5 November 2024, what plans it has to introduce (a) a licensing scheme and (b) regulations regarding the sale of vaping products by retailers in Scotland, to tackle youth access and ensure that any poor-quality, illicit and illegal imports of vaping products can be restricted. &nbsp;","AnswerText":"Scotland has a long-established and functioning register of tobacco and nicotine vapour product retailers. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, if passed, will expand Scotland&rsquo;s existing registration scheme to include retailers selling herbal smoking products and nicotine products.The Scottish Government&rsquo;s view is that introducing a licensing system at this time would put undue pressure on local authorities and the retail sector. In line with our Tobacco and Vaping Framework, the technical infrastructure of the register is being improved, which has been welcomed by stakeholders.The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, if passed, will ban the advertising, promotion and sponsorship of vapes including non-nicotine vapes and nicotine products that are currently not captured in a similar way to existing restrictions on the advertisement of tobacco products. The Bill, if passed, will also ban the free distribution, nominal pricing and substantial discounting of vapes to anyone of any age. This will ensure that retailers do not use this as an alternative way to promote their products.The Bill, if passed, will also provide a number of powers to Scottish Ministers to regulate the display of vaping products and their prices, as well as the display of empty retail packaging or anything that represents the products, in retailers in Scotland. Further consultation will be undertaken before making regulations under this power.Additionally the Bill, if passed, also provides powers for the Secretary of State to make regulations about the quality, safety and product standards to be met for production, sale or importation of vaping products, as well as their packaging, the features, and their flavours. These powers can only be exercised to make regulations containing devolved provision if the Secretary of State obtains the consent of the Scottish Ministers.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426269,"EventID":"S6W-31188","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-12T15:22:50.007","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T09:20:44.347","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many hectares of land capable of supporting arable agriculture have been used for (a) housing developments, (b) industrial developments ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many hectares of land capable of supporting arable agriculture have been used for (a) housing developments, (b) industrial developments and (c) renewable projects, in each year since 2019, also broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government holds or has access to multiple datasets relating to land use. However, these datasets are not exhaustive and are not held in a compatible format that would enable us to provide the information requested.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426270,"EventID":"S6W-31181","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-12T15:22:50.587","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-11T18:40:52.097","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many cases in the children&rsquo;s hearings system have been subject to delay due to a shortage of panel members or professionals since 2012.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many cases in the children&rsquo;s hearings system have been subject to delay due to a shortage of panel members or professionals since 2012.","AnswerText":"This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government as it relates to an operational matter for the children&rsquo;s hearings system.The member should contact the Scottish Children&rsquo;s Reporter Administration, one of the statutory bodies of the hearings system, for this information.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426271,"EventID":"S6W-31048","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-12T15:22:50.63","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-05T10:37:59.83","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the introduction of a licensing scheme in Scotland for the sale of vaping products would help tackle youth access to, and illicit imports","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the introduction of a licensing scheme in Scotland for the sale of vaping products would help tackle youth access to, and illicit imports of, vaping products.","AnswerText":"In line with Tobacco and Vaping Framework, work is underway to improve the technical infrastructure of the existing register of tobacco and nicotine vapour product retailers, which has been welcomed by stakeholders. We plan to continue to review the register going forward.At this time the Scottish Government&rsquo;s view is that introducing a licensing scheme would put undue pressure on local authorities and the retail sector.The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, if passed, will expand Scotland&rsquo;s existing registration scheme to include retailers selling herbal smoking products and nicotine products.The purchase of vaping products is age restricted. It is illegal to sell to, or buy them for, anyone under the age of 18. In Scotland, local authorities already have powers to issue fixed penalty notices to retailers and individuals who commit offences related to the age of sale.We work with the Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland on enforcement of existing legislation, including around underage sales and illicit tobacco and vapes. We also work with HMRC and Border Force who undertake intelligence led action to tackle the import of illicit tobacco and vaping products at the border.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426272,"EventID":"S6W-31198","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-12T15:22:50.71","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T11:20:17.987","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that any upcoming inspections of maternity services account for any local discrepancies between safe staffing requirements under the common staffi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that any upcoming inspections of maternity services account for any local discrepancies between safe staffing requirements under the common staffing methodology and current staffing levels, so that the quality of care can be evaluated in this context.","AnswerText":"Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS)&rsquo;s Healthcare Staffing Programme monitors NHS Boards&rsquo; compliance with the Common Staffing Method. The HIS Healthcare Staffing Operational Framework sets out HIS&rsquo;s methodology for monitoring compliance. The HIS Healthcare Staffing Programme forms part of the HIS Safe Delivery of Care (SDoC) inspections, both in terms of pre-inspection activity and as part of the onsite inspection team. The SDoC inspection methodology is used for the current acute hospital inspection programme and will therefore also be applied to the maternity inspection programme when it commences from January 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426273,"EventID":"S6W-31190","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-12T15:22:50.007","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T09:20:44.347","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many hectares of land capable of supporting improved grassland have been used for (a) housing developments, (b) industrial developments ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many hectares of land capable of supporting improved grassland have been used for (a) housing developments, (b) industrial developments and (c) renewable projects, in each year since 2019, also broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government holds or has access to multiple datasets relating to land use. However, these datasets are not exhaustive and are not held in a compatible format that would enable us to provide the information requested.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426274,"EventID":"S6W-31196","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-12T15:22:50.227","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T10:19:10.647","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will prohibit employers who make use of unpaid trial shifts from receiving public funding or procurement contracts, as it committed to exploring in its 2024-2","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will prohibit employers who make use of unpaid trial shifts from receiving public funding or procurement contracts, as it committed to exploring in its 2024-25 Budget.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to using all levers at our disposal to extend Fair Work First conditionality with clear standards and minimum requirements to cover all forms of Scottish Government support within the limits of devolved competence. We are currently focussed on implementing Fair Work conditionality in public sector grants and will be undertaking an evaluation which will inform options for future focus and further strengthening of Fair Work First.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426275,"EventID":"S6W-31175","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-12T15:22:50.003","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-11T16:19:56.413","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, not including any other non-domestic rates relief schemes that it has in place, how much it has spent on non-domestic rates relief specifically for the retail, hospital","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, not including any other non-domestic rates relief schemes that it has in place, how much it has spent on non-domestic rates relief specifically for the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors in the financial year (a) 2022-23, (b) 2023-24 and (c) 2024-25 to date.","AnswerText":"The outturn cost to the Scottish Government of providing each relief, including Retail, hospitality, and leisure relief in 2020-2023, are available in Table 3 of Non-domestic rates income statistics, available at https://www.gov.scot/publications/non-domestic-rates-income-statistics/.At the December 2023 Budget, Islands and specified remote areas hospitality relief was forecast by the Scottish Fiscal Commission to cost &pound;4 million in 2024-2025, available in Figure A.10 in Scotland&rsquo;s Economic and Fiscal Forecasts December 2023, at https://fiscalcommission.scot/publications/scotlands-economic-and-fiscal-forecasts-december-2023/. Updated forecasts for 2024-2025 will be released alongside the December 2024 Budget.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426276,"EventID":"S6W-31165","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-12T15:22:50.153","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-11T08:04:18.047","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what funding it allocated to its violence reduction strategy in its 2024-25 Budget, and how this compared with each year since 2020-21.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what funding it allocated to its violence reduction strategy in its 2024-25 Budget, and how this compared with each year since 2020-21.","AnswerText":"Funding allocated to its violence reduction strategy* are as follows:Year&pound;0002020-211,848,0002021-221,884,5002022-232,041,5002023-242,041,5002024-252,016,500*These allocations of funding do not including additional Scottish Government funding to Police Scotland, other justice agencies, local authorities, health boards, third sector organisations and cross government policy related areas that address the underlying causes of violence including but not limited to addressing child poverty, early years, employability and housing.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426277,"EventID":"S6W-31176","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-12T15:22:50.587","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-11T16:19:56.413","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the latest data on the number of supported rural bus services in Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the latest data on the number of supported rural bus services in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of rural bus services supported by local authorities. Bus services in Scotland were deregulated by the then Conservative UK Government under the Transport Act of 1985 and are mostly provided by private operators. Under the Transport Act 1985, local authorities have a duty to identify where there is a social need for particular bus services and can subsidise these at their discretion. Funding is provided to local authorities in their annual settlement to support services they consider socially necessary and for all community transport services, including rural transport networks. In 2022-23, local authorities in Scotland spent &pound;53 million on supported services nationwide.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426278,"EventID":"S6W-31167","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-12T15:22:50.58","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-11T08:04:18.047","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its strategy is for reducing knife crime, and how it will measure the effectiveness of this.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its strategy is for reducing knife crime, and how it will measure the effectiveness of this.","AnswerText":"Tackling all forms of violence including knife crime is a key priority for this government.Law enforcement and prosecution are essential in our overall approach to tackling violence, including knife crime. In addition to this, Scotland&rsquo;s Violence Prevention Framework uses a public health approach to address violence, including knife crime, that focuses on identifying and tackling the underlying root causes of violence. We want to prevent people from picking up a knife in the first instance.Through the Framework and our partner organisations, a range of activity is being taken forward to divert people away from violence, including reducing knife crime. This includes supporting and monitoring the effectiveness and progress being achieved on the following;YouthLink Scotland&rsquo;s No Knives, Better Lives programme which provides training to practitioners and engages directly with young people on the risks and consequences of violence including knife crime.Medics Against Violence&rsquo;s schools education programme, which delivers violence prevention lessons within schools and other settings.The Scottish Violence Reduction Unit are working within communities to provide violence prevention training including the carrying and use of weapons.We will also utilise national statistics to monitor levels of handling offensive weapon crimes, which includes knife carrying and would hope to maintain the improvements we have seen over the longer term.As part of implementation of the Framework, we committed to developing a Measurement Framework which will monitor high-level progress towards the Framework&rsquo;s vision over the long term. This will be published following publication of the findings from the 2023-24 Scottish Crime and Justice Survey in 2025, thereby aligning it with the very latest national data available on violence victimisation.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426279,"EventID":"S6W-31184","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-12T15:22:50.71","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-11T19:18:38.75","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government&nbsp;what information it holds on what the total number of staff dedicated to child protection services has been in each year since 2012, including the current year to d","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government&nbsp;what information it holds on what the total number of staff dedicated to child protection services has been in each year since 2012, including the current year to date, also broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"The recruitment and management of staff dedicated to child protection services is a matter for individual local authorities. The Scottish Government does not hold this information.Local authorities have a statutory duty to maintain an adequate workforce to meet the needs of their service users and to fulfil their statutory duties in respect of social work.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426280,"EventID":"S6W-31180","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-12T15:22:50.743","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-11T18:38:18.91","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) average time for a child to be seen for an initial hearing following a referral to the children's hearings system and (b) the total number of children refer","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) average time for a child to be seen for an initial hearing following a referral to the children's hearings system and (b) the total number of children referred to the system has been in each year since 2012.","AnswerText":"This information is not held by the Scottish Government as it relates to an operational matter for the children&rsquo;s hearings system.The Scottish Children&rsquo;s Reporter Administration (SCRA) publish their annual statistics, which sets out a measure on time taken to progress referrals through the children&rsquo;s hearings system and total number of children referred to the children&rsquo;s hearings system. The information is available on the SCRA website: Official Statistics - SCRA.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426281,"EventID":"S6W-31187","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-12T15:22:50.057","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T09:20:44.347","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many hectares of land there have been that can be classed as land capable of supporting (a) arable agriculture, (b) mixed agriculture, (c) improved grassland and (d)","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many hectares of land there have been that can be classed as land capable of supporting (a) arable agriculture, (b) mixed agriculture, (c) improved grassland and (d) rough grazing, in each year since 2019, also broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not collate information regarding land use capability in this manner. Information on Scotland&rsquo;s land capability is available at a National Scale through the Land Capability for Agriculture map and can be accessed here: National scale land capability for agriculture | Scotland's soils (environment.gov.scot).Please note that the land capability for agriculture assessment was carried out in 1981 using data collected between 1978 and 1981 and is not broken down by local authority area.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426282,"EventID":"S6W-31203","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-12T15:22:50.627","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T11:20:17.987","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the number of vacancies for midwives in Scotland meets the (a) needs of maternity services and (b) workforce plans of NHS boards, and what the evidence base is f","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the number of vacancies for midwives in Scotland meets the (a) needs of maternity services and (b) workforce plans of NHS boards, and what the evidence base is for its calculations,&nbsp;in light of reports that many recent midwifery graduates, educated in line with Scottish Government commissioning numbers, are seeking employment outside of Scotland.","AnswerText":"Whilst the Scottish Government sets the strategic policy direction for the NHS in Scotland, operational matters including staffing requirements are in the first instance the responsibility of the relevant NHS board. Recruitment is a matter for health boards who will take into account turnover, retention, absence rates and budgets when making recruitment decisions. This can mean that vacancies fluctuate across boards and by specialism. It is for health boards to ensure safe and effective staffing levels, and recruit to these to provide services.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426283,"EventID":"S6W-31189","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-12T15:22:50.71","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T09:20:44.347","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many hectares of land capable of supporting mixed agriculture has been used for (a) housing developments, (b) industrial developments an","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many hectares of land capable of supporting mixed agriculture has been used for (a) housing developments, (b) industrial developments and (c) renewable projects, in each year since 2019, also broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government holds or has access to multiple datasets relating to land use. However, these datasets are not exhaustive and are not held in a compatible format that would enable us to provide the information requested.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426284,"EventID":"S6W-31186","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-12T15:22:50.003","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T09:20:44.347","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many hectares of land capable of supporting rough grazing have been used for (a) housing developments, (b) industrial developments and (","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many hectares of land capable of supporting rough grazing have been used for (a) housing developments, (b) industrial developments and (c) renewable projects, in each year since 2019, also broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government holds or has access to multiple datasets relating to land use. However, these datasets are not exhaustive and are not held in a compatible format that would enable us to provide the information requested.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426285,"EventID":"S6W-31201","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-12T15:22:50.573","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T11:20:17.987","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there is evidence that vacancies advertised in maternity services align with the workforce plans of NHS boards for midwifery.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there is evidence that vacancies advertised in maternity services align with the workforce plans of NHS boards for midwifery.","AnswerText":"Whilst the Scottish Government sets the strategic policy direction for the NHS in Scotland, operational matters including staffing requirements are in the first instance the responsibility of the relevant NHS board. Recruitment is a matter for health boards who will take into account turnover, retention, absence rates and budgets when making recruitment decisions. This can mean that vacancies fluctuate across boards and by specialism. It is for health boards to ensure safe and effective staffing levels, and recruit to these to provide services.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426286,"EventID":"S6W-31179","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-12T15:22:50.627","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-11T18:36:15.797","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the average time is for a child to be seen for an initial hearing following a referral to the children&rsquo;s hearings system.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the average time is for a child to be seen for an initial hearing following a referral to the children&rsquo;s hearings system.","AnswerText":"This information is not held by the Scottish Government as it relates to an operational matter for the children&rsquo;s hearings system.The Scottish Children&rsquo;s Reporter Administration (SCRA) publish their annual statistics, which sets out a measure on time taken to progress referrals through the children&rsquo;s hearings system. The information is available on the SCRA website: Official Statistics - SCRA.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426287,"EventID":"S6W-31192","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-12T15:22:50.583","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T10:02:42.987","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that more than a quarter of a million calls to the NHS24 service in Scotland were not picked up in 2023.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that more than a quarter of a million calls to the NHS24 service in Scotland were not picked up in 2023.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"NHS 24 is committed to providing safe and effective care to our patients across Scotland 365 days of the year. During times of peak demand staff work hard to answer as many calls as quickly and safely as possible.Calls to the 111 service can be unanswered for a variety of reasons, including callers choosing to end their call after being connected to the automated messaging service and hearing the options available to them.These include accessing self-care advice via NHS Inform or contacting another area of the health service which may be more appropriate to meet their needs.The Scottish Government continues to support NHS 24's on-going work to help reduce unanswered calls, including recently revising NHS 24's key performance indicators to help better reflect and understand the current demands on the service.This work allows the Service to capture any unmet demand, and any potential risks where callers have made multiple attempts to access 111 without success.It will also allow the Service to continue to make improvements to service delivery moving forward.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426288,"EventID":"S6W-31178","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-12T15:22:50.263","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-11T18:21:25.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of play parks received a rating of (a) excellent, (b) good, (c) satisfactory, and (d) poor in each year since 2012, also broken down by local authority a","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of play parks received a rating of (a) excellent, (b) good, (c) satisfactory, and (d) poor in each year since 2012, also broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Scotland&rsquo;s local authorities are responsible for the maintenance and management of play parks within their estates.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426289,"EventID":"S6W-31174","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-12T15:22:50.103","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-11T15:35:46.237","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide extra funding to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) services, in light of the reported announcement of increased funding for Scotland a","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide extra funding to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) services, in light of the reported announcement of increased funding for Scotland as part of the UK Budget.","AnswerText":"We are committed to ensuring that people living with respiratory conditions receive the best possible care, treatment and support. Our Respiratory Care Action Plan sets our priorities and commitments for driving improvement in the prevention, diagnosis, care, treatment and support of people living with respiratory conditions such as COPD.The funding announced in the UK Autumn Statement is welcome, however, the Scottish Government continues to face the most challenging financial situation since devolution. The new Scottish Budget will be presented to Parliament on 4 December 2024. This will detail Scottish Ministers spend proposals for the year ahead.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426290,"EventID":"S6W-31164","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-12T15:22:50.273","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-11T08:04:18.047","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will outline the violence reduction strategy across communities.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will outline the violence reduction strategy across communities.","AnswerText":"In addition to our investment in policing, to strengthen our approach to address violence, in May 2023, we published a Violence Prevention Framework for Scotland. This sets out our strategy to prevent violence, and where it does occur, to reduce the harm. The Framework takes a public health approach to tackling violence, with a focus on prevention at a primary, secondary and tertiary level. By using the research and available evidence, in collaboration with our partner organisations we can target those most at risk of experiencing violence (victim and perpetrator), as early as possible.Through the Framework&rsquo;s Action Plan, we are delivering a range of activity to prevent and divert people away from violence, supported by over &pound;2m investment this year.Funding is supporting partner organisations to carry out a range of activities in schools, hospitals and across communities to prevent and respond to people at risk of experiencing or engaging in violence. This activity is being taken forward by the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit, Medics Against Violence, YouthLink Scotland, Education Scotland and Police Scotland Youth Volunteers.A progress update outlining some of the activity carried out over the first year of the Framework was published on 11 September 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426291,"EventID":"S6W-31182","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-12T15:22:50.743","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-11T18:51:00.043","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many children and young people have had their children&rsquo;s hearings delayed due to administrative issues in the past year.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many children and young people have had their children&rsquo;s hearings delayed due to administrative issues in the past year.","AnswerText":"This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government as it relates to an operational matter for the children&rsquo;s hearings system.The member should contact the Scottish Children&rsquo;s Reporter Administration, one of the statutory bodies of the hearings system, for this information.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426292,"EventID":"S6W-31202","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-12T15:22:50.293","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T11:20:17.987","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what specific actions it will take in the event that any gaps are identified between safe staffing requirements and actual staffing levels across NHS boards.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what specific actions it will take in the event that any gaps are identified between safe staffing requirements and actual staffing levels across NHS boards.","AnswerText":"The Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019: Overview - Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019: overview - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) commenced on April 2024, the Act places duties on Health Boards to ensure that at all times suitably qualified and competent individuals are working in such numbers as are appropriate for the health, wellbeing and safety of patients, the provision of high-quality care and the wellbeing of staff.Under the Act, there is a Duty on Health Boards to submit a report on how they complied with their legislative requirements. Following this, Scottish Ministers must publish these reports alongside setting out how they have taken into account and plan to take into account, in their policies for the staffing of health service, the information included in the combined report. The first Health Board Annual Reports are due 30 April 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426293,"EventID":"S6W-31183","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-12T15:22:50.62","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-11T19:18:38.75","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the total budget allocated to child protection services has been in each year since 2012, including the&nbsp;current year to date.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the total budget allocated to child protection services has been in each year since 2012, including the&nbsp;current year to date.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Funding for child protection services is provided to local authorities by means of a block grant under the Local Government settlement.It is the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources available to them, including on child protection services.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426294,"EventID":"S6W-31177","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-12T15:22:50.307","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-11T16:19:56.413","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, based on the most recent data available, what the total cost is of providing support to rural bus services.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, based on the most recent data available, what the total cost is of providing support to rural bus services.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government provides funding to support bus services nationwide, and does not hold the information required to identify support to rural services. Our commitment to bus travel includes investment of over &pound;370 million to support concessionary bus travel and funding for our Network Support Grant of almost &pound;50 million to help ensure our bus operators can continue to provide access to affordable transport in the de-regulated market across all of Scotland.Under the Transport Act 1985, local authorities have a duty to identify where there is a social need for particular bus services and can subsidise these at their discretion. Funding is provided to local authorities in their annual settlement to support services they consider socially necessary and for all community transport services, including rural transport networks. In 2022-23, local authorities in Scotland spent &pound;53 million on supported services nationwide.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426295,"EventID":"S6W-31185","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-12T15:22:50.583","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T09:20:10.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the design capacity is of HMP Barlinnie; how many prisoners it currently holds, and how many cells typically accommodate more than one inmate.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the design capacity is of HMP Barlinnie; how many prisoners it currently holds, and how many cells typically accommodate more than one inmate.","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:HMP Barlinnie has a total of 966 cells and a design capacity of 996. As of 19 November, the establishment held 1366 prisoners.SPS are unable to quantify the number of cells that typically accommodate more than one person in our care, due to the many variables that accompany our complex population, however as of the aforementioned date, the establishment had a single cell occupancy rate of 33%.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426310,"EventID":"S6W-31209","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-13T17:29:28.863","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T12:22:24.133","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the number of emergency bed days that have been allocated to patients as a result of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in each ye","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the number of emergency bed days that have been allocated to patients as a result of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in each year since 2021, also broken down by NHS board.","AnswerText":"Table 1 shows the total number of bed days for patients with a diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who had a non-elective admission and were discharged between 2021-22 and 2023-24, broken down by health board of treatment. Table 1: Number of non-elective4 bed days for COPD3 continuous inpatient stays2Financial year 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 NHS Health Board of Treatment Bed Days Golden Jubilee 6 0 4 NHS Ayrshire &amp; Arran 8,341 10,449 11,673 NHS Borders 1,690 2,321 1,491 NHS Dumfries &amp; Galloway 2,862 3,495 3,860 NHS Fife 4,334 4,579 3,892 NHS Forth Valley 4,242 3,926 4,668 NHS Grampian 5,009 6,168 6,767 NHS Greater Glasgow &amp; Clyde 29,376 39,239 35,491 NHS Highland 3,144 5,452 4,260 NHS Lanarkshire 12,966 14,339 15,711 NHS Lothian 10,073 9,787 11,358 NHS Orkney 69 140 241 NHS Shetland 72 198 275 NHS Tayside 5,006 5,457 5,599 NHS Western Isles 677 574 488 Scotland1 87,932 106,183 105,822 Source: SMR01, Public Health Scotland, extract: November 2024.Scotland totals include all activity submitted to PHS. This includes some non-NHS      provider activity. Due to this the Scotland total may be greater than the      sum of all health board activity.Continuous Inpatient Stay Methodology:A patient's entire continuous stay in a hospital setting is referred to as a Continuous Inpatient / Day Case Stay ('CIS'). A CIS is an unbroken period of time that a patient spends as an admitted patient in a hospital setting. A CIS combines all the episodes that occur during a continuous stay in hospital, including transfers between clinicians, specialties and hospitals.The data      provided is based on COPD recorded as the main discharge diagnosis (ICD10      codes J40 &ndash; J44) for continuous inpatient stays.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Discharge Diagnosis - From last/discharging episode of the CIS&nbsp;Non &ndash;      elective admission type includes admission type 20-22, 30-36 and 38-39.      More information on admission types can be found here: Admission TypeMore information on SMR01 data terms can be found here: SMR01 - General/Acute Inpatient and Day Case","AnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426311,"EventID":"S6W-31210","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-13T17:29:28.943","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T12:22:40.32","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) local authority and (b) housing association homes have been built since 2016, broken down by local authority area.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) local authority and (b) housing association homes have been built since 2016, broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government publish official statistics on housebuilding on a quarterly basis. The statistics requested can be found in the following link.https://www.gov.scot/publications/housing-statistics-for-scotland-new-house-building/","AnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426312,"EventID":"S6W-31195","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-13T17:29:28.95","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T10:03:29.463","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what further action it can take to support individuals with learning disabilities into work.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what further action it can take to support individuals with learning disabilities into work.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"No One Left Behind, our shared approach with Local Government to delivering devolved employability services, has a key role to play in meeting our commitment to halving the Disability Employment Gap by 2038. Whilst we have seen positive progress to date in the number of people with learning disabilities accessing support, we are committed to going further. That is why our Programme for Government sets out that we will have Specialist Employability Support in place across all 32 local authority areas by Summer of 2025.Additionally, as outlined in the refreshed Fair Work Action Plan, we are working with partners to develop a central resource hub for employers. Feedback from surveys of a range of employers and engagement with key stakeholders is being used to inform the design of the resource in an accessible way to help ensure that organisations of all sizes and sectors across Scotland can access advice and support to better implement Fair Work.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426313,"EventID":"S6W-31207","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-13T17:29:28.877","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T12:21:34.797","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) homicides, (b) culpable homicides, (c) attempted homicides, (d) inmate-on-inmate assaults and (e) inmate-on-prison officer assaults have been recorded in ea","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) homicides, (b) culpable homicides, (c) attempted homicides, (d) inmate-on-inmate assaults and (e) inmate-on-prison officer assaults have been recorded in each prison in each year since 2016.","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:1.In the period 2016-17 &ndash; 2023-24 there was 1 death in custody which has been classified as a Homicide.2.In the period 2016-17 - 2023-24 there were 2 deaths in custody which have been classified as Culpable Homicide.3.There have been no attempted homicides in the period 2015-16 - 2023-24. It should be noted however, that SPS are unlikely to record an instance of attempted homicide until the individual has been found guilty in a court of law, until such time it will be recorded as an assault.4.The following table provides a breakdown of prisoner-on-prisoner assaults for the period 2016-17 &ndash; 2023-24:Prisoner on Prisoner AssaultsEstablishment2016/172017/182018/192019/202020/212021/222022/232023/24Addiewell3838771268277116165Barlinnie5367115193123163117120Bella&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;00Dumfries12121113681210Edinburgh64821169883816194Glenochil2234714726271225Grampian6471675637383730Greenock151614915121612Inverness1612182524211515Kilmarnock33496114165526583Lilias&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;00Low Moss3947726136535444Castle Huntly11000100Perth76657410359755588Polmont6913817018919324816598Shotts2725213730281431Cornton Vale/Stirling131111450201.The following table provides a breakdown of prisoner on staff assaults for the period 2016-17 &ndash; 2023-24:Prisoner on Staff AssaultsEstablishment2016/172017/182018/192019/202020/212021/222022/232023/24Addiewell2429384651514462Barlinnie3030354435493045Bella&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;00Dumfries1282644625Edinburgh14332633292121Glenochil626422081967Grampian2511193729291921Greenock2263755094Inverness24318111154Kilmarnock9313925322438Lilias&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;00Low Moss99222215201041Castle Huntly00100000Perth1611274023292921Polmont2324353229432318Shotts151915203312812Cornton Vale/Stirling142826166492","AnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426314,"EventID":"S6W-31206","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-13T17:29:28.943","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T11:35:42.88","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to improve trust in government, in light of Carnegie UK research finding that 37% of people in Scotland have low levels of trust in the Scottish Government.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to improve trust in government, in light of Carnegie UK research finding that 37% of people in Scotland have low levels of trust in the Scottish Government.","AnswerText":"We recognise that reduced levels of trust is a challenge facing governments around the world. Evidence shows that a key driver of trust is people feeling they have a say. One way we are working to improve levels of trust is through our Open Government Action Plan: providing meaningful opportunities for people to be involved in decisions that affect them and sharing information openly. This includes a fiscal transparency portal to help the public track government spend, and an AI register to show the development and use of AI in the Scottish public sector. Our commitments cover fiscal openness and transparency, health and social care, climate change, data and digital, and participation. These are all areas in which civil society and members of the public have told us the ongoing promotion of transparency, participation, inclusivity and accountability is important to them.We are paying close attention to the impact trust has on democracy through the Democracy Matters engagement process on the future of community decision making. A key pillar of this was asking how more people can participate in local decision making. The process findings were published in September and we will now work with civil society and the wider public sector to deliver on the ambitions set out by our communities.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jamie Hepburn","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426315,"EventID":"S6W-31204","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-13T17:29:28.947","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T11:35:42.88","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it plans to take in light of Carnegie UK research, which shows that people on lower incomes and disabled people have much lower wellbeing than the average pe","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it plans to take in light of Carnegie UK research, which shows that people on lower incomes and disabled people have much lower wellbeing than the average person in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The goal of the Scottish Government is to help people live happier and healthier lives with higher living standards, building a fair, green, growing economy that promotes the wellbeing of all Scotland&rsquo;s people. Therefore, we welcome Carnegie UK&rsquo;s Life in the UK 2024: Scotland report as a valuable contribution to the evidence base in Scotland. The principles are closely aligned to the National Performance Framework (NPF), which monitors numerous wellbeing issues. We are alert to the issues raised by Carnegie&rsquo;s report and are committed to tackling the challenges that disabled people face, as well as investing &pound;3 billion a year to tackle poverty and help with the cost of living.Employment in a good job can be an important factor in a person&rsquo;s wellbeing. Through the Fair Work Action Plan, we have set out actions needed to promote fair and inclusive workplaces for all people across Scotland, including addressing persistent structural barriers such as those faced by disabled people. Our Fair Work First policy applies Fair Work criteria to as many funding streams, business support grants and public contracts as we can. We have included payment of at least the real Living Wage in the criteria for Fair Work First, and this is a key mechanism for driving fair pay in Scottish workplaces, helping to support improved income security and living standards.To help address barriers in the labour market for disabled people, the Programme for Government contains a commitment to introducing enhanced specialist employability support for disabled people across all local authorities by next Summer. We are working across sectors to achieve our aim of halving the disability employment gap in Scotland by 2038, focussing on support for disabled people to both enter and progress in fair work. We will shortly issue a response to the Scottish Parliament Economy and Fair Work Committee&rsquo;s recent report on its inquiry into the disability employment gap. We have also developed the Disability Plan, which will ensure disabled people have greater involvement and visibility in policy and decision-making processes.We note the recommendations included in the report. Whilst we are not introducing a Wellbeing and Sustainable Development Bill at this time, we are committed to working across the chamber with Ms Boyack on her Members&rsquo; Bill as proposals develop. When these become available, they will be given due consideration. The NPF sets out our vision of societal wellbeing. We continue to advance the NPF, including working towards updating this in 2025 to ensure it reflects a unified vision for Scotland. We will also develop, as I confirmed to the Finance and Public Administration Committee on 8 October, an implementation plan to improve how the NPF is taken forward by public bodies, including the Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426316,"EventID":"S6W-31191","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-13T17:29:28.86","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T10:02:30.69","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that some charities fear having Scottish Government funding reduced if they publicly criticise decisions taken by ministers.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that some charities fear having Scottish Government funding reduced if they publicly criticise decisions taken by ministers.","AnswerText":"Third Sector organisations play a key role in civil society and we welcome any insight and challenge they bring to public policy. The Scottish Government appreciates discussion around public policy and view it as an essential part of the democratic process.To ensure funding is awarded on a fair and equitable basis by officials, The Scottish Public Finance Manual (SPFM) is issued by the Scottish Ministers to provide guidance to the Scottish Government and other relevant bodies on the proper awarding, handling and reporting of public funds. It sets out the relevant statutory, parliamentary and administrative requirements, emphasises the need for economy, efficiency and effectiveness, and promotes good practice and high standards of propriety.Additionally, internal governance procedures are in place to ensure funding is awarded without prejudice or a single point of influence. These include an internal audit system, a governance and accountability team and accountable officer processes that ensure funding is awarded on the basis of value for money as well as outcomes and objectives that best serve the people of Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426317,"EventID":"S6W-31205","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-13T17:29:28.947","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T11:35:42.88","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to Carnegie UK&rsquo;s Life in the UK 2024: Scotland report, which found that collective wellbeing scores in 2024 remain largely unchanged from thos","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to Carnegie UK&rsquo;s Life in the UK 2024: Scotland report, which found that collective wellbeing scores in 2024 remain largely unchanged from those reported in 2023.","AnswerText":"The goal of the Scottish Government is to help people live happier and healthier lives with higher living standards, building a fair, green, growing economy that promotes the wellbeing of all Scotland&rsquo;s people. Therefore, we welcome Carnegie UK&rsquo;s Life in the UK 2024: Scotland report as a valuable contribution to the evidence base in Scotland. The principles are closely aligned to the National Performance Framework (NPF), which monitors numerous wellbeing issues. We are alert to the issues raised by Carnegie&rsquo;s report and are committed to tackling the challenges that disabled people face, as well as investing &pound;3 billion a year to tackle poverty and help with the cost of living.Employment in a good job can be an important factor in a person&rsquo;s wellbeing. Through the Fair Work Action Plan, we have set out actions needed to promote fair and inclusive workplaces for all people across Scotland, including addressing persistent structural barriers such as those faced by disabled people. Our Fair Work First policy applies Fair Work criteria to as many funding streams, business support grants and public contracts as we can. We have included payment of at least the real Living Wage in the criteria for Fair Work First, and this is a key mechanism for driving fair pay in Scottish workplaces, helping to support improved income security and living standards.To help address barriers in the labour market for disabled people, the Programme for Government contains a commitment to introducing enhanced specialist employability support for disabled people across all local authorities by next Summer. We are working across sectors to achieve our aim of halving the disability employment gap in Scotland by 2038, focussing on support for disabled people to both enter and progress in fair work. We will shortly issue a response to the Scottish Parliament Economy and Fair Work Committee&rsquo;s recent report on its inquiry into the disability employment gap. We have also developed the Disability Plan, which will ensure disabled people have greater involvement and visibility in policy and decision-making processes.We note the recommendations included in the report. Whilst we are not introducing a Wellbeing and Sustainable Development Bill at this time, we are committed to working across the chamber with Ms Boyack on her Members&rsquo; Bill as proposals develop. When these become available, they will be given due consideration. The NPF sets out our vision of societal wellbeing. We continue to advance the NPF, including working towards updating this in 2025 to ensure it reflects a unified vision for Scotland. We will also develop, as I confirmed to the Finance and Public Administration Committee on 8 October, an implementation plan to improve how the NPF is taken forward by public bodies, including the Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426318,"EventID":"S6W-31208","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-13T17:29:28.95","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T12:22:06.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government of how many deaths was pulmonary fibrosis cited as the cause, in each year since 2016, also broken down by NHS board area.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government of how many deaths was pulmonary fibrosis cited as the cause, in each year since 2016, also broken down by NHS board area.","AnswerText":"&nbsp;Table 1: Deaths registered in Scotland in which the underlying cause of death was 'other interstitial pulmonary diseases with fibrosis&rsquo; by NHS Board area, 2016-2023&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;NHS Board area20162017201820192020202120222023Ayrshire and Arran2736353444352936Borders841398111420Dumfries and Galloway9139991688Fife2841293432312737Forth Valley2529242426233226Grampian3628473630384728Greater Glasgow and Clyde931051039385759178Highland2027272417222737Lanarkshire6470647151514052Lothian6762636650536150Orkney23235023Shetland11010004Tayside3946493536294041Western Isles41213322Source: National Records of Scotland","AnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426319,"EventID":"S6W-31194","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-13T17:29:28.903","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T10:03:12.593","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the Ardrossan-Brodick ferry route is still viable, in light of reports of further delays to the MV Caledonian Isles return to service.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the Ardrossan-Brodick ferry route is still viable, in light of reports of further delays to the MV Caledonian Isles return to service.","AnswerText":"The route is viable and is currently being served by MV Isle of Arran. The Scottish Government remains committed to ensuring the Arran ferry service is fit for the future, and to find a solution at Ardrossan that can be delivered in a cost effective way reflecting the needs of all of the partners involved.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426320,"EventID":"S6O-03999","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":3907,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":135,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-13T17:53:37.39","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T11:13:43.573","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it can make communities safer from the use and impact of fireworks.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it can make communities safer from the use and impact of fireworks.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426321,"EventID":"S6O-03998","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-13T17:53:37.393","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T16:28:25.82","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to reduce waiting times for dental extractions in rural NHS board areas.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to reduce waiting times for dental extractions in rural NHS board areas.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426322,"EventID":"S6O-04002","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16189,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":129,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-13T17:53:37.42","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T11:47:16.4","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to improve access to audiology services.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to improve access to audiology services.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426323,"EventID":"S6O-04004","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-13T17:53:37.447","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T11:32:37.367","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to His Majesty&rsquo;s Inspectorate of&nbsp;Constabulary&nbsp;in Scotland&rsquo;s latest report on road policing.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to His Majesty&rsquo;s Inspectorate of&nbsp;Constabulary&nbsp;in Scotland&rsquo;s latest report on road policing.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426324,"EventID":"S6O-04000","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-13T17:53:37.497","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T11:12:36.723","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with East Dunbartonshire Council regarding the condition of Milngavie Primary School.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with East Dunbartonshire Council regarding the condition of Milngavie Primary School.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426325,"EventID":"S6O-03997","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16215,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-13T17:53:37.543","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T10:31:19.83","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that Edinburgh City Council plans to move up to 700 residents living in unlicensed temporary accommodation this winter without suitable a","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that Edinburgh City Council plans to move up to 700 residents living in unlicensed temporary accommodation this winter without suitable alternative accommodation being available.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426326,"EventID":"S6O-04001","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-13T17:53:37.473","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T10:31:36.367","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the number of people&nbsp;who are not aware of a Do Not Resuscitate order being placed on their medical notes, including in relation to ne","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the number of people&nbsp;who are not aware of a Do Not Resuscitate order being placed on their medical notes, including in relation to next of kin and power of attorney holders.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426327,"EventID":"S6O-04003","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":2826,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":84,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-13T17:53:37.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T10:24:51.533","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the annual performance of Social Security Scotland in 2023-24.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the annual performance of Social Security Scotland in 2023-24.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426328,"EventID":"S6O-03995","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4982,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-13T18:24:26.237","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T15:54:52.993","Title":"To as the Scottish Government how much the individual bus fare concessionaryschemes have cost in 2024.","ItemText":"To as the Scottish Government how much the individual bus fare concessionaryschemes have cost in 2024.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426329,"EventID":"S6O-03983","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-13T18:24:26.203","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T14:36:10.383","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish Scotland's tax strategy.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish Scotland's tax strategy.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426330,"EventID":"S6O-03993","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16194,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-13T18:24:26.493","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T10:00:12.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the net zero secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding mitigating fire risk from battery energy storage systems, in light of the role that","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the net zero secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding mitigating fire risk from battery energy storage systems, in light of the role that battery storage can play in the future energy mix of Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426331,"EventID":"S6O-03982","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-13T18:24:26.4","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T11:11:57.693","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider ring fencing funding in its forthcoming Budget to allocate to a Glasgow Airport rail link.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider ring fencing funding in its forthcoming Budget to allocate to a Glasgow Airport rail link.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426332,"EventID":"S6O-03992","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-13T18:24:26.12","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T14:02:01.4","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its position regarding investment in the future of Scotland's nuclear industry. &nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its position regarding investment in the future of Scotland's nuclear industry. &nbsp;","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426333,"EventID":"S6O-03973","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5074,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":104,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-13T18:24:26.453","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-11T16:16:56.193","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it continues to assess the impact of Brexit onScotland&rsquo;s economy.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it continues to assess the impact of Brexit onScotland&rsquo;s economy.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426334,"EventID":"S6O-03986","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-13T18:24:26.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T16:04:22.427","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to protect the allocation of funding to third sector organisations in its forthcoming Budget.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to protect the allocation of funding to third sector organisations in its forthcoming Budget.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426335,"EventID":"S6O-03994","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-13T18:24:26.337","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T11:04:07.287","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to improve safety for women and girls when travelling by train.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to improve safety for women and girls when travelling by train.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426336,"EventID":"S6O-03979","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-13T18:24:26.257","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T11:55:04.573","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the economy secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding any economic analysis it has undertaken of the impact on the wider Scottish economy ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the economy secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding any economic analysis it has undertaken of the impact on the wider Scottish economy of fish farming.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426337,"EventID":"S6O-03989","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-13T18:24:26.477","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T15:25:38.903","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement Transport Scotland has with regional transport partnerships, such as SWestrans, regarding contractual requirements for key local public transport service","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement Transport Scotland has with regional transport partnerships, such as SWestrans, regarding contractual requirements for key local public transport services, including the provision of rural buses.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426338,"EventID":"S6O-03996","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-13T18:24:26.377","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-11T15:06:54.317","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is, regarding any implications for its Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan,&nbsp;to the reported announcement by Apache that it will cease all ope","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is, regarding any implications for its Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan,&nbsp;to the reported announcement by Apache that it will cease all operations in the North Sea by the end of 2029.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426339,"EventID":"S6O-03990","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-13T18:24:26.43","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T09:24:58.823","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it will publish its Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan. &nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it will publish its Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan. &nbsp;","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426340,"EventID":"S6O-03984","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-13T18:24:26.22","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T08:05:05.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the implications of the UK Budget for its allocation of capital budget for health projects.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the implications of the UK Budget for its allocation of capital budget for health projects.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426341,"EventID":"S6O-03985","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-13T18:24:26.147","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T11:33:27.643","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether local authorities will receive a fair budget settlement.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether local authorities will receive a fair budget settlement.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426342,"EventID":"S6O-03975","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5866,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-13T18:24:26.323","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T15:58:00.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the latest Scottish Economic Bulletin.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the latest Scottish Economic Bulletin.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426343,"EventID":"S6O-03991","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16182,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":117,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-13T18:24:26.507","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T10:36:09.857","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is engaging with the growing heat pump industry, in light of the potential role that heat pumps can play in helping to achieve net zero. &nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is engaging with the growing heat pump industry, in light of the potential role that heat pumps can play in helping to achieve net zero. &nbsp;","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426344,"EventID":"S6O-03976","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16207,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-13T18:24:26.363","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T10:43:06.623","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government to what extent its economic development activities and infrastructure project decisions in the North East Scotland region are aligned with the regional economic strategy","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government to what extent its economic development activities and infrastructure project decisions in the North East Scotland region are aligned with the regional economic strategy.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426345,"EventID":"S6O-03981","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5622,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":148,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-13T18:24:26.283","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T09:41:11.493","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact on local government finance of increased employee costs for staff funded through the Housing Revenue Account.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact on local government finance of increased employee costs for staff funded through the Housing Revenue Account.","AnswerText":"The imposition of changes to employer National Insurance Contributions has the potential to seriously impact available funding for public services in Scotland, including for local government staff working in all areas. Estimates suggest that the total cost to local government in Scotland could be &pound;265 million &ndash; that is money that will need to be found from within the budget settlement and by councils themselves, including for staff funded through Housing Revenue Accounts.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426346,"EventID":"S6O-03977","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-13T18:24:26.31","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T16:36:57.21","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the reported potential withdrawal of levelling up funding for the city of Dunfermline and any economic impac","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the reported potential withdrawal of levelling up funding for the city of Dunfermline and any economic impact this may have.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426347,"EventID":"S6O-03987","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-13T18:24:26.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T11:52:57.24","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what early discussion it has had with COSLA regarding the detail of the financial settlement that it has received from the UK Government's Budget.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what early discussion it has had with COSLA regarding the detail of the financial settlement that it has received from the UK Government's Budget.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426348,"EventID":"S6O-03978","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3763,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":142,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-13T18:24:26.12","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T12:05:18.697","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on work at Ferguson Marine Port Glasgow, in light of the announcement of &pound;14 million worth of investment into the yard earlier th","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on work at Ferguson Marine Port Glasgow, in light of the announcement of &pound;14 million worth of investment into the yard earlier this year.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426349,"EventID":"S6O-03988","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-13T18:24:26.533","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T11:16:53.977","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what ongoing discussions the finance secretary is having with ministerial colleagues and officials regarding the planning of portfolio budgets in the lead up to the publ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what ongoing discussions the finance secretary is having with ministerial colleagues and officials regarding the planning of portfolio budgets in the lead up to the publication of its Budget for 2025-26.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-20T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426383,"EventID":"S6W-31259","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:43.917","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T09:49:31.253","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many teachers are currently on zero-hours contracts.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many teachers are currently on zero-hours contracts.","AnswerText":"Whilst the recruitment and employment of teachers are matters for local authorities as the employer, the member may wish to be aware that teachers are not employed on zero-hour contracts.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426384,"EventID":"S6W-31268","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:43.927","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T11:36:50.62","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how long the average wait is before a post-mortem is conducted in Aberdeen, and how this compares to (a) Glasgow and (b) Edinburgh.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how long the average wait is before a post-mortem is conducted in Aberdeen, and how this compares to (a) Glasgow and (b) Edinburgh.","AnswerText":"The average turnaround times for a non-suspicious post mortem to take place - measured from the later of the date of instruction from COPFS or the date the deceased is admitted to the designated mortuary to the date the post mortem takes place &ndash; is detailed in the following table:Average Post Mortem turnaround time for non-suspicious deaths &ndash; April to October 2024AberdeenEdinburghGlasgow5 days4 days4-5 daysCOPFS and pathology providers aim to conduct post mortems for suspicious deaths within 48 hours of the death being discovered.Average turnaround time from the date of death to the date of postmortem for all deaths - April to October 2024AberdeenEdinburghGlasgow7.7 days8.3 days8.9 days","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426385,"EventID":"S6W-31215","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:43.993","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T14:41:13.527","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many jobs (a) are currently supported by and (b) have been created through the Nature Restoration Fund.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many jobs (a) are currently supported by and (b) have been created through the Nature Restoration Fund.","AnswerText":"While competitive scheme Nature Restoration Fund projects must provide details of project finances which include staff costs, we do not collect data on the total number of jobs supported or created by the Nature Restoration Fund on a programme-wide basis.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426386,"EventID":"S6W-31219","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:43.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T16:33:09.653","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address the reported issue that e-cigarette or vaping device use was most prevalent among those aged 16 to 24 (22%), an increase of seven percentage ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address the reported issue that e-cigarette or vaping device use was most prevalent among those aged 16 to 24 (22%), an increase of seven percentage points since 2022.","AnswerText":"Within our 2024-25 Programme for Government we committed to working across the four nations on banning the sale of single use vapes (SUV) as well as the UK Tobacco and Vapes Bill. SUV&rsquo;s have been linked to a rapid increase in the number of young people vaping, particularly due to their low price. The SUV ban will be implemented from 1 June 2025 in line with the rest of the UK. If passed the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, will restrict the promotion, advertisement and brandsharing of vapes.Our &lsquo;Take Hold&rsquo; marketing campaign educates parents, carers and children about the dangers of vaping and increased the awareness of the harms and risks of nicotine addiction.We continue to work with Young Scot to support young people to understand the risks of using tobacco and nicotine products, and raise awareness of available cessation services and avenues to support young people to stop smoking/vaping.Our Tobacco and Vaping Framework recognises that price can be a critical factor in people&rsquo;s decisions on starting to smoke and vape. The Scottish Government welcomes the UK Government&rsquo;s commitment in the Autumn budget to introduce a duty on vapes from 2026 while ensuring the price differential between tobacco and vapes will be maintained.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426387,"EventID":"S6W-31234","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16194,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:43.453","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T13:44:11.113","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many buildings have been identified as having flammable cladding.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many buildings have been identified as having flammable cladding.","AnswerText":"We have previously estimated that around 350 high-rise and up to 500 medium-rise buildings across Scotland may require assessment and some level of remediation, across all tenure and building ownership types.We continue to use this data as an outline planning assumption. However, we are working through a number of routes to enhance both the quality and efficacy of our estimate of potentially affected buildings in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426388,"EventID":"S6W-31262","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:44.227","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T11:36:50.62","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on forensic pathology services in Aberdeen in each of the last 10 years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on forensic pathology services in Aberdeen in each of the last 10 years.","AnswerText":"In Scotland, post mortem examinations instructed by the Crown are performed by Forensic Pathologists and NHS Consultant pathologists. Forensic pathologists perform a mixture of Forensic and non-Forensic examinations.Aberdeen University provided a Forensic pathology service in Aberdeen in eight of the last ten years. Over those eight years, examinations were conducted by Forensic pathologists covering both Forensic and non-Forensic postmortems and it is not possible to separate the Forensic and non-Forensic pathology costs.There has been no Forensic pathology service provider in Aberdeen in 2023-2024 and 2024-2025. COPFS-instructed non-forensic examinations in Aberdeen have been conducted by locum NHS consultant pathologists and Forensic services have been conducted by other Forensic service providers in Scotland. It is therefore possible to provide the costs of the Forensic pathology caseload in Aberdeen for 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 (forecasted figures from November 2024 to March 2025) and these are shown in the following table:Year2023-242024-25Aberdeen University359,1620Forensic pathology costs (outsourced to other areas)143,360146,076Forensic pathology costs(in Aberdeen)106,130.80*19,485.37NHS Grampian1,120,3931,589,371Non-forensic Locum pathology in Aberdeen103,162234,188Total&pound;1,832,207.80&pound;1,989,120.37Please note the costs marked as * are for a locum forensic pathologist performing both forensic and routine postmortems","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426389,"EventID":"S6W-31243","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5596,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":151,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:44.877","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T15:54:39.663","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with Reach Advocacy, in Coatbridge, in light of its reported request for support to become a nationally commissioned service.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with Reach Advocacy, in Coatbridge, in light of its reported request for support to become a nationally commissioned service.","AnswerText":"On 14 May 2024 Reach Advocacy wrote to the Scottish Government requesting to become a &lsquo;Nationally Commissioned Advocacy Training Body&rsquo;. The Scottish Government replied to Reach Advocacy on 28 May 2024 seeking to fully understand the basis on which Reach Advocacy were requesting this.On 15 October 2024 Reach Advocacy submitted a business proposal to ask for funding from Scottish Government to deliver Reach Advocacy&rsquo;s &lsquo;Advocacy Practice Award&rsquo; and human rights-based training.This proposal was submitted for consideration to relevant directorates under the responsibility of the Minister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy, the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, the Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise, and the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport.Scottish Government Officials from each directorate assessed that the request for funding was not the most appropriate means by which the Scottish Government&rsquo;s current priorities and objectives would be achieved.On 6 November 2024 a response was issued to Reach Advocacy to inform them of the decision and rationale.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426390,"EventID":"S6W-31218","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:44.183","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T14:57:27.537","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address the issue highlighted in the SQA Higher History Review 2024 that \"recruitment and retention of sufficient markers has become increasingly cha","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address the issue highlighted in the SQA Higher History Review 2024 that \"recruitment and retention of sufficient markers has become increasingly challenging over recent years\".","AnswerText":"The recruitment and retention of markers is an operational matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) in its independent role as an examination body.SQA works closely with the wider education system to promote and source markers, who are all experienced teachers and lecturers. There are established contingencies in place, should this be required, to ensure marking is completed on time.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426391,"EventID":"S6W-31247","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16215,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:44.08","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T15:58:15.29","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what specific measures are in place to verify that third sector organisations meet fair work criteria once they receive public grants.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what specific measures are in place to verify that third sector organisations meet fair work criteria once they receive public grants.","AnswerText":"It is the responsibility of individual grant funders to monitor a grant recipient&rsquo;s compliance with the real Living Wage and effective voice conditions and its progress on the remaining five desirable Fair Work First criteria, as part of their standard grant governance, assurance and monitoring processes.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426392,"EventID":"S6W-31257","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:44.82","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T17:39:57.383","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to support all alcohol and drug partnerships to establish (a) alcohol harms groups and (b) alcohol death review groups.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to support all alcohol and drug partnerships to establish (a) alcohol harms groups and (b) alcohol death review groups.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government is working closely with ADPs to ensure further roll-out of Alcohol Harms Groups and Alcohol Death Reviews across Scotland.We are working in partnership with Alcohol Focus Scotland is ensure that all ADPs in Scotland have structures in place to carry out alcohol death reviews and build on the learning of the 27% of ADPs already delivering these.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426393,"EventID":"S6W-31214","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:43.963","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T14:07:07.1","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25762 by Natalie Don on 13 March 2024, whether it will provide an update on what the average length of time has been between a dis","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25762 by Natalie Don on 13 March 2024, whether it will provide an update on what the average length of time has been between a disclosure check application being received by Disclosure Scotland and the provision of disclosure information in each year since 2016.","AnswerText":"I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:Table: The average number of days to process disclosure applications, by application type, calendar year 2016 to October 2024Application Type201620172018201920202021202220232024 YTDBasic disclosure4.03.92.95.57.26.03.45.94.0Standard and Enhanced disclosure5.65.34.87.78.17.25.17.48.3PVG scheme record5.14.74.59.29.07.16.38.47.2PVG Scheme Record Update2.72.12.36.98.56.96.48.57.2PVG Scheme Membership Statement5.34.94.89.45.93.92.22.93.6PVG Scheme Membership Statement (Countersigned)4.23.43.87.86.84.63.84.24.3All application types4.03.83.26.97.96.54.97.35.9","AnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426394,"EventID":"S6W-31211","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:43.577","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T13:02:09.81","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether all parts of the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area have access to a home ear syringing service, and, if not, which parts of the NHS board area do not currently ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether all parts of the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area have access to a home ear syringing service, and, if not, which parts of the NHS board area do not currently have access to this service.","AnswerText":"The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) does not recommend manual ear syringing.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426395,"EventID":"S6W-31237","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16194,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:43.967","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T13:44:11.113","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many buildings have been identified as having reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many buildings have been identified as having reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).","AnswerText":"Information on buildings identified as having Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC), is contained in the Scottish Government report available here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/raac-in-the-public-sector/.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426396,"EventID":"S6W-31231","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:44.12","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T11:07:12.017","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many student educational psychologists have joined the workforce in each year since 2018.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many student educational psychologists have joined the workforce in each year since 2018.","AnswerText":"Educational Psychologists are employed directly by education authorities. In fulfilling their statutory duty to deliver an Educational Psychology service, it is for them to make the decisions regarding how their service will be managed, the numbers of psychologists they require, and how many psychologists they employ.The number of student Educational Psychologists that have joined the workforce in each year since 2018 is not collected by Scottish Government as part of the annual staff census.However, to ensure that there is a sustainable supply of Educational Psychologists to meet needs, the Scottish Government and COSLA jointly invest in the Educational Psychologist training programme, and I can confirm that the number of students completing the programme since 2018 is as follows -Year Number of Students2018 172019 122020 282021 312022 292023 252024 26","AnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426397,"EventID":"S6W-31264","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:44.103","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T11:36:50.62","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time forensic pathologists have been based in Aberdeen in each of the last 10 years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time forensic pathologists have been based in Aberdeen in each of the last 10 years.","AnswerText":"The numbers of full-time forensic pathologists based in Aberdeen in each of the last ten years are shown in the following table:YearFull-Time Forensic Pathologists in Aberdeen20142201522016220172201822019120202202122022220230","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426398,"EventID":"S6W-31245","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16215,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:43.65","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T15:57:30.783","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it has been asked to input into the UK Government's Circular Economy Task Force.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it has been asked to input into the UK Government's Circular Economy Task Force.","AnswerText":"Scottish Ministers are aware that Defra Ministers are establishing a taskforce, which we understand will inform the development of a circular economy strategy across the UK Government.While the strategy will be England-only in scope, Scottish Government officials are already engaging with UK officials on input into the development of the strategy, recognising that there may be implications for, and opportunities to align policy with, devolved governments. The Scottish Government expects the taskforce&rsquo;s work, and development of our own circular economy strategy, to be a topic for discussion at a future Inter-Ministerial Group for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426399,"EventID":"S6W-31225","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:44.45","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T08:35:57.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the average length is of courses delivered by the Scottish Digital Academy.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the average length is of courses delivered by the Scottish Digital Academy.","AnswerText":"The professional learning offer (courses) delivered via the Scottish Digital Academy is varied and multi-faceted, as it has been designed to meet the needs of a diverse audience.Taught courses are broadly defined into three categories with an average duration as follows:Short courses &ndash; 3.5 hours (half day)Courses &ndash; 12 hours (2 days)Programmes &ndash; 30 hours (5 days)Some events are typically 6 hours (1 day) in length and self-directed learning courses vary between 15 minutes and 3 hours, as these are taken at the learner&rsquo;s own pace and to meet their individual needs.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426400,"EventID":"S6W-31258","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:44.88","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T20:13:56.813","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of Skills Development Scotland's current staff costs are attributable to the delivery of apprenticeships.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of Skills Development Scotland's current staff costs are attributable to the delivery of apprenticeships.","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for Skills Development Scotland. I have asked the Chief Executive of SDS, Damien Yeates to write to you outlining these costs.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426401,"EventID":"S6W-31251","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:44.003","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T17:02:25.74","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29857 by Graeme Dey on 27 September 2024, by what date it will publish the required impact assessments for the Student Mental Heal","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29857 by Graeme Dey on 27 September 2024, by what date it will publish the required impact assessments for the Student Mental Health Action Plan.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is making arrangements to publish the requisite Impact Statements for the Student Mental Health Action Plan very shortly.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426402,"EventID":"S6W-31253","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:44.42","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T17:08:43.693","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to improve the (a) collection and (b) availability of information on (i) economic inactivity and (ii) its causes.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to improve the (a) collection and (b) availability of information on (i) economic inactivity and (ii) its causes.","AnswerText":"Data on economic inactivity and its causes is collected for Scotland by the Office for National Statistics&rsquo; (ONS) Labour Force Survey (LFS) and Annual Population Survey (APS).The Scottish Government publishes its own analysis on economic inactivity in Scotland based on the ONS LFS and APS data. The most recent publication including this data is the Labour Market Trends: November 2024 publication. This can be found at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/labour-market-trends-november-2024/The Scottish Government also recently published an evidence review on Economic Inactivity in Scotland: Supporting those with longer-term health conditions and disabilities to remain economically active. The report can be found here: Economic inactivity in Scotland: supporting those with longer-term health conditions and disabilities to remain economically active - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)The Scottish Government are working with Welsh and Northern Irish Governments and our colleagues in ONS to better understand and to guide improvements in the collection of this data.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426403,"EventID":"S6W-31240","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:44.7","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T14:27:37.13","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which drug rehabilitation programmes it provides funding for, broken down by NHS board.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which drug rehabilitation programmes it provides funding for, broken down by NHS board.","AnswerText":"In general, the Scottish Government provides funding to all Health and Social Care Partnerships to commission and fund Residential Rehabilitation (RR) placements on the advice of their Alcohol and Drug Partnership. To support local commissioning, the Scottish Government also fund Scotland Excel for the National Commissioning Framework which aims to standardise commissioning for RR placements.The Scottish Government also directly fund the following residential rehabilitation providers through the Residential Rehabilitation Rapid Capacity Programme (RRRCP) &ndash; 4 of these are new projects and 4 are expansions to existing services, which will provide 140 more bed by 2025-26.NHS BoardResidential RehabilitationAyrshire &amp; ArranPhoenix Futures Harper HouseAyrshire &amp; ArranRiver Garden AuchincruiveForth ValleyAberlour&rsquo;s Mother and Child recovery unit - FalkirkGrampianPhoenix Futures NortheastHighlandCrossReachHighlandMaxie Richards FoundationLothianLothians and Edinburgh Abstinence Programme (LEAP)TaysideAberlour&rsquo;s Mother and Child recovery unit - Dundee","AnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426404,"EventID":"S6W-31229","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:44.11","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T11:05:18.013","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the literature review that it committed to carry out to ascertain the current knowledge on masking for children and young people with additional ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the literature review that it committed to carry out to ascertain the current knowledge on masking for children and young people with additional support needs (ASN).","AnswerText":"As part of the Scottish Government's response to the Education, Children and Young People Committee's Inquiry on Additional Support for Learning, I committed to undertaking a literature review to ascertain the current knowledge on masking for children and young people with additional support needs.The scope of the literature review is currently being considered by my officials and I will up-date the Education, Children and Young People Committee on progress of this work as soon as I have received a substantive update.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426405,"EventID":"S6W-31241","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:44.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T14:28:19.643","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many additional support for learning teachers there have been in each year since 2016, broken down by local authority.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many additional support for learning teachers there have been in each year since 2016, broken down by local authority.","AnswerText":"Statistics on additional support needs teachers, split by local authority, back to 2010 are available on the Scottish Government website in Table 6.7 of the teacher census supplementary statistics:&nbsp;https://www.gov.scot/publications/teacher-census-supplementary-statistics/","AnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426406,"EventID":"S6W-31220","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:44.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T16:47:30.74","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many public inquiries have been held by the Scottish Ministers in each year since 1999 after a planning authority has objected to an application under the Electricit","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many public inquiries have been held by the Scottish Ministers in each year since 1999 after a planning authority has objected to an application under the Electricity Act 1989, also broken down by how many of these objections were upheld.","AnswerText":"Independent reporters from DPEA have held 96 public inquires on behalf of Scottish Ministers since 1999.These relate to public inquiries held where a planning authority and/or statutory consultee objected to an application under the Electricity Act.Dates by year are not available for cases received prior to 2011Report YearApplication GrantedApplication RefusedNot yet DecidedTotal1999 - 20107501220111102201213042013040420142204201502022016820102017330620184601020192204202021032021510620227108202344082024201113Total41321196","AnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426407,"EventID":"S6W-31265","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:43.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T11:36:50.62","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many part-time forensic pathologists are based in Aberdeen.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many part-time forensic pathologists are based in Aberdeen.","AnswerText":"There are currently no part-time forensic pathologists based in Aberdeen. There was one based in Aberdeen until 20 November 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426408,"EventID":"S6W-31233","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16194,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:44.003","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T13:44:11.113","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many homes have been secured for key workers as a result of the &pound;25 million of additional funding from the Affordable Hous","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many homes have been secured for key workers as a result of the &pound;25 million of additional funding from the Affordable Housing Supply Programme that it provided for housing for key workers in rural areas.","AnswerText":"To date 17 homes have been approved through the demand-led Rural Affordable Homes for Key Workers Fund which will operate over the period 2023-2028. This includes 7 homes in Highland, 7 homes in Orkney, 2 homes in Moray and 1 home in North Ayrshire. More Homes Division officials are in discussion with local authority partners on a number of other potential projects where there is identified local requirements.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426409,"EventID":"S6W-31227","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16205,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:43.94","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T11:03:14.36","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27073&nbsp;by Joe FitzPatrick on 3 May 2024, in light of the minister's comment that the \"intention is to agree and publish the fr","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27073&nbsp;by Joe FitzPatrick on 3 May 2024, in light of the minister's comment that the \"intention is to agree and publish the framework in advance of Budget 2025-26\", whether it has agreed a fiscal framework with local government and, if so, on what date this will be published.","AnswerText":"We have made significant progress on delivering a Fiscal Framework with Local Government. The foundations of the framework are being applied in practice through the simplification and consolidation of the Local Government Settlement, development of clear routes to deliver local revenue streams such as the Visitor Levy and Cruise Ship Levy, and establishing more frequent and meaningful budget engagement. We continue to work with Local Government to progress the Fiscal Framework and intend to publish an update on the framework around the 2025-26 Scottish Budget and Local Government Settlement.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426410,"EventID":"S6W-31248","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16215,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:43.947","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T15:58:15.29","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, under the fair work conditionality for public sector grants, how it (a) assesses and (b) monitors the delivery of \"appropriate channels for effective workers' voice\" by","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, under the fair work conditionality for public sector grants, how it (a) assesses and (b) monitors the delivery of \"appropriate channels for effective workers' voice\" by grant recipients.","AnswerText":"(a) Potential grant recipients must provide appropriate factual evidence to the relevant funder confirming that they are meeting the effective voice condition and this must be signed off by a recognised trade union(s), or other appropriate workers&rsquo; representative where there is no union recognition. Examples of effective voice are provided in our updated Fair Work First Guidance, published on 18 November 2024.(b) I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31247 on 28 November 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426411,"EventID":"S6W-31255","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:44.733","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T17:39:57.383","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that only 33% of alcohol and drug partnerships have pathways for the early detection of alcohol-related liver disease.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that only 33% of alcohol and drug partnerships have pathways for the early detection of alcohol-related liver disease.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government is working in partnership with ADPs and local Health Boards to develop a nationwide model for the early detection of alcohol-related liver disease.This work will build on learning taken from the innovative intelligent Liver Function Testing (iLFT) pilot pioneered by NHS Tayside and Scottish Government through its national Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) has formed a Specialty Delivery Group for Liver Disease.The first meeting was held on 6 November 2024 and Early Detection is one of the pathways being prioritised.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426412,"EventID":"S6W-31226","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:44.08","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T10:58:40.34","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that pupils from lower-income families can take part in school trips, including curriculum-related trips and activities, and P6 and P7 residen","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that pupils from lower-income families can take part in school trips, including curriculum-related trips and activities, and P6 and P7 residentials.","AnswerText":"Statutory responsibility for the delivery of school education, including any school trips, rests with local authorities and they can utilise a range of funding sources to remove or minimise costs to lower-income families.The Scottish Government is investing up to &pound;1 billion in the Scottish Attainment Challenge this parliamentary term to tackle the poverty related attainment gap, including &pound;520 million of Pupil Equity Funding which goes directly to schools.Headteachers are empowered to use this funding to take school-level approaches to supporting children and young people from lower income families. Some choose to contribute to or cover costs such as residential trips, theatre trips and outdoor learning experiences in order make access to such learning opportunities as equitable as possible.A new national working group is also considering how to further promote inclusive and impactful outdoor learning in all its forms, including but not exclusive to residential outdoor education.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426413,"EventID":"S6W-31252","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:44.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T17:08:43.693","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to improve the (a) collection and (b) availability of information on (i) underemployment and (ii) its causes.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to improve the (a) collection and (b) availability of information on (i) underemployment and (ii) its causes.","AnswerText":"Data on underemployment and its causes is collected for Scotland by the Office for National Statistics&rsquo; (ONS) Labour Force Survey (LFS) and Annual Population Survey (APS).The Scottish Government publishes its own analysis on underemployment in Scotland based on the ONS LFS and APS data. The most recent publication including this data is Scotland&rsquo;s Labour Market Insights: July 2024 publication. This can be found at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/scotlands-labour-market-insights-july-2024/pages/people-in-work. The report highlights that an estimated 5.9 per cent of those in employment in Scotland were underemployed, the joint lowest in the series.The Scottish Government is working with Welsh and Northern Irish Governments and our colleagues in ONS to better understand and to guide improvements in the collection of this data.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426414,"EventID":"S6W-31249","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:44.417","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T16:15:19.403","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Planning Hub, announced by the Minister for Public Finance in a statement on 12 November 2024, will provide funding for the deployment of empty homes officer","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Planning Hub, announced by the Minister for Public Finance in a statement on 12 November 2024, will provide funding for the deployment of empty homes officers wherever needed, and how much funding it will allocate for (a) these officers and (b) the Planning Hub in total.","AnswerText":"We are establishing a Housing Planning Hub as a priority to help unblock stalled sites. We are now working with public and private sector partners to consider the reasons why specific sites are not progressing to development, and to confirm details around the role, scope and operation of the Hub.We recognise that there are complex reasons why homes remain empty and dedicated empty homes officers are essential in building relationships with owners to help resolve these. Our recently updated guidance to councils makes clear that they can utilise the ring-fenced revenue they derive from council tax on second and empty homes to fund more officers. This is not, however, the purpose of the Housing Planning Hub which I announced on 12 November. Nevertheless, the work I announced on the potential for further permitted development rights could support efforts to bring some empty properties into residential use.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426415,"EventID":"S6W-31213","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:44.49","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T13:02:09.817","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which members of the health and social care workforce are qualified to carry out home ear syringing services, and what assessment it has made of vacancy levels in this a","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which members of the health and social care workforce are qualified to carry out home ear syringing services, and what assessment it has made of vacancy levels in this area, including any recruitment and retention challenges.","AnswerText":"The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) does not recommend manual ear syringing.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426416,"EventID":"S6W-31250","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:44.79","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T16:49:06.953","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much Skills Development Scotland has spent on delivering Modern Apprenticeships in each year since 2017-18.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much Skills Development Scotland has spent on delivering Modern Apprenticeships in each year since 2017-18.","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for Skills Development Scotland. I have asked the Chief Executive of SDS, Damien Yeates to write to you outlining these costs.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426417,"EventID":"S6W-31246","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16215,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:43.407","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T15:57:30.783","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to work with the UK Government's Circular Economy Task Force as it develops Scotland's circular economy strategy.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to work with the UK Government's Circular Economy Task Force as it develops Scotland's circular economy strategy.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31245 on 21 November 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426418,"EventID":"S6W-31232","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16194,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:43.943","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T13:44:11.113","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many buildings have had reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) removed to date (a) in total and (b) with the assistance o","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many buildings have had reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) removed to date (a) in total and (b) with the assistance of government funding.","AnswerText":"The management of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC), including assessing its condition and any decision for removal, is a matter for building owners. Information on buildings identified as having RAAC, including its management, can be found in the Scottish Government report available here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/raac-in-the-public-sector/ and also from individual building owners and authorities. The Scottish Government has not provided specific funding for RAAC remediation as it is primarily a building maintenance issue.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426419,"EventID":"S6W-31242","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:44.067","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T14:29:03.7","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what work it has funded in each year since 2016 in communities to tackle sectarianism, broken down by (a) local authority and (b) project.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work it has funded in each year since 2016 in communities to tackle sectarianism, broken down by (a) local authority and (b) project.","AnswerText":"Since 2016, we have invested funding of over &pound;4.8 million in work to tackle sectarianism as we believe that the direct involvement of communities is central to delivering positive outcomes which make our communities safer. This funding supports the delivery of education projects in schools, colleges, prisons, communities and workplaces, providing learning opportunities for thousands of children and adults across Scotland.Details of Tackling Sectarianism project funding and local authorities worked in from 2016 to 2024 can be found in the following tables:Funding Year 2024-25OrganisationProjectGrant FundingLocal Authorities Worked InNil By MouthBeyond Religion and Belief&pound;90,000Aberdeen, Argyll &amp; Bute, East Ayrshire, Glasgow, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Perth &amp; Kinross, Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire, West Dunbartonshire and West LothianGlasgow City CouncilSense Over Sectarianism&pound;75,000Glasgow and South AyrshireSacroSTOP (Sacro Tackling Offending Prejudices)&pound;60,000Glasgow, Lanarkshire and East and West DunbartonshireYouth ScotlandStand Up to Sectarianism&pound;54,000Edinburgh, East Ayrshire, Glasgow, North Ayrshire and Western Isles (to date)Fair Play FoundationColours of Our Scarves&pound;53,000Edinburgh, Falkirk, Fife, Glasgow,North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, North Ayrshire, East Ayrshire, South Ayrshire, West Lothian, Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, West Dunbartonshire and StirlingYouthlink ScotlandAction on Sectarianism&pound;42,000National Online Engagement and Resources as well as delivery to individuals from: South Lanarkshire, Edinburgh, Glasgow,Argyll &amp; Bute, Inverclyde, Fife, Renfrewshire, West Lothian, North Ayrshire, Falkirk and Perth &amp; Kinross.North Kelvin Sports Development GroupBridges and Barriers&pound;28,000GlasgowTotal Funding for 2024-25&pound;402,000&nbsp;Funding Year 2023-24OrganisationProjectGrant FundingLocal Authorities Worked InNil By MouthBeyond Religion and Belief&pound;90,000Aberdeenshire, Argyll &amp; Bute, Dumfries &amp; Galloway, Dundee, East Ayrshire, East Renfrewshire, Falkirk, Glasgow, Inverclyde Council, Midlothian, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Perth &amp; Kinross, South Lanarkshire, West Dunbartonshire and West Lothian.Glasgow City CouncilSense Over Sectarianism&pound;75,000Glasgow, SouthAyrshire, East Renfrewshire and South LanarkshireSacroSTOP (Sacro Tackling Offending Prejudices)&pound;60,000Glasgow, Lanarkshire and East and West DunbartonshireYouth ScotlandStand Up to Sectarianism&pound;54,000Edinburgh, Clackmannanshire, East Ayrshire, Fife, Glasgow, Moray, North Ayrshire and South AyrshireFair Play FoundationColours of Our Scarves&pound;53,000Edinburgh, Falkirk, Fife, Glasgow, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, North Ayrshire, East Ayrshire, South Ayrshire, West Lothian, Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, West Dunbartonshire, Stirling and Dumfries and GallowayYouthlink ScotlandAction on Sectarianism&pound;42,000National Online Engagement and Resources as well as delivery to individuals from: South Lanarkshire, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dumfries &amp; Galloway, East Dunbartonshire, Argyll &amp; Bute, East Renfrewshire, Dundee, Inverclyde, Scottish Borders, Renfrewshire, North Ayrshire, SouthAyrshire, Midlothian, Falkirk, Aberdeen and East Ayrshire.North Kelvin Sports Development GroupBridges and Barriers&pound;28,000GlasgowTotal Funding for 2023-24&pound;402,000Funding Year 2022-23OrganisationProjectGrant FundingLocal Authorities Worked InNil By MouthBeyond Religion and Belief&pound;96,000Angus, Argyll &amp; Bute, Dumfries &amp; Galloway, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Perth &amp; Kinross, Renfrewshire, Scottish Borders, South Lanarkshire, Stirling and West DunbartonshireGlasgow City CouncilSense Over Sectarianism&pound;87,500Glasgow and East DunbartonshireSacroSTOP (Sacro Tackling Offending Prejudices)&pound;66,395Glasgow, Lanarkshire, and East Dunbartonshi","AnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426420,"EventID":"S6W-31261","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:44.07","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T11:00:32.107","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the setting up of a contact centre to manage victims signing up to the Victim Notification Scheme, how much has been allocated to the setting up and ongo","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the setting up of a contact centre to manage victims signing up to the Victim Notification Scheme, how much has been allocated to the setting up and ongoing running of the centre, and whether this is new money that will not be taken from funds allocated to victim support organisations or other third sector partners in this area.","AnswerText":"We will work with victim support organisations and justice partners to take forward reforms to the Victim Notification Scheme to make use of resources and expertise that already exist, including within Scottish Government. The current work of the Victim Centred Approach workstream of the Victims Taskforce may also be relevant in terms of the model for victim support.This will include exploring costs in the context of ensuring the best possible support and information for victims to be aware of the VNS, understand how it operates in their case, and to receive ongoing support if necessary. Much of this is likely to be possible through more effective joint working and the role of third sector support providers in providing practical and emotional support and engaging directly with victims will be recognised.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426421,"EventID":"S6W-31256","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:43.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T17:39:57.383","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the (a)&nbsp;Alcohol and Drug Partnerships in Scotland: Annual Survey 2023/24&nbsp;and (b) finding that only (i) 30% of alcohol and drug partners","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the (a)&nbsp;Alcohol and Drug Partnerships in Scotland: Annual Survey 2023/24&nbsp;and (b) finding that only (i) 30% of alcohol and drug partnerships have an alcohol harms group and (ii) 27% have an alcohol death review group.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government is working closely with ADPs to ensure further roll-out of Alcohol Harms Groups and Alcohol Death Reviews across Scotland.The ADP Survey highlights that in addition to the 30% of ADPs with specific Alcohol Harms Groups in place a further third report having other structures in place for informing surveillance. These include multi-agency groups working on wider public health monitoring including drug and alcohol harms and sudden death groups whose remits include both death reviews and suicide reviews.Several ADPs have indicated that alcohol harm and death review groups are currently in development.Scottish Government is working in partnership with Alcohol Focus Scotland to ensure that all ADPs in Scotland have agreed processes to review alcohol deaths and build on the learning of the 27% of ADPs already delivering.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426422,"EventID":"S6W-31244","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16215,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:44.767","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T15:56:10.197","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its anticipated timescale is for consultations on Scotland's circular economy strategy and targets.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its anticipated timescale is for consultations on Scotland's circular economy strategy and targets.","AnswerText":"The development of the circular economy strategy and associated monitoring and indicator framework will be developed between now and March 2026.A consultation for both is planned for summer 2025 with development of targets to follow the publication of the strategy and monitoring and indicator framework.The Circular Economy (Scotland) Act was approved unanimously by Parliament in June and gives Ministers and local authorities the tools they need to achieve our ambitions for a circular economy and build on progress to date. Scotland has made good long-term progress towards reaching our circular economy ambitions with the total amount of waste going to landfill in Scotland halving over the past decade, the overall recycling rate at its highest level since records began in 2011 (62.3%) and the most recent official statistics showing Scotland met its 2025 target to reduce all waste by 15%.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426423,"EventID":"S6W-31260","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:44.763","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T10:58:44.923","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will apply the consequentials it receives from any increased funding from the UK Government to children with special educational needs and disabilities direct","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will apply the consequentials it receives from any increased funding from the UK Government to children with special educational needs and disabilities directly to ASN services in Scotland.","AnswerText":"Scottish Ministers continue to assess the full implications of the Chancellor&rsquo;s autumn Budget statement and political parties are encouraged to engage with the Scottish Government on the Scottish budget ahead of 4 December 2024.Funding for schools is provided through the local authority block grant and local authorities have a statutory duty to identify, provide for, and review the ASN support provided for pupils in their local community.The Scottish Government is making &pound;145.5M available to local authorities to protect teacher numbers. In addition, we remain determined to improve the educational experiences of children and young people with additional support needs with spending on additional support for learning by authorities reaching a record high of &pound;926m in 2022-23.We published an updated action plan and progress report on 5th November 2024, highlighting progress made to address recommendations from Angela Morgan&rsquo;s Additional Support for Learning (ASL) Review (2020) and we are committed to delivering the ASL Action Plan.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426424,"EventID":"S6W-31254","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:43.917","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T17:08:43.693","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to improve productivity in the public sector, and how it measures any progress on this.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to improve productivity in the public sector, and how it measures any progress on this.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s Public Service Reform (PSR) Programme sets out Scottish Government&rsquo;s approach to driving efficiency and effectiveness, and to delivering service change to prioritise prevention.An update on the PSR programme was shared with the Finance and Public Administration Committee in December 2023 and a subsequent update was shared in September 2024. The most recent update sets out the plans for the Public Bodies Programme and details of savings realised and projected from efficiency programmes within Scottish Government such as Single Scottish Estate and the Intelligent Automation Centre of Excellence.Our Single Scottish Estate, National Collaborative Procurement, Commercial Value for Money and digital programmes are securing cost avoiding and cash releasing savings, expected to reach up to &pound;280 million over a two-year period by the end of 2024-25, with further projected savings of nearly &pound;300 million over the following two financial years to the end of 2026-27. The Scottish Government&rsquo;s total workforce reduced in both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 financial years by 0.4% and 3.0% respectively, with ongoing monitoring to ensure the workforce is delivering as effectively and efficiently as possible.In November we have published data on corporate costs from public bodies. This data will support Government and public bodies to work together to drive efficiencies and release resources to the frontline.The latest Scottish Government labour productivity statistics for Scotland for 2023 show output per hour worked for Government services. The recent Scottish Government publication Public Sector: Economic Overview presents a range of public sector statistics including labour productivity statistics for relevant sectors.Scottish Government analysts are also stakeholders in the ONS led Public Services Productivity Review. The first phase will look at measurement improvements for England but will also work with devolved administrations to share best practice and identify what data sources would be required to make improvements, with a view to how UK-wide measurement improvements will be incorporated into the national accounts in future. The latest ONS update can be found here.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426425,"EventID":"S6W-31235","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16194,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:44.56","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T13:44:11.113","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many buildings have had flammable cladding removed to date (a) in total and (b) with the assistance of government funding.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many buildings have had flammable cladding removed to date (a) in total and (b) with the assistance of government funding.","AnswerText":"We can currently only provide information on mitigations or remediation works that we have funded for entries to the pilot phase of the Cladding Remediation Programme. Developers or other organisations may have carried out such works on other buildings without informing us.We have funded work to remediate the external wall cladding system of one pilot entry. We have recently commissioned a Single Building Assessment to confirm that all works have been identified and completed.Works to mitigate or remediate risks have also started for another five pilot entries. In this context, &lsquo;work&rsquo; refers to any action taken to address known cladding related risks. This includes what are described as &lsquo;Urgent Interim Measures&rsquo;.We have also commissioned Single Building Assessments for 13 pilot entries. This is made up of 12 recently commissioned following an Invitation To Tender (including the one noted above), and another that has now reached the reporting stage. We are fully funding these assessments at no cost to homeowners or residents.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426426,"EventID":"S6W-31263","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:44.113","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T11:36:50.62","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time forensic pathologists are based in Aberdeen.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time forensic pathologists are based in Aberdeen.","AnswerText":"There are currently no full-time forensic pathologists based in Aberdeen","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426427,"EventID":"S6W-31239","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:44.453","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T14:26:56.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses have been accredited as Living Wage employers in each year since 2016, broken down by local authority area.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses have been accredited as Living Wage employers in each year since 2016, broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"The accreditation scheme is owned and managed by the Living Wage Foundation, with Poverty Alliance responsible for it's delivery in Scotland. Therefore Scottish Government is not the data owner or gatherer, below is the number of accredited employers since the 2015-16 financial year:Financial YearAccredited Employers Scotland2015-163092016-173502017-184242018-193342019-204142020-213662021-227242022-235322023-24677Total4,130Please note the above accreditation numbers are \"snapshots\" in time. Employers may have subsequently ceased to trade, or closed their accreditation. The very latest data from Poverty Alliance states there are 3,772 employers currently accredited.Included is a spreadsheet, providing historical accreditations which can be filtered by Local Authority since 2016. The latest current accreditation data can always be viewed on the Living Wage Scotland website: https://scottishlivingwage.org/employer-directory/","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426428,"EventID":"S6W-31173","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:43.997","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-11T15:05:08.433","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how often cabins on sailings of the passenger Northern Isles Ferry Services between Aberdeen-Lerwick have reached full bookable capacity in each of the last five years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how often cabins on sailings of the passenger Northern Isles Ferry Services between Aberdeen-Lerwick have reached full bookable capacity in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"The number of sailings where all cabins were fully booked on the Aberdeen &ndash; Lerwick passenger vessels for each Contract Year is displayed in the following table, which also includes the number of passenger vessel sailings each year.&nbsp;Total SailingsSailings With Fully Booked Cabin Capacity&nbsp;&nbsp;NorthboundSouthboundNorthboundSouthbound&nbsp;Jul 19 - Jun 203063064141Covid Operating PeriodJul 20 - Jun 2133433400Covid Operating PeriodJul 21 - Jun 2234634601&nbsp;Jul 22 - Jun 233383377281&nbsp;Jul 23 - Jun 243323336375&nbsp;","AnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426429,"EventID":"S6W-31266","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:43.937","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T11:36:50.62","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many part-time forensic pathologists have been based in Aberdeen in each of the last 10 years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many part-time forensic pathologists have been based in Aberdeen in each of the last 10 years.","AnswerText":"The table below shows the number of part-time forensic pathologists based in Aberdeen in each of the last 10 years.YearLocum Forensic PathologistTrainee Forensic Pathologist201400201500201600201701201801201901202000202100202201202311","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426430,"EventID":"S6W-31212","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-14T16:56:44.393","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T13:02:09.813","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and (b) its Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs) regarding home ear syringing, and how it is su","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and (b) its Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs) regarding home ear syringing, and how it is supporting HSCPs to make this service available to patients who need it.","AnswerText":"The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) does not recommend manual ear syringing.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426435,"EventID":"S6W-31334","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:50.413","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T15:56:06.977","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made on the establishment of a four nations climate response group.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made on the establishment of a four nations climate response group.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the importance of working closely and collaboratively with the UK Government and other devolved administrations to deliver our net zero targets in a way that is mutually beneficial in economic, environmental and social terms.The engagement that we have had thus far with the new UK Government administration has been encouraging, and we continue to consider the value of a standalone climate response group in the context of this renewed relationship. We will continue to engage directly with them and other devolved nations to understand the best ways of working, ensuring constructive collaboration and information sharing, including the roles of inter-ministerial groups across the four nations and a programme of areas for priority cooperation is under development.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426436,"EventID":"S6W-31305","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:50.4","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T14:08:19.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current staffing levels are for support staff assisting forensic pathologists in Aberdeen.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current staffing levels are for support staff assisting forensic pathologists in Aberdeen.","AnswerText":"There are no forensic pathologists currently based in Aberdeen.Two members of administration staff support the pathology service in Aberdeen.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426437,"EventID":"S6W-31292","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:50.23","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T14:08:19.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many post-mortem examinations have been conducted in Aberdeen in the last year.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many post-mortem examinations have been conducted in Aberdeen in the last year.","AnswerText":"There were 576 Crown-instructed post mortem examinations performed at the Aberdeen City Mortuary in Aberdeen during 2023-24:View &amp; Grant Examination1 Doctor Post Mortem2 Doctor Post MortemTotal5748930576","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426438,"EventID":"S6W-31331","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:50.467","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T15:56:06.973","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to begin consulting on introducing a carbon land tax on larger landholdings.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to begin consulting on introducing a carbon land tax on larger landholdings.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to considering options for a carbon land tax, to further incentivise peatland restoration and afforestation.Any potential new measures must be rigorously assessed and based on strong evidence to ensure they serve their objective and avoid unintended consequences.Internal policy discussions involving a range of departments and Scottish Government Agencies are ongoing to identify potential options for a carbon land tax.We will soon begin work to consult with a range of stakeholders, including landowners, to explore all available options and to understand their potential impacts.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426439,"EventID":"S6W-31312","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:51.77","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T14:08:19.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been on the (a) availability and (b) scheduling of post-mortem examinations in Aberdeen.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been on the (a) availability and (b) scheduling of post-mortem examinations in Aberdeen.","AnswerText":"COPFS recorded an increase of more than 40% in the number of deaths reported compared to pre-pandemic figures.However, I am not aware of any significant impact on the availability or scheduling of post mortem examinations in Aberdeen.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426440,"EventID":"S6W-31291","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:53.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T14:08:19.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what funding has been allocated to improve pathology services in Aberdeen in the next five years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what funding has been allocated to improve pathology services in Aberdeen in the next five years.","AnswerText":"The cost of forensic pathology is met from within the COPFS annual budget allocation from the Scottish Government which does not extend to five years.NHS Grampian and other key stakeholders are working on establishing a forensic pathology service based in Aberdeen and COPFS is supporting that process. In addition, the opening of a new Aberdeen mortuary in 2025 will improve the experience of mortuary staff and bereaved families who engage with pathology services in Aberdeen.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426441,"EventID":"S6W-31311","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:52.89","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T14:08:19.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many cases of industrial incidents requiring post-mortem examinations there have been in Aberdeen in the last year.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many cases of industrial incidents requiring post-mortem examinations there have been in Aberdeen in the last year.","AnswerText":"COPFS&rsquo; case management database does not recognise the category of death of &lsquo;industrial accident&rsquo;. In order to identify deaths which may fall into this category, each of the 576 Crown-instructed post mortem examinations which were performed in Aberdeen in 2023-24 would require to be reviewed.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426442,"EventID":"S6W-31290","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:50.21","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T14:08:19.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans are in place to ensure the (a) timely and (b) accurate completion of post-mortem examinations in Aberdeen.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans are in place to ensure the (a) timely and (b) accurate completion of post-mortem examinations in Aberdeen.","AnswerText":"COPFS work closely with the mortuary team and locum pathologists to ensure that post mortem examinations taking place in Aberdeen are completed within the target turnaround time in the majority of cases. Regular performance updates are provided to COPFS and stakeholders work collaboratively to address any performance issues.All post mortems are completed by experienced NHS consultant pathologists following the Royal College of Pathologist guidance and standards.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426443,"EventID":"S6W-31389","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:52.527","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T11:01:12.263","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many Scottish Digital Academy courses have been completed by employees of Scottish public bodies, other than the Scottish Government, in each year since it was launc","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many Scottish Digital Academy courses have been completed by employees of Scottish public bodies, other than the Scottish Government, in each year since it was launched in January 2018, broken down by public body.","AnswerText":"Since the Scottish Digital Academy was established in 2018, there have been 1,348 employee registrations from Scottish public bodies. This includes recognised Advisory and Executive Non Department Public Bodies.Broken down by year:2018 (51)2019 (39)2020 (33)2021 (56)2022 (238)2023 (483)2024 to October end (448)Number of registrations by public body:Accounts Commission for Scotland (1)Bord na Gaidhlig (1)Cairngorms National Park Authority (4)Care Inspectorate (40)Children&rsquo;s Hearings Scotland (19)Community Justice Scotland (20)Creative Scotland (14)Crofting Commission (22)Highlands and Islands Airports (4)Highlands and Islands Enterprise (10)Historic Environment Scotland (37)Independent Living Fund Scotland (2)Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority (33)National Library of Scotland (52)National Museums of Scotland (4)NatureScot (93)Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (2)Public Defence Solicitors Office (1)Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (12)Scotrail (6)Scottish Agricultural Wages Board (1)Scottish Childrens Reporter Administration (44)Scottish Enterprise (146)Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (317)Scottish Funding Council (48)Scottish Land Commission (2)Scottish Legal Aid Board (70)Scottish Legal Complaints Commission (16)Scottish Natural Heritage (33)Scottish Qualifications Authority (146)Scottish Social Services Council (53)Skills Development Scotland (71)Sports Scotland (8)Visit Scotland (11)Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland (3)Scottish Commission for Social Security (2)","AnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426444,"EventID":"S6W-31323","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:50.477","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T15:56:06.957","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in developing a national integrated ticketing system for the public transport network, and when it will publish the smart ticketing delivery s","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in developing a national integrated ticketing system for the public transport network, and when it will publish the smart ticketing delivery strategy.","AnswerText":"The Smart, Digital, Integrated Ticketing and Payments Delivery Strategy 2024 was published in August and is available on the Transport Scotland website.The strategy outlines how the Scottish Government will progress smart and integrated ticketing, including improvements to our national concessionary schemes, such as smart vouchers for ferry concessionary travel and a new Traveline Scotland journey planning service, which launched in September. It also outlines the steps and dependencies required to deliver a national integrated ticketing system.A new national integrated ticketing system for Scotland is part of the wider work to advance the future of public transport in Scotland, and is being progressed to the timeline as laid out in the strategy roadmap. Delivery of the strategy is supported by the work undertaken by the National Smart Ticketing Advisory Board (NSTAB) which was established in 2023 to advise Scottish Ministers on the strategic direction of smart ticketing in Scotland, including a technological standard. Timescales for delivery are set out in the NSTAB workplan published on the Transport Scotland website.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426445,"EventID":"S6W-31294","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:52.56","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T14:08:19.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the criteria are for referring cases from Aberdeen to Edinburgh for post-mortem examinations.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the criteria are for referring cases from Aberdeen to Edinburgh for post-mortem examinations.","AnswerText":"Any case that requires the post mortem examination to be conducted by two Forensic Pathologists is currently referred from Aberdeen to Edinburgh by COPFS. The majority of these are potential homicide cases.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426446,"EventID":"S6W-31285","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:52.43","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T14:08:19.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to improve the (a) training and (b) retention of forensic pathologists.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to improve the (a) training and (b) retention of forensic pathologists.","AnswerText":"COPFS is the client and receiver of pathology services in Scotland and is not responsible for the training of pathologists.The forensic histopathology training programme is delivered by the NHS, following Royal College of Pathologists curriculum and in conjunction with forensic pathology service providers at NHS sites across Scotland. There are four training positions within the NHS in Scotland. Training and retention are a matter for the NHS and pathology service providers.However, COPFS encourages the training and development of Forensic Pathology trainees in Scotland by providing exposure to Crown-instructed post mortems as part of the training programme with the assistance of service providers. As part of the training programme, Forensic Pathology trainees are encouraged to attend court to experience the court system and the methods used to obtain evidence from professional witnesses.COPFS has provided an awareness session to paediatric pathologists in Scotland led by a senior Advocate Depute and will consider further sessions in the future.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426447,"EventID":"S6W-31313","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:53.05","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T14:08:19.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures are being taken to address the reported issue of &ldquo;unascertained&rdquo; causes of death on death certificates in Aberdeen.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures are being taken to address the reported issue of &ldquo;unascertained&rdquo; causes of death on death certificates in Aberdeen.","AnswerText":"There are no issues with unascertained causes of deaths on death certificates in Aberdeen.The certification of a person&rsquo;s death is a matter that falls solely within the clinical responsibility of medical practitioners, who require to be satisfied to the best of their knowledge and belief as to the cause of death.Following a post mortem examination, the pathologist will ordinarily certify the cause of death. In some cases, an &lsquo;interim&rsquo; death certificate is issued by the pathologist indicating that the cause of death is unascertained until the results of further analysis - including but not limited to histopathology, toxicology and neuropathology - are obtained. This certificate allows the death to be registered and the body to be released to the family to allow funeral arrangements to be made. Once all analysis has concluded and the final cause of death is confirmed, the interim death certificate is then amended. However, in a small percentage of cases the pathologist is unable to determine a cause of death even after all such analysis is done.There are a number of reasons why the pathologist may be unable to determine a cause of death, such as a significant delay between the date of death and the body being found.Where a pathologist is unable to determine a cause of death, they will include in their report as much information as possible about their findings to assist nearest relatives with possible explanations for the death having occurred. COPFS will provide that information to relatives when advising them of the final cause of death.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426448,"EventID":"S6W-31345","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:52.98","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T16:49:01.223","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to ensure that the supply chain for primary school meals is (a) sustainable, (b) environmentally friendly and (c) aligned with the national cl","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to ensure that the supply chain for primary school meals is (a) sustainable, (b) environmentally friendly and (c) aligned with the national climate goals.","AnswerText":"Under the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014, a public body with an annual procurement spend of at least &pound;5 million must report each year on how, when its procurements involve the provision of food, it is improving the health, wellbeing and education of communities in the body&rsquo;s area, and promoting the highest standards of animal welfare.The Scottish Government continues to support the delivery of the Food for Life Programme in local authorities across Scotland which has a primary focus on school meals. Food for Life accreditation ensures that at least 75% of school food is fresh and unprocessed, as well as greatly increasing the amount of fresh fruit (including berries) and vegetables; fish; and wholegrains on the menu. There are currently 16 councils who hold Food for Life accreditation, with ongoing work to ensure retention, expansion and development of the programme.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426449,"EventID":"S6W-31353","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:50.413","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T16:49:01.223","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to reduce the amount of saturated fat in primary school meals, and how compliance with these measures is assessed.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to reduce the amount of saturated fat in primary school meals, and how compliance with these measures is assessed.","AnswerText":"All local authority and grant aided schools in Scotland are under a statutory duty to comply with the standards set out in the Nutritional Requirements for Food and Drink in schools (Scotland) Regulations 2020. The standards in the Regulations are based in scientific evidence and dietary advice designed to provide children and young people with an appropriate amount of energy and nutrients to support their healthy growth and development. The standards specify the maximum amount of saturated fat that can be contained in school meals and other food provided across the school day. Education Scotland Health and Nutrition Inspectors evaluate evidence of compliance by local authorities with the standards in the Regulations. This includes assessing saturated fat content of menus and other foods across the school day.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426450,"EventID":"S6W-31306","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:53","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T14:08:19.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the long-term strategy is for ensuring sustainable forensic pathology services in Aberdeen.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the long-term strategy is for ensuring sustainable forensic pathology services in Aberdeen.","AnswerText":"NHS Grampian has provided COPFS with a commitment to implement a forensic pathology service in Aberdeen, including the recruitment of full-time forensic pathologists, and COPFS is supporting that process.It is however a matter for NHS Grampian to recruit forensic pathologists to provide the services.The reimplementation of a forensic pathology service in Aberdeen may allow one of the forensic pathologist training posts to be filled there, improving the potential for sustainable forensic services in Aberdeen and Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426451,"EventID":"S6W-31357","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:50.18","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T17:21:45.633","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many calls to the Scottish Ambulance Service made in the last year have been taken from sites outside of Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many calls to the Scottish Ambulance Service made in the last year have been taken from sites outside of Scotland.","AnswerText":"At times of peak demand callers may have to wait longer for their call to be answered. Because of this, the Scottish Ambulance Service utilises the Intelligent Routing Platform (IRP) where, after waiting for 180 seconds, a caller is transferred to the next available call handler at another UK ambulance service.The IRP is utilised by all other UK ambulance services.The call is then sent back through a digital gateway to the appropriate regional Scottish Ambulance Service Ambulance Control Centre, who have local knowledge, and will dispatch the most appropriate resource.Below is the number of calls between November 2023 and October 2024 that were transferred to another UK ambulance service from Scotland. It is important to note that over the last 12 months the Scottish Ambulance Service has answered 1,066,121 calls so the number of patients whose calls are answered by an ambulance service outwith Scotland is incredibly low.November 2023 &ndash; 137December - 28January 2024 - 10February - 6March - 10April - 4May - 16June - 13July - 27August - 12September - 84October - 183","AnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426452,"EventID":"S6W-31300","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:50.273","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T14:08:19.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the impact has been on the workload of forensic pathologists in Edinburgh of any cases being referred from Aberdeen.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the impact has been on the workload of forensic pathologists in Edinburgh of any cases being referred from Aberdeen.","AnswerText":"NHS Lothian provide pathology services for the East of Scotland. There are six full-time forensic pathologists performing both forensic and routine postmortems in Edinburgh.In 2023-2024, NHS Lothian began providing support for the Aberdeen, Grampian and Highlands and Islands on-call and suspicious deaths due to the lack of forensic pathologists in Aberdeen to conduct double doctor forensic postmortems there.Notwithstanding this additional workload, the numbers of examinations carried out by NHS Lothian are within the agreed maximum annual volume of post mortems and the agreed safe working level for a full-time pathologist in Scotland.COPFS is grateful to NHS Lothian for their continued support and for ensuring continuity of these essential services whilst NHS Grampian develops a new local service in Aberdeen.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426453,"EventID":"S6W-31278","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:52.25","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T13:59:14.893","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Cladding Assurance Register will be publicly accessible.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Cladding Assurance Register will be publicly accessible.","AnswerText":"Ministers are developing plans for access to the Cladding Assurance Register, and will announce arrangements shortly.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426454,"EventID":"S6W-31328","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:52.543","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T15:56:06.967","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has identified new areas to be covered by regional land use partnerships, and what progress it is making towards establishing these by 2031.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has identified new areas to be covered by regional land use partnerships, and what progress it is making towards establishing these by 2031.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to the long-term delivery of Regional Land Use Partnerships (RLUPs). Having recently concluded a pilot programme in four regions across Scotland, Officials are working to consolidate learning and are co-developing an approach that will see the transition from pilot into formal initiative.This work will directly inform the wider rollout of RLUPs beyond the four regions, providing a clear framework that will support us in bringing new regions into the program.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426455,"EventID":"S6W-31310","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:52.927","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T14:08:19.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans there are to expand the current capacity for conducting post-mortem examinations in Aberdeen.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans there are to expand the current capacity for conducting post-mortem examinations in Aberdeen.","AnswerText":"Capacity within Aberdeen mortuary is not an issue and there are no current plans to increase the capacity for conducting post mortem examinations in Aberdeen.A new mortuary facility in Aberdeen that will co-locate the Aberdeen City Mortuary and Aberdeen Royal Infirmary Mortuary business is due to open in 2025. This will provide improved facilities for staff and families who are required to engage in the post mortem process.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426456,"EventID":"S6W-31273","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:50.187","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T13:09:17.943","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it considers is an appropriate amount of time for a decision to be made for applications under the right to buy Part (a) 3A of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 a","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it considers is an appropriate amount of time for a decision to be made for applications under the right to buy Part (a) 3A of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 and (b) 5 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016.","AnswerText":"The Land Reform (Scotland) Acts of 2003 and 2016 detail the time that decisions on community right to buy applications should take. There is no end date set for these decisions. The Acts state that Ministers must not reach a decision on an application before the date which is 60 days after the last date on which the Part 3A/Part 5 community body may provide Scottish Ministers with a response to the comments on the application, provided by the owner and other parties.In practice, the length of time each right to buy decision takes will depend on the complexity of the case, the timing and content of the comments received from all parties, and any legal issues that may be relevant to the case. It is important to ensure that, whatever decision is reached, that it is done so in a robust and fair manner to all parties.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426457,"EventID":"S6W-31296","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:53.223","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T14:08:19.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to ensure the (a) quality and (b) accuracy of post-mortem examinations conducted by locum pathologists in Aberdeen.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to ensure the (a) quality and (b) accuracy of post-mortem examinations conducted by locum pathologists in Aberdeen.","AnswerText":"All doctors are expected to work within the standards set out by the General Medical Council for good medical practice.The Royal College of Pathologists and NHS Education for Scotland oversee training standards in pathology and their uniformity across Scotland.COPFS regularly meets and engages with pathology providers on a range of issues. These also allow discussion on any feedback received. Every post mortem examination report is considered by a COPFS legal member of staff and our investigation is only concluded when we are satisfied that all issues have been addressed.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426458,"EventID":"S6W-31295","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:50.54","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T14:08:19.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many cases of medical mishap have been investigated by forensic pathologists in Aberdeen in the last year.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many cases of medical mishap have been investigated by forensic pathologists in Aberdeen in the last year.","AnswerText":"COPFS&rsquo; case management database does not recognise the category of death of &lsquo;medical mishap&rsquo;. However, in the majority of medical deaths where there are concerns about the circumstances there would be no requirement for the post mortem examination to involve forensic pathologists.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426459,"EventID":"S6W-31332","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:50.78","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T15:56:06.973","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the recommendation of the Green Heat Finance Taskforce to review and publish an analysis of how non-domestic rates relief can better s","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the recommendation of the Green Heat Finance Taskforce to review and publish an analysis of how non-domestic rates relief can better support the ambition to encourage investment in (a) energy efficiency and (b) zero-emission heating systems.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government welcomes the work of the independent Green Heat Finance Taskforce and looks forward to receiving its Part 2 report shortly. Following publication of its Part 2 report, the Scottish Government will formally respond to the Taskforce, setting out the actions we will take, in partnership with others, on recommendations from both Taskforce reports.Our response will be informed by the New Deal for Business sub-group on Non-Domestic Rates (NDR) which will, alongside other matters, consider how non-domestic rates levers support Scotland&rsquo;s transition to net zero.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426460,"EventID":"S6W-31279","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:52.217","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T13:59:14.893","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cladding Assurance Register, provided for in the Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Act 2024, will be established.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cladding Assurance Register, provided for in the Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Act 2024, will be established.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government plans to commence the Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Act 2024 in its entirety in early 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426461,"EventID":"S6W-31277","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:52.273","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T13:54:21.77","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there is any monitoring of what Best Start Foods cards are used to purchase.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there is any monitoring of what Best Start Foods cards are used to purchase.","AnswerText":"The Best Start Foods card is restricted to stores which sell the eligible foods and is blocked for use in other establishments. The eligible foods are printed on the back of the card.In line with our principles of fairness, dignity and respect, we do not monitor what people buy with the card. However, the qualitative evidence from the evaluation of Best Start Foods, published on 29 July 2022, suggests that people use their Best Start Foods card mainly to buy cow&rsquo;s milk, baby formula, fresh fruit and vegetables and that the card enabled mothers and children to eat more healthy foods.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426462,"EventID":"S6W-31274","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:50.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T13:09:17.943","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made with the review of community right to buy, and what impact the review is having on current applications.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made with the review of community right to buy, and what impact the review is having on current applications.","AnswerText":"The Community Right to Buy Review was announced in July and Phase 1, which was an evidence gathering phase, is due for completion by the end of this year.It is having no impact on the current applications.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426463,"EventID":"S6W-31301","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:52.273","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T14:08:19.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many forensic pathologists are currently in training in Scotland, and how many it anticipates will be deployed to Aberdeen upon completion of their training.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many forensic pathologists are currently in training in Scotland, and how many it anticipates will be deployed to Aberdeen upon completion of their training.","AnswerText":"COPFS is not responsible for training or recruiting Crown-instructed pathologists.However, there are currently four forensic pathologist training posts in Scotland and three of those are filled &ndash; one in Glasgow and two in Edinburgh. There is currently no capacity elsewhere in Scotland to fill the fourth training post.Forensic Pathologists are not automatically deployed at the conclusion of their training. There must be a post available with a service provider and Forensic Pathologists need to apply through normal recruitment processes.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426464,"EventID":"S6W-31299","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:53.173","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T14:08:19.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the average cost is per post-mortem examination conducted by locum pathologists in Aberdeen.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the average cost is per post-mortem examination conducted by locum pathologists in Aberdeen.","AnswerText":"The current cost of an NHS locum pathologist conducting a post mortem examination in Aberdeen is &pound;600 per examination.In relation to other incurred costs &ndash; which include histopathology, toxicology, administrative costs and mortuary costs - in the year 2023-24 the average cost per examination was &pound;2,568.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426465,"EventID":"S6W-31356","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:52.823","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T16:53:20.66","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated number of spectators will be at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, and how this compares with the 2014 edition of the event.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated number of spectators will be at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, and how this compares with the 2014 edition of the event.","AnswerText":"The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games will deliver a programme of 10 sports hosted within 4 venues in Glasgow. The programme and location of those sports are still to be finalised but Commonwealth Games Scotland anticipate that approximately 500,000 tickets will be available for sale.The 2014 Commonwealth Games incorporated a programme of 17 sports across 14 venues in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Carnoustie. A number of those sports were outdoors and free to attend for spectators. Approximately 1.3 million tickets were sold, representing 98% of all tickets available for sale.The Scottish Government supports the Commonwealth Games Federation&rsquo;s strategy and the work undertaken by Commonwealth Games Scotland to create a new sustainable model for 2026, which opens up future hosting opportunities to a more diverse range of Commonwealth nations.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426466,"EventID":"S6W-31314","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:50.457","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T14:08:19.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many forensic pathologists have left their positions in Aberdeen in the last five years, and what the reasons were for any departures.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many forensic pathologists have left their positions in Aberdeen in the last five years, and what the reasons were for any departures.","AnswerText":"Three forensic pathologists have left positions in Aberdeen in the last five years. One pathologist took up a post with the Home Office in England. Two pathologists transferred to other positions in Scotland where they continue to conduct Crown-instructed examinations.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426467,"EventID":"S6W-31303","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:51.44","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T14:08:19.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current average time is for families to receive death certificates in Aberdeen following a post-mortem examination.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current average time is for families to receive death certificates in Aberdeen following a post-mortem examination.","AnswerText":"In all areas of Scotland, death certificates are routinely issued on the day of the post mortem examination to allow bereaved families to make the necessary funeral arrangements. On rare occasions, a death certificate cannot be issued on the day of the post mortem, usually due to the need to confirm identification of the deceased. The pathology provider will notify COPFS immediately so any identified family can be updated.In Aberdeen, the mortuary team email the medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD) to the Registrar on the day of the post mortem examination and provide a copy to COPFS. There are no delays to death certificates being issued in Aberdeen.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426468,"EventID":"S6W-31297","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:51.59","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T14:08:19.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is provided to the families of deceased individuals in Aberdeen during the post-mortem examination process.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is provided to the families of deceased individuals in Aberdeen during the post-mortem examination process.","AnswerText":"The Family Liaison Charter sets out the Crown&rsquo;s obligations in relation to liaising with and providing information to bereaved relatives. These obligations apply equally to deaths arising in any area of Scotland.If a post mortem examination in relation to a suspicious death requires to be transferred to another area, Police Scotland Family Liaison Officers will engage with the family at an early stage to explain the processes and timescales and keep them updated with the progress of the investigation.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426469,"EventID":"S6W-31343","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:52.36","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T16:22:15.237","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact and extent of the decision to increase employer national insurance contributions on the retail sector in Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact and extent of the decision to increase employer national insurance contributions on the retail sector in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The majority of taxation powers &ndash; including over National Insurance Contributions &ndash; remain reserved to the UK Government.Given the potential impact for businesses across the country, the UK Government should have looked across the range of tax powers at their disposal before pushing through this increase to Employer NICs.It is disappointing that the UK Government failed to engage with the Scottish Government on this significant policy change in advance, and I am concerned about the additional pressure this decision places on the retail sector in Scotland.The Scottish Government recognises how vital the Retail sector is to Scotland&rsquo;s economy. Shops and retailers support local communities, attract people into our towns and cities, utilise local supply chains, offer fulfilling employment and support other economic sectors such as tourism and hospitality.Scotland&rsquo;s Retail sector makes a significant contribution to Scotland&rsquo;s economy, comprising 14,325 registered businesses in 2023, accounting for 8.3% of Scotland&rsquo;s total, and contributing &pound;5.9 billion in gross value added (2021), equivalent to around 4.0% of all Scottish GVA. It is also a major employer, employing 227,000 people in 2022, accounting for 8.7% of all employment in Scotland.Scottish Ministers maintain that the Scottish Government must be engaged as a priority on reserved tax changes so that we can prepare for the potential impact.The Scottish Government is committed to supporting the country&rsquo;s Retail industry, and we will continue to engage directly with the sector.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426470,"EventID":"S6W-31338","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:51.253","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T15:58:20.323","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what data it expects national standardised assessments to produce; whether it considers that the cost of these assessments matches the value of this data, and what the r","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what data it expects national standardised assessments to produce; whether it considers that the cost of these assessments matches the value of this data, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.","AnswerText":"National Standardised Assessments produce data at: classroom, school, local authority and national levels.The primary purpose of NSA is to provide teachers with indicative, diagnostic information about learner strengths and development needs. They provide information directly to teachers on what individual learners can and cannot do in aspects of literacy and numeracy, at a particular moment in time. Data is broken down by curriculum content, for example in literacy, data includes information on &ldquo;tools for reading&rdquo; and &ldquo;finding and using information&rdquo;.At school level, assessment data shows how well learners perform in relation to a number of characteristics, for example free school meal entitlement, and provides information about how learners progress over time.NSA produces aggregated data that can help local authorities by providing information to inform conversations about school improvement. It can also help identify effective practice to disseminate, as well as areas for authority wide professional learning.At national level, anonymised data is broken down by both curriculum content and learner characteristics, e.g. gender and ethnicity. It allows the Scottish Government to identify trends, strengths, and areas for improvement in literacy and numeracy. This informs national policy, improvement priorities, and the type and level of support provided.The Scottish Government is clear that NSA and the data they produce represent good value for money. NSA data is also valued by school staff &ndash; our 2023-24 survey of school staff who use the assessments found that over 72% agree that NSA data informs teaching and learning in their school.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426471,"EventID":"S6W-31302","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:52.943","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T14:08:19.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the process is for auditing the quality of post-mortem examinations conducted in Aberdeen.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the process is for auditing the quality of post-mortem examinations conducted in Aberdeen.","AnswerText":"All doctors are expected to work within the standards set out by the General Medical Council for good medical practice.The Royal College of Pathologists and NHS Education for Scotland oversee training standards in pathology and their uniformity across Scotland.COPFS regularly meets and engages with pathology providers on a range of issues. These also allow discussion on any feedback received. Every post mortem examination report is considered by a COPFS legal member of staff and our investigation is only concluded when we are satisfied that all issues have been addressed.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426472,"EventID":"S6W-31347","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:50.397","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T16:49:01.223","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors the quality of primary school meals across local authorities, and how frequently these checks are carried out.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors the quality of primary school meals across local authorities, and how frequently these checks are carried out.","AnswerText":"Local authorities have a statutory obligation to comply with the Nutritional Requirements for Food and Drink in Schools (Scotland) Regulations 2020 (Nutritional Regulations).The nutritional quality of local authority school catering provision is evaluated as part of Education Scotland&rsquo;s school inspection programme.Specialist Health and Nutrition Inspectors (HNI) join some school inspection teams to evaluate compliance with the Nutritional Regulations, including the nutritional quality of school meals. This involves engaging with staff and reviewing documentation. In academic year 2023/24 HNI visited 100 schools.If a school or local authority does not meet the expected standards, HNI provides clear advice on the improvements needed. Local authorities are required to provide evidence to HNI showing how they have addressed any areas of non-compliance","AnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426473,"EventID":"S6W-31348","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:50.417","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T16:49:01.223","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of the food used in primary school meals is sourced locally.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of the food used in primary school meals is sourced locally.","AnswerText":"All local authorities are under a statutory duty to ensure their menus comply with the standards set out in The Nutritional Requirements for Food and Drink in Schools (Scotland) Regulations 2020. What food and drink they choose to include on their menus, including locally sourced, is a matter for each local authority taking into account local needs and preferences.We encourage local authorities to use local and sustainable produce in school catering, which is supported by the Scotland Excel procurement framework.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426474,"EventID":"S6W-31324","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:51.057","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T15:56:06.96","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the Strategic Transport Projects Review Infrastructure Investment Plan (STPR2 Delivery Plan).","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the Strategic Transport Projects Review Infrastructure Investment Plan (STPR2 Delivery Plan).","AnswerText":"Development of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) Delivery Plan is underway. This takes account of the current financial climate and is examining existing schemes across all modes in addition to the longer term STPR2 recommendations.The latest Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecasts, following the UK Government Autumn Budget Statement, show an improved medium term outlook for capital. The Scottish Government will continue to consider its longer-term infrastructure plans after we receive clarity from the UK Government over our multi-year capital funding envelope in the Spring.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426475,"EventID":"S6W-31318","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:50.423","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T14:08:19.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the impact of the current forensic pathology service levels has been on the investigation of drug-related deaths in Aberdeen.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the impact of the current forensic pathology service levels has been on the investigation of drug-related deaths in Aberdeen.","AnswerText":"Current forensic pathology service levels in Aberdeen have made no significant impact to the investigation of drug related deaths in Aberdeen.The majority of post mortem examinations in relation to deaths suspected to be due to the consumption of drugs can be conducted in Aberdeen without any delay.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426476,"EventID":"S6W-31352","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:50.48","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T16:49:01.223","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of primary school pupils have been classified as overweight in each year since 2012.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of primary school pupils have been classified as overweight in each year since 2012.","AnswerText":"In 2023, almost seven in ten children were within a healthy weight range (69%) based on their BMI, this was within the range of 64% - 72% recorded since 1998.The Scottish Health Survey (SHeS) sets out data on children&rsquo;s weight. The table of children aged 5-11 with valid interviewer administered height and weight measurements from that report is set out below by year::BMI, Children aged 5-11, 2012 to 2023Base: Children aged 5-11 with valid interviewer administered height and weight measurements2012 - 2023BMI status (National BMI percentiles)201220132014201520162017201820192020*202120222023&nbsp;%%%%%%%%%%%%Not at risk of overweight or obesity7372717372767375&nbsp;687169At risk of overweight (excluding obesity)1312121313121212&nbsp;111212At risk of obesity1416171414131513&nbsp;211718Base629636651507581576672695&nbsp;386386677Data for 2020 have not been included, as data collection was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic*.For definitions of BMI status, please use the following link.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426477,"EventID":"S6W-31341","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:52.29","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T16:22:15.237","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will fulfil the commitment in its Framework For Tax and the recommendation of the Barclay Review of Non-domestic Rates to restore the level playing field with En","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will fulfil the commitment in its Framework For Tax and the recommendation of the Barclay Review of Non-domestic Rates to restore the level playing field with England for commercial premises liable for the higher property rate.","AnswerText":"The Framework for Tax 2021 stated the Scottish Government&rsquo;s commitment to ensuring that the largest businesses pay the same combined poundage in Scotland as in England by the end of this parliamentary session.Over 95% of properties are liable for a lower poundage rate in Scotland than in anywhere else in the UK. Since the Barclay Review made this recommendation, we have introduced the Intermediate Property Rate on 1 April 2020. On 1 April 2023, we increased the rateable value threshold at which the Higher Property Rate applies, from &pound;95,000 to &pound;100,000.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426478,"EventID":"S6W-31322","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:52.303","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T15:56:06.957","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it can provide to people in (a) rural areas and (b) lower-income groups seeking to transition from internal combustion engine vehicles to electric vehicles ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it can provide to people in (a) rural areas and (b) lower-income groups seeking to transition from internal combustion engine vehicles to electric vehicles in line with its climate change action policy package that was published on 18 April 2024.","AnswerText":"Since 2011 the Scottish Government has provided interest free loans worth over &pound;223 million to individuals and businesses across Scotland to support the transition to zero emission/ultra-low emission vehicles.This financial year we are providing &pound;15 million of loan funding to further accelerate the shift to zero emission transport. To support a just transition to net zero, funding has now been prioritised to focus solely on lower income households, as well as households in rural and Island locations, in addition to the taxi sector.Recipients of the loan as well as individuals who reside in rural and Island locations can also access the domestic charge point fund which will provide up to &pound;400 of funding to support the installation of a charge point for an electric vehicle.Both of these funds are delivered by Energy Saving Trust on behalf of Scottish Ministers, additional information on the schemes supporting the transition to Net Zero and funded by the Scottish Government can be found here - Grants and loans to help you travel greener - Energy Saving Trust.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426479,"EventID":"S6W-31354","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:52.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T16:49:55.447","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what projections it has made regarding the impact of the closure of the Grangemouth oil refinery on the size of the town's population.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what projections it has made regarding the impact of the closure of the Grangemouth oil refinery on the size of the town's population.","AnswerText":"Our focus remains on mitigating any impact, to the best of our ability, that Petroineos&rsquo; decision to close the Grangemouth Refinery will have on the locality and wider economy. Petroineos&rsquo; consultation with their workforce is ongoing and, following its conclusion, we will be able to establish in more detail any potential impact that the closure of the Grangemouth Refinery will have.The Scottish and UK Governments have announced a package of measures to support Grangemouth&rsquo;s industrial future. This includes a skills intervention, jointly funded by Scottish Government and UK Government, to support those Petroineos workers affected by the recent closure announcement. This intervention will support workers at both the Grangemouth Refinery and Finnart Terminal, and will be provided by Forth Valley College.Looking towards the long term future of the Refinery site, the Scottish and UK Government's are supporting the Project Willow cross site study which is examining the enablers and blockers to deploying low carbon technologies at Grangemouth. Such technologies will take time to be brought forward, but they offer a route to the creation of new, highly skilled jobs at Grangemouth and our focus is on accelerating the deployment of these projects and associated jobs.Lastly, the Deputy First Minister and Secretary of State for Scotland have also signed an enhanced Falkirk and Grangemouth Growth Deal that will support wider economic development for those who live in the locality.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426480,"EventID":"S6W-31339","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:50.61","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T15:58:31.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it measures literacy rates among school pupils.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it measures literacy rates among school pupils.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government uses a range of data and evidence to measure literacy rates among school pupils.Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence Levels (ACEL), data, which is based on teacher judgement, provides information on the proportion of P1, P4, P7 and S3 pupils achieving the expected Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) levels in Reading, Writing, Listening and Talking. The Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) Levels 2022-23 data was published in December 2023.Data on the reading skills of 15 year olds is also collected every 3 years as part of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Scotland&rsquo;s results from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA 2022) were published in December 2023.Annual Summary Statistics for Attainment and Initial Leaver Destinations also contains data on the percentage of school leavers who attained literacy at each SCQF level. Scotland&rsquo;s Summary statistics for attainment and initial leaver destinations, no. 6: 2024 was published in February 2024.From 2026 onwards, Scotland will join the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) to gather evidence on the progress in students&rsquo; reading achievement of pupils aged 9 to 10 years.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426481,"EventID":"S6W-31304","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:52.407","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T14:08:19.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the criteria are for determining whether a death is classified as suspicious or non-suspicious in Aberdeen, and whether this differs from other regions in Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the criteria are for determining whether a death is classified as suspicious or non-suspicious in Aberdeen, and whether this differs from other regions in Scotland.","AnswerText":"A death may be considered suspicious if the facts and circumstances suggest it may have been caused as a result of criminality.When a death is reported to the Procurator Fiscal, it may not be possible to determine from the facts and circumstances known at that time whether the death is suspicious. That may only be possible when the results of further enquiries &ndash; such as the findings of a post mortem examination &ndash; are known.Where the death occurred has no bearing on whether or not the death will be investigated as potentially suspicious.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426482,"EventID":"S6W-31346","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:50.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T16:49:01.223","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to ensure that all primary school meals meet the nutritional standards set out in the nutritional requirements for food and drink in schools r","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to ensure that all primary school meals meet the nutritional standards set out in the nutritional requirements for food and drink in schools regulations.","AnswerText":"Compliance with the standards set out in the Nutritional Requirements for Food and Drink in Schools (Scotland) Regulations 2020 is monitored by Education Scotland Health and Nutrition Inspectors as part of their school inspection programme, helping to ensure that children and young people are provided with balanced and nutritious food, drink and meals to support their healthy growth and development.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426483,"EventID":"S6W-31228","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:52.84","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T11:04:23.703","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendation of the Education, Children and Young People Committee, when the Supporting Children&rsquo;s Learning Code of Practice will be reviewed.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendation of the Education, Children and Young People Committee, when the Supporting Children&rsquo;s Learning Code of Practice will be reviewed.","AnswerText":"We have committed to refresh the Supporting Children&rsquo;s Learning Code of Practice during this parliamentary term. We have been working collaboratively with a range of education partners and policy areas over the past 19 months, to ensure it continues to fully support schools and local authorities to fulfil their duties under the ASL Act. An update on progress was set out in our third progress report, published in November 2024.In alignment with my response to the Education, Children and Young People Committee, a public consultation will be held in early 2025, providing an opportunity for wider stakeholders with an interest in the Code of Practice to share their views.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426484,"EventID":"S6W-31284","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:50.42","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T14:08:19.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current average waiting time is for toxicology results in Aberdeen, and how this compares with other regions in Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current average waiting time is for toxicology results in Aberdeen, and how this compares with other regions in Scotland.","AnswerText":"NHS Grampian provides the postmortem toxicology service for Aberdeen, Grampian and the Highlands and Islands. The Scottish Police Authority (SPA) provides the service for the rest of Scotland. SPA also currently processes priority cases for the whole of Scotland.The current average turnaround time for post mortem toxicology results for non-priority cases referred to NHS Grampian in 2024 is 15.5 days, calculated from the date the samples arrive at the laboratory.The current average turnaround time for post mortem toxicology results for cases referred to SPA in 2024, is 28 days for priority cases and 30.8 days for non-priority cases.These figures are within the target agreed between COPFS and the toxicology providers.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426485,"EventID":"S6W-31288","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:52.96","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T14:08:19.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current capacity is for conducting routine post-mortem examinations in Aberdeen, and how this compares with the demand.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current capacity is for conducting routine post-mortem examinations in Aberdeen, and how this compares with the demand.","AnswerText":"There is adequate capacity for conducting routine post mortem examinations in Aberdeen. Locum pathologists are instructed each week to ensure that post mortems are conducted within the target turnaround time of five working days from the later of the Crown instruction or the deceased being admitted to the mortuary.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426486,"EventID":"S6W-31333","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:50.423","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T15:56:06.977","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when work will begin on developing a just transition plan for Mossmorran.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when work will begin on developing a just transition plan for Mossmorran.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has committed to the development of a just transition plan for Mossmorran following completion of the just transition plan for Grangemouth in 2025. As with the Grangemouth just transition plan, this work will be co-designed with key stakeholders including industry, the workforce and the community. The Scottish Government is actively engaging with relevant stakeholders as part of the scoping phase of this programme of work.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426487,"EventID":"S6W-31359","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:51.153","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T17:48:15.823","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what (a) regulations and (b) instruments have been introducedby the Scottish Ministers under the UK Withdrawal from the European Union(Continuity) (Scotland) Act 2021, b","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what (a) regulations and (b) instruments have been introducedby the Scottish Ministers under the UK Withdrawal from the European Union(Continuity) (Scotland) Act 2021, broken down by the reason for each.","AnswerText":"The UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Continuity) (Scotland) Act 2021 is one means by which the Scottish Government implements its alignment policy. The section 1(1) power has been used once to introduce secondary legislation, in respect of The Public Water Supplies (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2022.This legislation, laid on 22 December 2022, aligns with the EU Drinking Water Directive 2020/2184 (Recast) on the quality of water for human consumption. This Directive is designed to protect water intended for human consumption (&ldquo;drinking water&rdquo;) from source to tap, put in place measures for access to water and drive-up resource efficiency by tackling pollutants at source. This instrument also ensures alignment of health-based standards, as recommended by the World Health Organisation, and enables better reporting of these standards in Scotland.The Scottish Government will continue to use this power if it is the most appropriate means to deliver alignment and advance important regulatory standards. If this power is used, the Scottish Government will inform parliament through the agreed reporting process.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426488,"EventID":"S6W-31307","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:50.5","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T14:08:19.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the impact of any delays in post-mortem examinations has been on legal proceedings in Aberdeen.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the impact of any delays in post-mortem examinations has been on legal proceedings in Aberdeen.","AnswerText":"There are no delays in post mortem examinations affecting legal proceedings in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426489,"EventID":"S6W-31329","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:51.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T15:56:06.967","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in investigating the potential coexistence of re-wetting with continued agricultural activity, and whether any pilot partial re-wetting projec","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in investigating the potential coexistence of re-wetting with continued agricultural activity, and whether any pilot partial re-wetting projects have been identified for investment of up to &pound;1 million.","AnswerText":"With partial rewetting, the water table in peatlands or peaty soils is held deeper underground than with full rewetting or restoration. In theory, this delivers a carbon benefit but also allows certain types of agriculture that may be limited by full rewetting to continue.The Peatland Science and Technical Advisory Group have advised there may be some potential in lowland grassland systems and at the edges of some raised bogs where the use of &lsquo;leaky dams&rsquo; may have a part to play in finer control of water table depth. However, significant areas of lowland agricultural peats are difficult to identify and map.We have commissioned scientists at the James Hutton Institute to advise on the distribution of grassland on peat and on the relationship between water table depth and carbon emissions in peat grassland systems.When complete, this will inform on-going work in government considering options for incorporating peatland protection, management and restoration within the new four-tier agricultural support framework.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426490,"EventID":"S6W-31298","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:50.283","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T14:08:19.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether families of deceased individuals from Aberdeen are routinely notified that post-mortem examinations are carried out in Edinburgh or Glasgow.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether families of deceased individuals from Aberdeen are routinely notified that post-mortem examinations are carried out in Edinburgh or Glasgow.","AnswerText":"Bereaved relatives are routinely advised of the location of the post mortem examination and the reasons for the transfer.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426491,"EventID":"S6W-31351","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:52.217","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T16:49:01.223","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that feedback from pupils and parents regarding the quality of primary school meals is taken into account when developing or improving meal provision.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that feedback from pupils and parents regarding the quality of primary school meals is taken into account when developing or improving meal provision.","AnswerText":"Local authorities are under a statutory duty to comply with the standards set out in the Nutritional Requirements for Food and Drink in Schools (Scotland) Regulations 2020 when designing menus. How they do this is a matter for local decision making taking into account local needs and priorities. The Scottish Government provides advice via &lsquo;Better Eating, Better Learning&rsquo; guidance and encourages local authorities to involve pupils, parents and carers in menu development in order to take account of local preferences and feedback as they design new menus and encourage uptake.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426492,"EventID":"S6W-31337","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:51.157","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T15:56:06.983","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to take forward a new assembly or participative process following on from the climate assembly and people panel on climate engagement.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to take forward a new assembly or participative process following on from the climate assembly and people panel on climate engagement.","AnswerText":"Our Public Engagement Strategy for Climate Change (PES) highlights the importance of effective engagement to build support for climate action. The Scottish Government continues to build on outcomes from Scotland&rsquo;s most recent Climate Assembly, by delivering a programme of participative engagement in support of the just transition planning process. We are exploring options to establish an additional participative process to engage the public in order to build understanding of the transition to a net zero and climate resilient Scotland. This is further to our existing engagement work, including the &pound;5.5m Community Climate Action Hubs, &pound;425k Climate Action Schools programme, and awarding funding of &pound;272k through our Climate Engagement Fund.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426493,"EventID":"S6W-31342","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:52.297","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T16:22:15.237","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the UK Government discussion paper, Transforming business rates, which proposes a permanently lower business rate for the retail sector from 2026","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the UK Government discussion paper, Transforming business rates, which proposes a permanently lower business rate for the retail sector from 2026-27, and whether it is considering a similar approach.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has noted the UK Government&rsquo;s discussion paper on business rates with interest and will carefully consider the outcome.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426494,"EventID":"S6W-31282","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:52.703","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T14:08:19.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures are being taken to address the reported shortage of forensic pathologists in Aberdeen.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures are being taken to address the reported shortage of forensic pathologists in Aberdeen.","AnswerText":"In October 2022, both Forensic Pathologists working in Aberdeen transferred to other positions in Scotland where they continue to conduct Crown-instructed examinations. COPFS took over management of the pathology services in Aberdeen as Aberdeen University were unable to secure replacement pathologists.From that date, COPFS has relied on the Forensic postmortem services in other areas of Scotland to provide Forensic specialist cover for Aberdeen, Grampian and the Highlands and Islands.COPFS is not responsible for recruiting Crown-instructed pathologists.However, COPFS has investigated alternative options for a forensic pathology service in Aberdeen. In the meantime, continuing with the outsourcing agreement and the use of locum NHS pathologists for non-suspicious post mortem examinations maintains service delivery whilst NHS Grampian progress the establishment of a forensic post mortem service in Aberdeen.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426495,"EventID":"S6W-31321","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:52.577","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T15:56:06.953","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in developing a route map to having approximately 24,000 additional electric vehicle charge points by 2030.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in developing a route map to having approximately 24,000 additional electric vehicle charge points by 2030.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has now met its target of 6,000 public EV charge points two years early.Since 2011 the Scottish Government has invested over &pound;65 million in public EV charging. As a result of this early investment, and rapidly increasing private sector investment, today Scotland has one of the most comprehensive public charging networks in the UK, and the latest official UK Department for Transport statistics show that Scotland has the highest number of public chargers per head of population of any part of the UK, except London, and the most rapid charge points of any part of the UK.In partnership with our stakeholders, we have been developing the Draft Vision Implementation Plan and route map for the delivery of approximately 24,000 additional public charge points by 2030. I thank stakeholders for their continuing engagement to support delivering our Vision for world-class, people focused public EV charging network.As previously indicated, we will publish the draft Implementation Plan for consultation on its proposed actions by the end of the year and we envisage that the final Implementation Plan and route map will be published in 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426496,"EventID":"S6W-31355","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:53.117","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T16:51:06.347","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how the closure of the Grangemouth oil refinery fits alongside its plans for a Just Transition for Grangemouth.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the closure of the Grangemouth oil refinery fits alongside its plans for a Just Transition for Grangemouth.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains commitment to securing a long term, sustainable future for the Grangemouth industrial cluster, and highly skilled workforce located there. This is outlined in our draft Grangemouth Industrial Just Transition Plan which was published for consultation on 7 November.This document is designed to set the strategic direction for Grangemouth&rsquo;s transition to net zero, including a co-designed vision for the future of the cluster and a series of proposed actions to support this. The final plan will take cognisance of the outputs of Project Willow which is due to report in early 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426497,"EventID":"S6W-31317","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:50.517","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T14:08:19.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current ratio is of forensic pathologists to cases in Aberdeen.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current ratio is of forensic pathologists to cases in Aberdeen.","AnswerText":"There are currently no forensic pathologists based in Aberdeen.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426498,"EventID":"S6W-31276","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:52.3","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T13:50:27.243","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what monitoring Social Security Scotland undertakes of the impact of Best Start Foods cards.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what monitoring Social Security Scotland undertakes of the impact of Best Start Foods cards.","AnswerText":"Social Security Scotland and Scottish Government work together closely to monitor the impact of the devolved benefits.The impact of Best Start Foods is measured in three ways: the Social Security Scotland Client Survey; the Social Security Scotland Client Panels Survey; and Scottish Government policy evaluation.The most recent Client Survey findings are published online at https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/reporting/publications/client-survey-2023-2024&nbsp;and https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/reporting/publications/client-survey-five-family-payments-december-march-2024.The most recent Client Panels Survey findings are published online at https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/reporting/publications/annual-client-panels-survey-2023.In 2022 the initial evaluation of Best Start Foods was published online at https://www.gov.scot/publications/evaluation-best-start-foods/.A further evaluation of the Five Family Payments is currently underway, which will provide quantitative evidence from a large scale survey of recipients on the impact of receiving Best Start Foods. The evaluation is expected to be published in Summer 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426499,"EventID":"S6W-31335","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:50.467","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T15:56:06.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to introduce a legislative vehicle to enable aspects of the accelerated climate policy package to be delivered.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to introduce a legislative vehicle to enable aspects of the accelerated climate policy package to be delivered.","AnswerText":"Development of climate policy continues on an ongoing basis ahead of the publication of the draft climate change plan. Where any additional policy requires an expedited legislative vehicle, we will actively explore opportunities to do so, whilst ensuring that all measures are subject to appropriate level of Parliamentary scrutiny.Meanwhile, the Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2024 requires us to set carbon budgets levels via secondary legislation, once we have received advice from the Climate Change Committee. We have written to the Committee to request this advice, and will bring forward regulations to set carbon budgets once it has been received.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426500,"EventID":"S6W-31309","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:52.867","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T14:08:19.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current average time is for a post-mortem examination to be scheduled in Aberdeen after a death is reported.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current average time is for a post-mortem examination to be scheduled in Aberdeen after a death is reported.","AnswerText":"The average time for a post mortem examination to take place in Aberdeen is seven days (or five working days) after the post mortem is instructed. Most post mortems are instructed on the same day that the death is reported to COPFS.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426501,"EventID":"S6W-31289","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:50.407","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T14:08:19.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the cost implications are of flying in locum pathologists from London to Aberdeen for post-mortem examinations.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the cost implications are of flying in locum pathologists from London to Aberdeen for post-mortem examinations.","AnswerText":"Locum pathologists are engaged on a fixed fee basis per post mortem examination, regardless of where the pathologist requires to travel from. There is therefore no additional cost to the Crown if a locum pathologist requires to fly from elsewhere in the United Kingdom to Aberdeen or requires accommodation.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426502,"EventID":"S6W-31230","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:50.413","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T11:06:43.39","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Children and Young People last met NHS Scotland and the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists to discuss progression ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Children and Young People last met NHS Scotland and the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists to discuss progression of the recommendations in the Education, Children and Young People Committee report that the government should work with it to identify the causes of any delays in access to support for children and young people with additional support needs {ASN) in mainstream schools.","AnswerText":"As part of the Scottish Government's response to the Education, Children and Young People Committee's Inquiry on Additional Support for Learning, I committed to engage with our partners to consider this issue further.My officials engage with the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists as well as our wider partners on a regular basis and I will provide an update to the Committee on the outcome of these considerations in due course.The Royal College will be invited to attend the Scottish Advisory Group on Relationships and Behaviour in Schools to ensure they can contribute to the delivery of our Relationships and Behaviour in Schools National Action Plan.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426503,"EventID":"S6W-31360","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:52.36","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T07:13:48.377","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Scottish Funding Council provides funding for  College Employers Scotland, and what information it has regarding the objectives of this organisation.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Scottish Funding Council provides funding for  College Employers Scotland, and what information it has regarding the objectives of this organisation.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) provides funding to College Employers Scotland (CES) to support a fair and sustainable implementation of National Pay Bargaining through a shared partnership agenda and work plan with the trade unions.In terms of objectives of CES, these are outlined in their business case to SFC for funding as follows:1.Put in place a clear and visible strategy for the employers;2.Engage positively and proactively with our key stakeholders;3.Create a clear identity, brand and voice for the Employers&rsquo; Association which differentiates it from Colleges Scotland, and be effective in our communications, both internally within the sector and externally, promoting its value and achievements;4.Ensure the employment services team can deliver the workload expected of them to service the Employers&rsquo; Association and National Joint Negotiating Committee (NJNC).","AnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426504,"EventID":"S6W-31308","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:53.133","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T14:08:19.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures are being taken to improve communication with families regarding the status of post-mortem examinations in Aberdeen.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures are being taken to improve communication with families regarding the status of post-mortem examinations in Aberdeen.","AnswerText":"The Family Liaison Charter sets out the Crown&rsquo;s obligations in relation to liaising with and providing information to bereaved relatives.COPFS has established a Death Investigation Improvement Board with a number of workstreams, one of which is focussed on further expanding and improving the level of information provided to bereaved relatives in the early stages of investigations.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426505,"EventID":"S6W-31286","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:52.097","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T14:08:19.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many death certificates in Aberdeen have been issued with &ldquo;unascertained&rdquo; as the cause of death, in the last year.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many death certificates in Aberdeen have been issued with &ldquo;unascertained&rdquo; as the cause of death, in the last year.","AnswerText":"The certification of a person&rsquo;s death is a matter that falls solely within the clinical responsibility of medical practitioners, who require to be satisfied to the best of their knowledge and belief as to the cause of death.Following a post mortem examination, the pathologist will ordinarily certify the cause of death. In some cases, an &lsquo;interim&rsquo; death certificate is issued by the pathologist indicating that the cause of death is unascertained until the results of further analysis - including but not limited to histopathology, toxicology and neuropathology - are obtained. This certificate allows the death to be registered and the body to be released to the family to allow funeral arrangements to be made. Once all analysis has concluded and the final cause of death is confirmed, the interim death certificate is then amended. However, in a small percentage of cases the pathologist is unable to determine a cause of death even after all such analysis is done.We have identified 12 cases in 2023-24 where, following post mortem examination, the pathologist was unable to determine a cause of death and the cause was certified as &lsquo;Unascertained&rsquo;.Where a pathologist is unable to determine a cause of death, they will include in their report as much information as possible about their findings to assist nearest relatives with possible explanations for the death having occurred. COPFS will provide that information to relatives when advising them of the final cause of death.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426506,"EventID":"S6W-31388","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:51.4","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T11:01:12.263","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many of its employees have completed courses through the Scottish Digital Academy in each year since it was launched in January 2018.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many of its employees have completed courses through the Scottish Digital Academy in each year since it was launched in January 2018.","AnswerText":"Since the Scottish Digital Academy was established in 2018, the total number of employees completing courses is 9,452 which is 49 per cent of the total number of course registrations (19,209).2018 (162)2019 (400)2020 (477)2021 (771)2022 (1712)2023 (3307)2024 to October end (2623)Figures include core Scottish Government employees and Scottish Government Executive Agency employees.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426507,"EventID":"S6W-31283","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:51.873","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T14:08:19.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many cases of sudden unexpected death have been referred to Edinburgh from Aberdeen in the last two years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many cases of sudden unexpected death have been referred to Edinburgh from Aberdeen in the last two years.","AnswerText":"The following table shows the numbers of forensic post mortems conducted by two doctors that would normally have been performed in Aberdeen and that were transferred to Edinburgh. Some post mortems were also transferred to Dundee and Glasgow.Only suspicious forensic post mortem examinations are being transferred from Aberdeen. Prior to October 2022, these were performed by forensic pathologists based in Aberdeen.&nbsp;Number of postmortems referred to EdinburghLocus of death2022-20232023-20242024-2025(to 31st Oct 2024)Aberdeen162Inverness1125Tain100Wick160Stornoway040Portree020Lerwick020Total4327","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426508,"EventID":"S6W-31349","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:51.693","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T16:49:01.223","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of primary school meals is prepared from fresh ingredients.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of primary school meals is prepared from fresh ingredients.","AnswerText":"All local authorities are under a statutory duty to ensure their menus comply with the standards set out in The Nutritional Requirements for Food and Drink in Schools (Scotland) Regulations 2020. What food and drink they choose to include on their menus, including fresh produce, is a matter for each local authority taking into account local needs and preferences.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426509,"EventID":"S6W-31358","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:50.707","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T17:26:28.333","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27639 by Jenny Gilruth on 28 May 2024, for what reason the summary report on access to counsellors in secondary schools and childr","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27639 by Jenny Gilruth on 28 May 2024, for what reason the summary report on access to counsellors in secondary schools and children and young people&rsquo;s community mental health services for January to June 2023 has not yet been published, and by what date it will be.","AnswerText":"The summary report on access to counsellors in secondary schools and children and young people&rsquo;s community mental health services for the period January to June 2023 has now been published on the Scottish Government website at: Access to counsellors in secondary schools and children and young people&rsquo;s community mental health services &ndash; summary reports - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)","AnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426510,"EventID":"S6W-31393","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:52.597","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T11:04:53.437","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the recycling of medical packaging, including blister packs, in its circular economy strategy and associated guidance.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the recycling of medical packaging, including blister packs, in its circular economy strategy and associated guidance.","AnswerText":"Medical packaging, such as blister packaging, is not easily recycled due to strict regulatory requirements for pharmaceutical packaging set by the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. However, the Scottish Government is taking steps to encourage businesses to reduce the amount of packaging waste and to improve recycling through implementation of extended producer responsibility for packaging from 2025. This includes obligations for producers of pharmaceutical packaging.The Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 requires that Scottish Ministers publish a circular economy strategy, which will be developed over the next two years. In advance of that, we will shortly be publishing a final version of our circular economy and waste route map, which will set out actions to deliver sustainable use of our resources and progress a circular economy to 2030. As part of these we will continue to consider medical packaging items.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426511,"EventID":"S6W-31316","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:50.44","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T14:08:19.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current average workload is for forensic pathologists in Aberdeen, and how this compares with other regions in Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current average workload is for forensic pathologists in Aberdeen, and how this compares with other regions in Scotland.","AnswerText":"There are currently no forensic pathologists based in Aberdeen.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426512,"EventID":"S6W-31330","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:50.473","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T15:56:06.97","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in expanding the Cairngorms Deer Pilot to develop a national scheme to incentivise increased management and investment in the venison supply ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in expanding the Cairngorms Deer Pilot to develop a national scheme to incentivise increased management and investment in the venison supply chain.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to reducing high deer numbers in order to help us to achieve our biodiversity and carbon objectives. In addition to the Cairngorms National Park Authority deer management incentives pilot, NatureScot launched two pilot schemes led by this autumn to incentivise deer managers to increase deer culls in specific parts of Scotland.These pilot schemes have been implemented this year in different parts of Scotland to test different approaches to incentives and to better understand the barriers to deer management.While these pilots do not constitute a single national scheme, we will use the findings from them to inform decisions on future incentive schemes.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426513,"EventID":"S6W-31280","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:51.84","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T14:02:45.807","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the reported &pound;28 million that it has spent on the National Care Service.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the reported &pound;28 million that it has spent on the National Care Service.","AnswerText":"The National Care Service is an ongoing programme of work with funding allocated as set out in last year&rsquo;s Budget.The reported &pound;28 million reflects the amount of funding allocated to developing the National Care Service proposals since August 2021. The majority of funding allocated to the programme is funding for existing Scottish Government staff and therefore business as usual spend.Other areas of funding allocation include co-design and engagement work ensuring people with lived experience of accessing and delivering social care services, social work and community health are partners in developing the National Care Service proposals. We further provide grant support to lived experience groups to ensure they remain at the forefront in the design of a National Care Service. Whilst the majority of development work is carried out by Scottish Government staff, the Scottish Government occasionally requires external professional advice on complex issues, as previously set out.The breakdown of spend on the NCS since August 2021 is as follows;Staff - &pound;24.4 millionStaff Related - &pound;0.3 millionNCS Programme Development &ndash; Non-Staff - &pound;4.1millionTotal Spend - &pound;28.7 million.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426514,"EventID":"S6W-31390","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:52.783","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T11:01:12.263","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many Scottish Digital Academy courses have been completed by employees in the third sector in each year since it was launched in January 2018.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many Scottish Digital Academy courses have been completed by employees in the third sector in each year since it was launched in January 2018.","AnswerText":"Since the Scottish Digital Academy was established in 2018, there have been 206 registrations from the third sector.2018 (0)2019 (10)2020 (12)2021 (8)2022 (63)2023 (54)2024 to October end (59)","AnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426515,"EventID":"S6W-31293","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:52.153","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T14:08:19.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to reduce the reported backlog of post-mortem examinations in Aberdeen.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to reduce the reported backlog of post-mortem examinations in Aberdeen.","AnswerText":"There is no backlog of post mortem examinations in Aberdeen and the majority of routine examinations are completed within agreed targets.COPFS works closely with the Aberdeen mortuary team and locum pathologists to ensure that any issues with service delivery are highlighted and resolved as quickly as possible with the minimum of impact to bereaved families.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426516,"EventID":"S6W-31336","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:53.19","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T15:56:06.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to identify the staffing needs for taking forward the climate change policy package in line with the factsheet that it published on 18 April 202","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to identify the staffing needs for taking forward the climate change policy package in line with the factsheet that it published on 18 April 2024.","AnswerText":"Protecting the planet is a clear government priority which is why we must ensure that resourcing matches the scale of work required to deliver a net zero Scotland by 2045, balancing that with a need to ensure efficiencies in our public services.We continually review staffing and resourcing, to support our commitments and ensure that the government&rsquo;s ambition for tackling climate change is delivered as part of our regular assurance processes.In addition, there is oversight of resourcing of climate change activity through the Global Climate Emergency Programme Board.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426517,"EventID":"S6W-31391","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:52.613","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T11:01:27.513","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government on which meeting dates its representatives (a) have and (b) have not attended meetings of the Digital Economy Skills Group.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government on which meeting dates its representatives (a) have and (b) have not attended meetings of the Digital Economy Skills Group.","AnswerText":"The information requested is not held centrally. This request should be directed to Skills Development Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426518,"EventID":"S6W-31319","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:52.7","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T14:29:51.517","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what (a) cost and (b) viability analysis it has made into installing liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities at Troon harbour.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what (a) cost and (b) viability analysis it has made into installing liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities at Troon harbour.","AnswerText":"During the period where Troon will temporarily be used to support the Arran service, LNG bunkering will be carried out by HGV tankers directly to the vessel. It is to be noted that an LNG facility is included as a permanent solution as part of the Ardrossan Harbour project, and that costs and technical requirements for permanent works should they require to be undertaken at Troon would be expected to be comparable to this.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426519,"EventID":"S6W-31315","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:52.807","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T14:08:19.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current status is of any work to address the recruitment of forensic pathologists in Aberdeen.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current status is of any work to address the recruitment of forensic pathologists in Aberdeen.","AnswerText":"NHS Grampian has provided COPFS with a commitment to implement a forensic pathology service in Aberdeen, including the recruitment of full-time forensic pathologists, and COPFS is supporting that process.It is however a matter for NHS Grampian to recruit forensic pathologists to provide the services.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426520,"EventID":"S6W-31344","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:53.157","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T16:47:49.89","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it started mitigation works for the potential closure of the Grangemouth oil refinery.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it started mitigation works for the potential closure of the Grangemouth oil refinery.","AnswerText":"We have been engaging with the shareholders of the Grangemouth Refinery business over many years on future options for the site, demonstrated in a track record support for low carbon technologies at the site. Via Scottish Enterprise, since 2021 we have supported a range of studies which explored the feasibility a bio-refinery at Grangemouth, as well as the use of low carbon hydrogen for fuel switching purposes. These studies are predecessors to the Project Willow study, which the business approached the Scottish Government with in early 2024 and is considering the enablers and blockers to deploying a range of low carbon technologies at Grangemouth.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426521,"EventID":"S6W-31281","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:53.013","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T14:03:50.937","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it spent on the guidance, School uniform and clothing in Scotland: Guidance for schools and education authorities, which was published in September 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it spent on the guidance, School uniform and clothing in Scotland: Guidance for schools and education authorities, which was published in September 2024.","AnswerText":"In September 2024, the Scottish Government published guidance for schools and education authorities on school uniform and clothing. This was published alongside supporting resources for pupils and parents and carers. The total cost of publication was &pound;2,106.32.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426522,"EventID":"S6W-31326","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:50.413","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T15:56:06.963","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will announce the proportion of funding between tiers 1 and 2 of the future agriculture support framework.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will announce the proportion of funding between tiers 1 and 2 of the future agriculture support framework.","AnswerText":"Funding certainty and market stability for farmers is absolutely crucial and we want to do all that we can to try to ensure that that is the case in Scotland. As announced at February&rsquo;s NFU Scotland Conference, Tiers 1 and 2 will receive at least 70% of the available budget. Work on the future framework is continuing to be developed and any announcements will be made in due course. As always, we are committed to working with the industry to co-develop the new payment framework to ensure there are no cliff edges.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426523,"EventID":"S6W-31327","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:50.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T15:56:06.963","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will take forward a pilot scheme with farms to establish an appropriate uptake of methane suppressing feed products and additives.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will take forward a pilot scheme with farms to establish an appropriate uptake of methane suppressing feed products and additives.","AnswerText":"On 18 April 2024, the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy made a statement to the Scottish Parliament confirming that the Scottish Government&rsquo;s ambition and legal commitment to reach net zero by 2045 remains unchanged.In the statement the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy announced several new measures aimed at accelerating Scotland&rsquo;s journey to net zero, including a pilot scheme with some Scottish farms to establish future appropriate uptake of methane supressing feed products.There has been significant development in this area in recent years and it is taking time to develop the details of a pilot which could explore options for recognising appropriate use of these products and other practices which can reduce greenhouse gas emissions on farms. Further information on the timetable of a pilot project will be shared as soon as possible.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426524,"EventID":"S6W-31340","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:52.683","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T16:22:15.237","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government in light of the commitment in the Framework For Tax and Scottish National Party 2021 manifesto, what the cost would have been in (a) 2021-22, (b) 2022-23, (c) 2023-24 an","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government in light of the commitment in the Framework For Tax and Scottish National Party 2021 manifesto, what the cost would have been in (a) 2021-22, (b) 2022-23, (c) 2023-24 and (d) 2024-25 of bringing the Higher Property Rate into line with that in England, broken down by industry sector.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W- 30147 on 11 November 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426525,"EventID":"S6W-31320","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:50.537","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T15:56:06.95","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in developing a route map to a 20% reduction in car kilometres, and when this will be published.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in developing a route map to a 20% reduction in car kilometres, and when this will be published.","AnswerText":"The draft route map to achieving a 20% reduction in car use published in 2022 outlines our approach to achieving this. A period of engagement and consultation followed publication, and the analysis and consideration of the consultation responses are shaping the updated route map which will be published in due course.The route map is co-produced with CoSLA, in recognition of the joint commitment to a just transition to reducing car use and we are continuing to work closely with local and regional partners to update the route map and we will publish it on completion of that engagement.&rdquo;","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426526,"EventID":"S6W-31350","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:52.183","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T16:49:01.223","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding the percentage of food wasted from school meal services since 2012.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding the percentage of food wasted from school meal services since 2012.","AnswerText":"The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. Reducing food waste in schools is important and we therefore continue to develop tools to prevent it. This includes the work undertaken by Zero Waste Scotland to provide a Food Waste Monitoring Tool Kit for schools (https://www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/resources/food-waste-monitoring-toolkit-schools) and the Education Scotland Food for Thought Programme (Food for Thought support resources | Resources | National Improvement Hub (education.gov.scot)) &ndash; which is a whole school teaching resource for primary and secondary schools.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426527,"EventID":"S6W-31287","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-15T14:30:50.893","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T14:08:19.553","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the impact of using locum pathologists from outside Scotland has been on the quality of post-mortem examinations in Aberdeen.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the impact of using locum pathologists from outside Scotland has been on the quality of post-mortem examinations in Aberdeen.","AnswerText":"All locum pathologists used to cover non-suspicious Crown-instructed post mortems in Aberdeen are NHS consultants with significant experience of conducting examinations. Prior to being instructed by the Crown, each locum pathologist is interviewed by COPFS officials and an experienced Forensic Pathologist to confirm that they have the appropriate skills and experience to take on the role.There are no identified quality issues with the post mortem examinations being carried out by locum pathologists in Aberdeen.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426540,"EventID":"S6W-31444","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":16197,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T09:22:30.973","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-18T09:17:20.513","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will provide an update on progress on delivering the Programme for Government commitment to expand Scotland&rsquo;s Migration Service to provide more support to ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will provide an update on progress on delivering the Programme for Government commitment to expand Scotland&rsquo;s Migration Service to provide more support to users.","AnswerText":"The full expanded version of Scotland's Migration Service will be launched on 19th November 2024.We know that employers, inward investors and individuals often face challenges in navigating the UK immigration system. Scotland's Migration Service will provide practical advice and support to employers to help them recruit internationally; inward investors to move to, or expand their business in, Scotland; individuals looking to move to Scotland for work or family; and individuals in Scotland on a temporary visa, including international students, looking to move visa routes.The Service will provide practical information delivered through a digital platform as well as free personalised advice appointments delivered by our expert suppliers, Citizens Advice Scotland and the immigration law firm Seraphus.Delivery of this Programme for Government commitment will contribute to our work to grow our economy, maximise our existing talent pool, and attract more individuals to Scotland to address skills shortages and demographic challenges.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426542,"EventID":"S6W-31432","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:16.623","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T17:10:13.683","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the role that third sector healthcare providers have in delivering services to patients in remote and rural settings, separate to services","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the role that third sector healthcare providers have in delivering services to patients in remote and rural settings, separate to services provided through NHS boards.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold a central assessment of Third Sector healthcare provision. We do however recognise the role of the Third sector in areas such as palliative care and published the draft Palliative Care Strategy &ndash; Palliative Care Matters for All &ndash; for public consultation on 2 October 2024. The consultation will close on 10 January 2025, and the responses will inform the development of the final Strategy, which we aim to publish in 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426543,"EventID":"S6W-31421","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:16.753","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T17:10:13.683","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the evidence in the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee report, Remote and Rural Healthcare Inquiry, what steps it is taking to ensure that healthcare w","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the evidence in the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee report, Remote and Rural Healthcare Inquiry, what steps it is taking to ensure that healthcare workers in rural and remote areas are able to access suitable childcare places.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises that high quality, accessible and affordable early learning and childcare is vital in rural areas to support children&rsquo;s outcomes and to enable parents or carers to train, work or study. A full response to the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee report, Remote and Rural Healthcare Inquiry, was sent on 18 November. The Scottish Government, in collaboration with the Centre for Workforce Supply and the National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care will develop a sustained model of direct support that will provide rural and island employers with the help they need to improve recruitment success.We recognise the provision of childcare is a key factor to support more people in rural and island communities to enter and sustain training, employment and starting a business. The Scottish Government continues to fully fund local authorities to deliver 1140 hours of Early Learning and Childcare to eligible children across Scotland, backed by almost &pound;1 billion funding each year. In addition, at a national level, several work programmes are underway to support childcare access in rural and island communities. This includes &ndash;Funding a new national childminder recruitment and retention programme.Making grants available to local authorities via the Addressing Depopulation Action Plan Fund, two of which will contain a focus on addressing childcare issues in areas affected by acute population decline.Providing local authorities with an additional &pound;16m in 2024-25 to support payment of the real Living Wage to staff delivering funded ELC in the private and third sectors.Investing &pound;16 million over the next two years into our early adopter communities (EACs), including those in rural and island locations. We are extending the number of communities involved in this work in existing EACs in Dundee, Clackmannanshire Glasgow and Inverclyde &ndash; as well as further expanding into Fife and the Shetland Isles. This will allow us to test and understand particular challenges and opportunities in rural and island areas.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426544,"EventID":"S6W-31418","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:16.63","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T17:10:13.683","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the evidence in the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee report, Remote and Rural Healthcare Inquiry, what steps it is taking to deliver more affordable ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the evidence in the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee report, Remote and Rural Healthcare Inquiry, what steps it is taking to deliver more affordable homes for healthcare workers in rural and remote settings.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remain committed to delivering 110,000 affordable homes by 2032 of which at least 10% will be in rural and island areas.Up to &pound;25 million is also being made available from our affordable housing supply programme budget over the period 2023-2028 in the form of the demand led Affordable Homes for Key Workers Fund. The funding is available to support local authorities and registered social landlords to purchase existing suitable properties in rural and island areas for key workers where there is identified need.We continue to work closely with partners to deliver the right homes in the right places and it is for local authorities through their Local Housing Strategies and Strategic Housing Investment Plans to identify the type, location, size and tenure of homes required in their areas.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426545,"EventID":"S6W-31423","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:16.633","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T17:10:13.683","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the evidence in the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee report, Remote and Rural Healthcare Inquiry, what its response is to reported concerns that some","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the evidence in the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee report, Remote and Rural Healthcare Inquiry, what its response is to reported concerns that some (a) patients and (b) GPs are unable to utilise the NHS Near Me service due to unreliable or non-existent broadband services.","AnswerText":"NHS Near Me continues to be an option for online appointments, where appropriate, for those who wish to and can interact in this way. The service does not require large broadband speeds to work effectively, however patients have the option to test their broadband speed or access a digital hub near their home. Further information can be found at: https://www.nearme.scot/The Scottish Government fully expects NHS Boards to meet agreed broadband and infrastructure requirements set out in infrastructure standards. To support NHS Boards and the public, The Scottish Government has invested around &pound;1 billion on digital programmes &ndash; including Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband (DSSB).","AnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426546,"EventID":"S6W-31434","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:17.327","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T17:10:13.683","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendations in the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee report, Remote and Rural Healthcare Inquiry, whether it will commit to delivering &ldquo;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendations in the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee report, Remote and Rural Healthcare Inquiry, whether it will commit to delivering &ldquo;a comprehensive audit of social, palliative and end of life care services in remote and rural areas to develop a clear picture of service provision, including the availability of care at home services&rdquo;.","AnswerText":"One of the key aims of the new palliative care strategy, Palliative Care Matters for All, is that, by 2030, adults and children in Scotland will have more equitable access to well-coordinated, timely and high-quality palliative care, care around dying and bereavement support based on what matters to them, including support for families and carers.Development of the draft strategy was informed by evidence gathering, guided by a Strategy Steering Group and a number of expert working groups. This included carrying out surveys mapping palliative care delivery across Scotland, including in rural and island communities.The outputs of this work have given us a clearer picture of the delivery and accessibility of palliative care across Scotland, which has helped to inform the actions set out in the draft strategy.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426547,"EventID":"S6W-31411","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:17.887","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T17:10:13.683","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government in what ways it is increasing the number of locally accessible education routes for healthcare professions in rural and remote settings.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government in what ways it is increasing the number of locally accessible education routes for healthcare professions in rural and remote settings.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government are currently funding a dedicated resource in NHS Education for Scotland to scope the current skills landscape and identify where earn as you learn programmes could be expanded and where further development work is required with aim of widening the pathways into health and care careers, including in rural and island areas.We already work collaboratively with professional bodies and higher education institutions (HEI) on the delivery of education programs that can meet the needs of the NHS workforce. Work is underway through the AHP Education and Workforce Policy Review to support the development of alternative delivery models of education such as part time and distance learning.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426548,"EventID":"S6W-31413","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:17.577","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T17:10:13.683","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendations in the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee report, Remote and Rural Healthcare Inquiry, whether it will commit to including so-calle","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendations in the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee report, Remote and Rural Healthcare Inquiry, whether it will commit to including so-called earn as you learn opportunities within its remote and rural workforce recruitment strategy.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises that career pathways such as earn-as-you-learn can widen access to health and social care careers, including those who are settled and rooted in our rural and island communities.That is why, we are funding a dedicated resource within NHS Education for Scotland (NES) to scope the current skills landscape and identify where earn as you learn programmes could be expanded and where further development work is required with the aim of widening the pathways into health and social care careers.The Rural and Island Workforce Recruitment Strategy will focus on a sustained model of direct support and will take cognisance of broader cross-government work such as the exploration of earn as you learn models to provide a long-term, dynamic and connective approach to support employers to recruit successfully.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426549,"EventID":"S6W-31430","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:16.637","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T17:10:13.683","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the evidence in the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee report, Remote and Rural Healthcare Inquiry, whether it has conducted any studies to monitor whe","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the evidence in the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee report, Remote and Rural Healthcare Inquiry, whether it has conducted any studies to monitor whether the current GP contract has resulted in a widening disparity between remote and rural healthcare provision and urban healthcare provision.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not conducted any specific studies to monitor whether the current GP contract has resulted in a widening disparity between remote and rural healthcare provision and urban healthcare provision, however we have well-established reporting arrangements in place at the national level to monitor implementation of the GP contract by HSCPs. These reporting arrangements allow us to gain both quantitative and qualitative information on progress.The National Performance Framework Quality of Care Experience indicator measures people&rsquo;s rating of the overall care provided by their general practice over time, including a breakdown by urban/rural classification.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426550,"EventID":"S6W-31439","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:18.267","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T20:02:28.837","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what formal steps it has taken to develop the Rural Support Plan.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what formal steps it has taken to develop the Rural Support Plan.","AnswerText":"The Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024 requires Scottish Ministers to publish a five-year Rural Support Plan. The plan will build upon for the Vision for Scottish Agriculture and the Agricultural Reform Route Map and outline the phased transition from legacy EU CAP schemes to the new four-tier framework. The 2024 Act sets out the requirements for the plan including for engagement. Meeting these requirements is integral to the operation of the Agricultural Reform Programme, including through the co-development of future support with our rural partners and in the developing secondary legislation that will introduce changes. The Rural Support Plan will collate this information into a single strategic and coherent package, provide programme level input and ensure that the totality of measures is considered. Once the 2024 Act is commenced, the initial plan is intended to be drafted through 2025 and laid in Winter 2025, to reflect the published Route Map. The 2024 Act requires that the plan is laid before the Scottish Parliament, and published.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":426551,"EventID":"S6W-31408","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:18.45","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T17:10:13.683","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government in what ways it is investing in digital healthcare technology in order to improve (a) health outcomes and (b) data collection.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government in what ways it is investing in digital healthcare technology in order to improve (a) health outcomes and (b) data collection.","AnswerText":"In 2024-25 the Scottish Government has invested &pound;113.5 Million in digital health and care technologies.The Scottish Government and COSLA published the Digital Health andCareStrategy which sets out our vision for improving the care and wellbeing of people in Scotland by making best use of digital technologies in the design and delivery of services. The Strategy has an accompanying delivery plan which sets out the practical measures we are taking with through our investment in digital health and care for Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426552,"EventID":"S6W-31410","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:18.347","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T17:10:13.683","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government in what ways it encourages healthcare staff who work in rural and remote settings to (a) innovate and (b) lead service improvements that meet the needs of their own comm","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government in what ways it encourages healthcare staff who work in rural and remote settings to (a) innovate and (b) lead service improvements that meet the needs of their own communities.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is aware of the unique needs of our rural and islands communities, and that these needs vary significantly from place to place. We recognise that there is no &ldquo;one size fits all&rdquo; approach which will work for every community, and that harnessing the local knowledge of staff working within these areas can play an important role in improving healthcare outcomes.That is why the work of the NHS Scotland remote, rural and islands task and finish group that we have convened is being led by representatives from across our rural and island Health Boards.The group is working to develop a framework for sustainable delivery of healthcare services in rural and island communities. We aim to develop a model with services provided as local as possible and specialised as necessary in order to ensure equity of outcomes. The leadership, collaboration and innovation that our rural and island Board representatives are bringing to this group will ensure this work meets the needs of the communities they serve.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426553,"EventID":"S6W-31433","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:17.103","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T17:10:13.683","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many residential rehabilitation beds there have been within NHS (a) Highland, (b) Western Isles, (c) Orkney, (d) Shetland and (e) Grampian in each year since 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many residential rehabilitation beds there have been within NHS (a) Highland, (b) Western Isles, (c) Orkney, (d) Shetland and (e) Grampian in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government conducted an initial survey of residential rehabilitation providers in Scotland and published the results in November 2021. This showed that, at that time, there were 12 reported beds in Highland and 6 in the Western Isles. None were reported in Orkney, Shetland or Grampian.Whilst the Scottish Government did not conduct yearly surveys, we conducted a further count of residential rehabilitation capacity this year. The results were published on 26 November and showed that, as of 2024, there were 14 reported beds in Highland, 12 in the Western Isles and none in Orkney, Shetland or Grampian.However, as part of the &pound;38m we made available to expand residential rehabilitation capacity, &pound;11.3m was awarded to Phoenix Futures to develop a new national residential rehabilitation service in Aberdeenshire, which is expected to open in 2025. This will create 27 core residential rehabilitation beds alongside up to 53 units of housing and therapeutic community Dayhab in an innovative model which will create welcome residential rehabilitation provision in Grampian.We also provided &pound;2.4m for the expansion of CrossReach&rsquo;s service in Inverness, which supported the two additional beds in Highland and will provide outreach to island areas.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426554,"EventID":"S6W-31443","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:17.18","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T20:02:28.837","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what priorities for land use each regional land use framework has identified.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what priorities for land use each regional land use framework has identified.","AnswerText":"The Regional Land Us Frameworks (RLUFs) developed as part of the Regional Land Use Partnership (RLUPs) pilot programme have captured a range of land use priorities for each region including, but not limited to, native woodland expansion, flood mitigation and community wealth building. More information on these is available on the respective RLUP websites:South of Scotland region: Delivery &amp; Strategies | South of Scotland Regional Economic Partnership (southofscotlandrep.com)North West Highland region: Land+ Project | NORTHWEST2045Cairngorms National Park region: Cairngorms National Park Partnership Plan 2022-27 - Cairngorms National Park AuthorityLoch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park region: Read The Plan - Here. Now. All of us. - Loch Lomond &amp; The Trossachs National Park (lochlomond-trossachs.org)","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":426555,"EventID":"S6W-31397","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:18.197","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T13:39:27.127","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what specific strategies are in place to address cancers linked to alcohol misuse.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what specific strategies are in place to address cancers linked to alcohol misuse.","AnswerText":"Through promoting healthy living by reducing alcohol misuse we can reduce the risk of developing some cancers. The Scottish Government published our Cancer Strategy for Scotland 2023-2033 and initial Cancer Action Plan for Scotland 2023-2026 in June 2023. There are specific actions in the action plan aimed at reducing the consumption of alcohol.A Public Health Scotland evaluation estimated that our world-leading Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) policy has saved hundreds of lives, likely averted hundreds of alcohol-attributable hospital admissions and contributed to tackling health inequalities. We introduced an increase to MUP in September 2024.We have commissioned Public Health Scotland to carry out a review of the evidence on restricting alcohol marketing and advertising. We will progress work in areas where evidence supports further action to address alcohol misuse and improve population health.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426556,"EventID":"S6W-31403","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:18.397","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T15:53:40.167","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the (a) expansion of anaerobic digestion and biogas capacity and (b) reported potential negative impact of any such developments on efforts to ta","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the (a) expansion of anaerobic digestion and biogas capacity and (b) reported potential negative impact of any such developments on efforts to tackle the climate crisis and their increased reliance on the existing gas network.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government supports the expansion of anaerobic digestion and biogas capacity, where it adheres to the guiding principles for bioenergy use as set out in our draft Bioenergy Policy Statement (BPS). These include the use of biomass, when in compliance with SEPA environmental regulations and stringent sustainability criteria. Bioenergy use must support emissions reduction and facilitate Scotland&rsquo;s sustainable development goals.The draft BPS also sets out that in the longer term, bioenergy should be prioritised towards applications with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) - which will support decarbonisation across relevant sectors and contribute to efforts to meet Scotland&rsquo;s net zero targets.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426557,"EventID":"S6W-31427","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:16.96","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T17:10:13.683","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many GP practices within NHS (a) Highland, (b) Western Isles, (c) Orkney, (d) Shetland and (e) Grampian have operated under a so-called 17J contract in each year sin","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many GP practices within NHS (a) Highland, (b) Western Isles, (c) Orkney, (d) Shetland and (e) Grampian have operated under a so-called 17J contract in each year since 2018.","AnswerText":"The following table provides the number of practices which have held General Medical Services contracts (sometimes called 17J practices due to the relevant clause in the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978) in NHS Highland, NHS Western Isles, NHS Orkney, NHS Shetland, and NHS Grampian for each year since 2018.Table 1 - Practices with General Medical Services contractsYear/BoardHighlandWestern IslesOrkneyShetlandGrampian201878540532019786405120208055049202180550472022765504820237365047","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426558,"EventID":"S6W-31435","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:16.767","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T17:10:13.683","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many travelling consultants there have been within NHS (a) Highland, (b) Western Isles, (c) Orkney, (d) Shetland and (e) Grampian in each year since 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many travelling consultants there have been within NHS (a) Highland, (b) Western Isles, (c) Orkney, (d) Shetland and (e) Grampian in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"The requested information on how many travelling consultants there have been within NHS (a) Highland, (b) Western Isles, (c) Orkney, (d) Shetland and (e) Grampian in each year since 2021 is not centrally held.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426559,"EventID":"S6W-31404","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:18.227","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T15:53:49.7","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has undertaken an assessment of any public health impacts of anaerobic digestion and biogas infrastructure.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has undertaken an assessment of any public health impacts of anaerobic digestion and biogas infrastructure.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has had no applications for consent under s36 of the Electricity Act 1989 to construct an electricity generating station that uses biogas as its fuel source and has therefore not been required to assess any environmental impacts in relation to anaerobic digestion and biogas infrastructure.The Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2017 requires those preparing qualifying projects to undertake and prepare an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report. An EIA Report is required to describe the factors specified in Regulation 4(3) within those 2017 Regulations that are likely to be significantly affected by the development. This can include population, human health, biodiversity, land, soil, water, air, climate, material assets, cultural heritage, including architectural and archaeological aspects, and landscape.The Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 (legislation.gov.uk) creates a statutory obligation for those preparing qualifying public plans and programmes to assess their likely environment effects and to seek ways to minimise adverse effects, if they are likely to be significant. A Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) offers an opportunity to judge the likely environmental impacts of plan, programme or strategy across a number of receptors, including biodiversity; population; human health; fauna; flora; soil; water; air; climatic factors; material assets; cultural heritage, including architectural and archaeological heritage; landscape; and the inter-relationship between these topics.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426560,"EventID":"S6W-31441","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:17.767","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T20:02:28.837","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has (a) set out and (b) acted upon for consultation on the Rural Support Plan.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has (a) set out and (b) acted upon for consultation on the Rural Support Plan.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31439 on 22 November 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":426561,"EventID":"S6W-31394","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:16.727","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T13:39:27.127","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to promote better public knowledge regarding daily alcohol consumption and breast cancer risk.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to promote better public knowledge regarding daily alcohol consumption and breast cancer risk.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is working closely with key stakeholders, including NHS Scotland and third sector to ensure that health professionals embed conversations about alcohol consumption and the risk it carries in developing a range of cancers, for example through Alcohol Brief Interventions, into their daily practices. The Scottish Government also worked closely with Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP) to disseminate SHAAP&rsquo;s guidance, highlighting the link between alcohol and cancer, to health professionals across Scotland.Cancer remains a national priority, within the Scottish Government and across NHS Scotland. That is why we published our Cancer Strategy for Scotland 2023-2033 along with an initial three year Cancer Action Plan for Scotland 2023 &ndash; 2026 in June 2023.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426562,"EventID":"S6W-31400","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:17.437","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T13:39:27.127","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to test for the use of any newer illicit substances by prisoners, such as psychoactive drugs, that are currently undetectable by urine tests.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to test for the use of any newer illicit substances by prisoners, such as psychoactive drugs, that are currently undetectable by urine tests.","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:Following the introduction of the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016, SPS took the decision to not seek to amend its mandatory drug testing policy to include testing for psychoactive substances. This was due to the continual changing compounds used within psychoactive substances and remains the position to date.By working closely with partners such as Police Scotland, SPS must and does remain vigilant to the continuously evolving nature of drug use to ensure our use of technology and tactical measures remain current, adaptable, and capable of detecting and preventing drugs from entering our prisons; and we continue to consider what testing options may be most effective for the SPS to use.SPS will continue to work with partners to prevent the introduction of contraband and seek convictions where appropriate.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426563,"EventID":"S6W-31440","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:18.307","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T20:02:28.837","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the Rural Support Plan.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the Rural Support Plan.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31439 on 22 November 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":426564,"EventID":"S6W-31426","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:17.86","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T17:10:13.683","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government on how many occasions it has conducted an island communities impact assessment for (a) health and (b) social care policies since the assessments were introduced, and whe","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government on how many occasions it has conducted an island communities impact assessment for (a) health and (b) social care policies since the assessments were introduced, and whether it will provide details of any such assessments.","AnswerText":"The duty to carry out Island Communities Impact Assessments came into force on 23 December 2020. All ICIAs and decisions not to carry out an ICIA are published by the Scottish Government and are readily available to access online.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426565,"EventID":"S6W-31396","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:18.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T13:39:27.127","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to address the reported concerns of local residents that live within the immediate vicinity of the safer drug consumption room in Glasgow.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to address the reported concerns of local residents that live within the immediate vicinity of the safer drug consumption room in Glasgow.","AnswerText":"Glasgow City Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP) has hosted 12 local community drop in engagement sessions within the Calton and surrounding area focused on allowing local residents the opportunity to raise concerns, ask questions and engage with the project leads. Local residents who use drugs and family members were also included. The drop in sessions were advertised locally via posters, via leaflet drop and via social media. Questions from the sessions informed a Frequently Asked Questions document (available here - SDCF - Frequently asked questions) and Glasgow ADP also created a &lsquo;You Said We did&rsquo; document to demonstrate the actions taken following feedback which is shared at all in-person sessions.These sessions were in addition to several attendances by the ADP at Community Council meetings, local Area Partnership meetings, and Local Engagement Forum meetings.To allow ongoing community engagement, the ADP have also established the Thistle Community Forum, including local residents, local business, Police Scotland, the Recovery Community and other key stakeholders which will support people to raise concerns and facilitate a coordinated response.In addition, Glasgow City Council organised 2 additional deep cleans of the surrounding area in response to local residents complaints about the poor state of the streets. The independent evaluation researchers were invited to attend in response to questions about how the impact of the service on the local community would be measured.Glasgow City ADP will continue to engage with local residents, businesses and their staff in the run up to the opening of the facility and once it is established.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426566,"EventID":"S6W-31429","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:16.757","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T17:10:13.683","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the evidence in the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee report, Remote and Rural Healthcare Inquiry, what its response is to the statement that the curr","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the evidence in the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee report, Remote and Rural Healthcare Inquiry, what its response is to the statement that the current GP contract is &ldquo;impossible for remote and rural practices to deliver and was not geared towards supporting the delivery of an independent contractor model in a remote and rural context&rdquo;.","AnswerText":"The 2018 GP contract included a programme of service redesign to ensure that arrangements for GP services better met the needs of the whole system and the needs of communities; it makes no new requirements of remote and rural GP practices. The 2018 GP contract is intended to reduce current risks to practice stability and sustainability by addressing some of the key risk factors relating to rising workload, premises and employment of staff. This in turn intended to make the partnership model more attractive to newer generations of GPs.The Scottish Government established the Remote &amp; Rural Working Group chaired by Professor Sir Lewis Ritchie in response to the concerns of rural GPs about the 2018 contract. The group produced the Shaping the Future Together report in January 2020 and various actions were undertaken as a result.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426567,"EventID":"S6W-31420","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:16.807","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T17:10:13.683","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of three- to five-year-olds within (a) Argyll and Bute Council, (b) Highland Council, (c) Moray Council, (d) Orkney Islands Council, (e) Shetland Islands","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of three- to five-year-olds within (a) Argyll and Bute Council, (b) Highland Council, (c) Moray Council, (d) Orkney Islands Council, (e) Shetland Islands Council, (f) Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and (g) Scotland have received 1,140 hours of funded (i) early learning and (ii) childcare in each year since the policy was introduced.","AnswerText":"Information on the proportion of eligible children accessing funded ELC, both nationally and by local authority, is published each year in the ELC census. This includes uptake rates for all 3-4 year olds, and deferred registrations. The census does not record the proportion of their 1140 hours entitlement that each child is utilising.The most recent publication includes the most recent uptake data by local authority area within Figure 26 at the following page:https://www.gov.scot/publications/summary-statistics-for-schools-in-scotland-2023/pages/early-learning-and-childcare-elc/A breakdown for previous years can be accessed within the appropriate years publication, which are listed at: https://www.gov.scot/collections/early-learning-and-childcare-statistics/#earlylearningandchildcarecensus.The Improvement Service also provide information on the number of eligible children accessing their full 1140 entitlement nationally. The most recent service delivery report is available at:https://www.improvementservice.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0022/52618/ELC-Delivery-Progress-Report-Apr-24.pdf","AnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426568,"EventID":"S6W-31437","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:17.967","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T17:10:13.683","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendations in the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee report, Remote and Rural Healthcare Inquiry, whether it plans to review the existing poli","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendations in the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee report, Remote and Rural Healthcare Inquiry, whether it plans to review the existing policy for reimbursement of travel and accommodation costs for patients in remote and rural areas accessing healthcare, and, if so, whether it will provide details of this.","AnswerText":"While the Scottish Government provides the overarching guidance/framework for patient travel expenses reimbursement, NHS Boards are responsible for developing local policy to best meet the needs to their populations, and for assessing eligibly for financial support and level of that support. The cost of reimbursement is met from Boards&rsquo; budgets and all Boards must balance value for money with patient need, ensuring that patients are supported in identifying and accessing available support and that patient care is at the centre of all decisions.The Scottish Government has committed to a review of the overarching patient travel expenses reimbursement guidance. However, a start date for the review is not confirmed at this time; it is important that the review is considered within the context of wider reform on access to health care.It is recognised that transport to health is a key enabler to ensure equitable access to healthcare, and work to bring travel/transport and health planning closer together is in progress. This work will include bringing local bodies together at a regional level to consider the options for transport to health. This work will also inform how and when a review of the overarching patient travel expenses reimbursement guidance is taken forward.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426569,"EventID":"S6W-31442","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:18.08","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T20:02:28.837","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will outline any progress that it has made on establishing regional land use frameworks across Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will outline any progress that it has made on establishing regional land use frameworks across Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has supported four pilot regions in the development of bespoke Regional Land Use Frameworks (RLUFs). This work was taken forward through a co-development approach with a range of stakeholders. It tested a natural capital-led approach to identifying land use opportunities and priorities, whilst maintaining place-based principles to understand the potential for delivering mutual benefits to all land users.This work covers the South of Scotland (Scottish borders and Dumfries and Galloway) The Cairngorms and Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Parks and the NorthWest 2045 region of the Highlands. More information on the individual RLUFs can be found at the links below:South of Scotland region: Delivery &amp; Strategies | South of Scotland Regional Economic PartnershipNorth West Highland region: Land+ Project | NORTHWEST2045Cairngorms National Park region: Cairngorms National Park Partnership Plan 2022-27Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park region: Read The Plan - Here. Now. All of us. - Loch Lomond &amp; The Trossachs National Park We are now working with the RLUPS to consolidate this learning in order to refine our understanding of the role that RLUFs could play in supporting/delivering land use change and informing wider Scottish Government policy.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":426570,"EventID":"S6W-31416","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:18.537","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T17:10:13.683","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-19806 by Michael Matheson on 31 July 2023, whether it will provide an update on how many GPs have been recruited by NHS (a) Highla","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-19806 by Michael Matheson on 31 July 2023, whether it will provide an update on how many GPs have been recruited by NHS (a) Highland, (b) Western Isles, (c) Orkney, (d) Shetland and (e) Grampian through the Scottish Graduate Entry Medicine (ScotGEM) programme in the 2024 recruitment round, and how many of them remain in post.","AnswerText":"The first cohort of 52 ScotGEM students graduated in summer 2022 after completing the four year course. Of these, 45 undertook Foundation training in Scotland with 42 completing their required foundation year 2 (FY2) in August 2024; a small number opted to go less than full time. Of those 42 individuals, 10 have chosen GP training and have taken up GPST 1 posts in Scotland, with two of these in the North which contains the areas denoted by the question, as follows:a) Highland - 2 traineesb) Western Isle &ndash; 0 traineesc) Orkney &ndash; 0 traineesd) Shetland &ndash; 0 traineese) Grampian &ndash; 0 trainees","AnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426571,"EventID":"S6W-31409","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:16.89","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T17:10:13.683","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendations in the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee report, Remote and Rural Healthcare Inquiry, what action it will take to improve the (a) ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendations in the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee report, Remote and Rural Healthcare Inquiry, what action it will take to improve the (a) availability, (b) suitability and (c) flexibility of local (i) training and (ii) development opportunities in remote and rural areas.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is working closely with NHS Education for Scotland (NES), to identify and deliver training opportunities for health and social care workers in rural and island areas. Through the National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care, housed within NES, 30 practitioners have undertaken the MSc in Rural Advanced Practice in 2023 and 2024, supporting career development, increasing equity in education and supporting the sustainability of primary healthcare services. The Centre will continue to develop new rural specific recognised qualifications to address skills gaps and drive innovation.We are currently funding a dedicated resource in NES to scope the current skills landscape and identify where earn as you learn programmes could be expanded and where further development work is required with the aim of widening the pathways into health and care careers.The Open University already provides distance learning Nursing degree education, which is accessed by Healthcare Support Workers already employed by NHS Boards, enabling them to train in their local area and continue to work.Further, work is being explored via the Allied Health Professional and Healthcare Science education reviews&rsquo; recommendations and the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce on how best to diversify the delivery and flexibility of education programmes.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426572,"EventID":"S6W-31415","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:16.77","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T17:10:13.683","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendations in the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee report, Remote and Rural Healthcare Inquiry, what steps it will take to ensure that peopl","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendations in the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee report, Remote and Rural Healthcare Inquiry, what steps it will take to ensure that people training in allied health professional roles within rural and remote settings are able to remain in their place of work to complete their training.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to work closely with partners including Higher Education Institutions, Health Boards, Skills Development Scotland, and the Scottish Funding Council on skills development, employability and widening access to NHS Scotland careers. As part of this work part time, distance learning and earn as you learn models of education, which may benefit rural and island areas, are currently being explored by the Allied Health Professions (AHP) advisory group that oversees the implementation of the AHP Education and Workforce Policy Review recommendations.The Scottish Government, in collaboration with the Centre for Workforce Supply and the National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care is developing a model of sustained ongoing direct support for employers across health, social care, social work and children&rsquo;s services in rural and island areas to overcome barriers to recruitment and retention The direct support model will consist of three key elements including a Rural and Island Recruitment Forum, a Living Library and a Recruitment Toolkit.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426573,"EventID":"S6W-31436","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:17.933","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T17:10:13.683","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to increase the number of travelling consultants within NHS (a) Highland, (b) Western Isles, (c) Orkney, (d) Shetland and (e) Grampian, and, if so, whet","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to increase the number of travelling consultants within NHS (a) Highland, (b) Western Isles, (c) Orkney, (d) Shetland and (e) Grampian, and, if so, whether it will provide details of this.","AnswerText":"Whilst the Scottish Government sets the strategic policy direction for the NHS in Scotland, operational matters including staffing requirements are in the first instance the responsibility of the relevant Health Board. As such, recruitment is a matter for Health Boards. The National Health Service Reform (Scotland) Act 2004 has created a duty on Health Boards to co-operate with each other to secure and advance the health of the people of Scotland, enabling the arrangement of travelling consultants","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426574,"EventID":"S6W-31398","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:18.48","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T13:39:27.127","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to improve waiting times for endometriosis diagnosis.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to improve waiting times for endometriosis diagnosis.","AnswerText":"We are committed to ensuring those living with endometriosis are able to access the best possible care and support and that they benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care.Through the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan we are taking steps to support both women and health professionals to learn more about endometriosis, the symptoms and treatment options to improve the diagnostic process. Our Women&rsquo;s Health Plan Final Report on progress provides further details of our work to date.When developing the next phase of the Plan we will build on this progress and seek to ensure that all women receive a timely diagnosis for endometriosis together with access to the care and support that they need.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426575,"EventID":"S6W-31402","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:16.627","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T13:39:27.127","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to increase breast health awareness.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to increase breast health awareness.","AnswerText":"NHS Inform provides information regarding breast health, such as on the possible signs of breast cancer with recommendations to contact a GP with any concerns. All women aged 50-70 in Scotland are invited for breast screening every three years.Evidence shows that the majority of breast cancers are diagnosed in women aged 50 and over. Women aged 71 and over can self-refer for breast screening, should they choose to. Information regarding the benefits of attending screening appointments is included in the invitation to screening appointments, as well as on NHS Inform.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426576,"EventID":"S6W-31424","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:17.4","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T17:10:13.683","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendations in the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee report, Remote and Rural Healthcare Inquiry, what steps it is taking to repurpose vacant ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendations in the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee report, Remote and Rural Healthcare Inquiry, what steps it is taking to repurpose vacant (a) local authority and (b) NHS properties for use as accommodation for healthcare workers.","AnswerText":"Local authorities, as statutory housing authorities, working with The Empty Homes Partnership continue to tackle empty homes as a priority, bringing more homes back to use as warm, safe and secure permanent housing. Our investment of &pound;3.7 million investment in the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership is making a real difference with almost 11,000 homes returned to use since 2010.Social landlords (local authorities and housing associations) are responsible for the allocation of social housing. They must develop and publish allocation policies, within a broad legal framework for social housing allocations. Our Social housing allocations in Scotland: practice guide was published in 2019 and provides practical assistance to staff with responsibility for reviewing, monitoring and updating allocation policies and procedures to ensure they comply with current legislation.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426577,"EventID":"S6W-31401","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:18.137","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T13:39:27.127","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many children are currently estimated to live in a household in which at least one parent or parental figure exhibited hazardous drinkin","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many children are currently estimated to live in a household in which at least one parent or parental figure exhibited hazardous drinking behaviour, following the findings of the 2019 Public Health Survey.","AnswerText":"Prevalence of children living with a parent with hazardous or harmful drinking levels was published in the 2019 Scottish Health Survey Report, available here:https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-health-survey-2019-volume-1-main-report/pages/7/. Scottish Government is working to update this analysis based on the latest published data from the Scottish Health Survey and I will write to the member as soon as the information is available and a copy will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib number 65497).","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426578,"EventID":"S6W-31395","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:17.25","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T13:39:27.127","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the designated target for the number of rehabilitation placements by 2026 is 1,000.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the designated target for the number of rehabilitation placements by 2026 is 1,000.","AnswerText":"In November 2021, the former Minister for Drugs Policy announced a commitment to increase the number of people publicly funded to go through residential rehab per year by 300% to 1,000 by 2026.Results from the Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP) Survey, published in 2021, estimated that at least 300 residential rehabilitation placements for drugs and alcohol were funded by ADPs in 2019/20. The goal of 1,000 people per year was set as Ministers were keen that a target would be ambitious but also achievable within the available funding and existing bed capacity.This target is being delivered through additional funding of &pound;5 million per year to ADPs to support more referrals alongside the capacity programme, which was first launched in 2021, and has made &pound;38million available to create more beds and responded to the need for provision for specific groups.The most recent interim monitoring report on statutory-funded residential rehabilitation placements published by Public Health Scotland in July 2024, indicates that we are firmly on track to meet our commitment of 1,000 people receiving public funding for Residential Rehab, as a total of 938 placements were approved in financial year 2023-24.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426579,"EventID":"S6W-31422","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:18","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T17:10:13.683","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many qualified childminders are currently registered in the (a) Argyll and Bute Council, (b) Highland Council, (c) Moray Council, (d) Orkney Islands Council, (e) She","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many qualified childminders are currently registered in the (a) Argyll and Bute Council, (b) Highland Council, (c) Moray Council, (d) Orkney Islands Council, (e) Shetland Islands Council and (f) Comhairle nan Eilean Siar area.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information, however the data can be found by contacting the Care Inspectorate directly or searching the Care Inspectorate datastore.Scottish Government is committed to supporting and growing our childminding sector, which is why we launched the Programme for Scotland&rsquo;s Childminding Future in June 2024, in partnership with the Scottish Childminding Association (SCMA). The programme is supporting the recruitment of new professional childminders across Scotland, offering a package of funded support and training in addition to a &pound;750 start-up grant, providing everything needed to establish a new childminding business from home.The programme also includes a range of pilot measures to address the retention of the childminding workforce, delivering more practical support to ensure our existing professionals are supported with their workloads and professional development.The recruitment support is available across 19 local authorities during 2024-25, and 12 local authorities are participating in the retention pilots. SCMA are currently in discussions with local authorities regarding participation for year 2 (2025-26), and we welcome their commitment to supporting the childminding workforce.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426580,"EventID":"S6W-31438","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:16.84","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T20:02:28.837","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how priorities identified for land use in each regional land use framework align with national climate and environmental targets.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how priorities identified for land use in each regional land use framework align with national climate and environmental targets.","AnswerText":"Following extensive engagement across the regions, each Regional Land Use Partnership (RLUP) captured a range of views from farmers, land owners, land managers and communities, on the regional priorities for land use.Many of these priorities recognised the role of land use in addressing the climate and biodiversity crises, through measures such as tree-planting, increased renewable energy and sustainable agriculture. More information on these is available on the respective RLUP websites:South of Scotland region: Delivery &amp; Strategies | South of Scotland Regional Economic Partnership (southofscotlandrep.com)North West Highland region: Land+ Project | NORTHWEST2045Cairngorms National Park region: Cairngorms National Park Partnership Plan 2022-27 - Cairngorms National Park AuthorityLoch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park region: Read The Plan - Here. Now. All of us. - Loch Lomond &amp; The Trossachs National Park (lochlomond-trossachs.org)","AnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":426581,"EventID":"S6W-31199","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:18.133","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T11:20:17.987","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will seek information on any gap between the staffing levels identified through the common staffing method and the actual number of staff recruited by NHS boa","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will seek information on any gap between the staffing levels identified through the common staffing method and the actual number of staff recruited by NHS boards.","AnswerText":"The common staffing method (CSM) sets out a process to identify, mitigate risks and determine what changes, if any, are needed to staffing numbers. Its purpose is to ensure a consistent approach to decision making across NHS Scotland. The frequency of applying the CSM has been defined as once per financial year as a minimum.Local recruitment based on the outputs of the CMS are a matter for the Health Board and are one of several factors used to determine recruitment.Use of the CMS will form part of the evidence that Health Boards submit Scottish Government to demonstrate how they have complied with the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019. Under the Act all Health Boards must submit a report on how they complied with their legislative requirements. Scottish Ministers will then lay a summary report to Parliament outlining overall compliance with the Act.Under the Act, Scottish Ministers have a duty to take all reasonable steps to ensure that there is a sufficient number of registered nurses, registered midwives, medical practitioners, and other types of employees.Information gained from Health Board annual reports will inform national policies to ensure sufficient future supply including determining future student intake numbers, recruitment and retention polices, and student career pipelines.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426582,"EventID":"S6W-31414","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:16.76","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T17:10:13.683","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the evidence in the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee report, Remote and Rural Healthcare Inquiry, how many people training in allied health professio","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the evidence in the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee report, Remote and Rural Healthcare Inquiry, how many people training in allied health professional roles it estimates have been required to move out of rural and remote areas to complete their training, in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426583,"EventID":"S6W-31425","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:17.03","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T17:10:13.683","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendations in the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee report, Remote and Rural Healthcare Inquiry, in what ways it will work with (a) local res","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendations in the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee report, Remote and Rural Healthcare Inquiry, in what ways it will work with (a) local residents, (b) property owners and (c) tourist accommodation providers to offer temporary accommodation to health workers on placement.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s approach to the planning and delivery of affordable housing is focussed on providing the right homes in the right places.We remain committed to delivering 110,000 permanent affordable homes by 2032 with at least 70% for social rent and at least 10% in rural and island areas.We continue to work closely with partners to deliver the right homes in the right places and it is for local authorities through their Local Housing Strategies and Strategic Housing Investment Plans to identify the type, location, size and tenure of homes required in their areas.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426584,"EventID":"S6W-31407","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16188,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":82,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:17.963","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T16:23:15.117","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what (a) action it has taken and (b) steps it is considering to support the urgent provision of humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza, in light of reports of aid","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what (a) action it has taken and (b) steps it is considering to support the urgent provision of humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza, in light of reports of aid entering the region reaching a historic low and a persistent risk of famine, and Israel's parliament voting to ban the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) from operating in the region.","AnswerText":"Over the past year, the Scottish Government has committed &pound;1m for Gaza and the wider Middle East, including &pound;750k for UNRWA and a further &pound;250k to the Disasters Emergency Committee, Mercy Corps and SCIAF. This money will provide food, water, medical assistance and shelter to displaced people across the region.Given the intolerable suffering in Gaza, the fact that humanitarian access continues to be systematically blocked is unconscionable. Israel's decision to ban UNRWA will undoubtedly further undermine living conditions in Gaza. We continue to call for an immediate ceasefire and unfettered access to vital humanitarian aid for civilians across Gaza.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426585,"EventID":"S6W-30136","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:18.303","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-24T10:24:21.703","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recommendations as theyrelate to Scotland that are contained in the report,&nbsp;Taking responsibility: How the government can improve enforc","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recommendations as theyrelate to Scotland that are contained in the report,&nbsp;Taking responsibility: How the government can improve enforcement of farmed animal welfare laws, which was published in October 2024 by the Social Market Foundation andsponsored by Animal Equality UK.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is aware of the report.The Scottish Government already has in place service level agreements with the Animal and Plant Health Agency and local authorities to ensure farm animal welfare legislation is complied with. In addition, Scottish Government Inspectors from our Rural Payment and Inspections Directorate conduct a number of on farm inspections annually which include the consideration of any livestock present.The Scottish Government also recognises the challenges faced by local authorities in the current fiscal climate and in line with the Verity House Agreement, we continue to engage with COSLA on resourcing matters.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426586,"EventID":"S6W-31399","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:18.103","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T13:39:27.127","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to raise female life expectancy above the pre-COVID-19 pandemic level of 81 years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to raise female life expectancy above the pre-COVID-19 pandemic level of 81 years.","AnswerText":"Tackling health inequalities and improving life expectancy remain clear aims of the Scottish Government. To achieve this, we are taking forward wide-ranging action targeted to support communities most in need and address the root causes of inequality; which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 Pandemic and other recent economic shocks.This includes allocating around &pound;3 billion a year since 2022-23 to tackle poverty and protect people during the ongoing cost-of-living crisis - as well as initiatives to promote healthy lifestyles through tobacco control, preventing alcohol related harm, promoting healthy eating and physical activity. Reinforced by targeted action through our Women&rsquo;s Health Plan, which clearly sets out actions which aim to address women&rsquo;s health inequalities by raising awareness across women&rsquo;s health, improving access to healthcare for women across their lives and tackling inequalities in health outcomes for women and girls.We are also working with our partners to develop a Population Health Framework, to take a cross-government and cross-sector approach to improve the key building blocks of health including: good early years and education; good work and income; healthy places; and equitable health care. With an overarching ambition to accelerate the recovery and improvement of population health in Scotland with a focus on a whole system approach to preventative action.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426587,"EventID":"S6W-31428","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:18.17","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T17:10:13.683","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many GP practices within NHS (a) Highland, (b) Western Isles, (c) Orkney, (d) Shetland and (e) Grampian have chosen to end a so-called 17J contract with their NHS bo","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many GP practices within NHS (a) Highland, (b) Western Isles, (c) Orkney, (d) Shetland and (e) Grampian have chosen to end a so-called 17J contract with their NHS board in each year since 2018.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information.NHS Boards are responsible for managing their contracts with GP practices, whether General Medical Services contracts (referred to in the question as &ldquo;17J contracts&rdquo;) or Primary Medical Services agreements.Such data as exists on practice closures, mergers or other changes of contractual status does not record whether or not practices &ldquo;chose&rdquo; to change.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426588,"EventID":"S6W-31405","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:18.507","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T15:54:02.687","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any public funding has been provided to Stream Bioenergy in the last five years; if so, how much was provided, and for what purpose.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether any public funding has been provided to Stream Bioenergy in the last five years; if so, how much was provided, and for what purpose.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government payment system confirms that no funding has been provided to Stream Bioenergy in the last 5 years.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426589,"EventID":"S6W-31417","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:18.377","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T17:10:13.683","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of frontline healthcare staff currently employed by NHS (a) Highland, (b) Western Isles, (c) Orkney, (d) Shetland and (e) Grampian are due to retire in t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of frontline healthcare staff currently employed by NHS (a) Highland, (b) Western Isles, (c) Orkney, (d) Shetland and (e) Grampian are due to retire in the next (i) year and (ii) five years.","AnswerText":"The requested information on what percentage of frontline healthcare staff currently employed by NHS (a) Highland, (b) Western Isles, (c) Orkney, (d) Shetland and (e) Grampian are due to retire in the next (i) year and (ii) five years is not centrally held.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426590,"EventID":"S6W-31419","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:18.563","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T17:10:13.683","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many nurses' residences are currently available in NHS (a) Highland, (b) Western Isles, (c) Orkney, (d) Shetland and (e) Grampian, and how many bedrooms each residen","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many nurses' residences are currently available in NHS (a) Highland, (b) Western Isles, (c) Orkney, (d) Shetland and (e) Grampian, and how many bedrooms each residence has.","AnswerText":"The information requested is not held centrally and is a matter for the Health Boards referred to in the question.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426591,"EventID":"S6W-31406","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16175,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":119,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:17.723","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T16:22:51.417","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the feasibility study examining the case for reconnecting Buchan to the East Coast Main Line, which was published in June 2024 by the Campaign fo","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the feasibility study examining the case for reconnecting Buchan to the East Coast Main Line, which was published in June 2024 by the Campaign for North East Rail.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is supportive of increasing sustainable travel and better integrated travel infrastructure for the north east. As part of this, Officials from Transport Scotland attended a roundtable event organised by the Campaign for North East Rail (CNER) and Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce (AGCC) in Ellon on 15 November 2024.The Scottish Government is considering the findings of the Buchan Sustainable Transport Study and a decision on next steps is still to be made.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426592,"EventID":"S6W-31431","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:18.227","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T17:10:13.683","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the evidence in the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee report, Remote and Rural Healthcare Inquiry, what action it is taking to address the reported de","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the evidence in the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee report, Remote and Rural Healthcare Inquiry, what action it is taking to address the reported declining proportion of NHS Scotland Resource Allocation Committee (NRAC) funding for rural NHS boards.","AnswerText":"The NRAC formula is an objective measure of the need for health care services across Scotland.Under the existing formula the additional cost of providing health services in remote and rural areas is factored within one of the key components in determining funding allocations, with the formula giving greater weights to areas where there is evidence of unavoidable excess costs of supplying healthcare services.The Scottish Government have committed to continually review the funding formula. This process is managed by the Technical Advisory Group for Resource Allocation (TAGRA) and supports vital work to reduce health inequalities; ensuring that we continue to allocate funding according to the relative need for healthcare in each Board area. Work is underway to review this, however, funding formulas are inherently complex and the review will take time.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426593,"EventID":"S6W-31412","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T16:26:16.633","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T17:10:13.683","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendations in the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee report, Remote and Rural Healthcare Inquiry, what action it is taking to increase the num","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendations in the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee report, Remote and Rural Healthcare Inquiry, what action it is taking to increase the number of so-called earn as you learn opportunities.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government are currently funding a dedicated resource in NHS Education for Scotland to scope the current skills landscape and identify where earn as you learn programmes could be expanded and where further development work is required with aim of widening the pathways into health and care careers.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426621,"EventID":"S6T-02197","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T14:37:28.307","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-18T10:15:26.943","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported comments from the Institute for Fiscal Studies that its income tax increases on the highest earners may have reduced the revenue raised.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported comments from the Institute for Fiscal Studies that its income tax increases on the highest earners may have reduced the revenue raised.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-11-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426622,"EventID":"S6F-03539","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T14:37:17.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T12:04:37.817","Title":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426623,"EventID":"S6F-03540","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5586,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T14:37:17.217","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T12:04:55.51","Title":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426633,"EventID":"S6F-03541","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16215,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T14:37:17.383","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T12:05:20.437","Title":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426634,"EventID":"S6F-03558","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16178,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":78,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T14:37:17.503","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-18T11:35:11.377","Title":"To ask the First Minister when the Scottish Government last met with Ineos or Petroineos to discuss the refinery at Grangemouth.","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister when the Scottish Government last met with Ineos or Petroineos to discuss the refinery at Grangemouth.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426635,"EventID":"S6F-03550","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T14:37:17.48","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-18T10:51:37.393","Title":"To ask the First Minister, in light of reported figures that over 2,000 people were killed or seriously injured on Scotland's roads last year, what the Scottish Government&rsquo;s position is on wheth","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister, in light of reported figures that over 2,000 people were killed or seriously injured on Scotland's roads last year, what the Scottish Government&rsquo;s position is on whether 2024 could see the highest number of road accidents and fatalities on record.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426637,"EventID":"S6F-03553","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-18T14:37:17.23","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-18T11:01:34.767","Title":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to reported calls to widen access to Scotland&rsquo;s Redress Scheme to allow survivors of abuse at Fornethy House to seek redress.","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to reported calls to widen access to Scotland&rsquo;s Redress Scheme to allow survivors of abuse at Fornethy House to seek redress.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426647,"EventID":"S6W-31481","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:17.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-19T10:17:13.973","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many visits by the Agricultural Wages Enforcement Team arising as a result of complaints involved the use of interpreters (a) on-site and (b) subsequent to the visit","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many visits by the Agricultural Wages Enforcement Team arising as a result of complaints involved the use of interpreters (a) on-site and (b) subsequent to the visit, in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"The number of complaints the Agricultural Wages Enforcement Team have investigated that involved the use of interpreters, over the past five years, is:YearAB202000202150202200202310202400","AnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426648,"EventID":"S6W-31450","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:17.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-18T11:58:05.093","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to improve the harbours that are owned by local authorities.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to improve the harbours that are owned by local authorities.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government works closely with all ports and harbours, and recognises the significant contribution they make to the economy of Scotland. Ministers and officials meet with ports regularly to discuss challenges and opportunities for the sector. Transport Scotland also administers the Harbour Revision Order process, to enable ports to adapt and modernise their facilities to changing demand and to facilitate new investment. However, ports are deemed to be commercial businesses, and decisions on how best to utilise their resources are the responsibility of the port authority.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426649,"EventID":"S6W-31454","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:17.703","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-18T11:58:55.68","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with Scotland&rsquo;s different harbour owners to achieve a joined-up approach to the ferry network.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with Scotland&rsquo;s different harbour owners to achieve a joined-up approach to the ferry network.","AnswerText":"We continue to work with CMAL and a range of other port owners including Local Authority, Trust Port, and Private operators, to invest in essential infrastructure required to maintain and enhance the Clyde and Hebrides and Northern Isles routes. The Islands Connectivity Plan (ICP) sets out the Scottish Government&rsquo;s long-term objectives and policies for ensuring necessary and sustainable transport links for our islands.As a key element of the ICP, the Vessels and Ports Plan provides detail on the Scottish Government&rsquo;s objectives for the Clyde &amp; Hebrides Ferry Services (CHFS) and Northern Isles Ferry Services (NIFS).The ICP consultation report and responses were published on 3 September &ndash; there was overall support for our proposals and some suggestions for improvement. We aim to use the consultation responses to inform the final versions of the Strategic Approach and the Vessels and Ports Plan.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426650,"EventID":"S6W-31484","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:18.16","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-19T10:58:16.777","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the national service specification for alcohol and drug services.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the national service specification for alcohol and drug services.","AnswerText":"Development of the National Specification for substance use services is underway and we expect to publish in the first quarter of 2025","AnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426651,"EventID":"S6W-29779","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:17.773","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T10:31:08.993","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported decline in the number of people&nbsp;accessing alcohol treatment, what immediate actions are being taken to ensure that alcohol dependence reco","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported decline in the number of people&nbsp;accessing alcohol treatment, what immediate actions are being taken to ensure that alcohol dependence recovery receives adequate attention and resources.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government asked Public Health Scotland (PHS) to investigate the apparent decline in alcohol treatment numbers and PHS will publish their findings on 3 December 2024.We are continuing to work with partners and stakeholders to develop a national specification for alcohol and drug treatment in Scotland. The national specification will build on the forthcoming UK Clinical Guidelines for Alcohol Treatment which will support the improvement of alcohol treatment in Scotland, mirroring the use of the Orange Book Guidelines for drug treatment.In 2024-25, &pound;112.9 million is being made available to ADPs. This funding is used to ensure that local services meet the needs of people who experience alcohol and drugs harms.In 2023-2024, the number of statutory-funded residential rehabilitation placements increased to 938, the majority of which included alcohol use or co-dependency. This shows that we are on track to meet our commitment to 1000 people accessing public funding for residential rehabilitation by 2026.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426652,"EventID":"S6W-29771","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:18.17","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T10:31:08.993","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question&nbsp;S6W-29786by Jenni Minto on 25 September 2024, whether it will commit to providing adetailed breakdown of what the drug and alcoho","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question&nbsp;S6W-29786by Jenni Minto on 25 September 2024, whether it will commit to providing adetailed breakdown of what the drug and alcohol residential rehabilitationprogramme, for which it provides funding, entails.","AnswerText":"There are three key parts to our national approach to achieving improvements in treatment options and recovery pathways for residential rehabilitation; Investing in a significant increase in the capacity of residential rehabilitation services; Improving pathways into, through and out of rehabilitation services, in particular for those with multiple complex needs; Developing a standardised approach to commissioning residential rehabilitation services.On these three pillars, over &pound;38m has been made available through two rounds of the Residential Rehabilitation Rapid Capacity Programme to increase residential rehab capacity across Scotland. We have commissioned Healthcare Improvement Scotland to work with Alcohol and Drug Partnerships to aid the development of clear pathways into through and out of residential rehabilitation. Finally, as result of extensive stakeholder engagement we commissioned Scotland Excel to establish a National Commissioning Framework which was launched in April this year which seeks to standardise and streamline commissioning of RR placements.We have commissioned Public Health Scotland to undertake an evaluation, which will consider all the interventions made as part the RR programme.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426653,"EventID":"S6W-31468","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:18.183","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-18T18:59:54.843","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-04853 by Mairi Gougeon on 14 December 2021, how many of the Fixed Penalty Notices issued since 25 January 2019 remain unpaid, and,","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-04853 by Mairi Gougeon on 14 December 2021, how many of the Fixed Penalty Notices issued since 25 January 2019 remain unpaid, and, of those, how many have been (a) referred to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and (b) proceeded in the courts, and, of any that resulted in convictions, what the (i) nature of the offence, (ii) value of the original Fixed Penalty Notice and (iii) court disposal was.","AnswerText":"Since 25 January 2019 until 13 October 2021, the period covered by S6W-03688 on 29 October 2021 and S6W-04853 on 14 December 2021, there have been 19 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) unpaid prior to referral to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, compared to 93 paid. This makes a payment rate over the period of 83%.The breakdown is as follows:(a) 8 of the 19 cases were referred to the COPFS for consideration of prosecution; 2 of the 8 cases resulted in the original FPNs being paid after agreement with the Procurator Fiscal, ultimately resulting in 17 unpaid FPNs in total and;(b) 4 of the 8 cases resulted in convictions and fines with the breakdown as follows:&nbsp;OffenceFPN Offered (&pound;)Court Disposal (&pound;)1Breach of hobby fishermen regulations20005002Non submission of statutory returns200030003Marine Protected Area incursion400020004Fishing gear offence30002075All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426654,"EventID":"S6W-31449","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:17.82","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-18T11:04:14.633","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of the process that is followed to include a building in its Cladding Remediation Programme (CRP) pilot scheme.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of the process that is followed to include a building in its Cladding Remediation Programme (CRP) pilot scheme.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s Cladding Remediation Programme Pilot utilised a self-nomination process to identify buildings, of different tenures, that are potentially affected by unsafe cladding. Learning from the pilot supported the development of the Single Building Assessment (SBA) specification, published in June 2024, which will form the core of the standards being set by Ministers in anticipation of the forthcoming commencement of the Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Act 2024. The pilot has been instrumental in enabling the creation of these essential foundations for future programme delivery.Entries on the pilot are being discharged. Where they meet the requirements set out at section 32 of the Act and don&rsquo;t have a linked developer, the Scottish Government is taking forward assessment and, where necessary, remediation. Other entries will be discharged in accordance with whether or not they are a relevant building, as set out at section 32 of the Act, and whether they have a building owner, and/or linked developer, who we would reasonably ask to take forward assessment in line with the published SBA specification.New entries are not being added to the pilot. Nevertheless, in any circumstances where the Scottish Government becomes aware of a building with potentially unsafe cladding, we will take appropriate action. This may include asking a building owner to take action or passing the building onto a linked-development for assessment and, where necessary, remediation. It is possible to engage with the Cladding Remediation Programme directly via email at CladdingRemediationProgramme@gov.scot. Pursuant to forthcoming commencement of the Act early next year, we will formally announce new arrangements for people to seek support with the assessment and remediation of in scope buildings.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426655,"EventID":"S6W-31476","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:18.227","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-19T10:13:37.783","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it estimates the additional cost will be to each NHS board in Scotland as a result of the UK Government&rsquo;s Budget decision to increase employer national insura","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it estimates the additional cost will be to each NHS board in Scotland as a result of the UK Government&rsquo;s Budget decision to increase employer national insurance contributions.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government has estimated that for the directly employed public sector workforce in NHS boards, additional costs to NHS boards from the changes to employer National Insurance Contributions may be &pound;191 million in the financial year 2025-26. The information requested for the costs for each NHS board is not held centrally. However the combined estimate for all NHS boards is published and available online at this web address: https://www.gov.scot/publications/national-insurance-contributions-public-sector-costs/","AnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426656,"EventID":"S6W-31461","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:17.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-18T16:25:51.813","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what aims underlie the proposed restructuring of national networks within the NHS National Services Division.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what aims underlie the proposed restructuring of national networks within the NHS National Services Division.","AnswerText":"Delivering sustainable, resilient, accessible and efficient services for the population, as highlighted by myself during the debate on NHS reform, can only be achieved by a significant change in the way we plan, organise, deliver and fund services. In response, we have begun over the past few months to reset and reform our ways of working to ensure coherence across our various levels, nationally and regionally. As a component of reform, this includes development of a new construct for our clinical networks, aligned to portfolios of care.Our clinically led national and regional networks are an important vehicle in how we meet the challenges of implementing the National Clinical Framework and the wider reform agenda across NHS Scotland. The aims of the refreshed approach to the National Networks in NSD (and other areas which host networks) is to provide a clear and collaborative mechanism for planning and delivery of our services across Scotland and to ensure this valuable resource is supporting delivery of the National Clinical Framework and our wider programme of reform.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426657,"EventID":"S6W-31453","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:17.643","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-18T11:58:43.743","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with P&amp;O Ferries Group to enhance connectivity at Cairnryan ferry port.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with P&amp;O Ferries Group to enhance connectivity at Cairnryan ferry port.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"P&amp;O&rsquo;s ferry services at Cairnryan Port are commercially operated and in a competitive environment. The Scottish Government has no locus to intervene in such situations.However, Transport Scotland through its operating company manages and maintains the A75, A751 and A77 trunk roads which provide direct road-based access to the port.Long term investment plans for improving access to both ports at Cairnryan are set-out in Recommendation 40 of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426658,"EventID":"S6W-31452","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:17.65","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-18T11:58:31.46","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its latest engagement with PeelPorts regarding Ardrossan Harbour.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its latest engagement with PeelPorts regarding Ardrossan Harbour.","AnswerText":"Peel Ports Group is a partner of the Ardrossan Harbour Project. Transport Scotland has regular engagement with Peel Ports and other partners through the project Steering Group Meetings. We have also been engaging with Peel Ports, on the Commercial and Legal Agreement aspects of the project.Transport Scotland officials continue to work closely with all of the project partners to complete work on the business case and cost exercise review.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426659,"EventID":"S6W-31458","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:17.737","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-18T11:59:45.867","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with the Aberdeen Harbour Board to enhance connectivity with Orkney and Shetland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with the Aberdeen Harbour Board to enhance connectivity with Orkney and Shetland.","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland, CMAL and NorthLink have regular ongoing engagement with Aberdeen and other port operators regarding existing services and future plans. The introduction of new vessels involves all of the respective ports to which they operate. Each of the 3 ports on the Northern Isles routes are fully aware of the project to replace the MV Hildasay and MV Helliar with larger vessels. These new vessels will not only support the economies of Orkney and Shetland but also add resilience in terms of additional passenger capacity that can be utilised as required.CMAL and NorthLink continue to liaise with all three port authorities. Discussions with the Port of Aberdeen, including the Pilots have already commenced and this work will continue as the project progresses. Detailed modelling work and simulations have also been undertaken.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426660,"EventID":"S6W-31460","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:17.857","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-18T16:21:38.76","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the&nbsp;answer to question&nbsp;S6W-31060&nbsp;by Alasdair Allan on 18 November 2024,&nbsp;whether it will list what specific steps are being taken to halt ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the&nbsp;answer to question&nbsp;S6W-31060&nbsp;by Alasdair Allan on 18 November 2024,&nbsp;whether it will list what specific steps are being taken to halt the decline of hedgehogs.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is not taking specific steps to halt the decline of hedgehogs, however there are other initiatives that will benefit a range of species including hedgehogs.The Scottish Biodiversity Strategy (SBS) sets out our approach to generating high quality, nature-rich habitats across Scotland. Nature Networks aim to improve ecological connectivity across Scotland, linking important areas for biodiversity across urban and rural landscapes and allowing species such as hedgehogs to avoid becoming isolated and to move through the landscape to find good habitat to feed and to breed.Alongside the SBS, one of the principles in Scottish Planning Policy is that the planning system should seek benefits for biodiversity from new development where possible, including the restoration of degraded habitats and the avoidance of further fragmentation or isolation of habitats. Planning authorities, and all public bodies, have a duty under the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 to further the conservation of biodiversity. This duty must be reflected in development plans and development management decisions.Nature Networks are embedded throughout the fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) as a key means of ensuring positive effects for biodiversity from development.NatureScot has produced a publication Developing with Nature, which provides Guidance to support NPF4. This contains specific advice to developers on incorporating nature in to new developments, whether that be creating species rich grassland for pollinators, bat or bird boxes and advice for creating hedgehog friendly habitat as part of any development &ndash; including incorporating &lsquo;hedgehog highways and houses&rsquo;.NatureScot&rsquo;s seasonal campaign, &lsquo;Make Space for Nature&rsquo;, encourages everyone to connect with and take care of nature and provides practical tips for everyone to make space for nature, reverse nature loss and fight climate change.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426661,"EventID":"S6W-31494","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:18.153","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-19T12:00:22.54","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many hectares of (a) land were given approval by Scottish Forestry for planting and (b) commercial forests and woodlands have been (i) blown down and (ii) harvested,","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many hectares of (a) land were given approval by Scottish Forestry for planting and (b) commercial forests and woodlands have been (i) blown down and (ii) harvested, in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"The following tables provide the data as currently held.Table 1 &ndash; Area of approvals for planting by Scottish ForestryYear (Nov to Oct)Area of New Planting Approved (ha)2023-2495502022-23127142021-2293782020-2190672019-20125082018-2912927Table 2 &ndash; Estimated area of clearfell in coniferous woodland in Scotland, detected from combined Synthetic Aperture Radar and optical satellite imagery, source Forest Research.Detection yearEstimated felled area (ha)% Standard ErrorSummer 202415,2934.1Summer 202316,1074.2Summer 202226,1903.5Summer 202116,1974.1Summer 202016,8674.1Scottish Forestry does not record annual areas of windblow, but is discussing a project with Forest Research to see if a reasonable estimate would be possible using remote sensing.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426662,"EventID":"S6W-31455","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:17.643","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-18T11:59:08.48","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to improve the harbours that CMAL owns.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to improve the harbours that CMAL owns.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government works closely with CMAL in relation to improvements and upgrades to its ports and harbours as required. Ministers and officials meet with CMAL regularly to discuss challenges and opportunities for the sector and how these can be considered in future funding and business plans.The Scottish Government also provides grant funding to support CMAL to adapt and modernise their ports and facilities to changing demand and to facilitate new investment. Regular maintenance of harbour facilities are the responsibility of CMAL as Harbour Authority and this aspect of work is led by them.The Vessels and Ports Plan outlines the need for significant and sustained funding to achieve its delivery as an integral part of progress towards establishing a secure and sustainable long-term financial foundation for our ferry networks, as set out in our Strategic Approach paper.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426663,"EventID":"S6W-31464","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:17.81","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-18T16:44:13.677","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS Scotland regarding the inclusion of allergy awareness in all medical training and professional development.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS Scotland regarding the inclusion of allergy awareness in all medical training and professional development.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is working closely with NHS Education Scotland (NES), who are responsible for managing all training provided to doctors in Scotland.Allergy awareness is an integral part of all medical curricula, particularly in recognising and managing anaphylaxis. Foundation doctors also receive relevant training. Additionally, two new training pathways have been developed for Allergy and Immunology: Allergy | The FederationAllergy and Clinical Immunology (ACI)Allergy, Clinical and Laboratory Immunology (ACLI)Turas learn also hosts a number of useful resources in relation to allergy awareness for healthcare professionals: Turas Learn - Allergy","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426664,"EventID":"S6W-31465","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:17.65","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-18T16:44:13.677","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to reduce waiting times for allergy diagnosis and treatment.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to reduce waiting times for allergy diagnosis and treatment.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all people living in Scotland with an allergy, are able to access the best possible care and support, and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care.The latest published data shows that there were 302 patients waiting for a new outpatient allergy appointment as of 30 September 2024, with a median waiting time of 40 days and 78.5% of waits within the 12 week New Outpatient standard.While this is welcome progress, I recognise there is more to be done. We continue to target resources to clear the longest waits and are working with all boards to maximise current resources and productivity.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426665,"EventID":"S6W-31495","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:18.297","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-19T12:18:55.487","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what advice it can give to people impacted by the Warmer Homes Scotland Scheme reportedly being put on hold due to funding constraints.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what advice it can give to people impacted by the Warmer Homes Scotland Scheme reportedly being put on hold due to funding constraints.","AnswerText":"Warmer Homes Scotland remains open for referrals and has an allocated budget of &pound;65m in 2024-25, its highest ever budget level. Anyone that is considering applying to the scheme should contact Home Energy Scotland in the usual way.The Scottish Government has introduced a waiting process for people who have been accepted onto the Warmer Homes Scotland programme due to the scheme&rsquo;s success and high levels of demand. This is a necessary step taken to ensure that people who have been identified as eligible for the scheme can still receive assistance.We understand that some customers will be disappointed with the waiting times. However, our managing agent Warmworks, continues to work hard to minimise the impact of this process, keeping customers informed throughout and making sure they are supported and receive regular communication every step of the way.Warmer Homes Scotland is a demand-led scheme and it is important that we take the necessary steps to ensure the scheme remains within its allocated budget. In instances where someone has a broken boiler or no heating, Home Energy Scotland will explore with the customer if any suitable alternative crisis funding options exist.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426666,"EventID":"S6W-31480","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:18.193","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-19T10:17:13.973","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many control test inspection visits by the Agricultural Wages Enforcement Team involved the use of interpreters (a) on-site and (b) subsequent to the visit, in each ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many control test inspection visits by the Agricultural Wages Enforcement Team involved the use of interpreters (a) on-site and (b) subsequent to the visit, in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"The number of control test inspections the Agricultural Wages Enforcement Team have investigated that involved the use of interpreters, over the past five years, is:YearAB202000202110202200202300202400","AnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426667,"EventID":"S6W-31474","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:17.79","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-19T09:55:05.36","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to introduce temporary additional capacity to the west coast ferry network, in light of the retirement of the MV Hebridean Isles.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to introduce temporary additional capacity to the west coast ferry network, in light of the retirement of the MV Hebridean Isles.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has no plans to introduce temporary additional capacity on the west coast ferry network in light of the decommissioning of the MV Hebridean Isles. The planned removal of the vessel from service was factored in to the winter deployment plans.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426668,"EventID":"S6W-31479","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:17.827","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-19T10:17:13.973","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses received correspondence requesting corrections to underpayments identified as part of (a) control test inspections and (b) inspections as a result of","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses received correspondence requesting corrections to underpayments identified as part of (a) control test inspections and (b) inspections as a result of a complaint from employees, in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"Number of businesses which have received correspondence requesting corrections to underpayments as part of (a) control test inspections and (b) inspections as a result of a complaint from employees, in each of the last five years:&nbsp;(a) CTIs(b) Complaints2020182021102022212202372120241720Number of inspections and complaint cases processed significantly impacted throughout 2020 and 2021 due to Covid 19 pandemic.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426669,"EventID":"S6W-31467","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:18.177","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-18T16:44:48.543","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent action it has taken to address the reported continued differential in payments per child between local authority and private early learning and childcare set","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent action it has taken to address the reported continued differential in payments per child between local authority and private early learning and childcare settings.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government publishes data each year on the rates paid by local authorities to funded providers in the private and third sector, and to childminders, to deliver funded early learning and childcare (ELC). Data for 2023-24 showed that rates increased by on average 4.1% between 2022-23 and 2023-24.While the average rate has increased, there remains variation in the rates paid across Scotland. That is why work is being undertaken to reform the process for setting sustainable rates. This will see the delivery of the actions set out in the joint COSLA and Scottish Government Sustainable Rates Review, which was published in December 2023 and was informed by evidence from both childcare providers and local authorities.The review recommends a wide-ranging set of actions to improve the existing sustainable rates process, including updating the Sustainable Rates Guidance with a view to greater standardisation; and working with local government and funded providers to undertake a new cost collection exercise to ensure that our long-term investment to support the setting of sustainable rates is informed by a robust and reliable evidence base.To ensure that providers can input directly into this programme of work a series of Provider Reference Groups have been held this Autumn.Following the Review, refreshed Scottish Government and COSLA guidance was published for 2024-25 setting out a clear expectation that there should be minimum increase of 7.6%. Data for 2024-25 will be published in early 2025. These rates do not take into account the costs to local authorities of commissioning, administering and overseeing the delivery of funded ELC.From 2024-25 onwards, funding for ELC has been distributed to local authorities by Scottish Government through the General Revenue Grant. This now includes the previously ringfenced funding for Early Learning and Childcare following the removal of the ringfence as part of the Scottish Government&rsquo;s commitment under the Verity House Agreement to increase funding flexibilities to local authorities. It is then for locally elected representatives to decide how to deliver services, including ELC, to their local communities, whilst fulfilling their statutory obligations and a jointly agreed set of delivery priorities.As local authorities have a statutory responsibility to commission services that meet the needs of their population, they may choose to run services that would not be commercially viable for other providers, such as in rural and island communities.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426670,"EventID":"S6W-31477","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:18.097","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-19T10:13:59.26","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it estimates the additional cost will be to Police Scotland as a result of the UK Government&rsquo;s Budget decision to increase employer national insurance contrib","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it estimates the additional cost will be to Police Scotland as a result of the UK Government&rsquo;s Budget decision to increase employer national insurance contributions.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government has estimated that for the directly employed public sector workforce in Police Scotland, additional costs to Police Scotland from the changes to employer National Insurance Contributions may be &pound;25 million in the financial year 2025-2026. This estimate is published and available online at this web address: https://www.gov.scot/publications/national-insurance-contributions-public-sector-costs/","AnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426671,"EventID":"S6W-31446","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:18.19","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-18T09:57:39.353","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Short Life Working Group, which is considering quality assurance across education and the qualifications system, and the scope of accreditation, will report on ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Short Life Working Group, which is considering quality assurance across education and the qualifications system, and the scope of accreditation, will report on its findings.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"Three of the four planned Short Life Working Group meetings have now taken place, and arrangements are currently being made for the final meeting. The group&rsquo;s work will then inform advice to Ministers, as per the group&rsquo;s remit.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426672,"EventID":"S6W-31470","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:17.713","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-18T19:23:28.893","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government in what ways it (a) monitors and (b) recognises the work carried out by (i) farmers, (ii) crofters and (iii) other land managers to undertake measures to reduce their ca","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government in what ways it (a) monitors and (b) recognises the work carried out by (i) farmers, (ii) crofters and (iii) other land managers to undertake measures to reduce their carbon output.","AnswerText":"We report emissions from across the economy on an annual basis in the Section A. Introduction to Greenhouse Gases - Scottish Greenhouse Gas Statistics 2022 - gov.scot. The contribution of farmers, crofters and land managers to reduce emissions and sequester carbon are reflected in the statistics for agriculture and land use, land use change and forestry.We also complete annual statutory monitoring of the Climate Change Plan update (CCPu) Climate change monitoring report 2023 - gov.scot which outlines progress against our policies and proposals for Scottish agriculture and land use, land use change and forestry sectors contributions to our climate targets.Our Vision for Agriculture makes clear Scotland will have a robust and coherent framework to underpin our future agricultural support regime from 2025 onwards, that delivers climate mitigation and adaptation, nature restoration and high-quality food production. I fully recognise that many farmers, crofters and land managers undertake low carbon farming practices. We provide financial support as well as guidance and advice for farmers, crofters and land managers to help reduce their emissions through initiatives like the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme and the Farm Advisory Service.We will continue to support farmers and crofters on their sustainability journey. Importantly, we will maintain direct payments to support active farming and food production while introducing conditions from 2025 aimed at outcomes for biodiversity gain and climate mitigation and adaption. From 2026 powers from the new Agriculture Bill will be used to launch the new Enhanced Payment.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":426673,"EventID":"S6W-31475","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:17.643","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-19T10:13:10.85","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it estimates the additional cost will be to local authorities in Scotland as a result of the UK Government&rsquo;s Budget decision to increase employer national ins","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it estimates the additional cost will be to local authorities in Scotland as a result of the UK Government&rsquo;s Budget decision to increase employer national insurance contributions.","AnswerText":"The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) has estimated that for the directly employed public sector local authority workforce, additional costs to local authorities from the changes to employer National Insurance Contributions may be &pound;265 million in the financial year 2025-26. This estimate is published and available online at this web address: https://www.gov.scot/publications/national-insurance-contributions-public-sector-costs/","AnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426674,"EventID":"S6W-31471","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:17.663","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-18T19:23:28.893","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to make any changes to the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme in light of the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024, and, if so, whether it","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to make any changes to the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme in light of the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024, and, if so, whether it will provide details of such changes.","AnswerText":"As set out in the Agricultural Route Map, the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) is expected to continue until at least 2026 to deliver elements of Tier 3 of the new framework until the Elective Support is implemented from 2027.The Route Map is a living document that sets out the phased transition from legacy Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) support to our new four-tier framework.We have committed to keep the Route Map updated and will continue to provide more clarity as and when it becomes available following continued co-development with rural partners.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":426675,"EventID":"S6W-29775","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:17.66","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T10:31:08.993","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can detail how professionals and clinicians are being supported to make informed decisions on the length of drug and alcohol residential rehabilitation progra","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can detail how professionals and clinicians are being supported to make informed decisions on the length of drug and alcohol residential rehabilitation programmes, and whether there are specific guidelines or training provided to ensure consistency in these decisions.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has no involvement in the decision making on length of residential rehabilitation programmes, it is the responsibility of professionals and clinicians to ensure appropriate guidelines are followed and appropriate training is provided to ensure consistency with these decisions.Every residential rehabilitation centre offers different treatment styles, which includes treatment lengths. Residential rehabilitations should have a person-centred approach to ensure treatment is available for everyone who wants it &ndash; and for whom it is considered to be clinically appropriate - at the time when they ask for it, in every part of the country.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426676,"EventID":"S6W-29774","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:17.873","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T10:31:08.993","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to integrate any new research findings into existing drug and alcohol residential rehabilitation policies, particularly if it is the case that future studie","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to integrate any new research findings into existing drug and alcohol residential rehabilitation policies, particularly if it is the case that future studies suggest that longer treatment durations are more effective.","AnswerText":"As outlined in the answer to another question raised by the member regarding treatment lengths (S6W-29773 on 3 December 2024), the Scottish Government commissioned Public Health Scotland (PHS) to carry out an evaluation of the Residential Rehabilitation programme.PHS and the Scottish Government have worked collaboratively with stakeholders to establish a core minimum dataset to support the monitoring and evaluation of residential rehabilitation models across the country. The first extracts from the dataset are due to be published in December 2024, at which point a greater level of insight and data will become available for consideration, including on average treatment lengths and their associated outcomes.Whilst the outcomes of this research with regards to treatment lengths will be carefully reviewed and considered as appropriate, the Scottish Government maintains that diversity of treatment options is important to empower individuals to have more choice and to meet the needs of individuals seeking different types of recovery, and this includes taking a person-centred approach to the duration of treatment.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426677,"EventID":"S6W-31463","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:18.173","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-18T16:44:13.677","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to bring forward a national allergy strategy.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to bring forward a national allergy strategy.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government are not seeking to increase the number of plans for individual health conditions and are therefore not developing a national allergy strategy. Rather, we are focussed on how we can best support Health Boards to deliver high quality, value-based, person-centred care for all people, irrespective of condition.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426678,"EventID":"S6W-31462","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:18.25","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-18T16:44:13.677","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to introduce Kitt Medical packs into state schools to treat extreme anaphylaxis in children with life-threatening allergies.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to introduce Kitt Medical packs into state schools to treat extreme anaphylaxis in children with life-threatening allergies.","AnswerText":"The Human Medicines (Amendment) Regulations 2017 allows schools across the United Kingdom, including independent schools, to buy and hold spare adrenaline auto-injector (AAI) devices without the need for a prescription to treat anaphylaxis in schools in emergency situations where a pupil&rsquo;s own prescribed device is either not working correctly, or is otherwise unavailable.We published guidance on supporting children and young people with healthcare needs in schools in December 2017. Information on support for pupils at risk of anaphylaxis is covered within Annex B of this guidance.The Scottish Government provides funding to local authorities through a block grant. It is the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources available to them, including on providing AAI devices to schools, on the basis of local needs and priorities.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426679,"EventID":"S6W-31473","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:18.167","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-19T09:54:56.533","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the Post Office's reported announcement that it plans to close 115 local post offices across the UK, includi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the Post Office's reported announcement that it plans to close 115 local post offices across the UK, including nine branches in Scotland.","AnswerText":"Post offices are a lifeline to local communities throughout Scotland.The Scottish Government is therefore disappointed that Post Office Ltd is considering closing its directly funded branches as part of a strategic review. We understand there are a range of options being considered to reduce central costs and that no final decision has yet been made.The Scottish Government has engaged with Post Office Ltd and makes regular representations on behalf of the people of Scotland in relation to the importance of the post office network, particularly for those in our rural and island communities.While the Scottish Government has no functions on postal policy, there are already regular discussions with UK Government on post and postal issues, and we will continue to press the UK Government to make decisions which benefit consumers in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426680,"EventID":"S6W-31445","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:17.847","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-18T09:57:39.353","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which member of the Short Life Working Group has responsibility for considering quality assurance across education and the qualifications system, and the scope of accred","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which member of the Short Life Working Group has responsibility for considering quality assurance across education and the qualifications system, and the scope of accreditation.","AnswerText":"To help ensure that qualifications awarded in Scotland are of a consistently high standard, the Short Life Working Group (SLWG) was established to develop and consider the options and implications of any potential changes to the scope of accreditation.The SLWG is chaired by the Scottish Government&rsquo;s Director for Education Reform and all members have a responsibility to share their expertise from their roles within the Scottish qualifications system. This is with a view to developing an evidence base that will support informed decision making on all aspects relating to the scope of accreditation.The responsibility for quality assurance within the education and qualifications system is a shared responsibility across Scottish Government, a range of public bodies including the SQA, as well as other institutions.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426681,"EventID":"S6W-31456","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:18.163","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-18T11:59:22.11","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to work with CMAL to fix any damage to harbours.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to work with CMAL to fix any damage to harbours.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31455 on 4 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426682,"EventID":"S6W-31466","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:18.33","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-18T16:44:13.677","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what (a) care pathways and (b) treatments exist for patients with extreme and life-threatening allergies.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what (a) care pathways and (b) treatments exist for patients with extreme and life-threatening allergies.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government expects NHS Health Boards to manage those in need of adult allergy services according to local needs and deliver these services to provide high quality care that is safe, effective, and person-centred.Children and Young People in Scotland can access dedicated allergy services through the National Managed Clinical Allergy Network (CYANS). CYANS has published a guideline on the diagnosis and management of food allergies in children, based on national guidelines. Further information can be found at: About Us &ndash; Children and Young People's Allergy Network Scotland (nhs.scot).","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426683,"EventID":"S6W-31478","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:18.27","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-19T10:14:33.937","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it estimates the additional cost will be to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service as a result of the UK Government&rsquo;s Budget decision to increase employer natio","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it estimates the additional cost will be to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service as a result of the UK Government&rsquo;s Budget decision to increase employer national insurance contributions.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government has estimated that for the directly employed public sector workforce in the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, additional costs to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service from the changes to employer National Insurance Contributions may be &pound;5 million in the financial year 2025-2026. This estimate is published and available online at this web address: https://www.gov.scot/publications/national-insurance-contributions-public-sector-costs/","AnswerDate":"2024-11-25T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426684,"EventID":"S6W-31451","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:17.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-18T11:58:17.707","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to improve the harbours that are owned by trusts and independent authorities.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to improve the harbours that are owned by trusts and independent authorities.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31450 on 4 December 2024 which also applies to trust and privately owned ports. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426685,"EventID":"S6W-31483","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:17.897","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-19T10:37:16.8","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30461 by Neil Gray on 22 October 2024, whether it will provide a breakdown of how the &pound;4,474,000 allocated to the National E","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30461 by Neil Gray on 22 October 2024, whether it will provide a breakdown of how the &pound;4,474,000 allocated to the National Elective Coordination Unit will be spent.","AnswerText":"Funding allocated to the Centre for Sustainable Delivery&rsquo;s National Elective Co-ordination Unit from the additional &pound;30m for planned care has been used to support collaborative working with Boards to maximise capacity and provide centralised, coordinated, and innovative approaches to waiting times recovery. Specifically, funding has been directed towards the following:National Dermatology campaign. This includes patient digitally supported validation; high volume image capture; patient imaging and triage activity.National Endoscopy campaign, including validation and activity.Minor Operations: management of campaign, waiting lists, booking and clinics in urology and orthopaedics for most challenged health boards.Breast see and treat activity for NHS Grampian.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426686,"EventID":"S6W-29776","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:17.763","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T10:31:08.993","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what mechanisms are in place to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of individualised drug and alcohol residential rehabilitation plans, and how such data will be use","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what mechanisms are in place to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of individualised drug and alcohol residential rehabilitation plans, and how such data will be used to inform future policy decisions.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has commissioned Public Health Scotland to carry out an evaluation of the residential rehabilitation programme. On 13 February 2024 PHS published their baseline report, covering the first two years of the National Mission and a final evaluation report will be published after the National Mission ends in 2026.Public Health Scotland also worked in close consultation with key stakeholders to develop the core minimum dataset which will form the basis for the monitoring of residential rehabilitation. Early versions of the dataset were shared with the Monitoring, Evaluation and Research Advisory Group (MERAG) and the Residential Rehabilitation Development Working Group (RRDWG) which have representatives from individuals with experience of using substances, families and recovery organisations.Once the data infrastructure is in place and the final report is published, the Scottish Government will complete their own report based on the findings, which will be used to inform future policy decisions.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426687,"EventID":"S6W-31457","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:17.687","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-18T11:59:34.25","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with the Aberdeen Harbour Board to fix any damage to the harbour.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with the Aberdeen Harbour Board to fix any damage to the harbour.","AnswerText":"Scottish ports are deemed to be commercial entities; therefore, it is not possible for the Scottish Government to dictate business decisions made by a harbour authority on how best to manage its harbour or utilise its resources. It is the responsibility of the Port of Aberdeen Board to determine when and where to invest in their facilities and to ensure that the Port remains in good working order.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426688,"EventID":"S6W-31459","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:18.18","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-18T16:01:49.127","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the latest report,&nbsp;Collateral Damage, by the UK campaign group, Wild Justice, which states that the Rodenticide Stewardship Scheme in England \"is a fai","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the latest report,&nbsp;Collateral Damage, by the UK campaign group, Wild Justice, which states that the Rodenticide Stewardship Scheme in England \"is a failed scheme\",&nbsp;and other reports that have indicated increased exposure to anticoagulant rodenticides in common buzzards in Scotland, whether it has assessed the effectiveness of the rodenticide scheme in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to contribute to UK-wide monitoring of rodenticide use and exposure in wildlife. There is evidence that many users of rodenticides are complying with the Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use&rsquo;s (CRRU) Rodenticide Stewardship Scheme (RSS), and that in Scotland rodenticide use in agriculture has substantially declined since the introduction of the scheme. But, despite this, recent environmental data for Scotland indicate that it has not yet achieved the aim of significantly reducing wildlife exposure.Both the UK Government Oversight Group, which includes Scottish Government representation, and CRRU have acknowledged that rodenticide residues in UK wildlife have not declined as hoped. The RSS is being updated firstly to ban the use of second generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) bromadiolone and difenacoum for open area use from the end of this year. This means no SGARs will be available for open area use; this is also intended to reduce accidental or deliberate misuse of other products in open areas. Secondly, training requirements for the farming sector are also being brought in line with other sectors from end 2025 to ensure a consistent level of professional training across all sectors and reduce the risk of poor practice.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426689,"EventID":"S6W-31491","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:18.167","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-19T11:56:56.397","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on work to develop its National Transitions to Adulthood Strategy since 23 November 2023.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on work to develop its National Transitions to Adulthood Strategy since 23 November 2023.","AnswerText":"To support the development of the Strategy since 23 November 2023, we have spent approximately &pound;19k on engagement, and on the publication costs of our analysis of engagement on the Statement of Intent. In addition, staffing costs to develop the Strategy have continued to be met from our operating costs budget for 2023-24 and 2024-25.During this timescale, the Scottish Government has also continued to provide funding to a number of organisations whose work supports transitions and the development of the Strategy including, but not limited to, the Association for Real Change (ARC) Scotland, Capability Scotland, Enable Scotland, and the Independent Living Fund Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426690,"EventID":"S6W-31497","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:17.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-19T13:14:29.763","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people in Scotland who are above state pension age pay the (a) starter, (b) basic, (c) intermediate, (d) higher,&nbsp; (e) advanced and (f) top rate of Scottish","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people in Scotland who are above state pension age pay the (a) starter, (b) basic, (c) intermediate, (d) higher,&nbsp; (e) advanced and (f) top rate of Scottish income tax.","AnswerText":"Information on the number of Scottish Income Tax payers by age and band are only available from the Survey of Personal Incomes and the latest data is for 2021-22. Table 1 provides the number of taxpayers of State Pension age by band in Scotland.Given this data is for 2021-22 it does not include estimates of those who are of State Pension age paying the Advanced Rate. Forecasts of the number of taxpayers over State Pension age by band are not available.Table 1: Taxpayers above State Pension Age by BandBand (2021-22)Number of Taxpayers of State Pension AgeStarter Rate94,000Basic Rate274,000Intermediate Rate148,000Higher rate42,000Top Rate1,000","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426691,"EventID":"S6W-29773","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:18.357","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-09-10T10:31:08.993","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that ongoing research into the optimal length of drug and alcohol residential rehabilitation programmes is adequately funded and priori","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that ongoing research into the optimal length of drug and alcohol residential rehabilitation programmes is adequately funded and prioritised.","AnswerText":"As outlined in a previous answer by Christina McKelvie on 31 July (S6W-28596), the Scottish Government commissioned Public Health Scotland (PHS)to carry out monitoring and evaluation of the residential rehabilitation programme throughout the course of the National Mission.PHS and the Scottish Government have worked collaboratively with stakeholders to establish a core minimum dataset to support the monitoring and evaluation of residential rehabilitation models across the country. The first extracts from the dataset are due to be published in December 2024, at which point a greater level of insight and data will become available for consideration, including on average treatment lengths and their associated outcomes.The Scottish Government are continuing to engage closely with PHS to ensure that they are supported where needed in progressing this work to completion by the December publication date.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426692,"EventID":"S6W-31150","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16191,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":77,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:17.917","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-08T13:57:24.833","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the total cost of mitigating any impact in Scotland of UK Government policy decisions since 2007-08, broken down by the amount spent in the ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the total cost of mitigating any impact in Scotland of UK Government policy decisions since 2007-08, broken down by the amount spent in the (a) current financial year and (b) last five financial years. &nbsp;","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has spent around &pound;1.2 billion in the past 14 years mitigating the impacts of UK Government welfare reforms such as the bedroom tax and benefit cap, introduced since 2010. Of that, &pound;133 million is being invested in the current financial year (2024-25), and over &pound;631 million has been spent in the last five financial years (2019-20 - 2023-24), funding Discretionary Housing Payments, the Scottish Welfare Fund, money advice services, and Universal Credit Scottish choices.In addition to the above support, between February 2021 and September 2024, we have invested &pound;905.6 million in the Scottish Child Payment, giving support to the families of over 325,000 under 16s who currently receive it. While we are doing what we can within our limited powers and fixed budget, the UK Government must do more to ensure the UK social security system at least covers essential living costs.Table 1 provides a breakdown of spending on UK Government welfare mitigation in the last five years, plus the current financial year (six years in total).Table 1: breakdown of spending on UK Government welfare mitigation (2019-20 - 2024-25)Year2019-202020-212021-222022-232023-242024-25TotalDHP, Bedroom tax budget&pound;52.3m&pound;59.7m&pound;71.0m&pound;68.1m&pound;69.7m&pound;74.84m&pound;395.64mDHP, Benefit cap budget&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&pound;6.15m1&pound;7.75m&pound;13.9mDHP &ldquo;Other&rdquo;&pound;10.9m&pound;18.9m2&pound;10.9m&pound;16.0m3&pound;7.9m&pound;7.9m&pound;72.5mDHP Admin funding&pound;1.2m&pound;1.2m&pound;1.2m&pound;1.7m4&pound;2.2m&pound;2.2m&pound;9.7mScottish Welfare Fund&pound;33.0m&pound;57.5m&pound;35.5m&pound;38.0m5&pound;35.5m&pound;35.5m&pound;235mScottish Welfare Fund admin funding&pound;5.0m&pound;5.5m&pound;5.5m&pound;5.5m&pound;5.5m&pound;5.5m&pound;32.5mMoney advice services6&pound;1.5m&pound;1.5m&pound;1.5m&pound;0.7mSee note 6, below&nbsp;&pound;5.2mUniversal credit Scottish choices&pound;0.2m&pound;0.2m&pound;0.1m&pound;0.1m&pound;0.13m&pound;0.15m&pound;0.88mTotal cost of mitigating UK Government welfare reform&pound;104.1m&pound;144.5m&pound;125.7m&pound;130.1m&pound;127.08m&pound;133.84m&pound;765.32m1. Prior to 2023/24 benefit cap funding was included in the DHP &rdquo;Other&rdquo; line.2. Figure includes additional &pound;8m of Covid-support funds.3. Figure includes additional &pound;2.6m for benefit cap support and &pound;2.5m cost of living support.4. Figure includes &pound;0.5m additional admin funding paid for benefit cap policy roll-out preparation.5. Figure includes &pound;2.5m to support delivery of the Scottish Welfare Fund in 2022-23.6. From 2018 to late 2022, The Scottish Government allocated funding from their overall welfare and debt advice budget for specific advice relating to UKG Welfare Reforms. From October 2022, this funding stream was brought together with other previously separate funding streams to support the new, streamlined Money Talk Team service delivered by Citizens Advice Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426693,"EventID":"S6W-31482","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:17.657","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-19T10:17:13.973","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses have been investigated by the Agricultural Wages Enforcement Team following a complaint from employees in each of the last five years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses have been investigated by the Agricultural Wages Enforcement Team following a complaint from employees in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"The number of complaints the Agricultural Wages Enforcement Team have investigated to ensure compliance with the Agricultural Wages (Scotland) Order, over the past five years, is:YearComplaints20205202114202272023420249","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426694,"EventID":"S6W-31469","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-19T17:16:18.393","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-18T19:23:28.893","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to address the reportedly prohibitive costs associated with the application process for the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme, and, if so, whether it ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to address the reportedly prohibitive costs associated with the application process for the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme, and, if so, whether it can provide details of such plans.","AnswerText":"To ensure the delivery of the intended environmental outcomes and value for public money, applicants are required to provide a level of evidence when applying to the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS).Funding is available for certain aspects of the application, to ease the financial burden on applicants. Support is available towards the cost of producing the Farm Environment Assessment (FEA) for first-time applicants, or existing applicants proposing management on land not subject to a previous FEA, and some management plans that require more detailed or extensive intervention, for example, moorland management or bog management. Guidance, including payment rates, is available on the Rural Payments website. For returning applicants who have previously completed the FEA, only updated information would be required for a subsequent application.Payment for these elements is not dependent on the success of the subsequent application, and costs can be reimbursed where the FEA and/or Management Plans are fit for purpose. This is designed to encourage farmers, crofters and land managers to apply, while recognising AECS is a competitive scheme.Easing the burden on applicants to access AECS needs to be balanced against ensuring the effective use of public funds. Requirements for applicants are considered on an on-going basis and are a key consideration in the development of the future Agricultural Support Framework.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":426727,"EventID":"S6W-31509","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":5596,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":151,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T10:00:47.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T09:48:24.447","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it and COSLA have jointly considered the first year of implementation of the Verity House Agreement, in light of its commitment to do so.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it and COSLA have jointly considered the first year of implementation of the Verity House Agreement, in light of its commitment to do so.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has today published the Verity House Agreement stocktake report. It is available at https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781836019817.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426729,"EventID":"S6O-04005","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T15:05:45.08","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-18T16:39:32.567","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the impact on agriculture in Scotland, what its response is to the removal of ring-fenced agricultural support funding for devolved nations by the UK Governme","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the impact on agriculture in Scotland, what its response is to the removal of ring-fenced agricultural support funding for devolved nations by the UK Government.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426730,"EventID":"S6O-04023","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T15:05:45.25","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-19T15:02:55.623","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported comments from the director of the human rights charity, Making Rights Real, that \"the long arm of the government often stretches to sile","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported comments from the director of the human rights charity, Making Rights Real, that \"the long arm of the government often stretches to silence organisations that receive funding from the state\".","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426731,"EventID":"S6O-04024","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2826,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":84,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T15:05:45.227","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T08:21:28.023","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made in the implementation of Fairer Futures Partnerships in Glasgow.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made in the implementation of Fairer Futures Partnerships in Glasgow.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426732,"EventID":"S6O-04014","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5110,"Party":"Independent","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":89,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T15:05:45.357","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-19T12:51:23.873","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason routine eye tests are conductedmore frequently than hearing tests.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason routine eye tests are conductedmore frequently than hearing tests.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426733,"EventID":"S6O-04025","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16177,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":125,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T15:05:45.217","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T10:26:28.44","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is available this winter to people on low incomes, particularly as temperatures drop and in light of the reported predicted increase in energy prices.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is available this winter to people on low incomes, particularly as temperatures drop and in light of the reported predicted increase in energy prices.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426734,"EventID":"S6O-04029","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T15:05:59.463","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T11:21:39.24","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what correspondence it has had with the UK Government regarding its proposed reforms to electricity infrastructure consenting in Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what correspondence it has had with the UK Government regarding its proposed reforms to electricity infrastructure consenting in Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":426735,"EventID":"S6O-04007","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16182,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":117,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T15:05:45.177","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-18T12:23:57.387","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of the UK Budget on farming and food production in Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of the UK Budget on farming and food production in Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426736,"EventID":"S6O-04022","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T15:05:45.163","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T11:11:00.893","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the reported disproportionately lower levels of social security uptake among ethnic minority groups.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the reported disproportionately lower levels of social security uptake among ethnic minority groups.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426737,"EventID":"S6O-04017","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16176,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":137,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T15:05:45.277","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T09:36:40.797","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to protect older people from heightened health risks in colder weather.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to protect older people from heightened health risks in colder weather.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426738,"EventID":"S6O-04033","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16191,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":77,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T15:05:59.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T11:09:59.11","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its policies and collaboration with local authorities to ensure that support is provided to pupils who cannot attend school for medi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its policies and collaboration with local authorities to ensure that support is provided to pupils who cannot attend school for medical reasons.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426739,"EventID":"S6O-04015","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T15:05:45.083","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T11:20:45.263","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the progress towards implementing the key priority areas highlighted in its Stroke Improvement Plan 2023.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the progress towards implementing the key priority areas highlighted in its Stroke Improvement Plan 2023.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426740,"EventID":"S6O-04030","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5622,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":148,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T15:05:59.477","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-18T13:27:20.14","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that students with additional support needs receive adequate resources and tailored educational support.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that students with additional support needs receive adequate resources and tailored educational support.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426741,"EventID":"S6O-04034","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T15:05:59.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T09:37:03.69","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Cross Border Connection proposals for the Scottish Borders.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Cross Border Connection proposals for the Scottish Borders.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426742,"EventID":"S6O-04031","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T15:05:59.453","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T11:21:51.903","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what is being done to address the reported shortage of forensic pathologists across Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what is being done to address the reported shortage of forensic pathologists across Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426743,"EventID":"S6O-04008","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T15:05:45.08","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T11:11:57.61","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its cross-government co-ordinationon islands policies, what discussions the rural affairs secretary has had withministerial colleagues regarding what mor","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its cross-government co-ordinationon islands policies, what discussions the rural affairs secretary has had withministerial colleagues regarding what more it can do to support residents andbusinesses on the Isle of Cumbrae.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426744,"EventID":"S6O-04035","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5877,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T15:05:59.45","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-19T17:04:18.363","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consultations it has held with businesses in advance of its 2025-26 Budget.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consultations it has held with businesses in advance of its 2025-26 Budget.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426745,"EventID":"S6O-04019","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16175,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":119,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T15:05:45.077","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-19T16:12:39.237","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide further details of the workthat it is doing to tackle stigma around HIV and to eliminate new HIVtransmissions by 2030.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide further details of the workthat it is doing to tackle stigma around HIV and to eliminate new HIVtransmissions by 2030.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426746,"EventID":"S6O-04013","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T15:05:45.127","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-18T12:28:04.42","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on this winter&rsquo;s flu and COVID-19 vaccinations.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on this winter&rsquo;s flu and COVID-19 vaccinations.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426747,"EventID":"S6O-04012","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4940,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":81,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T15:05:45.3","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T10:59:39.993","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of its Food Security Unit.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of its Food Security Unit.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426748,"EventID":"S6O-04036","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":3129,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":83,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T15:05:59.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T10:30:49.133","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the potential impact on Scotland's finances, how much it estimates will be raised in increased taxes in Scotland in 2025-26 as a result of the UK Autumn Budge","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the potential impact on Scotland's finances, how much it estimates will be raised in increased taxes in Scotland in 2025-26 as a result of the UK Autumn Budget.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426749,"EventID":"S6O-04027","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T15:05:45.26","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T11:14:13.633","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to redrafting its Disability Equality Plan, in light of the reported criticisms from the organisations that were asked to be involved in its co-pr","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to redrafting its Disability Equality Plan, in light of the reported criticisms from the organisations that were asked to be involved in its co-production.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426750,"EventID":"S6O-04032","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16194,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T15:05:59.477","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T09:57:28.39","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to the nightclub industry, in light of the Night Time Industries Association&rsquo;s launch of The Last Night Out campaign.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to the nightclub industry, in light of the Night Time Industries Association&rsquo;s launch of The Last Night Out campaign.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426751,"EventID":"S6O-04018","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16178,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":78,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T15:05:45.343","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-19T10:02:10.12","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to ensure equality of access for adults to the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD or ASD, in light of the finding in a National Autism Implementation Team repo","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to ensure equality of access for adults to the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD or ASD, in light of the finding in a National Autism Implementation Team report in 2021 that the current thresholds for mental health services do not meet the needs of those who have been referred.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426752,"EventID":"S6O-04026","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T15:05:45.31","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T10:13:22.543","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many houses have been built in rural communities, as a direct result of funding from the Rural and Islands Housing Fund, since t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many houses have been built in rural communities, as a direct result of funding from the Rural and Islands Housing Fund, since the fund was established.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426753,"EventID":"S6O-04011","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T15:05:45.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T09:17:55.88","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide further details of the reasons why it decided against externally reviewing the Community Right to Buy scheme.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide further details of the reasons why it decided against externally reviewing the Community Right to Buy scheme.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426754,"EventID":"S6O-04010","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T15:05:45.15","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T09:46:40.35","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to boost the rural economy.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to boost the rural economy.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426755,"EventID":"S6O-04009","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T15:05:45.237","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-19T17:17:57.843","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to ensure that critical rural food production economic activity is viable, sustainable and attractive to the next generation of farmers, crofters and f","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to ensure that critical rural food production economic activity is viable, sustainable and attractive to the next generation of farmers, crofters and fishers.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426756,"EventID":"S6O-04021","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T15:05:45.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-19T08:13:37.083","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the potential impact on population trends, what its response is to National Records of Scotland data showing that 2023 had the lowest number of recorded birth","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the potential impact on population trends, what its response is to National Records of Scotland data showing that 2023 had the lowest number of recorded births since records began in 1855.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426757,"EventID":"S6O-04028","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T15:05:45.287","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-19T17:09:52.933","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its work on diversity, inclusion and equalities, what recent discussions the Minister for Equalities has had with ministerial colleagues regarding work to ta","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its work on diversity, inclusion and equalities, what recent discussions the Minister for Equalities has had with ministerial colleagues regarding work to tackle Islamophobia.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426758,"EventID":"S6O-04006","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16197,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T15:05:45.323","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T11:18:33.127","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill will empower local communities and ensure that land is being used to their benefit.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill will empower local communities and ensure that land is being used to their benefit.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426759,"EventID":"S6O-04020","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T15:05:45.333","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-19T10:47:35.703","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support mental health services across NHS Lothian.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support mental health services across NHS Lothian.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426760,"EventID":"S6O-04016","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T15:05:45.073","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T09:10:07.79","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of increased employer national insurance contributions on primary care providers in Scotland's NHS.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of increased employer national insurance contributions on primary care providers in Scotland's NHS.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426769,"EventID":"S6W-31511","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T16:28:26.007","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T10:06:50.25","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the relationship would be between any new gas-fired power plants and the advancement of the Acorn project.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the relationship would be between any new gas-fired power plants and the advancement of the Acorn project.","AnswerText":"The nature of the relationship between the Acorn Project and other members of the Scottish Cluster is a matter for the UK Government to determine as part of the cluster sequencing programme. This includes when, and which, emitter projects (which may include gas-fired power plants) are selected. We urgently need a firm commitment from the UK Government on the timeline and funding arrangements for the Acorn project and stand ready to work constructively with the UK Government to ensure the fastest possible deployment.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426770,"EventID":"S6W-31527","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T16:28:26.01","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T13:00:06.88","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31099 by Neil Gray on 15 November 2024, which states that activity levels at Woodend Hospital will increase over the coming months","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31099 by Neil Gray on 15 November 2024, which states that activity levels at Woodend Hospital will increase over the coming months, how long it anticipates it will take for the waiting list for elective surgery at the hospital to clear.","AnswerText":"Approximately &pound;1.36 million was initially allocated to NHS Grampian to support 980 additional orthopaedic joint procedures at Woodend Hospital over a 9 month period. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, NHS Grampian were unable to commence activity in the timeline originally anticipated and currently expect to deliver 95 additional joints at Woodend by end of March 2025.The remainder of the funding from the &pound;1.36 million will be redirected to other priority areas, including orthopaedic capacity at the Golden Jubilee University National Hospital.We are working with Health Boards, including NHS Grampian, to develop detailed annual delivery plans for 2025/26 to support waiting list reductions and improve productivity, and orthopaedics will be a key priority area.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-02T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426771,"EventID":"S6W-31518","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T16:28:26.553","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T10:10:46.483","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what evidence it can provide to confirm that 90% ofMedication Assisted Treatment (MAT) standards 1-5 were fully implemented as ofApril 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what evidence it can provide to confirm that 90% ofMedication Assisted Treatment (MAT) standards 1-5 were fully implemented as ofApril 2024.","AnswerText":"Public Health Scotland (PHS) publishes a Benchmarking Report each year to demonstrate progress being made by local areas in their implementation of the Medication Assisted Treatment standards. The Report each year includes a detailed breakdown on the three streams of evidence required to assess implementation &ndash; processes in place, numerical data gathered and a summary of experiential feedback from people in treatment and recovery.Process evidence demonstrates that local policies and procedures are in place for service delivery in line with the MAT standards criteria. Numerical evidence demonstrates services are actively gathering data required for future service improvement and to ensure the services available are best targeted. Experiential evidence demonstrates what people receiving support say about the services so that further improvement and focus can be implemented.The most recent PHS Report was published in July 2024 in which the evidence confirmed 90% of standards 1-5 have been implemented against the criteria set out. That report covered 2023/24 and concluded that all 29 local areas reported evidence to show implementation of MAT standards 1-5.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426772,"EventID":"S6W-31489","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T16:28:26.903","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-19T11:56:56.397","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which of its policies contribute to its goal of closing the attainment gap, and how much it has spent on such policies in each year since 2016.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which of its policies contribute to its goal of closing the attainment gap, and how much it has spent on such policies in each year since 2016.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s vision for education is to achieve excellence and equity. Therefore, consideration of equity, which includes in terms of poverty, is a factor in all education policy. However, the Scottish Attainment Challenge is the principal policy and investment to address the poverty related attainment gap. The Scottish Attainment Challenge began in 2015, when funding was distributed to targeted local authorities through the Schools Programme and Challenge Authorities. In 2017, the Pupil Equity Fund (PEF) was introduced, providing funding direct to schools. In 2018, the Care Experienced Children and Young People fund (CECYP) began, providing funding to local authorities to enable them to target initiatives, activities, and resources that will improve the educational outcomes of this group of young people.In 2022, the Scottish Attainment Challenge was refreshed, and the &lsquo;Schools Programme and &lsquo;Challenge Authorities&rsquo; funds were replaced by Strategic Equity Funding (SEF) which provided grants to all 32 local authorities.The National Programmes include a range of initiatives to policies to close the poverty related attainment gap, including support for various third sector organisations including Young Scot, Child Poverty Action Group and Youth Link; investment in Education Scotland attainment advisors, CELCIS work in co-ordination the virtual school headteachers network, teacher leadership training, training of educational psychologists.There is a further suite of policies, outwith SAC, which contribute to both the government&rsquo;s vision of excellence and equity and the ambition to eradicate child poverty by reducing the cost of the school day and improving readiness to learn. These have contributed to reducing the poverty related gap by 60% (or three-fifths) since 2009-10 for young people leaving school and going on to a positive destination, such as work, training or further study 9 months after leaving school. So, regardless of socio-economic background, most young people leaving school today are going on to a positive destination.Programme2015-162016-172017-182018-192019-202020-212021-222022-232023-24&nbsp;SpendSpendSpendSpendSpendSpendSpendSpendSpendPupil Equity Funding&pound; -&pound; -&pound; 120,176,584&pound; 122,213,775&pound; 122,517,320&pound; 122,539,980&pound; 147,001,246&pound; 130,416,035&pound;130,537,358Challenge Authorities&pound; 5,907,923&pound; 24,977,288&pound; 34,979,317&pound; 40,516,358&pound; 41,731,213&pound; 42,454,170&pound; 42,692,377&pound; -&pound;0Schools Programme&pound; 2,329,113&pound; 3,993,678&pound; 6,140,383&pound; 6,865,926&pound; 6,853,700&pound; 6,934,355&pound; 6,979,808&pound; -&pound;0CECYP&pound; -&pound; -&pound; -&pound; 705,889&pound; 15,187,742&pound; 11,736,270&pound; 11,574,478&pound; 11,103,762&pound;10,617,843National Programmes&pound; 639,885&pound; 4,933,612&pound; 4,844,047&pound; 5,111,211&pound; 5,392,290&pound; 5,370,063&pound; 6,091,808&pound; 8,820,344&pound;2,045,152SEF&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&pound; 44,635,398&pound;43,318,610Total&pound; 8,876,921&pound; 33,904,577&pound; 166,140,331&pound; 175,413,159&pound; 191,682,265&pound; 189,034,838&pound; 214,339,718&pound; 194,975,539&pound;186,518,962","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426773,"EventID":"S6W-31501","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T16:28:27.083","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-19T14:53:21.043","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many times section 45 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 has been used.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many times section 45 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 has been used.","AnswerText":"Section 45 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 has been used once since 2012 to issue a direction specifying minimum compensation.In 2019 the Scottish Government published a case study of this instance, highlighting the use of compulsory purchase powers to take ownership of a listed building along with such a direction at Roseangle in Dundee.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426774,"EventID":"S6W-31530","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5877,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T16:28:26.007","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T13:48:48.937","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to repeat the Health and Wellbeing Census; if so, what the earliest date is by which this may be implemented; which local authorities have confirmed so ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to repeat the Health and Wellbeing Census; if so, what the earliest date is by which this may be implemented; which local authorities have confirmed so far that they (a) will and (b) will not participate; whether children's identity numbers will be gathered again, and what consultation has been undertaken with (i) parents and (ii) groups representing parents regarding (A) methodology and (B) question choice.","AnswerText":"Plans for any future Health and Wellbeing Census are still under consideration.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426775,"EventID":"S6W-31513","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T16:28:26.09","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T10:06:50.25","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on what an acceptable level of emissions would be for a gas-fired power plant to produce.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on what an acceptable level of emissions would be for a gas-fired power plant to produce.","AnswerText":"When considering any application for a proposed gas-fired power plant application, Scottish Ministers&rsquo; consideration of emissions would be considered within the accompanying environmental impact assessments (EIA), which would be carried out on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the relevant EIA regulations.Our draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan (ESJTP) makes clear our opposition to the continued use of unabated fossil fuels to generate electricity.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426776,"EventID":"S6W-31272","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T16:28:27.257","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T11:36:50.62","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on locum forensic pathologists in Aberdeen in each year for the last 10 years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on locum forensic pathologists in Aberdeen in each year for the last 10 years.","AnswerText":"COPFS has spent the following on locum forensic pathologists in Aberdeen in each of the last ten years:YearCost2015-1602016-1702017-1802018-1902019-2002020-2102021-22&pound;9,732.112022-23&pound;17,832.112023-24&pound;106,130.802024-25 (to date)&pound;19,485.37","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426777,"EventID":"S6W-31488","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T16:28:26.54","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-19T11:56:56.397","Title":"To ask Scottish Government whether it will provide further details of the methodology used to provide the \"independent, external scrutiny and challenge of the review\" of the marking of Higher History ","ItemText":"To ask Scottish Government whether it will provide further details of the methodology used to provide the \"independent, external scrutiny and challenge of the review\" of the marking of Higher History in 2024, including the conclusions and wider reflections, as set out in the SQA's&nbsp;Higher History Review 2024 report, and whether the individual responsible for the review spoke to any teachers who were not employed by the SQA as markers.","AnswerText":"Marking of exams, and quality assurance of the associated processes, is an operational matter for the SQA in its independent role as an examination body.The Scottish Government did not instruct the review into the marking of Higher History in 2024 carried out by SQA and the detail of the methodology (including who the reviewer spoke to) were operational decisions for the SQA.The Scottish Government notes that the SQA has undertaken a substantial review which has demonstrably considered a wide range of evidence in reaching its conclusions. These findings have been independently peer reviewed by the Executive Director of Qualifications and Assessment at the Welsh Joint Education Committee (WJEC), who agreed that its conclusions and recommendations are supported by evidence.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426778,"EventID":"S6W-31485","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T16:28:26.54","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-19T10:58:16.777","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how the findings of the Audit Scotland report, Alcohol and drug services, will be incorporated into the national service specification for alcohol and drug services.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the findings of the Audit Scotland report, Alcohol and drug services, will be incorporated into the national service specification for alcohol and drug services.","AnswerText":"The purpose of the National Specification is to provide clarity on the range of substance use support services which should be available in local areas as the first phase in developing National Standards and regulations. The specification will take into account the outcomes of the current Public Health Scotland review into the reduction of referrals to Tier 3 and Trier 4 services to ensure that all services, including Tier 1 and Tier 2, are included in suggested improvements. This will help local services to set out future strategic plans to deliver on their commitment to reduce alcohol and drug deaths and associated harms and to improve the lives of those impacted by alcohol and drugs. This will support people in being aware of the services that are available to them whether structured on more informal, such awareness is important in empowering people to make informed choices about their needs. Throughout the national specification there is emphasis on the need to provide person centred care for each individual to supporting meeting individual needs.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426779,"EventID":"S6W-31514","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T16:28:26.547","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T10:06:50.25","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider requesting a new environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the proposed power plant at Peterhead, in light of research published by Carbon Track","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider requesting a new environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the proposed power plant at Peterhead, in light of research published by Carbon Tracker regarding the submitted EIA.","AnswerText":"In February 2022, an application under section 36 of the Electricity Act seeking consent for construction and operation of the Peterhead Low Carbon Combined Cycle Gas Turbine Power Station was formally lodged with the Energy Consents Unit. This is currently before Ministers for determination and as such, it would be inappropriate for Ministers to make any comment.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426780,"EventID":"S6W-31506","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T16:28:26.043","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T09:13:34.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to implement the recommendations of the Independent Review of Audiology Services.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to implement the recommendations of the Independent Review of Audiology Services.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government accepted the recommendations of the Independent Review of Audiology Services in principle on 14 December 2023.Audiology is being considered as a clinical priority area, and improvement work is being progressed through a task and finish group under the governance of the National Planning and Delivery Board led by the Chief Operating Officer for NHS Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426781,"EventID":"S6W-31492","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T16:28:26.003","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-19T11:56:56.397","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it instructed the SQA to carry out a review of the marking of Higher History in 2024, and, if so, whether it will provide details of its instructions.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it instructed the SQA to carry out a review of the marking of Higher History in 2024, and, if so, whether it will provide details of its instructions.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31488 on 5 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426782,"EventID":"S6W-31517","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T16:28:27.113","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T10:10:46.483","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Medication Assisted Treatment standards have been fully implemented.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Medication Assisted Treatment standards have been fully implemented.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has committed to full implementation of Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) standards 1-10 in community and justice settings by April 2025, and for this implementation to be sustained by April 2026.The implementation of the MAT standards is being supported and monitored by Public Health Scotland, who publish an annual benchmarking report each June. And the requirement for quarterly progress update reports to SG from local areas, against their Implementation Plan, is continuing.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426783,"EventID":"S6W-31510","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T16:28:26.88","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T09:54:43.743","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) it will provide an update on&nbsp;how much of the &pound;1.8 billion that was committed for decarbonising buildings through its Heat in Buildings strategy ha","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) it will provide an update on&nbsp;how much of the &pound;1.8 billion that was committed for decarbonising buildings through its Heat in Buildings strategy has been (i) allocated and (ii) spent and (b) it is committed to spending any remaining amount during the current parliamentary session.","AnswerText":"Scotland&rsquo;s Heat in Buildings Strategy, published in October 2021, outlines our ambitious programme that reflects the scale and the size of the challenge to reduce emissions from our buildings. Our commitment to allocate &pound;1.8bn over this parliament is helping kick-start growth in the market and support those least able to pay.Of the &pound;1.8bn commitment made in our Heat in Buildings Strategy, over &pound;1.3bn has been allocated to date, of which, over &pound;575m has been spent to the end of September 2024.Any further budget allocations will be set out in the Scottish Government draft budget, which will be published on 4 December.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426784,"EventID":"S6W-31516","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T16:28:26.98","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T10:10:46.483","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that prescribed methadone is not misused.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that prescribed methadone is not misused.","AnswerText":"In accordance with codes of practice and clinical guidelines, administration of methadone is usually supervised to ensure it is not misused. Supervised administration is in place for community pharmacies, justice settings and in third sector services, including homelessness settings.NRS statistics on Drug Related Deaths published in 2024 show an increasing number of cases where Methadone is implicated. The statistics also show that poly-drug use is one of the most significant challenges faced by Scotland, with methadone included in poly-drug use.However, through the implementation of the MAT standards, significant numbers of people on OST treatment are choosing to move onto long-acting injectable buprenorphine (brand name Buvidal). The Scottish Government continues to support the availability of Buvidal as a choice for people where its use is more clinically appropriate than methadone or other alternatives.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426785,"EventID":"S6W-31505","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T16:28:26.01","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T09:12:55.413","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will implement a primary care communityaudiology service during the current parliamentary session.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will implement a primary care communityaudiology service during the current parliamentary session.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to its vision for an integrated and community-based hearing service in Scotland. However, in considering the future direction for the audiology sector, it is right that we move forward in step with the work of the Independent Review of audiology and this &ndash; together with the wider financial and strategic context in which we are currently operating &ndash; has necessitated the re-phasing of our commitment on community hearing. We are continuing to fund &ldquo;RNID Near You&rdquo;, a third sector after-care scheme offered to hearing aid users and delivered in partnership with the NHS within five Scottish health board areas.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426786,"EventID":"S6W-31486","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T16:28:26.787","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-19T10:58:16.777","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how the national service specification for alcohol and drug services will (a) address the reported decline in individuals accessing structured alcohol services and (b) e","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the national service specification for alcohol and drug services will (a) address the reported decline in individuals accessing structured alcohol services and (b) ensure that every patient's needs are met.","AnswerText":"The national specification is the first stage of developing national standards and regulations for substance use services. The specification will outline the types of services which should be made available within all local areas. The second phase will be the development of standards which services will be expected to meet and the third phase will be the development of regulations on the basis of which services will be inspected. It is hoped that the regulations will be published by 2028. The completion of all three phases will support clarity and accountability on service providers as recommended within the Audit Scotland report.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426787,"EventID":"S6W-31487","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5877,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T16:28:26.553","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-19T11:55:34.683","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to (a) the Marie Curie report, Dying in Poverty in Scotland 2024, and (b) its finding that one in five people will be in fuel poverty at the end of ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to (a) the Marie Curie report, Dying in Poverty in Scotland 2024, and (b) its finding that one in five people will be in fuel poverty at the end of life.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government supports the delivery of the highest standards of palliative care, and we will give this report and its recommendations careful consideration. Our palliative care strategy, currently out for public consultation, aims to ensure that people can access well-coordinated, timely and high-quality palliative care, care around dying, and bereavement support based on what matters to them.High energy prices are the single most important driver of fuel poverty. Within our devolved powers we continue to support vulnerable households through our winter heating benefits, provision of free income maximisation support, welfare and debt advice and energy efficiency schemes. However the powers to make a real difference remain reserved to Westminster. That is why the UK Government must introduce a social tariff mechanism as a means of targeted support for those who need it most, including terminally ill people who are struggling with their energy bills. The Scottish Government is making progress on co-designing such a mechanism with industry and has agreed to report to the UK Government on this work as soon as possible.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426788,"EventID":"S6W-31523","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T16:28:26.103","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T10:28:26.06","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what investment it is making in preventative measures in relation to heroin addiction.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what investment it is making in preventative measures in relation to heroin addiction.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to funding local services who make decisions on commissioning and planning services for people impacted by drugs, including heroine. Funding to local areas where decisions on preventative measures are taken remains at an all-time high, supplemented by additional funding over the life of the current Parliament through our National Mission. It is important that decisions are taken and plans are made locally to take account of local need.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426789,"EventID":"S6W-31493","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T16:28:26.703","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-19T11:56:56.397","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it (a) asked the SQA to undertake an independent review of the marking of Higher History in 2024 and (b) set the parameters for the independence of that review.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it (a) asked the SQA to undertake an independent review of the marking of Higher History in 2024 and (b) set the parameters for the independence of that review.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31488 on 5 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426790,"EventID":"S6W-31515","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T16:28:26.737","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T10:06:50.25","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to research by Carbon Tracker regarding the  proposed power plant at Peterhead, including the findings illustrating alleged discrepancies in the env","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to research by Carbon Tracker regarding the  proposed power plant at Peterhead, including the findings illustrating alleged discrepancies in the environmental impact assessment.","AnswerText":"In February 2022, an application under section 36 of the Electricity Act seeking consent for construction and operation of the Peterhead Low Carbon Combined Cycle Gas Turbine Power Station was formally lodged with the Energy Consents Unit. This is currently before Ministers for determination and as such, it would be inappropriate for Ministers to make any comment.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426791,"EventID":"S6W-31496","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T16:28:27.47","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-19T13:07:14.497","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many farms in Scotland are bigger than 200 acres (81 hectares).","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many farms in Scotland are bigger than 200 acres (81 hectares).","AnswerText":"In 2024, based on data from the June Agricultural Census, there were 9,309 agricultural holdings in Scotland with a total land area more than or equal to 81 hectares (approximately 200 acres).","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426792,"EventID":"S6W-31519","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T16:28:26.54","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T10:10:46.483","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to mitigate any significant side effects and risks associated with prolonged methadone use.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to mitigate any significant side effects and risks associated with prolonged methadone use.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises that the prescribing of methadone, and all forms of OST, is a matter for clinicians in consultation with individuals and that the risks of prolonged use and any possible side effects are a matter for clinicians who are bound by professional codes and evidence-based UK-wide clinical guidance on this.The Scottish Government agreed with recommendations made by the Drug Deaths Taskforce who recommended that more choice should be available on the types of OST offered where appropriate and notes that a significant proportion of people have chosen to move from methadone and oral buprenorphine to long acting injectable buprenorphine since the introduction of the medication Assisted Treatment standards in May 2021.However, methadone remains a recommended, evidence-based first line option for clinicians and individuals according to independent codes and clinical guidance.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426793,"EventID":"S6W-31507","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T16:28:27.327","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T09:16:59.177","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much extra money it is currently due to spend on public sector pay in 2024-25 compared to what it forecast when it set out its 2024-25 Budget in December 2023.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much extra money it is currently due to spend on public sector pay in 2024-25 compared to what it forecast when it set out its 2024-25 Budget in December 2023.","AnswerText":"We are currently expecting additional costs of around &pound;600 million in 2024-25 for final pay deals settling above the public sector pay metric published in May.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426794,"EventID":"S6W-31270","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T16:28:27.05","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T11:36:50.62","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on locum forensic pathologists nationally since April 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on locum forensic pathologists nationally since April 2024.","AnswerText":"COPFS has spent &pound;19,485.37 on locum forensic pathologists since April 2024.Where forensic service providers in Scotland have instructed the use of a forensic pathology locum pathologist to provide assistance, for example to cover sick leave, the costs are not known but there has been no additional cost to COPFS.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426795,"EventID":"S6W-31512","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T16:28:26.587","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T10:06:50.25","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported complaint by Friends of the Earth Scotland regarding 27 alleged breaches of the Scottish Ministerial Code in relation to proposals f","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported complaint by Friends of the Earth Scotland regarding 27 alleged breaches of the Scottish Ministerial Code in relation to proposals for a gas-fired power plant at Peterhead.","AnswerText":"The First Minister wrote to Friends of the Earth Scotland on 21 August and again on 25 October to set out his detailed considerations of their allegations and his conclusion that the Code had not been breached.The application under consideration in these exchanges and as noted above was received on 18 February 2022 and that this application has yet to be determined.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426796,"EventID":"S6W-31271","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T16:28:27.417","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T11:36:50.62","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on locum forensic pathologists in Aberdeen since April 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on locum forensic pathologists in Aberdeen since April 2024.","AnswerText":"COPFS has spent &pound;19,485.37 on locum forensic pathologists in Aberdeen since April 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426797,"EventID":"S6W-31524","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T16:28:26.61","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T10:28:26.06","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support individuals who are affected by the physical and mental side effects of prolonged methadone use or misuse.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support individuals who are affected by the physical and mental side effects of prolonged methadone use or misuse.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the work being done by local services, including community and grass roots organisations, in supporting individuals affected by the physical and mental side effects of methadone use as an evidence-based first line treatment option.To ensure local services are focused on the needs of people the Scottish Government continues to provide record levels of funding, particularly through our National Mission and through the implementation of our Cross-Government Plan which includes the implementation of the Medication Assisted Treatment standards and the launch in December of the Charter of Rights for people affected by substance use.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426798,"EventID":"S6W-31528","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T16:28:26.147","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T13:00:06.88","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31099 by Neil Gray on 15 November 2024, how much of its &pound;30 million investment in planned care was allocated to NHS Grampian","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31099 by Neil Gray on 15 November 2024, how much of its &pound;30 million investment in planned care was allocated to NHS Grampian to support additional orthopaedic activity at Woodend Hospital.","AnswerText":"As set out in my response to S6W-31527 on 2 December 2024, approximately &pound;1.36 million was initially allocated to NHS Grampian to support 980 additional orthopaedic joint procedures at Woodend Hospital over a 9 month period. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, NHS Grampian were unable to commence activity in the timeline originally anticipated and currently expect to deliver 95 additional joints at Woodend by end of March 2025.The remainder of the funding from the &pound;1.36 million will be redirected to other priority areas, including orthopaedic capacity at the Golden Jubilee University National Hospital.We are working with Health Boards, including NHS Grampian, to develop detailed annual delivery plans for 2025/26 to support waiting list reductions and improve productivity, and orthopaedics will be a key priority area.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426799,"EventID":"S6W-31526","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-20T16:28:27.35","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T10:42:15.723","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the gender balance is of its workforce, expressed in percentages.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the gender balance is of its workforce, expressed in percentages.","AnswerText":"A breakdown of the Scottish Government workforce by sex is available in table T7 of the Scottish Government Workforce Statistics Scottish Government workforce information - gov.scot (www.gov.scot). The latest available data from June 2024 shows that 56.4% of the workforce are female and 43.6% are male.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426800,"EventID":"S6O-04046","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":3,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T10:15:33.403","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T10:55:05.11","Title":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will consult MSP staff trade unions before deciding on uprating the Staff Cost Provision in the 2025-26 financial year.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will consult MSP staff trade unions before deciding on uprating the Staff Cost Provision in the 2025-26 financial year.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":426801,"EventID":"S6O-04043","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":3,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T10:15:59.267","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-19T17:19:19.537","Title":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will provide an update on the output of the working group that was established to review the visitor experience in the chamber.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will provide an update on the output of the working group that was established to review the visitor experience in the chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426802,"EventID":"S6O-04039","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":3,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T10:16:26.07","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-19T14:10:23.517","Title":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what progress has been made on the development of a Scottish Parliament app.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what progress has been made on the development of a Scottish Parliament app.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426803,"EventID":"S6O-04053","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":3,"MSPID":16189,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":129,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T10:16:57.103","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T14:37:20.687","Title":"&nbsp;To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will review whether the Parliament is providing sufficient resourcing for the Legislation Team to support MSPs to lodge amendments to ","ItemText":"&nbsp;To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will review whether the Parliament is providing sufficient resourcing for the Legislation Team to support MSPs to lodge amendments to Bills.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426804,"EventID":"S6O-04051","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":3,"MSPID":16215,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T10:17:15.84","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T14:20:47.03","Title":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how it ensures that parliamentary staff are properly recognised and compensated for all of the work that they do for the Parliament, including any spec","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how it ensures that parliamentary staff are properly recognised and compensated for all of the work that they do for the Parliament, including any specific project work that is over and above their normal responsibilities.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426805,"EventID":"S6O-04049","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":3,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T10:17:41.783","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T11:54:51.64","Title":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will provide an update on the access and exiting arrangements for the underground car park.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will provide an update on the access and exiting arrangements for the underground car park.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426806,"EventID":"S6O-04055","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":3,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T10:18:09.403","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T16:19:23.913","Title":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will provide an update on the training of MSPs and staff on duties under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will provide an update on the training of MSPs and staff on duties under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426807,"EventID":"S6O-04045","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":3,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T10:19:33.157","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T10:48:03.123","Title":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what support is provided to MSPs when representing the Parliament at external engagements.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what support is provided to MSPs when representing the Parliament at external engagements.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426808,"EventID":"S6O-04054","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":3,"MSPID":3763,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":142,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T10:20:01.4","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T15:11:01.117","Title":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will consider making mental health first aid awareness training mandatory for all MSPs and their staff, to support them with their own menta","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will consider making mental health first aid awareness training mandatory for all MSPs and their staff, to support them with their own mental health, and in light of the significant number of people that MSPs and their staff support on a daily basis who may be in crisis or dealing with longstanding mental health issues.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426809,"EventID":"S6O-04047","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":3,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T10:20:20.01","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T11:19:23.983","Title":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will give consideration to expanding the Parliament's medical equipment.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will give consideration to expanding the Parliament's medical equipment.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":426810,"EventID":"S6O-04050","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":3,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T10:20:36.107","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T14:12:50.82","Title":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what consideration has been given to reviewing its parental leave policies.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what consideration has been given to reviewing its parental leave policies.","AnswerText":"In accordance with the Reimbursement of Members&rsquo; Expenses Scheme the SPCB is responsible for setting and maintaining minimum terms and conditions for the employment of staff by MSPs and for the terms and conditions of parliamentary service staff. I can confirm that the SPCB plans to review the terms and conditions of staff employed by MSPs early in the New Year. The SPCB regularly benchmarks its terms and conditions with other employers to ensure that they continue to support the objective of attracting and retaining staff.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"Jackson Carlaw (on behalf of the SPCB)","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426811,"EventID":"S6O-04040","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":3,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T10:20:51.103","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-19T15:44:14.883","Title":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body which inflation index it plans to use in determining any MSP staff pay uplift in the 2025-26 financial year.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body which inflation index it plans to use in determining any MSP staff pay uplift in the 2025-26 financial year.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426812,"EventID":"S6W-31555","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:15.973","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T10:33:15.83","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that communities can benefit from pumped storage hydro projects.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that communities can benefit from pumped storage hydro projects.","AnswerText":"Through our Good Practice Principles for Onshore Developments, the Scottish Government continues to encourage developers to offer community benefits as standard on all renewable energy projects. This includes pumped storage hydro projects, and we welcome the recent announcement on new community benefit funding to support community projects within areas that host existing hydro power infrastructure across Scotland.Community benefits are a well-established and integral part of renewable energy projects in Scotland, with over &pound;26 million of community benefits offered to Scottish communities in the last 12 months. The Scottish Government continues to work with industry and communities to build on this success. We are currently considering feedback from stakeholders on the potential for a review of the Good Practice Principles for a wider range of technologies.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426813,"EventID":"S6W-31589","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:16.12","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much additional workload energy infrastructure consenting reforms will place on Historic Environment Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much additional workload energy infrastructure consenting reforms will place on Historic Environment Scotland.","AnswerText":"Historic Environment Scotland are a key stakeholder in the consenting process.The &lsquo;Verity House Agreement&rsquo; and the &lsquo;New Deal for Business&rsquo; have set out how the Scottish Government intends to work collaboratively with local authorities and others to deliver a just transition to net zero.The reform process launched by this consultation creates an opportunity to re-set the expectations on the bodies providing essential support to the application process, taking account of their views, suggestions and their specific circumstances.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426814,"EventID":"S6W-31362","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:15.96","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T09:13:04.46","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with its Tax Advisory Group regarding the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with its Tax Advisory Group regarding the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget.","AnswerText":"Since July 2023, the Tax Advisory Group have focussed on supporting the development the Tax Strategy, and have discussed it at all four of their meetings in 2024. The Group did not discuss the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, and the group does not have a role in decision making as part of the Scottish budget process. The Group&rsquo;s terms of reference and minutes of their meetings are published on the Scottish Government&rsquo;s website (Tax Advisory Group - gov.scot).","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426815,"EventID":"S6W-31546","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:16.75","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T17:07:22.673","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to ensure that there are as many Scottish offshore wind projects as possible eligible for the next Contracts for Difference (CfD) Allocation Round, AR7.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to ensure that there are as many Scottish offshore wind projects as possible eligible for the next Contracts for Difference (CfD) Allocation Round, AR7.","AnswerText":"It is vital that maximum support, sufficient budget and greater long-term certainty are provided by the UK Government (UKG) to allow Scottish projects to succeed in CfD AR7 and future rounds.We must build on the positive results of this year&rsquo;s Allocation Round, which were a step in the right direction and demonstrate the importance and capability of Scotland to deliver zero carbon power.We will continue to work with the UKG to secure project delivery as well as investor and supply chain confidence, which includes encouraging the UKG to expedite work to ensure timely grid connections and strengthened grid infrastructure.We also welcome the UKG&rsquo;s Clean Industry Bonus (CIB), which will be incorporated into the CfD scheme for AR7. We expect Scottish offshore wind projects and supply chain to benefit from this new initiative and look forward to seeing the results.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426816,"EventID":"S6W-31541","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:15.837","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T16:40:51.533","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people supported through the No One Left Behind programme have been able to secure long-term employment within six months, in each financial year since 2019-20.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people supported through the No One Left Behind programme have been able to secure long-term employment within six months, in each financial year since 2019-20.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not collect data on the time-period in which people enter employment following support from the No One Left Behind Programme. However, the Scottish Government does collect data on the number of people entering employment and those that are still in employment at specific points thereafter - 4, 13, 26 or 52 weeks.The most recent statistics indicate that of the 20,743 people supported through No One Left Behind that have entered employment since 2019, 8,657 (42%) were in employment at 4 weeks, 8,130 (39%) at 13 weeks, 7,102 (34%) at 26 weeks, and 4,227 (20%) at 52 weeks after entering employment.Note that these figures are based on the percentage of all people that have entered employment who responded to the follow-up question. Therefore it is not a full or complete sample and we believe the data is therefore likely an undercount of the true figure.The Scottish Government is actively reviewing this methodology following user consultation earlier this year to improve reporting on the duration of outcomes for No One Left Behind participants.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426817,"EventID":"S6W-31613","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:17.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how the proposed changes to the electricity infrastructure consenting regime will ensure that the electricity consenting process remains fair and equitable for all stake","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the proposed changes to the electricity infrastructure consenting regime will ensure that the electricity consenting process remains fair and equitable for all stakeholders.","AnswerText":"Scottish Ministers will continue to consider each proposal on a case-by-case basis, following review of the application information, consultation responses and representations made by members of the public.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426818,"EventID":"S6W-31365","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:19.583","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T09:14:13.427","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget, whether it has carried out an ana","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget, whether it has carried out an analysis of the previous iteration of the supplement, which was in place from 2012 to 2015.","AnswerText":"As part of its exploration of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement, the Scottish Government has considered the independent analysis carried out on the impact of the previous Public Health Supplement that was in place from 2012-2015.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426819,"EventID":"S6W-31637","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:17.227","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:39:27.47","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met the National Energy Systems Operator.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met the National Energy Systems Operator.","AnswerText":"I last met with the National Energy Systems Operator on 29 October 2024 to discuss Clean Power 2030.Information about Ministerial engagements, overseas travel, car journeys, domestic travel and gifts received is also published on the Scottish Governments website: Ministerial engagements, travel and gifts - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426820,"EventID":"S6W-31378","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:17.687","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T09:19:58.057","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget,&nbsp;whether it plans to hold a f","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget,&nbsp;whether it plans to hold a formal consultation process on the introduction of the levy.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31366 on 5 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426821,"EventID":"S6W-31366","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:17.813","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T09:14:31.097","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget, whether any supplement would come","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget, whether any supplement would come on top, or instead of, any higher property rate that might be levied on a retail property.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Budget 2025-26 confirmed that the Scottish Government has no plans to introduce a Public Health Supplement at this time.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426822,"EventID":"S6W-31607","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:16.827","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met with Transport Scotland to discuss the impact of energy infrastructure applications.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met with Transport Scotland to discuss the impact of energy infrastructure applications.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31606 on 4 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426823,"EventID":"S6W-31623","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:18.017","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:39:27.47","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met (a) Benholm and Johnshaven, (b) Crathes, Drumoak and Durris, (c) Echt and Skene, (d) Glamis and Area, (e) Inv","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met (a) Benholm and Johnshaven, (b) Crathes, Drumoak and Durris, (c) Echt and Skene, (d) Glamis and Area, (e) Inveresk, (f) Kintore and District, (g) Kirriemuir, (h) Kirriemuir Landward East, (i) Mearns, (j) North Kincardine Rural, (k) the Royal Burgh of Forfar, (l) Stonehaven and District and (m) Westhill and Elrick Community Council; what was discussed, and when the cabinet secretary will next meet the community council.","AnswerText":"In my capacity as Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy, I can confirm that I have not met with the listed Community Councils and I currently have no plans in place to meet them.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":426824,"EventID":"S6W-31567","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:19.02","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures will be in place to ensure that local communities' voices are heard and considered in the pre-application stage for major energy applications.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures will be in place to ensure that local communities' voices are heard and considered in the pre-application stage for major energy applications.","AnswerText":"The consultation proposes new standardised processes for both onshore and offshore developers to engage with local communities and stakeholders before applying to the Scottish Government for new energy infrastructure.At present, the Electricity Act has no provisions that compel developers to notify or consult communities or stakeholders before an application is submitted to Scottish Ministers.This means the public and communities could remain unaware of proposed projects until an application is submitted.Many developers do consult communities, but the approach is variable &ndash; which undermines public confidence and makes the applications more complex.The consultation suggests a duty to consult communities and other statutory bodies &ndash; such as the planning authority &ndash; before an application is made.It also proposes that a &ldquo;statement of community consultation&rdquo; is submitted with an application. This would set out how the public will be able to submit views on the development and how those will be considered in the final application.The consultation also proposes the submission of a final consultation report setting out the steps taken to engage the public and how those views have been considered.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426825,"EventID":"S6W-31620","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:19.107","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:37:51.91","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the rationale would be for the Lord Advocate to use section 12 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the rationale would be for the Lord Advocate to use section 12 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995.","AnswerText":"As head of the system of prosecutions in Scotland, I have primary responsibility for the investigation and prosecution of criminal offences in Scotland.I have, along with Procurators Fiscal, who hold commissions on my behalf, legal authority to instruct the police in their investigation and reporting of crime and all suspicious, sudden and unexplained deaths.Instruction of the police can take the form of Lord Advocate Guidelines to the Chief Constable to inform of approaches to be taken by the police in specified circumstances. Equally, instruction and direction may be issued in relation to specific matters in the context of ongoing liaison between the police and Procurators Fiscal who can instruct the police during the course of investigations and when further investigation is required in a case. Instruction of the police is a continuous process in the discharge of the Lord Advocate&rsquo;s duties as regards the investigation and prosecution of criminal offences in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426826,"EventID":"S6W-31568","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:15.973","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how the proposed changes to energy infrastructure consenting will impact the transparency of the consenting process for electricity infrastructure projects.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the proposed changes to energy infrastructure consenting will impact the transparency of the consenting process for electricity infrastructure projects.","AnswerText":"The reforms would increase public participation in development proposals at pre application stage. The transparency of the process would remain unchanged. All information relating to applications to build, operate or modify onshore electricity generating stations with capacities exceeding 50 megawatts, as well as all applications to install overhead power lines, large oil and gas pipelines, and associated infrastructure are published and searchable on our Energy Consents website, at https://energyconsents.scot/","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426827,"EventID":"S6W-31606","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:18.493","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met with Transport Scotland to discuss the impact of energy infrastructure consenting reforms.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met with Transport Scotland to discuss the impact of energy infrastructure consenting reforms.","AnswerText":"Through the consultation, Scottish Government is keen to understand what further support mechanisms, and practical measures, could be explored within a collaborative framework to reduce the time needed to provide consultation responses.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426828,"EventID":"S6W-31590","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:19.213","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met Historic Environment Scotland to discuss the impact of energy infrastructure consenting reforms.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met Historic Environment Scotland to discuss the impact of energy infrastructure consenting reforms.","AnswerText":"Through the consultation, Scottish Government is keen to understand what further support mechanisms, and practical measures, could be explored within a collaborative framework to reduce the time needed to provide consultation responses.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426829,"EventID":"S6W-31375","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:16.86","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T09:18:40.917","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget, whether the receipts from any lev","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget, whether the receipts from any levy would be ring-fenced or hypothecated and, if so, for what purpose.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31366 on 5 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426830,"EventID":"S6W-31548","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:17.463","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T17:37:00.937","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the current prison population, broken down by each institution within the Scottish Prison Service estate.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the current prison population, broken down by each institution within the Scottish Prison Service estate.","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:As of Friday 22 November, the prison population was 8278, broken down by establishment as shown in the following table:EstablishmentToday's PopulationAddiewell725Barlinnie1364Bella12Dumfries187Edinburgh932Glenochil734Grampian487Greenock231Inverness109Kilmarnock622Lilias21Low Moss818Castle Huntly176Perth672Polmont562Shotts543Stirling83TOTAL8278","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426831,"EventID":"S6W-31552","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:18.903","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T10:33:15.83","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what level of consideration it gives to hydraulic head height  when determining planning consent for pumped storage hydro projects.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what level of consideration it gives to hydraulic head height  when determining planning consent for pumped storage hydro projects.","AnswerText":"The assessment of any impacts of a proposal, relating to the construction and/or operation of a generating station which may require section 36 consent, must be considered on a case-by-case basis in line with legislation, which includes the Electricity Act 1989, and in some cases, the Electricity Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2017.Ministers must not prejudice the conclusion of any Environmental Impact Assessment or the outcome of any application.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426832,"EventID":"S6W-31596","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:18.303","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what additional resources will be allocated to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to deal with any shortfall in capacity to process applications as a resu","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what additional resources will be allocated to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to deal with any shortfall in capacity to process applications as a result of energy infrastructure consenting reforms.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31593 on 4 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426833,"EventID":"S6W-31598","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:17.713","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met Scottish Forestry to discuss the impact of energy infrastructure consenting reforms.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met Scottish Forestry to discuss the impact of energy infrastructure consenting reforms.","AnswerText":"Through the consultation, Scottish Government is keen to understand what further support mechanisms, and practical measures, could be explored within a collaborative framework to reduce the time needed to provide consultation responses.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426834,"EventID":"S6W-31612","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:17.467","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential risks of the proposed powers to allow it to revoke, suspend or vary consents for energy infrastructure projects under specif","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential risks of the proposed powers to allow it to revoke, suspend or vary consents for energy infrastructure projects under specific circumstances, without a new application being made.","AnswerText":"At present there is no mechanism by which consents for large overhead electric lines may be varied, or by which consents may be varied quickly in minor ways by the Scottish Government.These limitations can present barriers to the development of infrastructure which are essential to energy security.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426835,"EventID":"S6W-31364","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:19.8","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T09:13:41.9","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it had with its economic development agencies, including Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Development International, regarding the possible introduction","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it had with its economic development agencies, including Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Development International, regarding the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers,&nbsp;as set out in its 2024-25 Budget.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not discussed the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement with its economic development agencies.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426836,"EventID":"S6W-31549","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:19.14","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T07:51:49.807","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many hectares of agricultural land were taken out of use for farming in each of the last 10 years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many hectares of agricultural land were taken out of use for farming in each of the last 10 years.","AnswerText":"The figures set out in the following table have been derived from data contained within the Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS). IACS contains land parcels that have been registered with Rural Payments and Inspections Division (RPID) for agricultural subsidy and/or keeping livestock. This data covers most but not all agricultural land within Scotland. When land is de-registered from IACS it is assumed it has been removed from agriculture for analysis purposes but could simply be it is no longer registered for agricultural subsidy and/or keeping livestock. Alongside land being de-registered (removed) additional land is also registered each year. The following table compares land de-registered and land registered for the past ten years highlighting net gain or loss. All figures are in hectares.YearDe-registered LandRegistered LandNet Gain/Loss2014-151855417591-9632015-16711718490+113732016-17488213984+91022017-18725818843+115852018-1953398205+28662019-2049018050+31492020-21124688321-41472021-2238594355+4962022-2313325245+39132023-2462224983-1239","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426837,"EventID":"S6W-31384","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:18.387","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T09:22:12.06","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget, whether such a levy would come on","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget, whether such a levy would come on top of or in addition to the intermediate property rate that is applicable to liable shop premises.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31366 on 5 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426838,"EventID":"S6W-31604","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:18.933","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what additional resources will be allocated to Scottish Water to deal with any shortfall in capacity to process applications as a result of energy infrastructure consent","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what additional resources will be allocated to Scottish Water to deal with any shortfall in capacity to process applications as a result of energy infrastructure consenting reforms.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31601 on 4 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426839,"EventID":"S6W-31325","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:16.413","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T15:56:06.96","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the high-level principles of air departure tax (ADT) will be set out, and by what date a detailed policy development will take place following the publication of th","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the high-level principles of air departure tax (ADT) will be set out, and by what date a detailed policy development will take place following the publication of these principles.","AnswerText":"I will set out the high-level principles of Air Departure Tax in due course, following which we will work towards implementation as soon as is practicable. However, this first requires a solution to the Highlands and Islands exemption, and we are working with the UK Government to achieve this.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426840,"EventID":"S6W-31551","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:18.583","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T09:46:28.803","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much of the &pound;62 million Energy Transition Fund, announced in June 2020, has been spent, and whether it will provide a breakdown of this spend.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much of the &pound;62 million Energy Transition Fund, announced in June 2020, has been spent, and whether it will provide a breakdown of this spend.","AnswerText":"The Energy Transition Fund provided &pound;45.3m of funding to the end of financial year 2023-24. A further &pound;8.7m is expected to be provided over financial year 2024-25.The following table provides a breakdown of the funding provided across the four projects, which are all based in Aberdeen and the North East, supported by the Fund:ProjectFunding provided to end 2023-24Expected funding over 2024-25TotalEnergy Transition Zone&pound;16.9m&pound;2.5m&pound;19.5mNet Zero Technology Transition Programme&pound;13.8m&pound;2.1m&pound;15.9mAberdeen Hydrogen Hub&pound;10.2m&pound;3.1m&pound;13.3mGlobal Underwater Hub&pound;4.4m&pound;1.0m&pound;5.4mFund Total&pound;45.3m&pound;8.7m&pound;54.1m","AnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426841,"EventID":"S6W-31615","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:16.413","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how the proposed electricity infrastructure consenting reforms will impact the balance between accelerating infrastructure deployment and protecting environmental and co","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the proposed electricity infrastructure consenting reforms will impact the balance between accelerating infrastructure deployment and protecting environmental and community interests.","AnswerText":"The proposed reforms are about making the determination process more efficient, not less robust. Environmental assessment standards will remain unchanged. Scottish Ministers will continue to consider each proposal on a case-by-case basis, following review of the application information, consultation responses and representations made by members of the public.Potential impacts on communities, nature and other valued natural assets or cultural heritage are important considerations in the decision-making process.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426842,"EventID":"S6W-31370","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:19.77","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T09:15:51.313","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget, what the implications might be fo","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget, what the implications might be for (a) retailers&rsquo; investment plans and (b) shop prices for customers from the introduction of such a levy.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31366 on 5 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426843,"EventID":"S6W-31599","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:19.72","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met Scottish Forestry to discuss the impact of energy infrastructure applications.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met Scottish Forestry to discuss the impact of energy infrastructure applications.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31598 on 4 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426844,"EventID":"S6W-31617","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:18.527","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how the proposed changes to the public inquiry process, as part of the proposed reforms to energy infrastructure consenting, will ensure that all relevant issues are tho","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the proposed changes to the public inquiry process, as part of the proposed reforms to energy infrastructure consenting, will ensure that all relevant issues are thoroughly examined.","AnswerText":"The process proposed in the consultation is based on procedures already in place under the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 and which is provided for in the Town and Country Planning (Appeals) (Scotland) Regulations 2013.It suggests ministers appoint an independent reporter to make an examination into the application, giving them powers to determine what form that examination takes, in a proportionate and efficient way which is tailored to the case under consideration.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426845,"EventID":"S6W-31380","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:18.587","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T09:20:46.287","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Scotland Food and Drink about the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement, as set out in its 2024-25 Budg","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Scotland Food and Drink about the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget, on (a) retailers prior to the announcement and (b) any potential impact on its supplier development programmes.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not discussed the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement with Scotland Food and Drink.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426846,"EventID":"S6W-31580","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:18.613","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what additional resources will be allocated to local authorities to deal with any shortfall in capacity to process applications as a result of energy infrastructure cons","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what additional resources will be allocated to local authorities to deal with any shortfall in capacity to process applications as a result of energy infrastructure consenting reforms.","AnswerText":"Through the consultation, Scottish Government is keen to understand what further support mechanisms, and practical measures, could be explored within a collaborative framework to reduce the time needed to provide consultation responses.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426847,"EventID":"S6W-31570","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:16.993","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how the energy infrastructure consenting reforms will ensure that the quality of applications is not impacted by any emphasis on faster processing times.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the energy infrastructure consenting reforms will ensure that the quality of applications is not impacted by any emphasis on faster processing times.","AnswerText":"The proposed reforms are intended to increase the quality of applications which are submitted to Scottish Ministers. Doing so, will in turn, allow for faster processing times.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426848,"EventID":"S6W-31601","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:16.193","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much additional workload energy infrastructure consenting reforms will place on Scottish Water.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much additional workload energy infrastructure consenting reforms will place on Scottish Water.","AnswerText":"Scottish Water are a key stakeholder in the consenting process.The &lsquo;Verity House Agreement&rsquo; and the &lsquo;New Deal for Business&rsquo; have set out how the Scottish Government intends to work collaboratively with local authorities and others to deliver a just transition to net zero.The reform process launched by this consultation creates an opportunity to re-set the expectations on the bodies providing essential support to the application process, taking account of their views, suggestions and their specific circumstances.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426849,"EventID":"S6W-31646","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:19.143","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T12:27:48.5","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30729 by Shona Robison on 20 November 2024, whether the quantitative evaluation that was carried out by an independent research ag","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30729 by Shona Robison on 20 November 2024, whether the quantitative evaluation that was carried out by an independent research agency to assess campaign performance  included assessment in terms of (a) quality-adjusted life years (QALY) and (b) other public health metrics, and, if so which metrics; and, if this was not the case, which quantitative metrics were used.","AnswerText":"Health marketing campaigns are one intervention used by the Scottish Government to support the population of Scotland to live healthy and active lives. They typically support wider programmes of activity or run alongside other interventions.Where possible, marketing campaigns are evaluated using bespoke quantitative research, as well as where appropriate and available, indicators of direct response to a campaign such as visits to a particular website or web pages, calls to a helpline, vaccine uptake, cancer referrals, etc &ndash; during the campaign period.Quantitative research typically provides campaign related metrics such as awareness, recognition, message take-out, engagement and action taken in response. Knowledge, attitudes and claimed behaviour among the target audience are often also measured and sometimes tracked pre to post campaign or over the longer term.QALY (quality-adjusted life years) is a metric that is typically used in the evaluation of wider programmes of work or longer term interventions, where felt to be appropriate.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426850,"EventID":"S6W-31595","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:18.253","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to discuss the impact of energy infrastructure applications","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to discuss the impact of energy infrastructure applications.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31594 on 4 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426851,"EventID":"S6W-31385","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:18.413","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T09:22:41.353","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Public Health Scotland regarding the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Public Health Scotland regarding the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not discussed the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement with Public Health Scotland. The Scottish Government and Scottish Ministers regularly meet with Public Health Scotland about improving and protecting the health and wellbeing of all of Scotland&rsquo;s people - including measures to tackle public health challenges.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426852,"EventID":"S6W-31621","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:19.1","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:38:43.033","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many times section 12 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 has been used each year since 1999, and what information it has regarding each year in the period","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many times section 12 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 has been used each year since 1999, and what information it has regarding each year in the period prior to that when the Act was in force.","AnswerText":"There is a long-established practice of Procurators Fiscal instructing the police in their investigation of crime and all suspicious sudden and unexplained deaths.Investigation and direction may be issued in relation to specific matters in the context of ongoing liaison between the police and Procurators Fiscal who can instruct the police during the course of investigations and when further investigation is required in a case.This is carried out as routine engagement during the investigative process and as such is not recorded as specific implementation of section 12 of the 1995 Act.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426853,"EventID":"S6W-31216","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:18.867","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T14:49:28.83","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the details of all expenditure that has been paid to contest concluded civil cases relating to prosecutions arising from the administration of Ra","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the details of all expenditure that has been paid to contest concluded civil cases relating to prosecutions arising from the administration of Rangers FC.","AnswerText":"The following table provides the details of all expenditure that has been paid to contest concluded civil cases relating to prosecutions arising from the administration of Rangers FC. Figures correct as of 27 October 2024.Category2017-182018-192019-202020-212021-222022-232023-242024-25TotalStaffing81,864.40220,466.14356,360.78275,002.43436,555.03370,761.36728,689.14700,742.613,170,441.89Legal Costs188,637.56129,242.84578,972.31558,727.371,141,535.00903,000.57470,223.1412,544.803,982,883.59Legal advice for staff&nbsp;36,473.1395,807.29166,860.29255,855.12148,440.2663,875.1016,349.60783,660.79Fees to Noters&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;-Judicial Docs&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;-Interpreters/Video/Satellite&nbsp;&nbsp;695.94&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;695.94Professional Services&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1,491,639.55&nbsp;&nbsp;1,491,639.55Witness costs&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;0.00-Office costs211.11&nbsp;62.77&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;56.09&nbsp;329.97Total costs excl compensation188,848.67165,715.97675,538.31725,587.661,397,390.122,543,080.38534,154.3328,894.409,429,651.73","AnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ruth Charteris","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426854,"EventID":"S6W-31536","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:15.963","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T14:20:36.137","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of any engagement that it has had with Creative Scotland since the planned review of the organisation was announced on 4 September 20","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of any engagement that it has had with Creative Scotland since the planned review of the organisation was announced on 4 September 2024.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government carry out regular engagement with Creative Scotland as part of the normal sponsorship relationship between the Scottish Government and public bodies and my officials have regular contact with Creative Scotland. The last formal meeting with the Chair and Chief Executive of Creative Scotland and myself took place on 26 September and we will next meet on 11 December.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426855,"EventID":"S6W-31563","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:15.967","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met Echt &amp; Dunecht Against Pylons.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met Echt &amp; Dunecht Against Pylons.","AnswerText":"In my capacity as Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy, I can confirm that I have not met Echt &amp; Dunecht Against Pylons.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426856,"EventID":"S6W-31374","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:16.917","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T09:17:34.383","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget, whether it plans to produce a bus","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget, whether it plans to produce a business and regulatory impact assessment, or similar, as part of its exploration of the levy or commitment to it.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31366 on 5 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426857,"EventID":"S6W-31367","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:17.62","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T09:14:49.657","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget, how much revenue it would expect ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget, how much revenue it would expect to generate from the levy.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31366 on 5 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426858,"EventID":"S6W-31553","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:17.097","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T10:33:15.83","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government to what extent it prioritises any wider system benefits, including the level of affordable community benefits, of onshore renewable projects when assessing planning appl","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government to what extent it prioritises any wider system benefits, including the level of affordable community benefits, of onshore renewable projects when assessing planning applications.","AnswerText":"Applications relating to the construction and/or operation of a generating station which may require section 36 consent, must be considered on a case-by-case basis in line with any applicable legislation, which includes the Electricity Act 1989, and in some cases, the Electricity Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2017. The benefits and impacts of any proposal, such as they are material to an application, are particular to each case.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426859,"EventID":"S6W-31600","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:19.347","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what additional resources will be allocated to Scottish Forestry to deal with any shortfall in capacity to process applications as a result of the energy infrastructure ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what additional resources will be allocated to Scottish Forestry to deal with any shortfall in capacity to process applications as a result of the energy infrastructure consenting reforms.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31597 on 4 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426860,"EventID":"S6W-31534","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:16.89","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T14:20:36.137","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has budgeted for its review of Creative Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has budgeted for its review of Creative Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government budget for 2025-2026 includes &pound;0.25m to support the delivery of the Programme for Government 2024-25 commitment to review the way in which the culture sector is supported and funded, which includes the review of Creative Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426861,"EventID":"S6W-31556","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:17.527","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T10:33:15.83","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it can ensure that pumped storage hydro schemes (a) maximise power generation and (b) minimise water usage, and whether it would prioritise the most water-efficient ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it can ensure that pumped storage hydro schemes (a) maximise power generation and (b) minimise water usage, and whether it would prioritise the most water-efficient schemes.","AnswerText":"Large-scale, long-duration electricity storage, such as pumped hydro storage, will play a critical role in lessening our dependence on fossil fuels for electricity generation, supporting our net zero ambitions.It will help to maximise our significant renewable energy generating capacity by providing flexibility to the grid, ensuring that there is a continuous resilient and secure supply of electricity to households and businesses.Our Fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) places climate and nature at the centre of our planning system and makes clear our support for all forms of renewable, low-carbon and zero emission technologies, including energy storage. Potential impacts on communities, nature and other receptors are important considerations in the planning process. All applications are subject to site-specific assessments.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426862,"EventID":"S6W-31371","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:18.957","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T09:16:14.543","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget, how long such a levy would apply ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget, how long such a levy would apply for.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31366 on 5 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426863,"EventID":"S6W-31647","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:18.327","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T12:27:48.5","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-30730 and S6W-30726 by Shona Robison on 20 November 2024, whether the process that was put in place across all policy areas incl","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-30730 and S6W-30726 by Shona Robison on 20 November 2024, whether the process that was put in place across all policy areas included assessment in terms of (a) quality-adjusted life years (QALY) and (b) other public health metrics, and, if so, which metrics.","AnswerText":"Marketing campaigns are one intervention used by the Scottish Government to support the population of Scotland to live healthy and active lives. They typically support wider programmes of activity or run alongside other interventions.Overall progress against this national outcome is tracked through the National Performance Framework, with the latest available progress on each of the health indicators found on the gov.scot website.Individual programmes of work will be developed and evaluated to reflect policy aims and objectives in a particular area. These may at times (depending on outcomes being sought) include marketing campaigns.The Cancer strategy and Cancer action plan (which can be found on gov.scot) provide an example of a wider programme of work which includes marketing campaigns. The Cancer action plan includes a section on Monitoring and Evaluation.Different programmes of work will be evaluated in different ways and at times this might include the use of QALYs.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426864,"EventID":"S6W-31547","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:17.497","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T17:07:37.72","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to provide a determination on the section 36 consent application for the Berwick Bank offshore wind farm project, and whether it plans to do this in suffic","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to provide a determination on the section 36 consent application for the Berwick Bank offshore wind farm project, and whether it plans to do this in sufficient time to ensure the best possible outcome for energy consumers in the next Contracts for Difference (CfD) Allocation Round, AR7.","AnswerText":"A decision on Berwick Bank will be taken by Ministers in due course. We cannot comment on a live application. We are aware of the importance of projects being able to apply for Contract for Difference (CfD) Rounds and will take this timing into account in the decision making process, where possible to do so.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426865,"EventID":"S6W-31577","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:18.223","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met NatureScot to discuss any impact of energy infrastructure applications.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met NatureScot to discuss any impact of energy infrastructure applications.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31576 on 4 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426866,"EventID":"S6W-31562","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:19.743","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met Leylodge Against Industrialisation.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met Leylodge Against Industrialisation.","AnswerText":"In my capacity as Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy, I can confirm that I have not met Leylodge Against Industrialisation.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426867,"EventID":"S6W-31566","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:16.3","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will address the reported concerns that the proposed energy infrastructure consenting reforms may prioritise speed over thorough environmental assessments.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will address the reported concerns that the proposed energy infrastructure consenting reforms may prioritise speed over thorough environmental assessments.","AnswerText":"The proposed reforms are about making the determination process more efficient, not less robust. Environmental assessment standards will remain unchanged. Scottish Ministers will continue to determine each proposal on a case-by-case basis, following review of the application information, consultation responses and representations made by members of the public.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426868,"EventID":"S6W-31557","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:17.067","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met Deeside Against Pylons.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met Deeside Against Pylons.","AnswerText":"In my capacity as Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy, I can confirm that I have not met Deeside Against Pylons.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426869,"EventID":"S6W-31579","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:15.84","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much additional workload energy infrastructure consenting reforms will place on the local authorities.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much additional workload energy infrastructure consenting reforms will place on the local authorities.","AnswerText":"Local Authorities are a key stakeholder in the consenting process.The &lsquo;Verity House Agreement&rsquo; and the &lsquo;New Deal for Business&rsquo; have set out how the Scottish Government intends to work collaboratively with local authorities and others to deliver a just transition to net zero.The reform process launched by this consultation creates an opportunity to re-set the expectations on the bodies providing essential support to the application process, taking account of their views, suggestions and their specific circumstances.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426870,"EventID":"S6W-31217","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:16.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T14:49:28.83","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much (a) has been and (b) is due to be paid to litigants from all concluded civil cases relating to prosecutions arising from the administration of Rangers FC, broke","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much (a) has been and (b) is due to be paid to litigants from all concluded civil cases relating to prosecutions arising from the administration of Rangers FC, broken down by financial year.","AnswerText":"The following table provides the details of how much has been paid to litigants from all concluded civil cases relating to prosecutions arising from the administration of Rangers FC, broken down by financial year.Please note that the total sum to date which has been paid out in respect of all settlements and legal expenses for the Pursuers is &pound;52.2m.The action concerning Imran Ahmad v the Lord Advocate, settlement of &pound;528,615 was paid out in 2024-25 however the matter of expenses to be awarded to Mr Ahmad is still pending. Accordingly, as this action is not deemed to be concluded, this payment has not been included in the table below. The final sum due to be paid is to Mr Ahmad in respect of expenses incurred as a result of the civil action. This matter is still currently being considered by Lord Harrower.The final outstanding matter concerns expenses due to the Lord Advocate for the cost of defending the action raised by Mr Grier against the Lord Advocate. This matter is due to go to taxation to be considered by the Auditor in January 2025.Compensation costs when paid out:2016-172019-202020-212021-222022-232023-242024-25TotalCivil Cases67,043.67310,000.0024,045,250.0011,037,825.0516,231,398.2813,643.39&nbsp;51,705,160.39","AnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ruth Charteris","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426871,"EventID":"S6W-31573","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:18.197","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much additional workload it estimates the energy infrastructure consenting reforms will place on the Energy Consents Unit.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much additional workload it estimates the energy infrastructure consenting reforms will place on the Energy Consents Unit.","AnswerText":"The Energy Consents Unit continually assess how the application process can be made more efficient and effective. The proposed reforms have been identified through these efforts as ways in which the process could be streamlined and modernised.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426872,"EventID":"S6W-31539","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:17.62","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T16:03:29.21","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recommendations of ASLEF's 2024 report, Dignity for Drivers.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recommendations of ASLEF's 2024 report, Dignity for Drivers.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government notes the report commissioned by ASLEF and its findings. Every worker should be able to work with dignity and this includes having an access to toilet facilities. The report findings are for train operating companies, as employers to consider.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426873,"EventID":"S6W-31619","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:17.027","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact that the UK Government's inheritance tax changes for family farms will have on the availability of land in Scotland t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact that the UK Government's inheritance tax changes for family farms will have on the availability of land in Scotland to build energy infrastructure.","AnswerText":"It is disappointing that there had been no prior indication of this change to Inheritance Tax or engagement with the Scottish Government given that Scotland will be hit by the proposed changes brought in by the UK Government.The Scottish Parliament recently debated this and agreed to call on the UK Government to reverse the changes &ndash; and urgently commit to undertake and publish impact assessments on the cumulative impact of its budget proposals on Scotland.Given the lack of available data on the impact of this decision, there should now be an immediate review of this policy, informed by close engagement with the agricultural sector and devolved governments.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426874,"EventID":"S6W-31383","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:16.8","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T09:21:54.493","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget, what analysis it has carried out ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget, what analysis it has carried out of the potential implications from the levy for store fit-outs and those that provide such services, such as builders, electricians and plasterers.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31366 on 5 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426875,"EventID":"S6W-31387","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:18.77","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T09:23:34.823","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget, what its position is on whether r","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget, what its position is on whether retailers liable for the new levy, that may also become liable for a workplace parking levy, could be more inclined to pass some or all of the cost of the parking levy onto their own store staff.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31366 on 5 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426876,"EventID":"S6W-31569","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:17.127","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what evidence it has that the proposed energy infrastructure consenting reforms will not lead to an increase in inappropriate energy infrastructure developments being ap","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what evidence it has that the proposed energy infrastructure consenting reforms will not lead to an increase in inappropriate energy infrastructure developments being approved.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government officials have worked closely with UK Government counterparts to demonstrate the challenges that are faced by all stakeholders in the process.The proposals contained in the consultation are a result of the evidence gathered and set out current thinking, as we seek to gather views and evidence on the reform proposals.The proposed reforms are about making the determination process more efficient, not less robust. Environmental assessment standards will remain unchanged. Scottish Ministers will continue to determine each proposal on a case-by-case basis, following review of the application information, consultation responses and representations made by members of the public.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426877,"EventID":"S6W-31574","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:17.58","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what additional resources will be allocated to the Energy Consents Unit to manage any shortfall in capacity to process a potential increase in applications as a result o","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what additional resources will be allocated to the Energy Consents Unit to manage any shortfall in capacity to process a potential increase in applications as a result of the energy infrastructure consenting reforms.","AnswerText":"Resourcing requirements for the Energy Consents Unit are kept under continued review. The unit has recently increased its staffing resource in response to increased application volumes.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426878,"EventID":"S6W-31369","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:19.557","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T09:15:28.597","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget, what alternative levies or taxes ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget, what alternative levies or taxes it considered as a means of generating additional revenue.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31366 on 5 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426879,"EventID":"S6W-31591","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:17.44","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met Historic Environment Scotland to discuss the impact of energy infrastructure applications.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met Historic Environment Scotland to discuss the impact of energy infrastructure applications.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31590 on 4 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426880,"EventID":"S6W-31616","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:18.277","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps will be taken to ensure that the proposed electricity infrastructure consenting reforms do not disproportionately benefit larger developers at the expense of ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps will be taken to ensure that the proposed electricity infrastructure consenting reforms do not disproportionately benefit larger developers at the expense of smaller ones.","AnswerText":"Given the range of stakeholders affected by the proposed reform to the consenting process, both governments agreed that a public consultation was essential ahead of any legislation.Designing any monitoring and evaluation mechanism at this time would be pre-empt responses received and their impact on any final changes that are implemented.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426881,"EventID":"S6W-31561","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:18.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met Hill of Fare Windfarm Information Group.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met Hill of Fare Windfarm Information Group.","AnswerText":"In my capacity as Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy, I can confirm that I have not met Hill of Fare Windfarm Information Group.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426882,"EventID":"S6W-31538","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:18.08","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T14:57:01.63","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of its correspondence with Peel Ports regarding the potential introduction of a conservancy charge for small leisure vessels on the Clyde","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of its correspondence with Peel Ports regarding the potential introduction of a conservancy charge for small leisure vessels on the Clyde estuary.","AnswerText":"Statutory Harbour Authorities have a power under section 26 of the Harbours Act 1964 to levy charges on vessels, passengers or goods moving within their jurisdiction. Whilst an Authority does not require to consult with the Scottish Government on such matters, Transport Scotland officials have approached Peel Ports in order to gain a greater understanding of the proposed conservancy charges.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426883,"EventID":"S6W-31578","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:16.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what additional resources will be allocated to NatureScot to deal with any shortfall in capacity to process applications as a result of energy infrastructure consenting ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what additional resources will be allocated to NatureScot to deal with any shortfall in capacity to process applications as a result of energy infrastructure consenting reforms.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31576 on 4 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426884,"EventID":"S6W-31368","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:18.083","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T09:15:08.403","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget, whether the introduction of such ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget, whether the introduction of such a levy is consistent with the principles set out in its Framework for Tax and the pledge to maintain a competitive rates regime.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31366 on 5 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426885,"EventID":"S6W-31614","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:16.463","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what mechanisms will be in place to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed electricity infrastructure consenting reforms.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what mechanisms will be in place to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed electricity infrastructure consenting reforms.","AnswerText":"Given the range of stakeholders affected by the proposed reform to the consenting process, both governments agreed that a public consultation was essential ahead of any legislation.Designing any monitoring and evaluation mechanism at this time would be pre-empt responses received and their impact on any actual changes that may be implemented.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426886,"EventID":"S6W-31361","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:15.84","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T09:12:42.017","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with its Retail Industry Leadership Group regarding the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with its Retail Industry Leadership Group regarding the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget.","AnswerText":"The Retail Industry Leadership Group discussed the Public Health Supplement at its meeting in March 2024. The minutes of the Retail Industry Leadership Group are published on the Scottish Government's website. The group also discussed its priorities for non-domestic rates in November 2024, and the minute will be published in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426887,"EventID":"S6W-31575","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:15.883","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much additional workload it anticipates the energy infrastructure consenting reforms will place on NatureScot.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much additional workload it anticipates the energy infrastructure consenting reforms will place on NatureScot.","AnswerText":"NatureScot are a key stakeholder in the consenting process.The &lsquo;Verity House Agreement&rsquo; and the &lsquo;New Deal for Business&rsquo; have set out how the Scottish Government intends to work collaboratively with local authorities and others to deliver a just transition to net zero.The reform process launched by this consultation creates an opportunity to re-set the expectations on the bodies providing essential support to the application process, taking account of their views, suggestions and their specific circumstances.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426888,"EventID":"S6W-31636","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:16.753","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:39:27.47","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks.","AnswerText":"I last met with Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks on Tuesday 29th October 2024 to discuss the Scottish Consenting Consultation.Information about Ministerial engagements, overseas travel, car journeys, domestic travel and gifts received is also published on the Scottish Governments website: Ministerial engagements, travel and gifts - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426889,"EventID":"S6W-31542","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:17.32","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T16:42:04.043","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to re-opening the passenger railway link to Grangemouth.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to re-opening the passenger railway link to Grangemouth.","AnswerText":"The re-introduction of passenger services onto the existing freight only rail line to Grangemouth was considered as part of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2). The option was taken forward to the Preliminary Options Appraisal stage but was not selected as an STPR2 Recommendation on the basis of its performance against the appraisal criteria and the fact that it would have adverse impacts on the freight capacity and the Glasgow &ndash; Edinburgh mainline. It was also deemed unlikely to generate sufficient passenger demand.Instead, recommendations set out in STPR2 for rail focus on the decarbonisation of the remainder of the network; measures to increase the amount of freight travelling by rail and on improving connectivity between our major cities.However, there remains a path for regional or local rail projects to come forward, and Transport Scotland will consider these subject to a strong business case being developed in accordance with Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) and suitable funding being available.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426890,"EventID":"S6W-31641","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:17.25","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T12:10:00.33","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with VisitScotland regarding the impact of large scale energy projects on tourism.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with VisitScotland regarding the impact of large scale energy projects on tourism.","AnswerText":"There have been no recent discussions between Scottish Government and VisitScotland regarding the impact of large-scale energy projects on tourism.In 2008, Scottish Government published &ldquo;Economic impacts of wind farms on Scottish tourism: research findings&rdquo;.https://www.gov.scot/publications/economic-research-findings-economic-impacts-wind-farms-scottish-tourism/","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426891,"EventID":"S6W-31537","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5618,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":91,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:17.157","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T14:29:40.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has given to Clyde Gateway in each year since it was established, broken down by the purpose of the funding.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has given to Clyde Gateway in each year since it was established, broken down by the purpose of the funding.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has awarded over &pound;210 million of regeneration funding to Clyde Gateway Urban Regeneration Company (URC) from 2007 for the purpose of supporting the delivery of its 20-year operating plan. This includes direct support through annual capital and resource funding to develop and regenerate key sites identified in the plan, support core running costs and other activities it delivers in support of local communities.Grant awards were made in each financial year are provided in the following table:Financial YearCapital funding&pound;000Resource fundingComment2006-073,022&nbsp;&nbsp;2007-085,000&nbsp;&nbsp;2008-09 to 2010-1157,000&nbsp;Three-year funding from 1 April 2008 to 31 March 20112011-1211,554746&nbsp;2012-1317,7251,525&nbsp;2013-1419,5251,525&nbsp;2014-159,2901,850&nbsp;2015-161,816184&nbsp;2016-173,070500&nbsp;2017-185,000500&nbsp;2018-195,000500&nbsp;2019-206,130500&nbsp;2020-216,0001,000&pound;500k revenue funding provided to support COVID-19 response.2021-229,000500&nbsp;2022-235,500500&nbsp;2023-245,000500&nbsp;2024-251,000500&nbsp;Additionally the Scottish Government agreed to a contribution of &pound;3.8 million in capital funding from the Net Zero portfolio in 2024-25 toward the ongoing remediation works at Shawfield.We understand that Clyde Gateway in delivering their strategic operational plan have, since their formation in 2007, developed numerous projects to support the communities. Information on all of the grants Clyde Gateway may have received from additional Scottish Government funding streams and funding bodies supported with Scottish Government funding is not held centrally in the format requested.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426892,"EventID":"S6W-31592","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:17.343","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what additional resources will be allocated to Historic Environment Scotland to deal with any shortfall in capacity to process applications as a result of energy infrast","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what additional resources will be allocated to Historic Environment Scotland to deal with any shortfall in capacity to process applications as a result of energy infrastructure consenting reforms.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31576 on 4 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426893,"EventID":"S6W-31602","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:16.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met Scottish Water to discuss the impact of the energy infrastructure consenting reforms.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met Scottish Water to discuss the impact of the energy infrastructure consenting reforms.","AnswerText":"Through the consultation, Scottish Government is keen to understand what further support mechanisms, and practical measures, could be explored within a collaborative framework to reduce the time needed to provide consultation responses.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426894,"EventID":"S6W-31571","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:18.04","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what safeguards are in place to prevent the potential marginalisation of smaller community groups as part of the energy infrastructure consultation process.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what safeguards are in place to prevent the potential marginalisation of smaller community groups as part of the energy infrastructure consultation process.","AnswerText":"The proposed reforms include new standardised processes for developers to share information and consult with local communities and wider stakeholders on plans for new clean energy infrastructure before submitting an application.This will help to involve communities at an earlier stage where they can most effectively influence outcomes, drive improvement in the quality of applications and speed up the determinations process, with new powers for Scottish Ministers to reject applications that do not meet requirements.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426895,"EventID":"S6W-31372","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:17.843","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T09:16:45.367","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget, when it expects to be able to int","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget, when it expects to be able to introduce any such levy.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31366 on 5 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426896,"EventID":"S6W-31224","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:16.703","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-13T08:35:13.643","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comment by the Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise when giving evidence to the Economy and Fair Work Committee on 25 September 2024 that there is &ldq","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comment by the Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise when giving evidence to the Economy and Fair Work Committee on 25 September 2024 that there is &ldquo;a return of &pound;25 of gross value added for every &pound;1&rdquo; that the agency has invested, whether it will confirm what methodology was used for this conclusion to be reached.","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I have asked their Chief Executive, Adrian Gillespie, to contact you directly with a response.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426897,"EventID":"S6W-31386","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:18.463","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T09:23:17.57","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its Budget for 2024-25, what the administrative and c","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its Budget for 2024-25, what the administrative and cost implications for local authorities would be for implementing any such levy.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31366 on 5 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426898,"EventID":"S6W-31572","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:17.66","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps will be taken to ensure that statutory consultees have the necessary resources to provide timely and thorough input if they have to deal with an increased num","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps will be taken to ensure that statutory consultees have the necessary resources to provide timely and thorough input if they have to deal with an increased number of applications due to the energy infrastructure consenting reforms.","AnswerText":"Statutory consultees are key stakeholders in the consenting process.The &lsquo;Verity House Agreement&rsquo; and the &lsquo;New Deal for Business&rsquo; have set out how the Scottish Government intends to work collaboratively with local authorities and others to deliver a just transition to net zero.The reform process launched by this consultation creates an opportunity to re-set the expectations on the bodies providing essential support to the application process, taking account of their views, suggestions and their specific circumstances.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426899,"EventID":"S6W-31603","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:16.67","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met Scottish Water to discuss the impact of energy infrastructure applications.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met Scottish Water to discuss the impact of energy infrastructure applications.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31602 on 4 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426900,"EventID":"S6W-31544","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:17.44","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T17:04:26.223","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27329 by Fiona Hyslop on 17 May 2024, whether it will provide an update on progress with the introduction of Road Equivalent Tarif","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27329 by Fiona Hyslop on 17 May 2024, whether it will provide an update on progress with the introduction of Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) on Dunoon-Gourock services provided by (a) CalMac Ferries and (b) Western Ferries, in light of the conclusion of the public consultation on the Islands Connectivity Plan on 6 May 2024, the publication of the Cowal and Rosneath Community Needs Assessment report on 11 September 2024, and its associated consultation exercise on 9 October 2024.","AnswerText":"The draft Islands Connectivity Plan (ICP) Strategic Approach paper said that we would take forward detailed consideration of a number of fares proposals.The consultation and engagement report and our initial responses were published on 3 September and are available at Islands Connectivity Plan | Transport Scotland.These outputs will support the finalisation of the ICP which will set out our plans for taking forward ferry fares policy. Further updates will be provided in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426901,"EventID":"S6W-31543","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:18.333","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T16:43:37.64","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to expand the eligibility criteria for the No One Left Behind programme.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to expand the eligibility criteria for the No One Left Behind programme.","AnswerText":"There are no plans to expand the eligibility criteria for our No One Left Behind approach as it already delivers an all-age, place-based employability support system that tackles inequalities in Scotland&rsquo;s labour market.No One Left Behind is the approach to devolved employability support between Scottish and Local Government. It builds on the values established at the outset of devolution, and the principles that underpin our policy and delivery:&bull; provides flexible and person-centred support;&bull; is more straightforward for people to navigate;&bull; is better integrated and aligned with other services;&bull; provides pathways into sustainable and fair work;&bull; is driven by evidence, including data and the experience of participants; and&bull; supports more people &ndash; particularly those facing multiple barriers &ndash; to move into the right job, at the right time.Given the range of barriers individuals may experience, and that these barriers are often intersectional, the eligibility criteria for individuals to receive employability support in relation to training for employment from No One Left Behind is purposefully broad to ensure local areas have the flexibility they need to respond to local demand.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426902,"EventID":"S6W-31593","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:18.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much additional workload energy infrastructure consenting reforms will place on the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much additional workload energy infrastructure consenting reforms will place on the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).","AnswerText":"Scottish Environment Protection Agency are a key stakeholder in the consenting process.The &lsquo;Verity House Agreement&rsquo; and the &lsquo;New Deal for Business&rsquo; have set out how the Scottish Government intends to work collaboratively with local authorities and others to deliver a just transition to net zero.The reform process launched by this consultation creates an opportunity to re-set the expectations on the bodies providing essential support to the application process, taking account of their views, suggestions and their specific circumstances.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426903,"EventID":"S6W-31638","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:15.953","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:39:27.47","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met Scottish Power.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met Scottish Power.","AnswerText":"I last met with Scottish Power on 29 October 2024 to discuss the Scottish Consenting Consultation.Information about Ministerial engagements, overseas travel, car journeys, domestic travel and gifts received is also published on the Scottish Governments website: Ministerial engagements, travel and gifts - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426904,"EventID":"S6W-31605","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:18.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much additional workload the energy infrastructure consenting reforms will place on Transport Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much additional workload the energy infrastructure consenting reforms will place on Transport Scotland.","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland are a key stakeholder in the consenting process.The &lsquo;Verity House Agreement&rsquo; and the &lsquo;New Deal for Business&rsquo; have set out how the Scottish Government intends to work collaboratively with local authorities and others to deliver a just transition to net zero.The reform process launched by this consultation creates an opportunity to re-set the expectations on the bodies providing essential support to the application process, taking account of their views, suggestions and their specific circumstances.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426905,"EventID":"S6W-31377","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:19.107","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T09:19:37.977","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget,&nbsp;whether retailers liable for","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget,&nbsp;whether retailers liable for the levy could also be subject to a workplace parking levy if their local authority introduced such a measure.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31366 on 5 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426906,"EventID":"S6W-31608","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:17.157","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what additional resources will be allocated to Transport Scotland to deal with any shortfall in capacity to process applications as a result of energy infrastructure con","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what additional resources will be allocated to Transport Scotland to deal with any shortfall in capacity to process applications as a result of energy infrastructure consenting reforms.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31605 on 4 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426907,"EventID":"S6W-31609","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:16.617","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how the proposed reforms to energy infrastructure consenting will address any risk of increased legal challenges due to perceived inadequacies in the consultation proces","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the proposed reforms to energy infrastructure consenting will address any risk of increased legal challenges due to perceived inadequacies in the consultation process.","AnswerText":"The proposed reforms provide additional community and stakeholder consultation at pre application stage and do not reduce the level of consultation currently required when an application is submitted.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426908,"EventID":"S6W-31535","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:19.493","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T14:20:36.137","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a provisional timeline for the completion of its review of Creative Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a provisional timeline for the completion of its review of Creative Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government will aim to have the independent Chair of the Creative Scotland review in post early next year and for them to publish their recommendations by summer 2025. The Scottish Government will then work to consider these recommendations.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426909,"EventID":"S6W-31376","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:16.707","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T09:19:17.427","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget, whether it (a) has assessed and (","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget, whether it (a) has assessed and (b) plans to assess the potential impact on store staff, and any bonuses that they may earn, from the introduction of the levy.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31366 on 5 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426910,"EventID":"S6W-31382","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:17.373","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T09:21:30.91","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget, whether it has assessed the poten","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget, whether it has assessed the potential impact on commercial investment in (a) net zero, (b) the circular economy and (c) biodiversity loss by those firms that might be liable for the levy.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31366 on 5 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426911,"EventID":"S6W-31545","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:17.987","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T17:04:26.223","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Scotland Office regarding whether it has plans to bring forward an order under section 104 of the Scotland Act 1998 on UK consequent","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Scotland Office regarding whether it has plans to bring forward an order under section 104 of the Scotland Act 1998 on UK consequential legislation with respect to plans to enable pre-existing marriages to become civil partnerships.","AnswerText":"As I stated in my previous answer to S6W-29868 on 24 September 2024, I wrote to the new Secretary of State for Scotland, Ian Murray MP, on 12 August 2024 seeking his in-principle agreement to proceed with this section 104 Order. I have still not received a reply.My officials have asked officials in the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland when I can expect to receive a reply.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426912,"EventID":"S6W-31576","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:18.357","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met NatureScot to discuss the potential impact of the energy infrastructure consenting reforms.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met NatureScot to discuss the potential impact of the energy infrastructure consenting reforms.","AnswerText":"Through the consultation, Scottish Government is keen to understand what further support mechanisms, and practical measures, could be explored within a collaborative framework to reduce the time needed to provide consultation responses.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426913,"EventID":"S6W-31565","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:18.437","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met Scotland Against Spin.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met Scotland Against Spin.","AnswerText":"In my capacity as Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy, I can confirm that I have not met Scotland Against Spin.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426914,"EventID":"S6W-31379","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:17.913","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T09:20:25.177","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Scottish Assessors Association regarding the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Scottish Assessors Association regarding the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget,","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not discussed the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement with the Scottish Assessors Association.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426915,"EventID":"S6W-31363","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:19.527","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T09:13:23.183","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it had with its (a) New Deal for Business Group and (b) Non-Domestic Rates Sub-group regarding the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it had with its (a) New Deal for Business Group and (b) Non-Domestic Rates Sub-group regarding the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers,&nbsp;as set out in its 2024-25 Budget.","AnswerText":"The possible introduction of a Public Health Supplement was raised at a number of meetings of the New Deal for Business Group and its Non-Domestic Rates sub-group. The minutes of both groups are published on the Scottish Government&rsquo;s website.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426916,"EventID":"S6W-31597","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:17.95","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much additional workload energy infrastructure consenting reforms will place on Scottish Forestry.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much additional workload energy infrastructure consenting reforms will place on Scottish Forestry.","AnswerText":"Scottish Forestry are a key stakeholder in the consenting process.The &lsquo;Verity House Agreement&rsquo; and the &lsquo;New Deal for Business&rsquo; have set out how the Scottish Government intends to work collaboratively with local authorities and others to deliver a just transition to net zero.The reform process launched by this consultation creates an opportunity to re-set the expectations on the bodies providing essential support to the application process, taking account of their views, suggestions and their specific circumstances.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426917,"EventID":"S6W-31594","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:18.553","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to discuss the impact of energy infrastructure consenting r","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to discuss the impact of energy infrastructure consenting reforms.","AnswerText":"Through the consultation, Scottish Government is keen to understand what further support mechanisms, and practical measures, could be explored within a collaborative framework to reduce the time needed to provide consultation responses.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426918,"EventID":"S6W-31531","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:16.547","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T14:20:36.137","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will update the Parliament on its review of Creative Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will update the Parliament on its review of Creative Scotland.","AnswerText":"On 4 December, I provided an update to the Constitution, External Affairs &amp; Culture Committee on progress in relation to the Review of Creative Scotland as part of my response to their recommendations regarding the pre-budget scrutiny. I will send the Member a link to the report once it is published on the CEEAC Committee webpages.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426919,"EventID":"S6W-31610","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:16.27","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what evidence it can provide that the proposed reforms to electricity infrastructure consenting will lead to (a) better quality applications and (b) fewer objections.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what evidence it can provide that the proposed reforms to electricity infrastructure consenting will lead to (a) better quality applications and (b) fewer objections.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government officials have worked closely with UK Government counterparts to demonstrate the challenges that are faced by all stakeholders in the process.We are seeking views and any further evidence from stakeholders on the proposals contained in the consultation and these fill inform the decision on the next steps.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426920,"EventID":"S6W-31611","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:19.423","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the proposed reforms to energy infrastructure consenting, what assessment it has made of how the proposed introduction of fees for pre-application activities ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the proposed reforms to energy infrastructure consenting, what assessment it has made of how the proposed introduction of fees for pre-application activities will impact smaller developers and community-led projects.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to early and meaningful community consultation. It is important that communities and stakeholders are appropriately engaged throughout the pre application and application journey.As noted in the answer provided for S6W-31574 on 4 December 2024, resourcing requirements for the Energy Consents Unit are kept under review, with a view to addressing the expected intake of applications.Introducing fees for pre-application activities will allow the Energy Consents Unit to be adequately resourced to administer any increases in pre-application activities.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426921,"EventID":"S6W-31381","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:18.68","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T09:21:07.837","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Competition and Markets Authority regarding the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers,","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Competition and Markets Authority regarding the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not discussed the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement with the Competition and Market Authority.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426922,"EventID":"S6W-31564","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:18.127","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met Not A Just Transition - Opposed To The Industrialisation Of Rural Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met Not A Just Transition - Opposed To The Industrialisation Of Rural Scotland.","AnswerText":"In my capacity as Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy, I can confirm that I have not met Not A Just Transition - Opposed To The Industrialisation Of Rural Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426923,"EventID":"S6W-31558","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:19.683","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met Save Our Mearns.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met Save Our Mearns.","AnswerText":"In my capacity as Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy, I can confirm that I have not met Save Our Mearns.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426924,"EventID":"S6W-31559","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:19.383","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met Angus Pylon Action Group.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met Angus Pylon Action Group.","AnswerText":"In my capacity as Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy, I can confirm that I have not met Angus Pylon Action Group.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426925,"EventID":"S6W-31540","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:19.07","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T16:32:04.627","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has allocated towards the No One Left Behind programme in each financial year since 2019-20.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has allocated towards the No One Left Behind programme in each financial year since 2019-20.","AnswerText":"&nbsp;YEARBUDGET (&pound; MILLION)2019-20209.1782020-202119.5282021-202280.7782022-202359.4332023-202482.6832024-202575.200TOTAL326.800","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426926,"EventID":"S6W-31554","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:19.833","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T10:33:15.83","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government to what extent it measures social value in determining planning consent for energy projects.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government to what extent it measures social value in determining planning consent for energy projects.","AnswerText":"Applications relating to the construction and/or operation of a generating station which may require section 36 consent, are considered on a case-by-case basis in line with legislation, which includes the Electricity Act 1989, and in some cases, the Electricity Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2017. The benefits and impacts of any proposal, such as they are material to an application, are particular to each case.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426927,"EventID":"S6W-31560","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:19.613","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met Buchan and Formartine Opposed to Big Energy.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met Buchan and Formartine Opposed to Big Energy.","AnswerText":"In my capacity as Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy, I can confirm that I have not met Buchan and Formartine Opposed to Big Energy.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426928,"EventID":"S6W-31532","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:17.79","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T14:20:36.137","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when its review of Creative Scotland will commence.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when its review of Creative Scotland will commence.","AnswerText":"As part of the budget announcement on 4 December, the Scottish Government announced that engagement with the culture sector will begin early next year with a short survey about the scope of the review. The Scottish Government will aim to announce the independent Chair of the Creative Scotland review shortly.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426929,"EventID":"S6W-31533","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:17.557","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T14:20:36.137","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the persons and organisations that will take part in its review of Creative Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the persons and organisations that will take part in its review of Creative Scotland.","AnswerText":"I recognise that it is essential that the culture sector has an opportunity to engage in this work and I can confirm that this engagement will begin early next year with a short survey about the scope of the review.I will write to the member when the survey is launched and would welcome his assistance in ensuring that as many of the sector have the opportunity to respond to the survey as possible.This will be the first stages of engagement with the sector and there will be further opportunities as the review progresses.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426930,"EventID":"S6W-31618","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-21T16:35:17.193","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assurances it can provide that the proposed electricity infrastructure consenting reforms will not lead to a reduction in the overall quality of decision-making in ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assurances it can provide that the proposed electricity infrastructure consenting reforms will not lead to a reduction in the overall quality of decision-making in the consenting process.","AnswerText":"The proposed reforms are about making the consideration and determination process more efficient, not making it easier for projects to get consent or to reduce the overall quality of decision-making in the consenting process.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426969,"EventID":"S6W-31648","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-22T16:29:28.877","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T13:04:55.717","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that all HIVclinics have the resources and staffing necessary to implement the British HIVAssociation (BHIVA) standards for psychologic","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that all HIVclinics have the resources and staffing necessary to implement the British HIVAssociation (BHIVA) standards for psychological support for adults living withHIV.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s HIV Transmission Elimination Delivery Plan sets out our approach to ensuring that people living with HIV have equitable access to high quality care and treatment to support them to live well.We are aware of the recent HIV Outcomes Beyond the Virus report and will be working with the HIV Transmission Elimination Delivery Implementation Group and the Scottish Health Protection Network&rsquo;s HIV Clinical Leads Group to consider its recommendations and ensure that psychological support for adults living with HIV meets the high standards we would expect.The Scottish Government is also providing NHS Education for Scotland with around &pound;30 million in 2024-25 to deliver multidisciplinary education, training and workforce expansion for staff supporting adult and children&rsquo;s mental health and psychological wellbeing. In September 2023, the Scottish Government published the National Specification for Psychological Therapies and Interventions and the Core Standards for Mental Health. These set out the standards to which we expect psychological therapies and mental health services to be delivered, including appropriate staffing.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426970,"EventID":"S6W-31689","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-22T16:29:29.347","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-22T08:29:26.087","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what review of cancer screening has been carried out&nbsp;regarding women who have been potentially exposed to&nbsp;diethylstilbestrol (DES), broken down by age range.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what review of cancer screening has been carried out&nbsp;regarding women who have been potentially exposed to&nbsp;diethylstilbestrol (DES), broken down by age range.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government, along with the other UK nations, relies on advice about screening programmes from the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), an independent expert advisory group. The UK NSC is not currently considering a targeted screening proposal for those who have been exposed to diethylstilbestrol. It has also not received a request or proposal to do so during its annual call for topics to consider.However, in line with the UK NSC&rsquo;s current recommendations, all women aged between 50 to 70 years old are invited for breast screening every three years. In addition, those aged between 25 and 64 are invited for routine cervical screening every 5 years. The individual may be invited for more regular cervical screening or until they are aged 70 if previous results have found changes that need to be monitored.The Scottish Government does not hold any information about the numbers of women who have been found to have cancer through those screening programmes and who may also have been prescribed diethylstilbestrol.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426971,"EventID":"S6W-31696","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-22T16:29:29.777","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-22T08:29:26.09","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the findings of the University of Manchester research article, All present and correct? Alternative provision and school attendance,&nbsp;and, in","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the findings of the University of Manchester research article, All present and correct? Alternative provision and school attendance,&nbsp;and, in light of this research, what action it is taking to (a) increase collaborative working at local authority level to improve school attendance, (b) develop localised approaches to reduce rates of school non-attendance and (c) develop processes to support children and young people with complex needs who require alternative provision outside of the school setting, including to support them when returning to regular education provision.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to improving attendance in Scottish schools. Last year, we requested that Education Scotland undertake a 'deep dive' to support greater understanding of the issue and the reasons for it.Within the resulting report 'Improving Attendance: Understanding the Issues', five recommendations were identified including 'Education Scotland, working with stakeholders and partners, should bespoke support for areas where improving levels of attendance remains a challenge'. The research article from the University of Manchester, &lsquo;All Present and Correct&rsquo; is based on only one local authority in the North West of England. Key findings of the article align to the Education Scotland report which was based on a more comprehensive evidence base.Education Scotland is working closely with local authorities and with schools. This includes the establishment of an Improving Attendance National Network aimed at senior officers within local authorities. Regular engagement with various levels of the system including the ADES Performance and Improvement Network is in place, informing support required and ongoing challenges as well as any successes.Education Scotland is working intensively with six local authorities to support identified establishments to use Quality Improvement approaches to improve attendance. This programme is running until March 2025 and provides regular opportunities for collaboration. A second cohort will begin early next year.A steering group of senior school leaders is in place, informing planning for headteacher events starting in February 2025. In addition, all local authorities are invited to an event on 6 February 2025, focussed on strategic approaches to improving attendance. A second package of support, focussed on implantation strategies and effective practice, is currently being developed and will be published in March 2025.Education authorities have duties under the Additional Support for Learning Act 2004 to identify, provide for and review the additional needs of their pupils. This includes any support required following a period of absence. Education authorities are also responsible for determining the most appropriate provision for children and young people with additional support needs, taking account of their legislative responsibilities and the individual circumstances and wishes of children, young people and their families.Education authorities are supported in implementing their duties under the 2004 Act through the statutory code of practice on additional support for learning.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426972,"EventID":"S6W-31680","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-22T16:29:30.167","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T16:33:19.027","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that, on several occasions, CalMac&rsquo;s booking system stated that a ferry service was fully booked when it was not.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that, on several occasions, CalMac&rsquo;s booking system stated that a ferry service was fully booked when it was not.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31682 on 9 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426973,"EventID":"S6W-31658","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-22T16:29:28.883","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T13:58:45.973","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) ScotRail and other train operators and (b) rail stakeholders regarding improving train drivers' access to safe, clean and dignified ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) ScotRail and other train operators and (b) rail stakeholders regarding improving train drivers' access to safe, clean and dignified toilet facilities, with adequate time to use these, during the course of their working day of up to eight hours.","AnswerText":"Officials at Transport Scotland meet regularly with ScotRail, other train operating companied and various rail stakeholders to discuss various matters. Staff access to toilets is an operational matter for train operating companies, as employers.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426974,"EventID":"S6W-31663","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-22T16:29:29.167","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T14:37:05.637","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the (a) Metro Mayor of (i) Greater Manchester and (ii) the West Midlands and (b) Secretary of State for Transport regarding the potential","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the (a) Metro Mayor of (i) Greater Manchester and (ii) the West Midlands and (b) Secretary of State for Transport regarding the potential revival of the HS2 Phase 2 development and how this could be extended further up the West Coast Main Line to Glasgow.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government Ministers have had engagement with the Secretary of State for Transport regarding the reintroduction of the High Speed Rail Crewe to Manchester Bill (on 25 July 2024) and officials are engaged with counterparts on medium-long term strategic railway planning across GB.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426975,"EventID":"S6W-31670","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-22T16:29:30.407","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T15:00:06.2","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Public Finance on 12 November 2024 that more than 164,000 homes have planning permission but have not yet been built, wheth","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Public Finance on 12 November 2024 that more than 164,000 homes have planning permission but have not yet been built, whether it will provide a breakdown of the number of these homes in each local authority area.","AnswerText":"The following data was aggregated to create a broad national picture of the scale of land across Scotland with consent which has not yet been built out. It is not intended for comparison at authority level. The national figure provided contextual information for the development and publication of our Planning and the Housing Emergency Delivery Plan.We will shortly publish new guidance on Housing Land Audits, to help build a clearer picture of the availability of housing land across Scotland.AuthoritiesRemaining capacity (units of housing) of land includedin Housing Land Audits with planning consentCity of Edinburgh20,593Glasgow20,388North Lanarkshire14,859Fife13,181West Lothian12,298Aberdeen City11,406Aberdeenshire10,822Perth &amp; Kinross9,724South Lanarkshire9,005East Lothian7,019Midlothian6,886Renfrewshire6,569Stirling5,562Dumfries &amp; Galloway2,499Dundee2,154Falkirk2,090West Dunbartonshire1,896Argyll &amp; Bute1,683Angus1,527Clackmannanshire1,461East Renfrewshire1,036Inverclyde1,015East Dunbartonshire711Total164,384","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426976,"EventID":"S6W-31692","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-22T16:29:28.947","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-22T08:29:26.09","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the World Health Organization (WHO)&nbsp;regarding women who have been potentially exposed to&nbsp;diethylstilbestrol (DES).","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the World Health Organization (WHO)&nbsp;regarding women who have been potentially exposed to&nbsp;diethylstilbestrol (DES).","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not had any discussions with the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding women who have been potentially exposed to diethylstilbestrol (DES).The regulation for the licensing, safety and efficacy of medicines is reserved to the UK Government and is the responsibility of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. They are responsible for investigating any safety concerns regarding licensing of diethylstilbestrol (DES). Scottish Government officials meet regularly with the MHRA to discuss known medicine safety issues and to agree required actions.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426977,"EventID":"S6W-31679","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-22T16:29:29.86","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T16:33:19.027","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government on what date MV Glen Sannox is expected to begin its first timetabled service with passengers.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government on what date MV Glen Sannox is expected to begin its first timetabled service with passengers.","AnswerText":"It is anticipated that services operated by MV Glen Sannox will commence in mid-January 2025 on the Troon to Brodick route.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426978,"EventID":"S6W-31659","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-22T16:29:29.007","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T14:36:03.81","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much Social Security Scotland has paid each year to claimants who pay (a) no income tax, (b) no more than the (i) starter, (ii) Scottish basic, (iii) intermediate, (","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much Social Security Scotland has paid each year to claimants who pay (a) no income tax, (b) no more than the (i) starter, (ii) Scottish basic, (iii) intermediate, (iv) higher and (v) advanced rate of income tax and (c) the top rate of income tax.","AnswerText":"Social Security Scotland currently deliver 15 benefits. Applicants are not required to declare how much income tax they pay as part of the application process for these administered payments.Social Security Scotland&rsquo;s low income benefits are means-tested but assessed based on qualifying benefits received from the UK Government&rsquo;s Department for Work and Pensions or HMRC.Therefore, for those who receive payment from Social Security Scotland, there is no information held on which income tax bracket they belong to.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426979,"EventID":"S6W-31668","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-22T16:29:28.937","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T15:00:06.2","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Public Finance on 12 November 2024 that more than 164,000 homes have planning permission but have not yet been built, what ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Public Finance on 12 November 2024 that more than 164,000 homes have planning permission but have not yet been built, what source data it used to calculate this figure.","AnswerText":"The source data is the published schedules of the most recently available Housing Land Audit for each local authority (in most cases this is the 2023 audit), where those schedules included site level data on both planning/construction status and remaining site capacity.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426980,"EventID":"S6W-31674","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-22T16:29:29.937","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T15:00:06.2","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Public Finance on 12 November 2024 that more than 164,000 homes have planning permission but have not yet been built, how m","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Public Finance on 12 November 2024 that more than 164,000 homes have planning permission but have not yet been built, how many of these homes it considers are (a) viable and (b) undeliverable.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426981,"EventID":"S6W-31675","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-22T16:29:30.33","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T15:00:06.2","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Public Finance on 12 November 2024 that more than 164,000 homes have planning permission but have not yet been built,&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Public Finance on 12 November 2024 that more than 164,000 homes have planning permission but have not yet been built,&nbsp;how many of these homes are in developments that are owned by homebuilders.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426982,"EventID":"S6W-31683","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-22T16:29:29.51","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T16:33:19.027","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the Isle of Colonsay will be without a Monday ferry service for up to nine weeks in the winter period.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the Isle of Colonsay will be without a Monday ferry service for up to nine weeks in the winter period.","AnswerText":"Decisions on deployment of vessels and service provision are for the operator to manage. There are real challenges currently for CalMac in deploying the fleet as a result of vessels being out of service due to technical issues and the impact of annual overhauls.I understand CalMac have been able re-instate some of the cancelled Monday sailings to Colonsay throughout the Winter Timetable.We continue to impress upon CalMac the importance of finding the best available solution for the ferry network as a whole.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426983,"EventID":"S6W-31656","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-22T16:29:29.087","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T13:58:45.973","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that free sanitary products are available across the rail network.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that free sanitary products are available across the rail network.","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for train operating companies and those managing railway stations in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426984,"EventID":"S6W-31677","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-22T16:29:29.993","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T15:03:54.537","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to CALL Scotland's 2023-24 annual report.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to CALL Scotland's 2023-24 annual report.","AnswerText":"We welcome CALL Scotland&rsquo;s 2023/24 annual report and value the ongoing work they do to provide specialist expertise in support of children and young people with additional support needs who need Inclusive Digital Technology and/or Augmentative and Alternative Communication.The Scottish Government grant fund CALL Scotland &pound;367,177 per year to have a positive and enabling impact on the provision of support to children and young people with these specific learning needs.CALL Scotland are represented on the ASL Network and the National Strategic Commissioning Group, and we value their input and expertise in this important area of support for children and young people.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426985,"EventID":"S6W-31684","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-22T16:29:30.467","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T16:33:19.027","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that CalMac began a deployment options consultation to which impacted communities had only 48 hours to respond.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that CalMac began a deployment options consultation to which impacted communities had only 48 hours to respond.","AnswerText":"The deployment of vessels is a matter for the Operator. CalMac Ferries Limited, could only allow 48 hours to ensure they were able to inform communities what changes were planned, and could be implemented in the short timeframe available.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426986,"EventID":"S6W-31701","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-22T16:29:29.62","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-22T08:29:26.09","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people living with HIV in Scotland are not engaging with care or specialist HIV services; what research it has conducted into the reasons for this, and what fun","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people living with HIV in Scotland are not engaging with care or specialist HIV services; what research it has conducted into the reasons for this, and what funding is available to support programmes that are aimed at&nbsp;their re-engagement.","AnswerText":"The latest data on people living with HIV in Scotland and not attending for HIV treatment and care can be found in Public Health Scotland&rsquo;s HIV in Scotland surveillance report, which is available at: https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/hiv-in-scotland/hiv-in-scotland-update-to-31-december-2023/. It is important to note that changes to service delivery during and since the COVID-19 pandemic mean that the reported proportion of diagnosed individuals receiving treatment may be an under-estimate and work is underway to ensure the accuracy of this reporting.The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that people living with HIV receive the care and support they need, and we are working with partners across public service and the third sector to ensure that this happens. Our HIV Transmission Elimination Delivery Plan sets out our approach to ensuring equitable access to high quality care and treatment.Through our Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults we are funding a number of projects offering peer support and practical assistance which can help people living with HIV to stay well and engage or re-engage in care.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426987,"EventID":"S6W-31693","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-22T16:29:29.153","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-22T08:29:26.09","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many children and young people have been placed in informal kinship care arrangements in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many children and young people have been placed in informal kinship care arrangements in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not collect information on how many children and young people have been placed in informal kinship care arrangements in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority. We do, however, hold figures for the number of children who are looked after in kinship care and these are included in the Children&rsquo;s Social Work Statistics for Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426988,"EventID":"S6W-31686","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-22T16:29:29.163","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T16:55:55.64","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on developing a register of ancient woodlands.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on developing a register of ancient woodlands.","AnswerText":"NatureScot and Scottish Forestry are currently putting together a project plan to build on the existing Ancient Woodland Inventory to develop the new National Register of Ancient Woodlands. The new National Register of Ancient Woodlands will be an important element of the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy and associated Delivery plan, which was recently published.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426989,"EventID":"S6W-31682","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-22T16:29:29.163","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T16:33:19.027","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many reported instances there have been of CalMac&rsquo;s booking system showing that a ferry service was fully booked when it was not, in each month since the new t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many reported instances there have been of CalMac&rsquo;s booking system showing that a ferry service was fully booked when it was not, in each month since the new ticketing system was introduced.","AnswerText":"Under the current Clyde and Hebrides ferry contract there is no requirement for CalMac to report this detail. Therefore, the Scottish Government does not hold this information. The booking system, its management and operation is a matter for CalMac.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426990,"EventID":"S6W-31652","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-22T16:29:28.883","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T13:58:45.973","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the report by the trade union, ASLEF, Dignity for Drivers, including the claim that train drivers do not always have access to safe, clean and di","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the report by the trade union, ASLEF, Dignity for Drivers, including the claim that train drivers do not always have access to safe, clean and dignified toilet facilities, or adequate time to use them, during the course of their working day of up to eight hours; what its position is on whether a lack of such facilities could establish a barrier to recruiting a more diverse workforce by having a disproportionate impact on people who (a) have chronic health conditions, (b) are female, (c) are older and (d) have protected characteristics, and whether it will undertake an urgent review of toilet facilities for drivers across the rail network.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government notes the report commissioned by ASLEF and its findings. Every worker should be able to work with dignity and this includes having an access to toilet facilities. The report findings are for train operating companies, as employers to consider.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426991,"EventID":"S6W-31688","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-22T16:29:29.167","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-22T08:29:26.087","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what advice has been provided to GPs regarding women who have been potentially exposed to&nbsp;diethylstilbestrol (DES).","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what advice has been provided to GPs regarding women who have been potentially exposed to&nbsp;diethylstilbestrol (DES).","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not provided any advice to GPs regarding women who have been potentially exposed to diethylstilbestrol (DES).The regulation for the licensing, safety and efficacy of medicines is reserved to the UK Government and is the responsibility of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. They are responsible for investigating any safety concerns regarding the licensing of diethylstilbestrol (DES). Scottish Government officials meet regularly with the MHRA to discuss known medicine safety issues and to agree required actions.The most recent guidance published by the Department of Health, which also applies in Scotland, advises that daughters of individuals exposed to DES in utero are at an increased risk of clear cell cancer of the cervix and vagina but no other forms of cervical cancer and that local arrangements should be made for the follow up of individuals who are DES daughters and have the stigmata of DES exposure. This would usually be via annual colposcopy.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426992,"EventID":"S6W-31700","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-22T16:29:30.057","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-22T08:29:26.09","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of whether HIV services in Scotland meet the British HIV Association psychological standards, and how it is addressing any gaps identified.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of whether HIV services in Scotland meet the British HIV Association psychological standards, and how it is addressing any gaps identified.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31648 on 4 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426993,"EventID":"S6W-31673","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-22T16:29:29.093","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T15:00:06.2","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Public Finance on 12 November 2024 that more than 164,000 homes have planning permission but have not yet been built, how m","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Public Finance on 12 November 2024 that more than 164,000 homes have planning permission but have not yet been built, how many of these homes were granted planning permission (a) in the last (i) three years, (ii) three to five years, (iii) five to 10 years and (b) more than 10 years ago.","AnswerText":"The data is calculated from the published schedules of the most recently available Housing Land Audit for each local authority (in most cases this is the 2023 audit). This is public information, available on local authority websites.We are carrying out further analysis of the dataset to inform current work with stakeholders on stalled sites and will provide updates on the work as it progresses.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426994,"EventID":"S6W-31667","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-22T16:29:30.297","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T15:00:06.2","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Public Finance on 12 November 2024 that more than 164,000 homes have planning permission but have not yet been built, when ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Public Finance on 12 November 2024 that more than 164,000 homes have planning permission but have not yet been built, when it will publish the (a) methodology it used and (b) calculations it made to arrive at this figure.","AnswerText":"The methodology involved analysing the most recently published Housing Land Audit schedules from local authorities across Scotland. The remaining capacity for each site noted as either consented or under construction was totalled. Where the distinction was made, this included Planning Permission in Principle.This summary statistic gives a broad estimate of the remaining capacity across Scotland of identified housing land with planning consent. It provided contextual information for the development and publication of our Planning and the Housing Emergency Delivery Plan.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426995,"EventID":"S6W-31650","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-22T16:29:30.11","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T13:04:55.717","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will address any gaps in the integration ofsocial determinants of health, such as housing and poverty, into mental healthand HIV care pathways.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will address any gaps in the integration ofsocial determinants of health, such as housing and poverty, into mental healthand HIV care pathways.","AnswerText":"Early intervention and prevention are key priorities for the Scottish Government in taking forward our approaches to mental health and wellbeing, and HIV transmission elimination. We recognise that physical and mental health can be influenced by many factors, including home life, work, physical environment and housing, income, communities, relationships, difficult or traumatic life experiences and inequalities.We are therefore working across government and with partners from a range of different sectors to better understand and address the social determinants of health. In relation to HIV, this specifically includes working with public sector and third sector partners to address barriers to prevention, testing and treatment and investing in interventions to ensure equitable access to high quality care that supports people to live well.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426996,"EventID":"S6W-31695","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-22T16:29:29.963","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-22T08:29:26.09","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses have received funding for training from the Apprenticeship Levy in each year since the levy was introduced.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses have received funding for training from the Apprenticeship Levy in each year since the levy was introduced.","AnswerText":"The UK Government Apprenticeship Levy is a reserved tax on employers which was implemented by the UK Government. Scotland receives a proportionate share of tax revenues via the block grant as per the Fiscal Framework agreement with UK Treasury.On 14 November 2016, the UK Government announced the Scottish Government&rsquo;s settlement from the UK Apprenticeship Levy based on a population share of projected revenue for the first three years only.Since 2020-21 the Scottish Government has not received a direct allocation of apprenticeship levy revenue. Scotland receives a share of funding calculated through the Barnett Formula as part of the block grant and has no direct control or responsibility for the operation of the apprenticeship levy, this means the Scottish Government has no direct control over levy funds or their distribution.Prior to 2020-21, the notional funding for the levy was spent on a range of apprenticeships, workforce development and pre-employment support, meaning businesses had access to a range of both direct and indirect support. We do not hold information on the number of businesses who accessed funding from the Apprenticeship Levy.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426997,"EventID":"S6W-31681","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-22T16:29:29.16","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T16:33:19.027","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether CalMac has informed Transport Scotland about the reported number of occasions that its booking system has stated that a service was fully booked when it was not,","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether CalMac has informed Transport Scotland about the reported number of occasions that its booking system has stated that a service was fully booked when it was not, and, if so, whether it will provide details of this.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31682 on 9 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426998,"EventID":"S6W-31699","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-22T16:29:30.25","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-22T08:29:26.09","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in each local authority have&nbsp;reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in their buildings.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in each local authority have&nbsp;reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in their buildings.","AnswerText":"Although it is the statutory responsibility of local authorities to manage and maintain their school estate, Scottish Government and Scottish Futures Trust continue to engage with local authorities about Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC).In September, the Scottish Government published a report regarding RAAC across the public sector in Scotland, and it contains a dedicated section on schools and early learning and childcare.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":426999,"EventID":"S6W-31669","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-22T16:29:30.213","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T15:00:06.2","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Public Finance on 12 November 2024 that more than 164,000 homes have planning permission but have not yet been built, which","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Public Finance on 12 November 2024 that more than 164,000 homes have planning permission but have not yet been built, which organisations it consulted in order to make this estimate.","AnswerText":"Specific consultation was not undertaken in creating this summary statistic. The estimate is based on information published by local authorities as part of their annual Housing Land Audits, and any local consultation processes carried out as they are prepared.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427000,"EventID":"S6W-31691","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-22T16:29:29.227","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-22T08:29:26.09","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the cancer, clear cell carcinoma, in Scotland, and what support and treatment is provided to people with the condition.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the cancer, clear cell carcinoma, in Scotland, and what support and treatment is provided to people with the condition.","AnswerText":"Through our 10-year cancer strategy, the Scottish Government continues to focus on improving cancer survival rates and provide excellent and equitable care for all people facing cancer.As clear cell carcinoma is not confined to one organ, there is no single management pathway for this type of cancer. Clinical management and treatment of such cancers will be determined by the organ of origin and should therefore follow existing clinical guidelines for those.We know that person-centred care and support is important and we are committed to supporting patients to deal with the financial, emotional, and physical health effects of cancer. We are working in partnership with Macmillan through the Transforming Cancer Care Programme. The programme ensures that every person with cancer in Scotland has access to a specialist key support worker, who can provide emotional, financial, and practical support to those who need it.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427001,"EventID":"S6W-31657","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-22T16:29:29.007","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T13:58:45.973","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what funding it has allocated to improve toilet facilities across the rail network.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what funding it has allocated to improve toilet facilities across the rail network.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government provides the necessary funding to ScotRail, Caledonian Sleeper and Network Rail to keep all railway assets, including toilet facilities on trains and at railway stations across Scotland, in a good state of repair.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427002,"EventID":"S6W-31702","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-22T16:29:30.363","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-22T08:29:26.09","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve HIV education and awareness among mental health practitioners.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve HIV education and awareness among mental health practitioners.","AnswerText":"To support delivery of the HIV Transmission Elimination Delivery Plan the Scottish Government has allocated funding of &pound;93,588 over three years to NHS Education for Scotland to develop education and training materials which will raise awareness, knowledge and understanding of HIV and reduce stigma amongst non-HIV specialist healthcare staff.To expand and enhance this work, we are currently assessing bids for a workforce education project for health and social care staff to raise awareness of HIV, improve support and reduce stigma across these key settings. We expect to be able to announce the outcome of this process soon.Scottish Government officials will work with project leads to ensure that the resources developed are appropriately tailored and targeted to key professional groups, including mental health practitioners.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427003,"EventID":"S6W-31694","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-22T16:29:30.03","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-22T08:29:26.09","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what patient pathways have been developed for people diagnosed with fibromyalgia, broken down by NHS board area.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what patient pathways have been developed for people diagnosed with fibromyalgia, broken down by NHS board area.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold the information requested.We are committed to ensuring that everyone living with fibromyalgia in Scotland is able to access clinically appropriate, safe, effective and person-centred healthcare, treatment and support.In November 2023, we published an update to our Pain Management Service Delivery Framework Implementation Plan. As part of the framework, the National Pain Education Group developed a Chronic Pain Learning Toolkit for all health and social care staff across Scotland.It is Scotland&rsquo;s first national chronic pain training resource and will look to enhance understanding and care for people living with chronic pain, including fibromyalgia, across all levels health and social care staff. The toolkit went live November 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427004,"EventID":"S6W-31709","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2633,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-22T16:29:29.487","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-22T13:14:20.707","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will reach a decision regarding extending the terms of reference for the inquiry into the death of Sheku Bayoh.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will reach a decision regarding extending the terms of reference for the inquiry into the death of Sheku Bayoh.","AnswerText":"Following the Bayoh family&rsquo;s request to extend the Inquiry&rsquo;s Terms of Reference, the Government started the process of gathering views, including consulting with the Chair of the Inquiry.All relevant matters will be given full and careful consideration in order for a decision to be made. This work is ongoing and a decision will be made as soon as possible.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427005,"EventID":"S6W-31666","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-22T16:29:30.44","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T15:00:06.2","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Public Finance on 12 November 2024 that more than 164,000 homes have planning permission but have not yet been built, how m","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Public Finance on 12 November 2024 that more than 164,000 homes have planning permission but have not yet been built, how many of these homes form part of (a) community growth areas and (b) strategic development sites.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427006,"EventID":"S6W-31651","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-22T16:29:30.363","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T13:41:06.59","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made with the implementation of the Good Food Nation Plan for Scotland, and which (a) local authorities and (b) public bodies have met the require","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made with the implementation of the Good Food Nation Plan for Scotland, and which (a) local authorities and (b) public bodies have met the requirement in the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022 to submit a Good Food Plan.","AnswerText":"The Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022 (\"the Act\") requires Scottish Ministers to publish a national Good Food Nation Plan. Work on the first iteration of the plan is currently underway. The Scottish Government published a draft of the national Good Food Nation Plan for consultation earlier this year. The analysis of consultation responses has now been published and officials are currently revising the Plan with regard to the consultation responses. The revised Plan will be laid in Scottish Parliament for consideration and comment before final publication.The Act also requires that relevant authorities (currently defined as health boards and local authorities) must produce their own Good Food Nation Plans and these must be published within 12 months of commencement of section 10 of the Act. Relevant authorities are required to have regard to the content of the national Plan when preparing their own Plans. The Scottish Government's intention is that commencement of section 10 takes place around the time of the publication of the national Good Food Nation Plan.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427007,"EventID":"S6W-31685","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-22T16:29:29.823","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T16:45:30.303","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it had at the UK Education Ministerial Council meeting on 20 November 2024, and what representations it made on behalf of (a) pupils, (b) teachers and (c","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it had at the UK Education Ministerial Council meeting on 20 November 2024, and what representations it made on behalf of (a) pupils, (b) teachers and (c) the (i) further and (ii) higher education sector in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government engaged directly with the other UK nations at the UK Education Ministers&rsquo; Council on a range of matters within education. This included detailed discussions on teacher professional learning and teacher recruitment and retention, which were the main focus of the meeting. These discussions provided an opportunity to showcase some of the work underway in Scotland in these areas, including on professional update for teachers, and guaranteed induction placements. There was also some discussion of UK Government policy towards international students relating to further and higher education.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427009,"EventID":"S6T-02209","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-25T13:54:11.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-25T08:52:21.367","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is preparing for winter, in light of widespread weather-related disruption over the weekend due to Storm Bert.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is preparing for winter, in light of widespread weather-related disruption over the weekend due to Storm Bert.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427010,"EventID":"S6T-02208","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":2103,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":109,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-25T13:54:11.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-22T12:20:59.207","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any impact on fuel poverty in Scotland, what its response is to the reported announcement that the energy price cap will increase by 1.2% for the period cover","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any impact on fuel poverty in Scotland, what its response is to the reported announcement that the energy price cap will increase by 1.2% for the period covering January to March 2025.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-11-26T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427011,"EventID":"S6F-03564","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-25T13:53:50.72","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T12:29:05.527","Title":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427012,"EventID":"S6F-03565","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5586,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-25T13:53:50.7","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T12:29:19.15","Title":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427013,"EventID":"S6F-03566","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":2892,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-25T13:53:50.687","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T12:30:00.963","Title":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427014,"EventID":"S6F-03592","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-25T13:53:50.683","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-25T11:49:01.68","Title":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the UK Government&rsquo;s reported allocation of between &pound;295 million and &pound;330 million to cover the increase in empl","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the UK Government&rsquo;s reported allocation of between &pound;295 million and &pound;330 million to cover the increase in employer national insurance contributions for the public sector in Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427015,"EventID":"S6F-03572","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16194,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-25T13:53:50.727","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-25T10:10:20.753","Title":"To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to reduce the length of time that children are placed in temporary accommodation.","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to reduce the length of time that children are placed in temporary accommodation.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427016,"EventID":"S6F-03591","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-25T13:53:50.73","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-25T11:46:00.09","Title":"To ask the First Minister for what reason at least 69,000 patients reportedly waited more than an hour to be triaged in A&amp;E departments in the first half of this year.","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister for what reason at least 69,000 patients reportedly waited more than an hour to be triaged in A&amp;E departments in the first half of this year.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427017,"EventID":"S6W-31719","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-25T16:25:06.82","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-22T17:08:36.843","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it measures the efficacy of its Continue Our Love Affair with Europe campaign, as set out in its Population Programme.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it measures the efficacy of its Continue Our Love Affair with Europe campaign, as set out in its Population Programme.","AnswerText":"In support of the Scottish Government&rsquo;s broader aims to protect Scotland&rsquo;s place in Europe following Brexit and mitigate any associated economic, social and reputational damage, an international marketing campaign was delivered by Brand Scotland in France, Germany, Ireland and Spain in 2019.This &lsquo;Scotland is Open&rsquo; campaign aimed to promote Scotland as a welcoming and open country to boost positive perceptions of Scotland as a place to live, work, study, visit and do business with in order to build and maintain strong relationships with the EU and member states.The campaign included video on demand, paid social, OOH digital display and print advertising ran initially from 29 March until 11 April in 2019. The second burst ran from 31 January until 4 February in 2020 and added Belgium alongside France, Germany, Ireland and Spain.As with all marketing campaigns delivered by the Scottish Government, a series of SMART objectives were set to evaluate the performance of the campaign and its impact on perceptions of Scotland, before it began.Pre and post campaign research was undertaken by research agency BVA BDRC in France, Germany and Spain with four audience groups: potential relocators, students, holiday makers and senior business leaders who would consider doing business.In just two weeks the campaign activity reached over 80 million people, generating 27% awareness in key markets (France, Germany and Spain) against a target of 10%. The video was viewed over 52 million times, with 25 million of these through to completion, and 8.8 million engagements.The SMART objectives for the campaign were:To achieve 10% awareness of the campaign among live / work / study / visit / business target audiences in France / Germany / Spain by mid-April 2019 Among campaign recognisers in France / Germany / Spain achieve 30% agreement that Scotland is an (i) open and (ii) welcoming nation by mid-April 2019Among campaign recognisers, achieve 30% agreement that Scotland continues to extend a warm welcome even in uncertain times by mid-April 2019Among campaign recognisers, achieve 20% agreement that the Scotland of today is (i) inclusive (ii) innovative by mid-April 2019Among campaign recognisers, achieve a 10% consideration level of Scotland as a place to (i) live (ii) work (iii) study (iv) do business (v) visit by mid-April 2019Among campaign recognisers, achieve 3% claimed action as a result of seeing the campaign by mid-April 2019The campaign significantly exceeded these targets, achieving the following results:34% campaign awareness amongst live/work audiences, 49% awareness amongst study audiences, 30% awareness amongst visit audiences and 33% amongst business audience70% agreement that Scotland is an open and welcoming nation 76% agreement that Scotland continues to extend a warm welcome even in uncertain timesAmong campaign recognisers, 56% considered Scotland to be innovative and 60% considered Scotland to be inclusiveAmong campaign recognisers, positive consideration of Scotland as a place to live and work achieved 39%, as an overseas study destination 44%, as a place to do business 40% and a place to visit 43%.82% of all campaign recognisers claimed to have taken action as a result of the campaign","AnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427018,"EventID":"S6W-31736","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-25T16:25:06.913","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-25T11:02:16.957","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to publish its plans for overnight accommodation for parents as part of the implementation of the new model of neonatal car","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to publish its plans for overnight accommodation for parents as part of the implementation of the new model of neonatal care.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has directed NHS Boards to move forward with detailed implementation planning led at a regional level, with a designated lead Chief Executive Officer to deliver this programme from planning to full implementation.Accommodation is a key part of the model of neonatal care described in Best Start and we expect all Boards to provide emergency overnight accommodation on the unit for parents who need it, with other accommodation for neonatal parents nearby.Initial plans were submitted to the Scottish Government in September 2024 for consideration. Feedback has been provided to the Regional Chief Executives and NHS Boards will continue to refine and develop plans as implementation proceeds.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427019,"EventID":"S6W-31740","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-25T16:25:07.143","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-25T12:50:49.507","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether a decision on reallowing alcohol at certain times on ScotRail trains will be made in 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether a decision on reallowing alcohol at certain times on ScotRail trains will be made in 2024.","AnswerText":"Ministers must collectively consider all factors, particularly antisocial behaviour and violence against women and girls. Therefore, Ministers will continue to be informed by the equally safe strategy, alongside the strategic review by the independent working group on antisocial behaviour, which will present its report to Ministers, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and Police Scotland this year.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427020,"EventID":"S6W-31718","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-25T16:25:06.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-22T17:03:50.387","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the regulations are in place to allow local authorities to introduce congestion charge schemes, and what support is available for local authorities to introduce ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the regulations are in place to allow local authorities to introduce congestion charge schemes, and what support is available for local authorities to introduce these.","AnswerText":"The Transport (Scotland) Act 2001 established the discretionary power for local authorities to implement road user charging schemes, including congestion charging and they are best placed to determine whether a local road user charging scheme supports the objectives set out in their local transport strategy.Any approach should support our shared ambition to a Just Transition to Net Zero, taking into account the needs of those who may be less able to reduce car use, such as carers and those living with a disability, or in rural locations.As outlined in our draft route map to reduce car use, the scale of the challenge means that we need to take forward a broad combination of interventions, including infrastructure, incentives and regulatory actions. We continue to work closely with local and regional partners to update the route map and will be published on completion of this engagement. We work with all local authorities to support equitable measures which encourage active travel and accompany greater investment in public transport for a fairer and greener transport system in order to ensure a just transition to net zero.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427021,"EventID":"S6W-31726","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-25T16:25:06.887","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-22T17:08:36.843","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent each year on its Continue Our Love Affair with Europe campaign, as set out in its Population Programme.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent each year on its Continue Our Love Affair with Europe campaign, as set out in its Population Programme.","AnswerText":"In support of the Scottish Government&rsquo;s broader aims to protect Scotland&rsquo;s place in Europe following Brexit and mitigate any associated economic, social and reputational damage, an international marketing campaign called &lsquo;Scotland is Open&rsquo; was delivered by Brand Scotland in France, Germany and Spain in 2019.This &lsquo;Scotland is Open&rsquo; campaign aimed to promote Scotland as a welcoming and open country to boost positive perceptions of Scotland as a place to live, work, study, visit and do business with in order to build and maintain strong relationships with the EU and member states.The campaign included video on demand, paid social, OOH digital display and print advertising ran initially from 29 March until 11 April in 2019. The second burst ran from October until 5 November in 2020 and added Belgium to the international markets targeted.The creative production and media costs for this two year campaign were funded by VisitScotland and Scottish Enterprise/SDI.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427022,"EventID":"S6W-31721","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-25T16:25:07.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-22T17:08:36.843","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it measures the efficacy of its Scotland is Now campaign, as set out in its Population Programme.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it measures the efficacy of its Scotland is Now campaign, as set out in its Population Programme.","AnswerText":"International marketing activity undertaken by the Scottish Government as Brand Scotland, is measured by a comprehensive suite of metrics that determine whether the associated SMART objectives have been met. These objectives are set each year according to the purpose of the activity, the level of spend available and the tactics it will use.They include digital reach through social and digital channels and audience engagement with the content but more importantly additionally consider the strategic outcomes and impact on these audiences, such as perception change or an increase in consideration by target audiences.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427023,"EventID":"S6W-31734","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-25T16:25:06.76","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-25T09:59:11.077","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it propose the scheduling of time for a ministerial statement on funding for hospice care, in light of reports of&nbsp;tens of thousands of emails received by MS","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it propose the scheduling of time for a ministerial statement on funding for hospice care, in light of reports of&nbsp;tens of thousands of emails received by MSPs over the weekend of 23-24 November 2024.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government highly values the vital support independent hospices provide to people and their families, as well as supporting other health and social care services and teams delivering palliative care and care around dying.We know Scottish Hospices have been facing financial pressures due to rising costs including costs associated with providing Agenda for Change (AfC) pay parity. We have listened to these concerns, and that is why in the Scottish Budget published on 4 December we set out a commitment to provide &pound;4 million for the hospice sector in 2025-26. From 2025-26 we will align the support we provide for pay uplifts in the Hospice sector to the outcomes of the NHS Agenda for Change negotiations. This will ensure that hospices will get the additional funding needed to see their healthcare staff match pay increases with NHS staff.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427024,"EventID":"S6W-31731","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-25T16:25:07.823","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-24T11:52:03.737","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has noted the reportedly promising results from clinical trials in China of a surgical cervical shunting procedure, cervical lymphatic-venous anastomosis (LVA","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has noted the reportedly promising results from clinical trials in China of a surgical cervical shunting procedure, cervical lymphatic-venous anastomosis (LVA), to unclog cerebral lymphatic systems in patients with Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease, as reported in General Psychiatry volume 37, issue 3, and whether it will promote any similar trials of this procedure in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The LVA research reported in General Psychiatry volume 37, issue 3 is a single case study rather than a Clinical Trial or series of Clinical TrialsThe Scottish Government works in partnership with the NHS Boards through NHS Research Scotland (NRS) to deliver high quality research studies in the NHS across the spectrum of disease and clinical need. This includes the NRS Neuroprogressive and Dementia Network which supports a wide range of research conducted within the NHS and Care Home settings Neuroprogressive and Dementia | NHS Research Scotland | NHS Research ScotlandThe NRS Neuroprogressive and Dementia Network is available to support the delivery of any eligibly funded Alzheimer's Disease study (including in cervical lymphatic-venous anastomosis) that is open to patient recruitment in the NHS in Scotland","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427025,"EventID":"S6W-31716","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-25T16:25:06.887","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-22T16:39:50.07","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29293 by Jim Fairlie on 24 September 2024, whether it will provide more detailed information distinguishing between public and pri","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29293 by Jim Fairlie on 24 September 2024, whether it will provide more detailed information distinguishing between public and private deer management, and, if so, by what date it will do so.","AnswerText":"As stated in the answer to question S6W-29293, NatureScot data does not differentiate between culls undertaken by the private and public sector.Included below is the information that is held and shows reported culls for the last two years for overall deer cull in Scotland and reported culls for known public owned land. Please note that some areas of public land may be reported through private leases.SeasonProperty nameSpeciesMaleFemaleCalves/ KidsTotal2022-23Reported Cull - All Propertiesall5231757385264091361112023-24Reported Cull - All Propertiesall5262057878280461385442022-23Total Reported cull - Publicall16159137619717396372023-24Total Reported cull - Publicall18050150941101844232&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Public Owned Land only&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2022-23MODall91128172362022-23RPIDall5457251362022-23Scottish Waterall105881032962022-23Crown Estateall1422401425242022-23NatureScotall3853201238282022-23FLSall15334128799277374902022-23Perth &amp; Kinross Councilall71010272022-23Aberdeen City Councilall30258632022-23East Dunbartonshire Councilall11141237&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2023-24MODall101145252712023-24RPIDall91135572832023-24Scottish Waterall3686452372023-24Crown Estateall2093461867412023-24NatureScotall45841617710512023-24FLSall171151392310497415352023-24Perth &amp; Kinross Councilall598222023-24Aberdeen City Councilall22198492023-24East Dunbartonshire Councilall13151543","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427026,"EventID":"S6W-31730","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-25T16:25:06.727","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-22T19:50:03.76","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-04532 by Mairi Gougeon on 2 December 2021, how much it has allocated in each year since 2021 to the delivery of its Agritourism Gr","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-04532 by Mairi Gougeon on 2 December 2021, how much it has allocated in each year since 2021 to the delivery of its Agritourism Growth Strategy.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has provided &pound;168k funding since 2021 to Scottish Agritourism to assist with supporting the delivery of Scotland&rsquo;s Agritourism Growth Strategy, broken down as follows2022-23 &ndash; &pound;35,0002023-24 &ndash; &pound;35,0002024-25 &ndash; &pound;98,000","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":427027,"EventID":"S6W-31723","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-25T16:25:06.993","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-22T17:08:36.843","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it measures the efficacy of its Welcome to Scotland campaign, as set out in its Population Programme.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it measures the efficacy of its Welcome to Scotland campaign, as set out in its Population Programme.","AnswerText":"International marketing activity undertaken by the Scottish Government as Brand Scotland, is measured by a comprehensive suite of metrics that determine whether the associated SMART objectives have been met. These objectives are set each year according to the purpose of the activity, the level of spend available and the tactics it will use.They include digital reach through social and digital channels and audience engagement with the content but more importantly additionally consider the strategic outcomes and impact on these audiences, such as perception change or an increase in consideration or claimed action by target audiences.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427028,"EventID":"S6W-31725","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-25T16:25:06.98","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-22T17:08:36.843","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it measures the efficacy of its Stay in Scotland Settled Status campaign, as set out in its Population Programme.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it measures the efficacy of its Stay in Scotland Settled Status campaign, as set out in its Population Programme.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government launched the EU Settlement Scheme in 2019 to support EU/EEA citizens, their employers and service providers following the decision of the UK Government to require EU citizens who were residing in the UK prior to the ending of freedom of movement to apply for the UK Government&rsquo;s EU Settlement Scheme in order to continue living, working and studying in the UK.The main aim of the Stay in Scotland campaign was to support EU citizens to secure their right to stay in Scotland through the EU Settlement Scheme. The UK Government publishes figures on the number of applications to the EU Settlement Scheme by nationality, region and local authority. The aim of the Stay in Scotland campaign was therefore to maximise the number of successful applications from EU citizens in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427029,"EventID":"S6W-31713","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-25T16:25:07.767","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-22T14:47:17.383","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what work is being done to upgrade the NHS Scotland Resource Allocation Committee (NRAC) funding formula.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work is being done to upgrade the NHS Scotland Resource Allocation Committee (NRAC) funding formula.","AnswerText":"The NRAC formula is an objective measure of the need for health care services across Scotland.The Scottish Government have committed to continually review the funding formula. This process is managed by the Technical Advisory Group for Resource Allocation (TAGRA) and supports vital work to reduce health inequalities; ensuring that we continue to allocate funding according to the relative need for healthcare in each Board area. Work is underway to review this, however, funding formulas are inherently complex and the review will take time.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427030,"EventID":"S6W-31447","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-25T16:25:06.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-18T10:06:38.603","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it is reportedly funding the International Sustainability Diploma (ISD), developed by Dollar Academy, in addition to the Powering Futures Challenge progr","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it is reportedly funding the International Sustainability Diploma (ISD), developed by Dollar Academy, in addition to the Powering Futures Challenge programme, which is currently being undertaken in almost one third of Scottish secondary schools.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government supports a range of SCQF-accredited courses and recognises the important role that many, like the ones referenced, play in supporting interdisciplinary learning. Such courses offer learners the opportunity to apply disciplinary knowledge and develop key skills in relation to complex, real world challenges and are relevant to future employment opportunities.In 2022-23 the Scottish Government provided SCQF with total funding of &pound;44,000, and then a further &pound;30,000 in 2023-24 to deliver its small scale Learning for Sustainability (LfS) grant fund to ensure there is a better offer on LfS-related qualifications for learners. In both financial years SCQF then allocated funding from this pot to individual projects within the overall funding amount &ndash; proposals were invited and then assessed and decided by an assessment panel involving officials and run by SCQF, based on agreed criteria. Ministers were not involved in final funding decisions to applicants.In 2023-24 the International Sustainability Diploma, developed by the Futures Institute at Dollar Academy (FIDA), was successful in securing &pound;6,030 of funding to support its accreditation at SCQF Level 6 and the course&rsquo;s promotion to other schools and centres. The course is being piloted in approximately seven schools this year with the intention to scale it up further following this initial pilot phase.Most recently, in 2024-25 the Scottish Government awarded the established Powering Futures programme &pound;250,000 through the Entrepreneurial Education Pathways Fund, which aims to create an entrepreneurial overlay to their current academic qualification, allowing it to be more explicit around entrepreneurial understanding and attributes. Powering Futures supports learners to develop crucial skills for the workplace as well as gaining an understanding of sustainability.Both qualifications focus on sustainability but differ in a number of ways. In particular, the FIDA qualification offers 24 SCQF Credit points at Level 6, while Powering Futures is awarded at 8 SCQF Credit points at Level 6.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427031,"EventID":"S6W-31715","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-25T16:25:06.993","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-22T14:58:54.453","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much of the &pound;34 million Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Fund was allocated in each year of its operation.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much of the &pound;34 million Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Fund was allocated in each year of its operation.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (SIETF) has offered: &pound;3.1 million during 2021; &pound;6.8 million during 2022; and &pound;7.5 million across 2023 and 2024 combined.Many projects are implemented in the subsequent year, or years. Therefore, the funding spent per financial year (FY) has been: &pound;2 million in FY 2022-23; &pound;5 million in FY 2023-24; and a forecast of &pound;9 million in FY 2024-25.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427032,"EventID":"S6W-31714","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-25T16:25:06.723","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-22T14:48:55.477","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of the Technical Advisory Group on Resource Allocation (TAGRA).","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of the Technical Advisory Group on Resource Allocation (TAGRA).","AnswerText":"The Technical Advisory Group for Resource Allocation (TAGRA) oversees the maintenance and development of the NHSScotland Resource Allocation Committee (NRAC) formula. The formula is an objective measure of the need for health care services across Scotland and aims to provide a transparent and fair mechanism for dividing resources for hospital and community health services and GP prescribing between the 14 territorial Health Boards.The Scottish Government have committed to continually review the funding formula to support vital work to reduce health inequalities and ensuring we continue to allocate funding according to the relative need for healthcare in each Board area.The funding formulas are inherently complex, and the review will take time, however TAGRA members continue to meet to review the appropriateness of the current formula.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427033,"EventID":"S6W-31724","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-25T16:25:06.987","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-22T17:08:36.843","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent each year on its Stay in Scotland Settled Status campaign, as set out in its Population Programme.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent each year on its Stay in Scotland Settled Status campaign, as set out in its Population Programme.","AnswerText":"The UK Government took a decision, following the vote to leave the EU, to require EU/EEA citizens to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to maintain their right to live, work and study in the UK. The Scottish Government has always been clear that EU citizens should not had to apply to maintain rights they already had. However, given the decision by the UK Government the Scottish Government launched the Stay in Scotland campaign in 2019 to ensure that EU citizens had the advice and support that they needed to secure their right to stay in Scotland. The Scottish Government has provided over &pound;2 million through the Stay in Scotland campaign to third sector and community groups working with EU citizens across Scotland.YearFunding2018-2019&pound;200,0002019-2020&pound;462,8212020-2021&pound;535,8962021-2022&pound;469,0672022-2023&pound;318,9802023-2024&pound;216,8502024-2025&pound;216,850","AnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427034,"EventID":"S6W-31373","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-25T16:25:06.983","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-15T09:16:56.66","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy on 18 April 2024, whether it can provide further detail on the progress of (a) a route map to ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy on 18 April 2024, whether it can provide further detail on the progress of (a) a route map to 20% reduction in car kilometres, (b) a route map for the delivery of 24,000 additional charge points by 2030, (c) the development of measures to switch from internal combustion engine (ICE) to zero emission vans and other vehicles, (d) the development of a national integrated ticketing system for public transport, (e) the Strategic Transport Projects Review Infrastructure Investment Plan, (f) the development of high level principles of air departure tax (ADT), (g) the changes to the Whole Farm Plan, (h) a pilot scheme regarding methane supressing feed for livestock, (i) the establishment of regional land use partnerships, (j) a pilot on partial re-wetting projects, (k) the development of a national scheme to incentivise investment in the venison supply chain, (l) the exploration of a carbon land tax, (m) the publication of analysis of how non-domestic rates can support energy efficiency and clean heating systems and (n) a Just Transition Plan for Mossmorran.","AnswerText":"(A) The draft route map to achieving a 20% reduction in car use was published in 2022 and was followed by a period of engagement and consultation. Analysis and consideration of the consultation responses are shaping the updated route map which will be published in due course.The route map is co-produced with CoSLA, in recognition of the joint commitment to a just transition to reducing car use, and we are continuing to work closely with local and regional partners to update the route map and will publish it on completion of that engagement.(B) Scotland now has over 6,000 public charge points and has achieved the delivery of 6,000 public charge points two years ahead of the 2026 target date. In late 2024 we will publish a draft Implementation Plan identifying the key actions to be taken to deliver our Vision for public EV charging. This draft Implementation Plan is being developed with the key stakeholders who share responsibility for delivering public EV charging across Scotland and will include a route map for delivering approximately 24,000 additional public charge points by 2030.(C) In January 2024, Scotland introduced the Vehicle Emissions Trading Schemes (VETS) legislation, alongside England and Wales, extending to UK-wide from January 2025. VETS will deliver 411 MTCO2e of savings between 2024-2050 across the UK by increasing the sale of ZEVs as a proportion of overall annual sales to 80% cars and 70% vans by 2030) as well as reducing emissions on non-ZEVs.Since 2011, support has been provided for the purchase of ZEV cars and vans equating to &pound;39 million in interest free loans which has helped businesses purchase 1,382 ZEVs, alongside grants provided through the LEZ Support fund.(D) Consideration for a new national integrated ticketing system for Scotland was detailed in the 2024 Smart Delivery Strategy, aligning with wider work to advance the future of public transport in Scotland. In 2025 consideration for this system will be undertaken, including the technical, financial and legislative impact.We have begun commencing the smart-ticketing measures from the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019, establishing the National Smart Ticketing Advisory Board in 2023. The board comprises operators, transport authorities, users, and technical experts, to provide independent advice to Scottish Ministers on the future of smart-ticketing, including a technological standard, in line with their published August 2024 workplan.(E) Development of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) Delivery Plan is underway. This takes account of the current financial climate and is examining existing schemes across all modes in addition to the longer term STPR2 recommendations.The latest Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecasts, following the UK Government Autumn Budget Statement, show an improved medium term outlook for capital. The Scottish Government will continue to consider its longer-term infrastructure plans after we receive clarity from the UK Government over our multi-year capital funding envelope in the Spring.(F) The Scottish Government will set out the high-level principles of Air Departure Tax in due course, following which we will work towards implementation as soon as is practicable. However, this first requires a solution to the Highlands and Islands exemption, and we are working with the UK Government to achieve this.(G) The foundations of the Whole Farm Plan have been co-developed with industry and rural partners and will go live in 2025. As part of our commitment to enhanced conditionality, in 2025, in return for their basic payment, all farmers and crofters will need to have in place two from the following five baselines: Animal Health and Welfare Plan, Biodiversity Audit, Carbon Audit, Integrated Pest Management Plan or Soil Analysis.All farmers and crofters will be required to have a proportionate carbon audit in place by 2028 at the latest as part of the Whole Farm Plan.From 2028 farmers and crofters will ","AnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427035,"EventID":"S6W-31722","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-25T16:25:06.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-22T17:08:36.843","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent each year on its Welcome to Scotland campaign, as set out in its Population Programme.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent each year on its Welcome to Scotland campaign, as set out in its Population Programme.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not specifically activated a campaign called &lsquo;Welcome to Scotland&rsquo; but operates a year-round programme of communications that is designed to reach international audiences. The always-on activity works to challenge perceptions and drive up consideration, showcasing who we are as a country, what we value and what we offer in order to attract people from overseas who are interested in moving here to live and work, coming on holiday, undertaking study or doing business.The Scottish Government routinely publishes marketing spend annually and figures for Brand Scotland expenditure can be accessed here: Marketing spend - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)","AnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427036,"EventID":"S6W-31448","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-25T16:25:07.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-18T10:06:38.603","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it will provide to support the International Sustainability Diploma (ISD), which has been developed by Dollar Academy.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it will provide to support the International Sustainability Diploma (ISD), which has been developed by Dollar Academy.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"In 2022-23 the Scottish Government provided SCQF with total funding of &pound;44,000, and then a further &pound;30,000 in 2023-24 to deliver its small scale Learning for Sustainability (LfS) grant fund to ensure there is a better offer on LfS-related qualifications for learners. In both financial years SCQF then allocated funding from this pot to individual projects within the overall funding amount &ndash; proposals were invited and then assessed and decided by an assessment panel involving officials and run by SCQF, based on agreed criteria. Ministers were not involved in final funding decisions to applicants.In 2023-24 the International Sustainability Diploma, developed by the Futures Institute at Dollar Academy (FIDA), was successful in securing &pound;6,030 of funding to support its accreditation at SCQF Level 6 and the course&rsquo;s promotion to other schools and centres. The course is being piloted in approximately seven schools this year with the intention to scale it up further following this initial pilot phase.In response to the Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment, the Scottish Government committed to undertaking further work to develop a consistent, high quality interdisciplinary learning (IDL) offer that provides all young people with an experience and in time, a qualification, that is valued by employers and further and higher education. An IDL working group is bringing together relevant partners already active in this space to take this work forward, including Dollar Academy and Powering Futures.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427037,"EventID":"S6W-31737","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-25T16:25:06.913","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-25T12:16:31.783","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the&nbsp;ministerial&nbsp;statement&nbsp;by the&nbsp;Cabinet&nbsp;Secretary&nbsp;for Health and Social Care on the National Mission to Reduce Deaths and Impr","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the&nbsp;ministerial&nbsp;statement&nbsp;by the&nbsp;Cabinet&nbsp;Secretary&nbsp;for Health and Social Care on the National Mission to Reduce Deaths and Improve Lives of People Impacted by Drugs and Alcohol on 12 September 2024, whether it will provide further details of Public Health Scotland's review of the policy options available to ministers regarding alcohol marketing.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government and Public Health Scotland (PHS) are finalising the scope of the review of the evidence to support decisions on potential proposals in relation to alcohol marketing and promotion that may be taken forward in future, under devolved powers to ensure it delivers. The commissioning document, including timelines and scope of that review, will be published imminently.PHS&rsquo;s review will be delivered independently and will deliver its conclusions solely on the basis of its assessment of evidence.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427038,"EventID":"S6W-31729","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-25T16:25:06.727","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-22T19:50:03.76","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains committed to funding its Agritourism Monitor Farm Programme through Scottish Enterprise beyond 2024-25.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains committed to funding its Agritourism Monitor Farm Programme through Scottish Enterprise beyond 2024-25.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government will announce its spending plans for 2025-26 in its budget, on 4 December, with more detailed consideration of portfolio spend priorities, including the Monitor Farm Programme, being taken shortly thereafter.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":427039,"EventID":"S6W-31498","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-25T16:25:06.887","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-19T14:36:24.503","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether it would provide funding to an equivalent scheme to Project Pegasus in England and Wales to tackle retail crime.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether it would provide funding to an equivalent scheme to Project Pegasus in England and Wales to tackle retail crime.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is aware of the business and policing partnership Project Pegasus, currently operating in England and Wales. We are committed to exploring any possible options to tackle organised retail crime in Scotland and are open to exploring the prospect of implementing a similar joint initiative between Police Scotland, the Scottish Government and our valued retail stakeholders in an effort to do all we can to combat the unacceptable rise in organised crime affecting retailers.To demonstrate this commitment, the Scottish Government&rsquo;s draft budget for 2025-26 includes up to &pound;3 million in funding to be used for the purpose of exploring the implementation of a similar partnership between the Scottish Government, Police Scotland and Scotland&rsquo;s retail sector in an effort to combat organised retail crime.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427040,"EventID":"S6W-31742","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-25T16:25:06.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-25T13:19:36.073","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, based on ratings used in the School Estate Statistics, what proportion of pupils have been educated in schools in (a) good, (b) satisfactory, (c) poor and (d) bad condi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, based on ratings used in the School Estate Statistics, what proportion of pupils have been educated in schools in (a) good, (b) satisfactory, (c) poor and (d) bad condition in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"The proportion of schools reported as being in good or satisfactory condition has increased to 91.7% (90.9% in 2023). This is 29 percentage points higher than in April 2007 (62.7%).The proportion of pupils educated in schools in poor or bad condition has decreased from 8.5% of all pupils (around 60,000) last year to 8.0% (around 56,000) this year. This represents a drop from 37.6% of all pupils (around 257,000) in 2007.Since 2007-08, 1,139 school builds or substantial refurbishment projects have been completed.A) Proportion of pupils being educated in schools with a good condition rating in each Local AuthorityLocal Authority20202021202220232024Aberdeen City28%30%31%32%34%Aberdeenshire26%29%29%29%29%Angus47%46%46%47%46%Argyll and Bute59%61%62%55%55%City of Edinburgh36%40%47%55%56%Clackmannanshire54%55%56%55%56%Dumfries and Galloway42%40%38%38%35%Dundee City64%65%66%60%60%East Ayrshire48%61%63%39%34%East Dunbartonshire46%46%46%47%54%East Lothian14%14%14%14%24%East Renfrewshire33%34%35%35%39%Falkirk63%68%61%30%28%Fife23%23%26%25%26%Glasgow City16%16%16%16%16%Highland31%34%34%35%35%Inverclyde8%11%10%10%10%Midlothian63%65%56%57%55%Moray17%23%24%25%26%Na h-Eileanan Siar51%52%52%52%52%North Ayrshire16%16%17%1%1%North Lanarkshire43%44%44%45%51%Orkney Islands47%47%39%37%37%Perth and Kinross14%15%16%16%8%Renfrewshire30%30%31%31%28%Scottish Borders30%35%36%35%27%Shetland Islands3%3%2%2%2%South Ayrshire48%51%52%56%61%South Lanarkshire95%95%93%85%77%Stirling53%54%55%55%56%West Dunbartonshire54%54%56%56%51%West Lothian38%39%35%36%24%All local authorities38%40%40%38%38%B) Proportion of pupils being educated in schools with a satisfactory condition rating in each Local AuthorityLocal Authority20202021202220232024Aberdeen City71%69%69%63%61%Aberdeenshire69%67%68%68%67%Angus53%54%54%53%54%Argyll and Bute39%39%38%45%45%City of Edinburgh53%54%47%40%39%Clackmannanshire46%45%41%42%30%Dumfries and Galloway51%50%55%55%56%Dundee City25%24%19%26%22%East Ayrshire51%39%36%61%66%East Dunbartonshire47%48%47%42%37%East Lothian69%67%73%73%64%East Renfrewshire58%57%57%57%56%Falkirk34%30%39%70%72%Fife65%64%64%63%63%Glasgow City84%84%84%84%84%Highland29%28%30%31%31%Inverclyde89%89%90%90%90%Midlothian25%24%31%32%35%Moray35%43%35%26%26%Na h-Eileanan Siar46%45%45%43%43%North Ayrshire80%80%79%94%94%North Lanarkshire45%40%41%41%38%Orkney Islands53%53%61%63%63%Perth and Kinross74%73%73%72%83%Renfrewshire66%59%59%56%61%Scottish Borders33%33%33%33%56%Shetland Islands97%97%98%98%98%South Ayrshire33%34%34%33%33%South Lanarkshire5%5%6%15%22%Stirling47%44%43%43%42%West Dunbartonshire44%44%43%44%49%West Lothian62%61%59%58%67%All local authorities53%52%52%53%54%C) Proportion of pupils being educated in schools with a poor condition rating in each Local AuthorityLocal Authority20202021202220232024Aberdeen City1%1%1%5%5%Aberdeenshire6%4%3%3%3%Angus0%0%0%0%0%Argyll and Bute0%0%0%0%0%City of Edinburgh11%6%6%5%5%Clackmannanshire0%0%3%3%14%Dumfries and Galloway8%10%7%8%8%Dundee City11%11%16%14%18%East Ayrshire1%0%1%1%1%East Dunbartonshire7%7%7%11%9%East Lothian17%19%13%13%12%East Renfrewshire9%9%8%8%5%Falkirk3%2%0%0%0%Fife13%13%11%11%11%Glasgow City0%0%0%0%0%Highland40%38%36%35%29%Inverclyde3%0%0%0%0%Midlothian12%11%12%12%11%Moray48%34%34%40%40%Na h-Eileanan Siar2%2%3%5%5%North Ayrshire0%0%0%1%1%North Lanarkshire12%16%15%14%12%Orkney Islands0%0%0%0%0%Perth and Kinross12%12%11%12%9%Renfrewshire4%11%10%13%12%Scottish Borders37%32%32%32%17%Shetland Islands0%0%0%0%0%South Ayrshire19%14%14%11%6%South Lanarkshire0%0%1%1%1%Stirling0%2%2%2%2%West Dunbartonshire2%2%0%0%0%West Lothian0%0%6%6%5%All local authorities9%8%8%8%7%D) Proportion of pupils being educated in schools with a bad condition rating in each Local AuthorityLocal Authority20202021202220232024Aberdeen City0%0%0%0%0%Aberdeenshire0%0%0%0%0%Angus0%0%0%0%0%Argyll and Bute2%0%0%0%0%City of Edinburgh0%0%0%0%0%Clackmannanshire0%0%0%0%0%Dumfries and Galloway0%0%0%0%0%Dundee City0%0%0%0%0%East Ayrshire0%0%0%0%0%East Dunbartonshire0%0","AnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427041,"EventID":"S6W-31649","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-25T16:25:07.14","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T13:04:55.717","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to ensure that the funding planned as a result of the HIV&nbsp;Transmission Elimination Delivery Plan Implementation Short-Life Working Group (HIV-TEDI) Wor","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to ensure that the funding planned as a result of the HIV&nbsp;Transmission Elimination Delivery Plan Implementation Short-Life Working Group (HIV-TEDI) Workforce Education and Community Engagement call for proposals for HIV education and training will include targeted training for mental health practitioners, and how the funding will be used to reduce stigmatising experiences and improve care and mental health outcomes for people living with HIV.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31702 on 4 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427042,"EventID":"S6W-31500","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-25T16:25:06.887","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-19T14:36:24.503","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether it has a role in facilitating a scheme similar to Project Pegasus in Scotland to tackle retail crime, and, if so, whether it is consideri","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether it has a role in facilitating a scheme similar to Project Pegasus in Scotland to tackle retail crime, and, if so, whether it is considering (a) setting up and (b) funding such a scheme.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the vital role of retailers in our society and want to ensure that they are protected. We also recognise the distress caused by retail crime, particularly to staff. The investigation of criminal activity and deployment of resources is a matter for Police Scotland and they remain focused on keeping communities safe from harm, and investigating criminal activity. However, Policing itself also remains a priority for this Government. We are aware that some of the perpetrators of shoplifting offences have links to organised crime.In our 2025-26 draft budget, the Scottish Government has proposed up to &pound;3 million in funding to be used for the purpose of exploring the implementation of a partnership between the Scottish Government, Police Scotland and Scotland&rsquo;s retail sector in an effort to combat organised retail crime. This is in line with our Programme for Government (PfG) commitment to address organised crime, which is an area of significant and growing concern to retailers.The Scottish Government and its partners on the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce are fully committed to tackling serious organised crime in all its guises and reducing the harm it causes to our communities.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427043,"EventID":"S6W-31710","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-25T16:25:07.847","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-22T14:21:32.23","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether, by clearing the child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) backlog by December 2025, as set out in its Programme for Government 2024-25, it expects tha","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether, by clearing the child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) backlog by December 2025, as set out in its Programme for Government 2024-25, it expects that no child or young person will wait longer than 18 weeks to start treatment.","AnswerText":"I remain clear that long waits are unacceptable and that is why in the Programme for Government we reaffirmed our commitment to meet the CAMHS standard and clear backlogs by December 2025.While we will work to ensure no child will wait to start treatment longer than 18 weeks there may be occasions where children and young people wait over 18-weeks to start treatment. This may be out with the NHS Board&rsquo;s control, such as those who have significantly complex presentations and require very specific services.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427044,"EventID":"S6W-31717","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-25T16:25:06.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-22T17:00:04.037","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its updated route map to achieve a 20% reduction in car kilometres by 2030.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its updated route map to achieve a 20% reduction in car kilometres by 2030.","AnswerText":"The route map to achieving a 20% reduction in car use is co-produced with CoSLA, in recognition of the joint commitment to a just transition to reducing car use. We continue to work closely with local and regional partners to update the route map and timeline for demand management, and we will publish it on completion of that engagement.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427045,"EventID":"S6W-31738","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-25T16:25:07.71","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-25T12:47:49.037","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis has been done with ScotRail on any loss of income to its catering service due to the ongoing ban on the consumption of alcohol on ScotRail services.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis has been done with ScotRail on any loss of income to its catering service due to the ongoing ban on the consumption of alcohol on ScotRail services.","AnswerText":"Recent ScotRail analysis suggests around &pound;160,000 net revenue per annum is foregone from being unable to sell alcohol on ScotRail services.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427046,"EventID":"S6W-31499","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-25T16:25:06.81","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-19T14:36:24.503","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what research it has undertaken on Project Pegasus in England and Wales to tackle retail crime, and what conclusions it has drawn from this research.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what research it has undertaken on Project Pegasus in England and Wales to tackle retail crime, and what conclusions it has drawn from this research.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"Discussions regarding retail crime have taken place between the Scottish Government and retail stakeholders through the Retail Industry Leadership Group (ILG), Co-Chaired by the Minister for Employment and Investment. Additionally, there has been early engagement between Scottish Government officials and Police Scotland around potentially developing a similar system in Scotland alongside partner organisations. No research has currently been undertaken by Scottish Government officials on this matter but the early findings from Project Pegasus will be of interest in taking forward action in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427047,"EventID":"S6W-31711","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-25T16:25:07.69","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-22T14:23:35.207","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it did not include psychological therapies in its Programme for Government 2024-25 commitment to clear the backlog and meet the standard nationally for c","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it did not include psychological therapies in its Programme for Government 2024-25 commitment to clear the backlog and meet the standard nationally for child and adolescent mental health services by December 2025.","AnswerText":"I am as committed as ever to meeting the waiting times standard for psychological therapies and to clearing waiting list backlogs as confirmed in our Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy.We continue to publicly report and monitor performance closely and provide enhanced support to those NHS Boards with the longest waits, including commissioning NHS Boards to produce annual trajectories for when they expect to meet the standard.Funding to support this commitment is included within the &pound;120 million that we have directly allocated to NHS Boards and IJBs for a new Enhanced Mental Health Outcomes Framework in 2024-25.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427048,"EventID":"S6W-31735","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-25T16:25:06.913","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-25T11:02:16.957","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it defines \"reasonable overnight accommodation costs\" for parents with a baby in neonatal care accessing the Young Patients Family Fund, and how this is applied in p","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it defines \"reasonable overnight accommodation costs\" for parents with a baby in neonatal care accessing the Young Patients Family Fund, and how this is applied in practice to ensure that parents are adequately supported to stay with their baby.","AnswerText":"In the context of the Young Patients Family Fund (YPFF), &lsquo;reasonable overnight accommodation&rsquo; is defined as the most cost effective accommodation available. Health Boards have flexibility in relation to how much should be provided in each case but the costs provided should be reasonable in the circumstances.In an effort to ensure claimants don&rsquo;t routinely have to provide large amounts of money upfront to cover accommodation costs, the YPFF terms and conditions direct claimants to access Health Board visitor accommodation in the first instance. Where this is not available, private accommodation (e.g. hotel) can be booked and the fund&rsquo;s terms and conditions direct the Health Board to book on behalf of the claimant where this is possible.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427049,"EventID":"S6W-31720","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-25T16:25:07.543","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-22T17:08:36.843","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent each year on the Scotland is Now campaign, as set out in its Population Programme.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent each year on the Scotland is Now campaign, as set out in its Population Programme.","AnswerText":"Scotland is Now was the creative platform that formally launched the Brand Scotland Partnership on 11 April 2018, seeking to establish a new narrative for positioning Scotland internationally that would more effectively challenge certain perceptions that could limit opportunities.The Brand Scotland Partnership consists of the following organisations: VisitScotland, Scottish Enterprise/SDI, Creative Scotland, Scotland Food and Drink, HIE, Universities Scotland and the Scottish Government.The Brand Scotland Strategic Partnership is a collaborative initiative that seeks to grow Scotland&rsquo;s profile with international audiences and increase consideration as a place to live and work, study, visit and do business.The Scottish Government routinely publishes marketing spend annually and figures for international marketing spend which would all have been delivered as Brand Scotland, can be accessed here: Marketing spend - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)","AnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427050,"EventID":"S6W-31739","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-25T16:25:07.137","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-25T12:50:28.107","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what mechanisms it has put in place to monitor the effective implementation of the provision of free period products across local authorities.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what mechanisms it has put in place to monitor the effective implementation of the provision of free period products across local authorities.","AnswerText":"As outlined in the Access to period products: Monitoring and Evaluation strategy 2021/22 - 2024/25, we intended to monitor and evaluate the implementation of the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act 2021(the Act) in 2025. However, due to funding for local authorities being baselined from this financial year (2024-25) under the Verity House Agreement, the Scottish Government and COSLA agreed that local authorities will not be asked to collect any data going forward. This means that the planned evaluation will no longer take place.Local authorities are under a statutory duty to meet the requirements of the Act and are open to challenge by Judicial Review.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427051,"EventID":"S6W-31741","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-25T16:25:06.783","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-25T12:52:01.56","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with British Transport Police regarding the enforcement of ScotRail's alcohol ban.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with British Transport Police regarding the enforcement of ScotRail's alcohol ban.","AnswerText":"British Transport Police are responsible for enforcing the alcohol ban and responding to reports of antisocial behaviour on ScotRail trains. The Scottish Government through Transport Scotland engages with British Transport Police in considerations over the future of the ban and in the wider context of tackling antisocial behaviours on the rail network.It is acknowledged that a greater British Transport Police resource with increased visibility on the rail network could make a difference to enforcement of the alcohol ban. However, as the Scottish Government has no direct responsibility over British Transport Police, we must work within the resource it has and continue to encourage British Transport Police to work more effectively with ScotRail wherever possible.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427070,"EventID":"S6W-31755","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":3771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":86,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-26T09:41:57.017","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T09:33:38.517","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to publish a pilot proposal that would enable asylum seekers to work in Scotland and to share these proposals with the UK ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to publish a pilot proposal that would enable asylum seekers to work in Scotland and to share these proposals with the UK Government for consideration.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government made a commitment in the 2024 New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy to develop an Asylum Right to Work Pilot proposal. I am pleased to confirm that we have today published our proposal setting out a design for a prospective pilot scheme which would enable a cohort of those seeking asylum to work in Scotland, operating within the current UK immigration framework.We have worked closely with a range of key stakeholders including local authorities, the third sector and employers to shape the development of the pilot proposal. This proposal would allow pilot participants awaiting a decision on their asylum claim to work after six months rather than the current twelve months, to no longer be restricted to roles on the Immigration Salary List, and to be supported by a flexible, wrap-around provision of support including employability and language learning. Individuals will be able to access employment sooner, have fewer restrictions on the jobs they can do and be supported in accessing, and maintaining, securing employment.The next step is to share this proposal with the UK Government. I would urge the UK Government to engage constructively to agree a delivery model which supports individuals in making a positive contribution to their family and the community and includes safeguards.Working jointly to develop and deliver a pilot will help individuals, communities and help to inform future policy approaches on the right to work.The publication link will go live at 09:30 at: http://www.gov.scot/ISBN/9781836910466","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427071,"EventID":"S6W-31529","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":8,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-26T09:54:21.057","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T13:02:37.413","Title":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what policies and guidance it has in place to support staff in relation to fertility matters.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what policies and guidance it has in place to support staff in relation to fertility matters.","AnswerText":"The SPCB recognises the pressures staff face in effectively balancing the responsibilities of work with their personal commitments and is committed to providing appropriate support for staff. A comprehensive range of measures are available to support staff in relation to fertility and other family planning areas.&nbsp; The SPCB will, as good practice, support staff by granting non-statutory special leave with pay for assessment or treatment relating to fertility.&nbsp; MSPs, as employers, also have access to the same time off arrangements for their staff.&nbsp; Recognising that no two cases are the same, individual circumstances are taken into account.&nbsp; For example, the SPCB recognises that staff may require time off to attend appointments for IVF/fertility treatment.&nbsp; Staff may also want to accompany their partner if they are undergoing treatments.&nbsp; Time off is provided equal to the duration of an appointment for preparing for treatment, undergoing treatment and accompanying a partner who is undergoing treatment.&nbsp; MSPs, their staff and parliamentary staff (and their partners) also have access to a free and confidential counselling service which can support those in these circumstances.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jackson Carlaw (on behalf of the SPCB)","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427072,"EventID":"S6W-31771","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":16178,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":78,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-26T12:09:37.893","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T12:06:55.803","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will provide an update on the work of its Digital Assets in Scots Private Law Expert Reference Group.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will provide an update on the work of its Digital Assets in Scots Private Law Expert Reference Group.","AnswerText":"The Digital Assets in Scots Private Law Expert Reference Group has made its findings and recommendations to the Scottish Government, and a consultation on possible legislative reform was published today, 27 November 2024, with a closing date of 5 February 2025. The consultation seeks views on proposals to provide greater legal certainty on the kinds of digital asset that can be objects of property in Scots private law and some key features as to how they would operate in property law. The consultation can be accessed here: https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781836910510.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427073,"EventID":"S6W-31778","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":5771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-26T12:48:17.573","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T12:45:41.793","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish a final Biodiversity Strategy and Delivery Plan.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish a final Biodiversity Strategy and Delivery Plan.","AnswerText":"I am delighted to confirm that today the final Scottish Biodiversity Strategy and Delivery plan is being published. The strategy sets out our ambition: to halt the loss of nature by 2030 and to make significant progress in restoring nature by 2045.Our Strategic Vision is for a nature positive, net zero future where Scotland&rsquo;s natural environment is restored, and where everyone can play their part in securing that future. The delivery plan, the first in a series, sets out the actions needed, which taken together represent a step change that will accelerate the pace and scale of our efforts to address the biodiversity crisis.A new Natural Environment Bill, planned in year 4 of this Parliament, will establish a framework for statutory nature targets securing accountability and driving action across government. Protecting our natural environment will lead to a greener, fairer and more prosperous Scotland for all.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427075,"EventID":"S6W-31550","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":8,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-26T12:56:54.163","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T09:20:41.42","Title":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how many email and domain accounts for MSP spouses there are on the Parliament IT system, and what the average annual cost is of administering any such","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how many email and domain accounts for MSP spouses there are on the Parliament IT system, and what the average annual cost is of administering any such accounts.","AnswerText":"Email and domain accounts are included in the parliamentary resources which are provided by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body to support MSPs' and their staff in undertaking their parliamentary duties.&nbsp;As a requirement of the Reimbursement of Members' Expenses Scheme, the SPCB has to publish a register of MSPs who employ a close family member, including spouses, of another MSP. This register can be found on the Parliament website (Employing MSP family members | Scottish Parliament Website), and as of 2nd December 2024 the register does not list any MSP spouses who are in paid employment by MSPs.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Claire Baker (on behalf of the SPCB)","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427076,"EventID":"S6W-31783","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":5771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-26T15:09:34.513","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T14:40:40.103","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to ensure that national speed limits and speed limits for HGVs are appropriate for Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to ensure that national speed limits and speed limits for HGVs are appropriate for Scotland.","AnswerText":"Scotland's Road Safety Framework to 2030 sets out a vision for Scotland to have the best road safety performance in the world by 2030 and an ambitious long-term goal where no one is seriously injured or killed on our roads by 2050. However, the number of fatal casualties in 2024 are tracking 21% above the same period in 2023.The reasons behind this are varied, with speeding and driver frustration being a persistent factor in a number of injury collisions on Scotland&rsquo;s roads. It is therefore timely that Transport Scotland have undertaken a National Speed Management Review. This review seeks to ensure speed limits on Scotland&rsquo;s roads are appropriate and help contribute to a reduction in injury and death on our roads.The review examined a range of approaches, including HGV-specific speed limits, drawing insights from both national and international case studies. This includes the impact of the 50 mph speed limit trial for HGVs on the A9 single carriageway sections between Perth and Inverness. Since this trial there has been improved driver behaviour on this section of the route, a greater compliance with speed limits and a reduction in deaths and serious injuries.I can therefore announce that a public consultation on proposed changes to speed limits has launched and will be open until Wednesday 5 March 2025. It invites feedback on proposals to lower the national speed limit on single carriageway roads from 60 mph to 50 mph and to increase speed limits for goods vehicles over 7.5 tonnes on single-carriageways from 40 mph to 50 mph and dual carriageways from 50 mph to 60 mph. Analysis from the review indicates that these changes could significantly reduce injury collisions while maintaining journey times and enhancing journey time reliability.I urge all elected members to encourage constituents and stakeholders to participate in the consultation at: https://www.transport.gov.scot/consultation/national-speed-management-review-consultation/","AnswerDate":"2024-11-27T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427089,"EventID":"S6W-31745","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-26T15:14:54.133","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-25T13:21:02.377","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30360 by Alasdair Allan on 9 October 2024, whether it will provide a breakdown of how the recent &pound;1 million funding award to","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30360 by Alasdair Allan on 9 October 2024, whether it will provide a breakdown of how the recent &pound;1 million funding award to the Saving Scotland&rsquo;s Red Squirrels (SSRS) partnership project is being distributed across projects and localities.","AnswerText":"As I set out in response to questions S6W-30360 on 9 October 2024 and S6W-30743 on 11 November 2024 we are providing a range of support and funding to work that aims to promote red squirrel populations.A total grant of &pound;1,052,796 has been awarded to the Saving Scotland&rsquo;s Red Squirrels (SSRS) partnership project by the Scottish Government&rsquo;s Nature Restoration Fund, from April 2024 to March 2026.A breakdown of how this &pound;1m funding is being distributed across projects and localities is not held centrally.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427090,"EventID":"S6W-31746","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-26T15:14:52.29","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-25T13:32:43.66","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish its proposed Natural Environment Bill.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish its proposed Natural Environment Bill.","AnswerText":"As set out in the 2024-25 Programme for Government, the Scottish Government has committed to introduce the Natural Environment Bill as part of the year four legislative programme. Due to parliamentary procedure, we are unable to provide the precise date for introduction. The Scottish Parliament will announce the introduction date shortly before the introductory process begins.When introduced, the Bill will establish the framework for statutory targets to restore and protect nature. It will also include provisions to modernise the way in which national parks and deer are managed and provide powers to update environmental impact assessment and habitats legislation to support delivery of our net zero and biodiversity goals.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427091,"EventID":"S6W-31749","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16189,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":129,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-26T15:14:53.1","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-25T14:10:49.763","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the publication of, and recommendations in, the University of Strathclyde report, Final Report of the Evaluation of Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services, whether","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the publication of, and recommendations in, the University of Strathclyde report, Final Report of the Evaluation of Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services, whether improved guidance or protocols are being developed to clarify the roles of the GP Direct Access and Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Service referrals for primary care professionals.","AnswerText":"A clinical refresh of the Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer is currently underway to help ensure the right person is on the right pathway at the right time and are due to be published in Spring 2025.As part of this update, a guideline will now be included for those patients presenting with symptoms that do not follow the specific tumour referral pathways. This non-specific symptom guideline is closely aligned to the referral route for those who are referred to a Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Service (RCDS) or through a direct access to CT pathway.The RCDS programme has a role to support these referrals and we are committed to achieving population based coverage by 2026, with a sixth service being established early 2025.In addition, national guidance developed by Scottish Clinical Imaging Network provides primary care clinicians with information on when to refer for direct access to CT or an existing RCDS.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427092,"EventID":"S6W-31768","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-26T15:14:54.67","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T12:01:16.14","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to increase awareness of rehabilitation services among women.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to increase awareness of rehabilitation services among women.","AnswerText":"The provision and improvement of residential rehabilitation services for women and those with childcare responsibilities is one of the key focuses of the Scottish Government&rsquo;s National Mission to improve and save lives impacted by substance use.We have made a combined &pound;13.5 million available to support the creation of three new rehabilitation services &ndash; Phoenix Futures&rsquo; Harper House family service in Ayrshire and Aberlour Childcare Trust&rsquo;s two mother and child recovery housesin Dundee and Falkirk &ndash; which are specifically designed to support women through recovery from both drug and alcohol use.Both organisations have been working to embed their services into residential rehabilitation referral pathways across the country through engagement with key partners; including Alcohol and Drugs Partnerships, social work, perinatal and wider harm reduction services.The Scottish Government has also worked to increase awareness of the services through our national residential rehabilitation service directory &ndash; rehab.scot &ndash; which was launched in August. The site provides a nationwide list of residential rehabilitation providers for the first time, empowering individuals and their loved ones to learn about and access quality residential rehabilitation and identify the best service to support them.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427093,"EventID":"S6W-31756","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-26T15:14:52.3","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T09:34:24.487","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to support NHS boards in relation to workforce planning, following a reduction in full-time hours for NHS Agenda for Change staff.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to support NHS boards in relation to workforce planning, following a reduction in full-time hours for NHS Agenda for Change staff.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s commitment is to progressing towards a 36-hour working week for Agenda for Change staff, building on an initial 30-minute reduction in working hours implemented from 1 April 2024. Whilst extensive guidance has been issued setting out the overarching principles to be applied in facilitating this transition, the Implementation Group and the Scottish Government have been clear that specific decisions on how the reduction will be achieved should be made at a local level and in partnership, based on the needs of a given service.We have also made clear that the first half hour will be used as a learning process with a national evaluation carried out to identify the challenges and opportunities associated with further reductions. Health Boards (under the 1978 NHS Act) are required to undertake workforce planning and we would expect to see appropriate consideration around the impacts of the Reduced Working Week on services within their planning activity.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427094,"EventID":"S6W-31753","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-26T15:14:52.39","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-25T16:34:33.31","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken to understand the reported increasing need for baby banks to provide emergency support for families with a baby.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken to understand the reported increasing need for baby banks to provide emergency support for families with a baby.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the impact that child poverty has on families with a baby, and that some of these families may use baby banks.Anyone supporting a family in desperate need should refer them to their local authority or a health professional, such as a health visitor, midwife or family nurse, in order to make sure they are getting the holistic support they need, including financial advice and a referral to cash-first crisis supports such as the Scottish Welfare Fund. To support this work, the Scottish Government has published a toolkit to help local areas to respond to and prevent food insecurity.Our five family payments aim to give children the best start in life and could be worth over &pound;10,000 by the time an eligible child turns six. These include the Scottish Child Payment, which is only available in Scotland, Best Start Foods and three Best Start Grants. They offer financial support to families who are on a low income, both in and out of work. There are no limits to the number of children in a family who can receive these benefits.Scotland&rsquo;s universal Baby Box is also offered to all parents in Scotland. It provides essential items worth around &pound;400 for the first 6 months of a baby&rsquo;s life.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427095,"EventID":"S6W-31744","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-26T15:14:54.573","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-25T13:21:02.377","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated red squirrel population is in the priority area of (a) Argyll, the Trossachs and Stirling, (b) Tayside, (c) North East Scotland and (d) South Scotland","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated red squirrel population is in the priority area of (a) Argyll, the Trossachs and Stirling, (b) Tayside, (c) North East Scotland and (d) South Scotland, and what its position is on what would be considered a healthy population in each of these areas.","AnswerText":"Red squirrel populations fluctuate throughout the year and between seasons and it is not possible carry out direct counts across wide areas.The most recent review of the population of British mammals, published in 2018, estimated the Scottish population of red squirrels at between 181,000 and 444,000 individuals.This estimate is based on habitat use by study populations of red squirrels and modelling of carrying capacity of available habitats in Scotland. The modelling does not support estimates of regional populations.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427096,"EventID":"S6W-31759","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-26T15:14:52.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T10:27:28.547","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government on what date the MV Caledonian Isles was withdrawn from service, and when it is expected to return to service.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government on what date the MV Caledonian Isles was withdrawn from service, and when it is expected to return to service.","AnswerText":"The MV Caledonian Isles entered dry dock for her annual overhaul at Dales, Greenock on 4 January 2024. The vessel moved to Cammell Laird yard in Birkenhead on 11 February 2024 for additional steel works to be undertaken. She departed there on 14 September 2024 and was due to return to service on the on 23 September 2024. However, engineers identified metallic debris in the oil filter for the Port propulsion gearbox and she has remained off service. The vessel is currently at James Watt Dock Greenock undergoing further investigative works. As a precaution and to allow contingency measures to be put in place on affected routes CalMac have planned for the vessel being unavailable for the duration for the winter timetable period which ends on 27 March 2025.CalMac anticipate having a more detailed estimate of the timing of the required work in the coming weeks.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427097,"EventID":"S6W-31678","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-26T15:14:52.58","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T15:04:58.857","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason neither digital learning nor assistive technology feature in the 43 actions of its&nbsp;Additional Support for Learning Review Action Plan &ndash; Update","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason neither digital learning nor assistive technology feature in the 43 actions of its&nbsp;Additional Support for Learning Review Action Plan &ndash; Update November 2024.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is developing a new digital strategy which is due for publication in early 2025, for school education in Scotland. This is being developed in partnership with COSLA and key education stakeholders and will help support the use of technology in our schools.In November 2024, we published an updated Additional Support for Learning Action Plan and a third progress report. The next update is due to be published in 2026. Officials continue to work with local government partners on the ASL Project Board to deliver the remaining actions to improve the experience of children and young people with additional support needs at school, including those who benefit from digital learning and assistive technology.The Scottish Government also grant fund CALL Scotland &pound;367,177 per year to have a positive and enabling impact on the provision of support to children and young people who can benefit from assistive technology or augmentative and alternative communication.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427098,"EventID":"S6W-31757","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-26T15:14:54.753","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T09:36:35.027","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what work it is doing to support the higher education sector to offer more places on medical courses.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what work it is doing to support the higher education sector to offer more places on medical courses.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains focused on increasing the number of places at medical schools to meet the future demands of NHS Scotland while also ensuring there are sufficient educational and training places of appropriate quality in NHS Scotland for our undergraduates and trainee doctors. In line with this between Academic year (AY) 2015-16 and AY 2024-25 the Scottish Government has increased the annual intake of medical places in Scottish universities from 848 to 1,417, representing an increase of 67%. These increases include funding Scotland&rsquo;s first Graduate Entry Medical programme (ScotGEM), introducing the innovative HCP MED course and GP track courses. The Scottish Government also remain committed to promoting Widening Access (WA) to medicine raising the total number of available places from 60 places in available in AY 2020-2021 to 115 in AY 2024-25.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427099,"EventID":"S6W-31777","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-26T15:14:54.96","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T12:42:15.763","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25557 by Mairi Gougeon on 25 March 2024, whether the Scottish Ministers (a) plan to conduct a Habitats Regulations Appraisal for t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25557 by Mairi Gougeon on 25 March 2024, whether the Scottish Ministers (a) plan to conduct a Habitats Regulations Appraisal for the wrasse fishery that would assess the consequences of wrasse removal from special areas of conservation and the wider effects of the wrasse fishery, as well as the physical impact of pots and (b) will commit to conducting a full Habitats Regulations Appraisal ahead of any decision on whether to reopen the wrasse fisheries in 2025 within special areas of conservation.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government will undertake a Habitats Regulations Appraisals (HRA), for relevant special areas of conservation, ahead of the 2025 Wrasse fishing season opening. The HRA will consider the fishery against the relevant conservation objectives of the sites.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427100,"EventID":"S6W-31752","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-26T15:14:54.857","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-25T16:34:33.31","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its 2030 child poverty targets, what additional, targeted actions it is considering to ensure that families with a baby are lifted out of poverty.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its 2030 child poverty targets, what additional, targeted actions it is considering to ensure that families with a baby are lifted out of poverty.","AnswerText":"Eradicating child poverty is a national mission and the top priority of this Government. We remain firmly focused on supporting the six priority family types identified as being at a higher risk of poverty within our first Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan, which includes families with a child under one.The first 12 months of a child&rsquo;s life are an absolutely crucial time and we have taken action to ensure there is wide-ranging support for parents of babies and young children. Our Universal Health Visiting Pathway directs Health Visitors to enquire about family finances and signpost families to appropriate support services. The Family Nurse Partnership also offers intensive support for young, first time mothers in up to 4,000 families a year. In addition, we are increasing perinatal and infant health services in Scotland leading to new or expanded Community Perinatal Mental Health Services, Infant Mental Health Services and Maternity and Neonatal Psychological Intervention Services.We are also providing financial support to families on low incomes through our five family payments, which include our three Best Start Grant payments, Best Start Foods and Scottish Child Payment. For eligible families with a child under one, support includes the Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment, which provides &pound;754.65 for a first child and &pound;377.35 for all subsequent children, support through Best Start Foods which is worth &pound;42.40 every four weeks for each child from birth until they&rsquo;re one year old, as well as the &lsquo;game-changing&rsquo; Scottish Child Payment of &pound;26.70 per eligible child per week. To ensure investment in our benefits is protected, we will amend the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 to ensure all benefits are increased each year to reflect inflation, giving financial certainty to households.We are absolutely committed to meeting the 2030 child poverty targets, and will continue to do everything within the scope of our powers and budget to deliver the change needed including for families with a baby.The Scottish Government will publish the third Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan by the end of March 2026, covering the period 2026-31, which will set out the actions we will take as a Government to meet the ambitious child poverty targets set for 2030.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427101,"EventID":"S6W-31776","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-26T15:14:54.923","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T12:41:32.417","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) common grazings are included in the biodiversity audit process for crofting and (b) crofting biodiversity audits assess the economic earnings potential of bi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) common grazings are included in the biodiversity audit process for crofting and (b) crofting biodiversity audits assess the economic earnings potential of biodiversity restoration on common grazings; what plans the Scottish Government has to undertake a (i) cost-benefit analysis and (ii) feasibility study into common grazing biodiversity restoration, as part of the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy to 2045,&nbsp;and when the findings of any such analysis will be published.","AnswerText":"The foundations of the Whole Farm Plan will become a requirement in 2025 for the Basic Payment Scheme. At this stage, businesses with a share in a common grazing do not need to include the common grazing in their biodiversity audit. The Scottish Government is continuing to co-develop a proportionate approach to account for these valuable areas in the future as part of the wider Agriculture Reform Programme.The Scottish Biodiversity Strategy highlights the need to mainstream positive outcomes for biodiversity across a much wider range of Scottish Government policies, although we have no current plans to take forward the activities suggested.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427102,"EventID":"S6W-31766","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-26T15:14:52.517","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T11:38:45.877","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the average percentage pay increase in (a) real and (b) nominal terms has been for public sector staff in each year since 2010-11.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the average percentage pay increase in (a) real and (b) nominal terms has been for public sector staff in each year since 2010-11.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not record the historic average percentage pay increase for public sector staff due to the complexities associated with calculating the impact of in year promotions, progression increments within pay scales and the large volume of new starts and leavers.The pay metrics of the Scottish Government's public sector pay policy provides a reasonable basis for assessing the average nominal increase for public sector staff and those metrics are shown in the table below for the years requested.There is no single way of calculating real terms increases in pay as there are numerous potential indices such as the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), Consumer Prices Index including Owner Occupiers&rsquo; Housing Costs (CPIH), and the Consumer expenditure deflator. Information on inflation indices can be found in the links below:Inflation and price indices - Office for National StatisticsFinal consumption expenditure deflator: SA - Office for National StatisticsPublic Sector Pay Policy tableThe public sector pay policy applies directly to the pay of the Scottish Government's core directorates and its associated departments, agencies, non-departmental public bodies, public corporations and NHS Scotland senior managers (grades A to C). Other parts of the devolved public sector such as NHS Agenda for Change, Police, Fire &amp; Teachers are expected to use the pay policy metrics as a reference point for their pay negotiations.YearPublic Sector Pay Policy Metrics2010-111.00%2011-120%; &pound;250 underpin for lower paid2012-130%; &pound;250 underpin for lower paid2013-141%; &pound;250 underpin for lower paid2014-151%; &pound;300 underpin for lower paid2015-161%; &pound;300 underpin for lower paid2016-171%; &pound;400 underpin for lower paid2017-181%; &pound;400 underpin for lower paid2018-193% up to &pound;36,500;2% between &pound;36,500 &amp; &pound;80,000;&pound;1,600 if above &pound;80K2019-203% up to &pound;36,500;2% between &pound;36,500 &amp; &pound;80K;&pound;1,600 if above &pound;80K2020-21&pound;750 if below &pound;25K,;3% up to &pound;80K,;&pound;2,000 if above &pound;80K2021-22&pound;800 if below &pound;25K; 2% up to &pound;40K:1% above &pound;40K:&pound;800 if above &pound;80K2022-235%2023-245% from 1 April plus 2% or 0.5% from 1 Jan2024-25&pound;1,500 if below &pound;30K; 2% if above &pound;30K from 1 April plus further 1% from 1 Jan","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427103,"EventID":"S6W-31760","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-26T15:14:53.097","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T10:27:28.547","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost of repairs to the MV Caledonian Isles has been to date, broken down by year, and what the total anticipated costs are going forward.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost of repairs to the MV Caledonian Isles has been to date, broken down by year, and what the total anticipated costs are going forward.","AnswerText":"The maintenance costs for MV Caledonian Isles for the past three years are included within the following table:Contract YearPeriod&pound;000's&nbsp;CY 601-10-2021 - 30-09-20221,955&nbsp;CY 701-10-2022 - 30-09-20231,977&nbsp;CY 801-10-2023 - 30-09-20248,310*&nbsp;&nbsp;12,242** includes &pound;6.8m of additional steelwork and gear box repair work.The anticipated costs going forward for MV Caledonian Isles are included within the following table:Contract year 9 costs&pound;000sP7596P813124-25 overhaul costs (deferred**)1,071Open POs1,143Total committed and incurred costs CY 92,941*included in the above is &pound;1.1m of additional costs.**incurred in preparation of overhaul being completed in January/February 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427104,"EventID":"S6W-31751","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-26T15:14:54.997","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-25T14:18:39.177","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how much of the &pound;200 million that it committed to improve rail journey times between Aberdeen and the Central Belt by 2026 has","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how much of the &pound;200 million that it committed to improve rail journey times between Aberdeen and the Central Belt by 2026 has been spent to date.","AnswerText":"The total invested to 9th November 2024 (Railway Period 8 &ndash; 2024) on projects to reduce journey times between Aberdeen and the Central Belt is &pound;23.1m. Of this figure, &pound;16.3m has been spent on the Aberdeen &ndash; Central Belt Service Improvement project, and &pound;6.8m has been spent on the project to improve rail line speeds in the Barnhill area between Perth and Dundee. The investment at Barnhill remodelled a junction between the Tay Viaduct at Perth and Barnhill to increase line speeds over it from 20mph to 50mph. It is a direct enabler for the plan to reduce rail journey times between the Central Belt and the North-East, improving connectivity and enhancing capacity for both passenger and freight trains on the route.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427105,"EventID":"S6W-31781","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-26T15:14:52.317","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T12:55:38.133","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of patients currently waiting to begin treatment for cancer it estimates are for&nbsp;cancers associated with alcohol misuse.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of patients currently waiting to begin treatment for cancer it estimates are for&nbsp;cancers associated with alcohol misuse.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427106,"EventID":"S6W-31758","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-26T15:14:52.3","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T10:27:28.547","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the MV Alfred, what the total charter costs have been to date, broken down by year, and whether it will provide an update on how many sailings have been deliv","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the MV Alfred, what the total charter costs have been to date, broken down by year, and whether it will provide an update on how many sailings have been delivered by the vessel to date.","AnswerText":"The total cost, to date of chartering the MV Alfred amounts to &pound;21.4m broken down as follows: April 2023 - February 2024 totalled &pound;9.1m and March 2024 &ndash; March 2025 amounts to &pound;12.3m.The cost includes the charter of the vessel but also variable elements around fuel, harbour dues and other costs that are dependent on the actual deployment of the vessel. Furthermore, the time on charter will be adjusted accordingly, to account for any period the vessel is out of service, and therefore not availableThe number of sailings and performance were detailed in the following tableRouteOperated SailingsScheduled SailingsAdditional SailingsCancelled Sailings&nbsp;Weather CancellationsTechnical CancellationsOther CancellationsArdrossan - Brodick1822136849642&nbsp;21165Uig - Tarbert/Lochmaddy126161100&nbsp;000Total1948138460642&nbsp;21165","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427107,"EventID":"S6W-31750","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16189,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":129,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-26T15:14:52.407","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-25T14:12:17.713","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the uptake of GatewayC among GPs in relation to the brain tumour course, and whether it will outline the next steps for increasing a","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the uptake of GatewayC among GPs in relation to the brain tumour course, and whether it will outline the next steps for increasing awareness of its availability.","AnswerText":"The free online Primary Care cancer education platform, Gateway C, was launched in Scotland on 30th of April 2024. Courses focus on cancer symptoms and referral, and we have seen uptake across all of Scotland's Health Boards, in wide ranging job roles in primary care.The brain tumour course specifically aims to assist primary care staff in effectively assessing and managing patients with a potential brain tumour diagnosis. The course includes interactive video consultations based on patients with differing symptoms, alongside a range of activities to reinforce key learning points. In addition to online courses, there are podcasts and webinars that can be accessed at any time. The latest podcast recorded, 26 November 2024, discussed brain tumours and a communication has been sent out to make registrants aware of this.In Scotland we will continue to push communications on Gateway C, to build momentum on the successful launch earlier this year.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427108,"EventID":"S6W-31764","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-26T15:14:52.493","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T11:38:45.877","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made any assessment of the potential impact of its policy of no compulsory redundancies in the public sector on public bodies&rsquo; ability to achieve ef","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made any assessment of the potential impact of its policy of no compulsory redundancies in the public sector on public bodies&rsquo; ability to achieve efficiency through automation or other means.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has maintained its commitment to No Compulsory Redundancy since 2007 and there is no change to the commitment set out in the multi-year 2024-25 Public Sector pay Policy published on 30 May 2024.The 2025-26 Draft Budget has also set out a 10-year programme of Public Service Reform to Parliament, with a strong focus on the data, levers and workforce that will drive efficiency. To enable this work, we will deliver an Invest to Save fund in 2025-26, backed by up to &pound;30 million of funding recognising the need to catalyse efficiency, effectiveness and productivity projects as part of the PSR programme.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427109,"EventID":"S6W-31747","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-26T15:14:52.363","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-25T14:01:51.843","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce its proposed Natural Environment Bill before the Christmas recess.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce its proposed Natural Environment Bill before the Christmas recess.","AnswerText":"As set out in the 2024-25 Programme for Government, the Scottish Government has committed to introduce the Natural Environment Bill as part of the year four legislative programme. Due to parliamentary procedure, we are unable to provide the precise date for introduction. The Scottish Parliament will announce the introduction date shortly before the introductory process begins.When introduced, the Bill will establish the framework for statutory targets to restore and protect nature. It will also include provisions to modernise the way in which national parks and deer are managed and provide powers to update environmental impact assessment and habitats legislation to support delivery of our net zero and biodiversity goals.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427110,"EventID":"S6W-31748","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-26T15:14:53.357","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-25T14:01:51.843","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce its proposed Heat in Buildings Bill before the Christmas recess.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce its proposed Heat in Buildings Bill before the Christmas recess.","AnswerText":"We are currently considering all the issues raised in response to our recent consultation on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill. We will confirm our decisions and the nature and timing of next steps as soon as practicable.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427111,"EventID":"S6W-31780","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-26T15:14:54.927","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T12:55:38.133","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the most common cancers associated with alcohol misuse are.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the most common cancers associated with alcohol misuse are.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government promotes healthy living and encourages the reduction in alcohol consumption by highlighting the risks of drinking too much alcohol on the NHS Inform website.Guidance from the Chief Medical Officer is clear that drinking more than 14 units per week for both men and women on a regular basis may increase a person&rsquo;s risk of serious health conditions, including cancer. Cancers associated with excess drinking include cancers of the mouth, upper throat, larynx, oesophagus, breast, liver and bowel.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427112,"EventID":"S6W-31743","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-26T15:14:52.617","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-25T13:21:02.377","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30360 by Alasdair Allan on 9 October 2024, whether it will provide details of where the last remaining population of grey squirrel","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30360 by Alasdair Allan on 9 October 2024, whether it will provide details of where the last remaining population of grey squirrels are located.","AnswerText":"In my response to question S6W-30360 on 9 October 2024 I said &ldquo;funding has enabled a concentrated effort to eradicate the last remaining isolated population of grey squirrels in the North East of Scotland.&rdquo;I should clarify that the last remaining, isolated population of grey squirrels in the North East of Scotland is found in the City of Aberdeen.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427113,"EventID":"S6W-31763","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-26T15:14:54.96","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T11:38:45.877","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the cost has been of its 10 most fiscally expensive measures or policies, that were not the devolved implementation of a UK-wide policy, in each of the last five ye","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the cost has been of its 10 most fiscally expensive measures or policies, that were not the devolved implementation of a UK-wide policy, in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s published budgets for the last five years, including details of planned spending, are available online.Scottish Budget: 2024 to 2025 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)Scottish Budget: 2023 to 2024 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)Scottish Budget 2022 to 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)Scottish Budget 2021 to 2022 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)Scottish Budget 2020-2021 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427114,"EventID":"S6W-31767","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-26T15:14:53.123","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T12:01:16.14","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address the reported 19% rise in contacts relating to domestic abuse involving children in the first six months of 2024-25, according to the NSPCC.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address the reported 19% rise in contacts relating to domestic abuse involving children in the first six months of 2024-25, according to the NSPCC.","AnswerText":"I recognise that domestic abuse can have significant physical, social, and emotional impacts on children. While one child experiencing domestic abuse is one too many, it is positive that children are reaching out to Childline to seek support. I welcome the NSPCC Christmas campaign to highlight to children and young people that there is a dedicated service, Childline, to provide support over the festive period and beyond.Through the Children, Young People and Families Early Intervention &amp; Adult Learning and Empowering Communities third sector funds, the Scottish Government provides &pound;726,600 in funding, across 5 organisations to deliver outcomes supporting child protection. This includes &pound;312,900 in funding to the NSPCC, allocating &pound;207,900 specifically to its Childline services.We are also investing &pound;19 million a year in specialist services and projects through the Delivering Equally Safe (DES) Fund to support 83 projects to undertake work with children and young people who have experienced violence and abuse.Our National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021, updated 2023, includes detailed advice on domestic abuse considerations in safety planning.Through our Equally Safe Delivery Plan, we are also progressing work to strengthen the links between domestic abuse and Child Protection systems, and to ensure that staff are trained and confident to identify and deal sensitively with the issue.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427115,"EventID":"S6W-31770","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-26T15:14:52.54","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T12:04:44.33","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in the development of a single diagnostic pathway for adult autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in the development of a single diagnostic pathway for adult autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).","AnswerText":"Some positive progress has been made in implementing the recommendations of the Adult Neurodevelopmental Pathways report, which aims to provide local single pathways for adult autism and ADHD, including diagnosis and support.4 Health Boards are undertaking strategic planning to aid implementation. Separately, 2 Boards with established adult autism pathways are working to incorporate ADHD diagnosis and support into those pathways.However, the Scottish Government recognises that we have more to do to ensure that progress on implementation is maintained.We are aware that there are differing approaches between NHS Boards in establishing local single pathways for adult autism and ADHD, including approaches that are less neuro-affirming with higher diagnostic thresholds.We will continue to work with NAIT to encourage these Boards to take approaches aligned to the adult neurodevelopmental pathways report and look to fully implement the recommendations of the report.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427116,"EventID":"S6W-31762","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-26T15:14:53.097","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T10:31:10.523","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the reason is for the reported drop-off in the number of extensive clinical dental examinations under the new pay arrangements between the quarters ending 30 June a","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the reason is for the reported drop-off in the number of extensive clinical dental examinations under the new pay arrangements between the quarters ending 30 June and 30 September 2024.","AnswerText":"The number of treatments (including enhanced examinations) is compiled on the basis of claims made to Practitioner Services for payment within agreed working schedules and monthly activity is therefore not always presented on a directly comparable basis. For example, the September payment schedule period contained 20 working days which is lower than the average schedule period (c.24 working days), resulting in a small reduction to prior months&rsquo; claims.Practitioners Services will periodically close the schedules to allow other payments to be made to dentists, such as quarterly allowance payments.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427117,"EventID":"S6W-31761","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-26T15:14:55.2","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T10:27:28.547","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has held any discussions with (a) Transport Scotland, (b) CalMac and (c) CMAL regarding removing the MV Caledonian Isles from service, and, if so, whether it ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has held any discussions with (a) Transport Scotland, (b) CalMac and (c) CMAL regarding removing the MV Caledonian Isles from service, and, if so, whether it can provide details of such discussions.","AnswerText":"There have been no discussions between Transport Scotland, CalMac and CMAL on removing the MV Caledonian Isles from service. CalMac is currently working through a data gathering assessment to quantify the requirement for further repairs on the vessel. Once this phase is complete, the outcome and options for progression will be discussed between CalMac, CMAL and Transport Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427118,"EventID":"S6W-31754","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-26T15:14:54.79","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-25T16:55:57.94","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering increasing the amount of funding allocated to loss and damage funds, in light of the climate finance deal agreed at COP29.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering increasing the amount of funding allocated to loss and damage funds, in light of the climate finance deal agreed at COP29.","AnswerText":"Climate finance is key to climate action &ndash; as it is essential to allow developing countries to decarbonise in a fair way which supports communities, builds resilience, and addresses loss and damage caused by climate change, in particular frequent devastating weather events.Scotland was the first nation to commit funds specifically to climate justice, launching the Climate Justice Fund (CJF) in 2012, and committing to trebling it to &pound;36 million over the course of this Parliamentary Term (2021-2026). The Fund is fully committed, with &pound;10 million mobilised to address loss and damage, in line with our commitment to urgently meet the needs of vulnerable communities.For a full breakdown of allocations, please go to: Climate Justice Fund 2024-2026: allocations - gov.scot.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427119,"EventID":"S6W-31765","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-26T15:14:54.893","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T11:38:45.877","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to ensure sufficient continuous evaluation of eligibility for ongoing recipients of disability benefits.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to ensure sufficient continuous evaluation of eligibility for ongoing recipients of disability benefits.","AnswerText":"Social Security Scotland make awards on an on-going basis. This means that awards do not have a set end date after which the client must re-apply. Instead, we conduct light-touch reviews to ensure that the existing award continues to be right for the individual.In most cases, a review date is set as part of a determination decision to ensure continuous evaluation of a client&rsquo;s eligibility. Review dates are often set based on when a person&rsquo;s circumstances are likely to change in the future.Clients have a duty to notify Social Security Scotland when there is a change in circumstances, including a change in medical condition, which could impact their entitlement. This leads to a review of their existing award and a new decision on their entitlement. In house Health and Social Care practitioners are available to provide advice during the case review process.For some people, even long review periods are inappropriate, and indefinite awards have been introduced for people who receive Adult Disability Payment or Pension Age Disability Payment whose needs are highly unlikely to change.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427120,"EventID":"S6W-31732","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-26T15:14:55","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-24T12:47:57.967","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what UK financial institutions currently provide refund guarantee products for shipbuilding projects.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what UK financial institutions currently provide refund guarantee products for shipbuilding projects.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government do not hold this information. It is a matter for UK shipyards to come to commercial agreements on guarantees with financial institutions as stipulated in shipbuilding procurements.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427121,"EventID":"S6W-31779","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-26T15:14:55.003","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T12:55:38.133","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is working to reduce the number of drug-related deaths, in light of reports that it has doubled its spending on tackling drug","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is working to reduce the number of drug-related deaths, in light of reports that it has doubled its spending on tackling drug- and alcohol-related deaths over the last decade, and that the number of drug-related deaths has increased by 12% in the last year.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government and our partners remain dedicated to bringing innovative and structural change to this complex issue and remain fully committed to reducing drug deaths and harms.On 31 October, Audit Scotland published a report on alcohol and drug services which acknowledges that we have improved national leadership and made significant progress in tackling Scotland&rsquo;s longstanding issues with drugs and alcohol. Notably, through significant investment and innovative action in our National Mission, including sustaining a record &pound;112 million for Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) this year, as well as innovative initiatives such as piloting a Safer Drug Consumption Facility in Glasgow, which will open early in the new year.Through the National Mission to date we have:Supported over 300 grassroots community organisations through the &pound;65 million Corra National Drug Mission FundsDriven improvement in services with 90% of Alcohol and Drug Partnerships assessed as having implemented Medication Assisted Treatment standards 1-5, and 91% of standards 6-10 assessed as partially implemented as of July 2024Helped widen access to lifesaving naloxone with 77% of people at risk of overdose estimated to have access to a Take Home Naloxone kit as of June 2024Seen a 21% increase in residential rehabilitation beds since 2021 (513 beds as of September 2024) due to our &pound;38 million residential rehabilitation capacity investment.Made &pound;1.5 million available for investment in Planet Youth - a whole community approach for substance use preventionProvided &pound;480,000 per year since 2023 to support additional trainee placements on Scottish Drugs Forum's 'National Traineeship' which supports people with lived and living experience to undertake an SVQ and access a paid work placement.Alongside these important practical steps to making improvements to front line services our whole system approach is driving change across mental health, stigma, workforce and children and families, and the Charter of Rights which was published on 11 December, will support people affected by substance use to know and understand their rights in accessing support services.The five-year National Mission is now in the final stages of delivery, and we have begun to work with partners to ensure long-term strategies are managed smoothly through to the next parliament. The ongoing independent evaluation of the National Mission being undertaken by Public Health Scotland (PHS) will help to ensure these strategies are underpinned by robust evidence.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427131,"EventID":"S6W-31804","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T08:50:01.423","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T08:29:19.993","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will set out its ambition to grow Scotland&rsquo;s hydrogen potential internationally, and publish an export plan for that sector.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will set out its ambition to grow Scotland&rsquo;s hydrogen potential internationally, and publish an export plan for that sector.","AnswerText":"Scotland has the resources, skilled workforce, and ambition to become a leading hydrogen nation and developing this sector will create international trade opportunities in terms of our hydrogen production and across the supply chain.That is why an export plan aimed at realising Scotland&rsquo;s hydrogen potential as a leading net exporter of hydrogen will be published on 29 November 2024.The plan will set out how Scotland will realise the international opportunities presented by the development of the Hydrogen sector and will outline the immediate international export opportunities and strategic actions needed to support Scottish businesses.Achieving this goal presents a great opportunity to combine the efforts of a range of partners. I look forward to continuing to work with them as we take forward delivery of the plan and realise Scotland&rsquo;s hydrogen future.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427132,"EventID":"S6W-31712","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":8,"MSPID":16175,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":119,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T12:02:37.523","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-22T14:32:37.707","Title":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what it is doing to help promote the Armed Forces Covenant and the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme amongst MSPs.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what it is doing to help promote the Armed Forces Covenant and the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme amongst MSPs.","AnswerText":"Individual MSPs can join the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme. To help them make an informed choice, the SPCB will share information with Members about the Scheme and the Armed Forces Covenant. The only charity that the SPCB endorses is Poppy Scotland and the SPCB is proud to show its support to current and former members of the Armed Forces in doing so.&nbsp;","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jackson Carlaw (on behalf of the SPCB)","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427133,"EventID":"S6W-31790","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":8,"MSPID":2892,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T12:02:52.717","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T15:58:52.09","Title":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what action it is taking to ensure that all parts of the parliamentary estate will be able to maintain a reasonable temperature for the wellbeing of st","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what action it is taking to ensure that all parts of the parliamentary estate will be able to maintain a reasonable temperature for the wellbeing of staff, during the winter months.","AnswerText":"The SPCB can confirm that temperatures will be maintained to allow building users towork comfortably within their specific work areas. We are aware that the temperature in the building recently was below comfortable levels. We are currently undertaking a major replacementproject for the Building Energy Management System (BEMS) which controls andmonitors the heating, ventilation, and cooling throughout the building. The outside temperature had taken a sudden dip; this was the first time the new controls were stress tested. We had expected the building toreact more quickly to the drop in temperature; clearly this was not the case.The parameters have now been adjusted to take this into account and a faultyexternal sensor has been re-calibrated.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Claire Baker (on behalf of the SPCB)","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427134,"EventID":"S6W-31803","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":8,"MSPID":5608,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":103,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T12:03:11.803","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T16:56:23.48","Title":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will review the number of events and meetings that take place after Decision Time in the Scottish Parliament building.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will review the number of events and meetings that take place after Decision Time in the Scottish Parliament building.","AnswerText":"In order to manage resources across parliamentary staff teams and the campus on busy businessnights &ndash; as well as the impact on Members&rsquo; diaries &ndash; agreement was given by theCorporate Body to limit the number of Member-sponsored eventsaccordingly.&nbsp; The Events and Exhibitions Team currently deliver andsupport a maximum of between nine and ten Member-sponsored events weekly onbehalf of Members, with two of those slots being for Thursday lunchtime events.&nbsp;","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christine Grahame (on behalf of the SPCB)","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427135,"EventID":"S6W-31813","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":16197,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T12:53:39.277","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T12:50:16.637","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will provide an update on the draft findings from the A96 Corridor Review.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will provide an update on the draft findings from the A96 Corridor Review.","AnswerText":"The detailed appraisal stage of the A96 Corridor Review has now concluded and ahead of my statement to Parliament, Transport Scotland has published the detailed appraisal material in draft on its website at www.transport.gov.scot/our-approach/strategy/a96-corridor-review/I will set out next steps in relation to the Review in my Parliamentary statement later today.","AnswerDate":"2024-11-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427136,"EventID":"S6O-04076","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T15:10:11.567","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T10:21:48.147","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to Public Health Scotland&rsquo;s recent NHS dental monitoring report, which indicates that almost 40% of adults in Dumfries and Galloway are not re","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to Public Health Scotland&rsquo;s recent NHS dental monitoring report, which indicates that almost 40% of adults in Dumfries and Galloway are not registered with an NHS dentist.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427137,"EventID":"S6O-04073","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":3763,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":142,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T15:10:11.58","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T11:41:10.443","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to introduce regulation for pet groomers, animal boarders and dog walkers, in light of the results of the public consultat","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to introduce regulation for pet groomers, animal boarders and dog walkers, in light of the results of the public consultation from earlier this year that showed a high level of support for such measures.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427138,"EventID":"S6O-04080","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T15:10:11.603","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T13:03:28.773","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps it is taking to increase access to diabetes tech for patients in NHS Lothian.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps it is taking to increase access to diabetes tech for patients in NHS Lothian.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to increasing access to diabetes technologies. We have provided significant investment to all NHS boards and this year alone will support over 2000 people to receive hybrid closed loop systems. This funding from the Scottish Government means that any child or young person that wishes to utilise a CLS is now able to do so.We recognise that patients in NHS Lothian and some other areas are still facing long waits to access hybrid closed loop systems. We are working closely with all NHS boards to determine the most efficient and effective ways of increasing access to this life changing technology. We have also invested in a National Onboarding Service to increase the number of people who can be &lsquo;onboarded&rsquo; to a hybrid closed loop system. I am aware that NHS Lothian has already made a number of referrals to this service and I anticipate that this will begin to reduce waiting times.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427139,"EventID":"S6O-04079","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16175,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":119,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T15:10:11.57","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T11:41:42.847","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting NHS Grampian with its winter preparedness.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting NHS Grampian with its winter preparedness.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427140,"EventID":"S6O-04078","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":2633,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T15:10:11.59","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T09:57:17.577","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to improve rail services forpassengers in the Mid Scotland and Fife region.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to improve rail services forpassengers in the Mid Scotland and Fife region.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427141,"EventID":"S6O-04074","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T15:10:11.58","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T22:03:51.857","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it will ensure that all appropriate roads have a safer speed limit of 20mph by 2025.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it will ensure that all appropriate roads have a safer speed limit of 20mph by 2025.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427142,"EventID":"S6O-04077","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T15:10:11.577","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T10:06:51.597","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to update planning guidance for battery energy storage systems.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to update planning guidance for battery energy storage systems.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427143,"EventID":"S6O-04075","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T15:10:11.573","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T11:13:54.417","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to maintain and grow supported businesses.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to maintain and grow supported businesses.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427144,"EventID":"S6O-04069","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T15:10:02.243","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T13:08:06.05","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to recent reports that many towns in Scotland are so-called legal aid deserts.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to recent reports that many towns in Scotland are so-called legal aid deserts.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427145,"EventID":"S6O-04065","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5075,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":112,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T15:10:02.403","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T09:26:04.53","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of it being the 16 Days of Activismagainst Gender-Based Violence,&nbsp;whether it will provide an update on whatsteps it is taking to tackle violence against w","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of it being the 16 Days of Activismagainst Gender-Based Violence,&nbsp;whether it will provide an update on whatsteps it is taking to tackle violence against women and girls.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427146,"EventID":"S6O-04082","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16178,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":78,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T15:10:02.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T10:25:28.47","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update regarding its consideration of whether to legislate to prescribe the number of learning hours.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update regarding its consideration of whether to legislate to prescribe the number of learning hours.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427147,"EventID":"S6O-04083","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T15:10:02.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-25T13:36:54.05","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that college courses are being tailored to meet the needs of industries involved in energy efficiency, carbon reduction and the just t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that college courses are being tailored to meet the needs of industries involved in energy efficiency, carbon reduction and the just transition.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427148,"EventID":"S6O-04058","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2892,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T15:10:02.473","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-25T15:12:34.927","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how the planned review of Creative Scotland will improve compliance with fair work principles in the culture sector.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the planned review of Creative Scotland will improve compliance with fair work principles in the culture sector.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427149,"EventID":"S6O-04060","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T15:10:02.313","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T11:39:32.513","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government&nbsp;what discussions the culture secretary has had with the finance secretary regarding whether it will deliver its commitment to provide an additional &pound;25 millio","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government&nbsp;what discussions the culture secretary has had with the finance secretary regarding whether it will deliver its commitment to provide an additional &pound;25 million to the culture sector in 2025-26.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427150,"EventID":"S6O-04066","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16189,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":129,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T15:10:02.373","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T11:30:56.54","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of how successful the Bella Centre in Dundee and Lilias Centre in Glasgow have been in acknowledging the experience of trauma and adve","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of how successful the Bella Centre in Dundee and Lilias Centre in Glasgow have been in acknowledging the experience of trauma and adversity and supporting successful transitions for women back into the community.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427151,"EventID":"S6O-04081","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16182,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":117,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T15:10:02.27","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T11:32:55.68","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what provision it is making to ensure that apprenticeship places are available across Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what provision it is making to ensure that apprenticeship places are available across Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427152,"EventID":"S6O-04086","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5110,"Party":"Independent","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":89,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T15:10:02.433","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T13:49:44.833","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to raise awareness of apprenticeship opportunities and promote them as an attractive career path for young people. &nbsp; &nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to raise awareness of apprenticeship opportunities and promote them as an attractive career path for young people. &nbsp; &nbsp;","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427153,"EventID":"S6O-04059","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4940,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":81,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T15:10:02.497","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T11:35:51.573","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact it anticipates that the UK Government's decision to raise employer national insurance contributions will have on organisations in the culture sector that are","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact it anticipates that the UK Government's decision to raise employer national insurance contributions will have on organisations in the culture sector that are in receipt of Scottish Government funding. &nbsp;","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427154,"EventID":"S6O-04085","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1756,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":136,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T15:10:02.53","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T09:53:13.44","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the provision of support for children with additional support needs, what assessment it has made of any impact of the reported delays to ADHD assessments","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the provision of support for children with additional support needs, what assessment it has made of any impact of the reported delays to ADHD assessments for children on their education.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427155,"EventID":"S6O-04062","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5119,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T15:10:02.343","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T12:20:01.017","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what it can do to support access to library services in rural areas.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what it can do to support access to library services in rural areas.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427156,"EventID":"S6O-04063","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T15:10:02.24","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T08:15:42.82","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of Brand Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of Brand Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427157,"EventID":"S6O-04057","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T15:10:02.423","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T16:51:24.933","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects its preparatory work to conclude and the review into Creative Scotland, which was announced in September 2024, to get underway.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects its preparatory work to conclude and the review into Creative Scotland, which was announced in September 2024, to get underway.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427158,"EventID":"S6O-04068","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T15:10:02.39","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-25T15:30:53.403","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to support the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in advance of the winter months.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to support the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in advance of the winter months.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427159,"EventID":"S6O-04061","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T15:10:02.51","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T10:45:18.927","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent reaffirmation of its commitment to increase culture funding by at least an additional &pound;100 million a year by 2028-29, how much of this extr","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent reaffirmation of its commitment to increase culture funding by at least an additional &pound;100 million a year by 2028-29, how much of this extra investment will be directed towards community arts and placemaking.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427160,"EventID":"S6O-04087","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T15:10:02.353","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T17:30:27.213","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to ensure that pupils have access to practical science activities as part of the curriculum.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to ensure that pupils have access to practical science activities as part of the curriculum.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427161,"EventID":"S6O-04084","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T15:10:02.453","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T16:47:00.62","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that students are supported throughout their educational journey with career advice that aligns with the future economic need for spec","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that students are supported throughout their educational journey with career advice that aligns with the future economic need for specific roles and skills. &nbsp;","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427162,"EventID":"S6O-04088","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16207,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T15:10:02.3","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T18:29:24.85","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the University of Dundee, in light of recent reports regarding its financial situation, senior management resignations and its failure t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the University of Dundee, in light of recent reports regarding its financial situation, senior management resignations and its failure to recruit enough Scottish students. &nbsp;","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427163,"EventID":"S6O-04071","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T15:10:02.483","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-25T16:32:25.417","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with Police Scotland to increase law enforcement resources in Scotland&rsquo;s cities.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with Police Scotland to increase law enforcement resources in Scotland&rsquo;s cities.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427164,"EventID":"S6O-04072","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5618,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":91,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T15:10:02.33","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T10:49:11.47","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with South Lanarkshire Council regarding potential firework control zones in the local authority area.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with South Lanarkshire Council regarding potential firework control zones in the local authority area.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427165,"EventID":"S6O-04070","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5866,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T15:10:02.463","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T09:38:55.503","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is working to clear the criminal court backlog.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is working to clear the criminal court backlog.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427166,"EventID":"S6O-04067","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5074,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":104,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T15:10:02.413","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-25T16:06:58.603","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much money recovered from the proceeds of crime has been committed to the CashBack for Communities programme since 2008. &nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much money recovered from the proceeds of crime has been committed to the CashBack for Communities programme since 2008. &nbsp;","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427167,"EventID":"S6W-31622","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":8,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T16:00:04.47","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:38:55.59","Title":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it prioritises local suppliers when purchasing flowers or floral arrangements for events, in order to support the reportedly growing flower far","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it prioritises local suppliers when purchasing flowers or floral arrangements for events, in order to support the reportedly growing flower farming industry in Scotland.","AnswerText":"Floral arrangements are supplied via our service partner for Catering Services, Sodexo Limited. Their flower supplier is a small business in Edinburgh established for over 25 years providing fresh flowers and arrangements throughout the year for various events and requests. Sodexo use SME businesses on behalf of the Scottish Parliament prioritising whenever possible using local and Scottish produce.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Claire Baker (on behalf of the SPCB)","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427196,"EventID":"S6W-31818","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T16:52:09.567","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T14:55:33.77","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been made of the current living grant for trainee educational psychologists, in light of the &pound;15,000 grant introduced in 2018 having not been a","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been made of the current living grant for trainee educational psychologists, in light of the &pound;15,000 grant introduced in 2018 having not been adjusted for the reported 25.96% increase in the cost of goods and services, and how it plans to ensure that the grant remains sufficient to attract and retain high-quality trainees in the educational psychology profession.","AnswerText":"Since 2018, the number of education psychologists in training has more than doubled from a total of 29 in 2016-2017 to over 76 in 2023-2024. This is due to the continued investment Scottish Government in partnership with COSLA make to deliver the training programme for educational psychologists which has risen to nearly &pound;2m per year.The living costs grant for educational psychologist trainees, in addition to tuition fee funding, is not income assessed and does not need to be repaid. Most post-graduate students studying other subjects are eligible for a &pound;6,900 living costs loan for the duration of their course.Since 2022, work has been undertaken by Scottish Government, COSLA officials, supported by the National Scottish Steering Group for Educational Psychologists (NSSGEP) and Dundee University, to establish a 3-year doctorate model of training. This package equates to &pound;29,000 per student, per annum, for the duration of the 3-year training programme.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427197,"EventID":"S6W-31816","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2103,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":109,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T16:52:10.26","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T14:12:58.757","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many physician associates (a) have lost and (b) are losing their roles; what the surrounding circumstances were or are, and what assessm","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many physician associates (a) have lost and (b) are losing their roles; what the surrounding circumstances were or are, and what assessment it has made of the potential welfare risks that this may cause to individuals.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"Work is ongoing to improve the availability of data regarding the number and distribution of Physician Associates (PAs) across NHS Scotland. It is expected that these improvements will allow for the more effective analysis of workforce trends for this profession from the beginning of the 2025-26 financial year.Individual decisions about the employment and deployment of PAs are a matter for Health Boards, many of whom will have considerable experience of utilising this role to good effect. The profession is a valued, long-standing part of the NHS Scotland workforce and it is important that discussions about the role are taken forward in a respectful and supportive manner.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427198,"EventID":"S6W-31798","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T16:52:09.657","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T16:08:10.977","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it plans to provide to third sector organisations to mitigate the financial impact of the increase in employer national insurance contributions, in light of","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it plans to provide to third sector organisations to mitigate the financial impact of the increase in employer national insurance contributions, in light of reported concerns that many are already experiencing financial difficulties and facing the prospect of redundancies, or even closure.","AnswerText":"We are disappointed that the UK Government failed to engage with us on this change and are concerned about the additional pressure this decision places on third sector organisations across Scotland. It is not right that these organisations should be disadvantaged by the UK Government&rsquo;s policy change.The Scottish Government greatly values the essential role of Scotland&rsquo;s third sector in working across communities to tackle tough social issues at source. We recognise that the third sector needs stability and the opportunity for longer term planning and development. We are committed to developing a Fairer Funding approach for the third sector, despite the financial restraints we face.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427199,"EventID":"S6W-31809","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T16:52:10.183","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T09:43:44.657","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what mechanisms it uses to ensure best value for the spending of public funds on, and consistency of, support for disabled students in further and higher education.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what mechanisms it uses to ensure best value for the spending of public funds on, and consistency of, support for disabled students in further and higher education.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all students with a disability, long term medical condition or additional support needs are able to access further and higher education and are fully supported throughout their studies.Further EducationThe Additional Support Needs for Learning Allowance is a non-income assessed allowance administered by individual colleges. It is intended to support students with disabilities or additional learning needs who are studying a course of Further Education and may have extra costs because of their disability.Colleges, as part of their integral core funding via Scottish Funding Council, also receive the Access and Inclusion Fund. This supports the teaching and learning of students with additional support needs.It is the responsibility of individual colleges to manage their student support budgets in a prudent and effective manner. The Scottish Funding Council has clear guidelines and processes in place to monitor colleges&rsquo; management of their student support funds, including the requirement for colleges to be audited, by external auditors, on their annual student support expenditure.Higher EducationThe Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) is a non-income assessed fund that is administered by Student Awards Agency Scotland. It is intended to support disabled students and those with additional learning needs who are studying a course of Higher Education and may have extra costs because of their disability.As a bespoke fund, the amount a student is eligible to receive is based on their individual needs. Those awards are made based on comprehensive guidance prepared by Student Award Agency Scotland and shared with institutions on an annual basis, ensuring that there is a consistency of approach across the sector.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427200,"EventID":"S6W-31787","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T16:52:10.203","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T15:36:06.257","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what financial support is being provided for buildings with known cladding issues.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what financial support is being provided for buildings with known cladding issues.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is providing financial support for buildings with known cladding issues through the Cladding Remediation Programme.The Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Act 2024 addresses the risks posed by unsafe cladding on residential buildings. This legislation gives Scottish Ministers the power to assess and remediate buildings with unsafe cladding, establish a Cladding Assurance Register, and create schemes requiring developers to contribute to remediation costs. The Act is expected to be commenced in early 2025.The Scottish Government&rsquo;s Cladding Remediation Programme Pilot utilised a self-nomination process to identify buildings, of different tenures, that are potentially affected by unsafe cladding. For the Pilot, the Scottish Government funded Pilot Single Building Assessments to test the concept and deliverability of the Assessment. Following the introduction of the Act we have introduced Single Building Assessments (SBA).The Scottish Government will continue to fund assessment and remediation where no linked developer can be identified. The level of financial support that will be needed is determined by the comprehensive SBA assessment. We continue to publish spend information for the programme which can be accessed hereSingle Building Assessment programme: spending information (gov.scot)","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427201,"EventID":"S6W-31796","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T16:52:10.127","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T16:07:05.583","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which harbour authorities in Scotland currently levy a leisure vessel conservancy fee, and what the annual fee is in each harbour authority that has such a levy.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which harbour authorities in Scotland currently levy a leisure vessel conservancy fee, and what the annual fee is in each harbour authority that has such a levy.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold information on fees set by ports.Statutory Harbour Authorities are independent bodies governed by their own legislation. A Statutory Harbour Authority&rsquo;s powers, duties and geographic area of jurisdiction are set out in local Acts of Parliament, or a Harbour Order under the Harbours Act 1964.All ports are obliged to act in accordance with their local legislation and other relevant laws.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427202,"EventID":"S6W-31801","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T16:52:09.597","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T16:42:54.647","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to improve the outcomes for the treatment of drug addiction co-dependency.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to improve the outcomes for the treatment of drug addiction co-dependency.","AnswerText":"We are working to improve outcomes for people receiving drug treatment by recognising family members can play an important role in a loved one&rsquo;s recovery. MAT Standard 2 &lsquo;Choice&rsquo; and MAT Standard 8 &lsquo;Independent Advocacy&rsquo; states individuals should be entitled to choice of treatment and who accompanies them.We also recognise that families affected by substance use must be supported in their own right, as well as being involved in their loved one&rsquo;s treatment and recovery.We have provided ADPs with &pound;3.5 million per year over the life of the Parliament for local implementation of our framework Drug and alcohol services - improving holistic family support - gov.scot (www.gov.scot), to improve holistic support for families affected by drugs and alcohol by taking a whole family approach and using family inclusive practice.We are providing &pound;138,876 over three years (2023-2026) to Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs to develop, test and deliver a national Family Inclusive Practice Development Programme. This programme will focus on supporting practice implementation of Family Inclusive Practice through continued work with existing areas and expansion into other localities.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427203,"EventID":"S6W-31795","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T16:52:09.567","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T16:06:54.14","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government on what (a) relevant knowledge and (b) experience the Cabinet Secretary for Transport based her appointment of Mark Tarry to the board of CMAL.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government on what (a) relevant knowledge and (b) experience the Cabinet Secretary for Transport based her appointment of Mark Tarry to the board of CMAL.","AnswerText":"CMAL Board appointment campaigns are carried out in line with the Ethical Standards Commissioner&rsquo;s Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies in Scotland.Scottish Ministers consider the recommendation presented to them by the selection panel appointed to take forward Public Body Board appointment campaigns. The selection panel includes an advisor appointed on behalf of the Ethical Standards Commissioner.In this instance the CMAL Board required a candidate with specialist risk and assurance expertise and experience. The selection panel evaluates the evidence presented by each candidate as part of the Board appointment process, this is tested when reviewing each application form and also at interview. The selection panel recommend to Scottish Ministers the candidates they consider as being most able to meet the requirements of the role or roles as advertised. This is based on merit and is in line with the Ethical Standards Commissioner&rsquo;s Code of Practice.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427204,"EventID":"S6W-31794","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T16:52:09.68","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T16:06:54.14","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to announce proposals for future governance arrangements for Hebrides and Clyde ferry services, and whether these will be subject to consultation.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to announce proposals for future governance arrangements for Hebrides and Clyde ferry services, and whether these will be subject to consultation.","AnswerText":"Scottish Ministers have been clear on the need to improve delivery of the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services (CHFS), to ensure the requirements of our ferry dependent communities are met. No immediate decisions are being made on the subject of reform of the ferries sector, including whether any proposals would be subject to public consultation. At present, the focus is on bringing in new vessels and putting arrangements in place for the direct award of the new CHFS contract next year.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427205,"EventID":"S6W-31799","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T16:52:09.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T16:25:52.183","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-04899 by Kevin Stewart on 15 December 2021, how many inspections of care homes for adults have been carried out by the Care Inspec","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-04899 by Kevin Stewart on 15 December 2021, how many inspections of care homes for adults have been carried out by the Care Inspectorate in each year since 2021, and how many of these were return inspections.","AnswerText":"Inspections of care homes for adults and older people completed 2021-22 to 2024-25 (to date)&nbsp;Inspection year&nbsp;&nbsp;2021-222022-232023-242024-25 (Apr24 - Oct24)&nbsp;&nbsp;Total number of inspections completed in care homes for adults and older people84811511034583&nbsp;of which: 'Return inspections' completed (i.e. number of second and subsequent inspections)391329346120&nbsp;Source: end of year inspection data files 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, and 31 October 2024 inspections completed files.Note: the return inspections are a subset of the total number of inspections completed, not in addition to the total number.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427206,"EventID":"S6W-31788","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T16:52:10.11","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T15:39:27.103","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Great School Libraries campaign to bring libraries and access to librarians back to every school in the UK, as it relates to Scotland.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Great School Libraries campaign to bring libraries and access to librarians back to every school in the UK, as it relates to Scotland.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government agrees that Scotland&rsquo;s school libraries play&nbsp;a key role in supporting literacy and cultivating a love of reading. Responsibility for school libraries rests with local authorities, who have a statutory duty to ensure there is adequate provision of library services. At a national level, the Scottish Government worked with key partners to develop and publish the National Strategy for School Libraries. Over the course of 8 years we have provided over &pound;1.72 million via the School Libraries Improvement Fund to enhance school library provision.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427207,"EventID":"S6W-31797","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T16:52:10.173","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T16:08:10.977","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what review it has undertaken of the number of sports coaches working with children who have not had full disclosure checks.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what review it has undertaken of the number of sports coaches working with children who have not had full disclosure checks.","AnswerText":"I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:Membership of the PVG Scheme is available for an individual coaching or training children in sports. It is the responsibility of the recruiting organisation to make use of the PVG disclosure checks. Membership of the PVG Scheme will become a legal requirement on 1 April 2025. Currently, though, many organisations (including sports governing bodies) treat the Scheme as though it is a legal requirement. This de facto requirement is primarily because, if an organisation was to employ a barred individual to do regulated work, they would be guilty of an offence under the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007.In cases where a self-employed individual (and that includes paid, and unpaid or voluntary work) teaches or trains children scheme membership is available to that person. The individual can use their scheme membership to satisfy parents or carers of children in receipt of teaching or coaching that they are not unsuitable for that type of regulated work.Particularly since the 2017 Health and Sport Committee report on Child Abuse in Sport, Disclosure Scotland has worked closely with all sports governing bodies (&ldquo;SGBs&rdquo;), including sportscotland and the Scottish Youth Football Association, to ensure that PVG disclosure checks are undertaken on sports coaches eligible for scheme membership. This includes providing guidance to SGBs on specific duties and requirements under the Scheme, and carrying out compliance audits. It is our assessment that most, if not all, SGBs require PVG membership as part of any role that involves working with children or protected adults.The Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 will make PVG scheme membership a legal requirement for all individuals carrying out a regulated role in Scotland, which includes sports coaches and agents. It will be an offence for an organisation to employ an individual into a regulated role if that individual is not a member of the PVG Scheme.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427208,"EventID":"S6W-31800","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T16:52:10.187","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T16:27:37.407","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of any impact of ticket office closures on rail passenger numbers, and what measures it has put in place to mitigate any accessibility pr","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of any impact of ticket office closures on rail passenger numbers, and what measures it has put in place to mitigate any accessibility problems caused by closures.","AnswerText":"There will be no ticket office closures or job losses further to the adjustments to the ticket office opening hours proposed by ScotRail and Scottish Rail Holdings.The purpose of these adjustments is to enable ScotRail to provide assistance to passengers, where it is most required, thus enhancing passenger experience.The Scottish Government&rsquo;s acceptance to these proposals is predicated on some conditions, including that the arrangements for disabled passengers will not be affected.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427209,"EventID":"S6W-31814","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T16:52:10.2","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T12:52:51.237","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to make an announcement on the delivery of the second tranche of 2024's annual budget funding for Community Led Local Development.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to make an announcement on the delivery of the second tranche of 2024's annual budget funding for Community Led Local Development.","AnswerText":"The announcement of the second tranche of 2024-25 Community Led Local Development (CLLD) funding totalling &pound;4.25m was provided to all delivery stakeholders on the 27 November 2024. Area based allocations have now been issued to the 20 Local Action Groups (LAGs).","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427210,"EventID":"S6W-31769","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T16:52:10.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T12:04:44.33","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is being provided to NHS boards to manage adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) referrals, in light of the reported backlog of people on wai","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is being provided to NHS boards to manage adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) referrals, in light of the reported backlog of people on waiting lists, including reports that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde assessed 353 adults in 2023 but in June 2024 had 4,268 adults waiting for an ADHD assessment.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government wants patients to get the help they need, when they need it, and we understand how important a timely ADHD diagnosis is for individuals.While local Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs) have responsibility for putting in place services to meet local needs, including the needs of adults with ADHD, we fund the National Autism Implementation Team (NAIT) to support HSCPs to consider best practice and improve services in the redesigning of neurodevelopmental diagnostic services.NAIT provides HSCPs with resources to help them support these adults, and works with them to ensure that Adult Neurodevelopmental Pathways, which provide diagnostic services and support tailored to the needs of each neurodivergent individual, are implemented.We also provide funding to NHS Education for Scotland (NES) to deliver training resources to meet the needs of staff working in ADHD services across health and social care. These include webinars on Assessing ADHD and Understanding ADHD in Girls and Women, which are available to all NHS and Social Care staff via an online knowledge hub.Our intention is that these steps will help streamline diagnostic and support processes, thereby reducing existing backlogs.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427211,"EventID":"S6W-31785","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T16:52:10.14","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T15:17:50.68","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it (a) can take and (b) is taking to support local authorities to ensure that licensed taxi drivers comply with the Equality Act 2010 in relation to refusing","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it (a) can take and (b) is taking to support local authorities to ensure that licensed taxi drivers comply with the Equality Act 2010 in relation to refusing or attempting to refuse to carry visually impaired people due to them travelling with their guide dog.","AnswerText":"Accessibility obligations for taxi and private hire car drivers and Local Licencing Authorities are reserved to the UK Government under the Equality Act 2010.The taxi licensing system is devolved under the Civic Government Act 1982 and is implemented by (local authority) licensing authorities. They are responsible for enforcing the duties placed on drivers to carry a disabled person&rsquo;s assistance dog at no additional charge, unless the driver has a medical exemption certificate.Transport Scotland will shortly survey licensing authorities to better understand the provision of accessible taxis and disability equality training requirements in each licencing area.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427212,"EventID":"S6W-31812","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T16:52:10.203","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T10:56:21.987","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the role of Patient Safety Commissioner for Scotland has reportedly not been filled, and when it anticipates that it will be.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the role of Patient Safety Commissioner for Scotland has reportedly not been filled, and when it anticipates that it will be.","AnswerText":"The Patient Safety Commissioner is a Parliamentary office-holder and is being recruited by the Scottish Parliament. They will be appointed by His Majesty on nomination of the Scottish Parliament.As the Commissioner will be an independent public advocate for patients on issues of safety the Scottish Government does not have a role in the recruitment process. The Commissioner will champion the value of listening to patients and will hold organisations to account for their responsibility to take patients&rsquo; concerns seriously.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427213,"EventID":"S6W-31806","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T16:52:10.147","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T09:43:44.657","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on developing a replacement notification process for Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) assessors that will maintain GDPR compliance.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on developing a replacement notification process for Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) assessors that will maintain GDPR compliance.","AnswerText":"Notifications of awards of DSA to assessors are being provided as part of the new DSA online service that Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) released in October 2024.The service is in a pilot stage where it is being trialled by 3 universities to submit new DSA applications. It is anticipated that the online service will be rolled out by SAAS to every Higher Education Institution during 2025. In the interim, there is an exceptions handling process in place for assessors who require a copy of a DSA award notice from SAAS.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427214,"EventID":"S6W-31782","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T16:52:10.14","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T13:08:33.11","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21560 by Jenni Minto on 2 October 2023, what work it has done with stakeholder groups to explore how it might further review and i","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21560 by Jenni Minto on 2 October 2023, what work it has done with stakeholder groups to explore how it might further review and implement the NICE guideline on myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) in Scotland.","AnswerText":"We are committed to driving more equitable ME/CFS care across Scotland, to ensure that people receive appropriate help whenever and wherever they need.In May 2023 we published an analysis of survey data of health boards&rsquo; arrangements for ME/CFS care. The aims were to gauge boards&rsquo; awareness of the updated NICE guideline, understand how services are implementing the guidance and any associated barriers or opportunities, and their future plans for ME/CFS care. We have since gathered updated information from every health board in Scotland and published this on 20 November 2024.We have continued to work with third sector organisations representing people with ME/CFS, and people with lived experience, to understand more about what changes would be most impactful in moving further forward with implementing best practice in Scotland. This includes discussions with MEAction Scotland and Action for ME.The 2025/26 budget includes new investment of &pound;4.5 million to deliver new specialist support across the country for Long Covid, ME/CFS, and other similar conditions.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427215,"EventID":"S6W-31802","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T16:52:10.113","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T16:42:54.647","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address the reported increase in cocaine use, in light of reports that it has overtaken heroin as the drug of choice among people starting specialist","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address the reported increase in cocaine use, in light of reports that it has overtaken heroin as the drug of choice among people starting specialist treatment.","AnswerText":"It is crucial that we continue to prioritise surveillance to better understand and respond to emerging drug trends. RADAR reports and other surveillance measures play a vital part in providing us with an early warning and to alert services and people who use drugs.RADAR aims to monitor drug-related harms, service usage and toxicology data to provide an early warning of emerging drug trends and identify actions to reduce and prevent drug harms and deaths.There is also a focus on ensuring services across Scotland have treatment pathways available for all types of drugs including stimulants, and the Scottish Government work closely with all areas to support them to achieving this successfully.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427216,"EventID":"S6W-31793","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T16:52:10.123","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T16:06:54.14","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider introducing a policy that no individual will be appointed to the board of David MacBrayne Limited or CMAL without being able to demonstrate expe","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider introducing a policy that no individual will be appointed to the board of David MacBrayne Limited or CMAL without being able to demonstrate experience of island communities and conditions.","AnswerText":"Scottish Ministers have been clear on their desire to ensure greater islander representation on the Boards of David MacBrayne Ltd and CMAL. Previous recruitments have resulted on at least one board member in each organisation who has the skills required for the role and is also an islander. We will continue to work hard with both Boards to fully explore all options that will result in encouraging more island residents to apply for future Board opportunities.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427217,"EventID":"S6W-31810","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T16:52:10.14","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T09:43:44.657","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to encourage and enable universities to respond to any changes in student demographics, including in relation to disabled students.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to encourage and enable universities to respond to any changes in student demographics, including in relation to disabled students.","AnswerText":"Data shows that we have a record number of new students at university with a recorded disability or additional support need (6,765, an increase of 14.9% over the year). Additionally, the support provided to students via the Disabled Students&rsquo; Allowance totalled &pound;14.1 million in 2023-24, an 18.4% increase over the year.Against that backdrop, the 2025-26 budget, published on Wednesday 4th December, emphasises the First Minister&rsquo;s priorities and champions programmes that have a far-reaching impact in addressing child poverty and improving outcomes for families and learners across Scotland.As part of the budget announcement, Ministers expect the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) to prioritise the additional investment, to support widening access and to protect and enhance the learner experience. In addition, by protecting the right to free tuition, the Scottish Government is driving forward our commitment to widening access.As part of the annual funding allocations process, the SFC reviews demand and supply of funded places, to reflect the dynamic changes to learner needs.SFC and the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) are currently working together to enhance the SFC&rsquo;s leadership and oversight role in tackling persistent inequalities in the tertiary system.Through this, SFC and EHRC have established a set of National Equality Outcomes (NEOs) for the tertiary education sector through their Persistent Inequalities work, including three NEOs specific to disabled students.The SFC asks colleges and universities to be mindful of the Equality Act (2010), under which disabled students are protected, and supports them to meet the requirements and achieve the aspirations of the Public Sector Equality Duty. This includes through the statutory requirement for Equality and Human Rights Impact Assessments of new and revised strategies and policies.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427218,"EventID":"S6W-31808","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T16:52:10.113","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T09:43:44.657","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will establish an advisory group to consider disability-related issues in further and higher education.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will establish an advisory group to consider disability-related issues in further and higher education.","AnswerText":"The member raised the issue of setting up such a forum in the Chamber during general questions on 28 November 2024.I confirmed at the time I would be happy to meet to discuss such a group, noting that I would be keen to extend any such forum to look at apprenticeships as well.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427219,"EventID":"S6W-31784","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T16:52:10.223","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T14:58:23.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last conducted a review of Special Operations Response Team coverage across Scotland, and what the outcome was of any such review.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last conducted a review of Special Operations Response Team coverage across Scotland, and what the outcome was of any such review.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government regularly reviews the Scottish Ambulance Service - Special Operations Response Team (SORT) arrangements as part of an agreed Service Level Agreement. This ensures delivery of SORT capabilities are maintained across Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427220,"EventID":"S6W-31786","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T16:52:10.237","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T15:35:46.4","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans are being drafted or implemented in relation to (a) mental health support and (b) pay awards for Police Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans are being drafted or implemented in relation to (a) mental health support and (b) pay awards for Police Scotland.","AnswerText":"The mental health support for police officers and police staff is a matter for the Chief Constable.In line with Police Scotland&rsquo;s &lsquo;People Strategy 2024&ndash;27&rsquo;, a &lsquo;Health and Wellbeing Action Plan&rsquo; was developed by Police Scotland to provide officers and staff with a range of tools and services that will enable them to take positive action in relation to their health and wellbeing.In relation to pay for officers and staff, claims are currently being taken through the appropriate negotiating mechanisms, those being, the Police Negotiating Board for Scotland (PNBS) for Police Officers and the Joint Negotiating and Consultative Committee (JNCC) for Police Staff. The PNBS is undertaking a period of conciliation and if agreement can still not be reached, the two Sides of the PNBS would enter into an arbitration process through ACAS. Police Staff pay is also going through a process of negotiation and conciliation; this is a matter for Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427221,"EventID":"S6W-31791","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T16:52:10.117","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T16:06:54.14","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government on how many occasions in each of the last 10 years Jayam Dalal has been a member of an appointments panel established to advise ministers on public sector appointments.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government on how many occasions in each of the last 10 years Jayam Dalal has been a member of an appointments panel established to advise ministers on public sector appointments.","AnswerText":"Jayam Dalal is a Public Appointments Adviser appointed by the Ethical Standards Commissioner for Scotland (ESC) at the commencement of regulated Ministerial appointment rounds. The Scottish Government does not retain the information requested, however, we have asked the ESC for the information who has confirmed that in the last ten years Ms Dalal has participated in 30 appointment rounds. Of those, she was a full selection panel member for sixteen rounds. For the remaining fourteen rounds, Ms Dalal provided oversight and advice at the planning phase but was not part of the selection panel.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427222,"EventID":"S6W-31811","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T16:52:10.143","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T09:43:44.657","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there is a forum for relevant stakeholders to explore and develop evidence-based strategies that could tackle the reported poorer outcomes that some disabled stu","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there is a forum for relevant stakeholders to explore and develop evidence-based strategies that could tackle the reported poorer outcomes that some disabled students and graduates, particularly those who are autistic or neurodivergent and those with mental ill health, continue to experience.","AnswerText":"A number of forums exist which provide an opportunity for stakeholders to discuss disabled student and graduate outcomes.The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) have regular contact with the College Development Network&rsquo;s Equality Diversity and Inclusion network, which brings together equality leads from Scotland&rsquo;s colleges. SFC are also developing a relationship with the Scottish Equality Forum, a network which brings together equality leads from across Scotland&rsquo;s universities and college to provide support to each other on addressing inequality in the sector.Additionally, through the development of the proposed Learning Disability, Autism and Neurodivergence Bill, 3 Bill Advisory Panels were established early last year to co-develop proposals. This includes stakeholder and practitioner panels and a lived experience panel. Those panels provide a forum for wider discussion of the challenges and barriers faced by autistic and neurodivergent people, including their experiences of education.And in September 2024, the Scottish Government published its Student Mental Health Action Plan which sets out, for the first time, a mainstreamed approach to student mental health. The Scottish Government will work in partnership with NHS Boards, CoSLA, Public Health Scotland and community based providers to join up support that is already available, embedding support for students into the wider communities in which they live and study.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427223,"EventID":"S6W-31792","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T16:52:10.133","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T16:06:54.14","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Transport last met with Erik &Oslash;stergaard (a) in person and (b) remotely.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Transport last met with Erik &Oslash;stergaard (a) in person and (b) remotely.","AnswerText":"Scottish Ministers and Transport Scotland officials meet regularly with David MacBrayne Ltd &amp; CalMac Ferries Ltd. This includes Ministerial meetings with the Board and Senior Management Team as well as Transport Scotland participation in a range of DML led working groups.The Cabinet Secretary for Transport last met the DML Board Chair (Erik &Oslash;stergaard) in person on, 17 September 2024, and remotely on, 16 November 2023.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427224,"EventID":"S6W-31815","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2103,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":109,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-27T16:52:10.15","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T14:12:58.757","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the reportedly more controlled expansion of physician associates in Scotland has led to a safer and more efficient deployment of these he","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the reportedly more controlled expansion of physician associates in Scotland has led to a safer and more efficient deployment of these healthcare professionals in comparison with other parts of the UK.","AnswerText":"The NHS England Long-Term Workforce Plan, published under the previous UK Government in June 2023, committed to an expansion of Physician Associate (PA) training places with a view to establishing a workforce of 10,000 PAs by 2036-37. No such target for expansion has been set by Scottish Ministers who are clear that any growth of the profession must be gradual and evidence-based. While high profile examples of harm involving physician associates did not take place in Scotland and there is no empirical comparative data between countries on adverse events involving PAs, the Scottish Government&rsquo;s approach to this role is being informed by a national Programme Board tasked with considering issues including Scope of Practice and supervision. Statutory regulation of the professions by the General Medical Council is due to commence in 13 December, introducing consistent UK-wide standards for education, training and practice with individual professional accountability and meaningful consequences when these are not met.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427225,"EventID":"S6W-31839","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":8,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-28T13:14:39.59","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-28T13:13:19.06","Title":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what its position is on whether MSP staff should be entitled to reimbursement for pedal cycle miles in relation to official business-related travel.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what its position is on whether MSP staff should be entitled to reimbursement for pedal cycle miles in relation to official business-related travel.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body supports the reimbursement of pedal cycle mileage expenses for MSP staff in relation to business travel as part of its commitment to sustainable and eco-friendly travel options. Members may also claim for reimbursement of pedal cycle mileage expenses that occur because of their parliamentary work.    The reimbursement rate for bicycle travel is set at 20p per mile which is in line with current HMRC approved mileage rates. This policy aligns with broader efforts by the SPCB to promote green initiatives and supports MSP staff in making environmentally friendly travel choices.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jackson Carlaw (on behalf of the SPCB)","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427227,"EventID":"S6W-31490","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-28T16:17:29.05","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-19T11:56:56.397","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it issues to (a) its departments and (b) organisations working on its behalf regarding its (i) definition of, (ii) criteria for and (iii) expectations surr","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it issues to (a) its departments and (b) organisations working on its behalf regarding its (i) definition of, (ii) criteria for and (iii) expectations surrounding the process of a peer review.","AnswerText":"Two peer review processes are overseen by the social research profession in Scottish Government.Organisations working for Scottish Government and officials may be involved in an Ethics Peer Review. The Scottish Government Ethics Guidance for Social Research (https://www.gov.scot/publications/ethics-guidance-scottish-government-social-research/) sets out the criteria, expectations and process ensuring ethically highly sensitive projects receive this additional scrutiny.The Scottish Government Social Research Contractor Handbook (https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-government-social-research-publication-protocol/) suggests peer reviews to assess the quality of completed reports. These are internal or external by independent researchers. Internal social research guidance advises external peer review may be useful at the start of complex projects.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jamie Hepburn","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427228,"EventID":"S6W-31830","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-28T16:17:29.11","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T15:31:18.827","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (GGC) and (b) health and social care partnerships (HSCPs) in the NHS GGC area regarding home ear wax r","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (GGC) and (b) health and social care partnerships (HSCPs) in the NHS GGC area regarding home ear wax removal, and how it is supporting HSCPs to make this service available to patients who need it.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not held any specific discussions with NHS Greater Glasgow &amp; Clyde and its respective HSCPs on home ear wax removal. The Scottish Government has regular engagement with all HSCPs areas on GP contract implementation progress.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427229,"EventID":"S6W-31832","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-28T16:17:29.05","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T16:13:13.907","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to make the legal process of getting married more equitable.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to make the legal process of getting married more equitable.","AnswerText":"In addition to making it possible for same sex couples to marry, the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014 made some changes to marriage procedures. These changes included putting belief celebrants on an equal footing with religious celebrants and making provision so that civil marriage ceremonies can take place anywhere, other than in religious premises, agreed by the couple and the registrar.We have no plans to review the procedures for getting married but we plan to consult in the next few months on whether the minimum age of marriage and civil partnership should be raised to 18 from 16.The member is welcome to raise any specific concerns regarding the legal process of getting married with me in writing.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427230,"EventID":"S6W-31822","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-28T16:17:29.163","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T15:28:43.707","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided towards research on (a) strokes, (b) heart disease, (c) cancer, (d) hearing loss and (e) sight loss in each year since 2016.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided towards research on (a) strokes, (b) heart disease, (c) cancer, (d) hearing loss and (e) sight loss in each year since 2016.","AnswerText":"Funding provided by the Scottish Government (Chief Scientist Office) for research falls into three broad areas of activity, i.e. research studies, capacity building and supporting infrastructure.The specific amounts provided by condition are set out below although it should be noted that research studies (funded by non-commercial and third sector organisations) would also have benefited from the provision of service support costs and other generic resources which are not routinely recorded by condition.Research GrantsThe Chief Scientist Office supports response mode grant committees and a small catalytic grants scheme (2016-19). The committees which comprise independent experts as well as public representatives consider applications across broad research remits to address health and care challenges in Scotland. Applications are subject to independent expert peer-review with funding recommendations made by the committees. It should be noted that (1) funding rounds were significantly impacted in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic which saw a significant research response and (2) for 2024 to date only one of the two funding rounds has been completed.&nbsp;StrokeCVD/heart diseaseCancerSight Loss2016&pound;85,339&pound;766,921&pound;1,788,652&pound;02017&pound;865,540&pound;248,008&pound;1,718,367&pound;31,2262018&pound;645,018&pound;312,147&pound;584,977&pound;02019&pound;920,831&pound;55,649&pound;979,022&pound;02020&pound;0&pound;0&pound;299,412&pound;02021&pound;704,376&pound;298,721&pound;1,581,688&pound;02022&pound;856,699&pound;0&pound;888,575&pound;236,4172023&pound;299,999&pound;0&pound;599,704&pound;02024&pound;0&pound;0&pound;693,109&pound;349,565Capacity Building SchemesThe funding awarded for Fellowship projects related to stroke, heart disease and cancer and Sight loss over the years 2016 to 2024 is shown below:&nbsp;StrokeHeart diseaseCancerSight Loss2016&pound;213,517&pound;37,000&pound;533,000&pound;02017&pound;0&pound;20,000&pound;268,990&pound;60,0002018&pound;289,810&pound;142,252&pound;766,111&pound;02019&pound;0&pound;144,278&pound;713,000&pound;02020&pound;0&pound;70,000&pound;676,935&pound;02021&pound;0&pound;140,000&pound;228,000&pound;75,0002022&pound;0&pound;82,154&pound;480,148&pound;02023&pound;0&pound;179,779&pound;579,090&pound;02024&pound;0&pound;82,886&pound;1,020,149&pound;0No projects were recommended for funding by Research Grants or Capacity Panels over the period 2016-2024 in the area of hearing loss.Dedicated infrastructure support which was open to all eligibly funded research studies was as follows:&nbsp;StrokeCVD/Heart diseaseCancer*Hearing Loss **Sight Loss (ophthalmology)2016&pound;598,000&pound;64,000&pound;929,012&pound;356,152&pound;14,0002017&pound;604,000&pound;65,200&pound;797,001&pound;342,651&pound;14,2002018&pound;616,000&pound;66,424&pound;753,421&pound;391,752&pound;14,4042019&pound;616,000&pound;66,424&pound;731,529&pound;394,924&pound;14,4042020&pound;616,000&pound;66,424&pound;874,888&pound;398,924&pound;14,4042021&pound;641,000&pound;68,923&pound;668,744&pound;398,924&pound;14,8212022&pound;689,000&pound;100,000&pound;860000&pound;0&pound;18,0002023&pound;734,000&pound;107,000&pound;951,368&pound;0&pound;19,0002024&pound;757,000&pound;118,000&pound;1,028,347&pound;0&pound;20,000Notes:* From 1 April 2006 a recurring investment of &pound;500,000 was incorporated into the NHS Boards unified budgets subject to annual uplift.* Includes funding for the NRS Cancer Research Network; the CSO component of funding for the Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres in Edinburgh and Glasgow (co-funded 50:50 with Cancer Research UK)** Funding of the Institute for Hearing Research at the University of Glasgow in partnership with the Medical Research Council (MRC).","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427231,"EventID":"S6W-31831","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-28T16:17:29.057","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T15:31:18.827","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what members of the health and social care workforce are qualified to carry out home ear wax removal services, and what assessment it has made of any vacancy levels in t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what members of the health and social care workforce are qualified to carry out home ear wax removal services, and what assessment it has made of any vacancy levels in this area, including any recruitment and retention challenges.","AnswerText":"The ability to undertake ear wax removal depends on an individual&rsquo;s role, scope of practice and competence and this is dependent on workforce and requirements of services within their respective Health Boards and HSCPs. Whilst the Scottish Government set the strategic policy for the NHS in Scotland, it is the responsibility of Health Boards is to ensure that they plan and deliver services which best meet the needs of their local population.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427232,"EventID":"S6W-31687","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-28T16:17:29.093","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T17:00:08.483","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of job losses in (a) shellfish fishing, (b) sea angling, (c) tourism and (d) other sectors that have been reportedly caused by the salmo","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of job losses in (a) shellfish fishing, (b) sea angling, (c) tourism and (d) other sectors that have been reportedly caused by the salmon farming industry in each year since 1999.","AnswerText":"The economic and social benefits of salmon farming are clear. The sector produces the UK&rsquo;s number 1 food export and supports around 12,000 jobs in Scotland across its supply chain, providing a steady stream of revenue to Scotland&rsquo;s coastal communities.National Planning Framework 4&rsquo;s policy on aquaculture seeks to ensure that new aquaculture development is in locations that reflect industry needs and considers the impacts of proposed developments and how producers contribute to communities and local economies. The new National Marine Plan 2 will set out a coherent vision for the future development of Scotland&rsquo;s land and seas and will guide all marine licensing and consenting decisions.The planning system ultimately delivers a cost benefit analysis of every development proposal. The planning system carefully considers the economic, social and environmental impacts of fish farms and experienced local authority planners are charged with making decisions in the best interest of their communities and in line with the statutory development plan.We continue to believe it is for local authorities to analyse the impacts of development proposals through the planning system.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427233,"EventID":"S6W-31829","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-28T16:17:29.103","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T15:31:18.82","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether all parts of the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area have access to home ear wax removal, and, if this is not the case, which parts of the NHS board area do not c","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether all parts of the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area have access to home ear wax removal, and, if this is not the case, which parts of the NHS board area do not currently have access to this service.","AnswerText":"The 2018 GP contract committed Health Boards to set up Community Treatment and Care (CTAC) services to transfer workload from GP practices to NHS Board-employed staff allowing GP practices to focus on what only they can do. Territorial Health Boards and Integration Authorities are responsible for designing and delivering these services in their areas, working with local partners and teams. The Scottish Government publishes annual progress reports on GP contract implementation based on data provided by Integration Authorities. The most recent report uses data from March 2024 - Primary care improvement plans: implementation progress summary - March 2024 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)","AnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427234,"EventID":"S6W-31828","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-28T16:17:29.177","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T15:30:22.207","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-04456 by Lorna Slater on 18 November 2021,&nbsp;what information it has&nbsp;regarding the (a) weight and (b) carbon impact of the","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-04456 by Lorna Slater on 18 November 2021,&nbsp;what information it has&nbsp;regarding the (a) weight and (b) carbon impact of the single-use (i)&nbsp;plastic cutlery, (ii) plastic plates, (iii) plastic straws, (iv) plastic beverage stirrers and balloon sticks,&nbsp;(v) food containers made of expanded polystyrene and (vi) cups and other beverage containers made of expanded polystyrene, including their covers and lids, that&nbsp;have been&nbsp;used in Scotland in each year since 2021-22.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally.The Environmental Protection (Single-use Plastic Products) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 make it an offence for a person who, in the course of a business, supplies, offers to supply, or has in their possession for supply any of the products listed below:single-use expanded polystyrene beverage containerssingle-use expanded polystyrene beverage cupssingle-use expanded polystyrene food containerssingle-use plastic beverage stirrerssingle-use plastic cutlerysingle-use plastic platessingle-use plastic balloon stick (unless supplied for attaching to balloons for industrial or other professional uses and applications that are only distributed to persons acting in the course of a business),single-use plastic straw (if supplying to an end-user, subject to exemptions)Estimated figures for the amount of these products placed on the market in Scotland before the Regulations came into force were included in the Environmental Report for the Single-use Plastic Products Regulations, published on the Scottish Government&rsquo;s website here. And were included in the answer to S6W-04456 on 29 November 2021.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427235,"EventID":"S6W-31838","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-28T16:17:29.173","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-28T11:00:45.573","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that increases in child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) staff numbers are consistent and proportionate across NHS boards.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that increases in child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) staff numbers are consistent and proportionate across NHS boards.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government have invested heavily in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in recent years, which is why CAMHS staffing has increased by 59.1% in the last decade of this Government (+553.8 WTE). CAMHS workforce data is publicly available in NHS Education for Scotland (NES) Turas Data Intelligence at: NHS Scotland Workforce Data.We work closely with all NHS Boards to help improve their performance across CAMHS, including to reduce their waiting times. Despite ongoing pressures, local CAMHS teams continue to respond well to demand, with statistics showing one in two children and young people referred to CAMHS start treatment within 6 weeks.Whilst the Scottish Government sets the strategic policy direction for the NHS in Scotland, operational matters including staffing are in the first instance the responsibility of the relevant NHS Board. Decisions depend on the service needs of each board taking account of national, regional and local priorities, and we expect NHS boards to plan and provide safe, effective and high-quality care, in line with their statutory service provision and workforce planning responsibilities.The Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019 commenced in April 2024 and aims to be an enabler of high-quality care and improved outcomes for service users in both health and care services by helping to ensure appropriate staffing for high quality care. The legislation does not prescribe minimum staffing levels or fixed ratios and does not advocate a &lsquo;one size fits all&rsquo; ratio, which would be inflexible to local needs, based on a fixed point in time, and not consistently reflective of workforce, case mix or dependencies.To better support workforce planning across NHS Scotland, in collaboration with NES Data Group &amp; Centre for Workforce Supply (CWS), we have developed a workforce planning data modelling tool, which sits on the TURAS data intelligence system. The tool will enable greater understanding of the timing and size of current and projected workforce demand at a local, regional, and national level.We also undertake a robust student intake planning process to determine the target number of pre-registration students to which Scottish universities should recruit in the following academic year to meet estimated future workforce demands. The process involves significant input from key stakeholders from across the education sectors, including Council of Deans of Health Scotland, NHS Education for Scotland (NES), NHS Board Planners, and Unions.We will continue to work with our key partners to ensure the Health and Care (Staffing) legislation is implemented effectively across NHS Boards, including within CAMHS services.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427236,"EventID":"S6W-31846","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-28T16:17:29.21","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-28T13:32:49.917","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what services are in place that support young people who have been identified as at risk of self-harm.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what services are in place that support young people who have been identified as at risk of self-harm.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that compassionate support is available to anyone affected by self-harm. We believe our Self-Harm Strategy and Action Plan, delivered jointly with COSLA, is a world first; its priorities are: Increasing knowledge and compassionate understanding of self-harm in order to reduce      stigma and discrimination;Enhancing supports and services across Scotland for anyone affected by self-harm;      andImproving and sharing data and evidence so we can continue to learn about self-harm      and adapt our approach. As part of our focus on supporting people who self-harm we have invested in a bespoke self-harm support service since 2022, with funding of &pound;1.5m continuing over 2024-2026. The Scotland-wide service is delivered through Self-Harm Network Scotland, which is run by Penumbra. The service provides reliable and accessible advice and information to anyone aged 12 or over, who is affected by self-harm. Individual 1:1 peer support can be accessed via self-referral using the contact us form on their website. People who self-harm can receive 12-15 sessions of support which is recovery focussed, and person centred. This can be delivered by phone, video call, or via text. Additionally, the website has a Live Chat service available from 6pm-10pm, 7 days a week. This is a confidential service, staffed by peer practitioners and trained volunteers who offer immediate support to people who self-harm, or are thinking of self-harming. The service also offers fully funded self-harm awareness training to individuals and organisations, and loved ones group sessions to support family/friends and carers - who can also seek individual support from the service at any time.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427237,"EventID":"S6W-31826","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-28T16:17:29.04","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T15:29:49.443","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12880 by Richard Lochhead on 20 December 2022,&nbsp;what information it has regarding what the (a) claimant count and (b) unemploy","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12880 by Richard Lochhead on 20 December 2022,&nbsp;what information it has regarding what the (a) claimant count and (b) unemployment rate in Dundee has been in each year since June 2022, broken down by ward area.","AnswerText":"The Office for National Statistics (ONS) produces Claimant Count estimates at Local Authority and Ward level, and model-based unemployment at Local Authority level based on the Annual Population Survey and Claimant Count.The claimant count rate for Dundee City local authority and 2021 electoral wards within Dundee City are shown in Table 1 for June 2021 to June 2024.The model based unemployment rate for Dundee City local authority are shown in Table 2 for July 2021 to June 2022 through to July 2023 to June 2024. The ONS model based estimates of unemployment are the official source for unemployment rates by local authority. Unemployment rates by electoral ward are not available from this source.Table 1: Claimants as a proportion of residents aged 16-64 yearsArea NameArea CodeJune 2021June 2022June 2023June 2024ColdsideS130025489.16.25.85.9East EndS130025518.96.26.36.0LocheeS130025468.26.16.05.6MaryfieldS130025496.33.84.94.3North EastS130028306.13.74.34.2StrathmartineS130025456.14.13.83.9The FerryS130025522.11.21.31.3West EndS130025473.62.52.62.3Dundee CityS120000426.24.24.44.1Source: nomis - Official Census and Labour Market StatisticsNotes:1.Claimants as a proportion of residents aged 16-64 years2.In May 2024, the Department for Work and Pensions increased the administrative earnings threshold for full work search conditionality. This change affected around 180,000 claimants, increasing the Claimant Count at the time of the change. This policy change, along with two previous increases to the administrative earnings threshold in September 2022 and January 2023, represent discontinuities in the Claimant Count series.3.Under Universal Credit a broader span of claimants are required to look for work than under Jobseeker's Allowance. Therefore, as Universal Credit has been rolled out, the number of people recorded as being on the Claimant Count rose.4.This dataset only includes claimant records with information to sufficiently classify them within the dataset.5.Rates for local authorities from 2021 onwards are calculated using the mid-2021 resident population aged 16-64.6.Rates for regions and countries from 2021 onwards are calculated using the mid-2021 resident population aged 16-64.Table 2: Model based estimates of unemployment rates in Dundee CityTime PeriodUnemployment RateUnemployment Rate Confidence IntervalJul 2021 to Jun 20224.8%&plusmn; 1.2 ppJul 2022 to Jun 20236.1%&plusmn; 1.9 ppJul 2023 to Jun 20246.1%&plusmn; 1.8 ppSource: nomis - Official Census and Labour Market StatisticsNotes:1.Unemployment estimates for local authority areas are model-based.2.The model-based estimates improve on the ONS Annual Population Survey unemployment estimates by borrowing strength from the claimant count to produce an estimate which is more precise.3.The estimates are subject to sampling variation. Confidence intervals have been provided to show the increased volatility in the estimates for recent time periods as a result of falling sample sizes in the ONS Annual Population Survey.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427238,"EventID":"S6W-31728","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-28T16:17:29.117","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-22T17:10:20.197","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether Transport Scotland has carried out an assessment of the use of Starlink on ScotRail services, in light of the proposed appointment of Elon Musk as a member of th","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether Transport Scotland has carried out an assessment of the use of Starlink on ScotRail services, in light of the proposed appointment of Elon Musk as a member of the Cabinet of the Government of the United States.","AnswerText":"ScotRail will partner with Clarus in a project taken forward on behalf of Scottish Government digital, Scottish Futures Trust, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, which will use ScotRail trains to test satellite connectivity in rural areas where existing 4/5G mobile connectivity is poor or does not exist. The trial will last 6 months and, amongst other benefits, offers an opportunity to provide reliable connection to passengers where digital gaps currently exist.Separately from that, ScotRail currently utilises Starlink to fill in any gaps where internet connection is not strong enough to support its day to day activities, including maintaining safety and security. This is an operational matter for ScotRail.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427239,"EventID":"S6W-31842","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-28T16:17:29.113","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-28T13:26:41.57","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the most recent data is for participation in physical education among school pupils, broken down by (a) year group, (b) gender and (c) local authority.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the most recent data is for participation in physical education among school pupils, broken down by (a) year group, (b) gender and (c) local authority.","AnswerText":"The level of information requested in relation to participation in PE is not held centrally. For information on the schools which meet the PE target, I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31840 on 12 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427240,"EventID":"S6W-31819","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-28T16:17:29.08","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T15:06:03.287","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what safeguards exist for patients with suspected inflammatory bowel disease who remain on the endoscopy waiting list past its target of six weeks, and how it has assess","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what safeguards exist for patients with suspected inflammatory bowel disease who remain on the endoscopy waiting list past its target of six weeks, and how it has assessed the effectiveness of any such safeguards.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all people living in Scotland with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) including Crohn&rsquo;s disease and Ulcerative Colitis are able to access the best possible care and support, and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care.To specifically support scope based diagnostics we have published an Endoscopy and Urology Diagnostic Recovery and Renewal Plan backed by &pound;70 million. The plan focuses on key areas such as: Balancing Demand and Capacity; Workforce Training and Development; Infrastructure; and Innovation and Redesign.Long waits are regrettable and patients continue to be seen based on their clinical urgency, for example, those referred with an urgent suspicion of cancer continue to be prioritised for scope-based diagnostic tests. If a patient feels that their condition is deteriorating in any way, they should contact their GP who can provide a clinical update to their Specialist Consultant. The GP can also provide support and management advice to patients.Third sector organisations like Crohn&rsquo;s and Colitis UK also provide information and support for those living with or affected by IBD including on safeguarding: Crohn's &amp; Colitis UK","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427241,"EventID":"S6W-31836","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-28T16:17:29.07","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T16:13:13.907","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered waiving or greatly reducing the cost of (a) marriage notices, (b) marriage certificates and (c) ceremony fees to make the legal process of gett","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered waiving or greatly reducing the cost of (a) marriage notices, (b) marriage certificates and (c) ceremony fees to make the legal process of getting married more equitable.","AnswerText":"Registration service fees are set by the Registrar General for Scotland with the approval of the Scottish Ministers.The Scottish Government has not considered waiving or reducing the statutory fees associated with marriage. The Scottish Government&rsquo;s policy as set out in guidance in the Scottish Public Finance Manual is that charges for public services should generally allow for full cost recovery: Fees and charges - Scottish Public Finance Manual - gov.scot Consequently, the aim is for local authority registration services to recover the true cost of their statutory services via the fees set by the Registrar General.With effect from 1 May 2022, the fee for submitting each marriage notice was increased to &pound;45 from &pound;30: The Registration Services (Fees, etc.) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2022. This was the first increase in the marriage notice fee since April 2010.The current fee for a civil marriage ceremony is &pound;55 and the fee for the marriage certificate is &pound;10 if purchasing within a month of the registration of the marriage.The Scottish Government gathered information in advance of the 2022 Regulations about the overall costs of weddings for many couples: see under the heading of &ldquo;Consumer Assessment&rdquo; in the Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment for the 2022 Regulations.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427242,"EventID":"S6W-31823","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-28T16:17:29.15","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T15:28:58.453","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many road accidents there have been in each of the last five years in which a (a) defective and (b) poor road surface was recorded as a contributory factor, broken d","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many road accidents there have been in each of the last five years in which a (a) defective and (b) poor road surface was recorded as a contributory factor, broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"The following table provides the number of recorded injury road collisions where a police officer attended the scene and &lsquo;poor or defective road surface&rsquo; was recorded as a contributory factor.As this is recorded as a single contributory factor, it is not possible to distinguish between collisions involving defective road surfaces and collisions involving poor road surfaces.Collisions where poor or defective road surface recorded as a contributory factor, by local authority areaLocal Authority201920202021202220231Aberdeen City00012Aberdeenshire20022Angus01331Argyll &amp; Bute30201Clackmannanshire10000Dumfries &amp; Galloway31221Dundee City10001East Ayrshire10200East Dunbartonshire00010East Lothian01100East Renfrewshire11100Edinburgh, City of23130Falkirk00101Fife20110Glasgow City32533Highland22432Midlothian00010Moray11001North Ayrshire00110North Lanarkshire00100Orkney Islands00010Perth &amp; Kinross32132Renfrewshire21111Scottish Borders24301Shetland Islands00100South Ayrshire10000South Lanarkshire51100Stirling12011West Lothian21221Total38233429211. Figures for 2023 are for collisions recorded prior to changes to the road casualties data collected by Police Scotland, which were implemented in November 2023. The changes included replacing the &lsquo;poor or defective road surface&rsquo; contributory factor with a broader &lsquo;poor or defective road surface or deposits on road&rsquo; road safety factor.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427243,"EventID":"S6W-31837","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-28T16:17:29.2","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-28T10:55:39.67","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the&nbsp;Scottish Biodiversity Delivery Plan 2024&ndash;2030&nbsp;on 27 November 2024,&nbsp;how it will&nbsp;increase public grant suppor","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the&nbsp;Scottish Biodiversity Delivery Plan 2024&ndash;2030&nbsp;on 27 November 2024,&nbsp;how it will&nbsp;increase public grant support to levels that will meet its ambition to regenerate native woodland landscapes, particularly to reduce the browsing impacts from deer and sheep","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is proposing to increase the budget for the Forestry Grant Scheme in 2025-26 to &pound;53m, with much of the increase focussed on native woodland habitats.Public funding through FGS support measures has been in place since 2015 and were recently enhanced in 2023 to improve the attractiveness to applicants. These measures encourage land managers to intensively manage deer populations with the objective of securing natural regeneration of trees. Targeted support is already paid over more than 60,000 hectares of land, including native woodland and open habitats, in order to create the opportunities for natural regeneration of trees and expansion of native woodland habitats. The funding for these support measures is regularly reviewed to ensure it is able to address demand.In areas where there has been a high level of uptake of this approach by landowners, such as in the Cairngorms National Park, over half the new woodlands supported by FGS, over 5,000 hectares since 2016, have been through natural regeneration.Whilst significant public grant support is already targeted at native woodland restoration and expansion we recognise the need to do more to increase levels of activity and Scottish Government and its agencies are committed to working actively with a range of partners in order to achieve this.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427244,"EventID":"S6W-31834","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-28T16:17:29.113","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T16:13:13.907","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered removing the requirement for a formal wedding ceremony in order for couples to get married.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered removing the requirement for a formal wedding ceremony in order for couples to get married.","AnswerText":"The Marriage (Scotland) Act 1977 requires that for a marriage to take place, a completed Marriage Schedule must be available and both parties to the marriage must be present along with the registrar or celebrant and two witnesses aged 16 or over.For couples cohabiting prior to 4 May 2006 it remains possible to seek a declarator from a court that they are married by cohabitation with habit and repute.Some consideration was given to the possibility of remote marriage ceremonies in the progress of the Coronavirus (No 2) (Scotland) Bill in Parliament but no changes were made. There would be a risk of abuse, such as forced marriage, if the requirement for the parties the celebrant and the witnesses to be physically present were removed.The Scottish Government has no plans to review or change the current arrangements.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427245,"EventID":"S6W-31821","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-28T16:17:29.187","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T15:28:29.55","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of any costs that it has incurred through legal action that it has been party to in each year since 2007.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of any costs that it has incurred through legal action that it has been party to in each year since 2007.","AnswerText":"The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427246,"EventID":"S6W-31825","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-28T16:17:29.06","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T15:29:36.13","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many patients have had treatment in a private hospital paid for by the NHS in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many patients have had treatment in a private hospital paid for by the NHS in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.","AnswerText":"The total number of NHS patients that have been treated in private (independent) hospitals in each of the last five financial years and reported to PHS is presented in the following table.Number of NHS patients treated in Private (independent) hospitals1 by NHS board of residence; 2019-20 &ndash; 2023-24&nbsp;Inpatients or Daycases (SMR01)Outpatients (SMR00) 2Health Board of Residence2019-202020-212021-222022-232023-242019-202020-212021-222022-232023-24Ayrshire &amp; Arran160546866143193--4341-Borders625289111810993121131132Dumfries &amp; Galloway819292-2716352242Fife1595049511771072511Forth Valley692558323242219-135133Grampian294108244924052193507381124122107Greater Glasgow &amp; Clyde849645542568708408197204256233Highland2001541229671714121513Lanarkshire29241390139118611706480176208472659Lothian92872552411392160167214636612402172Orkney4222122-11-Shetland-1322--11--Tayside20310854261577263294406338Western Isles3936252937--11-Unknown residency1544-991-3Rest of UK (Outside Scotland)-11-112---Grand Total6523586045186640725633161443181026953713- denotes zero1. relates to patients treated in non-NHS locations such as private hospitals, hospices, nursing homes, care homes, etc. The data recording/completeness of Non-NHS Provider data varies from year to year.2. Outpatient data only include patients that attended their outpatient appointment and were seen.Extracted 04-12-2024","AnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427247,"EventID":"S6W-31844","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-28T16:17:29.077","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-28T13:26:41.57","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been allocated to improving physical education facilities in schools in each of the last five years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been allocated to improving physical education facilities in schools in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"This is a matter for individual schools and local authorities. This level of information is not held centrally.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427248,"EventID":"S6W-31845","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-28T16:17:29.09","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-28T13:30:25.733","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the calls by the Miracle Foundation for the establishment of a 24-hour trauma therapy support centre for young people in the NHS Lanarkshire area","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the calls by the Miracle Foundation for the establishment of a 24-hour trauma therapy support centre for young people in the NHS Lanarkshire area, and whether it will provide funding towards this.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to preventing and mitigating psychological trauma and adversity. We are taking a wide range of actions to support the health, wellbeing and resilience of all those who have been negatively impacted by trauma throughout their lives. This includes:Working to address poverty, tackle harmful drug and alcohol use, support mental health, and reduce inequalities;Working to support the development of trauma-informed and responsive approaches in a wide range of services and settings including in social work, healthcare, justice and education.We are not aware of the Miracle Foundation&rsquo;s calls for a bespoke service in NHS Lanarkshire. We are however working closely with partners in key sectors and services across Scotland to prevent psychological trauma and adversity, and mitigate their impacts. The Scottish Government and COSLA also have a joint ambition to develop trauma-informed and trauma-responsive workforces and services across Scotland. Since 2018, we have invested over &pound;12 million in a National Trauma Transformation Programme (NTTP).Through the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults, and the Children and Young People&rsquo;s Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Supports and Services funding, the Scottish Government has, since 2020, provided more than &pound;130 million to local authorities and the third sector to deliver community-based mental health support. This includes funding for the Miracle Foundation to deliver mental health, wellbeing and resilience workshops for children and young people in North Lanarkshire, as well as the following projects for adults: Encouraging Growth &amp; Resilience Mental Health Workshops; Diverse Community Development &amp; Engagement; and Living Well in North Lanarkshire Community Groups.Additionally, Scottish Government has provided funding to North Lanarkshire Council through Bairns&rsquo; Hoose Development Fund (Phase 2) which aims to support partnerships at an earlier stage of development to work towards the establishment of Bairns&rsquo; Hoose services.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427249,"EventID":"S6W-31820","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-28T16:17:29.073","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T15:06:03.287","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is assessing the impact of the four new mobile endoscopy units on faster diagnosis for inflammatory bowel disease.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is assessing the impact of the four new mobile endoscopy units on faster diagnosis for inflammatory bowel disease.","AnswerText":"The additional mobile endoscopy units have supported patients to be clinically prioritised for endoscopy, ensuring that a range of conditions, including Inflammatory Bowel Disease, are diagnosed and managed timeously.To provide further support for timeous diagnosis, the Scottish Government commissioned Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) will shortly publish a newly developed Inflammatory Bowel Disease pathway to support earlier identification and management of the disease.This is all part of our programme to drive up productivity and tackle waiting lists, supported by the CfSD. Together, our actions will further enable NHS Scotland to maximise capacity, build greater resilience, reduce variation and deliver reductions in the number of patients who have waited too long for diagnosis and treatment.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427250,"EventID":"S6W-31841","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-28T16:17:29.11","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-28T13:26:41.57","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of schools do not have access to a dedicated PE teacher.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of schools do not have access to a dedicated PE teacher.","AnswerText":"All primary teachers are generalists; therefore, they deliver the totality of the curriculum including PE.Special schools may cater to primary and/or secondary and some special schools will therefore have primary qualified teachers that are able to offer PE.Specialist PE teachers are predominantly based in secondary schools. The 2023 school staff census shows that, excluding virtual schools, one secondary school (0.3%) does not have a teacher whose main or other subject is PE.In some local authorities physical education teachers that serve more than one school are recorded as centrally employed rather than allocated to individual schools. There are 25 FTE centrally employed teachers with PE as their main subject. Teachers recorded in this way are not included here, therefore the schools without a specialist P.E teacher may have access to centrally employed PE teachers.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427251,"EventID":"S6W-31824","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-28T16:17:29.12","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T15:29:18.957","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many appointments by ministers to positions on (a) public bodies and (b) NHS boards there have been in each year since 2007 in which the appointee has declared a pol","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many appointments by ministers to positions on (a) public bodies and (b) NHS boards there have been in each year since 2007 in which the appointee has declared a political affiliation, broken down by political party declared.","AnswerText":"Announcements of ministerial appointments to all public bodies, including NHS boards, since 2020 can be found on the Scottish Government website at https://www.gov.scot/collections/public-appointments-announcements/. Each announcement includes a declaration of any political activity within the five years preceding appointment.This information is not available for appointments prior to 2020 and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427252,"EventID":"S6W-31835","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-28T16:17:29.203","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T16:13:13.907","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered introducing a cap on the cost for a registrar to conduct a marriage ceremony.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered introducing a cap on the cost for a registrar to conduct a marriage ceremony.","AnswerText":"Registration services fees are set by the Registrar General for Scotland with the approval of the Scottish Ministers. The fee for a civil marriage ceremony conducted by a registrar is &pound;55. This fixed fee applies in all parts of Scotland and has been in place since 2010.Local authorities may charge additional fees to cover extra costs for accommodating additional guests and the use of marriage rooms or the attendance of an authorised registrar at places other than their registration offices. These fees are set by each local authority.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427253,"EventID":"S6W-31789","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-28T16:17:29.193","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-26T15:39:27.103","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it has provided to local authorities for the provision of school (a) libraries and (b) librarians in the current financial year, and in each year since 2021","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it has provided to local authorities for the provision of school (a) libraries and (b) librarians in the current financial year, and in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"Responsibility for funding school libraries and the provision of school librarians is devolved to local authorities, who have a statutory duty to ensure there is adequate provision of library services. Scottish Government does not hold data on the specific funding allocated to school libraries and librarians by individual authorities. The independent Accounts Commission have recently confirmed that the Scottish Government has provided a real-terms increase to Local Government in this year, 2023-24 and 2022-23. The 2025-26 Local Government Settlement will provide over &pound;15 billion to local authorities, a further real terms increase of 4.7%. At a national level, &pound;220,000 has been provided to the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) this financial year (2024-25) with &pound;150,000 assigned to the School Library Improvement Fund to support creative and innovative projects within the school library sector in Scotland. The Scottish Government has provided a total of &pound;1.72 million to the School Library Improvement Fund since the fund was created in 2017.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427254,"EventID":"S6W-31843","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-28T16:17:29.07","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-28T13:26:41.57","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what percentage of schools have (i) reduced, (ii) increased and (iii) maintained the hours allocated to physical education in each of the last five ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what percentage of schools have (i) reduced, (ii) increased and (iii) maintained the hours allocated to physical education in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"This is a matter for individual schools and local authorities. This level of information is not held centrally.I also refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31840 on 12 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427255,"EventID":"S6W-31840","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-28T16:17:29.183","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-28T13:26:41.57","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of primary schools currently meet its target of providing at least two hours of quality physical education per week.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of primary schools currently meet its target of providing at least two hours of quality physical education per week.","AnswerText":"Information on the schools which meet the PE target is available from the school contact details dataset.The percentage of primary schools meeting the target of providing at least two hours of PE per week as of July 2024 is 99.6%","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427256,"EventID":"S6W-31833","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-28T16:17:29.197","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T16:13:13.907","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review the 29-day waiting period by which couples must give notice to the registrar of where they plan to get married.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review the 29-day waiting period by which couples must give notice to the registrar of where they plan to get married.","AnswerText":"Under the Marriage (Scotland) Act 1977, a registrar cannot issue a Marriage Schedule to permit a marriage to proceed within 28 days of the receipt of a couple&rsquo;s marriage notices unless the registrar has been authorised to do so by the Registrar General for Scotland after a request by one or both of the parties.The minimum period following submission of a couple&rsquo;s marriage notices allows the registrar to carry out the necessary checks on whether there is any legal impediment to the marriage.The minimum period was increased from 14 days to 28 days by the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014.In exceptional circumstances, for example where a party is terminally ill, or is being immediately deployed overseas with the armed forces, the Registrar General will exercise their discretion and permit a marriage to take place if less notice is given.The Scottish Government has no plans to review these arrangements.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427257,"EventID":"S6W-31827","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-28T16:17:29.183","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T15:30:06.127","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-04033 by Graeme Dey on 1 November 2021,&nbsp;how much grant funding it has provided to each local authority to purchase and/or lea","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-04033 by Graeme Dey on 1 November 2021,&nbsp;how much grant funding it has provided to each local authority to purchase and/or lease zero emission vehicles in each year since 2021-22.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has continued to support local authorities to decarbonise fleets and since 2014 we have now provided over &pound;41 million to fund leasing and purchase of ultra-low and zero emission vehicles and installation of associated infrastructure.Since 2021-22, support for local authority fleet decarbonisation has focused on the installation of fleet EV charging infrastructure to enable further fleet decarbonisation, rather than the purchase or lease of zero emission vehicles. Local authorities are provided funding by means of a block grant, each local authority allocates part of this grant to manage, operate and decarbonise its fleet. Figures for funding support in addition to the block grant for each local authority in each year following 2021-22 are set out in the following table.In 2024-25 no additional funding has been provided to local authorities. We continue to work with public bodies to decarbonise the public sector fleet and we are working with the public sector to develop a Fleet Decarbonisation Action Plan that reflects the current fiscal operational environment, and the scale of emission reduction required.Local Authority2022-232023-24Aberdeen City&pound;-&pound;-Aberdeenshire&pound;108,849.00&pound;-Angus&pound;73,392.76&pound;86,400.00Argyll &amp; Bute&pound;-&pound;95,000.00Clackmannanshire&pound;-&pound;-Dumfries &amp; Galloway&pound;79,236.00&pound;-Dundee City&pound;72,437.36&pound;-East Ayrshire&pound;32,788.46&pound;217,630.86East Dunbartonshire&pound;-&pound;-East Lothian&pound;58,226.00&pound;-East Renfrewshire&pound;41,985.00&pound;-Edinburgh&pound;148,359.00&pound;-Falkirk&pound;52,407.00&pound;100,000.00Fife&pound;66,788.00&pound;102,925.00Glasgow&pound;176,876.00&pound;-Highland&pound;181,327.82&pound;47,500.00Inverclyde&pound;22,715.00&pound;-Midlothian&pound;-&pound;-Moray&pound;65,256.00&pound;-North Ayrshire&pound;92,857.98&pound;-North Lanarkshire&pound;169,977.00&pound;261,000.00Orkney&pound;45,870.00&pound;-Perth &amp; Kinross&pound;80,051.00&pound;-Renfrewshire&pound;77,207.00&pound;70,455.32Scottish Borders&pound;69,932.55&pound;-Shetland&pound;38,616.00&pound;60,000.00South Ayrshire&pound;59,681.00&pound;-South Lanarkshire&pound;114,484.00&pound;250,000.00Stirling&pound;34,833.00&pound;-West Dunbartonshire&pound;53,440.00&pound;60,000.00West Lothian&pound;78,261.00&pound;-Western Isles&pound;47,430.85&pound;97,465.40","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427258,"EventID":"S6W-31817","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2103,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":109,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-28T16:17:29.087","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T14:12:58.757","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the (a) value of the roleof physician associate, (b) function that physician associates have insupporting GPs and (c) contribution that physician","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the (a) value of the roleof physician associate, (b) function that physician associates have insupporting GPs and (c) contribution that physician associates make to patientsand the NHS.","AnswerText":"Physician associates are valued and welcome members of the NHS Scotland workforce, and will continue to contribute to the Scottish Government's priority of developing a sustainable system that ensures people get the right care, at the right time, and in the right place. Work is being taken forward through our national Medical Associate Professionals Programme Board to identify how the Physician Associate profession can be utilised to best effect going forward.GP practices, as independent contractors, are responsible for determining their own staff mixes and it is up to individual practices to decide whether or not they wish to employ Physician Associates or any other type of clinician. The work to expand the Multidisciplinary Teams supporting GP practices through the Primary Care Improvement Fund is based on transferring services from GP delivery to delivery by health board employed staff. It is up to health boards to decide how to staff these services, although they must work closely with local communities and stakeholders to ensure that specific local challenges and population need are taken into account.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427259,"EventID":"S6W-31727","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-11-28T16:17:29.203","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-22T17:10:20.197","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the discovery of hundreds of dead fish in Linlithgow Loch on 12 November 2024, what action SEPA has taken in response to this possible pollution event.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the discovery of hundreds of dead fish in Linlithgow Loch on 12 November 2024, what action SEPA has taken in response to this possible pollution event.","AnswerText":"Following reports from members of the public on 11 November of a number of dead fish found in Linlithgow Loch, SEPA officers inspected the site on the morning of 12 November. During the inspection, no visible signs of pollution were identified and water quality samples, taken at various points around the loch, did not reveal any pollutants. SEPA is satisfied that there is no ongoing pollution incident within the loch.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427292,"EventID":"S6W-31858","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:10:59.373","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-29T13:10:31.587","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the UK Department of Health and Social Care regarding national maternity safety ambitions.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the UK Department of Health and Social Care regarding national maternity safety ambitions.","AnswerText":"Delivery of healthcare and the NHS is devolved and therefore work on the safety of and continuous improvement in maternity services in Scotland is the responsibility of the Scottish Government. The National Maternity Safety Ambition was launched in 2015 by the Department of Health and Social Care and applies to maternity services in England only. Officials and professional advisors meet regularly with colleagues across the UK, including from the Department of Health and Social Care in England, to discuss priorities across the UK, such as the Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries across the UK (MBRRACE-UK) and to better understand work underway across each of the four nations.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427293,"EventID":"S6W-31885","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:10:59.22","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-29T17:19:21.907","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how its Biodiversity Delivery Plan 2024-2030 will increase wild salmon populations.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how its Biodiversity Delivery Plan 2024-2030 will increase wild salmon populations.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Biodiversity Delivery Plan 2024-2030, which was published on 27 November 2024, is the first in a series of rolling Delivery Plans which set out in detail the range of actions needed to deliver the step-change required to address the biodiversity crisis and become nature positive by 2030.Under the Plan, wild salmon will benefit from both targeted action (for example through the Plan's explicit connection with the Scottish Wild Salmon Strategy) and through broad-scale activities such as the restoration of degraded upland habitats, improving and extending riparian woodlands, embedding nature-positive farming, fishing and forestry and ensuring that at least 30% of land, fresh water and sea is protected or conserved and effectively managed to support nature in good health by 2030.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427294,"EventID":"S6W-31919","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3751,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":108,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:10:59.373","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-02T15:22:59.377","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is being provided to independent businesses in (a) rural and (b) small communities.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is being provided to independent businesses in (a) rural and (b) small communities.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to building a vibrant, sustainable, and inclusive rural economy that meets the goals of achieving a nature-positive and wellbeing economy for future generations.Our enterprise agencies help businesses across Scotland to start and scale, be more productive, access finance and attract investment, develop new products and services, enter new markets and positively impact on their communities.We have allocated over &pound;321 million to the enterprise agencies in 2025-26 to support their work and help them unlock the full economic potential of their regions.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427295,"EventID":"S6W-31870","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:10:59.883","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-29T14:50:06.707","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that children's rights are protected in custody decisions relating to domestic abuse cases.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that children's rights are protected in custody decisions relating to domestic abuse cases.","AnswerText":"A key aim of the Children (Scotland) Act 2020 (the 2020 Act) is to ensure the child&rsquo;s best interests are at the centre of contact and residence cases.The 2020 Act will reform the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 (the 1995 Act) which is the key legislation in relation to child contact and residence. In deciding whether to make a contact order under section 11 of the 1995 Act, the welfare of the child must be the court&rsquo;s paramount consideration.The court must &ndash; taking into account the child's age and maturity &ndash; have regard to any views the child wishes to express. The court is also required to have regard to the need to protect the child from any abuse, or the risk of any abuse, which affects or might affect the child.In advance of full implementation of the 2020 Act, the Scottish Government has convened a working group on child welfare reporters. These may be appointed in contact cases to seek the child&rsquo;s views and report on their best interests. The working group will look back at changes made in the past in this area. It will also consider if further action can be taken in advance of the register of child welfare reporters envisaged by the 2020 Act being set up.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427296,"EventID":"S6W-31913","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:00.653","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-02T11:23:16.083","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to its paper,&nbsp;A Trading Nation: Realising Scotland's Hydrogen Potential - A Plan for Exports, which was published on 29 November 2024, how many jobs will b","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to its paper,&nbsp;A Trading Nation: Realising Scotland's Hydrogen Potential - A Plan for Exports, which was published on 29 November 2024, how many jobs will be directly supported by the export of (a) green  and (b) blue hydrogen by 2030.","AnswerText":"Hydrogen creates significant economic opportunities, supporting a just transition, high-quality jobs, and investment while meeting the growing demand in Europe, particularly Germany, for Hydrogen as a green and secure energy source.While our production ambition doesn't commit to a specific mix of blue and green, Energy System and Just Transition independent analysis published last year (https://www.gov.scot/publications/energy-system-transition-independent-analysis/pages/1/) indicated that the growth of the sector could support over 12,000 green hydrogen direct and indirect jobs per GW by 2045. The same analysis indicated that blue hydrogen production could support over 3,000 direct and indirect jobs per GW.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427297,"EventID":"S6W-31907","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:00.13","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-02T08:02:40.513","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many men are currently waiting more than 18 months for a vasectomy.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many men are currently waiting more than 18 months for a vasectomy.","AnswerText":"The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.Public Health Scotland (PHS) uses the national waiting times datamart to collect electronic patient records covering the waits that patients experience waiting for treatment as an inpatient or day case under the Treatment Time Guarantee. This data source can be used routinely to identify the specialty of treatment. However, these records are unable to accurately capture procedural level data.More detailed information on the procedure(s) that is planned or undertaken for a patient will be held locally by NHS Boards.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427298,"EventID":"S6W-31861","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:10:59.917","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-29T13:31:19.21","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether it is necessary to make comprehensive, gender-equal Relationships, Sexual Health and Parenthood (RSHP) education compulsory and a statuto","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether it is necessary to make comprehensive, gender-equal Relationships, Sexual Health and Parenthood (RSHP) education compulsory and a statutory requirement in order to ensure that all young people have access to the information that they need on healthy relationships and consent.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring all children and young people receive high quality relationships, sexual health and parenthood (RSHP) education, which is an integral part of the health and wellbeing area of the curriculum. The curriculum is not statutory and it is for schools to decide the development and implementation of the curriculum within the overall framework. The Scottish Government expects children and young people to gain knowledge appropriate to their age and stage of education.Education Scotland has produced Experiences and Outcomes | Curriculum for Excellence documents | Curriculum for Excellence | Education Scotland on RSHP education to provide a set of clear and concise statements about pupil&rsquo;s learning and progression. This includes specific learning outcomes on respect, boundaries, which behaviours are right and wrong, what constitutes a healthy relationship. They also include learning outcomes on consent, gender stereotypes, power dynamics in relationships and where to access support if required.To support learning and teaching of these experiences and outcomes, RSHP lesson plans are available, from Education Scotland's website, that include learning at first level (P2-P4), encouraging children to be whatever person they want to be, free from stereotypes and gender biased expectations. At second level (P5-P7), on a fair and equal life for boys and girls; on consent, where children learn abuse is wrong; and, on protecting me and abuse and relationships. And at third/fourth level (S1-S3), on sexual harassment as well as an activity on equalities and feminism.The Scottish Government is revising the statutory teaching guidance on RSHP education following recommendations that the guidance should be updated to include, for example, appropriate guidance to ensure that consent education is age and stage appropriate and reflects the issues that are facing children and young people, especially from online influences.The Scottish Government has also published a resource for professionals to help them support young people aged 11-18 in their understanding of healthy relationships and consent. The Healthy relationships and consent: key messages for young people - gov.scot sets out that relationships should be mutually respectful, consensual, positive, healthy and enjoyable.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427299,"EventID":"S6W-31865","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:02.15","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-29T13:55:23.633","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its reported decision to delay the fulldualling of the A96, when the Cabinet Secretary for Transport last travelled onthe A96 in order to understand the repor","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its reported decision to delay the fulldualling of the A96, when the Cabinet Secretary for Transport last travelled onthe A96 in order to understand the reported concerns regarding this decision.","AnswerText":"The position of the Scottish Government has not changed &ndash; the current favoured position is to fully dual the A96, and we are already taking forward the dualling process from Inverness to Nairn, including Nairn Bypass.The outcomes from the A96 Corridor Review, which was undertaken as a result of the Bute House Agreement, have been published in draft for public consultation and no final decision has been made.Feedback from members of the public and key stakeholders will be key in helping inform the Scottish Government&rsquo;s final decision on how best to take forward improvements to the A96 whilst also balancing the demands of the challenging economic climate and the climate emergency, and to inform our timescales going forward.The Scottish Government is wholly aware of the challenges and reality of living with a trunk road, such as the A96 cutting through the heart of towns such as Nairn, Elgin and Keith. I attended the Build the Nairn Bypass event hosted by the Inverness Courier in Nairn on 31 May 2024 to hear first-hand the impacts it has on the safety and well-being of those that live, travel, work and attend education establishments along it.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427300,"EventID":"S6W-31914","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:00.57","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-02T11:23:16.083","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding will be required by 2030 to meet the goals set out&nbsp;in its paper,&nbsp;A Trading Nation: Realising Scotland's Hydrogen Potential - A Plan for Export","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding will be required by 2030 to meet the goals set out&nbsp;in its paper,&nbsp;A Trading Nation: Realising Scotland's Hydrogen Potential - A Plan for Exports, which was published on 29 November 2024.","AnswerText":"Achieving our Hydrogen Action Plan target of 5GW of low-carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030, and wider plan aims, requires significant investment.Since June 2022, the Hydrogen Innovation Scheme has offered grants totalling almost &pound;7m to 31 projects to support innovation under the themes of renewable hydrogen production, storage and distribution, and integration of hydrogen into our energy system.Whilst budget constraints meant it was not possible to open a Green Hydrogen Fund as planned, we worked with Scottish Enterprise to develop arrangements for a targeted in-year funding call for financial year 2024-25. The call will help to de-risk and leverage in private investment to help progress the early technical development stages of projects across Scotland.Launched on 16 September, the call aims to provide support to strategically important renewable green hydrogen production projects and projects which will help to develop the supply chain, transport and storage infrastructure, as well as gather market intelligence on wider Scottish hydrogen ecosystem activity and future funding demand. Grant offers are expected to be made in December 2024.The Scottish Government is determined to play an active part in attracting and catalysing the investment, likely to total hundreds of millions over the next decade, that will be required to fully unlock the potential of Scotland&rsquo;s hydrogen economy.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427301,"EventID":"S6W-31859","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:10:59.87","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-29T13:10:31.587","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered implementing national maternity safety ambitions, in light of these being implemented in England.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered implementing national maternity safety ambitions, in light of these being implemented in England.","AnswerText":"The National Maternity Safety Ambition in England was launched in 2015. Delivery of healthcare and the NHS is devolved and the Sottish Government is committed to continuous improvement in maternity safety across Scotland, working in partnership with NHS Boards and clinicians and service users, to deliver the best and safest care for mothers and babies. The Scottish Government&rsquo;s Scottish Patient Safety Programme (SPSP) Perinatal strand (formerly MCQIC), part of Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS), was established in 2009 to improve outcomes and reduce variation in maternity services by providing safe, high-quality care for all. The aims of the programme are to reduce stillbirths; understand variation in caesarean birth rates; improve the recognition, response and review of the deteriorating woman, and to reduce neonatal mortality and morbidity.The Scottish Government has also commissioned HIS to develop standards for maternity services, to support consistency of service design and delivery across Scotland. We continue to work with NHS Boards, clinical leaders, the third sector and national partners to develop our approach in the Scottish context.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427302,"EventID":"S6W-31906","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:01.653","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-01T17:55:14.41","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what work is being conducted in relation to the development of domestic rare earth material circularity.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work is being conducted in relation to the development of domestic rare earth material circularity.","AnswerText":"The availability and affordability of rare earth materials are critical to supporting our transition to a net zero economy.The Scottish Government recently published the Green Industrial Strategy, which focuses on seizing the economic opportunities of the global transition to net zero. The strategy commits to exploring how to support supply chain resilience through recycling, reuse and remanufacturing of components and materials, including rare earth materials.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427303,"EventID":"S6W-31890","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:01.01","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-29T17:32:49.513","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider introducing an option for agriculture support to be made available to landholdings where nature restoration is the primary aim.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider introducing an option for agriculture support to be made available to landholdings where nature restoration is the primary aim.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is already committed to delivering the ambitions set out in the Scottish Government&rsquo;s Vision for Agriculture. Scotland will have a support framework that delivers high quality food production, climate mitigation and adaptation, and nature restoration. This will be delivered thorough the Agricultural Reform Programme (ARP) which will contain a number of Tiers to provide range of targeted support. This will include specific support for businesses which they do their part to deliver Scotland&rsquo;s climate and biodiversity targets, including measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and restore and improve nature.The Land Reform (Scotland) Bill introduced into Parliament earlier this year further supports nature restoration. It sets out proposals that will change how land is owned and managed in our rural and island communities; it places legal responsibilities on the owners of the very largest landholdings to set out how they use their land and how that contributes to key public policy priorities, like addressing climate change and protecting and restoring nature. It also proposes a new Land Management Tenancy creating a framework for hybrid land management. This will enable people and communities to undertake a range of land management activities that help to deliver net zero, biodiversity and sustainable and regenerative agriculture.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427304,"EventID":"S6W-31905","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:10:59.197","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-01T17:55:14.41","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration has been given to chemistry-specific recycling targets.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration has been given to chemistry-specific recycling targets.","AnswerText":"The Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 requires that Scottish Ministers publish a circular economy strategy and make regulations to set circular economy targets.The development of the circular economy strategy and associated monitoring and indicator framework will be developed between now and March 2026. A consultation for both is planned for summer 2025 with development of targets to follow their publication. This will include, for example, consideration of material-specific targets as recommended by the Climate Change Committee.We work closely with industry and other stakeholders, directly and through Zero Waste Scotland, to understand and consider new approaches and technologies as they develop. These will be taken into account when developing the Circular Economy Strategy.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427305,"EventID":"S6W-31904","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:02.087","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-01T17:55:14.41","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to a deposit return scheme for batteries and battery-containing products.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to a deposit return scheme for batteries and battery-containing products.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is actively engaging with the other UK nations to explore opportunities to update and strengthen the current battery recycling regulations. This collaborative approach ensures that any future measures are both effective and consistent across the UK, providing a clear and efficient framework for businesses and consumers alike. We recognise the importance of working together to improve public awareness, enhance recycling infrastructure, and address the environmental risks associated with improper battery disposal.The current regulatory framework, the UK Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009, has been instrumental in establishing recycling systems over the past decade. However, with the increasing use of batteries in consumer electronics and emerging technologies, we are keen to modernise these regulations to better address current challenges and future demands. As part of this, we are considering a range of policies to improve battery recycling rates and reduce environmental harm, including a potential deposit return scheme for batteries and battery-containing products. While such a scheme could bring significant benefits, we recognise the need to address practical and logistical challenges to ensure its feasibility and effectiveness.Before implementing any new measures, we are currently looking into drafting a consultation with the other UK nations. This will provide an important opportunity for stakeholders, including businesses and the public, to contribute their views and consider the options for improving battery disposal and recycling practices.We continue to explore a wide range of measures to support sustainable solutions, including encouraging innovation in recycling technologies, enhancing public awareness initiatives to promote responsible recycling behaviour, and working with manufacturers and retailers to improve collection and disposal systems. These efforts are aligned with Scotland&rsquo;s broader environmental priorities, including the transition to a circular economy and achieving net-zero emissions.Through collaboration, innovation, and public engagement, the Scottish Government remains dedicated to addressing battery disposal challenges and delivering effective, sustainable solutions for Scotland&rsquo;s communities and environment.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427306,"EventID":"S6W-31886","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:10:59.863","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-29T17:22:58.14","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will produce a good practice guide in relation to the aquaculture industry, similar to that which exists for onshore wind projects.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will produce a good practice guide in relation to the aquaculture industry, similar to that which exists for onshore wind projects.","AnswerText":"Last year we published our Vision for Sustainable Aquaculture, which sets out the Scottish Government's long term aspirations for the sector.The Vision makes clear that communities that host aquaculture should be engaged in the sector&rsquo;s development, share in its success and be supported through a range of lasting benefits.Building on recent Crown Estate Scotland aquaculture lease increases, we are working to enhance community engagement through the consenting system, and we have committed to delivering good practice principles for community benefits from aquaculture developments in future. I look forward to discussing and developing the scope and timing of that work with the Scottish Aquaculture Council and other stakeholders.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427307,"EventID":"S6W-31899","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:10:59.197","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-29T18:46:39.93","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on recommendation 10 of the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland report, Thematic inspection of road policing in Scotland, that Police Scotla","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on recommendation 10 of the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland report, Thematic inspection of road policing in Scotland, that Police Scotland should progress a facility for the public to report road traffic offences by directly uploading journey-cam footage.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31897 on 9 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427308,"EventID":"S6W-31868","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:00.77","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-29T14:23:47.707","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work to provide training and upskilling for workers to restore peatland in rural areas.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work to provide training and upskilling for workers to restore peatland in rural areas.","AnswerText":"Through the Peatland ACTION partnership, the NatureScot-led Peatland Skills Action Plan focuses on increasing workforce capacity for design of restoration schemes and growth in the contracting sector to ensure delivery towards our future restoration targets. The current focus is being directed towards supporting ongoing skills development and ensuring the most effective use of the workforce available.Training has been provided on peatland restoration across private, public and third sectors since 2020. As a result of these ongoing efforts, previous concerns about contractor capacity as a barrier to delivery of restoration is much reduced.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427309,"EventID":"S6W-31193","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:10:59.863","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-12T10:03:00.873","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will consider to protect social housing tenants from disproportionate energy price increases arising from a reported lack of regulation for district heatin","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will consider to protect social housing tenants from disproportionate energy price increases arising from a reported lack of regulation for district heating systems.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to delivering clean heat and improved energy efficiency whilst ensuring foremost that tenants are not negatively impacted by the costs of this clean heat transition.Regulation of consumer protection remains a reserved matter, and Ofgem will be the future regulator of consumer protection for heat networks. In November, the UK Government and Ofgem jointly published a consultation on consumer protection proposals that would require heat networks to meet new consumer standards similar to those that already apply to gas and electricity customers. We welcome these standards as the major step needed to protect consumers, and are working with UK Government to help inform them.Consumer Scotland will carry out consumer advocacy and advice services for Scottish Heat Network consumers from April 2025 ahead of the implementation of the regulatory framework, anticipated in January 2026.Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) may also be able to procure fuel for their heat networks, such as natural gas, through public sector utility frameworks, which could result in lower fuel costs for tenants.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427310,"EventID":"S6W-31884","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:00.887","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-29T16:51:07.843","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether its forthcoming Biodiversity Investment Plan will have provision for training and upskilling of workers to deliver nature restoration projects, including but not","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether its forthcoming Biodiversity Investment Plan will have provision for training and upskilling of workers to deliver nature restoration projects, including but not limited to peatland restoration.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the critical importance of providing the current and future workforce with high-quality lifelong skills &ndash; either acquired through new learning or upskilling and reskilling &ndash; and the pivotal role this plays in our plans to unlock Scotland&rsquo;s green potential. Scotland is already leading the UK in delivering a green jobs revolution, with colleges and universities acting as key anchor points for research, innovation, and training, which will be reflected in the Biodiversity Investment Plan.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427311,"EventID":"S6W-31851","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:00.687","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-28T15:10:20.217","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding in total has been allocated fordigital youth work projects, including virtual youth clubs, as part ofits current Budget, and in each financial year sinc","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding in total has been allocated fordigital youth work projects, including virtual youth clubs, as part ofits current Budget, and in each financial year since 2012-13.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government highly values youth work and continues to fund digital youth work across Scotland in a variety of ways. Local Authorities are required to provide adequate and efficient Community Learning and Development (CLD), which includes youth work, as set out in the Requirements for Community Learning and Development (Scotland) Regulations 2013. In line with the Verity House Agreement, Local Authorities have the autonomy to allocate resources to meet the specific needs of young people in their areas.In addition to the block grant given to Local Authorities, the Scottish Government directly funds a range of youth work initiatives, projects and programmes. These initiatives aim to support diverse youth work models, promote partnership working and enhance the quality of youth work.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427312,"EventID":"S6W-31901","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:00.537","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-01T17:45:30.213","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to The Circularity Gap Report: Textiles, published by Circle Economy.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to The Circularity Gap Report: Textiles, published by Circle Economy.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government welcomes the insights provided by The Circularity Gap Report: Textiles published by Circle Economy. The report highlights critical challenges and opportunities in transitioning towards a circular economy within the textiles sector.The findings of the report align with the Scottish Government&rsquo;s proposals set out in the draft circular economy and waste route map to 2030, to tackle textile waste, reduce resource consumption, and encourage sustainable production and consumption practices. The final Route Map will be confirmed in due course.The Scottish Government will engage with stakeholders across the textiles supply chain to develop policies and actions that reflect the urgency highlighted by this report. We recognise the need for a strategic approach to textiles across the waste hierarchy, from production and consumption, through to recycling and end of life management.The Scottish Government continues to engage with stakeholders across the textiles supply chain to develop policies and actions that reflect the urgency highlighted by this report.We will carefully review the recommendations of the Circularity Gap Report: Textiles and consider its findings as part of our ongoing efforts to deliver a net-zero and circular economy for Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427313,"EventID":"S6W-31891","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:10:59.14","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-29T17:32:49.513","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether access to funding available through tiers 3 and 4 of its future agriculture support regime will be dependent upon eligibility for tier 1.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether access to funding available through tiers 3 and 4 of its future agriculture support regime will be dependent upon eligibility for tier 1.","AnswerText":"The agriculture support framework will be aimed at delivering against the following five key outcomes: support for a just transition, high quality food production, thriving agricultural businesses, climate mitigation and adaptation and nature restoration.To summarise, Tier 1 (Base) of the framework will be a universal, entry-level payment for undertaking agricultural activity while meeting minimum essential standards in relation to sustainable farming activities, protecting the environment, animal health and welfare and ensuring Fair Work. Tier 2 (Enhanced) will supplement applicants delivering Tier 1 requirements and who wish to undertake further activity that delivers outcomes for nature and climate improvement, including recognition of wider land management.Working closely with farmers, crofters and land managers, we are co-designing Tiers 3 (Elective) and 4 (Complementary), which both remain under development and will be subject to continued robust engagement with the Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board. This collaborative approach will deliver our Vision for Agriculture, support rural communities and economic growth whilst tackling climate change and biodiversity loss.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427314,"EventID":"S6W-31909","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:00.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-02T11:23:16.083","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to its paper,&nbsp;A Trading Nation: Realising Scotland's Hydrogen Potential - A Plan for Exports, which was published on 29 November 2024, what scope there wil","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to its paper,&nbsp;A Trading Nation: Realising Scotland's Hydrogen Potential - A Plan for Exports, which was published on 29 November 2024, what scope there will be for alternative models of ownership in its plans for scaling up the hydrogen industry.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government wants the people of Scotland to see maximum benefits from Scotland&rsquo;s energy transition, including the scaling up of the hydrogen industry.We are exploring options to encourage investment in energy-related technology, and infrastructure, including hydrogen, to promote economic development and provide direct economic benefits for the people of Scotland.We are considering the best approach to secure investment that supports our ambitions while delivering maximum value for money for the taxpayer. This includes consideration of regional, local and community-based approaches.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":427315,"EventID":"S6W-31902","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:01.77","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-01T17:45:56.493","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24509 by Mairi McAllan on 23 January 2024, whether it will provide an update on its efforts to collect enough data to establish a ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24509 by Mairi McAllan on 23 January 2024, whether it will provide an update on its efforts to collect enough data to establish a marine plastic pollution baseline.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government annual surveys continue to gather data, in order to support future assessments on microplastics in surface water. Although there is currently no internationally agreed baseline for microplastics in surface water, as referenced in S6W-24509, all our marine litter data contributes to regional monitoring across the North East Atlantic, through OSPAR (the Oslo-Paris Convention), and would contribute to any baseline developed in the future.Further to the answers to questions S6W-01058 on 13 July 2021, S6W-23231 on 16 January 2024, S6W-23886 12 January 2024, S6W-23887 on 9 January 2024, S6W-24462 on 16 January 2024, and S6W-24509 on 23 January 2024, our microplastics monitoring programme began in the winter of 2013, and has continued to undertake annual surveys since that time.Data from this monitoring programme enabled the initial assessment for microplastics in surface water to be conducted. This was published in Scotland&rsquo;s Marine Assessment 2020, which can be viewed at Microplastics in surface water | Scotland's Marine Assessment 2020.Data from the most recently completed collection season, 2023-24, has been published, alongside data from all previous years in this series. This can be viewed at Dataset for Sources, sinks and hazards of micro-plastics in Scotland&rsquo;s seas 2013-present | Marine Scotland Data Publications. The current data collection season runs from November 2024 to the end of January 2025.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427316,"EventID":"S6W-31908","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:01.453","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-02T08:03:34.62","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it first received the A96 Corridor Review before it was publicly released on 28 November 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it first received the A96 Corridor Review before it was publicly released on 28 November 2024.","AnswerText":"I received initial advice from Transport received on the emerging outcomes of the Corridor Review in February 2024 followed by comprehensive advice on the outcomes from the Review&rsquo;s appraisal and assessment work including full details of the magnitude of the Review&rsquo;s associated reporting in July 2024.I then received a hard copy of the full Corridor Review&rsquo;s Transport Appraisal Report on 28 August 2024 which set out the outcomes of the Transport Appraisal of the Review. Following consideration of the advice from Transport Scotland officials, the reporting from the Corridor Review was published on 28 November 2024 in draft for consultation. A copy of the reports published for consultation are available from the Transport Scotland website at https://www.transport.gov.scot/our-approach/strategy/a96-corridor-review/.Feedback from members of the public and key stakeholders will be vital in helping inform the Scottish Government&rsquo;s final decision on how best to take forward improvements to the A96 whilst also balancing the demands of the challenging economic climate and the climate emergency and will inform our timescales going forward.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427317,"EventID":"S6W-31847","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:02.493","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-28T15:10:20.217","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the total amount is that has been allocated in its current Budget for youth work services.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the total amount is that has been allocated in its current Budget for youth work services.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government highly values youth work and continues to fund youth work across Scotland in a variety of ways. Local Authorities are required to provide adequate and efficient Community Learning and Development (CLD), which includes youth work, as set out in the Requirements for Community Learning and Development (Scotland) Regulations 2013. In line with the Verity House Agreement, Local Authorities have the autonomy to allocate resources to meet the specific needs of young people in their areas.In addition to the block grant given to Local Authorities, the Scottish Government directly funds a range of youth work initiatives, projects and programmes. These initiatives aim to support diverse youth work models, promote partnership working and enhance the quality of youth work.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427318,"EventID":"S6W-31888","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:10:59.14","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-29T17:32:49.513","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been awarded through Greening payments for the restoration of natural processes in each year since 2015.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been awarded through Greening payments for the restoration of natural processes in each year since 2015.","AnswerText":"The Greening Scheme was introduced in 2015 with the intent to improve the environmental performance of farming. The Scheme delivers thirty per cent of Scotland&rsquo;s Direct Payment budget as a top up to the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS). Farmers and crofters must comply with the Greening requirements to receive their BPS and Greening payments. For those that meet the eligibility requirements this also includes carrying out Ecological Focus areas (EFA&rsquo;s) that are beneficial for the climate, environment and biodiversity.Several of the EFA options encourage land stability and prohibit the use of artificial fertilisers/ chemicals, which create benefits for restoration of natural processes but there is no direct funding link that can be quantified for the &ldquo;restoration of natural Processes&rdquo;.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427319,"EventID":"S6W-31869","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:10:59.143","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-29T14:23:47.707","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work to restore peatland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work to restore peatland.","AnswerText":"Through the Peatland ACTION partnership we are funding the restoration of our peatlands. We are also working hard with our Peatland ACTION delivery partners to tackle the many barriers to upscaling peatland restoration in this relatively young sector.We are making good progress towards our ambitious restoration targets with a total of around 75,000 hectares restored since 1990 and strong annual increases in rates. Since 2020, we have invested &pound;67.8 million on peatland restoration in Scotland, and this year we committed &pound;26.9 million.The average rate of peatland restoration has more than doubled in the last two years and 2023-24 saw 10,360 hectares restored&ndash; the highest amount in a single year. We have committed to restoring over 10,000 ha in 2024-25 in the 2024 Programme for Government.Through the Scottish Budget 2025 to 2026 we will invest &pound;35.5 million to fund the restoration of around 14,000 hectares of degraded peatland in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427320,"EventID":"S6W-31883","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:01.687","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-29T16:51:07.843","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how the Scottish Biodiversity Delivery Plan 2024&ndash;2030 (a) protects Scotland's (i) rainforest and (ii) native woodlands and (b) mitigates the spread of rhododendron","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the Scottish Biodiversity Delivery Plan 2024&ndash;2030 (a) protects Scotland's (i) rainforest and (ii) native woodlands and (b) mitigates the spread of rhododendron ponticum.","AnswerText":"The Biodiversity Strategy Delivery Plan 2024-2030 includes specific action to implement Scotland&rsquo;s Strategic Approach for Scotland&rsquo;s Rainforest which aims to improve its condition and health so that it can regenerate and expand whilst providing benefits to communities. There are a number of actions that protect our wider native woodlands including a commitment to landscape restoration areas with a significant woodland element, a register of ancient woodland, ensuring mechanisms are in place for restoration of ancient woodlands, establishing a programme to bring protected woodlands into favourable condition, best practice guidance for upland restoration, and actions on deer and grazing management.The Delivery Plan also contains the key action to develop an invasive non-native species (INNS) Action Plan to support the protection and restoration of native habitats. The Plan will include actions to be taken to ensure new potential INNS are detected early to prevent establishment and spread. The Action Plan will also seek to better focus resources and effort to control or eradicate established INNS, where possible working at a landscape scale. Scottish Government are currently working with our stakeholders to develop the Action Plan, with a view to publication in summer 2025.Scottish Forestry continues to target support for Rhododendron control through the forestry grant scheme at the priority areas in our Strategic Approach to Scotland&rsquo;s Rainforest.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427321,"EventID":"S6W-31860","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:01.153","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-29T13:31:19.21","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is collaborating with (a) the UK Government and (b) international partners on the regulation of online platforms in order to reduce young people's online expo","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is collaborating with (a) the UK Government and (b) international partners on the regulation of online platforms in order to reduce young people's online exposure to radical misogyny.","AnswerText":"Keeping children safe from online abuse and exploitation and tackling misogyny in our society are key priorities for the Scottish Government. We are committed to ensuring that robust measures are in place across Scotland to ensure our services can identify and support victims of online harm, including children and young people.While regulation of the internet remains a reserved matter, we have engaged with both the previous and current UK Government administrations to strengthen the protections for children in the Online Safety Act. The Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise and I met with the online safety regulator Ofcom in August to discuss their strategy for online safety in Scotland. We await Ofcom&rsquo;s draft guidance on protecting women and girls online, due to be published next year, and will reflect on its recent research which has highlighted the increased risk and concerns teenage girls and women face in relation to misogynistic content.The Scottish Government also works closely with operational partners to tackle cyber-crime including Police Scotland, the National Cyber Security Centre and Cyber and Fraud Centre Scotland. These agencies link to international partnership working, and we will continue to identify opportunities for international engagement as we develop our approach to the global threat of online harm and radicalism.As part of our existing approach, we support victims of abuse linked to misogyny, including through the provision of Our Delivering Equally Safe fund. This includes an award of over &pound;110,000 to the South West Grid for Learning to deliver advice to victims of intimate image abuse and to improve awareness of sexual exploitation &ndash; or &lsquo;Revenge Porn&rsquo; across Scotland. The Safer Scotland website was updated earlier this year to provide information, links to support and advice for victims on reporting intimate image abuse and our ParentClub website provides information on online harms including specific advice on misogynistic content.The Scottish Government has also established an internal policy group on Technology-Facilitated Violence against Women and Girls, in recognition of the cross-cutting nature of this issue. This work will look to coordinate and accelerate the Scottish Government&rsquo;s strategic approach to tackling technology-facilitated violence against women and girls, including how we further strengthen our approach to addressing online misogyny.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427322,"EventID":"S6W-31896","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:02.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-29T18:09:51.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many properties in the Highlands and Islands region are currently in areas classed as (a) large urban areas, (b) other urban areas, (c) accessible small towns, (d) r","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many properties in the Highlands and Islands region are currently in areas classed as (a) large urban areas, (b) other urban areas, (c) accessible small towns, (d) remote small towns, (e) very remote small towns, (f) accessible rural areas, (g) remote rural areas and (h) very remote rural areas, as per the Scottish Government Urban Rural Classification, also broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31894 on 11 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427323,"EventID":"S6W-31898","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:00.257","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-29T18:46:39.93","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that Police Scotland acts on recommendation 1 of the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland report, Thematic inspection of road p","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that Police Scotland acts on recommendation 1 of the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland report, Thematic inspection of road policing in Scotland.","AnswerText":"I welcome the recent Thematic inspection of road policing in Scotland report by His Majesty&rsquo;s Inspectorate of Constabulary for Scotland. The recommendations contained within the report are for Police Scotland to consider and respond, and how they do so is a matter for the Chief Constable.I note Police Scotland&rsquo;s statement on the report which highlights that the Service is already taking steps to address the issues raised, including the identification and implementation of a sustainable model for road policing. The Chief Constable has been clear policing must evolve to meet demand, with a focus on enabling frontline officers and staff to deliver for communities.I look forward to discussing this and other issues when I next meet the Chief Constable.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427324,"EventID":"S6W-31850","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:10:59.37","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-28T15:10:20.217","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of its education budget has beenallocated to youth work in each financial year since 2012-13 to the currentfinancial year.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of its education budget has beenallocated to youth work in each financial year since 2012-13 to the currentfinancial year.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government highly values youth work and continues to fund youth work across Scotland in a variety of ways. Local Authorities are required to provide adequate and efficient Community Learning and Development (CLD), which includes youth work, as set out in the Requirements for Community Learning and Development (Scotland) Regulations 2013. In line with the Verity House Agreement, Local Authorities have the autonomy to allocate resources to meet the specific needs of young people in their areas.In addition to the block grant given to Local Authorities, the Scottish Government directly funds a range of youth work initiatives, projects and programmes. These initiatives aim to support diverse youth work models, promote partnership working and enhance the quality of youth work.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427325,"EventID":"S6W-31878","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:10:59.88","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-29T15:26:51.207","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to extend the Scottish Women's AidFund to Leave to victim-survivors of financial abuse.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to extend the Scottish Women's AidFund to Leave to victim-survivors of financial abuse.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government received the final evaluation of the fund to leave pilot from Scottish Women&rsquo;s Aid in August 2024. The fund to leave provided financial support to women to leave an abusive relationship, including to women experiencing financial abuse. The assessment stage is nearing completion and we hope to be in a position to set out next steps soon.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427326,"EventID":"S6W-31672","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:00.453","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T15:00:06.2","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Public Finance on 12 November 2024 that more than 164,000 homes have planning permission but have not yet been built, for e","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Public Finance on 12 November 2024 that more than 164,000 homes have planning permission but have not yet been built, for each local authority area, how many of these homes are programmed in housing land audits to be completed (a) prior to and (b) after any new local development plan is adopted.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427327,"EventID":"S6W-31877","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:10:59.143","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-29T15:25:24.11","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to develop debt recoverypolicies that recognise the impact of domestic and economic abuse and prevent victims from being pursued for coerced deb","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to develop debt recoverypolicies that recognise the impact of domestic and economic abuse and prevent victims from being pursued for coerced debt in their name, as a resultof abuse.","AnswerText":"We are committed to tackling all forms of violence against women and girls, including economic abuse, which as a tactic of coercive control and abuse can have lifelong impacts on victims.It is the responsibility of individual public bodies to develop debt-recovery policies. However, the Scottish Government and COLSA recognise that there are opportunities to improve collection practices in Council Tax. The &lsquo;Joint Working Group on Council Tax Reform&rsquo;, which is co-chaired by COSLA, is undertaking work to encourage better practices in debt collection. This includes ensuring that councils are furnished with the information they need to improve practices, and identify those in need of support.In addition, Social Security Scotland is committed to delivering a debt management service that is responsive to clients&rsquo; needs while protecting the public purse. This includes an approach for vulnerable clients that includes training debt officers to identify and sensitively handle potential hardship and vulnerable clients, as well as signposting them to support and advocacy groups.Through our Delivering Equally Safe fund, we are providing approximately &pound;600,000 over three-and-a-half years to GEMAP for their Financially Included project. This focuses on improving responses to economic abuse across the money advice and gender-based violence sectors through development and delivery of training and toolkit resources and provision of financial advice. Additionally, Financially Included use their learning to raise awareness of economic abuse and the economic impact of all forms of male violence against women and girls.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427328,"EventID":"S6W-31910","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:10:59.92","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-02T11:23:16.083","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to its paper,&nbsp;A Trading Nation: Realising Scotland's Hydrogen Potential - A Plan for Exports, which was published on 29 November 2024,&nbsp;how much green ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to its paper,&nbsp;A Trading Nation: Realising Scotland's Hydrogen Potential - A Plan for Exports, which was published on 29 November 2024,&nbsp;how much green hydrogen will be delivered by 2030.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to its ambition of delivering 5GW of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen production by 2030, as outlined in our Hydrogen Action Plan. This target harnesses Scotland&rsquo;s renewable energy potential to produce green hydrogen, supporting domestic decarbonisation and positioning Scotland as a leading exporter.A Trading Nation: Realising Scotland&rsquo;s Hydrogen Potential highlights our strategic focus on international partnerships and market development to meet growing global demand. Our approach ensures Scotland plays a key role in the emerging hydrogen economy, driving economic opportunities while advancing our net zero ambitions.This commitment demonstrates Scotland&rsquo;s ambition in delivering a just transition to a low-carbon future, capitalising on hydrogen&rsquo;s potential to decarbonise energy systems, create jobs, and support sustainable economic growth.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427329,"EventID":"S6W-31882","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:01.54","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-29T16:51:07.843","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will be consulting on its proposed revisions to the Scottish Biodiversity List.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will be consulting on its proposed revisions to the Scottish Biodiversity List.","AnswerText":"We are currently scoping our approach to a review of the Scottish Biodiversity List and will engage with stakeholders on the review. However, our initial view is that public consultation on a revised list would provide limited additional input on what is a fairly technical matter, and is not therefore necessary. Public consultation is not obligated under the relevant legislation and we do not consider that it will add meaningfully to the planned policy development.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427330,"EventID":"S6W-31671","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:00.807","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T15:00:06.2","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Public Finance on 12 November 2024 that more than 164,000 homes have planning permission but have not yet been built, what ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Public Finance on 12 November 2024 that more than 164,000 homes have planning permission but have not yet been built, what the difference is, for each local authority area, between the number of such homes and the area's Minimum All Tenure Housing Land Requirement figure.","AnswerText":"The Minimum All Tenure Housing Land Requirement (MATHLR) for each planning authority in Scotland is set out in Annex E of National Planning Framework 4.The table below provides the difference between the MATHLR and the figures that contribute to the 164,000 units.AuthorityRemaining capacity(units of housing) ofland included inHousing Land Auditswith planning consentMATHLR (as set outin National PlanningFramework 4,Annex E)DifferenceCity of Edinburgh20,59336,750-16,157Glasgow City20,38821,350-962North Lanarkshire14,8597,3507,509Fife13,1817,3005,881West Lothian12,2989,8502,448Aberdeen City11,4067,0004,406Aberdeenshire10,8227,5503,272Perth &amp; Kinross9,7248,5001,224South Lanarkshire9,0057,8501,155East Lothian7,0196,500519Midlothian6,8868,850-1,964Renfrewshire6,5694,9001,669Stirling5,5623,5002,062Dumfries &amp; Galloway2,4994,550-2,051Dundee City2,1544,300-2,146Falkirk2,0905,250-3,160West Dunbartonshire1,8962,100-204Argyll &amp; Bute1,6832,150-467Angus1,5272,550-1,023Clackmannanshire1,4611,500-39East Renfrewshire1,0362,800-1.764Inverclyde1,0151,500-485East Dunbartonshire7112,500-1,789Total164,384166,450-2,066The 164,000 homes is a broad estimate of the remaining capacity across Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427331,"EventID":"S6W-31903","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:01.313","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-01T17:55:14.41","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether public understanding of the correct disposal method for batteries and battery products is sufficiently high.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether public understanding of the correct disposal method for batteries and battery products is sufficiently high.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the importance of ensuring that the public has a clear understanding of the correct disposal methods for batteries and battery-containing products. While progress has been made in raising awareness, we acknowledge that more needs to be done to further improve public understanding and encourage proper recycling practices.We are committed to working with local authorities, industry partners, and the other UK nations to enhance public awareness campaigns and ensure that information on battery disposal is widely accessible and easily understood. Correct disposal involves taking batteries to designated recycling points, such as those found at supermarkets, local recycling centres, or household waste recycling facilities, rather than disposing of them in general waste bins where they can pose environmental and safety risks. Guidance on how to properly dispose of batteries can be found hereAs part of this effort, we are exploring ways to update recycling regulations and improve infrastructure, ensuring the availability of convenient recycling options. This will complement public education initiatives aimed at fostering greater awareness of the importance of correct disposal and the locations of appropriate facilities.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427332,"EventID":"S6W-31857","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:01.907","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-29T09:17:57.66","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what work it has undertaken with the UK Government to ensure that domiciled residents in Scotland who have migrated from the rest of the UK pay the correct taxation rate","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work it has undertaken with the UK Government to ensure that domiciled residents in Scotland who have migrated from the rest of the UK pay the correct taxation rates.","AnswerText":"HMRC undertakes an on-going programme of activities to ensure Scottish taxpayers are accurately identified. Scottish Government scrutinise this work through a joint quarterly income tax board.This work includes, comparing PAYE submissions with HMRC&rsquo;s own records to identify cases where employers are not correctly applying Scottish tax codes and checking address data against third party sources. Individuals who complete a tax return come under greater scrutiny and are required to confirm address details annually.HMRC view the risks associated with Scottish-specific non-compliance as being small, whilst we are reassured with this assessment - we are not complacent and continue to focus on scrutinising HMRC performance in identifying the Scottish tax base.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427333,"EventID":"S6W-31894","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:00.177","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-29T18:07:58.737","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many empty properties are currently in areas classed as (a) large urban areas, (b) other urban areas, (c) accessible small towns, (d) remote small towns, (e) very re","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many empty properties are currently in areas classed as (a) large urban areas, (b) other urban areas, (c) accessible small towns, (d) remote small towns, (e) very remote small towns, (f) accessible rural areas, (g) remote rural areas and (h) very remote rural areas, as per the Scottish Government Urban Rural Classification, also broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"Household estimates showing the total number of dwellings and long-term empty properties by the Scottish Government 8-fold rural classification are published on the National Records of Scotland website - [ARCHIVED CONTENT] Household and Dwelling Estimates by Urban Rural Classification (2011 Data Zone based) | National Records of Scotland. Data for council areas are available in the Data file for the publication Households and Dwellings in Scotland, 2023 (total dwellings &ndash; table 2, long-term empty properties &ndash; table 6c). The latest data are for 2023.Please note that the links take you to the archived version of the National Records of Scotland website. A new version of the website launched this month but is not yet fully populated with content from the previous website.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427334,"EventID":"S6W-31889","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:01.397","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-29T17:32:49.513","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review the classification of wildlife habitats such as marsh, trees, ponds and scrub as \"ineligible features\" in any future guidance issued in connec","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review the classification of wildlife habitats such as marsh, trees, ponds and scrub as \"ineligible features\" in any future guidance issued in connection with its agriculture support regime.","AnswerText":"The consideration of qualifying land and the active farmer eligibility rules is part of the agricultural reform programme. We will look at how we best support farmers and crofters to deliver the vision for agriculture including the right balance of incentives and conditions to ensure the protection of existing features such as marsh, trees, ponds and scrub.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-04T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427335,"EventID":"S6W-31676","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:00.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T15:00:06.2","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Public Finance on 12 November 2024 that more than 164,000 homes have planning permission but have not yet been built,&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Public Finance on 12 November 2024 that more than 164,000 homes have planning permission but have not yet been built,&nbsp;how many of these homes are part of developments containing four homes or fewer.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information.The 164,000 figure is derived from data contained in local authority Housing Land Audits, which may vary in how they audit the contribution of 'small sites' of 4 homes or fewer.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427336,"EventID":"S6W-31854","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:01.803","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-28T16:50:54.16","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2), what action it has taken to (a) progress recommendation 40, which recommended imp","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2), what action it has taken to (a) progress recommendation 40, which recommended improving access to Stranraer and ports at Cairnryan and (b) encourage greater use of public transport.","AnswerText":"STPR2 is a long term framework for investment in transport infrastructure, which will drive decision making for Scotland&rsquo;s strategic transport system.Recommendation 40 notes that safety, resilience and reliability improvements are made on both the A75 and A77 trunk roads. Progress on this recommendation is being made. Specifically, regarding the further investigation of the bypassing of Springholm and Crocketford. Whereby, technical advisors have recently been appointed to take forward the design development work for this section of the A75. Furthermore, signalisation of the Cuckoo Bridge roundabout is due to commence in March 2025. Moreover, there are works programmed for signage improvements in Crocketford and junction improvements at the A75 Haugh of Urr junction in 2024/2025 financial year.Recommendation 40 also endorses a review of an upgrade or relocation of Stranraer Railway Station. Transport Scotland and Network Rail continue to engage with the community and wider rail industry partners as these plans develop. Any future changes to the railway station will require a robust business case, available funding and the following of standard railway industry processes.Regarding part (b) of the question, as announced in the Draft Budget statement on 4 December, we will invest more than &pound;2.6 billion in 2025-26 to support public transport across Scotland and make our public transport system more available and accessible for all.The Scottish Government is committed to keeping the public transport as affordable as possible for the users through a range of measures which help incentivise and maximise use.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427337,"EventID":"S6W-31853","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:01.94","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-28T15:10:20.217","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many youth work organisations have had to reduce services or close due to any funding reductions since 2012.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many youth work organisations have had to reduce services or close due to any funding reductions since 2012.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government highly values youth work in Scotland. Local Authorities are required to provide adequate and efficient Community Learning and Development (CLD), which includes youth work, as set out in the Requirements for Community Learning and Development (Scotland) Regulations 2013. In line with the Verity House Agreement, Local Authorities have the autonomy to allocate resources to meet the specific needs of young people in their areas.These regulations require that a CLD plan is produced every three years by each education authority. Current CLD plans covering period 2024-2027 can be found on Local Authority websites. As the regulations set out the duties at a local level, the Scottish Government does not collate information on youth work organisations.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427338,"EventID":"S6W-31912","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:01.57","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-02T11:23:16.083","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to its paper,&nbsp;A Trading Nation: Realising Scotland's Hydrogen Potential - A Plan for Exports, which was published on 29 November 2024, whether it will be u","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to its paper,&nbsp;A Trading Nation: Realising Scotland's Hydrogen Potential - A Plan for Exports, which was published on 29 November 2024, whether it will be using its powers under the UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Continuity) (Scotland) Act 2021 to align current hydrogen regulations with the EU via secondary legislation and, if so, whether this will be introduced before March 2026.","AnswerText":"The UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Continuity) (Scotland) Act 2021 (&lsquo;the Continuity Act&rsquo;) provides Scottish Ministers with a power to help meet the Scottish Government&rsquo;s commitment to align with future developments in EU law, where it is appropriate and meaningful to do so. This is important to maintain and advance regulatory standards in Scotland.We will continue to monitor and assess the development of the regulations for hydrogen in the EU, as we recognise the need to ensure regulatory alignment or compatibility with potential export partners to achieve our hydrogen export ambitions.The regulatory framework for hydrogen is a mixture of reserved and devolved powers so we are also engaging with the UK Government to ensure the development of regulations for the UK reflect Scotland&rsquo;s renewable hydrogen export potential.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427339,"EventID":"S6W-31911","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:02.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-02T11:23:16.083","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to its paper,&nbsp;A Trading Nation: Realising Scotland's Hydrogen Potential - A Plan for Exports, which was published on 29 November 2024, what engagement it h","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to its paper,&nbsp;A Trading Nation: Realising Scotland's Hydrogen Potential - A Plan for Exports, which was published on 29 November 2024, what engagement it has had with the (a) Secretary of State for Scotland, (b) Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero and (c) European Commission regarding its plans to export hydrogen.","AnswerText":"To support the development of, &lsquo;A Trading Nation: Realising Scotland's Hydrogen Potential - A Plan for Exports&rsquo;, Scottish Government officials engaged extensively with stakeholders, including key policy leads within the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.Scottish Ministers have routinely discussed Scotland's goal of becoming a Hydrogen exporting nation with the Secretary of State for Scotland and other UK Government Cabinet Ministers. Whilst there has been no formal engagement with the European Commission regarding the Hydrogen Sector Export Plan, Scottish Ministers have emphasised this goal most recently during their visits to Norway, Sweden, Germany and Brussels in October and November 2024.Before the plan&rsquo;s publication, the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy updated the State for Energy Security and Net Zero on the positive engagement by respective officials and suggested a meeting to discuss future collaboration on plans to export hydrogen.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427340,"EventID":"S6W-31864","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:00.133","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-29T13:51:53.837","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide full details of the (a) process and (b) progress of Project Willow; which expert stakeholders are being consulted; what the range is of the poten","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide full details of the (a) process and (b) progress of Project Willow; which expert stakeholders are being consulted; what the range is of the potential fuel production processes that are being considered; to what extent the issue of (i) feedstock availability and (ii) scalability is being considered, and when it will provide the next update to the Parliament regarding Project Willow.","AnswerText":"Petroineos first approached the Scottish Government in early 2024 to seek support for Project Willow. The Scottish Government has supported this with &pound;799,000 of funding and has successfully leveraged the UK Government to do the same.The Project Willow cross site study is examining the enablers and blockers to deploying low carbon technologies at Grangemouth that will support our commitment to secure a long term and sustainable future for the industrial cluster. Petroineos has contracted Ernst &amp; Young Parthenon (Ernst &amp; Young) to undertake this study which commenced in August and is due to report early in the New Year.The Scottish Government, UK Government, Scottish Enterprise, Petroineos and INEOS have a joint governance function for the study and Unite the Union engage via regular standing committee meetings.The programme of work has undertaken extensive stakeholder engagement including businesses, sector specialists, the local community, and the public sector.Consideration was given to over 80 technologies at different levels of readiness before developing a shorter list of viable alternatives - including sustainable aviation fuel, e-fuels, and low carbon hydrogen - which are now being scrutinised through the following lenses: technical; economic; commercial; regulatory; climate/environmental; community; and skills. Feedstock availability and scalability are two of several key criteria being considered by Ernst &amp; Young.The Scottish Government will provide an update to Parliament on the findings of Project Willow upon its conclusion.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":427341,"EventID":"S6W-31900","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:01.273","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-30T10:48:59.717","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on reported efforts to officially recognise the Highlands as the home of tartan textiles.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on reported efforts to officially recognise the Highlands as the home of tartan textiles.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the essential role that heritage has in shaping Scotland's identity, and the importance of protecting and caring for it in a sustainable way so current and future generations can enjoy and benefit from it.Tartan is inextricably connected with Scotland, its history and its culture. With Tartan Day being a chance for people around the world to mark their connections to Scotland.The Scottish Government is grateful for the work of Prickly Thistle in maintaining and innovating the craft of tartan weaving in the Highlands.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427342,"EventID":"S6W-31874","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:01.19","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-29T14:50:06.707","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to scale up the current model of providing a specialist lawyer for domestic abuse cases in collaboration with Women&rsquo;s Aid services.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to scale up the current model of providing a specialist lawyer for domestic abuse cases in collaboration with Women&rsquo;s Aid services.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has committed to a pilot project which has been established through the Scottish Legal Aid Board up to a limit of &pound;432,000 over a period of three years from 1 April 2023 - 31 March 2026, to support Scottish Women&rsquo;s Aid for the provision of legal advice to those affected by gender-based violence and provides an early intervention service providing legal advice, intervention services to those impacted by domestic abuse. The project is being taken forward in collaboration with Edinburgh Women&rsquo;s Aid and a firm of solicitors.Between September 2023 &ndash; August 2024, 230 women have been referred into this legal service project. The majority of clients have sought help for a legal problem connected to child contact, child maintenance and divorce.We will evaluate the pilot model once the current funding ends in March 2026 and learning lessons from projects such as these, is incredibly useful and enables us to shape and inform any future services and target funding in the places it is most needed.We remain committed to tackling all forms of violence against women and girls, including domestic abuse, and we will continue to work closely with statutory agencies and stakeholders to ensure that victims receive the support they need.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427343,"EventID":"S6W-31892","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:02.267","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-29T17:32:49.513","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review the Weeds Act 1959, in light of all of the &ldquo;injurious weeds&rdquo; listed in it reportedly being considered native plants vital to biodi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review the Weeds Act 1959, in light of all of the &ldquo;injurious weeds&rdquo; listed in it reportedly being considered native plants vital to biodiversity.","AnswerText":"The Weeds act is referenced by the direct payments regulations in regard to minimum activity rules around region 1 land which is to say that the control of weeds is one of the minimum activities required in the absence of agricultural production from that land.Whilst enforcement of the weeds act remains active this is largely used in response to complaints predominantly in relation to the control Ragwort for the protection of horses. The Scottish Government can review the Weeds Act as part of the agriculture reform programme and will look at the relevance of the weeds act provisions and if these should be revised.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427344,"EventID":"S6W-31872","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:02.237","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-29T14:50:06.707","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to ensure that sheriffs are provided with the full details of any previous criminal proceedings when conducting a civil case in relation to domestic ab","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to ensure that sheriffs are provided with the full details of any previous criminal proceedings when conducting a civil case in relation to domestic abuse.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government funded this research on Domestic Abuse and Child Contact: The Interface Between Criminal and Civil Proceedings - SCCJR. In the light of this research, the Scottish Government has held workshops with stakeholders to consider the issues on the civil/criminal interface. The first workshop was with justice agencies on 8 May 2024 and the second workshop with voluntary and third sector bodies on 3 October 2024. Following these workshops, the Scottish Government is considering next steps in this area.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427345,"EventID":"S6W-31893","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:10:59.193","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-29T17:32:49.513","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been awarded through the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme for the restoration of natural processes in each year since 2015.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been awarded through the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme for the restoration of natural processes in each year since 2015.","AnswerText":"The Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) was launched in 2015 to promote land management practices which protect and enhance Scotland&rsquo;s natural heritage, improve water quality, manage flood risk and mitigate and adapt to climate change.To date over &pound;317 million has been committed to 3,342 businesses to fund a range of activities that help to maintain and enhance our rich and varied natural environment.An annual breakdown of the funding issued has been provided in the following table.RoundValue of Accepted Contracts (&pound;)201539,362,548201655,585,998201743,672,043201836,346,732201931,863,6752020*5,214,057202128,978,786202242,080,371202328,053,2332024A5,879,133Total317,036,576* The 2020 AECS Round consisted of a one-year extension of management options ending in 2020.A Slurry Store and Irrigation Lagoons application approvals only. The agri-environment and organic 2024 Round application approvals are subject to the 2025-26 budget.Further detail can be provided on any specific options of interest.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427346,"EventID":"S6W-31873","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:10:59.19","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-29T14:50:06.707","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of the provisions of the Children (Scotland) Act 2020 that (a) regulate child welfare reporters and (b) aim to im","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of the provisions of the Children (Scotland) Act 2020 that (a) regulate child welfare reporters and (b) aim to improve the system of advocacy for children.","AnswerText":"Section 9 of the Children (Scotland) Act 2020 (the 2020 Act) requires the Scottish Ministers to establish a register of child welfare reporters. These may be appointed by the court in cases under section 11 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 (the key legislation on parental responsibilities and rights, contact and residence) to obtain the views of the child and report on the best interests of the child.Section 21 of the 2020 Act places a duty on the Scottish Ministers to ensure the availability of child advocacy services in contact and residence cases.The Scottish Government is taking action in these areas in advance of full implementation:We have established a short-life working group on child welfare reporters that will inform further development of policy around the new register and consider how changes from a previous working group are working in practice. The first meeting of the working group took place on 20 November 2024. A note of that meeting will be published in due course.In relation to child advocacy services in contact and residence cases, the Scottish Government will hold discussions with key stakeholders in 2025 on what they would like to see in this area.Implementation of the 2020 Act was discussed at the meeting of the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee of the Parliament on 10 December. The Scottish Government is considering commencing further sections of the 2020 Act in 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427347,"EventID":"S6W-31895","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:10:59.89","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-29T18:07:58.737","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many homes that have been returned to use through the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership in each year since 2010 were in areas classed as (a) large urban areas, (b) ot","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many homes that have been returned to use through the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership in each year since 2010 were in areas classed as (a) large urban areas, (b) other urban areas, (c) accessible small towns, (d) remote small towns, (e) very remote small towns, (f) accessible rural areas, (g) remote rural areas and (h) very remote rural areas, as per the Scottish Government Urban Rural Classification, also broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Empty Homes Partnership publish the number of homes that have been returned to use each year in their annual report. The annual reports for 2010 to 2024 are available from their website at: Publications | Scottish Empty Homes Partnership.Please note that this information is not broken down by the Scottish Government&rsquo;s Urban Rural Classification or local authority area.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427348,"EventID":"S6W-31862","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:00.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-29T13:31:19.21","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to resource the implementation of the (a) Gender Based Violence in Schools Framework and (b) Behaviour in Schools National Action Plan, in order","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to resource the implementation of the (a) Gender Based Violence in Schools Framework and (b) Behaviour in Schools National Action Plan, in order to address the reported increase in extreme misogyny in schools.","AnswerText":"There is no place for harassment or abuse in any form in our schools. We published a national framework for schools to help tackle sexual harassment and gender-based violence in March 2024. This framework helps to support schools both to prevent gender-based violence from occurring, and to respond appropriately when it does occur. To support its implementation, in September 2024 Education Scotland ran an information session on the framework for school staff. As part of that, they sought feedback on areas where more bespoke training may be helpful. We will commission an independent review of the framework to establish positive practice and further areas for improvement, before the end of this parliamentary session.Misogynistic behaviour was identified as an emerging trend within the Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research 2023. The relationships and behaviour in schools action plan contains a number of commitments to address this, including Action 10: Children and young people are supported to develop healthy relationships and behaviours, grounded in tolerance and respect. Delivery of this action is supported by our ongoing investment in the school-based peer education programme, Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP), which was awarded &pound;156,000 funding for 2024-25 to tackle gender stereotyping and attitudes that condone violence against women and girls. Earlier this year, Education Scotland, who operate the programme, developed a new MVP scenario on misogyny. In addition, through our Delivering Equally Safe fund, we are also continuing to fund Rape Crisis Scotland&rsquo;s national sexual violence prevention programme Equally Safe at School which is aimed at local authority secondary schools across Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427349,"EventID":"S6W-31881","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:00.927","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-29T16:51:07.843","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which provisions of the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024 are yet to be implemented.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which provisions of the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024 are yet to be implemented.","AnswerText":"Provisions to introduce a licensing scheme for certain wildlife traps and provisions relating to glue traps have not yet been implemented. We will be commencing these provisions over the coming months, with stakeholders given sufficient time to make any necessary changes.Provisions relating to the licensing of muirburn and the Muirburn Code are expected to be brought in ahead of the next muirburn season in autumn 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427350,"EventID":"S6W-31856","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:02.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-28T16:50:54.16","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-20007 and S6W-20008 by Fiona Hyslop on 14 August 2023, whether ScotRail considers (a) climate and sustainability objectives and ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-20007 and S6W-20008 by Fiona Hyslop on 14 August 2023, whether ScotRail considers (a) climate and sustainability objectives and (b) the potential for greater modal shift when making operational decisions about service patterns and potential consumer demand, on services such as \"Rail and Sail\" tickets served by the Cairnryan-Belfast ferry route.","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for ScotRail. The Member may wish to contact ScotRail directly.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427351,"EventID":"S6W-31855","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:01.307","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-28T16:50:54.16","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-20007 and S6W-20008 by Fiona Hyslop on 14 August 2023, how many meetings have taken place between (a) ScotRail, (b) the Scottish","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-20007 and S6W-20008 by Fiona Hyslop on 14 August 2023, how many meetings have taken place between (a) ScotRail, (b) the Scottish Ministers and (c) Scottish Government officials and Stena Line since 1 April 2022, and whether any such meetings involved discussions regarding increased connectivity on the Cairnryan-Belfast ferry route.","AnswerText":"The Rail and Sail service is managed by Stena Line who makes decisions regarding the provision of the service on a commercial basis. There have been no meetings, since 1 April 2022, including all parties mentioned by the Member in their question.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427352,"EventID":"S6W-31848","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:01.987","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-28T15:10:20.217","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of its youth work budget, by local authority area, for the current financial year.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of its youth work budget, by local authority area, for the current financial year.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government highly values youth work and continues to fund youth work across Scotland in a variety of ways. Local Authorities are required to provide adequate and efficient Community Learning and Development (CLD), which includes youth work, as set out in the Requirements for Community Learning and Development (Scotland) Regulations 2013. In line with the Verity House Agreement, Local Authorities have the autonomy to allocate resources to meet the specific needs of young people in their areas.In addition to the block grant given to Local Authorities, the Scottish Government directly funds a range of youth work initiatives, projects and programmes. These initiatives aim to support diverse youth work models, promote partnership working and enhance the quality of youth work.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427353,"EventID":"S6W-31897","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:02.35","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-29T18:46:39.93","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to ensure that Police Scotland designs its Digital Evidence Sharing Capability to enable the public to upload journey-cam footage directly to th","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to ensure that Police Scotland designs its Digital Evidence Sharing Capability to enable the public to upload journey-cam footage directly to the police rather than having to report the incident first.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government welcomes His Majesty&rsquo;s Inspectorate of Constabulary for Scotland (HMICS) highlighting the issue of journey-cam footage in its recent report, the thematic inspection of road policing in Scotland.The Digital Evidence Sharing Capability (DESC) Programme, which is rolling out nationally, will help to enable the ability of a member of the public to submit digital evidence including CCTV, mobile device and computer footage as part of an investigation following a report to the police.DESC represents an investment by the Scottish Government of &pound;33 million over 10 years, and will deliver significant savings of time and cost in the way that evidence is managed and used.How Police Scotland use and process the evidence submitted is a matter for the Chief Constable, but I fully expect swifter access to justice and the faster resolution of cases to result from the rollout which will take place across 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427354,"EventID":"S6W-31879","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:10:59.353","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-29T16:51:07.843","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that its Biodiversity Investment Plan aligns with the aims of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that its Biodiversity Investment Plan aligns with the aims of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill.","AnswerText":"The Land Reform Bill seeks to place legal responsibilities on the owners of the very largest landholdings to set out how they use their land and how that contributes to key public policy priorities, such as addressing climate change and protecting and restoring nature. Landowners will be required to set out how they manage or intend to manage the land in ways which contribute towards net zero emissions targets, climate change adaptations and increasing or sustaining biodiversity.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427355,"EventID":"S6W-31880","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:00.423","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-29T16:51:07.843","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Scottish Plan for Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS) Surveillance, Prevention and Control will be delivered before the Scottish Parliament's 2025 summer rece","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Scottish Plan for Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS) Surveillance, Prevention and Control will be delivered before the Scottish Parliament's 2025 summer recess.","AnswerText":"As one of the five main drivers of biodiversity loss and a barrier to nature restoration, the Scottish Government takes the control of invasive non-native species (INNS) seriously and we work with a range of partners to minimise their negative impacts.The Scottish Plan for Invasive Non-Native Species Surveillance, Prevention and Control is a key component of the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy Delivery Plan which was published on 27 November 2024. We are currently working alongside NatureScot and a range of stakeholders on developing the Scottish Plan for INNS and we intend to publish it during the summer of 2025.The Plan will build on the actions contained within the GB INNS Strategy on which we are already working closely with the UK and Welsh governments. It will set out in more detail what we intend to do to tackle INNS and will ensure that resources are better focused on preventing and tackling INNS where possible.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427356,"EventID":"S6W-31863","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:00.23","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-29T13:31:19.21","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what specific action it is taking to engage boys and men in preventing violence against women and girls.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what specific action it is taking to engage boys and men in preventing violence against women and girls.","AnswerText":"Our Equally Safe strategy makes challenges the notion that violence against women and girls is inevitable or acceptable and emphasises the importance of challenging attitudes that underpin violence against women and girls.We know that it is important that men and boys are seen as part of the solution and that they are involved in the work of prevention. This is why, we continue to fund projects such as White Ribbon Scotland to work with men and boys on the issue through our Delivering Equally Safe fund. I was pleased that my colleague, Mr Hepburn, was able to speak at their recent event which they hosted alongside Zero Tolerance on Wednesday 11 December. It was an important opportunity to highlight the importance of engaging with men to tackle VAWG, and to reinforce the Scottish Government&rsquo;s commitment to engaging men within our work to prevent violence against women and girls.We continue to take forward a range of actions in schools to address gender based violence and sexual harassment. For example, Equally Safe at School, Rape Crisis Scotland&rsquo;s national sexual violence prevention programme and Mentors in Violence Prevention, a peer education programme that gives young people the chance to explore and challenge the attitudes, beliefs and cultural norms underpinning gender based violence, bullying and other forms of violence. We have also published a national framework for schools to help tackle sexual harassment and gender-based violence.Additionally, within our recently published Equally Safe Delivery Plan, we have committed to developing a public engagement approach to raise awareness of the scale and impact of VAWG.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427357,"EventID":"S6W-31876","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:01.07","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-29T15:23:54.94","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to roll out specialist, trauma-informed money advice and support for victim-survivors of financial abuse.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to roll out specialist, trauma-informed money advice and support for victim-survivors of financial abuse.","AnswerText":"We are committed to tackling all forms of violence against women and girls, including financial abuse, which, as a tactic of coercive control and abuse, can have lifelong impacts on victims.Through our Delivering Equally Safe fund, we are providing approximately &pound;600,000 over three-and-a-half years to GEMAP for their Financially Included project. This focuses on improving responses to economic abuse across the money advice and gender-based violence sectors through development and delivery of training and toolkit resources and provision of financial advice.Alongside this, in 2024-25, the Scottish Government has allocated over &pound;12 million for the provision of free income maximisation support, welfare and debt advice. We fund a range of mainly national advice providers including Citizens Advice Scotland, StepChange Debt Charity and Advice Direct Scotland.We recognise that a variety of solutions and delivery mechanisms are needed to effectively respond to the many different and sometimes distressing circumstances that people find themselves in.We have responded to this need by continuing to support a multichannel funding programme providing face-to-face, online and telephone advice, ensuring that all individuals or households, whatever their situation, can access support in the way that best suits their needs.At this time, therefore, we are do not plan to establish a new programme of specialist services but would urge anyone needing support, whatever their situation, to contact a free advice provider as soon as possible.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427358,"EventID":"S6W-31852","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:01.453","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-28T15:10:20.217","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of its youth work budget for the next three years, and what percentage increase is planned.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of its youth work budget for the next three years, and what percentage increase is planned.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government highly values youth work in Scotland. The Scottish Government published its budget for 2025-26 on 4 December 2024. Scottish Government budgets are published on an annual basis and information can be found here: https://www.gov.scot/budget/","AnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427359,"EventID":"S6W-31866","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:01.313","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-29T13:56:03.307","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many miles of the A96 have been dualled in each year from 2011 to date.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many miles of the A96 have been dualled in each year from 2011 to date.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s commitment to fully dual the A96 was made in December 2011. A lot has happened since then, not least nearly 14 years of austerity and cost pressures under the previous UK Government, which put significant financial constraints on Scottish budgets. We also had a pandemic which meant that very little construction work was planned or undertaken for a number of years.The position of the Scottish Government has not changed &ndash; the current favoured position is to fully dual the A96, and we are already taking forward the dualling process from Inverness to Nairn, including Nairn Bypass.The outcomes from the A96 Corridor Review, which was undertaken as a result of the Bute House Agreement, have been published in draft for public consultation and no final decision has been made.Feedback from members of the public and key stakeholders will be key in helping inform the Scottish Government&rsquo;s final decision on how best to take forward improvements to the A96 whilst also balancing the demands of the challenging economic climate and the climate emergency, and to inform our timescales going forward.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427360,"EventID":"S6W-31867","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:02.117","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-29T14:18:17.387","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to emulating the New Zealand Government's climate implications of policy assessment.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to emulating the New Zealand Government's climate implications of policy assessment.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to improve the information around government spending and its climate impact and has successfully completed a pilot of our new Net Zero Assessment (NZA) methodology which is now undergoing independent expert review.In designing the approach, assessments used by other countries were reviewed, including new Zealand, drawing on key features while adapting them to the Scottish context.The Scottish NZA process is similar to the New Zealand Climate Implications of Policy Assessment (CIPA), with assessment at the early stage of policy development and proportionate screening. The scope of the Scottish NZA is wider as it covers all policy areas, not just climate and energy policies.I will write to the Convenor of the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee on the outcome of the pilot and next steps on the roll out of NZA in 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427361,"EventID":"S6W-31887","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:02.557","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-29T17:32:04.45","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the evidence given by the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands to the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee on 13 November 2024, what s","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the evidence given by the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands to the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee on 13 November 2024, what specific work it is undertaking in relation to reforming the current reporting system for salmon mortalities.","AnswerText":"The Aquatic Animal Health (Scotland) Regulations 2009 already places a legal obligation on salmon producers to report increases in mortality levels to Scottish Ministers or a veterinarian. This applies to unexplained mortality, and there is a voluntary agreement in place with aquaculture production businesses for any instances of mortality above specified thresholds to be reported to Scottish Ministers as part of wider aquatic animal health surveillance. This agreement is a requirement of the Code of Good Practice for Scottish Finfish Aquaculture. Fish farm operators are also legally obliged to keep records of site mortality levels and these are periodically inspected by the Fish Health Inspectorate during their risk-based inspections.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427362,"EventID":"S6W-31875","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16204,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T16:11:02.377","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-29T15:23:00.337","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to raise awareness andunderstanding of economic abuse, specifically in relation to women with abusivepartners.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to raise awareness andunderstanding of economic abuse, specifically in relation to women with abusivepartners.","AnswerText":"We are committed to tackling all forms of violence against women and girls, including economic abuse, which as a tactic of coercive control and abuse can have lifelong impacts on victims.Through our Delivering Equally Safe fund, we are providing approximately &pound;600,000 over three and a half years to GEMAP, for their Financially Included project. This focuses on improving responses to economic abuse across the money advice and gender-based violence sectors, through development and delivery of training and resources. Additionally Financially Included use their learning to raise awareness of economic abuse and the economic impact of all forms of male violence against women and girls.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427363,"EventID":"S6T-02222","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":16208,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T14:23:11.453","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-02T09:40:26.84","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of capacity in the NHS, in light of the critical incident declared by NHS Grampian on 28 November 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of capacity in the NHS, in light of the critical incident declared by NHS Grampian on 28 November 2024.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427365,"EventID":"S6F-03593","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T14:22:54.853","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-28T11:33:47.793","Title":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427366,"EventID":"S6F-03594","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5586,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T14:22:54.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-28T11:34:06.277","Title":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427367,"EventID":"S6F-03599","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T14:22:54.947","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-02T09:53:17.183","Title":"To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427368,"EventID":"S6F-03615","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16176,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":137,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T14:22:55.173","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-02T11:40:00.833","Title":"To ask the First Minister what assessment the Scottish Government has made of the reported concerns of not-for-profit social care providers regarding the impact of increased employer national insuranc","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what assessment the Scottish Government has made of the reported concerns of not-for-profit social care providers regarding the impact of increased employer national insurance contributions on the sector in Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427369,"EventID":"S6F-03603","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T14:22:55.2","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-02T10:30:25.473","Title":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's position is regarding any potential risk to the environment of excessive removal of peat during excavation projects.","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's position is regarding any potential risk to the environment of excessive removal of peat during excavation projects.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427370,"EventID":"S6F-03607","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16186,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":120,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T14:22:55.113","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-02T11:18:26.97","Title":"To ask the First Minister what progress is being made with the Scottish Government&rsquo;s efforts to establish the country as a world leader in the green hydrogen sector.","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what progress is being made with the Scottish Government&rsquo;s efforts to establish the country as a world leader in the green hydrogen sector.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-12-05T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427371,"EventID":"S6W-31920","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":8,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-02T17:08:12.867","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-02T15:50:01.36","Title":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what plans it has to improve the resilience, accessibility and usability of the Parliament's IT systems, including its website, Wi-Fi and internal port","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what plans it has to improve the resilience, accessibility and usability of the Parliament's IT systems, including its website, Wi-Fi and internal portals.","AnswerText":"Improving the resilience of the Parliament&rsquo;s IT systems is an ongoing endeavour. This includes a regular maintenance schedule of software updates on network hardware and end user devices. Hardware refreshes balance the risk of old components failing against cost and exercises to look at the design of the network and configuration of end user devices are commonplace to ensure that we are in the best place for the future and have resilience built into any solution.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Claire Baker (on behalf of the SPCB)","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427372,"EventID":"S6W-31929","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":8,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-03T10:13:55.107","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T10:11:32.973","Title":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will review restrictions on using recorded footage from the Chamber for social media purposes.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will review restrictions on using recorded footage from the Chamber for social media purposes.","AnswerText":"Members and the public are encouraged to use clips from Parliament TV on social media. This is an effective mechanism for sharing information about the work of Members and reaching new audiences.&nbsp; &nbsp; This material should not be used for party political purposes.&nbsp;This is set out in the Parliament&rsquo;s copyright policy and license which governs the use of Parliament TV clips.&nbsp; These restrictions apply to anyone using our clips, not only Members.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; The SPCB last considered this matter in April of this year when it agreed new guidance for Members and their staff on the use of clips for social media.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; The guidance was subsequently published in May 2024 and includes illustrative examples of what is and isn&rsquo;t acceptable in line with both the copyright policy and the policy for MSPs&rsquo; on the use of parliamentary resources. &nbsp;The material can be used to make a fair and accurate report of parliamentary proceedings and should not be edited, added to, distorted or digitally manipulated except to add accessibility features. &nbsp; SPCB policies and guidance are kept under review. Feedback is welcome so we can ensure they are as clear and useful to Members as possible.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Christine Grahame (on behalf of the SPCB)","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427375,"EventID":"S6W-31947","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-03T16:39:00.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T12:59:33.75","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to increase the number of nurses employed by the NHS, in light of the reported finding by the Royal College of Nursing that the number of nurses ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to increase the number of nurses employed by the NHS, in light of the reported finding by the Royal College of Nursing that the number of nurses is currently stagnating, having grown by 0.1% in the last six months.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to strive towards developing a sustainable healthcare workforce in NHS Scotland. This is why we have established a Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce (NMT), which works collaboratively with a range of stakeholders including the RCN. The NMT will publish its recommended actions early in the New Year.It is worth noting that workforce statistics experience seasonal variation so looking at the data over the last 6 months will include figures from the end of the financial year where we expect to see a decline in the workforce as staff are more likely to retire at this time. This will be followed by an increase in the September release, as we have seen, following an influx of students joining the workforce.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427376,"EventID":"S6W-31941","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-03T16:39:00.983","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T12:04:41.747","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce any barriers to accessing direct contact with workers for those accessing Medication Assisted Treatment services.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce any barriers to accessing direct contact with workers for those accessing Medication Assisted Treatment services.","AnswerText":"From 2022 Local services have been directed to implement the Medication Assisted Treatment standards. MAT Standard 1 has an aim to ensure individuals get into treatment and have access to workers on the same day they ask for it.The Scottish Government also provide additional funding to Alcohol and Drug Partnerships to ensure this is achievable.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427377,"EventID":"S6W-31933","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-03T16:39:00.58","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T11:46:41.517","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government further to the answer to question S6W-18745 by Jenni Minto on 21 June 2023, whether it can provide a list of meetings of the Scottish Hospice Leadership Group in (a) 202","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government further to the answer to question S6W-18745 by Jenni Minto on 21 June 2023, whether it can provide a list of meetings of the Scottish Hospice Leadership Group in (a) 2023 and (b) 2024, and a summary of what was discussed at each meeting.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"The Scottish Hospice Leadership Group is comprised of the Chief Executives of most of the independent Scottish hospices and their key partners.The group is not a Scottish Government body, however Scottish Government officials attend their meetings on a regular basis to discuss matters of mutual interest.The Minister for Public Health and Women&rsquo;s Health last met the Chair of the group on 18 September 2024 to discuss working towards establishing a longer term sustainable funding model.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427378,"EventID":"S6W-31935","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-03T16:39:00.577","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T12:04:41.747","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to re-evaluate the eligibility criteria for potential applicants to the Young Patients Family Fund.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to re-evaluate the eligibility criteria for potential applicants to the Young Patients Family Fund.","AnswerText":"We continue to monitor the impact and effectiveness of the Young Patients Family Fund (YPFF) and keep this under review.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427379,"EventID":"S6W-31932","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-03T16:39:00.517","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T11:39:04.117","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23717 by Jenni Minto on 19 December 2023, what progress it has made in identifying areas where there is the potential to further e","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23717 by Jenni Minto on 19 December 2023, what progress it has made in identifying areas where there is the potential to further explore or support aspects of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) service development and the resource required to do this.","AnswerText":"In May 2023 we published an analysis of survey data of health boards&rsquo; arrangements for the care and support of individuals with ME/CFS, with the aim of establishing a clearer picture of variations in service provision around Scotland.We have since gathered updated information on ME/CFS care from every health board in Scotland and published this on 20 November 2024.Subject to approval, the 2025-26 budget includes new investment of &pound;4.5 million to deliver new specialist support across the country for Long Covid, ME/CFS, and other similar conditions.This important investment will support people with these conditions across Scotland, and we are asking Parliament to unite behind the Budget to ensure this funding reaches the people who need it.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427380,"EventID":"S6W-31922","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-03T16:39:01.323","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-02T16:00:27.293","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many special care dentists there are.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many special care dentists there are.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold information on dentists working in NHS dentistry in Scotland who are also registered with the General Dental Council (GDC) as a specialist in special care dentistry.However, the Public Dental Service (PDS) does provide special care dentistry for their registered patients. Information on the number of PDS dentists in Scotland is available online at: NHS Scotland workforce | Turas Data Intelligence.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427381,"EventID":"S6W-31923","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-03T16:39:01.733","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-02T16:00:27.293","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to improve access to special care dental care for people with complex needs, including disabled people, older people and people with underlying health ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to improve access to special care dental care for people with complex needs, including disabled people, older people and people with underlying health conditions.","AnswerText":"Special care dentists provide services through the Public Dental Service (PDS). As these are NHS services run by Health Boards, matters of management of the PDS will be Board responsibility.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427382,"EventID":"S6W-31948","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-03T16:39:01.397","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T12:59:50.923","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its response to freedom of information request FOI/202400436576, which shows that it was notified of 16 cyber attacks on public bodies in 2024, whether it w","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its response to freedom of information request FOI/202400436576, which shows that it was notified of 16 cyber attacks on public bodies in 2024, whether it will provide an update on what steps it is taking to improve its cyber resilience.","AnswerText":"Good cyber resilience is essential for delivering secure digital public services. Staying ahead of cyber criminals is an ongoing battle; as technologies evolve, so do their tactics. Public sector organisations are responsible for their own cyber resilience and security arrangements, and must continually adapt to these emerging threats. However, the Scottish Government does provide assistance to the public sector to strengthen their cyber resilience posture and address areas for improvement.Through the implementation of The Strategic Framework for a Cyber Resilient Scotland and the Public Sector Cyber Resilience Framework, supported by the new central function of the Scottish Cyber Coordination Centre, the Scottish Government works with the public sector to help them to put in place robust security standards, controls and governance, maintain and regularly test incident response plans, train staff and learn lessons from past incidents.Specifically, the Scottish Cyber Coordination Centre plays a key role in coordinating effective multi-agency response to incidents which impact on the public sector. In September 2024, the Scottish Government published the SC3 Strategic Plan which sets out the strategic objectives for the next three years. SC3 is working with the sector to progress towards these objectives:1. Create a data-driven operation that can track and evaluate actionable security metrics for every public sector organisation in Scotland.2. Ensure that public sector organisations remain informed regarding current and emerging risks and threats so that they are equipped and prepared to manage them.3. Reduce the prevalence and remediation timescales of exposed and exploitable vulnerabilities across the public sector.4. Increase the level of preparedness for cyber incidents across the public sector, such that all organisations have current and well tested response plans and that major national cyber incident response processes are robust and effective.5. Ensure that appropriate standards and good practices for cyber and information security are defined, reviewed, adopted, and adhered to across the public sector.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427383,"EventID":"S6W-31921","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-03T16:39:00.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-02T16:00:27.293","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is ensuring that people in (a) rural and (b) remote areas have access to special care dentists.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is ensuring that people in (a) rural and (b) remote areas have access to special care dentists.","AnswerText":"Special care dentistry is predominantly carried out by the Public Dental Service (PDS). The PDS are NHS Board-run services and therefore the responsibility of the health boards.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427384,"EventID":"S6W-31938","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-03T16:39:00.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T12:04:41.747","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to prevent drug misuse deaths that have been classified as intentional self-poisonings, as set out in statistics published in 2023 by the Nati","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to prevent drug misuse deaths that have been classified as intentional self-poisonings, as set out in statistics published in 2023 by the National Records of Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is firmly committed to reducing deaths by suicide, whether this is by intentional self-poisoning or any other method.Our 10 year suicide prevention strategy and action plan - published jointly with CoSLA - aims to tackle the root causes of suicide &ndash; and has a clear focus on people at higher risk of suicide, including those affected by substance use.We are continuing to deliver the National Mission which aims to reduce drug deaths and includes specific work to improve the interaction between mental health and addiction recovery services.We are also prioritising suicide prevention training for staff working in the substance use sector to increase their confidence and skills in supporting people at risk of suicide.We recognise that intentional self-poisoning can be a form of self-harm, and in some cases this can increase the risk of suicide. We have provided funding to Penumbra since 2022 to deliver a bespoke Scotland-wide self-harm support service.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427385,"EventID":"S6W-31939","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-03T16:39:00.4","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T12:04:41.747","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to reduce any stigma for individuals accessing or wishing to access Medication Assisted Treatment.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to reduce any stigma for individuals accessing or wishing to access Medication Assisted Treatment.","AnswerText":"Work on developing a Stigma Action Plan has taken place, alongside progress with the National Collaborative, who are publishing a Charter of Rights for People Affected by Substance Use on 11 December 2024.The Charter was developed by a wide network of people with experience of substance use and aims to shift power and change culture, by empowering people affected by substance use to name and claim their rights, and be involved in decisions which impact them. It will also support service providers to understand how to realise these rights.The purpose of the Medication Assisted Treatment standards is to improve access to treatment and enable people to make an informed choice about their care. The work that services are doing to embed the MAT standards is part of realising the right to health, and therefore very much aligns with the Charter of Rights.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427386,"EventID":"S6W-31943","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-03T16:39:00.437","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T12:04:41.747","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many claims have been made to the Young Patients Family Fund in each year since 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many claims have been made to the Young Patients Family Fund in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"Since the launch of the Young Patients Family Fund in July 2021, Health Boards have reported the following number of claims were made.2021-224,9832022-238,4372023-2410,765","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427387,"EventID":"S6W-31946","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-03T16:39:00.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T12:59:08.957","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that Transport Scotland provided Sustrans, an active travel organisation based in Bristol, a grant of &pound;97.9 million in 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that Transport Scotland provided Sustrans, an active travel organisation based in Bristol, a grant of &pound;97.9 million in 2024.","AnswerText":"We have allocated over &pound;66 million of funding to Sustrans this financial year. This includes funding and support to Local Authorities and others to deliver infrastructure to help people walk, wheel or cycle, as well as support to upgrade and expand the National Cycle Network throughout Scotland. This is delivered by Sustrans&rsquo; Scotland based staff from their office in Edinburgh.As part of our transformation of active travel delivery, the funding of the main Transport Scotland infrastructure programme, Places for Everyone, managed by Sustrans, winds down to December 2025.The new Active Travel Infrastructure Fund which will see Transport Scotland directly award funding to Local Authorities, Regional Transport Partnerships and National Park Authorities.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427388,"EventID":"S6W-31807","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-03T16:39:00.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-27T09:43:44.657","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when its review of non-core and discretionary support, which includes support for part-time students, will conclude.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when its review of non-core and discretionary support, which includes support for part-time students, will conclude.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government undertook engagement with stakeholders on issues relating to non-core and discretionary support, including support for part-time students following the response to the recommendations of the Independent Review of Student Support. Further work in this area, including the launch of a public consultation, was unable to continue due to the reprioritisation of resources to deal with issues related to Brexit and then the response to the Covid-19 Pandemic.As a Government, we recognised the importance in continuing this work and as a result, the Post-school education, research and skills - initial priorities set out the commitment to undertake a review of student support for part-time students. This commitment was also incorporated in the 2023-24 Programme for Government.We are in the process of considering the best way to engage with the sector to ensure that the relevant views of key stakeholders and students are captured. All issues impacting on part-time students will be given careful consideration as part of this Review. As an initial step, we have opened up living cost support to disabled students who are studying full-time distance learning courses and who are unable to study campus based courses because of their disability.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427389,"EventID":"S6W-31520","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-03T16:39:01.477","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T10:14:50.727","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide details of what steps SEPA has taken to communicate with the local community in relation to the recent chemical spill incident in the Cameron Stre","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide details of what steps SEPA has taken to communicate with the local community in relation to the recent chemical spill incident in the Cameron Street area of Coatbridge.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has issued two statements via its media centre, on 15 and 22 November, updating the public on its actions regarding recent chemical spill incidents in Coatbridge.For more information, you can contact SEPA directly at ask@sepa.org.uk","AnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427390,"EventID":"S6W-31934","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-03T16:39:00.773","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T12:04:41.747","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many claims have been made to the Young Patients Family fund within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde in 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many claims have been made to the Young Patients Family fund within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde in 2024.","AnswerText":"Latest full year data on the Young Patients Family Fund (YPFF) is available for financial year 2023-24. In 2023-24 NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde reported that 4007 claims were made.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427391,"EventID":"S6W-31158","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-03T16:39:01.607","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-08T14:12:25.623","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to educate young people on alcoholmarketing in schools.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to educate young people on alcoholmarketing in schools.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is working to ensure children and young people learn about a variety of substances including alcohol, medicines, drugs, tobacco and solvents as part of Curriculum for Excellence. Our aim is by educating children and young people about substance use and the impact it can have on their life and health, this will prevent them making unhealthy choices. Education alone will not turn the tide of substance use but it is an important strand within a broad range of measures across the community, designed to tackle this issue.The Scottish Government remains committed to progressing work on protecting children and young people from exposure to alcohol advertising, including commissioning Public Health Scotland to carry out a review of the evidence for restrictions on alcohol marketing. The findings from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Survey (2024) is encouraging as it showed that levels of drunkenness in school-aged children (15 year-olds) in Scotland have steadily declined and are now at their lowest in 32 years.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427392,"EventID":"S6W-31940","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-03T16:39:01.303","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T12:04:41.747","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to reduce Medication Assisted Treatment waiting times.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to reduce Medication Assisted Treatment waiting times.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to support local areas provide medication assisted treatment.The Scottish Government also has overall Drug waiting times in terms of accessing services, for which a target was set that 90% of people accessed treatment within 3 weeks.Since the introduction of the Medication Assisted Treatment Standards in 2021, as reported in the National Benchmarking Report published in July 2024, the waiting times have dropped and show that 75% of people now wait one day or less to access a form of treatment.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427393,"EventID":"S6W-31522","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-03T16:39:01.633","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T10:14:50.727","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the recent chemical spill incident in the Cameron Street area of Coatbridge,&nbsp;whether it can provide details of what information has been collected b","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the recent chemical spill incident in the Cameron Street area of Coatbridge,&nbsp;whether it can provide details of what information has been collected by SEPA to identify the chemicals involved and&nbsp;their source.","AnswerText":"As part of a multi-agency response, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) continues to investigate the reported chemical spill incident in the Cameron Street area of Coatbridge. SEPA is at an early stage of this and is unable to provide further details until the conclusion of this investigation.For more information, you can contact SEPA directly at ask@sepa.org.uk","AnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427394,"EventID":"S6W-31917","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-03T16:39:01.117","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-02T12:15:04.407","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31416 by Neil Gray on 28 November 2024, how many of the 30 remaining Scottish Graduate Entry Medicine (ScotGEM) graduates who chos","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31416 by Neil Gray on 28 November 2024, how many of the 30 remaining Scottish Graduate Entry Medicine (ScotGEM) graduates who chose not to take up GPST 1 posts (a) took up and (b) did not take up other roles in the NHS.","AnswerText":"Further to the published answer to question S6W-31416 there were 35 students who had not taken up a GPST post in Scotland (including three still in foundation training).The data below indicates the destination of these students:Training post in NHS Scotland (excluding 10 GPST)6Clinical Fellow post in NHS Scotland11Post in NHS England8Total25The destination of the remaining seven is currently unknown.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427395,"EventID":"S6W-31944","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-03T16:39:00.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T12:58:39.907","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is providing any assistance to Ferguson Marine to find a permanent chief executive officer (CEO), in light of evidence given by the interim CEO of the shipyar","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is providing any assistance to Ferguson Marine to find a permanent chief executive officer (CEO), in light of evidence given by the interim CEO of the shipyard to the Scottish Parliament's Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee on 26 November 2024.","AnswerText":"The appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer is a matter for the Ferguson Marine Board. The Board are in the process of recruiting a permanent CEO, and the interim Chief Executive has agreed to continue in his role until Easter while the process continues.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427396,"EventID":"S6W-31937","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-03T16:39:01.5","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T12:04:41.747","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to specifically address the misuse of opiates/opioids.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to specifically address the misuse of opiates/opioids.","AnswerText":"The Drug Deaths Taskforce was set up in 2019 to provide evidence-based expert advice on tackling the misuse of drugs. Toxicology results tell us that opiates/opioids were, and still are the main substances implicated in drug deaths in Scotland, with polydrug use being a significant factor.After January 2021 when the National Mission was launched, the Scottish Government published the MAT standards, and through their continuing implementation, transformational change has taken place in drug treatment services throughout Scotland.Methadone remains the primary form of medication assisted treatment, as an internationally accepted and evidence-based form of opioid antagonist. In the 12-month period ending 31 March 2024, Opioid Substitution Therapy was prescribed to a minimum of 29,817 people for the treatment of opioid dependence.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427397,"EventID":"S6W-31918","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-03T16:39:00.543","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-02T12:15:04.407","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31416 by Neil Gray on 28 November 2024, within which NHS boards the remaining eight individuals that chose to take up GPST 1 posts","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31416 by Neil Gray on 28 November 2024, within which NHS boards the remaining eight individuals that chose to take up GPST 1 posts are placed.","AnswerText":"Further to the published answer to question S6W-31416 the remaining 8 individuals referred to have taken up GPST 1 posts as follows:NHS Tayside2 traineesNHS Forth Valley2 traineesNHS Lothian1 traineeNHS Fife1 traineeNHS Dumfries and Galloway1 traineeNHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde1 trainee","AnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427398,"EventID":"S6W-31936","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-03T16:39:00.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T12:04:41.747","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to re-evaluate the amount that an applicant can claim from the Young Patients Family Fund.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to re-evaluate the amount that an applicant can claim from the Young Patients Family Fund.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has no current plans to re-evaluate the amount that an applicant can claim under the Young Patients Family Fund.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427399,"EventID":"S6W-31521","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-03T16:39:00.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T10:14:50.727","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government,&nbsp;in relation to the recent chemical spill incident in the Cameron Street area of Coatbridge, whether it can provide details of what remedial action has been taken b","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government,&nbsp;in relation to the recent chemical spill incident in the Cameron Street area of Coatbridge, whether it can provide details of what remedial action has been taken by SEPA to limit the possible spread of the contaminant and the resultant impact.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Environment Protection Agency&rsquo;s (SEPA) remit in relation to such incidents covers monitoring and mitigating potential impacts on the environment. It is working in partnership with North Lanarkshire Council who are leading on development of plans to ascertain exactly what remedial works are required.For more information, you can contact SEPA directly at ask@sepa.org.uk","AnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427400,"EventID":"S6W-31942","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-03T16:39:01.717","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T12:04:41.747","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to support any people wishing to access Medication Assisted Treatment services who experience travel barriers due to cost and/or distance.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to support any people wishing to access Medication Assisted Treatment services who experience travel barriers due to cost and/or distance.","AnswerText":"Pilots of a non-statutory support scheme began in spring 2023, with funding provided for distribution by local services to remove the barrier of transport costs for people with substance dependency, when accessing treatment. These Pathfinders, also covering people with multiple and complex needs, are taking place in 11 locations, with full implementation to support a national practice model expected to be complete in Summer 2025.As part of their work to support implementation of the MAT standards, the 2023 National Benchmarking Report published by Public Health Scotland (PHS), detailed assessments of how areas are trying to overcome the challenges of rurality. Approaches include: high use of self-referral and telephone, &lsquo;tele-health&rsquo; technology such as NEAR ME; wide use of bus passes, taxis, and third sector to take people to appointments. Also offering a choice of venues to be seen at, such as a GP practice, home and community hubs, as well as settings to deliver care when weather disrupts usual access.A strength in many areas is the utilisation of informal local networks and relationships to respond to urgent presentations, even when no formal arrangements are in place. Many areas now also have formal arrangements with other Health Boards to utilise and share expertise.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427401,"EventID":"S6W-31945","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-03T16:39:01.587","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T12:58:49.543","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects the MV Glen Sannox to enter service, in light of reports that the vessel requires repairs to its anchor system.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects the MV Glen Sannox to enter service, in light of reports that the vessel requires repairs to its anchor system.","AnswerText":"The MV Glen Sannox is expected to commence service in mid-January 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427434,"EventID":"S6W-31967","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:22:30.533","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-04T10:53:54.2","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is regarding what support should be provided to people with dyslexia when appearing before the judiciary.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is regarding what support should be provided to people with dyslexia when appearing before the judiciary.","AnswerText":"Access to inclusive communication is a fundamentally important matter for people using public services, many of whom have diverse communication needs, and that is why the Scottish Government is investing in new guidance and tools to strengthen the public sector&rsquo;s approach.The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) is an independent public body and has a legal duty under the Equality Act 2010 to protect the rights of people living with disabilities. SCTS recognises the need and responsibility that the public sector in Scotland has to provide accessible services to its users. The specific support provided to people with dyslexia is an operational matter for the SCTS board.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427435,"EventID":"S6W-31970","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:22:30.783","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-04T12:42:27.647","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the monthly average sales income for fishermen has been in each of the last three years to date.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the monthly average sales income for fishermen has been in each of the last three years to date.","AnswerText":"For the years 2021 to 2023, the average monthly sales income has been calculated for fishers employed on Scottish Vessels. This is given in the following table:Monthly average sales income for fishers on Scottish registered vessels, 2021 - 2023&nbsp;202120222023Landed value (&pound;) in real terms&pound;625,595,000&pound;643,529,000&pound;652,208,000Number of fishers employed4,2414,1193,793Monthly average sales income (&pound;)&pound;12,293&pound;13,020&pound;14,329The information on fishers employed is collected as at 31 December in each year and reflects those employed during the year. Some of these fishers are irregular, so will not work on the vessel full-time, so will have a lower income. This means that we are unable to provide monthly averages for each month as we do not know how many fishers were employed in each month. It should also be noted that some fishing sectors will have larger incomes than others and different crew share arrangements will be in place, meaning that some fishers on the same vessel will earn more than others.The landed value in real terms and monthly average sales income are given in pounds and have been adjusted to 2023 prices by adjusting for inflation. As this is based on landed value only, it is not a reflection of earnings as no costs have been accounted for.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427436,"EventID":"S6W-31965","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:22:30.953","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-04T10:39:46.097","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on subsidising teacher training in each financial year since 2010-11.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on subsidising teacher training in each financial year since 2010-11.","AnswerText":"Initial Teacher Education is fully funded by the Scottish Government, for those students within the controlled subject numbers.The following table shows funding for publicly funded student places provided by the Scottish Government to providers of Initial Teacher Education and students since 2010-11, based on academic years.This funding covers tuition fee, student support and teaching grant for activity in addition to the baseline funding provided by Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) and the Scottish Funding Council (SFC). The student support element assists students to overcome financial barriers to engaging in higher education.Academic YearTotal (&pound;)2024-2514,161,6992023-2413,999,8302022-2316,490,3012021-2214,622,2622020-2115,747,7802019-2015,561,2462018-1913,881,0392017-1813,963,7502016-1711,025,5052015-169,251,9402014-157,157,0202013-145,616,3802012-133,629,7992011-122,495,6552010-112,971,110","AnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427437,"EventID":"S6W-31525","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:22:31.013","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-20T10:28:26.06","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has regarding combining the methadone substitution programme with residential rehabilitation, in light of reports that this method has a higher success rat","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has regarding combining the methadone substitution programme with residential rehabilitation, in light of reports that this method has a higher success rate of 29%.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government agreed with the recommendations of the Drug Deaths Taskforce in that more choice should be available on the types of Opioid Substitution Therapy (OST) offered to individuals where appropriate.PHS and the Scottish Government have worked collaboratively with stakeholders to establish a core minimum dataset to support the monitoring and evaluation of residential rehabilitation models across the country. The first extracts from the dataset are due to be published in December 2024, at which point a greater level of insight and data will become available for consideration, including on various residential rehabilitation models, combinations and their associated outcomes.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427438,"EventID":"S6W-31927","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:22:30.693","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T09:17:02.237","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether an economic impact assessment has been conducted into the impact of the closure of the Queensferry Crossing due to risks of falling ice.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether an economic impact assessment has been conducted into the impact of the closure of the Queensferry Crossing due to risks of falling ice.","AnswerText":"No specific economic impact assessment has been carried out in relation to closures of the Queensferry Crossing due to the risk of falling ice. A range of estimates exist for the daily impact of the Queensferry Crossing being closed but vary depending on whether the closure is known in advance and there is no clear linear relationship between short and longer closures.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427439,"EventID":"S6W-31957","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:22:30.643","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T17:11:53.253","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the operators of the Queensferry Crossing regarding regularly cleaning its cables to prevent the build up of ice.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the operators of the Queensferry Crossing regarding regularly cleaning its cables to prevent the build up of ice.","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland has worked in partnership with its Operating Company BEAR Scotland and industry experts to test potential solutions and mitigation measures for ice accretion on the Queensferry Crossing, including cable cleaning.This work, supported by laboratory testing, showed that cleaning of the cables stays helps to reduce ice accretion. Whilst a clean cable may reduce ice accretion, this measure cannot prevent it entirely. This was confirmed by detailed inspection during the November 2024 ice accretion event, which found that ice had accreted to stays which had no visual detritus. Notwithstanding this, we believe that cleaning the cables is a worthwhile mitigation measure that should be completed periodically.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427440,"EventID":"S6W-31958","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:22:30.877","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T17:11:53.253","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to prevent closures of the Queensferry Crossing, in light of reports after recent periods of cold weather that traffic could be diverted to the Forth R","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to prevent closures of the Queensferry Crossing, in light of reports after recent periods of cold weather that traffic could be diverted to the Forth Road Bridge as soon as an ice forecast is received, to prevent ice falling from its cables onto vehicles.","AnswerText":"Ice accretion is a world-wide problem affecting cable-stayed bridges in colder climates, and there is currently no effective solution for preventing it completely. While closures of the Queensferry Crossing due to ice accretion cannot be prevented entirely, we have taken forward research, which led to enhanced management procedures being developed. Now, when there is a risk of falling ice, a 6-point plan is implemented by our Operating Company BEAR Scotland. The plan includes enhanced patrols; heightened focus on prevailing weather conditions; increased data &amp; intelligence gathering; pre-laying of traffic management and enhanced stakeholder communications.Investment has been made to improve our capability to predict ice accretion. For example, new ice and climate sensors were installed on the bridge in August 2020. These, together with improved bespoke weather forecasts, have helped deliver early warning of conditions conducive to ice accretion. In addition, infrastructure improvements have recently been completed, which will allow traffic to be diverted onto the Forth Road Bridge more quickly.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427441,"EventID":"S6W-31959","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:22:30.747","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T21:14:56.65","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will engage with the Ministry of Defence on its plan to tender for two new floating docks for submarine maintenance at Faslane, and establish the feasibility ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will engage with the Ministry of Defence on its plan to tender for two new floating docks for submarine maintenance at Faslane, and establish the feasibility for these docks to be constructed in whole or part at Scottish shipyards, such as Ferguson Marine.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government will interact with the UK Government and Ministry of Defence to support the opportunity for any significant contracts with the potential to provide ongoing employment opportunities for shipyards and fabrication businesses in Scotland.There are several Scottish yards that possess the capabilities and specialist workforce skills needed to deliver this kind of infrastructure project, and we would encourage the MOD to utilise those resources. It is of course a commercial matter for each business to bid for work, however we would support any bid that ensured the work is delivered in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427442,"EventID":"S6W-31954","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:22:30.717","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T16:02:36.073","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to develop training programmes to support digital literacy and telehealth usage.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to develop training programmes to support digital literacy and telehealth usage.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"Digital inclusion, of which literacy is one component, is being prioritised as part of the national Digital Health and Care Strategy and associated delivery plan. In March 2023, the Scottish Government launched the &pound;2m Digital Inclusion Programme. Delivered through SCVO, it has developed a framework to support digital inclusion to enable people to access digital services across health and social care. The programme has funded projects in remote and rural areas (see map), supported provision of devices and developed Digital Champions Training to support local literacy advice and support.The Scottish Government also recently published the Digital and Data Capability Framework to support the development of digital capabilities for everyone working in health and social care in Scotland. The framework identifies the skills, knowledge and behaviours that are essential for the workforce and will be used to improve individual and team learning requirements.Near Me video consulting was recently highlighted in the Audit Scotland report as a good practice example of supporting inclusive service development. As part of our national digital skills commitment, the Near Me Team have worked in collaboration with NHS Education Scotland (NES) to produce resources, including two video consulting modules on the TURAS learning platform for professionals.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427443,"EventID":"S6W-31952","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:22:30.9","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T16:02:36.073","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has published a remote and rural workforce recruitment strategy for the NHS, in light of its commitment to do so by the end of 2024.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has published a remote and rural workforce recruitment strategy for the NHS, in light of its commitment to do so by the end of 2024.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the Committee debate of 12 December 2024 where I set out that to help employers address all potential barriers to recruitment in rural and island areas, a whole system approach was required.I announced that in partnership with NHS Education for Scotland&rsquo;s Centre for Workforce Supply and National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care, we will develop a model of sustained ongoing direct support. A strategy paper detailing this model of direct support will be published in early 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427444,"EventID":"S6W-31949","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5877,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:22:30.937","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T13:21:04.793","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address the decline in formal volunteer participation in Scotland since 2019.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address the decline in formal volunteer participation in Scotland since 2019.","AnswerText":"Scotland&rsquo;s volunteers make a fantastic contribution to people&rsquo;s lives and our communities.The Scottish Government provide direct funding to national and local intermediaries to support the national and local volunteering infrastructure. This includes funding for Volunteer Scotland to implement Scotland&rsquo;s Volunteering Action Plan. This long-term plan seeks to increase participation and reduce barriers to volunteering for all. The Scottish Government also funds the local Third Sector Interface network who support volunteering across all 32 local authorities as well as funding youth volunteering and the Volunteering Support Fund.Volunteer Scotland has strategic leadership of volunteering, including provision of a national advice centre and delivery of research. We very much welcome the launch, in September, of a national volunteering recruitment campaign, led by Volunteer Scotland, to address volunteer shortages. This will provide volunteer involving organisations with practical guidance and promotion materials to help attract and retain volunteers.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427445,"EventID":"S6W-31953","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:22:30.673","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T16:02:36.073","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many telehealth appointments have been conducted in each of the last four years.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many telehealth appointments have been conducted in each of the last four years.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"Telehealth as a term can represent a range of digital and remote access to services across healthcare. As such, there are multiple telehealth services on offer at a national and local level across Scotland and therefore it is not possible to provide a complete number undertaken across all services provided.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427446,"EventID":"S6W-31968","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:22:30.853","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-04T11:28:29.35","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the report,&nbsp;Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Services in Scotland: An analysis of updated NHS Board surve","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the report,&nbsp;Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Services in Scotland: An analysis of updated NHS Board survey data, in November 2024, what action it is taking to address the gaps in service provision for people with ME that are identified in the report.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31932 on 11 December 2024 All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427447,"EventID":"S6W-31962","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:22:30.76","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-04T08:14:40.603","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many of its employees have been offered voluntary redundancy packages and rejected them, but remain employed with the Scottish Government in 2024-25.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many of its employees have been offered voluntary redundancy packages and rejected them, but remain employed with the Scottish Government in 2024-25.","AnswerText":"Under the terms of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme, which the Scottish Government is entitled to follow, there are three categories of early departure: voluntary exit, voluntary redundancy, and compulsory redundancy. No voluntary redundancy schemes have been run in 2024-25, and therefore the number of employees in Scottish Government who have been offered voluntary redundancy packages and rejected them, but remained employed with the Scottish Government is nil.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427448,"EventID":"S6W-31969","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:22:30.617","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-04T12:09:16.613","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to compensate businesses on the Isle of Arran for any losses that they have incurred as a result of delayed and cancelled ferries.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to compensate businesses on the Isle of Arran for any losses that they have incurred as a result of delayed and cancelled ferries.","AnswerText":"Scottish Ministers appreciate the particular challenges faced by island communities as a result of delayed and cancelled ferries.Recognising the distinct challenges of hospitality business on Islands, the Scottish Budget announced we will continue to offer 100% relief in 2025-26 for hospitality businesses located on islands as defined by the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018, and in prescribed remote areas, capped at &pound;110,000 per business.The Scottish Budget also announced a freeze to the Basic Property Rate in 2025-26, delivering the lowest such rate in the UK for the seventh year in a row, and supporting a package of reliefs in 2025-26 worth an estimated &pound;731 million. This includes maintaining the Small Business Bonus Scheme which remains the most generous relief of its kind in the UK.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427449,"EventID":"S6W-31966","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:22:30.533","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-04T10:53:01.083","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30029 by Gillian Martin on 30 September 2024, whether any of the listed flood prevention schemes have since been completed.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30029 by Gillian Martin on 30 September 2024, whether any of the listed flood prevention schemes have since been completed.","AnswerText":"Local authorities are responsible for the development and delivery of flood protection schemes.Five flood protection schemes were due to complete in 2024 and the relevant local authorities have advised that Millport Coastal, Upper Garnock and Stranraer are complete. Campbeltown and Hawick FPS are at an advanced stage and nearing completion.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427450,"EventID":"S6W-31925","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:22:30.987","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T09:15:13.83","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it spent on the launch of the MV Glen Rosa in 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it spent on the launch of the MV Glen Rosa in 2024.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government did not allocate any separate direct funding for the launch of the MV Glen Rosa. All related costs and resource decisions were made independently by Ferguson Marine.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427451,"EventID":"S6W-31971","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:22:30.587","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-04T13:21:18.783","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce primary legislation to reform water, wastewater and drainage systems within the current parliamentary session.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce primary legislation to reform water, wastewater and drainage systems within the current parliamentary session.","AnswerText":"As set out in the 2023-24 Programme for Government, the Scottish Government has been reviewing its policy in relation to drinking water and wastewater with a view to bringing forward new primary legislation as soon as practicable. As part of the review, it is considering how the water industry needs to adapt to the impacts of climate change.A consultation on detailed policy measures will be published in Spring 2025 and we would welcome all views and contributions.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427452,"EventID":"S6W-31930","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:22:30.827","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T11:32:08.263","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31621 by Dorothy Bain on 3 December 2024, whether it will clarify whether this means that there is no official record or documenta","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31621 by Dorothy Bain on 3 December 2024, whether it will clarify whether this means that there is no official record or documentation of section 12 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 being implemented.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"As previously advised with reference to question S6W-31621 on 3 December 2024, during daily routine engagement with the police, Procurators Fiscal undertake the long-established practice of instructing the police in their investigation of crime and all suspicious, sudden and unexplained deaths. The ongoing input and direction during the investigative process is not specifically recorded as implementation of section 12 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995, nor is there any statutory obligation to do so.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427453,"EventID":"S6W-31950","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5877,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:22:30.803","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T13:21:14.193","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Scottish Household Survey 2023 findings, which&nbsp;show a further decline in respondents' formal volunteer participation,&nbsp;will be considered when final","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the Scottish Household Survey 2023 findings, which&nbsp;show a further decline in respondents' formal volunteer participation,&nbsp;will be considered when finalising the decision regarding the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) fee proposals for volunteers in qualifying voluntary organisations.","AnswerText":"I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:Long and short term trends in formal volunteering, including information gathered in the Scottish Household Survey 2023, have informed the development of policy options on the future of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme fee waiver for volunteers in qualifying organisations. The Scottish Government will take this into account when finalising decisions.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427454,"EventID":"S6W-31924","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:22:30.59","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-02T17:28:59.957","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that communities do not lose access to dentistry services.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that communities do not lose access to dentistry services.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to securing access to NHS dental services, and the draft budget published on 4 December includes an uplift of &pound;65.2 million (14.6%) for primary care dental services, taking total funding to over half a billion pounds for the first time in 2025-26.Official statistics published by Public Health Scotland show that, following reform, NHS dental services are performing well at a national level with almost 4 million courses of treatment delivered to patients between November 2023 and September 2024.We recognise that in some areas, particularly within rural and island communities, access to NHS dentistry remains challenging despite our significant and continuing investment in the sector. This is why the Scottish Government is clear that payment reform must be the first step in a wider journey, with further action to target the drivers of reduced access, including actions to improve the size and sustainability of our dental workforce across Scotland.I have therefore taken a leading role in bringing together the four nations on the actions required to increase NHS dental workforce capacity, including the review and reform of international pipelines.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427455,"EventID":"S6W-31926","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:22:31.047","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T09:16:27.707","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether an environmental report has been conducted into the impact of the closure of the Queensferry Crossing due to risks of falling ice.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether an environmental report has been conducted into the impact of the closure of the Queensferry Crossing due to risks of falling ice.","AnswerText":"No specific environmental report has been undertaken in relation to the impact of the closure of the Queensferry Crossing due to risks of falling ice. However, a detailed investigation has been undertaken by Transport Scotland, which tested solutions and mitigation measures for ice accretion on the Queensferry Crossing. This has been subject to a detailed review by a Peer Review Panel of experts from around the world on ice accretion on major bridges.The investigation discounted physical measures such as heating of cables or mechanical removal of ice, due to impracticality and cost. Measures taken forward include bridge instrumentation, advanced weather forecasting and regular cleaning of cables. The conclusion of the investigation was that when ice accretion occurs, the best mitigation measure is to divert traffic onto the Forth Road Bridge until the risk from falling ice has passed.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427456,"EventID":"S6W-31955","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:22:30.587","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T16:02:36.073","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is available for those in rural areas, who would like to access telehealth appointments but lack the digital skills to do so.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is available for those in rural areas, who would like to access telehealth appointments but lack the digital skills to do so.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"In addition to the answer provided to question S6W-31954 on 17 December 2024, Near Me video consulting access has been expanded into local community hubs and libraries, providing additional accessibility and support from staff for people who wish to access services in this way. An information resource is available here for patients to understand where they can go to get additional support to attend a Near Me appointment.In addition, in 2022 the Digital Health and Care Innovation Centre (DHI), secured a &pound;5 million investment from Moray Growth Deal to establish a Rural Centre of Excellence for Digital Health and Care Innovation. This seeks to address health and care issues across rural areas including understanding of skills requirements and local capabilities.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427457,"EventID":"S6O-04111","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16207,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:30:50.14","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-04T11:06:18.937","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to enhance thesustainability of cultural facilities in the North East Scotland region,including to prevent job losses in the sector and improve ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to enhance thesustainability of cultural facilities in the North East Scotland region,including to prevent job losses in the sector and improve support for culturaleducation.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427458,"EventID":"S6O-04107","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5618,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":91,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:30:50.137","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T11:13:51.143","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how the Scottish Budget 2025-26 will support the NHS.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the Scottish Budget 2025-26 will support the NHS.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":427459,"EventID":"S6O-04110","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:30:50.137","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-04T11:49:35.683","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the publication of the access principles in November 2023 by the General Practice Access Short Life Working Group, what work it has undertaken to develop a s","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the publication of the access principles in November 2023 by the General Practice Access Short Life Working Group, what work it has undertaken to develop a set of standards or performance indicators to evaluate the performance of GP access models.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427460,"EventID":"S6O-04106","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:30:50.127","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-04T11:38:25.037","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assurances it can provide to the community on Mull regarding whether Learning Estate Investment Programme funding can be used flexibly to support both the construct","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assurances it can provide to the community on Mull regarding whether Learning Estate Investment Programme funding can be used flexibly to support both the construction of a new high school in Craignure and the refurbishment of the existing site in Tobermory for nursery and primary provision.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427461,"EventID":"S6O-04112","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:30:50.14","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T16:54:28.297","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that both of the privately-run nurseries in the East Neuk, in the North East Fife constituency, will close by the end of 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that both of the privately-run nurseries in the East Neuk, in the North East Fife constituency, will close by the end of 2024.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427462,"EventID":"S6O-04105","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:30:50.13","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-04T10:35:22.95","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to people who are going through family court proceedings.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to people who are going through family court proceedings.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427463,"EventID":"S6O-04109","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5060,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:30:50.14","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-04T11:55:43.31","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it determines what constitutes a major service change in the NHS.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it determines what constitutes a major service change in the NHS.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427464,"EventID":"S6O-04108","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16197,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:30:50.12","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T19:31:51.133","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is tackling child poverty, including in the Highlands and Islands region.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is tackling child poverty, including in the Highlands and Islands region.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427465,"EventID":"S6O-04119","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:30:39.17","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-04T11:22:05.207","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the request from the A77Action Group for the establishment of a task force to consider issues relatingto the impact of the reported increased use","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the request from the A77Action Group for the establishment of a task force to consider issues relatingto the impact of the reported increased use of full road closures on the A77.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427466,"EventID":"S6O-04115","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:30:39.4","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-02T12:55:50","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the net zero secretary has had with ministerial colleagues on how to ensure the delivery of the workforce required to deliver its net zero targets, incl","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the net zero secretary has had with ministerial colleagues on how to ensure the delivery of the workforce required to deliver its net zero targets, including through discussions with Skills Development Scotland and colleges.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427467,"EventID":"S6O-04118","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5877,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:30:39.173","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-02T14:57:52.183","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to enhance regional transport partnerships over the coming year.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to enhance regional transport partnerships over the coming year.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427468,"EventID":"S6O-04114","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:30:39.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T14:35:31.887","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has a policy of a presumption against new oil and gas licences.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has a policy of a presumption against new oil and gas licences.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427469,"EventID":"S6O-04090","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16215,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:30:39.387","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T09:38:05.577","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it will provide a full written response to the report, Developing Scotland's Economy: Increasing The Role Of Inclusive And Demo","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it will provide a full written response to the report, Developing Scotland's Economy: Increasing The Role Of Inclusive And Democratic Business Models.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427470,"EventID":"S6O-04103","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:30:39.49","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T11:11:55.693","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish the next Medium-Term Financial Strategy.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish the next Medium-Term Financial Strategy.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427471,"EventID":"S6O-04104","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:30:39.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-02T14:19:41.143","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that it plans to double the funding available to local authorities through its school meal debt fund from &pound;1.4 million to &pound;2.8 million, ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that it plans to double the funding available to local authorities through its school meal debt fund from &pound;1.4 million to &pound;2.8 million, whether it plans to allocate the same amount of funding on a recurring basis in future Budgets.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has taken steps to address the historic school meal debt accrued by local authorities by increasing the funding available through the School Meal Debt Fund from &pound;1.5m to &pound;2.8m in 2024/25. This increase has fully met the requests made by local authorities on school meal debt.The 2025/26 budget will deliver a really strong deal for councils that means they can avoid families building up significant debt. This funding along with the measures outlined in the COSLA guidance on this matter, will ensure that future school meal debt is managed appropriately, as far as possible, for families.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427472,"EventID":"S6O-04120","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5074,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":104,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:30:39.557","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-02T16:20:58.607","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it supports the bus industry to transfer to zero-emission technologies.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it supports the bus industry to transfer to zero-emission technologies.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427473,"EventID":"S6O-04117","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:30:39.24","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T21:54:12.36","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of the effectiveness of its funding for active travel.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of the effectiveness of its funding for active travel.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427474,"EventID":"S6O-04093","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16186,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":120,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:30:39.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-04T09:59:07.787","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last engaged with the UK Government regarding the potential impact of the UK Government&rsquo;s Autumn Budget on small businesses in Scotland, including environm","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last engaged with the UK Government regarding the potential impact of the UK Government&rsquo;s Autumn Budget on small businesses in Scotland, including environmental horticulture businesses.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427475,"EventID":"S6O-04099","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16194,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:30:39.417","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-04T09:43:58.23","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its progress towards creating a Planning Hub.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its progress towards creating a Planning Hub.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427476,"EventID":"S6O-04100","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16182,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":117,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:30:39.307","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-04T10:10:43.85","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how its 2025-26 Budget will support public services.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how its 2025-26 Budget will support public services.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427477,"EventID":"S6O-04095","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3751,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":108,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:30:39.43","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-02T15:23:18.463","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to independent businesses in rural and small communities.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to independent businesses in rural and small communities.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427478,"EventID":"S6O-04091","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1756,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":136,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:30:39.587","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T10:29:50.783","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of the increase in employer national insurance contributions on Scotland&rsquo;s economy.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of the increase in employer national insurance contributions on Scotland&rsquo;s economy.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427479,"EventID":"S6O-04113","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:30:39.543","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-04T11:21:09.167","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what additional support it will provide to local authorities in relation to holding public inquiries into onshore wind farms.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what additional support it will provide to local authorities in relation to holding public inquiries into onshore wind farms.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":427480,"EventID":"S6O-04092","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:30:39.293","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T13:57:44.67","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will boost productivity in the Scottish economy.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will boost productivity in the Scottish economy.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427481,"EventID":"S6O-04096","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:30:39.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T17:16:09.123","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what public information and public messaging campaigns that it has commissioned or funded are currently available in Hindi.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what public information and public messaging campaigns that it has commissioned or funded are currently available in Hindi.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427482,"EventID":"S6O-04102","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3763,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":142,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:30:39.527","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-02T14:09:50.637","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the total funding allocation is for Inverclyde Council for 2025-26.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the total funding allocation is for Inverclyde Council for 2025-26.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427483,"EventID":"S6O-04098","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:30:39.477","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T14:38:20.427","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it will allocate in its Budget to housing associations, including to support them to meet their aids and adaptations targets.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it will allocate in its Budget to housing associations, including to support them to meet their aids and adaptations targets.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427484,"EventID":"S6O-04089","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:30:39.28","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T14:00:16.497","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what resources are being allocated from the City and Regional Growth Deals to fund the A720 Sheriffhall Roundabout.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what resources are being allocated from the City and Regional Growth Deals to fund the A720 Sheriffhall Roundabout.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427485,"EventID":"S6O-04101","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:30:39.57","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-04T10:23:01.877","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address the reported decrease in levels of satisfaction with local government services.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address the reported decrease in levels of satisfaction with local government services.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427486,"EventID":"S6O-04116","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:30:39.507","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-02T15:44:40.493","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many planning consents for onshore wind farm developments in the Highlands and Islands region the Scottish Ministers have approved following an appeal since 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many planning consents for onshore wind farm developments in the Highlands and Islands region the Scottish Ministers have approved following an appeal since 2021.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":427487,"EventID":"S6O-04094","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":86,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-04T16:30:39.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-04T10:29:03.293","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it supports skilled manufacturing businesses to expand and thrive.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it supports skilled manufacturing businesses to expand and thrive.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427510,"EventID":"S6W-31993","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:17.553","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T08:03:10.56","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it expects to raise from each (a) industry and (b) business sector from the higher property rate in 2025-26.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it expects to raise from each (a) industry and (b) business sector from the higher property rate in 2025-26.","AnswerText":"Table 1 shows the estimated net income from properties liable for the Higher Property Rate in 2025-2026, broken down by property class. The net estimates include adjustments for reliefs, as well as in-year adjustments such as reductions due to proposals or appeals and write-offs.The Scottish Government does not hold property-level data on industry sectors. &ldquo;Property class&rdquo; is a classification used by Scottish Assessors to describe the type of property, but may not necessarily accurately reflect the actual use of a property.Figures are rounded to the nearest 100,000, and may not sum due to rounding.&nbsp;Table 1: Estimated net income from the Higher Property Rate in 2025-2026, by property class (&pound;)Source: Scottish Assessors&rsquo; Valuation Roll as at 1 October 2024; local councils&rsquo; billing information as at 1 June 2024Property classEstimated net income from the Higher Property RateShops398,600,000Public houses and restaurants17,700,000Offices279,000,000Hotels108,400,000Industrial subjects405,900,000Leisure, entertainment, caravans, etc.47,200,000Garages and petrol stations16,900,000Cultural2,900,000Sporting subjects6,800,000Education and training217,600,000Public service subjects114,400,000Communications12,500,000Quarries, mines, etc.5,100,000Petrochemical64,000,000Religious1,500,000Health and medical85,200,000Other59,800,000Care facilities3,900,000Advertising2,400,000Statutory undertaking542,200,000All2,392,000,000","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427511,"EventID":"S6W-32024","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:17.56","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T14:03:54.6","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact the reported &pound;13.3 million reduction in the budget of the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) that has been proposed in the 2025-26 draft Budg","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact the reported &pound;13.3 million reduction in the budget of the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) that has been proposed in the 2025-26 draft Budget could have on the operation of SCTS, including from what areas of this operation this reduction will be met.","AnswerText":"The prior year 2024-25 Budget comparator figures are based on the latest in-year budget numbers which were revised at the Autumn Budget Revision. The 2023-24 Scottish Budget comparator figures reflect the outturn numbers for that year.It is not the case that the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) budget has been reduced by &pound;13.3m. The SCTS budget is subject to revision and adjustment via the Scottish Government Autumn Budget Revision (ABR) and Spring Budget Revision (SBR) processes, as such a direct comparison with the published comparator figures does not provide a true reflection of SCTS 2025-26 budget position. Compared to the opening 2024-25 budget, an additional &pound;11.5m Resource funding and &pound;2m Capital funding has been provided to the SCTS.In addition to the funding allocation in the Budget Bill, the SCTS receives income primarily from civil court fees and retained fines; in-year funding from the Scottish Government related to non-baseline areas that are still highly variable such as the recently devolved tribunals; and through the Recovery, Renewal and Transformation (RRT) budget, receives additional funding to increase criminal court capacity and take forward a range of initiatives to improve service delivery and realise longer term efficiencies.In the 2023-24 Budget Bill, SCTS was allocated &pound;147.6m, following the adjustments at ABR and SBR the final year outturn figure was &pound;191.1m.In the 2024-25 Budget Bill SCTS was allocated &pound;165.9m, following the adjustment at ABR the revised budget was &pound;190.3m. A further revision will take place at SBR and will be published in January 2025.The 2025-26 allocation to SCTS is &pound;177.0m, in addition SCTS will receive RRT funding of &pound;20.3m and, as in previous years, additional in year funding to cover non-baseline costs.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427512,"EventID":"S6W-31987","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:19.55","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-04T17:53:47.853","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what powers Historic Environment Scotland has to ensure that consultations are sought prior to any emergency demolition of listed buildings, so that the minimum works ne","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what powers Historic Environment Scotland has to ensure that consultations are sought prior to any emergency demolition of listed buildings, so that the minimum works needed are carried out to make a dangerous building safe.","AnswerText":"In the context of unauthorised work and listed buildings, Historic Environment Scotland&rsquo;s role is advisory. Historic Environment Scotland has no legal powers in relation to enforcement and listed buildings in general, nor in ensuring that consultation occurs or that the minimum works needed to make a dangerous building safe are carried out. Legal powers related to enforcement and listed buildings lie with the planning authority and, in some circumstances, Scottish Ministers.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427513,"EventID":"S6W-32008","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:19.553","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T09:52:42.583","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, following the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government on 4 December 2024, in which it was announced that it would be \"making an additional &","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, following the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government on 4 December 2024, in which it was announced that it would be \"making an additional &pound;3 million available to help to tackle retail crime\", whether&nbsp;funding will be ringfenced for (a) dealing with prolific shoplifters and organised criminal gangs involved in shoplifting and (b) other purposes designed to minimise crime against shops, retailers and shop workers.","AnswerText":"Shoplifting and other forms of retail crime causes considerable distress to their victims. We have seen a significant rise in recorded shoplifting throughout the UK according to our own figures and those released by the Office for National Statistics for England and Wales and Scotland, part of which is being driven by organised criminal groups.As announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government on 4 December 2024, &pound;3 million will be specifically provided through the draft budget for 2025/26 to enable Police Scotland to work with the retail sector to target the unacceptable levels of crime on Scotland&rsquo;s high streets.This funding is an important step in the fight against retail crime which costs businesses millions each year, and has a knock-on effect on the prices we pay in the shops.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427514,"EventID":"S6W-32027","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:21.133","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T14:26:15.717","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is still committed to implementing a Deposit Return Scheme in Scotland by October 2027, in light of the reported announcement by the Welsh Government that it ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is still committed to implementing a Deposit Return Scheme in Scotland by October 2027, in light of the reported announcement by the Welsh Government that it will no longer seek to participate in the planned UK-wide approach to this scheme.","AnswerText":"The UK Government&rsquo;s decision to remove glass from its own scheme and refusal to agree a full Internal Market Act exclusion for Scotland&rsquo;s own scheme meant we were left with no choice but to delay our scheme last year.Scotland&rsquo;s scheme would have been operational in 2024 and would already be improving our recycling rates, however, the Internal Market Act prevented us from moving forward with a deposit return scheme as intended.Urgent action is needed from the UK Government to repeal the Internal Market Act and restore the full powers of devolved Parliaments.Until then, the UK scheme remains the only practical option available to Scotland. The Scottish Government is committed to seeing it delivered by October 2027 and will continue to work to that end. We opened applications for a DRS scheme administrator alongside England and Northern Ireland at the start of December.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427515,"EventID":"S6W-31997","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:21.22","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T08:03:10.56","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it estimates will be raised by the intermediate property rate in 2025-26, and how much has been raised by it in each year since its introduction, broken down by","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it estimates will be raised by the intermediate property rate in 2025-26, and how much has been raised by it in each year since its introduction, broken down by industry sector.","AnswerText":"The Intermediate Property Rate was introduced from 1 April 2020. It applied to properties with a rateable value above &pound;51,000, up to &pound;95,000 until 31 March 2023, and to properties with a rateable value above &pound;51,000 and up to &pound;100,000 from 1 April 2023. In 2020-2021, 2022-2023, and 2023-2024 it was charged at 51.1p; in 2021-2022 this was 50.3p; in 2024-2025 increased in line with inflation to 54.5p, and in 2025-2026 it is planned to increase in line with inflation to 55.4p.&nbsp;Table 1 shows the total estimated gross income since 2020-2021. This is the total gross bill (net of General Revaluation Transitional Relief in 2023-2024, 2024-2025 and 2025-2026) charged to properties with a rateable value between &pound;51,001 and &pound;95,000 up to 2022-2023, and between &pound;51,001 and &pound;100,000 from 2023-2024 onwards, as noted above.Table 2 shows the total estimated net income from the Intermediate Property Rate since 2020-2021. Net figures for 2023-2024 are not available due to the absence of property-level reliefs data. Figures for 2025-2026 are estimated using reliefs data from 1 June 2024, with a calculation for General Revaluation Transitional Relief based on rateable values. The net estimates include adjustments for reliefs, as well as in-year adjustments such as reductions due to proposals or appeals and write-offs.The Scottish Government does not hold property-level data on industry sectors. &ldquo;Property class&rdquo; is a classification used by Scottish Assessors to describe the type of property, but may not necessarily accurately reflect the actual use of a property.Figures are based on the Scottish Assessors&rsquo; Valuation Roll as at 1 October 2024 in each financial year, for 2025-2026 this is based on the Valuation Roll of 1 October 2024. Figures are gross of all reliefs, except for the General Revaluation Transitional Relief in 2023-2024 and 2024-2025. Figures are rounded to the nearest &pound;100,000.Table 1: Estimated gross income from the Intermediate Property Rate since 2020-2021, by property class (&pound;)Source: Scottish Assessors&rsquo; Valuation Roll as at 1 October in each year (1 October 2024 for 2025-2026)Property class2020-20212021-20222022-20232023-20242024-20252025-2026Shops73,900,00073,500,00076,000,00077,000,00081,600,00082,800,000Public houses and restaurants14,000,00013,700,00014,100,00014,500,00015,500,00015,800,000Offices58,500,00057,400,00059,100,00062,800,00066,700,00067,600,000Hotels12,300,00012,100,00012,300,00013,400,00014,300,00014,800,000Industrial subjects71,000,00069,600,00071,800,00086,200,00092,500,00093,900,000Leisure, entertainment, caravans, etc.13,900,00013,800,00014,300,00016,600,00018,100,00018,500,000Garages and petrol stations5,600,0005,400,0005,200,0006,600,0007,500,0007,700,000Cultural2,600,0002,300,0002,500,0002,800,0003,400,0003,400,000Sporting subjects600,000500,000600,0001,500,0001,700,0001,800,000Education and training26,300,00025,400,00025,700,00027,400,00029,000,00029,500,000Public service subjects17,000,00016,000,00016,200,00017,700,00019,000,00019,200,000Communications900,0001,100,000800,0001,300,0001,500,0001,500,000Quarries, mines, etc.1,500,0001,200,0001,100,0001,600,0001,800,0001,900,000Petrochemical300,000300,000300,000400,000300,000300,000Religious2,400,0002,400,0002,600,0003,000,0003,200,0003,300,000Health and medical8,200,0007,900,0008,100,0009,500,00010,100,00010,200,000Other5,800,0006,200,0006,200,0006,000,0006,500,0006,600,000Care facilities16,700,00016,600,00016,900,00018,500,00019,100,00019,300,000Advertising400,000500,000500,000500,000600,000600,000Statutory undertaking4,300,0004,300,0004,500,0005,300,0005,600,0005,800,000All336,100,000330,100,000338,700,000372,400,000398,200,000404,500,000Table 2: Estimated net income from the Intermediate Property Rate since 2020-2021, by property class (&pound;)Source: Scottish Assessors&rsquo; Valuation Roll as at 1 October in each year (1 October 2024 for 2025-2026); local authori","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427516,"EventID":"S6W-32006","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:22.157","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T09:40:07.533","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the level 4 tables that were published in conjunction with its draft Budget 2025-26 budget, for what reason it considers \"&pound;1.5 billion of ABR transfers","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the level 4 tables that were published in conjunction with its draft Budget 2025-26 budget, for what reason it considers \"&pound;1.5 billion of ABR transfers processed\" to be an \"explanation of significant changes from previous year\".","AnswerText":"The Level 4 tables that were published with the draft Budget 2025-26 provide a summary of the changes from the previous year but it is not practical to list the full detail of all the changes associated with the Local Government Settlement, particularly where that detail is already available to the Scottish Parliament.The specific details of the &pound;1.5 billion of Local Government transfers processed at the Autumn Budget Revision 2024-25 are published in Schedule 3.1 of the Autumn Budget Revision 2024-25: supporting document.The Finance and Public Administration Committee recommended that the Budget (Scotland) Act 2024 Amendment Regulations 2024, which give effect to the Autumn Budget Revision, should be agreed at their meeting on 12 November 2024. The regulations were subsequently approved by the Scottish Parliament on 4 December 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427517,"EventID":"S6W-31977","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:17.557","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-04T15:55:44.31","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many panel members for children&rsquo;s hearings have resigned before their three-year term has been completed in each of the last three calendar years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many panel members for children&rsquo;s hearings have resigned before their three-year term has been completed in each of the last three calendar years.","AnswerText":"This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. The member should contact Children&rsquo;s Hearings Scotland for this information.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427518,"EventID":"S6W-31989","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:17.603","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T07:59:21.387","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people died from hospital acquired infections in each year since 1999.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people died from hospital acquired infections in each year since 1999.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427519,"EventID":"S6W-32009","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:19.53","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T10:04:09.9","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much additional revenue will be raised by the proposal in its 2025-26 draft Budget to increase the intermediate property rate in 2025-26, broken down by industry sec","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much additional revenue will be raised by the proposal in its 2025-26 draft Budget to increase the intermediate property rate in 2025-26, broken down by industry sector.","AnswerText":"Table 1 shows the estimated net additional income arising from an inflationary increase to the Intermediate Property Rate to 55.4p, compared to a freeze at 54.5, by property class. The net estimates include adjustments for reliefs, as well as in-year adjustments such as reductions due to proposals or appeals and write-offs.&nbsp;The Scottish Government does not hold property-level data on industry sectors. &ldquo;Property class&rdquo; is a classification used by Scottish Assessors to describe the type of property, but may not necessarily accurately reflect the actual use of a property.Figures are rounded to the nearest 100,000, and may not sum due to rounding.Table 1: Estimated net additional income arising from the inflationary increase to the Intermediate Property Rate (&pound;)Source: Scottish Assessors&rsquo; Valuation Roll as at 1 October 2024, local authorities&rsquo; billing information as at 1 June 2024Property classEstimated net additional incomeShops1,300,000Public houses and restaurants300,000Offices1,000,000Hotels200,000Industrial subjects1,500,000Leisure, entertainment, caravans, etc.200,000Garages and petrol stations100,000Cultural&lt;50,000Sporting subjects&lt;50,000Education and training400,000Public service subjects200,000Communications&lt;50,000Quarries, mines, etc.&lt;50,000Petrochemical&lt;50,000Religious&lt;50,000Health and medical100,000Other100,000Care facilities100,000Advertising&lt;50,000Statutory undertaking100,000All5,700,000","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427520,"EventID":"S6W-31983","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:19.55","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-04T16:28:56.65","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to questionS6W-25287&nbsp;by Lorna Slater on 22 February 2024, whether it will provide anupdate on what engagement it has had with the UK Governme","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to questionS6W-25287&nbsp;by Lorna Slater on 22 February 2024, whether it will provide anupdate on what engagement it has had with the UK Government Office for theInternal Market (OIM) regarding its proposals to ban single-use items usingpowers under the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024.","AnswerText":"The Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 does not grant Scottish Ministers the power to ban single-use items. Section 10 of that Act does provide Scottish Ministers with the power to make regulations to require suppliers of single-use items to charge for specified single use items.The Scottish Government engages regularly with the OIM and has discussed measures already taken to restrict supply or manufacture single-use items, and will continue to do so in relation to any future policy. However, the OIM has no formal role in approving legislation and the Scottish Government is under no obligation to seek advice on policy development or draft legislation from the OIM.The Internal Market Act was imposed on the Scottish Parliament without its consent, and radically undermines its powers. Every party in the chamber, barring the Scottish Conservatives, voted for its repeal in October 2023. The new UK Government must now work with the Scottish Government to undo the damage the Act does, and ensure the full restoration of the Parliament&rsquo;s powers.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427521,"EventID":"S6W-32005","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:19.553","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T09:40:07.533","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it is proposing to increase the public service reform and community empowerment budget by almost 600% in its draft Budget 2025-26.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it is proposing to increase the public service reform and community empowerment budget by almost 600% in its draft Budget 2025-26.","AnswerText":"Our Public Sector Reform (PSR) programme is making a vital contribution to improving outcomes and achieving sustainable public finances in the longer term. We have set out a clear programme of PSR to Parliament, with a strong focus on the data, levers and workforce that will drive efficiency. To enable this work, we will implement an Invest to Save fund in 2025-26, backed by up to &pound;30 million of new funding. This fund will support the cost of change to deliver improvements in efficiency, effectiveness and productivity, including cashable savings which will be recycled back into the fund, and we will work towards creating a self-sustaining fund.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427522,"EventID":"S6W-32010","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:19.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T10:04:09.9","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much additional revenue will be raised by the proposal in its 2025-26 draft Budget to increase the higher property rate in 2025-26, broken down by industry sector.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much additional revenue will be raised by the proposal in its 2025-26 draft Budget to increase the higher property rate in 2025-26, broken down by industry sector.","AnswerText":"Table 1 shows the estimated net additional income arising from an inflationary increase to the Higher Property Rate to 56.8p, compared to a freeze at 55.9p, by property class. The net estimates include adjustments for reliefs, as well as in-year adjustments such as reductions due to proposals or appeals and write-offs.The Scottish Government does not hold property-level data on industry sectors. &ldquo;Property class&rdquo; is a classification used by Scottish Assessors to describe the type of property, but may not necessarily accurately reflect the actual use of a property.Figures are rounded to the nearest 100,000, and may not sum due to rounding.Table 1: Estimated net additional income arising from the inflationary increase to the Higher Property Rate (&pound;)Source: Scottish Assessors&rsquo; Valuation Roll as at 1 October 2024, local authorities&rsquo; billing information as at 1 June 2024Property classEstimated net additional incomeShops6,300,000Public houses and restaurants300,000Offices4,400,000Hotels1,700,000Industrial subjects6,400,000Leisure, entertainment, caravans, etc.700,000Garages and petrol stations300,000Cultural&lt;50,000Sporting subjects100,000Education and training3,400,000Public service subjects1,800,000Communications200,000Quarries, mines, etc.100,000Petrochemical1,000,000Religious&lt;50,000Health and medical1,300,000Other900,000Care facilities100,000Advertising&lt;50,000Statutory undertaking8,600,000All37,900,000","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427523,"EventID":"S6W-32025","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:19.637","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T14:04:12.173","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assistance it can provide to the primary care sector in Scotland in response to the impact of the increase in employer national insurance charges.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assistance it can provide to the primary care sector in Scotland in response to the impact of the increase in employer national insurance charges.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has published its estimates of the direct costs to the Scottish public sector from the employers NI change, looking across our health and social care services, education providers, the third sector and others. We have shared those costs with the Treasury and have asked it for urgent clarification on the level of compensation that Scotland will receive.If the chancellor does not fund that in full, it could be, that despite costs of more than &pound;700 million across all sectors, at best &pound;380 million would be forthcoming; leaving a shortfall of around &pound;400 million. We continue to press for clarification.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427524,"EventID":"S6W-31988","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:19.82","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-04T17:53:47.853","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current policy guidance is on the evidence and processes required by local authorities before making decisions on the demolition of listed buildings under emerg","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current policy guidance is on the evidence and processes required by local authorities before making decisions on the demolition of listed buildings under emergency powers.","AnswerText":"Guidance on enforcement powers for local authorities in the Building (Scotland) Act 2003 is provided in the Building Standards Enforcement Handbook and the Building Standards Procedural Handbook. The National Planning Framework 4 states that development proposals for the demolition of listed buildings will not be supported unless it has been demonstrated that there are exceptional circumstances and that all reasonable efforts have been made to retain, reuse and/or adapt the listed building.A local authority will rely on evidence from a survey carried out by a structural engineer to advise on all options that minimise the extent of any demolition work. A local authority may engage an accredited conservation engineer on a case by case basis following advice from the structural engineer.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427525,"EventID":"S6W-32015","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:19.53","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T10:39:43.72","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any progress that it has made against the actions set out in the document, Delivering Scotland's Blue Economy Approach.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any progress that it has made against the actions set out in the document, Delivering Scotland's Blue Economy Approach.","AnswerText":"Delivering Scotland's Blue Economy Approach committed to mainstreaming blue economy thinking across the Marine Directorate and our wider work. To highlight some examples of this, it is evidenced in our approach to marine funding channels where we look to maximise private investment and since 2021, the Marine Fund Scotland has awarded &pound;55 million in grants, enabling &pound;120 million of investment, progressing blue economy outcomes. The Marine and Science Innovation Strategy embeds the Blue Economy Vision, furthering our evidence base, and blue economy outcomes are steering the development of Scotland's new National Marine Plan, influencing stakeholder engagement and how its monitoring and evaluating framework develops, helping to deliver our Vision.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427526,"EventID":"S6W-32016","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:21.043","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T10:39:43.72","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the 2024 report to the Parliament on the Marine Protected Area network, in line with its requirements under the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the 2024 report to the Parliament on the Marine Protected Area network, in line with its requirements under the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Marine Protected Area (MPA) Network Report to Parliament 2024 was laid in Parliament on 19 December 2024 (reference SG/2024/306), meeting the requirements of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 and the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009.The report has also been published online: Marine Protected Area Network - 2024 Report to the Scottish Parliament.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427527,"EventID":"S6W-31975","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:21.19","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-04T15:55:44.31","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many panel members for children&rsquo;s hearings there have been in each of the last three calendar years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many panel members for children&rsquo;s hearings there have been in each of the last three calendar years.","AnswerText":"This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. Some of this information may be available online in the CHS Board papers, which can be found here: CHS Board PapersIf the information contained here is not sufficient for the member&rsquo;s purposes, the member should contact Children&rsquo;s Hearings Scotland for specific information.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427528,"EventID":"S6W-32012","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:22.063","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T10:14:22.81","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the Tree Planting Task Force announced on 28 November 2024, and whether the task force will also consider th","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the Tree Planting Task Force announced on 28 November 2024, and whether the task force will also consider the need to enhance biodiversity and plant native trees, rather than funding further expansion of Sitka Spruce plantations.","AnswerText":"The first meeting of the Tree Planting Taskforce took place on 28 November with Ministers representing the Scottish, UK, Welsh and Northern Ireland Governments in attendance. The Scottish Government outlined the importance of forestry in Scotland, and our recent successes in delivering the majority of woodland creation across the UK.The Taskforce was an opportunity to highlight the importance of all types of trees, both native and productive, as part of increasing biodiversity and driving woodland creation.There was broad agreement within the group about the value of further cross-border collaboration and the collective challenges we face, such as future woodland management, addressing the skills shortage in the sector and tackling the threat of pests and diseases. The next steps and detailed future work of the Taskforce is still to be decided and agreed by its members.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427529,"EventID":"S6W-31985","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:21.317","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-04T16:33:39.173","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will publish the criteria that it will use when allocating fishing quotas in 2025, as required by section 25(1)(a) of the Fisheries Act 2020, which state","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will publish the criteria that it will use when allocating fishing quotas in 2025, as required by section 25(1)(a) of the Fisheries Act 2020, which states that these must be \"transparent and objective\".","AnswerText":"The Scottish Quota Management Rules were published on 18 September 2024, these detail how fishing opportunities are distributed to the Scottish fishing industry.The rules state that a further update may be made, when the application process for West of Scotland cod additional quota launches in 2025. This initiative will invite bids for quota, principally on the basis of enhanced fishing gear selectivity and reduced environmental impact.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427530,"EventID":"S6W-32017","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:17.747","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T11:07:14.793","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action Social Security Scotland is taking to ensure that all requests for patient information that are sent to GP practices are received and actioned, in light of r","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action Social Security Scotland is taking to ensure that all requests for patient information that are sent to GP practices are received and actioned, in light of reports that questions to an NHS practice in Shetland were sent through the SCI Gateway system, which the surgery did not use.","AnswerText":"Social Security Scotland has an established process for requesting information from GPs. The initial request will always be sent through the Scottish Care Information Gateway system, unless we are informed otherwise. If no response is received Social Security Scotland will contact the GP by telephone and send the request via letter if required.Social Security Scotland recognise the complexity of using that system, and the challenges GPs and the wider health and social care sector face in responding to information requests. They are actively working on engagement to increase awareness of Social Security Scotland and to identify potential improvements in how they can gather supporting information to ensure applications are processed as quickly and effectively as possible.This engagement activity has started, utilising in-house Health and Social Care Practitioners to offer discussions at the GP practice when they are in contact about one of their patients.Social Security Scotland will continue to work with senior leaders in Health &amp; Social Care Partnerships and Health Boards in 2025 to offer similar meetings to raise awareness and understand how we can improve communication.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427531,"EventID":"S6W-31992","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:21.247","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T08:02:00.303","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many properties will be subject to the higher property rate poundage in 2025-26, broken down by (a) industry sector and (b) local authority area.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many properties will be subject to the higher property rate poundage in 2025-26, broken down by (a) industry sector and (b) local authority area.","AnswerText":"Table 1 shows the number of properties liable for the Higher Property Rate by property class as at 1 October 2024. Table 2 shows the number of properties liable for the Higher Property Rate by council area as at 1 October 2024.The Scottish Government does not hold property-level data on industry sectors. &ldquo;Property class&rdquo; is a classification used by Scottish Assessors to describe the type of property, but may not necessarily accurately reflect the actual use of a property.Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 and may not sum due to rounding.Table 1: Number of properties liable for the Higher Property Rate, by property classSource: Scottish Assessors&rsquo; Valuation Roll, as at 1 October 2024Property classNumber of propertiesShops2,380Public houses and restaurants190Offices1,710Hotels600Industrial subjects2,530Leisure, entertainment, caravans, etc.550Garages and petrol stations160Cultural90Sporting subjects30Education and training1,390Public service subjects510Communications80Quarries, mines, etc.40Petrochemical70Religious40Health and medical280Other250Care facilities350Advertising20Statutory undertaking400All11,630Table 2: Number of properties liable for the Higher Property Rate, by council areaSource: Scottish Assessors&rsquo; Valuation Roll, as at 1 October 2024Council areaNumber of propertiesAberdeen City1,000Aberdeenshire530Angus140Argyll and Bute160City of Edinburgh1,770Clackmannanshire50Dumfries and Galloway210Dundee City350East Ayrshire150East Dunbartonshire120East Lothian140East Renfrewshire80Falkirk290Fife500Glasgow City1,800Highland630Inverclyde100Midlothian180Moray210Na h-Eileanan Siar50North Ayrshire170North Lanarkshire580Orkney Islands30Perth and Kinross290Renfrewshire370Scottish Borders170Shetland Islands60South Ayrshire210South Lanarkshire550Stirling200West Dunbartonshire130West Lothian420Scotland11,630","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427532,"EventID":"S6W-32004","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:19.54","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T09:40:07.533","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it gave to passing on business rates relief to retail and leisure businesses in its draft Budget 2025-26.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it gave to passing on business rates relief to retail and leisure businesses in its draft Budget 2025-26.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31994 on 12 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427533,"EventID":"S6W-31991","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:19.523","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T08:02:00.303","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) basic, (b) intermediate and (c) higher business rate (i) has been in each financial year since 1999-00 and (ii) will be in 2025-26.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) basic, (b) intermediate and (c) higher business rate (i) has been in each financial year since 1999-00 and (ii) will be in 2025-26.","AnswerText":"Table 1 shows the non-domestic rates and thresholds in Scotland since 1999-2000. The rates for 2025-2026 were proposed in the Scottish Budget 2025-26.Table 1: Non-domestic rates since 1999-2000Financial yearRateable value bandRate1999-2000Up to and including &pound;10,00048.01999-2000&pound;10,001 and above48.92000-2001Up to and including &pound;10,00044.82000-2001&pound;10,001 and above45.82001-2002Up to and including &pound;10,00045.02001-2002&pound;10,001 and above47.02002-2003Up to and including &pound;10,00045.82002-2003&pound;10,001 and above47.82003-2004Up to and including &pound;25,00047.82003-2004&pound;25,001 and above48.42004-2005Up to and including &pound;25,00048.82004-2005&pound;25,001 and above49.12005-2006Up to and including &pound;29,00046.12005-2006&pound;29,001 and above46.62006-2007Up to and including &pound;29,00044.92006-2007&pound;29,001 and above45.32007-2008Up to and including &pound;29,00044.12007-2008&pound;29,001 and above44.42008-2009Up to and including &pound;29,00045.82008-2009&pound;29,001 and above46.22009-2010Up to and including &pound;29,00048.12009-2010&pound;29,001 and above48.52010-2011Up to and including &pound;35,00040.72010-2011&pound;35,001 and above41.42011-2012Up to and including &pound;35,00042.62011-2012&pound;35,001 and above43.32012-2013Up to and including &pound;35,00045.02012-2013&pound;35,001 and above45.82013-2014Up to and including &pound;35,00046.22013-2014&pound;35,001 and above47.12014-2015Up to and including &pound;35,00047.12014-2015&pound;35,001 and above48.22015-2016Up to and including &pound;35,00048.02015-2016&pound;35,001 and above49.32016-2017Up to and including &pound;35,00048.42016-2017&pound;35,001 and above51.02017-2018Up to and including &pound;51,00046.62017-2018&pound;51,001 and above49.22018-2019Up to and including &pound;51,00048.02018-2019&pound;51,001 and above50.62019-2020Up to and including &pound;51,00049.02019-2020&pound;51,001 and above51.62020-2021Up to and including &pound;51,00049.82020-2021&pound;51,001 to &pound;95,00051.12020-2021&pound;95,001 and above52.42021-2022Up to and including &pound;51,00049.02021-2022&pound;51,001 to &pound;95,00050.32021-2022&pound;95,001 and above51.62022-2023Up to and including &pound;51,00049.82022-2023&pound;51,001 to &pound;95,00051.12022-2023&pound;95,001 and above52.42023-2024Up to and including &pound;51,00049.82023-2024&pound;51,001 to &pound;100,00051.12023-2024&pound;100,001 and above52.42024-2025Up to and including &pound;51,00049.82024-2025&pound;51,001 to &pound;100,00054.52024-2025&pound;100,001 and above55.92025-2026Up to and including &pound;51,00049.82025-2026&pound;51,001 to &pound;100,00055.42025-2026&pound;100,001 and above56.8","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427534,"EventID":"S6W-32030","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:20.33","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T15:15:15.397","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it will seek to reduce the number of homeless veterans, and what its position is on whether is making adequate and timely progre","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it will seek to reduce the number of homeless veterans, and what its position is on whether is making adequate and timely progress on this.","AnswerText":"The number of homeless veterans in Scotland remains low and homeless veterans are a relatively small proportion (2%) of homeless households. Official statistics shows us that veterans are no more likely to be homeless than the rest of the population and that the reasons for veterans becoming homeless are broadly comparable with the rest of the population.However, we are committed to reducing homelessness for all, including some veterans who are at risk of encountering housing problems at particular transition points in their lives.The Housing (Scotland) Bill, currently progressing through the parliamentary process, will build on the existing strong rights for people who are homeless. While there are no specific provisions for veterans, the homelessness prevention measures outlined in the Bill are designed to meet the needs of specific groups, including some veterans, who are at greater risk of homelessness than others.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427535,"EventID":"S6W-32003","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:20.647","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T09:40:07.533","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it reportedly only gave the Scottish Fiscal Commission an eight-day notice period of its plans regarding the future in Scotland of the two-child&nbsp;cap","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it reportedly only gave the Scottish Fiscal Commission an eight-day notice period of its plans regarding the future in Scotland of the two-child&nbsp;cap on benefits.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government keeps a range of measures under consideration as it develops and finalises its Budget. Final decisions are communicated with the Scottish Fiscal Commission (SFC) as soon as is practicable. The Scottish Fiscal Commission is undertaking work to cost the proposal to mitigate the impact of the two-child cap in Scotland for 2026-27. The SFC plan to publish their supplementary costings on 7 January 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427536,"EventID":"S6W-31960","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:20.623","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T22:15:00.59","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the root cause of the structural problem with the M8 Woodside Viaducts was due to movement in the supporting pillars caused by a change i","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the root cause of the structural problem with the M8 Woodside Viaducts was due to movement in the supporting pillars caused by a change in the water table, which was triggered by nearby construction activity at Phoenix Road.","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland engineers advise that there is no reason to believe that there has been any structural damage to the Woodside Viaduct as a result of a changing water table due to construction or any other activity at Pheonix Road.The works are as a result of deterioration of the crosshead half joints, which are supported on top of the piers (pillars). Half joints are a detail susceptible to deterioration due to water ingress and are not utilised in new bridge construction as a result.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427537,"EventID":"S6W-32019","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:19.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T13:23:09.767","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the operation of the Bus Partnership Fund.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the operation of the Bus Partnership Fund.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is pleased to announce in the draft budget that we will provide a Bus Infrastructure Fund in 2025-26 focussed on delivering bus priority, supporting infrastructure measures to tackle the negative impact of congestion and local public transport improvements. This brings the Bus Partnership Fund and Community Bus Fund together into one fund.&pound;20.5 million was spent on bus priority through the Bus Partnership Fund. This has delivered bus gates, enforcement cameras, and equipment to help buses get through traffic lights more quickly in North Ayrshire, Glasgow, Inverness, Aberdeen and Edinburgh. It has also assisted in making a number of temporary measures, such as bus lanes, permanent in Edinburgh and Glasgow. A bus gate at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness also opened helping buses to by-pass congestion and passengers to access this important facility more quickly.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427538,"EventID":"S6W-31979","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:20.763","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-04T16:17:38.057","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the funding announced in its Budget for Stranraer town centre is money that was originally committed to the town in 2011 as part of the regeneration of the forme","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the funding announced in its Budget for Stranraer town centre is money that was originally committed to the town in 2011 as part of the regeneration of the former ferry terminal.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has continued to engage with Dumfries &amp; Galloway Council and the regeneration funding announced in the draft Scottish Budget will support the delivery of the community's ambitions for the regeneration of the town building on their Local Place Plan - Creating Stranraer.Funding will be subject to the Scottish Budget being agreed by Parliament and final allocations being agreed by Ministers.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427539,"EventID":"S6W-31973","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:19.637","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-04T15:22:48.85","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide further detail on the regeneration funding for Possilpark as set out in its draft Budget 2025-26, including how much funding will be allocated to","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide further detail on the regeneration funding for Possilpark as set out in its draft Budget 2025-26, including how much funding will be allocated to this area.","AnswerText":"The funding announced in the draft Scottish Budget will develop an underused space at 252 Saracen Street, Possilpark, into a new Social Entrepreneurial Centre providing 379sqm of space for those from disadvantaged communities to meet, innovate and support new local and diverse social business.The project will be delivered in partnership with Glasgow City Council and North Glasgow Homes supported with approximately &pound;0.6m investment from Scottish Government, subject to the budget being approved by Parliament and final allocations being agreed by Ministers.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427540,"EventID":"S6W-32011","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:20.92","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T10:13:43.303","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the new Register of Ancient Woodlands, to be delivered in 2027 as outlined in the Scottish Biodiversity Delivery Plan, will (a) facilitate a designation for Scot","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the new Register of Ancient Woodlands, to be delivered in 2027 as outlined in the Scottish Biodiversity Delivery Plan, will (a) facilitate a designation for Scotland's ancient woods, similar to that for ancient monuments, as part of its commitment to protect at least 30% of land by 2030, (b) specify opportunities for Scotland's communities, including local and interest groups, to engage in the process and act in partnership with landowners, statutory agencies and regulators to protect and restore ancient woodland, (c) lead to genuine enforcement action, including in relation to invasive non-native species and over grazing, (d) review the reported lack of shared standards in the administration of Tree Preservation Orders and prosecution for unlicensed felling in ancient woodland, (e) retain the Long Established Plantation Origin (LEPO) category of woods currently in the Scottish Ancient Woodland Inventory, (f) include plantations on ancient woodland sites (PAWS) and (g) ensure that LEPO sites and PAWS benefit from the protection from development recently afforded to ancient woodland in the fourth National Planning Framework.","AnswerText":"NatureScot and Scottish Forestry are currently putting together a project plan to build on the existing Ancient Woodland Inventory to develop the new National Register of Ancient Woodlands. The scope of the project has therefore yet to be fully agreed, but in line with the priority action in the Scottish Biodiversity Delivery Plan, the Register will include locational data, a definition of the required &lsquo;protected and restored&rsquo; condition of ancient woodlands, and a process for recording ancient woodlands that reach the required standard. In response to the component questions:a) The inclusion of a woodland site on the Register will not automatically qualify it to contribute to the target to achieve 30% of Scotland protected and managed for nature by 2030 (the 30 by 30 target).Any site on the Register which isn&rsquo;t within an existing protected area would need to be evaluated against the criteria for Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) before being considered for inclusion in the 30 by 30 network. NatureScot is currently working with stakeholders &ndash; including those with expertise of ancient woodlands - to agree how the OECM criteria will apply in Scotland.b) There are likely to be opportunities for local people, communities and interest groups to participate in the process of developing the new National Register of Ancient Woodlands. For example, it is envisaged that Guidance will be developed and tested with interested parties to enable the identification of ancient woodlands and to assess their condition. This should allow communities to deepen their understanding of and connection to their local ancient woodlands.c) The creation of the Register will not in itself be an enforcement mechanism, however the associated condition reports will be invaluable in prioritising action to tackle negative pressures on sites, for example in relation to invasive non-native species or overgrazing.d) The Register would not cover Tree Preservation Orders as these are not explicitly related to ancient woodlands and can cover a wide range of individually important trees, which are outwith the scope of the Register.e &amp; f)The Long Established Plantation Origin (LEPO) and Plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWS) categories from the existing Ancient Woodland Inventory will be taken into consideration when the Register is developed and it is anticipated that they will be retained.g)Our Fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) places climate and nature at the centre of our planning system and includes policy to protect our existing woodlands and trees. Local Development Plans should also identify and protect existing woodland and the potential for its enhancement or expansion.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":427541,"EventID":"S6W-31986","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:20.537","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-04T16:33:39.173","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to ensure that the fishing quota for Scotland following exiting the EU has been used to support the fishing businesses with the most selective a","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to ensure that the fishing quota for Scotland following exiting the EU has been used to support the fishing businesses with the most selective and/or lowest impact approach to fishing, in line with duties set out in section 25 of the Fisheries Act 2020.","AnswerText":"Since exiting the EU, the Scottish Government has set aside additional quota for use by our 10 metre and under sector (predominantly inshore vessels that make up the vast majority of the Scottish fishing fleet). These vessels are associated with fishing methods that are more selective and typically fish with methods that have less impact on the seabed.In 2025, the Scottish Government will distribute a portion of West of Scotland cod based on an application process which will place environmental considerations at its heart. This seeks to incentivise the use of selective fishing gear and fishing techniques or vessels with a reduced impact on the environment.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427542,"EventID":"S6W-31974","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:21.897","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-04T15:55:44.31","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of children&rsquo;s hearings have been conducted with at least one panel member who was from outwith the local authority area of the child or young perso","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of children&rsquo;s hearings have been conducted with at least one panel member who was from outwith the local authority area of the child or young person in each of the last three calendar years, broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. The member should contact Children&rsquo;s Hearings Scotland for this information.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427543,"EventID":"S6W-32023","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:21.433","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T13:23:09.787","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how the recently announced Bus Infrastructure Fund will operate.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the recently announced Bus Infrastructure Fund will operate.","AnswerText":"Work to scope out what the fund will deliver and how it will be managed is underway. Transport Scotland is engaging with key stakeholders on this and will confirm details in due course. However, the fund will look to build on the work undertaken through both the Bus Partnership Fund and Community Bus Fund with renewed focus on bus priority infrastructure to help address the negative impacts of congestion on bus services, and support local public transport improvements.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427544,"EventID":"S6W-31999","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:21.683","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T09:40:07.533","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will increase the local government budget through in-year transfers in 2025-26 and, if so, (a) to what extent and (b) from what other budget areas.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will increase the local government budget through in-year transfers in 2025-26 and, if so, (a) to what extent and (b) from what other budget areas.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government routinely increases the Local Government budget in-year, including through transfers from other portfolios. The anticipated transfers for 2025-25 are as shown in Table 4.12 of the Scottish Budget and indicate that at least &pound;1,438.3 million of resource and &pound;25 million of capital will be transferred into the General Revenue and General Capital grants at the 2025-26 Autumn or Spring Budget Revisions. Further funding outwith the Local Government Settlement is outlined in Table 4.15 and paid directly by the relevant portfolio.As with all previous years, any unanticipated transfers in year will also be given effect at the relevant budget revision and processed in the Local Government Finance Order 2026-27.As outlined in Tables 4.12 and 4.15, it is anticipated that most Scottish Government portfolios will transfer additional funding to Local Government in 2025-26.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427545,"EventID":"S6W-31976","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:21.283","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-04T15:55:44.31","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many panel members for children&rsquo;s hearings have been recruited in each of the last three calendar years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many panel members for children&rsquo;s hearings have been recruited in each of the last three calendar years.","AnswerText":"This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. The member should contact Children&rsquo;s Hearings Scotland for this information.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427546,"EventID":"S6W-32022","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:21.517","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T13:23:09.783","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding will be delivered through the Bus Infrastructure Fund.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding will be delivered through the Bus Infrastructure Fund.","AnswerText":"The draft 2025-26 Budget, which is subject to Parliamentary approval, provides indicative funding for a Bus Infrastructure Fund. Work is underway to assess allocations and this will be dependent on business cases, assessments of value for money/impact of spending and deliverability.Any further ongoing funding for future years will be considered as part of the annual budget setting processes and prioritisation exercises.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427547,"EventID":"S6W-31972","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:17.633","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-04T15:22:48.847","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide more information on its plans to provide free bus travel for asylum seekers as set out in its draft Budget 2025-26, including (a)&nbsp;a clear ti","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide more information on its plans to provide free bus travel for asylum seekers as set out in its draft Budget 2025-26, including (a)&nbsp;a clear timeline for developing and fully implementing this policy, (b) clarity on whether free bus travel will be provided for all people seeking asylum across Scotland, and (c) what models are being considered for delivery.","AnswerText":"The draft 2025-26 Budget, which is subject to Parliamentary approval, has funding allocated to provide free bus travel for asylum seekers in the 2025-26 financial year. Further information on delivery will be provided in due course.We are committed to exploring if we can extend free bus travel to all people seeking asylum on a longer term basis before the end of the current parliamentary session, subject to the successful passage of a Scottish Budget containing this issue and an agreed way forward on the policy in terms of practical delivery.People seeking asylum in Scotland who are currently eligible for free bus travel through the statutory National Concessionary Travel Schemes, including those under 22, aged 60 and over and those with disabilities, will continue to be able to make use of their entitlement.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427548,"EventID":"S6W-32026","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:21.597","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T14:09:38.377","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether its draft Budget 2024-25 will lead to funding being provided to the Belmont Cinema in Aberdeen and, if so, how much, and what (a) positive and (b) negative  indi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether its draft Budget 2024-25 will lead to funding being provided to the Belmont Cinema in Aberdeen and, if so, how much, and what (a) positive and (b) negative  indirect consequences the Budget proposals might have on the cinema.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the huge value that the Belmont, and cultural cinema as a whole, bring to Scotland&rsquo;s creative landscape. Cinemas like the Belmont are a vital source of cultural experience, community connection, learning, and wellbeing.The Scottish Government has committed an additional &pound;34m to culture budgets in 2025-26, and our aim is to provide a further &pound;20m in 2026-2027, subject to usual parliamentary procedure. Amongst other activity, this will allow Creative Scotland to offer a comprehensive package of Multi-Year Funding to the largest ever number of cultural organisations across Scotland, ensuring that more people have access to cultural projects and venues, which will benefit their health and wellbeing as well as bringing enjoyment. Creative Scotland will now complete their due diligence, and will aim to notify the successful organisations in January.While those funding decisions are for Creative Scotland, the Scottish Government is absolutely clear on the value of cultural cinema, and we will continue to engage with Screen Scotland and others to ensure that cultural cinema is protected for Scotland's audiences today and in the long term.Since its closure in 2022, Screen Scotland has already provided &pound;320,000 in funding to support the reopening of the Belmont cinema. This includes &pound;60,000 to Aberdeen City Council to undertake feasibility and transition work, and &pound;260,000 to Belmont Community Cinema Ltd. to support development of a business model, recruit key staff to support the reopening bid, and progress fundraising activity, amongst other key development work.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427549,"EventID":"S6W-31996","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:21.487","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T08:03:10.56","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many properties in 2025-26 will be subject to the intermediate property rate, broken down by (a) industry sector and (b) local authority area.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many properties in 2025-26 will be subject to the intermediate property rate, broken down by (a) industry sector and (b) local authority area.","AnswerText":"Table 1 shows the number of properties liable for the Intermediate Property Rate by property class as at 1 October 2024. Table 2 shows the number of properties liable for the Intermediate Property Rate by council area as at 1 October 2024.The Scottish Government does not hold property-level data on industry sectors. &ldquo;Property class&rdquo; is a classification used by Scottish Assessors to describe the type of property, but may not necessarily accurately reflect the actual use of a property.Figures are rounded to the nearest 10, and may not sum due to rounding.Table 1: Number of properties liable for the Intermediate Property Rate, by property classSource: Scottish Assessors&rsquo; Valuation Roll, as at 1 October 2024Property classNumber of propertiesShops2,140Public houses and restaurants420Offices1,750Hotels380Industrial subjects2,430Leisure, entertainment, caravans, etc.480Garages and petrol stations200Cultural100Sporting subjects50Education and training720Public service subjects500Communications40Quarries, mines, etc.50Petrochemical10Religious90Health and medical260Other180Care facilities500Advertising20Statutory undertaking150All10,440Table 2: Number of properties liable for the Intermediate Property Rate, by council areaSource: Scottish Assessors&rsquo; Valuation Roll, as at 1 October 2024Council areaNumber of propertiesAberdeen City840Aberdeenshire480Angus120Argyll and Bute150City of Edinburgh1,510Clackmannanshire50Dumfries and Galloway220Dundee City320East Ayrshire150East Dunbartonshire110East Lothian130East Renfrewshire60Falkirk200Fife550Glasgow City1,660Highland590Inverclyde90Midlothian170Moray150Na h-Eileanan Siar50North Ayrshire160North Lanarkshire510Orkney Islands40Perth and Kinross270Renfrewshire320Scottish Borders180Shetland Islands60South Ayrshire170South Lanarkshire430Stirling200West Dunbartonshire130West Lothian400Scotland10,440","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427550,"EventID":"S6W-31990","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:17.75","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T08:01:19.337","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much money it has allocated to providing free bus travel for people seeking asylum in its draft Budget 2025-26.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much money it has allocated to providing free bus travel for people seeking asylum in its draft Budget 2025-26.","AnswerText":"The draft 2025-26 Budget, which is subject to Parliamentary approval, has allocated funding to provide free bus travel for asylum seekers in the 2025-26 financial year. Further information will be provided in due course.People seeking asylum in Scotland who are currently eligible for free bus travel through the statutory National Concessionary Travel Schemes, including those under 22, aged 60 and over and those with disabilities, will continue to be able to make use of their entitlement.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427551,"EventID":"S6W-31915","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:17.62","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-02T12:07:07.573","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the viability ofupdating legislation to allow grandparents greater access rights to theirgrandchildren, including following family breakdo","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the viability ofupdating legislation to allow grandparents greater access rights to theirgrandchildren, including following family breakdowns.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the important role that grandparents have in many families bringing up children, particularly following parental separation.When the Children (Scotland) Bill (now the Children (Scotland) Act 2020 (the 2020 Act)) was introduced, the Scottish Government considered whether to include a presumption or right for grandchildren to have contact with their grandparents.However, no such provision was included.A presumption in favour of a particular group of adults could cut across the driving principle of the legislation that the welfare of the child must be the paramount consideration in any contact or residence case.We have no plans to change the law in this area at the present time.It remains possible for any person with an interest in a child, including a grandparent, to apply to the court to seek an order under section 11 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 (the 1995 Act), which is the key provision in relation to contact and residence.Section 16 of the 2020 Act sets out additional factors that the court must consider when deciding whether or not to make an order under section 11 of the 1995 Act.It provides that the court must consider the effect the order might have on the child&rsquo;s important relationships with other people.This could include the child&rsquo;s grandparents. Section 16 is not yet in force but the Scottish Government will consider in 2025 which further sections of the 2020 Act could be commenced.The Scottish Government has produced the Charter for Grandchildren as part of the Your Parenting Plan. The Charter sets out that grandchildren can expect to maintain contact with their wider family except in very exceptional circumstances.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427552,"EventID":"S6W-32020","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:20.347","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T13:23:09.77","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much of the &pound;500 million that was allocated to the Bus Partnership Fund has been spent.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much of the &pound;500 million that was allocated to the Bus Partnership Fund has been spent.","AnswerText":"The awards made through the Bus Partnership Fund to date were the first step towards delivering long term investment in bus priority infrastructure, beyond the course of the parliament. To date &pound;20.5 million has been spent through the Bus Partnership and with a Bus Infrastructure Fund announced for 2025-26 this will enable the delivery of further bus priority and other supporting measures.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427553,"EventID":"S6W-31981","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:19.55","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-04T16:25:20.797","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government who is responsible for identifying landcontaminated from abandoned lead mines; when such work was last carried out,broken down by local authority area, and who is respon","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government who is responsible for identifying landcontaminated from abandoned lead mines; when such work was last carried out,broken down by local authority area, and who is responsible for informing thepublic of any risk identified.","AnswerText":"Local Authorities are responsible for identifying potentially contaminated land within in their areas, and when any contaminated land is identified, informing SEPA, the land owner, the occupier(s) of the land, and any person who appears to be an appropriate person in respect of the remediation of that land. It would be for the local authority to inform the public of any risk identified except in the case of contaminated land designated as a special site in which case, the responsibility would lie with SEPA.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427554,"EventID":"S6W-31998","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:20.287","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T09:31:37.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the allocation in its draft Budget 2025-26 for free school meal expansion, whether it can provide an estimate of the costs of rolling out free school meals ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the allocation in its draft Budget 2025-26 for free school meal expansion, whether it can provide an estimate of the costs of rolling out free school meals to all P6 and P7 pupils by April 2026.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has worked with the Scottish Futures Trust and local authorities to develop robust costings for the expansion of the Free School Meals Programme. This work estimates the cost of rolling out universal free school meals to pupils in Primary 6 and Primary 7 is &pound;256 million.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":427555,"EventID":"S6W-32014","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:21.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T10:16:02.103","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many instances there have been of the use of drones to deliver drugs to prisons since 2022 to date.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many instances there have been of the use of drones to deliver drugs to prisons since 2022 to date.","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:Since 2022, and up to 9 December, there have been 42 recorded drone incidents that resulted in a successful and confirmed recovery of drugs.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427556,"EventID":"S6W-32002","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:21.16","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T09:40:07.533","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what (a) assessment it has made and (b) consultation it has carried out regarding what behavioural responses might arise in response to the proposed decision to freeze t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what (a) assessment it has made and (b) consultation it has carried out regarding what behavioural responses might arise in response to the proposed decision to freeze three of the income tax bands in its draft Budget 2025-26.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government relies on independent forecasts produced by the Scottish Fiscal Commission in arriving at policy decisions on Income Tax. These forecasts include the impact of any possible behaviour change that may result from policy decisions.The impact of Income Tax policy decisions taken at the 2025-26 Scottish Budget on taxpayers and households is presented in the following publications:Scottish Income Tax Factsheet: Income Tax Policy Proposal: Scottish Budget 2025-26 - Scottish Income Tax 2025 to 2026: factsheet - gov.scotDistributional analysis of the Scottish Budget: Scottish Budget 2025 to 2026: distributional analysis of the Scottish Budget - gov.scotRegarding consultation, in advance of the Scottish Budget, the Scottish Government conducts annual research on public attitudes to tax.This research also includes information on where people find information on tax and their knowledge of the tax system. The information which has been collected is available online: https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-budget-2025-26-pre-budget-engagement-summary/pages/1/This year, we also conducted a broad programme of business engagement on tax policy, used to inform the Tax Strategy, which gave businesses the opportunity to express their views regarding behavioural responses to Scottish Income Tax policy.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427557,"EventID":"S6W-31978","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:20.093","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-04T15:55:44.31","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of children&rsquo;s hearings have been conducted (a) in person, (b) virtually and (c) in hybrid format in each of the last three calendar years, broken d","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of children&rsquo;s hearings have been conducted (a) in person, (b) virtually and (c) in hybrid format in each of the last three calendar years, broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. The member should contact the Scottish Children&rsquo;s Reporter Administration for this information.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427558,"EventID":"S6W-31980","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:21.81","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-04T16:18:28.78","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government's statement to the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee on 23 January 20","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government's statement to the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee on 23 January 2024, how much ScotWind funding was drawn down in each financial year from 2021-22 to 2024-25.","AnswerText":"To date &pound;96 million of ScotWind revenues have been utilised, all in 2022-23.In the 2024-25 budget, &pound;200 million of Scotwind funding was profiled, with a further &pound;224 million added as part of the in-year autumn budget revision.As indicated in the Scottish Budget, the total set aside in 2024-25 at present has now reduced to &pound;160 million. Work is on-going to reduce this further, and a further update will be provided as part of the Spring Budget Revision in January.Final decisions on drawing down ScotWind revenues will be made in March 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427559,"EventID":"S6W-32013","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:21.43","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T10:16:02.103","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which specific local services in Glasgow that make decisions on commissioning and planning services for people impacted by drugs it funds.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which specific local services in Glasgow that make decisions on commissioning and planning services for people impacted by drugs it funds.","AnswerText":"Integration Authorities have delegated responsibility in Scotland for providing local alcohol and drug services. This activity is coordinated by Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) and funded by the Scottish Government. In line with the Verity House Agreement, the Integration Authorities and ADPs have a significant amount of autonomy over local decision making.Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) is part of Greater Glasgow and Clyde ADP, which also covers 5 other regional HSCPs. Further information on how ADPs work is provided in the publicly available Partnership Delivery Framework: Supporting documents - Alcohol and Drug Partnerships: delivery framework - gov.scot.In 2024-25 the total funding being made available for ADPs is &pound;112 million, of which Greater Glasgow and Clyde have been allocated &pound;28 million. Detail of funding committed for ADPs is available on the Scottish Government website: Alcohol and Drug Partnerships: funding allocations - gov.scot.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427560,"EventID":"S6W-32018","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:20.837","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T12:02:38.163","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which third sector organisations it has given funding to since 2023-24, including the current financial year to date, broken down by organisations that received funding ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which third sector organisations it has given funding to since 2023-24, including the current financial year to date, broken down by organisations that received funding from (a) its third sector budget and (b) each portfolio area that has allocated funding to third sector organisations.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government grant making is allocated across portfolios to various parts of the third sector to improve a wide range of outcomes. Some Scottish Government funding will be issued through third sector intermediary organisations. Spending is not all specifically classified as to whether or not it is allocated to third-sector organisations to deliver services. Consequently the information requested is not available.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427561,"EventID":"S6W-32007","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:22.243","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T09:51:48.313","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, following the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government on 4 December 2024, in which it was announced that it would be \"making an additional &","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, following the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government on 4 December 2024, in which it was announced that it would be \"making an additional &pound;3 million available to help to tackle retail crime\", whether the (a) Scottish Retail Consortium and (b) Retail Industry Leadership Group will be asked to contribute to the deliberations on how this funding should be used.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government are making &pound;3 million available to help tackle retail crime which costs businesses millions each year and has a knock-on effect on the prices we pay in the shops. Police Scotland will work in partnership with the Retail Industry Leadership Group on how best to use this additional funding for maximum impact. The Scottish Retail Consortium, through their membership of the Retail ILG, will have the opportunity to contribute to these discussions.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427562,"EventID":"S6W-31994","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:20.407","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T08:03:10.56","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it reportedly opted not to reintroduce business rates relief for the retail and leisure sectors in 2025-26, unlike in England.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it reportedly opted not to reintroduce business rates relief for the retail and leisure sectors in 2025-26, unlike in England.","AnswerText":"It was not possible to fund all the Scottish Government&rsquo;s priorities in the budget but, despite the financial challenges, the budget continues to support businesses and communities with a competitive non-domestic rates regime including the reintroduction of a 40% relief for hospitality.The freeze to the Basic Property Rate in 2025-26 is estimated to save ratepayers &pound;9m a year compared to an inflationary increase, and our generous relief package is worth an estimated &pound;731 million next year and includes reliefs which will benefit properties in the retail and leisure sectors such as the most generous small business rates relief in the UK. In combination, we estimate that around half of the properties in the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure sectors will continue to pay no rates in Scotland in 2025-26.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427563,"EventID":"S6W-32000","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:21.463","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T09:40:07.533","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, after taking account of the expected in-year transfers and budget revisions, what difference there will be between local government funding provided in 2024-25 and 2025","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, after taking account of the expected in-year transfers and budget revisions, what difference there will be between local government funding provided in 2024-25 and 2025-26.","AnswerText":"As outlined in Table 4.12 of the Scottish Budget, on a like with like basis, the Local Government Settlement will be &pound;15,035.2 million following the conclusion of the Spring Budget Revision 2025-26 compared with &pound;14,027.1 million following the conclusion of the Spring Budget Revision 2024-25. It is therefore estimated that the difference in local government funding provided in 2024-25 and 2025-26 will be &pound;1,008.1 million.As with all previous years, any unanticipated transfers in year will also be given effect at the relevant budget revision and processed in the Local Government Finance Order 2026-27.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427564,"EventID":"S6W-31956","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:21.4","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T16:37:34.147","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when the scheduling for the R100 scheme will be confirmed to provide specific forecast dates for properties.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when the scheduling for the R100 scheme will be confirmed to provide specific forecast dates for properties.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s Reaching 100% (R100) programme is delivered through three key strands of activity &ndash; the over &pound;600 million R100 contracts (North, Central and South), the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme (R100 SBVS) and continued commercial coverage which includes emerging technologies such as Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite connections.Our address checker at www.scotlandsuperfast.com shows the most recent digital connectivity plans and timescales for residential and business properties across Scotland that are scheduled to receive an improved broadband connection via the R100 contracts. It is not possible to show digital connectivity timescales for the R100 SBVS as this is a demand-led scheme, which means it is up to eligible property owners or residents to decide whether they wish to secure a connection in this way.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427565,"EventID":"S6W-31995","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:21.98","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T08:03:10.56","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what representations it received regarding reintroducing business rates relief for the retail sector in 2025-26.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what representations it received regarding reintroducing business rates relief for the retail sector in 2025-26.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has received representations from retail representative organisations including the Scottish Retail Consortium, Scottish Grocers&rsquo; Federation and others through correspondence, and meetings with Ministers including the New Deal for Business Non-Domestic Rates Sub-group.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427566,"EventID":"S6W-31982","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:19.547","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-04T16:25:20.797","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding how many abandoned lead mines there are in each local authority area, also broken down by how many have been identified as being contam","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding how many abandoned lead mines there are in each local authority area, also broken down by how many have been identified as being contaminated by the lead; what date this identification was made, and how many remain contaminated.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not collect this information centrally. It is the responsibility of local authorities to identify contaminated land within their respective areas, and thereafter, except in the case of contaminated land designated as a special site, secure remediation for that contaminated land.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427567,"EventID":"S6W-32021","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:20.943","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T13:23:09.777","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its draft Budget 2025-26, where theremaining unspent money allocated to the Bus Partnership Fund has beenreallocated to.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its draft Budget 2025-26, where theremaining unspent money allocated to the Bus Partnership Fund has beenreallocated to.","AnswerText":"Budget is allocated on an annual basis therefore there is no defined unspent funding arising from the pausing of the Bus Partnership Fund. The Scottish Government is pleased to announce in the draft budget that we will provide a Bus Infrastructure Fund in 2025-26.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427568,"EventID":"S6W-31984","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-05T16:34:19.517","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-04T16:33:39.173","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will align with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)-led Quota Application Mechanism to grant additional quota to fishing businesses","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will align with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)-led Quota Application Mechanism to grant additional quota to fishing businesses that demonstrate that they have reduced their environmental impact and/or are deploying selective approaches to fishing.","AnswerText":"In 2025, the Scottish Government will distribute a portion of West of Scotland cod based on an application process which will place environmental considerations at its heart. This seeks to incentivise the use of selective fishing gear and fishing techniques or vessels with a reduced impact on the environment.This approach is distinct from the process in England. Scottish Government officials regularly meet to discuss fisheries management matters with officials from all UK and devolved administrations, and officials have been in dialogue with Defra to learn from their experiences in launching and administering the Quota Application Mechanism pilot.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427600,"EventID":"S6W-32046","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-06T16:05:53.94","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-06T11:51:47.897","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received any reports of coal being bought in Scotland and transported for use in England, following a ban being introduced on selling house coal for domes","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received any reports of coal being bought in Scotland and transported for use in England, following a ban being introduced on selling house coal for domestic burning in England.","AnswerText":"Although the Scottish Government does not hold any specific information, there is potential for coal purchased online from solid fuel merchants based in Scotland to be transported to England.Individual merchants are responsible for making clear to their customers the legal restrictions around the supply and use of coal in England.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427601,"EventID":"S6W-32033","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-06T16:05:53.98","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T15:36:28.807","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the 2025-26 draft Budget proposes reducing the digital budget of the portfolio of the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the 2025-26 draft Budget proposes reducing the digital budget of the portfolio of the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic by more than one half, and what areas of the digital budget this will impact on.","AnswerText":"Following record investment in digital this financial year, the draft budget allocates &pound;166 million for investment during 2025-26. This total includes income to the Scottish Government of around &pound;68 million from legacy programmes and will support continued delivery of the Reaching 100% (R100) contracts and the Digital Strategy. The Scottish Government has also secured UK Government funding for investment in digital infrastructure through the Project Gigabit programme which will further increase planned digital spend in 2025-26.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427602,"EventID":"S6W-32043","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5608,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":103,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-06T16:05:53.987","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-06T11:29:57.43","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the announcement in its draft Budget 2025-26 of an additional &pound;4.5 million to \"deliver new specialist support across the country for Long Covid, ME, C","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the announcement in its draft Budget 2025-26 of an additional &pound;4.5 million to \"deliver new specialist support across the country for Long Covid, ME, Chronic Fatigue, and other similar conditions\", whether this will include funding for the implementation of the NICE guideline on myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), in the event that the draft Budget is agreed to by the Parliament.","AnswerText":"We want everyone living with ME/CFS in Scotland to be able to access the best possible care and support. That is why the Budget includes a new investment of &pound;4.5 million to deliver specialist support for ME/CFS, Long Covid and other similar conditions. We have commenced early work to determine how this funding should be allocated.This important investment will help support people with ME/CFS across Scotland, and we are asking Parliament to unite behind the Budget to ensure this funding reaches the people who need it.While the Scottish Government sets the strategic policy for the NHS in Scotland, it is NHS Boards and healthcare professionals locally who have responsibility for both service delivery and ensuring people receive the right care for them, taking into account relevant guidance and the needs of patients. The Health and Social Care Standards, issued in 2017, also set out the expectation that care should be provided by health and social care professionals based on the most relevant evidence, guidance and best practice, as is appropriate to their profession and patient group.We have already taken a number of steps to demonstrate our support for the NICE guidelines. Most recently in November 2024 we published an analysis of data from all NHS boards about their arrangements for ME/CFS care and their awareness and implementation of the NICE guidelines: https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781836019923.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427603,"EventID":"S6W-32040","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-06T16:05:54.263","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-06T09:59:02.607","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that the recently announced &pound;150 million of investment for the former Hunterston coal terminal in North Ayrshire delivers econom","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that the recently announced &pound;150 million of investment for the former Hunterston coal terminal in North Ayrshire delivers economic growth for the local region around it.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government welcomes the significant investment being made in the redevelopment of Hunterston marine yard to create a renewables hub, which it is anticipated could support thousands of jobs for the local community.Peel Ports suggest that the site will be capable of hosting critical infrastructure, manufacturing, and fabrication facilities for the deployment of offshore wind. These will have the potential to boost local, regional, and national economies, creating employment opportunities in the local area and supporting local businesses.The Scottish Government&rsquo;s investment of up to &pound;500m over five years to anchor our offshore wind supply chain in Scotland, is expected to leverage additional private investment of &pound;1.5 billion in the infrastructure and manufacturing facilities critical to growing the sector.Officials will continue to work closely with Peel Ports on the company&rsquo;s plans for investment to maximise the benefits for the local region.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427604,"EventID":"S6W-32031","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-06T16:05:53.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T15:36:28.807","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures in its draft Budget 2025-26 reflect the statement by the First Minister on 22 May 2024, in which he stated that one of his \"priorities is to grow Scotland&","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures in its draft Budget 2025-26 reflect the statement by the First Minister on 22 May 2024, in which he stated that one of his \"priorities is to grow Scotland&rsquo;s economy\".","AnswerText":"The Draft 2025-26 Budget invests in the long-term prosperity of Scotland&rsquo;s people, places and businesses.The expanded package puts money firmly behind the Programme for Government&rsquo;s priorities for economic growth, investing:over &pound;321 million for the enterprise agencies, a rise of &pound;14 million compared to the 2024-25 Budget. This will facilitate their work to help businesses to start and scale, develop new products and enter new markets, and positively impact on their communities;a further &pound;200 million (net) to the Scottish National Investment Bank as it continues to create jobs, support innovation and attract investment across the country;over &pound;214 million made available to deliver sustainable and inclusive economic growth across every region in Scotland through the City and Region Deals programme this year;a new fund of &pound;2 million for VisitScotland to promote Scotland&rsquo;s connectivity, internationally and to encourage visitors to consider lesser-known destinations, and a revitalised and expanded Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund (RTIF), which will provide critical economic support to tourist hotspots across the country;over &pound;2 billion in Scotland&rsquo;s colleges, universities and skills system in recognition of their contribution to driving economic growth and to help ensure businesses have access to a skilled workforce;a &pound;34 million uplift for culture to improve the resilience and sustainability of our cultural sector&rsquo;s contribution to growing our economy;&pound;15 million to fund the Government&rsquo;s Enterprise Package to expand support for female entrepreneurs, boost the economic impact of universities, and to develop of business clusters in advanced manufacturing and deeptech; andover &pound;7 billion investment in our total infrastructure package, almost tripling our investment in offshore wind to &pound;150 million and investing &pound;100 million for the continued rollout of our digital connectivity programmes across Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427605,"EventID":"S6W-32035","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-06T16:05:54.007","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T15:47:48.5","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with VisitScotland regarding the impact of new pylon infrastructure on tourism.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with VisitScotland regarding the impact of new pylon infrastructure on tourism.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31641 on 5 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427606,"EventID":"S6W-32038","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-06T16:05:55.017","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-06T09:59:02.607","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve A&amp;E waiting times over winter 2024-25, in light of reported warnings from NHS Dumfries and Galloway that the Dumfries and Gallowa","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve A&amp;E waiting times over winter 2024-25, in light of reported warnings from NHS Dumfries and Galloway that the Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary emergency department has been operating beyond capacity.","AnswerText":"As we head towards the peak winter period we can expect to see performance fluctuate as pressures start to increase. We know that too many people are still waiting too long &ndash; and we are determined to drive improvements across our NHS.As part of the NHS Scotland Winter Plan, we are supporting Health Boards to move people through the hospital as quickly as possible so that A&amp;E waits can be kept to an absolute minimum. This includes an increased focus on effective discharge planning, which not only helps to free up beds, but is also in the best interest of patients who are ready to leave hospital.Additionally, a record number of NHS 24 call handlers will be available this winter to direct people to the most appropriate care, helping reduce unnecessary A&amp;E attendances.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427607,"EventID":"S6W-32042","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-06T16:05:53.98","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-06T10:12:59.667","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that financial claims submitted to it by people who have been impacted by the building of the Queensferry Crossing are addressed.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that financial claims submitted to it by people who have been impacted by the building of the Queensferry Crossing are addressed.","AnswerText":"All valid claims under Part 1 of The Land Compensation (Scotland) Act 1973 submitted to Transport Scotland in respect of the Queensferry Crossing have been passed to the Valuation Office Agency to negotiate the level of compensation due with the claimants&rsquo; appointed agents. As soon as Transport Scotland receive the reports from the Valuation Office Agency, payments will be forthcoming as has already been done in a number of cases.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427608,"EventID":"S6W-32034","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-06T16:05:53.947","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T15:36:28.807","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact the proposal in the draft Budget 2025-26 to reduce spending at Ferguson Marine by one quarter will have on employment at the yard.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact the proposal in the draft Budget 2025-26 to reduce spending at Ferguson Marine by one quarter will have on employment at the yard.","AnswerText":"Following the successful handover of the MV Glen Sannox in November 2024, the draft budget for 2025-26 includes the capital funds required for the completion of Glen Rosa (vessel 802). There are also capital funds included, subject to Parliamentary approval and financial and legal due diligence, for capital investment in the shipyard to modernise operations and enhance productivity, positioning the yard to secure future contracts. Operational matters, including the utilisation of the workforce, are decisions for the yard.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427609,"EventID":"S6W-32041","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-06T16:05:53.97","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-06T09:59:02.607","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle public health issues in (a) general and (b) relation to (i) alcohol consumption, (ii) unhealthy diets and (iii) smoking, in light of r","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle public health issues in (a) general and (b) relation to (i) alcohol consumption, (ii) unhealthy diets and (iii) smoking, in light of recently published data from the Office for National Statistics, which reportedly found that Scotland has some of the lowest life expectancy rates in the UK.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to adopt a comprehensive approach to address public health issues focusing on early prevention, reducing inequalities and creating the conditions to support people to lead healthier lifestyles.This includes addressing the underlying drivers of heath inequalities by continuing to allocate around &pound;3 billion a year in 2024-25 to a range of actions to tackle poverty and mitigate the impacts of the ongoing cost-of-living-crisis. This includes funding for free bus travel, the provision of early learning and childcare, as well as providing direct financial support through the likes of the Scottish Child Payment.The Scottish Government has taken clear action to improve population health including continuing and increasing Minimum Unit Pricing of alcohol &ndash; estimated to have saved hundreds of lives - and delivery under our Tobacco and Vaping Framework including ongoing work on the UK Tobacco and Vapes Bill to create a smokefree generation.We are taking action to improve diet and increase physical activity. This includes ongoing work to consider restrictions on promotions of high fat, salt and sugar foods under our Diet and Healthy Weight Delivery Plan, and promoting active lifestyles through our Physical Activity for Health Framework.Furthermore, to address long term population health challenges work is ongoing to produce a Population Health Framework in partnership with COSLA and in collaboration with our wider partners. This will set out a whole system approach on population health seeking and key actions that seek to improve population health.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427610,"EventID":"S6W-32032","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-06T16:05:54.98","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T15:36:28.807","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the proposal in its draft Budget 2025-26 to reduce the consumer policy and advice budget.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the proposal in its draft Budget 2025-26 to reduce the consumer policy and advice budget.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has taken the decision to realign funding for scams prevention and awareness, with the requisite funding reallocated from its consumer policy and advice budget to Consumer Scotland&rsquo;s budget. Consumer Scotland also now receives and manages grant funding for Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) for its advocacy and education programme which was previously allocated from the consumer policy and advice budget.Realigning these funding streams has had the effect of reducing the consumer policy and advice budget, while the Consumer Scotland budget has correspondingly increased.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427611,"EventID":"S6W-32045","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-06T16:05:54.24","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-06T11:30:12.273","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what options are available to any customers who are eligible for up to &pound;5,000 from it through the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme (SBVS), but  have been adv","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what options are available to any customers who are eligible for up to &pound;5,000 from it through the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme (SBVS), but  have been advised that the only registered suppliers available in their area are unable to provide them with a connection.","AnswerText":"All homes and businesses across Scotland should be able to access, as a minimum, a superfast broadband connection through commercially available or publicly subsidised terrestrial or non-terrestrial services. This includes fixed broadband services such as full fibre and fixed wireless products, as well as 4G mobile and satellite solutions. The R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme is available to support residents and business owners who cannot currently access, or are not in plans to receive, a fixed superfast broadband service. If there are issues pertaining to specific premises, please do highlight these to the R100 Team through our website at https://digitalconnectivity.campaign.gov.scot/.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427612,"EventID":"S6W-32047","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-06T16:05:54.293","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-06T11:51:47.897","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will launch a consultation on banning domestic coal use.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will launch a consultation on banning domestic coal use.","AnswerText":"Any move towards cleaner fuels must take place as part of a just transition, whilst ensuring that no one is left in fuel poverty.The Scottish Government is currently gathering further evidence around the potential impacts of taking forward a ban on the sale of house coal on fuel supplies. We are also carefully considering the potential impacts on costs in rural and islands communities, where many still rely on coal for primary heating and/or secondary back up. We will announce next steps in the first part of 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427613,"EventID":"S6W-32037","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-06T16:05:54.08","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-06T09:59:02.607","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what targeted action it is taking to improve health outcomes in areas in Scotland with low life expectancy rates, in light of recently published statistics from the Offi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what targeted action it is taking to improve health outcomes in areas in Scotland with low life expectancy rates, in light of recently published statistics from the Office for National Statistics, which reportedly found that seven of the 10 areas in the UK with the lowest female life expectancy rates are in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to reducing health inequalities and supporting people to live longer and healthier lives. Tackling underlying drivers such as poverty and inequality remain the best way to improve population health outcomes and life expectancy. We are undertaking a range of actions to achieve this.In 2024-25 we continued to allocate around &pound;3 billion a year to policies which tackle poverty and protect people as far as possible during the ongoing cost of living crisis. This is in addition to initiatives to promote healthy lifestyles through tobacco control, preventing alcohol related harm, promoting healthy eating and physical activity.These actions are coupled with national support to enable local approaches to address regional health disparities. Through the Place and Wellbeing Programme, the Scottish Government is tackling health inequalities by supporting health and social care bodies to operate as effective anchor institutions; empowering the community and voluntary sector to complement the public sector; and working to achieve fairer health and wellbeing outcomes through the coordinated efforts of Community Planning Partnerships.Furthermore, the Scottish Government is working with its partners at a local, regional and national level to develop a Population Health Framework, to take a cross-government and cross-sector approach to improve the key building blocks of health including: good early years and education; good work and income; healthy places; and equitable health care. The Framework&rsquo;s overarching ambition is to accelerate the recovery and improvement of population health in Scotland, focussing on a whole system approach to preventative action. Actions under the Framework will be targeted to areas and communities most in need to ensure an equitable approach to address regional disparities between Scotland&rsquo;s communities.A key way Scottish Government will develop its understanding of a whole system approach is through the recently announced collaboration between Public Health Scotland, University College London&rsquo;s Institute of Health Equity and three of Scotland&rsquo;s local authority areas. The Collaboration for Health Equity in Scotland (CHES) will work with Aberdeen City, North Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire to strengthen and accelerate action underway to improve health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities. Insight and learning from the Collaboration will be shared through a national learning system to support work across the whole country.In addition, there are targeted actions within the Scottish Government&rsquo;s Women&rsquo;s Health Plan aim to address women&rsquo;s health inequalities through raising awareness across women&rsquo;s health, improving access to healthcare for women across their lives and tackling inequalities in health outcomes for women and girls.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427614,"EventID":"S6W-32044","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":15631,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":98,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-06T16:05:54.293","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-06T11:30:12.273","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what contact it has had with the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme (SBVS) suppliers that are registered to provide a service in Shetland to ensure that they are abl","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what contact it has had with the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme (SBVS) suppliers that are registered to provide a service in Shetland to ensure that they are able to deliver connections in the areas that they have advised.","AnswerText":"When registering to deliver services through the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme, suppliers are asked to provide evidence that they have already connected properties commercially. For Shetland, there are a number of registered suppliers who indicated that they were active in Shetland &ndash; Openreach, Converged Communication Solutions Ltd, Shetland Broadband LLP, Scotnet and BRDY. Shetland Broadband have already delivered connections using a fixed wireless solution, as have BRDY, using a satellite-based solution.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Richard Lochhead","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427615,"EventID":"S6W-32039","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-06T16:05:53.823","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-06T09:59:02.607","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports of an eighth primary school in Dumfries and Galloway closing due to a decline in pupil numbers, what action it is taking to ensure that schools in t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports of an eighth primary school in Dumfries and Galloway closing due to a decline in pupil numbers, what action it is taking to ensure that schools in the South Scotland region are adequately resourced and funded to prevent such closures.","AnswerText":"The management of the school estate is the statutory responsibility of local authorities. Decisions about the closure of schools are also a matter for local authorities.There are additional provisions to protect schools from closure in place, particularly those in rural areas, via the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010. Local authorities must undertake a full statutory consultation on the permanent closure of schools. Ministers have powers to &ldquo;call-in&rdquo; any proposals to permanently close schools.Through our Addressing Depopulation Action Plan, published in February, we acknowledge the important role that education provision plays in terms of local population attraction and retention. Through this Action Plan we have provided &pound;90,000 in funding to Dumfries &amp; Galloway Council in this financial year, which will be used to further explore locally-identified priorities around depopulation and design a campaign to encourage people to move to the area along with inward investment, among other measures to support the long-term sustainability of communities.The Scottish Government will also provide over &pound;15 billion in the 2025-26 Local Government Settlement. This represents an increase of &pound;1 billion, a real terms increase of 4.7% compared to 2024-25.In 2025-26 Dumfries and Galloway Council will receive &pound;444.5 million of funding, which equates to an extra &pound;62.9 million or an additional 16.5% compared to 2024-25. In addition, all councils will receive their fair share of the currently undistributed sum of &pound;563 million.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427616,"EventID":"S6W-32036","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-06T16:05:53.823","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T17:32:05.117","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it is allocating to legal aid in its draft Budget 2025-26.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it is allocating to legal aid in its draft Budget 2025-26.","AnswerText":"This information is in the public domain and can be found on the Scottish Government&rsquo;s website where the Scottish Budget sets out the Scottish Government&rsquo;s proposed spending and tax plans for 2025-26 as presented to the Scottish Parliament. Please see the following link.https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-budget-2025-2026/Further details on the Scottish Budget, such as the split by HMT aggregate, outturn comparisons and Level 4 Budget tables, can be found in the following link.https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-budget-2025-2026/documents/","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427619,"EventID":"S6W-32028","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":8,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-09T16:02:12.487","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T15:10:20.65","Title":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what its position is on the flag flying policy indoors and outdoors on the parliamentary estate with respect to how and by whom decisions are made on (","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what its position is on the flag flying policy indoors and outdoors on the parliamentary estate with respect to how and by whom decisions are made on (a) which are flown, (b) for how long they should be flown and (c) what grounds the appropriateness of the presence of any flag is assessed.","AnswerText":"The SPCB has a policy covering the flying of flags on the flagpoles outside Holyrood - Flag-flying | Scottish Parliament Website.&nbsp; The policy sets out which flags are flown and how exceptional requests can be made to the SPCB for approval.&nbsp;  During official visits by external dignitaries, a flag can be displayed inside the building, usually in a meeting room or event space, for the duration of their visit.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Claire Baker (on behalf of the SPCB)","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427620,"EventID":"S6W-32029","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":8,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-09T16:02:39.94","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T15:12:32.257","Title":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what discussions it has had with the City of Edinburgh Council regarding whether a pedestrian crossing might be appropriate outside the Canongate entra","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what discussions it has had with the City of Edinburgh Council regarding whether a pedestrian crossing might be appropriate outside the Canongate entrance to improve the safety of the public, MSPs and staff who cross at this location.","AnswerText":"There is a pedestriancrossing directly outside the Parliament&rsquo;s public access to facilitate safetravel.&nbsp; The SPCB has not been asked to consider whether a secondpedestrian crossing would be appropriate.&nbsp; The current informationprovided by the City of Edinburgh council is that Canongate is being consideredfor redevelopment as part of a wider consultation through the Councils&rsquo; Streetallocation framework &lsquo;Our Future Streets&rsquo;. We anticipate that the SPCB will beapproached as part of the consultation process to assess and consider proposalsby City of Edinburgh Council when developed and provide comment as appropriate.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Claire Baker (on behalf of the SPCB)","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427621,"EventID":"S6T-02241","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-09T13:59:18.673","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-09T10:42:01.14","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported review of more than 1,000 CT scans, in light of concerns regarding the quality of assessments made by a consultant radiologist.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported review of more than 1,000 CT scans, in light of concerns regarding the quality of assessments made by a consultant radiologist.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427622,"EventID":"S6T-02237","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-09T13:59:18.15","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-09T09:49:20.117","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it had with the UK Government at the British Irish Council summit regarding ending the two-child benefit cap.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it had with the UK Government at the British Irish Council summit regarding ending the two-child benefit cap.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-12-10T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427623,"EventID":"S6F-03618","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-09T13:59:07.19","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T17:11:08.78","Title":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427624,"EventID":"S6F-03619","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5586,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-09T13:59:06.937","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T17:11:23.66","Title":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427625,"EventID":"S6F-03620","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16215,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-09T13:59:07.213","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-05T17:12:02.673","Title":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427626,"EventID":"S6F-03622","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16178,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":78,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-09T13:59:07.31","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-09T09:01:05.997","Title":"To ask the First Minister what plans the Scottish Government has to bring forward legislation to criminalise non-fatal strangulation.","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what plans the Scottish Government has to bring forward legislation to criminalise non-fatal strangulation.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427627,"EventID":"S6F-03621","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":4014,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-09T13:59:07.387","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-09T08:18:51.92","Title":"To ask the First Minister what discussions the Scottish Government has had with local authorities regarding the reported impending closure of library facilities across Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what discussions the Scottish Government has had with local authorities regarding the reported impending closure of library facilities across Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427628,"EventID":"S6F-03628","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-09T13:59:07.823","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-09T10:47:46.453","Title":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government&rsquo;s response is to reported comments from the Children and Young People&rsquo;s Commissioner Scotland that &ldquo;children are being let down","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government&rsquo;s response is to reported comments from the Children and Young People&rsquo;s Commissioner Scotland that &ldquo;children are being let down&rdquo; by an education system that needs &ldquo;radical reform&rdquo;.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427629,"EventID":"S6W-32051","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16191,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":77,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-09T16:24:24.787","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-06T15:41:09.517","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what funding has been allocated in its draft Budget 2025-26 to mitigate any negative impact in Scotland of the UK Government's policy decisions.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what funding has been allocated in its draft Budget 2025-26 to mitigate any negative impact in Scotland of the UK Government's policy decisions.","AnswerText":"On 4 December 2024, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance &amp; Local Government announced a draft Scottish Budget for 2025-26. Included in the draft Budget was the commitment to continue mitigating some of the negative impacts of UK Government policy decisions, including the bedroom tax and benefit cap, and a new commitment to develop the systems necessary to effectively scrap the impact of the two-child limit in 2026. The Child Poverty Action Group has estimated that the change could lift 15,000 children in Scotland out of poverty.Subject to the approval of Parliament, the Scottish Government will invest over &pound;97 million in Discretionary Housing Payments in 2025-26 to mitigate the bedroom tax and benefit cap and provide additional housing support. This is an increase of nearly &pound;7 million over 2024-25 and more per person than any other UK nation.In addition to the above support, an additional &pound;20 million was recently added to the Scottish Welfare Fund to enable councils to provide more vital support to people in crisis, bringing the total investment for 2024-25 up to &pound;61 million. Shortfalls in the UK social security system have contributed to an increased demand on the fund, and we will continue to closely monitor spend and demand trends as we look ahead to the next financial year.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427630,"EventID":"S6W-32057","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-09T16:24:24.943","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-09T12:33:24.363","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consultation is underway with the Mobility and Access Committee Scotland (MACS) regarding the ScotRail proposal to reduce station ticket office opening hours across","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consultation is underway with the Mobility and Access Committee Scotland (MACS) regarding the ScotRail proposal to reduce station ticket office opening hours across the network, in light of MACS reportedly indicating in its response to the 2022 consultation concern regarding the level of engagement there had been with it or other groups representing disabled people on this matter.","AnswerText":"ScotRail adjusted its proposals in the light of feedback received in the 2022 consultation. The Scottish Government&rsquo;s agreement to ScotRail proposals to adjust opening hours of some of its ticket offices is predicated on the condition that disabled travellers&rsquo; access to services will not be affected by these proposals.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427631,"EventID":"S6W-31472","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-09T16:24:25.023","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-19T09:54:25.44","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its role on the steering group that maintains the Port Marine Safety Code, how it can improve the safety and wellbeing of maritime workers, in light of t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its role on the steering group that maintains the Port Marine Safety Code, how it can improve the safety and wellbeing of maritime workers, in light of the Marine Accident Investigation Branch's report into the deaths of two tugboat sailors on the Clyde in February 2023, identifying 14 safety issues leading to their deaths.","AnswerText":"Shipping safety is a matter reserved to the UK Government. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is responsible for establishing maritime safety protocol and legislation, including in response to specific incidents, working in partnership with the Marine Accident Investigation Branch.Transport Scotland are standing members of the Port Marine Safety Code Steering Group. The aim of the Group is to facilitate regular meetings and other information sharing opportunities between port authorities, related maritime industries operating within ports, and government, including the devolved administrations, in order to share best practice and discuss developments such as the application of new legislation which may have a bearing on the content of the Port Marine Safety Code and the way in which it is applied at ports.The Scottish Government expects the highest shipping safety and crew welfare standards, and for these to be applied in the case of those vessels and crews accessing Scotland&rsquo;s waters.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427632,"EventID":"S6W-32049","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16178,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":78,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-09T16:24:24.97","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-06T12:57:35.023","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the savings will be in 2025-26 as a result of the decision to freeze the basic property rate, broken down by industry sector.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the savings will be in 2025-26 as a result of the decision to freeze the basic property rate, broken down by industry sector.","AnswerText":"Table 1 shows the estimated net savings to ratepayers from freezing the Basic Property Rate at 49.8p, compared to an inflationary increase to 50.6p. The net estimates include adjustments for reliefs, as well as in-year adjustments such as reductions due to proposals or appeals and write-offs.The Scottish Government does not hold property-level data on industry sectors. Property class is a classification used by Scottish Assessors to describe the type of property and does not necessarily accurately reflect the use of a property.Figures are rounded to the nearest 100,000 and may not sum due to rounding.Table 1: Estimated net savings from freeze to the Basic Property Rate (&pound;)Source: Scottish Assessors&rsquo; Valuation Roll as at 1 October 2024, local authorities&rsquo; billing information as at 1 June 2024Property classEstimated net savings to ratepayersShops2,300,000Public houses and restaurants200,000Offices1,700,000Hotels100,000Industrial subjects2,200,000Leisure, entertainment, caravans, etc.300,000Garages and petrol stations200,000Cultural&lt;50,000Sporting subjects100,000Education and training200,000Public service subjects300,000Communications&lt;50,000Quarries, mines, etc.&lt;50,000Petrochemical&lt;50,000Religious&lt;50,000Health and medical200,000Other300,000Care facilities100,000Advertising100,000Statutory undertaking100,000All8,400,000","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427633,"EventID":"S6W-32056","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-09T16:24:24.787","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-09T11:59:39.213","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the proposal in its draft Budget 2025-26 that hospitality firms liable for the basic property rate will be eligible for 40% non-domestic rates relief, how mu","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the proposal in its draft Budget 2025-26 that hospitality firms liable for the basic property rate will be eligible for 40% non-domestic rates relief, how much it would cost to extend this to retail sector businesses liable for the (a) basic, (b) intermediate and (c) higher property rate.","AnswerText":"The following table includes estimated costs to extend the 40% relief for hospitality premises liable for the Basic Property Rate to retail premises liable for the Basic, Intermediate and Higher Property Rates respectively. These costs are in addition to the forecast cost of the 40% relief for hospitality premises liable for the Basic Property Rate and are net of existing reliefs (such as the Small Business Bonus Scheme) that we expect businesses to be awarded in 2025-26. A &pound;110,000 cap has been applied at business level and a take-up adjustment of 70% has been applied, which is consistent with the Scottish Fiscal Commission&rsquo;s forecasts.When considering relief for properties liable for the Intermediate and Higher rates, the estimated costs are additional to the cost of relief for retail properties liable for the lower rate(s). Offering 40% relief for retail properties liable for Basic and Intermediate Property Rates, capped at &pound;110,000 per business, for example would cost an estimated &pound;52m (in addition to the cost of offering 40% relief to hospitality premises liable for the Basic Property Rate, capped at &pound;110,000 per business).Relief cost estimates are based on the property classification as per the valuation roll. Properties could be used for other purposes, however. It should be noted that use-based non-domestic rates relief is only available where a property is wholly or mainly used for a specific purpose.Source: Scottish Assessors&rsquo; Valuation Roll as at 1 October 2024; local councils&rsquo; billing information as at 1 June 2024Relief (capped at &pound;110,000 per business)Additional cost (&pound;m)*40% for retail properties liable for Basic Property Rate3940% for retail properties liable for Intermediate Property Rate1240% for retail properties liable for Higher Property Rate2640% for all retail properties78*Figures may not sum due to rounding.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427634,"EventID":"S6W-32054","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-09T16:24:24.79","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-09T10:19:40.23","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31040 by Siobhian Brown on 13 November 2024, whether it will provide the information  requested regarding for what reason there ha","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31040 by Siobhian Brown on 13 November 2024, whether it will provide the information  requested regarding for what reason there has been a reported reduction in the number of criminal legal aid solicitors, since 2007, from 1,459 to 966.","AnswerText":"Patterns of business in the criminal justice system have changed fundamentally since 2007 due to reductions in crime, the increasing availability and use of alternatives to prosecution and trends towards earlier resolution of cases. This means that the demand for criminal legal aid - and so for the services of criminal defence solicitors - has also changed fundamentally.Comparing the 12 months ending March 2007 with the 12 months ending March 2024, the number of grants of legal aid in relation to summary matters fell by 37%, for solemn legal aid by 13%, for appeals by 86% and the number of accused requiring representation by a duty solicitor fell by 81%. Over the same period, the number of registered solicitors fell by 34%, broadly reflecting the reduction in demand.The criminal courts are not reporting people unable to get representation, anyone who needs a solicitor at a police station or to appear in court from custody gets access to a solicitor.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427635,"EventID":"S6W-32052","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16175,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":119,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-09T16:24:24.92","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-06T23:14:48.923","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce the time and resources required for public transport projects to go through the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance stages.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce the time and resources required for public transport projects to go through the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance stages.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Public Finance Manual (SPFM) sets out the appraisal framework for proportionately securing best value and value for money. Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance is designed to comply with the SPFM and forms the first stage of the Business Case process. The current version of the guidance was published in January 2022, following engagement with the user base comprising Regional Transport Partnerships, Local Authorities, Academia and Consultancies.The Scottish Government is committed to enabling proportionate and efficient appraisal and is working to ensure the business case process is progressed as quickly as possible, whilst also ensuring the requirements of SPFM are met.A regular topic raised by the user base is for &lsquo;more proportionality&rsquo;. In response to this feedback, Transport Scotland encourages the use of a &lsquo;risk-based&rsquo; approach to appraisal to focus resources on those aspects which are most important to decision making.Additional options being explored to encourage proportionate appraisal include training courses, more frequent user group meetings and the publication of existing work to demonstrate good practice.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427636,"EventID":"S6W-32053","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-09T16:24:24.823","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-09T10:19:40.23","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31038 by Siobhian Brown on 13 November 2024, when it will (a) commence and (b) conclude its evaluation of the legal aid trainee fu","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31038 by Siobhian Brown on 13 November 2024, when it will (a) commence and (b) conclude its evaluation of the legal aid trainee fund; who will be involved in the evaluation; on what basis the achievement of the fund will be evaluated; should the evaluation conclude that the fund was a success, whether similar funding will be made available, and, if so, when.","AnswerText":"The Fund was co-designed and funded between the Scottish Government and the Law Society of Scotland (&ldquo;the Society&rdquo;) and was part of an overall support package for the legal aid sector as it recovered from COVID 19 and is due to close at the end of March 2025. As part of the grant funding conditions, on completion, the Society must submit a report to the Scottish Ministers summarising the outcomes and performance of the Fund.The evaluation will form part of the discussions of the Future of the Legal Profession Working Group. Once we receive the Society&rsquo;s report and have considered the contents, we will arrange to meet the working group again. The Group consists of senior representatives from the legal professional bodies, the legal profession, wider justice sector and other organisations.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427637,"EventID":"S6W-32050","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-09T16:24:24.87","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-06T14:20:30.53","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with SEPA regarding the potential impact of closing its 24-hour call centre and replacing it with an automated system for responding to signi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with SEPA regarding the potential impact of closing its 24-hour call centre and replacing it with an automated system for responding to significant environmental incidents.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government and SEPA meet regularly to discuss policy and governance matters. Although the Scottish Government has been acutely aware of SEPA&rsquo;s change plans for their call centre, this is an operational matter for SEPA.SEPA has not raised any emerging risk, or issue with significant implications, for it's operation or governance with regards to changes to the 24-hour call centre.We understand decisions around the call centre align with SEPA&rsquo;s wider plans for organisational transformation and Public Sector Reform.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427638,"EventID":"S6W-32058","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-09T16:24:24.897","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-09T12:33:24.363","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consultation it has had with local authorities regarding the ScotRail proposal to reduce the opening hours of a number of station ticket offices, in light of the sp","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consultation it has had with local authorities regarding the ScotRail proposal to reduce the opening hours of a number of station ticket offices, in light of the specific requirement for face-to-face sales of local authority concessionary fares.","AnswerText":"ScotRail proposals to adjust opening hours of some of its ticket offices have been accepted by the Scottish Government on the condition that passengers will receive an improved, more direct customer service. Any consultation regarding these adjustments is a matter for ScotRail.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427639,"EventID":"S6W-31928","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-09T16:24:24.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T10:04:53.093","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been awarded to each local authority for the cancellation of school meal debt.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been awarded to each local authority for the cancellation of school meal debt.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has made &pound;2,877,287.97 of funding available to local authorities to enable them to cancel school meal debts within their respective local areas. This sum represents the entire amounts bid for by each local authority.29 local authorities made bids to the Scottish Government&rsquo;s School Meal Debt Fund and we issued grant offer letters to them on 3 December 2024.The amounts awarded to each local authority is set out within the following table:Local AuthorityAmount provided from School Meal Debt Fund&nbsp;&nbsp;Aberdeen City&pound;411,970.90Aberdeenshire&pound;145,751.82Angus&pound;25,872.90Argyll and Bute&pound;24,348.66Clackmannanshire&pound;30,624Dumfries and Galloway&pound;29,439.63Dundee City&pound;21,318.68East Ayrshire&pound;82,180.63East Dunbartonshire&pound;74,230.69East Lothian&pound;54,354.71East Renfrewshire&pound;53,760.77Edinburgh, City of&pound;89,321Falkirk&pound;60,181.31Fife&pound;81,495Glasgow City&pound;655,032Highland&pound;115,747.76Inverclyde&pound;74,041.99Midlothian&pound;50,030Moray&pound;38,295.85North Ayrshire&pound;314,843North Lanarkshire&pound;21,263Orkney Islands&pound;7,330.52Perth and Kinross&pound;29,310.43Renfrewshire&pound;106,077.68Scottish Borders&pound;3,908.12Shetland Islands&pound;15,949.52South Ayrshire&pound;28,214.73South Lanarkshire&pound;224,215Stirling&pound;8,170.19&nbsp;&nbsp;TOTAL&pound;2,877,287.97","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427640,"EventID":"S6W-32055","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-09T16:24:25.047","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-09T10:47:10.933","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the reported cost of &pound;180,000 to rebrand the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) as Qualifications Scotland represents value fo","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the reported cost of &pound;180,000 to rebrand the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) as Qualifications Scotland represents value for money.","AnswerText":"The costs associated with establishing an identity for Qualifications Scotland were set out in the Financial Memorandum that accompanied the Education (Scotland) Bill and were the best estimate available at the time.A cost relating to the creation of an identity of a new public body will always be incurred and Qualifications Scotland is no exception. I requested that my officials look at ways to bear down on costs where possible while still delivering an identity for Qualifications Scotland. I can confirm that officials have been working closely with the SQA on this, to ensure that value for money for taxpayers is achieved.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427641,"EventID":"S6W-31931","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-09T16:24:24.847","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T11:38:35.787","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason South of Scotland Enterprise is reportedly not able to continue funding the Langholm Alliance.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason South of Scotland Enterprise is reportedly not able to continue funding the Langholm Alliance.","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for South of Scotland Enterprise. I have passed your query to Jane Morrison-Ross, South of Scotland Enterprise Chief Executive and asked her to respond to you directly.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427680,"EventID":"S6W-32089","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:05.483","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T10:25:51.683","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress towards securing the redevelopment of Ardrossan Harbour.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress towards securing the redevelopment of Ardrossan Harbour.","AnswerText":"Discussions continue between the main funding partners in relation to financial packages and legal agreements as part of the business case and cost review exercise. Officials are progressing these matters as quickly and robustly as possible and will look to provide updates when notable progress is made.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427681,"EventID":"S6W-32103","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:07.447","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T12:17:45.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government,&nbsp;further to the answer to question S6W-31765 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 10 December2024, how many indefinite awards of Adult Disability Payments are currently on","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government,&nbsp;further to the answer to question S6W-31765 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 10 December2024, how many indefinite awards of Adult Disability Payments are currently ongoing (a) overall and (b) for mental health-related claims only.","AnswerText":"Social Security Scotland routinely publishes information on Adult Disability Payment applications and caseload, broken down by disability condition. No information on the number of indefinite awards made as a result of Adult Disability Payment applications is currently published.As of 31 October 2024, statistics showed that there were 374,655 clients on the Adult Disability Payment caseload, of which 142,480 had the primary disability condition &ldquo;Mental and Behavioural Disorders&rdquo;.The latest Adult Disability Payment official statistics publication can be found at:&nbsp;https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/publications/statistics. The next release of Adult Disability Payment statistics which will cover the period to the end of January 2024, is due to be published on 18 March 2024.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427682,"EventID":"S6W-32065","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:05.59","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-09T16:44:24.82","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the timeline is for the introduction of regulations restricting promotions of food and drink high in fat, salt and sugar.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the timeline is for the introduction of regulations restricting promotions of food and drink high in fat, salt and sugar.","AnswerText":"The public consultation on the detail of proposed regulations to restrict promotions of food and drink high in fat, sugar or salt closed on 21 May 2024.We will publish the independent analysis report of the consultation responses in early 2025, as well as next steps and timelines for the regulation of HFSS food and drink promotions.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427683,"EventID":"S6W-32094","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:05.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T10:29:27.847","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to support deer managers by investing in community larder and processing infrastructure.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to support deer managers by investing in community larder and processing infrastructure.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has provided &pound;80,000 through the Covid Recovery Plan Opportunities Fund to create new local chill and processing units for wild venison in Argyll, Moray and Dumfries and Galloway.Separately, NatureScot is beginning a partnership project with the Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society to look at the venison chain supply issues, barriers, and opportunities for investment into processing infrastructure and community larders.In addition to this, Forestry and Land Scotland are considering providing a limited number of people from a small number of local communities with the opportunity to help them deliver sustainable deer management this would include allowing access to cull on FLS land and having access to their larders.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427684,"EventID":"S6W-32077","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:05.343","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-09T17:07:05.037","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government,&nbsp;further to the answer to question S6T-02170 by Fiona Hyslop on 5 November 2024, in relation to ScotRail&rsquo;s experience of targeting antisocial behaviour throug","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government,&nbsp;further to the answer to question S6T-02170 by Fiona Hyslop on 5 November 2024, in relation to ScotRail&rsquo;s experience of targeting antisocial behaviour through proactively planning a more visible staff presence at the right locations,&nbsp;what definition of the \"right locations\" has been provided by ScotRail when planning the deployment of staff to address antisocial behaviour.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-32072 on 7 January 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":427685,"EventID":"S6W-32048","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:05.953","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-06T12:15:32.363","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its allocation of &pound;145.5 million tomaintain teacher numbers, where the original documents in relation to anyassociated funding agreements with local aut","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its allocation of &pound;145.5 million tomaintain teacher numbers, where the original documents in relation to anyassociated funding agreements with local authorities are or will be published.","AnswerText":"Since 2012-13 the Scottish Government has had a policy position of increasing/maintaining teacher numbers and has made a range of historical financial allocations to local government to support this.During COVID-19, in the 2020-2021 school year, we provided additional funding to Local Authorities for the recruitment of additional teachers, to aid in education recovery and to compensate for any loss of learning suffered by pupils during lockdown, bringing added resilience to the education system. The &pound;145.5m is part of the &pound;240m referenced in the news release https://www.gov.scot/news/education-recovery/We have continued to offer Local Authorities &pound;145.5m to maintain teacher numbers. The funding was a continuation of the additional resource provided to ease education recovery. The &pound;145.5m was referenced in the 2022/23 local government budget settlement.The agreement reached on 10 December 2024 can be found at Education: agreement with COSLA - gov.scot","AnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427686,"EventID":"S6W-32108","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:06.043","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T12:21:10.687","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government,&nbsp;further to the answer to question S6W-31765 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 10 December2024, what steps it has taken to enable and assist people on indefinite Adult ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government,&nbsp;further to the answer to question S6W-31765 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 10 December2024, what steps it has taken to enable and assist people on indefinite Adult Disability Payments to return to the workforce to some degree.","AnswerText":"Adult Disability Payment provides financial support to disabled adults to help mitigate the additional costs of being disabled or having a long-term ill health condition so they can lead their lives more independently and fully. It is not an income replacement benefit and eligibility for Adult Disability Payment is not related to employment.The Scottish Government are working to improve employment opportunities for those who face barriers in the labour market, including disabled people and those with ill health conditions. Through No One Left Behind, the Scottish Government are delivering person-centred, tailored employability services and in-work support through locally designed services. Between April and June 2024, 30% of participants accessing the service reported a disability, the largest proportion in a single quarter to date.Work is underway to drive forward the commitment to implement Specialist Employability Support for disabled people across all 32 Local Authorities from Summer 2025 so that they can access secure fulfilling jobs.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427687,"EventID":"S6W-32090","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:05.743","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T10:26:01.63","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects the lifting of the two-child benefit cap to come into force.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects the lifting of the two-child benefit cap to come into force.","AnswerText":"The 2025-26 budget commits to spending &pound;3 million to develop the systems needed to deliver mitigation of the two-child cap, which could lift an estimated 15,000 children out of poverty in Scotland.The detailed work of building the system and developing legislation to do that has started, however implementation requires, not just the co-operation of the UK Government, but also legislation in the UK Parliament. Officials from both governments have already met to discuss this, and myself are seeking a Ministerial meeting so that this vital policy can be progressed as a priority.We will start paying families as early as possible in 2026.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427688,"EventID":"S6W-32060","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:07.433","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-09T15:30:25.883","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can detail what legal advice SEPA received regarding any impact of suggested changes to SEPA's out-of-hours contact service on reporting requirements of licen","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can detail what legal advice SEPA received regarding any impact of suggested changes to SEPA's out-of-hours contact service on reporting requirements of licenses given under the (a) Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011, (b) Waste Management Licensing (Scotland) Regulations 2011, (c) Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations 2012 and (d) Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations 2018.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"This is a matter for SEPA. The information requested is not held centrally.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427689,"EventID":"S6W-32109","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:06.23","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T14:03:56.08","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Caledonian Sleeper service between Aberdeen and London will return to the regular service of six times a week.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Caledonian Sleeper service between Aberdeen and London will return to the regular service of six times a week.","AnswerText":"Scottish Rail Holdings oversees Caledonian Sleeper services on behalf of Scottish Ministers and it advises that the regular Sleeper service of six times a week between Aberdeen and London is currently scheduled to recommence in February 2025.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427690,"EventID":"S6W-32072","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:05.613","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-09T17:07:05.037","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6T-02170 by Fiona Hyslop on 5 November 2024,&nbsp;in relation to&nbsp;ScotRail&rsquo;s proposed changes in staff deployment that will","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6T-02170 by Fiona Hyslop on 5 November 2024,&nbsp;in relation to&nbsp;ScotRail&rsquo;s proposed changes in staff deployment that will make \"60 staff actively more available\" to support passengers in tackling concerns around antisocial behaviour,&nbsp;at which stations these 60 staff are currently located,&nbsp;and what certainty can be provided to passengers regarding staff presence if it is the case that the booking office is not open at any of those stations.","AnswerText":"Staff deployment is an operational matter for ScotRail as the employer.It is incumbent on ScotRail and Scottish Rail Holdings to demonstrate that aims set out it their proposals to adjust the opening hours of some of ScotRail ticket offices can be achieved. This includes any improvements that can be delivered, which would enable ScotRail staff to help British Transport Police tackle anti-social behaviour.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":427691,"EventID":"S6W-32091","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:05.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T10:26:21.91","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to tackle loneliness over the Christmas season.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to tackle loneliness over the Christmas season.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government acknowledges that loneliness is a public health issue that can be keenly felt during the Christmas season but impacts people all year round. To support the delivery of our Social Isolation and Loneliness Delivery Plan, we implemented the Social Isolation and Loneliness Fund in March 2023. 53 projects are currently operational across Scotland, delivering projects within communities that provide opportunities for people to connect. At end of year one projects reached 11,293 individuals with a focus on priority groups most at risk of social isolation and loneliness. This funding will help organisations to create opportunities for people to connect with one another in our communities and are responding to local needs.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427692,"EventID":"S6W-32093","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:05.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T10:27:10.36","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support Police Scotland and small local businesses in tackling retail crime over the Christmas&nbsp;season.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support Police Scotland and small local businesses in tackling retail crime over the Christmas&nbsp;season.","AnswerText":"We have seen a significant rise in recorded shoplifting throughout the UK according to our own figures and those released by the Office for National Statistics for England and Wales and Scotland, part of which is being driven by organised criminal groups.The Scottish Government budget, if approved by Parliament, will make &pound;3 million available in 2025-26 to tackle retail crime. This is in addition to an investment next year of a record &pound;1.62 billion for policing. The additional funding will enable Police Scotland to work with the retail sector to target the unacceptable levels of crime on Scotland&rsquo;s high streets, which costs businesses millions each year and has a knock-on effect on the prices we pay in the shops.Through our funded partnership with Neighbourhood Watch Scotland, a dedicated group for retailers exists to help tackle retail crime which enables bespoke messages to be sent to participating members&rsquo; retail premises. Over the festive period, Crimestoppers Scotland, is running campaign, with a focus on social media to also highlight the issue of violence against retail staff across Scotland","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427693,"EventID":"S6W-32096","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:05.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T10:30:06.347","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the deer management incentive pilot schemes currently in operation in central Scotland and Loch Ness.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the deer management incentive pilot schemes currently in operation in central Scotland and Loch Ness.","AnswerText":"Two pilot incentive schemes led by NatureScot were launched in early autumn to provide financial incentives to deer managers to increase deer culls in specific parts of Scotland.The schemes are operating well with 22 deer controllers signed up across 19 properties in Central Scotland and 25 deer controllers signed up across 12 properties in South Loch Ness. Some of the cull thresholds, which are the triggers for incentive payments to be made, have now been met in both pilot areas with payments issued in November 2024.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427694,"EventID":"S6W-32070","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:05.717","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-09T17:03:29.743","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people graduated from the BSc Paramedic Science course in Scotland in each of the last five academic years, also broken down by academic institution.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people graduated from the BSc Paramedic Science course in Scotland in each of the last five academic years, also broken down by academic institution.","AnswerText":"The BSc Paramedic Science course launched in 2020 with the first cohort of paramedic students graduating in 2023, and the most recent cohort graduating in September 2024. Data for the last five academic years is therefore not available as only two cohorts have completed the three-year degree programme. Data for the 2020 intake who graduated in 2023 is the only publicly available data at this time and this is outlined in the following table:HEINamed degreeNo. of graduates from Annual Year intake 2020Robert Gordon UniversityBSc Paramedic Practice56Glasgow Caledonian UniversityBSc Paramedic Science44University of StirlingBSc Paramedic Science36University of West of ScotlandBSc Paramedic Science40Queen Margaret UniversityBSc Paramedic Science46TOTAL&nbsp;222","AnswerDate":"2024-12-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427695,"EventID":"S6W-32062","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:05.39","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-09T16:07:23.93","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide details of any discussions that it has had with the UK Government regarding legislation to halt the sale of peat for horticultural use in the UK s","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide details of any discussions that it has had with the UK Government regarding legislation to halt the sale of peat for horticultural use in the UK since 4 July 2024.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government engages regularly with UK Government and the other devolved governments at both Ministerial and Official levels through the Inter-Ministerial Group for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, a four nations horticultural peat group and ad hoc correspondence. Through these channels, all legislative and non-legislative options for sales restrictions on peat are currently being explored.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427696,"EventID":"S6W-32075","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:06.08","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-09T17:07:05.037","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has decided not to consult with the public on the recent proposed changes to ticket office opening hours on the ScotRail network.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has decided not to consult with the public on the recent proposed changes to ticket office opening hours on the ScotRail network.","AnswerText":"The ScotRail proposals to adjust opening hours of some of its ticket offices reflect and have been amended to take account of responses to the previous appropriate consultation.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":427697,"EventID":"S6W-31871","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:06.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-29T14:50:06.707","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to map any instances in which unsafe contact is granted to the abusive parent in domestic abuse cases across civil and criminal processes, as pa","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to map any instances in which unsafe contact is granted to the abusive parent in domestic abuse cases across civil and criminal processes, as part of its commitment to keeping The Promise.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government considers available research to inform improvement work and help improve outcomes.We recently funded research on domestic abuse and child contact that was published in 2023: Domestic Abuse and Child Contact: The Interface Between Criminal and Civil Proceedings - SCCJR.Following this research, we have held workshops with key stakeholders to consider how to improve the interaction between the civil and criminal courts in the context of domestic abuse, including the approach taken in family proceedings where there has been domestic abuse.We held a workshop with justice agencies on 8 May 2024 and a workshop with third sector organisations on 3 October 2024. We are currently considering next steps and will publish notes from these workshops in due course.The key legislation in relation to contact and residence cases is section 11 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995. In deciding whether to make a contact order the welfare of the child must be the court&rsquo;s paramount consideration. The court is also required to have regard to the need to protect the child from any abuse, or the risk of any abuse, which affects or might affect the child.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427698,"EventID":"S6W-32116","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:05.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T14:14:46.463","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31685 by Jenny Gilruth on 9 December 2024, which of its officials attended the meeting.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31685 by Jenny Gilruth on 9 December 2024, which of its officials attended the meeting.","AnswerText":"As is customary when Ministers are unable to attend, senior officials represent their nations. As such, Scotland was represented at the Council by Graeme Logan, Director of Learning.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427699,"EventID":"S6W-32087","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:05.927","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T10:18:38.653","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on the number of Scottish animals slaughtered in England and vice versa, and what assessment it has made of any&nbsp;impact of its proposal to adopt u","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on the number of Scottish animals slaughtered in England and vice versa, and what assessment it has made of any&nbsp;impact of its proposal to adopt ultra-high frequency electronic identification technology.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government does not directly hold this data. Livestock traceability systems used within GB capture all death data reported and can easily identify farms of origin prior to slaughter. Scottish Ministers will consider all evidence available before a final decision is made.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427700,"EventID":"S6W-32067","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:05.883","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-09T16:44:24.82","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent meetings its ministers have had with representatives from (a) public health groups and (b) the food and drink industry, and whether the proposed regulations ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent meetings its ministers have had with representatives from (a) public health groups and (b) the food and drink industry, and whether the proposed regulations to restrict promotions of food and drink high in fat, salt and sugar were discussed.","AnswerText":"From February &ndash; May 2024, the Scottish Government held a public consultation on the detail of proposed regulations to restrict promotions of food and drink high in fat, sugar or salt. The consultation was run in parallel with a programme of extensive stakeholder engagement.During the consultation period, I met with a range of stakeholders across public health groups and the food and drink industry. Several Ministerial roundtable events were held with stakeholders to discuss their views on proposals for regulations. We will publish the outputs of these roundtable events alongside independent analysis of the consultation responses in early 2025, as well as set out next steps for the regulation of HFSS food and drink promotions.Ministers meet regularly with a broad range of stakeholders including public health groups and industry to discuss a range of issues relating to public health policy.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427701,"EventID":"S6W-32095","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:06.44","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T10:29:45.45","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to mobile larder infrastructure to support deer managers where there is a deficit of lardering facilities.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to mobile larder infrastructure to support deer managers where there is a deficit of lardering facilities.","AnswerText":"In some areas access to processing facilities, including larders is a barrier to increased deer control. That is why as set out in S6W-32094 on 6 January 2025, we have provided financial support for some larders already and are working with NatureScot, FLS and other public sector partners to assess what further support is required.Mobile deer larders may be a good option in some parts of Scotland, and we will consider those alongside other options in future decisions on support for venison and deer management.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427702,"EventID":"S6W-32084","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:05.53","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T10:16:18.017","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of any impact of adopting ultra-high frequency electronic identification technology on the trade of Scottish cattle and beef with England","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of any impact of adopting ultra-high frequency electronic identification technology on the trade of Scottish cattle and beef with England, Wales and Northern Ireland.","AnswerText":"Scottish Ministers are considering all the available information on bovine EID and technology use across the UK. This includes the ScotEID pilot findings into UHF, the results and analysis of the consultation held on Cattle ID and Traceability earlier this year and ongoing close discussions with the livestock sector. All potential impacts, including those on trade, will be fully considered before a final decision is made.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427703,"EventID":"S6W-32098","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:05.997","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T10:30:41.843","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) placements were available and (b) people (i) applied, (ii) were accepted and (iii) had their initial acceptance withdrawn for a Newly Qualified Paramedic (N","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) placements were available and (b) people (i) applied, (ii) were accepted and (iii) had their initial acceptance withdrawn for a Newly Qualified Paramedic (NQP) induction course place in Scotland in each of the last five calendar years, also broken down by NHS board area.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427704,"EventID":"S6W-32066","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:05.837","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-09T16:44:24.82","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the proposed regulations for restricting promotions of food and drink high in fat, sugar or salt will include temporary price reductions and meal deals, in light","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the proposed regulations for restricting promotions of food and drink high in fat, sugar or salt will include temporary price reductions and meal deals, in light of reported evidence showing that these are the most commonly used and most significant price promotion types for driving purchases of food and drink high in fat, sugar or salt.","AnswerText":"The public consultation on the detail of proposed regulations to restrict promotions of food and drink high in fat, sugar or salt closed on 21 May 2024. The consultation paper sought views on proposals for price promotions within scope of restrictions, including meal deals and temporary price reductions.We will publish the independent analysis report of the consultation responses in early 2025, as well as next steps for the regulation of HFSS food and drink promotions.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427705,"EventID":"S6W-32097","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:05.703","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T10:30:22.203","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to provide deer managers with clarity about the circumstances under which NatureScot might intervene on deer management issues under any new interventionist","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to provide deer managers with clarity about the circumstances under which NatureScot might intervene on deer management issues under any new interventionist powers predicated on nature recovery.","AnswerText":"As set out in the Programme for Government 2024-25: Serving Scotland the Natural Environment Bill will include provisions to modernise the way in which deer are managed in Scotland.In January 2024 the Scottish Government consulted on a range of potential reforms to deer management Managing deer for climate and nature: Consultation, including the introduction of new powers designed to secure effective deer management that supports Scottish Government nature and climate objectives. In addition to the formal consultation, Ministers and officials have met with deer managers and their representatives to discuss issues arising from the consultation.The circumstances in which any new intervention powers could be used will be set out on the face of the Bill and in the accompanying documents.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427706,"EventID":"S6W-32104","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:06.173","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T12:17:45.98","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31765      by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 10 December 2024, how many indefinite awards      of Adult Disability Payments have been ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31765      by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 10 December 2024, how many indefinite awards      of Adult Disability Payments have been introduced for people, in respect      of mental health-related claims, in the last five years.","AnswerText":"Social Security Scotland routinely publishes information on Adult Disability Payment applications and caseload, broken down by disability condition. No information on the number of indefinite awards made as a result of Adult Disability Payment applications is currently published.From 21 March 2022 to 31 October 2024, there were 282,930 part 1 Adult Disability Payment applications received from new applicants, of which 86,275 had the primary disability condition &ldquo;Mental and Behavioural Disorders&rdquo;.The latest Adult Disability Payment official statistics publication can be found at:&nbsp;https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/publications/statistics. The next release of Adult Disability Payment statistics which will cover the period to the end of January 2024, is due to be published on 18 March 2024.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427707,"EventID":"S6W-32080","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:06.327","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T10:07:45.427","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which groups are represented on the stakeholder advisory group for the restoration plan for marine and coastal areas.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which groups are represented on the stakeholder advisory group for the restoration plan for marine and coastal areas.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"A broad range of organisations from across marine sectors, including restoration and community groups, were invited to attend an introductory meeting about the marine and coastal restoration plan on 4 December. Initial thinking on the plan and its development process was presented, and organisations have been asked to confirm whether they would like to take part in the advisory group. Based on this we anticipate membership will be finalised in the new year.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427708,"EventID":"S6W-32100","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:05.86","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T11:51:27.133","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31715 by Alasdair Allan on 9 December 2024, what the total size of the Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Fund is, and whet","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31715 by Alasdair Allan on 9 December 2024, what the total size of the Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Fund is, and whether the additional funding received as a result of the UK Government's &pound;185 million investment has been incorporated into the fund.","AnswerText":"The total size of the Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Fund is &pound;34 million. The UK government budget committed funding from which Barnett consequentials will be received, however, these are accrued to the Scottish Government as a whole and it is for Scottish Ministers to decide how they should be allocated based on their priorities.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427709,"EventID":"S6W-32099","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:05.347","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T11:51:27.133","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31715 by Alasdair Allan on 9 December 2024, what individual projects have been funded in each year that the fund has been in opera","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31715 by Alasdair Allan on 9 December 2024, what individual projects have been funded in each year that the fund has been in operation.","AnswerText":"A total of 28 projects have been funded through the Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (SIETF). Refer to the Scottish Government website which includes a list of projects that have received SIETF grant offers from 2021 to 2024, along with case studies.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427710,"EventID":"S6W-31733","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:06.387","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-24T12:53:11.967","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce a general development programme to promote the improvement of shipbuilding and dock facilities in Scotland, including through patient loans","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce a general development programme to promote the improvement of shipbuilding and dock facilities in Scotland, including through patient loans, grants for capital investments and refund guarantees for shipbuilding projects, in compliance with the Subsidy Control Act 2022.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government provides a range of support to shipbuilding, marine engineering, harbours and ports across Scotland but has no plans to introduce a new general development programme to promote and improve shipbuilding and dock facilities.The Scottish Government, the Enterprise Agencies and the Scottish National Investment Bank have, for example, supported major recent investments at Stornoway Harbour, Aberdeen Harbour and Ardersier Port. In addition, the Green Freeports programme, in partnership with the UK Government, is also helping to drive investment and high-quality job creation at multiple port locations situated within Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport and Forth Green Freeport respectively.This Government took a proactive approach to preserve commercial shipbuilding on the Clyde at Ferguson Marine and remains committed to invest in the skills and capabilities needed to secure a sustainable future for the shipyard.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427711,"EventID":"S6W-32115","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:05.507","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T14:10:03.433","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to providing further financial support to grassroots music venues beyond the planned 40% rates relief in its draft Budget 2025-26.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to providing further financial support to grassroots music venues beyond the planned 40% rates relief in its draft Budget 2025-26.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government fully values the importance of the music industry to Scotland&rsquo;s culture, and the role grassroots music venues play in the talent pipeline.The Scottish Government has demonstrated our commitment to the culture sector with an increase of over &pound;34m in 2025-26. This is takes us to over &pound;50m more in culture funding than in 2023-2024. Through this increased investment we want to support the entire culture ecosystem by driving up opportunities for participation in creative pursuits, supporting the production of new works, and ensuring that Scotland&rsquo;s cultural output has platforms at home and abroad. The additional funding will support the continuation of flagship music programmes across Scotland, including Youth Music Initiative and Sistema. As part of our regular engagement with the industry, and our review of how we support the sector, we welcome insights from stakeholders into how future budgets could further support the sector.Further details of the increases for 2026-2027 and beyond will be set out when the budgets for that year are published.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427712,"EventID":"S6W-32086","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:05.337","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T10:18:23.637","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the (a) UK Government and (b) EU regarding the implementation of ultra-high frequency electronic identification technology in livestock,","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the (a) UK Government and (b) EU regarding the implementation of ultra-high frequency electronic identification technology in livestock, in light of EU regulation specifying low frequency.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government officials are in regular discussions with the other UK administrations on bovine EID. Furthermore, The Scottish Government supported a meeting with NFUS and DG Sante on this matter held earlier this year. No concerns were raised by EU officials on the use of UHF in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427713,"EventID":"S6W-32113","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:05.973","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T14:10:03.433","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the UK Government&rsquo;s consultation on reforming its business rates system, whether it has any plans to undertake a similar consultation on potential cha","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the UK Government&rsquo;s consultation on reforming its business rates system, whether it has any plans to undertake a similar consultation on potential changes to non-domestic rates in Scotland.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31342 on 26 November 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427714,"EventID":"S6W-32111","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:05.767","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T14:03:56.08","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to mitigate any negative impact on (a) accessibility and (b) travel for (i) residents and (ii) businesses that rely on the Caledonian Sleeper service as a r","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to mitigate any negative impact on (a) accessibility and (b) travel for (i) residents and (ii) businesses that rely on the Caledonian Sleeper service as a result of reductions to the service.","AnswerText":"During the short period of reduction in Aberdeen sleeper services it will be possible for passengers to use regular evening and morning ScotRail Aberdeen services, providing connections with the Caledonian Sleeper services at Edinburgh and Glasgow.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427715,"EventID":"S6W-32081","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:05.903","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T10:07:58.347","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any obstacles that exist for coastal communities seeking to undertake restoration of marine environments, including (a) planning and (b) f","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any obstacles that exist for coastal communities seeking to undertake restoration of marine environments, including (a) planning and (b) financial.","AnswerText":"In March this year we consulted on legislative proposals to facilitate marine nature restoration. In the consultation document we set out concerns raised by community groups and restoration organisations with regards to the complexity of the regulatory environment for restoration projects. In response to these concerns we developed proposals to address one element of the complex issues, and while there was broadly support for the proposals, there was a lack of consensus on the detail of the scheme proposed. We will continue to listen carefully to restoration groups and coastal communities throughout the development of the marine and coastal restoration plan, and will identify actions to address barriers to restoration as part of the plan.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427716,"EventID":"S6W-32063","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:05.68","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-09T16:44:24.82","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of the scope of businesses that will be required to follow regulations restricting promotions of food and drink high in fat, salt and sug","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of the scope of businesses that will be required to follow regulations restricting promotions of food and drink high in fat, salt and sugar, and whether there will be any exemptions.","AnswerText":"The public consultation on the detail of proposed regulations to restrict promotions of food and drink high in fat, sugar or salt closed on 21 May 2024. The consultation sought views on qualifying businesses in scope of regulations and proposed exemptions.We will publish the independent analysis report of the consultation responses in early 2025, as well as next steps for the regulation of HFSS food and drink promotions.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427717,"EventID":"S6W-32069","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:06.353","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-09T16:44:24.82","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered any psychological impact of requiring women and girls to travel long distances for (a) maternity and (b) gynaecological care.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered any psychological impact of requiring women and girls to travel long distances for (a) maternity and (b) gynaecological care.","AnswerText":"NHS Boards across Scotland are expected to provide maternity services that are delivered as close to home as practicable; however, this must be balanced with ensuring the safety of all mothers and babies. All decisions about care throughout pregnancy, including around place of birth, should be made by women in discussion with their midwife and obstetrician. These decisions will take account of their individual needs and circumstances.In support of this, and recognising the importance of the relationship between women and their midwives during the pregnancy, birth and postnatal journey, we continue to implement continuity of carer within maternity services, a key recommendation of The Best Start. The Scottish Government&rsquo;s Programme for Government 2024-25 reaffirms our commitment to ensuring that more women receive care and support from the same midwife from pregnancy through birth, prioritising those most likely to benefit, including women with additional social needs.More broadly, our ambition is for a Scotland where health outcomes are equitable across the population so that all women enjoy the best possible health &ndash; throughout their lives. This remains the ambition of the Scottish Government, and will continue to be our guiding principle as we consider the next phase of the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427718,"EventID":"S6W-32076","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:05.433","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-09T17:07:05.037","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent consideration has been given to increasing the number of staff based across ScotRail's station network.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent consideration has been given to increasing the number of staff based across ScotRail's station network.","AnswerText":"Staff deployment is an operational matter for ScotRail, as the employer and train operating company. The Member may wish to contact ScotRail directly.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":427719,"EventID":"S6W-32068","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:06.253","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-09T16:44:24.82","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of the effectiveness of public health awareness campaigns regarding the link between smoking and cancer.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of the effectiveness of public health awareness campaigns regarding the link between smoking and cancer.","AnswerText":"Smoking is the most significant cause of preventable cancer in Scotland (18%). By 2034, we aim to be living in a Tobacco-Free Scotland, reducing smoking rates to below 5%.To help achieve this, the Scottish Government launched the &ldquo;Quit Your Way&rdquo; stop smoking service campaign, which ran for 5 weeks between February and March 2024. An assessment of the campaign found that visits to the Quit Your Way Scotland NHS Inform page increased by 100% and numbers of people visiting the local help to stop smoking page increased up to 2297% compared to the 5 weeks prior. Requests for support to stop smoking via NHS Inform, where we make clear the link between smoking and cancer, doubled compared to the same period in 2023.Figures published by Public Health Scotland on 17 December 2024 show that over the past year more people have accessed the NHS smoking cessation service, 30,314, a 12.4% increase from 2022-23 (26,963).","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427720,"EventID":"S6W-32112","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:05.35","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T14:10:03.433","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the UK Government&rsquo;s reported commitment to a permanently lowered tax rate for grassroots music venues in England and Wales from 2026-27, whether it wi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the UK Government&rsquo;s reported commitment to a permanently lowered tax rate for grassroots music venues in England and Wales from 2026-27, whether it will commit to implementing any such relief in full in Scotland.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31342 on 26 November 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427721,"EventID":"S6W-32085","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:06.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T10:16:42.803","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to conclude its review of the use of ultra-high frequency electronic identification in livestock.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to conclude its review of the use of ultra-high frequency electronic identification in livestock.","AnswerText":"Scottish Ministers are currently considering all the available evidence, including on technology use. An announcement will be made once Ministers have reached a final decision.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427722,"EventID":"S6W-32110","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:06.15","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T14:03:56.08","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Caledonian Sleeper service between Aberdeen and London has been reduced by 50% to three services a week.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Caledonian Sleeper service between Aberdeen and London has been reduced by 50% to three services a week.","AnswerText":"Scottish Rail Holdings oversees Caledonian Sleeper services on behalf of Scottish Ministers and it advises that the temporary reduction in Sleeper services between Aberdeen and London is to enable the release of train carriages for necessary and planned heavy overhaul and modification works.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427723,"EventID":"S6W-32114","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:05.347","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T14:10:03.433","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it will provide to the grassroots music venue industry regarding its plans for business rates relief in the years beyond the draft Budget for 2025-26.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it will provide to the grassroots music venue industry regarding its plans for business rates relief in the years beyond the draft Budget for 2025-26.","AnswerText":"Decisions on non-domestic rates for 2026-27 will be considered in the context of the Scottish Budget 2026-27.The Scottish Budget 2025-26 announced a new 40% relief for hospitality premises, including grassroots music venues with a capacity of up to 1,500, which have a rateable value of up to &pound;51,000, capped at &pound;51,000 per business. Following the passage of the budget, the Scottish Government will update the MyGov website setting out the non-domestic rates reliefs available to provide information to applicants on this new relief.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427724,"EventID":"S6W-32107","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:05.79","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T12:21:10.687","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31765 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 10 December 2024, whether it can expand upon its definition of a \"light-touch\" review.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31765 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 10 December 2024, whether it can expand upon its definition of a \"light-touch\" review.","AnswerText":"Every &lsquo;scheduled&rsquo; award review carried out by Social Security Scotland is a light-touch review.This means that Social Security Scotland do not require clients by default to provide information again that they already provided, that is not relevant to the changes they have reported, or that we can gather through other means.Instead, Social Security Scotland will consider information they already hold about the client, where still relevant, and make use of appropriate decision-making tools, where needed, to reduce the need for further questions. They only ask for new supporting information in specific scenarios and take their usual supportive approach to gathering this information.Our approach differs when a client&rsquo;s circumstances or changes are more complex, or their reported level of need is unexpected. This is not light touch and Social Security Scotland will decide on a case-by-case basis what additional steps are required and appropriate to better understand the client&rsquo;s needs, and to ensure they have the information needed to make a robust determination on the client&rsquo;s entitlement.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427725,"EventID":"S6W-32083","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:05.637","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T10:08:49.767","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to better enable coastalcommunities to have their views heard in marine policy work undertaken by theScottish Government, including (a) the Nati","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to better enable coastalcommunities to have their views heard in marine policy work undertaken by theScottish Government, including (a) the National Marine Plan 2, (b) fisheriesplanning and (c) regional marine planning.","AnswerText":"Widespread stakeholder participation is essential if we are to successfully develop a new National Marine Plan (NMP2) for Scotland that, supports economic growth, our communities and protects our marine environment. We want everyone who uses, relies on or has an interest in Scotland's seas to have the opportunity to contribute to the development of NMP2.? The updated Statement of Public Participation (SPP) for NMP2 (LINK) sets out how and when we plan to engage with stakeholders.In line with the SPP, we have been building strategic partnerships with non-governmental organisations and local coastal partnerships to ensure we can reach as many in our coastal communities as possible. The public consultation on Planning Position Statement for NMP2 (LINK) is an early opportunity for anyone with an interest in the our seas to feedback on the ideas for the plan. The consultation is open until 28 January and responses will be used to develop the NMP2.As part of the public consultation on the PPS, the national marine planning forum was held on 13 November with over 100 delegates to facilitate cross sector discussion on the ideas in the PPS.In January 2025, there will be another opportunity to engage on the PPS through the online Community Drop-In event. The workshop is aimed at Coastal Communities and is open for all to attend.There will be further engagement events as part of the consultation on the draft NMP2 itself in winter 2025.Engagement with local communities during the development of regional marine plans is coordinated by the marine planning partnerships and is described in the SPP for each of the regional plan.We recognise fishing is important to Scotland and our coastal communities. Fisheries management is carried out in through ongoing collaboration with fishers and other relevant stakeholders such as environmental groups. There is a live call for evidence under our Inshore Fisheries Management Improvement (IFMI) Programme. This seeks expert input to help us transition to a more agile management model which will support delivery of locally appropriate fisheries management solutions. The call for evidence closes on 04 February 2025.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427726,"EventID":"S6W-32061","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:06.297","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-09T15:49:50.52","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost has been to NatureScot of removing invasive Sitka spruce growing on peat bogs and within mixed native woodlands in each of the last five years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost has been to NatureScot of removing invasive Sitka spruce growing on peat bogs and within mixed native woodlands in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for NatureScot. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to you to provide the information requested.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427727,"EventID":"S6W-32082","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:06.273","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T10:08:34.727","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many hectares of marine environment (a) are currently undergoing active restoration work and (b) have planned active restoration work.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many hectares of marine environment (a) are currently undergoing active restoration work and (b) have planned active restoration work.","AnswerText":"We do not currently have an overarching mechanism to record where restoration is taking place across Scotland. Not all restoration projects require a marine license, and the patchwork of other consents and licenses needed by restoration projects does not provide a coherent overview of restoration activity in a centrally held database. The registration process for restoration projects we consulted on earlier this year was intended as a first step to improve our understanding in this regard. We will continue to explore the feasibility of such a process as part of the development of the restoration plan.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427728,"EventID":"S6W-32102","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:07.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T11:59:23.183","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of its Marine Litter Strategy.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of its Marine Litter Strategy.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government published the updated Marine Litter Strategy and Action Plan in 2022, aiming to address the amount of litter entering the marine environment, to achieve ecological, economic and social benefits. The strategy steers our work up to 2027 and co-ordinates the efforts of our stakeholders and partners, working at a national and international level to help prevent and remove marine litter.On prevention, we are working across the four nations to put an end to pollution caused by wet wipes containing plastic, with legislation forthcoming. To further our efforts in tackling sewage-related debris, Scottish Water, our delivery partner, has installed more than 1000 new sewer monitors across its waste water system as part of a major programme of investment to transform its network and improve Scotland&rsquo;s water environment. We contributed to the work of the European Committee for Standardisation to improve the recycling potential of fishing and aquaculture gear, with a standard for circular design of gear published in November 2024. This standard also helps us as we continue to work across the four nations and industry to develop improved waste management systems for end-of-life fishing and aquaculture gear to reduce litter and improve recycling rates, contributing to our circular economy. Our work is not limited to macro litter, and we continue to work internationally to prevent pollution from microplastic pellets, which can be found on our beaches and risk the health of our marine wildlife.On removal, we continue to fund the work of Local Coastal Partnerships, organisations that support and co-ordinate beach cleans and local community engagement. We fund litter removal offshore through the KIMO Fishing for Litter scheme, with 400 vessels now participating in Scotland, and removal at our rivers with the Keep Scotland Beautiful Upstream Battle project, removing litter that could otherwise travel downstream and ultimately reach our seas and beaches.Marine Fund Scotland has been available to our delivery partners and external stakeholders for projects that support the delivery of the strategy. Successful applications have supported local community litter removal activities, marine litter education projects, and investment in fishing and aquaculture gear recycling equipment.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427729,"EventID":"S6W-32064","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:05.813","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-09T16:44:24.82","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish the findings of its consultation on proposed regulations to restrict promotions of food and drink high in fat, salt and sugar, which was held fr","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish the findings of its consultation on proposed regulations to restrict promotions of food and drink high in fat, salt and sugar, which was held from February to May 2024, and what the next steps will be.","AnswerText":"We will publish the independent analysis report of the consultation responses in early 2025, as well as next steps for the regulation of HFSS food and drink promotions.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427730,"EventID":"S6W-32079","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:06.103","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T10:07:32.43","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish a restoration plan for marine and coastal areas, which was scheduled for publication by 2025.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish a restoration plan for marine and coastal areas, which was scheduled for publication by 2025.","AnswerText":"We are aiming to publish the marine and coastal restoration plan by the end of 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427731,"EventID":"S6W-32059","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:06.02","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-09T13:33:45.79","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31732 byFiona Hyslop on 9 December 2024, in light of its response that it does not holdthe information requested, what its positio","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31732 byFiona Hyslop on 9 December 2024, in light of its response that it does not holdthe information requested, what its position is on whether not holding thisinformation in relation to a matter of industrial finance (a) is unusual in aninternational context and (b) risks undermining an effective industrialstrategy to grow commercial shipbuilding, as outlined in the NationalShipbuilding Strategy.","AnswerText":"With the goal of providing a full response to the member, Scottish Government officials have liaised with a range of organisations including those reserved to the UK Government. This includes the UK National Shipbuilding Office - responsible for the UK National Shipbuilding Strategy - who have confirmed that they and UK Export Finance also do not hold a list of financial institutions that offer shipbuilder&rsquo;s refund guarantees. Officials from both the Scottish Government and National Shipbuilding Office will continue to explore if such information is held centrally by the UK Government.In addition a range of broader financial support may be available through the Scottish Government and its Enterprise Agencies to support industries including shipbuilding. The Scottish Government is also engaging with the UK Government on the development of its forthcoming Industrial Strategy, emphasising Scotland's strengths across a range of sectors.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427732,"EventID":"S6W-32101","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:05.567","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T11:59:23.183","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle marine litter caused by the improper disposal of end-of-life fishing and aquaculture gear.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle marine litter caused by the improper disposal of end-of-life fishing and aquaculture gear.","AnswerText":"The disposal of litter and fishing gear at sea is covered by the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) Regulations. In UK waters these are enforced by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). Scottish Government&rsquo;s Marine Directorate Compliance Officers report incidents through our intelligence system to the MCA and periodically remind vessels of their obligations under MARPOL.The Scottish Government published the updated Marine Litter Strategy and Action Plan in 2022, aiming to address the amount of litter entering the marine environment, to achieve ecological, economic and social benefits. The strategy steers our work up to 2027 and co-ordinates the efforts of our stakeholders and partners, working at a national and international level to help prevent and remove marine litter.On prevention of marine litter caused by the improper disposal of end-of-life fishing and aquaculture gear, we contributed to the work of the European Committee for Standardisation to improve the recycling potential of fishing and aquaculture gear, with a standard for circular design of gear published in November 2024. This standard also helps us as we continue to work across the four nations and industry to develop improved waste management systems for end-of-life fishing and aquaculture gear to reduce litter and improve recycling rates, contributing to our circular economy.On removal of marine litter caused by the improper disposal of end-of-life fishing and aquaculture gear, we continue to fund the KIMO Fishing for Litter scheme. 400 vessels currently participate in Scotland, returning to harbour litter that is passively caught at sea during fishing operations, which includes fishing and aquaculture gear. The initiative also provides education to support better waste management practices onboard vessels.Marine Fund Scotland has been available to our delivery partners and external stakeholders for projects that support the delivery of the strategy. Successful applications have supported investment in fishing and aquaculture gear recycling equipment, local community litter removal activities, and marine litter education projects.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427733,"EventID":"S6W-32078","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:06.12","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T09:56:44.867","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31903 by Gillian Martin on 6 December 2024, what analysis has been conducted on the effectiveness of previous efforts to raise pub","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31903 by Gillian Martin on 6 December 2024, what analysis has been conducted on the effectiveness of previous efforts to raise public awareness of proper battery disposal, and what deficiencies were identified in the previous methods taken.&nbsp; &nbsp;","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has not conducted specific analysis on the effectiveness of previous efforts to raise public awareness of proper battery disposal. However, feedback from stakeholders, including local authorities and industry partners, has highlighted several ongoing challenges:Public Awareness Gaps: A significant proportion of the public remains unaware of the environmental risks posed by improper battery disposal and the recycling options available to them.Accessibility Issues: Recycling points for batteries are not always easily accessible or visible, particularly in rural areas.Messaging Limitations: Previous public awareness efforts have lacked the reach and consistency needed to drive long-term behavioural change.Recognising these challenges, the Scottish Government is committed to improving public understanding of proper battery disposal. We will continue to work closely with the other UK nations, local authorities, and industry to consider ways to improve information on battery disposal.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427734,"EventID":"S6W-32073","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-10T17:13:05.66","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-09T17:07:05.037","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government,&nbsp;further to the answer to question S6T-02170 by Fiona Hyslop on 5 November 2024, in relation to the estimate that ScotRail&rsquo;s proposed changes in staff deploym","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government,&nbsp;further to the answer to question S6T-02170 by Fiona Hyslop on 5 November 2024, in relation to the estimate that ScotRail&rsquo;s proposed changes in staff deployment will deliver an additional 11.5 million opportunities per year for interactions with passengers, how this figure has been calculated, and where it is anticipated that those interactions will take place.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-32072 on 7 January 2025.The Scottish Government does not hold the information requested.It is incumbent on ScotRail and Scottish Rail Holdings to demonstrate that aims set out it their proposals to adjust the opening hours of some of ScotRail ticket offices can be achieved.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":427742,"EventID":"S6W-32198","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":3771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":86,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T11:45:16.16","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T11:41:04.897","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its consultation, Review of Regional Strategic Bodies within the Glasgow and Lanarkshire college regions.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its consultation, Review of Regional Strategic Bodies within the Glasgow and Lanarkshire college regions.","AnswerText":"The consultation closed on 20 September. Published consultation responses and an analysis report can be found at: Review of the Regional Strategic Bodies within the Glasgow and Lanarkshire college regions - Scottish Government consultations - Citizen SpaceI can confirm that the Scottish Government will be proceeding with plans to:Dissolve the Glasgow Colleges&rsquo; Regional Board, the Regional Strategic Body for the Glasgow college region;No longer have New College Lanarkshire, designated as the Regional Strategic Body for the Lanarkshire college region; andDesignate each of the Glasgow and Lanarkshire colleges as &ldquo;regional colleges&rdquo;.Subject to the Parliamentary process, I expect the new arrangements to be in place for the start of academic year 25-26.The Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) will work with both boards to develop transition arrangements and ensure the boards have appropriate support in place for any affected staff.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427743,"EventID":"S6W-32199","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":4940,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":81,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T12:11:58.557","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T12:08:22.093","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will report on the outcome of the recent Summit of the British-Irish Council, held in Edinburgh.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will report on the outcome of the recent Summit of the British-Irish Council, held in Edinburgh.","AnswerText":"On 6 December I hosted the 42nd meeting of the British-Irish Council Summit on behalf of the Scottish Government. The Summit marked the 25th anniversary of the first Council meeting which was held in London in December 1999 following the historic Good Friday Agreement. The meeting was attended by the Heads of Government from all eight of the BIC Member Administrations, including the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer.The theme of the Summit was &lsquo;Financing a Just Transition&rsquo;.With global emissions continuing to rise, Council members discussed the importance of working in collaboration and shared the experience of their respective governments in supporting communities in the journey towards net zero &ndash; and about how best to attract global finance to maximise the social, economic and environmental benefits of the transition to net zero.I highlighted Scotland&rsquo;s leadership in this area by acting to underpin our net zero targets in a legislative commitment to achieving a just transition. I also highlighted the proactive, &lsquo;investor-friendly&rsquo; approach that the Scottish Government is taking to attract investment in priority areas of net zero, housing and infrastructure.The Council also reflected on the latest political developments such as international issues including the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Israel/Gaza as well as domestic issues such as the measures included in the Scottish budget to mitigate the two child benefit cap as an important step towards eradicating child poverty.In addition to the formal Summit meeting, I had the opportunity to further build the Scottish Government&rsquo;s relationship with the UK, Irish, Welsh Governments, the Northern Ireland Executive and the Crown Dependencies through bilateral meetings.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-12T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"John Swinney","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427744,"EventID":"S6O-04138","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16186,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":120,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T15:30:44.817","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T09:43:05.393","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact its recently announced hub for offshore wind will have on the renewables sector in north east Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what impact its recently announced hub for offshore wind will have on the renewables sector in north east Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427745,"EventID":"S6O-04143","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16215,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T15:30:44.82","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T15:21:31.707","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024, what progress it has made towards implementing mandatory food waste reporting by larger businesses.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024, what progress it has made towards implementing mandatory food waste reporting by larger businesses.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427746,"EventID":"S6O-04142","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":2826,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":84,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T15:30:44.82","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T16:56:51.157","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how its draft Budget 2025-26 will support thegrowth of the Scottish economy.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how its draft Budget 2025-26 will support thegrowth of the Scottish economy.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427747,"EventID":"S6O-04139","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":4940,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":81,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T15:30:44.817","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T11:20:57.1","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking, including in discussion with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, to promote electrical safety over the Christmas period.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking, including in discussion with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, to promote electrical safety over the Christmas period.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427748,"EventID":"S6O-04137","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5605,"Party":"Alba Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":102,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T15:30:44.81","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T14:02:04.153","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains committed to rolling out universal entitlement to free school meals for all primary school children within the current parliamentary session.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains committed to rolling out universal entitlement to free school meals for all primary school children within the current parliamentary session.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427749,"EventID":"S6O-04141","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T15:30:44.823","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-09T13:06:01.093","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether Dumbarton Castle is an important cultural asset.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether Dumbarton Castle is an important cultural asset.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427750,"EventID":"S6O-04140","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":3763,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":142,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T15:30:44.86","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T14:23:55.883","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last discussed transport infrastructure in Inverclyde with Transport Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last discussed transport infrastructure in Inverclyde with Transport Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427751,"EventID":"S6O-04150","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T15:30:33.273","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T11:30:04.037","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to tackle any fraud in Social Security Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to tackle any fraud in Social Security Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427752,"EventID":"S6O-04131","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16175,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":119,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T15:30:33.843","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T14:25:05.383","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting NHS Grampian to increase bed capacity, particularly in light of increased demand during the winter period.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting NHS Grampian to increase bed capacity, particularly in light of increased demand during the winter period.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427753,"EventID":"S6O-04123","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T15:30:33.517","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T11:18:29.02","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how its Marine Directorate monitors international fishing vessels.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how its Marine Directorate monitors international fishing vessels.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427754,"EventID":"S6O-04128","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1756,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":136,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T15:30:33.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T11:49:05.153","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any specific impact on tenant farmers in Scotland of the announced changes to agricultural property relief on inheritance tax.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any specific impact on tenant farmers in Scotland of the announced changes to agricultural property relief on inheritance tax.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427755,"EventID":"S6O-04129","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5866,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T15:30:33.697","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T14:30:47.767","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in light of statistics reportedly showing that a record number of people have been waiting over a year for heart disease treatment.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in light of statistics reportedly showing that a record number of people have been waiting over a year for heart disease treatment.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":427756,"EventID":"S6O-04148","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3907,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":135,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T15:30:33.28","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T11:47:35.96","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any benefits of the Scottish Welfare Fund for constituents in Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any benefits of the Scottish Welfare Fund for constituents in Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427757,"EventID":"S6O-04149","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T15:30:33.773","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:14:21.767","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what levels of support are currently available to women experiencing domestic abuse.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what levels of support are currently available to women experiencing domestic abuse.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427758,"EventID":"S6O-04146","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4941,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":87,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T15:30:33.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T15:39:57.323","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide further details on the implementation of its social isolation and loneliness strategy, Recovering our Connections 2023-2026, particularly in rela","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide further details on the implementation of its social isolation and loneliness strategy, Recovering our Connections 2023-2026, particularly in relation to urban areas.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427759,"EventID":"S6O-04127","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T15:30:33.557","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T16:46:33.113","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the potential impact on agriculture,what assessment it has made of the number of family farms in Scotland that willincur inheritance tax liability as a result","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the potential impact on agriculture,what assessment it has made of the number of family farms in Scotland that willincur inheritance tax liability as a result of changes announced in the UKBudget.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427760,"EventID":"S6O-04145","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T15:30:33.81","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:37:41.75","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent engagement its ministers have had with Disabled People's Organisations to discuss any concerns of disabled people.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent engagement its ministers have had with Disabled People's Organisations to discuss any concerns of disabled people.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427761,"EventID":"S6O-04124","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T15:30:33.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T15:32:42.853","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support farming businesses that are seeking to diversify.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support farming businesses that are seeking to diversify.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427762,"EventID":"S6O-04132","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5709,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":131,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T15:30:33.803","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T10:27:52.643","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to prevent the emergence of a franchise model of GP provision.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to prevent the emergence of a franchise model of GP provision.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427763,"EventID":"S6O-04122","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T15:30:33.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-09T18:44:42.407","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what its position is on the use of neonicotinoid pesticides.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what its position is on the use of neonicotinoid pesticides.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427764,"EventID":"S6O-04134","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16178,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":78,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T15:30:33.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T12:23:28.953","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how its increased funding for mental health services will help improve access to psychological support for people with long-term conditions, such as inflammatory bowel d","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how its increased funding for mental health services will help improve access to psychological support for people with long-term conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427765,"EventID":"S6O-04121","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":1742,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":110,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T15:30:33.423","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T08:10:14.01","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with supermarkets to discuss the stocking of Scottish own brand products.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with supermarkets to discuss the stocking of Scottish own brand products.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427766,"EventID":"S6O-04125","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16176,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":137,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T15:30:33.393","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T09:41:58.763","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to promote the Scottish food industry.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to promote the Scottish food industry.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427767,"EventID":"S6O-04152","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5618,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":91,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T15:30:33.463","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-09T13:39:31.84","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how the measures announced in its draft Budget 2025-26 will support its mission to eradicate child poverty.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the measures announced in its draft Budget 2025-26 will support its mission to eradicate child poverty.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427768,"EventID":"S6O-04133","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T15:30:33.527","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:33:34.94","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the proposal from Save Our Surgeries in Burghead and Hopeman to pilot a nurse-led service in the villages following the closure of the","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the proposal from Save Our Surgeries in Burghead and Hopeman to pilot a nurse-led service in the villages following the closure of their&nbsp;GP&nbsp;surgeries.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427769,"EventID":"S6O-04136","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2633,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T15:30:33.283","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T08:28:23.34","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to increase active patient registrations with NHS dentists.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to increase active patient registrations with NHS dentists.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427770,"EventID":"S6O-04135","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3129,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":83,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T15:30:33.467","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T14:52:08.077","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the expected health outcomes will be of the proposed increase in funding for Scotland&rsquo;s NHS, as announced in the recent 2025-26 Budget statement.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the expected health outcomes will be of the proposed increase in funding for Scotland&rsquo;s NHS, as announced in the recent 2025-26 Budget statement.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427771,"EventID":"S6O-04151","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5074,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":104,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T15:30:33.85","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T09:38:19.583","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the announcement in its draft Budget2025-26 that it plans to mitigate the UK Government&rsquo;s two-child benefit cappolicy in Scotland, what it estimates t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the announcement in its draft Budget2025-26 that it plans to mitigate the UK Government&rsquo;s two-child benefit cappolicy in Scotland, what it estimates the cost will be of doing so, peraffected child.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427772,"EventID":"S6O-04147","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T15:30:33.807","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T13:46:45.027","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address wait times in temporary accommodation.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address wait times in temporary accommodation.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427773,"EventID":"S6O-04130","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5075,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":112,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T15:30:33.48","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T09:19:55.26","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is working to improve access for children and young people to mental health services.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is working to improve access for children and young people to mental health services.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427774,"EventID":"S6W-32202","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:00.937","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T13:05:07.193","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31866 by Fiona Hyslop on 11 December 2024, whether it will provide the information requested regarding&nbsp;how many miles of the ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31866 by Fiona Hyslop on 11 December 2024, whether it will provide the information requested regarding&nbsp;how many miles of the A96 have been dualled in each year from 2011 to date.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31866 on 11 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427775,"EventID":"S6W-32181","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:00.94","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:36:54.01","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to provide support for self-employed women with endometriosis, including access to financial assistance during periods of illness.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to provide support for self-employed women with endometriosis, including access to financial assistance during periods of illness.","AnswerText":"Income replacement benefits such as Employment and Support Allowance and Universal Credit, which provide financial support to people of working age who are unable to work due to illness, are fully reserved to the UK Government. However our Adult Disability Payment provides financial support to recognise the additional costs of living with a disability or long-term health condition.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427776,"EventID":"S6W-32127","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:00.74","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T15:23:13.74","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on the number of Scottish animals slaughtered in England and vice versa, and what assessment it has made of any&nbsp;impact of its proposal to adopt&n","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on the number of Scottish animals slaughtered in England and vice versa, and what assessment it has made of any&nbsp;impact of its proposal to adopt&nbsp;ultra-high&nbsp;frequency&nbsp;electronic identification technology.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government does not directly hold this data. Livestock traceability systems used within GB capture all death data reported and can easily identify farms of origin prior to slaughter. Scottish Ministers will consider all evidence available before a final decision is made.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427777,"EventID":"S6W-32147","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:00.833","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:14:04.03","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether funding to address delayed discharge will be ringfenced in its draft Budget 2025-26, and, if so, what the total amount is that is being ringfenced.&nbsp; &nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether funding to address delayed discharge will be ringfenced in its draft Budget 2025-26, and, if so, what the total amount is that is being ringfenced.&nbsp; &nbsp;","AnswerText":"The 2025-26 Budget provides almost &pound;2.2 billion for social care and integration &ndash; including &pound;200 million to reduce waiting lists, help support reduction of delayed discharge and increase capacity&ndash; expanding the hospital and home programme to ensure no one waits more than 12 months for a new outpatient appointment or day case treatment by March 2026.&pound;100 million of this is going on planned care (waiting times) and the remainder is going on a package of improvement and support to improve flow and increase capacity in NHS acute settings.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427778,"EventID":"S6W-32171","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:02.013","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:33:29.42","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting NHS boards to meet any demand for laparoscopic surgery for the treatment of endometriosis.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting NHS boards to meet any demand for laparoscopic surgery for the treatment of endometriosis.","AnswerText":"We are committed to ensuring those living with endometriosis are able to access the best possible care and support and that they benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care.This year, we have allocated over &pound;450,000 to gynaecology from our &pound;30 million targeted investment in planned care, delivering around 3,500 additional new outpatient appointments.The 2025-26 Budget, if approved by Parliament, will provide a record &pound;21 billion for Health &amp; Social Care, including a commitment to provide &pound;200 million to help reduce waiting times and address delayed discharge.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427779,"EventID":"S6W-32163","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:02.93","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:33:29.343","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to address any regional disparities in the availability of diagnostic and treatment services for endometriosis across NHS Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to address any regional disparities in the availability of diagnostic and treatment services for endometriosis across NHS Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring those living with endometriosis can access the best possible care and support.There is now an Endometriosis Care Pathway for NHS Scotland which aims to support healthcare professionals to provide a holistic approach and timely care for those with endometriosis and endometriosis-like symptoms. All NHS Boards should be taking steps to implement the pathway.Most individuals with endometriosis can be managed within secondary care. For patients with more complex symptoms or who need complex surgery, there are three regional specialist endometriosis centres in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow that provide multidisciplinary specialist care across Scotland.To support health care professionals to improve their knowledge and understanding of endometriosis NHS Education for Scotland (NES) has launched an e-learning module on menstrual health available on Turas Learn. It is open to anyone working in NHS Scotland and in particular is aimed at those working in primary care.Further training resources have also been provided through the Women&rsquo;s Health Masterclass on endometriosis which provided information on diagnosis, treatment and current research on endometriosis, raising awareness of the Pathway with attendees. The resources from this event are also available on Turas Learn. The Scottish National Menstrual Health Specialist Network provides healthcare professionals with a special interest in menstrual health a forum for peer support and sharing expert clinical advice and best practice related to menstrual health symptoms and conditions.More information can be found in the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan 2021 - 2024 Final Report.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427780,"EventID":"S6W-32150","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:00.837","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:14:36.6","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the &pound;2.2 billion funding that was announced for primary care services in its draft Budget 2025-26.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the &pound;2.2 billion funding that was announced for primary care services in its draft Budget 2025-26.","AnswerText":"Further detail on the Scottish Government&rsquo;s proposed &pound;2.2 billion funding for primary care can be found in the 2025-26 Level 4 tables published along the Budget itself - Supporting documents - Scottish Budget 2025 to 2026 - gov.scot.In addition to the direct funding increase of over &pound;160 million (7.8%) for primary care, we plan to further invest in primary and community care services from the commitment to provide &pound;100 million &ldquo;Reform and Improvement measures funding&rdquo; to alleviate waiting time and hospital occupancy pressures.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427781,"EventID":"S6W-32174","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:01.02","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:33:29.45","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of women diagnosed with endometriosis are currently receiving multidisciplinary care, as recommended by best practice guidelines.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of women diagnosed with endometriosis are currently receiving multidisciplinary care, as recommended by best practice guidelines.","AnswerText":"We are committed to ensuring those living with endometriosis are able to access the best possible care and support and that they benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care.This includes ensuring that women have access to care that adheres to the most up to date practice guidance. The endometriosis care pathway for NHS Scotland supports healthcare professionals to provide a holistic approach and timely care for those with endometriosis and endometriosis type symptoms.However, data on the percentage of women diagnosed with endometriosis currently receiving multidisciplinary care is not available.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427782,"EventID":"S6W-32164","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:00.977","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:33:29.353","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what additional training and resources are being provided to (a) GPs and (b) frontline healthcare professionals to improve early recognition and diagnosis of endometrios","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what additional training and resources are being provided to (a) GPs and (b) frontline healthcare professionals to improve early recognition and diagnosis of endometriosis, and how many of these healthcare professionals are qualified to deliver this form of specialised care.","AnswerText":"The Endometriosis Care Pathway for NHS Scotland aims to support healthcare professionals to provide a holistic approach and timely care for those with endometriosis and endometriosis-like symptoms.To support health care professionals to improve their knowledge and understanding of endometriosis NHS Education for Scotland (NES) has launched an e-learning module on menstrual health available on Turas Learn. It is open to anyone working in NHS Scotland and in particular is aimed at those working in primary care.Further training resources have been provided through the Women&rsquo;s Health Masterclass on endometriosis which provided information on diagnosis, treatment and current research on endometriosis, raising awareness of the Pathway with attendees. The resources from this event are available on Turas Learn.We are currently working with the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) to develop new training resources on endometriosis, for general practitioners.Through the Scottish National Menstrual Health Specialist Network healthcare professionals with a special interest in menstrual health have a forum for peer support and sharing expert clinical advice and best practice related to menstrual health symptoms and conditions.More information can be found in the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan 2021 - 2024 Final Report.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427783,"EventID":"S6W-32139","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:01.007","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T19:23:49.21","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding their protection from pollution and damage, what information it has on how many chalk streams there are in Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding their protection from pollution and damage, what information it has on how many chalk streams there are in Scotland.","AnswerText":"There are no chalk streams in Scotland. The Scottish Government, therefore, does not hold information on the protection of chalk streams from pollution and damage.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427784,"EventID":"S6W-32186","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:02.137","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:36:54.037","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in collaboration with the Relationships, Sexual Health and Parenthood resource to provide teachers with additional resources to educate pupil","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in collaboration with the Relationships, Sexual Health and Parenthood resource to provide teachers with additional resources to educate pupils about endometriosis.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30034 on 3 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427785,"EventID":"S6W-32144","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:02.17","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T09:43:51.303","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people currently in receipt of Adult Disability Payment have their primary residence outside of Scotland, broken down by how many have their primary residence (","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people currently in receipt of Adult Disability Payment have their primary residence outside of Scotland, broken down by how many have their primary residence (a) in the rest of the UK and (b) outside of the UK.","AnswerText":"Social Security Scotland routinely publishes information on Adult Disability Payment caseload, broken down by local authority.As of 31 October 2024, statistics showed that there were 374,655 clients on the Adult Disability Payment caseload, of which 480 were classified as &lsquo;Other&rsquo; rather than one of the 32 Scottish local authorities. 'Other' includes cases where there is an error in the postcode, and postcodes for a property within a new development. Residence in Scotland is checked for each case by Client Advisors during the application process to ensure that the applicant normally lives in Scotland, including asking for proof of address where appropriate.The latest Adult Disability Payment official statistics publication can be found at:&nbsp;https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/publications/statistics. The next release of Adult Disability Payment statistics which will cover the period to the end of January 2024, is due to be published on 18 March 2025.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427786,"EventID":"S6W-32141","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:00.84","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T19:25:39.85","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) 2025 annual report, Global Strategy for the Diagnosis, Management, and Preventi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) 2025 annual report, Global Strategy for the Diagnosis, Management, and Prevention of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.","AnswerText":"We welcome the important work of the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease in raising awareness of COPD and welcome the findings in their annual report. We are committed to ensuring that people living with COPD receive the best possible care and treatment to enable them to live longer, healthier, and more independent lives.Our Respiratory Care Action Plan and new Prescribing Guide set out our ambitions for better access to COPD care in Scotland. The Centre for Sustainable Delivery are also developing a national clinical pathway for COPD through their Respiratory Specialist Delivery Group.We recognise there is more work to be done on respiratory care in Scotland and are continuing to focus on preventative approaches such as warm homes, clean air and our commitment to be a tobacco-free Scotland by 2034.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427787,"EventID":"S6W-32160","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:01.373","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:33:29.31","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made by the University of Edinburgh research team commissioned to conduct research into endometriosis since its research began to date.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made by the University of Edinburgh research team commissioned to conduct research into endometriosis since its research began to date.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government collaborated with Wellbeing of Women on a &pound;250,000 research call in April 2022. The research is primarily being run by researchers at The University of Edinburgh and will look at a non-hormonal drug in the management of endometriosis-associated pain.The research will be funded over 3 years with the research findings expected to be disseminated in December 2025.In January 2023 the Chief Scientist Office announced funding of &pound;299,509 for the 30 month ENDOCAN project, led by researchers at The University of Edinburgh. Through a large scale UK-wide trial, the research will investigate whether a cannabinoid can reduce endometriosis-associated pain.Recruitment for the study is due to start in August 2025 in NHS Lothian and NHS Grampian. More information can be found on the research being undertaken by The University of Edinburgh can be found on their website.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427788,"EventID":"S6W-32168","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:01.717","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:33:29.393","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what funding it has allocated specifically for endometriosis, in each financial year since 2007 to date.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what funding it has allocated specifically for endometriosis, in each financial year since 2007 to date.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government provides baseline funding to NHS Boards, which Boards use to best meet the healthcare needs of their resident population. Funding is not ring-fenced for the treatment of endometriosis. It is not therefore possible to identify funding allocated specifically for endometriosis.Through the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan, a range of funding has been provided for resources and research related to improving endometriosis care.The Scottish Government collaborated with Wellbeing of Women on a &pound;250,000 research call in 2022. The research is primarily being run by researchers at The University of Edinburgh and will look at a non-hormonal drug in the management of endometriosis-associated pain.The Chief Scientist Office announced funding of &pound;299,509 for the 30 month ENDOCAN project in January 2023, led by researchers at The University of Edinburgh. Through a large scale UK-wide trial, the research will investigate whether a cannabinoid can reduce endometriosis-associated pain.The Scottish Government also provided &pound;24,000 of funding in August 2023 to Endometriosis UK to deliver a project creating new resources to support people with endometriosis.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427789,"EventID":"S6W-32179","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:01.837","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:36:54","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is engaging with women with lived experience of endometriosis to inform the development of policies and services.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is engaging with women with lived experience of endometriosis to inform the development of policies and services.","AnswerText":"The Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (the ALLIANCE) has continued to support the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan through their dedicated lived experience programme, including a Women&rsquo;s Health Lived Experience Stakeholder Group, to help us continue our conversation with women, and ensure women are meaningfully involved in decision making and priority setting going forward.More information can be found in the ALLIANCE Final Report on Women&rsquo;s Health Plan.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427790,"EventID":"S6W-32169","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:03.023","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:33:29.403","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what funding it has allocated specifically for endometriosis research, in each financial year since 2007 to date.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what funding it has allocated specifically for endometriosis research, in each financial year since 2007 to date.","AnswerText":"The figures below relate to Endometriosis research funding directly awarded following a competitive independent review process either through Chief Scientist Office&rsquo;s (CSO) project funding committees, or fellowship funding panels.This includes the 2022 Scottish Government collaboration with Wellbeing of Women on a &pound;250,000 research call. The research is primarily being run by researchers at The University of Edinburgh and will look at a non-hormonal drug in the management of endometriosis-associated pain.Most awards are multi-year. The figures below relate to the year in which the funding was committed rather than a breakdown by year of the spend profile for individual projects or fellowships2007 02008 02009 02010 02011 02012 &pound;110,1982013 02014 02015 &pound;27,6392016 02017 02018 &pound;162,6512019 &pound;30,0002020 02021 02022 &pound;394,5102023 &pound;349,9992024 &pound;623,028Full details of CSO&rsquo;s direct research funding awards are available from the CSO website Funded Research &ndash; Chief Scientist Office","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427791,"EventID":"S6W-32201","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:03","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T12:25:44.663","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people living with HIV have a diagnosed mental health condition.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people living with HIV have a diagnosed mental health condition.","AnswerText":"The information requested is not held centrally. Public Health Scotland conducts HIV surveillance and publishes an annual statistical report, however this does not include data on people living with HIV in Scotland who have a diagnosed mental health condition.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427792,"EventID":"S6W-32130","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:03.583","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T16:36:42.127","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31824 byShona Robison on 9 December 2024, for what reason it considered that therewould be a disproportionate cost in providing da","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31824 byShona Robison on 9 December 2024, for what reason it considered that therewould be a disproportionate cost in providing data for appointments prior to2020, in light of such data being provided in the answer to question S6W-12529,and whether it will set out the (a) cost of supplying the answer to questionS6W-12529 and (b) estimated cost of providing pre-2020 data for questionS6W-31824.","AnswerText":"In accordance with the Public Appointments Team&rsquo;s data retention policy, the retention period for documents supporting the public appointments process is five years after the appointment tenure in post has ended. Therefore we do not hold any information regarding public appointments which ended prior to December 2019.We also do not hold any information regarding public appointments made prior to 2011.To provide data for appointments made between 2011 and 2019 would include data from over 360 appointment rounds, some of which were for several appointees. Information for each appointment round would have to be searched individually for the information requested, which we estimate would take at least seven working days, therefore incurring a disproportionate cost.We are unable to provide estimated costs of providing the information requested in questions S6W-12529 and S6W-31824 but would like to confirm that these costs would be disproportionate for the reason given above.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427793,"EventID":"S6W-32137","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:03.253","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T19:23:08.46","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of any alterations to out-of-hours contact services for non-departmental public bodies, and what information has been provided to ministers regarding","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of any alterations to out-of-hours contact services for non-departmental public bodies, and what information has been provided to ministers regarding any such alterations.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government is aware the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency is considering amendments around its call centre service to align with plans for wider organisational transformation. SEPA has not raised any emerging risk, or issue with significant implications for its operation or governance with regards to changes to the 24-hour call centre.Scottish Government is not aware of any other proposal to alter out-of-hours contact services, nor has information been provided to Ministers from any other public body.Ministers would not routinely be informed of changes to contact services as this would be an operational matter for the body concerned, based on evaluation of the service, customer demand/experience and evolving automation of communication channels such as the use of bots and Artificial Intelligence.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427794,"EventID":"S6W-32138","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:02.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T19:23:08.46","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the process will be for making enquiries to SEPA regarding pollution reports out of hours under the reported proposed changes to SEPA's out-of-hours contact service","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the process will be for making enquiries to SEPA regarding pollution reports out of hours under the reported proposed changes to SEPA's out-of-hours contact service.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-32136 on 18 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427795,"EventID":"S6W-32161","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:02.337","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:33:29.32","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of women with endometriosis currently have access to appropriate support and effective treatment, in light of the commitment in its Women&rsquo;s Health ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of women with endometriosis currently have access to appropriate support and effective treatment, in light of the commitment in its Women&rsquo;s Health Plan 2021-2024 to ensure such access by 2024.","AnswerText":"This data is not routinely collected.We are committed to ensuring those living with endometriosis are able to access the best possible care and support and that they benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care.That is why endometriosis is one of the key priorities in the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan and will continue to be so.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427796,"EventID":"S6W-32123","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:00.923","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T15:18:40.327","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to conclude its review of the use of&nbsp;ultra-high&nbsp;frequency&nbsp;electronic identification in livestock.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to conclude its review of the use of&nbsp;ultra-high&nbsp;frequency&nbsp;electronic identification in livestock.","AnswerText":"Scottish Ministers are currently considering all the available evidence, including on technology use. An announcement will be made once Ministers have reached a final decision.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427797,"EventID":"S6W-32173","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:02.173","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:33:29.44","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that women are fully informed of the options available to them for the treatment of endometriosis, including both surgical and non-surgical interventions.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that women are fully informed of the options available to them for the treatment of endometriosis, including both surgical and non-surgical interventions.","AnswerText":"We are committed to ensuring those living with endometriosis are able to access the best possible care and support and that they benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care.Through the delivery of the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan we have worked to ensure that women have access to comprehensive information on endometriosis &ndash; including options for treatment.We have; launched a Women&rsquo;s Health Platform on NHS Inform which includes an endometriosis page with consistent, reliable and accessible information, including a short lived experience film, empowering women to make informed decisions about their health; worked with organisations such as the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland, Young Scot and Endometriosis UK to raise awareness about the condition and deliver accurate and supportive information to the public; funded Endometriosis UK to produce a booklet and two webinars on treatments and self-management tips for managing endometriosis pain.More information can be found in the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan Final Report.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427798,"EventID":"S6W-32194","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:01.013","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T11:21:49.933","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30798 by Gillian Martin on 7 November 2024, whether it will provide an update on the current status of Aberdeenshire Council&rsquo","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30798 by Gillian Martin on 7 November 2024, whether it will provide an update on the current status of Aberdeenshire Council&rsquo;s application for funding under the flood protection scheme regarding Ballater, and where in the list of applicants it sits in prioritisation for funding.","AnswerText":"Local authorities are responsible for the development and delivery of flood protection schemes in Scotland. Decisions on the allocation of funding for flood resilience are made jointly by Scottish Ministers and COSLA leaders, informed by SEPA flood risk assessment and a subsequent prioritisation process.SEPA has categorised all viable flood protection schemes put forward by local authorities for the 2021 Flood Risk Management Plans. The Ballater scheme, as put forward, has been assessed as category 3. There are 28 flood protection schemes in category 1 or 2, and 25 in category 3.Since 2008 Scottish Government has made &pound;42 million available each year to local authorities to invest in flood risk management. Scottish Government has also committed an additional &pound;150 million over the course of this parliament.The Scottish Government and COSLA have convened a working group that will consider the future funding and governance model for flooding, including the approach to these 53 schemes.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427799,"EventID":"S6W-32192","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:01.013","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T11:01:59.743","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how much of the &pound;500 million Just Transition Fund for the north east and Moray has been allocated to date.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how much of the &pound;500 million Just Transition Fund for the north east and Moray has been allocated to date.","AnswerText":"The Just Transition Fund has allocated &pound;75 million to date, supporting projects and communities across the North East and Moray to create jobs, support innovation, and secure the highly skilled workforce of the future.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427800,"EventID":"S6W-32142","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:00.933","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T19:25:39.85","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many patients were diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) following emergency admission into hospital in (a) 2021, (b) 2022 and (c) 2023.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many patients were diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) following emergency admission into hospital in (a) 2021, (b) 2022 and (c) 2023.","AnswerText":"It is not possible to provide information on the number of patients who were newly diagnosed with COPD following an emergency admission.Figures presented in Table 1 provide the number of emergency inpatient hospital stays associated with a main diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by year.Table 1Year of admission202120222023Number of emergency inpatient stays12,34513,26014,083Number of distinct individuals8,3629,2579,954Source: Public Health Scotland SMR01","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427801,"EventID":"S6W-32120","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:03.097","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T15:10:47.1","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31864 by Gillian Martin on 10 December 2024, whether it will provide the full list of the key criteria being considered by EY.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31864 by Gillian Martin on 10 December 2024, whether it will provide the full list of the key criteria being considered by EY.","AnswerText":"Ernst &amp; Young Parthenon continue to undertake a thorough analysis of viable alternatives for the Grangemouth site with a focus on three levers through which competitive advantage could be driven and these are demand, feedstocks, and infrastructure.Additionally, the Scottish Government has asked Ernst &amp; Young Parthenon to focus on opportunities that maximise the potential employment and GVA impact of prospective projects, and have been clear that the outputs of Project Willow must align with the contents of the draft Grangemouth Industrial Just Transition Plan.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":427802,"EventID":"S6W-32153","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:02.047","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:15:08.453","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many advanced nurse practitioners are currently working in general practice, broken down by NHS board area.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many advanced nurse practitioners are currently working in general practice, broken down by NHS board area.","AnswerText":"Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANPs) working in General Practice are employed by either Health Boards or by GP practices.Data on the whole-time equivalent (WTE) ANP workforce employed directly by Health Boards is published annually by the Scottish Government in the Primary care improvement plans: implementation progress summary. This data is set out in the following table.NHS BoardUrgent Care (Advanced Practitioners): ANPs &ndash; WTEAyrshire and Arran1.0Borders16.0Dumfries and Galloway8.5Fife20.2Forth Valley26.0Grampian17.3Greater Glasgow and Clyde37.6Highland0.0Lanarkshire26.0Lothian39.0Orkney0.0Shetland1.5Tayside26.5Western Isles4.9Data on the ANP workforce employed by GP practices is published annually by NHS Education for Scotland (NES) in the General Practice Workforce Survey report. This reports that as of March 2024, there are 742 ANPs (596.1 WTE) employed by GP practices. This report does not include a breakdown by Health Board.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427803,"EventID":"S6W-32136","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:01.983","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T19:23:08.46","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the process is for making enquiries to SEPA regarding pollution reports during its office opening hours.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the process is for making enquiries to SEPA regarding pollution reports during its office opening hours.","AnswerText":"As Scottish Ministers are not directly responsible for the operation of SEPA and its use of resources, I have asked Nicole Paterson, Chief Executive of SEPA to respond. Her response is as follows:Continued Availability of Service:SEPA&rsquo;s 24-hour availability to the Scottish public remains fully in place, ensuring that we provide critical support for Scotland&rsquo;s communities and environment. Where appropriate, this includes direct access to a SEPA employee to ensure a timely and effective response. Additionally, we are introducing new ways for customers to contact us, giving them options that best suit their preferences. This includes becoming a true multi-channel service, enabling access through various platforms to enhance the customer experience and better meet modern communication needs.Role of the Automated System:Our automated system is designed to handle minor, non-urgent matters digitally, either online or through our intelligent IVR system. This ensures these lower-priority issues are managed efficiently without impacting our ability to respond to significant events. Any significant incidents reported are immediately escalated to individuals who are available 24/7 across the country to respond, investigate, and take necessary action.Human Response to Significant Incidents:For all significant environmental incidents, any communication reporting a major event, regardless of the time, will be sent directly to a member of our team. This ensures the appropriate action is taken promptly and effectively.Support for Priority Partners:SEPA remains committed to supporting Priority Partners, including MSPs, emergency services, and specific businesses. These partners will always have direct access to human assistance for significant environmental events, ensuring smooth communication and rapid action when necessary.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427804,"EventID":"S6W-32170","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:03.06","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:33:29.413","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is increasing the use of digital tools, such as symptom trackers, across NHS Scotland to aid in the diagnosis and management of endometriosis.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is increasing the use of digital tools, such as symptom trackers, across NHS Scotland to aid in the diagnosis and management of endometriosis.","AnswerText":"We are committed to ensuring those living with endometriosis are able to access the best possible care and support and that they benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care.Through the NHS Inform Women&rsquo;s Health Platform, we have made a range of information on endometriosis available to women online.This has included the Endometriosis UK Pain and Symptom Diary as well as access to a self-help tool on periods and mental wellbeing.A menstrual health symptom questionnaire has also been developed by NHS Education for Scotland and is available through the TURAS platform for healthcare professionals to share with women. It will also be available for women to access directly via the NHS Inform Women&rsquo;s Health Platform shortly.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427805,"EventID":"S6W-32189","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:02.197","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:36:54.05","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to integrate menstrual health education, including endometriosis, into the national curriculum at all levels of schooling.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to integrate menstrual health education, including endometriosis, into the national curriculum at all levels of schooling.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-30034 on 3 October 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427806,"EventID":"S6W-32129","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:02.923","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T16:36:09.447","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31821 by Shona Robison on 9 December 2024, whether it will provide the (a) estimated cost of supplying the information requested a","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31821 by Shona Robison on 9 December 2024, whether it will provide the (a) estimated cost of supplying the information requested and (b) number of legal cases it would have to consider in order to provide an answer to the question, and what range of data it would consider reasonable in order to provide an answer to question S6W-31821.","AnswerText":"a) The exact cost of obtaining the information has not been calculated but it is estimated to exceed the cost limit due to the number of cases and other matters that would require to be considered individually by officials.b) Link to the published SG accounts on the SG website can be found here to show legal costs across multiple financial years. &ndash;&ndash; Financial reports and accounts - Government finance - gov.scot","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427807,"EventID":"S6W-32124","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:03.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T15:19:38.843","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any concerns with the reported lack of ISO standards around ultra-high frequency electronic identification technology in livestock.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any concerns with the reported lack of ISO standards around ultra-high frequency electronic identification technology in livestock.","AnswerText":"An official ISO standard for the use of UHF in animal identification was published in December 2023. The Scottish Government is considering all evidence following the consultation on cattle identification and traceability held earlier this year, this includes delivery of any future ISO standards.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427808,"EventID":"S6W-32200","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:00.84","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T12:25:44.663","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many HIV clinics currently provide in-house psychological support services.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many HIV clinics currently provide in-house psychological support services.","AnswerText":"This information is not held centrally. NHS Boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships are the experts on their communities and are responsible for providing services that meet local needs. This may include providing services in-house or, where appropriate, through robust referral pathways to non-specialist services.Following publication of the recent HIV Outcomes Beyond the Virus report, officials will work with the HIV Transmission Elimination Delivery Implementation Group and the Scottish Health Protection Network&rsquo;s HIV Clinical Leads Group to consider its recommendations and ensure that psychological support for adults living with HIV meets the high standards we would expect.The Scottish Government is also providing NHS Education for Scotland with around &pound;30 million in 2024-25 to deliver multidisciplinary education, training and workforce expansion for staff supporting adult and children&rsquo;s mental health and psychological wellbeing.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427809,"EventID":"S6W-32166","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:03.133","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:33:29.373","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it plans to improve collaboration between primary care providers and specialists in the management of endometriosis.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it plans to improve collaboration between primary care providers and specialists in the management of endometriosis.","AnswerText":"The Endometriosis Care Pathway for Scotland, adapted from NICE guidance, provides a streamlined integrated primary, secondary and tertiary care pathway aimed at providing a holistic approach and timely care for those with endometriosis and endometriosis-like symptoms.The Scottish National Menstrual Health Specialist Network provides healthcare professionals with a special interest in menstrual health a forum for peer support and sharing expert clinical advice and best practice related to menstrual health symptoms and conditions.We will build on the progress set out in the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan 2021 - 2024 Final Report, as we work towards ensuring those living with endometriosis are able to access the best possible care and support and that they benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427810,"EventID":"S6W-32143","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:00.837","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T09:22:21.483","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce any requirements on local government pension schemes in Scotland regarding community wealth building and local investment, in light of repo","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce any requirements on local government pension schemes in Scotland regarding community wealth building and local investment, in light of reports of the UK Government setting out its intention to do so for local government pension schemes in England and Wales.","AnswerText":"The Local Government Pension Scheme in Scotland is in a very strong position and the Scottish Government continues to engage with the 11 Scottish Local Government funds, which each have responsibility for their own investments.We are monitoring developments in England and Wales to inform decisions around our approach to Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427811,"EventID":"S6W-32176","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:02.273","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:36:53.983","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to ensure that women with endometriosis have access to appropriate pain management services.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to ensure that women with endometriosis have access to appropriate pain management services.","AnswerText":"The endometriosis care pathway for NHS Scotland aims to support healthcare professionals to provide a holistic approach and timely care for those with endometriosis and endometriosis-like symptoms. The pathway ensures that healthcare professionals are considering women&rsquo;s need for and access to pain management. All NHS Boards should be taking steps to implement the pathway.Through the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan we have developed the Women&rsquo;s Health Platform on NHS Inform which includes an endometriosis page with consistent, reliable and accessible information, including a lived experience film, empowering women to make informed decisions about their health.To increase the information available to women, we funded Endometriosis UK to produce a booklet and two webinars on treatments and self-management tips for managing endometriosis pain.More information is available in the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan Final Report.We are committed to ensuring those living with endometriosis are able to access the best possible care and support and that they benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care. Endometriosis will continue to be a priority as we develop the next phase of our Women&rsquo;s Health Plan.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427812,"EventID":"S6W-32183","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:01.343","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:36:54.02","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to raise awareness of endometriosis among employers in rural and remote areas, where access to workplace support may be limited.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to raise awareness of endometriosis among employers in rural and remote areas, where access to workplace support may be limited.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-32178 on 19 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427813,"EventID":"S6W-32159","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:02.76","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:33:29.3","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many women have accessed the menstrual healthresource on the NHS Inform Women&rsquo;s Health Platform since its launch in 2022 to date,broken down by NHS board.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many women have accessed the menstrual healthresource on the NHS Inform Women&rsquo;s Health Platform since its launch in 2022 to date,broken down by NHS board.","AnswerText":"This information is not held centrally.As of December 2024 there have been:Almost 65,000 users on the life sectionsOver 986,000 views on the Periods pagesJust under 3.2 million views on the Menopause pages","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427814,"EventID":"S6W-32196","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16195,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:00.847","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T11:40:12.303","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent civil servants currently work within its (a) cancer policy unit, (b) long-term conditions policy unit, broken down by condition, and (c) lo","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent civil servants currently work within its (a) cancer policy unit, (b) long-term conditions policy unit, broken down by condition, and (c) long-term conditions strategy unit.","AnswerText":"The number of full-time equivalent civil servants is broken down by policy area and condition as follows:Policy AreaHealth ConditionFull-time equivalent (FTE) civil servantsCancer and Rehabilitation Policy UnitCancer8.74 WTELong-Term Conditions Policy UnitHeart Disease1.6 WTECardiac Arrest0.9 WTEStroke2.5 WTENeurological Conditions4.73 WTEDiabetes and Respiratory2.3 WTELong-Term Conditions Strategy Unit including Long CovidLong-Term Conditions including Long Covid4.0 WTE","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427815,"EventID":"S6W-32188","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:03.217","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:36:54.047","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what specific measures are being taken to train teachers in recognising any impact of endometriosis on students&rsquo; (a) attendance and (b) academic performance.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what specific measures are being taken to train teachers in recognising any impact of endometriosis on students&rsquo; (a) attendance and (b) academic performance.","AnswerText":"I recognise that endometriosis is a painful and long-term condition, which may result in young people being absent from school for a prolonged period. As acknowledged in our national guidance on attendance, &lsquo;Included, Engaged and Involved Part 1,&rsquo; there are links between poor attendance and attainment. It is therefore important that education authorities provide appropriate support to meet the educational needs of children or young people where endometriosis is impacting on their attendance.Teachers are not medical professionals and therefore cannot be expected to have a detailed knowledge of all medical conditions that might affect children and young people. Training requirements should instead be planned for and driven by the individual needs of children and young people in the schools in the area. Similarly, it would not be possible for our guidance to provide detailed information for every medical condition which might cause a healthcare need in schools. For this reason our guidance on &lsquo;Supporting children and young people with healthcare needs in schools&rsquo; does not make reference to specific health conditions such as endometriosis. If a child and young person is diagnosed with a longer term condition or develops healthcare support needs, it is normally the role of parents/carers to notify the school that they require the school's input to support their child's needs. Our guidance recommends that if a young person were to be diagnosed with any health condition which might affect their schooling, they and their parent or carer should seek a meeting with the school at the earliest opportunity to discuss their potential additional support needs. This will enable appropriate information about their healthcare needs, including impacts associated medication to be shared and enable the consideration of an individualised healthcare plan.Where endometriosis results in a young person being absent from school for a prolonged period, the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 requires that education authorities make special arrangements for pupils to receive education elsewhere than at an educational establishment. Alternative arrangements for education will depend upon the young person&rsquo;s individual circumstances; however it could be provided, for example, at home or in a hospital setting.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427816,"EventID":"S6W-32193","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:02.973","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T11:21:49.933","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-22849 by Angela Constance on 21 November 2023, whether the \"review of the suite of Preparing Scotland guidance\" was completed in s","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-22849 by Angela Constance on 21 November 2023, whether the \"review of the suite of Preparing Scotland guidance\" was completed in spring 2024 as proposed, and when any new guidance on responding to emergencies will be published.","AnswerText":"The review of the Preparing Scotland guidance has been completed by officials within Civil Contingencies Division in early 2024 as initially planned. Due to a number of competing demands on the time of responder agencies, and a range of other consultations and requests for participation in working groups etc, the draft document has not yet been circulated for consultation and approval. This decision has also been influenced by the fact that the existing guidance is still current, valid and fit for purpose and therefore there is no immediate disadvantage or danger in postponing the circulation in favour of other work. It is expected to consult on the refreshed guidance by summer 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427817,"EventID":"S6W-32190","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:00.78","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:36:54.057","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to work with youth organisations to deliver peer-led workshops on menstrual health and endometriosis awareness in (a) schools and (b) communities.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to work with youth organisations to deliver peer-led workshops on menstrual health and endometriosis awareness in (a) schools and (b) communities.","AnswerText":"The Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (the ALLIANCE) has continued to support the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan through their dedicated lived experience programme. This has included the development of the conversation caf&eacute; toolkit, available for anyone to use, to encourage information sharing and peer support on areas of women&rsquo;s health including menstrual health and endometriosis.More information can be found in the ALLIANCE Final Report on Women&rsquo;s Health Plan.Menstrual health and wellbeing education is a key part of relationships, sexual health and parenthood (RSHP) education. RSHP education is an integral part of the health and wellbeing area of the Scottish curriculum, Curriculum for Excellence.An online RSHP teaching resource, (www.rshp.scot) was published in 2019 and provides age and stage appropriate learning activities on RSHP education for use in all education settings and is aligned to Curriculum for Excellence. This resource includes learning activities on menstruation from second level (P5 to P7), with endometriosis introduced at third/fourth level (S1 to S3).","AnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427818,"EventID":"S6W-32162","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:01.653","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:33:29.33","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made towards reducing the proportion of women requiring attendance at A&amp;E prior to receiving an endometriosis diagnosis, in light of reported ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made towards reducing the proportion of women requiring attendance at A&amp;E prior to receiving an endometriosis diagnosis, in light of reported figures showing that 53% of women diagnosed in 2021 had visited A&amp;E before diagnosis, and what the equivalent figures are for each year since 2021 to date.","AnswerText":"This data is not routinely collected however, the Report &ldquo;Dismissed, ignored and belittled - The long road to endometriosis diagnosis in the UK&rdquo; published by Endometriosis UK in March 2024 states that a survey of 4,371 people who have received a diagnosis of endometriosis shows ...52% had visited A&amp;E at least once. 26% of respondents visited A&amp;E 3 or more times with symptoms prior to diagnosis.Our ambition is for a Scotland where health outcomes are equitable across the population so that all women enjoy the best possible health &ndash; throughout their lives. That is why endometriosis is one of the key priorities in the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan and will continue to be so.Information about the progress to date against each of the priorities in the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan can be found in the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan Final Report.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427819,"EventID":"S6W-32121","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:01.867","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T15:16:43.74","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of any impact of adopting&nbsp;ultra-high frequency electronic identification technology on the trade of Scottish cattle and beef with En","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of any impact of adopting&nbsp;ultra-high frequency electronic identification technology on the trade of Scottish cattle and beef with England, Wales and Northern Ireland.","AnswerText":"Scottish Ministers are considering all the available information on bovine EID and technology use across the UK. This includes the ScotEID pilot findings into UHF, the results and analysis of the consultation held on Cattle ID and Traceability earlier this year and ongoing close discussions with the livestock sector. All potential impacts, including those on trade, will be fully considered before a final decision is made.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427820,"EventID":"S6W-32182","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:02.523","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:36:54.017","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with (a) trade unions and (b) COSLA to ensure that employees with endometriosis are fully supported in the workplace.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with (a) trade unions and (b) COSLA to ensure that employees with endometriosis are fully supported in the workplace.","AnswerText":"The Women's Health Plan Implementation Programme Board was established to oversee and drive the delivery of the Plan. The Board brought together a range of organisations, including COSLA and Trade Union representation, to ensure that the actions within the Plan are implemented effectively and in partnership, with continued input and influence from women themselves.The Boards stood down with the close of the first phase of the Plan. Updated governance will be developed alongside the second phase, to be published in 2025.In NHS Scotland, a national menopause and menstrual health policy was published in October 2023, to seek to better support employees and their line managers.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427821,"EventID":"S6W-32191","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:01.9","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:36:54.067","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what initiatives are in place to provide targeted educational campaigns about endometriosis for boys and young men, in order to promote understanding and reduce stigma.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what initiatives are in place to provide targeted educational campaigns about endometriosis for boys and young men, in order to promote understanding and reduce stigma.","AnswerText":"We recognise the importance of ensuring that everyone understands what a normal period is. We have developed a range of resources that anyone can access to learn more about periods, period symptoms and conditions like endometriosis, PCOS and PMS. More information can be found in the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan 2021 - 2024 Final Report.Additionally, in March 2023 we delivered an engagement campaign in partnership with Young Scot to increase young people&rsquo;s awareness of endometriosis. The campaign is aimed at those aged 11 to 25 in Scotland, including boys and young men. The campaign includes information about endometriosis symptoms, provides information about available support and provides information on how to support a friend in the process of diagnosis or who may have endometriosis.Menstrual health and wellbeing education is a key part of relationships, sexual health and parenthood (RSHP) education. RSHP education is an integral part of the health and wellbeing area of the Scottish curriculum, Curriculum for Excellence.An online RSHP teaching resource, (www.rshp.scot) was published in 2019 and provides age and stage appropriate learning activities on RSHP education for use in all education settings and is aligned to Curriculum for Excellence. This resource includes learning activities on menstruation from second level (P5 to P7), with endometriosis introduced at third/fourth level (S1 to S3).","AnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427822,"EventID":"S6W-32172","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:01.757","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:33:29.43","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to (a) monitor and (b) evaluate the long-term health outcomes of women who have been treated for endometriosis.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to (a) monitor and (b) evaluate the long-term health outcomes of women who have been treated for endometriosis.","AnswerText":"Our ambition is for a Scotland where health outcomes are equitable across the population so that all women enjoy the best possible health &ndash; throughout their lives. That is why endometriosis is one of the key priorities in the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan and will continue to be so.We are continuing work to improve the data we have on women&rsquo;s health so that we can understand better the health of women and girls in Scotland, in the short, medium and longer term &ndash; including endometriosis.More information on women&rsquo;s health data can be found in the recently published data landscape review.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427823,"EventID":"S6W-32178","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:02.313","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:36:53.997","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce the reportedly significant detrimental economic impact of endometriosis on women, including in relation to employment and workplace su","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce the reportedly significant detrimental economic impact of endometriosis on women, including in relation to employment and workplace support.","AnswerText":"Within the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan we committed to improve access for women to appropriate support, speedy diagnosis and best treatment for endometriosis across the public, private and third sector.The NHSScotland Menopause and Menstrual Health Policy was launched on 31 October 2023 with supporting resources, including line managers, workplace adjustment guides, and signposting to more information on symptoms and conditions including endometriosis. These are intended for use more widely across a variety of employment sectors and are available on the National Wellbeing Hub, which is accessible to the public.Self-employed women can access free and confidential advice and health support from Working Health Services Scotland which is a Scottish Government funded NHS service that provides advice for people who are self-employed or working in companies with 250 or less employees and have a health condition or injury which they feel is impacting on their work.The health and wellbeing of women at work is a key element of fair work. We know that conditions such as endometriosis can limit women&rsquo;s opportunities to do their job to the best of their ability, remain in work and progress in the same way men can.As employment law is reserved, Scottish Government has no power to mandate employers across Scotland to provide specific support to women experiencing health conditions. Our role is to encourage employers to recognise and take action to reduce the barriers that some of their workers can face when entering, progressing and remaining in work. To that end, we promote fair work practices through mechanisms such as our Fair Work First approach to public funding and its accompanying Fair Work First Guidance which explicitly highlights to employers that offering quality flexible working arrangements is of particular benefit to women experiencing menstrual health issues or menopause while at work. Asking employers to offer flexible working from day one of employment has been a principle of Fair Work First since October 2021.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427824,"EventID":"S6W-32197","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16195,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:02.8","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T11:40:31.613","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it spent on policy implementation for (a) cancer, (b) stroke, (c) heart disease, (d) diabetes, (e) dementia and (f) respiratory care, in each year since 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it spent on policy implementation for (a) cancer, (b) stroke, (c) heart disease, (d) diabetes, (e) dementia and (f) respiratory care, in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"As policy implementation and delivery is carried out primarily within health boards, the total budget figures for policy implementation are not centrally held.The Scottish Government&rsquo;s published budgets for the last five years, including details of planned spending, are available online.Scottish Budget: 2024 to 2025 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)Scottish Budget: 2023 to 2024 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)Scottish Budget 2022 to 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)Scottish Budget 2021 to 2022 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)Scottish Budget 2020-2021 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427825,"EventID":"S6W-32175","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:01.457","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:33:29.46","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to (a) improve awareness of and (b) ensure that women receive timely advice and support on the impact of endometriosis on fertility.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to (a) improve awareness of and (b) ensure that women receive timely advice and support on the impact of endometriosis on fertility.","AnswerText":"We are committed to ensuring those living with endometriosis are able to access the best possible care and support and that they benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care.Through the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan we have developed the Women&rsquo;s Health Platform on NHS Inform which includes an endometriosis page with consistent, reliable and accessible information, including a lived experience film, empowering women to make informed decisions about their health. This includes information on endometriosis and fertility.The endometriosis care pathway for NHS Scotland aims to support healthcare professionals to provide a holistic approach and timely care for those with endometriosis and endometriosis-like symptoms and ensures that healthcare professionals are considering the impact of endometriosis on a woman&rsquo;s fertility.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427826,"EventID":"S6W-32187","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:00.743","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:36:54.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what specific resources it provides to school (a) nurses and (b) counsellors to support students with suspected or diagnosed endometriosis.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what specific resources it provides to school (a) nurses and (b) counsellors to support students with suspected or diagnosed endometriosis.","AnswerText":"NHS Education for Scotland (NES) has launched an e-learning module on menstrual health available on Turas Learnand in particular is aimed at those working in primary care. The school nursing workforce and school counsellors can also access this training as required.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427827,"EventID":"S6W-32184","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:00.743","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:36:54.027","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to educate and raise awareness of endometriosis among young women.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to educate and raise awareness of endometriosis among young women.","AnswerText":"In March 2023 we delivered an engagement campaign in partnership with Young Scot to increase young people&rsquo;s awareness of endometriosis. The campaign is aimed at those aged 11 to 25 in Scotland. The campaign includes information about endometriosis symptoms, provides information about available support and provides information on how to support a young person in the process of diagnosis or who may have endometriosis.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427828,"EventID":"S6W-32158","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:01.49","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:33:29.29","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how effective themenstrual health resource, which was launched on the NHS Inform Women&rsquo;s Health Platformin 2022, has been in raising","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how effective themenstrual health resource, which was launched on the NHS Inform Women&rsquo;s Health Platformin 2022, has been in raising awareness of endometriosis among women.","AnswerText":"Through the NHS Inform Women&rsquo;s Health Platform, we have made information on a range of health topics available to women online and in one place. Connections have been made throughout the platform with content on menstrual health symptoms, like heavy menstrual bleeding, linking to more information on possible causes, such as endometriosis, helping to raise awareness of the condition and supporting women to access the information they need when they need it.As of December 2024 there have been:Almost 65,000 users on the life sectionsOver 986,000 views on the Periods pagesJust under 3.2 million views on the Menopause pagesMore information about the Women&rsquo;s Health Platform can be found in the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan Final Report.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427829,"EventID":"S6W-32157","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:03.61","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:33:29.28","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made to date in ensuringthat all women have access to effective treatment and support forendometriosis, as outlined in its Women&rsquo;s Health Pl","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made to date in ensuringthat all women have access to effective treatment and support forendometriosis, as outlined in its Women&rsquo;s Health Plan.","AnswerText":"Our ambition is for a Scotland where health outcomes are equitable across the population so that all women enjoy the best possible health &ndash; throughout their lives. That is why endometriosis is one of the key priorities in the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan and will continue to be so.Information about the progress to date against each of the priorities in the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan can be found in the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan Final Report.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427830,"EventID":"S6W-32177","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:03.483","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:36:53.99","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential benefits of reintroducing routine endometriosis screening for women with severe menstrual symptoms.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential benefits of reintroducing routine endometriosis screening for women with severe menstrual symptoms.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has supported the development of The Endometriosis Care Pathway for NHS Scotland which aims to support healthcare professionals to provide a holistic approach and timely care for those with endometriosis and endometriosis-like symptoms. All NHS Boards should be taking steps to implement the pathway.To support health care professionals to improve their knowledge and understanding of endometriosis NHS Education for Scotland (NES) has been commissioned to create a bespoke training package and framework focussed on menopause and menstrual health, which includes endometriosis, for healthcare professionals in Primary Care.The Scottish Government has also worked with NHS Education for Scotland to deliver an endometriosis masterclass for health care professionals across Scotland on diagnosis, treatment and current research into endometriosis.Additionally, through the NHS Inform Women&rsquo;s Health Platform, we have made a range of information on endometriosis available to women online. This has included the Endometriosis UK Pain and Symptom Diary as well as access to a self-help tool on periods and mental wellbeing.A menstrual health symptom questionnaire has also been developed by NHS Education for Scotland and is available through the TURAS platform for healthcare professionals to share with women. It will also be available for women to access directly via the NHS Inform Women&rsquo;s Health Platform shortly.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427831,"EventID":"S6W-32155","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:02.68","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:33:29.26","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it (a) has created or (b) plans to establish a national advice helpline for women with endometriosis.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it (a) has created or (b) plans to establish a national advice helpline for women with endometriosis.","AnswerText":"We have no plans to establish a national advice helpline for people with endometriosis.Through the NHS Inform Women&rsquo;s Health Platform, we have made a range of information on endometriosis available to women online.This includes signposting to peer support groups and organisations such as Endometriosis UK who operate a free, confidential helpline run by trained volunteers who have a personal experience of endometriosis.There are also national helplines including 111, Breathing Space and The Samaritans for anyone who is struggling and needs someone to talk to.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427832,"EventID":"S6W-32154","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:02.883","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:15:33.26","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many advanced nurse practitioners, specialising in primary care, have been trained in the last five years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many advanced nurse practitioners, specialising in primary care, have been trained in the last five years.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information. NHS Education for Scotland (NES) are responsible for supporting the education, training and development of Advanced Nurse Practitioners.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427833,"EventID":"S6W-32152","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:02.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:14:54.827","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the additional 600 beds for the Hospital at Home programme will be delivered, broken down by the number for each NHS board.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the additional 600 beds for the Hospital at Home programme will be delivered, broken down by the number for each NHS board.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"We are working with local systems as part of the annual planning process for 2025-26 to ensure any additional funding to expand Hospital at Home is targeted towards the areas that offer the greatest improvement to performance and patient care.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427834,"EventID":"S6W-32180","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:03.347","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:36:54.007","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that women with endometriosis are supported in the workplace, including protection from discrimination, implementation of reasonable ad","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that women with endometriosis are supported in the workplace, including protection from discrimination, implementation of reasonable adjustments and incorporation of menstrual health into workplace wellbeing initiatives.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-32178 on 19 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427835,"EventID":"S6W-32167","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:01.683","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:33:29.383","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to ensure that women with endometriosis receive appropriate mental health support as part of their treatment pathway.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to ensure that women with endometriosis receive appropriate mental health support as part of their treatment pathway.","AnswerText":"All health professionals should consider the mental health and wellbeing needs of their patient as part of their care and a support.The Endometriosis Care Pathway for NHS Scotland aims to support healthcare professionals to provide a holistic approach and timely care for those with endometriosis and endometriosis-like symptoms. This includes advising practitioners to assess women&rsquo;s individual support needs, taking into account their symptoms, priorities, desire for fertility, aspects of daily living, work and study, cultural background, and their physical, psychosexual and emotional needs.Through the NHS Inform Women&rsquo;s Health Platform, we have made a range of information on endometriosis available to women online.This includes signposting to peer support groups and organisations such as Endometriosis UK who operate a free, confidential helpline run by trained volunteers who have a personal experience of endometriosis.The platform also hosts a range of content on mental health with several self-help guides to help people manage their mental wellbeing including a menstrual health and mental wellbeing self help guide and another to support those living with chronic pain. There is also signposting to national helplines including 111, Breathing Space and The Samaritans for anyone who is struggling and needs someone to talk to.We are committed to ensuring those living with endometriosis are able to access the best possible care and support and that they benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427836,"EventID":"S6W-32135","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:02.373","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T19:08:54.257","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31887 by Mairi Gougeon on 9 December 2024, whether it has considered using powers under section 36 of the Fisheries Act 2020 to pl","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31887 by Mairi Gougeon on 9 December 2024, whether it has considered using powers under section 36 of the Fisheries Act 2020 to place the Code of Good Practice for Scottish Finfish Aquaculture into law.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continually considers where regulation for farmed fish health is necessary.We already have robust legislation, policies, and operational practices in place to ensure fish farmers are meeting statutory requirements on sealice reporting and management, mortality reporting, listed disease surveillance and containment of farmed fish. The aquaculture sector in Scotland shows a significant level of compliance with both legislative and voluntary requirements. Enactment in law of the finfish sector&rsquo;s Code of Good Practice through existing legislative instruments would not necessarily significantly improve outcomes for fish health and, therefore, there are no plans for further legislation at this time.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427837,"EventID":"S6W-32151","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:03.513","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:14:45.503","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many Hospital at Home beds are currently provided.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many Hospital at Home beds are currently provided.","AnswerText":"Data published by Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) showed that in September 2024, Older Adult&rsquo;s Hospital at Home services provided the equivalent of 510 beds, similar to the size of Royal Alexandra Hospital and larger than University Hospital Wishaw.Between July and September this year, Hospital at Home services for Older People grew by almost 14% compared to the same period in the previous year with over 4,000 patients managed by the service.Hospital at Home capacity is in place across a range of other pathways such as Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy, Respiratory and Heart Failure. Published data is not currently available.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427838,"EventID":"S6W-32165","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:03.377","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:33:29.363","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures are being implemented to support women who experience long delays in receiving an endometriosis diagnosis.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures are being implemented to support women who experience long delays in receiving an endometriosis diagnosis.","AnswerText":"We are committed to ensuring those living with endometriosis are able to access the best possible care and support and that they benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care.Through the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan we are taking steps to support both women and health professionals to learn more about endometriosis, the symptoms and treatment options to improve the diagnostic process. Our Women&rsquo;s Health Plan 2021 - 2024 Final Report on progress provides further details of our work to date.When developing the next phase of the Plan we will build on this progress and seek to ensure that all women receive a timely diagnosis for endometriosis together with access to the care and support that they need.For patients on a waiting list to see a healthcare specialist there is information available on NHS Inform with advice on health and wellbeing whilst they await their appointment. More information can be found at: Waiting well | NHS inform.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427839,"EventID":"S6W-32122","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:02.607","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T15:17:49.023","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of any impact of adopting ultra-high frequency electronic identification technology on the trade of Scottish beef in Europe.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of any impact of adopting ultra-high frequency electronic identification technology on the trade of Scottish beef in Europe.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"Scottish Ministers are currently considering all the available information on bovine EID and technology and any potential impacts it may have, including on trade. This includes the results and analysis of the Consultation on Cattle ID and Traceability held earlier this year.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427840,"EventID":"S6W-32185","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:01.573","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:36:54.03","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is collaborating with (a) Parent Club, (b) the ALLIANCE, (c) Young Scot and (d) other third sector organisations to raise awareness of endometriosis through campa","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is collaborating with (a) Parent Club, (b) the ALLIANCE, (c) Young Scot and (d) other third sector organisations to raise awareness of endometriosis through campaigns and educational initiatives.","AnswerText":"Through the NHS Inform Women&rsquo;s Health Platform, we have made information on a range of health topics, including endometriosis, available to women online and in one place. Reciprocal connections have been made throughout the platform with other Scottish Government sites such as Parent Club and with third sector organisations including Endometriosis UK and Endo SOS helping to raise awareness of the condition and supporting women to access the information they need when they need it.In March 2023 we delivered an engagement campaign in partnership with Young Scot to increase young people&rsquo;s awareness of endometriosis. The campaign primarily targeted those aged 11 to 25 in Scotland and provided information on how to support a young person in the process of diagnosis or who may have endometriosis.The Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (the ALLIANCE) has continued to support the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan through their dedicated lived experience programme. This has included the development of the conversation caf&eacute; toolkit to encourage information sharing and peer support on women&rsquo;s health including menstrual health and endometriosis.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427841,"EventID":"S6W-32140","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:03.447","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T19:23:49.21","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that chalk streams are protected from sewage overflows.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that chalk streams are protected from sewage overflows.","AnswerText":"There are no chalk streams in Scotland, however, we are taking action to protect Scotland&rsquo;s water environment from sewage overflows.Our waterways are in good condition. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) considers 86.5% of our water environment to be high or good quality - up from 82% in 2014. SEPA, which regulates discharges from Scottish Water&rsquo;s assets to the environment, acknowledges the sustained investment made by Scottish Water across the period 2015-21 has been a key driver of this improvement","AnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427842,"EventID":"S6W-32149","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-11T16:41:02.497","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:14:26.77","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the &pound;80.888 million funding that has been allocated in its draft Budget 2025-26 under the&nbsp;Alcohol and Drugs Policy budg","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the &pound;80.888 million funding that has been allocated in its draft Budget 2025-26 under the&nbsp;Alcohol and Drugs Policy budget line.","AnswerText":"The funding for Drugs and Alcohol in the 2025-26 draft budget is &pound;80.9m. This includes &pound;60m as part of our commitment to provide &pound;250m in additional funding over 5 years to reduce drug deaths and improve the lives of people who use drugs and alcohol.&pound;19.1m has moved to baselined funding which Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) have highlighted as important for sustainability and recruitment and a record total of &pound;112 million funding for ADPs has been maintained for a third year.We are also continuing to fund grassroots organisations through &pound;13 million a year to the Corra Foundation and we&rsquo;ll continue to invest in residential rehabilitation - with more than &pound;10 million committed to increasing capacity and funded placements.The National Mission annual report finance sections aim to provide greater transparency of National Mission funding, and provide a breakdown of funding. The reports for financial years 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24 are available at:National Mission on Drugs: annual report 2023-2024 - gov.scot (section 8.4)National Mission on Drugs: annual report 2022-2023 - gov.scot (section 8.4)National Mission on Drugs: annual report 2021-2022 - gov.scot (section 8.4)","AnswerDate":"2024-12-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427850,"EventID":"S6W-32224","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:03.827","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T14:50:45.97","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposal in the Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill to have jury sizes of 15 with a majority of at least 10 required to convict, what ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposal in the Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill to have jury sizes of 15 with a majority of at least 10 required to convict, what that majority would be if either one, two or three jurors dropped out.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government considers that, if one or more juror is excused during a trial, that should not place the accused person at a disadvantage or an advantage: the majority required for a conviction should not fluctuate depending on the number of jurors who remain. The Scottish Government therefore considers that the requirement for at least a two thirds majority should remain constant in cases where the jury reduces in size. Specifically, the Government's proposal is that:in the case of a jury consisting of 14 or 15 jurors, at least 10 jurors must be in favour of a guilty verdict for a conviction,in the case of a jury consisting of 13 jurors, at least 9 jurors must be in favour of a guilty verdict for a conviction, andin the case of a jury consisting of 12 jurors, at least 8 jurors must be in favour of a guilty verdict for a conviction.The Government will be bringing forward Stage 2 amendments to the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill which, if passed, would set these thresholds for conviction.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427851,"EventID":"S6W-32145","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:03.813","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T09:56:44.353","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Out-turn report for the Affordable Housing Supply Programme between 2022 and 2024 will be published","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Out-turn report for the Affordable Housing Supply Programme between 2022 and 2024 will be published","AnswerText":"The Out-turn report for the 2022-23 Affordable Housing Supply Programme will be published early in the New Year. The 2023-24 out-turn report is still in progress and we do not, at present, have an identified publication date.Statistics relating to the progress of the Affordable Housing Supply Programme are published quarterly on the Scottish Government website. These figures relate to the number of approvals, site starts, and completions of homes. They can be accessed using the following link: https://www.gov.scot/publications/housing-statistics-for-scotland-new-house-building/Other Affordable housing programme data is also available on our webpage Affordable Housing Supply Programme - More homes - gov.scot","AnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427852,"EventID":"S6W-32267","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:03.857","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T10:35:41.773","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a detailed breakdown of the &pound;25 million allocated in its draft Budget 2025-26 to increase jobs in the green energy supply chain.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a detailed breakdown of the &pound;25 million allocated in its draft Budget 2025-26 to increase jobs in the green energy supply chain.","AnswerText":"In line with our Green Industrial Strategy, we are continuing to support Scotland&rsquo;s energy transition. The draft 2025-26 Scottish Budget includes an allocation of &pound;25m to support the development of hydrogen and carbon capture technologies, as well as initiatives to support Scotland&rsquo;s businesses and industries to decarbonise and innovative projects such as the Energy Transition Zone in Aberdeen.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427853,"EventID":"S6W-32211","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2892,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:03.857","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T13:37:26.45","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the&nbsp;&pound;349.1 million energy efficiency and decarbonisation expenditure announced in its draft Budget 2025-26.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the&nbsp;&pound;349.1 million energy efficiency and decarbonisation expenditure announced in its draft Budget 2025-26.","AnswerText":"Work is underway to review and allocate the budget across the schemes funded through the Heat in Buildings programme. The allocations will be submitted for review to the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy early in the new year.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427854,"EventID":"S6W-32215","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2892,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:04.137","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T13:37:26.45","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government on what dates the Green Heat Finance Taskforce has met since July 2024, and when the next meeting will take place.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government on what dates the Green Heat Finance Taskforce has met since July 2024, and when the next meeting will take place.","AnswerText":"The Green Heat Finance Taskforce met on 16 July 2024 and 9 October 2024. The Taskforce&rsquo;s next meeting is scheduled for 15 January 2025 when it will seek to finalise its Part 2 report.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427855,"EventID":"S6W-32146","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:03.917","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:13:52.343","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the &pound;100 million of funding that has been allocated in its draft Budget 2025-26 under the budget line Reform and Improvement","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the &pound;100 million of funding that has been allocated in its draft Budget 2025-26 under the budget line Reform and Improvement Measures.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"To address delayed discharge and reduce waiting lists, &pound;200 million has been allocated in the 2025-26 Budget. Funding will be targeted at specialties with long waits to ensure that by March 2026, no patient will wait longer than 12 months for a new outpatient appointment or inpatient / day case treatment.The &lsquo;Improving Outcomes and Reform&rsquo; funding includes the following budgets: Access Support, Waiting Times Improvement Plan, Board Recovery (including NTC) National Treatment Centres, Modernising Patient Pathways (CfSD),Winter Funding, Urgent Care, Unscheduled Care, Detect Cancer Early (including new Manifesto commitment), Cancer Policy, Cancer Recovery Plan, Trauma Networks and Waiting Times.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427856,"EventID":"S6W-32245","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:04.613","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T16:12:15.57","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has given to Sustrans in each year since the organisation was established.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has given to Sustrans in each year since the organisation was established.","AnswerText":"The following table represents funding Sustrans has received directly from the Scottish Government or Transport Scotland, and does not reflect any monies that Sustrans may have secured from indirectly. In future years Active Travel funding will be distributed through Local Authorities for Infrastructure Investment and through Regional Transport Authorities for Behaviour Change initiatives.The breakdown of support split by year2009-201011,5002010-201111,7502012-20134,000,0002014-201510,075,0002015-201629,345,0002016-201717,279,5002017-201811,450,0002018-201952,750,4052019-202047,510,0002020-202119,685,9302021-202265,355,1302022-202368,338,2952023-202414,363,0002024-2025 (to date)23,593,763","AnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427857,"EventID":"S6W-32244","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:03.907","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T16:12:15.57","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its current estimate is of the revised costs of upgrading the A720 Sheriffhall Roundabout.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its current estimate is of the revised costs of upgrading the A720 Sheriffhall Roundabout.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to delivering the grade separation of Sheriffhall roundabout as part of its &pound;300 million commitment to the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal.The latest scheme cost estimate, current at Quarter 4 2018 prices, indicated a total cost of approximately &pound;116.5 million, excluding non-recoverable VAT.We continue to progress the proposed scheme through the statutory process so we can deliver improvements at this key junction as soon as possible. Following the Public Local Inquiry for the scheme, the Reporter&rsquo;s conclusions and recommendations have been submitted to the Scottish Government and are currently under active consideration before a decision is made by Scottish Ministers whether to progress the scheme.As with other road infrastructure projects, the estimated cost of the scheme will be updated following completion of the statutory authorisation process and in advance of procurement commencing.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427858,"EventID":"S6W-32207","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2892,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:04.12","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T13:37:26.45","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its draft Budget 2025-26, whether it has reached its target of allocating at least &pound;1.8 billion to support the Heat in Buildings programme over the cu","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its draft Budget 2025-26, whether it has reached its target of allocating at least &pound;1.8 billion to support the Heat in Buildings programme over the current parliamentary session and, if not, what the allocation is.","AnswerText":"With the draft 25-26 budget allocation, the total allocation for Heat in Buildings within this parliamentary session is &pound;1.7bn.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427859,"EventID":"S6W-32249","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:04.423","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T16:12:15.57","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to rejoin the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS).","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to rejoin the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS).","AnswerText":"Scotland will take part in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) at two grade levels - P5 and S2 - and we have confirmed our participation with the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement, which administers the study. Procurement of a provider to deliver the assessments in Scotland is currently underway. The field trial is planned for 2026, with the main study to follow in 2027.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427860,"EventID":"S6W-32262","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:04.593","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T09:27:07.333","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what qualifying circumstances would be covered under the force majeure clause in the Rural Support (Improvement) (Miscellaneous Amendment) (Scotland) Regulations 2024, a","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what qualifying circumstances would be covered under the force majeure clause in the Rural Support (Improvement) (Miscellaneous Amendment) (Scotland) Regulations 2024, and how crofters and farmers can (a) access protection and (b) appeal a decision of a rejected application to access protection&nbsp;under this clause.","AnswerText":"The Force Majeure/Exceptional Circumstance (FM/EC) provision is one that has existed for a number of years and if a business has been unable to comply with the rules of a scheme because of FM/EC, they may retain the right to aid in respect of the claim. To qualify, a business must notify the Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Division (SGRPID) in writing of the FM/EC event along with relevant evidence from the date they are in a position to do so.The FM/EC provision applies on a case by case basis, and decisions are taken on the basis of relevant evidence provided. The way on which the Scottish Government continue to approach cases relies on the approach set out by legislation.Examples of force majeure or exceptional circumstances are:1.the death of the farmer2.the long-term professional incapacity of the farmer3.a severe natural disaster gravely affecting the holding's agricultural land4.the accidental destruction of livestock buildings on the holding5.an epizootic affecting part of or all of the farmer&rsquo;s livestock (for example, Foot and Mouth Disease)This is not an exhaustive list and animal health concerns, weather conditions, bull failure or transport issues may also qualify as FM/EC. These are only examples and they are not, by themselves, sufficient to qualify as FM/EC and the applicant would still need to provide evidence in support of these events that demonstrate that calving performance has been impacted by comparison to previous years.In August 2024, the Scottish Government posted a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Scottish Suckler Beef Support Scheme (Mainland and Islands) to support the industry with information on the new calving interval condition being introduced to the Scottish Suckler Beef Support Scheme (SSBSS) from 2025. The FAQ includes detail of the FM/EC provision in the context of the SSBSS calving interval condition, including the type of evidence that would be required to support a request for it to be applied.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427861,"EventID":"S6W-32248","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:04.313","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T16:12:15.57","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it estimates the new Edinburgh eye hospital will be completed.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it estimates the new Edinburgh eye hospital will be completed.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-32247 on 18 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427862,"EventID":"S6W-32247","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:03.827","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T16:12:15.57","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates work on the new Edinburgh eye hospital will commence.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates work on the new Edinburgh eye hospital will commence.","AnswerText":"The 2025-26 draft budget provides &pound;139 million additional investment for health infrastructure, allowing some work to resume on delivering new acute facilities, including the Princes Alexandra Eye Pavilion.NHS Lothian have been invited to progress the business case and design work, however, the exact timeline has not been established as to when construction will start or when the project will be completed.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427863,"EventID":"S6W-32232","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16209,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:03.83","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T15:16:11.91","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to integrate inshore fisheries management with regional planning.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to integrate inshore fisheries management with regional planning.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-22894 on 27 November 2023.The National Marine Plan (NMP2) will inform if, where, when and how development takes place and provide guidance on reaching those decisions.The regulation and management of activities are covered by sector specific regulations outside of planning. Fisheries management measures form part of our ecosystem-based management but are not a national or regional marine planning matter.We have a live call for evidence under our Inshore Fisheries Management Improvement (IFMI) Programme, which closes on 04 February 2025. This seeks expert input to help us transition to a more agile management model and enable a regional approach.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427864,"EventID":"S6W-32209","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2892,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:09.133","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T13:37:26.45","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what correspondence it has had with the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero regarding improving the quality of heat networks metering and billing regulations ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what correspondence it has had with the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero regarding improving the quality of heat networks metering and billing regulations notification data on the clean heat supplied through the heat networks in Scotland.","AnswerText":"With the introduction of a new heat network authorisation and consumer protection regime being developed under the Energy Act 2023, my officials have focused their efforts on engaging with the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and Ofgem regarding the data that will be collected as part of this new regime and the system that will be used to collect it. Ofgem has recently published the Heat networks regulation: authorisation and regulatory oversight consultation which provides details on the registration and monitoring. Both processes will provide valuable data on heat networks.We expect that the quality of data from the new regime will be significantly better than that submitted as Heat Networks Metering and Billing Regulations 2014 (HNMBR) notifications, for a number of reasons, including that Ofgem is developing a dedicated digital platform so that regulated entities can engage with Ofgem supporting the processes of Registration, Authorisation Application and reporting for monitoring.The date for heat networks regulation taking effect has been confirmed as 1 April 2025 in the Heat Networks (Market Framework) (Great Britain) Regulations 2025 Statutory Instrument (SI) 2025, laid in the UK Parliament on 28 November 2024, with later commencement dates for some of the regulations within the SI.The Heat networks regulation: authorisation and regulatory oversight consultation can be accessed at the following address: Heat networks regulation: authorisation and regulatory oversight.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427865,"EventID":"S6W-32271","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:03.823","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T11:26:03.893","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comments by the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport during the members' business debate on motion S6M-14427 (Reversal of &pound;10 Milli","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comments by the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport during the members' business debate on motion S6M-14427 (Reversal of &pound;10 Million Funding for Changing Places Toilets) on 11 December 2024, whether it plans to publish the draft criteria for the planned Changing Places Toilet Fund, and, if so, when.","AnswerText":"Initial views were sought on the criteria for the Changing Places Toilets (CPT) Fund at the CPT Cross Party Group on 14 November. We will not be undertaking a formal consultation on the draft criteria, but we will share them with key interests, including the Cross Party Group, in the New Year.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427866,"EventID":"S6W-31961","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:04.777","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-03T22:20:04.563","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated capital cost is of permanently replacing the M8 Woodside Viaducts with a surface level dual carriageway; whether this could be partly funded by high-d","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated capital cost is of permanently replacing the M8 Woodside Viaducts with a surface level dual carriageway; whether this could be partly funded by high-density commercial development of any surplus land released adjacent to a new road, and how this option compares with the cost of continually repairing the existing viaducts.","AnswerText":"No work has been undertaken to consider permanently replacing the M8 Woodside Viaducts with a surface level dual carriageway. Therefore, it is not possible to determine what the design and estimated capital cost of such an option would be, the practicalities of funding it or making a comparison with the costs for maintaining the existing viaducts.Transport Scotland are currently undertaking a tender competition to appoint technical advisors to determine the most appropriate permanent solution for the M8 Woodside Viaducts including the next steps for procuring the works. Once undertaken, the works will provide greater resilience for these structures.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427867,"EventID":"S6W-32281","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:03.813","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T13:10:59.013","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work and outcomes of the Road Safety Scotland Drink and Drug-Driving Campaign","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work and outcomes of the Road Safety Scotland Drink and Drug-Driving Campaign","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s Drink and Drug-Driving campaign runs from the 2 December 2024 to 13 January 2025. It covers radio, digital, out of home billboards in urban areas where audience can be reached prior to drinking or taking drugs, tactical outdoor sites, including posters and beermats in pubs and clubs targeting the audience in environments where they may be considering driving home under the influence. Sub-targeting of drivers living in the most deprived areas has been factored into plans and will be achieved through digital media postcode targeting.All campaign materials will signpost to the roadsafety.scot website, which will support behaviour change by including further information on drug and drink-driving penalties, legal alcohol limits and roadside drug testing. PR and partnership activity and a campaign toolkit is available for partners which outlines details of the campaign and key messaging alongside shareable assets.The effectiveness of the campaign will be evaluated and this work is undertaken by independent research agencies and seeks to track shifts in the target audiences&rsquo; attitudes and behaviours as a result of campaign exposure.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427868,"EventID":"S6W-32257","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:03.853","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T16:57:19.043","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for which conditions policy will be developed as a result of the additional funding for long-term conditions outlined in its draft Budget 2025-26.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for which conditions policy will be developed as a result of the additional funding for long-term conditions outlined in its draft Budget 2025-26.","AnswerText":"In addition to funding to support the expansion of access to diabetes technology already announced in the financial year 2024-2025, the draft Budget for 2025-2026 contains funding to support continued policy development for long term conditions including diabetes, respiratory conditions, chronic pain, neurological conditions, heart disease and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":427869,"EventID":"S6W-32258","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:03.883","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T16:57:19.043","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that primary care clinical teams can provide the best (a) prevention, (b) diagnosis and (c) treatment of chronic kidney disease.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that primary care clinical teams can provide the best (a) prevention, (b) diagnosis and (c) treatment of chronic kidney disease.","AnswerText":"General Practitioners are experienced in preventing, diagnosing, and treating chronic kidney disease and follow established professional guidelines, including those by NICE, in supporting patients through this chronic condition.Professional clinical management decisions about how best to prevent, diagnose and treat chronic kidney disease by primary care teams are the responsibility of NHS boards and primary care clinicians.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":427870,"EventID":"S6W-32212","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2892,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:03.81","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T13:37:26.45","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what solutions it is exploring to scale up the private finance needed for the clean heat transition.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what solutions it is exploring to scale up the private finance needed for the clean heat transition.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has allocated &pound;1.3 billion through its Heat in Building Programmes in this Parliamentary Session, investment it is committed to continuing in 2025-26 with over &pound;300 million capital funding allocated in the draft budget. However, the Scottish Government cannot finance the transition alone and established the independent Green Heat Finance Taskforce with a remit to explore how to attract greater private finance to support the clean heat transition.The Scottish Government is engaging with lenders and the wider finance sector as it considers the Taskforce&rsquo;s Part 1 report and, following its Part 2 report, will formally respond identifying which recommendations across both Taskforce reports will be prioritised and how we will take forward action in partnership with others.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427871,"EventID":"S6W-32233","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5815,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":106,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:03.917","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T15:35:40.937","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether students under the age of 22 from outside of Scotland who are studying at Scottish universities and colleges qualify for the discretionary free bus travel card, ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether students under the age of 22 from outside of Scotland who are studying at Scottish universities and colleges qualify for the discretionary free bus travel card, and, if so, what the annual cost of this is to the Scottish Government.","AnswerText":"Anyone, including students from outside of Scotland, that is a resident of Scotland for the majority of the year and aged 5 to 21 is eligible for the Young Persons&rsquo; Free Bus Travel Scheme.The Scottish Government do not calculate or hold information on the cost of delivering the scheme on a per person basis.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427872,"EventID":"S6W-31639","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:03.903","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T12:10:00.33","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many seal licences have been issued in each ofthe last 10 years, also broken down by how many have been exercised.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many seal licences have been issued in each ofthe last 10 years, also broken down by how many have been exercised.","AnswerText":"&nbsp;Issued20142015201620172018201920202021202220232024Rivers232118181818210114Fish Farms323030282727270000&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Exercised&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rivers1111868950000Fish Farms181615111113160000","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427873,"EventID":"S6W-32242","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:05.153","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T16:12:15.57","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many librarians have been employed in schools in each year since 1999.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many librarians have been employed in schools in each year since 1999.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government publishes annual statistics on support staff in schools, including school library staff. From 2010-2016, figures were published as part of the Teacher census supplementary statistics - gov.scot. From 2017 onwards, figures on school library staff are published as part of the School support staff statistics - gov.scot.We do not hold statistics from earlier than 2010.YearLibrary staff20103412011343201228820132692014276201525220162432017276201826620192652020260202123420222582023242*the number of librarians in these statistics relates to full-time equivalents (FTE).Staff that work in a community library setting that forms a joint school and public library facility are not included in the above statistics.Responsibility for the provision of school library services, including the recruitment of library staff, is the statutory duty of local authorities.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427874,"EventID":"S6W-31269","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:03.92","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-14T11:36:50.62","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many post-mortems have been conducted in (a) Aberdeen, (b) Glasgow and (c) Edinburgh in each of the last 10 years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many post-mortems have been conducted in (a) Aberdeen, (b) Glasgow and (c) Edinburgh in each of the last 10 years.","AnswerText":"The following table details the number of post mortem examinations which have been instructed by the Procurator Fiscal in Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh in each of the last ten years.COPFS does not hold figures for hospital post mortem examinations conducted by NHS boards.YearPost Mortems Conducted in AberdeenPost Mortems Conducted in GlasgowPost Mortems Conducted in EdinburghTotal of Post Mortems Conducted in Aberdeen, Glasgow &amp; EdinburghTotal of Post Mortems Conducted in Scotland2014-1553125801462457363652015-1652826141558470066462016-1744624571306420957052017-1842425771411441258582018-1945124911434437656782019-2041526021395441257012020-2151631061539516166952021-2253931141568522170822022-2355730531779538970222023-246002763156449276479","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427875,"EventID":"S6W-31581","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:03.887","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T11:25:32.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energylast met (a) Aberdeenshire, (b) Angus, (c) Highland and (d) Moray Council todiscuss the impact of (i) major electricity","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energylast met (a) Aberdeenshire, (b) Angus, (c) Highland and (d) Moray Council todiscuss the impact of (i) major electricity infrastructure and (ii) energyinfrastructure consenting reforms.","AnswerText":"I have not recently met any of the local authorities listed to discuss the impact of major electricity infrastructure or energy infrastructure consenting reforms.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427876,"EventID":"S6W-32206","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:04.073","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T13:19:04.463","Title":"To ask the Scottish      Government, in light of there being no planned increase to the Whole      Family Wellbeing Fund in&nbsp;its draft Budget 2025-26, while the Care      Experience - Whole Family","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish      Government, in light of there being no planned increase to the Whole      Family Wellbeing Fund in&nbsp;its draft Budget 2025-26, while the Care      Experience - Whole Family Wellbeing budget line has increased by &pound;49      million compared with 2024-25, whether it will provide a breakdown of how      it plans to allocate this additional funding.","AnswerText":"This years&rsquo; budget document presents the latest budget for 2024-25 (which is the position at Autumn Budget Revision as approved by the Scottish Parliament) as the comparator information. There are significant movements in portfolio budgets across the financial year that reflect transfers of resource funding between portfolios &ndash; these transfers can reflect in-year decisions on reprioritisation, but also allow for recurring movement of significant sums between areas where policy responsibility (and initial budget) sit in one portfolio and ultimate delivery takes place in another. In the case of the Care Experience - Whole Family Wellbeing Funding line the starting position looks artificially low against the budget figures for 2025-26.The Scottish Government is fully committed to Keeping The Promise by 2030 and despite the unprecedented challenges to public finances, we have continued to prioritise and protect funding for Whole Family Wellbeing, The Promise and GIRFEC, which will allow the continuation of the important work to transform family support services.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427877,"EventID":"S6W-31642","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:03.843","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T12:10:00.33","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many seal licences have been issued to parties along the River (a) Dee and (b) Don in each of the last 10 years,&nbsp;also broken down by how many have been exercise","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many seal licences have been issued to parties along the River (a) Dee and (b) Don in each of the last 10 years,&nbsp;also broken down by how many have been exercised.","AnswerText":"&nbsp;Issued20142015201620172018201920202021202220232024Dee11111110001Don00000000000&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Exercised&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Dee10010100000Don00000000000","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427878,"EventID":"S6W-32254","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16194,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:04.47","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T16:35:05.467","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) members of the public and (b) organisations have notified it or its relevant public bodies of unsafe cladding on their buildings in each month since January","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) members of the public and (b) organisations have notified it or its relevant public bodies of unsafe cladding on their buildings in each month since January 2019.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government takes the safety of buildings very seriously and works closely with members of the public and organisations to address concerns about cladding. Since January 2019, notifications regarding potentially unsafe cladding have been received on an ongoing basis. These have been managed in collaboration with relevant public bodies to ensure appropriate actions are taken. The Government continues to prioritise public safety and supports affected parties in addressing these issues.There are 107 entries in the pilot phase of the Cladding Remediation Programme. Entries in the pilot can comprise a single block or building, or a development, or part of a development consisting of multiple blocks or buildings.We are aware that pilot assessments have been undertaken for 30 of the pilot entries. A pilot assessment includes any assessment carried out prior to the publication of the Single Building Assessment specification on the 21 June 2024. These numbers relate to known pilot assessments only as developers, home owners or other organisations could have commissioned assessments without informing the Scottish Government and therefore the true numbers may be higher and could increase as further information becomes available.Pilot works to mitigate or remediate risks have started for five of the pilot entries. Works in this context refers to any action taken to address known cladding-related risks, including Urgent Interim Measures. These numbers relate to known works on a pilot entry only, as developers or other organisations could have carried out works without informing the Scottish Government, and therefore the true numbers may be higher and could increase as further information becomes available.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427879,"EventID":"S6W-32235","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:04.203","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T15:53:09.58","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what methodology it used to calculate the increase of around 1% in real terms to the 2025-26 block grant settlement compared with the latest 2024-25 allocation, as set o","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what methodology it used to calculate the increase of around 1% in real terms to the 2025-26 block grant settlement compared with the latest 2024-25 allocation, as set out in its draft Budget 2025-26, including the (a) figures and (b) sources of figures used in this calculation, and, following that methodology, whether it can calculate the percentage increase to three significant figures.","AnswerText":"All figures are drawn from Table A.02 set out in Annex A of the 2025-26 Budget publication. The around 1% real terms increase figure quoted is in relation to the change in real terms in Resource Barnett Block Grant between the latest 2024-25 figure and the 2025-26 figure. All figures reconcile to the agreed HM Treasury aggregates. HM Treasury aggregates include some non-Barnett elements in the overall total which are excluded from the year on year comparators (these are disclosed elsewhere in the funding position at table A.02 - specifically within the Migrant Surcharge and Other/Budget Cover Transfer lines).The GDP deflator values used in calculating the real terms movement are as published by the Office for National Statistics.Methodology for calculation.Figures &ndash;.2024-25 core Barnett settlement is &pound;39,635 million (made up of the &pound;38,202 million total UK Settlement plus &pound;1,433 million of additional consequentials received at UK Budget Statement.The 715 million ringfenced funding has been baselined in 2025-26 so is included in 41141 figure.&pound;41,141 million is the is the core Barnett Settlement for 2025-26.GDP deflator is 1.0239Calculating the % increase in real terms 2024-25 to 2025-26;Real terms figures are quoted in 2024-25 process. The GDP deflator is used to put the 2025-26 funding in 2024-25 terms.41141 / 1.0239 = 40180.68171You then calculate the % increase by;(2025-26 funding in 2024-25 real terms &ndash; 2024-25 funding) / 2024-25 funding * 100( 40180.68171 &ndash; 39635.254 ) / 39635.254 * 100 = 1.38% increase to 3 significant figures.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427880,"EventID":"S6W-32273","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:04.547","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T11:26:22.2","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comments by the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport during the members' business debate on motion S6M-14427 (Reversal of &pound;10 Milli","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comments by the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport during the members' business debate on motion S6M-14427 (Reversal of &pound;10 Million Funding for Changing Places Toilets) on 11 December 2024, by what date in the 2025-26 financial year it hopes to have opened the Changing Places Toilet Fund for funding applications.","AnswerText":"Work to develop the Changing Places Toilets Fund criteria, plans and processes is underway. Details of the Fund launch date will be confirmed once arrangements have been finalised and will be dependent on Parliamentary approval of the Scottish Government&rsquo;s Budget Bill.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427881,"EventID":"S6W-32252","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:05.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T16:31:47.627","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to ensure the sustainability and future of GP practices, particularly in rural and island areas, and to address the funding issues raised by t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to ensure the sustainability and future of GP practices, particularly in rural and island areas, and to address the funding issues raised by the increase in employer national insurance contributions, including at the Skerryvore practice in Orkney.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises that primary and community care services should be developed to meet the needs of distinct localities, including those in our rural areas and islands. We have a range of levers to support rural and island areas, including Scotgem, golden hellos, rediscover the joy , a GP sustainability project, and our current work with NES to deliver GP fellowships and rural credentials. We also established the National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care to support health boards, HSCPS and individuals to improve capability in rural and island areas.The Scottish Government estimates that the Employer National Insurance Contribution increase might cost between &pound;520 and &pound;580 million for directly employed public sector employees and a further &pound;210 million for contracted out services and the third sector. For NHS contractors, including GPs, we estimate costs of &pound;40 million.If the chancellor does not fund that in full, it could be, that at best &pound;380 million would be forthcoming; leaving a significant shortfall. We continue to press for clarification.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427882,"EventID":"S6W-32265","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:09.06","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T10:35:41.773","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it will publish its Energy Strategy.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it will publish its Energy Strategy.","AnswerText":"The judgements and issues in the Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan are informed and influenced by recent developments in UK Government energy policy and by court decisions.This is a rapidly changing landscape and we are taking time to reflect on those developments before drawing any conclusions and publishing a final strategy.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427883,"EventID":"S6W-32269","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:03.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T10:35:41.773","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government where the capital funding of &pound;150 million in its draft Budget 2025-26 to support the offshore wind sector will be spent, broken down by region.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government where the capital funding of &pound;150 million in its draft Budget 2025-26 to support the offshore wind sector will be spent, broken down by region.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s Offshore Wind Focus paper identifies key strategic opportunities across ports &amp; harbours infrastructure and the wider offshore wind supply chain. The strategic assessment conducted with public sector delivery partners, drawing from a range of evidence, industry reports and wider market intelligence, concluded that a cluster approach would be essential for Ports and Harbours, and identified priority clusters in Cromarty/Moray and Forth &amp;Tay with supporting investments in the broader North East, West Coast and Shetland clusters. We are not releasing details of the projects or the full potential pipeline of opportunities at this time as this is commercially sensitive, and the individual investment opportunities are subject to rigorous due diligence and value for money assurance processes.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427884,"EventID":"S6W-32148","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:03.843","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:14:16.833","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the &pound;220.891 million of funding that has been allocated in its draft Budget 2025-26 under the Primary Care Fund budget line.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the &pound;220.891 million of funding that has been allocated in its draft Budget 2025-26 under the Primary Care Fund budget line.","AnswerText":"Further detail on the Scottish Government&rsquo;s proposed &pound;221.961 million funding for the primary care fund in 2025-2026 can be found in the 2025-26 Level 4 tables published along the Budget itself - Supporting documents - Scottish Budget 2025 to 2026 - gov.scot. In addition, we plan to further invest in primary and community care services from the commitment to provide &pound;100 million Reform and Improvement measures funding to alleviate waiting time and hospital occupancy.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427885,"EventID":"S6W-32272","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:04.683","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T11:26:12.963","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comments by the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport during the members' business debate on motion S6M-14427 (Reversal of &pound;10 Milli","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comments by the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport during the members' business debate on motion S6M-14427 (Reversal of &pound;10 Million Funding for Changing Places Toilets) on 11 December 2024, whether it will provide the draft criteria for the planned Changing Places Toilet Fund to MSPs, and, if so, when.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-32271 on 6 January 2025. As I said during the Parliamentary debate on Changing Places Toilets, I am keen to work in partnership with members from all parties.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427886,"EventID":"S6W-32217","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2633,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:04.007","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T14:19:28.12","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken across the rail network in Scotland to improve access to good quality toilet facilities for (a) drivers, (b) train crew, (c) track workers and","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken across the rail network in Scotland to improve access to good quality toilet facilities for (a) drivers, (b) train crew, (c) track workers and (d) other staff.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government notes the report commissioned by ASLEF and its findings. Every worker should be able to work with dignity and this includes having an access to toilet facilities. The report findings are for train operating companies, as employers to consider.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427887,"EventID":"S6W-32239","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:03.853","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T15:56:45.813","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to ensure that NHS boards are appropriately resourced to deliver plans for the implementation of its new model of care, as part of the Best Start programme ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to ensure that NHS boards are appropriately resourced to deliver plans for the implementation of its new model of care, as part of the Best Start programme for maternity and neonatal care.","AnswerText":"Since implementation of Best Start commenced in 2017 Scottish Government has provided over &pound;30 million of funding to NHS Boards to support implementation of the Best Start recommendations.We continue to provide funding for the ongoing delivery of neonatal intensive care and continuity of carer, and to NHS National Services Scotland for the Perinatal Network.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427888,"EventID":"S6W-32223","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2633,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:03.923","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T14:19:28.12","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6T-02170 by Fiona Hyslop on 5 November 2024, what its response is to reported concerns that the \"redeployment of some ScotRail staff ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6T-02170 by Fiona Hyslop on 5 November 2024, what its response is to reported concerns that the \"redeployment of some ScotRail staff to provide more and better assistance for passengers\" and a reduction in ScotRail ticket office opening hours, might affect the (a) opening hours of waiting rooms and (b) access to toilet facilities in stations.","AnswerText":"Whilst this is an operational matter for ScotRail, ScotRail has assured the Scottish Government that staffed stations will continue to offer access to assets as they do at present. Facilities and toilets used by the public in most cases will remain open even when ticket office desks are shut.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427889,"EventID":"S6W-32263","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:04.5","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T09:27:07.333","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) weather conditions and (b) late delivery of a bull would qualify crofters and farmers for protection of their subsidies under the force majeure clause in the","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) weather conditions and (b) late delivery of a bull would qualify crofters and farmers for protection of their subsidies under the force majeure clause in the Rural Support (Improvement) (Miscellaneous Amendment) (Scotland) Regulations 2024, and in what circumstances the late delivery of artificial insemination would qualify crofters and farmers for protection under this clause.","AnswerText":"The Force Majeure/Exceptional Circumstance (FM/EC) provision is one that has existed for a number of years and if a business has been unable to comply with the rules of a scheme because of FM/EC, they may retain the right to aid in respect of the claim. To qualify, a business must notify the Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Division (SGRPID) in writing of the FM/EC event along with relevant evidence from the date they are in a position to do so.The FM/EC provision applies on a case by case basis, and decisions are taken on the basis of relevant evidence provided. The way on which the Scottish Government continue to approach cases relies on the approach set out by legislation.Examples of force majeure or exceptional circumstances are:1.the death of the farmer2.the long-term professional incapacity of the farmer3.a severe natural disaster gravely affecting the holding's agricultural land4.the accidental destruction of livestock buildings on the holding5.an epizootic affecting part of or all of the farmer&rsquo;s livestock (for example, Foot and Mouth Disease)This is not an exhaustive list and animal health concerns, weather conditions, bull failure or transport issues may also qualify as FM/EC.These are only examples and they are not, by themselves, sufficient to qualify as FM/EC and the applicant would still need to provide evidence in support of these events that demonstrate that calving performance has been impacted by comparison to previous years.In August 2024, the Scottish Government posted a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) to support the industry with information on the new calving interval condition being introduced to the Scottish Suckler Beef Support Scheme (SSBSS) from 2025. The FAQ includes detail of the FM/EC provision in the context of the SSBSS calving interval condition, including the type of evidence that would be required to support a request for it to be applied.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427890,"EventID":"S6W-32210","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2892,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:05.23","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T13:37:26.45","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, following the publication of the Heat in Buildings: progress report 2024, what action it is taking to strengthen the sources and quality of data on the number of (a) do","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, following the publication of the Heat in Buildings: progress report 2024, what action it is taking to strengthen the sources and quality of data on the number of (a) domestic and (b) non-domestic properties operating with zero emissions heating, including heat pumps, heat networks and electric heating.","AnswerText":"Our progress report highlighted gaps in data that made reporting on some areas challenging, particularly heat networks and non-domestic properties.Future reporting of heat network data will be improved through the introduction of a new GB-wide heat network authorisation and consumer protection regime. Ofgem have recently published Heat networks regulation: authorisation and regulatory oversight consultation which provides details on the registration and monitoring.On non-domestic properties specifically, we continue to work with the Energy Saving Trust to improve reporting through further development of the Non-Domestic Analytics database. The database aims to provide a comprehensive resource on the non-domestic building stock in Scotland.The data presented on domestic properties are comprehensive, being based on the Scottish Household Condition Survey (designated as Accredited Official Statistics). We will, however, continue to look for improvements in future reporting where possible.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427891,"EventID":"S6W-32274","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:04.093","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T11:30:31.957","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comments by the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport during the members' business debate on motion S6M-14427 (Reversal of &pound;10 Milli","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comments by the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport during the members' business debate on motion S6M-14427 (Reversal of &pound;10 Million Funding for Changing Places Toilets) on 11 December 2024, by what date it plans to have published the application form for the planned Changing Places Toilet Fund.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-32273 on 6 January 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427892,"EventID":"S6W-32208","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2892,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:04.183","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T13:37:26.45","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the timeline is for carrying out the Scottish Climate Survey, which aims to assess public awareness and understanding of the heat transition, and by what date this ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the timeline is for carrying out the Scottish Climate Survey, which aims to assess public awareness and understanding of the heat transition, and by what date this will be published.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Climate Survey is gathering data on public awareness and understanding of a variety of climate-related topics, including the heat transition. Data collection began in October 2024 and is continuing until January 2025. A report of findings is expected to be published by April 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427893,"EventID":"S6W-32243","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:04.66","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T16:12:15.57","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it has provided to help develop free children&rsquo;s libraries near primary schools.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it has provided to help develop free children&rsquo;s libraries near primary schools.","AnswerText":"Scotland has a network of 468 free public libraries and 37 mobile libraries which help to provide access to library provision for schools in rural areas or where there is no public library nearby.Additionally, the Scottish Government provides annual funding towards the Public Library Improvement Fund (PLIF) and School Library Improvement Fund (SLIF) administered by the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC), to enable public and school libraries to undertake a wide range of pioneering initiatives within communities.PLIF supports national programmes like Every Child a Library Member (ECALM). The ECALM initiative aims to streamline the library joining process for children across Scotland.SLIF has delivered funding to support the development of libraries in early years settings, primary and secondary schools, and to support the implementation of Vibrant Libraries, Thriving Schools &ndash; the national strategy for school libraries in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427894,"EventID":"S6W-32229","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16209,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:06.62","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T15:16:11.91","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-20143 by Mairi McAllan on 15 August 2023, whether it anticipates any further delays to the implementation of fisheries management ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-20143 by Mairi McAllan on 15 August 2023, whether it anticipates any further delays to the implementation of fisheries management measures for both offshore and inshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and Priority Marine Features.","AnswerText":"Fisheries management measures for offshore MPAs were subject to public consultation, which ran from 19 August to 14 October 2024. The responses are currently being analysed, and final measures will be implemented in 2025.Ensuring that we develop evidence-based and effective fisheries management measures for the large number of inshore sites is a complex and challenging process. Fisheries management measures for inshore MPAs and Priority Marine Features (PMFs) are currently going through a Sustainability Appraisal, and other statutory impact assessments are being undertaken in preparation for the inshore consultation. The consultation will be undertaken in line with the commitment in the current Programme for Government. Final fisheries management measures will then be implemented as soon as possible once the consultation responses have been analysed and a final decision on the measures taken.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427895,"EventID":"S6W-31644","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:04.447","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T12:10:00.33","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many seal licences have been issued in each local authority area in each of the last 10 years, also broken down by how many have been exercised.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many seal licences have been issued in each local authority area in each of the last 10 years, also broken down by how many have been exercised.","AnswerText":"Seal licences are not issued on a Local Authority basis. Marine Directorate &ndash; Licensing Operations Team (on behalf of Scottish Ministers) determine applications and issue licences to kill or take seals under Part 6 of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 for the whole of Scotland. The regional consideration is of the designated Seal Management Areas (SMA), which allow applications to kill or take seals to be balanced against local seal population dynamics and the supporting data provided by the Natural Environment Research Council (Sea Mammal Research Unit at St Andrew&rsquo;s University). The data for seals licenced to be killed or taken and the licences subsequently exercised within each SMA is shown in the following table:&nbsp;East CoastMoray FirthOrkney North CoastShetlandWestern IslesSouth WestWest ScotlandIssued 2014&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rivers7260224Fish Farms00269213&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Exercised 2014&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rivers1240102Fish Farms0015417&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Total seals killed 2014&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rivers1131530605Fish Farms00122912343Combined1131652918348&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Issued 2015&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rivers6260223Fish Farms00267213&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Exercised 2015&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rivers2240102Fish Farms0023317&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Total seals killed 2015&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rivers637290506Fish Farms0010108150Combined637391013156&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Issued 2016&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rivers5150223Fish Farms00258213&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Exercised 2016&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rivers1130102Fish Farms0013316&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Total seals killed 2016&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rivers218501012Fish Farms0071113131Combined218121114143&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Issued 2017&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rivers5150223Fish Farms00237214&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Exercised 2017&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rivers2110002Fish Farms0011315&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Total seals killed 2017&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rivers21520008Fish Farms001817122Combined2153817130&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Issued 2018&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rivers4150323Fish Farms00237213&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Exercised 2018&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rivers1130102Fish Farms0021214&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Total seals killed 2018&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rivers11880207Fish Farms002139224Combined118101311231&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Issued 2019&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rivers4150323Fish Farms00237013&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Exercised 2019&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rivers1130202Fish Farms0022305&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Total seals killed 2019&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rivers11670305Fish Farms005828019Combined11612831024&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Issued 2020&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rivers5150523Fish Farms0023729&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Exercised 2020&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rivers1110002Fish Farms0012328","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427896,"EventID":"S6W-32219","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2633,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:04.523","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T14:19:28.12","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when CMAL will take delivery of the MV (a) Isle of Islay and (b) Loch Indaal.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when CMAL will take delivery of the MV (a) Isle of Islay and (b) Loch Indaal.","AnswerText":"CMAL alongside the shipyard continue to work hard to ensure the delivery of these vessels. CMAL provided their regular update to the NZET committee on the vessel delivery on 18th December 2024 and expect to be able to provide assessment of delivery dates for MV Isle of Islay and MV Loch Indaal towards the end of January 2025, following the successful completion and presentation of the pre-sea trials commissioning and outfitting activities.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427897,"EventID":"S6W-32221","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2633,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:04.287","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T14:19:28.12","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the report,&nbsp;Dignity for Drivers, by ASLEF, what steps it is taking in Scotland to address the issue raised suggesting that there is ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the report,&nbsp;Dignity for Drivers, by ASLEF, what steps it is taking in Scotland to address the issue raised suggesting that there is a lack of satisfactory toilet facilities for train drivers.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31539 on 6 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427898,"EventID":"S6W-32276","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:03.817","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T13:05:30.693","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government by what date the Independent Working Group on Antisocial Behaviour will publish its report setting out its findings and recommendations, and whether the group has made s","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government by what date the Independent Working Group on Antisocial Behaviour will publish its report setting out its findings and recommendations, and whether the group has made specific enquiries into young people's behaviour on public transport as part of its investigation.","AnswerText":"The Independent Working Group on Antisocial Behaviour is reporting to Ministers, Cosla and Police Scotland by the end of 2024. Its remit was to: Consider the effectiveness of current approaches to understanding, preventing and tackling antisocial behaviour and if, and how, these could be improved to develop a holistic long term strategic approach which will help to improve the lives of communities across Scotland. This should include consideration of whether a preventative approach would be appropriate and how victims of antisocial behaviour are supported and whether this could be improved.As part of its engagement work it met with a number of representatives from the transport sector who had also been invited to respond to a national data survey commissioned by the Working Group. This report will be published in the first quarter of 2025 and will be considered by Scottish Ministers, Police Scotland and Cosla prior to a formal response.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427899,"EventID":"S6W-32268","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:04.957","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T10:35:41.773","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of how the capital funding of &pound;150 million in its draft Budget 2025-26 to support the offshore wind sector will be allocated.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of how the capital funding of &pound;150 million in its draft Budget 2025-26 to support the offshore wind sector will be allocated.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is working closely with public sector delivery partners to identify priority investment opportunities designed to mobilise private investment in ports, manufacturing and fabrication, to maximise the economic opportunities from offshore wind. As set out in our Offshore Wind Focus paper, the approach to prioritisation is underpinned by a strategic assessment of current market opportunities, considering the combined impact of a programme of public sector investments. We are working with delivery partners to target funding at projects that will have a catalytic effect on wider economic growth, and identifying and prioritising those with potentially high Benefit Cost Ratios.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427900,"EventID":"S6W-32222","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2633,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:03.913","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T14:19:28.12","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6T-02170 by Fiona Hyslop on 5 November 2024, what its response is to reported concerns that the \"redeployment of some ScotRail staff ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6T-02170 by Fiona Hyslop on 5 November 2024, what its response is to reported concerns that the \"redeployment of some ScotRail staff to provide more and better assistance for passengers\" might lead to staff sometimes being moved from the station at which they are usually based, which could result in uncertainty for passengers regarding the hours at which a staff presence can be expected.","AnswerText":"Staff deployment is an operational matter for ScotRail as the employer.It is incumbent on ScotRail and Scottish Rail Holdings to demonstrate that aims set out it their proposals to adjust the opening hours of some of ScotRail ticket offices can be achieved.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427901,"EventID":"S6W-32264","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:04.753","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T09:27:07.333","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether illness would qualify crofters and farmers for protection of their subsidies under the force majeure clause in the Rural Support (Improvement) (Miscellaneous Ame","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether illness would qualify crofters and farmers for protection of their subsidies under the force majeure clause in the Rural Support (Improvement) (Miscellaneous Amendment) (Scotland) Regulations 2024.","AnswerText":"The Force Majeure/Exceptional Circumstance (FM/EC) provision is one that has existed for a number of years and if a business has been unable to comply with the rules of a scheme because of FM/EC, they may retain the right to aid in respect of the claim. To qualify, a business must notify the Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Division (SGRPID) in writing of the FM/EC event along with relevant evidence from the date they are in a position to do so.The FM/EC provision applies on a case by case basis, and decisions are taken on the basis of relevant evidence provided. The way on which the Scottish Government continue to approach cases relies on the approach set out by legislation.Examples of force majeure or exceptional circumstances are:1.the death of the farmer2.the long-term professional incapacity of the farmer3.a severe natural disaster gravely affecting the holding's agricultural land4.the accidental destruction of livestock buildings on the holding5.an epizootic affecting part of or all of the farmer&rsquo;s livestock (for example, Foot and Mouth Disease)This is not an exhaustive list and animal health concerns, weather conditions, bull failure or transport issues may also qualify as FM/EC. These are only examples and they are not, by themselves, sufficient to qualify as FM/EC and the applicant would still need to provide evidence in support of these events that demonstrate that calving performance has been impacted by comparison to previous years.In August 2024, the Scottish Government posted a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Scottish Suckler Beef Support Scheme (Mainland and Islands) to support the industry with information on the new calving interval condition being introduced to the Scottish Suckler Beef Support Scheme (SSBSS) from 2025. The FAQ includes detail of the FM/EC provision in the context of the SSBSS calving interval condition, including the type of evidence that would be required to support a request for it to be applied.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427902,"EventID":"S6W-32275","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:04.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T12:04:27.583","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had (a) internally, (b) with public bodies and (c) with stakeholders regarding supporting fruit and nut orchard development, and what its positio","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had (a) internally, (b) with public bodies and (c) with stakeholders regarding supporting fruit and nut orchard development, and what its position is on (i) establishing a bespoke orchard grant to support the setting up of new fruit and nut orchards and (ii) reforming existing grant schemes to allow growers to focus solely on fruit and nut trees.","AnswerText":"Through the Agriculture Reform Programme, and in collaboration with Scottish Forestry and NatureScot, we are considering opportunities to improve how we support farmers to integrate trees. The integration of trees on farms can take a variety of forms, with the criteria for the Agroforestry Grant Scheme having been amended in 2023 to include support for fruit and nut trees. We have engaged with stakeholders on the progress of that work through Scottish Forestry&rsquo;s Customer Representatives Group sub-group on Trees on Farms and will continue to seek opportunities for stakeholder engagement as that work develops.In addition, we are currently undertaking a review of the funding awarded by our Food and Drink Division to support community Grow Your Own initiatives. This funding for new and innovative food growing projects could include community orchards.The Scottish Government also continues to provide horticulture support through the Fruit and Vegetables Aid Scheme. Orchard fruit and nuts are products covered by the scheme, which enables funding to groups of growers recognised as Producer Organisations.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427903,"EventID":"S6W-32278","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:05.183","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T13:06:03.757","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on introducing a young person&rsquo;s behaviour code for bus travel, similar to that operated by Transport for London.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on introducing a young person&rsquo;s behaviour code for bus travel, similar to that operated by Transport for London.","AnswerText":"Applicants for the scheme already have to agree to specific terms and conditions when signing up for the scheme, however we are working to strengthen these through changes to application forms to specify expected standards of behaviour when travelling and development of a behaviour code linked to operator&rsquo;s conditions of carriage and existing legal protections.We are exploring the legal means to suspend access to concessionary travel for perpetrators of persistent antisocial behaviour of any age. While this is being progressed as a priority, the National Concessionary Travel Schemes in Scotland are provided on a universal statutory basis therefore detailed and thorough consideration of any process and penalty must be undertaken to ensure consistency and fairness.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427904,"EventID":"S6W-32218","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2633,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:04.57","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T14:19:28.12","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when CalMac will begin the crew familiarisation process on the MV (a) Isle of Islay and (b)Loch Indaal.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when CalMac will begin the crew familiarisation process on the MV (a) Isle of Islay and (b)Loch Indaal.","AnswerText":"CMAL is in constant dialogue with CalMac on the new vessels programme and the crew familiarisation process on the MV Isle of Islay and MV Loch Indaal will begin once the vessels have been transited from T&uuml;rkiye to Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427905,"EventID":"S6W-32259","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:04.397","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T18:52:27.643","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been allocated in its draft Budget 2025-26 for (a) the Active Travel Infrastructure Fund, (b) Places for Everyone projects, (c) the National Cycle N","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been allocated in its draft Budget 2025-26 for (a) the Active Travel Infrastructure Fund, (b) Places for Everyone projects, (c) the National Cycle Network, (d) People and Place projects, (e) regional transport partnerships and (f) Bikeability Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Budget for 2025-26 has been set at &pound;63.4 billion. The recent draft budget allocated and indicated a value of &pound;4 billion for the Transport portfolio, which includes &pound;188.7 million for Active and Sustainable Travel. This investment is intended to:Make it easier for people to walk, wheel and cycleImprove connections to our public transport networkSupport resilient and efficient bus servicesWe cannot authorise allocations to specific programmes until the budget has passed. All values at this time are indicative, and we therefore cannot confirm the amount that may or may not be allocated to the specific projects mentioned until the new financial year.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427906,"EventID":"S6W-32270","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:03.817","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T11:25:59.58","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comments by the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport during the members' business debate on motion S6M-14427 (Reversal of &pound;10 Milli","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comments by the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport during the members' business debate on motion S6M-14427 (Reversal of &pound;10 Million Funding for Changing Places Toilets) on 11 December 2024, how much funding has been allocated from within its draft mental health budget for 2025-26 for the planned Changing Places Toilet Fund.","AnswerText":"As emphasised during the Parliamentary debate on Changing Places Toilets (CPTs) on 11 December, there has been no reversal of the decision to provide funding for CPTs. I expect to be in a position to provide details of the amount of funding we propose to provide in the New Year. Funding will rely on Parliamentary approval of the Scottish Government&rsquo;s Budget Bill.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427907,"EventID":"S6W-32280","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:09.073","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T13:06:59.827","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to tackle drug-driving, and how effective these measures have been.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to tackle drug-driving, and how effective these measures have been.","AnswerText":"In keeping with the Road Safety Framework to 2030 priorities and with particular reference to the In-Depth Fatalities Report, we are running a national campaign on Drink and Drug Driving.The Drink and Drug Driving campaign will tackle drivers aged 18-35. As outlined in the Road Safety Framework there is a need to ensure drivers do not drive while impaired through alcohol or drugs. Drug driving limits and roadside drug testing were introduced in Scotland in October 2019. Since then, more than 19,000 tests have been carried out with almost half of those resulting in a positive test (49%). However, a relatively low awareness of roadside testing remains, and Road Safety Scotland will continue to address this through future campaign activity.We are also working alongside Police Scotland who are undertaking a pilot project in Shetland. The pilot includes local police officers trained in the testing of drivers at the roadside who are suspected to be under the influence of drink and drugs. The officers have been fully trained in the administering of the drug wipes, previously road policing officers had been the only trained officers to administer the wipes. This pilot will be monitored and evaluated and we will be meeting Police Scotland in the New Year to discuss progress as well as identifying future road safety initiatives to tackle drug driving in Scotland.Post campaign evaluation shows the 2023-24 Drug-Driving campaign was effective in increasing awareness of use of roadside drug wipes by police and prompting key actions, including talking to friends and family about roadside testing.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427908,"EventID":"S6W-32231","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16209,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:05.127","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T15:16:11.91","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when Regional Marine Plans will be developed for the remainder of the Scottish Marine Regions.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when Regional Marine Plans will be developed for the remainder of the Scottish Marine Regions.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government published the formal response to the final report of the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform (ECCLR) Committee Inquiry into Regional Marine Planning in Scotland in August 2023.As part of this response, the Scottish Government has provided a clear approach to regional marine planning moving forward, with the position that no further MPPs should be established until after the adoption of the updated National Marine Plan (NMP2). This is with the exception of the Western Isles, where early work on developing an MPP had already commenced.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427909,"EventID":"S6W-32260","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:03.873","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T18:55:42.41","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the cost will be to deliver each local authority's 20mph speed limit implementation plan.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the cost will be to deliver each local authority's 20mph speed limit implementation plan.","AnswerText":"Discussions continue between my officials at Transport Scotland and local authorities to re-affirm their expected expenditure for the 2025-26 financial year. Funding from the road safety allocation that is contained in the wider Roads budget will be made available to support the delivery of 20mph speed limits on appropriate roads by end of 2025.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427910,"EventID":"S6W-32214","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2892,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:03.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T13:37:26.45","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government by what date the Green Heat Finance Taskforce will publish part 2 of its report.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government by what date the Green Heat Finance Taskforce will publish part 2 of its report.","AnswerText":"The Green Heat Finance Taskforce is currently finalising its Part 2 report and will publish it in early 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427911,"EventID":"S6W-32216","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2892,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:04.16","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T13:37:26.45","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31510 by Alasdair Allan on 28 November 2024, whether it will provide a breakdown of the outturn on energy efficiency and decarboni","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31510 by Alasdair Allan on 28 November 2024, whether it will provide a breakdown of the outturn on energy efficiency and decarbonisation for the three-year Budget period of 2021-24.","AnswerText":"Between 2021 and 2024, expenditure under the Heat in Buildings Programme totalled &pound;493m. The annual spend is as follows:21-2222-2323-24&pound;68m&pound;175m&pound;250m","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427912,"EventID":"S6W-32230","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16209,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:04.363","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T15:16:11.91","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish Regional Marine Plans for existing Marine Planning Partnership areas.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish Regional Marine Plans for existing Marine Planning Partnership areas.","AnswerText":"Three Marine Planning Partnerships (MPPs) have been established covering the Shetland, Clyde and Orkney marine regions, and are at various stages of progressing with their Regional Marine Plans.The draft plans for Shetland and Orkney have concluded their public consultations and are making progress towards being submitted to Scottish Ministers for consideration, approval and adoption. The draft Clyde Regional Marine Plan is currently in the process of a policy update ahead of identifying a suitable period for a public consultation.Officials will continue to work constructively with each MPP to refine and develop their plans to be suitable for adoption by Scottish Ministers.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427913,"EventID":"S6W-32266","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:04.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T10:35:41.773","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how the investment of &pound;21 billion in health and social care in its draft Budget 2025-26 will be allocated across different services and regions.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the investment of &pound;21 billion in health and social care in its draft Budget 2025-26 will be allocated across different services and regions.","AnswerText":"The draft budget for 2025-26 includes &pound;21.7 billion of investment in health and social care services &ndash; an uplift exceeding consequentials and taking funding to an all-time high.A full breakdown of how the &pound;21.7 billion will be allocated across different services and regions can be found in tables 3.02 and 3.04 in the published Scottish Budget 2025-26 document. This can be found online here:Scottish Budget: 2025-26Further information is also set out in the 2025-25 level 4 budget tables here:Supporting documents - Scottish Budget 2025 to 2026 - gov.scot","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427914,"EventID":"S6W-32253","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16194,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:03.89","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T16:35:05.467","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many of the buildings that have been identified as having unsafe cladding to date have had work commenced to remove such cladding.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many of the buildings that have been identified as having unsafe cladding to date have had work commenced to remove such cladding.","AnswerText":"We can currently only provide information on mitigations or remediation works that we have funded for entries to the pilot phase of the Cladding Remediation Programme. Developers or other organisations may have carried out such works on other buildings without informing us.We have funded work to remediate the external wall cladding system of one pilot entry. We have recently commissioned a Single Building Assessment to confirm that all works have been identified and completed.Works to mitigate or remediate risks have also started for another five pilot entries. In this context, &lsquo;work&rsquo; refers to any action taken to address known cladding related risks. This includes what are described as &lsquo;Urgent Interim Measures&rsquo;.We have also commissioned Single Building Assessments for 13 pilot entries. This is made up of 12 recently commissioned following an Invitation To Tender (including the one noted above), and another that has now reached the reporting stage. We are fully funding these assessments at no cost to homeowners or residents.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427915,"EventID":"S6W-32279","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:05.083","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T13:06:20.13","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on introducing a school programme to educate young people regarding responsible bus travel.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on introducing a school programme to educate young people regarding responsible bus travel.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government wants all children and young people to develop mutually respectful, responsible and confident relationships.While there are no plans to introduce anything specific into the school curriculum on this subject, we encourage bus operators to work locally with educational establishments. Transport Scotland are developing a behaviour code covering all concessionary bus passengers and align with existing operators&rsquo; conditions of carriage.Transport Scotland will work with key partners to ensure that this code is widely publicised.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427916,"EventID":"S6W-32213","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2892,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:03.807","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T13:37:26.45","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what finance mechanisms are being considered by the Green Heat Finance Taskforce to deliver the clean heat transition.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what finance mechanisms are being considered by the Green Heat Finance Taskforce to deliver the clean heat transition.","AnswerText":"The Green Heat Finance Taskforce&rsquo;s Part 1 report identified a range of finance mechanisms that could be expanded or developed to support individual property owners finance the upfront costs of installing clean heat and energy efficiency measures. These included approaches to encourage greater secured lending, developing equity release products focused on retrofit and exploring the potential to offer property linked finance in Scotland.Its Part 2 report will cover financing place-based and social housing retrofit programmes as well as financing of heat networks. The report will focus on how to attract private investment at scale to unlock blended finance opportunities, combining public and private contributions, to deliver coordinated activity across multiple properties.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427917,"EventID":"S6W-32238","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:04.23","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T15:56:29.183","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is committed to ensuring, as part of the Best Start programme for maternity and neonatal care, that the NHS boards leading the plans for the implementation of","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is committed to ensuring, as part of the Best Start programme for maternity and neonatal care, that the NHS boards leading the plans for the implementation of its new model of care are considering parent support, including ending any separation of parents and babies.","AnswerText":"The Best Start emphasises parents as key partners in caring for their baby and aims to keep mothers and babies, and families together as much as possible in the crucial early weeks, with services designed around them.The Scottish Government remains committed to the new model of care and its aim to minimise the separation of families, and to support parents with babies in neonatal care.We have a number of measures already in place to support families:Development of Transitional Care beds within maternity units so that babies with moderate additional care needs can be cared for alongside their mothers in a postnatal ward with neonatal support;Providing accommodation for parents to stay on or near neonatal units;Roll out of the Young Patients Family Fund (formerly the Neonatal Expenses Fund) to support families with the costs of travel, accommodation and food whilst their baby is in neonatal care;andRepatriating babies to their local neonatal units as soon as clinically possible;Development of neonatal community care so that babies can get home quicker with neonatal community support.NHS boards are committed to involve parents in decision making and providing care for their baby; to provide funding support and accommodation for parents to stay on or near the unit, facilities within the unit to encourage kangaroo skin to skin care, early support for breastfeeding and to develop clear information for parents.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427918,"EventID":"S6W-32236","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:04.707","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T15:56:06.883","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what minimum standard is used by NHS boards for the number of parent beds available to determine sufficient emergency overnight accommodation for neonatal care.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what minimum standard is used by NHS boards for the number of parent beds available to determine sufficient emergency overnight accommodation for neonatal care.","AnswerText":"The Best Start (2017) recommended all neonatal facilities should provide emergency overnight accommodation on the unit for parents, with accommodation available nearby for parents of less critically ill babies. Boards are expected to include provision for this in their planning.We also provide support to all families with babies in neonatal care to cover the costs of food, travel and accommodation as part of our Young Patients Family Fund.Hospitals with the neonatal intensive care units have accommodation for families on site, and this will be offered to families in the first instance. If hospital accommodation is not available, the Health Board will usually be able to book and pay for nearby accommodation for families in advance.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427919,"EventID":"S6W-31645","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:04.383","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-11-21T12:11:59.817","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many seals have been killed under licence in each of the last 10 years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many seals have been killed under licence in each of the last 10 years.","AnswerText":"&nbsp;Total seals killed20142015201620172018201920202021202220232024Rivers1068337273634270000Fish Farms997963495063770000Combined2051621007686971040000","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427920,"EventID":"S6W-32240","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:03.913","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T16:12:15.57","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many Protecting Vulnerable Group (PVG) checks have been undertaken for people working with young people in sport in each year since 1999.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many Protecting Vulnerable Group (PVG) checks have been undertaken for people working with young people in sport in each year since 1999.","AnswerText":"I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:YearPVG applications from sport/leisure organisations201110830201218909201329172201429147201535371201639675201746391201839515201933207202015165202125403202230020202332592202428852The PVG Scheme commenced on 28 February 2011.This data is from Disclosure Scotland&rsquo;s categorisation of the organisation countersigning as &ldquo;sport/leisure&rdquo; and Volunteer Scotland Disclosure Services&rsquo; category of an enrolled body having the function of &ldquo;sport&rdquo;. In the case of Disclosure Scotland&rsquo;s &ldquo;sport/leisure&rdquo; category this may include checks on people who are not working in sports as &ldquo;leisure&rdquo; includes non-sporting activities.Disclosure Scotland may also receive applications from organisations which are not primarily sports organisations but that do provide sports activities to vulnerable groups and therefore undertake PVG checks on people working in sport activities. Such applications are not included in these figures.Where an organisation, such as a sports organisation, uses a third party to process disclosures and countersign on behalf of the organisation, these are categorised as applications from an &ldquo;umbrella body&rdquo;. These are not generally included in these figures. The only umbrella body which provides a breakdown of organisation type to Disclosure Scotland is Volunteer Scotland Disclosure Services. Their \"sport\" figures have been included in this data.The PVG statement of scheme membership is provided to allow a person who is self-employed, such as private tutors or private sports coaches, to present prospective clients with their scheme membership status. As there is no organisation involved, these do not have a category for inclusion in these figures.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427921,"EventID":"S6W-32237","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:03.807","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T15:56:19.347","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider introducing guidance for neonatal units, including on the number of parent beds available and other provisions, to enable family integrated care","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider introducing guidance for neonatal units, including on the number of parent beds available and other provisions, to enable family integrated care.","AnswerText":"The Best Start (2017) recommended that all neonatal facilities should provide emergency overnight accommodation on the unit for parents, with accommodation available nearby for parents of less critically ill babies. We have no plans to introduce guidance on the number of parent beds that should be available in each unit.We are currently working with Regional Chief Executives and Regional Planners who are leading on development of plans for implementation of the new model of neonatal care, with the expectation that a phased transition to the new model will begin later this year. Accommodation is part of Board&rsquo;s planning under the new model of neonatal care implementation.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427922,"EventID":"S6W-32261","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:03.9","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T09:27:07.333","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether animal health concerns would qualify crofters and farmers for protection of their subsidies under the force majeure clause in the Rural Support (Improvement) (Mi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether animal health concerns would qualify crofters and farmers for protection of their subsidies under the force majeure clause in the Rural Support (Improvement) (Miscellaneous Amendment) (Scotland) Regulations 2024.","AnswerText":"The Force Majeure/Exceptional Circumstance (FM/EC) provision is one that has existed for a number of years and if a business has been unable to comply with the rules of a scheme because of FM/EC, they may retain the right to aid in respect of the claim. To qualify, a business must notify the Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Division (SGRPID) in writing of the FM/EC event along with relevant evidence from the date they are in a position to do so.The FM/EC provision applies on a case by case basis, and decisions are taken on the basis of relevant evidence provided. The way on which the Scottish Government continue to approach cases relies on the approach set out by legislation.Examples of force majeure or exceptional circumstances are:a. the death of the farmerb. the long-term professional incapacity of the farmerc. a severe natural disaster gravely affecting the holding's agricultural landd. the accidental destruction of livestock buildings on the holdinge. an epizootic affecting part of or all of the farmer&rsquo;s livestock (for example, Foot and Mouth Disease)This is not an exhaustive list and animal health concerns, weather conditions, bull failure or transport issues may also qualify as FM/EC. These are only examples and they are not, by themselves, sufficient to qualify as FM/EC and the applicant would still need to provide evidence in support of these events that demonstrate that calving performance has been impacted by comparison to previous years.In August 2024, the Scottish Government posted a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Scottish Suckler Beef Support Scheme (Mainland and Islands) to support the industry with information on the new calving interval condition being introduced to the Scottish Suckler Beef Support Scheme (SSBSS) from 2025. The FAQ includes detail of the FM/EC provision in the context of the SSBSS calving interval condition, including the type of evidence that would be required to support a request for it to be applied.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427923,"EventID":"S6W-32251","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:04.73","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T16:12:15.57","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making on delivering action (a) 1, (b) 4, (c) 5 and (d) 6 in its cancer strategy for children and young people 2021-26.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making on delivering action (a) 1, (b) 4, (c) 5 and (d) 6 in its cancer strategy for children and young people 2021-26.","AnswerText":"Progress against all actions of the Collaborative and Compassionate Cancer Care The Cancer Strategy for Children and Young People in Scotland 2021&ndash;2026 continue to be taken forward by the Managed Service Network for Children and Young People with Cancer (MSN CYPC).The 2023-2024 MSN CYPC Annual Report, which includes detail on progress across all actions, will be published shortly on the MSN CYPC website &ndash; www.msncypc.nhs.scot","AnswerDate":"2024-12-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427924,"EventID":"S6W-32220","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2633,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:04.257","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T14:19:28.12","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the report, Dignity for Drivers, by ASLEF, what impact the proposed reductions in ScotRail station ticket office opening hours will have ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the report, Dignity for Drivers, by ASLEF, what impact the proposed reductions in ScotRail station ticket office opening hours will have on driver access to toilet facilities.","AnswerText":"ScotRail stations will continue to offer access to Facilities and toilets used by the public and in most cases will remain open even when ticket offices are shut.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427925,"EventID":"S6W-32241","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-12T16:44:05.1","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T16:12:15.57","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on reading books in schools in each year since 1999, broken down by (a) local authority and (b) each (i) primary and (ii) secondary school.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on reading books in schools in each year since 1999, broken down by (a) local authority and (b) each (i) primary and (ii) secondary school.","AnswerText":"Data on the amount local authorities spend on reading books is not collected centrally. The delivery of education is devolved to local authorities and funding is provided to local authorities via the &ldquo;block grant&rdquo;. Each local authority will have their own approaches to funding school reading materials, which will vary according to local needs and resources.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427958,"EventID":"S6W-32373","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T09:41:04.177","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-13T09:30:55.9","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made on developing a route map for delivering approximately 24,000 additional public electric vehicle charge points by 2030.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made on developing a route map for delivering approximately 24,000 additional public electric vehicle charge points by 2030.","AnswerText":"Scotland has hit the target of 6,000 public electric vehicle charge points two years early.Since 2011 the Scottish Government has invested over &pound;65 million in public electric vehicle charging. As a result of this early investment, and increasing private sector investment, Scotland has one of the most comprehensive public charging networks in the UK, and the latest UK Department for Transport statistics show that Scotland has the highest number of public charge points on a per head of population basis of any part of the UK, except London, and the most rapid charge points of any part of the UK.I am pleased to announce that today we have published our draft Vision Implementation Plan. This draft plan identifies the actions required to deliver our ambitious Vision for public electric vehicle charging in Scotland, as well as a route map for delivering approximately 24,000 additional public electric vehicle charge points by 2030.Meeting our ambitions will require concerted efforts from public and private bodies alike, and the draft Implementation Plan has been developed in consultation with the key stakeholders that share collective responsibility for delivering public electric vehicle charging in Scotland. The plan is being published alongside a consultation on its proposed actions, and I warmly welcome all responses to this consultation, which will strengthen the final Implementation Plan and route map to be published in 2025.Today I am also pleased to announce a further &pound;1.9 million has been awarded to Perth &amp; Kinross and Angus Councils through our EV Infrastructure Fund. This additional funding will enable both local authorities to work in partnership with the private sector to deliver an additional 177 public electric vehicle charge points, with a particular focus on delivering infrastructure in rural communities, to ensure Scotland continues to lead the UK on public electric vehicle charging.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427967,"EventID":"S6W-32330","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:01.997","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T16:03:34.293","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been reffered to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) for precognition in each of the last five years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been reffered to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) for precognition in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"COPFS uses a live, operational database to manage the processing of reports submitted to Procurators Fiscal by the police and other reporting agencies throughout Scotland. It is designed to meet business needs in the processing of criminal cases, rather than for statistical analysis. Any data in respect of the number of people currently being precognosed is updated each day and cannot be recalculated retrospectively or aggregated. This question cannot be readily answered by COPFS.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427968,"EventID":"S6W-32340","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:02.14","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T16:03:34.293","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many criminal cases in the last year have been discontinued by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) due to lack of evidence.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many criminal cases in the last year have been discontinued by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) due to lack of evidence.","AnswerText":"The following table details the number of criminal cases marked no further action - now insufficient admissible evidence in the financial year 2023-24. The count is by case.&nbsp;2023-2024No further action - Now Insufficient Evidence6,609","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427969,"EventID":"S6W-32308","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:04.667","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T15:52:07.77","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to address any resource challenges faced by the Aberdeen office of&nbsp;Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) in prosecuting case","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to address any resource challenges faced by the Aberdeen office of&nbsp;Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) in prosecuting cases.","AnswerText":"Allocation of COPFS resources is considered on a national basis to ensure delivery of its priorities: to improve the experiences of women and children within the justice system; to improve communication with its customers and partners and the support offered to the most vulnerable service users; and to achieve quicker conclusions to criminal and death investigations.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427970,"EventID":"S6W-32363","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:05.297","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T17:14:21.56","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it ended the provision of regular COVID-19 vaccines for the whole population.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it ended the provision of regular COVID-19 vaccines for the whole population.","AnswerText":"Eligibility for, and changes to, the COVID-19 vaccination programme in Scotland has always been based on the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).In its statement of 8 November 2022 (published in January 2023), the JCVI advised that in 2023 COVID-19 vaccination should move towards a targeted offer during vaccination campaigns to protect those at higher risk of severe COVID-19.From 30 June 2023, on the advice of the JCVI, we ceased the universal offer of COVID-19 vaccination to the entire population. From that point, only those advised as eligible by the JCVI were invited forward for COVID-19 vaccination during the JCVI-designated seasonal winter and spring campaigns.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427971,"EventID":"S6W-32291","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:05.09","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T14:49:28.193","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further the answer to question S6W-27968 by Jenni Minto on 14 June 2024, what progress is being made towards delivering the national audit of fracture liaison services.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further the answer to question S6W-27968 by Jenni Minto on 14 June 2024, what progress is being made towards delivering the national audit of fracture liaison services.","AnswerText":"In July 2024, Scottish Government commissioned Public Health Scotland (PHS) to deliver the Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) Audit. PHS are actively recruiting to the posts required to deliver it.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427972,"EventID":"S6W-32318","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:06.033","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T15:52:07.77","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many cases of corporate crime have been prosecuted by the Aberdeen office of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) in each of the last five years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many cases of corporate crime have been prosecuted by the Aberdeen office of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"The following table shows charges reported to Procurator Fiscal Office, Aberdeen for the period 1 April 2019-31 March 2024 subsequently marked for court proceedings (prosecuted) &ndash; in cases where the accused is recorded as a company. The table shows the position as at 17 December 2024. It should be noted that a number of charges which have been reported may still be awaiting a marking decision.&nbsp;&nbsp;Financial Year Reported&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2019-202020-212021-222022-232023-24Charges prosecuted1361938","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427973,"EventID":"S6W-32303","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:04.903","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T15:52:07.77","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) procurator fiscals and (b) support staff are currently (i) employed by and (ii) based in the Aberdeen office of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Servi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) procurator fiscals and (b) support staff are currently (i) employed by and (ii) based in the Aberdeen office of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS).","AnswerText":"COPFS employs 2501 staff comprised of 733 legal staff and 1768 support and administrative staff. As referred to in the answer for S6W-32302 on 9 January 2025 based within the Aberdeen Procurator Fiscal&rsquo;s Office, there are 37 legal members of staff. In Addition, there are 84 members of support/administration staff. These figures are correct as at 30 November 2024.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427974,"EventID":"S6W-32302","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:04.783","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T15:52:07.77","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many prosecutors are currently employed by the Aberdeen office of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS).","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many prosecutors are currently employed by the Aberdeen office of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS).","AnswerText":"COPFS employs both legal and non-legal members of staff. As at 30 November 2024, COPFS employed 37 members of legal staff who are based at the Procurator Fiscal&rsquo;s Office Aberdeen.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427975,"EventID":"S6W-32313","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:05.683","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T15:52:07.77","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many cases involving human trafficking have been prosecuted by the Aberdeen office of the&nbsp;Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) in each year since ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many cases involving human trafficking have been prosecuted by the Aberdeen office of the&nbsp;Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) in each year since 2020.","AnswerText":"The following table shows Human Trafficking (HT) charges or any charge with a HT aggravation reported to Procurator Fiscal Office, Aberdeen for the period 1 April 2020-31 March 2024 subsequently marked for court proceedings (prosecuted).&nbsp;&nbsp;Financial year reported&nbsp;&nbsp;2020-212021-222022-232023-24Charges prosecuted0003","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427976,"EventID":"S6W-32354","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:05.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T16:18:02.277","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many medical specialty training places it anticipates will be available in each of the next five years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many medical specialty training places it anticipates will be available in each of the next five years.","AnswerText":"The allocation of medical specialty training places is made annually to ensure it meets the needs of the healthcare workforce, recognising that completion of specialty training can take a minimum of 3 to 8 years depending on the specialty. This process is overseen by a group of senior representatives from the Scottish Government, NHS Education for Scotland, professional bodies, and Health Boards. Based on workforce data and service demands, the group makes recommendations to Scottish Ministers regarding any changes needed, including the potential expansion of training places in specific specialties.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427977,"EventID":"S6W-32361","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:05.5","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T16:51:51.727","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the pilot to change the measure of widening&nbsp;access&nbsp;to&nbsp;higher education.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the pilot to change the measure of widening&nbsp;access&nbsp;to&nbsp;higher education.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is working with partners in the North-East of Scotland on a pilot to evaluate the impact of Free School Meal data sharing on university admissions. Partner organisations leading on the work are Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council, Robert Gordon University and the University of Aberdeen. Partners are currently finalising the necessary data protection impact assessments in order to begin data sharing in early 2025. Plans for evaluation of the pilot are currently being finalised with evaluation to take place later in 2025.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427978,"EventID":"S6W-32305","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:06.393","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T15:52:07.77","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many alleged cases of fraud have been referred to the Aberdeen office of the&nbsp;Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) in each of the last three years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many alleged cases of fraud have been referred to the Aberdeen office of the&nbsp;Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) in each of the last three years.","AnswerText":"The following table shows cases reported to the Aberdeen Procurator Fiscal&rsquo;s Office which include at least one charge under the Scottish Government classification of \"Fraud\" for the period 1 April 2021-31 March 2024&nbsp;Financial Year Reported&nbsp;&nbsp;2021-222022-232023-24Total11989113","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427979,"EventID":"S6W-32341","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:06.55","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T16:03:34.293","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many procurator fiscals are currently employed by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS).","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many procurator fiscals are currently employed by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS).","AnswerText":"As at 30 November 2024, COPFS employs 733 legal staff.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427980,"EventID":"S6W-32360","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:02.157","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T16:32:37.57","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review its Health and Social Care Winter Preparedness Plan 2024-25, in light of the recently declared critical incident at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review its Health and Social Care Winter Preparedness Plan 2024-25, in light of the recently declared critical incident at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.","AnswerText":"We know that this winter is one challenge for our health and social care system and recognise the impact of sustained pressure across our services during this time. We remain committed to supporting local systems to meet demand and deliver high quality services.Our winter plan was developed with input from the whole Health and Social Care system, and builds on the effective measures which have supported our services through previous winters. A lessons learned exercise will take place at the end of this winter period, which will inform next years planning cycle.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427981,"EventID":"S6W-32353","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:05.05","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T16:18:02.277","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many medical specialty training places have been available in each NHS board in each of the last 10 years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many medical specialty training places have been available in each NHS board in each of the last 10 years.","AnswerText":"NHS Education for Scotland (NES) recruit to specialty training posts in Scotland as a whole, rather than recruiting to posts in individual Health Boards. Therefore, this data is not available from our recruitment reporting system.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427982,"EventID":"S6W-32336","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:04.49","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T16:03:34.293","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many cases were subject to the fatal accident inquiry (FAI) process in each of the last five years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many cases were subject to the fatal accident inquiry (FAI) process in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"The following table details the number of cases for which a FAI was held in each of the last 5 years.YearTotal2019-2020572020-2021592021-2022422022-2023512023-2024302024-2025 (as at 15 October 2024)30","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427983,"EventID":"S6W-32350","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:05.113","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T16:18:02.277","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many medical specialty training places, including core surgical training places, have been available across Scotland in each of the last five years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many medical specialty training places, including core surgical training places, have been available across Scotland in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"We have recruited to the following number of training posts each year for the past 5 years.&nbsp;Core Surgical TrainingAll specialties&nbsp;Posts AdvertisedPosts filledPosts advertisedPosts filled2019-204645113110422020-215454108810432021-224543111810492022-235454115510722023-24414112311156These figures include the number of posts advertised for recruitment in Scotland in each specialty for each year (August and February start dates). The number of overall training posts is far higher as training programmes can last a minimum of 3 to 8 years depending on the specialty so not all posts are vacant every year. Figures reflect published recruitment data and do not include any data on recruitment to locum training posts. Data for the 2024/25 recruitment round is not included as the recruitment window has not fully closed, meaning final data is not yet available.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427984,"EventID":"S6W-32290","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:04.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T14:49:28.19","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many referrals for fracture liaison services each NHS board expects in 2024-25, also broken down by how many patients for this service each board expects to deal wit","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many referrals for fracture liaison services each NHS board expects in 2024-25, also broken down by how many patients for this service each board expects to deal with.","AnswerText":"Data on Fracture Liaison Service referrals across Scotland are not centrally held by the Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427985,"EventID":"S6W-32299","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:03.037","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T15:20:39.733","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much potential tax revenue it estimates is lost by maintaining the additional dwelling supplement threshold of &pound;40,000.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much potential tax revenue it estimates is lost by maintaining the additional dwelling supplement threshold of &pound;40,000.","AnswerText":"As transactions with a value of under &pound;40,000 are not liable to make an LBTT return, this information is not held.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427986,"EventID":"S6W-32321","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:05.343","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T15:52:07.77","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many cases were handled by Aberdeen courts in each of the last five years, broken down by court type.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many cases were handled by Aberdeen courts in each of the last five years, broken down by court type.","AnswerText":"This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who reply in writing within 20 days.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427987,"EventID":"S6W-32367","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:06.313","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T17:18:18.043","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that contracts with pharmacies in NHS Lothian to receive and replace used sharps bins for patients requiring to take injectable medicines","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that contracts with pharmacies in NHS Lothian to receive and replace used sharps bins for patients requiring to take injectable medicines have ended due to lack of funds.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is aware that currently some individuals across NHS Lothian are experiencing difficulties disposing of their sharps waste.While the provision of NHS pharmaceutical services is the responsibility of the Scottish Government, the responsibility for providing arrangements for individuals to safely dispose of prescribed needles and other associated sharps waste is the responsibility of local Health Boards. In NHS Lothian this is delivered by community pharmacies through a local enhanced service for prescribed medicines and sharps waste disposal.The Scottish Government is in close contact with NHS Lothian, and the Board is actively working with their four Health and Social Care Partnerships and Community Pharmacy Lothian to address the situation.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":427988,"EventID":"S6W-32364","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:05.797","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T17:14:21.56","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which groups are currently not eligible for COVID-19 vaccines.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which groups are currently not eligible for COVID-19 vaccines.","AnswerText":"Anyone who is not in one of the groups listed in the answer to S6W-32362 on 23 December 2024 is not eligible for COVID-19 vaccination this winter.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427989,"EventID":"S6W-32296","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:02","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T15:20:39.733","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much private investment it expects to attract from the capital funding of &pound;150 million to support the offshore wind sector, and how it has calculated this.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much private investment it expects to attract from the capital funding of &pound;150 million to support the offshore wind sector, and how it has calculated this.","AnswerText":"This investment is year two of our five-year commitment to invest up to &pound;500m over five years, which is expected to leverage additional private investment of &pound;1.5 billion in the infrastructure and manufacturing facilities critical to growing the offshore wind sector. This is based on the assessment of current pipeline of potential projects, conducted with public sector delivery partners, which estimates a multiplier effect of an average of three times the original public investment.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-03T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427990,"EventID":"S6W-32320","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:02.15","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T15:52:07.77","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many court sittings were cancelled due to a lack of resources at Aberdeen courts in each of the last five years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many court sittings were cancelled due to a lack of resources at Aberdeen courts in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who reply in writing within 20 days.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427991,"EventID":"S6W-32362","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:06.7","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T17:14:21.56","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the most up-to-date eligibility criteria are for the COVID-19 vaccine.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the most up-to-date eligibility criteria are for the COVID-19 vaccine.","AnswerText":"Following the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which provides advice on immunisation to all four UK nations, for winter 2024, COVID-19 vaccination is being offered to the following groups in Scotland:Residents in care homes for older adultsAll adults aged 65 years and overIndividuals aged 6 months and over who are in a clinical at risk group (as defined in tables 3 and 4 in the COVID-19 chapter of the Green Book), including pregnant womenFrontline Health &amp; Social Care WorkersStaff in care homes for older adultsThe key change in eligibility this winter, compared to winter 2023, is that unpaid carers and household contacts of the immunosuppressed are no longer eligible for COVID-19 vaccination this winter, as per the advice of the JCVI.The JCVI noted that they no longer advise COVID-19 vaccination for frontline health and social care workers and staff in care homes for older adults, but advised that health and social care service providers may wish to consider vaccination as an occupational health programme.The Scottish Government made the decision to continue the offer of COVID-19 vaccination to frontline health and social care workers, and staff in care homes for older adults for winter 2024. We will begin to assess the need for any future offer for these two groups in early 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427992,"EventID":"S6W-32331","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:02.123","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T16:03:34.293","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many cases referred to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in the last five years have resulted in no further action being taken.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many cases referred to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in the last five years have resulted in no further action being taken.","AnswerText":"The following table shows the number of criminal cases reported to COPFS that were marked for no further action in the period 1 April 2019 - 31 March 2024. The count is by case.Financial year marking appliedNo Further Action cases2019-202017,7342020-202116,4372021-202223,5812022-202324,5852023-202428,462","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427993,"EventID":"S6W-32349","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:05.953","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T16:18:02.277","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many Foundation Year 2 doctors are currently working in each NHS board.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many Foundation Year 2 doctors are currently working in each NHS board.","AnswerText":"There are a total of 940 Foundation year 2 doctors working across all Health Boards as of 17 December 2024. This number will fluctuate daily due to trainees going out of programme or completing training. Please see the following table for further information.NHS BoardNumber of Foundation year 2 doctorsAyrshire &amp; Arran56Borders11Dumfries &amp; Galloway21Fife36Forth Valley35Grampian106Greater Glasgow and Clyde276Highland32Lanarkshire80Lothian177National Facility2NULL1Shetland2Tayside101Western Isles4Grand Total940*&rsquo;NULL&rsquo; is because the trainee is taking a career break, so they are in the programme but not currently working. This means that they aren&rsquo;t attached to a placement board.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427994,"EventID":"S6W-32315","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:04.937","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T15:52:07.77","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what training and development opportunities to address complex case types are available to staff in the Aberdeen office of the&nbsp;Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Se","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what training and development opportunities to address complex case types are available to staff in the Aberdeen office of the&nbsp;Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS).","AnswerText":"The Scottish Prosecution College delivers a variety of training courses including online and in-person training which is available to all staff within COPFS. This encompasses a wide range of topics, and case types, ranging from domestic abuse and sexual offence case training through to High Court and Sheriff and Jury case preparation. Specialist units within COPFS also provide additional training to staff within those units.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427995,"EventID":"S6W-32297","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:04.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T15:20:39.733","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last reviewed the &#163;40,000 threshold for the additional dwelling supplement.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last reviewed the &#163;40,000 threshold for the additional dwelling supplement.","AnswerText":"No review has been undertaken of the threshold for the Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) Additional Dwelling Supplement (ADS) threshold since its introduction. The setting of the threshold for the ADS reflects that The Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (Scotland) Act 2013 provides that land transactions with a chargeable consideration of less than &pound;40,000 are not notifiable and that no tax return is thus required.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427996,"EventID":"S6W-32246","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:06.737","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T16:12:15.57","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much unspent funding has been returned to it from other public bodies in each year since 1999.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much unspent funding has been returned to it from other public bodies in each year since 1999.","AnswerText":"All public bodies sit within the Scottish Government budgeting boundary and public bodies underspend forms part of the overall Scottish Government financial position for each financial year. Individual public bodies may not spend their full allocated budget each year - they may return budget for reallocation elsewhere across the budgeting boundary through the Autumn Budget and Spring Budget Revision process; or they may not fully drawdown on their cash budgets in a financial year. Any reallocations of budget or underspends at year-end form part of the overall Scottish Government budget position. The Scottish Government does not maintain a record of the individual underspends by body for each year.Details of the financial position for any individual body will be set out in their audited accounts for each year. Links to these are provided on the National public bodies directory (https://www.gov.scot/publications/national-public-bodies-directory/).","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427997,"EventID":"S6W-32342","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:06.673","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T16:03:34.293","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many prosecutions there have been for suspected environmental crime in each of the last five years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many prosecutions there have been for suspected environmental crime in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government Criminal Proceedings database only contains information for offences that have records of at least one prosecution under which that offence was the main crime.The Environmental Regulation (Enforcement Measures) (Scotland) Order 2015 provides SEPA with the power to issue penalties and accept undertakings for a range of environmental offences.The latest available information is for the financial year 2022-23 and is provided in the following table.Number of people prosecuted for environmental crimes, where main crime, 2018-19 to 2022-23.Year (last 5 years)2018-20192019-202020-20212021-20222022-2023Number of prosecutions for environmental crime6236141531Source: Scottish Government Criminal Proceedings databasePlease note: Data for 2020-21 and 2021-22 are affected by the pandemic, subsequent court closures, reduced court capacity due to physical distancing measures and delays to cases where key participants were forced to self-isolate after testing positive for COVID-19, and should not be considered indicative of long term trends.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427998,"EventID":"S6W-32356","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:04.753","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T16:18:02.277","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on what the impact of using paper patient notes in hospitals is on (a) patient outcomes and (b) mortality.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on what the impact of using paper patient notes in hospitals is on (a) patient outcomes and (b) mortality.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information. This is a matter for individual NHS Boards. However, the digitisation of records remains a strategic priority and the Scottish Government is committed to ensuring all healthcare staff have access to the right information at the right time to ensure that the best care possible can be provided.The Scottish Government encourages all health and social care organisations to move from paper to electronic record keeping and sharing as this improves efficiency and supports transfers of care between different parts of the health and care system. Our ambitions and priorities for electronic record keeping, sharing of records, and improving access to health and care data for both staff and people who use services are set out in our Digital Health and Care and Health and Social Care Data strategies.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":427999,"EventID":"S6W-32294","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:05.657","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T15:17:10.357","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of minimum unit pricing (MUP) on the competitiveness of physical Scotland-based retailers compared with online retailers that a","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of minimum unit pricing (MUP) on the competitiveness of physical Scotland-based retailers compared with online retailers that are not captured by the MUP regulations.","AnswerText":"All retailers selling alcohol that despatches from a location in Scotland, including those selling online, are required to hold a licence to sell alcohol and must comply with the Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) requirements as a condition of licence.The Scottish Government set out in its final Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA) an assessment of the effects of MUP on Scottish businesses, including in relation to cross-border and online sales.The Scottish Government continues to engage with business and industry, and a range of other key stakeholders, following the price increase and continuation of MUP from 30 September. As a developing market the Scottish Government continues to keep the effect and impact of online sales of alcohol under review.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428000,"EventID":"S6W-32337","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:05.83","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T16:03:34.293","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current average time taken to complete a fatal accident inquiry (FAI)&nbsp;is.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current average time taken to complete a fatal accident inquiry (FAI)&nbsp;is.","AnswerText":"The following table details the average times taken to complete a FAI, up to the conclusion of evidence. This does not include the average time of issue by the court of any determination, following an inquiry, the issue of which is the statutory definition of its conclusion in terms of Section 30(4) of the Fatal Accidents and Sudden Deaths etc (Scotland) Act 2016.YearAverage Time taken to complete FAI in days2018-198722019-208972020-2110962021-2211102022-236262023-2412092024 to 07-11-20241288","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428001,"EventID":"S6W-32309","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:04.023","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T15:52:07.77","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many deferred sentences have been issued in cases prosecuted by the Aberdeen office of the&nbsp;Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) in each of the las","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many deferred sentences have been issued in cases prosecuted by the Aberdeen office of the&nbsp;Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) in each of the last three years.","AnswerText":"The assigning of a hearing for deferral of sentence is an order of the court and is recorded within the court&rsquo;s interlocutor for each case.COPFS uses a live, operational database to manage the processing of reports submitted to Procurators Fiscal by the police and other reporting agencies throughout Scotland. It is designed to meet business needs in the processing of criminal cases, rather than for statistical analysis.Information in respect of cases brought to court is produced by the Scottish Government, using data provided both by COPFS and SCTS. These are national figures and are not produced for individual courts or Procurator Fiscal Offices.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428002,"EventID":"S6W-32335","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:03.707","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T16:03:34.293","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) has spent on expert witnesses in each of the last five years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) has spent on expert witnesses in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"The following table shows the costs incurred for expert witnesses in each of the last 5 years.2019-20&pound;264,2252020-21&pound;139,5402021-22&pound;606,6512022-23&pound;1,434,2272023-24&pound;496,683","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428003,"EventID":"S6W-32298","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:04.697","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T15:20:39.733","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many houses have been bought as second homes or investment properties at a value of less than &pound;40,000, thus making them exempt from liabilty to the additional ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many houses have been bought as second homes or investment properties at a value of less than &pound;40,000, thus making them exempt from liabilty to the additional dwelling supplement, in each year since the supplement was introduced.","AnswerText":"The Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (Scotland) Act 2013 provides that land transactions with a chargeable consideration of less than &pound;40,000 are not notifiable and that no tax return is therefore required. As such, this information is not available.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428004,"EventID":"S6W-32300","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5596,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":151,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:04.827","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T15:34:25.663","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is in place to (a) promote and (b) support access to powerchair football.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is in place to (a) promote and (b) support access to powerchair football.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises that the work of the Scottish Powerchair Football Association and Scottish Para-Football is extremely valuable in providing opportunities for people with a range of conditions to participate in football and to promote inclusivity in the game.An ongoing priority is for the Scottish Government is to support participation across all groups and tackle inequalities in participation. We recognise the power of sport and the positive impact which sport can have on a person's physical and mental health and that those with disabilities are less likely to feel connected to their local community.Through sportscotland we invest in the Scottish Football Association (SFA) to support the development of football. In financial year 2024/25 our investment is almost &pound;1.35 million. This investment supports the national partnership agreement with the SFA which includes \"empowering community football clubs to become sustainable, adaptive and inclusive\", but the agreement does not dictate the detail of the expenditure.I recently met with Scottish Para-Football to discuss current issues and priorities. I will continue to work with Scottish Para-Football to help promote, and support access to all elements of para-football, including powerchair football.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428005,"EventID":"S6W-32355","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:05.27","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T16:18:02.277","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many hospitals still use a paper patient note system.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many hospitals still use a paper patient note system.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not request this information from hospitals regarding their individual systems and therefore does not hold it.Although the Scottish Government sets the regulatory guidelines as to how long health records should be retained, and when they should be destroyed, the responsibility for the overall conduct and management of patient records sits with NHS Boards directly. Therefore, to obtain information regarding the format of individual hospital records, the member should request it via the individual NHS Boards.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428006,"EventID":"S6W-32304","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:03.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T15:52:07.77","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current average time is for the Aberdeen office of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) to bring cases to court, broken down by case type.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current average time is for the Aberdeen office of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) to bring cases to court, broken down by case type.","AnswerText":"Information in respect of journey times of cases brought to court is produced by the Scottish Government, using data provided both by COPFS and SCTS. These are national figures and are not produced for individual courts or Procurator Fiscal Offices.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428007,"EventID":"S6W-32310","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:04.727","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T15:52:07.77","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what guidance is issued to the Aberdeen office of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) regarding the prioritisation of cases involving domestic abuse.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what guidance is issued to the Aberdeen office of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) regarding the prioritisation of cases involving domestic abuse.","AnswerText":"COPFS is a key partner in the multi-agency work flowing from the Scottish Government&rsquo;s Equally Safe strategy for preventing and eradicating violence against women and girls, including domestic abuse. Effectively tackling domestic abuse is an organisational priority for both Police Scotland and COPFS.Police Scotland and COPFS have an established Joint protocol in domestic abuse cases which is publicly available on the COPFS website. The Protocol is not confined to one COPFS office. It outlines the procedures and practices to be followed by Police Scotland and COPFS in the investigation, reporting and prosecution of allegations involving domestic abuse throughout Scotland. COPFS&rsquo; presumption of prosecution in domestic abuse cases is confirmed by the Statement of prosecution policy in cases involving domestic abuse, also publicly available on the COPFS website. All cases of domestic abuse are referred to the Victim Information and Advice (VIA) service within COPFS.Victims of domestic abuse are deemed vulnerable witnesses under the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 (s.271(1)(c)(iv)) and are automatically entitled to special measures to assist them in giving evidence. Cases with vulnerable witnesses are prioritised both by the court in fixing trial and throughout trial preparation by prosecutors.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428008,"EventID":"S6W-32293","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:05.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T15:17:10.357","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the addendum to Evaluating the impact of Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) of alcohol in Scotland on cross-border purchasing, which was published&nbsp;on 23 May 202","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the addendum to Evaluating the impact of Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) of alcohol in Scotland on cross-border purchasing, which was published&nbsp;on 23 May 2023, other than self-reporting, what surveillance systems are used to monitor cross-border online alcohol sales that are not captured by the MUP regulations.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is aware of concerns that have been raised around online alcohol sales in Scotland. Officials are engaging with industry and business stakeholders to better understand these concerns and continue to keep the potential impact of this developing market under review.Public Health Scotland holds alcohol retail sales data for both the on-trade and off-trade, which includes all electronic point of sale data for the main supermarkets and a representative sample of smaller retailers and independent stores. This data includes alcohol purchased online from larger national supermarkets which is processed on premises. Detailed information on cross-border online alcohol sales is not available and such information is likely to be commercially confidential and would require businesses to supply this on a voluntary basis.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428009,"EventID":"S6W-32370","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:06.573","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T18:52:31.397","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it made any financial contribution to the Save the Belmont Cinema campaign in Aberdeen.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it made any financial contribution to the Save the Belmont Cinema campaign in Aberdeen.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-32026 on 13 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428010,"EventID":"S6W-32358","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:06.197","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T16:32:37.57","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care last met the (a) chair, (b) chief executive and (c) board of NHS Grampian.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care last met the (a) chair, (b) chief executive and (c) board of NHS Grampian.","AnswerText":"Both Ministers and Scottish Government officials are in regular contact with senior representatives of all NHS Boards, including NHS Grampian.The Scottish Government has been working very closely with NHS Grampian in relation to the recent pressures on local services. I attended a meeting with the Board leadership team, including the Chair and Interim Chief Executive, and local elected representatives on 29 November 2024 to discuss the Board&rsquo;s operational resilience plan and cover the actions underway to resume business as usual at the earliest opportunity.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428011,"EventID":"S6W-32338","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:05.503","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T16:03:34.293","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many corporate crime cases have been prosecuted by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) in&nbsp; each of the last five years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many corporate crime cases have been prosecuted by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) in&nbsp; each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"The following table details the charges reported to COPFS for the period 1 April 2019-31 March 2024 subsequently marked for court proceedings (prosecuted) &ndash; in cases where accused is recorded as a company. These figures are correct as at 17 December 2024. There may also be a number of charges awaiting a marking decision.&nbsp;&nbsp;Financial Year Reported&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2019-202020-212021-222022-232023-24Charges prosecuted399275275181166","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428012,"EventID":"S6W-32317","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:06.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T15:52:07.77","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to ensure equitable access to justice for people from minority backgrounds in cases prosecuted by the Aberdeen office of the Crown Office and ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to ensure equitable access to justice for people from minority backgrounds in cases prosecuted by the Aberdeen office of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS).","AnswerText":"COPFS is a national organisation, with 37 offices located across Scotland, including three in the Sheriffdom of Grampian: Aberdeen, Peterhead and Banff. Provision of services to ensure equitable access to justice is therefore delivered nationally.For those whose first language is not English, COPFS works with partners in the criminal justice system to ensure that those accused of a crime, as well as bereaved relatives, victims and witnesses, have access to high quality interpreting, translation and transcription services when accessing services and has made a public commitment to this. COPFS proactively translates correspondence with victims, witnesses, and bereaved relatives where a language need has been identified; provides interpreters, including British Sign Language interpreters, for victims, witnesses and bereaved relatives who are required to attend at court or wish to follow proceedings during an FAI (Fatal Accident Inquiry); arranges for the translation of key information documents into the top ten languages used by immigrants to Scotland, all of which are available on the COPFS website.COPFS understands the physical and emotional effects crime can have on victims and the vital role witnesses play in the criminal justice system and is committed to meeting their needs, communicating effectively and recognising any equality and inclusion requirements.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428013,"EventID":"S6W-32334","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:05.143","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T16:03:34.293","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many appeals against convictions have been handled by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) in each year of the last five years.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many appeals against convictions have been handled by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) in each year of the last five years.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"All appeals against conviction, either in summary or solemn procedure, require to be lodged with court and intimated to COPFS. Not all appeals lodged pass sift and therefore not all progress to a hearing. Equally, not all appeals lodged are insisted upon. The input of COPFS depends upon the stage of appeal proceedings. This question as currently framed cannot be readily answered by COPFS.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428014,"EventID":"S6W-32319","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:06.123","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T15:52:07.77","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many specialist procurator fiscals are currently employed by the Aberdeen office of the&nbsp;Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), broken down by speci","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many specialist procurator fiscals are currently employed by the Aberdeen office of the&nbsp;Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), broken down by specialisation.","AnswerText":"As at 30 November 2024 the number of procurator fiscals working within specialised units based within the Aberdeen Procurator Fiscal Office is:3 High Court Sexual Offences2 High Court Hub4 Serious Casework group, Scottish fatalities Investigations Unit1 Serious Casework group, COVID deaths investigation team1 Local Court Management Team15 Local Court Sheriff and Jury11 Local Court Summary","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428015,"EventID":"S6W-32343","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:06.157","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T16:03:34.293","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many extradition cases have been handled by the Lord Advocate in each of the last 10 years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many extradition cases have been handled by the Lord Advocate in each of the last 10 years.","AnswerText":"The following table details the extradition cases for the last 10 years in which COPFS have been involved.&nbsp;Extradition InExtradition OutTotal201415136187201518441225201613144175201717736213201814647193201910764171202010752159202182261082022944914320239678174202456144200Total13316171948","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428016,"EventID":"S6W-32357","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:04.253","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T16:32:37.57","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assistance it will provide to NHS Grampian during the review of the recently declared critical incident.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assistance it will provide to NHS Grampian during the review of the recently declared critical incident.","AnswerText":"We continue to support and monitor all Health Boards to ensure all possible actions are being taken to support services and safeguard patient safety during the winter period. Planning for this winter builds on the effective measures which have supported our health and social care services in previous years.My officials and I have been meeting regularly with the leadership of NHS Grampian to progress both immediate steps and a sustainable plan to ease capacity pressures with a focus on improving patient flow through the system, preventing SAS ambulance turnaround delays, and discharging as soon as patients are medically fit.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428017,"EventID":"S6W-32312","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:02.13","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T15:52:07.77","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of appeals lodged against convictions following a prosecution by the Aberdeen office of the&nbsp;Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) were ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of appeals lodged against convictions following a prosecution by the Aberdeen office of the&nbsp;Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) were upheld in each of the last three years.","AnswerText":"All appeals against conviction, either in summary or solemn procedure, require to be lodged with court and intimated to COPFS.Not all appeals lodged, either in summary or solemn procedure, pass sift by the court and therefore not all progress to a court hearing to allow the appeal court to determine whether an appeal is upheld or not.In addition not all appeals lodged are insisted upon by the defence or the crown.The input of COPFS depends upon the stage of appeal proceedings. This question as currently framed cannot be readily answered by COPFS.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428018,"EventID":"S6W-32282","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:06.543","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T13:20:44.753","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much Transport Scotland has spent on Project Neptune to date.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much Transport Scotland has spent on Project Neptune to date.","AnswerText":"Project Neptune was commissioned in March 2021, culminating in the publication of its findings on 8 September 2022. This was followed up with community engagement, by Angus Campbell, resulting in the publication of the 'Communities Report on Future Management of Ferries' on 10 July 2023. Almost &pound;244,000 has been spent on Project Neptune, excluding internal Transport Scotland resources.Since publication of the reports, Scottish Ministers have been consistently clear on the need to improve delivery of the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services (CHFS), to ensure the requirements of ferry dependent communities are met. No immediate decisions are being made on the subject of reform of the ferries sector, though nothing is off the table. At present, the focus is on the preparation for bringing the six new major vessels into the CalMac fleet and the considerable work involved in putting arrangements in place for the direct award of the new CHFS contract next year.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428019,"EventID":"S6W-32283","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:06.277","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T14:23:20.15","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the remit is of the review of the penalties system that is being undertaken as part of the Future Fisheries Strategy body of work, as set out in its paper,The Alloc","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the remit is of the review of the penalties system that is being undertaken as part of the Future Fisheries Strategy body of work, as set out in its paper,The Allocation of Scottish Additional Quota from 2024 Outcome of Consultation Document; who is carrying out the review; which stakeholders will be consulted, and when it will (a) receive and (b) publish the results.","AnswerText":"In our consultation document: Allocation of Scottish Additional Quota from 2024, the Scottish Government set out a wish to explore whether a vessel&rsquo;s history of compliance with regulatory requirements relating to fishing could be utilised as a criterion for allocating Additional Quota.As noted in our subsequent outcome of consultation document, there were split views on this proposal. The Scottish Government sees merit in exploring withholding Additional Quota on the basis of non-compliance with regulatory requirements. As we set out in the outcome report, this will be taken forward as part of a review of the penalties system. No date is set for when this work will commence, but it will be delivered in line with our Fisheries Management Strategy (2020-2030).","AnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428020,"EventID":"S6W-32329","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:06.28","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T16:03:34.293","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current average time is to prosecute a criminal case, broken down by court type.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current average time is to prosecute a criminal case, broken down by court type.","AnswerText":"Since April 2023, the Scottish Government has published the median time from offence date to verdict date by court type. The most recent data covering 2023-24 reported in the Journey times in the Scottish Criminal Justice System: 2023-24 bulletin, shows the median offence to verdict times figures in supplementary table 4. Further information including median police known to verdict times can be found in the Journey times in the Scottish Criminal Justice System interactive dashboard.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428021,"EventID":"S6W-32352","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:05.303","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T16:18:02.277","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is encouraging Foundation Year 2 doctors to (a) apply for and (b) start specialty training.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is encouraging Foundation Year 2 doctors to (a) apply for and (b) start specialty training.","AnswerText":"Foundation Year 2 (FY2) doctors are encouraged to apply for and start specialty training through a range of initiatives that increase awareness and exposure to specific specialties, including educational and career events and targeted Foundation placements/programmes. Additionally, pay enhancements, including an 8.5% pay rise for doctors in training, help to improve the financial appeal of specialty training.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428022,"EventID":"S6W-32295","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:05.497","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T15:19:58.857","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Independent Working Group on Antisocial Behaviour with regard to its work to assess removing access to concessionary bus passes ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Independent Working Group on Antisocial Behaviour with regard to its work to assess removing access to concessionary bus passes from individuals who carry out antisocial behaviour.","AnswerText":"The Independent Working Group on Antisocial Behaviour is reporting to Ministers, COSLA and Police Scotland by the end of 2024. Its remit was to: Consider the effectiveness of current approaches to understanding, preventing and tackling antisocial behaviour and if, and how, these could be improved to develop a holistic long term strategic approach which will help to improve the lives of communities across Scotland. This should include consideration of whether a preventative approach would be appropriate and how victims of antisocial behaviour are supported and whether this could be improved.As part of its engagement work it met with a number of representatives from the transport sector who had also been invited to respond to a national data survey commissioned by the Working Group. This report will be published in the first quarter of 2025 and will be considered by Scottish Ministers, Police Scotland and Cosla prior to a formal response.Transport Scotland is exploring legal means to suspend access to concessionary travel for perpetrators of persistent antisocial behaviour of anyone of any age. Whilst this is being progressed as a priority, the National Concessionary Travel Schemes in Scotland are provided on a universal statutory basis. Therefore, detailed and thorough consideration of any process and penalty must be undertaken to ensure consistency and fairness.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428023,"EventID":"S6W-32369","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:03.033","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T18:49:42.317","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the project to reduce average rail journey times between Aberdeen and the central belt by 20 minutes by 2026, by how many minutes it now anticipates that jour","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the project to reduce average rail journey times between Aberdeen and the central belt by 20 minutes by 2026, by how many minutes it now anticipates that journey times will be reduced in the timeframe allocated.","AnswerText":"There has been no change to the scope of the Aberdeen Central Belt Service Improvements Project.As regards project timelines, in January 2024, Ms McAllan, then Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Just Transition informed the Net Zero, Energy and Transport committee, that the time over which the commitment to deliver journey time improvements and increase capacity, between Aberdeen and the Central Belt, was under review. This remains the position.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428024,"EventID":"S6W-32285","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4982,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:02.157","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T14:34:58.65","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the findings were of the 10-year trial of the 50mph speed limit for HGVs on single carriageway sections of the A9 between Perth and Inverness.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the findings were of the 10-year trial of the 50mph speed limit for HGVs on single carriageway sections of the A9 between Perth and Inverness.","AnswerText":"We are firmly committed to supporting Scotland&rsquo;s freight industry and recognising the vital role hauliers play in driving economic growth and prosperity.In October 2014, the speed limit for goods vehicles over 7.5 tonnes on single carriageway sections of the A9 between Perth and Inverness was increased from 40 mph to 50 mph. Simultaneously, the A9 average speed camera system was introduced. A comprehensive review conducted in 2018 assessed the safety performance of the route three years after these measures were implemented. The findings demonstrated a consistent reduction in collisions and casualty numbers involving HGVs over 7.5 tonnes. This evidence highlights the positive impact that increasing the HGV speed limit has had on road safety along the route.On 27 November 2024, the Scottish Government launched a public consultation as part of the National Speed Management Review. This initiative seeks to ensure that speed limits across Scotland are both appropriate and effective in reducing fatalities and serious injuries on our roads. The proposals include lowering the national speed limit for motor vehicles on single carriageways from 60 mph to 50 mph while increasing HGV speed limits to 50 mph on single carriageways and 60 mph on dual carriageways. The consultation is open until 5 March 2025, and we encourage all stakeholders to share their views. Once the consultation responses have been analysed, any resulting changes will be announced alongside the next steps for implementation.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428025,"EventID":"S6W-32306","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:05.917","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T15:52:07.77","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many cases prosecuted by the Aberdeen office of the&nbsp;Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) in the last reporting year resulted in a conviction.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many cases prosecuted by the Aberdeen office of the&nbsp;Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) in the last reporting year resulted in a conviction.","AnswerText":"COPFS uses a live, operational database to manage the processing of reports submitted to Procurators Fiscal by the police and other reporting agencies throughout Scotland. It is designed to meet business needs in the processing of criminal cases, rather than for statistical analysis. Any data sought in the last reporting year would encompass cases reported within that period where there were still significant numbers of live charges. As such, any figures would not accurately reflect numbers of convictions in respect of the cases reported in that period.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428026,"EventID":"S6W-32311","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:04.963","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T15:52:07.77","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many trials were scheduled but not proceeded with by the Aberdeen office of the&nbsp;Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) in the last reporting year.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many trials were scheduled but not proceeded with by the Aberdeen office of the&nbsp;Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) in the last reporting year.","AnswerText":"The assigning of a hearing for trial is an order of the court and is recorded within the court&rsquo;s interlocutor for each case.COPFS uses a live, operational database to manage the processing of reports submitted to Procurators Fiscal by the police and other reporting agencies throughout Scotland. It is designed to meet business needs in the processing of criminal cases, rather than for statistical analysis. Scheduled trial data is not retained once a date is cancelled regardless of the reason.Information in respect of cases brought to court is produced by the Scottish Government, using data provided both by COPFS and SCTS. These are national figures and are not produced for individual courts or Procurator Fiscal Offices.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428027,"EventID":"S6W-32359","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:06.513","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T16:32:37.57","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recently declared critical incident at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, and the chief executive of NHS Grampian's reported comment that the factors causing a t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recently declared critical incident at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, and the chief executive of NHS Grampian's reported comment that the factors causing a trigger point to declare a critical incident are becoming more common, whether it plans to allocate additional resources to NHS Grampian.","AnswerText":"We are working closely with NHS Grampian on the development of a sustainable plan to support improvements in capacity.We know that system wide capacity challenges are driving pressure on our Emergency Departments. To address this we have a clear plan to reduce delayed discharges, release acute capacity and bring down A&amp;E waiting times.The plan will be supported by &pound;200 million targeted investment through the 2025-26 Budget, if approved by parliament, with NHS Grampian receiving a share of this funding. We will focus on shifting the balance of care from acute, to community and will bring about this change by ensuring every A&amp;E department has a frailty unit linked to community re-enablement.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428028,"EventID":"S6W-32292","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:06.643","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T15:17:10.357","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government (a) how and (b) where it allocates revenue from the Soft Drinks Industry Levy.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government (a) how and (b) where it allocates revenue from the Soft Drinks Industry Levy.","AnswerText":"My answer here is the same as that set out in S5W-23733 on 21 June 2019.The rules for how the Scottish Government is funded are set out in the Statement of Funding Policy. Changes in Scottish Government funding are determined by applying the Barnett formula to changes in UK government departmental spending, rather than allocating a proportion of revenues raised through the UK Soft Drinks Industry Levy. There is therefore no direct link between the revenue raised by the UK Government through the Soft Drinks Industry Levy and any element of the funding allocated to Scotland. The Scottish Government spends its money in accordance with the published budget as agreed by the Scottish Parliament.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428029,"EventID":"S6W-32333","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:05.573","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T16:03:34.293","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many homicide cases are currently being prosecuted.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many homicide cases are currently being prosecuted.","AnswerText":"As at 1 November 2024, there were 100 homicide cases being investigated, which includes cases which have been indicted and are awaiting trial. This figure does not include the number of cases with ongoing trials as this figure changes on a daily basis.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428030,"EventID":"S6W-32366","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:02.12","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T17:18:18.043","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the recommended protocol is for (a) disposing of and (b) obtaining replacement sharps bins.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the recommended protocol is for (a) disposing of and (b) obtaining replacement sharps bins.","AnswerText":"The supply of sharps boxes and management of their return is linked to prescribing practice and contract arrangements between the health board and its contractors. Therefore, specific arrangements in any health board area would require to be requested from the local health board or, for patients, their prescribing physician would advise as to arrangements.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":428031,"EventID":"S6W-32314","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:05.017","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T15:52:07.77","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many summary cases handled by the Aberdeen office of the&nbsp;Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) were closed without prosecution in the last reportin","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many summary cases handled by the Aberdeen office of the&nbsp;Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) were closed without prosecution in the last reporting year.","AnswerText":"The following table shows the number of criminal cases reported to the Procurator Fiscal Office, Aberdeen where either the decision was made for no action to be taken or was marked for action other than prosecution in court. (Count is by case). Direct measures are an appropriate and proportionate response to lower level offending.Financial year marking appliedInitial No Action markingDirect measure marking2023-20241,6082,937These counts may include cases which may have proceeded as solemn if they had been prosecuted.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428032,"EventID":"S6W-32365","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:05.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T17:14:21.56","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the eligibility criteria for the flu vaccine have changed in the last three years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the eligibility criteria for the flu vaccine have changed in the last three years.","AnswerText":"The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advise flu vaccination for those aged 65 years and over. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Scotland expanded the programme to protect individuals, public services and the NHS. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Scottish Government made a policy decision to expanded the programme to protect individuals, public services and the NHS.Eligibility criteria for the last three years are set out below.2024-25:Residents in long-stay care homes / facilitiesThose aged 65+Those aged 18 to 64 at risk including:clinical at-risk groups as per Green Book Chapter 19 (GBC19)the homelessthose experiencing substance misuseasylum seekers in Home Office hotel accommodationprisonerspregnant womenFrontline health and social care workersNon-frontline NHS workersPoultry workers &amp; bird keepersUnpaid carers and young carersHousehold contacts of the immunosuppressedThose aged 6 months to 2 years at clinical riskThose aged 2-5 years not yet at schoolPrimary &amp; secondary school children2023-24:Residents in long-stay care homes / facilitiesThose aged 50 +Those aged 18 to 49 at risk including:clinical at-risk groups as per GBC19the homelessthose experiencing substance misuseprisonerspregnant womenFrontline health and social care workersNon-frontline NHS workersPoultry workersTeachersPrison staffUnpaid carers and young carersHousehold contacts of the immunosuppressedThose aged 6 months to 2 years at clinical riskThose aged 2-5 years not yet at schoolPrimary &amp; secondary school children2022-23:Residents in long-stay care homes / facilitiesThose aged 50 +Those aged 18 to 49 at risk including:clinical at-risk groups as per GBC19the homelessthose experiencing substance misuseprisonerspregnant womenFrontline health and social care workersNon-frontline NHS workersTeachersPrison staffUnpaid carers and young carersHousehold contacts of the immunosuppressedThose aged 6 months to 2 years at clinical riskThose aged 2-5 years not yet at schoolPrimary &amp; secondary school children","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428033,"EventID":"S6W-32250","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-13T15:56:06.697","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T16:12:15.57","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that young people with cancer are included in the delivery of the ambitions set out in the Cancer Strategy for Scotland 2023-2033.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that young people with cancer are included in the delivery of the ambitions set out in the Cancer Strategy for Scotland 2023-2033.","AnswerText":"The ambitions set out in our Cancer Strategy 2023-2033 align with those of &lsquo;The Collaborative and Compassionate Cancer Care - The Cancer Strategy for Children and Young People in Scotland 2021&ndash;2026&rsquo;. This sets out Scottish Government&rsquo;s commitment to improving services nationally for children and young people specifically. This is delivered by the Managed Service Network for Children and Young People with Cancer (MSN CYPC).Children, young people and their guardians have the opportunity to engage and share their experiences of cancer services to inform improvements, and to support delivery of strategy ambitions, through the MSN&rsquo;s National Youth Advisory and Parent and Family Forums.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428037,"EventID":"S6W-32418","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":5622,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":148,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-16T13:32:47.197","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-16T13:21:41.96","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to publish a new Scottish Ministerial Code before the end of 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to publish a new Scottish Ministerial Code before the end of 2024.","AnswerText":"I have today published a new, strengthened Scottish Ministerial Code which sets the very highest standards of propriety and integrity.The changes I have introduced mark the most fundamental developments to the Code since the introduction of Independent Advisers in 2008.The Code has been restructured into three distinct sections: Ministers' Standards of Conduct; Ministers' Interests; and Ministers and the Procedures of Government. This brings ethical standards and public service values to the forefront, while ensuring that they are supported by the governing rules and procedures that underpin guidance to Ministers.My 2024 edition of the Code provides an enhanced role for my Independent Advisers on the Code, who can now:Launch investigations into alleged breaches without a referral from me;Provide me with advice on the appropriate sanctions for a confirmed breach of the Code;Recommend to me improvements to strengthen the Code at any time; andPlay a role in reviewing the processes in place to support Ministers to avoid any conflicts of interest between their private interests and their public duties.I announced the appointment of my three new Independent Advisers on the Ministerial Code on 6 December and I have published their Terms of Reference alongside my new Code for the first time. These Terms of Reference set out the detail of my Advisers strengthened role and the process of independent scrutiny and advice they can provide to me.My new Code has been updated throughout to support the highest standards of transparency, integrity, accountability and honesty. For example, the Seven Principles of Public Life have been brought into the body of the Code and updates have been made to ensure that the Code reflects existing rules, guidance and procedure on the use of corporate communication channels and on Ministerial travel and engagements.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"John Swinney","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428038,"EventID":"S6W-32419","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-16T13:34:28.61","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-16T13:26:29.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to replace the trains that currently operate the InterCity services on ScotRail.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to replace the trains that currently operate the InterCity services on ScotRail.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has instructed ScotRail to procure replacement trains for the current fleet, known as the High Speed Trains (HST) fleet, 25 of which operate on its InterCity routes between Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Inverness.These routes are strategically important for Scotland: 35% of Scotland&rsquo;s population are served by the rail corridor to Aberdeen. Inverness provides long distance connectivity to the rest of the UK for approximately 250,000 people: it is the gateway to the Highlands and Islands and the Far North.Replacing the fleet aims to provide a high quality, more consistent, reliable, comfortable, accessible and family-friendly experience for passengers on the InterCity routes, helping to encourage more people to choose to travel by train on these routes rather than by car.Replacement will ensure the reliability of InterCity routes for the long-term, reduce emissions from Intercity services and will be another step on our journey towards the full decarbonisation of ScotRail services. It will also reduce ScotRail&rsquo;s operating costs by being more energy efficient.The decision to replace the trains followed a process of appraisal. The appraisal took into consideration the available options to transition from diesel power to electric trains, the time necessary to deliver electrification infrastructure, the availability of funding and the affordability challenges.ScotRail will run the procurement in a fair and transparent manner, enabling Scottish suppliers to provide their services to potential bidders. In the meantime, the HSTs remain safe to run until a replacement fleet is ready; they are needed for the capacity required by ScotRail to deliver an appropriate service level. As the replacement trains arrive, the HSTs will be withdrawn.This decision will also contribute to the refresh of the Scottish Government&rsquo;s Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan (the DAP), which will be informed by the response to this procurement. The first DAP, published in 2020, was stated to be dynamic and subject to continuous improvement, to be updated and refined as progress is delivered and the funding environment changes. Accordingly, it is being revised.The original target date of 2035 for complete removal of diesel passenger trains from the Scottish network can no longer be met, due to constrained budgets and logistical requirements impacting adversely on the delivery programme.The physical delivery of electrification works needs to be staged to reduce the impact on passengers as much as is practicable. Undertaking too much disruptive engineering work across the Network at the same time would have significant farebox revenue impacts and would significantly diminish the attractiveness of rail travel for the public.Delivering electrification over a longer period of time reduces passenger disruption from engineering works. It also allows for other associated works, such as bridge replacements, to be undertaken in a more phased manner, reducing road traffic impacts.The revised DAP will demonstrate phased full decarbonisation by 2045. The refreshed plan is now expected to be published in Spring 2025. The refreshed plan will show a staged approach to creating a decarbonised rail system by 2045 and increasing from the current 75% of rail journeys which are already decarbonised.A contract notice will be published today on Public Contracts Scotland with a more detailed delivery timeline available at the point of contract award.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428039,"EventID":"S6W-32422","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":16176,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":137,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-16T16:15:51.667","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-16T16:12:09.227","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on responding to the Infected Blood Inquiry&rsquo;s final report of 20 May 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on responding to the Infected Blood Inquiry&rsquo;s final report of 20 May 2024.","AnswerText":"The Infected Blood Inquiry&rsquo;s report of 20 May 2024 set out a range of important recommendations that seek to protect patient safety and ensure a similar tragedy can never happen again. As the First Minister made clear in his statement to the Scottish Parliament on 21 May, the Scottish Government is committed to learning lessons from what went wrong and the terrible impact it has had on so many infected blood victims in Scotland and their families. The Scottish Government has established an Oversight and Assurance Group involving patient representatives and from the NHS in Scotland, to ensure progress in taking forward the Inquiry&rsquo;s recommendations.A UK Government report (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-response-to-the-infected-blood-inquiry/government-response-to-the-infected-blood-inquiry-html) provides an update on progress so far in implementing the recommendations. This includes updates on the approach being taken in Scotland, along with information on progress being made on recommendations being taken forward at UK level, such as on the provision of compensation to infected blood victims. In line with the Inquiry&rsquo;s recommendation 12, the Scottish Government expects to provide a further detailed response to each of the Inquiry&rsquo;s recommendations next year, within one year of the publication of the Inquiry&rsquo;s final report.In Scotland, a number of steps are already being taken and further work is being done in the coming months to ensure further progress. In particular:The Scottish Government and the Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme have ensured that additional interim compensation has been paid to infected hepatitis C and HIV victims in Scotland and that estates of many of those who sadly died are now able to claim interim payments of &pound;100,000;The Chief Medical Officer has asked all NHS Boards and GP practices to offer hepatitis C testing to anyone who has had a blood transfusion prior to 1996 if they have not already been tested. This is to ensure any individuals who may have been infected but not yet diagnosed can be offered treatment and support as quickly as possible;The Scottish Government is working with campaigners and relevant local authorities to identify a suitable location for a memorial to infected blood victims.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428040,"EventID":"S6W-32399","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-16T16:30:13.823","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-15T16:06:36.743","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there has been any progress on the proposals to establish a Scottish Stock Exchange.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there has been any progress on the proposals to establish a Scottish Stock Exchange.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognise that stock exchanges can be an alternative platform for some companies seeking to raise substantial capital for growth investment, whilst also offering investors the opportunity to contribute to the development of listed companies.The establishment of any stock exchange in Scotland is a commercial matter for those seeking to do so.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428041,"EventID":"S6W-32395","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16197,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-16T16:30:13.843","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-13T16:19:28.86","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30510 by Gillian Martin on 18 October 2024, what specific scientific information will be provided to stakeholders in order for the","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30510 by Gillian Martin on 18 October 2024, what specific scientific information will be provided to stakeholders in order for them to be able to meaningfully engage with the National Marine Plan 2 process.","AnswerText":"The development of the National Marine Plan 2 (NMP2) is supported by an extensive programme of engagement as detailed in the Statement of Public Participation and Stakeholder Engagement Strategy. Consultation on a Planning Position Statement (PPS) for NMP2 is currently open until 28 January 2025. The PPS was developed following 14 marine sector workshops held in 2024. Consultation on the PPS was supported through discussion at the National Marine Planning Forum, held 13 November 2024, with over 100 delegates from marine sectors, academia and government.The NMP2 will be constructed using a robust and transparent evidence base informing the plan and its statutory Sustainability Appraisal, which encompasses environmental and socio-economic impact assessments. The primary evidence base for the strategic environmental assessment (SEA) is Scotland&rsquo;s Marine Assessment 2020 (&ldquo;SMA2020&rdquo;).The assessments are being supported by a steering group of relevant national organisations, who provide guidance and advice on additional relevant datasets. The assessments will form part of the public consultation on the draft NMP2, planned for Winter 2025.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428042,"EventID":"S6W-32388","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-16T16:30:13.863","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-13T13:53:04.087","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much North Ayrshire Council will pay in private finance initiative (PFI) and public private partnership (PPP) payments in each future year until they are fully paid.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much North Ayrshire Council will pay in private finance initiative (PFI) and public private partnership (PPP) payments in each future year until they are fully paid.","AnswerText":"As the latest associated published data remains unchanged, I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26239 on 2 April 2024 and to question S6W-26655 on 15 April 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428043,"EventID":"S6W-32398","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-16T16:30:13.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-13T17:00:13.69","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its financial plans for the funding of NHS boards to implement the reconfiguration of neonatal services.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its financial plans for the funding of NHS boards to implement the reconfiguration of neonatal services.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises that funding will be required to support Boards to make the transition to a reformed maternity and neonatal service. We are continuing to provide transitional funding to Boards, as we have done for NHS GGC and NHS Lothian since 2019, with additional support for NHS Grampian now being included. This funding is focused on supporting Boards through the transition process.We have been working with the regional implementation leads on development of plans for implementation to include a business case (or equivalent operational financial plan) with costs, with the expectation that a phased transition to the new model will begin in the new year.To date, we have provided over &pound;30 million of funding to NHS Boards to support implementation of the Best Start recommendations, and we are currently looking at future funding for maternity services in the next financial year.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428044,"EventID":"S6W-32396","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16197,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-16T16:30:13.823","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-13T16:19:52.227","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the outcome of its review into its target to deliver 110,000 affordable homes by 2032.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the outcome of its review into its target to deliver 110,000 affordable homes by 2032.","AnswerText":"Work to finalise the Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP) Review is ongoing and at present no publication date has been set. The key purpose of the Review is to consider the responsiveness, impact, efficiency, value-for-money and deliverability of the AHSP. It is not a Review of the 110,000 affordable homes supply target. The Scottish Government remains committed to achievement of this target and we have increased the affordable housing budget by over &pound;200m in 2025-26 to ensure we continue to deliver the homes Scotland needs.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428045,"EventID":"S6W-32397","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-16T16:30:13.83","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-13T16:59:39.63","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve coordination of care between primary and secondary care services for long-term conditions such as Crohn's disease and colitis, in acc","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve coordination of care between primary and secondary care services for long-term conditions such as Crohn's disease and colitis, in accordance with the shift to community-based healthcare outlined in its Programme for Government 2024-25.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s strategic priorities are to shift the balance of care closer to people's homes and drive a proactive approach of early intervention and prevention, which will help reduce demand for acute care.We are increasing capacity and access to Primary Care by the end of 2026, through our reform programme, shifting the balance of care to preventative and community-based support. This will be done by improving the use of multi-disciplinary working to support better, patient-centred care pathways and improve service capacity in GP and frontline community services, including additional funding to support the Primary Care Phased Investment Programme.We are committed to ensuring that people living in Scotland with long-term conditions, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), are able to access the best possible care and support, and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and person-centred. Action which the Scottish Government is taking includes:an Endoscopy and Urology Diagnostic Recovery and Renewal Plan backed by &pound;70 million. The plan focuses on key areas such as: Balancing Demand and Capacity; Workforce Training and Development; Infrastructure; and Innovation and Redesign.Funding the Modernising Patient Pathways Programme (MPPP) with a specific workstream continuing to promote improvements in IBD care which is being taken forward through the MPPP&rsquo;s National Gastroenterology Speciality Delivery Group (SDG). They have developed a national IBD pathway for NHS Scotland which is due to be published imminently.Developing a lower gastrointestinal pathway which will provide primary care guidance about testing and diagnosis for people with IBD and Coeliac Disease in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428046,"EventID":"S6W-32374","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-16T16:30:13.863","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-13T10:37:56.65","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to achieve its ambition to spend &pound;500 million on the Just Transition Fund over 10 years, in light of only &pound;15.9 million being allocated towards ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to achieve its ambition to spend &pound;500 million on the Just Transition Fund over 10 years, in light of only &pound;15.9 million being allocated towards the fund in its draft Budget 2025-26.","AnswerText":"The proposed allocation of &pound;15.9 million capital to the Just Transition Fund for 2025-26 announced in the draft Budget demonstrates our ongoing commitment to supporting a just transition in the North East and Moray and will enable us to build upon what&rsquo;s already been delivered through the Fund.To date, the Fund has allocated &pound;75 million, supporting projects and communities across the region to create jobs, support innovation, and secure the highly skilled workforce of the future.The Fund sends a clear signal of our support, but we recognise that it needs to be part of a wider stream of investment from the UK Government and others, including the private sector, to deliver a just transition to net zero.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428047,"EventID":"S6W-32383","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-16T16:30:13.837","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-13T13:37:24.667","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6O-04114 by Alasdair Allan on 12 December 2024, whether its final energy strategy will address its involvement in the (a) Beyond Oil ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6O-04114 by Alasdair Allan on 12 December 2024, whether its final energy strategy will address its involvement in the (a) Beyond Oil &amp; Gas Alliance and (b) Under2 Coalition.","AnswerText":"The judgements and issues in the Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan are informed and influenced by recent developments in UK Government energy policy and by court decisions.This is a rapidly changing landscape and we are taking time to reflect on those developments before drawing any conclusions and publishing a final strategy.The Scottish Government continues to engage with a range of international organisations and stakeholders, including the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance as part of a wider programme of analysis and engagement on energy policy. The Cabinet Secretary is the European Co-Chair of the Under2 Coalition, and as such is already heavily involved.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428048,"EventID":"S6W-32376","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-16T16:30:13.877","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-13T12:56:23.337","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether a young person between the ages of 16 and 25 can make more than one application to the Independent Living Fund.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether a young person between the ages of 16 and 25 can make more than one application to the Independent Living Fund.","AnswerText":"ILF Scotland operate two funds that support disabled people: the Independent Living Fund which pays on-going weekly awards to disabled people to help them live more independently; and the Transition Fund which pays grants to disabled young people to support them with the transition to adulthood.Previously, young people who were eligible could make second and subsequent applications to the Transition Fund. Since 1 January 2024, once an applicant has been successful in gaining a Transition Fund grant they are not able to apply again. This does not include receiving a Technology Grant for an IT device, which applicants can receive in addition to a full grant.Young people who meet the criteria are also able to apply for support from the Independent Living Fund. If an application to the Independent Living Fund is not successful the applicant may reapply if they meet the criteria.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428049,"EventID":"S6W-32131","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-16T16:30:13.933","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T16:57:37.147","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its latest estimate is of what the total costwill be of remediating buildings in Scotland found to contain unsafe reinforcedaeriated autoclaved concrete (RAAC).","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its latest estimate is of what the total costwill be of remediating buildings in Scotland found to contain unsafe reinforcedaeriated autoclaved concrete (RAAC).","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally. It should be noted that the presence of RAAC does not in of itself mean that a building is unsafe. Further information on RAAC in the Public Sector in Scotland can be found in this report Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) across the public sector in Scotland - gov.scot","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428050,"EventID":"S6W-32380","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-16T16:30:13.913","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-13T13:20:45.45","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has reportedly decided to freeze the funding for the national mission to reduce drug-related deaths and harms at &pound;60 million in its draft Budget","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has reportedly decided to freeze the funding for the national mission to reduce drug-related deaths and harms at &pound;60 million in its draft Budget 2025-26.","AnswerText":"The funding for Drugs and Alcohol in the 2025-26 draft budget is &pound;80.9m. This includes &pound;60m as part of our commitment to provide &pound;250m in additional funding over 5 years to reduce drug deaths and improve the lives of people who use drugs and alcohol.&pound;19.1m has moved to baselined funding which ADPs have highlighted as important for sustainability and recruitment.Overall funding for Alcohol and Drugs, including Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) has been maintained at the record levels set in 2023-24.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428051,"EventID":"S6W-32134","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-16T16:30:13.823","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T16:57:37.147","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it estimates will be raised for claddingremediation through developer contributions.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it estimates will be raised for claddingremediation through developer contributions.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has been clear that it will do what is right and necessary to fix the issue of unsafe cladding fully and from the outset. Developers have a key role to play in the assessment, risk mitigation and remediation of buildings with potentially unsafe cladding. We are working collaboratively with them to ensure a fair and proportionate approach to meeting the costs of cladding remediation.We shared a draft Developer Remediation Contract on 24 September 2024 with the nine developers who signed the Developer Commitment Letter in 2023. The cost to developers who sign the legally binding contract will depend on how many, if any, buildings with potentially unsafe cladding they have developed, and the scale of remediation or mitigation required for each of those buildings following their assessment. Developers agreeing and signing the legally binding developer remediation contract will be a positive step to ensuring the safety of homeowners and residents in multi residential properties with unsafe cladding.Additionally, this year&rsquo;s Programme for Government announced that, subject to the devolution of the necessary powers, the Scottish Government intends to bring forward a Bill to establish a Building Safety Levy in Scotland to support the funding of the cladding remediation programme. As set out in the recent consultation on the Scottish Building Safety Levy, we estimate that this measure would seek to raise &pound;30 million per annum.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428052,"EventID":"S6W-32381","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-16T16:30:13.827","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-13T13:20:45.45","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that it has frozen the funding for the national mission to reduce drug-related deaths and harms at &pound;60 million in its draft Budget 2025-26, an","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that it has frozen the funding for the national mission to reduce drug-related deaths and harms at &pound;60 million in its draft Budget 2025-26, and that this represents a real-terms reduction, which rehabilitation services in the Glasgow region will be impacted by this.","AnswerText":"The funding for Drugs and Alcohol in the 2025-26 draft budget is &pound;80.9m. This includes &pound;60m as part of our commitment to provide &pound;250m in additional funding over 5 years to reduce drug deaths and improve the lives of people who use drugs and alcohol.&pound;19.1m of funding has moved to baselined funding which ADPs have highlighted as important for sustainability and recruitment.Overall funding for Alcohol and Drugs, including Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) has been maintained at the record levels set in 2023-24.No rehabilitation services will be directly impacted as a result of this budget.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428053,"EventID":"S6W-32390","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-16T16:30:13.853","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-13T15:51:49.527","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31828 by Gillian Martin on 10 December 2024, what quantity of single-use plastic items has been seized from individuals and/or bus","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31828 by Gillian Martin on 10 December 2024, what quantity of single-use plastic items has been seized from individuals and/or businesses in contravention of the Environmental Protection (Single-use Plastic Products) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 since the regulations came into force.","AnswerText":"The Environmental Protection (Single-use Plastic Products) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 do not include a power to seize single use plastic items. They do, however, allow the taking of samples of articles or substances found in any premises that the enforcement officer enters. These samples, which could include single use plastic items, can then be retained for the purposes of examination and testing and to be used in evidence in any proceedings for an offence under the Regulations. Information on any samples taken and retained may be available from the enforcement authorities.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428054,"EventID":"S6W-32132","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-16T16:30:13.853","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T16:57:37.147","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its latest estimate is of what the total costof cladding remediation in Scotland will be, and what methodology it used toarrive at this figure.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its latest estimate is of what the total costof cladding remediation in Scotland will be, and what methodology it used toarrive at this figure.","AnswerText":"The Cladding Remediation Programme is accelerating the pace of delivery now that we have put in place the essential building blocks, including the Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Act 2024, which will be commenced on 6 January 2025.As we finalise these acceleration plans, we are diligently working on cost estimates to ensure financial clarity. However, the Scottish Government&rsquo;s position remains that we will invest as necessary to effectively minimise risks posed by unsafe cladding.Our spending on remediation costs can only follow a full end to end process - checking buildings are in scope, commissioning a Single Building Assessment, completing that robust technical assessment, identifying the works that need to be carried out, designing those works and gaining the necessary approvals, and then carrying out the remediation itself.Investment in the programme continues with &pound;52.2 million allocated in the 2025-2026 Scottish Government budget to support delivery and acceleration.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428055,"EventID":"S6W-32391","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-16T16:30:13.847","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-13T15:51:49.527","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31828 by Gillian Martin on 10 December 2024, in light of the information not being held centrally, which sources would be required","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31828 by Gillian Martin on 10 December 2024, in light of the information not being held centrally, which sources would be required to gather the information requested.","AnswerText":"Data on the usage of the noted material could be obtained through a range of activity including population surveys, waste composition analysis, cross-border trade analysis and studies of the weight and carbon impact of typical products.It should be noted that, as the Environmental Protection (Single-use Plastic Products) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 place restrictions on supplying the single-use plastic products in question in the course of a business, sales data in Scotland would therefore be of limited value in ascertaining usage.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428056,"EventID":"S6W-32393","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-16T16:30:13.867","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-13T16:07:19.257","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it records the number of gas leaks that occur on offshore installations.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it records the number of gas leaks that occur on offshore installations.","AnswerText":"As regulation for offshore oil and gas operations are a reserved matter for UK Government, Scottish Government does not record gas leaks from offshore oil and gas installations.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428057,"EventID":"S6W-32394","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16197,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-16T16:30:13.88","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-13T16:18:55.727","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30508 by Gillian Martin on 18 October 2024, whether future regional marine plans, adopted under section 5 of the Marine (Scotland)","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30508 by Gillian Martin on 18 October 2024, whether future regional marine plans, adopted under section 5 of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010, will be required to set out detailed marine spatial plans for all economic and nature restoration activities within the relevant Scottish marine region.","AnswerText":"The Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 requires that regional marine plans (RMPs) state policies for and in connection with the sustainable development of the area. RMPs must also set economic, social and marine ecosystem objectives and objectives relating to the mitigation of, and adaptation to, climate change. RMPs must be developed in accordance with any adopted National Marine Plan (NMP) and are subject to the agreement of Scottish Ministers.Responsibility for regional marine planning is devolved to marine planning partnerships (MPPs). The current NMP provides guidance to support the development of regional marine plans but specifies that the precise approach and coverage of the regional plan, including the level to which certain activities are spatially represented, will be for MPPs to determine based on local priorities and alignment with other local plans.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428058,"EventID":"S6W-32387","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-16T16:30:13.847","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-13T13:53:04.087","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much North Ayrshire Council has paid in private finance initiative (PFI) and public private partnership (PPP) payments in each year since 2006-07.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much North Ayrshire Council has paid in private finance initiative (PFI) and public private partnership (PPP) payments in each year since 2006-07.","AnswerText":"As the latest associated published data remains unchanged, I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26239 on 2 April 2024 and to question S6W-26655 on 15 April 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428059,"EventID":"S6W-32385","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-16T16:30:13.873","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-13T13:53:04.087","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much the public sector in Scotland has paid in private finance initiative (PFI) and public private partnership (PPP) payments in each year since 2006-07.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much the public sector in Scotland has paid in private finance initiative (PFI) and public private partnership (PPP) payments in each year since 2006-07.","AnswerText":"The total unitary charge payments associated with PFI and PPP contracts including NPD (Non-Profit Distributing) which were paid across the public sector in Scotland from 2006-07 to 2022-23 are contained within the following table.&nbsp;2006-07 to 2022-23&nbsp;(&pound;m)PFI14,173NPD (pre-2010)758NPD Programme1,573Total16,504Further information on these published figures as at 31 March 2023 can be found be at the Scottish Government website via the following link under the &lsquo;NPD and PFI projects&rsquo; section: https://www.gov.scot/policies/government-finance/infrastructure-investment/#npd","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428060,"EventID":"S6W-32133","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-16T16:30:13.843","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T16:57:37.147","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update regarding themost recent estimate of the total government spend to date on claddingremediation.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update regarding themost recent estimate of the total government spend to date on claddingremediation.","AnswerText":"Further to the answer to question S6W-31787 on 9 December 2024 the Scottish Government will continue to fund assessment and remediation where no linked developer can be identified. The level of financial support that will be needed is determined by the comprehensive SBA assessment. We continue to publish spend information for the programme which can be accessed here: Single Building Assessment programme: spending information - gov.scot.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428061,"EventID":"S6W-32386","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-16T16:30:13.86","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-13T13:53:04.087","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much currently remains in outstanding private finance initiative (PFI) and public private partnership (PPP) payments across the public sector in Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much currently remains in outstanding private finance initiative (PFI) and public private partnership (PPP) payments across the public sector in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The total estimated remaining unitary charge payments associated with PFI and PPP contracts including NPD (Non-Profit Distributing) across the public sector in Scotland from 2023-24 onwards are contained within the following table.&nbsp;2023-24 onwards&nbsp;(&pound;m)PFI14,699NPD (pre-2010)1,299NPD Programme7,113Total23,111Further information on these published figures as at 31 March 2023 can be found be at the Scottish Government website via the following link under the &lsquo;NPD and PFI projects&rsquo; section: https://www.gov.scot/policies/government-finance/infrastructure-investment/#npd","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428062,"EventID":"S6W-32384","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-16T16:30:13.82","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-13T13:37:24.667","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6O-04114 by Alasdair Allan on 12 December 2024, whether it will commit to publishing its final energy strategy in the first quarter o","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6O-04114 by Alasdair Allan on 12 December 2024, whether it will commit to publishing its final energy strategy in the first quarter of 2025.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-32265 on 6 January 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428063,"EventID":"S6W-32379","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-16T16:30:13.873","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-13T13:20:45.45","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of spending allocated to the national mission to reduce drug-related deaths and harms was allocated to rehabilitation services between 2022 and 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of spending allocated to the national mission to reduce drug-related deaths and harms was allocated to rehabilitation services between 2022 and 2024.","AnswerText":"The National Mission annual report finance sections aim to provide greater transparency of National Mission funding, including rehabilitation services. The reports for financial years 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24 are available at:National Mission on Drugs: annual report 2023-2024 - gov.scot (section 8.4)National Mission on Drugs: annual report 2022-2023 - gov.scot (section 8.4)National Mission on Drugs: annual report 2021-2022 - gov.scot (section 8.4)","AnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428064,"EventID":"S6W-32156","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-16T16:30:13.86","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T10:33:29.27","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its progress towards the target set out in the Scottish National Party's 2021 manifesto to reduce the waiting time for an endometrio","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its progress towards the target set out in the Scottish National Party's 2021 manifesto to reduce the waiting time for an endometriosis diagnosis to under 12 months by the end of the current parliamentary session.","AnswerText":"We are committed to ensuring those living with endometriosis are able to access the best possible care and support and that they benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care.That is why endometriosis is one of the key priorities in the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan and will continue to be so.Information about the progress to date against each of the priorities in the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan can be found in the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan Final Report.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428065,"EventID":"S6W-32392","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-16T16:30:13.863","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-13T15:52:37.023","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government who will employ the staff of the new independent inspectorate, in the event that the Education (Scotland) Bill is passed.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government who will employ the staff of the new independent inspectorate, in the event that the Education (Scotland) Bill is passed.","AnswerText":"In line with Professor Muir&rsquo;s recommendation, His Majesty&rsquo;s Inspectorate of Education in Scotland is to be staffed by civil servants.The Chief Inspector, and staff working on the inspection functions (or supporting these) will be employed by the Scottish Government, in line with other HM inspector(ate)s.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428066,"EventID":"S6W-32400","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-16T16:30:13.873","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-15T20:22:24.74","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when Scottish Enterprise will publish its initial masterplan for the development of its five-acre site adjacent to the Broomielaw in Glasgow.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when Scottish Enterprise will publish its initial masterplan for the development of its five-acre site adjacent to the Broomielaw in Glasgow.","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I have asked their Chief Executive, Adrian Gillespie, to contact you directly with a response.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428067,"EventID":"S6W-32378","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-16T16:30:13.84","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-13T13:18:13.72","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many child protection cases have involved fabricated induced illnesses over the last five years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many child protection cases have involved fabricated induced illnesses over the last five years.","AnswerText":"National data on fabricated or induced illness in Scotland is not centrally held. The Scottish Government published updated National Child Protection Guidance in 2023 which includes practitioner guidance on fabricated or induced illness.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428068,"EventID":"S6W-32389","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-16T16:30:13.96","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-13T15:51:22.213","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31784 by Neil Gray on 9 December 2024, whether it will provide an overview of how the Scottish Ambulance Service Special Operation","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31784 by Neil Gray on 9 December 2024, whether it will provide an overview of how the Scottish Ambulance Service Special Operations Response Team (SORT) capabilities will be delivered across Scotland following the most recent review, including (a) geographic coverage and (b) resource distribution.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) are currently reviewing its operational delivery model for SORT. The findings of the review will be discussed with the Scottish Government to ensure any changes in operational delivery meet with the expectations set out in the service level agreement, and that SAS is able to provide a safe and sustainable response to potentially hazardous and significant incidents.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428086,"EventID":"S6F-03641","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16201,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-16T14:04:47.773","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T11:15:58.313","Title":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428087,"EventID":"S6F-03642","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5586,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-16T14:04:47.633","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T11:16:15.56","Title":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428088,"EventID":"S6F-03643","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":2892,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-16T14:04:47.523","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T11:16:31.677","Title":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","ItemText":"Question to be taken in Chamber.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428089,"EventID":"S6F-03648","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":1756,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":136,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-16T14:04:47.44","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-16T09:39:13.29","Title":"To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government will encourage the public not to buy puppies or dogs during the festive period, in light of the reported possibility that these may be the pro","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government will encourage the public not to buy puppies or dogs during the festive period, in light of the reported possibility that these may be the product of irresponsible breeders, including illegal puppy farms.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428090,"EventID":"S6F-03654","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":16200,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-16T14:04:47.853","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-16T10:56:40.457","Title":"To ask the First Minister what steps the Scottish Government is taking in response to the reported announcement that NHS Scotland's IT software supplier, INPS, has entered administration, in light of ","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister what steps the Scottish Government is taking in response to the reported announcement that NHS Scotland's IT software supplier, INPS, has entered administration, in light of concerns that this could leave GPs without the digital infrastructure to maintain electronic health records.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":428091,"EventID":"S6F-03665","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":7,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-16T14:04:47.93","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-16T11:50:10.193","Title":"To ask the First Minister&nbsp;what consideration the Scottish Government has given to what the potential impact might be on Deaf and Deafblind people of the termination of its contract with Contact S","ItemText":"To ask the First Minister&nbsp;what consideration the Scottish Government has given to what the potential impact might be on Deaf and Deafblind people of the termination of its contract with Contact Scotland BSL.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428092,"EventID":"S6T-02254","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-16T14:04:59.51","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-16T10:48:02.79","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Information Commissioner letter to it expressing \"disappointment&rsquo;\" in the way that it complied with Decision 193/2024, regardi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Information Commissioner letter to it expressing \"disappointment&rsquo;\" in the way that it complied with Decision 193/2024, regarding legal advice that it received.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428093,"EventID":"S6T-02253","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-16T14:04:59.79","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-16T10:33:13.893","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve the recruitment and retention of nurses, in light of recent reports that the number of students accepted onto nursing courses remains","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve the recruitment and retention of nurses, in light of recent reports that the number of students accepted onto nursing courses remains below its targets.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428094,"EventID":"S6T-02250","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":9,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-16T14:04:59.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-16T08:45:16.543","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the reported delay in the publication of the A96 Corridor Review document, three months after it was understood to be provided to the Cab","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the reported delay in the publication of the A96 Corridor Review document, three months after it was understood to be provided to the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, is acceptable.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":"2024-12-17T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428096,"EventID":"S6W-32440","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":5618,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":91,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-17T10:31:05.343","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-17T10:27:42.37","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its annual progress report on the NHS Recovery Plan for 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its annual progress report on the NHS Recovery Plan for 2024.","AnswerText":"I am pleased to announce that the NHS Recovery Plan annual progress report for 2024 has been published today.We remain committed to delivering on the actions set out in the NHS Recovery Plan, and this annual report sets out the significant progress we have made over the course of this year.However, it is vital that we recognise, now more than ever, how much has changed since the Plan was first published. Many of the actions set out in the Plan have now been delivered, and where appropriate, as we continue to focus on supporting the ongoing recovery and reform of our health and social care services, alternative approaches to action delivery are underway.With refreshed commitments as set out in the Scottish Government&rsquo;s Programme for Government 2024-25, we will continue to align the NHS Recovery Plan progress with ongoing reform work and will continue to work closely with our partners across the health and social care system, Local Government and wider stakeholder partnerships to achieve this. https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781836911579","AnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":428097,"EventID":"S6W-32441","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":3771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":86,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-17T11:11:07.903","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-17T11:08:46.993","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish its final circular economy and waste route map.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish its final circular economy and waste route map.","AnswerText":"I am pleased to confirm the final Circular Economy and Waste Route Map has been published today. Link: https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781836017974The Route Map sets out an ambitious plan to deliver the priority actions to 2030 that will help us progress towards a circular economy and ensure we maximise the positive impact of the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 for communities across Scotland.It is the product of extensive collaboration and engagement with the public, private and third sectors through two consultations since 2022, with consistently high levels of support for the proposals.I want to thank all who have contributed to the Route Map&rsquo;s development, including our delivery partners in businesses, local government, SEPA and Zero Waste Scotland. I look forward to working with them all to deliver the actions set out. The Route Map demonstrates the strength of support for Scotland&rsquo;s transition to a circular economy and the importance of working together to reach our net zero and economic growth goals.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428098,"EventID":"S6W-32442","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":5771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-17T11:14:58.7","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-17T11:11:01.127","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what work is underway to improve national flood resilience.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what work is underway to improve national flood resilience.","AnswerText":"We know that flooding in Scotland will become more frequent and more severe in the decades ahead. As our biggest climate adaptation challenge, we need to do all we can to be prepared for this. That is why today we will publish Scotland&rsquo;s first Flood Resilience Strategy. Part of our Scottish National Adaptation Plan 2024-2029, this strategy will help us meet this challenge and support the changes we need to make over the long-term to make our communities more flood resilient.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-18T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428100,"EventID":"S6W-32375","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1866,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-17T16:37:23.197","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-13T10:37:56.65","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to spend the &pound;11.4 million allocated in its draft Budget 2025-26 towards the Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) to support an increase in c","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to spend the &pound;11.4 million allocated in its draft Budget 2025-26 towards the Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) to support an increase in community owned energy projects.","AnswerText":"The CARES allocation of &pound;11.7 million for 2025-26 announced in the draft budget represents an increase on the budget allocated to CARES in 2024-25. Plans for CARES in 2025-26 will be informed by lessons learnt from the Community Energy Generation Growth Fund pilot. This fund supported community groups with up to &pound;1.5 million to develop their own community energy projects.The Scottish Government is committed to growing the community energy sector and communities are at the heart of our renewable energy ambitions. CARES funding for 2025-26 will include dedicated development funding and support to help communities with the early stage development of community owned energy projects, increasing the accessibility of community energy and helping to ensure communities see the benefits of our energy transition.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428101,"EventID":"S6W-32382","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-17T16:37:23.2","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-13T13:20:45.45","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a detailed breakdown of what any funding that it allocated to its national mission to reduce drug-related deaths and harms between 2022 to 2024 h","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a detailed breakdown of what any funding that it allocated to its national mission to reduce drug-related deaths and harms between 2022 to 2024 has been spent on.","AnswerText":"The National Mission annual report is structured to relate to the six outcomes and six cross-cutting priorities in the National Mission Plan. Outcomes and cross-cutting priorities chapters have the following format: an overview provides context, including data, to understand the scope and purpose of the outcome. Progress set out our activities related to the outcome throughout the reporting period: the projects being delivered across sectors, locally and nationally have been highlighted, including dedicated funding and case studies.The National Mission annual report finance sections aim to provide greater transparency of National Mission funding. Section 8.3 shows the funding distribution and section 8.4 shows the funding commitment and theme. The reports for financial years 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24 are available at:National Mission on Drugs: annual report 2023-2024 - gov.scotNational Mission on Drugs: annual report 2022-2023 - gov.scotNational Mission on Drugs: annual report 2021-2022 - gov.scotThe Corra Foundation publish an annual report on projects funded via the National Drugs Mission Funds and are available at:National Drugs Mission Funds Report 2023-2024National Drugs Mission Funds Report 2021-2023Funding allocated to Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) is available at: Alcohol and Drug Partnerships: funding allocations - gov.scot","AnswerDate":"2024-12-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428129,"EventID":"S6W-32465","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":16186,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":120,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T09:05:50.603","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T08:53:11.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its review of the Good Practice Principles for Community Benefits from Offshore Renewable Energy Developments.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its review of the Good Practice Principles for Community Benefits from Offshore Renewable Energy Developments.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is launching a public consultation on Community Benefits from Net Zero Energy Developments on 19 December 2024, which will be open until 11 April 2025. This consultation is part of our review of the &lsquo;Good Practice Principles&rsquo; for community benefits from onshore and offshore renewable energy developments. Through the consultation and stakeholder engagement, we want to gather a wide range of views from across communities, industry and public and third sector stakeholders to ensure that our guidance supports sustainable and meaningful outcomes.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428130,"EventID":"S6W-32234","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":8,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T11:48:45.74","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T15:51:03.71","Title":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how much it has spent on electric hand dryers in the Parliament building in each of the last three years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how much it has spent on electric hand dryers in the Parliament building in each of the last three years.","AnswerText":"The general maintenance of hand driers is included within the Building Maintenance Contract and the only spend is on replacement parts or replacement hand driers if they fail. Below is spend for last 3 financial years and note on current year.&nbsp;&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 21/22 &ndash; No Spend &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 22/23 &ndash; No Spend &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 23/24 &ndash; &pound;1560.87 &ndash; Spend is on parts &amp; machines only as labour is included within planned maintenance.&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 24/25 &ndash; No spend to date.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Claire Baker (on behalf of the SPCB)","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428131,"EventID":"S6W-32256","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":8,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T11:50:50.03","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T16:38:38.973","Title":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, further to the answer to question S6W-31550 by Claire Baker on 11 December 2024,&nbsp;how many email and domain accounts for MSP spouses who are not i","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, further to the answer to question S6W-31550 by Claire Baker on 11 December 2024,&nbsp;how many email and domain accounts for MSP spouses who are not in paid employment by MSPs there are on the Parliament IT system, and what the average annual cost is of administering any such accounts.","AnswerText":"In line with data protection legislation the personal data processed by the SPCB is minimised to only that which is necessary, and there is no business reason to hold spousal information of those who work for MSPs in an unpaid capacity.&nbsp; The average annual licencing cost to provide email and productivity applications to Parliament network users is approximately &pound;280 per user.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Claire Baker (on behalf of the SPCB)","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428132,"EventID":"S6W-32344","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":8,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T11:51:33.247","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T16:10:21.53","Title":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what the cost of maintaining the Parliament's bees has been in each of the last five years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what the cost of maintaining the Parliament's bees has been in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"The total cost of maintaining the Parliament&rsquo;s bees on-site for the last five years in total is &pound;20,219.68. This includes the installation and maintenance of 15 beehives since March 2020. &nbsp;The costs per year are given in the table below:&nbsp;Hoods Honey Costs per year &nbsp; &nbsp; Year Ex VAT Gross Amount 2023/24 &pound;&nbsp;&nbsp; 4,349.90  &nbsp;&pound;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 5,219.88  2022/23 &pound;&nbsp;&nbsp; 3,199.92  &nbsp;&pound;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 3,839.90    2021/22 &pound;&nbsp;&nbsp; 3,199.92  &nbsp;&pound;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 3,839.90  2020/21 &pound;&nbsp;&nbsp; 3,600.00  &nbsp;&pound;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 4,320.00  2019/20 &pound;&nbsp;&nbsp; 2,500.00  &nbsp;&pound;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 3,000.00","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Claire Baker (on behalf of the SPCB)","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428133,"EventID":"S6W-32345","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":8,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T11:51:57.43","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T16:10:21.53","Title":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what the total cost was of the recent replacement of the heating and window control systems in MSP offices in the Parliament building.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what the total cost was of the recent replacement of the heating and window control systems in MSP offices in the Parliament building.","AnswerText":"The works referred to in your question is part of an existing project to upgrade the Parliament&rsquo;s Building and Energy Management System (BEMS). The BEMS is a business-critical tool which provides visibility and control of building services, principally the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and domestic hot water systems in all areas of the Holyrood site.&nbsp; The new BEMS replaces an existing system which was installed 20 years ago and at end of life. &nbsp; The estimated total value for the BEMS project is &pound;3,900,000. This information is published on the Scottish Parliaments Contracts Register under the contract reference NIC-SER-486 at the following link - Contract register | Scottish Parliament Website.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Claire Baker (on behalf of the SPCB)","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428134,"EventID":"S6W-32346","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":8,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T11:52:25.433","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T16:10:21.53","Title":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what the total repair and maintenance cost for the Parliament building was in (a) 2024 and (b) each of the last five years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what the total repair and maintenance cost for the Parliament building was in (a) 2024 and (b) each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"Building maintenance of the site is carried out through two separate contracts. Noted below is both the planned and reactive/repair maintenance costs for the last 5 years for each contract. Overall total for both contracts being &pound;8,117,010.95 excluding VAT.&nbsp;Building Maintenance&nbsp;Planned&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Reactive/Repair&nbsp;2019/20 &nbsp;&pound;654,720 2019/20 &nbsp;&pound;117,319.60 2020/21 &nbsp;&pound;793,088 2020/21 &nbsp;&pound;31,644.30 2021/22 &nbsp;&pound;803,292 2021/22 &nbsp;&pound;39,611.92 2022/23 &nbsp;&pound;851,724 2022/23 &nbsp;&pound;34,639.00 2023/24 &nbsp;&pound;948,231 2023/24 &nbsp;&pound;56,423.41 &nbsp;High Level Maintenance&nbsp;Planned&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Reactive/Repair&nbsp;2019/20 &nbsp;&pound;692,913 2019/20 &nbsp;&pound;20,906.15 2020/21 &nbsp;&pound;710,180 2020/21 &nbsp;&pound;15,120.41 2021/22 &nbsp;&pound;720,441 2021/22 &nbsp;&pound;17,300.00 2022/23 &nbsp;&pound;764,075 2022/23 &nbsp;&pound;15,799.16 2023/24 &nbsp;&pound;829,583 2023/24 &nbsp;&pound;17,254.74","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Claire Baker (on behalf of the SPCB)","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428135,"EventID":"S6W-32347","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":8,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T11:52:53.183","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T16:10:21.53","Title":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how much (a) honey and (b) wax was harvested from the Parliament's bees in each year of the last five years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how much (a) honey and (b) wax was harvested from the Parliament's bees in each year of the last five years.","AnswerText":"In the last 5 years, from January 2020 &ndash; January 2025, 144 jars of honey have been received and sold in the Parliament shop, each weighing 227g. The shop was completely closed from March 2020 &ndash; April 2022 and no honey was received or sold in that period. No honey was received in 2023. &nbsp;The beeswax isn&rsquo;t harvested by the Parliament, it remains the property of our beekeepers, and therefore, we do not have the cost information.&nbsp; The beeswax is harvested by the beekeepers who provide the wax for the Great Seal of Scotland under a separate contract.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Claire Baker (on behalf of the SPCB)","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428136,"EventID":"S6W-32348","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":8,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T11:53:40.097","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T16:14:49.51","Title":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what the cost is of replacing a light (a) bulb and (b) fixture in the Parliament canteen.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what the cost is of replacing a light (a) bulb and (b) fixture in the Parliament canteen.","AnswerText":"The general maintenance of lighting is included within the building maintenance contract and only additional maintenance spends are on parts or replacements if they fail. The cost of bulb varies from fitting to fitting and is sourced through a wholesaler by the current contractor for best value at time of purchase. Both types of fittings in the canteen are original and bespoke to the Parliament. To date no fitting/fixture has been replaced in this area and there are no plans to. Therefore, no cost of fitting/fixture for either is known.&nbsp;&nbsp;","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Claire Baker (on behalf of the SPCB)","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428137,"EventID":"S6W-32520","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":2,"MSPID":3763,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":142,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T13:36:41.273","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T13:25:29.24","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will consult on proposals for the further regulation of non-surgical cosmetic procedures.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will consult on proposals for the further regulation of non-surgical cosmetic procedures.","AnswerText":"The consultation on Regulation and Licensing of Non-surgical cosmetic procedures will be published tomorrow, 20 December 2024 at 10:00. I would encourage members of the public to respond to the consultation, to help us to prepare regulations for non-surgical cosmetic procedures that are proportionate, robust and future-proofed. The consultation will close on 14 February 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-19T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428138,"EventID":"S6O-04153","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T15:04:08.2","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-17T11:35:19.963","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it supports music venues.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it supports music venues.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428139,"EventID":"S6O-04157","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T15:04:08.253","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T09:55:04.367","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress to restore the Mackintosh Building of the Glasgow School of Art. &nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress to restore the Mackintosh Building of the Glasgow School of Art. &nbsp;","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428140,"EventID":"S6O-04159","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3907,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":135,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T15:04:08.38","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T11:39:41.57","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on Scotland&rsquo;s alignment with the EU, including in relation to the Digital Single Market.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on Scotland&rsquo;s alignment with the EU, including in relation to the Digital Single Market.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428141,"EventID":"S6O-04172","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2110,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":138,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T15:04:07.987","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T11:13:15.617","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve discipline in schools.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve discipline in schools.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428142,"EventID":"S6O-04171","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T15:04:08.033","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T11:26:33.213","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the data from the Pupils Census Supplementary Statistics, which reportedly shows that the number of pupils with additional support needs in Dumfr","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the data from the Pupils Census Supplementary Statistics, which reportedly shows that the number of pupils with additional support needs in Dumfries and Galloway increased by over 1,000 between 2019 and 2023.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428143,"EventID":"S6O-04161","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5042,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T15:04:07.893","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T10:04:32.5","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will improve access to legal aid.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will improve access to legal aid.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to providing legal aid for a wide scope of actions. The draft Scottish Budget includes a proposed further investment of &pound;14.2 million for the Legal Fund in 2025-26 which is an increase of 10% on this year&rsquo;s budget (to &pound;155.5 million).Despite financial constraints, the Scottish Government continues to focus on building a more inclusive Scotland for all, investing in services and support that will help our communities during these difficult times.Our budget, if passed by Parliament, will ensure that this government can continue to prioritise action to eradicate child poverty, protect our public services including improving access to legal aid and grow Scotland&rsquo;s economy, while addressing the inequalities that many in our communities still face.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428144,"EventID":"S6O-04160","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5769,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":133,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T15:04:08.453","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T09:19:22.837","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it can provide to those who wish to protect and preserve the Bernat Klein Studio in Selkirk. &nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it can provide to those who wish to protect and preserve the Bernat Klein Studio in Selkirk. &nbsp;","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428145,"EventID":"S6O-04170","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T15:04:08.15","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T10:07:33.95","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that there is adequate childcare provision in island communities, including in the Orkney constituency.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that there is adequate childcare provision in island communities, including in the Orkney constituency.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428146,"EventID":"S6O-04176","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T15:04:07.92","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T10:11:01.813","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how the needs of pupils with additional support needs are taken into account in the procurement and replacement of the school estate.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the needs of pupils with additional support needs are taken into account in the procurement and replacement of the school estate.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428147,"EventID":"S6O-04154","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16186,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":120,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T15:04:08.357","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T09:42:59.617","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting independent cinemas. &nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting independent cinemas. &nbsp;","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428148,"EventID":"S6O-04169","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4981,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T15:04:08.277","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T08:46:01.77","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will launch an independent review of the 2024 Higher History exam, in light of reports that responses to a survey by the Scottish Association of Teachers of H","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will launch an independent review of the 2024 Higher History exam, in light of reports that responses to a survey by the Scottish Association of Teachers of History were overwhelmingly critical of the SQA review, that it had been described as a \"whitewash\", and that one respondent referred to it as \"the most biased and useless investigation I have ever seen a public body attempt to pass off as legitimate&rdquo;.&nbsp; &nbsp;","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428149,"EventID":"S6O-04162","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T15:04:08.48","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-17T11:42:25.313","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has been made aware of the identity of the police officers investigating Operation&nbsp;Branchform, and, if so, when.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has been made aware of the identity of the police officers investigating Operation&nbsp;Branchform, and, if so, when.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428150,"EventID":"S6O-04175","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16189,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":129,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T15:04:08.083","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-17T15:53:56.593","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress being made to improve the learning outcomes of pupils to prepare them for careers in the technology sector.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress being made to improve the learning outcomes of pupils to prepare them for careers in the technology sector.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428151,"EventID":"S6O-04155","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16197,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T15:04:08.177","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T10:24:14.33","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its assessment of the potential impact of the UK Government&rsquo;s decision to increase employer national insurance contributions o","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its assessment of the potential impact of the UK Government&rsquo;s decision to increase employer national insurance contributions on the culture sector.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428152,"EventID":"S6O-04166","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T15:04:08.223","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T11:45:58.517","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is giving consideration to a pilot scheme on independent legal representation for rape victims.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is giving consideration to a pilot scheme on independent legal representation for rape victims.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428153,"EventID":"S6O-04167","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T15:04:07.96","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T09:54:41","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce the reoffending rate. &nbsp; &nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce the reoffending rate. &nbsp; &nbsp;","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428154,"EventID":"S6O-04165","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":3771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":86,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T15:04:08.503","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T10:16:45.38","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with the chief constable of Police Scotland, and what issues were discussed.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with the chief constable of Police Scotland, and what issues were discussed.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428155,"EventID":"S6O-04163","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4940,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":81,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T15:04:07.89","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-17T10:20:02.037","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is available from the Office of the Public Guardian for people accessing the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is available from the Office of the Public Guardian for people accessing the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428156,"EventID":"S6O-04164","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":4941,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":87,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T15:04:08.43","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T10:39:47.213","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the UK Government in relation to lifting Crown immunity under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 for the Scottish Prison","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the UK Government in relation to lifting Crown immunity under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 for the Scottish Prison Service.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428157,"EventID":"S6O-04158","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16191,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":77,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T15:04:08.057","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T11:54:36.893","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how its draft Budget will support the arts and culture sector in 2025-26, including through the provision of multi-year funding programmes for artists and cultural organ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how its draft Budget will support the arts and culture sector in 2025-26, including through the provision of multi-year funding programmes for artists and cultural organisations.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428158,"EventID":"S6O-04174","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T15:04:08.333","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-17T14:03:20.493","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to tackle antisocial behaviour, and safeguard the welfare of girls, in schools.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to tackle antisocial behaviour, and safeguard the welfare of girls, in schools.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428159,"EventID":"S6O-04173","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T15:04:08.01","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T11:45:51.73","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what role schools can play in ensuring that children develop life-long physical literacy skills.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what role schools can play in ensuring that children develop life-long physical literacy skills.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428160,"EventID":"S6O-04168","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5877,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T15:04:08.307","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-17T08:13:55.407","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has conducted an assessment of the potential impact of the reported proposed budget reduction for the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service on its ability to ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has conducted an assessment of the potential impact of the reported proposed budget reduction for the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service on its ability to reduce any court backlogs.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428161,"EventID":"S6O-04156","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":5,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T15:04:08.403","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T10:48:31.347","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to grow Scotland's arts, culture and creative sector.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to grow Scotland's arts, culture and creative sector.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428162,"EventID":"S6O-04177","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T15:04:23.36","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-17T11:24:19.853","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is available to taxi drivers in Glasgow to help them comply with the Low Emission Zone.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support is available to taxi drivers in Glasgow to help them comply with the Low Emission Zone.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428163,"EventID":"S6O-04183","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T15:04:23.357","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-17T15:20:29.513","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to continue the Investing in Communities Fund into the 2025-26 financial year, in light of reported concerns that funding may not continue for supported","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to continue the Investing in Communities Fund into the 2025-26 financial year, in light of reported concerns that funding may not continue for supported community projects.","AnswerText":"The draft Scottish Budget sets out our spending plans for 2025-26 to deliver progress for Scotland, and to improve the lives of the people of Scotland. It includes investment for regeneration of over &pound;62 million to support communities most in need, which I can advise includes the Investing in Communities Fund supporting community-led projects across Scotland which are addressing poverty and disadvantage.The draft Budget requires the support of Parliament before confirmation of funding for individual allocations can be provided. I would therefore urge all MSPs to support the budget to ensure that investment for community projects continues.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428164,"EventID":"S6O-04184","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16178,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":78,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T15:04:23.363","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-17T12:42:43.867","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any potential impact on households experiencing fuel poverty in Scotland,&nbsp;particularly in rural and off-gas grid areas,&nbsp;what communication it has ha","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any potential impact on households experiencing fuel poverty in Scotland,&nbsp;particularly in rural and off-gas grid areas,&nbsp;what communication it has had with relevant third parties regarding the ending of the Radio Teleswitch Service.","AnswerText":"The Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) is reserved, however the Scottish Government engages regularly with consumer organisations and fuel poverty charities on issues expected to arise from the upcoming switch-off.I recently visited the Western Isles Citizens Advice Bureau to discuss the potentially devastating consequences on fuel poverty and access to energy if RTS meters are not upgraded on time, there and in many other communities. Consumers must not receive extortionately high or inaccurate bills or experience any interruption of supply.To that end, I have written to the UK Government, and will seek further urgent engagement to ensure that Scottish communities are protected.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428165,"EventID":"S6O-04178","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16177,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":125,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T15:04:23.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T10:31:21.153","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported calls from constituents to save local government services, in light of reports that some services across Banffshire and Buchan Coast are","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported calls from constituents to save local government services, in light of reports that some services across Banffshire and Buchan Coast are under threat of closure.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428166,"EventID":"S6O-04181","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16214,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T15:04:23.37","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-17T09:17:55.873","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to strengthen Scotland&rsquo;s ferry fleet over the coming year.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to strengthen Scotland&rsquo;s ferry fleet over the coming year.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428167,"EventID":"S6O-04182","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T15:04:23.37","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T10:58:37.417","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the impact of the increase in employer national insurance contributions on the public and third sectors in Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the impact of the increase in employer national insurance contributions on the public and third sectors in Scotland.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428168,"EventID":"S6O-04179","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":16193,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T15:04:23.347","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-17T15:58:44.14","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to reform planning regulations to enable the construction of new nuclear power stations.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to reform planning regulations to enable the construction of new nuclear power stations.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428169,"EventID":"S6O-04180","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":4,"MSPID":5782,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":134,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T15:04:23.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T11:17:54.127","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to invest in frontline primary healthcare to support rural pharmacies.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to invest in frontline primary healthcare to support rural pharmacies.","AnswerText":"","AnswerDate":null,"AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":null,"MeetingDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnsweredByMSP":null,"OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428170,"EventID":"S6W-32481","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:32.953","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T12:11:26.337","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide support to the Scottish Prison Service in order to upscale the provision of alcohol treatment services to individuals resident in the prison esta","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide support to the Scottish Prison Service in order to upscale the provision of alcohol treatment services to individuals resident in the prison estate.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is currently working on a National Treatment Specification for Alcohol and Drug Treatment in Scotland.This document will be informed by numerous sources including the forthcoming UK Clinical Guidelines for Alcohol Treatment and the recently published Public Health Scotland review into Alcohol Brief Interventions as well as key independent reports such as Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problem&rsquo;s (SHAAP) paper on alcohol use disorder in the justice system.Officials will work closely with colleagues within the Scottish Prison Service to ensure that the National Treatment Specification fully reflects the importance of the justice system including those resident in the prison estate as an integral part of Scotland&rsquo;s alcohol treatment provision.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428171,"EventID":"S6W-32427","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:33.547","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-16T16:35:51.037","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact of reported physiotherapy staff shortages on (a) delayed discharges, (b) hospital-acquired deconditioning and (c) the ability o","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact of reported physiotherapy staff shortages on (a) delayed discharges, (b) hospital-acquired deconditioning and (c) the ability of community teams to meet demand.","AnswerText":"(a) The Scottish Government is continually working with health boards and local health and social care partnerships to reduce the number of delayed discharges.(b) The Scottish Government issued to all 14 Health Boards on 12 September 2024 the &lsquo;Once for Scotland Rehabilitation Approach self-assessment' to support practitioners in applying the six principles of good rehabilitation. Data collected through Board's self-assessment can be used to demonstrate the impact of rehabilitation services, as well as, raising its profile across health and social care services.(c) Community Multi-Disciplinary Teams (MDTs) are pivoting the balance of care away from secondary care and physiotherapists are an integral part of this work.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428172,"EventID":"S6W-32462","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:34.183","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-17T17:05:30.08","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what  proportion of people who are economically inactive want to work.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what  proportion of people who are economically inactive want to work.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government routinely analyses data on economic inactivity published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), and publishes this data on the Scottish Government&rsquo;s website.The latest Scotland&rsquo;s Labour Market Insights statistical publication was released on 28 October 2024, containing statistics from ONS&rsquo;s Annual Population Survey. This shows that an estimated 17.3 per cent (135,700) of inactive people aged 16 to 64 reported that they wanted to work during the period July 2023 to June 2024.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428173,"EventID":"S6W-32490","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:32.883","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T12:21:28.123","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many children have been home-schooled in each year since 1999.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many children have been home-schooled in each year since 1999.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government does not collect information on the number of children and young people home educated in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428174,"EventID":"S6W-32416","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2633,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:33.58","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-16T11:59:19.66","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress the Retail Industry Leadership Group has made on delivering its priority objectives, including a (a) Fair Work Agreement, (b) Just Transition Plan and (c) ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress the Retail Industry Leadership Group has made on delivering its priority objectives, including a (a) Fair Work Agreement, (b) Just Transition Plan and (c) skills audit and action plan for the sector.","AnswerText":"The priorities of the ILG will flex and take account of changing economic and policy circumstances, but will continue to develop actions in the Retail Strategy on:(a) Fair Work -The Industry Leadership Group will take forward the action on Fair Work, working with members to produce a Fair Work document which will showcase good examples of Fair Work in the sector and contain useful resources for organisations, using the valuable insight gained from the Fair Work Working Group (FWWG).(b) Just Transition - The ILG will work across industry to share expertise and promote best practice.(c) Retail skills - An audit has been completed, and an action plan has been drafted, with priority areas identified. Discussions are currently taking place with Skills Development Scotland, Scottish Government Employability Division and other stakeholders, including Local Employability Partnerships, to implement and evaluate a pilot approach to developing a pipeline of trained, informed and motivated individuals to compete for available jobs in the retail sector.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428175,"EventID":"S6W-32434","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:35.287","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-17T10:23:19.99","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the findings of the first&nbsp;report on the outcomes of the expansion of Individual Placement and Support (IPS) for adults in treatment for alco","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the findings of the first&nbsp;report on the outcomes of the expansion of Individual Placement and Support (IPS) for adults in treatment for alcohol and drug dependence in England, which was published on 11 December 2024, and whether it will consider introducing a similar scheme in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s Drugs and Alcohol Workforce Action Plan 2023&ndash;2026 outlines a range of measures aimed at supporting individuals with lived experience of substance use to enter employment.The Scottish Government is aware of, and is reviewing the implementation of, the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) scheme for adults in treatment for alcohol and drug dependence in England. The data linkage report published in December 2024 has provided valuable insights.The Scottish Government regularly meets with representatives from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) within the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to share knowledge and best practice regarding workforce development. We will continue to collaborate with OHID and explore how the findings from the report may inform our ongoing approach.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428176,"EventID":"S6W-32461","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:32.917","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-17T17:05:30.08","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent analysis it has undertaken of people who are currently economically inactive and the reasons for their economic inactivity.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent analysis it has undertaken of people who are currently economically inactive and the reasons for their economic inactivity.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government routinely analyses data on economic inactivity published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), and publishes this data on the Scottish Government&rsquo;s website.The Labour Market Trends: December 2024 publication was released on 17th December 2024, and contains statistics from ONS&rsquo;s Labour Force Survey. These show that Scotland had an estimated economic inactivity rate of 24.0% for August to October 2024.The latest Scotland&rsquo;s Labour Market Insights statistical publication was released on 28 October 2024, containing statistics from ONS&rsquo;s Annual Population Survey. This reported that an estimated 786,300 people aged 16 to 64 were economically inactive in Scotland in July 2023 &ndash; June 2024. An estimated 32.0% of inactive people gave their reason for being inactive as &ldquo;long-term sick or disabled&rdquo;. The second most common reason for being economically inactive was being a student (24.6%), followed by looking after &ldquo;looking after family / home&rdquo; (16.1%).Economic inactivity due to ill health is a key concern, and the Scottish Government published analysis in September 2024 on supporting those with longer-term health conditions and disabilities to remain economically active. This is available at: Economic inactivity in Scotland: supporting those with longer-term health conditions and disabilities to remain economically active.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428177,"EventID":"S6W-32474","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:33.82","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T11:36:44.783","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what sanctions exist for misleading the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission, and how such matters are investigated.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what sanctions exist for misleading the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission, and how such matters are investigated.","AnswerText":"The sanctions that may be applied where a person is found to have misled the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC) and the means by which allegations that a person may have done so would be investigated would depend on the facts and circumstances of the particular case.The purpose of the SCCRC is to investigate alleged miscarriages of justice. Where a person seeks to deliberately mislead the SCCRC when carrying out an investigation into an alleged miscarriage of justice, they may potentially be committing the offence of attempting to pervert the course of justice or defeat the ends of justice.The SCCRC have a power at section 194H of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 to request precognition under oath. Where a person knowingly gives false information under oath, they may be liable to be prosecuted for perjury.As common law offences, the maximum penalty for offences of perjury, attempting to defeat the ends of justice or pervert the course of justice is up to life imprisonment, limited only by the sentencing power of the court in which the offender is sentenced.Where the SCCRC believe that a person may have committed a criminal offence, it is a matter for the SCCRC to consider what action to take and this could include reporting this to the police for investigation.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428178,"EventID":"S6W-32431","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:33.913","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-16T16:37:04.5","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to take forward the recommendations made in the interim report of the Independent Review of Adult Disability Payment.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to take forward the recommendations made in the interim report of the Independent Review of Adult Disability Payment.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government welcomes the publication of the interim report of the Independent Review of Adult Disability Payment and thanks the chair, Edel Harris for her work. The Scottish Government is now carefully considering these initial findings, including the areas the Chair considers may be capable of early action.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428179,"EventID":"S6W-32486","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:33.823","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T12:18:00.83","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the reported lack of International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards in relation to ultra high frequency electronic identification","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the reported lack of International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards in relation to ultra high frequency electronic identification technology in livestock.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-32124 on 7 January 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":428180,"EventID":"S6W-32448","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:34.14","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-17T12:38:33.953","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it can do to support the Norwegian-UK Strategic Partnership declared on 16 December 2024 as it relates to Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it can do to support the Norwegian-UK Strategic Partnership declared on 16 December 2024 as it relates to Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has long recognised the importance of developing strong ties with Norway to fully realise our shared ambitions in devolved areas such as culture, education, energy and climate. The First Minister and the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs, and Culture both met with the Norwegian Ambassador to the UK when he last visited Scotland for the Nordic Music Days festival. Additionally, the Minister for Climate Action recently visited Stavanger, where he led engagement with the Scottish and Norwegian port sectors. Scottish Government officials, both here in Scotland and overseas in our Nordic office, will continue to engage regularly with Norwegian partners.While we are broadly supportive of the new Joint Declaration on the Norwegian-UK Strategic Partnership, it was disappointing that the Scottish Government was not given the opportunity to meaningfully contribute to the drafting of the declaration, nor have we been asked to help operationalise it despite the fact that many of the commitments pertain to devolved policy areas.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428181,"EventID":"S6W-32424","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:34.347","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-16T16:35:51.037","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current vacancy rate is for physiotherapists within NHS Borders.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current vacancy rate is for physiotherapists within NHS Borders.","AnswerText":"The information requested on what the current vacancy rate is for physiotherapists within NHS Borders can be found on the TURAS NHS Education for Scotland workforce statistics site at: NHS Scotland workforce | Turas Data Intelligence (Vacancy tab).","AnswerDate":"2024-12-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428182,"EventID":"S6W-32471","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:35.487","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T11:12:41.943","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31982 by Gillian Martin on 17 December 2024, what plans it has to assess any land contaminated by historic metal mining.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31982 by Gillian Martin on 17 December 2024, what plans it has to assess any land contaminated by historic metal mining.","AnswerText":"Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, land contamination is the responsibility of local authorities. Any land which is identified as being contaminated, including any contaminated by historic metal mining, should be managed in accordance with their routine regime of identifying and securing remediation for contaminated land.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428183,"EventID":"S6W-32460","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:34.6","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-17T17:05:30.08","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people it has helped back into the labour market from being economically inactive in each of the last five years, and to which programmes this was attributable.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people it has helped back into the labour market from being economically inactive in each of the last five years, and to which programmes this was attributable.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises that supporting labour market participation and reducing economic inactivity requires a concerted approach from a range of services, including employability, health and childcare. We are currently taking action to support this, and have committed to doing more through our Programme for Government. For example, we have set out plans to improve access to health services by April 2025, and to implement specialist employability support for disabled people and people with long-term health conditions across all 32 local authorities by Summer 2025.We publish statistics on the impact of our devolved employability services on a quarterly basis. The most recent publication, which covers up to June 2024, shows that Fair Start Scotland has supported 22,875 job starts since April 2018, and that No One Left Behind has supported 20,743 people to enter employment since April 2019. Although Fair Start Scotland has closed to new referrals, those on the service continue to be entitled to the full offer of support.No One Left Behind reports on the economic status and long-term health conditions of participants and at the point of accessing services, with 14,025 reporting as economically inactive and 16,594 people reporting a long-term health condition. We will begin to include data on the outcomes achieved by those who are economically inactive at the time of entering No One Left Behind in the coming financial year.Furthermore, the latest ELC census shows that uptake of the funded ELC offer for 3 and 4 year olds remains near-universal at an estimated 95% of children within that age group, and the latest parent survey shows the 74% of parents using funded ELC said that the funded offer enabled them to work or look for work.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428184,"EventID":"S6W-32414","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3771,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":86,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:32.957","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-16T11:26:02.457","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will include chronic kidney disease in the list of the long-term conditions to be supported by increased funding in the draft Scottish Budget 2025-26.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will include chronic kidney disease in the list of the long-term conditions to be supported by increased funding in the draft Scottish Budget 2025-26.","AnswerText":"In addition to funding to support the expansion of access to diabetes technology already announced in the financial year 2024-2025, the draft Budget for 2025-2026 contains funding to support continued policy development various for long term conditions. We will always give careful consideration as to whether additional policy development is required for any condition, including chronic kidney disease.More broadly, the draft Budget delivers a record &pound;21 billion investment in health and social care, including core funding to NHS boards to deliver services. NHS boards have responsibility for deciding how to use this core funding to deliver services locally based on the needs of the people in their area, including people living with chronic kidney disease.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428185,"EventID":"S6W-32466","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:34.893","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T10:01:12.8","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many properties will be subject to the basic property rate poundage in 2025-26, broken down by (a) industry sector and (b) local authority area.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many properties will be subject to the basic property rate poundage in 2025-26, broken down by (a) industry sector and (b) local authority area.","AnswerText":"The number of properties expected to be liable for the Basic Property Rate (BPR) in 2025-2026 before any reliefs are applied is presented in the following tables, broken down in Table 1 by property class, and in Table 2 by council area.Property class is a classification used by Scottish Assessors to describe the type of property, and does not necessarily accurately reflect the use of a property. The Scottish Government does not hold property-level data on industry sectors.These tables are based on the non-domestic valuation roll as at 1 October 2024.Table 1: Number of properties expected to be liable for BPR by class, to the nearest 10ClassNumber of Properties*Shops50,200Public Houses3,000Offices40,800Hotels4,000Industrial Subjects56,000Leisure, Entertainment, Caravans etc.25,600Garages and Petrol Stations3,500Cultural1,200Sporting Subjects12,900Education and Training1,500Public Service Subjects8,300Communications200Quarries, Mines, etc.300Petrochemical100Religious5,200Health and Medical2,400Other12,000Care Facilities2,200Advertising1,400Statutory Undertaking800All231,600*Figures may not sum due to rounding.Table 2: Number of properties expected to be liable for BPR by council area, to the nearest 10Council AreaNumber of Properties*Aberdeen City7,900Aberdeenshire12,300Angus5,100Argyll and Bute8,900City of Edinburgh19,300Clackmannanshire1,600Dumfries and Galloway9,300Dundee City5,400East Ayrshire4,600East Dunbartonshire2,200East Lothian3,500East Renfrewshire1,800Falkirk4,900Fife13,100Glasgow City24,200Highland18,200Inverclyde2,300Midlothian2,700Moray5,000Na h-Eileanan Siar2,600North Ayrshire5,100North Lanarkshire10,200Orkney Islands2,500Perth and Kinross8,800Renfrewshire9,300Scottish Borders8,600Shetland Islands2,200South Ayrshire5,000South Lanarkshire10,900Stirling5,500West Dunbartonshire2,800West Lothian5,800All231,600*Figures may not sum due to rounding.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428186,"EventID":"S6W-32487","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:32.977","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T12:18:00.83","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with UK Government officials regarding the implementation of ultra high frequency electronic identification technology in livestock.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with UK Government officials regarding the implementation of ultra high frequency electronic identification technology in livestock.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government officials are in regular discussions with the other UK administrations on bovine EID.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":428187,"EventID":"S6W-32451","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:33.97","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-17T12:48:12.08","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32009 by Ivan McKee on 17 December 2024, and in relation to the \"inflationary increase\" in his response, how it has historically a","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32009 by Ivan McKee on 17 December 2024, and in relation to the \"inflationary increase\" in his response, how it has historically adjusted business rate poundage in relation to inflation since 1999.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"Table 1 shows annual inflation as at September between 1999 and 2024 using the Consumer Price Index (CPI), as well as the annual change in the Basic, Intermediate and Higher Property Rates between 1999-2000 and 2025-2026. The rateable value threshold up to which different rates are charged has changed over time. In Scotland, there is no legislation linking the maximum possible uprating of the rates to inflation of the preceding year. Given that Scottish Ministers have chosen to set the Basic Property Rate in order to match or be below the Small Business Multiplier in England since 2007-2008, up until 2016-2017, September Retail Price Index (RPI) acted as a cap on inflationary increases in poundage in Scotland because in England, legislation used to link the maximum possible uprating of the Small Business Multiplier to September RPI of the preceding year. The independent Barclay Review of Non-Domestic Rates published in 2017 noted calls for increases in the poundage to be linked to the CPI rather than the RPI. Since 2017-18, annual changes in the rates in Scotland have been lower than the CPI increase. Revaluations are also typically designed to be revenue-neutral in real terms so both inflation and the growth in the tax base (taking into account expected appeals losses in that cycle) is taken into account when setting the rates.Table 1: Annual CPI change as at Sept (1999-2024) and annual change to the Basic, Intermediate and Higher Property Rates (1999-2000 to 2025-26)&nbsp;Annual CPI change - Sept (%)Basic Property Rate annual percentage changeIntermediate Property Rate annual percentage changeHigher Property Rate annual percentage change19991.2%3.2%&nbsp;3.2%20001.0%-6.7%&nbsp;-6.3%20011.3%0.4%&nbsp;2.6%20021.0%1.8%&nbsp;1.7%20031.4%4.4%&nbsp;1.3%20041.1%2.1%&nbsp;1.4%20052.5%-5.5%&nbsp;-5.1%20062.4%-2.6%&nbsp;-2.8%20071.8%-1.8%&nbsp;-2.0%20085.2%3.9%&nbsp;4.1%20091.1%5.0%&nbsp;5.0%20103.1%-15.4%&nbsp;-14.6%20115.2%4.7%&nbsp;4.8%20122.2%5.6%&nbsp;5.5%20132.7%2.7%&nbsp;2.8%20141.2%1.9%&nbsp;2.3%2015-0.1%1.9%&nbsp;2.3%20161.0%0.8%&nbsp;3.4%20173.0%-3.7%&nbsp;-3.5%20182.4%3.0%&nbsp;2.8%20191.7%2.1%&nbsp;2.0%20200.5%1.6%&nbsp;1.6%20213.1%-1.6%-1.6%-1.5%202210.1%1.6%1.6%1.6%20236.7%0.0%0.0%0.0%20241.7%0.0%6.7%6.7%2025 (proposed)n/a0.0%1.7%1.6%* Source: Office for National Statistics","AnswerDate":"2024-12-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428188,"EventID":"S6W-32421","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:33.583","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-16T15:32:45.757","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its recent report, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Services in Scotland: An analysis of updated NHS Board survey data, which confi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its recent report, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Services in Scotland: An analysis of updated NHS Board survey data, which confirms that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is offering the Lightning Process for people with ME/CFS, what its position is on NHS boards using this treatment, in light of it being not recommended in the NICE guidelines for ME/CFS, and whether it plans to take action to end the use of this treatment for ME/CFS.","AnswerText":"The Health and Social Care Standards, published in 2017, set out the expectation that care should be provided by health and social care professionals based on the most relevant evidence, guidance and best practice, as is appropriate to their profession and patient group. In July 2022 we wrote to health boards and GPs to raise awareness of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines and highlight key changes in practice, and these remain the most current national guidelines on the management of ME/CFS.While the Scottish Government sets the strategic policy for the NHS in Scotland, it is NHS Boards and healthcare professionals locally who have responsibility for both service delivery and ensuring people receive the right care for them, taking into account relevant guidance, local service needs and priorities for investment.In conclusion, it is for NHS Boards to determine what clinical interventions they offer, while giving regard to the considerations above.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428189,"EventID":"S6W-32446","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5604,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":105,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:32.8","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-17T11:52:19.153","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to make a decision on the future of the Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Fund.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to make a decision on the future of the Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Fund.","AnswerText":"Following the Scottish Budget, announced on 4 December 2024, details on the future of the Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Fund will be finalised following the 2025-26 budget approval.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428190,"EventID":"S6W-32423","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:33.947","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-16T16:35:51.037","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase the number of funded undergraduate physiotherapy places, in light of reports of significant workforce shortages and rising demand wi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase the number of funded undergraduate physiotherapy places, in light of reports of significant workforce shortages and rising demand within the NHS.","AnswerText":"As autonomous institutions, universities are responsible for their own course provision. With the exception of AHP controlled subjects i.e. Paramedic Science and Prosthetics &amp; Orthotics, the Scottish Government does not direct individual universities on the allocation of funded places for eligible Scottish students, and it is for the universities to decide how to distribute its funded places between faculties and courses including physiotherapy.We do however recognise that there are particular circumstances when the government will step into address specific workforce challenges. This is why in 2019, the Scottish Government committed to creating 225 more Advanced Musculo-Skeletal (MSK) Practitioners in Primary Care, by increasing the Physiotherapy workforce via the NHS Scotland Physiotherapy Funded Places Scheme. To date, 194 students have been funded towards meeting this target. Further information on the scheme is available at the following link.NHS Scotland Physiotherapy funded places scheme | Turas | Learn","AnswerDate":"2024-12-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428191,"EventID":"S6W-32494","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:33.583","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T12:21:28.123","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA), and how many pupils have received the EMA, in each year since the policy was introduced, also broke","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA), and how many pupils have received the EMA, in each year since the policy was introduced, also broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) statistics are published annually with latest data covering the 2022-23 academic year - https://www.gov.scot/publications/education-maintenance-allowances-2022-23/Information broken down by local authority area, back to 2006-07, can be found in the supporting documents area of the publication, within the &lsquo;Spend&rsquo; and &lsquo;Age&rsquo; background tables.Whilst EMA was introduced in academic year 2004-05, data prior to 2006-07 is not included in the above publication as EMA in 2004-05 and 2005-06 did not cover all 16 to 18 year olds and therefore is not comparable. Historic data can be accessed on the Scottish Government archived website:2004-05 - https://webarchive.nrscotland.gov.uk/20170831150034/http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2005/11/02112052/205312005-06 - https://webarchive.nrscotland.gov.uk/20170717072945/http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2006/11/13100200/0","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428192,"EventID":"S6W-32430","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:34.693","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-16T16:37:04.5","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the publication and content of the interim report of the Independent Review of Adult Disability Payment.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the publication and content of the interim report of the Independent Review of Adult Disability Payment.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government welcomes the publication and thanks the Chair, Edel Harris for her work. The Scottish Government is now carefully considering these initial findings, including the areas the Chair considers may be capable of early action. A written response to the final report will be published within six months, following assessment of policy and delivery implications and the affordability of proposals.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428193,"EventID":"S6W-32488","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:35.16","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T12:18:00.83","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with European Commission officials regarding the implementation of ultra high frequency electronic identification technology in livestock, in","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with European Commission officials regarding the implementation of ultra high frequency electronic identification technology in livestock, in light of EU regulations specifying low frequency technology.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government supported a meeting with NFUS and DG Sante on this matter held earlier this year. No concerns were raised or foreseen by EU officials on the use of UHF in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":428194,"EventID":"S6W-32492","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:34.747","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T12:21:28.123","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many kinship care payments have been made in each year since the national kinship care payment was agreed by local authorities.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many kinship care payments have been made in each year since the national kinship care payment was agreed by local authorities.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally as local authorities are responsible for paying the Scottish Recommended Allowance for Foster and Kinship Carers.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428195,"EventID":"S6W-32477","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:34.213","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T12:09:26.107","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the findings of Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems&rsquo; paper, Alcohol (In)justice: Position on people with an alcohol use disorder in ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the findings of Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems&rsquo; paper, Alcohol (In)justice: Position on people with an alcohol use disorder in the justice system.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is currently working on a National Treatment Specification for Alcohol and Drug Treatment in Scotland.This document will be informed by numerous sources including the forthcoming UK Clinical Guidelines for Alcohol Treatment and the recently published Public Health Scotland review into Alcohol Brief Interventions as well as key independent reports such as Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problem&rsquo;s (SHAAP) paper on alcohol use disorder in the justice system.Officials will work closely with colleagues within the Scottish Prison Service to ensure that the National Treatment Specification fully reflects the importance of the justice system including those resident in the prison estate as an integral part of Scotland&rsquo;s alcohol treatment provision.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428196,"EventID":"S6W-32435","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:35.187","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-17T10:23:19.99","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6T-02170 by Fiona Hyslop on 5 November 2024,&nbsp;what further details it can provide regarding what plans it has in place to ensure ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6T-02170 by Fiona Hyslop on 5 November 2024,&nbsp;what further details it can provide regarding what plans it has in place to ensure the protection of women and girls in the event that the proposed reduction in staffed hours at ScotRail station ticket offices is accepted.","AnswerText":"Once the plans have been implemented, the improved staff visibility and ScotRail having the ability to deploy staff more flexibly will not only improve the feeling of safety for all passengers, including women and girls, but also maintain an environment, which deters any potential anti-social behaviour.Additional Travel Safe Teams will be on hand to support a welcoming rail environment and provide a better journey.ScotRail has also invested &pound;1.6 million- to triple the number of body-worn cameras and hired more staff for late-night trains in problem areas.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428197,"EventID":"S6W-32439","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:32.883","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-17T10:23:19.99","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what training is currently provided to sheriffs on interacting with and supporting people who have alcohol use disorder.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what training is currently provided to sheriffs on interacting with and supporting people who have alcohol use disorder.","AnswerText":"The Lord President as head of the Scottish judiciary is responsible for the training of judicial office holders. Training is delivered by the judicial institute for Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428198,"EventID":"S6W-32428","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:33.45","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-16T16:35:51.037","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures are being implemented to improve the recruitment and retention of physiotherapists in NHS Scotland, and whether it has considered introducing incentives si","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures are being implemented to improve the recruitment and retention of physiotherapists in NHS Scotland, and whether it has considered introducing incentives similar to those available in England.","AnswerText":"There were 3,538.7 WTE working in physiotherapy in NHS Scotland at the end of September 2024. This represents an increase of 27.5% or 762.8 WTE over the last ten years.The Scottish Government is committed to developing a sustainable health and social care system that ensures that the people of Scotland are provided high-quality, safe, effective, accessible and person-centred care. However, operational matters including staffing are in the first instance the responsibility of NHS Boards, who will take into account local and national priorities when making recruitment decisions.The Allied Health Professions (AHP) Education and Workforce Policy Review, which includes physiotherapy, examined workforce and education issues. Progressive career models is one focus of the delivery of the review&rsquo;s recommendations with the aim to improve and widen access to and increase the AHP workforce. Work is ongoing and an advisory group has been established to oversee the effective implementation of these recommendations.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428199,"EventID":"S6W-32415","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2633,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:33.577","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-16T11:59:19.66","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how the terms of reference of the Retail Industry Leadership Group are being reviewed to better incorporate smaller businesses, and when any revised terms of reference w","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the terms of reference of the Retail Industry Leadership Group are being reviewed to better incorporate smaller businesses, and when any revised terms of reference will be published.","AnswerText":"The Retail Industry Leadership Group, co-chaired by myself and Polly Jones, Senior Manager, Corporate Affairs, Asda, is in the process of finalising a refreshed Terms of Reference (ToR) to better reflect the ongoing work of the Group. All members have had the opportunity to provide their views on this process, including a discussion on the ToR at an ILG meeting on 06 November 2024. The revised ToR, which now includes a redrafted line highlighting that the Group will promote the interests of businesses in all their sizes and formats, is expected to be published on the ILG gov.scot page in early 2025.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428200,"EventID":"S6W-32478","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:32.997","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T12:09:43.4","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support and promote the use of alcohol brief interventions (ABIs) in justice settings.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support and promote the use of alcohol brief interventions (ABIs) in justice settings.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is currently working on a National Treatment Specification for Alcohol and Drug Treatment in Scotland.This document will be informed by numerous sources including the forthcoming UK Clinical Guidelines for Alcohol Treatment and the recently published Public Health Scotland review into Alcohol Brief Interventions as well as key independent reports such as Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problem&rsquo;s (SHAAP) paper on alcohol use disorder in the justice system.Officials will work closely with colleagues within the Scottish Prison Service to ensure that the National Treatment Specification fully reflects the importance of the justice system including those resident in the prison estate as an integral part of Scotland&rsquo;s alcohol treatment provision.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428201,"EventID":"S6W-32437","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:34.093","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-17T10:23:19.99","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what training is currently provided to prison staff on interacting with and supporting people who have alcohol use disorder.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what training is currently provided to prison staff on interacting with and supporting people who have alcohol use disorder.","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:During seven weeks of training, new prison officers receive training on a range of strategies and interventions designed to support those in our care, this includes a dedicated learning outcome on the effects of alcohol use.SPS Health and College teams are also conducting a scoping exercise which will help further identify Officer needs when supporting those in our care. This exercise will shape delivery of future training and will incorporate the newly published Mental Health and Alcohol &amp; Drug strategies.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428202,"EventID":"S6W-32464","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:34.143","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-17T21:34:09.997","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what (a) CalMac and (b) CMAL are doing to honour the request of Selby Town Council for artefacts of the decommissioned ferry, MV Hebridean Isles, such as the ship's bell","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what (a) CalMac and (b) CMAL are doing to honour the request of Selby Town Council for artefacts of the decommissioned ferry, MV Hebridean Isles, such as the ship's bell and builder's plate, to be salvaged and gifted to the town where the ship was originally built by Cochrane Shipbuilders in 1985 for public display.","AnswerText":"CMAL, as vessel owner, have received a number of applications for items associated with the MV Hebridean Isles retiral from service. These are currently being reviewed by CMAL along with input from CalMac. This list of items for retrieval includes requests made by Selby Town Council. Direct discussions will commence at the start of 2025.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428203,"EventID":"S6W-32467","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:33.777","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T10:01:12.8","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it expects to raise from each (a) industry and (b) business sector from the basic property rate in 2025-26.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it expects to raise from each (a) industry and (b) business sector from the basic property rate in 2025-26.","AnswerText":"Table 1 shows the estimated net income from properties liable for the Basic Property Rate in 2025-2026, broken down by property class. The net estimates include adjustments for reliefs, as well as in-year adjustments such as reductions due to proposals or appeals and write-offs.The Scottish Government does not hold property-level data on industry sectors. &ldquo;Property class&rdquo; is a classification used by Scottish Assessors to describe the type of property, but may not necessarily accurately reflect the actual use of a property.The distribution for relief awards is estimated based on a snapshot of councils&rsquo; billing systems as at 1 June 2024. In the case of the proposed relief for hospitality properties, the forecast value of the relief has been distributed based on property level eligibility without trying to account for take-up or for the effect of the &pound;110,000 cash cap for this relief at a business level.Table 1: Estimated net income from properties liable for BPR by class, to the nearest &pound;100,000ClassNet Income (&pound;)*Shops149,400,000Public Houses13,400,000Offices109,900,000Hotels8,900,000Industrial Subjects148,600,000Leisure, Entertainment, Caravans etc.18,100,000Garages and Petrol Stations10,800,000Cultural1,400,000Sporting Subjects3,600,000Education and Training9,900,000Public Service Subjects20,400,000Communications1,200,000Quarries, Mines, etc.1,800,000Petrochemical500,000Religious1,400,000Health and Medical14,200,000Other21,400,000Care Facilities5,100,000Advertising3,600,000Statutory Undertaking5,000,000All548,600,000*Figures may not sum due to rounding.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428204,"EventID":"S6W-32476","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:34.44","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T12:08:52.103","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve outcomes for individuals in the criminal justice system with alcohol problems, including those with alcohol use disorder, and how the","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve outcomes for individuals in the criminal justice system with alcohol problems, including those with alcohol use disorder, and how the impact of any such action will be measured.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government funds NHS Boards to provide healthcare to individuals in the criminal justice system. It is the responsibility of these Health Boards to provide safe, effective, person-centred care, equitable to that available to those in the community. This funding is being supplemented in the current Parliamentary term from our National Mission that includes a Prison to Rehab pathway which enables individuals with problem substance use, which includes alcohol, to access residential rehabilitation immediately on release from prison. Public Health Scotland is independently evaluating the impact of the National Mission. In December 2024 we supported the launch of Scotland's Charter of Rights for people affected by substance use to ensure people will have access to all appropriate services - including in the criminal justice system.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428205,"EventID":"S6W-32443","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:34.343","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-17T11:21:16.087","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the 2025-26 Budget statement  on 4 December 2024, how it plans to fund third sector organisations through the Children and Young People&rsquo;s Early Interv","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the 2025-26 Budget statement  on 4 December 2024, how it plans to fund third sector organisations through the Children and Young People&rsquo;s Early Intervention Fund in 2025-26.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to delivering vital public services and supporting our third sector but continues to face the most challenging financial situation since devolution.The 2025-26 draft budget, which will be subject to the approval of the Parliament, included an allocation for the Children, Young People, Families Early Intervention and Adult Learning and Empowering Communities (CYPFEI &amp; ALEC) and Children, Young People, Families and Adult Learners (CYPFAL) third sector funds.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428206,"EventID":"S6W-32457","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:33.477","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-17T15:20:50.53","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what actions are being taken to raise awareness of the symptoms and risks of long COVID, and the support services that are available.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what actions are being taken to raise awareness of the symptoms and risks of long COVID, and the support services that are available.","AnswerText":"Scotland&rsquo;s national health information service NHS inform aims to provide the people of Scotland with information to help them make informed decisions about their own health and the health of the people they care for.NHS inform has a dedicated long COVID microsite containing information on common signs and symptoms associated with long COVID, testimony from people affected by long COVID about the impact it has had on their daily lives and information on when to seek further advice from a healthcare professional. This information is publicly accessible at www.nhsinform.scot/long-covid and is available in a variety of different languages and accessible formats.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428207,"EventID":"S6W-32493","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:33.883","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T12:21:28.123","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government  how much has been spent on the Best Start Grant School Age Payment, and how many payments have been made, in each year since the payment was introduced, also broken dow","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government  how much has been spent on the Best Start Grant School Age Payment, and how many payments have been made, in each year since the payment was introduced, also broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"Social Security Scotland routinely releases information on Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods including the number and value of payments.Since the introduction of Best Start Grant School Age Payment in June 2019, &pound;34,086,106 has been paid to eligible clients. The following table shows the total number and value of School Age Payments made over each financial years since its introduction:&nbsp;Number of School Age PaymentsValue of School Age PaymentsTotal123,140&pound;34,086,1062019-202017,875&pound;4,542,5002020-202122,570&pound;5,743,5002021-202217,515&pound;4,496,1302022-202321,385&pound;5,804,1142023-202423,235&pound;6,923,2792024-2025*20,555&pound;6,576,583*Note: The 2024-25 financial year only covers data until the end of September 2024.Further breakdown of payment values by local authority area is available in Table 11 of the latest Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods Official Statistics publication on Social Security Scotland&rsquo;s statistics webpage: Social Security Scotland - Statistics.The next forthcoming quarterly Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods publication will be released on 25 February 2025, covering data up to 31 December 2024.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428208,"EventID":"S6W-32455","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:32.883","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-17T15:20:36.5","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to address any gaps in services and medical treatment for patients with long COVID, in light of reports undertaken by Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland and Th","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to address any gaps in services and medical treatment for patients with long COVID, in light of reports undertaken by Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland and The ALLIANCE on the condition.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"Since the research undertaken by Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland and the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (the ALLIANCE), the National Strategic Network for long COVID managed by NHS National Services Scotland has produced information for NHS boards on the assessment of adults with suspected long COVID in general practice. It has also supported the delivery of online education sessions including on the assessment of patients with long COVID and the management of Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTs).The Scottish Government has made available approximately &pound;3 million to national and territorial NHS boards in 2024-25 to support the operation of the network, boards&rsquo; access to the C19-YRS digital platform and the provision of care and support locally by NHS boards.The 2025-26 budget includes new investment of &pound;4.5 million to deliver new specialist support across the country for long COVID, ME, Chronic Fatigue, and other similar conditions. This represents a 152.9% uplift to the 2024-25 long COVID budget line.Responsibility for service delivery rests locally with NHS boards which configure services taking into account local circumstances and the reasonable needs of their patient populations.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428209,"EventID":"S6W-32475","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:34.923","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T11:36:44.783","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what mechanisms are in place to allow the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission to investigate evidence provided to it during a previously reviewed case.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what mechanisms are in place to allow the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission to investigate evidence provided to it during a previously reviewed case.","AnswerText":"The powers of the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC) to review alleged miscarriages of justice are provided for in the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 (1995 Act).There is no limitation within the 1995 Act on the SCCRC investigating evidence provided to it during a previously reviewed case with any decision to investigate evidence provided to it during a previously reviewed case being an independent matter for the SCCRC.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428210,"EventID":"S6W-32425","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:32.953","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-16T16:35:51.037","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to support the redesign of physiotherapy services in NHS Scotland, in light of reported current workforce constraints and financial pressures.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to support the redesign of physiotherapy services in NHS Scotland, in light of reported current workforce constraints and financial pressures.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government provides the policies, frameworks and resources for high quality healthcare, and it is for each individual NHS Board to decide how best to utilise funding, to meet local health needs. There were 3,538.7 WTE working in physiotherapy in NHS Scotland at the end of September 2024. This represents an increase of 27.5% or 762.8 WTE over the last ten years. AHP numbers by NHS board are available at: NHS Scotland workforce | Turas Data Intelligence","AnswerDate":"2024-12-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428211,"EventID":"S6W-32433","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:33.58","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-17T09:14:58.757","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-13815 by Humza Yousaf on 24 January 2023, whether Palforzia will be approved as a treatment for peanut allergies through the NHS.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-13815 by Humza Yousaf on 24 January 2023, whether Palforzia will be approved as a treatment for peanut allergies through the NHS.","AnswerText":"Aimmune Therapeutics, the manufacturer of Palforzia&reg;, had indicated an intention to make a resubmission to the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC), however to date this has not been received. The decision on whether to submit, and the timing of that submission, is entirely for the manufacturer of the medicine to make. If they do resubmit, information on the specific timelines for the reassessment will be available via the search facility available on the home page of the SMC&rsquo;s website here. There is a fast-track resubmission option, which reduces the normal assessment timeline.In the meantime, Health Boards have procedures in place using the Peer Approved Clinical System &ldquo;PACS Tier Two&rdquo; process, for clinicians to request the use of licensed medicines on a &lsquo;case-by-case&rsquo; basis for individual patients, when the treating clinician considers that there would be significant clinical benefit for a patient.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428212,"EventID":"S6W-32426","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:35.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-16T16:35:51.037","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to support the mental health and wellbeing of NHS physiotherapists, in light of reported concerns regarding staff morale and stress due to increa","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to support the mental health and wellbeing of NHS physiotherapists, in light of reported concerns regarding staff morale and stress due to increased workloads and shortages.","AnswerText":"From 2024-25, Scottish Government are dedicating over &pound;2.5 million annually to support health and social care staff wellbeing. This funding provides our workforce with access to psychological interventions and therapies, self-service resources through the National Wellbeing Hub and the National Wellbeing Helpline delivered by NHS 24. Registered staff also have access to confidential mental health services through the Workforce Specialist Service (WSS).These resources play a vital role in helping the workforce manage mental health challenges and maintain their wellbeing, thus enhancing the quality of care they can provide. We will continue collaborating with leaders across the NHS to identify and address areas of stress and to explore additional actions to support staff including physiotherapists.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428213,"EventID":"S6W-32436","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:34.833","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-17T10:23:19.99","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6T-02170 by Fiona Hyslop on 5 November 2024,&nbsp;what further details it can provide regarding&nbsp;what additional aid will be put ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6T-02170 by Fiona Hyslop on 5 November 2024,&nbsp;what further details it can provide regarding&nbsp;what additional aid will be put in place to support people who may require assistance at railway stations, such as some older and disabled people, in the event that the proposed reduction in staffed hours at ScotRail station ticket offices is accepted.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s agreement to ScotRail proposals to adjust opening hours of some of its ticket offices is predicated on the condition that disabled travellers&rsquo; access to services will not be affected by these proposals.Proposed adjustments to ticket office opening hours will enable a redeployment of some ScotRail staff not only to help deter anti-social behaviour, but also provide more and better assistance for passengers with ticket selection and purchase and enhance staff&rsquo;s ability to provide assistance for disabled passengers. As part of the proposals, ScotRail will also install additional help points at stations where ticket offices are on a different level from the platforms, to assist passengersScotRail&rsquo;s passenger assist service provides assistance to those who need help when travelling on the ScotRail network. Passengers who require assistance when travelling can turn up and use the help point to request assistance. For those who want peace of mind assistance can be booked in advance with one hour&rsquo;s notice, which compares favourably with the 2 hours required by other GB Train Operating Companies.&rdquo;","AnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428214,"EventID":"S6W-32483","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:33.777","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T12:18:00.83","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of any impact that adopting ultra high frequency electronic identification technology would have on the trade of Scottish cattle and beef","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of any impact that adopting ultra high frequency electronic identification technology would have on the trade of Scottish cattle and beef with (a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland.","AnswerText":"Scottish Ministers are considering all the available information on bovine EID and technology use across the UK. This includes the ScotEID pilot findings into UHF, the results and analysis of the consultation held on Cattle ID and Traceability earlier this year and ongoing close discussions with the livestock sector. All potential impacts, including those on trade, will be fully considered before a final decision is made.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":428215,"EventID":"S6W-32469","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:33.683","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T10:53:26.677","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how its proposed Community Wealth Building Bill will account for the operation and support of supported businesses.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how its proposed Community Wealth Building Bill will account for the operation and support of supported businesses.","AnswerText":"Provisions in the Community Wealth Building (CWB) Bill will be informed by operation of the internationally recognised CWB economic development model.Community Wealth Building provides a strategic framework that can be applied to local areas and regions to bind together action in areas such as Fair Work, Sustainable Procurement and supporting the creation and sustainability of democratic and inclusive business models.The Scottish Government has now confirmed arrangements for an implementation process with regard to the independent report, &ldquo;Developing Scotland's Economy: Increasing the Role of Inclusive and Democratic Business Models.&rdquo;A new group will be formed to examine how the recommendations in this report can be delivered. Consideration of supported businesses can be included in the work of the group.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428216,"EventID":"S6W-32454","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1783,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":140,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:34.343","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-17T15:05:55.853","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government&nbsp;what steps it is taking to reduce waiting times for elective surgeries to less than 18 weeks to improve outcomes for people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) an","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government&nbsp;what steps it is taking to reduce waiting times for elective surgeries to less than 18 weeks to improve outcomes for people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and reduce avoidable presentations at accident and emergency departments,&nbsp;in light of IBD UK&rsquo;s latest report,&nbsp;Crohn&rsquo;s and Colitis Care in Scotland: A Vision for Change.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government welcomes IBD UK&rsquo;s latest report, Crohn&rsquo;s and Colitis Care in Scotland: A Vision for Change, and is grateful to the organisation for its work in this area.We are committed to ensuring that all people living in Scotland with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn&rsquo;s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, are able to access the best possible care and support. The 2025-26 Budget, if approved by Parliament, will provide &pound;200 million to help reduce waiting times and improve capacity. This will help ensure no one waits more than 12 months for a new outpatient appointment or inpatient/day-case treatment by March 2026.Our Endoscopy and Urology Diagnostic Recovery and Renewal Plan has so far delivered four mobile endoscopy units across Scotland, providing 5-6 additional endoscopy rooms, and a Dyce facility to provide additional endoscopy procedures for NHS Grampian (ceasing December 2024). The additional mobile endoscopy units have supported patients to be clinically prioritised for endoscopy, ensuring that a range of conditions, including IBD, are diagnosed and managed timeously. Additionally, the national endoscopy surveillance framework, introduced in February 2022, has been implemented in all Health Boards.We have also funded the Modernising Patient Pathways Programme (MPPP) with a specific workstream continuing to promote improvements in IBD care which is being taken forward through the MPPP&rsquo;s National Gastroenterology Speciality Delivery Group (SDG). They have developed a national IBD pathway for NHS Scotland which is due to be published imminently. The Gastroenterology SDG is also developing a lower gastrointestinal pathway which will provide primary care guidance about testing and diagnosis for people with IBD and Coeliac Disease in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428217,"EventID":"S6W-32468","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:32.8","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T10:09:16.87","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration has been given to introducing a compensation scheme for individuals who have installed underfloor foam insulation under the ECO4 insulation scheme.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration has been given to introducing a compensation scheme for individuals who have installed underfloor foam insulation under the ECO4 insulation scheme.","AnswerText":"The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) is a UK Government scheme that is paid for by energy suppliers and administered by Ofgem. It is a requirement of the ECO scheme that installers meet national retrofit standards and provide a guarantee. The UK Government has published advice for homeowners about their consumer rights, if insulation has been wrongly installed or the quality of workmanship and materials is unacceptable. 2.0_Green_home_energy_consumer_guide_FINAL_links.pdfThe design of the ECO scheme is set out in regulations approved by the Westminster Parliament and as directed by UK Ministers. Consumer protection, as well as regulation of the financial services sector and business regulation more generally are reserved matters for the UK Government. Consumer compensation schemes will therefore be a matter primarily for the UK Government to consider.Scottish Ministers have repeatedly raised our concerns and proposed changes to the ECO scheme to the previous UK Government.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428218,"EventID":"S6W-32485","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:34.143","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T12:18:00.83","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will conclude its review of the use of ultra high frequency electronic identification in livestock.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will conclude its review of the use of ultra high frequency electronic identification in livestock.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-32085 on 19 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":428219,"EventID":"S6W-32429","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16213,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:35.077","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-16T16:37:04.5","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to propose the scheduling of time for a&nbsp;ministerial&nbsp;statement on the interim report published by the Independent Review of Adult Disability Pa","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to propose the scheduling of time for a&nbsp;ministerial&nbsp;statement on the interim report published by the Independent Review of Adult Disability Payment.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government welcomes the publication of the interim report and thanks the Chair, Edel Harris, for her work. The Scottish Government is carefully considering these initial findings and looks forward to the publication of the final report in July 2025. A written response to that final report will be published within six months of its submission.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428220,"EventID":"S6W-32458","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:34.24","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-17T15:20:58.28","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what actions are being taken to reduce waiting times for gynaecological procedures.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what actions are being taken to reduce waiting times for gynaecological procedures.","AnswerText":"Timely access to gynaecology services will remain a priority as we continue to develop our Women&rsquo;s Health PlanThe Budget we set out on 4 December 2024 will throw the weight of the government behind performance improvements with almost &pound;200 million to reduce waiting lists and help support reduction of delayed discharge. By March 2026, we expect no one to be waiting longer than 12 months for a new outpatient, inpatient treatment or day case treatment.We have already invested &pound;30 million to reduce waiting lists that built up throughout the pandemic. This funding is being targeted at a series of national and local plans to reduce backlogs by maximising the use of local and national resources across Scotland. As part of this, we have allocated additional funding to Gynaecology services which we expect to deliver around 3,500 new outpatient appointments.NHS Scotland&rsquo;s Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) is also playing a central role in identifying new ways to increase capacity, and to respond to demand through service innovation and redesign. CfSD programmes have developed strong clinically-led Specialty Delivery Groups (SDG), including one for Gynaecology, which promote multidisciplinary team working, and support local adoption of service improvement programmes.Our actions will further enable NHS Scotland to maximise capacity, build greater resilience and deliver reductions in the number of patients who have waited too long for treatment.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428221,"EventID":"S6W-32459","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:34.143","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-17T16:12:13.157","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of alcohol-related hospital admissions continuing to be below pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of alcohol-related hospital admissions continuing to be below pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the gradual reduction of alcohol-related hospital admissions over the past decade and is working closely with Public Health Scotland, local services and other stakeholders to ensure the reasons behind the gradual reduction are factored in to service provision.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428222,"EventID":"S6W-32445","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:32.83","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-17T11:46:16.897","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31858 by Jenni Minto on 11 December 2024, whether it is considering rolling out national maternity safety ambitions in Scotland, b","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31858 by Jenni Minto on 11 December 2024, whether it is considering rolling out national maternity safety ambitions in Scotland, based on discussions that it has had with the UK Department of Health and Social Care.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31859 on 11 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428223,"EventID":"S6W-32444","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:33.713","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-17T11:33:42.677","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what (a) its and (b) NHS Scotland's position is regarding whether osteopathic services are offered to patients as an NHS service in addition to existing services for mus","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what (a) its and (b) NHS Scotland's position is regarding whether osteopathic services are offered to patients as an NHS service in addition to existing services for musculoskeletal conditions.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s role is to set the strategic policy for the NHS in Scotland. NHS boards have responsibility for deciding how to deliver services locally based on the needs of the people in their area. Detail on whether osteopathic services are offered to patients would have to be requested from NHS Boards.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428224,"EventID":"S6W-32452","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:34.573","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-17T12:52:07.253","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-18745 by Jenni Minto on 21 June 2023, whether it can provide a full list of meetings of the Scottish Hospice Leadership Group in (","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-18745 by Jenni Minto on 21 June 2023, whether it can provide a full list of meetings of the Scottish Hospice Leadership Group in (a) 2023 and (b) 2024, whether officials attended those meetings, and, if so, whether it can provide a summary of what issues were raised by officials and discussed at each meeting.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"As I set out in answer to question S6W-31933 on 16 December 2024, the Scottish Hospice Leadership Group is comprised of the Chief Executives of most of the independent Scottish hospices and their key partners and is not a Scottish Government group. As such, we do not hold minutes of the group or have summaries of the discussions held.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428225,"EventID":"S6W-32438","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:35.037","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-17T10:23:19.99","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what training is currently provided to Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service staff on interacting with and supporting people who have alcohol use disorder.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what training is currently provided to Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service staff on interacting with and supporting people who have alcohol use disorder.","AnswerText":"Prosecutors come into contact on a daily basis with individuals living with alcohol use disorder and its consequences. It is appropriate that COPFS staff are trained in relation to the causes and consequences of addiction, including alcohol use disorder, to allow for informed decision-making in the public interest.Although the role of COPFS is limited in respect of accused persons, when addiction, including to alcohol, has contributed to offending, Prosecutors can consider diversion from prosecution and this may be offered where that would be in the public interest.COPFS recently hosted a series of online webinars to inform staff of alcohol use disorder, Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and links between addiction and trauma. There are plans for future events and COPFS is exploring opportunities for further engagement with, and input from, Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP).In addition COPFS internal resources available to all staff include general information about alcohol consumption, alcohol dependency and mental health and signposting for general awareness.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428226,"EventID":"S6W-32453","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:34.003","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-17T13:14:14.667","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31914 by Alasdair Allan on 10 December 2024, whether it can detail what grants have been made, and to which groups.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31914 by Alasdair Allan on 10 December 2024, whether it can detail what grants have been made, and to which groups.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"Since June 2022 the Hydrogen Innovation Scheme has offered grants totalling almost &pound;7m to a total of 31 projects, split across two streams:Stream 1 - funding for feasibility studies or technical demonstration of hydrogen production, distribution or storage solutions - 27 projects.Stream 2 &ndash; funding to support the development of test and demonstration facilities and equipment in Scotland - 4 projects.To date 24 projects have been completed, with the remaining 7 due to conclude by late 2025. All have performed or are performing well in achieving their agreed outputs. Details of projects and their grant awards are available on the Scottish Government website at https://www.gov.scot/publications/emerging-energy-technologies-fund-hydrogen-innovation-scheme-successful-projects/.On 16 September 2024 the Scottish Government launched a funding call that aims to provide support to the industry to help it scale up as it responds to market demand. Following due diligence call delivery partner Scottish Enterprise began making grant offers in December; details of call grant awards will be published in due course.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428227,"EventID":"S6W-32447","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:34.27","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-17T11:57:17.3","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed what technical solutions could be adopted by bus operators to reduce the risk of collisions with low bridges.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed what technical solutions could be adopted by bus operators to reduce the risk of collisions with low bridges.","AnswerText":"It is deeply concerning that there have been two recent incidents involving buses colliding with low bridges, and I wish to express my best wishes for a speedy recovery to those injured. Both incidents are currently under investigation.While vehicle safety is a reserved matter that is dealt with by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). There is no legal requirement for bus operators to install technical solutions into their vehicles to reduce the risk of collisions, it is a matter for individual bus operators to determine whether they want to install such systems. However, in recent years some bus companies have been trialling low bridge detection systems to improve the safety of their fleet.Bus operators and drivers have a duty to take all practical steps to ensure that vehicles avoid colliding with infrastructure through proper route planning, training in risk assessment, and providing correct information to drivers on the vehicles they use, this includes access to height conversion charts and measurement gauges.Collision of low bridges by commercial vehicles is a serious matter for the Traffic Commissioner and they will consider the liability of both the operator and the driver, which could result in the Commissioner taking action against them both.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428228,"EventID":"S6W-32351","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:35.483","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T16:18:02.277","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many Foundation Year 2 doctors have (a) moved directly into and (b) been refused a place on speciality training, in each of the last 10 years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many Foundation Year 2 doctors have (a) moved directly into and (b) been refused a place on speciality training, in each of the last 10 years.","AnswerText":"While specialty training is required to qualify as a consultant on GP, not all doctors complete or immediately proceed to specialty training following Foundation training for a variety of reasons. General Medical Council data shows that on a UK-wide basis taking time away from formal training after completing Foundation has been increasing and is now the norm.(a) The following table shows how many Foundation doctors moved straight from Scottish Foundation training programmes into a specialty training programme in Scotland (in the same calendar year).YearNumber of doctors2015351201627420172382018232201919720201832021181202213720231342024156(b) Data is not held.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428229,"EventID":"S6W-32484","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:34.803","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T12:18:00.83","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of any impact that adopting ultra high frequency electronic identification technology would have on the trade of Scottish beef in Europe.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of any impact that adopting ultra high frequency electronic identification technology would have on the trade of Scottish beef in Europe.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-32122 on 19 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":428230,"EventID":"S6W-32479","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16212,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:35.317","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T12:10:21.157","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review its policy and guidelines regarding people with alcohol use disorder in the justice system, with a view to addressing any gaps in implementation.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review its policy and guidelines regarding people with alcohol use disorder in the justice system, with a view to addressing any gaps in implementation.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is currently working on a National Treatment Specification for Alcohol and Drug Treatment in Scotland.This document will be informed by numerous sources including the forthcoming UK Clinical Guidelines for Alcohol Treatment and the recently published Public Health Scotland review into Alcohol Brief Interventions as well as key independent reports such as Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problem&rsquo;s (SHAAP) paper on alcohol use disorder in the justice system.Officials will work closely with colleagues within the Scottish Prison Service to ensure that the National Treatment Specification fully reflects the importance of the justice system including those resident in the prison estate as an integral part of Scotland&rsquo;s alcohol treatment provision.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428231,"EventID":"S6W-32456","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16203,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:32.88","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-17T15:20:43.017","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to provide economic support to long COVID patients, in light of reports of the financial strain that it places on them and their families.&nbs","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to provide economic support to long COVID patients, in light of reports of the financial strain that it places on them and their families.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"Adult Disability Payment provides financial support to recognise the additional costs of being disabled or living with a long-term health condition. Individuals who are impacted by Long COVID may be entitled to Adult Disability Payment depending on their individual circumstances.Income replacement benefits such as Employment and Support Allowance and Universal Credit, which provide financial support to people of working age who are unable to work due to illness, are fully reserved to the UK Government. Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit is currently being delivered by the UK Government, prior to the delivery of Employment Injury Assistance in Scotland. The UK Government determines which conditions should be prescribed for the purposes of Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428232,"EventID":"S6W-32472","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:34.137","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T11:12:41.943","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31981 by Gillian Martin on 17 December 2024, whether it has asked SEPA to review local authority efforts to identify contaminated ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31981 by Gillian Martin on 17 December 2024, whether it has asked SEPA to review local authority efforts to identify contaminated land downstream of disused lead mines, in light of reports of the UK Government tasking the Environment Agency to do so in England.","AnswerText":"Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, land contamination is the responsibility of local authorities. Any land which is identified as being contaminated, including any downstream of disused lead mines, should be managed in accordance with their routine regime of identifying and securing remediation for contaminated land. The Scottish Government expects that local authorities will prioritise based upon risk to the environment and human health, rather than source of land contamination.The Scottish Government has no current plans to ask SEPA to review local authority actions in this area.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428233,"EventID":"S6W-32489","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:34.86","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T12:18:00.83","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what data it has on the number of Scottish animals slaughtered in England and vice versa, and what assessment it has made of any impact of its proposal to adopt ultra hi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what data it has on the number of Scottish animals slaughtered in England and vice versa, and what assessment it has made of any impact of its proposal to adopt ultra high frequency electronic identification technology.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-32087 on 19 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":428234,"EventID":"S6W-32482","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:33.747","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T12:18:00.83","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any impact on the livestock industry in Scotland, whether it has considered the joint final report from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any impact on the livestock industry in Scotland, whether it has considered the joint final report from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and Welsh Government on bovine electronic identification pilot projects, which reportedly found that, overall, there are fewer challenges, especially in the short term, with mandating the use of low frequency tags, compared with ultra high frequency tags.","AnswerText":"Scottish Ministers are considering all the available information on bovine EID and technology use across the UK. This includes the DEFRA and Welsh Government pilot report, the ScotEID pilot findings into UHF, the results and analysis of the consultation held on Cattle ID and Traceability earlier this year, and ongoing close discussions with industry and the livestock sector. All potential impacts and challenges, over the long and short term, will be fully considered before a final decision is made.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":428235,"EventID":"S6W-32417","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5106,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":118,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:34.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-16T13:16:42.733","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to help households tackle the cost of living crisis.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to help households tackle the cost of living crisis.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the pressure on household budgets which is why in 2024-25 we continued to allocate around &pound;3bn a year to policies which tackle poverty and help with the cost of living for households.&nbsp; This includes providing free bus travel for over 2 million people and continuing to invest in discretionary housing payments with &pound;90.5m being made available in 2024-25. Additionally in November we announced a &pound;41 million package of support for people struggling with energy costs this winter. This includes: an additional &pound;20 million which will be provided for the Scottish Welfare Fund, to enable councils to provide more vital support to people in crisis; an additional &pound;20 million for the Warmer Homes Scotland Scheme, which helps people install energy efficiency measures and more efficient heating systems, saving on average around &pound;300 per year in household energy bills, and making &pound;1 million of grant-funding available to registered social landlords to fund work to help sustain tenancies. The Scottish Government believes that a social tariff is the best way to ensure that energy consumers are protected against high costs and can afford all of their energy needs. The powers to implement a social tariff remain with the UK Government and we are committed to working closely with them to advocate for the delivery of a social tariff across Great Britain. We established a Social Tariff Working Group in November, bringing together stakeholders to co-design a deliverable social tariff policy, and will share the outputs from the group with UK Government as soon as possible.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428236,"EventID":"S6W-32495","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-18T16:57:35.35","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T12:21:28.123","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been allocated to chronic pain services in its draft Budget 2025-26.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been allocated to chronic pain services in its draft Budget 2025-26.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s role is to set the strategic policy for the NHS in Scotland and provide core funding to NHS boards. NHS boards have responsibility for deciding how to use this core funding to deliver services locally based on the needs of the people in their area.The 2025-26 Scottish Budget delivers record funding of &pound;21 billion including increases in funding for community and primary care health services such as GP practices where most people with chronic pain seek support. Detail on how funding has been used specifically for the assessment and treatment of chronic pain would have to be requested from NHS Boards.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428260,"EventID":"S6W-32587","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:02.827","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:20:53.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what specific challenges led to the reported decision to delay the full decarbonisation of the railway until 2045.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what specific challenges led to the reported decision to delay the full decarbonisation of the railway until 2045.","AnswerText":"As detailed in my letter to NZET Committee on 17 December 2024, the technological and financial landscape has changed significantly since the Decarbonisation Action Plan was first published. The Scottish Government currently faces significant financial and budgetary pressures. As a consequence of these challenges, it is clear that the 2020 Decarbonisation Action Plan commitment to decarbonise rail services by 2035 can no longer be met. A revised target of 2045 is planned for the refreshed Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428261,"EventID":"S6W-32339","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:02.657","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T16:03:34.293","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of cases have been referred to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS)&nbsp;by Police Scotland in each of the last five years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of cases have been referred to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS)&nbsp;by Police Scotland in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"The following table shows the percentage of criminal cases reported to COPFS by Police Scotland.Criminal cases reported to COPFS&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;- grouped by financial year reported&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Financial year reported&nbsp;Of all criminal cases received:-2019-202020-212021-222022-232023-24percentage reported by Police Scotland92%97%95%94%93%","AnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428262,"EventID":"S6W-32550","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:02.333","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T14:59:32.957","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent as part of the Care Experienced Children and Young People Fund, in each year since 2018.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent as part of the Care Experienced Children and Young People Fund, in each year since 2018.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer provided to S6W-31489 on 5 December 2024, which provides the relevant information. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428263,"EventID":"S6W-32594","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:03.16","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:20:53.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the revised railway decarbonisation plan includes specific targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the revised railway decarbonisation plan includes specific targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.","AnswerText":"Details of decarbonisation of the Scottish rail network will be outlined in the refreshed Decarbonisation Action Plan.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428264,"EventID":"S6W-32530","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:04.103","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T13:52:14.31","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the five-year review of the Civil Litigation (Expenses and Group Proceedings) (Scotland) Act 2018, in light of it being overdue.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the five-year review of the Civil Litigation (Expenses and Group Proceedings) (Scotland) Act 2018, in light of it being overdue.","AnswerText":"Work on the five-year review of Parts 1 to 3 of the Civil Litigation (Expenses and Group Proceedings) (Scotland) Act 2018 is in progress and the Scottish Government will publish the review as soon as possible.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428265,"EventID":"S6W-32589","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:08.78","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:20:53.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how the replacement of ScotRail&rsquo;s high-speed trains aligns with its interim decarbonisation goals.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the replacement of ScotRail&rsquo;s high-speed trains aligns with its interim decarbonisation goals.","AnswerText":"The replacement for ScotRail&rsquo;s High Speed Trains (HST) is expected to be more energy efficient than the HSTs and therefore will significantly reduce emissions, a direct contribution to decarbonisation.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428266,"EventID":"S6W-32579","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:10.507","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:20:53.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to improve the punctuality and reliability of Caledonian Sleeper services.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to improve the punctuality and reliability of Caledonian Sleeper services.","AnswerText":"This is a matter for Scottish Rail Holdings (SRH), who oversees the delivery of Caledonian Sleeper services on behalf of Scottish Ministers. The Member may wish to contact SRH directly. Since coming into public ownership in June 2023, Caledonian Sleepers right time arrivals have improved to over 88%. This is well above the GB average.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428267,"EventID":"S6W-32512","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:02.847","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T12:25:22.023","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what research it has conducted into the effectiveness of the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015 regarding the protection of children who have been cr","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what research it has conducted into the effectiveness of the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015 regarding the protection of children who have been criminally exploited (a) by offering them presumption against prosecution and (b) through sanctioning perpetrators.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-32496 on 10 January 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428268,"EventID":"S6W-32585","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:02.33","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:20:53.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the projected total subsidy for the next five years is for (a) ScotRail and (b) Caledonian Sleeper services.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the projected total subsidy for the next five years is for (a) ScotRail and (b) Caledonian Sleeper services.","AnswerText":"ScotRail and Caledonian Sleeper submit their forward forecasts as part of annual budget processes. Forward forecasts of ScotRail and Caledonian Sleeper revenue and the level of subsidy required are subject to ongoing discussions between the train operating companies, Transport Scotland and Scottish Rail Holdings.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428269,"EventID":"S6W-32449","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:02.923","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-17T12:39:12.367","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when funding for the construction of a controlled pedestrian crossing at Raigmore interchange in Inverness will be granted, in light of reports regarding the time and co","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when funding for the construction of a controlled pedestrian crossing at Raigmore interchange in Inverness will be granted, in light of reports regarding the time and cost associated with the design and planning that has already been undertaken.","AnswerText":"The project is nearly at construction stage and has been assessed by Transport Scotland for construction-ready funding through Tier 2 of the Active Travel Infrastructure Fund (ATIF). Our operating company, BEAR Scotland, has been working with the original project designers to progress the remaining elements of the design. Recent work has included updating traffic counts, traffic modelling and traffic signal design, and included resolving carriageway level and drainage issues. The next stage will involve BEAR Scotland&rsquo;s environmental team carrying out site visits in January 2025. The findings of this will determine the requirement for further environmental work.Once the design package has been finalised, in early 2025 it is proposed to seek tendered prices for delivery of the project. Funding for the ATIF is allocated on an annual basis subject to the Scottish Government&rsquo;s final budget approval and internal governance processes. Upon confirmation of ATIF funding for next financial year, this project will be included within the prioritisation list for funding support. Once funding has been confirmed, a programme for delivery of the works can then be developed.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428270,"EventID":"S6W-32567","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:03.55","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:12:16.467","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when the A96 Corridor Review was first reviewed by one of its ministers.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when the A96 Corridor Review was first reviewed by one of its ministers.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-31908 on 11 December 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428271,"EventID":"S6W-30390","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5596,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":151,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:03.177","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-10-02T10:05:41.69","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what work it has carried out with&nbsp;Local Authority Trading Standards (LATS) to ensure that the public can have a high level of confidence in LATS reports.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work it has carried out with&nbsp;Local Authority Trading Standards (LATS) to ensure that the public can have a high level of confidence in LATS reports.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is a member of the Trading Standards Policy and Coordination Group. This Group is coordinated by the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) as the representative organisation for local government in Scotland. The Group seek to provide:strategic leadership of the trading standards function across Scotland;and effective co-ordination of trading standards priorities between local and national government and recruitment and retention of trading standards staff.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428272,"EventID":"S6W-32514","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:02.877","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T12:36:11.01","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with ScotRail regarding improving the service's Sunday timetable, in light of reports of disruption during the festive period.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with ScotRail regarding improving the service's Sunday timetable, in light of reports of disruption during the festive period.","AnswerText":"Whilst staff working on rest days and overtime is a measure adopted by all GB train operating companies, ScotRail has been recruiting more staff to minimise this reliance. ScotRail is currently recruiting 160 Drivers each year, one of the highest numbers across all UK operators, which will help to reduce these challenges in the future.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428273,"EventID":"S6W-32407","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:03.293","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-16T08:01:14.8","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with ScotRail regarding increasing passenger numbers in the context of reducing car journeys.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with ScotRail regarding increasing passenger numbers in the context of reducing car journeys.","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland officials hold regular discussions with Scottish Rail Holdings and ScotRail. These discussions include considerations of any initiatives and incentives to encourage passengers to choose rail as an attractive and a more sustainable travel mode.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428274,"EventID":"S6W-32598","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:03.053","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:20:53.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what lessons have been learned from other countries&rsquo; railway decarbonisation programmes that could be applied in Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what lessons have been learned from other countries&rsquo; railway decarbonisation programmes that could be applied in Scotland.","AnswerText":"A principal lesson learned from international comparisons is reflected in the Scottish Government&rsquo;s rolling programme of electrification works to reduce unit costs and maintain secure employment. This key difference from the approach taken by the UK Government has contributed to the more efficient electrification costs delivered in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428275,"EventID":"S6W-32470","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:03.023","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T11:08:47.697","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31983 by Gillian Martin on 17 December 2024, on what dates its meetings with the UK Government Office for the Internal Market (OIM","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31983 by Gillian Martin on 17 December 2024, on what dates its meetings with the UK Government Office for the Internal Market (OIM) in 2024 took place; which of those meetings were attended by a cabinet secretary or minister, and at which of those meetings there was specific discussion of the provisions of the Circular Economy Bill and/or the provisions of the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024.","AnswerText":"The Internal Market Act (IMA) was imposed on the Scottish Parliament without its consent, and radically undermines its powers. Every party in the Scottish Parliament, barring the Scottish Conservatives, voted for its repeal in October 2023, and the Scottish Government is clear that the IMA must indeed be repealed in line with the wishes of this Parliament. We therefore welcome the statutory review of the IMA announced by the new UK Government, which must now be used to undo the damage created by the Act, and ensure that the Parliament&rsquo;s powers are fully restored.Since 2021, Scottish Government officials have had over 40 meetings with officials and/or panel members from the Office for the Internal Market (OIM), some bilateral, others multilateral meetings with the other governments of the UK. Discussion at these meetings has included updates on the parliamentary progress of the Circular Economy ActThe Scottish Government continues to engage regularly with the OIM and has discussed measures already taken to restrict supply or manufacture single-use items, and will continue to do so in relation to any future policy.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428276,"EventID":"S6W-32535","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:04.133","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T13:56:24.16","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the open letter signed by 30 climate organisations calling on it to order SSE and Equinor to resubmit an &ldquo;honest assessment&rdquo; of the f","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the open letter signed by 30 climate organisations calling on it to order SSE and Equinor to resubmit an &ldquo;honest assessment&rdquo; of the full environmental impact of the proposed power station at Peterhead.","AnswerText":"In February 2022, an application under section 36 of the Electricity Act seeking consent for construction and operation of the Peterhead Low Carbon Combined Cycle Gas Turbine Power Station was formally lodged with the Energy Consents Unit. This is currently before Ministers for determination and as such, it would be inappropriate for Ministers to make any comment.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428277,"EventID":"S6W-32505","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:05.053","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T12:25:21.987","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what monitoring it has made of the trends, techniques and approaches used by organised criminal gangs to exploit children criminally; what measures are being taken to re","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what monitoring it has made of the trends, techniques and approaches used by organised criminal gangs to exploit children criminally; what measures are being taken to respond to these and any emerging threats; how it targets the perpetrators, and how effective this has been.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-32496 on 10 January 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428278,"EventID":"S6W-32503","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:03.783","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T12:25:21.977","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many children have been identified as victims of criminal exploitation in each of the last five years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many children have been identified as victims of criminal exploitation in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"Data on the number of children identified as victims of criminal exploitation is drawn from the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). The NRM is the UK-wide framework for identifying potential victims of trafficking and ensuring they receive appropriate support and assistance.Information from the NRM is released by the Home Office Single Competent Authority quarterly and in an end of year summary. Data relating to the last five years can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-referral-mechanism-statistics.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428279,"EventID":"S6W-32552","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:06.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T15:14:53.993","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of IBD UK&rsquo;s latest report, Crohn&rsquo;s and Colitis Care in Scotland: A Vision for Change, what steps it is taking to ensure that all inflammatory bowel","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of IBD UK&rsquo;s latest report, Crohn&rsquo;s and Colitis Care in Scotland: A Vision for Change, what steps it is taking to ensure that all inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) services have the resources and staffing necessary to address the psychological and nutritional needs of people with Crohn's disease and colitis in line with the IBD Standards.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government welcomes IBD UK&rsquo;s latest report, Crohn&rsquo;s and Colitis Care in Scotland: A Vision for Change and is grateful for their work in this area.We are committed to ensuring that all people living in Scotland with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) including Crohn&rsquo;s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis are able to access the best possible care and support, and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care.Scottish Government workforce planning guidance requires NHS Boards to take a demand-led approach by determining future staffing requirements in line with healthcare needs within their locality.We expect Boards to follow best practice and adhere to current guidelines and standards when providing psychological and nutritional support for people with IBD.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428280,"EventID":"S6W-32593","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:09.063","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:20:53.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what budget has been allocated for railway decarbonisation in each of the next five years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what budget has been allocated for railway decarbonisation in each of the next five years.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s investment in rail covers a wide range of improvements and decarbonisation of rail services forms part of that, be it fleet replacement, investment in feeder stations, or electrification of railway lines and therefore is integrated into the rail budget figures to be found in the draft budget for 2025-26 in Chapter 8 &ndash; Transport","AnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428281,"EventID":"S6W-32307","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:10.04","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T15:52:07.77","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of cases handled by the Aberdeen office of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) in the last year involved alleged offences under the Mi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of cases handled by the Aberdeen office of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) in the last year involved alleged offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.","AnswerText":"The following table shows percentage of cases reported to the Aberdeen Procurator Fiscal&rsquo;s Office containing one or more charge under - Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.Criminal cases reported to COPFS Aberdeen Procurator Fiscal office during the financial year 2023-24&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2023-24&nbsp;Percentage of cases reported which contained one or more charge under - Misuse of Drugs Act 19717%&nbsp;","AnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428282,"EventID":"S6W-32301","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:07.4","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T15:52:07.77","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of cases handled by the Aberdeen office of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) resulted in a conviction in each of the last five years","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of cases handled by the Aberdeen office of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) resulted in a conviction in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"In the last 5 years, almost 100,000 charges have been reported to the Aberdeen Office of COPFS.COPFS uses a live, operational database to manage the processing of reports submitted to Procurators Fiscal by the police and other reporting agencies throughout Scotland. It is designed to meet business needs in the processing of criminal cases, rather than for statistical analysis. Any data sought in the requested period would encompass convictions for cases reported out with that period. As such, any figures would not accurately reflect numbers of convictions in respect of the cases reported in that period.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428283,"EventID":"S6W-32591","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:10.213","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:20:53.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion or percentage of the railway network (a) is currently electrified and (b) will be electrified by 2035.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion or percentage of the railway network (a) is currently electrified and (b) will be electrified by 2035.","AnswerText":"896km of 2695km in Scotland is already electrified, based on ORR figures to 31 March 2024. However, 75% of ScotRail journeys are already made on electric trains. Future plans will be outlined in the refreshed Decarbonisation Action Plan.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428284,"EventID":"S6W-32541","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:10.543","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T14:17:31.053","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people have received hospital treatment after being accidentally stuck by improperly disposed hypodermic needles in (a) Scotland and (b) the Glasgow region, in ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people have received hospital treatment after being accidentally stuck by improperly disposed hypodermic needles in (a) Scotland and (b) the Glasgow region, in each year from 2020 to 2024.","AnswerText":"Information is not available centrally on the number of people who have received hospital treatment after being accidentally stuck by improperly disposed hypodermic needles.Injecting equipment provision (IEP) is a key harm reduction intervention. Public Health Scotland publish information on IEP in Scotland, including the number of outlets, attendances, and the types of injecting equipment distributed to people who used illicit drugs. The latest release, covering 2022-23, is available at&nbsp;https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/injecting-equipment-provision-in-scotland/injecting-equipment-provision-in-scotland-2022-to-2023/.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428285,"EventID":"S6W-32518","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5793,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:10.383","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T13:24:55.293","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Department for Transport regarding working collaboratively with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to address the report","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Department for Transport regarding working collaboratively with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to address the reported backlog of people waiting to sit practical driving tests across Scotland.","AnswerText":"Driving testing is a fully reserved matter to the UK Government but it is clear the consequences of years of delays and backlogs have been acutely experienced in Scotland. The previous UK Government undertook a consultation in early 2023 proposing changes, which have taken until December 2024 to implement.On 18 December 2024, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) announced a 7-point plan to reduce driving test waiting times, which includes recruiting 450 driving examiners in Great Britain. As this is a reserved matter, the Scottish Government has had no input into the development of this plan. The DVSA did agree to meet with Transport Scotland officials in November 2024 but then cancelled these meetings.Transport Scotland officials are currently seeking a meeting with DVSA to discuss the plan and to understand what implications there may be for Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428286,"EventID":"S6W-32529","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:02.857","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T13:52:14.31","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Civil Litigation (Expenses and Group Proceedings) (Scotland) Act 2018, what its position is on the suggestion of a \"portal\" for case management.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Civil Litigation (Expenses and Group Proceedings) (Scotland) Act 2018, what its position is on the suggestion of a \"portal\" for case management.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government considers that proposals for a case management portal is worth exploring and has been in discussion with stakeholders.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428287,"EventID":"S6W-32534","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:10.843","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T13:56:24.16","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what level of carbon emissions a power generator can produce and still be considered \"low-carbon\".","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what level of carbon emissions a power generator can produce and still be considered \"low-carbon\".","AnswerText":"Low Carbon electricity generation is defined for Scottish Government energy statistics reporting as electricity generated by renewable, nuclear or pumped hydro storage (PHS) technologies.Most generation technologies are classified as low carbon by their type and there is no carbon threshold used to determine this classification.Although nuclear power is designated as low carbon we do not support the building of new nuclear fission plants in Scotland under current technologies. Nuclear has high costs and provides poor value for money. It brings serious waste and environmental risks, and has long lead in times.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428288,"EventID":"S6W-32563","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:02.973","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T15:59:06.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to launch a public consultation on revised proposals on restricting alcohol advertising and promotion.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to launch a public consultation on revised proposals on restricting alcohol advertising and promotion.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to progressing work on protecting children and young people from exposure to alcohol marketing.Public Health Scotland has been commissioned to carry out a review of the evidence for potential regulation of alcohol advertising and marketing. Once that review concludes the Scottish Government will consider the potential areas of regulation that the evidence suggests may be effective in reducing alcohol harm.If the evidence supports it a further public consultation will be undertaken on targeted proposals.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428289,"EventID":"S6W-32586","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:02.907","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:20:53.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what role private sector investment plays in funding (a) ScotRail and (b) Caledonian Sleeper services.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what role private sector investment plays in funding (a) ScotRail and (b) Caledonian Sleeper services.","AnswerText":"All of ScotRail and Caledonian Sleeper carriages are leased from private sector companies. The locomotives for Caledonian Sleeper trains are provided and operated by GB Railfreight Ltd. The cost of these leases and service provision is funded by passenger revenue and the Scottish Government subsidy.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428290,"EventID":"S6W-32316","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:03.737","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T15:52:07.77","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how often the Aberdeen office of the&nbsp;Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) has consulted with victims and families before proceeding with cases involvi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how often the Aberdeen office of the&nbsp;Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) has consulted with victims and families before proceeding with cases involving fatalities in each of the last three years.","AnswerText":"COPFS communicates with bereaved relatives in every case before proceeding with cases involving fatalities and continues to do so during those court proceedings. The Family Liaison Charter sets out the Crown&rsquo;s obligations in relation to liaising with and providing information to bereaved relatives. These obligations apply equally to deaths arising in any area of Scotland.The various specialist death investigation teams within COPFS consider deaths from all over the country, therefore communication with families in respect of fatalities occurring in Aberdeen, may be undertaken by staff situated in offices other than Aberdeen.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428291,"EventID":"S6W-32532","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:03.03","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T13:52:14.31","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its five-year review of the Civil Litigation (Expenses and Group Proceedings) (Scotland) Act 2018, what consideration is being given to when qualified one-way","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its five-year review of the Civil Litigation (Expenses and Group Proceedings) (Scotland) Act 2018, what consideration is being given to when qualified one-way costs shifting (QOCS) may be disapplied due to fraud, abuse of process or unreasonable behaviour by the pursuer.","AnswerText":"Section 8 of the Civil Litigation (Expenses and Group Proceedings) (Scotland) Act 2018 makes provision for a qualified one-way costs shifting (QOCS) regime in Scotland and sets out when QOCS may be disapplied.As set out in section 23(2) of the Act, the report on the 5 year review of Parts 1 to 3 must, in particular, contain information about the effect of the operation of section 8 on access to justice and the administration of Scottish courts.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428292,"EventID":"S6W-32578","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:03.203","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:20:53.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of ScotRail&rsquo;s operational costs are covered by (a) passenger fares and (b) subsidies.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of ScotRail&rsquo;s operational costs are covered by (a) passenger fares and (b) subsidies.","AnswerText":"The level of subsidy and ScotRail revenue for the current year will be published in Transport Scotland and ScotRail accounts.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428293,"EventID":"S6W-32582","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:03.533","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:20:53.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of passengers using ScotRail services currently receive discounted or concessionary fares, and what impact this has on overall subsidy levels.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of passengers using ScotRail services currently receive discounted or concessionary fares, and what impact this has on overall subsidy levels.","AnswerText":"ScotRail has a variety of discounted products and promotional offers which are available at different times throughout the year and on different routes to incentivise passenger use and optimise commercial returns. Some concessionary fares operate at a UK level such as various Rail Cards. In addition, some concessionary travel is established at a local authority level by some Councils. The Scottish Government would not therefore not hold this information.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428294,"EventID":"S6W-32405","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:06.14","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-16T08:01:14.8","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Network Rail regarding the relatability of its services (a) in Scotland and (b) cross border.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Network Rail regarding the relatability of its services (a) in Scotland and (b) cross border.","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland officials have regular discussions with Network Rail regarding various matters. Performance of Network Rail is a matter for the Office of Rail and Road who holds Network Rail to account for delivering a safe, high-performing, and efficient railway.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428295,"EventID":"S6W-32515","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:10.63","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T12:36:21.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve community flood defences, in light of reports that fewer than half of projects scheduled to be built by 2021 have been completed.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve community flood defences, in light of reports that fewer than half of projects scheduled to be built by 2021 have been completed.","AnswerText":"Local authorities are responsible for the developing and delivering flood protection schemes, supported by Scottish Government funding. The 2015-2021 Flood Risk Management Strategies published by SEPA prioritised 42 flood protection schemes. These schemes require complex planning and consultation and often take years to complete, so it has always been recognised that completion of construction work on all 42 schemes might not have taken place by 2021.In addition to an annual &pound;42 million provided to local authorities for flood resilience, Scottish Government has committed to an additional &pound;150 million over the course of this Parliament.Since 2015 this investment has led to the completion of 18 flood resilience projects, including Millport Coastal, one of three completed in 2024. An additional two projects are in an advanced stage and nearing completion.The National Flood Resilience Strategy published in December underscores Scottish Government&rsquo;s long term commitment to tackling climate-related challenges. An additional &pound;15 million has been set aside in the draft 2025-2026 Scottish Budget to support the delivery of the Strategy, wider flooding resilience and coastal adaptation work.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428296,"EventID":"S6W-32572","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:09.97","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:20:53.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current operating subsidy for the Caledonian Sleeper is, broken down by (a) route and (b) passenger segment.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current operating subsidy for the Caledonian Sleeper is, broken down by (a) route and (b) passenger segment.","AnswerText":"The final subsidy for all Caledonian Sleeper services for the financial year 2024-25 will be known when the accounts for this year have been finalised and published.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428297,"EventID":"S6W-32592","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:10.817","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:20:53.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what alternative fuels, such as hydrogen- or battery-powered trains, are being considered as interim solutions for the railway network.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what alternative fuels, such as hydrogen- or battery-powered trains, are being considered as interim solutions for the railway network.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is considering all sensible alternative fuel options for the development of the Scottish rail network.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428298,"EventID":"S6W-32581","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:10.183","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:20:53.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how ScotRail&rsquo;s operating costs have changed over the past decade, and what factors have contributed to any changes.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how ScotRail&rsquo;s operating costs have changed over the past decade, and what factors have contributed to any changes.","AnswerText":"There is a range of factors which have had an effect on the net cost of running passenger rail services over the last 10 years. These include the number of services delivered, passenger revenue, Network Rail access charges, inflation, energy and fuel costs, and variations introduced during the Covid period.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428299,"EventID":"S6W-32566","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:02.853","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:11:29.093","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it requested any changes to the A96 Corridor Review from earlier drafts.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it requested any changes to the A96 Corridor Review from earlier drafts.","AnswerText":"As with all projects, Transport Scotland Officials regularly discuss and review draft documents prepared by its technical advisors on an ongoing basis as part of the process to finalise reports prior to seeking Ministerial approval to publish. No changes were made by the Scottish Ministers to the draft outcomes of the A96 Corridor Review that identified an optimal Refined Package of improvements.The position of the Scottish Government has not changed &ndash; the current favoured position is to fully dual the A96, and we are already taking forward the dualling process from Inverness to Nairn, including Nairn Bypass.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428300,"EventID":"S6W-32404","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:04.377","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-16T08:01:14.8","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last had discussions with ScotRailregarding expanding the (a) level and (b) frequency of Sunday servicesnationally.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it last had discussions with ScotRailregarding expanding the (a) level and (b) frequency of Sunday servicesnationally.","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland officials have regular discussions with ScotRail regarding various matters. ScotRail continuously reviews its services to best meet the passenger demand with the resource it has available.Nationally, more services run on a Sunday in the December 2024 timetable than before Covid. In particular, for the Glasgow area, following the introduction of the new December 2024 timetable, late night Sunday services have been enhanced on the Springburn line in Glasgow, and from Exhibition Centre.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428301,"EventID":"S6W-32498","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:06.997","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T12:25:21.95","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the (a) UK Government, (b) Welsh Government, and (c) Northern Ireland Executive regarding how to respond to the criminal exploitation of ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the (a) UK Government, (b) Welsh Government, and (c) Northern Ireland Executive regarding how to respond to the criminal exploitation of children, and whether it is developing a coordinated approach to deal with cross-border issues that have arisen in relation to this issue.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-32496 on 10 January 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428302,"EventID":"S6W-32553","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:10.7","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T15:22:32.357","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking, when allocating public subsidy and quota, to ensure that it is promoting and increasing the number of jobs","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking, when allocating public subsidy and quota, to ensure that it is promoting and increasing the number of jobs in the fishing industry that meet its definition of fair work.","AnswerText":"The Marine Fund Scotland (MFS) applies the Scottish Government Fair Work First criteria to grant awards. The conditions of award ensure organisations commit to the Fair Work First Criteria in a way that is relevant and appropriate for the organisation. This does not apply where the jobs relate to workers who are a 'share fisherman', who are classed as self-employed by HMRC.With regard to fishing quota, I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29467 on 10 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428303,"EventID":"S6W-32577","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:02.887","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:20:53.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to monitor the environmental impact of ScotRail services.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to monitor the environmental impact of ScotRail services.","AnswerText":"Rail is one of the transport modes with the lowest emissions. ScotRail provides details on managing its environmental impact on its website, which can be found here: Managing environmental impactScotRail also has a Sustainability Policy in place, which is available online at: Sustainability Policy | ScotRail","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428304,"EventID":"S6W-32496","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:03.703","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T12:25:21.943","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Action for Children reports, Criminally Exploited Children: Shattered Lives, Stolen Futures and&nbsp;I Don&rsquo;t Want to go Down That Road, what (a) me","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Action for Children reports, Criminally Exploited Children: Shattered Lives, Stolen Futures and&nbsp;I Don&rsquo;t Want to go Down That Road, what (a) measures it has taken to (i) identify and (ii) support children at risk of criminal exploitation and (b) its position is on their findings, including whether it has taken action to implement these.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government welcomes the reports, Criminally Exploited Children: Shattered Lives, Stolen Futures and I Don&rsquo;t Want to go Down That Road, from Action for Children. We agree that criminally exploited children and young people are victims of child abuse and must be cared for and supported within the context of Scotland&rsquo;s approach to child protection, as set out in the National Child Protection Guidance in Scotland 2021, updated 2023 and Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC). We have engaged closely with Action for Children on the findings and recommendations of the reports. This engagement has included discussion at the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce (SOCT) which includes Action for Children in its membership. We are drawing on the Taskforce&rsquo;s collective expertise and the expertise of other stakeholders in developing our programme of work to prevent and disrupt this abhorrent abuse of children and young people. As discussed with the SOCT in October 2024, we are currently identifying actions to be taken forward by Government and partners which will be shared with the Taskforce ahead of its meeting in February 2025.In considering these reports and next steps, the Scottish Government has engaged key stakeholders and partners, including the Scottish Children&rsquo;s Reporter Administration, Social Work Scotland, British Transport Police, Police Scotland, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and Education Scotland to inform opportunities to enhance our shared approach to CCE in Scotland. Discussions are also being taken forward with health sector stakeholders.The Scottish Government has also collaborated with operational and third-sector partners to support the establishment and delivery of the devolved decision-making pilot related to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) in Glasgow, which has been operational since 2021. This included publishing practitioner guidance. We will continue to engage with the Home Office and other partners to promote the benefits of the devolved NRM approach going forward.We note that a number of the recommendations made by these reports are already implemented and indeed are informed by our approach in Scotland. This includes incorporation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), delivery of the Independent Child Trafficking Guardians service through the statutory Guardianship Scotland service, and the presence of the Lord Advocate&rsquo;s instructions for non-prosecution of victims of human trafficking.Further work is underway with partners to explore the effectiveness of relevant existing legislation including the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015, and the barriers and opportunities to support more effective information sharing practices between the statutory and non-statutory partners. We are also engaging with the UK Government regularly as it considers introduction of new legislation on CCE and will assess these proposals when they are available, as well as continuing discussions with other UK administrations on this issue. My officials meet with their counterparts in UKG on a fortnightly basis to discuss the CCE legislation.This work builds on the existing legislation and guidance frameworks relating to CCE in Scotland. The Lord Advocate instructions in relation to the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015 on the non-prosecution of victims of human trafficking and exploitation were revised in January 2024 to highlight the increase of criminal exploitation in recent years and further guidance on this issue for practitioners. This guidance notes that Prosecutors must have regard to the UNCRC when taking decisions that directly or indirectly affect children, and that in particular, the best interests of the child should be a primary consideration, in accordance with Article 3 of the Convention, and be given appropriate weight, along with other relevant considerations regarding proceedings. The g","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428305,"EventID":"S6W-32513","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:04.133","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T12:25:22.027","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions there have been under the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015 regarding children who have been criminall","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions there have been under the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015 regarding children who have been criminally exploited.","AnswerText":"Information is not held centrally. Criminal Proceedings data does not include details about the victim unless explicitly specified by the legislation. As a result, we are unable to determine the number of prosecutions or convictions under the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015 that specifically involve children who have been criminally exploited.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428306,"EventID":"S6W-32536","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:02.953","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T14:17:31.053","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to prevent young people from becoming involved in the illicit drug trade.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to prevent young people from becoming involved in the illicit drug trade.","AnswerText":"The criminal exploitation of young people through involvement in the illicit drug trade is a significant concern for the Scottish Government. Partners on the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce (SOCT), which I chair, continue to use every means at their disposal to disrupt serious organised crime, including illicit drugs, and to raise awareness of the impact it has on individuals, including young people, and our communities.The Scottish Government published 'Practitioner Guidance on Criminal Exploitation' in June 2023 on behalf of the SOCT. The guidance aims to maximise Scotland&rsquo;s coordinated and joined up response to all exploited individuals, making it easier for practitioners across Scotland to support children and vulnerable adults who have been victims of exploitation. The SOCT also held a criminal exploitation conference in June 2024 to publicise the guidance.The latest SOCT Progress Report, published in December, details some of the work over the past year, including projects such as the Daniel Spargo-Mabbs Foundation&rsquo;s very successful Drugs Education Pilot in Grampian schools and the &ldquo;Fearless&rdquo; drugs campaign which was launched with young people at a school in Edinburgh.Serious Organised Crime Taskforce: progress report 2024 - gov.scot","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428307,"EventID":"S6W-32286","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:03.383","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T14:37:17.067","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that it is currently completing the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) stage 2 (concept design) of the project, by what date the Belford H","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that it is currently completing the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) stage 2 (concept design) of the project, by what date the Belford Hospital replacement in NHS Highland will complete RIBA stage (a) 5 (manufacturing and construction) and (b) 6 (handover); how much subsequent funding it will provide to the NHS board to complete all outstanding work and requirements and reach RIBA stage 7 (use), and by what date the facility will be open to patients.","AnswerText":"We have confirmed that the replacement of the Belford Hospital is a strategic priority, and the 2025-26 Draft Budget has provided the necessary funding to allow the development of the business case to restart. NHS Highland is responsible for the delivery of the project and should therefore be able to provide information on the timeframe for the project in due course.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428308,"EventID":"S6W-32583","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:10.303","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:20:53.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed any impact of reportedly rising operating subsidies on the long-term sustainability of ScotRail.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed any impact of reportedly rising operating subsidies on the long-term sustainability of ScotRail.","AnswerText":"Rail services make a significant positive contribution to Scotland&rsquo;s economy and communities. The provision of rail services is also a requirement under railways legislation.Transport Scotland is working closely with Scottish Rail Holdings, who is responsible for overseeing ScotRail, to ensure that ScotRail services are delivered efficiently. This includes discussions on the regular monitoring of trends in ScotRail financial performance and delivery.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428309,"EventID":"S6W-32501","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:04.017","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T12:25:21.967","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what initiatives there are to inform (a) children, (b) parents and (c) the public regarding the awareness, signs and risks of the criminal exploitation of children and w","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what initiatives there are to inform (a) children, (b) parents and (c) the public regarding the awareness, signs and risks of the criminal exploitation of children and where to seek help should they have concerns regarding this.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-32496 on 10 January 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428310,"EventID":"S6W-32408","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:03.757","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-16T10:46:28.887","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when its population health framework will be published; whether this will include regulations to restrict the promotion of food and drink products that it considers are ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when its population health framework will be published; whether this will include regulations to restrict the promotion of food and drink products that it considers are high in (a) fat, (b) sugar and (c) salt content and, if so, by what dates it expects these restrictions to come into force.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government and COSLA are co-producing the Population Health Framework which will be published in Spring 2025. Extensive engagement has been undertaken throughout 2024 with public, third and private sector partners to support development of priorities and areas of action.The public consultation on detail of proposed regulations to restrict promotions of food and drink high in fat, sugar or salt (HFSS) closed on 21 May 2024. The Scottish Government will publish an independent analysis report of these consultation responses in early 2025, alongside next steps and timelines for future regulation.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428311,"EventID":"S6W-32573","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:07.123","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:20:53.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the average subsidy per passenger is for Caledonian Sleeper services, and how this compares with daytime ScotRail services.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the average subsidy per passenger is for Caledonian Sleeper services, and how this compares with daytime ScotRail services.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-32572 on 9 January 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428312,"EventID":"S6W-32533","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:05.59","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T13:52:14.31","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its five-year review of the Civil Litigation (Expenses and Group Proceedings) (Scotland) Act 2018, what its position is on the \"fundamental dishonesty\" regime","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its five-year review of the Civil Litigation (Expenses and Group Proceedings) (Scotland) Act 2018, what its position is on the \"fundamental dishonesty\" regime that has been part of the system in England and Wales since 2015.","AnswerText":"The current system of personal injury litigation was arrived at after careful parliamentary consideration that led to the passing of the 2018 Act. Whilst the Scottish Government has noted the approach taken in England and Wales there are no immediate plans to make further changes.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428313,"EventID":"S6W-32406","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:03.197","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-16T08:01:14.8","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what monitoring it carries out of the reasons for train delays and cancellations, and what that main problems are that lead to these.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what monitoring it carries out of the reasons for train delays and cancellations, and what that main problems are that lead to these.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government requires ScotRail and Network Rail in Scotland to co-operate in the management, monitoring and improvement of Scottish train performance. The Office for Rail and Road publishes performance data for Scotland on its website. Delays and cancellations to Scottish rail services can be caused by problems with infrastructure, rolling stock, availability of staff (including through industrial action) and delays introduced to the Scottish rail network by poor performance of cross-border rail services from England.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428314,"EventID":"S6W-32595","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:02.977","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:20:53.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to reduce passenger disruption during railway electrification projects.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to reduce passenger disruption during railway electrification projects.","AnswerText":"Electrification work is delivered by Network Rail, which works with ScotRail and other train operators to take various steps in order to reduce disruption to passengers. The optimal approach to reduce disruption varies from scheme to scheme and, wherever possible work is conducted when no trains are planned to run.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428315,"EventID":"S6W-32590","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:06.753","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:20:53.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what interim measures are being implemented to reduce emissions from diesel passenger trains before 2045.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what interim measures are being implemented to reduce emissions from diesel passenger trains before 2045.","AnswerText":"Decarbonisation of Scotland&rsquo;s Railway is undertaken on a phased basis. The line to Barrhead was decarbonised in December 2023. The line to East Kilbride is next, completing in December 2025. Other lines will follow.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428316,"EventID":"S6W-32499","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:08.457","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T12:25:21.957","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with representatives of (a) the justice, (b) the social work, (c) the education, (d) the health sector and (d) other professional sectors rega","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with representatives of (a) the justice, (b) the social work, (c) the education, (d) the health sector and (d) other professional sectors regarding dealing with the criminal exploitation of children, also broken down by what training it provides.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-32496 on 10 January 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428317,"EventID":"S6W-32328","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:10.123","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T16:03:34.293","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many criminal prosecutions the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) has handled in each of&nbsp;the last 10 years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many criminal prosecutions the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) has handled in each of&nbsp;the last 10 years.","AnswerText":"The following table shows the number of criminal cases reported to COPFS with a first substantive marking for court proceedings.Number of accused in criminal cases reported to COPFS with aFirst Substantive Marking for court proceedings&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Financial YearTotal&nbsp;2014-15126,349&nbsp;2015-16117,588&nbsp;2016-17112,388&nbsp;2017-18102,745&nbsp;2018-1997,016&nbsp;2019-20104,356&nbsp;2020-2189,553&nbsp;2021-2282,232&nbsp;2022-2385,364&nbsp;2023-2494,588&nbsp;","AnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428318,"EventID":"S6W-32519","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5009,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":114,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:09.967","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T13:24:57.34","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects the results of the Instrumental Music Service Survey 2024 to be published.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects the results of the Instrumental Music Service Survey 2024 to be published.","AnswerText":"The survey is not a Scottish Government survey. It is carried out by the Improvement Service on behalf of Heads of Instrumental Tuition Scotland (HITS).For further information please contact the Improvement Service at research@improvementservice.org.uk","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428319,"EventID":"S6W-32517","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:10.277","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T12:36:43.817","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps it is taking to increase school attendance, in light of its published figures that show a reduction in school attendance ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps it is taking to increase school attendance, in light of its published figures that show a reduction in school attendance rates between 2020-21 and 2022-23.","AnswerText":"The 2023-24 Official Statistics on attendance and absence show a slight increase in attendance and reduction in persistent absence. It is acknowledged that the rate of attendance has decreased prior to this as a result of the impact of Covid-19.The overall attendance rate for 2023-24 was 90.3%, an increase of 0.1 percentage points on 2022-23. The rate of persistent absence for 2023-24 was 31.4%, a reduction of 1.1 percentage points on 2022-23.The Scottish Government recognises these slight improvements in the most recent data and will continue to implement the national strategic approach to supporting education authorities and schools to improve attendance and reduce absence through engagement and support of children, young people and their families.As part of this approach, which follows the deep dive on attendance and absence which I commissioned and which was published by Education Scotland in November 2023, there are a range of actions in place to support improved attendance.Every Local Authority in Scotland has school attendance as a stretch aim, as part of their work on the Scottish Attainment Challenge, and every council in the country has identified action they are taking at school level. This work is being supported by the Pupil Equity Fund.Education Scotland have developed and published a range of updated practice advice and guidance, established a professional network, and are providing bespoke support to authorities as part of a phased approach to improvement.The Scottish Government has added additional analysis of data and is publishing data more frequently to support education authorities in understanding their local picture, as part of monitoring and review.Finally, as I announced in December, there will be a national marketing campaign in the coming year to further enhance the support available.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428320,"EventID":"S6W-32588","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:10.763","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:20:53.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish a detailed timeline for the phased decarbonisation of Scotland&rsquo;s railway network.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish a detailed timeline for the phased decarbonisation of Scotland&rsquo;s railway network.","AnswerText":"Further details on plans to decarbonise Scotland&rsquo;s Rail Network will be published in the refreshed Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan, which is now expected to be published in Spring 2025. It will outline a staged approach to creating a decarbonised rail system by 2045 and increasing from the current 75% of rail journeys which are already decarbonised.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428321,"EventID":"S6W-32543","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:10.473","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T14:17:31.053","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it has been working with Police Scotland to tackle the modification of vehicles for the concealment of illicit drugs.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it has been working with Police Scotland to tackle the modification of vehicles for the concealment of illicit drugs.","AnswerText":"We had previously promoted a Legislative Consent Memorandum in the Scottish Parliament in relation to the provisions in the previous UK Government&rsquo;s Criminal Justice Bill creating an offence for importing, making, adapting, supplying or offering to supply a relevant article for use in serious crime. This offence would have included vehicle concealments as an article of serious crime but the legislation fell due to the change of administration.My officials are continuing to engage with the Home Office on its legislative proposals. I hope that this offence will be taken forward in one of the bills that will be introduced in early 2025.Police Scotland will be also be kept informed as soon as any legislation is developed.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428322,"EventID":"S6W-32565","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:10.573","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:09:24.983","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much the A96 Corridor Review has cost, broken down by financial year.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much the A96 Corridor Review has cost, broken down by financial year.","AnswerText":"Please see the following table with breakdown of costs by financial year for work undertaken on the A96 Corridor Review:Financial YearTotal Cost excluding non-recoverable VAT2022-2023&pound;3,265,047.172023-2024&pound;2,362,603.372024-2025&pound;745,417.93Note: 2024-2025 figures are up to 19 December 2024, date of request.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428323,"EventID":"S6W-32511","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:10.903","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T12:25:22.017","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how often the Lord Advocate&rsquo;s instructions have been used to protect victims of human trafficking and exploitation since the commencement of the Human Trafficking ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how often the Lord Advocate&rsquo;s instructions have been used to protect victims of human trafficking and exploitation since the commencement of the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015.","AnswerText":"The Lord Advocate&rsquo;s instructions for non-prosecution of victims of human trafficking | COPFS were first published in May 2016 and the manual collation of data commenced at that stage.As of 6 January 2025, proceedings involving 188 individuals, who were reported to the National Lead Prosecutor for Human Trafficking in accordance with the instructions, were not raised or were discontinued on the basis that the two-part test in the Lord Advocate&rsquo;s instructions was satisfied.The information is provided under the caveats that:?A decision to discontinue proceedings can be taken at any time during a proceeding. Therefore, although the National Lead Prosecutor has not discontinued proceedings against an accused person, that may not be the final decision. Should further information become available, such as a positive Conclusive Grounds Decision, the National Lead Prosecutor may decide to discontinue proceedings on receipt of that information.The data is manually collated and so whilst the data is as accurate as it can be, full accuracy cannot be guaranteed.The data changes constantly depending on when new information is received.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428324,"EventID":"S6W-32575","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:03.677","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:20:53.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered alternative funding models for the Caledonian Sleeper to reduce any reliance on public subsidies.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered alternative funding models for the Caledonian Sleeper to reduce any reliance on public subsidies.","AnswerText":"Caledonian Sleeper services are funded through a combination of passenger revenue and Scottish Government subsidy. This was true when operated by Serco and remains true under public ownership. There are no plans to change that funding model.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428325,"EventID":"S6W-32450","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:03.527","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-17T12:47:47.83","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32009 by Ivan McKee on 17 December 2024, whether it is accounting for inflation through business rate increases and, if so, what t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32009 by Ivan McKee on 17 December 2024, whether it is accounting for inflation through business rate increases and, if so, what the reason is for taking this approach rather than through changes to rateable value.","AnswerText":"The answer to question S6W-32009 shows the additional income arising from the Intermediate Property Rate being set at 55.4p in 2025-26, compared to setting it at 54.5p, keeping rateable values and all other variables constant.Generally, rateable values only tend to change at revaluations which take place every three years, with the next one scheduled for 1 April 2026. Outwith revaluations, rateable values may change due to factors such as property expansions or improvements, changes due to proposals or appeals, or additions and deletions of property entries from the Valuation Roll.In Scotland, there is no legislation linking the maximum possible uprating of the rates to inflation in the preceding year. Given that Scottish Ministers have chosen to set the Basic Property Rate to match or be below the Small Business Multiplier in England since 2007-2008, up until 2016-2017, September Retail Price Index (RPI) acted as a cap on inflationary increases in poundage in Scotland because in England, legislation used to link the maximum possible uprating of the Small Business Multiplier to September RPI of the preceding year. The independent Barclay Review of Non-Domestic Rates published in 2017 noted calls for increases in the poundage to be linked to the CPI rather than the RPI. Since 2017-18, annual changes in the rates in Scotland have been lower than the CPI increase.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428326,"EventID":"S6W-32549","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:02.903","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T14:57:15.903","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been charged with not having an exemption certificate for XL bully dogs, following the change in legislation that came into force on 1 August 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been charged with not having an exemption certificate for XL bully dogs, following the change in legislation that came into force on 1 August 2024.","AnswerText":"From 1 August to 31 December 2024, 33 charges under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 have been reported to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) which make reference to ownership of XL Bully Dogs.It should be noted that COPFS use a live, operational database to manage the process of reports submitted to Procurators Fiscal by the police and other reporting agencies throughout Scotland. Information provided is at date of extract and may therefore be subject to change as data and systems are updated for operational reasons.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428327,"EventID":"S6W-32555","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:05.87","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T15:45:39.74","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many free journeys have been taken by (a) ScotRail&nbsp;employees, (b) partners of ScotRail employees and (c) dependants of ScotRail employees, over the last three y","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many free journeys have been taken by (a) ScotRail&nbsp;employees, (b) partners of ScotRail employees and (c) dependants of ScotRail employees, over the last three years.","AnswerText":"Maintaining provision of free and reduced cost travel facilities for rail staff was included in the original rail privatisation legislation.The Member may wish to contact ScotRail directly for more details.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428328,"EventID":"S6W-32569","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:10.15","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:20:53.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the total annual subsidy provided to ScotRail has been in each of the last five years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the total annual subsidy provided to ScotRail has been in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"The subsidy for rail services has been published in Transport Scotland accounts. These can be found here: Annual Accounts | Transport Scotland","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428329,"EventID":"S6W-32597","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:02.93","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:20:53.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has conducted a cost-benefit analysis of hybrid trains as an interim solution to the decarbonisation of the railway network.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has conducted a cost-benefit analysis of hybrid trains as an interim solution to the decarbonisation of the railway network.","AnswerText":"An individual business case, including socio-economic analysis, is prepared for each route being considered for decarbonisation. These business cases include technical and economic examinations of the case for of different types of rail traction including bi-mode diesel-electric, battery-electric and hydrogen.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428330,"EventID":"S6W-32516","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5698,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:03.29","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T12:36:33.757","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps it is taking to encourage increased use of public transport, in light of recently reported disruption, delays and staff s","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps it is taking to encourage increased use of public transport, in light of recently reported disruption, delays and staff shortages on the ScotRail network.","AnswerText":"Any cancellations, delays or disruptions are disappointing and we recognise the impact that this has on rail users. However cancellations represent a small percentage of the overall number of ScotRail services. ScotRail&rsquo;s performance is consistently higher than the GB network average.I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-32514 on 8 January 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428331,"EventID":"S6W-32538","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:10.79","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T14:17:31.053","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many hospitalisations have been attributed to non-fatal drug misuse in (a) Scotland and (b) the Glasgow region, in each year between 2020 and 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many hospitalisations have been attributed to non-fatal drug misuse in (a) Scotland and (b) the Glasgow region, in each year between 2020 and 2024.","AnswerText":"Public Health Scotland publish information on drug-related hospital admissions. Data from 1996-97 to 2022-23 is available at https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/drug-related-hospital-statistics/drug-related-hospital-statistics-scotland-2022-to-2023/. The release of data covering 2023-24 is expected in the spring. The accompanying Data Explorer Dashboard provides a more comprehensive breakdown of the statistics, including by location, and provides information for both NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and Glasgow City Alcohol and Drug Partnership.The Scottish Government or Public Health Scotland do not currently publish information on the outcome or discharge status of admissions and are therefore unable to provide information on hospitalisations specifically attributed to non-fatal drug misuse.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428332,"EventID":"S6W-32463","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16196,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:02.87","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-17T17:45:42.783","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed reduction to land reform funding in its draft Budget 2025-26, how it plans to meet its commitment to increase the Scottish Land Fund to &pound;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed reduction to land reform funding in its draft Budget 2025-26, how it plans to meet its commitment to increase the Scottish Land Fund to &pound;20 million per year by the end of the current parliamentary session.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to supporting community ownership to increase the diversity of land ownership and, despite severe financial pressures, we have maintained an allocation of &pound;7.1 million for the Scottish Land Fund in 2025-26. We will seek to increase this allocation going forward, subject to ongoing budget pressures","AnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428333,"EventID":"S6W-32574","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:04.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:20:53.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that public subsidies to ScotRail are delivering value for money for taxpayers.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that public subsidies to ScotRail are delivering value for money for taxpayers.","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland is working closely with Scottish Rail Holdings, who is responsible for overseeing ScotRail, to ensure that ScotRail services are delivered efficiently. This includes discussions on the regular monitoring of ScotRail financial performance and delivery.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428334,"EventID":"S6W-32559","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:07.773","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T15:52:39.42","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32000 by Shona Robison on 18 December 2024, after taking  account of the expected in-year transfers and budget revisions considere","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32000 by Shona Robison on 18 December 2024, after taking  account of the expected in-year transfers and budget revisions considered in its answer, what difference it expects there to be between level 1 funding for each portfolio as stated in its draft Budget 2025-26 and the final actual funding for these portfolios.","AnswerText":"As with all previous years, level 1 funding for each portfolio will be adjusted following the Autumn and Spring Budget Revision to reflect changes in funding and expenditure plans such as in-year transfers between portfolios.The transfers identified in Table 4.12 of the 2025-26 Scottish Budget would reduce Education and Skills portfolio budget by &pound;689.6 million, reduce the Justice and Home Affairs budget by &pound;1.0 million, reduce the Health and Social Care portfolio budget by &pound;593.0 million, reduce the Social Justice portfolio budget by &pound;179.7 million and increase the Finance and Local Government portfolio budget by &pound;1,463.3 million compared with the published 2025-26 budget position.Any new funding commitments or changes to existing funding will also be adjusted at Autumn or Spring Budget Revision, following approval through the formal financial governance process which requires agreed recommendations from the joint Scottish Government and COSLA Officers&rsquo; Settlement and Distribution Group and political agreement from Scottish Ministers and COSLA political Leaders.Table A.07 in the 2025-26 Scottish Budget shows an adjusted 2024-25 resource position removing the impact at portfolio level of the recurring transfers actioned at ABR, to allow a like-for-like comparison against the 2025-26 initial allocations. The table shows the year-on-year movement at portfolio level in cash and real terms on a comparable basis.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428335,"EventID":"S6W-32332","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:03.843","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T16:03:34.293","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of criminal cases in each of last five years have resulted in a plea agreement prior to trial.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of criminal cases in each of last five years have resulted in a plea agreement prior to trial.","AnswerText":"COPFS uses a live, operational database to manage the processing of reports submitted to Procurators Fiscal by the police and other reporting agencies throughout Scotland. It is designed to meet business needs in the processing of criminal cases, rather than for statistical analysis. This question as currently framed cannot be readily answered by COPFS.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428336,"EventID":"S6W-32600","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:10.007","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:20:53.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has consulted with (a) unions and (b) industry stakeholders regarding the reported delayed timeline for the decarbonisation of the railway network.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has consulted with (a) unions and (b) industry stakeholders regarding the reported delayed timeline for the decarbonisation of the railway network.","AnswerText":"I meet with Trade Union representatives on a regular basis to discuss all matters pertaining to Scotland&rsquo;s Railway, including investment plans.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428337,"EventID":"S6W-32564","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:10.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:07:59.49","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many freedom of information requests it has refused  in each of the last five years, broken down by the basis for refusal.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many freedom of information requests it has refused  in each of the last five years, broken down by the basis for refusal.","AnswerText":"The following table sets out the number of requests where there has been no disclosure of any information (fully exempted):YearFull exemption of info202088420211108202210472023101020241052The exemptions applied are noted below, per year. Many responses can have more than one exemption applied. The information provided details the lead exemption as indicated by our case handlers on our case handling system.&nbsp;2020 (Nos)2021202220232024EIR exceptions&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;10(4)(a) The number of requests for which all of the information was not held81806512413010(4)(b) The number of requests refused because they were manifestly unreasonable (other than on grounds of cost)3515232710(4)(c) Requests which are too general&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;10(4)(d) Material in the course of completion56613310(4)(e) Internal communications1348410(5)(a) Substantial prejudice to international relations&nbsp;1&nbsp;1&nbsp;10(5)(b) Substantial prejudice to course of justice1&nbsp;&nbsp;2&nbsp;10(5)(c) Substantial prejudice to intellectual properties&nbsp;&nbsp;1&nbsp;&nbsp;10(5)(d) Substantial prejudice to confidentiality of proceedings&nbsp;&nbsp;1&nbsp;&nbsp;10(5)(e) Substantial prejudice to confidentiality of commercial or industrial information12&nbsp;34110(5)(f) Substantial prejudice to the interests of a third party&nbsp;1&nbsp;1&nbsp;10(5)(g) Substantial prejudice to the protection of the environment&nbsp;3&nbsp;&nbsp;110(8) Neither confirm nor deny whether environmental info held&nbsp;1&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;11(1) Personal data of the applicant&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1111(2) Third party personal data3154211(6) Neither confirm nor deny whether personal data held&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2020 (Nos)2021202220232024FOI exemptions&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;12(1) Complying will exceed the upper cost limit12410417314517914 Repeated/vexatious412625242317 Information not held45358852348148918 Neither confirm nor deny the information exists2243125(1) Otherwise accessible651981307310025(3) Publication scheme11&nbsp;1126(a) Disclosure prohibited: enactment3313326(c) Disclosure prohibited: contempt of court11&nbsp;&nbsp;127(1) Future publication: 12 weeks472522261527(2) Future publication: programme of research&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2&nbsp;28 Substantial prejudice to UK relations8231429(1)(a) Formulation/development of government policy78195529(1)(b) Ministerial communications3&nbsp;2&nbsp;129 (1)(c) Advice by Law Officers&nbsp;1&nbsp;4&nbsp;29(1)(d) Operation of Ministerial private office2&nbsp;&nbsp;3130(b)(i) Substantial inhibition to free and frank provision of advice544121130(b)(ii) Substantial inhibition to free and frank exchange of views1316230(c) Substantial prejudice to effective conduct of public affairs211612531(1) National security&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1&nbsp;32(1)(a) Substantial prejudice to international relations&nbsp;&nbsp;1&nbsp;&nbsp;32(1)(b) Confidential information obtained from abroad&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;33 (1)(a) Trade Secret&nbsp;1&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;33(1)(b) Substantial prejudice to commercial interests5795533(2)(b) Substantial prejudice to the UK administration&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2020 (Nos)2021202220232024FOI exemptions&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;34(1) Information held for the purposes of a criminal investigation11&nbsp;&nbsp;234(2)(b) Information held regarding cause of death&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1&nbsp;35(1)(a) Substantial prejudice to prevention or detection of crime&nbsp;&nbsp;2&nbsp;135(1)(g) Substantial prejudice to the exercise by a public authority for any of its functions (as listed in s35(2))&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1&nbsp;36(1) Confidentiality of communications3264636(2) Actionable breach of confidence&nbsp;&nbsp;3&nbsp;&nbsp;37(1)(a) Court records&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;137(1)(b) Court records: inquiry or arbitration1&nbsp;&nbsp;3238(1)(a) Personal data of the applicant55521238(1)(b) Third party personal data99610738(1)(c) Personal census information&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;39(1) Endangerme","AnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jamie Hepburn","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428338,"EventID":"S6W-32510","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:10.667","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T12:25:22.013","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve coordination and information sharing between the justice, social services and education sectors, other statutory agencies and the thi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve coordination and information sharing between the justice, social services and education sectors, other statutory agencies and the third sector to address the criminal exploitation of children.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-32496 on 10 January 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at&nbsp;https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428339,"EventID":"S6W-32410","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:10.96","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-16T10:48:39.24","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the new duties on employers under theWorker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 regarding theprevention of sexual harassment of staff, how ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the new duties on employers under theWorker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 regarding theprevention of sexual harassment of staff, how ScotRail is meeting its duty to takereasonable steps to prevent its employees from being subject to suchharassment, including from third parties; whether it has asked ScotRail to (a)update its anti-harassment policies and (b) produce an updated risk assessment,and what its position is on whether ScotRail&rsquo;s reported plans to reduce ticketoffice opening hours at 101 stations is compatible with the new duties.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"This is a matter for ScotRail as the employer.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428340,"EventID":"S6W-32537","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:10.243","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T14:17:31.053","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address the improper disposal of used hypodermic needles.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address the improper disposal of used hypodermic needles.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not have responsibility for addressing the improper disposal of used hypodermic needles. We expect that NHS Boards, drug and alcohol treatment services, and third sector organisations will have their own plans in place to address this issue.Injecting equipment provision (IEP) is a key harm reduction intervention. Public Health Scotland publish information on IEP in Scotland, including the number of outlets, attendances, and the types of injecting equipment distributed to people who used illicit drugs. The latest release, covering 2022-23, is available at&nbsp;https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/injecting-equipment-provision-in-scotland/injecting-equipment-provision-in-scotland-2022-to-2023/.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428341,"EventID":"S6W-32544","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:02.42","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T14:17:31.053","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many under-18-year-olds have received medical treatment after being accidentally stuck by improperly disposed hypodermic needles in the Glasgow region in each year f","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many under-18-year-olds have received medical treatment after being accidentally stuck by improperly disposed hypodermic needles in the Glasgow region in each year from 2020 to 2024.","AnswerText":"Information is not available centrally on the number of under-18-year-olds who have received medical treatment after being accidentally stuck by improperly disposed hypodermic needles.Injecting equipment provision (IEP) is a key harm reduction intervention. Public Health Scotland publish information on IEP in Scotland, including the number of outlets, attendances, and the types of injecting equipment distributed to people who used illicit drugs. The latest release, covering 2022-23, is available at&nbsp;https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/injecting-equipment-provision-in-scotland/injecting-equipment-provision-in-scotland-2022-to-2023/.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428342,"EventID":"S6W-32561","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:03.05","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T15:58:52.623","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many land and nature apprenticeships have been completed since May 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many land and nature apprenticeships have been completed since May 2021.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information.As our national skills body Skills Development Scotland (SDS) publish high level statistical information relating to completion of apprenticeships. You can find this information within the following linksSkills Development Scotland - Modern Apprenticeships statistics Skills Development Scotland - Modern Apprenticeships statistics - published 23 May 2023Skills Development Scotland - Modern Apprenticeship statistics - published 21 May 2024Land and nature apprenticeships fall into a range of occupational groupings. I have asked the Chief Executive of SDS, to write to you on this matter.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Graeme Dey","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428343,"EventID":"S6W-32502","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:03.927","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T12:25:21.973","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what funding it has allocated to services and programmes over the last five years aimed at (a) early intervention in response to and (b) the prevention of criminal explo","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what funding it has allocated to services and programmes over the last five years aimed at (a) early intervention in response to and (b) the prevention of criminal exploitation of children.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-32496 on 10 January 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428344,"EventID":"S6W-32551","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:10.873","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T15:03:52.6","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work with the Care Inspectorate to develop and undertake a thematic review of the support in place for those leaving care, inclu","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work with the Care Inspectorate to develop and undertake a thematic review of the support in place for those leaving care, including housing and accommodation.","AnswerText":"In response to the recommendations of the Improving Care Leavers Housing Pathways CELCIS Knowledge Bank: Youth Homelessness Prevention Pathway report, the Scottish Government commissioned the Care Inspectorate to undertake a thematic review of the experiences of young people in and leaving care in Scotland.The thematic review was completed between April and October 2024, and a final report Care experienced young people thematic review was published on 5 November 2024. The report was complemented by the publication of &lsquo;key messages&rsquo; for the sector and the Care Inspectorate hosted a webinar for practitioners, managers and stakeholders to discuss learning from the thematic review in December 2024.We will consider the &lsquo;Considerations for future practice&rsquo; identified through the thematic review as part of our wider evidence base which will help us develop policies to ensure that all eligible young people can equally and consistently benefit from the best support for their individual needs.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428345,"EventID":"S6W-32596","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:06.527","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:20:53.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how the reported decision to delay the decarbonisation of the railway network will impact Scotland&rsquo;s wider climate targets for 2045.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the reported decision to delay the decarbonisation of the railway network will impact Scotland&rsquo;s wider climate targets for 2045.","AnswerText":"Rail is already a very low carbon form of transport for passengers and freight, accounting for in the region of 1.2% of all transport emissions in Scotland.Therefore the principal contribution of rail to decarbonisation is secured through modal shift to rail from less sustainable transport modes.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428346,"EventID":"S6W-32576","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:10.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:20:53.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many passengers have used the Caledonian Sleeper in each of the last five years, and what the corresponding subsidy per passenger was.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many passengers have used the Caledonian Sleeper in each of the last five years, and what the corresponding subsidy per passenger was.","AnswerText":"Information on passenger numbers is publicly available on the website of the Office of Rail and Road.The subsidy for rail services has been published in TS accounts. This can be found here: Annual Accounts | Transport Scotland","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428347,"EventID":"S6W-32568","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:08.217","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:20:53.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to ensure that rail decarbonisation efforts support local supply chains and employment.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to ensure that rail decarbonisation efforts support local supply chains and employment.","AnswerText":"Decarbonisation infrastructure works are undertaken by Network Rail, who owns and maintains Scotland&rsquo;s rail network infrastructure. Network Rail is major employer in Scotland, as are many of its supply chain partners. As recently at October 2024, Network Rail and its key suppliers held a networking event for SMEs keen to learn more about work available across Scotland&rsquo;s Railway over the next five years.In relation to the replacement Intercity trains, a transparent and fair procurement process is being held. The procurement process ensures Scottish suppliers will be able to offer to provide their services to potential bidders.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428348,"EventID":"S6W-32584","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:02.997","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:20:53.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the average ticket price currently is for passengers on Caledonian Sleeper services, and how this compares with the average subsidy per passenger.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the average ticket price currently is for passengers on Caledonian Sleeper services, and how this compares with the average subsidy per passenger.","AnswerText":"The final passenger revenue and subsidy for Caledonian Sleeper for the financial year 2024-25 will be known when the accounts for this year have been finalised and published. The Office for Rail and Road publishes passenger numbers on its website.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428349,"EventID":"S6W-32401","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1857,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:10.93","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-16T08:01:14.8","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the performance of ScotRail has been (a) ineach of the last five years and (b) since April 2024, including the number ofcancellations; what regular monitoring of th","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the performance of ScotRail has been (a) ineach of the last five years and (b) since April 2024, including the number ofcancellations; what regular monitoring of this it carries out; what itsposition is on whether the level of performance has been satisfactory, and whatits reasons are for its position on this matter.","AnswerText":"ScotRail performance metrics, including cancellations are published on Office for Rail and Road website for the year up to April 2024. The Member may wish to contact ScotRail to secure information regarding its current performance. ScotRail performs well as compared to many GB operators and its average performance is consistently higher than the GB network as a whole.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428350,"EventID":"S6W-32531","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:02.323","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T13:52:14.31","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether its five-year review of the Civil Litigation (Expenses and Group Proceedings) (Scotland) Act 2018 will include an assessment of qualified one-way costs shifting ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether its five-year review of the Civil Litigation (Expenses and Group Proceedings) (Scotland) Act 2018 will include an assessment of qualified one-way costs shifting (QOCS), in light of those rules coming into effect in June 2021.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is considering the scope of the review in light of the delayed implementation of some aspects of the Act.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428351,"EventID":"S6W-32558","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:10.33","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T15:48:09.297","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people are currently eligible for free rail travel as a result of being a (a) ScotRail employee, (b) partner of a ScotRail employee and (c) dependant of a ScotR","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people are currently eligible for free rail travel as a result of being a (a) ScotRail employee, (b) partner of a ScotRail employee and (c) dependant of a ScotRail employee.","AnswerText":"This is a matter for ScotRail as the employer. The Member may wish to contact ScotRail directly.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428352,"EventID":"S6W-32548","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5665,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":122,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:03.763","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T14:57:15.903","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many attacks by XL bully dogs have been recorded since 1 August 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many attacks by XL bully dogs have been recorded since 1 August 2024.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not collate data on dog attacks. There is no central database within Scotland or the UK that provides data on dog attacks by type/breed of dog.However, Public Health Scotland collects data provided by NHS Health Boards on the number of inpatient and day case admissions to hospital where a diagnosis of dog attack (bite or strike) was recorded.I would refer you to the answer given to question S6W-24486 on 24 January 2024 for the available data from 2004 to 2022.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428353,"EventID":"S6W-32508","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:03.297","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T12:25:22.003","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to ensure that the justice system treats children who are criminally exploited as victims rather than offenders, and how justice professionals and t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to ensure that the justice system treats children who are criminally exploited as victims rather than offenders, and how justice professionals and their colleagues in child protection teams communicate and share information with each other to ensure that the children involved are identified and supported.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-32496 on 10 January 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428354,"EventID":"S6W-32504","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2133,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":79,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:05.32","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T12:25:21.983","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what actions it is implementing to improve the (a) reporting and (b) detection of the criminal exploitation of children.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what actions it is implementing to improve the (a) reporting and (b) detection of the criminal exploitation of children.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-32496 on 10 January 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428355,"EventID":"S6W-32580","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:10.093","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:20:53.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the long-term viability of the Caledonian Sleeper as a public service obligation.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the long-term viability of the Caledonian Sleeper as a public service obligation.","AnswerText":"The Caledonian Sleeper services make a significant positive contribution to Scotland&rsquo;s businesses, economy, communities and tourist offer, providing vital, low carbon connections to and from London. Demand for Caledonian Sleeper services continues to grow and the Scottish Government will continue to support these services.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428356,"EventID":"S6W-32599","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:10.357","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:20:53.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how any delays to the decarbonisation of the railway network will affect passenger fares over the next decade.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how any delays to the decarbonisation of the railway network will affect passenger fares over the next decade.","AnswerText":"There is no direct link between infrastructure upgrades and passenger fares.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428357,"EventID":"S6W-32570","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:07.257","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:20:53.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current subsidy per passenger is for ScotRail services, and how this compares with other rail operators in the UK.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the current subsidy per passenger is for ScotRail services, and how this compares with other rail operators in the UK.","AnswerText":"The final subsidy for ScotRail for the financial year 2024-25 will be known when the accounts for this year have been finalised and published. Subsidy provided to other train operating companies is a matter for the UK Department for Transport, Transport for London and the Welsh Government.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428358,"EventID":"S6W-32545","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:02.877","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T14:17:31.053","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with the UK Government to tackle the illicit drugs trade in Scotland.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with the UK Government to tackle the illicit drugs trade in Scotland.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to work closely with the UK Government to disrupt organised crime groups involved in the illicit drugs trade and the misery it causes to individuals and communities. As I explained in my answer to Parliamentary Question S6W-32543 on 10 January 2025, we had previously promoted a Legislative Consent Memorandum in the Scottish Parliament in relation to the provisions in the previous UK Government&rsquo;s Criminal Justice Bill creating a new offence of importing, making, adapting, supplying or offering to supply a relevant article for use in serious crime. This offence would have included pill presses in addition to other articles but the legislation fell due to the change of administration.My officials are continuing to engage with the Home Office to explore the potential for this offence, and others that disrupt aspects of the illicit drug trade such as cuckooing, to be taken forward in one of the bills that will be introduced in early 2025. In the event that such legislation is brought forward, we will give careful consideration to the possibility of extending such measures to Scotland.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428359,"EventID":"S6W-32554","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:00:10.737","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T15:37:00.803","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Scottish Renewables regarding the draft Scottish Budget 2025-26.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Scottish Renewables regarding the draft Scottish Budget 2025-26.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government regularly meets with Scottish Renewables to discuss a wide range of matters related to renewable energy. On 4 December 2024, I met Claire Mack, the Chief Executive of Scottish Renewables, to discuss the broad parameters of the draft Scottish Budget 2025-26 in relation to offshore wind and wider renewables.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428360,"EventID":"S6W-32556","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":8,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-19T15:04:16.25","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T15:45:46.637","Title":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what information relating to cancer awareness is currently provided on its intranet service, and whether it will consider providing (a) information abo","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what information relating to cancer awareness is currently provided on its intranet service, and whether it will consider providing (a) information about and (b) links to the Bladder Cancer in Scotland campaign, Do Look Down, on the service.","AnswerText":"The health and wellbeing of MSPs, their staff and SPCB staff is a priority for the SPCB. The SPCB promotes a wide range of health and wellbeing resources on its intranet, including those provided by Spectrum Life, the SPCB&rsquo;s employee wellbeing partner. These resources include cancer awareness and prevention and cancer survivor podcasts as well as information about World Cancer Day. The SPCB is aware of Fight Bladder Cancer&rsquo;s awareness raising campaign. The SPCB will consider how it might raise awareness of this disease during bladder cancer awareness month in May.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jackson Carlaw (on behalf of the SPCB)","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428377,"EventID":"S6W-32653","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:49.95","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T09:17:29.27","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact that its programme of public sector reform will have on the corporate function headcount of the civil service, including within","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact that its programme of public sector reform will have on the corporate function headcount of the civil service, including within (a) it and (b) its agencies, in (i) 2025-26, (ii) 2026-27, (iii) 2027-28, (iv) 2028-29 and (v) 2029-30.","AnswerText":"The core Scottish Government workforce has been following a strategy to reduce in size since March 2022, to adjust to the budgetary context and the change in the profile of its work following the Covid-19 pandemic. This direction accords with the wider work on medium term financial planning and in-year path to balance, as well as aligning with wider Public Service Reform ambitions. Enhanced recruitment controls were introduced at the start of the 2022-23 financial year to achieve this strategy.In 2022-23 and 2023-24 the total Scottish Government workforce (i.e. directly employed and contingent workers) reduced by 0.4% and 3% respectively. This is the first time the workforce has reduced in consecutive years since SG began publishing workforce statistics in 2012. For the remainder of 2024-25, the presumption against external recruitment has been further strengthened in line with the spending controls announced in August 2024. Workforce planning for 25-26 will get underway across SG teams in early 2025. The size of the corporate functions within the Scottish Government, and the services they offer to wider public sector bodies, has been part of the consideration of the optimal size and deployment of the total Scottish Government workforce.Ongoing assessment of the size of the corporate functions, both within the Scottish Government and across the wider public body landscape, is underway and opportunities will continue to be reviewed to ensure the those functions are as efficient and effective as possible to enable the delivery of public services.The Scottish Government is taking action to support effective workforce planning in public bodies to, including providing guidance on redeployment.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428378,"EventID":"S6W-32647","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:49.237","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T09:17:29.27","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of its total budget will be absorbed by pay and pensions in (a) 2025-26, (b) 2026-27, (c) 2027-28, (d) 2028-29 and (e) 2029-30.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of its total budget will be absorbed by pay and pensions in (a) 2025-26, (b) 2026-27, (c) 2027-28, (d) 2028-29 and (e) 2029-30.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government estimates that spending on workforce pay, including pensions and employer National Insurance contributions, will be equivalent to 53.4% of the entire Scottish resource budget in 2025-26. That reflects the importance this Government places on having a highly skilled and remunerated workforce. This only includes funding provided to Local Government from the Scottish Government and does not take account of other sources of funding available to Local Government, such as council tax and other forms of income.Medium-term projections on workforce spending over the next five years will be set out in the forthcoming Medium Term Financial Strategy.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428379,"EventID":"S6W-32654","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16202,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:49.26","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T09:20:51.08","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to complete the due diligence process in connection with the direct award of the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services contract before 30 September 2025; wha","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to complete the due diligence process in connection with the direct award of the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services contract before 30 September 2025; what assessment it has made of the cost to taxpayers of the UK Government&rsquo;s mandatory requirement to refer Scottish Government contracts to the Competition and Markets Authority, since 2022 to date, and when Transport Scotland officials last met with the chair and representatives of the Ferries Communities Board to discuss the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services 3 contract.","AnswerText":"We expect to complete the due diligence in Spring 2025, prior to award of the new contract in October 2025.The costs included in the referral to the CMA are the overall costs of providing ferry services over the coming years, which include the costs of increasing the number of vessels in the fleet, resulting in an increased charter cost to reflect the value of new assets.Transport Scotland officials met with the Ferries Communities Board on 18 December 2024 to discuss issues related to Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services 3 contract.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428380,"EventID":"S6W-32644","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:50.043","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:32:47.09","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what resources are being allocated to SEPA&rsquo;s flood forecasting and warning services.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what resources are being allocated to SEPA&rsquo;s flood forecasting and warning services.","AnswerText":"The draft Scottish budget indicates a &pound;52.6m grant in aid allocation to SEPA for 2025-26 and SEPA may determine how to allocate those resources, setting this out in an Annual Operating Plan each year.The recent budget includes an additional &pound;15m to support the improvement of flood resilience across Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428381,"EventID":"S6W-32615","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:49.657","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:28:04.443","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what  projects were funded by the &pound;12.8 million international development fund in the last year.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what  projects were funded by the &pound;12.8 million international development fund in the last year.","AnswerText":"The budget for the Scottish Government&rsquo;s International Development Fund was set in the Budget (Scotland) Act 2024 at &pound;11.5 million for financial year 2024-25. The settlement of &pound;12.8 million, as published on 4 December in the Scottish Budget, relates to the next financial year 2025-26.Over the course of 2024, we have continued to launch new programming following a series of competitive calls for proposals, as well as continuing to fund some existing long-term initiatives:In Inclusive Education, we are funding: scholarships for women and girls in Malawi, Zambia, Rwanda, and Pakistan; and a programme which aims to remove barriers to quality education for out-of-school children with disabilities and additional support needs in Malawi, Zambia and Rwanda. See our webpages for more detail: Inclusive education - International development - gov.scotIn Health, our projects focus on tackling non-communicable diseases &ndash; the world&rsquo;s leading cause of death &ndash; by building stronger health systems in Malawi, Zambia, and Rwanda. See our webpages for more detail: Global health - International development - gov.scot,In Equalities, in March we launched our Women and Girls Fund which will support the advancement of gender equality and empowerment of women and girls in our partner countries. We have additionally continued our support for the Police Scotland Peer-to-Peer Partnership Programme with the Police Services of Malawi and Zambia. See our webpages for more detail: Equalities - International development - gov.scot.We continue to support the work of four networking organisations as part of our support for global citizenship in Scotland: the Malawi Scotland Partnership, and their sister organisation the Scotland Malawi Partnership, Scotland&rsquo;s International Development Alliance, and the Scottish Fair Trade Forum. See our webpages for more detail: Global solidarity and citizenship - International development - gov.scot.Through the Humanitarian Emergency Fund, we have provided provide lifesaving assistance to vulnerable communities in the Middle East, Sudan and neighbouring countries, Kenya, Southern Africa, Libya, as well as in our partner countries of Malawi and Zambia. See our webpages for more detail: Humanitarian response - International development - gov.scot.Finally, the Scottish Government&rsquo;s Global Renewables Centre has continued to drive innovation in renewables across Scotland and our African partner countries. See our webpages for more detail: Renewable energy - International development - gov.scot.Please also see the Scottish Government Contribution to international development 2021 to 2023, which provides a holistic look at a wide cross-section of our international development activity during calendar years 2021-23, as well as providing (c11) details of our future programmes from 2024 onwards.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428382,"EventID":"S6W-32622","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:50.163","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:28:04.443","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how its international offices collaborate with UK embassies and High Commissions to promote Scotland&rsquo;s interests abroad.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how its international offices collaborate with UK embassies and High Commissions to promote Scotland&rsquo;s interests abroad.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-32614 on 14 January 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428383,"EventID":"S6W-32630","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:50.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:32:47.09","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to engage private sector partners in delivering flood resilience actions.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to engage private sector partners in delivering flood resilience actions.","AnswerText":"The National Flood Resilience Strategy commits to seek new flood resilience partners across the public, private and third sector and seek to influence policy across sectors who can contribute to creating flood resilient places.In developing the Strategy the Scottish Government undertook an extensive programme of engagement with a range of flood risk management stakeholders and communities over 2023 and 2024. This included engagement at the annual Flood Resilience Conference in February 2024 attended by a range of public and private sector organisations.More widely in November 2024 Scottish Government launched Scotland&rsquo;s Natural Capital Market Framework which outlines the steps we will take to attract greater responsible private investment into high-integrity natural capital projects &ndash; including those that improve flood resilience.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428384,"EventID":"S6W-32626","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:51.46","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:32:47.09","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it collaborates with academic and research institutions to advance flood resilience modeling and forecasting.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it collaborates with academic and research institutions to advance flood resilience modeling and forecasting.","AnswerText":"SEPA are responsible for flood forecasting and warning in Scotland and continually develop this service. They work in partnership with the Met Office to forecast for flooding and operate Floodline in Scotland to warn emergency responders, and the public, when flooding is likely.The Scottish Government collaborates with and funds academics and research institutions through its Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Strategic Research Programme (SRP) 2022-2027. There are mechanisms within the programme used specifically for work on flood resilience. For example, the CREW Centre of Expertise for Waters provides the Scottish Government and its agencies access to water related (including flooding) expertise from Scottish Higher Education Institutes and Research Institutes. Recent CREW research commissions include work on is on improving flood forecasting in catchments influenced by reservoirs. The SRP also funds longer term strategic research including a five year research project on nature-based solutions at the James Hutton Institute.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428385,"EventID":"S6W-32642","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:50.94","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:32:47.09","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to improve flood risk communication and awareness through enhanced data visualisation tools.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to improve flood risk communication and awareness through enhanced data visualisation tools.","AnswerText":"SEPA is responsible for producing national flood risk maps and operating Scotland&rsquo;s flood warning system. Both actions are important to communicate flood risk and rely heavily on the use of data and presenting it for greatest impact; both in terms of knowing which places are at risk of flooding and what is the immediate risk during unsettled weather. SEPA keep these processes under review through engagement with stakeholders and customers and are committed to continuous improvement. Recent improvements include work on the Scottish Flood Forecast to deliver a mobile-friendly overview of the flood risk for the next 3 days, an upgraded Floodline messaging system, and improved and more accessible real time water levels webpage.Improving flood resilience through use of data is a key strand of work from the Flood Resilience Strategy.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428386,"EventID":"S6W-32638","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:52.203","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:32:47.09","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how agricultural policies will align with the flood mitigation goals outlined in the Flood Resilience Strategy.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how agricultural policies will align with the flood mitigation goals outlined in the Flood Resilience Strategy.","AnswerText":"As set out in our recently published National Flood Resilience Strategy, we are considering how farmers can be supported to make changes to handle extremes in water availability; for example, through improving soil management practices. We continue to work with stakeholders to make the most of existing financial support for farmers to adapt to a changing climate for the good of the farm itself, and the wider public good, as well as exploring opportunities offered by the Agricultural Reform Programme.Existing financial support includes the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) which was launched in 2015 to promote land management practices which protect and enhance Scotland&rsquo;s natural heritage, improve water quality, manage flood risk and mitigate and adapt to climate change. Last year alone &pound;4 million of funding was made available through AECS to fund irrigation lagoons. As well as support for the restoration of natural riverbank profiles and intertidal habitats through the AECS, support to restore flood plains which can provide space for flood water to be stored was also included; helping to reduce flood risk downstream.Agricultural businesses also have a range of support available to them on water management through the Farm Advisory Service. This includes: events, peer-to-peer groups, videos, podcasts, technical notes, advice line support and up to &pound;5,860 funding for bespoke consultancy support.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428387,"EventID":"S6W-32648","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:51.803","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T09:17:29.27","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what cumulative savings have been achieved to date through its 10-year programme of public sector reform.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what cumulative savings have been achieved to date through its 10-year programme of public sector reform.","AnswerText":"The Public Service Reform Programme was established in December 2023. Through the programme we are working to address both the efficiency and effectiveness of services, whilst also working to move the public services system to prioritise prevention.The update to Parliament in September 2024 set out the details of Scottish Government&rsquo;s key efficiency programmes and projected savings. These programmes include: Commercial Value for Money (CVfM), Collaborative Procurement, Central Government Procurement Shared Services, Single Scottish Estate, The Shared Services Programme, the Intelligent Automation Centre of Excellence and the Digital Programme.These programmes are securing significant cost avoidance and cash releasing savings, expected to reach up to &pound;280 million over a two-year period (by end 2024-25), with further projected savings of nearly &pound;300 million over the following two financial years to the end of 2026-27.In terms of further detail, examples include:An overall total of &pound;36M direct Scottish Single Estates benefits have been secured in the first year of the programme. This includes cash savings of &pound;5.5M in 23-24 and &pound;15M in 24-25The Commercial Value for Money programme has delivered almost &pound;7m of cashable and &pound;600k of non-cashable savings.The Intelligent Automation Centre of Excellence has delivered 143 automations with a further 469 in the pipeline. &pound;3.9M in cost-avoidance benefits have been achieved to date.As the programme develops further, building on the data and capacity around savings, and the embedding of reform and efficiency in the budget process, we will look to drive and quantify other savings opportunities.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428388,"EventID":"S6W-32619","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:51.323","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:28:04.443","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how the effectiveness of the &pound;1.73 billion in forecast export sales supported by its international offices is independently verified.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the effectiveness of the &pound;1.73 billion in forecast export sales supported by its international offices is independently verified.","AnswerText":"The &pound;1.73 bn forecast export sales relates to details provided by Scottish Enterprise (SE) in the results against key performance measures section of its 2023-24 annual report. The figure is based on accumulated evidenced export sales forecasts directly from companies, reflecting their expectations of future sales over the next three year as a result of support they have received from SE.The Scottish Government routinely monitors and evaluates the effectiveness of export support in Scotland, and in November 2023 it published an independent report by Aston University on export support and promotion in Scotland, which included analysis of SE&rsquo;s export sales forecasts. The evaluation was retrospective and therefore encompassed SE&rsquo;s forecast export sales for the period up to 2021. A follow up evaluation is currently being planned and will continue to include SE&rsquo;s forecast export sales.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428389,"EventID":"S6W-32611","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:50.77","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:28:04.443","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that spending on international offices is (a) transparent and (b) accountable to taxpayers.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that spending on international offices is (a) transparent and (b) accountable to taxpayers.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-32606 on 14 January 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428390,"EventID":"S6W-32641","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:51.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:32:47.09","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how the so-called Place Principle is being applied to ensure that flood resilience is considered in land-use decisions.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the so-called Place Principle is being applied to ensure that flood resilience is considered in land-use decisions.","AnswerText":"In 2019 the Scottish Government and COSLA agreed to adopt the Place Principle to help overcome organisational and sectoral boundaries, to encourage better collaboration and community involvement, and improve the impact of combined energy, resources and investment.It promotes a shared understanding of place, and the need to take a more collaborative approach to a place&rsquo;s services and assets to achieve better outcomes for people and communities. The principle encourages and enables local flexibility to respond to issues and circumstances in different places.National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) embeds and promotes the Place Principle, to ensure all land-use planning decisions take account of place and local circumstances, including flooding. The NPF4 also encourages the use of the Place Standard tool in the early stages of planning, to ensure that the needs and priorities of local communities are incorporated, and for developers to demonstrate how the Place Principle has been incorporated into their proposals.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428391,"EventID":"S6W-32610","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:52.353","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:28:04.443","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on what specific benefits have been delivered by its international office in Paris in the last year.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on what specific benefits have been delivered by its international office in Paris in the last year.","AnswerText":"In 2024, the Scottish Government France Office continued to take forward the objectives of the Scottish Government&rsquo;s International Strategy [Scotland's International Strategy - gov.scot] in bringing benefits to Scotland under our key themes of Economy, Trade and Investment; Climate Change, Biodiversity and Renewable Energy; and Reputation, Influence and Relationships.Some examples from 2024 include:To support Economy, Trade and Investment, the Scottish Government and SDI France jointly organised a Saint Andrew&rsquo;s Day showcase event at the British Embassy and supported a Ministerial-led delegation of Scottish meat producers led by Quality Meat Scotland at the Salon International de l&rsquo;Agroalimentaire to showcase Scottish products.To support Climate Change, Biodiversity and Renewable Energy, we continued to engage with French partners to promote green energy including at the Floating Offshore Wind Turbine Conference (FOWT) in Marseille, with a range of potential investors in the offshore wind sector in Paris and with a delegation of Scottish companies at Hyvolution.To support Reputation, Influence and Relationships, we continued to work with the Brittany Region with our MoU, with UK delegations of multilateral organisations (UNESCO and OECD), and numerous Scottish diaspora organisations (under our Scottish Connections Framework). We also supported a range of cultural events such as the Interceltique Festival in Lorient, and worked with the UK Embassy on remembrance events and ceremonies.Examples of our international network&rsquo;s work from last business year can be found here: International network: annual report 2023-2024 - gov.scot","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428392,"EventID":"S6W-32660","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:49.25","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T11:31:17.283","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will work with the Office of the Public Guardian to introduce digital activation codes for lasting powers of attorney, which could reportedly benefit both att","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will work with the Office of the Public Guardian to introduce digital activation codes for lasting powers of attorney, which could reportedly benefit both attorneys and granters.","AnswerText":"Operational decisions relating to the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) are for the independent Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service (SCTS). SCTS is rolling out a new case management system for OPG. Activation codes are not in scope for the first stages of the project, but will be considered for phases beyond 2025-26 should funding be available.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428393,"EventID":"S6W-32663","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5638,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:48.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T11:58:07.983","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported call from UK campaign group, Wild Justice, to (a) return Brodifacoum to its pre-April 2016 approval status, so that it can be used i","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported call from UK campaign group, Wild Justice, to (a) return Brodifacoum to its pre-April 2016 approval status, so that it can be used in strict \"internal areas\" within buildings, and (b) limit its use to professional pest control companies.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government continues to work with UK Government and the Welsh Government on the regulation of biocides, including rodenticides, under the GB Biocidal Products Regulation. A Government Oversight Group, that includes Scottish Government representation, oversees the Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use (CRRU) and scrutinises the performance of its UK Rodenticide Stewardship Scheme (RSS).The RSS is being updated firstly to ban the use of the two remaining second generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) that are available for open area use from the end of this year. This is also intended to reduce accidental or deliberate misuse of other products including Brodifacoum in open areas. Secondly, training requirements for the farming sector are being brought in line with other sectors from end 2025 to ensure a consistent level of professional training across all sectors and reduce the risk of poor practice. Further changes to the RSS will be considered and implemented if necessary to continue to address SGARs residue levels in wildlife.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428394,"EventID":"S6W-32639","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:49.25","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:32:47.09","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what long-term plans are in place to avoid redevelopment in areas at high flood risk.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what long-term plans are in place to avoid redevelopment in areas at high flood risk.","AnswerText":"Our fourth National Planning Framework (NEF) is a long-term plan looking to 2045 that guides spatial development, sets out national planning policies, designates national developments and highlights regional spatial priorities.Planning authorities are preparing new local development plans, which will be to take forward NPF4 in a way which responds to local challenges and opportunities. NPF4 Policy 22, flood risk and water management, sets out the need to strengthen resilience to flood risk by promoting avoidance as a first principle and reducing the vulnerability of existing and future development to flooding. NPF4 Policy 22 exception iv states that redevelopment of previously used sites in built up areas will only be supported where the LDP has identified a need to bring these into positive use and where proposals demonstrate that long-term safety and resilience can be secured in accordance with relevant SEPA advice.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428395,"EventID":"S6W-32604","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:50.687","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:20:53.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of Scotland's railway rolling stock it anticipates will still rely on diesel by (a) 2035 and (b) 2040.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of Scotland's railway rolling stock it anticipates will still rely on diesel by (a) 2035 and (b) 2040.","AnswerText":"Details of decarbonisation of the Scottish rail network will be outlined in the refreshed Decarbonisation Action Plan.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428396,"EventID":"S6W-32643","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:49.88","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:32:47.09","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what datasets are being developed to improve flood resilience decision making.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what datasets are being developed to improve flood resilience decision making.","AnswerText":"The National Flood Resilience Strategy demonstrates our commitment to improving flood resilience through the use of data. It sets out that we will work with partners to review how we can improve the presentation and use of data to drive flood resilient activity. We will also look how to best use data to raise community awareness of current and future flood exposure to inform decision making and support communities on their climate adaptation journeys and explore how developing new datasets may help improve decision making.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428397,"EventID":"S6W-32635","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:49.917","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:32:47.09","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what role local authorities will play in supporting community flood groups under the Flood Resilience Strategy.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what role local authorities will play in supporting community flood groups under the Flood Resilience Strategy.","AnswerText":"Under the Flood Risk Management Planning process introduced as part of the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009, SEPA, local authorities, Scottish Water and others to work together to deliver actions to increase our flood resilience.Scottish Government also supports the Scottish Flood Forum to work with communities and local authorities across Scotland to reduce the impacts of flooding on individuals and communities.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428398,"EventID":"S6W-32659","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:51.12","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T11:31:17.283","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what work it is undertaking to support the Office of the Public Guardian in its digital transformation project.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what work it is undertaking to support the Office of the Public Guardian in its digital transformation project.","AnswerText":"The Scottish budget has provided support to the Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service in order that a new case management system for the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) can be introduced. The project to deliver a new system for OPG is due to be delivered over three phases. The first phase, which will enable faster processing of Power of Attorney applications, is due to be launched in 2025 and will enable OPG to bring down the processing time for cases. Phases two and three are anticipated to also be rolled out during 2025. It is estimated that the project, once all phases are delivered, will provide annual recurring savings alongside significant service improvements, and a more stable, resilient system.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428399,"EventID":"S6W-32612","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:51.35","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:28:04.443","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what role its international offices play in supporting Scotland&rsquo;s export industry, and how this is measured.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what role its international offices play in supporting Scotland&rsquo;s export industry, and how this is measured.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government international network offices complement the work of trade specialists in Scottish Development International (SDI) in supporting Scotland&rsquo;s export industries, as well as working alongside UK officials in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and Department for Business and Trade. This includes supporting introductions to market opportunities through trade missions and exhibitions, advising on and addressing market access barriers including regulatory issues, and undertaking government-to-government and government-to-business engagement to promote Scotland&rsquo;s interests. This economic diplomacy activity contributes to Scotland&rsquo;s export performance measured quantitatively in figures produced by SDI. The Scottish Government&rsquo;s annual report on the international network supplements this with qualitative reporting on the contribution made by these teams to delivering priorities identified in Scotland&rsquo;s International Strategy.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428400,"EventID":"S6W-32645","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:50.203","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:32:47.09","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how real-time data is used to support emergency response and recovery during flood events.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how real-time data is used to support emergency response and recovery during flood events.","AnswerText":"SEPA, as Scotland&rsquo;s hydrometric and flood warning authority, and a civil contingency category one responder, provides a range of real time data including Floodline flood alerts and warnings; rainfall data at over 250 locations and water level data at over 400 locations in Scotland. Through an on-going technology improvement programme, SEPA has increased the timeliness of rainfall and water level real time data.SEPA continues to develop its data and explore how its use may be expanded including sharing data through Application Programming Interfaces for organisations to ingest into their own websites or systems; prioritising data by internet searches during major flood incidents; and exploring how to better integrate flood warning and water levels information and to simplify real time access to the information.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428401,"EventID":"S6W-32608","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:52.09","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:28:04.443","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of the international and European relations budget for 2025-26 is allocated to each of its nine international offices.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of the international and European relations budget for 2025-26 is allocated to each of its nine international offices.","AnswerText":"The budget allocated to each of Scottish Government&rsquo;s nine international offices is published in the Level 4 budget tables for the draft Scottish Budget 2025-26, and these figures are available at the following URL:https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/corporate-report/2024/12/scottish-budget-2025-2026/documents/2025-26-level-4-budget-tables/2025-26-level-4-budget-tables/govscot%3Adocument/2025-26-level-4-budget-tables.xlsxFor convenience, the proportions requested are as follows:International OfficeProportion of the international and European relations draft budget for 2025-26China1.50%USA2.46%Canada1.75%France1.97%Nordics2.05%Scotland House Brussels6.71%Scotland House London7.63%Ireland1.81%Germany1.75%","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428402,"EventID":"S6W-32571","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:52.127","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:20:53.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed the cost-effectiveness of continuing subsidies for ScotRail under the current operating model.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed the cost-effectiveness of continuing subsidies for ScotRail under the current operating model.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-32583 on 14 January 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428403,"EventID":"S6W-32601","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:51.23","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:20:53.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to engage with any communities impacted by railway electrification projects.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to engage with any communities impacted by railway electrification projects.","AnswerText":"Consultation for railway electrification projects with affected communities is undertaken by Network Rail as the infrastructure owner and operator, and by ScotRail as the provider of services.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428404,"EventID":"S6W-32377","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:51.99","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-13T12:56:23.337","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Family Fund announcing that its Your Opportunity programme is temporarily closed for new applications, what support it can offer to disabled or seriously il","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Family Fund announcing that its Your Opportunity programme is temporarily closed for new applications, what support it can offer to disabled or seriously ill young adults aged 18 to 24 who are no longer able to access funding.","AnswerText":"There are a number of potential supports available to young disabled people living in Scotland, depending on their individual needs, circumstances and eligibility. These include: the Independent Living Fund; the Independent Living Fund Transition Fund; the Independent Living Fund Technology Grant; Adult Disability Payment; and Young Scot National Entitlement Card.Young disabled people who choose to study a course of Further Education or Higher Education are also eligible to apply for Additional Support Needs for Learning Allowance and the Disabled Students Allowance respectively.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428405,"EventID":"S6W-32633","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:51.583","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:32:47.09","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support will be provided&nbsp;under the Flood Resilience Strategy to communities most vulnerable to flooding.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support will be provided&nbsp;under the Flood Resilience Strategy to communities most vulnerable to flooding.","AnswerText":"The National Flood Resilience Strategy will not replace the Flood Risk Management Planning Process which is the primary delivery vehicle for flood risk management actions in Scotland.SEPA are responsible for identifying Potentially Vulnerable Areas and producing Flood Risk Management Plans in collaboration with other Responsible Authorities.Local Flood Risk Management Plans set out how specific actions will be delivered and local authorities work in partnership with SEPA, Scottish Water and other responsible authorities to develop these. During severe flooding, local authorities will work with the emergency services and co-ordinate shelter for people evacuated from their homes.The Scottish Flood Forum is funded by Scottish Government and aims to reduce the impact of flooding by providing immediate support to flooded communities and establishing a network of community resilience groups in flood risk areas to equip communities to cope with the impacts and threat of flooding.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428406,"EventID":"S6W-32658","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:52.057","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T10:25:01.583","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what contingency plans are in place in the event that Birthlink becomes unable to continue operating the Adoption Contact Register.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what contingency plans are in place in the event that Birthlink becomes unable to continue operating the Adoption Contact Register.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to supporting those separated by adoption to express a wish to be in touch with one anotherScottish Government policy officials met with Birthlink on 17 December 2024 to discuss the operation of the Adoption Contact Register. The Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise plans to meet the Chief Executive of Birthlink in early 2025.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428407,"EventID":"S6W-32607","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:49.793","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:28:04.443","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will measure the return on investment from its &pound;27.5 million international and European relations budget for 2025-26.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will measure the return on investment from its &pound;27.5 million international and European relations budget for 2025-26.","AnswerText":"The international and European relations budget principally comprises the International Development Fund, the budget lines for the international network offices, an advice and policy budget which includes operational costs for the Directorate for Culture and External Affairs, and funding in support of the Brand Scotland Partnership.In terms of our international development work, we believe Scotland should play its part in tackling global challenges like climate change, pandemics, poverty, injustice and inequality, all of which remind us of our global interconnectedness and the need for the Global South and North to work together. Supporting international development and humanitarian action is one of the most important ways Scotland can be a good global citizen and our financial investment in our international development partner countries, and for humanitarian crises is a key part of this.Other international activity, including the work of the international network offices, is directed according to priorities established in Scotland&rsquo;s International Strategy. We will report on delivery of the actions identified in that strategy in an annual report for 2024-25 onwards, which we intend to publish by the end of 2025.Evaluating Scotland&rsquo;s nation brand is a multi-faceted process. Marketing and communications activity, policies, legislation, experiences of those who come to Scotland and marketing activity beyond Brand Scotland all play a critical role in enhancing Scotland&rsquo;s reputation.Since 2008, the Nations Brand Index (NBI) has been used to measure Scotland&rsquo;s reputation internationally. In addition, we measure the effectiveness of communications and marketing campaigns against SMART communications objectives, to be delivered among our core target audience in priority markets (Germany, France, USA) against a specific timescale. This includes a bespoke brand tracker in key markets and a range of additional KPIs, partner conversions, social media metrics and website analytics tracked on a monthly and annual basis.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428408,"EventID":"S6W-32657","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:52.407","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T10:25:01.583","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider providing further support for the operation of the Adoption Contact Register.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider providing further support for the operation of the Adoption Contact Register.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government provided &pound;57,000 in 2024-25 to Birthlink via the Children, Young People and Families Early Intervention and Adult Learning and Empowering Communities Fund (CYPFEI &amp; ALEC) third sector fund to support the operation of the Adoption Contact Register.Despite facing the most challenging financial situation since devolution, the Scottish Government remains committed to supporting the third sector. Subject to approval of the Scottish Budget by the Scottish Parliament, the Scottish Government will be extending provision of the CYPFEI &amp; ALEC third sector funds at current levels, from 1 April 2025 until March 2026.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428409,"EventID":"S6W-32609","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:49.26","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:28:04.443","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what criteria are used to determine the budgets for its international offices.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what criteria are used to determine the budgets for its international offices.","AnswerText":"The majority of the budget for each office in the international network is staffing costs. This comprises both Scottish Government civil servants posted on diplomatic assignment, and country-based staff employed by FCDO on terms appropriate for the local labour market. The small component for programme delivery is considered through annual budgeting procedures taking into account priorities in each country and elsewhere in the portfolio.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428410,"EventID":"S6W-32661","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3896,"Party":"Scottish Liberal Democrats","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":97,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:52.23","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T11:31:17.283","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the merits of introducing digital activation codes for lasting powers of attorney, rather than requiring the use of paper documents as proof of r","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the merits of introducing digital activation codes for lasting powers of attorney, rather than requiring the use of paper documents as proof of registration.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises that the present system of presenting paper copies of powers of attorneys as proof of authority to act could be improved by digitisation of the process. Digital activation codes are used in England and appear to be a successful way of doing this. Digitisation of this process in Scotland is an operational decision within the remit of the Office of the Public Guardian, which is part of the independent Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428411,"EventID":"S6W-32634","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:51.023","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:32:47.09","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to ensure that community input is incorporated into flood resilience planning decisions.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to ensure that community input is incorporated into flood resilience planning decisions.","AnswerText":"Scottish Government promotes community-led action and works to embed community resilience through a number of connected policy areas which enable collaboration between community resilience groups, voluntary sector organisations, Government and statutory responders. Scottish Government has committed up to &pound;5.5 million, in 2024-25, to fund a network of Climate Action Hubs to transition to low carbon, reduce emissions, and improve resilience in the face of ongoing climate change and extreme weather events. Community groups, charities and social enterprises lead climate action hubs across Scotland.The Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009, sets out the minimum requirements for SEPA and local authorities to consult as part of the Flood Risk Management Planning Process. It also sets out the specific requirements for consultation related to flood protection schemes.More broadly Scotland&rsquo;s National Planning Framework 4 is clear that our places can only work for everyone if the views of all users are properly understood.Planning authorities are preparing new local development plans (LDPs). Planning authorities should consider how these plans can best meet the needs and aspirations of the different people who have an interest in a place. Requirements for community engagement are set out in detail in the LDP Guidance. That guidance makes clear that the planning authority is expected to involve a range of people at all stages in the preparation of the LDP. The authority must engage with the public at large as well as specific organisations and societal groups.The Scottish Government encourages use of the National Standards on Community Engagement as best practice.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428412,"EventID":"S6W-32649","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:50.857","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T09:17:29.27","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which (a) external agencies and (b) consultancies are engaged in its 10-year programme of public sector reform.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which (a) external agencies and (b) consultancies are engaged in its 10-year programme of public sector reform.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government cannot deliver reform alone and is working with local government, public bodies, third sector and the private sector to build a consensus and common vision for achieving sustainable public services and establishing the infrastructure that enables us to collectively make progress.The Scottish Government has not engaged any consultancies in developing or progressing the Public Service Reform Programme.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428413,"EventID":"S6W-32606","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:50.593","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:28:04.443","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the cost-effectiveness of maintaining its network of international offices.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the cost-effectiveness of maintaining its network of international offices.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s international network delivers tangible benefits to our people, businesses and organisations, including higher education institutions and those in the cultural and creative sectors. From attracting overseas investment and growing exports, to facilitating cultural exchanges, our active engagement on the global stage supports the delivery of Scotland&rsquo;s domestic policy objectives.The International Network annual report 2023-24 was published on 18 November 2024. Using case studies, as well as trade and investment figures from SDI, it demonstrates how our network delivered impact across the three main pillars of work set out in the International Strategy: economy, trade and investment; climate change, biodiversity and renewable energy; and reputation, influence and relationships.Publication of this report forms part of our process to monitor the effectiveness of our international offices and ensure transparency and accountability on the impact their activity has for the benefit of Scotland&rsquo;s people, businesses and organisations.The International Network annual report is available at the following URL: https://www.gov.scot/publications/scotlands-international-network-annual-report-2023-24/","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428414,"EventID":"S6W-32618","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:51.55","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:28:04.443","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason there have been reported above-inflation increases in the budgets for most of its international offices at a time of reductions in the budget of some dom","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason there have been reported above-inflation increases in the budgets for most of its international offices at a time of reductions in the budget of some domestic services.","AnswerText":"The increase in budget for our international network of 2.0% overall is primarily to fulfil the pay agreement applied across the Scottish Government. In most cases, programme budgets to deliver events and undertake outreach work were static or slightly reduced.In 2025-26 our network of international offices will account for less than 0.02% of the Scottish Government&rsquo;s overall resource spending plans as set out in the draft Scottish Budget.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428415,"EventID":"S6W-32655","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:52.023","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T09:31:21.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people were banned from keeping animals in  2023-24.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people were banned from keeping animals in  2023-24.","AnswerText":"In the 2023-24 financial year, the number of case-accused with at least one charge that resulted in them receiving either a deprivation or disqualification order was eighty-five.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428416,"EventID":"S6W-32631","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:52.383","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:32:47.09","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will address the funding gaps identified in the Flood Resilience Strategy to ensure timely implementation.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will address the funding gaps identified in the Flood Resilience Strategy to ensure timely implementation.","AnswerText":"The National Flood Resilience Strategy sets out a long-term vision for a flood resilient Scotland through to 2045, this will continue to require significant public and private investment.Scottish Government already provides substantial funding to support flood resilience. Since 2008, the Scottish Government has made available &pound;42 million per year to local authorities to invest in flood risk management actions and the 2020 Programme for Government committed an additional &pound;150 million over the course of this Parliament for flood risk management actions. In addition, &pound;15 million has been provided in the draft 2025-2026 Scottish Budget to support the delivery of the Strategy&rsquo;s actions, wider flooding resilience and coastal adaptation work.The Strategy will be delivered via an implementation plan which will be developed with partners over the coming months.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428417,"EventID":"S6W-32662","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:50.197","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T11:52:21.62","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31906 by Gillian Martin on 16 December 2024, what discussions it has held over the past year with (a) academia and (b) private sec","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31906 by Gillian Martin on 16 December 2024, what discussions it has held over the past year with (a) academia and (b) private sector companies regarding any expansion of reuse and recycling of rare earth materials.","AnswerText":"We must keep our precious resources in use as long as possible, in line with our circular economy ambitions and reusing and recycling materials has an important part to play in Scotland&rsquo;s response to tackling the climate crisis. I have not held discussions with academia or private sector companies regarding rare earth materials but would welcome any discussions to make progress in this area.Scottish Enterprise (SE) has undertaken research to understand the implications for Scotland on accessing Critical Raw Materials and Technologies (CRM&amp;T), including rare earth materials. This research will allow SE to further understand how Scottish companies can remain competitive. SE will continue to engage with academia, private enterprises, and beyond to fully understand the implications for Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428418,"EventID":"S6W-32629","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:51.96","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:32:47.09","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will balance investment in large-scale flood protection schemes with property-level flood resilience measures.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will balance investment in large-scale flood protection schemes with property-level flood resilience measures.","AnswerText":"The National Flood Resilience Strategy commits to review available flooding budgets to assess how a proportion of flood funding can be directed to support a broader range of flood actions - including smaller flood protection schemes and property level flood resilience.The Strategy recognises that in order to balance flood resilience actions across a range of locations, communities and situations it will be necessary to understand in more depth relative benefits. The Scottish Government is working with COSLA and local authorities to reform flood resilience funding and governance to maximise benefit to communities.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428419,"EventID":"S6W-32620","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:49.247","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:28:04.443","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed the impact of closing some international offices on Scotland&rsquo;s ability to promote exports and attract investment.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed the impact of closing some international offices on Scotland&rsquo;s ability to promote exports and attract investment.","AnswerText":"No, we have not assessed the impact of closing some international offices on Scotland&rsquo;s ability to promote exports and attract investment.The Scottish Government&rsquo;s international network delivers tangible benefits to our people, businesses and institutions, and accounts for less than 0.02% of the Scottish Government&rsquo;s overall resource spending plans.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428420,"EventID":"S6W-32603","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:50.08","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:20:53.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to provide financial support to manufacturers to develop decarbonisation technologies for Scotland&rsquo;s railways.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to provide financial support to manufacturers to develop decarbonisation technologies for Scotland&rsquo;s railways.","AnswerText":"The Rail Cluster Builder is a specific example of Scottish Government supporting manufacturers to develop decarbonisation technologies. Funded by Scottish Enterprise, Transport Scotland and Skills Development Scotland, the Rail Cluster Builder Phase 2 is a three-year project building on the momentum of Phase 1, giving opportunities for Scottish SMEs to bring new ideas, new thinking and learning from other industries across Scotland into the railway sector and helping to create innovative, green solutions that will support our net zero targets.A key element of Phase 2 is ensuring that businesses have access to support to address the skills related challenges faced by organisations in the rail sector. Skills Development Scotland provide support to companies to identify their skills needs and how to develop their existing workforce in order to build capacity, grasp opportunities and increase competitiveness.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428421,"EventID":"S6W-32621","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:48.993","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:28:04.443","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that international development funding is targeted at what it considers are the most effective projects it is invoved with in (a) Malaw","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that international development funding is targeted at what it considers are the most effective projects it is invoved with in (a) Malawi, (b) Rwanda and (c) Zambia.","AnswerText":"All overseas development assistance provided by the Scottish Government is guided by a rigorous process to ensure complete transparency and accountability focused on areas of need where Scotland&rsquo;s aid can make an impact.Following a review in 2021, and in consultation with our African partner country governments and civil society, the Scottish Government developed new thematic areas of focus directly aligned to the priorities of our partner country governments as set out in their respective development strategies. With a focus in particular on mitigating the impact on women and girls of the COVID-19 pandemic and reducing attainment gaps. As a part of this process, independent analysis and evidence papers were commissioned and published which underpin our two key larger areas of international development investment, namely the new health and inclusive education programming in Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia. A key consideration has been how best to focus international development investment on sectors in which Scotland can provide added value through existing expertise in relevant subject areas.As new projects have launched, the participatory design phase has enabled delivery partners to engage with a range of stakeholders to continue to understand their needs and to work with them to create effective programmes that deliver for communities and align with national sector plans. A key example of this is our new Women and Girls Fund, under our Equalities Programme, where women and girl led groups in our partner countries have designed the scope of the Fund, towards advancing gender equality in Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia.Since 2021, all new international development investment has been guided by the Scottish Government&rsquo;s International Development Principles. This includes provisions for ensuring that the Scottish Government and our delivery partners are transparent and accountable to local communities and the general public in our partner countries and in Scotland; and that all of our work has appropriate safeguarding policies and practices in place. Ongoing strong monitoring and evaluation is a key consideration throughout programme management processes.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428422,"EventID":"S6W-32636","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:49.24","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:32:47.09","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what resources are being developed to help (a) individuals and (b) households improve their flood resilience.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what resources are being developed to help (a) individuals and (b) households improve their flood resilience.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Flooding Forum, funded by Scottish Government, already makes a broad range of resources available to individuals and households. These cover preparation and protection, what to do if flooding occurs, recovery and guidance on actions communities can take together. The SFF also have an online Property Protection Advisor tool.If someone lives in an area that may flood they can also contact the Scottish Flooding Forum enquiry telephone line for advice, information and support to protect their property.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428423,"EventID":"S6W-32652","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:50.513","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T09:17:29.27","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it plans to save in (a) 2025-26, (b) 2026-27, (c) 2027-28, (d) 2028-29 and (e) 2029-30, as a result of its programme of public sector reform.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it plans to save in (a) 2025-26, (b) 2026-27, (c) 2027-28, (d) 2028-29 and (e) 2029-30, as a result of its programme of public sector reform.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to making savings by driving key efficiency programmes such as Scottish Single Estates, Commercial Value for Money (CVfM), Collaborative Procurement frameworks, Oracle Cloud implementation, the Intelligence Automation Centre of Excellence, Digital programme, and Revenue Raising. This work reflects our approach of building these key efficiency programmes into the overall PSR approach.There has been strong progress across these programmes, with cashable savings delivered. Our Single Scottish Estate, National Collaborative Procurement, Commercial Value for Money and Digital programmes are collectively securing cost avoidance and cash releasing savings, expected to reach up to &pound;280 million over a two-year period by the end of 2024-25, with further projected savings of nearly &pound;300 million over the following two financial years to the end of 2026-27.The Single Scottish Estate (SSE) will help us have a more efficient approach to public sector property management, optimising costs, enabling the delivery of excellent public services and providing staff with great places to work, recognising the shifts in working culture since the pandemic. The SSE engages with all parts of the public sector including health and local authorities as well as central government bodies. The programme is currently focused on the public sector administrative estate and is undertaking a number of location-based reviews and projects including across Perth, Edinburgh and Glasgow. We are estimating &pound;50-80m total savings from now to 2028, with associated carbon reductions and improvements in service delivery to the public. An overall total of &pound;36m of direct Single Scottish Estate benefits have been secured.Collaborative procurement can help public bodies achieve better value for money, through consolidating volumes, driving efficiencies and social value and making better use of skills and resources. The Scottish Government establishes national collaborative procurement framework agreements on behalf of the whole Scottish public sector. There are opportunities to increase Scotland&rsquo;s collaborative buying power by expanding the use of National Collaborative Frameworks across the Scottish public sector, leading to a significant increase in financial benefits delivered on a cross-sectoral basis via economies of scale. Building on current financial benefits delivered annually of around &pound;130m, made up of both cost avoidance and cash savings, work is underway to scope the potential to scale up the service offered by the national collaborative procurement team.The Commercial Value for Money programme (CVfM) is providing commercial expertise and support across all Scottish Government expenditure to support increased value for money through the delivery of monetary efficiencies and/or increased impactful policy outcomes. This includes work in areas such as grant alignment, commercial scrutiny of costs, development and implementation of performance monitoring and reporting to show the effectiveness of SG spend, development of novel funding approaches and increased leverage of SG spend. Almost &pound;7m of cashable and &pound;600k of non-cashable savings have already been delivered, with little or no impact on policy delivery. The CVfM programme is projected to save up to &pound;50m over the next 5 years whilst also supporting other efficiency work.Meanwhile, the Intelligent Automation Centre of Excellence has already been realised significant benefits within government and several core agencies. &pound;3.9M in cost-avoidance benefits have been achieved to date with a projected &pound;14.5M by 28-29.As the PSR programme develops further, building on the data and capacity around savings, and the embedding of reform and efficiency in the budget process, we will look to drive and quantify other and future savings opportunities.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428424,"EventID":"S6W-32617","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:51.877","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:28:04.443","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to ensure that its international offices are not used to promote the case for Scottish independence.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to ensure that its international offices are not used to promote the case for Scottish independence.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s international network offices do not have a role in developing policy on options for Scotland&rsquo;s constitutional future. Nevertheless, it is the role of the Civil Service to support the elected government of the day in developing and implementing its policies. That is the case for work on independence as it is for the rest of the government&rsquo;s work.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428425,"EventID":"S6W-32637","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:52.063","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:32:47.09","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will integrate blue-green infrastructure initiatives into urban planning under the Flood Resilience Strategy.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it will integrate blue-green infrastructure initiatives into urban planning under the Flood Resilience Strategy.","AnswerText":"The National Flood Resilience Strategy sets out our vision for working with partners to deliver shared outcomes for people and places and supporting a broader range of flood actions where evidence suggests they can provide a positive contribution to improving flood resilience.This aligns with our National Planning Framework 4 whereby blue and green infrastructure are supported as an integral part of early design and development processes; designed to deliver multiple functions including climate mitigation, flood prevention and water management.Scottish Government consulted on policy proposals regarding water, wastewater and drainage in early 2024, with respondents broadly agreeing with the proposals that Scotland&rsquo;s drainage system should be a combination of grey and blue/green infrastructure, with significant support for blue/green infrastructure. Sustainable drainage systems (SUDS) are already required in new developments, aligned with NPF4, and along with retrofitting blue/green infrastructure into urban spaces, can help make a positive contribution to flood resilient places.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428426,"EventID":"S6W-32646","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:50.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T09:17:29.27","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it estimates social security spending will be, as a percentage of its total revenue budget, by 2029-30.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it estimates social security spending will be, as a percentage of its total revenue budget, by 2029-30.","AnswerText":"Based on Scottish Government forecasts for 2029-30 the total Fiscal Resource Budget is forecast to be &pound;60.2 billion. Social Security expenditure for 2029-30, as forecast by the Scottish Fiscal Commission, is &pound;8.9 billion. Therefore, Social Security expenditure is estimated to be 14.8 per cent of the total Fiscal Resource Budget in 2029-30.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428427,"EventID":"S6W-32616","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:50.233","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:28:04.443","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what comparative analyses of its international office spending relative to similar devolved administrations it has carried out, and on what dates.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what comparative analyses of its international office spending relative to similar devolved administrations it has carried out, and on what dates.","AnswerText":"There have been no comparative analyses undertaken of spending relative to similar devolved administrations.However, the Scottish Government is in regular contact with the international networks of other devolved administrations to understand how they operate.The Welsh Government has 21 international offices in 12 countries across Europe, North America, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region, which are responsible for trade and investment, government relations, tourism, culture and education.The Northern Ireland Executive has diplomatic offices in Washington D.C, Brussels and Beijing. In addition, &ldquo;Invest NI&rdquo; has offices in locations across Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific, India, the Middle East and Africa focussing on trade and investment.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428428,"EventID":"S6W-32651","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:52.527","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T09:17:29.27","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many civil servants are currently working on its 10-year programme of public sector reform.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many civil servants are currently working on its 10-year programme of public sector reform.","AnswerText":"Our commitment to reform is not a single programme; it is a cross system approach with a focus on strategic priorities which we set out in the Budget. This work is being progressed through multiple and interconnected work-streams and requires a whole-of-government approach.There are 5.8 civil servants working in the team that is leading the core public service reform programme.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428429,"EventID":"S6W-32628","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:51.683","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:32:47.09","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how the success of the Flood Resilience Strategy will be measured over the next decade.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how the success of the Flood Resilience Strategy will be measured over the next decade.","AnswerText":"The Strategy will be delivered via an implementation plan that will focus on the six priority action areas, including a range of core deliverables and outcomes, starting with the establishment of the Flood Advisory Service. That implementation plan will be developed with partners over the coming months.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428430,"EventID":"S6W-32632","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:51.723","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:32:47.09","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what criteria are used to select communities for inclusion in the Flood Resilience Strategy pilot programmes.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what criteria are used to select communities for inclusion in the Flood Resilience Strategy pilot programmes.","AnswerText":"The National Flood Resilience Strategy does not make reference to &lsquo;pilot programmes&rsquo;.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428431,"EventID":"S6W-32602","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:49.203","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:20:53.04","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what safety measures are in place to ensure the continued operation of older diesel trains, including High Speed Trains (HSTs).","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what safety measures are in place to ensure the continued operation of older diesel trains, including High Speed Trains (HSTs).","AnswerText":"The ScotRail HSTs fleet is safe, and will continue to remain safe; this has been validated by an independent review of the HSTs&rsquo; design and construction, and endorsed by the industry safety regulator, the Office of Rail and Road.Operational safety is a matter for ScotRail Trains and Network Rail, who are jointly responsible for the management of safety risks on Scotland&rsquo;s Railway.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428432,"EventID":"S6W-32605","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:50.313","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:28:04.443","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered alternative models of international representation to its international offices that could achieve similar outcomes at a lower cost.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered alternative models of international representation to its international offices that could achieve similar outcomes at a lower cost.","AnswerText":"When opening an international office, we consider a range of options to best represent Scotland&rsquo;s interests while ensuring we are delivering value for money.Working with the UK Government as part of the FCDO platform currently provides the preferred overall solution for our requirements and seven of our eight overseas offices are based within a British Embassy or High Commission.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428433,"EventID":"S6W-32613","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:51.43","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:28:04.443","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered reducing the number of international offices to reallocate funding towards domestic services.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered reducing the number of international offices to reallocate funding towards domestic services.","AnswerText":"No.The Scottish Government&rsquo;s international network delivers tangible benefits to our people, businesses and institutions, and accounts for less than 0.02% of the Scottish Government&rsquo;s overall resource spending plans.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428434,"EventID":"S6W-32640","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:48.993","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:32:47.09","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what role peatland restoration plays in meeting the flood mitigation objectives.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what role peatland restoration plays in meeting the flood mitigation objectives.","AnswerText":"In addition to contributing to our climate change targets and net zero ambitions by capturing and storing carbon, Scottish Government recognises that restoring Scotland&rsquo;s peatlands will provide many additional benefits: including reducing risks of flooding and wildfires as well as supporting nature, biodiversity and improving water quality.Scotland has a significant area of peatlands, and they are an important method of mitigating and adapting to the linked climate and nature emergencies. The Scottish Government has committed funding to restore 250,000 hectares of degraded peatlands by 2030.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428435,"EventID":"S6W-32656","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:50.23","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T09:31:21.92","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many cases of&nbsp;animal&nbsp;cruelty&nbsp;were reported to the police in 2023-24; of these cases, how many resulted in a (a) prosecution and (b) conviction, and, o","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many cases of&nbsp;animal&nbsp;cruelty&nbsp;were reported to the police in 2023-24; of these cases, how many resulted in a (a) prosecution and (b) conviction, and, of those that resulted in a conviction, what proportion resulted in a custodial sentence.","AnswerText":"There is no single crime of animal cruelty and such crimes are identified differently in the annual Accredited Official Statistics publications on Recorded Crime in Scotland and Criminal Proceedings in Scotland. These publications are based on separate and unlinked data sets and cannot be considered as proportions of each other.Recorded Crime in Scotland is based on a count of crimes reported to Police Scotland. The year is based on when any crime(s) were reported to police. Animal cruelty offences are only identifiable at crime level. In 2023-24 there were 274 offences of animal cruelty reported to Police Scotland. This breaks down into 49 offences of cruelty to protected animals (excluding dogs), 177 offences of cruelty to dogs, 15 offences of cruelty to wild animals and 33 offences of hunting with dogs.Criminal Proceedings in Scotland is based on a count of people proceeded against in court (and the number of those resulting in conviction). Data for 2023-24 is not yet available.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428436,"EventID":"S6W-32627","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:51.653","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:32:47.09","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what funding allocations have been made for the flood advisory service referred to in the Flood Resilience Strategy.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what funding allocations have been made for the flood advisory service referred to in the Flood Resilience Strategy.","AnswerText":"Developing a National Flood Advisory Service to improve Scotland&rsquo;s flood resilience and embed best practice on a nationwide scale is one of the actions in Scotland&rsquo;s first National Flood Resilience Strategy. The Service will provide support and advice on building flood resilience to delivery partners and communities and provide the governance framework for progressing high value flood actions such as flood protection schemes.The implementation plan for the Strategy will focus on the six priority action areas, starting with the establishment of the Flood Advisory Service. That plan will be developed with partners over the coming months.In addition to existing Scottish Government funding commitments to support Local Authorities with flood resilience, &pound;15 million has been provided in the draft 2025-2026 Scottish Budget to support the delivery of the Strategy&rsquo;s actions, wider flooding resilience and coastal adaptation work.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428437,"EventID":"S6W-32623","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:52.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:28:04.443","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much was spent on staff (a) salaries and (b) travel expenses at each of its international offices in the last year.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much was spent on staff (a) salaries and (b) travel expenses at each of its international offices in the last year.","AnswerText":"The following table presents totals for (a) salaries, including overseas allowances, and (b) travel expenses for 2023-24.International Office(a) Salary Costs(b) Travel CostsChina&pound;206,338&pound;10,500United States&pound;281,144&pound;29,000Canada&pound;195,802&pound;47,000France&pound;239,456&pound;10,700Nordics&pound;277,666&pound;8,900Scotland House Brussels&pound;1,191,266&pound;30,300Ireland&pound;228,481&pound;5,000Germany&pound;260,067&pound;11,700Scotland House London&pound;665,894&pound;13,200The international network offices outside the UK comprise country-based staff (CBS) in addition to UK-Based diplomatic staff. These figures contains additional non-salary costs for CBS, who are employed by FCDO, which are not disaggregated when recharged to the Scottish Government.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428438,"EventID":"S6W-32650","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:52.27","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T09:17:29.27","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish more details regarding its 10-year programme of public sector reform.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish more details regarding its 10-year programme of public sector reform.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government published a detailed update to Finance and Public Administration Committee on 19 December 2023 setting out our reform plan.With actions across 4 workstreams we are clear on the work that Scottish Government is doing. We are working to build a shared vision, support efficient delivery of services, empower service providers, unblock stubborn barriers and work together with partners on models of funding and accountability which underpin the reform we need to see. Our approach balances responding to short-term budget pressures and making savings, while building the platform for wider change.I provided an update to FPAC on delivery against the programme and the portfolio plans on 23 September 2024 and 21 December 2024, and we will continue to report on progress with the Parliament at 6-monthly intervals.I will also be leading the process of articulating a PSR strategy within government and with partners. We will engage with public sector leaders at a PSR summit by the end of February 2025. Together this will set out the Scottish Government&rsquo;s vision and expectations and invite public sector leaders to come together to inform that strategic approach and to galvanise action.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428439,"EventID":"S6W-32614","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T11:26:51.837","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:28:04.443","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to prevent duplication of efforts between its international offices and UK embassies.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to prevent duplication of efforts between its international offices and UK embassies.","AnswerText":"Other than Brussels, Scottish Government international network offices outside the UK are based in the corresponding British Embassy or High Commission. Scottish Government staff in these locations regularly engage with their UK Government counterparts, sharing information to ensure opportunities for collaboration are maximised and to avoid any risk of duplication. All our offices prepare business plans setting out priorities and activity for the year. Where possible we seek to collaborate around key Scottish events in the diplomatic calendar including Burns Night and St Andrew&rsquo;s Day. Similarly, our teams based in Scotland regularly engage with the FCDO&rsquo;s devolution unit and with various operational teams and governance structures to ensure a good flow of information.The Scottish Government would welcome assistance from the UK Government to do more to promote Scotland, especially in those places where we don&rsquo;t yet have an international presence.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428467,"EventID":"S6W-32698","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:01.24","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T12:22:59.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many prosecutions have been brought under the Road Traffic Act 1988 in relation to illegal e-bikes in each year since 2020.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many prosecutions have been brought under the Road Traffic Act 1988 in relation to illegal e-bikes in each year since 2020.","AnswerText":"It is not possible to separately identify prosecutions under the Road Traffic Act 1988 that specifically relate to the illegal use of e-bikes. While the Act does not explicitly mention e-bikes, their illegal use may be prosecuted under a variety of offences. However, the Criminal Proceedings dataset does not hold this level of detail.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428468,"EventID":"S6W-32669","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:01.27","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T12:22:59.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address the reported growing number of illegally modified e-bikes in city centres.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address the reported growing number of illegally modified e-bikes in city centres.","AnswerText":"Enforcement of traffic offences, including the illegal use of e-scooters and electric bikes, is an operational matter for Police Scotland, with oversight provided by the Scottish Police Authority which operates independently of Scottish Ministers.The Scottish Government fully supports Police Scotland and its partners in dealing with the misuse of such vehicles. Local policing teams are ideally placed to identify where the misuse of such vehicles is causing distress to the public and ensure that those areas can be prioritised to prevent future incidents.Police Scotland issued communications before Christmas, reminding people to consider the legal implications when purchasing an electric scooter or e-scooters. It urged people to be cautious when buying electric bikes or e-scooters reminding the public that some models may not be permitted for use on public roads and that anyone found riding a non-compliant e-bike or e-scooter on a public road will likely have it seized by officers, with a significant cost to the owner. It highlighted that further information on the use of electric bikes is available at: https://www.gov.uk/electric-bike-rules.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428469,"EventID":"S6W-32677","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:01.237","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T12:22:59.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to address the use of illegal e-bikes in Aberdeen city centre, particularly in areas with high pedestrian traffic.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to address the use of illegal e-bikes in Aberdeen city centre, particularly in areas with high pedestrian traffic.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information. I have asked Police Scotland to write to you on this matter.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428470,"EventID":"S6W-32766","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:01.233","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T14:45:20.263","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the proposals to reduce ScotRail ticket office opening hours at a number of stations, what its position is on how these proposals represent an improvement for","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the proposals to reduce ScotRail ticket office opening hours at a number of stations, what its position is on how these proposals represent an improvement for passengers, compared with current arrangements, in relation to (a) access to rail fares and products, (b) passenger assistance, (c) provision of information, including during disruptions, (d) safety, (e) penalty fare arrangements and (f) access to station facilities.","AnswerText":"Proposed adjustments will enable a redeployment of some ScotRail staff to provide more and better assistance for passengers. Passenger assistance services will remain available across ScotRail as they are now and all ScotRail services are specified to convey a member of staff on-board to assist passengers.ScotRail stations will continue to offer access to assets as they do at present. Facilities and toilets used by the public in most cases will remain open even when ticket office desks are shut. Additionally, help with ticket selection is now available at help points at stations. This help is available whenever the station is open, which is longer than current ticket offices opening times.ScotRail does not impose penalty fares.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":428471,"EventID":"S6W-32711","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:01.29","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:16:47.633","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32031 by Kate Forbes on 18 December 2024, whether it is taking any measures in its draft Budget 2025-26 to reduce the cost of doin","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32031 by Kate Forbes on 18 December 2024, whether it is taking any measures in its draft Budget 2025-26 to reduce the cost of doing business in Scotland, and, if so, what those measures are.","AnswerText":"Further to the response to S6W&ndash;32031 of 18 December, the Scottish Government has taken a number of measures within the draft budget to reduce the cost of doing business in Scotland in 2025-26Scotland&rsquo;s Tax Strategy provides certainty and stability for taxpayers and businesses and sets out the intention not to introduce any new bands or increase the rates of Scottish Income Tax for the remainder of the parliamentary term. This helps businesses to plan and make investment decisions with confidence. The draft budget also prioritises capital investment in the foundations of our economy, including transport, digital connectivity, and delivering critical infrastructure, all of which support our businesses to thrive.Local economies will be boosted by &pound;62 million of regeneration funding alongside over &pound;214 million through the City and Regional Growth Deals programme. This will deliver targeted investment in infrastructure, innovation and skills to unlock potential and stimulate growth in all parts of the country. Alongside this, increased investment in our planning system and local planning services, capacity, performance and resilience will ensure planning does all it can to drive the economy and improve certainty for business, reducing costs.The Budget provides for direct support to business, through funding of over &pound;321m for the enterprise agencies in 2025-26 to attract, start and support businesses across Scotland to grow. An additional, &pound;15m Enterprise Package will be delivered in 2025-26 to expand support for female entrepreneurs, boost the economic impact of universities and fund the development of business clusters in advanced manufacturing and deeptech.The budget freezes the Non-Domestic Rates Basic Property Rate at 49.8p (for properties with a rateable value up to and including &pound;51,000), and is expected to save ratepayers &pound;9 million next year. We are maintaining the Small Business Bonus Scheme, the most generous scheme of its kind in the UK, at the rates and thresholds introduced in 2023-24. Together, these measures will protect over 200,000 small properties, with an estimated half of properties in the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure sectors continuing to be eligible for 100% relief next year. The Intermediate Property Rate and Higher Property Rate have received inflationary increases (1.7%) however, this still ensures that over 95% of non-domestic properties continue to be liable for a lower property tax rate than anywhere else in the UK. On top of these measures, a new 40% relief will be introduced for Hospitality premises in 2025-26,To support tourism, culture and hospitality we will continue to offer 100% relief in 2025-26 for hospitality businesses located on islands as defined by the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018, and in prescribed remote areas, capped at &pound;110,000 per business. The new 40% relief for Hospitality premises includes Grassroots Music Venues with capacity up to 1,500, where the property is liable for the Basic Property Rate (rateable value up to and including &pound;51,000) capped at &pound;110,000 per business. The budget makes available up to an additional &pound;2 million for VisitScotland, to work closely with partners to promote lesser-known destinations plus a &pound;4 million capital revitalised Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund (RTIF) to improve rural areas that face pressure on transport links and infrastructure.For the retail sector we are providing up to &pound;3 million to Police Scotland to work with the sector to target the unacceptable levels of crime on our high streets. Having committed to exploring the reintroduction of a Public Health Supplement for large retailers in advance of this budget, following exploratory discussions with stakeholders and taking into consideration cumulative burdens, including UK Government increases in employer national insurance contributions, there are no plans to introduce this at this time.All answers to wri","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428472,"EventID":"S6W-32773","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:02.473","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-20T12:17:02.343","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been allocated to each NHS board for chronic pain services in each of the last five years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been allocated to each NHS board for chronic pain services in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s role is to set the strategic policy for the NHS in Scotland and provide core funding to NHS boards. NHS boards have responsibility for deciding how to use this core funding to deliver services locally based on the needs of the people in their area. Details on how funding has been used specifically for the assessment and treatment of chronic pain can be requested from NHS Boards.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428473,"EventID":"S6W-32671","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:03.223","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T12:22:59.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the adequacy of current laws regulating the use of e-bikes and e-scooters on public roads and pavements.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the adequacy of current laws regulating the use of e-bikes and e-scooters on public roads and pavements.","AnswerText":"Legislation surrounding the use of e-bikes and e-Scooters is a reserved matter for the UK Government.For an e-bike to be legal for use in the UK, they must be electrically assisted pedal cycles and the electric motor should not be able to propel the bike when it&rsquo;s travelling more than 15.5mph. This ensures speeds similar to that of other bicycles.In Scotland, it is illegal to ride an e-scooter on a public road, pavement, cycle paths, shared paths or any public place. It is lawful to use e-scooters on private land with the landowners permission. The previous UK Government had intended to bring forward legislation to fully legalise e-scooters in 2022, however this was paused due to a change of Prime Minister and a Cabinet reshuffle.As such, electric scooters are covered by the same UK-wide laws and regulations that apply to all motor vehicles. It is every road and path users responsibility to respect others and the Highway Code outlines both rules and guidance for everyone.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428474,"EventID":"S6W-32692","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:02.363","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T12:22:59.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what economic losses or costs to public services have been identified that are attributable to accidents involving illegal e-bikes.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what economic losses or costs to public services have been identified that are attributable to accidents involving illegal e-bikes.","AnswerText":"Data on collisions which cause injury and take place on the road network, including adjacent pavements and cycle lanes, is collected by Police Scotland as part of the GB-wide dataset known as STATS19.Within STATS19, vehicles involved in injury road collisions can be recorded as &lsquo;bicycle&rsquo; or &lsquo;electric motorcycle&rsquo;. However, there is currently no systematic way of determining which of these vehicles would be described as illegal e-bikes.The UK Government&rsquo;s Department for Transport routinely produces estimates of the values assigned to the cost of road casualties and collisions in Great Britain for use in cost-benefit analysis of the prevention of road casualties and collisions in road schemes. However, as it is not possible to systematically identify collisions involving illegal e-bikes, it is not possible to use these figures to identify the costs of collisions involving illegal e-bikes.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428475,"EventID":"S6W-32697","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:01.233","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T12:22:59.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what evidence it has on the effectiveness of current e-bike regulations in reducing the prevalence of illegal modifications.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what evidence it has on the effectiveness of current e-bike regulations in reducing the prevalence of illegal modifications.","AnswerText":"Legislation surrounding the use of e-bikes and regulatory standards is a reserved matter for the UK Government. For an e-bike to be legal for use in the UK, they must meet the criteria of an electrically assisted pedal cycle and the electric motor should not be able to propel the bike when it&rsquo;s travelling more than 15.5mph, with a maximum power output of 250 watts. This ensures speeds similar to that of other bicycles.Ebikes that are modified to exceed speed and power limits are classify under motorcycle legislation. Police Scotland are responsible for taking action against those who ride illegal ebikes. Between January 2024 and Sept 2024 Police Scotland seized 281 illegally modified ebikes.Members of the public who are seeking clarity on the standards required to ride on public roads should visit https://www.gov.uk/electric-bike-rules","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428476,"EventID":"S6W-32712","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:02.1","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:19:11.8","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what progress it has made towards implementing the recommendations made by the Cross-Party Group on Tackling Islamophobia in its rep","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what progress it has made towards implementing the recommendations made by the Cross-Party Group on Tackling Islamophobia in its report, Scotland&rsquo;s Islamophobia - Update 2023.","AnswerText":"Tackling religious or race-based intolerance, including Islamophobia, is a priority for the Scottish Government. The Cross-Party Group&rsquo;s report, Scotland&rsquo;s Islamophobia - Update 2023, attributes three recommendations to the Scottish Government:1. Integrate an understanding of Islamophobia into compulsory components of the Scottish education curricula and all teacher training education.Curriculum for Excellence purposefully does not mandate curriculum content. However, this recommendation and the wider report will be considered in the context of the Curriculum Improvement Cycle. The Cycle commenced in early 2024 and involves the review and update of each curricular area within Scotland&rsquo;s curriculum.In terms of teacher training, teachers in Scotland are required to meet the General Teaching Council for Scotland&rsquo;s Standard for Full Registration, found at: Document &gt; The Standard for Full Registration- a commitment to the professional values of social justice, trust and respect and integrity is at the heart of this. The Standard recognises that our increasingly interconnected and rapidly changing world faces many social challenges, and an effective, responsive and inclusive education system is vital if we are to address these. The Standard also explicitly states that social justice is the view that everyone deserves equal economic, political and social rights and opportunities now and in the future.2. The Scottish Government should ensure that the Public Sector Equality Duty is enforced in schools and provide additional training so that this can be better implemented and enforced.Enforcement of the Public Sector Equality Duty is the responsibility of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), not the Scottish Government. The EHRC rightly operates independently. The Scottish Government does however encourage all organisations to appropriately implement the Public Sector Equality Duty. The guiding principles of our Learning Estate Strategy, which was co-produced with COSLA and other partners, also makes clear that learning environments should support the wellbeing of all learners.3. The Scottish Government should fund and support organisations and initiatives that support social cohesion and integration, particularly for Muslim women.The Scottish Government is committed to building resilient communities within which divisive narratives will not resonate. We work cooperatively with a wide range of organisations throughout the country to support social cohesion and integration, tackle hatred and promote inclusion. Turning specifically to Muslim women, the Scottish Government has provided over &pound;150,000 in the current financial year to Amina, The Muslim Women&rsquo;s Resource Centre to deliver a range of ambitions which address a number of issues including: violence against women and girls; children, young people and families&rsquo; intervention; adult learning and empowering communities.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428477,"EventID":"S6W-32678","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:02.447","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T12:22:59.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to Aberdeen City Council to ensure the effective enforcement of laws regulating e-bikes.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to Aberdeen City Council to ensure the effective enforcement of laws regulating e-bikes.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government fully supports local authorities and their partners in dealing with the misuse of such vehicles.There is no record of Aberdeen City Council having requested support from the Scottish Government to enforce the laws regulating e-bikes.Support for any local authority trading standards service to enforce product safety regulations is a matter for the Office for Product Safety and Standards.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428478,"EventID":"S6W-32071","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:03.173","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-09T17:07:05.037","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6T-02170 by Fiona Hyslop on 5 November 2024,&nbsp;in relation to the proposed reduction in ticket office opening hours in the evening","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6T-02170 by Fiona Hyslop on 5 November 2024,&nbsp;in relation to the proposed reduction in ticket office opening hours in the evenings on the ScotRail network,&nbsp;what further details it can provide&nbsp;in response&nbsp;to the reported concerns of passengers&nbsp;travelling at night, particularly women, regarding safety and antisocial behaviour.","AnswerText":"The passenger safety, especially women and girls&rsquo;, is one of the Scottish Government&rsquo;s priorities. The Scottish Government expects that, once ScotRail&rsquo;s plans have been implemented, the improved staff visibility and ScotRail having ability to deploy staff more flexibly will not only improve feeling of safety for all passengers, including women and girls, but also maintain an environment, which helps to deter any potential anti-social behaviour.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":428479,"EventID":"S6W-32696","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:02.667","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T12:22:59.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many complaints about illegal e-bikes Police Scotland has received from residents in Aberdeen in each of the last three years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many complaints about illegal e-bikes Police Scotland has received from residents in Aberdeen in each of the last three years.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information.This information is held by Police Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428480,"EventID":"S6W-32560","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:01.25","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T15:52:56.257","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31999 by Shona Robison on 18 December 2024, in light of its answer that it \"routinely increases the Local Government budget in-yea","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31999 by Shona Robison on 18 December 2024, in light of its answer that it \"routinely increases the Local Government budget in-year, including through transfers from other portfolios\", for what reason it does not allocate these funds to local government in the initial presentation of its Budgets, instead of later transferring funds between portfolios.","AnswerText":"Individual policy teams within portfolios routinely allocate funding to local government to deliver our shared priorities. The intended allocations at the start of the financial year are set out in table 4.12 of the 2025-26 Scottish Budget, providing transparency to parliament. While the funding is included in the weekly revenue and monthly capital payments made to individual local authorities from the start of the financial year, the budget is formally processed at ABR and SBR &ndash; which are also published for transparency.The Scottish Government&rsquo;s intention in terms of funding available to local government is fully set out in the budget in the initial presentation, and given full effect as a technical increase to the general revenue or capital grants at ABR and SBR.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428481,"EventID":"S6W-32765","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5596,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":151,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:02.703","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T14:24:40.753","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what protections it will provide to non-medical aesthetic practitioners, in light of its proposed regulations for the sector.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what protections it will provide to non-medical aesthetic practitioners, in light of its proposed regulations for the sector.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government launched a consultation on 20th December 2024, to seek views on how best to further regulate non-surgical cosmetics procedures.The consultation has been informed by extensive work with a range of stakeholders, including beauty industry representatives, among others, but it is important we receive further feedback before the Scottish Government commits to any proposals.In taking forward work on any potential new regulations, we will continue to seek views from, and consider the impact on, existing businesses.Our proposals aim to be both robust and proportionate, protecting the public and supporting reputable business to operate safely.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428482,"EventID":"S6W-32682","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:01.283","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T12:22:59.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what protocols are in place to (a) respond to incidents involving illegal e-bikes and (b) support the victims of any such incidents.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what protocols are in place to (a) respond to incidents involving illegal e-bikes and (b) support the victims of any such incidents.","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for Police Scotland. I have asked Police Scotland to write to you on this matter.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428483,"EventID":"S6W-32074","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:02.703","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-09T17:07:05.037","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government,&nbsp;further to the answer to question S6T-02170 by Fiona Hyslop on 5 November 2024,&nbsp;in relation to the proposed reduction in ticket office opening hours on the Sc","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government,&nbsp;further to the answer to question S6T-02170 by Fiona Hyslop on 5 November 2024,&nbsp;in relation to the proposed reduction in ticket office opening hours on the ScotRail network,&nbsp;what further details it can provide in response&nbsp;to the reported concerns of passengers and staff that the proposals will introduce uncertainty about the presence of staff who can provide support and address any antisocial behaviour at stations.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-32071 on 9 January 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":428484,"EventID":"S6W-32681","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:01.25","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T12:22:59.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what resources are available to Police Scotland in Aberdeen for monitoring and addressing the reported issue of illegal e-bikes.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what resources are available to Police Scotland in Aberdeen for monitoring and addressing the reported issue of illegal e-bikes.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s 2024-25 budget includes record police funding of &pound;1.55 billion, which is an increase of &pound;92.7 million on the 2023-24 Scottish Police Authority budget.Official statistics show there were 16,427 FTE police officers at 30 September 2024. On 30 October the Chief Constable told the Criminal Justice Committee that she expected to reach the target of 16,600 officers soon - and this happened on 4 November.Deployment of these resources to meet policing priorities is an operational matter for Police Scotland, under the scrutiny of the Scottish Police Authority.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428485,"EventID":"S6W-32693","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:01.24","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T12:22:59.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many incidents involving illegal e-bikes have been reported in Aberdeen in each of the last three years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many incidents involving illegal e-bikes have been reported in Aberdeen in each of the last three years.","AnswerText":"Data on collisions which cause injury and take place on the road network, including adjacent pavements and cycle lanes, is collected by Police Scotland as part of the GB-wide dataset known as STATS19.Within STATS19, vehicles involved in injury road collisions can be recorded as &lsquo;bicycle&rsquo; or &lsquo;electric motorcycle&rsquo;. However, there is currently no systematic way of determining which of these vehicles would be described as illegal e-bikes.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428486,"EventID":"S6W-32706","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:01.247","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T12:55:45.8","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6O-04137 by Jenny Gilruth on 19 December 2024, whether it will provide an update on progress towards delivering a pilot scheme for fr","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6O-04137 by Jenny Gilruth on 19 December 2024, whether it will provide an update on progress towards delivering a pilot scheme for free school meals in secondary schools.","AnswerText":"In 2025-26 we are providing &pound;37 million resource to support the expansion of free school meals to pupils in Primary 6 and 7 in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment. Agreement to the budget from parties across this Chamber will ensure this work continues.The Scottish Government has prioritised this work to maximise the benefit to those in low-income households.We are continuing work with local authorities to understand what a pilot proposal for provision in secondary schools might look like.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428487,"EventID":"S6W-32668","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:01.237","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T12:22:59.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on the severity of injuries caused by illegal e-bike collisions compared with those involving regular bicycles.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on the severity of injuries caused by illegal e-bike collisions compared with those involving regular bicycles.","AnswerText":"Data on collisions which cause injury and take place on the road network, including adjacent pavements and cycle lanes, is collected by Police Scotland as part of the GB-wide dataset known as STATS19.Within STATS19, vehicles involved in injury road collisions can be recorded as &lsquo;bicycle&rsquo; or &lsquo;electric motorcycle&rsquo;. However, there is currently no systematic way of determining which of these vehicles would be described as illegal e-bikes.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428488,"EventID":"S6W-32699","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:01.297","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T12:22:59.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many retailers or importers in Scotland have been found to be selling e-bikes that are not compliant with UK regulations, in each of the last five years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many retailers or importers in Scotland have been found to be selling e-bikes that are not compliant with UK regulations, in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"This information is not held by the Scottish Government. When local authority trading standards services find products that are non-compliant with the relevant product safety legislation this should be input into the Product Safety Database. This is operated by the UK Government&rsquo;s Office of Product Safety and Standards.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428489,"EventID":"S6W-32702","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:02.797","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T12:22:59.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many hospital admissions, as a result of injuries to pedestrians caused by illegal e-bikes, there have been in each of the last five years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many hospital admissions, as a result of injuries to pedestrians caused by illegal e-bikes, there have been in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold information on how many hospital admissions, as a result of injuries to pedestrians caused by illegal e-bikes, there have been in each of the last five years.Incidents are recorded as either:1. Pedestrian injured in collision with pedal cycle or;2. Pedestrian injured in collision with two or three wheeled motor vehicle.Due to coding practices, incidents including e-bikes cannot be determined.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428490,"EventID":"S6W-32703","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:01.28","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T12:25:54.84","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide update on progress against the action in its Cancer Action Plan for Scotland 2023-26 to give consumers useful information on alcohol product labe","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide update on progress against the action in its Cancer Action Plan for Scotland 2023-26 to give consumers useful information on alcohol product labels by March 2026.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to improved health messaging on alcohol in Scotland, including on labels and packaging. The Scottish Government will continue to engage constructively with the UK Government, along with our colleagues in Wales and Northern Ireland devolved administrations, in relation to progressing work on alcohol labelling.In July 2024, the Scottish Government published the first annual progress report on the Cancer Action Plan 2023-26. The next progress report of the Cancer Action Plan is due to be published in the summer 2025. Additionally, the Population Health Framework will consider key actions to improve population health, including on alcohol harm prevention, in line with World Health Organisation guidance on reducing the affordability, attractiveness and availability of alcohol.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428491,"EventID":"S6W-32118","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16209,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:02.697","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-10T14:34:37.717","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its commitment to establish a PeaceInstitute in Scotland and its ongoing work funded through its internationaldevelopment fund, whether it (a) has supported","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its commitment to establish a PeaceInstitute in Scotland and its ongoing work funded through its internationaldevelopment fund, whether it (a) has supported and (b) plans to supportpeacebuilding initiatives in Colombia.","AnswerText":"In May 2024, the Scottish Government issued a request for proposals for a supplier to support the delivery of the Scottish Peace Programme, including establishment of a Scottish Peace Platform and the 1325 Women in Conflict Fellowships. In developing a Peace platform the Scottish Government will be able to better assess the potential for further investment in a Peace institute, in line with the full recommendations of the research report on establishing a Peace Institute. More information is published on the Scottish Government website.There are no plans at this time for the Scottish Peace Platform to focus on peacebuilding initiatives in Columbia specifically. However we have hosted nine peacebuilders from Colombia on the Women in Conflict Fellowship and the Scottish Human Rights Defenders programmes.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428492,"EventID":"S6W-32707","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:02.08","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:07:28.853","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to formally commit to eliminating cervical cancer.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to formally commit to eliminating cervical cancer.","AnswerText":"As set out on 22 January 2024 in response to question S6W-24720 on 21 January 2024, the Scottish Government has established an Expert Group to lead on scoping work to consider and provide recommendations on how Scotland will work towards reaching the targets set by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to eliminate Cervical Cancer.As well as the Expert Group itself, three subgroups have been established to support the Expert Group in considering and analysing data on specific topics (vaccination, screening and cancer treatment). This will inform recommendations on how Scotland will progress towards Cervical Cancer elimination and when this could be achieved. These recommendations will be considered by the Scottish Government.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428493,"EventID":"S6W-32708","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:03","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:07:28.853","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to tackle any inequalities in HPV (a) vaccination and (b) screening coverage rates.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to tackle any inequalities in HPV (a) vaccination and (b) screening coverage rates.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the importance of HPV vaccination and screening.The latest published HPV vaccination uptake data from Public Health Scotland (PHS) shows that pupils living in the most deprived quintiles had lower coverage of the HPV vaccine compared with pupils from the least deprived quintiles. We are working with PHS and territorial Health Boards to consider what further actions can be taken to increase vaccination uptake, support those eligible for vaccination, and to address any inequalities in accessing immunisation services. Reducing vaccine inequalities is one of the three primary objectives in PHS&rsquo;s recently published Scotland's 5-Year Vaccination and Immunisation Framework and Delivery Plan.Completion of consent forms is required to participate in school vaccination programmes. We therefore welcome the return of the PHS marketing campaign, &ldquo;chat.sign.protect&rdquo;, which will build on the messages of last year&rsquo;s campaign to raise awareness of vaccines offered in secondary school and encourage an increase in the numbers of parents and young people giving consent to be vaccinated.Timed to coincide with the distribution of informed consent materials to young people, the campaign aims to increase understanding of why these vaccines are important, and the seriousness of the diseases they protect against, and encourages parents and carers to take action and sign consent forms to ensure our young people receive the protection offered by immunisation.Addressing the inequalities in HPV uptake and maximising the opportunities for young people to receive the vaccine will be a primary focus of cervical cancer elimination work.The Equity in Screening Strategy, combined with an action plan, was published on 27 July 2023. The vision of the strategy is for access for all eligible individuals, across the full screening pathway. The Strategy launched alongside the Equity in Screening Network which supports the strategy by capturing local and third sector research activity and allows individuals that work across screening to share evidence, best practice and learning around screening inequalities.Several national projects are being supported by the Inequalities Fund of &pound;1 million. This includes changes to national IT systems to improve engagement with participants. Research and learning from past projects has shown some ways to increase access to screening and uptake, including appointment reminders and targeted follow-up with non-responders.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428494,"EventID":"S6W-32679","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:03.447","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T12:22:59.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received any reports from Aberdeen regarding collisions or incidents involving illegal e-bikes, and, if so, what follow-up action was taken.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received any reports from Aberdeen regarding collisions or incidents involving illegal e-bikes, and, if so, what follow-up action was taken.","AnswerText":"This information is not collected by the Scottish Government but The Scottish Government&rsquo;s Community Safety Policy team has recently received one piece of correspondence concerning a collision involving an e-bike in the Aberdeen area.Officials are working collaboratively with the UK Government to understand potential legislative change in this area.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428495,"EventID":"S6W-32694","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:01.243","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T12:22:59.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been charged in connection with the use of illegal e-bikes in Aberdeen in each of the last five years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been charged in connection with the use of illegal e-bikes in Aberdeen in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for Police Scotland. I have asked Police Scotland to write to you on this matter.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428496,"EventID":"S6W-32691","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:01.257","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T12:22:59.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the average estimated cost to Police Scotland is of seizing and processing an illegal e-bike.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the average estimated cost to Police Scotland is of seizing and processing an illegal e-bike.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information.This information is held by Police Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428497,"EventID":"S6W-32687","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:01.37","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T12:22:59.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many accidents involving illegal e-bikes have been recorded in each of the last three years, broken down by parliamentary region.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many accidents involving illegal e-bikes have been recorded in each of the last three years, broken down by parliamentary region.","AnswerText":"Data on collisions which cause injury and take place on the road network, including adjacent pavements and cycle lanes, is collected by Police Scotland as part of the GB-wide dataset known as STATS19.Within STATS19, vehicles involved in injury road collisions can be recorded as &lsquo;bicycle&rsquo; or &lsquo;electric motorcycle&rsquo;. However, there is currently no systematic way of determining which of these vehicles would be described as illegal e-bikes.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428498,"EventID":"S6W-32689","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:01.25","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T12:22:59.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on the types of modifications commonly made to e-bikes that render them illegal, including the use of high-powered motors and throttle systems.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on the types of modifications commonly made to e-bikes that render them illegal, including the use of high-powered motors and throttle systems.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information. I have asked Police Scotland to write to you on this matter.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428499,"EventID":"S6W-32710","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2394,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:01.273","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:16:47.633","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32031 by Kate Forbes on 18 December 2024, whether any of the measures that it is taking to grow the economy in its draft Budget 20","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32031 by Kate Forbes on 18 December 2024, whether any of the measures that it is taking to grow the economy in its draft Budget 2025-26 reduce any regulatory or tax burdens on business.","AnswerText":"Further to the response to S6W - 32031, the Scottish Government has taken a number of measures within the draft budget to help grow the economy.The budget freezes the Non-Domestic Rates Basic Property Rate at 49.8p (for properties with a rateable value up to and including &pound;51,000), and is expected to save ratepayers &pound;9 million next year. We are maintaining the Small Business Bonus Scheme, the most generous scheme of its kind in the UK, at the rates and thresholds introduced in 2023-24. Together, these measures will protect over 200,000 small properties, with an estimated half of properties in the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure sectors continuing to be eligible for 100% relief next year.The Intermediate Property Rate and Higher Property Rate have received inflationary increases (1.7%) however, this still ensures that over 95% of non-domestic properties continue to be liable for a lower property tax rate than anywhere else in the UK. On top of these measures, a new 40% relief will be introduced for Hospitality premises in 2025-26,To support tourism, culture and hospitality we will continue to offer 100% relief in 2025-26 for hospitality businesses located on islands as defined by the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018, and in prescribed remote areas, capped at &pound;110,000 per business.The new 40% relief for Hospitality premises includes Grassroots Music Venues with capacity up to 1,500, where the property is liable for the Basic Property Rate (rateable value up to and including &pound;51,000) capped at &pound;110,000 per business.On regulation, the budget was informed by our continued engagement with business representative organisations, industry bodies and business leaders. That approach will continue to ensure meaningful engagement as part of policy development. This includes supporting our programme of regulatory improvement, delivering the New Deal for Business Group recommendations and continuing our work with businesses and regulators through the Regulatory Review Group. Considering the cumulative regulatory burden remains an important consideration in policy development, which is why following engagement with stakeholders we confirmed in the budget that there are no plans to introduce the Public Health Supplement for large retailers.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428500,"EventID":"S6W-32672","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:02.25","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T12:22:59.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the risks posed by illegally modified e-bikes to pedestrians, including vulnerable groups such as visually impaired people.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the risks posed by illegally modified e-bikes to pedestrians, including vulnerable groups such as visually impaired people.","AnswerText":"Legislation surrounding the use of e-bikes, their risk to the public and regulatory standards, is a reserved matter for the UK Government. For an e-bike to be legal for use in the UK, they must meet the criteria of an electrically assisted pedal cycle and the electric motor should not be able to propel the bike when it&rsquo;s travelling more than 15.5mph, with a maximum power output of 250 watts. This ensures speeds similar to that of other bicycles.In December 2024 Police Scotland issued a media campaign to warn members of the public of the growing trend in illegally modified ebikes and the risk these pose to riders, pedestrians, and other road and path user.It is every road and path users responsibility to respect others and the Highway Code outlines both rules and guidance for everyone. Members of the public who are seeking clarity on the standards required to ride on public roads should visit https://www.gov.uk/electric-bike-rules","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428501,"EventID":"S6W-32670","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:02.587","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T12:22:59.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what enforcement measures are in place to ensure compliance with regulations on e-bikes, including (a) speed limits and (b) motor output restrictions.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what enforcement measures are in place to ensure compliance with regulations on e-bikes, including (a) speed limits and (b) motor output restrictions.","AnswerText":"Legislation surrounding the use of e-bikes is a reserved matter for the UK Government. For an e-bike to be legal for use in the UK, they must meet the criteria of an electrically assisted pedal cycle and the electric motor should not be able to propel the bike when it&rsquo;s travelling more than 15.5mph, with a maximum power output of 250 watts. This ensures speeds similar to that of other bicycles.From January 2024 and the end of September 2024 Police Scotland made 281 seizures of illegal ebikes. In December Police Scotland published advice on ebikes ahead of Christmas that provides clarity on the standards required to be permitted to ride on public roads.It is every road and path users responsibility to respect others and the Highway Code outlines both rules and guidance for everyone.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428502,"EventID":"S6W-32540","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:01.253","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T14:17:31.053","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what the most common way to consume illicit drugs, such as smoking or injection, has been in each year from 2020 to 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what the most common way to consume illicit drugs, such as smoking or injection, has been in each year from 2020 to 2024.","AnswerText":"Information is not held centrally on the most common way to consume illicit drugs.In 2023, 14% of all adults had used any of the drugs listed in the Scottish Health Survey in the previous 12 months. The drug most commonly used in the 12 months prior to being interviewed was cannabis (9%) (The Scottish Health Survey 2023 - volume 1: main report - gov.scot). Cannabis is typically smoked.The Drug and Alcohol Information System (DAISy) captures information on people seeking specialist drug treatment. Public Health Scotland publish statistics annually presenting an overview of initial assessments for specialist drug and alcohol treatment (Drug and alcohol information system (DAISy) overview of initial assessments for specialist drug and alcohol treatment 2023/24 - Drug and alcohol information system (DAISy) - Publications - Public Health Scotland). This includes an analysis of the route of both cocaine and heroin use.Public Health Scotland also publish information on the provision of injecting equipment (Injecting equipment provision in Scotland - 2022 to 2023 - Injecting equipment provision in Scotland - Publications - Public Health Scotland) along with information from their Needle Exchange Surveillance Initiative (NESI) which aims to measure the uptake of harm reduction services among people who inject drugs in Scotland (Needle Exchange Surveillance Initiative (NESI) 13 August 2024 - Needle Exchange Surveillance Initiative (NESI) - Publications - Public Health Scotland).","AnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428503,"EventID":"S6W-32772","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:01.273","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-20T12:17:02.343","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many staff have been employed in chronic pain services in each NHS board in each of the last five years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many staff have been employed in chronic pain services in each NHS board in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"The information requested on how many NHS staff have been employed in chronic pain services in each NHS board in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board is not centrally available. This information is held by each board.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428504,"EventID":"S6W-32767","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5579,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:03.337","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T14:45:20.263","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the proposals to reduce ScotRail ticket office opening hours at a number of stations, whether it will list the full range of fares, products and services that","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the proposals to reduce ScotRail ticket office opening hours at a number of stations, whether it will list the full range of fares, products and services that will no longer be available at these stations during the times that the ticket offices are proposed to be closed.","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for ScotRail. The Member may wish to contact ScotRail directly.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":true},{"UniqueID":428505,"EventID":"S6W-32676","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:01.253","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T12:22:59.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many illegally modified e-bikes have been seized in Aberdeen and the surrounding areas since January 2024.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many illegally modified e-bikes have been seized in Aberdeen and the surrounding areas since January 2024.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information. I have asked Police Scotland to write to you on this matter.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428506,"EventID":"S6W-32714","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:02.08","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:23:56.75","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32003 by Shona Robison on 19 December 2024, whether the soonest time that it was practicable for it to communicate its final decis","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32003 by Shona Robison on 19 December 2024, whether the soonest time that it was practicable for it to communicate its final decision regarding its policy on mitigating the two-child cap to the Scottish Fiscal Commission (SFC) was later than the SFC&rsquo;s final policy deadline, and, if so, for what reason.","AnswerText":"Yes. The Scottish Government keeps a range of measures under consideration as it develops and finalises its Budget. Final decisions are communicated with the Scottish Fiscal Commission (SFC) as soon as is practicable.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428507,"EventID":"S6W-32688","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:02.91","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T12:22:59.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on what percentage of e-bikes that have been seized in each year since 2020 were imported from abroad without safety compliance warnings.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on what percentage of e-bikes that have been seized in each year since 2020 were imported from abroad without safety compliance warnings.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information. I have asked Police Scotland to write to you on this matter.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428508,"EventID":"S6W-32674","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:03.087","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T12:22:59.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what campaigns or public awareness initiatives are planned to educate the public about the legal requirements for e-bikes.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what campaigns or public awareness initiatives are planned to educate the public about the legal requirements for e-bikes.","AnswerText":"Legislation surrounding the use of e-bikes is a reserved matter for the UK Government. For an e-bike to be legal for use in the UK, they must meet the criteria of an electrically assisted pedal cycle and the electric motor should not be able to propel the bike when it&rsquo;s travelling more than 15.5mph, with a maximum power output of 250 watts. This ensures speeds similar to that of other bicycles.Prior to Christmas 2024 Police Scotland published advice on ebikes that provides clarity on the standards required to be permitted to ride on public roads. This received coverage across news outlets in Scotland and on Social Media.Members of the public who are seeking clarity on the standards required to ride on public roads can visit&nbsp;https://www.gov.uk/electric-bike-rules","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428509,"EventID":"S6W-32683","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:01.243","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T12:22:59.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what financial or legal support is available to pedestrians injured in accidents involving illegal e-bikes.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what financial or legal support is available to pedestrians injured in accidents involving illegal e-bikes.","AnswerText":"Pedestrians injured in accidents involving illegal e-bikes are strongly encouraged to inform Police Scotland who can undertake a criminal investigation. Those who suffer injuries and believe that another party is at fault are able to bring a civil action before the courts. Legal aid support may be available or specialist firms that bring actions on a &lsquo;no win, no fee&rsquo; basis may be able to assist.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428510,"EventID":"S6W-32713","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16216,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:02.21","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:19:11.8","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made in adopting the recommendations made in the Report of the inquiry into Islamophobia in Scotland by the Cross-Party Group on Tackling Islamophob","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made in adopting the recommendations made in the Report of the inquiry into Islamophobia in Scotland by the Cross-Party Group on Tackling Islamophobia.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government greatly values Muslim communities in Scotland and is committed to tackling Islamophobia in our society. Since the publication of the Report of the inquiry into Islamophobia in Scotland, the Scottish Government has worked towards adopting many of the relevant recommendations made by the Cross-Party Group (CPG), and progress continues to be made in their delivery. We work cooperatively with a wide range of organisations throughout the country to tackle all forms of hatred, including Islamophobia, and promote inclusion. This work is grounded in prevention, early intervention, evidence-based approaches and meaningful interaction with people who have lived experience of exclusion and hate.In 2023 the Scottish Government published a new Hate Crime Strategy as well as an associated Delivery Plan which sets out a range of activity that will be taken forward to tackle Hate Crime, including Islamophobia. Importantly, the strategy was informed by communities with lived experience of hate crime, including Muslim communities. The strategy supported commencement of the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 on 1 April 2024, which consolidated legislative protections against offences aggravated by prejudice against disability, race, religion, sexual orientation and transgender identity, and added age. The Act also introduced new offences for threatening or abusive behaviour and the communication of threatening or abusive material which is intended to stir up hatred.In 2023 we also published our progress review of Anti-racism in Scotland; a detailed examination of progress made on commitments contained within the Race Equality Framework (REF) (2016-2030) and the Immediate Priorities Plan (IPP) (2021-2023).Wider activity to tackle Islamophobia, which supports delivery of the recommendations from the CPG reports, continues across various portfolios including, but not limited to, education, employment, housing, health and culture.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428511,"EventID":"S6W-32686","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:01.27","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T12:22:59.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many illegal e-bikes have been seized in each year since 2020.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many illegal e-bikes have been seized in each year since 2020.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information. I have asked Police Scotland to write to you on this matter.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428512,"EventID":"S6W-32547","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16970,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:01.333","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T14:55:23.473","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport on 21 November 2024, how it plans to progress plans for a National Social Work Agen","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport on 21 November 2024, how it plans to progress plans for a National Social Work Agency, and what timetable for parliamentary scrutiny it plans to propose.","AnswerText":"Plans for a National Social Work Agency and Proposed TimetableWe remain committed to the establishment of a National Social Work Agency by the end of the parliamentary term, 2025&ndash;26 in order to address the issues affecting this important workforce. A final decision has yet to be taken on the form and structure of the agency, following which we can update Parliament.Our partners and stakeholders, including COSLA, and the social work workforce are supportive of establishing a National Social Work Agency and are engaged in its development.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428513,"EventID":"S6W-32673","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:01.28","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T12:22:59.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on the number of incidents involving illegal e-bikes that have resulted in injuries to pedestrians over the past three years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on the number of incidents involving illegal e-bikes that have resulted in injuries to pedestrians over the past three years.","AnswerText":"Data on collisions which cause injury and take place on the road network, including adjacent pavements and cycle lanes, is collected by Police Scotland as part of the GB-wide dataset known as STATS19.Within STATS19, vehicles involved in injury road collisions can be recorded as &lsquo;bicycle&rsquo; or &lsquo;electric motorcycle&rsquo;. However, there is currently no systematic way of determining which of these vehicles would be described as illegal e-bikes.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428514,"EventID":"S6W-32774","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1860,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:02.23","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-20T12:17:02.343","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many patients have attended chronic pain clinics in each NHS board in each of the last five years.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many patients have attended chronic pain clinics in each NHS board in each of the last five years.","AnswerText":"The information requested on how many patients have attended chronic pain clinics in each NHS board in each of the last five years is not held centrally. This information is held by each Board. Quarterly wait times statistics for chronic pain are published by PHS.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428515,"EventID":"S6W-32768","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:02.103","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-20T09:12:37.31","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32140 by Gillian Martin on 18 December 2024, whether it will review the regulations governing water quality in Scotland, in light ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32140 by Gillian Martin on 18 December 2024, whether it will review the regulations governing water quality in Scotland, in light of the reported concerns by Environmental Standards Scotland.","AnswerText":"We assume the question refers to the recent analytical report, Storm Overflows in Scotland, published by Environmental Standards Scotland.The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) considers 87% of our water environment to be high or good quality - up from 82% in 2014.Measures and regulations to protect and improve water quality are regularly reviewed to ensure they remain appropriate. This includes, for example, considering changes to European legislation and the introduction of new environmental standards. The Scottish Government is committed to alignment where it is in the interests of Scotland to do so and is considering the new rules (Directive 2024/3019) on the treatment of Urban Wastewater which came into force on 1 January 2025. This Directive seeks to further protect the environment by driving improvements to the collection, treatment and discharge of urban wastewater. We also recently issued directions to SEPA that update the Environmental Quality Standards, which underpin our efforts to protect and where necessary improve the water environment.In addition, Scotland&rsquo;s River Basin Management Plan (RBMP) is our route map for protecting and improving the water environment. SEPA is responsible for developing the RBMP, which is reviewed and updated every six years. SEPA has published a statement which sets out the steps it will take to engage stakeholders in reviewing and updating the RBMP for Scotland over the next three years. SEPA&rsquo;s statement is available here: SEPA | River Basin Management Planning in Scotland, Statement of Consultation Steps","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428516,"EventID":"S6W-32701","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:03.537","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T12:22:59.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered the use of technology to identify and monitor illegal e-bikes, such as speed tracking or motor compliance checks.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered the use of technology to identify and monitor illegal e-bikes, such as speed tracking or motor compliance checks.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government maintains contact with the UK Government on the shared challenge of tackling illegal e-bikes. The Scottish Government has noted the work undertaken by the UK Government through its Defence and Security Accelerator to undertake research on technology to tackle e-scooter and e-bike enabled crime, including technology to bring these vehicles to a controlled stop in a manner which does not pose a significant risk to the rider, the public or police officers.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428517,"EventID":"S6W-32700","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:03.193","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T12:22:59.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it collects data on the number of e-bikes that are imported into Scotland that do not meet UK safety standards.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it collects data on the number of e-bikes that are imported into Scotland that do not meet UK safety standards.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-32699 on 10 January 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428518,"EventID":"S6W-32675","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:01.27","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T12:22:59.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the role of retailers in ensuring that customers purchasing e-bikes are informed about legal requirements.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the role of retailers in ensuring that customers purchasing e-bikes are informed about legal requirements.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government notes that Police Scotland have engaged in communications activity to ensure customers purchasing e-bikes are aware of the associated legal requirements under road traffic law. The Scottish Government recognises that it is important for retailers to provide information on this. Product safety and product labelling are reserved matters.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428519,"EventID":"S6W-32685","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:02.557","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T12:22:59.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve pedestrian safety in areas with high e-bike usage.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve pedestrian safety in areas with high e-bike usage.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is committed to enhancing safety across Scotland&rsquo;s road network.The Road Safety Framework to 2030 sets out a vision for Scotland to have the best road safety performance in the world by 2030. This contains mode and user specific targets focussed on our priority areas, including pedestrians and cyclists.The Scottish Government has allocated a record &pound;36m for road safety investment in the 2024/25 financial year. This includes &pound;10m for the Road Safety Improvement Fund to support local authorities reduce casualty and risk on the local road network, and over &pound;4m to support the delivery of projects aimed at reducing pedestrian and cyclist casualties.To further protect vulnerable road users, a national behaviour change campaign will launch in March 2025, encouraging all road users to recognise the road is a shared space. Additionally, a dedicated stakeholder group has been established to monitor risks, identify emerging trends, and develop measures to address specific safety concerns for pedestrians and cyclists.These measures reflect the Scottish Government&rsquo;s ongoing commitment to making Scotland&rsquo;s roads safer for everyone.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428520,"EventID":"S6W-32695","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:03.31","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T12:22:59.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which areas in Aberdeen have been identified as hotspots for the use of illegal e-bikes, and what targeted action has been taken in any such areas.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which areas in Aberdeen have been identified as hotspots for the use of illegal e-bikes, and what targeted action has been taken in any such areas.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information. I have asked Police Scotland to write to you on this matter.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428521,"EventID":"S6W-32684","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:02.82","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T12:22:59.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce stricter penalties for riders of illegal e-bikes who cause harm to pedestrians.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce stricter penalties for riders of illegal e-bikes who cause harm to pedestrians.","AnswerText":"Legislation surrounding the use of e-bikes and the penalties for misuse is a reserved matter for the UK Government. For an e-bike to be legal for use in the UK, they must meet the criteria of an electrically assisted pedal cycle and the electric motor should not be able to propel the bike when it&rsquo;s travelling more than 15.5mph, with a maximum power output of 250 watts. This ensures speeds similar to that of other bicycles.From January 2024 and the end of September 2024 Police Scotland made 281 seizures of illegal ebikes. It is every road and path users responsibility to respect others and the Highway Code outlines both rules and guidance for everyone.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428522,"EventID":"S6W-32690","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:01.26","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T12:22:59.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of e-bikes that have been seized in each year since 2020 were found to exceed the legal speed limit of 15.5 mph.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of e-bikes that have been seized in each year since 2020 were found to exceed the legal speed limit of 15.5 mph.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government does not hold this information. I have asked Police Scotland to write to you on this matter.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428523,"EventID":"S6W-32704","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5788,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:02.337","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T12:25:54.84","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported statistics from Cancer Research UK showing that only one in two people in Scotland know that alcohol causes cancer, whether it plans to raise publi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported statistics from Cancer Research UK showing that only one in two people in Scotland know that alcohol causes cancer, whether it plans to raise public awareness of the link between alcohol consumption and cancer.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the importance of highlighting the link between alcohol and non-communicable disease. Evidence is clear that alcohol consumption increases the risk of developing non-communicable diseases, including some cancers.A refreshed cross-government and cross-sectoral approach to population health - focused on prevention - is being progressed. Increasing healthy life expectancy and reducing health inequalities across Scotland remains a clear ambition for this Government. It is clear the reform of health and care services alone will not be enough to stem the current tide of population health decline in Scotland.The Population Health Framework is being developed jointly by the Scottish Government &amp; COSLA and in collaboration with Public Health Scotland, Directors of Public Health and key local, regional and national partners. The Scottish Government will set out key actions to reduce alcohol harm following the Population Health Framework, including the role of public health messaging and awareness.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428524,"EventID":"S6W-32769","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-20T16:25:03.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-20T11:15:18.26","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32137 by Ivan McKee on 19 December 2024, what its position is on whether the amendments that SEPA is considering regarding its cal","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32137 by Ivan McKee on 19 December 2024, what its position is on whether the amendments that SEPA is considering regarding its call centre service are in line with the Scottish Government's Fair Work First policy.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government expects that all public sector employers, including SEPA, adopt fair work practices, including through Fair Work First, which applies to discretionary public sector grants.SEPA is responsible for its day to day operations and publishes an Equality Mainstreaming and Outcomes Report which details its fair work related commitments. SEPA also operates a People and Resources Committee which includes terms of reference on employee engagement and the role of recognised trade unions. While SEPA&rsquo;s specific amendments to its call centre services are operational decisions, it is expected that these changes are made in consultation with staff and trade unions to align with fair work, to ensure workers are treated fairly and with respect.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428526,"EventID":"S6W-32718","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.36","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many mobile community pharmacies there are in the NHS (a) Highland, (b) Grampian, (c) Orkney, (d) Shetland and (e) Western Isles area.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many mobile community pharmacies there are in the NHS (a) Highland, (b) Grampian, (c) Orkney, (d) Shetland and (e) Western Isles area.","AnswerText":"There are no mobile community pharmacies providing NHS Pharmaceutical Services in any part of Scotland. There are 1248 community pharmacies with fixed locations across the country.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428527,"EventID":"S6W-32749","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.307","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many penalties that have been issued by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator remain outstanding for each year since 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many penalties that have been issued by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator remain outstanding for each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"This is a matter for the Scottish Charity Regulator. It is a non-ministerial office and its operations are independent of Scottish Ministers. The information requested is not held centrally and questions about any operational matters should be put directly to the Scottish Charity Regulator.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428528,"EventID":"S6W-32763","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.443","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what is the maximum amount of grant funding per property that a local authority can apply for from the Rural Affordable Homes for Key Workers Fund.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what is the maximum amount of grant funding per property that a local authority can apply for from the Rural Affordable Homes for Key Workers Fund.","AnswerText":"The Rural Affordable Homes for Key Workers Fund forms part of the broader Affordable Housing Supply Programme which is based on flexible grant funding arrangements to ensure that affordable housing projects across Scotland, which are identified by local authorities as a priority, can be supported. Local authorities should engage with a range of organisations in their localities, including public sector employers, key agencies, including Highlands and Islands Enterprise and South of Scotland Enterprise, as well as local businesses and registered social landlords to develop proposals for use of the fund for consideration by the relevant More Homes Division area team.Local authorities and registered social landlords are expected to agree the level of grant required for property acquisitions through the Rural Affordable Homes for Key Workers Fund with the relevant More Homes Division area team. This should reflect the types and valuations of properties being targeted for purchase, as well as likely required investment to ensure quality standards are met.Further information on acquisitions through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme, including those through the fund, is available on the Scottish Government website.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Paul McLennan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428529,"EventID":"S6W-32764","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.313","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27327 by Jenny Gilruth on 17 May 2024, whether the information requested has now been published, and if so, whether it can provide","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27327 by Jenny Gilruth on 17 May 2024, whether the information requested has now been published, and if so, whether it can provide details of this.","AnswerText":"HM Inspectors evaluate the quality of education in Scottish schools using quality indicators. 'How good is our school? (4th edition)&rsquo; has been in use since September 2016.HM Inspectors use a six-point scale to grade individual quality indicators. There are two models of inspection, one in which two quality indicators are graded, and one where four quality indicators are graded. The information provided includes grades assigned for both models of inspection.The information previously provided (PQ reference - S6W-27327 on 17 May 2024) related to grades assigned during inspections carried out using the current framework, 'How good is our school? (4th edition). The information did not include details of inspections carried out in academic year 2023-24 where fieldwork has been carried out, but the report is not yet published. All inspection reports for inspections carried out in 2023-24 have now been published and the data updated.HM Inspectors evaluate the quality of education in Scottish schools using quality indicators. 'How good is our school? (4th edition)&rsquo; has been in use since September 2016.HM Inspectors use a six-point scale to grade individual quality indicators. There are two models of inspection, one in which two quality indicators are graded, and one where four quality indicators are graded. The information provided includes grades assigned for both models of inspection.The information previously provided (PQ reference - S6W-27327) related to grades assigned during inspections carried out using the current framework, 'How good is our school? (4th edition). The information did not include details of inspections carried out in academic year 2023-24 where fieldwork had been carried out, but the reports are not yet published. All inspection reports for inspections carried out in 2023-24 have now been published and the data updated.&nbsp;ExcellentVery goodGoodSatisfactoryWeakUnsatisfactory&nbsp;Argyll &amp; Bute CouncilQI 1.3: Leadership of change0451070&nbsp;QI 2.3: Learning, teaching and assessment15171650&nbsp;QI 3.1: Ensuring wellbeing, quality and inclusion0481220&nbsp;QI 3/2: Raising attainment and achievement07191650&nbsp;Total1204854190142The Highland CouncilQI 1.3: Leadership of change051821100&nbsp;QI 2.3: Learning, teaching and assessment1103228180&nbsp;QI 3.1: Ensuring wellbeing, quality and inclusion06251940&nbsp;QI 3/2: Raising attainment and achievement083038151&nbsp;Total129105106471289Comhairle nan Eilean SiarQI 1.3: Leadership of change002310&nbsp;QI 2.3: Learning, teaching and assessment006220&nbsp;QI 3.1: Ensuring wellbeing, quality and inclusion014100&nbsp;QI 3/2: Raising attainment and achievement007300&nbsp;Total011993032Orkney Islands CouncilQI 1.3: Leadership of change001500&nbsp;QI 2.3: Learning, teaching and assessment005410&nbsp;QI 3.1: Ensuring wellbeing, quality and inclusion003210&nbsp;QI 3/2: Raising attainment and achievement005410&nbsp;Total0014153032Shetland Islands CouncilQI 1.3: Leadership of change004410&nbsp;QI 2.3: Learning, teaching and assessment015620&nbsp;QI 3.1: Ensuring wellbeing, quality and inclusion015300&nbsp;QI 3/2: Raising attainment and achievement015710&nbsp;Total0319204046Overall total253205204761541&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428530,"EventID":"S6W-32740","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.537","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people who were referred to its Distress Brief Intervention service received the full two weeks of one-to-one support with a specially trained practitioner each","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people who were referred to its Distress Brief Intervention service received the full two weeks of one-to-one support with a specially trained practitioner each year, broken down by &nbsp;health and social care partnership area.","AnswerText":"The Distress Brief Intervention Programme provides tailored one to one support across a period of up to around 14 days. Some people will only require one phone call whereas others may need more support across the 14 days including background work for resources and signposting. Overall, of those who engage with the programme, more than 80% of people go on to receive further support beyond one phone call across the 14 day period.Table 1 shows the specific numbers of people who received support across the 14 day period. This is broken down by health and social care partnership areas and small numbers have been suppressed. The data available was between June 2020 and May 2024.Table 1 &ndash; Number of individuals who received DBI support by H&amp;SCPHealth &amp; Social Care PartnershipJune 20 - May 21June 21 - May 22June 22 - May 23June 23- May 24Aberdeen City9861,0171,0371,048Aberdeenshire72142235331Angus4083166398Argyll and Bute3146202412Clackmannanshire and Stirling84150152180Dumfries and Galloway46174509779Dundee City118188338927East Ayrshire72276307410East Dunbartonshire366356204East Lothian6792108370East Renfrewshire265382110Edinburgh City2413816101,050Falkirk100178182217Fife262400436507Glasgow City4517211,0843,821Highland844891782874Inverclyde114362487493Midlothian47154349379Moray196285315559North Ayrshire126177413502North Lanarkshire1,1741,1471,3891,528Orkney Islands..115775Perth and Kinross75121173358Renfrewshire94168206279Scottish Borders9081,0321,046954Shetland Islands....1224South Ayrshire76173164243South Lanarkshire1,1721,0991,3061,367West Dunbartonshire4494172346West Lothian151181200206Western Isles......10Not Known (referrals with partial or missing postcodes)138137..441Scotland7,80210,00712,69319,402.. Suppressed due to small numbers.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428531,"EventID":"S6W-32742","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.77","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people who were initially referred to its Distress Brief Intervention service have been referred to it (a) for a second time and (b) multiple times each year, b","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people who were initially referred to its Distress Brief Intervention service have been referred to it (a) for a second time and (b) multiple times each year, broken down by&nbsp;&nbsp;health and social care partnership area.","AnswerText":"The ability to re-refer is part of the current structure of the Distress Brief Intervention programme. Data is not held within individual years for multiple referrals but data about multiple referrals overall has been provided below. Data beyond January 2023 will be available after spring 2025.The programme was initially piloted in Lanarkshire, Aberdeen city, Inverness City and Scottish Borders. Data for these areas is available between 1st November 2018 to 31st January 2023 and is outlined in Table 1. Data for the subsequent rollout across the remaining health and social care partnerships is available between 1st July 2019 to 31st January 2023 and is outlined in Table 2.For the National Pathways (NHS 24, Scottish Ambulance Service and Police Scotland), data is available between May 2020 to the end of January 2023. In this time, 12,649 individuals were referred. Of these, 1,044 people (8.3%) had 2 referrals and 473 people (3.7%) had 3 or more referrals.Table 1 &ndash; Referral numbers for pilot areas (November 2018 to January 2023)H&amp;SCPIndividual Clients IdentifiedNumber with 2 referrals% with 2 referralsNumber with 3 or more referrals% with 3 or more referralsSouth Lanarkshire40413739.21283.2North Lanarkshire39933649.11042.6Aberdeen city32603239.9983.0Inverness city265229711.21084.1Scottish Borders34283169.2712.1Table 2 &ndash; Referral numbers for all other areas (July 2019 to January 2023)H&amp;SCPIndividual Clients IdentifiedNumber with 2 referrals% with 2 referralsNumber with 3 or more referrals% with 3 or more referralsMoray639507.8..&lt;1.0Ayrshire &amp; Arran590396.6..&lt;1.0Inverclyde704405.7..&lt;1.0Midlothian25793.5..&lt;1.0Dumfries &amp; Galloway396133.3..&lt;1.0Aberdeenshire, Argyll &amp; Bute, Edinburgh, Orkney, Tayside and West Dunbartonshire*304103.3..&lt;1.0* These areas are combined due to small numbers","AnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428532,"EventID":"S6W-32723","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.627","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many productions organised Scottish Opera&nbsp;have taken place in (a) the Highlands and Islands Region and (b) nationally in each year since 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many productions organised Scottish Opera&nbsp;have taken place in (a) the Highlands and Islands Region and (b) nationally in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"Since April 2021, Scottish Opera has undertaken the following number of productions in Scotland and in the Highlands and Islands region:Financial yearNo of productionsin ScotlandNo of productions within Highlands and IslandsDetails of engagements in Highlands and Islands2021-20223228816 Opera Highlights; 54 outdoor pop-up performances; 12 schools performances; 6 large venue performances2022-20232406617 Opera Highlights; 18 Pop-up performances (6 locations); 9 BambinO - Opera for Babies, 13 schools performances, 6 large venue performances2023-20242756317 Opera Highlights; 26 pop-up performances; 16 school performances; 4 large venue performances2024-20252236713 Opera Highlights; 11 community workshops; 20 pop-up performances; 19 school performances; 4 large venue performances","AnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428533,"EventID":"S6W-32750","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.327","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact that its proposed budget reduction of &pound;5.3 million in 2025-26 for support for inter-island connectivity&rsquo; ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact that its proposed budget reduction of &pound;5.3 million in 2025-26 for support for inter-island connectivity&rsquo; will have for communities in the (a) the Western Isles and (b) Argyll and Bute local authority area.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has increased revenue funding for inter-island connectivity by &pound;8.6 million in 2025-26, including extending free ferry travel between islands to under 22s. Provisional local authority allocations are included in Annex E of Local Government Finance Circular 10/2024.Comparisons of 2024-25 Autumn Budget Revision (ABR) to 2025-26 Budget are misleading in the context of local government funding as the 2024-25 ABR includes an agreed transfer of &pound;13.9 million. This transfer will also be processed at the 2025-26 ABR, increasing the Inter Island Connectivity funding included in table 4.14 of the 2025-26 Scottish Budget from &pound;36.4 million to &pound;50.3 million.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428534,"EventID":"S6W-32753","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.64","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has allocated to projects using the Croft House Grant Scheme in each year since 2016, broken down by local authority area.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has allocated to projects using the Croft House Grant Scheme in each year since 2016, broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"This Government is committed to continuing to help crofters and their families to live on and work their croft, contributing to the sustainability of our rural and island communities. Area * Croft House Grant Funding Awarded since 2016(&pound;) Argyll 1,027,281.54 Barra 447,442.68 Caithness 502,416.36 Harris 224,473.60 Inverness 420,717.60 Lewis 2,674,726.37 North Uist 676,473.20 Ross-shire 708,022.80 Shetland 1,099,077.61 Skye 1,998,124.36 South Uist 954,556.44 Sutherland 996,751.92 *Figures are broken down by the Rural Payments and Inspections Division by area not by local authority area.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428535,"EventID":"S6W-32760","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.52","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on building new houses using the Strengthening Communities Programme in each year since 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on building new houses using the Strengthening Communities Programme in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s Strengthening Communities Programme (SCP) is a revenue fund which provides support to community anchor organisations to build capacity and sustainability. No funding from the SCP has therefore been spent on building new houses since 2021, however SCP provides organisations with capacity building funding which can include support for delivering new housing developments.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428536,"EventID":"S6W-32758","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.55","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on building new houses from the Investing in Communities Fund Programme in each year since 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on building new houses from the Investing in Communities Fund Programme in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s Investing in Communities Fund (ICF) is a revenue fund which aims to empower communities by supporting them to deliver activity that helps tackle poverty, inequality and rural disadvantage on their own terms.The ICF is not intended to deliver capital projects, such as housing.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428537,"EventID":"S6W-32741","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.51","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many practitioners has it trained to participate in its Distress Brief Intervention service each year, broke down by health and social care partnership area.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many practitioners has it trained to participate in its Distress Brief Intervention service each year, broke down by health and social care partnership area.","AnswerText":"Practitioner training data is currently available up to 31st October 2023 for Level 1 training and to 31st August 2023 for Level 2 training. The next tranche of training data will be available after summer 2025.Table 1 provides data on the number of frontline staff trained in Level 1 of Distress Brief Intervention where initial compassionate support is provided and referral takes place.Table 2 provides data on the number and distribution of third sector staff trained in Level 2 of DBI where support is provided for a period of up to around 14 days.In addition to the training by health and social care partnership area provided in the tables below, an additional 562 frontline staff have been trained in Level 1 through the DBI National Pathways (NHS 24 and call handling centres operated by Scottish Ambulance Service and Police Scotland). This additional data covers training to NHS 24 (up to March 2024), Scottish Ambulance Service (up to December 2022) and Police Scotland (up to March 2024). For Level 2, there have been 32 practitioners trained for the National Pathways.The DBI programme was rolled out in stages which means that areas which opted in earlier may have higher numbers of practitioners trained than those who opted in later, though health and social care partnership population and demographics will also play a role.Table 1 - DBI Level 1 Staff Training estimatesH&amp;SCP / DBI AreaTotal Level 1 Staff TrainedEstimatesAberdeen and Moray550Aberdeenshire22Argyll &amp; Bute56Argyll &amp; Bute and West Dunbartonshire154Ayrshire &amp; Arran108Dumfries &amp; Galloway153East Lothian16Edinburgh City94Fife3Forth Valley7Glasgow City11Greater Glasgow &amp; Clyde14Inverclyde62Inverness137Lanarkshire (North and South Combined)946Midlothian30Orkney32Renfrewshire5Renfrewshire and Inverclyde2Scottish Borders376Tayside240West Dunbartonshire80West Lothian1Total3,099Table 2 - DBI Level 2 Staff Training statisticsH&amp;SCPLevel 2 Staff TrainedAberdeen City16Aberdeenshire4Argyll &amp; Bute5Ayrshire &amp; Arran9Dumfries &amp; Galloway4East Lothian4Edinburgh9Glasgow City and East Dunbartonshire19Inverclyde4Inverness9Midlothian9Moray8North Lanarkshire8Orkney5Scottish Borders4South Lanarkshire14Tayside15West Dunbartonshire3Total149","AnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428538,"EventID":"S6W-32751","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.32","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many croft houses have been built using the Croft House Grant Scheme in each year since 2016, broken down by local authority area.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many croft houses have been built using the Croft House Grant Scheme in each year since 2016, broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has a track record of investment to improve croft housing. 186 croft houses have been built and recorded with Registers of Scotland.County Area *Number of Croft Houses BuiltArgyll8Caithness9Orkney &amp; Zetland22Inverness82Ross &amp; Cromarty50Sutherland15*Notice of Grants are registered by county rather than by local authority area.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428539,"EventID":"S6W-32722","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.59","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many productions organised by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra have taken place in (a) the Highlands and Islands region and (b) nationally in each year since 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many productions organised by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra have taken place in (a) the Highlands and Islands region and (b) nationally in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"Since January 2021 the Scottish Chamber Orchestra has undertaken the following number of engagements in Scotland and in the Highlands and Islands:Financial YearNo of total engagements across ScotlandNo of engagements in Highlands and IslandsDetails of engagements in Highlands and Islands2021-2022721Inverness Family Concert2022-202310117Elgin, Inverness*2, Drumnadrochit, Ballachulish, Kingussie, Findhorn and residency Shetland -10 engagements involving children from toddlers to secondary school pupils.2023-2024985Kinlochleven, Findhorn, Fort Augustus, Elgin, Oban2024-20251037Inverness*4, Thurso, Findhorn, Kinlochleven","AnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428540,"EventID":"S6W-32755","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.47","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many  houses have been built as a direct result of funding from the Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme in the (a) Argyll and Bute, (b) Highland, (c) Weste","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many  houses have been built as a direct result of funding from the Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme in the (a) Argyll and Bute, (b) Highland, (c) Western Isles, (d) Orkney Islands, (e) Shetland Islands and (f) Moray local authority area in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"The Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme (VDLIP) is available to local authorities which bring forward suitable project proposals associated with remediating and unblocking long-term vacant and derelict land, supporting place based approaches to delivering regeneration and sustainable inclusive growth, as part of a just transition to net-zero. Additional funding to support the delivery of new homes, where this is part of the project proposals, is considered as a part of the application process by the independent investment panel.The VDLIP has supported the delivery of 110 homes in the Highland Council area across two projects which received funding in 2023 &ndash; 2024.There have been no applications received for projects in Argyll and Bute, Shetland Islands or Moray local authority areas supported by the VDLIP since the fund was launched in 202. We received one application for Orkney Islands and one for the Western Isles but neither was recommended for funding.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428541,"EventID":"S6W-32624","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.723","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:28:39.887","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the written evidence provided by the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport to the Citizen Participation and Public Petition Committee on 21 Oc","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the written evidence provided by the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport to the Citizen Participation and Public Petition Committee on 21 October 2024 regarding petition PE1871 (Full review of mental health services), whether it can provide an update on the work of the Partnership Delivery Group in producing a framework for collaboration and a cross sector-owned action plan.","AnswerText":"The Partnership Delivery Group (PDG) continues to work across organisational boundaries to identify and deliver support to individuals that can be delivered in a person centred and trauma informed way.The PDG has worked together to support the Scottish Government to develop a Framework for Collaboration (FfC). Subject to publishing timescales, this Framework along with the PDG&rsquo;s cross-sector Collaborative Commitment Action Plan will be published imminently.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428542,"EventID":"S6W-32747","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.35","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many offences the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator has recorded in each year since 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many offences the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator has recorded in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"This is a matter for the Scottish Charity Regulator. It is a non-ministerial office and its operations are independent of Scottish Ministers. The information requested is not held centrally and questions about any operational matters should be put directly to the Scottish Charity Regulator.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428543,"EventID":"S6W-32720","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.203","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many productions organised by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra have taken place in (a) the Highlands and Islands region and (b) nationally in each year since 20","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many productions organised by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra have taken place in (a) the Highlands and Islands region and (b) nationally in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"Since April 2021 the Royal Scottish National Orchestra has undertaken the following number of productions in Scotland and in the Highlands and Islands region:Financial yearNo of productionsin ScotlandNo of productions within Highlands and IslandsDetails of engagements in Highlands and Islands2021-2022710Inverness concert cancelled due to Omicron (Jan 2022)2022-20231051Viennese Gala - Inverness2023-20241061Viennese Gala - Inverness2024-2025882Viennese Gala &ndash; Inverness, 09-01-2025 When Fish Began to Crawl &ndash; Inverness 28-01-2025","AnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428544,"EventID":"S6W-32721","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.733","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many productions organised by Scottish Ballet&nbsp;have taken place in (a) the Highlands and Islands region and (b) nationally in each year since 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many productions organised by Scottish Ballet&nbsp;have taken place in (a) the Highlands and Islands region and (b) nationally in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"Since April 2021 the Scottish Ballet has undertaken the following number of productions in Scotland and in the Highlands and Islands:Financial yearNo of productionsin ScotlandNo of productions within Highlands and IslandsDetails of engagements in Highlands and Islands2021-202222All in Inverness2022-202333All in Inverness2023-202433Inverness, Orkney &amp; Lewis2024-202532All in Inverness","AnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428545,"EventID":"S6W-32725","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.37","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to enable the five National Performing Companie to increase the number of events that they host in the Highlands and Islands region.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to enable the five National Performing Companie to increase the number of events that they host in the Highlands and Islands region.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has committed a further &pound;700k to the National Performing Companies this financial year and will provide an additional &pound;1m as part of the &pound;34m increase to culture sector funding next financial year. This will take them to the highest level of funding since 2010-11. This will enable the National Performing Companies to maintain and develop their productions across Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428546,"EventID":"S6W-32734","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.38","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what schools it has earmarked to offer its Bright Start Breakfast programme to in the (a) Argyll and Bute, (b) Highland, (c) Western Isles, (d) Orkney Islands, (e) Shetl","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what schools it has earmarked to offer its Bright Start Breakfast programme to in the (a) Argyll and Bute, (b) Highland, (c) Western Isles, (d) Orkney Islands, (e) Shetland Islands and (f) Moray local authority area.","AnswerText":"The Draft Scottish Budget on 4th December 2024, announced plans to invest &pound;3 million in 2025-26, through a new Bright Start Breakfasts Fund which aims to expand access to free breakfast club places across Scotland, providing a healthy breakfast for children and supporting early drop off for working parents.At this stage the Budget remains subject to Parliamentary approval, and more detail about how a new Bright Start Breakfasts fund will be administered and managed will be provided in due course.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428547,"EventID":"S6W-32776","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16199,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-20T14:23:27.26","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it gave to moving the accreditation function of SQA to (a) the new Inspectorate, (b) Education Scotland, (c) the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Fr","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it gave to moving the accreditation function of SQA to (a) the new Inspectorate, (b) Education Scotland, (c) the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework Partnership, (d) Skills Development Scotland and (e) the Scottish Funding Council when proposing the Education (Scotland) Bill.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government assessed all of these options in reaching the conclusion to locate the accreditation functions in Qualifications Scotland. This involved seeking the views of a range of organisations and stakeholders, which included the Scottish Funding Council and the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) Partnership.The key factors considered as part of this assessment included: the need to ensure appropriate independence from ministers, alongside suitable governance, accountability and operational arrangements for the accreditation function and any other functions it shares a body with; the need to avoid misaligned priorities between functions and not introduce any confusion between these; the need to avoid creating new and complex conflicts of interest and disrupting other parts of the system; and the need to retain existing benefits of other functions in the system, such as the charitable and independent status of the SCQF Partnership.Across all these options there were a number of shared factors that influenced the decision not to locate the function in any of these bodies. This included the levels of staff disruption particularly with staff terms, conditions and employment status; costs; the available resource and capacity of organisations to absorb such a function compared to Qualifications Scotland; and planned reviews, such as the Skills Delivery Landscape Review, that created uncertainty over other functions managed by Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenny Gilruth","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428548,"EventID":"S6W-32715","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.603","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26709 by Neil Gray on 26 April 2024, in light of the cabinet secretary's comment that \"we anticipate the publication of a report l","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26709 by Neil Gray on 26 April 2024, in light of the cabinet secretary's comment that \"we anticipate the publication of a report later in 2024\", whether the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce has published its report this and, if not, for what reason it was unable to do so.","AnswerText":"The Ministerial led Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce met on 11 December and agreed a number of recommended actions to be included within its final report which will be published early in the new year.","AnswerDate":"2024-12-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428549,"EventID":"S6W-32770","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.32","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-20T11:51:21.167","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what quantity of liquefied natural gas (LNG) it estimates will be required to supply MV Glen Sannox each week, once the vessel enters service on 13 January 2025.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what quantity of liquefied natural gas (LNG) it estimates will be required to supply MV Glen Sannox each week, once the vessel enters service on 13 January 2025.","AnswerText":"As operator, CalMac have estimated 44tonnes (this equates to two HGV tankers) of LNG per week during vessel operation. However this is being reviewed as part of the network trials which are currently being undertaken.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428550,"EventID":"S6W-32754","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.68","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many croft houses are unoccupied, broken down by local authority area.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many croft houses are unoccupied, broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"The information as requested is not available.In 2024, the Commission introduced a system of investigating crofters who appear to be non-resident and in breach of at least one of their duties. The project had positive results and has been well-received throughout the crofting counties. Allied to this, through Crofting Reform, we will look to strengthen residency and land use, creating a faster and more extensive enforcement process that will result in more active crofts and create opportunities for new entrants.This Government recognises the importance of crofting to the sustainability of our rural and island communities and is committed to continuing to support crofters to live on and work their land.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428551,"EventID":"S6W-32724","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.577","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many productions by the National Theatre of Scotland&nbsp;have taken place in (a) the Highlands and Islands region and (b) nationally in each year since 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many productions by the National Theatre of Scotland&nbsp;have taken place in (a) the Highlands and Islands region and (b) nationally in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"Since April 2021, the National Theatre of Scotland has undertaken the following number of productions in Scotland and in the Highlands and Islands region:Financial yearNo of productionsin ScotlandNo of productions within Highlands and IslandsDetails of engagements in Highlands and Islands2021-2022113The EnemyTheatre in Schools Scotland (TISS): Family PortraitTISS: Mixed Up Digital2022-20231810&nbsp;BurnExodus&nbsp;James IV&nbsp;Orphans&nbsp;TISS: Buff and Sheen&nbsp;TISS: Family Portrait&nbsp;TISS: Maya and the Whale&nbsp;TISS: Chalk&nbsp;TISS: KLC&nbsp;TISS: Wellies2023-2024188&nbsp;Dear Billy&nbsp;Dracula&nbsp;Kidnapped&nbsp;Protest&nbsp;Thrown&nbsp;TISS: Cloud Man&nbsp;TISS: Going For Gold&nbsp;TISS: MESS2024-2025136Dear BillyJune Carter Cash: The Woman Her Music and MeMaggie &amp; MeSho and the Demons of the DeepTISS: GingerTISS: One of Two","AnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428552,"EventID":"S6W-32771","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.617","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-20T12:10:03.42","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of the contract that is in place to supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) for MV Glen Sannox, once the vessel enters service on 13 January 2","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of the contract that is in place to supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) for MV Glen Sannox, once the vessel enters service on 13 January 2025.","AnswerText":"In May 2023 CalMac as operator announced that Molgas Energy Uk Ltd would be the supplier of LNG for the MV Glen Sannox and MV Glen Rosa. Please see aside link to the CalMac publication: https://corporate.calmac.co.uk/en-gb/news/calmac-award-of-lng-supply-tender/","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428553,"EventID":"S6W-32735","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.407","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what potential knock-on economic benefits to the Highlands and Islands region might arise from the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what potential knock-on economic benefits to the Highlands and Islands region might arise from the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.","AnswerText":"The 2026 Commonwealth Games will be delivered by the Glasgow 2026 Organising Company, in partnership with the Commonwealth Games Federation and Commonwealth Games Scotland. Glasgow 2026 Ltd is the corporate vehicle established to deliver the Games. The event will be privately funded by the Commonwealth Games Federation, commercial income from ticketing, broadcast revenue, sponsorship, hospitality and merchandising, and additional investment from Commonwealth Games Australia.This private investment will provide direct economic benefit for the Scottish supply chain. Glasgow 2026 Ltd has committed to the creation of a Scotland-focused procurement strategy which will provide operational and event-based contracts for Scottish suppliers and ultimately create a number of Scottish jobs, in line with other similar sized events. In addition, Glasgow 2026 Ltd will seek to make best use of the world-class event specialists in Scotland as it works to deliver the Games, providing further employment opportunities.Visitors to the event are also expected to provide further direct spending into the economy. It is anticipated that approximately 500,000 tickets will be available for sale. Past Commonwealth Games have strongly supported the visitor economy, driving tourism and footfall. For example, 34% of all visitors to the West Midlands in 2022 said they were influenced to attend because of the Games. As with all major events it will undoubtedly bring visitors and media attention to the city, provide an opportunity to promote Scotland to key Commonwealth markets as well as reinforce our reputation as the perfect stage for events.At this stage, Commonwealth Games Scotland estimate the total economic value of the Games to Scotland to be &pound;150 million. Anticipated benefits will be assessed throughout the project planning phase and the event will be subject to a final socio-economic impact evaluation.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428554,"EventID":"S6W-32759","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.483","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many new houses have been built as a direct result of funding from the Strengthening Communities Programme in the (a) Argyll and Bute, (b) Highland, (c) Western Isle","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many new houses have been built as a direct result of funding from the Strengthening Communities Programme in the (a) Argyll and Bute, (b) Highland, (c) Western Isles, (d) Orkney Islands, (e) Shetland Islands and (f) Moray local authority area since 2021.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s Strengthening Communities Programme (SCP) is a revenue fund which provides support to community anchor organisations to build capacity and sustainability.No new houses have therefore been built as a direct result of funding from SCP since 2021. However, SCP provides organisations such as Raasay Development Trust (Highlands), Sanday Development Trust (Orkney), Tomintoul &amp; Glenlivet Development Trust (Moray) and Fair Isle Development Trust (Shetland) with capacity building funding which includes support for delivering new housing developments.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428555,"EventID":"S6W-32778","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16205,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.733","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-20T15:00:16.753","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Scottish National Party manifesto commitment, what the cost would be in 2025-26 of bringing the Higher Property Rate into line with that in England, bro","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Scottish National Party manifesto commitment, what the cost would be in 2025-26 of bringing the Higher Property Rate into line with that in England, broken down by industry sector.","AnswerText":"In England, the standard multiplier in 2025-2026 is being uprated to 55.5p, from 54.6p in 2024-2025. In Scotland, the proposed Higher Property Rate for 2025-2026 is 56.8p, increasing from 55.9p in 2024-2025.Table 1 shows the estimated cost of setting the Higher Property Rate at 55.5p, compared to 56.8p, broken down by property class. The Scottish Government does not hold property-level data on industry sectors. Property class is a classification used by Scottish Assessors to describe the type of property, and does not necessarily accurately reflect the use of a property. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100,000, and may not sum due to rounding.Table 1: Estimated cost of setting the higher property rate to 55.5pProperty classEstimated costShops9,100,000Public houses and restaurants400,000Offices6,400,000Hotels2,500,000Industrial subjects9,300,000Leisure, entertainment, caravans, etc.1,100,000Garages and petrol stations400,000Cultural100,000Sporting subjects200,000Education and training5,000,000Public service subjects2,600,000Communications300,000Quarries, mines, etc.100,000Petrochemical1,500,000Religious&lt;50,000Health and medical1,900,000Other1,400,000Care facilities100,000Advertising100,000Statutory undertaking12,400,000All54,700,000","AnswerDate":"2025-01-07T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428556,"EventID":"S6W-32756","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.493","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on building new houses using the Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme in each year since 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on building new houses using the Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"The Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme (VDLIP) is available to local authorities which bring forward suitable project proposals associated with remediating and unblocking long-term vacant and derelict land, supporting place based approaches to delivering regeneration and sustainable inclusive growth, as part of a just transition to net-zero. Additional funding to support the delivery of new homes, where this is part of the project proposals, is considered as a part of the application process by the independent investment panel.The Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme (VDLIP) has invested &pound;6,258,299 in projects that support the development of affordable homes since 2021.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428557,"EventID":"S6W-32726","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.653","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to enable Creative Scotland to allocate more funding to projects in the Highlands and Islands region.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to enable Creative Scotland to allocate more funding to projects in the Highlands and Islands region.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has committed a further &pound;34m to the culture sector next financial year. This includes an additional &pound;20 million for Creative Scotland&rsquo;s multi-year funding programme. This will enable Creative Scotland to roll-out its multi-year funding programme from April 2025 &ndash; ensuring that the highest ever number of artists and organisations across Scotland including in the Highlands and Islands region receive regular funding. The Culture Collective programme will also be restarted which will benefit Scottish communities, community organisations, individual artists and freelancers.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428558,"EventID":"S6W-32746","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.207","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many mobile phones have been confiscated from prisoners and offenders in HMP Inverness in each month since May 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many mobile phones have been confiscated from prisoners and offenders in HMP Inverness in each month since May 2021.","AnswerText":"I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:The following table provides the number of mobile phone handsets that have been confiscated at HMP Inverness, each month, since May 2021:Month / Year2021202220232024January-766February-10104March-1456April-964May1985June4566July3765August4644September61265October10946November12594December6444The above figures include SPS issued mobile phones until 1 August 2023 when they were removed from use and replaced by in cell services.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428559,"EventID":"S6W-32761","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.427","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many new houses have been built as a direct result of funding from the Islands Programme Capital Funding Scheme in the (a) Argyll and Bute, (b) Highland, (c) Western","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many new houses have been built as a direct result of funding from the Islands Programme Capital Funding Scheme in the (a) Argyll and Bute, (b) Highland, (c) Western Isles, (d) Orkney Islands, (e) Shetland Islands and (f) Moray local authority area in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"Housing developments are not commonly the focus of proposals submitted for Islands Programme funding.Since 2021-22, four awards made through the Islands Programme have had the development of housing units among their deliverables. For some of these projects, the Islands Programme supported the delivery of enabling infrastructure, survey or other work required to proceed with the construction of housing units.The following table provides a summary of housing projects that have received funding through the Islands Programme since 2021-22.Local authorityFinancial yearNumber of housing units expected as part of projects receiving Islands Programme fundingArgyll and Bute Council2021-20222022-20232023-20242024-20259 (completed)012 (completion expected between 2025-2027)0Highland Council2021-20222022-20232023-20242024-20251 (completed)2 (completion expected summer 2025)00Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar2021-20222022-20232023-20242024-20250000Orkney Islands Council2021-20222022-20232023-20242024-20250000Shetland Islands Council2021-20222022-20232023-20242024-20250000Moray Council is not an island local authority and is not eligible for Islands Programme funding.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428560,"EventID":"S6W-32752","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.337","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many existing croft houses have been brought back into use through the Croft House Grant Scheme for each year since 2016, broken down by local authority area.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many existing croft houses have been brought back into use through the Croft House Grant Scheme for each year since 2016, broken down by local authority area.","AnswerText":"The information as requested is not available.  The house improvement option enables crofters to make both minor and significant improvements to their croft house. In 2023, we introduced energy efficiency measures, allowing crofters to apply for 80% grants of up to &pound;38k, to improve the energy performance of their property and contribute to energy cost savings.  Area * Croft House Grant Funding Awarded forHouse Improvements since 2016(&pound;) Argyll 239,281.54 Barra 143,442.68 Caithness 78,416.36 Harris 72,473.60 Inverness 34,717,60 Lewis 622,726.37 North Uist 68,473.20 Ross-shire 84,022.80 Shetland 263,077.61 Skye 440,124.36 South Uist 232,556.44 Sutherland 379,751.92 *Figures are broken down by the Rural Payments and Inspections Division by area not by local authority area.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428561,"EventID":"S6W-32762","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.727","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on building new houses using the Islands Programme Capital Funding Scheme in each year since 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on building new houses using the Islands Programme Capital Funding Scheme in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"The Islands Programme awarded &pound;120,000 in 2021-22, &pound;72,000 in 2022-23 and &pound;700,000 in 2023-24 to infrastructure projects supporting the delivery of housing units on islands.Housing developments are not commonly the focus of proposals submitted for Islands Programme funding.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428562,"EventID":"S6W-32733","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.343","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many school breakfast clubs there are in the (a) Argyll and Bute, (b) Highland, (c) Western Isles, (d) Orkney Islands, (e) Shetland Islands and (f) Moray local autho","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many school breakfast clubs there are in the (a) Argyll and Bute, (b) Highland, (c) Western Isles, (d) Orkney Islands, (e) Shetland Islands and (f) Moray local authority area.","AnswerText":"In 2024, the Scottish Government commissioned the Improvement Service with support from Assist FM, to map breakfast provision across Scotland. The results of this survey indicate that almost half of all primary and special schools in Scotland currently provide breakfasts in some form.Existing breakfast club provision is delivered through a mixed model of delivery via a range of service providers including public, private and third sector. Therefore, we do not hold a data set or register of breakfast club delivery at individual local authority level, although this data may be available locally.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428563,"EventID":"S6W-32738","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.277","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much drafting its Scottish Right to Work pilot proposal cost in civil service time.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much drafting its Scottish Right to Work pilot proposal cost in civil service time.","AnswerText":"There is no business requirement for officials to record the time spent on specific tasks or their work more generally. These are completed as part of normal duties, along with other tasks appropriate to roles as civil servants. As such, the Civil Service does not assess or hold costing estimates with regards to the development of policy proposals.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428564,"EventID":"S6W-32737","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.417","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many civil servants were allocated to (a) prepare and (b) draft its  Scottish Right to Work pilot proposal.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many civil servants were allocated to (a) prepare and (b) draft its  Scottish Right to Work pilot proposal.","AnswerText":"In November 2024, the Scottish Government published its Asylum Right to Work pilot proposal. It proposes a number of changes to current UK policy with regards to the right to work for people seeking asylum.Policy officials from both the Asylum &amp; Refugee Integration team and the Population team contributed to development of the proposal, however there were no civil servants allocated to this work on a full-time basis.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kaukab Stewart","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428565,"EventID":"S6W-32748","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many penalties has the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator issued to charities for each year since 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many penalties has the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator issued to charities for each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"This is a matter for the Scottish Charity Regulator. It is a non-ministerial office and its operations are independent of Scottish Ministers. The information requested is not held centrally and questions about any operational matters should be put directly to the Scottish Charity Regulator.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-09T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shirley-Anne Somerville","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428566,"EventID":"S6W-32744","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.81","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many  16-years and over have registered to opt-out of organ and tissue donation after death in each year since March 2021.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many  16-years and over have registered to opt-out of organ and tissue donation after death in each year since March 2021.","AnswerText":"Since March 2021 and each financial year thereafter, the following number of people aged 16-years and over resident in Scotland have registered an opt out decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register:2021-22 17,5392022-23 12,2642023-24 4,5582024-25* 3,514*1 April - 29 December 2024","AnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428567,"EventID":"S6W-32719","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.39","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review its decision not to proceed with any of the fixed link options proposed in the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2), in light of its","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review its decision not to proceed with any of the fixed link options proposed in the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2), in light of its announcement that it will make specific funding available to support connectivity in the Northern Isles, as set out in its draft Budget 2025-26.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to taking forward work on the three proposed fixed links identified as part of the second Strategic Transport Review (STPR2) under Recommendation 41. Noting that STPR2 is a long term plan, the next step is in determining whether there is a robust enough business case and local support to progress these options for more detailed consideration.The business cases for a potential Sound of Harris, Sound of Barra fixed links and a fixed link between Mull and Scottish mainland would need to consider the benefits, costs and challenges associated with these interventions and would further consider the feasibility of improving island connectivity through additional fixed links.The funding allocated in the draft Budget is for Orkney and Shetland Councils to improve inter-island connectivity in the way that best meets local needs, therefore distinct from the STPR2 recommendation.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428568,"EventID":"S6W-32745","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.703","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many 16-years and over are registered as being opted-in to the system for organ and tissue donation after death.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many 16-years and over are registered as being opted-in to the system for organ and tissue donation after death.","AnswerText":"As at 29 December 2024, the total number of people resident in Scotland, aged 16-years and over, who have registered an opt in decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register since its inception is 2,738,077.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428569,"EventID":"S6W-32728","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.563","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding Creative Scotland has distributed to organisations registered in (a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland in each each year since 2021-22.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding Creative Scotland has distributed to organisations registered in (a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland in each each year since 2021-22.","AnswerText":"Since 2021-22, Creative Scotland has distributed &pound;19.1m to organisations registered in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Funding distributed to organisations with a base outside Scotland will either have an office in Scotland and/or the funded activity will be related to work in Scotland. Full breakdown as follows:Financial YearNumber of ApplicationsAwarded Amount2021-221028,054,015.00*England947,986,035.00Northern Ireland420,480.00Wales447,500.002022-23632,654,155.00England612,609,065.00Wales245,090.002023-24875,891,529.50England825,851,986.50Northern Ireland432,543.00Wales17,000.002024-25492,513,499.00England482,499,696.00Northern Ireland113,803.00Grand Total30119,113,198.50*Figure includes some COVID-19 Emergency Funding","AnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428570,"EventID":"S6W-32727","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.667","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many staff Creative Scotland employ (a) nationally and (b) in the Highlands and Islands region.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many staff Creative Scotland employ (a) nationally and (b) in the Highlands and Islands region.","AnswerText":"Creative Scotland, as the national development body for the arts, currently employ 143 staff across Scotland. This figure includes four Creative Scotland staff members located in the Highlands and Islands region.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428571,"EventID":"S6W-32757","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.457","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many new houses have been built as a direct result of funding from the Investing in Communities Fund Programme in the (a) Argyll and Bute, (b) Highland, (c) Western ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many new houses have been built as a direct result of funding from the Investing in Communities Fund Programme in the (a) Argyll and Bute, (b) Highland, (c) Western Isles, (d) Orkney Islands, (e) Shetland Islands and (f) Moray local authority area in each year since 2021.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s Investing in Communities Fund (ICF) is a revenue fund which aims to empower communities by supporting them to deliver activity that helps tackle poverty, inequality and rural disadvantage on their own terms.The ICF is not intended to deliver capital projects, such as housing.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Tom Arthur","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428572,"EventID":"S6W-32739","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.693","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people have waited longer than 24 hours for an initial call through its Distress Brief Intervention service each year, broken down by health and social care par","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many people have waited longer than 24 hours for an initial call through its Distress Brief Intervention service each year, broken down by health and social care partnership area.","AnswerText":"In total, between June 2020 and May 2024, initial contact was not made within 24 hours for 216 people out of 58,657 referrals (less than 0.4%). The following table breaks this down by percentage due to the small number of cases in each area.Health &amp; Social Care PartnershipJune 20-May 21June 21-May 22June 22-May 23June 23-May 24&nbsp;% of all referralsAberdeen City0.300.10.2Aberdeenshire0000Angus0000Argyll and Bute000.80.9Clackmannanshire and Stirling001.70Dumfries and Galloway000.70.5Dundee City0000.1East Ayrshire00.300East Dunbartonshire0000.9East Lothian000.80East Renfrewshire001.10Edinburgh City00.200Falkirk000.90Fife000.20.2Glasgow City0.200.40.5Highland0.42.21.90.4Inverclyde00.20.90.4Midlothian000.50Moray0000North Ayrshire0000.2North Lanarkshire000.10.4Orkney Islands001.47.0Perth and Kinross1.22.10.50.8Renfrewshire001.30Scottish Borders000.60.3Shetland0000South Lanarkshire0.90.10.51.0West Dunbartonshire000.51.3West Lothian0.6000Western Isles0000Not Known (referrals with partial or missing postcodes)0.60.70.90.9Scotland Total0.30.30.50.4","AnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428573,"EventID":"S6W-32775","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.717","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-20T12:25:56.41","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether expressions of interest will be invioted to develop the air rights above (a) Charing Cross and (ii) High Street railway station in Glasgow to assess the potentia","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether expressions of interest will be invioted to develop the air rights above (a) Charing Cross and (ii) High Street railway station in Glasgow to assess the potential for funding improvement of  the (a) station infrastructure and (b) wider cityscape.","AnswerText":"This is a matter for Network Rail as the landowner. Transport Scotland would be engaged by Network Rail as a mandatory consultee under its license condition 17 obligations, when considering the disposal of railway land and/or rights in railway land.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428574,"EventID":"S6W-32625","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.21","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T16:28:39.887","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards have restricted access to mental health services to tier (a) 3 and (b) 4 patients.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards have restricted access to mental health services to tier (a) 3 and (b) 4 patients.","AnswerText":"Tier 3 and Tier 4 services are those secondary and specialist mental health services - including Community Mental Health Teams, Adult Acute Psychiatry, and specialist Perinatal Mental Health care, that usually require a referral from a GP or other health care professional. All mental health scheduled and planned care services manage access in some way for example by using waiting lists &ndash; including access to Psychological Therapies teams or CAMHS services. In all cases patients are triaged and urgent cases are seen as a priority.Improving access to Mental Health services is a priority for Scottish Government and whilst we recognise the ongoing pressures facing the NHS, long waits are unacceptable we remain committed to supporting all Boards to achieve the standard that 90% of patents start treatment within 18 weeks of referral in CAMHS and PT.We are also working with NHS Boards and National Partners to improve Mental Health Unscheduled Care pathways to ensure that anyone requiring urgent and unplanned support is able to get the right care, in the right place, the first time regardless of when or how they access care. This is facilitated by NHS 24&rsquo;s Mental Health Hub which is accessible through the 111 service and provides a 24/7 compassionate service to anyone in distress or requiring mental health and wellbeing support. Should the Hub determine that further urgent assessment or urgent referral to local services is required, they will refer the person to a mental health clinician within their relevant Board. Each Health Board is now providing access to a mental health unscheduled care clinician 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428575,"EventID":"S6W-32736","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.753","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what cost-benefit analysis Creative Scotland carries out of the organisations that it provides (a) single-year and (b) multi-year funding to.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what cost-benefit analysis Creative Scotland carries out of the organisations that it provides (a) single-year and (b) multi-year funding to.","AnswerText":"As per Creative Scotland&rsquo;s (CS) Regular Funding Organisation (RFO) handbook, CS works with organisations to ensure that expectations such as contribution to the development of the sector, best practice governance, management and leadership, and resilient financial health are met.RFOs provide data and reports to CS on an annual basis and further detail on the monitoring data and information that CS gather can be found here: Project Monitoring | Creative ScotlandCS&rsquo; other funding activity to organisations is based on their Strategic Priorities and Funding Criteria, which is available on the following link: Strategic Framework and Funding Criteria | Creative Scotland","AnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428576,"EventID":"S6W-32729","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.397","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding Creative Scotland has distributed to organisations registered in the European Union in each year since 2021-22.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much funding Creative Scotland has distributed to organisations registered in the European Union in each year since 2021-22.","AnswerText":"Since 2021-22, Creative Scotland distributed &pound;251k to organisations registered in the EU (plus Norway). Full breakdown as follows:Financial YearNumber of ApplicationsAwarded Amount*2021-22125,000.00France125,000.002022-23585,197.00France230,000.00Luxembourg121,197.00Netherlands14,000.00Norway130,000.002023-24684,380.00France125,000.00Germany214,200.00Italy117,680.00Netherlands12,500.00Norway125,000.002024-25456,800.00Denmark140,000.00Germany214,200.00Netherlands12,600.00Grand Total16251,377.00*Figures includes some COVID-19 emergency funding","AnswerDate":"2025-01-13T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428577,"EventID":"S6W-32743","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2024-12-23T14:54:47.787","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors the efficacy of its Distress Brief Intervention service.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors the efficacy of its Distress Brief Intervention service.","AnswerText":"In setting up of the DBI pilot programme in 2017, the Scottish Government created a dedicated DBI Central team to support and monitor implementation of this innovative programme. The Central team works closely with Public Health Scotland to provide monitoring reports to Government (and wider partners), and this evidence has informed the expansion of the programme across Scotland over the last eight years.In addition to routine monitoring, the Government has commissioned two independent evaluations of the DBI programme to review its impact. The first evaluation relates to the original pilot phase of DBI (for over 18s) Distress Brief Intervention Pilot Programme evaluation: findings report - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) and the second relates to the NHS24 expansion https://www.gov.scot/publications/evaluation-extended-distress-brief-intervention-programme-summary-findings/Both evaluations confirmed that DBI is a highly effective model in supporting people in distress, with 90% reporting that their distress levels continued to decrease and that they felt it had given them the tools and skills to manage their distress. Additionally, evaluation suggests that, in around 10% of referrals, DBI support has helped prevent suicidal thoughts, or even suicide. Additionally, feedback from frontline services suggests that DBI helps ensure they can help people to access the support they need, easing pressure on frontline services.A further independent evaluation, relating to how effective DBI is for under 18s, is underway, and is expected to report to the Scottish Government in June 2025.To enable a smooth expansion of the DBI programme, we have used improvement science and an active learning approach.The DBI programme has now supported over 78,000 people across Scotland (as of November 2024).","AnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Maree Todd","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428578,"EventID":"S6W-32787","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3994,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-03T15:04:29.29","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-20T17:03:31.487","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is helping to tackle ash dieback.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is helping to tackle ash dieback.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is continuing to work collaboratively to provide information on ash dieback and guidance on the management of trees affected by this disease. Scottish Forestry chairs the Ash Dieback Risk Group Scotland, bringing together practitioners from local authorities and the forestry, arboriculture, transport, utilities, research and nature conservation sectors to share knowledge, experience and examples of best practice in managing ash dieback. Scottish Forestry engaged The Tree Council to work alongside the Ash Dieback Risk Group, producing a toolkit for the preparation of ash dieback action plans by local authorities and other large-scale landowners and asset managers. The toolkit provides a framework for preparing action plans, and contains recent case studies and resources created by a number of Scottish local authorities and other organisations. A suite of guidance tailored for Scotland has been published and further information on safety when working on ash trees affected by ash dieback has been developed with input from stakeholders and is due to be published shortly.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428579,"EventID":"S6W-32791","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-03T15:04:30.56","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-21T09:34:01.44","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the publication of the Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics 2023, whether discarding is continuing in the Nephrops trawl fishery, and what action is being taken","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the publication of the Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics 2023, whether discarding is continuing in the Nephrops trawl fishery, and what action is being taken to reduce any such food waste or ecosystem harm.","AnswerText":"The abundance of fish in Scottish waters means that a varied industry has developed over time, with many different types of fishing vessels operating as part of a mixed fishery. There are different target fish species, depending on the type of fishing vessel and where it operates, and different issues around unwanted catch. Discarding in the nephrops trawl fishery does occur as whitefish may be caught alongside nephrops. Since the introduction of the landing obligation, this unwanted catch can amount to a disproportionate cost for fisherman who have to land and then dispose of it. As such, the Scottish Government have utilised lawful exemptions to the landing obligation for these fish, in order to lessen the financial burden on these small nephrops vessels. These exempted fish are fully accounted for in quota calculations and factored into stock assessments.As part of the policy development of our Future Catching Policy, we have been working with industry to explore pragmatic technical and spatial measures to support fishers to reduce discarding. We also know there are improvements we can make to the implementation of the landing obligation that will make the rules around discarding more effective and will work with industry and others to develop this.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-08T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428580,"EventID":"S6W-32795","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-03T15:04:29.363","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-22T10:03:33.953","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on applying a cap to fishing activity in inshore waters, of up to three nautical miles, that will limit activity to current levels and set a ce","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on applying a cap to fishing activity in inshore waters, of up to three nautical miles, that will limit activity to current levels and set a ceiling from which activities that disrupt the seabed can be reduced.","AnswerText":"In 2024 the Scottish Government launched the Inshore Fisheries Management Improvement Programme to develop a more agile, responsive and regional management framework. Our vision is that this framework will enable us to tailor a wider range of fisheries management tools to the changing needs of our marine environment and fishers, based on the best available scientific data.This is a transformational project for inshore fisheries in Scotland, supporting delivery of locally appropriate management solutions. As such, the Scottish Government is not currently progressing proposals for a national cap on fishing activity in our inshore waters.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428581,"EventID":"S6W-32785","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-03T15:04:30.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-20T16:12:57.293","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the fifth supplementary question to question S6T-02254 by Jamie Hepburn on 17 December 2024, when the Minister for Parliamentary Business will ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the fifth supplementary question to question S6T-02254 by Jamie Hepburn on 17 December 2024, when the Minister for Parliamentary Business will issue the response that he stated would be provided \"in due course\".","AnswerText":"In his question to me in the chamber on 17 December, the Member asked about the handling of a Freedom of Information request made to the Scottish Government in April 2021, which sought information regarding James Hamilton's investigation under the Ministerial Code (see: https://www.gov.scot/publications/independent-report-by-james-hamilton-on-the-first-ministers-self-referral-under-the-scottish-ministerial-code/).The Member has corresponded with the Scottish Government on a number of matters relating to this issue. On 17 December I was aware that the Member was awaiting the Scottish Government&rsquo;s response to his letter of 20 November, specifically regarding the costs of legal advice in relation to these matters. The Scottish Government&rsquo;s response to the Member&rsquo;s letter of 20 November was subsequently issued on 19 December. This is the response referred to in my answer.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jamie Hepburn","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428582,"EventID":"S6W-32783","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-03T15:04:30.567","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-20T16:09:50.21","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that appropriate training is delivered to dentists to enable them to undertake alcohol brief interventions.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that appropriate training is delivered to dentists to enable them to undertake alcohol brief interventions.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is currently working on a National Treatment Specification for Alcohol and Drug Treatment in Scotland.This document will be informed by numerous sources including the forthcoming UK Clinical Guidelines for Alcohol Treatment and the recently published Public Health Scotland review into Alcohol Brief Interventions as well as key independent reports such as Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP) report, Exploring the delivery of alcohol-related health advice in dental practice settings: A scoping review.Officials will work closely with colleagues within Primary Care including the team of the Chief Dental Officer to ensure that the National Treatment Specification fully reflects the importance of dentistry as an integral part of Scotland&rsquo;s alcohol treatment provision.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428583,"EventID":"S6W-32796","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-03T15:04:30.67","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-22T18:19:52.22","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to granting an exemption to the Additional Dwelling Supplement on Land and Buildings Transaction Tax for those buying property for disabl","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to granting an exemption to the Additional Dwelling Supplement on Land and Buildings Transaction Tax for those buying property for disabled family members.","AnswerText":"My December 2025-25 Budget announcement included the commitment to conduct our first five-year review of LBTT by the end of this Parliament, to support an evaluation of key aspects of the tax legislation, including the application of the ADS where exceptional circumstances and events occur.As part of this review, officials will engage a range stakeholders and members of the public on a range of general and specific relating to the LBTT and Additional Dwelling Supplement legislation.The upcoming review will in part look to build further understanding on the impact of the ADS where difficult or exceptional circumstances apply, as well as understanding any complexities and uncertainties for the tax system for accommodating any subsequent changes.The review, which will commence this coming spring, will support decisions in the next Parliament on the case for any legislative changes.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Shona Robison","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428584,"EventID":"S6W-32782","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-03T15:04:29.277","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-20T16:09:50.21","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will work with the dental profession to identify and address any barriers to the delivery of alcohol-related health advice in dental practice settings.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will work with the dental profession to identify and address any barriers to the delivery of alcohol-related health advice in dental practice settings.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is currently working on a National Treatment Specification for Alcohol and Drug Treatment in Scotland.This document will be informed by numerous sources including the forthcoming UK Clinical Guidelines for Alcohol Treatment and the recently published Public Health Scotland review into Alcohol Brief Interventions as well as key independent reports such as Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP) report, Exploring the delivery of alcohol-related health advice in dental practice settings: A scoping review.Officials will work closely with colleagues within Primary Care including the team of the Chief Dental Officer to ensure that the National Treatment Specification fully reflects the importance of dentistry as an integral part of Scotland&rsquo;s alcohol treatment provision.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428585,"EventID":"S6W-32790","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-03T15:04:30.417","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-21T09:34:01.44","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the publication of the Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics 2023, what action it is taking to promote low-impact, sustainable fishing, in light of it reportedly","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the publication of the Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics 2023, what action it is taking to promote low-impact, sustainable fishing, in light of it reportedly being a more stable and reliable part of the fleet.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government acts on many fronts to promote low-impact, sustainable sea fishing.Our Future Fisheries Management Strategy sets out our vision for Scotland to be a world class fishing nation, delivering responsible and sustainable fisheries management, and actions we will take to deliver that vision. This ten year Strategy includes our Future Catching Policy which aims to develop new rules, in cooperation with stakeholders, to regulate activity at sea in order to support the increased accountability and sustainability of Scottish fisheries: Fisheries - future catching policy: consultation - gov.scot.On a day-to-day basis our compliance and operational staff oversee compliance with regulation and administrative requirements (whether that be in our 18 coastal offices or marine protection vessels), and our scientists provide data to help inform management decisions at a Scottish, UK and international level.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi McAllan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428586,"EventID":"S6W-32793","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-03T15:04:30.54","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-21T13:13:08.95","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) NatureScot and (b) other relevant stakeholders about varying licence conditions for bird ringing, in relation to schedule 1 of the W","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) NatureScot and (b) other relevant stakeholders about varying licence conditions for bird ringing, in relation to schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, to require prior landowner notification.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has discussed the proposed new condition to schedule 1 licences with NatureScot on a number of occasions. The new condition will require prior notification to landowners, where reasonably practical, of all visits to nests, or other sites, potentially involving disturbance of schedule 1 birds.NatureScot, as the licensing body, have discussed the additional licensing condition with a range of stakeholders including the Scottish Raptor Study Group, RSPB, British Ornithology Trust and the Scottish Gamekeeper&rsquo;s Association.In addition to this, I have met with some of the above stakeholders to discuss their concerns about the issue.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Alasdair Allan","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428587,"EventID":"S6W-32788","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-03T15:04:30.337","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-21T09:34:01.44","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government when remote electronic monitoring will be fitted to inshore trawlers to ensure that fish caught in Scottish inshore seas is landed in local ports.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government when remote electronic monitoring will be fitted to inshore trawlers to ensure that fish caught in Scottish inshore seas is landed in local ports.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government&rsquo;s amended economic link conditions took effect in 2023 to increase landings of key stocks into Scotland and ensure there is a significant economic benefit to Scottish coastal communities from this fishing opportunity.Indications are that the policy change has succeeded in delivering greater pelagic landings into Scotland &ndash; widening the benefit arising from Scotland&rsquo;s fishing opportunities.Economic link conditions apply to vessels greater than 10 metres in length and for 2025 requires vessels to land at least 55% of their total combined landings of herring, mackerel, Nephrops, haddock, anglerfish, cod, hake and whiting into Scotland or provide the Scottish Government fishing opportunities (in the following year) that we give to the broader fleet.We monitor progress and compliance with the economic link conditions via established data gathering programmes, remote electronic monitoring is not required for that purpose.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428588,"EventID":"S6W-32779","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-03T15:04:30.417","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-20T15:20:19.11","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work to (a) eliminate cervical cancer and (b) tackle any inequalities in human papillomavirus (HPV) (i) vaccination and (ii) scr","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work to (a) eliminate cervical cancer and (b) tackle any inequalities in human papillomavirus (HPV) (i) vaccination and (ii) screening coverage rates.","AnswerText":"(a) As set out on 22 January 2024 in response to question S6W-24720, the Scottish Government has established an Expert Group to lead on scoping work to consider and provide recommendations on how Scotland will work towards reaching the targets set by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to eliminate Cervical Cancer.As well as the Expert Group itself, three subgroups have been established to support the Expert Group in considering and analysing data on specific topics (vaccination, screening and cancer treatment).The sub groups held inaugural meetings in September, and discussions are ongoing to inform recommendations on how Scotland will progress towards Cervical Cancer elimination and when this could potentially be achieved. These recommendations will be considered by the Scottish Government.(b) The Scottish Government recognises the importance of HPV vaccination and screening.(i) The latest published HPV vaccination uptake data from PHS shows that pupils living in the most deprived quintiles had lower coverage of the HPV vaccine compared with pupils from the least deprived areas. We are working with Public Health Scotland (PHS) and territorial Health Boards to consider what further actions can be taken to increase vaccination uptake, support those eligible for vaccination, and to address any inequalities in accessing immunisation services. Reducing vaccine inequalities is one of the three primary objectives in PHS&rsquo;s recently published Scotland's 5-Year Vaccination and Immunisation Framework and Delivery Plan.Completion of consent forms is required to participate in school vaccination programmes. We therefore welcome the return of the PHS marketing campaign, &ldquo;chat.sign.protect&rdquo;, which builds on the messages of last year&rsquo;s campaign to raise awareness of vaccines offered in secondary school and encourage an increase in the numbers of parents and young people giving consent to be vaccinated.Timed to coincide with the distribution of informed consent materials to young people, the campaign aims to increase understanding of why these vaccines are important, and the seriousness of the diseases they protect against, and encourages parents and carers to take action and sign consent forms to ensure our young people receive the protection offered by immunisation.Addressing the inequalities in HPV uptake and maximising the opportunities for young people to receive the vaccine is a primary focus of the Cervical Cancer elimination work.(ii) The Equity in Screening Strategy, combined with an action plan, was published on 27th July 2023. The vision of the strategy is for access for all eligible individuals, across the full screening pathway. The Strategy launched alongside the Equity in Screening Network which supports the strategy by capturing local and third sector research activity and allows individuals that work across screening to share evidence, best practice and learning around screening inequalities.Several national projects are being supported by the Inequalities Fund of &pound;1 million. This includes changes to national IT systems to improve engagement with participants. Research and learning from past projects has shown some ways to increase access to screening and uptake, including appointment reminders and targeted follow-up with non-responders.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428589,"EventID":"S6W-32797","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-03T15:04:30.533","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-23T08:12:58.95","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to prevent so-called \"ghost fishing\".","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to prevent so-called \"ghost fishing\".","AnswerText":"&ldquo;Ghost fishing&rdquo; results from abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear and has a negative impact on our environment. Some loss is unavoidable because of weather, snagging or gear failure, and fishers make every effort to retrieve this gear where possible. Marine litter resulting from fishing gear is a shared global problem and we will continue our work in Scotland set out in our Marine Litter Strategy, and internationally through the Oslo Paris Convention (OSPAR) and the Global Ghost Gear Initiative to help tackle it.Marine Directorate Coastal Offices currently operate a mechanism for reporting gear loss with an aim of helping fishers work together to recover and identify lost gear. Additionally, in 2020 we introduced The Gear Marking (Scotland) Order, which makes it a legal requirement for a fishing vessel to deploy buoys made for that purpose displaying their name and registration number. This builds on the Best Practice Guidance for Marking Static Fishing Gear we published in 2018 and gives the best possible chance for fishers to be reunited with displaced gear. We are also encouraging the industry to develop voluntary codes of conduct to reduce instances of gear conflict, and our national network of Regional Inshore Fisheries Groups are the correct medium for such proposals to be developed.Throughout 2025 we will promote improved gear design to help reduce the risk of loss and resulting environmental impact using the European standard for circular design of fishing gear and aquaculture equipment, published in November 2024. The standard will also support our work with industry to improve the collection and recycling of end-of-life fishing gear when it is brought ashore. We will use the learning from our extensive research over the last 3 years to develop policy options that could help our fleets with their waste management and support the growth of our circular economy. Fishers' professional training modules will continue to educate on the issue of plastic pollution and environmental impact. We will also continue to fund KIMO&rsquo;s Fishing for Litter programme which is now active in 32 Scottish harbours, enabling the landing of passively caught waste including fishing gear, as well as encouraging responsible waste management.The intentional disposal of gear at sea remains an offence covered by the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) regulations which are enforced by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). We will continue to report information regarding intentional dumping from any fishing vessel through our intelligence system to the MCA.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Gillian Martin","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428590,"EventID":"S6W-32794","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-03T15:04:30.563","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-21T16:58:37.937","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Travel Demand Management Options Study, prepared for Transport Scotland, was not published before 11 December 2024, in light of being dated and copyr","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Travel Demand Management Options Study, prepared for Transport Scotland, was not published before 11 December 2024, in light of being dated and copyrighted March 2023.","AnswerText":"Our draft route map to achieving a 20% reduction in car use, co-developed with COSLA, published in January 2022, committed to exploring equitable options for demand management to discourage car use. A period of engagement and consultation followed publication, and the analysis and consideration of the consultation responses are shaping an updated route map.The independent research on Travel Demand Management Options Study by AECOM was intended to be published alongside the updated route map. However, the decision was taken to publish the research ahead of this this, adding to the evidence base on how to reduce car use fairly in Scotland, while Transport Scotland continues to engage with local and regional partners to update the route map which we will publish on completion of that engagement. The AECOM research is not Scottish Government policy and was published alongside a policy position statement.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428591,"EventID":"S6W-32784","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-03T15:04:30.34","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-20T16:09:50.21","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will raise public awareness of the role of dentists in addressing alcohol-related harm.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will raise public awareness of the role of dentists in addressing alcohol-related harm.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is currently working on a National Treatment Specification for Alcohol and Drug Treatment in Scotland.This document will be informed by numerous sources including the forthcoming UK Clinical Guidelines for Alcohol Treatment and the recently published Public Health Scotland review into Alcohol Brief Interventions as well as key independent reports such as Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP) report, Exploring the delivery of alcohol-related health advice in dental practice settings: A scoping review.Officials will work closely with colleagues within Primary Care including the team of the Chief Dental Officer to ensure that the National Treatment Specification fully reflects the importance of dentistry as an integral part of Scotland&rsquo;s alcohol treatment provision.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428592,"EventID":"S6W-32781","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-03T15:04:29.487","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-20T16:09:50.21","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP) report, Exploring the delivery of alcohol-related health advice in dental practice setting","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP) report, Exploring the delivery of alcohol-related health advice in dental practice settings: A scoping review, and what its position is on whether there is a role for dentists in addressing alcohol-related harm.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government is currently working on a National Treatment Specification for Alcohol and Drug Treatment in Scotland.This document will be informed by numerous sources including the forthcoming UK Clinical Guidelines for Alcohol Treatment and the recently published Public Health Scotland review into Alcohol Brief Interventions as well as key independent reports such as Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP) report, Exploring the delivery of alcohol-related health advice in dental practice settings: A scoping review.Officials will work closely with colleagues within Primary Care including the team of the Chief Dental Officer to ensure that the National Treatment Specification fully reflects the importance of dentistry as an integral part of Scotland&rsquo;s alcohol treatment provision.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428593,"EventID":"S6W-32780","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-03T15:04:30.543","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-20T16:09:50.21","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of reports that alcohol-related hospital admissions continue to be below pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of reports that alcohol-related hospital admissions continue to be below pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the gradual reduction of alcohol-related hospital admissions over the past decade and is working closely with Public Health Scotland, local services and other stakeholders to ensure the reasons behind the gradual reduction are factored in to service provision.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428594,"EventID":"S6W-32789","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":3983,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-03T15:04:30.33","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-21T09:34:01.44","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many of the 12 actions in Scotland&rsquo;s Fisheries Management Strategy 2020-2030 Delivery Plan have been achieved to date.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many of the 12 actions in Scotland&rsquo;s Fisheries Management Strategy 2020-2030 Delivery Plan have been achieved to date.","AnswerText":"Scotland&rsquo;s Fisheries Management Strategy is a ten year strategy and most of the actions relate to the ongoing delivery of our management functions. The progress being made with these will help ensure a stable context for fishing businesses to operate within. We intend to publish an updated Future Fisheries Management Delivery Plan in the coming months, which will provide information on the progress made for each of the 12 actions.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428595,"EventID":"S6W-32798","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":2127,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":13,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-03T15:04:30.673","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-23T08:57:33.83","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what financial support it provides to prevent the closure of public libraries.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what financial support it provides to prevent the closure of public libraries.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government works closely with the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC), which provides leadership and advice to Scottish Ministers, local authorities, and the wider libraries sector.In 2024-2025 we have provided the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) with &pound;665K from the Culture Budget, as recognition of the importance of our public libraries, and to support the excellent services they provide. In the 2025-26 budget the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) have been allocated &pound;935K from the culture budget.Public library policy is devolved to local authorities, they have a statutory duty to ensure there is adequate provision of library services for their residents.The Scottish Government provided block grant funding of over &pound;14 billion to Local Authorities in 2024-25, a real terms increase of 2.5 per cent. The 2025-26 Scottish Budget, published on 4 December 2024 provides local government in Scotland with record funding of over &pound;15 billion, an increase of over &pound;1 billion or a real terms increase of 4.7% compared to 2024-25.Any decision around public libraries and other local services must be considered extremely carefully. We strongly encourage local authorities to work in partnership with communities to explore ways of delivering services, based on need.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428596,"EventID":"S6W-32792","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-03T15:04:30.667","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-21T13:11:22.153","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the provision for rail services in its draft Budget 2025-26 contains anything for new stations at Cove and Newtonhill, in light of the reportedly large number of","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether the provision for rail services in its draft Budget 2025-26 contains anything for new stations at Cove and Newtonhill, in light of the reportedly large number of positive respondents to a local petition on this matter.","AnswerText":"There is currently no provision in the draft Budget 2025-26 for new stations at Cove and Newtonhill, as we are awaiting the formal investment case being conducted by Nestrans to conclude.Rail proposals are considered by Transport Scotland subject to a robust business case being demonstrated in line with Scottish Transport Analysis Guide (Scot-TAG) | Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) | Transport Scotland and Guidance on the development of Business Cases - March 2016 | Transport Scotland, as well as other Scottish Government priorities, our rail investment strategy and affordability.In recognition of calls from the interested parties, Nestrans previously received Scottish Government funding to undertake the initial stages of the Aberdeen to Laurencekirk Multi-Modal Study | Nestrans. This is now funded by them and they are using STAG for the appraisal of options to improve opportunities for travel by all modes between Aberdeen and Laurencekirk. The appraisal is considering multi-modal transport options, including options for buses and rail stations at Cove and Newtonhill. This work is nearing completion and Transport Scotland will consider its findings once received.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-23T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428622,"EventID":"S6W-32810","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-06T17:49:10.813","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-23T10:24:38.55","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans are in place to ensure that the recent reports of \"medical misogyny\" within gynaecological health care will not affect people in the future.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what plans are in place to ensure that the recent reports of \"medical misogyny\" within gynaecological health care will not affect people in the future.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"The Women&rsquo;s Health Plan set out actions which aim to address women&rsquo;s health inequalities by raising awareness around women&rsquo;s health, improving access to health care for women across their lives, and reducing inequalities in health outcomes for women and girls. We have taken specific action through the Plan to support practitioners providing care to women accessing their service including commissioning NHS Education for Scotland to create bespoke training packages on menstrual health and menopause for general practice and others working in Primary Care. In addition, our &lsquo;Women's experiences of discrimination and the impact on health&rsquo; report was published on 27 June 2023. The report examines the current evidence base on women's health inequalities and reports on a two-phase research project. The findings in this project contribute to the evidence base on women's health inequalities, discrimination and young women through in-depth exploration of women in Scotland's intersectional experiences. The findings from this report will inform the next phase of the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan. Our ambition is that &lsquo;women and girls enjoy the best possible health, throughout their lives&rsquo;. This remains the ambition of the Scottish Government, and will continue to be our guiding principle as we consider the next phase of the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan. Our Women&rsquo;s Health Plan 2021 - 2024 Final Report on progress provides further details of our work to date.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428623,"EventID":"S6W-32820","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-06T17:49:11.813","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-30T10:44:32.293","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason there has reportedly been a 24% decrease in solicitors registered for children's legal aid since 2020, what analysis it is undertaking to understand any ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason there has reportedly been a 24% decrease in solicitors registered for children's legal aid since 2020, what analysis it is undertaking to understand any issues caused by this, and what action it will take to address those issues, including reversing the reported decrease in numbers.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"The Legal Services (Scotland) Act 2010 gave the Scottish Legal Aid Board the function of monitoring the availability and accessibility of legal services in Scotland, and it has arrangements in place to monitor legal services. However, any assessment of registered solicitor numbers does not offer an accurate measure of the provision or supply of legal aid. This is because there is a large number of registered solicitors who are inactive, so the reduction in the number of registered solicitors, doesn&rsquo;t necessarily equate to the same size of reduction in active solicitors. Therefore, registered solicitor numbers should not be viewed in the same context as active solicitors. The relevant measure of supply is active solicitors.However, fluctuations in the numbers of Children&rsquo;s solicitors occur for various reasons, these are:Children&rsquo;s legal assistance volumes are directly related to the numbers of children&rsquo;s hearings taking place. The volume of hearings is in turn related to the number of Compulsory Supervision Orders (CSOs) being made or reviewed.There are fewer Compulsory Supervision Orders and therefore less business for solicitors in this field.At 31 March 2024, 6,490 children were subject to Compulsory Supervision Orders. In 2019-20, the number was 8,875 &ndash; a reduction of 27%.The number of children subject to Compulsory Supervision Orders has decreased for a fourteenth consecutive year.The Scottish Government recognises that reform is needed to the legal aid system, which is why we are currently developing a legal aid action plan for reform which will be published in early 2025.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Siobhian Brown","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428624,"EventID":"S6W-32717","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-06T17:49:11.41","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21099 by Jenni Minto on 19 September 2023, how many of its pharmacist pre-registration training places were (a) available and (b) ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21099 by Jenni Minto on 19 September 2023, how many of its pharmacist pre-registration training places were (a) available and (b) filled on 31 December (i) 2019, (ii) 2020, (iii) 2021, (iv) 2022, (v) 2023 and (vi) 2024.","AnswerText":"The following table shows the number of pre-registration training places available and filled on each of the requested dates. Date Posts Available Posts Filled 31 December 2019 200 200 31 December 2020 215 215 31 December 2021 235 214 31 December 2022 235 223 31 December 2023 235 216 31 December 2024 220 213","AnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428625,"EventID":"S6W-32732","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-06T17:49:12.04","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how much was spent on (a) foreign travel, (b) foreign accommodation and (c) other expenses associated with official overseas visits for the (i) Lord Advocate and (ii) So","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how much was spent on (a) foreign travel, (b) foreign accommodation and (c) other expenses associated with official overseas visits for the (i) Lord Advocate and (ii) Solicitor General in the calendar year, 2024.","AnswerText":"All costs associated with overseas visits undertaken by the Lord Advocate and Solicitor General in their roles as heads of the systems of prosecution and deaths investigation are paid by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service budget.In the calendar year 2024 the costs associated with overseas travel for the Lord Advocate, all of which are associated with ongoing criminal investigations and casework, are as follows:FlightsAccommodation&pound;4,427.40&pound;434.67The Lord Advocate did not undertake any overseas trips in her capacity as a Scottish Minister.The Solicitor General made no overseas trips in the calendar year 2024.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-22T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Dorothy Bain","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428626,"EventID":"S6W-32805","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-06T17:49:11.98","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-23T10:24:38.55","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to reduce any inequality within women&rsquo;s cardiac health, in light of research from the British Heart Foundation, which shows that women are 50% more li","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to reduce any inequality within women&rsquo;s cardiac health, in light of research from the British Heart Foundation, which shows that women are 50% more likely than men to receive the wrong initial diagnosis for a heart attack.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"We made clear commitments to tackling the inequalities faced by women with heart disease in our Women&rsquo;s Health Plan, published in August 2021. Actions taken and progress are outlined in the Women's health plan 2021 to 2024: final report - gov.scot.  Our ambition is that women and girls enjoy the best possible health, throughout their lives. This remains the ambition of the Scottish Government, and will continue to be our guiding principle as we develop the next phase of the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan. Any future priorities will be determined in partnership with our stakeholders.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428627,"EventID":"S6W-32823","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-06T17:49:12.337","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-30T21:47:45.953","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it holds time series data on the annual number of households and dwellings in Glasgow from the start of the 20th century to date.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it holds time series data on the annual number of households and dwellings in Glasgow from the start of the 20th century to date.","AnswerText":"I have asked Alison Byrne, Chief Executive of National Records of Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:Annual estimates of households and dwellings by local authority area are published by the National Records of Scotland. The statistics on households are available for each year back to 1991 for households and to 2001 for dwellings. The household and dwelling estimates for 2001 to 2023 are available in Tables 1 and 2 respectively in the Data file for Households and Dwellings in Scotland, 2023. Household estimates for 1991 to 2000 are available in Table 1 of  Household Estimates for Scotland 2006. Statistics on the number of households and dwellings in different areas are available in the reports of the 1901 and subsequent decennial censuses","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428629,"EventID":"S6W-32716","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-06T17:49:11.203","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:57:26.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how many community pharmacies there were in NHS (a) Highland, (b) Grampian, (c) Orkney, (d) Shetland and (e) Western Isles areas on 31 December (i) 2021, (ii) 2022, (iii","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how many community pharmacies there were in NHS (a) Highland, (b) Grampian, (c) Orkney, (d) Shetland and (e) Western Isles areas on 31 December (i) 2021, (ii) 2022, (iii) 2023 and (iv) 2024.","AnswerText":"The number of community pharmacies in each Health Board requested are shown in the following table.NHS Board(i) 2021(ii) 2022(Iii) 2023(iv) 2024(a) Highland132132131130(b) Grampian83858381(c) Orkney4444(d) Shetland5555(e) Western Isles3333","AnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428630,"EventID":"S6W-32808","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-06T17:49:11.847","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-23T10:24:38.55","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to data from the British Heart Foundation showing that, in Scotland, women are less likely to undergo angiography, receive revascularisation therapi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to data from the British Heart Foundation showing that, in Scotland, women are less likely to undergo angiography, receive revascularisation therapies and receive potentially lifesaving medications when they leave hospital.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"We thank researchers at the University of Aberdeen and the Keele Cardiovascular Research Group for their important contribution to understanding sex disparities in care and outcomes across Scotland amongst men and women admitted for heart attacks.&nbsp; We will continue to engage with women and girls, clinicians, academics and the third sector to explore the drivers and solutions to disparities in care for women with heart disease as we develop the next phase of the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428631,"EventID":"S6W-32804","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-06T17:49:11.95","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-23T10:24:38.55","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported increasing demand on the NHS, what is being done to support and retain doctors.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported increasing demand on the NHS, what is being done to support and retain doctors.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government has so far invested over &pound;190 million in pay uplifts for acute hospital doctors employed by NHS Scotland in 2024-25. This investment will ensure NHS Scotland remains the place of choice to work and train and is in recognition of the incredible contribution that they make within our health service.We wrote to health boards in June 2024 on the findings and recommendations of the Improving Medical Retention Advisory Group to support the retention of consultants at the latter stage and peri-retirement career phase in particular - Recommendations to improve the retention of consultants at the latter stage and peri-retirement career phase.There is strong evidence which demonstrates that positive wellbeing enhances staff retention, which in turn raises standards of patient safety and quality of care. In support, from 2024-25, Scottish Government are investing over &pound;2.5 million annually to support health and social care staff wellbeing. This funding provides our workforce with access to psychological interventions and therapies, self-service resources through the National Wellbeing Hub and the National Wellbeing Helpline delivered by NHS 24. Registered staff including doctors also have access to confidential mental health services through the Workforce Specialist Service (WSS). Furthermore, the National Supporting work life balance policies provide staff with a range of flexible working options to help balance lifestyle whilst maintaining and promoting the best possible service.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428632,"EventID":"S6W-32803","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-06T17:49:11.11","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-23T10:24:38.55","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government who oversees the Softer Landing, Safer Care programme.&nbsp; &nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government who oversees the Softer Landing, Safer Care programme.&nbsp; &nbsp;","AnswerText":"As set out in answer S6W-32799 on 14 January 2025 when the Softer Landing, Safer Care programme was introduced health boards agreed with NES to implement the programme for International Medical graduates (IMGs) starting their first hospital placement in NHS Scotland. The programme is part of a coordinated offer that sits alongside the training pathway and is devolved for local implementation and oversight at local board level. IMGs, like other trainees, feedback their experience through established quality assurance processes such as the Scottish Training Survey. As such, the Scottish Government does not oversee the initiative.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428633,"EventID":"S6W-32802","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-06T17:49:11.913","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-23T10:24:38.55","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there are any reports of the Softer Landing, Safer Care programme making a difference to any international medical graduates experiencing microaggression or raci","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether there are any reports of the Softer Landing, Safer Care programme making a difference to any international medical graduates experiencing microaggression or racial abuse.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"There are no reports on the impact of the Softer Landing, Safer Care Programme however NHS Education for Scotland (NES) works with service leads to ensure all learners work within inclusive environments. A comprehensive strategy exists through NES&rsquo;s &lsquo;Advancing Equity in Medical Education&rsquo; workstream that ensures trainees are not exposed to discriminatory behaviours. Trainees can report such behaviours through the trainee surveys and there is a mechanism within the NES Quality Management structures to address such concerns. NES offers a range of interventions to support inclusive workplace behaviours.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428634,"EventID":"S6W-32777","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-06T17:49:12.077","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-20T14:24:24.28","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made with the second phase of the Glasgow Queen Street railway station redevelopment at the former car park adjacent to North Hanover Street.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made with the second phase of the Glasgow Queen Street railway station redevelopment at the former car park adjacent to North Hanover Street.","AnswerText":"Funding for the redevelopment of the North Hanover Street car park site was withdrawn after a review of priorities following the Capital Spending Review in 2020. Network Rail was tasked at that time with sourcing alternative funding and a consideration of options.Network Rail continues to work with Glasgow City Council development and regeneration team on viable options for the site. It is worth noting that a planning application submitted by Network Rail in May 2021 was determined by the Council in December 2024.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428635,"EventID":"S6W-32801","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-06T17:49:12.213","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-23T10:24:38.55","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how the Softer Landing, Safer Care programme is working for international medical graduates.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how the Softer Landing, Safer Care programme is working for international medical graduates.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"As set out in answer S6W-32799 on 14 January 2025 when the Softer Landing, Safer Care programme was introduced health boards agreed with NES to implement the programme for International Medical graduates (IMGs) starting their first hospital placement in NHS Scotland. The programme is part of a coordinated offer that sits alongside the training pathway and is devolved for local implementation at local board level. IMGs, like other trainees, feedback their experience through established quality assurance processes such as the Scottish Training Survey. As such, the Scottish Government does not formally assess the initiative and it has not yet been formally evaluated.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament&rsquo;s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers","AnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428636,"EventID":"S6W-32562","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-06T17:49:12.247","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T15:59:06.17","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23524 by Elena Whitham on 11 December 2023, what engagement has taken place with stakeholders, including those representing busine","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23524 by Elena Whitham on 11 December 2023, what engagement has taken place with stakeholders, including those representing business and consumer interests; in the event that no engagement has taken place, whether it still plans to consult with stakeholders on proposals for alcohol marketing, and, if so, (a) when and (b) in what format.","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government remains committed to progressing work on protecting children and young people from exposure to alcohol marketing. Public Health Scotland has been commissioned to undertake a review of the evidence for potential regulation of alcohol advertising and marketing that may be taken forward in future.&nbsp; On receipt of Public Health Scotland&rsquo;s findings, the Scottish Government will consider where the evidence supports taking forward a further consultation on a range of targeted proposals. This would include consultation with stakeholders representing business and consumer interests. The Scottish Government regularly engages with business and industry stakeholders with an interest in alcohol policy.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428640,"EventID":"S6W-32705","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16210,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-06T17:49:12.15","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T12:36:34.7","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to questions S6W-30147 and S6W-31340 by Ivan McKee on 11 November and 21 November2024 respectively, what the estimated cost would be in 2025-26, b","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to questions S6W-30147 and S6W-31340 by Ivan McKee on 11 November and 21 November2024 respectively, what the estimated cost would be in 2025-26, broken down byindustry sector.","AnswerText":"I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-32778 on 7 January 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-15T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428642,"EventID":"S6W-32821","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":17689,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":11,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-06T17:49:11.227","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-30T13:43:59.577","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government in what ways is it liaising with CalMac Ferries Ltd to increase ferry capacity to and from the Isle of Mull, in light of reports that the inflatable emergency evacuation","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government in what ways is it liaising with CalMac Ferries Ltd to increase ferry capacity to and from the Isle of Mull, in light of reports that the inflatable emergency evacuation slides fitted to the MV Isle of Mull vessel failed an inspection, resulting in its operational capacity being reduced from 900 to 45 passengers.","AnswerText":"Whilst this is an operational matter for CalMac, given the significant reduction in passenger capacity Transport Scotland officials have been updated by CalMac on the timeline for repairs and will be kept appraised of any capacity issues relevant to the routes MV Isle of Mull is operating on.During this time, during the annual overhaul schedule, as it normally does, the MV Isle of Mull is operating as relief vessel on Lochboisdale service. The MV Loch Frisa continues to operate to Mull to timetable.With the MV Glen Sannox entering service, CalMac assessed the optimum deployment of the MV Isle of Arran through use of their Route Prioritisation Matrix, and the MV Isle of Arran has been operating on the Oban-Craignure route alongside the MV Loch Frisa since 16 January 2025.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428643,"EventID":"S6W-32816","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-06T17:49:11.683","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-27T13:57:30.13","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its total Glasgow city centre office leasehold and freehold footprint has been in terms of (a) buildings occupied and (b) total square footage occupied in each of t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its total Glasgow city centre office leasehold and freehold footprint has been in terms of (a) buildings occupied and (b) total square footage occupied in each of the last 10 years.","AnswerText":"Details of Scottish Government's Glasgow city centre office accommodation, including the buildings occupied and the total area in square metres, over the last 10 years are as follows:YearBuildingNIA (Sq m)2014-155 Atlantic Quay7,223.72&nbsp;Highlander House2,911.63&nbsp;Europa Building3,000.54&nbsp;Fruit Market, Blochairn125.00Total&nbsp;13,260.89&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2015-165 Atlantic Quay7,223.72&nbsp;Highlander House2,911.63&nbsp;Europa Building3,000.54&nbsp;Fruit Market, Blochairn125.00Total&nbsp;13,260.89&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2016-175 Atlantic Quay7,223.72&nbsp;Highlander House2,911.63&nbsp;Europa Building3,000.54&nbsp;Fruit Market, Blochairn125.00Total&nbsp;13,260.89&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2017-185 Atlantic Quay7,223.72&nbsp;Fruit Market, Blochairn125.00Total&nbsp;7,348.72&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2018-195 Atlantic Quay7,223.72&nbsp;Fruit Market, Blochairn125.00Total&nbsp;7,348.72&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2019-204 Atlantic Quay5,580.00&nbsp;5 Atlantic Quay7,223.72&nbsp;Fruit Market, Blochairn125.00Total&nbsp;12,928.72&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2020-214 Atlantic Quay5,580.00&nbsp;5 Atlantic Quay7,223.72&nbsp;Fruit Market, Blochairn125.00Total&nbsp;12,928.72&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2021-224 Atlantic Quay5,580.00&nbsp;5 Atlantic Quay7,223.72&nbsp;Fruit Market, Blochairn125.00Total&nbsp;12,928.72&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2022-234 Atlantic Quay5,580.00&nbsp;5 Atlantic Quay7,223.72&nbsp;Fruit Market, Blochairn125.00Total&nbsp;12,928.72&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2023-244 Atlantic Quay5,580.00&nbsp;5 Atlantic Quay7,223.72Total&nbsp;12,803.72&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2024-20255 Atlantic Quay9,014.57Total&nbsp;9,014.57","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428644,"EventID":"S6W-32368","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16209,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-06T17:49:11.843","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-12T18:03:19.577","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the potential impact on passenger numbers in Scotland, what discussions it has had with National Rail regarding its current Railcard terms and conditions, i","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the potential impact on passenger numbers in Scotland, what discussions it has had with National Rail regarding its current Railcard terms and conditions, including that tickets must be bought before boarding the train.","AnswerText":"The terms and conditions of all GB-wide railcards are set by National Rail, part of the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) under UK Government rail industry rules. There have been no recent specific discussions concerning changes to railcard terms. ScotRail has confirmed with officials at Transport Scotland that National Railcards can be used to buy tickets online, via the app, or at TVMs. Where ticket purchasing facilities are not available at a station, passengers can use their National Rail card when purchasing a ticket from a member of staff on-board of ScotRail trains.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-24T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428645,"EventID":"S6W-32800","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-06T17:49:12.31","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-23T10:24:38.55","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what it recommends to any women who have faced \"medical misogyny\" when asking for help and attempting to receive health care.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what it recommends to any women who have faced \"medical misogyny\" when asking for help and attempting to receive health care.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"The Patient Rights (Scotland) Act 2011 and supporting legislation, provides a specific right for people to make complaints, raise concerns, make comments and give feedback. The Act also places a duty on NHS Boards to thoroughly investigate and respond to any concerns raised, to take improvement actions where appropriate and to share learning from the views they receive. When a person has concerns about their treatment or care, this should be addressed at a local level through the NHS complaints procedure. When resolution is not possible the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) is the second and final stage in the complaints process.  The SPSO is independent from the provider of healthcare and Ministers, and looks into complaints about most organisations providing public services in Scotland.  We are committed to openness and transparency in an NHS that welcomes all forms of feedback and uses it to inform continuous improvement.  More broadly, the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan set out actions which aim to address women&rsquo;s health inequalities by raising awareness around women&rsquo;s health, improving access to health care for women throughout their lives, and reducing inequalities in health outcomes for women and girls.  Our Women&rsquo;s Health Plan 2021 - 2024 Final Report on progress provides further details of our work to date.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428646,"EventID":"S6W-32813","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5580,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":21,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-06T17:49:10.81","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-23T13:52:04.67","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether ScotRail passengers who hold a National Entitlement Card should be able to claim discounted tickets online and via machines, as is curren","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether ScotRail passengers who hold a National Entitlement Card should be able to claim discounted tickets online and via machines, as is currently possible when purchasing at a ticket office.","AnswerText":"The National Entitlement Card allows the holder to access rail concession schemes, where such schemes exist. It is a feature of these Local Authority sponsored schemes that tickets may only be purchased in face-to-face transactions &ndash; either at ticket offices or on board a train. The Scottish Government specifies that all ScotRail trains should have a member of staff on board and therefore these concessionary fares are always available for eligible passengers.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-21T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428647,"EventID":"S6W-32809","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-06T17:49:12.183","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-23T10:24:38.55","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what strategies are in place to reduce any inequality faced by women, in light of them being statistically less likely to receive bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what strategies are in place to reduce any inequality faced by women, in light of them being statistically less likely to receive bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) than a man.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"The Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest Strategy 2021 &ndash; 2026 contains a commitment to addressing key inequalities in out of hospital cardiac arrest outcomes and references inequality in the provision of CPR in women. Through the delivery of this strategy, Save a Life for Scotland partners have been working to address misconceptions about CPR and embed the knowledge that it is a gender neutral, life-saving technique.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428648,"EventID":"S6W-32806","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-06T17:49:10.897","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-23T10:24:38.55","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to change any perception of coronary heart disease and heart attacks as diseases that only affect men, and to raise awareness among women of the","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to change any perception of coronary heart disease and heart attacks as diseases that only affect men, and to raise awareness among women of the diseases, in order that they know their own&nbsp;","AnswerText":"Our Women&rsquo;s Health Plan 2021 &ndash; 2024 identified the need to shift the perception of heart disease in women. We delivered a successful awareness campaign throughout February 2023. In 2024, we worked closely with the ALLIANCE Scotland to improve awareness and engagement with women&rsquo;s heart health through online webinars and resources.  More information can be found in the Women's health plan 2021 to 2024: final report - gov.scot.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428649,"EventID":"S6W-32811","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-06T17:49:10.723","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-23T10:24:38.55","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its strategy is to tackle the reported long waiting times for gynaecological treatments.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its strategy is to tackle the reported long waiting times for gynaecological treatments.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"Women&rsquo;s Health is key priority for this government which is why Scotland was the first country in the UK to publish an ambitious Women&rsquo;s Health Plan in August 2021. Timely access to gynaecology services will remain a priority as we continue to develop our Women&rsquo;s Health Plan.The Budget we set out on 4 December 2024 will throw the weight of the government behind performance improvements with almost &pound;200 million to reduce waiting lists and help support reduction of delayed discharge. By March 2026, we expect no one to be waiting longer than 12 months for a new outpatient, inpatient treatment or day case treatment.We have already invested &pound;30 million to reduce waiting lists that built up throughout the pandemic. This funding is being targeted at a series of national and local plans to reduce backlogs by maximising the use of local and national resources across Scotland. As part of this, we have allocated additional funding to Gynaecology services which we expect to deliver around 3,500 new outpatient appointments.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni  Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428650,"EventID":"S6W-32817","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-06T17:49:11.53","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-28T14:13:52.9","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will request that Network Rail replace the bridge height restriction signage on the railway bridge that carries the Glasgow&ndash;Edinburgh via Falkirk line o","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether it will request that Network Rail replace the bridge height restriction signage on the railway bridge that carries the Glasgow&ndash;Edinburgh via Falkirk line over Hawthorn Street in Glasgow, in light of reports that the westbound sign is damaged and the eastbound sign is missing.","AnswerText":"Transport Scotland have raised this matter with Glasgow City Council, who has responsibility for road signage on low bridges. Glasgow City Council has advised it will seek to instruct remedial work as soon as possible.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428651,"EventID":"S6W-32818","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-06T17:49:11.88","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-30T09:19:58.793","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what return the Scottish Co-investment Fund has made on its initial investment in the country's first \"unicorn\" start-up, FanDual.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what return the Scottish Co-investment Fund has made on its initial investment in the country's first \"unicorn\" start-up, FanDual.","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I have asked their Chief Executive, Adrian Gillespie, to contact you directly with a response.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428653,"EventID":"S6W-32819","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-06T17:49:12.01","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-30T09:26:25.993","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any potential costs and benefits to the Scottish economy from its start-up investment in FanDual, and what lessons have been learnt from t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any potential costs and benefits to the Scottish economy from its start-up investment in FanDual, and what lessons have been learnt from the reported subsequent loss of Scottish corporate control of FanDual to American private equity firms Shamrock and KKR.","AnswerText":"This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I have asked their Chief Executive, Adrian Gillespie, to contact you directly with a response.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428654,"EventID":"S6W-32807","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-06T17:49:12.4","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-23T10:24:38.55","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is encouraging more women to participate in clinical trails and research to ensure that the clinical data it receives is more effective and inclusive of how a wom","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is encouraging more women to participate in clinical trails and research to ensure that the clinical data it receives is more effective and inclusive of how a women&rsquo;s body reacts to medications and treatments.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"Within the Scottish Government policy responsibility for Health and Care Research sits with the Chief Scientist Office (CSO) CSO is engaged with the MESSAGE (Medical Science Sex and Gender Equity) project, a UK-wide initiative which aims to improve the integration of sex and gender considerations across data collection, analysis and reporting in Biomedical, Health and Care research in the UK. MESSAGE brings together stakeholders from across the UK to co-design a sex and gender policy framework for funding and regulatory organisation and supporting policy implementation across the UK research sector. Medical Science Sex &amp; Gender Equity The co-designed framework was launched at the end of 2024 and introduced new recommendations for scientific practice which aim to enhance the quality of UK science at each stage of the research pipeline. CSO contributed to the development of the framework and is working to align its practices with the MESSAGE recommendations. Through the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan 2021- 2024 work has been ongoing to map the data on women&rsquo;s health in Scotland. We have published a &lsquo;Review of the Data Landscape&rsquo; that sets out some of the routinely published data on women&rsquo;s health currently available in Scotland and highlights key gaps. The Care and Wellbeing Dashboard, which provides access to the latest data on population health outcomes and the wider determinants of health in Scotland, will also include breakdowns by sex where this data is available. Our ambition is that &lsquo;women and girls enjoy the best possible health, throughout their lives&rsquo;. This remains the ambition of the Scottish Government, and will continue to be our guiding principle as we consider the next phase of the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428655,"EventID":"S6W-32799","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-06T17:49:12.367","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-23T10:15:39.543","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is monitoring the Softer Landing, Safer Care programme to assess how often it is being used across hospital workforces.&nbsp;","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it is monitoring the Softer Landing, Safer Care programme to assess how often it is being used across hospital workforces.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"NHS Education for Scotland (NES) has developed the Softer Landing, Safer Care programme. When it was introduced health boards agreed with NES to implement the programme for International Medical graduates (IMGs) starting their first hospital placement in NHS Scotland. The programme is part of a coordinated offer that sits alongside the training pathway and is devolved for local implementation at local board level. IMGs, like other trainees, feedback their experience through established quality assurance processes such as the Scottish Training Survey. As such, the Scottish Government does not formally monitor the initiative and it has not yet been formally evaluated.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428656,"EventID":"S6W-32812","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16211,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":15,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-06T17:49:12.28","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-23T10:24:38.55","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to address any lack of public awareness, knowledge and understanding of women&rsquo;s reproductive health conditions and the prevalence of such conditions.&","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to address any lack of public awareness, knowledge and understanding of women&rsquo;s reproductive health conditions and the prevalence of such conditions.&nbsp;","AnswerText":"The Women&rsquo;s Health Plan set out actions which aim to address women&rsquo;s health inequalities by raising awareness around women&rsquo;s health, improving access to health care for women across their lives, and reducing inequalities in health outcomes for women and girls. Through the Plan we have appointed Scotland&rsquo;s first Women&rsquo;s Health Champion; created a Women&rsquo;s Health Platform on NHS Inform, commissioned NHS Education for Scotland to create bespoke training packages on menstrual health for general practice and there is now a menopause and menstrual health workplace policy for NHS Scotland.  In addition we funded the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland to deliver our Women&rsquo;s Health Plan lived experience programme. This has included webinars, videos, a toolkit and our Lived Experience Stakeholder Group to raise awareness of women&rsquo;s health topics and ensure women and people with lived experience are meaningfully involved in decision making and priority setting. Our Women&rsquo;s Health Plan 2021 - 2024 Final Report on progress provides further details of our work to date. Our ambition is that &lsquo;women and girls enjoy the best possible health, throughout their lives&rsquo;. This remains the ambition of the Scottish Government, and will continue to be our guiding principle as we consider the next phase of the Women&rsquo;s Health Plan.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-20T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jenni Minto","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428662,"EventID":"S6W-32814","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-07T16:59:00.36","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-27T13:22:39.363","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported comments from Stuart Patrick, chief executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, that the Scottish Government should &ldquo;either supp","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported comments from Stuart Patrick, chief executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, that the Scottish Government should &ldquo;either support one or two flights to North America from Glasgow or stop doing route development funding altogether&rdquo; and that \"every single route in the aviation strategy has gone to Edinburgh Airport\".&nbsp;","AnswerText":"The Scottish Government recognises the importance of Scotland&rsquo;s international connectivity and we want to see it grow at all Scotland&rsquo;s airports.Our Aviation Statement commits to working with Scotland&rsquo;s airports and airlines to help grow connectivity to the international markets that are important for inbound tourism, business connectivity and the economy as a whole. Scotland's International Strategy specifically mentions improving connectivity to North America.We take a national approach to route development and our work with airlines is carried out strictly on an &ldquo;airport-neutral&rdquo; basis, leaving airlines to decide which Scottish airport to use.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Jim Fairlie","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428668,"EventID":"S6W-32815","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-07T16:58:59.797","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-27T13:54:56.08","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of its lease of 5 Atlantic Quay at 150 Broomielaw after its owner, Singapore-based Elite Partners Capital&rsquo;s UK Commercial Fund III, rep","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of its lease of 5 Atlantic Quay at 150 Broomielaw after its owner, Singapore-based Elite Partners Capital&rsquo;s UK Commercial Fund III, reportedly instructed JLL to seek offers over &pound;20 million for the building in April 2024, and whether it has assessed the potential cost and benefit of making an offer to purchase the building to establish a freehold instead of a leasehold on the property.","AnswerText":"In line with Ministerial priorities in the current challenging fiscal context, officials are always considering options and opportunities for Scottish Government's estate that make the best possible use of our existing assets and deliver value for money. The Scottish Minister&rsquo;s leasehold interest at 5 Atlantic Quay, Glasgow is being considered as part of that strategic estate work. We cannot comment further at this time due to the commercial sensitivities involved.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428672,"EventID":"S6W-32822","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16198,"Party":"Scottish Labour","RegionID":20,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-07T16:58:59.8","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-30T16:16:08.383","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government whether Ferguson Marine is prepared to bid to build two floating docks for the Royal Navy under the Additional Fleet Time Docking Capability (AFTDC) project, which aims ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government whether Ferguson Marine is prepared to bid to build two floating docks for the Royal Navy under the Additional Fleet Time Docking Capability (AFTDC) project, which aims to acquire two floating dry docks and associated infrastructure for submarine maintenance at HMNB Clyde (Faslane).","AnswerText":"Ferguson Marine is responsible for its own commercial decision making, including which contract opportunities to pursue. The Scottish Government is working to support the business and secure a sustainable future given the importance of Ferguson Marine to the local economy and commercial shipbuilding on the Clyde.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-16T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-21T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":428782,"EventID":"S6W-32195","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4940,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":81,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-08T17:08:06.903","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-11T11:28:28.867","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking      to address colonoscopy waiting times to improve early diagnosis of      inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), in light of Public Health Scotlan","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking      to address colonoscopy waiting times to improve early diagnosis of      inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), in light of Public Health Scotland data      from September 2024 showing the highest proportion of patients waiting a      year or more for a colonoscopy since January 2023.","AnswerText":"Significant additional activity is already underway following the allocation of &pound;30 million funding to target reductions to the national backlogs that built up throughout the pandemic. This includes over 40,000 extra diagnostic procedures.To specifically support scope based diagnostics we have published an Endoscopy and Urology Diagnostic Recovery and Renewal Plan backed by &pound;70 million. The plan focuses on key areas such as: Balancing Demand and Capacity; Workforce Training and Development; Infrastructure; and Innovation and Redesign.To provide further support for timeous diagnosis, the Scottish Government commissioned Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) will shortly publish a newly developed Inflammatory Bowel Disease pathway to support earlier identification and management of the disease.The Budget we set out on 4 December 2024 will throw the weight of the government behind performance improvements with almost &pound;200 million to reduce waiting lists and help support reduction of delayed discharge. By March 2026, we expect no one to be waiting longer than 12 months for a new outpatient, inpatient treatment or day case treatment.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-22T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Neil Gray","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":429113,"EventID":"S6W-32680","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-10T16:02:50.48","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T12:22:59.187","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on what specific measures are being implemented in Aberdeen to protect pedestrians, including vulnerable groups, from the reported risks posed by","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on what specific measures are being implemented in Aberdeen to protect pedestrians, including vulnerable groups, from the reported risks posed by illegally modified e-bikes.","AnswerText":"Whilst not aware of any specific actions at this time with regards to illegally modified e-bikes on our road network in Aberdeen, we are aware that the matter has been raised and discussed within the Road Safety North East Scotland (RSNES) Lead Officer Group, and at a national level via the Motorcycle Focus Group in conjunction with discussion on e-motorcycles. At this group, Transport Scotland statisticians were asked to obtain more specific casualty data about e-motorcycles to help understand the extent of the issue at a national level.Addressing the role of modified e-bikes/e-motorcycles in antisocial behaviour, and serious and organised crime, is a matter for Police Scotland.I would also refer the member to the answer to question S6W-32685 on 13 January 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-24T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Fiona Hyslop","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":429156,"EventID":"S6W-32491","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":4987,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":12,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-13T17:06:02.48","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-18T12:21:28.123","Title":"To ask the Scottish      Government, regarding any implications for child protection issues and      policy in Scotland, what assessment it has made of the Sara Sharif case.","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish      Government, regarding any implications for child protection issues and      policy in Scotland, what assessment it has made of the Sara Sharif case.","AnswerText":"Sara Sharif experienced unimaginable abuse during her life and was murdered by someone she trusted. It is essential children and young people are protected from harm and the Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that robust child protection measures are in place across Scotland, and continue to be followed at all times.The Scottish Government published revised National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland on 31 August 2023. The non-statutory guidance describes the responsibilities and expectations of everyone who works with children, young people and their families in Scotland. It aims to support improved cross-agency working and outcomes for children at risk.The National Child Protection Guidance makes clear that, no matter the circumstances, concerns about risk to a child or young person should be reported without delay to social work or, in situations where risk is immediate, to Police Scotland. Child protection procedures are initiated when police, social work or health determine that a child may have been significantly harmed or may be at risk of significant harm. All concerns which may indicate risk of significant harm must lead to consideration of an inter-agency referral discussion (IRD). Again, this applies whether or not the child is in school. A practitioner&rsquo;s failure to report child abuse could constitute a breach of their employment contract, lead to disciplinary action, or give rise to a claim for civil damages. Practitioners could also be struck off from social work, teaching, or medical registers for gross misconduct.As outlined in the guidance, the decision to home educate a child should not, in itself, be regarded as a child protection concern. The Scottish Government is determined to ensure children and young people are fully engaged in their learning and Ministers recognise home education as a valid choice alongside sending a child to school.Where a child is on a school roll in a local authority area, a parent must seek that local authority&rsquo;s consent before withdrawing their child from the school. Whilst the authority must not unreasonably withhold consent to withdraw, local authorities can refuse to give their consent for a child to be withdrawn from the school roll in certain circumstances, including:where a child has been referred to social work, police or health for child protection reasons, and the matter is being investigatedwhere a child is on the child protection registerwhere a child has been referred to the Children&rsquo;s Reporter on care and protection grounds, and the referral is being consideredwhere the child is the subject of a supervision requirement.The Scottish Government have been reviewing the home education guidance, working with stakeholders, and will publish updated guidance shortly.Scottish Government officials are monitoring progress of the UK Government&rsquo;s Children&rsquo;s Wellbeing Bill and what implications this might have for child protection processes in Scotland.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-17T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Natalie Don-Innes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":429315,"EventID":"S6W-32786","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":1994,"Party":"Scottish National Party","RegionID":null,"ConstituencyID":95,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-15T17:27:53.007","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-20T16:22:00.15","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the judgement of Lord Pentland in the case of The Scottish Ministers v The Scottish Information Commissioner (case reference number XA10/23), which states t","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the judgement of Lord Pentland in the case of The Scottish Ministers v The Scottish Information Commissioner (case reference number XA10/23), which states that the Scottish Ministers accepted that they (or their officials) could gain access to the information held by James Hamilton, whether it will provide, where possible, the names of any of its officials that (a) had such access and (b) used such permissions to access the inboxes of secretariat members, as stated in the judgement.","AnswerText":"As set out in the information disclosed by Scottish Government on 26 October 2024, several Scottish Government officials had permissions to access the mailbox used by Mr Hamilton&rsquo;s secretariat. The reason they were granted access was for business continuity purposes, for example if there were an urgent business requirement in the case of unexpected absence. The individuals who had permissions to access the mailbox were permanent civil servants. To comply with data protection principles the names of those civil servants are not disclosed.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-28T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-29T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Kate Forbes","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":429468,"EventID":"S6W-32709","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5651,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-17T13:25:42.523","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T13:07:56.33","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the campaign for parole reform being pursued by two survivors, and The Courier&rsquo;s Voice for Victims campaign, particularly in relation to th","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the campaign for parole reform being pursued by two survivors, and The Courier&rsquo;s Voice for Victims campaign, particularly in relation to the current (a) necessity for a confidentiality agreement prior to participation and (b) non-requirement for an admission of guilt before consideration of parole.","AnswerText":"We are committed to listening to the victims&rsquo;, and their families, views on how the parole system can be improved.This why the First Minister, Minister for Victims, and I, are committed to meeting victims and hear how we can better support them through the parole process.Continuous improvement is essential to ensuring the parole system remains effective and fit for purpose.However, any proposals to amend parole rules need to be carefully considered, and fully assessed, to understand their impact.","AnswerDate":"2025-01-30T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-01-31T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angela Constance","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":430336,"EventID":"S6W-32666","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-30T16:34:12.71","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T12:08:19.72","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its work on the prevention and detection of public sector fraud and corruption, how it (a) assesses and (b) responds to any corruption risks associated with f","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its work on the prevention and detection of public sector fraud and corruption, how it (a) assesses and (b) responds to any corruption risks associated with financial markets and infrastructure projects linked to foreign governments.","AnswerText":"a) The Scottish Government&rsquo;s Counter Fraud Toolkit within the Counter Fraud Framework contains a range of processes for assessing risks associated with fraud and corruption in all areas of public sector spending. These are aligned with the UK Government's Counter Fraud Standards and international best practice on the effective prevention of public sector fraud and corruption.b) The Scottish Public Finance Manual (SPFM) contains the requirements for assessing and responding to the risk of corruption in all areas of public finance and infrastructure spending. Where the risk of fraud or corruption of any kind is identified, the SPFM requires that appropriate measures are put in place to prevent these risks.","AnswerDate":"2025-02-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":430342,"EventID":"S6W-32664","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-30T16:34:14.9","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T12:08:19.72","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its work on international development, whether it has had any official or unofficial contact with any representatives in relation to infrastructure or financi","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its work on international development, whether it has had any official or unofficial contact with any representatives in relation to infrastructure or financial projects in Bangladesh.","AnswerText":"Our International Development work focuses on three partner countries in Africa. The Scottish Government has not had official or unofficial contact with representatives from Bangladesh in relation to International Development, for either infrastructure or financial projects in Bangladesh. Our International Development overseas investment partner countries are Malawi, Rwanda, and Zambia. More information on our International Development work can be found online at &lt;https://www.gov.scot/policies/international-development/&gt;","AnswerDate":"2025-02-26T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Angus  Robertson","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":430346,"EventID":"S6W-32665","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":16206,"Party":"Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party","RegionID":14,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-30T16:34:15.137","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-19T12:08:19.72","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its work on the prevention and detection of public sector fraud and corruption, what measures are in place to avoid public funds being used for, and Scottish ","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its work on the prevention and detection of public sector fraud and corruption, what measures are in place to avoid public funds being used for, and Scottish institutions being implicated in, cases of international corruption.","AnswerText":"The measures to mitigate the impact of potential international corruption in the management of public resources in Scotland are found in the Scottish Public Finance Manual (SPFM), and within the relevant Scottish Government policies and Civil Service Code. Requirements within the SPFM cover the appropriate standards for the handling of all elements of public finances in terms of payments made, received, and in how they are documented and authorised.The SG engages with external partners and colleagues from the UK Government Public Sector Fraud Authority, the International Public Sector Fraud Forum, Audit Scotland and the Scottish Public Sector Counter Fraud Network. This facilitates the sharing of expertise and current practice in the prevention of fraud and corruption, as well as horizon scanning on future risks, providing assurance on the management of fraud and corruption risk and the protection of public resources.The Scottish Government has in place a Fraud Risk Management Framework and Counter Fraud Strategy, which both align to the UK government functional standard 013 - Counter Fraud, and the principles of this standard. The SG framework focuses on four areas that determine the Scottish Government&rsquo;s high-level approach to fraud and corruption. These centre on the areas of:GovernanceRisk assessmentPrevention and detectionFraud responseThis framework and approach can be used to inform assessment and response to any fraud or corruption risks.","AnswerDate":"2025-02-14T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-02-27T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Ivan McKee","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false},{"UniqueID":430483,"EventID":"S6W-32420","EventTypeID":1,"EventSubTypeID":1,"MSPID":5757,"Party":"Scottish Green Party","RegionID":19,"ConstituencyID":null,"ApprovedDate":"2025-01-31T12:51:02.94","SubmissionDateTime":"2024-12-16T14:15:18.593","Title":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the conviction on 10 October 2024 of the master of ascallop diving vessel in breach of the South Arran Marine Conservation Order,whether the accused was offer","ItemText":"To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the conviction on 10 October 2024 of the master of ascallop diving vessel in breach of the South Arran Marine Conservation Order,whether the accused was offered a fixed penalty notice (FPN) prior to referralto the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), and, if so, what thevalue was of any such FPN; how many scallops were removed as a result of theoffence, and what happened to them; what the value was of the scallops takenduring the offence, and, in the event that they were sold, who received themoney.","AnswerText":"The master of the vessel convicted of fishing in the South Aran Marine Protected Area was initially offered a &pound;10,000 Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN), the maximum permitted under the FPN scheme. This consisted of &pound;4,000 for the \"access offence\" and &pound;6,000 for the value of the catch, as determined when the catch was inspected by Marine Directorate Officers at the time of landing. The FPN was not paid and the case was reported the Crown Office Procurator Fiscal Service and the case went to trial where the master was fined &pound;4175 by the Sheriff.The catch consisted of 914kg of king scallops, which was sold to a merchant. The merchant provided the Marine Directorate with a salenote stating the value of the catch was &pound;4548.50. The value of the catch would have been paid to the owner of the vessel.Further details of the FPN are available - Marine compliance: fixed penalty notices - gov.scot","AnswerDate":"2025-02-10T00:00:00","AnswerStatusID":null,"ExpectedAnswerDate":"2025-02-28T00:00:00","MeetingDate":null,"AnsweredByMSP":"Mairi Gougeon","OnBehalfOf":"","ConsideredForMembersBusiness":false,"CrossPartySupport":false,"RegisteredInterest":false}]